Literature
(Zidane: age 16; Kuja: age 18)
He had gotten turned around. Again. This place was as bad as Pandemonium. No, take that back. It wasn't dark and dreary in any way. But still…
The first time he had entered the library, he hadn't been looking for a book; he had been trying to keep a low profile. That had been several years ago, though—Zidane couldn't remember what he had done that day to earn the wrath of the faculty.
But today, he was looking for a book; the problem was, he was completely lost. He hazarded a left and kept walking. Maybe over there?
But then his thoughts were interrupted as he collided bodily with… a body. Zidane fell backwards, as did the other person. A handful of books came out of their hands.
"I'm so sorry," said Zidane, picking up the books, "That was my fault."
"It's alright." Zidane couldn't help staring for a moment. The speaker was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Coming back to his senses, he stood to help her up.
"Here's your books," he said. "And I apologize."
"Really, it's alright. I should have been paying attention."
"Same here."
"Is there something you're looking for?"
"What, do you work here?"
"No… but I've been here enough times to know my way around."
"Well, as a matter of fact… well, that is…" said Zidane somewhat embarrassed.
"If you can't tell me, I won't be able to help you."
"Well… I'm looking for some of Lord Avon's works, actually."
"No, seriously, what are you looking for?"
"I was being serious. I know, unexpected, right? I'm just an oddball, I guess."
"Well, all the works of fiction are in alphabetical order… so Avon would be that way… but…" She flushed.
"What is it?"
"They've already been checked out."
"Every one of them?" He watched her face get even redder. "You? You checked them all out?"
"I couldn't decide which one to take."
"Big fan, huh?"
"Well, yes. If you need—"
"Same here."
"Really?" She sounded skeptical.
"You don't believe me. But I'm serious."
"Then which is your favorite?"
"Testing me, huh? Without question I'd have to say I Want to Be Your Canary. It was pretty much the book that got me into reading. Not that I'm a complete bookworm… but I don't hate reading. Just has to be interesting, you know?"
"That's a strange coincidence. That's my favorite as well… and it was the book that got me into reading as well."
"Really? Imagine that."
There was a pause. "If you need the books I can—"
"No, don't worry about it. It's not a big deal."
"If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"
"Zidane. Zidane Tribal."
"Zidane Tribal… why does that name sound so familiar?" Her gaze fell to his tail. "Oh!" For some reason she blushed again.
"Yes?"
"It's nothing. Zidane Tribal… aren't you the one who fainted in class a few years ago when we were discussing reproduction?"
"Um… I don't recall… am I?"
"I distinctly remember that he had a tail…"
Zidane turned to his tail. "Tail, thou hast betrayed me again!"
The girl giggled. "You're a lot different than most guys I've met."
"How so?"
"Most guys act like self-absorbed jerks. You're just… different."
"Pleased to hear it. Some girls find my individuality a little… shall we say eccentric?"
"Eccentric? How eccentric?"
"Like accidentally blowing up the pot of chili in the cafeteria eccentric."
"That was you?"
"Um… yeah." Shouldn't have said that.
"So you must be the one my friend Ruby went out with."
Definitely shouldn't have said that. "Ruby… yeah. So you know her. She kinda… couldn't take my 'antics,' as she called them."
"You don't seem as bad as she made you out to be. That is, we've been standing here for a good five minutes, and nothing disastrous has happened yet."
"Can't deny that."
She didn't seem to know what else to say.
"Hang on," said Zidane. "I don't think you've told me your name yet."
She looked embarrassed again. "It's Garnet."
"That's a pretty name." But why did it sound familiar?
"Yeah… I get told that a lot. But I wonder sometimes if people really mean it, since I'm the princess and all…"
Now I feel like a retard. She's the princess. Of course she's the princess. And now I'm standing here with my mouth wider than a damn frog's. "Um… wow. With all due respect, Your Highness—"
"Please, don't call me that. It really gets old."
"I just feel really dumb for not realizing it."
"Then I shouldn't have said that."
"No titles. No preferential treatment. Shouldn't be too tough to remember."
"Thanks."
She was very pretty. Especially when she smiled.
"Oh, Garnet?"
"Yes?"
"In defense of the fainting thing, it's done very differently where I come from."
"And what kind of world would that be?"
"Terra, actually."
Garnet was dumbfounded. "Are you telling me that that rumor is true? You really come from another world?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"You're pulling my leg."
"Nope."
"Really?"
"Really."
"You have to tell me about it sometime, then."
"It's pretty boring, actually."
"You're not getting off that easily."
"Well…" They both jumped as a bell rang, signaling the end of the period.
"I've got to go," said Garnet.
Zidane called after her, "Hey!" She turned. "You want to… you know, hang out sometime, Garnet."
"Sure," she replied. Then she called out as he began to walk. "My friends call me Dagger."
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Life with siblings always goes as follows: the younger siblings get hand-me-downs. But Zidane really didn't consider Fluffy a hand-me-down; to do so would be just plain mean. It might have been a bit degrading, considering that Kuja always had the Invincible, but hey, it wasn't that bad. After that one particular detention, Zidane was continually paranoid that Kuja would leave without him again—though not without reason. So Zidane rode Fluffy to school everyday.
After making sure Fluffy was securely in his pen (He got a special one to himself), Zidane walked down the halls of Castle Pandemonium, taking care to not get lost.
"Ah, Zidane." Kuja was talking to him? That was new.
"What's up, Kuja?"
"There's something I'd like to ask you, dear brother." Dear brother? That couldn't mean anything good.
"Yeah?" asked Zidane, suspicious.
"I saw something that piqued my interest in the library today. Even though said something was totally predictable. You talking to a girl."
"And why did it pique your interest"
"You see, I was seated too far away to hear anything."
"What, do you spy on my conversations?"
"That is for me to know and for you to agonize over."
"Great."
"So I simply wish to know what the outcome was; did she say yes or no?"
"What does it matter to you?"
"So that I know which list to add to."
"List?"
"I keep two mental lists. List A is for you, and List B is for any female who happens to ask me about you."
"I don't follow you."
"List A is a list of all the girls who have turned you down, which currently comes to a total of fifty-eight."
"Wow. That's depressing."
"List B is a list of all the girls you have gone out with, which currently comes to a total of 32."
"Really? Dang."
"Which shows to those of the opposite sex that you go through relationships fast."
"Wait… you tell other girls how many—you sadistic little…"
"It would be most wise if you didn't finish that sentence. Now, out of curiosity… what did that girl in the library say?"
"I didn't really ask her out. We're just friends at the moment."
"At the moment? So you eventually mean to ask her out."
"You're the last person on either world I would ever answer that question to, Kuja."
"I suppose that's understandable. I'll just leave this one as a toss-up for now."
"Whatever."