Prologue

Some time had passed since Zidane Tribal, Garnet Til Alexandros, Adelbert Steiner, Vivi Orunitier, Eiko Carol, Freya Crescent, Amarant Coral and Quina Quen banded together and stopped the genome Kuja, Zidane’s brother. After his ultimate defeat, Zidane and his companions were faced with a new threat, Necron, the eternal darkness. Necron’s sole purpose was to return everything to the zero world where no form of life could be sustained. However, after listening to Zidane’s words on life, Necron wanted to test his beliefs and engaged him and three of his friends in a final battle. After a long and brutal fight, Zidane and his friends prevailed over Necron and were saved by the reformed Kuja. After learning of his brother’s survival, Zidane separated from Garnet, the woman of his dreams, to rescue his dying sibling.

Upon locating Kuja within the core of the Iifa Tree, Zidane was presumed dead by the four great nations, Alexandria, Lindblum, Cleyra and Burmecia, when he never returned. Although he didn’t come back to be with Garnet, his rumoured death was far from the truth. Instead, Zidane was in a coma inside the Iifa Tree. In the period of time that he missed, the world changed without Zidane around. All four nations had been rebuilt to their former glory and Cleyra once again sat atop a tree and the sandstorm had been restored. Peace still didn't regin over the kingdoms however, although the war was over, there was still small grudge that prevented the four nations from flourishing together, but no violent actions were taking place between them anymore.

Heartbroken, Zidanes friends had moved on and each found a new purpose in life: Freya and her lover Sir Fratley married and became the King of Burmecia’s personal guards. Amarant continued his travels around the world as a wanted man, this time with a bigger heart and an understanding of what it’s like to have friends though he still maintained his hard exterior. Quina became Alexandria’s master chef, cooking for Garnet herself. Steiner retained his position as Garnet’s bodyguard along with his partner and lover, Beatrix. Eiko was adopted by Regent Cid and Lady Hilda of Lindblum, thus fulfilling her desire to be a princess like Garnet was. Vivi lived with his fellow black mages and genome counterparts, even having several children and forming a caring relationship with young genome Mikoto in the Black Mage Village. Garnet was officially crowned Queen of Alexandria and lead the people to live more calming lives by putting everyone back to work and repairing the damage that her greedy adoptive mother caused. All their lives had changed for the best and they finally lead the peaceful existences that they all desired, still meeting each other on occasion for a happy reunion.

The same could not be said, however, for Zidane. Our story begins when he awakens from his long sleep inside the Iifa Tree and eventually finds himself faced with a new danger, that he must face alone, when he discovers that ‘someone’ is inhabiting Gaia who wasn’t there before.....

FINAL FANTASY IX FANFIC

THE SCOURGE OF REALITY

Chapter 1

Our Hero Awakens

Deep inside the silent Iifa Tree, Zidane started to open his eyes, slowly. He was dazed from being unconscious for so long. He tried to get up but was stopped by the thick braches of the Iifa Tree. After he fully came to his senses, he managed to move a couple of branches to free himself. After he caught his breath, he suddenly realised something “KUJA!” He struggled through the branches and searched for his brother.

After a 15 minute search, there was no sign of Kuja. “What happened to him?” he said to himself. Zidane looked up and spotted a glimmer of light shining down from above. He picked himself up and headed for the exit.

When he got to the surface, he took in a full gulp of fresh air. “How long have I been out?” he thought “Wait a minute! How am I even alive?!” he questioned himself, before realising how hungry he was. “Man, I gotta eat something. Conde Petie isn’t far, maybe the dwarves have something.” He started to hike towards the mountains.

He found it unusual that no monsters appeared and attacked him, there was no sign of any life at all. He continued his journey until he reached Conde Petie Mountain Path and soon after Conde Petie itself. The entrance however was shrouded in large vines that looked like the Iifa Tree spawned them. “Hey! Is anyone in there!?” Zidane called; there was a deathly silence, “Rally Ho!” he called again, still nothing. “Wow, they usually go crazy for that stuff.” He said. Zidane approached the vines and cut the down with his dagger quite easily. “I guess now that the Iifa Tree is dead, all its roots and vines are as well” he exclaimed.

He entered the village and entered the item shop to find it completely trashed. “What happened here?” Zidane wondered. There were no dwarves in sight, but their clothes were all over the floor, on the steps and out on the porch. All the food was gone as well. “Man, what a letdown. I guess they lived off it for as long as they could before they ran out. There sure was a lot of food last time I was here, more than enough for the entire village. But then again, I might have been out for a really long time. I don’t see how only their clothes are left though.” Zidane pondered.

He searched round the village looking for any survivors. “Hello!? Hello! Anybody here?!” he called out. Zidane sighed, “I guess it’s deserted. They were all so nice as well. It’s a darn shame.” He said to himself and headed for the door. When he got there, he saw that the vines that would have been hanging over the entrance had been cut. “Now that is weird. How could they have died in here when the front door was open?” he wondered. Zidane inspected the vines, “They were cut recently, maybe a couple of days ago. Maybe someone came here to check on them, but their bodies were already decomposed.” He said to himself.

He went back the Mountain Path and started to walk down to the Northern part of the continent. He suddenly had a flash back of when he, Vivi, Dagger and Quina first came to Conde Petie. “Dagger...” He thought. The young Genome picked himself up having found his motivation. “I will come back to you Dagger; I won’t give up until I see you again.”