A Different Ending
Disclaimer: As I said before, I don't own FF9, Squaresoft does, don't sue!
Chapter 1. Memories and Time
It's been, ever so long. Why aren't you here? With me? Why didn't you come back?
Why bother, it's not as if I'll find you again, someone I can fall in love all over again. It's hopeless. I have to let go.
But, it's not fair! You didn't deserve this fate! I can't believe it! I will never believe it! As long as I see the evidence by my own eyes I will never let you go. Never.
Garnet of Alexandria was sitting in front of the open window deep in her thoughts in the castle; white doves were surrounding her at the window sill. Her soft hands were stroking each dove's feathers gently as she looked down at her white dress. Her face was depressed; she looked back at the sky gloomily.
"Where are you Zidane? Please, come back to me." She whispered to herself.
"I knew you would never come back."
She started singing her lonely song as tears fell from her eyes.
"You're dead, aren't you?" She yelled at the sky.
"Am I never to see you again?"
Garnet looked at the nursery door. She wiped her tears away as she went in the next room.
"Mummy!' She was greeted by her oldest daughter, June. The little cute brunette girl ran into her mother's arms.
Garnet picked June up, walking to the open balcony of the nursery.
"How did you sleep June?" Her mother asked.
June smiled cheekily at Garnet.
"June, what did you do?"
The cheeky little girl jumped of her mother's grasp and went back into the nursery. There she pointed to her younger sister's baby crib. Garnet looked inside, finding a wrapped up little toddler in her blankets.
June smiled warmly.
"The breeze blew in and it blew of Carol's blankets and she started crying. I thought you would come but you didn't so I did it for you." She explained.
Garnet looked away, hiding the drifting thoughts that kept on coming back to her head.
"Come on, daddy will be home soon." said Garnet, holding her 7 year old daughter.
As they walked to the hallway, the door opened and Amorant walked in the room. He put down his business suitcase, walking over to his wife.
"Garnet, I'm sorry that I had to go this morning." He apologized, kissing Garnet on the forehead.
She smiled sweetly at him.
"Let's go have breakfast." She said, walking to the wide dining room.
Everyone walked over to the long elegant table at the middle of the room and found a seat. The adults finding a seat at the ends of the table. Garnet picked up his small tea cup, sipping the warm coffee quietly. Amorant adjusted his gold lined glasses.
"I've got a meeting in a few minutes, 2 in the afternoon, and 3 at noon. It's so hectic!" Amorant complained smiling at his daughters.
Garnet looked away, politely eating her crunchy strawberry jam on toast. No matter what she thought of, her thoughts kept on wondering to Zidane. She sighed.
"Oh, I've got to go now, bye Garnet." He said, walking over to his distracted wife kissing her on the lips.
It woke Garnet up from her day dream as she quickly kissed him back before he went to the hall getting his suitcase and going out the door. Garnet looked June, the little girl looked back at her mother.
"I'm finished." She said plainly.
"Go get changed into a baggy shirt and skirt, we're going for a walk in the town." Garnet said standing up.
June nodded, and ran to her room.
At the Alexandrian stables………………………………………..
Garnet was standing at the wooden bench in her casual suit as her daughter walked in the doors. June was wearing a baggy white shirt was a brown linen skirt on. Garnet smiled at her clever daughter.
'Here, you ready?" She asked.
June nodded as they got on their own horses and trotted out the stable doors.
In town…………………………………….
Garnet and June were walking their horses still on horseback, a few people glared strangely at them, but at least they fitted in. June was staring at a grubby old man selling pots for 50 Gil. Garnet laughed as the old man looked at June, giving her a frightful look. Garnet looked to her side and saw,
ZIDANE!
Ohhhhhh my god! Is it he? Is it really him!
Garnet stared at him sacredly.
I love you.
She looked away just as the man looked at her, and then turned back to his friends. He looked exactly like Zidane, but with black hair. He was talking busily with his mates near the pub. Garnet got off her horse, walking over to him she thought,
What am I doing! You're married! It's too late now to love him again! You love Amorant!
But, I still love him. I love both of them.
It doesn't matter! He didn't come back for 10 years, why should you wait for him!
I've muddled my life up already by loving both of them, but, I still believe, that he loves me.
Her brain and her heart seemed to be fighting against themselves.
Garnet finally, after many deep breaths of shyness, she tapped his shoulder. He turned round looking at her.
"Yes pretty lady?" he said in his unmannered language.
She stared. He started to get uneasy.
"Yes? What do you want?" he asked again getting very confused at no answer.
"Zidane?" She blurted out finally, her heart thumped loud.
'It's Brand." he corrected, scratching his head.
Garnet froze.
"But, you're Zidane! What are you talking about?" She objected, staring at him even more.
"What are YOU talking about? My name is Brand!" He said, urging the truth into her confused brain.
He has forgotten me.
He's, Zidane! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
He's forgotten me.
Garnet was still staring at him wondering. He gradually turned around back to his friends.
"What a weirdo, and what a beauty." He murmured to himself before joining in the conversation again, luckily Garnet didn't hear. She was still so confused and shocked.
What's going on here? Zidane?
She quickly, remembering her daughter walked back to her golden coloured mare, Spirit, and got on the horse. She nudged her daughter's side hurriedly,
'Come on; let's go back to the castle." She instructed, turning Spirit around.
"But we haven't seen the whole of the town!" June objected.
"It doesn't matter, let's go now." Garnet said pulling her daughter's reins along with the horses; they headed back to the stables.
In Garnet's bedroom in the castle………………………………………..
Why, I don't understand!
He's, Zidane!
I know it!
Garnet paced the room hurriedly trying to find an answer. She was desperate, but after a few minutes she gave up and sat at her seat in front of the open window. The view looked over the entire town, there she spotted Brand, and he was laughing at something.
"Oh, Zidane where are you?" She cried out to the sky, luckily no one heard.
"He look's just like him, but with black hair and an annoying attitude."
She sighed. Suddenly, an idea came into her over worked brain. Her face lit up with excitement.
"I'll send a spy, a girl spy to find out more about this, man." she planned to herself.
She stood, walking over to one of the servants she instructed,
"Ask Kathy Miles to come to the castle for a very important assignment right now."
"Of course your highness, right away." He said bowing and walking out the door to the town.
A pretty middle aged lady wearing a white coat, a short skirt and a simple top with boots on walked in the bedroom in front of Garnet. She bowed.
"You're Majesty, it a great pleasure to be back here, what can I do for you?" Kathy asked politely smiling.
Garnet smiled softly. "A new assignment."