A/N: Okay, another first. Here is my first attempt in writing an ff9 fic. It has romance and mystery and drama and... well, you get the point. Hope you guys like it. Send me thoughts, people. Always know that I love you guys.
DISCLAIMER: Heaven grant me the power not to roll in envy as I utter how I do not own Final Fantasy 9.
xXx
~Through the Genome's Eyes~
"Damn," he cursed under his breath, his usually smiling face twisting into a frown.
He grazed the castle walls, creeping stealthily and with ease. The so-called guards didn't even know who or what had hit them. If he weren't so frantic at the moment, his lips would have already had a smirk planted on them, a mocking laugh escaping his throat and a light rising of the brow to determine who the superior one was. However, he was, in fact, incredibly agitated.
Why wouldn't he be? His queen had gone missing!
Zidane scraped the asphalt with the sole of his shoes, his tail lashing, as if it were frustrated. He exited the castle perimeters and made his way towards the outskirts of the town, his silhouette disappearing into the depths of the night.
He bit his lip. Why didn't he see the signs? Her constant fidgeting, the subtle, worried glances she'd given him, the occasional opening of her mouth, as if wanting to say something, but no words dared come out—the clues were there, he just wasn't smart enough to put the pieces together. Idiot…! You idiot!
"Zidane, I…" were her trailed off words, toned in worry and uncertainty.
Her pursed lips uttered them so softly under the moonlit night, her eyes reflecting the sparkle of the stars, that he couldn't process what she was saying back then—far too busy was he, trying to memorize every single feature her face possessed. He wanted to engrave that memory in his mind, paint a picture, perhaps, that he failed to do what mattered most.
To listen.
Come to think of it, what was she planning on telling him that fateful night? Still running, he pressed a couple of fingers to his eyelids, attempting to recall her words.
"I think it's… it's missing," she'd said, clearly distressed, "I've looked everywhere and—hey, are you even listening?"
Admittedly, he wasn't, as he was too busy—like he'd thought earlier—trying to check out the length of her eyelashes, or wondering how soft her lips were and—
Violently shaking his head, he slapped his palm dead on the face. Focus, damn it. Willing his thoughts to return to that night, he allowed himself to be completely absorbed in his running, relying on his body to remember the routes he'd planned out. Everything had gone fairly well, despite the grim situation, he mused, but knowing fate's mischievous nature, something was bound to go wrong.
He let out a bitter laugh, feeling his hair constrict as they dangled heavily in front of his eyes, water dripping down his cheek. It didn't take long before the ground had softened into mud, and he uttered another curse for forgetting to bring something to protect himself from the dreadful weather.
Dreadful? He was beginning to sound like her.
"You and your dreadful habits, Zidane. If only you'd take the time to get those perverse thoughts out of your head for once."
Yeah, old habits die hard. It wasn't his fault she was too beautiful for him to concentrate. Then again, she was more than just a pretty face. The frigid air reminded him of the cold glare she'd given him that moment, as well. His hands subconsciously grabbed hold of his arms, hugging himself for a futile attempt to warm up. A roof, cover—something—I just need to get out of this fuc—er… stupid rain.
His immediate expression softened when he laid his eyes on a tree, and darted almost instantly under it for cover. Zidane rested his back on its trunk, letting out a sigh as he ran his gloved fingers through his blond hair.
"She could be anywhere," he said to himself, knees dropping to the ground, head downcast, "for all I know, she could've taken one of Alexandria's many airships out of here. Damn it, why didn't I ask the port?"
Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the gentle pitter patter sounds of the falling rain, gray mist lingered as he breathed in nature's scent. His tail tucked the strand of hair dangling on his forehead.
"Earth to Zidane?" her voice offered comfort, even through his memory. If he'd found her now, he would do nothing but listen to her all day, maybe even forever, if she allowed him to. His rough hand would trace the spine of her small back, the other running through her long, silky auburn hair. Nose buried in her neck, he'd brush her skin with his lips, and her annoyed tone would soften. She never could stay mad at him, for whatever reason. That caused the little corners of his mouth turn upwards, evolving into a light chuckle.
Pathetic. He was so lost without her.
Looking up, he sighed, for the umpteenth time. Looks like it's not stopping anytime soon… He stood up, tucking his knives securely into his belt, patting them softly afterwards. No time to hang around here, he thought, I gotta get this brain of mine crackin'.
With that, he ran, exposing himself to the 'dreadful' weather once again.
xXx
~Through the Queen's Eyes~
Concealment, deceit, fraudulence. Just because she was a woman of royalty doesn't mean she wasn't capable of having these qualities. She had fooled her friends several times before, although she had a good reason to back then—even now. The sound of her crimson boots echoed through the dark, quiet city of Treno, heads turning at the sight of her white cloak, which contrasted to the whole city's shadowed ambience.
Small hands subconsciously reaching for her hood, she anxiously covered half of her face, leaving only her hazel eyes for everyone to see. Which would be the first ideal place to search?
"What's a lone, innocent little lady like you doin' in a dangerous place like this, missy?" a coarse voice directed itself at her, causing her head to flex sharply, eyes tinting with worry.
A nervous swallow. "I'll have you know I am not alone," she lied, hoping an authoritative voice would drive the ruffian away, "I have arrived here for the sole purpose of meeting a certain… someone."
The stout man cackled loudly, and a frown knitted her brows. She watched him step forward as she backed away cautiously, hands shakily gripping her staff. "Whatcha got there, little miss?" he pointed to the said staff, and she immediately held it close to her chest in response.
"I-I'm warning you," she looked for the right words. What would Zidane say? Biting her lip, chest out and frowning, one foot stepped forward, she growled. "Back off, buster!"
"Ooh, I'm so scared," the man uttered in mock horror, it didn't help the rising anger formulating within her. "What're ya gon' do? Hit me with that little stick o' yers?"
In a matter of seconds a few men had walked behind him, a frightening grin plastered on their surly features. She felt her heart beat rise in tempo, and she squeezed her eyes shut in fear. At the time, running away from the castle sounded like the most rational idea. Zidane wouldn't listen to her, perhaps he was too content with their lives now, although nothing was wrong with that, but Garnet wasn't as carefree as he was, she had a duty, even after their little adventure.
No matter, if she'd handled the cruelty of the world alone before, she could definitely handle it again. However, using magic was imperatively out of the question. If the city folk found out about her royal status, she would be in for quite a bit of… peril.
What to do, then?
Chuckling, she shook her head. What else?
Run!
Without warning, she had turned around and broke away, her small feet taking her wherever her instincts told her to. "Hey!" the man turned to the other thugs, "come on, you dimwits! We coulda sold her for tha' pretty face of hers! After her!"
The frigid air slicing her pale skin as her hair fluttered about in a flurry. Ragged gasps came from her breath as she made a sharp turn towards an alley. She didn't dare look back, for she knew from the sound of several heavy footsteps rivaled with her own that they were chasing her. Now, she regretted leaving the safe boundaries of her castle.
Could she really outrun them? Their legs were longer than hers, one step for them equaled three for her, and they were men. She admitted that she'd been training to escape the castle, so her endurance was decent, but these hooligans have been… well, hooligans, for Gaia knows how long!
"Gah!" she yelped, feeling herself being pulled to the corner of another alley. Her attempt to scream was halted when a hand pressed itself against her mouth. She watched the men chasing her pass by them in a hurry, running shadows through her face. Had she been saved?
"Mind telling me what you're doing in a place like this, princess?" he let go, immediately giving room for her to breathe. She held her hands to her face as she looked up to reveal a tall, slender yet muscled red-head, hair covering his eyes. His almost white skin filled with subtle scars, his familiar posture, everything about him made her smile.
"Amarant?" she inquired, receiving a gruff nod of acknowledgment from the man. "Thank you for saving me."
"Seriously, what are you doing here? Are you looking for trouble? Where's the monkey?" His eyes darted around, she figured he was searching for him, then he met glances with her again.
She shook her head. "He's not here, I'm… alone."
"That's kind of stupid."
Folding her arms, she sighed. He never changed, did he? "How rude, but yes, I suppose I'd have to agree this wasn't the best decision I'd made."
He scoffed, leaning on the wall. "You've made worse choices before, this isn't any different," he told her, face as stoic as ever. "You haven't answered my question."
"R-right. Will you help me? I'm looking for something," she stated, looking down. Amarant merely stared at her, as if that was a sign for her to continue. She leaned forward, mouth close to his ear and whispered. His eyes widened.
"Alright," he said, returning to his emotionless expression. "I owe that monkey one, anyway. After this, consider that debt repaid."
xXx
~Through the Captain's Eyes~
The castle was in a panic. Not only had the queen gone missing, but her consort-to-be, as well. Not that he particularly cared about that furry-tailed roughneck. In fact, he could just stuff it and go to hell, for all he cared. However, his queen wouldn't want that, and he'd have no choice but to show concern for the man.
"Search ever corner! Leave no stone unturned!" He ordered, watching his so-called 'Pluto Knights' scurry the castle grounds. "After we search Alexandria, we're going to seek at the village of Dali, next!"
Several 'yes sirs' echoed the castle foyer, and he stomped his feet in wrath, the clunking of steel weighing on his shoulders as he rubbed a steel-gloved hand at the back of his neck.
"Calm down, Steiner," her voice was serene, tranquil, as it shouldn't be. She sounded like she didn't care. He watched her take her place beside him, a smile on her face, one eye covered with a black patch. She flipped her light brown curls to the back of her neck, before turning to face the armored man.
"Hmph," he puffed, "have you no care, at all? The queen is missing and you're doing nothing!" Steiner hadn't meant to sound hateful, but it was a known fact that he had the temper of a raging volcano and nerves as fragile as a sugar cube.
The female general scoffed. "You think worrying will solve anything? You underestimate me, captain. You think with honesty that my men are not on the move?"
True. Beatrix was a capable general, even more so than him. Rather, he was a mere captain, but that didn't hinder the growth of the bond they had. "Forgive me," he apologized, "I am rather… disoriented, that is all."
Her laugh was soft. "You worry too much, it appears," she said, resting a hand on his shoulder pad. He couldn't feel it, but he noticed the added weight on his armor. His hand rested on hers. "We will find her, and to that I swear an oath."
"An oath we both shall share, then."
xXx
~Through the Genome's Eyes~
Really. Dagger chose a bad day to run away, didn't she?
She could've just asked, if she did, he would've gladly kidnapped her again. But wait, as he recalled, she did ask, didn't she? He cursed—it was becoming a bad habit of his—his tail wiggling to match his sour mood.
Dagger. It was a name reserved for him, for their circle of friends. She had no reason to use it now, but they have all grown used to calling her that. It suited her, anyway, with her sharp personality and her piercing eyes. He longed seeing her now, and it had only been a few days since she'd been gone. Rephrase: it had already been days since she'd been gone.
Why is this happening?
Tempted to blame himself again, he clenched his fists. "No use complaining. I just have to try harder," he muttered, eyes brightening as the first village came into view. Heh, brings back memories.
The sky was growing dark, forcing him to decide to stay at the village inn for the night.
Freefalling on the bed, he sighed in pleasure, basking in the comfort the soft mattress had given him. He stretched his arms and feet, bone clicking as the muscles in his shoulder completely relaxed. It had been a while since he'd slept on a normal bed, not the itchy, frilly ones at the castle.
"Dagger…" he mumbled, eyelids dripping down from exhaustion, "…wait… for me…"
Black surrounded his vision, and he found himself drifting into a deep slumber.