Whoo…I'm getting more reviews! That's got to be a good thing. Hopefully you guys are enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it. I know my updates are really random and very infrequent, but school is putting a lot of pressure on me. They say Junior year is the hardest, and now I know why. So anyways, my reply to the reviewers! Oh yea…I did notice that I accidentally wrote Garnet using magic, and I do apologize for that. If I have some time, I'll go back and fix it.
Emzies and Mog – A new reviewer! Awesome! Hmm…I'm glad you like the story so much.
Wonwingangel – Hmm…that thing with the story isn't my fault. On my version, there is a separator, but I guess it didn't carry over to the Internet. Blame fanfiction for that one. College is way worse? There goes my dream of an easy four years…sigh As for the one question that everyone wants to know, it isn't answered until the very end. HAHAHA!
Tacofoolio – The reason he turned? Hmm…guess you'll have to keep reading to find out!
Rifa – Don't pick on me! AHHH! Haha…just kidding. Anyways, you've got a lot of critiques! Geez…but thanks, they do help me a lot. You're actually the first person who doesn't like my spell usage. What do you think I should do instead? Yea…I realized I messed up with Oeilvert. Don't kill me! I promise this chapter will be better. Gah…stupid anti-magic barriers screwing up my story…
Eika – You owe me however much you were going to bet. You guessed wrong! HAHA! But, I'll give you back your money if you can figure who is behind all this. Oops…did I just give away a bit of the plot? Hehehe…made you curious, I bet.
Ravyn Crescent – Glad you're still with me! This next chapter will only make you more curious.
Lost Mercenary – Glad you love my story. As for Vivi…it's a plot twist that is going to leave you stunned. The truth is actually pretty interesting. Keep reading to find out the truth!
Kingpin – Yea…Oeilvert is my bad. I screwed up. Sorry about that. Hope it didn't ruin the rest of the story.
MonsterversusExplorer – Interesting name…glad you like my story. As for your guess…maybe and maybe not…haha.
Geez…you guys made me use a page and a half to answer all your reviews. Keep them coming!
MAJOR NOTICE: THIS STORY WILL CONTAIN A MASSIVE PLOT TWIST! If you can figure who the true villain behind all of this is, then I congratulate you now, cause there is no way I could have figured it out. As for the rest of you…you'll have to keep reading to find out. Haha…hope I have your attention now. On with the story then?
Chapter Six – New Revelations
"I'm glad to be home," Garnet sighed, stepping off the Hilda Garde 3. Though she had learned much while visiting Oeilvert, nothing was better than returning to Alexandria. But, some of the things that the stone revealed to her…Garnet shuddered at the thought. If Zidane were to ever master all the abilities of the planet…
"Garnet!"
Garnet spun around to see who it was. Running across the green slopes was Eiko, purple hair flying in the wind. She seemed to be traveling much, much faster than usual. If Eiko had cast Haste in order to get to Garnet quicker, something was definitely up. Garnet was right. No soon had Eiko reached did she start babbling about something at an insane speed. Garnet tried to calm her down but to no avail.
"Eiko!" Garnet shouted over the younger girl's babbling. Eiko stopped talking and looked up at Garnet. "Calm down. I haven't understood a word you said. Now start over."
Eiko screamed excitedly, "We've got one, we've got one! Beatrix captured him trying to sneak into Alexandria! We were waiting until you got back to interrogate him."
"You've got Zidane?" Garnet asked excitedly.
Eiko shook her head, "No, not Zidane. We captured one of his Genomes."
"Then let's go," Garnet commanded and altered her abilities. With the help of her Auto-Haste, Garnet and Eiko were at the front steps to the castle in less than five minutes. Setting her abilities back to normal, Garnet entered her castle. However, she didn't even take a step before catching sight of Beatrix standing at the door. The general had obviously been waiting for her.
"Come princess," Beatrix said respectfully. "The prisoner is in the dungeon."
Beatrix led the way down the stairs that were hidden in Queen Brahne's bedroom. Garnet's memories flashed back on the time that Zidane had led her down these stairs to escape from her own mother. Catching herself, she shook her head to rid the images of Zidane.
"Here we are," Beatrix announced and stepped to the side so that Garnet could enter first. Garnet instantly recognized the room. It was the same room that Zorn and Thorn had forcefully extracted her Eidolons from her very body. And there, chained to the same slab of stone that Garnet had laid unconscious upon, was the Genome. He was weaponless, of course, but he still had his armor on. His resemblance to Zidane was uncanny.
The Genome did not raise his head at her approach. However, before she could step onto the slab of stone, Garnet felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over her shoulder at Beatrix, who shook her head.
She whispered, "His restraints prevent him from getting any farther than the edge of the stone. But, step onto it, and he can easily attack you. You know how brutally strong they are, even without their weapons. I'm sorry to say, my princess, but you wouldn't last long against him."
Garnet nodded to show that she understood. She took a step back from the rock. At this movement, the Genome finally looked up. His aqua blue eyes bore into her own, and she remembered the first time that she had looked eye to eye with Zidane.
"What is wrong with me?" Garnet whispered to herself. "Why does everything remind me of Zidane?"
"Garnet?" Eiko asked quietly.
Garnet muttered, "I'm sorry." Shaking her head to rid all thoughts of Zidane, she looked at the Genome warrior once more. The soulless Genome stared back solemnly, unaware of the effect that he had on Garnet. Garnet tried to stare him down but failed miserably.
"A Genome warrior," Garnet said to no one in particular. "The ultimate killing machine. With strength almost equal to Zidane, they have no soul, and thus carry no conscience. They can kill without mercy or compassion. What are you doing here?"
This last question was directed at the Genome. However, either did not notice or did not care to answer. Garnet was about to ask him again, but Beatrix took over. She drew her Save the Queen and held it before her in an attacking stance.
"Answer or I'll kill you," Beatrix threatened.
The Genome replied evenly, "So kill me."
"He even sounds like Zidane!" Garnet thought wildly.
"Let me try," Eiko said confidently. She twirled her Angel Flute and blew into it gently. "Confuse!"
The Genome had been glaring at the three females standing before him. But, suddenly, they were gone! The room around him became pitch black and then blindingly white. His memories were turned upside down, inside out, twisted so badly that what had not happened became his truth and what had happened became falsehood.
"Stand back," Eiko told the other two. As the caster of the magic, Eiko would seem like a friend to the Genome. The fallen warrior was on his back, unmoving save for his tail, which was swaying back and forth like a broom.
"Hey," Eiko called out suddenly. The Genome sat up suddenly, staring suspiciously at the young summoner. Within moments, however, his eyes lost their accusatory glare and simply went blank again.
Eiko asked quietly, "What is your name?"
The Genome replied, "Master Garland called me by no name. The Black Mages call me Mr. 741. Lord Zidane calls me Yash."
"Yash?" Eiko echoed with a funny look on her face. She turned around to look at Garnet, who shrugged noncommittally. Eiko turned back to the Genome.
"Why are you here?" Eiko asked.
"I was sent by Lord Zidane to infiltrate Alexandria Castle," the Genome replied, emotionless. "I was to find out where Garnet's most powerful allies were located and report back to Lord Zidane."
"Who were you looking for, specifically?" Eiko questioned the Genome.
The Genome answered, "I was sent to look for two summoners named Garnet Til Alexandros XVII and Eiko Carol. I was also looking for a blue mage named Quina, and the female general of Alexandria named Beatrix."
Garnet whispered something in Eiko's ear and the younger girl nodded. Eiko turned back to the Genome and stared down at him.
"Why is Zidane attacking Gaia?" Eiko demanded. "Why does he seek to kill those that were once his greatest friends?"
The Genome didn't blink as he responded, "I do not know."
Garnet threw up her hands in frustration and stalked out of the dungeon. Behind her, Eiko and Beatrix exchanged looks before continuing their interrogations.
"Why doesn't anyone know!" she screamed in fury.
Garnet stormed out of the dungeon and ran back up to her room. The moment she was within range, she threw herself upon the bed. Lying there, she closed her eyes and breathed. Holding back the tears that were threatening to spill, Garnet just simply laid there, unmoving.
"What is wrong with me?" Garnet said to herself. "Why do I care so much about why Zidane wants to kill me? I shouldn't! I should strike back at him; hurt him enough that he would stop his crusade to destroy the world. But that wouldn't give me peace of mind. I want to know why! I need to know why!"
"So ask him."
Garnet yelped and fell off the bed. Peeking around the bed, Garnet spied Freya standing on her balcony. The female dragon knight warrior had her Dragon Hair's spear at her side. Her look was not at all hostile.
"What are you doing here?" Garnet snarled. Not for the first time in her life, she wished she knew how to cast Holy like Eiko. Its power was equal to Vivi's Flare spell, and Eiko's ultimate white magic spell had saved them numerous times.
"I am not here to fight," Freya said calmly. If she was worried about Garnet calling for guards, she did not show it. Her eyes were calm and serene, unlike the eyes she had during their quest to destroy Kuja and save Gaia. At that time, her eyes reflected the loneliness and sadness of her soul. But after being reunited with Fratley, she had changed. Garnet thought it was ironic that it was now her with the sad eyes.
Garnet snapped, "Well, if you aren't here to fight, what are you here for?"
"I am here to give you this message from Zidane," Freya replied. "It would be wise if you heeded his warning." Freya tossed the scroll of paper at Garnet and then took a flying leap off the balcony. Garnet ran to her balcony in time to see the Dragon Knight land outside of Alexandria and run to her airship.
With trembling steps, Garnet walked slowly over to the scroll that Freya had tossed and picked it up gently. With quivering hands, she opened it and read its message. In horror, she dropped the message and retreated a few steps. The message suddenly burst into the flame, turning into ashes before her very eyes. But the contents of the message were seared into her mind.
Garnet,
It has been months since I've declared war on Gaia. I have commanded my troops in many battles, and I have noticed one similarity between them all: your forces are inferior to my own. Have your disastrous losses not worried you at all? I have a rough estimate of your forces, your strengths and your weaknesses. I will attack Gaia in a full-out war in two months. When that time comes, I hope you're better prepared to fight.
Why do I give you this time to prepare? Maybe because there is still a bit of my soul that cares for you, that doesn't want to see you die so hopelessly. So I will give you two months to prepare. When two months are over, be sure, I will come for you personally. Use your time wisely.
The Death Angel