(MT17)
A loud comotion is heard in the streets of treno, the city
of endless night, as Steiner, the captain of the knights of the pluto jumps up
and down in an infuriated rage.
"You thiveing....simian..bufoon! That money was for emergancys only!! now what
are we going to do if we run low on antidotes? or tents!?" across from him the
fameous thief of Tantalus Zidane stands across from him, his hands behind his
head in a calm and relaxed manner.
"Don't blow your lid Rusty..Dagger can always patch us up with some white
magic."
"you think i LIKE it when the princess has to strain herself by useing her
magic? I would much rather perform first aid myself then let her do that!" he
covers his face with his hand.
"Oh when she finds out..she'll be furious!" as he says this princess garnet, aka
dagger steps up behind him.
"Find out what Steiner?" Steiner quickly jumps and turns around
"Y-Your highness! Well...you see...I...." Zidane grins a bit as he throws an arm
around steiners shoulder.
"Me and rusty here were just talking about you! Weren't we?" Steiner swallows
heavily as he responds in a shakey voice.
"Y-yes..w-we were...um...We were..." steiner then stops and smiles a bit.
"We were thinking of getting you a gift! T-To thank you for always keeping us in
top shape with your magic!"
Dagger smiles ever so slightly.
"That's so sweet of you two..! What is it?" Steiner gulps and grabs Zidanes
wrist dragging him down up the stairs into one of treno's slums.
"You'll see princess! Wait for us at the inn with master Vivi and miss Freya!
I'm sure you'll love it!" Zidan struggles some while he gets dragged.
"W-whoa! hey! quit it!" Dagger tilts her head some but then shrugs, heading off
to the inn.
After a few minutes Zidane is walking with steiner around some of the shops.
"Great going rusty, now we're going to have the spend the rest of my tetra
master money on a gift.." he hangs his head some.
"I was going to buy a new set of daggers with that gil.." Steiner turns his head
to the shorter man and glares.
"Well if it wasn't for your gambeling in the first place then we wouldn't be in
this situation! now keep looking for a gift!" Zidan sighs as he looks through
some jewlery, a ring with a light blue stone on it cathing his eye.
"Hey, how much for the ring?" he says as he looks at the shopkeeper.
"Ahhh, you have an eye for quality friend, all the way from the outer continent,
that is a special ring made from malachite! it is said to have special magical
properties." Zidane picks it up and looks it over.
"how much for it then?"
"no less then...Four hundred gil!" Zidane smiles and gives a thumbs up.
"Sold!"
Steiner picks up a nice pair of ribbons and smiles.
"Ah, these will do nice, they match the princess's eyes and they're cheap!
Zidane! let me see the money bag." Zidane quickly walks over and puts the ring
on his hand.
"Here, this is what i got her..and for free!" he says as he walks out. Steiner
blinks a few times as he looks the ring over.
"This tacky piece of jewlery? it lacks shine, Form, and all around beauty! how
do you think the princess would even be REMOTELY interested in this?!" At that
point the ring glows a bit as some smoke begins to come off of it.
"TACKY!? WHO DARES CALL THE GREAT EIDOLON SIREN TACKY!?" a large female spirit
with long blond hair appears infront of steiner, steiner imediatly dropping the
ring, alone with his jaw.
"I-I beg your pardon! Miss siren! Ma'am! I-i thought only..." Siren gets face to
face with him and stares him down,
"You thought WHAT you lousy rusted tin can? That you could be a bigger man then
me by calling me tacky!?" shes raises a hand up.
"I think you're a bit too big for your armor tin-man." she quickly snaps her
fingers a pink light going over steiner.
"Oh this is the end of me! Forgive me princess! I failed! oh what a world! i'm
going to be killed by an eidolon!" Siren rolls her eyes.
"Oh stop whineing you big baby! I'm not going to kill you! I'm just going
to...cut you down to size.." she says as a grin spreads across her face, she
waves and vanishes along with the ring.
"C-Cut me down to size?" as soon as he said this he quickly feels a compressed
feeling on his body, as if mini were being cast on him.
"A-Ah! What is this!?" he says as he quickly shrinks to a puny half an inch
tall.
"No...NO! I'm a knight! reduced to the size of a thimble!?" he stops for a
moment and then raises his fist to the sky.
"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT ZIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANE!"
After a few minutes of walking around at his now diminished size,
Steiner sighs and hangs his head. "This has to be some kind of nightmare.." he
mumbles to himself as he looks around. "If only the princess, or miss Freya were
here, they could help me out of this situation..." he stops and stands up
straight. "No! I am Adelbert Steiner! Captain of the knights of the pluto! I've
gone through MUCH worse then this!"
At that moment a voice comes from behind him. "That's the spirit rusty! We've
seen a lot worse then this!" Steiner blinks a few times as he turns around, face
to face with Zidane, who has also been shrunk. "Y-you!? how did you get here!?
Why are you small!?" Zidane shrugs some. "While i was walking out of the store
there was a bright light and poof, here i am." Steiner sighs some and looks at
him. "Siren's spell must have gotten you too..Well come on! enough sitting
around! we have to keep moving!" Zidane nods a bit. Right, lead on rusty."
As the two walk along towards the inn, every so often they would feel like
something was watching them. Zidane narrows his eyes a bit and looks around.
"Hey rusty, ever get the feeling that you're being watched?" steiner looks back
at zidane and then looks around a bit as well. "now that you mention it...Yes,
it feels like someone has been..." he stops suddenly and looks up. "Watch out!"
he points as he shouts a giant foot coming right at them. Zidan quickly jumps to
the side and looks up, Seeing one of the nobles towering above them. "Good lord!
These bugs are more disgusting lookign then oglops!" she shouts as she raises
her foot again, trying to stomp on the two. "Run for it Rusty!" Zidane shouts as
he runs towards the inn. "H-hey! wait up!" he shouts as he runs after zidane.
"oh no you don't!" the noble shouts as she begins after them. "You little
insects won't get away."
With better speed and agility Zidane makes it to the inn and quickly slides
under the door. "Safe!" Right behind him Steiner manages to get under the door,
breathing heavily as he lays on his hands and knees. "T..That was too
close..Like looking down an adamantoise." "Come on, It wasn't that bad." Steiner
glares at Zidane and growls some. "Wasn't that bad!? You're CLEARLY insane!"
Zidane narrows his eyes a bit and raises his voice. "I'M insane!? I'm not the
one who pissed off an eidolon!" Steiner draws his weapon and full on shouts.
"That does it! I should have done this a long time ago! you're going down you
stupid monkey!"
Before he can do anything though, a large, white, clawed foot lands between
them. Zidane staggers back some falling onto his rear. "Woah! what the heck is
that!?" he looks up some and smiles a bit. "Rusty! It's Freya! She'll help us!"
Above them Freya looks around her spear resting carefully on her back. "Guess no
ones here yet.." She says this as she stretches. "Guess i can get a little nap
in before someone shows up." Back down below steiner quickly looks at Zidane,
"We'll finish this when we're normal! now onto her foot before she leaves!" he
says as he jumps up onto freya's foot, Zidane closely behind him. Freya moves
down to one of the beds in the inn and plops down, setting her spear against the
wall. "Ugh..Such a long day.." She says as she rolls onto her front, steiner and
zidane landing on the bed near her feet.
Zidane looks up some as he gets to his feet. "Oh man...Now what?" Steiner puts
his sword away and walks up to Zidane. "isn't it obvious? We should make our way
to miss freya's face post haste!" he says as he climbs up onto Freya's sole,
heading up her body towards her head. Zidan shrugs and follows, running across
her foot. "Mmpf, wish i would have brought some nose plugs.." he says as he
continues to run.
Freya smirks some and giggles feeling to two tiny men running across her feet.
"W..What? T-that tickles!" she says as she begins to squirm on the bed. Zidan
stagger some nearly falling over while he runs. "W-woah! Freya! stop squirming!
rusty and i are down here!" he shouts as he tries to run ahead. Steiner looks
back and notices Zidane's trouble. "oh...darn it!" he says as he runs back and
grabs Zidane's wrist. "Come on!" he drags Zidane alone past her heel and onto
her leg. Freya stops squirming, as she closes her eyes again. "That was too
much.." she says as she giggles softly to herself again.
Zidane kneels over some with his hands on his knee's catching his breath. "Hehe,
thanks Rusty..I thought for sure i was gonna fall off." Steiner corrses his arms
and shuts his eyes. "Hmpf, I didn't do it to help you, I only did it because the
princess has grown fond of you, and would be hurt if you vanished or got hurt."
Zidane scratches the back of his head slightly, "Yeah..yeah..Well come on, we
need to hurry before Freya decsides to get up.." Steiner nods as they both
travel next to each other heading towards her waist line and tail.
Freya's tail swishes back and forth as the two walk towards it. Zidane chuckles
to himself as he walks across her waist. "Whats so funny?" Steiner asks as he
stops to look at Zidane. he simply gets a wide grin on his face. "Well, if you
really want to know.." he leans over and whispers in Steiner ear making his face
turn bright red. "I never! Do you perversions know no end!?" he jumps up and
down a bit, clearly flusterd. Once again freya feels this and brings her tail
down a bit swatting at them with a sigh. "Can't a girl get some rest around
here?" Zidane facepalms a bit as he sees this. "Not again!" he shouts as he
begins to run up freya's body. "Get the lead out Rusty! We gotta get to her head
now!"
Steiner gets slapped hard with her tail and goes flying over Zidane's head. He
screams at the top of his lungs as he slams down into her back with a thud.
Zidane blinks a few times as he looks back, Freya's tail swatting him as well.
"OWCH!" is all he can shout as he flies through the air and out of Steiner's
sight. "Zidane!" he shouts as he stands up looking around. "Oh no, if anything
happens to him the princess will be upset! I'm coming! just hang on!" He runs
towards where Zidane flew, off the side of the bed..."I just hope he's okay.."
he says, slightly concerned.
After a few minutes of laying on his back, Zidane begins to regain
consciousness. "Ugh, My head." He quickly gets to his feet and looks around.
"Damn...Freya must have knocked me clean off the bed..! Hey Rusty! can you hear
me up there!?" He dosn't get a response and he sighs. "Crap...Guess i got to
find a way back up.." As he says this a shadow goes over him. " Huh..?" He turns
around and his eyes widen as something picks him up. "Ah! Woah!" Is all he has
time to say before begins grabbed.
Meanwhile on the bed, Steiner barely makes it to the edge and looks at where
Zidane is. "Are you okay?" he shouts down waiting for a reply...but no answer.
"Where could he have..." At that moment he hears a familier voice above him.
"hey! there you are rusty!" Steiner jumps a little and looks up. "how did you
get up....There!?" To his shock when he looks up, he sees one of his fellow
companions holding Zidane, the younge summoner Eiko! "Y-you!?" He asks a bit
surprised. "I..I thought you were waiting on the airship with the others!" Eiko
holds Zidane in her grasp a bit tightly as she looks on the bed right at him, a
smile spreading across her face. "I got tired of waiting for you guys, So i
decided to look around! Wow...how did you guys get so small?" Steiner covers his
face with his palm and sighs. "it's...a rather long story. Can you get us to the
princess?" Eiko picks up steiner still grinning. "Nope!" Steiners eyes widen as
do Zidane's. "What!?" they both exclaim at once. Eiko eyes the two and starts to
walk. "Now i have you all to myself Zidane..And i can get some payback for you
picking me up by the back of my shirt the other day." he grin turns from a
playful one to a mischivous one as she exits to Inn stuffing the two tiny heroes
in her pocket.
"Well this is a fine mess." Steiner says as he pounds on the side of the pocket.
"Let us out this instant! i apologize for doing what i did!" Zidane sits and
crosses his arms. "It's no use rusty, once Eiko sets her mind to somethign
theres no changing it." he puts his arms behinde his head and closes his eyes.
"May as well enjoy the ride!" Steiner turns to Zidane, a look of panic in his
eyes. "At least shes not going to get 'Payback' on you! just thinking about what
she'll do to me makes me shiver!"
Zidane opens one eye looking at him. "Yeah. I'm sure she has a million painful
thing's in store for you." he says sarcastically. Steiner pulls out his sword
and jumps at Zidane. "That tears it you holligan!" Zidane quickly rolls out of
his way. "Woah! Easy rusty it was a joke!" Steiner turns again ready to attack
zidane again when Eiko's hand enters again picking up Zidane by his tail and
stier by his arm. "W-woah!" Zidane excalims. Steiner simply flails as he drops
his sword. "My sword..!" Eiko sets them both on her palm looking at them, they
are by some water in the noble part of treno, she still has her grin on her
face. "Alright! lets play!" Steiner get on his knees and holds his hands up.
"M-miss Eiko! i implore you please stop this!" Eiko pulls out some string and
ties one end around steiner tieing him up nice and tight. She then reaches
behind her and pulls out something that makes steiners heart stop...a fishing
rod. "Y...you're not planning on doing what i think you're doing are you!?" Eiko
glares at Steiner though still smiling. "Maaaaybe i am." she says teasingly.
Zidanes eyes widen as well. "Eiko! you can't do that to rusty he'll sink like a
rock!" Eiko looks at Zidane while tieing the other end of the string to the
fishing line. "he has this coming! besides, I'm useing him to help US catch a
bite to eat!" As Eiko begins to raise the rod up to cast steiner into the water,
Zidane quickly runs across her arm his daggers drawn. "Hold on Rusty! im
coming!"
Steiner thrashes about trying to get free as he looks at Eiko. "P-Please miss
Eiko! i promise i'll be nicer to you! Just Don't do this!" as he says this
Zidane jumps and cuts him free. "Got you!" Eiko looks at them and frowns in an
angry manner. "Zidane...! how could you!" she quickly stands up dropping the two
onto the ground. "Fine, I see how it is.." she raises her foot up and prepares
to stomp on them. "But if you won't be my boyfriend, no one can have you!" she
quickly brings her foot down towards the two. Steiner quickly grabs the sword
her dropped earlier off of the ground and his armor begins to glow. he raises
his sword up as he enters his trance state cutting a hole big enough for the two
to fit through in the bottom of her shoe just moments before they're stompped.
For a few long seconds everything around them is black..."Are we dead...?"
Zidane finally asks. As he asks that Steiners armor glows again causeing enough
light for them to see Zidane looks behind steiner and jumps a bit. "Woah!"
Steiner scratches his head and looks. "Huh...What in the!?" At that moment
they're greated by an odd yet not too surprising sight, Eiko's Foot.
"Way to go Rusty, you stopped us from getting smashed!" Zidane says as he pats
the armored mans back. Steiner clears his throat some. "We're not done yet..We
still need to get out of here and find the princess." at that point a booming
voice is heard above them. "Ah-ha! so you snuck into there! Well you better get
ready!" Eiko's voice shouts above them at that moment her foot slowly begins to
inch forward towards the two ready to smash them against the far end of the
shoe. Zidane quickly draws his daggers again and gets ready. "We don't want to
hurt you Eiko, but We've got no choice!" Zidane says as he charges Eiko's foot
slashing her big toe, Eiko only giggleing from above. "That tickles!" Steiner
quickly brings his sword back. "I can assure you then Miss eiko, THIS WILL NOT!"
he shouts as he uses Shock on her foot causing her to jump and start to pull her
foot out of her shoe. "Owie!" Zidane quickly runs up to her foot with Steiner
and jumps ontop of it. "Elevator going up!" Zidane says as they are taken out of
the shoe with her foot. as soon as they're out the two jump off and steiner
replies to Zidanes remark. "And then it comes down!"
As the two hit the ground they immediately start running. Eiko blows on her big
toe some from the sudden shock of getting, well shocked, not noticing the two
escaping. "Owie owie owie owie.." As they run Steiner turns to Zidane looking at
him. "We are never to speak to anyone about me begging again!" Zidane nods and
smiles. "Alright alright! My lips are sealed!" as the two run back to the inn
Eiko stands up and glows a bit. "Tch..I knew this form would be too easily
beaten by them." her appearence quickly changes into the of siren. "Very well,
I'll just have to handle those two the old fassioned way!" She giggles to
herself as she walks after them.
Only a matter of moments after their escape from eiko's shoe, Zidane
and Steiner are beginning to near the inn once more, though unknown to them
siren is in hot pursuit "We're almost there come on!" Steiner shouts as he
starts to hurry. At that moment however Zidane rushes past Steiner. "Don't turn
around rusty! whatever you do!" Steiner blinks a few times and looks back while
running, seeing the massive figure of siren closing in on them. "H..HER AGAIN!"
he looks back at Zidane as the two near the inn door. "Shes the one who did this
to us!" Zidane nods while running. "R..Right! lets get Dagger and Freya to help
us! at this size we're sitting ducks!" Steiner chews his lower lip as he looks
ahead. "I would rather not put the princess in harms way....but i see no other
choice...!"
The two slide under the inn door and looks around. "Did Freya take off
already!?" Zidane asks as he looks around, and to his relief sees both Dagger
and Freya sitting on the beds waiting for Steiner, and Zidane. "There they are!
hurry we have to..." at that moment the door flies open hitting the two into the
air as Siren enters. "FOUND YOU!" Siren shouts as she storms in. This is turn
surprises Freya and dagger seeing the barely clothed Eidolon break in. "Who are
you!?" Freya says as she stands up, readying her spear. Zidane falls towards her
face and barely manages to catch the rim of her hat looking at her eye. "Freya!
That girl shrunk me and Steiner! you gotta help us!" Freya blinks a few times as
she sees her friend shrunken. "Zidane...!?" Dagger looks a bit confused as she
looks at Freya. "What about Zidane?" She asks as Steiner lands on her shoulder
with a thud. "your majesty!" Dagger looks over and sees Steiner and gasps.
"Steiner! what happened to you?" She asks as she scoops him up into her hands.
"Your majesty, that woman in the door way is called Siren, shes an Eidolon, She
abused her powers to shrink Zidane an eye and is trying to kill us! She even
went as far as to disguise herself as miss Eiko!"
Freya places Zidane on her shoulder and twirls her spear. "That's all i needed
to hear..!" she says as she jumps at Siren. "W..whoa! easy freya!" Zidane
manages to say as he holds on, taking out one of his daggers. Dagger gently sets
Steiner on her shoulder and gets her staff ready. "how dare you try to harm my
friends!" she says as she casts protect on the four. Siren glares at them...but
then grins. "Heh, fine! bring it on! I'll kill all four of you!" she says as she
dodges Freya's spear and throws a punch, knocking Freya back. "hey! didn't your
mom ever teach you how to treat a lady?!" Zidane says as he jumps off of Freya
on onto Siren running up her arm. "Alright! I'll teach you then!" he says this
as he enters his trance. "Tidal Flame!" he shouts as a large flame comes from
under him burning sirens arm. "Gah! Why you little..." she reaches over and
grabs Zidane tossing him into the air. "Ah! What the!?" Siren jumps up and kicks
him over into Dagger making her drop Steiner and in turn making her drop to the
floor. "Y..your majesty!" he shouts as he lands on the ground next to Zidane.
"Alright, now i'm mad! No one hurts dagger on my watch!" Zidane shouts as he
runs at Siren once more.
Siren simply laughs as she jumps at Zidane and Steiner readying her mini spell
once more. "That does it! I'll shrink you two into nothing!" She quickly
launches the spell, it manages to miss Zidane..but it hits Steiner dead on!
"Rusty! no!" Zidane shouts as he looks at his friend. Steiner glows purple and
is about to shrink again when...he starts laughing. "What..? Whats so funny you
speck!" she shouts as she looks at him. Steiner smile and looks up. "I had the
princess cast a certain spell on me..one that should give you a taste of your
own medicine..Siren." Siren turns ghost pale and her jaw drops. "Y..you're
kidding..She didn't cast...!" Steiner smiles as the spell bounces off of him and
hits siren square in the forehead. "Reflect!" Siren glows bright purple and
slowly begins to shrink. "No no no! how dare you! how dare you trick me like
that! I'll..I'll smash you into paste you little...Little!" she soon reaches the
same size as Zidane and Steiner and goes quiet, but her lips keep moving.
Dagger stands up behind Zidane and Steiner and smiles wide. "how do you like my
Silence spell Siren? it should last long enough for us to get rid of you!" she
says as she picks up Zidane and steiner. Freya picks up siren by the back of her
outfit. "Think we could toy with her a little bit before getting rid of her? I'm
sure Eiko would like something new to play with.." Dagger blinks and stomps her
foot once. "Absolutely not! we have to get rid of her now before my spell wears
off!" Steiner Turns around and looks up at dagger. "Speaking of spells...your
majesty, do you think you could cast esuna and return us to normal?" Dagger
pauses for a moment and gets a sly grin. "Well...Only if you two give me my gift
first!" she says as she smiles at them..Zidane and Steiner look at each other
and sighs. "Dagger the truth is..,Rusty here spent all of our money at the
gambling hall!" Zidane says as he moves away from Steiner. Steiner quickly looks
at him. "you lieing monkey! you were the one who spent all of our money!" Dagger
frowns some and blinks. "Well..its okay, we can always get more money from uncle
cid." she says with a smile. Steiner and Zidane look at each other and breath a
sigh of relief. "But..." Dagger starts, "you two are in big trouble for lieing
to me.." Zidane and steiner gulp heavily and can only imagine what she has in
store for them...
An hour later....
Dagger giggles a bit as she looks at Freya. "I'm glad you managed to get rid of
Siren so easily Freya.." she says as she giggles again. Freya smiles a bit.
"Yes, the shopkeeper was more then thrilled to learn that his ring had Eidolon
powers..He said he will sell it at the auction house and give us a fair cut."
She quickly clenches up and then sighs in a relaxed manner. "So...how long will
we stay here until we continue our journey?" Freya asks Dagger as she looks down
at her feet. "Well..." Dagger says with a giggle. "We can at least wait until
Zidane's and Steiner's punishment is over" Dagger says as she giggles, watching
the two shrunken warriors rub both hers and freya's feet. Steiner grunts some
and looks at Zidane who is painting Freya's toes. "So you know monkey..I blame
you for this..." he says as he rubs Dagger's left foot. Zidane chuckles to
himself a bit nervously. "R...Relax rusty...At least it's only for three days.."
Steiner glares at Zidane. "When this is over..i'm going to lock you in the
Alexandria dungeon faster then you can blink!" Zidane sticks his tongue out at
him, "i'd like to see you try rusty!" Freya then shouts down at the two. "Enough
talking you two, keep working!" The two quickly begin to work faster and talk at
the same time. "yes mam!"
Meanwhile in the back ally ways of Treno....
The shopkeeper who cold Steiner the ring with siren in it twitches as he is
knocked out cold, a figure picking up sirens ring with a smile. "My...it seems
you have caused quite the trouble, little ring." Siren appears before the figure
and looks at him. "And what of it?" she asks him as she folds her arms. "Did you
want a taste of my power as well?" she asks. The figure smiles a bit. "no no my
dear..I simply wonder if you want a part to play in a much grander
performance.." Siren raises and eyebrow and smiles. "Would it involve me getting
some payback on those brats?" She asks softly. The figure smiles a bit and nods.
"Yes my dear..you will get a nice performance in the grand finale..Where you
dispose of your minuscule foes..but first..we have other matters to attend
miss..." Siren smiles and shakes the persons hand. "Siren...Call me siren.." The
figure smiles and brushes his hair away. "And i am Kuja..I shall enjoy working
with you my dear.."
END