Crystal Shadows
By: Dragon-sama
Summary: A continuation fic. Kuja disappears from the Iifa tree after sending Zidane away. Now, fourteen years later, he has reappeared, just in time to face off a strangly familiar evil. This time, though, he's not content to let it happen. A sort of fusion between the Final Fantasy VI, VIII, and IX worlds. Read, and enjoy!
Prologue: The Rage of the Iifa Tree
Time seemed frozen as the two brothers locked eyes. Kuja lay like a broken doll amidst the Iifa roots, Zidane a few feet away, suspended mid-air. The silver-haired genome could only stare in silent amazement, one thing flitting through his mind; 'Why?' One thing was flitting through the blonde genome's mind as well; 'This is REALLY going to hurt!'. The moment was broken, and Zidane went careening downward to impact on the ground below.
"Ow..." Zidane moaned, picking himself painfully off of the ground. He shook his head to clear it. "Huh, still alive." Looking up, he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "I guess that was pretty crazy." Suddenly remembering the reason for his moment of insanity, he gathered himself and made his way back up the root to where Kuja lay. "Hey! Are you alright?" he asked, braking sharply at the gap that separated him from the fallen genome.
"Zidane...?" Kuja asked, opening his eyes and turning his head to regard the other. "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to go..." Regaining his balance, Zidane hopped the short distance and sat down next to him.
"Wouldn't you do the same for me if you knew I was dying?" he asked, then mentally berrated himself. 'Right, Zidane. Why don't you just offer to bury the guy while you're at it.'
Kuja merely turned his head away, trying to sort the jumbled feelings the question provoked. 'Would I? If only things worked that way.'
Zidane was shaking his head dismissively, "...Nevermind."
"Your comrades were able to escape?" Kuja asked, more out of curiosity than politeness. Zidane nodded.
"Yeah....I knew you had something to do with it."
"...I'm glad they made it." Kuja said simply. And he was. Zidane had a life to return to. And him...he only had death to look forward to.
"Yeah, well...it's our turn to get movin'." Zidane said with an off-handed wave. Kuja turned his head back to fix him with a piercing stare. Seeing only earnest determination, he moved his gaze up towards the distant canopy.
"...I don't deserve to live after all that I've done." he stated. "I'm useless to this world."
"No one's useless..." Zidane said sharply, making a cutting gesture with one hand. "You helped us escape, remember?" Kuja was silent for a moment.
"...After you guys beat me, I had nothing left...nothing to lose." he said, still staring overhead. "Then, I finally realized what it means to live...." His voice was softer now, touched with regret. "I guess I was too late." He closed his eyes, hoping Zidane would take the hint and leave.
"Hn? Hey! Don't you go dying on me, alright!?" Zidane yelled, leaning over to check and see if his former enemy was, indeed, still alive. A shrieking from above made him glance up in alarm. Seeing the Iifa tendrils shooting towards them, he did the only thing he could think of and threw his body over Kuja's, knowing it was futile.
'The self-less idiot. Looks like I'll have to bail him out again.' Kuja though, gathering what was left of his power. He teleported his brother as far as he was able, a split second before the Iifa tendrils hit. He felt the pillar he was resting upon crumble under the fierce onslaught. His world dissolved into pain, then...blackness.
The tendrils whipped around angrily. Where Kuja once was, there was only a small ripple in the air, which quickly vanished.
********************
Author Notes: Well, this fic has been bugging me ever since I saw this scene. I mean, the instant Zidane did his matrix thing, this entire fic literally popped into my head! So here we go! Tell me what you think. Oh, and the Omake is courtesy of Starling! Go read our other fics.
***Omake***
Time seemed frozen as the two brothers locked eyes. Kuja lay like a broken doll amidst the Iifa roots, Zidane a few feet away, suspended mid-air. The silver-haired genome could only stare in silent amazement, one thing flitting through his mind; 'Why?' One thing was flitting through the blonde genome's mind as well; 'This is REALLY going to hurt!'. The moment was broken, and nothing happened.
"Um, Zidane?" Kuja whispered, "You're supposed to fall!"
"I'm trying!" Zidane hissed back, struggling slightly in mid-air.
"Cut!" Dragon-sama called, storming onto the set. "Zidane, you idio--what the--send in the techs!"
***To Be Continued***
By: Dragon-sama
Summary: A continuation fic. Kuja disappears from the Iifa tree after sending Zidane away. Now, fourteen years later, he has reappeared, just in time to face off a strangly familiar evil. This time, though, he's not content to let it happen. A sort of fusion between the Final Fantasy VI, VIII, and IX worlds. Read, and enjoy!
Prologue: The Rage of the Iifa Tree
Time seemed frozen as the two brothers locked eyes. Kuja lay like a broken doll amidst the Iifa roots, Zidane a few feet away, suspended mid-air. The silver-haired genome could only stare in silent amazement, one thing flitting through his mind; 'Why?' One thing was flitting through the blonde genome's mind as well; 'This is REALLY going to hurt!'. The moment was broken, and Zidane went careening downward to impact on the ground below.
"Ow..." Zidane moaned, picking himself painfully off of the ground. He shook his head to clear it. "Huh, still alive." Looking up, he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "I guess that was pretty crazy." Suddenly remembering the reason for his moment of insanity, he gathered himself and made his way back up the root to where Kuja lay. "Hey! Are you alright?" he asked, braking sharply at the gap that separated him from the fallen genome.
"Zidane...?" Kuja asked, opening his eyes and turning his head to regard the other. "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to go..." Regaining his balance, Zidane hopped the short distance and sat down next to him.
"Wouldn't you do the same for me if you knew I was dying?" he asked, then mentally berrated himself. 'Right, Zidane. Why don't you just offer to bury the guy while you're at it.'
Kuja merely turned his head away, trying to sort the jumbled feelings the question provoked. 'Would I? If only things worked that way.'
Zidane was shaking his head dismissively, "...Nevermind."
"Your comrades were able to escape?" Kuja asked, more out of curiosity than politeness. Zidane nodded.
"Yeah....I knew you had something to do with it."
"...I'm glad they made it." Kuja said simply. And he was. Zidane had a life to return to. And him...he only had death to look forward to.
"Yeah, well...it's our turn to get movin'." Zidane said with an off-handed wave. Kuja turned his head back to fix him with a piercing stare. Seeing only earnest determination, he moved his gaze up towards the distant canopy.
"...I don't deserve to live after all that I've done." he stated. "I'm useless to this world."
"No one's useless..." Zidane said sharply, making a cutting gesture with one hand. "You helped us escape, remember?" Kuja was silent for a moment.
"...After you guys beat me, I had nothing left...nothing to lose." he said, still staring overhead. "Then, I finally realized what it means to live...." His voice was softer now, touched with regret. "I guess I was too late." He closed his eyes, hoping Zidane would take the hint and leave.
"Hn? Hey! Don't you go dying on me, alright!?" Zidane yelled, leaning over to check and see if his former enemy was, indeed, still alive. A shrieking from above made him glance up in alarm. Seeing the Iifa tendrils shooting towards them, he did the only thing he could think of and threw his body over Kuja's, knowing it was futile.
'The self-less idiot. Looks like I'll have to bail him out again.' Kuja though, gathering what was left of his power. He teleported his brother as far as he was able, a split second before the Iifa tendrils hit. He felt the pillar he was resting upon crumble under the fierce onslaught. His world dissolved into pain, then...blackness.
The tendrils whipped around angrily. Where Kuja once was, there was only a small ripple in the air, which quickly vanished.
********************
Author Notes: Well, this fic has been bugging me ever since I saw this scene. I mean, the instant Zidane did his matrix thing, this entire fic literally popped into my head! So here we go! Tell me what you think. Oh, and the Omake is courtesy of Starling! Go read our other fics.
***Omake***
Time seemed frozen as the two brothers locked eyes. Kuja lay like a broken doll amidst the Iifa roots, Zidane a few feet away, suspended mid-air. The silver-haired genome could only stare in silent amazement, one thing flitting through his mind; 'Why?' One thing was flitting through the blonde genome's mind as well; 'This is REALLY going to hurt!'. The moment was broken, and nothing happened.
"Um, Zidane?" Kuja whispered, "You're supposed to fall!"
"I'm trying!" Zidane hissed back, struggling slightly in mid-air.
"Cut!" Dragon-sama called, storming onto the set. "Zidane, you idio--what the--send in the techs!"
***To Be Continued***