Filling In The Blanks

A/N: This chapter is for Derek It'll take him a long time to get here, no doubt, but the endless hours of grinding via FFIX has made you and me both excited for you to read this story. I hope I haven't disappointed so far!

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

Chapter 106: Village of Summoners

When Steiner stepped in front of the crowd that had gathered the very next day, nobody said a word when he announced training would continue in the next clearing over, down the south path between the space they'd picked for slumbering and storing what they could bring from the Black Mage Forest and the kitchen that overlooked the river.

He wasn't surprised that everyone – even the two Cleyrians who still had sour expressions on their faces – fell into line quickly. It was in great contrast to the three others who had moved with them from Cleyra – they had originated from Bermecia, and were in complete agreement with Freya's words.

"You clean 'em up nicely," Lysandra nudged the knight with a grin, and he raised an eyebrow back at her.

"That's what he's good at," Beatrix commented, her tone light.

Steiner's eyes narrowed with agitation. He didn't know what all of this mumbo-jumbo with the magic users was all about, but he didn't like how upbeat it made everyone. They were just driven from their home… again! And Kuja almost discovered where they were hiding again! One would think they'd be a little graver. What was it about this village that gave everyone so much energy? He teemed with a jealousy he'd never admit to. He wanted some too; he still felt the exhaustion of the spontaneous move and hell – even the never-ending mission-turned-rescue they'd been out and about on for the last few months. He couldn't remember the last time he instructed entire platoons.

Since it had been a day and a half already, he could at least take some positivity in the fact that he finally knew his way around. Madain Sari was complicated when you first looked at it, but a couple hours with a few of the more passionate moogles, and he started to understand the layout of the land.

When he stepped into the training area, already equipped with their sparse source of extra weapons (he hoped everyone had enough sense to grab their own before they fled the forest) Dagger, Freya and Vivi waited for them already.

The first thing Steiner did when meeting them in the middle, the entirety of the resistance behind him (though you'd never be able to tell because of the strange way the canyons curved in their passageways), was shake his head at Dagger. "Not you. You aren't training today."

Her shoulder slumped as she gave him a pleading look. "Why not?"

He jerked his thumb to the side, glancing at Beatrix for support; she had that same stern expression on her face, mirroring his own. Good. At least some things hadn't changed. "You're meeting the moogles."

"The moogles?"

"They want to meet the princess, of course," Lysandra told her with a brief smile. She rubbed at her cheek bone just below her eye patch. "They're ecstatic, actually."

"Mog is taking a look at Zidane right now to see if there's anything they can do for him…"

"And?" she asked, hopeful.

"There's been no change yet, but they'll meet you in the balcony above the river after they're finished." Her mood noticeably deflated as she nodded, deciding now was not the time to argue. "You are, however, welcome to join us later."

She nodded again, trying to be polite as she wandered off, veering left to dip down into the sheltered second dining room and into the kitchen-dining balcony. Steiner couldn't feel too bad for her; he had a feeling she'd rather enjoy meeting the moogles. Besides Mog, who turned out to be immensely quiet without Eiko around, an old moogle named Morrison seemed to lead the bunch, and his explanation of the rich history, cryptic atmosphere and set up of Madain Sari told Steiner much. He knew Dagger wouldn't be disappointed.

He rubbed his forehead, already feeling the hot sun nudge its way under his armor; he'd wanted to wear it all – look professional and everything. He glanced at Beatrix, impressed by the way she wore her leather corset and long, sleeveless jacket – cool, but somehow still better looking than him. Even with that captivated feeling, a mildly depressed sigh left him anyways; she was always better at looking professional than he and she never tried. The woman's dark, hazelnut eyes flickered towards him, but she did not turn to ask him what he was moping about.

"Fall forward and to the left! Hurry up, now! We have to see how much room we have!" Cid was waving people in dramatically, Hilda behind him in a light, but fancy dress – Steiner's jealousy at the way everyone but he could keep cool in the atrocious heat only continued to rise.

Surprisingly enough, the resistance was silent as it marched forward. Contrast to Kuja's huge, synched armies, everyone's footfalls were slightly different than their neighbors but luckily they were all silent as they marched. Not one single soldier in Kuja's forces could say that (and grudgingly, neither could Steiner most of the time with his clanky armored suit).

The clearing between the canyons was big. Beatrix liked to believe that it was because the citizens of Madain Sari once had buildings or small shacks and awnings to protect from the sun, filled with shops and homes and training centers, prayer walls and healing stations and tutors. She remembered when she was just a girl and she'd learned about Madain Sari, and the grand place it was, and how if one was ever lucky enough to travel in those technology-limited days, the destination of choice should be the exquisite village. But then, tragedy struck the place more than once and suddenly, the lively town vanished from most book writings, scrolls, and letters worldwide almost like it had never existed at all.

However, she guessed there were multiple open spaces for the things she'd listed above, because it was not big enough to accommodate their entire group. In the end, Cid threw up his arms and ushered everyone to squeeze in for some words from their generals before the remaining platoons relocated.

The Regent very quickly gave the floor to her, jerking his head back at the ex-knight expectantly. She tried not to glance at Steiner in pity, for he was still nearly never chosen to make the big, impactful speeches though she knew there was nothing more he might want than to inspire those who rallied underneath him.

"While we're very thankful that this move was successful without incident, do not expect any more niceties from us. We need to be strong and united," she nodded for emphasis, her eyes sweeping over the crowd who were all hung on her every word, "and there is no better way to do so, as you've probably been learning over the years, months or mere weeks you've spent with us, than to train ourselves. It will take time, do not become frustrated as we are still learning many things ourselves. We have lost some friends recently, and doubt has fallen into the minds of the weak –" her posture seemed to snap straight at this, and that snagged everyone's attention, making them fidget too, "but we are not weak! We will not let the tragedy and the volatility of late shake us!"

Murmured cheers rose in the crowd as people nodded along with her in agreement.

"We will not let Kuja stop us now that we have all come together!"

An eruption of agreement actually took place. Lysandra had to bite her lip to stop from grinning, and she noticed delightedly that Steiner and Cid had to do the same. Even Freya had the tiniest of smiles blossoming on her face.

"We will take back Gaia through the sweat and the tears and the blood, no matter what! Anyone who does not have the willingness to try, I dare walk out of this sacred village now!"

And everyone clicked their mouths shut, standing straight and at the ready for command. Beatrix finally let on an arrogant smile as she flipped her long curls over her shoulder. "Good!" she barked at them before waving them off. "Now you are all ready to learn how to fight like a team!"

The reception of the small speech was undeniable. It was moments like these when Steiner remembered exactly why Beatrix was the preferred speaker. He would have loved to see her pep-talks to the Rose Brigade all those years ago. He pondered this for a moment as Lysandra and Freya lead the rest of the resistance away, giving Steiner and Beatrix reign of all those who could comfortably fit, combat-ready, in the clearing.

Under the sun, Steiner's skin perspired heatedly, and he couldn't stop pulling the handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his dirtied brow, but as the people in front of him broke into groups and stared at their leaders ready for a command, he wouldn't have wanted the fiery desert day to be any different.


Dagger leaned over the balcony, feeling the cool mist on her face. It was early still, but the sun blistered above them, shining relentlessly with rays of heat. She was grateful her duties today brought her close to the river that could cool down those who stood near it.

She'd heard Beatrix's speech and the whooping that had followed and couldn't smear the grin off of her face. The ex-knight was right in the things she had said (in that way, she believed the unvexed feeling of the magic in the air had nothing to do with it), and Dagger – trying to revert back to the ever-optimistic girl of Dali two years prior – had to remember that.

Her eyes reflected the stunningly blue water as she stared down at the gentle current. White foam curled around the rocks jutting from the stream and the contrast of the stones to the water to the foam kept her attention downward.

"Dagger!"

She turned her frame, one hand still lingering on the railing and the other falling to the side. Her hair fell over her shoulder, head held high as she stared at the girl. "Eiko?"

She bounded forward, nearly skipping as she skidded to a stop before the raven. "Hiya!"

Dagger couldn't help but let on a content smile as she turned around completely, bending down to see Eiko eye-to eye; she knew the girl appreciated not having to crane her neck up at people. "What are you doing here?"

She nearly snorted, "You didn't think you'd get to go on a tour of Madain Sari without me, did you?"

"A tour, huh?"

Her indigo hair fell forward as she nodded; her own bob had grown out to her shoulders, and Dagger couldn't help but notice how pretty the girl looked with longer hair. Eiko was going to grow up to be a fiery one, she was sure.

"With the moogles too, of course."

That smile didn't leave the girl's face. She had wanted to meet the moogles as soon as she came in, but exhaustion and restlessness had propelled her in the opposite direction.

"Are they here now?"

Eiko glanced backwards, seeing a couple of moogles slowly ascend the stairs. She let on a bittersweet smile, her eyes drooping like no seven-year-old's eyes ever should have had to at such an age. "A couple of them."

When the moogles, their pompoms hanging just above their faces, spotted the duo, they bobbed over, their little wings flapping behind them.

"I didn't know moogles could fly!" she laughed, delighted.

The first moogle who touched to the ground extended a hand, his mane of fur nuzzling up against his face. "My name is Morrison, kupo! This here is Chimomo!"

"Pleasure to meet you, Princess Garnet! Kupopo!" she did a small, excitable backflip.

Dagger shook the first's hand, then the second. "Pleased to make your acquaintance!"

Eiko could tell by the expression on her face that she was hoping to hear some good news about Zidane. Her shoulders slouched when she watched how expectant the teenager was. Though the news they would report wasn't devastating, she knew it wasn't what the raven was looking for.

"We are so glad to finally meet the Princess of the rebellion, kupo!" Chimomo chimed, voice soprano and cheery.

"Please," Dagger laughed uncomfortably, like the purple-haired girl had heard so many times before, "call me Dagger."

The two moogles nodded, their red poofs springing this way and that for a moment. A pregnant pause rose in the air before Morrison cleared his throat lightly.

"Your friend – the dreamer? Zidane?"

She nodded, clasping her hands hard to stop them from shaking.

"His condition has not improved," Dagger let out the air she didn't know she was holding, "But this comatose state that he's in doesn't hinder his ability to breathe on his own or keep his heart pumping, weak as it is, kupo."

"But I'm sure you were able to figure this out already, kupo!" Chimomo chirped and then sighed. "Doctor Tot made our consociate just hours ago, bringing to the table his theory on Zidane's condition."

"Doctor Tot?" she parroted, tilting her head and putting a hand to her cheek. She nearly forgot the man had fled Lindblum with Steiner, Cinna and Zidane all those months ago.

"While his body seems to be healing, we believe it's the emotional trauma keeping him suspended in his own mind, kupo."

"But he's so strong," she whispered, though she hardly noticed she had said anything at all as she stared with grief at the moogles in front of her.

"Doctor Tot has suspicions though, that if he keeps this up much longer, with the slow rate his injuries are healing and the refusal to absorb much more white magic, dehydration might be becoming a problem, kupo."

"Dehydration?"

"There's no way to get fluid into his body, kupo. And we think that might be why this process is so slow; why he can't absorb more healing magic."

"Dehydration," she mumbled, dumbfounded. How could something so simple and overlooked in times of magic and elixirs be causing such a problem?

"There's Mog!" Eiko suddenly shouted, pointing largely at a figure floating up the steps. "She's going to want to tell the rest of the story!" the girl nudged Dagger, her face a little more upbeat. "She likes telling the good news."

Both of Dagger's eyebrows raised in surprise as she watched the smallest moogle with a slightly more orange pompom bob towards them. Her eyes blinked quickly and bashfully; she was nervous to be ascending on the princess.

"Kupo!" she squeaked, bowing low to the girl.

Chimono put a mitted hand on Mog's shoulder, "She likes to be called Dagger."

"Nice to meet you, kupo!" she murmured, her voice an octave higher than the other female moogle's, and a whole lot quieter.

"Deliver the good news, Mog! We can't wait anymore, kupo!" Morrison urged, delight written all over his features. His wings fluttered and he floated for a moment in excitement.

Her dark eyes landed on Dagger's face as she puffed out her main and wobbled her pompom. "They told you about Zidane's condition?"

She nodded, "At least, what was theorized of it. I think it makes sense," she dreaded the words as they fell from her mouth, but she remembered she needed to stay polite.

"The good news is, kupo, that we have a couple of old medicine practices that might help him get hydrated and hopefully wake up, kupo."

"Kupopo! They're going to work, Princess Dagger, I just know it!" Chimomo cheered, and all three of them bounced around a little.

A tight smile grew on Dagger's expression as she laced her fingers behind her back. She had to admit, the energy of the moogles made the notion of Zidane's condition a little better, and she appreciated that they had a few things they could at least try to help him.

"Enough about that for right now," Eiko nodded, tugging on the older girl's hand. "Let's go on a tour of Madain Sari!"

She sucked in a sharp breath, trying to push away thoughts of the blonde. She missed the way he always told her everything would be alright, and the way his lopsided grin and quiet laughter filled her with purified relief. It had been a little over a month since she'd been able to see or hear those things from the boy she loved. Her heart nearly crumbled. Maybe he wasn't so wrong in the notion of ruining her if he died – the coma was doing plenty to her already. Hadn't she told him the mission would be too dangerous? Hadn't everyone warned him?

"Are you coming, Dagger?" Eiko huffed with the perfect impatience of a seven-year-old.

She nodded, attempting once more to push the thoughts from her mind. She had all the time in the world to ponder it – especially after he woke up and she could yell at him… because he would wake up.

The raven followed, a certain spring in her stop as the thoughts of the genome slipped into the background, and the excitement of the moogles and the legendary village took over. Eiko stopped swinging her arms for a moment and flung one out in a large gesture.

"I don't think I need to tell you, but this is the kitchen! Down those stairs and to the left is my bedroom – or it used to be before I left! There aren't too many places still intact here, so I decided, instead of holing up in a lonely cove, I'd clear out the storage. There wasn't too much damage to this cliff, which I think is why my grandpa picked it for the central social spot for the moogles and me."

She tried to look around with a new light – observing things that spoke more of a home instead of a kitchen, and she found a few things. A thin wire that shined deeply only if you looked at it in the right light signaled a close line, and when they walked through the roofed dining room, she noticed a collection of old books jammed into spice shelves, and an assortment of hygiene products for both races living in the abandoned village piled into a barrel behind the chairs.

Eiko babbled on about how dinner was usually always burnt – especially her potato stew – but it was okay because they all had fun making it together. Morrison made a humble comment about Eiko not even caring that Moco couldn't read – she let the young, chatty moogle help anyways.

When they left the dining area, the rush of the water slowly fading behind them, they twisted quickly through the short hallway of canyon walls into the middle of combat training. Weapons of all sorts were being tossed about, metal clanking metal with tings and tangs ringing out in the air when they clashed. Shouts of encouragement and riled-up war cries polluted the usual silence as the zealous rebels honed their skills.

The indigo-haired girl gave a giant wave to Steiner and Beatrix, whose eyes had fallen on the small touring group as soon as they walked into the opening. The two ex-knights nodded in return, and Dagger gave a little wave – more of a raised finger wiggle, distracted as she watched the improvement of the soldiers around her. They were all doing an excellent job.

She spotted Ruby and Cinna in one of the groups, tag-teaming a hippo and dog creature who had matching kamas. Both had steel chain links and blades with beautiful oak handles that Cinna would be crowing about if he wasn't trying to dodge them. The girl had to look away after a short while – the duo her friends faced reminded her of the Nero brothers; Dagger ushered Eiko along.

"This is where we part ways, kupo!" Morrison bowed to the girl so quickly she couldn't even refuse. She was shaken from her remorseful thoughts as soon as he and Mog fluttered their wings to leave. "We're going up this path to the Healing Cove. That's where Zidane is, kupo!"

"Do your best!" Eiko cheered them on, though something was strained in her voice; Dagger assumed the fake enthusiasm was for her benefit.

"Kupo!" they called to her as they fluttered off; Mog seeming all too flustered as she spun around.

"Nice to meet you, kupo!" she squeaked out to the princess, before dashing off again to follow her superior.

"Don't mind them too much, kupo!" Chimomo told them as they continued on their path, sneaking around the group in the clearing to the next path out, "We'll be meeting other moogles on the way! They're all so friendly and nice!"

"If they're anything like you three, Chimomo," the girl praised softly. Said moogle did a little backflip to show her glee, before Eiko laughed and shook her head.

"Enough chitter-chatter – let's get moving! I'm too excited to keep going slow!" Eiko grabbed the arms of her two companions (having to yank Dagger at a lopsided angle to be more her height) as she skipped forward, rewarded with an infectious laugh from all of them.

Dagger assumed that most of the tour was more exciting for Eiko than it was for her. Most of the moogles had moved in after the village had been demolished, and she suspected the purple-haired girl didn't actually remember most of the small community that once bustled there. Her grandpa had probably told her great stories, and wondrous books were probably written with notes scribbled into scrolls and diaries that she'd poked through in her time alone.

She would point out random masses of rubble and struggle through a mildly vague description of the building that used to rest there along with the people who bustled in and out. The raven secretly hoped that Eiko didn't have any memories of destruction, and she figured if the girl could only spew real details about dwellings that crumbled from decay and not obliteration, then she felt pretty confident that the girl didn't have the horrors Beatrix had briefly described to remember.

On the way around the village, they met Mocha who was able to tell them a little more than Eiko's exaggerations.

"This place was very spiritual, kupo. I bet you could guess that much!"

They were currently inside of a cove that had barely been touched. Supplies had been moved out, but wooden furniture and paintings all along the walls still remained. The smell of incense wafted under Dagger's nostrils.

"No one remembers where the summoners originated and why or how they came to be, but Madain Sari holds the only history of them in all of Gaia – Stiltzkin told us so when he visited on his travels, kupo. But this valley by the ocean with rich soil and immense heat held a connection for them to the eidolons. Many thought that Madain Sari was where the land first met the ocean, and the magic of life sprung up right here. The eidolons had the first magical powers, kupo, and it was a ritual every day to pray for at least a couple of minutes to them for blessing the summoners with prosperity and the ability to heal and extend life, even though they kept lives very natural, kupo."

The girls were literally beaming at the story. She suspected that even the younger of the two hadn't heard this part of the story before, though she knew the tradition to pray to the eidolons every day. For Dagger, it was something else entirely. Even though she wasn't from Madain Sari, she loved hearing the history of the eidolons and the myths behind them, like old folklores or fairytales.

Her dark eyes traced the dim paintings on the walls; another moogle named Momatose joined them, bringing in a lantern so the two white mages could see clearly. Her mahogany colored glove hesitantly rose, tracing the rough edges of the stone. She recognized the figure in the picture – deep blue and beautiful, even for a simple drawing – with dots of blue all around her, and long navy hair that splayed out behind her.

"Shiva," she murmured with a gasp as though she felt her energy spike, like the eidolons inside of her wanted to leap out and communicate just with her.

"Ifrit is over here!" Eiko laughed, pointing with her own salmon colored gloves at the wall animatedly.

Breathlessly, Dagger continued trailing down the wall, watching as the pictures changed from Ramuh to Carbuncle, even to Bahamut! "This is amazing… I can't believe I'm seeing these pictures from other summoners!"

"A very, very long time ago, High Summoners would make the pilgrimage to the Four Elemental Shrines around the world, hoping to get in touch with the guardians there, kupo. They weren't all too different from eidolons, but could only be summoned circumstancially."

"High Summoners?" Dagger turned towards Momatose though she couldn't pull her hand away from the rooted history plastered over the wall.

"They were the very best. Eidolons blessed them with a presence in a dream or vision, asking how they could be of service and interacting with real words, kupo! All other summoners get a feel for what the eidolons are trying to say to them, but high summoners actually get the chance to speak with them. It's pretty amazing, kupopo!"

She let out a breathless laugh, truly stunned. The history of Madain Sari was so much deeper than she once thought it threaded, and she dreamed that she was a part of such a glorious place; she wished it hadn't been destroyed, and she wished that Eiko was a little older so she could tell Dagger more.

Eiko also yearned for Dagger's understanding. She wanted nothing more than a companion to share this history with, knowing that there would never be another full-blooded summoner on Gaia again. Sharp, turquoise eyes watched thoroughly as the teenager's expressions changed from awe-struck, to remorseful, back to anticipating and reverential. A smile suddenly stretched over the girl's lips, and gently she took up Dagger's hand.

"I have another place to show you – a place I think you're going to love even more than this one!"

Chocolate eyes brightened with exhilaration. "Really?"

The girl gave a fervent nod. "Let's go!"

She didn't need to ask Dagger again – she was almost moving faster than Eiko was this time. The moogles smiled at each other, showing that there was more thought behind their tour than the girls thought. They were delighted that the two summoners were making a connection. Eiko needed that.

They both needed that.


How, in all her wandering the last couple of days, she hadn't found this portion of the village was really beyond her. Part of her was curious how many of those rubble piles were shops and centers more than residence when she saw the wide open space spread out before her like a quilt on a bed. There were only a few large rock structures blocking the way to the ocean, though there was a tall, rocky cliff far more intimidating than the small drop off of the balcony in the open dining room into the river.

"Eiko… this is gorgeous!"

She smiled a little shyly. "You don't think they'll be mad that I didn't suggest this part for training, do you? I didn't want to disturb the Wall of the Eidolon."

"I'm sure they'll understand," she said distractedly, even though she hadn't any idea what the Wall of the Eidolon was.

Their feet shuffled across the dirt bridge to a strong, circular structure of stone, towards a large archway that still held tightly together, despite the rest of the rock destruction in the village. Far below them was the river, outlined by the course rocks that shot up as different canyon ledges around them.

The sun splayed its rays across these parts, and she found herself sweating in minutes. The heat wasn't kind that particular day, and she couldn't imagine having spent it training, and her heart reached out to the others they'd passed at the beginning of their journey.

But she could have stood in the sun for hours, her dark eyes cast forward, watching in the blurry distance the water that seemed to be at a stand-still that far away – almost like it was waiting for someone.

"Dagger, come on!" the girl whined, stomping her foot in exasperation.

"What's the rush, Eiko?" she gestured widely with her arm, feeling so old and silly if a bit of sun could touch her soul in such a way. The crisp scent of salt curled around her, and the sharpness in her nostrils caused her to blink herself more alert. The breeze even met them up on that sturdy bridge, rushing through her hair like it was coaxing her closer, hoping she'd never vanish into the valley again.

This part of Madain Sari that she was seeing for the first time (and she assumed most people never got to see it at all) was absolutely stunning, and well worth the wait. Though the strange mixture of sorrow and power pricked deeper into her veins, like it was stronger and more persuasive. She wasn't sure how she felt about the unfamiliar feeling.

"This is nothing compared to what you're about to see," she told the girl, almost sounding like she was bragging. She threw out a 'come on' gesture before skipping along the path, the moogles following worriedly behind her – they hated when she ran on this bridge, unblocked by any manmade structure.

As Dagger began to follow the girl, she noticed this too. Everywhere else in the village had some tint of civilization – a guard rail, or a stone fountain for water – and even a nearly-invisible clothes-line to blot the organic place with growing life. But starting on that bridge, nothing seemed tampered with in the slightest.

Her speed unconsciously increased once Eiko disappeared in the doorway, and something tugged at Dagger on the inside – almost like she was wishing that it really was better than the feeling of the wind and the sun and the breathtaking view that was just in front of her.

"Eiko?" she whispered, suddenly feeling the urge to be quiet.

She saw Chimomo and Moco before the girl, but when she spotted the second white mage, she saw the girl kneeling before a crumbling, rounded stone. Immediately, she assumed it was Eiko's parents' or grandfather's grave (since she hadn't any inkling of an idea what happened to the old man).

"Welcome to the Wall of the Eidolon, Dagger," Eiko breathed, feeling just as awed as every other time she'd stepped inside the encircling canyon walls – rising higher than her head could tilt. The smell of the incense dwelled in this sun-roofed cavern, and the lighting of another only heightened the sense of mystery. Smoke swirled around drawings sprawled across the orange walls and the sun cast long, strange shadows on the jutting rocks that hadn't been dug out of the packed dirt.

The gravelly sand crunched beneath her leather boots as she twirled slowly, taking in every ounce of the area into her mind, soaking in the magnificent details. There was a small divot in the rocks on the north end of the wall – so shallow that she could see the curves of the rock in the back of the small cove. Pushed underneath the natural shelter was a pot stuffed with old parchment rolled into scrolls; her fingers itched to read them. Something about this history truly astonished her. It was fascinating.

"My grandpa said that only high summoners used to be able to enter this place before the village was destroyed. The council opened it up to all once the storm hit, hoping to inspire faith amongst the people by finally seeing inside the Cove of the Summoners." Dagger could tell that line must have been memorized and she imagined Eiko, three years smaller than she was now, hung on the man's every words. She thought the little girl would mouth the words after him, just so she could always recall the weight of his vocabulary on the very village.

"This place is still very sacred, kupo," Moco told them quietly. "Mog told us that this place is still so pieced together because even Kuja did not have the thought to destroy it! It is really famous around the world, kupo. Or at least, it was."

"No doubt someone as…" Eiko stopped, trying to think of an adult-like word to use as a description, "erudite as Kuja would know about this place."

Dagger's lips puckered; she was sure the seven-year-old had heard Beatrix call Steiner that sarcastically a few days ago when he tried to give her a lecture on the best kind of sword.

She wasn't sure why, because her next thought process didn't relate back at all, but remembering the bickering between the two ex-knights ignited a memory in her mind. Her eyes sharpened their focus in on the textures of the walls, and the way the light fell oddly into the topless cove.

"Eiko," she murmured, the tops of her fingers pressed to her cheek as her long lashes blinked rapidly in sudden realization. "I… I t-think I recognize this place." Her head spun with the sudden epiphany.

The younger girl's hand stopped mid-motion from lighting another incense as she rose from her stooped position. The compressed stick of scent in her hand almost fell, but she captured a hold on herself as she snorted.

"That's impossible. Like I said, only high summoners were allowed in this place. You definitely wouldn't have been in here in all your life, and anyone you know would have had to been here before the storm or Kuja's attack had happened. But you've said it yourself that you don't know any other summoner but me!"

She sighed; she hated sounding so silly, even to herself. Eiko was absolutely right in her fact-checking, and what words had tumbled out of Dagger's mouth didn't even quite make sense. But there was a feeling – a big one – that she was somehow interlaced with Eiko's past more than they thought.

When she pulled herself from her thoughts just a few moments later, she found herself in front of that small cove. Her hand hovered over the large vase of crammed documents before she extracted the first one she touched.

It was smaller – not telling anything in particular about the history of the place; perhaps it was a diary?

To be honest, it looks very worn away. Her own thought made her heart sink as he thumb rubbed against the soft edge of ancient, worn parchment. Deep, etched words on the paper were visible here and there and she squinted her eyes, hoping to see better.

fewer High Summoners available…Focusing on more things… War… upon us…

"Serena on council… last High Summoner to … elemental shrines… Serena…" Dagger mumbled, the syllables vibrating her barely-parted lips. She absent-mindedly leaned closer to the paper in front of her. "What a blessing… inspiration… pregnant…" She stopped reading to blink.

There were fewer and fewer High Summoners in Madain Sari while that particular entry was being written because they were focusing more on war. Dagger guessed some of the summoners, with all of their power, found it their duty to help protect the less magically inclined in the war, and left the village to offer aid around the world. She had to smile at that. Even the most powerful were disgusted by Kuja's lust to rule.

This woman – the last High Summoner to make the pilgrimage to the Elemental Shrines – was pregnant! Everyone must have been pleased.

Most of the rest of the paper was blank, and she guessed it had a lot to do with the ramblings of someone writing in a journal, but in the last paragraph, she spotted something that made her stomach twist with the unknown.

Serena… Baby… named Victoria.

She lurched forward. Her mother's name was Victoria…

She recalled the way that some of the only things she'd heard about her mother from friends and strangers alike was that she mysteriously appeared one day – no one really knew where she'd come from.

"Eiko… who is Serena?"

The girl perked up like she'd heard someone call her. "Serena?" she asked back, even though she'd heard the raven loud and clear. Dagger nodded in response anyway. "She was my mother's mentor. At least, that's what my grandpa told me." The girl stood up from where she sat, tracing the worn away pictures on the wall. "Serena was one of the last High Summoners Madain Sari knew. She was very popular I guess… She was kind and powerful."

"Do you know anything about her daughter?" the girl held up the notes in her arms. "Victoria?"

Eiko shrugged. "Not as much," she turned and began walking again, like she was bored of the conversation. "Grandpa said there was a lot of weight on her shoulders because she was Serena's daughter. He thinks that's why she left the village."

Dagger's heart pitched.

"She left?"

"There's not much more to the story than that that I know." She shrugged, "Mog told me when I read those notes for the first time that everyone thought she was intimidated by her powers more than the average summoner, and she wanted a different life. Madain Sari didn't stop her – they supported her if that was what she wanted to do. Except maybe Serena, I think Grandpa told me she was a little hurt."

"How does Mog know this?" she asked, feeling like a pestering child before dinnertime. Her heart beat in her throat and the sound flooded her ears, drowning nearly everything else out.

"Oh! Mog knew her," she said it so nonchalantly that Dagger nearly missed it.

Something seemed to click in her mind – nearly audible – as she all but flung the paper from her hands. She leapt up, the words on the tip of her tongue. Everything suddenly made sense. Her mother's lack of a backstory; Dagger's recognition of the gorgeous place they were exploring inside the Cove of Summoners; her ability to cast advanced white magic and summon eidolons only ever acknowledged in Madain Sari!

She whirled around, exhilaration and astonishment warping into her all at one time, and she heaved her chest to breathe. But when her eyes flickered up, she saw Cinna puffing towards them up the long, narrow bridge, a moogle floating fervently behind him.

"Cinna?" her head tilted to the side as her forehead creased. "What –"

"Zidane's awake!" he nearly screamed, his eyes all bewildered and his fists shaking while his fingers were curled tightly into his palms. "He's awake!"

It didn't take Dagger too long to register what he'd said. She passed him on the bridge in a full sprint, abandoning any sort of breakthrough into the memories of her own past.

Zidane was awake.

Right now, that was more important than being a summoner would ever be.


A/N: I feel like if I didn't stop there, I could have gone on in that chapter for forever!

So there! Ahh! You finally get a little bit of Dagger's backstory :D So exciting! I hope you liked that chapter… I'm sort of not feeling as proud of the synopsis of Madain Sari as I would have hoped, but I like to pretend my vocabulary and sentence structure has been a little more spruced up than usual, and I'm proud of myself for that at least.

So glad that this chapter is hurdled – can't wait for some freakin' characters to come back into the story! Man I feel like after that little hump in Dali, there was no one left to write about! :P

Thanks for sticking with me, everyone still reading your love is much appreciated and much needed to. You guys rock!

-zesty-