Thoughts in the Dark
By Grand Lethal
"...Are you sure?" Zidane asked his small friend. An unmistakable tone of worry echoed through his voice. "How do you know?"
Vivi was silent for a moment. "I don't know....for sure. B-but I feel like I'm slowing down....I don't know." He thought for a moment. "M-my magic is taking more and more out of me every time I use it."
Zidane looked mournfully at the boy, unsure of how to console him. "I'm....I'm sorry." was all he could think to say.
Vivi's bright eyes looked at his friend. For one in fear of death, his eyes held a surprising optimism, that seemed new to those who knew him best. "It's okay." He finally spoke. "I've come to terms with everything I-I guess."
Zidane rose up from his sitting position, and began pacing the room nervously. He was quite silent, as he did not know what to say to his friend. It seemed Vivi would have to be the one to break the awkward silence.
"So.......What have you been doing all this time Zidane?" The little mage asked.
"Me?, oh yeah. Um.... basically just trying to find my way here." He responded somewhat unenthusiastically.
The little mage smiled. "Everyone thought that you...d-died."
The very thought twisted Zidane's soul. His beloved thought him to be dead. What was she doing right now? Was she hurting over him? Was she going on with her life as though she had never met Zidane Tribal? These questions swirled in a maelstrom through his head. He could only hope the black mages were successfully contacting Lindblum for him. He supposed they were... they would undoubtedly want to get rid of Kuja as soon as possible. His ponderings were finally disrupted when he friend spoke again.
"H-how did you get Kuja out of that place?" he asked quite quizzically.
Zidane considered the question for a moment, then sat back down on the bed once again; his nerves easing. "Actually," Zidane answered, "Kuja saved me."
Vivi's beady golden eyes suddenly became larger with the exclamation. This was not the response he expected. "How?" was all he could think to ask.
"I saved him from getting crushed by all these crazy roots, and while I was unconscious, he was able to use the last little bit of his magic to teleport us outta there." Zidane responded. He tried to keep his answers short.... he realized his friend probably did not with to hear much in the way of Kuja. Vivi simply nodded.
".....I know your probably upset that I brought him here.." Zidane continued. "I'm sorry." He sighed.
"No, no..." protested the little mage, his head shaking back and forth. "It's okay...I-I realize that people can change."
With that, a smile crept across Zidane's face. "Your great Vivi...you know that?" He stared into the eyes of the little mage. "Were not gonna let you just stop that easily, alright? Were gonna fight this....."
"Yes....we are."
The two boys looked up from the bed, startled, to find Kuja standing, propped against the frame of the door, his arms crossed over his chest.
"That is.....if you'll allow me the honor..." He continued.
Silence floated through the room for a matter of moments, before the young mage spoke up, rather cautiously... "W-what do you mean?"
Kuja sighed as he pushed himself off of the door frame, and began walking toward the two. He stood for a second, before bending down to one knee in front of Vivi, and looking him straight in the eyes. Zidane was completely confused by the situation, but decided to simply observe.
"I can't honestly say that I can prolong your life......seeing as though I obviously have no control over the matter..." Kuja spoke surprisingly softly. "But there is another option."
Vivi squirmed, uncomfortably. Letting this man so close to him sent chills down his spine.... and those eyes.., as warm as they were at the moment, nevertheless seemed to chill Vivi's soul. "W-what do you m-mean?" He finally found the words.
"I made you with the mist.... as long as there is mist, more of you can be made. A small amount of mist still exists within the air....meaning I may have the ability to make....." Kuja pushed himself to his feet, and glanced upward, searching for the proper word. "....To make..children." he continued. "Your children..... beings with your exact thoughts and memories..."
Zidane immediately knew what his brother was plotting, and took the moment of silence as an opportunity to speak up. "Kuja! Your not really talking children here..." The other flashed a curious glance in his direction. He decided to continue. "It just...It just sounds like your talking about....clones."
Kuja huffed at the indignance of his brother. Didn't Zidane realize that he was trying to help? "Well ....perhaps.." He eventually responded, an air of annoyance in his voice. "They will be identical to you.." He went on, turning his attention to the other. "Your memories will live on with them.....you will be the beginning of a new race."
Vivi blinked several times, trying to take in all that he was hearing. "I-I don't know..." he finally choked out. He had little if any trust for this man.
"Child..." Kuja spoke once more, "Allow me to make this up to you."
Vivi kicked his feet back and forth over the side of the bed. He turned he head to see the response of his friend sitting next to him. Zidane simply looked at the young mage for a moment, then nodded.
*****
"What you did for Vivi was.......it was great. Thank you." Zidane said as he lay on his back. It was now dark, and the two had retired for the night. Mr. 247 had informed Zidane earlier that the Prima Vista would arrive tomorrow. He could hardly wait. Sleep tonight was not an option, as his muscles literally ached with excitement. Kuja on the other hand, had been drifting in and out of sleep for hours now. The mages he had constructed took a great deal of magic, and he was quite weakened from the endeavor. Needless to say, he did not respond to Zidane's remark.
"Kuja!" Zidane half whispered.
He could see the mattress above him shift as his brother rolled over. "What now?" He huffed from the top bunk.
"I can't sleep. Talk to me!" whined Zidane.
"Ugh....would you just go to sleep already?" The other groaned. "I've been dealing with those damned kids all afternoon, and now I have to put up with you."
Zidane snickered. The thought of Kuja handling children was simply uproarious. It made him wonder....
"Kuja?" He spoke again.
"Whaaat?" The other groaned in a long fit of annoyance. Zidane paid no mind to his brother's frustration.
"What was I like when I was little? I mean on Terra. Did we get along?"
Kuja chuckled lightly to himself. What a ridiculously stupid question! ".....You were a horrendous brat." was his only response.
Zidane laughed a little. How could he expect any other answer? Yet, still he continued. "Oh, your just saying that." he shot back.
Kuja sighed once again. His movements could be heard from the bunk below. "When Garland was around, everything was 'yes sir, no sir', but the second he left you alone with me, you were up to something."
Zidane laughed a little.
"It's not funny!" Kuja snapped. "Do you even realize how much punishment I had to take because of you?"
Zidane backed off, realizing that he had obviously hit a soft spot. Kuja, however, continued his vent.
"You've always been a little bastard!.... then when I finally rid myself of you... well that just made things worse!"
Zidane was curious once again, but decided it best to hide his curiosity for now. He could see the matress above him move as his brother squirmed uncomfortably. "I'm sorry...." he offered. "....If I brought up some bad memories." The other was unresponsive. Zidane sighed. "Lets just get some sleep alright?" He rolled over on his side and huffed a loud puff of air, his eyes still wide open. He honestly had no intention of sleeping. His simply looked around the room, and let his thoughts wonder. He thought of what Dagger was doing right now.....what it would be like to see her again....how she would react to him. These thoughts made his heart pound out of his chest...so for his own good, he tried to suppress them. Over the thumping of his heart, he heard slight sniffles coming from above.
"Kuja?" Zidane whispered. There was no response from the other.
He pulled his body from the bed, and began climbing the ladder toward the top bunk. When he reached eye level, he saw his brother laying on his stomach with his arms crossed over the pillow, and his face buried within them. Zidane pulled himself up into a sitting position over the bunk, his legs dangling over the side. He didn't ask what was wrong; it was obvious. He simply stroked his brother's back, and ran his fingers through the delicate silver hair.
"It....was...s-so.. d-dark..." The other sniffed, his voice muffled through the pillow.
Zidane narrowed his eyes in wonderment. "What? What was dark?"
Kuja was silent for a moment, before taking in an responding over his tears: "The-the cell." He caught his breath once again. "After I left you on Gaia......He put me in a cell."
"Shhh..." the other cooed. He couldn't believe what he was being told. "A cell?"
"I-I had to live there for....for maybe three years..." He sniffled some more, and rolled over to look at Zidane. "Nobody talked to me.......some-sometimes they forgot to feed me." He looked to the side for a moment, then focused his gaze back towards his brother. "....That's when I lost it..... that's when I told myself that if I could conquer the world..... If I could do that...."
"Then nobody could make you suffer any more." Zidane finished for him.
Kuja just starred into the understanding eyes of his brother.
"Kuja......come home with me. Start a new life there!" Zidane finally pleaded.
"I...I can't." Kuja responded. "I would never be accepted after all I've done.."
"Most of the people have never even seen you!" protested Zidane. "They don't know who you are!"
Kuja sighed. "mmm...I'll think about" he whispered. The two remained motionless for a short time longer, before Kuja rolled his body toward the opposite direction. Zidane stayed next to his brother, stroking his hair, until he was sure that he was asleep. With that, he lowered himself down the latter, and left the room, to wonder aimlessly around town to kill the hours. Soon Tantalus would arrive, and this trial would be ended.
*******
Author's note: I'm really sorry it took so damn long to get this part up. College finals have been going all week, so between writing final paper, and struggling with writer's block, actually getting to work on this was pretty difficult. Please keep reviewing. I love all you happy people! Every time I get a review it just makes me so happy! Hopefully after this chapter I can end this damn flashback and get on with the future of the story. Keep in mind that I plan on this being an epic, which means I plan on following these characters for many years into their lives....so it won't be ending any time soon :-)
In future chapters:
Marriage!
New war, same evil!
Kidnappings!
New ungodly powers for Zidane!
Kuja faces death.....