Chapter II
I'm surprised that you lived.
Kuja?
It doesn't matter who I am, you should be worrying about yourself at this moment.
But... Dagger, Eiko, and the others, what about them?
Heh, heh ... Always thinking of others. They're fine. Worry about yourself.
Kuja! Is that you! Tell me you bastard! Kuja?
...Worry about yourself...
"Ugh, I don't feel to good."
"Hey! You're alive!"
"Freya? Is that you?"
"Yes it is," replied Freya.
"At least I woke up with someone I know beside me," He said relived . "Where am I?"
"Burmecia," she replied.
"Burmecia! We crashed off the coast of the New Continent... I must have drifted for some time."
"What do you mean, we?" Freya inquired.
Zidane tried to recollect. "Dagger was with me, so were Eiko and Cid. Oh and Mikoto too."
"All of them?"
"Yeah. Hey, how bad of a condition was I when you found me?"
"I had to practically bandage you up to keep your guts from falling out. I'm bewildered that you healed within a week."
"A week! Where are the others?"
"I don't know."
"Damn it!" He stood up but then tumbled on the floor.
"You shouldn't rush, just because you look fine on the outside doesn't mean that you're okay on the inside," Freya pointed out.
"Can you at least help me up?"
"Sure."
Freya grabbed Zidane under the armpits and lifted him to his feet. Zidane then put his arm around her for support.
Zidane couldn't help but smiling and said "Thanks."
"Anytime."
"...That's what she said... You got anything to eat?"
"Yes, why didn't you ask that earlier?"
"To... Concerned."
He collapses onto the bed after Freya left him to go get him a meal. Then he begins to recall unintentionally what happened on the Pride of Lindblum. He thought the Seven Oaths and what might happen in the near future. Suddenly, like a blow to the head he thought of Necron.
"It should know about them," he said. "Necron should know all about them."
Freya returned with a platter of who knows what, "Necron? I don't what anything to do with him."
"It," he corrected her.
"Whatever, I don't like Necron. It tried to kill us."
"Yeah, I hate it too, but no one else knows anything about the Seven Oaths."
"The Seven Oaths, I have heard that somewhere before. I can't remember where, I'm sorry I'm not much help."
"You kept me alive! Don't go around saying you didn't do anything!"
"Sure, tell me what you know about them."
"Well, I know they are compact powerhouses of infinite doom if shattered." Zidane said. "And that they give the summoners ability to summon. Or keep control of the Eidolons. Wait! They did break! Shit!"
"What does it mean?"
"The Eidolons will go on a rampage and kill everyone," he grieved.
"Alexander is dead, correct?" she asked.
"I don't know."
"Burmecia has suffered enough already, and now this."
"The world is doomed again. Just like old times, I better get out The Tower and Rusty's Ragnarok."
"If your going alone, at least get some rest," said Freya. "And, before you trek back to Alexandria take this."
Freya walks over a weapons rack and takes a two-foot long orange-red blade from it.
"Remember the Orichalcon?"
"How couldn't I?"
"Well you dropped it when you had a better weapon."
"I did? Oh yeah, well I'm going to need all the help I can get while walking back to Alexandria. Or Lindblum at least."
"Was coming with you anyway, more like carry."
"Don't patronize me," snapped Zidane.
"The time that you have spent in the castle shows Zidane," chuckled Freya.
"You've changed too, you made a joke," replied Zidane. "Let's get going."
He stood up and walked down the stairs leading into the flooded street Freya followed behind him. She jumped onto the roof fifteen feet above. Zidane always did admire how gravity seemed to forget about her. Zidane hesitated before stepping into the freezing ankle deep water. Freya jumped along the rooftops only to be drenched with rain. Zidane walked through the murky water. His thoughts drifted to Dagger and the airship. After walking about fifty feet through the water the street elevated and there was no flooding. He arrived at the gate where Freya was waiting.
"You're slow," she said.
"Let's just go, I'm freezing my ass off."
Freya nodded and walked off south, Zidane followed behind her.
"So," he started. "What do you think will happen to Gaia?"
"I'm hoping it is something we can handle," she said in a far away voice.
"Me too."
Silently, they walked along the plains. There was no mist to obstruct the view so Zidane could see the stump of Cleyra. Zidane then reminisced on how Odin destroyed it a year ago. He remembered how Brahne killed all the innocent Cleyrans. Old hate for her swelled within is heart. Before any more old wounds could open, he looked away and forced himself to stop thinking of the former queen. After all, Brahne was Dagger's mother. So he couldn't be thinking like that. The entrance the grotto was in view but still a considerable distance. When the sun was about to set they reached Gizmaluke's Grotto.
Tiredly Zidane said, "Freya let's stay the night here, I'm wiped out."
Freya rolled her eyes and said, "Fine but first thing in the morning, we set off."
"Okay."
Minutes later Zidane fell into sleeps welcoming embrace.
What do you plan to do in Lindblum?
Kuja, this is getting old.
Yes, it is I. I need to tell you something.
What?
I must warn you first, what I tell you will forever change you.
What!
When the Oaths exploded, great power was unleashed. Being Genomes you and Mikoto took in all of the power released. You now have control over the elements of the crystals.
And?
You now possess any of the elements and manipulate them at your command. They are: Sanctus, Umbrae, Ignis, Aquae, Terrae Motus, Anima, and Glacei.
They mean?
Sanctus is Holy, Shadow is Umbrae, Fire is Ignis, Water is Aquae, Earth is Terrae Motus, Wind is Anima, and Blizzard is Glacei. They are in the ancient Terran language.
Your point is?
You are so thick. It means you can use magic.
Magic?
Yes, magic. In small amounts, Mikoto
would know more about it than you at this point.
Zidane woke up in a prone position and saw that Freya was already awake.
Freya turned to look at him, "Sleep well?"
"Not really," he said thinking of Kuja.
"Too bad, let's go."
"Okay," he said tiredly as he stood up.
As they trekked through the grotto Freya noticed something amiss.
"Do you notice anything odd?" she asked him.
"No, why?"
"There are no monsters, we haven't seen one on this whole trip."
"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen any at all. I wonder what's up."
"It is a bad omen," she said.
They continued through Gizmaluke's Grotto without a single monster encounter, When out on the plains again Lindblum was in sight but it was all ablaze.
"Do you see that?" he exclaimed.
"Yes, we better quicken our pace," she replied.
"Yeah."
The two of them sprinted towards Lindblum, Zidane felt that they should be prepared for the worst so he unsheathed the Orichalcon. Freya readied her lance as Qu's Marsh could be seen.
"We're almost at Dragon's Gate!" said Zidane.
"I see it!"
Just as they arrived the earth shook with great intensity and a section of the cliff fell loose and blocked the way in.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" shouted Zidane angrily.
Freya sighed and then said, "What should we do now?"
"You're asking me! I don't know! All I do know is that we have to get up there!"
"Calm down, and think."
How can I calm down? People are probably dying up above! And I can't help!" Zidane replied in pure rage. "Nothing angers me more than being this helpless!"
"Zidane! Times like this do happen."
Zidane didn't respond, he thought of what Kuja told him in his sleep. Of the elements and the Seven Oaths.
"Magic, Terrae Motus!" he shouted.
"What?" Freya looked at him confused.
Suddenly, on the earth beneath them, the symbol of the planet Terra appeared under their feet.
"Huh?" Zidane said as this happened.
The ground shook causing Zidane to fall to his knees. The second his hands touched the ground, a circular fault appear around them. The section then soared into the air carrying them up the cliff.
"How... Did you do that?" asked Freya dumbfounded.
"I... I don't know."
"I'm glad you did it, we are about to reach the top."
They section of earth stopped at the top of the cliff. Carefully Freya and Zidane Walked off of it. The floating earth then crumbled and plummeted downwards. Zidane turned around to look at Lindblum. The city was glowing with crimson fire.
"Who could of done this?" Freya said in shock.
"That!"
Bahamut was sending out flares evaporating all the touched and setting flame to everything within thirty feet of them. The pair stared in awe at the destruction.
"This we can't handle!" exclaimed Zidane.
"I fear that you are right."
"Run!"
"Where?"
"Anywhere! To Pinnacle Rocks!"
I wonder where Dagger is... I hope she's okay.