A/N: Sorry that it's been so long since I've updated, a lot has been going on with school starting up and my computer frying for a few months. So, here's the third installment of Kujata's Kuja, with its new title as Angel of Death and Mercy!

Chapter Three:

A Fateful Gathering

"Victory is only a few more steps, Kuja," my master told me as I entered the airship.

"Victory, as like beauty, my master, is in the eye of the beholder," I spat back, throwing one of his little riddles back in his face.

"Not now, Kuja. I have no time for your little games."

"Yes, my master," I said, calmly.

It is only considered my little game when you aren't in the mood to act the part.

I turned to watch Bahamut's assault on Alexandria. As I watched the scene unfold, something quite unexpected began to take place. A creature had erupted from the castle itself, one of greatest magnitude. Bahamut looked only like a spec compared to its massive form. The creature wasn't familiar to me, but it was to my master.

"Dear God," he swore, "how could they release that?" I assumed he was speaking to me.

"Master, what do you mean? What is it?" I mumbled, not expecting an answer.

"Kuja, shut up, I don't have time to explai-" he was cut off by the sound of a loud explosion coming from the creature. My eyes had never left the silvery being.

Its brilliant wings flung out and shielded Alexandria from Bahamut's petty blast. As the wings slowly unfolded, a new blast, one from the otherworldly being, erupted through the air. The white blast went straight through and past my master's Eidolon, easily destroying him. The blast ended some ways above our ship, almost destroying it, too.

"Damn!" he screamed, grabbing for something to steady himself. I, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. I tried to grab on to the control panel, but I missed it and slid across the floor. I don't know what had hit me… but blackness met me.

----Some Time Later----

My head was spinning, and it felt as if I had lain bleeding for some time. I slowly sat up, but that proved to be a bad idea. My head spun even more, as my eyes were forced closed again.

----Hours Later----

I opened my eyes, revealing my own chambers. I slowly moved to sit up, this time not passing out again. My master wasn't any where to be seen, which caused me to smile softly.

I shouldn't have expected him here. He only looks at me like I'm a simple creation… or in his latest words, his biggest mistake… his failure.

I sighed, and slowly stood up, wincing painfully. My side felt like fire erupting from the pits of hell. I held my side, only then noticing that it was tightly wrapped. As I lifted one of my slender hands to my face I saw blood oozing down my palm.

God…am I going to die? Here and now, alone? That would be how my master would want me to go… I suppose. Alone and out of his way… so he wouldn't have to see his failure anymore.

I examined the wound more closely. It wasn't as threatening as I had thought, but it could still force me to lose my life. I summoned one of my own creations, the Black Mages, and had it clean out the wound and rebind it.

I left my room after that, hoping that I left the dizziness as well. I traveled down the hall towards the study where my master normally spent his free time. The paneled door opened at my whim, and the room was dark, save for a single light lit in a corner.

"Enter, Kuja," he said from the corner.

I walked in, seeing my master sitting in his favorite chair, something I thought quite uncomfortable. His legs were crossed at the knees, and his elbows rested on the arms of the chair. His fingers were steeped in front of his face, leaning in towards me.

"Explain what happened in Alexandria for me," he ordered smoothly.

"There isn't much to explain, master. I fought Zidane and his… friends. They didn't pose much of a threat to me, or your plan, master…" I didn't know where this was leading.

"I don't care about whether you fought well against them or not. What I do care about is how and why my plan was completely foiled thanks to two summoners!" His hands clenched, but besides that, he didn't move.

"They completely ruined your scheme, master?" I asked, sitting into a different chair.

His fingers tapped together twice, he was beginning to lose his patience. "Explain what went wrong, Kuja."

"Nothing interesting, master, I delayed them as you order-"

"Delay? I ordered you to kill them, you stupid fool!" he stood up quickly and backhanded me. My head only turned from the force, I had been prepared for this casual form of discipline. "Why didn't you kill them?" he asked a little more calmly.

What more would you have me do, master? If I struck out against him you would only yell at me for killing off one of your creations, yet if I fell back early you yell at me for your plans being ruined.

"Master, if I stayed any longer than I would have been caught in Bahamut's blast as well," I couldn't think of any other way of defending myself that wouldn't seem weak in my master's eyes.

"So, you ran like a coward?" he didn't seem to expect an answer. "You were so worried about yourself that you couldn't even do what I told you to do? You are worthless, and pathetic, Kuja, a true failure." I sat in silence.

There is no pleasing you, master, there was never a chance for me to please you.

"I have no more time for you destroy my plans, Kuja! You will return to your palace. You may only leave when I come for you, do I make myself clear?"

I stood up, as gracefully as I could and took my rudimentary bow. "Yes, my master," was all that slipped out of my mouth.

I turned on my heel, heading back to my room. The only time I slowed down was when I had to wait for the doors to open in front of me.

----Alexandria----

Zidane wiggled his tail slightly as his group met back in the castle. They had begun trying to clean some of the mess up. He sat down, allowing his tail to fall to one side, nearly touching the floor.

Garnet looked at him from across the table, "The people are all ready to begin rebuilding."

"So, we're no longer needed?" Zidane asked.

Garnet shook her head, "No, why do you ask?"

"We need to stop Kuja, but we don't know where to look," Zidane said to everyone.

"Last we saw of him, he was heading east, towards the desert in his airship," Regent Cid said from somewhere amongst the table.

"What would he being doing there?" Garnet said, facing the little bug.

"Does it matter?" Amarant asked, walking out the door and into the hall.

"So, next stop the desert!" Zidane yelled to them all.

A/N: The next chapter is called An Undesired Decision. I can't promise when the next chapter will be done since a friend and I are working on a new story of our own devise. Maybe if you ask real nice, I'll see if I can place it up somewhere….