Filling In The Blanks

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

A/N: To the Guest who reviewed last chapter, asking for Zidane and Dagger to have a heart-to-heart; I want you to know I did try to find a place for it this chapter, and I just couldn't fit it in. HOWEVER! Watch the author's notes at the beginning of the chapters, and I'll have a little shout out to you so you know when it's coming!

Chapter 91: A Change in Pace

Dagger sighed and dropped the tweezers on the table. "Finished."

Zidane lifted his head slightly and looked over his arm with a fascinated expression. "All gone?"

She shook her head at him. "How is it that you managed to mangle your arm with rocks, and we haven't even come in contact with an enemy?"

He laughed and dropped his throbbing arm, allowing his hand to rest against Dagger's knee. She didn't shift though, clearly waiting for a serious answer. He smiled and stared at the ceiling; he knew everyone was itching to get the story from him. Vivi would hardly answer anyone himself.

"You should have seen it, Dagger," Zidane breathed, "he was incredible."

"What happened?"

"It just started as a spar really… Rusty and Beatrix wanted Vivi to face me, and at first he didn't really know what to do because he didn't want to accidentally hurt me."

"But that doesn't explain why everyone is talking so much today," she shot the genome a know-it-all sort of look, "and by everyone, I mean us and Dali's citizens!"

"I know, I know," he agreed with a chuckle. "I'm getting there!"

She bounced in her seat impatiently, eager to see what he would say. Her two hands gripped his one tightly, and he couldn't help but notice how young she looked sitting in front of him. For the first time in a long time, she had the fascination of a girl her age, and not someone far older than either of them.

"I told him to treat me like the enemy, and I don't know, Dagger… He had this really determined look in his eyes, and I think he really took me seriously. He must have been thinking a lot about everything that's happened, because I think that might be how it's triggered."

"How what is triggered?"

"Trance!"

She blinked at him, clearly shocked that the term was coming up in their conversation. "Trance?" she parroted back at him as he nodded his head excitedly.

The blonde knew that Eiko, Steiner, Beatrix, and basically all of Tantalus were just around the corner of the door, straining to hear what Zidane was first telling Dagger, so he tried to speak loud enough so they could hear. Better to let them sneak than to repeat the story a million times.

"But that was just a myth –"

"Did you hear anyone talking about it when we came back from Terra? Steiner said it himself that what happened to me there sounded a lot like trance!"

Steiner had gotten a lot of rebels thinking of trance, though she had all but ignored the talk with Zidane's life in so much uncertainty. She puckered her lips in thought and her eyes settled on the bedframe. They were in the mayor's spare bedroom – he had insisted they take Zidane somewhere comfortable while Dagger healed him.

"I think Vivi got so wound up about his grandpa and about all of the people we've met who are going to help us, and all of the terrible things Kuja has done, and I think it just broke the barrier… I think that's what might be special about the dreamers."

She was quiet for another moment before she looked up again, an incredibly serious flicker in her chocolate eyes. "Then I think Kuja's army just became very, very dangerous - more dangerous than we anticipated."

Zidane nodded. "Kuja must know that we have the ability to enter trance… Maybe some of them don't," he commented optimistically, "maybe some of them were just that incredible of craftsmen or thinkers or fighters that Kuja just had to have them… but I think there are some who have this ability." He snorted, "I mean, look at me… Rusty is a way better fighter than I am, and I got picked, not him… so how are we different? This has to be something related to why Vivi and I were chosen."

"I agree with you," she said. "Hopefully no one on Kuja's side has unlocked their trance yet then…"

The blonde looked at her worriedly. "I hope you're right…" Though in his heart he knew that if Kuja understood who could enter a trance, then he sure knew how to trigger it… The dark lord had known about it for the past seven years – maybe even longer - while the resistance was finally just making the link. They'd been five steps behind with their two dreamers all along.

His gaze shifted to the door, and he flopped his one good arm up and back down onto the bed again. "If you guys have any more opinions about the matter, feel free to expose yourselves and come talk to us!"

Dagger whirled around hurriedly like she hadn't any idea they were out there. Slowly, everyone filed into the room, and her face blossomed with red anger.

"Why does everyone feel like they need to intrude on every conversation!?" She huffed.

Ruby smiled at her, gripping her skirts guiltily and then letting go again. "Curiosity, darlin'."

"It's fine," Zidane waved them off. "How is Vivi doing?"

"He's out with Mae picking some more flowers… I think he needs a break from resistance members right now," Beatrix informed.

The blonde shrugged, "I'm sure he's really confused." Everyone found a place in the room to sit while suggestions and theories bounced back and forth, but Zidane's mind faded off into the distance.

Did that mean that Elouise could enter trance too? She would use her great power against the resistance, and no one had the speed to match it. She would kill his friends – people he started to call his family.

Or worse…

Did she have a power greater than trance that attracted Kuja to her in the first place? He thought about Sam and the way he'd lost his niece and his wife in the very same swipe. He wished for the very first time that he hadn't left Alexandria with so much haste the day he woke up. He wished more than anything that he could have found Elouise and yanked her up with him: Elouise and Avalanche and Griffin and Vienna – anyone he could to keep them away from Kuja's grasp.


The storm rolled in quickly. It wasn't unlike the storms they lurked around in back when their hideout was still useable under Dali's little village life.

They didn't let it bother them while they stood in the rain though. Tall grass slopped stickily against Freya's legs, but she was comforted by the smell of the wet earth, and the feeling of soft dirt beneath her clawed feet.

Beatrix let the rain soak her hair. The sensation felt refreshing, like she was finally getting a break from moving all over the continent to clean herself up. She had forgotten how dangerous it was hiding out so close to Alexandria.

A long time ago, she was so happy she could be in Dali. She knew that her old home was still so close, and that kept it in her mind's eye when the resistance got tough. It was her visible goal to get it back one day but now…

Being away from it for so long made her on edge, being so close to a place she hardly recognized anymore. Her memories of Alexandria were fading. The once soft grasses and cobblestone paths, peppered with nobles and children racing down the streets were blocked out by the burning of that night – the crumbling buildings she could see when they floated down the river on the raft, and so many dead whose eyes still haunted her on her worst days. It frightened her being so close to it again, and now, more than anything else, she ached for their treetop hideout in the forest near the black mages – far away from Kuja and his massive power.

Though Freya had never called Alexandria her home, Beatrix knew she felt the same. She could see it in the way the Bermecian held herself – her shoulders tense and her statue rigid, instead of the proud and tall dragon knight she usually was. Fratley's absence was weighing on the woman, and too many close calls with Kuja's men didn't help either. When would they stop being so lucky? When would they finally be caught in their games?

"You are uncertain of the future…" Freya commented quietly just after a particularly loud crack of thunder.

Beatrix stared up at her long-time friend and watched the way her blue eyes flickered, like she was trying to find something hidden out in the mist.

"I'm uncertain of Dali."

"As am I," Freya turned to the brunette. "We are lucky right now… but that luck is soon to run out – you know as well as I. As soon as Baku gets here, we need to set out for the airship again."

"I know," she spoke quietly, trying to ignore the sad feeling in her gut. She didn't enjoy being in Dali anymore, but the people they were going to abandon again were hard to forget. "I wish we could take everyone with us."

"Me as well," she agreed again. "But they are needed here – to do the dangerous job of protecting our secrecy that is teetering so close to the edge of the cliff… and to protect their home."

Beatrix pulled her hair behind her ear, feeling the strands plastered to her face slide across it, leaving wet trails on her cheeks. "Do you think Vivi will come around? It's already been an entire day and he still hasn't said much…"

"There have been many times that each of us, when we were new to the resistance, needed time to ourselves though privacy was the one thing we did not seek when Kuja took everything we had."

Beatrix knew that was true. It was no secret that Vivi didn't like being alone, but with this sudden change – with this epiphany of a great power that people were relying on you to use – she didn't blame him for wanting to take a step back, out of the politics and out of the war. She only wished that she could still do the same sometimes.

"We simply need to be there for him when he is ready to face his power."

"Dinner is almost ready!" Both turned to the call, seeing Marcus shielding his eyes from the rain. Blank stood next to him, running his hands through his already wet red hair. "The mayor sent us out to find you!"

Sheets began coming down in an almost rhythmic pattern, and both women had to admit it would be nice to get a hot meal after being outside in the downpour. But neither could resist the calming urge of the water after a few days in the ever-muggy village.

Marcus and Blank were silent as the women followed the them into the house. Cinna was helping the mayor's wife with the last touches of dinner, while Zenero entertained Mae and Eiko with a few magic tricks he learned in Treno when they were still a theater troupe. Ruby was wringing out her hair in the basin in the kitchen, so they assumed she was outside, hoping to wash out her layered locks, with the same idea as Beatrix. Her clothes seemed dry, so the boys must have gotten her inside first. Amarant sat, uninterested, at the table, examining his hands as his thoughts pulled him into countless memories. Quina sat on the other side of the table, examining a sopping bouquet of flowers, wondering which one looked the most delicious.

"Steiner and Dagger still aren't back?" Beatrix asked as she sat next to Amarant. Blank scrambled into the chair next to her, hoping to stay there and avoid taking a seat next to Quina while he greedily hoarded down his helping.

"The turn out to see the Princess today was a big hit… I took Mae over a little earlier. We were hoping to bring Steiner and Dagger a little lunch, but we couldn't even get to them, it was so packed."

"Once everyone found out that the girl in the resistance was actually the heir to the Alexandrian throne, they went nuts!" Cinna grinned, finishing the story as he brought a pie over to the table. Marcus and Blank shot devilish grins at each other; this must have been his infamous peanut butter pie that was always talked about. "They all wanted to meet her."

"We are so grateful that she was willing to take this chance," the mayor's wife said, swiping a wisp of dark hair from her face. Her eyes lit up with excitement for once, instead of worry. "You have no idea how many spirits she has lifted this day."

"Typical Dagger," Blank commented with an eye roll. "Always making the rest of us look bad."

Beatrix smiled, appreciating the redhead, and the way he treated her more like a friend than a princess.

"I swore I smelt peanut butter pie, and I came running!" Zidane popped his head around the corner, his eyes dancing and a cheeky smirk swiped across his face.

"You smelt correctly," Cinna told him with a nod. "You finally remember how much you love this stuff?"

The blonde snorted, "I don't need to remember anything about my past to know I love that pie!"

The boys rolled their eyes as he meandered to the table and braved the seat next to Quina. Beatrix was just about to ask if he had been with Vivi when the mage walked around the corner, gripping his hat tightly.

"Vivi!" Cinna grinned, "Good, you're here! So you know how you let us take a few of your grandpa's herbs? Well get ready! They're in tonight's meal!" He spoke sort of like a broadcaster, his words drawn out and his pitch going from low to high.

One look was all it took to know how grateful Vivi was for everyone involving him normally in the conversation again. "C-cool," he stuttered, letting his eyes shine with a smile. He climbed into the chair next to Zidane and looked up at him with a satisfied expression.

The genome gave him an encouraging smile before turning to Beatrix and Freya. "You two ladies look soaked."

"Being out in the rain will do that to you," Freya replied with the slightest traces of a grin.

He laughed and leaned back in his chair, leaning it up on two legs as his feet pressed against the table.

"Get your feet down!" Marcus slapped his chair as he walked by, watching with smug gratification as the blonde's hands flailed, trying to find balance, before he crashed to the ground.

"Let's try not to ruin the furniture," Beatrix flipped her hair over her shoulder as Ruby sat next to Vivi.

"It's time to eat anyways!" Mae sang out as she helped present the table with food. Cinna had taken a seat now, and Zenero had stopped entertaining a few minutes ago. Slowly, the rest of the crew gathered around the crowded table as they waited for their meal.

"I cannot tell you how much we appreciate you doing this," Freya commented.

"We are in your debt for the rest of our lives. Putting your family in danger a second time for this is just…" Beatrix trailed off, clearly impressed.

The woman gave a little tsk as she shook her head. "You are all like our extended family, and believe me when I say we all believe you are doing so much more for us than we do for you… It's honestly the least my family can do." She caught herself before she got too sentimental though and clapped her hands. "Please! Eat up!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Cinna grinned, reaching for the first bowl next to him. The others readily followed suit.


"Thank you for coming with me today, Steiner."

"Anything for you, Dagger," he flashed a smile. She secretly thought he was happy to be back in full armor again, though she sort of missed how young and freeing he tended to look without his breastplate and helmet on.

It was past dinnertime, and the rain had nearly stopped, so neither of them were bothered by walking in a little drizzle. Their footsteps were muted by the damp road, and both of them appreciated the silence that finally surrounded them.

"I'm glad I got to meet all of those people. Hearing their stories was such a good…" she trailed, unable to find the right word for it.

He gave her a few moments to think about it herself before he let out a light chuckle. "Motivation?"

She nodded, "Something like that… I just feel like we aren't doing everything for nothing now, do you understand what I mean?"

"I know exactly what you mean, Dagger," he nodded. "I've often lost my way in this war, but there are always people to remind me that I am doing the right thing."

"I don't think you've ever not done the right thing," she giggled, turning towards him. They stopped in the road, and she stared at him. "Promise me that when all of this is over, you won't work so hard?"

"It's my duty to protect you, and it has been since I was hand-picked by your mother and father to lead the Pluto Knights."

She smiled at him, clearly delighted he had said something about her parents. But right now wasn't the time for him to dodge the question. "You and Beatrix need a break…"

"Our duty –"

"Is to do what I say, is it not?" she teased with a grin. "I know there will be lots to do when the war is over, and I know you want to be there to help rebuild Alexandria, and I'm alright with that. But after that, I want you and her to do what I know both of you want."

"I don't understand…"

Her grin grew into a genuine smile. "Start a family. I know that Beatrix has always wanted one, and being a knight in this war has prevented her from doing so. And you? I know there is some part of you that wants to continue your family's legacy with the knights, am I wrong?"

He smiled. "I have no desire to put children through what I went through… Perhaps I wanted that once, yes, but the future is too uncertain."

"When we win this war," she refused to admit that the when was more likely to be an if, "the future will stop being uncertain. I know you wouldn't walk away from your children, and I know you would do everything in your power to protect them from the world we live in now. That's why I know you'll make a great father."

"Do not be so sentimental," he teased her back, opting to show a less serious side of him, instead of have such a depressing conversation with her. "You cannot fool me into thinking you are much wiser than your years, Dagger."

"You've already admitted that before," she reminded him as she continued walking. "Right now you can deny me, Steiner, but that will be my first official order as Queen, or I may have you fired."

He let out a laugh, elated that meeting the citizens of Dali had been so uplifting for the girl. She needed that far more than she needed any amount of rest, "I suppose I'll have to hold you to that then…"

She smiled, determined to keep her promise.

As they turned down the final bend to the mayor's house, they noticed something strange outside. Through the misty drizzle, two figures were walking up to the house. Dagger squinted her eyes as they continued closer, until the sheen of rain glinted off of gold armor.

She nearly yelped and stopped in her tracks.

Steiner must have noticed the same thing, for he yanked her roughly around a building, his hands firmly on her shoulders to keep her rooted in place. "Don't move," he growled under his breath.

He peeked his head around the corner to see the two men staring around the streets like they had heard something.

"Soldiers," she whispered, the strain of held-back panic in her voice. "They're going into the mayor's house… the others… they're going to be found out." He turned back to her, his eyes sharp and very serious.

"Now isn't the time to panic, Dagger. Everything will be fine."

She stared at him for a moment, before sucking in a tight breath to compose herself. After a few moments of eye contact, she was able to stand straight again. Her eyes still glittered, misty with unshed tears, but her breathing was level, and she was ready to make decisions with the knight.

Both of them peered around the side of the building now, watching as the soldiers walked into the mayor's house. His wife's eyes swept the area, as though silently pleading that the two of them didn't come back if they were near, because danger was now inside the house.

"We have to do something…" Dagger insisted.

"We can't," Steiner told her before gripping the hilt of his sword. "Not yet."


Meanwhile…

A knock at the door interrupted Cinna's joke, just before the punchline. They had eaten so much food, and drank a little wine from the basement, so the thief's jests were just becoming funny, and they were disappointed that it was interrupted.

"I'll get it," the mayor's wife nodded. "It's probably just the neighbors warning us to keep it down," she let on a smile. "Not a thing to worry about!"

Freya's ears swiveled. True – the past few years, if she was drinking in enemy territory, she tended to be a bit paranoid… but then again, most of the time her intuition was right. "I think we should take this to a different room," she murmured.

That sobered everyone up quicker than she expected. Amarant picked up Mae and Eiko in his arms as Beatrix leapt up and ushered Vivi and Zidane from the room, despite protests. The rest of Tantalus swiped all of the resistance's dishes off the table, so it didn't' seem like the mayor's family was having a feast fit for twelve. They were surprisingly quick as the Bermecian pushed the chairs back to where they were supposed to be. As the mayor's wife unlocked the door, Freya gave up trying to find a place for everything, and she and Marcus scrambled into one of the back rooms with the last two chairs still in hand.

What was once a merry dinner was now utterly silent. The mayor sat at the table, trying to look inconspicuous as he sipped his glass of whiskey, but he couldn't help the tremor in his hand.

"Soldiers!" His wife exclaimed from the door; he patted his forehead with a handkerchief, trying to rid himself of the beads of sweat forming so quickly on his hairline. "What can I do for you tonight, men?"

"This is the mayor's home, isn't it?" One spoke. His voice was unfamiliar, but she could tell that he was higher up in Kuja's forces. Both of their armor glittered gold and white in the rain and waning light.

"Yes, it is," she nodded, still not offering an invitation in.

"May we come in?" The second one asked, his voice hoarse and low. Her stomach churned with anxiety.

"We were just putting our daughter to bed and –"

"This won't take long," the first insisted, pushing past her anyways. The mayor had just finished stuffing the handkerchief back in his pocket and downing his drink. He got up quickly as the soldiers entered the room.

"Ah! Friends!" He offered them a forced smile. "I was just pouring myself another glass of whiskey… would you care for one?"

His wife poked her head outside, trying to spot anymore soldiers, hoping that this was an honest mistake instead of an ambush. She also searched for the lone forms of Dagger and Steiner, hoping that they were okay and praying they wouldn't come back when these men were here.

She turned and entered the dining room, impressed by the sudden clean up, but knowing it wouldn't be enough if they were already suspicious.

The first soldier turned to the woman, "Is the door shut and locked, ma'am?"

"Y-yes," she stuttered, clearly showing her poorly-hidden fear.

"No windows are open, or curtains?"

"What is this about so late at night?" The mayor tried to be brave, but his knees were shaking.

"No windows or curtains," she answered in a whisper.

"Thank the stars," both soldiers' rigid postures dropped, and the second soldier ripped off his helmet.

The mayor spluttered. "Baku?!"

"In the flesh, Mister Mayor. It's nice to see you again!" he laughed. "We're sorry we had to scare ya! Who knows who's watching this place!"

As soon as they heard his voice, the Tantalus team came running out of the rooms, abandoning their dishes along the way.

"Baku!" Cinna cried and he, Marcus, Zidane, Blank, Ruby and Zenero all stumbled out to meet him.

"You made it!"

"We were so worried!"

"What the hell happened to you?!"

"Who did you find who was so important?!"

"Hold your horses you little shits!" He gave a great laugh, his hand resting on his belly as his beard quaked with his chortle. They finally settled back as Beatrix, Amarant, and the others emerged slowly from the rooms. He jerked a thumb at his companion and suddenly, guard went up as they stared down the first soldier.

"Who's this?" Beatrix asked, her hand on the hilt of her sword.

He pulled off his helmet to reveal a thick head of sleek, brown hair, and Ruby and Blank let out a gasp.

He gave a slight bow as his golden eyes trained in on his new allies. "Tawn Porter, ex-commander of the South Gate."

"It's you!" Blank spluttered, flicking his hair from his face.

The man turned towards the redhead and the blonde girl and gave a relieved grin. "Thank the heavens I found you here… I was hoping to see you again."

"Who is this?!" Beatrix demanded a little harsher this time.

"When we were passing through the South Gate," Blank started, but as soon as his unseen eyes landed on the ex-commander again, his words trailed off.

"We was tryin' to get through," Ruby picked up for him. She ran a hand through her damp hair, a look of disbelief washing over her features. "We got caught by this man, Blank and me, after the others had gone ahead. But he let us go… He told us –"

"If I can save lives during this drawn out war, no matter what side they're on, I will. Ruby here told me that when Dali was burned to the ground, many people fled to many different cities. But she recognized my son at the theater in Lindblum from the picture I carry with me."

Beatrix turned to the two young thieves. "Can we trust him?"

Ruby nodded slowly, "I think so."

"It's on your shoulders if we're slaughtered."

Blank shot an annoyed glare at the older brunette, though he was more bothered with the unneeded precautions than with her. "We aren't going to get slaughtered. If he wanted to kill resistance members, he would have done it by now!"

Tawn shrugged, "It's true, as harsh as it sounds."

The woman narrowed her chestnut eyes before relaxing. But before she could say anything more, the door burst open and Steiner rushed in with an intimidating battle cry. That sprung everyone into action, and suddenly everyone had weapons everywhere, all pointed in different directions.

Freya was the first to put together the misunderstanding. "Steiner!" She yelled, her voice rising louder than most of them had heard her before. She grabbed his wrist and twisted it back, causing his sword to clatter down on the wood, scratching up the floor. "Wait!"

Dagger, though hot on his heels with backup, was quick to halt her attack to listen to the Bermecian.

"He's on our side!" Blank insisted.

The rest of the group's eyes swiveled from one person to the next, too confused to bother trying to catch up.

Steiner's wild charcoal eyes landed on Baku, and suddenly he relaxed. "Baku?!"

"It's me, Steiner!" he laughed, clasping the knight's shoulder. "If he was an enemy, I wouldn't have traveled nearly the entire way with him! He wants to help!"

"Why did ya leave the South Gate? Won't that be a lil' suspicious?"

Tawn sucked in a breath and ran a tanned hand through his hair. "Please, if you all would let me explain."

"We have been a little hasty," Zidane decided for everybody. He began pulling chairs back out, and Marcus and Zenero moved to help him. "Let's all sit… I think there's a lot of stuff that could be explained."

Blank gave a slightly ironic chuckle. "Another meeting in Dali? Now how familiar does that sound?"

Beatrix frowned, taking in their newest ally's puckered face. "A little too familiar to be comfortable," she mumbled, though nobody heard her as they gathered back around the dinner table.

The mayor and his wife nearly fainted from relief in the corner, all this time having thought an enemy had entered their home.

"I was the commander at the South Gate," Tawn said again as the mayor slid him a drink. "Being the highest ranking position, once Ruby disappeared after being thought to be thoroughly injured, I had to be the one to report it to Kuja."

"Is that why Kuja is so angry? He's on a rampage because you sold Ruby out?" Marcus raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by this man.

The brunette hastily shook his head and his chair scraped against the floor as he leaned back. "No, no! No…" he took in a steadying breath. "Word was going to get back to Kuja eventually, and I think my boys would have figured out which direction Ruby and her friends went… So I took the report to him, being my duty. Yes, he was furious, but I gave him no leads about your whereabouts."

"Allowing us to get into Treno," Zidane nodded, a thoughtful expression overtaking his face. A grin was slowly starting to widen over his features. "So you actually helped us more than you let on."

Tawn nodded. "At least, I hope you made it to the city with no problems… I honestly thought I would never see you again."

"Well here we are!" Cinna grinned. "Even though, you know, you never saw me to begin with."

Tawn let on another grave smile. "I wish I could have met all of you sooner. I have to say, it's so different being around a lively crew verses the guards."

"That story don't explain how ya was able to leave, though," Ruby commented, getting them back on track.

"Right!" He swallowed, and his throat bobbed with nervousness even retelling the story. "Kuja has a reputation of sort of… shooting the messenger, and I thought I was dead for sure. But he told me that I had to find you, or I would be dead… and that's when I knew I had to leave, but I had to be very careful about the way I did it. I think if I would have stayed, I would have been found out, and Kuja is never happy when there's rumor of any of his soldiers changing loyalties."

"It's generally a pretty shitty thing to do," Baku commented, running his fingers down his beard as he peered through his tinted goggles. "Keep going."

"When I made it back to the South Gate, we still had no leads on Ruby. I offered to head to Treno to scout, and when I got back, I would lead a team in to investigate the city. Since Treno is the closest to the South Gate, it was a plausible alibi as to where you had gone."

"But we did go to Treno, so you would have sold us out," Zenero pushed, though his tone wasn't hostile.

"You misunderstand," Tawn grinned, folding his hands across his lap. "I took one soldier with me to scout, but I never intended on actually scouting the city. I wound us around the valley endlessly for awhile, before I stumbled upon Baku when I was up on guard duty one night."

"Who the hell are you?!" Baku spat at him, his mace drawn from behind his back with a stout dagger shining in the other hand.

Tawn peered at the man, some sort of recognition festering in the back of his mind, just like it had with Ruby and Blank. "Are you a part of Tantalus?" he gestured to Baku's strangely dressy armor.

The leader straightened, though his weapons were still ready to strike. "If I am?"

"I met Ruby and Blank in the South Gate…" the words tumbled out, nearly silent. He couldn't afford to have his partner figure him out. "I caught them, and let them go."

The two teenagers must have said something to their boss, because his face seemed to flitter with understanding for just a moment before his guard went back up.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I claim to be scouting, but I was honestly looking for a way out."

"Out of what?" Baku spat, still untrusting.

That's when Tawn dropped his weapon and fell to his knees. "A way out of Kuja's army."

"The way he looked at me… I could just tell, ya know? He couldn't be lyin'!"

"My partner woke up and charged Baku, but two against one, he didn't stand a chance," Tawn explained, his tone heavy.

"Luckily, his partner was kind of a bigger guy, so we found out his armor fit me pretty well. And that's when we came up with the plan!"

"What sort of plan?" Steiner asked. He seemed genuinely interested in this man's story.

"As another test of trust, I gave Baku my sword. I knew it would hurt but it was the only way… He severed my leg."

"Off?!" Quina yelped, clearly as bewildered and ghastly shocked as the rest of the company.

Tawn nodded and stood, pulling off his boot to reveal a metal, makeshift prosthetic. "He wrapped it up as tightly as he could and nearly carried me back to the gate. He knew it was dangerous, but he went in and claimed to be too stunned to speak to anyone. I told the story that we stumbled upon the girl and her team, since Kuja knew exactly who was running about the continent anyways, and that she sliced off my leg."

Ruby's face blossomed in embarrassment. "Oh my!"

"That was the only way to get Kuja to agree."

"Agree to what exactly?"

"I offered my services as a stationary guard in Dali, to keep an eye on the citizens here. I'm originally from this village, so it only makes sense. Guards at the South Gate have to do too much patrol, and it wouldn't have made sense to ask for that. I suggested blending in with my partner, so that we could keep a constant eye on the actions of the townspeople when patrols weren't coming into the village. He seemed delighted by the idea, and was again convinced of my loyalties, considering I lost my leg. We were sent out of Alexandria just a few hours ago."

"You were in the Alexandrian castle, Baku?!"

"Hell no!" he laughed, "I would have been found out in a second! I hid out until we could take out his new partner again! Sometime, Tawn can spin a story about some riot killing him when I'm not around anymore."

Beatrix shook her head, stunned. "I cannot believe something like that worked."

"It was tricky," he admitted, no hints of a grin in his eyes. "Kuja is not a fun person to lie to, especially when you disagree with his decisions."

"I can't imagine what you must be going through," Dagger murmured. She gestured to his leg next, "Does it hurt?"

He shot her a sideways glance, trying to tug the corners of his lips into a smile as he shrugged. "It's not so bad."

"I could heal it for you, if you'd let me."

"Heal?"

She gave her own thin smile as she stood to properly introduce herself. "Garnet Alexandros til 17th."

"Holy man," he blurted, scrambling to bow.

She held up her hand though and let out an uncomfortable laugh, just like she always did. Zidane admired the sheepish expression she must have adopted from him. "Please," she began, "Just call me Dagger… I haven't lived with formalities for all my life, I do not wish to start now!"

"My apologies… I just…" his words died on his lips as he let out a breathy end to his jumbled sentence. "M'lady!" he finally exclaimed.

"I'm glad you were brave enough to help us, and to help bring Baku to us!" was all Dagger said back. He gave a slight bow again and sat back down in his chair. She went to work casting a cure.

Though more was bounced around in conversation, his eyes trained in on her hands, lighting up with white magic he could have never dreamed someone could or would perform on him.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to save your leg," she half joked, half apologized for.

"If it meant getting out of that hell and a half, it was worth it."

"You are a brave man."

He smiled at her. "I am so honored to be in such good company."

"And we're honored to have you!" Dagger replied with delight. They were meeting so many allies that would prove to be valuable in Dali; for the first time, she was beginning to think that coming here wasn't such a mistake after all.


"Boy has it been awhile since we've talked one on one!" Blank laughed, leaning back in the chair in the mayor's living room.

Dagger smiled at him as she sat cross legged on the ground, brushing her hair with an actual brush – the first time in a long time.

"I know you're just waiting for Zidane," he continued, "But it's nice to hear from you every once in a while!"

"I'm a busy person," she retorted as she smoothed down her silky locks.

He studied her for a moment, deciding not to reply. When did Dagger suddenly become so grown up? He felt comfortable with her, but the way she sat so confidently, doing something as simple as brushing through her hair, he felt a difference about her. She had changed, and though it had been for the better, he was surprised she was still continuing with such a positive outlook.

"Alexandria is going to be lucky, you know."

"Why do you say that?" She asked, glancing up at him. Her eyelashes swept over her cheeks as she stared back down at the carpet.

He nestled further into the chair, sitting cross legged as well as he leaned forward, resting on his knees with a relaxed posture. His right palm supported his chin, while his left hand dangled in front of his lap. "They're going to inherit a great queen."

She smiled up at him and set down the brush, "What is it you want, Blank?"

"What?! Can't a guy compliment his friend?"

Dagger narrowed her soft eyes in suspicion as her pink lips twitched upward. The girl raised a superior eyebrow, and she leaned forward as though challenging him. "Not if it's you."

"Ouch! I'm wounded, Dagger! That gets me straight in the heart!"

She let out an uncharacteristic snort – also something she must have picked up from Tantalus – as she went back to brushing her hair.

"Seriously though," he started again, refusing to let the conversation drop. "You're so positive, and patient. All these years I've waited for the day when you finally snap, but I haven't seen it yet! I'm starting to think I never will, and you'll stay composed forever!"

She let out a little giggle. "You're sweet, Blank… Go share that with Ruby, I know she would love it!" He stuck out his tongue at her. "I'm just as human as everyone else here… I'm not invincible."

He rolled his eyes, "Way to ruin the moment… I never said you were, Princess!"

"Don't call me that!" She commanded.

"Then quit bossing me around!" he fired.

Zidane walked into the room then and snickered, leaning against the doorframe and watching the two have a short stare-down. "Someone's a little cranky today!"

"Thanks for agreeing with me, Zidane, I knew I could count on you!" Blank's chest puffed out a little with pride.

He scoffed and scratched the side of his head. "Even though I can't count on you to tell me when you and Ruby finally bang!" He put it in such terms because he knew it would embarrass the redhead, and he was just in that prankster sort of mood; he thought it better to get it out before him and Dagger spent long periods of time together. One side-glance at the girl told him she at least appreciated him toning down the language when he called out his best friend.

Blank's jaw dropped open, and he tugged at his brown tunic. The patches tinted a different color in the light by the window whenever he moved. "What are you talking about?"

"Are you kidding?! Marcus sold you out!"

"That asshole!" he cried.

Zidane let out a roar. Blank stared him down and demanded to know what was so funny. "He never admitted it to me! I didn't even know for sure if it happened or not! But I do now!"

The shorter thief got quiet and his fingers curled into a fist before relaxing again at his side; then he repeated the process a few times. Zidane swore he saw Blank's lip twitch like he was ready to land a hefty bite at someone's face.

"You have no one to blame but yourself!"

"I cannot believe you two can think about something like that at this time!" Dagger squeaked, clearly being highly bashful about the subject. Blank wished his best friend would stop looking at him and turn his attention to poking fun at Dagger, but to no avail.

"I just – we – I – I'm going to kill Marcus!" He boomed, storming out of the house.

The blonde burst into laughter again, until the raven whirled around to face him with a shockingly offended look. "That was so cruel!"

"You have to admit it was funny!" he hooted, unable to get in a full breath.

As soon as he said that, Dagger let out one loud sob of laughter before slapping a hand over her mouth. This just caused Zidane to laugh harder – collapsing on the ground and clutching his stomach as tears formed in his eyes. He loved playing pranks too much – and Zidane's entire reaction made Dagger want to laugh even harder.

Soon, the both of them were chuckling like maniacs, and Steiner had to pop his head in more than once to see if everyone was still breathing in the ten minutes they were out of commission.

"There is nothing more fun than making Blank angry!" the blonde commented as he finally sat up. He saw Dagger sitting slumped on the ground, taking in deep breaths after such a laughing attack.

Beatrix poked her head in the door after that comment, her walnut brown eyes lighting up as her hair bounced over her shoulder. "Is that what you two were laughing about?"

Zidane nodded as he let on a cheeky grin. "I wouldn't be quick to poke fun… If I recall right, we embarrassed you and Steiner with the same joke on the way to Ipsen's Castle!"

Her face blossomed in all shades of red as she ducked behind the door. "Don't you two have something better to do?!" she barked, choosing to ignore his comment.

"Actually, we do!" Dagger smiled and stood up, pulling her hair behind her neck before extending a hand to the genome.

He took it graciously and let her help him up, before pulling her close to him. She let out a little yelp and traced her gaze to his face. His blue eyes were dazzling at such a close proximity, hundreds of little fractures of sapphire, all a different shade, coming together like a kaleidoscope.

He flashed his pearly white teeth at her, "Thanks."

Heat rose to her cheeks, but she didn't pull away from his grasp. "Of course," she murmured.

Zidane let out a little chuckle before releasing her. He swept back up her hand, and led her from the room.

Steiner watched from around the corner, his dark eyes dulling as he saw the two disappear so easily into the brightening light of the morning. He heaved a heavy sigh and plopped back down in his chair, suddenly annoyed at the loud clank of his armor. Nobody else was in the house, but there was the quiet tick of wood from the wind. He ran a hand over his face, feeling the cool of steel from his glove

"Are you alright?" Beatrix asked, looking up from the map she'd been pouring over for over an hour. He figured from her late night (and frustrating) talk with Quina last night, that she was trying to make a respectable map through Fossil Roo, and was having a hard time digesting what he had told her.

"Dagger has been spending an awful lot of time disappearing with Zidane," he murmured, rubbing his hand across his chin in thought.

Beatrix let out an exasperated sigh. "Steiner, just stop."

"What?" his eyes were wide and genuinely confused as he whirled around to face her.

She let out another big breath and nearly flung her quill down on the table. "When are you just going to accept that Zidane is a good kid? He's got a good heart, and despite some setbacks, we've been back in Dali for a little over a week now, and we've seen that he cares deeply about Dagger."

Steiner opened his mouth with a catty reply, but it fell short when he realized he wasn't sure what to say.

"Dagger isn't going to let us protect her forever… Maybe if war hadn't ridden her rule, she would need us by her side, even after she was married." She ignored how Steiner's face paled at the thought of marriage in a conversation about Zidane. "But she's a tough girl. She's very considerate and compassionate, yes, but that does not mean she's weak."

"Do you not think she should be spending her time assisting with the plans for the resistance?"

"Steiner, look around you!" Beatrix stood up, her chair grinding against the floor with a loud enough noise to make the man jump. She let out a breathless laugh, in awe of his attitude. "We've been on this mission for months! We've been on the run for years! Dagger has hardly had a normal day in her life! Let her have this! We've done what we've set out to do, and tomorrow we'll be leaving Dali for Qu's Marsh on our way back to Cid. We have lost virtually no one, which is a lot less than what we assumed when we first left…"

Steiner chewed on his lip, watching the woman settle back down in her chair. Her eyes fixed on the table and she held up her chin with her palm. "You're right," he told her quietly, and she started, looking up in surprise. "I've been too hard on Dagger, and I know she deserves the protection and love that Zidane is willing to give her."

There was silence for another moment as they heard a few children playing on the street outside. They assumed Eiko, Vivi, and Mae were amongst them – finally enjoying time as children their own age, instead of part of the resistance, where they were forced to act more mature and grow up far more than what should have been expected.

"We promised Victoria that we would look out for her," he said quietly.

"We still are, Steiner, don't you see that?"

"I just…" he kicked his foot against the leg of the table, making a soft thumping noise. "I would hate to see that promise we have worked to keep for so many years, in duty and in honor of the Queen of Alexandria, disappear because of a reckless thief who doesn't take into consideration that the world is at war and more caution is needed."

"Maybe that's just what Dagger needs," Beatrix suggested, walking around the table and taking his hand. "Maybe that's what all of us need."

He searched her face for a moment, his eyes focusing on the small white scar on her jaw, and the scar that crossed from her right eyebrow down to the outer corner of her eye. He was so used to seeing both of her eyes now, after nearly a year that she went without her headpiece that swooped down over her right eye.

He was taken back to a battle when the resistance first started when a group of Kuja's thugs were trying to locate Cid. Kuja had been obsessed with finding Lindblum's regent, to wipe out any heir that might be left for the Alexandrian (or any other, really) throne. Beatrix had saved a group of new recruits, taking a terrible slice to the right eye. She continued fighting until the very end of the battle while blood seeped down her face, neck, and shoulder, and only after it was all over did she discover with a yelp that she was then blind in her right eye. She protected it with a new and improved headpiece to assure she could keep the eye, just in case she decided one day to stop being a knight. It still held all of its beautiful chestnut color, and the scarring on her face wasn't nearly as bad as it had been, all because of Dagger's more-advanced white magic skills.

Remembering that story, he recalled how angry he had been for nearly two weeks after, wishing that this hadn't fallen onto their shoulders; wishing that saving the world was someone else's job.

He sighed, "You're right," he admitted. He stood up and looked down at her, before cupping her face and tilting it back so he could lean forward for a kiss.

She returned it, and he could feel the smile in her lips. "Thank you," she whispered to him briefly, and he had to grin.

"Anything for you…"


A/N: So that wasn't where I was going to stop it, definitely! But it's getting way too long, so I'll have to save the good stuff for next chapter! :D

Guys… I HIT 300 REVIEWS! That is the most I've ever had for any story ever! Thanks, seriously, for sticking with me through this long story! This story has become such a big part of my life; I'm so glad there are still a handful of people who love following the adventure these characters have gone on. It has become such a complex piece, and I never thought I'd get this far: couldn't have been without you! Share your names with me guest reviewers! I would love to personally reply to some reviews

Thanks again, hope you enjoyed!

-zesty-