Chapter Six

"Rebecca?"

"Yes, Zidane?" I asked as I followed them out of the cave.

"There's something I have to ask you," he spoke hesitantly and gave me a side-long glance. "Something important."

Oh no. He hasn't figured it out yet has he? Oh how my mouth betrays me. That thing about the naked dancing men must have been the final clue, I just know it! I twiddled my thumbs and avoided the look he sent my way. I know, I know. I'm androphobic…I admit it.

"How did you get inside the cannon?" Zidane demanded, sweeping aside the hurricane of thoughts which insisted on invading my brain and demanding that I make a good enough reason which will deny my having androphobic tendencies. I mean…never mind.

How did I get inside this canon? Because in some far off universe, an evil author-lord decided to punish me by sending me into the canon—

Oh wait. That actually doesn't make sense. For one thing, I wouldn't be sent into the canon as it is…well the original one I suppose. I'd probably be sent into the fanon which is a lot more logical. I looked at Zidane with two of my eyebrows raised in what I hoped was a confused look.

He seemed to have gotten the message because he clarified, "You know? That bomb thing? You flew with it and landed on the airship? Great balls of fire?" I watched his hands move up and down. Sadly, the clarification was not at all that clear.

Was he talking about a song? I think my brain's no longer functioning right. Let's see…known symptoms: unclear thoughts, off-topic comments, mild hysteria and itching in the brain. Well, I have all of them except for the last bit. I think.

"What foolishness are you talking about, thief?" Steiner boomed, his armor clanking angrily. "Are you aware that you just suggested she arrive at the airship through such abominable means? She fell off a roof. She said so herself. Right, Rebecca?"

I nodded numbly. Abdominal means, huh? What does my abdomen have to do with all of this? I mean, I know it's a bit on the fatty side…Dear gods, the sun! Oh, how I miss it so.

I took a step forward and looked up at the sky with a wacky grin on my face. What can I say? I loved the warmth.

"She fell down a roof?" Zidane asked, flustered. His tail twitched back and forth with anxiety. "Was that really what happened?"

"Well it does sound a lot more logical," Garnet pointed out. My head snapped at her direction. Gaah! My hands flew to my mouth and stopped the scream that was coming from my throat. This girl is just too quiet, I swear! One day, she's going to give me a heart attack from all that sneaking around.

We all looked at Vivi expectantly. The small mage gripped his large hat tightly, saying in a small nervous voice, "I-I'm sorry. I didn't see anything because the brim of my hat was too large and because I was too focused on the fight. I-I only noticed the fire ball when it was behind Steiner."

"I was right," Steiner said with some satisfaction. "You must not have been seeing properly," he berated the poor monkey. I wonder how long I can stay on his good side.

"Captain Steiner, sir, I thank you for acting so defensively on my behalf but I'm afraid we won't achieve anything by standing here all day long, arguing amongst ourselves," I spoke up and gulped. "I fell from the rooftops and the memory itself is quite painful to remember so I would appreciate it if no one brings the topic up again."

"I just want to know if we have a spy with us," Zidane cried out in frustration. It was as if he was hiding something from us. It was as if something had happened that we don't know about. Did it have something to do with—?

The Serpent! How could I forget? After all, I was stuck in that part of the game for crying out loud. "I'm not a spy," I replied just in time to stop Steiner from another mini-rant. "I'm just a—," I hesitated for a moment and changed what I was about to say, "—foreigner who got thrown into this mess. I can't even fight for my life."

"True," Garnet agreed. And she's allowed to say that? Just because she can heal doesn't mean she's already a better person than I am. Actually…she probably is because she's a main character and I'm a mistake. Or as my friends like to call me, an Expendable. "The style of her clothing is quite different from the style young Alexandrian ladies wear back home."

So you're a fashion expert now, eh? I bet you can tell me which part of the continent my style came from.

"Although I've never encountered such odd designs before," Garnet noted thoughtfully, lightly touching my dark blue jacket which was wet from the leftover ice which had decided to cling to my shoulders out of sheer stupidity. I mean, they're going to melt once I go outside the cave, right? Then they'd die and that was just stupid.

My brain, being a firm believer of the Slow-Reaction style of thinking, gave me sharp jolt of surprise. My arm jerked off Garnet's touch. My body propelled downwards, hitting the ground with a thud. I'm just happy I didn't fall off the pathway; if I did, I'd be dead by now because it really was a long fall from here to down there.

"Is something wrong, Rebecca?"

I lifted my head and rolled to my side, looking up at the sky with a grimace on my face. "I wish." I grumbled. "I'm just really really tense right now. Sorry."

You mean you just really don't like having anyone touch you. I closed my eyes and brought myself to my feet, taking a moment to let the dizziness go away.

"Guys, I think I see a village there," Zidane said. I opened my eyes just in time to see him stand on tiptoe. Will I get an instant Game Over if I push him off this place? I made a face and folded my arms. Then again, they'll probably think that I am a spy if I do just that.

"Let us go to the village. Perhaps we can find a means of going to Lindblum from there," Garnet urged us.

"Hold it!" Steiner boomed. "What do you mean, Lindblum? We're going back to the castle."

"I have no intentions of going back, Captain Steiner," Garnet spoke icily. "Not until I have gone to Lindblum."

"Then wouldn't it be better if we head back to the castle and arrange an airship from there to bring you to the city of Lindblum, Princess?" Steiner asked hopefully. I looked away. No man that old should still be able to do the puppy dog eyes. It was just…scary.

"No. I'm sorry, Captain. We don't have time for that."

I raised a hand uncertainly. "Um…I would just like to point out that if you do want to go to that village, you'll need a new identity. Since you'll be traveling without an official escort—Captain Steiner is only just one man, after all—the chances of someone attempting to harm you might be larger if we continue to call you by your name."

"Are you suggesting that there are people out there who are willing to harm the Princess?" Steiner asked, still in a bad mood.

I shook my head and raised both hands in what I hoped was a gesture of peace. "Surely Alexandria has enemies, Captain. Besides, what if there are other thieves out there more dastardly than Zidane—"

"Hey, I heard that!"

"—who are willing to kidnap the princess for ransom."

"Good point," Zidane agreed grudgingly.

I'd have shot him a superior look if I wasn't playing the eager-to-please fool right now. Instead, I turned to the princess and spoke in the style of a servant cowed by royalty. "Of course, if your Highness disapproves of this humble idea—"

"Oh no," Garnet said, surprised at what I had said. "Nonsense, Rebecca. I think your idea is brilliant." I ducked my head and played with hem of my shirt. "Now, what name do you think I should use?"

I pretended to look thoughtful. Of course, I'd prefer to have her stick as close to the canon as possible. Besides, I've never been good with names. My hand brushed against one of the daggers Zidane had given me. I pulled it out and offered the blade soundlessly to her.

"What is this called?" She asked, accepting the dagger with curiosity.

"Dagger," I spoke roughly and coughed. Clearing my throat, I took a nervous glance at the others and said, "It's a dagger. There are other kinds of course but…"

"You want her name to be Dagger?" Steiner asked. "Isn't that a bit…eccentric?"

I shrugged. I had never gotten to this part of course so I wouldn't know how the original scenario played out…all I could do was hope that they all accepted the name that I had "thought of." If I hadn't actually had that Final Fantasy IX craving a couple of years ago, I probably wouldn't know much about the game at all. What had escaped me were details like this. How am I supposed to know how Dagger will decide to use such a name?

"Can you think of anything else better?"

Steiner glared at the young thief and looked at Garnet sheepishly. "Well…what about Brahne? After your mother?"

And you're calling my suggestion eccentric. Huh. Personally, I think the name will only draw more attention to the princess.

"That name's going to attract a lot more attention, Rust-bucket." Zidane spoke crossly. Well thanks for stealing my opinion, Monkey boy. I thought, sporting an expression just as annoyed as the one Zidane wore. "Anyway, Dagger, we'll have to work on your speech too. You can't just act all formal with everyone. It definitely screams royalty." He stared at me briefly before adding in a cheerful voice, "You too, Rebecca. Lots of people here who don't like foreigners, you know."

"Does that mean I have to change my clothes too?" I asked, dismayed. I couldn't leave my clothes here! What if someone discovered that I was actually from a different universe?! Then again, they'll probably think the same way if I do continue to wear this.

He nodded gravely. "There are people out there who might question where you came from. Speaking of which, where did you come from exactly? Even the clothes are unfamiliar to me…and I've gone to a lot of places."

"A lot of illegal ones, I bet," Steiner grumbled under his breath.

"Um…" I looked down and kicked a pebble off the mountain path. "Treno?"

"That explains the way you sometimes sound formal like Dagger here," Zidane nodded at the princess who seemed a bit uncomfortable at being mentioned. "I don't get the clothes though."

"Imports," I answered and waved my hands in a nonchalant way. "And if you're wondering why I don't have any gil on me…I was mugged when I had arrived at Alexandria."

"I had nothing to do with that, honest!" Zidane denied, shaking his head profusely.

"I wasn't implying that you were."

"Oh, um…Ok," Zidane said, looking relieved. "It gets kinda hard to remember, after a while, who it is you've actually mugged."

Sullying your own reputation by saying that aloud will not help you get a better relationship with the princess, you idiot.

"Achoo."

"You, Ok, Dagger?"

"I'm quite alright, thank you for your concern," Dagger said and sneezed again.

Zidane hopped down a couple of steps and looked up at the princess with a grin on his face. "I think you meant: I'm good, thanks." Oh right…the number one rule for making it look like you're speaking street slang: shorten everything.

I sneezed. Oh crap. "I think we better leave before everyone gets the sniffles."

It was dark again. Suddenly, the place shimmered with bronze-colored fire, sweeping along the place and spiraling around cold metallic bars, bringing it warmth and life. In the middle the fire went before dispersing to reveal a small girl with the features of a fallen angel from the heavens, walking calmly towards the swing and sitting primly with the ease that only royalty could possess. At once, the place was alight with a blinding white that clung against the darkness and devoured it.

A shoe was the first to appear as another being stepped out of a portal, looking quite disgruntled and worse for wear. "Do you really insist on meeting me here, Miss Jane?"

The child giggled. "It's fun here, Primus. The swings are more obedient, the sand doesn't try to get to your feet and your hands don't smell of sour milk after holding the chains for too long."

"Sour milk, Ma'am?"

"Oh, and I just dropped a dragon in one of the other game-worlds."

Primus looked devastated. "But that's against the rules, Miss! You'll have to ask the permission of your Expendable first before you're allowed to attack someone else with a fiend or-or a dragon for that matter!"

"Calm down, Primus," Jane said, the picture of perfect innocence. "I've already asked our Expendable and she has agreed to let me attack anyone who stands in her way of winning."

Primus couldn't help but notice that Jane had said me rather than us. He also couldn't help but feel that something had just gone horribly wrong. Nevertheless, he decided not to speak of the matter. "If you remember, Miss, the Expendable must also first know our…victim before the attack can commence."

"Whoever said she didn't?"

Journeying to Dali wasn't as easy as I thought it was. Hey, you'd think Dali was nearer too, if you were standing on top of a mountain path and everything else looked smaller. It's like pointing at a map and saying that the distance was real short all the while ignoring the small fine print at the bottom which was about converting centimeters to kilometers.

With the last bit of energy I had with me, I trudged to the interior of the Dali Inn and looked around blearily. Zidane had gone to the front to wake the sleeping innkeeper as the others waited patiently near the door. My eyes flickered to meet Steiner's. I sighed.

"Zidane," I called out wearily. "Zidane."

"Hmm?"

"Steiner and I are going to have a look around," I said, rolling my eyes. I tugged my shirt and shrugged. "We'll come back a little bit later, Ok?"

"I shall—I mean, I'll come too," Dagger spoke up. She'd been given a crash course at talking properly and, I have to say, she's learning a lot faster than I can run. Which is to say…not by a lot.

Steiner spotted a group of kids as we stepped out of the inn. Walking ahead of us, he had a word with the little fellas before nodding back at us and jerking his head at the direction of what I think is a store.

"Rebecca," Dagger spoke up, interrupting my quiet time.

"Hmm?"

"How…old are you?"

I pushed open the door and shot her a questioning look. "Why do you ask?"

"Well…since you are traveling with us…I thought it prudent of me to ask you a bit of your background."

Eh? Why do people keep thinking I'm not to be trusted?! Is it because of my normally unfriendly face? I am not a spy damn it! "Fifteen," I quipped. "And if I were you, I'd say something along the lines of, 'I want to know you better,' rather than something like that. Just doesn't sound like something normal people would say."

"Alrighty!" She said, brightening. I wish I could do a double face-palm right now. That Zidane just had to make her start using that word. "Wait…Rebecca?"

What now? "Yes?"

"I must have misheard you because I just heard you claim that you were fifteen."

Oh bugger this. "I'm claiming right, Dagger. I really am fifteen."

"You are?!" Steiner asked, making me jump and scramble to the front of the room where things were less crowded.

"Are you going to buy anything?" The shopkeeper asked, struggling to maintain a please-go-ahead-and-use-my-shop-for-your-conversation smile on her face.

"Do you sell clothes? Something similar to what I'm wearing right now?" I inquired before I was further embarrassed by those two.

The shopkeeper, Eve from the pin on her shirt, wrinkled her nose in disgust and grumbled in an annoyed tone, "Travelers these days…always relying on us little shops to give them clothes and whatnot…I mean, do they really need to have their new clothes modeled with the old ones? Don't they get tired of the same outfit?"

"Oh…um…I don't need them to look like my old clothes," I murmured, staring at the floor. "I just really need new ones that I can be comfortable with."

"Finally! A smart costumer," Eve beamed. "Why don't you two stay here while I help your friend find some clothes?"

"I should come; perhaps I can be of assistance," Dagger suggested.

"No!" Steiner and I shouted at the same time, drawing looks from the other people in the room.

"I don't really need any help, Dagger," I assured the girl, hoping that I hadn't offended her or something. "Besides, the Captain here would feel very lonely without you." As I slipped into a different room with Eve, I couldn't help but wince. That just sounded so weird. It was like that one time when this guy accidentally dropped to the ground and hit me and I was saying something about him hitting on me.

My communication skills are just plain pathetic.

Clothes were shoved my way. "A tank top?! You're expecting me to wear a tank top."

Annoyed eyes stared back at me. "Then choose them yourself. Jeez…costumers these days…"

I made a face and looked through the racks filled with clothes. By the end of the first line of clothing, I was worried. By the second, I was cursing under my breath. By the third, I had acquired a slight eye-burn and had given up on humanity's taste in clothing. "Miss?"

"What do you want, kiddo?"

"Can I go to the men's section, please?"

The harried shopkeeper pushed me to the other side of the room and pointed to the one rack at the very end. Figures. Men were never given much variety when it came to clothes. I should know…I shop at the guy section all the time.

Since I was prone to the cold, I decided to grab a black long-sleeved shirt which did not hug my form in anyway. I would look ridiculously gross if it did. Along with the shirt, I also took a pair of dark green khaki pants and a leather jerkin for protection. After changing into those—Eve had kindly turned her back for the sake of my privacy—I took a moment to stare at the mirror before doing a face-palm. My fashion sense really did suck. I was tempted to grab a large dull grey jacket which would effectively hide most of my features but reasoned that I probably wouldn't be able to breathe under it.

I removed my gloves—I didn't like how they fitted with the shirt—my eyes lingering on the scar on my left palm. A botched up attempt at a suicide? As if. I curled my hand and placed the gloves on top of my things.

"Miss Eve, do you have a pair of gloves and something for my weapons?" I inquired politely. I had already pissed her off and let's face it; I won't get a discount any time soon if I keep acting like an ass. Not that shopkeepers usually give discounts…but it's still nice to dream.

With my clothes dumped on a medium-sized rucksack—Harvest Moon comes to mind for some odd reason—we went back to the main part of the shop where Steiner and Dagger were waiting. A twin set of baldric-like belts were strapped across my chest, the knives which Zidane had given me were slung at my back, easy to reach. Around my waist was the belt I had worn before. There, my short sword hung.

Dagger looked like she didn't know what to make of my appearance. Maybe it was because she was expecting something a bit more feminine from me? "You look…fine."

Steiner made a noise of disapproval. "You will not last in battle without some proper armor, Rebecca. Of course, I am quite aware that the armor will only hinder you so perhaps a set of weights on each of your shoulder blades will do. That way, your shoulders will soon become accustomed to the weight and we can change that jerkin for some proper protection."

"Weights," was all I could squeak as I stared at Steiner, mortified at the idea.

"Only a little bit at first and once you're used to it, we'll be able to make it heavier later," Steiner said thoughtfully. "It's a good old-fashioned way of training soldiers and I can guarantee that it'll work on you." To Eve, he asked, "Will you be able to supply such a harness for my young charge?"

"You'll have to wait for a couple of hours," Eve said, looking somewhat defeated at the thought of all the work she had to do. "It's gonna cost a lot of course."

"That is alright." I tuned them out as they started bargaining for a price. Something from the counter caught my eye. A pair of black fingerless gloves with a metal strip sewn on the backside—or whatever you guys call it—called out to me. It wanted to be worn. So I wore it.

"Done!" The shopkeeper said triumphantly. From the looks of it, Steiner was going to lose a lot of gil right about now.

"Can you add this to the things I'm going to buy?" I asked and raised my hands. I was originally planning to force Steiner into buying some clothes for himself as well but I doubt the money he has is enough for the two of us. Maybe I can find a way to get some gil?

Thanking the shopkeeper, we headed back to the inn to rest. Instead of going inside though, I stopped and looked up at the sky. "I'm going to take a walk through the village," I said, stretching my arms. "I'll be seeing you guys later."

"Are you sure you are not tired?"

"Naw. I'm good," I said, waving the concern aside.

Once the two were gone, I went outside the village and unclipped the sword I had from my belt. I was also tempted to remove the daggers but decided not to in case I encountered some fiends. I hid the blade behind some tall grass after a bit of hesitation—there might be some Pokemon hiding there after all. I then remembered that there was no such thing as a Pokemon in this world and proceeded to mentally slam my head against a wall.

Jogging lightly, I followed the path along the village and let my legs carry me. It didn't take long for me to be breathing through my mouth. Before I could even finish the circuit, I was already walking to the starting point which was only a couple more meters away. Why was I doing this again? Oh right. Because I wanted to be better at running, particularly the running away kind.

A huge shadow fell on the village, making me look up. My blood ran cold. A dragon, a bloody bleeding—well not literally—dragon was flapping its wings, hovering on top of the village, making everything else around it look smaller. Currently, it was staring right at me.

What did I do next? Run of course, despite the fact that my legs were already screaming murder at me. That's when I realized something. What if it destroys the village? My conscience won't live this down if I don't go back and warn the others. I skidded to a stop and stumbled, falling flat on my face for the umpteenth time. Gravity must love me or something.

I pushed off the ground, ready to run back to the village when I froze. It was coming after me. Why?! I'm just one kid and although I was fat, there were still a lot more people there to fill its belly. I must have this big sign on my back, saying: 'Eat me!'

Move legs move! Clammy hands reached for the two daggers at my back. The dragon opened its mouth. Don't breathe fire on me, please?

The only sound I could hear was my own heart thudding against my chest as I stared right up at the dragon's mouth. It wasn't a very comfortable feeling, mind, and the putrid smell of the dragon's breath made me shudder inwardly. At last, my knees which were weak with fear, gave out and the invisible barrier which had stopped the dragon only seconds ago from biting my head off seemed to have disappeared as well. I rolled to my side and wished I had brought my sword. It's my fault for losing my common sense on our way to Dali. I swear I'd still have it with me if Zidane hadn't sprung that question on me.

"How did you get inside the cannon?"

Well obviously because my PS—which isn't even mine because I've never even owned one—threw me into this world in the hopes of winning some stupid game. Selfish? Yes. Practical? Hell no. I am not physically fit; I have no combat training whatsoever and even my sense of humor is running dry.

On the plus side, it seems I can repel some attacks. What kind? Why now? What makes this so different from my other fights? How can I use this to my advantage? The questions just kept rolling down my mind like water down a waterfall.

And yes, my analogies suck even more when under the pressure of potential bestiary attacks. Gosh…I don't know what I just said again.

I jumped on top of the dragon's snout and tried to stab it with a knife. I might as well be making stabs at a ten inch wall made of stone. Letting the knife go, I scrambled upwards and screamed. The sweat on my hands was making it very hard for me to hold onto the dragon's head. Not only that, I was also being carried several feet off the ground as the dragon took flight. There is no way I'm going to let myself fall off the ground. Again.

Pulling out the remaining dagger I had on me, I did the only thing I could think logical. I plunged the knife against the dragon's fiery golden eye. It slid so damn easily…I let go and felt myself fall downwards at a height I have no plans on measuring. It was a dragon. It was trying to kill me. It did not deserve to get injured in such a way that was probably more agonizing than I can imagine. My eyes fluttered shut as I felt anger flood through my veins…anger towards myself. Well…I'm dying anyway so it doesn't really matter now, does it?

…Why is it taking so long for me to die?! Wait. Is that grass I feel? I opened my eyes and moved to a sitting position, surprised that I could even move into a sitting position. Ahead of me was the dragon, thrashing about in pain. The anger swamped me once more but before I could do something incredibly stupid, I was bombarded with images I've never before seen in my life.

The rising of the sun greeted me. I shoved the last of my shell-birth with the end of my nose and spread my tiny wings, soaking up the warmth. Up above me, Mother crooned lovingly as she flapped her wings, circling our home on the roof of a mountain. She dived downwards and landed on her hind legs with a grace of a professional. I reached out to touch—

I roared playfully as I swooped down to nip my birth-brother's ear in a gesture of affection. He growled back in annoyance and lashed his tail at me, singing about the hardships of raising a draconian young. I moved closer and let my nose touch—

I danced. A rush of utmost euphoria hummed underneath my scales as I eyed my mate with tender admiration. As the music of the wind whispered its last notes, I dipped my head in a bow of respect and brought my talons to touch—

It was almost over. The time of waiting was nearing its end. I looked up at the sky, waiting patiently for my mate to bring back meat for us. My gaze rested on a pale blue egg which shimmered with the life of my young. With a sweeping motion, I unfurled my wing and touched—

Confusion. Fear. Where was I? This was not my world. I howled in pain and misery. Something caught my eye. A human. A child. There was a feral smile on its lips. Kill her. I heard it speak in my mind. Her death is your path home.

Enough! I wrapped my hands around my waist and rested my forehead against the cool grass. Vomit was the last thing on my mind and the first thing my mouth wanted to do. I gasped and forced myself to glance at my assailant. Large stone spikes were embedded against the dragon's back, making me convulse in shock. Did I do this? Did I cause this…thing to happen?

Salty tears flowed down my face, blurring my vision. I wasn't sure what had happened but I knew one thing was clear: the dragon was dead and I was at fault. A fresh stab of pain thundered inside my skull. My arms which were around my waist loosened. I fell to the ground with a thud. The darkness was welcoming.

A/N: Oh dear. I didn't expect this chapter to be this long. Sadly, I doubt I'll be able to produce chapters of this length ever again. We'll see. (Another problem is the fact that with such a long chapter--for me it is anyway--I was only able to reread it once. Mistakes are bound to happen. Please point them out so that someday, when I'm not terribly busy, I'll be able to edit all of my chapters with your reviews in mind.)

I really do loving smashing the fourth wall into bits. Terribly fun I tell you. For those of you who don't know what the fourth wall is, look it up. I'm sure you'll be amused. Or frustrated. Or hungry.

Oh, and I actually researched "Symptoms of a Malfunctioning Brain." That's where I got the part about the itching...

Thanks to all of my reviewers. I swear, compared to my other fics, the reviews you've given me are the most fun to read. I shall look forward to more of them.

A heads up to Icy the Fox's Casualties. It's FFTA (Final Fantasy: Tactics Advance) but it still rocks. Having knowledge of the game is not even needed because most of the stuff about that world is his own creation. Anyway, I ripped off an idea from that fic (when Rebecca is going through the dragon's memories and it always ends with the word touch...) so I thought it deserved to be mentioned.

Lastly, special thanks to Tabansi for a lot of things...but most especially for giving me strength and supporting me when I felt so lost. Gaah! Now I feel embarrassed.

See ya next chapter!