Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy IX... SquareSoft© does...
Dedication: To all who love this story dearly and who are hooked... *giggles and waves a hand* I AM, I AM!!

~**~Chapter 12~**~

....:A Time For Goodbyes:.....

Zidane's head was spinning as he stared up at the tip of the dagger that gleamed over his head. He tried to blink away the stars in his eyes that continued to dance repeatedly to their own tune. He squinted his eyes, trying to focus on what was going on around him and who was sitting on him.

Garret tossed his head back and laughed evilly as he saw the look of pain and confusion in Zidane's eyes. He plunged the dagger downward, towards his heart, hoping that it would make contact soon so he could have Garnet all to himself.

To his left, there was a shouted protest as Vivi quickly jumped down from Garnet's arm to rush forward and then stop to stand a few feet away from the real Zidane's body. He raised his arms up into the air and began to swirl his hands in circular motions, concentrating all his power, all his will on one person; Garret.

The dagged was dropping faster now.

" Black Magic... Multiple firestrike!! ", little Vivi screamed as he immediately stopped swirling his hands and pointed them straight at Garret.

A dozen large fireballs shot themselves from the little black mages fingertips and fewl towards Garet as he pierced the first few layers of skin on Zidane's cheat with the jagged tip of his dagger, extracting a loud shout of pain. The first fireball struck Garret in the forehead, sending him to fly through the air, taking the dagger that had pierced Zidane with him.

The second one struck him hard in the chest, pinning him to the wall helplessly...

***

Zidane brought a hand to his chest and he grimaced in pain as he slowly sat up. He glanced at Garnet who watched him, eyes wide, mouth slightly open in surprise and denial as she clutched Eiko tightly. He flashed her his usual impish smile and gave a nod of his head, telling her that he was alright, that he was going to live.

Garnet's heart - had stopped as soon as she had watched the dagger pierce Zidane - started up again as she saw the smile on his beautifully handsome face. She returned his nod and closed her mouth as she relaxed her eye muscles.

On the other side of the room, Kuja was slowly getting beaten in badly by Anomen.

" What's the matter? Can't you take the pain, Kuja? Hmm?! ", Anomen taunted as he took another swing at him with the axe.

Kuja bared his teeth and then lunged for the incoming axe, catching the blade between forefinger and thumb, he quickly flipped the axe around. It flew up into the air, twirling around before it landed perfectly in Kuja's right outstretched hand.

As soon as he caught it, he grabbed the blade and snapped it into two halves. He chuckled them over his shoulder and they embedded themselves into the wall with a loud crack. Kuja cocked his head to the side and flashed his brother an exasperated look as the large gash on his left side continued to bleed freely.

" So.. now what must you do? How will you kill me now and make father proud? "

Anomen's lip curled back in a snarl, " To kill you... I'd have to kill the baby of the family! ", he replied as he turned and began to run towards Zidane...

***

Vivi unleashed fireball after fireball at Garret, tears of pain spilling down his cheeks, " Y-you hurt Zidane! You killed Steiner! You tried to take D-dagger away! No more!! ", the litt black mage suddenly exploded as he unleashed the last and final fireball from his outstretched and spread fingers.

It flew through the air and slammed into Garret with a sickening slap. Garret went motionless and quiet. The only sounds that echoed throughout the room were of Vivi's heavy breathing and sniffled as he sank to the floor, Eiko's small sobs, Zidane's groans of pain and sharp intakes of breath and Kuja's shouts for Zidane to turn around before it was too late.

" Zidane!! ", Garnet cried out, trying to help Kuja get the young man's attention.

" Here I come, Zidane!! ", Anomen shouted as he pushed off the ground and lunged for him.

Zidane quickly understood what they were all shouting as he jumped out of the way, but Anomen didn't go flying past him, instead there was a loud grunt, a groan and then flesh connecting with flesh as Kuja tackled Anomen from behind, wrestled him to the ground and then quickly straddled his front.

Zidane watched in astonishment as Kuja delivered punch after punch to Anomen's face. He was about to sheath his daggers and then rush over to Garnet, but a rustling of debris caused him to tighten his grip on the handles and slowly turn around to find Garret standing right in front of him, hand tightly fisted and raised over his head only to be quickly brought down towards Zidane's face.

Reflexes.

That's what had saved him.

Zidane quickly and swiftly twisted the dagger in his hand as he brought it forward in lightning speed, plunging it deep into Garret's chest. So deep that the blade pierced through his heart, through his spine with a sickening snap of bone and then finally through the skin to protrude greatly, crimson dripping from the tip.

Garret's eyes went wide as he was jerked forward roughly. Blood flew from his mouth and landed all over Zidane's face and clothes as Zidane merciless and and roughly twisted the dagger to the side, causing a sick ripping sound of flesh to be heard through the room.

Garret's hand from mid-air to hand limply at his side as he took one last look at Zidane before slumping against him, completely dead now. Zidane stepped back and Garret slid down the top length of his body before meeting with the ground crudely.

Zidane slowly turned to face Garnet as he reached up to wipe away the blood on his face, only to smudge it completely...

***

Garnet gently setted Eiko onto the ground beside Vivi as he walked up to them and rushed forward to throw herself into Zidane's arms, burying her face into his blood covered shoulder. Zidane groaned lightly in pain as Garnet applied her light weight to his chest wound, but he just wrapped his arms around her and held her close, grateful to be alive to hold her dearly.

" Oh... Zidane! It's over... it's finally over... ", Garnet whispered against his neck as she turned her head to the side so she could inhale his sweet musky scent.

Zidane slowly swayed from side to side, rocking her gently as he reached up to lovingly stroke her hair, " I hope you're right, Dagger... I hope you're right.. ", he replied, whispering softly against her hair as he rested his cheek on her head.

There was a loud grunt that caused Zidane to jerk his head up and looked over at where Kuja and Anomen were. He watched as they both took shots at each other, inflicting more pain to each other with each punch. Suddenly Anomen brought his knee up and roughly kneed Kuja in the back, catching him by complete surprise.

Kuja delivered another punch before he stumbled off Anomen, crawling along the ground now, making his way towards the far wall where the two halves of Lani's axe were still deeply embedded...

***

Zidane quickly let go of Garnet to walk over to Eiko and and Vivi. He gathered the frigthened summoner into his arms and grasped the little black mages hand tightly in his own. Zidane then walked back to Garnet and handed her the trembling little girl. Vivi left Zidane and walked up to Garnet. He reached up and grasped her hand gratefully.

" Come on... let's get you guys out of here... ", Zidane murmured gently as he turned Garnet towards the door, glancing over his shoulder at his two brothers.

" But.. what's going to happen now? ", Garnet asked as she she stepped through the door and out into the hall before turning to look at him.

Zidane's face was serious and the small impish smile that he forced out stood out completely, " Don't worry about it, Dagger. Just get them to safety.. and get yourself too.. ", he whispered tenderly as he gently traced her cheekbone while staring deeply into her eyes.

Garnet smiled at him and slowly nodded as she began to turn and leave. Zidane watched her go, suddenly regretting having her go, but it was for her own good, he didn't want anything to happen to her. If she ever got unjured, he'd never be able to forgive himself...

***

Kuja stood up, grabbed the halve of the axe, yanked it out of the wall and whirled around to face Anomen, who just looked at him and chuckled, then sneered.

" For being the oldest, you seem to be pretty weak and pathetic... "

" For being the middle, you don't seem to be as smart as father had predicted you to be! ", Kuja retorted as he swung the halve of the axe at Anomen's head.

Anomen quickly ducked and then spun around Kuja so that he was behind him and in front of the other halve. He quickly reached up, yanked the halve from the wall and swung at Kuja as he whirled around to face him, the whole time trying to swing at his chest.

Kuja met Anomen's attack and blocked. Anomen glanced over Kuja's bloody shoulder and watched as Zidane began to make his way from the room. He couldn't let him leave... he wasn't going to let him leave!

Anomen swiftly tore his axe from Kuja's, pretended to make an attack for his head, causing Kuja to swiftly bring his axe up to his head in hope of blocking the attack, but Anomen then shifted the axe to his other hand and quickly twirled around once, axe extended in hand, slicing the sharp thin blade along Kuja's unwounded side, causing him to suck in a sharp breath, drop his axe to the ground and double over clutching his wounded side.

Anomen delivered a kick to Kuja's chin, sending him back and to the ground. He then turned around, brougth his arm back and chucked the axe through the air at Zidane.

" Zidane!! ", he shouted, allowing a false tone of worry and pain to enter his voice.

Zidane immediately whirled around to see if Kuja was injured and in need of some assistance. Something making a loud 'whirring' sound quickly slammed into his chest at full impact, piercing the skin, smashing through breastbone and then embedding itself into his heart.

Zidane fell to the ground, a loud scream of agony ripping his vocal cords in half as he squeezed his eyes shut against the deep, dark pain in his chest...

***

The loud cry of agony echoed throughout the castle, causing terror to flood Garnet's heart and senses, causing Anomen to cry out in triupmh and causing Kuja to whip his head in his baby brother's direction. Upon sight of Zidane's situation, Kuja's eyes were ablaze with newfound hate, rage and pain.

His brother's pain was his pain. Kuja let out a loud cry of anger as he jumped off the ground and charged at Anomen, completely ignoring the pain in his side and all over his body. Kuja tackled Anomen to the ground and roughly punched him straight in the nose.

Sounds of cartilage breaking into thousands of pieces filled the room, mingling with the pained screams of Anomen. Kuja then quickly stood up and walked over to where his halve of Lani's axe laid. He picked it up, twirled it around in his hands a few times and charged at Anomen.

Anomen quickly and feebly got off the ground to only meet Kuja's axe as it sliced completely through his abdomen, through his intestines and through his spine. His upper torso tipped back with a sicken sound of flesh, blood and guts seperating and fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Anomen's lower half pitched forward, landing on the ground with a softer thud. Kuja threw down the axe, embedding it into Anomen's neck...

***

Zidane's sharp intakes of breath were now heard throughout the now quiet room as Kuja turned and began to walk towards him. Garnet was already at his side, weeping softly, whispering to him that he was going to be alright. She reached out and softly caressed his blood crusted cheek and then ran it along his lower lip that quivered as blood conitnued to pour profoundly.

" Z-zidane... don't die! Yo-you can't go and leave me... not a-again... ", Garnet begged him through tears as she began to cry harder.

Kuja walked to his baby brother and bent down to effortlessly pull the axe from his chest in one simple tug. He tossed it over his shoulder and it landed deep in Anomen's ashen forehead. Kuja knelt down on the ground and gently took Zidane's head into his lap.

He gently slapped Zidane's pale cheek and watched as his once deep forest green eyes that sparkled with mischief and mystery slowly opened to reveal a quickly fading life. The deep green was now a pale green, a sickly green. Kuja reached out and gently brushed aside some of the blood stained strands of thick dark honey away from his face.

Zidane blinked and grimaced. He looked up at Kuja and managed to flash him a small, weak, courageous smile as he reached up to grasp his hand tightly. Garnet's soft sobs drifted over to him and he turned his head to look at her. She was falling apart before his very eyes and it was all because he was dying.

Zidane reached out with his other hand and wrapped it over hers as he flipped her hand over and brought her baby soft palm to his lips. Zidane tenderly kissed her hand and then placed it over the large wound in his chest. Garnet's cried became more desperate, more like wails, pleas for him not to leave her as she felt Zidane's once strong and steady heartbeat go completely still and quiet.

Garnet shook her head hard and grasped his limp hand, shaking it as if that would awaken him from his eternal sleep.

" N-no... Zid-dane! You c-can't g-go... don't leave m-me... ", she whispered as she pleaced her face to his, nuzzling his cheek to hers.

As soon as his body shuddered uncontrollably for a few seconds, Garnet jerked her head back to stared down into his peaceful looking face, her vision blurred by tears. She reached up to wipe away the tears and looked back down at him to watched as one lone tear slid from his dark long lashes that rested splayed on his cheeks to mingle with the dry, crusted blood decorating his face...


(Author's Note: *sniffles and wipes away her tears*... God... that was hard to write.... *sniffles again and reaches for a kleenex to blow her runny nose* so... whatcha think of it? Hmm? Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever is now... complete!! I'm not going to reveal to you just yet if I'm going to make a sequel. I'm sure you wouldn't want one anyway *giggles suddenly and then breaks down as she pictures Zidane laying on the ground, a large chest wound visible* aww... I'm gonna cry again... I know I shouldn't have ended this BADLY. *nods* be honest... was it THAT bad? *waves* well... Matte ne.. I'm going to go read over the Epilogue and then post it too!! )