Yeah, chapter two is finally ready. I had to make some MAJOR modifications. Sure it was a little difficult, but freedom of imagination is worth it. ^.^ Enjoy.
-Chapter 1—
Alexandria
Alexandria's streets were busy with noblemen and peasants alike. The news of the grand theater opening has everyone scrambling and falling over each other.
It was no different inside the theater as everyone scrabbled for seats and last minute tickets.
Behind the large red curtain, Kuja was running to and from dressing rooms and actors. One of his actresses misplaced her wig and it was 10 minutes before curtains.
"I don't care if you use cotton candy; find a darn wig to use!" Kuja shouted.
The actress playing the female fiend of "The Four Archfiends" ran to one of the back rooms.
"Someone, anyone," Kuja exclaimed, "Get me a moogle coffee!" The silver bird paused and looked at a silent Vivi at his knees who held a moogle coffee. He didn't expect for anyone to actually get what he asked. Kuja thanked the small mage who left to his own devices.
Kuja sighed and peaked out the curtains. The seats were already filled and yet people were still coming in. He looked to the buoyancy over the audience. A vein throbbed in his head when he noticed Princess Garnet fast asleep in her chair. Kuja sipped his coffee and grimaced. He forgot he didn't drink coffee.
"Urgh, Zidane better not show his face today." He said to no one in particular. Kuja remembered the last play(s) Zidane ruined. He made a mental note that the impish thief was not present. A ting of hurt tugged at his chest, but he quickly dismissed it and went about to prepare his actors.
Cecil shuddered at the many bodies he by passed. His eyes traveled from face to face in order to find Zidane.
"I thought I told him not to be late…" he hissed through gritted teeth.
Cecil and Zidane were near each other upon entering the building. The knight lost track of the thief when a tall man mistook him for a woman.
The knight growled, "One of these days, I'm going to—"
"Cecil?"
Cecil turned to see the weapon mister Firion behind him.
The rebel smiled warmly at the knight who tried to return the same expression aside his irritation.
"What're you doing here?" Firion asked walking with Cecil.
Cecil flinched when their hands brushed. "I wanted to see the play. 'The Four Fiends' is a classic." Cecil's smile turned into a scowl. "Have you seen Zidane, we were supposed to be watching this."
Firion raised an eyebrow his pace slowing. "No, I haven't." with caution, he added, "Are you two…?"
Cecil tiled his head then shook it frantically. "No! Heavens no!" Cecil exclaimed. Firion nodded sighing to himself in relief.
In the empty ceiling of the theater, Zidane laid his stomach on one of the wood beams. The thief hated crowds. Zidane thought he should find Cecil, but the knight was only here if he got into trouble. He caught sight of Kuja leaning on one of the scaffoldings that was held by thick wires. He stared at the bird, mesmerized by his beauty and gagged.
"I swear, he sometimes can't be a man…" he sipped his water and got more comfortable. A shadow zipped past his vision. Zidane scowled behind him and shook his head forgetting the thought. The music to the play had started and Zidane hummed with the beat. A crash echoed behind him. Curiosity disturbed him to go find the source.
He followed a shadow and realized it was the Rat Kid.
"Oh, it's you!" the child beamed swinging the saw in his right hand hello. "What're you doin' here here? I haven't seen you in… years!"
Zidane rolled his eyes and pointed to the saw in the child's hand. "What are you doing with that saw?"
The Rat Kid hopped on a wire and began to hack at it. "Having fun!" he answered before the wire snapped. A red lamp fell to the stage and luckily missed a dancer.
"Are you nuts?! What the fuck is your problem?!" Zidane exclaimed in half panic.
The Rat Kid smiled innocently and ran to random wires. Zidane chased after him.
Murmurs began to rise from the crowd as dancers marveled at the fallen light. Kuja gestured them to continue.
"What the hell was that?!" Kuja thought irritated. Another lamp broke to the floor.
And another.
And another.
Kuja snapped his head upward to see the Rat Kid jumping from scaffold to scaffold. The bird squinted and saw another person with him. Zidane!
"What on earth is he doing? Is he trying to agitate me?!"
The Rat Kid pounced onto another wire which Kuja realized rather slowly.
"…is that a saw?"
The wire snapped making the scaffold Kuja stood on wobble and creak violently. The bird yelped and grasped the banister.
"Stop damn it!" Zidane ordered exasperated. Before he ran after him, he saw Kuja on the damaged scaffold. When a second wire broke loss, Zidane wasted no time grabbing it and jumping on.
Kuja shook his head in a daze. All the jerking back and forth was making him sick.
"Kuja!", is the only thing the bird heard before being swept into Zidane's arms.
The scaffold crashed down on the stage sending hundreds of frgments to the stands and ruining the stage. The performers jumped off the stage in fear. Zidane gracefully landed on the remaining stage with Kuja firmly in his arms. An eerie silence befell the auditorium, and suddenly, with a burst of energy, the audiences applaud.
Zidane chuckled confused. He looked down at the other and was caught by a pair of liquid purple eyes. The alluring moment was ruined when Kuja scowled furiously at the thief.
"What are you doing, you fool?!" Kuja hissed. "Unhand me!"
Zidane raised an eye brow in annoyance tightening his grip on Kuja's bare waist. The other stiffened and blushed slightly.
"And ruin the moment?" Zidane pointed his head to the crowd. "They think it's part of the play."
Kuja looked side to side for Vivi. Finding him on the side of the stage, he mouth for the curtains to close. The mage did as told.
As the audience left, Zidane explained the situation to Kuja. Kuja sighed and squeezed the skin between his eyes.
"Why didn't you use magic to fly yourself to safety." Zidane questioned.
"I don't know Zidane? Does the phrase: 'Scared Humans' ring a bell?"
"…I have a tail though?..."
Kuja groaned, "I suppose I owe you one." Kuja murmured.
Zidane blinked and thought. Kuja? Owe him one?
"Nah." Zidane shook his head.
Kuja raised an eye brow. "Really?'
Zidane was about to decline again until and idea struck him.
"Dinner."
"Huh?"
Zidane repeated with a smile. "Dinner. Let me take you out to dinner."
The thief expected a 'no' not a laugh.
"You?! Take me out?!" Kuja stopped in front of Zidane.
"I bet you'd have a hell of a time." Zidane pushed.
"Really?" Kuja and Zidane were chest to chest.
"Yeah really."
"Oh really?" purred the bird.
"Uh…yeah really?"
Kuja turned heel, "Fine Zidane," he turned his head slightly fluttering his eyes with such grace it made Zidane's breath hitch. "I'll be looking forward to your performance." Kuja walked away with hips swaying.
Zidane twitched. "Cock teaser." He hissed under his breath.
'Where is he?!" Cecil looked left and right for the missing thief. After the havoc at the theater, Cecil had the burning feeling the thief was in trouble, or worse, hurt. Firion wasn't far behind him.
"So I was thinking…" Firion continued.
"Zidane!" Cecil called.
"You and I could go out some time and –"
"Zi—wait what?" Cecil squeaked.
Firion froze and cleared his throat. "I said we could hang out. You know talk about this and that."
Cecil blinked and smiled slightly making the other blush. "Sure, a friendly walk."
"Yes, a friendly walk…" Firion trailed off. The word friend stung.
"Cessy!"
The two warriors turned to see Zidane running in an a blaze of excitement. The glow in his eyes was obvious.
Hey Firion can't talk now. Cessy!—"
"Don't call me that! It sounds like 'sissy'…" Cecil murmured and blushed at the pet name.
Zidane scowled, "You let Tidus call you that all the time. Whatever, I need help!"
"Apparently." Firion mocked.
"Oh ha ha. Seriously, Cessy I need to look pretty!"
Firion and Cecil looked at each other.
"Come on! I need to get ready for my date with Kuja!—"
"Wait, Kuja?" Firion asked. "I thought you liked Garnet."
"Pfft, no. Kuja's prettier."
"I thought you were straight!" Firion exclaimed.
"I'm bi." Zidane said plainly.
Firion blinked at the thief for ten minutes before walking away.
*COMMENT ^.^*
