Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ What's This Life For? ❯ Garnet in the Rough ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4: Garnet in the Rough

Disclaimer: I don't own ff9.

"I think we've lost them," Beatrix said, slowing her pace. Steiner staggered up beside her, letting Vivi to the ground then promptly collasping afterward.

"Mr. Steiner?" Vivi asked.

"Don't worry about him. He's just out of shape."

"Am.......not.........armor.........too.........heavy......" he wheezed, "I'll........be......alright." He grunted and pulled himself to his feet.

"It looks as if we are near the royal quarters........" Beatrix said looking around.

"What are you looking at, Master Vivi?" Steiner asked the young mage, who was peering down at the floor quite intently.

"This stone looks strange......." He reached down, touching it gently. It slid away, revealing a gaping hole. Vivi tottered on the edge, then fell in.

"Master Vivi!" Steiner lurched foreward, trying to grab him before he fell. His hand grasped thin air. "Damn!"

"I wonder where this leads to?"

"I have never seen it before." Steiner sat on the edge before lowering himself into the hole.

"What are you doing!?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to fetch Master Vivi." And with that, he disapeared into the hole.

"Obvious? Oh well, can't let him get himself lost," she mumbled as she followed.

The ladder down the hole was damp and the tunnel was pitch black except fot the light coming down from the enterance. Beatrix's hands nearly slipped on the ladder's rusty rungs. She let out a little yelp as her head hit the mossy tunnel wall. She looked down at her hand and watched a droplet of blood slide down her palm, mixing with the rust stains. The General bit her lip and continued down the ladder.

"Master Vivi?" Steiner called down.

"I'm al-alright......" came the weak voice from the bottom. As they reached the horizontal tunnel, they found Vivi, unharmed, illuminated by a single torch on the stone wall above him.

"I hear voices." Beatrix whispered urgently, "They are coming from down that way." She indicated the left tunnel, then creapt toward the sound. She peered around the corner, one pale grey eye seeing nothing. A clank came from behind her, causing her to whirl around, drawing out the Save the Queen. The only threat was a sheepish looking Steiner, frozen in mid-step, and Vivi, who was attempting to surpress a giggle. "That armor's going to have to go." she said, lowering her sword.

"You're not serious!? But-"

"No buts. Armor off." She glared at him.

He snorted and mumbled under his breath as he removed the heavy armor. "Stupid woman. I hate it when she's right." When all his ensemble lay helter-skelter across the cold stone floor, they continued toward the voices.

"Leave me alone! Help! Anyone!?" a shriek broke the silence.

"That sounded like-" Beatrix began.

"Princess!" Steiner charged foreward, but was halted by Beatrix.

"Wait, let's see what we're up against." They all looked around the corner. A small room, illuminated by torches positioned all around the walls. Garnet knelt in the middle, her hands and legs bound. A tall shadow in the corner, what could only be assumed to be a man.

"Now your Majesty," the shadow spoke, "You only need to behave a bit longer. My plan is almost complete."

"Never! I won't let you use me again!"

"I'm afraid, my dear girl, that you don't have much of a choice." he laughed, a cold sound like the clashing of metal.

"Help! Please.....anyone....." Garnet cried out again.

The man stepped out of the darkness. The light hit his golden-blond hair. Out of his back came two gausy iridesent wings that reminist of a butterfly's. He was garbed in pure white and had pale porceline skin. But the thing that made him most strange were his blank, soulless black eyes.

"I think someone has heard your pitiful cries, your Majesty. You may come out of hiding now, my friends," he said, motioning toward the darkness that had hid Vivi and the two knights only moments ago.

----------

"Do you have any clue where we are?" Zidane asked, looking around at the maze of castle hallways.

"If you'd ask me, I'd say that we've been going around in circles for the last-"

"Nobody was asking you!" he grimaced, biting his lip, "I think we should go....... this way!" He pointed at a random corridor.

"But we've already been down that-"

"Shhh.... no Freya!"

"Twelve times." she finished.

"Weeelll, Miss Smartie-Dragon-Knight, what do you suppose we do?"

"Run!!!!"

"Huh?" Zidane twirled around to face a rather large group of Black Mages. "Oh, man!" He took off down the hallway and ran straight into a wall. Or at least it felt like a wall.

"Zidane! You come to Quina's kitchen!" The large excited Qu pulled the Genome inside and slammed the heavy door.

"Well, it looks like we're safe for the moment," Freya said dryly as about a dozen oven-miesters circled around her, commenting on 'how tasty she looked'. Zidane snorted and pulled himself to his feet.

"Freya no like Quina's kitchen?" he/she asked, shooing the oven-miesters away.

"Of course I like your kitchen, considering the alternative."

"What? Quina no understand big words...."

"Yeah, Quina, she likes your kitchen," Zidane said with a grin, "What's a few annoying oven-miesters between friends?"

"Oven-miester not annoying!" a small one came up and whacked Zidane in the knee with its pan.

"Owww! Geez, I was only kidding."

"Oven-miester no like Zidane!" Quina exclaimed, followed by a sound that could only be described as a Qu laugh.

"I think I may have an idea as to how we get out of here," Freya said as she watched the steady stream of oven-miesters hurry in and out of the kitchen.

"Oh, no! There is no way you are getting me to dress up as an oven-miester!" Zidane shook his head vigorously.

"But it might be the only way we can find who's ever responsible," Freya pleaded.

Zidane sighed, his shoulders slumping. "The things I do to save the world......" A few minutes later, Freya and Zidane were dressed in an apron, dress, and a large chef hat.

"I cannot believe I'm wearing a dress...." Zidane pulled at the coarse blue fabric.

"Zidane and Freya make very good oven-miester! I like very much!" Quina beamed at his/her handiwork.

"Quina, could you lead us safely to where ever their leader is?" Freya asked.

"Quina knows! Quina can find! Know castle like frog pond, every little nook and cranny!" And he/she waddled off toward the royal quarters, the two make-shift oven-miesters in tow.

Thankfully, the Black Mages ignored them as they finally reached a hallway. Quina stopped then leaned over the best a Qu could and poked a small indent in the stone floor. The floor opened, revealing a dark, dank tunnel.

"Down there?" Zidane asked, wrinkling his nose. He climbed into the hole and down the ladder, Freya and Quina following. "Hey look!" As Zidane leaped off the ladder, he reached down and picked something up. He brought it into the light.

"It looks like one of Steiner's gloves......." Freya observed, "But why is it laying here?"

"Hey, here's another glove, and his helmet! I'm kinda afraid what we're gonna find at the end of this........ Does anyone see anything of Beatrix's? Like.......panties or stuff like that?"

Freya glared at him, "Don't even start......."

"Oh, come on Freya! I know you were thinkn' the same thing!" he laughed.

Quina just looked confused, "What so funny Zidane?"

"Nevermind!"

They followed the trail of discarded armor to a small lit room. They ducked back when they heard voices.

Garnet was sobbing softly in the corner while Vivi attempted to console her. An armor-less Steiner brandished the Ragnarok, while Beatrix kept a white knuckled grip on the Save the Queen. A frail boy stood on the other side of the room, his pale face solemn and his blank stare seemed to be looking through the two knights, the mage and the princess.

"It seems to me that more of your friends seemed to find my hiding place with some very unexpected assistance. I must have underestimated the Qu's level of intelligence, with much credit to the species."

Garnet looked up, dark painted eyes scanning the room for any sign of said intruders. The hallways seemed to be vacant. "Zidane?" she called out, unsure of herself. The Genome stepped out of the darkness, followed by the Dragon Knight and the gourmand.

"Dagger!? You alright?" Zidane shouted, running to the young woman's side, "Who is this nutcase? Did he hurt you?"

"I did nothing of the sort," the young man said softly, "You may call me Kurai, for what it matters." He extended one of his thin, elegant hands toward Zidane. The thief ignored the gesture of friendship.

"Why did you destroy Alexandria and kidnap Dagger and Eiko!?........By the way, where is Eiko?"

"She is safe," he answered, his voice flat, "But what really matters is that you are further risking your lives every moment you stand near me." He turned, torchlight shining through his iridesent wings, casting splashes of color across the walls and floor of the room. A mysterious aura grew around his frail body, fluttering his white robes.

"Bring it on!" Zidane growled, pulling out the Ultima Weapon.

He turned, black soulless eyes replaced with ones glowing golden with latent power and hatred, "As you wish."