Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews! This story has been an absolute joy to write, and I'm glad that y'all have enjoyed it! This is the final chapter (plus an epilogue, of course); I have a few edits on the epilogue still, so hopefully that will be up next week. Enjoy!

Chapter Ten

The rooftop smoldered beneath the fading storm, the rain dwindling to a stop as the last of the fires were quickly extinguished, so that rays of warmth peeked through the sky. Though the thick scent of smoke lingered inside the small shack, the inside remained relatively intact, and the slumbering blond remained blissfully unaware of the chaos that had ensued. Just as she had for the last few weeks,the queen approached the cot wordlessly, a gloved hand grasping his so that skin almost met between supple fabric. Nearby, the redhead leaned against the wall, and a dark eye glimpsed the blonde as she approached.

"He's fine," Blank said, and the raven-haired mage turned.

"Almost all of the fires are out," Eiko said, loitering in the doorway. The queen nodded, her gaze drifting back towards the lifeless rogue.

"…Kuja's Trance was much more destructive last time…" she said, and a soft sigh escaped her lips. "We were lucky."

"…I was awful to him…" Mikoto's voice trailed absently, sapphire eyes losing focus somewhere between sandy bangs and her slumbering brother. "I…I just wished I had realized…"

"Mikoto…"

"All this time…I was accusing him of not wanting to wake Zidane – of being a coward…" Wide eyes found the queen, and bitter heat nipped at her eyes; she blinked it back quickly, smothering the strange emotion. "This is my fault – he is my brother – my responsibility…" her voice trailed as vivid eyes settled back over the slumbering Genome.

"…You cannot blame yourself for Kuja's actions," Steiner responded quickly, and Mikoto's puzzled gaze met his.

"No – you misunderstand…" she retorted quietly, and her gaze flickered back to the brunette. "He…he couldn't wake him." Intently, the summoner observed her, face somber and unreadable as she glanced back to the blond. "All this time, he's been trying to...but his magic – it wouldn't respond."

"Mikoto, I told you – I could sense his magic when I was healing him," Dagger protested. "He kept resisting me."

"It was still there, somewhere inside him, but he couldn't reach it." The white mage shot a skeptical look at the Genome and she sighed. "…Because of his heritage, Kuja never truly understood emotions – it's why he couldn't enter a Trance form before, because he lacks the capacity to process complex emotions. But…at some point…that changed somehow. When he began experiencing them, he didn't know what to do – he has always considered emotions as a form of weakness, and therefore, saw himself as weak… He was keeping it all inside him – he…didn't know how to admit it…"

"…And when we forced him to confront his emotions, the surge of emotion caused him to re-enter his Trance form…" Dagger completed, the understanding clicking, and Mikoto nodded.

"…I should have realized…"

Heavy footsteps tore them away, and Dagger turned as the exhausted general skidded to a stop outside.

"Were you able to stop him?" the Burmecian asked eagerly; dark eyes drifted over the general as she caught her breath; soot and dirt smeared creamy skin, and Dagger didn't miss the singing on the back of her duster.

"What happened?!" she demanded, and a stern gaze met the queen's.

"I tracked him into the forest, but he was able to escape using his magic," she explained. "My queen…I know you wish to honor Zidane's wishes, but at some point, you must put Gaia's wellbeing before this futile attempt at rehabilitation."

"Beatrix…" the queen's voice trailed, and she sighed, though any response she might have made was cut short as the nearby Genome jolted; she whirled quickly, sandy locks tossing with the motion as her gaze suddenly cut back to the blond. "What – what is it?!" Dagger inquired anxiously.

"Kuja…" she replied quietly. "He's pleading for Zidane to wake up…"

*~*~*0*~*~*

'Zidane…please…just wake up!'

He recalled the roots, vaguely remembered the jaded Genome falling unconscious beneath him… The Iifa Tree yielded one last rampage, and tendrils screamed around him…something had blocked them. A shield magic, but it was weak and fading, just like the silver-haired Genome that projected it. The tree shrieked and shook, and he could feel each reverberation as roots pounded the barrier. A strained cry rose over the screams of the tree as a vine tore through, and pain pierced him as it impaled him. Vaguely he heard his name, but he was fading, the tree was settling around him, and he could feel the Genome's heartbeat as he slouched against his chest…

"Kuja!" The blond jolted awake, unfocused eyes tearing at his surroundings; where was he?The room spun and blurred, and he felt dizzy and nauseous, but he forced himself to stay upright, to focus. Muffled tones reached his ears, and he tried to pull them to syllables, tried to make them make sense. He felt pressure on his shoulder, and blinking, he could make out blonde hair and cerulean eyes. "Mikoto," he realized groggily, voice broken and jaw stiff.

"Zidane, please calm down," she said, and he could feel her trying to force him back to the mattress.

"Where is he – where's Kuja?" the thief demanded, pushing her hand away. He winced as sharpness stabbed his shoulder, rolling it painfully in its socket.

"I…am unsure," the Genome responded, and focusing eyes darted back to her. "He…became upset and entered his Trance. He accidentally set fire to the village…then, he disappeared into the forest."

"That bastard…"

"H-how do you feel?" the summoner asked, creeping towards him like a timid doe; bright cerulean pierced her, like the breathtaking hue of crystal coastlines, and for a fleeting moment, she found herself lost in them, drowning somewhere in the rolling waves. He smiled as their gazes locked, the world seemed to stop; he'd missed those eyes, her face, her voice…

"…I've been through worse," he answered smugly. Yanking the cover off his feet, Zidane slung his legs over the side of the bed. They were stiff and sore, but he stuffed them into his worn leather boots. "I'll be back – I'm going to find Kuja." Pain tore through his shoulder as he reached for his daggers and his breath hitched reflexively. Nevertheless, he persisted.

"But, Zidane – !" Dagger began, nearly shrieking as he walked past her.

"Don't worry – I'll come back," Zidane interrupted, plucking a kiss onto her forehead.

"Zidane, your body…" Mikoto tried to explain as she chased him out of the door. "You probably shouldn't – " But before she could say anymore, the blond had dashed into the woods, an array of awed eyes staring after him. The queen hesitated but walked past the Genome.

"I'm going after him," she stated bluntly, shoes squelching in the leftover mud as she eagerly followed his steps; the blonde stammered as she trailed after her.

"Dagger, that might not – I don't know if… Just let – just give him some time," she finally managed, and the white mage whirled on her heels.

"Why – so he can disappear again? Or get himself killed trying to save Kuja again?!" she shrieked, and the Genome shrank away from her. "I've waited for a year for him to come home, and weeks for him to wake up – and now, I finally have him back – do you really think I'm just going to stand by and watch him leave again?"

"…Yes…" the blonde sighed, cerulean eyes averted, instead studying the long strands of grass as they swayed beneath the fence. "In Kuja's current state, he could lose control again. He could exhaust himself or kill someone…and Zidane…even if Kuja would never admit it, I think Zidane is the only one he genuinely cares about – the only person he will listen to. I just…"

Chocolate orbs studied the blonde, considering the notion that the jaded Genome actually cared for something aside from himself. But the thought was fleeting as eyes danced over the same sandy locks of the person she cared for most, the same vibrant blue eyes, watery and threatening to overflow with tears; there was a time when she felt that the Genomes could not feel, could not be happy or angry or cry…savor the true meaning of living. Perhaps… Dagger smiled, brushing a damp tuft of ebon from her eyes.

"Alright," she agreed finally, and eyes met hers, blue, like the crests of the gently wavering ocean. "We'll give them a little time."

"…Thank you," she managed, wiping salty stains from her eyes. She studied the droplets of water that streaked across her hand and gave a half-hearted laugh. "Vivi once told me this was 'crying.' He said that the Gaians cry when they are sad or upset, and when they are happy. The concept seemed so foreign to me; how does one produce water from their eyes under emotional distress?" Her eyes fluttered to the queen, who gave her a soft smile.

"…I guess you are truly a Gaian."

*~*~*0*~*~*

The evening twilight casted a dull glow that peeked beneath the treetops, making it nearly impossible for crystal eyes to see any distance ahead. He'd only been in the woods for a small amount of time, just enough that the last warm glow of sunset peering beneath the lingering rainclouds had faded into near-nightfall, and already his body felt more exhausted than it ever had; limbs were stiff and protested every movement. Sudden dizziness swept over him, and the blond balanced himself on a tree, exhaling sharply; he was dehydrated, or at least, he could assume…being unconscious for a week or two would do that. He blinked the lightheadedness away, finally persevering.

He had to.

"Kuja!" His voice echoed hollowly through the canopy and ears pricked as the blond waited, paused for any sign of movement. Zidane sighed. "…Damn it, Kuja…" he muttered to himself, pushing himself deeper into the woods. Suddenly, leaves shifted, and a branch snapped somewhere to his right, and the rouge froze. "Kuja?" he asked uncertainly, knowing well it could be a fiend rather than the silver-haired Genome. Slowly, he reached for his dagger, the motion sending a piercing pain from his shoulder blade shooting into his fingertips. He gasped sharply clutching the limb as the pain subsided into a dull, achy throb.

Without warning, a rabbit skittered across his path, and Zidane recoiled with surprise as the ear-splitting shriek of an angry owl met his ears. He took in a deep breath, sighing as he leaned against a nearby tree-trunk and let himself sink to the damp forest floor. Eyes closed against the fading light, ears echoing with his own pounding heartbeat as he heavily breathed the evening air. It was thick with the perfume of pine and cedar, slightly touched by the smoke from the doused fires in the village. He pulled at the collar of his shirt, trying to find his injury; vaguely, he remembered the sharp pain of the root as it impaled him, his consciousness waning… Finally, eyes found the remnants of his injury; the scar was dull and faded against cream colored skin, and the blond hesitated.

…How long had he been out…?

"Kuja?!" he called again, now painfully aware of the encroaching darkness and his own body's limitations as he pulled himself from the ground. '…If only I could reach him telepathically…' Frustrated, he gave the nearby tree a little kick, though the gesture did little to make him feel better.

A brisk wind cut through the leaves, and the blond paused as he inhaled; no…it smelled of smoke – bitter flames and burning leaves – much stronger than it had been in the village. Crows squawked warningly in the distance, and he turned as his ears followed the noise. They were nearing him, and sapphires picked them out through the leaves in the canopy; the birds flocked east, and he watched them disappear, the sound fading slowly. Quickly, he bolted west.

"Kuja!" he called; the scent yanked at his mind, the haze of smoke sinking into his lungs and ensnaring his senses. The night sky flickered red, stars fading behind the screen; Zidane coughed and choked, the fire overtaking his senses, and he tugged his shirt over his face as he persevered. Bark and leaves and limbs crackled as he reached the blaze, heat rising against his vision, blurring, corroding it. "Kuja!" he choked, calling through the fire's breath, eyes fighting to see deeper inside.

Suddenly, the tree near him exploded, the shock sending him stumbling backwards. His heel caught on a root, and in an instant the world was upside down. He winced painfully, stars bursting in his vison and a jolt of agony burst through his body. For a moment, he laid there – paralyzed and sprawled against the forest floor. Eyes flickered open and trembling arms forced his weight from the ground, pupils wildly seeking the source of the blast.

And finally, beneath the embers that ate away at the greenery, he made out the vivid crimson eyes, madly searching through the haze of smoke and flames, the scarlet feathers that swept over colorless flesh.

"Kuja!" he shouted again, forcing his resisting limbs from the ground.

'Zidane?!' the answer came inside him, and vaguely, Zidane saw the Genome whirl, vermillion eyes desperately searching through the flames.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Zidane demanded, cerulean eyes protesting the ash and heat, though never leaving the form of the frantic Genome.

'You shouldn't be here – get away!' Another burst of energy blinded him briefly, and the blond winced away. He managed a step nearer, the heat radiating over him and embers dancing dangerously close. Above him, he could make out the dangerous whine of the nearby tree, the top of the trunk as it hissed and snapped, and quickly he leapt away. He was met with a shock of agony at the sudden movement, and he swore as his body crumpled.

"Kuja," he coughed, and his vision swam in the heat and smoke as he frantically sought the fiery form. "Just – calm down!" he managed over hacks and gasps of breath.

'I can't control it.' The words reached his ears more desperate than he knew the Genome intended, and again, he fought to regain his footing. 'Please…Zidane…just let me perish here… Let this world be free of me.'

"You can – get that thought – out of your head," he managed, fighting away the exhaustion that fogged his mind, the sting against his throat. Reflexively, he coughed, his body trying vainly to force the smoke from his lungs. "I wouldn't let you – die on me in the Iifa Tree, and – I won't let you give up now!" He tore through the fire, embers licking his body and pain searing through him until he felt numb. Finally, crimson eyes found his, bloodshot from the ash, but crystal blue and vivid.

Suddenly, time seemed to pause. Phoenix feathers danced in his vision, and the flames breathed in slow motion. Vaguely the crackling reached his ears, the muted sound of embers eating away at the bark and leaves, and the slow, deliberate footsteps as they led him nearer. It all faded, all seemed to melt away like the rivers of blood-colored feathers over his skin. The world faded, the sky, the smoke, the flames – it all died away, until the world fell silent. Scarlet eyes closed, and he felt himself, too, fading among them.

And suddenly, it crashed over him, like icy water as he felt himself hit the ground. Eyes fluttered open, the smoky haze sinking over his vision; his body felt numb and empty and lifeless as they peered past the fog and reaching towards the sky. Vaguely, he was aware of the hurried footsteps as they broke the silence around him, and silver threads danced against his vision.

"Kuja?" the blond called, and bright cerulean pierced him; sluggishly, his mind began to register the familiar eyes, the sandy bangs that framed them.

"…Zidane…?" he realized, and suddenly his mind reeled; he sat upright, the sensation sending the smoldering trees and the pale light of the cerulean moon smearing over his vision. "The fire?"

"Gone," the rogue said, eyes glancing over the damaged clearing as he stood over him. He gave a harsh hack and shook his head. "Your magic extinguished it." Sitting up, he glanced over the dark forest; the ground was singed black, and the trees were bare and lifeless. A sooty finger brushed away snowy bangs from his vision, leaving a smudge of black over porcelain features. Tattered fabric clung to his body as he sat upright, and finally his eyes considered the blond; creamy skin was tainted with smoke and puffy burns, and his clothing was singed and ragged from fighting through the forest and flames.

"…I still don't understand you…" he muttered absently.

"Well, I don't understand you, either," the blond replied curtly, allowing himself to settle beside the Genome. Another raspy cough tore at his lungs, and he cleared his throat. "What the hell is the matter with you?! I nearly got killed trying to save you, and then you pull this crap?"

"…How is the village?" he asked quietly.

"They were putting out the last of it when I left," Zidane replied, fighting away another coughing fit. "It didn't look too bad."

"…I'm glad…" Silence fell over them, only broken by the shuddering leaves overhead and occasional cough from the blond as he fought the smoke from his lungs. Moonlight spilled through them, shadows dancing over them as marine eyes took in the destruction his magic had caused. Vaguely, he pondered the blond's sincerity; based on the scene before him, he somehow didn't believe that the village had made it through as unscathed as the laid-back rogue suggested. If his comrades had been skeptical of his existence before, Kuja knew they would likely execute him on sight, given the destruction he'd caused.

"You're quiet," Zidane mused finally, and the silver-haired Genome sensed his anxious gaze settling over him, despite the forced tone of curiosity.

"…There's no place for someone like me on Gaia," he answered weakly, and Zidane studied him. "Even your friends agree." Kuja added, throwing a dark glance towards the rogue.

"They might not understand yet…but they will," he answered. "Just give them some time."

"Time doesn't lessen the atrocities I've committed, and it doesn't warrant my forgiveness." The Genome's reply was cold and harsh, and something about it made Zidane bite back his optimistic response. "And I don't deserve it – that much is clear." Bright cerulean eyes lingered over him, the same frail and worn features he'd studied in the truck of the Iifa Tree, the same uncanny steeled expression fixing over his features. Finally, Zidane sighed and looked away.

"Maybe so…" he replied, and Kuja gave a half-hearted chuckle. The sound was hollow as it reached his ears, and the blond shook his head. "Maybe the point is just to try."

"…You make it sound so easy…" His voice trailed into the night like the distant wind that stirred the dust and soot so that his eyes watered and burned; he let his gaze find the sky past the barren tree limbs. It settled over the pale moon as it peered over the night, and he shook his head. "They're probably worried about you…"

"They'll be fine," Zidane answered quickly.

"After everything…I'm surprised they even allowed you to leave," Kuja scoffed hollowly, and Zidane chuckled.

"Well, Dagger was pretty mad when I made her stay behind…" His voice trailed as he recalled the scar, and he cleared his throat. "By the way…how…how long was I out?" Silence answered him, alive with the sounds of nightfall, and Zidane swallowed against the lump in his throat. "A few weeks…?"

"…A year." The answer felt like ice water over his body, and Zidane felt a sudden numbness sink over him. "You were accidentally forced into a deep slumber in the Iifa Tree, and Mikoto placed my body in stasis. She…wished to extend my lifespan." Zidane leaned back, leaning to put his weight on his arms; a sudden spasm tore through his shoulder, and he yelped reflexively. "It seems as though you have some residual damage from your injuries," Kuja added.

"Yeah, no kidding…" his voice trailed, a gloved hand massaging the limb sorely. "A year…no wonder Dagger looked so pissed." He gave a half-hearted chuckle, though his humor fell flat and Kuja sighed.

"…Mikoto shouldn't have saved me…" he said quietly. "This world…it would be better off without me."

"You regret what happened don't you?" Sharp eyes pierced the blond before falling back to the ground. "You told me in the Iifa Tree that you had nothing more to lose…and that it was only then that you understood what it meant to live."

"And yet, I still cause destruction." The Genome's gaze was vacant, unreadable as his mind trailed distractedly.

"…You can learn to control your Trance," Zidane countered. "Besides…you can't blame just yourself. Garland told me that I was created to replace you…because he knew you wouldn't succeed. He only wanted to use you…"

"It doesn't matter!" Kuja snapped, wild eyes glimpsing the blond. "Look at everything I've done, Zidane! I single-handedly brought havoc and ruin onto this world – and even when I attempt to change, I still cause pain! Because that is my purpose…to disrupt the world and bring about death…" He looked away, eyes closing as he breathed in the nighttime air. "It still doesn't make sense to me – this uncanny emotional motivation that drives you forward, the memories that somehow bind you to your friends, your blind loyalty to them, to me… How those things give meaning and morality to your life… I don't understand what it truly means to be alive. I thought I did, but…" Those bright azure eyes bore into him, but he couldn't bring himself to meet that sickly-hopeful gaze. Instead, he let his eyes linger over the singed forest floor.

"You understand more than you think you do," he mused, and skeptical eyes glanced up, though they quickly found interest in a sooty leaf. "The point isn't to understand why we're drawn to the people we find, or to know why we feel emotion. Hell, even I don't know why sometimes. The point is to keep moving forward, and to protect the people we care about along the way. One day at a time – and that's what you're doing."

"Even so…this world would be better off without me…" he retorted coldly.

"…Maybe, it isn't about you," the rouge replied, and he felt that cerulean gaze pierced him. "You're family to her. We're the only family she has. She's trying to move forward, to get you to move forward. I think she just wants to give you the chance to live…the way you gave the rest of the Genomes a chance."

"I destroyed Terra, and intended for the Genomes to perish with it," he answered tersely. "I'm no one's savior."

"Well, yeah – that was a bad decision," Zidane agreed.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"No." Vivid eyes, shimmering like the stars in the night sky above met his, studying the blond, reading him; Zidane sighed. "In Pandemonium, Garland told me what the whole purpose of the Genomes was – what I was created for, and you, and Mikoto… I'm not saying you're a savior…but…you didn't just blindly follow Garland's plan, either. You gave me a whole life on Gaia – a family, friends, a place to call home…and when you chose not to let Garland's plan succeed, you opened the door for the other Genomes to experience that, too." Kuja fell quiet, his exhausted breaths nearly inaudible against the shuddering forest. "…I think…she just wants you to have that, too."

"…What…?" Crystal eyes met his, and Zidane smiled.

"…A place to call home."