Title: Two Roads Converged (or formerly A Tale of Two Warriors)
Author: unwinding fantasy (aka Aqua Phoenix1)
Beta-Reader: fyre byrd
Disclaimer (applicable to entire story): Final Fantasy IX and any such related material belongs to Square-Enix. I do not claim ownership of the characters, places etc. depicted in this story. The original title of this fanfiction was generously donated by Moonlit Aria, to whom I am eternally grateful. The new title was inspired by Robert Frost's poem, The Road Not Taken, which I regrettably also do not own. The poem Rose of May by Mary Howitt isn't mine either. Sword forms are inspired by those mentioned in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time novels, though they are tweaked to fit in with the FFIX universe and I have definitely avoided copying them directly. Plagiarism is bad!
Summary: In a nutshell, Beatrix and Steiner's lives before, during and after the events of FFIX.
Rating: T (Rated for violence and swearing)
N.B. -- Welcome to my baby. Not literally, of course, but it's the first fic I've written and after years of hard work I'm re-writing the entire story as I was unhappy with the majority of it. Previous readers, please re-read all the new installments because when I say I've given TRC a face-lift I don't just mean a couple of spelling errors. The entire story has changed for the better. Some chapters are now combined but the biggest change you'll find is that more detail has been included and (thank God!) loose ends have been tied up. The biggest alterations start from II onwards. To newcomers: I hope you get as much out of this as I put in.
As always, this remains a work-in-progress so I will continue to change it until I'm satisfied. If there are any queries, comments or suggestions, please leave a review or email me. The link's in my profile. Be warned: I'm infamously slow in replies much of the time because I don't check my inbox as often as I should. Yes, I'm bad.
Ah! there's the lily, marble pale,
The bonny broom, the cistus frail;
The rich sweet pea, the iris blue,
The larkspur with its peacock hue;
All these are fair, yet hold I will
That the Rose of May is fairer still.
'Tis grand 'neath palace walls to grow,
To blaze where lords and ladies go;
To hang o'er marble founts, and shine
In modern gardens, trim and fine;
But the Rose of May is only seen
Where the great of other days have been.
-- from ROSE OF MAY by Mary Howitt (1799 - 1888)
Prologue
To Tie The Paths
The swords clashed, their dull ringing echoing throughout the empty courtyard. Dawn was breaking, the first rays of light creeping over the mountains to play with the mirror of water that was Alexandria Castle's moat. No one had risen yet save for these two warriors. Each was locked in the battle, immersed in the war-dance, and neither was willing to yield. It had been this way for almost an hour.
Once again, steel met steel and the warriors struggled for a few seconds, each trying to wrong-foot the other. Given the opportunity, the muscular man would utilise his greater strength to overpower the smaller girl. Aware of this danger, she unlocked her blade from his, springing back to avoid his broadsword as it curved upwards in the Trick Sparrow Takes Flight and they continued, each working the forms they had been taught. Wind Howls on the Plains was deflected by Rock Falls Down the Mountainside. Shifting into Antlion Guards the Den, a defensive stance that permitted easy reaction to a range of attacks, the man awaited his opponent's advance.
However, Steiner a large man and heavily armoured at that; the girl judged she possessed speed enough to strike him down. Moving with practiced ease, she executed a relatively basic vertical slash. Steiner smiled at the simple attack and he moved to parry. At the last moment Beatrix swivelled on one foot, her blade changing its path to become the Griffin Descends from the Skies, catching him along the side of his head. Droplets of red dribbled down his face where the sword had split his skin, a long and thin cut. Thankfully his helmet, along with his chain mail, deflected the worst of it, saving it from becoming worse than a superficial wound.
Perhaps she had miscalculated her strike; the jolt from hitting his armour caused the brunette to deliver the next swing, the decisive swing, too slow and Steiner easily stepped past it. Now inside her defences -- she should never have taken such an overly offensive stance against someone she would need to whittle down -- Steiner swung his sword, risking placing all his weight behind the blow. Eyes widening at the unexpected assault, the girl barely blocked the attack, brows knitting as she desperately tried to match his power. Trapped and unable to withdraw, but knowing he would win a contest of pure strength, Beatrix had no options left.
"Yield," Steiner spoke through teeth clenched in concentration, "and no harm shall befall you."
"Yield?" Regardless of her position, he swore blue eyes lit up with something very akin to amusement. "But if I were to do that, I would become as honourless as you, Master Steiner."
Anger fuelling his muscles, Steiner pushed his advantage, overpowering his opponent. Caught as she was, Beatrix could merely jump back in retreat. As expected, the withdrawal came a little late. The armoured man brought his sword around in Parting the Water, dealing a harsh blow to her torso. A hiss of pain escaped parched lips as Beatrix crumpled under the force of his blade, her own slipping in her damp palms. She only managed to recover it halfway, hands holding it with the blade pointing uselessly towards the ground. Steiner smirked, satisfied he'd proven exactly how foolhardy omitting armour from one's attire was. He advanced on her, clearly willing to do whatever it took to win the battle. Sweat-streaked face taut with concentration, he raised his sword to the heavens, poised for the "deathblow".
And suddenly, an airship collided with his stomach.
At least, that's what it felt like. Stars gone supernova spun behind his eyes but his perception was not so distorted that he missed what had transpired. The agile girl had rammed the hilt of her own sword into him, driving the wind from his lungs. For a moment, Beatrix appeared amazed she had rendered such a hulk of a man breathless. Reining in her surprise, she followed the attack up with a swift kick to her opponent's jaw, making him to stagger back a few steps before falling to one knee, gasping for precious air. Vaguely, he was aware of Beatrix adopting his stance of seconds ago -- his pain nullified his desire to know whether she did so out of respect for him or simply because she'd been taught to expect the unexpected. The heavy iron sword that felt so right in his hand now fell to the ground, emitting a defeated clang as it met with grey-blue cobblestones.
Though preoccupied by the searing slash across her belly that left her unable to appraise her handiwork, the near exhausted girl managed a satisfied half-smile. He'd been somewhat weaker than she had anticipated though she was hardly complaining -- the less spent she appeared the more disgraced he would be. She stepped forward to claim his sword, the movement causing fire to burst along her wound anew. Wincing slightly, she grasped her blade tight and chanted a quick, low-level curative spell, subjecting herself to the uncomfortable sensation of skin knitting itself together. The wound only partially disappeared, but at least the bleeding stopped.
Brushing chocolate brown hair from her face -- her headband clearly did not do its job properly -- Beatrix turned to the struggling Steiner, who seemed to have recovered his lung function. "You're not very fast for an officer, Lieutenant," she remarked smugly, daringly testing the boundaries of his wrath. The armoured one muttered something inaudible, his face growing livid at her words before he struggled to his feet. Reclaiming his sword, the knight resumed battle stance, yet his movements, fluid when he fought, had lost their grace to fatigue. He lifted his gaze to hers, revealing eyes that were black as deepest night, all light swallowed in his anger and pain and humiliation.
Beatrix could not keep her eyebrows from climbing at this display of determination.
"I'm not through with you yet!" he bellowed, eyes hard augers tunnelling into hers. With a bestial cry he charged towards her, an unexpected manoeuvre for one on the brink of collapsing. Even Antlion Guards the Den could not protect Beatrix from the heavy knight's reckless advance. Steiner crashed into her, uncaring whether he met with her sword or not, sending Beatrix's battered body flying. Catapulting across the courtyard, she landed heavily a few steps from the water's edge, her body curling itself at a strange angle, one hand trailing in the lake. Her long sword lay lost at her conqueror's feet; he regarded the tool for a moment before kicking it out of her reach with an unimpressed grunt. He inspected her as one might inspect a lamb ripe for slaughter: though unconscious, her expression wasn't slack as was usual when one slept. Instead, her face was pained, her breathing coming in ragged, uneven gulps. A fresh bruise blossomed on her cheek, tainted yellow petals spreading almost to her chin.
Lieutenant Adelbert Steiner looked down at his fallen "comrade" with disgust. The girl, a young seventeen-year-old, was merely a foot soldier and as such simply should not pose any threat to him -- during his five years as a Knight of Pluto in the service of Queen Brahne he had fought many battles and survived unimaginable hardship -- yet here was this girl, matching him move for move. Steiner tried to convince himself that it was good fortune rather than skill that had helped her land a blow; indeed, Lady Luck had lent more than a hand in ensuring Beatrix had remained standing so long!
The trainee at his feet stirred. Although the girl annoyed him immensely Steiner's principles forbade him to leave a wounded soldier unattended. He sheathed his sword, wrinkling his nose in undisguised distaste as he bent over her for a closer appraisal. The stench of stale sweat and blood both fresh and drying filled his nostrils, twisting the fragrance of roses that also hung in the otherwise clean spring air. Beatrix was badly bruised and her body was riddled with cuts, small nicks where she had avoided his broadsword. Apart from the wound along her stomach, her agility had ensured these weren't very deep.
She certainly had her mother's speed.
The notion caused anger to bubble in him again like swamp sludge oozing its way through his body, playing all manner of unpleasant tricks on him. Problem was, many of these fancies were not that at all; they had far too much truth to them. Steiner tried to fight these images and the emotions that accompanied them away but it was hard to defeat an invisible enemy -- the bitter aftertaste of gyshal liquor lingered on his tastebuds. One failure, a failure as large as his, should merely make the right course of action all the more obvious. He was just about to pick up the injured knight-to-be and deliver her to the hospital wing when,
"Lieutenant Adelbert Steiner!"
At the sound of his name, said knight abruptly abandoned Beatrix and turned to meet the newcomer. General Madelene of the Alexandrian Army stood glaring icily at him. A fearsome sight to behold, her cape and golden locks whipped behind her as the spring zephyr suddenly gathered strength. Catching his attention was the legendary sword and heirloom to Alexandria's general, Save the Queen, which hung at her side, its garnet-encrusted hilt sparkling as it caught the rays of the rising sun. Noticing who had intruded upon his attempted valiant apology (well, a swift delivery to Doctor Tot was as close to an apology as the Lieutenant was willing to give) Steiner immediately stood at attention, giving a quick albeit messy salute in acknowledgment of his superior.
At his silence, her hands found her hips. "What in Alexander's name do you think you're doing?" Her voice contained the usual degree of frosty bite, stormy grey eyes reflecting her disapproval. Not bothering to wait for another answer that mightn't come, the General strode towards the fallen Beatrix. Kneeling, Madelene cast Curaga; the girl's eyes fluttered open. Upon seeing her rescuer Beatrix scrambled to her feet, performing a hasty salute herself. Despite her General's efforts she could still feel a dull pain in her head.
"What is going on here, soldier?" the usually calm Madelene demanded. Beatrix drew a steadying breath, trying not to show how shaken she was by the conflict, not to mention the fact that she was being addressed by her idol. She had only just been denied the privilege of joining Madelene's group of trainee elites, which would be drilled by the Great General herself, courtesy of Steiner's war declaration on her. In all her life Beatrix had never encountered someone so arrogant as he, someone who with the lift of a goading eyebrow could send her blood boiling. Probably, he distilled 'arrogance' and consumed it on a daily basis. No one believed themselves to be the only competent person in the universe as thoroughly as Steiner.
Then there was his belief that women had no place in the military. Having undergone instruction for three years before finally being stationed at the castle -- a pearl of an opportunity not many soldiers-in-training were granted -- and being possessed of a strong patriotic streak, Beatrix hadn't taken his remarks lightly. Never mind that indulgent Treno was her birthplace; her mother had been Alexandrian. At the time it had been the perfect excuse for escaping that town's endless blanket of night, the pickpockets and worse that had been dredged up from festering waterways and her father's insistence that she marry a monster. And while she could never be proud of disobeying Father's wishes, there were other things she could achieve to make herself worthy of his blessing.
Yes, Steiner may suggest she should "return to playing with wooden swords" as "there are things a woman is better equipped for." Beatrix refused to give the dolt the satisfaction. She glanced over at him, glaring fiery daggers at the self-satisfied expression on his face and wordlessly told him there were things he was "better equipped" for. Such as throwing himself into Mount Gulug.
Madelene cleared her throat loudly.
Drawn out of her plots for revenge, Beatrix turned her gaze back to the blonde one. "I'm sorry, ma'am?" she said, ashamed that she had ignored her commander in favour of Adelbert Steiner.
"I asked you why you were doing battle with Lieutenant Steiner," Madelene repeated, a slight trace of annoyance in her voice. She glanced at the armoured knight, making no attempts to disguise her scrutiny. Beatrix surmised she too must have been disbelieving that pedantic Steiner, the rumoured soon-to-be Captain of the Knights of Pluto, was acting out of turn. It was unnatural for him to lower himself to the chivalric equivalent of brawling, especially given nobody chanced gambling their lives against his superior swordsmanship. Honourless cowards. She felt a snarl coming dangerously close to forming on her face but a dull stab made it reconsider appearing. Poking experimentally at her cheek, Beatrix discovered that her General hadn't healed the bruise, instead choosing to leave it there as a reminder of her folly.
Steiner smiled at her wince. Beatrix wondered if she could pick him up and hurl him into the muddy moat where he and his rusty armour could sink to the bottom forever. Of course, such actions would result in instant dismissal. Plus, she doubted she actually could lift him.
'There has to be some way to get that uppity prig into trouble… I know!'
Steiner noticed the venomous glint in the young woman's eyes, a wordless promise that made his hands ball into fists, his body poised as if for a battle. Telling himself he was a high-ranking officer -- well, higher than her anyway -- more than six years her elder, an accomplished swordsman, well-respected around the castle and damn him if he wasn't going to be Captain soon did nothing to quell his nerves. It was she who persisted to disagree with his every thought, she who had challenged him to a one-on-one duel and she who had drawn her sword first. Steiner had nothing to worry about at all.
He hoped.
"The Lieutenant attacked me, ma'am! H-He ordered me out here, saying it was under your authority and then… he…"
The Holy Knight gently pressed the girl on, "Go ahead, Beatrix."
"He attacked me, ma'am, claiming I was tarnishing his reputation. There were no guards around; I had to take matters into my own hands! I drew my sword. In self-defence, of course! A-And he produced that giant broadsword of his…then…" Trying to make this look convincing, Beatrix hung her head ashamedly, causing wood-coloured hair to cascade over her face.
'Treacherous little asp!' Steiner mentally bellowed, feeling his face grow hot. 'How dare she refuse responsibility for her own scheming! I'll… I'll… …Was that a sniffle?!'
Rage rekindled, his throat constricted in protests as if obstructing him from making any unforgivable statements. A gauntleted hand drifted towards the pommel of his sword. Squeezing his hand tight enough to make his digits cramp against the starkly chill metal, Steiner counted to ten. Then counted backwards from ten to one. Then repeated the procedure.
Madelene listened to the story and stated quite simply, "These are very serious accusations, soldier," to which Beatrix nodded her head. Satisfied that he had now mastered his anger, Steiner opened his mouth to try explaining that Beatrix was disrespectful, rude, cunning, nasty, inept, daft and a host of other colourful adjectives. To his dismay, Madelene spoke right over the top of him, effectively drowning out his words.
"And you say there was no one here?"
"Yes, ma'am," Beatrix affirmed. She was doing a fine job of keeping herself in check. Steiner half expected her to crack out the champagne and dance a merry jig.
"Without any witnesses, I'm afraid there will not be sufficient evidence to press charges."
Relief…
"But I think some sort of minor punishment will do just fine."
Panic!
"I did nothing wrong!" Steiner insisted, quite audible now that Madelene had ceased prattling on, "This is just a well-orchestrated performance. It was Beatrix who--"
"Lies!" Beatrix interrupted.
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to demote you, Lieutenant," Madelene stated, her voice as devoid of remorse as it ever was. Steiner stared at for a moment, trying to process this new information, trying to make the pieces fit to create a picture that wasn't horrifying.
"D-Demote!" he repeated dumbly.
"Down one rank…" the blonde continued, her hand drifting to the sword only she could rightfully wield, silently warning him against contesting her decision. "By the power invested in me, I pronounce you Second Lieutenant Adelbert Steiner. I shall just go and inform Captain Klein and we'll have your replacement in no time." With those last words, Madelene turned on her heel and strutted back towards the castle, pausing to pat Beatrix on the shoulder comfortingly. "You've had a tough day. I think it would be in your best interests if you retired to the barracks," Madelene's voice was laced with sympathy, an odd display of affection for the normally reserved knight.
The girl froze momentarily, dumbstruck at the General's concern, before an impossibly wide grin split her face.
'Awestruck just like every other child that runs away from home to meet their idol,' Steiner thought bitterly. 'So much for favouritism not being tolerated in the ranks.'
Clearly delighted at this bonus, with a bold salute and a "Yes, ma'am!" the seventeen-year-old was off to make sure her General's command was obeyed -- with relish, Steiner guessed. Madelene eyed him suspiciously and told him to take over Beatrix's duties for the day before departing, leaving the now Second Lieutenant all alone.
"Dash it all…" was all he could bring himself to say.
Notes on the chapter:
- On ages: in FFIX, Steiner is 33 years old and he also mentions he's been serving for 18 years. This means initiates are 15, give or take, when they enter the army. Beatrix and Steiner fought together when Beatrix had just turned 17 but as far as I know, there's nothing to say how old Steiner was at the time. How irritating! For simplicity's sake, I've decided their fight takes place ten years before the game.
- Thanks to Myshu for pointing out a spelling error.