Chapter 1
Great veils of dead ivy hung in curtains around the massive trunk of the Iifa Tree. Layers upon layers of roots intertwined and wove beneath the branches, pipelines to the farthest reaches of Gaia.
Here the crumpled form of the ancient tree rested, a silent reminder of the terror of the past. Once Mist monsters stalked the boughs, their high pitched cries echoing in the empty desert.
Now there was nothing. Not even the wind dared trespass the tomb.
There was nothing, just the cold memories of the stone and rock that bore witness to the fall. The parasitic tree ending it's plague upon the planet in a grand finale, collapsing in on itself. The twisting turning roots snaked in around it's base, closing the portal to the river of life rushing under Gaia's surface.
Closed to the cruelty and evil of mortals.
But a light shone on the dismal grave, coming not from the gray sky. It appeared out of the air, an ethereal light blazing icy warmth on the petrified wood of the Iifa Tree.
A form appeared, feminine and floating, it reached out, and barely touched the grainy bark with one slender hand. Her gossamer form shimmered between the planes of being, while a life surged through the tree.
A strong beat followed, it's resonance drowning out the specter of a woman. She turned, her eyes showing nothing and everything, an infinite expanse confined to an ocular. Laughing, she slowly faded away as the tree was once again covered in Mist.
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Far below the towering crown of the Iifa Tree, a partially decayed form rested on an altar like stone. Beautiful features were corroded and rotting, great festers and boils covered the once porcelain skin, too perfect to belong to a mere mortal.
Here in the shadows of the tree of life, a breath escaped the corpse.
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Storm clouds gathered over the rooftops of Alexandria. Squalls and gusts blew the heavy rain against the city, driving the citizens inside and to seek the safety of their homes.
The rain came down in torrents, mirroring the waterfalls the city was famous for, and crashed into the arched windows of the castle.
The tiny drops broke apart on the unbiased glass, smearing the outside world visible in the distant lightening. Thunder followed the flash, gently rumbling the panes in the towered room.
A pair of green eyes looked out, seeing nothing beyond the memories of a landscape. She stared out, only to notice the tiny rivulets of water merging down the slick surface of the window. Reaching out with her inner self, she tried to discern the blurry vision in front of her, but failed.
She sighed, a light airy motion, and pushed a stray strand of her blonde hair away from her face. Nothing... she could not feel anything. Not the slight shivering forms of little brown birds hiding between the leaves of the trees, nor the steady strong presence of the guards posted outside.
It was as if something was blocking her, fogging her inner vision from her mind's eye. She shivered, then unclenched the fists at her sides, and released her concentration. Nothing...
"Mikoto, is something wrong?"
The genome turned to the delicate voice, "No...yes, something is not right. Something... veils... my inner sense."
Queen Garnet's dark brow furrowed, worry evident in her sweet voice, "How can that be?"
Shaking her head, Mikoto said, "I do not know..."
"I will post extra guards just in case, I know your senses never lie." the queen affirmed.
"Perhaps... that is best."
Garnet nodded, "Please, Mikoto, I think of you as a sister. Don't worry me so."
The blonde agreed softly.
Smiling the queen replied, "Good, now please help me lace the back of my dress. We'll leave the worrying to Steiner and Beatrix."
Mikoto grabbed the lace ends of the corset like top, pulling sharply and quickly tying them together, "How is Beatrix?" she asked cautiously.
Garnet exhaled as the corset wrapped tightly around her waist, "She holds up, and she does have Steiner there for her."
The genome frowned, "It must be hard."
The brunette nodded, "I could not imagine being in her place. To lose a child... Someday you will understand the pain she goes through."
Mikoto did not answer instantly, it must be hard... to lose a piece of yourself... She shivered, an unexpected pang of empathy rushing through her without warning. She could feel Beatrix's pain, but doubted she would ever share it.
With a final tug the corset was in place, "Finished." Mikoto said.
Garnet stepped away, running two dainty hands down her sides, "Ah, thank you. If you would just hand me my earrings."
She walked over to the queen's dresser, and opened the elaborate jewelry box set atop it. Here sparkling stones and glistening gold greeted her in the flickering candle light. The genome reached towards a pair of diamond earrings, the gems hanging from wispy strands of gold.
Holding the earrings out, Mikoto spoke, "These?"
"Yes." and she reached to put the studs through her ears.
Mikoto sat down as Garnet continued to get dressed. Even with all the rain, the ball was still being held in the grand hall of the castle. Dignitaries from all over Gaia were invited to celebrate the recent signing of an inter-kingdom peace and trade pact. And Alexandria was hosting the event.
She inwardly snorted, having been around Gaia's leaders she knew better. All of them lived under the shadow of fear and misunderstanding. They never really believed the tales of ten years ago, and continued to pretend as if the late queen simply went mad.
Denying the existence of the black mages and genomes, some even went as far as to deny the existence of the Outer and Forgotten continents. Of course, not all the details of Zidane's story were told, for who would believe the fantasy?
People only cared that the world was no longer plagued with Mist monsters.
Perhaps, she thought, they had a point. She herself had never been subject to the gruesome attacks or constant fear the citizens of Gaia had lived in. No wonder so many different fighting and magic styles were employed to protect themselves and their loved ones from harm.
It was amazing the people of Gaia had come this far...
A loud knocking announced Beatrix's presence in the room. The stately woman strode over to her queen saluting, "Your Highness, everything is prepared. Are you ready?"
Garnet nodded, putting a bright smile on her delicate features, "I will be there, Beatrix."
The older woman saluted again, leaving the other two women in the room. Mikoto squashed down the rising empathy a second time. A dissipating sorrow clung to Beatrix, drawing out her strong spirit as it sucked her life-force away from her.
"It is time for me to make my entrance now," the queen said, picking up her trailing gown, "I will have extra guards posted, but would you stay with the children tonight? I know it not your normal job, but-"
"Of course." Mikoto interrupted the queen.
"Thank you, it will ease my mind to know you will watch over them."
"You should be going." the genome reminded her.
"Yes, yes," Garnet was distracted, "I am queen." she said, almost silently to herself. Taking a deep breath and stepping forward determinately, Queen Garnet til Alexandros the 17th went to meet her peers.
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Mikoto stood in the empty room, the soft beat of falling rain playing gently in the background. The far off flash signaled the coming storm, and she made the short trip to the nursery, passing the extra guards hurrying to their respective stations.
She heard light breathing in the dark room and stepped inside quietly. There in the shadows were the princess and prince of Alexandria, their little forms covered in blankets and surrounded by toys.
Reaching towards them, Mikoto wrapped the baby Leo in his covers. Only his sandy head peeked through the blanket and his pillow. A tiny river of drool was coming from the boy's mouth, and his fat cheeks were warm as her hand brushed against one.
A tug on her skirts caused the blonde genome to look down to the sleepy face of Princess Terra. Great big brown eyes in a childish face surrounded by a mass of curly dark brown hair peered at her, "Auntie Mikoto? It's sleepy time..." she slurred in her kiddie tongue.
Mikoto knelt down to the girl's level, "I know, dear heart. Did the storm wake you?"
She shook her head, "No," yawn, "I had a bad dream."
Brushing the messed hair out of the girl's face, she asked, "A bad dream?"
Terra hugged her chocobo plushie tighter and whispered, "It was scary! Ever'thing was fallin' and dying. And a scary man showed up, and disappeared..." the girl trailed off, shutting her eyes.
"It was just a dream," Mikoto soothed, "nothing to worry about. You have many people here to protect you."
"It was scary though!" the girl cried.
Mikoto shushed her, worried that she would wake Leo, "Nothing will happen. It is time for you to go back to sleep." She picked the girl up, rubbing her back.
Terra quieted from the motions and from Mikoto slightly altering the girl's emotions. A soothing comfort reached out from her, enveloping the girl and lulling her into a deep sleep.
The genome gently placed the girl in her bed, pulling the thick pink covers up to her shoulders. Terra sighed and hugged her plushie to her, snuggling into her soft pillow.
Mikoto started humming the famous song from the queen's memory as she sat in an overstuffed chair by the fireplace. The soft cushions cradled her tired body, as the song faded into something akin to a lullaby.
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Enormous blue crystals crashed into the ground around her sending millions of shards in all directions. Great booms in the distance were countered by the high pitched ting of shattering crystals nearby.
She looked straight up, rushing air swirled past her chilling and warming at the same time. The crystals fell like raindrops from the heavens, breaking from their wispy stalks as flaming fireballs crashed into them. Red and blue, fighting in the space above her.
Everything was falling or breaking, the world around her a chaotic mess in terms of glass. Mikoto stood alone as her homeland disintegrated into dust.
A figure floated amid the flames, clad in a fiery red. The failed Angel of Death. Kuja.
His arms, in fluid sweeping motions, rained destruction upon Terra. With the mysteries of Trance finally obtained, he wielded the power to live up to his title.
Mikoto watched impassively, feeling no lingering connection to her birthplace. But the swelling empathy rose within her, drawing upon the dying planet. It cried out, causing the genome to fall to her knees, clutching her chest in a vain attempt to subdue the pain.
She gasped, air rushing in and out of her lungs. Then it stopped, all the noise and heat suddenly gone.
There was nothing, an empty plane of nothing.
The pain was gone as well, a void where her heart once was.
Then a spark, tiny and insignificant, rose before her shining and full of life in the barren plane. It grew, drawing threads of life from beyond the abyss. Lifelines anchoring the parasitic embryo.
Curious, she moved closer, and reached out one small hand to the glowing light.
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The heavens flashed and roared, waking Mikoto out of her slumber. She started, surprised to be ripped from her dream. The last thing she saw unnerved her, a pair of eyes. A pair of eyes that held nothing, yet reached into her.
She frowned, staring at the flickering fire in the slight draft in the room. Slight draft? Someone must have left the window open...
Walking to the billowing curtains, Mikoto reached to the latch that locked the windows. She stopped, her other sense flaring in alarm. A presence waited on the other side.
It does not see me, she thought, slowly backing away. Perhaps she could retrieve the children and be gone before whatever was out there even noticed.
Her heart thundered in her chest, the only sound beyond the continuous rain outside. Her feet treaded slowly backwards, and still the presence's focus was not on her.
"Auntie Mikoto!" a tiny voice whined.
The presence was directed at her, growing and then crashing into the castle. Mikoto whirled around and swept up the princess, clamping a hand over her mouth after she grabbed the now awake Leo.
The presence ripped the outer wall of the castle open, and landed on the floor so hard it shook, dropping Mikoto and the children.
The genome glanced behind her, eyes widening in horror as she stared at a silver dragon. It's claws and wings scraped the inside of the nursery, as it struggled the rest of the way through the hole it created.
The dragon shrieked at them as Mikoto stood up and ran for the door, calling for the guards at the top of her lungs.
Another crash, and Mikoto was sent to the floor again, landing painfully on her side. Terra was crying, but Leo made no noise.
The dragon managed to manouevre through the opening and rushed them, it's long spindly neck holding a pair of snapping jaws. Mikoto pushed herself up and dived in front of the children, "Protect!"
An invisible barrier encased them, but the dragon seemed not to notice as it crashed into the wall head first. It reared up and yelled in ear piercing tones, shattering the rest of the glass behind it.
Now all the elements from outside joined them, the howling wind carried the stinging rain inside the wrecked nursery. Mikoto blinked the water out of her vision as the barrier faded, she scrambled to the children gripping them tightly in her arms.
She got up, running to the door and wondering where the hell the guards were. She didn't make it far as the dragon swiped at her, it's razor claws shredding her clothing and skin. She fell a third time, this time not expecting to get back up as blood seeped from her back.
What a waste, she thought as the dragon came forward.
Then the nursery door flew open, and the infernal guards came rushing through swords drawn. They paused, not quite willing to believe their own eyes, but then met the beast head-on.
One of the Alexandrian guards grabbed Mikoto, pulling her to her feet and ushering her out of the room. The last thing Mikoto heard that night was the death wails of the dragon echo down the halls of the castle.
Okay, this is a reworking of my previous fic Living Beyond Memory. It will have a similar plot and characters, but this one will be better. I will keep the other version up, mainly to give me motivation to keep writing this. I want to finish this fic!
I have fanart of the fic up on my website, so go check it out. I will be the first to say I am a better artist than writer. I would like feedback on this one, I have worked on this story for so long now it seems like forever!
Other than that I hope you like it, and FF IX doesn't belong to me.