Zidane quickly ran through the streets of Alexandria staring in horror at all the destruction around him. When had this happened? He remembered heading towards the inn just a few hours before...now he found everything almost in ruins. This was worse than when Bahamut had destroyed the city. All he could smell was the smell of burnt flesh and burning embers. What had caused this? He quickly looked around, noticing that all the buildings were either burnt to the ground, or still burning. He gasped softly then ran up to the gates that lead to the moat that surrounded Alexandria castle. An Alexandrian knight was lying on the ground; dead...a large piece of glass had pierced her heart. He cringed then pushed the gate open. Another Alexandrian knight wasn't too far away, also dead. Again he cringed then ran up to the small boat and pushed it away from the edge, leaping into it as he did. He took hold of the oar then began to row towards the castle. Where was Tanis? He would know what had happened...as he neared the other end of the moat, several Alexandrian knights ran past. All were either wounded, or covered in someone's blood. He cried out softly as the boat roughly hit the edge then leapt out, heading towards the main entrance. "Tanis!!" he cried frantically looking around.

Over to the right of the main stairs, Zidane could barely make out the form of a body. He gasped softly as he ran over to it then cried out as he knelt beside his brother. "Tanis? Tanis!?" he cried as he lifted his brother's still form onto his lap. Tanis moaned softly, but remained unconscious. "...Still alive...Dagger! Eiko! Someone!" he cried as he looked around.

"Zidane?" a soft voice asked as someone walked up behind him. He gasped softly as he looked at Beatrix over his shoulder.

"Beatrix? What happened to Alexandria?" he asked noticing that the general was covered in blood...whose? He couldn't tell, but it didn't look as if Beatrix had any open wounds anywhere.

"I wish I knew...did you just get here?" she asked, kneeling beside him.

"Yes...Tanis..."

"He's still alive. Go and see if you can find Eiko, I will watch over him," she replied as she gently took Tanis off of Zidane's lap, placing him on her own. He stared at her for a moment then stood up and ran up the stairs. Beatrix watched after him until she was sure he was out of sight then placed he hands on Tanis's wound. She hadn't wanted Zidane to see this...no one knew of this hidden power, except for herself. She closed her eyes as a soft green glow surrounded her hands then opened them as Tanis moaned softly.

Tanis slowly opened his eyes, looking up at Beatrix. He gasped softly as he sat up, quickly looking around.

"Calm down Tanis and tell me what happened," she said resting her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her once more then got to his feet.

"Steiner and I were discussing something when there was a loud explosion outside. Steiner said he was going to go protect Garnet then ran off. I prepared to go assemble the other knights when someone attacked me from behind..." he quickly replied as he looked around, noticing several dead Alexandrian knights. Beatrix stood up staring at him.

"Come, let us go and join your brother. He went upstairs," she said. He nodded then ran up the stairs. Beatrix briefly looked around then followed. What Tanis had told her was helpful, but still not enough to know who had done this to Alexandria. She tightly closed her eyes for a moment then looked at Tanis's back. When she found out who was responsible for all of this destruction, she would make them regret it.

Zidane quickly made his way down the dark hallway, quickly looking around as he did. Dead knights, Alexandrian, and Pluto alike, lie on the ground. He tightly closed his eyes, attempting to dismiss the grim scene as he passed. He wanted this all to be a nightmare...a horrible nightmare that he would wake up from and start laughing cause he had only dreamed it, and that it wasn't real. He quickly turned the corner and came skidding to a stop, staring down at Steiner, who was lying on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. "Rusty?" he whispered as he walked up to him, ignoring the blood that almost made him slip and fall to the floor. "Rusty...get up you lazy old knight! Garnet may need your protection," he continued as he knelt beside the knight, ignoring the tears that began to fall down his cheeks.

Tanis quickly ran up to where his brother was, staring down at Steiner. "...Zidane..."

"Tell me he's not dead Tanis!" he cried as he took his brother's hand.

"Don't give up hope so quickly Zidane," Beatrix replied as she too knelt beside Steiner, resting her hands on his wound. She tightly closed her eyes, fighting back the tears then relaxed as her hands were surrounded once more by the soft green light. When she removed her hands, Steiner sat up, coughing a couple times then quickly looked round.

"What...? Princess?" he asked, looking around. He quickly looked at Zidane and Tanis, then Beatrix as he got to his feet.

"What happened Steiner?" Beatrix asked as she stood up, as did Zidane.

"I was heading towards the Princess's room when a cloaked figure attacked me...I was taken by surprise when its weapon manage to puncture through my armor then I lost consciousness," he explained.

"We have to hurry. Garnet may be in danger," Tanis said as he and Zidane ran down the hall. Beatrix watched after them then faced Steiner.

"Come, we must get to the Princess," he said as he took her hand then ran down the hall, taking her with him. She smiled slightly as she closed her eyes then followed Steiner as he released her hand.

Tanis ran up to Garnet's bedroom door and attempted to open it, only finding that it was locked from the inside. "Garnet? It's me Tanis...open the door," he called leaning against the soft wood. There was no response. He frowned slightly as he backed away from the door, holding his hands in front of him. He briefly glanced at the other then cast a fire spell on it, watching as it quickly burst into flame. As the embers fell to the ground, Zidane ran into the room, followed closely by Steiner and Beatrix. Tanis sighed softly as he staggered back then ran into the room as well, fearfully looking around. "Where's Garnet?" he fearfully asked.

"I'm...here," Garnet replied as she crawled out from under her bed. Steiner ran over to her, offering her his hand.

"Are you all right princess?"

"I'm fine, just a little shaken up...how are things in Alexandria?"

Tanis frowned as he looked at Zidane then shoved him forward. He growled softly then looked at Garnet.

"It's not good Garnet...it's even worse than when Bahamut attacked," he replied as he looked to the ground. Garnet gasped softly as she ran up to her window looking out over the city.

"Nice way of telling her Zidane," Tanis growled as he followed her over to the window, staring down at the destruction as well.

"This can't be...who did this?" she whispered, looking at Tanis. He stared out the window for a moment longer then looked at her.

"We...we don't know Garnet..."

"Then how do we stop it?"

"We wait and see if they strike again...they'll know that we survived and try to come and finish what they started," he answered as he looked over his shoulder to Steiner, Zidane and Beatrix then looked back at her.

"Why are you always so confident Tanis?"

"Me? Confident?" he asked then laughed softly. "...I don't think confident is the word you want to use Garnet...I'm not confident..."

"Then how do you know that the person who did all this will return?" she demanded as she pointed out the window. He looked back out the window then back to her.

"I...I can't explain how I know, but it is not confidence...it's anything but that," he replied as he turned away closing his eyes.

"You...always seemed confident to me Tanis," Steiner said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yes. You and Zidane were always the ones who told others never to give up, and that it was never impossible to do what you truly felt was right," Beatrix added.

"And if that's not confidence, then what is it?" Garnet asked resting her hand on his shoulder. "It was because of yours and Zidane's confidence that I never gave up fighting...and for that I thank you..."

"I don't deserve your thanks, your highness," he whispered as he pulled his shoulder free, moving away from her. He opened his eyes as he briefly glanced at all of them then walked out of the room.

"What's the matter with him?" Stiener asked as he looked at Zidane. He stared at the door, thinking that Tanis would return. After a few moments of silence, he looked at Steiner then to Garnet. Out in the hall, someone cried out in pain and surprise. Zidane gasped softly as he ran up to the door then took several steps into the hall.

"...Tanis?" he called as he looked behind him then began walking down the hall. Behind him he heard Steiner curse softly then he, as well as Garnet and Beatrix began to follow him. Again someone cried out, breaking the silence.

"It's coming from downstairs..." Steiner observed as he moved beside Zidane. He frowned slightly as he drew one of his daggers then ran up to the railing and leapt over, landing in a crouching position on the first floor.

Before him stood his brother and a cloaked figure...their sword were locked together then Tanis placed his foot on the figures chest, pushing it away from him. The figure stumbled back then leapt forward once more, swinging his sword with the intent to slice one of Tanis's arms off. Tanis cried out as he raised his sword, blocking the attack then reached out and pulled the hood away from the figure's face. Zidane quickly got to his feet, staring wide-eyed at the figure. On the stairs, Garnet let out a loud cry as she, Beatrix and Steiner came a halt, also staring at the figure.

"...Kuja?" Tanis asked as he backed away, staring at him. "You're the one who did all of this!?"

"Of course..."

"What about the Iifa tree? What about the change you went through after you realized your mistakes? Was that all a lie to throw us off guard!?"

"You catch on quickly Tanis. Yes it was all a lie...true I did save all of you from being destroyed, but that was only so that one day I could have my revenge on all of you," he replied as he backed away from Tanis, glaring at him. "...Especially you and your brother," he bitterly added, smiling evilly. Tanis gasped softly then looked at Zidane as he walked up beside him, glaring at Kuja.

"Well we're right here! Come and take your revenge!" Zidane cried as he drew his other dagger. Kuja stared at him then began to laugh. Zidane growled softly the charged towards Kuja, releasing a loud cry.

"Zidane! No!!" Tanis cried as he ran after his brother. As he watched, Kuja leapt to the side as Zidane ran past then grabbed onto his neck, casting some type of electrical spell on him. Zidane cried out in pain then fell to the ground, unconscious. "Zidane!!" Tanis cried as he tried to run up to his brother, but cried out as Kuja leapt forward and grabbed his tail, pulling him back. He cried out in rage then gasped as Kuja pressed a dagger against his throat, forcing him back against his body so that he had no possible escape.

"Let him go!" Beatrix ordered as she and Steiner ran towards them.

"Stay back or he dies," he retorted as he pressed the dagger harder against his throat. He cried out slightly as he placed his hands on Kuja's wrist, closing one of his eyes.

"Beatrix...Steiner...take care of Zidane," he said then cried out once more as Kuja pressed the dagger harder against his throat, causing some blood to run down his neck. Beatrix gasped softly as she rested her hand on Steiner's arm then both of them began to back away. Kuja laughed softly as he and Tanis vanished in a flash of light.

"Zidane!" Garnet cried as she ran up to him, kneeling beside him. Soon Beatrix and Steiner joined her.

"Stay back," Beatrix whispered as she placed her hands on Zidane's chest, closing her eyes. As they watched, her hands were once again surrounded by a pale green light then it vanished as Zidane sat up releasing a loud cry. He quickly looked around then looked at Steiner.

"Where's Kuja...? Where's Tanis?" he demanded as he got to his feet.

"I'm sorry, Zidane..."

"For what? Where's Tanis?"

"Kuja captured him after he attacked you then they both disappeared," Beatrix replied as she stood up, as did Steiner and Garnet. Zidane gasped softly then fell to his knees, covering his eyes.

Tanis cried out in surprise as Kuja released him then fell to his hands and knees, holding his neck. Kuja smiled as he stood behind Tanis then looked at another cloaked figure as it walked towards them.

"Is this the one?" a feminine voice asked as the figure moved closer to them then stopped.

"Yes," Kuja replied as he bent down, grabbing a clump of Tanis's hair and pulled him to his feet. He cried out in pain then stared at the figure in front of him, sensing a strange type of power that flowed around her.

"...Who are you...?" he softly asked as his gaze was met with golden colored eyes that stared at him emotionlessly. The figure continued to stare at him then laughed as a slender hand reached up and removed the hood from its head.

"Names are of no importance right now. You should be more concerned with your own safety more than you are with my name," she replied as golden hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall then came to rest at her waist. Her fair skin seemed to glow with a type of radiance that only he could see. Her golden eyes continued to stare at him emotionlessly as she walked up to him, running her slender fingers down his cheek. He whimpered softly as he tried to move away, but Kuja stopped him by forcing him down onto his knees. The woman continued to stare at him emotionlessly as she smiled a bitter smile. She could easily see the fear in his eyes. "Do you fear me, Tanis?"

"...I fear what I don't understand..." he whispered as he fearfully stared into her eyes. Again she laughed then knelt down in front of him, running her fingers down his cheek once more. He growled softly as he grasped her wrist, narrowing his eyes as he continued to stare into her eyes. "You...you made me say that..." he growled then cried out in pain as Kuja pressed a dagger against his throat once more. He reluctantly let go of the woman's wrist, continuing to glare at her. She smiled as she got to her feet then nodded to Kuja.

"Take him to the room I prepared," she ordered as she turned away, brushing strands of hair out of her face. Kuja nodded then pulled Tanis to his feet by his hair. Again Tanis cried out then was forced forward by Kuja, who was still holding a clump of his hair, as well as a dagger against his back instead of his throat.

"Why are you letting her control you Kuja? You're stronger than that!" He cried as he attempted to free himself from Kuja. He growled softly as he pressed the dagger harder against his back, instantly stopping his struggles.

"You know nothing of the power she controls," he replied as he moved up beside him, opening a door then he shoved Tanis inside the room. "...But you will soon enough," he bitterly added then slammed the door. Tanis cried out as he lost his balance then fell to his hands and knees, tightly closing his eyes.