Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy. Square-Enix does. I just wrote this story.
Krimson- And now for those of you who like really long chapters-
Damien- -here's Krimson compensating for himself!
Krimson- Dude! Shut up! I'm not compensating for anything!
Damien- Then why's the chapter so long?
Krimson- There was just a lot of things to cover, that's all.
Damien- Are you sure? Because you know you-
Krimson- And before things get really inappropriate, here's Chapter 2: Escape.
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"KUJA!"
The root had gone straight through Kuja. Zidane could see the root clearly through Kuja's back. His blood was seeping down the root. So this is it. Zidane thought. After all I've done to try to save him, it wasn't enough. Kuja's going to die.
"Zi…dane…" Kuja tried to say, but it was very weak. Zidane could see Kuja's mouth move. He moved closer to Kuja's side. "What is it?" Zidane asked.
"Zi…dane…" Kuja said again, this time with a smile. "Don't…wo..rry…" His speech was very broken and it was obvious that it hurt him to talk.
"Don't talk Kuja." Zidane said. He didn't know what to do. Kuja had a giant stick sticking out of his stomach. Even if he had a million potions, it wouldn't do any good. Kuja's only hope relied on Zidane having something in his inventory which could help. But what? Zidane thought. Some Hi-potions? Not with this kind of injury. Elixir? Strong, but it wouldn't be enough. A phoenix down? No. They're strong, but Kuja has a hole in his stomach. Phoenix down's have their limits. It's probably too late already. Kuja had to be dead by now. Zidane looked at his brother's face and noticed that Kuja was mumbling something.
"Kuja…?"
Kuja looked up and stared at the root protruding from his stomach and gradually tried to put his hand on the root.
"Kuja, what are you doing?"
Kuja, still attempting his futile efforts whispered "Hand…on…root…"
"What?" Zidane didn't understand. Kuja was dying from impalement and he wanted to give the giant root doing so a pat? "Kuja, I don't underst-"
"Zidane!" Kuja's voice came out sharper than it should have. Kuja had closed his eyes and used the pain he was feeling to amplify his voice. Zidane, still not knowing what was going on, took Kuja's hand and placed it on the top of the root. Kuja just smiled.
And he stopped moving.
"Kuja?" No, Zidane thought. He can't be dead. He can't be dead! Zidane didn't even try to fight his tears back. His own brother had just died in front of him because he had gotten careless and let his guard down. Now all Zidane could do for Kuja was give him a proper burial.
Of course he would first get rid of the root still stuck in Kuja. Zidane stood up and took out his Ultima Weapon. He drew his weapon back, and stopped as he noticed that the wound in Kuja's stomach was emitting a soft green light. It briefly reminded Zidane of the light he saw at the bottom of the Iifa Tree. He also noticed that the wound seemed to be closing, cutting off the root at the point it impacted into Kuja.
"Kuja?" There was no way Zidane could be seeing this. Kuja should have died the second the root ran him through. At first, all Zidane could do is stare in wonderment as the wound got smaller and smaller. When it finally closed, the rest of the root fell from Kuja onto the platform floor as well as the part of the root sticking out Kuja's back. Whatever the technique was that Kuja had used had managed to sever the root and heal him completely. Even the wounds inflicted upon him in battle were gone.
"How…how…" was all Zidane could manage at first.
Kuja laid down on the platform, apparently exhausted from healing himself.
"Kuja?"
"I'm fine." Kuja said gruffly. He felt his stomach to make sure he was truly healed. He ran his hand on his stomach and found that his wound was, in fact, completely healed. There wasn't even any blood.
Zidane sighed in relief. "That's great. But, Kuja, what was that?"
"Hmm?"
"That light. And your wound is gone. How'd you do that?"
"Oh." Kuja responded, still lying down. "Well, think about it. The Iifa Tree is the tree of life. For it to be able to channel souls on the level that it does, it needs a powerful source of life to start with."
Zidane's eyes lit up. "The green stuff at the bottom of the tree!"
"Elegantly put. But yes, I used the rest of my energy to absorb that liquid through the root in order to regenerate myself. That should also stop the Iifa Tree's roots from attacking us any more.
"Wait, what about what Garland said, about you dying soon?"
"The life energy of the tree will also nullify that. I'll be fine now. However, I don't think I will be able to use my magic for awhile."
"Wait, you mean you're completely out of magic? Why don't you use an ether?"
"It's not the same thing as running out of MP. My magic has been bound by the magic of the Iifa Tree. It's the only drawback to the spell I just used."
"How long are you stuck like this?"
"I don't know. I've found only enough information to cast the spell. I don't know how long the side-effects last."
"Well, that's okay." Zidane assured him. "I'll do the fighting until you can cast magic again. Now, let's get outta here."
"Zidane?"
"Yeah?"
"How?"
5 Months later.
Zidane was returning from yet another unsuccessful attempt to find a way outside of the Iifa Tree's trunk. "No luck again, I assume?" Kuja asked, tending to the fire he had started in order to cook lunch for the two of them.
"Mmf." Zidane replied. He always ventured on these sorts of trips for hours at a time every day. Unfortunately, the trunk was too thick to carve through with the Ultima Weapon. Even trying could take years to complete. Zidane had started on a section of the eastern side of the tree which seemed slightly drier and more decayed than the wood around it, but to no avail. He tried for two months but was only able to carve away about five feet of wood. Now he spent his time exploring every corner of the trunk for holes or anything he could find to help them get out.
Kuja's magic still wasn't working. He spent his time carving poetry into the nearby roots using a rock he had found, which he found very relaxing and was essential considering how much bickering Zidane could do when he got angry. Kuja also spent time cooking the various plants the two managed to find growing throughout the tree's interior. Since there was so much they didn't need to worry about running out of food for a very long time. The only problem was…
"So what's for lunch today, Kuja?" Zidane asked tiredly.
"Mushrooms."
"What? But we've had mushrooms every day for the last two weeks!"
… a complete lack of variety. That and combined with being completely isolated with each other for so long was beginning to get on both of their nerves.
"Well if you're not content to have the same thing over and over, why don't you scavenge for food, and I'll spend my time looking for a way out which doesn't exist!"
"Hey, it's a very big tree. This isn't an easy job."
"Just accept the fact that we're stuck here Zidane. Until I can use my magic again, we have no realistic chance of getting out of here."
"Why do you think only you can get us out of here? If I look around the roots-"
"You know that searching there won't do us any good. The roots all sank in on themselves. This tree is just one big tube now!"
"So are you suggesting that we try climbing up the inside of the trunk then? What if we slip? If we fall from those heights, there's no way we'll survive."
"There aren't many other options open to us."
"You know what?" Zidane said, approaching the fire, "I bet you're just being lazy. You don't feel like using magic for some reason." Having this argument so often put Zidane on the offensive. Logic didn't apply.
"How dare you. Do you have any idea what kind of a strain that healing spell put on me? I could barely move for a week!"
"Yeah, I remember. I had to baby you for the whole time!"
"Don't belittle me!"
"Or what Kuja? You'll dress funny at me to death? Without your magic I'm the stronger one here, so either help me find a way out of here, or learn to use your magic faster!"
"Don't you dare tell me what to do you immature, whining brat!"
"Don't call me a brat you stuck-up, thong-wearing freak!"
That was Kuja's breaking point. Even with all the patience he normally showed, being stuck with Zidane for so long had finally taken its toll on him.
"SHUT UP!" Kuja yelled, stomping his foot hard on the ground, flames shooting off all around it.
At first, neither was sure what had happened. The fire Kuja had already started for lunch could have just jumped a bit. But upon closer inspection they noticed the scorch marks around where Kuja's foot had been. Zidane looked at Kuja, and Kuja looked at Zidane. They grabbed the mushrooms they had set out for themselves and took off for the eastern half of the tree.
Hours later.
"This is the spot!" Zidane said. They had reached the part of the trunk Zidane had desperately tried to carve away at. It was the small section which Zidane carved about five feet into. "Are you sure this is enough?"
"This will be fine." Kuja said calmly. He spread his arms out in front of him. "Step back Zidane."
Zidane walked behind a nearby root, knowing how powerful Kuja's attacks could be. And this attack would be even more concentrated than what he had fought in Memoria. Kuja's plan involved him using all of his magic in the dent in the wall to amplify the power of the blast to knock out the wall entirely. Kuja reached into the vast pockets of strength he had, beckoning every last ounce of power he had within him. His eyes lit up.
"Flare Star!"
The dent in the wall started to glow when all of a sudden an earth-shattering explosion shook the tree down to its very core. Splinters and flaming wood went flying everywhere. When the dust cleared, the way out, was still not in sight.
Kuja, exhausted from the attack, had to sit down. "Damn it! That should have been enough!" he said.
Although the blast didn't clear the way entirely, it had made great progress. Zidane walked into the newly formed corridor to inspect the progress. What started as a small carving into the wall was now a spherical room with a ten foot radius in every direction.
"Kuja that was awesome!" Zidane exclaimed. "Another one of those and we should be out of here!"
Kuja, out of breath, said "I don't think I can do that again. Give me a while to rest."
"Damn it!" Zidane said. "We were so close!" He leaned up against the furthest part of the wall Kuja managed to cut out. He wondered if he really would get to see Garnet again. Is she thinking about me? What does she do now that I'm not around her? Hang out with the others? Run Alexandria with ol' rust-bucket constantly hovering over her? Feed birds? …wait, why'd I think that?
Zidane listened closer and realized that he could hear birds just on the other side of the trunk. There couldn't be any more than a few inches left!
"Kuja! We're close!" He said.
"Hmm? What are you talking about?" Kuja asked sleepily.
Zidane pulled out his Ultima Weapon and thrust it deep into the wall. When he pulled it back out, sunlight shone through. Zidane smiled back at Kuja and said "Grab something and help me." Zidane continued to stab at the wall, slowly cutting a hole big enough for them to crawl through. Kuja didn't have anything to use as a weapon and there weren't any tools he could use nearby. He pulled out an ether and drank it. A little bit of his MP returned to him, but it was enough.
"Zidane! Move away from the wall!" Kuja said.
Looking back, Zidane nodded. He exited the blasted out room and stood around the corner to Kuja's right. Kuja focused his energy for one more spell.
"FLARE!"
The magic concentrated on the remaining inches of wood separating the brothers from the outside world. The light and heat of the flare spell quickly burned away the thin layer blocking their way out and allowed the sunlight to pour through the newly created hole.
"We're out Kuja."
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Damien- Wow, that was longer than I remembered.
Krimson- Don't start that again!
Damien- Please Read and Review. Otherwise 'compensation man' over here is going to be whining all night.
Krimson- HEY!