A/N: Oh . . . my . . . goodness gracious . . . I've reached one hundred
reviews! I don't know how to thank you all! Oh me, oh my! I say everyone
who's ever reviewed this story deserves to win the lottery! You guys are
SO COOL! So, to kinda make up for some short chapters, I made this one
nice and long. Not only that, but the action is FINALLY going to start ^_^
Thank you EVERYONE! You people are the best in the world!!!!!!!!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy *sigh* and I don't *sob* own Kuja *bursts into tears*
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"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend."
- William Blake, Jerusalem, 1820
Mikoto had never "ohmed" so much in her entire life. Sitting with her legs crossed - what looked to be painfully - beneath her, thumb to index finger, eyes closed.
At this time, Ummei creaked open the door to the engine-room dungeon, searching for the prisoner in the dim light and shutting the portal quietly behind him.
"Kid," he addressed simply, hands on his hips. Mikoto opened one eye blearily, lips twitching into a frown.
"Thanks a bunch, jerk-off," she grunted. "I was just about to achieve enlightenment,"
Ummei blinked. "What's that?"
Mikoto sighed and rolled her eyes. "Let me put it this way," she stated blandly. "If I had achieved enlightenment and then I died here, I wouldn't have to be worried about EVER having to go through this again,"
Ummei's blank look didn't go anywhere. " . . . Oh . . ." Blink - blink.
Mikoto groaned and uncurled her legs, resting back against some weird pipe her shackles had been hooked on to. "So what are you doing in here?" the blonde queried, deciding she'd better do something "good" with her time.
Ummei shrugged and sat down against the wall across from her, pulling his knees up to his chest. "What's it to you?"
The genome couldn't help but grin superiorly. "So you're my prison guard now, eh?"
Ummei looked rather disgruntled. "The Master told me I was too stupid to amount to anything on the field,"
Mikoto smirked. "Yeah, well . . ." she stopped. "What field?"
"Battle-field,"
"What battle-field?"
Ummei shrugged again. "How should I know? They never let me do ANYTHING!"
"Why not?" Mikoto asked. "You seemed pretty strong that day you fought me in the village,"
Ummei folded his arms over his knees, sighing. "They don't think I'm trustworthy. 'Cause I used that weapon and could've screwed up the plans and stuff,"
That didn't make any sense to Mikoto at all. "Why? 'Cause you could've killed me or something?"
"Partially. But . . . That weapon does other things too . . . Things I shouldn't have tampered with," Ummei's fingers gingerly rubbed his shoulder, still sore from the whipping. Mikoto cocked her head curiously, but didn't say anything. Finally, she had to ask.
"Ummei . . . please . . . tell me everything you know about this . . . thing,"
"You mean why you're captive and stuff?"
"Yeah. Everything,"
The green-eyed man scratched the back of his neck thoughtfully, the vacant glaze still on his face.
"None of us really know much except The Master, the Master's master, and stupid Lulian. The rest of us are pretty much left in the dust,"
"What constitutes as 'the rest of us'?"
" . . . What . . .?"
Mikoto sighed. "I mean, how many are there? Who are you people?"
Ummei rested his chin in his hands, staring at the wall behind Mikoto, eyes tracing over the pipes and metal that covered the interior of the ship.
"There's a lot of us. This ship is packed,"
"And . . ."
"And that's all I know,"
Mikoto raised an eyebrow. "You don't know what you are? Believe me: I saw. You're not . . . human. I've pretty much established that. And how come you and The Master and Lulian look so much alike? Tell me!" Mikoto yanked on her shackles in frustration. They clanked angrily against the hollow pipe, echoing around the room. Ummei just looked away, shutting his eyes. A soft sigh escape the man's lips.
"All right," he said slowly, wincing. "You seem like a pretty decent girl. I'm just going to tell you this: You're in serious danger. And not just you,"
"Who?! Who else?!" Mikoto was nearly hysterical. He was telling her something! She had to milk out as much out as possible!
"Lot's of people," Ummei muttered. "Pretty much all of Gaia,"
"Specify!"
Ummei bit his lip. He wasn't totally sure he knew what "specify" meant but he could pretty much read the context clues.
"Okay, I'll just tell you what I've heard. I don't know who a lot of these people are . . ."
"Yes . . ."
"Well, I overheard The Master's master saying that all surviving summoners were in big trouble . . . And the genomes . . . And . . . um . . ."
Mikoto was feeling impatient. "C'mon Ummei! Spit it out!"
"Your older brother is doomed!" the brunette blurted out before he realized what he'd said. Ummei clapped a hand over his mouth in horror, blushing. Mikoto blinked.
"All right," she snapped. "You're stupid master can say whatever he wants but my older brother is dead!"
"He's not," Ummei whispered guiltily, lowering his gaze sadly. "And he's doomed. I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you that,"
The blonde felt wracked with doubt for the first time in awhile. "Kuja . . .?" she breathed softly, trying to fold her hands in her lap as much as possible while being shackled to a pipe. "Wh . . . what're they going to do to him?"
Ummei just shook his head, grimacing. "Terrible things . . ."
"Like what?!"
Ummei hesitated, chewing on his lip. Finally, he told her everything . . .
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Alexandria was finally beginning to wake up, butter-beams of light shooting out across the beautiful city as shops began to open and markets began to set up once more. The partying had died down somewhat but people were still eager to go out and make the best of so many Gaians being in town at one time. It was good for tourist taxes.
Kuja sat upon one of the balconies, high up above the city itself in Alexandria Castle. He looked down at the people, like tiny little ants, and imagined himself stepping on and squashing every last one of them. A grin twisted onto his face, only to be replaced by a scowl.
/Stop it./ he scolded. /You know better than that./
He sighed slowly. He was probably one of the few people awake in the castle. It was still very early. The warlock had barely slept all night. Nightmares had haunted him; strangled him. They were different this time. He closed his eyes, recalling.
/Flash/
A dungeon. Flames at one end, the Iifa Tree at the other. Kuja stood in the middle, eyes flitting back and forth. He had to make a decision about something but couldn't recall what.
Suddenly, he became aware of the cells in the dungeon. Their metal bars flashed as he turned towards them.
He let out a soft cry of surprise.
There were genomes. Dozens of genomes. Kuja stared at them in horror. None of them moved. Were they . . .?
Something flickered. In fact, exactly half of the genomes flickered. Holograms? Some sort of illusion?
Something tugged the back of his cloak. Whirling around, Kuja found himself face to face with . . . Megan?
"Kuja!" she wailed. She too, was behind bars. She gripped them furiously, shaking them like a rabid animal. "I can't do it! Tell them I can't! TELL THEM!" she shrieked.
There was a flare of flames. They were creeping out of the strange emptiness that clouded the sides of the dungeon. Somehow Kuja knew they were going to smother the Iifa Tree.
The sorcerer looked back at the genomes and gasped. He was in there! But he, too, flickered eerily. Then he felt something fall next to him. Looking down, he saw that Zidane had collapsed at his feet.
Everything was swirling. Kuja couldn't concentrate on one thing at a time. He was sinking down next to his brother. He looked back at Megan. She was pointing a finger lividly at something.
Garnet and Eiko stood shrouded in shadow like two evil wraiths. Megan was rattling the bars again, accusing them of something.
"That's them! They can! They can! Tell them, Kuja! TELL THEM!"
The warlock blanched. She'd said his name! He couldn't ask her how she knew. He was sinking. Someone was laughing. Then he felt people surrounding him. He looked up. They were shadows of people he'd once known. Dead. They were turning away, leaving.
Much to his surprise, they were calling out to him. Pleading for freedom.
"Kuja! Help! Don't let him!" Kuja knew the voice from somewhere but was too tired to remember. He closed his eyes.
Someone was standing over him. They placed a hand on his forehead. His eyes burned. It felt as if they were ripping out his mind.
Somehow he knew the woman with the violet eyes was nearby. Kuja opened his own and saw that she was, indeed, standing in front of the cells, that sad expression never faltering. Then she let out a scream of anguish and clutched her head in agony.
"No!" she screamed. "Wake up!"
And everything was engulfed in flames . . .
/Flash/
"What could this mean?" Kuja wondered, rubbing his forehead irritably. Suddenly, he became aware of a shape moving in the sky. He looked up, staring at it. It was like a giant black shadow moving above the clouds. He frowned.
/Probably a stray airship coming in for the festivities . . ./
But still, he couldn't be sure . . .
"Feather!"
Kuja glanced over his shoulder and saw Megan running onto the balcony, a letter clutched tightly in her hands.
"Hey, Meg," he greeted casually, swinging his legs over the railing so that he sat facing her. Megan grinned, brandishing the envelope.
"Look! My mom sent us a note by moogle!"
"Really? What about?"
Megan chuckled. "She's so overprotective. It's all about everything we shouldn't do and stuff,"
Kuja laughed, his horrendous night momentarily forgotten. "That sounds like her, alright,"
Megan grinned slyly. "You think I should write back about how you were arrested and stuff?"
Kuja pretended to be annoyed but he couldn't help but fear that she would. Somehow, he'd always felt this strange tension between the Yorokobi's. Like they suspected him or something.
"Give me a break, Megan!" he groaned, rolling his eyes. As Megan averted her attention back to glancing over the letter, Kuja thought about his dream.
/Flash/
I can't do it! Tell them I can't! TELL THEM!
/Flash/
Kuja glanced up at Megan, the girl he'd lived with for two-and-a-half years. The thought struck him quite suddenly that he knew hardly anything about her.
"Hey, Megs," he called, using the little pet name he often affiliated her with. Megan looked up from the paper, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah?"
"Um, I was just wondering," Kuja shifted rather uncomfortably. "Where are you from? You said you hadn't lived in Katei your whole life,"
Megan shrugged. She didn't seem to want to talk about it. Carefully, she folded up the letter.
"Shall we proceed?" she asked kindly, making a low, sweeping bow. Kuja's eyes twinkled.
"Ladies first,"
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Garnet growled as she glared around a nearby pillar. He was in the library again! Every day with the library! The same damn book! It took a lot of willpower for the queen not to grab the stupid thing and smack him over the head with it.
Kuja sat quietly at the table, pouring through the book on the Great War. He seemed deeply fascinated with it. He had hidden himself in there for many days because of the "incident."
Everyone had been in the dining room talking. Kuja had been there too, despite the looks he was getting. He knew people were talking about him behind his back yet he ignored it! And that idiot girl never noticed! Then, as Kuja had been walking past two Alexandrian soldiers, one of them had accidentally stated a little too loudly:
"Ugh, there's that silver-haired freak again. Somebody ought to spray him with pesticide,"
Silence. Dead silence. And most people simply gave the soldier approving nods. Kuja had avoided all contact with anyone but Megan after that.
Garnet continued to glare. How she loathed that man!
"You know, your majesty, I don't think snooping was listed in the requirements for world leader,"
Garnet started. How had he known she was there?! Stepping out from behind the pillar, the queen folded her arms huffily, glowering.
"Well, somebody has to watch you!"
Kuja didn't even look up from the book. "Is that really necessary?"
"Of course it is! I'm surprised you haven't tried to murder us all in our sleep!" Kuja snorted.
"Really, your majesty. The thought hasn't even crossed my mind," the genome flipped a page, eyes moving back and forth over the words.
"I don't know WHAT Zidane sees in you!" Garnet snapped, taking a step closer. Kuja shrugged, still reading.
"And . . . And I think you're a big bully!"
"Mhm . . ." Kuja ignored the angered woman. Garnet hated being snubbed like that. She wracked her mind for something - anything - that would REALLY hurt. Something to make him writhe.
"You don't deserve the luxury of life!" she cried, flames in her eyes. "And Garland had the right idea placing that limit on your life! Because you ARE nothing but a failure! And you will ALWAYS be second best!"
Kuja's eyes widened.
/Flash/
You ARE second best, and you will always BE second best!
/Flash/
Kuja slammed the book shut with a crack. He stood up furiously. Garnet realized she'd gone too far and took a step back. His eyes were glowing a violent red. He was breathing heavily, lip curling. Just as Garnet braced for an attack, Kuja's eyes went back to their usual chilling blue and his fists unclenched. He had a look of unnatural calm on his face. Casually, he glided past her and out the door.
She didn't see him the rest of the day.
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Mikoto was on the brink of tears. She held her face in her hands, sniffling them back. Ummei looked rather concerned but tried to act nonplussed. It was his job, after all.
"Hey, I'm sorry," he muttered. "But at least now you know,"
Mikoto raised her face, eyes red. "Somebody's got to stop this!" she moaned, sitting back on her heels. "Somebody has to tell him!"
Ummei shook his head. "What good would it do? If he knew, I mean,"
Mikoto thought hard, searching for an answer. "He could be on his guard!" she decided, nodding.
Ummei sighed. "That wouldn't help at all. Unless there was a way to . . ."
SLAM! The door shot open and smashed into the wall with a loud crack that made them both jump. The Master stood in the doorway, arms folded, a small smile on his face.
"Ummei, I've got fabulous news," he stated, flipping a strand of coffee- colored hair over his shoulder. "We're initiating the plan today and I'm going to let you come along,"
Ummei gave Mikoto a fleeting look, then registered what The Master had said. "Really? Are you kidding?"
"Not even slightly,"
Ummei scrambled to his feet, bowing low. "Thank you, Master. Thank you," The Master's green eyes flashed.
"I look forward to this day very much. There are things I must . . . settle . . ."
Ummei looked surprised and frowned. "You're not going to . . . I mean, it's so early," he glanced back at Mikoto. Her eyes were red with fresh tears. The Master laughed, shaking his head.
"Of course not!" he chuckled. "This is mostly scouting. But perhaps . . ." he stopped as if hearing a silent call and nodded.
"Come, Ummei. We must go," Ummei bit his lip, glancing at Mikoto once more.
"What about the prisoner?"
The Master turned away icily, heading out into the inner ship. "Leave her here. I want her to writhe in misery, knowing what we're going to do,"
Ummei trotted out the door like an obedient dog having been told to heel. Just as he was about to close the door he whispered:
"I'll tell you what happens . . ."
And Mikoto was left sitting shackled alone in the dark . . .
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At around noon, Zidane walked into the dining room to have lunch with Garnet. She was already sitting there, smiling as he walked in. She loved seeing him around the castle after three years of thinking . . . It . . . had happened. Zidane pulled up a chair next to her and pecked her majesty on the cheek playfully. The queen giggled, blushing.
Eventually, their talk turned to the relationships of their friends. When would Steiner pop the question to Beatrix? Was it possible for Freya and Fratley to get together again? Did Lani REALLY like Amarant? And when would Eiko stop loving Zidane? They weren't sure of any of them.
All at once, Megan walked into the room, looking puzzled. "Zidane, have you seen Feather? He's, like, vanished or something,"
Garnet put down her cup with a start, eyes wide.
"Um, Megan. About that,"
Zidane's eyes locked on his fiancés immediately. "Dagger . . . What did you do to him . . .?"
Garnet swirled her glass idly, contemplating what to say. "Well, you see . . . I was talking to him and we sorta . . . argued . . . and I sorta said things that weren't so nice and he sorta . . . left,"
Zidane creased his brow. "Meaning . . .?"
"He left the castle,"
"Okay, Dagger. Finish the sentence," Garnet sighed heavily, putting down the cup.
". . . In a fit of rage . . ."
"God damnit, Dagger," Zidane stood up angrily, his chair scraping against the tiles. "We'd better go find him before someone tries to murder him or something,"
"Whaddya mean 'we?'"
"You heard me," Zidane grabbed the queen's arm and dragged her out of her seat much to her dismay. "This is YOUR fault and YOUR going to help us fix it,"
The genome stormed out of the room, Garnet trailing miserably behind him. Megan blinked.
"Hey! Wait for me!"
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BOOM! Steiner let out a choked gasp, ducking as the wall behind him exploded.
"What the - ?!"
"Captain! Someone's attacking the city!"
Steiner straightened, blinking dust out of his eyes. "What?! Who?!"
The Pluto Knight shook his head, helmet wagging loosely. "We don't know! It's a huge ship! And there's people! Really weird looking people destroying everything!"
There was mass chaos. People screamed and ran everywhere as buildings exploded and walls shattered to the ground.
"Get the other knights!" Steiner commanded, unsheathing his sword. "Hurry!" the soldier went running off, tripping over his feet in the rush.
The second Zidane opened the door to the castle his mouth dropped open in shock.
"What in the name of all things holy - ?"
Steiner, spotting the Queen, Zidane, and the weird girl he'd seen briefly with that silver-haired fiend, scrambled over towards them, gripping his sword fiercely.
"Steiner!" Garnet shouted as the captain slid to a halt before them. "What's going on?! Are we under some sort of attack?"
"Your Majesty," Steiner addressed, grabbing her hand. "Please, you must hide somewhere safe! Who knows what these villains are after!"
"Hey!"
It was Eiko, followed closely by Regent Cid, Lady Hilda, Freya, Fratley, Amarant, Lani, Quina, Vivi, and Beatrix. They all seemed extremely flustered and covered in debris.
"Your Majesty!" Freya shouted as they all filed up next to the group. "You shouldn't be out here!" It looked like an argument was going to start any second. Unfortunately, it was broken by Megan letting out a gasp and leaning over as if she were going to be sick.
/Flash/
"Don't let them get him!"
"Why you little - !"
"Megan! Warn the others!"
"No! You can't!"
There was a blood-curdling scream followed by a cruel laugh.
/Flash/
For some reason, Megan's mind went on fast-forward.
"Feather!" she breathed, realization striking her over the head like a giant mallet. "He's in the city somewhere!"
She took off before anyone could grab her.
"Megan! No!" Zidane yelled, running after the young woman.
Next thing they knew, everyone else was running closely behind into the heart of the destruction . . .
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A/N: Uh oh. I just noticed this is chapter unlucky thirteen! Whoo . . . *proceeds to make scary noises* Anyhoo . . . Who's started the fifth Harry Potter book? It's REALLY good. And I noticed some of the plot was like this one in a twisted sorta way. Yeah . . . whatever . . . Hmm . . . This chapter opened the doors for some new plot twists. And no, Kuja is NOT dead as one of my friends seemed to think he was. *Rolls her eyes* Yes, I mercilessly kill main characters for no reason . . . Where the freak did she get THAT idea from? Also, she seemed to be under the impression that Garnet and Eiko are going to be evil 'cause of that dream and stuff. When did I say that?! I just said they LOOKED evil! Geez . . .
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy *sigh* and I don't *sob* own Kuja *bursts into tears*
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"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend."
- William Blake, Jerusalem, 1820
Mikoto had never "ohmed" so much in her entire life. Sitting with her legs crossed - what looked to be painfully - beneath her, thumb to index finger, eyes closed.
At this time, Ummei creaked open the door to the engine-room dungeon, searching for the prisoner in the dim light and shutting the portal quietly behind him.
"Kid," he addressed simply, hands on his hips. Mikoto opened one eye blearily, lips twitching into a frown.
"Thanks a bunch, jerk-off," she grunted. "I was just about to achieve enlightenment,"
Ummei blinked. "What's that?"
Mikoto sighed and rolled her eyes. "Let me put it this way," she stated blandly. "If I had achieved enlightenment and then I died here, I wouldn't have to be worried about EVER having to go through this again,"
Ummei's blank look didn't go anywhere. " . . . Oh . . ." Blink - blink.
Mikoto groaned and uncurled her legs, resting back against some weird pipe her shackles had been hooked on to. "So what are you doing in here?" the blonde queried, deciding she'd better do something "good" with her time.
Ummei shrugged and sat down against the wall across from her, pulling his knees up to his chest. "What's it to you?"
The genome couldn't help but grin superiorly. "So you're my prison guard now, eh?"
Ummei looked rather disgruntled. "The Master told me I was too stupid to amount to anything on the field,"
Mikoto smirked. "Yeah, well . . ." she stopped. "What field?"
"Battle-field,"
"What battle-field?"
Ummei shrugged again. "How should I know? They never let me do ANYTHING!"
"Why not?" Mikoto asked. "You seemed pretty strong that day you fought me in the village,"
Ummei folded his arms over his knees, sighing. "They don't think I'm trustworthy. 'Cause I used that weapon and could've screwed up the plans and stuff,"
That didn't make any sense to Mikoto at all. "Why? 'Cause you could've killed me or something?"
"Partially. But . . . That weapon does other things too . . . Things I shouldn't have tampered with," Ummei's fingers gingerly rubbed his shoulder, still sore from the whipping. Mikoto cocked her head curiously, but didn't say anything. Finally, she had to ask.
"Ummei . . . please . . . tell me everything you know about this . . . thing,"
"You mean why you're captive and stuff?"
"Yeah. Everything,"
The green-eyed man scratched the back of his neck thoughtfully, the vacant glaze still on his face.
"None of us really know much except The Master, the Master's master, and stupid Lulian. The rest of us are pretty much left in the dust,"
"What constitutes as 'the rest of us'?"
" . . . What . . .?"
Mikoto sighed. "I mean, how many are there? Who are you people?"
Ummei rested his chin in his hands, staring at the wall behind Mikoto, eyes tracing over the pipes and metal that covered the interior of the ship.
"There's a lot of us. This ship is packed,"
"And . . ."
"And that's all I know,"
Mikoto raised an eyebrow. "You don't know what you are? Believe me: I saw. You're not . . . human. I've pretty much established that. And how come you and The Master and Lulian look so much alike? Tell me!" Mikoto yanked on her shackles in frustration. They clanked angrily against the hollow pipe, echoing around the room. Ummei just looked away, shutting his eyes. A soft sigh escape the man's lips.
"All right," he said slowly, wincing. "You seem like a pretty decent girl. I'm just going to tell you this: You're in serious danger. And not just you,"
"Who?! Who else?!" Mikoto was nearly hysterical. He was telling her something! She had to milk out as much out as possible!
"Lot's of people," Ummei muttered. "Pretty much all of Gaia,"
"Specify!"
Ummei bit his lip. He wasn't totally sure he knew what "specify" meant but he could pretty much read the context clues.
"Okay, I'll just tell you what I've heard. I don't know who a lot of these people are . . ."
"Yes . . ."
"Well, I overheard The Master's master saying that all surviving summoners were in big trouble . . . And the genomes . . . And . . . um . . ."
Mikoto was feeling impatient. "C'mon Ummei! Spit it out!"
"Your older brother is doomed!" the brunette blurted out before he realized what he'd said. Ummei clapped a hand over his mouth in horror, blushing. Mikoto blinked.
"All right," she snapped. "You're stupid master can say whatever he wants but my older brother is dead!"
"He's not," Ummei whispered guiltily, lowering his gaze sadly. "And he's doomed. I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you that,"
The blonde felt wracked with doubt for the first time in awhile. "Kuja . . .?" she breathed softly, trying to fold her hands in her lap as much as possible while being shackled to a pipe. "Wh . . . what're they going to do to him?"
Ummei just shook his head, grimacing. "Terrible things . . ."
"Like what?!"
Ummei hesitated, chewing on his lip. Finally, he told her everything . . .
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Alexandria was finally beginning to wake up, butter-beams of light shooting out across the beautiful city as shops began to open and markets began to set up once more. The partying had died down somewhat but people were still eager to go out and make the best of so many Gaians being in town at one time. It was good for tourist taxes.
Kuja sat upon one of the balconies, high up above the city itself in Alexandria Castle. He looked down at the people, like tiny little ants, and imagined himself stepping on and squashing every last one of them. A grin twisted onto his face, only to be replaced by a scowl.
/Stop it./ he scolded. /You know better than that./
He sighed slowly. He was probably one of the few people awake in the castle. It was still very early. The warlock had barely slept all night. Nightmares had haunted him; strangled him. They were different this time. He closed his eyes, recalling.
/Flash/
A dungeon. Flames at one end, the Iifa Tree at the other. Kuja stood in the middle, eyes flitting back and forth. He had to make a decision about something but couldn't recall what.
Suddenly, he became aware of the cells in the dungeon. Their metal bars flashed as he turned towards them.
He let out a soft cry of surprise.
There were genomes. Dozens of genomes. Kuja stared at them in horror. None of them moved. Were they . . .?
Something flickered. In fact, exactly half of the genomes flickered. Holograms? Some sort of illusion?
Something tugged the back of his cloak. Whirling around, Kuja found himself face to face with . . . Megan?
"Kuja!" she wailed. She too, was behind bars. She gripped them furiously, shaking them like a rabid animal. "I can't do it! Tell them I can't! TELL THEM!" she shrieked.
There was a flare of flames. They were creeping out of the strange emptiness that clouded the sides of the dungeon. Somehow Kuja knew they were going to smother the Iifa Tree.
The sorcerer looked back at the genomes and gasped. He was in there! But he, too, flickered eerily. Then he felt something fall next to him. Looking down, he saw that Zidane had collapsed at his feet.
Everything was swirling. Kuja couldn't concentrate on one thing at a time. He was sinking down next to his brother. He looked back at Megan. She was pointing a finger lividly at something.
Garnet and Eiko stood shrouded in shadow like two evil wraiths. Megan was rattling the bars again, accusing them of something.
"That's them! They can! They can! Tell them, Kuja! TELL THEM!"
The warlock blanched. She'd said his name! He couldn't ask her how she knew. He was sinking. Someone was laughing. Then he felt people surrounding him. He looked up. They were shadows of people he'd once known. Dead. They were turning away, leaving.
Much to his surprise, they were calling out to him. Pleading for freedom.
"Kuja! Help! Don't let him!" Kuja knew the voice from somewhere but was too tired to remember. He closed his eyes.
Someone was standing over him. They placed a hand on his forehead. His eyes burned. It felt as if they were ripping out his mind.
Somehow he knew the woman with the violet eyes was nearby. Kuja opened his own and saw that she was, indeed, standing in front of the cells, that sad expression never faltering. Then she let out a scream of anguish and clutched her head in agony.
"No!" she screamed. "Wake up!"
And everything was engulfed in flames . . .
/Flash/
"What could this mean?" Kuja wondered, rubbing his forehead irritably. Suddenly, he became aware of a shape moving in the sky. He looked up, staring at it. It was like a giant black shadow moving above the clouds. He frowned.
/Probably a stray airship coming in for the festivities . . ./
But still, he couldn't be sure . . .
"Feather!"
Kuja glanced over his shoulder and saw Megan running onto the balcony, a letter clutched tightly in her hands.
"Hey, Meg," he greeted casually, swinging his legs over the railing so that he sat facing her. Megan grinned, brandishing the envelope.
"Look! My mom sent us a note by moogle!"
"Really? What about?"
Megan chuckled. "She's so overprotective. It's all about everything we shouldn't do and stuff,"
Kuja laughed, his horrendous night momentarily forgotten. "That sounds like her, alright,"
Megan grinned slyly. "You think I should write back about how you were arrested and stuff?"
Kuja pretended to be annoyed but he couldn't help but fear that she would. Somehow, he'd always felt this strange tension between the Yorokobi's. Like they suspected him or something.
"Give me a break, Megan!" he groaned, rolling his eyes. As Megan averted her attention back to glancing over the letter, Kuja thought about his dream.
/Flash/
I can't do it! Tell them I can't! TELL THEM!
/Flash/
Kuja glanced up at Megan, the girl he'd lived with for two-and-a-half years. The thought struck him quite suddenly that he knew hardly anything about her.
"Hey, Megs," he called, using the little pet name he often affiliated her with. Megan looked up from the paper, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah?"
"Um, I was just wondering," Kuja shifted rather uncomfortably. "Where are you from? You said you hadn't lived in Katei your whole life,"
Megan shrugged. She didn't seem to want to talk about it. Carefully, she folded up the letter.
"Shall we proceed?" she asked kindly, making a low, sweeping bow. Kuja's eyes twinkled.
"Ladies first,"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Garnet growled as she glared around a nearby pillar. He was in the library again! Every day with the library! The same damn book! It took a lot of willpower for the queen not to grab the stupid thing and smack him over the head with it.
Kuja sat quietly at the table, pouring through the book on the Great War. He seemed deeply fascinated with it. He had hidden himself in there for many days because of the "incident."
Everyone had been in the dining room talking. Kuja had been there too, despite the looks he was getting. He knew people were talking about him behind his back yet he ignored it! And that idiot girl never noticed! Then, as Kuja had been walking past two Alexandrian soldiers, one of them had accidentally stated a little too loudly:
"Ugh, there's that silver-haired freak again. Somebody ought to spray him with pesticide,"
Silence. Dead silence. And most people simply gave the soldier approving nods. Kuja had avoided all contact with anyone but Megan after that.
Garnet continued to glare. How she loathed that man!
"You know, your majesty, I don't think snooping was listed in the requirements for world leader,"
Garnet started. How had he known she was there?! Stepping out from behind the pillar, the queen folded her arms huffily, glowering.
"Well, somebody has to watch you!"
Kuja didn't even look up from the book. "Is that really necessary?"
"Of course it is! I'm surprised you haven't tried to murder us all in our sleep!" Kuja snorted.
"Really, your majesty. The thought hasn't even crossed my mind," the genome flipped a page, eyes moving back and forth over the words.
"I don't know WHAT Zidane sees in you!" Garnet snapped, taking a step closer. Kuja shrugged, still reading.
"And . . . And I think you're a big bully!"
"Mhm . . ." Kuja ignored the angered woman. Garnet hated being snubbed like that. She wracked her mind for something - anything - that would REALLY hurt. Something to make him writhe.
"You don't deserve the luxury of life!" she cried, flames in her eyes. "And Garland had the right idea placing that limit on your life! Because you ARE nothing but a failure! And you will ALWAYS be second best!"
Kuja's eyes widened.
/Flash/
You ARE second best, and you will always BE second best!
/Flash/
Kuja slammed the book shut with a crack. He stood up furiously. Garnet realized she'd gone too far and took a step back. His eyes were glowing a violent red. He was breathing heavily, lip curling. Just as Garnet braced for an attack, Kuja's eyes went back to their usual chilling blue and his fists unclenched. He had a look of unnatural calm on his face. Casually, he glided past her and out the door.
She didn't see him the rest of the day.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mikoto was on the brink of tears. She held her face in her hands, sniffling them back. Ummei looked rather concerned but tried to act nonplussed. It was his job, after all.
"Hey, I'm sorry," he muttered. "But at least now you know,"
Mikoto raised her face, eyes red. "Somebody's got to stop this!" she moaned, sitting back on her heels. "Somebody has to tell him!"
Ummei shook his head. "What good would it do? If he knew, I mean,"
Mikoto thought hard, searching for an answer. "He could be on his guard!" she decided, nodding.
Ummei sighed. "That wouldn't help at all. Unless there was a way to . . ."
SLAM! The door shot open and smashed into the wall with a loud crack that made them both jump. The Master stood in the doorway, arms folded, a small smile on his face.
"Ummei, I've got fabulous news," he stated, flipping a strand of coffee- colored hair over his shoulder. "We're initiating the plan today and I'm going to let you come along,"
Ummei gave Mikoto a fleeting look, then registered what The Master had said. "Really? Are you kidding?"
"Not even slightly,"
Ummei scrambled to his feet, bowing low. "Thank you, Master. Thank you," The Master's green eyes flashed.
"I look forward to this day very much. There are things I must . . . settle . . ."
Ummei looked surprised and frowned. "You're not going to . . . I mean, it's so early," he glanced back at Mikoto. Her eyes were red with fresh tears. The Master laughed, shaking his head.
"Of course not!" he chuckled. "This is mostly scouting. But perhaps . . ." he stopped as if hearing a silent call and nodded.
"Come, Ummei. We must go," Ummei bit his lip, glancing at Mikoto once more.
"What about the prisoner?"
The Master turned away icily, heading out into the inner ship. "Leave her here. I want her to writhe in misery, knowing what we're going to do,"
Ummei trotted out the door like an obedient dog having been told to heel. Just as he was about to close the door he whispered:
"I'll tell you what happens . . ."
And Mikoto was left sitting shackled alone in the dark . . .
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At around noon, Zidane walked into the dining room to have lunch with Garnet. She was already sitting there, smiling as he walked in. She loved seeing him around the castle after three years of thinking . . . It . . . had happened. Zidane pulled up a chair next to her and pecked her majesty on the cheek playfully. The queen giggled, blushing.
Eventually, their talk turned to the relationships of their friends. When would Steiner pop the question to Beatrix? Was it possible for Freya and Fratley to get together again? Did Lani REALLY like Amarant? And when would Eiko stop loving Zidane? They weren't sure of any of them.
All at once, Megan walked into the room, looking puzzled. "Zidane, have you seen Feather? He's, like, vanished or something,"
Garnet put down her cup with a start, eyes wide.
"Um, Megan. About that,"
Zidane's eyes locked on his fiancés immediately. "Dagger . . . What did you do to him . . .?"
Garnet swirled her glass idly, contemplating what to say. "Well, you see . . . I was talking to him and we sorta . . . argued . . . and I sorta said things that weren't so nice and he sorta . . . left,"
Zidane creased his brow. "Meaning . . .?"
"He left the castle,"
"Okay, Dagger. Finish the sentence," Garnet sighed heavily, putting down the cup.
". . . In a fit of rage . . ."
"God damnit, Dagger," Zidane stood up angrily, his chair scraping against the tiles. "We'd better go find him before someone tries to murder him or something,"
"Whaddya mean 'we?'"
"You heard me," Zidane grabbed the queen's arm and dragged her out of her seat much to her dismay. "This is YOUR fault and YOUR going to help us fix it,"
The genome stormed out of the room, Garnet trailing miserably behind him. Megan blinked.
"Hey! Wait for me!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
BOOM! Steiner let out a choked gasp, ducking as the wall behind him exploded.
"What the - ?!"
"Captain! Someone's attacking the city!"
Steiner straightened, blinking dust out of his eyes. "What?! Who?!"
The Pluto Knight shook his head, helmet wagging loosely. "We don't know! It's a huge ship! And there's people! Really weird looking people destroying everything!"
There was mass chaos. People screamed and ran everywhere as buildings exploded and walls shattered to the ground.
"Get the other knights!" Steiner commanded, unsheathing his sword. "Hurry!" the soldier went running off, tripping over his feet in the rush.
The second Zidane opened the door to the castle his mouth dropped open in shock.
"What in the name of all things holy - ?"
Steiner, spotting the Queen, Zidane, and the weird girl he'd seen briefly with that silver-haired fiend, scrambled over towards them, gripping his sword fiercely.
"Steiner!" Garnet shouted as the captain slid to a halt before them. "What's going on?! Are we under some sort of attack?"
"Your Majesty," Steiner addressed, grabbing her hand. "Please, you must hide somewhere safe! Who knows what these villains are after!"
"Hey!"
It was Eiko, followed closely by Regent Cid, Lady Hilda, Freya, Fratley, Amarant, Lani, Quina, Vivi, and Beatrix. They all seemed extremely flustered and covered in debris.
"Your Majesty!" Freya shouted as they all filed up next to the group. "You shouldn't be out here!" It looked like an argument was going to start any second. Unfortunately, it was broken by Megan letting out a gasp and leaning over as if she were going to be sick.
/Flash/
"Don't let them get him!"
"Why you little - !"
"Megan! Warn the others!"
"No! You can't!"
There was a blood-curdling scream followed by a cruel laugh.
/Flash/
For some reason, Megan's mind went on fast-forward.
"Feather!" she breathed, realization striking her over the head like a giant mallet. "He's in the city somewhere!"
She took off before anyone could grab her.
"Megan! No!" Zidane yelled, running after the young woman.
Next thing they knew, everyone else was running closely behind into the heart of the destruction . . .
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Uh oh. I just noticed this is chapter unlucky thirteen! Whoo . . . *proceeds to make scary noises* Anyhoo . . . Who's started the fifth Harry Potter book? It's REALLY good. And I noticed some of the plot was like this one in a twisted sorta way. Yeah . . . whatever . . . Hmm . . . This chapter opened the doors for some new plot twists. And no, Kuja is NOT dead as one of my friends seemed to think he was. *Rolls her eyes* Yes, I mercilessly kill main characters for no reason . . . Where the freak did she get THAT idea from? Also, she seemed to be under the impression that Garnet and Eiko are going to be evil 'cause of that dream and stuff. When did I say that?! I just said they LOOKED evil! Geez . . .