Okay, sue for starting another fic when I should be working on the ones I've already got started. It's just that this idea has been infiltrating my brain for the last while, I had to write it down to get it out. I still haven't forgotten Amaranth or Desert Rose, and I promise that I'm still working on them. So, please enjoy this weird, messed up, AU-beyond-belief fic!
R&R!
Another Dream
Chapter 1- A Hasty Decision
"One more mistake!" he bellowed. "Once more, and you'll be wishing you were dead!"
His face remained passive, but his hands, clasped behind his back, were shaking. "Of course. My apologies, Master Garland. I will not let it happen again."
The Time Lord snarled out one last threat before turning and slamming the library's door shut.
Gingerly, two blond heads popped up from behind a large desk. "Kuja?" One cautiously asked. Looking around out of fear for Garland to pop in again, he walked over to him and grabbed the edge of his white shirt. "Is Garland mad we're gone again?"
He swallowed hard, nodding. "I shouldn't have agreed to let you skip class again," he murmured, more to himself than to his six-year-old brother, Zidane.
The next halo of blond hair walked out. Mikoto frowned at them both, her bright blue eyes filling with tears. "I don't want to go back. Garland… tells us things that I think are bad. Kuja, when can we leave?"
"…I'm not sure," he finally admitted. The two's faces fell. After weeks of promising them that he would get them and himself away from Garland and Terra, Kuja finally had to admit that he had no idea how to bring this to reality. It wasn't like there was any place left to go, anyway. Terra was long dead- aside from the soulless genomes inhabiting Bran Bal outside of Castle Pandaemonium. But with Garland constantly checking in on them, it wouldn't be long before he discovered his three "children" hiding among them.
Zidane took Mikoto's hand trustingly. Kuja felt sick to his stomach as he told her, "Kuja will figure something out! He always does, doesn't he?"
A small smile came to her face. She looked up at Kuja and said, "Thank you."
His hands were shaking again. They were just children, willing to believe anything that was told to them. If Garland gave them a childhood filled with lessons of death and war, how would they turn out? How long would it take before they too turned against their only older brother? Kuja hadn't once agreed with Garland, so he had immediately been turned into the black sheep of his genomes. He didn't look like them either. It was if fate, too, was separating him from the rest- to point out how he didn't fit in. But Zidane and Mikoto- who could have been confused for twins had they not been a year apart in age- didn't care about how he was Garland's "failed creation" and had decided to follow him wherever he went.
It was certainly good to have someone on his side- but two toddlers couldn't do much for him.
But he could certainly do a lot for them, being the oldest at eleven. It wasn't much to brag about, however. Every time Kuja found a way to get them out of another war lesson, Garland came up with another way to threaten him. This last time had certainly sounded legit, and Kuja wasn't about to test him one more time to see if he'd follow through with his threats.
If Kuja was going to get them out before it was too late, it had to be tonight.
"I'll tell you what," Kuja proposed, kneeling down to their short levels. "Tonight we'll go on a little trip. Pack everything you can and be in my room straight after Garland calls for curfew, alright? Anything you want to bring along, you have to pack. We won't be coming back here again."
"Ever?" Zidane asked.
Kuja nodded. "Ever. Plushies, anything lucky- you better bring them along. If not, you'll never see them again."
Mikoto nodded, still holding on tight to Zidane's hand. "We'll go pack right away."
He smiled. "Good. And don't let Garland see you."
((((()))))
Kuja pulled Mikoto's white and red cloak tighter around her, seeing her already shivering in Terra's cool night air. He hoped that wherever they next would go wouldn't be as cold as Terra.
He had only heard of the spell once, and had never before practiced it.
Oh, he hoped it worked, because it was loud and flashy.
Kuja didn't like loud and flashy, at all.
He put Zidane and Mikoto together, strictly telling them that if they got separated during the spell, it would be a long time before they got back together. The two solemnly nodded, looking expectantly to him.
Taking a deep breath, Kuja stuck his hands out and started to chant. Zidane and Mikoto remained dead silent, staring at him in awe. Zidane looked down at Mikoto, biting her lip and fist coiled tight at her side. He gave her a reassuring smile, calming her nerves just a little.
Wind started to pick up around the three, and their bodies started to fade. Kuja turned and quickly grabbed the two. "Whatever you do," he shouted over the roaring gales, "don't let go of me!"
With their eyes shut tight, clinging tight to each other, the spell whisked them away.
Lindblum
"Gah, where's Blank? I told that runt to be back 'ere by dusk!"
"W-we don't know, Boss, swear. We turned around, and he wasn't there anymore."
Baku fumed and considered beating the truth out of Cinna and Marcus, but they actually looked truthful, for once in their miserable, conniving lives. Instead, Baku grumbled out every curse in the book and grabbed his coat. "Well, we gotta go find the brat. It's the middle of winter, and I ain't about to waste any firewood thawing the brat out. RUBY! GET YERSELF DOWN HERE!"
In a bolt of mint green and old leather, Ruby flashed down to the hideout's den. "Ya called, Boss?"
"We're going out to get Blank. Keep down the fort, a'right? Keep the fire going."
She nodded and plopped down on a holey, stained couch. "Don't ya be worrin' yaself, Boss. I'll take good care ah the place."
"I told you! I can't go without them!"
"But you'll freeze ta death out here!"
Baku burst out onto the quiet streets of Lindblum to see a ragged, washed-rat-looking boy with bright silver hair standing (or, rather, limping) next to Blank. He was surprised to see tears in the kid's eyes. "Ah… what're ya doin out in the cold wearing that, boy!" he burst, more out of surprise than scorn. Baku grabbed him by the arm and dragged him in. "You go sit by the fire. Who're ya looking for?"
"M-my siblings," he stuttered, being led inside by Blank, Cinna, and Marcus. Ruby was already off to the kitchen to get some hot tea. "Zidane and Mikoto. They're blond; they don't look like me."
He frowned, turning back outside. The snow had picked up, and two kids lost wearing thin clothes like his weren't going to last long in that kind of weather. "I'll be back. Ya'll keep out of trouble, ya hear?"
"Kay, Boss!" they echoed in unison.
((((()))))
"Z-Zidane?"
Mikoto rolled over on her stomach, rubbing her eyes. "Zidane? Kuja?" she asked louder, her quiet voice lost to the silent city. Snow littered the streets so unlike anything she had seen before. She cocked her head, seeing a light moving towards her. Mikoto stumbled to her feet, calling out to it. "Hello?"
A cloaked figure hurried over to her. "A child?" he asked, agape under a thick hood of his parka. "What are you doing out here alone? You'll catch your death!"
She shivered in agreement to that, hugging onto him. "Please, sir, can I get to somewhere warm?"
He blinked, surprised to see her act with so much audacity. Hadn't anyone told her to be wary of strangers? Or was she really that desperate? Even so, it didn't matter, and the Regent Cid of Lindblum wasn't about to let this poor girl freeze.
Cid picked her up in his arms, receiving no complaint from her, and rushed off to rejoin his guard patrol. "Keep watching the streets. Should anything be affected by the snow, come to tell me. I must get her back to the castle."
His captain saluted him and ordered his men off.
((((()))))
Zidane bolted upright, knocking snow off of him. He shook with a chill and jumped up to his feet, looking around frantically for Kuja and Mikoto. Where were they?
All around him were rocks rising high into the night sky, and forestry from which came unknown sounds came from. Zidane backed up to the cliffside, frightened. "Kuja?" he called out hopefully. "Mikoto?"
"You came from another world, did you not?"
Zidane yelped and turned to an old man, grinning and stroking his long beard. "I am Ramuh, and I think I might be able to help you out, Terran."
He furrowed golden eyebrows. "Help me get back to Kuja and Mikoto?"
"Yes. Kuja has found a warm place to stay the night, as has Mikoto. Now, I must ask you. Where will you go? This is Pinnacle Rocks, an area inhabited by only fiends and myself. I'm afraid you won't find a home here."
"Where are they?" Zidane asked, nervously turning to the forest where a howl erupted amidst the cacophony of snarls and screeches.
"With Tantalus and the Regents, Cid and Hilda."
Zidane looked hopelessly confused as to what a Tantalus was, and who these Regents were. Ramuh sighed and led him up a path, taking notice to his shivering. He was ill-prepared for the winter, that was for sure. Ramuh thought to skip the explanations and gave him his choices. "There are two places for you to go. Would you rather stay with your brother and amongst a band of thieves, or with your sister and a castle belonging to the ruling regents of Lindblum, the city just above us?"
"They're not together?" he breathed fearfully.
Ramuh shook his head. "No, they are not."
Zidane's distraught face looked down to the ground. "I…," he swallowed hard. "I want to be with them both. Take me somewhere that I can see them both all the time."
He nodded. "A wise decision. We will have to go farther than Lindblum. A place called Alexandria- Tantalus visits there often, as do the Regents. The Queen has recently lost her daughter to illness, and the castle is in a frenzy to find another heir. Perhaps they can spare room for two," he mused, looking over the boy. "Queen Brahne is a good person. She took in that survivor from Madain Sari, so I'm positive she'll do the same for you. You do look somewhat like the King."
Zidane's head swam with all of this. Queen Brahne? Madain Sari? Alexandria?
Listen close. This world next to ours, called Gaia, houses many plentiful lands. There are four continents, but only one has enough souls to bother with. The Mist Continent, named after the byproduct from the Iifa tree. There are several locations on this Continent, Alexandria, Lindblum, and Burmecia being the largest. One day, I will have you two go to Gaia and initiate a war to regulate the soul intake onto Terra. It won't be long before Terra is teeming with an abundant life much like Gaia.
"Terran?"
Zidane snapped back to attention, looking up at Ramuh. "My name is Zidane."
The old man nodded thoughtfully. "Zidane, hmm? In another life, I think I may have met you…."
"Another… life?" he slowly asked.
Ramuh waved the thought away. "Never mind that. If it's what you want, I'll get to Alexandria. But this is my protected place and I cannot come to Alexandria to take you back should you change your mind."
Zidane nodded. "Then, please, take me to Alexandria."
He nodded and lifted his staff high into the air. Lightning struck it, making Ramuh glow with power. "Alexandria it is, then, Ter- ah, Zidane."
In one flash of light, they were gone.
Alexandria
The esteemed Captain Steiner of the Knights of Pluto had certainly seen many things in his life, but none stranger than the sight of a child and a wizard teleport inside the Queen's throne room. He had his sword drawn immediately, brandishing the blade to the two intruders. "Where have you come from, and why do you invade-"
"Calm down, Steiner," King Azural said, calmly turning to the two himself. "You are Ramuh, one of the former guardians of Madain Sari?"
He nodded and pushed Zidane forward. His eyes were bright and wide at the grand throne room, looking over the King, the Queen, and the frightened black-haired girl by their sides. Steiner and another woman stood on either side of the royals, both posed and ready to attack should the visit turn ill-intended. "This boy here is a survivor himself, much like your daughter."
The girl shyly looked up at him in confusion. The Queen grimly pulled her closer to her. "From where? Why have you come to us?"
"A prophecy," Ramuh said. Zidane turned to him, confused. How did a prophecy come into this mess? "It shall come to pass that one day a man from the heavens shall come, seeking the power of the guardians of Madain Sari. He'll be looking for this boy as well as the princess, so I am requesting that you take him under your wing and keep him safe."
Azural and Brahne exchanged fearful looks. "Alright, we shall. Have you informed Cid and King Renas of this prophecy?"
He dipped his head. "I shall hurry to them right away." Ramuh turned away from them and again lifted his staff. Zidane waited to see lightning crash through the roof and strike it again, but he only flashed away without the elaborate show of magic.
Zidane felt the eyes of people in the room zone in on him, who simply stood there in mute silence. Finally, Brahne spoke. "What's your name?"
"…I'm Zidane. Um, your majesty," he added after a second thought.
"Zidane?" the little girl asked, popping up over the queen's fat arm. "I'm Garnet."
Something seemed to knock the breath out of him. Garnet, Garnet…. Where had he heard that from before?
Brahne nodded to the woman at her side. "Beatrix, get the dear a room. He must've been outside in the snow."
Zidane looked down to see a puddle of melted snow around him. Embarrassed, he looked down at the ground and refused to meet the General's eyes. "Follow me," she said softly.
He nodded and trudged after her.