"Yo, Zidane!" Marcus greeted, as his blond haired friend walked through the door of their newly repaired hideout, if you could call it that considering it was in the middle of Lindblum.

"Holy hell, am I glad to see you bro!" Blank jumped in, giving him a high five

"Where the hell have you been asshole?" Marcus commented.

"Yea." blank started. "That was some crazy shit that happened in Alexandria, luckily we managed to get some of the people out safely."

"Wait, you did? How in the hell did you manage that?" Zidane replied, looking at him with surprise.

"Gwahaha, we were just droppin' by to see ya." Baku laughed, stumbling into the room. Zidane couldn't help be smile at seeing the boss, whom he had always looked up to as a father figure. "We parked the ship, and I'll be damned if I didn't see the castle crumble to the ground."

"Yea, it was crazy." Cinna jumped in waving his favorite hammer. "Nobody knew what the hell was going on. We all thought you and everyone else in the castle was dead. A lot of people just dropped their stuff and ran, we put everyone we could fit on the ship and dropped them off at Dali."

"Hell speak for yourself, I knew he'd make it outta there." Blank defended.

"Damn, I don't know what I'd do without you guys." Zidane grinned.

"So what brings you here?" Baku asked.

"Can't I just stop by and say hello?"

"You never just stop by, did you and yer chick get into it again?" He laughed.

"You might as well spill it." Blank added.

"Hell, I don't know." He exhaled and sat down in a nearby chair. "Dag… she just seems different somehow."

"She just lost her whole damn kingdom again and most of the people in it, of course she's gonna be a little off for a while." Blank reasoned.

"I know that; I just.. Dammit, it's more than that. The Dagger I know would have been devastated, but instead she seems like it barely even bothers her."

"Shit, we both know she's gotten a lot stronger."

"Hell, I guess." Zidane relented. "This whole damn thing just happened so suddenly I guess it has me shook up. Maybe I just need a drink."

"Yea, bro. We'll sure as hell fix you up!" Together they walked toward the makeshift bar Cinna had constructed near the corner of the room, and blank poured his tailed brother more than a shot whiskey.

After the rest of the gang had seated on their stools, he told them about Rasler, the asshole that had been having a meeting with Garnet, the old man in the alley, and the other strange monsters and events that had happened. They listened to him quietly as he told his story, but didn't seem too surprised about the rich guy or Rasler.

"Yea." Baku started. "I'm pretty sure we saw that Rasler guy four or five months back in Treno."

"He probably wouldn't have even caught our attention." Blank jumped in. "but we thought maybe he was some new mercenary or something and he caught our interest. He never stayed in one place for long, but we watched him walking around through the back alleys. He never walked on the main roads unless that was the only way. I guess the main thing that got us was that we heard him talking to some blond haired guy outside the auction house about you."

"What about me?" Zidane asked.

"He was saying that he thought the tailed boy was the one they were looking for." Marcus answered.

"Yea, the other guy said they needed to pay Garnet a visit because it might be important while they still had enough time." Cinna added.

"Time before what?"

"We didn't hear the whole conversation." Blank continued. "But something was definitely up, cus after they finished talking, they both hurried and left. We were gonna mention the guy to Garnet, but we got busy pullin the job we were on and forgot about it."

"Damn." Zidane dragged, downing his second glass in as many minutes. "So if that was when he was looking for me to bring me back to life, if that's even the truth, then what the hell was the other guy doing in all that time? And what in the hell did they want with Dagger?"

"Your guess is as good as ours, but it has to have something with all the crazy shit that's been going on."

"Besides what happened to Alexandria, and Treno being empty?"

"Yea, there's been some pretty messed up monsters out lately. They're a hell of a lot stronger than anything we've seen around here before. It ain't just the monsters though, the weather has lost its damn mind, and I heard there's some kind of crazy storm near Esto Gaza." Blank finished.

At the mention of this a memory struck him. "Another thing you need to be weary of is that a storm is coming… Unlike anything this generation has ever seen." Rasler had said, but had he meant an actual storm? Maybe it had all been a deception in one way or the other to distract him?

"Zidane?" Garnet called from the doorway. Her voice snapped him out of his near dazed (and slightly buzzed) state. He turned to look at her, and damned if she wasn't as beautiful as ever, her hair glistening in the rays of the setting sun.

"Yo Dag, what's up?" Blank greeted.

"Uncle Cid said that he wanted us to meet in the conference room, and I wanted Zidane to be there with me. I'm sure all of you are welcome too."

"Aww." Zidane slurred, trying to return to his usual cheerfulness. "Miss me that bad?" He tried to ignore Blank coughing mockingly in the background.

"Maybe." She smiled. "Am I not allowed to want your company?"

"Of course you are." He smirked and wrapped his arm around her waist with a theatrical flourish.

"C'mon guys, I'm sure you'll be able to help with whatever is goin on. Let's not keep Cid waiting."

Baku and Cinna elected to stay behind and tend to matters of their own, but Marcus and Blank were eager to join them. As the group made their way down the streets of Lindblum, they noticed that the usual bustle of people going about their daily tasks was absent. That same feeling of dread that was becoming all too familiar began to fill the air.

"What the hell is going on?" Blank asked aloud, to no one in particular. The daylight quickly faded away, seemingly faster with each step they took, but they all felt fortunate that the air cab was just up ahead.

"Going somewhere?" A familiar voice called from behind them. Zidane was the first to turn, snapping his view to his right. From out of the building nearby, the man he had come to know as Rasler stepped from the shadows.

"Rasler! You are alive.. What are you doing here!?" Zidane exclaimed accusingly, and drew his dagger. The others following his lead.

"Calm yourself Tribal." He replied, his face betraying slight confusion. "There's no need to draw your weapon. We are allies, are we not?"

"Allies!?" Garnet jumped in angrily, stepping out from behind the others. "You are the one responsible for this!"

His eyes showed surprise and perhaps even alarm at seeing her there, but he made no comment of it at first. He did, however, look behind himself for a few moments into the darkness of the doorway before replying to her outburst.

"Well… this is certainly a surprise." He commented, eyeing her carefully.

"Why did you do this, you scumbag!?" Zidane growled. "I know you're working with Damian, So why in the hell did u bother helping out of the castle; what are you playing at!?"

"He wanted you to trust him so that they could use you like he tried to use me!" Garnet answered.

"I don't recall asking your opinion on the matter, Your Highness." Rasler responded dryly. "Shall I bow in respect, or kneel in servitude at your presence?"

"How dare you! You-" She started again, but was interrupted by Zidane. "What are you doing here Rasler!? We won't let you do anything to Lindblum!"

"I don't believe I have done anything against you Tribal, but then I've always been a bit slow on things like that." Rasler started, not taking his eyes from Garnet. "My father was the first to point it out. There was something very important I needed to show you, but things have obviously changed. So, I suppose you all want to fight me now? Well, if it's a fight you're after, come to Esto Gaza, to the eye of the storm. I'll be waiting for you. There, you will get your answers!"

"Why don't you tell us now?!" Zidane countered. Rasler was momentarily distracted by something in the shadows behind him, and turned from them again talking to something or someone they couldn't see. They couldn't make out what he said, but after a few words he turned toward them again clearly more agitated.

"If I said that I have done nothing but try to help you, would u believe my words?" He asked. "I doubt it. But, as I've said things have gotten more complicated than you know. I'll see you in Esto Gaza, Tribal. Don't keep me waiting."

They would have questioned this, but in a blink of an eye, Rasler, or what had at least seemed to be him, was gone.

Zidane cursed under his breath, and turned to his Tantalus brothers after Rasler disappeared. "I think we should go get the others, I have a bad feeling about this."

Garnet looked as though she might disagree, but instead nodded in agreement. "We'll need to hurry before they do something else!"

…

"This is ridiculous!" Freya exclaimed to the guard, through the iron bars of the dungeon cells. "We were friends of the regent!" The guard made no move to reply.

"If we had planned on killing him, don't you think we would have killed him before we returned to the castle?" Ramza asked.

"Shut Up!" Steiner yelled. "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be in this situation!"

"Me?" he replied flabbergast. "Do you truly believe I killed the Regent?!"

"Yes!" The Princess said you were working with that-that fiend!" He yelled.

"That's a lie!" He defended.

"We need to calm down, Im sure this is just a misunderstanding." Freya tried to calm them. She guessed it worked, as sat against the brick wall and said nothing further. After around an hour, the door to the Dungeon opened, and in walked… Eiko?

Freya stood from where she had been sitting on the dirty concrete floor, and began to try to talk to her, but it was Eiko who spoke first. "That's them. Let them go this instant!"

The guard swallowed hesitantly as he eyed the young girl. "All of them?" He asked. "No, just the ones outside the cell. Yes all of them stupid head!"

Freya thought she looked as though she had been crying, but commended the girl for how well she hid it.

"Might I inquire as to why, My lady?" He asked, already retrieving the key. "They were with me! And they couldn't have killed father, cus father isn't dead!"

"Cid is alive!? They exclaimed in unison. She concluded that yes, he was still alive but that he was in critical condition and had yet to awaken. At her request the guard opened the cell and the group led by Eiko left the dungeon and headed to the conference where she told them that mother would be waiting for them.

When they arrived, Eiko told them that she was going back to check on Cid and gave them little time to respond as she bounded on her way.

Inside the conference room, they found Hilda seated at the throne surrounded by no less than six guards. Freya smiled as she saw her. "I am glad to see you are well. How is Cid?"

Hilda shook her head sadly. "I believe he may recover, but he has a long way to go before we can be sure."

"What happened to him?" Steiner asked, moving his hands in concern.

"We think someone was waiting for him in his chamber, though we don't know how they were able to sneak past the guards. They stabbed him multiple times with a small dagger, but by some miracle they managed to miss his heart." She answered with both sadness and relief. "I apologize that you all were put in the Dungeon, I do not believe you were the ones that tried to kill my husband."

"It's no problem." Freya comforted. "I can't imagine what you must be going through. Is there anything at all we can do to help?"

Again she shook her head. "I'm afraid there's little you can do here. Did Cid tell you what he wanted to meet about? We did not get the chance to talk."

"What do u mean we can't go in!? We were told to come here!" A voice yelled from the other side of the large doors. "Somebody better tell me what in the HELL is going on!"

"Open the doors!" Hilda Commanded softly. The guards obeyed, and the doors swung open revealing a more than slightly pissed off Zidane, Garnet and the others.

"Garnet!" Freya beamed. "I'm glad to see you and monkey-boy are alive and well!"

They both smiled as they walked closer. "Glad to see you're okay too Rat-face." He commented as he hugged her. "What did we miss?"

He looked past her and eyed Ramza curiously and also noticed that Cid wasn't around and that Hilda was sitting where he normally did. So, he asked where he was. She told him about what had happened and that he had barely managed to survive.

"My Uncle is still alive? Thank the gods! Where is he now?" Garnet exclaimed.

"He is still recovering, Eiko is already in there, and I think its best if he doesn't have any more visitors. I'm sorry, you can see him again when he wakes."

"Who are you?" Zidane asked Ramza, his voice edged with anger. Ramza extended his hand as he had with Steiner. "My name is Ramza, you must be Zidane. I'm glad that I'm finally able to meet you." He took his hand, but did not return his smile. "Why are you here?" he asked.

"He's being trying to help us." Freya answered for him.

He released Ramza's hand and turned to Freya. "Are you sure we can trust him?"

"Says the thief." Freya laughed. "As sure as I can be. Are you alright Zidane?" She eyed him skeptically.

"I think I just need some sleep, but I can do that on the airship. Rasler wants us to come to Esto Gaza. He said we'd find answers there."

"So, Rasler is alive! That's good news indeed." Ramza laughed.

Zidane scowled at him. "I'm not so sure about that. You may be on our side, but I don't think he is anymore. Esto Gaza may even be a trap, but there's only one way to find out.

"No, He would willingly turn on us." He disagreed but was sadly continued. "If he is truly fighting against us now, then we can only assume that he has fallen to them and his mind is no longer his own."

"He is your friend." Freya commented. "You would fight against him."

"Yes." Ramza answered. "If he has joined fiends that control the underworld, then the friend I knew is already dead. We knew even before we journeyed together the first time that the odds of us surviving were very slim. It won't be easy but I will do what I have to for all the people that still live."

He then looked a Zidane. "I know you don't trust me Zidane, but if I do anything against you or that betrays what we are fighting for. I hope you will do what it takes to kill me as well. Shall we go to Esto Gaza?"

"You can take the Hilda Garde III to there." Hilda offered "I know my husband would insist on it."

"Ok." Zidane replied. "Let's go! Who's going with us?"

"I believe I will stay behind to make sure no one tries to attack the Regent again or the king of Burmecia." Freya spoke up.

"I will stay behind as well." Steiner added.

"Really?" Zidane asked Steiner in disbelief.

"Yes, I do not believe you will let anything happen to the prin- her higness. I think it will be more beneficial for me to assist Lady Freya." She smiled at him warmly.

"Alright, you guys be careful. Who know what in the hell is gonna happen next. We'll be back as soon as we can." With that, Zidane, Garnet, Ramza, Blank and Marcus headed toward Esto Gaza and the storm that awaited them.