Home of the Heart

By: Cold Rain

Rated: PG-13 for mild violence

NOTE TO READERS: Hi, Readers! Wow, this one reveals more of the plot. I'm so proud of myself! (smile) Read & Review! Extra spacing between paragraphs means scene/time transitions. Oh, and I don't own Final Fantasy IX, any of the characters, etc.

DISCLAIMER: If you didn't read the Note to Readers here it is again: I don't own the Final Fantasy IX, any of the characters, etc. I just own the fanfic.

CHAPTER 10: Where Good and Evil Collide

Lindblum, the most technologically advanced nation of Gaia and the home of Cid, Hilda, and Eiko. Zidane walks into the Tantalus troupe's hideout in the Theater District, leans against the wall, faces the group, and asks, "Where should we begin our search?"

"Well, they probably split up to get more information on us, but maybe we should start in-" Brianna starts, getting cut off by Kim.

"The Business District!" Kim exclaims.

Brianna frowns at the interruption, but then smirks, "You just wanna try to find Reinheit, don't you?"

"Umm..." the short brunette blushes and diverts her eyes.

"Who is that?" Freya inquires, "I haven't heard any of you speak that name before."

"That's the name of one of the four men we're looking for," Alicia answers, "Brianna and I think Kim had a crush on him; he has a strange marking on his arm like the other three guys but he has red hair and blue eyes. The other three are Kurios, blonde hair and brown eyes, Ereignis, black hair and red eyes, and Saphir," Alicia acts like the word "Saphir" is poisonous and immediately makes a sickened face after she says it, "He has light blue hair and dark blue eyes. Now you know their names and what they look like. Anyway, I bet Reinheit would go to the Business District, he loves to be anywhere fun and everyone is still celebrating the heroics you guys went through to save Gaia."

"Well, then we should search there first," Amarant states, turning towards the exit of the hideout, "Let's get there quick and try to find him."

"You mean you normally wear THAT!?" Blank blushes a crimson red to match his hair.

"Is there something wrong with it?" Kuja asks, turning 360 Degrees to feel if anything was wrong with it. Nope, it felt normal to him.

"U-um, I, uh..." Blank's eyes dart from side to side as he tries to find the right words; luckily, since his eyes are covered, Kuja doesn't notice, (Why do I always trap myself in a corner like this!? I better think of something to say fast!) Therefore, Blank immediately decides to say, "Um, no, nothing's wrong. You look really hot!"

"I do?" Kuja smirks proudly at Blank.

"Um," Blank decides it's best just to nod "yes" and change the subject, "So, I guess since you asked me a question I didn't like, I can ask that since you're Zidane's bro then you have a tail, too?" (Ack! Bad question! That is so stupid!)

"Hmph, yes, I have one," Kuja states, letting his tail move into plain view from the fabric on the back of his outfit, "I just find it humiliating."

"Don't get humiliated about that," Blank replies, pointing at the marks on his skin that look like stitch marks, "No matter how hard I try, I can't hide this."

"I don't think it's that bad," Kuja comments, tracing the "stitch mark" on Blank's chest that curves up onto his left shoulder.

Blank smirks and gives Kuja's tail a tug to make him drop the subject, "Whatever."

"How do you think the boys are doing?" Brianna smiles.

"I bet they're having lots of fun," Alicia winks.

"What do you mean?" Zidane asks curiously.

"Of all the people here, I definitely wouldn't have expected you to be so dense," Alicia gives him a hopeless smile.

"Guys, it's him," Kim gasps, surprised to see that Reinheit is really still alive and runs towards him happily, "Reinheit! It's me! Kim! Do you remember me?"

Sorry, no butt whoopin' for Kuja, but I hope you're happier with this chappie. Sorry it's short, but Read & Review!