March 30th, 1820, War Room, Alexandria Castle.
23:30
"How are the search and rescue teams faring?" Zidane asked, trying his hardest not to fall asleep in front of the assembly.
"Sir, we've finished scouting the Market District," an officer said. "We've found survivors hiding among the ruins and captured nine more machines."
"Good. What about the residential areas?"
"Secured. The fires have been succesfully contained," another soldier replied. "There's much rebuilding to do, though... many have lost everything they had."
"Can you give me an estimate?"
"Almost a thousand souls, sir..."
"Dammit..." the genome groaned, tiredly rubbing his temples.
"Your Majesty..." an unexpected voice chimed in. "I know several families who are willing to give these people sanctuary."
"Much appreciated, Sir Osbern," Zidane answered, nodding his head. The knight seemed pleased by the gesture and answered with a Burmecian salute, inadvertently upsetting some of the more orthodox members of the council.
"Ahem... we've already started repurposing parts of the Industrial District to house IDPs," Steiner added, marking two areas on the city map. He was about to pinpoint a third one when an irresistible fit of yawning prevented him from continuing. Three soft knocks on the door yanked the group's attention away from him, allowing him to save face.
"Come on in!" Zidane ordered.
A bald Pluto knight cracked the door open, approached the king and whispered something in his ear.
"Understood. Thanks, Breireicht," he said, standing up and waving Steiner closer. "Adelbert, come with me. The rest, please carry on. I'll be back in a second."
"Are you sure you don't need me out there?" Steiner asked as he followed Zidane down a corridor. "I may be old, but I'm still fit for work!"
"Dude, you almost fell asleep in the war room," the genome retorted. "Besides, Bea has just woken up and she's... a bit lost."
"Lost..? W-What do you mean?"
The genome stopped in front of a wooden door.
"Remember what I've told you about the consequences of soul torching?" he asked with a grave expression.
"... How bad is it?"
"Lady Beatrix, please calm down! I'm not gonna hurt you!" a female voice yelled from inside the room.
"Get your filthy hands off me, scum! Can anyone hear me?! Heeelp!" a second voice screamed and Steiner's heart skipped a beat.
"... She doesn't even know where she is," Zidane stated, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, pal..."
The Pluto knight stared at his king with a mixture of pain and disbelief. Taking a deep breath, he pulled himself together and cracked the door open.
"H-Hello, Bea..."
The most feared warrior in Alexandrian history shot a terrified look at him from the far side of the room. One of her loyal knights was trying to soothe her, but she was so tense that Steiner thought she would pounce on him if he so much as blinked.
"Oh, thank goodness you're here, sir," the soldier sighed, visibly relieved.
"Thanks, Lydia, I'll take over from here," Steiner answered, clearing the entrance.
"Yes, sir," she muttered before scuttling out of the bedchamber. Zidane worriedly arched his eyebrows at the Pluto knight, but he waved his concerns away and closed the door behind him.
"What do you want from me?!" Beatrix barked, her ruffled, snowy locks obscuring much of her face. "Why are you keeping me here?!"
Steiner took a wooden chair, carefully left it near his wife and sat on the unmade bed, facing her.
"... Do you remember me?" he asked, his heart in his throat.
She studied him from head to toe, searching for his name in the depths of her mangled memory. Something seemed to stir within her, because her scowl suddenly softened.
"Y-You're Adelbert..!" she stammered, brushing her hair away from her eye. "We... we're married, aren't we?"
"Yes... oh, thanks gods, yes!" the Pluto knight mumbled, relieved to the point of tears.
01:15
"When will she wake up, mom?"
"Your aunt is a tough woman, Tot. I'm sure she'll be up in no time."
"She looks so peaceful... what do you think she's dreaming about?"
"... Home, maybe?"
"Oh... I wish she would stay with us forever."
"She's certainly fun to be around, isn't she?"
"Yeah... wait..! Did you see that?"
"What's wrong?"
"S-She moved..!"
"What?"
"I'm totally sure she just moved!"
"She's waking up! Tot, go get Eiko, quick!"
"R-Right away!"
Freya opened her eyes as the little genome rocketed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
"Hnnn... where am I..?" she groaned, trying to sit up.
"Hi there, sleepyhead," Garnet greeted her, sitting on a nearby bed.
"Garnet..? Is that you?" the Burmecian asked, blinking repeatedly as her sight adjusted to the dim lamplight.
"The one and only..." the summoner quipped half-heartedly. "I'm glad you're awake."
Something about the way Freya's ears twitched once her eyes focused elicited a depressed chuckle from the queen.
"Go on, say it..." she sighed, averting her gaze. "Don't be shy."
"W-What happened to you..?"
The queen took a deep breath and returned the dragoon's stare.
"The Wind Rose was sabotaged," she explained, idly tracing the fresh scars on her face with a finger. "That traitor, Horst... he planted a bomb on the ship and blew us out of the sky."
Freya's jaw slackened.
"How did you survive that?"
The monarch's expression lightened a bit as she drew Frigg's pendant out of her nightgown.
"Your mom sends her regards."
"I see..." the dragon knight said with the faintest of smiles. "What about Steiner and the others? Are they okay?"
Garnet lowered her eyes.
"Steiner's fine, but we got separated from our crew and their fates remain... uncertain," she said, almost in a whisper. "The Quicksilver was destroyed in the same manner, and our rescue teams haven't found any survivors yet..."
"Why..? Why would Bishop go that far..?" the Burmecian wondered, amazed by the depth of her viciousness.
"Freya, there's something I need to tell you..." the queen said, shooting a glance at the door. "That demi-god you mentioned, Gizamaluke... he spoke to me in my dreams."
"Lord Gizamaluke..?" the dragoon gasped, taken off guard. "What did he say?"
"He has a plan to help you win the throne of Burmecia," the sovereign replied. "Your mother seems to trust him, but I certainly don't. He's Berlioz's son after all."
"Well... actually, they openly despise each other," Freya stated, pensively stroking her chin. "Berlioz had long since abandoned him when Kuja's minions invaded his sanctuary. Looks like dying has only made him stronger."
Garnet blinked dumbly at her.
"... Are you kidding me? Why is he still training Spear candidates, then?"
"Because to earn the title, one needs to face Berlioz in single combat and survive," the Burmecian explained. "He probably sees me as a chance both to humiliate his father and to further his own political agenda."
The summoner let out a wry chuckle.
"... Even the gods can be petty jerks, eh?"
"Hear, hear."
"So... what will you do?"
"I think some research is in order..." the dragoon answered. "I can't team up with someone whose true motivations remain a mystery."
"Agreed. With the continent at war yet again, gambling is a luxury we can't afford," Garnet stated.
"The continent..?" Freya repeated, arching an eyebrow. "Wait, what did I miss?"
"Lindblum has officially entered the conflict," the summoner explained. "If it weren't for Cid and his fleet arriving in the nick of time, Treno's ships would have decimated our defenses and finished what their troops started."
"Oh... well, I'm glad the regent hasn't lost his sense of timing..."
"It's one of the few things we can be glad about," Garnet bitterly remarked. "Zid went berserk while defending the castle and caused a lot of collateral damage. It's a miracle he didn't kill anyone."
Freya stared blankly at her.
"Wait, those explosions were his doing?!" she squawked, beginning to see the bigger picture.
The queen glanced nervously at the door and then leaned closer to her.
"Look, he's been struggling to control his Trance form, just like you have," she said, lowering her voice to a whisper. "... However, Mikoto told me that yesterday you managed to turn without going feral. I need to know how you did it."
"Well, I..." the dragon knight muttered, recalling the experience. The sound of hurried steps coming from outside distracted her.
"That's them!" Garnet hissed. "Work with me here, Freya!"
"Wait, what do you..?!"
As if answering her unfinished question, Zidane threw the door open, his face contorted with anguish.
"Are you nuts?! You're gonna scare 'em to death!" a high pitched voice shrieked from the hallway, but he had already crossed the room in three strides and pulled his friend into a desperate embrace.
"Hi..." Freya murmured, awkwardly glancing at Garnet as the genome struggled not to dissolve into sobs. The queen arched her eyebrows, a little startled, but decided to smile and take the situation in stride.
"Hi..." Zidane answered, clenching his teeth to prevent them from chattering.
Eiko barged in, bent on scolding the monkey king for his trouble. She was about to launch on a tirade when the young prince of Alexandria dashed past her with a huge grin, yelling "Auntie Freya! You're awake!" at the top of his lungs.
"Hello there, little one!" the dragon knight said, welcoming the timely distraction. "It's nice to see a cheerful face around here!"
"I'm doing my best to keep everyone's spirits up!" the boy replied, catching her off guard. "Mom and dad always say it's important to support the people you love in times of trouble!"
"Oh... your parents have taught you well," Freya commented, affectionately ruffling his hair.
"Miko told me you fought two dozen golems on your own! That's so badass!"
"Tot, vocabulary," Garnet said exasperatedly, rubbing her forehead.
"Sorry, mom..." the boy apologized, but everyone could tell he didn't mean it. "Hey, auntie! Can you teach me how to be an awesome dragon knight like you when you're feeling better? Pleeease!" he begged, making his best puppy face.
Freya flinched; Tot didn't know it, but every master dragoon was expected to pass down the Art to an apprentice. She had instructed soldiers before as part of her duties, but tutoring a pupil was a different, far more personal affair. She studied the little genome from head to toe, wondering if he had what it took to be a warrior; he was too scrawny and naïve for his own good, but he possessed his father's absurd agility and only the gods knew what kind of power he had inherited from his mother. Most importantly, he had a strong, compassionate heart and she loved him like a son because of it.
"Tot, I think it's too soon to ask her for that kind of stuff. She needs to rest now," Zidane said, coming to her aid. Tot pouted, but accepted his father's remark.
Apprenticing the prince of a former enemy nation was a dangerous move, Freya thought. Not only was it unprecedented (what would Sir Wulfweard say!), but teaching the secrets of her people to an Alexandrian royal would have unforeseeable political consequences. On the other hand, his willingness to embrace her culture filled her with hope, so she opted for a middle ground solution until she figured out what was best for everyone involved.
"Keep being such a sweet little guy and I'll teach you a thing or two," she whispered in his ear, eliciting a delighted grin from him.
"A-Are you serious?!" the kid stuttered, melting her heart with his big round eyes. Everybody gaped at the dragon knight as she nodded, smiling warmly.
"Zid, how's everything going out there?" Garnet asked, swiftly changing the subject.
"It's a bit of a chaos, but things are slowly calming down," the king said tiredly, stretching out his back.
"What about you? Are you okay?" she pressed on, asking Freya for assistance with a quick glance. "You sound exhausted, my love."
"Don't sweat it, babe, I was raised in Lindblum, remember? I can party for days!" he retorted with a wink that only drew further attention to the dark circles under his eyes.
"Then why are you so twitchy?" the dragon knight bluntly pointed out.
"What? I'm not..!" Zidane squawked, only to realize that his hands were trembling. "Aw, shit... not again..."
Garnet and Eiko exchanged alarmed stares and nodded in agreement.
"Hey Tot! Wanna meet a friend o' mine?" the blue-haired princess offered with a mischievous glint in her eye. "He's big, fluffy and loves chasing his tail."
"I didn't know you had a dog!" Tot exclaimed, following her out of the room.
"Yeah... dog..."
"... Guess I'm in for an earful, eh?" Zidane commented once his son was well out of earshot.
"Honey, look at you!" the queen exclaimed. "You can barely stand! You need to rest!"
"C'mon, Dag, you know I can't do that," he groaned, folding his arms in an attempt to control the tremors. "Besides, I'm okay! Just a little tired, that's all."
"Zidane, this is serious!" Freya intervened, surprising the royal couple. "Think of your family! You can't risk another episode!"
The king stared at her in silent shock for a moment.
"... She knows everything, doesn't she?" he said, shooting an offended glare at his wife. "I can't believe you've spilled the beans about this!"
"What if she did?" the dragoon exclaimed, yanking his attention back to herself. "Aren't we supposed to be friends? Dragon pals and all that?"
"You wouldn't understand..."
"Why wouldn't I? We are in the same boat, remember?" she remarked, driving him into a corner.
"No, we're not!" Zidane barked, making the room tremble. "I was supposed to prevent this from happening! Hundreds have died today because I couldn't protect them! How can you girls possibly expect me to sleep while the city burns?!"
"You've just proved my point..." the Burmecian answered with a faint, regretful smile. "I know exactly how you're feeling, but heaping all the blame onto yourself will only complicate things further."
"Freya, I've fucking sent you and my sister on a suicide mission! Garnet, Eiko and Steiner almost became plant food because I couldn't be bothered to check the Wind Rose myself! I blew up half of the castle with my son inside, goddammit!" the king screamed as energy arced around him, heralding the awakening of the Beast.
"Oh gods, he's gonna turn any second..!" the Burmecian thought, glancing at the window; maybe she could grab Garnet and jump out before it was too late.
"Zid, stop! You're twisting the facts!" Garnet yelled. "It wasn't your-!"
CRACK!
Freya's eyes widened; a stray lightning bolt had struck the summoner, knocking her flat on her back.
"Garnet..!" she gasped and then turned to shoot a blazing glare at the horrified genome. "What have you done, you imbecile?!" she spat, but the sound of hard breathing cut her off.
"You stubborn, imprudent dolt..!" the queen uttered through gritted teeth, slowly sitting up. She was panting heavily and a shimmering haze had started to form around her.
"H-Honey, I..." the king stammered as her wounds began to glow like stars.
"SHUT UP!"
A flash of glorious light flooded the room, temporarily blinding Zidane and Freya.
"Rrrgh..!" the genome uttered, tripping and falling backwards as he tried to shield his eyes from the radiance.
"Garnet, please... stop!" the Burmecian yelled, disoriented and in pain due to the sensory overload.
Realizing that she was hurting her loved ones allowed the summoner to resist the pull of madness. She closed her eyes, steadied her breath and focused on reining in her power. Little by little, her aura dimmed to a bearable intensity, revealing a creature more akin to a goddess than a mortal.
"Dag... are you okay?" Zidane asked, riddled with guilt.
A pair of glowing pupils fixed him.
"... Yes," she replied. Her voice sounded like a choir speaking at once.
"Don't you hear any strange voices?" the dragoon asked, amazed by the degree of control that she had over her Trance form; she wondered if her mystical blood had anything to do with it.
"The only thing I hear is my knuckleheaded husband, putting us all in danger because he can't stop being a martyr without a cause!" Garnet replied, walking past her.
"Ouch..." the genome muttered, averting his face in shame. "Sorry... I've really done it this time."
The goddess stood face to face with him for a moment and finally let out an exasperated sigh.
"... You weren't in your right mind, Zid," she said. "That's why you need to take a break."
"Thanks... but I don't think it will be enough," he answered as his crimson eyes returned to their usual teal blue. "There's something very wrong with me, Dag..."
"Then we'll deal with it, together!" she exclaimed, taking his hands in hers and giving them a light squeeze.
"But... what if we can't? What if you get hurt? What if-?"
Before he could finish his sentence, she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into a fiery kiss. Twenty years ago, Freya would have snorted with laughter at the sight of Zidane, of all people, getting shut down like that, but this time smiling came to her as naturally as breathing.
"Yeah... maybe you're right..." the genome thought, abandoning himself to Garnet's embrace.