Filling In The Blanks

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

Chapter 102: Veering Off Course

The latest snap made her jump. Her shoulders shook as her body jerked and her stomach churned. She wished he would just dismiss her. But she wasn't so lucky.

Truly in all her life, she hadn't seen anyone that angry.

The hard thud finally made her turn her head, and she watched in dismay as another one of Kuja's low-ranking guards laid dead on the ground in one big heap. She couldn't say she'd ever been frightened of her lord before, but there was a first for everything.

General Strand stood next to her, far more rigid and nervous than her. He stood erect and tall, his fingers twitching by his sword on pure instinct. He knew that if Kuja laid his sights on his most outstanding general, he would be dead.

Elouise didn't have to worry so much. She stood respectfully as she waited for the man to cool off. Four guards, a flipped over table and several broken planters later he was finally slowing down. His chest heaved as he glared around the room, daring anyone to make a move. The girl wasn't in any danger – Kuja wasn't going to challenge (or injure) any of his precious dreamers, and for the first time she was feeling her privilege as one of them.

Kuja was probably as angry as Elouise was confused.

Her brow furrowed as she thought about the last twenty-four hours.

The resistances' attempts to break into the dungeon to rescue their friend had been futile until yesterday morning. Out of nowhere they shot from the dungeon, having rounded in on the completely opposite side of the river, and suddenly and just like that, Zidane had vanished from their clutches.

She hated to admit it – even to herself – but the feeling of relief in her chest was real and there was no denying that it felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. That's what confused her. She shouldn't have wanted Zidane to get away…

She hadn't been allowed to be part of any of the groups to talk to him once he'd been captured, but she heard rumors from some of the more outspoken (and drunkard) guards that he had been beaten within inches of his life.

She couldn't explain why she spent the next three hours bawling her eyes out in her room, worry exploding in her stomach like fireworks. She tried to find Avalanche – tried to get him to explain this feeling she was having, but he was tight-lipped and hardly wanted to talk to her about the subject at all.

Why was she happy that such a traitor lived?

Kuja broke another pot, scaring her out of her thoughts this time. General Strand's eyes shifted to her, throwing her an off-handed look when he noticed her not-so-subtle start. Her fingers laced in front of her began twiddling with discomfort, like she was feeling guilty for having the reflections she was.

"How could this have happened?!" he roared, storming up to another guard. He didn't flinch away and anger reared on Kuja's face. He shoved the guard to the ground, "If you are not even afraid, how can the damned dreamer be?!" he demanded, but expected no answer. A blizzara spell came to his fingers so quick, the now-quaking guard didn't even see it coming before he was hit with it, frozen in the crystals.

"M'lord," Elouise cleared her throat, and the man whipped around, still seeing red. "Perhaps there is a better solution to this problem…" she trailed, seeing him stand straight before cocking one hip to the side and crossing his arms.

"What do you propose oh wise ElouiseKindle? Are you implying you have more information because you were part of the escape?!"

She spluttered without meaning to, furiously shaking her head so he didn't get the wrong idea. Fortunately, he moved on quickly, forgetting altogether that she had spoken at all.

"Do not enrage him further," Strand advised in as low of a voice as he could manage.

She didn't answer as she watched the man break another pot. That was six planters in counting now; her eyes swept the area: he only had three left.

She slowly sunk back into her thoughts, unconsciously watching the man cause as much destruction in his own office as humanly possible. The question of happiness over the escape of a traitor came back to the forefront of her mind…

Why?

She scoffed.

Strand openly stared at her now like she had a death wish.

Because when she thought traitor, she didn't envision the crazy hair of her best friend who'd woken up only minutes before she knocked on the door, or the dazzling wonder in his eyes as he read a new playwright, or the way his laugh was infectious and had her grinning on even her worst days as traits of a traitor.

She envisioned Bronson – the scheming, slimy knight who thought he was doing well when really he was being selfish and ridiculous coming to the enemy with such a request. She scoffed again.

Strand tapped her hand lightly with his armored one this time, trying to get her to knock it off.

"I want him found!" Kuja finally howled the demand, and no soldier wasted time in scampering from the room, intent on getting those orders acted on. "I want him brought to me alive so I can kill him myself! No more games!" he cried like he was going into battle.

The man roared, shooting off random bursts of magic through the open windows of his balcony office before marching out the doors, screaming the entire way. He was not pleased.

He was out for blood.

Dreamer blood.

Elouise's stomach churned again. Zidane was a traitor. He deserved what was coming…

And then she remembered Avalanche's conflicted face during the ambush on the resistance just before she confronted Zidane, and maybe – just maybe – she was wrong.


He shifted again, making sure to keep her arm very still as he did so. Her face was bathed in sunlight, and – thank the heavens – her complexion seemed to glow. The window was small and dusty, but any bit of light made things look better in the basement.

They had tried to make it comfortable the last two days, and it was a lot better than it had been when they were in Dali a few weeks prior.

Maybe it was because there were less people.

"Beatrix, myself; Zidane, Dagger; Freya, Amarant; Eiko, Vivi; Baku, Marcus, Cinna, Ruby; Quina…" he trailed. Was that really everyone?

With his one free hand, he rubbed at his eyes until they were soar. Sleep was miniscule in the basement even though it was the safest place for them in the entire village. They hadn't heard word of Kuja's soldiers moving yet, which made him relax and feel more anxious all at the same time.

It could be telling them that Kuja was slow to move. They would be able to slip out of Dali while his anger kept him from sending out troops immediately. Or it meant the opposite; he could know what their next move was – know right where they were hiding and plan on following them to the rest of the resistance.

His stomach churned. Maybe it was good that Sam and a few others had stayed behind when Mae was kidnapped. They were planning on going to the Outer Continent with the others on the airship this time; they stayed back to make sure Kuja's men didn't try to lash out on Dali, but now that the small village was safe (for the dark lord would have no patience to deal with civilians while Zidane was loose once more) the men that had stayed behind wanted to go with them.

For the moment though, they were unable to make a move of any sort. No one expected Zidane to come back to them before they boarded the airship home, but what they were waiting for was Beatrix. She had yet to wake up, though Mia continued to say she was looking healthier every day.

After his personal breakdown the night before, he sat at Beatrix's side, holding her hand tightly so she knew that people were there waiting for her. She was wrapped in a wool blanket, the stitching coming undone and the color fading; her hair spilled out around her, looking long and straight from the way Eiko and Ruby let it dry.

He squeezed her hand.

Everyone left him mostly to himself. When she did wake up, they had all decided that it needed to be a moment of reassurance for the ex-knight, so they stayed a little away from the two for their privacy.

His head suddenly jerked up, and his body came back to life after having been in its wilting position for so long. She had squeezed his hand back!

His chair scraped the ground loudly as he sprung up from his seat. He leaned forward, ignoring how everyone in the basement seemed to jump to their feet as well. He brushed her bangs from her eyes, loving the way that her scars seemed less obvious, and her skin seemed to look alive again.

"Beatrix," he whispered, pressing his bare hand to her cool cheek. "Are you awake?"

A sudden, but uncharacteristic groan filled the room and everyone let out a breath they didn't even know they were holding.

Beatrix brought her free hand to her face, feeling weak. "What happened?" she croaked, trying to pull herself up. The searing pain in her side caused her to stop, sucking in a loud, sharp breath.

"Please!" Steiner cried quietly, putting his other hand to her shoulder. "Keep still."

"What – where are we?"

Steiner half sighed, half chuckled as he shook his head. "Beatrix," he repeated until her befuddled walnut eyes landed on his face. "Oh god…" he mumbled, squeezing her hand again and leaning close to her face, planting a light kiss on her lips.

She didn't respond, staring up at him in bewilderment as he pulled away. "Steiner!" she nearly gasped, "what are you doing?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" he asked her, thought his eyes didn't lose their delighted shimmer.

"We were –" she stopped, furrowing her eyebrows. "I was…" she slowly put her hand to her side, sliding her slender fingers out of Steiner's. Her palm pressed against the thick bulge of bandage and her eyes skidded over to the ex-knight's. "Did we –"

He nodded, a smile slowly coming to his face. Beatrix might have looked healthier, but nobody had seen Steiner glow like that in quite some time. "We're in Dali, in the mayor's basement. Zidane is still with us…" then he remembered the others and choked on his next words.

"We lost Zenero in the Evil Forest. He died protecting us," Freya started, stepping forward and trying to feel no fear. "Blank was petrified in the forest as we tried to escape."

Her face crumpled. "Blank? Zenero?"

Baku nodded solemnly behind the bermecian.

"We were just waiting for you to awaken before we moved for the observatory to the airship."

Her head thudded back down on the thin pillow the mayor was able to supply. "I cannot believe it." Her fingers twitched by her side and they saw how her face puckered in pain for a moment.

"You're lucky to be alive," Dagger told her. "The man who stabbed you had a blade laced with the same dispelling magic powder that affected Amarant."

She blinked rapidly, surprise clear on her face. She pressed again on the bandage, just to feel the pain and make sure all of what she was taking in was real. "But then how did I survive?"

"The mayor's wife patched ya up," Ruby said. "We cleaned ya up and she performed a surgery right there and then on yer side and yer leg."

"Let's just slow down a little bit," Steiner insisted. "It's a burden to hear so much when you've just awaken."

"No, I want to hear it," she insisted, squeezing her eyes shut and gritting her teeth as she tried again to sit up.

Dagger stepped up next to her, pressing her lightly back down like Steiner was trying to do. "You need rest, Beatrix."

"But –" her eyes swiveled between the two of them, unsure what to say. "We need to get back. Kuja –"

"Will come after us regardless of where we are… You need to be ready in case that happens," Dagger mumbled at her, shaking her head.

Maybe it was because Beatrix had danced too closely with death, or perhaps because she was delirious with information and pain and exhaustion, but her eyes shined as she moved a hand up to press her palm to Dagger's face.

"When did you grow up to be such a fine young lady?"

Dagger pulled away then, a blush creeping to her face. "You're fatigued… go to sleep and once you wake, we will try to move."

The brunette acknowledged the girl's embarrassment and simply agreed.

The rest of the group backed up, relieved that Beatrix was going to be okay. Ruby fell back on her cot and Freya slowly lowered herself back into her chair. Baku walked gruffly back to his own mattress, slapping Marcus on the back, who had hardly moved at all. Vivi went back to his chair, positioned towards Zidane so he could be there in case the blonde woke up.

"How are you holding up?" Cinna asked, fiddling with his belt.

The mage turned to stare up at the thief with big eyes. "It's just not fair."

"I know," he muttered turning to grab his chair; he hoisted it silently before planting it lightly on the ground, the backrest facing Zidane. He swung his leg over the seat and crossed his arms over the top, letting his chin slump on his resting arms. "Why did it have to happen to him?"

They sat in silence for a moment as Vivi's eyes traced the bruising around his best friend's still-swollen eyes. His fever was gone, but the wounds were hard to heal. "Not that I would wish it upon any other of our friends," Cinna explained further with a sigh. "But I would have gladly taken this for him."

Vivi's head turned towards the thief now, his hat tilting up as he stared at the gallant Tantalus member. Cinna was goofy and the absolute comic relief of their long journey, but he was strong and brave and compassionate like every other member of his crew, and Vivi was always standing in awe of the rowdy boys.

"Me too," he blurted without even realizing what he said. Cinna stared down at the mage now, and though he was nervous with the teenager's gaze on him, Vivi realized with near nostalgia that what he said wasn't a lie. He would do anything to take someone as caring and helpful as Zidane out of that position. He sucked in a breath, feeling the sudden need to say more. "I wish that I had been a little more courageous and spoke a little louder… then maybe Kuja wouldn't have all of his hate so focused on Zidane, and it could be spread between the two escaped dreamers. But I seem to just fly under the radar."

"That's not a bad thing, Vivi," Cinna told him, a smile ghosting his lips. He was proud of how much the little mage had grown; he might not have seen it, but everyone else did. "Zidane is very carefree, and his want to always do so much good is super loud…" the thief shrugged, "Maybe it's just me, but he could learn a thing or two from you… I don't blame him for what's happening right now of course, but sometimes I wonder if he'd be in this mess if he would have just listened when he first returned and not tried so hard."

Vivi blushed, not expecting to hear such a thing. Zidane learn from him? That was ridiculous! The heat rose to the tips of his ears and he let out a delayed squeak. "Do you think he'll wake up soon?"

Cinna didn't answer for a moment. His dark eyes cast upon the blonde, sweeping over his nearly lifeless body with contemplation. "I don't know," he decided to answer honestly. "I think before he wakes up, his mind has to heal too… and I don't think that can start to happen until he's physically healed – at least, more than he is now."

"Maybe it's better that he stays sleeping for a little while then," Vivi answered, the reply coming unexpectedly. "Then he doesn't have to deal with all of the pain of the real world. Not yet anyways."

"I like the way you think, Vivi," he mumbled back, barely audible to the young mage. "I really do." He flashed him a smile and pressed a light hand on Zidane's shoulder. "Feel better, buddy," he said, though the magic user didn't know if it was meant for him or the blonde, and he didn't have the heart to ask as the thief moved away.


"I promise I will keep them off of your trail as long as I can."

"We could stage something you know – so you can come with us," Baku insisted.

Tawn shook his head as he stood before Baku and Ruby. "When the time comes to battle Kuja face to face, whether it be in a few months or a few more years, I will be here with all of the men that stayed behind from Dali and Treno. And who knows? Maybe from other places too."

"I can't thank ya enough for all ya been doin' for us," Ruby said, taking his hand in both of hers. "And I know Blank would say the same…" she trailed, as though she was suddenly reminded how inappropriate her statement was.

"I have never had more hope than I do now. I only hope that the time to fight is sooner than later – once you all rest of course. I want to head to Lindblum a free man – to save my son."

Both Tantalus members smiled. "Thanks again," she said to him, suddenly flinging her arms around his neck. He staggered a little, still teetering on his prosthetic, but the brunette hugged her back just the same.

Baku gave him a rough handshake before Tawn wandered off, hoping to say his goodbyes to Sam and the other men he'd gotten the chance to know in the last few weeks.

"I can't say I've ever been happier that you and my boys have gotten into deep shit."

She turned to him and gave a half smile. "Glad ya think so."

"Dammit, Tawn is a good man… I hope he finds whatever the fuck he's searching for when this is all over… His son won't be the same."

"But he'll be there, and that's what's important."

"I s'pose that's all he can do, really," Baku cleared his throat, crossing his arms over his neck. "You all packed up, Ruby? The team's headin' out in a little less than a half hour."

She nodded, "Been ready for a while."

"Good." He placed a light hand on her shoulder, remembering that she was not one of the rough boys he had raised, and that she was growing up a hell of a lot better than he could have hoped because of it. "Why don't you see if Vivi or anyone needs any help?"

She nodded to him before walking off, her mind still in a daze. Somewhere inside of her, she knew it hadn't sunken in, but the feeling was lingering just above the surface, like any moment all of a sudden the epiphany would happen and she would spiral out of control.

Blank was still petrified.

"He's such a fool," she muttered to no one in particular.

Blank was still gone.

"Damn idiot."

But that hadn't hit her yet.

Nor had the fact really sunken in that they'd actually managedd to rescue Zidane. Beatrix's stabbing never really had hit her, and the fact that they were going to return to their home on the Outer Continent to relax and heal was a foreign concept to her too.

Why was she feeling this way?

Her chest blazed with some unknown emotion, but she forced it out as she entered the mayor's house. She couldn't think like that. There were too many other people to help.

"How's it lookin'?"

Freya nodded. "We shall be ready sooner than we expected. Steiner is bringing Beatrix upstairs to get some fresh air and water before we head out, and everyone else is finishing packing while they wait."

"Good," she praised, fiddling with the lace trim of her gloves before swiping a piece of hair behind her ear. "Do ya think we'll make it to the observatory okay?"

Freya let out a half sigh-half snort and shook her head, looking like her thoughts were far from the grassy prairies of Dali. "With the luck we have had lately, nothing would surprise me now."

Ruby puckered her lips, halting her fidgeting to stare at the Bermecian before excusing herself to slip into the basement. Freya's pessimism wasn't good for small talk.

She opened the door to see Beatrix leaning heavily against the older knight, refusing to be outright carried, though he was doing most of the work anyways. She had her arm wrapped tightly around her torso, wincing every moment they moved, while the other grabbed tightly at the armor covering Steiner's shoulder. He pretended not to notice.

"Do ya'll need help?" she questioned, earning a grunt in response from the brunette.

Deep charcoal eyes locked onto her hazelnut ones with gratitude. "We're okay, Ruby but the boys might need help packing up downstairs!"

She nodded, not expecting him to say much different, and let them pass before moving on. Her body felt like it moved on autopilot, wandering from one person to the next – being written off to the next catastrophe.

But the boys brightened when they saw her downstairs. Eiko had gone to visit with Mae once last time before they left, and Vivi wasn't far behind her. Amarant had disappeared and Ruby suspected Quina was hunting for food somewhere in the town – dangerous, but with their disappearance fast approaching, nobody minded too much. Dagger had excused herself to help the mayor's wife finish packing their bags with food and medical supplies for the trip.

"Rubes! Cinna and I were just about to bring our stuff up and then get Zidane up in the living room!"

She nearly rolled her eyes. Everyone she was instructed to help seemed to be done, giving her nothing more to do than move aimlessly. "Can I help ya carry anything?"

"It's just mine and Cinna's bag left really, if you wouldn't mind. Then we can take Zidane right now."

She nodded, biting her tongue when she saw just how stuffed Cinna's bag was. "How much could ya pack for a week-long trip?" she ended up mumbling, earning a snort from Marcus.

"What?" the thicker thief demanded, not having heard Ruby's nag.

"Nothin'," she told him, hoisting the bags over her shoulder and tramping back up the stairs. She heard them grumbling maneuvers to each other about the genome, and the shuffle of their feet on the floor as they lifted him up.

After throwing everything on the floor by the door next to the others' supplies, she turned around the corner again just as they were carrying Zidane through the door. She could tell they were trying to be gentle, but the way his arm – wrapped in a makeshift splint – slipped off of his abdomen and hung limp to the side, or the way his head lulled and the lighting hit his bruising, she quickly whipped around.

Her skirt flared and her hair rose and slapped back down on her shoulders as she felt her stomach churn. Wringing her hands together, feeling the texture of lace rough against her palms, the girl felt dizzy and sick.

Zidane's condition finally clicked together in her mind, and the battered way he barely hung between their arms made her insides flip flop. She let out a big breath through her lips, puffing out her cheeks as she gripped the wooden chair next to her. "Oh my gosh…" she murmured.

Ruby closed her eyes, but abruptly opened them again, eyelids fluttering open as she snapped her heels together, going rigid. The images in her mind – the forest, Zenero, Beatrix – everything was coming back to her.

"No," she told herself sternly, hoping to ward off these feelings.

Running a hand through her hair, she scratched her scalp before squaring her shoulders. Now wasn't the time.

Biting down on her cheek hard, the girl whirled around to meet the boys. They had gently laid Zidane down on the rug in the living room and were walking calmly towards her. The girl nearly had a melt down, but again, forced herself to keep strong. If the boys were having trouble – they needed someone to depend on, didn't they?

She refused to acknowledge the fact "the boys" now meant a grand total of two.

Cinna cleared his throat, looking between Marcus and Ruby before excusing himself. He suggested helping Dagger and Mia in the kitchen, but then walked out the front door.

"Ruby…" Marcus mumbled, not even mentioning Cinna's moderately sketchy behavior.

"What's up, Marcus?" she asked, still tightly clutching her hands so he couldn't see her shaking. What was happening?

"The group is going to leave real soon."

"Yeah, Baku told me that 'round ten minutes ago."

He rubbed his face, moving his bandana slightly before yanking it down into place. "Ruby we aren't going."

"…What?"

He shook his head, his smooth composure suddenly crumpling. His eyes stung with tears and his whole body quaked. "We can't leave Blank like that. He's our brother. We can't go back."

"What are ya saying?!" she demanded, her voice loud. She knew it too but didn't care.

He jerked his thumb backwards, opening his mouth like he was going to speak when no words could come out.

"Marcus…" she warned, tilting her head to the side like she was going to shake her head in disbelief.

"Baku and I –"

"Baku?" she squeaked, the anger being sucked out of her like smoke from a candle.

"We… we're going back to Treno…"

"What?" she whispered, shaking her head. All of those feelings – they were bubbling to the surface, and her teeth chattered she was so anxious.

"We're going to find a super soft that can de-petrify Blank."

"A super soft?" She parroted faintly.

"Rubes…"

"I'm comin; with ya!" she cried, whirling around on her heel to grab her pack. "I'm goin' to rescue Blank too!"

Blank was not coming back with them. And now neither was half of the rest of her troupe. This was real. It was happening. Blank was gone. Zenero was gone. There was no coming back from that unless Marcus and Baku could find a cure. Blank was out of her life.

"Ruby, you can't! Zidane is going to need everyone when he wakes up!"

"Ya'll can't keep me from this!" she nearly shrieked – loud enough where Mia popped her head around the corner to make sure everything was alright.

"Ruby, we're going to handle it!"

She groaned, feeling physical pain in her body now. "Blank is gone. I gotta help save him. I gotta be there." A sob suddenly ripped from her throat. "He's gone. I gotta."

"Ruby, Zidane needs you too. Blank would want you to be there for him. Baku and I will be fast – Treno will be a piece of cake."

"I can't lose the two of ya too…"

"Oh Ruby…" he sighed, sounding like he was annoyed, but wrapping her in a hug anyways. She missed the tears that spilled over the brim of his eyes, but he wiped them away before he pulled from the embrace. "Everything is going to be fine, but you have to go with the rest of the group. You may not know it, but you're a huge part of it. They need you."

She stared at him, tears running down her cheeks, hair falling in front of her eyes. "Yer really gon find a cure? Yer gon bring him back?"

Marcus' heart broke. He was rough and he was tough and he wanted to act that way all the time – put on a front and pretend that he never had another mode besides 'bad ass', but the way Ruby stared at him… stared at him like a sister, older and younger in so many ways; stared at him like a best friend, a teammate, and another victim of the war who had lost yet another loved one to Kuja's wrath, he couldn't take it.

"I promise we'll bring him back. No matter what."

She sucked in another breath, shaking her head. "If ya don't do good on that promise, Marcus, so help me –"

"I will," he whispered to her, grabbing both of her hands. "Don't worry."

Instead of staying broken, Ruby squared her shoulders. While it was finally sinking in that all that had passed really had passed, and she was missing many people she cared about, the thief decided to put faith in her teammates as she had her entire life in Tantalus.

"Ya be careful. Baku too. And Marcus…"

He stared at her expectantly.

"The moment Blank takes in his first breath of fresh air again… Ya don't do nothin' – ya don't apologize, ya don't tell him the status of the world… Tell him I love him. I love Blank, Marcus… please tell him that."

Out of all of the things she could have said, that was not what he was expecting. It was no longer a secret (one that the rest of the crew had known far before Ruby and Blank themselves) that they loved each other, but to hear her say it so upright, when there was nothing else to prove… He could see the way she meant it, as overdramatic as it sounded.

"I will," he uttered, unable to think of more to say.

"Ya come back. I can't lose more of ya…"

"You won't, Rubes… you won't," he hugged her again before taking an even more serious tone. "Take care of Zidane. Make sure he's safe. We can't lose anyone else." He said the same she just had, and she had to smile at that, no matter how hard it was. "And take care of Cinna, you know how much trouble he can get into."

"I will," she promised back to him. "Don't let Baku into any bars. Ya'll have a job to do!"

He nodded, unable to muster up anymore words. "See you soon, Rubes." Marcus gave a half salute, moving past her and yanking his bag from the floor. He left without another look back, no doubt going to seek out Baku, who had probably said all of the goodbyes he could handle.

"Be careful…" she whispered, turning and deciding her help was needed in the kitchen.


"Are we ready?" Dagger whispered, hardly believing they were stepping out of the miniscule safety of Dali and into the open fields. The skies were clear – so unfortunately and blaringly clear, and the grass was waving in the breeze, tricking them into thinking all was well in the world.

But then, in front of them and to the left was the scarred land, charred still by fire and even by Vivi's gallant fight against Kuja's guards before these messy couple of weeks had started.

"Remember, we move fast and we move quiet. We don't stop for anything so keep your feet under you," Steiner advised, shifting Beatrix in his arms. She hated to be carried, but he had managed to sway her with the harsh insistence that she would be too slow on her own.

Amarant was carrying Zidane. He stared down at the blonde in his arms, his injuries having undergone another session of white magic from Dagger, but she hadn't wanted to consume all of her energy just before they left – just in case.

"Kuja hasn't found us yet… Let's not give him time to get here," Amarant mumbled, before shooting off.

Freya had the same idea and had started behind him almost instantly. Quina and Cinna brought up the rear with everyone in between.

Dagger held her staff at the ready, realizing she was one of the few left that were able to fight. Their strongest warriors besides Freya were all currently unable to move well, or carrying the weight of another, and she knew Vivi and Eiko were in no condition to take on the brute strength of soldiers. Ruby and Cinna seemed blaringly distracted, and Dagger hated to physically see how much their already-small groups had dwindled.

But luckily, the trip went unhindered. Each held their breath as they traveled across the prairie, sloping upward and at the disadvantage. If anyone had found their ship and were waiting for them, they wouldn't see it until they walked right into their enemies.

She never dropped her staff, even as they boarded the ship. Cinna and Ruby flew to the control room, the tension chasing them down the hallway and hollering at them to hurry up. They didn't bother trying to make their injured comfortable, but followed the two Tantalus members into the main cabin and placed them gently on the floor.

With their diminishing numbers, nobody wanted to be alone.

Eiko grabbed Vivi's hand and sat next to Zidane on the floor while Steiner sat with Beatrix's head in his lap. Her eyes fluttered shut in exhaustion, but the quick and shallow way her chest rose and fell told the knight that she too anxious to sleep.

"Anything I can do?" Amarant asked Cinna, who flitted from one control panel to another.

"Help Ruby set the coordinates and steer away from the observatory – I have to start up all of the power or we'll fall right back down to the ground."

The redhead nodded and trotted over to where the girl continually pushed buttons and flipped on switches.

She flung a piece of paper at the man, hardly even looking at him. "See that there platform? Underneath it is a bar with notches on it. It's got numbers on each notch – set them to what's on the paper as fast as ya can."

"What does this even do?" he asked her, genuinely curious about the workings of the Prima Vista.

The blonde glanced over, impatience in her eyes, to make sure he was doing what he was told. When she realized he was still focused on his task, she began explaining. "Baku and Cinna whipped that up a couple years ago. Inputtin' the coordinates blocks the mist from enterin' certain pipes and opens pathways to others. Those coordinates get us off the ground and on a straight path in the air without hittin' anythin'."

His eyebrows shot up in shock. "Your'e kidding! That's incredible."

It was her turn to be surprised. She didn't dare say anything out loud, but she was stunned that the redhead dished out such a compliment. He was stubborn and a bit rude, but he had his moments. Her eyes suddenly jerked away when she thought of Blank.

"Are we ready, Ruby?"

"As ready as we'll ever be!"

Cinna ran from his panels of switches and buttons and gizmos to the steering wheel, twirling it all the way to the right. "Let's get going then! I'm sick of sitting in this place!"

And astonishingly, they lifted into the air and were on their way – no sightings of other ships or soldiers on the ground to report. Escaping Dali had been no problem… It had been infiltrating it in the first place that had caused so much damage.

The young girl looked from the window back to her teammates scattered all over the floor. Freya had most of their bags piled in the corner, and went to join Steiner next to Beatrix. Her eyes landed on the genome, broken and lifeless and heartbreakingly limp. But maybe it was the hum of the florescent lights above them instead of the dim candles in a basement, but she swore a little color had come back to his cheeks.

That's all she could hope for.

That's all they had asked for.

Maybe finally the worst was behind them.

She looked back out the window, watching as the clouds soared by them, lazing like nothing was wrong with Gaia below them.

She had a hard time believing, with all of the hardships in her life, the worst was ever over. And then her face crumpled when she thought of Blank and Zenero, and Beatrix and Zidane, and the kingdom she never got to know, and the people under Kuja's grasp that had no idea.

Tears slipped down her cheeks, but she swore not to let anyone see her cry.


A/N: That chapter seemed to take forever to write. But I hope you enjoyed it well enough! :D

Finally, we are out of Dali – huh?! Doesn't it seem like it's been a long time? Thanks for reading – I truly appreciate everyone who still gives this story the time of day!

Cookies for everyone!

Also I just want to take a moment to thank my faithful Guest reviewer. I wish that he/she would sign in with a name so that I know how to properly thank them! Your reviews are nice and long (for a story with so few reviewers, long reviews make the difference between an update or not) and you always find a way to inspire me to continue so thank you for that, you wonderful, random person :D

-zesty-