Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or Naruto
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2 - Escape
Naruto and co. watched intensely as the band stared playing, while sparklers, fireworks, and spinners started going off all around the balcony. It lifted into the air as the displays of light sparked all around. The four of them were in awe at the wonderful introduction to the play.
"You can't see anything like this back home, huh, Hinata?"
"N-no, never. I-it's really p-pretty, d-do you think Naruto?"
"Yeah!"
"I can't see anything!" Puck interjected. "Let's go up closer!"
"U-um… I don't think that's a good id--"
"Hey! You're MY slave! You have to do what I say! And I say that we're movin' up closer. Look over there! I bet there's a perfect view from there!"
The four young ones watched, before they decided to move, as a man in large robes with a pink beard came onstage to narrate the beginning of the play.
"Hey, Hinata, do you think that's Baku from the story?" Naruto whispered to her.
"Ah… M-maybe."
He took a bow as the audience gladly applauded his entrance.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" He declared. "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 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'!"
The audience cheered, Baku took a long bow, and the orchestra began playing. Naruto and co. walked towards the walkway Puck was talking about, but they stopped again to continue watching the play.
"We shall back thee, kinsman!" Shouted the man, Blank.
"Pray, sheathe thy swords! This villain is mine alone!" Marcus stated.
"Nay, kinsman! For I, too, have lost a brother to this fiend!" Cinna explained.
"What ho? Out, vermin! Away!" King Leo shot at them. "Thou darest bare thy sword before the king!? All who stand in my way will be crush'd!"
"Treacherous Leo, my kinsman's suffering shall not be in vein! For I shall instruct thee in his incomparable pain!" Yelled Zidane.
They engaged in battle, Marcus' group, against two bull demi-humans and King Leo himself. Blank quickly struck the leftmost bull guards, killing him; meanwhile, Zidane started casting magic, and shouted the word "medeo" as Marcus took out the other guard. A giant meteor with a rainbow star path crashed into King Leo. He ran towards Marcus, slashing him with a large blade, yet he remained standing. Cinna started casting a spell, and shouted "pyro" as flames engulfed the now angry king. Blank attacked again after that, so King Leo began casting. He bellowed "poly" as a light consumed Zidane with a large crystal above. He attacked back with his daggers this time, and Marcus finished it with another slash of his blade.
The King staggered up the stage stairs, leading to a pathway above the main entrance.
"Thou hast not seen the last of me, Marcus!" He declared, while limping away.
Zidane started to pursuit him, but Blank stood in front of him.
"No, Blank! Don't betray your friends!" Naruto burst out, though no one in front of them noticed.
"Wow, Naruto, you're really getting into this play!"
"Oh, woops! Sorry, didn't mean to get so into it, Vivi." He gave the boy a warm smile.
"Out of the way, Blank!" Zidane yelled.
"Consider this, Zidane! If Prince Schneider were to marry Princess Cornelia, peace would reign over both kingdoms!"
"'Tis foolishness! If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world!"
Blank began to run in the direction where King Leo left, with Zidane right behind him. At the top, they began to swordfight. Each swing missing, or clashing with the other. Blank leaped off of the walkway back onto the stage, with Zidane following. They ran into the same aisle that Puck wanted to go to, where they began clashing steel yet again.
"En garde!" Shouted Blank.
"Expect no quarter from me!" Zidane replied.
Both participated in an elaborate battle against one another. Back and forth did their blades go. High and low, to and fro. Each of their blades and bodies dancing the art of swordsmanship. The crowd was speechless, and watching intensely. Naruto was practically about to piss himself. He was ecstatic about the swordsmanship.
"I-I didn't know you were s-so interested in swords, Naruto." Hinata stuttered.
The crowd showered the two swordsmen in the local currency, gil. It would seem that just about everyone was impressed by their performance. Blank ran away, with Zidane following behind; however, they ran in the opposite direction. No one seemed to notice.
Puck had continued the groups advance into the same aisle that the two were fighting in. The play was very interesting. Naruto was watching in excitement, Hinata was as well, Vivi was happy he got to see it, and Puck seemed un phased. Time passed, and the play got a lot more interesting. Things became even more interesting though.
Two bull guards were holding Marcus, as King Leo entered the stage.
"Tonight, I shall finally see my daughter Cornelia betroth'd to Prince Schneider! And then Prince Schneider and his kingdom will be mine!" He declared, then let out a large bellow.
"Your Majesty!" One guard said.
"We have caught an intruder!" The other one mentioned.
"Why, my poor Marcus! Hark, lad. No matter how much thou dost treasure Cornelia, no matter how deeply she might believe she doth love thee… Never shall I see her marry a peasant such as thee!"
Just then, the bell started to ring.
"When yon bell strikes three, under the axe thou shall be!"
The bell continued to ring.
King Leo had continued a short speech for Marcus, who basically ignored everything told to him. As he was about finished, two stage lifts rose, one with Zidane and a young woman in a white and pink cloak. The other had a large man in steel armor. There seemed to be a few quick glances of confusion that only Naruto and Hinata really noticed. The man in armor seemed dumbstruck when he looked into the crowd. Marcus broke free from the guards and ran to the woman.
"Cornelia!" He announced, followed by a short pause.
"Oh, Marcus!" She cried.
Her voice was so crisp, soft, and beautiful as it rolled off her tongue. It could melt ice, it was so warm. There was another pause immediately after.
"Oh, Marcus! I missed you so! I wish to never leave thy side. Prithee, lead me from this place!"
"See, King Leo? Thou shouldst give them thy blessing!" Zidane commanded.
"Never! Never leave his side, thou sayest? Foolish banter! I'll not allow it! Cornelia shall marry none other than this man--Prince Schneider! Is that not so, Prince Schneider?"
"M-Marry the princess? Me!?"
"Aye! And this traitorous crew, I will put to death!"
Zidane and Marcus had to fight the two guards, which they immediately won, and the guards retreated.
"Pray, sweet daughter, come home to the castle with me."
"Nay, Father! I shan't return!"
"Cornelia… Trouble me no more. This wedding is for thine own welfare. Be mindful of that."
"Not if I can help it!!!" Marcus interjected. "Now is my moment of vengeance! For my parents, and for my love, Cornelia… I shall cut thee down!"
Marcus drew his sword, and charged towards King Leo, but Cornelia jumped in the way of his blade, and was stuck by her own lover. Naruto was literally jumping up and down in anticipation.
"No… Cornelia!!!" Marcus cried out.
"Mar…cus, forgive me. I still love my father…" She gasped for breath. "Prithee, forgive my selfishness, Father, and spare my sweet Marcus…"
Her struggling body went limb, and stopped moving. Her father and the prince were at her side, in tears. Marcus could only stand there, motionless.
"What have I done!? Am I never to hear her loving voice again!? Am I cursed never again to feel her soft touch!? O, cruel fate! Thou hast robbed me of all I treasure!"
With that he stabbed himself, to the surprise of his friend. The audience was in tears. Not a soul in sight wasn't unhappy. Even Naruto and Hinata sobbed at the sorrowful event.
"Wow, what a show!" Implored Puck.
"Yeah, so sad…" Vivi cried.
"I'm glad we climbed all the way over here. How 'bout you, huh? Uh-oh! Look out!" Puck started to run.
Naruto, Vivi, and Hinata looked over to see two soldiers running towards them, so they ran in the other direction. They all circled around, but Vivi tripped. Naruto and Hinata stopped to help him up, but Puck just ran.
"Fools! I'm outta here!"
Vivi got up, and they were chased towards the stage, while the play continued.
"Forgive me!!!" They heard King Leo shout.
"Princess!!!" Cried Prince Schneider.
Naruto and co. were followed on stage.
"Leave us alone!!!" Vivi yelled at them.
They ran around the stage, and jumped over the group, while the soldiers remained on the other side.
"Don't come any closer!" Vivi threatened.
Naruto and Hinata were amazed that the little boy started to create a fire on his hands and shot it forward. Unfortunately it hit the girl on the ground, and her cloak caught the flame. She started flailing because of the fire. She threw off the burning clothes revealing for all to see that it was Princess Garnet.
"Zidane! It's time!" Baku said, no longer playing as King Leo.
"Princess Garnet! Let's get outta here!" Zidane shouted.
"Wait, didn't the story say that they were kidnapping her?" Naruto whispered to Hinata as they helped up Vivi.
"What… What is going on!?" The angry knight who played Prince Schneider said.
"Steiner! Don't follow me anymore!" The princess scolded.
"Princess! I'm afraid I cannot comply!"
"Stubborn as always, aren't you?" She replied coldly.
"Come on, Princess. Let's ditch Sir Rustalot and get outta here!" Zidane shouted.
He, Marcus, and the princess went over to where Vivi, Naruto, and Hinata were.
"Hey, kids… You guys okay!?" Zidane said.
All of them prepared to fight Steiner as he declared that he couldn't let her go. Zidane quickly struck one of the lesser knights, which caused him to retreat. Naruto pulled out the shuriken Sakura had given him just the other day, and sliced the other guard with it. He, like the other, retreated. Steiner tried yelling at them, but it had no effect. Vivi cast the spell fire on Steiner, who got burned, but he countered and struck Vivi with his sword. Hinata gasped.
"How could you strike a child with a sword!?" She was angry with him.
"Don't worry, I'll help!" Garnet told them.
She held her staff up and cast the cure spell on Vivi, healing his wounds. He thanked her, and Marcus attacked Steiner. After retaliating, he went for Hinata, but missed. She counted his attack and hit him through his armor. This was enough to make him tired.
"These are only flesh wounds!" He said, panting.
After the fight finished, the airship began to lift off. They were planning on leaving, whether anyone liked it or not. Guards fired harpoon-like spears into the airship, trying to prevent it from escaping. There were screams of terror as the ship moved without control. It smashed into some buildings. Zidane was trying to help Garnet up, while Naruto and Hinata were struggling to stand upright, not used to this kind of motion. Even with their chakra, they couldn't focus it enough at the right spot because the floor was moving. Vivi just fell over, while Steiner was trying to get up to fight more. They were able to see the big elephant herself. Yes, Queen Brahne. She had ordered her knights to fire some large cannon, as the saw the mouth of it being revealed.
"Damn! If that thing fires, we won't be able to escape!" Zidane yelled.
It fired, but rather then strike the ship, a flaming monster broke free of the cannonball, and charged towards the group. Steiner got back up to challenge Zidane, Naruto, and the others; all the while, the monster remained stationary behind Steiner, without him actually realizing it. The group didn't try to take Steiner down, but just protect from his attacks.
"Hey, look behind you!" Zidane shouted.
"I'll not fall for such an old trick!"
"Please, Steiner! Behind you!" Garnet pleaded.
"Surrender at once!"
"This isn't looking good!" Naruto got worried.
"What is that thing?" Hinata wondered.
It kept growing as they fought.
"It's a bomb!" Vivi shouted.
"It's gonna blow!" Marcus warned.
As Steiner finally glanced backward, he noticed the bomb monster and fell to the ground. It got to such the massive size that it exploded, engulfing the entire ship in fire and smoke, But it survived. Through the soot and the black, the airship sailed on, free from the chains. As it moved forward, it lost altitude, and was heading for a forest nearby. They had escaped the city with Princess Garnet.
Queen Brahne will surely be unhappy.