Dissidia Final Fantasy: Unus Mundus

Chapter Eighteen ~The Crystal's Chosen (Dagger)

The sun was barely over the hills along the walk from Alexandria to Lindblum. Aside from sparse lighthearted banter among the members of Tantalus, there wasn't much talking. There wasn't really much to say after the confusion of Doctor Tot's Unus Mundus Paradox theory. They were all too tired to theorize anyway. None of them got much sleep the night before, and it was quite clear with their tired, droopy eyes, their sluggish pace, and slightly messy hair. Even Beatrix found herself yawning every so often, but they wanted to get started on their mission to find Vivi and Eiko as soon as possible.

"Princess," Steiner finally said, breaking the long silence. "What's that over there?" Dagger looked in the direction Steiner pointed at, as did everyone else when he brought it to their attention. Sure enough, it was something they'd never seen before—a glowing blue tower that reached the heavens, like a monument of some sort.

"I don't think I've ever seen that before," Dagger replied in a quiet tone. Without hesitation, Zidane, Blank, Marcus, and Cinna began walking towards the tower. "Hold on just a minute." Dagger grabbed Zidane's shoulder and spun him around. "What do you guys think you're doing?"

"Exploring whatever the hell that thing is," Zidane said, pointing to the tower. "What if Vivi or Eiko are there?"

"Chances are pretty slim of simply finding them so quickly," Steiner commented. "Considering our luck, there could be a murderous beast awaiting our arrival."

"All the more reason to look at it," said Freya. "If there is some sort of beast, I'd think it would be up to us to take it down. All of us together can take on such a beast with ease! Except for Cinna, perhaps."

"Why the hell're you calling me out!?" Cinna scoffed. "You hardly know me!"

Dagger examined the ever-changing landscape and then looked back at the bright blue tower that seemed to glimmer in the sun. "I guess it's not much further than Lindblum," she said. "If everyone's on board, then I say we go." There was no hesitation, especially since Dagger's word was final as an unwritten rule. There was a valley surrounding the tall tower, accompanied by four shattered statues. "Whatever world these belonged to must've been ancient..." Dagger spoke softly as she placed her hands on one of the statues. "They look as old as Gaea itself."

"Kuja!?" Zidane's voice was loud and startled everyone as Zidane suddenly ran incredibly fast towards the tower. There was a bit of a concerned murmur among the congregation as they saw why Zidane was running towards the tower, and when Dagger looked up, she saw exactly why. Kuja stood right there, facing the tower. He didn't even turn around at the sound of Zidane's voice, and behind him was a young man with brown hair and a woman about his age with long, purple hair, unconscious. Zidane spoke once more. "Kuja, what are you doing here?"

"The Crystals are dying, Zidane..." Kuja spoke softly. 

"Do you know anything about why this happened?" Zidane asked. "Why the world's all scrambled this way?" Kuja laughed quietly, but it seemed pained a little, and he still refused to turn around.

"Someone with rather unusual power ruined the balance of the worlds," Kuja replied. "As a result, the Crystals of the different versions of our world are counteracting each other, effectively killing each other off, and the few that remain are turning people into Crystals to take their place. I've been taking those people and placing them here in the Crystal Tower for safekeeping while they sleep until the true Crystals can be restored."

Zidane looked down at the man and the woman at his feet. "And what about these two?"

"They wandered here just like all of you did." Kuja still refused to turn around and look at them. "Aimless and frightened, just like all of you. But who wouldn't be in such a situation...?" Dagger was the first to think it suspicious that he wasn't looking at them.

"Kuja," she said with a gentle tone, and at the sound of her voice, Kuja jolted a little. "Why aren't you looking at us?" There was a moment of silence before Kuja scoffed a little.

"I really wish I could tell you, Princess." His lips curled into a smile, and though no one saw his face, they could hear it in his tone. "I've been given a very difficult job, one that certainly doesn't pay enough considering the penalty for refusing. This may as well be the last you all see of me. You should all go now."

"Wait!" Zidane ran towards him and extended his hand, but upon getting closer to Kuja, an unseen force pushed him down on the ground and his hand grew colder and colder until it became painful. "What the hell...?"

"You shouldn't have come so close..." Kuja almost sounded as if he wanted to cry. "I can't let you suffer like the others did." Kuja turned around, and it was very clear to see why he didn't want the others to see him. The top left side of his face had become blue crystal like the tower and his eyes were completely white. He grabbed Zidane's hand, and in a bright flash, Zidane's entire body was paralyzed and he became blue crystal as well, as solid and smooth as glass. The group was speechless at the sight. Dagger wanted to rush to his side, but after seeing what happened to him when he got close to Kuja, she didn't risk it. Kuja lifted Zidane up and looked up at everyone with sorrow in his eyes. "Do you see now?" he asked everyone. "I didn't ask for this job. I didn't want to hurt Zidane."

"Is he dead...?" Blank looked at the crystallized Zidane, petrified with shock and sorrow. Kuja turned around and began heading into the tower.

"He's asleep," he said. "It will be peaceful. The transformation is the painful part, so I wanted to make it end as quickly as possible so he didn't have to suffer like the other people the Crystals chose. When those two wake up..." Kuja pointed to the brown-haired man and purple-haired woman; "all of you must leave. Go to Lindblum and talk to the Regent. He will help you all on your search for your friends. I'll keep Zidane safe."

Without another word, Kuja retreated into the Crystal Tower with Zidane in hand. As soon as he was gone, Dagger fell to her knees and she wept.