A/N: Oh! I'm terribly sorry that took so long to get up! *gets laughed at
because she thinks a week is a long time* Well, I usually get them up
faster! So, I apologize for this and the poor writing I used in the last
chapter. I know it sucked but chapter five was a not-very-important-and-
had-to-get-out-fast chapter whereas this one is a changes-the-plot-and-
causes-the-story-to-make-no-sense-without-it chapter. Isn't that nice?
And I'm very excited because this one introduces a new character and my
little villain! Yay ^_^ Me so happy! I love my villain! But he's kind of
weird in this chapter. Oh well. He's actually been in a few before but
its hard to tell. Yeah . . . Anyhow, enjoy! Thanks for all the reviews
and keep handing them out! Also, if you haven't read Athena's story
"Origins of the Dark Messenger" than you have missed something very
special. I urge you to read it (but read Mute Hall first or it won't make
any sense). It is such an unbelievable fic! And also, read "Fallen
Brethren." Another awesome fic. Anyhow, enough advertising. Let us
continue . . .
Disclaimer: Own Final Fantasy? I wish . . .
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest . . ." - William Shakespeare (Hamlet, Act V, Scene 2)
Kuja sat on the edge of his bed, staring into the space across the far wall. A million thoughts were swirling through his mind, adding to the weight he was feeling within his jumbled revelations.
/I just revealed that I'm powerful . . ./ he thought slowly, wondering what the consequences would be. It certainly wasn't a good thing. What if people became suspicious?
/And I can't seem to fight as well as I once could . . ./ That thought puzzled the genome greatly. For some reason, his skills seemed to have been toned down slightly. Only but a few years before the wound on his arm could have been avoided with the snap of a finger. But now he couldn't even concentrate on simple magic . . . What did that mean?
/That monster was a spawn of the Mist . . ./
"I just can't understand!" Kuja blurted out angrily, looking thoroughly frustrated. It had to be the most confusing concept of them all. He could still remember, two and a half years before . . .
/Flash/
"Kuja . . . We've got to kill them all . . ."
The silver-tailed warlock cast his brother a cold look. "Zidane . . . Please . . ."
Zidane returned it with a stubborn glare. "Kuja, it's our fault that they're out again. What will happen when they reach towns?! Cities?!"
" But . . ."
"Come on. I think I see a Mistodon over there . . ."
/Flash/
"But we killed the Mist monsters . . ." Kuja argued angrily to himself, his face clouded over with confusion. "We traveled together for six months and killed all of the Mist monsters . . . And the Iifa Tree before that," he lapsed into silence.
A sudden creak told him that someone was opening the door, causing Kuja to snap out of his thoughts and raise his head at the sound of the squeak. He saw Megan entering nervously, something hidden behind her back and a shy smile on her face.
"Hey," she muttered, shutting the door silently behind her. Kuja gave her a sort of half-smile.
"Hey," he echoed.
"You all right?"
"Fine . . ."
"Um . . . You sure?"
Kuja tried to hide his impatience. "I'm sure . . ." Trying to fill in the silence . . . "You're family's very talented," he added, catching her eye. "The bite wound the dragon gave me is nothing more than a cut, and the poison has been completely extracted,"
Megan nodded quietly, trying to explain. "Everyone in my family has been highly skilled in some sort of medical field. It's kind of cool, really," she broke off. Kuja raised an eyebrow curiously.
"And what about you?" he queried, cocking his head to the side. Megan gave a short laugh, a look of the utmost irony on her face.
"I can't. You know . . ."
Kuja nodded, understanding.
/She's afraid of blood . . ./
Megan sighed, raising her eyes to the ceiling. Suddenly, she let out an agitated groan.
"Oh man! I just have to ask!" she grunted in frustration. Kuja blinked at the sudden outburst.
"What?"
Megan looked rather embarrassed. However, the blush was immediately replaced by wide-eyed keen interest.
"Feather . . . Where did you learn to fight like that?"
/Shoot . . ./
"Oh, that was nothing," Kuja tried to hide his disappointment. "Really . . ."
"No," Megan argued. "That was definitely SOMETHING. I just don't know what . . ."
Kuja lowered his gaze to the floor, trying to figure out what to say.
"I've always been a good fighter," he stated, shrugging.
/But you've never seen what I can REALLY do . . ./ the genome added silently to himself.
"Well, you saved those three little girls," Megan commented matter-of- factly. "So you should feel honored,"
Kuja didn't respond.
/I don't know how I feel . . ./
He looked up when he felt the bed beneath him sink slightly; before realizing Megan had plopped down onto the sheet next to him. She was giving him the puppy dog eyes for some reason. Kuja waited, feigning annoyance. Finally, he gave her a dry look.
"Megan, what do you want?"
The young girl pretended not to hear him. Kuja felt angry.
"Megan, what do you want?! Come on! Tell me!"
Megan smirked. Kuja's eyes flashed dangerously.
"Megan, if you don't tell me what's going on, I'll show you what I can do when I'm REALLY pissed," Megan rolled her eyes, letting out a hasty breath.
"Fine! Here!" she shoved the rolled up newspaper at him and turned away, pouting. "Don't get your hair all up in a knot!" Kuja gave her a final glare before unfolding the newspaper and gazing at the headline with curiosity.
"Queen of Alexandria engaged to be married . . ." he read aloud, squinting at the tiny print. A molten wrath rose immediately in his stomach, bubbling up and making him want to puke.
/Traitor./ he thought bitterly, trying not to scowl as he balled his fingers into a fist. /Zidane should be your one and only. How DARE you marry another. Traitor, traitor, traitor./
"Well? What do you think?" Megan asked, turning to face the silver-tailed sorcerer. Kuja shrugged. Megan looked annoyed.
"Don't you want to go?" she inquired, staring at him. It took a lot of effort for Kuja not to crumple the paper up and throw it out the window. Megan sighed. "Boy is she lucky. You know, they thought that boy was dead. Then, POP! He just shows up at her nineteenth birthday celebration, posing as an actor in the play,"
/Traitor./
"You know, he was the hero of the Great War,"
THAT got Kuja's attention.
"Excuse me?" he nearly growled, looking up sharply. Megan nodded distantly, looking away.
"Yeah. You've probably heard his name. Zidane Tribal," she stated, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. Kuja started immediately.
/Oh no . . ./
"So," Megan began again. "Do you want to go to Alexandria for the festivities or not? I mean, Jesus! It's, like, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! How can we NOT go?!"
/Oh no . . . Please no . . . /
"Well?"
/No . . ./
"Hello? Gaia to Feather! Geez, man. You look like you've seen a ghost!"
/Or heard about one . . ./
Megan stared at Kuja a little while longer. When he wouldn't even acknowledge her presence, the young woman sighed and stood up.
"I'll leave you alone to decide," she muttered, leaving the newspaper behind and heading back to the door. She cast one last look at Kuja and rolled her eyes.
He just continued to stare into space.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ummei lay upon the floor, shivering. His clothes were shredded where the whip had lashed him and his skin was sliced thinly from the beating. He deserved it, of course. But that didn't stop it from being the most painful thing he'd ever felt in his entire life.
"Ha," he heard someone hiss sarcastically nearby. Blinking in surprise at the sound, the green-eyed man rolled over onto his stomach - his head turned towards whomever had just made the rude noise - and found himself staring directly into a pair of livid blue eyes.
"Oh . . . It's you . . ." he muttered dryly, embracing the cold tile against his cheek. Mikoto scowled, glaring at him.
"Filth," she snarled, baring her teeth. Ummei would have almost been afraid of her if she hadn't been shackled down to the railing on the side of the ship.
"Hey, I just got the shit beaten out of me because of you," Ummei snapped at the young genome, his eyes spelling death. "So have a little decency and SHUT UP!"
"Make me,"
"I swear I'll come over there,"
"You can't hurt me. He told you not to. You'll get beaten again,"
/Damn, she's good . . ./
"Laugh all you want," Ummei taunted, pulling himself up carefully - wincing as the skin on his back began to sting again - and crawled into a sitting position upon the floor. "Because you're going to be really sorry later,"
"Sure . . ." Mikoto just rolled her eyes, not looking remotely frightened. Ummei chuckled, finding it amusing that the young genome was so naïve to the situation.
"Oh, you have no idea . . ." he told her honestly.
"You have no idea . . ."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He was there again that night; that horrible dream. The same thing over and over. The boy, the tanks, the man, the screams, the laughter. Kuja couldn't pull himself out of it. Why?! Why was this vision coming to him so continuously?!
So he decided to ask that night. Just as the little boy ran out of the back room, drenched in blood, the silver-tailed genome turned towards the green-eyed man, stepping in front of him so that they were looking eye to eye, confronting him sharply.
"I want to know right now why you are forcing me to see this evil thing," he spat, glaring angrily. "And I want a decent answer or I will never sleep again! Then you won't be able to plague me with your taunts and mocking!"
The man just laughed, his shoulders shaking. Raising an eyebrow, he turned away from Kuja and pointed his finger at the little silver-haired boy just as the child ran past.
"Stop," he commanded, his leopard-like eyes boring into the sobbing youth.
The boy froze in mid-action, still running, and abruptly collapsed, falling limply to the smooth tile floor. Kuja's stomach twisted in horror.
"Wait! What are you - ?"
"This is a warning,"
Kuja started, blinking in surprise. It was not The Man's voice nor the little boy's. It was a woman talking! Just as Kuja was about to ask where the sound was coming from, the green-eyed man turned back around, a somber expression on his face. Except it wasn't a him.
It was a her.
"Who the hell are you?!" Kuja blurted out, staring at the woman before him. The strange female wore her hair the same way The Man had - pulled back into a low ponytail - however, her eyes were an odd violet color, piercing and deep. Dark circles lay heavily beneath them as if the weight of the world were upon her shoulders. Despite the fact that she probably wasn't more than thirty years old, the strange woman looked as if she had aged quite a lot within a few days. Her eyes were severe as she watched the silver-haired man sadly, shaking her head.
"I am trying to warn you," she repeated, gazing quietly at the confused young sorcerer.
"But who are you?!" Kuja shouted, feeling uneasy.
The woman shuddered violently, clutching herself in sheer agony. Shocked, the silver-haired genome reached forward, his eyes flashing with concern. Her voice echoed suddenly from nearby.
"You are being watched," she hissed, the statement carrying the slightest trace of a threat in it. Kuja glanced to his left and saw that the little boy had turned into an exact replica of the woman, sitting upon the ground and staring up at him with those ever-searching purple eyes. "These visions are being intercepted. I'm so sorry. I tried continuously to block them, however I was unable. He is more powerful than I. Still, I carry the same warning,"
"And what's that?" the first angel of death asked, looking startled.
"Beware of the Metsubo . . ."
"The what?"
The version of the mysterious lady who was hunched over in pain raised her eyes to stare at Kuja, her expression glazed.
"He is trying to intercept the vision once more!" she cried suddenly, dropping to her knees. Kuja reached out to catch her, however, his hands went right through her trembling form. Still, she continued to speak, her voice low and dangerous. "Just remember,"
Both the women began to speak simultaneously, each staring at him with a look of utmost pain on their faces.
"Your soul was given to you, therefore, it can be taken away . . ."
That snapped Kuja right out of his thoughts.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mikoto couldn't stop glaring at Ummei. She hated him so much there weren't even words to describe it.
"You know, this is all your fault!" the genome shouted, pulling angrily on her chains. Ummei was sitting against the far wall, apparently having been set for guard-duty. He gave her a rather bored look.
"Give me a break . . ." he muttered, gingerly touching the raw spots on his back. "This is your fault too. You didn't have to fight back. If you'd have just let me taken you then I wouldn't have gotten in trouble,"
Mikoto rolled her brilliant blue eyes. "So basically what you're saying is that I lose either way and you just happen to lose this time too?"
Ummei blinked slowly and nodded. Mikoto got the feeling he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.
"I hate you," she growled, crossing her arms angrily. The chains scraped against the floor as she moved. Ummei just shrugged.
"Whatever . . ."
"And my big brother's going to kick your ass when he finds out what happened!"
Mikoto was silenced by a blinding light flooding into the room and washing over the dim darkness that had settled upon the interior of the ship. The blonde covered her face with her shackled hands, squinting through the glare to see who was entering. A deep, mocking voice curled around her ears, causing her to become completely paralyzed. She saw that Ummei, too, was looking up in sudden fright.
"Which big brother are you referring to?" a man questioned from the doorway, his voice low and dangerous.
Mikoto blinked. A human stood before them, bathed in a fluorescent gleam. His hair was pulled back into a dark brown ponytail, wrapped by a leather cord. He couldn't have been more than twenty-five years old, yet he seemed battle-hardened in his own sense. His outfit was just like Ummei's only more decorated: brown-green cloak, large combat boots, gloves, dozen of golden bangles and bracelets and rings sprinkled with intricate designs. A thin, auric-colored shirt lay beneath the cloak; which was tied across the front with a series of strings. The outfit was so . . . (Mikoto couldn't believe she was using such a general word) futuristic . . . Like something she would have seen on Terra. Nothing peasant-like. Just . . . stunning. She also noticed, with a gulp, that a large gun sat within the holster around his leather belt (which hung at a jaunty angle), and a sword was cradled in his fingers on the other side.
Mikoto found herself at a loss for words. Finally, she managed to cough up the first thing that came to mind.
"What are you TALKING about?!"
The man's face twisted into a sullen smile. Mikoto saw that he, too, sported those intoxicating green eyes that Ummei had. As a matter of fact, now that she thought of it, he looked disturbingly LIKE Ummei. It was so strange . . .
"I asked you a simple question," the stranger stated simply, narrowing his eyes. "I asked you which brother you were talking about. Or are you as stupid as the rest of them?" Mikoto's jaw dropped open and she found herself boiling over in anger.
"I only HAVE one older brother!" she snapped, feeling strangely flustered. How DARE he speak to her like that! As if she were . . . well, as if she were a common genome . . .
The man raised a curious eyebrow. "Really? Last I heard, you had two," he commented, looking rather confused.
Mikoto felt a hot wrath in her chest, topped by a sudden sadness she hadn't felt in years. The blonde-tailed genome trembled with rage.
"My oldest brother's DEAD!" she screamed, pulling on the chains once more in a feeble attempt to escape. "How DARE you bring him up in my presence you . . . you . . . I don't even KNOW what the hell you are!"
"You can call me whatever you want," the man told her, glancing quickly at Ummei. "None of it will really matter in the end,"
Mikoto growled. "Fine then. YOU'RE A GOD DAMN MOTHER FU - "
"Ummei, get me the files,"
The votary scrambled up hurriedly, trying to hide his pain as the movement stretched the sensitive skin on his back. He began to head out the door when his master stuck out an arm and caught him squarely in the chest. He gave Ummei a look that clearly said "Stay put or die" and glanced back at Mikoto.
"So you're saying your oldest brother is dead?" he asked, frowning. Mikoto glared at him.
"Duh! He died three years ago after the Iifa Tree collapsed!"
The Master (as Mikoto preferred to call him when she wasn't thinking "jerk") looked thoughtful.
"Wasn't your second oldest brother in the tree also during the collapse?"
Mikoto was about to ponder how the man knew this (since it wasn't common knowledge that both her brother's had been in the tree at the same time) when a sudden thought struck her and she realized exactly what the man was trying to say.
/If Zidane made it out . . . then what would have stopped Kuja from doing just the same . . .?/
The Master must have noticed the uneasy look on Mikoto's face because he nodded to himself and gave Ummei a slight push backwards.
"I don't need the files anymore," he instructed, not taking his gaze off the female genome. "Her words have told me everything I need to know . . ."
He turned towards Mikoto, his eyes gleaming dully.
"You're oldest brother is not dead," he stated firmly, resting a hand on his hip. "At least, I don't believe he is. The Master would have told me,"
Mikoto gulped painfully hard as the words sunk in.
/There's a master ABOVE this guy?! Then who the hell am I dealing with, here?!/ The former Master continued on, ignoring the frightened look on Mikoto's face.
"And besides, I highly doubt your big brother - " his eyes twinkled with amusement. "- would ever come to your aid, being the cold-hearted jackass that he is,"
Mikoto gasped. "How DARE you!" she repeated for about the tenth time that day. Unfortunately, she knew the Master had a point. "Kuja just has a few issues, that's all!" she immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, realizing she'd revealed her deceased brother's name. Or at least she thought he was deceased . . . The Master laughed, his shoulders shaking.
"So that's still his name, I see," he commented, holding the long sword up in front of himself and smoothing his fingers over its long blade. Mikoto was shocked to see that behind the sword sat a set of twin daggers. How many weapons did this guy need?!
"How do you know my brother?!" Mikoto demanded, not sure whether to be angry or scared. The Master ignored her and nodded to Ummei, sheathing his sword.
"Inform the others that we'll be ready to initiate the plan within the next two days," he informed the lesser, his eyes flashing with blood-lust. Ummei looked nervous.
"So soon?"
The Master nodded. "You heard the orders. ASAP,"
Mikoto felt a chill run up her spine.
"There are OTHERS on this ship?!" Her voice rose with nerves. The Master gave her a look of bemusement.
"Many others, as a matter of fact," he stated. "Almost a hundred,"
Mikoto's heart dropped like a stone.
/No . . . way . . ./
As Ummei began to scamper out the door, the Master grabbed his arm, spinning the poor guy around, and grinned.
"And tell Him . . . Drakja is ready . . ."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Phew! That was long. But very fun to write. I got the idea while pulling weeds. Isn't that lovely? Anyhow . . . I . . .don't really have anything to say . . . Hmm . . . strange . . . Hey, guess what! My mom's addicted to Coke! As in, the soda, lol. Seriously! She's been clinically diagnosed as being addicted to Coca Cola! They're forcing her off of it ('cause she's diabetic) and now she's in withdrawal! Tell me that's not the weirdest thing ever?! Anyhow, please review. I'm very excited! Twenty-five reviews! Keep 'em comin'!
+Black Mage Dad+
Disclaimer: Own Final Fantasy? I wish . . .
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest . . ." - William Shakespeare (Hamlet, Act V, Scene 2)
Kuja sat on the edge of his bed, staring into the space across the far wall. A million thoughts were swirling through his mind, adding to the weight he was feeling within his jumbled revelations.
/I just revealed that I'm powerful . . ./ he thought slowly, wondering what the consequences would be. It certainly wasn't a good thing. What if people became suspicious?
/And I can't seem to fight as well as I once could . . ./ That thought puzzled the genome greatly. For some reason, his skills seemed to have been toned down slightly. Only but a few years before the wound on his arm could have been avoided with the snap of a finger. But now he couldn't even concentrate on simple magic . . . What did that mean?
/That monster was a spawn of the Mist . . ./
"I just can't understand!" Kuja blurted out angrily, looking thoroughly frustrated. It had to be the most confusing concept of them all. He could still remember, two and a half years before . . .
/Flash/
"Kuja . . . We've got to kill them all . . ."
The silver-tailed warlock cast his brother a cold look. "Zidane . . . Please . . ."
Zidane returned it with a stubborn glare. "Kuja, it's our fault that they're out again. What will happen when they reach towns?! Cities?!"
" But . . ."
"Come on. I think I see a Mistodon over there . . ."
/Flash/
"But we killed the Mist monsters . . ." Kuja argued angrily to himself, his face clouded over with confusion. "We traveled together for six months and killed all of the Mist monsters . . . And the Iifa Tree before that," he lapsed into silence.
A sudden creak told him that someone was opening the door, causing Kuja to snap out of his thoughts and raise his head at the sound of the squeak. He saw Megan entering nervously, something hidden behind her back and a shy smile on her face.
"Hey," she muttered, shutting the door silently behind her. Kuja gave her a sort of half-smile.
"Hey," he echoed.
"You all right?"
"Fine . . ."
"Um . . . You sure?"
Kuja tried to hide his impatience. "I'm sure . . ." Trying to fill in the silence . . . "You're family's very talented," he added, catching her eye. "The bite wound the dragon gave me is nothing more than a cut, and the poison has been completely extracted,"
Megan nodded quietly, trying to explain. "Everyone in my family has been highly skilled in some sort of medical field. It's kind of cool, really," she broke off. Kuja raised an eyebrow curiously.
"And what about you?" he queried, cocking his head to the side. Megan gave a short laugh, a look of the utmost irony on her face.
"I can't. You know . . ."
Kuja nodded, understanding.
/She's afraid of blood . . ./
Megan sighed, raising her eyes to the ceiling. Suddenly, she let out an agitated groan.
"Oh man! I just have to ask!" she grunted in frustration. Kuja blinked at the sudden outburst.
"What?"
Megan looked rather embarrassed. However, the blush was immediately replaced by wide-eyed keen interest.
"Feather . . . Where did you learn to fight like that?"
/Shoot . . ./
"Oh, that was nothing," Kuja tried to hide his disappointment. "Really . . ."
"No," Megan argued. "That was definitely SOMETHING. I just don't know what . . ."
Kuja lowered his gaze to the floor, trying to figure out what to say.
"I've always been a good fighter," he stated, shrugging.
/But you've never seen what I can REALLY do . . ./ the genome added silently to himself.
"Well, you saved those three little girls," Megan commented matter-of- factly. "So you should feel honored,"
Kuja didn't respond.
/I don't know how I feel . . ./
He looked up when he felt the bed beneath him sink slightly; before realizing Megan had plopped down onto the sheet next to him. She was giving him the puppy dog eyes for some reason. Kuja waited, feigning annoyance. Finally, he gave her a dry look.
"Megan, what do you want?"
The young girl pretended not to hear him. Kuja felt angry.
"Megan, what do you want?! Come on! Tell me!"
Megan smirked. Kuja's eyes flashed dangerously.
"Megan, if you don't tell me what's going on, I'll show you what I can do when I'm REALLY pissed," Megan rolled her eyes, letting out a hasty breath.
"Fine! Here!" she shoved the rolled up newspaper at him and turned away, pouting. "Don't get your hair all up in a knot!" Kuja gave her a final glare before unfolding the newspaper and gazing at the headline with curiosity.
"Queen of Alexandria engaged to be married . . ." he read aloud, squinting at the tiny print. A molten wrath rose immediately in his stomach, bubbling up and making him want to puke.
/Traitor./ he thought bitterly, trying not to scowl as he balled his fingers into a fist. /Zidane should be your one and only. How DARE you marry another. Traitor, traitor, traitor./
"Well? What do you think?" Megan asked, turning to face the silver-tailed sorcerer. Kuja shrugged. Megan looked annoyed.
"Don't you want to go?" she inquired, staring at him. It took a lot of effort for Kuja not to crumple the paper up and throw it out the window. Megan sighed. "Boy is she lucky. You know, they thought that boy was dead. Then, POP! He just shows up at her nineteenth birthday celebration, posing as an actor in the play,"
/Traitor./
"You know, he was the hero of the Great War,"
THAT got Kuja's attention.
"Excuse me?" he nearly growled, looking up sharply. Megan nodded distantly, looking away.
"Yeah. You've probably heard his name. Zidane Tribal," she stated, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. Kuja started immediately.
/Oh no . . ./
"So," Megan began again. "Do you want to go to Alexandria for the festivities or not? I mean, Jesus! It's, like, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! How can we NOT go?!"
/Oh no . . . Please no . . . /
"Well?"
/No . . ./
"Hello? Gaia to Feather! Geez, man. You look like you've seen a ghost!"
/Or heard about one . . ./
Megan stared at Kuja a little while longer. When he wouldn't even acknowledge her presence, the young woman sighed and stood up.
"I'll leave you alone to decide," she muttered, leaving the newspaper behind and heading back to the door. She cast one last look at Kuja and rolled her eyes.
He just continued to stare into space.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ummei lay upon the floor, shivering. His clothes were shredded where the whip had lashed him and his skin was sliced thinly from the beating. He deserved it, of course. But that didn't stop it from being the most painful thing he'd ever felt in his entire life.
"Ha," he heard someone hiss sarcastically nearby. Blinking in surprise at the sound, the green-eyed man rolled over onto his stomach - his head turned towards whomever had just made the rude noise - and found himself staring directly into a pair of livid blue eyes.
"Oh . . . It's you . . ." he muttered dryly, embracing the cold tile against his cheek. Mikoto scowled, glaring at him.
"Filth," she snarled, baring her teeth. Ummei would have almost been afraid of her if she hadn't been shackled down to the railing on the side of the ship.
"Hey, I just got the shit beaten out of me because of you," Ummei snapped at the young genome, his eyes spelling death. "So have a little decency and SHUT UP!"
"Make me,"
"I swear I'll come over there,"
"You can't hurt me. He told you not to. You'll get beaten again,"
/Damn, she's good . . ./
"Laugh all you want," Ummei taunted, pulling himself up carefully - wincing as the skin on his back began to sting again - and crawled into a sitting position upon the floor. "Because you're going to be really sorry later,"
"Sure . . ." Mikoto just rolled her eyes, not looking remotely frightened. Ummei chuckled, finding it amusing that the young genome was so naïve to the situation.
"Oh, you have no idea . . ." he told her honestly.
"You have no idea . . ."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He was there again that night; that horrible dream. The same thing over and over. The boy, the tanks, the man, the screams, the laughter. Kuja couldn't pull himself out of it. Why?! Why was this vision coming to him so continuously?!
So he decided to ask that night. Just as the little boy ran out of the back room, drenched in blood, the silver-tailed genome turned towards the green-eyed man, stepping in front of him so that they were looking eye to eye, confronting him sharply.
"I want to know right now why you are forcing me to see this evil thing," he spat, glaring angrily. "And I want a decent answer or I will never sleep again! Then you won't be able to plague me with your taunts and mocking!"
The man just laughed, his shoulders shaking. Raising an eyebrow, he turned away from Kuja and pointed his finger at the little silver-haired boy just as the child ran past.
"Stop," he commanded, his leopard-like eyes boring into the sobbing youth.
The boy froze in mid-action, still running, and abruptly collapsed, falling limply to the smooth tile floor. Kuja's stomach twisted in horror.
"Wait! What are you - ?"
"This is a warning,"
Kuja started, blinking in surprise. It was not The Man's voice nor the little boy's. It was a woman talking! Just as Kuja was about to ask where the sound was coming from, the green-eyed man turned back around, a somber expression on his face. Except it wasn't a him.
It was a her.
"Who the hell are you?!" Kuja blurted out, staring at the woman before him. The strange female wore her hair the same way The Man had - pulled back into a low ponytail - however, her eyes were an odd violet color, piercing and deep. Dark circles lay heavily beneath them as if the weight of the world were upon her shoulders. Despite the fact that she probably wasn't more than thirty years old, the strange woman looked as if she had aged quite a lot within a few days. Her eyes were severe as she watched the silver-haired man sadly, shaking her head.
"I am trying to warn you," she repeated, gazing quietly at the confused young sorcerer.
"But who are you?!" Kuja shouted, feeling uneasy.
The woman shuddered violently, clutching herself in sheer agony. Shocked, the silver-haired genome reached forward, his eyes flashing with concern. Her voice echoed suddenly from nearby.
"You are being watched," she hissed, the statement carrying the slightest trace of a threat in it. Kuja glanced to his left and saw that the little boy had turned into an exact replica of the woman, sitting upon the ground and staring up at him with those ever-searching purple eyes. "These visions are being intercepted. I'm so sorry. I tried continuously to block them, however I was unable. He is more powerful than I. Still, I carry the same warning,"
"And what's that?" the first angel of death asked, looking startled.
"Beware of the Metsubo . . ."
"The what?"
The version of the mysterious lady who was hunched over in pain raised her eyes to stare at Kuja, her expression glazed.
"He is trying to intercept the vision once more!" she cried suddenly, dropping to her knees. Kuja reached out to catch her, however, his hands went right through her trembling form. Still, she continued to speak, her voice low and dangerous. "Just remember,"
Both the women began to speak simultaneously, each staring at him with a look of utmost pain on their faces.
"Your soul was given to you, therefore, it can be taken away . . ."
That snapped Kuja right out of his thoughts.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mikoto couldn't stop glaring at Ummei. She hated him so much there weren't even words to describe it.
"You know, this is all your fault!" the genome shouted, pulling angrily on her chains. Ummei was sitting against the far wall, apparently having been set for guard-duty. He gave her a rather bored look.
"Give me a break . . ." he muttered, gingerly touching the raw spots on his back. "This is your fault too. You didn't have to fight back. If you'd have just let me taken you then I wouldn't have gotten in trouble,"
Mikoto rolled her brilliant blue eyes. "So basically what you're saying is that I lose either way and you just happen to lose this time too?"
Ummei blinked slowly and nodded. Mikoto got the feeling he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.
"I hate you," she growled, crossing her arms angrily. The chains scraped against the floor as she moved. Ummei just shrugged.
"Whatever . . ."
"And my big brother's going to kick your ass when he finds out what happened!"
Mikoto was silenced by a blinding light flooding into the room and washing over the dim darkness that had settled upon the interior of the ship. The blonde covered her face with her shackled hands, squinting through the glare to see who was entering. A deep, mocking voice curled around her ears, causing her to become completely paralyzed. She saw that Ummei, too, was looking up in sudden fright.
"Which big brother are you referring to?" a man questioned from the doorway, his voice low and dangerous.
Mikoto blinked. A human stood before them, bathed in a fluorescent gleam. His hair was pulled back into a dark brown ponytail, wrapped by a leather cord. He couldn't have been more than twenty-five years old, yet he seemed battle-hardened in his own sense. His outfit was just like Ummei's only more decorated: brown-green cloak, large combat boots, gloves, dozen of golden bangles and bracelets and rings sprinkled with intricate designs. A thin, auric-colored shirt lay beneath the cloak; which was tied across the front with a series of strings. The outfit was so . . . (Mikoto couldn't believe she was using such a general word) futuristic . . . Like something she would have seen on Terra. Nothing peasant-like. Just . . . stunning. She also noticed, with a gulp, that a large gun sat within the holster around his leather belt (which hung at a jaunty angle), and a sword was cradled in his fingers on the other side.
Mikoto found herself at a loss for words. Finally, she managed to cough up the first thing that came to mind.
"What are you TALKING about?!"
The man's face twisted into a sullen smile. Mikoto saw that he, too, sported those intoxicating green eyes that Ummei had. As a matter of fact, now that she thought of it, he looked disturbingly LIKE Ummei. It was so strange . . .
"I asked you a simple question," the stranger stated simply, narrowing his eyes. "I asked you which brother you were talking about. Or are you as stupid as the rest of them?" Mikoto's jaw dropped open and she found herself boiling over in anger.
"I only HAVE one older brother!" she snapped, feeling strangely flustered. How DARE he speak to her like that! As if she were . . . well, as if she were a common genome . . .
The man raised a curious eyebrow. "Really? Last I heard, you had two," he commented, looking rather confused.
Mikoto felt a hot wrath in her chest, topped by a sudden sadness she hadn't felt in years. The blonde-tailed genome trembled with rage.
"My oldest brother's DEAD!" she screamed, pulling on the chains once more in a feeble attempt to escape. "How DARE you bring him up in my presence you . . . you . . . I don't even KNOW what the hell you are!"
"You can call me whatever you want," the man told her, glancing quickly at Ummei. "None of it will really matter in the end,"
Mikoto growled. "Fine then. YOU'RE A GOD DAMN MOTHER FU - "
"Ummei, get me the files,"
The votary scrambled up hurriedly, trying to hide his pain as the movement stretched the sensitive skin on his back. He began to head out the door when his master stuck out an arm and caught him squarely in the chest. He gave Ummei a look that clearly said "Stay put or die" and glanced back at Mikoto.
"So you're saying your oldest brother is dead?" he asked, frowning. Mikoto glared at him.
"Duh! He died three years ago after the Iifa Tree collapsed!"
The Master (as Mikoto preferred to call him when she wasn't thinking "jerk") looked thoughtful.
"Wasn't your second oldest brother in the tree also during the collapse?"
Mikoto was about to ponder how the man knew this (since it wasn't common knowledge that both her brother's had been in the tree at the same time) when a sudden thought struck her and she realized exactly what the man was trying to say.
/If Zidane made it out . . . then what would have stopped Kuja from doing just the same . . .?/
The Master must have noticed the uneasy look on Mikoto's face because he nodded to himself and gave Ummei a slight push backwards.
"I don't need the files anymore," he instructed, not taking his gaze off the female genome. "Her words have told me everything I need to know . . ."
He turned towards Mikoto, his eyes gleaming dully.
"You're oldest brother is not dead," he stated firmly, resting a hand on his hip. "At least, I don't believe he is. The Master would have told me,"
Mikoto gulped painfully hard as the words sunk in.
/There's a master ABOVE this guy?! Then who the hell am I dealing with, here?!/ The former Master continued on, ignoring the frightened look on Mikoto's face.
"And besides, I highly doubt your big brother - " his eyes twinkled with amusement. "- would ever come to your aid, being the cold-hearted jackass that he is,"
Mikoto gasped. "How DARE you!" she repeated for about the tenth time that day. Unfortunately, she knew the Master had a point. "Kuja just has a few issues, that's all!" she immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, realizing she'd revealed her deceased brother's name. Or at least she thought he was deceased . . . The Master laughed, his shoulders shaking.
"So that's still his name, I see," he commented, holding the long sword up in front of himself and smoothing his fingers over its long blade. Mikoto was shocked to see that behind the sword sat a set of twin daggers. How many weapons did this guy need?!
"How do you know my brother?!" Mikoto demanded, not sure whether to be angry or scared. The Master ignored her and nodded to Ummei, sheathing his sword.
"Inform the others that we'll be ready to initiate the plan within the next two days," he informed the lesser, his eyes flashing with blood-lust. Ummei looked nervous.
"So soon?"
The Master nodded. "You heard the orders. ASAP,"
Mikoto felt a chill run up her spine.
"There are OTHERS on this ship?!" Her voice rose with nerves. The Master gave her a look of bemusement.
"Many others, as a matter of fact," he stated. "Almost a hundred,"
Mikoto's heart dropped like a stone.
/No . . . way . . ./
As Ummei began to scamper out the door, the Master grabbed his arm, spinning the poor guy around, and grinned.
"And tell Him . . . Drakja is ready . . ."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Phew! That was long. But very fun to write. I got the idea while pulling weeds. Isn't that lovely? Anyhow . . . I . . .don't really have anything to say . . . Hmm . . . strange . . . Hey, guess what! My mom's addicted to Coke! As in, the soda, lol. Seriously! She's been clinically diagnosed as being addicted to Coca Cola! They're forcing her off of it ('cause she's diabetic) and now she's in withdrawal! Tell me that's not the weirdest thing ever?! Anyhow, please review. I'm very excited! Twenty-five reviews! Keep 'em comin'!
+Black Mage Dad+