NOTE: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE NAMES, CHARACTERS, OR OTHER THINGS OF FINAL FANTASY IX. FINAL FANTASY IX IS COPYRIGHT OF SQUARE ENIX/SQUARESOFT, INC.
It had been one full year since the return of the energetic thief, Zidane Tribal. On the day of his return, everyone, including Amarant of all people, were overjoyed to see him alive and back. Especially Garnet. She had waited a whole year without the man she loved...How could she NOT be overwhelmed by her own emotions? The moment she saw him, they finally took over her; that's what had her dashing down the staircase and to the outside of the castle to once again embrace herself in her lover's arms. The entire city of Alexandria clapped and cheered until there were no more lungs to cheer with. They were genuinely happy to see the two back together. Hell, even Steiner and Beatrix were glad to see the princess smile again. It practically made their day when they saw her face light with happiness at the sight of her love, Zidane.
"How did you survive?"
"I had no choice. I had to live. I had to come back to you."
She closed her eyes, hoping to cherish every word that came out from his lips.
"So I sang your song."
He caressed her cheek with his hand, and a tear shed from her beautiful hazel eyes.
"Our song."
An entire year had passed since that glorious day. Zidane had decided to live within the walls of Alexandria, hoping he would eventually get the approval from Steiner and Beatrix to move into the castle one day. In the meantime, he simply had the Invincible parked right outside of Alexandria, and when the time came, he would sleep there for the night and go back into town the next morning. But it wasn't exactly what Garnet wanted; nor is it what HE wanted. In fact, the princess and her loyal knights would argue over it quite frequently.
"Come on, you two! I don't see the problem with letting him stay here!"
Steiner lifted a finger as if he was ready to act as Garnet's father. "Now, now, princess!" he scolded. "It is my duty as a knight to protect you from scoundrels like him! He's naught but a thief, Your Highness! A low-class, worthless thief!"
"Steiner..." Beatrix shook her head in disagreement as she saw a small tear enter Garnet's eyes. She couldn't care less what they thought, but she tried her best to put up with it for now. "Fine!" she groaned. "I don't care! It doesn't bother me at all!"
She turned away from her two knights, signaling that she didn't exactly want them around at the moment. However, Beatrix was determined to make her happy. So, she tried to lighten her spirits through words.
"Now, Your Highness, it's not that I don't like Zidane. He's a very brave, loyal, and trustworthy man. It's just...well, you and him are the same age, and this is the time when you start...well...noticing each other in a different way. We just don't want you getting hurt, is all."
"Hurt?" Garnet immediately retorted. "The last thing he'd do to me is HURT me! Obviously, you don't know anything about Zidane...even after all that time we traveled together! He saved me numerous times...I can't even count! He's not selfish! He's not a jerk, either! What's the problem?"
"Well...he might lead you to..."
"Lead me to what?"
"Ummm...well..."
She tried her best to speak the words that needed to be spoken, but before she got the chance to, Garnet stood on her legs and just walked out of the room, Steiner noticing her cheeks a bright crimson. Beatrix had a feeling she knew what she meant.
"I'm afraid I do not comprehend, Beatrix. What exactly is it you were getting at?"
She shook her head and let out a disappointed sigh. "Sex, Steiner."
The knight's entire face shaded red. "O-Oh..."
Since she was queen now, Garnet could walk around anywhere she wanted. So, she decided to hit the town, her first stop being the Pub. Upon entering through the door, she was immediately greeted by everyone in the room, lifting their mugs and shouting "Hooray!" for their queen. She giggled at the sight of this and curtsied to her people, thanking them for their kindness. She walked gracefully towards the bar, ready to speak to the bartender. "Oh? Dagger, is that you?"
"Huh? Ruby! It's you!"
The beautiful actress giggled when she saw her face. "Nice to see you again, darlin'!"
"Yes, same here! What have you been up to?"
"Oh, y'know, the usual. Just actin' and stuff."
"But a bartender? I didn't know you could do this so well."
"Aww, thanks, darlin'!" She wrapped her arms around her, hugging her the best she could from behind the bar, squeezing a little too tight. "Uhh...R-Ruby...Can't...breathe..."
"Oh!" She released her with a bit of an ashamed look. "Sorry about that! So, what brings you here?"
Her cheeks turned a slight pink. "Ummm...well..."
"It's Zidane, ain't it?"
"Y...Yes."
"Sorry, hon'. He's not here."
"Umm...then, where is he?"
"I wish I knew, hon'. He took off in that flyin' machine n' left a while ago."
"So he was here today? Then maybe..."
Just before she could process another thought, the entire bar once again shouted a "Hooray!" for their next guest. The same person was then witnessed tugging lightly on Garnet's clothes, causing her to look down to see who it was.
"Vivi! It's so good to see you again!"
"Heya, Princess! I mean...Your Majesty!"
"Oh, please, Vivi! You needn't be so formal with me. You're my best friend!"
"Hehehe...Okay, Dagger."
"Hi there, cutie!"
His cheeks turned a little red. "H-Hi, Ms. Ruby!"
"What's a good lookin' boy like you doin' here?"
"W-Well, I had to tell Dagger about Zidane, but-"
"What? What happened to Zidane?"
"N-Nothing bad! He just...He went to Lindblum to get something...umm...for you."
She felt a warm touch on her heart. "Something...for me?" Her face lit with a flattered smile. "How thoughtful..." She dazed off into her own little world, imagining what the gift could be. Was it something pricey like jewelry? Was it a beautiful dress? Something she could use for battle practice? Oh, how her mind boggled with thoughts towards him! Spinning and spinning, they wouldn't stop coming. It was about time to snap her out of it.
"Dagger? Hey, you okay?"
"Hmm...?" She exited her dazed state to respond to Vivi. "Yes, I'm fine. So Vivi, did Zidane tell you what he was getting me?"
"Ummm...something really pretty."
"It must be a diamond ring!" Ruby blurted. "Ohhh, hon'! He's gonna ask fer yer hand!"
"Oh, no...he's not...I mean...Well..."
"Hehehe! See? Yer blushin'!"
Just as they finished their discussion, a soldier of Alexandria Castle arrived into the Pub. "Is the Queen in here?"
Garnet turned to face the guard. "Yes, I'm right here. What is it?"
"A large ship has just parked outside of Alexandria."
"It must be Zidane!"
Her legs sprinted her out the door, and Vivi soon followed behind. They made their way through the crowd of people and outside of town, their eyes glued to the mighty Invincible as they exited. The door to the ship suddenly lowered itself, and the famed thief slowly walked outside and onto the ground. But before he got the chance to step three feet forward, he was bombarded by an energetic Garnet, who dashed into his embrace as they both fell onto the grass. They began laughing together, and even Vivi joined in.
"Hey there, beautiful."
"Hello, Zidane."
They finally stood back on their feet, their hands placed in one another's. Vivi knew to turn around and not bother looking. He actually started walking off back into the city. "I'll see you two later!" he shouted, running faster back into the city. This left the two alone to talk...something that was much needed.
"I missed you, Zidane."
"Oh? Royalty missing me? That's new."
She playfully punched him on the shoulder. "Shut up!" The Genome laughed.
"I can't help it. I love seeing a smile on that beautiful face of yours."
"Hehehe...Thanks."
"So, hey, are you free for right now?"
"Huh? Yes, I am. Why?"
"You wanna take a ride with me real quick?"
Her cheeks turned a little red, but still she responded. "Sure."
"Awesome. C'mon!"
The two walked hand in hand back up the steps to the Invincible, and with that, they were launched into the sky and took off, heading in the direction of Esto Gaza. Garnet was a little confused as to what his intentions were.
"Zidane? Why Esto Gaza?"
"Oh, right. Sorry about that. I gotta pick something up real quick. We'll leave right after that."
"O...Okay."
He sure wasn't lying. He landed the Invincible and entered the small town, got what he needed, and hightailed it out of there in almost no time. But this just made the gorgeous long-haired girl even more suspicious as to what was really going on. "Okay, now we're off to the Black Mage Village!"
"But why?"
"Hehehe...You'll see when we get there."
She trusted his heart, but not his brain. She knew something was going to happen; maybe he would try hitting on her again? No, he didn't seem very flirtatious. In fact, to her surprise, he looked a lot more mature than he did that long ago. His voice was a little deeper than before, and she honestly thought it was incredibly attractive. They arrived at the Black Mage Village within minutes after visiting Esto Gaza. Upon entering the village, they were greeted happily by a familiar face.
"Hello, big brother."
"Hey there, Mikoto."
"Mikoto? Really?"
The female Genome looked over to Garnet with a smile. "Hello, Your Highness."
"H...Hello, Mikoto. How are you?"
"I'm wonderful. You?"
"G-Great! Thank you for asking."
"Hey, sis, you still got that thing I gave you?"
"Yes, big brother."
"Thanks, kiddo! That's why you're so awesome!"
He gave Mikoto a loving hug, and she laughed a little bit. This came as a huge surprise to Garnet. The last time she saw Mikoto, she was a seemingly lifeless robot that could barely process the word "emotion." She didn't know what to think of it, to be honest; was it a good thing or a bad thing? Sure, she knew they were related, but...did Mikoto fully understand that?
"Hmm? Garnet? Is something wrong?" Mikoto gave Garnet a confused look as she asked.
"Huh? N-No, I'm fine!"
"...If you say so." She turned her head to Zidane. "Big brother, I'll see you back at the house. Come by anytime to get it. I'll always have it."
"Thanks, sis. I'll drop by later."
The now spirited young girl dashed off to play with the other black mages and fellow Genome. This once again left Zidane and Garnet to themselves. Her cheeks were a little flushed, unbeknowst to her. Zidane took her hand and decided to show her around the village. Surprisingly to her, it was a lot wider than before; they even worked to make a large ditch that they filled with beautiful lake water. Late at night, she could picture how gorgeous it would be to sit by the gentle water, the moon shining brilliantly on its surface, giving it that warm, loving glow. Her mind once again traveled to another realm as she walked around with Zidane. At the end of the "tour," Zidane finally dropped by Mikoto's house for the item he needed.
"You just wait here, okay?"
"Huh? Oh, umm...Okay, sure." She was suddenly snapped out of her la-la world. Zidane quickly went into the house and grabbed a sash, which carried the surprise item inside of it. When he came back out to meet Garnet, her eyes were latched to the sash. "What's in there?"
"Oh, it's a secret. I can't tell you yet."
"Yet? Well, that's no fun...I don't like surprises."
"No? Huh...Always thought you did."
"Why'd you think that?"
"I surprised you when I came back, right?"
That's right...he did, didn't he? That day he arrived back at the castle for the play on her last birthday. Come to think of it, her birthday was once again nearing. (Maybe...it's a birthday present!) she thought with a smile across her face.
"Well, I got what I came here for," Zidane suddenly said. "You wanna head back to the castle?"
"Oh? You just wanted to spend time with me, didn't you?" she played.
"Yeah...I did."
That was a little startling. "Zidane..." He was finally being serious, it seemed. She was so expecting some kind of witty sarcastic comment, but...that? That was actually the last thing she expected. But she still managed a smile. "Yeah...me too." They returned to the Invincible and flew back to Alexandria. Zidane had a little more preparing to do, so he waved goodbye to Garnet as she landed safely on the balcony of the castle, with the Invincible hovering only a few inches away from it. The wind caused by the ship blew her hair back a ways, her bangs dangling elegantly across her face. She knew to expect him for her 19th birthday...and it was only a week away! Like it or not, the time passed by in a flash for her, and her birthday was today!
The castle was practically littered with guests and fellow people of Alexandria, some of them being the guards and soldiers sworn to protect their Queen. Garnet, on the other hand, was preparing herself for her subjects, dressing herself in a beautiful new dress, one that was a bright red color. She wore beautiful earrings, ones that sparkled very well with her dress. She was expecting more than just her people; she was expecting her best friends. And, to her surprise, someone knocked on her bedroom door. "Come in!"
A small little girl bounced into the room. "Dagger!" she exclaimed. It was little Eiko, dressed very nicely for such a splendid occasion.
"Eiko! So nice to see you again!" Garnet stood up from her chair, only to kneel down again to give her best friend a hug.
"How've you been, Your Highness?"
She giggled. "Oh, I've managed so far. How about you? Things going okay in Madain Sari?"
"Silly. I don't live there anymore! I live in Lindblum with mother and father, remember?"
"Oh...that's right. I'm sorry, I must've forgotten!"
"Nah, forget about it! Besides, they're here, too!"
"Uncle Cid and Aunt Hilda are here? How nice!"
"Well, yeah! You ARE blood, right? Of course they're gonna show up to your birthday!"
"Hahaha...Yes, I suppose you're right."
"So, hey, you seen Zidane?"
"Hmm? No, not yet."
"Oh...Hehehe..."
"Hmm? What's wrong, Eiko?"
"Oh, nothing's WRONG! Just...be prepared for one hell of a birthday present, Garnet!"
"Ummm...okay?"
The next person coming into the room was another friend, Freya of Burmecia. "Greetings, Dagger."
"Freya! Hello!"
"Happy 19th birthday, Garnet."
"Thank you so much for being here, Freya! And you too, Eiko!"
"Don't forget me!" Another familiar voice echoed through the hall and approached the room. It was the ever-so humorous Quina.
"Quina? You, too? How wonderful!" She honestly didn't expect Quina to show up to her birthday.
"Of course I show up! I smell delicious foods from miles away!"
"It's good to see you havent't changed, Quina." She sighed slightly.
"Oh, there should be one more here..." said Freya.
"Hmm? Who?"
"Me," said a scruff voice from behind the door. It was the last of the circle of friends, Amarant.
"Amarant? This is even more surprising than Quina!"
"Yeah, well, I thought I'd drop by. We're supposed to be friends, right?" His voice was a little too casual, and it didn't sound like he cared very much.
"Typical Amarant..." shrugged Eiko.
"Oh, this is wonderful! Everyone's here for my party! I couldn't be happier!"
"Not everyone," stated Freya. "Where's Zidane?"
Just then, Mikoto bolted into the room to meet Garnet. "Your Highness, if I may, Zidane and the others have arrived for your birthday!"
"Mikoto! Thanks. I'll be down in just a moment."
And she was. Along with the others, she descended the stairs and entered the main hall, meeting Zidane and about two-hundred black mages, as well as a hefty amount of Genomes. Not only that, but the group from Tantalus all joined in as well. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
Garnet couldn't help but laugh with joy. "Thank you all so much for coming!"
"You kidding?" grinned Zidane. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."
"Zidane...Thank you!"
The entire time was spent talking to one another...well, that and watching Blank, Cinna and Marcus play around with the child black mages. The Genomes were simply fascinated by the sights around them, such as the marble floors and the pretty decorations and furniture in the main hall. Garnet and Zidane spent pretty much the whole time together, until one of the children of the black mages asked for a dance, which she happily replied with a giggle and an "Of course!" as they walked off onto the dance floor. Zidane couldn't help but watch her and realize all the reasons he loved her. (Damn, she's so perfect) he thought. The party seemed to last forever, but really, it was only a few hours. All of the people of Alexandria returned home for the night, as well as those who weren't from the city. Garnet wholeheartedly offered everyone to stay over for the night, which they all accepted to do. Zidane told the black mages and Genomes to go back for the night and swing by tomorrow morning to pick him up.
Zidane stepped forward a little closer to Garnet. "Hey, Garnet...can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Hmm?" She looked over to Zidane and smiled. "Sure." The two walked out onto the balcony.
"So? What's on your mind?" Just as she turned to face him from closing the door, he had a very serious look on his face. "I have something for you."
"For me?"
"Yeah."
Zidane reached into his left pocket and pulled out a small box. Garnet was a little surprised at first, but then, she felt her breath get a little short, and her heart started beating against her ribs. "Zidane...! Are you...?"
"Garnet, ever since the day we met, I felt attached to you. I wanted to take you around the world and back again, and I would do anything to make you happy. As we started traveling together, I finally realized that I wanted more than just your body...I wanted your heart. I want your heart so badly."
"You mean...?"
"Yes. Garnet...I love you. I always have, one way or the other. Now, I realize that I love you for who you are."
"Zidane! I..."
"So, I got this for you to show you just a fragment of how much I love you."
His finger slowly opened the lid of the box, revealing a stunning ring with a very rare and otherworldly crystal embedded into it. "Zidane! W-What is this...?"
"This is a crystal from Terra, my home world. You can't find them anywhere on Gaia. In other words, this ring is one of a kind."
"I...I don't know what to say..."
"Say you love me."
"Zidane..." At first, she stuttered, but that was probably because she was slowly bursting into tears of joy. She finally decided it was time. This was the time to reveal her true feelings; right here, right now. "Zidane...I love you, too! I always will!" She fought back some of the tears with her happiness. Zidane immediately closed the box and took her into his embrace. She returned the hug with her arms wrapped passionately around him. "Zidane..." She could feel her heart resting, the pain of its previous pounding disappearing. They broke away from their hug, and Zidane smiled brightly at her, which in turn made her smile back.
"Will you marry me, Garnet?"
She didn't even have to think twice before she replied. "Of course I will, Zidane."
He placed the ring from the box onto her finger, signaling that she was now engaged to her love. The two slowly moved in for a kiss, and within seconds, their lips locked in the most passionate kiss you would ever have the honor to witness. She began to massage his neck with her hands, while his hands were placed gently on her hips. They swruved their heads and continued kissing, until the group of friends suddenly burst into the room. This caused them to break away from each other, but they didn't do it very switfly as if to hide it from one another. Garnet noticed that Freya, Eiko, and even Amarant all had smiles across their faces.
"What're you all doing?"
"So, Zidane, did you do it yet?" asked Freya.
"Yeah, he did!" played Eiko.
"Huh? Did what?"
"We came here because we all knew Zidane was gonna propose to you," stated Amarant. "So, we decided to come by for the momentous occasion."
"Oh, you all..." She smiled even wider when she heard the news. "But...what about Steiner and Beatrix?"
"Hohoho! You needn't worry yourself, Your Highness!" came the voice of the said knight from behind the door as he entered the room. "Zidane and I have come to an understanding. Therefore, I see no reason to object to this wedding."
"Steiner and I both agree with Zidane," stated Breatrix, who came right in behind Steiner. "I personally think you two make a great couple. Congratulations, Your Highness."
Everyone clapped for Zidane and Garnet's happiness. It really was a joyous moment for the thief and princess. Everyone decided to retire for the night; it was surprisingly late. But before Zidane could go back to his room, Garnet gently grabbed his hand and leaned him closer to her so she could whisper into his ear.
"I'm leaving my balcony door unlocked. Come see me when they're all asleep."
"...Okay." His feet moved him back towards his room, and for a while, he pretended to be asleep. He was anxious to sneak into Garnet's room. When the time finally arrived, he slyly moved through the hallway without making a sound, and he lunged down carefully onto the ground and over to Garnet's balcony. He tapped slightly on the glass of the door, and Garnet heard him and smiled widely. She swiftly opened the door and pushed it open, pulling on Zidane's shirt to lock themselves into a passionate kiss. She moved backwards and eventually got them both onto the bed. They started exploring each other's bodies with their hands, while their tongues were having their own little party. The only time she broke away from his lips was when she took a breath to say "I love you" very erotically...right before engaging in more passionate kissing.
Her hands started moving themselves up Zidane's shirt, and eventually, she swung it off of his torso, revealing a rather ripped upper half. She giggled a little out of breath when she saw her lover's chest. "Someone's been working out," she played.
"All for you, baby," Zidane played back. She didn't want to take it much further than that...for now, anyways. So, she decided to lay herself on top of his ripped chest, closing her beautiful eyes and smiling warmly. She yawned upon setting her head down, which forced a chuckle out of Zidane. (Such a cute yawn) he thought. She snuggled deeper into his chest, his warmth comforting her greatly. "I love you, Zidane."
"And I love you, Garnet." Those were the last words they spoke to one another before falling asleep in each other's embrace.