Edonil: My friend (and co-writer for a series of short stories) is participating in NaNoWriMo. She has to have 50000 words written by November 30. She wasn't allowed to start until November 1. She has 14000 words left. And she has challenged me to write the same amount. So cheer me on!

Disclaimer: If I owned FFIX, I would be in Hawaii; the forecast for the rest of the week is rain. And I live in Canada. Rain is cold.

Claimer: Crims is mine. Sarah is mine. This FanFic is mine. Can I be any clearer?

To Change

Chapter Eight

Kuja was bored. He had nothing to do. He'd returned to the castle, and Zidane wasn't back yet. Of all the people he knew, only Queen Garnet, General Beatrix, Captain Steiner, and Sarah were there. Queen Garnet was busy. General Beatrix was nowhere to be found. Captain Steiner hated him.

The only person to talk to was Sarah.

Curse his rotten luck! He didn't like children! They were small and annoying and never did anything useful. Back on Terra, he'd used children as target practice! The little runts sure could run fast, after all, and they might as well do something with their pitiful existence. But Zidane would probably complain if Kuja used Sarah as a moving target. Although firaga couldn't possibly hurt that much…

Never mind that. He wasn't going to find her. He'd do something constructive. Like read. At least he wasn't afraid of books! So with this sensible notion in mind, Kuja headed down to Alexandria Palace's library.

And discovered that there was a flaw with his plan.

"Uncle Kuja!" Kuja winced. Stupid brat! "There you are! Will you spoil me now?"

"Um… Maybe later."

"Why?"

"Um… If I spoil you now, I might get bored later, and I will already have spoiled you enough for one day."

"Oh. Will you read me a story?"

"You're in a library; you must be able to read if you're here! Read yourself a story!"

"I'm two. I can't read."

"You seem like an awfully smart two-year-old."

"Doctor Tot says genomes mature faster than humans."

"But you aren't a genome."

"Daddy is. And Doctor Tot also said summoners mature faster than humans. And Mommy is a summoner."

"Oh dear…" Kuja suddenly thought of his child-to-be. If Crims chose to keep it… Was Crims human? Her hair wasn't a natural human colour, but she could have dyed it…

"Read me a story!"

"I have… other things to do."

"Read me a story! Now!"

"No."

"READ ME A STORY!!! NOW!!!" Sarah started screaming. And crying.

This was the reason Kuja didn't like children.

"Fine. I said FINE! Shut up."

"That isn't very polite."

"I don't care. What story do you want me to read you? Only one!"

Sarah's face broke into a wide grin.

---

It hadn't been only one. It had been about twenty-one. But finally Captain Steiner had found the two of them. He glared at Kuja, smiled at Sarah, and took the wretched child away from, "the big scary man". Kuja almost thanked the rust-covered bloke. But he didn't. He might need Sarah to like him.

He'd just chosen a book for himself and settled down when Zidane walked in. "Sorry I took so long. I had to go get Mikoto. She made me promise that if I ever found you, I'd get her right away."

"I see."

"She's upstairs, putting her stuff in her room." Zidane sat down in a nearby chair. "How was your day?"

"Um…" How was his day? He'd gone to see his pregnant girlfriend, been tortured by a small child, received glances that promised death from almost everyone he'd met… "It was fine."

"Sure it was. Why don't I believe you?"

"Alright, I had a few… difficulties, but I managed."

"Were any of these 'difficulties' two years old and incredibly loud?"

"Perhaps."

"How many stories did she get out of you?"

"Twenty-one or so."

"I feel your pain. Speaking of which, what are you reading?" Kuja attempted to hide the title with his hand. He didn't succeed. "A romance novel? Eidolons, you're insane! How can you stomach that stuff?" Kuja shrugged. "Ok, whatever."

"Kuja?" The two brothers turned to see Mikoto. "Is it you?" Kuja nodded. "Kuja!" She ran across the room and flung herself into Kuja's arms, much to Kuja's disgruntlement and Zidane's amusement. "Where have you been?"

"I'll tell you if you let me breathe!" Kuja gasped. Why did all women insist on hugging so hard they suffocated the one they hugged?

"Oh, sorry."

"It's a rather long story…"

"Tell it anyway."

"Alright…"

---

It had been a very long story. But Zidane and Mikoto had accepted it. And they said that once others knew, Kuja wouldn't have to endure anymore glances. Kuja didn't believe them. To prove it, Zidane took Kuja to meet Tantalus.

Tantalus, the daring band of thieves, listened attentively. They said hello to Kuja. Then they asked him if he'd excuse them for a moment. Kuja agreed. Then he prepared his eavesdropping magic.

"don't trust him," their leader, Baku, was saying. "He says he's changed, but…"

"He hasn't changed," another one- Cinna?- put in. "If he had, he'd have changed his clothes. Have you seen what he wears?"

"What's the problem?" asked someone else- Blank, Kuja thought.

"Oh, you like him?" Kuja had no idea who that was.

"I do not! I'm not gay!" Kuja heard several snorts. "Ok, whatever, but I don't like the look of him!"

"Kuja probably is gay," someone else put in. Kuja sighed. He was not gay, dammit! What was wrong with these morons?

"Regardless of his sexual preferences, what did you think of him?" That was Zidane.

"Looked sneaky. I dun trust 'im." A girl. Ruby, was it?

"Definitely sneaky. Probably ready to kill us all in our sleep." One of the guys- Kuja wasn't sure which.

"I dunno… Yes, actually, I do. He won't change, Zidane. Accept it, and throw 'im in jail! You'll be happier for it!"

"You just don't want to give him a chance! What is with you?" Zidane stormed out of the room. "We're going," he said shortly. Kuja was only too happy to comply.

They walked most of the way back to the palace in silence.

"How much did you hear?" Zidane asked finally. Kuja tried to look innocent.

"Hear? Me?"

"Don't pretend. I know you can eavesdrop as well as I can."

"I heard it all."

"Hmm. Well, I'd say I was wrong."

"Not to say 'I told you so', but… Never mind. I told you so." Kuja had to grin. He was doing the teasing for once! Zidane glared at him. Then he grinned.

"So you have a sense of humour? I hadn't noticed before."

"I didn't have it before," Kuja admitted. "I got it from my- I mean, a friend."

"You have friends?" Zidane was looking at Kuja very oddly. "When did you get friends."

"On my journey here. It took a while to get across the Mist Continent."

"Where is your friend?"

"… In the town."

"And what's your friend's name?"

"… Crims."

"Anything else you want to tell me?"

"No."

"OK. Speaking of friends, I have a question for you. You don't have to answer, but I was wondering… There's no way to say this nicely. Kuja, are you gay?"

"Um… No, actually, I'm not. Why do you ask?"

"I dunno… Your clothes, I guess."

"I see. I suppose I might have to modify my wardrobe."

"So, tell me, have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"Where did that come from," Kuja asked.

"Nowhere, I guess. Just curious."

"Um…" Kuja debated with himself whether or not to tell his brother. His brother was the only one who believed in him… "Yes, actually. But not had, have."

"WHAT?!"

"Her name is Crims."

"Oh."

Edonil: I had to stop it there; this chapter is going nowhere. But let's see, how many words… 1350! And combined with the 1498 I wrote earlier today, that's 2848! Yay! Now please R&R! And cheer me on!