A/N: Sorry a longer delay….friggin class. Krimson I feel your pain! Anyway, I digest…here is the next chapter. All prim and proper…I think. Well I hope you all like it anyway. Let me know in reviews. I always enjoy them

Contest Results:

OMG, here it is. The winners for the two character slots for the story.

And the first winner is…..(drum roll). Krimson Rouge!

And the second character slot goes to…sup3rlos3r!

You two will have major rolls in the story! Pm me or tell me in a review what name you would like to have or refer, okay.

All others that want to be put in the story but in a minor roll just let me know in your review.

Now here is the story!

Solark's Agent: Um, you forgot your disclaimer.

Solark: What's that?

Agent: Oh, dear…..

Chapter 10:

The Ruin of Conde Petie

Alana kicked the door down, a plume of smoke and soot blasting into her face. She pushed the annoyance away with a wave of her hand. Behind her followed Mikoto, eyes darting everywhere, both fear and focus showing through.

The two had seen the smoke and flames from the nearby hill. They heard the screams of terror and the explosions that followed. Somebody or something was attacking the village. Without warning, Alana took off for the village, ignoring the pleas and warnings from her sister to stop. Eventually Mikoto gave up and although reluctant, ran with her to the village. She had been wary and rightfully so. They did not know who did this…or if they were still there.

A crash erupted from behind them as burned timbers fell to the ground. Mikoto nervously whipped toward the sound, her bow out and fully strung. She was taking no chances. Something had put fear into her sister, Alana knew that much. She had seen it in Mikoto's eyes. Never before had she ever seen her sister like that. It sent a cold chill down her spine.

Mikoto lowered her bow, not fully but just enough to be ready when she needed. She took a glance over to her sister, barely being able to see her through the smoke and darkness. "Are you sure you heard something?" she asked, showing obvious concern of their current situation. Alana nodded in response.

She had led her older sister into the heart of the burning village, to see if they could find any survivors. All they found was death and destruction. They were about to leave when Alana heard something, so faint she had to stop and wait to hear it a second time - a faint whimper that only a living creature could make. She had followed the sound through the village to their current location.

Alana turned to her sister, her eyes pleading. "I am positive I heard something."

Mikoto nodded as she looked around at the surrounding area. "Let's hurry. I do not like the feel of this place. I fear it is not safe."

Alana agreed with her sister's thinking. The place was still burning, structures were falling down. It was too dangerous to stay long but she needed to find out if somebody was alive. They both needed to know.

Alana turned around, heading down a stone alleyway. There was no fire where they were only perpetual black smoke. They took a few more steps forward, hands on their weapons. Mikoto wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. The air was getting hotter. That only meant one thing.

As they rounded a stone corner of the wall, they were met with a blaze of orange heat. The entire room was engulfed in flames. A strong aroma of burnt wood and food mixed in with the faint smell of blood and burning flesh. This must have been the market area of the village. There was nothing left. A pang of guilt fled through Mikoto as she though of the innocent dwarves that worked and lived here. Who would do this?

The two crossed by the opening, away from the flames and heat. They continued down the stone alleyway, careful of the unstable wooden supports that hung burnt above them. Mikoto watched as Alana walked along the stone wall, stopping at a small wooden door. Her small hand reached out to touch the frame. She glanced over at her sister.

Mikoto took the message and came over to Alana's side. She reached out her own hand and touched the door. Cool…not hot. There were no flames behind this door. She looked at Alana and nodded.

The younger genome grasped the handle and opened the door slowly. The wooden planks creaked on their metal hinges as it opened. Alana followed the path of the door into the room, Mikoto right behind her with her bow at the ready.

As they entered they noticed one thing; the room was not damaged or burning. Chairs and objects were lying around as if left in place…abandoned. Alana walked past a chair, noted the small scattering of tiny papers resting on the seat. They probably did not even have any warning. Most probably dropped what they were going and fled in fear and chaos. A noise caught her attention.

The faint whimper, as if somebody was crying.

She turned to face Mikoto, whose eyes were darting around the darkened room. She heard the sound too.

Slowly they made their way into the room, the echo of an explosion nearby shaking the room. The area was becoming unstable and unsafe to stay any longer. Plus they did not know if the attackers were still around. They needed to leave and fast.

Alana turned in her tracks, prepared to make her way out of the village when Mikoto put a hand up to stop her. "Wait…I think I saw something."

With that, the older genome carefully walked forwards, making her way deeper into the room. Alana turned to follow her sister, her hands placed atop the hilts of her daggers. They went no more then five feet when she saw it. A small figure sitting on a bed, its arms wrapped around its body in the fettle position. They took a few more steps before they finally realized what the figure was.

It was a small dwarf…a child. A small whimper came from the depths of its tiny body.

Mikoto lowered her bow, replacing the arrow back into her quiver. She looped the bow through her arm and over her shoulder, making her way to the bed where the child sat. Alana followed her has Mikoto kneed at the side of the bed, but not knee as well. She stood behind her sister, glancing around cautiously.

"Are you alright?" Mikoto asked the child. She got no response. Instead, the child raise its head from its lap, bright brown eyes filled with tears. As they looked at each other, the child's eyes rolled into the back of their head. The tiny body slumped to the side…not moving.

Quickly Mikoto scooped the child in her arms and rose to her feet. "We must get this child out of here."

Alana only nodded in agreement and followed her older sister out of the room and down the alleyway. They paused as an explosion ripped through the market area, sending flames jetting into the alley. They continued as the flames moved back into the room. The entire place was a time bomb. Barrels upon barrels of medicines were stored everywhere…all of which were extremely combustible.

As they walked, Alana noticed that Mikoto's pace was slowly down. Maybe the child was too heavy for her, or maybe she was hurt or fatigued. She watched as her sister's steps became slower and slower until she finally stopped. Alana glanced at Mikoto with worry.

"Mikoto…" she said, noticing the older genomes blank stare.

"He is here," answered Mikoto.

A chill ran down Alana's back. "Who…who is here?"

Mikoto turned to face Alana, the dwarf child sit cradled in her arms. She gave the young genome a half smile. "Our brother."

A strange sensation crawled through Alana's very soul. Her brother…their brother was here. She looked at her sister. "Are you sure?"

"Yes,' said Mikoto, turning back around. She looked up at the ceiling, her eyes searching. "But there is someone…something else too." She shifted the weighted of the child in her arms and proceeded to make her way out of the village.

Alana followed; her daggers in her hands.

Still she could not get one thought out of her head.

Her brother was here.

Panic struck Zidane like a dagger to the heart, every hair on his body stood on end. He had hoped that what he saw in his vision was not true. He wished that it was but a figment of his imagination. He looked around at his friends. They all wished the same…he could tell from their eyes. Even Steiner.

But all that hope had died seconds ago as they rounded the towering Vile Island. There, rising off in the distance, was a column of black smoke.

Conde Petie.

"Can this thing go any faster?" asked Zidane, his lack of patience showing.

Bodan nodded as he grabbed into the throttle. "Hold on."

"Oh no…" sighed Steiner. He quickly fumbled with his seat belt, trying to buckle himself in to avoid a repeat of the day's earlier event. The belt locked in with a resounding click.

Zidane gripped the back of the two front seats as he stood watching the smoke. Bodan pushed the throttle forward and the Whisper lurched ahead, picking up speed. The silent engine had surprising power.

As they approached the village, they finally got a glimpse of the destruction. Flames danced in and around burnt structures. Wooden beams fell crumbling to the ground. An explosion ripped through a ceiling, sending a fireball of orange and yellow soaring into the sky.

Nothing else moved within the confines of the village… or outside of it. Nothing looked to have survived.

Bodan eased off the throttle, banking the airship into a circle around the village.

"There," Zidane pointed. "You can land over there near the front of the village where it's flat."

Bodan nodded and began his decent. He pushed down on the flight stick, dipping the nose of the airship down and getting a small moan from the knight next to him in return. Steiner still got nausea from extreme maneuvers in the air.

With a soft reassuring thud, Bodan touched the airship on the ground. He gently applied the brakes and powered down the engine. Before the Whisper even came to a stop, Zidane had opened the cabin door and he and Blank jumped out. The rest soon followed once the airship stopped.

Once outside, they were greeted by a lingering brown haze. The air was thick with strong sent of burnt wood. Zidane knew they were also inhaling the smell of burnt flesh. He shivered at this last thought.

All was silent. Only death embodied the air now.

"Who would do such a thing?" commented Steiner, finally breaking the silence. His face was one of horror…and anger. "What tragety…"

"This was no accident," said Zidane, his face showing no emotion. "I have a feeling that the same person that person that stole our airship had a hand in this as well."

Rage seemed to boil up within the Alexandrian knight. "If you are right, then this has been a deliberate attack on innocent civilians. This is unforgivable."

Zidane hoped he was not right. If the same person that he saw on the airship did this, then they were dealing with a very highly resourceful person. Or maybe it was not just one person? Fear gripped his insides at this thought. "We must look for any survivors. We have to help them. The attacker might still be here"

His friends nodded in agreement. Nobody argued that point.

As Zidane stood there, facing his comrades all eyes focused on him. Slowly, Steiner reached to his side and in one quick motion withdrew the Ragnarok. One by one the rest followed .Gene pulled out her staff; Bodan his axe; and Blank his sword. All were ready and willing to help him.

He reached to his sides and unsheathed his daggers, spinning them in his hand before setting his grip on their hilts. "Let's roll."

With that they were off and on their way into the burning village. Zidane took the league with the rest flanked behind him like an open ended triangle. As they approached the entrance of the village, the ground beneath them started to shake.

"Oh hell no!" swore Blank as he dropped to the ground, sword at his side and hands covering his head. He remembered what happened the last time there was an earthquake.

The group stopped in their track, worried that the village might plunge into the canyon below. Stones and wooden beams fell all over the village. Small pebbles danced to the rumble of the ground near their feet. Then, as quickly as the earthquake came, it was gone. Silence filled the air once again.

"I don't like the feel of this," said Blank from under his manmade shelter .Zidane had to agree with him. Something did not feel right.

As if in response to their thoughts, the ground between them and the village exploded into the air. Large chunks of rocks were sent hurling in every direction. Fortunately, none of them hit the party. But that was the least of their concerns.

From deep within the center of the blast, a deafening roar pierced through the dust and debris.

"Oh crap!" said Zidane, his grip on his daggers growing tighter. Whatever made the sound was big…and angry. His own anger boiled up in him, remembering all the innocent dwarves that lived here. They never stood a fighting chance.

As the party stood their ground, the dust parted before them as a large figure came into view. Only Blank's eyes widened at the site into front of them but he did not run.

The figure was a creature, about as big as a Grand Dragon but standing on two legs. Its face was that of a Fang, with two large curved horns protruding from the top. The body was covered in a ragged, coarse brown fur which was protected by a full suit of red armor. The protective suit looked like it had seen better days. It was in worse shape then Steiner's. The creature held no weapon in its hands, although it did have razor sharp claws.

The menace took a step towards the party, its bright red eyes locked into the group as they stood.

"Who are you?" bellowed Steiner, the Ragnarok beaming with power in front of him.

"What is it to you?"

Steiner's eyes almost popped out of his head as he staggered back. Apparently he was not use to having voices in his head. The others showed no sign of a reaction.

"Mwahahaha. Such a pathetic looking excuse for a knight. How will you ever protect your Queen?"

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" screamed Zidane. Steiner's face filled with anger at the creature's mention of Garnet.

"Ah, the genome wishes to speak. Well I think you know who I am."

"What are you talking about?" said the blonde shaking his head; confused at how this thing knew he was a genome. "I have never seen you before in my life."

"Pity…"

"Just answer his question already and get the hell out of our heads!" said Blank as he came over to stand next to Zidane.

"SILENCE! Yendiga does not take orders from scum such as you!"

"Well, what are you doing here?" asked Zidane, growing ever more impatient with this creature, Yendiga. "Did you do this to Conde Petie?"

"Have a hand in the destruction of this village…yes. But it was not my plan. I was but a tool, being used for a greater purpose. I have been left here to clean up the pieces and make sure nobody escapes…alive."

The anger within Zidane started to build up again. He assumed his battle stance and fixed his grip on his daggers. "We will just have to se about that."

"Ha, I will enjoy purging this wasteland of your filth."

"He's all mine," said Zidane as he ran towards Yendiga, his tail curved angrily behind him.

"Not if I get there first," said Blank beside him. He was running right along with the blonde, his sword out in front.

"You stand no chance. Feel my wrath, Fira!"

Yendiga quickly conjured the spell in his hands. He shot the magic at the oncoming attackers but Zidane and Blank were ready. They each rolled away in opposite directions of each other. The fira spell hit the ground where they once were, red and orange flames bursting and swirling around in a chaos of heat. As the flames died down, Yendiga searched the burnt ground for any signs of his two attackers. They were gone.

His first mistake.

There was no noise as Blank's sword broke into the creatures left arm. Yendiga cried out in pain as the sword cut through flesh and hit bone. He grabbed the hilt of the sword and ripped it out of Blank's hand, throwing the red headed thief to the ground in the process. He was about to turn the sword on its owner until another pain hit his right midsection. Zidane's daggers had found there mark, opening up both the armor and right into flesh. Blood oozed out of the cut.

"Impressive but foolish."

Yendiga flicked his hand, sending a grayish haze of magic to everybody. Suddenly Zidane could not move his body. Only his eyes could move around. He looked at his comrades only to see all of them in the same state.

Stopped.

"I have had enough. Now I end your pathetic lives."

Yendiga brought his hands in front of him, palms facing each other. A white and red ball or light was forming in between them. Slowly the light grew with intensity, sending rays of magic spiraling around the creature. There was nothing they could do. They were trapped.

Suddenly something struck Yendiga in the neck, causing him to break his concentration on his spell. He cried out in pain as he reached for his wound.

Immediately after, there was a bright white light and the stop spell was removed from Zidane and his friends. Quickly the blonde spun his head around to see where the object came from. What he saw almost made him fall over.

"Mikoto…" he whispered to himself as he looked on. Mikoto lowered her bow to her side and nodded to her brother. She was here…but not alone. By her side stood another genome, almost identical except smaller and her clothing was a different color. Behind them both lay a small figure, perhaps a survivor of the village. Hope swelled up inside of the blonde thief at the sight of them.

"Why you pathetic puppets!"

Yendiga spun around to face the two genomes. Mikoto raise her bow, already strung with another arrow. She was to slow. The creatures spell hit them with such force that they were both thrown backwards nearly sixty feet. They struck the side of a stone wall at the entrance to the village and dropped to the ground. Neither one moved.

Anger swelled up within Zidane at the sight of his sister being attacked. His sister…his family. His anger boiled to a point, wanting to escape. He knew the feeling, the power that was caged and released only by a swell of emotions. The power of Trance beckoned at him, wanting to take over.

He let down his guard…letting the Trance overwhelm him. A bright light surrounded him, shades of white and red swirling and pulsing with the rhythm of his very soul. This was the power of Trance…the power of the minds emotions. With a quick rapid pulse the light final exploded out of Zidane, revealing his true Trance. The thief stood there, a red light pulse out of his body. Even his skin and hair seemed to radiate the powerful glow.

"You shouldn't hit girls," said Zidane, his voice unchanged from the Trance. He was about to attack until a bright blue light blinded him from the side. He shielded his eyes from the intensity of it. As the light faded, Zidane turned his head to see his friend Blank covered in a pulsing blue light similar to the red coming from his body. Blank had gone into Trance.

"Blank…you can Trance?" he said looking at his friend wit ha mixture of awe and shock.

"I guess I can," replied the bandit as he looked down at his hands, which were glowed and pulsing with a brilliant light blue. "Trance is brought on by a surge of emotion, right?"

"Right," poked Zidane as he stared at his friend. The surge of emotion needed to be huge for a Trance to happen. The power increase is a reaction to a direct attack on ones feelings. The feeling has to be strong enough to cause both mental pain and anger, allowing the soul to unleash its true power. What had caused Blank to react in such a way, Zidane did not know. Either way, the fact did not matter. They now had the upper hand and they needed to use it to their advantage.

"Let's get this guy," Blank said, unconsciously confirming Zidane's thoughts. The blonde thief nodded in response. He slammed his daggers back into his belt as Blank kneed down in front of him holding his sword pointing down. Zidane grabbed a hold of the Trance power, searching for the strength he needed to perform an attack. He concentrated deep within his mind until a familiar feeling sent a tingle down his spine. He felt the power and its need for release. He would grant the wish without question, to do his bidding. He looked down at Blank, noticing a bright force of blue energy encircling the hilt of his sword where his hands were. A similar energy force was waiting in his hand, waiting to be set free.

"Grand Lethal!" screamed Zidane as he threw his hand towards Yendiga. The potential red ball of energy in his hand flashed as thousands of red rays of light spread out towards and around the creature. Small red surges were bouncing in between each ray, millions in total. The power of the attack could be felt in the air, but it was not done yet. Surrounding Yendiga in a circle were small three foot sizes balls of blue energy. They too cracked and popped with potential power as they slowly circled the beast.

The creature was cornered and he knew it. Yendiga roared in anger as he attempted to make a run at his attackers. He was too late.

"Fallen Star!" yelled Blank just as Zidane's attack was reaching ignition. The timing was perfect. Every surrounding blue orb sent a penetrating white beam of light towards Yendiga. The entire array looked light a bright, rotating star. Suddenly explosions rocked the ground and air as Zidane's attack unleashed, sending shockwave after shockwave through the air. Inside the devastation, Yendiga howled in pain.

Blank then lifted his sword and sent the now surging blade plunging into the ground. A giant beam of light slammed into Yendiga from above, smacking the air and sending the world into a retina burning light fest. The ground shook, the air fizzled with power, and the impact caused shockwaves that moved the air with immense force.

Then, as quickly as the attack started, it was over. Both Zidane and Blank returned to their normal forms with flashes of light. Blank fell to his knees, exhausted and not use to the sap of power from the Trance. Zidane, breathing hard walked over to his friend.

"That was awesome, bro" he said as he patted Blank on the back. "Where the hell did that come from?"

"I…don't…know," Blank said between breaths. He tilted his head, trying to look around the blonde. "Is he dead?"

Zidane turned around to look at the creature .Yendiga lay on the ground where he stood. He was face down and not moving. A thin mist rose from his body into the sky, telling them the obvious. "Yea, he's dead. Serves him right."

A clink of armor caused him to turn back around to see the rest of the group standing around Blank and him. They looked visibly shaken but all in all were fine. Gene was busy brushing some dust off of her hat and pants.

"I need to find Mikoto and make sure she is okay. I'll be right back," said Zidane.

"We shall be waiting," said Steiner in his usual way.

Zidane looked to Bodan for acceptance. The big man looked back at him with his green eyes and nodded. The blonde returned the gesture and turned off towards the village for his sister.

He did not go far before he saw pink movement near the entrance to the village. That could only mean one thing. She was up and alive. Hope swelled up within the genome and he ran faster. He needed to get to her; to she her with his own eyes. He needed to know she was okay, that she was not hurt.

Once he made it within ear shot he called out to her. "Mikoto!" he yelled as he ran. He watched her knee down wit hone leg on the ground, facing the wall. She did not look at him.

"Mikoto!" he yelled again, trying to get her attention. This time she glanced over her shoulder in his direction. With his superb vision his noticed one thing. Her eyes were glossy in appearance which meant they were watery. She was crying.

Something was not right.

He ran even faster.

He finally made his way to her and slowed down. As he walked up behind her, he noticed why she must be crying. There on the ground, lying against the wall of the village was another genome. It was the one he saw before, smaller yet dressing in a purple suit similar to Mikoto's. Even though he might not know the genome, he felt a stab of sadness. They were just like him, his family. He felt a need to protect them, to help them. They were new to this world and needed nurturing. Seeing the small genome, who was so much like him and Mikoto, lying helplessly on the ground brought pain the his heart.

"Mikoto…" he said quietly as he stood behind her. "Are they okay?"

Mikoto turned her head towards her brother, a lone tear flowing down. "Alana…"

"What?" Zidane asked, relieved that she was talking.

"Her name is Alana," she said as she wiped away a tear from her cheek.

"Is she okay," he asked though he was afraid to know the answer.

"She will not wake up."

Zidane felt his heart drop. Slowly he reached down and touched the fallen girl's neck. A small bump press back against his finger. "She is still alive."

"What is this?" Mikoto asked, her voice shaken. Zidane turned to her to see her touching her face. "What is wrong with me?"

"Those are tears Mikoto," reassured Zidane. "Those happen when you are sad. In this case it means you care about Alana and are sad and worried about her life. It is perfectly normal."

His words seemed to have a small effect on his sister, as she lowered her hands away from her face. He turned back to the young genome on the ground and slowly picked her up in his arms.

"We need to get her to a doctor," said Zidane as he turned to look at Mikoto. She met his gaze.

"There was another one," she said. "A survivor of the village. A small child. I laid them over there." She pointed to where he came from.

"Okay, we will pick them up on our way over to my friends. We have an airship that will bring us to Alexandria where they both can get help."

Mikoto nodded, "I shall come with you then."

"Alright then, stay close and follow me," he said.

They made their way back towards the group and the airship, Mikoto picking up the injured dwarf on the way.

Mikoto watched Zidane as they walked; Alana cradled in his arms. Did he even know who she is?

His sister.

Their sister.

Whether he did or not, it did not matter. He would soon find out. Mikoto wondered what his reaction would be. Hopefully better then back on Pandemonium.

A/N: Thank you for reading. Now if you would please review I will try and get the next chapter up very soon. And for those of you who want more Dagger, Beatrix, and other character's don't worry. They will be coming…very soon! For now…R&R!!!!