Chapter Nineteen
Zidane ground his teeth together, his heart racing, as he bent backwards just in time to miss the jab of a sword. The steel caught a crevice in the decaying Eidolon Wall and abruptly stopped, causing Astrid to stagger. She was panting heavily in a frenzy as she turned to reach for the hilt but Zidane was faster. The sword screeched as he ripped it free. He then promptly spun on the balls of his feet, sending the sword flying over the top of the wall. Steiner's armor clattered as he came to take ground behind Astrid. Zidane held his daggers out, glaring the pale dead girl down. There was a tense silence as the mist wafted past them. Zidane's shoulders rose and fell heavily. His muscles were burning, he felt a shake wanting to come up his spine, but he held steady. Astrid glanced over her shoulder, her messy onyx hair clinging to her wet skin. After a moment, she put her hands on her hips and paced a few steps, kicking pebbles from her short path. Both Steiner and Zidane stayed at the ready. Astrid laughed, shaking her head.
"I just can't believe you're all still trying," Astrid held her arms out at her side, glancing between the knight and the young man. "The new cycle of life has already begun. I control the mist."
"It's not the first time we've dealt with this," Zidane replied, his jaw tense, still holding his stance.
"Oh, but it is," Astrid grinned, coyly turning her head. For just a brief moment, Zidane's mind was reminded of that same quirky girl pressed against the wet stone of a dark alleyway. He blinked rapidly, however, returning to the dread of the mist. "The Iifa Tree used to be in total, ultimate control of the planet's life cycle. With its destruction and rebirth, the Iifa Tree no longer has control. It only helps facilitate. The planet has entrusted the cycle of souls to me."
"That's such bullshit," Zidane sneered, lowering his daggers. "What exactly makes you the chosen one?"
Astrid's smile never waned as she looked to the blankets of mist, growing thicker by the moment, coming around her. "You remember, Zidane. All those people died for me. They were loyal to me. Unlike you." Her coal eyes glowed for a moment as she looked to him. "That makes me the chosen one amongst the people who believed in me."
"Impossible!" Steiner seemed incredulous from where he stood behind his sword. He shook his head, thoughts of Beatrix and Addam passing by. "There is no possible way for a creature to take control of the entire cycle of souls."
"Can't you two feel it?" Astrid arched her eyebrows. "Are little sudden memories popping into your head? Are you being reminded of things you haven't thought about in years? The new cycle of mist, it doesn't just create monsters and stimulate their aggression. It now affects the people, too. With me in control, I will remind everyone of the simple things they overlook and leave behind. I will never be forgotten again. I won't be that little wallflower everyone looks pass. I will be remembered."
Zidane's eyebrow twitched as he felt a twinge in his forehead. "So, what?" Zidane's voice was hoarse as he nodded towards her. "All of this is just because of some teenage romance flitting out? You're so jaded by what happened between us all those years ago, you think you're justified to cause the whole world panic and misery? That's low, Astrid. Even for you."
"Once the mist starts moving across the sea towards civilization, people will begin to feel their regrets and renounce their allegiances. The only way they can atone is to accept me as their leader. I am the only one who has the power to control the mist and their level of pain," Astrid replied. Her coal black eyes were practically delusional, absolutely giddy over the idea. "And besides, I get so high on the idea of ruining everything you worked so hard for."
"So, you must be the one who was planting the visions in our sleep."
The three in the center of the Eidolon Wall turned. Standing atop the crumbling, uneven walls, standing shoulder to shoulder, were Garnet, Freya, Amarant, Liam, and Eiko. The young Lady was standing closest to the edge, her arms crossed over her chest and her face pensive. Her ivory flute dangled from her back. The mist wafted past the stoic group as they looked down on the grim scene. When Zidane tilted his head back, his eyes immediately fell onto Garnet. It had been over a year since he'd last seen her. But this wasn't exactly how he was expecting their reunion. She looked so much more wiser and serious than she did when he left Alexandria. New fleshy scars accented her olive skin, running through her eyebrow, along her cheekbone, jaw, and lips. She was bruised and scarred, marred and jaded. And it was all because of him.
"You really must leave?" Her voice was silky, her soft complexion glowing in the golden rays of the early morning light. He could only manage a nod. Prolonging anything further would make him start questioning himself. Zidane knew he was crazy, but he had to act on his instinct. He had to clear his mind and get away for a bit. "Very well. I brought this for you because I knew there was no talking you out of it." Her slender fingers brought forward a glinting silver band in the light. It had delicately been stamped with intricate etchings of doves carrying olive branches and debutantes spinning with their full skirt. "It was given to me by my father for my tenth birthday. He said that when I wore it, I should look to it to remind myself of who I am. The dove of peace and the debutante of modesty. I want you to take it with you, Zidane, to remember me by. Please don't ever take it off."
Zidane's eyes fluttered as he returned to the foggy Eidolon Wall. He clenched his teeth together as he glanced down, looking at the silver band secured around his wrist. Eiko's purple hair wavered back and forth as she tensely lowered her arms at her side. "If you can control the mist, then why do you need Eidolons? Sounds like you've got the despair and madness under lock."
"Even a girl as little as you understands the game of war," Astrid put her hands on her hips, tilting her head to the side. "One front comes in with their ideas and tactics then there's always another side to it. By harnessing the power of the life cycle and summons, I'd be completely unstoppable. There wouldn't be a single army or cohort of people that could even begin to amass to my power. If you'd like to live painlessly and freely, I suggest you submit to me."
"I'd rather someone kick my teeth out."
"Suit yourself," Astrid shrugged. Her boots then drove through the gravel and she lifted her hands. The intensity of the mist heightened. Everyone began looking around, watching in a stunned silence over how effortlessly Astrid controlled it. The mist swirled towards her, weaving between her legs, around her neck, and crossing her torso. Freya glanced over her shoulder before doing a double take and turning around. Coming from the blankets of mist were the goons they had evaded before.
"Looks like we have company," Freya said lowly. The friends surrounding her also turned around to watch the incoming mob.
Eiko was seething as she felt the pulse of the planet beneath her, ricocheting up her body and making the horn on her forehead radiate. This was her people's home and she was growing greatly infuriated by how Astrid so effortlessly demoralized it and stripped it of its beautiful history. She walked to the other edge of the wall and withdrew her flute, watching intensely as the dead people marched towards the narrow bridge leading to the sacred praying grounds. "This has to end," Eiko said without tearing her eyes away from them. "Or I might very well lose my mind."
She inhaled deeply without even waiting for anyone to say anything. The notes trilled out from the flute and just moments later, soft flecks of ice and snow were coming down. Garnet looked up, feeling the familiar chill of the summon. She remembered how at one point, she could effortlessly call upon the eidolons that served her people as their guardians and protectors. As Garnet watched Eiko summon, she was reminded of how much of her innate self was missing. Would the conclusion of this madness bring it back to her? Would Garnet even be able to retrace her steps to find all the pieces she had lost? Through the thick mist, there was a flash of watery blue, and slowly, Shiva's slender body descended from above. Her chilling blue eyes lay firmly on the crowd that now slowed to gawk at the summon's presence. Eiko turned on the balls of her feet, looking down towards Astrid, flowing with mist, who only watched.
"Shiva's stopped you all before," Eiko called out. "Watch her do it again."
Shiva hovered silently for just a few beats before she crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes, focusing on the power within. Her arms then extended forcefully and leading from the entry of the Eidolon Wall came a wave of sharp ice spikes emerging from the ground. They traveled quickly towards the stunned goons who had no time to get out of the way. The few whose reflexes served them, found themselves tumbling off the bridge and flailing down the waterfall below. The ice engulfed the crowd, freezing them in that moment of time. Shiva bowed her head before she shot back into the mist, disappearing in a flash. Freya, quick on her feet, hurled her javelin with great force forward, shattering the frozen bodies into tiny little pieces.
"Now that looks fun," Amarant grunted from beneath his mess of crimson hair. He bent his knees before forcefully sending himself sailing off the edge of the wall. Amarant reared his claws back, crashing into the ice and destroying even more of them. As he swung, he deftly picked the javelin up, sending it back to Freya. The Dragoon lifted her arm, catching it effortlessly. Amarant now stood amongst a mess of ice shards that once contained Astrid's little army.
"And that's that," Eiko defiantly put her hands on her hips. "Looks like it's just you, Astrid."
The dead girl smiled, lowering her eyes to the ground and shaking her head. "Why do all of you continue to doubt me when I've told you just how powerful I am? You have absolutely no idea what you're up against or what I'm even capable of. But you've set the stage, so allow me to demonstrate." Astrid lifted her arms out in front of her, ribbons of mist swirling around them. She then craned her slender fingers. Suddenly, the ice shards around Amarant began to shutter. The mercenary stepped backward, his boots crunching down. Mist began coming from the chunks, melting them instantly. It all amassed together, whizzing past Amarant.
Free me. Save me. Leave me in peace.
It shot towards Astrid with exhilarating speed, meeting her fingers and coming around her in thick pockets. Zidane furrowed his brow, watching as the mist encased her. Astrid tilted her head back and closed her eyes. A light where her heart used to beat was slowly growing bright. And in the next moment, Garnet, Eiko, and Zidane were clutching their heads, staggering, and collapsing to their knees.
"Your Majesty!" Steiner bellowed, watching as Garnet fell onto all fours, twitching in pain.
"Eiko!" Freya knelt down, grabbing the young Lady's shoulder as she desperately applied pressure to her throbbing temple.
"What's going on!?" Liam's voice practically cracked as he reached towards Garnet to prevent her from falling off the side of the wall.
Zidane collapsed onto his side in the dirt and jagged pebbles, holding his head direly. His teeth ground together painfully as his body writhed back and forth. He grabbed at the ground, trying to find a sense of being. He thought that at any second, his head was simply going to explode on his shoulders. Memories, voices, and smells were evading all his senses. He could hear Garnet calling out his name. He smelled that awful beef stew and boiled cabbage that signified it was Baku's birthday. A lifetime of scenes ingrained in his head were flashing through his eyes. He saw the city of Alexandria from way above on an airship. Whipping vines chasing after him while he ran for his life. He saw Steiner with his sword, standing beside him with a proud look. A burst of Vivi came through, standing amongst the ruins of Madain Sari with the most beautiful sunset unfurling behind him. And then, suddenly, he saw the deflated body of Kuja, holding onto what little time he had left in the dreary, dark vines of the Iifa Tree.
The light was now completely swallowing Astrid and she lifted like a beacon in the night. Everyone watched, absolutely horrified, as they clung to their friends who shuddered in pain. Zidane panted raggedly, his vision blurry as he rolled onto his back, watching as the golden light pierced through the thick mist surrounding them. His chest rose and fell heavily as he felt his very own identity seeping out of him. He cringed as he saw moments of Astrid. Her smiling at him in her ratty winter apparel as she held a bowl of steaming noodles. Their interlocked hands as they lay in a park beneath the iron skyline and gazed at the stars above. He saw her twirling the garnet that dangled from her newly gifted necklace, telling him how it was the nicest thing she'd probably ever own. The golden light exploded over the Eidolon Wall and everyone shielded their eyes. In the next moment, Garnet, Eiko, and Zidane found relief from the burning sensation eating them from the inside out. Zidane propped himself up on his elbow, pressing a hand to his clammy forehead. Near him, though, he heard the familiar clacking noise of boots embellished with chains and metal clips and he stiffened. Slowly, Zidane turned his eyes upward.
Standing above him was Kuja. Zidane's eyes darted everywhere. Astrid was no where to be found. Within the walls, the mist had cleared a bit, as if it had been sucked into the frenzy of light. It was absolutely silent now. Garnet's face had paled as she looked down on the scene. Her slender fingers curled tightly against the crumbling limestone. Kuja hadn't changed one bit. His skin was still clear and pale. His ashen hair was primped to perfection, sporting the characteristic feather. His shoulder pads gleamed in the faded sunlight trying to desperately break through and his white bell sleeves were immaculate.
Slowly, Kuja extended his hand out towards Zidane, his pink lips curling just a bit. "Charmed, I'm sure." Zidane stared at him intently, his cerulean blue eyes shimmering. He then reached forward, slapping Kuja's hand away. He staggered to his feet, deftly scooping his daggers into his hands, and backing towards Steiner. Kuja crossed his arms, pressing a slender finger to his cheek. "My, someone is testy. You certainly look like you've seen better days, Zidane." Zidane remained silent, his face pensive, as he glared towards Kuja. The chains on Kuja's boots jangled as he walked a few steps in his graceful manner. "Don't tell me you thought I'd let Astrid have all the fun?"
"How?" Was all Zidane asked, his hoarse voice echoing across the Eidolon Wall.
Kuja laughed, swinging his arms at his side as if he were pleased to be privy to such party tricks. "Us Terran souls can't be recycled. When the Iifa Tree was reborn, my soul was released. And when dear little Astrid tried to tap into all of her friend's listless souls, I joined them and superseded her."
"You used her... as your vessel?" Steiner furrowed his brow.
"So to say," Kuja shrugged, wandering about freely. "She didn't account for me coming back with the Iifa Tree. She'd never have the true power she wanted with me around, a failed angel of death foiling her desire to push the mist outward."
"You were trying to keep the mist here?" Zidane shook his head, obviously confused.
"Oh, no, no. Don't get the wrong idea of me, Zidane," Kuja threw his head back and laughed. "Astrid certainly was a special one. I've never felt a soul pulsate with so much hate and vengeance before. By merging our souls, it allowed me free and locked her inside with all the rest of her goons. She has a very special connection to Gaia. The core of the planet was still so frail and in recovery after being released from the vice grip Terra had on it. It was overwhelmed after the surge of souls came from Alexandria, it didn't know what to do. But Astrid had a very deep soul, one with the strongest core of all, and when she arrived, the forgotten seed of the Iifa Tree split open and everyone rose from the vines to alleviate the pressure they put on the planet. Gaia simply didn't know what to do." Kuja lifted his arms, as if it were a great spectacle. "You were a fool to reject her, Zidane. This girl single handedly interrupted the life cycle and it intrigued me greatly. It's given me new ideas."
A lock of onyx hair was plastered to Garnet's damp forehead as she found the strength to sit back on her knees. "But... Terra was destroyed. You saw to that."
Kuja crossed his arms again, casting a snooty glance over his shoulder at the Queen. "And what makes you think I'd want to do anything in that old man's memory? Terra deserved to die. But Astrid gave me a new perspective. Maybe Gaia also doesn't deserve to live. After all this time, anyway, it doesn't seem that you animals have changed your ways."
Zidane's knuckles were white has he held his daggers at his side. "So, everything you said in the Iifa Tree was a lie?"
Kuja grinned, swaying back and forth. "Like I said, it's all thanks to Astrid."
Amarant scoffed, his claws gleaming in the misty weather. "The circus just never ends..."
"You're right," Kuja nodded. "Perhaps we shall just get this show on the road. And it starts with removing everyone who opposes me taking Astrid's position as leader and host."
Not even a second passed before Kuja launched forward, the tips of his boots barely skirting the ground, leaving a wake of dust in his trail. Zidane had no time to react before collision. Kuja seized Zidane by the throat and, together, they launched from the Eidolon Wall and into the blankets of mist. Stunned, Garnet's boots beat against the limestone, looking in the direction they disappeared. Freya immediately took into the air and Steiner's armor clattered as he and Amarant bounded away. Liam sat down on the edge of the wall, rubbing fiercely at his face.
Eiko came to stand by Garnet's side and they were silent for a few beats. After a moment, Eiko reached up and wrapped her hand around Garnet's. The Queen looked down to the young Lady. "Dagger, we have to use this time to pray in the Eidolon Wall. We need help. Kuja is even more powerful than Astrid. The whole planet could be engulfed in mist if we give Kuja long enough."
"How are you so young but so wise?" Garnet shook her head, her heart wilting at the turn of events.
"The only way out is through," Eiko replied. "I don't know about you, but I miss tea time. I can't wait to eat myself half to death on garlic croissants and ladyfingers."
Garnet sighed, the smallest semblance of a smile like a shadow on her face. "I don't know what good my prayers would do, Eiko. You've seen it. I have no control over them. They only respond chaotically to my emotional outbursts."
"That's because they love you," Eiko told her earnestly. "Dagger, when they agreed to serve you, it's because they trusted you. And they know you better than you know yourself. You have to trust them back." She broke from Garnet's hand, coming to the edge of the desecrated holy site. The mist was slowly seeping back in, splitting amongst the lingering souls Eiko felt beneath her boots. "Everything an Eidolon does is for the best, Dagger. Eidolon's do everything for a reason. You may not understand, but you have to trust them."
"Do you think they would even hear me?" Garnet and Eiko stood back to back now. One looked to the grounds she had grown up in and loved, despite its appearance and falling structures. The other gazed into the mist, in the direction her best friend's had disappeared, too. "I've lost so much of myself, Eiko. I don't know who I am anymore. Am I Garnet... or Dagger...? Rosemary?"
"You know, you're starting to sound a lot more like Zidane," Eiko put her arms behind her back, admiring the fading etchings that had defined her childhood. "You two are a mess."
This made Garnet laugh lightly. "We are, aren't we?"
Eiko now grabbed Garnet's arm, turning her toward her. Her large precocious eyes held orbs of beauty, courage, and defiance. Eiko was shaping up well, refining delicately. Garnet knew she couldn't defy it. "Didn't you ditch the throne for Zidane? Why give up now when you've come this far?"
Garnet was quiet a few beats, her mind pulling one way, her heart another. Finally, she gave Eiko a decisive nod. "You're right. We have to try."
Eiko crept around the edge of the wall, extending her leg down to meet a column that had fallen against the wall. She stopped, however, peaking her head back over the top of the wall. "Hey, Liam! Keep guard, will you? Dagger and I gotta pray our guts out."
Liam slowly lifted his head, his dark curly hair falling over his forehead. "Will it ever end?" He asked miserably.
"It will if you stand up and practice some sword swings while we do this!" Eiko then disappeared as she continued climbing down. Garnet was next, reaching down to the slanted column. She paused, watching as Liam came to his feet, glancing to the sword at his side. She sighed and lowered herself down, following Eiko to the center of the Eidolon Wall.
...
Beatrix sat huddled at the small kitchen table in her private quarters. She held her head in her hand as she stared down at the variety of documents in front of her. Her third cup of tea had grown cold beside her as her eyes darted over every detail of the parchment, trying to configure how she had made such a mistake. Delta Elder and Felicia van der Graab. They had passed every hoop of the identification, history, and source confirmation. Beatrix was never one to be fooled with false papers. When she had recruited them, their track records were absolutely spotless. They were just good girls from vanilla family backgrounds that wanted something new for themselves. Beatrix massaged her forehead as she let out a sigh, sifting through another page of the documents. How could she slip up like this and not see the signs? Beatrix let criminals onto the force and right under her nose, they made their plans. With access to everything, their knowledge must have been vast.
She tore away from the papers and stood, dumping another failed mug out. As she tilted the kettle once more, her mind wandered away to Steiner. It had been days. So long, she wasn't exactly sure how many. As she saw him board the Blue Narciss Marx, she remembered how numb her arm felt as she waved him off. Something about the entire ordeal startled her. The stakes were just so much higher. Never in her lifetime had she ever heard of a monarch abandoning their throne. Something in the air gave her a bad feeling. The wind felt tense. Something was off, yet Beatrix was still clueless. Her spoon beat around the mug as she leaned against the counter, her chestnut brown hair spilling over her shoulders. When the Blue Narciss Marx shuddered alive, Beatrix just knew as it left port on a mission to locate Garnet that they were going to uncover so much more. Garnet's tenacity, her urgency, her desperation, it all pointed to a ball of unraveling yarn. But just what exactly was that unsettling assumption in the pit of her belly? What exactly were they going to find?
Beatrix was ripped from her thoughts when the shrill cry of a baby filled the house. Quickly, she set her mug down, rounding the corner for the nursery in the front room. There was little Addam, standing against the railing of his dark wood crib. He certainly wasn't fond of naps longer than an hour. Beatrix swooped him up in her arms, holding him against her chest and bobbing him back and forth. Tenderly, she pat his back. Every day, Addam Steiner was shaping up to look more and more like his father. His cheeks were fluffy and rosy. His dark brown eyes were alert and always searching. The inkling of dark hair were sprouting from his head. Slowly, Beatrix sank down into the rocking in the corner of the room, massaging Addam's belly.
"Hush little baby, don't say a word... Mama's gonna buy you a Kupo Nut," Beatrix sang gently against his cries. "... and if that Kupo Nut don't break, Mama's gonna buy you a Waltzy cake. And if that Waltzy cake's too sweet, Mama's gonna buy you an airship fleet. So hush little baby, don't you cry. Daddy loves you and so... do I..." Beatrix trailed off at the end, her throat tightening. Addam had soothed at this point, reaching up to clutch the collar of her coat. He chewed furiously on his pudgy little fingers.
As she stared down at their baby, that feeling deep in the pit of Beatrix's stomach, the one she desperately avoided since Steiner had sailed away, began to unravel. It was crawling up her spine and sending a chill down her body. How many times could someone be lucky to make it out alive? How lucky was someone who made it at all? But what could she do besides sing lullabies to her baby and protect him from the outside world? Memories of a cold chilly morning came through her eyes. She could hear her short pants and see her breath puffing in front of her. It was the least glamorous side of her job; the aftermath of war. Beatrix recalled grabbing Delta's blood stained tunic by the shoulders and pulling with all her might. Her lifeless body fell with a loud thud into the six foot hole in front of her. Beatrix blinked rapidly, Addam's face filling her vision again.
Something bad was going to happen. But she didn't know exactly what to anticipate.