Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ JOURNEY ❯ Results ( Chapter 4 )

Part Four: Results

There was, of course, nothing going on at the moment--which, in their case, was a relief. There was no activity whatsoever: no shows were being performed, no Fan Girls were screaming after Lowell, there were no constructors going to and from work, and not even the occasional street brawl was taking place. In short, it was a very quiet, bland, and ordinary day, and "they" were taking complete advantage of it.

"You think she got lost?" asked the stouter one. The lanker one shrugged.

"Hope so."

"You know she's in love with you, right?"

"ACK, don't remind me!!!" screamed the thinner one. The more obese of the two chuckled, and scratched his belly.

"Hehehe… I dunno about you, bro, but I'd rather be alone and suffering than having a girl like that tail me around."

"Ugh…" The tall one sighed, and hung his head in misery. Just then, the shortest member of their gang (and probably the ugliest) came into the room. The three men did their traditional greeting, and nodded their heads.

"Yo, I checked all over the place," reported the shortest one. "She ain't around!"

"Whew, what a relief!" cried the thin one. "Thanks, man. I owe you big time for this."

"Forget it," shrugged the ugly one. "Anyway, we're gonna have another meeting soon, so start prayin' that she doesn't get lucky and--"

"THERE YOU ARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The three men plummeted to the ground from the blast of the new guest's voice, and by the time they stood and dusted themselves off, this fourth member had already scurried inside and made herself comfortable.

"Oh well," sighed the obese one. "So much for that period of tranquility."

The time--Roughly three days after Beatrix left Alexandria

The place--Lindblum city Theater district; Tantalus hideout

The players--Blank, Marcus, and Cinna, three Tantalus thieves; Lani, a self-centered bounty hunter

The status--Discord

"Hello, Lani," grumbled Cinna. The fourth person in the room, and the only female thus far, smiled wickedly.

"What's up, pug-face? God, it took me forever to find this place!! Do you realize how long I've been running around?"

"Days?" offered Marcus. Lani screamed and leaped into the air.

"Three frickin' days!! It took me three frickin' days to find this place!!!" She growled, but calmed down after a while and caught her breath. "But, it was all worth it to see my sweetie!" She smiled, and slinked over to where Blank was. Purring like a wild panther, she cozied up to him like a python around its prey.

"Uh… yeah…" muttered the poor man. His eyes turned to fire and ice as he glared at the snickering Marcus and Cinna. Suddenly, a familiar sneezing sound could be heard, and Blank pushed Lani away as the three Tantalus boys greeted Rubi and their boss, Baku.

"Hey you lugs, what's goin' on?" demanded their boss. Marcus scratched his neck, which usually meant that he was trying to hide something.

"Uh, well, uh…"

"What's up, fatso?" greeted Lani. She crossed her arms and walked over to him, receiving several frightened looks all the way. Baku merely laughed at her boldness.

"Gwahaha! Yer a brave one, little girl! So did you bring me my Cyclops head?"

"LITTLE GIRL?!?!?!" Lani's high and annoying voice suddenly grew much higher and more annoying. "I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I AM A FULL-GROWN WOMAN AND A GREAT BOUNTY HUNTER TO MATCH!!!!!"

"Gwahahahahahahaha!" chortled Baku. "Okay, keep yer shirt on--not that we wouldn't want it otherwise!!"

"WHY YOU--!!!!" Before the enraged Lani could explode over Baku like so much lava from a volcano, Rubi stepped in to separate them.

"Now hold yer horses, y'all!" she demanded. "Boss, y'need to stop actin' so… well, like yerself when we've got new members! And Lani, sweetie, could y'turn the volume down just an eentsie-weensie lil' bit?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?!" spat the bounty hunter. Rubi made a face but kept her civility through some great miracle.

"Well… ah'm just sayin' that the ol' Regent hisself could prob'ly hearya from his room. I mean, bein' loud's nahce, but, well…"

"You need to shut up," insisted Cinna. Lani turned around, and in doing so, also turned her melting-hot rage from Baku to the little hammer-wielding punk.

"What… did… you… say?!" Cinna swallowed heavily, and would have drowned in his own nervous sweat if it were possible. He spoke again, knowing full well that any and all words would mean Instant Death.

"I… s-said th-that y-y-you… n-need t-to… ah… sh-shut up." Lani growled ferociously; no, she roared, and clenched her fist so hard that the knuckles turned white. Her dark-skinned face began taking on the hue of a radish, and steam literally came out her ears. Even Baku was not brave enough to stick around the area, and scrambled out of the hideout before he could hiccup.

Immediately sensing the danger that his honest "brother" was in, Blank decided to sacrifice himself and rushed in to save Cinna. Before Lani could go berserk on the bearded man, Blank fiercely flung his arms around her body and locked his lips onto hers.

Before Lani could erupt, her fires had been cooled by her "sweetie", and a look of pure shock came to her face as she stood there. Slowly, she realized that she was being kissed, and let out a moan of contentment as she returned the gesture. Though Blank considered the act quite unholy (he would be brushing his teeth for the next fifteen hours straight), he considered it a small price to pay in order to save his "brother".

"Oh, am I interrupting anything?" came a voice. Blank winced and broke the kiss quickly, leaving both himself and Lani flushed and out of breath. As he wheezed for air, his flushed face turned to the color of ashes as he looked to see who had barged in.

"Uh, no…" grunted Marcus. "Not a thing, Lady B. In fact, why don't you come in and make yourself comfy?" The one who had barged in on the group, Lady Beatrix of Alexandria, merely smiled coyly and crossed her arms.

"Perhaps another time," she replied. She nodded at Lani, who was still red from the sudden kiss. "I saw Baku run out of here like the place was on fire, so I had to check and see if you were all okay. You, ah, seem to be very 'okay' to me…"

"Hey, wait! It's not what you think!" blurted Blank. Beatrix gave him a smug look and waved the hair out of her eye.

"Sure," she smiled. Her grin vanished slowly, and once again she attained the façade of a businesswoman. "But in any case, I was just passing through here on my way to the airport. Trust me, I would normally never intrude, but since it looked like you were in danger, well…" She coughed in order to clear up her own slightly flustered face, and cleared her throat before speaking. "In any case, I will be leaving soon. Lani, was Baku the, ah, 'new boss' you were referring to earlier?"

"Y-yeah," gushed Lani. Beatrix smiled lightly, and saluted her one-time enemies.

"It's none of my business," she said. "If you'll excuse me, I will be heading back to Alexandria. Oh, and Blank? I shall try to keep your secret a, uh… a secret."

"Oh, man…!" Blank moaned out in agony, and hung his head. Lani giggled and rushed over to constrict him again, and Beatrix left the theater district laughing out loud.

"It's so good to see you again!" Beatrix managed to put on a very pasty smile as she was being hugged and kissed by Lady Hilda. The older woman had been crooning ever since she saw the General. Like Garnet before her, she believed that Beatrix had gone on a journey of self-destruction, so perhaps this outpouring of affection was reasonable.

"I'm… fine, Lady Hilda," managed Beatrix, but the other woman ignored her.

"You poor dear!" whined the woman. "You don't look well at all! And… and…" She crinkled her nose, and tried her best to politely step away. "Beatrix darling," she said, "what is that offensive odor?" The knight's face went red as she realized that she really hadn't had a good shower in days.

"Oh, forgive me, my lady. I, ah, well, you see, uh…"

"You… fought very… hard for the preservation of peace," offered Hilda. The faintest of all faint smiles was on her lips, and Beatrix mirrored it as she sighed with relief.

"You, ah, seem to understand my, uh, predicament, my Lady," muttered the knight. Hilda nodded her head, and insisted that Beatrix be bathed and pampered and spoiled that very second. Though the knight had things to do and reports to make, she knew that coming to see her Queen in such filth was unbefitting a General. Besides, she figured that she had earned a little reward, so she accepted Lady Hilda's offer.

Never, not once in her life, had Beatrix ever received the royal treatment. According to Hilda's wishes, the knight was to "be bathed in as much luxurious comfort as myself or my husband is accustomed to", and this is exactly what happened. For starters, dutiful maids took her soiled clothes, even her eye patch, and had them washed and cleaned and scrubbed until the stink of battle was no more.

Beatrix was allowed to dip herself into a tub of hot water, and warm-hearted maids attended to her hair. For the first time since she had it, Beatrix had somebody else shampoo and wash her silky-brown locks. Lindblum's best masseuses were even called in to loosen her battle-weary muscles, and a famous smith was hired to make her sword look shiny and new. This entire process took the better part of three hours, and by the time Beatrix left this bliss, she felt like doing nothing but sleep.

Hilda, sensing the General's desires, hired their finest airship to take the spoiled woman over to Alexandria. With her fresh clothes (and fresh body), Beatrix looked (and smelled) a hundred-thousand times better. She thanked Lady Hilda a few times, and promised to come back "soon" as she left for the airship. Once onboard, she went straight to her quarters and fulfilled her dream of a nap.

Which was, by the way, completed only too soon. Not one hour had passed before Lindblum was a memory and Alexandria stood in front of her. Beatrix thanked the pilot as she left the ship (and her bed), and waved the vessel farewell as it lifted off into the clouds. With a warm sigh, she gazed at her home of Alexandria, and would have cried out of nostalgia under any other circumstance. But, she had a job to do.

"L-l-lady Beatrix!!" The front door guards sputtered as they saw their commanding officer return, and rushed forward to give her their snappiest salute. She smiled and returned the gesture fondly.

"Hello, Clarice," she greeted. "Hello, Ronnie. I'm… all right."

"Yes, my lady!" sniffled Clarice. "You… are safe, as I thought you would be!" Beatrix smiled at her soldiers, and for the first time in a very long while, did not feel the need nor the desire to act formal. After waving good-bye to the guards, Beatrix calmly walked through the castle gate, and sighed as she smelled the beautiful air of her home.

"Well," she sighed, "I'm back." After her brief pause, Beatrix calmly continued her walk to the castle. The land was in peace: children were running around, old folks were enjoying the day, merchants were selling wares, soldiers were chatting, barmaids were squealing, and even the thieves were having a merry time. Beatrix greeted every single person she saw on her trip, and made sure to smile a lot more.

As she entered the castle, Beatrix was swamped by guards. Every single one of them, even the newest ones among them, had heard of her great feat and feared her dead. But no, she was very much alive, alive and very well it seemed. Beatrix smiled, and politely asked them to part so she could give her report to the Queen. No sooner did the soldiers part, however, than did Beatrix gaze upon the object of her search.

"Your highness!" She quickly kneeled to the floor, and kept her eye to the ground. Garnet, too happy for words, paused just long enough to shed a tear before she scrambled forth. She practically pounced on Beatrix, and gave the General her fiercest hug.

"Beatrix!" whispered the Queen. "You're… you're safe!!" The knight, however, was completely dumbstruck. She had expected the Queen to be quiet, reserved, and at the most, happy for her safe return. But this?

"I…" managed Beatrix. She smiled, and slowly found the strength to return Garnet's hug. "I am… grateful, my liege. But, I have… important news, highness."

"Oh, of course," murmured Garnet. She smiled sheepishly, and let go of Beatrix. No sooner did the girls part did another figure pounce on Beatrix, only this one seemed even happier to see her than Garnet had been.

"Wow! You've got the devil's luck, Beatrix!!" growled Zidane playfully. Beatrix managed her most civil smile (through some great miracle) and tried her best to calm the boy down.

"I am even glad to see you, sir," she said. Zidane grinned that same old lunatic grin, and scratched his neck.

"So you did miss me!"

"Don't push your luck," replied the knight wryly. Zidane grinned broadly and shrugged. The knight sighed, and stood up to address her Queen and possible future King in the manner that befitted a battle-hardened General.

"My lady, I have much to tell you," she began. Garnet also wore the mask of business, but would not allow Beatrix to tell her everything just yet. Instead, the young Queen guided her bodyguard to the infirmary, passing several of the Vivis (who had waved happily at Beatrix) and Quina on their way. As they wandered through the small medical rooms, Garnet halted upon coming to a room lit only by the rays of the sun.

Freya was in that room, wearing only a large white robe and boxer shorts. She was staring out the window, allowing the golden-orange light to caress her face. Beatrix swallowed, and approached the serene lady with as much gentleness as she could. Even though three days had passed since, Freya still had that look of dejection on her face.

"Lady Freya?" said the knight. The dragoon made no movement, except to wave her tail. Garnet cleared her throat and walked over to give the Burmecian a nudge.

"Freya," she whispered, "Beatrix has returned." The dragoon's empty face suddenly brightened a little, and for the first time since she had been discovered, Freya let a smile on her mouth. She stood up, and waved her white hair out of her eyes as she bowed her head.

"……I can only assume that you were successful?" she whispered after a pause. Beatrix nodded her head.

"Yes. Though I will admit, it took everything I had and more to free your country." Freya nodded her head gently, and stepped forth to personally give Beatrix her thanks. The mousy woman rested her chin on Beatrix's shoulder, and whispered something for the General's ears only.

"(Thank you,)" she said, "(but that is no longer anyone's country. I am grateful, but… to be honest, you have done nothing but save a graveyard.)" The dragoon slowly backed away, and kneeled on the ground.

"The enemies you have vanquished will never haunt these lands," she said aloud. That statement, apparently, was meant to assure Beatrix that her efforts were not in vain. This did little to make the General happy; if anything, it made her a little more sad to see Freya like this. But then again, in a way, Beatrix could understand what she was going through.

"If…" she began slowly. "…If there is anything else I may be able to do for you, Lady Freya…?"

"No," came a hushed reply. "Thank you." Freya performed Beatrix's trademark salute, and without another word, went back to her activity of staring out the window. Beatrix swallowed, and let out a deep breath as she saw Freya gaze. She couldn't help but feel a little crestfallen herself.

"Don't worry about her," said Zidane, placing his arm on the General's shoulder. "She's still in shock. All we can do for her is be there. Garnet and I are pretty good listeners, so we're always available should she feel the need to let something out." He let out a smile, and waved farewell as he went off on his own.

"Oh, sir Zidane?" The Genome turned around to face Beatrix. The knight smiled, and gave him her most impressive salute. "Thank you, my friend. I just felt the need to say that. Oh, and Tantalus sends their love."

"Oh yeah!" blurted the boy. "I forgot! I heard from boss that they got a new member! Do you know who it is?" Beatrix's enigmatic smile told stories that her words never could, and for the rest of the day, Zidane pestered her to tell him who the new face was.

Freya was left alone, to sit and stare out the window.

--------------------

Captain Adelbert Steiner of the Knights of Pluto in the service of the Alexandrian royal family stood proudly on the deck of the Red Rose. He had every right in the world to be happy--after all, he and his knights had done a fine duty for Queen and country. In the past few days, they had dug through every suspicious corner and every questionable crevice, until an answer to their questions was found.

Originally, Steiner and his crew were commissioned to go out into the world and discover why the forces of The Foe had attacked Alexandria. Borrowing the Red Rose fleet, the Knights of Pluto had practically been everywhere, and only recently were they satisfied with their findings. Steiner only hoped that the Queen would be equally happy.

"Not much longer now," came the voice of Commander Erin. Steiner smiled and nodded his head.

"Good, good! Soon, we'll be back home! The Queen will surely be happy to hear of our reports!"

"I know she will!" squeaked Erin. "I mean, we didn't go through all that trouble for nothing!" Steiner smiled, and marched around the airship to make sure that his soldiers were ready. Blutzen and Kohel, as usual, were gossiping, and it took a great deal of butt-kicking to get them to snap to attention. Laudo was off spewing in the bathroom, Dojebon was happily engaged in an eating contest with himself, and Breireicht was fast asleep.

Rounding up Weimar, Haagen, and Mullenkedheim, Steiner brought forth all eight Knights of Pluto to the bridge, and gave a salute. Erin, sensing Steiner's presence, handed the wheel over to Boyd and gave an equally-impressive salute.

"Hey! Looks like you managed to get them all!" she squealed.

"Well… yes," muttered Steiner. "Anyway, how long do you think it will take us to reach Alexandria?"

"Just an hour," answered Erin. "Why don't you all get prepared while you're waiting? Boyd and I can handle everything from here."

"As you wish!" saluted Steiner. He marched away, shepherding his knights with him. Erin giggled at the show, and sang out to her current boyfriend.

"They're so adorable!"

"Not nearly as adorable as you!" replied Boyd. Erin's face turned radish-red as she squealed out his name.

"Boyd! Stop it! You're embarrassing me!!"

Commander Erin let out a sigh, and turned around to give Steiner her snappiest salute.

"We're here!" she exclaimed. "Alexandria! Welcome home, Captain Steiner!"

"Thank you, Commander! I can never repay this act of kindness!"

"I'm sure you can!" sang the pilot. "And you can start by calling me Erin. You know how much I hate my formal title!"

"Erm, yes…" Steiner trailed off, and gave a mute salute as he rounded up his troops. With a smile, Erin waved good-bye to the Knights of Pluto, and sighed as they left the airship.

"Finally!" sighed Boyd. "We're alone at last!!" Erin's face turned to the color of a tomato, and she shrieked madly as he began chasing her around the airship.

Meanwhile, Steiner and his knights got a warm welcome from the castle guards (some knights got a warmer welcome than others). After pleasantries, the nine warriors marched into town, greeting people that just now began to realize that they had arrived. Steiner smiled proudly, and regarded the city with awe.

"It's getting along well!" remarked Laudo. "This place wasn't fit to breed swine when we left!"

"You take that back!" barked Steiner. He then went on his usual tirade, about how the Knights of Pluto should be this and that, and how they should respect their home and their Queen, and this and that… But, of course, nobody paid attention.

"Sorry, Cap'n," grumbled Laudo, knowing that only an apology would appease his Captain. Steiner grunted, nodded his head once, and continued to lead the knights.

"But you are right," he said. "This city is looking much better than it used to be. I wonder how everyone is doing? Well, only one way to find out! Forwaaaaaaaaaaard… march!!" And with the cry of their Captain, the Knights of Pluto scurried forward into the city, and didn't stop their maniacal charge until they came to the castle.

Zidane was currently playing checkers with one of the Vivis when a strange sound came to his ears. Pausing the game, Zidane stood up to see what the noise was. He couldn't help but smile--or groan--as he heard the tell-tale clank-clank-clank of armor. Zidane could have been blind as a mole and would have known it was Steiner coming back. Nobody else made that much noise with their armor.

"Hey, Rusty!" greeted the boy. He waved in a friendly manner, but Steiner only coughed.

"Humph!" snorted the knight. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I have missed seeing even your immature face!"

"Aw, shucks…" snickered Zidane. He feigned a blush, and rubbed his neck as Steiner walked past him. "So, I take it that everything went well?"

"Yes, quite."

"Well, that's good. I'm sure that Dagge--I mean, Garnet will be glad to see you back, and Beatrix too!!!"

"I… don't know what you mean!" insisted the knight. "I… have no doubt that… uh, many people will have missed my presence."

"Yeah, whatever," sniffed Zidane. "Just don't make too much 'noise' when you reunite with your sweetheart." Steiner's face turned to the color of a strawberry as he growled at the boy.

"Y-you shut up!!" he blurted. Zidane grinned, and hastily cancelled his game with Vivi as he leaped away. The black mage, who was still sitting in his chair, looked up at Steiner.

"U-umm… It's great to see you, Steiner," he said. The knight smiled and patted the boy's head.

"As it is good to see you again, Master Vivi! Forgive me, but I must be off!"

"O-of course!" said Vivi. He smiled, and Steiner was left to visit the Queen and her bodyguard.

Garnet, sitting perfectly still as one of her maids combed her hair, had her eyes closed and her ears opened. She suddenly heard, through her open ears, the familiar sound of armor slapping against the ground. Smiling broadly, joy welled up inside the Queen's body as she sensed her other bodyguard coming forth. As she opened her eyes, the smile grew very wide as she saw Steiner standing there in the doorway.

"That will be enough," she said to her stylist. The maid bowed her head, and finished her work before leaving. In an instant, Garnet sprang out of her bed and rushed towards Steiner.

"Steiner!! You're safe!!" The big guy smiled broadly, and kneeled before his Queen.

"But of course! As long as I still have you to serve, I will always come back safely! My liege, it is good to see you again!"

"And you, Sir Steiner." Garnet smiled, and bade her bodyguard to stand. "Now, I'm sure you have lots to report to me."

"You may be surprised," replied Steiner. Garnet gave him an inquisitive look, and told him to sit wherever he pleased.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… after careful searching and endless investigations, we really have not come up with many answers to our problems. And whatever we did find… was really not of any importance."

"I'd like to hear everything," said Garnet softly. She sat down opposite Steiner, and offered him some tea. The knight noticed that two other cups were on the tray.

"Pardon me, my liege, but are you expecting visitors?" he asked. Garnet smiled.

"Well, I'm more hoping for visitors than anything else. I asked Lady Beatrix and Lady Freya to attend this little meeting."

"Ah, and how are they? What news of Burmecia? I heard the king was absent at that last Council of Gaia." Garnet paused, and slowly swallowed down her anxiety. She took a deep breath, and looked directly into Steiner's eyes.

"Captain, I also have news for you," she said slowly. "You see, well--"

"Burmecia is no more." Steiner grunted, and turned his focus to the door, where a hollow-looking Freya stood. The dragoon, who was lacking her hat, bowed her head deeply before entering.

"What… what do you mean?" asked Steiner. Freya slowly sat in between the two, but didn't touch her tea.

"It was… completely destroyed… by an invading group of monsters…"

"Savage!" hissed Steiner. "Barbaric! Ghastly!"

"Yes…" Freya let out a sigh, and shook her head sadly.

"But, what of the King? And Sir Fratley?"

"I…" Freya choked on her own words, and slowly rested her face in her hands. "I… failed them," she squeaked. "I… let them… suffer…"

"So…" Steiner swallowed, and gazed at Freya darkly. "They are…?"

"Yes," came another voice. Steiner turned around again, and stood out of his chair to greet Beatrix. His fellow bodyguard gave a stiff salute, and tried her best at a smile as she saw Steiner.

"It is good to see you, Steiner," she said. "I… have missed you since you left." Steiner's face grew slightly pink, and he had to cough to make sure that nobody saw him flustered like that.

"Ah, yes, and… ah, it is good seeing you too, Lady Beatrix." The other bodyguard nodded her head, and sat across from Freya. The dragoon, by all account, was dead to the world.

"So, what of The Foe?" asked Garnet. "What could you find out about him?"

"Only that he was a pawn of some sorts," answered the knight. "From what we gathered, this Foe chap was not meant to destroy Alexandria, but to merely whittle down its forces. I, ah, also heard rumors that he had posted a garrison behind at Burmecia, but until now, I only thought that this was a rumor."

"What?!" spat Beatrix. "You mean to tell me that the monsters I fought were also part of The Foe's regiment?!"

"Yes, I--" Steiner stopped himself, and gave Beatrix a questionable gaze. "What do you mean, 'the monsters you fought'?"

"It's a long story," sighed Beatrix. "And I'm not sure how to sum it all up. Let's just, ah… say that, ah… Freya asked me to, ah… liberate her hometown." The conversation halted briefly, and all eyes turned to the mousy knight. She was holding her cup of tea, but kept staring straight into the liquid. Only her tail moved.

"I see," murmured Steiner. "So, it seems as if you were successful. Then, what about Lady Freya?"

"Burmecia no longer exists," murmured the dragoon. Another halt in conversation occurred, and all eyes gazed at the depressed dragoon. She sighed, and quietly began fingering her cup. "But… at least now these threats are over. That is some solace."

"Yes…" Steiner grumbled softly, and slurped his tea down in one gulp. Beatrix rolled her eyes at his action, and sipped her drink instead. After tasting it, she realized why Steiner had drank it all down in one gulp. It was quite delectable for such weak tea.

"So, The Foe was a pawn used for the sole purpose of whittling away our defenses?" said Garnet. Steiner nodded his head. "And he had a garrison of monsters positioned at Burmecia?" Again, he nodded his head. "Why?"

"We weren't able to find that out, sadly," replied Steiner. "And I would have liked to know who he was working for. Doubtless some other tyrant whom we must defeat!!" Garnet nodded her head in agreement.

"If what you say is true, then Alexandria will be ready. I do not wish to be caught unawares again."

"Worry not, my Queen," assured Beatrix. "As long as we are here to protect you and this land, nothing will be able to stop us." Garnet smiled, and thanked both her protectors. She excused herself to attend to other duties, leaving the three knights to sit alone.

"I must excuse myself as well," coughed Steiner. He saluted, and gave a warm smile. "My ladies, I bid you good day." He span around and left Beatrix and Freya by themselves, and was almost out the door before the former stopped him.

"Steiner, wait. Do you, ah…" Beatrix paused, and couldn't help but look down as she managed to say the rest of her speech. "Do you, ah, have the time to talk? I would really like to have a word with you."

"What about?"

"You'll see." She gave a smile, and a very uncharacteristic wink. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble! I'd just like to have a talk with you."

"Oh." He frowned in thought, and grew a little more flushed. "I, ah, would like that very much." And so, with a smile, Steiner led Beatrix to a place where they would have ultimate privacy.

Freya was left behind to stare at her tea and think.

--------------------

Taking Steiner up to one of two private balconies, Beatrix calmed her mind as she recapped what she desired to say. Thoughts aside, the day was a gorgeous one: not too warm, with plenty of cool wind and a sunshine that suggested summer days ahead. The balcony, known by only a privileged few, would make a great place to converse in privacy; Alexandria, for the most part, was populated by people with ears.

Once arriving, Beatrix leaned on the balcony rail and gazed at her home. Alexandria had changed so much since the Mist Wars! …And yet, it really had not changed that much at all. Sure, there was a fresh new Queen with a kind heart and a wise mind, and maybe a few other residents that had not been around in the "old days", but other than these tiny differences, nothing really was different--except for, of course, the architecture, but with the previous invasions, that was a given.

Beatrix prepared her mind and mouth for what she was going to say as the clank-clank of Steiner's armor grew louder. The noise paused briefly, and a familiar sound came from behind.

"Ah, what a great day!" beamed the knight. "This truly is a magnificent place! It is too bad that the gardener has yet to plant those hanging gardens! It would be idyllic otherwise!"

"Yes…" Beatrix trailed off, and swallowed. Turning around, she placed her hands behind her back and let her single eye look at the armored man before her. "So Steiner, how have you been doing?"

"Reasonably well," answered the knight. "What with invasions and investigations, I really haven't had the chance to breathe. But… now we are in a time of peace, at least I'd like to think so, so perhaps I will be given a refresher."

"I see…" Steiner smiled, and crossed his arms smugly.

"But, you know me. Always placing duty before anything else. Of course, it is my job, and I have been trained to protect the kingdom, but you know something?"

"What?"

"I love this job," said Steiner as he joined her in leaning over the balcony. "Some people may disagree with me, but I personally find great joy in dedicating my life to serving and protecting others. It gives me a purpose. Would you not agree?"

"I know how you feel," replied Beatrix softly. "And, uh, actually… that's what I'd like to talk about." She paused, and turned to face him. Her eye grew very serious in a matter of moments. "Steiner… I have to be honest with you. I think of you as a friend and ally, and maybe… just maybe… something much more than that."

Silence. But Beatrix could tell that Steiner was absorbing everything. He was listening, bless him. She sighed, and continued.

"But… and this is going to be hard for me to accept as well… I really don't think, in our positions, we could really, ahh… try for a, uh, relationship like 'that'. You see, uh…" She paused again, and forced herself to continue looking at him. This was much harder than she thought it would be.

"If… you and I… uh, got together, let's say… Then, well… I…"

"You are concerned about our duty to her majesty?" offered the knight. Beatrix smiled, relieved that he at least understood that much.

"Right. I, for one, feel that, if I were to enter into a serious relationship with anyone, ah… then… well, this may sound selfish, but I would want to retire so I could devote the rest of my life to that person. Do you understand?"

"Completely!" coughed Steiner. Beatrix smiled as she heard the faintest of all chuckles come out of his mouth. "It… does not sound very selfish at all… Well, I am not a good judge of these things, but… Say, you wanted to, ah… have children." (Here Steiner's face became very red--and Beatrix's face turned pink as well) "You would, uh, have to devote most of your hours to them. And… your duty with the Queen, would, ah… prevent that."

"Yes…" Beatrix's smile grew a little broader, and the weight on her shoulders decreased. So, he does understand after all… Well, that makes things easier for me. "And… and if we both, ah… got into this kind of relationship--"

"Who would protect the Queen?" concluded Steiner. He smiled lightly and nodded his head at Beatrix. "A strange situation indeed. Ah, the things we must sacrifice for our liege!"

"So… you really do understand?"

"Yes," he sighed. Under his breath, he uttered, "(Though I may not completely like it.)" Beatrix smiled warmly, and stepped closer to him.

"It's all right. Even the most loyal knight must have their own opinion. I'm… just glad you see things this way. Don't get the wrong idea, Steiner--I really like you, really I do, and if you or I or both of us were in a different situation…" She paused, and chuckled sadly as she shook her head.

"The Queen cannot lose two of her most valuable bodyguards," she stated. "Sir Zidane is an acceptable fighter, but I sense that he may be King within five years. Quina is more of a cook than a warrior, Amarant is never in one place for more than five minutes, Eiko has her own affairs to deal with, and the Vivis are numerous, but not as experienced as us. Tantalus is too unreliable, and Lady Freya…"

"Yes, I understand," said Steiner, wisely letting the subject stray from the shell-shocked dragoon. Beatrix nodded her head, and shrugged.

"So the dice falls to us. Oh well, eh? I suppose that all the time we spend with the Queen will make up for whatever relationship we could have had, eh?" Steiner smiled broadly at her logic, and couldn't help but agree.

"Aye! And who knows? Perhaps, if there ever truly is peace, we may face an early retirement!" Beatrix mirrored his smile, and gave her friendliest salute.

"Right. Well Steiner, I'm glad we had this talk. But, I'm even more relieved that you understand my view. It seems then, that since we agree on this topic, there really is no bad blood stirring. You're right; it was a great day. Thanks for listening." And with that, Beatrix leaned forward and planted a kiss on his chin. Steiner's face grew quite crimson in a very short time.

"Erm… well… ah…" Beatrix chuckled politely, and tapped his shielded arm.

"Take care of yourself, Steiner. You've earned a little holiday. Go and take that breather."

"Y-yes, ma'am!" He saluted boldly, and stormed away to the lower regions of the castle. Beatrix let out a satisfied sigh. The conversation had went better than she could ever had hoped. True, it was somewhat unjust that the knights had to sacrifice a relationship for their duties, but they both seemed willing to give up that right for something much greater (or perhaps more important). Smiling lightly, Beatrix walked down the stairs and decided to pay a visit to a friend.

Said friend soon found himself flat on the cobblestone.

"Zidane, Zidane, Zidane…" Beatrix clicked her tongue in disappointment, and bent down to help the poor boy up. "I can't allow you to court her majesty if you don't start fighting seriously. There is no way that I will allow you to become King with such weak skills."

"Hey, gimme a break, here!" he moaned. "I mean, it's not like I studied ten years straight under the greatest swordsman of our time!"

"You're a Genome," she reasoned. "Surely Garland… ah, infused natural fighting instincts in you. Just look at your sister Mikoto. I'm sure she's pretty strong."

"Yeah," he mumbled, scratching his head. "She's got all the black mages in that village whipped. But I love her, y'know?" They both shared a smile, and Zidane got into his classical attack stance.

"This should be interesting," muttered Beatrix, reading his posture like one would read a book. "According to your stance, you're going to dash forward and slice horizontally. I've seen it a hundred times before, sir, and I must say that it will fail."

"Just you wait!" called the boy slyly. "I've learned a few tricks myself ever since you left!"

"Then please, show me these… tricks," insisted the professional knight. "I'd certainly like to see what sort of attack you'll try on me."

"Okay," he sang, "but don't say that I didn't warn you!"

"…You never did warn me, sir," she muttered. Zidane grinned, but remained silent as he leered at his opponent. As always, he dashed forward with his dagger. Beatrix, who saw the attack coming a year ago, shook her head as she prepared to counter. However, just when Zidane got to the point where he would usually slice with his dagger, he jumped backwards, then with blinding speed, vaulted right over Beatrix's head. He rammed the butt of his blade forward, stinging the knight smartly in the spine.

Beatrix yelled out, but more in surprise than pain, and fell to the ground. Leaping over her again, Zidane placed the tip of the blade against Beatrix's face and smiled a stupid smile.

"I've been watching you, too," he noted. "I've been using that attack so many times on purpose so I could get a feel of what you do to counter it. By now, I've pretty much memorized your movements, so all I needed to do was make a surprise maneuver you didn't expect and come at you from behind--your only weakness, might I add." Beatrix coldly gazed up at the boy, and quietly pushed the blade away from her face. Save the Queen soon found its way to the floor, and to Zidane's surprise, Beatrix placed her hands on her head in surrender.

"You know, sir," she said, "that's precisely what my master Atma said, word for word. He warned me of complacency; he warned me to not get used to the same attacks over and over again. You have defeated me fairly and justly. I deserve much worse than this humility for my ineptness and weakness." She snorted, and did not accept his hand when he gave it to her.

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself," he said. "Hey, tell you what--next time, I'm gonna fight for real, okay?"

"No," she sighed sadly, "there will not be a next time. I… still have much training to undergo myself before I hammer out the weaknesses in my system. You have truly defeated me--not physically, but mentally. With that kind of strategy, young man, you can defeat any opponent that faces you." She let out a weak smile, and looked into one of his eyes.

"Henceforth, because you have shown such keen skills and a fine strategy in which not even I could have spotted, you no longer need my tutelage. I… truly have no right to teach a man who knows my every move. …Well done, sir." Zidane smiled awkwardly and took her hand, and the two fighters shook on it. Suddenly, Beatrix flipped Zidane to the ground, and in a flash, her sword was pointed towards his throat. His eyes bugged out, and she gave him a cruel, almost sadistic smile.

"But remember, sir," she whispered, "you must never let your guard down." Zidane sighed, and recovered from the shock. He smiled weakly, and even chuckled at his own ineptness.

"So we're even?" Beatrix smiled, and kneeled down to his level.

"Yes, boy. We are even. Go now, and make your Queen happy." She gave him a very quick (and very uncharacteristic) peck, and rose to attend to her duties. Poor Zidane was left lying on the streets, his face towards the sky and a faint red hue on his face. He touched the place where Beatrix had kissed him, and grinned wildly.

"Hey, Beatrix?"

"What?" He paused.

"Did anybody tell you that you're a great kisser?" She turned around, and gave him a very icy smile.

"Be thankful it wasn't my blade you kissed. Good-bye, Zidane."

--------------------

What's it like? What's it like to be needed? I… really wish that I knew. I wish I knew what it felt like to be wanted and needed--really, really needed. Does… does anybody here need me? Do my words, my presence, my actions, my feelings mean anything to them? Am I a necessary part of life, or… else?

I… gave everything in the battle. I literally gave everything to defend what little I had left of my past. I found that I have a lot to give. I found I have a deep reservoir of giving in my soul, and the water is there for the taking. I gave so much in the battle; I even gave my soul. I fought so hard, I literally gave my soul, gave it to the only place I have ever bothered to call home.

Even as I gave everything, I could not win. I was… defeated. Pushed back. Forced to run. I… cried the last of my tears that day. I no longer have the ability to cry, not even over his death. I can no longer cry, because all my tears were emptied out in that fight. I gave my blood, tears, toil, and sweat in that fight, and yet still it was not enough.

Perhaps I am not even alive. Perhaps I am dead, and this object walking around is a shell. Perhaps there is nothing inside me now, now that I gave my soul away for my home. What good did that do me? Even after fighting so hard, I failed. I could not do anything. I could not do a thing, except fight and lose and run and cry and go mad from the insanity of it all.

I lost my home that day, but… did I ever really have a home to begin with? Did I ever really have a… "bed"? What is a bed? Where was the door to my house? Did I ever have a house? If… if ever I did have a house, it is dead now, just like me. I am my own house, and this house died when it was attacked and destroyed. Now, I only have my body and my spear. And that's it. Nothing else exists of Me, except my memories.

Some would call that a blessing. It might seem that way. After all, it gives me a chance to start over. Start over? From where? Where did I begin before all this happened? Can I begin from that same place? If so, where is it? Nobody will tell me how to start over. I have nothing left, except my body, and my clothes, and my spear.

Oh, of course, I have friends. Ha. Friends. That's all. I don't have anything. Do you know what it's like to have someone? Do you, because I don't. Not now. I did, at one point, but not now. That's so depressing that I almost feel like I can cry again. Of course I can't, so I won't even bother, but… I feel as if I almost could.

Back then… I did not know that he was dead. Why should I? There was no reason for it. I had not seen his body. Only rumors. I only heard rumors. Not facts. I never saw him again, except of course, when I needed him the most. Ha, and then, guess what? He forgot who I was. He had no idea who this person before him was. I was ecstatic that he lived; I was crestfallen that he forgot. It would have been better for him to remain with the dead than living with Nothing.

After all, to be forgotten is worse than death.

But… now, it's even worse than before. At least I had hope then. A shrill hope, but it was still there, stubborn as a mussel. Not now. Not now. Now, I know for certain. He will never breathe again. He will never call out my name, or touch my hair, or kiss me on the nose so adorably. I won't get to see him fight again. This… is… hard.

I don't know why I bothered surviving the journey here. I must have been out of my mind. Oh, wait, yes I was out of my mind. My sanity slipped me there for a moment. Just a moment, quite a blissful moment at that, where I didn't (nor couldn't) care for a thing in the world. I grew savage and wild and uncontrollable, but at least I had no cares. Well, my mind has returned, and I feel like crying again, but I can't.

It's almost funny. Here I am, warrior extraordinaire, and I can't even defend my own past. I let my past, my home be overrun and destroyed. I'm not going to ask why this Foe creature felt the need to occupy my home. That's beside the point. The point is, I failed, and I don't know whether I can find redemption or not. Perhaps it has escaped me. Or perhaps, I found it when I arrived here safely. Ha. "Safely". I nearly killed someone when I first arrived.

Well, I told them about the invasion force like a good little girl. I told them about the monsters that destroyed me and my home, and I told them that I had nearly died getting there. I think I did. Why am I still alive? It does not make sense. Logically, I should have died back there. Yet here I am, alive in a sense, and very much regretting that I was not killed on native soil. Not like him. At least his burial was honorable. "Died, fighting for his country, the noble warrior"--that's what the epitaph would say.

" " And this empty space, this emptiness here, it would be my own grave. Such a fitting end for my cowardice. To live, to "survive" the onslaught of the demons, to wiggle out of death's clutches, only to find yourself very much alive. Ha. I probably won't die for decades to come. Such a fitting end. And when I do die, nobody will have anything to say, because I failed so many people. I will… just be forgotten.

And now, I while my days around this empty castle, staring out the window or at uneaten meals. I no longer have the stomach for food (ha, I must be getting better, for I believe that was what I used to call a "joke"). My friends try and comfort me as best they can. They really do care for me, of course, but… do they really understand what I have gone through? Do they really know? Of course, some do. Dear Zidane, for one.

I find his company best, and then Quina's company next-to-best. Poor sweet fool tries so hard to get me to eat, and I only swallow a spoonful to make him (or her, who knows?) happy. I don't eat the rest. And Vivi, the dear sweet black mage, he tries so hard to cheer me up. Little one, may the Divine Creator bless you for attending to this lifeless hulk.

Beatrix……… Perhaps, in another life, or under other circumstances, we might have made good friends. Now, the best I can affiliate you with is a person, and nothing more. Just like the faceless people that one finds in Lindblum, you are… just a person to me. Not friend, not enemy. …I wish it were one or the other. If we were enemies, at least I could challenge you and die a noble death. Asking for your friendship is too much.

Well, I suppose that I should start to cheer up now. Can't be depressed forever. Poor dear sweet Zidane, you really try too hard. I… wish I could love you. Garnet… I wish I could love you, too. Steiner, big dumb stupid ox, I wish I could love you. Amarant… by God, what's to love in one so callous and indifferent? You and I, though we never saw eye-to-eye back in the "good old days", are very much alike. Vivi… I… feel your past pain, but now you only have joy. Not I.

I wish I could have done more. Oh, well. I suppose I really should try and smile more. I'm depressing everyone else around me. I'm not so selfish as to throw a pity-party and invite everyone from here to Madain Sarai. I… really should try and make an effort to be happy.

"Freya? Hey, Freya, you all right?" Freya broke out of her thoughts, and gazed at what was now her closest friend. She managed a smile so weak, her mouth almost didn't move.

"Yes, Zidane," she answered softly. Slowly, she leaned forward to embrace her closest comrade. "Don't worry about me," she squeaked softly. "I'll be fine."

…No matter how false the mask may be.

--------------------

Shattering mask. Failure. I am a shell.

When I was a small child, my mother used to tell me stories of a great traveling pilgrim and the journey he underwent to get to a magnificent shining city. Along the way, this pilgrim faced many hardships and many woes, as well as great reward and ultimate beauty. One incident stuck out to me the most.

The pilgrim and his companion were wandering off the beaten path, into a land of murky darkness. They were utterly lost--in fact, they were walking in circles. Tired from their journey and drenched with the rain, they continued on, though they had no hope of finding shelter in such darkness. Eventually, they hid under an oak tree and waited for dawn, but by the time the sun rose, they were already fast asleep.

A giant who lived in that land discovered them, and in his cruelty, threw them in the deepest, darkest dungeon in his castle. For days on end, he would neither feed his prisoners, nor would he even allow a shaft of light to enter in. Daily, he would come into the prison and beat the two travelers with a massive club. Hunger and physical torture ate at their souls.

The giant's wife offered a way out. In a bag she gave then was a rope, a knife, and a bottle of poison. The two pilgrims did not accept these gifts, though their hopes were vanishing quickly. One miraculous day, however, the pilgrims found a key in the scrolls they were carrying, and with this key, they managed to escape the castle and thwart the giant.

The analogy to my own life is shocking.

Despair is the giant that rumbles into your life when you are at your darkest and most lost. In its infinite cruelty, Despair will take you by the scruff of your collar and will throw you into its blackest dungeon of the Castle of Doubt. For days, Despair will leave you in this dark pit, never even bothering to come down to see if you are alive.

Then, one lazy day, the giant of Despair will beat you senseless with a mighty club--it will beat you until you are unconscious, and will leave you in the darkness until the next day, where it would give no food nor even rest. It would come down every day after that--it would come down and beat you with its club, every day, until your spirit has been broken.

I am that pilgrim. For days, I have wandered the black meadows of the territory of Despair. The rain drenches my body and soul, and I am so utterly lost that I cannot even find shelter. I hide as best I can, but I cannot escape Despair. He found me, the cruel giant, and threw me into the blackest dungeons of Doubt. Despair would leave me in darkness, would force me to sleep on slimy walls with the maggots and roaches. I would go for days without eating.

Despair would come down daily to beat me, and I would suffer horrible wounds because of its cruelty. This would continue for days on end: each morning I would be beaten, each evening would have passed without a meal. My body would grow weak, and my soul weaker still. And unlike the pilgrims, I have no Keys of Promise to release me from this prison of Doubt and Despair.

One day, the giant Diffidence came to me, bearing a gift. Curious, I opened the bag, and saw my Death. With the rope I could hang myself, with the knife I could stab myself, and with the bottle I could poison myself. My furry hands gently cradled the bottle like it was a child, and I longed for a way to relieve myself of this torture.

Perhaps I had reason to hope. The pilgrims kept their embers warm by singing hymnals; perhaps my faux mask of happiness would be my own praise. But… I do not have the voice to sing. I… cannot have hope much longer.

One day, giant Despair took me outside to the castle yard, where he showed me the bones and skulls of those he had already killed. He warned me that, after another week passed, my bones will join this pile. Then he dragged me back into the dungeon and beat me again, and all the while I believed his threat.

Carefully, I eyed the bottle. Death smiled warmly and slowly comforted me with its gentle arms. I sighed as I sadly began to cry on its shoulder, and its hands went to my hair, and combed it just like Fratley would do whenever I was sad. I shuddered, and reached for the knife. I pointed the blade at me… no. I threw that path into darkness. The rope I sliced to pieces with the knife, and the bottle I broke and poured the contents down a drain. These deaths had no honor in them.

"An accident", said Death. "Let us make it an accident. People die like that all the time. There is no dishonor in an accident. You are too weak from the beatings that Despair gave you, so you cannot enter into a battle and die honorably. But if you have an accident, at least it will not be suicide. There is still honor in that."

I agreed. I even began to think of a way to perform this trick. In the castle, there are two balconies that few know of. These balconies are very high up in the air, and overlook much of the land. If I were to slip and fall from there… yes… that would seem honorable enough.

I decided to fly.

When one flies, one must not look down at the ground below them. They will see the streets rushing up towards them, and will grow sad as they realize that Death is coming. But if you arch your head back just slightly, you can gaze at the sky. When one flies, they must look towards Heaven, and not at Death, for in its majesty and innocent beauty, nothing is quite so lovely to look at than the sky. It is the perfect final vision, and if you arch your head back, you can see the clouds and the sun and the pure blue sky. I bet it would be a beautiful sight to see.

Slowly, I got up out of my prison and asked Despair to guide me to the tallest turret of the castle. It grumbled haughtily, and took my hand as it guided me up the long and winding staircase to Doubting Castle's highest peak. As I walked onto the balcony of Alexandria Castle, I closed my eyes and actually smiled as the wind played with my hair. It felt beautiful.

In the distance, I could see a mountain chain just begging to be climbed. I had never been there before, but I very much wanted to. It was too late, though, as the Only Way out was to go down, so I merely sighed and enjoyed the sights. I stepped closer to the balcony, and took the railing in my hand. Slowly, carefully, my feet climbed up on the railing, and I stood there looking at the landscape before me.

The mighty waterfall of Alexandria was visible, and I could just barely hear the roar of the waters from my position. A ghost of steam rose up from the pit, and materialized into the innocent skies above. I could just make out the city of Dali, and if I looked extra hard, I could even see people. In the far distance, airships flew around the world, either on business or pleasure, and a smile of awe came to my breathless mouth.

Even further still, I could just barely make out trees. They were so tall, and they stretched so far, and I desperately wanted to visit these trees and that mountain and the falls and the town. The wind allowed me to get a smell of the world I was leaving, and the skies smiled down on the rest of the world and Oh, it was beautiful!

Slowly, my foot rose into the air, and I prepared to leave Doubting Castle in the only style I knew how. I smiled, and my heart grew light for the first time in a long time, and I embraced Death.

Arch your head back.

To be continued…