A/N: Blah . . . I hardly got any reviews for the last chapter . . . Me very
disappointed. Anyways, this chapter is VERY, VERY long! I'm just warning
you now. And it's only part one! What has become of this world?! Also,
Lulian is going to do something really weird in this chapter and I don't
want to people to think it means something that's not true. I'll just say
this now: she's not a dog. None of them are. So don't THINK they are!
'Cause they're not! Got that? Good. Well, I hope I get more reviews for
this chapter. I need to keep my motivation up. Read and review!
Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I wouldn't be sitting here begging for reviews like a dog pleading for biscuits . . . How pathetic is that . . .? (Don't answer that, lol).
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"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof."
- Richard Bach, Illusions [1977]
"Oh . . . My . . . God!" Megan clapped a hand over her mouth at the sight that met her and her friend as they stepped off the ramp of the air-cab. The colors! The noise! The smells! The festivities!
Alexandria gave the illusion that it had been thrown over with streamers and paint of every color. Signs and shops everywhere were decorated and people ran around screaming and partying. There was music floating out from somewhere nearby and a carnival in progress near the square. The sounds of children laughing, dogs barking, and people singing was almost deafening. The smell of something cooking wafted out of nearly every building. Megan had never seen such a celebration!
Kuja grinned at the stunned look on his partner's face. "What do you think?" he asked, peering carefully at her to see if she hadn't turned into a statue. Megan's eyes widened.
"So cool!" she screamed, grabbing two suitcases and taking a step forward. Kuja quickly snagged her by one shoulder and shook his head.
"No, Megan," he commanded as if she were a dog. "I'm supposed to keep you safe. You can't just go running off like that,"
Megan looked thoroughly disappointed. "Damn . . ."
Kuja smiled and bent over one of the bags. He pulled out a sleek white cloak and put it on hurriedly, buttoning up the front and pulling the hood over his head. Megan gave him a queer look.
"Uh . . . Feather . . . Isn't it kinda hot for a cloak?"
Kuja didn't answer her and grabbed the remaining suitcases. Brushing past the brunette's shoulder, the tall genome gave a final nod to the cab driver and went walking briskly down the road. Megan looked back over her shoulder as the cab lifted back into the air with a flurry of dust and then went tearing off after the silver-haired man as fast as she could.
"Hey! Wait for me!"
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Zidane stared out the window of his bedroom in Alexandria Castle, expression flashing from joy to longing to sadness to mirth every few seconds. Never before had he wished for so many things at once. The party outside was raging yet he remained tucked away from the action. But by his own volition of course . . .
Someone knocked on the door and he gave a weak "Come in" before returning to his gazing. Heavy footsteps, a grunt, and a sneeze informed the genome that Baku Tribal was entering.
"What the hell are ya doing in here, ya little punk?" the leader of Tantalus demanded, grabbing Zidane roughly by the shoulders and spinning him around so that they faced one another. Zidane rolled his eyes.
"You just couldn't leave me alone for ONE MINUTE, could you?!" he snapped sarcastically, rubbing his sore shoulder. Baku gave him a smile that would send shivers down anyone's spine.
"One minute?! You've been in here for hours! What the hell's your problem?! You're gonna be runnin' this damn country soon! So deal with it!" Zidane turned icily back to the window, glaring intensely outside.
"I'm just having conflicting feelings right now, okay?!"
Baku shook his head sadly. "I always knew you was weak . . ."
Zidane whirled around instantly, blue eyes flashing with anger. "Don't you dare call me weak!" he growled. "I kicked the crap out of you that day on the Theatre Ship! Don't you go givin' me this shit about - "
Baku chuckled and clapped a platter sized hand down on Zidane's head, mussing up his hair. "Nah, it's all right boy. I understand. You've got a lot on your plate right now. But at least you've got a beautiful young woman to share the load with, eh?" he nudged Zidane in the ribs. The genome grit his teeth together. The nudge felt like a power drill.
"Yeah, that is kinda nice . . ."
"Kinda?! Count your blessins' boy!" he held up a hand as Zidane made another face. "Nah, I'm just teasin' ya. But if ya get the chance, you might want to go spend some more time with your people. Alexandria, the queen, and yeah, even your old buddies from Tantalus. We miss ya,"
"Really?"
"No. Not really,"
"Boss!" Baku just crowed with laughter once more, clutching his large belly.
"No, no. I'm just teasin' ya again. Jus' be glad we all like ya. Ruby's pining away by herself down at the theatre. You might want to drop by later,"
Zidane nodded, wondering if he felt better or worse. Baku frowned slightly.
"You're missin' a few people, ain't ya?"
Zidane blinked. "Whaddya mean?" he asked suspiciously, eyes narrowed.
Baku cleared his throat heavily. "I mean the genomes. Ain't they kinda like your brothers and sisters?"
Zidane turned back to the window, leaning against the sill. "I guess you could say that . . . But in reality, I only had two true relatives . . ."
There was a moment of silence. Baku stifled another sneeze.
"Why do I get the feelin' you miss him?"
"Who?"
"Oh, don't pull that crap on me! I'm not an idiot, ya know! You may have kept your silence pretty damn well but we all know that deep down inside you loved that man like a brother. You would never admit it, of course. But you've always been like that. Tantalus was like your brothers and you would have died for any one of them. Even if they had stabbed you in the back and tried to kill you and destroyed your home and - "
"All right, I get the picture! But you're wrong. I never thought of Kuja as a brother. After the Iifa Tree, he was just another companion trying to get on my back about everything . . ."
/Flash/
"Why did you abandon your friends for me?! I'm not worth that!"
/Flash/
"And besides - even if I was sad when he died - that was three years ago!" Zidane shouted, voice rising.
"Two and a half," Baku corrected immediately, trying to quiet his adopted son down. "You told me the two of you traveled for six months or so,"
Zidane nodded. "Whatever . . . Two and a half years . . . That was a long time ago! I'm well over any feelings I ever had at his death!"
"I don't think you are,"
"I know I am,"
"So why do you still wear that silver feather around your neck?"
Zidane paled instantly and clasped a hand around his throat, feeling protectively for the silver chain he always kept hidden beneath his shirt. Baku smirked in a rather superior fashion and put his hands on his hips.
"I thought so . . ."
"No, you don't understand!" Zidane argued, face flushed with embarrassment. "Yes, this was one of his feathers! But I couldn't just let it get blown away! Kuja always prized his clothes over anything else! It would have been an insult to his memory to let it get eaten or something,"
"Liar. It's all you have left of him,"
"But - "
"No. Don't argue with me. I've known you since you was four years old and of all the members of Tantalus, I know you better than any of them. Even Blank. You don't have to get so defensive. I understand that Kuja was your only brother. And what he did for you at the end proves that maybe he felt the same way. Family is an important thing and I wouldn't want you to lose it just for the price of your dignity and humility. Got that?"
Zidane hesitated, staring hard at his boss. ". . .Yes sir . . ."
"Good. Now get outside! You're missing all the excitement!"
Zidane couldn't help but grin. Now he KNEW he felt better.
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Megan ran up and down the streets, buying this, buying that, oohing, aahing, and of course, smiling. Kuja knew instantly that she was having the time of her life.
"Oh my god, Feather! Look at this!" Megan exclaimed, coming to a screeching halt before a booth on the side of the road. Kuja came up slowly behind her and saw that she was leaning over the side of a fence, staring wide-eyed at the contents within. The silver-tailed genome read the sign:
Baby Chocobo for Sale. Bobby Corwen. 2000 gil.
A small frown creased his face.
/Don't tell me this silly girl wants to buy a chocobo . . ./
"Excuse me?! Sir?!" Megan waved an arm to get the attention of the owners running the booth. Someone came out of the small door in the back, wiping their hands on a cloth. Kuja let out a small curse and turned away hurriedly.
"A black mage!" he hissed to himself. "Damn it! I thought they were all dead!"
"Can I help you, miss?" the black mage asked kindly, placing the rag down off to the side. Megan nodded.
"Yeah, I was just wondering. Is that chocobo going to get a good home?"
"Bobby Corwen?"
"Yeah. Him,"
"Of course!" the mage exclaimed, placing a hand on Megan's shoulder. "I would never sell him to someone untrustworthy! My people and I have been raising him since he was an egg!"
The brunette leaned over the fence and made a cute face to Bobby Corwen. He cocked his yellow feathered head and let out a small "kweh." Megan squealed with delight.
"Oh my god! He's so adorable!" she cried, clutching herself to keep from bursting. Kuja pulled his cloak around himself tighter.
/Don't buy the chocobo . . . Don't buy the chocobo . . ./ he thought desperately to himself. The black mage was laughing.
"He IS a darling, isn't he?"
"Oh, totally!"
"Do you want him?"
/Shit . . ./
Megan looked rather uneasy. "Gee . . . I don't know. I raised a chocobo once when I was little but he was already four years old,"
"Why, Bobby Corwen is only three!"
"Yeah . . . That's true . . ." Megan tapped a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Well, I'll ask Feather here. Hey! Feth!" the young woman prodded Kuja in the shoulder, grating on his temper immensely. "What do YOU think? Chocobo or no?" she giggled at the rhyme. Kuja shook his head hurriedly, afraid to speak. The black mage would recognize his voice in an instant.
"What?! Why not?!"
"Transportation," Kuja grunted, pulling on the strings of his hood nervously. Megan raised an eyebrow.
"Are you kidding? What's the big deal?"
"It's a nuisance . . ."
/I know that chocobo./ the genome realized, gut clenching. /What if the stupid bird recognizes me?!/
Megan sighed, turning back to the black mage. "Well . . . I'll be back I assure you. So only sell him if the customer seems absolutely perfect. Okay?"
"Not a problem!" the black mage stated, dusting off his coat.
"Oh, and what's your name in case I need to confirm that I was here previously?" Megan queried, grinning as Bobby Corwen blinked tranquilly up at her.
"Ah, my name is Mr. 288, ma'am,"
Kuja started. Mr. 288 would recognize him from a mile away! The rebel had been one of his higher ranking mages. Megan smiled and shook hands with the amber-eyed mage.
"Thank you, sir,"
"No. Thank YOU,"
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Zidane pulled on his coat and headed for the front doors of the castle, praying the covering would make his less conspicuous. As he reached for the door-handle, a gloved hand fell down upon his wrist, causing the genome to jump. Zidane's eyes followed the arm up to a tall woman with curly brown locks.
"Oh, hey Beatrix!" he laughed nervously, relieved that it was merely the female general. Beatrix cocked her head curiously.
"Going somewhere?" she asked, removing her hand and placing it instead upon the hilt of her sword - Save the Queen. Zidane nodded, sighing.
"Yeah. Thought I'd go see some of the action. I mean, this IS going to be my country soon,"
"That's true," Beatrix's lip twitched as she thought of Zidane running a country. It sounded kind of cute.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing. Go have fun," she hesitated. "Is something wrong?"
Zidane blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"I dunno. You just seem . . . blah . . . that's all,"
"No! I'm fine! Just . . . tired, I guess,"
"Hmm . . . Well, all right. Go enjoy yourself,"
Zidane smiled and flung open the door, stepping out into the bright sunshine. Beatrix slowly closed the door behind him and frowned. Something was amiss . . . Her general's intuition told her something was either going on or preparing to go on . . .
Unsheathing her sword, the general opened the door and crept outside.
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"What's your problem?!" Megan shouted as she and Kuja walked down the bustling road to the inn they were staying at. "Why wouldn't you talk to the mage?! And what the hell is up with the cloak?!"
Kuja was grinding his teeth a lot more than was probably good for them. "Please, Megan. Can we talk about this some other time? We need to get to the inn and deposit our stuff. Then we'll go on more sightseeing,"
The promise of more tourism seemed to soften Megan's mood up a little. But just a little. She took to glaring forward, fists at her sides, eyes flashing dangerously. Kuja just ignored her.
Once at the inn, the two seemed to calm down a little. It was a quaint little place, looking just like any other overnighter in Alexandria. Small, brick roofing, two floors. But definitely not too shabby. At least, not shabby enough that Kuja was silently complaining in his mind.
"All right, let's go," the genome muttered, tail thrashing as he put down a suitcase and opened the door.
The woman behind the counter was sitting with her elbows up on the desk, filing her nails. Her dark brown hair was almost completely covering her face.
"Um . . . excuse me?"
"Wha - ?" the woman, rather startled, looked up and her eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Could it be? No! It couldn't be! Megan? Yorokobi?"
Megan stared at the receptionist for a moment, seemingly unsure. "Uh . . . have we met?"
The woman jumped up and held out her arms, grinning. "Megan! It's me! Amy!"
"Amy?! Oh my god!" Kuja's companion ran forward and threw her arms around the hostess, laughing. "Amy, I haven't seen you in years! What are you doing here?!"
Amy pulled back, still smiling, and shrugged. "Why, I'm living my life's dream! Being a concierge!" she stated sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I left Katei for a better life and - hell - I AM making more money. But it's pretty droll up here. Luckily, the party's kinda picked things up. So, how've you been?" the dark-haired woman glanced over Megan's shoulder at Kuja who made sure his hood covered his eyes. "Seems like you've done a good job," she winked. "Dark and mysterious. Perfect," Amy clucked and gave her a thumbs up. "So what's his name? He's cute,"
Megan chuckled, shaking her head. "We're not dating," she tried to explain, shrugging. "You shouldn't have left so early. You missed the action. The poor guy dragged himself to our town about two and a half years ago and nearly bleed to death in the street. Mother and Grandmother healed him and he wound up living with us. He's taking me sightseeing," Megan smiled proudly. Amy's eyes widened.
"So he's not taken? Can I have him?"
Megan gave Amy a playful shove in the shoulder. "You most certainly can not! I wouldn't be able to look at you two the same ever again!"
Amy let out a disappointed sigh. "Darn . . . I guess I'm gonna have to kill you . . ." the two burst out laughing, leaving poor Kuja confused and holding many suitcases. Megan coughed nervously and went back to the genome, grabbing her bags.
"Well, we should probably drop our stuff off,"
Amy nodded and reached under the desk. "Sure. Here's a key,"
Megan nodded her thanks. "Yeah, we're going to head back out again. Don't want to miss any of the fun,"
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Mikoto shivered as she lay beneath the depths of the ship. How . . .? How could this have happened . . .? She hugged herself into a fetal position, trembling. What she had seen . . . It was impossible . . .
There was a creak and the door swung open, throwing a rectangle of light over her body. She refused to look up at them, those foul things.
"Hmm. Our charge hasn't escaped yet," it was definitely the Master. Mikoto squeezed her eyes shut, whimpering. "I'm disappointed. He told me she was powerful. Well, I must see the others for myself then,"
"Of course," the voice was a sinister giggle. Lulian . . .
"And we are finally ready, thank heavens. He was beginning to get impatient. And luckily for us, much of Gaia is in one spot,"
"Perfect,"
Mikoto opened her eyes just a little, watching Lulian and the Master - Drakja - whatever the hell his name was. They were standing in the doorway, glancing over at her occasionally.
"Are you ready to get the others out of here?"
"Ready as I'll ever be,"
"All right. You leave first. They will follow. And then I shall too,"
Lulian nodded, smirking, before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Mikoto sucked in the stale air sharply with surprise as, right before her very eyes, Lulian's body melted away, reshaping and reforming. The thing pulled itself onto all fours, legs breaking backwards, a bushy tail forming at the back. Hair puffed out along her body and her ears raised into furry triangles atop her head.
She had become a German Shepard . . .
The transformed woman gave a whine, turning away, and went flying out of sight, tail and all. Mikoto just curled herself in tighter.
The Master grinned, running his fingers through his hair.
"So it begins . . ."
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Megan and Kuja continued their trip around Alexandria. The partying continued and more than once they both had to jump out of the way as someone went tearing by with streamers, screaming and laughing. Megan was still excited about her run-in with Amy.
"Yeah, Amy was living in Katei for as far back as I can remember. She left when she decided it was unfair that the boys can escape easier than the girls can. I guess she's doing pretty well,"
Kuja nodded absently, looking around at the shops. How had they rebuilt Alexandria so fast? Was it just him or had it doubled in size? He smirked to himself.
/Garland would be so pissed if he saw this place now . . ./
They turned into an empty back alley, trying to avoid going around in circles within the massive city. Behind the action, the buildings were much tighter, the air much darker. The smell . . . much more stifling.
Scrunched up next to one of the walls was a homeless man sitting hunched over beside a trash can. Kuja would have gladly continued on but Megan grabbed his arm and gave him the puppy dog eyes again. The silver-tailed genome sighed and pulled out a few gil, dropping them with a plink into the cup lying limply in the man's hand. The poor fellow looked up at them thankfully - perhaps even with a little awe - and tipped his hat.
"Thank you . . ." he managed to stumble out. "You are most kind,"
Megan curtseyed and smiled before beginning to head off again. Kuja glanced quickly at the hermit one last time, managing to catch the man's eye.
Purple! Kuja's mouth dropped open as the man lifted his head, allowing dark brown hair to spill out of the collar of his cloak. It was her! The woman from his dream! Kuja let out a gasp and began to reach towards the nightmare in shock. Unfortunately, Megan grabbed his arm and gave her friend a look that clearly questioned his sanity. The genome was forced to follow her, still glancing over his shoulder at the violet-eyed woman.
She had turned back into the man . . .
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Kuja was dumb with awe as Megan dragged him down the alley. How . . . why was this happening? Who was she, this woman with the wine colored eyes? Why was she following him? How did she get into his dreams?
/Perhaps I am seeing things . . ./
The end of the alley came into sight, light spilling out from the district ahead of them. As the pair was about to step over the threshold separating them from the outside world, someone else came swiftly around the corner, head bowed and not noticing where he was going.
Megan and Kuja had to put on the brakes immediately to avoid a head-on collision with the identity before them. The other did so as well, stumbling backwards with surprise.
"Hey! Watch it!" Megan yelled, hands on her hips. "What're you trying to do?! Kill someone?!" she glanced up at Kuja for moral support only to find him staring straight forward, mouth open in horror. The brunette peeled her eyes off her petrified friend and looked at the one they had almost run into. He was a young man wearing a very large coat. His blonde locks were falling into his electric blue eyes. The boy wore an equal expression of shock and he and Kuja were staring at each other - scared stiff - eyes widening by the second. Both were speechless.
"Oh no . . . Megan!" Kuja grabbed her arm so hard she cried out in pain. The silver-haired man turned and ran, hood flying off his ivory hair as he did so and Megan being dragged along behind him.
"Feather! What are you doing?!" Megan screamed, positive something in her arm had cracked. They charged straight back down the street in the direction they'd come, feet thudding upon the unpaved alley road as they did so. The homeless man was gone.
Megan peered over her shoulder at the blonde boy they had fled from.
He was not following them . . .
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Kuja threw open the door to the inn, startling Amy to the point that she had to stifle a scream. Megan ripped her arm out of Kuja's grasp, glaring at him.
"Feather! What the hell?!"
Amy climbed around the desk, hand over her mouth. "Oh my gosh! What happened? Are you guys okay?"
"I don't know," Megan snapped, giving Kuja death glares. "Ask HIM!"
Kuja rubbed his face irritably and went running up the stairs in the direction of their room. Megan rolled her eyes towards Amy and proceeded to follow her companion, navigating towards the sound of his angry footsteps.
Kuja was in the room, searching frantically through their suitcases for a different cloak. Anything that wasn't white.
"Feather, what is going on?!" Megan queried exasperatedly, coming up next to the genome. Kuja just shook his head.
"Not now, Megan. You wouldn't understand,"
Megan huffed, clearly frustrated, and growled lightly. Suddenly, the door flew open causing Kuja to slam the suitcase shut and whip around, silver hair flying. But whatever he was expecting to see was not what he got because the genome relaxed immediately as Amy bounced into the room, jumping up and down with excitement about something. Megan raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, Amy? Somethin' goin' on?" Amy let out a squeal of delight.
"Megan! The queen's fiancé is coming up the stairs right - now! He wants to see HIM!" she pointed straight at Kuja who blanched and backed into the wall, pressing himself up against the window.
"What?!"
"I know! Can you believe it?! I'm so excited!"
Megan clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to not to giggle. The soon-to- be king! How totally awesome! Amy squeaked and jumped further into the room as a strapping young blonde stepped in behind her, brushing his hair out of his eyes and looking around curiously. Megan blushed profusely. He was cute! She noticed Amy glancing strangely at Kuja.
"Have we met?" she asked him. Kuja turned away, facing the wall and hunching over as if trying to hide himself from them. Megan was worried about the sorcerer. Had he lost his mind?
The king was staring at Kuja's back, his face eerily calm.
"Hey," he said quietly, taking a step towards the silver-tailed genome. Kuja just cringed further, fingers curling in his hair. The blonde was peering curiously at him, a small frown on his face. Amy danced in the background, throwing Megan excited looks. Suddenly, Kuja whipped around, lip trembling. Megan wasn't sure if she had imagined it or not but she could have sworn he had tears streaming down his face. Kuja brushed the liquid away vigorously and went charging straight by the others, throwing himself out the door and down the stairs. They heard him jump the last few steps and the door to the inn swing open and slam shut with a crash.
Megan clapped a hand to her forehead in annoyance. "Oh man! Now we gotta go find him!" she stopped when she noticed the king crouched down on one knee next to the suitcases, holding a white cloak in his hands.
Feather's cloak . . .
"Was he wearing any coverings when he left just now?" the queen's fiancé interrogated, his voice remaining perfectly steady. Megan wagged her head.
"If you mean like a jacket or something, then no,"
The king cursed bitterly and stood up, letting the cloak drop to the floor.
"Then I don't think you realize how much danger your friend is in right now . . ."
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Beatrix had seen Zidane enter the inn. She'd seen someone else exit it. At first she was sure her eyes had deceived her . . . But she knew what she had seen . . .
"Oh, you are in SO much trouble," she hissed, carefully unsheathing Save the Queen.
"SO much trouble . . ."
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Kuja slowed to a walk in the middle of the square, finally coming to a halt near the center, his feet tracing over the carving of a sword in front of a rose scratched into the cobblestones of the Alexandrian street. He was exhausted from running and leaned over, trying to catch his breath. He had seen the people staring at him as he passed, slight suspicion in their eyes.
Apparently, they had not forgotten . . .
A small frown flitted across his pale lips. He felt weird . . . The genome raised a shaky hand to his head, wiping at the cold sweat accumulating there before releasing a shaky breath.
So tired . . .
Suddenly, his body shuddered as another wave of nausea passed through him, just like his trip in the air-cab. The silver-tailed genome dropped to his knees, ivory hair falling into his face. The ground beneath him felt like the deck of a storm-tossed ship.
Out of nowhere, the cold metal of a blade pressed itself up against his throat, bearing sharply into the skin. Kuja's froze, glancing at the weapon out of the corner of his eye. He knew that sword anywhere . . .
"Well, well, well," a female voice whispered lethally from above, pushing the blade against his neck a little harder. "Look who decided to show up in Alexandria . . ." she chuckled lightly, obviously pleased with her catch.
"Better say your prayers, pretty boy . . ."
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A/N: Yikes! A cliffhanger! Oh me! Oh my! But hey, I've united some characters! *Does a happy dance* Now I just need to bring in the rest of the crew and I'm all set! Then I can actually get to the plot! Yes! Boy that chapter was tiring to write. I sure hope it wasn't too long! Oh, and did anyone know that Elizabeth Taylor actually has violet eyes? Weird . . . So, review, review, review! I was very disappointed with the outcome of the last chapter. Not good . . .
Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I wouldn't be sitting here begging for reviews like a dog pleading for biscuits . . . How pathetic is that . . .? (Don't answer that, lol).
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"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof."
- Richard Bach, Illusions [1977]
"Oh . . . My . . . God!" Megan clapped a hand over her mouth at the sight that met her and her friend as they stepped off the ramp of the air-cab. The colors! The noise! The smells! The festivities!
Alexandria gave the illusion that it had been thrown over with streamers and paint of every color. Signs and shops everywhere were decorated and people ran around screaming and partying. There was music floating out from somewhere nearby and a carnival in progress near the square. The sounds of children laughing, dogs barking, and people singing was almost deafening. The smell of something cooking wafted out of nearly every building. Megan had never seen such a celebration!
Kuja grinned at the stunned look on his partner's face. "What do you think?" he asked, peering carefully at her to see if she hadn't turned into a statue. Megan's eyes widened.
"So cool!" she screamed, grabbing two suitcases and taking a step forward. Kuja quickly snagged her by one shoulder and shook his head.
"No, Megan," he commanded as if she were a dog. "I'm supposed to keep you safe. You can't just go running off like that,"
Megan looked thoroughly disappointed. "Damn . . ."
Kuja smiled and bent over one of the bags. He pulled out a sleek white cloak and put it on hurriedly, buttoning up the front and pulling the hood over his head. Megan gave him a queer look.
"Uh . . . Feather . . . Isn't it kinda hot for a cloak?"
Kuja didn't answer her and grabbed the remaining suitcases. Brushing past the brunette's shoulder, the tall genome gave a final nod to the cab driver and went walking briskly down the road. Megan looked back over her shoulder as the cab lifted back into the air with a flurry of dust and then went tearing off after the silver-haired man as fast as she could.
"Hey! Wait for me!"
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Zidane stared out the window of his bedroom in Alexandria Castle, expression flashing from joy to longing to sadness to mirth every few seconds. Never before had he wished for so many things at once. The party outside was raging yet he remained tucked away from the action. But by his own volition of course . . .
Someone knocked on the door and he gave a weak "Come in" before returning to his gazing. Heavy footsteps, a grunt, and a sneeze informed the genome that Baku Tribal was entering.
"What the hell are ya doing in here, ya little punk?" the leader of Tantalus demanded, grabbing Zidane roughly by the shoulders and spinning him around so that they faced one another. Zidane rolled his eyes.
"You just couldn't leave me alone for ONE MINUTE, could you?!" he snapped sarcastically, rubbing his sore shoulder. Baku gave him a smile that would send shivers down anyone's spine.
"One minute?! You've been in here for hours! What the hell's your problem?! You're gonna be runnin' this damn country soon! So deal with it!" Zidane turned icily back to the window, glaring intensely outside.
"I'm just having conflicting feelings right now, okay?!"
Baku shook his head sadly. "I always knew you was weak . . ."
Zidane whirled around instantly, blue eyes flashing with anger. "Don't you dare call me weak!" he growled. "I kicked the crap out of you that day on the Theatre Ship! Don't you go givin' me this shit about - "
Baku chuckled and clapped a platter sized hand down on Zidane's head, mussing up his hair. "Nah, it's all right boy. I understand. You've got a lot on your plate right now. But at least you've got a beautiful young woman to share the load with, eh?" he nudged Zidane in the ribs. The genome grit his teeth together. The nudge felt like a power drill.
"Yeah, that is kinda nice . . ."
"Kinda?! Count your blessins' boy!" he held up a hand as Zidane made another face. "Nah, I'm just teasin' ya. But if ya get the chance, you might want to go spend some more time with your people. Alexandria, the queen, and yeah, even your old buddies from Tantalus. We miss ya,"
"Really?"
"No. Not really,"
"Boss!" Baku just crowed with laughter once more, clutching his large belly.
"No, no. I'm just teasin' ya again. Jus' be glad we all like ya. Ruby's pining away by herself down at the theatre. You might want to drop by later,"
Zidane nodded, wondering if he felt better or worse. Baku frowned slightly.
"You're missin' a few people, ain't ya?"
Zidane blinked. "Whaddya mean?" he asked suspiciously, eyes narrowed.
Baku cleared his throat heavily. "I mean the genomes. Ain't they kinda like your brothers and sisters?"
Zidane turned back to the window, leaning against the sill. "I guess you could say that . . . But in reality, I only had two true relatives . . ."
There was a moment of silence. Baku stifled another sneeze.
"Why do I get the feelin' you miss him?"
"Who?"
"Oh, don't pull that crap on me! I'm not an idiot, ya know! You may have kept your silence pretty damn well but we all know that deep down inside you loved that man like a brother. You would never admit it, of course. But you've always been like that. Tantalus was like your brothers and you would have died for any one of them. Even if they had stabbed you in the back and tried to kill you and destroyed your home and - "
"All right, I get the picture! But you're wrong. I never thought of Kuja as a brother. After the Iifa Tree, he was just another companion trying to get on my back about everything . . ."
/Flash/
"Why did you abandon your friends for me?! I'm not worth that!"
/Flash/
"And besides - even if I was sad when he died - that was three years ago!" Zidane shouted, voice rising.
"Two and a half," Baku corrected immediately, trying to quiet his adopted son down. "You told me the two of you traveled for six months or so,"
Zidane nodded. "Whatever . . . Two and a half years . . . That was a long time ago! I'm well over any feelings I ever had at his death!"
"I don't think you are,"
"I know I am,"
"So why do you still wear that silver feather around your neck?"
Zidane paled instantly and clasped a hand around his throat, feeling protectively for the silver chain he always kept hidden beneath his shirt. Baku smirked in a rather superior fashion and put his hands on his hips.
"I thought so . . ."
"No, you don't understand!" Zidane argued, face flushed with embarrassment. "Yes, this was one of his feathers! But I couldn't just let it get blown away! Kuja always prized his clothes over anything else! It would have been an insult to his memory to let it get eaten or something,"
"Liar. It's all you have left of him,"
"But - "
"No. Don't argue with me. I've known you since you was four years old and of all the members of Tantalus, I know you better than any of them. Even Blank. You don't have to get so defensive. I understand that Kuja was your only brother. And what he did for you at the end proves that maybe he felt the same way. Family is an important thing and I wouldn't want you to lose it just for the price of your dignity and humility. Got that?"
Zidane hesitated, staring hard at his boss. ". . .Yes sir . . ."
"Good. Now get outside! You're missing all the excitement!"
Zidane couldn't help but grin. Now he KNEW he felt better.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Megan ran up and down the streets, buying this, buying that, oohing, aahing, and of course, smiling. Kuja knew instantly that she was having the time of her life.
"Oh my god, Feather! Look at this!" Megan exclaimed, coming to a screeching halt before a booth on the side of the road. Kuja came up slowly behind her and saw that she was leaning over the side of a fence, staring wide-eyed at the contents within. The silver-tailed genome read the sign:
Baby Chocobo for Sale. Bobby Corwen. 2000 gil.
A small frown creased his face.
/Don't tell me this silly girl wants to buy a chocobo . . ./
"Excuse me?! Sir?!" Megan waved an arm to get the attention of the owners running the booth. Someone came out of the small door in the back, wiping their hands on a cloth. Kuja let out a small curse and turned away hurriedly.
"A black mage!" he hissed to himself. "Damn it! I thought they were all dead!"
"Can I help you, miss?" the black mage asked kindly, placing the rag down off to the side. Megan nodded.
"Yeah, I was just wondering. Is that chocobo going to get a good home?"
"Bobby Corwen?"
"Yeah. Him,"
"Of course!" the mage exclaimed, placing a hand on Megan's shoulder. "I would never sell him to someone untrustworthy! My people and I have been raising him since he was an egg!"
The brunette leaned over the fence and made a cute face to Bobby Corwen. He cocked his yellow feathered head and let out a small "kweh." Megan squealed with delight.
"Oh my god! He's so adorable!" she cried, clutching herself to keep from bursting. Kuja pulled his cloak around himself tighter.
/Don't buy the chocobo . . . Don't buy the chocobo . . ./ he thought desperately to himself. The black mage was laughing.
"He IS a darling, isn't he?"
"Oh, totally!"
"Do you want him?"
/Shit . . ./
Megan looked rather uneasy. "Gee . . . I don't know. I raised a chocobo once when I was little but he was already four years old,"
"Why, Bobby Corwen is only three!"
"Yeah . . . That's true . . ." Megan tapped a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Well, I'll ask Feather here. Hey! Feth!" the young woman prodded Kuja in the shoulder, grating on his temper immensely. "What do YOU think? Chocobo or no?" she giggled at the rhyme. Kuja shook his head hurriedly, afraid to speak. The black mage would recognize his voice in an instant.
"What?! Why not?!"
"Transportation," Kuja grunted, pulling on the strings of his hood nervously. Megan raised an eyebrow.
"Are you kidding? What's the big deal?"
"It's a nuisance . . ."
/I know that chocobo./ the genome realized, gut clenching. /What if the stupid bird recognizes me?!/
Megan sighed, turning back to the black mage. "Well . . . I'll be back I assure you. So only sell him if the customer seems absolutely perfect. Okay?"
"Not a problem!" the black mage stated, dusting off his coat.
"Oh, and what's your name in case I need to confirm that I was here previously?" Megan queried, grinning as Bobby Corwen blinked tranquilly up at her.
"Ah, my name is Mr. 288, ma'am,"
Kuja started. Mr. 288 would recognize him from a mile away! The rebel had been one of his higher ranking mages. Megan smiled and shook hands with the amber-eyed mage.
"Thank you, sir,"
"No. Thank YOU,"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zidane pulled on his coat and headed for the front doors of the castle, praying the covering would make his less conspicuous. As he reached for the door-handle, a gloved hand fell down upon his wrist, causing the genome to jump. Zidane's eyes followed the arm up to a tall woman with curly brown locks.
"Oh, hey Beatrix!" he laughed nervously, relieved that it was merely the female general. Beatrix cocked her head curiously.
"Going somewhere?" she asked, removing her hand and placing it instead upon the hilt of her sword - Save the Queen. Zidane nodded, sighing.
"Yeah. Thought I'd go see some of the action. I mean, this IS going to be my country soon,"
"That's true," Beatrix's lip twitched as she thought of Zidane running a country. It sounded kind of cute.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing. Go have fun," she hesitated. "Is something wrong?"
Zidane blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"I dunno. You just seem . . . blah . . . that's all,"
"No! I'm fine! Just . . . tired, I guess,"
"Hmm . . . Well, all right. Go enjoy yourself,"
Zidane smiled and flung open the door, stepping out into the bright sunshine. Beatrix slowly closed the door behind him and frowned. Something was amiss . . . Her general's intuition told her something was either going on or preparing to go on . . .
Unsheathing her sword, the general opened the door and crept outside.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What's your problem?!" Megan shouted as she and Kuja walked down the bustling road to the inn they were staying at. "Why wouldn't you talk to the mage?! And what the hell is up with the cloak?!"
Kuja was grinding his teeth a lot more than was probably good for them. "Please, Megan. Can we talk about this some other time? We need to get to the inn and deposit our stuff. Then we'll go on more sightseeing,"
The promise of more tourism seemed to soften Megan's mood up a little. But just a little. She took to glaring forward, fists at her sides, eyes flashing dangerously. Kuja just ignored her.
Once at the inn, the two seemed to calm down a little. It was a quaint little place, looking just like any other overnighter in Alexandria. Small, brick roofing, two floors. But definitely not too shabby. At least, not shabby enough that Kuja was silently complaining in his mind.
"All right, let's go," the genome muttered, tail thrashing as he put down a suitcase and opened the door.
The woman behind the counter was sitting with her elbows up on the desk, filing her nails. Her dark brown hair was almost completely covering her face.
"Um . . . excuse me?"
"Wha - ?" the woman, rather startled, looked up and her eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Could it be? No! It couldn't be! Megan? Yorokobi?"
Megan stared at the receptionist for a moment, seemingly unsure. "Uh . . . have we met?"
The woman jumped up and held out her arms, grinning. "Megan! It's me! Amy!"
"Amy?! Oh my god!" Kuja's companion ran forward and threw her arms around the hostess, laughing. "Amy, I haven't seen you in years! What are you doing here?!"
Amy pulled back, still smiling, and shrugged. "Why, I'm living my life's dream! Being a concierge!" she stated sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I left Katei for a better life and - hell - I AM making more money. But it's pretty droll up here. Luckily, the party's kinda picked things up. So, how've you been?" the dark-haired woman glanced over Megan's shoulder at Kuja who made sure his hood covered his eyes. "Seems like you've done a good job," she winked. "Dark and mysterious. Perfect," Amy clucked and gave her a thumbs up. "So what's his name? He's cute,"
Megan chuckled, shaking her head. "We're not dating," she tried to explain, shrugging. "You shouldn't have left so early. You missed the action. The poor guy dragged himself to our town about two and a half years ago and nearly bleed to death in the street. Mother and Grandmother healed him and he wound up living with us. He's taking me sightseeing," Megan smiled proudly. Amy's eyes widened.
"So he's not taken? Can I have him?"
Megan gave Amy a playful shove in the shoulder. "You most certainly can not! I wouldn't be able to look at you two the same ever again!"
Amy let out a disappointed sigh. "Darn . . . I guess I'm gonna have to kill you . . ." the two burst out laughing, leaving poor Kuja confused and holding many suitcases. Megan coughed nervously and went back to the genome, grabbing her bags.
"Well, we should probably drop our stuff off,"
Amy nodded and reached under the desk. "Sure. Here's a key,"
Megan nodded her thanks. "Yeah, we're going to head back out again. Don't want to miss any of the fun,"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mikoto shivered as she lay beneath the depths of the ship. How . . .? How could this have happened . . .? She hugged herself into a fetal position, trembling. What she had seen . . . It was impossible . . .
There was a creak and the door swung open, throwing a rectangle of light over her body. She refused to look up at them, those foul things.
"Hmm. Our charge hasn't escaped yet," it was definitely the Master. Mikoto squeezed her eyes shut, whimpering. "I'm disappointed. He told me she was powerful. Well, I must see the others for myself then,"
"Of course," the voice was a sinister giggle. Lulian . . .
"And we are finally ready, thank heavens. He was beginning to get impatient. And luckily for us, much of Gaia is in one spot,"
"Perfect,"
Mikoto opened her eyes just a little, watching Lulian and the Master - Drakja - whatever the hell his name was. They were standing in the doorway, glancing over at her occasionally.
"Are you ready to get the others out of here?"
"Ready as I'll ever be,"
"All right. You leave first. They will follow. And then I shall too,"
Lulian nodded, smirking, before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Mikoto sucked in the stale air sharply with surprise as, right before her very eyes, Lulian's body melted away, reshaping and reforming. The thing pulled itself onto all fours, legs breaking backwards, a bushy tail forming at the back. Hair puffed out along her body and her ears raised into furry triangles atop her head.
She had become a German Shepard . . .
The transformed woman gave a whine, turning away, and went flying out of sight, tail and all. Mikoto just curled herself in tighter.
The Master grinned, running his fingers through his hair.
"So it begins . . ."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Megan and Kuja continued their trip around Alexandria. The partying continued and more than once they both had to jump out of the way as someone went tearing by with streamers, screaming and laughing. Megan was still excited about her run-in with Amy.
"Yeah, Amy was living in Katei for as far back as I can remember. She left when she decided it was unfair that the boys can escape easier than the girls can. I guess she's doing pretty well,"
Kuja nodded absently, looking around at the shops. How had they rebuilt Alexandria so fast? Was it just him or had it doubled in size? He smirked to himself.
/Garland would be so pissed if he saw this place now . . ./
They turned into an empty back alley, trying to avoid going around in circles within the massive city. Behind the action, the buildings were much tighter, the air much darker. The smell . . . much more stifling.
Scrunched up next to one of the walls was a homeless man sitting hunched over beside a trash can. Kuja would have gladly continued on but Megan grabbed his arm and gave him the puppy dog eyes again. The silver-tailed genome sighed and pulled out a few gil, dropping them with a plink into the cup lying limply in the man's hand. The poor fellow looked up at them thankfully - perhaps even with a little awe - and tipped his hat.
"Thank you . . ." he managed to stumble out. "You are most kind,"
Megan curtseyed and smiled before beginning to head off again. Kuja glanced quickly at the hermit one last time, managing to catch the man's eye.
Purple! Kuja's mouth dropped open as the man lifted his head, allowing dark brown hair to spill out of the collar of his cloak. It was her! The woman from his dream! Kuja let out a gasp and began to reach towards the nightmare in shock. Unfortunately, Megan grabbed his arm and gave her friend a look that clearly questioned his sanity. The genome was forced to follow her, still glancing over his shoulder at the violet-eyed woman.
She had turned back into the man . . .
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kuja was dumb with awe as Megan dragged him down the alley. How . . . why was this happening? Who was she, this woman with the wine colored eyes? Why was she following him? How did she get into his dreams?
/Perhaps I am seeing things . . ./
The end of the alley came into sight, light spilling out from the district ahead of them. As the pair was about to step over the threshold separating them from the outside world, someone else came swiftly around the corner, head bowed and not noticing where he was going.
Megan and Kuja had to put on the brakes immediately to avoid a head-on collision with the identity before them. The other did so as well, stumbling backwards with surprise.
"Hey! Watch it!" Megan yelled, hands on her hips. "What're you trying to do?! Kill someone?!" she glanced up at Kuja for moral support only to find him staring straight forward, mouth open in horror. The brunette peeled her eyes off her petrified friend and looked at the one they had almost run into. He was a young man wearing a very large coat. His blonde locks were falling into his electric blue eyes. The boy wore an equal expression of shock and he and Kuja were staring at each other - scared stiff - eyes widening by the second. Both were speechless.
"Oh no . . . Megan!" Kuja grabbed her arm so hard she cried out in pain. The silver-haired man turned and ran, hood flying off his ivory hair as he did so and Megan being dragged along behind him.
"Feather! What are you doing?!" Megan screamed, positive something in her arm had cracked. They charged straight back down the street in the direction they'd come, feet thudding upon the unpaved alley road as they did so. The homeless man was gone.
Megan peered over her shoulder at the blonde boy they had fled from.
He was not following them . . .
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kuja threw open the door to the inn, startling Amy to the point that she had to stifle a scream. Megan ripped her arm out of Kuja's grasp, glaring at him.
"Feather! What the hell?!"
Amy climbed around the desk, hand over her mouth. "Oh my gosh! What happened? Are you guys okay?"
"I don't know," Megan snapped, giving Kuja death glares. "Ask HIM!"
Kuja rubbed his face irritably and went running up the stairs in the direction of their room. Megan rolled her eyes towards Amy and proceeded to follow her companion, navigating towards the sound of his angry footsteps.
Kuja was in the room, searching frantically through their suitcases for a different cloak. Anything that wasn't white.
"Feather, what is going on?!" Megan queried exasperatedly, coming up next to the genome. Kuja just shook his head.
"Not now, Megan. You wouldn't understand,"
Megan huffed, clearly frustrated, and growled lightly. Suddenly, the door flew open causing Kuja to slam the suitcase shut and whip around, silver hair flying. But whatever he was expecting to see was not what he got because the genome relaxed immediately as Amy bounced into the room, jumping up and down with excitement about something. Megan raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, Amy? Somethin' goin' on?" Amy let out a squeal of delight.
"Megan! The queen's fiancé is coming up the stairs right - now! He wants to see HIM!" she pointed straight at Kuja who blanched and backed into the wall, pressing himself up against the window.
"What?!"
"I know! Can you believe it?! I'm so excited!"
Megan clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to not to giggle. The soon-to- be king! How totally awesome! Amy squeaked and jumped further into the room as a strapping young blonde stepped in behind her, brushing his hair out of his eyes and looking around curiously. Megan blushed profusely. He was cute! She noticed Amy glancing strangely at Kuja.
"Have we met?" she asked him. Kuja turned away, facing the wall and hunching over as if trying to hide himself from them. Megan was worried about the sorcerer. Had he lost his mind?
The king was staring at Kuja's back, his face eerily calm.
"Hey," he said quietly, taking a step towards the silver-tailed genome. Kuja just cringed further, fingers curling in his hair. The blonde was peering curiously at him, a small frown on his face. Amy danced in the background, throwing Megan excited looks. Suddenly, Kuja whipped around, lip trembling. Megan wasn't sure if she had imagined it or not but she could have sworn he had tears streaming down his face. Kuja brushed the liquid away vigorously and went charging straight by the others, throwing himself out the door and down the stairs. They heard him jump the last few steps and the door to the inn swing open and slam shut with a crash.
Megan clapped a hand to her forehead in annoyance. "Oh man! Now we gotta go find him!" she stopped when she noticed the king crouched down on one knee next to the suitcases, holding a white cloak in his hands.
Feather's cloak . . .
"Was he wearing any coverings when he left just now?" the queen's fiancé interrogated, his voice remaining perfectly steady. Megan wagged her head.
"If you mean like a jacket or something, then no,"
The king cursed bitterly and stood up, letting the cloak drop to the floor.
"Then I don't think you realize how much danger your friend is in right now . . ."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Beatrix had seen Zidane enter the inn. She'd seen someone else exit it. At first she was sure her eyes had deceived her . . . But she knew what she had seen . . .
"Oh, you are in SO much trouble," she hissed, carefully unsheathing Save the Queen.
"SO much trouble . . ."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kuja slowed to a walk in the middle of the square, finally coming to a halt near the center, his feet tracing over the carving of a sword in front of a rose scratched into the cobblestones of the Alexandrian street. He was exhausted from running and leaned over, trying to catch his breath. He had seen the people staring at him as he passed, slight suspicion in their eyes.
Apparently, they had not forgotten . . .
A small frown flitted across his pale lips. He felt weird . . . The genome raised a shaky hand to his head, wiping at the cold sweat accumulating there before releasing a shaky breath.
So tired . . .
Suddenly, his body shuddered as another wave of nausea passed through him, just like his trip in the air-cab. The silver-tailed genome dropped to his knees, ivory hair falling into his face. The ground beneath him felt like the deck of a storm-tossed ship.
Out of nowhere, the cold metal of a blade pressed itself up against his throat, bearing sharply into the skin. Kuja's froze, glancing at the weapon out of the corner of his eye. He knew that sword anywhere . . .
"Well, well, well," a female voice whispered lethally from above, pushing the blade against his neck a little harder. "Look who decided to show up in Alexandria . . ." she chuckled lightly, obviously pleased with her catch.
"Better say your prayers, pretty boy . . ."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Yikes! A cliffhanger! Oh me! Oh my! But hey, I've united some characters! *Does a happy dance* Now I just need to bring in the rest of the crew and I'm all set! Then I can actually get to the plot! Yes! Boy that chapter was tiring to write. I sure hope it wasn't too long! Oh, and did anyone know that Elizabeth Taylor actually has violet eyes? Weird . . . So, review, review, review! I was very disappointed with the outcome of the last chapter. Not good . . .