Silent Promises
"This
is strange… I was sure she'd be back in Alexandria… I can't believe I can't
find her," Zidane said quietly to himself as he sat next to the small lake in
Alexandria. He had looked in every spot he could think of where Garnet Til Alexandros
could be. He even searched in the resting place, where her mother had been
buried, but she was nowhere to be found. Zidane stood up and headed back to
Lindblum, hoping she had returned there.
Once
Zidane reached Lindblum Castle, his comrades' faces were full of concern,
especially Steiner, the young queen's knight, wondering where Garnet was;
hoping Zidane had found her. The lugubrious look on Zidane's face and the
inward sigh he gave automatically told everyone he had no such luck.
"That's
it!" Steiner shouted. "I'll have all of Gaia search for her if I must!" They
were not amazed by his actions. It was his duty to watch over the young queen,
but she was now lost somewhere. Of course he'd feel responsible.
Zidane
approached him. "Whoa, calm down, Rusty," he assured Steiner. "Dagger can't be
that far away. She wouldn't just leave us," he explained casually. But deep
inside, he was conceding to himself that maybe she would leave them and go
after Kuja alone. What if she did that? She wouldn't stand a chance… What if he
found her dead? He just couldn't accept that. Zidane froze as his heart raced.
And then he heard a distant, intoxicating melody, which interrupted his
thoughts of where she was. It was not one in his head, though. He fell to the
ground and covered his face with his hands.
"Zidane?"
Eiko inquired, watching his actions. "A-Are you all right?" she stammered,
walking over to him a trifle reluctant, as well as noticing he wasn't moving
nor saying anything. He finally lifted up his head. When Eiko saw his eyes,
they weren't the kind eyes of Zidane Tribal. They seemed as if they were in a
trance. And his face seemed completely grave. He walked out of the Conference
Room slowly and up to the telescope above Lindblum Castle—one of Garnet's favorite
places.
He
leaned against the telescope and looked above him; the Mist-free sky filled
with a luminous light of the setting sun. He stared at the telescope and
remembered the time he flirted with Garnet there, asking for that date she
promised. He would never receive that date if he couldn't find her. He looked
up at the sun, amazed at how beautiful it was as it set. Oh, how he wished he
could share this moment with Garnet. She loved to watch things filled with
grandeur. "Dagger, where—" He was interrupted.
That
beautiful and wonderful melody he heard, and interrupted what he was about to
say, was being sung by Garnet. He just knew it was she who was singing. Only
she sang that song, which was filled with melancholy. The Alexandrian Queen
never knew the song's entire words, nor did she know where she learned it
from—she just sang it. Zidane adored the song…it was the most beauteous,
besides Garnet herself, thing to him in all of Gaia. He turned around and
sighed. He then vowed to himself he would follow that voice and find her—no
matter how far away it was.
Zidane
ran out of Lindblum and, after about an hour of walking, he reached the
northern edge of the Mist Continent. It was night now; the raven sky was filled
with twinkling stars and seemed to wear a large, white moon as its pendant. He
just stared up at it for a while, admiring its beauty. He had never seen the
sky at night before—Mist always filled it. He couldn't wait to bring Garnet
back with him so he can show her the sky above the Mist Continent. He renounced
that thought for now and noticed a small wooden boat. He decided to take to
boat across the ocean, not caring whose it was. He breathed in the crisp air of
the night when he realized where Garnet was.
"You're
in Madain Sari, Dagger. I just know it."
Once
he got to the Outer Continent, he ran to Madain Sari, encountering a few
battles here and there with some beasts of the continent. They seemed pretty
strong and he hoped Garnet was capable and fortuitous enough to defeat them. He
finally entered Madain Sari, and Garnet's singing voice seemed to be near. He
ran to where a large, sparkling waterfall fell and large boulders lay. It was
indeed a lovely site; especially what he saw standing upon the boulders—Garnet
Til Alexandros. Her beauty always took him in. He just gazed at her, watching
her onyx tresses flow about in the wind as she turned around and saw him. She
didn't expect him to follow her, but of course he would. He was Zidane, after
all—the one who cared more for others instead of himself.
"Dagger!"
he yelled, his eyes lighting up. "There you are… I've been looking all over for
you!" He ran to her and stopped in front of her. He opened his arms and was
about to hug her to death, but she backed away from him and turned around.
Zidane could tell by Garnet's deprecating face that she didn't want him
comforting her. She seemed to be in a sulking mood. It was nothing new, her
backing away. It did remind him of when she walked away from him at the small
alter at Conde Petie after they were married. That marriage was only to pass
through Conde Petie to get to the Iifa Tree, though. It meant absolutely
nothing…but he truly wished it did.
"I
followed your lovely voice… You have it back, I see. I'm so happy for you,
Dagger," he said with a warm smile. Garnet gave Zidane a disoriented look and
shook her head; she still didn't have her voice. She turned back around,
crossing her arms and looking up to the sky, absentminded with its beauty, just
as Zidane was preoccupied with it before. She, too, never saw a sky that did
not have Mist in it.
"Oh…"
he inaudibly replied. He was still confused on how he followed her voice, but
she didn't have it. Maybe he was dreaming…? He knew it was her voice. He put
those thoughts aside and walked over to Garnet. He felt so bad for her; those
last few days have been arduous for her to cope with: her mother dying,
Alexandria being destroyed; her feeling alone and somewhat responsible.
Zidane
scratched his head as he stared at the sad Queen of Alexandria. "I have to
cheer her up," he decided. "I think I'll ask her on that date… It's got to
work!" he thought to himself with a sly smile. "Hey, Dagger… Remember when you
promised me after I won the Tournament of the Hunt that you would go out on a
date with me? So, how about now? You're alone with the King of Romance! How can
you possibly resist?" he queried, opening his arms. He walked in front of her,
trying to get her to look at him instead of being preoccupied with the sky and
her thoughts. He put his hand under her chin, tilting it up so her brown eyes
would look at his. Her eyes were so beautiful to him. But they were presently
filled with tears. She pulled her head away and sat on the ground, covering up
her face with her hands.
"Dagger… I know it's difficult knowing your
people are suffering, that your mother died, and that Alexandria has been
destroyed... But when I said my shoulder's always available to cry on, I meant
it," he explained with a grave face. Zidane opened his arms again, waiting for
Garnet to embrace herself in them, but she still didn't even bother to look at
him. He put his arms down and walked away; his heart feeling shattered by her
actions. Why did she have to be so obstinate?
"Oh,
Zidane… I'm so sorry. Why am I acting like this to you? You're always so sweet
to me, always caring about everyone…and I'm acting so rude to you. If I could
only tell you how I really feel. I do care for you…but why can't I express it?
I should, but I just can't. If I only had my voice…" Garnet thought to herself
as she sighed inwardly. She looked at Zidane who was staring at the sky; he
seemed pensive. She walked over to him leisurely and put her hand on his
shoulder.
"Huh?
Dagger?"
Zidane
turned around to find Garnet smiling at him genially while her mocha eyes stared
deeply into his. He smiled back to her, glad that she was finally a trifle bit
happier. She put her arms around Zidane's neck and she felt him place his arms
around her waist. He pulled Garnet closer to him, and their lips met. She felt
like she was in heaven; being in his warm embrace. She ran her fingers through
his soft hair, never wanting this moment to end.
Like
all wonderful things, the kiss the two shared ended. Zidane stared at Garnet's
charming eyes as the moonlight reflected in them, making them glisten. He then
noticed her eyes starting to water with tears. Zidane's amiable smile after the
kiss faded away. He was wondering why Garnet was starting to cry. She held on
tight to Zidane as she laid her head on his shoulder. He caressed her long, raven
hair as she slowly stopped sobbing. She felt that someone veraciously cared for
her, and that someone was Zidane…the one that was always there for her through
the strenuous times.
"Aw,
don't cry, Dagger," he whispered, cupping her cheeks as he parted himself from
her embrace. "I promise you'll be able to get revenge on Kuja for doing this to
you. And I'll be with you every step of the way," he said, soothing her. "We
should get going now… Rusty's going to go nuts if you're not back in Lindblum
by morning," he explained. Garnet nodded and Zidane began to walk away from
her. She grabbed his arm tenderly, a signal to him not to let go. He put his
arm around her and they headed back to the small boat in which Zidane came
there on.
After
a few minutes of silence and walking, they made it to the boat. Zidane made
sure to paddle to boat slowly so he could spend this romantic time with Garnet.
She was in his arms, her eyes closed, as he caressed her hair. As much as he
didn't want to agitate her, he wanted to ask her something that would maybe get
her to give a jovial smile.
"So,
Dagger… How about that date?" he casually asked with a grin. She opened her
eyes and looked up at him. She tilted her head and stuck her tongue out at him.
After that, she punched him as he laughed at her response. "Is that a yes?" he
just had to ask. Garnet put her arms back around him and closed her eyes.
Zidane
just stared at her, amazed about how gorgeous she was. He felt so much pity for
her…she didn't deserve to have to go through all that she did. Zidane put his
hands together and looked up to the moon. He made a silent promise to always be
there for Garnet and to always condole her through the tough times. He also
promised he'd die just to protect her. Why would he go as far as die for her,
though? Because…
"Dagger…
I love you. I truly love you."
Zidane
had to tell her that no matter what her response would be. It's how he truly
felt. He sighed when he realized she fell asleep and he wouldn't get a response
back from her. Not only that, but she probably didn't even hear him say that,
as much as he wanted her to. He looked at her sleeping face. It seemed to be
serene and halcyon. He put his hand under her chin, kissing her on her cheek.
He closed his eyes, laying his head next to hers; the two holding onto each
other under the sky of Gaia, while the boat sailed closer and closer to the
Mist Continent.
"Zidane,
I love you, too."
Zidane
opened his eyes when he heard those words. He knew he didn't just dream of her
saying that, even though he realized he had fallen asleep. How could she have
told him she loved him though, if she lost her voice? Maybe he comforted her so
much that she got her voice back. No matter what, Zidane knew Garnet told him
she loved him. And she was the first one to ever tell him such a thing.
Garnet,
too, made a silent promise to herself as she smiled after she told him how she
felt—that she loved him. Her promise, like Zidane's, was to always comfort
Zidane and be there for him if he ever had rough times. And he would, too,
someday—the day when he would find out where his birthplace was and who he was.
And when that day came, she kept her silent promise to herself and condoled
him—just as he kept his silent promise—to condole and be there for Garnet. And throughout
the long journey of finding their pasts, truths, and searching for Kuja with
the others, they both kept their silent promises and were there for each other
through those laborious times.
