Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy elements belong to Square. I own nothing.
This fic was inspired by the beautiful song played during the Terra sequences. The verses are supposed to be sung to the melody.
italics indicates Zidane and Kuja talking to each other.

10/18/04: Well, I've decided to finally edit my 3 year old fic. I cleaned up the paragraphs and made it a little easier to read. But the writing hasn't been tampered with. Yes, folks, this is the same exact fanfic I wrote back in 2001. Hope anyone who finds this likes it!

TERRA
N
G
E
L
by ArchFaith

I am the whisper in the wind that
Crouches inside your darkness
I am the loving shadow who
Will take the role of a friend
I am the silver vision that
Will put your all fears to rest
I am the first Angel of Death
What do you say then?

This place. So beautiful and serene. It puts my Gaia to shame.

My thoughts are filled with blue. The blue of Terra.

I can't think of anything else. Except this place I'm in right now.

My mind is set. I feel Terra's pull, inviting me to her lush, brilliantly blue landscape. Here, Zidane...

Zidane...my name. I have no idea where it came from. My adopted father Baku told me that when I was found, wandering in the plains of Lindblum, that was what I said my name was. I couldn't have been more than three or four.....it was so long ago. I'd really don't want to think about it.

I begin walking up the silvery blue path. I don't know where it leads, but I know that I have to go there. Strange, this feeling. Going to a place that I don't know anything about. But I act on this. It's my instinct.

I see a glimmer of gold. It comes from the head of a girl standing a few yards away. Her hair comes down to her shoulders, and her eyes are the palest cerulean. She wears a white and magenta dress that reaches to her knees. And she has a tail. A tail? Can it be? Is she like me?

"Hey!" I shout, running to her. But she quickly runs away. I sigh. Please, tell me who you are. I've been kept in darkness about my past so long. Are there more like you? Where does this path lead?

My mind is filled with questions. She must answer them.

I run up the path, the blueness of my mind pushed aside by my furious curiosity. I don't stop to admire the landscape, beautiful as it is. There are blue trees, flowers, grass, everything...but that can wait. She cannot wait.

Zidane.

I pause, stop short.

Zidane.

"Who's there?" I call out. "Who are you?" I look around. I see nothing. There is no one around. There is no one but blue.

Up here, Zidane.

I notice a large tree in my view. Accordingly, I lift my eyes to its branches. Him.

He sat, silvery hair trailing against the wind, pearl and violet clothes draped across his body. He rested comfortably in the tree, one arm clutching what appeared to be a harp.

"Kuja!" I cried, surprised. I removed my daggers from their holdings and posed for battle. He looked at me and blinked.

I didn't come here to fight you, Zidane.

"Oh yeah? Than what did you come here for?"

Kuja shook his head. Really, Zidane, using words? There is no need for speech, thoughts will do just fine.

I realized that he had been communicating to me through my mind, through his thoughts. I concentrated and send back my angry words to him. Why are you here?

I don't know. I just decided to visit. I was just resting here when I saw you.

Liar! What do you really want?!

Kuja sighed. Come sit with me, he asked, indicating the branch.

My anger had turned to curiosity. He was not being his usual, arrogant self. He had a different temperament. It was strange.

Can I trust you? I returned.

Ask yourself if you can trust me, he answered.

I reached into the recesses of my mind and dusted off my conscience. Can I trust Kuja? I feel like I can. It's a strange feeling, I feel like I have some sort of connection to him. An insane, arrogant villain. But still, the feeling is there.

I artfully scaled the tree and swung myself over to sit next to my archnemesis. So, he began.

So, I answered.

He plucked at his harp, a silver ivory instrumet with gold strings. It produced a melody more beautiful than any I have ever heard. Soon, he begins to sing, a light, soothing song.

You are the whisper in the wind that
Crouches inside my darkness
You are the lively shadow who
Will take the role of my friend
You are the golden vision who
Will put all my plans to rest
You are the Second Angel of Death
What will I say then?

I don't understand you, Kuja, I told him when the song ended.

You will. One day, he answered ominously. He shifted the harp around. Take it, he told me, slipping it into my hands. Sing something for me.

I don't know how to play this, I answered, staring at the ivory instrumet that I held.

Yes you do, he encouraged. Try it.
I ran my fingers through the harp. It produced a lovely sound. Kuja closed his eyes and smiled. Yes. Try it again.

I moved my hands over the harp, producing a varied rhythm. Now sing me something, Kuja asked, his eyes still closed.
I'll try, I answered, gathering my voice. I ran my fingers through the harp and began to sing.

Speak and you know I'll hear you
Crouching here in the shadows
Know, and I'll know you'll find me
Waiting here in the blue
Think, and you know I'll see you
Resting here in my window
Love, and I know you love me
Our love is so true

I can't believe I just did that, I gasp, staring at the harp.

Beautiful, Kuja applauds. I like it.

"Zidane!" a small, high-pitched voice interrupts our peaceful conversation. I look towards the path. Dagger stands there, in her silly orange jumpsuit, looking towards the tree. Fortunately, only I can be seen. Her view of Kuja next to me is blocked by branches and leaves.

"Come along, Zidane! We must find out who that girl is!" she calls. I want to cover my ears to drown out her voice. I didn't want to hear her, or see her, or listen to her at the moment. Or at any moment.

Our relationship was a ghost that lingered after death. She still thought she loved me, but I truly did not love her.

"I'm coming," I told her. "I just wanna be by myself for a little while longer."

"Shall I join you?" she asked, approaching.

"No, it's okay," I replied quickly. "Listen, how 'bout taking Amarant, Freya, and Vivi and going on without me? I'll catch up with you in a few minutes."

She nodded and turned to locate our comrades.

I turned back to Kuja. I have to go soon.

I know, he replied. But I must ask you....why did you come to Terra?

Lotsa reasons, I answer. But in my mind, I was thinking. What was our real reason for going to Terra?

Kuja brushed the hair out of his eyes. Follow the girl, Zidane. She will lead you to what you are truly looking for.

Who is she? I ask.

She was much younger when last I saw her. But you'll have to find out for yourself who she is. He paused, then added, And who I really am.

What do you mean? I questioned.

Nothing, nothing at all, he answered. With one graceful jump, he swung off the tree branch and down to the ground. I followed him, landing on my feet.

We looked at each other for a while. His silvery hair whipped around his face, making him look exceptionally handsome.

I shyly slipped the ivory harp back into his hands. I gotta go, I said. Bye Kuja. Until we meet again.

Yeah, 'til we meet again, he replied. He came closer. I did not back away. A kiss for good luck?

I blinked. The request was strange, but I decided to comply. I gave him a long kiss. I enjoyed it. And he did as well.

We broke the kiss. Goodbye, I said awkwardly, walking away.

Goodbye, he responded. And Zidane.

Yes?

You are like a brother to me. And so I have brotherly love for you.

I smiled. I do too, Kuja. That was no lie.

As I turned and began walking towards the path, Kuja raised his harp and began to sing the soothing melody.

Speak, and I know you'll hear me
Crouching there in the shadows
Know, and you know I'll find you
Waiting there in the blue
Think, and I know you'll see me
Resting there in your window
Brother, my lover dear
Know that our love is true

It's a song I hope will never die. My enemy, my archnemesis, my brother, my love. Stay with me.

Notes: I typed this in about an hour. I've had these lyrics in my head for quite a while. I made them up while I was listening to the Terra theme.
This is the newer version to this fanfic. Thanks to Pink Tonberry's advice, I realized that the medieval speech was just too silly. Thanx!
To all Dagger fans: No offense, but I think the Zidane x Dagger coupling is one of the most boring ever! In most of the fics I've read, the romance seems a little....artificial, doesn't it? I dunno, it's just my opinion. Please don't flame me for that!