Duelist of Dawn: This is going well for the story, except for who's introducing the story with me….
Quina: Hi Ron!
Duelist of Dawn: Hello Quina, didn't think you'd be here so quickly.
Quina: Of course! I get more yummy-yummies during journeys!
Duelist of Dawn: You know, you're here to help introduce the next chapter with me right?
Quina: Yes, yes!
Duelist of Dawn: Ok, but first I'll thank all the reviewers especially FF&STH, Katherine the Black Rose, Aerith the Evenstar and Khiruki. I'm still going strong, baby!
Quina: We eat now?
Duelist of Dawn: (groans) Not until you do the Disclaimer.
Quina: Oh, Duelist of Dawn no own Final Fantasy 9, own self-insert character. Also, he no own music used in story.
Duelist of Dawn: Now you can eat.
Quina: (runs through wall to the dining room)
Duelist of Dawn: Start the chapter, so I can control the big glutton! And since Dagger and Steiner went off in their own direction, I'll also showoff their path to wherever their headed.
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Chapter 11:
Only Way Out: Fight the Master!
Now with Quina and Choco aboard, we were able to get across the Mist-filled lands a bit more smoothly now. With Choco, we were able to avoid enemies more since we need to save our strength on defending Burmecia, never though a Chocobo could be man's best friend as well. He enjoyed a good pat on the head every now and then for his good deeds. And Quina, as disgusting she may be on her eating habits in front of an audience, she's a glorious cook! We were able to find some Zaghnols in the area and with some pre-emptive strike and some know-how from the Festival of the Hunt, we were able to give out quick kills and Quina cooked us some meat that we could eat later on. I took an experimental taste since I don't know this world in a personal way, and it turned out okay!
With all of that out of the way, we made perfect timing to the entrance of Gizamaluke's Grotto….or so we thought…
"No...!" I said as I ran over to the doorway with Freya, looking at the gruesome site. At the entrance, there were two fallen Burmecian soldiers, slumped over the walls, dead.
"Come on! Get up! Dammit! Say something!" Freya tried to awaken them to no avail. Zidane, Vivi and Quina followed after.
"Oh, man..." Zidane gasped at the horrible site.
"Damn, they got here before us!" I shouted. Freya stood up with anger in her eyes.
"The black mages! Who are they!?" Freya asked, looking at Vivi.
"U-Um..." Vivi trembled at the expression Freya had on her face and I can't blame her. Her brethren, her family were being slaughtered and they had done nothing to deserve this!
"It's okay. You didn't do anything." Zidane said, trying to relax Vivi.
"Yeah, these Black Mages of the Queen are responsible for this crap!" I said feeling angry.
"Vivi, aren't they your—"Freya tried to say, but then had a worried expression on her face. "The king might be in danger! Come on!" And with that she rushed into the grotto entrance.
"I sure hope Dagger didn't come here..." Zidane wondered as he looked over the dead bodies. He then turned to face the rest of us. "Let's go." We all ran into the grotto, ready to face any danger.
The interior was like tunnels, made for a giant snake, must be Gizamaluke's doing. The torches were hanging on the wall, lighting up the pathway. At the end, we found a door with a huge bronze bell inside it. We see Freya looking at the door.
"Hey Freya!" Zidane said getting her attention. "Why didn't you got through?"
"Maybe the door's locked." I inquired.
"Ron's right, you see the giant bell embedded in the door?" Freya told us as we all nodded.
"It edible?" Quina asked in her one track mind. We all groaned at her comment.
"No, this bell has a defense lock on it to keep out intruders." Freya said, and then looked down. "But it seems that isn't great enough to stop our oppressors." I walked over to Freya and gave a reassuring look.
"Hey don't worry so much, the sooner we can get inside, the sooner we can help the Burmecians fight of these freaks." I said placing my hands on her shoulders. "Besides, we may not know what's going on with the Kingdom, but we have to keep our hope alive and pray that your King is safe, maybe escaped to somewhere safer."
After a bit, Freya smiled. "You're right, thank you Ron."
"No problem." I said and then turned to the bell-locked door. "Now, all we have to do is find a special bell around here, right?"
"That's correct." Freya answered. I turned my attention to see a small room to the right of the room.
"Hey Vivi, check in there to see if there's a bell somewhere." I told the black mage.
"Okay." Vivi rushed in there to look when suddenly, "Guys, there's a Burmecian in here!" We all ran into the room, inside we find a Burmecian soldier still clinging to life.
"Hey, are you alright!?" Zidane asked.
"...Black mages... Couldn't do anything." The soldier gasped out while holding his bleeding wound with his right hand.
"We're here to help. We're on our way to Burmecia." Vivi said.
"Thank the Gods, ugh... I'm done for." The soldier shakily raised his left hand holding a silver bell with a handle. "Take this bell, and... go to Burmecia..." He handed the bell to Freya. "The black mages... took the rest our bells... The king's in...palace... Please protec..." As tried to finish his sentence, he slumps over dead.
"We'll protect him. Don't worry." I said as I bowed in his respect. We all left the room and back to the bell door.
"Let's go." Freya said. She started ringing the bell and soon enough the bell on the door was ringing as well!
"Wow!" Vivi and I said. Afterwards, the door open and the bell in Freya's hand shattered. We all gasped at the sight.
"To keep intruders from using them, let's go." Freya bluntly answered our thoughts as we followed her to the next room. When we were halfway through the hall, we heard three identical and inhuman voices shout.
"KILL!"
"KILL!"
"KILL!"
"The Hell!?" I said, as we ran the rest of the way to find two black mages standing on an archway and another one outside it, attacking another Burmecian solider.
"KILL!" The first black mage shoots fire at a guard.
"ARGH!" The soldier dropped to the ground wounded, but hanging on to life.
"We have to help!" Freya shouted as we walked into the archway and formed a protective circle around the beaten soldier.
"…Freya…that you?" The solider asked.
"Don't speak, save your strength." Freya retorted. Just then we see the two jesters Zorn and Thorn walk out onto a ledge over where we are standing.
"Who are they?" Zorn asked his partner.
"That, I don't know." Thorn answered. Zorn looked at me and Zidane more thoroughly.
"I know I have seen those two people somewhere before." Zorn said, pointing his finger at me and Zidane.
"Somewhere before?" Thorn wondered as he racked his brain for the answer. "I have not seen them. I know."
"I guess it is not important." Zorn dismissed as he got a sinister grin on his face. "Let's kill them."
"Yes, kill them, shall we?" Thorn said, sporting the same grin.
"BLACK MAGES, KILL THEM!" They commanded in unison. The two black mages on the arch way jumped down to meet the one on ground as they prepared to attack.
"KILL!" They said powering up there magic.
"Ron, grab him!" Zidane yelled pointing the soldier. I complied as I held the soldier in my arms as we all dodged the combined fire assault the black mages unleashed. I put the soldier down somewhere safe as I turned to everyone else, staring down the mages.
"Anyone got a potion!?" I asked. Quina threw a hi-potion at me which I caught in one hand.
"Here!" I fed the soldier the potion which healed his wounds. He instantly shot up on his feet holding his spear high. "You okay?" I asked.
"Yes, much obliged, warrior." He thanked. "Now let's fight!" We both rushed in getting into our stances.
"Okay, we can double-team all three of them!" Zidane shouted and pretty soon we were grouped up: Zidane and Freya, Vivi and Quina, and me and the soldier.
The black mage I faced began the assault by not gathering magic, but tried to strike me and the soldier with their hands.
"Stupid." I said as I quickly grabbed its hands and pulled toward me giving savage headbutts. Then, I kicked it in the gut and threw in the air.
"Ready?" The soldier said as he ran towards me. I saw his motives as I bunched my hands together and as he stepped on them, I launched him in the air letting him stab the black mage in the gut and drove it to the ground and landing it.
"Nice work!" I said and he gave me a 'thumbs up'.
Vivi and Quina were exceptional as well. From the looks of the black mage, Quina drew the attention by pretending to attack so that Vivi fired his magic on vital parts of the mage, even though it saddened him to do so. Quina dealt the finishing blow by stabbing the mage in the back.
Freya and Zidane did the same with Freya being decoy and Zidane going in for the hits. Freya did a jumping assault which hovered a bit before slamming it home on the black mages head. All the while, Zorn and Thorn looked terrified at the display of skill we put on.
"HEEE! Savage monsters, they are!" Thorn shouted
"Run away!" Zorn shouted as the two of them high-tailed it deeper into the grotto.
"Cowards." I muttered.
"Now for this one!" The soldier who helped us tried to attack Vivi out of the blue! Luckily, I blocked the spear with my hands and snatched it with out effort.
"Hey, first you help us, now you attack my friend!?" I yelled at the soldier.
"Friend!? These mages attacked us, now you're defending them!?" He shouted back.
"If you didn't notice, he's not like them and he helped fight those mages with us!" Zidane shouted as Vivi ran behind Quina.
"He's right, don't act so hastily." Freya added giving her comrade a stern look.
"Sorry, it's just we're losing everything to these monsters." He said and turned to Vivi. "My apologies, little one." Vivi nodded in response. He then took two bells out and gave them to me. "You'll need one to use on this door." He pointed to a bell door behind him. "And another on the door inside the next room on your right." He said as he walked away.
"Where you going?" Quina asked the retreating Burmecian.
"I'm going to Lindblum, hopefully I'll get help." He said. "Please help the king." He then walked out the way we came in.
"He'll be okay." Freya said. "Ron, open the door." I nod as I use it to get into the next room. Inside we find an odd sight. We see a female moogle standing next to a broken bell, yelling at something inside of it.
"Darling! Can you hear me!? Darling!!! Please say something!" The female moogle shouted. We all ran to the moogle and the bell.
"I didn't expect to see a moogle here." Zidane stated as he crouched down to see the moogle. "What's wrong?"
"My husband, Moguta! He's inside the bell! He's trapped! Kupo!!!" She yelled out and started tearing up.
"You poor thing..." Freya consoled.
"My name's Mogmi, we just held our wedding here. Then some scary clowns attacked us! I was so scared! Kupopo!!!" She said shaking.
I closed my eyes, to sense the moogle's aura and it was indeed trapped inside still alive. "He's okay, maybe knocked out though.
"That bell's huge." Zidane said looking over the large bell. "Ron, can you lift it?"
"Sure." I said as I walked over to the bell getting ready to lift.
"Huh?" Mogmi said as she suddenly started sniffing around. "Sniff sniff! Sniff sniff! Sniff sniff! Sniff sniff!" She was lead by her nose to Vivi as she looked at him with a happy face.
"H-Hello. Um..." Vivi said nervously, being so close to a moogle.
"Oh! Oh!!! Wait... Yeah!" Mogmi said hyperactively. "It's you!!! I know you! I know you!! I know you!!! Um, um, um, um, um, um, um! Hey, hey, hey!!! You have Kupo Nut!"
"Y-Yeah... I got one in Lindblum." Vivi answered.
"Really!? Really!? Really!? Really!? C-Can I have it?" Mogmi asked still hyper.
"Okay." Vivi gave the small nut to Mogmi. Suddenly, she hopped on Vivi and started hugging him.
"Kupooo!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She said quickly and jumped off Vivi and stood next to me by the bell. "Darling! Darling!" She said in an endearing tone to the moogle inside the bell. "I have yummy Kupo Nut!"
And without a beat, there were massive ringing going on inside bell when…
"Kupooo!"
"WHOA!"
The moogle inside the bell busted out of the bell, while knocking me over.
"Darling!!!" Mogmi shouted as she watched her husband jump freely around the room.
"Kupooo! I love Kupo Nuts!" Moguta shouted as he ate the Kupo Nut and ran off.
"Darling! Where are you going!?" Mogmi shouts then turns to Vivi. "U-Um, thank you! Darling!!!" She runs off after her husband.
"What a crazy couple..." Zidane muttered.
"I'll say, that moogle was crazy strong when you mention Kupo Nuts." I said, getting off my butt.
We use the second bell, to the door on the right finding the same moogles in a cavern. Moguta runs up to us and excitedly speaks to me.
"I love Kupo Nuts! Do you like Kupo Nuts?" He asks.
"Uh, yes?" I said feeling awkward around him.
"I like you." He says while running to a statue nearby, spins it, takes something, and spins it back before running to me giving me a crystal bell. "Kupo! Take this, kupo!"
"Thanks!" I said. As the rest of us returns to the room, we notice a large snake slithering around. The strange thing about this one is that the while the tail looked like it belong to a snake's body, the rest didn't. It looked nearly like a human female with long blond hair covering the eyes while showing off its mouth. It also had a tiara on its head and held a fan in one of its hands and a knife in the other.
"What's a Lamia doing here?" I asked.
"You know what that thing is?" Zidane asked me.
"Yeah, you think it's ugly by first glance but sometimes they can mimic any woman, mostly the ones considered beautiful and seduce into an early grave." I said.
"Have ever fell victim to it?" Freya asked.
"No, I'm somewhat oblivious because I know when a girl is using me or being sincere." I said, putting it bluntly. "Plus I know a guy who almost fell for if it weren't for the girl the Lamia was impersonating just trying to seduce him to bed."
(A/N: Guess what Final Fantasy game that came from!)
"Let's just beat that thing up so we can reach Burmecia." Zidane stated.
"Wait!" I shouted, unfortunately it alerted the Lamia to our presence. "Oh shit!" As much as I had a history with battling Lamia's, it's a bit intimidating staring down a giant something the size of an anaconda.
The Lamia first tried to tail sweep us, which we all jumped over. It then quickly retaliated with a fan smack to Quina's face. I took advantage of the position and gave that snake a swift punch to the torso.
"Bilzzard!" Vivi shot an ice block to the face of the Lamia and Freya swiped the fan away with the spear. Now the Lamia got desperate by trying to seduce me by spray a pheromone heart at me.
"Ron!" Vivi shouted as the heart hit me. But strangely enough I felt dazed as I looked down on the floor. The Lamia next try to stab me with the knife. "Look out!"
But the slash never came as everyone in the room saw that I caught the knife with both hands struggling not to let it land. The Lamia looked surprised as it looked at my eyes to see I wasn't dazed!
"Sorry sweetie, I'm not interested!" I pushed the knife away and chopped both the Lamia's wrists make it drop the knife. "Dragon Kick!" I hit the Lamia straight in the face with a flaming kick, knocking it out. Afterwards, the others came up to me.
"You okay?" Vivi asked.
"Never better! Told ya that stuff doesn't affect me!" I said feeling proud of myself.
"Man, never thought you could resist the advances of a woman." Zidane said patting me on the back.
"That was no lady!" I shouted. "It was a feminine monster."
"Let's use the Holy Bell to reach Master Gizamaluke's room, it's also the exit that reaches Burmecia." Freya informed us.
"Cool." I then noticed something missing. "Where's Quina?" We all turned to see Quina chowing down on some meat a la Lamia.
"Ugh!" Zidane, Vivi, Freya and I said at the same time watching Quina eating something big and raw. She then turn to use with her fork full of meat.
"You want?" Quina offered.
"No thanks!" We shouted as Quina finished off the last of the Lamia.
"I so full! Let's go find more yummy-yummies!" Quina shouted.
Using the Holy Bell on the last door on the left side, we finally enter the last room of the grotto. We see that the room his full of water with the exception of a land mass leading towards the door to outside. Also we found another Burmecian Soldier, still alive, and slumped near the water.
"Are you alright!?" Freya asked the wounded soldier.
"Freya... Please be careful..." He warned her. Master Gizamaluke has gone mad. He's being controlled by some strange clowns."
"Great, what did those two freaks do this time!?" I asked in anger. Just then, a large serpent-like creature falls into the water.
"What was that!?" Vivi said feeling frightened at the eerie slience after that splash that monster made.
"It's Gizamaluke!" Freya shouted as the monster took to the surface. Gizamaluke was a blue aquatic or maybe amphibious monster that looks like a cross between a serpent and a manta ray with a large tail and bat-like wings.
(Play Blue on the Run from Sonic and the Secret Rings)
Gizamluke started strong with a tail strike to Zidane, knocking the wind out of him.
"Zidane, you alright!?" I said seeing him holding his stomach.
"I'll be fine." He said. "LOOK OUT!" He rolled to left as Gizamluke used his tail to strike me but I blocked it with arms, still it sent me flying to the wall. But I use the momentum and bunched my legs on the wall and pushed off and started charging my arms.
"Thunder Blades!" My arms became electric-charged scythes as I swatted the next tail strike and swiped at his face giving him a nasty scar and causied him to roar in place. "Ha!"
Vivi took this time to cast some magic. "Thunder!" A lightning bolt struck the serpent as it convulsed a bit. Before Quina and Freya got there chance, Gizamaluke fired a shockwave at Vivi. He braced himself for the pain, but it never came.
"You okay?" Zidane asked him.
"……" No words came from Vivi's mouth.
"He must have silenced him so he can't use magic!" Freya shouted. "There goes one advantage."
"Not yet." Quina said. I suddenly felt magic being charged at was coming from Quina! "Angel's snack!" Blue energy shot from her hand to Vivi's throat before dissipating. As that was happening, Freya and Zidane hit both wings making Gizamlauke come to ground, but it was still able to continue.
"I can talk again!" Vivi shouted. "Thanks Quina." Our praised was short lived as I felt more magic being cast and this time it was Gizamaluke! Next thing we know, everyone was encased in water, it started to suffocate and crush us with its pressure. Afterwards, the water evaporated and we dropped to the ground, gasping for air.
"Man, that's powerful!" I said, and then started spitting out water out of my mouth.
"Yes, being a master of the water element, he can manipulate water to the point where it's pressure become unbearable." Freya noted.
"Well we can't go on like this, we need some defense!" Zidane shouted.
"I got!" Quina said while charging her blue magic again. "Mighty Guard!" Yellow and blue energy surrounded us as it felt we were wearing light armor on.
"Why didn't you do this before?" Zidane said.
"Wastes lot of magic." Quina said, panting.
It was then a familiar bright light came around Freya, signaling a Trance. As the tornado of light was absorbed into her Freya' clothes were now good as new and her spear turned into a trident like shape.
"Well now we are in business, let's go!" I shouted. I gave Gizamluke a flying kick but it missed as he tilted his head then used it to smack me. Then Freya took to the skies and the amazing thing was that she was able to stay up there. Gizamaluke's abilities couldn't even touch her now that he was forced to battle on land.
"Flying Spear Assualt!" Freya cried as her trident glowed bright. She attacked her weapon as if a million spears were impaling the serpent. Afterwards, Gizamaluke was running out of energy. He sought to retreat in the water but Vivi was one step ahead.
"Thunder!" As soon as the rest off heard the attack, Zidane, Quina and I were running away from the water near the wounded soldier and Freya was still protected by her Trance state while airbourne. The thunder spell hit the water as it danced throughout the surface and made Gizamaluke into a huge lightning conductor as it took the massive spell and sunk into the water.
(End music)
Freya returned to her normal state as she landed on the ground. "What happened to Master Gizamaluke...? She wondered. "He should have been too strong to withstand any mind control."
"Maybe he was weakened when he fought the black mages." I said.
"Perhaps." She said. And then she walked towards the solider. "Can you stand up?"
"Don't worry... about me..." He choked out. "Please... protect Bur...me..." His life left him, but we all knew what his dying wish was.
"I will protect Burmecia. You have my word." Freya said.
"You have everyone's word." I corrected.
"Yeah, Freya. We've been pals for awhile." Zidane added. "If your people are in danger, we should all help."
"That's right." Vivi said.
"I go too." Quina added.
"Thank you all." She said in gratitude. "Let's hurry and stop this madness."
"Right!" We all run out of the exit after paying our respects to the fallen soldiers and got ready for the fight at Burmecia.
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(Meanwhile, at another location) (3rd point of view)
South Gate was being repaired from the air attack the Black Waltz No.3 gave us after we shut the door on him, causing his airship to crash. Although the airship gate was still being reconstructed, gate by foot was the only way to pass the borders between Alexandria and Lindblum. And one particular knight was seeking to cross it…. If Zidane and company went to the arch near Chocobo's forest, they would have found Steiner and Dagger.
Steiner approaches the gate with a bag tied to a stick slung over his shoulder. He looks over the small gateway leading inside the main gate.
(Once we cross this gate, we are in Alexandrian territory!) Steiner whispered to what it seems to be his bag. Or rather inside the bag.
(Okay, go ahead in.) The something inside the bag was Dagger!
Steiner walks up to two guards near the gate as they stopped him. They were two soldiers form Lindblum, one was short and the other one was tall.
"Hold it right there." The short guard stated.
"What's the purpose of your visit?" The tall guard asked Steiner.
"I heard workers were needed to fix South Gate." Steiner said, clearly lying to them. "I brought my belongings so that I might live and work here."
"That's great!" The tall guard said. "They've been working on the gate non-stop since the accident, but it's still broken."
"I need to check your bag." The short guard said while pointing to the bag over Steiner's shoulder. "Rules and regulations, you know."
"......Okay." Steiner said as he sets his...large bag down.
"Would you step back?" The short guard asked Steiner. He stepped down two steps while keeping his attention on the bag.
"There, that's good. Sorry, just doing our job." The tall guard said. "So...Where are you from?"
'Blast, I must do something!' Steiner thought as the short guard started to untie the knot on the bag.
"The police are searching for a girl and a middle-aged man." The tall guard stated. "Did you see a pair like that on your way here?"
"This knot is really tight..." The short guard muttered as he tried to undo the knot.
"The girl supposedly looks exactly like Princess Garnet, the most beautiful princess ever to grace Alexandria Castle." The tall guard was continuing questioning the whereabouts of the people he stated.
"I got it now." The short guard managed to get a part opened as he began to open the bag.
"But you know how Queen Brahne looks." The tall guard said. "It's hard to believe she'd have such a beautiful daughter."
"Ungh!? WHAT IS THIS!?" The short guard got a whiff of the smell inside the bag and stepped back and qurstioned Steiner. "Wh-What is that!? What are those...those... ...rotten things! Are they poison!?"
"Rotten? I'm not carrying anything that's rotting..." Steiner said sincerely.
The tall Guard guard pulled a pickle out of the bag. "Oh, it's your least favorite food..." He said the short guard. "...the Lindblum delicacy, gysahl pickles." He turned to Steiner next. "I can't believe how many you brought with you!"
"They are my favorite!" Steiner exclaimed. "I cannot start my day without them."
"Yeah, sure. People who like 'em all say that." The tall guard said. "You can go now."
Steiner picked up the bag. "Thank you. Good day." Steiner walks through the gate. Inside, there are a few people around, working and talking around the gate. Steiner takes the time to whisper to the contents of the bag.
(We're inside the gate! Princess, you've done it again.) He praises. (Now, I must find a spot where I won't be seen...) Steiner searches the area and finds a secluded alleyway. (That alley looks acceptable. But a girl and a man are in the way.)
Steiner overhears a tapir-looking worker saying something about the Mist gate being broken and decides to use that knowledge as he goes to talk to a man inspecting a pile of machinery.
"Let's see... I need two of Model #3..." The man says before turning around. "Oh, you brought your things with you. Are you here to work?"
"I-Indeed." Steiner stuttered.
"Welcome!" The engineer greeted. "I'm also new here. I've been working here for five months as the chief engineer of Bohden Gate. But he's the only one working under me." He points to the tapir-looking man. "I'll be going back to the castle next month, when my contract expires. I'll be joining a team of engineers who are developing a new engine that runs without Mist. The world outside the Mist Continent is uncharted territory, but there's no need to worry about our safety if we can explore it on an airship. Regent Cid is an advocate of technological advancement." He noticed he had been talking a lot. "Oh, sorry. I talked your ear off."
"There's something I must tell you." Steiner said as he whispered something into the engineer's ear. The engineer gasps.
"...The gate to the bottom of the Mist has been left broken!?" He turned to his worker. "Did he think he could get away with that!? Excuse me!" The man runs off after learning of his worker's incompetance.
(Now I just need to get rid of that girl...) Steiner says as he runs over to the girl who's wearing a green dress that's down to her ankles.
"I can't believe my best friend went out of business..." She looks at another man in worker clothes sitting near a ladder looking down about something. "I didn't know, because I was on the other side of the mountain."
"What good is it to bemoan what has already happened?" Steiner says bluntly. That comment caused Garnet to kick him from inside the bag and made him correct his previously statement.
"Wh-What I meant to say was that...Now that we are here, there must be things we can do to help the ones we love."
"You're right." The girl said. "I gotta encourage him. Thanks!" She runs over to her friend.
(The coast is clear.) Steiner whispers as he heads into the alley, but--
"Hey, hold on!" The short guard stops him. "Rules and regulations, you know. Would you come over here?
Steiner silently walks over to the guard before--
"Stop right there!" Steiner stops walking. "Don't make a move until I tell you! Now, turn toward me slowly... Don't make a false move." Steiner made a small turn to the guard. "Phew... You need a Gate Pass to reach the South Gate summit. I'm leaving it right there." The guard places the pass on the ground. "Pick it up after I leave. I'd come closer, but you're carrying those stinky pickles! See? I'm leaving it right here!" The guard goes back to the outside gate as Steiner picks up the pass after the guard leaves and hits the alley. As he gets there, he places the bag behind the boxes and searched the alley for people.
"Ahem... 'Tis foolishness! If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world'" He quotes from the Tantalus play.
"Steiner...?" Dagger asks from within the bag. "Is it okay for me to come out?"
"Yes!" Steiner says.
"Thank you. I will come out now. Please keep an eye out." She says.
"Yes, ma'am!" Steiner walks over to the other side of the boxes keeping a lookout.
Rustle rustle... Rustle rustle... Dagger finally gets out of the bag but without clothing.
"Oh, finally!" She exclaims. "Some fresh air! What a horrible smell... It gave me a terrible headache." She then whispers to herself. (Maybe I'll get changed while he's on lookout.) She then puts on her clothes.
"Let's see..." Steiner mutters as he stays on lookout. "Uh-huh..."
After a few minutes, Dagger comes out from behind the crate, fully dressed.
"You can turn around now, Steiner." She says as Steiner turns around to salute.
"Princess...!" He says but gets cut off.
"Steiner!" Dagger scolds.
"Yes...? Oh, um, yes, Miss Dagger." Steiner corrects himself.
"You have to call me Dagger until we reach Treno." Dagger tells him. "Don't salute me, either."
"Yes, until we reach Treno and find a way back to the castle, I will be careful." Steiner states.
"Okay, let's go." She and Steiner walk out and over to the other side of the alley to find the Berkmea cable car station.
"Wow...!" Dagger exclaims. "That cable car will take us to the summit. We're almost there, Steiner. Alexandria is just beyond the summit, right? I managed it without Zidane's help...!"
"You never needed him to begin with, Princess." Steiner stated.
They show the gate pass to the conductor and board the Berkmea cable car and sit down in the back.
"Please wait while I prepare for departure." The conductor says as he checks the system.
"Wait! Wait for me!" A female voice calls from outside. And sure enough, the girl form the gate appeared. Pant, pant... I made it!" She then looks to Steiner. "Thank you for your kind words earlier."
"No, I thank you." Steiner says, confusing the girl.
"Now departing!" The cable car takes off as it starts ascending the mountain.
"Phew... I feel more relaxed now." Dagger says.
"That is understandable." Steiner says. "Our journey from Lindblum was very tough. But... ...it was your white magic that helped me through the battles against all those monsters... ...your fortitude that got us past the obnoxious moogles in Chocobo's Forest... ...and, finally, your idea to use gysahl pickles to get past the South Gate guards! I am thoroughly impressed by your intelligence and courage, Princess!"
"Steiner, you can't call me that." Dagger she says in a reprimanding tone.
"My apologies. I'm just not used to..." Steiner says.
"It's okay." She consoles him. "I made lots of mistakes when Zidane and Ron taught me how to talk like this."
"That monkey peasant had no manners whatsoever!" He retorts. "Although...he did have some wit for a bumpkin, but... The way he spoke to you was simply unacceptable! I say good riddance. And Ron had no right questioning the Queen; she would never.."
"Steiner!" Dagger yells but low enough for only him to here. "I know he's right."
"But--" Steiner tries to protest but Dagger continues.
"I know he's right." She states. "He was there with me, Zidane and Vivi at the underground factory, we both saw the Alexandrian symbols on the barrels, my Mother is behind this, so don't you question my friend."
"Yes, Miss Dagger." Steiner says as he remains silent on the car.
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Alright, the end is near folks! Burmecia is the next chapter so stay tuned for: The Realm of Eternal Rain: Burmecia.
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