Ripples in a Pond
Chapter 8
Rating: PG for now, rating will go up in further chapters.
Warnings: Nothing here; yaoi in later chapters.
Summary: All bearings are lost when SeeDs experience an unfortunate crash that sends them on a planet where technology is at its beginning and monarchs stillrule. Theonly thingthey can do is try and keep their heads over the water and go with the flow, less they drown.ff8-ff9
Notes: It's alive! And will remain alive. This chapter is less action-and-plot-developping and more concentrated on the dialogue and the creation of a setting. Sorry if that isn't exactly what you're expecting from a revival, but I needed to set down some bases and tie up some loose ends from before if I wished to continue this. You have been duly warned.;
The Alexandrian kingdom cannot be qualified as small. True, there are only a few main roads, the rest consisting of small, crooked alleys, but those spread out like a giant spider web, forming a head spinning maze for any newcomers venturing in the lesser paths. Zell was everything the newcomer, and he'd gotten lost more often than not while exploring the place. As frustrating as it was, he didn't really mind. He didn't have anything better to do.
Adapting to the city had encompassed more than simple geographic novelties. The first time Zell had stepped outside the castle and seen a dog-man dressed in velvet fineries with a gracious bird-woman at his arm, he hadn't known whether to gape, laugh or run. The number of animal-like races that lived with humans was astounding, though it was obvious that it was perfectly normal here. Zell had familiarized himself with the fact quickly enough. He was well accustomed to the Shumi tribe and the moombas, though the atmosphere of the Shumi village could not compare with the streets of Alexandria.
After Squall had come back from his meeting, he'd told them that they had quarters in the castle for the moment, could come and go as they wished, and that they were pretty much free to do whatever they wanted. That had proved to be a little problem, because they didn't know what to do, aside from playing tourists. That couldn't last. Eventually they'd outlive their welcome and would have to find some kind of work and settle down outside the castle. Permanently.
Settling down would confirm that they were stuck here, that this was their new home. Zell preferred doing everything possible to avoid thinking about that outcome. So living on the go, as if they might suddenly find a solution and leave, was far more appealing to him.
Craning his neck, he tried to read the posts and banners of the many shops on both sides of the road. He was pretty sure he'd seen that smithy around here, near that shop with the cheap, gaudy red and gold drapes over the door. That Zidane fellow had made sure they all got a little pocket change to restock and enjoy the kingdom. Zell had used it to replace some of his clothing –much to his annoyance, because these old-fashioned trousers couldn't compare to his shorts for freedom of movement—and stashed the rest to use on his Ehrgeiz. The metal plates needed some patching up and polishing; that dragon had done more damage on them than he cared about.
After some more wandering, Zell finally spotted the smithy. He'd looker over a few others, only to come to the conclusion that this one was probably the best at its trade. With their adamantine plates, he couldn't just trust his precious gloves with the first amateur he crossed.
The smithy, which doubled as a weapon shop, was, despite its large size, sweltering hot. The brazier burned high and hot in its stone hearth in the corner of the shop. A man in a thick leather apron was working thongs among the flames. Zell watched as the smithy removed the thongs from the fire and started hammering on the long metal slice –a sword, probably—it held. The man only raised his head when he was done with his work, resolutely ignoring Zell until he'd put it up to cool down completely.
"What can I do for ya?" the smithy finally asked, wiping his hands on a rag and staring up at Zell, who'd started fidgeting impatiently, sweating in the heat of the place. It was a change for him, to be able to stare down at people more often than up. The average height in Alexandria wasn't very imposing.
"Can you clean these up?" Zell asked, placing his gloves on the counter with some reluctance. Adamantine was a touchy metal. If poorly handled, it could be ruined in a matter of seconds.
The smithy raised surprised eyebrows when he recognized the metal presented. He held them up, inspecting the quality and damage. "Ya got some nice plates there. I don't get ta see many o' that kind."
Zell crossed his arms to prevent himself from taking them right back. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all…
"Well, can you?" he pressed impatiently. If the guy hesitated one more minute, he was going to leave. With his gloves.
"Peace, lad. I'll take good care of 'em for ya. I ain't seen a lot of 'em, but I know my trade," the smithy assured, but he didn't bother looking at Zell. He was still examining the gloves. "Where'd ya find them, if ya don't mind my askin'?"
"Custom made," Zell answered smugly, a large grin splitting his face. Hunting for the necessary items had been one hell of a pain, but they were well worth it. Zell proudly told anyone who would listen –or not—that his gloves were the only other thing that could safely take a blow from the Lionheart blade.
"You?" Now the smithy looked at Zell doubtfully.
Deflating somewhat, Zell shook his head. "Nah. Otherwise I'd take care of the repairs myself!"
"Hm. Which shop? I'd rudy like ta know who made these plates. One o' the finest adamantine alloys I've seen."
Zell inwardly cursed himself. How was he supposed to answer that? He knew absolutely no other weapon maker on this damn planet, and that guy was bound to know about any other shop in Alexandria.
"Erm…well, see, it's---erm, confidential. Professional secret," Zell stammered, lying badly and miserably. The smithy narrowed his eyes at him. "Look man, I can't say. How much will it be?" he asked instead, trying to distract the man enough to change the subject.
The smithy was far from impressed. He stared at Zell for a moment, who tried not to squirm uncomfortably, and finally put down the gloves to grab a registry book and a quill.
"Ain't cheap, lad. 1000 gil."
Zell tried not to wince. That was about all he had left. Still, he dumped the sum on the wooden table. He had no better use for it. "When?"
"Is it urgent?"
Zell shrugged. The way things were going, he'd be here all his life. "Not really."
The smithy nodded and put the registry away after scribbling a few notes. "Come back in three days."
Zell nodded. With one last nervous look at his gloves, he turned and headed for the door. A sudden thought made him stop with a hand on the knob. "Don't you need my name or something?"
The smithy grinned. He was missing a tooth. "Nah, that tattoo's all I need. I'd ask where ya got it, but I bet ya can't say."
Zell grimaced apologetically. "Sorry man." He was slowly realizing that there'd be a lot of things he wouldn't be able to say. Knowing himself, he was bound to blab about something he wasn't supposed to. It wasn't a heartening thought.
"C'mon, get outta here." The man waved him out with good humor.
And the martial arts master did, stepping back into the warmth of the street, which appeared blessedly cool after the weapon shop.
Only to hit someone square in the chest. Zell scrambled back and actually had to look up, way up, to see the guy. He'd gotten used to short people. He didn't miss the taller average of his folk.
"Watch your steps, chicken wuss." Of course, of all the possible people, it had to be Almasy. Who'd spent his days having a tailor mend his damn coat. Zell hoped he was sweltering under there.
"It's your problem for standing in front of the door like that!" Zell replied angrily, sidestepping Almasy. Caught between the man's height and the building, he felt like a trapped animal.
"Sorry, I wasn't looking down, so I guessed I missed you coming out," Almasy replied with a fake apologetic shake of the head.
Zell knew he was susceptible about his height. He knew Almasy knew it was the best way to get him angry. Yet he couldn't help himself, his temper just flared up, taking the bait every single time.
"What was that?!" he yelled, brandishing his gloveless fists. Fucking Almasy just arched an arrogant eyebrow.
"Did I say something to insult you? I'm sorry to hear it." Of course, his grin clearly showed that he was anything but sorry.
Grinding his teeth angrily to stop himself from starting a fight in public, Zell lowered his hands and crossed his arms. Almasy wasn't worth it. He kept repeating that sentence to himself, trying to calm down. He wasn't worth it and it would please him far too much.
"What were you doing anyway, standing there?" Zell finally managed to hiss through clenched teeth. There. He wasn't going to be immature and blow a fuse in the middle of the road.
The martial arts master took immense pleasure in the brief flash of surprise that Almasy wasn't quite fast enough to hide. He'd expected more of a fight. Zell would remember that.
"I don't remember saying it was any of your business."
That was such a typical answer that he couldn't have been annoyed even if he'd tried. Zell simply shrugged.
"You were aiming for the weapon shop, weren't you?" he said instead. Eh, he was being the reasonable one for once. It wasn't quite the same as venting his temper, but it still felt good.
Almasy eyed him carefully for a moment before answering. "Yeah. Got some nasty notches on my glade that need to be removed. From the dragon fight, and no thanks to you, come to think of it. You just stood there doing nothing."
That remark broke the little aloofness Zell had been able to gather. "What the hell? I covered Irvine!" he yelled defensively. The sharpshooter had needed treatment, and they'd all needed his gun to be able to bring that dragon down. Zell did not regret his role in the least.
"Yes, if you say so," Almasy answered with the condescension of someone speaking to a kid.
"Fuck you, Almasy, you know it's true!" Zell growled. He'd adopted a fighting position without realizing it. He didn't care enough anymore to stand down.
Almasy had subtly changed his position as well, switching his footing and balance so that he'd be ready to receive and counter anything Zell threw at him. And the martial arts master would have answered that call, except that someone tapped his shoulder, making him snap around sharply, his fist thrown in pure reflex and connecting with a large forearm.
"…The hell?"
The guy to whom the forearm belonged was tall for this place's standards, wide and decidedly very muscular. And he also had the biggest mane of red dreads Zell had ever seen in his life. It made his head appear thrice its size.
"If you don't mind taking this elsewhere, I'd like to get in that shop," the stranger spoke calmly, as if he hadn't just been on the receiving end of a punch Zell knew must have hurt at least a little, no matter the leather protections on the guy's forearms. That hit would have broken a bone if he'd been wearing his gloves.
"And who are you?" Almasy challenged behind his back.
"It doesn't matter. Excuse me." Too surprised to react properly, Zell just moved aside when the man started walking for the shop, sidestepping Almasy and squeezing in the shop.
Zell blinked after him, anger definitively evaporated. He looked sideways at Almasy.
"Weird guy."
Almasy nodded absently, too busy glaring at the door where the redheaded man had disappeared.
Shrugging dismissively, Zell just started walking away. Considering how fast and easily that guy had stopped his punch, Zell wasn't too keen on picking a fight right now. He'd leave Almasy to it. The thought made him smirk.
Around him, the streets were bustling with activity. The preparations for the royal wedding were well under way, some people already celebrating in their own way. Zell jostled his way through the crowd, moving towards where he thought the castle was. Hopefully he wouldn't get too lost, he was getting damn hungry.
---
When Amarant stepped back outside, the two strange men weren't there anymore. He looked up and down the street, just in case he might spot one of them, but the crowds were free of conspicuously tall characters. Just as well, really, but he was curious about them, somewhat. The smaller kid had very good reflexes and speed, and packed more of a punch than he'd anticipated from his stature.
But it didn't matter in the end. Amarant started ambling down the street towards the castle. The crowd moved easily away from him. He'd told the others that he'd be at the wedding, he couldn't bother with anything else right now.
---
Almost everyone was assembled in the courtyard by now. Garnet looked over the faces of each of her old friends and couldn't help her smile. It had been a long time since they'd been together like this. Only Amarant was missing, but Freya had assured them that he was on his way. Garnet wasn't worried. The man had always had his own agenda. He'd be here.
"What do we do with them?"
Garnet looked upwards at the cloudy sky, thinking. Freya's question was a good one. What to do with the newcomers? They couldn't arrest them or put them under guard, that would be beyond unfair and unjustified, but she felt a tight knot of worry just thinking about letting them roam the land freely. Though she wished only to see their friendliness proven, her experiences with otherworldly beings weren't all that positive. Zidane wasn't enough to tip that scale.
"We can't do anything. We have nothing against them and they supposedly have nothing against us," Zidane answered, voicing her own thoughts. Although she knew that answer to be the right one, she still felt irrational worry.
"That is not the point!" Steiner fumed. He hadn't taken a liking to these strangers. Garnet figured that them being seasoned fighters had a large role to play in his distrust. "We should have them on constant watch, we cannot wait until it is too late to act!"
"I'm pretty sure they'll know immediately that they're being watched. After what I told Squall, I doubt they'll take well to the lie." Zidane shook his head.
"Still..!" Steiner could hardly find something to say against that. He understood the value of one's word.
Garnet listened as they argued back and forth, mostly rehashing the same arguments. It all came down to the same thing: they were torn between duty and feelings. Duty told them that they could not do anything against Squall's party, but feelings argued against letting them off completely unguarded. Garnet had learned quickly that a Queen's job entailed distancing feelings from duty to make proper decisions, no matter how hard they might be.
"Zidane is right," she finally interrupted. "We cannot, and will not, do anything against Squall and his friends." Her gaze settled on Steiner. The knight grumbled an unconvinced approval. "That does not mean, however, that we should sit back and twiddle our thumbs idly."
"You've got a plan?" Eiko piped up suddenly. She'd been energetically arguing with Steiner for most of the discussion, but now she'd dismissed him almost completely. Contrarily to the knight, she trusted and liked, to a certain point, these people. Garnet suspected it had something to do with Vivi's own trust in them.
She nodded. "I think that we should try and help them instead."
This sentence met with momentary puzzlement, but then Vivi and Zidane nodded almost at the same time, shooting each other a knowing look and smiling fondly. Garnet would wonder about the meaning of that later.
"Good idea," Zidane approved. "That way, whether they're really harmless or not, we'll be there."
"I see! And if they're really not mean, then we'll be helping them, like we should be doing!" Eiko exclaimed enthusiastically.
Garnet was happy to see that her opinion met with general approval. It was the only way she'd found to reconcile both her duties and her instincts. Still, she felt a pang of guilt. It felt as if she were spying on them after all.
"But how can we achieve that?" Freya had a talent for questions, Garnet mused. How to help them indeed? They didn't even understand how they'd crashed here in the first place.
"We should start with their ship," Vivi answered for her. He played with his hat, as was his habit when he was unsure or nervous about something. "We could go investigate it, see if anything can be salvaged."
Once again, that proposition was received favorably from the assembled people, though Garnet suspected with amusement that it was more out of curiosity than real altruism. Aside from Vivi, no one had seen that fabled ship that came from space. Zidane had recounted Squall's tale, although all agreed that the man had probably left out some parts of it. It was incredibly simple and well-intentioned, but at the same time triggered wonderment and intense curiosity, especially for the more scientists of them. The level of technology and knowledge it all entailed was particularly impressive.
She chuckled to herself. She'd have to send Uncle Cid a message. He'd be ecstatic.
"Then we should wait after the wedding," Freya added, cutting through the rush of hasty planning and expectations.
"Of course!" Steiner exclaimed righteously, standing straighter. "It is currently our top priority."
This time, it was Garnet's turn to smile fondly. She looked up briefly to meet Zidane's open, genuinely happy expression, his eyes shining with eagerness. She tried returning his intensity. The trip to the wreck would have to wait. This was more important, especially after all the political struggles it had taken to have the council accept a nobody, a common thief --even if he'd saved the planet—as the future king. She would not bear to see her hopes broken now.
Garnet suddenly noticed that Vivi seemed even more uneasy. She subtly shuffled closer to him.
"Something wrong?" she asked in a low voice to try attracting as less attention as possible.
"Well…" the black mage hesitated. Oh yes, he was uneasy about something. Knowing Vivi, it was probably very serious. Garnet waited until he was ready to talk again. "Something else happened beside the crash I didn't tell you all about," he finally admitted.
Frowning, Garnet tried to think of what it could be. Vivi wasn't a natural liar, she knew he'd spoken truthfully about the strangers. Then what was it..?
"I think everyone should listen to this."
Both jumped at the rumble of a voice that suddenly spoke beside them. Amarant was standing there with his arms crossed, perfectly at ease. Garnet didn't know how he'd managed to come here completely unannounced and undetected, but she wasn't going to ask. Amarant was Amarant because he pulled stunts and entrances like this.
"Listen to what?"
With everyone's attention now on him, Vivi seemed even more uncomfortable. Taking a deep breath, he let go of his hat and discarded his nervousness like he'd come to learn to do. Garnet smiled warmly in encouragement.
"Well, something happened while we were leaving the Black Mage Village," he started, picking up momentum as he went. "Just when we were out of the forest, the Color Ladybug appeared. She told us to flee, then flew away from the forest."
Garnet stared at him just like everyone else. They all knew what the presence of friendly monsters meant, had all seen the Color Ladybug. This did not bode well.
"Is it why you want to go and see the ship first?" Freya demanded, a small concerned frown visible under the brim of her hat. "If it's so dangerous, we might be better not to go until we know what the problem is."
"The village is there, in the forest," Zidane put in, shrugging. "Vivi is worried," he added with a smile as friendly and mischievous as they come.
"Your honor is commendable, Master Vivi! We shall go and slay the evil that threatens your people before it can act!" Steiner exclaimed loud and clear, and although his enthusiasm wasn't matched by anyone else present, the comments were those of offered help and supportive words.
Garnet looked across at Zidane. He was loudly eager about helping Vivi, but as soon as his gaze crossed hers, he sobered.
"But what could chase a friendly monster away from its territory?" she asked him.
Zidane shrugged dismissively. "No clue, but we're just going to have to find out! We can't wait until it's too late before going, we might never get the warnings in time." His voice tried being reassuring. "Think back to all we've faced. This can't be worse, right?"
Garnet shook her head. If only she could agree to such simple logic. "I don't know…"
The king-to-be stood up and came to sit beside her. "I know what you think. But we can't just let Vivi worry about his friends alone. We'll find out what it is, then we'll work on a plan," he assured her confidently, placing a hand over hers.
She smiled thinly. "Of course."
"…What is this about a ship? Is it that rumor from town about a crashed spaceship?" Amarant asked after a few moments of silence. Garnet blinked, half caught by surprise, and looked up at the bounty hunter.
"That's right, you were not there at beginning. Zidane, can you explain it to him? I'll talk to Vivi," she asked the genome, who immediately agreed.
The black mage was still beside her, but he was lost in thoughts, gloomily looking at the ground. She hesitated before breaking into his musings.
"Don't worry, we're going to go help them," she assured him for lack of better words. There wasn't much that could be done for Vivi right now, short of immediate action. "I'll ask Beatrix to send troops to scout the area," she added.
"Thank you, but it's alright. Beatrix is busy enough as is and I don't want to disturb your wedding more than I already did so far," he rejected, and Garnet knew that the lightness in his tone was forced. "If something happens, we'll hear about it through Mogryo…"
Maybe, Garnet mentally completed for him. And hopefully not too late. But now wasn't the time to voice her misgivings, so she smiled and hoped she looked more confident than she felt. "Very well, if you say so. I'm sure they're alright, they're powerful black mages, just like you!"
"I know. Thanks."
She hoped she was right. Then again, it might be nothing. Friendly monsters had a knack for weird behavior. She stood up, ready to leave –she still had a lot of things to do today, after all--, when Zidane jumped up and yelled in surprise, successfully attracting everyone's attention.
"He hit you?!" he repeated, looking torn between disbelief and utter amusement. It was obvious that he was holding back laughter.
Nodding, Amarant ignored the genome's antics. "Yes. I was sure the other would follow me in the shop, but he wisely did not. You have sheltered strange people."
"He hit you!" Zidane snorted, choking on laughter. Garnet understood his mirth. Amarant usually was someone who discouraged hits with his simple appearance, or generously repaid the foolish ones. "They—I, did they cause any problems?"
"Not that I saw."
Zidane nodded repeatedly, still smiling widely. "Right, that's good. I hoped they wouldn't make a scene out there. Thanks for telling me."
"And you will help them."
"Yeah, it's our best plan. They'll be happier back where they came from."
"Hm. I hope it is as simple as you make it seem."
At those words, Garnet couldn't help the strong feeling of dread that crept up to curl tight in her stomach. She hoped very strongly that he was right.
---
Devastation. Anger. It looked but did not look, for it could not see, but could sense and feel just like eyes. Destruction.
Slowly it moved away. The small thing –insignificant—was not there. It was alone amongst the ruins. It left them behind. It could still feel the power of destruction that had befallen it.
Hate, vengeance.
It had not left in a long time. It did not count time, but he saw –felt— differences in the new surroundings. It was too old to remember its first awakening, but it remembered chaos until it had found its haven. Now it felt calmness. Unacceptable.
It could not forget the destruction. It had slept and thrived peacefully, but now it was awake and seeking revenge. It would bring chaos to break this serenity and take its retribution.
Creatures fled before it, some died from its presence. It did not care. It was unaware of its power, of the idea of strength and powerful, all it knew was that it would take revenge, that it couldand would.
Roaming the land slowly --time or patience were unknown to it; it only knew of its goal and to see it achieved; soon or late were unimportant--, it searched for the source of the destruction.
It would find it, and it would take revenge upon all. Only then would it retreat back to a new sanctuary.
All fled before it, and the masters of existence and power trembled in their lairs.
TBC