Just a revamped version of one shot Our song that I wrote over two years ago. Enjoy! R and R if you can!

Everything on Zidane's body hurt. On every inch of him there was some kind of scratch from the thorns on the trees that had hit them. The cuts ranged from barely visible to probably inch deep. There were even some cuts with the thorns in them. He dropped the dagger he used to cut through the thorns and collapsed. Breathing hard, he felt himself crying, but he tried to hold in the tears the best he could. This would be over soon, right?

Even though he was hurting and exhausted, he put one shaking hand on the ground and pushed himself up to his knees. Crawling inside the hole he made in the trees, he clasped a shaking, bleeding hand on his still 'brother'.

It took everything out of him to pull Kuja out of the trees. Kuja wasn't, for the most part, hurt from the thorns, but his once flawless body showed the marks of a recent battle. Zidane saw where he himself had cut his brother. There was also a harsh, yet small burn on his left arm, probably from when Vivi launched that wicked Firaga spell. His face looked peaceful, unlike how he had always seen him look. The face in the past always looked confident or insane, but always hid a bit of hurt and fear. His long, shiny, silver hair seemed to frame his face perfectly and emphasized the sophisticated feel Kuja had. His poor clothes though. What little clothes he had on were ripped burned or, in the case of the shoulder armor, smashed in. Even in spite of the injuries and ruined clothing, Kuja just had to have been the most beautiful man he has ever seen, both in action and looks.

Slightly smiling to himself, he carefully set Kuja down than laid himself on the ground next to him. He closed his eyes and relaxed to the sounds of his own breathing. Now that they were out of the frying pan, he felt like joking around with Kuja. Extremely quietly, he whispered to the man beside him, "You know…the first time I…saw you…I thought you were…a girl." He suddenly felt bad for the silent man beside him.

'Poor guy,' Zidane thought, 'This whole time, he didn't want to vanish. All he really wanted to do was live. He's just so afraid of dying…'

With a miniscule burst of energy, he opened his eyes and put a shaking hand to Kuja's almost bare chest. He shook him and said very quietly, "Get up Kuja…"

There was only stillness and silence.

Shaking him again, he said a little louder, "Kuja, get…up…" Kuja remained silent. Fear and doubt suddenly filled him. "Kuja!" This time, though it was hard, he yelled. There was still no response whatsoever.

Kuja wanted to live longer, right? He was awake and talking just three minutes ago, RIGHT?

He's…still alive…right?

Shakily he pushed himself up just enough to see the top half of Kuja. He looked at his chest to see the breathing that was inevitably coming. Three seconds passed…nothing. Six seconds passed and still…nothing. Ten seconds came and passed. He was going to breathe!

How could he have missed his breathing? He would have noticed if his brother had stopped breathing right?

Now that he thought about it though, after Kuja had said his last words, his eyes closed and his face became peaceful. When Zidane's chest was against his brother's in a desperate attempt to shield him, Kuja wasn't moving. His chest didn't rise or fall. When his ear was next to his throat, he didn't hear a pulse. He did miss his brother's breathing.

His body shaking even more, he kneeled over Kuja and shook him with both hands. "Kuja… please Kuja, wake up!" Kuja remained unmoving. Zidane collapsed again, but this time on Kuja's body. He clenched his eyes and let the tears run freely. Kuja had saved him, and Kuja had saved his friends. Kuja was a good man who was really just afraid to die. Life couldn't have been so cruel as to take him away just when he had turned around…

Reality suddenly hit him. Life was crueler than he thought. He had gone down here to save his brother. He was no longer breathing. Not only that, but he had an enormous climb literally in front of him. If he had not been hurt, he might be able to make it back. MIGHT. But now…

In a way, he felt like dying himself. He was hurting immensely, and his hope had died with his brother. He had no chance of climbing that cliff in his condition. Even kneeling up hadmade him feel woozy. He hated the thought of leaving Kuja here, but there was no way he could get himself and Kuja out of this place. He didn't even think he could bring himself to get out…

'Let me die…everything hurts so much…everything. I'm stuck here anyway. Just let me die. Please….'

He was mentally begging someone to take him, to end all of the physical and emotional pain. He was going to die anyway; there was no way he could live if couldn't get out of this hellhole. He wanted something to bring it faster.

He was exhausted; both his body and mind. He willed his eyes to stay closed.

"Promise me one thing...Please come back." That was Garnet… Dagger. In the darkness, he saw her figure walk up to him. He remembered the feel of her silky, now short, dark hair. He could stroke it all day. And her eyes… her beautiful dark eyes. How he could get lost in them. He still remembered her voice. That wonderful voice that pulled him when times got rough, and comforted when he needed it the most. Those few words though, almost haunted him, in a good way if you could call it that. He remembered those words as clear as if she had just said them.

"Please come back."

How could he lie to a woman?

'She would be so sad. I can't die. She would miss me so much… I don't want to know she would be crying. I would lie to her.'

'I…I can't live, though. It hurts too much. I can't make it back…'

How could he lie…to Garnet?

He still had more to live for. He didn't want to know that she would be sad over this. He wanted to be the one to wipe her tears, never to cause them. He longed to get lost in those eyes again, to stroke that soft hair once more. He would do anything to hold her body close and never have to let it go.

Zidane opened his eyes. Though they were still red and puffy, no more tears were coming out. He had made up his mind. This time, it would not be faltered.

"I…need to keep…going…" his voice was weak.

Zidane slowly stood up on his feet, taking care not to put pressure on the body below him. He looked down at Kuja one more time. Though not as perfect as before, he was still probably the most beautiful man he had ever seen, even in death. He started limping away.

All of a sudden, Zidane started humming. It was a small and quiet hum, but it was audible.

His steps were small and his pace was slow. 'I don't have a choice. I have to live. I want to go home to her, to be there for her. I want to see her. I will see her. Until then, I will sing your song and wait for that time. No. Until then, I will sing our song and wait.' He limped one step closer to his destination.