Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ JOURNEY ❯ Holocaust ( Chapter 7 )

Part Seven: Holocaust

General Kyahar Nake Ignus…

"The Fire General"…

The words brought a definite sense of fear, and for good reason.

General Ignus was many things to many people, but to broaden the perspective, he was a monster. Physically, he was human on the outside, and a rather middle-aged one at that. But beneath the thin layer of mortal skin there laid a monster, a wicked demon, who held no more love over human life than he did value the tissue he used to blow his nose on. Ignus was cruel, and tyrannical, and very powerful, and up until a decade before the birth of Queen Garnet, he had been an apocalyptic force from which no nation could escape.

To Beatrix and Freya, Ignus resembled ultimate terror and loss. It was he who had been directly responsible for the destruction of their hometown of D'negel; it was he who burned their birth-parents to death, and their birth-houses, and any brothers or sisters or friends they might have had. It was he who permanently scarred their childhood, and forced them into a life as orphans when they were five and three, respectively.

Ignus had literally destroyed the past of both warriors, and although things eventually turned out for the better, both women still held ancient memories of their nearly-forgotten past… memories of a sea of flames, and laughing men, and their fathers being mowed down by arrows, and their mothers being raped and garroted. Houses turned black, the ground became wasted, and above it all, the screams of two young girls could just barely be heard.

Suddenly, Beatrix snapped out of her daze. She didn't even realize that her mind had wandered off; she was too concentrated on Ignus, and her past, and her pain. But something had broken her out of this daze--no, someone had. It was Freya, and her hand was gently clasping Beatrix's in support. Beatrix looked into the eyes of her long-lost best friend, and although neither one had the nerve to smile, they were both comforted by the fact that the other lady was equally nervous.

It's okay, said Freya mentally. I'm scared too. Beatrix moved her mouth so that it almost resembled a smile, and squeezed Freya's hand. Quite a bit of time had passed since Amarant and The Hunter had announced to the world that the Fire General was back, and Garnet had yet to give any orders. But that was okay--she, too, must have been shocked about hearing everything that had gone on outside.

Ironic, thought Beatrix bitterly. We began to detest peace so much, and now this comes along… What kind of masochism is this? Do I… do we… hate peace? She growled to herself, and let go of Freya's hand. She placed her palm on the shoulder of her Queen and her friend, and cast her fears aside as she once again prepared herself for war.

"Your orders, highness?"

The time--Fifteen minutes after Amarant and The Hunter first arrived.

The place--Alexandria Town main square.

The players--Queen Garnet, the ruler of Alexandria who must draw up plans for a battle; General Beatrix and Lady Freya, two warriors and long-lost friends who serve her; Amarant Coral and The Hunter, two mysterious mercenaries.

Status--Conflict.

"If we've learned anything from the previous invasion," began the Queen, "then we've learned that it's unwise to leave Alexandria unprotected." With all her naïveté and bright innocence gone, the Queen of Alexandria now had the look of a wartime General. Before her was a large map of the world, with several tokens representing each of the endangered countries scattered about. She used a pointer to direct attention to each of the countries.

"The last time an invasion hit us, we were totally unprepared," she continued. "We had sent many of our finest warriors out to quell a major conflict at Mognet Central, which then left Alexandria open for an attack. We believe that this was the enemy's plan all along--to draw out our main forces on a wild goose chase, then rush in and attack before they could be summoned back.

"This time, though, there is more than one point of attack," she pointed. "Madain Sari, Esto Gaza, Black Mage Village, Daguerro, and Conde Petie are all being overrun by small yet formidable forces. This is obviously a more serious invasion than what we faced earlier. Now, I have brought together a regime of my finest strategists, and they seem to have come up with a plan." Garnet nodded her head, silently ushering in three of her most trusted councilors, Bosh, Mash, and Gash.

"As you can see here," pointed Bosh, "most of the attacks are concentrated on the Forbidden Continent: Conde Petie, Madain Sari, and Black Mage Village. Representatives Eiko Carol, #266 and Mikoto, and Ghiott have informed us via Mognet that they are holding out as best they can, but since there are more attacks centered around this area than anywhere else, I have advised Garnet that we move in here first."

"Our next target is Daguerro," said Gash. "Because of its vast archives, to lose it would be inexcusable. Daguerro has no army, so we should send our most powerful forces there. After that would be Esto Gaza, and because of weather and distance, we have saved it for last."

"We obviously cannot send out the entire Alexandrian Army," grumbled Mash. "King Zidane and Queen Garnet have made contact with Lindblum, Treno, Dali, and the forces mentioned by Bosh, and they have agreed to send their own respective forces. We can expect a fleet of airships to arrive in Daguerro in two days, and a naval fleet in Esto Gaza in a week. That just leaves the Forbidden Continent."

"Thanks, guys," said Zidane, and the strategists each bowed. The new King, while still wet behind the ears when it came to military tactics, still held a firm grasp on the basics of the job. Standing up, he began his own speech, and asked the people present to give him their support.

"The armies of Lindblum and everywhere else should take care of Daguerro and Esto Gaza," he began, "but we're going to need a small reconnaissance force of our own to go to the Forbidden Continent. I've informed Eiko and my sister that there should be an arrival in the next few days, and if everybody works together, we can eliminate these threats while still keeping a large chunk of the army behind in case of another attack.

"The only problem is that we don't have any volunteers yet," he added glumly. Instantly, to nobody's surprise, Beatrix and Steiner knelt before him.

"I shall do it, highness!" they both shouted. Zidane smiled at their loyalty.

"Thanks, that's really sweet of you. But Rusty--I mean, Captain Steiner," (the knight's face beamed like the sun when he heard Zidane correct himself), "we're going to need the Pluto Knights here, and you're the only person capable of organizing them. Sorry, but your place is here." Steiner paused to consider this, but eventually nodded his head.

"I understand, my liege. And who shall direct the Alexandrian troops?"

"We want General Beatrix to go out in your stead," said Garnet gently. "And Lady Freya should go with her as well. Don't worry, we have someone very capable filling in for the General's position."

"Whom?"

"General Aleila," answered Zidane. Steiner turned his head, and let out a big smirk as he saw the graceful and beautiful General Aleila give off a salute.

"I thank thee, mine liege," said the blonde warrior. "Tis' an honor to fight alongside Sir Steiner, and to serve thee as well." Steiner kept his smile for a little while longer before standing; Beatrix meanwhile was giving some last-minute instructions to her subordinate, and Freya was quietly talking with the strategists.

"Are you sure we'll be okay?" she had to wonder. "I don't mean to override your authority, but Beatrix and I alone couldn't possibly handle that many enemies."

"You won't," answered Bosh. "You'll have the assistance of Representative Carol, #266, Ms. Mikoto, and Mr. Ghiott. Their armies are small when compared to Alexandria's, but combined, they are formidable."

"That's not what I meant," muttered Freya. "I referred to our own individual force. Beatrix and I may be powerful, but do you think it would be better to send some others with us?"

"Yes, we've given it thought," grumbled Bosh. "Queen Garnet has already assigned two others to be a part of your regime. Don't worry, we wouldn't even send the world's greatest warrior in that conflagration by themselves."

"Two others? Who do you have in mind?"

"I finished my job," said Amarant blankly, giving the Queen an empty stare. Out of everybody in the known world, only a few could genuinely look at authority and think nothing of it. Amarant was one of those few; he regarded Garnet as just another person, one who could bleed and make mistakes just like anyone else. His loyalty to Alexandria was exceptionally thin, and was reliable to a fault.

"That's correct, you finished your job," agreed Garnet. "And now I want you to do a new one, for me." Amarant snorted, knowing exactly what the young woman had in mind. He crossed his arms and stared down at her emptily.

"You want me to go along with them, right?" She nodded her head yes. "Gonna cost ya."

"Money's no object," she said. "I'm willing to part with as much as fifty-thousand Gil, in exchange for your services."

"A hundred," he said without missing a beat. Garnet glared at him, pursing her lips stubbornly.

"That was meant to be fifty-thousand for each of you."

"Hm?" Showing genuine confusion, Amarant gazed down at the Queen and wondered who else she had in mind. As he saw her smile and wave for no apparent reason, he rolled his eyes and groaned as he realized who his partner was going to be.

"All right," he grumbled, sensing The Hunter's presence. "I guess if he's coming along, then I can take a cut. But I'm not taking orders from that rat."

"Fair enough," replied Garnet softly. She turned around, beckoning an accountant to her side. The older man barely shuffled forward, a sack full of Gil weighing his poor arms down. He dropped it on the floor, sending a small vibration trembling across the ground.

"This is your payment--after you get the job done!" emphasized the Queen. She trusted Amarant a little, but knew better than to give someone like him all her money at once. She let him go with a ten percent down payment, and signed a document swearing that he would get the rest. From that point on, the Flaming one would be taking orders from Beatrix (and Beatrix alone, agreed the Queen), and would use any means necessary to ensure safety for the Forbidden Continent.

The Hunter made little comment about the arrangement, but assured both King and Queen that, with him along, success was absolutely guaranteed. Zidane never doubted him for a second.

"You have your orders," said Zidane, trying to keep a straight face as he paced around in front of the four fighters. "You are to dock at Madain Sari, where Representative Carol will rendezvous with you. You are then to liberate the summoner's village, then will move on to the Black Mage Village and Conde Petie. The four of you should be able to take out a few small forces by yourselves, but please… don't be afraid to accept assistance."

Already sounding more like a King and less like a ruffian, Zidane proved to be a very good instructor. In the future, he might have made a terrific leader and even one of the best kings of all Alexandria, but for now he was still trying to fit into the baggy clothes of leadership. But Zidane was also a good actor--he could handle this.

And so could Beatrix and her company.

"Pardon me, son," said The Hunter in his usual calm but thick northern accent. "Are you saying that we should take one city at a time? What do you think would happen to the other two?"

"I assure you that the individual armies will be able to hold their ground for a little while," replied the young man. "But you're right. We're pressed for time here. Don't put on any shows, understand? You are to work quickly and efficiently."

"So it's just another normal mission, eh?" said Beatrix, mounting her sword on her shoulder. Zidane could not help the smile that came forth.

"Yeah, for all of you. Well, you'll know what to do once you get there! You guys are old enough to take care of yourselves!"

"Watch the 'old' bit, kid," pointed the pepper-haired hunter. Zidane grinned and tried his best to wave off the comment.

"Sorry, sir. Anyway, best of luck to you all. Erin, Boyd, take care of them, okay?"

"Yes, sir!" piped the pilots.

"And Moguo?" he said, kneeling down to the level of the Moogle. "Make sure you tell us of every movement they make, all right?"

"Okay, kupo!" saluted the moogle. Moguo was the world's fastest moogle, and that was no joke. He was so quick, he had been placed in charge of the Moogle Flute, a relic that summoned the fastest moogle in the world so they could record one's journey. Moguo was the unofficial seventh part of the group, and with Erin and Boyd, he was to make sure that the other four had a safe (and sensible) journey.

King Zidane looked over everything one final time, whistled in exhaustion, and finally waved everyone away. He wished each one of them good luck, especially Amarant and Freya (poor guy had so many strange thoughts running through his head), and gave Beatrix the Moogle Flute before they all left.

"I trust you," he whispered as he handed her the tool. She grinned, and kneeled in respect before departing aboard the Red Rose.

"Well," sighed Freya as the vessel took off, "here we go again!"

--------------------

"Go, go, go, go!"

Needing no further instruction from Erin, the small group of warriors leaped out of the airship and onto the ground of the Forbidden Continent. They had not even been there for a few seconds, and they could already see battles raging on. The Forbidden Continent had three major points of conflict: Conde Petie, Madain Sari, and the Black Mage Village. Since the small group obviously couldn't be in all three places at once, they had to instead concentrate all force on just one town at a time. Hopefully, the others could hold their ground for a little while…

Madain Sari, with its population of near-defenseless moogles, was the first to receive aid.

Beatrix, Freya, Amarant, and The Hunter dashed across the plains, the Iifa Tree standing like a sentinel to their backs, as they made their way to the city of summoners. Already, hundreds of monsters and other nasties were crowding around it, and Beatrix snarled to herself as she recognized some of them as the Golems that the Foe had introduced. Without wasting any time, the General and her small entourage broke past the initial blockade of monsters and set about liberating the town.

"About time you got here!!!" squealed a painfully-familiar voice. Eyes rolled as Eiko Carol leaped into the fray with them, a flute in her hands and a scowl on her face. "Jeez! What kept ya? We've been having to fight nonstop for almost two days now!"

"Sorry for the delay, Eiko," said Freya as she held her spear in defensive position. "We just recently received the news. How have you been faring?" Leaping forward once to slash at a goblin, Freya returned to her spot to hear Eiko's report.

"Terrible!" screamed the little summoner. "Most of the moogles were really hurt in the first day, and I spent almost all my energy summoning Eidolons! It's been terrible out here!"

"I see…" A crowd of monsters suddenly surrounded the six of them, and weapons were drawn in preparation. "Sorry, but we'll have to talk later!" shouted Freya over the growling of the creatures. "Looks live we've got company!"

"Then let's show'em a good time!" shouted the Hunter. He brought out two samurai-style katanas, and clanged them together threateningly. "I'm not much of a fighter, but I'll do what I can!"

"We'll help too!" shouted Erin, pushing aside several small creatures with her foot. "Boyd and I can help too!" Beatrix was about to order them to get back into the airship, but Amarant stopped her.

"Just let them do whatever they want," he said impassively. "If they die, it's their own fault." Her mouth instantly fell open in a disbelieving gawk, and she almost gave him a berating if not for the interruption of a savage dingo. Freya was right: the time to talk was past. Besides, didn't actions speak louder than words?

With formalities gone, the warriors each dove into the vicious fracas, slaying monsters around them so quickly that one would think a heavenly conductor was orchestrating (no pun intended) every attack. The four seasoned fighters alone proved to be adequate challenge for the beasts; having Eiko, Erin, and Boyd sprinkled in the mix didn't hurt their chances at all.

Amarant started by ripping apart a Scimotaur, a vicious monster that resembled both centaur and Minotaur. The beast was too easy; he next concentrated on one of the many Golems in the area. These were much larger and tougher, but against his maniacal attack, they were but dust. After shredding those two foes, Amarant decided to pick of every weak creature in the vicinity--in other words, everything.

He ran forth, slamming his palm into a ghost, and crushed the creature as he slapped his arm into a wall. Amarant then leaped over the arrows being fired by a few crack centaurs, and ran towards the halflings so fast that he was able to even dodge their volley. One swipe sent a centaur to his grave, and another, and another still, and Amarant leaped down to face his next unworthy foe.

"You're rusty," noted the Hunter blandly. "You're not as quick as you used to be, and your strength's down. Been drinking more, eh?"

"Shut up and kill things," murmured the flaming one. The Hunter grinned, and decided to follow the younger man's advice. With a speed unknown to most men his age--or to any man for that matter--the Hunter zoomed through the thick of the enemy conglomeration, swiping at anything that moved with his twin swords. They moved incredibly fast, as did he, and a trail of snowy blood was left in his wake.

"Easy!" declared the Hunter. Suddenly, he ducked down and just barely managed to avoid the attack of a brutal troll. Performing a backflip, he vaulted over the beast, rebounded off of a wall, and slammed both blades into the creature's back before it knew what happened. The Hunter quickly unsheathed his swords from the troll's flesh, and ran down the dead creature as it fell to the floor.

Instantly killing a goblin the second his feet touched the ground, the Hunter raced back into the thick of the fracas, and suddenly began to spin around like a deadly top. His swords extended in front of him, the experienced old man twirled up a razor-sharp whirlwind of slashing pain.

Not one to be outdone by others, Freya was personally engaged with something that reminded her of the Kraken in Memoria. It was enormous, and it had eight powerful tentacles, most of them bearing weapons. A second monster, sort of like the Kary she had seen as well, had slithered towards her with a flaming tail and arms full of weapons. She smiled as the two lethal creatures ganged up on her, and held her spear close.

"I like these odds," she said with a grin. The Kraken shouted, tossing its tentacles and its weapons at the dragoon with a mighty ferocity; the Kary let out a scream, hurling her own weapons at Freya as well. The dragoon merely rolled her eyes, and leaped high into the air just before being grazed by the weapons. She escaped death, but since both the Kraken and the Kary were now charging towards nothing, they did not.

She smiled coolly as her two foes collided with themselves, turned around once to slash at a crocodile that was creeping up on her, and ran towards the opponent she thought would be most challenging. Disappointment rained down like the bats she had been swiping at.

In the meantime, Erin, Eiko, and Boyd were joining forces to tackle a dragon. It was roughly the size of a tree in height, and was no meaner than a volcano--hence its red color. Since the only two people of the group that even passed as a black mage were currently trying to rid the world of a Golem problem, it was up to them to strategize instead.

Erin plunged both her sais into the creature's belly, doing almost no damage at all. She yanked on them, hoping to tear a little flesh, but was promptly batted away by the dragon's arm. Boyd caught her, and there would have been a romantic moment if Eiko hadn't stepped in.

"Hey you two!" she screamed. "This is no time to get all lovey-dovey! We've got a job to do!" Growling in irritation, Eiko swung her flute at a bat and struck it square on the crown, and leaped in to help them with the dragon. It roared and nearly suffocated her with its vicious breath; she countered by ramming her flute right on its thick head.

"That's not gonna work!" shouted Boyd. "That creature's skin is too thick! What we need is--" His voice was abruptly cut off in a flash, and before they could blink, the dragon was missing a head. Nobody was surprised in the least to see Beatrix with a bloody sword in her hands, kneeling down slightly as she smiled victoriously.

"Done!" she shouted--then turned around to whack at a screaming banshee behind her. Boyd, Erin, and Eiko all scratched their heads, sighed, and resolved themselves to fighting weaker enemies.

One very bloody hour passed.

Amarant yawned.

"Too easy," he said slickly. Eiko, as always, screamed at him, but Freya and Beatrix were forced to agree.

"It was rather simple," said Freya, her wounds being treated by a host of moogles. In fact, everybody was receiving care from the injuries they had gotten, and although the battle was surprisingly quick, there had still been enough damage inflicted to constitute for a brief breather. Time was one thing that nobody seemed to have much of--after all, the Black Mage village and Conde Petie were still in danger.

"Yes, well, we're in the long haul here," agreed Beatrix, her own wounds being attended to. "We might have had an easy time here, but that doesn't mean we should let our guard down. After all, we still have two more cities to free."

"Ow OW OOOOOOWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!"

"I wish somebody'd put her outta my misery," grumbled Amarant. Even he had received a scratch here and there, but easily dismissed it as minor wounds. Eiko, on the other hand, screamed her pains away. The seven of them had just finished fighting through a whole assembly of wicked monsters, and a brief rest had to be taken. They would be done shortly, though, and soon they would be crying out Rally-Ho as they crashed through the gates of Conde Petie and freed the proud dwarves from their invaders.

It was going to be a long day.

"Whew, we've arrived!" whistled Erin, glancing from her map to the city in front of them. Brash as always, Beatrix and her company had dashed forward preemptively to fight the monsters invading the city, leaving Erin behind with Boyd "just in case". The cute pilot couldn't figure out why she was on the sidelines--after all, she was better at fighting than most other aviators. Well, there had been that time with the dragon, but that was an exception!

"So, uh, Erin…" stuttered Boyd, "what say we sneak some quality time together!"

"Not now, Boyd!" hissed the pilot. "Can't you see we're in the middle of a war?" As if his skull was so thick that he did not, Boyd glanced up at Conde Petie, just barely hearing the sounds of intense fighting going on. Unlike Madain Sari, Conde Petie was filled to the brim with warriors and fighters. Dwarves were renowned for three great things: their great forging skills, their great fighting skills, and their great eating skills. And from the sound of the battle, at least two of the three were being used.

"Oh, right…" Boyd muttered to himself, scratched his head, and apologized. "Well, what else do you want me to do? We're the only ones out here, unless you count Moguo…" At the mention of the moogle's name, both pilots stole a glance at the creature, who only offered a wave and a "Kupo!".

"Well," replied Erin, "if you wanna do something, you can go get bandages and salve and cures. I'm sure that everybody will be pretty wiped out by the time they're through fighting, so it'd be really great if we could have everything prepared for them when they come back!"

"Roger!" saluted Boyd, and he dashed off to the inner deck of the Red Rose to find some cures. Erin let out a sigh of boredom, bit her lip, and was forced to watch and listen as the battle raged on. Suddenly…

"Who you?"

"D'GAAAAAH!!!!!" Erin screamed and jumped in the air as the voice startled her, but composed herself in time to spin around and see who dared sneak up on her like that. She peered at the… creature… and for a moment thought she recognized who it was.

"…Quina?" she asked, staring at the bloated Qu. "…Quina, is that you?" The Qu shook its head several times, raising a steel ladle in the air several times.

"I not know Quina," said the Qu. "I Quban. I come here to see what makes all the noise!"

"Quban, huh?" Erin paused to take a good look at the Qu, which sort of looked like Quina and sort of didn't. She was a pilot, so she had seen a lot of strange things in her day, but even she had a hard time discerning one Qu from another. This one, unlike Quina, was not dressed as a cook but a doctor.

"Yes-yes!" exclaimed Quban. "I come here, see what trouble is! Heard loud noise outside, went out to see! Noise disturbing, so I go look! Next thing I know, I see many-many monsters surrounding dwarf city! Is very scary, but since I doctor, I have no choice but look! Must heal those hurt, or else I bring shame to Qu clan!"

"I see," said Erin with a nod of her head. She smiled and introduced herself, and as soon as Boyd got back with the supplies, he introduced himself as well. Quban instantly dove into the supplies, arranging them in such an organized fashion that only another fellow physicist would ever truly appreciate it. Since he was more experienced with medicine than either one of them, he was instantly elected to be chief physician for when the good guys came back.

When General Beatrix opened her eye, what came first to her vision was a frantic Qu, shouting orders here and there and running everywhere else. She groaned, and rubbed her face gingerly. Strange, she thought, I don't feel nearly as bad as I should… and who's that Qu? ……Wait a minute! …It can't be! ………It is!

"…Ughn… Dr. Quban?" grumbled the General. Quban smiled at the old friend, nodded its head, and applied a little more ointment to Beatrix's knee. It stung, but since she had felt a lot worse, she didn't even flinch.

"Yes-yes!" exclaimed the Qu. "Is Quban! I no see General Beatrix in very, very, VERY long time!!! Is good to see you!! Yes-yes!"

"Yes," said Beatrix with a strained laugh. "It is nice to see you again. But what are you doing here, doctor?"

"Dr. Quban's work was being disturbed by the fighting in Conde Petie," indicated Erin. "He got really ticked off, and had to go see what was happening, and because he's a doctor, he also had to go and help the dwarves."

"Haaa, an' we didn'a even need yir help, ain't that right?!" cried a voice.

"Rally-Ho!!" came a cheer, and Beatrix could only assume that there were injured dwarves there with them as well. Still tired from the battle, she let out an exhausted sigh, closed her eye, and let Quban and a few other physicians patch her and her friends up.

"So how do you know this Qu?" asked the voice of Freya. Not even bothering to raise her head, nor even to open her eye, Beatrix answered her friend.

"I met Quban while I was walking back to Alexandria from Burmecia," she said. "I got into a little trouble on the way, and Dr. Quban here saved my life. S/he patched up my wounds, took care of me, and even fed me."

"Wow," said Freya. "I didn't know there was a Qu doctor."

"We not just gourmands!" insisted Quban, rubbing some alcohol on a scratch the Hunter had received. "We Qus good at many-many things! But we mostly cooks! Qus very, very good cooks!"

"Yes, I know," said Freya with some amusement in her voice. "And you're very good eaters, too!"

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" came a scream suddenly. "Watch it!! OWIE!!! It hurts, it hurts, it HUUUUUURRRRRRTSSSS!!!!!!!" Eiko Carol let a few other screams come out of her mouth as she wriggled, and most people either rolled their eyes, groaned, or tried to stifle laughter. This little rest would not last long--there was still one more place to liberate before the continent could be safe again, but thankfully, the entire populace consisted of strong Genomes and skilled black mages. If anything, the village had been saved already.

Well, almost.

"We have managed to whittle down their forces since their arrival," reported Mikoto, "but if we didn't receive your help when we did…"

"Yeah," said the Hunter proudly, "you woulda been dead for sure." The female Genome glanced up at the pseudo-humble man emptily, and a slight pause was held in the air as their eyes locked. The Hunter returned Mikoto's stare second for second, and finally won the brief contest as she had other things to take care of. Brushing the old man off for the time being, Mikoto began shouting orders to her fellow Genomes, and #266 commanded his own troops on another front.

It was true that with the combined forces of the Genomes and the black mages, the village had received almost no trouble at all. Genomes were quick, agile, flexible, and a few were exceptionally powerful; black mages possessed powerful skills that ranged from summoning fire to calling forth thunders. With such a team, it was little wonder that the third major battle to liberate the Forbidden Continent was a short one.

Still, Mikoto was right, to a degree. If the forces from Alexandria hadn't arrived so quickly, it would have taken a few more hours to free the town. As it were, the fighting ended within thirty minutes, and the town had been cleaned of invaders almost effortlessly. The Hunter knew what she was talking about, he just liked to rub things in from time to time.

"Anyway," said he, as Mikoto rallied the Genomes for the final attack, "I guess we only helped in speeding up the inevitable. You need anything else?"

"Yes, just a few more minutes of assistance," replied the female Genome. "Hopefully, we can completely liberate this town before suppertime. Mr. #18 makes a pretty delicious meat pie." She craned her head to glance at the older man, and flashed him a brief and rare smile before taking charge again. The Hunter grumbled out something and sighed.

"By God," he muttered, "she's acting more and more like that kid in Alexandria all the time…"

All in all, the fight to save the Forbidden Continent was a success. Three integral towns had been saved a terrible invasion, and many more would be saved as well. The crew aboard the Red Rose, which was even now flying back to Alexandria, didn't have to worry about Daguerro or Esto Gaza. Those two cities were being taken care of by the naval and aerial powers of Treno, Lindblum, Dali, and even (to Freya's breathless joy) a small handful of Burmecians. Beatrix had been smiling for at least an hour as she watched her friend weep for joy over discovering just how much of her kind were still alive in the world, and even now, as they headed for home, Freya had a peaceful and happy look on her face.

After liberating Conde Petie, Madain Sari, and the Black Mage village, Beatrix and her company stuck around for a few hours more to make absolute sure that everything was okay. Moguo's skills were taxed to the extreme as he was sent from the allies overseas to Alexandria, but it was worth it. Garnet and Zidane needed to know what was going on, as did Beatrix's team, so his services were invaluable. After all, the one who had planned these invasions might've had his sights set on the kingdom, so it was crucial to keep in touch.

Now, though, it was time to rest and recuperate. Everyone was either asleep or chatting aboard the Red Rose: Beatrix and Freya were each resting in bed, and Eiko and Mikoto (who had volunteered to come along so they could visit their friends in the kingdom) were up chatting like two old friends. Quban was cooking up a light lunch; Amarant, as always, was off hiding somewhere, and the Hunter was equally invisible.

This came as no surprise--the team had learned of how incredible the Hunter's skills were, and after only a few hours into the battles, they had learned how he earned such a name. All five of his natural senses were unnaturally powerful, stronger than even nature allowed. He could smell things that a wolf never could, he could hear things a rabbit couldn't, he could see what eagles were unable to, and could feel what moles could not. He truly wasn't a fighter; he was more of a tracker, or as somebody put it so well, a Hunter.

So it was understandable why nobody could find him. He was just too good a hider. Rumor had it, the mysterious old man had once been the teacher of Baku, as well as Amarant and a few other famous faces. It was little wonder Zidane idolized him so--the Hunter made even the greatest thieves seem ordinary, and could whip all of Tantalus with his arms tied behind his back.

So with their mission a success, the group of friends and fighters headed back to Alexandria. They had earned a vacation, and were sure to get one the very second they came home. However, as Commander Erin spotted a faint cloud of black smoke hover in the air, it was clear that fate had other plans…

--------------------

"What's that?" pointed Freya. Erin turned around and glanced at the horizon.

"What's what?"

"That," said Freya, pointing to a pillar of smoke in the distance. "What is that?"

"I dunno," shrugged the pilot. "Probably just a fire that got out of control." Freya pursed her mouth, rubbing her chin in deep contemplation as she gazed at the rising cloud of dark smoke. Suddenly, she asked for a pair of binoculars, and when she peered through them, Freya let out a most sharp inhaling sound.

"I cannot believe it!" she hissed. "It's Alexandria!"

"WHAT?! Here, lemme see those!!" Erin yanked the binoculars from Freya's paws and glanced into the distance. Sure enough, a familiar castle with a symbolic sword protruding out of it was almost directly beneath the rising cloud of smoke. Erin cursed out loud as she realized that it was Alexandria, and unless Quina had screwed up royally, that smoke was probably caused by a fire.

"Fire!" shouted Erin. "Alexandria's on fire!"

"Quiet!" snapped Freya, slapping her hands over Erin's mouth. "Do you want to give everyone here a seizure? We can't just scream 'fire'!"

"But, what're we gonna do?" squealed Erin in a frantic voice.

"Fly as fast as this thing can go!!" ordered the ex-Burmecian. "And prepare for a battle! My intuition tells me that our hunch about another invasion coming seems to have been correct!"

"But--"

"Just fly, you dolt!!" screamed Freya, and poor Erin needed no further instructions. Clenching her teeth in worry, Erin braced herself and pressed a big red button with the words "Super Boost -- For Emergency Use ONLY" printed below it. As soon as her finger pressed down on the button, the Red Rose suddenly exploded forward in a burst of power and speed, sending nearly everyone tumbling backwards.

As soon as most of the crew had gotten used to the added speed, some of the more resilient ones crawled inside the cockpit and demanded to know whether Erin had gone insane or not. She insisted that the entire idea was Freya's, who in turn told of the suspicious smoke coming from Alexandria's direction. Erin's actions were then justified and forgiven, but not before a few select people expressed their physical sickness over the sudden lurch.

Because of Freya's "executive decision" and Erin's excellent skills, the Red Rose arrived in Alexandria in world-record time. Sure enough, to the horror of every single crewmember and passenger, most of the castle and city was awash with flames. People were screaming, buildings were collapsing, and beneath all of the conflagration and chaos, the sounds of a vicious battle could be heard. Almost everyone with a mouth let out a curse word as they realized that once again, Alexandria had suffered from an attack while most of its forces had been away. Luckily, "most of its forces" consisted of Freya, Beatrix, and the skeleton crew of the Rose, so things were actually better than they had been when the Foe invaded.

But it was still a horror to behold.

"I cannot believe it!" exclaimed Beatrix as she saw her home being turned into ash. "We have been tricked yet again! Alexandria is under attack!"

"Seems as if we were drawn away to lower the kingdom's defenses," muttered Freya darkly. A spear and a sword were brought out, and soon everyone that had ridden on the Rose emerged out, each of them with their own weapon. Sensing that now was a time for action and not words, Beatrix took command like the General she was and began issuing out orders.

"Erin! You and your crew see what you can do about those fires! Put them out as quickly as you can! Amarant! You and the Hunter should go fend off any invaders! Mikoto! You go and make sure that their majesties are safe! Eiko, Quban! You go attend to the wounded!"

"And what about you?" asked the Hunter. "What'll you two be doing, eh?" Beatrix pursed her lips and tried to think how to best help her--no, their hometown. She would probably end up helping either Amarant or Eiko, or else tracking down the source of this blaze…

And then, suddenly, behind the vicious screaming and the crying and the maniacal laughing, Beatrix's single eye flew open in boundless terror as she saw a ghastly-familiar person in the midst of the invasion. Medium height, dark-tan skin, red hair, black mustache and goatee, red clothes, a cruel laugh…

A tear fell down her face as the realization struck her.

----------

Waaaaaaahhh! Waaaaah-haaaa-haaaaa!! Mommy!! MOMMYYYY!!!!!

Daddy! Daddy! Where are you, daddy!

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Beatwix! Beatwix! Wheh ahh yoo?

Freyaaaaa!!!! Freyaaaa, helllllpp!!!!!

G'haaaa-hahahahahahahaaaa!!!!!

NOOOO!!!!! DAAAAADDYYYYYY!!!!

It hurts!!! It's burning!!!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

MOMMY, MOMMYYYYYY!!!!!

Beatwix, I'm scahed!

Freya… Freya… (sniffle) Waaaah-haaa-haaa…

"Hot enough for ya, kids?"

----------

"Ah!" A second tear fell, and Beatrix's pulse froze as she recognized who it was. The man that was in the middle of the flames, organizing everything, laughing, taunting, killing mindlessly…

"Kyahar Ignus…" Beatrix swallowed, and turned to face her childhood friend, who had just spoke. Freya looked more terrified at that moment than she had ever been, even during those dark days of depression and loneliness when she first came to Alexandria. Her furry face was scarred with tears as well, and she looked so sick and horrified that she barely even stood up.

Beatrix was ready to vomit from the horror of it all. That was Kyahar Ignus! That was the Fire General! That was the man who… who had… had…

Horror turned to rage. Grief turned to vengeance. Trauma turned to justice.

"Freya and I will handle him," snarled Beatrix, pointing her sword at the man leading the invasion. "The rest of you go and do as you're told. Hopefully we'll be able to help before the whole place burns down." The others nodded their heads and ran off to perform their individual jobs; Beatrix, in the meantime, walked over to her friend and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Hey… are you going to be okay…?" No answer. Freya was catatonic, but it was a perfectly acceptable response. After all, one does not always get the chance to be in such close quarters to the one that had ruined their life.

"…Freya?" said a concerned Beatrix. "…Are you…?"

"Let us go," said the dragoon emptily. She slowly snapped out of her trance, holding her spear firmly as ever. "Let us go, and end this suffering, once and for all. Not just for us, or for them, but for everyone." The General smiled at her friend, and couldn't agree more.

"Yes. Let us go, and finish this long era of pain. Let us go, and avenge so many that have been lost already. After you, my dear friend."

"Oh no," insisted Freya with a smile, "after you, my dear friend." Together, the two ladies grinned at each other, turned around, and stared into the fiery maw with weapons drawn, spirits high, and souls united. Together, Beatrix and Freya rushed right into the melee, screaming out to the one who had ruined their lives, screaming to the one that had separated such good friends, screaming out to such a vile murderer--screaming out, like angels.

Erin, Boyd, and their crew didn't know the layout of Alexandria as good as they knew Lindblum, so finding water was a slight problem. The crew of the Red Rose had been a small one, so they had to fan out where they could to look for water. A few buckets were found and tossed, and handfuls of sand were thrown to douse smaller blazes. Boyd eventually found three hoses, and he and Erin and one other pilot grabbed them and each aimed their spray in a different direction. A few of the Pluto Knights and Alexandrian soldiers watched their backs as they helped douse the fires.

There were far too many flames for even this small band, but the pilots did what they could. None were experienced enough to really fight in a battle, so this was really the only thing they could do. There was fire almost everywhere, and had it not been for the help of a certain eidolon spraying half the kingdom in a flood, the pilots would have been up to their necks in flames.

Amarant and the Hunter fared considerably better, though the Hunter's senses were dulled because of the heat and the smoke. They both plowed their way through the thick of the invading forces, and quickly found themselves aiding Steiner and his own soldiers. The armored man demanded that they both tell him what was going on, and in their usual cool tone, they did.

"You!!! What treachery is this!! What is going on here?!?!"

"An invasion," said the Hunter casually. Steiner's face grew red with anger, and the knight leaped up and down a few times to emphasize his rage.

"Grrr, you…!"

"Settle down now, Tin Man," said the Hunter calmly. "I think it'd be best if we fought with our hands and not with our mouths."

"Grrr, why you--"

"Unless you wanna sit and watch us defend the kingdom?" said the Hunter with a smirk. Steiner's anger increased a few dozen levels, but thankfully the knight focused all his rage on the invaders and not on either one of the mercenaries. With that said, the three warriors stood back to back, fighting off everything that wasn't a friend, and with their combined skills, they slowly pushed the enemies away.

Mikoto, on the other hand, was leaping through the fray in search of her "brother" and new "sister-in-law". The Genome and his wife were exceptionally easy to spot in the thick of the fight: they were both surrounded by Alexandria's best knights, including the muscular but gentle Aleila (who had been Beatrix's stand-in while the General was away).

Zidane himself was guarding Garnet with his very life, and often had to step forward to slay a few monsters himself. It seemed all of Alexandria existed solely to guard the Queen, but if one knew her personality well enough, they would understand why this was so. When the female Genome finally joined her "family", Zidane gave her a hug despite the fact that they were all in the middle of a war.

"Hey Mikoto! Long time no see, sis! What's been happening?"

"Zidane!"

"Highness!"

"Hey!"

"Sorry," murmured the King, apologizing to wife, sister, and guardians. "I guess I got carried away. Sorry…" Mikoto shook her head, suddenly turned around to give an oncoming human fighter a mighty shove, and turned back to give her brother a weak smile.

"We can have our reunion later," she said. "Right now I have to protect my big brother and his wife. What kind of an example would I be setting to any future nieces or nephews?" Garnet blushed at Mikoto's reference to children, but all social calls were put on hold as more invaders stormed forward. Mikoto stood in front of her family, and together the three of them fended off the onslaught of soldiers and fire.

With everyone else helping in their own particular way, Quban and Eiko were left to take care of the wounded. The larger and stronger of the two helped carry any wounded soldiers away from the fight, and laid them all in a neat row for Eiko to cure. The little summoner knew that she had to reserve her magic, so she only hit the victims with low-level Cure spells. Thankfully, Quban had a large supply of Hi-Potion, Ether, Elixir, Antidote, Remedy, and even Phoenix Down to help in the effort.

The Qu was busy retrieving the wounded, which left Eiko busy curing them all. A few were healthy enough to only require a potion, and then if they felt up to it, they would be placed back inside the fracas. To Eiko's surprise, hardly any of the soldiers chose to stay out of the fight, and those that did were usually critically injured or missing a limb. Everyone else had an unquenchable desire to protect their homeland from such a threat, and the outstanding honor they showed made Eiko think.

"Amazing," she whispered, watching a small group of soldiers limp back into battle. "I've never seen such dedication before… They must really love this place!"

"Home where heart is!" stated Quban. "Qu Marshes like parts of body to me! If I no protect, they become lost, and I never see again. I have no home then. Marshes belong to me, just like castle belong to soldiers. They fight for what theirs." Eiko smiled at the Qu's deep yet simple wisdom, and agreed with all her heart.

"Hey, yeah, you're right! Wow, so the soldiers are fighting for what is theirs, just as everyone else is, too! And, and, Zidane and Garnet are fighting as well! But, but, most of these people have never even set foot in this kingdom!"

"Not important," said Quban. "Friendship also good reason to fight. I not know you, but I fight for your home if you ask! You do the same, yes?"

"…Well, sure!" exclaimed Eiko after a moment's thought. "I mean, I know Quina, so yeah, I guess I'd fight if s/he asked me to…" Quban smiled at the summoner, then burped out an apology as more soldiers fell wounded. S/he rushed back into the melee to retrieve them, leaving Eiko to think some more.

The summoner took note that most of the soldiers she had cured were people she had seen in that makeshift clinic many times before.

(Author's note: Just to let you know, if this were part of the game, the music that would be playing at this point would be the same when Beatrix and Steiner were defending Alexandria from the Mist Monsters early in Disc 3. For those who have it on MP3, MIDI, or CD, feel free to crank it in!)

"IGNUS!!!!!!!!!"

The shrieking sound of two warriors pierced the chaotic skies, and the man behind this invasion, the "Fire General" Kyahar Ignus, turned away from his slaughtering and wondered who had called his name. Standing there, in the midst of the flames like angels, were two warriors with deadly, legendary weapons drawn. Each one of them had a look of pure anger and rage and justice in their eyes, and both of them looked set to kill the fiery man. He swallowed, snarled at them once, and laughed.

"And just who are you?" he said in a scratchy voice. Both Beatrix and Freya took a single step forward, the Dragon's Hair spear and Save the Queen shining brightly in the burning air.

"Trust us, you'd rather not know," snarled the human. "Let's just say that we were spawned from a nightmare."

"Your only concern is dying at our merciless hands," said the Burmecian coldly. Beatrix agreed.

"You have no chance against us. Flee, and you will die. Stay, and you will die. Fight us, and you shall surely die."

"I have no idea what you're talking about!!" shouted Ignus over the chaos. "I don't know what you two are after!!"

"D'negel!!!" screamed Beatrix. "Do you remember a town named D'negel?!"

"What??"

"Twenty-three years ago, you destroyed a small town called D'negel," explained Freya. "You burned it to the ground, but you never thought that there would be survivors!"

"Survivors?" parroted the flaming man. "What do you mean?" The two women looked at each other, nodded their heads, and stared down the Fire General.

"There were two girls you let live while you were on your campaign," said Beatrix. "One was a human with brown hair and red eyes, and the other was a Burmecian with silvery hair and green eyes. We are those children, Ignus!" The Fire General stared hard at the women, trying to recollect something from so long ago. Suddenly, as the screams and the flames reached a crescendo, his eyes bulged out in terror as he remembered.

"Ach! I, I remember you now! I left you to live in that worthless town! I thought you both would have been killed!"

"A mistake that you shall pay for with your life!" cried Freya as she prepared to strike with her spear. "Sparing us was the worst thing you could have done, Ignus! We are no longer helpless children! We are two warriors, two souls united under pain and torment and loss, two strangers who should have been friends for all their lives, but such a bond was cruelly cut by you!!!"

"And now, we seek to avenge ourselves, along with so many others!!" shouted Beatrix. By this time, Ignus' dark face had turned white, and was awash with perspiration. He quivered with fear, and took several slow steps backwards, as if the distance would really save him from the combined wrath of the warriors. As he turned to run, Freya leaped up onto a building, and threw her spear so that it landed just in front of the retreating General. With another leap, she crashed down to the ground, grabbed her spear, and blocked off the cowardly man's only escape.

He was trapped.

"Ahhh!!!!" he screamed. Freya and Beatrix slowly closed the gap, forcing him into a smaller and smaller pincer lock with each approaching step. "Aaaah, noo!!! Stop!!"

"Stop?" blurted Beatrix. "Why should we stop? You ruined our lives, Ignus! You destroyed everything we had known! There is no excuse for such cruelty! We shall never forgive you for what you have done!"

"But--"

"Enough!!!" Together, the two warriors closed the gap, and to the horror of Ignus, brought their weapons up for one final, great, mighty blow. Together, the two long-lost friends from a village long since forgotten banded together, and cried out to the heavens as they prepared to end all the suffering.

"I am General Beatrix Francine de Alexandria!"

"I am Dragoon Freya Aphrodite Crescent!"

"We are the guardians of Alexandria and Burmecia!"

"We are the warriors of justice!"

"We are fighters, we are warriors, we are mighty!"

"We are comrades, we are friends, we are family!"

"We were separated by fate, and then were brought together by fate!"

"We are indomitable, and we are invincible!"

"But most importantly, Ignus…" And simultaneously, they cried out:

"We are together!!!" The two glared hotly at the General, and with a sudden thrust, they both drove their weapons straight through his body: Freya rammed her spear in his back, and Beatrix thrust her sword in his stomach. Ignus choked and lurched slightly as the combined blows impaled his body, and slowly, his life left him. Together, Beatrix and Freya yanked their weapons out of his lifeless body, sending him tumbling to the floor in a very dead heap.

The both turned around, knelt to the ground, and clasped their weapons in front of them in a prayer of victory. They each let out a weary breath, and slowly it dawned on them that they had done it. They had avenged their past, and their loved ones, and they had avenged a life that never got a chance to start, and a friendship that was never given the chance to flourish until now.

"…Mother…" whispered Beatrix, "I've done it."

"Father…" said Freya, "it is over."

"Brother… sister…"

"Aunt… uncle…"

"Friend… cousin…"

"Men… women… children…"

"Everyone…" And together, simultaneously, they whispered out one final sentiment:

"You may rest in peace now. You have been avenged."

It was over. At long last, it was really and truly… finished.

--------------------

With the help of Commander Erin and her crew, and with the assistance of a certain frosty eidolon, the flames that had ran rampant in Alexandria slowly died away until there was nothing left of them except dark spots on the ground, and ash. A weak victory cheer erupted out of the town as the few remaining enemies beat a hasty retreat, and soldiers everywhere gave off weak smiles as the invasion prevention became successful.

Garnet and Zidane, having been protected by a circle of loyal soldiers, quickly gave orders to a few of their protectors that they should give chase to the retreating enemy. Clerics, doctors, and healers were then called to attend to the wounded, and soon the royal couple themselves were scouring through the town, making sure that their friends were all right.

For the most part, Alexandria had gotten out of that skirmish with little more than a few scrapes and bruises. Since almost all of the armed forces had been left behind to protect the kingdom, they were about as prepared as one could be for a surprise invasion. The addition of the small but helpful band of warriors and pilots that arrived late in the siege had definitely turned the tide in the war, and the defeat of Ignus was crucial. There were very few deaths on Alexandria's part--mostly destroyed property, which could easily be rebuilt.

But with a successful defense came a multitude of questions. Why was Alexandria targeted? Why had Ignus invaded? Was he connected to the Foe, another mighty enemy that had laid siege to the kingdom? Or did he work on his own? Or even still, did he work for another person? Would there be another invasion in the near future? If so, would this new threat use the same tactics as the previous two, or would there be a surprise in store? What was the main reason for all this destruction? Why……

"Why…?"

"Our job's over," sniffed Amarant, giving off another one of his lazy salutes. Both he and the Hunter were slowly walking towards the main gate of Alexandria, and from the looks of it, neither one of them wanted to stay around for very long. Zidane had wanted to know why they were leaving so abruptly, and as always, with abrupt actions came abrupt answers.

"Well, yeah, it is," said the new King, "but… at least stick around to help us!"

"Sorry, son," shrugged the Hunter. "We have other business to attend to. Gotta make a living, y'know?"

"And what sort of business is this?" asked Zidane. A pause.

"Bounty hunting." Another pause. "Rumor has it that there's a very handsome reward going out to anybody that can bring in this girl, alive. It's a new bounty, so I haven't heard about it very much. All I know is that the girl's a threat to one of the most well-known families in all of Gaia. Of course, I wouldn't know why one single girl could ever be a threat to anyone, but…" The old mercenary shrugged, spat something out, and saluted lazily to the king.

"Anyway, the faster we go out there and claim this bounty, the faster we can scare up some cash. It's not easy living honestly, you know."

"Yeah, tell me about it," mumbled an empathetic Zidane. "But, hey, what do you mean by 'we'?"

"He means that he'll be going with someone else," muttered Amarant. Zidane gave the taller man a look and sneered a little.

"I knew that. I meant--"

"Namely me," pointed Amarant to himself, and Zidane froze in surprise. The last time he could recall, Amarant was never one for working with other people. There had been exceptions, like Lani and Zidane's crew, but for the most part, the flaming one was a loner.

"But… I thought you only worked alone!"

"Normally, yes," nodded Amarant. "But this time, I'm willing to make an exception. Seeya round', kid." And with a final weak salute, Amarant left Alexandria castle just as silently as he came, leaving Zidane to scratch his head. The Hunter sensed the young King's confusion, cleared his throat, and offered an explanation.

"He's coming with me because I'm the best," he said. "You know, I used to be Salamander's teacher. I taught him everything he knows, but thankfully, I didn't teach him everything I know. That's just not something ya do to your student."

"Whoa!" blurted Zidane. "You mean to tell me that you were the guy who instructed Amarant?!"

"And your old boss Baku," pointed the Hunter coolly. Leaving Zidane to stand there gaping, the old man said a silent farewell, donned his green cloak, and quietly went off in search of another prey. With the combined skills of the Hunter and Amarant, there would be no creature alive that could escape them. This girl, whoever it was, did not stand a chance at all. Personally, Zidane felt sorry for whoever it was.

But in the meantime, the kingdom had a lot of puzzles to solve.

Slowly making her way through the smoking rubble, Queen Garnet discovered Beatrix and Freya still quietly kneeling, both of them on either side of the now-dead Fire General. The cruel tyrant had two massive holes in his body, from the combined attacks of the two warriors. He had been slain by both at the exact same time, and with the thrust of a spear and a sword, so many people and places and memories and possibilities were avenged that not even Dr. Tot could have tallied them all.

"Hey! Are you two okay?" she asked as she ran towards them. Both knights slowly stood up, their weapons faintly dripping of blood. They both turned to their Queen and friend, and gave solemn salutes.

"We are in perfect condition, highness," said Freya. "We could not be more joyful if we wanted to. This… really has been a wonderful day for both of us." Garnet smiled at the former Burmecian, and expressed her own relief as well. With a sigh, she gazed at the two long-lost friends, and let her facial expression do most of the talking.

"What has happened?" she asked rhetorically. "Why did this invasion have to occur? Was this man, this… Fire General behind it, or was there another still? Do you think he was connected to the Foe? And why are they drawing our forces away with attacks in other regions of the world? Is there some method to this madness, or are we all just witness to a long streak of bad luck?" A pause.

Neither warrior knew just what to tell the young Queen. In fact, nobody could have had such answers, at least not yet. Investigations could be made, and inquiries could be drawn up, but the fact of the matter was that there were too many questions, and not enough answers. It was both a wonderful victory, and a shallow one, for they that win must always be vigilant.

Eventually, Steiner and the rest of the crew joined the Queen, each one giving their own reports. Steiner himself gladly boasted of how almost all the enemies had been defeated, while Mikoto and Zidane backed up his claims. Quban and Quina (who didn't know each other) each gave statistics on the injured, as did Eiko, and Erin and her crew explained how (with the help of the Vivis) almost all of the fires were gone now.

In a sense, Alexandria was like the inner workings of a clock, and the gears had been rotating smoothly for awhile now. This invasion was a terrifying yet brief intermission, and with repairs underway, the wheels were rolling once again, albeit slowly. The only real damage done was property destruction: in other words, unlike the previous invasion, Alexandria had been prepared. Of course, Beatrix and Freya also deserved a little credit for snuffing out the leader of the siege, so everybody had done well and Success was the ideal.

But to balance out all this good news, there came worry and doubt, and fear. Queen Garnet had lots of questions, and everyone else who had fought and bled were in the dark as well. It would take a great number of minds to solve most of these problems, and it would take quite a large assortment of individuals to approach each problem with ingenuity and reason. It would take men of honor, and women of deliberation; it required demi-humans of wisdom, nonhumans of intelligence, and a single tie that bound them all together.

In other words, it would take the Council of Gaia, and so, another meeting was called…

--------------------

"Announcing the arrival of King Zidane and Queen Garnet of Alexandria, accompanied by Lady Beatrix and Lord Steiner!"

"Announcing the arrival of Mayor Huffle of Dali, accompanied by Secretary Holmes!"

"Announcing the arrival of Cid and Hilda Falbool of Lindblum, accompanied by Minister Artania!"

"Announcing the arrival of Quale from the Qu Marshes, accompanied by Qucla and Qudara!"

"Announcing the arrival of Queen Stella from Treno, accompanied by her servant Mei and King of the auction house!"

"Announcing the arrival of Chief Ghiot of Conde Petie, accompanied by Gregory Farseer and Mabel Gatewatcher!"

"Announcing the arrival of Mr. #266 and Person of Chairs Mikoto, accompanied by #44, #8, Giovanni, and Tatyana!"

"Announcing the arrival of representative Eiko Carol of Madain Sari, accompanied by Morrison and Momatose!"

"Announcing the arrival of Bishop Benedic of Esto Gaza, accompanied by Cardinals Gregory and Pius!"

"Announcing the arrival of Grand Elder Vanderhaum of Daguerro, accompanied by Elder Marshal and Elder Stevens!"

"Announcing the arrival of Prince Puck of the Burmecian refugees, accompanied by Lady Freya Crescent and Lord Sleipnir Waggin!"

It was time. The Council of Gaia had gathered once again.

Very little had changed since the last time the Council of Gaia got together. With the exception of those accompanying their representatives, the only real change was the ambassador of Burmecia and Cleyra. Since both civilizations had been virtually wiped off the face of Gaia, only a few small pockets of survivors still clung tightly to existence. Most of that number had integrated themselves into other cities, in order to mingle with other peoples and spread their numbers out, but one might be surprised to learn how many secret Burmecian bases there had been. Freya's relief at seeing Prince Puck alive (not to mention Vivi's) made all of her previous troubles seem trite.

Of course, the other big change in the Council was in the Alexandrian corner, where a new King sat smiling at his fellow representatives. Most of the leaders of the world smiled back at the King, and only a select few paid him little attention. It wasn't that he was unlikable--there were just more important matters at hand than socializing.

"Let us begin this meeting, shall we?" asked Regent Cid, and he pounded his gavel down on the desk to quiet the group. A brief glance around the circular table told him that everyone was ready to discuss business. "Right!!"

"Now," he began, "this entire meeting was called by King Zidane and Queen Garnet, and I think we all know what it is about. Now in the past, we have gathered together to merely give statistics concerning the Mist, and to assure everyone else present that the world is slowly recovering. Today, though, I am afraid that this council shall have to go to war, or to at least a powerful vigil. Your highnesses, you have the floor first." Zidane and Garnet both gave Cid a smile, and rose to their feet.

"Fellow leaders of the world," began Garnet, "we are pressed for time, so I will make this as brief as possible. Alexandria has suffered two powerful attacks within the past year or so, and although we have succeeded in defending our kingdom so far, I fear that there shall be a third, and hopefully final, invasion before we see the end of this. But I fear this last one more than the first, for my intuition tells me that it will be the worst of them all."

"And do you have any proof of this?" asked Vanderhaum of Daguerro.

"No, nothing, except my gut feeling," replied Garnet. "But I am one to usually follow my instincts, so forgive us if Alexandria becomes a little more suspicious than what you are used to."

"There were other cities attacked as well," emphasized Zidane. "Nearly everywhere on the Forbidden Continent suffered from an attack, and Daguerro and Esto Gaza too. These enemies seemed to have the intention of pulling our forces away from us, and striking us while our defenses were down. We've thankfully gotten out of these jams, but I gotta agree with my wife on this one. I smell another siege." The leaders murmured amongst themselves, and one stood up to express his opinion.

"We at Esto Gaza thank Lindblum, Treno, and Dali for their help," said Bishop Benedic. "Without their assistance, I fear that our entire culture would have been buried in the snow. I, for one, express the views of all my people when I say that we would be glad to repay such a favor."

"As would we," said Vanderhaum. "But the important question is, will there be another attack?"

"I would anticipate one," replied Garnet, "but I can't be certain. Of course, if any of us were certain, then there would be no point in talking. We would have already went out and stopped our unknown foe before anything could happen." The old representative of Daguerro hummed to himself, stroked his beard, and sat back down again.

"Tell me, what sort of questions might you have?" asked Hilda. Both Zidane and Garnet gave out tired sighs.

"Maybe a little more than you'd care to know," he said. "First of all, we were wondering if the guy that invaded recently--"

"Ignus."

"Right, Ignus. Anyway, we were wondering if he had any connections: to the Foe, to anyone else, or if he was just working on his own. We'd also like to know why our kingdom, of all places, is being attacked. No offense, but I'm curious to know if any of your cities are being targeted."

"The lad brings up a sound concern," agreed Ghiot of Conde Petie. "His kingdom ain't th' only one that's in danger! Ah'm sure that our own village'll be attacked, an' soon! Ah mean, we was one'uh the cities that got attacked th' last time!"

"And so was ours," said #266 of the Black Mage Village. "In fact, most every city outside of the Mist continent was targeted. But as Person of Chairs Mikoto told me, the efforts to crush our own homes were halfhearted at best. There was just no effort behind any of the attacks."

"Says you!!" shouted Eiko suddenly. "Madain Sari was almost totally wiped out!!"

"Maybe because you and moogles only ones there!" suggested Quale.

"WHY YOU--"

"Is true!" insisted the Qu. "You not have many soldiers. You go down easily. I know you are good summoner, but you are one, and they are many." Eiko's face tightened with rage, but she thankfully used common sense to hear Quale out. He was right: Madain Sari was too poorly-defended, and would have collapsed first had it not been for the intervention of the crew of the Red Rose.

"Anyway," coughed Cid, trying to change the subject, "I suppose that we should all keep an extra eye on Alexandria, as well as on each other. If everyone assists everyone else, then in turn everyone will be assisted by everyone else, so if we all keep our eyes on each other, then there's no way we can lose."

"But what if there really is another enemy out there?" asked Huffle of Dali. "I live very close to Alexandria, so my people might be hit as well! That's two members of this house, struck by the same invader!"

"Dali didn't appear to be a target the last two times," noted Garnet. "Thankfully, your town was ignored during the last two sieges."

"Yes, but there's always a next time." Silence. Cid Falbool stroked his mustache out of bad habit, and began to think of how he could help his "niece". Her concerns were justified: not only was Alexandria in danger, but every other city in the world as well. It certainly didn't seem that way at first, but he also had to remember that the enemy's schemes got nastier and nastier at every siege.

The first real threat, after the defeat of Kuja and Necros, had been aimed at Mognet Central, an irreplaceable part of communications. Next, every city outside the Mist continent had been hit, forcing the armies of the world to spread their numbers. This next attack, if there would be one, might have been the worst out of them all. Only the Creator of that world knew for certain, and until the time came, Gaia would just have to wait.

"Well," spoke Puck suddenly, "let's say that there was an attack. What would we, as a united world, do then?"

"…Probably help out, I guess," shrugged #266. "I mean, if we're all watching out for each other, we can't just sit by and watch everyone crumble, right?"

"The pinty-hat's right!" cheered Ghiot. "This ain't no time fer stoopid squabblin' or vicious greed! Any diff'rences we might've had have to go away before any real peace can be achieved! We've gotta look out fer one another, no matter how small er big we are! Ah'd give mah strength to protect Dali, just as much as ah would to protect Lindblum, and you all should too!!!" A chorus of agreeing voices rose up in the air, and soon everyone there agreed to pledge loyalty and service to any country in need, regardless of importance or size. There was even a treaty signed.

And so, the cogs of war turned once again. The only thing Zidane and Garnet could do was watch, and keep their eyes and ears open. They had to be prepared, for as the old maxim went: "Vigilance is the price of freedom". Alexandria's defenses would be bolstered, and Freya would be vastly occupied with training her soldiers for any future invasions. It was going to be a tense time, where trust would be precious and friends even more precious, and sacrifices would have to be made before any sort of peace could be achieved.

The Council of Gaia continued long into the night, and dispersed the next afternoon. Most everyone walked away from that meeting with confidence and assurance, and many felt as if Garnet and Zidane were worrying over nothing, and that the worst was behind them all. Yet still, even with things as calm as they were now, neither Freya nor Beatrix could deny the fact that they had a bad feeling about all this.

To be continued…