Author's Note: Another LeFox fic (translation: It should be pretty
good...). This time, through the eyes of a man who wants to end his
life... then comes face-to-face with the Angel of Death himself. I'll
still work on my other fic, but this idea just popped up and I liked it.
So there. This is also my only fic that gives the slightest hint of anti-
Garland-ism, too. I know at least three reviewers I can count on... and
they know who they are, the fabulous readers!! ...No, Fury... you're not
one of them.
KIERA DESERT
I looked out over the desert. Wind whipped the sand into tiny sandstorms, while quicksand hid the monsters within. Oh, it was a savage place... and I wanted nothing more than to kill myself here. The Kiera Desert, where no one would ever find me. Ever. I could never be found, never be saved, and I'd never have to face my fiance again. Damn, it was the third time I had walked in on that woman to find another man with her... I was sick of it. She had sworn when I had proposed to her that there would be no more affairs, no more lies, no more secrets... my Jani was always such an excellent liar. Even when she swore it was over... she could still be so manipulative. Janira was so beautiful, she would have shamed Helen of Troy... but she used her beauty against me... and I was so tired of being hurt by that girl. I was twenty-seven, and I'd had enough pain to last me a lifetime. I had no friends, no family left. Jani was all I had. And I had lost her. I hadn't even told her what I was going to do... where I was going to go. As for her lover... he was once a good friend of mine. Bastard.
I closed my eyes slowly. My plan was to climb up the cliff, then jump off. The sand was so rough, it would kill me on impact. But my arms were too weak from the battles I had fought just to get to the side of the cliff... even my plans for suicide couldn't go correctly. Everything seemed to go terribly wrong for me, while it improved for others. I looked at the sky, cursing it. "If you can't make my life easier, can't you at least let me end it!?" I yelled, knowing no one would hear me. No one was anywhere close enough to hear me...
...So I thought.
I think he had been watching me from the moment I had arrived at the Kiera Desert. Though why he didn't react for the longest time, I have to wonder. He must have seen me there, huddled at the foot of the cliff. I hate to admit it, but I think... I think he pitied me. I think maybe something inside him wished he could help me; stop me; even at his first glance at me. His day had been a relatively calm one, probably, he didn't tell me about it. In fact, come to think of it, he didn't really tell me about much of what had happened to him recently. All I can say is, when he first appeared to me, I thought I was seeing an angel. But I digress. Back to that night.... I was preparing to just let myself sleep on the rough sand... and then I heard it.
"...Are you sure you wouldn't prefer sleeping somewhere more comfortable...?" I looked around, wildly searching for the source of the voice. It was deep, soft. Definitely male, but with just a brush of feminine lightness. ...Not unlike the reverse effect I got from his appearance. I could only gawk at him when I first noticed him. Tumbling waves of silver-white cascaded down his back, strangely accented by the upswept feathers at his forelock. Eyes of some strange variation of blue- violet stared at me... they were the saddest eyes I had ever seen in my entire life. That was hardly noticeable, however, with the reddish coloured eyeshadow boldly covering his eyelids. It wasn't the only makeup he was wearing, either. My eyes swept over his slender, girlish body. How I knew he was male--I'd even guess that he was somewhere in his mid- twenties, I have no idea. He was wearing armor... very revealing armor, at that. Flowing sleeves and... a skirt...? ...only added to the look of somewhat feminine beauty. He wore thigh-high boots. I can't remember if the boots added to his height or not... but then, I didn't spend the rest of the evening watching this strange man. He shifted awkwardly, obviously not used to being studied so closely.
"...I'm sorry." I apologized, standing up and blushing. Gods, but he was even more beautiful than Jani! He shook his head. The sun danced on the silvery mane, blinding me for a moment. "...No, you're not... you have no reason to apologize. Life hasn't been too kind to you, why should you show any kindness to others..." his voice was about to drive me insane. I wanted to yell at him, but I kept my cool. "I don't even know you. You haven't been unkind to me." I replied, leaning against the cliff. Damn, this man intrigued me... who was he? Was he... an angel...? I wouldn't have thought it to be impossible; he sure did look like one. Except for those eyes. Deeper than an ocean, but they seemed to hold... so many tears that he had never cried. Never would cry... I wanted to cry for him... but I didn't know what I was crying for. He was staring at me calmly, then he shook his head again. "How do you know...?" he asked gently, and I wasn't sure what he meant. That I didn't know him, or that he had never been unkind to me? "...I know I've never met you. I'd remember you." I fought hard to keep emphasis off of the word 'you'. He looked away, almost as if something I had said hurt him. "...Sometimes... the things that hurt us are caused by those we don't know..." he whispered, suddenly very interested in the steel toe of his boot. He let the cryptic words hang in the air for a moment, before looking back at me with intense emotion.
"But as I said earlier, if you are so intent on ending your life... at least let your last night be comfortable." he said slowly. "...This comes with a price, doesn't it," I asked, knowing that if he wanted to make me well-rested, it wouldn't come without its drawbacks. Not a man like this... he wouldn't just let some suicidal idiot rest at his expense. He was quiet for a long time. Obviously, he hadn't expected this. "...As with all favors, something has to be done in return..." he said softly, one hand catching a fistful of the white fabric at his thigh. I nodded. "So then... what's your favor?" I asked, wishing he would just name it. I was tired. "I... I just... You wouldn't agree." he finished lamely. He was visibly blushing, once again fascinated by his boot. "You're offering me a favor, but I can do nothing in return?" I asked, bewildered and getting slightly angry. "That just isn't fair!" He looked up, smirking. "You, the one who wants to end his life, are the authority on fairness?" there was acid in his usually smooth voice. I glared at him. "What are you saying I wouldn't agree to?" I demanded. His expression softened greatly, and he leaned on the rock wall beside me. He was so close, I could almost smell the delicate scent of his hair. "I need someone to... just to listen to me... someone who won't judge me..." his voice was barely audible. "But... you wouldn't be the type to listen to others' troubles, now would you...? You seem to have enough trouble on your own..."
This soft-spoken request took me a moment to understand. When I did, I almost groaned. "So basically, you want someone who's gonna listen to your life story." I asked listlessly. He looked up sadly. I regretted the iciness I had shown him. "...I just want someone else to know... that I'm not what everyone thinks I am. That I'm just as human as... just as human as Zidane..." the last sentence was spoken just barely above a whisper, but with obvious bitterness. I was evidentally not meant to hear it. So I took the smart path and let him be. "...Fine... I'll... I'll lend an ear." I finally admitted defeat to my aching body, and looked at the small-framed man beside me. "Do you live somewhere nearby? I don't feel like walking far." He smiled, and pointed up. I looked to where he was pointing. A small ladder hung just a few feet up the cliff. I groaned. We did have to climb, after all. So I thought. The silver-tressed man touched my arm gently, and suddenly I was engulfed in bright blue light. So bright, it almost blinded me. Archaic symbols flashed around me, and I tried to see what each one looked like as it sped past.
When the light faded, we were standing in a huge, circular bedroom, complete with a canopied bed and attached bathroom. It wasn't all too fancy, just really a place to sleep, dress, and relax. He had a bookcase against one wall, along with several paintings on the walls. Beautiful paintings of cities all over Gaia... Burmecia, Cleyra, Lindblum, Alexandria, Treno, Dali, Conde Petie, even Madain Sari. I glanced at the closest painting, one of Treno's famous Auction House. The artist had signed his work with a flourished 'K'. No second initial... strange. I continued looking around. The walls were a very faint lilac color, meeting halfway with a reddish coloured tile. The floor was also tiled, with dark violet marble, it seemed. The dressers were all a dark mahogany. The bed was huge, much too large for this tiny little thing by my side. And yet, this seemed to be his room... he sat on the edge of the enormous bed, patting it with one of his slender hands. I looked at him incredulously. "...I didn't come here to sleep with you!" I exclaimed, causing him to blush furiously. "I know that! I was only suggesting that you lie down while I tell my story. After all, the point of your visit is rest." he reminded me, still red in the face. I took the opportunity to observe him further. If I looked hard enough, I could tell that he was a cross between strikingly handsome, and inexplicably beautiful. He could have looked boyishly attractive if he would just change the few things about him that made him seem so decidedly feminine. He looked up, and I glanced away.
"...Sir, do you often stare at those who offer you a favor, or am I just a special case?" he asked, standing up. "Well, actually, I tend to stare at those who happen to be abnormally beautiful," I replied, a line I had used to win over my Jani. This man smiled, rolling his eyes. "...I get that a lot, you know." he joked, shoving me onto the bed almost playfully. He stood over me, smirking slightly. How could someone look so damn good when my world had turned upside down so horribly? I sighed. "Are you ever going to tell me your name?" I asked, removing my shoes and climbing into the huge bed. He smiled, sweeping me an Alexandrian-style bow. "My name is Kuja. Nothing more, and nothing less."
"Kuja..."
Author's Note: So? Should I go any further, or what? To readers of Blinded by Love, I'll still work on that, so don't worry. Yes, I realize that I never mentioned what "I"'s name was. That was intentional. ...As with all of my fics, it's a slow start, but it's something. And from what I have done of chapter two, it seems to be getting better. I'm not sure if I'll have any shounen-ai or yaoi in here, but if I do, I'll letcha know! *smiles* I hope this turns out okay...
KIERA DESERT
I looked out over the desert. Wind whipped the sand into tiny sandstorms, while quicksand hid the monsters within. Oh, it was a savage place... and I wanted nothing more than to kill myself here. The Kiera Desert, where no one would ever find me. Ever. I could never be found, never be saved, and I'd never have to face my fiance again. Damn, it was the third time I had walked in on that woman to find another man with her... I was sick of it. She had sworn when I had proposed to her that there would be no more affairs, no more lies, no more secrets... my Jani was always such an excellent liar. Even when she swore it was over... she could still be so manipulative. Janira was so beautiful, she would have shamed Helen of Troy... but she used her beauty against me... and I was so tired of being hurt by that girl. I was twenty-seven, and I'd had enough pain to last me a lifetime. I had no friends, no family left. Jani was all I had. And I had lost her. I hadn't even told her what I was going to do... where I was going to go. As for her lover... he was once a good friend of mine. Bastard.
I closed my eyes slowly. My plan was to climb up the cliff, then jump off. The sand was so rough, it would kill me on impact. But my arms were too weak from the battles I had fought just to get to the side of the cliff... even my plans for suicide couldn't go correctly. Everything seemed to go terribly wrong for me, while it improved for others. I looked at the sky, cursing it. "If you can't make my life easier, can't you at least let me end it!?" I yelled, knowing no one would hear me. No one was anywhere close enough to hear me...
...So I thought.
I think he had been watching me from the moment I had arrived at the Kiera Desert. Though why he didn't react for the longest time, I have to wonder. He must have seen me there, huddled at the foot of the cliff. I hate to admit it, but I think... I think he pitied me. I think maybe something inside him wished he could help me; stop me; even at his first glance at me. His day had been a relatively calm one, probably, he didn't tell me about it. In fact, come to think of it, he didn't really tell me about much of what had happened to him recently. All I can say is, when he first appeared to me, I thought I was seeing an angel. But I digress. Back to that night.... I was preparing to just let myself sleep on the rough sand... and then I heard it.
"...Are you sure you wouldn't prefer sleeping somewhere more comfortable...?" I looked around, wildly searching for the source of the voice. It was deep, soft. Definitely male, but with just a brush of feminine lightness. ...Not unlike the reverse effect I got from his appearance. I could only gawk at him when I first noticed him. Tumbling waves of silver-white cascaded down his back, strangely accented by the upswept feathers at his forelock. Eyes of some strange variation of blue- violet stared at me... they were the saddest eyes I had ever seen in my entire life. That was hardly noticeable, however, with the reddish coloured eyeshadow boldly covering his eyelids. It wasn't the only makeup he was wearing, either. My eyes swept over his slender, girlish body. How I knew he was male--I'd even guess that he was somewhere in his mid- twenties, I have no idea. He was wearing armor... very revealing armor, at that. Flowing sleeves and... a skirt...? ...only added to the look of somewhat feminine beauty. He wore thigh-high boots. I can't remember if the boots added to his height or not... but then, I didn't spend the rest of the evening watching this strange man. He shifted awkwardly, obviously not used to being studied so closely.
"...I'm sorry." I apologized, standing up and blushing. Gods, but he was even more beautiful than Jani! He shook his head. The sun danced on the silvery mane, blinding me for a moment. "...No, you're not... you have no reason to apologize. Life hasn't been too kind to you, why should you show any kindness to others..." his voice was about to drive me insane. I wanted to yell at him, but I kept my cool. "I don't even know you. You haven't been unkind to me." I replied, leaning against the cliff. Damn, this man intrigued me... who was he? Was he... an angel...? I wouldn't have thought it to be impossible; he sure did look like one. Except for those eyes. Deeper than an ocean, but they seemed to hold... so many tears that he had never cried. Never would cry... I wanted to cry for him... but I didn't know what I was crying for. He was staring at me calmly, then he shook his head again. "How do you know...?" he asked gently, and I wasn't sure what he meant. That I didn't know him, or that he had never been unkind to me? "...I know I've never met you. I'd remember you." I fought hard to keep emphasis off of the word 'you'. He looked away, almost as if something I had said hurt him. "...Sometimes... the things that hurt us are caused by those we don't know..." he whispered, suddenly very interested in the steel toe of his boot. He let the cryptic words hang in the air for a moment, before looking back at me with intense emotion.
"But as I said earlier, if you are so intent on ending your life... at least let your last night be comfortable." he said slowly. "...This comes with a price, doesn't it," I asked, knowing that if he wanted to make me well-rested, it wouldn't come without its drawbacks. Not a man like this... he wouldn't just let some suicidal idiot rest at his expense. He was quiet for a long time. Obviously, he hadn't expected this. "...As with all favors, something has to be done in return..." he said softly, one hand catching a fistful of the white fabric at his thigh. I nodded. "So then... what's your favor?" I asked, wishing he would just name it. I was tired. "I... I just... You wouldn't agree." he finished lamely. He was visibly blushing, once again fascinated by his boot. "You're offering me a favor, but I can do nothing in return?" I asked, bewildered and getting slightly angry. "That just isn't fair!" He looked up, smirking. "You, the one who wants to end his life, are the authority on fairness?" there was acid in his usually smooth voice. I glared at him. "What are you saying I wouldn't agree to?" I demanded. His expression softened greatly, and he leaned on the rock wall beside me. He was so close, I could almost smell the delicate scent of his hair. "I need someone to... just to listen to me... someone who won't judge me..." his voice was barely audible. "But... you wouldn't be the type to listen to others' troubles, now would you...? You seem to have enough trouble on your own..."
This soft-spoken request took me a moment to understand. When I did, I almost groaned. "So basically, you want someone who's gonna listen to your life story." I asked listlessly. He looked up sadly. I regretted the iciness I had shown him. "...I just want someone else to know... that I'm not what everyone thinks I am. That I'm just as human as... just as human as Zidane..." the last sentence was spoken just barely above a whisper, but with obvious bitterness. I was evidentally not meant to hear it. So I took the smart path and let him be. "...Fine... I'll... I'll lend an ear." I finally admitted defeat to my aching body, and looked at the small-framed man beside me. "Do you live somewhere nearby? I don't feel like walking far." He smiled, and pointed up. I looked to where he was pointing. A small ladder hung just a few feet up the cliff. I groaned. We did have to climb, after all. So I thought. The silver-tressed man touched my arm gently, and suddenly I was engulfed in bright blue light. So bright, it almost blinded me. Archaic symbols flashed around me, and I tried to see what each one looked like as it sped past.
When the light faded, we were standing in a huge, circular bedroom, complete with a canopied bed and attached bathroom. It wasn't all too fancy, just really a place to sleep, dress, and relax. He had a bookcase against one wall, along with several paintings on the walls. Beautiful paintings of cities all over Gaia... Burmecia, Cleyra, Lindblum, Alexandria, Treno, Dali, Conde Petie, even Madain Sari. I glanced at the closest painting, one of Treno's famous Auction House. The artist had signed his work with a flourished 'K'. No second initial... strange. I continued looking around. The walls were a very faint lilac color, meeting halfway with a reddish coloured tile. The floor was also tiled, with dark violet marble, it seemed. The dressers were all a dark mahogany. The bed was huge, much too large for this tiny little thing by my side. And yet, this seemed to be his room... he sat on the edge of the enormous bed, patting it with one of his slender hands. I looked at him incredulously. "...I didn't come here to sleep with you!" I exclaimed, causing him to blush furiously. "I know that! I was only suggesting that you lie down while I tell my story. After all, the point of your visit is rest." he reminded me, still red in the face. I took the opportunity to observe him further. If I looked hard enough, I could tell that he was a cross between strikingly handsome, and inexplicably beautiful. He could have looked boyishly attractive if he would just change the few things about him that made him seem so decidedly feminine. He looked up, and I glanced away.
"...Sir, do you often stare at those who offer you a favor, or am I just a special case?" he asked, standing up. "Well, actually, I tend to stare at those who happen to be abnormally beautiful," I replied, a line I had used to win over my Jani. This man smiled, rolling his eyes. "...I get that a lot, you know." he joked, shoving me onto the bed almost playfully. He stood over me, smirking slightly. How could someone look so damn good when my world had turned upside down so horribly? I sighed. "Are you ever going to tell me your name?" I asked, removing my shoes and climbing into the huge bed. He smiled, sweeping me an Alexandrian-style bow. "My name is Kuja. Nothing more, and nothing less."
"Kuja..."
Author's Note: So? Should I go any further, or what? To readers of Blinded by Love, I'll still work on that, so don't worry. Yes, I realize that I never mentioned what "I"'s name was. That was intentional. ...As with all of my fics, it's a slow start, but it's something. And from what I have done of chapter two, it seems to be getting better. I'm not sure if I'll have any shounen-ai or yaoi in here, but if I do, I'll letcha know! *smiles* I hope this turns out okay...