Shadows Crimes

Chapter 5

The Shadows First Strike

Disclaimer: We all know by now don't we (plus I'm lazy) so yada yada same as first page.

"GOTCHA!"

Mikoto was a little stunned to find that someone had caught her by the hand but she had managed to pull herself up with her savior's help. As she got back on the other side onto she was on her knees looking away from the person who had just saved her. "What has happened here, Mikoto what is going on?" Mikoto gave an exasperated sigh knowing exactly whom it was that saved her "Zidane.... uhhh, what are you doing out here?" Zidane helped her up and shook his head "I herd something going on out in the hall so I thought I would check it out the I thought I herd you so I came up here only to see that you were about to have a very long fall. What exactly are you doing out here?" Zidane asked sternly making her step back a step. "I...couldn't sleep so I came out here for air. I just wanted to see more of the city so I went to the rail and as I got there I tripped and then I was on the other side and you caught me" Mikoto said quickly, then felt her face go warm as she told her brother the lie. ('That was the worst thing I had ever said'). Mikoto walked away from Zidane and went over to the stairs and sat down on the first step that goes up to another tower and looked up towards the twin moons and sighed. Of course Zidane didn't believe what she said but of course getting the truth out of Mikoto was going to be as hard as getting Quina not to think of food every 5 minutes. He then caught sight of her walking over to the steps and sitting down and then he went over to join her. As Zidane sat down beside her

"Remember that talk we had in the Black Mage Village?" he began and Mikoto nodded "good now can you please tell me what is going on? And just before I walked in you said you were having visions or dreams, ahh something like that anyway tell me about them." He blurted out and Mikoto was reluctant to tell him anything. "It doesn't matter, it was just a 'dream' " Mikoto implied in a low monotone voice. "*SIGH* …. Not convinced" he breathed and Mikoto blinked a couple of times. "What?" "Please tell me it'll be just be between the both of us I promise!" Mikoto looked from the night sky to give him a questioning look and looked back up at the night sky. "Now I am not convinced," she added. Zidane was now sure she wasn't going to tell him of her visions with what she just said. Mikoto suddenly stood up but still looking up the light of the moons brought upon an eerie silver glow to her face and hair ("If I tell him maybe he will leave me alone but then again he might not") she thought to her self and decided to tell him. "Okay Zidane if I tell you must not make a big deal out of this. Zidane looked at her and stood up too and nodded. "… My visions or dreams as most would call them, started about a week or so ago and after about the last four or five visions I would wake up with cuts and bruises where I would get hurt in my visions, then when I wake up a few moments later they would suddenly disappear." She explained the worst part about her visions first. "What would happen in these so called 'visions' for that to happen to you?" he asked carefully just in case she changed her mind and didn't want to tell him. Mikoto stretched her arms and sat back down on the steps of the stairs and made a gesture for him to 'sit down' too and he complied, as she was thinking where to start. "…My visions from the very beginning started like this…."

"As of lately the visions would changed and the cloaked figure I can see a little better every time, he even knows my name. I haven't met any other Gaians other than your friends and the Black Mages." Zidane was totally speechless at what she had just told him, but the she spoke up again "He also told me that we 'would meet soon'. I would like to know what he meant." "…." Zidane still didn't know what to say but he was concerned about whoever this person in this dream was about them meeting soon, other wise he did but couldn't bring himself to say anything. Zidane looked at Mikoto as he sensed her shiver and holding her injured knees as they were still bleeding. "Come on Miki lets go back inside so you can clean up you knees" Mikoto looked at her knees and winced at the mess.

As Mikoto and Zidane went back down the stairs they had heard something like glass break, in which sent them running to find the source of the sound. They got to the bottom of the stairs they went through the door that took them up to the tower and went into the main hall to the sleeping quarters. Zidane noticed that there was no guards around and kicked an invisible rock and silently cursed but not low enough for Mikoto not to hear. Mikoto I am gonna go check on Dagger, make sure you got a good weapon and check downstairs I will check with you as soon as I can." Mikoto looked at him and then looked down where she tied the sheath for her dagger and the both nodded and parted, Zidane left for the royal chambers and Mikoto went to find the culprit.

Zidane quietly walked into their room and saw Dagger sound asleep oblivious to the noise of whatever made it. As he made sure that the room was clear and his love was safe he then left to help Mikoto.

Meanwhile Mikoto was walking down the halls and corridors stealthily to make sure no one was to spring a surprise attack and when she was at the top of the stairs that led to the main floor she saw a broken vase at the bottom of the grand stair case. Mikoto knew that the vase was definitely not in its original spot but looked as if were thrown there. "*pssst* Mikoto" Zidane was running and loudly whispered her name from a small distance. Mikoto looked at Zidane and pointed to the broken vase. Just then something dark caught both their attention creeping in the darkness and the Shadow laughed evilly and looked at them with deep crimson glowing eyes. Zidane was about to go after the shadow like intruder but it was to late, the shadow had charged up a white energy ball and hurled it at them. "AHHH!!" The white light had engulfed them both just as they had covered their eyes but it still caused the genomes to become confused and disoriented and they both started stumbling Mikoto was stumbling all over the place, until she was at the edge of the stairs and lost her balance. Mikoto had fallen down the stairs until she was right next to the broken vase. As for Zidane He had stumbled into an edge of a protruding piece of wall and hit his head and fallen back unconscious.

Moments before all of the commotion and noise Adelbert Steiner and his new wife Beatrix were sleeping soundly before they then heard the sound of glass breaking and something like a short 3 second melee had startled them both to bolt up out of bed and get their gear and weapons and investigate. As Steiner and Beatrix neared the stair case "WHO GOES THERE?!" Steiner shouted out Swords still firmly in their hands as they moved towards the main staircase and saw an unmoving figure sprawled out amongst the mess of a broken vase. "Careful Steiner" Beatrix cautioned her husband and moved toward the figure with their swords pointing in its direction and saw that it was Mikoto unconscious.

Beatrix sheathed her sword and ran to Mikoto' side "Mikoto?...Mikoto wake up!" she tried to get her up but just kneeled at her side continuously trying to get the genome girl to wake up. Steiner was about to get a doctor for her until the two warriors her something stirring upstairs. Steiner looked up the stairs then began to go up them and rounded to corner to see another figure lying against the wall stirring in pain. Steiner approached the stirring figure and saw it was the new king and friends "Zidane !" Zidane stirred again and woke up and looked at the loud knight and closed his eyes again "Rusty, do you always have to be so loud?" complained Zidane. "What happened here?" Steiner questioned a little quieter and Zidane shook his head and tried to get up but was unsuccessful the first time till Steiner helped him up. It took a couple of moments for the dizziness to stop and asked where Mikoto was. "Don't fret she is safe. Beatrix is taking care of her as we speak." Zidane stumbled over to the stair railing and looked down and saw Beatrix treating her, then turned around slowly to find Garnet beside Steiner. She stood there mouth made a motion to speak but Zidane spoke up before she did "Don't worry I will tell you in the morning. Oh and Steiner make sure there are more guards around" Steiner nodded and Zidane and Garnet headed back towards their chambers.

****Chapter Redone****