Ever After, Part 4

Lifting her basket, Mikoto fled back to the shelter of the dwelling in which she, Zidane, and Kuja were staying. Upon entering, she could sense Zidane somewhere nearby-probably in the kitchen. She pivoted on her heel and peered out the front door. Kuja had to be out there. She contemplated searching for him, but knowing Kuja's sense of independence, he probably wouldn't appreciate a rescue party. Still, she wouldn't mind spending some time with Kuja, or even finding a good excuse to be stuck with him in a close, warm sanctuary from the rain.

Mikoto touched her tongue to her lips thoughtfully. As much as she'd like to go, she knew he'd make it back on his own. Instead of venturing out in the rain, she set the basket on the table and quietly separated the vegetables into bunches. She made a small pile of squash, one of cucumber-like vegetables, beets, and one ripened melon. With a smile she recalled how excited the men were when the garden first began to produce fruit. Mikoto had only been with then for two weeks when the love apples began to ripen. They changed from hard, green fruits to vibrant orange in the strong sun. Yes, their flavor was somewhat bitter, but they were a tribute to Kuja and Zidane's success.

With quick strokes of a charcoal stick, Mikoto wrote down the inventory of their produce. She then placed them in the cool cellar just a few feet under the kitchen floor. There, they'd be kept reasonably fresh and safe from hungry insects. While exiting, she sensed Zidane's approach. He turned the bend as she secured the hatch that led down into the cellar. "Hello, Zidane," she greeted without looking up.

Zidane smiled. He always got a kick out of Mikoto's telepathy-well, now that he knew what it was anyway. Before it used to disturb him, but he'd grown to appreciate it, and perhaps envy it a little. To him, though, it was more like his jealousy in childhood when the other kids would make farting sounds under their arms. However, telepathy, he knew, wouldn't come to him after a lot of practice and learning to cup his palm under his arm just right.

"Hey, Mikoto. It's pouring out there, huh?" He asked as he crossed the room to the bamboo screen door. The rain splashed from the awning just outside the door through the thin space inbetween each bamboo thatch on the door. Zidane stepped back but kept an eye on the puddles outside. "I don't think I've ever seen it rain like this here. It almost reminds me of Burmecia."

Mikoto ventured closer to her brother and followed his gaze. She felt that familiar longing in Zidane and set a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. She sensed, more than saw his smile and that in turn, made her smile. It was always so easy to smile around Zidane. Even if she wasn't telepathic, she felt, his smile would be downright infectious.

Zidane swung his tail over to bat at Mikoto's playfully. After a few tries, his tail wrapped around hers and they wrestled until she gave him a soft shove. "You are such a clown, sometimes," she giggled. Zidane made no move at all to deny it. In fact, he raised his chin and reveled in it. Mikoto returned to watching the rain with a smile.

A clap of thunder caused Mikoto to jump. Zidane placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. Her smile had been replaced by that accustomed neutrality as she scanned the rain-soaked landscape. Mikoto let her thoughts slide into Zidane's mind. Their proximity made it easier for her to project her worries. Zidane blinked. Her words tickled his mind but he knew they weren't his own thoughts. He'd felt the sensation many times before, but had never grown used to it. When you're used to living alone in your own mind, any company can make the mind seem really crowded.

Zidane forgave her intrusion and answered her unspoken question, "He would have found shelter by now. Kuja hates the rain." He felt her nod into his shoulder but kept his eye on the horizon. He hoped Kuja made it out of the rain, those lightning strikes seemed to be touching down a little too close for comfort.

The pair had seated themselves by the time the torrent had faded to a light shower. Zidane turned on his short stool to regard the door. Outside, the storm clouds still clung to the horizon, sending down an occassional spear of lighting. Mikoto stood, leaving her warm tea behind. She stepped into Zidane's line of sight and pressed her palms to the door. "He's coming," she remarked quietly. Without another word, she pushed out the door and followed the sensation of the approaching Genome.

With a shrug, Zidane stood and followed his sister out. Mikoto stood in the middle of a wide pool of water. Zidane observed that her reflection moved more than she did, wavering lightly with each drop of rain. Prudently, Zidane skirted the water and tried to find what Mikoto's point of fixation. Only when lightning flashed on the horizon could Zidane make out an indistinct form that he assumed was Kuja.

There's someone with Kuja. Zidane felt the thought tickle his mind and looked to Mikoto for confirmation. He had no clue what was approaching, so he assumed it was her thoughts insinuating themselves into his mind again. A shiver of apprehension tickled his spine. More of Mikoto's feelings or was he just psyching himself out? Either way, he had a course of action in mind, "Stay here. I'm going to get my weapons." Zidane waited for a moment for some sign of acknowledgement. Mikoto just stood there like a statue in a fountain. He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it and just trotted back to the house.

Some part of Mikoto's mind was aware of the water lapping at her ankles. She paid it no heed, though. Mikoto had projected her conciousness far across the wet, red soil until she found that strong beacon she knew to be Kuja. She let her thoughts linger there with him, trying to feel through him what was going on. It wasn't something she'd practiced often, but she could get a sense of his whereabouts and mood. She was sure he was communicating with someone. He wasn't focused on walking directly back to the dwelling. She could also sense a weariness in him, but one more of adreneline leaving his system than actual over-exertion. Zidane's apprehension brought her back to her body and Mikoto spent a few moments rubbing the sting out of her eyes from staring for so long.

"Hey, sis. Are you okay?" Zidane stood, weapons drawn, on the edge of the puddle. Mikoto seemed well enough. She had spells like that ever once in a while. He just offered the question as a courtesy.

A slow nod brought Mikoto fully around. She finally noticed the puddle she'd been standing in and pouted in her embarrassment. Mikoto sloshed out of the puddle and shook the water from her feet. "I do not know who is with him," Mikoto answered Zidane's question before it left his lips.

"Wh-er, right." The hand holding the shorter dagger rubbed the back of his head. He asked sheepishly, "Would you wait for me to ask the question next time, Mikoto? This is starting to creep me out. Not-not that you creep me out, just-heh, I'm not used to this, okay?"

That neutrality returned to Mikoto's face and she raised what little defense she'd acquired from being close to Kuja and Zidane for the last month or so. She tried to shut away his thoughts, or at least reduce them to a soft buzz like that of the other Genomes. Zidane's emotions were still ambient, but Mikoto tried to focus on her own thoughts.

"Here they come," Zidane observed as the silohuettes came closer. The rain had stopped completely and the clouds were starting to disperse under the strong rays of the sun.

From the other side fo the corpse trailed a rope. Fastened around the rope was a white knuckled grip under a fingerless black glove. Lani gave the rope a jerk, causing the mistadon corpse to swing more in her direction. Kuja looked back at her with a clear warning in his eyes. "We agreed to share the kill," he reminded her evenly. "We'll be back at my home soon."

Lani frowned and faced forward once again. She was the one who'd set her eyes on this prey. She'd been hunting these elusive creatures for the past three weeks. They were big, lazy, and weakened, but from what, Lani didn't know. She just knew they'd probably provide a lot of meat for her and the moogles with which she'd been staying. Funny how she'd been living in Madain Sari all these months and never encountered these people who lived across the ruins. Why had the moogles never mentioned them? Lani shook that away now as her jealousy crept back, "How do I know I can trust you not to double cross me, you monkey-tailed jerk?"

Kuja laughed and part of the old Kuja seemed to revel in it. She didn't know to whom she was speaking, did she? That amused that small part of Kuja greatly. Still, the reference to his tail made him a little self-conscious and he let the laughter die away. His next words were a little embittered with his discomfort, but he, much to his surprise, didn't let himself get angry. "I assure you, my lady," he wielded the formality like a light slap, "I am going to share the kill with you. Since Queen Brahne's death, no one on this planet could eat an entire mistadon by themselves. Though you're welcome to try. I hope you know how to prepare the meat," he chuckled.

Lani sputtered. If she had a comeback, she choked it back. She hunched her shoulders and just glowered the rest of the way. As the sun began to spill some light onto the soaked earth, she noticed two figures standing before the ruins. "Hey, who're they? Friends of yours?" Did this mean she was going to get less of a share of the kill? Dammit! She should've known something like this would happen. Why did she ever agree to let this guy help her?

"Those are my companions," Kuja confirmed smoothly. He hadn't felt Mikoto's touch on his mind, but he was certain that she felt him approaching and that's why they were both standing outside. A glimmer from one figure caused him to pause, though. He could see the gleam off one of Zidane's blades. Now he knew that Mikoto could identify him, why was Zidane suddenly on guard? Ah, it was the company he brought! Kuja raised a hand as a signal to them that the situation was under control.

Mikoto nodded to Zidane after Kuja waved the signal. Zidane stood straight and sheathed both weapons at once. "Any idea who it is, Mikoto?" The other genome simply shook her head in response. Together, they watched the two approach with their large kill in tow.

That walk, that bandanna, and that axe, Zidane recognized them all and frowned. Mikoto seemed confused for a moment and then concern showed on her face. Zidane knew the woman, Kuja seemed to know her, but neither seemed to have a very high opinion of the dark-skinned female. Approaching to a conversational distance, Kuja waved a hand, indicating his companion. "May I introduce-"

"Lani," Zidane cut in. "Yeah, we've met."

"Oh, I'm glad to see you too, Zidane," replied the bounty hunter wryly.

Kuja seemed surprised, "You know each other? Good. That makes things easier. Lani is helping us hunt for food now."

"Hey! This was just a one time thing, monkey." Lani dropped her end of the rope and crossed her arms over her chest.

"So what happened to that self-less attitude, Lani?" Zidane prodded. "I thought the moogles had taught you a lesson."

"It's to our mutual benefit anyway," Kuja remarked while dispelling the float spell on the mistadon. The corpse dropped to the ground with a meaty thud.

Lani couldn't argue with that. She'd had a hard time hunting for anything really edible in this ruined land. The white haired guy seemed pretty knowledgeble, and hey, not too hard on the eyes. She hadn't had some good male company in months since-"Hey, so Amarant Coral's here too, right?" Lani asked eagerly as the thought suddenly occurred to her.

Mikoto sidled over to Kuja while Zidane and Lani conversed. While Zidane explained their situation to the bounty hunter, Mikoto stood close to Kuja kenning his thoughts while he stared at the corpse. She gave his wet shirt a light tug and ventured a gentle question. "Would you like a towel?"

Kuja peered into the young woman's eyes with an almost lazy smile. That smile, Mikoto noted, was beginning to look more like Zidane's. She smiled in turn and lifted one of his hands in hers. "Come with me and I will find you dry clothes as well." Kuja allowed himself to be led back to the dwelling wordlessly.

Cutting Zidane off just as he'd mentioned Fossil Roo, Lani gestured to the departing Genomes and remarked disappointedly, "So he's taken, huh?"

Zidane peered over his shoulder. Kuja and Mikoto disappeared into the house together. He scratched his head and turned back to Lani. "What makes you think that?"

Lani raised her chin and snorted. "A guy doesn't look at a gal's ass like that unless he's claimed a piece of it. Anyway, Fossil Roo is blocked right now. I tried it already."

"Huh?" Zidane had lost all thread of their conversation. Kuja and Mikoto? Could something be going on that he hadn't noticed? Since when was Kuja interested in girls? Part of him was jealous, but another part was overjoyed for his older brother. Lani snapping her fingers in front of his face brought him back to the conversation at hand. "Oh, Fossil Roo. Well, now that the Iifa tree is dying, maybe the roots withdrew. Next week would you like to check it out together?"

The bounty hunter nodded and clapped the dust from her tattered gloves. "Damn right I do! I want to get off this damn continent and back home to Treno!"

"Alright. One week. Now, let's get this thing cut up so it doesn't start to stink." Zidane walked over to the mistadon corpse and nudged it with his foot. These things were bad news and he didn't even want to know what Kuja did to take one down.