Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue…
A/N: This one is probably one of my favorite chapters! I don't know why, but I think it's probably…just…ah…I don't know. I hope you like it as much as I did!
FF9 Zidane: I love Rurouni Kenshin! I have my Beta-Reader for this story hooked on it as well! Hehe. Not only did she think she would never love videogames, I've got her watching anime! (Still, Ranma ½ is the best anime ever!)
Tobu-Ishi: Thanks for all that explaining. The main reason I named him Kirai is because when Kuja first meets him, they don't really like each other. So it isn't like the poor dragon is always going to be hated! ^_^
Leoparddance: I always thought that it was Kuja who destroyed Madin Sari. But I don't know, according to BreeAnne it's just however you interpret it, because I don't think the game specifically ever states exactly who did it.
Chapter 21: An Unfulfilled Purpose
"Garland! Where are you?!" Zidane asked through gritted teeth. Nothing but silence followed for a few seconds. "Dammit Garland, answer me!"
Move further on, the hoarse voice instructed.
"God, Garland! Just tell me!" the blond Genome pleaded.
It would be better if you saw. Step on, and you will understand. I will explain as you progress.
"I'll have to view more memories won't I?" he mumbled more to himself than anyone else. However, Garland responded.
I can't control the memories.
Scowling with hatred for the man, he stepped forward. A new burst of light consumed him as another memory played before his eyes.
It was a warm day, probably in spring. Zidane recognized the surroundings as the castle's courtyard. On one of the stone benches sat Zidane's memory. He was watching something with a huge smile across his face.
Upon closer examination, he saw it was none other than a three-year-old Amy. She was dressed in normal clothes consisting of overalls with a hole for her tail. Her long brown hair was pulled back into two pig-tails that curled into ringlets.
"Hey, Dagger!" the memory called, "Come here a second!" his attention switched back to his daughter. The whole time she had been outside she had taken a liking to playing in the dirt.
"Yes?" came Dagger's smooth voice. Suddenly, her calm demeanor dropped. "Amy! You're filthy! Zidane, why would you let her play in the dirt?!"
"She likes it!" he laughed at his wife's overreaction. "But, that's not what I called you here for." He began patting the bench beside him, motioning for her to sit.
Shaking her head, Dagger sat beside him.
"Watch this!" he looked at their daughter excitedly, "Hey, Amy!" she looked up from where she was busy throwing dirt, "What does a chocobo say?"
"Kweh!" the toddler mimicked the bird. Dagger laughed.
"Good job sweetie!" she started to stand, but her husband grabbed her wrist. Rolling her eyes, she sat back down.
"What does a Mu say?"
Eyes still fixed on the dirt Amy began chittering. Thoroughly enjoying himself, the memory Zidane clapped.
Wanting to see better, Zidane
started moving closer. How he missed
those days!
Laughing, Dagger joined in, "Okay, how about a Fang?" Amy abandoned her patch of dirt so she could act it out. She held her hands up in a fashion to imitate claws, and then she started snarling and bearing her teeth.
"Wow, you're really smart Amy!" Steiner remarked from the side.
"Hey Rusty!" Zidane said jokingly. "What's up?"
"Nothing, just overhearing this wonderfully intellectual conversation. Mind if I give a try?"
"Go ahead and try. My Amy is the best animal imitator you will ever meet!" laughed the King.
Steiner approached her with his hands on his hips. "Alright, what does a Ragtime Mouse say?"
"Popquiz!" the little girl squealed, then she danced around.
Everyone clapped, "That's my Amy!" the memory Zidane bragged.
"Yeah, well it was just a lucky guess!" Steiner chuckled. "I must go Your Majesties," he bowed, then almost as quickly as he arrived, he started to leave.
"Wait! Before you go, you have to see this one!" Steiner turned around in place and Dagger kept her eyes fixed on the three-year-old. "This one is my favorite. What does an Amy say?"
"I love you Daddy!" the real Zidane mouthed the words as the child spoke them. Suddenly the courtyard vanished, and again he was standing in Memoria.
I created you for a purpose, Garland's voice began filling his head.
Continuing to walk through the castle, Zidane listened intently. Kuja had a purpose as well.
"Okay, just tell me, why can't I die?"
Everyone has been given a purpose…
Sighing Zidane rolled his eyes and opened a door. As he thrust the door open another blast of light engulfed him.
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Amy! Happy birthday to you!" a huge group of people was singing. The crowd was sitting around the gigantic dining room table and at the end of it sat a young Amy.
"And many more…" came Marcus' deep voice. Beaming, the child leaned forward and blew out her candles. Everyone clapped and cheered.
"How old are you now, Amy?" Baku asked from where he sat.
The brunette help up a hand with her fingers splayed. "Five. That's one whole hand!"
"It sure is!" Blank laughed. "Just wait 'til you're ten. That will be two whole hands!"
Still smiling, Amy began dipping her finger in the icing.
"Amethyst!" Dagger scolded, but struggled to suppress a smile. She stood and walked behind her daughter's chair. Reaching over Amy, she began cutting the cake.
A burst of light pursued and the memory was gone. Now with a growing headache, Zidane yelled at the ceiling. "Why are you torturing me like this?! Just tell me what is going on!"
Don't you know? It doesn't matter if you move or stay stationary. You will still see the memories.
"Gah!" he kicked the stone floor. Stubbornly, he sat down. "Alright then, spit it out!"
One cannot die until their purpose is fulfilled.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Enough with the poetic crap…"
His words were drowned out as another memory began to show itself. Agitatedly, he remained sitting. It took him a while to figure out where he was. Wherever it was, it was very dark.
On the rocky ground lay several figures. Upon closer examination he saw who they were. All of his friends: Dagger, Eiko, Freya, Amarant, Quina, Steiner, and Vivi. All of them looked unconscious.
The spectator watched as the blond boy pushed himself up, then began looking around. "Ugh…What happened to the crystal? …Where is this?"
You stand before the final dimension and I am the darkness of eternity.
"Wh-Who are you?" there was a slight tremble in his voice, but he maintained a cool composer.
All life bears death from birth. Life fears death but only lives to die. It starts with anxiety. Anxiety becomes fear. Fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering…the only cure for this fear is total destruction.
Kuja was a victim of his own fear. He concluded he could only save himself by destroying the origin of all things-the crystal.
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you telling me all this?" he was shaking with silent anger, his fists clenched into balls.
…Now the theory is undeniable. Kuja's action proves it. All things live to perish. At last, life has uncovered this truth. Now, it is time to end this world.
"Wh-What do you mean by that?" the memory's eyes grew wide, but he continued to remain cool and collected.
I exist for one purpose…Purpose…? The real Zidane questioned. To return everything back to the zero world, where there is no life and no crystal to give life. In a world of nothing, fear does not exist. This is the world all life desires.
"Who the hell do you think you are? You're not ending anything! Never, not as long as we have the will to live!" The spectator snorted. I lost that a long time ago.
Foolish creature, the cold voice continued, your fears have already deluded you. One day you will chose destruction over existence as Kuja did. Whoa! What did he mean by that?! Zidane began listening more intently. When he sought to destroy the crystal, the purpose of life ended. Purpose? The purpose of life…ended?
Now, come, enter the zero world that you desire.
Colors swirled together inside the Genome's head. Nothing made sense! Somehow, somehow these all connected, but he couldn't figure out how!
When he reopened his eyes he was no longer in the 'zero world', but sitting, sprawled out on Memoria's stone floor.
The crystal…Kuja…purpose of life…he put his hand against his throbbing forehead and stood up.
"Garland! What does all this mean?!"
Kuja's purpose was to destroy the crystal. He didn't want to do it. It took a long time to convince him. After he did it though, it made him vulnerable to death, so when the Iifa Tree collapsed, he didn't survive.
"Okay, it's starting to make sense! All I have to do is fulfill my purpose, right?" Garland didn't answer. Taking the silence as a 'yes', he continued. "So, what's my purpose?"
…The purpose that was given to you was…to destroy Gaia.
Zidane's mouth hung open. "D-D-Destroy Gaia?" he stuttered. Slowly, he sat back down on the floor.
Yes. That is your purpose.
"So, what it all comes down to is that in order to die I have to destroy the planet?!"
You even said so yourself. There's nothing left here for you. Why not destroy it?
"What about Emma? And Alex?"
They avoid you!
"But they're my grandchildren!"
How much longer are they going to last before they join the others?
"Shut up," Zidane mumbled.
Pardon?
"I said SHUT UP!" the sudden change in his mood surprised even him.
That's the reality of this predicament, Garland concluded. Although he couldn't see him, Zidane could picture the man's sinister grin.
So, what it all comes down to is that I have to choose between my death, and death of everyone else. Narrowing his eyes he grumbled, "Damn, I hate you."
It doesn't matter. Either you destroy the world, or you live forever in this world that hates you so much.
"They don't hate me…they're just scared of me," he confessed.
They should be…Kuja had the power to destroy Terra. You are ten times as powerful.
"It doesn't matter! I will never do your bidding! Is there no other way?!"
There is one other option…
~ ~
Mikoto had followed her brother throughout the castle. At times he would do strange things, but most of the time he was talking to Garland.
Because Garland was communicating telepathically, she was able to listen in, it just meant she had to concentrate more.
…The purpose that was given to you was…to destroy Gaia.
What?! She struggled to hold in a gasp; she could not afford for Zidane to find her now!
Still, she continued to listen as they argued back and forth. If I have a purpose…I wonder what it is?
Suddenly, her thought was interrupted. There is one other option…it was Garland. Eagerly she moved closer, making sure she didn't miss anything. I built Mikoto as a replacement for you. If, for some reason, as you grew you weren't able to fulfill your purpose, Mikoto would take over. !!?
"What are you saying!?" Zidane fumed.
Mikoto can kill you. One angel of death can kill the other. But that means she would take your purpose. She couldn't die until she destroyed Gaia.
The female Genome blinked a few times. She felt dizzy. Was the floor moving? Swaying slightly from side to side, she felt that her legs were jelly. She passed out, then and there.
Zidane spun around from where he stood when he heard the light thud. His eyes widened when he saw his unconscious sister.
"Mikoto!" he picked her up. "I told you not to follow…" he looked at her. He knew she wasn't dead.
"Garland!" he screamed, "You will pay! You will pay for putting us through this!"
~ ~
Tehe. Hope you enjoyed it! I'm not in the mood to make the author's note long or anything. But, the link on our profile to our homepage works now, so go check it out! Be sure to sign our guestbook! And don't forget to leave me a review!
