Brink of Love and Pain
The
hours of darkness had adorned their exquisiteness in the large kingdom of
Alexandria. A young man named Zidane Tribal sat at a diminutive table in a bar
in that large kingdom, remarkably morose about the total of events that
recently taken place in his life. He couldn't believe the girl he adored,
Garnet Til Alexandros, was going to be queen now. How could they be alienated
so soon? He truly enjoyed traveling with her and seeing her smile at the
awe-inspiring things she saw in Gaia thus far. He wanted to continue to see her
smile at the sites he would take her to, but that could not occur anymore. She
was going to be queen tomorrow because of her mother, the now late Queen
Brahne's death. Garnet could not be the absconder princess anymore.
A
princess. Is that why he cared so much for her…because she was a princess and
hence majestic? No, that couldn't be it. He loved her. He always had to forsake
that thought because they could never be. Foremost, she would indubitably laugh
at him if he told her such a thing. He flirted with a myriad amount of girls,
and she unmistakably thought of him as a flirtatious thief who didn't know what
love was. But he did know what it was. Second of all, she was going to be a
queen, and he would continue to be a thief. They were from two separate and
diverse worlds.
Zidane
was so absentminded at the thought of Garnet that he did not realize the bar
hostess was staring cantankerously at him. He looked up with an enraged face
wondering why she was staring. She gesticulated to the clock on the wall and
that visibly was a signal to him that it was closing time and that he should
leave. He buried his face in his hands and didn't move. He was in an atrocious
mood; not even his friends in Tantalus who came to cheer him up before could
make him talk.
"Zidane!"
a few proverbial voices called. He picked his head up with a start. All of his
friends were standing in front of him, all glancing at their leader.
"Z-Zidane?"
inquired the shy Vivi. "We're going to Treno. Do you want to come along with
us?" Zidane's blue eyes lit up and he grinned at the timorous Black Mage who
was waiting for his response; eager he would come and stop being so miserable.
"Of
course I'll come!" he yelled gleefully, something his comrades did not
anticipate. "I wouldn't want to miss the Card Tournament takin' place there.
And a prospect to meet some hot women!" he finished as everyone groaned; even
the small kitten that had been sitting in the corner watching actually groaned
as well. Zidane blatantly seemed to be himself again, the charismatic thief who
almost certainly dated every female on Gaia.
"Don't
you ever give up?" Amarant questioned, grunting. "Even after a princess ditched
you, you're still at it. Again, I don't get you." With that said, he walked
out.
"I
do have to consent with Amarant on this one, Zidane," laughed Freya. "Come on,
then. We're parting right now."
Zidane
stood up. "You guys go on ahead. There's something I want to see quick." They
all nodded and he waited for them to get far ahead before he came out.
After
some brief walking through Alexandria, he looked up to the prodigious and
grandeur Alexandria Castle. He saw the silhouette of a girl who once traveled
with him staring out, their eyes locking. She instantaneously stood up when she
saw Zidane and opened her window. Garnet was about to call his name, but he
hastily turned away from her with a grimace, heading toward the entrance of
Alexandria—leaving for Treno—departing from her, forever, maybe. He
relinquished the thought of saying goodbye, and left.
Garnet
sighed and looked out her window at her newly inherited kingdom of Alexandria.
Everything was so serene, but she could never be halcyon now that Zidane had
left her. Why did she feel like this, though? It was only Zidane, a friend. Oh,
how she wished their relationship could be more. She closed her window and fell
to her knees on the floor of her room. She buried her face in her hands and
cried. She couldn't comprehend why Zidane was being so mean and discourteous.
She was going to be queen. Garnet was not the girl that could go with him on
adventures anymore; he'd have to acquiesce that. If she hadn't run away in the
first place, maybe her mother would still be alive. The feeling in her as she
thought of Zidane leaving ached her heart so significantly that she wanted to
just scream as loud as she could. Crying, the princess fell asleep.
The
Princess of Alexandria woke up with a start a few hours later; her heart almost
skipping a beat once she heard a large crash. Fearing the worst, she was
unfortunately correct. She got off of her bed and ran to her window, awe-struck
at what she saw. A large, dragon-like beast was outside her window and once it
saw her, it derided at Garnet and shattered the glass of her window with its
claw. She gasped and fell backwards, vulnerable. Crawling to get the help of
her protectors, she was too late. It besieged her room with flames, causing
everything around her to turn to inclusive debris. It wasn't the worst to
happen.
The
beast grabbed Garnet and lifted up a piece of sharp glass it left from the
shattering of her window. It whipped it at her, causing her to scream in
appalling pain and leaving an undeviating scar where it hit her, on her neck.
That wound caused her to lose her beauteous voice. The beast then ensued to
charge at her, pinning her down as it clawed her face; leaving enduring scars
as well. It lifted a chalice that set upon her desk and flung it at her face.
She was crying, but no resonance's came out. The traumatized princess caught
the glimpse of her rod in which she fought battles with and decided to take a probability
with it. She kicked the beast, causing it to be diverted a trifle bit. She
reached for her rod, but when she was about to hit the beast, it seized the rod
from her and hit her in her legs with it numerous times.
General
Beatrix made her way up to Garnet's room through the flames. She ran into her
room and instantly pulled out her Save the Queen sword, slashing at the beast
with all of her strength. Seeing the princess's state made her fight with all
her vigor. She straightforwardly conquered it and she almost screamed when she
saw just how wounded the princess was. Consternation wholly filled her heart
hastily. Putting her sword away, she ran to Garnet.
"Your
Highness, everything will be all right," she assured her. "Could you move?" No
response. Garnet was unconscious. Beatrix took a deep breath and lifted the cataleptic
princess out of the wreckage, trying not to hurt her. She carried her out of
the burning castle, which was an interminable progression. The general studied
her face: It had copious scars all over it. She had to get her to safety.
Garnet was too young to die and she did not merit what had happened to her.
The
Alexandrian General ran to a young woman who was in the vicinity of the
entrance of Alexandria, about to escape this town of calamity. She saw Beatrix
and in her arms she then saw the unconscious Princess of Alexandria.
"Please,
take her to safety," Beatrix solicited, caressing Garnet's cold face. "She will
not survive unless you do. I must stay and defend Alexandria. Please help her,"
she pleaded once more. The young woman nodded and held out her arms as Beatrix
placed Garnet gently in them. A small house near them was burning so much that
it was about to disintegrate. Terrified, the woman ran out of Alexandria and
tried taking Garnet to protection and safety.
In
Treno, Zidane walked out of where the card tournament was taking place; a grin
on his face and an innovative set of cards in his hand. As he walked around
Treno, he saw Eiko running towards him with a grave look on her face as she
brought him abysmal news.
"Zidane!"
the little summoner girl screamed. "Alexandria is under attack, and it is said
that everything—even the castle itself—has been decimated! Garnet has been
taken to Dali but no one knows if she's going to…make it." She took a deep
breath and looked up to Zidane. His aqua eyes just stared at hers and he entirely
froze. His hands began to shake frenziedly which caused him to drop all the
cards he had just won. Dismissing that, he smiled meekly.
"I'm
sure she'll make it," he said assertively. Zidane turned away from her and was
about to walk away when Eiko ran after him and stood in front of him, holding
out her small arms so he couldn't walk any further. "What's wrong, Eiko? If she
doesn't make it, life will have to go on." Inwardly, he berated himself. Without
his Dagger, he could never ever go on.
"Zidane!"
she reprimanded him irritably. "Snap out of it! What's the matter with you? How
could you say such a thing? She loves you, Zidane! And you love her! We have to
go see her!" she yelled, not caring who heard her. He froze and felt like
pushing Eiko in the water near they were standing for speaking such things.
What she spoke just now was considered absolute lies to him.
…They
weren't lies. He did love her, even if she did not. A world without Garnet in
it was not worth living in. A person once told Zidane that someone very special
only comes once in a lifetime; so do not let them go when you find that person.
That person in Zidane's life was Garnet, and he could not let her go now that
he found her; found love.
Zidane
did not have time to apologize to Eiko of his prior actions. He ran to Doctor
Tot's house in Treno so he could inform him of the adverse news; consequently
Doctor Tot could help Garnet. Subsequently, they all took transportation to
Dali.
Four
strenuous and tantalizing days passed, and finally Dali had come into view. It
looked so serene. If only the intact world could be this peaceful. If only
Garnet could be this tranquil. If only she were not in pain, if only he could
see her for one final time to apologize. If only he could hold her in his arms
and tell her the truth of his feelings. These and countless other thoughts were
what flew through his mind. Renouncing them yet hopeful they would come true,
he walked into the town of Dali. Eiko, the only one who came with Zidane there,
followed behind unenthusiastically. The others went to Alexandria to help
defend the intense battle that still might have been taking place.
Perceptibly
Garnet would be in the inn, it being the contiguous thing to an infirmary. Eiko
knew Zidane would want to spend some time alone with Garnet, and albeit she
wanted to see her more than anything, she waited outside the inn. Zidane
eagerly walked in as the owner of the inn gesticulated to the door to his left,
it being the door leading to his lost love…
Zidane
walked into the room in which Garnet was in, his eyes searching for her
rapidly. In a small bed in front of him was the Alexandrian Princess. He ran
over to her and fell to his knees beside her bed. Her angelic face was covered
in bandages and bruises. A long gash was across her neck with numerous other
ones. A white silken blanket adorned her fragile body, which hid her other
wounds. Why wouldn't she move? Just a small twitch of her nose would be good
enough, anything. He diffidently moved his hand adjacent to her face and
finally touched it, stroking her face softly. It was so cold, like ice. The
worst part was that Zidane was wearing gloves upon his hands.
No,
that wasn't the worst part. The worst was that Garnet Til Alexandros was
presently in a comatose state.
"Dagger,
why are you like this…?" he questioned her. He caressed her long raven strands of
hair, which were spread all around her. He touched one of her tendrils that
fell to her shoulders, and then he traced his hand down to her chin and further
down to her pendant she always wore. He wished Garnet would wake up and admonish
him for having his hand near her breast. Then he'd have to come up with an
excuse. Thinking of that brought a smile to his face, something he hadn't done
for five days. He took her limp, unresponsive hand in his own, entwining his
fingers with hers. He then stood up slowly and knelt down to her face and
brushed his lips affectionately on her cheek. Still, she had not reproved him
for doing such a thing. It wasn't fair.
"Dagger,"
Zidane whispered, so low that it was nearly inaudible. "I'm so sorry. I'm so
very sorry. I'm sorry I haven't been candid with you from the beginning about
how I felt about you. And now you're gone; now I can't tell you. I'm sorry I
acted so callous when you were going to become queen. I just did not like the
idea that I wouldn't be able to be with you anymore; inhaling your scent,
hearing you sing that lovely melody. You're the first one that I ever felt this
way about. I love you, Dagger… I always have. From the moment I laid eyes on
you, I knew I loved you. And it's not because you're royalty, either.
Please…come back to me… I can't live without you…"
Garnet
was in the coma. While in it, she was in a light. Everything there was so
serene and tranquil. Was this death? No, because it still hurt. She felt pain.
But abandoning the pain, she listened intimately. Someone was calling her;
calling her name in tones of love and despair. She struggled to classify the
voice. Everything hurt so much. It would have been so easy to just let go and
die. Garnet recognized the voice through the shadowed dimness that encircled
her. Zidane? Has he come to save her, again? She couldn't make out what he was
saying, but then a few words here and there began to break through clearly to
her.
"I
love you, Dagger."
That
one sentence flew clearly through her mind. And that voice, it belonged to
Zidane. So, he loved her. It was one of the innumerable incentives why she had
to come back. Strength prevailed over her, and she knew she had to return to
the one who loved her. She could not die; she couldn't leave Zidane or Alexandria.
She fought, pushing back obscurity that threatened to take her for eternity.
Zidane
continued to caress Garnet's hair and held her lifeless hand, wishing for a
response. But it was too late. Her face was wholly blue and pale like a lifeless
body. He had lost her. He whispered her name once more, laying his head down
beside hers on the pillow, still holding her hand as securely as he could…
And
felt the force of her grip on his fingers.
Zidane
opened his eyes immediately, searching Garnet's beautiful face for signs of
response. Her brown eyes opened slowly to see the one who she heard calling her
name and telling her she loved her. The princess let out a small moaning sound
as a tear escaped her eye, only to be wiped away by Zidane. And as he touched
her face, she put her hand on his and gave a small smile. Her hand felt much
warmer than when he touched it before. Zidane returned her smile and wrapped
his arms around her, giving the Princess of Alexandria a lovingly embrace.
"Oh,
Dagger," he sighed softly. "Thank goodness you're alive. I know it will be
difficult to explain if you can remember this, but could you tell me who or
what did this to you?" He knelt down on one knee, still holding her hand,
locking his eyes with hers, and bowing his head. A few awkward and
uncomfortable seconds passed, and he looked up to her to see tears brimming her
eyes with a scowl. Zidane grimaced as well. Garnet was never this quiet around
him.
Manifestly,
Garnet had lost her voice. The slash across her throat proved that. And with
all the agony of her people, the death of her mother, and the pain she
presently felt all resulted with the loss of her voice. Zidane, of course,
could not acquiesce that and queried Doctor Tot if it were true. Unfortunately,
it was.
"Dagger,
don't worry," he assured her. "I'll take care of you till you're all better and
then we can go and annihilate Kuja for doing this to Alexandria, your mother,
and you. And after that, we'll go on that date you promised me. Of course,
we'll have to fix Rusty up with Beatrix so he won't follow us on our date." The
young thief smiled to himself, now deep in thought pertaining to upcoming
plans.
Garnet
couldn't help but laugh inwardly at Zidane. He was very sweet to her,
especially for his offer of taking care of her as a replacement for being with
his other comrades. That inward laugh gradually faded, though, because he
mentioned her protectors. They could be gone now, killed in the battle of
defending Alexandria. She glimpsed out her window to see the dark atmosphere.
Silently she prayed; hopeful they were alive as well as the other gallant
fighters of Alexandria.
Over
the next few weeks, Princess Garnet Til Alexandros made an extraordinary
revitalization. She couldn't walk yet, nor had she reclaimed her capability to
talk, either; but her wounds healed and she was lastly able to move without
hesitation. It hurt so much to even blink when she first woke from her comatose
state. And during those few weeks, Zidane stayed with Garnet as he promised. He
entertained her, kept her from having solitude and melancholy in her heart, and
he even caught her smiling at his jokes. The two became very close to each
other even though one of the two could not speak.
After
a few weeks, Steiner and Beatrix arrived to Dali unscathed to bring Her
Highness positive news—they had defended Alexandria well and its people had
been making a tremendous recovery. Her protectors promised to help with the
conquering of Kuja and so did Zidane's comrades. Clearly everything started to
become nonviolent once again. However, Garnet still could not speak. That
troubled Zidane because he dreaded he would never hear Garnet's beauteous voice
sing the song he loved anymore.
The
sun rose in a warm morning on Gaia, its luminescent emission of rays
embellishing its gorgeousness in Dali. If only it could always be this serene.
Zidane stood on the sandy beaches in close proximity to the village of Dali as
thoughts filled his mind. He sincerely wished and dreamed Princess Garnet would
be able to walk to him on that beach as she sang that song he adored. He would
give his life up after that ensued; anything to make it come true. He wondered
why he even thought of such things. Was it love? Of course, he even told her he
loved her. But maybe she didn't even hear him; she never told him he loved him
back. Now, her voice being gone forever, she could never tell him that she…
Zidane
froze. He relinquished all those thoughts that made him despondent and turned around
with his eyes closed. A warm feeling in his heart and mind made him feel as
though he had died and gone to a better place. It was the best feeling in all
of Gaia; it was his wish. His wish came true. To make sure it was not a
delusion occurring in his mind, he opened his eyes to attest that his wish had
come true. There she was.
A
smile was on her face as her dark hair flew behind her and her perfect figure.
The hair outlining her face highlighted her gleaming brown eyes and light lips.
She wore a long, silken regal gown that would glisten in any light. A gown of white
silk flowed about her fragile body. Convoluted designs of a silver crown lay
upon her raven tresses, apt beautifications for royalty. Her precious pendant was
around her neck. Her beauty amazed Zidane, as always. It wasn't the best part,
though. A sweet voice sang and danced through the air. It was charming and
exhilarating to the mind of any person, especially Zidane's.
She
walked slowly towards him, taking each step carefully. She stopped walking and
finished the end of her song, her voice echoing the last few words. Garnet then
ran to Zidane as fast as her wounded legs would allow her to, still a limp in
them. He opened his arms and caught her, almost falling backwards from the
impact. He spun her around and embraced her firmly; them being absorbed in each
other.
"Dagger,
you can speak," he observed, obviously quite amazed at that and her astound
recovery. "You look so beautiful…"
"Yes,
I can, and thank you," she replied with a trivial blush. "It is time for me to
become queen now and avenge my mother's death."
Her
declaring such things brought a slight grimace to Zidane. "Then that must mean
we can't travel together anymore," he conceded in a distressing voice.
"Wipe
that sad look off of your face," she retorted. "We're going after Kuja. All of
us."
"You
look so sexy when you're angry," smirked Zidane, trying to riposte her back for
berating him for being saddened if she were to not be able to travel with him.
Of course, him telling Garnet that she looked sexy made her even angrier, so
she playfully kicked Zidane and grabbed his arm. "Whoa, where're you taking
me?"
"Didn't
you hear me?" Garnet asked. "I said I'm going to become queen now, so we're going
to the coronation. I'm a bit apprehensive about doing this, though."
Zidane
stopped and pulled her arm gently, causing her to turn to him. He gave her a
reassuring smile, which was just enough to alleviate her anxiety of becoming
queen of the great nation of Alexandria. "You'll make a wonderful queen."
After
a few minutes of running, the two came upon an outsized flower field filled
with daises, roses, jasmines, violets, and various other delightfully scented
flowers of Gaia. In the center of an area lacking flowers, a long crimson rug
was laid out, ending at a small, silver platform. A young priest stood in back
of the platform, waiting patiently for the ceremony of the crowning of the new
queen to begin. The crowd, mostly made up of Dali's people and refugees of
Alexandria, also waited unwearyingly talking amongst themselves. Her comrades
in prior battles were also present, more accurately, Zidane's comrades. Truly
it was stunning, and it made the princess wonder how much more elegant the
coronation would be if it took place in Alexandria.
Eiko
Carol spotted the tense princess and ran down to her, grasping tightly to a
long, golden staff with intricate jewels and a purple orb at its top.
Perceptibly it was given to her to give to Garnet as part of the ceremony.
"Good
luck," the summoner girl whispered to Garnet, handing the staff to her and
bowing lightly. Garnet smiled to her and then to Zidane, bowing her head to him
as she gestured to him to stand on the side till the ceremonial was complete.
And
consequently Princess Garnet Til Alexandros walked down the aisle to become
Queen Garnet Til Alexandros, holding the staff for the last time as a princess.
It was silent as she timidly held the staff in her left hand; also holding the
lower part of her flowing gown in her right hand; her head bowed. And after
what seemed like a ceaseless walk down the aisle, she lastly reached the end to
the platform. She glanced back at Zidane, who shot her a smile of assurance as
she meekly smiled back. It was just his smile that ridded her of her
trepidation.
She
knelt down in front of the platform and the priest as she put the golden staff
upon it. The Alexandrian General Beatrix stepped forward and removed the silver
crown off of Garnet's head, placing it on a pillow and handed it to Steiner,
who, in exchange for the silver crown, gave her a beautifully elaborate
designed crown upon a small pillow. Beatrix held it above Princess Garnet's
head and slowly lowered it after each phrase Garnet reluctantly recited after
the priest. And finally, after the reciting, the crown was placed on Garnet's
head.
Garnet
stood up as Beatrix stood by her. The priest lifted the golden staff and raised
it above his head as Garnet put her arms out. He placed it within them as
Garnet turned around gradually; this time, holding the golden staff as a queen
and not a princess; as Queen Garnet Til Alexandros. She faced the crowd and let
out a long sigh of relief as the crowd gave an acclaim to her. The new
Alexandrian Queen looked up to the sky of Gaia and the doves that flew by,
wondering if, somewhere above, her mother, the late Queen Brahne, was watching.
Zidane
pushed himself through the crowd and made his way to the aisle, not being able
to hold in his emotions any longer. When he told her he loved her while she was
in her comatose state, he wasn't sure if Garnet had heard him. But this time,
he would make sure she would. He renounced the thoughts of the eccentric looks
he would receive if he did what he planned in the next few seconds, running
forward.
"Dagger!"
he yelled, his voice echoing louder than the shouts of her real name that
others shouted for the new queen. She heard it, since he was the only to call
that name. Her eyes watered and the tears escaped. She put the staff down and
removed the golden crown from her head, handing it to Beatrix. She smiled to
her as Beatrix gave her an odd look, evidently wondering what she was doing.
"I
shall be Queen Garnet Til Alexandros, Beatrix," she promised. "But right now, I
just want to be Dagger," she finished with light laughter, pointing to her
Zidane. The general nodded with a smile as Garnet ran to the young thief
Zidane.
Zidane
stopped running and extended his arms as Garnet embraced herself within them, a
warm feeling of reassurance and love filling in her body at his very touch. She
sobbed on his shoulder as he caressed her hair. She sobbed for countless motives
that they both knew of, and just thinking about them made tears brim Zidane's
eyes as well. But instead of letting out his emotions, he concentrated on
Garnet's emotions and promised himself inwardly that he would try his best to
placate the new queen, his Dagger.
To
begin his condoling, he traced his hand from her hair to her chin, lifting it
from his shoulder as her eyes locked with his. Zidane smiled to her as Garnet
felt her eyes close and all the past pain she felt leave as Zidane placed his
lips on hers. And as they kissed, it was as if the two were forever absorbed in
each other for eternity with no worries.
"I
love you, too," Garnet whispered as the couple pulled away slowly
simultaneously. She had added the word "too" in her sentence, but Zidane hadn't
told her he had loved her at that moment, so why did she add that word? He
wondered that very thought for a succinct moment and then realized that Garnet had
heard what he told her, that he loved her, while she was in her comatose state
before. They held each other in the field, the clouds in the sky the witness of
their display of love.
Zidane
had always dreaded when he first felt feelings for the young princess that when
she would become queen, they would not be able to travel any longer; that he
wouldn't be able to be with her. But he did not have to worry about that
anymore for the reason that she was now queen and soon after, his comrades,
Zidane, and Garnet continued to travel and be together. And they were together
till the very concluding mêlée battle with Kuja. But the two in love couldn't
be with each other subsequent to that since Zidane stayed behind at the Iifa
Tree to help Kuja. Despondency filled her heart during those two perpetual
years, but happiness then filled her heart the day he did return to her and the
couple were reunited.
Looking
back on that day, both Garnet and Zidane considered it to be the happiest day
of their lives. But then they thought of their wedding day, which took about a
month later; and instead, considered that day to be their happiest day of their
lives. It was a thief marrying a queen. True, they were from two separate
worlds. But they were in love; and when in love, nothing else matters.
