Brotherly Love

Disclaimer: All these characters belong to Squaresoft.

Note: My version of Kuja's death. My first ever non-Grey Wolf fanfic.

The rain that fell around me was a soft kind, perpetrating my clothes ever so slowly to soak down to my skin and chill me to the bone. I hardly noticed it as I stared down at the ground before me. It was a fresh grave. The name on the tombstone bothered me most of all. I felt Mikoto's hand on my arm. It was a small comfort that it was raining, I didn't need her to see my tears.

"Zidane, what is this I'm feeling?" She asked. I turned and saw that she too was grief stricken. Now normally the only emotions she showed was bitterness or anger. No wonder she didn't know what sadness was.

I wrapped my arm around her. After the five years she had been here in the Black Mage's village she still didn't seem to understand the simple things. The others got along fine but not she.

"Sorrow." I said simply staring down at the grave. The soft rain cleared up but the clouds didn't leave, promising more rain later. I felt some one else standing beside me. I glared at the person through my tears. It was Vivi. He looked sad, but then he always did. The soft rain

Good old Vivi. After the whole Iifa tree thing he was the only one I could turn to. The others would have killed Kuja on sight. Yes he survived. I dragged his broken body out and brought him here. The Mages and the Genomes where very scarred at first but as he recovered they started to trust him. After all, if it wasn't for him the Genomes would still be soulless and there wouldn't be Black Mages if it weren't for him.

"Zidane, I found this on his desk. It's for you." He handed over a lavender envelope. Yeah, just like him to leave me purple envelope. I stared at the elegant handwriting that spelled out my name. I could still see him sitting at that desk writing, his pen moving professionally over the thin white piece of paper. I still could see him move the strands out of his eyes that always seemed to be there. I could still hear him laughing, not the madness filled laugh he use to laugh but the true heart filled laugh he had learned here in the village.

I opened the envelope and read:

I've always talked about you, Zidane.
How you were a very special person to us....
Because you taught us all how important life is...
You taught me that life doesn't last forever.
That's why we have to help each other and live life to the fullest....
Even if you say goodbye, you'll always be in our hearts.
So I know we're not alone anymore.
Why I was born....
How I wanted to live....
Thanks for giving me time to think.
To keep doing what you set your heart on is a very hard thing to do.
We were all so courageous....
What to do when I felt lonely...
That was the only thing you couldn't teach me.
But we need to figure out the answer for ourselves.
I'm so happy I met everyone.
I wish we could have gone on more adventures.
But I guess we all have to say goodbye someday.
Everyone...
Thank you.
Farewell.
My memories will be part of the sky...

I found a diamond ring in the envelope and another smaller piece of paper with the words I wanted to hear for so long but never dared to believe that would come:

Go find your Dagger, Zidane, go be happy

I looked at Vivi.

"Are you coming?" I asked, I knew his sons where going but he had said nothing.

"No, I am needed here, but you go Zidane, fulfill his last wish." Vivi said staring at Kuja's grave. I looked over at Mikoto.

"Go brother, he wanted it."

I turned and ran from the cemetery; joy filling the emptiness he had left. I had a plan when I finally found my way to the Mist Continent. Instead of heading to Alexandria with Vivi's kids I turned in the direction of Lindblum…