Sorry about the delay…to cut a long story short, I couldn't access my files!

Replies

Beastiewolf - hehe. I'm glad I've created suspense! I hope its not killing people though! ; ) you should have reviewed earlier! I like to know what people think! I'm glad your enjoying it though!

Coalar Lee Drake - man you really hate Garnet don't you? She's actually one of the few FF girls I don't hate. I HATE Rinoa oh so much, and I HATE FFX Yuna. But she's okay in FFX-2… but Rinoa…oh Rinoa …:throws grenade at her:…anyway I'm glad you like ma story :Rinoa explodes: I like Steiner too! He makes me laugh, especially when he's with Zid! I also LOVE Ziddy/Mikoto fics too! They're so cute!

Maleyalla: He needs to be possessed because he wouldn't be able to get past the Eidolons otherwise! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Demon Surfer: I had my characters on auto-regen AND auto-haste AND auto-life! MWAHAHA! I was practically invincible:grins evilly:

Will Zidane's summoning be a success? Will the Eidolon's ever be stopped? Read and find out biatchs! Don't forget to review. It only takes a few seconds of your time! The battle for Gaia just keeps gettin' more an' more tense! Oh and the beginning paragraph matches up with my fanart. Go take a gander; the link is in my profile.

Chapter Ten

Grudges come back to haunt us
Your oldest allies are your long lost enemies
- Deadbeat Holiday, Green Day

He stood on the outskirts of the burning city, watching the giants move among it through opaque eyes that portrayed no emotion. In one hand he clutched the amulet, and his other was curled into a ball, resting in front of his chest, Kuja perched on his wrist. He wore no armor, only his black trouser and stained shirt. His jaw was set on edge, his stance firm and determined, for all those who were fleeing by his form they thought he was some kind of god, untouchable and unmovable.

The exquisite owl ruffled its feathers and turned its flat face to Zidanes. 'It is time.'

He flew away then in a flurry of ashen feathers into the darkness and the Genome stood alone on the deserted hill. He did not feel the rain bash against his bare skin. He did not hear the angry bellowing of thunder. He did not see the flickering flames or the forked lightening. He did not experience emotions of love or fear or hate. He had surpassed the normal functions of a mortal now. He was empty, a vessel, emotionless, with nothing but a perpetual gaze adorning his features. Fearlessly, he lifted the silver amulet dominated by a crimson jewel up to the sky as if making a final offering for the gods and cried, 'Hear me, ye who possesses immortal power, your master speaks. Come to me, ye of only spirit and soul. Possess me; make me strong to endure the catastrophic forces your brothers wield, I command you. Come forth and show me your power, show me your strength! I call upon ye in thy time of need! Release yourself! Amias, come forth!'

A bright light and then…and then…

xxx

Darkness. Utter darkness. It wasn't like the darkness of night, or the darkness of a deep pit, or the darkness of space, for even those possessed some amount of depth. This was Pure Darkness. It was thick and swallowed him whole. It was an unchanging beast, crushing and obtrusive, blacking out everything, every drop of light, every splash of color. Its thick arms wrapped themselves around his tiny body, lost within this space of darkness.

Yet he was not afraid. He could not be afraid. Any sign of weakness and the Eidolon would crush his tender soul like crushing a ripened fruit. He focused intently on what he wanted to do. Went through his plan in his mind over and over and over – staying focused, staying in control. In this place, which could hardly even be called a place, he was blind, deaf and dumb. He was detached from his body; he was a singular entity drifting in an endless space with just a tiny thought keeping him together, keeping him in control.

Yet he felt completely liberated. There were no sounds, no heartbeat, no touch, no pain, no sadness, no loss, no love, no breath. And he kept focused. If he lost himself now there would be no second chances.

Then it came into him, quite abruptly, and leaked into his veins, pumping strongly around him, entering his heart and lungs, filling him with an overwhelming sense of…power.

Zidane came alive suddenly. His eyes opened very sharply and they were very wide and completely white, his pupils an iris' disappeared, yet he could see quite clearly. He gasped then as the power pulsed stronger than before and he felt another being stir within him, a rumbling like a distant earthquake in the back of his mind, he heard his Eidolon talking. It was a strange language that seemed to have no pauses, just long droning sentences. He understood every word of it and when he took a step forward the ground trembled in his wake and lightening bit the ground around him and the rain was averted from his body.

His strides were long and dream-like; his head was high and looking forward to where he wanted to go. He made a noise then; a release of pressure, and the voice was not his. It was a deep, bellowing sound emitted by Amias and he became acutely aware of his strength, of his soul beating as one with the Eidolons.

The person that was once Zidane entered Alexandria and the cobbled roads cracked beneath his feet and the houses trembled in fear of his approaching form. The clouds swirled in the sky above him, rotating around this immense power source that had accumulated from nowhere. The rain lashed down but bounced off the energy that he was emitting like confused insects. The monsters that swamped the streets in a heaving mass shrieked in fear and pushed themselves up against the surrounding walls.

But the Half Mortal paid them no heed; hardly saw them in fact. It saw the blinding light of the portal only, could feel its pulsing only, could hear its gentle hum only. Knew its objective only.

It is time, it thought impassively.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They were angry and frustrated. Tiny human life forms darted around them like ants, hurling ineffective spells and feeble physical attacks at them with such a brutal determination it pushed the Eidolons past the line of annoyance. Their magnificent forms threw vigorous attacks at them in an attempt to stop the persistent mortals from aggravating them any longer. Fire, lightening, ice, water, gravity and swords rained down around them, mixing and fizzing with the oversized raindrops, hitting the ground with ear-splitting crackles and explosions. But the mortals were not destroyed and began their futile attempts again. Who were these people anyway?

It was while trying to stamp out these pests that the Eidolons felt a shiver run through them. A strange occurrence had appeared to the East and it bemused them slightly for they were certain that they sensed the aura of another Eidolon. But it was none that they knew; and the unfamiliar power signal unnerved them slightly.

Ifrit was the first to depart from his attempts at destroying the humans and he wandered curiously over in the direction of the fresh force that had materialized seemingly from nowhere. He leapt into a street where the monsters quavered before an oncoming form, where the streets were cracking and the houses quivered. But it surprised the fiery god to see just a tiny mortal walking indifferently along the cobbled road.

The Half Mortal stopped and stared at the giant beast, which snorted flames before its white eyes, and seemed to think with an unreadable expression pasted on its face.

Ifrit roared; a confrontation.

The Half Mortal raised a gloved hand and the Eidolon was blown from his feet by an incredible power wave, smashing through buildings and crushing citizens and monsters alike. The possessed human continued its slow journey toward the portal under the fuming stares of the other Eidolons.

Leviathan lurched towards it, sapphire eyes sparking dangerously, infuriated by the attack the Half Mortal had released on its brother. It's slender body curved in front of the possessed man with a thud and it hissed in its face, needle like teeth exposed and shining. A bolt of lightening hit the ground and in the moment of tension after, all that could be heard was the constant drumming of the rain.

The Half Mortal had stopped. Its head was slightly bowed, blonde hair falling in front of its face like a curtain, drenched and dripping. Its power ebbed incessantly. Then its face turned up and its white eyes stared at the water monster, it raised a gloved hand and its transient opponent was swept backwards like an old toy into the ring of houses beyond. Lightening crackled around the possessed man, drawn to the sudden display of energy.

Leviathan gave a long, mournful cry then fell still amongst the bed of rumble, consumed by a rising cloud of dust, unconscious but not dead.

The Half-Mortal continued its journey to the portal unperturbed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kuja watched this from a rooftop with a mixture of curious astonishment and fear lacing his expression. Drops of rain trickled down his back and dripped off the tips of his tail feathers. He shook himself distractedly, sending beads of water scattering in all directions.

Was this the power of the Eidolon that had inhabited the ancient jewel of summoning? It had taken control of his brother's body (and he was thankful that it had not destroyed him; his training had paid off) and had actually confronted and near-defeated two eidolons. Now he – though his brother could hardly be referred to as 'he' when inhabited by another being – walked on composed and collected beneath the bruised clouds, right under the very eyes of the other eidolons! For there was nothing they could now, perhaps they had accepted this beings incredible power?

And yet…yes. I know now. Yes.

There was no fear in the other eidolon's eyes as they observed from a distance this implausible being's power. It was true, it was a magnificent sight to behold, this Half Mortal, its power was fantastic and unwavering, all consuming and compelling.

And Kuja thought: It is not enough.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Vivi had witnessed the shift in focus the Eidolon Ifrit had displayed while he was fighting him. The fire god had shuddered, his coarse brown hair quivering like long grass in a high wind. His amber eyes had shifted to the West and then he was gone, leaping away leaving only the smell of sulfur and a collection small flames dancing round and round the little mage.

Vivi had pursued the fire god and had wondered briefly where the beasts had fled too…if they had fled at all. All he knew is that something had happened – a great disturbance in the Eidolon's plans – something that horrified even the mindless monsters that had roamed the city so ferociously only moments beforehand. But what could it be?

The black mage scuttled along slick streets, the rain beating heavily down on his tall hat and the thunder bellowing angrily above him. On either side of him doors had been ripped apart, hanging lamely off their hinges like rotting branches, and the empty sockets of these houses – the smashed windows – stared sorrowfully at him as he sprinted past.

Finally, he reached a wider road, and skidded to a stop at the mouth of alleyway he'd come from. He could hear Ifrit's rumbling growls and didn't want to be plain firing view. Cautiously, he peered around the corner and jumped in surprise.

Zidane!

At least…he thought it was Zidane. It looked like him but there was something…odd, something strangely different. He was standing confidently in the middle of the cobbled streets, the rain bouncing off some sort of invisible shield around his body. His hair hung limply in his expressionless face and he held himself quite differently to the way he usually did. Vivi could sense his enormous power levels and realized that the Eidolons could sense them too.

Is he possessed by the Eidolon soul Mikoto told us about?

As if to answer his question Zidane raised his hand and Ifrit was thrown backward by a tremendous force expelled from the Genome. Vivi followed the Eidolon with his eyes and watched the beast smash through houses upon houses before crashing to a halt unconscious.

Zidane practically defeated the fire god by merely raising his hand!

The mage looked back at his friend with wide eyes, watched as he began walking again. His pace was slow and his gait was determined yet seemingly clumsy, as if something was constantly giving him directions because he wasn't sure where to go.

As the Genome passed him by without a glance Vivi came to the conclusion that Zidane was definitely possessed.

He startled slightly as Leviathan crashed to the ground and blocked Zidane's path, yet as before, the Genome had no trouble clearing the way and left yet another Eidolon unconscious amid a heap of rubble.

Wow.

Vivi trotted cautiously along behind the Genome as he wandered down the streets toward the shimmering portal. The mage noted the Eidolons stares filled with mixture of apprehension, hate and anger. He wondered if they would attack, wondered if they would continue destroying the city, hoped they would stop their plan.

But it was too much to ask, and before he had even attempted getting his hopes up the Eidolons resumed their destruction, leaving a path of dead and obliterated buildings in their wake. Yet Vivi thought something was strange. He had sensed a sort of wave pass through the air and it seemed that the Eidolons had sensed it too. Yet they had reacted to it differently, as if they understood it…as if it meant something. Was there a ringleader among this chaos? Was it Garnet? Did she send them a signal to resume fighting? Vivi didn't know she could even do such a thing! And something within him - call it instinct - doubted she could. There was a bigger part of this plan, he was sure.

I must warn Zidane!

They had reached the square now, where the blue window pulsed energy continuously. The monsters that swarmed from its gaping mouth sniffed the air and moved aside swiftly when sensing Zidane - or the Eidolon that was in Zidane…Vivi wasn't sure. Either way, he was glad he didn't have to take on these hordes of monsters while the Genome was around.

Swallowing his doubts and accumulating his courage in a place he could reach, he ran in front of the blonde and held his hands out. 'Stop! Wait a minute!'

The Genome stopped and Vivi saw for the first time his eyes. They were pure white, iris and pupil-less, they stopped Vivi in his tracks and for a moment his words got caught in his throat.

'Z-Z-Zidane! W-wait a s-second…um…I t-think that…'

'Do you block my path, magic man?'

Vivi let out a little cry. Zidane's voice was distorted, merged with another booming voice…a voice that possessed infinite power. The voice was strong and compelling and rumbled through Vivi's body, inducing fear in every sense and nerve of his being. Yet the fact that Zidane's normal voice, though pale in comparison, could be discerned through this magnificent, inhuman bellowing, encouraged Vivi.

'Y-yes,' he squeaked, then added hastily, 'b-but not in a bad way! I want to warn you -'

'I need no warning!' the thing inside Zidane roared.

'Y-yes, I'm sure you don't but…I want to say that…um…I think there's something more than you thought in there! I think something bigger and more powerful is commanding the Eidolons! I felt a power wave emit from the portal and I think it was a signal-'

'It does not matter.'

'Wh-what? What do you-'

'Move, magic man.'

'But I-'

'Move!'

The possessed Zidane flicked his wrist and Vivi was thrown across square, hitting a mountain of flaming rumble. The mage's vision blurred and lights danced before his eyes. Began an inner battle with fighting the comforting darkness of becoming unconscious.

Then suddenly a greenish-bluish glow exploded around the little mage and his first thought was that the portal had detonated, yet when no sound came he presumed he was dead, but when he heard a feminine voice shriek, 'Master Vivi!' he knew at once what was happening.

He clambered over the rumble onto his feet and brushed off his front. 'Thanks for the Curaga General Beatrix.'

The beautiful general flicked her brown locks behind her shoulder. Her clothes were ripped and singed; her armor was dented and rendered practically useless. A nasty cut streaked down her arm like a lightening bolt, the blood spewing from it mixing with the rain and pooling onto the cobbled ground.

Vivi quickly ripped off a strip of material from his coat and handed it to her. 'Use this as a bandage before you lose too much-'

'What's he doing?' she cried, looking at Zidane. 'He's not going in there is he?'

Vivi wrapped the makeshift bandage around her damaged arm, glad that the monsters had fled the square. 'There's no time to explain, all you have to know is that he's our last hope.'

'Where's the queen?' Beatrix cried her eyes betraying her terror. 'She was beneath the portal last I was here! I-I've come back to save her! WHERE IS SHE?'

'C-calm down!' Beatrix's panic was infecting Vivi. 'Wh-what do you mean save her? She was the one that summoned the Eidolons in the first place!'

The rain battered the couple and the lightening licked the ground suddenly on the other side of the square, possibly attracted by the Half Mortals immense power levels. It was slowly making its way to the portal.

Strange how the Eidolons are making no attempt to stop him, Vivi considered absently before Beatrix reached down and grabbed his little shoulders.

'Master Vivi you don't understand! She is well and fine now! They manipulated her power and practically summoned themselves! She is not insane!'

Vivi thought he was going to be sick. 'B-but Zidane is going to kill her! He thinks she's insane! He thinks…oh gosh…'

'WE MUST TELL HIM!'

But it was too late. The couple turned just in time to see the possessed Genome disappear through the azure window, on his way to kill the only woman he'd ever loved.

Noooo come back Zidane! What now then? What waits through the portal for him? Are Vivi's instincts right? Let's hope for Zidane's sake they're not…but hell, if they were wrong, there'd be no story would there?

:hugs Mikoto and laughs evilly for no reason:

Sorry if it's confusing you by me referring to Zid as 'it'. It's just that he's hardly human anymore so calling him 'he/his/him' just wouldn't fit! It makes him seem more powerful as well, I think.

:pats kuja-owl on head and gives him mouse:

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