Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over any aspect of Final Fantasy IX.

Author's Note: Well, this idea randomly hit me while I sat bored in my World Civ. Class. I had some difficulty figuring out just how to write out this idea that I found bouncing around in my head. I'm not sure if I'm satisfied piece as it is now, but it's a start. Well, I hope you enjoy.

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Reflection

The young Queen and the free-spirited girl stared at each other through the glass. The two were born from the same soul. Both were kind, intelligent, beautiful, and had a love for all the people of Alexandria. That love was only surpassed by love for a certain troublemaking thief with a tail.

That one soul had eventually split.

Queen Garnet til Alexandros XVII was a jewel among the people of Gaia, just like the very jewel she was named for. She was refined, high-bred, and royalty. She had power, and never had she once thought of abusing that power. She loved the people she ruled over, and they loved her in return.

Dagger, however, had been named for a beloved thief's blade. She had passed through incredible danger and had accomplished unbelievable things with the help of her friends. That amazing journey had even brought them to a whole new world. Dagger was someone who was unknown to many, but it did not matter, for one man loved Dagger more then anything.

The finely dressed woman, with her silks, jewels, and shining crown, sighed at her reflection, eyes dark with regret. The girl looking back at her was someone who only existed in her memories. She released her hair from where she held it up and back, where it almost looked to be shoulder length again. Remorseful eyes watched the dark strands fall down her back, reaching past her waist. Now it was only Garnet who stared out from the glass. The illusion of the girl who had been free to travel the world with her beloved thief shattered.