SORRY FOR THE WAIT!!!!! SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY!!!!!!!
A/N: This is it! The moment we've all been waiting for (except me)! Can you not feel the tension?! I'm so excited! Now I can finally turn my story around to the musings floating in my head. Par-tay! Hope y'all like the outcome *snort.* Believe me, it's exactly what you all expected, I'm sure. Except things are going to get NASTY! Bwahahahaha! Eeeeeeeevil . . .
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy is an RPG. The only one that I need - wait, why am I singing the Chocobo Robo Song? Don't own the only game that I need, yo.
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"May the past that's dark with crimes, bring revenge in future times!"
- Morgra, The Sight (David Clement-Davies)
Mikoto yawned. Ummei was snoring. The other prisoner was meditating. The only sound that could be heard was the ever-present humming and slurping of the pipes in the boiler-room. Mikoto watched the other two quietly. So strange, they were . . . One of them could barely string two sentences together and yet had a hidden brilliance rivaling that of her creator. The other . . . the other was an enigma for sure.
/I wonder who she is . . ./ Mikoto queried, puzzled. /She seems to know so much and yet I don't know a thing about HER! Maybe I'm better off not knowing . . ./
Mikoto glanced at Ummei, who was sprawled out upon the floor with his whip still in one hand. It hit her, suddenly, how young he was.
/If the geonomes were made slowly over time, he must be the youngest one here! Poor kid . . . No wonder they treat him like garbage . . ./
Ummei snorted in his sleep. The sound startled the violet-eyed woman back to reality. She blinked and rubbed her eyes.
"Welcome back . . ." Mikoto said blandly. "Did you enjoy your trip?"
"Mmm . . . Quite," the woman responded dreamily. "I traveled as far away from here as is mentally possible to do,"
"Gee . . . Thanks . . ."
They lapsed into silence. Ummei was still snoring. "You know . . ." the purple-eyed prisoner said suddenly, catching Mikoto's attention. "My meditation can take me to a lot of places . . ."
Mikoto was not feeling patient that day. "And your point?"
"What I mean to say is . . . I was talking to your eldest brother before Garland halted my telepathic powers upon this ship,"
Mikoto sat up abruptly, fists clenched. "You talked to Kuja?! Is he alright?!"
The woman sighed. "If being completely oblivious is alright . . ."
". . . What . . .?"
The fellow prisoner nodded sadly, drawing her knees protectively into her chest. "It's a damn shame Garland has gained back so much power . . . I tried so hard to tell Kuja what I knew but Garland blocked all my important information every time. I even entered Kuja's dreams. No luck . . . I tried to talk to one of the people he was staying with. Blocked once more. In fact, Garland is even interfering with the poor girl's mind to keep me out,"
"Why don't you talk to Zidane?" Mikoto offered. "If anything, you should have gone to him first,"
The woman bit her lip. "I can't . . ." she muttered, blushing. "My powers are not forceful enough for a mind like his,"
"Meaning?"
"His mind is closed. He doesn't accept faraway ideas like voices talking to him,"
Mikoto snorted. "And Kuja DOES?!" she grumbled sarcastically. The violet- eyed woman nodded.
"Well . . . yeah . . . But only because his emotional foundations are slightly chewed through already. He's a very sad person, Mikoto,"
Mikoto blinked, surprised to hear her name after so long. She hesitated, scratching her head before asking the question that had been nagging at her soul for so long. "Is Kuja really doomed like they say . . .?"
The other prisoner raised her head, face clouded over in confusion. "What?"
Mikoto refused to meet those brilliant violet eyes. "You always seem to know things . . . So just tell me now. Is he doomed?"
"I - I don't know . . ."
"Yes! Yes, you do!" Mikoto shouted, laughing. "You know EVERYTHING! But you keep so damn quiet all the time! Is he doomed?!"
There was a moment of sizzling silence as the heat died down. The purple- eyed woman's lip twitched.
". . . Yes . . . Garland's moving closer. Kuja's time is moving closer. Everything's coming together,"
Mikoto frowned thoroughly, thinking. "I thought Kuja was supposed to be dead already. Garland didn't create him to last this long,"
The violet-eyed woman blushed more heavily. "Uh . . . Well . . . about that . . ."
"You know about that too, don't you?"
"Erm . . ."
Mikoto groaned, rubbing her face. "I might as well just shut up and let you do the all the talking, eh?"
A scraping sound filled the room as the door was pried and creaked open. Ummei awoke with a snort and then freaked when he saw Drakja in the doorway.
"Aah! Don't kill me!" he cried, covering his face. Drakja simply rolled his eyes and strolled casually into the room.
"What do YOU want?" Mikoto snapped, deciding not to take any more crap from this guy. Drakja brushed a strand of dark hair back over his shoulder.
"I'm here to talk to HER," he pointed at the violet-eyed woman. "Now that she's finally gotten over her masochism, I have a few questions to ask,"
The prisoner's face remained passive as she stared at him. Mikoto understood that the woman was clearing her mind in case Drakja had some sort of trick up his sleeve.
"It's about the Summoners,"
The woman attempted not to show a drop of emotion. Unfortunately, everyone saw the twitch in her eye at the words. A grin spread sinisterly across Drakja's face.
"From the information I've gathered," he said. "There's only four of them left in the world. Two of them are out of the question; both are of noble status and can't be touched. But the other two are simple peasants. Two women. A mother-in-law and daughter-in-law from what I've heard . . ."
The woman didn't move. Mikoto almost yelped when she heard the other prisoner's voice in her head.
/Don't say anything, Mikoto. I've got to hold my cover . . ./
Mikoto bit her lip. /Don't say a word . . ./
"Get to the point . . ." the violet-eyed woman instructed, her voice nearly monotone. Ummei was shivering. Drakja's eyes were on fire.
"My point? Fine. Did they or did they not have a daughter? A fifth Summoner?"
"I don't believe so,"
Mikoto gut clenched. /She's doing really good . . ./
"Don't toy with me!" Drakja roared, baring down upon the Terran captive. His shadow fell across her, making the woman seem smaller than usual. She was gently touching the wound on her stomach. "I KNOW they had a daughter! I've met her! I've SEEN her! I heard the angels of death discussing her!"
Violet eyes flickered. Green eyes flared. Mikoto's heart sunk.
/Oh god no . . ./
"It's true, isn't it," Drakja queried smugly. "They have a daughter," The geonome laughed, turning away from the group. "Thanks. That was all I needed to know . . ."
". . . Second best . . ."
"Eh?" Drakja halted, glancing over his shoulder. Mikoto bared her teeth.
"I said . . . Second best! That's you, idiot!"
Drakja's eye was twitching angrily. "Wh-what do you mean?"
"I mean . . ." Mikoto hissed, voice dripping with venom. "That you're the SECOND BEST! That's why Garland's after Kuja, isn't it?! He knows Kuja is more of a threat than you'll EVER be!"
CLACK.
"Mikoto!" Ummei cried. The barrel of Drakja's gun was pressed sharply against the genome's head, his finger trembling violently as it held the trigger. He seemed beyond sanity.
"You know nothing!" he shouted as the weapon shook against Mikoto's skin. "You have no idea what Garland is after! This gun . . . This gun is the answer to everything . . ."
The violet-eyed woman gasped, hands over her mouth. "That's . . . Oh my god, that's . . . Don't! Please don't use it!"
"You're . . . You're just a shadow . . ." Mikoto spat. Her stomach slammed into the wall as Drakja whirled her around. The chains twisted as she turned and the shackles cut the genome's wrists open. Blood leaked to the floor. Drakja held the gun several inches from Mikoto. A needle was protruding from it now; another of the mysterious features the weapon held.
"Take it back . . ." he whispered, the needle drawing ever closer to Mikoto's skin. She spat blood onto the floor.
"No,"
"Take . . . It . . . back . . ."
"No! I WON'T!"
However, her protesting turned into a scream as the needle drove deep into her flesh. The blue of her eyes drained away as if someone were sucking the very life from her. As she cried, an image of her body - dead - flickered upon the floor. At the sight of it, the purple-eyed woman screamed so loud that it nearly drowned out Mikoto's cry.
"NO!" she shrieked, throwing herself at Drakja. "DON'T DO IT! YOU CAN'T REVERSE THE EFFECTS!"
Drakja reached a hand behind his back and caught the woman by the throat. She struggled, clawing desperately at his fingers. "Don't . . ." she moaned, eyes rolling up into her head. "Don't do it . . ."
Ummei was on his feet now, clutching the whip in his hand as he shook. "Master . . ." he pleaded. "Master, please . . ."
Drakja's eyes were flashing madly. "This . . . This is what your whole fucking family deserves . . ." he hissed, his entire body trembling violently.
/Flash/
Get out of here! I don't want to talk to you! We will end this on the battle-field! AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE!!!
/Flash/
Ummei was fighting with Drakja now, attempting to pry his fingers off the woman's neck. All the while, the image upon the floor was becoming clearer.
"Let go of them!" Ummei cried desperately. "Let go!"
"DRAKJA!!!"
WHOOSH. Drakja's body slammed into the far wall. Ummei leapt backwards in surprise. The violet-eyed woman crumpled to the floor, clutching her throat as the red gun clattered to the ground next to her. Drakja slid to the floor, clutching his head in agony. "Wh-what're you doing to me?!" he choked out, green eyes rising towards his assailant.
Garland stood there, electricity crackling around his body. His black cape was billowing as if caught in a high wind and his face was that of pure anger. He stepped forward and Drakja held his arms up to shield himself.
However, Garland was not going to him. The overlord was heading towards Mikoto's image flickering upon the floor. His eyes were piercing as he stared down at it.
"How dare you . . ." he breathed, fists clenching. With a snarl, Garland brought his foot down upon the image. Mikoto let out a cry and the blue returned to her eyes. She collapsed to the floor, untwisting the chains around her wrists. Now Garland's full wrath impaled itself through Drakja.
"You," he snapped, signaling for Drakja to stand. The geonome began to do so, but was apparently too slow for Garland's liking. With a swish, Drakja's body was lifted into the air and pinned back against the wall. His head was held against the pipes and he was grinding his teeth in pain.
"Sir . . ." he rasped, green eyes going dim. "Sir, please. Have mercy,"
"Mercy?" Garland queried, disbelieving. "Me show you mercy? I'm sorry, but mercy is reserved for those who follow orders . . ."
"I . . . I'm sorry . . ." Drakja gasped, wincing. "It . . . It won't happen again . . ."
Garland's lip twitched into a sort of half-smile. "No. It won't, will it?"
"No . . . I promise . . . Not until the first angel of death is within my grasp,"
Mikoto dragged herself to her knees, breathing hard and clutching her chest. /The first angel of death? Is this . . . Is this what they're going to do to Kuja?!/
Garland stepped back, and with a swish of his cape began to leave the room. All eyes were now turned to Drakja - green, blue, and wine. The geonome stumbled to his feet, throwing the cloak back off his legs in agitation. He began to trudge off, rubbing his chest furiously.
"Drakja . . ." Mikoto whispered, watching him go. Drakja stopped, hands twitching.
". . . What . . .?"
"You forgot your gun,"
Drakja's eyes flickered over his shoulder. Mikoto tossed him the weapon. Drakja caught it and stormed out of the room without another word.
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"Bored . . ." Megan whined, staring up at the ceiling. Kuja tossed her a bag of gil.
"Take it," he ordered. "Have fun,"
Megan raised the bag and stared at it. "Are you joking . . .? I'm not going alone,"
/Too bad . . ./ "I can't come," Kuja said truthfully, gazing out the window of Megan's guest-room in Alexandria Castle. Megan rolled her eyes.
"Oh, screw them," she snapped, standing up from her chair and sticking out a hip. "Why should you have to listen to some stupid general and her idiot queen. Who's younger than you, by the way,"
Kuja chuckled at the young woman as he continued to gaze out the window. "I have to . . ." he said, shrugging. "Orders from the queen are final, obviously,"
"Oh, come on!" Megan sighed, throwing the bag of gil onto a nearby table. "You're the brother of the future king! I should think you'd have some say in the matter!"
For the first time in several minutes, Kuja's eyes peeled themselves off of the window. "You - You know about that . . .?"
Megan blinked. "That you're Zidane's brother? Yeah,"
"But . . . how . . .?"
"He told me,"
"Oh,"
/What else does she know . . .?/
"Come on!" Megan pleaded, grabbing Kuja by the arm. "You'll just be in the city! It's not like we're going back to Katei or anything!"
Kuja yanked his arm out of the young woman's grasp. "Megan, please . . . You're not making this any easier,"
Megan slumped back into the chair, sighing. "Damn it . . . This is so totally unfair!"
"Yeah, well . . . At least you're not the one locked up in the castle,"
"Hey, yeah!" Megan cried, sitting up a little straighter. "We can't go back to Katei if you're not allowed to leave the castle!"
Kuja wrinkled his nose. "I thought you were supposed to go to Conde Petie,"
"I am NOT going to some town infested with green dwarves, thank you,"
Kuja laughed, imagining Megan wandering around some town shouting "Rally- ho!" at the top of her lungs.
Megan huffed and stood up from the chair once more. "Well if you're gonna be stuck in some stinkin' castle, the least you can do is leave this stupid room! If you keep this up, they're gonna lock you in HERE!"
Kuja sighed, rising slowly. "Coming . . ." he grumbled, following Megan's retreating form.
At the bottom of the stairs, Kuja heard a voice calling his name.
"Eh?" he glanced down the hall and spotted Zidane running towards him. The blonde genome skidded to a halt, his eyes darting back and forth between Megan and Kuja. He growled lightly.
"FEATHER . . ." he hissed, heavily stressing the alias name. "We've got to talk. C'mere,"
Kuja folded his arms over his chest, chin lifted inquiringly. "Who died and made YOU boss?"
"Queen Brahne," Zidane snapped, grabbing Kuja by the wrist and dragging him off. Megan stomped her foot furiously.
"Curses! I'm going back to my room!"
"What do you want?" Kuja growled, tearing his arm out of Zidane's grasp once they were down another hall and well away from Megan's prying eyes. The younger genome had a look that simply said "you're dead."
"How DARE you cavort around with Megan without telling her who you are!" Zidane chastised angrily, poking Kuja in the chest. The warlock slapped Zidane's hand and turned away, tail quivering.
"It's none of your business what I do," Kuja snapped, glaring icily over his shoulder.
"I think it IS!" Zidane cried, snagging his older brother by the sleeve and flinging him around. Kuja blinked in surprise as the blonde frothed with fury. "Dr. Tot gave me a mission, and I will NOT fail!"
"A-A mission? Zidane, what are you . . .?"
"He told me that before we could accomplish anything, I had to make you tell Megan who you were!" Zidane's shoulder's slumped as the truth came out.
Kuja's deep blue eyes widened as realization sunk in. "So THAT'S what this is all about! Ha! It all makes sense now!" he shook his head sadly. "You've just been following orders from that old coot!"
"No!" Zidane shouted desperately. "You don't understand! It's not morally ETHICAL to keep her in the dark!"
Kuja threw his head back, laughing hysterically at the whole situation. "My word!" he exclaimed, patting Zidane on the shoulder. "We're going to get into ETHICS now, are we?"
Zidane stuck out his lip huffily, then sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Kuja, I know this sounds childish . . . But . . . Dr. Tot's never been wrong. Never. And he sounded beyond desperation,"
Kuja sniffed dismissively. "I'll . . . I'll get around to it sometime,"
"Make it soon," Zidane ordered, frowning. Kuja turned away, his tail brushing Zidane's ankles as he left.
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Megan had now officially taken up Kuja's task of staring out the window. /I see why he likes to do this . . ./ she thought, sighing. /It makes you look like you're yearning . . ./
The door creaked open slowly. Megan looked curiously over her shoulder and smiled.
"Feather!" she exclaimed, starting to stand. "What did Zidane - ?"
"Megan, sit down," Kuja instructed, placing a hand on her shoulder and pushing the young girl back into the chair. She looked uneasy at his serious manner, and watched the warlock closely as he pulled up a nearby chair and sat down.
"Feather, what is it . . .?" she whispered nervously. Kuja looked at the young woman closely, pondering what he was actually there to do.
"Megan . . . I . . ." /I can't do this . . ./
"Feather, is something wrong?" Megan queried kindly, taking his hand in hers. Kuja's brow furrowed as he stared down at their joined limbs. "You can tell me . . ."
/She's acting like . . . like we're more than just friends . . . Oh Shiva, what am I supposed to do?!/
"Megan . . ." Kuja began slowly, biting his lip. "I was just wondering . . . That day we first met . . ." Megan nodded, recalling the bloody event. "You passed out. And yet the next day, when I was in your house . . . You acted like it was nothing. You were happy that I'd be staying with your family. Why . . .?"
The young summoner's face brightened considerably. "Is that all this is about? Gee, I would have thought that obvious! You were cute!" she pinched Kuja's cheek laughing. Kuja blinked in surprise.
"S-Seriously . . .?"
"No, dummy!" Megan whacked him across the arm. "You were just a cool person to have around. You were friendly, funny, and . . ." she blushed. "Kinda mysterious . . ."
Kuja's lip twitched into a smile. "Thank you," he whispered quietly. Suddenly, he threw his arms around Megan's shoulders, trying as hard as possible to hold back his tears. Her eyebrows rose in surprise and she patted him awkwardly on the back.
"Feather . . .? What's wrong?"
"Megan, do you promise you'll never forget me?" he pleaded, squeezing her tighter. Megan shifted her head, frowning.
"What do you mean? Why would I - ?"
"Goodbye,"
Kuja planted his lips desperately upon hers. The summoner's eyes widened in surprise, then went dull with pleasure. They parted slightly, though they remained locked in the embrace. Megan curled her fingers in his hair.
"I . . . I've been wanting to do that . . . for years . . ." she mumbled, staring deep into his icy blue eyes. They seemed to dare him further. Kuja smirked.
/I accept . . ./
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"You SLEPT WITH HER?!!!" Zidane cried, staring in utter disbelief at his elder brother. Kuja smiled wryly.
"Yeah . . . Kinda cool, don't you think?"
"IDIOT!" Zidane shouted, pulling on his own locks of golden hair. "You are the most unbelievable . . ."
"I'm still going to tell her!" Kuja defended, growling. "To be honest, I don't even know how it happened!"
Zidane stormed off, not even in the mood to yell at his brother anymore. Kuja rolled his eyes and went trudging back towards Megan's room. Last he'd checked, she wasn't awake yet.
Indeed, when he opened the door he saw the young girl lying snuggled in the covers. She looked . . . very happy. Megan opened her eyes when she heard the sorcerer entering.
"Hey, Feather," she said sleepily, rubbing her eyes and rolling onto her back. "What're you doing?"
Kuja reached into the closet and pulled out the first thing he found - a powder blue dress with a white sash - before tossing it to Megan. She caught it and smiled. Kuja turned away as she began to get dressed.
"Hey, Feather," Megan began, pulling the dress down over her head. "You wouldn't mind if I went out into the city, would you? I mean, it really is dull in this castle,"
Kuja hesitated, glancing over his shoulder. She was dressed, thank god. Now was his chance . . .
"Megan, before you do anything . . . There's something I have to tell you . . ."
"You're gay, aren't you?"
"Wh-WHAT?!"
Megan laughed, sitting down on the bed. "Gotcha!"
Kuja breathed a quick sigh of relief. /Phew . . ./ "Um, no. That's NOT what I meant . . ."
Megan kicked her legs expectantly, waiting. Kuja sighed.
"I think it's time I told you . . . who I am . . ."
Her eyes flickered. "Oh my god . . ." she whispered, leaning forward. "Are you serious?"
"Dead serious," /Unfortunately . . ./ "Now, Megan. Don't say anything until I'm finished. Can you do that?"
"Yes - I mean - " she nodded, blushing. Kuja ran his fingers through his hair nervously before speaking.
"As you know," he began. "Zidane is my brother. Zidane is a genome. And so am I," Megan opened her mouth to speak but Kuja held up a hand. "You may have even guessed that, considering the tail. Anyhow . . ." Kuja swallowed painfully. "My name is Kuja. I'm the first angel of death born from Terra and the Shishon of Saishoja. My creator's name is Garland and I was constructed for the sole purpose of bringing chaos and havoc upon Gaia. Have you heard of me?"
Megan nodded numbly, eyes wide. After all, what Gaian HADN'T heard of The Great Kuja? The sorcerer continued, the pain in his chest growing ever stronger as he spoke.
"In my history I've destroyed an entire planet and almost half a dozen cities. But you probably already know that . . . Some call me the Dark Messenger. And . . ." a tear rolled down his cheek. "I am the one that killed your father . . ."
There was a ringing silence. Megan didn't say anything. Her eyes were shiny as she watched her friend. Kuja slumped down into a chair, shaking slightly. "You may speak . . ." he whispered. Megan didn't. She just continued to watch him. Kuja sighed.
"Megan . . . I would understand if you never spoke to me again . . ."
The summoner licked her lips, looking thoughtful. Finally, she spoke. "Are you sure . . .?"
"Yes . . ."
"Oh. Well, good,"
She stood up with as much grace as a fairy and walked quietly out of the room. Kuja watched her go before sighing and turning back to the window . . .
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A/N: *SCREAMS* HE TOLD HER, HE TOLD HER, HE TOLD HER!!! AND BMD STOPPED PROCRASTINATING! *Gets stoned to death.* Anyways (I hate that word), now what, ne? She sounds pissed but . . . they slept together, so . . . See, I had a reason for that *cough* randomness . . . It'll come into play later. And I almost killed Mikoto, gasp! Well, not really. She couldn't have actually DIED. But . . . Well, wait and find out what happened ^_^ Read and review! The numbers have been poor (I blame it on school, bleargh . . .) So keep my motivation up!
A/N: This is it! The moment we've all been waiting for (except me)! Can you not feel the tension?! I'm so excited! Now I can finally turn my story around to the musings floating in my head. Par-tay! Hope y'all like the outcome *snort.* Believe me, it's exactly what you all expected, I'm sure. Except things are going to get NASTY! Bwahahahaha! Eeeeeeeevil . . .
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy is an RPG. The only one that I need - wait, why am I singing the Chocobo Robo Song? Don't own the only game that I need, yo.
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"May the past that's dark with crimes, bring revenge in future times!"
- Morgra, The Sight (David Clement-Davies)
Mikoto yawned. Ummei was snoring. The other prisoner was meditating. The only sound that could be heard was the ever-present humming and slurping of the pipes in the boiler-room. Mikoto watched the other two quietly. So strange, they were . . . One of them could barely string two sentences together and yet had a hidden brilliance rivaling that of her creator. The other . . . the other was an enigma for sure.
/I wonder who she is . . ./ Mikoto queried, puzzled. /She seems to know so much and yet I don't know a thing about HER! Maybe I'm better off not knowing . . ./
Mikoto glanced at Ummei, who was sprawled out upon the floor with his whip still in one hand. It hit her, suddenly, how young he was.
/If the geonomes were made slowly over time, he must be the youngest one here! Poor kid . . . No wonder they treat him like garbage . . ./
Ummei snorted in his sleep. The sound startled the violet-eyed woman back to reality. She blinked and rubbed her eyes.
"Welcome back . . ." Mikoto said blandly. "Did you enjoy your trip?"
"Mmm . . . Quite," the woman responded dreamily. "I traveled as far away from here as is mentally possible to do,"
"Gee . . . Thanks . . ."
They lapsed into silence. Ummei was still snoring. "You know . . ." the purple-eyed prisoner said suddenly, catching Mikoto's attention. "My meditation can take me to a lot of places . . ."
Mikoto was not feeling patient that day. "And your point?"
"What I mean to say is . . . I was talking to your eldest brother before Garland halted my telepathic powers upon this ship,"
Mikoto sat up abruptly, fists clenched. "You talked to Kuja?! Is he alright?!"
The woman sighed. "If being completely oblivious is alright . . ."
". . . What . . .?"
The fellow prisoner nodded sadly, drawing her knees protectively into her chest. "It's a damn shame Garland has gained back so much power . . . I tried so hard to tell Kuja what I knew but Garland blocked all my important information every time. I even entered Kuja's dreams. No luck . . . I tried to talk to one of the people he was staying with. Blocked once more. In fact, Garland is even interfering with the poor girl's mind to keep me out,"
"Why don't you talk to Zidane?" Mikoto offered. "If anything, you should have gone to him first,"
The woman bit her lip. "I can't . . ." she muttered, blushing. "My powers are not forceful enough for a mind like his,"
"Meaning?"
"His mind is closed. He doesn't accept faraway ideas like voices talking to him,"
Mikoto snorted. "And Kuja DOES?!" she grumbled sarcastically. The violet- eyed woman nodded.
"Well . . . yeah . . . But only because his emotional foundations are slightly chewed through already. He's a very sad person, Mikoto,"
Mikoto blinked, surprised to hear her name after so long. She hesitated, scratching her head before asking the question that had been nagging at her soul for so long. "Is Kuja really doomed like they say . . .?"
The other prisoner raised her head, face clouded over in confusion. "What?"
Mikoto refused to meet those brilliant violet eyes. "You always seem to know things . . . So just tell me now. Is he doomed?"
"I - I don't know . . ."
"Yes! Yes, you do!" Mikoto shouted, laughing. "You know EVERYTHING! But you keep so damn quiet all the time! Is he doomed?!"
There was a moment of sizzling silence as the heat died down. The purple- eyed woman's lip twitched.
". . . Yes . . . Garland's moving closer. Kuja's time is moving closer. Everything's coming together,"
Mikoto frowned thoroughly, thinking. "I thought Kuja was supposed to be dead already. Garland didn't create him to last this long,"
The violet-eyed woman blushed more heavily. "Uh . . . Well . . . about that . . ."
"You know about that too, don't you?"
"Erm . . ."
Mikoto groaned, rubbing her face. "I might as well just shut up and let you do the all the talking, eh?"
A scraping sound filled the room as the door was pried and creaked open. Ummei awoke with a snort and then freaked when he saw Drakja in the doorway.
"Aah! Don't kill me!" he cried, covering his face. Drakja simply rolled his eyes and strolled casually into the room.
"What do YOU want?" Mikoto snapped, deciding not to take any more crap from this guy. Drakja brushed a strand of dark hair back over his shoulder.
"I'm here to talk to HER," he pointed at the violet-eyed woman. "Now that she's finally gotten over her masochism, I have a few questions to ask,"
The prisoner's face remained passive as she stared at him. Mikoto understood that the woman was clearing her mind in case Drakja had some sort of trick up his sleeve.
"It's about the Summoners,"
The woman attempted not to show a drop of emotion. Unfortunately, everyone saw the twitch in her eye at the words. A grin spread sinisterly across Drakja's face.
"From the information I've gathered," he said. "There's only four of them left in the world. Two of them are out of the question; both are of noble status and can't be touched. But the other two are simple peasants. Two women. A mother-in-law and daughter-in-law from what I've heard . . ."
The woman didn't move. Mikoto almost yelped when she heard the other prisoner's voice in her head.
/Don't say anything, Mikoto. I've got to hold my cover . . ./
Mikoto bit her lip. /Don't say a word . . ./
"Get to the point . . ." the violet-eyed woman instructed, her voice nearly monotone. Ummei was shivering. Drakja's eyes were on fire.
"My point? Fine. Did they or did they not have a daughter? A fifth Summoner?"
"I don't believe so,"
Mikoto gut clenched. /She's doing really good . . ./
"Don't toy with me!" Drakja roared, baring down upon the Terran captive. His shadow fell across her, making the woman seem smaller than usual. She was gently touching the wound on her stomach. "I KNOW they had a daughter! I've met her! I've SEEN her! I heard the angels of death discussing her!"
Violet eyes flickered. Green eyes flared. Mikoto's heart sunk.
/Oh god no . . ./
"It's true, isn't it," Drakja queried smugly. "They have a daughter," The geonome laughed, turning away from the group. "Thanks. That was all I needed to know . . ."
". . . Second best . . ."
"Eh?" Drakja halted, glancing over his shoulder. Mikoto bared her teeth.
"I said . . . Second best! That's you, idiot!"
Drakja's eye was twitching angrily. "Wh-what do you mean?"
"I mean . . ." Mikoto hissed, voice dripping with venom. "That you're the SECOND BEST! That's why Garland's after Kuja, isn't it?! He knows Kuja is more of a threat than you'll EVER be!"
CLACK.
"Mikoto!" Ummei cried. The barrel of Drakja's gun was pressed sharply against the genome's head, his finger trembling violently as it held the trigger. He seemed beyond sanity.
"You know nothing!" he shouted as the weapon shook against Mikoto's skin. "You have no idea what Garland is after! This gun . . . This gun is the answer to everything . . ."
The violet-eyed woman gasped, hands over her mouth. "That's . . . Oh my god, that's . . . Don't! Please don't use it!"
"You're . . . You're just a shadow . . ." Mikoto spat. Her stomach slammed into the wall as Drakja whirled her around. The chains twisted as she turned and the shackles cut the genome's wrists open. Blood leaked to the floor. Drakja held the gun several inches from Mikoto. A needle was protruding from it now; another of the mysterious features the weapon held.
"Take it back . . ." he whispered, the needle drawing ever closer to Mikoto's skin. She spat blood onto the floor.
"No,"
"Take . . . It . . . back . . ."
"No! I WON'T!"
However, her protesting turned into a scream as the needle drove deep into her flesh. The blue of her eyes drained away as if someone were sucking the very life from her. As she cried, an image of her body - dead - flickered upon the floor. At the sight of it, the purple-eyed woman screamed so loud that it nearly drowned out Mikoto's cry.
"NO!" she shrieked, throwing herself at Drakja. "DON'T DO IT! YOU CAN'T REVERSE THE EFFECTS!"
Drakja reached a hand behind his back and caught the woman by the throat. She struggled, clawing desperately at his fingers. "Don't . . ." she moaned, eyes rolling up into her head. "Don't do it . . ."
Ummei was on his feet now, clutching the whip in his hand as he shook. "Master . . ." he pleaded. "Master, please . . ."
Drakja's eyes were flashing madly. "This . . . This is what your whole fucking family deserves . . ." he hissed, his entire body trembling violently.
/Flash/
Get out of here! I don't want to talk to you! We will end this on the battle-field! AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE!!!
/Flash/
Ummei was fighting with Drakja now, attempting to pry his fingers off the woman's neck. All the while, the image upon the floor was becoming clearer.
"Let go of them!" Ummei cried desperately. "Let go!"
"DRAKJA!!!"
WHOOSH. Drakja's body slammed into the far wall. Ummei leapt backwards in surprise. The violet-eyed woman crumpled to the floor, clutching her throat as the red gun clattered to the ground next to her. Drakja slid to the floor, clutching his head in agony. "Wh-what're you doing to me?!" he choked out, green eyes rising towards his assailant.
Garland stood there, electricity crackling around his body. His black cape was billowing as if caught in a high wind and his face was that of pure anger. He stepped forward and Drakja held his arms up to shield himself.
However, Garland was not going to him. The overlord was heading towards Mikoto's image flickering upon the floor. His eyes were piercing as he stared down at it.
"How dare you . . ." he breathed, fists clenching. With a snarl, Garland brought his foot down upon the image. Mikoto let out a cry and the blue returned to her eyes. She collapsed to the floor, untwisting the chains around her wrists. Now Garland's full wrath impaled itself through Drakja.
"You," he snapped, signaling for Drakja to stand. The geonome began to do so, but was apparently too slow for Garland's liking. With a swish, Drakja's body was lifted into the air and pinned back against the wall. His head was held against the pipes and he was grinding his teeth in pain.
"Sir . . ." he rasped, green eyes going dim. "Sir, please. Have mercy,"
"Mercy?" Garland queried, disbelieving. "Me show you mercy? I'm sorry, but mercy is reserved for those who follow orders . . ."
"I . . . I'm sorry . . ." Drakja gasped, wincing. "It . . . It won't happen again . . ."
Garland's lip twitched into a sort of half-smile. "No. It won't, will it?"
"No . . . I promise . . . Not until the first angel of death is within my grasp,"
Mikoto dragged herself to her knees, breathing hard and clutching her chest. /The first angel of death? Is this . . . Is this what they're going to do to Kuja?!/
Garland stepped back, and with a swish of his cape began to leave the room. All eyes were now turned to Drakja - green, blue, and wine. The geonome stumbled to his feet, throwing the cloak back off his legs in agitation. He began to trudge off, rubbing his chest furiously.
"Drakja . . ." Mikoto whispered, watching him go. Drakja stopped, hands twitching.
". . . What . . .?"
"You forgot your gun,"
Drakja's eyes flickered over his shoulder. Mikoto tossed him the weapon. Drakja caught it and stormed out of the room without another word.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Bored . . ." Megan whined, staring up at the ceiling. Kuja tossed her a bag of gil.
"Take it," he ordered. "Have fun,"
Megan raised the bag and stared at it. "Are you joking . . .? I'm not going alone,"
/Too bad . . ./ "I can't come," Kuja said truthfully, gazing out the window of Megan's guest-room in Alexandria Castle. Megan rolled her eyes.
"Oh, screw them," she snapped, standing up from her chair and sticking out a hip. "Why should you have to listen to some stupid general and her idiot queen. Who's younger than you, by the way,"
Kuja chuckled at the young woman as he continued to gaze out the window. "I have to . . ." he said, shrugging. "Orders from the queen are final, obviously,"
"Oh, come on!" Megan sighed, throwing the bag of gil onto a nearby table. "You're the brother of the future king! I should think you'd have some say in the matter!"
For the first time in several minutes, Kuja's eyes peeled themselves off of the window. "You - You know about that . . .?"
Megan blinked. "That you're Zidane's brother? Yeah,"
"But . . . how . . .?"
"He told me,"
"Oh,"
/What else does she know . . .?/
"Come on!" Megan pleaded, grabbing Kuja by the arm. "You'll just be in the city! It's not like we're going back to Katei or anything!"
Kuja yanked his arm out of the young woman's grasp. "Megan, please . . . You're not making this any easier,"
Megan slumped back into the chair, sighing. "Damn it . . . This is so totally unfair!"
"Yeah, well . . . At least you're not the one locked up in the castle,"
"Hey, yeah!" Megan cried, sitting up a little straighter. "We can't go back to Katei if you're not allowed to leave the castle!"
Kuja wrinkled his nose. "I thought you were supposed to go to Conde Petie,"
"I am NOT going to some town infested with green dwarves, thank you,"
Kuja laughed, imagining Megan wandering around some town shouting "Rally- ho!" at the top of her lungs.
Megan huffed and stood up from the chair once more. "Well if you're gonna be stuck in some stinkin' castle, the least you can do is leave this stupid room! If you keep this up, they're gonna lock you in HERE!"
Kuja sighed, rising slowly. "Coming . . ." he grumbled, following Megan's retreating form.
At the bottom of the stairs, Kuja heard a voice calling his name.
"Eh?" he glanced down the hall and spotted Zidane running towards him. The blonde genome skidded to a halt, his eyes darting back and forth between Megan and Kuja. He growled lightly.
"FEATHER . . ." he hissed, heavily stressing the alias name. "We've got to talk. C'mere,"
Kuja folded his arms over his chest, chin lifted inquiringly. "Who died and made YOU boss?"
"Queen Brahne," Zidane snapped, grabbing Kuja by the wrist and dragging him off. Megan stomped her foot furiously.
"Curses! I'm going back to my room!"
"What do you want?" Kuja growled, tearing his arm out of Zidane's grasp once they were down another hall and well away from Megan's prying eyes. The younger genome had a look that simply said "you're dead."
"How DARE you cavort around with Megan without telling her who you are!" Zidane chastised angrily, poking Kuja in the chest. The warlock slapped Zidane's hand and turned away, tail quivering.
"It's none of your business what I do," Kuja snapped, glaring icily over his shoulder.
"I think it IS!" Zidane cried, snagging his older brother by the sleeve and flinging him around. Kuja blinked in surprise as the blonde frothed with fury. "Dr. Tot gave me a mission, and I will NOT fail!"
"A-A mission? Zidane, what are you . . .?"
"He told me that before we could accomplish anything, I had to make you tell Megan who you were!" Zidane's shoulder's slumped as the truth came out.
Kuja's deep blue eyes widened as realization sunk in. "So THAT'S what this is all about! Ha! It all makes sense now!" he shook his head sadly. "You've just been following orders from that old coot!"
"No!" Zidane shouted desperately. "You don't understand! It's not morally ETHICAL to keep her in the dark!"
Kuja threw his head back, laughing hysterically at the whole situation. "My word!" he exclaimed, patting Zidane on the shoulder. "We're going to get into ETHICS now, are we?"
Zidane stuck out his lip huffily, then sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Kuja, I know this sounds childish . . . But . . . Dr. Tot's never been wrong. Never. And he sounded beyond desperation,"
Kuja sniffed dismissively. "I'll . . . I'll get around to it sometime,"
"Make it soon," Zidane ordered, frowning. Kuja turned away, his tail brushing Zidane's ankles as he left.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Megan had now officially taken up Kuja's task of staring out the window. /I see why he likes to do this . . ./ she thought, sighing. /It makes you look like you're yearning . . ./
The door creaked open slowly. Megan looked curiously over her shoulder and smiled.
"Feather!" she exclaimed, starting to stand. "What did Zidane - ?"
"Megan, sit down," Kuja instructed, placing a hand on her shoulder and pushing the young girl back into the chair. She looked uneasy at his serious manner, and watched the warlock closely as he pulled up a nearby chair and sat down.
"Feather, what is it . . .?" she whispered nervously. Kuja looked at the young woman closely, pondering what he was actually there to do.
"Megan . . . I . . ." /I can't do this . . ./
"Feather, is something wrong?" Megan queried kindly, taking his hand in hers. Kuja's brow furrowed as he stared down at their joined limbs. "You can tell me . . ."
/She's acting like . . . like we're more than just friends . . . Oh Shiva, what am I supposed to do?!/
"Megan . . ." Kuja began slowly, biting his lip. "I was just wondering . . . That day we first met . . ." Megan nodded, recalling the bloody event. "You passed out. And yet the next day, when I was in your house . . . You acted like it was nothing. You were happy that I'd be staying with your family. Why . . .?"
The young summoner's face brightened considerably. "Is that all this is about? Gee, I would have thought that obvious! You were cute!" she pinched Kuja's cheek laughing. Kuja blinked in surprise.
"S-Seriously . . .?"
"No, dummy!" Megan whacked him across the arm. "You were just a cool person to have around. You were friendly, funny, and . . ." she blushed. "Kinda mysterious . . ."
Kuja's lip twitched into a smile. "Thank you," he whispered quietly. Suddenly, he threw his arms around Megan's shoulders, trying as hard as possible to hold back his tears. Her eyebrows rose in surprise and she patted him awkwardly on the back.
"Feather . . .? What's wrong?"
"Megan, do you promise you'll never forget me?" he pleaded, squeezing her tighter. Megan shifted her head, frowning.
"What do you mean? Why would I - ?"
"Goodbye,"
Kuja planted his lips desperately upon hers. The summoner's eyes widened in surprise, then went dull with pleasure. They parted slightly, though they remained locked in the embrace. Megan curled her fingers in his hair.
"I . . . I've been wanting to do that . . . for years . . ." she mumbled, staring deep into his icy blue eyes. They seemed to dare him further. Kuja smirked.
/I accept . . ./
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"You SLEPT WITH HER?!!!" Zidane cried, staring in utter disbelief at his elder brother. Kuja smiled wryly.
"Yeah . . . Kinda cool, don't you think?"
"IDIOT!" Zidane shouted, pulling on his own locks of golden hair. "You are the most unbelievable . . ."
"I'm still going to tell her!" Kuja defended, growling. "To be honest, I don't even know how it happened!"
Zidane stormed off, not even in the mood to yell at his brother anymore. Kuja rolled his eyes and went trudging back towards Megan's room. Last he'd checked, she wasn't awake yet.
Indeed, when he opened the door he saw the young girl lying snuggled in the covers. She looked . . . very happy. Megan opened her eyes when she heard the sorcerer entering.
"Hey, Feather," she said sleepily, rubbing her eyes and rolling onto her back. "What're you doing?"
Kuja reached into the closet and pulled out the first thing he found - a powder blue dress with a white sash - before tossing it to Megan. She caught it and smiled. Kuja turned away as she began to get dressed.
"Hey, Feather," Megan began, pulling the dress down over her head. "You wouldn't mind if I went out into the city, would you? I mean, it really is dull in this castle,"
Kuja hesitated, glancing over his shoulder. She was dressed, thank god. Now was his chance . . .
"Megan, before you do anything . . . There's something I have to tell you . . ."
"You're gay, aren't you?"
"Wh-WHAT?!"
Megan laughed, sitting down on the bed. "Gotcha!"
Kuja breathed a quick sigh of relief. /Phew . . ./ "Um, no. That's NOT what I meant . . ."
Megan kicked her legs expectantly, waiting. Kuja sighed.
"I think it's time I told you . . . who I am . . ."
Her eyes flickered. "Oh my god . . ." she whispered, leaning forward. "Are you serious?"
"Dead serious," /Unfortunately . . ./ "Now, Megan. Don't say anything until I'm finished. Can you do that?"
"Yes - I mean - " she nodded, blushing. Kuja ran his fingers through his hair nervously before speaking.
"As you know," he began. "Zidane is my brother. Zidane is a genome. And so am I," Megan opened her mouth to speak but Kuja held up a hand. "You may have even guessed that, considering the tail. Anyhow . . ." Kuja swallowed painfully. "My name is Kuja. I'm the first angel of death born from Terra and the Shishon of Saishoja. My creator's name is Garland and I was constructed for the sole purpose of bringing chaos and havoc upon Gaia. Have you heard of me?"
Megan nodded numbly, eyes wide. After all, what Gaian HADN'T heard of The Great Kuja? The sorcerer continued, the pain in his chest growing ever stronger as he spoke.
"In my history I've destroyed an entire planet and almost half a dozen cities. But you probably already know that . . . Some call me the Dark Messenger. And . . ." a tear rolled down his cheek. "I am the one that killed your father . . ."
There was a ringing silence. Megan didn't say anything. Her eyes were shiny as she watched her friend. Kuja slumped down into a chair, shaking slightly. "You may speak . . ." he whispered. Megan didn't. She just continued to watch him. Kuja sighed.
"Megan . . . I would understand if you never spoke to me again . . ."
The summoner licked her lips, looking thoughtful. Finally, she spoke. "Are you sure . . .?"
"Yes . . ."
"Oh. Well, good,"
She stood up with as much grace as a fairy and walked quietly out of the room. Kuja watched her go before sighing and turning back to the window . . .
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: *SCREAMS* HE TOLD HER, HE TOLD HER, HE TOLD HER!!! AND BMD STOPPED PROCRASTINATING! *Gets stoned to death.* Anyways (I hate that word), now what, ne? She sounds pissed but . . . they slept together, so . . . See, I had a reason for that *cough* randomness . . . It'll come into play later. And I almost killed Mikoto, gasp! Well, not really. She couldn't have actually DIED. But . . . Well, wait and find out what happened ^_^ Read and review! The numbers have been poor (I blame it on school, bleargh . . .) So keep my motivation up!