The Rise of Terra
Fire Angel
AUTHOR'S NOTE 1: Well, here's part two for everyone that read and enjoyed part one (sorry it's
taken so long, dudes)! Thanks for all the great reviews; I'm stoked! :o) Comments can be sent to
rinoa_heartilly86@hotmail.com
Hope you enjoy part two! Zai jian! (That's goodbye in Chinese, in case you were wondering…)
AUTHOR'S NOTE 2: A big 'thankyou' to everyone that's given me ideas for this fic… even if it was
just a little idea, you've helped me in a big way! You know who you are. An extra big thanks to
Satan's Angel and to Unity, just for being the coolest people in existence and inspiring me to
write my ideas down. Also, a colossal thankyou to Chibi Angel, my gorgeous little sis, for
proofreading the majority of my work. And of course, all you super-cool people that read my
stories and then give me the reviews that give me the confidence to write more!! I luv you all.
The Rise of Terra
Part 2: Surge of Power
CHAPTER 4
Zidane peered anxiously through a window at the front of the airship, watching Alexandria
disappear from sight. As a cloud obscured his view, he swore and turned away, trying to blink
away the tears that were threatening to fall.
"Damn you, Necron," he muttered. "Just as I was starting to finally get my life together, you
come along and screw everything up. Remind me to thank you later."
"Zidane, talking to oneself is not a good sign for one's mental health," a quiet voice stated
calmly. Zidane looked up to the entrance of the bridge to find Mikoto standing there.
"I wasn't talking to myself," he snapped, wiping furiously at his eyes. "And my mental health is
none of your business." He sniffed, and looked at the floor. "Leave me alone."
When he looked up again, she was gone.
* * * *
"Dagger, you have to focus!" Eiko yelled impatiently, watching her friend and queen try to cast a
protective spell around Alexandria Castle. As Garnet turned around, tears in her eyes, Eiko
immediately softened her voice. "I'm sorry Dagger, it's just that if you don't do this, everyone
in the castle will be fried by the monsters. I know you're worried about Zidane, but he'll be
fine. It's you and your country you have to worry about now."
"And the fate of this planet, too," Garnet muttered. "Why are we even doing this? There's nothing
we can do to prevent our ultimate fate."
"It not fate," a voice said. Garnet and Eiko turned to see Quina Quen standing behind them,
holding a tray of food. "It something evil men have started. We must finish. All warriors need
eat, so first you eat food I prepare for you!"
Garnet laughed. "Sorry Quina, we don't have time for food right now. Maybe once we've set up
these protective spells, okay? Go find the army. I'm sure they'll want to eat before they go and
battle."
"Okay. I go feed army. They hungry. You call Quina if hungry, okay?"
Quina waddled off, and Eiko looked at Dagger.
"Right. Let's try this again."
* * * *
Vivi Ornitier paced up and down the core of the Invincible, trying to think without tripping
over. The team had just received their orders from Zidane.
"When we get there, we are just observing," he had told them firmly and unemotionally. "We do not
attack the Genomes or the Black Mages unless they attack us."
"And if they do attack?" Vivi had enquired nervously.
"We'll have to fight, but I don't want to kill them. Miki, you're to stay out of it. I don't want
you to get hurt. Understand?"
"Hey Vivi, are you all right?" a voice asked, snapping him back to the present moment.
"Oh, hi Freya," he replied. "I was just thinking."
"About Zidane?" she asked. "You're worried about him, aren't you."
Vivi nodded. "He's been acting like a robot since we left, and Miki says he was crying before in
the storage room."
"Yeah, she told me. We're all a little worried about him. I think he would've been okay if Dagger
hadn't been so upset when we left."
"Hey guys," Amarant said, walking into the room with Mikoto. "We're there. Zidane said to head
for the teleporter… oh, and he wants you to stop talking about him. He says he's fine."
"How did he know…?" Freya asked, surprised.
"I monitored you from the control room."
Everyone turned around to find Zidane standing in the doorway, a wicked gleam in his eye.
"Don't stress. I'm fine, Dagger's fine, and the Genomes and Black Mages will be fine by the time
we're done with them. So let's go!"
* * * *
"Queen Garnet! The monsters are upon us! Are your protection spells finished and in place?"
Garnet, raising her arm to her face to block out the sunlight, looked up to one of Alexandria
Castle's many towers, where one of the Pluto Knights was posted as a lookout. She gave him a
thumbs-up.
"Only just," she called back. "What about the army? Are they ready?"
"Ready and waiting."
"Right. Tell them to attack!"
The knight raised a horn to his lips and blew. Almost immediately, Garnet heard Steiner's cry of
"ATAAAAAAAACK!" and the clanging of swords against monster flesh.
"We have to be ready to cast float spells on ourselves," she warned Eiko. "If any of the monsters
get through, we don't want to be on the ground when they attack the castle."
"And the castle?" Eiko asked.
"It's got enough protection spells placed on it to last a lifetime. It should be okay."
Eiko nodded, and asked, "So what do we do now?"
"We watch," Garnet said, glancing up at their lookout. "And we wait."
CHAPTER 5
Backed by her army, Beatrix watched in surprise as Steiner and the Pluto Knights took on the
first horde of monsters. The creatures were much bigger and far more hideous than anything she
had ever seen, and yet the laughing stock of Alexandria's defence force seemed to be holding out.
Maybe it was because Steiner had toughened up a lot during his journey with Zidane. Or maybe it
was the extensive hours she had spent in combat training with the Pluto Knights. She thought it
was the latter, but she didn't tell Steiner that.
"There's another horde coming!" one of Beatrix's soldiers yelled.
Another half-second later, a flock of flying monsters were upon them, attacking the Pluto Knights
from all sides.
"We're surrounded!" Steiner roared. "Beatrix!"
"Alexandrian Knights, let's get going!" Beatrix yelled. "ATTACK!"
* * * *
All was silent. There was not a soul to be seen for miles, except for the five warriors who stood
at the entrance to the deserted town, weapons raised menacingly. All the buildings stood as they
had before. It looked like the town's inhabitants had simply got up and left, taking nothing with
them but the clothes on their backs.
"It's - uh… it looks deserted," Amarant reported. He lowered his fists dejectedly, glancing
around to be sure his eyes were not playing tricks on him. "There's no one here."
Freya took a tentative step forward. "Is it possible that the Terrans have already been and
gone?" she murmured.
"No. It's impossible," Amarant said firmly. "They couldn't have done it all that fast."
-Are you so sure about that, Amarant?-
Amarant's fists whipped back up as he looked fervently around. "Who said that? Show yourself!"
Zidane looked around, his eyes widening. He turned to look at Mikoto, murmuring, "They're here,
Miki."
-The vessel has worked it out…- The voices were cold and taunting.
"Zidane, who is here?" Freya snapped through gritted teeth. "Who ARE these people?"
Zidane looked at her, his face grave, as Genomes and Black Mages stormed out of the bushes around
them, to encase them in a circle.
"Freya, Amarant, Vivi? I'd… uh, I'd like you to meet the lost spirits of Terra."
"Zidane," Freya breathed, lifting her weapon and looking around. "Are you saying what I think
you're saying?"
"Yes," Zidane confirmed. "The Terran Spirits beat us here, and they've already gained control of
the Genomes and the Mages. We're too late, Freya. We're too late."
* * * *
"Monsters approaching!"
Garnet looked up at the lookout, a worried look on her face.
"This soon?" she muttered under her breath. "How many are there?" she yelled to the lookout.
After a moment's hesitation, the lookout replied tersely, "Too many."
Garnet swore under her breath, and then turned to Eiko. "We'd better be ready for them," she
informed the younger mage. "They're more powerful than we assumed."
As the monsters came into view, swimming across the lake in front of the castle, Eiko cried out
in shock.
"How are we going to handle all of them?!" she yelled. "There's only two of us!"
Garnet's eyes narrowed dangerously as she watched the monsters approach them. She looked up at
the lookout again. She hesitated, then said curtly, "Head to the barracks. We are housing all the
civilians there. Find anyone that is trained in the arts of war. Anyone that is willing to
fight."
As the lookout disappeared into the castle, Eiko looked up at her friend, readying her flute at
the same time.
"Dagger, are you sure it's wise to get the civilians involved?"
Garnet nodded sharply, keeping her eye on the monsters the whole time. "They wanted to help
protect the city from the beginning. Now they're getting that opportunity." She glanced down at
the younger girl briefly, and flashed her a smile as she raised her rod. "We'll hold off the
monsters until they arrive."
"Woohoo!" Eiko yelled. "Let's go!"
As the monsters climbed from the water, the two girls lunged forward, holding their weapons up
like swords.
"For Alexandria!"
CHAPTER 6
Looking around at the mages and Genomes that surrounded him and his friends, Vivi said the first
thing that came to his mind.
"Vivi!" Freya exclaimed, aghast. "I didn't even realise that you know that word!"
"I know a lot more than you think, Freya," Vivi replied calmly.
"Would you two shut up?" Amarant snapped. "We've got ourselves into a pretty dangerous
situation."
"What are we going to do?" Mikoto asked, looking at Zidane. His hands tightened on his weapon as
he looked at her, his face grave.
"We've got no choice but to fight them," he said quietly.
"Fight them?!" Freya exclaimed. "But they outnumber us ten to one!"
"Do you have a better plan?" Zidane asked tersely. "If you do, I'd be glad to hear it. But right
now, I don't think we have any other options, Freya."
"I don't want to kill them," Vivi said in a small voice.
"We won't kill them," Mikoto reassured him. "We just need to… to…"
"Get ourselves outta here until we can get reinforcements," Amarant finished. "If we're dead,
we're not much use to Dagger and the others back in Alexandria."
"Besides, Dagger would never forgive us if we let them get Zidane… which is what they want, isn't
it? Zidane and Miki." Freya's voice was quiet.
Vivi nodded, his eyes narrowed in regret.
"I understand."
Zidane looked around at the possessed mages and Genomes and said calmly, "Spirits of Terra, we
challenge you to a battle."
The Genome nearest Zidane narrowed his eyes and said, "Well then, vessel. Prepare to die."
As their opponents closed in around them, Zidane, Amarant, Freya and Vivi raised their weapons
despondently. Mikoto looked at the others, and raised her own fists.
"Miki, stay outta this!" Zidane warned. "I don't want you hurt."
"I'll be fine," Mikoto said stubbornly, her eyes gleaming. "I can't just let you guys do this
alone."
"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."
"Alright, enough already!" Amarant yelled. "Let's give it to `em!"
* * * *
"Queen Garnet! I've brought the civilians that are willing to fight!"
Garnet turned around, warding off a monster with her rod. The group of people the lookout had
brought was quite large, but not large enough to hold out for a long time. Each of them held a
weapon in his or her hands. Garnet recognised the members of Zidane's team, Tantalus, among them.
A young woman stepped out from the group, holding a golden sword. She knelt before Garnet, laying
the sword in front of her.
"Your Majesty, we give our lives for our queen and our country."
"Dagger!" Eiko yelled suddenly, her eyes wide. "Look out!"
Garnet spun to face the monster as it knocked her rod aside. Snatching her racket from where it
was draped across her back, she clubbed the monster in the head with a ball of white energy.
While the monster was stunned, she whirled around and seized the sword that was lying on the
ground. Holding the sword in her right hand, she arced it through the air and sliced the
monster's head right off.
Garnet calmly picked her rod up off of the ground, and handed the sword back to the woman. She
flashed her a happy grin.
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
"Dagger, I didn't know you could handle a sword like that!" Eiko exclaimed. "You were excellent!"
Garnet smiled warmly, and replied, "Beatrix trained me to use a sword from the time I was five
years old. She said it was important to be a master of many different weapons. I can fight with
lots of things."
"Wow," Eiko said. "Do you reckon you could teach me to fight with a sword, Dagger?"
"Of course," the older girl replied. "As soon as all this is over, I'll start teaching you how to
use a sword."
"Sorry to interrupt, Queen Garnet," said the lookout. "But there are more monsters on the way!"
Garnet turned to face her subjects, and said levelly, "People of Alexandria. Now is your chance
to prove yourself to the Crown as warriors. Be strong, my friends, and have no fear. We will
prevail. In the Eidolon Alexander's name, I bless you all."
"Here they come!" Eiko yelled.
They had half a second to prepare themselves before the monsters flooded down upon them like
rain.
* * * *
"This is getting ridiculous," Freya grated, jumping aside as she was narrowly missed by a Firaga
spell. "We've been fighting for ages. There are just too many of them!"
"I agree. It is getting ridiculous." Mikoto kicked a Genome in the head. "There is no way we can
win."
"We're not trying to win, we're trying to escape!" Zidane yelled.
Vivi watched them, his head spinning as he blocked blow after blow with his staff. Since the
beginning of the battle, he had been using his magical powers to help out his friends, to the
point where he was delving into his own strength to do it. He was too weak to be of any help to
them now.
Amarant was the first to see him fall to the ground.
"Zidane!" he barked. "Vivi's down!"
"Damn," Zidane muttered. "Miki, get Vivi!" he ordered.
Mikoto shoved a Genome away as it lunged for her, and then ran towards Vivi. Diving to the
ground, she scooped him up, and then rolled to her feet. "Now what?"
"Get him back to the airship!" Zidane yelled.
"I cannot! The entrance is blocked by a dozen Black Mages!" Mikoto yelled back. "We will be
killed!"
"Then get him somewhere safe!" Zidane yelled. "Anywhere, as long as there are no… arrrgh!"
Pain shot through Zidane's body as a spell hit him in the back. Red spots danced in front of his
eyes. He doubled over, gasping in pain and clutching at his chest. He could hear concerned voices
calling for him, but they seemed so far away from him. Then the spots faded, and his whole world
went dark…
* * * *
There was a bright light. A light that shone so brilliantly it wiped everything else out of
existence.
There was a shadow. A lost shadow of a man who didn't know where he was, or why he was there.
And there was a voice. A voice that came from nowhere, and sounded like music.
-I said I would help you, my brother-
The shadow and the voice became one, and the shadow arched its back in shock, fear and pain.
"Kuja?"
The light faded again, and once more, everything was darkness.
* * * *
"Zidane?"
Err… what a weird dream. I wonder what it meant…
-It wasn't a dream, Zidane. It was reality-
What do you mean, reality?
"Zidane, wake up!"
-I am here with you, my brother. I am here to help you-
To help me? Kuja?
"Come on, Zidane, answer me! Zidane?"
Zidane opened his eyes to find himself face-to-face with Mikoto.
"Zidane, thank goodness! I was so worried!" she gasped, relieved. "I thought you were…"
"Is everyone alright?" Zidane asked abruptly. He sat up and looked around, and a look of horror
filled his face.
Freya was the only thing standing between the army of Terrans and himself. Lying alongside him
and Mikoto were Amarant and Vivi. Both of them were unconscious and breathing slowly. Freya
herself looked ready to give up.
"We're going to die," he whispered, realisation setting in. "Dagger…"
-We're NOT going to die-
"What the?!" Zidane jumped a mile into the air. "Kuja?"
-Can't you feel my power, Zidane? It's coursing through your body-
"Kuja, for God's sake, where are you?"
-My spirit is resting in your body. There is no time to explain right now, little brother, but
you can channel my energy through your body-
"You mean I can cast magic spells? Like that… that Ultima one?"
-Yes-
"Then I guess I may as well give it a shot, huh?"
Zidane climbed to his feet and walked up to join Freya.
"Go back and stay with Miki," he said firmly to her. "Make sure she's safe. I'm about to do
something pretty damn dangerous."
Freya took a step back, keeping her eyes on the Terrans.
Now, how do I do this? Zidane wondered.
-It's easy- Kuja replied. -Just focus on the spell, and my energy will be channelled through your
body-
Closing his eyes, Zidane muttered, "Oh great, now he can read my thoughts, too. This just gets
better and better."
A strange warmth filled him, and he heard Kuja say, -That's it, Zidane. You're getting it. You're
getting it-
He gasped inwardly as he felt magic seeping through his veins, right into his outstretched
fingertips. He was ready.
"Are you ready, bro?" he muttered to Kuja.
-I'm ready when you are… uhh… bro. I'm ready when you are-
"Well then, here I go!"
Zidane's eyes snapped open as green light surrounded him.
"ULTIMA!"
~To Be Continued~
Fire Angel
AUTHOR'S NOTE 1: Well, here's part two for everyone that read and enjoyed part one (sorry it's
taken so long, dudes)! Thanks for all the great reviews; I'm stoked! :o) Comments can be sent to
rinoa_heartilly86@hotmail.com
Hope you enjoy part two! Zai jian! (That's goodbye in Chinese, in case you were wondering…)
AUTHOR'S NOTE 2: A big 'thankyou' to everyone that's given me ideas for this fic… even if it was
just a little idea, you've helped me in a big way! You know who you are. An extra big thanks to
Satan's Angel and to Unity, just for being the coolest people in existence and inspiring me to
write my ideas down. Also, a colossal thankyou to Chibi Angel, my gorgeous little sis, for
proofreading the majority of my work. And of course, all you super-cool people that read my
stories and then give me the reviews that give me the confidence to write more!! I luv you all.
The Rise of Terra
Part 2: Surge of Power
CHAPTER 4
Zidane peered anxiously through a window at the front of the airship, watching Alexandria
disappear from sight. As a cloud obscured his view, he swore and turned away, trying to blink
away the tears that were threatening to fall.
"Damn you, Necron," he muttered. "Just as I was starting to finally get my life together, you
come along and screw everything up. Remind me to thank you later."
"Zidane, talking to oneself is not a good sign for one's mental health," a quiet voice stated
calmly. Zidane looked up to the entrance of the bridge to find Mikoto standing there.
"I wasn't talking to myself," he snapped, wiping furiously at his eyes. "And my mental health is
none of your business." He sniffed, and looked at the floor. "Leave me alone."
When he looked up again, she was gone.
* * * *
"Dagger, you have to focus!" Eiko yelled impatiently, watching her friend and queen try to cast a
protective spell around Alexandria Castle. As Garnet turned around, tears in her eyes, Eiko
immediately softened her voice. "I'm sorry Dagger, it's just that if you don't do this, everyone
in the castle will be fried by the monsters. I know you're worried about Zidane, but he'll be
fine. It's you and your country you have to worry about now."
"And the fate of this planet, too," Garnet muttered. "Why are we even doing this? There's nothing
we can do to prevent our ultimate fate."
"It not fate," a voice said. Garnet and Eiko turned to see Quina Quen standing behind them,
holding a tray of food. "It something evil men have started. We must finish. All warriors need
eat, so first you eat food I prepare for you!"
Garnet laughed. "Sorry Quina, we don't have time for food right now. Maybe once we've set up
these protective spells, okay? Go find the army. I'm sure they'll want to eat before they go and
battle."
"Okay. I go feed army. They hungry. You call Quina if hungry, okay?"
Quina waddled off, and Eiko looked at Dagger.
"Right. Let's try this again."
* * * *
Vivi Ornitier paced up and down the core of the Invincible, trying to think without tripping
over. The team had just received their orders from Zidane.
"When we get there, we are just observing," he had told them firmly and unemotionally. "We do not
attack the Genomes or the Black Mages unless they attack us."
"And if they do attack?" Vivi had enquired nervously.
"We'll have to fight, but I don't want to kill them. Miki, you're to stay out of it. I don't want
you to get hurt. Understand?"
"Hey Vivi, are you all right?" a voice asked, snapping him back to the present moment.
"Oh, hi Freya," he replied. "I was just thinking."
"About Zidane?" she asked. "You're worried about him, aren't you."
Vivi nodded. "He's been acting like a robot since we left, and Miki says he was crying before in
the storage room."
"Yeah, she told me. We're all a little worried about him. I think he would've been okay if Dagger
hadn't been so upset when we left."
"Hey guys," Amarant said, walking into the room with Mikoto. "We're there. Zidane said to head
for the teleporter… oh, and he wants you to stop talking about him. He says he's fine."
"How did he know…?" Freya asked, surprised.
"I monitored you from the control room."
Everyone turned around to find Zidane standing in the doorway, a wicked gleam in his eye.
"Don't stress. I'm fine, Dagger's fine, and the Genomes and Black Mages will be fine by the time
we're done with them. So let's go!"
* * * *
"Queen Garnet! The monsters are upon us! Are your protection spells finished and in place?"
Garnet, raising her arm to her face to block out the sunlight, looked up to one of Alexandria
Castle's many towers, where one of the Pluto Knights was posted as a lookout. She gave him a
thumbs-up.
"Only just," she called back. "What about the army? Are they ready?"
"Ready and waiting."
"Right. Tell them to attack!"
The knight raised a horn to his lips and blew. Almost immediately, Garnet heard Steiner's cry of
"ATAAAAAAAACK!" and the clanging of swords against monster flesh.
"We have to be ready to cast float spells on ourselves," she warned Eiko. "If any of the monsters
get through, we don't want to be on the ground when they attack the castle."
"And the castle?" Eiko asked.
"It's got enough protection spells placed on it to last a lifetime. It should be okay."
Eiko nodded, and asked, "So what do we do now?"
"We watch," Garnet said, glancing up at their lookout. "And we wait."
CHAPTER 5
Backed by her army, Beatrix watched in surprise as Steiner and the Pluto Knights took on the
first horde of monsters. The creatures were much bigger and far more hideous than anything she
had ever seen, and yet the laughing stock of Alexandria's defence force seemed to be holding out.
Maybe it was because Steiner had toughened up a lot during his journey with Zidane. Or maybe it
was the extensive hours she had spent in combat training with the Pluto Knights. She thought it
was the latter, but she didn't tell Steiner that.
"There's another horde coming!" one of Beatrix's soldiers yelled.
Another half-second later, a flock of flying monsters were upon them, attacking the Pluto Knights
from all sides.
"We're surrounded!" Steiner roared. "Beatrix!"
"Alexandrian Knights, let's get going!" Beatrix yelled. "ATTACK!"
* * * *
All was silent. There was not a soul to be seen for miles, except for the five warriors who stood
at the entrance to the deserted town, weapons raised menacingly. All the buildings stood as they
had before. It looked like the town's inhabitants had simply got up and left, taking nothing with
them but the clothes on their backs.
"It's - uh… it looks deserted," Amarant reported. He lowered his fists dejectedly, glancing
around to be sure his eyes were not playing tricks on him. "There's no one here."
Freya took a tentative step forward. "Is it possible that the Terrans have already been and
gone?" she murmured.
"No. It's impossible," Amarant said firmly. "They couldn't have done it all that fast."
-Are you so sure about that, Amarant?-
Amarant's fists whipped back up as he looked fervently around. "Who said that? Show yourself!"
Zidane looked around, his eyes widening. He turned to look at Mikoto, murmuring, "They're here,
Miki."
-The vessel has worked it out…- The voices were cold and taunting.
"Zidane, who is here?" Freya snapped through gritted teeth. "Who ARE these people?"
Zidane looked at her, his face grave, as Genomes and Black Mages stormed out of the bushes around
them, to encase them in a circle.
"Freya, Amarant, Vivi? I'd… uh, I'd like you to meet the lost spirits of Terra."
"Zidane," Freya breathed, lifting her weapon and looking around. "Are you saying what I think
you're saying?"
"Yes," Zidane confirmed. "The Terran Spirits beat us here, and they've already gained control of
the Genomes and the Mages. We're too late, Freya. We're too late."
* * * *
"Monsters approaching!"
Garnet looked up at the lookout, a worried look on her face.
"This soon?" she muttered under her breath. "How many are there?" she yelled to the lookout.
After a moment's hesitation, the lookout replied tersely, "Too many."
Garnet swore under her breath, and then turned to Eiko. "We'd better be ready for them," she
informed the younger mage. "They're more powerful than we assumed."
As the monsters came into view, swimming across the lake in front of the castle, Eiko cried out
in shock.
"How are we going to handle all of them?!" she yelled. "There's only two of us!"
Garnet's eyes narrowed dangerously as she watched the monsters approach them. She looked up at
the lookout again. She hesitated, then said curtly, "Head to the barracks. We are housing all the
civilians there. Find anyone that is trained in the arts of war. Anyone that is willing to
fight."
As the lookout disappeared into the castle, Eiko looked up at her friend, readying her flute at
the same time.
"Dagger, are you sure it's wise to get the civilians involved?"
Garnet nodded sharply, keeping her eye on the monsters the whole time. "They wanted to help
protect the city from the beginning. Now they're getting that opportunity." She glanced down at
the younger girl briefly, and flashed her a smile as she raised her rod. "We'll hold off the
monsters until they arrive."
"Woohoo!" Eiko yelled. "Let's go!"
As the monsters climbed from the water, the two girls lunged forward, holding their weapons up
like swords.
"For Alexandria!"
CHAPTER 6
Looking around at the mages and Genomes that surrounded him and his friends, Vivi said the first
thing that came to his mind.
"Vivi!" Freya exclaimed, aghast. "I didn't even realise that you know that word!"
"I know a lot more than you think, Freya," Vivi replied calmly.
"Would you two shut up?" Amarant snapped. "We've got ourselves into a pretty dangerous
situation."
"What are we going to do?" Mikoto asked, looking at Zidane. His hands tightened on his weapon as
he looked at her, his face grave.
"We've got no choice but to fight them," he said quietly.
"Fight them?!" Freya exclaimed. "But they outnumber us ten to one!"
"Do you have a better plan?" Zidane asked tersely. "If you do, I'd be glad to hear it. But right
now, I don't think we have any other options, Freya."
"I don't want to kill them," Vivi said in a small voice.
"We won't kill them," Mikoto reassured him. "We just need to… to…"
"Get ourselves outta here until we can get reinforcements," Amarant finished. "If we're dead,
we're not much use to Dagger and the others back in Alexandria."
"Besides, Dagger would never forgive us if we let them get Zidane… which is what they want, isn't
it? Zidane and Miki." Freya's voice was quiet.
Vivi nodded, his eyes narrowed in regret.
"I understand."
Zidane looked around at the possessed mages and Genomes and said calmly, "Spirits of Terra, we
challenge you to a battle."
The Genome nearest Zidane narrowed his eyes and said, "Well then, vessel. Prepare to die."
As their opponents closed in around them, Zidane, Amarant, Freya and Vivi raised their weapons
despondently. Mikoto looked at the others, and raised her own fists.
"Miki, stay outta this!" Zidane warned. "I don't want you hurt."
"I'll be fine," Mikoto said stubbornly, her eyes gleaming. "I can't just let you guys do this
alone."
"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."
"Alright, enough already!" Amarant yelled. "Let's give it to `em!"
* * * *
"Queen Garnet! I've brought the civilians that are willing to fight!"
Garnet turned around, warding off a monster with her rod. The group of people the lookout had
brought was quite large, but not large enough to hold out for a long time. Each of them held a
weapon in his or her hands. Garnet recognised the members of Zidane's team, Tantalus, among them.
A young woman stepped out from the group, holding a golden sword. She knelt before Garnet, laying
the sword in front of her.
"Your Majesty, we give our lives for our queen and our country."
"Dagger!" Eiko yelled suddenly, her eyes wide. "Look out!"
Garnet spun to face the monster as it knocked her rod aside. Snatching her racket from where it
was draped across her back, she clubbed the monster in the head with a ball of white energy.
While the monster was stunned, she whirled around and seized the sword that was lying on the
ground. Holding the sword in her right hand, she arced it through the air and sliced the
monster's head right off.
Garnet calmly picked her rod up off of the ground, and handed the sword back to the woman. She
flashed her a happy grin.
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
"Dagger, I didn't know you could handle a sword like that!" Eiko exclaimed. "You were excellent!"
Garnet smiled warmly, and replied, "Beatrix trained me to use a sword from the time I was five
years old. She said it was important to be a master of many different weapons. I can fight with
lots of things."
"Wow," Eiko said. "Do you reckon you could teach me to fight with a sword, Dagger?"
"Of course," the older girl replied. "As soon as all this is over, I'll start teaching you how to
use a sword."
"Sorry to interrupt, Queen Garnet," said the lookout. "But there are more monsters on the way!"
Garnet turned to face her subjects, and said levelly, "People of Alexandria. Now is your chance
to prove yourself to the Crown as warriors. Be strong, my friends, and have no fear. We will
prevail. In the Eidolon Alexander's name, I bless you all."
"Here they come!" Eiko yelled.
They had half a second to prepare themselves before the monsters flooded down upon them like
rain.
* * * *
"This is getting ridiculous," Freya grated, jumping aside as she was narrowly missed by a Firaga
spell. "We've been fighting for ages. There are just too many of them!"
"I agree. It is getting ridiculous." Mikoto kicked a Genome in the head. "There is no way we can
win."
"We're not trying to win, we're trying to escape!" Zidane yelled.
Vivi watched them, his head spinning as he blocked blow after blow with his staff. Since the
beginning of the battle, he had been using his magical powers to help out his friends, to the
point where he was delving into his own strength to do it. He was too weak to be of any help to
them now.
Amarant was the first to see him fall to the ground.
"Zidane!" he barked. "Vivi's down!"
"Damn," Zidane muttered. "Miki, get Vivi!" he ordered.
Mikoto shoved a Genome away as it lunged for her, and then ran towards Vivi. Diving to the
ground, she scooped him up, and then rolled to her feet. "Now what?"
"Get him back to the airship!" Zidane yelled.
"I cannot! The entrance is blocked by a dozen Black Mages!" Mikoto yelled back. "We will be
killed!"
"Then get him somewhere safe!" Zidane yelled. "Anywhere, as long as there are no… arrrgh!"
Pain shot through Zidane's body as a spell hit him in the back. Red spots danced in front of his
eyes. He doubled over, gasping in pain and clutching at his chest. He could hear concerned voices
calling for him, but they seemed so far away from him. Then the spots faded, and his whole world
went dark…
* * * *
There was a bright light. A light that shone so brilliantly it wiped everything else out of
existence.
There was a shadow. A lost shadow of a man who didn't know where he was, or why he was there.
And there was a voice. A voice that came from nowhere, and sounded like music.
-I said I would help you, my brother-
The shadow and the voice became one, and the shadow arched its back in shock, fear and pain.
"Kuja?"
The light faded again, and once more, everything was darkness.
* * * *
"Zidane?"
Err… what a weird dream. I wonder what it meant…
-It wasn't a dream, Zidane. It was reality-
What do you mean, reality?
"Zidane, wake up!"
-I am here with you, my brother. I am here to help you-
To help me? Kuja?
"Come on, Zidane, answer me! Zidane?"
Zidane opened his eyes to find himself face-to-face with Mikoto.
"Zidane, thank goodness! I was so worried!" she gasped, relieved. "I thought you were…"
"Is everyone alright?" Zidane asked abruptly. He sat up and looked around, and a look of horror
filled his face.
Freya was the only thing standing between the army of Terrans and himself. Lying alongside him
and Mikoto were Amarant and Vivi. Both of them were unconscious and breathing slowly. Freya
herself looked ready to give up.
"We're going to die," he whispered, realisation setting in. "Dagger…"
-We're NOT going to die-
"What the?!" Zidane jumped a mile into the air. "Kuja?"
-Can't you feel my power, Zidane? It's coursing through your body-
"Kuja, for God's sake, where are you?"
-My spirit is resting in your body. There is no time to explain right now, little brother, but
you can channel my energy through your body-
"You mean I can cast magic spells? Like that… that Ultima one?"
-Yes-
"Then I guess I may as well give it a shot, huh?"
Zidane climbed to his feet and walked up to join Freya.
"Go back and stay with Miki," he said firmly to her. "Make sure she's safe. I'm about to do
something pretty damn dangerous."
Freya took a step back, keeping her eyes on the Terrans.
Now, how do I do this? Zidane wondered.
-It's easy- Kuja replied. -Just focus on the spell, and my energy will be channelled through your
body-
Closing his eyes, Zidane muttered, "Oh great, now he can read my thoughts, too. This just gets
better and better."
A strange warmth filled him, and he heard Kuja say, -That's it, Zidane. You're getting it. You're
getting it-
He gasped inwardly as he felt magic seeping through his veins, right into his outstretched
fingertips. He was ready.
"Are you ready, bro?" he muttered to Kuja.
-I'm ready when you are… uhh… bro. I'm ready when you are-
"Well then, here I go!"
Zidane's eyes snapped open as green light surrounded him.
"ULTIMA!"
~To Be Continued~