Brahne's Story

Disclaimer: I own nothing of FFIX but this story!


Chapter 4 would be a little strange without this chapter. As we know, in the game Dr.Tot doesn't do magic. I hope I can explain here why he does learn things of that nature. As for why Dr.Tot doesn't turn Brahne in or what possesses her to do things it will all come together in time lol. Most of all remember that Brahne, no matter what she's done, is not actually evil yet. There's a change happening in her but it doesn't appear to be in her control.


5. The Book of Forbidden Charms

"Forgive me, I don't know what came over me…"
Dr. Tot shook his head and his eyes returned to his normal small brown eyes. He put his glasses back on and, in a sudden change of heart, he began to scribble furiously on his report once more.
"You said you could help me…you said there was a book…" Brahne said cautiously, every word carefully formed.
Dr. Tot said nothing, he was still furiously scribbling on the paper until his quill sank through it. He finally looked up.
"I said nothing of the sort. I found nothing in my library that could help your situation. Now if you would…"
He pointed a finger towards the doorway.
"But you said-"
"I said I had no books that could help you"
"You performed charms, I saw it. Then you spoke of another book and went all weird…"
"I don't know any magic-"
Brahne opened her mouth to disagree but he continued quickly.
"-What little I know I learned from some old books belonging to Hilda. I am but a knowledgeable tutor and I learn everything from what I read. I give you my word I cannot perform any real magic, especially if it's not in a book. I have done all I can for you. If you don't leave now I will call the Pluto Knights…"

Dr. Tot was acting suddenly peculiar. His eyes were a cauldron of fear and panic. His mind was whizzing with the fact he had helped a murderer. A respectable man like him did not associate himself with murderers. Before now he felt sure that Brahne had not been controlling her urges to kill but now his mind wasn't so sure. How could he be sure that Brahne had not murdered of her own accord? Should he call the Pluto Knights? Have her locked up? His mind discarded this idea as soon as he looked into the Queen's desperate eyes. They were not murderous and cold but filled with fear, genuinely scared and she was trembling hanging on to his every word with the hope he could somehow erase her terrible deed. He could not bring himself to order an arrest yet he knew he had not the skill to do proper magic to help her. All he wanted to do was go back to brewing some potions, pour over his beloved books and pretend he had not just read some old incantations that didn't belong to him to help a… murderer. The word bore into him over and over again.
"Please…just leave," he begged, as if the presence of Brahne caused him great confusion.

Brahne wanted to stay and persuade him but she knew she had tried him to his limits and that he may well stick to his word and call the Knights. She left, her mind still latched onto the idea of another book that would help her, but who other than Dr.Tot would know of such an object? Who could do real magic but, more importantly, would venture further and explore into darker regions? As morning broke out, she knew exactly who.

She banged on a door. It opened steadily revealing the ghoulish faces of Zorn and Thorn.
"I need you to perform a spell for me," she said desperately and she rushed into the room. Zorn and Thorn looked at each other and Brahne felt a similar chill to the one she had felt when she had first met them fall down her spine but it wasn't the time to bring back old instincts, she needed their help.
" There's a book I'm sure of it," she continued, ignoring her feelings, "A book that was locked away a long time ago containing dark spells. I'm sure it contains what I need…"
"A book that was locked away can only bring trouble…" the blue jester, Zorn, commented.
"Trouble will only be brought by a book that was locked away…" the red jester, Thorn, repeated.
Even though they seemed to understand the nature of the book, their eyes were twinkling and they wore enthusiastic grins.
"We can help you.."
"Help you we can…"
Brahne ignored their delighted smiles and concentrated more on the fact that they were willing to help her.
"Then, where is this book? What is it? Do you know?"

"We know of it. We… have it," Zorn grinned proudly, like he had won a medal. "Took us a while to track it down, Dr.Tot had been hiding it, he had borrowed some books from Hilda to learn how to conceal it. Clever man but he is no sorcerer, just a very knowledgeable man who can read some incantations. He came across the book as a child and brought about an incurable fever by accident from reading it. He is an idiot who can only read but cannot handle magic…"
"An incurable fever?"
Brahne let those words wash over her until it emptied her completely.
"Why yes," Zorn smiled maliciously, "That would be the one that killed little Garnet. Tried to hide all the evidence against him of course but his stupid little incantations are no match for our real magic. All that concealed it was a pitiful little invisibility charm and some curses"
"…So it's not sealed anymore?" Brahne asked.
"It never actually was. A Dr.Tot story. 'It was sealed a thousand years ago by old servants who feared its content.' The only sealing it's ever had was by him," Zorn sneered and he gave a silent order to his accomplice jester who returned a few moments later, his arms clasped around a leather-bound book that was almost as big as he was.
"Let us show Brahne the true meaning of magic…" Zorn hissed and the book fell upon on a table as if it was under a silent wind.

It was a horrible five minutes or so. Each page of the magic book was mangled and torn and, as if it was enchanted, it contained moving pictures of people being hanged, children screaming and crying and storms brewing, with purple clouds gathering strength to produce white lighting. Even though the content was frightening, the jesters saw only the power behind the spells. Their eyes glowed as suddenly, the wind began to pick up speed and the pages began to turn faster and faster, the screams became louder and louder and the images became more gruesome. Then, it stopped at a page.

"Lie there," Zorn ordered, his skeletal finger pointing at the bed. Brahne began to shake viciously. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea? Her mind, however, had flashbacks of her husband lying in her arms soaked in blood and she couldn't bear to think of doing it again to some other innocent victim.
"I think this is what you are looking for…"
"Looking for this I think you are…"
"It will bind you from harming yourself or anyone else…"
"That's the one I need!" Brahne cried.
"This will come at a heavy price…"
"A heavy price this will come at…"
"Anything but harming anyone ever again!" Brahne cried again.

Zorn put the book on a stand while Thorn took some red dust that looked like curry powder and sprinkled it over Brahne's forehead. Quickly, Zorn began to read in a language Brahne could not understand and, within minutes, her whole body felt on fire. It started in her stomach faintly but now it had spread over her body until she was in excruciating pain. Her eyes were blurred but she could feel heat and see orange flames rippling down her. She really was on fire. It was criss-crossing down her body creating deep scars that glowed red from the dust. The spell continued to immerse his body in flames over and over again and, by this time, she was screaming.

"Just a little bit more Brahne…"
"No more!"
"Nearly over Brahne…"
"Make it stop now!"
"Nearly there now…"
"It has to stop now!"
"Few more.."
"No more!"
"and… IT'S OVER!"

Brahne felt the flames release her body and she slumped down into the bed, the scars oozing red liquid and her head felt dizzy. She was conscious long enough to see Zorn fold away the book stand but, by the time it had been taken away by Thorn, she had blanked out.

and... this is over! mwhahaha. Yeah... my end bits are always pointless apart from saying the usual R&R!