Author's Note: I took a little break from this story, simply because I needed time to think about how I would set it up. Well, finally, I decided to take the Bevelle Maze layout from FFX…which will be present in this chapter and the next. Don't worry, you can count on it being good. Oh…and the mention of manly tears in this fic is…common. I just wanted to say manly tears because it would sound wrong if it was just 'crying'. Enjoy!

Outbreak

Chapter 4

Alexandria Castle

Zidane Tribal:

          "How was he?"

          I lifted my head off of the desk in my study and sighed. Dagger gave me a concerned look and touched my face. I knew my eyes were bloodshot, simply because I had spent the entire night crying manly tears. Like I would tell Dagger that.

          "He was…ok, I guess."

          Dagger rolled her eyes.

          "I have a feeling that's not all of it. Its ok, Zidane. Tell me how he's feeling."

          I rubbed my eyes using one of my shirt sleeves and sighed.

          "He's not doing so well. He thinks he's going to die."

          Dagger hugged me tight and stroked my hair lovingly.

          "I'm so sorry, Zidane. I wish it hadn't happened to him."

          I bit my lip, fighting back manly tears.

          "Excuse me, I hate to interrupt you two, but Mikoto wants to talk to Zidane, now."

          I got up and pushed my chair back. I knew who the voice belonged to, but I wasn't sure I was ready to speak to Mikoto. The last time me and her spoke, she wanted to let Kuja die. I wonder what she'll say now. It better not be about experimenting on him. I got up and walked out of my study. Mikoto was just outside, engrossed in some charts.

          "You wanted me?" I asked coldly.

          "What did the doctor say about Kuja?"

          "Why should I tell you?" I snapped.

          Mikoto glared at me, eyes narrowed to slits.

          "Because I can save him, you fool."

          I wisely kept my mouth shut at her comment. I was compelled to hit her…beat her within an inch of her life. But it didn't. I swallowed hard trying to bring the words to my mind.

          "The doctors said he was fighting off a new strain of…the yellow fever virus."

          "Ah, the yellow fever virus…passed by mosquitoes…but that kind of creature went extinct years ago. So how did he get infected?"

          "The girl…the little girl. Kuja said that silver tried to maul it and it splashed blood all over him."

          Mikoto shook her head.

          "It makes no sense. Unless the newer strain makes blood toxic."

          "So what do we do, Mikoto?"

          "The doctors can do nothing for him. Like the mysterious person in the letter said, there is no cure. But I think there is a flaw to that logic. Maybe the cure lies within Kuja's body."

          Mikoto was crazy, I'll give you that. But her idea might be ingenious enough to work. That is…if it could.

          "I'm hoping that's a hunch."

          Mikoto snorted.

          "It's better than nothing, really. But I think it just may work. If it doesn't, you can kill me. Anyways, come with me. I'll show you my new invention."

Kuja Tribal:

          I tossed and turned on my bed violently, despite the fact that the sheets clung desperately to my raw skin. Flecks of skin flew up into the air, disturbed by my not-so-subtle movements. Despite the fact that I had been bathed minutes ago to help lower my temperature, my skin still continued to flake. And the fever remained sky high, leaving the doctors baffled. I could hardly eat, let alone drink, which only aggravated my situation.

          All this left me with a sense of euphoria. Maybe just…maybe I was going to die like everyone else who got infected. I opened my eyes slowly, wincing at the light. Although the doctors had dimmed the lighting…my eyes couldn't stand it. I also noticed that with each passing hour, my vision faded…bit by bit. It was hazy now…so focusing had become much more difficult.

          I reached out on my bedside window, trying to feel for the bottle of water the nurse left for me. After a few seconds of hopeless groping, I touched the top of it. I feebly pulled the bottle back to my body and placed the tip of my lips. Cold water poured over them and into my mouth quickly. I swallowed painfully as it hit the back of my throat. It took nearly all of my effort to take another swallow before giving up.

          "I must be going to die today…" I muttered to myself.

          Everything had gotten worse, the vomiting—everything! The only reason why I wasn't dead was probably because of my 'tough will to survive'. Whatever bullshit that was. I coughed somewhat and shifted to my side. This damned virus better kill me soon. I'm beginning to think I don't have a tolerance to pain. Ugh…why couldn't they end it here? I was quite willing.

          "But…there isn't a knife in sight. Someone out there hates me. Really hates me."

Zidane Tribal:

          Mikoto's invention consisted of a huge round table with attractive-looking chairs and a large amount of machinery above. I wasn't sure what it was for, but I imagine that it would be important.

          "Alright Zidane, this is what I call the Dream Machine. Once I enter the calculations, we'll be able to save Kuja."

          Mikoto=Mad Scientist.

          "Would you…uh, explain?"

          "Oh…fine. The Dream Machine's purpose is to channel spirits over long distances. I'm going to enter the exact coordinates of Kuja's body. From there, we can enter his body. I'm not exactly sure how we are going to purge the virus yet. But I'm working on it.

          "Ok…so your plan is to send our spirits into Kuja's body. And to do what…you haven't decided."

          How do you know Kuja won't object to this? And how was she so sure that will be that easy to navigate the inwards of his body? We genomes are not exactly built like humans. But if Mikoto could develop something like this…then she could surely help cure Kuja. I just hope she can keep her head on her shoulders. And then, I hope Kuja is still around to appreciate it.

          "Zidane, are you going to visit Kuja?" Mikoto asked.

          "Yeah…I think I'll bring some of his painting supplies along. Maybe it'll cheer him up."

          "Oh, good. Get those coordinates for me, won't you, brother?"

          Mikoto tossed me a small hand-held device, better known as the 'locater'.

          "I'll try."

Kuja Tribal:

          I was forced to watch a little bit of TV, while my sheets were being changed for the millionth time. There was nothing new on it really…just really depressing movies. I think that was torture enough. Even more so than the peeling of the sheets off of my skin. Speaking of which, my skin was turning bright red from the effort. The nurse laid me back on a new set of sheets, checked my IV and temperature and left.

          I didn't blame her for leaving so quickly. I would too if I was forced to take care of a really sick patient. But I knew she would be back. Probably to feed me applesauce or something. I rubbed my sore hand gently as to not upset the IV. I hate that damned thing anyway. It hurt and it itched horribly. Maybe it was a sign of completely bad luck that the skin around it was being to swell. So I tried hard not to bother it. But in my case, I couldn't help it today. Boredom and restlessness had taken control and so my nails ran over the swelling area every five minutes or so.

          "Kuja, you look well."

          I looked up only to see Zidane, dressed in a white suit with a small bag full of painting supplies. I smiled almost immediately and forget about my hand.

          "I don't believe you. Now you know I can die in peace."

          Zidane's smile turned into a frown.

          "Don't say things like that."

          He was serious, I could tell.

          "I apologize, I didn't mean it like that. I just simply meant that I won't die of boredom now."

          Zidane glanced at the TV and chuckled.

          "Nothing but reality shows, eh?" (A/N: I couldn't resist. Sorry if it ruins the sober mood.)

          "Afraid so."

          I reached out for the bag of painting supplies slowly. Zidane sat them on my lap, making me cough. After I finished coughing, I groaned. All that made my head spin.

          "Here…drink."

          Zidane rose the bottle of water up to my lips. I took a little sip of water, which was all that I could handle at the moment. However, once the liquid hit the back of my throat, I gagged. A quick turn of my body saved Zidane from having a sticky bloody mess on the suit. But the trashcan was not so lucky. While I was busy vomiting my brains out, I saw Zidane pull out a small box-shaped device and punch a few buttons.

          Naturally, I had assumed it belonged to Mikoto, but I wasn't so sure. I wiped my mouth with sleeve of my hospital gown and swallowed hard.

          "You know… I never thought I'd be throwing up blood one day…"

          Zidane looked up from the device and shook his head.

          "Just like you to be sarcastic after coughing up your lifeblood."

          I put on a look of surprise on my face.

          "Not like you to be cynical."

          "I have a lot on my mind, Kuja. Why don't you rest?"

          "Little brother, why are you worrying about me? You should be focusing on containing the rest of the virus."

          (A/N: Warning…extra sappyness!) "Kuja…I…I'm trying so hard…I just don't want to leave you behind. You're the only brother I have…"

          Zidane's shoulders were shaking…was he crying? I wasn't sure what to say. I've never had someone break down in front of me before. I was beginning to think that Zidane would kill himself if I died.

Alexandria Castle

5:56 P.M. Gaian Standard

Garnet Tribal:

          I watched Mikoto pace about in the main hall with a sigh. I wasn't sure what she and Zidane were planning to do. In fact, I was still annoyed by the fact that Zidane would not let me go see Kuja. He just said that he didn't want me along. I didn't want to argue with him. He looked like he was about to cry anyway. I hated seeing him like this.

          I couldn't ease his despair. I didn't love his brother all that much. I merely respected him because of Zidane. But now that I saw how devastated he became when Kuja took ill, I had a different ideal. Now I wanted to recover what Kuja had lost. But now, it looks like I won't have a chance. I could tell by Zidane's distress that kuja was dying.

          "Your majesty."

          I stood up and turned around. General Beatrix bowed and offered a warm smile in return.

          "Oh…Beatrix, how are you?"

          "I am just fine, Garnet. How's Zidane doing?"

          "Terrible. Kuja's illness is tearing him apart."

          "Although Kuja has done horrible things, Zidane loves him. I can understand how this may break him."

          "Beatrix…the virus…if I am unable to secure Alexandria, will you do it?"

          Beatrix bowed low.

          "I will protect Alexandria with my life."

          "Let us hope you don't have to."

          "Dagger?"

          The voice that spoke my nickname sounded weak and uncertain, but I knew it was Zidane. I turned around and embraced him gently. Mikoto watched the spectacle with a surprised look on her face.

          "How long does he have, Zidane?"

          "He says he's feeling more pain. The doctors think he won't have long to live."

          Zidane's voice was small. I hugged him tighter and let him go. As he straightened up, I saw two silver feathers embedded in his auburn hair. Kuja's gifts…I suppose.

          "What are we going to do then?" I asked.

          "Kuja has untapped power locked in his mind. If we unlock that, it will force his body to heal, thus defeating the virus completely.'

          "Ok…that's well and fine. But how are we going to get into Kuja's body?"

          "That's where the dream machine comes in. Once I get the coordinates down for Kuja's body in the computer, we can transfer our Astral bodies into his body. I've already gotten clearance for the Invincible to hover above the hospital for safe travels."

          "So the machine will beam our Astral bodies inside Kuja's dying body, right?" Zidane asked.

          "Yes. Once there, our next objective is to travel inside the brain. I'm not sure what our next plan of action is yet."

          Good…at least we had a plan. Plus…Zidane was beginning to feel better. The usual twinkle in his eyes had returned. He had hope again. My darling Zidane had hope again.

          "Well that about wraps it up, people. Zidane, prepare the others and board the Invincible. General Beatrix, I have something for you in case Alexandria gets infected with the virus. Just follow me."

Zidane Tribal:

          I knocked on Freya's door, tail twitching with excitement. I could save Kuja. Something finally came up so that I could save him without hitches. Gods above, I could! Freya answered the door with a look that said 'this better be good'.

          "What's going on, Zidane?"

          "We have a plan to save Kuja. We would be honored if you would participate."

          Freya opened her door further, revealing a very worried looking Eiko and Vivi.

          "We were worried that you wouldn't have the heart to stop this madman. So…what's the plan?" Vivi asked.

          "Ok, Mikoto has invented a dream machine that will use the Invincible's energy to channel our Astral bodies into Kuja's body. From there, we must travel to his brain and unlock his hidden powers. Mikoto is still trying to work out the logistics of how to unlock his hidden powers."

          "Not bad for a plan, but I'm pretty sure Mikoto, given time, will come up with another plan. So we go to the Invincible?"

          "Yeah."

30 Minutes Later

Zidane Tribal:

          "All engines for the Invincible are up and running, Zidane. Please proceed to the main room of the airship now."

          I glanced at Mikoto with a hopeful smile on my face. She returned the smile and tapped a few buttons on the Invincible's transparent menu. I walked out of the cockpit and into the main compartment. Freya, Dagger, Eiko and Vivi offered welcoming smiles and nods.

          "I'm worried about Alexandria, but I know Beatrix has it covered," Dagger commented.

          "If you want to go back to Alexandria, it's ok Dagger."

          "No, no…I want to stay with you. Kuja needs both of our help."

          "And ours," Freya, Vivi and Eiko chimed in.

          The room shuddered as the Invincible slowed to a stop.

          "Alright, all passengers please be prepared to begin the Dream Machine sequence mission. Please take your seats at the round table."

          I shrugged.

          "I guess we better sit."

          I picked a seat on the opposite end of the round table across from Dagger. Freya, Eiko and Vivi sat down across from each other and sighed. Mikoto walked in from the cockpit with a smug smile on her face.

          "Hi! My name is Mikoto Tribal and I'll be your flight attendant this evening. First off, please buckle up your restraining belts in the event that the Invincible has to be moved. Also, please do not chew gum while the Dream Machine is in operation. It will cause you to choke. Also, you can communicate between me and Kuja by focusing your thoughts while inside Kuja's body. Ok, if that's all I need to cover, then have a good trip!"

          She was joking, right? Mikoto walked over to the round table and pressed a few buttons on the side.

          "Good luck and may the eidolons bless your journey."

          I nodded as I collapsed into slumber.

Kuja Tribal:

          I could sense them…all of Zidane's friends. Mikoto told me that Zidane was trying to save me. And their plan was a bit hard to swallow, but I supposed it was something. I flicked my wrist slightly as I ran the paintbrush along the canvas on my lap. Painting had calmed me down considerably. But I still felt like crap. Blood was beginning to leak out of my nose and out the sides of my mouth. The doctors couldn't do anything about it. Besides, I thought it was kind of neat. (Even though it was technically bad.)

          I stopped running my paintbrush along the canvas and studied it. It was a small drawing of Alexandria's waterfront. I brushed the canvas with the base of my thumb and sighed. I winced almost immediately, for it hurt to sigh or swallow or do much of anything anymore. But I actually didn't want painkillers until it got worse. I doubt it would take long for that to happen. I suppose I'd better try to paint while I can.

Zidane Tribal:

          It was pretty strange being out of my body. It was…light…and uncontrollable. One moment my eyes were closed and the next, I was seeing things in black and white. The more I focused on things, the clearer it became. I was sitting on a small precarious ledge above something grey and blackish. It felt hot in this place…uncomfortably hot.

          "Dagger? Freya? Eiko? Vivi?"

          "I'm here," replied a small voice.

          "Where?"

          "On the ledge across from you."

          I got up and glanced directly across my location. Sure enough, there was Vivi.

          "Where are the others?" I asked.

          "I'm not sure. I just uh…kind of woke up…here."

          Great. Mikoto sent us in completely different spots. I think I had an idea on how to contact everyone else…but it was farfetched.

          "Mikoto!"

          Yes, Zidane, what is it?

          "The Dream Machine didn't put us in the same place. How are we supposed to find each other now?"

          I am aware of the error. Zidane, but it is best to consult, Kuja.

          "Ugh…must I talk to him about his own body?"

          Yes, you must.

          Great.

          "Kuja…can you hear me?"

Alexandria Castle

General Beatrix:

          It was raining hard when I finally reached the top of the castle. I wasn't sure what drew me up there in the first place, but I liked it. Like Garnet said earlier, secure Alexandria. I just hope that nothing happened anything soon. Mikoto had plenty of breathing devices to ward off the virus. But she wasn't sure on how to get it to everyone in time. Fortunately for me, there were soldiers under my command to distribute them. I sighed and gripped the hilt of my sword tightly. Something just didn't feel right. It seemed…like it had been that way since Garnet left.

          "Beatrix?"

          I whipped around quickly and pointed my sword at a familiar neck: Steiner.

          "Um…do you mind?"

          I chuckled and shook my head.

          "You just startled me, that's all."

          "You need to calm down, dear. Nothing's going to happen."

Author's Note: Potential cliffhanger. Enjoy.