Disclaimer: Guys, seriously! I DO NOT own Final Fantasy IX! END OF STORY!
Mirai Maxwell: As promised. You are my first mention of chapter…whatever this is. Yaaay! Parties for MM I'm glad you like my story! Keep reviewing!
Toxo: I already sent you a message, didn't I: P (understatement of the year award) Oh well, I like to respond to everybody who reads my story and show those who read but don't review that they should! Of course I don't see how responding does that but…
Rushi-chan: Okay Rushi-chan… Yes I remember the equation, and I gave Kioku-chan a guy didn't I? YOU NEED TO BE MORE FRIGGIN' PATIENT! You can't rush the LUV! Also, in case you didn't notice by the little message after you review…IT TAKES A WHILE FOR ME TO GET THE REVIEW! So stop asking me at school if I get your reviews because I'll tell you if I do! Geez!
A/N: Okay! Da peeps want humor, so humor I shall try to give them. (Aji's supposed to be a bit of an...erm…interesting character) Oh! FYI a I like to name my personal characters after foods! Suika means watermelon, and Aji refers to a type of fish. Kioku is different because I couldn't find any food names that fit the character so I gave her the name Kiokuko, or "memory child". Faris, Relm, and Sabin are names from previous games, which were the kinds of names I had decided upon for the genomes. Faris-FFV, Sabin-FFVI, Relm-FFVI, both of which I have started but haven't beaten…yet. (FF V is friggin' hard to the X-TREME!)
Anyways, STORYNESS TIME!
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"So!" said Aji cheerfully, "What can I do for a young lady such as yourself, Miss Kiki?"
"I need to get to Lindblum. Can you get me there in a reasonable amount of time?"
The boy burst out laughing, "You got no clue where you are, do ya?"
"No…Why?"
"We're about a two minute flight from Lindblum, miss!"
"Oh…" Kioku replied, "Well…I…I don't want to be noticed, so…"
The boy smiled (as if he'd ever stopped), "Hence the hood, I'm guessin'? Ah well, I'm sure I can do it. Done it before anyway. Basically, unless you are a complete and utter idiotic moron, I can get ya in. Simple as that."
Kioku nodded in thanks and sat down with a sigh. It was amazing how this boy could say all that with
"Hey, Miss Kiki!" Aji said, "Ya look kinda tired there. Tell ya what, when we get to Lindblum, I'll set the Ryu down so you can rest. I'll wake ya up at some point."
"'Ryu'? I thought she was the 'Ryu Chikara'."
"Yeah, well it's kinda tough ta run around saying 'Ryu Chikara' all the time, don't ya think?"
"I suppose…"
The more she talked to this…Aji boy…the more confused she got. Everything from his simple speech to his simple manner of dress…it all intrigued Kioku.
"By the way, Miss Kiki," He said, interrupting her thoughts, "What's really beneath the hood?"
Kioku turned and didn't respond.
"A horrid disfigurement?" the pilot suggested, "Disgusting, oozing rash? Ugly scars? A pretty face that doesn't want to be seen by the likes of me?"
She looked at him. How could this one boy be so rude?
"Monster? Talking animal?……An alien? Come on, show me!"
"I think," Koku said firmly, "You should show me to a room where I can sleep. I've had a long, long day."
The boy shrugged, "One of these days the mystery shall be revealed. 'Til then you sleep down the hall, third door on the right. Good night, Miss Kiki."
At least he still calls me "Miss Kiki," Kioku thought bitterly, but of all ships…why this one?
Kioku sat down heavily on the bed of her room, door locked. She could feel excitement welling up inside her. She had never been allowed into the city of Linblum itself, just the castle where she'd spent many a day wandering the nearly endless halls. What was Lindblum like?
Images of what it must look like flashed through her head as she slowly drifted into sleep…
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"Okaasan..?"
Suika looks up. Instead of flames, she sees...blue. Blue walls, floors, furniture…even the clothing she is wearing is blue. She stands and looks at the plain looking two piece skirt.
"Nani…? D-Doko…"
The blue door opens and in walks a boy about her age. He has red, feathered hair held back in a neat ponytail and a reddish-brown tail swinging behind him. His crimson eyes stare at her for a moment.
"Oh!" he says, "You're awake!"
Suika moves back, "Nani? Gomen nasai…Wakarimasen."
"Oh no…you speak a different language…this'll be kind of tough…"
"Madain Sari wa…doko desu ka?"
"Huh?"
Suika frowns. This is going nowhere fast.
She points to herself, "Suika."
The boy nods in understanding and points to himself, "Locke."
"…Locke…" Suika repeats.
Locke stretches his arms out, "Terra."
Suika stares in confusion. Locke sighs and takes her arm. He gently pulls her through some blue hallways. He finally leads her into a small, empty room.
He smiles at her and raises his right hand as it begins to glow.
Suddenly, to Suika's amazement, two small planets appear before them. One is all a shimmering blue, the other was green and blue. Suika points to the green and blue one.
"Gaia!" she says excitedly, "Gaia!"
Locke nods and points to the other, "Terra."
He then spreads out his arms again, "Terra."
Suika looks around, finally understanding, "Te…Terra…?"
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Kioku opened her eyes. She shuddered. She hadn't had a dream like that in so long…At least Suika was okay…but who was she…?
There was a knock on her door, "Miss Kiki? Are ya awake?"
She rubbed her eyes. He didn't act it, but he seemed so polite when he wasn't poking fun at her. He had knocked, and he'd called her Miss Kiki…and most importantly, he didn't question her…
"Miss Kiki." Aji said again as if coaxing a cat out of a tree.
Kioku frowned, "I'm up. What is it?"
Maybe he wasn't so polite.
"Well," he said simply, "It just so happens that we are currently sitting right inside Lindblum's airship dock."
Kioku sighed happily, "I'll be just a minute!"
"Make sure it's not too long a minute."
"Whatever do you mean by that?"
"Listen, Miss Kiki, I've met plenty of girls in my eighteen years of life. One minute of getting ready for some means four hours of sitting outside a closed door in complete boredom. Some would argue that this is done by only a few women, BUT NO! It's all of 'em! It's like there's a magnet in every girls room that just keeps her in there for elongated periods of time. Someday, I will find out why. First I gotta get me a girlfriend, though."
Kioku listened with one eyebrow raised. Was this boy serious at all?
She decided to change the subject as she got ready, "So you are eighteen?"
"Yeah." he said through the door, "How 'bout you? How old are you?"
"Sixteen."
"I see…Where're ya from…or is that too much to ask?"
"I'd rather not talk about it." she said firmly.
"Okay, okay. No need to be sour."
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Well where are you from?"
He seemed hesitant to answer, "Small town called Dali. Boring place really…mostly a hick town…"
"Dali? I believe my father has been there!"
The cheer had left Aji's voice. "Dunno why he'd want to…"
Kioku stared at the door, "Why do you hate your hometown so?"
"I told ya it's boring."
"But what of your family? Don't they miss you?"
"Doubt it."
"What do you mean?"
He paused, "…You ready yet?"
"Y-Yeah, I suppose…but what about-"
"Okay then!" Aji said, sounding as cheerful as ever, "Let's head on out!"
Kioku watched him carefully as they walked into the great city, as if watching him would give her all the answers to her questions. How was it that a boy cheerful talking about oozing rashes, and seem upset when his hometown, something that should bring him blissful memories, was so much as mentioned?
She made a mental note to find out one day, but all thoughts of Aji left her as she stared in wonder at the city of Lindblum.
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A/N: Finally finished this chapter! Geez, it seemed like this one took forever!
OMG! Suika returns! And what's up with Aji? Will he ever learn to be polite? I don't quite know! All I know is I've changed this a lot from it's original format…a hell of a lot…
Tell me what you think of the character Aji, please. I'm wondering whether or not to keep the character the way he is or change him…
I await your reviews. SO REVIEW, DAMN YOU! Ahem…sorry about that…but it's so simple. If you hate it, press the review button and type "you suck." If you like it, do the same, except type "Love it" and maybe add other compliments or answers to questions of mine. See? Simple. So why are you still reading this? DIDN'T I JUST TELL YOU TO REVIEW? WELL?