Chapter 1-

Chapter 1-Mind Games

Dagger lay in her bed, awake....she just couldn't sleep. Lying there, she seemed to sense some kind of presence....as if someone...or something was watching her, like a cobra ready to strike. But this was no ordinary presence, it was the same feeling she felt deep inside when Kuja was near. Watching, waiting...she knew he was there...but where?

"Garnet..." She gasped as she heard a voice talking to her from nowhere, she wasn't even sure if she could hear it, as it seemed that the voice was speaking directly into her mind..."Garnet..." The voice whispered again, calling her, calling, calling..."Who are you?" she whispered back. "I am me. That is all, yet 'all' is nothing." replied the voice.Garnet paused to try and work out this egnimatic statement. "What do you want? Why are you calling me?" "My only purpose is to help you, Queen Garnet...my purpose is to protect you from the one who will destroy you. I am calling you so you can stop the angel of death before he strikes.". Again, Garnet was confused....who would want to destroy her? Who was this 'angel of death' the voice spoke of? "I see you do not understand, Garnet.....get out of your bed and allow me to show you the murderer...". Still curious and frightened about the killer the voice told her about, she climbed out of her bed and stood near the corner of the room. "Do not be frightened..." the voice told her "...we are going to look into the future..".

Garnet watched as the whole room seemed to change before her eyes, the rippling walls seemed to be almost liquid as she stared, the movements were almost hypnotic. She felt a bit queasy, as if she had motion sickness as night changed into day and then into night again, over and over, she shut her eyes, and after what seemed to be an eternity, she felt it stop. "Our journey has ended." She opened her eyes as she heard that same, low voice enter her mind.

She gasped again in shock as she saw someone lying on her bed, sleeping...but what shocked her was that she was watching HERSELF sleeping. "Watch..." Garnet stood there, silent. She heard the very quiet creak of a door being opened slowly...her door. A dark figure, barely visible even though the moon was full, crept through the door...even though she couldn't see his face, she somehow felt that he was familiar somehow. She kept watching as the figure walked over to the sleeping princess, stepping right into the moonlight coming from the window. "Zidane...?" she whispered. She reconised him now, Zidane was there, standing next to her sleeping future self. His honey-coloured hair was streaked with crimson liquid...and his clothes were also covered with it. Covered in BLOOD. But what confused her even more, was his tail....no more than a ragged stump. Even so, he still stood there, smiling at the sleeping girl.

"What is he doing here....?" she said to no-one..."You will see...". Her future self awoke, and looking up at the blood-covered youth...she spoke."Zidane? You're alive...." .....but he only smiled. Garnet felt her heart beat faster...she saw him drawing his dagger..? Still smiling at her, he drew his dagger and raised it above his head. The girl screamed as the blade shone in the moonlight, and the blade was no longer in the air, it was in her chest. A flash of steel, a scream, and it was all over, as she collapsed to the floor and lay in a pool of scarlet. Zidane had killed her. It was then Garnet's turn to scream, as Zidane jumped through the window, laughing like he was insane.

The scene faded, and Garnet found herself back in her own bed. "You know what you must do..." She heard the voice again. "No.....I will never kill Zidane..." she said back, tears filling her eyes. "Then I will save you myself..." . She heard laughter, but it filled her with fear...it wasn't just any laugh....it was Kuja's. She tried to scream, but something stopped her. She then felt herself losing control of her body, like she was being hypnotised, and then it happened.......

Kuja smiled. It had all gone according to plan. He wanted to laugh out loud, but he didn't want to wake his nemesis. For what seemed like centuries he had barely existed, just a spirit, a soul without a body. But now he had what he needed, a body to use...and who's body better to use to get his revenge than that of Zidane's love...his 'Dagger'. Slowly, he crept out of the door and down the hallway...down the hallway towards...Zidane's room. He stepped up to the chamber door, and turned the knob slowly...so not to wake him...

He opened the door...it was perfect. Zidane was sleeping peacefully on his bed, his dagger resting on a nearby table. Kuja picked up the blade, he felt the sharp edge of it....it was just right to use. Stepping over to the bed, he smiled again as his so-called-brother slumbered...but he wasn't going to be like that for very long. He raised the dagger above his head, his time had come. This was his moment of glory! He was going to finish his nemesis once and for all! He brought the dagger down, ready to stab Zidane through the heart....but then, just as he was about to send his foe on a one-way trip to the pearly gates, Zidane opened his eyes. "DAGGER!" he screamed, as he rolled out of the way. Down came the knife, and a golden-furred tail fell to the floor. Kuja, realising he had failed, left Garnet's body to fall to the floor.

The next morning, general Beatrix entered the room....only to find Garnet on the floor, a tail lying in a pool of blood, and nothing more. Zidane was gone...

TO BE CONTINUED...