Inheritance
For a long time now, I've wanted to do a really good 'angst' oriented fic. This . . . probably isn't it. I might not even continue it, depends on what reviews the first chapter gets. It's the first time I've ever tried to do something like this, and to top things off; it's set after the game! I've only ever written pre-game stuff before. Well, wont know till I try will I?
Summary: Ever wondered why Kuja looked so different from the other Genomes? Zidane is about to find out. As he desperately tries to hide what's happening to him to his friends, will he realise he really isn't alone?
R&R
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(The morning of the Tantalus performance at the end of the game)
.
"Think he's up?"
"At this hour? Of course not!"
Zidane groaned and tried to block out the voices. He hadn't gotten that much sleep that night. A nightmare filled with fire and cries had seen to that.
"How do you want to do it this time?"
"Hmm, got a bucket?"
* * *
Zidane faintly heard two voices trying to muffle laughter as someone left the room. He yawned and tried to get more sleep. The next thing he knew, a wave of ice cold water gushed over him, drenching him head to tail, permanently reviving him from dreamland.
He made a sound like a soaked cat and jumped into the air, landing on his bed, shaking his head in shock and surprise. This was two much for Marcus and Cinna, and the two collapsed to the floor, laughing. Blank grinned as he put the bucket down on the ground.
"Rise and shine sleeping beauty" the boy mocked.
Zidane growled. "What's the big idea?" he shouted.
Marcus finally got off the floor, followed by Cinna. "Rehearsal. We need to practice the play before we reach Alexandria. We don't want your precious Dagger to guess what's going on before the finale do we?"
Zidane anger slightly subsided. "Well what's wrong with a good old fashioned pulling the arm?"
Cinna shrugged, still laughing slightly. "That never works and you know it. Coming up with ideas to wake you up is the only entertainment around here."
"Hey, remember when we pulled him by the tail?" Marcus asked.
"Or the time we tied him to the clock hands at the hideout?"
"Okay, okay!" Zidane protested. "And neither of those were funny. I had a headache for weeks after that clock tower incident."
"Depends from your point of view" Marcus pointed out.
The three turned to leave the room. Blank stopped at the door.
"Rehearsal's in fifteen minutes. Meeting in the usual place."
Zidane nodded, and got up, using a blanket to dry himself. A bucket of water. Unoriginal maybe, but a classic.
He yawned as he put his vest over his white shirt. It was damp, but should be dry in time for the performance.
He smiled at that. Dagger wouldn't see it coming. He just hoped it hadn't been so long that her feelings for him were gone.
It had been almost a year since he had gone back for his brother. He still wasn't too sure how he survived. He had a feeling that Kuja had used the last of his magic to teleport the two out. Zidane had woken up in the desert by the Iifa Tree, with his brother by his side. Kuja had died a few minutes later, despite Zidane's best efforts to save him. Seconds later, a rogue root from the Iifa Tree had towered above him, and the next thing he knew, he was at the Tantalus hideout, after supposedly being in a coma for several months. Dagger was unaware that he was even still alive. Baku and the others didn't think it would have been right to tell her, especially since they weren't sure if he'd actually wake up.
Zidane went to the lopsided mirror near his bed and half-heartedly brushed his wet hair. The blonde hair was a sign of what he was. A Genome. When he first found out, he'd been so confused and scared, he'd pushed away all offers of help from his friends. It had taken Dagger's pleas, and (although he hadn't realised at the time), Kuja's actions to make him see sense.
At the thought of Kuja, Zidane thought back to the last words the 'worthless' Genome had said to him . . .
**Flashback**
"Hey come on Kuja" Zidane said, shaking the man. "Don't you go dying yet."
Kuja grinned despite the pain within. "I thought you wanted me to die?"
"Yeah, well . . . things change" Zidane offered.
"You mean now that I'm family I can do no wrong?"
Zidane rolled his eyes. "No. I just think that if I had been in your shoes, I might have done the same things."
"You still might . . . "
Zidane frowned. "What do you mean?"
Kuja laughed sadly. "Garland . . . was aware of the crystal, an . . . and how everyone's memories . . . are in . . . intertwined. He . . . he discovered a way . . . to . . . to use this to his . . . advantage."
Zidane shook his head. "What are you talking about?"
"Haven't . . . you ever wondered . . . why I look so different from . . . the others?"
Zidane shrugged. "He made you first?" he offered.
Kuja shook his head, despite the strain. "He . . . he made most of . . . the Genomes . . . be . . . before making us. To . . . to make sure . . . they worked. B-but he needed . . . something . . . something to separate . . . his 'angels of death', as you . . . dubbed us."
Zidane frowned. "But I look just like them. So does Mikoto."
Kuja smiled, and his head slowly went to one side.
"The replacements . . . were obsolete at . . . the time. Only . . . one ultimate . . . 'angel' . . . could exist at . . . a time . . . "
"Kuja? Kuja? Oh no you don't! What are you talking about? Kuja!"
Suddenly, a root ripped from the ground beside them, and slammed into the two Genomes. Zidane felt a blow to the head, and the world went dark . . .
**End Flashback**
He still wasn't too sure what Kuja had meant. Mikoto might know, and he had plans to see her at Black Mage Village, if she wasn't in Alexandria. But what had his brother been talking about, he still didn't know. Only one ultimate angel at a time?
He was brought back to reality when his brush caught on something near his forehead. He put the brush down and located it, expecting a tangle. To his surprise, after the sharp tug with his brush, the 'tangle' in question came out easily, and Zidane looked at it.
His eyes widened as he stared at the anomaly.
In the centre of his palm was a small yellow feather . . .
To be continued . . .
************************************************************************
Ooh, I love that last sentence. I'm surprised a fic like this hasn't been done before (if it has, then I'm deeply sorry). Well, let me know what you think.
Again, R&R!
For a long time now, I've wanted to do a really good 'angst' oriented fic. This . . . probably isn't it. I might not even continue it, depends on what reviews the first chapter gets. It's the first time I've ever tried to do something like this, and to top things off; it's set after the game! I've only ever written pre-game stuff before. Well, wont know till I try will I?
Summary: Ever wondered why Kuja looked so different from the other Genomes? Zidane is about to find out. As he desperately tries to hide what's happening to him to his friends, will he realise he really isn't alone?
R&R
************************************************************************
(The morning of the Tantalus performance at the end of the game)
.
"Think he's up?"
"At this hour? Of course not!"
Zidane groaned and tried to block out the voices. He hadn't gotten that much sleep that night. A nightmare filled with fire and cries had seen to that.
"How do you want to do it this time?"
"Hmm, got a bucket?"
* * *
Zidane faintly heard two voices trying to muffle laughter as someone left the room. He yawned and tried to get more sleep. The next thing he knew, a wave of ice cold water gushed over him, drenching him head to tail, permanently reviving him from dreamland.
He made a sound like a soaked cat and jumped into the air, landing on his bed, shaking his head in shock and surprise. This was two much for Marcus and Cinna, and the two collapsed to the floor, laughing. Blank grinned as he put the bucket down on the ground.
"Rise and shine sleeping beauty" the boy mocked.
Zidane growled. "What's the big idea?" he shouted.
Marcus finally got off the floor, followed by Cinna. "Rehearsal. We need to practice the play before we reach Alexandria. We don't want your precious Dagger to guess what's going on before the finale do we?"
Zidane anger slightly subsided. "Well what's wrong with a good old fashioned pulling the arm?"
Cinna shrugged, still laughing slightly. "That never works and you know it. Coming up with ideas to wake you up is the only entertainment around here."
"Hey, remember when we pulled him by the tail?" Marcus asked.
"Or the time we tied him to the clock hands at the hideout?"
"Okay, okay!" Zidane protested. "And neither of those were funny. I had a headache for weeks after that clock tower incident."
"Depends from your point of view" Marcus pointed out.
The three turned to leave the room. Blank stopped at the door.
"Rehearsal's in fifteen minutes. Meeting in the usual place."
Zidane nodded, and got up, using a blanket to dry himself. A bucket of water. Unoriginal maybe, but a classic.
He yawned as he put his vest over his white shirt. It was damp, but should be dry in time for the performance.
He smiled at that. Dagger wouldn't see it coming. He just hoped it hadn't been so long that her feelings for him were gone.
It had been almost a year since he had gone back for his brother. He still wasn't too sure how he survived. He had a feeling that Kuja had used the last of his magic to teleport the two out. Zidane had woken up in the desert by the Iifa Tree, with his brother by his side. Kuja had died a few minutes later, despite Zidane's best efforts to save him. Seconds later, a rogue root from the Iifa Tree had towered above him, and the next thing he knew, he was at the Tantalus hideout, after supposedly being in a coma for several months. Dagger was unaware that he was even still alive. Baku and the others didn't think it would have been right to tell her, especially since they weren't sure if he'd actually wake up.
Zidane went to the lopsided mirror near his bed and half-heartedly brushed his wet hair. The blonde hair was a sign of what he was. A Genome. When he first found out, he'd been so confused and scared, he'd pushed away all offers of help from his friends. It had taken Dagger's pleas, and (although he hadn't realised at the time), Kuja's actions to make him see sense.
At the thought of Kuja, Zidane thought back to the last words the 'worthless' Genome had said to him . . .
**Flashback**
"Hey come on Kuja" Zidane said, shaking the man. "Don't you go dying yet."
Kuja grinned despite the pain within. "I thought you wanted me to die?"
"Yeah, well . . . things change" Zidane offered.
"You mean now that I'm family I can do no wrong?"
Zidane rolled his eyes. "No. I just think that if I had been in your shoes, I might have done the same things."
"You still might . . . "
Zidane frowned. "What do you mean?"
Kuja laughed sadly. "Garland . . . was aware of the crystal, an . . . and how everyone's memories . . . are in . . . intertwined. He . . . he discovered a way . . . to . . . to use this to his . . . advantage."
Zidane shook his head. "What are you talking about?"
"Haven't . . . you ever wondered . . . why I look so different from . . . the others?"
Zidane shrugged. "He made you first?" he offered.
Kuja shook his head, despite the strain. "He . . . he made most of . . . the Genomes . . . be . . . before making us. To . . . to make sure . . . they worked. B-but he needed . . . something . . . something to separate . . . his 'angels of death', as you . . . dubbed us."
Zidane frowned. "But I look just like them. So does Mikoto."
Kuja smiled, and his head slowly went to one side.
"The replacements . . . were obsolete at . . . the time. Only . . . one ultimate . . . 'angel' . . . could exist at . . . a time . . . "
"Kuja? Kuja? Oh no you don't! What are you talking about? Kuja!"
Suddenly, a root ripped from the ground beside them, and slammed into the two Genomes. Zidane felt a blow to the head, and the world went dark . . .
**End Flashback**
He still wasn't too sure what Kuja had meant. Mikoto might know, and he had plans to see her at Black Mage Village, if she wasn't in Alexandria. But what had his brother been talking about, he still didn't know. Only one ultimate angel at a time?
He was brought back to reality when his brush caught on something near his forehead. He put the brush down and located it, expecting a tangle. To his surprise, after the sharp tug with his brush, the 'tangle' in question came out easily, and Zidane looked at it.
His eyes widened as he stared at the anomaly.
In the centre of his palm was a small yellow feather . . .
To be continued . . .
************************************************************************
Ooh, I love that last sentence. I'm surprised a fic like this hasn't been done before (if it has, then I'm deeply sorry). Well, let me know what you think.
Again, R&R!