Hey! I'm sorry I took such a long time between updates. School's been crazy. :kicks herself for taking five honors classes: Maybe I shouldn't do that next year, huh? I think not.

Chapter Four: Of the Blindfolded Man

It was a brisk, cool morning when Kuja again opened his eyes. For the first time since his ressurection, he felt his strength return to him. He pushed off the heavy linens of the inn's bed, and began his search for the other half of his clothes. All he had on at the moment was his skirt-like garment. The glint of the mirror distracted him a bit, and he paused to gawk in dissaproval at said skirt-like garment with disgust. He couldn't believe he had liked it at one point. Reaching for a sheet from the bed, Kuja draped it around his naked shoulders. Before wrapping himelf up completely, he gazed half-concious at the scarlet handprint that now took its place at his side, just above his hip.

He should have felt her come into the room, but he didn't. The next time he looked into the mirror, her reflection was standing in the back of it. "You don't indend to go out half dressed, do you" Her voice contained a hint of humor, but her eyes were full of it. She nodded to the chair in the corner. "Didn't think so. I brought you something decent." "Thanks" he said, grabbing the bundle of clothes from the corner. She saw herself out before he proceeded to change.

Kuja liked the loose fit of the thick black pants. It was infinately more comfortable than what he had worn before. The brown boots also did not have a heel to them, making them a lot easier to walk in than his previous ones. The long vest had one button halfway down his chest, and then it hung about him all the way to it's end around his knees, exposing his arms and torso. He was tieing back his hair when he noticed Rykashi in the mirror again. "You know" He said sarcastically. "You really ought to stop popping in and out like that..." She just grinned at him. "Are you finally ready to go"

Their boots splashed heavily in the puddles left by the rain two nights ago. "You know, Rykashi, this town's a lot nicer when it's daylight." He moved his head around to observe the courtyard in front of the inn. "Especially when I don't have some keyblade weilding assassin after me." He added the last part jokingly. To his surprise, she laughed a bit at the joke. She seemed to be a different person this morning than she had previously. "Well, yes, I suppose that helps a bit." Rykashi laughed even more at that. Her laughter stopped however, at the sight of a shadow rounding the corner. "What was that" Kuja asked, even though he had a large suspicion of what it could be. "I don't know, but let's follow it." She replied. Kuja watched as she closed her eyes and used her will to summon the two keyblades and took off after the shadow. Pulling at his gloves as he ran after her, it dawned on him that he would have to depend on his magic if it came to combat.

The pursuit of the shadow let them into the alleyways and to the secret waterway passage, in just enough time to watch it vanish through. "After you" Kuja said, gesturing towards the way opened by broken bars. She obviously didn't find this amusing, as she shot him an angry look before taking off down the tunnel.

The water grabbed at their feet, making them heavy against the ground. This made progress after the seemingly weightless shadow rather slow. A faint light poured from up ahead.

"They were here..."

The faint voice came from the shadow himself, they could only guess. He was the only other being down here with the exception of themselves. In front of the colorful mural he stood, with one hand resting against it. "Who...who are you" Rykashi's voice cracked from the damp air. Kuja could feel it close to suffocating him as well. "Who are they you speak of"

"I am nobody...one that no longer exists." He turned around and underneith the black hood, they found he was blindfolded. "I am the one you seek, the souless shell."

Kuja watched as she gripped her keyblades tighter and tighter until she almost cried out in pain.

"You're...the one that killed him. You killed my brother"

"Perhaps yes, perhaps not. Perhaps he is truly not dead, only stuck in the void...as am I. You ask for answers to questions I am not bound to answer."

The dark keyblade would have hit him had he not drawn his own blade. A strange sword in the shape of a demon's wing. She cried out in fury, hatred and anguish.

"I will MAKE you answer"

"Gawrsh! He's wakin' up" Was the first thing that the blonde boy's concious ears grasped. He opened his eyes and rubbed away the weariness before taking a look at the dog-like creature that stood over him.

"How long have I been asleep" He didn't realize he had said the words audibly.

"A good three days now. It's a wonder you're even alive" He heard another voice say, this one coming from a talking duck. Moving his head from side to side, he realized he was in a place he had never seen before. "Where am I"

"Oh, this place" He heard another voice this time, distinctly human. "It's Hallow Bastion." Now he saw the source of the voice. A boy about the age of fifteen with gavity defying brown hair held out his hand to help him up. An invitation that Zidane gladly accepted.

"The name's Sora. This is Donald, and this is Goofy." The boy said, pointing to each of his companions.

"Zidane." The blonde boy answered. "Now tell me, what happened to Gaia"