Starting Over

Dislaimer: I beg of you! Don't give me any credit, because I don't own Final Fantasy IX.

Chapter 4: The Learning Continues

A few days passed after that horrible incident of the charred and uncooked egg omelet. Kuja paced about the dinner table room in the early chill of the morning. His head low and his face once again wrinkled in thought. The dinner table room he was in consisted of a slightly long table that was at least three feet in width and perhaps about four to five feet in length. The walls stretched from corner to corner were exactly 6 yards. A very small room compared to one of the rooms in Kuja's original mansion (the mansion he cannot return, because this may cause commotion if anyone found out he was alive). A familiar sound reached his ear, and he quickly recognized the sound to be his loyal servant, Gallery. A strange name indeed, but possibly the most intriguing name if anyone were to hear such a name.

Gallery curtsied instead of bowed since she wore a dress. And presented to him a new dish she practiced on for hours for the past few days. It was not an egg omelet, but pancakes freshly made with real flour and eggs not pancakes louts would generally make from those pre-made pancakes that come in boxes. Kuja sat down, straightened the folds of his clothing and received the pancakes with great hunger. He took hold of a fork and knife that was on the table for some time now and began cutting small slice that would easily fit in his mouth. His servant stood upright by his side, only every few minutes would she lower her neck and back to monitor Kuja eat the pancakes that she worked hard to make.

Kuja never liked to involve his inner thoughts to take the delight in eating away, but his thoughts always seem to find a way to penetrate through his walls of pleasure and joy and melt his face into supreme anger and hostility. He had so much to do and so little time. In making Gallery should have made his revenge easier, but it did not at all. She had so many flaws, but was loyal to Kuja, very assiduous and malleable enough to be used for his purposes. Kuja battled the thoughts that sought to drive him into insanity. The decision whether to carry out the revenge plan now or wait a while longer so the chances of succeeding is more determined. There was no choice was there. Gallery is not ready yet, she improved much in many areas, but still not ready to carry out the perfect revenge plan. There was no choice, but to delay some more until Gallery has perfectly matured and learned all the abilities necessary.

Kuja finished the last sliced piece of pancake and pushed the plate aside and Gallery immediately took the plate and went about her usual tasks. Kuja dropped his head onto his overlapping fingers and stared at the wall across him. The rugged texture of the walls sort of irritated him; no style whatsoever. But that wasn't important, what was important right now was to teach Gallery some more sign language and review what she had already learned. It was a good thing that Gallery had previously obtained the ability to read when he created her. He didn't know how exactly she already knew, but it was a good thing that she mastered it. He sighed as he imagined how his revenge would be like. The begging screams of forgiveness, the cries of anguish, and of course the pleas for mercy.

He shook his head as he snapped back into reality I must stop wasting time and begin teaching. He called for and as soon as she came he began teaching her. He taught her how to indicate her name and how to greet someone properly. This was one of the basic gestures of sign language and Kuja wasn't so sure she was going to need since she wasn't going to do the talking, but it was best to be prepared just in case it was needed. Kuja cleared his throat and struck down his palm with his index finger to begin forming a question. He asked her silently, "What is 'I leave'?" Gallery's hand pointed to herself showing "I" and then her both her hands are stretched out to the left and they withdrew from that position to show "leave." Kuja applauded her and gave her another one to perform. Her memory worked quickly as she answered him successfully once again. Kuja gave her a few more warm ups and decided to advance to the next lessons.

The day wore on as Kuja taught her more sign language that should be useful for communication between them.

Tired, Kuja dismissed her to get him a drink. He stood in the center of the dinner room and tried to remember something that was in a way important. And then it struck him. Why, yes of course they were low on food supply and the need to go out of that cave to get more must be done soon. Kuja can easily leave his puppet here and go get more food, but then he can't risk her leaving here by herself. Who knows what sort of things she would do without his guidance, worse tourist or those pathetic treasure hunters might pass by and decide to take her if they find out there was no treasure chests in this cave. He nibbled onto his lower lips, and thought. This is not good. From the looks of it the food will last for about four more days. I can bring Gallery with me, but it may cause some bedlam at her similar appearance to me. The only way is to double the amount of lessons I give to her and start my plan on the fourth day to the supermarket. Yes, I can do that or pray that some food merchant comes by here selling food worthy for me to eat. I must prepare for tomorrow's lesson, but for now I will see if she still remembers the techniques I taught her when in battle.

Kuja walked silently to the kitchen and gazed at his puppet with passionate eyes. Every time he stood near her in this reigning silence he felt the need to hold her. After all she was made so he would be attracted to her and greater still, to carry out all his evil plots. She is his messenger, not the dark angel of death or life, or whatever Garland called it. A messenger that had a much longer life span than Zidane and the black mages and intelligence that Zidane will never understand. In a way her beauty may surpass that of Queen Garnet, but most unlikely. To be sure Gallery has immense power, and those who judge her by appearances may fail to see how wrong they really are.

Gallery unaware of his presence continued to work diligently: wiping the wet sink, sweeping the floor clean, and mopping until there were no more spots left to mop. Only then did she notice him there when she needed to clean the doorknob of the door. She paused, slowly, stared at him with her empty eyes. Kuja followed her gaze and smiled, "Gallery, that's enough. Time for real work. I expect you still remember how to take down a foe accordingly."

Gallery nodded and applied her knowledge of sign language to answer Kuja. His smile broadened as he caressed her cheek approvingly, "Good, that's what I wanted to see." He took her by the hand viewing now not as his servant, but as a true lady. He led her outside of the concealment of the cave and outside and into the green fields. This was their training grounds. Kuja let go kindly and said apologetically with a bow, "I am drastically sorry Gallery for this rustic environment, but I promise you one day you will be in a better training grounds. One more suitable for you and I, but for now this will do." Gallery not sure why he was apologizing, nodded in reply. She still could not feel like a regular human being, but she should be able soon. Day by day Kuja treated her more like lady and less like a slave so she would finally reveal the greatest difference between her and the other black mages. She could feel unlike Kuja's black mages.

Kuja and Gallery ambled across the fields for a while until a beast was spotted. At last, there was one. It was not Kuja wanted, but it was good to start the training with a monster at that level. The monster was between three to four feet long, both the height and length varies as the monster changes its battle stances. It was a wolf with a few mutations to it. The face had spots of red and blue fur perhaps almost as if someone painted the monster.

Kuja nodded, "Do not hold back Gallery. Do what must be done. Show me what you remember from your previous training."

The puppet did not even blink as she faced her opponent. Eyes wide and still, Gallery stepped forth. The wolf snarled threateningly as its head lowered to a lunge. Gallery only stared with her usual blank eyes. It was hard to tell whether she was going to do anything or not. Her eyes so still and focused that there appears to be no feeling at all. No one can tell if she was scared, excited, or nervous. Of course there is no possible way to know what she felt when she can't feel. At least not yet. The wolf impatient at the unmoving puppet lurched forward. Its teeth pulled apart and slammed deep into Gallery's lower leg.

Kuja almost laughed, "No challenge is there Gallery. Finish it off, and we will move on and find a more salient and exigent opponent." She nodded in reply. No pain reflected in her eyes, she brought her right hand up slowly and swung down severely as if cutting a woodblock in half with an ax. The wolf flung back at the sudden wave of wind that whooshed passed Gallery. The wind strongly hacked into the wolf and instantly pierced all its defenses, and in a few moments the wolf vanished. No blood was in sight, not a single paw imprinted on the ground, not a thing. The ground was clean of footprints from the wolf; no sign of blood for no blood was shed. It was a quick death, not even the wolf had enough time to escape. Gallery calmly placed her hand back to her side. The wind stopped.

Kuja shook his head as a small smile passed through his lips, "Let us go Gallery. There is much to do, and so little time."

Finally, I was able to work on this story. I really did write a chapter four already for this fanfic, but then I didn't like it so I started all over again. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. If you are a Kuja fan, then I am very sorry if he was out of character. Happy Easter!