Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy IX. Squaresoft does. If I did own it,
I would be filthy rich and wouldn't need to be writing these stories....
Kuja didn't dare to close his eyes. Lila's body, once so full of life, haunted the shadows of sleep. He shivered, and pulled the blankets tighter around him. He had become a monster. Radali had done his best to explain what had happened to him during Trance, but..... there were those spaces that could never be filled again. The Genome's breath caught in his throat as he thought of the village. What would become of him now?
And his brother.... Kuja's whole body convulsed as he thought of his little brother, glaring at him with such intensity. Had he done such terrible things in the past to make so many people hate him? Does Lila hate me? he wondered. He could feel Radali shift uncomfortably next to him, as if reading his thoughts. The young man had grown accustomed to that. He sighed and rolled over, willing the ice wall to allow him to gaze through it, and peered on the sleeping monastery of Esto Gaza. Kuja had made up his mind. He would go to Terra, and discover his past, however cruel. Anything right now to get him far away from anyone he could hurt.
The silver dragon "sighed" with relief over that decision and settled down for a good night's sleep. Kuja was going to need it, but didn't know if he would take rest in return for terror.
The next morning, Kuja felt both refreshed and haunted. The makeshift window of ice beheld a beautiful dawn, but the scenery meant little in comfort or otherwise. Everything was ready for a journey into the unknown. Terra, his homeland, which was smited by his own hand, and turned to dust. Terra, the world which he loathed and longed for.
He settled himself on Radali's back unceremoniously. The trip was made in complete silence, even as they were pulled down through the Shimmering Island. As his feet touched the soil of another world, Kuja looked around in wonder, his eyes refusing to believe it. Nothing was here. Nothing but rubble and fallen pillars and demented souls, who shied away from him, as if from a disease. These were all Terran souls, Kuja found out the hard way, half-hoping to find a remnant of Lila's spirit here. It was for the better. His heart would've broken seeing her in such a dim, cold place. She belonged in Alexander's eternal light.
One soul, one he had forgotten and yet still remembered, finally approached him from the paranoid and screeching souls. Dressed in black armor, he was an old man, and frail looking.
"G-garland?"
"I'm suprised you remembered my name. Kuja. I've watched you the past four months."
"What am I? What is it that makes so many, even those incapable of emotion, fear me?"
"You're a weapon, boy. You were ambitious, dangerous, even to your creator. In the end, you strove to go against your fate-" Kuja cringed at the last, "and destroyed me. You destroyed your own world. Twice now, it seems." The old man chuckled, a sickly laughter that made Kuja's heart leap into his throat.
"Come. There's a place I'd like to show you."
"WHAT?!"
Red wine spattered all over Zidane, but he was beyond caring. Taking his time with unfolding the napkin, he kept his gaze steady with Blank's. Eventually the red-haired man sank back into his chair, choking on the remnant of the wine glass he didn't manage to cough up onto the table. Zidane dabbed at his face with a faraway look in his eyes. Finally done sputtering, Blank managed to find a calmer voice.
"You're trying to tell me he's back? From the dead?!" His voice began to strain again.
"You don't believe me? C'mon, Blank!"
"Whoa, bro. It's not that. It's that I don't want to believe you....."
The Genome nodded and became sullen again. "He seemed different. Well, for the first two seconds til he became the old Kuja."
Blank shivered, "What do you mean 'the old Kuja'?"
"He wiped out Dali. You didn't hear?" Both Blank and Zidane fell silent.
"How you gonna explain this to the boss?"
"Well, that's what you're here for, buddy." Zidane patted his fellow thief on the back and excused himself from the restaurant, leaving Blank with a ..... well, blank expression.
"Man, how'm I supposed to..... huh?"
"Excuse me, sir.... your bill?" The maitre-d handed Blank a bill..... for 600 gil.
"HEY!" The Tantalus member leapt from his seat again, running after Zidane and praying to Alexander that the maitre-d didn't catch him.
When he finally slammed the door behind him and locked it, he was breathing heavily. He sheepishly looked up into the questioning eyes of Baku.
"Hey, while I'm about to get a tongue-lashing, boss, did ya know Kuja's alive? Again?"
"What is this place?"
"It's called Memoria. It was built completely of your memories, and later your brother's. I guess you could say I felt sorry for my machine. You'll find your answers within."
Garland disappeared, making a bright and smoky show of it. Kuja stood, stroking Radali's neck as if he, too, needed an amount of comfort. Finally, Kuja gathered his scattered wits and climbed the staircase into the unknown.
At every bend, there was a memory of his childhood, alone and uncomforted. Many mistakes had hardened him around the edges, having had no one to teach him. At every corner, he saw a vision of his growing years, when he first met his threat: a whining baby. And at every place where two paths crossed, he saw what he really was, what twenty four years of no emotions had done to his soul.
"The weak lose their freedom to the strong. Such is the way of the strong. And it is the providence of nature that only the strong survive. That is why I needed strength. I learned of powers that would daunt even him.... over ten years ago."
Kuja shuddered, but with understanding, not fear. This is what his life was. The battle for strength, but in the end, his own prophecy was true. He didn't live, he was weak. His brother was stronger, and triumphed. He never got a chance. Not to live like he did. He was weak.
"Oh my, I'm just drowning in self-pity."
Kuja whirled around. Standing before him was..... himself. Long billowing sleeves, slim waist, the hip-cloak that hid his tail in a last effort to deny his birthright. Silver hair and white feathers. This is the weapon that turned on it's master. This is what he became.
(Author's Note: I didn't wanna spoil the suprise, so I'll just interrupt here. The Kuja we know from the game will have a * by his name. Will that help? ^_~)
"You don't rule this life anymore. You're dead." The Kuja Lila loved laughed and waited for a response. His counterpart frowned.
"I was close," he said, "I was close enough, I could touch the darkness. If I had made it....." ut he didn't continue, instead, he shot a Flare spell at his "brother" of the soul. Kuja spun out of the way, mainly to show that he still held the same grace and power that Kuja* did. Then, he got serious. Both had brandished weapons of Ultima energy, and both had set to circling for an opening. Great minds really do think alike.
There were sparks everywhere, the "swords" sizzled as they met, blow for blow, in a flashing and hypnotic dance of death. Kuja parried but was met again by his dark counterpart. He slashed upward in an attempt to wear him down but failed, and was returned with a cut to exchange. The stalemate continued, both were sweating, breathing heavily. Kuja* smiled his demonic smile, and both lunged. The white-hot blades of Ultima flashed forward in a long line of light.....
And both fell.
Lying, broken and bleeding, Kuja* finished his story, "If I had made it. I would've been immune. There would have been no one...... to hurt me." He gargled up blood, and turned his head and spat.
"I wish you had met Lila. You would've liked her." Kuja began choking on his own blood.
"So.... we're both gonna die? We didn't even make it out?"
"No. I have something to hold onto. I won't let myself perish." He flashed an equally demonic smile, "I have an idea."
"Why am I suddenly frightened?" Both laughed, like schoolboys would.
"Become one with me. We'll live as one."
"We're monsters. They won't let us live."
Kuja clutched at his counterpart's hand. Now he understood what had made both of them monsters in their own ways. He was right, of course. They wouldn't be able to live. But at least now, they had a choice. They could become the Angel of Death again. With both man's powers, they could wipe out Zidane. Rebuild Dali. Maybe if they brought Terra back, Lila could come with the stream of souls.... find a new body.
"They cannot defeat the Angel of Death." Both said at once. A blue light flashed from within Kuja, as the red light did from his counterpart. He was whole again. No one could hurt him. Terra would become one again. Lila would be back.
All was as it should be.
".....Bro...... You sure you didn't get petrified again?"
"I'm serious! Zidane told me everything! He even..... wiped out Dali. Poof. Gone."
"Gwahahahaha! Well, boys. It seems we've got a job on our hands. Zidane'll need us to keep an eye on him. Again."
"So............. we'll go polish up the Prima Vista, boss?"
Baku blinked. Well, sure, why not look snazzy just in case they blew up, or something..... "No, you fool! Go prepare the weaponry!"
"Yes, sir!" The Tantalus members saluted, and ran off in a frenzy for the airship.
"Zidane, you've sure changed. You and your princess and all. Why, if you get killed by Kuja this time, who's gonna take care of your little boy?"
Author's Note: I could be ruining the moment or something but.... I am the Queen of the unexpected!!! (Blank: Yes, darling, now sit down...) Oh... right! I'm so happy! look at all my reviews! And only four days! Anyhoo, this chapter went kinda slow and boring-ish. I'll make it up to you! Please review, if you haven't already!
Kuja didn't dare to close his eyes. Lila's body, once so full of life, haunted the shadows of sleep. He shivered, and pulled the blankets tighter around him. He had become a monster. Radali had done his best to explain what had happened to him during Trance, but..... there were those spaces that could never be filled again. The Genome's breath caught in his throat as he thought of the village. What would become of him now?
And his brother.... Kuja's whole body convulsed as he thought of his little brother, glaring at him with such intensity. Had he done such terrible things in the past to make so many people hate him? Does Lila hate me? he wondered. He could feel Radali shift uncomfortably next to him, as if reading his thoughts. The young man had grown accustomed to that. He sighed and rolled over, willing the ice wall to allow him to gaze through it, and peered on the sleeping monastery of Esto Gaza. Kuja had made up his mind. He would go to Terra, and discover his past, however cruel. Anything right now to get him far away from anyone he could hurt.
The silver dragon "sighed" with relief over that decision and settled down for a good night's sleep. Kuja was going to need it, but didn't know if he would take rest in return for terror.
The next morning, Kuja felt both refreshed and haunted. The makeshift window of ice beheld a beautiful dawn, but the scenery meant little in comfort or otherwise. Everything was ready for a journey into the unknown. Terra, his homeland, which was smited by his own hand, and turned to dust. Terra, the world which he loathed and longed for.
He settled himself on Radali's back unceremoniously. The trip was made in complete silence, even as they were pulled down through the Shimmering Island. As his feet touched the soil of another world, Kuja looked around in wonder, his eyes refusing to believe it. Nothing was here. Nothing but rubble and fallen pillars and demented souls, who shied away from him, as if from a disease. These were all Terran souls, Kuja found out the hard way, half-hoping to find a remnant of Lila's spirit here. It was for the better. His heart would've broken seeing her in such a dim, cold place. She belonged in Alexander's eternal light.
One soul, one he had forgotten and yet still remembered, finally approached him from the paranoid and screeching souls. Dressed in black armor, he was an old man, and frail looking.
"G-garland?"
"I'm suprised you remembered my name. Kuja. I've watched you the past four months."
"What am I? What is it that makes so many, even those incapable of emotion, fear me?"
"You're a weapon, boy. You were ambitious, dangerous, even to your creator. In the end, you strove to go against your fate-" Kuja cringed at the last, "and destroyed me. You destroyed your own world. Twice now, it seems." The old man chuckled, a sickly laughter that made Kuja's heart leap into his throat.
"Come. There's a place I'd like to show you."
"WHAT?!"
Red wine spattered all over Zidane, but he was beyond caring. Taking his time with unfolding the napkin, he kept his gaze steady with Blank's. Eventually the red-haired man sank back into his chair, choking on the remnant of the wine glass he didn't manage to cough up onto the table. Zidane dabbed at his face with a faraway look in his eyes. Finally done sputtering, Blank managed to find a calmer voice.
"You're trying to tell me he's back? From the dead?!" His voice began to strain again.
"You don't believe me? C'mon, Blank!"
"Whoa, bro. It's not that. It's that I don't want to believe you....."
The Genome nodded and became sullen again. "He seemed different. Well, for the first two seconds til he became the old Kuja."
Blank shivered, "What do you mean 'the old Kuja'?"
"He wiped out Dali. You didn't hear?" Both Blank and Zidane fell silent.
"How you gonna explain this to the boss?"
"Well, that's what you're here for, buddy." Zidane patted his fellow thief on the back and excused himself from the restaurant, leaving Blank with a ..... well, blank expression.
"Man, how'm I supposed to..... huh?"
"Excuse me, sir.... your bill?" The maitre-d handed Blank a bill..... for 600 gil.
"HEY!" The Tantalus member leapt from his seat again, running after Zidane and praying to Alexander that the maitre-d didn't catch him.
When he finally slammed the door behind him and locked it, he was breathing heavily. He sheepishly looked up into the questioning eyes of Baku.
"Hey, while I'm about to get a tongue-lashing, boss, did ya know Kuja's alive? Again?"
"What is this place?"
"It's called Memoria. It was built completely of your memories, and later your brother's. I guess you could say I felt sorry for my machine. You'll find your answers within."
Garland disappeared, making a bright and smoky show of it. Kuja stood, stroking Radali's neck as if he, too, needed an amount of comfort. Finally, Kuja gathered his scattered wits and climbed the staircase into the unknown.
At every bend, there was a memory of his childhood, alone and uncomforted. Many mistakes had hardened him around the edges, having had no one to teach him. At every corner, he saw a vision of his growing years, when he first met his threat: a whining baby. And at every place where two paths crossed, he saw what he really was, what twenty four years of no emotions had done to his soul.
"The weak lose their freedom to the strong. Such is the way of the strong. And it is the providence of nature that only the strong survive. That is why I needed strength. I learned of powers that would daunt even him.... over ten years ago."
Kuja shuddered, but with understanding, not fear. This is what his life was. The battle for strength, but in the end, his own prophecy was true. He didn't live, he was weak. His brother was stronger, and triumphed. He never got a chance. Not to live like he did. He was weak.
"Oh my, I'm just drowning in self-pity."
Kuja whirled around. Standing before him was..... himself. Long billowing sleeves, slim waist, the hip-cloak that hid his tail in a last effort to deny his birthright. Silver hair and white feathers. This is the weapon that turned on it's master. This is what he became.
(Author's Note: I didn't wanna spoil the suprise, so I'll just interrupt here. The Kuja we know from the game will have a * by his name. Will that help? ^_~)
"You don't rule this life anymore. You're dead." The Kuja Lila loved laughed and waited for a response. His counterpart frowned.
"I was close," he said, "I was close enough, I could touch the darkness. If I had made it....." ut he didn't continue, instead, he shot a Flare spell at his "brother" of the soul. Kuja spun out of the way, mainly to show that he still held the same grace and power that Kuja* did. Then, he got serious. Both had brandished weapons of Ultima energy, and both had set to circling for an opening. Great minds really do think alike.
There were sparks everywhere, the "swords" sizzled as they met, blow for blow, in a flashing and hypnotic dance of death. Kuja parried but was met again by his dark counterpart. He slashed upward in an attempt to wear him down but failed, and was returned with a cut to exchange. The stalemate continued, both were sweating, breathing heavily. Kuja* smiled his demonic smile, and both lunged. The white-hot blades of Ultima flashed forward in a long line of light.....
And both fell.
Lying, broken and bleeding, Kuja* finished his story, "If I had made it. I would've been immune. There would have been no one...... to hurt me." He gargled up blood, and turned his head and spat.
"I wish you had met Lila. You would've liked her." Kuja began choking on his own blood.
"So.... we're both gonna die? We didn't even make it out?"
"No. I have something to hold onto. I won't let myself perish." He flashed an equally demonic smile, "I have an idea."
"Why am I suddenly frightened?" Both laughed, like schoolboys would.
"Become one with me. We'll live as one."
"We're monsters. They won't let us live."
Kuja clutched at his counterpart's hand. Now he understood what had made both of them monsters in their own ways. He was right, of course. They wouldn't be able to live. But at least now, they had a choice. They could become the Angel of Death again. With both man's powers, they could wipe out Zidane. Rebuild Dali. Maybe if they brought Terra back, Lila could come with the stream of souls.... find a new body.
"They cannot defeat the Angel of Death." Both said at once. A blue light flashed from within Kuja, as the red light did from his counterpart. He was whole again. No one could hurt him. Terra would become one again. Lila would be back.
All was as it should be.
".....Bro...... You sure you didn't get petrified again?"
"I'm serious! Zidane told me everything! He even..... wiped out Dali. Poof. Gone."
"Gwahahahaha! Well, boys. It seems we've got a job on our hands. Zidane'll need us to keep an eye on him. Again."
"So............. we'll go polish up the Prima Vista, boss?"
Baku blinked. Well, sure, why not look snazzy just in case they blew up, or something..... "No, you fool! Go prepare the weaponry!"
"Yes, sir!" The Tantalus members saluted, and ran off in a frenzy for the airship.
"Zidane, you've sure changed. You and your princess and all. Why, if you get killed by Kuja this time, who's gonna take care of your little boy?"
Author's Note: I could be ruining the moment or something but.... I am the Queen of the unexpected!!! (Blank: Yes, darling, now sit down...) Oh... right! I'm so happy! look at all my reviews! And only four days! Anyhoo, this chapter went kinda slow and boring-ish. I'll make it up to you! Please review, if you haven't already!