Title: Second chances for an Angel of Death
Rating: R for language, and sexual content
Disclaimer: I do not own FF9 or any of it's characters. Yes there will be Yaoiness later. Beware- this chapter is REALLY freak'n long!
Chapter 8.
It was two days later since they had left Conde' Petie, and it was early morning. Another night of sleeping on the ground had been unpleasant as usual, but the two genomes had managed to survive some how. The sun was just coming up beyond the east plain, and it was difficult to travel with the sun in one's eyes.
Kuja sighed, wiping his brow with the sleeve of his shirt. It was too hot to be wearing what he was, which is why he had taken off his tunic. He just waned to get back to the Mist continent as fast as possible and not have to deal with any more humidity. At least the temperatures on the Mist continent were bearable. Then again, Kuja had lived on this particular continent in the first place, but then again he lived in his palace, which was cool most of the time not because it was concealed by magic, but because it was underground.
He looked to Zidane to see that the blonde was fairing rather well despite the heat. Then again Zidane wasn't wearing as much as Kuja was anyways. So the blonde was probably keeping cool that way. Either way, the platinum haired mage was hot. He just wished there was some way to cool himself down.
He wasn't sure why he chose their path this time. He wasn't positive on why he even choice this direction to begin with. It would have been faster had he gone the other way, but then again would it really have been all that much better? It might have been worse. He contemplated to himself on his decision. He was stuck with two choices he didn't like all that much. In his opinion, Kuja chose the worse of the evils. Zidane had seemed pleased with his decision though. So the mage couldn't complain too much.
He wasn't looking forward to what was ahead though, and Zidane knew that too. More or less Kuja was screwed either way, but he figured whatever got them to the Mist Continent faster was better. So… The most logical choice was obvious.
"Hey, Kuja… Look. It's just up ahead. We're almost there." Zidane said, pointing forward, turning to look at the mage with a smile on his face.
The older man looked ahead, blinking a bit. He squinted then nodded and sighed, wiping at his brow again. After a moment, Kuja grunted with major annoyance and threw his tunic down on the ground, and then pulled off the backpack with the items and set that down as well, stopping where he was, obviously irritated with the heat.
Zidane stopped, confused and turned to look at Kuja. " What are you doing?" He blushed when he saw Kuja pull his violet shirt up off over his head, rolling it up and shoving it into the bag, along with the leather tunic. He couldn't help but stop and stare, aquamarine eyes wandering over the older man's beautiful, willowy build, and perfectly graceful skin. Mid thought, he quickly looked away. " Your going to get a sun burn if you do that." Zidane retorted.
Kuja snarled, not wanting to have to argue at this point. " Shut your trap you lousy brat!"
Zidane blinked, jumping back a bit, not having expected such a lashing. "W-what? What'd I say?"
Kuja hissed a bit. " I'm hot and tired, and my feet are sore. I can do whatever I damn well please." Kuja looked around then sighed, standing where he was. He relaxed his entire body and closed his eyes, holding out his hands outstretched towards the sun.
Zidane was mildly confused at first, but his eyes widened as he watched Kuja begin to chant. Orbs of light began to form from the ground at Kuja's feet and small balls of light turned to bubbles as they began to rise. Zidane grew alarmed by this very quickly.
"Kuja! You shouldn't try to use your magic!"
Kuja's brow furrowed in annoyance as he glared at the blonde with his eyes closed, but for the most part he ignored Zidane. He winced as a sting of pain stabbed at his mind a little. It certainly was getting harder to use his magic that was for sure. It meant Zidane was correct in what he had said.
His eyes snapped open as he completed the spell, which had seemed so difficult to summon, and shortly afterwards a large orb of water appeared above Kuja's head- then suddenly dropped onto the Mage, showering him in almost a wave of cold water.
Gasping at first from the shock of cold water, he stood there, completely drenched, his ice blue eyes wide from the shock of such cold after such heat. He shivered a bit, then smiled, giggling to himself. He reached up, running his fingers through his long damp hair and purred, more or less happier with the success of his spell.
Zidane just stared blankly at the older man then chuckled shaking his head. He smiled weakly then and just stared at Kuja with gentle eyes. He just… couldn't take his gaze away for a moment. The way Kuja looked half dressed and drenched. He blushed a little and looked away finally after a moment and cleared his throat to get the other man's attention.
Kuja slung the backpack over his shoulder, leaving his shirt off for now, just enjoying the slight breeze against his cold damp skin. He walked over to Zidane, his damp hair falling into his eyes. Zidane looked over, and nodded sighing a little and shook his head. What will I do with you? Of course the blonde had to dismiss the question as an answer came just as quickly. More or less… What do I 'want' to do with you? Blushing, he continued walking, leading Kuja on.
"You shouldn't use your magic so casually-"
"Zidane, shut up."
The blonde didn't want another verbal assault so he kept his mouth shut for the most part. It was indeed Kuja's magic after all. The mage was going to have a harder time when he wouldn't be able to do anything. Kuja knew that as well as he did, but the blonde kept to himself and allowed the other to do as he pleased for now. What little he did have now, was all he had in the end, if nothing at all. He would let Kuja savor what abilities he had left.
The two continued on though, and after awhile Kuja began to get hot again. He would have tried another water spell, however he was feeling a little tipsy and weak from that last attempt. He probably wouldn't do that again for some time.
Looking again, the mage saw they were getting closer to their destination and sighed. His decision between the Black Mage village and Fossil Roo had been difficult, actually. He and Zidane had sat for a while and tried to figure out what would be the best choice of action.
Deciding he didn't want to be beaten and hung by the Black Mages and other Genomes, he also decided he wasn't ready to even deal with the prospect of atoning for his sins with them just yet. If it was anyone who deserved to deal with Kuja it was indeed the black mages. Then again, Zidane wasn't really ready to give Kuja up just yet.
Along the way, they stumbled across some monsters and Zidane decided they could earn a little extra Gil, and charged head on, taking out a few cactaur with a few quick slashes. This left Kuja only to stand there in awe. For the past few days, the two of them had managed to admire one another quite easily, learning new things the other hadn't known before. In a way they respected each other to some extent. However the eyes of both genomes seemed to wander along one another from time to time, which was creating an interesting tension between them at times.
Neither Kuja nor Zidane had mentioned what had happened in Conde' Petie, and that's the way it would stay, but the mage found himself wanting to bring it up again. He wanted to know how exactly Zidane felt? Kuja at first got the feeling of rejection… But every time they slept next to each other, or Zidane held him, the mage got the feeling the blonde was a little more willing that he was letting on.
This intrigued the mage. Kuja was always one who was up for a challenge, or to achieve the impossible. He was curious and he wanted to know how Zidane honestly felt. However he wasn't going to force the blonde into anything he didn't want to do… Kuja had that nagging curiosity at the back of his mind.
Finally they came to their destination, and Kuja sighed, looking at the entrance to Fossil Roo. He grimaced a little and sighed, then looked to Zidane. He was not looking forward to riding more Gargants.
"How safe, exactly, is this cavern passage?" Kuja asked, looking at the dug out entrance, which looked more like a cave than anything else. He didn't know if he could trust Zidane's word on this. He was sure the little spider monkey would climb through mud and slime just to save the world. Kuja on the other hand, wouldn't. Ha. Then again he did try to destroy the world, didn't he?
Zidane scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "After the Lifa Tree's roots went crazy, there might have been some cave-ins… I'm not sure. I do know for a fact it's a little more dangerous monster wise. Some mist might still exist down here, there for there are monsters. I want you to be very careful and follow behind me closely, okay?"
Kuja frowned a bit and looked at the entrance again, slipping on his violet shirt on over his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "Hmm… What if there was a cave-in and the tunnel is blocked completely?"
Zidane shrugged his shoulders. " Even if there was a cave-in, there are a lot of treasure hunters that hang around this area in general. You'd think they would have cleared the tunnel by now anyways. We can only hope for the best, I guess." Zidane slapped on that smile he was best known for, and usually got him into trouble. Marching ahead he began humming to himself.
Hesitant and doubtful, he heaved a sigh and followed Zidane down into the dark underground passageway….
They didn't get very far after they entered the cavern. Sure enough, the worst possible situation was a horrible reality. Perhaps worse than what Zidane had originally thought. Indeed the passageway had caved in. Except worse- it was flooded.
Standing near by was a crew of treasure hunters, blowing their hammers to the walls, trying to build a dam or bridge so they could at least get a little further in. One man was directing them, as other men were moving boxes and crates towards the entrance of the tunnel where Kuja and Zidane had just come from.
Kuja looked at Zidane, furrowing his brows.
Catching Kuja's glance, he turned and walked over to one of the men.
"Excuse me sir… What happened here?" The thief asked, his tail swaying from side to side.
The man in charge turned around and looked at Zidane. He was a gruff looking man with a hard helmet and a pick in his hand. He had what appeared to be silver teeth, which was completely odd, but Kuja brushed off the disgust he had just by looking at the large and rather greasy man.
"What do you think happened here? The walls began moving a few days ago and the ceiling caved in, and because the ocean is directly ahead, it flooded!" The man seemed annoyed with Zidane's lack of common sense, and to be so stupid as to ask 'what happened?'
Zidane flinched then sighed. " Is there any other way through to the Mist continent?" he asked, hoping, praying there was another way. He didn't want to have to back track all the way back to Conde' Petie to spend a night only to go to the Black Mage village to watch Kuja get slaughtered.
The man laughed. "Are you kidding? Just take one look and figure it out for yourself."
Zidane sighed, slumping his shoulders in defeat. It looked like they didn't have much of a choice. However Zidane looked up when the large man rubbed his stubbly chin in thought.
"If ya wanted to though, there's a cargo freighter just off the shore not far from here. The shore is about a 15-minute walk from here. Because of the cave in, we've had to ship as much of the treasure out as possible. Some of the things we've found down here are antique and we can't afford to have it damaged. We're just loading up the last of the Cargo now." The man said, scratching the back of his head.
Zidane and Kuja's eyes lit up almost instantly. Zidane nodded a bit and tilted his head to the side. "Where is it going?"
The man snorted shaking his head. " Your really dense. Old merchandise like this is only good on the Mist continent. Where else would we bring it!" It was apparent that the man was getting tired of Zidane's questions, and he himself was sweating from the heat.
"When is it leaving?" Kuja piped up.
"It'll be leaving in a little bit. If you hurry you might be able to catch a ride. There might be a fee, but you'll have to deal with the captain on that one." The treasure hunter chuckled heartily, but the noise he made, made Kuja wonder if the man would die from a heart attack.
"Thank you." Zidane turned to Kuja. " We'd better be on our way then, right?" Kuja simply nodded in agreement and the two headed out of the tunnel, rushing off in the direction towards the beach. It was good timing indeed. If they had decided to stay in Conde' Petie another day, they would have missed the chance and opportunity all together and would have wound up stuck on the outer continent.
Finally they came to the beach to see other men loading up a little cargo ship. Zidane sighed and then grabbed Kuja's hand, running with the mage towards the small ship. They saw another man ordering the others where to load the crates, and Zidane heaved a heavy breath when he caught up to the man and sighed, Kuja panting behind him.
The man turned around. This one was older and looked more like a captain, but he seemed to be pretty built for his age. Zidane gave the man a weak smile, releasing Kuja so the mage could throw up from being jerked around if he wished, and Zidane sighed.
"Are you the captain?" Zidane asked.
"Aye. That I am." He said, turning completely to face Zidane now, as the blonde had gotten his attention with all his hard breathing. He could tell the two had been running.
"Captain Sir, if you wouldn't mind… We need a ride back to the Mist continent. Since you happen to be going that way any ways… Would you mind just taking us with you? We don't necessarily care exactly where, we just need a lift. We've been traveling for days, and Fossil Roo is flooded. We have no means of transportation to get home. We're even willing to pay for the ride." Zidane explained, almost begging the man.
The older man rubbed his whiskered face in thought, as he looked Zidane over. He then looked at Kuja and quirked a brow, looking the mage over from head to toe. It was unusual to see someone so young with lavender tinted platinum hair. Not to mention so feminine and lush looking. Curious he looked to Zidane again and crossed his arms over his chest. "What're your names?"
Zidane blinked for a moment. " Oh. I'm Zidane Tribal… and this is…" He paused looking at Kuja. There was no way he could reveal who Kuja was. If anyone knew who he was by name, he definitely couldn't use the mage's real name.
"K." Kuja responded.
Zidane blinked at Kuja for a moment but went with it and nodded. "Yeah. This is my partner K." Zidane sighed with relief. It wasn't necessarily lying either. Way to go Kuja for using the first initial of his name. Zidane looked back to the older man in hopes they would allow the genomes a ride to the Mist continent.
The old man nodded some and waved his hand. " No problem. We just finished loading up the cargo, so feel free to board. However the ride doesn't come free. That will be 500 Gil." The old man said arching a brow.
Zidane's mouth dropped. " 500?"
The old man nodded some. "I got a crew and a family at home in Dali to feed."
Sighing, the blond pulled out the change pouch and dished out 500 Gil, and handed it to the man. The captain nodded and stepped aside, allowing Kuja and Zidane to board the little freighter. The captain's crew only consisted of two other men. Kuja was slightly disturbed when the man gave him suggestive looks, making the mage a little uncomfortable.
Zidane found a little area below deck where he and Kuja could spend most of their trip until they got to the Mist continent. He sat down on a crate, and stretched his arms, sighing a bit. Kuja was weary as it was and winced when he rubbed his shoulder. He pulled the collar of the shirt aside a bit and looked down. He indeed had gotten a bit of sunburn, just like Zidane had said.
"Geez… I think they ripped us off. That's 250 Gil per person. Most air-ship rides aren't even that expensive." Zidane griped his shoulders slumping a bit as his tail went limp at his side, the tip flickering ever so often.
Kuja shrugged a bit. " I'm more concerned about the crew. Zidane, did you even notice how they or the captain looked at me? Do you think they suspect something?"
Zidane shook his head. " I don't think so. I didn't notice anything odd either. Maybe your just imagining things. Then again, I don't blame you for being paranoid."
Kuja snorted in response and looked out the window. "It's not dark yet, but I'm tired." He positioned himself, leaning more comfortably against the wall, so if he decided to fall asleep he could.
Zidane nodded a little and sighed. " Yeah. Get some rest. Wouldn't be a bad Idea." He sat down on the ground beside Kuja's crate and laid out on the floor, yawning a little as he looked up at the older man above. "Well, sweet dreams then. I'll wake you when we get there." Zidane grinned cheesily, closing his eyes.
Kuja merely snorted and closed his own eyes, drifting off into a doze before actually falling asleep….
…
The sound of the crates creaking and the waves hitting the side of the small freighter woke the mage from his slumber. He coughed a bit and looked down seeing Zidane sprawled out on the floor, sleeping comfortably. He quirked a brow and sighed, shaking his head. He got up, careful not to step on Zidane and left the little room, walking up the stairs quietly up to the deck. He needed some fresh air, and stepping out to see the ocean might do him some good, or so he figured any ways.
Stepping out of the cabin, he stepped out onto the deck, sighing as the cool ocean air hit his senses. His eyes slid closed as he savored the peaceful breeze, reaching up and running his fingers through his long platinum hair. Looking around now, he walked over to the railing, looking out at the sea behind them. Curious to see where they were, he looked around and noticed that ahead of the little cargo ship looked at what appeared to be land. It was definitely the Mist continent and it wasn't that far off either.
Leaning against the railing, he smiled weakly, taking in the fresh air and the ocean tides rocking against the ship lightly. He had never been on an ocean ship before, and he could honestly say he found it relaxing. Then again when the Lifa tree still sprouted mist everywhere, the need for ocean travel wasn't necessary. Not with airships everywhere anyways. Also during the prime of his time, Kuja's silver dragon aided in much transportation. The need for ocean means was useless to him.
The mage furrowed his brows as his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the deck, and the added sound of malicious chuckling made a shiver run up his spine. He sensed two men stop behind him. He could feel a pair of eyes wandering over his body, and it made him tense.
Looking over his shoulder finally, his ice blue eyes seemed to narrow when the two crew members of the little ship stepped closer, almost trapping Kuja where he stood on deck. One man smiled almost sickeningly as he looked Kuja up and down.
"Say missy… How long has it been since you've had a good time?" The man's moustache was quite unattractive in Kuja's mind, and he shuddered in repulsion.
"Missy? Sir, I'm afraid you're mistaken; I'm not-" Mildly insulted that he had once again been mistaken for a woman, Kuja was cut off as the other man, a rather shorter, younger messy haired brunet, reached out to grab Kuja's ass with an oil greased hand.
"You're a real cutie. Bet you know how to work those hips, huh baby?"
Enraged at this point, Kuja's eyes narrowed into slits and the mage certainly had had enough. He shoved the one man away, ending up shoving the other man into the other crewman. Kuja glared coldly, backing away from the railing and backing towards the cabin.
"How dare you! You have any idea of who you're dealing with! I am NOT to be trifled with, you disgusting filth!" Kuja spat, sneering some. Never in his life had anyone so low or disgusting dared lay so much as a finger on him. The bristles of his tail flickered as he glared sharply at them. His entire body tensed. So enraged, to the point where the mage began trying to summon up enough energy to cast a thundaga spell.
However to Kuja's horror, the only thing he could muster was a few sparks of electricity. That was about it. His eyes went wide as he stared at his hands with mild horror. How could this be? During the most crucial time he needed his magic most it wasn't even possible. He inwardly cursed himself for casting a water spell earlier. Zidane had been right. He had used his magic carelessly.
The older of the men grumbled, pushing his partner away from him as he took a step forward. " What the hell was that? I'd watch that tone of yours missy. You might just hurt my feelings." The man grumbled, advancing forward again.
The younger nodded in agreement and chuckled. "Nice attempt at a thunder spell. Hey Luc, I think she's a mage in training. How sad… Can't even conjure up a spell to save her life. Ha ha…" The brunet sighed and shook his head. "Then again, I like 'em feisty." He licked his lips, also advancing forward.
Kuja's eyes widened in alarm as he took a couple steps backwards towards the cabin, his arms out in a defensive stance. What was he going to do? What were these men doing anyways? Do they mean to kill him or something? And on top of everything…
"I'm going to say it for the last time… I am NOT a woman!"
The two men stopped for a brief moment, seemingly confused for a moment. The brunet looked to the older man, twitching. "Is… she? He…. Serious? No way. Too feminine to be a dude."
The older man shrugged and smirked beneath his disgusting moustache. " Either way… I think the captain owes us a raise. These passengers didn't pay a whole lot to begin with anyways. We're just collecting our due. Man or woman- doesn't matter to me." He lunged forward and grabbed Kuja roughly by the arms, shoving him up against the railing of the deck, pinning him there.
Yelping, Kuja squirmed violently, trying to escape. It was no use however, he was weakened and too tired from all the energy he tried to pull just to summon that thundaga spell- which obviously backfired. Kuja winced in pain and let out a soft cry of agony as his body was pressed into the hard railing of the ship. It hurt painfully. Kuja had never in his life been put in the position of a victim before. It was degrading and it hurt, more than anything. He did not want these men to go on with their intentions.
Walking over, the brunet smiled, leaning over the mage and crushing his lips on the platnuim haired man's, smirking a bit as he bit down hard on Kuja's lip, biting down and drawing blood. This caused Kuja to scream loudly, however most of it was muffled in the back of his throat.
The larger man managed to grab both of kuja's wrists and pinned them behind his back with one of the larger man's hands, his other hand moving down to grope the mage. He fondled Kuja for a bit before discovering Kuja's correct gender.
"Hey… It is a guy. He wasn't lying. No matter. As long as he looks like a woman." The hand slid back up and tore at Kuja's lavender shirt, brutally tearing it open.
Kuja whimpered again, his body shaking now, trembling with fear. These men were going to rape him, and there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing. He couldn't use his magic and he couldn't scream for help. He was utterly helpless. His eyes slid closed as he felt himself on the verge of tears. However, no matter how much pain they brought on his weak and defenseless body, he would not cry. He was not going to give them the pleasure of his tears.
The brunet chuckled looking Kuja over, breaking away from his lips, licking at the blood. "What's wrong honey? Oh well. Don't feel too bad. I'm gonna make you scream so loud, you'll never be able to scream again…" He purred a sadistic smile twisting his face.
Just as the brunet reached for Kuja's pants, the bigger man went flying off the edge of the railing. He never knew what hit him. The brunet blinked stupidly looking over the railing to see his comrade splashing in the water, screaming, then spun around to see a glowing, very pissed Tanced Zidane.
Zidane's aquamarine eyes narrowed into slits, glowing as he raised his daggers. The brunet only heard the blonde scream before he hit the waters in a harsh splash, landing not more than 20 feet from the ship.
"GRAND LETHAL!"
Kuja fell to his knees, just staring up at Zidane in awe. So much strength and power… Kuja felt utterly powerless and pathetic compared to Zidane. He once had been so proud and powerful. Now he was degraded to practically subjecting himself to becoming a rape victim. Watching Zidane he leaned against the railing, his cheeks flushed and looking away. He couldn't make eye contact with Zidane. He was ashamed of himself. However the mage's attention was taken when the blonde walked over to him, dropping to his knees and placing both hands on Kuja's shoulders, pulling the older man's torn shirt closed and straightening Kuja's garments.
Zidane was still glowing and he smiled weakly at Kuja. " Are you alright?"
Kuja nodded meekly and sat there, shaking, not sure what to say or how to react. The whole experience since they had left the Lifa tree had been traumatic for the older man. He wasn't sure if he could handle any more stress.
Zidane seemed to notice this and stood, standing, the glow beginning to fade now. He left Kuja where he was, leaving the mage alone for a moment. He came back with Kuja's leather tunic and the backpack, and slipped the tunic over the platinum haired man's shoulders, and swung the backpack over his own shoulders. Zidane paused however when he heard puttering footsteps as the Captain had come to see what had happened with all the screaming. The Captain looked out over the railing and gasped when he saw his crewmates swimming after the ship.
Looking back at Kuja and Zidane with furry, the old Captain shook his fists. "What the hell- You two! Get the hell off my ship!"
Zidane blinked, his cheeks flushing. He quickly helped Kuja up to his feet. He looked back towards the Mist continent and notice they were several yards from shore. He looked to Kuja and grunted as the Captain came at them with his cane. He then grabbed Kuja's wrist.
"Looks like we're gonna have to swim."
Kuja's eyes bugged out. "W-what!"
Before Kuja could completely protest, Zidane Jumped over the edge of the railing, diving into the waters below, pulling Kuja down with him. He yelped and cried out " COLD!" but that wasn't really too surprising to the mage, because the water was indeed very much like ice.
It was difficult for Kuja to swim at first, because the shock of the cold water hit his body instantly, which sent him into violent shivers. However Zidane never failed to come to his rescue, and swam over to the mage, grabbing him and swimming directly for shore, not wasting a moment's effort.
Finally Zidane's efforts paid off, and he began dragging the mage up onto the shore. Kuja coughed violently, crawling now, his body soaking wet. He felt a little heavier, because of the leather he was wearing, but he managed enough strength to crawl up onto the beach, before finally collapsing, breathing heavily. Zidane managed to get to his feet in some miraculous way, and hugged himself, shivering harshly.
The blonde's survival skills managed to kick in however and he went to Kuja's side, shaking the mage slightly.
"Kuja, you have to stay awake okay? Try to move around if you can, otherwise hypothermia is going to set in. Whatever you do, don't close your eyes."
A little confused, Kuja groaned. "Hypo-what?" He couldn't help himself, as his eyelids began to grow heavy. He wasn't sure what was happening to him, but not only did he feel week, but the sudden blast of exhaustion from the last few days hit the mage, and they hit hard. His eyes fluttered for a moment and he groaned, before closing his eyes. "Rest… I just need a little rest." Kuja murmured.
Zidane shook him more this time. " Kuja! No! Don't close your eyes!"
However it couldn't be helped as the mage passed out, completely blacking out to the rest of the world….
…
End of chapter 8
Author's comments:
I'm beginning to wonder if I'm putting in way too much description. It's taken like… 8 frigg'n chapters just for Kuja and Zidane to get to Fossil Roo, and they still haven't gotten extremely frisky. Grunt what do you people think? I'm feeling bad for you guys because I don't want this to get too incredibly boring. I think in the next chapter I'll throw in a bit more friskiness.