Chapter 4 - Never Say Ever; The Death of a Leader
Kuja looked up at the sky, but there was no sign of any eidolon. The rain started to thump off his turning head, and the wind screamed around the centre of the town. Kuja had feared this all along. Garnet was gone, disappeared, transported to another destination. At least he hoped so. If she was dead then there would be bedlam. As it was the crowd were starting to get uneasy, and Zidane jumped high and landed in the ring. He crouched and glared intensely at Kuja.
"What the hell's goin' on Kuja! Where is she?!"
Kuja turned to his brother and looked to the sky above him.
"She has been... kidnapped. At least that's what I think. And I know the man behind this also."
Before Zidane could reply, Kuja sped towards the edge of the arena and jumped, almost flying into the air. Straight towards the stand on which Regent Cid, Hilda and Eiko stood upon. But none of these people were the target that was set upon in Kuja's mind. Instead his body fell towards that of a young man standing right in front of the leader of Lindblum...
"Troaaaaaa!" Kuja screamed as he hit the platform. The young man in front of him simply stood in slience, his piercing eyes almost burning right through Kuja and beyond. The young man's hair was similar to Zidane's, apart from the fact that it was pitch black, darker than any cave that Zidane could have been found on Gaia. He was as tall as Kuja, and his face was placid, resembling a race of people that both Zidane and Kuja were familar with...
"So Troa, you show your true colours at last. I was wondering when you would get it together and finally act like the scum that I knew you were. Now at last I can take you apart with no barriers to stop me."
Zidane joined his brother on the stage, enraged at the events unfolded.
"Kuja! Did this bastard do something to Dagger?!"
"Yes, I believe so. Time for an introduction I believe. Zidane, this is Troa. He's your brother... and mine also."
"He's a Genome?!"
"Yes, he is, a Genome like us. He has a soul, but it has been tarnished with destruction and greed, similar to my own but much worse. You were able to save me, but this guy's been left as a backup plan, in case we failed in our mission to destroy Gaia. He was born to be stronger, faster and better than both of us."
Zidane growled under his breath, and turned to the young Genome standing perfectly still in front of his two brothers.
"I don't give a shit if who you are, I want my wife back and I want her now!"
Troa's expression did even flinch as he spoke back to Zidane.
"That girl is as good as dead. There is no point in wondering... you may as well fall back and stop now."
"Why the hell did you want her?! Why not leave her alone?!"
"Her power was enormous... potenially more than anyone on this planet. She was the first to go. The rest of you are no real threat to me. But you are both going to die now."
Whilst this was going on, Freya and Steiner had snuck to the side of the stage, ready to jump in if need be. Also, Eiko who was standing behind her 'guard', was performing a 'Scan' spell. She could suddenly feel the energy all over her body, pulsating over every little piece of Eiko. She knelt down onto the floor in a cold sweat, her right hand fixed upon the wooden surface beneath her.
("What... no way... there's just no way...")
And suddenly she passed out. Cid jumped down and took his adopted daughter's head in his hands. He looked up at Troa, who was turned the other way, looking at Kuja and Zidane.
"You freak! Who the hell are you?!" shouted Cid as he got to his feet and drew from a sheath on his back a Broadsword. Zidane was surprised; he didn't know the Regent was armed.
Troa turned and glared at the Regent.
"Are you challenging me?"
Zidane suddenly started to power up, and a mass blue haze came over his body. Kuja looked over his shoulder and focused on Zidane. Suddenly the King of Alexandria could hear his brother's voice, but there was no sound coming from the mouth of Kuja.
("I'm going to distract him Zidane. I'm going to grab him and knock him out. Then you blast him with everything you've got, understand?")
Zidane nodded and concentrated as hard as he could, gathering as much power as he could muster. Kuja ran towards Troa, and a beam of Holy energy formed in his hand. There was no battle cry, no shout to signify the attack, but the beam was simply fired right at Troa's back.
And then Troa was gone, and the beam headed straight towards Cid, Hilda and Eiko. Kuja's eyes grew wide and he screamed out, louder than he ever had before.
"..Shiiiiiittt!!!!!!!"
The platform exploded in a mass explosion. Kuja flew backwards into the crowd from the force of his own attack, and Zidane stood his ground, completely shaken by what he had just seen. The dust cleared, and Eiko lay half dead from the massive attack that had been launched towards Troa. And then Zidane fell to his knees, for Cid and Hilda were no more.
Kuja looked up at the sky, but there was no sign of any eidolon. The rain started to thump off his turning head, and the wind screamed around the centre of the town. Kuja had feared this all along. Garnet was gone, disappeared, transported to another destination. At least he hoped so. If she was dead then there would be bedlam. As it was the crowd were starting to get uneasy, and Zidane jumped high and landed in the ring. He crouched and glared intensely at Kuja.
"What the hell's goin' on Kuja! Where is she?!"
Kuja turned to his brother and looked to the sky above him.
"She has been... kidnapped. At least that's what I think. And I know the man behind this also."
Before Zidane could reply, Kuja sped towards the edge of the arena and jumped, almost flying into the air. Straight towards the stand on which Regent Cid, Hilda and Eiko stood upon. But none of these people were the target that was set upon in Kuja's mind. Instead his body fell towards that of a young man standing right in front of the leader of Lindblum...
"Troaaaaaa!" Kuja screamed as he hit the platform. The young man in front of him simply stood in slience, his piercing eyes almost burning right through Kuja and beyond. The young man's hair was similar to Zidane's, apart from the fact that it was pitch black, darker than any cave that Zidane could have been found on Gaia. He was as tall as Kuja, and his face was placid, resembling a race of people that both Zidane and Kuja were familar with...
"So Troa, you show your true colours at last. I was wondering when you would get it together and finally act like the scum that I knew you were. Now at last I can take you apart with no barriers to stop me."
Zidane joined his brother on the stage, enraged at the events unfolded.
"Kuja! Did this bastard do something to Dagger?!"
"Yes, I believe so. Time for an introduction I believe. Zidane, this is Troa. He's your brother... and mine also."
"He's a Genome?!"
"Yes, he is, a Genome like us. He has a soul, but it has been tarnished with destruction and greed, similar to my own but much worse. You were able to save me, but this guy's been left as a backup plan, in case we failed in our mission to destroy Gaia. He was born to be stronger, faster and better than both of us."
Zidane growled under his breath, and turned to the young Genome standing perfectly still in front of his two brothers.
"I don't give a shit if who you are, I want my wife back and I want her now!"
Troa's expression did even flinch as he spoke back to Zidane.
"That girl is as good as dead. There is no point in wondering... you may as well fall back and stop now."
"Why the hell did you want her?! Why not leave her alone?!"
"Her power was enormous... potenially more than anyone on this planet. She was the first to go. The rest of you are no real threat to me. But you are both going to die now."
Whilst this was going on, Freya and Steiner had snuck to the side of the stage, ready to jump in if need be. Also, Eiko who was standing behind her 'guard', was performing a 'Scan' spell. She could suddenly feel the energy all over her body, pulsating over every little piece of Eiko. She knelt down onto the floor in a cold sweat, her right hand fixed upon the wooden surface beneath her.
("What... no way... there's just no way...")
And suddenly she passed out. Cid jumped down and took his adopted daughter's head in his hands. He looked up at Troa, who was turned the other way, looking at Kuja and Zidane.
"You freak! Who the hell are you?!" shouted Cid as he got to his feet and drew from a sheath on his back a Broadsword. Zidane was surprised; he didn't know the Regent was armed.
Troa turned and glared at the Regent.
"Are you challenging me?"
Zidane suddenly started to power up, and a mass blue haze came over his body. Kuja looked over his shoulder and focused on Zidane. Suddenly the King of Alexandria could hear his brother's voice, but there was no sound coming from the mouth of Kuja.
("I'm going to distract him Zidane. I'm going to grab him and knock him out. Then you blast him with everything you've got, understand?")
Zidane nodded and concentrated as hard as he could, gathering as much power as he could muster. Kuja ran towards Troa, and a beam of Holy energy formed in his hand. There was no battle cry, no shout to signify the attack, but the beam was simply fired right at Troa's back.
And then Troa was gone, and the beam headed straight towards Cid, Hilda and Eiko. Kuja's eyes grew wide and he screamed out, louder than he ever had before.
"..Shiiiiiittt!!!!!!!"
The platform exploded in a mass explosion. Kuja flew backwards into the crowd from the force of his own attack, and Zidane stood his ground, completely shaken by what he had just seen. The dust cleared, and Eiko lay half dead from the massive attack that had been launched towards Troa. And then Zidane fell to his knees, for Cid and Hilda were no more.