A/N: Chapter five, yay! Lots of thanks to everyone who reviewed. And to Steeple333, yes, Jack was in the beginning of the game, now that you mention it! Totally, because if you ask him (as Vivi) if he's Alleyway Jack, he takes you to the tavern and teaches you how to play Tetra Master. Thanks for reminding me! Good on you! Anyway, enough of my blathering. On to chapter five.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kuja, Doctor Tot, the Four-Armed Man (or Alleyway Jack, as he's also known), or any other characters I may borrow. Technically, I own Claire, but other than that, everything else I'm using is on loan from Square Enix.
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Requiem for an Angel
a Final Fantasy IX fanfiction
by Wakizashi
Chapter Five: I Object!
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"He didn't look too pleased to see you," Jack pointed out astutely. Kuja shot him an irritated glance, and he held up two of his hands defensively. "Hey, I'm just sayin'. What do you need with Four-Eyes, anyway?"
Kuja's jaw tightened. "He has information that we need," he replied simply.
"We?" Jack blinked. "Ohh, you mean you and Claire." He snaked an arm around Claire's shoulder, and she flung it off distastefully. "And what'd you call him? Doctor Tot?" He frowned. "You didn't knock her up, did you?"
Kuja slid his eyes shut. "I'm already regretting not killing you," he said wearily.
"So why don't you just break the door down?" asked Jack, oblivious to Kuja's quickly shortening temper. "If you need to talk to him, don't take no for an answer. That's what I do."
"Obviously," Claire said dryly. "But he does have a point, Kuja. We came all this way to talk to this guy. We can't just give up because he doesn't want to see us." She pounded on the door with her fists, causing a group of birds nearby to flutter off. "Doctor Tot!" she shouted. "Please, let us talk to you! We need your help!"
"Ooh, baby, she don't take nothin' from nobody," said Jack with a grin, folding two of his arms over his chest. "Mmm! I could really fall for a girl like that."
"It just occurred to me how very close to the water you're standing," Kuja observed calmly. "One slight push is all it would take."
"All right, all right." He inched slowly away from the ledge. "Sheesh."
"Doctor Tot!" Claire yelled, banging on the door. "Please, just listen! It's very important!"
The door abruptly swung open, and she nearly fell through. The little bespectacled man looked up at them coolly. "You have ten seconds to vacate my property, and then I am going to alert the authorities to your presence," he said.
"No, please don't," Claire replied beseechingly. "Please, just give us five minutes, and then if you still want us to leave, we'll never bother you again."
Doctor Tot peered mistrustfully up at her through his glasses. "My dear young lady," he said, sounding indescribably tired, "if you can give me one good reason why I should let that man into my home--" He pointed accusingly at Kuja. "Then I will listen to you."
Claire turned to Kuja, looking for inspiration, and he shook his head hopelessly. "Because..." She bit her lip and turned back to Tot. "Because he saved my life. Twice."
"He did?" Tot raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Kuja?"
She nodded. "First in a sandstorm, and then when I was attacked by a mugger." She shot a glare at Jack, who smiled sheepishly.
Tot gazed up at her for a long moment, deliberately not looking at Kuja. Finally his shoulders sagged, and he stepped back to allow them inside. "Five minutes."
"Thank you," she said in relief. They stepped into the foyer and followed the little man as he began to climb up a long set of winding stairs. As Kuja fell into step beside Claire, he slipped his hand tentatively into hers.
---
They reached the top of the stairs and found themselves in a cavernous observatory, and in the middle of the room was a giant globe of Gaia. There was a gaping hole in the side of it, and inside was placed a telescope. Countless books lay scattered everywhere, all dog-eared and well-thumbed. Jack looked around, his restless, kohl-rimmed eyes taking in any objects that might be worth stealing.
Doctor Tot pulled up a long workbench for Claire to sit on, and she thanked him. Kuja sat down beside her, and Jack, having nowhere to sit, sighed and took up his place in a corner.
"Now," Tot prompted, adjusting his glasses. "What was so important that it justified nearly breaking down my door?"
"Maybe I should talk," Claire said to Kuja, and he nodded. She took a deep breath. "My name is Claire Giovannucci," she said slowly, "and I'm from another planet."
Jack's head shot up. "Say what?"
"I... beg your pardon?" Tot asked, flustered.
"I know that sounds crazy," Claire continued, "but it's the absolute truth. I'm from a planet called Earth, and through some force I don't understand, I was brought to Gaia. I met Kuja on the Outer Continent, and he told me that he had heard of Earth. He said..." She swallowed hard and tried again. "He said that it was destroyed long ago by a madman, in the year 2006 by our calendar. And when I left Earth, it was already 2005."
"Man," Jack said softly, shaking his head. "That's some serious stuff."
There was a silence as Doctor Tot processed this information.
"We came to you because Kuja thought you might know a way to get back to Earth," said Claire. "We have to stop this man, whoever he is, before he destroys my planet and everyone in it." She took another deep breath. "Will you please help us?"
Tot still said nothing.
"Hey, buddy, you're takin' up our five minutes," Jack pointed out.
"It is true that there was once a planet called Earth," Tot said suddenly. "But anyone could easily obtain that information, as long as he knew where to look. How do I know you're telling the truth?"
Claire stood up and opened her purse, digging around in it. "If you know all about Earth, then you'll know that we're technologically advanced." She pulled out her cell phone and handed it to him. "See for yourself."
The little scholar held the object up to his face, astonished. He adjusted his glasses again. "What is it?" he asked, looking at it more closely.
"A cellular telephone," she replied. "When I'm on Earth, I can use it to talk to anyone else who has one. Anyone on the entire planet."
Jack's eyes glittered covetously. "Wonder how much I could get at the auction house for that thing." A quick glare from Kuja shut him up.
"Look, you can ask me anything about Earth," Claire persisted. "I live there, so I should know all about it."
Tot shook his head. "That won't be necessary," he said, his eyes still glued to the cell phone. "No one on Gaia could ever invent something as technologically sophisticated as this." He handed it back to her, and she put it back in her purse, keeping a careful eye on Jack. "Somehow, I feel that you are telling the truth."
Kuja blinked in surprise. "Does that mean you will help us?"
Tot stared at him disdainfully for a moment, then directed his response to Claire. "However, just because I believe what you are telling me, that doesn't mean I've agreed to assist you." Claire opened her mouth to protest, but he shook his head. "Think of what you are asking, my dear. You are proposing that I aid this man, who has already proven himself to be a dangerous fiend on this planet, in reaching another planet where he might do even more harm. Why would I wish to be responsible for such a thing?"
A dangerous fiend, Claire thought, gazing at the man sitting beside her. She sighed in frustration. "I don't know what Kuja did to make everyone hate him so much," she said quietly, almost to herself. "And honestly, I don't care if I ever find out. All I know is, he's helped me come all this way. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't even know Earth was in any danger. He didn't have to help me. But he did." She smiled slightly at him. "Even if he's not the friendliest person around, I can tell he's sincere."
A shadow of a smile touched the corners of Kuja's lips.
In his corner, Jack snorted. "How touching," he muttered. "The angel and the demon."
"Oh, shut up!" Claire snapped in annoyance. "You don't have to be here, you know. You're free to leave any time, if you get my drift."
Doctor Tot began pacing the observatory, shaking his head. "One does not simply tamper with the past," he said darkly. "Even if you succeed in preventing Earth from being destroyed, you would be changing the course of history. Perhaps your planet was meant to suffer this tragedy. It is not up to us to alter the past."
"But the past is my present!" Claire cried desperately. She rose to her feet and faced the doctor. "Those people on Earth... They're not just people. They're mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters. They're elderly people, they're children. They're my family and friends! I can't just let them all die!"
Tot sighed. "Miss Giovannucci--"
"No, let me finish!" She pulled her wallet out of her purse and flipped it open. "Those are my parents," she said, pointing to one of the pictures. "Their names are Stan and Marcie. My dad likes to go fishing with his co-workers every year, and my mom makes the best pasta on the east coast." She flipped forward. "This is my little brother Richie. He's only eleven, but he's gonna grow up to be a firefighter. Look at him!" Tears pricked her eyes, and she blinked them quickly back. "This is my family! Are you going to make me turn my back on my family?"
There was a long silence. Claire felt her heart pounding in her chest as Tot stared up at her. Kuja looked down at his boots, and even Jack didn't dare to speak.
Finally Tot spoke. "Of course not," he said softly. "I would never do that."
"Then..." Claire swallowed. "Then you'll help us?"
He smiled. "I will help you."
Claire found herself laughing uncontrollably in pure relief. She bent down and hugged the little scholar, crying "Thank you, thank you!" over and over again. By this time Kuja was on his feet, and she embraced him tightly as well. Flushing in embarrassment, he patted her back awkwardly.
She felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned around to see Jack standing with all his arms spread wide. "Well?" he said, his eyebrows raised in expectation. "What about me?"
Rolling her eyes, she took one of his hands and shook it politely. "Shot down," he said mournfully, hanging his head.
---
"Years ago," began Tot as he walked across the catwalk that circled the giant broken globe, "back when I was tutoring Queen Garnet, I discovered a book in the libraries of Alexandria Castle." They watched from below as he stepped inside the globe and started rummaging around. "Among other things, this book told of an island in the ocean between the Outer and the Lost Continents. It was said to be inhabited by vicious monsters, and it was very rare for someone to make it back alive."
"I already don't like the sound of it," Claire muttered under her breath.
"The author claimed to have visited this island with a colleague, and said it was rather large," Tot continued. "It had a forest, and a tall mountain. His colleague, unfortunately, did not return, but--"
"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute," Jack interrupted, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're not talkin' about Vile Island, are you?" There was a distinct tone of dread in his hoarse, scratchy voice.
Tot emerged from inside the globe and blinked owlishly through his glasses. "Why, yes, I believe that was the name," he replied. "But how did you know that, young man?"
Jack folded two of his arms. "Hey, I'm not as stupid as you think," he said defensively. "I've been all over Gaia. I've heard lots of stories. I know all about Vile Island. I know all about the flesh-eatin' beasts that live there, and how impossible they are to kill. Anyone crazy enough to go there deserves to die, and rid the world of their idiocy."
"I'm sure what you say is true," said Tot thoughtfully, resuming his search. "But there was something about this island that attracted the author's attention. Ah, there you are." He came out of the globe, carrying a book under his arm, and climbed down the ladder. "You see, the author was an expert on the subject of portals and gateways. In fact, his theory that the Shimmering Island near the Lost Continent was a portal to another realm proved to be correct, if I'm not mistaken." He cast a quick glance at Kuja. "But as I was saying, the author also believed there was a portal to another planet on Vile Island."
Claire swallowed. "And you think that this portal on this... monster-infested island might lead to Earth?" she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
He held up the book for her, and she read the title aloud. "'Some Observations on the Existence of Unknown Planets'."
"The author speaks of a legend told by wise men of Esto Gaza, that tells of a portal to a planet filled with strange machines and tall buildings," said Tot, reading from a passage. "A portal at the base of a high mountain, guarded by fearsome creatures. That sounds a great deal like our Vile Island, does it not?"
"Strange machines and tall buildings," Claire repeated with a shiver. "That sounds a great deal like Earth, too."
Jack waved his arms wildly in objection. "B-But, y-you're not," he stuttered, "you're not seriously considerin' goin' to this death hole, are you? You'd have to be insane!"
Claire turned to him, her hands on her hips. "What else do you suggest, genius?" she asked impatiently. "If we don't at least give it a try, how else are we going to get back to my planet in time to save it? We don't have any other options."
"Hey, what's with this 'we'?" he said in a high, strained voice. "I never said I was goin' with you guys! You want to get yourself killed, that's your problem. I don't want anything to do with this hare-brained plan."
Kuja turned his icy eyes on the redhead. "Do you recall either of us saying we wanted your company in the first place?" he asked coldly. "The only reason you're with us at all is because you're blackmailing me into taking you to Alexandria. Once we get there, I couldn't care less what you do. You can throw yourself into the harbor, as far as I'm concerned."
"There's no need to be snippy," Jack said obstinately. "I may be blackmailin' you, but at least I don't talk to you like that. In fact, I haven't done anything to make you act like such a jerk."
Claire sighed irritably. "Come on, you guys..."
"Oh, no?" Kuja's pale eyebrows shot up incredulously. "If I remember correctly, we made your acquaintance when you held us up and threatened to slit Claire's throat. So forgive me if you are not my favorite person at the moment."
"Hey, how was I supposed to know who you were, or where she was from, or why you guys were in Treno?" Jack retorted defensively. "I'm not telepathic. Besides, that's all in the past. I thought that was what you wanted; to put bad memories behind you." He smiled innocently. "Or do you want Claire to know the truth about you?"
Kuja's eyes flashed dangerously. "Mark my words, you little insect--"
"Knock it off, both of you!" Claire shouted. They turned to her, surprised. "Every second you keep fighting like a couple of children is one more second wasted!"
The two glared at each other, but both fell silent.
Claire turned to Doctor Tot, who had watched the argument with raised eyebrows. "Doctor, I can't thank you enough for your help," she said. "But this Vile Island... It isn't sounding too good to me. I mean, I've never even gone hunting in my life. How am I going to defend myself against the most vicious monsters on this planet?"
"I will teach you," Kuja said simply.
"You will?" she said, taken aback. She looked at him skeptically. "I don't know if that'll work. I mean... look at me. I'm just barely five feet tall, and about as big around as a stick of spaghetti. I'm not strong enough."
"Then I will train you in battle until you are strong enough," he persisted. "True strength has nothing to do with physical prowess. And in time, you will see that you have a strength inside you that you never knew you had."
"But..." She swallowed uneasily. "What if I don't?"
In response, Kuja took her hand in his. "Then I shall protect you," he said earnestly.
Jack snorted disdainfully, but said nothing.
Tot turned toward Kuja, his eyes solemn behind his thick glasses. "See that you do," he said quietly.
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A/N: Well, there you have it. Vile Island. I myself have been there only twice – once just to see what it was, and the second time to find the last Friendly Monster. I'm pretty sure I nearly died both times. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter. It was fun to write, especially the parts with Kuja and Jack bickering. Oh! Before I forget, I drew Jack! I would give you the link, but a certain website won't let me paste it here. (this one) So if you want to see it, just e-mail me, and I'll be happy to give you the link. And while you're there, if you happened to leave me a comment, I would be ever so happy. Meanwhile, off I go to work on chapter six. Don't forget to review!
-Wakizashi
