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In all the time Zidane had been with Tantalus – or even for as long as he could remember – he had never felt so helpless.
The usually upbeat thief sighed as he glanced down at the still waters of Treno. The eternal night of the city of Treno reflected his dark mood, and he was tempted to just sit and brood for the rest of his stay.
Dagger’s lost her voice, and there’s nothing I can do to fix it. He irritably brushed aside some pesky blond strands from his face. He had said he’d kick Kuja’s ass in retribution, but would that really help? It wasn’t like Kuja’s defeat was going to magically bring back Dagger’s voice.
Zidane crossed his arms and leaned against the wall behind him. Helplessness wasn’t a feeling he dealt with well. I can’t bring back her voice, but I should still to try to do something for her.
He heard the faint sound of applause in the distance. He craned his head to the side, and peered down the walkway. In the distance, the auction house was lit brightly, like a firefly against a dark sky.
Sounds like someone just won the bid, Zidane thought as he heard further applause. For a moment, he glanced the other way, but as if some unseen force was beckoning to him, he turned back slowly towards the auction house. He wasn’t a big fan of auctions and bidding; after all, he had grown up just stealing what he set his sights on. That, and he usually didn’t have the patience for it.
He shrugged to himself, and straightened up from his perch against the wall. Might as well poke my head in and see what’s up for auction. If I have time to brood, I have time to bid. It’s better than doing nothing, anyway.
With his arms still crossed, he set off for the auction house. Honestly, he wasn’t sure what he could accomplish by going there, but perhaps it would help him figure something out.
Or maybe he was just really desperate.
Shaking off such a depressing thought, he pushed open the heavy doors and entered the auction house. He ignored the condescending looks he received from the nobles as he stepped further inside. Without so much as a glance towards the auction’s rather stuffier participants, Zidane walked up to the front, and listened as the auctioneer rattled off the items up for auction.
“Today we have the rare Doga’s Artifact.”
Yippee, Zidane thought sarcastically.
“Along with the exquisite Fairy Earrings-”
Already have them.
“-the elusive Feather Boots…”
Elusive? I have about three pairs of those.
“-and our final item, Dark Matter.”
Well that’s – wait, Dark Matter? Zidane’s head snapped up in surprise. He paid no mind to the opening bids for Doga’s Artifact as he mulled over the auction’s last item. Is that what I’m thinking it is?
His curiosity piqued, he waited as the first three items were auctioned and sold. Trying not to look too impatient, Zidane sat down in the front row and kept his arms crossed. He made no other movements, aside from breathing and the occasional twitch of his tail.
“Lastly, we have this Dark Matter.” The auctioneer held out the dark, spherical in his hands for display.
Zidane recognized the object from the Red Rose, the very object that summoned Odin and brought destruction to Cleyra. For a brief second he grimaced at the memory. As if he wasn’t in a bad enough of a mood…
“Do I hear 2700 Gil for the Dark Matter?”
“5500!” The skinny noble lady in blue called out.
Suddenly, a surge of anger flooded Zidane. This item was not just something that could be put on display, and it certainly wasn’t something that should be put up for auction. These ignorant nobles didn’t even know what the Dark Matter had inside of it, and yet they were bidding on it like they would for another fancy statue to put on their front lawns.
Zidane clenched his fist. Above all, the Dark Matter belonged to Dagger. It was her Eidolon that rested inside. She deserved to have it back.
And maybe, just maybe, she would be happy to see it. It might not bring back her voice, but if it made her smile, it was worth any price.
His resolve hardened, Zidane stood up and said, “6000!”
“8700!” the fat man in red shouted in a deep timbre voice.
Zidane was not to be deterred. “9000!” He hoped that the others weren’t going to be mad about the insane amount of Gil he was about to spend.
“9600!” the woman in blue called out, her voice shrill.
“10,000!” Oddly, Zidane found himself experiencing a kind of thrill he never felt before. It wasn’t the same kind of excitement he felt when he was pulling off a big heist or finding priceless treasure (and taking it), but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying himself right now. However, if this auction dragged out for too long, he knew his excitement would wear off, along with his patience.
The auctioneer nodded encouragingly. “I hear 10,000. Do I hear more?”
“Hmmm…” Some of the nobles were peering into their purses, contemplating making another bid.
“10,000. Anyone else?”
For a brief, shining moment Zidane thought he had won. Then, from the back, “10,500!”
Damn it. Zidane rolled his shoulders, and said, “11,000.”
A man in green raised his hand and said, “12,300.”
“I hear 12,300!” The auctioneer was almost beaming at this point. “Do I hear more?”
“15,000!” It was a large jump, but Zidane was hoping that it would deter the nobles from further bidding.
The large man in red said, “16,400!” Obviously, Zidane’s tactic had failed.
“18,000!” Zidane countered, shooting the man an angry stare. It was time to move onto Plan B: death glares.
“20,000!” The man in green struck again.
Zidane’s tail twitched in annoyance. The man in green was sitting behind him. Shooting another glare over his shoulder would be far too tactless. Instead, he just said, “22,000.” He wore his irritation in his expression, and mentally dared for any more of the nobles to make further bids. If all else failed, he was sure that a good dose of Tidal Flame would make them reconsider.
Whether it was that his dark thoughts were that apparent in his eyes, or that the nobles were completely dumbfounded at the fact that a “commoner” was outbidding them, they were eerily silent when the auctioneer made the first call for more bids.
The very room seemed to hold a collective breath as the auctioneer said, “22,000. Any more?”
It was only about three seconds, but it felt like eternity. Zidane kept his cool as his gaze bore into the auctioneer’s. His jaw clenched as he waited, and hoped.
The sound of the gavel hitting the block resounded through the room, and Zidane couldn’t contain his grin as the auctioneer declared, “Sold! Thank you for your time, ladies and gentlemen. The next auction will begin shortly.”
The teenage thief hardly cared as he stood up to claim his prize. He nodded in thanks to the auctioneer as he handed over the Dark Matter to him. Zidane held it carefully in his hands, turning it over as he walked out of the auction house. When he stepped out into the cool night air, he smiled softly to himself as he let his feet guide him towards the inn, where a mute princess was waiting for him.
~*~
He found her standing outside, gazing out over the shanties. Steiner, as usual, was not far away. The loyal knight was a little ways down the path, pretending to be minding his own business, though Zidane knew that he was watching Dagger like a hawk. He also spotted Eiko talking with some of the kids down below near the item shop, but he caught the cursory glances she threw over her shoulder at Dagger. Both soldier and summoner were watching the princess closely.
Zidane let his smile stretch into a grin as he walked over to Dagger. He hid the Dark Matter under his vest, not wanting to spoil the surprise yet. “Hey.”
She turned around, and gave him a small smile in greeting.
He turned until he was facing the same direction as her. His tail twitched absently, brushing up against Dagger’s left calf. Zidane stilled, waiting for a glare or that stern look she always gave him whenever he did something he knew he shouldn’t have done.
However, if she noticed, she said nothing, and Zidane let out a quiet sigh of relief.
With the potential mini-crisis averted, his confidence was quickly regained. Zidane gave Dagger a roguish grin. “So, it’s a pretty nice night.”
Her stare was incredulous; she knew he was up to something. She raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to continue.
Zidane’s lips twitched in amusement. However, he quickly composed his expression, and his relaxed manner returned. “A nice night for a date. What do you say?” He gave her a wink. “We’re in Treno, after all. We could take a stroll down the pathways over the water front, admire the architecture, grab a bite to eat at the café, make fun of the nobles…”
He grinned when he caught her shoulders shake in suppressed laughter. It was nice to see her relaxed, to see her out of her thoughts for a little bit. He only wished he could do that for her all the time.
“And I have the perfect way to start it off.” He took a step back, reaching into his vest. When he caught her suspicious stare, he rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “It’s nothing bad. And it’s not alive, either. Close your eyes and hold out your hands,” he said playfully.
Although she still seemed dubious of his motives, she went along with his plan. She closed her eyes, and held out her hands straight in front of her. Despite her suspicion, she seemed a little excited too as a faint smile appeared. Or maybe she was just amused at his antics.
Zidane wore a smile to match hers. He waited a few seconds, waiting to see if she would squirm in impatience. When she wiggled her fingers, he laughed and pulled out the Dark Matter, and gently placed it into her gloved hands. “Okay, now open.”
Her fingers instinctively wrapped around the object to hold it in place. She opened her eyes, and they immediately averted to the Dark Matter.
The wind rustled their clothes and sent their hair blowing around their faces, but neither of them paid any mind. Zidane waited as Dagger stared at the Dark Matter. His smile fell as the silence prolonged. Maybe she didn’t want this Eidolon back. It did destroy a whole city and its people. Maybe she just wanted it to disappear.
He mentally cursed himself for this oversight. “Look, I just thought that you’d like it back since it was taken from you. It was being auctioned off and I thought-”
Her hand reached out and gently touched his arm. As Dagger held the Dark Matter closer to her, she gave Zidane a wide smile. She couldn’t speak the words, but her expression said it for her: thank you.
Zidane heaved out a breath in relief, releasing the tension that had been building up in him. “Don’t mention it. It’s yours to begin with, so I’m just giving it back.”
She nodded in agreement, putting the Dark Matter away. Her gaze went from grateful to expectant, and for a brief, panic-filled moment, Zidane’s mind was racing. What was she waiting for?
Then he remembered, “Oh. Ehehe, I didn’t think you actually wanted to go on that date. I was just saying it so I could give the summoning stone back to you. Of course, if you still want to…” He held out his arm for her, and put on the most charming smile he could muster. “I’d be honored.”
She rolled her eyes, and he knew it was aimed at his overly charming display. Still, it wasn’t enough to deter her from taking his arm, and nodding at him to lead the way.
It was nice to see her smile, Zidane thought as they began to walk towards Treno’s café. He knew that her worries would be there to haunt her in the morning, but if she could forget them just for a little while tonight, he considered it a small kind of accomplishment. He was also happy to be able to give her something back she had lost for a change, instead of seeing something else taken away from her. It wasn’t her voice he had brought back, and that would take time.
Baby steps, he told himself as he glanced over at her. Small steps like these will help her. It’s hard, but it’s enough for now.