Early in the morning Mallory felt something soft brushing against her cheek from under the tree where she had been sleeping. She rolled over and pushed some of her chestnut hair out of her eyes. When her vision focused, she saw Kuja brushing his soft fingers against her face. It took her a moment to comprehend, but she sat up and slapped his hand away. "How dare you presume you may touch me in such a way! You…you…"
"Kuja," he purred.
"Kuja," she repeated. Then she noticed the huge dragon behind him. She stood up and pressed herself against the tree, full of fear. "Oh my gods…"
Kuja turned and looked at the Silver Dragon, then back at Mallory. "It's quite all right. She's mine."
"Really?" Mallory's muscles relaxed and she stared at the dragon. It took a step toward her and stared back. It pressed its nose into her chest and made a rumbling sound in its throat. "See? She's friendly."
Mallory gently patted it on the nose and it withdrew its head slowly. "Wow, a dragon all your own…"
Kuja got on with the help of the dragon and offered his hand. "May I ask your name, my little bird?"
She gave him her hand. "It's Mallory." She pulled her up and she sat behind him.
"Hold on," Kuja said, gently placing his hands on the Silver Dragon's back. It leapt into the air and flapped its powerful wings under them. Mallory gasped in surprise and gripped Kuja's sides. The dragon turned north and flew into the horizon.
"I wanted to ask you something…" Mallory said softly, trying not to feel sick, even on the smooth ride.
"Yes?"
"Why did you tell me to escape Alexandria? How did you know that would happen?"
"You really want to know?"
"…Yes."
"I did it. I destroyed Alexandria."
Mallory gasped and shot up from his shoulder where she had been resting her head.
"What?! Why?!"
"It's too long and too tragic of a story, my little bird…Not something for someone such as you to hear." He reached his hand back and stroked her hair. She wanted to slap his hand away again, but she didn't.
"Well…why did you save me?"
Kuja thought for a moment. "Because you're powerful…Because you know many kinds of magic…because…. I need your help." Mallory sighed softly. "All right…I'll help you…If you tell me your story someday…"
"I promise."
When Mallory opened her eyes again, they were over a vast desert. "Where are we?" she asked, siting up and rubbing her eyes. "We're over the Kiera Desert," Kuja said softly. "We're near my palace…"
"Palace?"
"Yes. A beautiful palace, a perfect cage for a little canary…" he cooed.
Mallory sighed again. "I wish you would stop that."
"Stop what?"
"Talking to me that way, like I'm an animal or bird or whatever."
"Really?"
"…No. I like it," she smiled. She felt something soft brushing against her leg. She batted it away; thinking it was only Kuja's cloak. It brushed up against her again, and she looked down to see a silvery tail blowing a little in the breeze. She reached down and grabbed it lightly, taking it and stroking the soft fur. Kuja looked back at her. "You have a tail!" she exclaimed. "How cute!"
Kuja smiled and went back to guiding the dragon. "There it is," he said, pointing to quicksand blow them. "What? The quicksand?"
"Hang on!" Mallory gripped his cloak and buried her face in his shoulder, shutting her eyes tightly as the dragon dove straight into the quicksand pit. She didn't even feel the sand, just what felt like a cool breeze.
They were in a dim hallway, with candles lining the sides, emitting a soft glow. Mallory looked all around at the statues and the other decorations in the room. "Wow…"
Kuja walked to the middle of the corridor where there was a glowing blue circle in the floor. "Come here, my little bird," he motioned. Mallory walked over and stood next to him by the circle.
"What's that?"
"Step on it and you'll see."
"…You first."
"All right, all right," Kuja stepped onto it and vanished slowly. Mallory quickly followed not wanting to be left alone in such a strange castle. She stepped out into a lounge it appeared. There was a fireplace with a crackling fire in the corner, several bookshelves crammed with huge books lined the walls, and there were a few tables with papers and ink and feathers on them. Mallory walked over to one of the bookshelves. She pulled off the thickest book she could find in a few seconds and looked at it, brushing some dust off the cover. It's not even in Gaian, she thought as she looked at the front and then a few pages. "Have you read all of these?" she asked as she put it back on the shelf. Kuja, who had been watching her intently leaning against a table, stood up and walked over to her. "Every one. And there's a library much bigger then this that I have also finished."
"You must be very smart," she said, looking at another book. "What language are these in?" she held out the book to him. Kuja went a little paler then usual and took the book, gazing absentmindedly down at the pages as he thought up a lie. "They're…in ancient Gaian. Very, very old."
"You must take good care of them," she said taking the book and replacing it on the shelf. "They don't look very old."
Kuja sighed in relief and went to sit on a chair in front of the fire. Mallory went and sat down on the soft carpet in front of him, staring up at him. "I wanted to ask you something."
"Hm?" Kuja sighed, as he looked from the fire to into her eyes.
"You said you destroyed Alexandria…That huge dragon, the eye in the sky…that was all you?"
"Yes."
"Do you mind if I ask how?"
"That is all part of the story…" he reached his hand down and stroked her hair like he would have petted a dog. "I'll tell you in good time."
Mallory gently pushed his hand away. "So…what do you need my help with?" she said after a few moments of silence.
"Well…this will seem like an odd question…but can you be evil?"
"Evil?"
"Yes. I mean, can you look sinister and make people fear you with the cold look in your eye and destroy without feeling?"
"I don't think I can do any of that…"
Kuja took her chin and held her head up, staring into her eyes. "Especially the cold eye part, because you've got brown eyes, as I didn't really notice."
"That's not the part I was most worried about…" she admitted. "I don't think I can kill people and destroy things with feeling something…"
"Nonsense. I'll teach you." Mallory thought for a moment. "Well, okay, I guess." She would do it if she was aloud to stay. After all, Alexandria was in ruins, and she couldn't return from this desert, anyway. "Anyway, let's try looking sinister now, shall we?" Kuja stood up and took her hand. "Follow me."
Through countless corridors and teleport pads, they reached what seemed to be his bedroom. There was a large vanity and bed, and a big walk-in closet. Mallory sat on the bed as Kuja went into the closet. He busied himself in there for quite while. Mallory was looking at his beauty supplies when he came out. In his arms was a bundle of black and red and gold. "I have one thing to say," Mallory said, putting the lotion bottle she had been examining down, "if that looks anything like your outfit, I'm not wearing it."
Kuja smiled wryly. "You don't like my clothes?"
"Oh, no no. I love them, it's just I would never wear something like that."
"I see." He gave he the clothes and pointed her to a changing screen I the corner. Mallory went behind it and drew it shut. Why does he have a changing screen if he lives alone? she thought. She changed into the clothes, with some difficulty. She had never worn anything with so many pieces in all her life. When she pulled back the screen Kuja got up and walked over to her, looking her up and down. "It does look like your outfit," Mallory said, looking from hers to his. "Except where there's skin there's black, where there's purple there's red, and where there's silver it's gold."
"We have to look similar if we're working together," he said simply. He shifted his weight and looked her over again. "Hmm…. Something's missing…" He thought for a few moments and Mallory watched him think. "Ah, I know."
He grabbed her hand and led her over to the vanity. He sat her down and went to the bottom drawer and got a little golden box. He took three brown feathers out and held them against her hair. "Perfect," he murmured to himself. He set them on the table and put the box away. When Mallory looked up from the feathers, Kuja was holding a delicate little brush and a small container of what looked like gold dust. "Close your eyes," he coaxed. Mallory did so willingly. She felt the brush on her eyelids then she felt another on her lips before he told her she could open her eyes. She blinked a few times and stared in the mirror. The gold eye shadow made her eyes look narrower, brighter, and more frightening, and her dark lips made her skin look pale and ghostly. "I'm not quite done…" Kuja said as he took a little bottle and the feathers from the table. Mallory watched in the mirror as he put some of the contents of the bottle into her bangs and the tips of the feathers, then stuck them in her hair and smoothed them all together. He bent down so he could see over her shoulder and looked at her reflection. "Perfect," he smiled. "You look beautiful, ravishing, remarkable, you look…like me." He smiled again.
"Kuja," he purred.
"Kuja," she repeated. Then she noticed the huge dragon behind him. She stood up and pressed herself against the tree, full of fear. "Oh my gods…"
Kuja turned and looked at the Silver Dragon, then back at Mallory. "It's quite all right. She's mine."
"Really?" Mallory's muscles relaxed and she stared at the dragon. It took a step toward her and stared back. It pressed its nose into her chest and made a rumbling sound in its throat. "See? She's friendly."
Mallory gently patted it on the nose and it withdrew its head slowly. "Wow, a dragon all your own…"
Kuja got on with the help of the dragon and offered his hand. "May I ask your name, my little bird?"
She gave him her hand. "It's Mallory." She pulled her up and she sat behind him.
"Hold on," Kuja said, gently placing his hands on the Silver Dragon's back. It leapt into the air and flapped its powerful wings under them. Mallory gasped in surprise and gripped Kuja's sides. The dragon turned north and flew into the horizon.
"I wanted to ask you something…" Mallory said softly, trying not to feel sick, even on the smooth ride.
"Yes?"
"Why did you tell me to escape Alexandria? How did you know that would happen?"
"You really want to know?"
"…Yes."
"I did it. I destroyed Alexandria."
Mallory gasped and shot up from his shoulder where she had been resting her head.
"What?! Why?!"
"It's too long and too tragic of a story, my little bird…Not something for someone such as you to hear." He reached his hand back and stroked her hair. She wanted to slap his hand away again, but she didn't.
"Well…why did you save me?"
Kuja thought for a moment. "Because you're powerful…Because you know many kinds of magic…because…. I need your help." Mallory sighed softly. "All right…I'll help you…If you tell me your story someday…"
"I promise."
When Mallory opened her eyes again, they were over a vast desert. "Where are we?" she asked, siting up and rubbing her eyes. "We're over the Kiera Desert," Kuja said softly. "We're near my palace…"
"Palace?"
"Yes. A beautiful palace, a perfect cage for a little canary…" he cooed.
Mallory sighed again. "I wish you would stop that."
"Stop what?"
"Talking to me that way, like I'm an animal or bird or whatever."
"Really?"
"…No. I like it," she smiled. She felt something soft brushing against her leg. She batted it away; thinking it was only Kuja's cloak. It brushed up against her again, and she looked down to see a silvery tail blowing a little in the breeze. She reached down and grabbed it lightly, taking it and stroking the soft fur. Kuja looked back at her. "You have a tail!" she exclaimed. "How cute!"
Kuja smiled and went back to guiding the dragon. "There it is," he said, pointing to quicksand blow them. "What? The quicksand?"
"Hang on!" Mallory gripped his cloak and buried her face in his shoulder, shutting her eyes tightly as the dragon dove straight into the quicksand pit. She didn't even feel the sand, just what felt like a cool breeze.
They were in a dim hallway, with candles lining the sides, emitting a soft glow. Mallory looked all around at the statues and the other decorations in the room. "Wow…"
Kuja walked to the middle of the corridor where there was a glowing blue circle in the floor. "Come here, my little bird," he motioned. Mallory walked over and stood next to him by the circle.
"What's that?"
"Step on it and you'll see."
"…You first."
"All right, all right," Kuja stepped onto it and vanished slowly. Mallory quickly followed not wanting to be left alone in such a strange castle. She stepped out into a lounge it appeared. There was a fireplace with a crackling fire in the corner, several bookshelves crammed with huge books lined the walls, and there were a few tables with papers and ink and feathers on them. Mallory walked over to one of the bookshelves. She pulled off the thickest book she could find in a few seconds and looked at it, brushing some dust off the cover. It's not even in Gaian, she thought as she looked at the front and then a few pages. "Have you read all of these?" she asked as she put it back on the shelf. Kuja, who had been watching her intently leaning against a table, stood up and walked over to her. "Every one. And there's a library much bigger then this that I have also finished."
"You must be very smart," she said, looking at another book. "What language are these in?" she held out the book to him. Kuja went a little paler then usual and took the book, gazing absentmindedly down at the pages as he thought up a lie. "They're…in ancient Gaian. Very, very old."
"You must take good care of them," she said taking the book and replacing it on the shelf. "They don't look very old."
Kuja sighed in relief and went to sit on a chair in front of the fire. Mallory went and sat down on the soft carpet in front of him, staring up at him. "I wanted to ask you something."
"Hm?" Kuja sighed, as he looked from the fire to into her eyes.
"You said you destroyed Alexandria…That huge dragon, the eye in the sky…that was all you?"
"Yes."
"Do you mind if I ask how?"
"That is all part of the story…" he reached his hand down and stroked her hair like he would have petted a dog. "I'll tell you in good time."
Mallory gently pushed his hand away. "So…what do you need my help with?" she said after a few moments of silence.
"Well…this will seem like an odd question…but can you be evil?"
"Evil?"
"Yes. I mean, can you look sinister and make people fear you with the cold look in your eye and destroy without feeling?"
"I don't think I can do any of that…"
Kuja took her chin and held her head up, staring into her eyes. "Especially the cold eye part, because you've got brown eyes, as I didn't really notice."
"That's not the part I was most worried about…" she admitted. "I don't think I can kill people and destroy things with feeling something…"
"Nonsense. I'll teach you." Mallory thought for a moment. "Well, okay, I guess." She would do it if she was aloud to stay. After all, Alexandria was in ruins, and she couldn't return from this desert, anyway. "Anyway, let's try looking sinister now, shall we?" Kuja stood up and took her hand. "Follow me."
Through countless corridors and teleport pads, they reached what seemed to be his bedroom. There was a large vanity and bed, and a big walk-in closet. Mallory sat on the bed as Kuja went into the closet. He busied himself in there for quite while. Mallory was looking at his beauty supplies when he came out. In his arms was a bundle of black and red and gold. "I have one thing to say," Mallory said, putting the lotion bottle she had been examining down, "if that looks anything like your outfit, I'm not wearing it."
Kuja smiled wryly. "You don't like my clothes?"
"Oh, no no. I love them, it's just I would never wear something like that."
"I see." He gave he the clothes and pointed her to a changing screen I the corner. Mallory went behind it and drew it shut. Why does he have a changing screen if he lives alone? she thought. She changed into the clothes, with some difficulty. She had never worn anything with so many pieces in all her life. When she pulled back the screen Kuja got up and walked over to her, looking her up and down. "It does look like your outfit," Mallory said, looking from hers to his. "Except where there's skin there's black, where there's purple there's red, and where there's silver it's gold."
"We have to look similar if we're working together," he said simply. He shifted his weight and looked her over again. "Hmm…. Something's missing…" He thought for a few moments and Mallory watched him think. "Ah, I know."
He grabbed her hand and led her over to the vanity. He sat her down and went to the bottom drawer and got a little golden box. He took three brown feathers out and held them against her hair. "Perfect," he murmured to himself. He set them on the table and put the box away. When Mallory looked up from the feathers, Kuja was holding a delicate little brush and a small container of what looked like gold dust. "Close your eyes," he coaxed. Mallory did so willingly. She felt the brush on her eyelids then she felt another on her lips before he told her she could open her eyes. She blinked a few times and stared in the mirror. The gold eye shadow made her eyes look narrower, brighter, and more frightening, and her dark lips made her skin look pale and ghostly. "I'm not quite done…" Kuja said as he took a little bottle and the feathers from the table. Mallory watched in the mirror as he put some of the contents of the bottle into her bangs and the tips of the feathers, then stuck them in her hair and smoothed them all together. He bent down so he could see over her shoulder and looked at her reflection. "Perfect," he smiled. "You look beautiful, ravishing, remarkable, you look…like me." He smiled again.