Title: Right By Your Side
Chapter 2: Your Fate is Mine
Author: Harper Hisoka
Warning: Shonen ai, I don't own anything related to Final Fantasy.
Series: Final Fantasy IX
Pairing: Zidane x Kuja
Summary: Set about 2 years after the ending. Zidane is now living in Alexandria castle, trying to move on with his life after having to say goodbye to Kuja at the Iifa tree. Lately, though, someone has been calling out to him, someone needing his help. ZidanexKuja
Notes: This story won an award at Sakura Con (I forgot the year... '05 maybe) in the fanfiction contest under the category for Best Action. Go figure, I was aiming for romance. xD
The title of the story is also taken from a Prince of Tennis song, sung by the character Fuji Shusuke: Seiyu, Yuki Kaida (who is the awesome).
Garnet stood up, backing away from the two, smiling.
"So it finally begins."
"And just what is it that is beginning?"
"Whose there?" Frantically Garnet looked around her. The deep, mysterious voice had appeared out of nowhere, and Garnet could have sworn that besides her, Eiko and Zidane, they were the only ones in that section of the castle. "Show yourself. Do not hide from me."
The mysterious voice laughed harshly at Garnet's inquiry. "The Queen dares order me around? How very amusing this all is."
Garnet scowled as the voice continued to laugh. Her anger showed though her words. "I order you to show yourself! As a direct command from your Queen, you must obey me!"
Garnet hated to order people around like that, but sometimes she found herself with no other choice. At least the situation hadn't resorted to violence – yet.
Before Garnet had realized it, a mysterious cloaked figure had appeared before her. It began to speak to her again, but this time its voice didn't echo in the hallways like before. "Do you know how long it's been since I've taken orders from somebody else? OH this is amusing! Say something else!"
Garnet backed away from the mysterious figure as it started to jump up and down excitedly, pleadingly trying to get Garnet to order it around again. The figure had only stood at about three or four feet in height, smaller then Garnet, but its strong presence told Garnet not to underestimate whoever it was that was inside the black hooded cloak. Garnet had taken another step back when she realized that the behavior pattern was similar to someone else she had met. Actually, a combination of people…
"Are you Kuja's son?"
The figure stopped its excited ranting and immediately calmed down, similar to how a kid would act if he had been caught in the act of something devious. "So you actually know who I am then. Surprising, but not unexpected from someone like you. So, what, surprised to see me here?"
Garnet glared at the figure, her anger flowing back inside of her. "Why are you here? I thought you had died that day, upon the branches of the Iifa tree. Akio." Garnet spat out the name like it had left a bad taste in her mouth. Although Garnet never angered easily, this mysterious figure had been able to call up Garnets anger almost instantly. The figure, Akio, just laughed.
Akio pulled his hood back, releasing his long, silver hair to tumble down around his face. His hair style was similar to Kuja's layered silver hair, except that Akio had long, layered bangs framing his face. The front half of his hair reached down past his shoulders, but the back was shortly layered, and didn't reach much past his neck. Akio took a deep breath, spinning around in front of one of the many glass-stained, but sunny windows. Before getting dizzy he stopped, facing Garnet. She continued to glare at him.
"He may look innocent," Garnet had thought, "But I cannot underestimate him."
Akio smiled at her. The two seemed to have forgotten that anyone else but them existed. "Do you want me to tell you why I'm here, Garnet?"
Garnet just stared, keeping silent. Akio took that as sign to continue his story. He smiled. "My death at the Iifa tree was overly exaggerated, my Queen. I have to say, my acting skills are top notch when I put my mind to it. Heh, Kuja didn't even know that his own son was still alive after I was done with my performance. Of course, that was part of the plan. Did you know that if Father dies before I do, then I inherent his powers in addition to my own? When Father had found out about that little "detail", can you believe he tried to kill me? Such a mean family I have…"
Garnet scowled. "I was there when we saw you die – I may have been young, but I still remember it. I don't know how many times you tried to kill Kuja before you launched an all-out attack at him. Are you still after his power, now that he's alive again?"
For the first time since Akio had appeared, it seemed as if Garnet had stuck a nerve in him. "I had inherited his powers when he died! I was the most powerful person on this planet! I could control what was left of the silver dragon race, in addition to my own powers, I was unstoppable! I could finish my Father's work, the work that he took so much pride in before he met… his love."
Garnet decided to play on Akio's anger. "But Kuja is alive now, and has been for quite some time, right? In the end, it had been Zidane's and Kuja's unspoken love for each other that managed to bring Kuja to see his terrible past – and want to be redeemed for it. I'm betting that when Kuja came back from the dead, the powers that you had received upon his death went back to their rightful owner. Not only that, but he took some of your powers as well. Am I right?"
Akio's anger clearly showed on his face – the look of hatred he had in his eyes seemed almost unredeemable at first glance. His eyes were cold, almost dead. "I could have ruled the world had it not been for Father and Zidane. I could have destroyed the world at my whim! He deserves to die! They both do. They should suffer a terrible and painful death. Over and over again!"
Akio's maniacal laugh scared Garnet. For some reason, Akio's anger didn't seem to fit his character. For some reason, Akio's more recent behavior began to remind her more and more of her wicked mother, the former Queen of Alexandria – Queen Brahm. "No…" Garnet whispered. "It can't be…"
Suddenly, to Akio's surprise, Garnet started laughing. She smiled and walked over towards Akio. "Why didn't I see this before?"
"What… What are you doing?"
This time, it was Akio's turn to back away. "St.. Stop… halt! I demand you!"
Garnet's hands suddenly lit up, seeming to resonate with the giant crystal she wore around her neck. The white dress swirled about her as the light she created grew stronger.
Akio backed up against the wall, thinking he could try to run, but that wouldn't have served any purpose. Garnet had him trapped. Garnet walked up to him and gently pushed the light into his chest. Akio screamed, falling towards his knees. He grabbed his chest, scratching though the coat the spot where the light went into him. As Akio bent over towards the ground, a green ball of light emerged from his back. As it hovered over Akio, the green light spoke to her. It was the high-pitched voice of Queen Brahm, Garnet's mother.
"You think this is the end of me? My body may have been destroyed, but my spirit is still alive and kicking! To tell you the truth, Akio's body was beginning to annoy me. Akio's spirit is a strong one… but I'll tell you now. I still have full control over General Beatrix's body. This isn't over!"
Suddenly the green ball of light just vanished, leaving a small cloud of smoke behind where it had just been. A sudden bought of coughing from Akio had caught Garnet's attention. The evil that she had sensed from Akio was not longer present. She rushed over to his side, placing her arm around his shoulders, holding him. Amidst Akio's coughing, Garnet knew that he was also crying.
"Garnet, I… I don't know what happened to me, I…" Akio broke off into another fit of coughing.
Garnet just held him, similar to how a mother holds a child. "Don't worry about what you've done, it wasn't your fault. I should have realized sooner that Queen Brahm was involved in all of this. Apparently even after her death, her spirit still lives on."
Garnet gently started to rub Akio's back, until his coughing eventually stopped. Akio gently laughed, out of breath. "I'm sorry about this – Queen Brahm had overworked my body to much. I have a weak heart, but I don't think that she knew that. Oh…" Akio looked at Zidane and Eiko in surprise. "What… what happened to them? Did I do something to them?"
Garnet smiled at Akio. "No, it's not you. At least, not directly. Kuja, your father, has called Zidane to the Mists of Avalon. Akio, I need you to tell me everything that you remember about what Queen Brahm has done with Kuja."
Akio stared at her, caught slightly off guard. "I… I don't remember much, but I will tell you what I can."
Zidane woke up to find himself in a different place entirely. He had expected to find himself lying on the red carpeted floor inside one of the many hallways of Alexandria castle. Maybe even inside his bedroom, but never here.
Zidane sat up to find himself lying upon a misty forest floor. There were no animals, no rocks, nothing but tall, skinny trees surrounded by a heavy, almost misty fog. Looking around, Zidane thought he saw a lake in the distance, and a light… but it had faded from sight before he could focus on it. As far as he could tell, it was nighttime, but it could have been that the trees were blocking out any source of light from above. Everything seemed eerily dark, slightly dank, too.
"Zidane!"
Zidane jumped up as a hand touched his shoulder. He spun around to find himself face to face with Eiko, her floral yellow billowing slightly with the cool wind. "Eiko. Where are we? The last place I remember being is in Alexandria castle."
Eiko grinned. "This place is called the Mists of Avalon. You know those visions you've been having? Well, whoever is sending them to you wanted you to meet them here. I'm not sure why, though. I know that only a select few in this world have the power to get here. Right now, we're here using my powers, but I'm not sure how long I can keep us in this world. Man… whoever called you here must have great powers, considering they've been calling you for a while, now."
Zidane thought about Eiko's words. "The Mists of Avalon, huh? I'm not sure what this place is all about, but I have a feeling that whoever it is that's callings us here probably doesn't have much time. Come on, let's have a look around this place. We're bound to find whoever it is that's looking for us, eventually."
Eiko nodded her head. "Right."
"Ohhh… the nerve of her! Daring to defy me, Queen Brahm! Ohhh…"
Brahm/General Beatrix paced the lower dungeons. Besides the occasional skittering of some mice, the dungeon was usually pretty quite. The kingdom of Alexandria was usually a peaceful one, so the dungeons were never used that often.
"I cannot believe her! Freeing Akio from my control. Well at least she hasn't freed Beatrix yet. This body is still of use to me."
Brahm's wicked laugh echoed throughout the dungeon halls. Brahm/Beatrix smiled as she approached one of the lower cells. "You better enjoy the time spent with Zidane in Avalon, because the next time you see him, it will be your last."
The silver haired person stirred, before lying still upon the floor once again. Queen Brahm's laughter was the only sound that could be heard, echoing off of the stone walls.
"Are we there yet?"
Eiko scowled. "What kind of question is that? You're the one who has business to take care of here, not me."
Zidane laughed. "I'm sorry, Eiko. I couldn't resist. But… how long do you think it's been, anyways? I mean, does time even pass the same as in our world, in Alexandria castle?"
"I think time passes faster here. One hour in Avalon would probably translate to almost five minutes in our time."
"So… how long have we been walking around in this forest?"
Eiko thought about it for a moment before answering. "I'd say… about 20 minutes. Four hours if you want Avalon time."
"Has it really been only twenty minutes?"
Eiko stopped, looking at Zidane. "Didn't I just say that it's been almost four hours Avalon time? Sheesh."
With that, Eiko turned her back to Zidane. Zidane hung his head, and turned around. "Alright, alright already. I get it, I get it. I won't say anything else about the time."
Eiko smiled and turned around. "Better. Now, let's get moving."
Eiko started ahead of Zidane, continued through the mists. Zidane followed her, but muttered under his breath. "Although I would like to know how you knew just exactly how much time had passed…"
Eiko turned around. "What was that?"
Zidane jumped. "Ahhh… nothing, Lady Eiko. I never said a thing."
Eiko studied his face. "All right, but I still think your hiding something."
"Heh, what could I possibly hide from you? Mmm… but, something about this place has been bothering me…"
Eiko just stared at Zidane, slightly taken aback by his query. "Oh yeah? Wel.. Well, what is it? Maybe I can help."
Zidane continued. "Maybe it's just me, but I have the feeling that we're being watched."
Eiko smiled. "Well, the ruler of this world is the Lady of Avalon. She watches over everything that goes on in her land. Maybe that's who you're thinking of."
"No, it's not that. I sort of knew that we were being watched by someone like her. Actually, I sort of expect it. But… someone else is here. Someone familiar…"
"Maybe it's the person we're supposed to meet?"
"Yeah, but how are we supposed to find them? I mean, whoever named this place did a good job at it. "The Mists of Avalon". Hmmm... Aptly named if you ask me."
Eiko laughed at Zidane's joke. "Mmm…"
Eiko looked around, as if searching the mists would give her an answer. "Oh! I think I do know of a way to find who you're looking for easier!"
"How?"
"Umm…" Eiko motioned behind Zidane.
Zidane just looked at Eiko. "…? What is it?"
Eiko hesitated before answering. "Umm…. Behind you."
"Can it really be you, Zidane?"
Zidane turned around. "That voice… It can't be… Kuja."
Kuja smiled. "You came. I never thought you would have come for me, Zidane."
Eiko backed up, moving away from them. "Umm… I'll be over here if you need me, 'kay? Just holler and I'll come right back. But don't take to long, because my powers are limited here."
The two watched as Eiko disappeared amidst the fog. Zidane turned back to Kuja. "I… thought you were… you're supposed to be dead, Kuja."
Kuja looked away from Zidane, a distressed look upon his face. "I did die. The last thing I remembered seeing was your face, you were… crying… and then, the light. Our distant cousins came to me. They told me that because I was finally able to admit my mistakes of the past, and because I was able to love someone, to love them with my heart, that I would get another chance. The truth is, I would have been given another chance even if I hadn't died that day, but…"
"Kuja. What happened to you after you came back?"
Kuja started to pace as he talked. "I woke up in the place I had died, inside the Iifa tree. The first thing I thought of was finding you. I had to see you again. I wasn't sure where to look first, but I figured that the best place to start would be Alexandria castle. If it came down to it, I could always ask Garnet where you were, but… it never came to that. I knew I wouldn't have the warmest of greetings if I went dressed as myself, so I borrowed an old farmer's cloak I found lying around and entered the city. I knew people would try to hurt me if they found out who I was, but…"
Zidane stepped closer towards Kuja, worried about him. "But… what? What happened to you, Kuja?"
Kuja smiled again, but this time it was a sorrowful one. "I was just passing though the city center when someone had pointed out who I was. I was so startled that my hood fell down. I looked around to see who it was, when… No. He's dead now. I… I can't remember exactly what happened after that, but the next thing that I remember is being thrown in a cell in one of the lower dungeons inside Alexandria castle."
Kuja ran up to Zidane, lightly touching his shoulders. "Please, you have to hurry and find me, I… I don't know how much time I have left. Beatrix has been taken over by Queen Brahm's ghost, or spirit, her will is no longer her own. The things she did… You have to hurry, Zidane! You have to go back to our world and bring me back from Avalon."
Zidane stepped back from Kuja, slightly frantic. "What… what are you talking about? Just come back with me and Eiko! Everything will be fine then, you'll see! Come on!"
Zidane reached for Kuja's arm, but his hand had passed right though.
Kuja looked at Zidane sadly. "Zidane, the only reason I came to Avalon was to prolong my life so that… maybe, even if just by chance, I might be able to see you again. Coming to the Mists of Avalon took most of my power, but it was the only way I could think of to stay alive without any medical support. Zidane, if I stay here any longer, I won't be able to go back."
Zidane looked at Kuja. Kuja was asking for his help, and Zidane knew that he would never be able to deny him that. "If I saved you once, then I can do it again. Kuja, I will do anything under my power to help you! I love you, Kuja, I'll always love you. Just tell me what I have to do."
"Well, if you bring me a doctor, lots of food, maybe a better place to stay… Ah, okay, okay. All I really need is to see you again, Zidane. You, and a doctor."
Zidane laughed. "Okay, I get your point. Just tell me how I can find you, and we'll be together forever after that."
"Easy." Kuja let out a whistle, and a small yellow canary flew swooped into view. Zidane watched as it flew around them. He reached out his hand as a perch for the bird, but the small canary just flew right though his hand. The little bird circled around them before coming to a rest upon Kuja's hand. "His name is Jojo. When you get back, just call his name, and he'll come to you. When you're ready, just say "ikuzo" and little Jojo here will lead you to me. But be careful," Kuja smiled. "He flies fast."
With a couple happy chirps, Jojo took off into the air, circling the area a couple more times before flying off into the forest. Zidane turned back to Kuja. "I don't think we have much time left. I have to go back to our world soon, I can feel it. Eiko's power is…"
"Then go, Zidane. I'll still be waiting for you when you get back." Kuja smiled. "I promise."
"Kuja, kiss me."
Kuja stared at Zidane. "Zidane, I'm not really here. You won't be able to –"
"I'm not leaving until you kiss me."
Kuja gazed into bright sapphire-blue eyes. "Zidane, if I promise to let you pay me back double when we meet again, will you leave this place with Eiko?"
Zidane grinned at Kuja, resting his hands on his hips like he had just won in an argument. "Heh, you're going to regret saying that, you know. But it's going to take a while to pay you back, so you can't die on me anytime soon, 'kay?"
Kuja spoke softly to Zidane, "I'll be waiting… for you… so don't be long."
Gradually Kuja began to fade, his body seeming to flicker in and out of sight like an old movie. "Hurry, Zidane."
Zidane started to panic, "Wait! Kuja, no, not yet! Don't leave me yet!"
Kuja smiled. "Hurry."
"Kuja…"
Zidane fell to his knees, the grass wet from the constant mist of the forest. Soft footsteps echoed in throughout the forest, coming closer. They stopped behind him. Eiko rested her hand gently upon his shoulder. "Zidane, it's time to go. Kuja is waiting for us back at the castle, remember? This isn't the last time you'll see him."
Zidane stood up, determination set upon his face. "You're right. I can't waste my time here like this. Kuja was never really here in the first place, not like us. Let's get back to the castle."
Eiko grinned. "That's more like you. I'm ready when you are."
"Unn… Zidane…"
Brahm/Beatrix laughed. "Kuja, you're so funny to watch. Always worrying about Zidane. "Oh Zidane, save me, save me! I don't have much time left!"."
Kuja tried to pick himself up off of the cold, damp stone floor, but his arms wouldn't hold his weight. Brahm/Beatrix laughed even harder as Kuja fell back to the floor. Blood from his many cuts and lashes bled to the floor. Tears mixed with blood as he cried. Solid steel chains kept Kuja from moving freely around the cell.
"Zidane won't abandon me here!" Kuja spat out. "He promised to save me, Brahm! Nothing in this world could stop him from finding me now."
Brahm/Beatrix grinned. "But you don't understand, Kuja. I want him to find you. Zidane will come for you, but he won't be alone. I'll be waiting for them, and you, my dear, are the bait."
Fly.
"Zidane, Eiko, you're back safely I see. What did you find out?"
Eiko smiled. "We found answers. We also found more questions."
Please fly faster.
"Did they go somewhere?"
Garnet laughed. "They went to the Mists of Avalon. They went to meet your father."
"So he's dead…"
"He's not dead, but he is hurt really badly."
Fly. Fly for me, fly faster! Faster!
"Ikuzo, Jojo. Ikuzo."
Fly.
"This small canary we're following, it's Father's, isn't it? Garnet, I'm worried about him. I really am."
"Don't slow down, guys."
"Kuja's life is at stake, we can't slow down. Not now."
"Don't worry about Zidane, Akio. He's really worried about Kuja. We all are."
"Garnet, do you think things will turn out all right?"
"I don't know, but I won't let Queen Brahm hurt you again. You, Kuja, Zidane, or any of the others."
"Mother…"
Please, Fly. Fly for me. For Kuja.
"Garnet, wait up!" Eiko caught up to Garnet, running beside her, following the small yellow canary. "You never told me, you and Kuja– "
"You don't understand, Eiko. We never did it together. Akio was… created without our knowing. But that doesn't mean I don't love him just the same."
"Were you surprised to see him here? And controlled by Queen Brahm, no less."
"Yes, I was surprised at first. I never expected him to still be alive, but now that I know he's safe… all that matters is that my friends and loved ones are safe. I want to spend more time with him, but I won't force Akio into doing something that he doesn't want to do."
"Then, who created Aiko?"
"Eiko, it's wrong to pry into someone else's business like this. If Akio's comfortable talking about it, then he can tell you himself. But right now, Kuja needs our attention. We have to hurry."
Eiko sighed. "Too bad this castle is so big! These dungeon hallways are beginning to look alike, you know."
"Everyone, stop!" Zidane stopped in his tracks.
Eiko questioned her friend. "Why? Is something wrong?"
"No," Zidane shook his head. "We're here. Jojo, our small canary friend, has stopped. This means… This means that Kuja is here. We're here."
We're here. Thank you, Jojo. Thank you.
The dungeon hallways were fairly dark, save for the occasional line of torches that lined the walls. The current hallway was conveniently lined with torches, essentially making it the single brightest hallway in the in the entire dungeon.
Garnet grabbed Zidane's arm. "This has to be a trap. It was Queen Brahm who captured Kuja in the first place, and with the extra lighting in here… we can't let our guard down."
Zidane turned to Garnet, holding her hand in his. "I know it's dangerous, but we can't back down now. Kuja's depending on us to save him."
Akio placed his hand on Garnet's shoulder. "We have to take the risk, if it means saving my Father. The last time he saw me, I said that I hated him to his face. I told him that I wished he would die, and then… that's when Queen Brahm took control of me. I haven't seen him since then. Queen Brahm never brought me to see Kuja. I can't just leave things the way they are. I have to tell Kuja that I love him, that… that I never wanted him to actually… die."
Garnet smiled at both of them, nodded, before turning to Eiko, who was standing just beside Zidane. "Eiko, do you have enough power left to face Queen Brahm if she attacks head on?"
Eiko snorted. "You think I can't take her alone? Hah. Just watch me. If I can travel to the Mists of Avalon and back, and still have enough energy to run half way around this castle to find Kuja, then of course I have enough magical power left fight her. Matter of fact and case closed."
"Are you guys ready?"
Eiko stepped forward and nodded. "As ready as we'll ever be, Zidane."
"Then come on, let's save Kuja from Brahm."
Zidane, Akio, Garnet and Eiko walked slowly down the long, bright hallway. Each step they took closer to Jojo, the small yellow canary, was one step closer to what they thought of as the final confrontation against Queen Brahm, and their only chance at saving Kuja. Every cell they passed was empty, with an eerie silence hanging in the air about them.
Zidane could feel his heart racing as he ran closer and closer towards Jojo, who was hovering impatiently just outside the locked cell.
"Please be alive, Kuja, please be alive."
I know there are people who, right now, are wondering just what happened that day. I don't really know why I don't talk about it, or why any of the others refuse to either. Maybe we don't talk about it because we keep telling ourselves that maybe, one day we'll be able wake up, and everything will turn back to normal. I guess none of us really want to believe that that day really happened. Maybe one day I'll be able to wake up, and say that "the Mists of Avalon" was just a place of my dreams, that our flight into the deepest reaches of Alexandria's dungeon was a figment of my imagination.
"Zidane."
Zidane wrapped his arms around Kuja, resting his head on Kuja's shoulder. "My love, what is it?"
Kuja embraced Zidane's touch before answering him. It was the middle of the night, but neither could get to sleep. Kuja was now staying in Alexandria castle with Zidane. In fact, both of them were staying in Zidane's old room together. The glass doors to the balcony were closed, but the curtains had been left open. The moonlight shone brightly thought the windows, the night garden of the castle, as beautiful as it was, was no comfort now.
"Zidane, do you think that Akio hates me?"
Zidane wrapped his arms around Kuja's bare chest, holding him tightly. "You know he doesn't hate you. He proved that we he took Queen Brahms attack in your place. We'll bring him back, I promise you. After all, the Mists of Avalon is someplace we're used to dealing with."
"You love me, don't you?"
Zidane nibbled lightly upon Kuja's neck. "You know I do. I'll always love you. No matter what happens with Queen Brahm or Akio, I'll always be here. Right by your side. Forever."
A/N: Thanks again to my beta who actually read my story in one night! XD
Black Mage Dad – Thank you for your support! It means so much to me (believe it or not). I really hope you aren't disappointed with the second and final chapter of this story. Depending on the reviews I get, I just might be inspired to write more about these two (and write more about Aiko, just who his "partner" or Koibito (lover) is, and what really happened in the dungeon). hint hint
Lucrecia LeVrai – See? I updated. Maybe not a /soon/ update… But hey, I it's another ZidanexKuja fan! Yay! I'm not the only one who likes those two as a couple. I think our overabundance of Zidane x Garnet, and Kuja x Garnet pairings should be balanced out with… Zidane x Kuja! Hehehehe….
Kloudy Reignfall – I mentioned you again in this fic! It's always a good think to mention your editor of your paper, unless you didn't have one. In which case, you mention that instead. Cheers for the advantages of being a beta reader! kampai I know your all for my Gravitation fic continuing, but what about my PoT story? Let me know later what you think.
