A/N: I'm trying to work on this as fast as I can....the only time I really have is early in the morning (I'm an early bird), and during my last two periods at school (since I'm an office assistant, whatever that is), and on the weekends (which isn't much, since I'm usually busy then). But still...I'm trying. Maybe this chapter will keep y'all from hunting me down...-thinks- On wif da fic!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I dun own Final Fantasy. But if I did, I'd let everyone own a little piece of it. Wouldn't that be nice?

Chapter III:

Reemergence

"Wow....they really did a good job with rebuilding the place," Orion remarked as he,

Amie, Zidane, and Dagger walked through the streets of the newer-looking, rebuilt

areas of Alexandria. Zidane smirked. "Yeah, I-well-we-pulled a few strings, so we got

done a little faster than what we planned, too," he replied. /Yeah....it looks a lot better

than it did when I was last here,/ Kuja said. "Yeah, I know," Orion replied, nodding.

Zidane looked at the other Genome, noticing-for the first time-the streak of silver hair

that ran through his normally black hair, which they had determined was a result of his

'modified' Trance....Doctor Tot had surmised that the strain had nearly killed Orion. He

wondered why Orion was so different from the other Genomes. Orion looked up and

saw Zidane looking at him, and the two grinned at each other. Amie, who hadn't said

much since arriving in Alexandria, suddenly spoke up. "Hey, don't you wonder why...he

has those dreams? And why...Kuja....is inside his mind?" she asked, directing her

question at Zidane At least she hadn't forgotten what had happened in Dali. The king

shrugged, then said, "Well...the only thing I can think of is that when Kuja killed

Garland, he didn't really kill him. After he kicked Garland, he said, 'Did you leave

something behind?' Which makes me wonder. Because what if Garland really did leave

something behind, whatever it was? As for Kuja...I think he's telling the truth. I think he

really wants to help this time. Because when we were in the Iifa Tree together, he told

me that he knew what it meant to live, and that if he could, he'd undo everthing he did. I

think that he was given a chance to," Zidane finished somberly. /Thank you. Finally,

my own brother understands me, damnit!/ Kuja exclaimed.

Well, well, well, Garland thought. If it isn't the old defect, back for revenge. The ancient

Terran overseer turned from his vantage point on the bridge of his new ship, the

Warlord. This new ship was a thousand times faster and more heavily armed than the

Invincible, but that was beside the point. Besides, what were the chances of the fate of

Gaia being fought in the air? "Do you understand your mission?" he asked the shape

that was hidden in the shadows of the bridge itself. "Yes, my lord. I shall annihilate

them," it hissed. "No. I just want to take prisoners this round. We'll annihilate later.

Understood? Just-take-prisoners," Garland said, glaring at his charge. "Very well,

Master Garland. I shall not kill them," it replied. "Good. Now, we wait," the old ruler

said to himself. "Soon. Very soon, Kuja, you'll be dead-again. And this time, it'll be for

good..."

Orion laughed. "How the hell did you do that, Zidane? Did you follow your nose?" he

asked. "No, no, no. I followed her," Zidane replied, pointing to Dagger. The four were

sitting at a table in one of Alexandria's finest restaurants. Dagger glared-well, daggers-

at Zidane. /Geez, that shouldn't be hard to follow,/ Kuja quipped lightly. Zidane, who

could now hear Kuja(and so could everyone else), nodded. "Not really. I mean, um...."

he started to reply, but winced as Dagger kicked him under the table. "Ow! What the

hell was that for?!" he cried. "Oh, you deserved it, love. Trust me," Dagger replied.

Orion looked at Amie, who stayed quiet throughout the entire conversation. "What's

wrong, my love? You know you can talk to me," he told her. Amie just shook her head

and remained silent. "That reminds me. Where are you gonna have your wedding,

Orion?" Zidane asked. "Dunno. I'm going to let Amie decide that one," the fourth

Angel of Death replied. "...Lindblum," Amie whispered. "I didn't hear you, Ames. What

did you say?" Orion asked. "Lindblum," she replied. "Alrighty. Lindblum it is, then!"

Zidane said, calling the nearest waiter over to them and whispering an order. Seconds

later, a bottle of Alexandrian wine was brought forth. Zidane opened the bottle, then

poured himslf a glass. He then rose, calling attention to their table, but before he could

speak, a small figure walked up to him. "U...Um..." it began. "Vivi! Where've you

been?!" Zidane cried. The fourteen-year-old black mage shrugged. "Around," he

replied, sighing. He then looked to Orion. "Good to see you again," Orion said, and the

mage's face brightened considerably. "So, what brings you here, Vivi?" Dagger asked.

"Nothing, really. The Black Mage Senate asked me to come here on vacation, really;

they wanted me to see how you all were doing," Vivi replied. The Black Mage Senate

was the governing body of the once-tiny village. Now, with all the Genomes and new

mages being produced(they had found a way to recreate themselves), it was now the

size of a small country. Naturally, someone had to be there to look over everyone. Vivi

was one of the first members of the Senate. "Hey, that's great! When did you get

here?" Zidane asked. "About an hour ago," Vivi told him, nervously twirling his Mace

of Zeus. /Hmm,/ Kuja said. /He seems to be doing well for himself. I'm glad./ Orion

nodded, then turned to Zidane. "Hey, what do you say we go back to the castle?" he

asked. Zidane thought for a minute, then shrugged. "Fine by me, I guess," he replied.

The five of them rose from the table, and left the restaurant.

Steiner completed his fifty-fourth patrol of the castle grounds, then looked around.

Something didn't feel quite right. He couldn't figure out what it was,

though..."Something wrong, Steiner?" a female voice asked from behind him. "Yes.

Don't you sense it, Beatrix?" he replied. "That I do. It feels as though....something

bad's about to happen. Should we inform Zidane and the others?" she asked him.

"Perhaps. But that Orion....I don't trust him. If something happens, I won't hesitiate to

kill him," Steiner said, more to himself than to Beatrix. Beatrix smiled to herself.

Haven't changed much, have you, Adelbert? she thought. Always by-the-book.

/FLASH/

"I...." Steiner began. "Save your valediction, Steiner. We'll live to see another day,"

Beatrix reassured him, as two Mistodons descended upon them.

Steiner roared as he attacked, felling one Mistodon in a single strike. Beatrix prepared

herself as the other Mistodon came at her. "Holy," she cried, unleashing the most

powerful White magic attack. The second creature screamed in agony, then fell, dead.

Beatrix looked to Steiner, merely smiling. Then, bowing to the knight, she turned and

walked away. "Wait! Hey, Beatrix! Wait," Steiner called after her, but the female

Alexandrian general just shook her head without turning around.

/FLASH/

Beatrix frowned as she thought about how she had abandoned Steiner, Zidane, Queen

Garnet, and all the others that fateful night. Never again, she thought. Never again...

"Something wrong?" Steiner asked, noting the troubled expression on her face. "No,

just reliving the past is all," Beatrix replied. "Come, let's greet Zidane and the others;

they should be back any minute now." I hope, anyways, she thought to herself.

"....and then, I just slip and fall all over the floor. Dagger was furious," Zidane said, as

he, Vivi, Dagger, Amie, and Orion walked slowly through Alexandria, making their way

back toward the castle. Orion and Vivi laughed along with him; the females, however,

remained silent. The party continued walking, stopping to admire some of the

renovations made in town. /Hey, why so silent, ladies? I thought we were having fun,/

Kuja scolded playfully. Amie shook her head while Dagger glared murderously at

Orion-or was it Kuja? Neither of them were sure. /Don't look at me in-/ the original

Angel of Death began, but both he and Orion were both startled by sudden screams and

a general uproar. "What the hell's going on?!" Zidane demanded, pushing his way

through the crowd that had formed. A lone Alexandrian soldier approached the party,

saluiting quickly. "Your Highness! Several citizens claim to have sighted....well, you

should just see for yourself," the soldier reported, fear apparent in her eyes. She then

pointed upward, and everone followed her gesture. Amie screamed, and Dagger only

gasped. Zidane and Orion's eyes widened in shock. Vivi only looked away. After a few

minutes, Orion came out of his shock. He was the only one able to speak. "Oh my

gods...It's..." he began. "....Terra has returned as well," Zidane whispered softly. /Oh,

man...This is bad. Really bad,/ Kuja said, his voice filled with worry. "We...should head

back to the castle. If Terra has reemerged, we have to form some kind of plan," Orion

said. The others nodded, and they rushed back to the castle....

A/N: Yawn...it's 8 am and I'm really tired...Anyways, R&R!