Disclaimer: Lalalalalala...Oh...what? Huh? Do I own Final Fantasy 9? Um, no Squaresoft does. Thanks. Bye.....lalalalala....

            (I am outta time! Sorry I can't write a proper introduction! eep....Well, enjoy! My second chapta....*sniff* It's so wonderful...no, I'm not an egosist. ehehehe....well, um, yeah, enjoy!)

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                                                                        ~~{Sergundra}~~

                                                                        By: Laura M. Ulian

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            "Amses, you smell!" Cora protested at her captor, and squirmed out of the pressure he was putting on her shoulders. "And would you _please_ tell me what's going on? You said-"

            "Cora..." the cloaked man sighed. "Please, I'm asking you nicely this time....do not speak if you have a question. Not now, for the fact. The matter is too important."

            Amarant seemed untoleratant of this, "Who are you?" he growled, almost beneathe his breath.

            Again, Amses sighed, but looking up, Cora could still see the signs of a familiar grin tugging at the corners of his mouth, "My name is Amses Secoran, and this is Cora. I'm her guardian." Carefully, he ungripped his hands from the girl's shoulders, trusting that she knew how to be quiet by now.

            The flame-haired bandit slowly turned his gaze to look at the huddled group of drunks, whom by now, were all staring at the trio. As soon as they saw that Amarant was watching them, they noisly leapt from their chairs, and nearly scrambled over each other to file out of the pub door. The bar was now empty, save Cora and the two men.

            "I thought you had questions....Amses," said Amarant, folding his arms almost hostily.
 
            "Of course," said Amses, wrining his hands beneth his long sleeves. "I cannot begin to describe how unusual this is for me, ehehe..." He chuckled, and nearly began to cough. Clearing his throat, he shook his head, "Never mind that....I need to know only two tings about you. I will understand if you do not know the answers."

            Amarant said nothing, typically.

            "Amarant...Coral, tell me. Did you know your mother?" said Amses, almost blurting out the question.

            They could not see, of course, Amarant's eyes widen beneath their cover. After a brief silence, the tall bandit growled, "Of course not. Who are you to ask, stranger?" Cora cringed, and hid behind Amses cloak at Amarant's vicious tone.

            "No one you know, Amarant," said Amses, casting his eyes down for a moment. "I am only an old man, that once heard of your mother and father. It is sad, that I know more about them, and perhaps even you than you know yourself."

            Amarant was clearly seething with both anger and....humiliation. "Don't assume an answer from one statistic," he spat.

            "Ah," said the cloaked man. "So you were lying."

            "It's what I do," came the bandit's staunt reply.

            "Amses..." began Cora, her mouth opening to gape. When he did not silence her, she went on, "How...you never told me that you knew him personally!"

            The man chuckled, "You misunderstand, little miss. This is my first time meeting anyone of the Coral family."

            "Glad to know you're not some long-lost, nosy relative," said Amarant. But he looked away, and Cora swore she could feel the disappointment radiating from his very nerves.

            "So you did know your mother," was Amses assumption.

            "A little. Now get off my back, if that's what you needed to know," said Amarant, flatly. Without so much as a farewell, he uncrossed his arms, and brushed past both the cloaked man and the girl hiding behind the folds of his robes.

            "It isn't," said Amses, a little louder than usual. His face broke out into a smile, when the bandit turned to face him again. "You knew your mother then. You know her name, you know her age, you know that she is dead, and...."

            "I know she is not my real mother," said Amarant testily. He took a menacing step forward. "I don't understand how any of this has to do with you."

            "It doesn't," replied Amses. "Not in the least, Coral. I know that this talk of family doesn't suit you, but I am warning you, before you go out that door, to remain. Just one minute outside might change your future, the way people look at you, the way your friends look at you, and most importantly, the way you look at yourself. Trust me."

            Amarant sneered his disapproval, "I don't trust strangers I don't know." And he left the pub, half-slamming the door behind him.

            He was boiling inside -- the anger pumped through his veins like adreneline. The warm, afternoon air met his face like a rush of hot water, drenching him even further with rage. There was no reason for a complete stranger, a man whom claimed he knew his mother -- a topic he detested discussing -- to ask him such questions. Amarant ignored Cora's shout that emitted through the thick wood of the tavern door, and began to walk the street in front of him. He'd head for the castle, where all he had to put up with was the swarming crowd, and the irritating, reluctant voice of Steiner when he let him inside under orders.

            Freya had left. At least he wouldn't have to hear her useless advice, and her constant bickering. Eiko and her new 'parents' still hung around, perhaps to stay for the royal dinner that they'd generously -- yet pointlessly -- invited him to. Vivi was living in Alexandria, he'd heard, but he was probably giving a nice little tour of the castle to his children at the moment. Quina -- s/he had a nice cooking job at the castle -- wouldn't have to hear from him/her. He'd only have to look out for Zidane, and not get caught up with him believing that he was visiting for friendly purposes.

            Those were his intentions, as he pushed his way through the unusually-thick crowd, attempting to reach the sqaure at least. Oh, how he hated crowds. But until he reached the castle, he'd have to put up with being swamped in people who he literally towered over. Typically, it was a way of telling himself to bite the bullet -- you can't be a loner all the time. Scowling, Amarant didn't care nor stop to apologize to anyone he might have jostled. This was how he managed to evade any more converstations with strangers, until he heard a vague whisper from someone along the side of the street. Considering the bandit was being shoved to the side anyway, it was rather simple to catch the voice over the hoard of noise.

            It was a man in black, whom had addressed his name. Strangely, he wore a cloak, and he was hooded, not unlike the Amses character he'd encountered just minutes ago. But this man was taller, thinner, and by the lack of age lines around the character's mouth (Amses had plenty), he was quite young. But before Amarant could say a word on anything, the cloaked person had swiftly leapt to the side, and ducked into a brightly-lit alley. Considering the lightness of this alley, Amarant didn't pause to consider it's dangers. He charged straight into it, the infuriating feeling he'd already been dealing with growing with an uncontrollable fury. He didn't have time to deal with these annoying people. But perhaps it was a possible employer -- someone he could get a job from. A job that he was only good at.

            If only he'd thought better then.

            It was a thin, but long alley. Oddly enough, it was deserted. Even more oddly, the cloaked stranger was nowhere to be seen. On his second glance around, Amarant finally spotted the man's only possible hiding place -- an indent on the left-hand side of the alley. The building had obviously been built to house two different families. The red-haired bandit thought later on, about how irrationally he'd acted. He should have scented the trouble brewing before leaping head-first into it.

            He was cautious, carefully approaching the corner. Impulsively, he drew his weapons over his fists -- his old Cat's Claws. They were standard, good fighting equipment. He'd thrown the others away, save his Rune Claw, which now lay forgotten somewhere in the depths of Memoria. But now, he never thought, even once, let alone twice, as he rounded the corner. He was too busy preparing himself for an attack -- not what he came to suddenly face.

            There were two men now. They both held weapons in their hands -- meagre knives. One faced him, a simple two or three feet away, and the other was further back in the opposite corner. Before the nearest leapt, before he lifted his dagger to boldly lunge at the bandit, Amarant glimpsed something on the ground that drew fear into his heart. For once.

            It was a girl. Eyes closed, not breathing. A little girl. Dead.

            If it had not been for the attacker's angry cry, Amarant's instincts wold have failed him. But they worked now, and he threw his left fist forward on intuition. It met the cloaked man's metal blade with a clash, and immediatly tore it from his grasp. The man, looking bewildered, only had had time to gasp in surprise before he felt the steel of Amarant's left claw, when it pierced his chest. His face went pale, and his arms limp.

            Amarant had no trouble or regret in killing a man he knew was a murderer. The man slid from his claws and into a heap on the ground. It was only then, when Amarant looked down on the dead attacker with satisfcation, that he realized he was forgetting something important. He lifted his head. Yes, the other cloaked character, the one with a smooth face, and young smile. Oh, the smile was there now -- only it was curled, and evil. Wickedly humourless. He had not attacked, even when his friend had thrown his life into peril. He merely stood. He merely stared, it seemed. If his eyes had been visible, Amarant knew that they would have been gleaming with triumph.

            The stranger spoke briefly, with a husky voice, "Class A stupidity....It was all we ever could expect from you, Coral."

            The shouts of two woman -- by their tones, Alexandrian guards -- startled Amarant from his confused daze. At the exact instant, the same thought struck both minds. But the cloaked man was quicker, as Amarant dove to trap him. The stranger evaded Amarant's lunge, and flew like wind itself down the alley, screaming at the top of his lungs for all to hear, "Help! Help meeeeee! Please, help!"

            Amarant did not chase after him. He could do as he wished. He could be a coward, and run to Alexandrian military for assistance, but Amarant knew that they were on his side anyway. Instead, with a sort of heavy feeling inside of his chest, the bandit looked down, at the girl sprawled in the corner. He would never forget that moment of horror -- when he finally understood how he'd been tricked. Deceived.

            Framed.

            The little girl was someone he didn't know. He'd been horrified at first, thinking it might have been Cora. But it was not. It was a younger girl, perhaps five or so. But when his eyes landed squarely on her fatal wound, bored in her stomach, the blood in his veins ran cold. Her cause of death were three, neat punctures that Amarant realized were identical to the one planted on the dead man's chest at his feet. There was blood on his claws. And no one would understand who's.

            "You there! Don't run! We have you cornered!"

            Amarant turned to face the torments he knew would follow. Four Alexandrians and two regular citizens stood behind him, appearing half-winded from their rush to catch the "murderer". One of the citizens, a woman around the age of thirty, or thirty-five dropped to her knees. A moan of disbelief rose from her throat. She had spotted the dead girl.

            The other citizen, a man, whom was now classified at the dead child's father, also dropped to his knees, and took his wife's head in his arms. Tears running down his own cheeks, he attempted to soothe hers. But her groans and wails soon began to fill the entire alley with a downcast sorrow. No one wept for the partner of the girl's real killer.

            The Alexandrian guards, obviously trained for this kind of pain, made no hesitation to dive on the tall, red-haired bandit. Two of them seized each arm, and dragged him away from the body of the lifeless child. And Amarant made no such attempt to resist them, which clearly, but secretly surprised them. As they half-forced him to round the building's corner, Amarant could see the forms of three more Alexandrian guards racing down the alleyway towards him. One seized his arm while the other two shoved and prodded at him. The one that had taken his arm, began to talk in a disgusted tone, "You must think you're brilliant, you worthless Yan..." she hissed. "I know who you are. Killing, murdering scum, you're a piece of trash, you know that? Just wait until we take this to the Queen....She'll deal with you, you child-murdering filth!"

            And so it went like that. People, although they still stuck togehter in hoards, like bees scavanging for nectar, hastily moved aside to let the seven guards escort Amarant along the streets. The bandit was beginning to absorb this with a touch of bewilderment. And he was beginning to get annyoed with the one guard's constant bickering. However, speaking now would only make things worse. Strugglilng would bring terrible results. And so, he bore it.

            He did not have to suffer the long boat-ride across the channel. It was obvious that the guards were intending to escort him to the castle, and take him to Dagger, but they found very soon tha tis was unnecsessary. The very moment they reached the end of the square, the channel boat had just finished touch the shore, and it was carrying two very important passengers. Dagger and Zidane both stepped out onto the cobblestone. Neither had seemed to spot Amarant yet, as they laughed voer some joke Zidane must have cracked. It was only the third time Amarant had seen Zidane since he'd returned this very day, and the second time he'd speak to him. Perhaps the last.

            "Your Majesty, and most gracious guest and friend of our Queen," said one of the the guards behind Amarant's back. He heard them kneel on the ground before Dagger. "We humbly apologize for spoiling your day in town so soon, but this is an urgent matter."

            Amarant swore he would never forget the look Zidane gave him, when they each looked up. Dagger looked confused. Zidane looked annoyed.

            He must have thought it a joke, for the first thing he said was, "Well, Amarant, I see you've been keeping yourself busy."

            The guard that had spoken choked in surprise, "You KNOW this scoundrel? You are acquianted with this piece of scum???"

            Zidane blinked in surprise, "Um....yes. What in Gaia's name did he do??"

            "Amarant...." Dagger's voice was soft, and as confused as before. "This...I apologize," she said, acting as couteous as she could manage. "But there must be some kind of a mistake. This is Amarant. He is...our friend."

            Amarant hung his head at those words. They were making it worse. Why should he care? It was evident -- he was going to be hanged as a murderer. What made it even more horrible was the fact that not only was it humiliating, but it would be Dagger and Zidane to sentence him.

            No, they had to believe him. No matter what brats they were -- no matter how incompitent they were, they had to believe him. They had declared him "part of the team". However foolish it was, it made sense to him. Would they go back on their word now?

            "This is no mistake. I apologize if this strikes you as a surprise, your highness, but....this man was found, in an alley. He'd killed a young girl, and another man, in cold blood. There is the blood on his weapons. It is true." The Alexandrian guard almost whispered.


            Amarant flinched. There was no worse way to put it other than that. Did they have to be so vague?

            Dagger's face grew pale, and she tried to speak. But she uttered nothing, as the soundless words poured form her mouth. Her confusion had hit it's peak. On the other hand, Zidane wasn't so modest.

            "Amarant? A murder? A little girl?" his three questions stung Amarant, one by one. "Now I'm confused. You have to have the wrong man, babe. Sorry."

            The guard, however, didn't seem to like Zidane very much, "I am insisting this very much, Sir Zidane. I am the one that must apologize, again. The marks on both bodies resembled the puncture marks that are made by these claws," She gestured disgustedly towards Amaran'ts Cat's Claws, which were at the moment, completely useless.

            "Whoa," said Zidane, shaking his head. "Back up....where's the evidence of this?"

            The guard scowled, "He was found with the bodies, sir. His claws are bloodied. The victims -- his victims have punctures fit for his choice of a weapon. And we have a witness, that claims he saw it all."

            Amarant stiffened. The cloaked man.

            Slowly, Zidane turned his accusing gaze to Amarant. The bandit did not guiltily lower his head, or mumble some confession. He did not look at the ground, or say anything at all. Amarant was as silent as his spectators. But he stared. He stared directly into the genome's face, quite expressionlessly. Zidane's face was just as blank, as he spoke next. "Amarant. You didn't."

            "The evidence points to it, and a real witness is golden proof," spat the same guard. She huffed, "And it calls for drastic action. If ther majesty does not mind, I might make a sujestion. An execution might be in order, if we-"
 
            "Hold it." Zidane's voice was placid. His stare was cold, almost as if he continued to struggle with believing Amarant would do such a thing. "I know that I'm not one to speak-"

            "So let me," said Amarant, his deep tone cutting off Zidane's words. He felt his captors flinch. After all, it was the first time he'd spoken since being caught. "I thought you were a fool, Zidane. Until Freya slapped some sense into me, that is. I stopped hating you for...caring so much all the time. But now I'm beginning to think that the fool I saw in you is beginning to show, if you really believe-"

            "Shut up!" snapped the tempermental guard, and she made a bold move. She kneed him in the back. As much as the metal hurt as it cut into his skin, Amarant didn't bother to acknowledge she was there. But he was silent, again.

            "Don't do that again," said Dagger, ultimately surprising them all. Besides Amarant. "Don't hit him. If it weren't for him -- for any of the team, Gaia might not even exist right now."

            The guard didn't look like she quite believed this, but she obeyed, nonetheless. "The law stands for everyone, which includes him, your majesty. It even includes you-"

            "As it did my mother and father. And yet none dared to stop her in her dream of destruction," came the queen's cold reply. "Please, that is enough."

            "Amarant...." Zidane looked helplessly lost, as he glanced from Dagger, to the bandit, to the queen again. "Of all days...today had to be it. This was....it was supposed to be a happy day, Dagger."

            "It still can be, Sir Zidane," said the guard, trying to sound cheerful about the matter. "Just allow me to order his execution, and all this will-"

            "Even if he is the murderer of a child," said Dagger, clearly getting fed up with the guard's behaviour. "He is still our friend. I will not allow him to die, no matter the cost."

            "Zidane, you cannot possibly believe that I would do something so stupid!" Amarant spat, angrily tearing his left arm away from the guards' grasps. They immediately seized him again, and pulled him back a few feet. "You know me better than that," he continued, his tone completely flat.

            "So I thought," said Zidane. "But I also know that you live for killing. Before you met us, that was all you lived for, wasn't it? Perhaps you thought that was over now."

            "Zidane..." Dagger started, but she stopped, looking very unsure herself.

            The genome shook his head, "No. I don't want him to die. I made the mistake of welcoming him as part of the team. But after this....killing a litle girl, and another human being on top of that...."

            "Zidane, you can't mean it..." said Dagger. Good old Dagger -- always trying to believe something even if it sounded wrong.

            "It's your call, Dagger," said Zidane, glaring coldly at the tall bandit. "But you'd better do something. Just leave me out of it. I might make it worse."

            "......But, Zidane-" the queen began again, and gave up. Torpidly, she lifted her eyes to gaze at Amarant. "Amarant....I don't know what to believe. To look at you, people would automatically assume the wrong thing. Even if you didn't kill her, or the other man....Someone has to be punished. And they think it's you. I wouldn't be a very supportive queen, if I spoke against their descision, so....please, understood."

            Amarant understood. He understood very clearly, but he still did not think that what he'd been tricked for was right, "It was the witness, if anyone wants to know that truth. That's all I'll say. A clever man, he seems to be. Almost as clever as you, Zidane."

            Zidane, who had his back turned on the bandit, spun on him, "I can't speak to someone I can't even trust anymore..." he said. "I'm sorry, Amarant. But this is the way it is...."

            "What will we do with him?" the guard growled abruptly.

            Dagger lowered her eyes, "I can't order an execution. Being queen, I will have to watch, even if I will not to...I won't bear to see him die. So..."

            "I apologize," said another guard, gripping Amarant's right arm. "But I have other duties to attend to, as well. If this cannot be decided, you majesty-"

            "No," said the queen, and she shook her head, softly. "I've decided. Amarant, I have no other choice...please forgive me." Her voice cracked slightly. "At dawn, he will no longer be allowed to set foot inside of Alexandrian lands again. He will either be banished to another continent, or put under watch by Regent Cid. But he is banished, with much regret. And that is the way it must be."


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            (WAHHHH! Ok, I'm just kidding. Why? Why can't I cry when I read my own writing? Is it because I know what's going to happen? *sniff* Why? Ahhhhh....well, I hope you like it, peeps. I'll write more just for the heck of it! *grin* Please R&R. Comments? Critics? Tel me! lol)