A/N: . . . . . . . . Just read . . . . . . . . . . .
Disclaimer: Forty-eight chapters . . . And I never owned Final Fantasy . . . Cruel, cruel world, I tells ya . . .
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
Sir Winston Churchill
Just outside the base of the infamous Iifa Tree of Gaia, a crew of rather mismatched creatures loitered about. One of them, a young girl, was frolicking among the roots (which were so large that at least six of her could have stood shoulder to shoulder and still had room to spare).
"Wow!" she exclaimed, giggling. "This is the first time I've been able to get this close to the tree without having to fear death!"
"I-it . . . It almost feels wrong . . ." a young black mage nearby murmured, looking about dazedly through his amber eyes.
"The tree is so beautiful when it's clear . . .!" gasped a baffled Burmecian woman. The Dragoon Knight beside her nodded, shielding his eyes from the now blinding sun that roasted slowly above the Pualei Plains. A sun that had not shown itself for months.
"Zidane, where are you going?!!" the youthful queen of Alexandria, Garnet, yelled after her fiancé. Zidane – a young, blue-eyed genome – glanced over his shoulder from a few roots away.
"I just . . . I just wanted to see something . . ."
"Well, have a little patience and wait for her to show up! Don't be rude!"
"So sssssssorry to keep you waiting . . ." came a breathy voice from high up in the vines. A small burst of flames erupted near the trunk of the tree and the next thing the team knew, a fiery creature with aqua-blue skin and glowing yellow eyes arose. Her tongue flickered as it tasted the air and she grinned a devilishly fanged grin.
"The air is clean . . . For the first time in Gaia's history . . . Not even a DROP of Mist remains . . ."
"And we have only you to thank," Beatrix smiled warmly, hand-in-hand with Steiner.
"Think nothing of it," Taki-Bi shook her head, the ends of her thick, muscular pony-tail rattling. "It was my duty . . . As the one that started the Mist's production yet again . . ." She glanced about the group, taking them all in. Only a week had passed since Garland's defeat and they all looked thoroughly exhausted. Like they were just a little bit saturated when it came to adventures.
"So . . . How did you all do . . .?"
"He's dead," Was all Zidane said, sighing. "Garland . . . is dead . . ."
Taki-Bi's golden eyes sparkled. ". . . Congratulations . . . You should be feeling pretty proud, yessssss?"
"We're just a little shocked still, is all," Beatrix explained.
"Yeah, we're not used to a world without that jerk roaming around!" Lani snapped. The Fire-Guard smirked.
"I see . . . Well, I have only one last request now, if you don't mind . . ."
"Hmm?"
Taki-Bi sighed. "I no longer have a purpose in this world. My comrades are dead, Saishoja will be moving on soon, and since Drakja's dead – "
"Er, we didn't, uh, kill Drakja, actually . . ." Zidane muttered, scratching the back of his head. The Fire-Guard flinched, eyes flashing, and gave Zidane such a piercing stare that he felt his insides go numb.
"Wh-what . . .?! Wh-why not . . .?!!"
"Because," said Zidane. "He turned out to be a pretty nice guy. He saved us,"
"HE'S A MURDERING BASTARD!!!"
"He SAVED the life of Saishoja's heir . . . And thus, saved Saishoja . . ."
Taki-Bi fell silent. ". . . I don't understand . . ."
"Drakja almost sacrificed himself to save the lives of Zidane and Kuja," Garnet explained. "We owe him . . . quite a lot . . . actually . . ."
Taki-Bi frowned. "Well, it's still a good thing he didn't show up here or I probably would have broken his ungrateful neck!"
Zidane's lip twitched. "Oh, he won't be going anywhere for awhile . . . He kinda, you know, almost killed himself to save me and Kuja . . . He really, uh, can't walk . . . or move . . . or do much of anything right now . . ."
Taki-Bi let out a dejected "hmph" before continuing. "Well, either way, I still have a quick request,"
". . . Yes . . .?"
"I want you to seal the Fire Shrine . . . Permanently . . ."
Steiner raised an eyebrow. "And to what purpose is this for . . .?"
Taki-Bi's tongue lashed out briefly again. "I will be going back in there to live out my final days. And I won't be leaving. This mutated body I currently use can surely not sustain me much longer. It is only a matter of time before I finally cease to be . . . Please allow the Fire Shrine to remain my final resting place; my tomb, if you will. And allow none to enter . . ."
Zidane's eyes were shining and he nodded.
". . . Then it is done . . ."
Taki-Bi wanted to know the entire story; every last little detail that had happened. The crew obliged, Eiko, perhaps, a little too happily. Zidane, however, slipped away as soon as Taki-Bi and the others had become entranced in the retelling of the tale. He hopped along the roots of the Iifa, figuring Garnet had told him not to run off until Taki-Bi showed up anyways.
He crawled carefully along the thinner vines, pushed through ropes and leaves, and hopped from branch to branch. And then he found it: a small opening in the side of the dome-shaped vines that led into the very heart of the tree. Zidane knew that path well.
It was the one he had taken to rescue Kuja all those years ago . . .
"Kuja, you in here?!!" Zidane yelled, marveling at the triple-echo he received as his only response. There was nothing. The young sorcerer had tagged along with Zidane and the others much to Doctor Tot's distress. The bird-like man had insisted that Kuja was still too weak to walk around but eventually realized there was really no way he could keep the warlock down. Kuja was just too damn stubborn . . .
But when the crew reached the tree, Kuja immediately disappeared. The crew searched for him a little while and then decided the silver-haired man had probably just wandered off by himself like he usually did. But Zidane knew where Kuja was, response or not.
The blonde genome slipped gingerly into the opening of the tree and slid the short way down the vines. He spotted the small platform and this time managed to catch it. Snagging the rim, Zidane hauled himself nimbly onto the conglomeration of leaves. With a sigh he folded his legs and sat. A smirk flickered across his features.
"It sure feels different in here this time around, doesn't it, Kuja? Quieter . . ."
There was a small flicker and Kuja appeared beside Zidane, hugging his knees to his chest. Zidane smiled at his brother.
"Heh . . . I knew you'd come back here . . ."
"I just . . . I just wanted to see it . . . without Mist . . . and attacking vines. I wanted to see the beauty of the tree. But, well, I don't think this location can ever really look beautiful . . . It smells funny . . . Like death . . ."
Zidane lowered his gaze, resting his chin on his knees. "A lot happened to the two of us, ya know? But I think . . . I think we were destined to solve our problems together . . . Like brothers that could not be parted . . ."
Kuja smiled faintly. "Yeah . . . Maybe . . ."
"I . . . uh . . . I have something of yours . . ." Zidane mumbled, fingering at his collar. "I've had it for almost three years now . . . And I guess it's probably time I gave it back . . ."
The genome reached slowly into his shirt. When he withdrew his hand he was clutching a golden chain. Dangling on the end was a single, silver feather. Kuja stared.
"Oh my god . . . That's . . . That's my fourth feather . . . Where did you . . .?"
Zidane sighed, running his fingers against the feather's grain and watching the fur snap back into place. "Do you remember what happened after we defeated all those Mist Monsters that were released from the Iifa Tree?"
Kuja's eyes narrowed. "Of course. I ditched you in the middle of the night and wandered off to a town near Iifa. That was where I first met Megan,"
"Yeah, well, I kinda thought you were dead, ya know . . ." Kuja hesitated. He had never heard Zidane talk about this. Zidane continued, looking sad. "I mean, that day you had seemed really ill. You were such a physical and emotional wreck at the time and I was worried. I thought maybe the limit on your life was coming and you'd just drop dead on me or somethin' . . . And then I woke up . . . And you were gone . . ."
Tears were starting to run down Zidane's pale face. Kuja stared, dumbfounded. Zidane had . . . really cared that much . . .? Nobody had EVER cared about Kuja that much . . .
"And then . . ." Zidane was trembling now, trying to restrain his sobs. "I thought maybe . . . Maybe we'd missed a monster and – and they'd dragged you off in the middle of the night and eaten you! I thought maybe you'd wandered off while I was asleep and collapsed somewhere and then I wouldn't find you and you'd die! I was so scared! And then . . . All I found . . . Was this feather . . . This one, stupid feather . . . And I never let it go . . . And when we ran into each other in Alexandria two and a half years later . . . I . . . I didn't know whether to kill you or throw my arms around you!"
Kuja furrowed his brow. "Zidane, I . . ."
"And now you're going to live a full life! That's . . . That's another fifty years I gotta worry about you now, you big dummy!"
"ZIDANE!!!"
"WHAT?!!"
Kuja threw his arms around his brother, drawing him into his embrace and squeezing him with all his might. "I will never . . . NEVER leave your side again . . . Do you hear me . . .?"
Zidane sniffled and burst into tears, sobbing against Kuja's shoulder. He nodded, clutching the warlock as hard as he possibly could as if letting go would kill them both. He couldn't stop crying for the life of him.
"Don't ever scare me like that again . . . Gods, I don't want to lose you . . ."
". . . And you won't . . ." Kuja whispered, taking Zidane's face firmly into his hands.
". . . I promise . . ."
. . .Two years later . . .
"Oh, come on!" Zidane was stifling a giggle. "It's not so bad!"
"Is it, Zidane?! Is it?!!" Kuja groaned, burying his face in his arms. Zidane tried to hide his smirk, but it was just too damn hard . . .
"Y'know, it COULD be worse . . ."
"How?!" Kuja barked, his voice muffled by the fabric of his sleeves.
"Well, there could be more . . ."
"More?!! MORE?!!" Kuja raised his head furiously, deep blue eyes flashing. "You're one to talk!"
Zidane sighed, patting Kuja sympathetically on the shoulder. "Well, you know what they say . . ."
". . . Don't say it . . ."
"Two heads are – "
"I'm going to kill you – "
". . . Better than one . . ."
Kuja moaned. A faint breeze suddenly fluttered the curtains of the open window nearby and Zidane gave a start upon spotting a young man crouched upon the sill.
"GOD DAMMIT, DRAKJA!!! DON'T SNEAK UP ON US LIKE THAT!!!"
The newcomer smirked, dropping down lightly into the room. His bright green eyes were glowing with joy.
"Well, well, Kuja . . . I just heard the wonderful . . . erm . . . news," Drakja swaggered over to where the sorcerer sat, too miserable to even say hi. It wasn't all that uncommon for Drakja to drop in for a visit around Alexandria Castle. With his advanced teleporting abilities, the distance between his home and Alexandria wasn't such a big deal.
After what Gaians would later refer to as the Fire Shrine Showdown Massacre, all the surviving geonomes had been relocated to none other than the Black Mage Village. The genomes and black mages understood the plight of these poor creatures more than anyone else, all three races having suffered under tyranny and the guilt of bad deeds before someone (in all cases, Zidane and the others) had come to redeem them.
With the help of the incredibly intelligent and efficient geonomes, the village was now prospering beyond belief. It was expected that within a few years the town that was now almost the size of a small suburb would be recognized as an actual power in government.
Of course, the Black Mage Village remained under the protection and rule of both Mikoto and Vivi. Drakja had turned down the offer of representing the geonomes in the village, saying he was tired of being anyone's leader. Vivi's six children were all major contributors for the town, most doing international trading of the village's lead crop: Chocobo eggs (though not the kind for eating).
Everything had settled down quite a bit after the Massacre. The Fire Shrine had been locked and sealed with both magic and bricks. It became a place of honor and beauty to gaze upon from afar and nothing more. No one dared get too close. It was said it was cursed. Major reconstruction efforts had been set up to rebuild the cities and towns that had been destroyed. Those who had evacuated or fled to any particular area had now returned. A ceremony was held for the lives that had been lost, part of the ritual including the scattering of Garland's ashes into the ocean (it was rumored that several teenagers had relieved themselves in the water soon after, yelling that Garland was a "dumb fuck" anyways).
Everything was gliding back on track. Eiko had once more returned to Lindblum under the care of Regent Cid and Lady Hilda. Much to her distress, she was now under training for the taking of the throne when the unfortunate passing of her adoptive parents occurred (hopefully not for many years to come). However, when the Summoner found out that this training would give her experience in bossing people around, she immediately jumped on the position.
Lani and Amarant had disappeared off to the Outer Continent countryside. Some thought they had returned to Madain Sari to live with the moogles. No one was sure. They were gone for more than a year, and then returned to Alexandria seeking jobs as the king and queen's loyal bodyguards. Who could refuse them? They were perfect for the part.
Vivi, as stated before, went back to the Black Mage Village to assist in settling the genomes (and now also the geonomes) back into normal patterns of life.
Freya and Fratley had become leaders in the continuing efforts to restore Burmecia. The city was still in shambles years after Kuja's reign, but Cleyra – most likely out of guilt – had returned to pitch in on the effort to rebuild the beautiful City of Perpetual Rain. Freya and Fratley were now married, of course. They had only invited those from their quest to attend. It had been a sweet, quiet wedding held within Gizamaluke's Grotto before the giant church bell. The neighboring moogles had assisted in performing the ceremony, though a real Burmecian priest had come to wed the two.
Steiner and Beatrix had returned to their posts in Alexandria, Steiner now working to bring the Pluto Knights up to the positions of a second – all male – army in Alexandria. Beatrix was once more the general of the real army – all female – and was a master in teaching the art of attacking teleporting enemies (which made the goblin mages they practiced on very sad). Of course, those two were married as well. It had been a gorgeous ceremony. Garnet had, naturally, demanded only the best for the couple. There had been talk of them having a child, but for now, they were happy simply to be together.
Quina had been given a proper burial beside Queen Brahne in Alexandria's Royal Cemetery. Despite protests from the others, Kuja had paid for it all. Quina was given a place of honor for having died in the line of duty (and yes, the body had been dug up. It had looked unmarked by time; exactly as Zidane had hoped it would).
Another place of honor had been set down for three dead that no passerby could make heads or tails of. The name "Saishoja" meant nothing to them, and similarly, they didn't understand why his wife and son remained unnamed on the other two grave-stones. Zidane figured someday someone would tell the tale . . .
Zidane and Garnet had finally been wed with an enormous, golden ceremony. Half of Gaia seemed to have shown up. So many, in fact, that the actual event – which had started off in a hall of Alexandria Castle – had to be relocated outside on the court-grounds where some people were forced to watch from the rooftops. There were two reasons for this:
#1. This would be Zidane's ascension to the throne of Alexandria.
#2. It was a double wedding.
Yeah, that's right. Poor Kuja, complaining all the way, had been married to the young maiden, Megan Yorokobi. Interestingly enough, neither had proposed to the other – possibly out of fear. It was Megan's grandmother that had pushed the two to do it, saying she'd whip their flesh off if they didn't.
Of course, they didn't say no. That was all that mattered. This group of four was the last to be wed, and all those on the quest had shown up to congratulate them (including all the geonomes and just about the rest of the world). The Tantalus Troupe had attended and Ruby had started crying so hard that Marcus, blushing, had to remove her from the courts.
It seemed everything was right . . .
Except . . .
"Shut up," Kuja growled into his arms. "It's not funny,"
"Oh, but it is," Drakja giggled. "I mean, really . . . twins?!!"
Zidane's lip twitched. He glanced at Drakja. Emerald eyes met stunning aqua.
"Ehe . . . BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" The two were doubled over in laughter, Drakja clutching onto the window-sill just to keep from collapsing.
"It's not funny!!!" Kuja repeated angrily, raising his head and glaring at the hysterical pair. "I can't even handle ONE child let alone TWO!!"
"Oh, grow up!" Zidane snapped. "I've been putting up with the knowledge that I'm about to have a kid for the past six months! Now it's your turn!"
"Yeah, but you found out right away!" Kuja argued. "You've been expecting it! Megan just ran up to me today saying she's due in a few months! I thought she was just fat!"
Zidane seemed to be straining not to cry with laughter. "Well, so our kids will be born at the same time! That'll be cool! We can raise them together, play with them together, listen to them screaming until our eardrums burst together, change their – "
"Gah!" Kuja buried his face again.
Drakja rolled his eyes. "Pathetic . . ."
"I don't want kids!"
"Oh, quit whining!" Zidane yelled. "I happen to like kids, so there!"
"Well, you're the fathering type!" Kuja argued, glaring daggers at his younger brother. "You and Her Majesty are such a good couple and so understanding of little children . . . I mean, you put up with that little Summoner-brat in Lindblum for – how long – five years?"
"And believe me . . ." Zidane muttered. "She was ALL the training I needed . . ." Drakja stifled another giggle.
"I can't wait to see Kuja wandering around in the middle of the night trying to shut up some screaming baby, heehee . . ."
"And if it won't be quiet," Zidane offered. "You could always Ultima it to death,"
Kuja leapt to his feet at that one. "Gods, Zidane, that's disgusting!"
"Hey, killing little babies never bothered you before!"
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY ABOUT KILLING BABIES?!!"
Zidane and Kuja both paled simultaneously, whipping around only to find a livid Queen Garnet and Megan standing in the doorway. Garnet was trembling with rage and Megan . . . Well, Megan was practically foaming at the mouth. It had always been a joke in the castle that she was one of the few people alive whose fury could tame the great Kuja.
"O-oh . . . D-Dagger, honey . . ." Zidane was bright red.
Garnet snarled. "Some father you are!" she shrieked. "Killing babies?!! Gods, Zidane!!"
"And you!" Megan stormed furiously into the room and poked Kuja angrily in the shoulder. "How many times have I told you not to kill things?!!"
Kuja should have felt hardly threatened by the young woman who had to be at least six inches shorter than he was. Still, he was cowering under the fierce gaze magnified by the deactivated Summoner's shining glasses.
"Um . . . About . . . twenty-four times . . .?"
"THIRTY-TWO, KUJA!!!" Megan squeaked, giving the sorcerer another shove. Drakja was laughing hysterically.
"You stay out of this!" Garnet barked at the green-eyed man. "Or I'll step on your tail so hard it'll snap like a dried-out twig!"
Drakja blanched and took a step back. "Yeesh, I'm outta here . . . You two can deal with the misses . . ." And with a "pop" he was gone.
However, the foursome left arguing within the room didn't realize they were being watched. Outside the window, a pair of sightless eyes followed their every move, the face that held them twisted into a warm smile. The man that stood outside the castle walls was beautiful. His silvery hair – like silk threads – ran down his back and into a thick braid. His skin was flawless. And, oddly enough, he seemed to glow.
"Aren't they precious?" he queried, smirking. "I'm so glad they can be happy now. No more Mist, thanks to dear old Madeline . . . Zidane's soul is now preserved, the Theory of Planetary Magnetism has been deleted, and the limit on Kuja's life is gone . . . And no more Garland, thanks to them all . . ."
"Ah, young love . . ." The equally beautiful woman beside the man sighed dramatically, leaning on his arm and nuzzling him gently. "Oh, Saishoja, do you remember when we first fell in love . . .?"
Saishoja chuckled, running his fingers gently through the woman's thick, mahogany hair. She, too, seemed to glow.
"Oh, how could I forget? It was back on Terra; back when everything was still calm. I took one look at you and, gods, I couldn't stop thinking about you for the rest of the day . . . And do you know what I thought of first?"
". . . What . . .?"
"Your eyes . . . Those beautiful, violet eyes . . ."
The woman sighed again, smiling. ". . . Saishoja . . . When do you think we'll see Him again . . .?"
". . . Not until Kuja's passing, I'm afraid . . ."
She smiled sadly. "I will wait it out . . . We may not be able to return to Heaven without our son's soul or until you've guided your brother's tainted one back to Heaven with you, but we no longer have to be angry, wandering spirits of Gaia . . ."
Saishoja gently wrapped his arms around the woman's shoulders, hugging her tightly. She gripped his cloak hard, sighing yet again.
"Demeter . . . I'm never letting you leave my side again . . . I lost you once before; far too early . . . And then couldn't find you in Heaven . . . From now on, we will be together . . . Waiting . . . Until that wonderful day when our family is reunited . . ."
"Yes . . . That is what I want . . ."
And as their lips seemed to brush, they faded away forever . . .
THE END
A/N: Wham, bam, thank you fic. And . . . it is over. Wow. I guess . . . I guess that's it, huh? So . . . how was that . . .? Yeah, weird, I know . . . Erm . . . I don't exactly know what to say here. No soy bien con los adioses (I'm not good at goodbyes). Damn Spanish class. So, uh, here come all the things I want to say:
First of all, I have posted Kuja88's review now (though I had to review my own fic to do so). Incredible how Kuja88 figured that out so early on . . . Though I'm sure a few people suspected. So I guess Demeter's secret's out. That probably clears up a lot, lol. I thought the truth about her was most obvious in chapter . . . I dunno, it was the Dolor Animus chapter where she talks about how she can enter people's souls and stuff and then, while she's showing Megan all those weird visions she explains that only souls can enter one another. But, uh, guess no one picked up on that one big grin. I gotta say, that was a rather eccentric cast of original characters. But that's nothing compared to my web-comic. I'll get there in a second . . .
FYI, the reason I chose Demeter for the purple-eyed lady's name was because of the story of Demeter. She was the Greek goddess of fertility 0.o who became Ceres in Roman mythology (some people might have read the Ayashi No Ceres/Ceres: A Celestial Legend manga series. It's quite good). According to mythology, Demeter's child died/got lured and went to Hell. Demeter then starved herself in the disguise of an old crone to go down into Hades to retrieve her daughter (Persephone). Anyone see it now??
Okay, moving on. First of all, I've got to go through all my thanks. Pardon me while I ramble:
First off, a special thanks to my dad, who read quite a bit of this story and helped me correct errors and weird sentences along the way. He may not have understood everything that was going on (though he knew the gist of it all) but he still put up with my incessant nagging to read each chapter before I got mauled by a pack of reviewers with flaming torches.
Second of all, a big thanks to my friend Crystal (AKA poohsbestfriend as a reviewer) for becoming the much-needed inspiration for Triss (not to mention she picked the name and asked for the cool spike-soled boots, heehee). You made a really great character who was almost too fun to write. She was so evil, lol . . .
Also, another big thanks to Athena (of Mute Hall and Origin of the Dark Messenger, which are two of the most exceptional Final Fantasy IX fanfictions in existence) for giving me a big boost of morale and mentioning my fic in one of her chapters. That meant a lot to me.
And last and probably of the highest honor: A BIG GLOMPIN' THANK YOU TO ALL MY WONDERFUL REVIEWERS!!! YOU GUYS WERE WHAT MADE THE FIC! IF NOT FOR Y'ALL, I NEVER COULD HAVE FINISHED!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I LOVE Y'ALL FOREVER!!!
And now onto some other important thinga-majiggies . . .
#1. The fanart. Just go to my deviantart account at blackmajam.deviantart plus a good old .com. This site doesn't let you post websites . . . Click on the picture once to go to the picture's section, then click a second time to enlarge. Hope y'all like. I did it kinda awhile ago and my drawing skills have improved immensely since then. I drew it in the early days of setting up my style which, as you should easily be able to see, is very Yuki Kaori in style (Angel Sanctuary, Count Kain). I just couldn't resist the lure of giving Zidane polka-dot pants . . . So sue me, lol. I also just learned how to color, so hopefully my skills in that department will improve as well. Go check it out! As you will see, it's dedicated to all my reviewers! (I wish I could have done a better picture! I suck!)
#2. The web-comic. Yes, it is still going to happen! I will be back eventually with some random chapter to stick on the end of this thing (like a poem or somethin') that will have the link. I'm so, so sorry about this! The site that's hosting me is being difficult . . . Just so you know, if you liked the kind of patterns this plot had, you will definitely like the web-comic. The comic is similar in structure and many of the original characters sort of came from it (the comic came first, ehe). So set your accounts to alert you of when I'm back or just keep checking up on me. But whatever you do, don't forget about me!!! I'll be back in a few months, damn it!
#3. Some people have asked if my career as a fanfiction writer is over. Psh, of course not! I doubt I will ever start another full-length novel like this one (because the web-comic will take up so much time) but I am already working on some short stories. So far, in production, I have an Inuyasha one-shot entitled "Love is a Promise" that will be one of those Sesshoumaru shows that he actually has a heart sort of a things. And I do have a few Final Fantasy IX one-shots that are much farther in progress than my Inuyasha one entitled. The farthest one is called "The Analyst." It has to be one of the weirdest things I have ever written . . . It's starring Kuja and . . . Shiva. But not Kuja x Shiva shudder. The other is called "Incomplete Angel" and it is another completely weird Kuja fic. FYI, in both fics Kuja is dead . . . Eh, you'll see when I get them up. But both involve a lot of Zidane . . . I always like fics starring Zidane and Kuja.
And I guess that about wraps it up. I thought I'd be fifteen by the time this story ended, but I guess not, lol.
THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYBODY!!! WAIT FOR MY WEB-COMIC LINK, ALRIGHTY?!! AND KEEP CHECKING MY DEVIANTART ACCOUNT!!! YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN I'LL STICK SOMETHING NEW IN THERE cough DOUJINSHI PAGE FROM THIS FANFIC cough !!!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Owari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Disclaimer: Forty-eight chapters . . . And I never owned Final Fantasy . . . Cruel, cruel world, I tells ya . . .
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
Sir Winston Churchill
Just outside the base of the infamous Iifa Tree of Gaia, a crew of rather mismatched creatures loitered about. One of them, a young girl, was frolicking among the roots (which were so large that at least six of her could have stood shoulder to shoulder and still had room to spare).
"Wow!" she exclaimed, giggling. "This is the first time I've been able to get this close to the tree without having to fear death!"
"I-it . . . It almost feels wrong . . ." a young black mage nearby murmured, looking about dazedly through his amber eyes.
"The tree is so beautiful when it's clear . . .!" gasped a baffled Burmecian woman. The Dragoon Knight beside her nodded, shielding his eyes from the now blinding sun that roasted slowly above the Pualei Plains. A sun that had not shown itself for months.
"Zidane, where are you going?!!" the youthful queen of Alexandria, Garnet, yelled after her fiancé. Zidane – a young, blue-eyed genome – glanced over his shoulder from a few roots away.
"I just . . . I just wanted to see something . . ."
"Well, have a little patience and wait for her to show up! Don't be rude!"
"So sssssssorry to keep you waiting . . ." came a breathy voice from high up in the vines. A small burst of flames erupted near the trunk of the tree and the next thing the team knew, a fiery creature with aqua-blue skin and glowing yellow eyes arose. Her tongue flickered as it tasted the air and she grinned a devilishly fanged grin.
"The air is clean . . . For the first time in Gaia's history . . . Not even a DROP of Mist remains . . ."
"And we have only you to thank," Beatrix smiled warmly, hand-in-hand with Steiner.
"Think nothing of it," Taki-Bi shook her head, the ends of her thick, muscular pony-tail rattling. "It was my duty . . . As the one that started the Mist's production yet again . . ." She glanced about the group, taking them all in. Only a week had passed since Garland's defeat and they all looked thoroughly exhausted. Like they were just a little bit saturated when it came to adventures.
"So . . . How did you all do . . .?"
"He's dead," Was all Zidane said, sighing. "Garland . . . is dead . . ."
Taki-Bi's golden eyes sparkled. ". . . Congratulations . . . You should be feeling pretty proud, yessssss?"
"We're just a little shocked still, is all," Beatrix explained.
"Yeah, we're not used to a world without that jerk roaming around!" Lani snapped. The Fire-Guard smirked.
"I see . . . Well, I have only one last request now, if you don't mind . . ."
"Hmm?"
Taki-Bi sighed. "I no longer have a purpose in this world. My comrades are dead, Saishoja will be moving on soon, and since Drakja's dead – "
"Er, we didn't, uh, kill Drakja, actually . . ." Zidane muttered, scratching the back of his head. The Fire-Guard flinched, eyes flashing, and gave Zidane such a piercing stare that he felt his insides go numb.
"Wh-what . . .?! Wh-why not . . .?!!"
"Because," said Zidane. "He turned out to be a pretty nice guy. He saved us,"
"HE'S A MURDERING BASTARD!!!"
"He SAVED the life of Saishoja's heir . . . And thus, saved Saishoja . . ."
Taki-Bi fell silent. ". . . I don't understand . . ."
"Drakja almost sacrificed himself to save the lives of Zidane and Kuja," Garnet explained. "We owe him . . . quite a lot . . . actually . . ."
Taki-Bi frowned. "Well, it's still a good thing he didn't show up here or I probably would have broken his ungrateful neck!"
Zidane's lip twitched. "Oh, he won't be going anywhere for awhile . . . He kinda, you know, almost killed himself to save me and Kuja . . . He really, uh, can't walk . . . or move . . . or do much of anything right now . . ."
Taki-Bi let out a dejected "hmph" before continuing. "Well, either way, I still have a quick request,"
". . . Yes . . .?"
"I want you to seal the Fire Shrine . . . Permanently . . ."
Steiner raised an eyebrow. "And to what purpose is this for . . .?"
Taki-Bi's tongue lashed out briefly again. "I will be going back in there to live out my final days. And I won't be leaving. This mutated body I currently use can surely not sustain me much longer. It is only a matter of time before I finally cease to be . . . Please allow the Fire Shrine to remain my final resting place; my tomb, if you will. And allow none to enter . . ."
Zidane's eyes were shining and he nodded.
". . . Then it is done . . ."
Taki-Bi wanted to know the entire story; every last little detail that had happened. The crew obliged, Eiko, perhaps, a little too happily. Zidane, however, slipped away as soon as Taki-Bi and the others had become entranced in the retelling of the tale. He hopped along the roots of the Iifa, figuring Garnet had told him not to run off until Taki-Bi showed up anyways.
He crawled carefully along the thinner vines, pushed through ropes and leaves, and hopped from branch to branch. And then he found it: a small opening in the side of the dome-shaped vines that led into the very heart of the tree. Zidane knew that path well.
It was the one he had taken to rescue Kuja all those years ago . . .
"Kuja, you in here?!!" Zidane yelled, marveling at the triple-echo he received as his only response. There was nothing. The young sorcerer had tagged along with Zidane and the others much to Doctor Tot's distress. The bird-like man had insisted that Kuja was still too weak to walk around but eventually realized there was really no way he could keep the warlock down. Kuja was just too damn stubborn . . .
But when the crew reached the tree, Kuja immediately disappeared. The crew searched for him a little while and then decided the silver-haired man had probably just wandered off by himself like he usually did. But Zidane knew where Kuja was, response or not.
The blonde genome slipped gingerly into the opening of the tree and slid the short way down the vines. He spotted the small platform and this time managed to catch it. Snagging the rim, Zidane hauled himself nimbly onto the conglomeration of leaves. With a sigh he folded his legs and sat. A smirk flickered across his features.
"It sure feels different in here this time around, doesn't it, Kuja? Quieter . . ."
There was a small flicker and Kuja appeared beside Zidane, hugging his knees to his chest. Zidane smiled at his brother.
"Heh . . . I knew you'd come back here . . ."
"I just . . . I just wanted to see it . . . without Mist . . . and attacking vines. I wanted to see the beauty of the tree. But, well, I don't think this location can ever really look beautiful . . . It smells funny . . . Like death . . ."
Zidane lowered his gaze, resting his chin on his knees. "A lot happened to the two of us, ya know? But I think . . . I think we were destined to solve our problems together . . . Like brothers that could not be parted . . ."
Kuja smiled faintly. "Yeah . . . Maybe . . ."
"I . . . uh . . . I have something of yours . . ." Zidane mumbled, fingering at his collar. "I've had it for almost three years now . . . And I guess it's probably time I gave it back . . ."
The genome reached slowly into his shirt. When he withdrew his hand he was clutching a golden chain. Dangling on the end was a single, silver feather. Kuja stared.
"Oh my god . . . That's . . . That's my fourth feather . . . Where did you . . .?"
Zidane sighed, running his fingers against the feather's grain and watching the fur snap back into place. "Do you remember what happened after we defeated all those Mist Monsters that were released from the Iifa Tree?"
Kuja's eyes narrowed. "Of course. I ditched you in the middle of the night and wandered off to a town near Iifa. That was where I first met Megan,"
"Yeah, well, I kinda thought you were dead, ya know . . ." Kuja hesitated. He had never heard Zidane talk about this. Zidane continued, looking sad. "I mean, that day you had seemed really ill. You were such a physical and emotional wreck at the time and I was worried. I thought maybe the limit on your life was coming and you'd just drop dead on me or somethin' . . . And then I woke up . . . And you were gone . . ."
Tears were starting to run down Zidane's pale face. Kuja stared, dumbfounded. Zidane had . . . really cared that much . . .? Nobody had EVER cared about Kuja that much . . .
"And then . . ." Zidane was trembling now, trying to restrain his sobs. "I thought maybe . . . Maybe we'd missed a monster and – and they'd dragged you off in the middle of the night and eaten you! I thought maybe you'd wandered off while I was asleep and collapsed somewhere and then I wouldn't find you and you'd die! I was so scared! And then . . . All I found . . . Was this feather . . . This one, stupid feather . . . And I never let it go . . . And when we ran into each other in Alexandria two and a half years later . . . I . . . I didn't know whether to kill you or throw my arms around you!"
Kuja furrowed his brow. "Zidane, I . . ."
"And now you're going to live a full life! That's . . . That's another fifty years I gotta worry about you now, you big dummy!"
"ZIDANE!!!"
"WHAT?!!"
Kuja threw his arms around his brother, drawing him into his embrace and squeezing him with all his might. "I will never . . . NEVER leave your side again . . . Do you hear me . . .?"
Zidane sniffled and burst into tears, sobbing against Kuja's shoulder. He nodded, clutching the warlock as hard as he possibly could as if letting go would kill them both. He couldn't stop crying for the life of him.
"Don't ever scare me like that again . . . Gods, I don't want to lose you . . ."
". . . And you won't . . ." Kuja whispered, taking Zidane's face firmly into his hands.
". . . I promise . . ."
. . .Two years later . . .
"Oh, come on!" Zidane was stifling a giggle. "It's not so bad!"
"Is it, Zidane?! Is it?!!" Kuja groaned, burying his face in his arms. Zidane tried to hide his smirk, but it was just too damn hard . . .
"Y'know, it COULD be worse . . ."
"How?!" Kuja barked, his voice muffled by the fabric of his sleeves.
"Well, there could be more . . ."
"More?!! MORE?!!" Kuja raised his head furiously, deep blue eyes flashing. "You're one to talk!"
Zidane sighed, patting Kuja sympathetically on the shoulder. "Well, you know what they say . . ."
". . . Don't say it . . ."
"Two heads are – "
"I'm going to kill you – "
". . . Better than one . . ."
Kuja moaned. A faint breeze suddenly fluttered the curtains of the open window nearby and Zidane gave a start upon spotting a young man crouched upon the sill.
"GOD DAMMIT, DRAKJA!!! DON'T SNEAK UP ON US LIKE THAT!!!"
The newcomer smirked, dropping down lightly into the room. His bright green eyes were glowing with joy.
"Well, well, Kuja . . . I just heard the wonderful . . . erm . . . news," Drakja swaggered over to where the sorcerer sat, too miserable to even say hi. It wasn't all that uncommon for Drakja to drop in for a visit around Alexandria Castle. With his advanced teleporting abilities, the distance between his home and Alexandria wasn't such a big deal.
After what Gaians would later refer to as the Fire Shrine Showdown Massacre, all the surviving geonomes had been relocated to none other than the Black Mage Village. The genomes and black mages understood the plight of these poor creatures more than anyone else, all three races having suffered under tyranny and the guilt of bad deeds before someone (in all cases, Zidane and the others) had come to redeem them.
With the help of the incredibly intelligent and efficient geonomes, the village was now prospering beyond belief. It was expected that within a few years the town that was now almost the size of a small suburb would be recognized as an actual power in government.
Of course, the Black Mage Village remained under the protection and rule of both Mikoto and Vivi. Drakja had turned down the offer of representing the geonomes in the village, saying he was tired of being anyone's leader. Vivi's six children were all major contributors for the town, most doing international trading of the village's lead crop: Chocobo eggs (though not the kind for eating).
Everything had settled down quite a bit after the Massacre. The Fire Shrine had been locked and sealed with both magic and bricks. It became a place of honor and beauty to gaze upon from afar and nothing more. No one dared get too close. It was said it was cursed. Major reconstruction efforts had been set up to rebuild the cities and towns that had been destroyed. Those who had evacuated or fled to any particular area had now returned. A ceremony was held for the lives that had been lost, part of the ritual including the scattering of Garland's ashes into the ocean (it was rumored that several teenagers had relieved themselves in the water soon after, yelling that Garland was a "dumb fuck" anyways).
Everything was gliding back on track. Eiko had once more returned to Lindblum under the care of Regent Cid and Lady Hilda. Much to her distress, she was now under training for the taking of the throne when the unfortunate passing of her adoptive parents occurred (hopefully not for many years to come). However, when the Summoner found out that this training would give her experience in bossing people around, she immediately jumped on the position.
Lani and Amarant had disappeared off to the Outer Continent countryside. Some thought they had returned to Madain Sari to live with the moogles. No one was sure. They were gone for more than a year, and then returned to Alexandria seeking jobs as the king and queen's loyal bodyguards. Who could refuse them? They were perfect for the part.
Vivi, as stated before, went back to the Black Mage Village to assist in settling the genomes (and now also the geonomes) back into normal patterns of life.
Freya and Fratley had become leaders in the continuing efforts to restore Burmecia. The city was still in shambles years after Kuja's reign, but Cleyra – most likely out of guilt – had returned to pitch in on the effort to rebuild the beautiful City of Perpetual Rain. Freya and Fratley were now married, of course. They had only invited those from their quest to attend. It had been a sweet, quiet wedding held within Gizamaluke's Grotto before the giant church bell. The neighboring moogles had assisted in performing the ceremony, though a real Burmecian priest had come to wed the two.
Steiner and Beatrix had returned to their posts in Alexandria, Steiner now working to bring the Pluto Knights up to the positions of a second – all male – army in Alexandria. Beatrix was once more the general of the real army – all female – and was a master in teaching the art of attacking teleporting enemies (which made the goblin mages they practiced on very sad). Of course, those two were married as well. It had been a gorgeous ceremony. Garnet had, naturally, demanded only the best for the couple. There had been talk of them having a child, but for now, they were happy simply to be together.
Quina had been given a proper burial beside Queen Brahne in Alexandria's Royal Cemetery. Despite protests from the others, Kuja had paid for it all. Quina was given a place of honor for having died in the line of duty (and yes, the body had been dug up. It had looked unmarked by time; exactly as Zidane had hoped it would).
Another place of honor had been set down for three dead that no passerby could make heads or tails of. The name "Saishoja" meant nothing to them, and similarly, they didn't understand why his wife and son remained unnamed on the other two grave-stones. Zidane figured someday someone would tell the tale . . .
Zidane and Garnet had finally been wed with an enormous, golden ceremony. Half of Gaia seemed to have shown up. So many, in fact, that the actual event – which had started off in a hall of Alexandria Castle – had to be relocated outside on the court-grounds where some people were forced to watch from the rooftops. There were two reasons for this:
#1. This would be Zidane's ascension to the throne of Alexandria.
#2. It was a double wedding.
Yeah, that's right. Poor Kuja, complaining all the way, had been married to the young maiden, Megan Yorokobi. Interestingly enough, neither had proposed to the other – possibly out of fear. It was Megan's grandmother that had pushed the two to do it, saying she'd whip their flesh off if they didn't.
Of course, they didn't say no. That was all that mattered. This group of four was the last to be wed, and all those on the quest had shown up to congratulate them (including all the geonomes and just about the rest of the world). The Tantalus Troupe had attended and Ruby had started crying so hard that Marcus, blushing, had to remove her from the courts.
It seemed everything was right . . .
Except . . .
"Shut up," Kuja growled into his arms. "It's not funny,"
"Oh, but it is," Drakja giggled. "I mean, really . . . twins?!!"
Zidane's lip twitched. He glanced at Drakja. Emerald eyes met stunning aqua.
"Ehe . . . BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" The two were doubled over in laughter, Drakja clutching onto the window-sill just to keep from collapsing.
"It's not funny!!!" Kuja repeated angrily, raising his head and glaring at the hysterical pair. "I can't even handle ONE child let alone TWO!!"
"Oh, grow up!" Zidane snapped. "I've been putting up with the knowledge that I'm about to have a kid for the past six months! Now it's your turn!"
"Yeah, but you found out right away!" Kuja argued. "You've been expecting it! Megan just ran up to me today saying she's due in a few months! I thought she was just fat!"
Zidane seemed to be straining not to cry with laughter. "Well, so our kids will be born at the same time! That'll be cool! We can raise them together, play with them together, listen to them screaming until our eardrums burst together, change their – "
"Gah!" Kuja buried his face again.
Drakja rolled his eyes. "Pathetic . . ."
"I don't want kids!"
"Oh, quit whining!" Zidane yelled. "I happen to like kids, so there!"
"Well, you're the fathering type!" Kuja argued, glaring daggers at his younger brother. "You and Her Majesty are such a good couple and so understanding of little children . . . I mean, you put up with that little Summoner-brat in Lindblum for – how long – five years?"
"And believe me . . ." Zidane muttered. "She was ALL the training I needed . . ." Drakja stifled another giggle.
"I can't wait to see Kuja wandering around in the middle of the night trying to shut up some screaming baby, heehee . . ."
"And if it won't be quiet," Zidane offered. "You could always Ultima it to death,"
Kuja leapt to his feet at that one. "Gods, Zidane, that's disgusting!"
"Hey, killing little babies never bothered you before!"
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY ABOUT KILLING BABIES?!!"
Zidane and Kuja both paled simultaneously, whipping around only to find a livid Queen Garnet and Megan standing in the doorway. Garnet was trembling with rage and Megan . . . Well, Megan was practically foaming at the mouth. It had always been a joke in the castle that she was one of the few people alive whose fury could tame the great Kuja.
"O-oh . . . D-Dagger, honey . . ." Zidane was bright red.
Garnet snarled. "Some father you are!" she shrieked. "Killing babies?!! Gods, Zidane!!"
"And you!" Megan stormed furiously into the room and poked Kuja angrily in the shoulder. "How many times have I told you not to kill things?!!"
Kuja should have felt hardly threatened by the young woman who had to be at least six inches shorter than he was. Still, he was cowering under the fierce gaze magnified by the deactivated Summoner's shining glasses.
"Um . . . About . . . twenty-four times . . .?"
"THIRTY-TWO, KUJA!!!" Megan squeaked, giving the sorcerer another shove. Drakja was laughing hysterically.
"You stay out of this!" Garnet barked at the green-eyed man. "Or I'll step on your tail so hard it'll snap like a dried-out twig!"
Drakja blanched and took a step back. "Yeesh, I'm outta here . . . You two can deal with the misses . . ." And with a "pop" he was gone.
However, the foursome left arguing within the room didn't realize they were being watched. Outside the window, a pair of sightless eyes followed their every move, the face that held them twisted into a warm smile. The man that stood outside the castle walls was beautiful. His silvery hair – like silk threads – ran down his back and into a thick braid. His skin was flawless. And, oddly enough, he seemed to glow.
"Aren't they precious?" he queried, smirking. "I'm so glad they can be happy now. No more Mist, thanks to dear old Madeline . . . Zidane's soul is now preserved, the Theory of Planetary Magnetism has been deleted, and the limit on Kuja's life is gone . . . And no more Garland, thanks to them all . . ."
"Ah, young love . . ." The equally beautiful woman beside the man sighed dramatically, leaning on his arm and nuzzling him gently. "Oh, Saishoja, do you remember when we first fell in love . . .?"
Saishoja chuckled, running his fingers gently through the woman's thick, mahogany hair. She, too, seemed to glow.
"Oh, how could I forget? It was back on Terra; back when everything was still calm. I took one look at you and, gods, I couldn't stop thinking about you for the rest of the day . . . And do you know what I thought of first?"
". . . What . . .?"
"Your eyes . . . Those beautiful, violet eyes . . ."
The woman sighed again, smiling. ". . . Saishoja . . . When do you think we'll see Him again . . .?"
". . . Not until Kuja's passing, I'm afraid . . ."
She smiled sadly. "I will wait it out . . . We may not be able to return to Heaven without our son's soul or until you've guided your brother's tainted one back to Heaven with you, but we no longer have to be angry, wandering spirits of Gaia . . ."
Saishoja gently wrapped his arms around the woman's shoulders, hugging her tightly. She gripped his cloak hard, sighing yet again.
"Demeter . . . I'm never letting you leave my side again . . . I lost you once before; far too early . . . And then couldn't find you in Heaven . . . From now on, we will be together . . . Waiting . . . Until that wonderful day when our family is reunited . . ."
"Yes . . . That is what I want . . ."
And as their lips seemed to brush, they faded away forever . . .
THE END
A/N: Wham, bam, thank you fic. And . . . it is over. Wow. I guess . . . I guess that's it, huh? So . . . how was that . . .? Yeah, weird, I know . . . Erm . . . I don't exactly know what to say here. No soy bien con los adioses (I'm not good at goodbyes). Damn Spanish class. So, uh, here come all the things I want to say:
First of all, I have posted Kuja88's review now (though I had to review my own fic to do so). Incredible how Kuja88 figured that out so early on . . . Though I'm sure a few people suspected. So I guess Demeter's secret's out. That probably clears up a lot, lol. I thought the truth about her was most obvious in chapter . . . I dunno, it was the Dolor Animus chapter where she talks about how she can enter people's souls and stuff and then, while she's showing Megan all those weird visions she explains that only souls can enter one another. But, uh, guess no one picked up on that one big grin. I gotta say, that was a rather eccentric cast of original characters. But that's nothing compared to my web-comic. I'll get there in a second . . .
FYI, the reason I chose Demeter for the purple-eyed lady's name was because of the story of Demeter. She was the Greek goddess of fertility 0.o who became Ceres in Roman mythology (some people might have read the Ayashi No Ceres/Ceres: A Celestial Legend manga series. It's quite good). According to mythology, Demeter's child died/got lured and went to Hell. Demeter then starved herself in the disguise of an old crone to go down into Hades to retrieve her daughter (Persephone). Anyone see it now??
Okay, moving on. First of all, I've got to go through all my thanks. Pardon me while I ramble:
First off, a special thanks to my dad, who read quite a bit of this story and helped me correct errors and weird sentences along the way. He may not have understood everything that was going on (though he knew the gist of it all) but he still put up with my incessant nagging to read each chapter before I got mauled by a pack of reviewers with flaming torches.
Second of all, a big thanks to my friend Crystal (AKA poohsbestfriend as a reviewer) for becoming the much-needed inspiration for Triss (not to mention she picked the name and asked for the cool spike-soled boots, heehee). You made a really great character who was almost too fun to write. She was so evil, lol . . .
Also, another big thanks to Athena (of Mute Hall and Origin of the Dark Messenger, which are two of the most exceptional Final Fantasy IX fanfictions in existence) for giving me a big boost of morale and mentioning my fic in one of her chapters. That meant a lot to me.
And last and probably of the highest honor: A BIG GLOMPIN' THANK YOU TO ALL MY WONDERFUL REVIEWERS!!! YOU GUYS WERE WHAT MADE THE FIC! IF NOT FOR Y'ALL, I NEVER COULD HAVE FINISHED!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I LOVE Y'ALL FOREVER!!!
And now onto some other important thinga-majiggies . . .
#1. The fanart. Just go to my deviantart account at blackmajam.deviantart plus a good old .com. This site doesn't let you post websites . . . Click on the picture once to go to the picture's section, then click a second time to enlarge. Hope y'all like. I did it kinda awhile ago and my drawing skills have improved immensely since then. I drew it in the early days of setting up my style which, as you should easily be able to see, is very Yuki Kaori in style (Angel Sanctuary, Count Kain). I just couldn't resist the lure of giving Zidane polka-dot pants . . . So sue me, lol. I also just learned how to color, so hopefully my skills in that department will improve as well. Go check it out! As you will see, it's dedicated to all my reviewers! (I wish I could have done a better picture! I suck!)
#2. The web-comic. Yes, it is still going to happen! I will be back eventually with some random chapter to stick on the end of this thing (like a poem or somethin') that will have the link. I'm so, so sorry about this! The site that's hosting me is being difficult . . . Just so you know, if you liked the kind of patterns this plot had, you will definitely like the web-comic. The comic is similar in structure and many of the original characters sort of came from it (the comic came first, ehe). So set your accounts to alert you of when I'm back or just keep checking up on me. But whatever you do, don't forget about me!!! I'll be back in a few months, damn it!
#3. Some people have asked if my career as a fanfiction writer is over. Psh, of course not! I doubt I will ever start another full-length novel like this one (because the web-comic will take up so much time) but I am already working on some short stories. So far, in production, I have an Inuyasha one-shot entitled "Love is a Promise" that will be one of those Sesshoumaru shows that he actually has a heart sort of a things. And I do have a few Final Fantasy IX one-shots that are much farther in progress than my Inuyasha one entitled. The farthest one is called "The Analyst." It has to be one of the weirdest things I have ever written . . . It's starring Kuja and . . . Shiva. But not Kuja x Shiva shudder. The other is called "Incomplete Angel" and it is another completely weird Kuja fic. FYI, in both fics Kuja is dead . . . Eh, you'll see when I get them up. But both involve a lot of Zidane . . . I always like fics starring Zidane and Kuja.
And I guess that about wraps it up. I thought I'd be fifteen by the time this story ended, but I guess not, lol.
THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYBODY!!! WAIT FOR MY WEB-COMIC LINK, ALRIGHTY?!! AND KEEP CHECKING MY DEVIANTART ACCOUNT!!! YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN I'LL STICK SOMETHING NEW IN THERE cough DOUJINSHI PAGE FROM THIS FANFIC cough !!!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Owari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .