Disclaimer: Final Fantasy does not belong to Sekugi. Aji and Kioku do. Yay.

Toxo-chan: Yeah…the whole short chapter thing was a one time deal. Promise. Glad ya liked the chapter and ACTUALLY REVIEWED! -glares around at other readers- WHY DOESN'T ANYONE REVIEW?…I'm gonna cry… ;.;

A/N: Dude, I totally lazed out on the last chapter's a/n and review replies…so, yeah, sorry 'bout that. Anyways, on with the story!

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Aji had stopped the airship in front of the giant light… atop Iifa's branches…

Kioku just stared at the bright orb, What have I gotten myself into?

"Ready?" Aji asked cheerfully.

Kioku turned towards him in shock, "What? No! I-"

Her words were cut off as Aji grabbed her wrist and dragged her with him as he jumped from the airship into the light. Kioku screamed as she was engulfed in the warmth of the light…

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Kioku quietly opens her eyes. The white light surrounding her gives her an eerie feeling.

"You don't deserve him…" a voice says calmly.

"Who are you?" Kioku asks in an emotionless voice.

"I am merely one who knows him better than you…" comes the reply.

"Him…? Kuja?"

"No…The one you long for secretly…I'll give you fair warning…Enjoy being near him…while you can…For, you see, I'll not allow it much longer…"

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Kioku jumped.

"You okay?" asked Aji, "You look kinda pale…"

Kioku smiled as best she could, "It's nothing. Just a nightmare…nothing more…"

She looked around and gasped. The stone building she now found herself in seemed so…familiar…

Aji shuddered, "Creepy place, huh? You think your uncle's here?"

"Yes. I'm sure he is…" she said hesitantly.

Aji laughed, "Way to sound sure of yourself, Kiki!"

Kioku glared at him. She closed her eyes.

"Kiki?" said Aji, "What're you doing?"

"Listening."

Aji stared at her, "For what?"

"His voice."

"Huh?"

Kioku silenced him with a glare. She concentrated on the memory of Kuja's voice. She could almost hear it still, deep, cool, yet it pierced the soul…

Aji stepped back in surprise as Kioku's horn began to glow. She opened her eyes and walked through the stone rooms of Memoria, pausing every once in a while to "listen."

Suddenly, Kioku stopped short and opened her eyes.

"What is it, Kiki?" asked Aji.

"I don't hear him anymore…I can't find him…" she replied.

"By the way, who is this uncle of yours?"

"Hmm?" Kioku said absently, "Oh…His name is Kuja."

Aji stared at her, "Are you serious?"

She turned to him, "Of course. Why?"

"Well…it's just hard that anyone would admit to being related to him."

"What do you mean?"

Aji looked at her in disbelief, "I mean with everything that he did, I would never even pretend to be related to him."

"Did? What are you talking about?"

"You mean you don't know?"

Kioku glared at him in annoyance, "What don't I know? Tell me!"

He turned away uncomfortably, "Kuja is the man who started war between the three great kingdoms! He's the one who destroyed Burmecia, Lindblum and Alexandria within one or two months! He was also part of the genocide campaign launched on the Burmecian people! Rumor has it he even destroyed an entire planet and attempted to destroy the universe!"

Kioku shook her head, "I-Impossible! It must be someone else!"

"There's no other person named Kuja that I know of."

"W-Well…you don't know everyone in the world, now do you?"

"Well, no, but-"

"There!" Kioku yelled, "Conversation over. There's only one doorway in this room other than the one we entered, so let's go!"

She stomped towards the doorway. Aji paused, then followed.

Just as Koku reached the doorway, a female voice, that seemed to come from the walls themselves, whispered, "Did I not warn you? Stand away from Aji right now!"

"Kaki?" asked Aji with obvious recognition.

Kioku turned to him, "Kaki? Who's Kaki?"

"Correct, Aji. Long time no see, huh?"

A woman materialized in front of the doorway. She looked slightly younger than Kioku with short brown hair and eyes.

She smiled at Aji, "You haven't visited me in a while. I'm disappointed."

Kioku stared at him, "You've been here before?"

Aji, his eyes wide with horror, shook his head, "No. She means I haven't visited her grave. Kaki died three years ago!"

Kioku looked at the transparent figure in her path and shuddered, "It's eerie, but I can't say I'm surprised. This is a castle made entirely of memories…"

Kaki glared at Aji, "Don't call me 'Kaki' anymore, it's Kakiko! You have no right to treat me like you still loved me when you haven't even left me flowers in so long!"

Those words stabbed at Kioku, "Y-You loved her?"

"Y-Yeah, well…You see we went out for a year," he said hastily, "but then she died! That's why I left Dali! It was only a year!"

Kakiko looked t Aji in shock for a moment, then a strange smile crept over her face, "So that's how it is, huh, Aji? You love this little creature now, don't you? I'm nothing now…a distant memory, is that it?"

A sword suddenly appeared in her hand, solid and threatening.

"I won't let this happen," she said slowly, "Either she dies, or you both die together!"

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A/N: Sigh…that took forever. These chapters are getting harder and harder to write. It makes me feel really bad when I make you readers wait, so gomen nasai.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!