Filling In The Blanks

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy IX or any of its characters.

Chapter 57: Onward Into the Unknown

"We'll be ready to take off in about an hour!" Cinna happily reported to Baku and Steiner, who stood at attention in front of him. "She's all fixed up and ready to fly out of this pit!"

They both cringed. It wasn't as though Ipsen's Region wasn't interesting and secure… But they were growing tired of the compressing haze and stressful situations.

"I guess all we can do now is board everyone onto the ship, and try to find room for them!"

Baku nodded and jerked his thumb in the other direction, "I'm going to start revving her up! We all know it'll take her a while to get warmed up and ready to go!"

Steiner recalled the Tantalus' leader starting the ship when they took off from the forest region. It had puttered and spluttered and moaned and creaked until it reached the right altitude in the air, and he had to admit, it had unnerved him to say the least.

"Right, that's probably a good idea." Without another word, the knight was turned and swiftly moving towards the large ramp of the ship, watching as people already got on board, hoping to make themselves comfortable.

There weren't a lot of rooms available, let alone ready, on the ship, but there was enough space. Most of the resistance made their own beds on the wooden floors of the ship, looking more like shelters than actual bedrooms for the ones who usually occupied the space. Along side bedrooms, their meeting room, theatre room, and countless storage areas were also used by some excited and weary travelers.

Steiner stepped through the lush grass, and watched as Zenero helped direct a pair carrying too much stuff for their own good in the right direction once they reached the ramp. Marcus and Blank sparred near the ship, a crowd of new-comers standing by, watching the action.

He assumed that Beatrix, Freya and Fratley were around somewhere, still helping ready warriors for the most-likely new battle style. As far as the others, he had no idea where anyone was.

It wouldn't be long until they all had to be settled on the ship, and he wondered how rough the good-byes would be for the ones who were staying here. Mostly, it was civilians, and people who wished to stay and help protect if anything went wrong. There was a chance that those leaving would never come home…

Before Steiner could analyze the situation any further, he saw Lysandra emerge from the dense mist, a bag slung over her shoulder. Her grin was unmistakable, and she was chatting to nobody in particular in their large group headed for the airship.

Steiner's dark eyes caught his brother lingering behind them. He had no bags with him – not even a weapon. The former knight figured that his older brother wouldn't be going along to assist them… after all – he had told Steiner himself that he wouldn't fight with him.

Nathan spotted him soon enough, and even looking like he was dreading his pre-made decision, headed in his direction. Slow, deliberate steps were meant to make it seem more dramatic, and Steiner honestly had to stop from rolling his eyes.

"I guess this is goodbye…" Steiner said with a shrug.

"Probably for good if we're being perfectly honest," Nathan told him coldly.

Adelbert turned away slightly, though his eyes never left his last remaining family member. "I suppose so."

"I'll never forgive you if you let Lysandra die."

"It was her own choice to go with us, and to help us. I cannot help that you are not so brave."

Nathaniel was on the defensive in less then a second. "Don't you dare try to tell me what I am and what I'm not."

"You do not show actions that tell me otherwise," Steiner shot back, cleverly and much more maturely. Both his father and Alexander had always said that Adelbert was wiser beyond even Nathaniel's years – that didn't make the latter very happy. "Besides… You have yet to forgive me for anything else."

"What you did was dirty."

"What I did was try to protect Beatrix… I cannot help the jealousy you felt that you still cling to after all these years."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you tried the same thing with Lysandra," he snarled, turning away.

Steiner sighed. This wasn't exactly how he foresaw his last conversation with his last brother ending. "I didn't stop to fight with you…" He clasped a hand on his brother's shoulder, despite the sudden rigidness he felt under his mythril glove. "I wish you the best of luck… I'm sorry that after all these years, I cannot give you a proper goodbye."

"Good luck to you too…" Steiner was surprised he even got that much from his brother. He wished that Nathan would tack on 'I hope you come back' but he knew that was too much to ask for. "Do not keep Lysandra and the rest of our people longer than you have to."

"Again, it is their choice to make…" He turned and started away before Nathaniel could argue with him. His brother was never a military general – nor was he ever cut out for the job… Steiner couldn't make him understand the situation, even if he tried.

He was, after all these years, getting closure on the dark parts of his family that had drifted away from him. He turned his back on the last living flesh and blood he knew, but Steiner also understood that he had another family to attend to as well. Cid and Beatrix, Dagger and Vivi, and all the others who counted on him and trusted him, needed him more than his brother wanted him… And that's all that mattered at that point.

Not too far in the distance, he spotted Beatrix sparring with a young man, probably around Dagger's age. His eyes were wide and excited, but his movements were not even close to elite. He could instantly tell that she was going easy on him. With Beatrix in his line of sight now, her actions preoccupying him, he felt the ever-lasting, judgmental gaze of his brother disappear in the mist.

The woman swiped her leg underneath her pupil's unsuspecting body, and he collapsed into the dewy grass. Immediately, she put her sword away and extended a hand to help him back to his feet.

"You're getting better…"

"That move gets me every time!" He quickly swiped a fist in a disappointed gesture in the air and heaved a sigh. "I'm never going to get over that."

"You just have to visualize your enemy from every angle – even below you where you think you're most stable…" She smiled, "Believe me, it comes with practice."

"If you say so," he shrugged.

She put her hands on his shoulders, a smile dancing on her lips. "You should probably go grab your things and get a good sleeping spot on the airship!" She laughed when his eyes lit up, and he galloped away in a hurry.

"You teach them well," Fratley told her with a grin. He tipped his feather hat up off of his eyes, while she rolled her milky, chocolate orbs at him.

"As well as they can be taught, anyways."

"They'll get better," Steiner encouraged, walking into the conversation.

Her eyes brightened at the sight of him, "Steiner, how was training?"

"It went well," he nodded. "We are also leaving soon."

"I heard," The Bermecian and brunette told him at once. "I'm going to find Freya," Fratley added with a wink, indicating that he was probably just leaving them alone.

"How are you really?" Beatrix asked as soon as they finished watching him walk away.

"I'm alright," his tone was vague as he stared back into the mist, his dark eyes searching for something - even he wasn't sure what.

She grabbed his hand for support and squeezed it. "Everything will turn out okay," she told him, and he stared back at her with a tender gaze. Beatrix had to be so optimistic for everyone these days. He recalled a year ago where she was ruthless and hard, and didn't let many people in besides Dagger and Cid. But the events as of lately had changed her – it had changed everyone… more so for the better.

"At least we aren't splitting up." He never meant to say it – the words literally slipped out of his mouth before he could clamp his teeth together and catch them. They both stared wide eyed at each other for a moment, before she let on a shy smile.

Beatrix slipped her other hand into his and stared at him. "We're lucky… That's just that much more time we will be able to spend with each other."

His lips twitched upward, and she knew to take it as a smile. How lucky was he, to have this woman supporting him?

"We should get going… It's going to get really crowded soon, and we should help out," He told her, before pulling her away, back towards the ship, because he honestly didn't have anywhere else to go but forward.


"The ride isn't going to be very much longer," Cinna informed the woman with the eye patch, who stood in awe behind him. How could someone so young be so technologically advanced?

"And what will we do when we land?"

The thief shrugged, "Everyone's going to need supplies… and if you stay on the airship, you'll be trapped if someone finds it."

"You think someone will?" She questioned, tilting her head to the side. Her eyebrow rose a little when she stared the chubby thief down, his ridiculous beard twitching when he smirked.

"I've got some preeeetty good navigation skills… but really it's just a precaution. Have you ever been anywhere but Ipsen's Region your whole life?"

She shook her head, "No, and many of my men have never been outside of the valley either… It's going to be interesting."

"It's not a vacation though, it's essential that you remind them of that fact…" Beatrix walked into the room, sheathing her sword as she did so. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and stared at them with hard eyes. "If they stray, they probably will be found by scouts and killed. And we won't be able to help them without starting a battle – something we're not, at this point, going to risk."

Lysandra nodded, flicking her own bob behind her ears. "I understand completely."

"Freya will lead you across the plains. She used to be our continental scout – she'll be able to find a safe path for you. You'll go straight to Qu's Marsh, and nowhere else."

"How will we hide from Kuja's forces for such a long time?" She asked him, skeptical.

"The Qu Marshes are the only places in the world Kuja doesn't care about… My guess is that he thinks that the Qus aren't intelligent enough to function under his rule, so he just leaves them alone," Cinna explained, "Quina has family in the marsh by Lindblum, so you'll be safe and provided for."

"No matter how appalling the food looks, make sure you eat it… Most of it is better than it looks," Beatrix added with a smile on her face.

"Most?" Lysandra mirrored, a worried expression over taking her face.

The two speaking with the commander snickered. Beatrix quickly straightened though, because she knew there was still so much more to be talked about. "We'll meet you in Qu's marsh after we're done in Lindblum… You and Freya will welcome and begin training any new recruits that we push in your direction… And you'll continue to do so when the Main Group and the Tantalus Troupe split and go to Treno and Bermecia. After we make our course in Dali, we'll loop back to the marsh and check in."

"A group of us will go get the airship and pick everyone up – it should be easy! Anyone who doesn't want to wait that long can take Fossil Rue back… We've got some people who've gone through there, and it's actually pretty simple!" Cinna nodded, keeping his eyes trained on the sky ahead of them.

"And this plan is going to work? Aren't you afraid of losing people? The Western portion of the mist continent is not a small area…"

Both of them sobered, and Beatrix's eyes averted while she bit down hard on her lip. "We're hoping it won't come to that…" She said lamely, clasping her hands behind her back.

"There! Way off in the distance!" Marcus yelled, claiming the attention of everyone in the control room. "Do you see the tower?! It's Lindblum!"

Chatters arose around the room as everyone hopped up, weaving around other bodies, and clattering on top of the central chair to see what Marcus saw.

Taking Marcus' word, Cinna threw the wheel in the opposite direction, "Zenero! Prepare us for a landing!"

"Got it!" He yelled back, as the remaining Tantalus went to their positions on the control panel to help land the Prima Vista with ease.

"We're stopping all the way out here?"

"Trust me… We've got a plan…" Cinna winked, continually maneuvering the wheel.

The theater ship began to spin – it was slow and gradual – but instead of propelling forward, it continued in a downward spiral. "Get everyone ready!" A splay of people emptied out of the room, leaving it mostly empty, save for those who waited for an order, and those who tried to put the ship into the water safely.

"I've always wondered if the Prima Vista would be a fine navy ship!" Cinna laughed merrily, throwing the wheel around like he'd been doing it forever.

"Stop moving so much!" Baku ordered, "You're gonna make me puke!"

"You're such a baby!" Blank laughed from the control, flipping switches and levers – his eyes dancing across the controls too fast to follow.

"Shut your trap you dipshit!"

"And cranky!" Zidane added to the redhead's previous insult with a laugh.

An argument arose as the six of them bickered back and forth, trying to determine all of Baku's negative traits. He didn't have anything witty to say back to them.

It wasn't long until the creaking wood of the ship slammed into the water, a large wave rippling beneath them, splashing violently over the ship. It wavered back and forth, everyone in side stumbling like they'd had too much to drink.

It did this for a few moments, before the ship slowly halted. "Do you think it's safe to open the door?" Zidane asked, finally letting his death grip release from the metal counter of controls.

"I bet so…" Marcus answered, though he reluctantly smashed his palm into the blinking red button. The ship groaned miserably as the gears began turning to give them passage out into the ocean.

Freya entered, and through the doorway they could see the anxiety filled faces of her followers. "Everything alright?"

"We're good to go!" Marcus gave a thumbs up, and the Bermecian turned, her tail flicking against the archway.

Her eyes landed on Dagger. The young woman had her just-past-shoulder-length hair balled up in her red-hide gloves, before she let it swish down over her neck again. Sucking in a breath and gathering her energies, she produced a mass of bright light, illuminating from her palms.

Everyone 'oo'ed and 'aww'ed at seeing white magic for the very first time in their life. But the spell cast on them surprised them was even more impressive. Slowly, their feet lifted from the ground, and they dangled helplessly in the air for a moment. Some cried out in panic, and others were too choked up with shock to scream.

And then, just like that, it was as though their feet were set on an invisible path, allowing them to float over the ground. The girl's chocolate eyes fluttered open and she smirked with satisfaction.

Lysandra's head jerked up and she stared wide eyed at the girl. "You weren't lying when you said you could do such things…"

Dagger shrugged a little too innocently, "Why would I have to?" She laughed as Freya tested the waters (no pun intended) by leaping out the door, praying the levitation spell would keep the water beneath her. She really didn't feel like getting wet.

Everyone watched on in anticipation, holding their breath. The Bermecian fell almost gracefully towards the thrashing waters, but lingered a safe distance above. The spray lapped onto her boots, but she was otherwise unharmed.

"Alright!" She called up to the airship. Though she spoke to those who would be accompanying her, her eyes fell onto Fratley, having a silent conversation of her own. "For those who are to follow me: we move quickly! There will be no stops – Qu's Marsh does not reside too far away! The quicker we move, the less likely chance one of you will get picked off and killed! Let's move out!"

And with that, she turned and trotted away, having already wished Fratley luck and farewell with her sharp, ice-colored eyes. People stumbled out of the doorway after her, tripping on each other, but easily getting up again. Murmurs arose, and eyes darted over to neighbors to make sure they were floating too, and this wasn't just some crazy illusion.

Most were weary about running on the water, but seeing as though their Bermecian leader didn't have any problems, hesitantly, they began to mirror her movements. One by one, they fell into an easy line behind the woman, and were almost silent, as the new elites drifted off towards land.

Finally, all of them had escaped the airship when Baku heaved the anchor out the door. They watched it plummet into the water with a large plunk before they were satisfied.

"Well…" Steiner cleared his throat, glancing at the most familiar faces to him in the resistance. "Are we ready to head into Lindblum?"

Dagger glanced at the thick envelope in her hands, containing the papers for those who were going to enter the city. "I sure hope so…"

"We'll be alright!" Zidane laughed, leaping off of the ship, "Besides, if we can't get in, we'll sneak!" Tantalus had no problems shooting after him.

"Sneak?" Vivi questioned, putting a hand to his cheek in worry. "I don't know how to do that… It sounds dangerous…"

"Dangerous is fun!" Eiko told him matter-of-factly, before she herself soared out of the opening. He watched in awe, unsure if the girl had just said that to seem braver than she really was, or if she honestly meant it.

The sun glared onto the water, making it nearly impossible to stare straight forward on the path. The water swayed beneath them, the rhythmic sound of rushing liquid soon falling into the background. The usual pitter patter of footsteps was silenced by the spell, and an eerie sort of stealth fell over all of them.

The biggest city they'd been in since before the war had really taken off, loomed ahead of them, growing ever-closer with each step they took. The wind rushed into Zidane's face, almost ushering him back to the ship where he'd be safe.

Not for long though… the other half of his mind argued. Kuja would come to find us eventually, and if we aren't ready, there's going to be no chance… He shook his head, blonde ponytail lightly slapping him in the neck. He didn't have time to think about such things. Right now, their only focus was going to be getting into the city.

Didn't that already look challenging enough?


Beatrix glanced back at their group almost cringing. There were so many of them – something that the guards would probably see suspicious. She glanced down at her shaking hands, tightly clutching her fake papers. Her name was to be Rosemary Dalin coming from Oeilvert with her husband, Drake Dalin (Steiner), and her two children Eiko and Syndi (Dagger).

Baku was a pilot from Daguerro who had been married twice, but both wives had died. His children included Oliver (Cinna), Bovarn (Blank), Juilette (Ruby), and Radius (Zidane).

Marcus and Fratley, now Marcus and Kenji, were travelers who bounced from place to place, coming into the city to rest for a couple of weeks. Zenero, now Zealand was one of the same, but not associated with the traveling duo.

Some of the group had to change their names – mostly being the well-known knights, and the others being part of the Tantalus acting troupe – but the rest of the papers Dagger had safely entrusted with Freya had real names penned in. With the latter, Amarant and Quina leading the group to Quale in Qu's marsh, it only left Vivi.

Sure, they had drawn up some forged papers for the black mage, but that was just it… He was a black mage. It wasn't common knowledge that there was a real Black Mage race out there, so most assumed he would be Kuja's lackey. That would have been fine except Vivi was very aware, and not even close to being dressed in a similar uniform.

The subject was left mostly untouched, everyone trying to come up with different, reliable solutions before presenting them to everyone else. The mage rubbed his sweaty hands on his pants as they rounded the side of the gate. They weren't at all sure what to expect.

Steiner glared forward at the extended pile of stone rubble in the distance. It was very clear the Dragon's Gate was once meant to keep enemies out, but was now just a monument of how Kuja had taken over. He remembered the last time he was in this city – he had entered "Adelbert Steiner, Captain of the Knights of Pluto" and bowed before the Regent Cid Fabool and Her Majesty, Lady Hilda.

His chest ached to proudly wear his title again – to see Cid in the place he belonged – and to see Lady Hilda in person again after her disappearance all those years ago.

Gasps erupted from everyone, staring horrified through the bustling gate of the city. There were a couple of soldiers and a handful of black mages standing by, prepared to fight anyone who attempted to start anything. But that wasn't the big issue…

Posters of Zidane and Vivi's faces done by a rather talented sketch artist were stamped all over the walls. With huge eyes, the genome turned towards the rest of the group, his confidence gone.

"There's no way we're going to be able to get in let alone roam the city! Papers-schmapers – they're going to recognize us!"

Each head turned, trying to find someone else to figure out what to do. Fratley shook his head, "Then it is no good? We move on?"

"No," Zidane shook his head, turning back around and sucking in a shaking breath. "I'm not going to stop you guys from going in…" He fidgeted, "But the soldiers might expect something…" He gestured to their new clothing.

All of it was old farming outfits and leather hides – all armor tucked under more tattered clothes and Gyshal Pickles in sacks so that the guards wouldn't want to dig very far. Steiner's unruly black hair darted out in all directions, and Beatrix felt exposed in the dainty house-wife's dress she was sporting.

Fratley's hat was too small, and didn't have holes for his long ears, and Cinna grumbled about the buttons being ready to snap off of his dress shirt. They looked alright, but seen in a clump, they would also be recognized.

"We should probably split up, going in at different times during the day…" Fratley nodded.

"Once we get in, ditch the new clothing, I can't imagine anyone away from city gates caring about rebels running around as long as we don't cause problems," Blank gestured to him and his group, "We'll go in first… Look for one of us towards the doors, and we'll lead you to Tantalus' old home."

"You guys had a place here?"

"Multiple. Cid was very fond of our theater group once upon a time," Baku told them, his tone defensive, "Even after the Regent was run out, they kept it open for years… Though if we would have hung out there all the time without switching locations we would have been discovered."

"What about Zidane and Vivi?" Dagger asked, and suddenly ever turned towards them.

Zidane had already begun shucking off his ratty clothes. He pulled off his shirt and dumped the Gyshal Pickles out onto the ground (everyone immediately covered their noses and mouths), and found some of his usual garments.

He kept his tan cloth pants on, but slipped his boots on over them. "We'll find a way in and meet you there."

"Will you be able to find it?"

He grinned a foxy grin at his best friend and nodded, "I think I can manage… I'm a thief, remember?"

Baku turned, "We'd better start going while there's still a group. Kids," he smirked, biting back a chuckle, "Let's go!" The four of them began marching towards the gate. Ruby's nerves showed when she tucked a hand behind her back, crossing her fingers with prayer.

"We'd better head off too… I hope it's the busiest it's going to get – we're going to need every advantage we can snag," Zidane nodded, then did a mock salute before turning away.

"Hey!" Vivi and him turned back around to the matching voices of Eiko and Dagger. All four smiled at each other. "Be careful…" The girls said together once again. For a moment, Vivi thought that both were directed at Zidane, but found the little girl's turquoise eyes had locked with his own golden ones.

He gave her a shy smile before turning and running after the blonde.

"If you don't see us by tomorrow morning, something's happened!" Zidane called over his shoulder, his voice lifted away on the wind.

"I hope nothing happens to them…" Marcus shook his head. "But the kid has a point – if we aren't all reunited by tomorrow morning… We need to go looking for each other."

Everyone gave a curt nod, and watched on, eager with anxiety, to those who had already left.


"Zidane, I don't think I can run anymore…" Vivi moaned, clutching his side. "I'm sorry, I'm slowing you down –"

"Don't say that," he told the mage. "It's alright, we can stop and rest…" He purposely huffed a little too, though he could have kept going for awhile at least, "I'm tired too!"

The mage smiled and collapsed on the ground, staring at the large city, sprouted in the sky in front of them.

"How are we going to get in?"

"We're either going to scale the wall, or use the ocean port."

"I can't climb…" He sighed, feeling miserable that he was handicapping the genome. How was he chosen as a dreamer again?

"Then we'll use the port!" The blonde figured that would be the easiest route. "But then we've got to get going, otherwise we're going to be stuck outside the rest of the night…" He gave an all-knowing glance to the mage, "From what I remember, there's a reason Lindblum has such high walls…"

The mage squeaked and climbed to his feet, pulling his hat tighter onto his head. "Okay!" he puffed, "I'm ready!"

Zidane took off at a slow jog again, hoping the black mage would be able to keep up. His eyes scanned the seemingly harmless area around them, knowing full well they could already have been spied by numerous soldiers on the wall.

As they rounded the final bend, they spotted the dock. The high stone archway curved the harsh sunlight away from the workers, mumbling and yelling to one another across the water. If they could get by the docks and continue up the worn path under the archway, they'd be up the hill and into Lindblum – easy!

But it wasn't going to work like that.

"Follow my lead…" Zidane whispered, "Be quick, and be quiet!" With that, he sprinted off, like he was pouncing on his prey. The blonde rolled behind some crates, and peered over them.

The wooden crate didn't appear to be dangerous, so he watched on for a moment, seeing if the supplies in this area would be taken into the city. A man laughed not far away, and by instinct, had the teen ducking for cover. Vivi had finally caught up to him, and they both held their breath as a man inspected the pile they hid behind.

"This stuff's gotta go in tonight!"

"Oi, can't we just be done?!" One guy complained, groaning and stretching out his back.

"If it were anything Kuja related, I would say let's leave it to rot! But it's supplies for old Sally's sewing shop, so we really ought to bring it to her!"

The man heaved a sigh, "Let's grab a drink first, can't we?"

The first worker grumbled under his breath about just wanting to get this done so he could go home, but called out to the other man in agreement. Slowly, the yard began to clear out, save for a few guys two docks away who were smoking and horsing around before they finished hauling cargo.

"I can't believe our luck…" Zidane mumbled. "Now's our chance, Vivi!" He unsheathed his dagger and immediately jammed the tip under the top of the box. It creaked in protest, getting gradually louder before a clanky pop was heard.

They hid for a moment, hoping the men wouldn't come to investigate. It didn't appear they heard a thing.

The blonde slowly removed the lid, peaking in to see the contents of the large box. It was mostly an assortment of threads and needle packages, and the boy grinned. "Perfect…" It seemed Kuja didn't want to supply the woman's shop with too much at one time, because it was only about half full.

"Vivi, you've got to climb in there."

If he could have, surely the mage would have blanched. "I c-can't go in there, Zidane!"

"Why not? This is our best shot!" The excitement in his sapphire eyes didn't die down.

Suddenly the little one was wringing his gloved hands together, averting his yellow eyes away from his friend. "I'm scared of the dark… And of enclosed spaces…"

For a moment, Zidane's expression froze in the heat of his excitement, but then slowly, his face melted into amused, yet irritated confusion. "You're telling me that you've been living under a rock for the last year, and you're afraid of enclosed spaces and the dark?"

He squeaked, realizing how ridiculous that sounded. "But Dali… and the forest… feels like home." He gestured to the box, his eyes pleading, "What if these people decide to forget about the boxes? We'll be trapped!"

"At least we'd have a place to sleep for the night," Zidane snickered. When he realized Vivi didn't think the joke was funny, he sighed. "Vivi, these supplies are for a civilian, and with the way these men talked, they're not going to wreak havoc on some poor old woman…" His shoulder slumped in defeat as he digested Vivi's words. "But if it helps you… I guess we can keep the lids off until they come back.

Needless to say, Vivi visibly brightened.

Zidane chuckled and helped him climb inside, waiting patiently to find himself a space to hide until the mage was comfortable. He shifted around the spools of large thread – some itchy, and some fine as silk. The blonde helped him throw needle packets on top of his legs so he didn't have to sit on them. Both of them had to admit, he fit pretty damn well.

"What do you think?"

"It'll do," Zidane decided with a nod. He slowly raised the lid, and balanced it on one corner of the box. "We'll leave this here, and when I tell you to, slide it over your head, and latch it back into place."

"Okay!"

Quickly, the genome disheveled another crate, cringing when he found mounds of wool inside. With the sun beating down on the cargo, he knew he was in for a very sweaty adventure. But without anymore options, he shifted the wool to the sides of the box, insulating himself as he adjusted his butt more comfortably in the box.

His own lid stayed only half on, but within minutes he was sweating and panting. The sounds of the waves taunted him, and he groaned, thudding his head against the box.

He peeled the dagger off of his side, and slowly started to tap out a hole in the side of the box. This way, when they entered the city, he would know where to go to get out of that woman's shop. Plus, he wanted to use it as an excuse to have a breathing hole in his sweltering prison.

Not long after, the rowdy mens' voices rumbled down the alleyway, the noise magnified from the narrow space.

"Close your lid now!" Zidane hissed over to the black mage. He waited as his friend adjusted the lid, only moving to do his own when he heard a satisfying click from beside him.

His brain screamed at him, trying to make him stop. Every part of his body protested the lid being put on, and when he shifted around after the deed was done, he knew why. His sweat had already almost soaked into the wool, and his nose wrinkled as the damp smell of sheep fur hit him.

A wave of nausea followed soon after, and he slammed his nose against the side of the box, hoping to find the hole, cursing himself for not making it bigger. It seemed to take the men ages to finally get back to what they were doing. It only occurred to him then that he wouldn't have any idea what crate Vivi was in, but was somehow oddly confident that the boy would get out without Zidane's dagger.

In what seemed like years, his crate was finally loaded onto the little lift, and he started to jumble around.

"These crates are heavy ones! I bet Sally ordered extra supplies!"

I hope nobody is going to want anything wool until another shipment comes in… Zidane thought wryly. A smile broke onto his face, despite the upset feeling in his stomach, and the sweat rolling down his back. Eventually, the wheels on the pully settled into a rhythm, and they were on their way up the hill.

He was positioned just right, as a breeze ripped through the ally they were crossing through, and he pulled his head back from the hole, hoping that some of the wind would get in. A little gust blew into his face, and he sighed. But soon, that luxury was also gone. It felt like, in that box, things were choppy and quick, yet feeling sluggish at the same time.

It reminded him of blacking out. Some things were more distinct and sharp and other times just hazed over like you were barely there at all… And that feeling was being released on him, sweating in a stupid wool crate.

His brooding ended however, when bells caught his attention. He pushed his eye against the hole, trying to find some sort of sign of where they were. The sight absolutely amazed him.

Though he had a narrow line of vision – a laser pointer ahead of him, he saw the bright, grand buildings of Lindblum. He imagined them looking a lot better when Cid ruled the city, but he shrugged. It was better than the shamble people called Alexandria these days.

He saw people… happy. His chest ached curiously for his comfortable Dream Alexandria as he watched two boys combat with wooden swords in front of a food stand. So many people moved about, a mage standing at every doorway.

Even though he tried to stop it, because this was a war, and he was wanted, and he was probably going to die in the next few weeks, and he was separated from all of his friends… a smile grew on his lips.

They were inside the city.


A/N: If you couldn't tell, I guess I didn't really have a lot to say that chapter. Sorry it was mostly filler, but the next part should be a bit more fun! I can't wait to hear what you have to say about it!

-zesty-