The thief and his princess

Summary:

When Zidane, the youngest thief in the infamous Tantalus group, meets the mysterious Dagger on the Alexandrian streets, he thinks of her as nothing but one of his many flirts. But with time, he will realize that the girl does not only hold the power to bind his heart forever, but that she is an unwilling part of a conspiracy that can easily destroy the world. - A FFIX AU Fan Fic

Chapter nineteen ~ Dark Messenger

The day passed by, and slowly, the airship was coming close to the Forgotten Forest.
"Bring us down there," Zidane told Blank and the redhead nodded.
Softly, the airship landed, and Zidane, Amarant, Freya and Dagger left it, standing in front of the once green and proud forest. Now, every part of it had been turned into cold, unforgiving stone, and as Dagger placed her hand on one of the trees, she shivered.
This is so terrible, she thought to herself. Just why did it turn to stone in the first place?
Freya, who had just been explained the whole reason for their being here, seemed to think the same thing. The Dragon Hunter frowned and touched the trees just like Dagger.

"And you have no idea why the forest turned to stone?" She sought confirmation, to which Zidane nodded.
"Yup. No clue at all. That giant plant fiend appeared and started attacking us, and then, suddenly..." He shrugged his shoulders.
"Whatever it was, we now have the means to enter it," Amarant simply said, and Dagger nodded. She took out the silver needle and gave it a measuring regard.
Please, work! Slowly, the princess approached one of the many sealed areas; the vines and roots of the forest had curled up on the outside, refusing access even to something as small as a mouse.
With a gulp, Dagger carefully placed the needle on one of the vines – and she drew a sharp breath as the stone disappeared, making place for the soft green and brown of the plant. The needle only affected a small area, but Dagger worked it all around until she had created an opening high and wide enough for them to enter.

She turned her head with a slightly scared expression.

"Let's go, shall we?" She asked and Zidane nodded, walking up to her and then, unexpectedly, holding her hand.
The thief shot the princess a grin, then he pulled her after him, followed by Freya and Amarant.
They slowly made their way through the forest, only opening the paths that were necessary to get to where they expected Vivi to be. It was Zidane who led them, but he left it to Dagger to open the way, and the princess was thankful for that.
She still felt terribly sorry and responsible for what had happened to Vivi, and finally setting out to set him free was the least she could do, in her opinion.
Soon, the party had reached the clearing where had they once been encircled by their enemies. Freya, who hadn't been with them at that time, could understand, but not feel the shivers her friends experienced.
Dagger gulped.

This is it. Here's where we almost... died. Another shiver went down her spine, and the princess shook her head to focus, looking out for Vivi.

The clearing was full with petrified monsters. They stood so close to each other that maneuvering through them was difficult, and Dagger held the silver needle high in the air as not to touch a fiend with it accidentally.
"Can you see him?" She asked Zidane, who had narrowed his eyes as he looked around.
The thief shook his head. "No, not ye- there he is!" He suddenly exclaimed and pointed forwards. And indeed, there was Vivi, as petrous as the enemies around him.

"Vivi!" Dagger ran up to him, tears building in her eyes. "Oh, Vivi..." Her voice broke down, the needle in her hand suddenly felt as heavy as stone.

What if it doesn't work on him? What if he was so badly injured that curing him will open wounds? She thought full of fear.

Then, she felt a hand on her shoulder. The summoner looked up to see Zidane smiling at her encouragingly.
"Come on, Dag'. Vivi'd been waiting long enough now, right?"
Dagger nodded. "You're right, Zidane... Of course you are."
And then, she touched Vivi's stone-turned skin with the tip of the silver needle, and a glow encircled the black mage's body. Dagger made a step back as the gray slowly faded, making place for the colors of the little boy.

His arms and legs started to twitch, and the tip of his pointed hat wiggled in the soft breeze that went through the forest.
And then, in the midst of the dark emptiness that was his face, did two bright, yellow ovals pop up.
He blinked.
"Vivi?" Dagger asked worriedly.
"Princess!" Vivi replied and the party lost some of its tension.
"Oh, Vivi, are you okay?" Dagger leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the mage.
Vivi seemed flustered.
"Y-yes, I am, but why... why do you ask, princess?"
"You don't remember?" Freya breathed and Vivi turned his head as if he only noticed the Dragon Hunter now.
"W-who are you?" He asked, and then, with another regard to Dagger: "What has happened to your beautiful long hair, princess? And mister Zidane!" He exclaimed upon seeing the thief's Rune Tooth.
"Just Zidane," the blonde waved with his hand.
"But, Zidane," Vivi started hesitantly, staring from one person to the other with wide eyes. "W-what has happened? Just a minute ago have we been chased by the monsters. I noticed how I fell behind more and more and then... there was darkness." The little mage shivered, and Zidane and Dagger shot each other a worried glance.

He doesn't know, Dagger thought surprised and uncomfortable. Vivi doesn't know he'd been in stone for weeks!

Very slowly, Zidane approached the black mage who now became aware of the stone surrounding them, as well as the petrified fiends.

"Hey, Vivi," he said and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Let's get outta here first, okay? I know," he said as Vivi tried to speak up, "there's a lot of stuff you want to ask about. But let's go to the airship first. We'll get you some stuff to eat and then, we'll sit down and tell you everything. Okay?" He asked once more, and this time, Vivi nodded.
They left the Forgotten Forest behind and entered the airship. Blank greeted them with a wide smile.

"Yo, Vivi! It's been a while!" He welcomed the confused black mage, and Zidane quickly shook his head to indicate that it wasn't the right time to mention anything to the little guy.
Blank frowned, but then, he simply stepped aside, and the party made its way to the inside.
After sitting down and handing Vivi some drink and food, Zidane and the others shot each other worried glances.
Someone had to start, but who – and how?
Vivi felt the tension in the air and shifted uncomfortably in his position.
"Please, tell me," he finally spoke, and the others jerked their heads towards him.
"I know... I know something is wrong. I can tell by looking at you. You look... older," he added towards the princess with a shy voice. "I... I haven't just passed out for a few minutes, have I?" Vivi's voice had become quieter and quieter with each word he spoke, and the tension made way for a depressing feeling of guilt.
Finally, it was Zidane who walked up to the black mage.

"No Vivi, you're right. You haven't just passed out. You were... stone."
Vivi jerked his head up.

"What?"
Zidane sighed with a reassuring smile. "Well..."

"So that's how it is," Vivi said slowly. It had taken Zidane almost four hours to explain everything that had happened, and the mage had had so many questions as well. Amarant, Freya and Dagger helped out at some parts, but they left most of the talking to the young thief.
Vivi had sat in silence before he found his tongue again.

"So now... you're headed to Alexandria to fight Kuja. You are very brave, princess," he said towards Dagger, and the summoner blushed in a whiff of shyness.
"I'm sorry we dragged you into all of this," Dagger apologized. "It's my fault we ended up crashing in the Forgotten Forest, that you turned into stone..." She sniffled, but Vivi shook his head.
"It's not your fault, princess!" He protested. "And I'm fine now, so please don't worry about it anymore."
Dagger's face lit up a bit, and Zidane scratched his head.
"Well, Vivi, I never asked you, but... Where do you come from?"
Vivi looked up surprised. "Huh?"
"Well," Zidane made a wide gesture. "We merely bumped into each other in Alexandria, didn't we? Where did you come from? Where did you plan on going? We could drop you somewhere along the way – though, Alexandria might not be that safe for the next couple of days," he added and shook his head.

Vivi stood up. "You don't have to drop me anywhere! Take me with you!"
"Vivi!" Dagger said surprised, but the black mage simply went on: "I want to fight that Kuja, too! He's brought so much suffering to so many people, and I... I..." He looked down on his hands, not knowing what he should say.
Freya frowned. "But Vivi, my dear, this is going to be a serious battle. We," and with that, she made a gesture that excluded Dagger, "can't even harm Kuja. All we can do is serve as distraction while Dagger summons the Eidolons."
Dagger shivered, but Vivi did not flinch.
"But I... I have to..." He mumbled quietly.
Amarant frowned. "You are hiding something." It wasn't a question and Vivi let his shoulders drop even further.

"I..." He started helplessly, then shook his small head. "I was made by Kuja."
The silence that followed his words was numbing; everyone stared at the little mage with wide eyes, and only hesitantly did he manage to speak.
"We... that means, the black mages... we have been created by Kuja as tools for the war. We are made of mist and darkness and... most of us are soulless puppets."
The boy gulped. Then, he spoke again, quicker now, as if he was relieved he could finally confide to someone.
"We are manufactured all over the continent, and once our development is complete, we are sent to outposts, ships and rarely cities to stand by until the war breaks out.

I was delivered to Alexandria, and woke up on my way there. All of the mages around me were so quiet and I started panicking when they wouldn't even react to my questions. But one of them – number 281 – noticed me, and he explained everything to me. He was one of the few who have a … a conscience, a soul, like me. We don't know whether it's just an error or intended," Vivi added quietly. "When number 281 explained everything to me, I got scared, and he felt sorry for me. So... he helped me escape, once we arrived at the castle. The last thing he said to me was this name – Vivi. Then, he pushed me down a corridor and left.

And that was when I met you," he added towards Zidane. "I was trying to find the exit – though I didn't know where I should head to after that. And I still don't. There's no place where I belong to. And all of my brothers are under Kuja's control."
The little mage made sounds as if he cried, and Dagger walked up to him, wrapped her arms around his shivering shoulders and made little 'shhs'.
"P-princess?" Vivi wondered surprised.
Dagger looked at him with an encouraging smile.
"Everything is fine now!" She reassured the boy with a trembling voice.
"B-but," the mage stuttered. "I'm... I'm an evil tool. I -"
"Don't say that!" Dagger cut him off and Zidane nodded.
"Dag's right. You are just Vivi. In the time we spent together, you never did an evil thing. In the opposite, you helped us out, despite us being strangers."
Vivi sniffled. "T-thank you."

Once the black mage had caught himself, Freya squatted down to him.
"Are you sure about this, Vivi?" She asked seriously. "If what you said is true, then we will not only face Kuja but your brothers as well. We will have to fight everyone who bars the path."
Vivi nodded. "I know. I can do it. Number 281... He told me that none of us want to help Kuja. Some of us just can't realize that they are against it. If we... kill them," he stumbled across the word, "at least, they won't end up as tools for his plans."
Dagger remained silent. It was a tough decision for the young mage, and she admired him for his courage. At the same time, hatred against Kuja welled up inside of her.

This bastard, she thought angrily as she lifted herself up with fierce eyes.

All those people. Vivi. My mother. He brings pain and sorrow wherever he goes! I will defeat him. I must defeat him.

Her friends turned their heads towards Dagger.
"Everything okay, Dag'?" Zidane asked and the princess nodded.
"We have to hurry," she said with a grave tone. "Each moment that passes, Kuja has the chance to hurt the innocent."
Zidane nodded, but sadness hid in his eyes. "Sure, I'll tell Blank. We should arrive in an hour."

While Zidane went to Blank, Amarant and Freya prepared themselves for the battle that was surely waiting for them.
Dagger stared across the horizon; the castle was already in sight, though only faintly through the distance. Her knuckles emerged and turned white as the princess gripped the railing tightly.
Vivi stood beside her, quietly.
The air was heavy, carrying an ominous scent.

"There you are, oh my canary." Kuja had spotted the airship and he smiled maliciously.
"Can you already see her, my rose?" He turned towards Beatrix, who stared wide eyed towards the airship.

On this ship... is my daughter, she thought full of fear on account of Kuja's secure grin.
"It was about time," he pretended to mumble to himself. "I have become a little impatient. From what my spies told me, your precious daughter just returned from the Forgotten Continent."
Beatrix drew a sharp breath, but otherwise didn't react.

I mustn't let him see my despair.

Kuja chuckled. "She must have gone through a lot, that little canary. I know it now – the time has come."
No! Beatrix made a step forward, mentally crying out. The fear that had dominated her life for the past years turned into something even greater; horror pulsed through her veins and she did not manage to control her features as she stared at the silver-haired sorcerer.
He noticed it with a sadistic grin. "Ah, you know what that means, my rose, don't you? I have told you about it often enough. Yes, it's true: Tonight is the night in which your daughter will die, for my cause."
And Beatrix let out a cry, so acute and jarring that it tore the sky.

"Blank will try to land us directly on the top of the castle." Zidane pointed forward, and Dagger followed the line. The giant sword that was part of Alexandria's castle glistened in the light of the setting sun.
The summoner felt a prickling in her stomach, but she ignored it. Instead, she tried to nodded calmly.
"Alright; I will -"
She was cut off mid-sentence as a giant fire ball struck the airship out of nowhere. Stumbling, she fell to her knees, only to roll over as another sphere hit the front of the airship.
"Dagger!" Zidane crawled over to her, somehow managing to grasp her hand.
"Are you hurt?" he yelled over the deafening explosions, and the princess nodded.
"Zidane! Dagger!" Freya ran up to them, wavering from one side to the other. "It's the black mages, they are attacking the ship!"

Zidane cursed under his breath.
"What about -" He was thrust to the side as a magical blow of air shook their vehicle violently.
"Blank can't bring us to the top," Freya hollered. "He brings us down, before the ship falls apart."
Zidane nodded, his body shaking, not only from the ever reoccurring impacts, but from fear as well.
The black mages kept bombarding the airship with their spells, and Blank landed them rough-and-ready.
"I'm sorry," the redhead ran up to Zidane, shouldering his falchion, but the younger thief shook his head.
"Any navigator worse than you would've let the ship crash," he replied, but Blank could only let out a snort to that compliment.
"Where are the others?" Dagger asked, but her question was answered as Amarant and Vivi exited the steaming ship.

"Are you safe?" Amarant asked briefly and Dagger nodded.
They all caught their breath for a second, then, they turned their heads; Blank had landed them at the front gate of Alexandria. They could already see the mass of soldiers and mages awaiting them inside the city; smoke whirled up from the buildings, and Dagger could spot some makeshift barricades. They had to fight through the entire city if they wanted to reach the ferry that would carry them on to the castle.

"Why?" Dagger asked with tears in her eyes. "Why are they opposing us?"

Zidane rubbed her back. "I'm sure that's Kuja's doing. He wants to break our spirits by making us fight innocents."

Dagger gulped down the tears and shook her head. "He's so cruel. We need to stop him at all cost."
Zidane shivered. He could hear the rattling of the soldiers' hauberks, and the air was already hot from the spells the mages prepared.
"Well guys, let's get going," he tried to say with a cheerful voice. "Kuja's waiting for us to kick his ass – we shouldn't let him wait any longer!"
His friends nodded grimly, drawing their weapons. Then, they rushed towards the city.

Zidane almost stopped in his tracks when he saw the extent of the army opposing them. For every ten soldiers, there was a black mage, already preparing the spell to ward them off.
"I will take care of those!" Vivi called and summoned a spell of fire. Despite him being turned to stone for weeks, his magical abilities didn't seem to have decreased; in the opposite, for some odd reason, he seemed even stronger than before.

Zidane could only guess it was because his heart wasn't weighing him down any more, but he didn't have the time to think about that matter. A soldier ran up to him, and Zidane hoicked the Rune Tooth to block the sword. The soldier cried out and yanked his sword around, trying to hit Zidane's waist, but the thief jumped to the side, swirling the Rune Tooth and hitting his opponent's leg. The poisoned blade corroded the metal and ate through to the skin of the poor man, who fell down in agonizing pain, unable to stop the toxin from killing him slowly.
Zidane looked away, his heart hurting at the sight, but he kept fighting. The screams of the soldiers falling at his hands rang in his ears and more than once did he feel the desire to just let himself fall down. But then, he shot a glance towards Dagger, who was keeping the enemies at bay with her rod, and her determined, hurt expression kept him going.

To his left, Freya was piercing their enemies with her spear, and sometimes, a whirlwind would push them away along with it. But Freya tried to save her magical energy for the true fight against Kuja.
The sad fools who ran up to Amarant were mercilessly slashed by his claws, and the warrior's expression was bland, despite the blood that splashed to his face.
"Eiko!" That was Blank. He cut and beheaded his share of the opponents swiftly, but he kept running from one side to the other, calling out that girl's name. Zidane wanted to ask him to stop, to concentrate on fighting, but deep down, he could understand his friend; if it was Dagger who was probably lost among this chaos, hiding in one of the houses, he would call out for her as well.

Another soldier popped up in front of the blonde, and Zidane's momentary distraction earned him a deep cut along his forearm. He cursed, readying himself to start a complex maneuver with his sword, but then, the soldiers was suddenly engulfed by flames.
Zidane jerked his head, to see Vivi panting.
"A-are you alright, Zidane?" He pressed before he sent another ball of fire towards another enemy.
"Thanks!" was all Zidane could say before another opponent called for his attention.

He did not know how many people he killed, and he could not count the bruises and cuts on his body, but finally, they broke through to the ferry. Amarant finished off the guards blocking the trail boat, then, they jumped on, and Vivi used his magic to push them forward, faster than any man could have done it.
They all took the moment to breath and relax.

Dagger crawled up to Zidane and laid her hand on his forearm. The thief twitched upon the touch, but at a murmur of Dagger's voice, a blue light enveloped his injury and a second later, it was gone.
Zidane smiled thankfully.
"Thanks, Dag'. But you really should save your energy."
The princess' smile was thin. She turned her head to the castle, which now towered above their heads.

"He's in there," she whispered with a voice full of hate.
Zidane laid his hand on Dagger's shoulder, slightly squeezing it.

He looked over to Vivi, who seemed to be frozen in shock. Zidane wanted to reach out to the little mage, to reassure him somehow, but Dagger held his hand back and shook her head. Silently, he agreed – there were no words to comfort someone who has to kill his kind.
Then, he turned his head to Blank, who stared into the water with a gloomy expression.
"You will find her," Zidane tried to comfort his friend, but Blank did not move.
"We're there," Freya stood with a last roll of her shoulders, and they set over to solid ground.

No soldiers were waiting for them at this side of the city. Everything was unnaturally quiet, and they kept their weapons drawn, despite their muscles crying of fatigue.

There were three paths they could chose from; to either side and the front.
Before anyone could ask, Dagger pointed forward. "This will lead us to the main area."

They walked quietly, cautiously, and Zidane always peeked around every corner before waving his friends to follow. They reached the main gate of the castle, which was wide open.
Amarant grumbled, and Freya nodded. "I don't like it either."
Still, they had no other choice but to go. The castle was empty as well, and quiet like a morgue. Once they set foot on the red carpet, Dagger suddenly stiffened up. Her eyes became empty and she felt a massive source of energy directly above them.

Is this... Kuja? She thought scared.

How could I ignore this power for so long?
'Because he kept it hidden.' It was Bahamut, and as soon as he spoke, Dagger's mind shook upon his voice.

'The sorcerer is inviting you. Do not falter.'
Dagger nodded, then, she pointed upwards.
"Kuja is on the roof of this castle," she explained.
"You feel him?" Freya asked and the princess tilted her head.
"He's... inviting me," she repeated Bahamut's words and her friends frowned.
"I really don't like this," Freya mumbled. Everyone agreed with her, but Zidane forced a smile.
"Well then, lets get going, Dag'!"

They followed seemingly endless corridors, and without Dagger's guidance, they would have become lost. Still, they were spared opposing soldiers, but they did not let down their guard.
Finally, they reached a high staircase.
"This leads to the very top," Dagger mumbled, suddenly indecisive.
If I go up there now... I will face Kuja.
"Don't."
It was an unfamiliar voice, and they all jerked back, lifting their weapons, to see a little girl standing behind them.
She could not possibly be older than eight; her chin-long, blue hair was adorned with a yellow ribbon, her eyes, just as blue, looked at them so intently that Dagger shivered.

"Eiko!" Blank gasped and walked forward, only to be grabbed by Zidane.
"That is Eiko!?" The blonde could not believe it. "She's just a child!"
Blank opened his mouth, ready to yell at the younger thief, but Eiko's voice froze them.
"Don't go up yet, summoner." Her voice did not fit a child her age. It sounded calm, old and wise. Her eyes captured Dagger's and the princess felt an odd familiarity with the gaze she met.

"Who -" She started when suddenly, a cry sounded from above.
Dagger went pale.
"Mother!" She cried out and ran up the stairs.
"Wait!" Zidane yelled and cursed as the princess did not react. He ran after her, taking a pair of stairs with each step, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not catch up to Dagger; it was as if the worry for her mother spurred her legs.

Then, one of the many statues framing the staircase swung its sword down, blocking the way. Zidane pushed and pulled, but the sword was incredibly heavy. When he tried to crawl beneath it or jump above it, a magical force would pull him back, so he had no other choice but to heave it up – way too slowly.
"Dagger, don't!" Zidane hollered, but Dagger reached the top of the tower, and she thrust open the door.
A heavy gale whirled her short hair around while Dagger turned her head frantically. Her eyes caught a figure, lying motionlessly on the adorned platform they were standing on.

"Mother!" Dagger let out a yelp and ran towards the queen, but she froze in her motion. Not because a voice called out for her, or because she was scared what she should do if her mother's body was more than just motionless. Her feet simply wouldn't move.
She started panicking, and a laugh sounded down on her.
"Welcome, my canary!" Kuja descended from a tower far above her head, his silver hair gently moving along the wind as if it was only a breeze. His feet touched the ground and he slowly walked up to Dagger; his strides almost dancing.
"Well, how do you like the stage I have prepared for your return?" He asked with a gracious gesture, encompassing the entirety of Alexandria.

Dagger clenched her teeth.
"What have you done to Mother!?" She yelled, her fingers gripping her racket even tighter, and Kuja's lips spread into an uncaring grin.
"The rose has fulfilled its role in my story, so I did what every maestro would do; I disposed of her."
Dagger cried out, her heart overflowing with anger and sadness.

'Calm yourself, summoner!' Bahamut ordered, but he found himself blocked by Dagger's hot feelings.
Her knees started to shake, just like her shoulders, and she looked up beneath her bangs with fierce eyes.
Just in that time, Zidane and the others reached the top of the castle – Blank wasn't with them, he had fallen back with Eiko.
"Dagger!" Zidane called, reaching out for her.
Kuja turned, a disapproving expression on his face.
"My, what are these rats doing here?" He spat and with a sway of his hand, Dagger's friends were thrust back.
"I am not granting you a role in my magnificent play, fool," Kuja said despicably.
"But in my endless generosity, I will allow you to sit by and watch how we reach the grand finale. Now that the crystal is finally mine, I can end this boring play of humanity and call forth the era I have envisioned – an era of endless darkness!"

"D-dagger," Zidane slowly raised himself up, his arms shaking. "Whatever you do, don't... don't give him the crystal."
Dagger managed to fight against Kuja's pressure on her body and clung to her necklace.
"I won't," she managed to say, while she prepared herself to unleash the Eidolons. At the back of her head, she could feel Bahamut yelling something at her, but she couldn't listen. Tears of sorrow were streaming down her face; she was painfully aware of the immobile body lying behind Kuja.
But suddenly, Kuja laughed, and Dagger lost the grasp of the orbs of power flowing in her.
"My canary, would you please stop clinging on to that silly necklace?"
Dagger knew that something was wrong; she could see it in the way Kuja looked at her, sense it in the pressure that Bahamut's spirit laid on her to get through to her mind, but she failed to understand in time.

Suddenly, her body felt unnaturally light. She rose into the air, but while she floated, she had no control over her muscles. An invisible power pulled her towards Kuja and the sorcerer laid an arm around her waist. He smelled repugnantly sweet and the princess tried to turn away from him, but her body wouldn't listen.
Kuja reached out with his delicate fingers, wrapped them around the necklace and ripped it off Dagger's neck. Sharp pain caused stars to dance in front of her eyes, but they cleared up soon enough for her to see Kuja pejoratively glancing towards the pendant.
He constricted his hand and with a loud shattering, the necklace broke into countless pieces, and Dagger could hear Zidane and the others drawing sharp breaths.
"H-he broke it!" Freya gasped, resting on her spear while she fought against the pressure on her shoulders.

Kuja laughed, short and hard.
"Fools. What made you think this worthless piece of stone was the crystal?"
He laid two fingers around Dagger's chin and smiled lightly.
"The crystal has truly been with you all the time; in form of our lovely little canary here."
Zidane froze.

D-dagger is the crystal!? He could not grasp it. But he did understand one thing. With all of his willpower, he stood up, shaking under Kuja's magic.
"Let go of her," he growled, raising his Rune Tooth, but Kuja only flicked his fingers.
"Silence, pesky clod." And Zidane was thrust to the ground, tasting blood.
Dagger shifted, her lips opening to let out a desperate cry, but she couldn't.
Warily, she turned her eyes to Kuja, fearful of what his actions would be.

The sorcerer smiled, but it was evil, devoid of happiness.
"I am very satisfied with you, little canary," he stroke one lean finger along her cheek.
"When I learned of this distasteful fate," he spat the word, "that I have to die, I made up my mind: Life shouldn't exist without me. A world in which I cannot exist isn't a world worth existing. It wouldn't be fair. If I die, everyone dies."
Zidane froze in horror upon these words.

He's mad! He's not only evil, but he's completely mad!
Kuja let out a spurious sigh. "But you see, my little canary, there's something odd about this planet. No matter the catastrophes I brought upon it, it kept regenerating. And I realized that the source of life must be secured somewhere else."
A smirk spread on his face. "And so I learned of Terra, the planet which resides inside of Gaia. Some old fool had connected the two life-streams, trying to resurrect Terra's old civilization. Did you know they tried to assimilate Gaia five thousand years ago?" Kuja paused, waiting for the fear to spread even further in Dagger's eyes.
"I killed that man," Kuja finally went on with an unmoved voice. "I absorbed some of his ridiculously weak powers, and while they themselves aren't even worth being mentioned, I learned something of his memories: The existence of the crystal. And in that moment, I finally knew what to do: Before my life comes to an end, I had to find and use that crystal to destroy both Gaia and Terra at the same time! If both worlds are burning down, they won't be able to regenerate each other."

A wide grin spread on Kuja's face.
"It took me several hundreds of years to find you, my little canary," he spoke softly, bringing his face so close to Dagger that she felt the urge to vomit.
"And when I finally found you, I had to see that you are a pampered little girl, not even in the slightest capable of releasing all of the destructive energy necessary. So I decided to give you a little... push." He smiled viciously.
"I ordered someone to hire Amarant to kill your father, I subjugated your mother, and I corrupted your spirit. And still, despite my efforts, you didn't become strong enough to release these powers. At first, I was worried. Yes, I, the great maestro of his play, was worried. Could it be that yet another crystal fails to develop the powers I needed?" Kuja sighed, and when he opened his eyes again, they glistened because of madness.

"But then, you set off and unsealed the Eidolons! And with each of these beasts nesting in your soul, you became stronger. Your hatred towards me helped you surpass those limits that were hindering you. And now, while your soul is full of their otherworldly powers, I shall break your spirit and set free the energy that you possess!"
Kuja raised his hand, a swirling pool of energy forming against his palm.
Suddenly, a thundering voice called: "Madeen!"
Green light exploded above Kuja's head, and the sorcerer was thrust away, losing his grip of Dagger. The princess bobbed up, shivering in fear. At the door leading to the platform, Eiko stood with a finger pointed towards Kuja. Her eyes were wide and glowed intensely. She said something to Blank, who stood by her side, and the redhead ran up to Dagger. He grabbed her elbow, pulled her up further, and dragged her to the door. Blank let lose of Dagger's arm and instead picked up Eiko, who started trembling.

"Go, go!" Blank barked.
From the corners of her eyes could the princess see how Zidane and the others ran after them, and they fled down the stairs, following Blank, who carried a heavily panting, unconscious Eiko.
Blank guided them towards one of the many houses in Alexandria. The top of the castle was still glowing green, and Dagger shaded her eyes as she looked up.

What kind of power is this? She thought shivering. There were a thousand questions pondering in her mind, as well the sorrow about her mother's loss, but she tried to focus on the things she could deal with right now.
Slowly, the princess turned to Eiko, who had opened her eyes again. The girl stood up weakly from Blank's arms, and while the thief kept one arm wrapped around her waist, Eiko turned to Dagger, once again that impervious expression in her eyes.
Dagger gulped, and finally, she could ask the question.
"Who are you?"

Author's note

Cliffhanger much? No worries, that's why I uploaded the final chapters right along with this!
But oh my – let me know how many of you guessed that Dagger was the crystal. I bet that was quite a surprise to a lot of you.
Any questions you might have will (hopefully) be answered in the next, final chapters – if not, feel free to ask!
Uncreative title is uncreative (it's one of the two musical themes Kuja has). But it does fit, I think; at least, you know finally now why Kuja wants the crystal and what he is planning to do. And Eiko will give some information regarding that, too.

Ruska