A/N: Okay, this chapter should introduce the last main character and get
everything started. Unless I get any more ideas along the way... anyway,
after this we should get movin' people! Oh and thanks v. much to
Prexistence! My first ever comment on this story! I swear as soon as I get
the time I will check out your work. Spread the word...
***
Phiran was a tall young man, but different from most in many ways. The most obvious were the mottled green scales, almost like dragon skin, covering half of his face, and the huge black claws which had replaced his right hand. Apart from that, however, he had brown hair which got in his eyes and a leather coat that used to belong to an old friend of his. His dark clothes made a startling contrast to the silver and red of the ship's interior. He cast a long shadow over the wall behind him.
Phiran stood at the bridge of his ship, the Redwing. In front of him he saw the mountain ranges of the Mist Continent. Of course, there was no longer any mist. Not since the Iifa Tree was destroyed...
He was near now. Phiran was sure of it. After so long... so much fruitless searching... he was finally close. He couldn't be travelling fast. The Redwing would soon catch up with him. And then... he would have his revenge.
Phiran drew his weapon, what appeared to be an ordinary hardwood staff. The words Swift Inferno were carved into the side, in red lettering. He set it down on the desk in front of him, along with the back- strap that kept in place. "You have served me well, friend." he said, "but it is time to return to where you belong." He turned to a guard at the door behind him. "Take these... and burn them."
"Burn them, sir?" the young soldier asked, surprised.
"Yes, you fool!" Phiran threw the objects at him, catching the man on the head. "Take them out of my sight- and bring in Kerne."
The man picked up the stave and belt and hastily left the room. A young woman entered, dressed in a low- cut strapless top that showed her midriff, and a very short skirt. Her blonde hair cascaded down her back, and her blue eyes sported eyelashes the size of her little finger. Phiran sighed. "Kerne, do you have the item we discussed?"
Kerne giggled. "You don't beat about the bush, do ya? Maybe you should relax a bit." she said, coming close. "Maybe," she whispered, "you need-"
"Kerne!" Phiran said sharply, withdrawing up to the desk. "I have no interest in whatever perverted acts you wish to sell. Just hand over the weapon!"
Kerne giggled again. "If that's what you want..." She reached down into her top and pulled out a small black box. She tossed it to Phiran, who caught it, trying not to wince at the thought of where it had been.
Phiran gazed at the black box, turning it in his hands. A small red light winked at him rapidly. There were several buttons, but it all looked so simple. Its appearance could never betray the true horror locked inside. Phian was so absorbed in the box that when he looked up, he was shocked to find that Kerne had crept up on him and was now pressing herself against him.
"Now, are you sure there's nothing else you want?" she said huskily, fluttering her long eyelashes.
"No, thank you." Phian said, trying to squirm out from under her.
More vacuous titters from Kerne. "You know you can't resist me..." she breathed. "I'm all you want..."
"Really, that's enough!" Phiran blasted her against the wall with a Firaga. "I don't like to attack a woman, especially an ally, but you leave me no choice."
Kerne picked herself up and flounced out of the room with as much dignity as she could manage. Phiran shook his head. She'd sulk for days now. He directed his attention back towards the black box. Here, in this simple box, was the power he needed to exact his revenge...
***
Kuja gazed at Zidane with huge eyes. "What do... the people of Gaia... what did you tell them...?"
Suddenly Zidane understood. "Kuja... what could we do? We had to explain our disappearance and the portal over the Iifa Tree somehow...We told them about Terra, not everything, but that it had been destroyed. What- what happened?"
"The woman... Demeyra... she was researching... she knew everything... the Genomes, the infusion process..."
"What woman?" Zidane turned his head. Outside, Beatrix was sat at a table with a young woman, probably about twenty- one. "Kuja... she probably won't want to see you and all..."
"Kuja put a hand to his head. "I'll stay here."
Satisfied, Zidane left the cell door unlocked and went to sit with the woman. "What happened?"
"That's what I've been asking." Beatrix said. "Apparently, they met in the library. When Demeyra mentioned Terra apparently he went berserk and threw her into a wall. She's not too bad, could have been much worse. Just a few cuts and bruises."
Zidane nodded. "Yeah, but we should probably take her up to-"
"He knows something, doesn't he?"
Zidane turned to see Demeyra speaking. "You all do. You know about Terra."
"Miss- er..."
"Robren."
"Miss Robren. Do you want to go up to the hospital? You might have internal bleeding or something."
"I'm fine. I want to talk to Malach."
"Malach?"
"Malach. You know, the guy with the feathers? Noticed you forgot to lock him up. He's not safe, you know. But he might just have some information about Terra."
Beatrix, experienced in these matters, realised what must have happened. "Kuja used a false name."
Zidane shrugged. "Makes sense, I guess. Not likely, but if someone recognised the name..."
"Kuja?" Demeyra looked between them, puzzled. "Who's Kuja?"
"Kuja is Malach." Zidane explained. "He used an alias- well, he has his reasons..."
"He said he was a friend of yours. Is he?"
"Kuja?"
"Yes."
Zidane shifted uncomfortably in his seat and took a deep breath. "Kuja is my brother."
***
A/N: Wow, Kerne is an absolute slut, much worse than I'd planned. Ah well, anything for a bit of drama, I guess. As every character in this fic, Phiran and Kerne have those names for a reason! Oh, and did you notice the subtle connection I made with Phiran and someone else? It shall all become clear... later...
Don't you hate it when you spend ages thinking of something, developing a character or a plot, then you realise it is almost exactly the same as something else? That has happened to me a million times whilst I was creating Phiran. When I drew him, he kept looking like Irvine from FFVIII, and Kai from Corbenic. But I finally put some originality into him and he just took on a life of his own. Took some bloody time, though... oh, and the differences in his appearance will become VERY IMPORTANT later, provided my characters don't suddenly take on a life of their own and tell me to do something other than what I've planned.
***
Phiran was a tall young man, but different from most in many ways. The most obvious were the mottled green scales, almost like dragon skin, covering half of his face, and the huge black claws which had replaced his right hand. Apart from that, however, he had brown hair which got in his eyes and a leather coat that used to belong to an old friend of his. His dark clothes made a startling contrast to the silver and red of the ship's interior. He cast a long shadow over the wall behind him.
Phiran stood at the bridge of his ship, the Redwing. In front of him he saw the mountain ranges of the Mist Continent. Of course, there was no longer any mist. Not since the Iifa Tree was destroyed...
He was near now. Phiran was sure of it. After so long... so much fruitless searching... he was finally close. He couldn't be travelling fast. The Redwing would soon catch up with him. And then... he would have his revenge.
Phiran drew his weapon, what appeared to be an ordinary hardwood staff. The words Swift Inferno were carved into the side, in red lettering. He set it down on the desk in front of him, along with the back- strap that kept in place. "You have served me well, friend." he said, "but it is time to return to where you belong." He turned to a guard at the door behind him. "Take these... and burn them."
"Burn them, sir?" the young soldier asked, surprised.
"Yes, you fool!" Phiran threw the objects at him, catching the man on the head. "Take them out of my sight- and bring in Kerne."
The man picked up the stave and belt and hastily left the room. A young woman entered, dressed in a low- cut strapless top that showed her midriff, and a very short skirt. Her blonde hair cascaded down her back, and her blue eyes sported eyelashes the size of her little finger. Phiran sighed. "Kerne, do you have the item we discussed?"
Kerne giggled. "You don't beat about the bush, do ya? Maybe you should relax a bit." she said, coming close. "Maybe," she whispered, "you need-"
"Kerne!" Phiran said sharply, withdrawing up to the desk. "I have no interest in whatever perverted acts you wish to sell. Just hand over the weapon!"
Kerne giggled again. "If that's what you want..." She reached down into her top and pulled out a small black box. She tossed it to Phiran, who caught it, trying not to wince at the thought of where it had been.
Phiran gazed at the black box, turning it in his hands. A small red light winked at him rapidly. There were several buttons, but it all looked so simple. Its appearance could never betray the true horror locked inside. Phian was so absorbed in the box that when he looked up, he was shocked to find that Kerne had crept up on him and was now pressing herself against him.
"Now, are you sure there's nothing else you want?" she said huskily, fluttering her long eyelashes.
"No, thank you." Phian said, trying to squirm out from under her.
More vacuous titters from Kerne. "You know you can't resist me..." she breathed. "I'm all you want..."
"Really, that's enough!" Phiran blasted her against the wall with a Firaga. "I don't like to attack a woman, especially an ally, but you leave me no choice."
Kerne picked herself up and flounced out of the room with as much dignity as she could manage. Phiran shook his head. She'd sulk for days now. He directed his attention back towards the black box. Here, in this simple box, was the power he needed to exact his revenge...
***
Kuja gazed at Zidane with huge eyes. "What do... the people of Gaia... what did you tell them...?"
Suddenly Zidane understood. "Kuja... what could we do? We had to explain our disappearance and the portal over the Iifa Tree somehow...We told them about Terra, not everything, but that it had been destroyed. What- what happened?"
"The woman... Demeyra... she was researching... she knew everything... the Genomes, the infusion process..."
"What woman?" Zidane turned his head. Outside, Beatrix was sat at a table with a young woman, probably about twenty- one. "Kuja... she probably won't want to see you and all..."
"Kuja put a hand to his head. "I'll stay here."
Satisfied, Zidane left the cell door unlocked and went to sit with the woman. "What happened?"
"That's what I've been asking." Beatrix said. "Apparently, they met in the library. When Demeyra mentioned Terra apparently he went berserk and threw her into a wall. She's not too bad, could have been much worse. Just a few cuts and bruises."
Zidane nodded. "Yeah, but we should probably take her up to-"
"He knows something, doesn't he?"
Zidane turned to see Demeyra speaking. "You all do. You know about Terra."
"Miss- er..."
"Robren."
"Miss Robren. Do you want to go up to the hospital? You might have internal bleeding or something."
"I'm fine. I want to talk to Malach."
"Malach?"
"Malach. You know, the guy with the feathers? Noticed you forgot to lock him up. He's not safe, you know. But he might just have some information about Terra."
Beatrix, experienced in these matters, realised what must have happened. "Kuja used a false name."
Zidane shrugged. "Makes sense, I guess. Not likely, but if someone recognised the name..."
"Kuja?" Demeyra looked between them, puzzled. "Who's Kuja?"
"Kuja is Malach." Zidane explained. "He used an alias- well, he has his reasons..."
"He said he was a friend of yours. Is he?"
"Kuja?"
"Yes."
Zidane shifted uncomfortably in his seat and took a deep breath. "Kuja is my brother."
***
A/N: Wow, Kerne is an absolute slut, much worse than I'd planned. Ah well, anything for a bit of drama, I guess. As every character in this fic, Phiran and Kerne have those names for a reason! Oh, and did you notice the subtle connection I made with Phiran and someone else? It shall all become clear... later...
Don't you hate it when you spend ages thinking of something, developing a character or a plot, then you realise it is almost exactly the same as something else? That has happened to me a million times whilst I was creating Phiran. When I drew him, he kept looking like Irvine from FFVIII, and Kai from Corbenic. But I finally put some originality into him and he just took on a life of his own. Took some bloody time, though... oh, and the differences in his appearance will become VERY IMPORTANT later, provided my characters don't suddenly take on a life of their own and tell me to do something other than what I've planned.