Edonil: So, I could write it all at once, but that wouldn't be fun, now would it? I mean, then I'd have to take time away from my busy life, and the story wouldn't last very long... So I'll try to update this every weekend. Probably late Saturday or sometime Sunday.
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Kuja yet.
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Iifa: Ancient Tree of Life
Chapter Three
Lindblum once had three districts. These were the Business District, the Industrial District, and the Theatre District. (Why Lindblum needed an entire district only for Theatres has been debated for many, many years.) The Industrial District, of course, ran into a bit of trouble some time back, which Kuja was rather guilty of. The Business District and Theatre District, though, were still more or less intact.
Kuja lighted softly on the sidewalk outside of the Tantalus 'hideout'. The Tantalus hideout is an interesting building. It's very obviously there, hard to miss, and just in case you aren't sure exactly which building it is you're looking for, the members of Tantalus recently placed a sign outside their door reading "Top Secret Tantalus Hideout". Therefore, Kuja did not have much trouble finding his brother's previous whereabouts.
Yes, previous whereabouts. You see, when Kuja alighted onto the walk, the members (sans Zidane) were sitting in the hideout talking. Kuja, of course, stopped to eavesdrop.
"Yeah, ok," one of them was saying. Kuja peered inside, so he could get a look at the speaker. The speaker was a strange man who appeared to have been stitched together and was wearing a belt around his eyes. The members of Tantalus are a bit... odd.
"Now, as fer you, Cinna, I need ya to get some props..." Kuja sighed. Idiots. They were discussing some fool play. They couldn't talk about anything useful!
"Yo Boss... I got a question," one of the idiots said. He looked a bit like a boar. Very strange people.
"Yeah, what!"
"It's about the part that... It's about the part that doesn't have an actor at the moment. We're shorthanded, Boss. We gonna hire somebody new or what?" The 'boss' looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Yeah... I guess we can post some signs, see about auditioning a new member, since... Dammit!"
So Zidane was not here. Very well. Kuja would now continue on to Alexandria. It had seemed unlikely that Zidane would be here anyway, seeing as his 'true love' was not.
Kuja had exhausted his trance, so he hurried outside of Lindblum and fought off the various local beasties until he was able to make the flight to Alexandria.
0o0o0
If you had thought that Lindblum was in terrible condition, you would have been right. Lindblum had, after all, been half-eaten by a gravity-sucking god. Such things do not often happen to cities. However, Alexandria had suffered through its share of torments, too. In this case, it was being lasered by a giant floating eyeball.
If you ever feel the need to move to a different planet, I do not recommend Gaia. If, for whatever reason, you ignore my advice, you'll probably die in some painful but creative fashion.
Kuja, however, did not have the luxury of leaving the planet (having destroyed the only other option), but then, he had been the indirect cause of most of this mayhem, so he would hopefully be alright.
Alexandria was looking much better now than it had last time Kuja had visited. Of course, his last visit had ended in the incineration of a god, but the place really was looking quite nice. The rubble had been cleaned up and the castle was almost finished rebuilding...
The distance from Lindblum to Alexandria is far less than the distance between two continents, so Kuja's trance hadn't been used up yet. Therefore, Kuja lifted himself up into the air and up to the nearest window. After thoroughly scaring some poor kitchen maid, Kuja continued upwards.
No one... No one... Shoot, a scholar! No one... A soldier with her back turned... She really is quite hot... What's with that uniform anyway? No wonder they're so easy to beat, with that lack of clothing... Pay attention, Kuja! This is no time to oogle the hot soldier...
Going up... No one... No one... No- Shoot! Ok... No one... No one... No one-
BONK!
Kuja's plan had been to continue upwards, peering into the windows, hoping for a glimpse of someone useful. This plan had not included protruding window boxes.
"What was that!" a female voice said from inside the room. That voice sounded familiar... Rubbing his wounded head, Kuja moved up a bit to see who it was.
"Beatrix!" Beatrix looked quite stunned, which was, given the circumstances, perfectly excusable. (How many times have you had a dead sociopath run into your twelfth-story window box?) "Hello!" Kuja managed to get himself to float into her room. "How have you been?"
"You're dead!" Beatrix protested. Kuja smiled.
"No. I was dead. I am currently living, however. Tell me, Beatrix, how have you been? I have not been graced with your presence in ages!" Beatrix did not seem too happy.
"You're dead!" Kuja decided that she must have been in shock, so he just smiled and nodded.
"Whatever you say, Beatrix. Perhaps you'd like to sit down?" Beatrix did so, still looking thoroughly out of sorts.
"Are you really here?" she asked hesitantly. Kuja nodded. "How are you here?"
"Well, it's a long story..." Kuja gave her the briefer version- that is, he told her that he had been brought back because of the Iifa Tree, and that he had tranced and flown over. "Now, could you help me? I'm looking for someone..." Beatrix nodded carefully.
"Yes... Just a moment..." Beatrix walked across the room, opened her door, stuck her head into the hall, and called, "You two! Come here a moment!" A moment later, two extremely attractive soldiers walked into the room.
"Yes, General?"
"Um... Wait a moment." Beatrix concentrated for a moment, then threw a spell at Kuja. He wasn't quite sure which one it was off-hand, but assumed that it was probably some sort of scanning spell, to check to make sure he wasn't someone else in disguise or something.
"Greetings," Kuja said to the two soldiers politely. They eyed him suspiciously.
"What shall we do, General?" one asked Beatrix.
"Seize him," she answered calmly. "And take him down to the castle prison. Make sure he's locked up tight; he's highly dangerous!" Kuja was then shocked to find that he was being seized by the two soldiers. Frowning slightly (this was not supposed to happen!) Kuja attempted to throw a mild spell at them, only to discover the true nature of Beatrix's sorcery.
"Interesting," Kuja commented lightly. "I must say, Beatrix, that magical blocking spell was quite good. I didn't even notice! Congratulations. Perhaps you should give up your fighting life and become a mage." Beatrix did not say anything. Rolling his eyes, Kuja walked along with the two soldiers to the prison.
You might have noticed that Kuja was not particularly worried. You noticed correctly. You see, Kuja knew his brother. Zidane would no doubt here about this, and come to see Kuja, and Kuja would explain the whole matter to Zidane, and everything would be hunky-dory. Everything was still (sort of) going according to plan. Theoretically.
Of course, Kuja did not have the ability to see the future. If he had, well...