Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of FFIX but all the peeps who aren't familiar to you are mine. If I see the names I use in anything they will not find your body….I promise….j/k that's just if the character acts the same. But if you ask my permission to put my character in it might be okay.. But ask first!!!
_________________________________DEDICATION________________________________________
I have decided to make my first dedication I dedicate this story to my pal Emkay from WA thanks for always being there for me and being a faithful reader to LBtC. I love ya man!!
---------------------------------Chapter VIII: Requiem of Fear----------------------------------
Zidane had been sitting in his room when Dagger had screamed. He had run to see what was wrong and he was glad he did. Whatever we're running from would've killed me, and I wouldn't have been able to defend myself, he thought, gripping Dagger's hand tightly as they ran through the dark castle.
"Dagger were are we going?" he asked as the young queen directed him down yet another hall.
"We have to get to the weapon's room, that's where Tiger Racket is, I'm guessing Ultima Weapon too," she said, dragging Zidane quickly towards he entrance to the arms room. She hurried him inside the windowless chamber and shut the heavy steel door behind them.
"We should be safe here until we're ready to go," she said leaning against the door. Zidane looked at the queen puzzled.
"Go where?" he asked. Dagger looked up at him and pushed a raven strand of hair from her flustered face.
"We can't fight whatever that was here, I can't summon in the castle, Bahamut and any of my other summons would destroy the castle with one attack, and I don't want to risk anymore destruction than necessary," she said, her brown eyes looking intently to Zidane.
"Right, Dagger your so smart no wonder your queen," Zidane said lightly, sliding down next to Dagger.
"We can't stay here long, it won't take much time to track us down, even though the detours I took should slow it down if it tracks by scent," she said leaning her head against Zidane's shoulder. Zidane sat for a moment looking around the stone room filled with wooden shelves and pegs on which sat weapons, armor and accessories, then he stood, spun around and looked at Dagger.
"No worries Your Majesty, we've been through worse, remember the Necron?" Zidane said smiling, trying to lighten the dismal mood of his fiancé.
"Of course I remember the Necron, how could I forget? But now isn't the time to reminisce," Dagger said standing as well and walking down the rows of weapons and armor. "Ah here it is, I haven't used this for quite some time," she said, pulling the paw shaped racket from the peg it rested on. She turned it in her hands and smiled as if seeing a long lost friend, well on our trip the weapons were almost like friends completely reliable, Zidane thought looking for Ultima Weapon. Spotting the silver glint of the varnished blade, he hurried to it and lifted it off the peg the servants had put it on. He clipped the handle to his belt and pulled the clasp tight.
"Okay are we ready?" Dagger asked from behind Zidane. The former thief turned, looked at the nightgown clad queen and he couldn't help but smile.
"So is nightgown the latest form of armor?" he grinned. Dagger looked down at her pink nightgown and grinned sheepishly.
"I guess we better get some armor too," she said turning back to the rows of equipment. Zidane followed her down the rows until she stopped. She pulled the Robe of Lords from the hook it set on and turned towards Zidane.
"Well?" she said.
"Well what?" Zidane replied.
"Zidane this is no time to be fooling around we need to hurry!" Dagger said, exasperated.
"What are you yelling at me for? I don't know where anything is," Zidane replied. Dagger rolled her eyes and walked further down the aisle. Zidane followed behind her as she rounded the corner and pulled a vest from the wall.
"Here," she said tossing it to Zidane. He caught it and pulled it on. Then she walked further down the aisle and grabbed a pair of boots she put them on and walked back to Zidane pulling the robe over her nightgown.
"Let's go," she said, walking towards the door that lead to the stables. Zidane followed on her heels; damn I feel like an obedient dog, Zidane frowned. Ahh well she is the queen I spose it's a good thing that she's in charge.
As soon as they entered the stable Choco was ready to go along with two other chocobos.
"We thought you might be planning to lead that monster from the city your majesty," Came Beatrix's sultry accent from the side of one of the red chocobos.
"So we beat you here and the got chocobos ready," came Steiner's voice from the side of the other chocobo.
"Thank you both," Dagger smiled as she slipped her arm around Zidane's. "Now let's hurry."
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They stood outside the city in the early morning waiting for the monster to find them. Zidane felt nervous as he stood by Dagger's side watching the glittering outline of the city against the backdrop of the deep blue sky. Why hasn't it come yet? Zidane thought, rubbing his arms together. I'm freezing my butt off here, figures I'm the only one without something warm on. Dagger seemed to notice Zidane shivering and moved closer to him, she wrapped her arms around his and leaned against him.
"Are you cold?" she asked. Despite his shivering Zidane couldn't help but smile.
"Hey, t-that's my line," he whispered, remarking on one of the oldest lines that chanced getting closer to a woman on a cold night.
"You've never said that to me," Dagger whispered back. Zidane smiled the chill not so overbearing now that Dagger was near.
"Never mind," he said leaning his head against hers. "I sure wish we could light a fire though," he said, looking back towards the castle, watching for the shadow of Dagger's nightmare monster.
"Yes but we don't have any matches with us," she whispered.
"Well then I wish that damn monster would hurry up," he mumbled. Dagger looked up at him and smiled.
"Are you really so cold as to want to fight something that probably completely destroyed your room?" she asked.
"All the more reason to. And where the hell am I spost to sleep? Don't you dare say in the courtyard, I am not interested in freezing my butt of more than necessary. Thank you your highness, but no," he said looking down at the queen. She smiled and giggled in a sweet melodic tone.
"No I wouldn't dream of it," she smiled. "Like I said before, you could stay with me," she said her smile softening into a look of affection.
"Are you serious?" he asked, he had known earlier it had been out of fear for his life; but this time he wasn't sure, she had played with him about things of that nature before, but nothing had ever happened, but this time…
"There it is!" came Beatrix's cry from behind them. Zidane snapped his head up to the sky seeing the shadow of something big flying toward them. Dagger and Zidane broke apart and took fighting stance.
"Dagger get ready to scan, we've gotta figure out how to kill it," Zidane said looking at the rapidly descending shadow of an unknown beast.
"Right," Dagger said. Out of the corner of his eye Zidane could see her holding her racket ready. Damn monster I think there was an actual mood going on first romantic moment in a long time. He thought, snapping the Ultima Weapon from the side of his belt.
"RAAAAAHHHHHhhhh" came a howling screech from the monster as it landed in front of the small party. Zidane could barely make out four long, hooked claws for legs and an elongated snout. It had long spidery wings like a dragonfly's and it almost seemed like it had no kind of skin. Gross, Zidane thought, making a face and glad that he couldn't make out the monster very well.
"Scan," he heard Dagger mutter as three orbs appeared as if from nowhere and circled the monster.
"This is weird," Dagger said. Zidane shot a glance in her direction seeing her frowning from the stats she was being given.
"Dagger, care to share with the rest of us?" Zidane asked, looking back at the monster as Beatrix and Steiner started to use sword arts on the monster.
"Oh right, these stats are odd," Dagger said. "Umm here HP/MP: 63,200/500 Weak against: sunlight? I don't understand that," she said, looking over at Zidane.
"What type of monster is it?" Zidane asked, looking back at the monster. It's gonna attack soon, Zidane thought.
"Demon, flying, - Zidane watch out!" she yelled, Zidane had turned his attention back to the queen and hadn't been paying attention to the monster. It hit him in the side of the head with one claw and he went sprawling to the ground. Sitting up he looked back at the monster and frowned.
"Oww that hurt dammit," he grumbled climbing to his feet. "Dagger what is it's name I wanna know so I can mail it's ugly head to it's butt," he spat, feeling the wound on the back of his neck starting to seep blood again. Dammit, he thought bitterly.
"Zidane, your not going to believe this… it's name is Sebastian," Zidane looked at the queen in disbelief.
"WHHAATTTT??!!!" he exclaimed, looking back at the monster, it, it can't be, I blew him up! I'm still picking pieces of that guy outta my hair how can he be…
"Dagger you said he was a Demon and weak against only sunlight?" he asked.
"Yeah you have a plan?" she replied. Zidane nodded his head.
"Yep, Dag can you call up a couple endolions to hold him down?" he asked watching Beatrix and Steiner's serious onslaught, keeping Sebastian from trying to attack, but not killing him. Just like last time, Zidane thought.
"To hold him down why?" Dagger asked.
"Well if he's weak against sunlight that means he'll roast when it touches him, and from the looks the sky Beatrix and Steiner can't hold him at bay until sunrise, nearly an hour away; but, if you can summon an endolion that can hold him down until sunup he's toast," Zidane explained. Dagger nodded in comprehension.
"Alright, Shiva should be able to trap the monster in ice, by the time it melts the sun will be up and Sebastian will be gone for good, right?" she said. Zidane looked at her and grinned.
"O'course I'm never wrong about these things," he said. Dagger nodded again and closed her eyes concentrating on the racket. As Zidane watched, a glowing blue woman rose from where Dagger had been and raised her delicate yet powerful hand to Sebastian. She spun in a graceful circle and encased Sebastian in ice. The monster froze, literally, and the woman disappeared and Dagger reappeared. Then she ran over to Zidane and smiled hugging him.
"Now we can sleep easy, baby," he whispered trying out one of the old pet names he had used often. He frowned at the name and corrected himself. "Dagger," he whispered.
"So we just leave it here?" Dagger asked looking into Zidane's eyes.
"Yeah, I don't think he's going anywhere," Zidane said, kissing Dagger on the forehead. "Okay let's go I'm still cold remember," he said moving away from her, turning to Steiner and Beatrix.
"Thanks for holding him off while we figured out what to do guys," he smiled.
"Of course, we are sworn to protect Her Majesty and the Kingdom of Alexandria," Steiner said. Zidane shook his head and started towards the chocobos.
"Yeah I figured that you didn't care if I got snacked on Rusty," Zidane mumbled, climbing onto Choco's back. He helped Dagger up behind him and smiled at her.
"So, your majesty were you serious about me staying with you?" he asked reverting to the earlier discussion, before the rude interruption of an annoying being that refused to die. Dagger slid her arms around Zidane's waist.
"Of course I was," she whispered into his ear.
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Author's note: bleck I really don't like that chapter don't ask why but I haven't re-written it yet and I might but I never know I'm unpredictable oh well comments nespa?