Filling In The Blanks
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy IX or any of its characters.
Chapter 77: Startling News
He scratched the side of his cheek nervously. Out of everyone who had to report these sorts of things – why oh why did it have to be him?
A pool of nervousness bundled in his stomach as he walked with faltering confidence down the halls of the castle. The closer he got, the more his limbs twitched – itching to move in the opposite direction.
This little incident wouldn't have been so bad…
But alas, it was made this way for a variety of different reasons… The first and foremost?
His change of loyalties…
When he left his barracks, the rest of the men slumbering peacefully, that night, he hadn't intended on stumbling across two broken theater kids, lip locked in enemy territory. Even more so, he hadn't expected one of them to know anything about the whereabouts of his family… The image of his wife and son flashed in front of his face, and he found comfort in the crumpled picture he clutched in his pocket whenever things got too rough – like right now.
They were protecting the shambles of his family… And if after this whole messy, drawn-out war was over he could get back to his son, he was going to support anyone who could get him there… Even if it meant switching from being one of Kuja's newest Commanders, to a secret Tantalus fan.
The second most important had been the ludicrous resistance in Lindblum. When Kuja had first found out that the resistance was dwelling straight under his nose, to the fact that they were stealing citizens that he was technically ruling over, right out from underneath him, he was enraged.
What angered him still, was the fact that not one single resistance member was caught – even with the army directly on his least-favorite dreamer's tail.
He shuttered. He hadn't been there when Kuja received the news (from a man who was later found conveniently dead in his bed) about Lindblum, but one of his buddies were and they hadn't seen rage like this since Kuja's tantrum in Terra.
So now, one report as simple as a stray woman who'd been stabbed disappearing like smoke into the night at the South Gate, suddenly got turned into some big ordeal that was most likely going to be taken out on him.
Like it was his fault that she didn't stick around…
Oh wait… A wry smile crossed painfully over his lips. It was.
That being said, he sucked in one more breath, realizing that he'd stopped before the doors of Kuja's balcony-office moments ago, before shoving against the doors, opening them a little too climactically.
Kuja sat around his desk, a few of his top commanders – the General Strand, and his right hand dreamer – Elouise, was her name? – with him.
All heads snapped towards him, and he really prayed none of them recognized him to be of top status in his brigade or anything.
"This better be good!" Kuja bit out, his comment more than snarky.
"News from the South Gate, M'lord," he swept low to the ground, hoping to gain a foot in the door before he was shoved roughly out again.
"What could it possibly be that's any more urgent than my future war plans?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. His face screamed just a little too friendly, large eyes adorning a certain impatient glint.
"A woman showed up at camp, Sire, apparently badly wounded in the stomach."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"She disappeared that same night, despite not being able to walk correctly."
Kuja's eyes narrowed, teetering between caring and not. "Go on…"
"Blue hair, Sir, with green skirts and a white blouse… Sir, this looks like the work of the resistance," he winced when he realized Kuja would figure it out quickly. He hoped the information wouldn't be good enough to give them a direction – he was secretly rooting for Ruby now, after all. "The ex-theater troupe known as Tantalus, Sir."
There were a few moments that everything was silent. He didn't even dare shift uncomfortably under the all-too-calm glare of Kuja. The clock ticked indignantly on the wall, seeming to move slower than usual.
"What?!" His sharp, high-pitched voice was so unexpected, everyone in the room jumped. He threw back his desk, uncaringly running both General Strand and Elouise over with the heavy piece of wood. "When did this happen?!" He demanded, flitting closer to the man. "Answer me, Commander Tawn Porter!"
He flinched and stuttered upon hearing his whole name. "I um… Erm – a couple of nights ago."
"Why am I just hearing about this now?!" He bellowed.
"We searched for her, M'lord," he tried to keep a rigid, soldier-stance, but with his change in loyalty, found it hard not to be afraid of dying here and now, even though no on else knew about his change of heart. "And then the day and a half's ride here on the swiftest of chocobos –"
"I don't want excuses!" He shrieked, slamming his hand against the wall. A crack split up and down the pillar, but nobody dare acknowledge it.
"I am sorry, M'lord…"
"Find her!" He screamed, "And kill her! What direction were they headed?! There had to have been more of them!"
"We do not know –"
"If they are out in the prairie, send troops out there!" He demanded, his voice bouncing heavily off of the walls, "If they have gone back to Dali, send scouts – hell if they have entered Treno for heaven's sake – send spies! I want all of the ground covered after the South Gate, all the way into the Evil Forest! Do you understand me?! Do. Not. Let. Them. Escape. Or I will have your head!"
"Y-yes, Sir…" He swept low to the ground, and as Kuja turned around, he made a hasty retreat out of the room.
The soldiers standing watch outside turned to him with horrified and baffled expressions. What the hell did you just do to him?! Their expressions seemed to probe, but he shrugged it off and hurried back down the hallway.
If Kuja's habit of killing the messenger was going to become a pattern he had to flee… He had to find somewhere to go…
"Come inside child… Let us look into your future…"
Dagger followed the woman without another second of hesitance, moving inside of the building. This particular dwelling looked like the tree branches wove together to create shelter, a bushel of leaves above it as a roof. Her chocolate eyes traced the textured walls, leaves poking out of small stems here and there. Pictures lined the walls as well, tacked carefully so as not to harm the wood too much. Most of them were drawn portraits of people Dagger wasn't familiar with – some being poorly executed, and others extravagant and realistic.
Candles were lit inside to ignite their way into the back room where water from the falls just beside the house sprayed in into a make shift pond. It was like being outside but inside all at the same time. The petite teen didn't feel like she was in a home, and yet, was comfortable as well.
Every logical sense in her brain was telling her this was strange, and not to trust anything she saw… No part of her though, she duly noted, told her this was a bad idea.
"Sit…" Kalipso gestured to the long wooden bench with floral patterned cushions adorning it, tied to the legs so they didn't fall off. "Would you like some tea? I began brewing some before I stepped outside."
The raven looked up, seeing a more friendly, laid back Freya, though without the striking confidence or wit of an old Dragon Knight. She hardly registered that she had nodded her head.
"How does this work, exactly?" Dagger asked, craning her neck to see inside the kitchen.
"It is simple, all you need do is relax and follow my instructions," she called from the next room over. The girl snapped back into a poised position when Kalipso appeared unexpected from around the corner.
Her hair flew into her face and she neatly tucked it back where it belonged, her brown eyes training in on the Bermecian in front of her. She wasn't like the Cleyrians that dwelled in the city… Her hair wasn't dark, and her skin had a different undertone color to it. Her eyes were light, and again Dagger was reminded of Freya.
"You seek answers to questions that are not yours to ask, little one," Kalipso spoke, her tone sounding wise and old – unlike when she'd talked before.
The resistance leader jumped, not realizing that Kalipso was answering her mute questions with a half-answer. The Bermecian chuckled, "I am sure you shall know all about me in due time, but right now… The curiosity is about you, is it not?"
She blushed, realizing that her questions, regardless of being kept to herself, were inappropriate considering why she was here. "Yes."
The woman buzzed a little, her robes rustling slightly as she leaned back on the couch across from Dagger, drumming her hands on a small wooden cup. That's when the brown eyed girl realized that her own cup was on the table between them.
She picked it up gently and took a sip, not being able to help the hum of approval that escaped her lips. "You like it?"
"It's wonderful," Dagger admitted with a sigh.
"Let yourself fall into those feelings of delight as you slowly drink the tea. Once you take a few more sips, feel free to set it on the table, and take my hand…" Kalipso instructed, her voice sounding old in this new relaxed state.
The girl did as she was told slowly, taking her time, and letting herself sink deeper into this happiness where nothing around her made her ask questions. She was at peace with everything, even though there was a locked cage of self-doubt in the back of her mind where all of her worries were flowing too, but she couldn't find it… not right now anyways.
Kalipso held the girl's hand in hers, rubbing her long thumb over her palm. "What do you wish to see?"
"I wish to see my future…"
Dagger leaned forward, her eyelids suddenly fluttering open. Her hands rested on a stone balcony, short pillars of marble holding up the railing in front of her. Below her was a grand audience full of many types of people wearing bouncing dresses, and men wearing hats and carrying canes. If she looked directly down, she saw more and more people in more regular clothing, though it was still too extravagant to belong in her world. Above her was the fiery sunset just fading into pastels and the light violet of the night.
The mixture swirled together like watercolor paint, the stars shining brightly behind her, pushing back the colors, saving them for a different time.
She glanced down at her hands, satin gloves tracing up her arms passed her elbows, matching the profligate lace sewn over an equally material-wasteful dress. Beautiful, but such a waste… It hugged her curves nicely until her hips, flaring out in a stunning, light blue ball gown. The sweetheart neckline complimented the garnet pendant she wore from her mother. She realized only vaguely that it was completely whole, not chipped in half from when she gave half of it to Zidane.
Was this the future Kalipso had just said she would show her? Could such luscious things lie ahead of her?
Before she could help herself, she turned around to see Steiner flanking the private balcony. His face was serious, and he seemed to be unphased by all of the beautiful sights around him. He stared straight forward, mouth in a permanent scowl – Beatrix nowhere to be seen. He looked… younger. She couldn't tell much else because his armor cluttered around him like usual – not too much of a change there.
"Ladies and gentleman!" A booming voice caught her attention, swiveling her around to the front to lean forward on the balcony, excited feelings bubbling up in her stomach. Apparently this future-Dagger knew something more than present-day Dagger did as she wiggled impatiently in her tall seat. "I present to you…" He grinned and bowed low, sweeping his top hat off of his head, "The Tantalus Theatre Troup, performing tonight, Queen Garnet's personal favorite – and many others I'm sure – I Want to be Your Canary!"
The crowd cheered politely – dull and almost bored to her ears. But maybe that's the way things were supposed to be with nobles? She hadn't any idea; she'd never been around any in a normal situation to know.
Out from the middle of the stage walked a man who Dagger thought looked conveniently like Marcus. He explained the beginning of the story and the scenery around them. The more and more he spoke, the more and more she realized something was… off.
Different.
She sort of tuned out the dialogue in the play and watched for people she knew – Ruby came first with a strange older man Dagger didn't recognize, and soon after came Zidane and Blank. Her heart pounded when she saw the blonde. Blank looked taller and more built – actually – everyone did. Through the course of the beginning, she never saw Cinna or Baku once, and that had her worried for reasons she just wasn't sure about.
What was going on here?
Before she could get a grip on these changes, suddenly the scene swirled in front of her, and she was in a grand hallway, portraits hanging on the stone walls and a red carpet in the middle of the floor. She was talking with someone she didn't know. That was starting to become a regular trend in the night…
"Surprise…" A voice purred behind her, soft hands covering her eyes. She giggled unwillingly, before those same hands spun her around and caught her in a hug. "I'm sorry I could not get here earlier, Love."
"It's alright…" She smiled and pulled back. Blonde hair and protective, loving eyes… Those features… it was…
Bronson?!
She nearly choked (or felt like it; she couldn't actually change the future since she wasn't actually there) as he bent in for a kiss, and did everything within her willpower to fight him off, but that didn't work, since this was a vision, and it wasn't happening in the present. The future Dagger accepted it gratefully and clutched his hand.
"Shall we go see the actors you've been dying to meet since they started coming to Alexandria?"
Alexandria? This castle – she knew it was familiar, but couldn't quite place it… Now everything made sense. She was the Queen of her own Kingdom – everything she hoped for in her future. But it was all wrong. Where were her friends? Where was -
"This is Zidane," Bronson gestured lightly to the blonde, who bowed low to the ground.
"It's an honor finally meeting you, my Queen."
"Your Troupe has been my favorite ever since I'd first seen you… I'm so glad you could stay long enough tonight for me to meet you."
He let on a respectable smile. "I can't tell you how flattering that is." He was completely hands off – someone she had never met before, even in her own, current time. This was not the goofy, close-proximity Zidane she had grown to love… This was a face with the same name.
He swiped up her hand and placed a chaste kiss on it, before the knight behind her stepped forward and pushed him roughly back. "Do not touch the Queen!" He barked. She glanced to her side to see Steiner hovering protectively over her.
Well at least that hadn't changed. She was so confused… How had she forgotten Zidane of all people?
But before she could quite get a glimpse of what would happen next, the scene in front of her swirled together once more, and untangled itself to a bright, friendly room that she hadn't any memory of. She couldn't get a good look around before words started coming out of her mouth.
"I just do not understand," She gripped a marble pillar for support as someone behind her unlaced her tight corset. "I do not know why Sir Bronson must go away again… Our wedding is in a week –" What?! Wedding? To Bronson? Gross! "- and that hardly gives us enough time for preparations! Oh tell me Beatrix, why must things be so complicated with men?!"
Finally! Beatrix!
"I am sorry, my Queen… For I do not know what drives men to be this way…" A light giggle wafted into the air. "You ask a maiden that has no experience in that field."
What happened to Steiner? So many questions bubbled in her mind, the future-her oblivious to them all.
"Being a knight must not be so hard… You do not have all of the pressures –"
She couldn't listen to herself talk anymore. She sounded so spoiled and so… sheltered that it was making her sick…
And suddenly, just like that, she opened her eyes again to see the candle-lit room of Kalipso's dwelling around her. She yanked her hand away as though she'd been burned.
"What happened?!" She demanded. "That wasn't… that wasn't my future…"
The overwhelming feeling that Freya had gotten that this might have been a waste of a trip had completely vanished. In the warm wind beyond the boundaries of the already-wrapped up meeting, she peered through the hazy sandstorm, trying in vain to see Bermecia waiting in their future. She sighed and closed her eyes, her fingers curling familiarly around her spear.
"I am glad things went as well as they did," Fratley commented, padding through the grass up to his fiancée.
"I will be forever grateful to Cleyra and the Bermecians who reside here who are willing to move on to Qu's Marsh."
"Many of our own kin are here… It makes me wonder what happened to the city…"
"I fear for our king."
"I fear for our people," Fratley commented, sighing and leaning on his own spear. He watch the ribbon flutter around it in the gentle breeze, debating the right time to tell Freya the news. "Which is why I decided to accept an offer."
She turned, her eyes narrowed. "What offer might that be?"
He straightened, "They are in need of troops…" Her heart began to sink…
Do not tell me what I believe you will say…
"There are troops out here all the time from Kuja's army – you know that as well as I…" His forest green eyes swept out over the condensed city, all onto this tall tree. "There is rumor that Cleyra will be attacked again."
"That has nothing to do with us, and our cause," she commented bitterly, though she knew that it wasn't right to say such a thing.
"You know that they are helping us… They are sending tremendous amounts of supplies with us, and troops they cannot afford to lose… They only ask one thing in return…"
She narrowed her eyes, refusing to look at him, knowing exactly what he was going to say. Freya refused to let the man know that what he was going to say would kill her.
"Cotex and the others have personally asked me if I would help guard the city of Cleyra – our brethren… To help train new soldiers so that there are more to spare incase something happens."
She said nothing. She would not give Fratley the satisfaction of seeing the expression of ultimate doom plastered on her face. If Cleyra was attacked again, who was to say she'd ever see Fratley again? Freya's eyes turned cold and unconnected.
"Freya, love…"
"Do what you wish," she bit out. Fratley wasn't buying it.
"Freya…" He sucked in a breath, moving to stand next to her and stare down at the woman with an almost urgency. "I promise you… When it is safe, and my duty is done, I will return to you." He wove his fingers around hers, and though she didn't pull away, she did nothing to respond either. "We will have our wedding when I come home."
"The forest…" She started, averting her eyes to the ground. The night air felt cool on her heating face, and she shuffled her boots in the dirt, feeling the tree and earth beneath her clawed toes. "Is not your home."
He chuckled, turning her gently to face him, though her eyes never reached his face. He tilted her chin up and stared down at her, his own hair brushing across his jaw line. "So long as you are there, it is close enough…"
Tears pooled in her eyes. The last time she departed from Fratley, she thought for certain she would never see him again. The fact that he listened to the king and left his post to go to the resistance – to her – was enough of a surprise. Both of them loved their duty, but…
Anger bubbled inside of her stomach and she tore away from him, deciding that she was going to let him know exactly how she felt about all of his ridiculous excuses. "I cannot stand to let you leave again! I do not wish to lose you! Do you not care?!"
He flinched when she said that, truly hurt that Freya would assume such a thing. He caught a glimpse of the ruby still adorning her finger and wondered why she thought differently.
"This is our job, Freya, we must do what we can to protect those who need it…"
"Dammit Fratley!" She barked at him, hands flailing in the air for lack of a better place to go with all of her emotions bouncing around. "For once can you not put their happiness before your own?!" She squinted her eyes accusingly at him, realizing from his thin-lined lips and slightly narrowed but highly alert eyes that he would not change his mind, even if she got down on her knees and begged.
With defeat sweeping over her, she dipped her head so her hair and bright red hat covered her eyes. "I love you, but…" At a loss of what to say to him, she shook her head and wandered away in a daze, not realizing until she made her way back to the room and broke into silent tears, that Fratley did not follow her.
"What happened?!" She demanded. "That wasn't… that wasn't my future…"
Kalipso let on an all-knowing grin. "It would have been…"
"What do you mean?"
"Something like this would have happened if Kuja had not taken over Alexandria the way he did…" She nodded slowly. "Your mother gave you the kingdom when you were a little older than you are now, and left to see Hilda in Lindblum, claiming that she'd be back, but never quite getting around to leaving the other city… Alexandria was too sad with her husband's death…"
"What are you –"
"You were to marry this Bronson character. Though he is not familiar to me, from your reaction, you must have known him at some point in your life…"
"Why would you show me such a fowl future if it cannot even happen?"
Kalipso's lips pressed into a tight line before she fluently rose and crossed the room to the open pond. "Your burning desire to come here and see if there was a possibility your loved ones survive the war was admirable… But unfortunately, I cannot give you concrete answers."
"But –"
"I could give you scenarios of course, but I do not wish to send someone – especially you – into madness because you are always wondering what decisions you must make or not make simply because you're trying to gain or avoid a certain future."
"But then why did you show me anything at all?"
'You see, child," she started, turning towards the raven again. "Though times of war are tragic, and we wish these things would not happen… With great pain comes a happiness that simply is not comparable with anything else… Many people find love of family and partners through such times because there is not enough time to avoid it…" She shrugged faintly, locking eyes with the girl. "You do understand, do you not?"
Dagger thought about it for a moment. No matter how frustrated she was that she broke her promise to Beatrix, Steiner, and the others, all for nothing, she thought about the future and what wasn't there…
Steiner and Beatrix had not found each other through all of the stubbornness and competition. Though her mother was alive, she was not close to Victoria – nor was she close to Cid either. She was spoiled and wasteful, and looked down on others simply because they weren't royal. Plus, she was a week away from marrying Bronson. Her hands curled into fists. How could she have let something like that happen?
The worst of all… She had no recollection of her times with Tantalus. It seemed Baku and Cinna were nowhere to be found, and the duo of Blank and Zidane didn't acknowledge each other at all…
Zidane…
As if she could call that man by that name… He was nothing like the genome she had fallen in love with, and she was certainly glad of that… There was nothing she loved more than her Zidane, and she didn't want him replaced with a familiar face in an unfamiliar personality.
"But… is it wrong of me then, to say I am grateful for the tragic losses we've gone through from this war?"
Kalipso shook her head gently. "Not after seeing what it could have been like…"
"I always thought it would have been better than that…"
"I am certain that as a hole, it probably was. Families were together more, and kingdoms were not in shambles… But I do not believe many people were as happy, for they did not take the opportunities presented to them, like people do in times of war."
Dagger nodded, but stayed silent. She had a lot to think about after this. "So… There's no way of knowing if Zidane will make it through this war?"
"Princess Garnet –" Kalipso let on a smile, "- Dagger… Fate is so delicate. One small inkling of a decision that you do not think will affect anything at all, suddenly changes the alignment of the planets fifty years in the future… That is why I share only hypothetical futures – especially with someone as involved in a resistance as you are… Destiny will change from the simple gesture of you taking the right or left pathway down the tree to your inn… It is too hard to make a concrete vision of the future."
Her shoulders dropped. Though this was good – no matter what happened, she could always change her fate if she wished – she really wanted to know if her family would make it through this mess.
"Do not rely on it…" Kalipso mumbled, wondering if she should even say what she was about to say. "But as of right now, Zidane is alive and well in the future."
Dagger's head snapped up. Her chocolate eyes were wide and her jaw was slack. "Really?"
"One small step off of that path, whether by you or someone else, controllable or not, will create a new one though, child… I cannot tell you for certain if he will actually survive."
Questions had tumbled to the front of her tongue – questions about other parts of her family surviving, and what everyone would be doing in ten years and if the war would be over, but they died at her lips… If one tiny step could alter their path, there was no point in asking such questions – because the questions themselves being answered, were big enough to change things.
She stood and faced the woman, feeling more confidant than she had walking into the house. "Thank you for making me see…"
She smiled. "You are a smart girl… You will make a fine Queen…" As an afterthought, she tacked on, "I do not need a concrete destiny to be able to tell you that." Dagger blushed, bowed, and finally took her leave.
The raven stepped onto the path, glancing at both the left and the right way down the winding tree. Biting her lip to stop herself from smiling, she went to the right – a path she hadn't taken before – and continued on her way, wondering just how that decision would affect everything.
She rolled her eyes to herself.
That's what Kalipso meant when she said some people go mad.
Beatrix sat on the wooden bench outside of the inn, staring out at the scenery. Though beautiful and tranquil – like Alexandria's royal garden before the war – was getting old fast. She was restless – Kuja had to know that resistance members were spreading to these different places by now…
If Lindblum hadn't tipped him off enough, their fight at Gizamaluke's Grotto definitely did; hopefully nothing Tantalus had done had been noticeable. She winced when she realized that the chances of that were slim to none.
"Hello, Beatrix…" She glanced up to see Steiner standing behind her, his arms crossed.
"Hi," she answered simply, patting the bench next to her. "Did you manage to find Freya or Fratley or Dagger?"
He shook his head, "I have not seen any of them… Freya and Fratley disappeared after the meeting," he shrugged, "I guess Dagger was feeling better…"
"She was not really sick, was she?"
The knight sent her a guilty look, shrugging his shoulders. "She just looked like she had so much on her mind… I didn't want to stress her out more with things we can handle."
The brunette let on a light smile, "It's alright, Steiner."
They sat in a comfortable silent for a few moments, before Beatrix let out a huge sigh. Steiner glanced at her, his charcoal eyes following her frustrated facial expressions. "What's wrong?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he discreetly put his hand over hers on the bench.
"I'm worried… Bermecia is already going to be hard enough to infiltrate because we do not know its status…" She bit her lip, a rare look of doubt crossing over her features. "Dali is going to be even worse."
Steiner couldn't disagree with her. It only got more dangerous from here on out, and she wasn't the only one who knew that Kuja's forces had to be onto them. They would need to leave Cleyra quicker than they did Lindblum… Moving on was absolutely essential before his troops landed on their doorstep. They couldn't put more people in danger.
But instead of doing the sensible duty of a knight and discussing the topic with her, he favored Beatrix tonight in a more personal way… So he lied. "I am not worried," he told her with a faint smile. "We have some of the best fighters in these two teams… Otherwise they wouldn't have been allowed on this mission… I know that Cid has sent out other teams to distract Kuja in other regions… We shall be fine…"
To say that she was impressed was an understatement. Hearing any sort of upbeat, optimistic words uttered by Steiner was something to remember, just because it rarely ever happened.
"Whatever happens, we shall get through it…"
She dropped her voice low, finally voicing something to the man that she'd wanted to say for a long time. "Steiner, I do not want to lose you."
He was about to speak, but she held up her hand.
"I cannot lose you… There is no point in a victory in this war if you are not there to protect the Queen afterwards with me… There is no point in moving forward and trying to build a life, when the only one I want to build it with is you…" She blushed as she said this, but stared into his eyes without breaking contact.
He bit back his own confession, condensed into three small words. He promised Beatrix he would not tie her down by telling her he loved her, and vise versa… But that's basically what she had just said, right?
A shaky smile spread across his lips as he squeezed her hand, leaning forward and placing a tender kiss on her lips. "You are my life, Beatrix… That will not change. Even death cannot take that away from me."
She wasn't sure if she liked the hidden meaning behind that, but she chose to ignore it, and sink into his protective and caring words. Slowly turning her hand over, and feeling his gloved hands on the leather of her own garments, she squeezed his hand back before pressing her metal forehead protector and headband against his helmet.
"Good," she mumbled against his lips.
Light footsteps echoed off of the stones just a short distance away, and the two ex-knights broke apart, trying to fight back a brutal blush. Dagger however, didn't seem to notice at all. Her eyes were wide and confusion puckered her face.
"Dagger?" Beatrix stood, though paralyzed in her spot when the girl saw them and began racing towards them.
"Beatrix!" She breathed, "Steiner!"
"What is it?" He asked, standing and steadying her when she almost tripped coming to a stop.
"Freya is gone…"
A/N: A cliff hanger! I never do cliff hangers! That was sort of fun :) I hope you enjoyed… I'm very sorry if Dagger's flash of the future was confusing, but don't mull over it too much!
Thanks to anyone reading!
-zesty-
