A/N: Yay, this chapter is full of conflict and angst! Whoo hoo! Let's
here it for character torture! *Ahem* Anyways . . . This chapter's kinda
sad. BUT IT'S THE LAST CHAPTER IN ALEXANDRIA!!! *Cheers* Now we get to
go . . . elsewhere. Wanna know where? READ!!!
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy not be my property . . .
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"Yeah, yeah.
Backward words, he got 'em.
Shut up, I'm talking.
This time, you'll listen.
But when I look at you you're forgiven."
"End of, stop sulking.
Get out, you're walkin.'
Too bad, I've spoken.
But when I look at you you're forgiven."
"Your lies, don't want 'em.
Drop dead, not joking.
This thing is broken.
But when I look at you you're forgiven.
You're forgiven."
"I know my ex-boyfriend lies.
Oh, he does it every time.
It's just his permanent disguise.
Yeah, yeah but he's drop dead gorgeous."
"Don't go changing every time.
Not for me to compromise.
You're still a friend of mine.
Yeah, yeah and you're drop dead gorgeous."
- Drop Dead Gorgeous, Republica
His shoulders were slumped in obvious defeat; his harsh, aged features sharp with anger. One hand was clenched in a fist upon the throne; the other was holding open a thick manila folder.
How had it come to this, he wondered. How had it gotten to the point that he could no longer keep his own creation from breaking his master's powers?
Garland shook his head silently in the darkness of the throne-room. There was only one possible answer to this question:
Saishoja.
Saishoja was coming alive in his faulty creation - Kuja. More and more he saw it. Since his return, Garland had blocked Kuja's powers to allow his corrupters to grow stronger. But when Kuja died that morning - which Garland would not deny had happened - he'd returned Kuja's magic and spared his life.
Of course, Garland had intended to block Kuja's magic once more. And he did. And yet something had happened that even the wizened old Terran could not explain:
Kuja had used not only magic, but POWERFUL magic. A Flare Star. Enough to put his alpha-female geonome temporarily out of commission. But how?
That was the question that nagged like a constant itch at the back of Garland's mind. He HAD to know . . . He had to know what instincts of Saishoja drove Kuja on. This instance was obvious - the sight of Lulian had caused Saishoja's hatred for Drakja to be reborn. But other things didn't make sense. Like the pass-code. How did Kuja understand the reciprocal code? Was Saishoja's will really that powerful?
Garland frowned thoughtfully. "I wonder . . ." Gently he allowed the manila folder to flip open upon his lap. The reports from Pre-Terra were faded but still legible to Garland after all the years. Reports on city progress, reports on the war, reports on the Great Terran Warriors . . .
Of course, there it was in large bold letters: Shi specialization . . . bombs. So it was only natural that Saishoja - the general of the Shin army - would understand pass-codes. It seemed Kuja was turning more and more into Saishoja every day . . .
However . . .
Garland's face blanked over in confusion. In the process of replicating the Great Terran Warriors, Garland had made a few minor . . . corrections . . . in the specimens. For example, the original Drakja had had poor hearing. Not hearing impaired, just a little less than Garland's opinion of a good warrior. So in the process of making the new Drakja and the geonomes, he'd given them all spectacular hearing despite the fact that that made them somewhat different from the original.
Well Saishoja had had a MAJOR flaw in his life . . . A terrible curse he was born with . . . A curse that separated him from his family and isolated him as an outcast of society until he moved up the military ranks. Garland had immediately removed that particular flaw from Kuja (and improved it, of course). Now Garland was starting to wonder . . .
What if?
What if it was Saishoja's will that was making those People in Kuja so much stronger? What if Garland . . . "tampered" a little. If he made Them stronger he would be able to keep Kuja at bay until the plan was complete. In affect, Garland could use Kuja's own heritage against him.
It was delectably perfect . . .
Garland grinned, folding the manila folder closed once more.
"Oh, Kuja . . . If you don't hate me now, you're about to . . ."
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Zidane peered curiously around the side of the restaurant, clutching the brick and scanning his eyes across the melting pot of faces.
"Where is that darn woman . . .?" he grumbled, searching for at least the reflection of a pair of glasses. "Kuja, do you see her?"
Zidane moved to the side as his elder brother peeked around the wall. Kuja would recognize Megan from a hundred miles away. His eyesight was spectacular . . . Garnet tapped Zidane on the shoulder.
"Anything?"
Zidane shook his head, golden locks slapping the sides of his face. "We're looking. You and the others should go back. Leave this to us . . ."
Garnet looked ready to protest. Beatrix looked even MORE ready to protest.
"Zidane," the general hissed. "Don't you think you should explain this to her? I mean, she might need to be isolated permanently in the castle until this situation is dealt with . . ."
". . . So . . .?"
Beatrix cleared her throat. "Let me rephrase that. She might need to be isolated permanently in the castle WITH KUJA,"
". . . Oh . . ."
". . . Yeah . . ."
Zidane glanced nervously at his brother. Isolated in the castle with Kuja? Boy did he smell a cat-fight coming on . . .
"Ah! There she is!" Kuja suddenly exclaimed, pointing at a table hidden behind a fat Treno noble. Zidane squinted to see the speck of a girl. Kuja really did have amazing eyesight . . .
"Kuja . . . Don't kill me, but . . ."
"No,"
Zidane glared angrily at his brother. "You don't even know what I was going to say!"
Kuja's tail flicked the ground angrily. "Yes I do! You want ME to talk to her! No,"
". . . Kuja . . .!"
"Quit whining!"
Beatrix smiled meekly. "We'll just be going now . . . After all, you guys can take care of this . . ."
The rest of the crew (minus Amarant, of course) grinned as well. "Of course you can . . ."
Zidane sweatdropped angrily. "Guys!"
"Quit whining!" Kuja repeated. Zidane glared at him. In some ways it was kind of a letdown that Kuja was turning back into his old self . . . Zidane had kind of liked the new, simple, friendly, kind-hearted, thoughtful, quiet, un-argumentative Kuja. The Kuja that was the exact opposite of the brother he'd known . . .
The crew began to go, much to Zidane's dismay. But before they were out of sight, Beatrix shouted over her shoulder:
"And bring Kuja back to the castle when you're done! You know he's not supposed to be outside!"
Zidane blinked, and turned his face curiously to his brother. "Hey, yeah! How'd you wind up out here?"
Kuja shrugged. "What do you care . . .?"
Now the blonde genome was pissed. Sure, he could handle Kuja getting moody and brooding again . . . But he couldn't handle his brother being snappish.
"Maybe /I/ should talk to Megan . . ." Zidane muttered, blue eyes piercing into his elder's. Kuja snorted.
"Feh. I'll go talk to the witch . . . You get out of here!"
Zidane felt the straws piling . . . So let his stupid brother deal with her! Who cared if Kuja got himself slapped?! They'd probably just kill each other anyways!
"Fine then!" Zidane snarled. "Go! Talk to her!"
"I will!"
And with that, Kuja turned on his heel and stormed into the cluster of tables. Zidane feinted back and pretended to leave. But at the last second he whirled around and lodged himself beside the wall. Snappish or not, it was still his brother . . . He'd just referee a little . . . Then he remembered:
"Kuja! Hood!" the blonde hissed, hoping the first Angel of the Death was still within hearing distance. Kuja glared over her shoulder, muttered something obviously rude, and pulled the hood of his cloak up over his lustrous silver hair and allowed the shadows to obscure his face. Relieved, Zidane pulled back to watch.
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Megan sighed softly, cradling a cup of tea within her hands. She knew she should get going . . . But her legs weren't working properly. What was there to go to? She was all alone . . . No one cared. As far as she was concerned, her life was over. Megan chuckled ironically to herself.
"Maybe I can join Amy in the inn business . . . I'm not going back to Katei. There's nothing for me there . . ."
In her misery, the Summoner didn't hear the sound of delicate footsteps beside her. But when she heard the scrape of a chair against pavement she raised her mahogany eyes to see a white-cloaked man pulling up a seat across from her.
"Who - ?"
"Megan, you have to go back to the castle . . ."
Megan blanched, recognizing the smooth, deep voice. ". . . Kuja . . .?" /Holy shit. I almost said 'Feather . . .'/ she realized in horror.
Kuja lifted his chin somewhat to reveal his pale, flawless face beneath the hood. He looked rather bored and annoyed at the same time. Megan had been noticing that lately (as she had been back in Katei). Kuja was growing colder and more like the stereotype he really was.
/How did he fool me for all those years . . .?/ Megan wondered. /Why couldn't I see him for what he really was? A filthy, rotten villain!/ Megan didn't understand that it was her own icy nature that had returned Kuja to his old embittered self.
"Did you hear me?" Kuja snarled. "I said you have to go back to the castle!"
"Don't tell me what to do!" Megan shouted, slamming the cup of tea onto the table with a clink. "Why the hell should I go to the castle?! I'm going HOME!"
"Well too bad!" Kuja growled. "Apparently my master's after you, so you're just going to have to be stuck in the castle with me until this is all over!"
Megan snorted. "Not on your life! Just sitting across from you sends shivers of DISGUST down my spine!"
Kuja's eyes, for the briefest of seconds, flashed red. Megan twitched. Those eyes were scary . . . So much power hidden in such a frail person . . . She knew if she wanted to survive until she could catch an airship out of Alexandria she would have to stay away from him. He WAS a dangerous criminal, after all . . .
"Fine then," Kuja breathed, his voice rising slightly with restrained anger. "I won't force you. But if I don't, one of the others will . . . So you might as well just come now,"
". . . Bite me . . ."
Kuja's eyes flickered once more and he rose from his seat; kicking his cloak off his legs in frustration. "Have it your way, then . . . I'm going back to my isolation . . . Have a nice life,"
Megan watched him go, and for the faintest of seconds felt a twinge of regret. Had he - albeit indirectly - been making a peace-offering?
The expression on Kuja's face as he returned to the side of the wall was one of a bristling lion. When he saw Zidane, his expression grew even harder.
"What are you doing here? I thought I told you to go!"
Zidane frowned. "I wanted to make sure you didn't screw up . . . which you did,"
"She'll come eventually . . ." Kuja grumbled. "She knows she has to,"
Zidane wasn't so sure, but knew for his own sake that he should shut up and let Kuja return to the castle without her. Maybe the silver-haired warlock was right: she'd come eventually . . .
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Megan huffed furiously, brushing the wispy bangs from her eyes. The nerve of that man! How dare he try and force her into the castle! She was leaving, thank you very much. No one could make her do anything . . . especially not HIM!
Megan folded her arms across her chest stubbornly and felt her fingers brush something hard. Glancing down she spotted that old necklace around her neck; the one shaped like a horse rearing up; its mane whipping wildly in a phantom wind. Megan lifted it curiously between her fingers, frowning.
She'd bought it with Kuja's money . . . He'd lent it to her and then told her what good taste she had. And he wouldn't let her pay him back, either. How could he have gone from such a sweetie to such a . . . such an asshole!
/He didn't really . . ./ Megan mused, feeling the inner turmoil raging within her. /Only your perspective of him changed . . ./
"Hmm . . ." Megan held the minute horse up to the light, noticing how its polygonal sides threw small little rainbow patterns upon the table.
"That's a very pretty necklace . . ." a soft voice whispered in her ear. Megan stiffened, insides freezing as if the voice's breath were as cold as ice.
"Wha - ?!"
She was cut off by a hand clamping down over her mouth. Megan let out a muffled shriek and knocked her chair back as she tumbled from her seat. The entire restaurant was on its feet in seconds and Megan could faintly hear someone shouting for the guards.
A fist punched her violently across the face, the other hand still covering her mouth. Megan looked up in horror to see a pair of glowing green eyes . . . But not just any pair of green eyes; they were clearly insane and flashing with never-ending depths of madness.
Drakja . . .
"Well, well . . ." the geonome whispered, pale lips twisting into a grin. "Seems I've caught myself a little Summoner . . . Get up!"
He removed his hand from her mouth and yanked Megan viciously to her feet. She cried out in pain, feeling her arms twisting, and felt him pull her towards him. Guards were surrounding the area, swords ready and preparing magic in their hands. No one moved.
Now it was just her and Drakja . . .
The alpha-male geonome was laughing hysterically, wrapping an arm around Megan's waist. In the other hand he held that mysterious red gun pointed out at the surrounding soldiers. His finger was ready on the trigger, and there was no doubt that he would pull it . . .
"Fools!" Drakja shouted, cackling. "I'd have thought you'd have learned by now! Geonomes can TELEPORT!"
And with that, he and Megan were gone, leaving nothing but the stunned and horrified faces of the onlookers . . .
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"Sir Zidane! Sir Zidane, I bare terrible news!"
The guard collapsed before the confused genome's feet just as he was crossing the threshold into Alexandria Castle. Kuja, beside his brother, immediately stiffened at the urgency in the guard's voice. It was not usual for Beatrix's rigidly trained female soldiers to lose their cool. Whatever had happened was something extremely bad . . .
"What is it?" Zidane queried nervously, staring down at the back of the woman's reflective, polished helmet. She was shivering.
"A geonome appeared in the city's busiest square, sir!" she gasped, blue eyes turning fearfully onto her future king's. Zidane knew immediately from her expression that it was more than that . . . Something much worse than a simple appearance had occurred . . . He opened his mouth to speak when Kuja cut him off, inquiring sharply.
"What did the geonome look like?"
Zidane thought it a strange question - as all the geonomes basically looked the same - but when the guard responded he realized why Kuja had asked it.
"Uh . . . He was really tall - though I guess they all are - and he had very long hair tied back with a leather cord . . . Oh, and there was a badge on his shirt!" the guard exclaimed suddenly. "It looked like an upside-down fork . . ."
Kuja's eyes were shivering fearfully. ". . . Drakja . . . Garland sent his top geonome into the busiest square . . . Zidane, maybe we should - "
"It's too late!" the guard sobbed, tapping the tip of her helmet to the ground once more, pleading for forgiveness. "He captured a young maiden! A pretty child with short brown hair and a pair of glasses . . ."
Zidane and Kuja froze. It felt as if a breath of cold air had passed through the entrance-hall, drenching the walls and windows in glittering icicles. Kuja could scarcely breathe, as his insides were caked with ice. He brought a fist to his chest, clenching it there as if trying to keep himself from throwing a punch at the guard.
/They got her . . . Is it . . . my fault . . .?/
"Oh . . . my . . . god . . ." Zidane whispered, eyes glazed over in disbelief. "No way is this happening . . ." /Garland's . . . winning . . .?!/
The realization of this truth sent the genome reeling. Garland, the most feared and hated man on Gaia (besides Kuja himself, perhaps) not only had the upper-hand, but was clearly beating them . . . Evil was, for once, triumphing over good . . .
How was that possible?
Zidane turned desperately to Kuja as if seeking answers from his elder. But Kuja was gone. He was staring blankly into space, a thousand emotions flickering in those glassy eyes. For the briefest of moments Zidane wondered what Kuja was thinking about. Then the blonde whipped around and - leaving his brother behind - charged as fast as he could from the entrance-hall.
He had to break the news to the others . . .
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"WHAT?!?!?!"
Zidane winced as a flurry of disbelieving stares fell upon him. The rest of the crew was standing in the dining room and, after hearing the news they'd been summoned there to hear, they suddenly exploded in horror.
"Garland's kidnapped MEGAN?!" Lani cried, shaking her axe a little too close to Zidane's neck for his liking. The blonde nodded sadly.
"Half the square saw it . . . He just snuck up on her like that . . ." Zidane snapped his fingers miserably. Beatrix slumped down into one of the chairs, shaking her head as if she thought her ears were deceiving her.
"How can Garland possibly be defeating us . . .?" she queried softly.
"What?" Vivi twitched at the sudden - and terrifying - comment. "H-how is Garland winning . . .?"
Beatrix smiled sadly, fiddling with the strap on her belt. "Because a Summoner was what he wanted . . . And a Summoner was what he got . . ."
"But we don't even know what he wanted her FOR!" Eiko cried shrilly, determined to prove the general wrong. Beatrix shrugged.
"What does it matter? We've proven our weakness . . ." she sighed, her one good eyes glimpsing Kuja for a second. He was standing apart from the group, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. He seemed lost in thought. Beatrix then said the one thing that none of the others had had the heart - or the nerve - to say. Something that had been lingering beneath the surface and haunting their thoughts, though none of the crew would admit it.
"It's not going to be as easy as last time . . ."
An eerie silence descended upon the chamber. It was true. Garland wouldn't simply have a "change of heart" like Kuja or do something stupid like blow himself off a tower. Not only that, but this time Garland was more determined. Whatever his plan was, it was driving him to do terrible, terrible things. Though Mikoto claimed violence had failed Garland in the past, now it was his only chance. A chance he was willing to - and was - taking. No one dared to make eye-contact. Garnet, who had remained relatively silent the entire time, now stole a glance at Kuja as well. What was he thinking about? After all, he hated Megan . . . What was bothering him so much? Garnet mentally snorted. What a jerk . . .
But no one could even begin to fathom what was going through Kuja's mind. He had a terrible secret, one he would take with him to his grave. The night before, he'd had that dream again . . .
/Flash/
The dungeon . . . the Iifa Tree . . . the only escape . . . flames creeping from the entrance to smite the decaying plant . . . A decision he couldn't understand . . . the walls cut open into glittering cages . . . hundreds of flickering genomes . . . a temple . . . a burning in the back of his eyes as everything became uncomprehensible agony . . . Wispy figures pulled back from him as he collapsed beside his unconscious brother, pleading not to let them go . . . And in the background, Megan shaking the bars - blood pouring from her face - as she accuses him of abandonment and her mysterious incapability . . .
The first time Kuja had had that particular dream, the purple-eyed woman had sent it to him. But Garland would have seen to it that she was silenced. Rather, Kuja's own mind had pulled the nightmare to the surface . . . And this time it had been a warning he'd ignored . . .
/It's all my fault . . ./
Beatrix was watching him closely. Maybe she should see if he was okay?
"General Beatrix, Queen Garnet, we have an urgent report!"
Several guards (and a bumbling Pluto Knight) rushed one after the other into the room. Beatrix glanced at them mildly, but Garnet was immediately on her feet.
"What is it?!"
Beatrix nodded to the captain, a stern-looking red-head, to continue. The soldier cleared her throat and pulled out a fairly small scroll, which she then unrolled. She read from it slowly, as if afraid the group wouldn't believe her.
"Several spies have been watching the Invincible counterpart - the Indomitable - on the Outer Continent. For the past several days it remained fairly stationary near Conde Petie. We soon lost sight of it, only to discover it had taken an indirect route to Alexandria. This morning the ship was spotted once more, however, by one of our soldiers working in the reconstruction of Esto Gaza, who then reported to us. The Indomitable was last seen flying past Esto Gaza. It landed somewhere in the tundra, but sight of it has since been lost in the blizzards . . ." She faded out and looked up slowly at the crew. They still seemed to be absorbing this information.
Fratley's eyes were quickly widening beneath the brim of his hat. "Garland's on the Forgotten Continent . . .?"
"That must be where they took Megan!" Zidane gasped, turning to Beatrix. She nodded thoughtfully.
"Perhaps we should . . .?"
She fell silent as the crew glanced nervously at each other. It was so obvious what they had to do. The trick was doing it . . . Beatrix cleared her throat and said as loudly and obnoxiously as she could:
"What do you think, Kuja?!"
The warlock jumped slightly and turned to face the awaiting eyes of his reluctant comrades. Beatrix was waiting patiently. "Well . . .?"
"Uh . . ." Kuja, who was never at a loss for words, was struck dumb. From what little of the conversation he'd heard, it sounded like the group wanted to go to the Forgotten Continent . . . "You mean, travel like you guys did before?" Kuja could vaguely remember how the unstoppable team had journeyed together, traveling the lands, armed and dangerous, to defeat him. But how could they possibly do that again? One of their group was the queen of Alexandria, the other engaged to her. On top of that, Vivi had children to think about, and Eiko was under the watchful eye of her adopted parents. To top it all off, four new people had been added to the team. Four, that is if . . .
"Could I go?"
Even Beatrix had not been expecting that question. She blinked in surprise for a moment, and then her face darkened sympathetically.
"Oh, Kuja . . . You know you can't . . ."
"Why not?"
"B-because you agreed . . . You're not to leave the castle until - "
Zidane stomped his foot on the ground repeatedly to get their attention. When all eyes were on him he spoke. "I'm going to go ask Doctor Tot what he thinks of this whole thing. If anyone will have advice, it's him. I'll be back in twenty minutes. No one move!"
Giving Garnet a quick kiss on the cheek, he left the room with a flick of his golden tail.
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"DOCTOR TO - OT!!!!"
"Eh?" the scholar looked up slowly at the insistent banging upon his door. He recognized the rude, insensitive voice immediately. So Zidane had come at last . . .
Moving slowly - as his old bones were getting brittle - Tot leapt from his desk-chair and went to open the door. It creaked open irritably to reveal a very agitated and rushed looking Zidane. Tot gave him a beaky grin.
"I was wondering when you'd show up . . ."
Zidane scowled impatiently. "Tot, the group and I . . . We're thinking of tailing Garland on the Forgotten Continent and - " " - Kuja wants to go," Tot nodded, signalling for Zidane to come in. "Yes . . . Tricky, isn't it? Kuja feels it's his obligation to rescue Megan, and - "
"Oh . . . You heard about that?" Zidane queried softly. Tot smirked.
"It's all over town . . . Anyways, should you let Kuja go or not? That's what you want to know, isn't it?" Zidane nodded, wondering how the scholar could always read his mind. Tot tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well first I have to ask some questions,"
Zidane folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah? Like what?"
"Well . . . First off, how much like his old self is Kuja?"
Zidane raised his eyes to the ceiling, thinking. Then he sighed. "Too much. He's so rude and brooding now . . . It really sucks . . ."
Tot laughed. "Yes, I heard you and him bickering a few days ago. It sounded like he was going to pull a Thundaga on your head any minute . . . Well I'd say that's enough. I think Kuja is strong enough to hold Them in for now. Besides, with Megan as his motivation I don't see how he could lose . . ."
Zidane snorted derisively. "They hate each other . . ."
Tot's eyes were twinkling bemusedly behind their spectacles. "When will you children learn . . .?"
Zidane did not stay to ponder any longer. The others were waiting for him. He bid Tot a hastened goodbye (which was returned by a cheery "good luck") and ran from the room.
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His comrades were waiting anxiously when he returned.
"Well?"
Zidane smiled. "Kuja can come . . ."
The crew stiffened immediately. How were they going to survive with the most hated man on Gaia? Kuja glanced pointedly at them and then smirked.
/I'm gonna make your lives a living hell . . ./
Vivi shifted his hat nervously. Stuck in the tundra with his creator . . . That was a new one. Beatrix bit her lip.
"Then it is so . . . Garnet, send a message to Regent Cid and Lady Hilda. We're leaving tomorrow . . ."
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Within a few hours, Cid and Hilda were standing at the airship dock, having taken the Hilda Garde 3 as fast as they could to Alexandria. Hilda looked near tears when she saw the crew emerging into the hangars.
"Oh, please don't get yourselves hurt!" she cried as the mismatched group neared. She ran and threw her arms around Eiko. "Don't you dare get into trouble!"
Eiko patted her adopted mother awkwardly on the back. "Uh, Mom . . . Not in front of the others, okay?" Hilda blushed and pulled back apologetically.
Cid smiled (albeit a restrained one) as Garnet hugged him gently around the neck. "You stay safe . . ." he whispered, trying not to tickle her with his moustache. Garnet pulled away, tears in her eyes.
"I promise . . ."
The others waited patiently as Garnet gave her last orders to Cid.
". . . And the soldiers are to be kept on constant alert . . . Is that understood?"
Cid nodded, patting her on the shoulder. "It'll be fine. Hilda and I can watch two cities at once . . ."
Garnet bit her lip. ". . .Okay . . . Then I guess we're off . . ." she signaled for the others to follow and they slowly boarded onto the Hilda Garde 3, which was already loaded with the necessary supplies for the trip - blankets, medicine, weapons, etc. Vivi couldn't stop thinking about his children. Would they be safe?
Hilda sobbed silently as they bid their last farewells. They were so young . . . And this was all so dangerous . . . She hadn't liked it then and she didn't like it now . . .
". . . Good luck . . ."
And as the door closed she spotted a flash of silver hair. Perhaps luck wasn't the only thing they'd need . . .
"And please, god, learn to get along . . ."
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A/N: Phew . . . My longest chapter yet! So, whaddya think? Will the crew get along? *Giggles* I'll never tell . . . Well technically I will. But not now ^_^ Poor Megan . . . They got her *sob* Oh well, that's one less character to deal with, I guess. *Sniffle* But from the next chapter on, every chapter is REALLY good. I've been waiting a long time for the crew to leave Alexandria . . . Now that that day has come . . . I don't know what to say . . . *Bursts into tears*
Read, read, read, and review, review, review!
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy not be my property . . .
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"Yeah, yeah.
Backward words, he got 'em.
Shut up, I'm talking.
This time, you'll listen.
But when I look at you you're forgiven."
"End of, stop sulking.
Get out, you're walkin.'
Too bad, I've spoken.
But when I look at you you're forgiven."
"Your lies, don't want 'em.
Drop dead, not joking.
This thing is broken.
But when I look at you you're forgiven.
You're forgiven."
"I know my ex-boyfriend lies.
Oh, he does it every time.
It's just his permanent disguise.
Yeah, yeah but he's drop dead gorgeous."
"Don't go changing every time.
Not for me to compromise.
You're still a friend of mine.
Yeah, yeah and you're drop dead gorgeous."
- Drop Dead Gorgeous, Republica
His shoulders were slumped in obvious defeat; his harsh, aged features sharp with anger. One hand was clenched in a fist upon the throne; the other was holding open a thick manila folder.
How had it come to this, he wondered. How had it gotten to the point that he could no longer keep his own creation from breaking his master's powers?
Garland shook his head silently in the darkness of the throne-room. There was only one possible answer to this question:
Saishoja.
Saishoja was coming alive in his faulty creation - Kuja. More and more he saw it. Since his return, Garland had blocked Kuja's powers to allow his corrupters to grow stronger. But when Kuja died that morning - which Garland would not deny had happened - he'd returned Kuja's magic and spared his life.
Of course, Garland had intended to block Kuja's magic once more. And he did. And yet something had happened that even the wizened old Terran could not explain:
Kuja had used not only magic, but POWERFUL magic. A Flare Star. Enough to put his alpha-female geonome temporarily out of commission. But how?
That was the question that nagged like a constant itch at the back of Garland's mind. He HAD to know . . . He had to know what instincts of Saishoja drove Kuja on. This instance was obvious - the sight of Lulian had caused Saishoja's hatred for Drakja to be reborn. But other things didn't make sense. Like the pass-code. How did Kuja understand the reciprocal code? Was Saishoja's will really that powerful?
Garland frowned thoughtfully. "I wonder . . ." Gently he allowed the manila folder to flip open upon his lap. The reports from Pre-Terra were faded but still legible to Garland after all the years. Reports on city progress, reports on the war, reports on the Great Terran Warriors . . .
Of course, there it was in large bold letters: Shi specialization . . . bombs. So it was only natural that Saishoja - the general of the Shin army - would understand pass-codes. It seemed Kuja was turning more and more into Saishoja every day . . .
However . . .
Garland's face blanked over in confusion. In the process of replicating the Great Terran Warriors, Garland had made a few minor . . . corrections . . . in the specimens. For example, the original Drakja had had poor hearing. Not hearing impaired, just a little less than Garland's opinion of a good warrior. So in the process of making the new Drakja and the geonomes, he'd given them all spectacular hearing despite the fact that that made them somewhat different from the original.
Well Saishoja had had a MAJOR flaw in his life . . . A terrible curse he was born with . . . A curse that separated him from his family and isolated him as an outcast of society until he moved up the military ranks. Garland had immediately removed that particular flaw from Kuja (and improved it, of course). Now Garland was starting to wonder . . .
What if?
What if it was Saishoja's will that was making those People in Kuja so much stronger? What if Garland . . . "tampered" a little. If he made Them stronger he would be able to keep Kuja at bay until the plan was complete. In affect, Garland could use Kuja's own heritage against him.
It was delectably perfect . . .
Garland grinned, folding the manila folder closed once more.
"Oh, Kuja . . . If you don't hate me now, you're about to . . ."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zidane peered curiously around the side of the restaurant, clutching the brick and scanning his eyes across the melting pot of faces.
"Where is that darn woman . . .?" he grumbled, searching for at least the reflection of a pair of glasses. "Kuja, do you see her?"
Zidane moved to the side as his elder brother peeked around the wall. Kuja would recognize Megan from a hundred miles away. His eyesight was spectacular . . . Garnet tapped Zidane on the shoulder.
"Anything?"
Zidane shook his head, golden locks slapping the sides of his face. "We're looking. You and the others should go back. Leave this to us . . ."
Garnet looked ready to protest. Beatrix looked even MORE ready to protest.
"Zidane," the general hissed. "Don't you think you should explain this to her? I mean, she might need to be isolated permanently in the castle until this situation is dealt with . . ."
". . . So . . .?"
Beatrix cleared her throat. "Let me rephrase that. She might need to be isolated permanently in the castle WITH KUJA,"
". . . Oh . . ."
". . . Yeah . . ."
Zidane glanced nervously at his brother. Isolated in the castle with Kuja? Boy did he smell a cat-fight coming on . . .
"Ah! There she is!" Kuja suddenly exclaimed, pointing at a table hidden behind a fat Treno noble. Zidane squinted to see the speck of a girl. Kuja really did have amazing eyesight . . .
"Kuja . . . Don't kill me, but . . ."
"No,"
Zidane glared angrily at his brother. "You don't even know what I was going to say!"
Kuja's tail flicked the ground angrily. "Yes I do! You want ME to talk to her! No,"
". . . Kuja . . .!"
"Quit whining!"
Beatrix smiled meekly. "We'll just be going now . . . After all, you guys can take care of this . . ."
The rest of the crew (minus Amarant, of course) grinned as well. "Of course you can . . ."
Zidane sweatdropped angrily. "Guys!"
"Quit whining!" Kuja repeated. Zidane glared at him. In some ways it was kind of a letdown that Kuja was turning back into his old self . . . Zidane had kind of liked the new, simple, friendly, kind-hearted, thoughtful, quiet, un-argumentative Kuja. The Kuja that was the exact opposite of the brother he'd known . . .
The crew began to go, much to Zidane's dismay. But before they were out of sight, Beatrix shouted over her shoulder:
"And bring Kuja back to the castle when you're done! You know he's not supposed to be outside!"
Zidane blinked, and turned his face curiously to his brother. "Hey, yeah! How'd you wind up out here?"
Kuja shrugged. "What do you care . . .?"
Now the blonde genome was pissed. Sure, he could handle Kuja getting moody and brooding again . . . But he couldn't handle his brother being snappish.
"Maybe /I/ should talk to Megan . . ." Zidane muttered, blue eyes piercing into his elder's. Kuja snorted.
"Feh. I'll go talk to the witch . . . You get out of here!"
Zidane felt the straws piling . . . So let his stupid brother deal with her! Who cared if Kuja got himself slapped?! They'd probably just kill each other anyways!
"Fine then!" Zidane snarled. "Go! Talk to her!"
"I will!"
And with that, Kuja turned on his heel and stormed into the cluster of tables. Zidane feinted back and pretended to leave. But at the last second he whirled around and lodged himself beside the wall. Snappish or not, it was still his brother . . . He'd just referee a little . . . Then he remembered:
"Kuja! Hood!" the blonde hissed, hoping the first Angel of the Death was still within hearing distance. Kuja glared over her shoulder, muttered something obviously rude, and pulled the hood of his cloak up over his lustrous silver hair and allowed the shadows to obscure his face. Relieved, Zidane pulled back to watch.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Megan sighed softly, cradling a cup of tea within her hands. She knew she should get going . . . But her legs weren't working properly. What was there to go to? She was all alone . . . No one cared. As far as she was concerned, her life was over. Megan chuckled ironically to herself.
"Maybe I can join Amy in the inn business . . . I'm not going back to Katei. There's nothing for me there . . ."
In her misery, the Summoner didn't hear the sound of delicate footsteps beside her. But when she heard the scrape of a chair against pavement she raised her mahogany eyes to see a white-cloaked man pulling up a seat across from her.
"Who - ?"
"Megan, you have to go back to the castle . . ."
Megan blanched, recognizing the smooth, deep voice. ". . . Kuja . . .?" /Holy shit. I almost said 'Feather . . .'/ she realized in horror.
Kuja lifted his chin somewhat to reveal his pale, flawless face beneath the hood. He looked rather bored and annoyed at the same time. Megan had been noticing that lately (as she had been back in Katei). Kuja was growing colder and more like the stereotype he really was.
/How did he fool me for all those years . . .?/ Megan wondered. /Why couldn't I see him for what he really was? A filthy, rotten villain!/ Megan didn't understand that it was her own icy nature that had returned Kuja to his old embittered self.
"Did you hear me?" Kuja snarled. "I said you have to go back to the castle!"
"Don't tell me what to do!" Megan shouted, slamming the cup of tea onto the table with a clink. "Why the hell should I go to the castle?! I'm going HOME!"
"Well too bad!" Kuja growled. "Apparently my master's after you, so you're just going to have to be stuck in the castle with me until this is all over!"
Megan snorted. "Not on your life! Just sitting across from you sends shivers of DISGUST down my spine!"
Kuja's eyes, for the briefest of seconds, flashed red. Megan twitched. Those eyes were scary . . . So much power hidden in such a frail person . . . She knew if she wanted to survive until she could catch an airship out of Alexandria she would have to stay away from him. He WAS a dangerous criminal, after all . . .
"Fine then," Kuja breathed, his voice rising slightly with restrained anger. "I won't force you. But if I don't, one of the others will . . . So you might as well just come now,"
". . . Bite me . . ."
Kuja's eyes flickered once more and he rose from his seat; kicking his cloak off his legs in frustration. "Have it your way, then . . . I'm going back to my isolation . . . Have a nice life,"
Megan watched him go, and for the faintest of seconds felt a twinge of regret. Had he - albeit indirectly - been making a peace-offering?
The expression on Kuja's face as he returned to the side of the wall was one of a bristling lion. When he saw Zidane, his expression grew even harder.
"What are you doing here? I thought I told you to go!"
Zidane frowned. "I wanted to make sure you didn't screw up . . . which you did,"
"She'll come eventually . . ." Kuja grumbled. "She knows she has to,"
Zidane wasn't so sure, but knew for his own sake that he should shut up and let Kuja return to the castle without her. Maybe the silver-haired warlock was right: she'd come eventually . . .
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Megan huffed furiously, brushing the wispy bangs from her eyes. The nerve of that man! How dare he try and force her into the castle! She was leaving, thank you very much. No one could make her do anything . . . especially not HIM!
Megan folded her arms across her chest stubbornly and felt her fingers brush something hard. Glancing down she spotted that old necklace around her neck; the one shaped like a horse rearing up; its mane whipping wildly in a phantom wind. Megan lifted it curiously between her fingers, frowning.
She'd bought it with Kuja's money . . . He'd lent it to her and then told her what good taste she had. And he wouldn't let her pay him back, either. How could he have gone from such a sweetie to such a . . . such an asshole!
/He didn't really . . ./ Megan mused, feeling the inner turmoil raging within her. /Only your perspective of him changed . . ./
"Hmm . . ." Megan held the minute horse up to the light, noticing how its polygonal sides threw small little rainbow patterns upon the table.
"That's a very pretty necklace . . ." a soft voice whispered in her ear. Megan stiffened, insides freezing as if the voice's breath were as cold as ice.
"Wha - ?!"
She was cut off by a hand clamping down over her mouth. Megan let out a muffled shriek and knocked her chair back as she tumbled from her seat. The entire restaurant was on its feet in seconds and Megan could faintly hear someone shouting for the guards.
A fist punched her violently across the face, the other hand still covering her mouth. Megan looked up in horror to see a pair of glowing green eyes . . . But not just any pair of green eyes; they were clearly insane and flashing with never-ending depths of madness.
Drakja . . .
"Well, well . . ." the geonome whispered, pale lips twisting into a grin. "Seems I've caught myself a little Summoner . . . Get up!"
He removed his hand from her mouth and yanked Megan viciously to her feet. She cried out in pain, feeling her arms twisting, and felt him pull her towards him. Guards were surrounding the area, swords ready and preparing magic in their hands. No one moved.
Now it was just her and Drakja . . .
The alpha-male geonome was laughing hysterically, wrapping an arm around Megan's waist. In the other hand he held that mysterious red gun pointed out at the surrounding soldiers. His finger was ready on the trigger, and there was no doubt that he would pull it . . .
"Fools!" Drakja shouted, cackling. "I'd have thought you'd have learned by now! Geonomes can TELEPORT!"
And with that, he and Megan were gone, leaving nothing but the stunned and horrified faces of the onlookers . . .
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Sir Zidane! Sir Zidane, I bare terrible news!"
The guard collapsed before the confused genome's feet just as he was crossing the threshold into Alexandria Castle. Kuja, beside his brother, immediately stiffened at the urgency in the guard's voice. It was not usual for Beatrix's rigidly trained female soldiers to lose their cool. Whatever had happened was something extremely bad . . .
"What is it?" Zidane queried nervously, staring down at the back of the woman's reflective, polished helmet. She was shivering.
"A geonome appeared in the city's busiest square, sir!" she gasped, blue eyes turning fearfully onto her future king's. Zidane knew immediately from her expression that it was more than that . . . Something much worse than a simple appearance had occurred . . . He opened his mouth to speak when Kuja cut him off, inquiring sharply.
"What did the geonome look like?"
Zidane thought it a strange question - as all the geonomes basically looked the same - but when the guard responded he realized why Kuja had asked it.
"Uh . . . He was really tall - though I guess they all are - and he had very long hair tied back with a leather cord . . . Oh, and there was a badge on his shirt!" the guard exclaimed suddenly. "It looked like an upside-down fork . . ."
Kuja's eyes were shivering fearfully. ". . . Drakja . . . Garland sent his top geonome into the busiest square . . . Zidane, maybe we should - "
"It's too late!" the guard sobbed, tapping the tip of her helmet to the ground once more, pleading for forgiveness. "He captured a young maiden! A pretty child with short brown hair and a pair of glasses . . ."
Zidane and Kuja froze. It felt as if a breath of cold air had passed through the entrance-hall, drenching the walls and windows in glittering icicles. Kuja could scarcely breathe, as his insides were caked with ice. He brought a fist to his chest, clenching it there as if trying to keep himself from throwing a punch at the guard.
/They got her . . . Is it . . . my fault . . .?/
"Oh . . . my . . . god . . ." Zidane whispered, eyes glazed over in disbelief. "No way is this happening . . ." /Garland's . . . winning . . .?!/
The realization of this truth sent the genome reeling. Garland, the most feared and hated man on Gaia (besides Kuja himself, perhaps) not only had the upper-hand, but was clearly beating them . . . Evil was, for once, triumphing over good . . .
How was that possible?
Zidane turned desperately to Kuja as if seeking answers from his elder. But Kuja was gone. He was staring blankly into space, a thousand emotions flickering in those glassy eyes. For the briefest of moments Zidane wondered what Kuja was thinking about. Then the blonde whipped around and - leaving his brother behind - charged as fast as he could from the entrance-hall.
He had to break the news to the others . . .
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"WHAT?!?!?!"
Zidane winced as a flurry of disbelieving stares fell upon him. The rest of the crew was standing in the dining room and, after hearing the news they'd been summoned there to hear, they suddenly exploded in horror.
"Garland's kidnapped MEGAN?!" Lani cried, shaking her axe a little too close to Zidane's neck for his liking. The blonde nodded sadly.
"Half the square saw it . . . He just snuck up on her like that . . ." Zidane snapped his fingers miserably. Beatrix slumped down into one of the chairs, shaking her head as if she thought her ears were deceiving her.
"How can Garland possibly be defeating us . . .?" she queried softly.
"What?" Vivi twitched at the sudden - and terrifying - comment. "H-how is Garland winning . . .?"
Beatrix smiled sadly, fiddling with the strap on her belt. "Because a Summoner was what he wanted . . . And a Summoner was what he got . . ."
"But we don't even know what he wanted her FOR!" Eiko cried shrilly, determined to prove the general wrong. Beatrix shrugged.
"What does it matter? We've proven our weakness . . ." she sighed, her one good eyes glimpsing Kuja for a second. He was standing apart from the group, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. He seemed lost in thought. Beatrix then said the one thing that none of the others had had the heart - or the nerve - to say. Something that had been lingering beneath the surface and haunting their thoughts, though none of the crew would admit it.
"It's not going to be as easy as last time . . ."
An eerie silence descended upon the chamber. It was true. Garland wouldn't simply have a "change of heart" like Kuja or do something stupid like blow himself off a tower. Not only that, but this time Garland was more determined. Whatever his plan was, it was driving him to do terrible, terrible things. Though Mikoto claimed violence had failed Garland in the past, now it was his only chance. A chance he was willing to - and was - taking. No one dared to make eye-contact. Garnet, who had remained relatively silent the entire time, now stole a glance at Kuja as well. What was he thinking about? After all, he hated Megan . . . What was bothering him so much? Garnet mentally snorted. What a jerk . . .
But no one could even begin to fathom what was going through Kuja's mind. He had a terrible secret, one he would take with him to his grave. The night before, he'd had that dream again . . .
/Flash/
The dungeon . . . the Iifa Tree . . . the only escape . . . flames creeping from the entrance to smite the decaying plant . . . A decision he couldn't understand . . . the walls cut open into glittering cages . . . hundreds of flickering genomes . . . a temple . . . a burning in the back of his eyes as everything became uncomprehensible agony . . . Wispy figures pulled back from him as he collapsed beside his unconscious brother, pleading not to let them go . . . And in the background, Megan shaking the bars - blood pouring from her face - as she accuses him of abandonment and her mysterious incapability . . .
The first time Kuja had had that particular dream, the purple-eyed woman had sent it to him. But Garland would have seen to it that she was silenced. Rather, Kuja's own mind had pulled the nightmare to the surface . . . And this time it had been a warning he'd ignored . . .
/It's all my fault . . ./
Beatrix was watching him closely. Maybe she should see if he was okay?
"General Beatrix, Queen Garnet, we have an urgent report!"
Several guards (and a bumbling Pluto Knight) rushed one after the other into the room. Beatrix glanced at them mildly, but Garnet was immediately on her feet.
"What is it?!"
Beatrix nodded to the captain, a stern-looking red-head, to continue. The soldier cleared her throat and pulled out a fairly small scroll, which she then unrolled. She read from it slowly, as if afraid the group wouldn't believe her.
"Several spies have been watching the Invincible counterpart - the Indomitable - on the Outer Continent. For the past several days it remained fairly stationary near Conde Petie. We soon lost sight of it, only to discover it had taken an indirect route to Alexandria. This morning the ship was spotted once more, however, by one of our soldiers working in the reconstruction of Esto Gaza, who then reported to us. The Indomitable was last seen flying past Esto Gaza. It landed somewhere in the tundra, but sight of it has since been lost in the blizzards . . ." She faded out and looked up slowly at the crew. They still seemed to be absorbing this information.
Fratley's eyes were quickly widening beneath the brim of his hat. "Garland's on the Forgotten Continent . . .?"
"That must be where they took Megan!" Zidane gasped, turning to Beatrix. She nodded thoughtfully.
"Perhaps we should . . .?"
She fell silent as the crew glanced nervously at each other. It was so obvious what they had to do. The trick was doing it . . . Beatrix cleared her throat and said as loudly and obnoxiously as she could:
"What do you think, Kuja?!"
The warlock jumped slightly and turned to face the awaiting eyes of his reluctant comrades. Beatrix was waiting patiently. "Well . . .?"
"Uh . . ." Kuja, who was never at a loss for words, was struck dumb. From what little of the conversation he'd heard, it sounded like the group wanted to go to the Forgotten Continent . . . "You mean, travel like you guys did before?" Kuja could vaguely remember how the unstoppable team had journeyed together, traveling the lands, armed and dangerous, to defeat him. But how could they possibly do that again? One of their group was the queen of Alexandria, the other engaged to her. On top of that, Vivi had children to think about, and Eiko was under the watchful eye of her adopted parents. To top it all off, four new people had been added to the team. Four, that is if . . .
"Could I go?"
Even Beatrix had not been expecting that question. She blinked in surprise for a moment, and then her face darkened sympathetically.
"Oh, Kuja . . . You know you can't . . ."
"Why not?"
"B-because you agreed . . . You're not to leave the castle until - "
Zidane stomped his foot on the ground repeatedly to get their attention. When all eyes were on him he spoke. "I'm going to go ask Doctor Tot what he thinks of this whole thing. If anyone will have advice, it's him. I'll be back in twenty minutes. No one move!"
Giving Garnet a quick kiss on the cheek, he left the room with a flick of his golden tail.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"DOCTOR TO - OT!!!!"
"Eh?" the scholar looked up slowly at the insistent banging upon his door. He recognized the rude, insensitive voice immediately. So Zidane had come at last . . .
Moving slowly - as his old bones were getting brittle - Tot leapt from his desk-chair and went to open the door. It creaked open irritably to reveal a very agitated and rushed looking Zidane. Tot gave him a beaky grin.
"I was wondering when you'd show up . . ."
Zidane scowled impatiently. "Tot, the group and I . . . We're thinking of tailing Garland on the Forgotten Continent and - " " - Kuja wants to go," Tot nodded, signalling for Zidane to come in. "Yes . . . Tricky, isn't it? Kuja feels it's his obligation to rescue Megan, and - "
"Oh . . . You heard about that?" Zidane queried softly. Tot smirked.
"It's all over town . . . Anyways, should you let Kuja go or not? That's what you want to know, isn't it?" Zidane nodded, wondering how the scholar could always read his mind. Tot tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well first I have to ask some questions,"
Zidane folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah? Like what?"
"Well . . . First off, how much like his old self is Kuja?"
Zidane raised his eyes to the ceiling, thinking. Then he sighed. "Too much. He's so rude and brooding now . . . It really sucks . . ."
Tot laughed. "Yes, I heard you and him bickering a few days ago. It sounded like he was going to pull a Thundaga on your head any minute . . . Well I'd say that's enough. I think Kuja is strong enough to hold Them in for now. Besides, with Megan as his motivation I don't see how he could lose . . ."
Zidane snorted derisively. "They hate each other . . ."
Tot's eyes were twinkling bemusedly behind their spectacles. "When will you children learn . . .?"
Zidane did not stay to ponder any longer. The others were waiting for him. He bid Tot a hastened goodbye (which was returned by a cheery "good luck") and ran from the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
His comrades were waiting anxiously when he returned.
"Well?"
Zidane smiled. "Kuja can come . . ."
The crew stiffened immediately. How were they going to survive with the most hated man on Gaia? Kuja glanced pointedly at them and then smirked.
/I'm gonna make your lives a living hell . . ./
Vivi shifted his hat nervously. Stuck in the tundra with his creator . . . That was a new one. Beatrix bit her lip.
"Then it is so . . . Garnet, send a message to Regent Cid and Lady Hilda. We're leaving tomorrow . . ."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Within a few hours, Cid and Hilda were standing at the airship dock, having taken the Hilda Garde 3 as fast as they could to Alexandria. Hilda looked near tears when she saw the crew emerging into the hangars.
"Oh, please don't get yourselves hurt!" she cried as the mismatched group neared. She ran and threw her arms around Eiko. "Don't you dare get into trouble!"
Eiko patted her adopted mother awkwardly on the back. "Uh, Mom . . . Not in front of the others, okay?" Hilda blushed and pulled back apologetically.
Cid smiled (albeit a restrained one) as Garnet hugged him gently around the neck. "You stay safe . . ." he whispered, trying not to tickle her with his moustache. Garnet pulled away, tears in her eyes.
"I promise . . ."
The others waited patiently as Garnet gave her last orders to Cid.
". . . And the soldiers are to be kept on constant alert . . . Is that understood?"
Cid nodded, patting her on the shoulder. "It'll be fine. Hilda and I can watch two cities at once . . ."
Garnet bit her lip. ". . .Okay . . . Then I guess we're off . . ." she signaled for the others to follow and they slowly boarded onto the Hilda Garde 3, which was already loaded with the necessary supplies for the trip - blankets, medicine, weapons, etc. Vivi couldn't stop thinking about his children. Would they be safe?
Hilda sobbed silently as they bid their last farewells. They were so young . . . And this was all so dangerous . . . She hadn't liked it then and she didn't like it now . . .
". . . Good luck . . ."
And as the door closed she spotted a flash of silver hair. Perhaps luck wasn't the only thing they'd need . . .
"And please, god, learn to get along . . ."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Phew . . . My longest chapter yet! So, whaddya think? Will the crew get along? *Giggles* I'll never tell . . . Well technically I will. But not now ^_^ Poor Megan . . . They got her *sob* Oh well, that's one less character to deal with, I guess. *Sniffle* But from the next chapter on, every chapter is REALLY good. I've been waiting a long time for the crew to leave Alexandria . . . Now that that day has come . . . I don't know what to say . . . *Bursts into tears*
Read, read, read, and review, review, review!