THE ZODIAC WAR
^ _ ` a b c d e f g h i

Chapter 9: Guardians of Time

Through a series of halls in Alexandria Castle, Ramza and Delita, found themselves in the throne room, shocked to know that Zidane had found a girlfriend in Queen Garnet!

"Your Majesty! If I may ask that you refrain yourself from Zidane and pay attention to current more urgent matters at hand!" Steiner scolded.

"Oh...uhm..." Garnet glowed red with embarrassment, she evaded Zidane's kiss and he fell face first on the floor.

"Erm..." Steiner cleared his throat, "As I was saying, King Delita Hyral is in grave danger from the Glabados church, he requests an audience with you, your highness."

"Very well, I shall speak to you privately," she composed herself, "Steiner, Beatrix, if you please..."

"Yes, your majesty." The knights bowed and left.

Delita began, "You need not call me by my surname, I have taken the guise of a Holy Paladin, at least until I should return to my throne. These are my allies former templar knights, Ramza Beolve, Beowulf Kadmus, Holy Knight Lady Agrias, Priestess Alma Beolve, Dragon Knight Reis, Advisor/Calculator Gildenstern, and you may call me simply Delita."

"You may also dispense with the formalities, Paladin..." Garnet said with a light laugh. "Zidane has already explained to me the importance of the two stones with the Zodiac Markings, I shall give them to you only on one condition....."

"And what may that be, your highness." Delita wasn't quite sure what to expect. Seeing Zidane make out with the queen of Alexandria in front of people was enough.

"That I--and Zidane," she elbowed him in the ribs, "are allowed to aid you in your quest. But before that, he will return the five million gil he swindled out of you...WON'T YOU!!!!"

She raised a scepter and was about to clonk Zidane when he raised his hands up in defense and said, "Aright already!! I'll give him back his gil!!"

As Zidane handed Delita back his money between grumbles, Delita asked, "Garnet? How will you leave Alexandria? Who will rule?"

"I am queen, yes, but I decreed a long time ago that I could travel anywhere I pleased, even privately. Beatrix guards the throne in my stead, plus Zidane is my official bodyguard and has promised much to Steiner's complaints to guard me with his life. So once I receive the two Zodiac stones from my servant, we shall be leaving very quickly. Oh....and where is it exactly that we are going?"

"Ehrm....," Alma thought, reaching for words, "We--that is the Zodiac Braves who possess the stones must find the bearers of the two stones Scorpio and Pisces...they will glow once we find them."

"Ah, there they are...thank you mistress..."

Garnet was given a box, which she opened, inside were the stones. Garnet took out her favorite stone, which was of course, the Garnet. Yet when Alma looked closer, she saw that whenever Garnet's hand passed by the Pisces stone in the box, it glowed a soft blue color. Shocked Alma said in disbelief, "You're one of the bearers, Garnet! Do you realize you're a Zodiac Brave!"

"Apparently because the Pisces stone was glowing, I guess I must be..." she replied complacently.

"Hey, let me see!" Zidane glanced to look at the stones, "but why doesn't the garnet glow when she touches it?" Zidane picked up the red stone of Scorpio, curious as to why it wasn't her stone, then when it started to glow as well, he quickly put it back in the box as if nothing had happened.

Alma did a double take, "Did that Scorpio stone just glow a second ago!"

"Ummmm......" Zidane tried whistling and hiding his hands, "I dunno..."

"I knew it!" said Garnet, "I knew you had to be a brave too, Zidane!"

"Aww, c'mon maybe the rock just had a little light bounce off of it--"

"Stop lying, Zidane, we know you're a Brave, now take your Scorpio stone!" said Alma impatiently.

"Aww crap, I don't wanna go fight in some dumb war!"

"You'd better do as she says, Zidane," Ramza interjected, "my sister won't take no for an answer."

So Zidane picked up the stone which glowed a bright red. He looked at Garnet and asked, "if this was you're favorite stone, why didn't it glow for you?"

Garnet smiled and spoke softly, "It was my favorite because it always reminded me of you, Zidane."

Then, with a feint burst of energy, Zidane, now invigorated by Garnet's words said, "THEN I SHALL DEFEND ALEXANDRIA!!!"

Ramza spoke wryly with a smirk and said, "He's only doing it 'cause He wants Garnet."

A few moments after gathering a few supplies, the party discussed their plans with the newly found stones and their bearers. Steiner was the first to comment, "I regret having to abandon you, my queen, but I trust you are in safe hands with Zidane."

"Steiner, you've been so loyal," Garnet replied, "what I do, I do to protect this world now, as a Zodiac Brave. But we will return."

"For your information, Steiner," Ramza told him, "we will be trying to use these powerful stones and unlock the gate of time, this way we can find the other six stones and braves."

"As far as where the gate of time is," Garnet informed the party, "It is in the highest point in the tower of Castle Alexandria. A time mage forbade me to enter there until I was grown, now we have finally found its use."

"So we'll head up there," Delita said.

"My queen..."

"Yes, Beatrix?"

"We shall protect Alexandria with our lives, I swear that." Beatrix promised very sincerely, placing a fist on her breastplate and bowing.

"Then it's settled," said Garnet with an air of finality, "we will get supplies and use the time gate at once."

Zidane asked Garnet, "How exactly will we know where we're going? Are we all prepared?"

"The stones will guide the way, Zidane, and as for being prepared, I was taught by Eiko all her summons, not to mention mastering my own, I am not totally defenseless." Garnet reminded him.

"Well okay, just so long as you and the other girls are safe..." Zidane acted as if he had every intention of protecting all four women at the same time.

The party headed to the highest tower, which meant a very long flight of steps. But strangely the walls seemed to become crystal-like.

"Something tells me, that the elemental crystal is reacting to our entering the time chamber by sealing off any intruders..." Garnet stated.

"As long as that seal wears off when we get back," joked Delita, "I want to go home just as much as anyone else here."

"There it is...the gate of time..." Garnet said.

The room consisted of a giant circular platform with seven smaller platforms around the edges. In the middle was a trapezoidal platform in which a small groove slit seemed to be engraved. Also the seven smaller platforms had seven markings of the Zodiac.

"Each platform is designated for our seven Zodiac signs.." Alma noted, "with the exception of Delita's Zodiac sword."

"Wait a minute--where's Gildenstern....!" Delita blurted out..

Ramza replied, "Alma and I discussed this, Delita, and we realize you seem to have some importance to us, but Gildenstern is not a Brave so he cannot travel through time with us. The people at Tantalus asked if he wanted to work with them in the theatre, and he said yes. I hope you can understand..."

"Very well, we must get going then..." Delita replied.

"Come on! I ain't got all day!" Zidane whined.

"Everybody to their designated positions!" Alma ordered, "Delita, you stay in the middle by that anvil..."

"Now, raise your stones to the sky..."

Nothing Happened.

"I think I know what's missing...," Delita said, "this anvil is for driving my sword into...that activates the gate..."

"We'll try anything now..." Alma said, "Okay put the sword in..."

As soon as Delita drove the sword in the anvil a blue aura filled the room, and each of the Zodiac platforms glowed along with the seven stones. The Legend sword began to emit a high intensity light forcing Delita to drop to one knee and close his eyes...then he prayed.

On to Chapter 10 >>>>

Back to Chapter Index >>>>