*A day or so after Laurenza left, things began to change around the castle. Li and Tifanel stated that they would be in join partnership, both being in charge of the castle. Soon, announcements and new rules started appearing on sheets of paper on the wall. One morning, Kuja spots a new bulletin pinned to the wall.*
Kuja: *Reads it.* 'Changes to management: Tif will no longer be cleaning up after your lazy butts. If you're hungry, cook it yourself. If it's dirty, clean it yourself. If it's broken, fix it yourself.'
Lahrne: *Comes up to where Kuja is.* Ahem! New rules just in! *Pins a piece of paper next to the other.*
Kuja: *Reads it.* 'No purple hair on a Tuesday.'
Lahrne: Aha! You've got purple hair! You're under arrest!
Kuja: Under arrest?
Lahrne: Yeah, I'm part of Li and Tif's secret police! *Proudly points to a badge on his jacket.* You have the right to remain silent!
Kuja: But it's Wednesday.
Lahrne: *Takes a pen and scribbles out 'Tuesday' and writes 'Wednesday.'*
Kuja: What kind of ridiculous rule is that anyway?
Lahrne: Shut up and get to the dungeons!
Kuja: Oh, come on! You're not seriously going to lock me away just for having purple hair? That's just silly! And it's not really purple, anyway… it's sort of silverish too.
Lahrne: Oh... you were lucky this time, but one toe out of line again, and we'll have you!
*There is a knock at the castle door,*
Tifanel: *From wherever he is.* I'm not getting it.
Kuja: I might as well, as I'm the closest. *He goes to the door and opens it.*
*There stands a middle-aged woman with soft, brown hair and very dark blue eyes. She is dressed in a travelling cloak.*
Woman: *Stands just looking at Kuja for a moment.*
Kuja: Can I help you?
Woman: May I ask... what is your name?
Kuja: Why do you want to know?
Woman: Please, just please tell me.
Kuja: Kuja.
Woman: *Screams a little in delight and hugs Kuja tight.* Oh, I don't believe it! I don't believe it! It must be a one-in-a-million chance! I heard there was someone called Kuja living here, and I knew it wasn't very likely, but I just had to see. I can't believe it! You're alive! You're still alive! Oh, it's so, so good to see you again!
Kuja: *Looks a little scared.* Um...
Woman: *Looks at him and holds his face.* And oh, what a pretty young man you've grown up to be.
Kuja: Okay, crazy woman... Stop touching me now...
Woman: What's the matter?
Kuja: Who the hell are you?
Heather: Don't you remember me? It's me, Heather, your mother!
Kuja: My... mother? *Shakes his head.* You must have me confused with someone else.
Heather: No, no. It's you. I just know it. You may have grown up and dyed your hair, but I would recognise your face anywhere. Those beautiful dark eyes... they're just like mine.
Kuja: You can't be my mother. I don't have a mother. I was created in a laboratory... Now, please go away.
Heather: Created in a lab...? What?
Kuja: Yes.
Heather: But... Alexander, do you remember Alexander?
Kuja: Alexander... how do you know his name?
Heather: Alexander was my husband, and your father.
Kuja: No... This doesn't make any sense...
Heather: Kuja, please, just let me in. We can talk about this.
Kuja: No... That's just what you want, isn't it? *Smiles slyly.* I'm on to you. You're not who you say you are, are you? You're just trying to gain my trust, so I'll let you inside, and then WHAMO! That's when you'll get me. Now go away! *Slams the door.*
*Thorn has just arrived from behind Kuja.*
Thorn: Who was that?
Kuja: I... I don't know. She said... No, she's not. She can't be.
Thorn: Can't be... what?
Kuja: She said she was my mother.
Thorn: Well, let her in then. *Opens the door.*
*Heather is still stood there, tears glittering in her eyes.*
Thorn: Hey, come inside. Don't cry.
Heather: Thank you. *Goes inside.*
Kuja: Thorn, why did you let her in?
Thorn: You can't just leave your own mother out there.
Kuja: She's not my mother!
Thorn: But... She said she was...
Kuja: So what? She could very well be one of those mind-probing Demons who comes along and says all this stuff that makes you trust them, so then they get to you.
Heather: Kuja...
Thorn: She's not a Demon. She has a human essence.
Kuja: Yeah, well, I'm not a human!
Thorn: I... I just don't know.
Kuja: I'm not! What kind of ordinary human can do this? *In a huge flash of light, he teleports away. The intensity of the spell smashes a few pictures on the wall.*
Thorn: Well, a human with Magick inside them.
Heather: He couldn't do that when he was a child...
Thorn: There could have been Magick put inside him sometime between then and now.
Heather: Alexander...
Thorn: Alexander?
Heather: My husband. He was a scientist... Maybe he did something to Kuja...?
Thorn: It's possible. There are no boundaries to the laws of Magick when basic science is introduced.
Heather: Hmm... Kuja seems... he seems a lot healthier than he was when he was younger.
Thorn: He... he was ill, when he was young?
Heather: Very. He was so weak... the doctor said he'd be lucky to live past double figures. That's why I was so happy to find him alive and well...
Thorn: He died... Ermm, when he was 23, he died.
Heather: He did? *Looks rather shocked.*
Thorn: Yes. I brought him back, blessed him with eternal life.
Heather: That was nice of you.
Thorn: I guess it was.
Heather: *Sighs.* Why doesn't Kuja believe me...? What's all this about being created in a lab?
Thorn: Wait a minute... I remember something...
Heather: What?
Thorn: Something Kuja said once... 'A puppet?' 'Like Alexander', 'He used me too'. He said he was a 'pawn in a scheme'...
Heather: I don't know... Alexander never said anything about this to me...
Thorn: I think we should discuss this with Kuja... See what he remembers about Alexander.
Heather: *Nods.*

*Thorn goes with Heather up to Kuja's room, where they find Kuja. He is laying on his bed, and for some reason, poking at his bellybutton.*
Thorn: See, you have a bellybutton. That proves you were born, not created.
Kuja: It doesn't prove anything. For all you know, this is where I was plugged into the machines. Why are you taking her side?
Thorn: Because I can feel you inside of her! Strands of your essence match hers. Whether it's parentage or not, this woman is linked to you...
Kuja: She is...?
Heather: Kuja... please believe him. Believe me...
Kuja: *Shakes his head.* But I can't... I was created. I'm 'Prototype A…' the 'Angel of Death.' *Prods the symbol on his forehead.* Mihako and Yigo were created in the same way as me.
Heather: Mihako? Yigo?
Thorn: Kuja, who told you about Mihako and Yigo?
Kuja: Uh... Mihako did... I met her in the Necromancer Village on Yochi. She knew who I was, and told me about herself and Yigo.
Thorn: Well, who originally told you what you are? Was it Alexander?
Kuja: I... can't remember... I think so.
Thorn: Do you remember the first time you went AoD?
Kuja: Yes, I told you before, it was because of what Alexander told me.
Thorn: Remind me what he said.
Kuja: He told me that everything I have ever known is a lie. He said I was nothing but a weapon… a pawn in his scheme, a means to an end… and when he was finished with me, I would die.
Thorn: 'Everything you knew was a lie?' What did you know?
Kuja: I… I can't remember.
Heather: But why? Why would Alexander do such a thing...?
Thorn: To make you angry? To make you go AoD?
Kuja: I don't know... But it's the same thing that Mihako told me when I first met her. It's probably true.
Thorn: Probably... But you don't know for sure.
Heather: It's not true...
Kuja: *Shouts at Heather.* How do you expect me to believe you? I cannot remember anything before that day with Alexander, so I certainly don't remember you! You just came here today, telling me things that contradict everything I know about myself and wonder why I don't think it's true!
Heather: *Starts to cry again.* Oh Kuja, please don't be this way...
Thorn: Kuja, whether you believe her or not, you still can't treat her like you are doing...
Kuja: Oh shut up, Thorn! I can treat her any way I want! And will you bloody stop taking her side? ! It's not fair! Now if you excuse me, I do not wish to discuss this insanity any further! *He storms out.*
Heather: *Sighs.* He always was a difficult child... no wonder he's like this now.
Thorn: I think he just doesn't know what to believe.
Heather: He does seem awfully confused... What did Alexander do to him?
Thorn: Told him some upsetting things, made him crazy. What do you remember of Alexander? How did he treat Kuja?
Heather: He loved him as much as any father would his son. He was a doctor, but he branched out into the sciences specifically to try and find a way to help cure Kuja of his illness where modern medicine fell short. That's why I can't understand why he'd say such things to him...
Thorn: Me neither...
Heather: *Looks around.* This is Kuja's room?
Thorn: Yes.
Heather: *Starts to look through some of Kuja's belongings.* Perhaps I can find out something about my son by looking at his things... *She goes to his bookshelf and takes a notebook of Kuja's, written in which is some of his poems. She reads the pages and smiles.* I never knew how talented he was...
Thorn: *Smiles.*
Heather: *Replaces the book and passes her fingers along the rows and rows of Magick books, looking for anything that catches her eye. She spots a large, unmarked book and takes it from the shelf. As she removes it, a smaller book falls out of the shelf, which had been hidden from sight by the larger book. She puts the large book down and examines the small book.* Oh!
Thorn: What is it?
Heather: It's a picture book... One of his favourites... Alexander and I used to read it to him all the time...
Thorn: I wonder if Kuja can remember about it?
Heather: *Opens the book.* Oh, look! *She shows Thorn the inside cover, which has a label stuck on it. The label reads: 'This book belongs to Kujata Greyfare.'*
Thorn: Greyfare? Is that your last name?
Heather: *Nods.*
Thorn: All these links… your shared essences, the people in both your memories and now this book. If only all these threads were linked...
Heather: Hmm... *She closes the book and puts it on Kuja's bed. The title of the book is Billy Brown and the Fairy Princess. *She stands silently for a moment, and then turns to Thorn.* Are you a good friend of Kuja's, then?
Thorn: You... might say that.
Heather: Oh? *Smiles a little.* It's that way, is it?
Thorn: Hmm, yes.
Heather: Again, I never knew that about him...
Thorn: Oh well.
Heather: My little boy... All I've ever wanted is to find him, to find that he's alive and well somewhere, and to know him. But now I've found him, he doesn't want to know me…
Thorn: He will. I mean, if we can find out why he doesn't remember you, I'm sure Kuja will want to know you more.
Heather: I hope so.
Kuja: *Comes back into the room.* Are you still here?
Thorn: Kuja... *Picks up the book off the bed.* Do you remember this?
Kuja: What? *He takes the book and looks at it.* This...
*The book glows suddenly in his hands and he drops it. It seems to fall in slow motion and the room around darkens. Kuja and Heather appear to vanish, and all Thorn can see is the book. The light returns to the room and Kuja and Heather are not there. The book is on the floor, open. There is a picture and some writing on the page.*
Thorn: What the...? *He picks up the book.*
*On the page, there is a drawing of a small boy, who is alone and crying. The words on the page read: 'He is all alone. There are so many bad things bothering him. Anger, fear and sadness overcome all else. There are so many things he does not understand. Can anyone help him?' Slowly, a small glow begins to emit from the centre of the book. It spreads across the page and is almost inviting. The light forms the shape of a door.*
Thorn: *Without really thinking, he opens the door.*