— Perimeter cleared! – Cinna said, wearing a Knight of Pluto armor. – You can pass!

— I'm glad Weimar and Heidegger let us borrow their suits. – Marcus said, feeling uncomfortable but fine. He was getting used to the borrowed armor.

— Yeah, with your fists. – Blank went out of Garnet's bedroom, walking between the two knights wearing a pink dress.

— Don't say anything from now on, Blank. – Cinna felt the power of authority while wearing the armor. And by carrying on his beloved hammer too. – I'm not a critic, but that female impression of yours... It's awful. More than Steiner's theater acting.

— I agree. – Beatrix said. She agreed to wear a dress too.

— I concord. – Steiner, however... he is the last one to leave the room, ashamed.

— If you say anything, you'll ruin the plan. – Freya's rodent ears were the most sensitive ones.

— Alright! – Blank said, before he imposed a vow of silence to himself.

— Do I really have to wear a wig? – The Burmecian said, scratching her head.

— If you want to hide your pretty helmet, sure. – Blank replied.

— Ahem – Freya stared at Blank with a serious frown.

— Oh... sorry. – Said Blank, before he imposed a very strict vow of silence to himself. Honest.

— Bless me with patience, Mother Reis, thou art in heavenly skies. – Freya stopped for a brief moment to facepalm and reflect about life choices, then she moved on.

— Who is Reis? – Beatrix asked.

— Reis? She's one of Burmecia's greatest warriors, perhaps the first female soldier to ever reach the status of Dragoon. – Freya explained.

— Oh, I see. I didn't know that. – Beatrix hated to look ignorant in front of others. – So, this Reis, is she like a Saint to you?

— Like a Mother. She had the power to calm down the storm like a child before sleeping. Freya commented. Nostalgia hits the Dragoon's heart all of sudden. – But Reis was also a brave and cunning warrior. At the age of seven, she holded her first javelin and killed her first Ironite. I remember when I had to kill my own Ironite, it's not as easy as you may think.

— You heard tales of war as a child too? – Beatrix asked, feeling a kind of discovery she has not felt in years. The General had fond memories of hearing stories of Alexandria's feast and victories before falling asleep.

— My father was a warrior. He always had those to tell once he came back home. – Freya looked at the paintings belonging to the Kings and Queens of Alexandria, comparing these to the ones hanging at Burmecia, all burned and teared apart, like history itself.

— So he must have told you about the many times Burmecia attacked Alexandria...

— Yes, he told me about Alexandria. About how Burmecia put your people down, in a romanticized way. – Freya said, coming across a portrait of Queen Brahne in the middle of the main hallway. The artist made her more disgusting, she thought. – Now that I know the truth... Was there ever a winner? With so many losses... like my father.

— Many fathers have perished in these battles. For no reason whatsoever. – Beatrix said, feeling a bit of contempt. So did the Dragoon Knight.

— Father... He was never the same. I didn't even know what he looked like before I was born, if he had those eyes looking nowhere. My mother said he borrowed those eyes from what he saw back in 1771.

— You mean the conflict in which Lindblum intervened with its airship armada? – Beatrix looked at the portrait of the Queen. It emanated of great power, almost as if Brahne herself stood in front of her.

— Yeah, that one. – Freya looked down, crestfallen. As if her thoughts had a weight she could bear at times, but when it comes to remembering her father's legacy, his death in vain... – I wonder if Burmecia would be better if we had our own airships. If more people would still be alive if we had the power. Burmecia relies too much on tradition for this kind of stuff to not happen. While your people were writing books, our people began to walk on their feet instead of crawling.

— I'll admit... The nations of Gaia were never at Peace. They were just pointing their weapons at each other and guessing who was strong enough. – Beatrix thought she would never question anything out of her power and knowledge. – Cid VIII came with his flying armada with the prerogative of bringing Peace, while he meant to say "With these weapons, I'm sure I'll take you both down!".

— More than people were hurt in these battles... – Freya said, as she felt the bite left by a Bandersnatch in her right arm. She has been ignoring it for so long, hiding it from everyone, but not longer.

— I'm sorry if I hurted your feelings. – the bite was nothing compared to Beatrix's doing.

— ...I feel awful, Beatrix. A piece of me wants to apologize for everything you did, but the other can't just forget... I don't see you as an enemy, yet you were an enemy of mine a while ago. Not only you and Alexandria invaded my country, but every aspect of our lives. I really want to forgive you and move on, but... it takes time. The wounds are too fresh to be sealed right away.

— I know how you feel. – For the first time in years, Beatrix's thoughts of subordination and subversion came to light. – I never saw Queen Brahne as a foe until now. She lost her father to one of these conflicts I mentioned. So did Steiner...

— Steiner?

— Yes. When he was five, his house was put on fire by the Burmecian army. – Beatrix began to tell a story from the past. – A knight of Pluto came to save him. He went through the flames and scorching debris to save that kid. Unfortunately, he could not save himself. That brave knight inspired little Adelbert to become the proud and stiff knight we all know and love.

— Little Adelbert... I thought I would never hear that out of you – Steiner said, all flushed. – Stop looking at me! I don't want to get any more attention.

— Wait, is that for real? It was a joke, right? – Cinna said, as he giggled out of control. – Whatever... I'll see if any guard is coming.

— Me too. – Marcus rushed to the left, as Cinna walked downstairs.

— This place is too quiet… – Steiner looked around, a bit frightened.

— Maybe the guards are outside. – Beatrix put her hand below the chin, as she put her mind to work. – That, or Marcus and Cinna took care of them all, which I disagree with. My units to be bested by those two...

— Hey, what are you d-OUCH! – A guard's voice was heard from below, interrupted by the hit of a hammer.

— It won't hurt. At least not now... – Then it was Cinna's voice who was heard, as he pulled the out of commission guard to a wall. – Hope we haven't caught any attention.

— We really do not have a strategy, do we? – Freya asked, sarcastically. – My money came to waste...

— I'm not willing to fight my men, Crescent. – Beatrix said. Those knights are not our true enemy, the General thought.

— I haven't fought him at all, miss. Just knocked him out with a hammer. – Cinna said, all amused.

— My, that's a clever idea. Perhaps you should do that to everyone you meet! – Blank got fed up with being in silence. – I'm sorry, ladies. I could not resist.

— Okay. So, what do we do next? Are we going to leave by the front door? – Freya asked. She was not suggesting it at all.

— Sure, why not? – Though, Cinna heard it as a suggestion.

— Wait! That's not!... – The Dragoon cried, but Cinna ignored her.

— CINNA! – Marcus yelled, as he ran out of breath and patience. – Come back here!

— He ruined the plan! And I had to wear a dress for it! – Steiner said. He's so mad that he jumped and jumped and jumped...

— Well, guess we have nothing else to do but follow. – Blank shrugged, and so everyone rushed to the front door to the outside. Three Knights of Pluto roamed around the courtyard, in patterns.

— What the hell? – One of them was Blutzen. – Whew! At least it was not me who got the armor stolen this time.

— Aren't these the traitors? – The second was Kohel, who noticed Blank under the dress. – Wait... you're the one who stole my armor back on Garnet's birthday!

— Steiner?... Even you, Steiner!? – The third was Haagen, who could not believe it was the Captain of Knights of Pluto in front of him. Wearing a ribbon and makeup included.

— Damn, I can't believe it! They saw right through my cross-dressing disguise! – Steiner was left open-mouthed, though it was not him who said those words. It was Blank, in a playful tone.

— Shut up! – The night tried his best to keep cool, even when he lost control.

— You look cute, Beatrix! – The three Knights of Pluto said, without leaving their posts. For a moment, Beatrix didn't know what to say. She felt as nervous as Steiner.

— So, guess you are not going to arrest us... – Freya said, to which everyone stared at her awkwardly. – What? Won't they?... Even in my disappointment, I feel disappointed.

— We heard the Queen has gone nuts. – Blutzen said, walking from left to right. He tried to not look at Steiner anymore by forcing his head to look forward – Did she really want to cut Garnet's head?

— Yes, that's the truth... – Until now, Beatrix could not accept said truth.

— The truth? Like, the real one? – Haagen said, in doubt of what to do. – If that's the truth, then why would we arrest you?

— Well, they are criminals! – Kohel said, with eyes to Blank. – No resentments, Blank.

— That's okay. – Blank said, as he tried to behave like a woman and failed every time.

— Yeah, I feel weird. – Something happened to Haagen after he looked at Steiner... – Should we arrest you? But, the Queen has committed a crime. Should we not arrest her too?

— The Queen ain't here. They said she left for Lindblum. – Blutzen felt tired of walking on the same path all day. – And General Beatrix? Didn't she commit any crimes too?

— Like invading Burmecia? Yes, she did! – Kohel clarified.

— And killed a lot of people, let's not forget that. – Haagen could not believe his commander was guilty. – I heard Cleyra got blown up by an Eidolon, so it was not Beatrix's doing, but the Queen's.

— But Beatrix has been following the Queen's orders. – Kohel was sure of Beatrix's guilt, but that guilt didn't belong to her alone. – It was the Queen who told her to murder all those people. Therefore, Bea is innocent.

— I want to believe that too! – Blutzen's feet get numb. He took a breath before coming back to his position. – I really wanted to. Besides, the Black Mages were sent together with Beatrix's army.

— You are right, Blut. – Said Haagen, whose eyes looked at Beatrix, judging her actions. – But Beatrix killed people, we can't deny that.

— But who killed more, Bea or the Black Mages, huh? – Blutzen's head was filled with doubts. – The Mages were out of anyone's control, our laws are meaningless to those combat dolls.

— I saw one of these dolls you mentioned. I think his name was Vivi. – Haagen's heart got filled with joy, while his body was covered in fatigue. – He was cute.

— Not every Black Mage is like Vivi. – Kohel still looked at Beatrix, wondering whether she was totally guilty or not.

— Who the hell is Vivi? – Blutzen could not bear walking anymore. – Anyway... who should be arrested?

— Yes, who? – Said Haagen, staring deeply at Steiner. – I'd say Steiner. He offended my eyes with that poor excuse of design.

— No time for jokes! – Blutzen interrupted with a hand gesture. – Also, that's not an excuse. No one complains about Queen Brahne being a fat, butt-ugly, full of warts, blue frog... oh, I think I should be arrested for that.

— Yes, you do! – Kohel nodded. – Other than Blutzen, who else should go to jail?

— That rat over there... – Blutzen pointed at Freya. – She looks suspicious.

— She seems shocked. Poor thing. – Haagen said, feeling moved. – I too would be devastated if my home got invaded and the people I know and love are all dead.

— Wait, is that a woman? – Said Kohel, surprised by the revelation. – I thought it was a man in disguise.

— That's Steiner. – Haagen confirmed.

— Oh, right... – Kohel tried to take away the Captain's image now ingrained in his brain. – I'm still not sure who's criminal and who's not. The Queen, Beatrix, Blutzen...

— Guys, follow me. – Everyone is confused, so is Haagen. No matter, he comes up with an explanation to sort things out. – If the Queen is responsible for Burmecia and Cleyra's destruction, for attempting to murder her daughter, then that makes her the one to blame. However, we are following her orders, agreeing with everything she says and everything she told us in a way... does that mean we need to arrest everyone including us?

— Everyone? Us? You're crazy! – Kohel said, as he knocked Haagen's head. – Our prisons can't take it all!

— Well, we could just arrest Beatrix and tell she's the only one who's guilty.

— What's wrong with you, Haagen? That would be unfair! – Kohel trusted Beatrix, aware of her rights and wrongs.

— Yeah, I don't know what's wrong with me. I looked at Steiner, and... I don't know.

— Steiner!? He looks, uh... different. – Blutzken noticed. So did the three Knights of Pluto, who were shocked by seeing Adelbert Steiner fit one of the Princess's dresses.

— Why me!? – Steiner asked, standing near Blank, who was out of complaints for some reason. If they heard his attempt at a female's voice... no, no one deserves that kind of torture, thought the knight.

— Because it's so... so unusual. – Haagen rolled his eyes.

— We are not doing fine at the moment. The Queen stuff and all... – Kohel argued. – Like, what are we supposed to do? Who do you trust? I never felt this paranoid in my life...

— I trust my hammer! – Cinna said, as he approached every single knight and CLANG! He knocked them out with a blink. Three blinks, one for each.

— You didn't have to do this. – Beatrix watched her men fall down.

— They were confused. I didn't trust them.

— Good grief. – Freya was slightly impressed by Cinna's abilities. She looked upon. – Yes, you got rid of one obstacle, but what about the guards at the towers? How are we going to deal with them?

— I know! I'll throw my-

— NO! – Before Cinna could complete his sentence, his friend Blank interrupted, with a smile on face. – Who do you think you are, the Mighty Thor!?

— Your hammer isn't a boomerang. – Marcus said, as he smiled too. He thought this was the dumbest idea he ever heard.

— Don't you dare ruin Royal property in front of me. – Beatrix had no reason to share any smiles.

— That would call more attention than discretion. – Freya tried to make sense of things.

— Alright. Just when we are a few inches of freedom, that guard... – Cinna said, until his sight was caught by something unlikely to happen. It was not Steiner's disguise, though. – What...what is he doing? falling asleep on duty, tsk tsk... Pluto Knight of the year, everyone.

— (Let's take advantage of it.) – Freya whispered, as she walked forward at the tip of her toes. The others ran fast to the Castle's entrance, against the Burmecian's discretion. – HMPH! Who needs to be discreet, anyway?

— No! There's no need to knock me out with your hammer, sire. – The castle guard said, pleading to Cinna not to do his move. The guard is the one who operates the gondola, to which people crossed the water moat dividing the palace from the city of Alexandria.

— Alright, everyone. Get on the boat. – Beatrix demanded to the party.

— Does this thing support everyone's weight altogether? – Freya is the first to get in.

— I hope it does. – Cinna is the second.

— Of course, my lady! – Blank is the third.

— Legend says this boat has borne the weight of Brahne alone. – Marcus is the fourth.

— Don't you ever get tired of insulting Queen Brahne? She is not fat like you say. – Steiner is the fifth. Carefully, he avoided wetting Garnet's dress.

— To call the Queen fat is the least of insults. – And Beatrix is the last.

— Is it true Queen Brahne wanted to behead his own daughter? My god! – The guard said, still shocked by the rumours heard. He moves the gondola to the other side of the channel, although with a price. – Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you left the Castle. But you see, I don't do this for free.

— Right. – Beatrix took a bag of gil from her pocket and gave a few coins to the guard. – Have a nice day.

— Thank you! – The guard received his payment and waved to the General.

— Guys and ladies, come here! – Marcus called everyone as they formed a circle. – Here's our plan: Cinna and I act as Pluto Knights, while you, Freya and Steiner are nobles from Treno getting scouted to outside of Alexandria. It's our duty to keep you safe in these dark times until you reach the city's limits. Got it?

— We do. Thanks for clarifying. – Freya noded.

— It seems everyone's fine. – Beatrix said. She turned to Freya and threw a bag of gil at her. – Here's your money.

— Let's see... I wonder how many you have bribed. – Freya counted every single golden coin, and didn't notice much of a difference. Maybe two, five or ten were paid to keep their mouths shut. – No matter, we still need gil to pay for a carriage. That, or going to Lindblum by foot.

— We would go to Lindblum by foot anyway… – Cinna said, as he looked at the long cobblestone street before him. Perhaps an illusion, but the path seemed larger than it was supposed to be.

— I can't wait until I get rid of this dress. – Blank was the one who came up with the idea, and now he complains.

— You won't discard it like junk! – Steiner shouted. He treated the princess's dress with all the care in the world.

— Should not we go to the item store to buy a few potions and ethers and all the essential stuff? – Marcus asked, while checking his own equipment.

— No way! – Steiner only wanted to cross the barrier and not be recognized by anyone else.

— I have a little medicine in here that might come in handy. – Cinna took one high potion out of his pocket and drank it like juice.

— I haven't trained the Dragoon techniques in years, but I have enough energy to cast Reis's Wind when needed. – Freya said, as she moved towards the sunset, a soft greenish breeze blowing her hair and coat. The mystic wind wrapped around the Dragoon, as well as everyone in the party. The sensation felt was of being washed by cold water out a spring. – Feeling a lot better? I'm sure you do.

— This is Reis's Wind... – Beatrix felt better with herself. Her heart was filled with sorrow and lament, though the bad sensation went away. – For years I have been studying magic manipulation in order to cast elemental spells, but this... this is different from what I learned in the books.

— Reis was a healer, a warrior, a teacher, a loving mother... a deity in the afterlife. – Freya explained, with a serious tone. – Perhaps you don't know much about Reis because a large portion of Burmecia's history relies on orality. Our ancestors have not left much written material, the old temples were demolished to build new ones... I'd say our history is as obscure as the land we live in.

— I understood. – Beatrix said, as the party walked through Alexandria's main avenue. – It's different from what I heard of your people as a kid. Something about you being primitive, pagan, or even cannibals. I believe anthropophagic is the correct term, isn't it?

— ... – Freya stood quiet, while keeping the seriousness from before.

— I mean, cannibalism is a huge misconception. Anthropophagic cultures rely on absorbing one's powers through their flesh, it ain't only about enjoying the flesh of a dead person. Am I right?

— ...Yes. My ancestors believed they could absorb the power of a great warrior by eating his flesh. They also believed the eternal rain was the tears of God. How fitting... – Freya could not ignore how she felt by witnessing Burmecia's ruined state and compare it back to such a 'glorious' past, the one she used to feel proud of. – My people did a lot of wrong stuff as well. Their atrocities are to be compared to Alexandria's. While you had your iron maidens, Burmecia made their kids reside in one as the dream of a lifetime.

— What do you mean?

— You can see right through me. – Indeed, Beatrix saw a lot in Freya with a quick eye. The Dragoon spoke both as a person with opinions and a Knight on duty. Such a walking paradox... – To become a Dragoon Knight requires more than willpower. They stripped the childhood away from me and the rest. Burmecia's children's crusade, as Sir Fratley used to refer as. He was heavily against it.

— It seems that Sir Fratley is... Sorry, he used to be a smart guy. – Beatrix said, as she stopped near a female soldier's statue at the center of the town's square. – A shame I have not met him in combat.

— Whose statue is this? – Asked Freya, looking at the very statue Beatrix fitted her eyes at – Some ancestor of yours?

— General Madelene... – Beatrix murmured, before she could recover speech – She and nine soldiers fought against the entire Lindblum army, at the age of 13, can you believe it? To think she died at such a young age, well before time. I come here on my own at times to take a look at Madelene and... despite my strength and efforts, I feel like I'll never be half the warrior she was.

— I know you're no saint. – Freya sighed, as she walked away from Beatrix. – Moving on.

….

A while later…

The party moved away from South Alexandria's Castle. The palace's colossal crystal could be seen miles away from distance. Its beautiful and majestic look takes the breath away of many. Yet, from another distance, Freya can see the smoke rising out of Cleyra's remains. She wonders whether or not Cleyra indeed burned after Odin's merciless strike, or if it was just her imagination picturing the worst.

Why can't I just picture hope? Why not believe someone could have survived that? It feels tempting to do so, the Dragoon thought. Maybe Sir Fratley could...

Yeah, maybe. Maybe the old Fratley could have lived instead of that weakling, that idiot, that... wait, that's not me. My, what have I become? The Burmecian stares at her claws, frightened by its shapes. They seemed to close into fists all time, read to punch and break the bones of those at the side. Even that felt useless. That won't change a thing, won't bring my people back from the dead... Freya does not bother to hide the sorrow in her eyes as she contrasts the present with the past and wonders how so much has changed so quickly.

— My, the entrance is filled with guards! – Said Cinna, shocked by the amount of soldiers gathered at one place. – Guess I can't rely on my hammer right now...

— (Alright.) – Marcus kept the chill of before as he whispered to everyone. – (Follow the plan! Do not get anyone's attention. If they ask for your names, say different names.)

— (And what if they do an inspection on us, 'ladies'?) – Blank asked, his heart jumping out his throat.

— (I'll kick their butts if they do.) – Freya said, frankly. – (No one spies on me.)

— (There is no need for kicking butts, lady.) – Marcus liked the idea, though that would ruin the plan. – (Act naturally. Better, think about it as a theater scene, in which you can't go wrong with, or else the play is over.)

— (Hope you don't ruin things, Steiner! I still think you're a bad actor. – Cinna said, as soon as he and Marcus scouted the 'ladies'.

— Okay, you can pass! – Said a female Alexandrian soldier, after checking a person and letting him pass through the heavily guarded barricade. – Please, stop right there. Sorry for any inconvenience, there's a war going on and we can't let anyone escape without verifying first. Don't worry about anything, unless you're a criminal, which I hope you are not. To be fair, I too would like to leave this chaos. Where are you going?

— We're scouting those, uh... Pretty and cute ladies to Treno. – Cinna said, saluting the guard. – There's a carriage outside town, but with this war going on, we fear for the safety of these poor women.

— The world is full of crazy people. – Marcus said. He thought the plan was crazy from the beginning.

— I see... Treno, isn't it? – Somehow, the guard got fooled. It's only the beginning. – I was born there too. Not a noble, but my father lived in the slums. At Treno, you have a river dividing the city between rich and poor, together with a sky that's always dark. It really sucks when you sleep, because when you wake up, you don't know if it's day or night, everything gets mixed up and it's a mess. Anyway...

— (He'd better not frisken me. If he does, I'll twist his finger.) – Freya whispered to Beatrix, feeling nervous.

— (For someone who holds a javelin, you hid it well.) – To which Beatrix whispered back. – (Can I ask you where you hid the javelin?)

— (Hah ha, very funny.) – Freya replied. Beatrix does have a sense of humor after all, thought the Burmecian.

— Let's see... – The female soldier approached the ladies very closely, fitting his eyes to each of their obscured faces. Beatrix feared being recognized by her eyepatch, Freya by her tail with an orange ribbon, and Steiner... by being Steiner. – Name?

— Astrid. – Blank answered. He did his best red-haired woman impression. A second soldier sitting on a chair wrote the names on a list.

— Frida. – The world of Gaia is filled by hippos, penguins, owls, deers, so a humanoid rodent like Freya would pass unnoticed.

— Bianca. – Beatrix's eyes were both shut, like a delicate and meditative young lady.

— (Why do you wear an eyepatch?) – Freya looked at Beatrix's right eye. There was no scar, no wound, nothing behind it. Maybe there was and it got healed with time, but the wound is far deeper. – (I thought you were injured.)

— (I was, but it was long ago. If I, indeed, lose an eye, I can still fight.) – Beatrix tossed her hair aside. – (That must be why you wear a red coat. Your allies won't stop fighting as you bleed on your own.)

Freya commended the General's cleverness in silence.

— And your name? – The female soldier asked Steiner, who was looking down at his feet.

— Her name is Alberta. – As much as Cinna felt embarrassed with the current situation, he appreciated Adelbert's skills at being patient when convenient.

— Alberta? – the soldier scratched her neck, as she looked at Steiner's figure. In order to avoid being recognized, the Knight turned his face left to right, right to left, left right, right left left right... – You sure are an odd lady. Do I know you by any chance?

— ! – Steiner gulped.

— And who are you to talk to a lady like this? – Marcus said, defending Steiner's dignity.

— Oh, is that a lady? I didn't noticed. – The soldier looked tired, throwing away conversations between tiny yawns.

— I saw a lot of people come and go, but you guys... I mean, ladies, you're different. – The clerk said, as she wrote down the names, hour and leaving date on a paper. – Well, I see nothing wrong.

— (Heavily guarded, is that it?) – Freya whispered to Blank.

— (Freya, do you really want to not take advantage of this?) – Blank didn't want to pull his sword out and engage in any fighting. Unlike his Burmecian friend.

— (It feels too easy. just saying. Oh well, I hate bureaucracy.)

— Alright, you can pass. – The soldier said, after the clerk did an 'OK' sign with her hand. – Have a good trip.

— (Thank God!) – Steiner exhaled a breath he hadn't in years.

— (Is there really these two to do the check stuff on civilians?) – Freya still felt everything was going too easy.

— (The rest must be fighting in war.) – Beatrix felt she was betraying her own unit, and everything she used to stand for. – (Though, Brahne has been relying too much on Black Mages, and now Eidolon's strength. My troops and I could have easily taken Cleyra. I swear things would be different if I was truly on command, Crescent.)

— (I want to believe you're a good person.) – There were times Freya spoke not as herself, but as Burmecia.

— ...You don't fool anyone, General. – While everyone went outside the city, Beatrix was left behind, and by the last moment, recognized as such. – Only you would toss the hair like that.

— So, you know who I am. – The tension elevated by each word. Beatrix felt induced at taking the Save the Queen out for a moment. – Well, won't you stop me?

— I won't. – The female soldier said, with utter respect before the General's presence. – I heard from a friend of a cousin of mine that the Queen attempted to murder her daughter. Her own daughter! Is that true?

— ...An unfortunate truth. Our Majesty is no longer sane, can't tell the right out of wrong. – Beatrix has been wondering who's guilty, and moreso, who's going to judge all of this.

— And those ladies? Are they... Oh! I knew it! That odd lady was Steiner! – The soldier giggled. – Don't tell anyone, but he looked so cute!

— Alright, I won't. – Beatrix smirked. With a blink, it was gone. – Please do not tell anyone we've left Alexandria.

— We have allowed a Queen to do whatever she wanted without facing the consequences. It's our duty to stop her before she hurts more people. Well, my duty is to stay here, so...

— Do your best, sister – Beatrix and the female soldier salute to each other before leaving for their own tasks.

…

Outside Alexandria…

— Yahoo! We're finally FREE! – Cinna said all excited, jumping with a victory fanfare tune playing in mind. The party stopped by South Gate's trail to take a breath. A well deserved one.

— Is that where I lived all these years? – Freya found herself atop the world, watching mountains and hills covered in a sea of white mist.

— Beautiful, isn't it? – Blank stood near the Dragoon. – I mean, the view. Of the world, I mean. Oh, nevermind... It's just that... I wonder what you saw on Zidane.

— Did I?

— Yes. You two. Something happened between you and Zidane.

— Really? – Freya felt both Blank's discomfort and her own too. – Nothing happened. We were friends. Friends and nothing else.

— Oh, I see.

— Nothing could ever happen between us. I fell in love with another man, I was too old for that kid, and his manners... They were boorish.

— Yeah, Zidane was a sucker when it came to women. I had to teach him everything. Maybe I have not taught him enough.

— Why are we wasting our time with this conversation? – The Dragoon turned back to the stunning and gorgeous view she had of Gaia. – I could tell you the names of every single friend I met quartered on Burmecia's streets, the amount of geniuses and talented artists who could not make it, all gone forever... and they are not here to see this view. They never had the chance to leave home.

— ...Now I see why you two never worked together. – Blank interrupted Freya's poetic speech. – You are too serious and dramatic at times, while Zidane is the complete opposite. Maybe that's why he insisted so much on you. You're quite a fascinating person.

— From here we can reach Aerbs Station and take a cable car to Lindblum. – not only was the view fascinating for Freya, but nature's fresh scent was breathtaking.

— Why did you take so long, General? – Steiner asked Beatrix, followed by Marcus and Cinna reaching out for the wooden bridge.

— I didn't want to ruin this dress. – Carefully, Beatrix took away the borrowed dress from Garnet's wardrobe.

— Yes, it's time to get rid of 'em! – The same can't be said about Blank.

— Wait, what are you doing!? – Steiner jumped and catched the dress while in mid air, before it got covered in dust.

— What are we waiting for? It's our chance to do what we should have done days ago! – Freya said, confident of herself. She threw the cashmere piece away, giving more job for Steiner.

— Wait, Lady Freya! – Steiner said. His words were in vain for the Dragoon who crossed the broken bridge. – Are you sure we need to cross this bridge again?

— We did it before, Steiner. – Marcus recalled, as he crossed the bridge as well.

— Cross the bridge on your own, and it won't fall. Allévoy! – That was Blank's advice.

— Afraid of heights, Rusty? – It was a matter of time before Cinna said that word.

— See you on the other side, Captain Adelbert. – Beatrix went after the others.

— Guess I have no option… – Determined, Steiner is the last one to walk upon South Gate's bridge. He tripped over the gap and the dresses he carried on fell out of his hands, floating like ghosts mocking the Knight's carelessness. The wind took the dresses away from Adelbert Steiner, who had no reaction but panic and yell. – OH. MY. GOD! The Princess will KILL ME!...