The party was in a new town. It looked
a lot like Daggurreo, but it didn't use water
to run like Daggurreo did. And in the middle of
the town was a big circled railing. If you looked
over the railing, twenty-five feet below was an
area with a couple benchs and a street light.
Eiko, Freya, Amarant, and Quina were
outside the town training. Steiner, Vivi, Zidane,
and Dagger reserved rooms at the inn, and went
to look around town separately.
It was starting to get dark, so there
were no other people on the streets. They had
all gone home for the night.
Dagger was leaning on the railing,
looking down at the area below, and thinking.
She thought about the journey, and what
would happen after it was over. She would have to
return to Alexandria, and become queen. She
wondered if she would ever be able to see her friends
again.
But the thing she thought about most was
Zidane. She didn't know how to tell him that she
loved him. She hoped that he loved her just the
same. She wondered if she would ever see him again
after the journey, and if she would ever get the
chance to tell him that she loved him. Her short
hair dangled in front of her face as she stared
down at the area below her.
Suddenly, a man that looked a lot like
Amarant, but had no relation to him, walked up
behind Dagger.
"Hey there," he said in a deep, not so
friendly voice. Dagger was startled, and spun around.
She was surprised. She had never seen this man
before, and wondered why he was talking to her.
"Hi," Dagger responded with a bit of fear
and uncertainty in her voice.
"What's your name?" the man asked, still
using a not so friendly tone.
"Why?" Dagger asked, a little afraid of a
strange man asking her name. "What's wrong with asking
a pretty girl her name?" the man asked. Dagger wanted
the man to leave her alone, so she thought that
maybe if she told him her name and had a short conversation,
he would go away. "...Dagger," she responded hesitantly.
"That's not your name," the man protested. Dagger was
startled. "What are you talking about?" she asked, now
afraid. "You're Princess Garnet," the man said in his
unfriendly tone. Dagger eyes were wide. How did this
strange man know who she really was? "I don't know what
you're talking about," Dagger said, trying to convince
the man that she wasn't. The man grabbed her arm firmly.
"Don't try to fake it," he said angrily. Dagger tried
to pull her arm away. Now she was scared to death. " Let
go!" she said. "No," the man said. " How am I supposed to
kill you if I let you go?" Dagger's eyes widened. This
man wanted to kill her! But why? Who had sent him to do
it?
Dagger frantically tried to get away. The man held
her arm firmly and laughed.

Zidane was done looking around town. He decided to
look for Dagger and go back to the inn.
He went in the middle of town where the railing was.
He saw Dagger trying frantically to get away from the man.
He saw as Dagger got out of the man's grasp, and tried to run,
only to be grabbed again, the man now angry. Zidane ran
straight for them.

"LET GO!" Dagger yelled, still trying to get away.
The man now became angry, and jerked her over in front of
him.
" Now you listen to me!" the man said angrily, using
his free hand to point his finger at her. "You better
behave and stop trying to run away from me, or I'm gonna-,"
He was interupted by Zidane tackling him to the ground.
Dagger gasped in surprise, and was just barely relaxed
when she saw that it was Zidane, but was still terrified.
The man lost his grip on Dagger's arm from the surprise.
As soon as they hit the ground, the man saw Zidane, and
became furious. "Why you little-," the man said angrily,
and used his feet to push Zidane off of him.
Zidane hit the ground five feet away from the man.
Dagger ran over to him to help him up.
He quickly got up, and looked at the terrified Dagger.
They both saw the man get up, pull out a knife, and run towards
Zidane. Zidane lightly pushed Dagger to the side.
The man tried to stab Zidane. Zidane quickly dodged it.
The man's back was now facing him. He swiftly pulled out his
pocket Dagger, and cut the man's back. The man yelled in pain.
He turned around and looked at Zidane with fury raging in his eyes.
He then swiftly used a move that tricked Zidane.
He quickly wrapped his huge hand arond Zidane's neck and started
choking him. He slowly lifted him off the ground, and laughed.
Zidane tried frantically to loosen the man's grip. Dagger was
scared to death. She knew she had to do something.
Not knowing what to do, she ran up to the man, and started
hitting his arm. The man became annoyed, and shoved Dagger onto
the ground. Zidane saw this, and became furious. He used his
dagger, and cut the hand that was around his throat. The man
yelled in pain, and half dropped, half threw Zidane forward, turned
around, put his other hand on his injured hand, trying to stop the blood.
As soon as Zidane hit the ground, he started coughing and gasping
for air, using his free hand to loosen his shirt collar. Dagger ran to
his aid, almost in tears.
They saw the man turn around. Zidane, still breathing heavily,
quickly stood up, Dagger following him.
The man was now furious. He glared at Zidane. He ran at him.
Zidane again lightly pushed Dagger to the side. The man tried to stab
him, Zidane again dodging it. He was now standing in front of the
railing, facing the man and still trying to catch his breath, which
distracted him a bit.
The man swiftly turned around, and, before Zidane could do
anything, ran into him, and they both broke the railing and fell
towards the ground.
Dagger ran to the edge of the railing, and watched helplessly
as they fell. They fought a bit while falling before they both hit the
ground. They both layed there motionless. Dagger ran for the stairs.
As soon as they hit the ground, Zidane's dagger went straight
through the man's heart, killing him instantly. The man's knife stabbed
Zidane in the right ab.
Zidane slowly opened his eyes. He saw the man on him, and saw
his dagger in the man's chest. He knew the man was dead.
He pushed the man off of him, and felt pain in his right
ab. He looked, and saw the man's knife stabbed into him.
Dagger made it down the stairs, and ran towards them. She
barely glanced at the dead man before kneeling by Zidane's side, crying.
She saw the knife in his right side and gasped.
"Zidane you're hurt!" she said, still crying. Zidane
saw all of the fear and worry in her eyes, and Dagger saw all of
the pain in his.
Zidane put his right hand on the handle of the knife.
Dagger became terrified because she didn't know what he was doing.
He braced himself before pulling the knife out of him with a yell in pain.
Dagger gasped, and began to cry harder. Zidane threw the knife to the side.
Dagger quickly pulled a hankerchief-like cloth out of her pocket, and
quickly folded it up. She hesitantly put it on Zidane's side and lightly pressed
down to stop the bleeding. Zidane let out a protesting moan of pain.
"I'm sorry," Dagger said, feeling guilty,"but I have to stop
the blood." Zidane had already lost a lot of blood.
"I know, it's okay," Zidane said in a painful and weak voice.
Zidane saw two figures running down the stairs that Dagger had
come down. It was Steiner and Vivi.
"Princess! What happened!?" Steiner called over. When they got there,
they saw Zidane lying on the ground bleeding. "Zidane!" Vivi gasped. "I-," Dagger
tried to explain only to shed more tears. Zidane put his hand on her arm.
"It's okay," he said weakly. She looked into his eyes. All of the pain
she saw in them was overwhelming.
"We need to get help!" Steiner said. He quickly kneeled beside Dagger,
and used a comforting hand to tell her to back away. Dagger stood up and stood
next to Vivi.
Steiner tried to help Zidane up. Zidane winced in pain. When he stood half
way up, he passed out. Dagger gasped.
Steiner picked Zidane up, and ran up the stairs with Dagger and Vivi
following. He looked around for a place where Zidane could get help. He saw
a small doctor's office next to the inn and ran towards it.
He busted through the door. "Someone help!" he yelled. A Doctor came
quickly out of a large room in front of them. He saw a motionless Zidane
in Steiner's arms, and said,"Bring him in here!" and ran back into the room
he had come out of.
They went through a small hallway that served as a waiting room, and
entered a large room that had a few beds.
"Over here!" The Doctor said as he went towards one of the beds.
They all followed him. Steiner quickly but carefully put Zidane on the bed
that the Doctor told him too. The doctor immediately started looking at Zidane,
and confirming in his head the injury and treatment needed.
"Come on," Steiner said, as he escorted Dagger and Vivi out of the
room. "No, we can't leave him!" Dagger protested. Steiner still escorted her
out of the room.

They all waited in the small hallway. Steiner stood with his hands behind his
back, and stared at the floor. Vivi stood near him, playing with his hands
nervously. Dagger was sitting on one of the benches, and facing the corner
of the wall, crying on her arm.
They had been waiting for at least ten minutes, which seemed like much
longer. Dagger continued to sob on her arm, wondering if Zidane was alright.
Steiner and Vivi looked at Dagger, and then at each other.
Vivi got up on the bench, and stood next to where Dagger was sitting.
He put his hand on her arm. Dagger lifted her head and looked at him. Vivi
gave her a hug which she returned thankfully, still crying.
The door opened, and the doctor walked in. They all quickly turned
their attention towards him.
"He was stabbed, and the wound is deep. He's lost a lot of blood.
The next few hours are critical, but he should be fine."
Everyone was a bit more relaxed now. Dagger hesitantly spoke up.
"Can we see him?" "He's still unconciuos," the Doctor said,"But, yes, for
a little while." That cheered Dagger up a bit. The doctor opened
the door, and they all walked in, and the doctor stayed in the waiting room.
They walked towards his bed. His shirt was off, and he was covered
from the chest down with a blanket, with his arms laying at his sides, and his
face was facing in the opposite direction.
They walked over to the bed. Dagger kneeled by the bedside, and
Steiner and Vivi stood behind her.
Dagger picked up Zidane's hand, and held it in both hands. She was
still crying, but was calmed down a bit.
She just looked at him, wishing that he was awake. She wished that
that man would have left her alone, then this wouldn't have happened.
"Please be alright,"she whispered to herself.
Suddenly, she felt her hand squeezed. She gasped a little, and looked
at Zidane. He turned his head around and looked at her. He let off a little
smile to make her feel better.
Dagger became a bit excited and smiled. "Zidane!" She said quietly.
Steiner and Vivi were a bit excited too.
Zidane looked at them. "Hey,"he said weakly, but a bit cheery to
cheer them up.
"How do you feel?" Steiner asked. "Like I've been stabbed,"Zidane
said sarcastically. They all smiled.
"Why did you do that? That man could have killed you,"Dagger asked,
wishing that this didn't happen. "Hey, I said I'd protect you with my life,
remember?" Zidane answered. Dagger smiled. "You can protect me, but don't
use your life. I need you. You can't leave me." She began to cry again.
Zidane used his hand to wipe away her tears. "Hey, don't worry, I'm not
gonna leave you," he said. She looked at him. He could see all of the worry
in her eyes. "I'm gonna be fine,"he said. She squeezed his hand.
"Um, Zidane?" Vivi said. Zidane looked at him. "Yeah?" he said.
"Can you do me a favor?"
"Sure. What?"
"Get better."
They all smiled. "I will," Zidane said.
Steiner heard the Doctor open the door, and looked behind him. He could
tell that the Doctor was saying that they had to leave now.
He looked at Dagger. "It's time to go Princess," he said. Dagger
looked back at Zidane with a pleading look on her face, She didn't want to leave
him.
"No, I can't," she said. "Go, it's okay,"Zidane said reasuringly. Dagger still
didn't want to go, but listened.
She stood up and slowly let go of Zidane's hand as she walked away.
He went back to sleep when they left the room.