Notes Before The Story:
Author's Note: First and foremost, I apologize in advance for any continuity, spelling, grammatical, or other errors that might be present. Normally, I have my amazingly talented sister beta everything before it's posted, but this one is a little different. It was originally part of "Breaking Point," my upcoming IX fic. However, I realized that this didn't work well with the overall plot - but I was too attached to it to simply discard it. Thus, a one-shot. This does not contain any spoilers for the upcoming fic, and is no longer truly "linked" in any way. Second, as the title suggests, this one-shot was inspired by the popular song "Say Something" by A Great Big World; "Breaking Point" was initially inspired by this song as well, though now it definitely strays away from a simple songfic idea. The second inspiration is "Silence," a fanfiction by Doctor Haifisch - a truly unique and beautiful story revolving around Kuja (you should definitely read it - it's amazingly awesome); my fic does not parallel, mimic, or contain and spoilers or references to the fic, but I will say I found inspiration from it. Apologies for the summary - I struggled for like...thirty minutes trying to get something worth while.
Full Summary: She was a queen, she couldn't mope, couldn't linger on the past – not with her country moving forward since the tragedy. Silence settled over her mind, though not still, never peaceful; instead, it was ominous, like the eye of a storm. Like the restless tree and ravenous roots that screamed in the distance as she watched his figure slowly disappear until it was nothing more than a speck against barren landscape. It had been just over two months, and she'd heard no word of his return, no whispers of his presence. Perhaps it was time she move on, just like he taught her. One Shot. Alternate Ending.
Pairings: Obviously Zidane/Dagger. What else?
Setting: Takes place roughly two and a half months after Zidane returns to the Iifa Tree, excluding the "epilogue" sequence and ending of the game.
Rating/Plot Warnings: Surprisingly a mild rating; no violence, gore, language, or lemons to speak of.
Disclaimer: Like so many others, I only wish that I owned any of the original plots and characters from SquareSoft/SquareEnix. The world, characters, overall idea basis, etc belong to SquareSoft/SquarEnix. I do not profit from exploiting the characters and world to my own ideas and plots. The cover picture was found via Google Search, and I do own it or make any profit using it.
Without further adieu, enjoy! Don't forget to review!
Say Something...
Water flowed down the window, glass melting as chocolate eyes watched, distant and glazed. Like heartbeats, like a trickling stream, raindrops echoed emptily against her ears, and a hollow rumble trembled over the castle. Breath whispered over her lips, soft but painful in her chest as she silently inhaled. Darkened clouds trembled and flashed with the summer storm, the sky sad and weeping.
…I've given up on you…
Weeping… She hadn't been able to cry for weeks now, no tears, no will left to let emotions go. She was a queen, she couldn't mope, couldn't linger on the past – not with her country moving forward since the tragedy. Silence settled over her mind, though not still, never peaceful; instead, it was ominous, like the eye of a storm. Like the muggy summer night before the King of Dragons swooped over Alexandria, like the Invincible looming above. Like the restless tree and ravenous roots that screamed in the distance as she watched his figure slowly disappear, until it was nothing more than a speck against barren landscape. Lightning flashed, and the rain slacked as her mind drifted back to the dark room. The summertime storms were fleeting and sporadic, spawning squalls with no warning and only lasting for short spells.
Two thuds, soft but firm, tore her from her solitude, and she sighed impatiently. She gave herself a moment, willing herself to be polite, maintain her spirit; though the last month had robbed her of her docile personality, she still somehow managed a bright and polished manner.
"Yes?" she asked, smothering the irritation swelling inside her mind.
"Forgive the intrusion, Your Majesty," the husky general's voice replied, "but there is a, er, moogle here to see you."
"…Moogle?" she repeated quietly, hesitating. Why would a moogle…? Briskly she crossed the room, heels echoing on the tile as she stepped off of the elegant rug. She pulled the door open, eyes barely acknowledging the general as her gaze found the twitchy violet moogle. "…Artemecion?"
"I have a letter for you, Dagger," he said, thrusting her an envelope anxiously. She eyed him, almost peeved to have him address her so, but making no remark as she tore the parchment open. Eyes scanned the page furiously.
Dagger,
I haven't heard from you since you went home. I hope everything is okay in Alexandria. I know you're busy, but…I need you to come to the village. Please come as soon as the moogles get this to you.
– Vivi
Brows furrowed as she read the letter again, mouthing the words to feign coherence. She could hear the anxiousness, the hesitance and insecurity that lingered in his words, like he were speaking rather than writing. Dark eyes struck the moogle, and he shuddered anxiously.
"What is it, Your Majesty?" Beatrix queried with trepidation. The queen didn't acknowledge her question, and instead addressed the messenger.
"Did he tell you what this was about?" she inquired demandingly, and the timid moogle shook his head.
"N-no," he answered, trembling. "One of the black mages told me to make sure this letter got to you." He was quiet, and her eyes sank back to the crisp parchment. "W-would you like to send a letter back?" She fell silent, gaze trickling over the words, stained in black ink and in small uncertain script. Something wasn't right, she could feel it in his words, read it in the uneven handwriting.
"…No," she retorted finally, voice firm but soft. "Beatrix, ready the Red Rose," she added curtly, addressing the general. "And get Steiner. We're heading to the Black Mage Village."
"…Of…course, Your Majesty," the general replied hesitantly. She saluted dutifully, turning quickly and heading for the docks. The seasoned officer knew something was amiss, but knew also it was not her place to demand answers. Instead, she followed orders, knowing that time would allow things to unfold.
"Thank you for delivering the letter, Artemecion," the queen said, nodding to the small moogle. He teetered uncertainly, as though he couldn't decide whether to bow, wave, salute, or simply nod. Anxiously and wordlessly, he departed. Eyes drifted to the letter once more, uneasiness settling over her racing thoughts as she scanned the words, not quite reading them, but rather searching for an answer.
Anywhere, I would have followed you…
Quickly she turned, heading towards the airship docks. Normally, she would wait for either Steiner or Beatrix to summon her, to let her know the ship was ready for departure. But she couldn't stifle her impatience, couldn't smother the knot that tugged at her stomach and lodged somewhere inside her throat. What could possibly be so urgent that he asked her to travel halfway across the world? Could it be…?
Wind broke over her, propellers and machinery roaring to life as the new steam engines cranked to full power. Gloved fingers swept bangs from her face delicately, though chocolate threads danced in and out of her vision and dagger-trimmed tresses brushed her neck and shoulders. Vaguely, she heard Beatrix bark an order to one of the soldiers, and suddenly the engines settled, still churning and chugging lively, but idle and much more quietly.
"Your Majesty, I had planned to let you know when we were ready to depart," Beatrix said, approaching her.
"I know," she answered softly. "Is the ship ready?"
"Almost, Your Majesty," the general replied. "Steiner is already aboard to escort you. I will remain here to look over Alexandria."
"…Thank you, Beatrix," she smiled. The soft gesture was a rarity, and fleeting. She turned, boarding the airship. She could feel a concerned gaze lingering over her, but she didn't look back.
"Dagger," Steiner greeted, saluting his queen; though still first, and foremost, his queen, she and Steiner had become quite close after their adventure. Despite never being asked, he had never quite gotten back into the habit of referring to her formally, as Beatrix insisted on doing. She'd grown to hate her titles, and even more the name given to her under false pretense. Instead, she opted for the name she'd adopted during her travels; perhaps it was sentimental.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice," she offered, fingers brushing through her windblown hair.
"Of course!" he replied, beaming. "General Beatrix said you were travelling to the Black Mage Village. I wouldn't miss the opportunity to see Master Vivi!"
"…Don't…don't get too excited, Steiner," she said, voice low and hesitant. A dark eyebrow cocked as he watched her uncertainly, and fingers pulled the folded parchment from her pocket. The captain's eyes read the letter, and they skimmed it again apprehensively. "…I don't know what's going on but…you can feel it, too, can't you? How…how worried he seems?"
"…Yes, I do…" he agreed distantly. "His penmanship, the wording…it's not like Vivi to be so vague."
"I know…I don't know why but…I think something is wrong – I can feel it," she added quietly.
"Y-your Majesty, the storm has cleared enough for us to depart," the sailor interrupted nervously. Her gaze lingered on the wary captain, but she nodded.
"Then let's not waste any more time."
*~*~*0*~*~*
The sunlight had long since faded from the western sky, the deep indigo backdrop alive with flecks of light that glimmered among the night. Twin moons peered over the horizon, tracing the clouds in a vibrant plum as they hung lazily over the sky. Leaves rustled, the vague shadows shuddering over tufts of grass and patches of soil. It was quiet, aside from the occasional whispers of wind and the steady trickle of the nearby stream. Eyes drooped as he leaned against the tree, but he forced them open. He'd sent the letter nearly a week ago – the moogle should have gotten to Alexandria by now, and he knew she shouldn't be far behind. It was only a matter of time…
Softly, he sighed, shuddering as he exhaled. Short arms wrapped awkwardly around stubby knees, and he pulled them close to his chest. His gaze lingered on the distant building, candle illuminating the smiling window, flickering, dancing in the otherwise dark village. The mage swallowed, instead letting his eyes find the moon-glazed sky. Nothing had happened…not yet…she said she would come get him…
It was over my head… I know nothing at all…
The ground trembled slightly, the night alive suddenly with a slow and soft hum, and the mage pricked at the sound. He knew that sound – he'd learned it well after travelling so much. It was an airship – one of Regent Cid's. He stood, moonlike eyes watched the southern sky intensely, unblinking, anxious. Squinting, he could make out a silhouette; an outline…the hum turned into a chug, and the ground almost quaked with the sound. It was landing, outside the forest, he realized, watching the distant figure descend.
Finally, the violent vibrations ceased, and he waited, paced impatiently. Finally, he could make out voices, distant as they approached the village; conversation, muted and muffled by the trees and wind and stream. The forest shuddered, leaves rustling as they finally made their way into the clearing.
"Vivi?" she asked, spotting the mage as they came into the village.
"…It's good to see you, Dagger," he replied quietly, nodding. "You, too, Steiner."
"Master Vivi, it's been too long!" the captain beamed. Both hesitated when his excitement was not returned.
"…What is it – what's wrong?" Dagger queried quickly. His eyes sank to the ground, the stained shadows that quivered in the breeze, and fingers twirled uncomfortably.
"I'm…I'm really sorry…" the mage offered, stammering, searching for words, fumbling his confidence. "…Um…"
"What is it?!" she pleaded, almost demanded. Vivi startled, flinching away as she addressed him so harshly; nervously, he cleared his throat, still seeking words. Finally, the mage heaved a sigh, eyes tearing, though he forced himself to speak.
"C-come with me," he managed, half-choked as he walked toward the inn. A candle flame flickered in the window, dancing briefly before settling on melting wax. He could make out uneven shuddering breaths as the white mage followed him, anxiously, like a dog on his heels. He swallowed, the gesture uncomfortable as he pulled his tongue dryly from the roof of his mouth. Too-big shoes stumbled on the veranda, but he caught his balance quickly as he caught the door knob. Fingers trembled in his gloves, and the mage hesitated. He could feel their gazes watching his motions, his unsteady movements and quaking body, listening to his pounding, racing heartbeat and each quivering breath.
"Go inside," he finally managed, unable to lead them in. She walked past him, eyes scrutinizing the trembling mage. Finally, leather gloves gripped the brass knob; her whole body quaked, her heart felt as though it would leap from her chest, and heavy breaths caught in her lungs as though she were drowning. Hinges squeaked, floorboards creaked as she stepped into the inn. Bright yellow eyes peered at her, alert and wide; the innkeeper looked away, and her gaze followed.
The room was illuminated in a dim, flickering orange wavered as the breeze drifted into the room from the doorway. Furniture shuffled suddenly, and her heart skipped as a shadow moved across the wall. Suddenly, bright blue struck her, wide and childlike; the spitting image of her brother. Mikoto studied the queen as her escort filed in after and Vivi closed the door behind them. Her eyes drifted briefly to the small mage, and he shook his head soundlessly. Her head hung. Wordlessly, she stepped back into the room; near-silent footsteps followed, tentative, hesitant…
The candle flickered as the Genome passed by, wavering with annoyance. It danced over threads of blond, illuminating pale skin, still features and rounded cheekbones accented in orange. The ember settled, catching on glossy crystals, swimming on the glass surface. Her eyes locked, unable to move, to waver, blink, and breath hung in her chest, silent and shuddering.
I'm still learning to love…
"…Z-Zidane?" she whispered, voice quivering. Heat bit at her eyes, vision blurred, candlelight smearing over her vision. She managed a step closer, knees weak and threatening to buckle. "Zidane, is it…is it really…?" Dagger swallowed, unable to choke free words, form sentences.
"C-can it be…?" Steiner asked, looking between the Genome and the mage. Neither answered, both fixed on the white mage as slow, hesitant steps took her nearer.
Just starting to crawl...
"…Say something…" she pleaded quietly, finally reaching his side.
"…He's been like that since we found him," Vivi explained quietly. Her gaze met his briefly before sinking back to the bottom bunk. Eyes sank closed lazily before reopening, blinking absently. The blankets rose slowly, lingering before sinking down again, indicating the long deep breaths as they filled his lungs.
"…Say something…!" she pleaded again. A hand brushed his, fabric separating her gentle touch. He didn't react, didn't seem to notice as she gave his hand a small, desperate squeeze; russet eyes gazed deep into crystal pools, but they were blank, empty – not the soulful, genuine sapphires she recalled. They were dull, half-glazed as they rested unfocused in their sockets. "…I…I don't understand!" she sobbed. "W-why…?" When no answer came, she whirled, bangs tossing into her eyes. "Please!" she demanded, eyes beseeching the Genome.
"…I am…still unsure, but…" her voice trailed, searching for words; if Dagger hadn't known any better, the blond could have been human – sad. "…but I believe…his soul was lost."
I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you…
"…Lost…?" the brunette trailed, eyes studying delicate, flawless features that mimicked those of the doll that stared blankly, loosing focus somewhere between sandy bangs and chocolate eyes.
"But how?" Steiner queried, snapped from his disbelief. Dark eyes lingered over the once rambunctious thief, so still he could be part of the straw mattress in which he rested.
"I sensed him around a month ago," Mikoto explained quietly, almost fearful that her words might startle the soulless Genome. "Kuja…called out to me."
"Kuja?!" he exclaimed; fury gleamed in chocolate eyes at the mention of the warmonger's name, but she couldn't bring herself to make any response.
"…Yes," she nodded absently. "He said that…he was using the last of his strength to communicate to me. That…he was dying. Kuja asked me to find them – to find Zidane, and…save him."
"…What…what happened?" she managed, choking on sobs and tears.
"…I…am unsure…but, I suspect it has much to do with the nature of the Iifa Tree." She paced to the window, stormy eyes gazing out over the slumbering village; it was draped velvet-blue with the pale glow of moonlight. Grass and leafy branches shuddered against the night, joining the cadence of the gently murmuring creek, the chatter of cicada, and shrill of crickets. It was alive, unstill and restless – anxious. "As you know, the Iifa Tree was the sorter of souls between Gaia and Terra. Garland used the tree to force an end to Gaia's cycle of souls – to purge them and replace them with Terra's. When Kuja destroyed Terra, all of the souls held captive were dispersed through the roots, and the planet was covered in Mist…with the dregs of souls. After you all defeated Kuja, the tree went wild…it, too, was dying.
"Kuja told me that he had managed to shield them against the attacks, until the tree finally died. But by then…the damage had already been done…" Eyes flickered back to the soulless blond, his vacant expression as glazed eyes blinked slowly and absently, and she sighed quietly. "When I found them…Kuja was barely alive – holding out, and hoping I'd find them, since I would be unable to sense Zidane."
"B-but how did he lose his…soul?" Steiner asked. Mikoto shook her head silently, letting her gaze drift back to the restless night-draped village.
"…I am not sure…" she muttered quietly. "Kuja said he sensed something within the Iifa Tree before the tree died, a vacuum of energy of some sort. He suggested that it was, perhaps, the Crystal." Chestnut eyes scrutinized the Genome from behind, the quivering fingers as they wrapped around her arms; silently, she begged for an explanation.
"…So…the Crystal…?" Steiner trailed dimly, considering the suggestion.
"…If what Kuja suggested is true," Mikoto rambled absently, almost explaining to blanket the room in sound rather than let it fall still and quiet, "…then I suspect that when the Iifa Tree died, it released its hold on Gaia's Crystal, purging it of Terran souls. The cycle had been interrupted for so long, the Crystal was weak, and sought souls to stabilize it. To keep it from perishing, so that Gaia could continue to live and grow." The knight absorbed the rationalization, lips taught and brows furrowed beneath his thought, and the black mage shifted almost silently in the doorway. Dagger's eyes drifted between them, back to the vague expression that fixed itself unnaturally over lightly freckled cheeks…back to the mirror-image of his blank face and sandy hair, waiting for the inevitable question the queen knew she needn't answer…
"…Is…is there…any way to save him…?" Moments passed, only broken by the cadence of summer nights, the small crackle of the wood-wicked candle, the looming storm rolling on some distant horizon. She gave a small sob; no words were needed. Dagger had learned that silence meant that the news was to devastating to be broken, that she would break should the truth be spoken. Her vision sank back to the rogue; eyes were half-glazed like a frosted pond and just as vacant against nearly colorless skin. Breath whispered over chapped lips with each slow, deep, empty breath as they filled his chest like a child's balloon, before escaping like a shudder of wind.
A breathy cry muffled itself as she buried her face in his hand; the glove smelled of dirt and sweat and cedar– just as it had when she watched her mother attack Lindblum. She wanted those hands to hold hers, strong arms embrace her, to feel his heartbeat against her ashen cheek as she curled up against his chest.
"…I-I'm…really sorry, Dagger," Vivi offered, though the gesture seemed to be lost between the summer's song and the reeling mind of the queen. Eyes closed, and she could pluck his face from her memory; a confident smile reassuring her as the Hildagarde III climbed higher and higher over the barren landscape. She longed to gaze into pools of crystal waters, into the bright blue light she recalled from Terra, into eyes that flooded with emotions, but still like the eye of a storm. To hear his nonchalant voice, humming their song, whispering and shushing her quietly. To take in the sweet scent of Zidane, to savor it for the rest of her life.
You're the one that I love…
"Please…" she whispered, begged like a scorned child for forgiveness as she sniffled and wept into supple leather. A breath drew in…out, unaware of the room, or the inn, or the crackling candle nearby. Oblivious to the chirp of crickets, the cicadas' song, the crash of the sky as the storm moved closer; the impatient hoot or loon's cry in the distant wood. Unresponsive to the beseeching brunette, and the trembling sobs against a tear-soaked glove.
…and I'm saying goodbye…
"…Say something…"