Title: Even Through Tears
Author: Raserei Hojo
Title: Prologue
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: ZidanexKuja
Summary: When Zidane woke up, he was in excruciating pain. It was eerily dark with small patches of glowing green light. Beside him was a figure, but Zidane wasn't sure if it was alive or not. What exactly happened back then?

Zidane stared with questioning eyes at Kuja, trying to read the older boy's mind. "Why do you look so sad?" he asked softly.

"I am not sad. I am thinking. There is a difference, Zidane."

Zidane giggled. "Then you think lots and lots, big brother!"

Kuja sighed, running his fingers through his hair, and then looked down at Zidane. "When you mature, you will see the difference. Genomes do not feel sadness, and Genomes do not address their elders as 'big brother.' That is proof of them being loyal to Master Garland. If you talk that way around Master Garland, he will ban you from Gaia's monitors."

Zidane blinked. "But Master Garland loves me!"

Kuja looked away. "Master Garland loves no one but himself. He is a greedy man, Zidane. Must you learn the hard way?" Kuja quietly made his way to the terrace, walking slowly so that Zidane could follow. "One day you will see. One day, Garland will destroy something you care about." He plucked a piece of crystal from the artificial tree. "He will force you to watch everyone and everything you love die," he crushed the crystal in his hands and looked back to Zidane, "and he will smile victoriously as the first tear leaves your eyes."

Zidane disbelievingly shook his head. "Master Garland would never do that, big brother."

"He would. He can. He will." Kuja thrust the fine dust of the crystal into the air. It fell fast and hit the ground below without a sound. "This world is a wretched, horrible place. You have never left Terra, so you do not know the caress of the wind upon your face or the sensation of water that flows as a current."

Slowly, Zidane knelt down and pushed the gray dirt around with his index finger. "I don't mind it here. It's just…too bright, sometimes."

"Gaia is a beautiful place. The sky may be blue, but it changes! There are clouds and they run from the wind while the grass bows before the wind! The only thing the wind cannot move is the very earth itself; the mountains." Kuja's eyes grew distant.

"Can I go with you?" He tugged on Kuja's pant leg. "To Gaia. It sounds real pretty."

"Master Garland wants only me to go."

"But that's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair, Zidane." Kuja smiled faintly. "But know this—you and I, we are immortal. We have souls, Zidane! Living, breathing souls! Even if Master Garland succeeds, we will keep our souls. We won't die. But Master Garland has a limit on his life, just as the people of Gaia do."

"If Master Garland goes away, what will happen to Terra?"

"I will take care of it." Kuja nodded. "I will give the other Genomes souls as well! And you Zidane, you shall be Prince of the Genomes! What do you think of that, little one?" He rested a hand on Zidane's soft blonde head. "Will you be a prince with me?"

Zidane shook his head. "No! I wanna be king!"

Kuja gave a small smile. "All right. You can be king. I'll be Master Kuja."

Author's Note:
You thought I was dead, didn't you? Well… I kinda was. A particular someone on this site kinda killed my will to write for a while, but I am back now! Hopefully I can actually update before people mob me for being so lazy. And so you know, I am going to write chapter 2... or rather chapter 1 really, since this was a prologue, right now! So please, review! (Since I am assuming you already read. Hopefully, ne?) Sank you!