The brown and gray of the Outer Continent came into view roughly a few hours after the Hilda Garde III departed from Alexandria. Vivi was excited, but couldn’t hide his worry or fear either. Freya simply stood, silent on the bridge watching the land grow larger under her.
Dagger had rejoined her allies after her emotional stage had passed. She’d gotten used to crying at the slightest things, since Zidane had left. It wasn’t helping that Vivi’s situation had worsened.
This is all too much, she told herself as she stood there beside Freya. Why now? Why me, instead of someone else this time? Is it always me who becomes the martyr?
Dagger shrugged that off. Comparatively she was lucky. Freya’s lover had lost his memory; Vivi was now facing death. So Zidane wasn’t home yet. That wasn’t so monumental.
It wasn’t so important.
But still…Dagger had pain to deal with. It did no good to dwell on it when Vivi was facing such trepidation, but sooner or later Dagger would have to face herself and bear her heart.
Would things ever get better?
She straightened herself, in posture as much as stability of mood. Things will get better. They always have.
Then she looked at Vivi, hopping almost on one foot with excitement.
Always…?
Vivi could hardly contain his energy. He was ready to find Kuja; ready to find a way for his friends to live on.
Here’s hoping Kuja was actually in the Desert Palace after all this effot, though. If not then everyone was stuck. Freya and Eiko and Dagger had come with Vivi for nothing. He didn’t have much more time to waste…
He looked back at Dagger and smiled, even though she probably didn’t see it. She smiled at him, and the warmth of it made him feel better; more relaxed.
It did seem the closer to Kuja’s old hideout they got, the more jittery and nervous Vivi got. Of course there was good reason for that. But Vivi had come too far to let nervousness get the best of him. He was strong and he could handle this. If he could take care of something like Necron, this would be easy.
So why was he almost shaking…?
The palace was visible in the window of the Hilda Garde III. Vivi wrung his hands together fervently. Hoping that everyone else was feeling the same…
Hilda Garde III landed smoothly on the withered ground of the Outer Continent. The Desert Palace loomed before the Vivi and his friends, under whirling sands. Parts of the palace had become visible since it’s invasion by Zidane and company; parapets and spires that were previously undiscovered. Freya took it all in as she approached, intuition telling her the palace must have been the remnant of some forgotten culture. Taken up by Kuja and Garland for their own purposes. Freya walked up to a whirlpool of sand…one of the false ones, she knew. Underground, she heard the stirring of an Antlion.
"Are we truly prepared for this?" she asked Dagger, wandering across the way.
"I…don’t know," she reacted. "Like I’ve been saying, it’s all up to Vivi."
The tiny mage looked up from his position, kneeling before the true entrance to the palace. His eyes seemed to be reflecting some manner of sadness…
"W-we can’t urn back now. I wanna do this, so we’re gonna do this."
And then he jumped. Straight into the whirlpool and the palace. Dagger, Freya, and Eiko sprinted up to the portal and stared after him. None of them had anything to say, but they all felt the same.
"Who’s next?" Eiko finally let out.
"Any of us," the Dragon Knight replied. "We’re all headed down there eventually. But if there’s any time to turn back, it’s now. Are we all certain of our convictions? Are we confident that we can handle whatever happens down there?"
They glanced at each other cautiously. The queen of Alexandria; Royal Dragon Knight; last of the Summoner Tribe…
Freya jumped. Dagger fell back a few steps in shock, Eiko gasped. They exchanged looks.
"Well that was brave," Dagger said.
The wind picked up; Dagger’s hair was whipped about. Her vision blurred, and she began to become lost in throught again. But she stopped herself and looked at Eiko offering a hand to the little Summoner.
"Together, on three. Okay?"
Eiko glanced at her, unsure. A few moments of pure tension passed, the air thickening between the two. Then Eiko took Dagger’s hand and silently nodded.
"One…"
"Two…"
Together, the girls shouted "three" and jumped.
All was darkness, then pain.
The Desert Palace was a thing alive, even though it was long forgotten by the people of Gaia. It’s walls shone dully with some yet undefined light, and echoes rang through the corridors of ghostly rememberances; ethereal presences that refused to depart completely from their place of mortal rest.
The foursome from Alexandria wandered the palace’s many rooms in awe, candlesticks lighting behind them as though the wind itself were flame. Memories returned of their travels over the past..how long was it? None of them knew the answer to that question. They only knew that it all started with one thing.
Hey…haven’t we met somewhere before? I’d never let someone as pretty as you get away…
N-no. You must be mistaken. I must go!
Alright then. Your highness, I shall hereby do my best to kidnap you!
Dagger smiled. She was so immature then. So naïve…Zidane changed all that for her.
She exited the haze of memory and nearly walked into a pillar. She crept up behind Freya and Eiko, keeping up with their steady pace and examining the structure of the place. It wasn’t like they had time to look around the first time; Freya wasn’t even around, dragged to Oeilvert with Zidane, Amarant, and Steiner.
"Where is his room, anyway?" Eiko asked. "I forget."
Dagger instinctively led the way. She turned a corner, pointing he way to a room she’d rather forget. Up a set of stairs loomed two balconies. On the wall to one side was perched a statue depicting an angel. On the other side was a winged devil. Dagger remembered the strange apprehension that churned withing her upon reaching this room of the palace. It was no different the second time around; the only comfort was that Kuja’s guardian upstairs was now gone.
The candles lit on their own again. Vivi marveled at the shadows splayed about on the wall, and subsequently the staircase appearing out of nowhere. He was the first to ascend it, and the others followed hesitantly after.
Upon reaching the highest balcony, everyone seemed to breathe easier. Eiko stepped forward to light the final candlestick, watching the circle of light appear on the floor before her. She stared at it as if hypnotized, murmuring something to herself.
"The time is now," Freya said, placing a clawed hand on Vivi’s shoulder. "I hope we’re as brave as you, little one."
The tiny mage sighed, grasping his mace tightly. He stepped forward wordlessly, into the circle, and disappeared. The girls were left alone again, to discern their own feelings.
"Do ya think he’s doing that on purpose?" Eiko mumbled. "To keep us going?"
Dagger shook her head absently. "He’s got a million feelings swirling around inside him, Eiko. Vivi doesn’t know how to feel right now, and he’s working on instinct. We simply have to trust him and be here for him is all."
She looked to her companions.
"So that means step onto the circle and follow. Kuja awaits."
And she did so. Dagger disappeared in a swirl of light and heat. Eiko followed her, and Freya brought up the rear, stepping in after a tentative look around.
All was white. Warmth and syrupy sensation floating through something that wasn’t quite air; not quite water. Not quite anything, really. Dagger was taken aback. She couldn’t see or hear anything, but her sense of touch revealed a silkiness to the white she was flying through. She felt that Vivi, Freya, and Eiko were with her, although her sight was nonexistent.
Then as quickly as it had begun, the spell was finished. Dagger and the others sat on the hard stone floor before Kuja’s quarters. They exchanged furtive glances, then all attention was focused on Vivi.
The little mage stood, brushing himself off and adjusting his hat. He looked to the faces of each of his friends, grabbed his mace, and headed up the steps toward the large double doors across the catwalk. The girls stood and followed, a different expression painted on each of their faces. Dagger’s showed concern, her eyes focused on Vivi’s tired little frame as it waddled onward. Eiko’s displayed confusion; not sure exactly why she was here save for the assistance of a friend in need.
Freya was angry. Angrier each passing minute at the thought of Kuja. She’d kept the feeling in check as best she could since the rebel Genome’s name had first been uttered, but the Dragon Knight found that the closer she got to his abode, the hotter her brain seemed to get.
It wasn’t pleasant, and Freya knew it wasn’t healthy if she was here to help Vivi.
So she stifled herself and pressed on, joining Vivi and the others in front of the door to Kuja’s quarters.
"There’s a chance he may not be here at all," Dagger advised, being as realistic as possible.
"Then there’s the chance he’s been here waiting for us to show up again," Eiko replied.
The door loomed before them in challenge. Each wanted to knock; each wanted to charge in there and demand audience with Kuja. Each was unsure of the result, or even of whether he was here at all. Uncetainty froze all four of them.
And then a small noise from ahead. A click…like a lock being undone. The party from Alexandria stopped dead as the double doors came open to reveal the small expanse of Kuja’s chambers. Everything was the same as before. The open room still held a grating in the center where Kuja had watched Zidane and company struggle with unconsciousness before. There was still an absence of light in the room, like something had come in and sucked it all out.
The four stepped inside tentatively, casting glances around the room and at each other. Vivi simply strolled about in search of his query, not so much bothered by the air of the place than the girls. The tiny mage stopped in front of the grating and looked back at his friends.
"I-I don’t…see Kuja anywhere. He must n-not….be…here."
"Oh, but you are wrong, my precious creation."
A smooth, yet cutting voice sounded from behinf the large door. The party turned in unison, weapons drawn and magic at the ready.
There stood a vision of ambiguity. Skin-tight clothing wrapped around a slight frame, the midrift of the body exposed. Delicate hands perched on swarthy hips. Thick silver hair fell in front of a decidedly feminine face, crystal blue eyes staring outward with some foreign emotion. A wicked smile was painted on that face, and it was a familiar one indeed.
Freya stood rigid.
"Kuja…"
The rebel Genome smiled wider. His tail, now exposed, swished behind him.
"Of course. You think Zidane would dress this way?
"Freya Crescent. Dragon knight of Burmecia. Noble to a fault…and such a noticeable fault at that. You’re a zombie, Freya, blinded by duty and honor. The only thing about you that is decidedly human is your love for your fellow knight, Fratley."
Kuja drew in closer to Freya, their faces inches apart.
"But he is a dribbling idiot, my dear. Beyond help…even yours."
He turned from a fuming Freya to Eiko. The little summoner was quaking in her shoes. She wasn’t truly prepared to face Kuja. Not…well, ever again.
"Little Eiko. Now here’s a surprise. I never expected you had any reserve of falsetto left in you, my child. You aren’t even seven years old yet…and you fancy yourself an adult. You’ve grown up entirely too fast, and as a result you are something of a…pest.
"You’ve tried so hard to be the best ‘big girl’ you could, but in the end it has only made you look like a fool…before you’ve even learned the ture meaning of the word."
This was getting old fast. Dagger decided to take action, stepping forward to silence Kuja. But he’d moved on from Eiko…to her.
The smile was sweet this time, but also rather contemptuous. Kuja ran a finger down Dagger’s cheek, and the sensation made her cringe.
"Oh, Garnet. Or Dagger, whichever title you choose either will be just as false. You, my dear, are someone I should be proud of. You changed yourself for the better in such a short amount of time. But now you seem so very sad. Perhaps because of this love you have in your heart bursting out of you…with nowhere to go. Zidane loves you, this I know. But he finds his adventures and fun more important than you. How do you take it, little jewel?
"I wouldn’t. I would throw the memory of that monkey from my mind. But you…insist upon punishing yourself. That, Garnet, is the only thing I can find about you…to laugh at."
And then the moment the girls dreaded. They could stand being torn down themselves, but only one of the four remained. Dagger didn’t know how she’d take Vivi being ripped up like that. Freya’s weapon was still drawn; Kain’s Lance glowed dully in the darkness of the room.
Kuja knelt in front of Vivi. Dagger came up behind the little mage defensively.
"My creation…" the rebel Genome said, a tinge of…pride in his voice?
"You, I could never be anything less than proud of."
Vivi nearly fell backwards into Dagger.
"W-what? Really?"
Kuja nodded and smiled again. "Yes, Vivi. I am so proud of you for taking this journey. I do know why you are here, and I’ve been expecting you for some time."
Confusion rocked the air of the room. Dagger and Freya exchanged glances; Eiko simply stood, frozen. Vivi’s eyes dimmed slightly as he stared at Kuja in wonderment.
"You wish to create, as I once did," Kuja said in a strangely paternal tone. "But now there is no war; no struggle for power. All is well…including me.
"I understand your plight, Vivi. And I am willing to help you."
Freya came forward. "Then why the display a moment ago?! Why taunt us with your words, then tell Vivi what he wants to hear?!"
The rebel Genome stared at Freya with a contempt that could be felt by all those gathered.
"You, Freya, are nothing to me. Necron was a fool, and easily defeated. Had I known the entirety of that situation, I would’ve disposed of him myself. None of you mean anything to me."
He turned to face Vivi again.
"But this one…my Vivi. I created him with my own hands. To me, he is like…a son. I becamse aware of these feelings as I lay dying among the branches of the Iifa Tree…when I thought myself dead but the only one of you with enough heart came to my rescue.
"I regret the course of action I took with the black mages. I seemy mistakes in making them temporary lifeforms…especially after watching you, my Vivi. It will forever be a blemish on my soul should I neglect you at a time like this. And I did know thins time woud come, as well you should know by now."
Vivi was visibly confused.
"S-so…you’ll help me make more friends? That’s good….but…why do you hate Freya and Dagger? And Eiko…and everyone but me and Zidane?"
Kuja grunted softly at the question.
"Because they left me in my time of need. Because for all the preaching they did while you were all treveling the world, it was meaningless if they couldn’t make an effort where it counted. You, Vivi, never knew any better. You were, and still are a child in many ways. And Zidane was brave and selfless enough to put away his anger and help someone who was in need."
He turned his head slightly, indicating the girls.
"They could never live up to you or Zidane, my Vivi."
Freya took another step forward. "Insolent, selfish fool!!!"
This had gone on long enough. Dagger knelt with Vivi and stared Kuja in the eye.
"Kuja. I don’t care what you think of us. Consider this. We are here to help Vivi, your creation. Your…son. So at least respect that. Help him. We are as concerned as you no doubt are. And this is not the time to fight. Perhaps there isn’t a time for that anymore…"
The rebel Genome looked Dagger over a few times, an amused expression painted on his perfect features. His hand went to his chin and rubbed thoughtfully.
"I suppose you are right, Garnet Til Alexandros…Dagger."
Kuja stood and headed for the door.
"Follow me. I shall show you the secret of my…success."