We're in May, a month I hearby dedicate to Beatrix! (I apologize for the awful pun).
I'm sorry it's been a while since I've written, and I hope I'll post more since we're finally getting into the meat of the plot. Yes, we're finally there! Where the story actually gains a plot and everything thus far actually starts to make sense! XD
Thanks a lot for everyone keeping up with this story, it means a lot (even if I've only got one review).
Disclaimer: The FFIX, FFVII, and LOST are not mine. Wait… LOST? When did that…? Anyway. I don't own. If I did, Jin and Sun would not have died.
Chapter 6- Rebirths New Beginnings, Reunions
"GROSS-NESS!" Yuffie shrieked. "DARN YOU, RENO, WHY DID YOU BRING ME DOWN HERE!? It's a freaking sewer!"
The Turk sighed. "Yuff, I told you, we're investigating. I thought you liked this kind of thing."
She grimaced, scowling at him in dim lighting of his fire materia, held high by Elena, who was having much better control of herself than the young ninja. Huffing (or was it hyperventilating?) Yuffie demanded, "I thought that portal was under Edge! Not Gongaga!"
Reno merely shrugged, directing them down another passageway. "From what I've heard," Elena started, grimacing into the sewer, "Tseng said that the portal jumps around a lot. That there've been a lot of sightings in a lot of places. One of them was in Banora. I… saw it. But before anyone could go inside it, it disappeared. It was a bright blue portal- just like they say."
Now that was the kind of thing Yuffie liked. Mystery, adventure, guaranteed exploration of a new, unknown place…. She grabbed Reno and Elena's wrists, dragging them along. "Come on, you two! Hurry! We've gotta go find that portal!"
The tree sprang to life behind them. Watching in horror from one of airships, Vincent muttered, "Aerith is in there."
Mikoto looked up at him, fully aware of the invisibility spell Aerith had placed over him before they, too, were forced to depart from Terra. She then asked (ignoring the weird glances the ship's occupants gave her), "And of my brother?"
The gunslinger shook his head. "I know not. But if mine and Aerith's souls have finally materialized into actual beings, she's fully able to be injured down there."
Mikoto stuck her palm on the glass. "Kuja… Aerith… please be cautious."
"Mikoto, was it?"
The genome turned to see Beatrix. "Yes, General?"
Saluting her, Beatrix asked, "We were wondering… if… if Zidane does not come back… will you tell the Tantalus?"
They turned and walked out to the ship's balcony. Vincent stayed behind, giving her a nod and turning his attention back to the tree.
"I doubt anyone could've survived that explosion," Beatrix murmured, more to herself than to Mikoto. Steiner… Garnet… if they, too, did not come back, what would she do with herself? Her queen had betrayed both herself and her country- a country that would no longer have need of the general's protection.
Behind her, one of the Knights of Pluto moaned.
"Captain…," the other moaned.
That's a dang ugly mess….
Mikoto cocked her head. Zidane? She turned to Beatrix. "They are still alive."
The general rounded on her. "What!? Where are they?"
She pointed to a precipice just over the tree. "Over there." Even from here she could see her brother's blond hair, the rugged, dirty clothing of a thief on his back. Under her breath she whispered, "Why aren't they with you, Zidane?"
Judging their distance, Beatrix judged, "The Hilda Garde is probably closer. You, the tall one."
Saluting, the knight gave his name and rank.
"I didn't ask for your name," she snapped. "Contact the Hilda Garde right away."
He quickly ran off, joy bursting from inside. Captain's still alive! We won't have to join that witch's brigade, now!
"Punch it up on the main line!" Regent Cid ordered, barely able to contain himself. Was this it? Were they now calling him to tell him that his niece was… gone?
"This is the Red Rose."
"You're not General Beatrix…. Who are you?" he asked. No no no no no no….
On the Red Rose's deck Mikoto answered, "My name is Mikoto." She cleared her throat and went straight to the matter. "Everyone is alive. You are very close to them."
Of all of thoughts now running amuck through the regent's mind, he remembered that this contact was to make sure he would be the one to pick them up. "What!!!? How do you know!?"
"I can hear him…," she explained. But Zidane's voice was growing faint in her mind. The telepathic link the two shared must have been growing thin. A thought occurred to her. Zidane did know about any telepathic abilities he had, but Aerith did. She was behind this. And if that was the case…. She had to hurry to Vincent; to tell him that they were alright too!
While Cid started his frantic orders, Mikoto rushed to Vincent and reported her findings.
His red eyes lit up, his face showing uncharacteristic hope. "It must be her. And if it weren't for Kuja, Aerith would be here already. Come, we must get down there."
"I see it!" Yuffie cried. "I see it I see it I see it I see it!"
Squealing in delight, she and the two Turks rushed up the light. "It is! Reno, do you know what this means!?" Elena cried. "We'll be rich! The first to explore what's through the portal!"
Reno pulled out a camera and took pictures of it. "Documenting the experience," he explained to them.
Lining up in front of it, he took a picture of the three of them, laughing maniacally with insane, giddy expressions on their faces. "This is it, guys! For the Turks (and Wutai)!"
Before Reno could whip out his cell phone to rub this accomplishment in Tseng's face, he slipped.
Dragging Elena and Yuffie with him, they fell through.
Aerith climbed up the limb Kuja lay on. She rushed over to his side, staring in horror at his broken form, the life slowly leaving him. His breath ragged and uneven, Aerith knew that he didn't have much time left. With a shaking hand, she caressed his cheek. "Kuja," she murmured.
He looked up at her with a milky gaze. "Aerith. I… I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I… that I fell for Garland's trick. I didn't listen to you. I-" A round of coughing interrupted him, racking his body.
The Ancient bit her lip. No tears. Not now, for his sake. Her only chance to save Kuja was Zidane. Mikoto couldn't do it. Sure she was unexpressive, but Aerith knew that she had a soft side- one that didn't prefer violence and blood. Seeing Kuja like this… well, Aerith definitely couldn't care for two people at once.
The process would have to be through Kuja's voice. It was the only way Zidane would trust her. Taking a deep breath, Aerith sent a telepathic message to him. "Farewell, Zidane."
Aerith her him swear. She sighed in relief as he explained to Garnet how he had to leave. So he cares….
"I'm getting help," she told Kuja.
"Zidane…?" he asked.
At her nod, he sighed. "Good. I have… to apologize."
Kuja! Can you hear me!? I'm coming to get you!
"You still have time," Aerith thought to him. She should at least give him a choice. In the case that this was unsuccessful…. "Forget about me and go."
Just shut up, and stay where you are!
Kuja let out a ragged sigh, finally understanding her trick. He too used the same telepathic way to talk to Zidane. "I don't understand you."
Okay, here goes nothing.
Alarmed, Aerith looked up. "Zidane!" she shouted. "Don't you dare jump down here!"
"Jump? Surely even he wouldn't…-"
Then the roar of crashing roots and vines echoed down to them. Minutes later, there the thief was, flying down before the two. Aerith groaned into her hands. "We're doomed."
"Ugh…."
Zidane wearily raised his head, wobbling to his feet.
What a rush!
He brushed himself off and sighed. "Still alive." Then the realization hit him. Laughing nervously to himself, he groaned, "I guess that was pretty crazy."
But fun, a voice inside him reminded him. Something about those thrills just echoed in him. The roar of the train tracks underneath his feet-
Train tracks?
Kuja!
He rushed up Iifa's trunk in search of him.
"Aerith," Kuja started, wincing at just the tender touch of her hand on his shoulder. "Get Zidane out of here. Don't let him die…. Not for me…."
She slowly nodded. "But you'll be coming with us. I can heal you back to full health and-"
He shook his head- the action seeming like a tremor to him. "Garland killed me. A curse…. I-I'm going to… t-to die…."
The memory came full blast back to him. The secret revealed. Garland falling over the cliff. The battle….
Zidane came bounding up to the two. "Hey! Are you alright?"
Aerith sighed, once again nodding at his imploring look. "He won't be hurt. I'll protect you both."
Kuja then turned, slowly, to Zidane. "Zidane…?" he asked, his voice dry and wispy. "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to go…."
Zidane found it strange to hear his brother speak like that. All of the care- it seemed so… foreign coming from his mouth. The thief crossed his arms, staring at him. Everything about Kuja seemed foreign now, but it had a sense of familiarity to him. Someone else had been broken like this before. Red… that "someone" was nothing more than a red streak in his memory, but he knew it had to be true. Just like the blue light from when Kuja dropped him off at Gaia. He must have cared then, too. Just like now. Perhaps… he had always cared. Just a little, at the very least. He just had to ask: "Wouldn't you do the same for me if you knew I was dying?"
With a weary sigh, Zidane sat. "Never mind."
Now a thought occurred to Kuja: "Your comrades were able to escape?"
Aerith felt a small, sad grin come to her face.
"Yeah…. I knew you had something to do with it."
Kuja turned back to Aerith and mouthed, "Thank you…."
Aloud he wistfully replied, "I'm glad they made it." Because I know I cannot.
Zidane shrugged. "Yeah, well… it's our turn to get movin'."
Turning back to Aerith, Kuja looked up at her and subtly shook his head. "I don't deserve to live after all that I've done. I'm useless to this world." Just like I was from the very beginning…. Nothing but tool until the very end.
"No, Kuja, don't think like that…," Aerith pleaded, taking his hand. She shook her head. "You deserve to live too. Everyone does."
Frowning, Zidane quietly argued, "No one's useless…." He turned to him, plastering a smile on his face. It was hard to keep up seeing him tattered and broken beside him. Zidane quickly turned back at the risk of tears. "You helped us escape, remember?"
"After you guys beat me, I had nothing left… nothing more to lose. Then, I finally realized what it means to live…," Kuja said. Staring up at the evening sky barely visible behind the mass of roots now heading their way, he added, "I guess I was too late." A smile on his face, his eyes closed, head turned on Aerith's hand.
At the same time, Aerith and Zidane exclaimed, "Hey! Don't you go dying on me, alright!?" They both looked up to see the roots crash through in hot pursuit of them. Zidane dove to cover Kuja, the roots rampaging in their direction. Aerith shot her hand out, a bright blue force field blooming out around them. This took away the energy needed for her invisibility spell. Zidane's eyes went wide. "Y-you!" he sputtered. "I know you! Aerith!"
Hell-llooo?
Heaven…?
Not quite. Church in the slums.
That church… in the slums... It was so much like Lindblum- where Zidane had grew up- but with so much more sorrow. This place didn't have the flowing joy that his city did. The only source of happiness were something yellow…. Yellow… flowers…?
Zidane's head hurt. What was with these… these memories? He didn't live through these… didn't have these feelings…. But there they were.
Why?
Aerith's eyes widened and she let out a choked cry. "Is it… you…?"
Zidane looked up at her. Green eyes and freckles. Just like he remembered….
Their eyes flew up the roots' pounding against Aerith's shield. Looking over at her, Zidane could tell her energy was draining- and fast. "Do you, uh, know how to teleport?" Zidane asked hopefully.
"Wonderful idea," Aerith agreed. Zidane lifted Kuja on his back- what was with all of this nostalgia…?- and reached a hand out to her. With a nod, she took it and they were whisked away by her spell.
Genomes and black mages around the three foreign lumps gasped as the lumps simultaneously groaned and rolled over, revealing faces. One, a young woman with a black and white headband, mumbled something.
Mr. 33 furrowed his eyebrows and prodded the lump with a stick. Louder, it mumbled, "Vince… Vincent… wh-where…."
Blinking, Yuffie cleared her fuzzy vision. So many Clouds stood around her in a circle with little puppets next to him. "Cloud, did you get a new materia…? There's… there's a lot of… you…." Groaning, the ninja turned back on her face. "I told Reno I was underage. If I'm drunk, Cloud, don't tell Tifa, a'right? Or Barrett. Or, dear Gosh, definitely don't tell my father. I can't take anymore from himmmmmmmmmmm!"
Yuffie snapped her eyes open and jumped up, making everyone in the crowd scream.
Looking around frantically for her two companions, she fell and tripped over Elena, making her screech and throw her off on top of Reno, who also screeched in a very girly manner. The three, now wide awake, stared up at the soulless beings surrounding them. "W-we come in p-peace!" Yuffie started.
"Honest! I'm not here for a fight! Aliens, you need to take their brains, not mine! I-I'm no use to you! I-"
"GAH!"
Mr. 33 and the other black mages gasped, rushing over to the three new lumps that had just teleported in. They found Zidane first, unconscious and covered in deep gashes. Next was Aerith, struggling to keep awake, also mortally wounded. Kuja was even worse than before, but it was obvious Zidane and Aerith had taken most of the damage. Yuffie, Elena, and Reno stumbled to where they lay.
And they were met with more confusion than anyone else in Gaia at that moment. Yuffie reacted first, letting out a sharp, shrill scream. The genomes around her couldn't help but mimic the action, knowing no other way yet to express shock and disbelief. Something like this was way beyond the norm. Yuffie pushed her way through the crowd and dropped down next to Aerith. The two stared at each a moment before Yuffie burst into tears and hugged her. "I died too, then! Stupid Reno, this isn't another world, we're dead!"
Gently, Aerith pushed her away. Hazily, she said, "You're not dead, Yuffie. I'm just…." Then her eyes fluttered shut and she fell onto Yuffie's shoulder.
"Aerith!" she cried. "Reno, Elena, we've got to help her!"
The two nodded. Reno lifted Aerith up in his and turned to the nearest Black Mage. "Please, you've gotta help us! Where's a doctor!?"
"It is Zidane!" a mage called out. He and two others lifted him and Kuja, rushing off to the inn. "Follow us!" he shouted to Reno. He nodded and bounded off.
Yuffie turned her pained expression to the sunset, the red reminding her of only one thing: Vincent.
This chapter was written in one day! I feel proud of myself ^^
If you may have noticed, yes, most of this chapter was direct quotes from FFIX (thank you, Y0 u Tube!). Please REVIEW!!
-WiREP
