The Final Genome

//WARNING//-The following will contain spoilers from Final Fantasy IX, so I wouldn't read this if you've not played the game. Also, I do not own any of the characters.

Beatrix and Steiner stood in the royal gardens, looking up at the sword of Alexandria piercing the moonlit skyline. Brushing her golden brown hair out of her face, she looked at Steiner's gentle face.

'You never take that off, do you?' she asked, smiling at the reaction the stout knight gave her.

'I er… what do you mean?' Steiner spluttered. Beatrix loved this about Steiner; he was always so shy around her.

'The helmet,' she giggled. 'You can relax here, Adelbert. You can always be yourself around me.'

'But of course, Beatrix,' Steiner began to stammer yet again. 'H-however, I am a Knight and as a-a Knight, it is my sworn duty to protect the b-beauties of our fair Alexandria and-I er…' Beatrix chuckled. She enjoyed her life here. She was the happiest she had ever been. Alexandria was doing well, Lindblum had been completely restored and Burmecia was being supported by Alexandria.

Times were tight, but the people were happy. They were the happiest they had been for a while. The mist had once again disappeared completely, prompting Regent Cid's steamship business to take off and spread to the other nations.

One of Alexandria's own airships graced the night sky, gently passing over Beatrix and Steiner's heads. The small ship's insignia "Cargo-Tribal" made Steiner chuckle, for it was named in memory of the first time the Queen had ever piloted an airship. Tribal was named after Zidane, the man whom the Queen shared a relationship that was more intimate than Beatrix and his own. Come to think of it, the Queen was probably on that ship right now. She was probably behind the wheel, as it did seem dangerously close to the ground.

Garnet stood behind the ships controls, beaming with delight. Zidane stood very close to her, shaking with the rest of the crew.

'Your Majesty!' cried an attendant, the fear in his voice carrying well. 'Wouldn't you rather someone with adequate training pilot us out?'

'Oh nonsense,' Garnet cried in delight. 'Take off is ever so much fun!'

The Queen fiddled with some levers and pulled, quite violently, on a large one near her waist. The ships engines suddenly began to make a grinding noise as they moved over Alexandria. Garnet saw the steeple, the same steeple Vivi and Puck had climbed on her 16th birthday. For what it was worth, it was quite a good birthday. Shaking herself from her reminiscent thoughts, she pulled another few levers. The airship was close now, so close Kupo popped out of the tower to investigate the noise. The moogle's ball floating above suddenly shot down, pulling Kupo down the tower. Garnet kicked the control panel aggressively and the airship churned, suddenly rising high and clearing the steeple. The moogle popped out of the top again, giving the back of the ship rude gestures.

As Garnet guided the ship safely over the houses of her beloved kingdom, she felt a sense of accomplishment. I did it myself! As the ship began cruising over the Evil Forest, she handed the controls over to the nervous attendant and went over to Zidane.

'How crazy was that?' she beamed.

'It was… defiantly crazy,' said the blonde. Zidane had been supporting himself by gripping a railing tight with his hands and tail. Garnet took his hand and led him out of the flight deck. The two strolled through engine rooms and other compartments until the arrived outside. The wind tearing through their hair, Garnet and Zidane leant against a banister, looking down at the seeming less nothing below. Their destination was quite far away.

'When was the last time we saw Mikoto?' Garnet asked over the wind. Zidane shrugged.

'Dunno. I think it's been at least three months since we were last over there.'

'Oh I do wish we could travel to the Outer Continent via the underground passage again. This way seems so… easy.'

'Yeah,' said Zidane, 'but this way is safe. You are a Queen, remember?'

'Oh shush. It didn't stop me traveling to Terra did it?' Zidane put an end to the reminiscing. He stared out into the darkness and sighed. Garnet looked away from him. 'Sorry,' she whispered. 'I know it's still hard to talk about… that business.'

Zidane didn't find it hard talking about Terra, but when the subject came up it reminded him about Kuja, and how he destroyed the home he never really embraced. The annual trips to the Black Mage Village to see Vivi, the other Mages and the Genomes reminded him of it further. Only he seemed to have that problem, however. The others still hadn't grasped emotion and they had been living with the Mages for quite a while.

'I wonder how that little girlfriend of Vivi's is doing,' Garnet said, attempting to lighten the mood. 'It feels like it's been years since we last saw him.' Zidane forced a laugh.

'His "girlfriend" is one of the Genomes. She follows him around because she likes his hat.'

'They all wear hats,' Garnet scoffed.

'Yeah, but Vivi's is sorta bent.'

'That's true… maybe he'd let me sow it for him.' Zidane laughed genuinely.

'You can't sow!'

'Yes… well… I could try!' The two laughed and all other conversation had been forgotten.

As Zidane woke the next day, he noticed there was no murmur of engines. They'd landed already? He got dressed and immediately made his way to the outer deck, where he screamed. The entire world around him was aflame. Large towers were crumbling and falling into oblivion. A man bathed in a malicious red glow was in the air, causing the destruction. His rage pulsated all around and shook the airship. Zidane felt the man's anger and began trembling. He wanted to join him…

'Zidane!' Garnet yelled. Zidane's eyes opened and he realized he was in his room. Garnet looked troubled. 'Are you alright?'

'Yes,' Zidane lied as he sat up. His whole body was sweating and shaking. He couldn't get the feelings he'd experienced out of his head. He still felt so angry. Garnet sat on the bed looking concerned. Excusing himself, Zidane left hurriedly and leant over the rails. It was daybreak now; they must be near the village.

The wind blowing at him didn't douse out his anger. Zidane had had these dreams before. Soon after Memoria, while he was traveling to Alexandria, he had his first dream. It was brutal; Kuja was destroying Terra again, but this time he had destroyed the Invincible in the process. All of his companions were slaughtered instantly. Feeling angry, he entered Trance and brutally fought Kuja, destroying the rest of Terra. Over time, the reasons for Zidane's anger began to change until there was no reason whatsoever. Zidane remained irate until they approached the village.

The crew sensed Zidane's mood and left him alone with Garnet until they were summoned. The airship had been in the Outer Continent's territory for just over an hour when they suddenly stopped. As Zidane and Garnet entered the flight deck, they both gasped at the sight before them.

The forest that surrounded the Black Mage Village was glowing. The area where the village itself was located has surrounded by a glowing orb of purple light. Trees at its base seemed to be burning away, with fragments spiraling around the orb until it reached the top, where the light seemed to be emitting from. Garnet looked closely at the translucent light, noticing a joist of light was heading up from the middle of the orb. Zidane began asking feverish questions.

'What the hell is that?' he yelled. Before anyone could answer, the purple orb distorted and began glowing red, then white and red again. The cycle of colours continued before beams began darting from the surface of the orb, heading straight for the Tribal.

'Evade it!' Garnet ordered as crew began pushing and pulling at every control available to them. The Tribal lurched sideward, narrowly avoiding the first beams; however the maneuver had lined them up nicely for another set of beams to hit them. Zidane ran out to the outer deck as the crew struggled to keep the ship from being attacked by the new foe. Zidane saw three beams of red and white light pass straight pass the ship. As he watched them trail and dissipate, he got a sudden thought.

As he made his way back to the flight deck, a beam struck the side of the ship causing massive tremors. Several people fell over, and more beams impacted the ship. Garnet took the wheel as the pilot fell.

'We have to do better than this, or else we're not going to last!' Garnet screamed. She took drastic action as a large group of beams headed for them. She nose-dived the ship, pushing them snugly under the attack. They were now closer to the village.

'We can't go through it!' yelled a crew member, 'You've seen the trees at the bottom!'

'Well what the hell would you suggest?' Garnet screamed as she pulled the ship away from another volley.

'It's a Trance!' yelled Zidane. A few people looked at him as if he was mad. 'If we can find some way to attack it, we might just make it!'

'Yes, but our weapons are having no effect!' yelled another crew member.

'Use an Eidolon!' Zidane shouted. Garnet considered this. 'Odin should do it!'

'And destroy the whole village?' Garnet shrieked.

'It'll destroy the source of the trance!' Garnet wasn't paying attention and a beam struck the ship. A loud explosion was heard from below.

'Fine!' Garnet left the controls and headed to the outer deck. Zidane followed her, helping her up as more vibrations shook the Tribal. Garnet and Zidane reached the beak head and she suddenly felt nervous. Zidane grabbed her waist, supporting her so that she wouldn't fall.

Concentrating with all her valour, Garnet summoned a Mega Flare. The skied parted and darkened, unleashing a dark purple monster with bright golden horns into the fray. Bahamut shot over their heads and circled the orb. The Eidolon's mouth opened and a bright white light glowed from inside. Bahamut's energy suddenly burst out, impacting the head of the orb and exploding in a bright orange flame.

'Did that do it?' Zidane thought out loud. The beams of light had certainly stopped and the crew were attempting to land the wounded ship as soon as possible. Garnet suddenly screamed as the beams of light suddenly started again, this time heading for Bahamut. The Eidolon drew away the orb's attack and the Tribal was close to landing.

Bahamut's efforts were in vain, as the beams of light struck the powerful monster. It roared out in pain and disappeared in an orange glow. The attacks were focused on the Tribal again. Garnet screamed but the sounded was subdued by the noise of the beams flying straight past her and into the flight deck. The entire ship was bombarded and began breaching; explosions ripped through everything until the Tribal and its crew fell and were destroyed on the dead forest.

Garnet woke to hear an iniquitous noise assaulting her ears. She turned so she was lying on her back and saw in front of the Tribal, burning away. Her crew were dead. Over twenty people were dead, just like that. She felt anger and then suddenly, grief and helplessness. Bahamut did nothing. If she'd summoned Odin like Zidane had suggested, they might have all survived. However, then the entire village and Vivi would have been obliterated…

She could not condole herself; instead she had to get out of there. However, before she could even try to stand up someone jumped on top of her. It was Zidane.

'Be quiet,' he whispered. He had his hand over Garnet's mouth. 'I don't think we can make our way out of this forest… everywhere I went, I always ended up back here.' Garnet looked worried. 'I think we're stuck here… unless you can get us out.' Zidane took his hand away from Garnet's mouth and allowed her to speak.

'How can I do that?'

'Use your magic to combat the magic in this forest, that's how.'

'I can't compete with the magic of hundreds of black mages, especially if they can do that!'

There was a loud crackling sound from above. Garnet flinched.

'Did you go in the direction of the orb?' she yelled. The noise was becoming unbearable.

'Why would I do that?' Zidane yelled. Before Garnet could answer, the crackling noise sounded again and the area they were in was illuminated. Garnet pushed Zidane off her and dragged him along as another torrent of light headed for them. The two dived forward and shielded themselves from the explosion and then started moving again. They stopped just short of the orb. Through the light they could see the pathway that led straight to the heart of the black mage village. Zidane lifted some debris from the ground and threw it at the light. The rock disintegrated and began spiralling around the shield of light.

'Damn it!' Zidane yelled, kicking the ground causing dirt to spiral around the orb. Garnet looked at him carefully.

'What's wrong?' she asked. 'You've been so angry lately…'

'I'm fine!' Zidane spat. 'It's just this situation is stupid!' Garnet stepped away from him slightly, however doing so she was suddenly lifted up by the orb's energy. Garnet screamed as she began spiralling to the top.

'Garnet!' Zidane yelled. He couldn't reach her. He couldn't get her down. He felt so helpless and so angry… it was like Terra all over again. The helplessness… the rage…

Zidane's whole body began burning. A red glow echoed from his very core and he too was lifted off his feet, this time by his own energy. His dark red eyes stared at the obstacle ahead.

'Garnet!' he yelled again. The whole ground shook. Pure energy was fuelling his rage. He channelled this energy and pushed it out of his body, straight into the shield. The energy radiated from his body and began wrapping its way around the surface, heading for the top source at a far greater speed than Garnet. Zidane's power congregated at the source of the orb and travelled down the joist into the Black Mage Village. The orb completely and suddenly shattered and Garnet fell back to ground.

Zidane saw her land somewhere in the village. His Trance subsided and he ran after her. He pushed his way through trees and bushes until he appeared at the entrance of the village. Various mages and genomes stared at him as he made his way through. He finally found Garnet, lying in the graveyard. He ran to her and supported her head. She was still alive.

'Mr. Zidane!' cried a mage. 'It's good to see you again!' Various mages had gathered around. No. 288 emerged from the crowd. 'What has happened?' Vivi appeared alongside him.

'Where's the airship Zidane? Did you fall?'

Zidane could not believe all the questions.

'What the hell is going on?' he yelled. The mages recoiled in shock.

'Zidane…'

'Why was that thing surrounding the village? Why did it kill everyone on our airship!?'

'What are you talking about?' No. 288 was perplexed. 'We've not got anything outside of our village…'

At that moment the joist of purple light shot up again. Zidane was much closer to it than before and saw it pierce the sky until it suddenly branched out, doming around the whole village and beyond. Once again, the village was cut off from the rest of the world. Bathed in the purple light, Zidane stared at the leader, hatred pouring through every vein.

'Then how do you explain THAT?' pointing up to the centre of the joist. Everyone stared.

'Zidane… are you okay?'

'WHAT?' he yelled.

'Well, it's just… there's nothing there.' Vivi jumped back as Zidane screamed in rage. How could these people be so stupid? What was affecting them this way? Why was he suddenly feeling dizzy? Zidane suddenly fell to the ground and passed out.