Disclamier: I don't own Final Fantasy IX.
This story is about Zidane when he leaves the Tantalus to search for his real home. However I did make a few changes. I made his leave when he was six instead of thirteen. He meets Sarah (Garnet/Dagger) at Madain Sari before it was attack and she became a princess.
I hope you enjoy this chapter. I enjoyed writing it.
Leaving Home
A young boy, no more than six at the time, was leaving his adopted father's house in search for his real parents and his real home. He wanted to know who his real parents were and where did he come from, after all, he didn't look like the family he was with now. He had a tail even though he looked human. He wanted to know why he was different and that is why he wants to fine his real parents and a place he can call home, where he doesn't feel different.
With no memory of his birth place and no memory of his parents, the young boy went to sneaks out the house. Luckily for him all his brothers and sister were sleeping silently as well. Well, all but one. An older boy was looking out the window as the six year old boy reached his exit.
"Zidane?" the older boy said as he looked at the six year old boy. "What are you doing up?" the red hair boy stood up and headed over to his younger brother. Zidane blinked as he looked at Blank. He was wearing his usual clothing, a brown bandanna with a belt on his forehead, which hid his eyes, a light brown top that was mostly hidden with a huge belt that ran over his right shoulder and under his left arm. He also wore black pants, brown knee pads, and black boots with fur at the top and brown-white gloves with fur on the top as well.
Zidane looked at his exit and then back at Bank. His gripped his bag tightly as if he was unsure what he should do or say. Blank stood a few feet away from Zidane as he waited for an answer. Finally he saw his younger brother lips move a little and then finally words came out of his mouth.
"I-I'm leaving Blank. I-I'm gonna search for my real parents," Zidane said as he looked at Blank with seriousness in his eyes. Blank blinked and before he could ask why Zidane started to explain. "I like it here and all but…I wanna know where I came from and who my real parents are. The only thing I can remember is a shiny blue light."
Blank looked at Zidane with a small smile. He knew what he meant. He joined Tantalus, a group of bandits, when his parents were killed in an accident. He tilted his head to the door as he started to speak, "Fine, if you're gonna go take this," Blank handed him a potion and a small dagger, "and be careful." Blank started to walk away. Zidane looked at his dagger before he glance back up to see Blank at the doorway to his own room.
"By the way I wasn't up when you left. When you get back I don't wanna get in trouble with the boss, got it?" Blank said as he glanced back at Zidane. The young boy smiled and nodded. He thanked his older brother and headed out the house.
Zidane reached the gates to leave Lindblum. He looked back at the sleeping town and then looked at the guards that were sleeping on their post. He walked out the gates and looked around. He started to head to the South Gates.
"Once I reach the South Gates, I'll buy a map with the money I've been saving and then decide where to go to first," Zidane thought to himself as he was looking at the potion Blank gave him, not noticing the Basilisk (lizard) following him from a far. He put the potion in his pocket as he made his way to the South Gates. The Basilisk continued to follow him from a far waiting for a good chance to attack the young boy.
The young theft sat down once he was far enough from Lindblum. He yawned as he looked around to see nothing around him. He closed his eyes and laid back.
"A little nap won't be a big deal…" he said as he drifted to sleep. The Basilisk walked close to the sleeping boy trying its best not to wake him. Zidane rolled on to his side, facing his back towards his enemy. The lizard creature stepped on a leaf that crunched as it woke him up. The Basilisk looked at the young boy that was now staring at it with wide eyes. It ran towards him.
Zidane stood up and started to run away from it. He looked around trying to find a way to lose the creature but unfortunately there wasn't anywhere he could go that would be safe. If he went into the forest, other creatures could attack him as well.
Zidane trip and landed on the floor. Looking back at the Basilisk, he noticed its tongue around his ankle. He tried to pull his leg away at the same time the Basilisk pulled him closer. Tears started to form in his eyes. Was his life going to end here, before he could find out about his real parents and a place to call home?
"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE!" he cried out as he was being pulled closer. He looked around as he continued to try pulling away. No one was coming to save him. It was late and if anyone was out traveling at this time they were most likely sleeping in a tent somewhere safe.
The young theft grabbed a rock he spotted and threw it at the Basilisk. It let go of his leg as the rock hit its face. Zidane took this chance to get up and start running again. With the luck he was having, he trip over a rock with the lizard running after him again. The dagger fell out of it stealth from the impact. Noticing the dagger, he grabbed it and laid on his back pointing it at the Basilisk as it landed on him.
The creature stopped moving for a few seconds. The young boy crawled out from under it. His face filled with tears and blood on his new dagger and hands. He sat down as he caught his breath. Realizing it wasn't safe to stay in the same spot; he stood up and headed to the South Gates.
After walking for a few hours, he finally reached the South Gates. Zidane looked at the guards that were standing in his way.
"I need to go past," he said. The older guard looked at him with concern. Standing before him was a boy covered in filth and blood on his hands. The younger guard looked around in search for someone who might be with the young boy.
"Where are your parents?" the older guard asked, looking at Zidane.
"Are you alright?" the older guard asked.
"My…my father is…my mother is…" Zidane started to speak but stopped as he looked away. The guards looked at each other and then sighed. They placed their hands on his shoulder and pointed to the gate.
"When you go in, there's an inn call SG Inn, tell the inn keeper Yates send you," the older guard said. Zidane looked at him and nodded.
"Thank you," he said as he walked into the entrance. He sat down on the floor as he closed his eyes. "I'll just sit here for a little while before I go to the inn," he thought to himself. He fell asleep knowing he was safe for now.
The sun was shining brightly in the sky and through people's window. The young boy turned around to block the sun from his eyes. He opened his eyes slowly and seen another empty bed next to him. He blinked and sat up quickly. He looked around the room. There were dressers, a mirror, a bathroom, and decorations. He stood up as he noticed his clothes were gone and he was wearing nice clean pjs.
"Where am I?" he whispered to himself. "I fell asleep right by the entrance." A knock on the door interrupted anything else he was saying. He blinked and looked up at the door.
"May I come in?" a young girl's voice called in the room from the other side of the door. This made him smile and sit back down on the bed.
"Come on in," he called out the room. The door opened slowly to reveal a teen age girl. She had blond hair that was up to her shoulder, and greenish blue eyes. She wore a long white dress that ended at her knees. In her hands she had a pair of clean clothes.
"Here you are," the teen said as she handed him the clothes. Zidane took the clothes from her hands to see their were his. He looked up at the girl with a smile.
"Thanks," he said, "so when can I take you out for dinner?" The teen girl blinked for a second before she started to giggle. This made him tilt his head to the side and stand back up.
"I'm sorry but you don't even know my name and you're way too young for me. Lunch will be ready and twenty minutes. You should get dress," the blond hair girl said as she looked at him. Zidane's eye twitched at the 'way to young' comment, which was making him loose such a beauty.
"Just because I'm young doesn't mean I can't show you a good time around here," he said. The blond girl giggled.
"How about asking me my name and me getting yours, then you growing up before I allow myself to go out with you?"
"I'm Zidane and you are?"
"Reiko. It's nice to meet you Zidane."
"It's always nice to meet someone as pretty as you. Now why do we have to wait till I get older? Age doesn't matter."
Reiko giggled as she shook her head. He wasn't going to stop just because she was older.
"I'm sorry but I have to get going. Your money is on the night table," Reiko said and left the room. Zidane looked over at the table and blinked as he saw his money, potion, and dagger.
"I completely forgot to ask the time," he said to himself. He stood and headed to the bathroom with his clothes. "A nice shower will help me before I leave to buy a map." He closed the bathroom door and turned on the water to the shower.
Once Zidane finished getting dressed, he made his way down the steps. The older guard walked inside the inn and looked over at Zidane. The boy smiled slightly and headed over to Yates.
"I see you're up now." Yates said with a slight smile.
Zidane smiled and nodded. "Thanks. So, um, did you bring me here?"
"Yes, you fell asleep by the gate so I carried you to the inn. Anyway lunch is ready, let's go eat. I know you have to be hungry."
Zidane nodded and followed Yates to the dining room to eat his lunch. Yates, his wife, and his daughter sat around the table eating. They talked about their day and would sometimes turn to the boy sitting with them. They asked questions about what was he doing and his plans from here on out. Of course he made up some lies so that they wouldn't take him back to Lindblum.
He looked out the window as he noticed the sun shining brightly. He blinked as he looked around the room for a clock. Not spotting one, he turned to the guard and his family as he asked, "Do anyone know the time?" Reiko, her mother and father looked at him confused.
"It's almost one in the evening," the wife replied. Zidane stood up quickly as he ate his last bit of fish.
"Thank you for everything but I should get going. I have to meet up with someone," he headed for the exit and left the inn. He ran to the shop where he could buy the map he needed. He walked into the shop and looked around at the maps. He found a map that showed him the every continent and one that showed him only the Mist Continent. He took both into his hands and thought of which one he should get, "I probably won't use the map with all the continents… I only planned to go around Mist Continent so maybe that's the map I should just get…but then again you never know what will happen." He placed the Mist Continent map back on the shelf and headed towards the cashier with the map with all the continents.
He placed the gil on the counter and left the shop. He headed to the train station while looking at his map. "Where to first?" he asked himself when he looked up from the map and bumped into someone with a witch yellow hot, garbed in blue, and has no facial features beyond a set of yellow eyes.
They both fell on to the grown; however, Zidane was the first to stand up. He looked over at the boy with the yellow witch hat. The boy stood up and looked at the person he bumped into.
"I'm sorry," the boy said. Zidane smiled slightly and nodded.
"It wasn't your fault. I wasn't paying attention to were I was going," he explained.
"Oh, okay, well I should get going," the boy with the yellow witch hat left. Zidane sighed as he reached into his pocket for the potion that was given to him by his brother.
"Man I wonder what they're up to right now," he said mainly to himself.
"All a board for Madian Sari!" a worker yelled. Zidane looked up as another person yelled for the people who were going to Dali. Not realizing he was heading for the wrong train, Zidane handed the worker his ticket and headed inside the train.
The worker on the other hand, was just collecting the ticket and not paying attention to where they were suppose to head for.
After everyone was on board, the train started to leave the station. Zidane started to think of where he was heading to next once, he reached the North Gates. Only to find out he was on the wrong train once they had reached an airway station.
Thank you for reading! Please review! Let me know what you think!
