Filling In The Blanks
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy IX or any of its characters.
Chapter 60: Just a Peek
"They were all cleared to enter the city," A man bowed down in front of her, and she swept her blonde hair out of her face in irritation.
"Surely there has to be some clue –"
"They are all citizens of different places. We would have no way to track if they were lying or not." He waved a stack of papers in the air, his eyes tight with worry. The lines of age on his face seemed more prominent in his stress-inducing explanation, "But, I know that their papers were one hundred percent true –"
"That doesn't mean anything," She warned him, sighing and turning away. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, m'lady…" He left her in silence as she cast her view upon the rooftops once again.
"Who are you, and what do you seek in my city?" She breathed, turning away sharply, and gliding back indoors, not another word said.
"I dislike walking around so… exposed…" Beatrix mumbled.
"Darlin' you just gotta let yer feminine side take over!" Ruby shook her head at the brunette, constantly playing with her skirts, and adjusting her strange top. The former knight did not like walking around in regular citizens' clothing.
"But without a sword, if someone were to recognize us –"
"There's the fresh veggie stand!" She clutched the woman's hand and yanked her forward, "Let's get there before they run out!"
Beatrix sighed, miserable. Ruby was trying to make the best of it, there was no doubt in that, but there was the fact that Ruby ran around in a dress all the time, while the woman was always wrapped tight in layers of comfortable cotton and most importantly: armor.
The girl hummed a little, completely comfortable standing freely in the city. "Aren't you afraid someone will recognize you?" She questioned the blue haired teenager once they had left the stand.
The girl adjusted her satchel of fresh foods, before turning to her superior. "Hm? Oh… No, I wasn't that good."
"What do you mean?" Beatrix tilted her head, her large curls falling over her shoulder.
"What I mean is, in Tantalus, when we was still doin' some plays… I wasn't that good, I don't think anyone would recognize me." The expression on her face told Beatrix that Ruby cared a little more than what she let on, her wide almond eyes almost sad.
"Do you miss it?"
"Actin' was my favorite thing ever… But, everyone's lost lots of things they loved to the war… I reckon if all I lose is my actin', then life ain't so bad."
The woman was quiet as they walked from stand to stand, trying to maneuver around the bustle of citizens. She thought a lot about what Ruby had said. Did that mean her family was long gone? She didn't lose anything at four or five years old when this war started?
"Ruby?" She whispered, barely above the chatter around them.
"Hm?"
"Can I ask you a very personal question?" She bit her tongue, nervous that the younger girl would get upset when she asked.
"Go ahead," she smiled with surprising encouragement, and Beatrix felt younger than Ruby for just a few moments.
"When did you join Tantalus?"
She beamed fondly, "I was eleven years old, almost twelve… That story they told you 'bout Cinna last night, I had been in Tantalus goin' on two years."
This shocked her. From the way they all acted around each other, she figured that Ruby had joined when she was much younger. It turned out that the girl had only known Zidane for two years before he was taken, and really, that surprised the woman.
"Were you originally from Lindblum?"
"Treno," this astonished her as well. Ruby let on an all knowing smile, not bothered by the questions at all. It was rare that Tantalus was ever asked any questions about their past. They were all seen as one, and people got the impression that they'd all grown up together. In most cases, it was true, in some, not so much. She continued her answer, despite Beatrix's silence, "Even though Treno is under Kuja's rule, he has a hard time controllin' it. Back then, it was even more difficult because his small hold was a lot like Lindblum. Black mages filled the streets, but he didn't have 'nough grip to do much of anything. It was too wild. Still prolly is."
"So why did you leave?"
"I still don' know who my Daddy is… My mama – she wanted to be an actress too. She was a show girl, dressin' up in pretty costumes and dancin' and singin' the night away. I grew up in that kind of light. I wasn't ever allowed to perform, but I grew up watchin' it all the time… She cared 'bout me best she could, but her dreams came first, and she always taught me to be that way too… I tried askin' bout my daddy, but she wouldn't tell me much. Eventually, I got too curious and came to Lindblum to look for him…"
"Why here?"
"That's the only hint she ever gave me," Ruby shrugged, "but then they passed that law 'bout papers, and since I didn't have birth papers from Treno, I was never allowed to go back. Even though time and time again I traveled back to Treno with Tantalus, I never stopped to see if my ma was still 'round…"
"Doesn't that bother you?" The woman's heart went out to the seemingly unhindered girl.
"I guess a 'lil, but…" She glanced around, and they saw Cinna and Marcus weaving in and out of the people, stealing things craftily, and having a great time doing it. Then her eyes slid to Blank who was pressed against the wall, irritated that he was cut out of the fun. There was a girl slinking around in front of him, tossing her hair and batting her eyelashes, trying to gain his attention – and her attention was the reason he couldn't participate. When Ruby saw the girl, it didn't even phase her anymore – her and Blank had been through too much. "This is my family… and I wouldn't trade them for nothin'! Not to find out who my daddy was, and not to see my mama again."
"Wow," Beatrix nodded in approval, "you're really brave to have an attitude like that."
"I don't gotta fake it though, it's the truth!"
Before the knight could say anything else, she slowed down on the cobblestone street, as the two women glanced over to their lefts. A lone woman was standing outside a door, children peaking out the dusty window. Some had bandages around their heads, and others had tear stained cheeks. The woman outside continued to stare at Ruby and Beatrix, but neither felt threatened.
It wasn't too long before Ruby gasped in recognition. "That's Tantalus' old performing theater…" She murmured to Beatrix.
Making a quick, rash decision, the blue haired girl steered herself in the direction of the woman outside the shop. "Ruby!" She hissed, though was unable to stop the girl.
Upon hearing her name, an all-knowing smile passed over the woman's lips. She looked a bit older than Baku, her eyes a dull hazel, but shining in the sky's sunlight. Her arms opened towards the girl who moved towards her.
"Do you know who I am, Ruby?" The woman asked, her sleek hair, growing lighter with age, hanging around her face.
She glanced up at the sign.
T. Theatre Maison.
They had shortened the name from Tantalus to just T because of the reports of rebellion revolving around the crew before they fled from their home so long ago.
The younger generation starting with Marcus and ending down the line with Blank, the youngest, were the future of Tantalus – all the other members being too well known to continue to aid in rebellion. Baku lost contact– especially after Zidane's disappearance, and their flee to Dali – with almost all of them.
"You used to be in Tantalus…" She murmured to the woman.
The lines around her eyes thickened when she smiled down at her. "Not just in it…"
"The leader," Ruby finished for her, "when I had joined… It was yer decision to keep most the older members in Lindblum while we fled the city… You put Baku in charge." All of it was coming back to her now. Make the woman six years younger, and make her hair a little shorter, and tied in a tight fishtail braid, a little theater make up, and different clothing, and you had yourself –
"Adriana Rothings," the woman finished as Ruby gazed up at her in disbelief.
"We thought ya'll were dead," Ruby murmured.
Beatrix hung back, unsure of the situation, before suddenly both of them were being beckoned into the old theater.
"In this war, I am a very insignificant being… I knew so many of us would never be able to hide…" She shot a sideways glance at Ruby, "We're old, Ruby… too old."
"You weren't back then," she interjected, but was silenced.
"Baku knew what was best for his group of trainees… I thought I knew what was best for all of us… It turns out Baku was right…" She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Most of us have long passed… The rebellions that have risen in Lindblum consisted of many of your old superiors, Ruby… But I am one of few who are still left…"
She lead them down a long narrow hallway as Ruby tried to let her words sink in. The story that Baku had told them? The one about Adriana forcing them to flee while the others stayed hidden in the city, all eventually sinking into regular lives… It was a lie?
"So Baku lied to us?"
She pressed her lips into a hard line. "If he did, it was not my decision. Perhaps he did not want you thinking sourly of the rest of your family…"
Ruby thought on. Baku, the second in command of Tantalus' large family at the time, had told Adriana fleeing the city was the only option if they wanted to live. She had disagreed, and now… only a few of the people she once knew were still alive?
But her thoughts quickly melted away when the wide ticket area gave way to the large auditorium. She gasped when she saw what was inside.
Children ranging from five to fifteen were running about, playing, talking, and helping teach each other. There were a few adults scurrying here and there – some cleaning up, some giving out small portions of food, and just a few in the far corner up on the stage, taking care of sick and injured children.
"This is what we do now…"
Ruby's cherry oak eyes widened as she put a hand over her mouth, not sure if she felt proud that Adriana spent her time now looking after the children, or sick because there were so many without families – so many ailing and injured.
"Where did they all come from?" Beatrix asked, her voice just as stricken with a sense of grief and shock.
"We found most of them, just the way that we used to find them when Ruby was young…" She shook her head, "But some find us. They hear of us… These days, not a lot of soldiers dwell in the city, and the ones that do take pity because they're children. The black mages don't come in here – their orders are to watch suspicions outside… not within."
"Ad! Ad!" A young girl came zipping up to them, her brilliant eyes a kaleidoscope of different hues of blue, breaking into small fragments, her eyes shining with a marble affect. "I found a flower and I brought it for you!"
The older woman bent down in front of the girl, examining the flower in her hand. It was red, and looked like it was wilting – maybe from being plucked from its stem, or the hot sun beating down outside.
"That's beautiful Johanna…" She cupped the little girl's cheek, who began to giggle under the older woman's touch. "I'll keep it with me forever," she smiled tenderly and placed the flower behind her ear, before the little girl turned towards Ruby and Beatrix.
She became almost shy, tucking into herself and fluttering her eyelashes bashfully. "You're both pretty," she told them, clasping her hands behind her back.
"Thank ya, darlin'," Ruby told her with a smile.
Immediately the girl gasped in excitement, grabbing the thief's hand, "Come play!" She demanded, yanking on her, "Come play!"
A chuckling Ruby was pulled away as Beatrix crossed her arms. "Who are you?' Adriana finally asked her.
"I'm Beatrix," she nodded once, her eyes sweeping the room, "Tantalus teamed up with the Rebellion years ago."
"Beatrix… The Captain of the Red Rose?" She gasped, "You mean… Tantalus is with that resistance? Lead by Regent Cid?! I hear you have the Princess of Alexandria with you! Is this true? How many of there are you?" She clamped her mouth shut when Beatrix held up a hand.
"Most of your questions, I unfortunately cannot answer." She sighed, feeling a little heavy-hearted. "But yes, I am Beatrix, Captain of the Rose Brigade and thus, Captain of the Red Rose… Tantalus is with us, almost our second-in-command group. Regent Cid is with us, and we are currently forced to scatter around the four continents, trying to find people to come back with us, train with us, and make one last stand against Kuja with us."
The woman was silent for a long time. "And you've come to gather people from Lindblum?"
"Anyone who will help. You could come… You could come back and help win this war and –"
She gestured in front of her. "These children need me… I was a fool back then. I was scared to leave Lindblum – scared that the children we had taken in and trained were not ready for such an escape, even though they'd been training for half of their lives…" Adriana wrung her hands in front of her, shifting her weight from one foot to another. "I cannot put these children in danger."
"Ruby and the others…" Beatrix started, unsure if she should finish but ended up blurting out the words anyways, "They're all some of the best fighters I've ever seen…"
"Baku trained that bunch… I didn't want to bring in kids. I didn't want to spend our resources training them and giving them a place to stay… I didn't want them involved in this terrible war… But I was wrong – I know they have grown well…"
"You knew Ruby well?" Beatrix asked, realizing that this woman wouldn't listen to any of her pleas to help them.
"Though she was part of Baku's team, she and I bonded… She told me about her quest to find her father. I couldn't help her, but I could be there for her like a supporting and loving mother… I could sometimes put her first, unlike her birth mother, and that's all she wanted." The way Adriana spoke was mechanical – as though something had been torn away from her, and her answers were monotone, read from a script.
Beatrix sighed and said no more, turning to watch Ruby play with the kids. "I didn't know she liked kids."
"Loves 'em," The woman smiled tenderly, then let her shoulders slump as she turned to the side. "I would appreciate it, if for now, you didn't mention any of this to the others… Though I do not understand why Baku lied to make me look better, he did it for a reason he wishes to keep to himself."
"I won't say anything…" She nodded, "Would it be okay to bring others here? To help? Play with the kids?"
Adriana let on a small, old smile. "I would like that, and I think they would too."
Beatrix smiled back at her, feeling like they were making more of an impact on people than they originally thought.
Vivi rubbed his eyes, obviously uncomfortable in the foreign sunlight. It wasn't blocked out by trees, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd spent so much time outside… Alexandria… he guessed, but that didn't count, considering he was locked in a dungeon for five years.
He had to admit, he was surprised that nobody had recognized him yet. They ignored him, much like they ignored other children in the city. Or maybe they did see him, but knew he didn't mean any harm. Who knew? Maybe more people were talking to Sally than he thought…
Baku, Steiner, and Fratley had gone to see her today, and he twisted at his hands nervously, hoping they'd like her. He really believed that Sally could help them, even if the first time she'd met Zidane she'd been hostile. To Vivi however, she was nice and understanding – willing to listen to his tale before she put him in her suspicions.
Zidane was nowhere to be found when they woke up this morning, except that Blank had heard him mumble something about 'rediscovering the city'. The idea sounded so incredibly Zidane that nobody had questioned his decision.
That stuck him with the Tantalus boys and Dagger, who all roamed the city half trying to find their genome friend, and half seeing what there was to see, getting information, and checking out places that might house people who could help them.
So far, the adventure had been pretty uneventful. A couple of mages actually stared at him as he walked by, making him think his disguise wasn't as ordinary as he had originally thought, but he ignored it and tried to walk with confidence, though his knees threatened to buckle every time he felt those misty yellow eyes on him. Blank had had a small run in with a girl, but he told her off and she quickly moved on.
Dagger walked protectively by his side while the others bounded around ahead of him. She hummed a little bit – a tune Vivi had maybe heard her sing before, but he couldn't be sure. They were quiet for a couple more minutes, watching Cinna, Marcus, Zenero, and Blank fool around ahead of them.
Suddenly Cinna stopped, his eyes bulging like he couldn't breathe, though a gasp was very audibly sucked in from his mouth.
"What?!" Marcus demanded, all of them stopping to peer at his face.
A grin suddenly overtook his facial features and he pointed with a shaking arm. "Weapons shop…"
Needless to say that the four of them scrambled away, abandoning their position in front of the girl and mage. Dagger crossed her arms, fidgeting for a moment.
"You can go too if you want," Vivi offered, "I'll be right here when you get back."
She sighed and stared at him. "I'm sorry Vivi! I told myself I wouldn't get rowdy with the boys… Lindblum is the first big city I've ever been in – that I can remember anyways –" her voice suddenly began to get excited, and she clasped her hands in front of her, brown eyes sparkling, "- and a staff just isn't very affective and –"
"Go!" He laughed at her, and soon she was stumbling over herself, wanting to see everything there was to see in the town. After all, considering the life she lead, the horrible thought crossed Vivi's mind that this might be the only chance she would get to explore a large city.
The mage's glowing eyes scanned the area once the girl had reached the rugged wooden door leading into the shop. It was deader in this district of the city, but there were still plenty of people.
There was one man holding a large paper bag, and it clinked, so Vivi guessed there were a few potions, or other vials of medicine inside. He was tripping over small things, unable to see the road in front of him.
There was a Bermecian and elf chatting to each other as they side stepped a child on the ground. The girl was blinking hard, staring at the old doll in her hands, trying to hold in tears. She was constantly biting her lip as to capture her breath and hold it inside of her, just so she wouldn't make a sound.
Her light blonde hair feathered in the wind, blowing around her as she clutched the cloth doll against herself. A mage stood not too far away, eyes ever trained on the little girl, as though she'd do something rash and spontaneous, but he never moved.
Vivi watched as the man stumbled, almost running into the two girls who had been talking before. They slashed in front of him, not even realizing they were cutting him off. A rock tumbled backward from under their feet, and he stepped on it.
His shoes must not have been the best, because it slid out from underneath him as he hissed in pain. "Sorry," he mumbled loudly, even though the girls paid him no mind. He quickly switched directions, though was going too fast for his movements.
He knocked into the little girl, trying so hard not to cry, and the doll flew from her hands. The heavy rain from days prior (luckily they'd missed it entirely) still loomed in large puddles, unable to dry quickly because the sun was hidden from that portion of stone due to the awkwardly angled buildings.
The little mage watched in despair as it flopped into the water. He guessed it was the kind of cloth that would be ruined if it soaked in the water, and his suspicions were confirmed when the girl finally burst into tears. He watched for a moment as she tried to reach it, not wanting to get wet, but falling into the puddle anyways.
Her dress had mud on it, and her hair clung to her face. She scampered away, staring miserably at the doll as she cried. The three people involved in the accident were now gone, vanished like thin air.
"Hey," Vivi said in a high pitched voice. The girl looked about Eiko's age, though not as brave in the face of war. He wandered over to her, and helped her stand, guiding her to the sun. "Go in the sun, its warmer."
"But my doll!" She whined, tears streaking down her already wet and dirtied face.
"Let me get it!" Vivi meandered closer to the doll, leaned forward. He was pretty clumsy, but he tried hard to keep his balance for the little girl. Stretching his finger tips, he got a hold of the limp string that was the dolls hair, and snatched up, holding it close to his body.
She clawed for it, crying harder, if possible. "Are you okay?" He asked her, handing it back.
The blonde girl clutched it to her chest, much like Vivi did when he first snagged it from the water. The liquid gushed out of it, and she tried to ignore the fact the face would probably always be distorted.
"My mama's gone! She told me to wait for her, but I waited and waited, and then I looked and looked and she's gone!" She wailed, "I'm cold and hungry and I can't remember how to get home!" She whimpered.
Vivi's heart went out to the young girl. He plopped on the ground next to her, and very carefully, lit the stone in front of him on fire. She leapt up, ready to flee, before he stopped her.
"It's okay!" He insisted, reaching his hand out, plunging it into the flame. "It's magic, see… It doesn't burn like regular fire…" His eyes blinked curiously at the girl who mirrored his expression as she stared at the flickering fire. "It's not even hot… Just warm enough to dry off you and your dolly!"
She went to throw it into the fire, but he stopped her gently. For some reason, he felt so much older than this young girl, who would probably out live him without seeing the horrors of war and death. Something that had surrounded Vivi against his will for the past year. "Careful! Hold it back, just incase… I wouldn't want to ruin it."
They only sat there for a few moments before a shadow hovered over them. Both glanced up at the same time, and the girl fell back, squealing. She darted behind Vivi, who stood staring straight up, eyes narrowing.
The mage that towered over them stared for a few moments, before doing something that shocked the both of them. He bent down, his pristine hat shielding his face for a moment, before he stood straight again, holding the doll up in his hands.
"Don't you want this?" His voice surprised them more than anything, as his eyes filled with amused confusion. "Your doll?"
Vivi slowly took the doll, uncomprehending. The girl snatched it from him, mumbled a thank you, and then scampered off, too scared to stay by the fire that warmed her. Laughter from other children the next street over calmed Vivi's fears that she'd be by herself.
"Who are you? I haven't seen you before…" The mage looked around, a bounce in his movement. "I haven't seen many people before though. Everything from before felt like a haze, and I don't know! It's like I can see clearer now and –"
"You're aware!" Vivi squeaked.
"Aware? What's aware? Who is 'you're'?!"
"Who do you want to be?" Vivi asked, tilting his head, going with it, instead of trying to understand it.
"Well… who should I be?"
All at once, this strange occurrence in the emptied square had Vivi smiling widely. He didn't answer the mage, whose attention span broke away from the littler one quickly as his eyes wandered around the square.
He was muttering a lot of questions, but never quite said them loud enough for the other black mage to hear.
"You're aware!" Vivi burst again, the sudden thought causing horror to screw up his face. He grabbed onto the mage's hand and tugged on him. "We've got to get you out of sight!"
"Sight? Hmm… Why? What's this sight? Is it a food? How do I know what food is –" Vivi didn't let him finish, just dashed around the corner, hoping that he didn't catch the attention of too many more black mages.
Dagger stepped out of the shop, feeling disappointed. All the boys were still drooling over the swords, and she thought she'd be interested in something there… But she should have known it was a shop ultimately run by Kuja… there wasn't going to be any blade fit for a white mage there.
Her eyes immediately began scanning for Vivi. They trained in on the spot she'd left him, and she froze. The sun was high in the sky now – almost all shadows shrunk down to outline the tall buildings, not much bigger than they were.
"Vivi?" She called, jogging down the steps. Her hair whipped around her face as she jerked her head around, trying to locate the black mage. Stupid, stupid! Her head screamed at her. She should have never left Vivi out there alone – not when he could have been recognized so easily.
With her heart hammering in her chest, she whirled around, diving back into the shop. "Vivi's not there!" The Tantalus boys immediately ripped their attention away, and were stumbling out of the shop even before Dagger could realize what was going on.
"Maybe he's back home!" Blank suggested after a few minutes of searching around. They all came back around the corner to see Dagger still standing hopelessly in the middle of the square.
She was staring at the small fire, almost ready to go out in the middle of the brick. She glanced up at the boys, "This is from Vivi, I know it is…" Her eyes narrowed as she wrapped her arms around her middle, trying to keep herself upright. "What happened?"
"Let's go see if we can find him back at the hideout," Cinna told her again, and ran ahead with Marcus. Blank grabbed her hand and pulled her along.
"It'll be fine, Dagger… I'm sure he's got quite the story to tell us!"
They raced back towards the house, unsure of what they would find when they got back. Eiko was still there. She might have put on a tough front, but the events of late had finally caught up with the girl, and she hardly had the energy to do anything. They prayed that she'd at least seen the black mage.
When they got there though and pushed on the door, they found it locked. Marcus took the liberty of kicking it in, his face menacing as they all poured through the door. Inside was something they did not expect to see.
Eiko's face was light up with delight, and a smile tugged on the corners of her lips. She looked absolutely enthused to be watching the scene play out in front of her. Vivi was on the ground, speaking animatedly about something, and every couple of moments, an unfamiliar mage intercepted the conversation.
"Who are you?!" Marcus demanded after the initial shock.
Vivi jumped up as the other mage cowered further down on the floor. "Wait! Guys! He's good!"
"Good?! There are no good mages here, Vivi!" Blank hissed with urgency.
The littler black mage shook his head, "You don't understand… He was one of Kuja's mages… but he became aware!" A memory flickered in their minds. Becoming aware meant the mages developed their own thoughts… broke out from Kuja's control. "And…" If they could, they would see that Vivi was grinning from ear to ear, "He wants to help!"
A/N: I think this might be the first chapter I didn't show you guys what was going on with Zidane at all :P That'll be fixed, haha, don't worry!
I hope you enjoyed this one! Sorry if the whole Adriana/Ruby/Baku thing was kind of confusing. If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask!
-zesty-
