Edonil: Me again! Poor, poor Kuja… So crazy… But I love him all the same. So uh… I've nothing important to say here. Why don't you just go read the story.

To Change

Chapter Forty-Seven

Zidane was going to go insane. As much as he loved Sarah, she was very… difficult. She loved books, which probably wasn't a bad thing, but he really didn't want to read another story about happy little elves to her.

So he was hiding. Sarah wasn't supposed to leave the castle without an adult, so he should be safe over here by the gate. Hopefully.

"Zi… dane…" Zidane jumped.

"Who's there?" he asked, looking around.

"Down… here…." Zidane looked down to the base of the wall and jumped again.

It was a bloody mess. Perhaps a human, but he wasn't too sure. Tattered, gore-stained clothes of an undistinguishable colour, torn, bloodied skin, a mass of crimson-stained hair…

Or was it hair? The texture was more like that of a bird's feathers…

"Avylonn!" Zidane quickly jumped down to where his niece lay dying. "Great Eidolons! What happened?"

"Mother… dead… Father… insane…"

"What? Great Eidolons… Avylonn? Avylonn!" There was no answer. "Guards! Get doctors or something here now!" he yelled. What on Gaia had happened?

((Change POV))

Steiner was patrolling near the dock when the guard rushed by.

"Halt! What are you doing?" Guards did not normally rush.

"Prince-Consort Zidane sent me to get a doctor. May I go, Captain?"

"Where is he?" What was the monkey doing?

"Near the wall. Captain, I should go get a doctor."

"Very well; continue." The guard dashed off.

What on Gaia was the monkey up to? Curious, Steiner walked over to the wall. It wasn't hard to spot Zidane; his psychotic hair was very visible. He appeared to be sitting next to something red…

Red? Like blood? Steiner rushed over- and immediately wished he hadn't. He'd seen corpses before, but…

"Zidane, what happened? Who… What is this?"

"It's Avylonn, Stiener."

"WHAT!" Avylonn? The good-for-nothing Angel of Death that had slapped him that one time? How on Gaia…? "What happened?"

"I don't know. That's why I sent for a doctor. I think she's still alive; if she can be healed…"

"Where are her parents? Shouldn't they be near her?" Steiner didn't trust the girl's parents, but they'd seemed to care about Avylonn before. What had happened?

"When I first saw here she was conscious. She said, "Mother dead. Father insane." D'you think…?" The monkey looked very worried.

"I think we know what happened to her, Monkey. Her mother died, Kuja lost it, and now he's murdering innocents again." Just then a doctor ran up. "We are going to have to talk more about this." Steiner thought for a moment. "Meet me in the Great Hall in an hour." Zidane nodded, and Steiner hurried off.

He had to contact quite a few people in the next hour.

((Change POV))

Zidane walked into the Great Hall an hour later to find most of the 'World Heroes' already there. There were Quina, Steiner, and Dagger, or course, as well as Amarant and Freya. Beatrix was also there, although Zidane had no idea why. The General answered the question for him.

"I knew Kuja back when he first came to Alexandria, Zidane. I know a thing or two about him that you wouldn't." Zidane nodded. It made sense.

"Where are the others?" he asked, looking around.

"Eiko should be here soon; she has to come by airship. Vivi is on the Forgotten Continent; he'll be here ASAP," Dagger answered. "Now, Zidane, what happened?"

Zidane carefully explained the situation. Everyone listened attentively. When he was done, they started arguing.

"He changed… He said he changed…" Beatrix said hesitantly.

"Change? Hah! A man like him would never change!" Steiner argued, much to everyone's surprise. He almost never argued with Beatrix.

"I agree with Steiner; once a murderer, always a murderer," Freya put in darkly. Zidane shook his head.

"I've talked to him! He's fine! He was killing people before because he was insane!"

"And there lies our problem!" Dagger said emphatically. "Avylonn said he was insane! Therefore he will revert to his old habits of killing people and taking over the world.

"So then we go after him and kill him," Amarant said coolly. Everyone glared at him.

"It's not that simple!" Steiner argued. "Avylonn must have had some power, and she was a bloody mess!"

"Besides, we can't kill him, he's my brother!"

"I agree with Zidane, Steiner."

"Beatrix, I don't care if you agree with him; Kuja is mad! He must be put down like the savage dog he is! But it will take careful planning-"

"The Dragon Knights would probably be happy to help-"

"My Kingdom will help too-"

"Dagger, we can't just kill him! He's got a soul-"

"SHUT UP!" Everyone turned in surprise to face Quina. "You all yell, yell, yell, but you no agree! I say be civilized! You could teach Eiko thing or two about immaturity!" The heroes cringed. "Now, think, all of you! Kuja might be good, but right now he evil. We gave him chance; it no work. So we get rid of Kuja. Agreed?" Slowly, everyone nodded.

"Could I help?" said a small voice from the doorway.

((Change POV))

Avylonn carefully walked over to the table and sat down in an empty seat. Everyone's eyes were on her. She felt very self-conscious.

"You're alive? And alright?" Zidane asked, disbelievingly. Avylonn nodded carefully.

"Yes. Doctor Tot waylaid Eiko coming into the Palace. Eiko summoned something to fix me." Eiko chose that moment to joyfully bounce through the door.

"Hello, everyone. Avylonn's told me everything. I think we should go stop Kuja. Any ideas where he is?"

"Hold on a second. What happened?" Steiner asked. Avylonn sighed.

"My father was not very popular in Treno. A mob killed my mother a week ago. When Father saw, he went insane and killed them all. I believe my inborn protection I received as an Angel of Death somehow saved my life."

"So… Where's Kuja?" asked Zidane.

"I don't know," Avylonn admitted. "But by the way he was muttering after the massacre, I don't think he realized Mother was dead. He said something about a 'crystal'. Do you know what he was talking about?" she asked curiously, seeing the World Heroes turn white.

"The Crystal… Ah, yes… It's the where all life began. Kuja tried to destroy it, before…" Avylonn had never seen Zidane looking so worried. "I suppose if he thought Crims was only injured, he might take her there…"

"So… Then everything's fine, right?" Avylonn asked.

"No. When he can't heal her… We have to go." Zidane stood up. "Eiko, is the Hilda Garde 3 here?" Eiko nodded. "Ok, then. Let's go find Kuja."

Edonil: Only two more chapters left! Please R&R!