Disclaimer: I do not own Wild Arms 2nd Ignition and/or Final Fantasy 9

Chapter 1

Ashley's POV

How could I not sense it? The power inside my body, the power of the demon I defeated, the power of Lord Blazer. After the final battle, everything was at peace, I had let my guard down, thinking that the demon in me was defeated. I was wrong, Lord Blazer was erased from existence, but his power still remained within me.

The demon's power assimilated into my body, trying to turn me into the next Blaze of Disaster. My body fought back, it was because I had wielded the Argetlahm and possessed its power that was keeping me in check.

It was enough, for awhile my body had only suffered a high fever. Then the demon power took hold, I turned into Knight Blazer without my consent and had almost hurt the ones I cared for.

My friends were able to subdue me, but the evil energy within me still tried to turn me into a monster. Only when the Argetlahm was near me was when it would subside. Lilka, Tim and Marivel had thoroughly examined me.

Their result was that with each passing day, the demon's power was slowly becoming my own. The process wouldn't stop until I had absorbed all of Lord Blazer's power, during the process the demon energy was affecting my mind at a speed it couldn't cope with. Marivel had suggested of freezing me, putting me in a state of suspended animation, long enough to keep me alive and long enough for my body and mind to assimilate the demon energy within me, turning me into the a demon, turning me into the next Lord Blazer, but with my sanity intact.

The problem was that Marina wouldn't be able to be with me as Marivel had the tools and materials to build only one cryogenic pod. I felt my heart shatter. I loved Marina and she loved me, I wanted nothing more than spending the rest of my life with her.

Marina was sad as well, so I decided not to go for the idea and just kept the Argetlam with me or at least near me at all times. However, it came to a point where the Argetlahm wasn't powerful enough to stop me from trying to hurt the people I cared for.

I had killed my friends, my lover and almost everyone in Filgaia. I was finally subdued but Brad and Kanon almost paid with their lives. I had cried hard when I was told on what I had committed. Then the Argetlam had revealed another one of its powers, an ability which it never showed, even to Anastasia.

The Argetlahm had allowed me to communicate with the souls of the people I had murdered. I was surprised when I was forgiven for what I had done, they told that it wasn't my fault. That I wasn't the one that had killed them, but the demon energy that had affected me was the one that committed the crime.

Marina had told me that Filgaia would reincarnate the people whom I had killed and be possible for us to see each other again but I would have to find her as she would not remember me in her next life. So I went to Marivel and told her to push through with the idea of freezing me.

She had already built the cryogenic pod a long time ago, just in case something like this would eventually happen to me. She built it to look like a sort of tomb, a casket if you will. I bade my remaining friends goodbye, they had given me some parting gifts for me. Brad and Kanon said their goodbyes to me, early in the day when I had visited them in the infirmary of the Valeria chateau.

Tim had given me three Guardian Tablets, Grudiev, Fengalon and MoorGault. Saying that the three guardians had taken a liking to me and that those three would help me if possible. Lilka had given me a few crest caps, her own special batch which never needed to be refilled, with a variety of spells in them. Marivel had given my tools a special coating which would protect them wear and tear, a spell that teleport my knives back to my pack and self-reproducing ammo for my flare gun, along with some survival items when I would wake up. Lombardia had given me something as well, a very beautiful jewel necklace called the Dragon's Tear which, which he said has some properties I would find out about later on. Lucied decided to stay inside my body, allowing me usage of his power.

I gave each of my friends one last hug, and patted Pooka on the head as well saying my goodbyes to Lombardia, before climbing into the machine. As my eyelids started to close I gripped the hilt of the Argetlahm, which was inside the pod with all my other stuff, hoping that when I wake up I will be able to control my new found powers and that I would not bring upon Filgaia's destruction when I awoke.

End POV

Years passed and the power of Lord Blazer was starting to fully assimilate into Ashley Winchester. Year by Year, decade by decade, Filgaia was changing, everything moved on with the flow of time. The Crimson Castle, which housed the new Lord Blazer, was lost having been forgotten with the flow of time. Marivel had also disappeared from Gaia, Filgaia's new name. With no one with knowledge of the sleeping demon, with ever present change, Crimson Castle was found and renovated into Alexandria Castle.

Yet, no one had still found the sealed demon. That would soon awaken, and walk this earth again during a young princess' sixteenth birthday.

It was a joyous day for the citizens of Alexandria, the occasion? Princess Garnet Til Alexandros 17th sixteenth birthday. Everyone was excited, every staff in the castle was frantic, trying to prepare for this momentous occasion. Even the nobles from Treno came, but that was because of the play that was going to occur and to get the good graces of the Alexandrian royal family.

The princess herself was in her room, sitting on a chair right beside the window. Princess Garnet is a woman of beauty having just turned sixteen. With long flowing, ebony hair, dark chocolate brown eyes, fair skin, a beautiful light green dress and her crown, she looked like a goddess. She was asleep in her chair, but had awoken with a start, she had been having a dream, or maybe something else. She had stood up and opened the window and saw a beautiful theatre ship.

The Prima Vista, the theatre ship of the famous performance troupe, and band of thieves, Tantalus, is about to dock in Alexandria. The crew is preparing for the play 'I Want to Be Your Canary' and the kidnapping of the Princess of Alexandria.

Inside the ship a male slid down a pole and entered a nearby room. The male is about sixteen years old with dirty blonde hair which reached his shoulders and a small part tied together. He is wearing a white shirt underneath a blue vest, a pair of baggy blue pants, and a brown belt around his waist, a pair of brown boots on his feet along with a matching pair of gloves. A pair of daggers hung on either side of him. He would've looked normal, if it wasn't for the two and a half foot long light brown monkey tail protruding from the back of his pants.

Inside, he looked around, but couldn't see anything. "Sure is dark…Guess nobody's here yet…" he muttered to himself. The man lighted a matched and lighted the candle that was sitting on the table in the center of the room.

After lighting the candle a voice was heard through the door behind him. "Who's there?"

The teen answered back "It's me, Zidane!" After answering, three men came out, Marcus, Blank and Cinna.

Marcus wore a green vest shirt and short pants with brown boots and a red bandanna covering his hair and eyes, a sword strapped to his side. Blank, wore a brown head band keeping his red hair out of his right eye, a few leather belts across his waist and one around his shoulder which crossed his chest. A sword strapped to on his back.

Cinna is slightly shorter and fatter than the others, with flat circular hat, black substance around his upper part of his face, leather shoulder pads, a chain around his neck, hanging behind him, leather shorts and boots. A hammer was hanging from his side.

"Hey Zidane! You sure are late!" Blank said. Zidane waved it off "Sorry. So, where's the boss?". "Ain't here yet." Cinna replied. Before anything else could be said, the door behind Zidane busts open, getting everyone's attention.

A fat man, wearing some leather boots and gloves, blue pants, a white shirt with an orange vest over it, and a dragon's head mask, entered, he jumped down the stairs, pulled out a large, curved, pale yellow sword and started to attack the party.

The fat masked man rushed to Zidane with a giant overhead chop which would've cut the monkey tailed teen in half. If, the aforementioned teen didn't pull out a pair of daggers and blocked the sword, but was pushed down because of the force used.

Blank and Marcus went to their friends aid, but before they could attack, the masked man knocked Zidane back, twisting his body, bringing his sword in a sweeping motion and blocked both charging men's swords with his own. Cinna took this chance and hit the man behind the head.

The masked man looked like he wasn't even fazed as he used his strength and pushed Blank and Marcus off before back handing Cinna across the room. Zidane used this open chance, he did a flip, and hit the back of the masked man with kick.

This finally caused the dragon mask to pop off. Revealing, a purple bearded man with bunny ears, wearing an aviators helmet with a pair of goggles. The man clutched his head and cried out in pain. "UGHHUUA! Oh, my head! Go easy, you guys!"

Everyone recognized the leader of the Tantalus crew, Baku. Everyone got up, tired from the fight. "Hey, fools! You're lookin' a lot better! Gwahahaha!" Baku laughed, then he stopped and looked a bit serious. Alright! Let's start this meeting already!"

Baku left his four recovering men and left through the door which Blank, Cinna and Marcus had entered from. He was followed by Zidane, Marcus, Blank, and then finally Cinna, who shook of his dizziness and followed the others.

The five entered the room, Baku stood in front of the table with a miniature Alexandria castle on it. Zidane and Marcus each took a seat, Blank leaned against the wall next to the door and Cinna laid himself\ on his side on top of a chest. Baku then started to brief his men on the plan.

"Here's the plan! Tantalus, the infamous band of daring thieves (that's us) is headin' to the Kingdom of Alexandria… Our mission: to kidnap the heir to the throne, Princess Garnet!"

Cinna stood up and pulled a Prima Vista miniature from behind him. "I'll take it from here, so listen up! Our ship's about to dock at Alexandria... And when it does, we're gonna put on our costumes... ...and perform 'I want to Be Your Canary,' the most popular play in Alexandria! Break a leg, Marcus! 'Cause you're playin' the lead!"

Marcus stands up "Leave the actin' to me! Of course, the real kidnappers'll be Blank and Zidane." Blank pulls out something from his pockets and showed it to everyone "I'll distract the audience from backstage with these little buggers."

The thing that Blank pulled out his a huge hideous bug, which looked real slimy and has yellow skin. It jumped from Blank's hand and started to hop around before Blank caught it. "I can't stand oglops… But I'll manage, so don't worry about me. And that'll be your cue Zidane!" he continued.

Everyone in the room looked at Zidane waiting for him to say what he was supposed to do. Nobody saw the mischievous glint in his eye as he answered. "That's when I kidnap Queen Brahne, right?"

Baku nodded, "You bet! Your gonna kidnap the fat-ass, butt-ugly, Queen Br--…what…what'm I saying." Baku stopped himself after realizing that he had been tricked. Marcus, Cinna and Blank all snickered at Zidane's trick on their boss.

"Alright! Quit jokin' around!" Baku said, angry that Zidane was able to trick him like that. Zidane stopped snickering before saying his part for real. "That's when I kidnap Princess Garnet, right?"

Baku glared at Zidane one last time before nodding. "You bet! You're gonna kidnap the most babe-ilicious beauty in all of Alexandria, Princess Garnet!"

As the Tantalus crew was preparing for the play, and the kidnapping they are going to perform. A pointy hated boy in the streets of Alexandria looked at their ship in awe. He looked liked a normal nine year old boy, wearing a light blue jacket, a pair of baggy blue pants the same color as his jacket but with stripes, leather brown boots and gloves. Except, that you couldn't see his face, or head for that matter, the only thing a person could see was a black shadow with huge, oval shaped, child-like yellow eyes. A staff hung around the child's waist.

The child was walking along the street before he was bumped by some other kids who were running. His ticket fell to the ground, and then a girl slightly younger than the boy took the ticket and gave it back to the child who was dusting himself off.

"Are you awright? Here! You dwopped your ticket." The girl handed over the ticket before waving "Bye-Bye" she said before leaving. The boy placed the tickets back in his pocket before continuing.

While going to the main square of Alexandria, the boy saw a penguin-like man greet some nobles on the street. "Honorable nobles of Treno… Castle Alexandria is this way!"

The herald blows his horn before leading the nobles away. Once the nobles are out of sight, the boy continues on. He makes he's way to the main square and enters the ticket booth.

The Ticket master looks up from his book, the Ticket master is an elderly looking, purple-furred, glasses wearing dog man. "Can I help you, son?" he asked in a kind voice. The boy fumbled for his ticket "Uh…Umm…"

He hands his ticket to the Ticket master who looks at it with great scrutiny. "What's this? There's something odd about this ticket…" the Ticket Master leaned in closer, pushing his glasses up and looked at the ticket closer. "Why, it's another fake! I've seen so many today." he exclaimed as he placed the ticket on the table.

The pointy-hat boy slumped his shoulders, he paid good money for that ticket. "Nooooo!" The boy started to cry a bit, when he heard that he couldn't see the play. The Ticket master looked at the boy with sympathy.

"Now, now. Don't cry . I know how you must feel. Here, I'll give you these. Do try to cheer up now, hmmm?" The Ticket master gave the boy some playing cards "Try talking to Alleyway Jack to learn more about cards. Good Luck, lad!"

The yellow eyed boy thanked the Ticket master before heading to the alley nearby trying to find Alleyway Jack. Instead, he tripped on a loose rock and face planted on the concrete. This caused the sign maker, Dante, nearby to mess up.

"Blast it! Hey! You made me mss, you little klutz!" Dante yelled angrily from atop of the ladder. The boy watches as the sign maker, puts back the sign and finishes his job. Dante climbs down the ladder, stretches and yawns. "Whew. That should do it . Well, it's been a long day."

Dante walks past the boy heading for the main square, and when he was finally out of sight, the rat-kid which had bumped the pointy-hat boy comes over. "Hey, you! Shrimp! You're the one with the phony ticket, aint'cha? I saw the guy tell you it was a fake!" he said pointing to the ticket which was sticking in the other boy's pocket.

"Are you Alleyway Jack?" the timid boy asks. The rat-kid looked slightly annoyed. "Do I look like that loser? But I'll let you see the show if you become my slave! Well, whaddya say?"

The question took the timid boy by surprise, he was quiet for a minute. 'I do really want to see the sow.' the boy thought truthfully. He nods and answers "Alright." The rat-kid looks happy "Awesome!" Then he started giving orders excitedly. "Now for your first assignment! You go stand over there and see if anyone's comin'!"

The boy goes to the entrance of the alley which he came through and started to check if anyone was coming. While the rat-kid went to the other side of the alley and did the same. "All clear?" the rat-kid half-shouted. "Yeah, it's clear" the other boy replied.

"Awesome! Engage according to mission parameters!" The rat-kid said as he steals Dante's ladder and running to the nearby chapel, followed by his new 'slave'. As they entered the rat-kid stood beside the ladder leading up to the steeple. He pointed to the ladder and said. "Now we're gonna climb up this tower! It's very dangerous. You go first."

The pointy-hat boy nodded and proceeded to climb up the ladder, only to have a small, cute, white, fluffy, red-nosed, purple-winged creature with a orange pom-pom on its head fall down on the boy.

The pointy-hat boy moaned in pain as the creature shook its head and jumped off him. The rat-kid laughed, finding the predicament of the other boy very funny. "Ahahaha! What the heck was that!"

As the pointy-hat boy got up, the white creature apologized. "Sorry 'bout that, kupo!"

"That's Kupo, he's a moogle." the rat-kid explained. Then he turned to the moogle "And this is slave number one! Try to get along, okay?" The moogle just nodded excitedly "Kupo! Pleased to meet you! I'm sorry! I can enter you in the Moogle Diary if you'd like. Just ask us Moogles if you want to remember something, kupo! And if you have a tent, you can rest up and regain some health, Kupo!"

The pointy-hat boy nodded in understanding. "Glad I can help, kupo!" Kupo said happily. After the moogle was done talking, the rat-kid took Dante's ladder and went to the chapel's ladder. "Alright, time for some upward mobility!" he said as he was able to climb the ladder while carrying Dante's ladder. Quite a feet for a kid his size. After reaching the top, he called down "Okay, come up, slave!"

At that moment, another moogle entered the chapel, the moogle was slightly smaller than Kupo, it's fur is a duller shade of white, wearing some clothes and carrying a few supplies.

"Kupo…? You here?" it said as it looked at the moogle that had fallen on the pointy-hat child. Kupo looked slightly surprised at seeing the other moogle. "Kupo! Stiltzkin! Why that getup? You leaving, kupo?"

The moogle known as Stiltzkin nodded in affirmation "Yeah, and this time I might be away for a long time." Kupo became sad as he heard this "I'll miss you, Kupo." Stiltzkin reassured his moogle companion "Now, don't worry. I'll write." This cheered up Kupo a lot as he nodded "Okay, Kupo!"

"Well, I'm off. Take care! Oh, and say hi to Mosh in the castle for me." Stiltzkin said before leaving. The pointy-hat boy looked at Kupo and asked "Was that a friend of yours?" Kupo nodded "Yes kupo, a very special one, kupo!"

The rat-kid was getting impatient and shouted down the steeple. ""Hey, Slave! I thought I ordered you up here!" The pointy-hat boy said goodbye to his new moogle friend before climbing up the steeple ladder. "Alright, the play's gonna start if we don't hurry!" the rat-kid said as he started running across the rooftops followed by the pointy-hat boy.

The rat-kid runs across a rickety plank stretched across some raves easily. When the pointy-hat boy stops, just short of the plank looking scared. The rat-kid shouts from across the plank. "Come on! Get over here! Lemme guess… You're afraid of heights, aren't you? It's okay! Just pretend your on the ground!"

The pointy-hat boy crosses, but at a slow pace. The rat-kid tries to encourage him, tries being the key word. "Come on, already! We're runnin' outta time!" The pointy hat-boy finally crosses and the two continue onwards. Then the two come across another rickety plank. The rat-kid crosses as easily as the first plank. The other boy, however, hesitated once again.

The rat-kid looked slightly exasperated. "Not again." The rat-kid shouted out a bit of assurance for his companion. "Don't worry! It won't fall!" The pointy-hat boy nodded as he slowly crossed the plank.

When he reached three-fourths of the way across, the pointy-hat boy started to lose balance. He jumped to the roof instead of walking the remaining length left. As he landed, the plank that he was on fell onto the street below.

The rat boy found this slightly amusing as he laughed a bit. "Hahaha… I guess it fell. No point in worrying about it now right?" he asked before continuing onwards. When the two reached the next rooftop, the rat-kid turned around and looked at his companion.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot! I don't even know your name!" he said in realization. The pointy-hat boy adjusted his hat before answering. "Um, my name is Vivi." he said timidly.

"So your name is Vivi, huh? kinda funny name… My name's Puck! Pleased to meetcha!" the boy known as Puck said before the continued on. The two finally reached a rooftop near the castle wall, where a scaffolding is presently erected.

Puck positioned the ladder to act as a bridge to cross. He turned to Vivi, panting from the effort the exerted to carry such a huge item for his size. "Whew… We finally made it! After this wall, we'll be inside the castle! C'mon let's go!"

Puck crossed the make shift bridge followed by Vivi. They made it to the back of the audience and watched as the band starts to play and the platform the band is on raises up, revealing the stage. Baku comes out on stage dressed in a regalia, he bows and does the introduction.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Tonight's performance is a story that takes place long, long ago. Our heroine, Princess Cornelia, is torn from her lover Marcus. She attempts to flee the castle, only to be captured by her father, King Leo. When our story begins, Marcus, having heard of this, crosses swords with the king. And now, Your Royal Majesty, Queen Brahne, Your Highness, Princess Garnet… …noble ladies and lords, and our rooftop viewers, Tantalus proudly presents 'I Want to Be Your Canary'!"

Baku bows and the curtains close, a moment later it opens, and the play begins. Up in the balcony, Princess Garnet is not paying attention to the play, her mind in deep thought. 'That was a strange dream, but what was that feeling when I woke up or the voices that I heard?'

An hour before the play…

Garnet's P.O.V

I awoke from that strange dream slightly startled. That dream felt so real, that it couldn't possibly be one. I stood up from the chair, being careful not ruin my dress and rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I walked over to the window and opened it. I saw a flock of doves fly beside the theatre ship as it prepared to dock for the play.

I felt my hair stand on edge as if something dreadful was beginning to happen. I shook away that feeling, tonight is the night that I make my escape from Alexandria to Lindblum.

I started to prepare my belongings, making sure a brought what I needed. Once again, I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on edge. My vision darted around the room, checking if anyone or anything is nearby.

Then I started hearing something, it sounded like a whisper. It was very soft and gentle, it sounded like a woman's voice.

"It seems that the girl is a summoner Grudiev."

Then I heard a deep male voice, it sounded like Steiner's except it that sounded more mature and understanding.

"Yes, you are right Moor Gault, she is a summoner. A descendent of the Baskar Tribe of long ago."

I heard another male voice. He sounded old and carried a tone of wisdom and authority.

"Hmmm, It seems that she can hear our conversation albeit slightly."

The whispers stopped and I felt as if someone or something was looking over me. The feeling stopped when I heard someone knocking on the door to my room. "Princess, the play is about to begin shortly and the her majesty has requested me to bring you to your seat."

It was Adelbert Steiner, Captain of The Knights of Pluto and my bodyguard. Before I could reply, he opened my door, dressed up in his rust armor and feathered hat. Every time he moved, his suit of armor would make some noise.

No matter what, it made me feel slightly better whenever Steiner was around. He really is amusing with his antics but sometimes he can be irritating. I stopped myself from giggling as I nodded at him. "I understand, we mustn't keep mother waiting." I said as I left my room, with Steiner trailing behind me.

Back to the present…

While everyone in the castle was enjoying themselves, a presence frozen in time for so long was finally being awoken from his frozen slumber. Deep within Alexandrian Castle, a sleek black coffin opened as cold mist escaped from it and slowly filled the room.

A leathered gloved hand reached out and grabbed the side of the casket and helped the rest of his body out from the casket. Ashley Winchester has finally awoken from his icy slumber and is about to walk Filgaia, or Gaia, once again.

Ashley's P.O.V

I shook the sleepiness from eyes and I mentally thanked Marivel for leaving the lights dimmed for my eyes to get used to the brightness. My body felt stiff and cold from the years of not being used in a long time and probably the after effects of the long icy slumber I had awakened from.

I started to gather my things when I heard a crack. I discovered that my clothes have become brittle and where slowly cracking from the extreme cold and sudden movements. My things were in good shape, it must've been Marivel's work.

I smiled as I found some new clothing. A pair of brown leather boots, which reached up halfway to my knees. A pair of blue leggings, a brown leather belt, a white short sleeved collared shirt. A pair of brown fingerless gloves, a long sleeved collared black jacket with the ARMS symbol stitched on the back with red threads and a strap to put on my back to sheathe the Argetlahm.

I looked at myself in the nearby mirror, courtesy from Marivel once again. I looked pretty much the same, except I had new clothes. After looking at my reflection, I felt my stomach rumble and I decided to eat.

I looked into my bag and found a few pieces of bread, meat and a container of soup. Surprisingly, the food was piping hot, I found that one of Lilka's special crest was slightly glowing.

I smiled , as I bit down into my food. My friends made sure that I would have a good start my new life. After I finished my food and cleaned up I felt soft cheering from above. I knew that Marivel had sealed me in a secret room in the Crimson Castle that is several feet below the surface.

I shrugged my shoulders, it must be one of traits I acquired due to the assimilation of the demon energy to my body. I strapped Argetlahm on my back with the handle sticking out diagonally to my right and slung my pack over my left shoulder before heading out of the room. I crossed the long corridor, the further I moved away from my icy bed, the brighter the lights.

I finally reached a long spiral staircase which led upwards. I followed it and saw how long I had to climb. I sighed, I noticed a small message chiseled to a tablet, embedded into the floor near the first step of the stair well.

Ashley, these stairs will lead you to an area of the castle that is inaccessible anywhere else except through this stairwell. Be careful, times have changed, Filgaia has been renamed into Gaia. Don't expect anything you'd normally find. Underneath this message is a map of Gaia and the some currency for you. I'm not on Gaia anymore but I'm not dead, but you'll have to find me. Good Luck and HAVE FUN!

Normal P.O.V

Ashley sweat dropped as he read the final part of the message. He kneeled down and set his pack beside the message. He found some holes around the tablet and with surprising ease, lifted the stone tablet.

The blue haired warrior, found a rolled up map and a sack of gold coins. He placed them in his pack before starting his ascent on the stair well. After thirty minutes of climbing the stairs, Ashley finally made it to the top.

What surprised him, was that he was hardly out of breath. 'I must have changed a lot. I'll have to get used to my body again later.' he thought as he exited the secret room through a revolving wall.

Ashley found himself on top of a tower, he couldn't discern the exact height of the tower. How he had gotten so high up was baffling as the stairwell he had climbed wasn't as high as the tower he was on. He looked around and took in his surroundings.

The clear night sky filled with stars was very familiar to him, the castle was not as he remembered it. Marivel's message replayed into his mind as looked at the castle. Ashley heard a crowd applause, he looked down to see some sort of boat hovering over some water, with a stage built to its back and a play being performed.

He then saw two figures swinging to a part of the ship and landing on a tent. He was surprised at seeing the monkey tailed teen. When his eyes landed on the hooded figure, he could feel the guardian tablets that he had on reacting.

'A summoner?' Ashley thought but he was interrupted as another figure, a knight by the looks of it, trying to swing on to the tent. Only to swerve to the right and comically crash into part of the ship. He snickered a bit before looking at the hooded person, who went under the tent roof.

Ashley's curiosity was stirred by the guardian's reaction to the hooded figure. Taking a few minutes to decide his next course of action, Ashley sighed as he set his pack down. Looking for something to use as a swing, he found none. He grabbed a coil of rope he found from his pack and three throwing knives.

Ashley tied one end of the rope to the handle of one of his throwing knives. Deciding to try out his new strength, he aimed for a part of the ship and made a powerful throw. He couldn't track where the knife landed but he felt the rope stiffen, signifying the success of the throw. He tied the other end of the rope to the pole on top of the roof of the tower.

Taking a deep breathe, Ashley tied his pack around his waist and held both knives he had taken out in both hands, the tip of the knives facing downwards. Crossing the two blades over the rope, Ashley stood over the ledge of the tower.

Praying he wouldn't fall, even though he would survive with nothing more than a flesh wound, he stepped of the ledge and slid his way down the rope, using the flat part of the knives so that he lowers the chances of the rope being cut halfway.

Though Ashley was able to avoid cutting the rope halfway, when he was a few feet above the tent, the rope was cut and he started to fall. Cursing himself for doing something as stupid as this, Ashley dropped the knives he was holding and grabbed the end of the rope in front of him.

As he started to swing down, Ashley's improved hearing could hear the distinct sounds of blades clashing against each other. 'A battle?' Ashley thought as he swung down onto the stage of the Prima Vista.

End P.O.V

Zidane couldn't believe this knight in rusty armor. 'This guy doesn't know when to give up.' the tantalus member thought as he sidestepped a vertical slash from one of the Pluto knights.

Zidane looked to his left and saw Marcus having trouble with rusty and the 2nd Pluto knight. The kid he helped up earlier was assisting his tantalus brother with his magic and so was the princess.

Zidane parried another strike from the knight he was fighting and connected a kick to his opponent's gut effectively knocking him back. The Pluto knight stood up shakily and ran away saying. "I'm going to be late for my date."

Zidane grinned at a fellow lady's man before ducking a decapitating blow from the Captain of the knights of Pluto, Steiner or in Zidane's words, Rusty. Marcus had blocked another strike aimed for his shoulder.

Though the Pluto knights were sometimes idiotic, they bring out their potential when needed. As Marcus' opponent was about to attack again, he was kicked back as someone came down swinging on a rope.

Someone new had entered the battlefield, someone who will find his place in this new world.

A/N: I found this collecting dust in my computer, tell me what you think.