AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey everyone, I'm back after that long several months of not writing a thing. I had writers block AND my step dad never got the comp up and running after the electrical storm here. But, forget all that, here's chapter 2 of Revive and Return. I have many things in store you readers. Enjoy!
P.S: In the first chapter there was the mage called Mr. 201 talking with Mikoto and Vivi, it's supposed to be Mr. 288, my bad and good thing I caught it now then any other time, and he only appeared once in chapter 1. Sorry!
Revive and Return
Chapter 2: How the War Begins
Ever since the last war with the black mages, everything remained peaceful. The Black Mages were trying to find ways they may be able to live longer and the Genomes were starting to act more like living people.
Mr. 288 and Mikoto stood at the graves of the other mages like they always did and talked. It was already dark but the full moon lit up the village along with the light from the houses.
"Do you think they will find the one they call Zidane?" Mr. 288 looked at Mikoto, who stood still with a blank face.
"Zidane..my brother, the man who helped us all escape into a new life from the hands of Garland and total destruction. I hope they do.I never thanked him properly." She looked up at Mr. 288 with a more humane look.
He looked at her and nodded. "It's been about a week and a half so we should be getting a letter from Vivi telling us how it's going."
He was then about to turn toward her and say something to give her a little more comfort and hope but the other mages and genomes started to get into a stir.
Mr. 288 turned to see clouds gather up in the sky covering up the moon and the stars. The clouds faded from black to red and comets started launching through them. All of the mages and genomes started running around the village in a panic as the whole village was struck in random places.
Mr. 288 didn't know what to do. The only thing that ran through his mind was to run. 'RUN!' scream through his mind. "Everyone! Escape the village! Save yourself and whoever you can!" Mr. 288 grabbed Mikoto's hand and ran just before a comet struck the spot they always loved to stand.
Comets struck down all around them as they ran. Mages and genomes alike disappeared in explosions from the comets that struck them into the ground. Mr. 288 made it out of the village unharmed. There were some mages and genomes already waiting for them and some that were still running behind them. More mages and genomes were still escaping even after Mr. 288 got to safety. Only about half of the village made it back. A lot of them were injured anywhere from minor to serious injuries and the lucky ones made it out fine.
When all of the mages made it to an open area in the woods they looked behind them to see smoke rising over the trees. All of the mages and genomes stared as they watched the black smoke rise and the night was lit red. Their home was no more.
Mr. 288 looked at everyone. "I think we should head to Alexandria. But if we do the only way we should travel is at night. If we are seen then more people will know about our existence and possibly try to use us or kill us again."
All of the mages and genomes were quiet for awhile and then they all nodded.
At the village everything was smoldering black smoke and small flames still remained. There was craters everywhere and some of the houses still stood. A man walked through the smoke and stopping over a genome who was still barely alive.
"Still alive I see." The man removed his hood revealing his face. Yet again, it was Hi. "I'm so sorry that we have to kill you mages and genomes." Hi spoke with sarcasm. "But you know how life goes. Us Terrans did create you black mages and genomes, and we can easily take your lives away."
Hi picked up the genome by her neck to take one last look at her. Hi smiled insanely as his hand started to close.
Mr. 288 returned to the village hoping there might be some survivors but only to see a figure from afar holding up a person. He could tell the person being held was squirming but with a low, deep crack, the body went limp and was thrown onto the ground.
"Now they will probably head for Alexandria.the only place else for refuge." Hi smiled as he turned around and disappeared into the smoke.
Mr. 288 ran to the figure who was thrown onto the ground to see it was one of his genome friends. She had tears flowing from her open hollow eyes. He felt like he wanted to do the same, but nothing happened. He just hugged the body that once had the life of a special friend.
Everyone came out of the exit to Fossil Roo not having seen day light in awhile.
"Man, it feels good to get out of that nasty cave and into the good old sun again." Eiko said as she stretched.
Freya opened up a map and studied it with Frately doing the same over her shoulder. Steiner stood guard making sure the coast was clear all around them so they can all figure out their next move. Eiko hopped around impatiently and Vivi sat down awaiting to hear something from Freya. Quina looked for food and Amarant stood still.
Freya turned around. "Alright everyone, there are five places that we can check that Zidane could possibly be at. We have the following places to check: The Black Mage Village, Qu's Marsh, Conde Petie, Madain Sari and lastly The Iifa Tree. We need to get in three groups to check out The Black Mage Village, Qu's Marsh and Conde Petie. Then we will all rendezvous at Conde Petie."
Vivi stood up and dusted himself off. "I will go to the Village."
"And I will accompany Master Vivi." Steiner said walking to Vivi's side.
Freya nodded. "Quina, you should head to the Marsh."
Quina nodded. "I do."
Frately looked at Freya and Eiko and then walked to Quina. "Me and him will go. You two ladies go on to Conde Petie and await us there."
Freya and Eiko smiled and nodded.
"I will scout around the area and will meet you back at Conde Petie." Amarant walked next to Freya.
"OK."
"Alright everyone," Freya looked around. "Good luck." Everyone split into their designated groups and ran of in separate directions.
Vivi and Steiner just missed the black mages since they are only traveling at night. The black mages hid in the forests around their village until the next night. They headed for the beach at the end of the Black Mage forest, the same way they go when they get supplies from Conde Petie.
A lot of them were carrying logs together that they cut down on their way there. Another mage came back from Conde Petie with rope. They all tied their logs into multiple rafts. They set them all side by side and tied ropes to each of them so they wouldn't get separated.
"Let us get going." Mr.288 said to all of the other mages and genomes. "This may be a hard trip but we can't afford people seeing us go through Fossil Roo." Everyone got onto different rafts and a person to each raft kicked it off the shore simultaneously.
With a map from Vivi awhile back they all paddled by using the force of shooting fire magic into the water to push them along.
Vivi and Steiner got to the Black Mage Village. It was already night fall by the time they got there and only black ash and burnt wood remained. Vivi and Steiner stared in horror. The ground had bodies of mages and genomes across the ground.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Vivi screamed. "What happened? How did this happen? WHY?" Vivi was slamming his fists on the floor.
Steiner looked around. He noticed there were dead Genomes and mages on the ground but too few to be the whole village. "Master Vivi, do not lose hope. This could not be all of the mages and genomes right here before us. They must have escaped this monstrosity. Let us get going to Conde Petie. The mages and genomes can handle themselves."
Vivi stayed on the ground for another minute and then got up. He looked over to the Genome in the center of the village. He walked over to her and notice that it was someone he loved to talk to. From how his best friend, Zidane, explained it, this girl was someone Vivi liked more than just a normal friend. "Mikado" Vivi whispered. "Whoever did this will pay."
Vivi looked at Steiner and nodded. "I think you're right. Let's go." Steiner nodded. They both took another look at the village and ran out.
Earlier that day Frately and Quina arrived at the marsh. They wandered around the marsh until they came across the pond full of frogs. Quina immediately started chasing after them. Frately looked around and left Quina to do his frog hunting while he continued to search the marsh.
Frately searched the marsh high and low, only to find frogs everywhere. He shook his head in disappointment and headed back to Quina.
Freya and Eiko made it to Conde Petie just before nightfall. The sky was orange and they could make out a few stars at one end of the sky that were starting to pop up. They walked up the path to the entrance and was greeted by small dwarfs.
"Rally-ho!" All three of them screamed.
"Rally-ho!" Eiko said happily.
Freya looked a little confused but calmly replied back as Eiko did. "Rally-ho." The dwarfs moved out of their way and let them in.
"I'm going to go ask around." Freya looked down at Eiko. "We should split up."
"OK. I'll go this way and you go that way." Eiko pointed. Freya replied with a nod and walked away.
Frately arrived with Quina late that same night. Frately found Freya awaiting him at the entrance. "How did things go on your end?" Frately had the look of concern on his face.
Freya could tell his and Quina's search at the marsh was in vain. "Well, we did get some information but not about Zidane."
Frately cocked his head to the side. "Like what?"
"Well, more than a year ago, I'm guessing sometime after we left the Iifa tree after we beat Kuja and Necron, the tree's roots came alive, as if they were attacking something. My only worry is that we left Zidane there because he wanted to do something. He said he had something to take care of."
Frately looked at her a bit during a period of silence. "So you think Zidane may have been attacked by the tree?"
"Maybe, something like that. I'm not too sure what to think. But, Zidane was there and that's the last time we ever saw him and the people here said that the tree was acting weird. There's got to be something going on."
"Well there's only one way to find out anything, and that's to go check out the tree when Vivi and Steiner get back. They should be back tomorrow. Let's just rest for now."
"Right." Freya closed her eyes as she put her head against Frately's chest. They stood there quietly under the light of the moon and stars until they heard foot steps. Freya opened her eyes on guard and Frately turned to look. Amarant walked up to them and lifted his hand into the air. Freya relaxed and put her head back on Frately's chest.
"I didn't find anyone, no clues, not even any foot prints. I was hoping to at least find maybe any used bottles of potion or dead monsters but.nothing." Amarant leaned against the wall of the entrance across from Frately and Freya and crossed his arms. "Finding him is going to be harder to find than I thought.than any of us thought."
Frately just nodded. "Yea." He replied softly. "Well I'm going to put her to sleep. She's exhausted." Frately started to lead Freya, half asleep, into Conde Petie.
"Heh, I don't blame her. She's been leading us around for a week and a half, like she's the damn leader or something."
Frately made a small chuckle along with a smile as he continued to lead her in.
The next morning, the sun shown as bright as it always did. Amarant sat at the entrance, where he was standing before, eating a loaf of bread. He looked up, his eyes shaded by his hair and noticed a bright shine and a small figure. He knew that Steiner and Vivi finally showed up.
As they walked by they didn't as much say a word to each other. Frately greeted them inside but then noticed that there was a problem. "What's wrong?"
"The village was burned to the ground." Vivi continued to look at the ground.
Frately's eyes widened but then closed. "I'm sorry to hear."
"It's ok. Steiner said that they should be fine so I'm sure I will get to see them all eventually." Vivi looked up at Frately.
Frately smiled. "Well, there are supposed problems at the Iifa Tree. We're going to check it out. I'm going to gather everyone so let's go." Frately turned and walked off.
The Black Mages and genomes finally made it across the ocean to the mist continent. Ahead of them was a mountain range. If Mr. 288's guess was correct then if they followed the mountain range east he should come across the one of two ways to enter Alexandria. Since Alexandria's location people could only enter from airship and from the harbor which isn't used anymore, not to their knowledge anyways.
It was still morning, and they had a little ways to go. They just continued to their destination.
It was around evening time, almost dark, when they arrived which was perfect for them. There wasn't anything great in the harbor if anything at all. There was a few old cargo boats but that's about it. The mages and genomes docked their rafts and jumped off. They were all squatted down. There were several guards walking about. They all seemed relaxed.
Mikoto looked at Mr. 288 and whispered to him. "Let me handle this. I can quietly knock them out."
Mr. 288 just nodded silently.
The second the closest guard turned around Mikoto immediately darted out at a fast speed and slammed her fist into the back of his head. She jumped on the guards shoulders and jumped into the air before the guard fell over. She landed onto another guard and jumped straight forward slamming the last guard into the wall. All of them were out cold.
She turned around and waved her hand, telling the others to hurry on. Mr. 288 and the other genomes and mages ran out from hiding and into the castle.
The mages and genomes took several trips to get them all up the water elevator to one of the towers of the castle. Just Mr. 288 and Mikoto exited the room that led them into a hallway. At the front of the hallway was the entrance to the tower and at the other end was a stairwell that led up the tower. In the hallway was a guard walking back and forth.
Mikoto jumped out of them room so the guard could see her.
The guard looked surprised at first and then drew her sword. "Hey! Who are you? Are you allowed in here?"
Mikoto ran back inside the room where the water elevator was.
"Hey! Get back here!" The guard ran after her. Right when the guard turned the corner to enter the room she ran into the staff of Mr. 288, knocking herself out.
Mr. 288 stepped outside the tower and looked around. It was already dark now. The stars lit up the night sky along with the partially full moon. He could see the central court yard where the boat came in to bring people from the town across the lake. He pointed at Mikoto and signaled her to come. She ran up behind him as needed.
"We need to get over there and there will be the entrance, I think. We just need to go where ever we think will lead us to Princess Garnet. She will help us." Mr. 288 whispered as he pointed out there next move.
"So are you sure this Garnet can be trusted?" Mikoto asked just being cautious.
"She was with Zidane in the orange outfit. I know you have seen her. In our village and when she went to yours on Terra."
"Oh yea. She helped us escape along with Zidane." Mikoto remembered the time that Zidane and Garnet ran into their little village on Terra and started warning everyone to leave and that this place was going to be destroyed by Kuja. "I will be a distraction so you and everyone else can run on in." Mikoto whispered and then ran out ahead before Mr. 288 can refuse.
Mikoto ran to the entrance and let herself be seen by the two guards. Then ran to the other tower as fast as she could.
"Hey! Get back here!" The two guards yelled as they went running after her. Mr. 288 and the other mages and genomes ran into the entrance. It was a huge room. There were two large rooms, one to their left and one to their right. Ahead was a staircase that split going left and right with a large painting of a woman ahead of them. Mr. 288 knew exactly who it was.
They all ran up the stairs and along the walkway. Both walkways connected at the top that led into a room. To their left was a closed door, to their right was a spiral staircase and ahead of them was the throne where Garnet now watches performances by other people, including Tantalus who always performed her favorite, 'I Want to be Your Canary'. They had no where to go but up. So they all ran up the spiral stairs and into the double doors ahead of them.
The room they were in left them puzzled. There were doors to the left and right and more double doors ahead. Mr. 288 had no idea which way to go and he really didn't want to end up in any unnecessary trouble.
"Who are you and what do you want here?" All the mages and genomes turned and jumped back when they were caught by Beatrix with her sword pulled out on them.
Mr. 288 stepped up. "I beg you. Let us see Princess Garnet, we are friends of hers along with Vivi, Zidane and the rest of their friends. We are the mages they liberated from Kuja and these are the Genomes they helped on Terra."
Beatrix realized that what he was saying sounds like the stories of Garnet's about her journey with everyone. She sheathed her sword. Just then Garnet walked through the double doors that was ahead of them. She was in a silk night gown, you could see the outline of her body but nothing in detail. She looked up and jumped in surprise of seeing all of these mages and genomes here. "What's going on?"
Beatrix ran up to her. "Your Majesty." Beatrix really couldn't explain this in a very easy way.
Mr. 288 walked up next to Beatrix. "Princess Garnet, we have a big problem. Do you mind if we sit somewhere and talk about it?"
"I see." Garnet nodded sipping a hot cup of tea. "So your village got destroyed by a large attack of comet magic and there was a black figure that you saw when you went back."
Mr. 288 nodded. "I think that person has something to do with our village and they must have something up their sleeve. They shouldn't have any reason to destroy our village."
"I agree. Well your are more than welcome to stay-"
A soldier walked into the room and saluted. With him was Mikoto, her hands being held behind her. He was going to announce the fact that he found her prowling about but was too surprised at the fact that there were a bunch of mages and people with tails.
"Let her go." Beatrix ordered. "She is with them and everything is alright. Return to your post."
"Ma'am." The guards saluted and released Mikoto. Both guards walked off.
Garnet looked at her for awhile. She remembered who she was and that Zidane called her his little sister just before they left for Memoria. Yet, Garnet decided not to say anything and kept her professional look. "Now like I was saying, you are more than welcome to stay since your home was destroyed and it was Vivi's home as well. I'm not too sure where you will stay.I guess we will set you all up some rooms in the castle. We just can't let you be seen by the towns people or anybody else."
Mr. 288 nodded. "That's fine. Once Vivi returns we will inform him so we can go back as soon as we can and rebuild our village. I really hope this does not cause any problems for you."
"Oh no no. Don't worry about it. You guys have helped Vivi and us too so please stay as long as you need. Just ask Beatrix if you need anything."
Beatrix rolled her eyes at the fact she's going to have mages and Zidane look alikes constantly bothering her. "Um, well.your majesty.I-" Beatrix was cut off in the middle of her trying to defend herself not to be bothered by them.
"Beatrix?" Garnet looked at her.
"Yes your majesty?" Beatrix stood at attention.
"Make sure you help them out as they did me. Also, I will be at to a meeting tomorrow so I do not wish to be bothered. The king of Burmecia will be coming here. The mages and genomes must NOT be seen by them. Okay?"
"Yes your majesty." Beatrix bowed.
"Now I'm going to bed. I have an early start tomorrow. Show them to their rooms and help them if they need anything. Good night." Garnet got up and headed out.
Beatrix watched her and turned to face the mages and genomes. They blankly stared at her. She sighed loudly. "Follow me."
A bolt of lightning struck as it began to rain. On one of the roofs to the castle stood Hi. He smiled insanely like he always does when things go his way. "This is going just perfect. Now I need to go bring the news to Burmecia..'Garnet has mages, young king.' They will finally go at it with each other. The rest of the plan is completely up to them. They will start the war in their own way. Kuja, your plan was good but the one thing you did wrong was let that damn genome get in your way. Well, with both of you where you are now you won't be able to interfere." Hi laughed loudly as he disappeared and his voice echoed:
Zidane, you will never make it back to save your friends and the world you love so much.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for reading everyone. I hope it was really good for all of you 9 fans. R&R please. I will have chapter 3 and many more coming soon. This story is only getting started. Much fun ahead!
P.S: Yes, Hi does love to talk to himself out loud a lot.
Disclaimer: I do not own FF9.