Forever… II
by Karumi
Author's note: A second
part…why? Why not…after I finished the other it got me thinking, that maybe the
story didn't feel complete so…let's just say this is the result of that thinking.
This story will make little or no sense if you haven't read the first one. Oh
it's still angst just so you know. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: FFIX belongs to
Squaresoft. Original characters belong to me, as does this story.
"Grandma! Grandma! Guess what?" Garnet looked up from her
paperwork at the sound of Annabelle's voice.
"Don't you say hi anymore?"
Garnet replied returning to the papers on her desk. Annabelle could feel the
red oh her cheeks "sorry grandma, it's just that something great happened
today."
"Really?" asked Garnet not
the littlest bit amused. "Yeah" said Annabelle "I've got a boyfriend grandma."
She announced, excitement all over her voice. Garnet stopped what she was
doing; her granddaughter had her full attention now. "But, Annabelle your only
twelve."
"So what? I'll be thirteen
in a week" Annabelle said. Garnet's eyes widened at the reply. "So what? Now
young lady that's no way to talk to your grandmother, especially if she's the
queen."
Annabelle blushed once more
"Gomen grandma, sometimes I forget…sometimes I just wish I wasn't…"
"Wasn't what?" Garnet
interrupted.
"Sometimes I wish I wasn't a
princess…" Annabelle looked at the floor. "…the kids at school, they treat me
as if I where glass. As if I may break at the slightest touch and…and I hate
it." Annabelle breath deeply, she had been wanting to get that out of her chest
for months.
Garnet smiled at the young
girl before her. "Come here sweetie" Annabelle went to her grandmother's arms
and just stay there. "And that's why you're so happy you have a boyfriend
right?" Annabelle nodded. "Oh Annabelle, you remind me so much of me when I was
your age…I'm so proud of you." Annabelle hugged Garnet tighter. "I love you
too, grandma"
"Hey grandma, I just thought
of something," said Annabelle pulling away from the hug. "I've got someone,
mama has papa…that only leaves you." Garnet smiled turned into a slight frown,
Annabelle didn't notice. "Hey grandma…can I ask you a question?"
"Wha…oh sure honey, go
ahead" Annabelle swallowed. "Why you and grandpa don't live together anymore?"
Garnet starred at her granddaughter. She wasn't expecting that and it was
obvious just by looking at Annabelle that she was blushing due to the question.
"Because we got divorce"
Garnet answered.
"Didn't you love him grandma?"
Garnet knew that her granddaughter wouldn't stop until she got all the
information…a typical twelve year old.
"Of course I did, we just get along better when where apart"
"Why?" Garnet thought for a
moment. "…let's just say he wasn't the one."
"The one?" Annabelle asked
intrigue by the answer. "You know…fairytale stuff, the one…your soul mate"
Garnet answered. Annabelle looked at her grandmother's eyes while she listened;
there was sadness in those eyes.
"But that's not fairytale
stuff grandma…papa found mama, and I'm sure yours is out there somewhere…you
just haven't found him yet." Annabelle finished proud of herself. But then she
saw as her grandmother lowered her head to apparently stare at the floor, then
she did something that Annabelle had never seen before…the queen started to
cry.
"Grandma!" Annabelle rushed
to her grandmother's side. "…did I say something wrong?" Garnet just kept
crying as if she'd been holding the tears back for a very long time. "I did"
Garnet suddenly said between sobs. "You did what grandma?…I don't understand"
"I did found him" Garnet reply as Annabelle helped her to seat down, her crying
slowing into just small sobs. Annabelle held her grandmother as she calmed
down.
"Then where is he?"
Annabelle asked. Garnet closed her eyes; more tears fell from her eyes. "I'm
sorry grandma, you don't have to answer" "NO" Garnet almost yelled and yet she
was more calm than before "I do, I can't keep these pain locked up inside
me…what was your question again Annabelle?" Annabelle looked at her grandmother
with eyes wiser beyond her young age, she sat down beside her "I asked why
isn't he here?"
Garnet took a deep breath as
if recollecting memories deep inside her. "…because God decided to take him
away from me" Garnet breath deeply "do you want to hear a story Annabelle?
Annabelle sat down beside Garnet and nodded silently. "…it happened when I was
seventeen…"
~*~
Annabelle wiped the few tears from her eyes after Garnet
finished. She then watched as her grandmother went to the balcony to look at
Alexandria. She joined her after a few minutes. "What was the promise?"
Annabelle asked. "emmm…you said you both made a promise, what was it?" Garnet
stared at the lighted city below her. "That I would be strong, that I would
live"
"…And him?" Garnet smiled to
herself. "That he would wait for me…that he would wait for me forever" For a
second Annabelle thought of asking Garnet if she believed that he had kept his
promise, but in her heart she already knew the answer.
"Can you make me a promise
too grandmamma?" Annabelle asked softly. Garnet drifted her sight from the city
to the young teenager at her side. "Anything darling" Annabelle took her
grandmother's hand "Just promise me you won't join him anytime soon" Garnet
wanted to laugh out of sheer joy, the only thing she could think of do was hug
her granddaughter until she protested for air.
~*~
"I'm sorry your
highness, but there's nothing I can do" The doctors words tear through
Annabelle's heart like a thousand knives. She looked towards the room where her
grandmother laid, her mother and father where with her. "How long doctor?" the
doctor looked away, Annabelle knew that look "and be honest with me." The old
man before her understood "I don't think she'll see tomorrow's sun" Annabelle
sighed, it was worst than she thought. "Thank you doctor" The old man nodded
and took his leave.
Annabelle
entered the candle lit room. Her father, the prince, was holding his mother's hand;
Annabelle knew that tomorrow he would no longer be a prince.
Garnet
saw as Annabelle approached her bed slowly, she was her splitting image when
she was sixteen, for all except that her hair was brown instead of black. "May
I please talk alone with Annabelle" Annabelle blinked in surprise at her
grandmother's words. Her mother took her arm "I'll be in my room if you need
anything sweetie" she said in her ear. Her father kissed his mother's forehead
"I love you mama" and walked towards Annabelle giving her a reassuring smile
and exiting the room with his wife at his side.
Garnet
was resting in the middle of the large bed. Annabelle sat in the corner of the
bed by her grandmother's side, taking her hand as she did so…"Hi grandmamma"
"Hey baby" Garnet replied,
smiling at her. Annabelle held Garnet's hand with both her own "you need
anything grandmamma?"
"No darling, I'm fine"
Annabelle forced a smiled to her lips, holding back the urge to cry.
"I just wanted to give this
to you" Garnet lifted her free hand to point at a small box sitting on a nearby
table. Annabelle stood up grabbing the small box and bringing it back to her
grandmother's side. "What's in here?" She asked, gazing at the royal logo on
the small box. "Open it" Garnet said and Annabelle did. A beautiful sound came
out of the box; but its contents were more beautiful still. "Grandma…"
Annabelle stare at the gorgeous necklace, it was the necklace her grandmother
always wore.
"It's yours now…take good
care of it" Annabelle looked at Garnet holding the necklace in her hands. "I
will…" Annabelle looked at the necklace once more before putting it around her
neck and taking her grandmother's hand once more. Then something else caught
her attention "Grandmamma, that music…I've heard it before"
"I thought you would
remember; it was the song I sang to your father and then to you when you where
little…it was also the song that he liked…" Annabelle blinked in surprise at
the comment, yet she knew who her grandmother was talking about; then she smiled.
"He's waiting for you
grandmamma…he's been waiting for a long time…say hi to him for me" Annabelle
finished, as she couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Garnet only nodded and
smiled.
~*~
I kept my promise Zidane
Lying here on this bed with
my granddaughter at my side
She is the fruit of that
promise
I see her tears as she
tells me to join you
And I know that in the
next few minutes I will
I close my eyes for what
I know will be the last time
The light ahead of me its beautiful
Yet the place after it
its more beautiful still
The first thing I see
it's the ocean
The first thing I notice
is that I'm not old anymore
I feel a slight touch on
my shoulder
And quickly turn around
to see your smiling face
My first impulse is to
rushed to your arms
And you receive my
embrace with open arms
Tears are falling from my
eyes out of sheer happiness
Because I am with you
know
And I will never leave
Now we have eternity
Now we have forever
~END~
