Forever…
by Karumi
Author's notes: Last chapter. This is it 3/3. Much thanks to
all that reviewed they have been the force behind me finishing this story,
Thanks! ^_^
Disclaimer: FFIX belongs to Squaresoft. Besides the only
thing I own is my cat…and he likes to bite.
Garnet
stepped out of the Hilda Garde. She had told Captain Taylor and the rest of the
crew to stay on board; that she'd be back in around two hours or so and that if
she wasn't they had her permission to search for her. Besides; she wanted to go
alone, the nightmare was still fresh in her mind; especially how real it felt.
Garnet looked around at the sight before her…rocks, dirt,
leaves…the explosion that she had heard from the Hilda Garde…the tree had
exploded.
"This can't be real" the sight looked just like it did
in the dream. It was overwhelming "but in the dream it was Alexandria, not
this place…it doesn't make any sense." Garnet grabbed her necklace with her
right hand, took a deep breath and headed forward.
~*~*~
Garnet stared down at the center of the tree; she had been
searching around for the past forty minutes and had found nothing. It looked as
if half the tree had been sucked down into the earth. It was the only place she
hadn't searched. She took off her necklace, her rings and anything else that
might bother her; she took hold of a nearby branch and started descending
slowly. It was very much easier than it looked there were branches everywhere
that helped her in her descend. It only took her five minutes to reach the bottom.
It wasn't as dark as she'd thought it'll be. The mist residue had left some
sort of natural light that illuminated the place. It wasn't dark; but it sure
was eerie.
Garnet tried to make her way trough the rubble, but it was
very hard; she had almost tripped twice already. All she could hear was her
steps and her breath; everything else was silence…and the something else…
"Hello; is someone there?" Garnet asked out loud. Only the
strange sound was the one that replied. "Who is there?" Garnet turned her head
in every direction possible. She started walking backwards; she had no idea
where the noise was coming from…until she tripped.
Garnet lay on her back; she turned to one side supporting
her weight with both her hands. She looked towards her feet to see what made
her fall. Her eyes went wide open…the white shirt, the blue vest, the golden
hair…NO!
"Oh my god! Zidane!" Garnet removed all the bits of rock
that were covering Zidane. She then put his head on her lap "Zidane? ZIDANE!"
He didn't even flinch. "Oh God! This can't be happening…it was only a
dream…"
"Dagger?…is that you?"
"Wha…" Garnet looked down to see Zidane with a small grin
on his face. "Oh Zidane! Your okay, for a second I thought…I thought…" Garnet
tried to finish the sentence but couldn't; she was so happy and Zidane could
see it in her face.
"What are you doing here…I thought I told you…"
"I couldn't leave you" Garnet interrupted "so I came back
for you."
Zidane smiled at her as he stared into her brown eyes.
"C'mon;" Garnet said "let's get you out here."
"That sounds like a good idea" said Zidane. Garnet grabbed
Zidane's left arm and pushed him up so he could stand.
"AAARRRGGGHHH!"
Garnet quickly put Zidane back on the ground as he screamed.
"What is it, what's wrong?" She asked never letting go of his arm. "I don't
know; it's my back…it…it hurts when I move" Zidane said between grunts. "Let me
see…" Garnet said; helping him to turn over so she could take a good look at
his back.
Garnet bit her lower lip when she saw Zidane's back. Almost
his entire back was covered in blood. "Take off your vest Zidane" Garnet said
holding back tears. She tossed the blood-covered vest aside and lifted Zidane's
shirt so she could see the wound. Garnet closed her eyes at the sight of the
wound; Zidane had a hole in his back, bigger than Garnet's thumb and apparently
it had reopened when Zidane tried to stand up. She didn't know what to say to
him, she didn't know what to do.
"Dagger?" Zidane's voice was calm.
"It's okay Dagger, you don't have to tell me. I can feel
it…I'm dying Dagger"
Garnet softly helped Zidane to lie on his back again and
once more put his head on her lap. "Don't say that…please". Garnet felt the
warm tears on her cheeks as Zidane closed his eyes. She did too and when she
opened them she saw a solution. Zidane's dagger lay before her. It was inviting
her. Garnet stretched out her hand and grabbed the dagger by its handle. She
stared at it for a few seconds.
"What are you doing Dagger?" Garnet almost dropped the dagger
at the sound of Zidane's voice. She looked down at his eyes; she knew what to
say…"I had a dream Zidane, a nightmare…you died in that dream Zidane. It was
the most horrible pain I've ever felt…a pain I don't want to feel again."
Zidane put his hand over Garnet's and squeezed it.
"So instead your giving up…I had a dream too Dagger; that
you and I were together in a beautiful place where no one bothered us. I know
now where that place was…it was heaven; the place where I'll wait for
you…forever…"
Garnet held Zidane's hand with both of hers. She had drooped
the dagger.
"I need you to be strong Dagger, for me, for you, for the
both of us. And in the meanwhile I'll wait for you; this is my new promise
Dagger; I can't keep the old one." Zidane raised his free hand and softly
touched Garnet under her chin. "So promise me please…promise you'll be strong
for me?" Garnet didn't even mind the tears anymore. "I promise…I promise I'll
be strong for you. I know why it hurts so much now…I've fallen in love with you…I
love you Zidane." Zidane extended his touch from her chin to her cheek. "I love
you too…"
~*~*~
Everyone was silent at the funeral, especially Beatrix.
Everyone had been told that Zidane had died when the tree exploded and that his
body was found by a rescue crew under her majesty's orders. Only Beatriz knew
that it was because of a dream that the queen had returned to the tree; and
that Zidane had died in her arms.
Garnet stayed behind after the ceremony ended and everyone
except Beatrix had left. She stood before the gravestone with a white rose in
her hands.
"Are you all right your highness?" Beatrix asked softly,
putting a comforting hand on Garnet's shoulder.
"I'm fine Beatrix, could you please wait for me at the
castle?" Garnet replied never letting her sight off the gravestone.
"As you wish your highness." Said Beatrix removing her hand
from Garnet's shoulder and retreating to the castle.
Garnet stood there silently for a few minutes until she was
sure she was alone.
"Hey…I brought you something." She said twirling the white
rose between her fingers.
"Everyone's being so supportive, they've been a real help.
But I didn't stay to tell you that. I came to tell you that I'm being strong
and that I'll keep being strong; I'll keep my promise Zidane…because I know
you'll keep yours." Garnet smiled at herself as she softly put the rose in
front of the gravestone and read it.
"Goodbye"
~*~*~
Hero
Friend
In our
hearts
Forever…
~*~*~
FIN
Author's note: That's it. I reread it and almost cried…I had
this fic in my mind for a while and I'm glad its out. I also started writing an
epilogue for it; which will hopefully see the light of day someday. It's been
fun C' ya! ^_^