| There is never a dull moment in the life of an adventurer. Things only get idle for a while. -Engraved on Tantalus Hideout wall Part 68 We�d been through so many big battles that all of us were exhausted. But it didn�t seem right that we�d come all this way just to give up, so we didn�t. � I can�t believe you beat Deathguise . . .� Kuja mused. � I suppose it�s time to die, then!� He would not attack me. Nothing I did--not even my tearing his face open--got a reaction out of him. [Why won�t you fight me?] I demanded. � Because you�re the only one who�s ever cared.� He shook his head. � You never should have come. Never. Everything would have been so much easier if you had just stayed behind.� [I don�t abandon comrades!] He shook his head again, smiling ruefully. � I know. After all I�ve done, you still won�t give up on me.� [You�re not born for evil deeds!] � It�s too late now. I�ve chosen my path . . .� Zidane took the moment of distraction. He lifted his free arm as his wings spread. His fingers were separated in a mimic of a four-fingered dragon wing. [I Call upon Cirin of the Red Dragons. Aid me in my battle!] In the distance appeared a wave of undulating dots. As they got closer, they were discernable as individual dragons. In the lead was Cirin, his gaze locked on Zidane. [What is it you wish of me, Brother?] Zidane pointed to Kuja. [Do not kill him! I do not wish him dead!] [Understood.] Cirin roared the command and it was passed down the line. Either alone or in pairs, a flight of one-hundred red dragons attacked Kuja. They retreated, pausing as Cirin did to make sure Kuja was severely injured, but not dead. When the fact was obvious, Cirin began to fly away. [If you ever need my help again, Brother, you have but to Call. I will be there.] [Thank you.] Kuja began to sink slowly. � If I die, so does everyone else!� Then, in barely a whisper, � Forgive me, great empress.� That was the last thing I remembered clearly. The next thing I remembered was hearing Zidane. � U-Ugh . . .� He struggled to his feet. � What happened to the crystal . . .? Where is this?� You stand before the final dimension and I am the darkness of eternity . . . He staggered forward. � Wh-Who are you?� All life bears death from birth. Life fears death, but lives only to die. It starts with anxiety. Anxiety becomes fear. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering . . . The only cure for this fear is total destruction. Kuja was a victim of his own fear. He concluded he could only save himself by destroying the origin of all things---the crystal. � What the heck are you talking about? Why are you telling me all this?� Now the theory is undeniable. Kuja�s action proves it. All things live to perish. At last, life has uncovered this truth. Now it is time to end this world. � Wh-What do you mean by that?!� I exist for one purpose . . . To return everything back to the zero world where there is no life and no crystal to give life. In a world of nothing, fear does not exist. This is the world that all life desires. � Who the hell do you think you are?! You�re not ending anything! Never, as long as we have the will to live!� Foolish creature . . . Your fears have already deluded you. One day you will choose destruction over existence, as Kuja did. When he sought to destroy the crystal, the purpose of life ended. Now come . . . Enter the zero world that you desire. � No! We�ll destroy you and prove you wrong! And through our memories, future generations will see that we can overcome any fear!� He fell to his knees, tired and worn out from fighting Kuja. � . . . We can�t give up now . . . We have to fight together. Even if we lose, it doesn�t matter . . . Our memories will live on inside others. So even if we are born to die, I�m not afraid. I�m gonna live!� There was a brief space of time where energy was transfered between allies. � We�ve come too far to lose now. Let�s just wrap this up and go home . . . all of us.� I slipped away and went to find Kuja. He had dropped out of Trance and lay battered and broken inside the Iifa Tree. For a moment I feared he was dead, but then he rolled his head toward me. � . . . Empress.� I laid by him and nosed his cheek. [Do not be afraid. I am here.] He smiled. � I�m glad you�re okay.� [I am not easily killed.] � Good thing.� He reached up and I lowered my head so he could stroke my face. � You saw . . . in Memoria . . . That night you cared for me . . .� [I did.] � You didn�t remember it because I erased it the best I could.� [Why?] � So you wouldn�t come looking for me.� [Why?] � Because you were taking care of Zidane.� [I thought you didn�t like Zidane.] � Of course I don�t. He was created to replace me.� [Then why---?] � I don�t think I�ve ever really hated Zidane. But I hated Garland, and leaving Zidane on Gaia made me happy so I left it at that.� He chuckled, and it came out as a peculiar gurgle. � Boy, if I had known he would become so powerful . . . You know, I screwed myself by taunting him like I did. I encouraged him to get stronger and defeat me and take my place. How strange that I only think of this now . . .� Above us, Zidane�s voice shouted over the sound of Thundaga, [I Call upon Asariem of the Grand Dragons. Aid me in my battle!] I spread my wing out over Kuja in a comforting gesture. If he were to die, I�d rather it be in the security of my wing than all alone in a cold, hateful world. [He understands what you feel. Not all of it, but parts of it.] <--Part 67 Part 69--> |