He wasn't going to live forever , but yet ... he was still alive . He was only barely alive , but still , he was alive .
Not through want of trying , though . He'd been strong , he'd been powerful , he'd even acheived Trance , all in the hope of destroying Zidane and his comrades , and he'd even attempted to destroy life itself .
If he couldn't live , why should anything else ? It wasn't fair , and he wanted to show the world how unfair he found it . Besides , Terra had been no problem for him ... Gaia , he'd not actually destroyed , but large parts of it were either destroyed or in varying stages of dissaray due to him . The world of Memoria beyond the Iifa Tree , the Crystal World , why not destroy those too ? He wanted to teach life a lesson it'd never recover from , and Kuja , consumed by his own hatred , wanted to go about it via destruction . Destruction , death , and killing ... that was what the shared worlds needed .
However , all of this plans had failed . He'd tried to destroy life , but now , by a cruel twist of fate , life was destroying him .
Zidane and the others had escaped , though . He was almost happy for that , and an angry part of him couldn't figure out why .
Zidane WAS his brother though , if not by blood then by creation . Maybe that was why he felt ... almost pleased for them ?
Kuja coughed , a hacking cough , a seemingly loud sound in the un-natural quiet of what was left of the Iifa Tree . He could feel his life ebbing away , only slowly , but he knew it was happening ; after all of that , he was dying anyway .
Had things really been as pointless as he'd thought them to be ? Kuja wasn't sure . Zidane had always seemed to have some great drive behind him , a spectacular will to live that never let him give up ..
Like Kuja , he'd been created to die . Kuja had until recently beleived he could live forever ... but that wasn't true . He didn't quite understand how Zidane went on like that though , knowing he was to die one day ... but all living things die , eventually . Kuja clenched his fist slightly , how could all those people out there live with that knowledge , and still lead depressingly mundane lives ? Didn't they want to make a statement , leave a mark , make sure they were never forgotton ?
Kuja had tried to . Tried and failed , so he felt .
He wasn't exactly aware of the rebuild job being done on Alexandria , but it was coming along wonderfully ; before long , people might even forget it'd ever been so badly destroyed , let alone who was responsible for it's destruction , indirect or not ... many people aware of it probebly didn't know who caused it .
So much for that , then .
Again , Kuja coughed . More violently , this time . Each cough more forceful then the last , each cough more jarring ...
The Iifa Tree fell silent again , aside from the far-off sounds of crunching vegetation . Kuja wasn't sure what those sounds were , but whatever they were , they came from out of his field of vision , and really , he couldn't care less .
Suddenly , a blonde-haired object fell past Kuja and landed with audible impact on the ground below .
Kuja just blinked .
He'd told Zidane not to come for him , and he still didn't understand why Zidane was doing this ... his sudden meeting with the ground had sounded quite painful though .
Silence reigned for a moment .
Sounds of scrabbling .
Eventually , Zidane's head - and the rest of him - crawled onto the niche alongside Kuja .
" ... I don't know why you're here . You should have gone with the others . "
" Hey , I couldn't just leave you here . Besides , I know you'd do the same for me , right ? "
Kuja wasn't entirely sure if he would have or not . Zidane raised an eyebrow , and dropped into a seated position next to his fallen adversairy .
" ... Nevermind . Besides , it's a little too late for me to get out of here now ... you didn't see what it was like getting here ! "
" You don't plan on leaving , then ? "
" I didn't say that . I'm planning on getting out of here ... and I'm gonna take you with me , like it or not ! "
Kuja idly curled up a little .
" You shouldn't bother . I'm done for anyway , I can feel my life leaving me even as we speak ... Zidane , I'm going to die . Can you even imagine what a thought like that does to a person ? What it does to a person like me ? I thought I'd never die , and I saw myself above every creature who had the misfortune of life , only to die . But I was like that all along , I just ... I never realised . "
Kuja fell silent , and closed his eyes . Even the effort of keeping them open seemed to be becoming a strain ... Zidane rolled onto his front and leant over Kuja , shaking his shoulder .
" Hey , don't go dying on me ! I'm gonna get you out of here . I said I would , and I am , even if it takes everything I have . "
Kuja opened one eye and turned to face Zidane . He studied him for a moment , then turned away , softly closing his eyes again .
" I don't deserve to live , not after what I've done . "
" Kuja , everyone deserves to live . "
Kuja's eyes snapped open , and again he fixed Zidane with a long , hard look .
" ... Where does it come from ? "
Zidane tilted his head , confused .
" Where does what come from ? "
" Your will to live . You and I ... we were creatures born to die , and yet we're so different ... in a way , I gave up . I couldn't stand the pain of knowing I was going to die someday ... if I was going to die then I wanted everyone to die with me . And if nothing else is created , then nothing else can die .. I lived , I knew I was going to die , I rebelled . But you ... you went from day to day knowing you were going to die , but you didn't do anything to change it , or even try ... why ? "
Zidane shrugged .
" I dunno . I guess it's not always on my mind like that . I have other things to think about and other things to do ... I had to pretty much create the life I had , but I guess you always knew your meaning ; to destroy ... "
" So ... you think it'd have been better if I hadn't have known my fate ? "
" Not exactly . I guess , it's like , you always lived for the big things ... to kill , to destroy ... but it's not always the big things that matter . There are the smaller things , things like waking up to a sunny day , walking down a busy street seeing all the busy people , having a laugh with your friends .. but you never HAD the smallers things ... so the larger things just consumed you ... I guess . "
Zidane finished with a shrug .
Kuja looked at him , and shifted position a little .
" Maybe you're right . Friends ... I never made any friends . I couldn't . Could they have been my meaning in life ? "
" I don't know about THAT , but they definetly make things more interesting . I guess that's one of the fun things , being able to wake up in the morning and not know what's going to happen , not knowing who you're going to meet , who's going to say what and when ... but again , you never had that . "
There was another silence , then Zidane spoke , this time in a thoughtful tone .
" ... I could never be able to understand what that's like . Or it's more that I don't want to ... friends are important , and life is nice for having them . I guess that would be a meaning for life , just general happiness ... "
The background crashing of moving vegetation became that bit louder , and Zidane was reminded that time was limited . He leapt into a crouch .
" ... and that's why I want to save you . "
" .. What ? "
Kuja looked at Zidane with tired eyes . Zidane smiled a confident smile and extended a hand , his tail twitching behind him .
" That's why I want to save you . So you can be happy too , so you can make friends , so you can know what it's like to wake up on a sunny morning in a warm comfy bed , and all of that ... "
Zidane spoke with renewed urgency as he saw vegetation moving around above him .
" ... Kuja , you've been alive , but you've never really LIVED . And if we go then we're gonna have to go NOW , we don't have much time ! "
" Zidane , I've already said , it's too late for me , I-"
" Don't say that , we don't totally know that for sure . "
Zidane took hold of one of Kuja's hands and started to tug him into a piggyback .
" Come on , climb onto me ... it's the only way we're gonna get out of here , and even as it is , it's gonna be a rough ride ... "
Kuja tried to will himself onto Zidane's back , but he just couldn't do it , and he told Zidane so .
" Zidane , I just can't do it . "
Zidane turned away from Kuja , grabbed his other hand , and - with a sudden burst of crazed stregnth - pulled Kuja onto his back . He grinned round at his passenger .
" See , that wasn't too hard , huh ? Now just hold on t-"
" ZIDANE ! "
Zidane saw Kuja's eyes go wide for a second , he turned to face forward , only to be shocked breathless as the vines from before made a sudden appearence , pinning him and Kuja against the ground .
" AGH ! "
Zidane felt the multitude vines slither against him , just too tight for comfort . He gritted his teeth , and turned to Kuja .
" Kuja ... are ... you ... okay ? "
Breath was hard to come by , and for Kuja , even more so .
He raised his head , and smiled at Zidane . A true smile . A genuine smile .
A happy smile .
" Zidane ... just go . Go and find your happiness ... "
He winced as the vines held themselves tighter .
" ... find your happiness ... and ... and keep on living ... "
Zidane spoke as his eyes misted .
" But what about you ? I can't leave you here ! "
" Zidane , it's too late for me . If you can escape this place then do so , but this is my final resting place . And ... I ... I think I've known a kind of happiness , being here with you and talking about these things ... I never had someone to talk to before . "
Kuja's smile became a little sadder .
" We'd have been worthy brothers . "
Zidane struggled against the hold of the Iifa Tree ... he turned to Kuja .
" Kuja , I see you as my brother already ... "
" Zidane ! "
Kuja looked at Zidane with a look torn between deep shock and immense joy .
He nodded slowly .
" ... thankyou ... "
Zidane continued to fight against the vines , but tried to remain lighthearted .
" No problem ... "
Looking at Kuja again , Zidane noted that he had his eyes closed , and that he seemed to be concentrating hard on something . Zidane frowned .
" Kuja , what are you doing ? "
Kuja didn't reply , but suddenly , with all the stregnth he could muster ,
" CURAGA ! SHELL ! "
Zidane felt cooling healing sparkles surround him , and suddenly the relentless attack of the vines seemed to half itself in power ...
Tears falling down his face , he chokingly spoke .
" Kuja , ... why ? You needed healing more than I did ... ! "
Kuja smiled serenely . He looked tired , worn out , and close to the edge ... but he seemed calmer now than he'd ever been . Kind eyes fixed on Zidane , a soft voice spoke .
" I want you to live , Zidane . I'm not going to get out of this place alive , but I think I'll be happy just as long as I know you did ... "
Kuja gasped in pain suddenly , but still tried to keep his smile .
" So go now . Carry on living for me . I'll always be in your memories ... "
Zidane stared at Kuja for a moment , blank , almost expressionless . A slight smile , wistful though it was , came over him . He nodded slowly .
He turned away from Kuja , and with a final yell , Zidane broke free of the vines , only to hear Kuja's anguished yell as they strapped down on him all the more , with double the force .
" AAAGHHHH ! "
Zidane couldn't restrain himself .
" KUJA ! "
Kuja looked worried , he looked - as he was - in intense pain , but he still managed words for Zidane ,
" Zidane , GO ! "
Zidane held himself still for a moment as the vines smothered Kuja . They didn't even notice Zidane was there ...
The vines seemed to become more deadly efficiant in their job , and before too long , Kuja was entirely gone from veiw ; Zidane's blood ran cold as the screams and yells from amidst the vines fell silent ... and the vines slowed to a halt .
Zidane leapt back to the vines , his hands pressed against them .
" Ku-Kuja ! "
Silence .
" Kuja ... speak to me ! "
Again , silence .
Then as had happened on his decent down the Iifa Tree , Zidane felt Kuja's voice touch his mind .
" Farewell , my ... brother ... "
Zidane smiled sadly as his tears hit the foliage .
" ... Yeah . "
He patted the vines , almost soothingly .
" Thanks ... brother . "
Zidane took a last look at the vines ... and then leapt away .
~End~