Edonil: Me again! Don't worry, I wouldn't desert you, my faithful reviewers! So I figured I'd start another fanfic. Once again, it's based on the awesome FFIX. Oh, I need a good name for this, so any suggestions will be most welcome! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I owned FFIX, this wouldn't be fanfiction, now would it?

Note to Reader: This starts right where FFIX left off. To recap, Zidane is on stage, he flings off the cloak, Dagger runs forward, dropping her necklace, she leaps into Zidane's arms, she hits him, then hugs him, everybody cheers, and then my story begins.


To Challenge Perfection

Chapter One: A Play

"How did you survive?"

"I didn't have a choice. I had to live. I wanted to come home to you."

"So...

"I sang your song."

Dagger smiled up at Zidane. "That's sweet, but I don't understand how you could get from the Outer Continent to Alexandria with only a song. Surely you were hurt!" Zidane looked uncomfortable.

"Yeah, uh… Say, Dagger, maybe you wanna see the rest of the play? Baku will kill me if I delay it any longer, and I can tell you everything while you watch. You don't want all these poor audience members to not get to see the play, do you?"

"Very well… Come." Dagger dragged Zidane up to her seat, only stopping momentarily to grab her pendant. Once she was settled on her throne, Zidane sitting on a stool beside her, Baku came on stage.

"I do apologize for the inconvenience, ladies and gentlemen, but Mr. Zidane Tribal insisted on being a Drama Queen. Now, without any further ado, we return to 'I Want to be Your Canary'."

"So, Zidane, how did you survive?" Dagger demanded in a whisper. Zidane looked around carefully, his eyes finally resting on Adelbert Steiner, Captain of the Knights of Pluto.

"Uh… Perhaps I should tell you later."

"Hmm? Why?"

"Uh… Rusty over there might not like to here it. Trust me."

The applause was thunderous. All the cast came out and bowed, smiling broadly. When at last the clapping died down, the cast left the stage, and the house lights came on, Zidane whispered in Dagger's ear,

"Come. I want to show you something."

"What is it?"

"There's somebody you should meet. He's on the theatre ship."

"I see… Somebody Steiner would not like?"

"You could put it that way."

"I see." Dagger turned to her guards. "Captain Steiner, General Beatrix, Zidane and I are going to speak with the cast. We will not be gone long. Perhaps you two ought to be making sure all the citizens are leaving the castle quickly and efficiently?"

"Of course, My Queen! At once!" Steiner bowed and hurried off.

"Just… Congratulating the cast? Very well…" Beatrix looked at them curiously before following Steiner.

"What's with her?" Zidane asked Dagger. The young queen shrugged.

"Unlike Steiner, she has come to terms with the fact that I have a mind of my own. She probably does not trust you."

"And she left you alone!"

"Of course. I ordered her to, didn't I? Now, who was it you wanted me to meet?"

"Oh yeah… Come on." Zidane led Dagger into the theatre ship, and up to the cast's private quarters. Stopping at an unmarked door, Zidane banged his fist on it, saying,

"It's me! I brought Dagger to meet you."

"The Queen? I feel so… special. And safe," a melodious, educated voice commented as the door swung open. Dagger gasped.

"Kuja!" The silvery genome smiled slightly.

"Yes, Your Highness, it is I. If you wish to kill me, might I suggest you kill the man standing beside you; it is his fault I am here. I tried to convince him to leave me behind, but I fear my manipulation skills are not what they once were."

"Zidane! What… How… Why!"

"Sorry, Dagger, but I sort of had to. I saved his life; I couldn't just leave him-"

"Yes you could have," interrupted Kuja. Zidane glared.

"No, I couldn't have. Now, Dagger, please try to be calm and-"

"Calm? You want me to be calm!" Her voice raised an octave. "You bring a psychotic mass-murderer into my castle, knowing that he killed my mother, and you expect me to be calm! Zidane, what is wrong with you?"

"Sorry. Uh… Would you like to… talk?" He ducked as Dagger attempted to slap him.

"Talk? Talk! Zidane, you had better talk! Explain yourself!"

"I suppose this would be a good time to make my exit?" Kuja commented to no one in particular.

"No!" Zidane said as Dagger yelled, "Yes!"

"Look," Zidane said to Dagger, glaring at Kuja. "He has changed. I swear he has. He's sorry for what he did to your mother. Right Kuja?" Kuja didn't say anything. "Right Kuja?" Zidane asked again, his voice hinting that he'd tear Kuja limb-from-limb if he answered incorrectly.

"… Right," Kuja said finally in an uninterested voice that suggested he could not care less.

"See? Trust me, Dagger, I know what I'm doing."

"I wonder, Zidane. Do you really?" Dagger then turned on her heel and strutted away.

"Good job, Zidane," Kuja said, looking uninterested as ever. "It's truly remarkable how well your girlfriend and yourself get along."

"Shut up, you!" Zidane snarled before hurrying after Dagger.


Edonil: So, what think you? Like? Hate? Something else? Please, tell me! It's not that hard! I swear it's not! And besides, I'm sure you have a thousand good ideas for the title; why don't you tell me them?