Edonil: The final chapter… Yes, that's right, no more Iifa. And likely no more fanfiction for a while (it's getting kinda boring). It's so sad… By the way, the latter part of this chapter takes place during the final scene of the game. Oh, and I apologize in advance for the uber-lame ending.

Disclaimer: For the 14th and final time, nope, I do not own anything that Square owns.

Advertisement: I'm thinking I'll be updating Areathe (see my fictionpress account) twice a month…

Iifa: Ancient Tree of Life

Chapter Thirteen

Dagger screamed as Kuja stepped off the tower. Down, down, he fell. Time slowed. He fell slowly, but surely, towards...

THUMP!

Dagger's scream died. What was this?

Kuja was intelligent once, but his semi-insane state clearly had dulled his brain. Kuja's chosen location of suicide had been directly overtop another tower, one not more than twenty feet down.

Dagger watched in mute amazement as Kuja slowly stood up. He looked around, apparently confused...

Dagger ran inside.

0o0o0

He had missed! Alexandria Castle was huge, its towers unmatched, and yet...

Kuja felt like an idiot. How had he missed? It wasn't fair!

"Kuja!" Kuja was then glomped by his girlfriend. "You're alright! Kuja… Don't try to kill yourself! I love you! Please don't hurt yourself! I'll do anything you want, just be safe, and don't…" Dagger continued on that vein for a while (until she ran out of breath, at which point she stopped talking).

I can't believe I missed…

0o0o0

Dagger sighed inwardly.

The theatre ship will arrive any minute. It's been so long… I can't wait to see everyone. But… It'll never be the same. There will be one missing… I have to let go of the past. I have to move on, just like he taught me.

A strange way to teach someone something, I suppose. Learning from another's mistakes… But it's true. I don't want to be like Kuja. Oh, Kuja…

0o0o0

Kuja glared at the knight. The knight glared at Kuja. The knight blinked. Kuja smirked triumphantly.

Hah! Three for me, zero for him! I'm winning… What's this? Again? Well, if he insists…

Kuja could have gone and sat beside Dagger, but he really didn't want to. He was the centre of enough attention already. No, he was here, on the edge of the crowd, where hopefully no one would notice him… Not that it mattered, since he was wearing a cloak, but still…

Something blocked out the sun. Looking up, Kuja spotted the theatre ship. It was here. Only a few minutes until Tantalus began their performance…

0o0o0

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Tonight's performance is a story that takes place long, long ago. Our heroine, Princess Cornelia, is torn from her lover, Marcus. She attempts to flee the castle, only to be captured by her father, King Leo. Tonight's story begins when Marcus and Cornelia decide to run away together. And now, Your Royal majesty, Queen Garnet, Lord Steiner, Lady Beatrix, noble ladies and lords, and our rooftop viewers, Tantalus proudly presents 'I Want to Be Your Canary'!"

Would it work? Dagger hoped it would work. Surely Kuja would be cheered up by this… And it was a love story; maybe it would convince Kuja to keep going just for her…

That sounded very soppy, a little voice in Dagger's mind commented. She ignored it.

0o0o0

Kuja watched the show with interest. Tantalus was really quite a good troupe of actors. It was nice to think that Zidane had once been one of them…

"Could she have betrayed me?" asked Marcus. Kuja liked that character. So interesting… Marcus crossed to center stage. "Nay, ne'er would my love speak false." Kuja smiled to himself. 'Ne'er'. What a nice word! Another good point for Marcus. "I must have faith! She shall appear if I only believe! As the sun lends me no ear, I pray instead to the twin moons!" Rather ridiculous, but rather quaint. Kuja wasn't surprised that this was Dagger's favourite play. Marcus turned towards the twin moons. "I beseech thee, wondrous moonlight, grant me my only wish!" Marcus grabbed at his cloak- what was he doing?- and ripped it off.

Oh.

"Bring my beloved Dagger to me!"

Shoot!

0o0o0

Zidane! Here! Oh, dear Eidolons… Dagger leapt from her chair, and raced for the stage. She was held up momentarily by Beatrix and Steiner, but soon (although it felt like an age to her) she had reached the stage.

One large hug and several punches later, Zidane managed to pry Dagger from himself long enough to get the two of them offstage.

Oh, Zidane… Wait a minute! What about Kuja…? Oh dear…

"Dagger…? What's?" Zidane asked.

"Nothing," Dagger lied. Zidane gave her a look that clearly said that he didn't believe her. "Really!"

"Yeah right. So, what's the problem?" Dagger tried to wave him off, but it didn't work, and finally she told him.

"I… I have a boyfriend." There. It was out. Oh, dear Eidolons, Zidane… Zidane just shrugged.

"Ok. Makes sense, I suppose. I've been dead for three years, remember?" He smiled. Dagger felt like her insides were writhing. "So, who is it? Do I know him?"

"Kuja," Dagger answered in a small voice. Zidane stared.

"Say what?"

"Er… I think she said my name." Both Zidane and Dagger looked up as Kuja entered the room, looking uncharacteristically sheepish.

0o0o0

Zidane stared. Never in his wildest dreams had he seen this one coming. Kuja was dead, not dating Zidane's ex-girlfriend (Zidane had promptly forgotten that he and Dagger had never gone out).

"Er… Yeah… This is awkward…" Zidane muttered. Dagger smiled nervously. Kuja looked at his feet. "Yeah… Well, I'm, er, happy for you…" Zidane said, trying to be polite.

"Yes. Of course…" Kuja agreed, sounding dubious. "Um…" Dagger, meanwhile, was looking around.

"Um… I think I should let you two talk," she said suddenly. "I mean, you haven't seen each other in such a long time… Goodbye!" She dashed off.

Zidane looked at Kuja. Kuja looked at Zidane. Both took a deep breath.

"So… Um… You know, I really think I should be going," Kuja said finally. "I have been thinking about visiting Treno, seeing how my estates are doing… Yes, I think I will do that. Give you and Her Majesty some time alone…"

"Uh, but… Kuja, really, it's alright- I've been dead!" Zidane protested. (Why are you protesting? a voice in his head asked. He stole your girl, and now he's giving her back!) "Really! I haven't seen Dagger in a while… I'm sure we're entirely different people…"

"All the same, I really think I should give you two the time to find out-"

"But you got her first, really-"

"But Zidane, I insist-"

"No, I insist-"

"You're both idiots!" General Beatrix interrupted. "Please excuse me while I go tell Queen Garnet that neither of the two men in her life actually likes her."

"WHAT!" both Zidane and Kuja yelled. Beatrix smiled.

"You're arguing over who should take her. Clearly, neither of you two wants her. I'd better go tell her…"

"Ah, but… I know! General Beatrix, what are your thoughts on the matter?" Kuja asked. Beatrix smiled menacingly.

"Oh… Kuja, you are completely unacceptable. You are a psychotic murderer. But you already know that, don't you? And Zidane, you're also unacceptable. You're a thief, and you disappeared for three years. At least Kuja was here the entire time." Zidane blinked.

"So… You're saying…?"

"I think that Queen Garnet is being an idiot for considering either of you two, but since she is, I'll leave the decision to her." And with that, Beatrix walked off.

"Right… Kuja, um, not that I'm not happy to see you, but… What do we do?" Zidane asked. Kuja shrugged.

"I… I am not sure… Perhaps we could ask Dagger? Let her decide?" Zidane nodded, and the two headed off in the same direction Dagger had gone in.

"So… You call her Dagger, too?" Zidane asked, breaking an awkward silence. Kuja nodded.

"Yes. She asked me to. It had something to do with you, I think. Ah! There she is!"

"Oh! Um… Hello Kuja. Hello Zidane." Dagger started looking around again. "Are you two sure you don't want some more time to-"

"Dagger… It's really awkward with just him and me," Zidane interrupted. We… I really don't think that both him and me should be in the same place at the same time, but you know, we're both insisting that the other should… Er…" Zidane looked pleadingly at his brother.

"Dagger, if you want me to go, I will understand," Kuja said simply. "Just tell me."

0o0o0

Shoot! They want me to kick one of them out? But I can't! I can't possibly… Oh, but somebody has to, and I'll bet they've both tried to leave and get the other to stay with me. They're both so sweet!

But… I can't… Why would they make me decide? Oh, dear Eidolons…

0o0o0

Choose Zidane, choose Zidane, choose Zidane…

Oh, Kuja! Are you sure you don't want her to choose you?

No! She should choose Zidane! She's been miserable without him, and he isn't evil like me…

You liar! You want her to choose you!

No, I don't. Well, maybe… No! Bad thoughts!

0o0o0

Choose me, choose me, choose me… Wait, that's sorta selfish… Who cares? Oh, dear Eidolons, please choose me…

Although, really, I don't know how it would work out, what with some of the stuff I've seen while I was healing… No! Choose me! I didn't come all this way just to lose to him… Even though those two would probably get along better…

0o0o0

Dagger thought it over, but no matter how she thought about it, she always came to the same conclusion. Three years ago, she would have chosen Zidane. But then he 'died'. So she now liked Kuja, but Zidane was back, and… It was giving her a headache.

"Um… Do I have to tell you now?" Dagger asked. Kuja shook his head.

"No, of course not, take as long as you need! I'm sure-"

"Choose him," Zidane interrupted. Dagger stared at her long-time friend in amazement. Kuja gave Zidane a dirty look.

"Pardon?" Dagger asked. Zidane sighed.

"Look, while I was healing… I lied. It wasn't all the song. Part of it was that Garland's… soul? Is that what's left of him? Anyway, he came, and spoke with me and whatnot, and I've been thinking, and… I need to speak with the genomes. I've got to sort some stuff out. And I really don't think I could concentrate on anything else at the moment." Zidane felt… better. Yes, better. He didn't have to worry about anything but what he'd spoken to Garland about… He didn't have to worry about what Dagger would say…

"Are… Are you sure?" Dagger asked." Zidane nodded.

"Yeah. I dunno, Dagger… I've sort of grown up recently. Maybe another time, 'k?" Zidane then turned and walked off, thinking,

I hope I did the right thing…

0o0o0

"Um… Right. Kuja?"

"Hmm?"

"Now what?"

"I don't know. We could go watch the rest of the show?"

"Ok."

"…"

"Kuja?"

"Yes?"

"Do you… Do you, er, agree with what Zidane said?" Kuja thought about for a moment.

"Well… Of course I do! If he doesn't want you, then I have no choice but to do the smart thing and steal you for myself!" Dagger giggled. "Shall we return to the audience?"

If Zidane didn't want her… Zidane's loss was Kuja's gain.