Zidane was roughly stirred by Applejack, as it was his turn to keep watch, and she didn't want to leave the second half of the watch to Spike or Garnet. Zidane stretched, but didn't say anything to her. She went over to where Spike was sleeping, and lay down next to him, her eyes giving Zidane a look of warning. Guess she still doesn't trust me. Well, at least she doesn't hate me, so that's in my favor. Zidane thought as he scratched the back of his head, giving her a small grin.
He could tell she was still bothered by Blank's sacrifice, but he hoped she hadn't spent her entire watch brooding over it. He was still upset with his friend being petrified, but it wasn't healthy, dwelling on something that couldn't be helped. The monsters didn't seem up to harassing the party at night. Are the monsters keeping away because of the forest? Though he was unsure why, he wasn't complaining at the lack of activity.
Looking over the map Blank left him, he noticed there was a cave marked to the south. The valley was surrounded by steep cliffs, getting out would be tricky, but he once heard about a cave that connects from the valley to somewhere near the Village of Dali. He assumed the cave on the map was the same one. Wouldn't hurt to check it out when we can.
The only other ways out of the valley were the north and south gate. Old gates used before the invent of airships to allow passage between the three nations on foot. Those gates were now closed off, from what Zidane had heard from Baku, leaving the cave as their best option.
Casting his gaze to the petrified forest, he wondered if the gang made it out of the forest in time. Knowing Baku, I'm sure the rest got out just fine. He was glad that fortune, good or bad, brought the two out-worlders into the forest with them, he doubted it would have worked out had he tried saving Garnet alone.
He then chuckled lightly, Even if one of the outsiders got our ship shot down. He held no enmity to Applejack for that, she was doing what she thought was right. Zidane's brow then furrowed as he wondered what would compel the queen to fire upon them and put her own daughter at risk.
Out-worlders, Equestrians. He looked over to them, a hint of wonder in his gaze.
He had overheard them explain it to Blank, and unlike Blank, he didn't doubt them. He'd seen enough from Applejack to figure she's not the lying type. It also helped that he's never seen a pony or heard of Equestria before those two showed up, chasing him through the castle.
While Zidane fancied luck in games and life, he also knew that sometimes there's no such thing as coincidence. What are the odds of two Equestrians appearing and ending up with the princess the night she wants to flee the castle? Something's going on, and I'm gonna get wrapped up in it if I stay with Garnet. He considered that for a moment then shrugged, Well, If it happens, it happens.
He's taken a liking to his current company. Garnet was cute, and beautiful, and he was always a sucker for a pretty face. Spike has a great deal of power, and has the kind of enthusiasm that Zidane enjoys. Applejack was different, he felt like he was walking on eggshells around her, but that was fun in its special kind of way. She saw him as a thief and a scoundrel, and she wasn't wrong. Smiling at the thought of it all, Zidane kept a quiet watch through the night, and stirred his company when the mist started to thin a little from the sunrise.
Garnet and Spike looked well rested, while Applejack had trouble waking up. By the time the camp was packed up, she was awake and aware of what was going on. As Zidane led them away from the forest, he saw Applejack eyeing it.
He considered trying to comfort her again, when he noticed the look in her eyes, there was a fire burning within them. I guess she's found her resolve. Blank will be fine, he's got me and her on his side. He thought happily, looking back at the forest.
When it started turning to stone, he had felt something strange, it still bothered him, but he couldn't reason an answer for the sensation. Shrugging, he called Applejack along, and she did so, after giving a surprised look.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ATE: Narrow Escape
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“That was a little too close for comfort.” Cinna said as he looked over the petrified woods. When the forest turned to stone, they had managed to avoid the same fate by taking refuse in a stream that lead to the south gate.
“Good thing the stream was shallow,” Baku commented, “or some of us would have been petrified with the forest.”
“Do you think Zidane saved her?” A man in a blue vest and blue shorts, wearing a red bandanna, Marcus, asked.
“Gwahaha! Of course he did!” Baku assured as he walked up to the South gate's ground entrance. It was completely grown over, years of neglect taking its tole on the large wooden doors. “Now we just gotta get through this and we'll be in Lindblum territory, but that can wait.”
Baku then turned to the others, “Marcus, Cinna, get the wounded over here, we're gonna rest up till they can walk on their own!” He barked, and Marcus worked to do just that, while Cinna was distracted collecting the stream's water.
Baku eyed the forest, thinking that it was a blessing that those woods were now stone. He assumed that no one would be harmed by it again as long as it was petrified.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Where we headin'?” Applejack asked as Zidane overlooked the map, then showed the others.
“There's a cave south of here, it should lead up above the mist. We can worry about getting to Lindblum after we get back topside, we can't linger down here too long.” The mist was an unknown danger, it affected everyone differently, but it was always in some unpleasant fashion. Headaches, chest pains, seeing things, aggression, it's rarely the same between two people.
Destination in mind, they traveled south, to a cave that would take a number of hours to reach. Zidane looked over his shoulder, seeing Applejack and Spike talking to Garnet about Alexandria. As he listened to them, he had to wonder if there were any others from Equestria that had found themselves on Gaia.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ATE: A Pinkie Development
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pinkie shook her head, clearing away the white haze that washed over her when the spell collided with her. Her vision returning, her ears fell as she found herself in an unfamiliar swamp.
There was mist in every direction. Tall, wet grass scattered around patches of murky water, and the smell of insects and mud were heavy in the air. It was strangely quiet, but as she sat there, the sounds of insects slowly filled the air, having acclimated to the unexpected appearance of the mare.
Oh no! she thought in alarm as she spun around, getting a look to see that there was indeed, nopony nearby. No, nonono! as she moved to look for somepony, anypony, she tripped over a oversized fork, which would have made her laugh to see, but she was far removed from being joyful.
Nooo~ This is Gaia! Isn't it!? She mentally bemoaned. A friend would do her some good right now, but being alone, far, far removed from home, in a land shrouded in mist, did anything but put her in a good mood.
Stopping, taking several deep breaths, she worked to compose herself. Calm down Pinkie Pie~. We can laugh at the ghosties, we'll be fine, so- Her tail twitched, making her look around to the sky, expecting something to fall.
Someone wearing red landed right in front of the mare, making her stumble back in surprise as she took in the unexpected Gaian. The individual stood on their hind legs, holding a spear. She had a pointed noise that reminded Pinkie of a mouse. It was a rat-folk, easily taller than her. She had white fur, bright green eyes, wore a red battle dress and pointed helm with two ornamental ears looking more like wings attached. She also had her sharp looking spear pointed at Pinkie.
The mare wasn't bothered by this fact, indeed, she was welcome to see another face, instantly brightening her mood as she adopted her prized smile.
“Hello~ I'm Pinkie Pie! Who are you~!?” The warrior blinked in surprise, not expecting Pinkie to talk. She cautiously lowered her weapon as she appraised the mare.
“I'm Freya, and just what are you?” Freya asked as Pinkie looked to her. Freya's hostility replaced with curiosity as Pinkie was hoping to make a new friend in this smelly, misty land.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After moving south for several hours, they found the southern cliff-side, and after searching it for another couple hours, they found the cave's entrance.
They had been attacked several times by monsters, but it wasn't anything the four of them couldn't handle. With Garnet covering their wounds, they had Spike hold off on his magic till they reached the cave, leaving Zidane and Applejack to taking out the monsters. Snakes, goblins, giant blue squirrels, the monsters of the mist seemed more of a nuisance than a danger to the group.
Now that they were at the cave, Zidane wondered if it would continue being that easy. It was giving off a chill, and there was ice visible inside the cave. They were not particularly dressed for the cold, dealing with monsters and the cold climb would be tough.
“An Ice Cave huh?” Spike began as he appraised the cave, adopting a smug look. “Good thing I'm here, with the magic~!” Applejack smiled a little at his comment as she looked up towards the top of the cliff.
“So,” she said as she turned to the others, “we gotta go through that to get to the top?” Applejack asked, clearly not liking the idea.
“'Fraid so,” Zidane confirmed, “it shouldn't be all that bad, we do have Spike with us after all,” he finished playfully, making the dragon puff his chest out with a salute.
Zidane would have it the worst, as his clothes left him more exposed to the cold than the others. Applejack would probably be fine with the cold because of her fur, and Spike had patched up Garnet's robe before they left, surprising the princess and Zidane with his prowess with needle and thread.
“What?” Spike had asked afterwards, “I know a pony that's really into this, of course I would pick up a few tricks,” he had admitted bashfully when questioned.
Zidane smiled as he shook his head of the memory, walking into the cave, the others following behind. They were in awe at the beauty of the flowers within, alive, but frozen. Ice hung from their petals with a strange sort of serenity. Garnet took a close look at the flowers, infatuated by them.
“This is so much better than pictures in a book!” The sheltered girl cheerily proclaimed.
“They're some pretty flowers, that's fer sure.” Applejack added, appraising them with a more pragmatic expression then the princess.
“They almost look edible.” Spike said, his stomach growling as he looked at them, “Kinda wish they were gems.”
“Why, did you want to sell them?” Garnet asked as she turned to him.
“Sell them?” Spike shook his head as he pat his stomach. “I'm hungry, there's only so much apples and flowers can do for me. I want a good gemstone! Maybe a ruby, that would be nice.”
He eats gemstones? Zidane thought as he adopted a contemplating look, Guess dragons have a pricey appetite, shouldn't be too hard for me to get my hands on some. Nodding to himself, he bent down to Spike.
“When we find some, you'll be the first to get 'em.” Zidane promised, making Spike adopt a thankful smile. “Now, let's get a move on, don't want to freeze over in here.”
With that, they proceeded their climb through the cave. The walls of the cavern were blue, slicked with thick ice, causing the path they walked upon to be slippery. Large icicles hung from the ceiling, blocking bits of the path, Spike had to use his magic to clear the way a number of times.
Along the way they tackled monsters; gelatin beasts, tusked brutes that hid behind the cavern breeze, and ice goblins whose concoctions put their foes to sleep. They managed through every battle, each one following the next leaving them more taxed. Zidane wasn't surprised to see that the monsters of the ice cavern proved to be weak to Spike's fire.
Eventually, they found a two-way split in the path. To the right, the path blew with a strong breeze, snow billowing from its entrance as the howling of wind could be heard from beyond. Choosing not to tackle that, the party went left. The path didn't go far, as it was a dead end, but something frozen on a pillar of ice caught their attention. It was a moogle, frozen within a block of ice.
“Just leave this to me!” Spike said in surprise, determined to free the moogle. Quickly gathering up what was left of his magic, he melted the ice. The moogle shook off the hot water, complaining about the heat before realizing it was free from its icy prison.
“You-You freed me!? Thanks! Kupo! Oh thank you thank you, kupo!” The moogle flew around them and Spike, radiating gratitude as it stopped, bowing to them. Zidane and the others had adopted a smile, the warmth of the moogle's happiness becoming a small reprieve from the cold.
“Think nothing of it,” Spike said with a casual tone.
“No, it means a lot to me, kupo. I'm Mois, and I gotta make it up to you.” Mois considered them for a moment before nodding her head. “Oh, I know! I have a way to pay you back, kupo. You four, you're on a journey!” She stated matter-of-factly as she pulled out a large tome.
“You have to be, no one just wanders through this icy cave. Am I right?” Seeing her audience nod, she continued, “In that case, let me record your travels! I can write a book about the adventure you took part in.” She pitched to the party. Applejack and Spike shared a look, the mare shrugged, which made the dragon's grin widen.
“Sounds good!” Spike replied, “you're coming with us?”
“I sure will, kupo. I can't help much in a fight, but I can record your journey and help you with your mail!”
With that, they welcomed Mois, and everyone introduced themselves to the moogle. Nobody minded having another to travel with, and having someone chronicle their journey to Lindblum could make for an interesting story. “When you all have a moment, feel free to fill me in on what you've been through so far,” she requested.
“Mois,” Zidane began, getting her attention, “do you know how far we are from the exit?” He was hoping that this cold climb was almost over as it was now clear to him that they were going to have to go through that strange blizzard.
“It's not that far, but that blizzard is risky, I tried waiting it out, and you saw how that turned out!” Zidane nodded as he let out a sigh.
I guess we can't wait it out either. Still, at least we're almost there.
Glad to be almost done with the cave, the party moved on, and went back to the turn with the howling winds. It truly was unbearable, the wind cut at them like a knife, sapping them, but they pressed on, the exit being close driving each and every step. To Zidane, it felt as if the cave itself was trying to keep them from leaving.
Something's not right about this blizzard, he thought as he tried to look through it, It feels wrong, superficial, fake even! As he pushed forward, he heard Applejack cry in alarm. Looking back, he saw that Garnet had collapsed. Applejack stood over her, trying to wake her. She's asleep? That shouldn't be right! Moving to help the princess, Spike shortly fell asleep right next to her. Zidane heard something on the wind, the chime of a bell. Looking ahead, he understood now, this storm was being made by magic.
Garnet needs to wake up, and so does Spike. He then shook his head as he felt a wave of drowsiness assault him. We're not going to be stopped by this! I am not going to be stopped by this! Determination in his eyes, Zidane pressed forward to the source of the chime.
Looking back, he saw Applejack looking at him, her eyes heavy with fatigue as she passed out. He also saw Mois slumped over in a corner of the chamber, they were all out, leaving just him. Hoping he would be enough to handle the problem, he forced his way through the snow, seeking to save them. In the chamber right after the one the others collapsed in, was a frozen waterfall.
“Why aren't you asleep?” A malicious voice from above asked, “You should be dead by now!”
Zidane frowned up at the waterfall, seeing the source of the blizzard. A short figure stood there, glowering down at Zidane. It had a tan-ish yellow wizard hat and brown tunic, its face concealed by darkness, two yellow orbs showing for its eyes. It was a Black Mage, but unlike normal mages, this one also had dark blue wings. In its hands it held a small golden bell, the source of the chime Zidane had heard.
“So you're the one causing the blizzard!” Zidane accused as he pulled out his weapons.
“Hee hee hee, that's right!” the Black Mage then landed in front of him. “Come, Sealion!” he cried out as he gave the bell a ring. Instantly, a large monster born of magic and mist appeared at the Black Mage's side. It was large, at least twenty feet tall, it looked something akin to a snake with the wings of a bird attached to its head. Zidane's brow furrowed deeper as he charged at the two, I need to save the others!
Zidane charged the mage, seeing it as the greater threat, despite Sealion's size. Dodging under Sealion's attack, he slipped past and bared his daggers upon the mage-
Sealoin's tale intercepted the attack, taking the hit in the mage's stead, to Zidane's surprise and annoyance. Well, if that's how it's going to be! He thought as he gave the summoned monster his attention, giving it a fresh gash. He was unexpectedly hit from behind by a ball of fire, causing him to roll past Sealoin. The mage smiled at him, and cast a freezing spell onto Sealion, healing the gash Zidane had inflicted.
Oh come on!
Drinking a potion, recovering from the mage's fire, Zidane found himself locked in a battle of attrition. He doubted his potions would outlast the mage's magic. Unexpectedly reaching out, his eye's widened in surprise, mirrored by the mage, as he found a yellow apple in his grasp.
Looking back to the cavern's entrance, a sly, thankful grin on his face, he saw Applejack, giving him a curt nod as she charged into the fight, sword drawn. She slipped past Sealion, catching it by surprise as she attacked the mage. Dodging an attack from the beast, Zidane quickly downed the apple, feeling rejuvenated as he redoubled his attack upon Sealion.
With Applejack's blade, the fight turned to their favor, the battle of attrition coming to an end as the mage found its guardian unable to aid it while Sealion was under Zidane's assault. The mage, being less hearty than the monster it summoned, was slain first. Being run through by Applejack, the bell it held as was destroyed as the mage dispersed into mist with a surprised cry.
“Nice one AJ! Now we-”
Zidane's hearty cry was interrupted by Sealion letting out a terrifying roar. In a burst of magic, it summoned a wave of water, crashing it into the waterfall, shattering the frozen river. The shards of ice mixed with the water, slamming into the both of them, no cover available to defend themselves from the unexpected attack. As the crashing wave washed over them, Zidane thought he heard Applejack cry out.
Zidane gurgled out the air in his lungs as he felt himself being cut by the attack, but he avoided swallowing the water as it dispersed, leaving him and Applejack unceremoniously dumped on the cold ground. Zidane was shivering from the cold, and his heart skipped a beat as he saw that Applejack wasn't moving.
Drinking a potion, he reached for a Phoenix Feather. Before he could bring out the feather, Sealion landed a solid blow against Zidane. However, because of the potion, he was able to bear the brunt of the assault as he moved to the mare's side, wincing in pain. Pulling out the feather, he used it on her. As he helped her to her hooves, she gave him a surprised look.
Handing her his last potion, he separated himself from her, returning his attention to their enraged foe. Dodging another attack, Zidane planted his dagger into the beast's wing, pinning it into the ground. Abandoning the dagger, he ran up the wing to Sealion's head, going for its eyes.
As Zidane's attack hit his mark, he felt the beast buckle under an unexpected impact. Looking down, Zidane saw Applejack, having rammed into the beast with her sword. The beast lurched as Zidane hopped off it, and dispersed into mist. Applejack and Zidane shared a quick look, before falling on their haunches, breathing heavily as the adrenaline pumping through their veins worked its course.
They sat there quietly as they caught their breath, and to his surprise, Applejack handed him a yellow apple, but avoided making eye contact with him.
“You defeated number one, but number two and three will reclaim the princess!”
A voice filled the cavern, seeming to come from the walls itself. They looked around confused, and worried, but no attack came, and no enemy could be spotted. With another potential threat nearby, they both went back to check on the others. They returned to find Spike helping Mois on her feet, Garnet looking over the both of them.
“Ya'll alright?” Applejack asked, appraising them with concern.
“Yea, I felt really sleepy, something happen?” Spike asked as he brushed snow off of himself. “The blizzard stopped, which is nice.” Zidane, seeing they were all fine, let out a sigh of relief. After a short rest, he had everyone move along, now that the blizzard was gone, the exit was a short stroll away, and he was freezing. As they made their way, Applejack filled them in on the battle with the Black Mage.
“So,” Spike began, “that was sent for the princess? Who sent it?”
“Probably an enemy of Alexandria,” Garnet said after hesitating, her expression looking unconvinced at the idea.
“Well,” Zidane started as he looked to the others, “we should keep an eye out, there are supposedly two more we'll have to deal with at some point, so be vigilant.” He suspected it was the queen that sent the mage, but didn't want to upset Garnet with the suggestion. The queen went overboard! what if Garnet had been hit by one of those spears!? He thought with a small frown. I wouldn't put it past her to be the one that sent that mage.
Climbing the path up beyond the waterfall, they saw sunlight ahead of them. And after a few more renewed paces, they were out of the cave, enjoying the warmth of the sun, leaving the mist behind them.
The cave's exit was in the side of a mountain, out in the distance was a town, and Zidane recognized it as the village of Dali. From there we may be able to get an airship to Lindblum, if not we'll have to head to the south gate or Treno to get to Lindblum, still, this is a lot better than being down in the valley.
“Let's rest before continuing, we can head to Dali and see what happens from there,” Zidane suggested, indicating the village. Everyone welcomed a more dedicated rest, it had been a long tough climb through the ice caverns, and with all the fights and the blizzard, they were exhausted. The day was close to mid-afternoon, they had plenty of time to reach Dali.
Zidane noticed Applejack giving him a look, catching her eye, she looked away. Does she still not trust me? Or has her opinion changed with that battle with the mage? He wondered as he sat down and took a breather, hoping that fighting was over for the day.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Moogle Notes:
~~~~~~~~~~~
'Howdy Equestrian, Mois the moogle to tell you a little bit more about Gaia!'
'This was where I met Spike and the others! Spike saved my life, so I always follow him around, I mostly go where he goes. Good thing I can fly, he has a knack of getting places others can't, as you'll see next chapter. Kupo.'
'The party came across a nasty spell that puts you to sleep, Zidane managed to overcome it, and Applejack followed shortly after. Good thing too, that kind of Black Mage is very dangerous!'
'You see Zidane has a new weapon below! Where did he get it? As a thief, he can steal from enemies, so something in that cave had a new knife for him!'
'The ice cavern is kept cold by some odd workings of the mist, and relies solely on it to maintain its low temperature.'
'Some other monsters have a weaker version that puts others to Sleep, but a slap or two will wake anyone affected right up! Kupo~'
~~~~~~
Zidane
~~~~~~
Items Equipped: *New Item Acquired*
*Mythril Dagger: Bandit
Leather Hat: Fire
Leather Wrist: Beast Killer, Blizzard
Leather Shirt: Protect Girls(mastered)
Lvl Up! Lvl-8 HP 359/359 MP 50/50
AP 6/22
*Beast Killer (4) - Deals lethal damage to beasts.
*Protect Girls(4) - You take damage in place of a girl.
*Flee-Gil (3) - Receive Gil even when running from battle.
*Bandit (5) - Raises success rate of Steal.
Abilities:
Steal: Action Command - Steal an item from the enemy.
Skill:
Flee 0 MP - Escape from battle with high probability.
Detect 0 MP – See the enemy's items.
Trance - Physical damage multiplied by 1.5, Gain access to the Dyne Skills.