Author's Note: I had to rewrite this chapter…for mysterious reasons! Ah well, sorry for the lateness. Enjoy.

Sosei, Reincarnation's Sequel

Chapter 5-The Mystery

Neo Lindblum (Undestroyed) Grand Castle

5:37 A.M. Gaian Standard

Kirika:

          These hands have been almost anywhere and done almost everything. That included something dark as well. That's how I felt. These pale hands had some kind of visible blood on them. It was a shame I couldn't remember how I did it. I had a suspicion that what had happened last night had something to do with it. However, I was a bit frightened when I found that I couldn't remember anything past the cathedral. Apparently, I was alive now. But what happened to Kalani? Amaranthine growled and nuzzled me softly. Her wounds were healing quickly, which was good. However with that, she couldn't walk or fly very well.

          'Mommy, I want to go outside.'

          I glanced at Amaranthine carefully and shook my head.

          "I can't. Your injured and I'm supposed to stay inside the castle."

          Amaranthine nudged my shoulder gently and snorted.

          'You've never followed the rules before, Kirika.'

          Haha, true.

          "Fine, we'll go out for a small walk. Let's go ahead and take the service elevator down."

          Amaranthine got up to her feet and followed me to the doors of the elevator. Since this building was rarely used for anything, it was decided that the dragons could stay here, especially since the service elevator was big enough to house their bodies. The doors opened automatically, forcing me to step aside as Amaranthine climbed in. I, somehow, got in and pressed the button for the bottom floor. When the doors opened again, warm sunlight washed over us and I couldn't help but smile.

          This definitely felt better than that cold castle. Everyone looked at me like I was something to be feared in there and I didn't know why. I couldn't understand it. I stepped out into the sun and walked across the castle walls slowly. Amaranthine followed after, more than happy to stretch her wings out in the open air.

          "Excuse me, but are you Lady Kirika Tribal?"

          I whipped around and noted that there was a person hidden in a black cloak standing along the wall. Funny, I hadn't noticed the person before.

          "Yes, I am," I said softly.

          The person drew near and held out a small scroll. I took it into my hands and stared at the person.

          "Good luck," It said and disappeared.

          'What is it, Mommy?'

          "I don't know…but I'll open it."

          I opened it with a simple flick of my hand and started reading.

          "'Come to Mt. Gulug for answers.'"

          'What's that supposed to mean?'

          I knew what it meant, but I wasn't about to tell Amaranthine anything. Kuja knew how to talk to dragons, which meant telling them anything was futile.

          "Nothing, my pet. Let's go back inside."

Kuja:

          Today felt ominous somehow. Maybe it was just me. Or maybe it was because of Kirika. Well, either way you put it; I was still very paranoid. My theory had revealed a lot of possibilities to me, such as the point about the Iifa breathing life into Terra. That point clearly connected with Kirika being Iifa's new heart. So Terra's existence depended on her. Hmm…not good. Another point was on Garland's power sapping plan.

          Unless he just really didn't care about Terra, he had to be setting Mikoto up for something. Whatever that was, I didn't want to know. I grumbled and set my stack of papers down. Now where was Kirika? The last time I spoke to her, she was headed around the castle to see Amaranthine. So she must be down there still. I opened the door and walked out into the hallway. It was quiet except for the small tinkle of water. Now that was a good thing for last night wasn't exactly the most pleasant experience when it came to wondering around the rusty halls.

          I knocked on the door to Kirika's room, expecting to see her before wondering off to do better things. There was no answer. Funny…I thought she would at least obey my commands for once, I grumbled to myself as I opened the door. Only to see that no one was there.

          "Kirika!"

Kirika:

          That shout belonged to Kuja…that much I knew. He had discovered I had left a little too early for I really hadn't left Lindblum's castle grounds yet. I waved my hand at Amaranthine, which meant 'stay and be quiet until I get back', and slipped my boots on. Now these weren't the normal assortment of boots, for they had the fly spell enchantment on them. That way I could fly without exhausting my own energy and that was something I couldn't afford.

          "Stay here, Amaranthine and don't tell Kuja anything or else I'll ignore you for a day."

          Amaranthine snorted and turned away. I knew she considered my threat to be empty, but I didn't care.

          "Goodbye!" I shouted as I jumped into the air.

One hour later

Kuja:

          "She did it again," was all I had to say when everyone had gathered in the lounge.

          At first, Zidane laughed, but as the moments passed, he grew serious.

          "Hmm…she reminds me of well…me at a very young age," He commented.

          "Of course she does, Zidane. She has your genes, but that's not the point. The point is that Kirika's heading for Mount Gulug," I snapped.

          "But why?" Garnet asked.

          "Someone must have given her this."

          I held out a scroll and flattened it out gently.

          "It's a trap," Kirei hissed.

          I glanced at her, my face unreadable. It seemed like my daughter was more apt for trouble these days. And she was prone to bouts of deafness.

          "It's Mikoto's old ploy to lure people out. I suggested we go and find her now."

          The others nodded in agreement.

          "We meet at the airship dock in 10 minutes," Zidane declared.

          Moments later, there was no one in the room but Kirei and me.

          "I'm worried."

          I raised an eyebrow and sighed. Kirei worried? Ha…the world must be going straight to hell or maybe the exact opposite. But along with that, I was also worried.

          "Me too. But there must be a reason for Kirika going off alone."

          Kirei snarled and slapped me hard on the cheek. I stood there, shock written all over my face. No one had struck me like that before…at least no on that lived.

          "Sometimes you can be really ignorant Kuja! Your daughter has yet to find out about what happened last night and you won't tell her! I thought you would have learned from last year!"

          I couldn't help but dissolve into my old fits of laughter.

          "I have learned from last year, Kirei."

          Kirei smirked.

          "You only learned to contain that anger inside, but you haven't learned how to be a better father."

          Nothing I could say could less the burn of her statement and that infuriated me.

          "Hmm…so much for your fire, Kuja."

Esto Gaza

Kirika:

          I was surprised at how much this place had changed. With the coming and going of the seasons and years, Esto Gaza was about the size of Alexandria. This change was indeed ironic, since the climate was a bit harsh. I liked it, though. Since Lindblum existed on a different continent, we got everything except winter. So…this change was much needed. I walked through the front gates into the heart of the city, which was cave-like.

          "Welcome visitor."

          I glanced around and noticed the pale skinned man to the left of me.

          "Greetings," I said politely.

          "You must be cold. Come have a drink."

          I nodded and followed him into the room to the right. Sure enough, there was a bar there and it was barely occupied. That was great for me, seeing as I didn't need any extra attention at the moment. Kuja told me that it was rare to see genomes in these parts. And I didn't need to mention anything about Kuja either. I sighed as the barkeep handed me a drink. Hmm…it's best to leave this town as fast as I can.

          "So where are you headed to?"

          "Mount Gulug," I answered after taking a sip.

          The man stared at me for a moment or two before shaking his head.

          "No one's been in Mount Gulug for years. It's dangerous."

          "I'm aware of that, but I'm on business."

          I smirked and got up from the bar.

          "Good day, I muttered as I walked out of the room.

Kuja:

          Irritation wouldn't be the only word to describe my mood. Kirei's scolding had burned a hole in my heart. The problem was that all of what she said was true. Fatherhood was the one thing I thought I couldn't fail. And yet, I fell so far from where I originally started. I shook my head and stared at the Invincible's front window. I was just trying to protect Kirika. I thought she would stay innocent like she was when she was…oh so young. I was native for thinking that. Maybe Garland was enjoying torturing me. I guess it was better than dying.

          "Get ready, Kuja, we're getting ready to land."

          I blinked and glanced up at Garnet's lovely pale face. She started to go off to the back of the Invincible, but something on my face kept her rooted to the spot.

          "Is there something wrong?"

          "Nothing," I muttered.

          "You're lying. Want to know how I can tell?"

          I nodded.

          "Because that arrogant streak of yours is gone. Did something Kirei told you bother you?"

          Wow…straight to the point, eh Garnet?

          "How did you know?" I asked.

          "I heard about it from Zidane. I can understand how you feel."

          I snorted.

          "No you don't."

          Garnet laughed.

          "Just think about it, Kuja. I know that's what your good for."

          I couldn't help but smirk. All that coming from Garnet was a miracle. And yet, she was right. I had to put this behind me.

          "Set down over there, Zidane."

Kirika:

          The air inside the volcano was humid, but comfortable enough to tolerate. Somehow, I wondered if people froze to death once they got outside. After all, the shock of temperatures could put people in shock. I slipped off my cloak and tied it around my waist quickly. It was then that I became aware of the dwellings in the walls. This was once a mountain community or so many history books said. I wondered how they got wiped out…

          "They were fools to think they could live in this place without being contested. But that is a question you should ask your father, Kirika."

          I blinked and turned around only to see Mikoto.

          "What are you doing here?" I snapped.

          She shrugged and pointed all around the room.

          "Are you here to truly find answers, Kirika? Or are you here to discover fear?"

          "What are you talking about?"

          Mikoto smirked.

          "You shall see."

Kuja:

          A loud scream shook me out of my thoughts as I went through Esto Gaza. Garnet cast a worried glance at me while Zidane and Kirei froze up.

          "That sounded like Kirika."

          I forgot about Myou being here with us. He walked out from behind Silver's massive form smoothly, his dark eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't look happy either.

          "We must hurry."

          "He's right."

Kirika:

          Darkness…nothing but darkness as far as my eyes could see. But why was I seeing this?

          "You shall see."

          What did Mikoto mean? The answer came in the form of a flash of light. I found myself standing on a barren blue landscape, with a purplish sky. There were no signs of vegetation for miles. Wait…wasn't this in my dreams once?

          "It's good to see that you remember something, Kirika Tribal. Tell me, have you figured out the significance between the inhabitants of Mount Gulug and Terra?"

          I blinked and noted the appearance of a little girl on the horizon. She looked slightly older than when I saw her last, but I guess that was expected.

          "No, tell me," I said loudly.

          The ground shifted under my feet violently for a second or two and then settled down.

          "They both vanished into the unknown, child. Can you see how much Terra has changed?"

          I nodded. That was the first thing I noticed.

          "Is this my energy at work?" I asked.

          The girl shrugged.

          "It is not in my place to say."

          "So what are you here for?"

          "To warn you."

          "Of what? And from who?"

          "Stay away from Mikoto, Garland and especially your father, Kuja. Take solace only in Myou, Garnet, Zidane and in your dragons."

          Things were about to get messy.

Author's Note: Ok, I'm taking a poll. Should Kirika have a child by the end of the story or should she die before it's born? Let me know in future reviews. May I remind you that this does determine the outcome of the fic.