Brahne's Story

Disclaimer: I own nothing of FFIX but this story!

Finally... I put my floppy disk containing this fanfic all the way into the drive. (it was half way in for all this time just waiting for me to continue this story) Sorry for taking so long to return but I suffered from massive brain freezes and then I just couldn't deliver this chapter even if I wanted to. Anyway here it is... thanks for all the reviews. I assure you that I concentrate on making it as accurate/likely to have happened as possible. I personally hate fanfics that don't fit with the story! At the same time, however, I like that it's set before the events of the IX because it gives me some plot freedom too- as long as it's possible and ties in with the game. I hope I get this as right as possible.


8. The Truth Revealed

"Well… well.. well… if it isn't the man who not only believes himself to be a marvellous tutor but who also finds the time to be a heroic magician too… I'm glad we finally have had the chance to meet."
A figure of no great height slowly looked around in the darkness towards the direction of the voice, his round frames and large sausage nose the only distinctive features in the dim lighting.
"W-w-who are you?…. " his weak voice replied.

The taller of the two came closer, so close that the old tutor could feel the stranger's cold breath graze over his skin until it felt like rough sandpaper. It was like an unexpected blow of chilling wind sliding down your neck when alone some dark night you convince yourself there's a ghost lurking somewhere and feel yourself shudder. The shadow that had once been the stranger became a fully-formed figure of a man, who looked so frightfully pale he might as well have been from the spirit world. The smaller of the men gasped a little at the sight of this, causing the stranger to laugh.
"You don't need to know who I am."

The man with the glasses stood motionless in the dark for a while. Perhaps he was pondering his situation for his head was bowed down deep in thought. Eventually, after a good few minutes or so, he found his courage and also stepped into the light, revealing him to be none other than Dr. Tot. The stranger smiled at this, an unnerving cruel smile as if he had been planning to see this one movement for months. Dr. Tot, however, ignored this minor expression and fired the stranger another direct question.
"… then what business do you have to be here?"

This time the stranger seemed more willing to give an answer.
"I think the real question is what business do you have to tamper with my property? The answer to your question lies with that"
Dr. Tot stood quietly, his face draining quickly of all colour, as the stranger continued.
"How admirable you were in learning some tricks to conceal the forbidden book, how admirable but rather pitiful now, don't you agree? It is rather amusing therefore that you be the one to turn darling Brahne evil…"

Dr.Tot stirred at last, his face pulsating in anger so that it went from being ghostly white to a rich purple red.
"Brahne is not evil! She would hurt nobody!" he cried passionately, "As for myself I have done nothing wrong!"
"So sure of all this are you?" the stranger sneered, "What if I were to tell you that Brahne has made a deal with me? And you, my friend, are the one who of course let it slip about that book making her seek it so desperately and thus making herself even more vulnerable than she was before…"

Dr. Tot opened his mouth to argue that the book's powers had possessed him to tell of it but this was thwarted by the words…
"More vulnerable than before? What are you saying? What's going on? "
The stranger laughed, obviously enjoying this slow unravelling of a story he had been in control of for so long.
"What have you done!" Dr. Tot cried, his mind racing along at top speed.
The stranger stopped laughing and looked deeply into the tutor's eyes.

"I have done nothing.."
The doorknob turned.
"I have never been here before in my life…"
The door slowly began to open.
"I could never…"
The door was completely ajar.
"….do it on my own."

Out of the darkness came two gaunt figures, almost skeletal, with heavily made up beady black eyes. Like two detached puppets finding their master, the castle jesters Zorn and Thorn came towards the slim stranger, their faces full of manic glee. Dr.Tot's face went whiter, if it was possible, than either of the jesters or the stranger combined. He shook his head in disbelief, feeling his heart pound against his ribcage.
"You two are helping this man!"

"He cottons on fast doesn't he?…"
"Cottons on fast he does…"
The jesters said between them, their eyes boring through Dr.Tot.
"So Brahne has accepted our deal"
"Accepted our deal Brahne has…"

Dr. Tot head felt as though his head was going to explode. He wanted to yell out loud for the Pluto Knights yet his mouth had somehow stuck together. He could shout no longer, only a weak whimpering sound like that of a dying rabbit tumbled out of his mouth.
"W-What… have…. you ….done with Brahne? What….. is… this….. deal?"

The two jesters looked at the slim man for assurance, like two children asking for advice from a parent.
"Go ahead Zorn," the man simply said, "What does it matter if he knows the truth? Even if he was to tell Brahne, it would not matter for she would not believe it…"
The jesters seemed delighted at this response, finally they could take some glory. The blue jester descended upon Dr.Tot like a ghoul hungry for flesh. The wise tutor fell back into a nearby chair, his eyes uneasily watching the menacing blue jester.

"Brahne has joined with us!" the jester cried, "After all this time she has joined and has become our new leader! After all my hard work, which I was rewarded for, I gain the biggest reward of them all!"
"You're lying!" Dr. Tot cried, finding his voice. "Brahne would never join with you! She just couldn't… she wouldn't…"
"You're right," Zorn said, not what Dr.Tot was expecting to hear. "She just wouldn't have joined with us normally. I knew that. Too full of love… interesting that was her downfall. You see poor Brahne lost the most important love of her life… her child. Her precious little princess had died and that left her distraught. She would do anything to hold that child in her arms again. Along comes Sara and, we'd expect nothing less of our saintly Brahne, she takes the orphan under her wing to be brought up as Garnet. That was when I found a way! Thorn and I joined the castle. We knew right away that the Queen was having little doubts about raising the child as Garnet and so we played on it. The first night that the princess had supposedly returned, we crept into the room where Brahne slept beside the orphan and, using magic, we bewitched her mind until the darkest of nightmares took hold! She was being tormented by her own guilt, helped along-"
"Y-You're disgusting," Dr.Tot spat out, his eyes producing looks of venom towards the gleeful jester who ignored him like he was invisible. This was a moment of glory for Zorn he didn't want it ruined by the comments of a fool.

"There was only one problem in our way now… the King," he continued, raising his voice louder. "He would protect his dear Brahne at all costs. Darling Brahne would never join us if he was still alive!"
"So you made her kill him!" Dr. Tot cried aloud in utter disbelief.
"No…." Zorn said, and Thorn joined his side to also revel in his part in the dark deed.
"We killed him."

Ok dont go and review saying "that's not possible!" lol. The next chapter will go back into the past. Plus... why exactly did Brahne join them? Why did Dr.Tot flee to start up in Treno? (in detail) and, finally, Cid has to arrange the kidnapping. A bit more to go before we come to the beginning of FFIX.