Eleven days later the marks were still there, but Drake couldn’t just stay in his room. He just… couldn’t.
Everywhere he went people were watching him and it was driving him insane. When he tried to leave, people stopped him—which in all honesty was the only reason he was still there.

If he was with someone, he could leave… but that still meant being watched… it hadn’t been like this since he was much younger and he had to assume this was Eclipse’s doing… before, Drake would have assumed they were just concerned because he’d gotten hurt and they blamed some monster outside and didn’t want him to get hurt again. The guards only paid attention to him leaving when he was ill. Now, though… he had to wonder if it wasn’t Eclipse making suggestions to them. He could have used a barrier, but this way left doubt as to whose fault it actually was… Drake probably would have used his own persuasion powers to trick the guards into letting him leave and just… flown away and not stopped. Only reason he didn’t was because he had nowhere to go and how would it help? If he had a valid reason to leave, he’d persuade the guards to look the other way, but currently he couldn’t see a reason to be bothered with using the energy it would take.

 

All those people in those dreams… those dreams which still refused to end. Why should they? He was the cause of it… all their pain, all their suffering. He could pretend he didn’t care, but he did. Even while hunting the kill had to be quick. Torture was unacceptable. What irritated him the most, though, is the voice in his head arguing all this. A voice that had become quieter and quieter as the days passed. The voice that said killing was fun. Why not just do it for the trophy?

 

… Because it was wrong. You kill to live. Monsters hurt people, so you destroy them. Relocating them with HP battles didn’t work for long; their numbers grew… Killing for sport, though, was when it gets out of hand. When you kill a creature who is rare you’re not helping the ecosystem, you’re just killing. There has to be a balance in the world or things go to hell and everyone suffers.

 

It was, luckily, something Eclipse never understood. He thought Drake hunted whatever was around… he’d never seemed to notice it was monsters, never animals.

 

That would work. Drake knew he could keep playing off the Big Game theory he’d been going on. Eclipse and Brahne seemed to think he wanted to kill a sentient being so much it was nearly their entire offer. Drake could keep that up.

 

Depression sunk in, regardless. He’d had his plan and it was destroyed faster than it had been created. Eclipse was too powerful for him. One movement; just one, simple, swift movement and the pain it had caused… he could still feel that burn every time he thought about it. Drake just wished he had some help, some impute, something to help get him out of his current depression.

 

… He felt trapped. Felt like he was stuck in an infinite loop with no idea how to get out. He didn’t know what to do now. Didn’t know where Zidane was, if he’d gotten away. He didn’t know what Brahne was up to.

 

Drake just felt lost and alone all over again.

And then… Garnet showed up.

 

She walked carefully, cautiously though the library until she spotted Drake. He was sitting at a table, not facing the door.

 

“Oh, there you are.” She stated, relieved.

 

Drake head shot up from the book he’d been reading and snapped it shut before he stood and turned to face her.

 

“Drake, I— what happened to your face?” Garnet gasped, walking over.

 

Across his right cheek were four slits— deep gashes in his skin, just beginning to heal over. Three long ones and one short one, slanted down at an angle… perhaps a fifth, she saw a faint mark but could not be sure. It was like an animal scratch. It was the first thing she saw after noticing Drake.

 

“It’s nothing.” Drake said, glancing around. “What… what are you doing here?”

 

Garnet was confused by that answer. Such deep scars could not be ‘nothing’, but he obviously didn’t want to explain. Which she found a bit troubling, but for as long as she’s known Drake he’d seemed like a mystery. “Uh… I need to talk to you.”

 

Drake hesitated, but only a second. He looked around again and then nodded. “Alright, but let’s talk outside.”

 

“Okay,” Garnet agreed.

 

The guards did not seem to notice as the two stepped out…

 

 

 

Eclipse was mildly curious as to why the Red Rose landed at the dock that evening, and went to subtly investigate. It would be strange for the Queen to arrive unannounced, and that would probably mean trouble... but not be totally unexpected. Brahne was useless.

However, his slight fears were laid to rest when he spotted only the Princess disembarking the ship. Why would she be here? He wondered, as he followed her movements out of sight. It was no surprise that she went straight to Drake… He was also mildly annoyed when the guards did not even blink as the prince and princess walked out… but he had kept Drake inside long enough he doubted the fire element had the enthusiasm to run anymore, so he’d excuse the event for not.

Eclipse watched their conversation from high above, listening to the second hand and slightly twisted account of what Brahne had cooked up this time. The plan was slightly less stupid than usual. Had she managed to think of it all by herself?

Good. He thought, she had listened to what he had said to her the day before. She had found a more efficient way to coerce Zidane. At last, one of their ‘pleasant’ chats had been productive.

He couldn't help but notice that Drake had spotted him during the conversation too. That boy was sometimes too perceptive for his own good. It was uncommon for Eclipse to be spotted when he did not wish to be.

Eclipse listened to them a little longer, but it seemed like the important things had already been discussed. He clenched his fists and his knuckles whitened even more so than they were naturally, when he heard the 'vile monster' insult. The boy knew full well that he was listening!

The robed man stalked away into the shadows angrily, no longer caring to waste time listening to the inane conversation.

 

 

 

Drake was not too happy about this plan Queen Brahne had come up with… he wondered if Zidane had any idea… it didn’t seem like he did.
He’d have to tell him. Drake didn’t like it, but he would have to tell Zidane… but… it would mean another escape attempt, and he really hadn’t planned for it. The last one had been risky enough, and Eclipse was already mad at him… something that elaborate would not work. He’d rather risk being caught than trying to survive that ice potion again.
Maybe he could try another sleeping potion… he had one. It would just be very difficult, maybe impossible, and if Eclipse found out Drake was trying to use a sleeping potion on him...

There was another option. Risky, of course, but possible… He could steal his own airship…, which would get him into instant trouble. Might work, though… he had to figure out something.
Drake walked back inside, deciding this could wait till the morning. Maybe he’d just switch the coffee to decaf. Turn everyone into zombies.

 

Garnet had left and Eclipse went back to his room to enjoy the peace that came with knowing that he wouldn't have to go and fix everything.

He briefly considered heading to Alexandria the next morning to check up on things, but decided against it.

 

 

 

The next morning Drake was at a loss for what to do… He paced his room for quite some time trying to think up something. That conversation with Garnet had to have given him some points… he’d talked her into exactly what Brahne wanted her to do, and that aided Eclipse… surely that would be enough to stop this? Enough to convince Eclipse to get the guards off his back… Drake had noticed they’d stopped following him, and he hardly had to use any of his persuasion powers to get them to do so.

He paced by his hawk keep for the eighth time before the idea hit him.
He didn’t need an elaborate plan. He could just… go hunting. Or at least that could be his excuse, Eclipse would never go with him and… it was doubtful Eclipse would try and stop him…

The guards would be easy enough to persuade. He deserved a reward…

“Vanda, come on.” Drake held his arm up and Vanda flew to him.

He walked down the stairs toward the palace.

 

Eclipse was just coming out of the kitchen with a breakfast tray balanced expertly on his arm. He caught sight of Drake shortly after he had pulled the door closed. He would probably have ignored him if the boy hadn't had a bird on his arm. Even Drake wasn't in the habit of going to breakfast with a bird on his arm...

 

Drake stopped, surprised and unnerved for a moment. Then he walked past Eclipse and opened the door, starting down the hall.

 

“Going out?” Eclipse asked loudly enough that he would be heard down the corridor, but didn't shout.

 

“Hunting! Going hunting!” Drake called back, trying not to sound angry, just frustrated.

 

“Alright then...” Eclipse muttered, and went back to the tricky task of carrying his breakfast back to his room in the tower. He didn't give Drake going hunting a second thought. The boy seemed to be back on track, anyway… Eclipse had to doubt Drake would dare go against him again, and if he stopped him, the Prince would throw a fit and Eclipse didn’t have the patience for that.

 

 

 

 

Drake hurried to the dock and climbed aboard one of the smaller boats. It was large enough to get him to Alexandria, but small enough for him to pilot on his own.

He knew how to sail and was thankful for it now, as it took several hours just to get to Alexandria, and he had to be as undetectable as he could or he knew there would be a scene. It was getting dark by the time he got to the dungeon and there were guards watching the door…, which, he guessed, was the perfect time to see how well his power of persuasion worked. Drake could ward off Brahne’s advances with her red pearl… and figured there must be a reason he was able to do that. Therefore, he’d started practicing a few things… He couldn’t just influence the guards to simply leave—it was much more complex than that. What he could do, was scare them.

Drake found sometimes what when he spoke to people, he could convince them to go in the direction he wanted them to—think the way he wanted them to… when he whispered, they still listened… but they didn’t have to know it was him.

It didn’t take long for the guards standing outside to get the idea to run, the ones inside… required a bit more persuasion and he had to be a bit louder… but they left, and he slunk in.

 

 

 

Zidane could hear somebody whispering, and got up off the hard little bed and moved towards the bars. At first it was too quiet to hear, and was just indistinguishable. Then the guards in the room started to walk out...For no apparent reason, or so it seemed.

Eventually it got to the point where he could make out some of the eerie words, but then the last two guards in front of the door walked out of the room. The whispering promptly stopped as the door closed.

Zidane looked around as best he could, but the room seemed empty now, empty and silent.

 

Drake chuckled. “Look who’s in a cage! I do believe I told you to run and hide, Zidane.”

 

“Well, I didn't think anyone would look in here...” He retorted, hiding his surprise at hearing Drake's voice suddenly. He didn't even pretend to understand how Drake had got all the guards to leave the room with just whispers, but he was too proud to ask, so he just ignored it.

 

Drake walked further into the dungeon till he was in the light. “Poor accommodations, I must say. You’ll need to fire your travel agent.”

 

“I did, out of a cannon. That's when they locked the door.” Zidane replied, smirking a little bit.

“Ah, I see.” Drake grinned, taking one last glance around to make sure there was not anyone around to overhear. He also did his best to stay enough in shadow that the cuts on his face might be mistaken for... oddly colored shadows. “You know, you’re upsetting Brahne greatly”

 

Zidane, ever the actor, looked shocked and put a hand to his mouth over-dramatically. “Say it ain't so!” He gasped, not noticing the scratches in Drake's face. Then he sighed and gave up the facade, apparently not in the mood to keep it up.

 

Drake stopped smiling, deciding to get to the point, as he wasn’t sure how long he’d have. “She’s going to attack the Genomes… with Princess Garnet’s Eidolons.”

 

“What?” Zidane asked, his tone a mixture of disbelief, shock and confusion. Which is exactly how he felt. Part of him was scared that this might be true, another part knew it was ridiculous because Garnet would never let that happen. The rest of him was just confused, about everything.

 

“I warned you about that red pearl,” Drake reminded. “It’s got a good hold on your girlfriend, and the wicked queen isn’t letting up at all. Lucky for you, Garnet told me their little plan.”

 

There was a very brief pause, before Zidane hit the bars hard with both hands in unexplainable frustration and disgust. The force caused the large iron cell door to crash loudly and echo. Then he called Brahne something that Garnet would probably slap him for.

 

“… That’s one I hadn’t heard before.” Drake blinked a few times, surprised. “So? What would you like to do?"

 

“Kill Brahne,” Zidane decided almost immediately with a nod.

 

“That’s an interesting plan that won’t help at all. Let’s go for one that will.” Drake recommended, giving a shrug.

 

Zidane already knew this, and started to pace back and forth in the cell, thinking. Then he stopped and tapped his foot and rubbed his chin. His tail swished from side to side, as it often did when he thought deeply and wasn't paying attention.

Eventually he walked back up to the bars. “You're going to have to go for a little trip.” He finally announced.

 

Drake crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow in an expression that nearly mimicked amusement but was crushed by confusion. “I’m going to have to do what?”

 

“I need you to go and see someone that will take care of the Genomes for me...” Zidane answered, his answer trailing off as he realized he would probably have to let a secret slip.

 

“Curious… Who?” Drake asked.
He wasn’t too happy about this idea… the longer he was gone, the higher the risk.

 

“You're going to have to see....” Zidane started, then moved closer to the bars and looked around, just to make absolutely sure no one else was in the room. “My brother...” He finished in a whisper.

 

It took Drake a bit to understand that. Brother? Did he mean a friend of his…or…? “… Kuja is alive?”

 

“Well, he's not quite as dead as popular opinion would have you believe, let's put it that way.” Zidane replied, slightly hesitantly.

“I see… Well… I must admit I wasn’t expecting that. Which is good because it just might mean Eclipse doesn’t know. In fact, it guarantees it or your brother would be dead by now.” Drake stated, thinking this over. “I guess if this is the best plan you can come up with I’ll give it a try… Where is he?”

 

Zidane motioned for Drake to come closer to the bars so that he could whisper the directions to him.

 

Drake held back for a bit, then he rolled his eyes and walked over to the cell.

 

Zidane hastily whispered the instructions to Drake. “Did you get all that?” He asked after he was finished.

 

Drake reeled back once Zidane was done; he turned around, pacing… It was all the way out by the Earth Shrine, on the other side of the planet. He didn’t like going there. It… bothered him. Drake always got weird feelings there… It was earth dragon god territory… that could be a very bad outcome if the books he’d read were true and some of Poseidon’s groupies really were nearly as psychotic as the Occultation tribe. Wouldn’t be as dangerous… the books said the true followers were few and far between, but he’d always felt weird being there…

Besides that, he was forbidden from going there unless he was going to Shivel, which was… a few hundred miles away, but him going to see her would cause more pain than he was willing to put up with.

It would take hours just to get to the Desert Palace… Last time he’d escaped hadn’t been as risky because everyone had been asleep the entire time he’d been gone. This would mean staying out all night and then a few days… while people were awake.

Drake did, of course, realize that all his hunting trips before had been escapes—it was just different now that he knew what he was escaping from. It seemed so much harder now.

“Yes. Outer Continent. Right side in the center…”

 

Zidane nodded, Drake had it memorized pretty well and the giant swirling sand whirlpools were hard to miss.

“So what happened to your face anyway?” He asked, having noticed the wounds before, but only mentioning them after the serious business was dealt with.

 

“… I got scratched. So, how am I supposed to get to the Outer Continent? My little boat isn’t going to make it that far.” Drake breezed swiftly, still pacing.

 

“Little boat? Did your airship get 'scratched' too?” Zidane asked sarcastically. The Prince was obviously avoiding the full story about the injury, because it was obviously more than a simple scratch.

 

“I couldn’t take the Veşnic Viaţă without Eclipse noticing,” Drake explained.

 

“Why does that matter, exactly? Isn’t he supposed to listen to you?” Zidane asked.

 

Drake shrugged. “More important business, right now. I don’t have an airship.”

“You're going to need to find an airship...” Zidane rationalized; there was no way that Drake could get to the desert palace by boat in time. He recalled it being especially hard to land a boat near there, too.

 

Drake considered that. Yes… he’d have to… but how? Slowly, he smiled. “I believe I know a way…” at least he’d get more practice toying with his persuasion power.

 

“Do I want to know?” Zidane asked, seeing the look in his eyes.

 

“No,” Drake replied with a grin. “When I explained the red pearl, I explained to you that I was immune to its affects. That was not completely true, I’m not immune, I can just fight it off using my own powers of persuasion. That’s why the guards left; I can make people feel fear strong enough they’ll usually do whatever I suggest they do.”

 

“… You’re very creepy.”

 

“I know that.” Drake shook his head and headed for the exit. “You need to be ready… Brahne’s going to act fast.”

 

“… Alright. Right now. You’re going to have to explain this.” Zidane demanded, leaning forward again.

 

“Explain what?”

 

“What this overall goal is and why. You said killing Brahne won’t end this meaning it’s not her doing?” Zidane started his questions. He’d been thinking about them and trying to word them in ways he wouldn’t just get sarcastic retorts to.

 

“It… Brahne started the issue that involves you, but she would have failed on her own by now. Eclipse is the one in charge, now.” Drake stated, getting a little quieter.

 

“How far will he take it?”

 

“He won’t stop till he has what he wants. Not for any reason.” Drake’s voice was serious at that; he really meant it.

 

“Why? He’s that powerful?”

 

“Da.” Drake reverted to Romanian, crossing his arms.

 

“… This sounds like something that’s not going to stop just by you helping me.” Zidane stared hard at the Prince, almost as if he were trying to see through his eyes into the dark prince’s soul and see what he was hiding.

 

Drake looked away. “I know that…”

 

“Then what happens?”

 

“Why do you ask so many questions—?”

“What happens, Drake? You help me now and then what?” Zidane interrupted. He wasn’t going to let this go; he wasn’t that type of person. He couldn’t get over the evasive answers Drake had given when Zidane had asked if he would get into trouble for this—now the Prince had scars across his face that were a variety Zidane hadn’t ever seen ever before. If he were responsible for someone getting hurt, he was going to correct it.

 

“… The important part was just—.”

 

“No, not the important part, I want all of it!” Zidane had practice in evasive answers and how to get around them. He was often evasive in what he told people, but he’d memorized the tricks they used on him… there were a lot of other times, too… when someone was hurting and just couldn’t say, he’d learned how to make them. Sometimes you had to or you couldn’t help them.

 

Drake looked back at him with a sideways glare that was both confused and angry; as if he couldn’t tell which he was supposed to be. “I don’t understand…”

 

“This… Eclipse person. He’s super powerful, he won’t stop, and… what? I’m supposed to go “ah, okay” and let it go at that?”

 

“… Yes?”

 

“You don’t know me very well, then.” Zidane smirked, shaking his head a bit.

 

“A fact I am most proud of.” Drake turned back to face him, reluctantly.

 

“What’s your overall goal?” Zidane asked after a moment.

 

Drake stared at the Angel hard. His eyes and stance asking what right he had to ask these things; what right he had to question him.

 

Zidane shrugged. “I’m not going to go along with this until you tell me, Drake.”

 

Drake’s eyes flashed. It nearly made Zidane back off; the glare he was being given. It was as if a thousand voices in his head were screaming at him to back down, to let it go, to stay away from this demon… but he ignored them. He’d heard it before, many times, when he was around Drake. There was great power there, and something his instincts told him to fear… but he could get past it. It was just like his “What’s That?!?” attack; designed to trigger a response that would make your enemy turn away. Unlike his skill, Drake’s wasn’t going to make it easier to attack, to get the advantage, his was to make the target terrified and perhaps flee. It also didn’t seem to be a normal attack; more like something he did involuntarily.

 

Drake narrowed his eyes, intensifying the glare.

 

Zidane held his ground and returned the glare with a look of his own that showed boredom toward the harsh glare Drake was giving. His own stance and look told the prince he wasn’t letting this go and he wasn’t bothered by the threat of Drake being something to fear.

 

“…” Drake tried to stare him down, but time wasn’t something either of them had to waste and… Zidane wasn’t letting this go. “It won’t matter—,”

 

“Not what I’m asking.”

 

Drake snarled, quietly. “… I’m going to kill him.”

 

Zidane almost thought he hadn’t heard that correctly. “… what?”

 

“I’m going to kill him because he is a cancer to this world and its people; there is also no other option. If he stays alive all of chaos will break free and then demons will roam freely on this world.” Drake stated, his voice bordering on anger.

 

“Because of the door?”

 

“This has nothing to do with The Secrets of Terra. He doesn’t need whatever’s behind that door and you opening it won’t stop him at all; it’ll just increase his desire to kill you.”

 

Zidane stared. “… I defeated Necron and all the others to save the world. You’re saying my power combined with whatever is behind that door won’t stop him?”

 

“I have severe doubts that’ll even cause him to have second thoughts about going into battle with you.” Drake confirmed, nodding.

 

“And you think you’re that much stronger than me?”

 

Drake paused at that… he hadn’t really thought about it. “… I know I’m stronger than you.” He stated, instead of debating any longer.

 

“But you think you, on your own, can destroy him?” Zidane asked, not getting into an argument over power…

 

Drake had to think about that, too… He remembered how he’d felt… his whole life. He’d always been afraid of Eclipse; even before he knew the man would actually physically harm him in such drastic ways. He remembered how he felt directly after Eclipse had slashed his poison claws across his face. The instant desire to attack; if there had been a time to, that had been it… but he couldn’t. He’d stood up for the challenge and was overwhelmed before he could even strike out.

 

He didn’t have an answer for Zidane. Truth be it, he didn’t want to answer that question. It scared him too much. On his own… he didn’t know! It didn’t seem possible. Eclipse was too powerful, but… what scared him most was what would happen if he lost…? Death would be mercy. After knowing what he did… he didn’t want to be alive if he lost because he couldn’t bear the thought of what surviving would bring.

 

Everything he read and every dream Drake had told him he was too important to kill… so what did he have in store for him if he lost? A fate worse than death? Would he spend the rest of his days running or locked away? And what of the people who had died before him? The many faces and voices that plagued him— those deaths were on his hands. Their innocent blood stained his soul…. How could he ever hope for heaven, if there was such a thing… no… he would have to win or he would have to die… because their deaths couldn’t be meaningless.

 

He cast one last look at Zidane, then vanished from view.

It wasn’t the same as when Ellipsis disappeared—Drake couldn’t teleport. Drake just learned how to blend into the darkness. His silent movement mixed with his pitch-black appearance.

He went quickly, urgently. Drake spent only a half hour finding an airship, a pilot, and convincing that pilot to take him to the Outer Continent. After that it took longer… he had to run a very long way or the pilot might ask questions as to why he was going to look around where the Desert Palace was.

After a few minutes, he gave up and used his wings. No one was around here to see him, anyway, and he wanted out of there… His eyes scanned the ground, and it didn’t take long to find the swirling sand holes, even in the darkness.

He landed and started walking as his TF form disappeared. “Quicksand… Of course it would be quicksand.” Drake cursed as he walked, trying to find the entrance. Zidane had said to go through the swirling sand and look for a rock formation.

Drake jumped back as a giant Sand Worm sprung out of nowhere. Drake threw a wave of fire at the monster, but stumbles back another few feet… into one of the holes.

“Whoa! No!” It was just like in his nightmares, quicksand that pulled you down in a way it should not logically be able to do.

There was darkness, and then eventually, after he woke up, Drake snarled a few phrases that, in Gaian and cleaned up, turn out to mean, “… Where is the sand and why the feck am I in a cage?”