Disclaimer: I'll give you a box of Junior Mints for them. Mmmmmmm...Junior Mints.

Sorry for the lack of updates, I am playing Final Fantasy X-2. As of now I have 98% done, now

just the hardest things are left, damn.

Chapter 14

Mikoto and Blank inspected the village. Besides the dead bodies, nothing seemed out of

place in the picturesque setting.

"Not to sound morbid, but where are all of the other genomes?"

She looked around, realizing Blank's words were true. There was no sign of her genome

brethren among the deceased. It was as if they had all vanished into the wind.

"I don't know, it is not like them to leave their home." she said, confused.

He shook his head, "I don't like this, there's something we're missing."

She nodded, "I agree, let's see if there are any survivors."

The two wandered into the various houses and shops. The wooden floorboards creaking

under every step. Plates of food sat on tables, ready to be eaten. Books lay open on desks, the

pages quivering under unseen forces. Pens lay on open journals, waiting for their owners to

come back. It was a twilight zone where all the living people were gone.

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The dismal town sat silently, while Mikoto continued to search for clues. She stopped

suddenly, focused on the only destruction to meet her eye.

Vivi's home.

It was totally shattered, like a terrible bone break. The roof was caved in and support

beams were cracked and pointed upwards, the jagged ends reaching into the sky like monstrous

claws.

A heaviness settled over her heart. Many people would feel the pain of Vivi's loss. She

didn't want to be the bearer of such bad news.

"Are you ready to go?" Blank asked quietly, "I think we've seen enough."

Mikoto nodded, slowly turning around and walking over to the thief.

The left the village, returning to the Invincible as the sun dyed the sky red. There was

only one more objective, to destroy the Iifa Tree.

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The Invincible made quick time to the semi-collapsed Iifa Tree. Mikoto and Blank

watched the silhouette of the tree, growing rapidly on the viewscreen.

"Let's get this over with." Blanks voice was harsh.

Mikoto answered by starting the landing sequence.

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They circled the perimeter of the tree, tossing red flares. The night was so dark that

correctly hitting the collapsed tree was nearly impossible, at least with Mikoto's limited

knowledge of the weapon system. Some kind of visible sign was needed.

"Damn, it's cold." Blank said, rubbing his hands together for warmth. He reached into

his bag, grabbing another flare and sent it soaring into the blackness.

Mikoto watched it fly in a lazy arc, and then hit the ground.

But it didn't hit the ground.

Blank didn't seem to notice. She made her way to him, touching his forearm for his

attention. His head turned towards her. "What?"

"Where did the flare go?"

"I threw it over there." He said, motioning with his thumb to the place he threw it.

"It is not there."

He seemed a bit taken back, then looked over his shoulder to where the flare should be.

It was not there.

"C'mon, it probably just fell into a hole or something." he said while pushing Mikoto

forward. But she didn't feel any better about it, she had learned long ago to trust her danger

sense. She glanced behind her, seeing the puny red flares shining in the darkness, almost like

lights on a runway.

Then one went out...

Then another and another...

She stiffened up, Blank stopping next to her. He saw it too.

A cold wind sent shivers up her spine. She exhaled, her breath creating a mist in front of

her face.

There was another exhale, deep and guttural.

Not from either of them.

Blank reached into his bag, bringing out a flare, and cracking it.

And for the second time, Mikoto stared into the wild eyes of a silver dragon.

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"Stop!" The word came out of her mouth without permission, but the spell was effective.

The beast was frozen, mid-lunge. It's great teeth inches away from Mikoto's face. Saliva

dripped from the fangs, it's retched breath coming in and out in a steady stream.

Then the great maw dropped from her view, the beast exhaling one last time. It's severed

head and neck hitting the sandy ground underneath.

Blank appeared before her, breathing hard, his sword dripping crimson, "Let's get outta

here."

They ran to the Invincible, cracking flares to light the way. The previously inky

surroundings now lighted up, like thousands of glowing red stars in the nighttime sky. But

unlike the benevolent celestial bodies, these stared back at them.

With hunger.

They continued, hearing the cries of dragons, feeling the wind of strong wingbeats.

Then skidded to a stop as a wall of flame rose before them. They tried to move around

but were cut off by a dragon. Other beasts followed, landing heavily on the earth.

Mikoto stood back to back with Blank. The flames lighting up a small circle of visibility.

She held her chakra, prepared.

"Ready?"

She vocalized the affirmative by spreading her arms wide and summoning the power for

a spell... "Holy!"

The white orbs circled around, ripping into the beasts, Spinning faster and faster until

nothing was left but charcoal remains.

Lowering her arms, she ended the spell. Sustaining such a powerful magic was difficult

and took a tremendous amount of energy. She was breathing heavily already.

"Damn." Blank said, clearly impressed.

"I'd be more impressed if we can get past that." she said while motioning to the growing

number of shadows right outside the firelight.

The shadows came closer.

She shook her head in disbelief, "This shouldn't be happening."

"Well it is," Blank grabbed her, pulling her in the direction of the airship, "we're

leaving."

They ran further, the fires growing distant. Blackness surrounded them, the cold

emptiness curling tendrils around their limbs, giving them goosebumps.

Mikoto ran, her legs burning, her heart thumping. She glanced back every once and a

while, keeping track of the beast-like shadows.

They were gaining.

Then they heard a cry from above, the rapid descent of a silver dragon.

Blank and Mikoto jumped back in opposite directions. The dragon landing between

them.

She hurried forward, wielding her chakra, but mistepped in the darkness and fell. The

dragon turned to her, it's tail hitting Blank squarely in the chest. The beast snapped at her, but

missed by inches. Mikoto rolled away, trying to avoid the dragons fangs.

Blank appeared on the dragon's back, thrusting his sword into the weak spot on the back

of it's neck. The beast cried out, it tongue hanging flacidly out of it's mouth. Then the large

head came down, right on Mikoto's arm.

Pain shot up from her hand, all the way to her shoulder. Her whole appendage tingling

and burning at the same time. She rolled to her side, using her left hand to try and push the dead

bulk away.

Blank hobbled over. By the way he was holding his torso, he must have at least bruised a

few ribs. The thief used his foot to help push the head off of Mikoto's arm. The genome quickly

standing and assessing the situation.

She didn't like what she saw.

They were now much closer to the Iifa Tree. In fact it was an exposed root that had

tripped her. But that just offered the numerous silver dragons more space. Now they were all

around, and even above, high in the branches.

A sickening feeling rose from the pit of her stomach, she knew exactly what the silver

dragons were doing.

"It is an ambush."

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Blank turned to her, "An ambush? But who knew we were coming?"

"I don't know, it doesn't make any sense."

Her arm hung limply at her side, and Blank was nearly hunched over, a grimace around

his mouth.

And yet the dragons came closer still.

Blank forced a smile, "Got another one of those spells?'

Mikoto was breathing deeply, trying to force the pain out of her mind. She couldn't

concentrate.

The dragons were even closer now.

An ultrasonic wave came hurtling out of the darkness, stripping them of whatever peace

of mind they had left. The two kneeled on the ground, covering their ears from the high pitched

signal.

They were defenseless.

Mikoto kneeled, thinking it was the end. She and Blank were going to die out here, then

their souls would be used to fuel Terra's vengeance.

She didn't want to die alone.

Gathering whatever strength she had, she reached out, feeling for Blank's emotions. He

was surrounded by despair, anger, and regret. Touched by a bit of longing, and even some hope.

Even though it looked like the end his aura still burned brightly, giving her hope. Hope that they

could somehow het out of this mess.

Hope that traveled across the link to Blank, the foreign feeling confusing him.

The waves suddenly stopped, the quickness sending the two completely flat on the

ground.

The she heard the dragons crying.

For a moment she froze in fear, then realized it was not a battle cry, but one of pain.

Mikoto sat up, wondering why the beasts were acting that way.

The dragon's attention was no longer focused on Blank and herself. Rather, they were

rivoted on something out of her view.

There was an explosion. The silver dragons flying away, and crashing into the ground.

Their snarls filling the empty night.

"What's going on?"

She turned to the voice, seeing Blank still crouched on the ground. He was having

trouble getting up. She pressed a hand to his chest, saying a quick Curaga spell.

It gave him enough strength to get up, "Well?"

"Something is out there attacking the dragons."

He glanced over to the source of the cries, "Looks like they are on our side."

As he was finishing his sentence, a small figure appeared from between the dragons.

Yellow eyes the only sign of it's presence.

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The figure waddled towards them, slowly coming into view.

Mikoto's eyes widened as she realized who it was, "Vivi!"

The little black mage hurried towards them, "You need to get out of here."

"We're working on it." Blank said.

The dragon's noticed their prey was now behind them. They turned around, rushing at

them with mouths opened wide.

"Hurry up and go!" The mage sounded almost desperate now.

Mikoto countered, "What about you?"

"Just go!"

She noticed his clothes were torn and muddy. His breathing heavy...

"You're injured."

"Go!"

Overwhelming despair, loneliness and sorrow surrounded him. He had lost his entire

family and home, now only saving them kept him going. No doubt he had come here to destroy

as many silver dragons as he could to get revenge for his loss.

"Vivi, don't!" she shouted at him.

"Get down." he warned, then raised his arms to cast his most destructive spell.

"Doomsday!"

Mikoto hurled herself at Blank. Bringing him down in a tackle. She used her body to

shield him from the magic.

The strands of energy streamed over her, rushing as the spell grew stronger. Carrying

with them the voices of dying dragons. She felt Vivi too, felt his life fade away as the magic

consumed him. He took his revenge on the beasts. His last acts saving their lives.