Starting Over

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 9 or Kuja, but Gallery is an exception.

Chapter 3: The Lessons to the Puppet

Yesterday was an unforgettable day; it was a disaster. Kuja entered the dinner hall and sat down to eat breakfast. Just a moment ago he told Gallery to make him breakfast. By now an hour passed and Kuja's face began to show signs of impatience and concern. After all, making breakfast is a simply task; only about fifteen to twenty minutes are needed, but here he was, Kuja upon his chair with nothing on the dinner table. He felt his stomach bubble and stir with animosity. He slightly slumped down in his chair to muffle the angry growls of his stomach. Now, now, I must be patient. It is her first time making breakfast I must give her some time to make it.

Another fifteen minutes passed and Kuja's rich and milk like skin grew sour, his fist clenched he gave the table a beating, "Gallery! Just bring me out what you have!" The young servant rushed out of the kitchen her footsteps a cacophony to Kuja's ears. Gallery bowed low and placed a plate of food before him. Kuja looked at it in disgust, "What is this?" Gallery fumbled through her pockets and pulled out a cook book. Kuja read the cover with his eyes and opened up the book to the page with a bookmark placed inside. Egg omelet, she was trying to make egg omelet…. Kuja looked at the dish on his table and flinched somewhat as he saw the egg not fully cooked and the burnt borders of the egg. How did she manage to have the egg uncooked, but the borders are fried!

Gallery stood by Kuja's side and waited for him to eat the food. Kuja gulped the saliva formed in his mouth and pushed the plate away, "Gallery, how many times did you try to make the egg omelet?"

Gallery shook her head. Kuja's head drooped down, and a few hair strands were able to slip from behind his ears and blurred his eye sight as he silently entered his world of thinking.

Ah, yes, I forgot she couldn't talk. The only way to communicate with my voiceless puppet is by sign language, and unfortunately she doesn't know sign language. I have to teach her. Who knows when I can actually start my plans (sigh) very well, I will momentarily delay my plans. Patience is a virtue. Well, now I should not be infuriated over another small setback.

Kuja smile at his servant and flicked his hair back, "Gallery, thank you for making this egg omelet for me, but I am not so hungry right now. I am not hungry for food, but I am hungry for revenge! You are going to help me do that. The first step in doing so is to teach you how to communicate." Gallery looked at Kuja and nodded showing that she understood.

Kuja gave a forced smile Oh dear me, she doesn't even know what I am saying does she? I feel like I am talking to a little baby! Kuja gestured Gallery to follow him as he took many turns to the left of many different rooms and finally they reached a library. Smaller than his original one, but there was enough books to keep one occupied for at least five years. Kuja picked up a book in the "S" row and flipped through the ancient pages delicately and stopped at a certain page.

"Gallery, today is where your lessons begin. From now on, every time I talk to you it will mainly be in gestures. Understand what I want from you?" asked Kuja. She nodded. "Good. This is "A." Kuja curled his hand into a fist-like shape. Gallery imitated him. "That is good, we won't be using the alphabet much, but it is good to know the basics first." Kuja made another sign, his four fingers shot up only his thumb lay in the center of his palm, "This is not four, but "B." Do you understand so far?" Gallery nodded. Kuja continued to teach her the basics of sign language until it was noon. Gallery knew what all the letters looked like, but it took her some time to form the letters on her own fingers.

Kuja shut the book closed and returned it back to where it belonged, and felt his stomach burn and cry for food to dissolve. Gallery heard the rumbling sound and slowly spelled out a question: "Are you hungry now?" Kuja cleared his throat and answered her, "Yes, but try not to make egg omelet again. Make something simpler and less likely to burn if you wait too long." Gallery bowed low and left.

Kuja yawned tiredly, his hand behind his back. Today was not a waste. If she continues to make good progress then things would actually go as planned. Strange, I was sure I saw her feel last night. I was very sure those empty eyes were not empty, but today she seems to be that mindless puppet again. Oh my, why haven't I seen that before? Of course her feelings would not develop so rapidly, I probably only saw what I wanted to see in her last night, or was it the night that dimmed my vision, or perhaps it may have been my anger that blinded my sight. Whichever it may be, I was a fool to think that she would feel anything in a few days notice. My thinking is not what it once been due to that near-death experience. I don't want to ever feel that again. Never…again….

Sorry, about not updating...something happened to my computer.