Real quick, someone said that I putzed up the timeline. Okay now, I know I've taken some liberties with a lot of things here, but the timeline is not one of them!! The thing about Madain Sari was a decision that took me forever. True, Eiko said "ten years ago." However, Zidane noted that the place had been in ruins for "at least ten years," Garnet said the storm occured "over ten years ago," and Kuja said "more than ten years ago." I dunno, who are you gonna go with? The six year old girl wo hadn't been born yet, or the three people who were directly involved? I went with twelve because 1) Garland said that he had lost Zidane 12 years ago and 2) there's something to suggest that Zidane was present at the destruction of Madain Sari that you may recall and that I will get into later. How different is 10 to 12 any way? Now that that's been cleared up, enjoy!


*Lindblum, after the attack by Atomos
Garnet was beside herself. She stared at the ground as she followed Zidane through the mass of devastation, and she didn't do this only to avoid being recognized. Mother? Why? WHY? WHY ? She couldn't imagine the answers. She couldn't believe what was happening. Garnet was so preoccupied with her inner torment that she nearly ran into Zidane's back when he stopped. She looked up to realize that some girl had just run up and thrown herself into his arms, where she was now weeping hysterically. Garnet's thoughts melted as she became green with envy, watching Zidane try to sooth the sobbing beauty. He patted her back, whispering:
"It'll be all right, Maggie."
"How can it be?!" the girl wailed. "They got Peter…Peter…he's gone! GONE!" Zidane's eyebrows furrowed in distress; as he continued to comfort this one girl another came up, looking only slightly more composed.
"Zidane?" He looked at her; worry clouded his features for the first time Garnet could remember.
"What else is wrong, Priscilla?" The girl looked like she was about to say something, but then she also burst into tears. Zidane moved Maggie to one shoulder before motioning Priscilla over to the other. Garnet's anger and jealousy flared, until she noticed that Zidane looked ready to cry as well. My gods, Zidane…your hometown. How could I be so pigheaded? All I could do was selfishly worry about myself while you watched your home get destroyed, and you treated me with this same kindness. Garnet must have been looking distraught now, because Zidane cast her a weak smile.
"I'm pretty sure I have room for one more, Dagger."
"I'm fine," she blushed. The two women in his arms quieted down a bit as Zidane stepped back.
"It'll be all dandy in a bit, ladies," he smiled reassuringly. "We're strong, and I'm sure Cid'll think of something. But right now, I'm kinda hunted, so I'd better split."
"Wretched Alexandrians," Priscilla nodded at him understandingly. Garnet's heart dropped through her shoes, but both of the Lindblum girls smiled at her when Zidane grabbed her wrist and pulled her down the street after him. Garnet never felt so heavy.

*Treno, shortly afterwards
Beatrix slowly opened her eyes with a groan. She sat up to look around, which took a surprising amount of effort. All she could remember was the Bandersnatches—the never-ending Bandersnatches—that she and the other two knights had spent forever fighting off. She didn't know where she was. She looked at the bed opposite to the one she was on, noticing that Freya was lying unconscious in it. She jumped when she realized the door had opened and someone had come in. She then coolly regarded the small man with deep red hair who walked over to her.
"Mornin'," he bowed slightly.
"Where am I?"
"Treno," he answered, holding up a finger in her face. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
"…one."
"Good. Keep your eyes on the finger…" he moved his finger around. She followed it with her eyes for a while before stopping to stare at him dead in the face.
"What kind of stupid game is this?" she snapped, irritably. He sat back, blinking a few times as far as she could tell.
"Um…"
"How did I get here? Where's the princess? What's going on? Where's Steiner?" This last question surprised her for a moment, but she didn't let it hold her back. She grabbed the redhead and shook him, commanding, "Answer me!"
"Which question?" he asked calmly, although prying at her grasp.
"ALL OF THEM!" she threw him out of her hand angrily.
"Then let me explain: I am Blank. Marcus and I came to help Zidane, but as soon as he escaped with the princess, we found you and the other two at the point of passing out. So, we carried you out of there to here. And now you're awake. The beef-head knight, is in the other room by the way."
"Oh…you came to help…the boy?"
"That's right," said a voice from the doorway. Beatrix looked up to see the one she quickly recognized as the lead from the play.
"What the?" she asked but then looked over to see the dragon knight groaning awake.
"Hey, Freya," Marcus smiled. "That's two, now."
"Marcus?" Freya muttered, rubbing her eyes. Opening them, she saw the redhead, "Blank? What are you doing here?" She knows the actors from… and the boy… Beatrix's head began to hurt. Just how much was she in the dark? What the hell is going on here?

*the Iifa tree, you know the time
Kuja was slightly bothered by the fact that the mist was gone. Not that he needed it anymore, but it meant that the spirit in the Iifa tree, the one that Garland had summoned into it, had been destroyed. Kuja had a pretty good idea of who did this. The suspects were severely narrowed down when it was put into consideration that only a Terran soul could activate the entrances into the tree. Garland, your little puppy seems to have released your vengeful machine spirit into who knows where. Kuja could only smile. Zidane, you're getting close… You may be useful yet. Red sails lit up like little flames in the horizon.
Now Kuja had to try to only smile. He failed and burst into ecstatic laughter. He marveled at the joy in his voice as he listened to the echoes of himself against the clouds. She would use Bahamut, the elephant lady. It was the strongest eidolon that Garnet had possessed. She had to use it against him; she would have no other options. Kuja was extremely excited. He had put off even seeing any eidolon until this one. Could he remain patient for a few more minutes?

*the sea, just before the end of disc 2
Zidane cut loose on the waves. It was a nice little ship, the Blue Narciss. Piloting a sea ship was extremely different from piloting an airship. It was fun to experiment, despite Eiko protests and Amarant's snorts of disapproval. But even managing to get a ship this size to roll up the side of a large wave could not make Zidane happy. Brahne was dead. He had hated her, since she had tried to destroy everything that he held dear, but he had never considered the consequences of her death. Dagger is queen now. Queen. Damn, it was bad enough that she was a princess.
Zidane had the ship nearly skimming the surface, as if it were a blue swan, beginning to take flight. He wanted it to. He wanted to fly off somewhere, away from this reality: the reality that he would never see Dagger again. She's still mad at me, too. Why should I care? It's better that we part here. Better for her country. Better this way… Unable to agree with his own thoughts, he cut up the side of a long, rolling swell, holding the ship in a tilted position for a full minute before veering sharply to the side of it, bringing the bow of the Blue Narciss completely out of the water for three seconds. It's your own fault, idiot. Why the hell did you spend all that time trying to win her over? Why? Because I wanted to. Yes, I wanted to. That is why. But it doesn't matter. Why should it? She has all those people to worry about; she shouldn't have to deal with what I want. Heck, I don't even mind my feelings half the time… Well, fine I live by my feelings, but she shouldn't have to. Tell her. Tell her what? How I feel? Ha, I don't even know how I feel really. She has enough pressure from her new duties and she's already having her own feelings to deal with. She shouldn't have to deal with my feelings; they'd only make things worse. Hahaha, I always thought that my low class gave me freedom. Why do I long for the gilden cage? Because it's so much nicer than this one I'm in, made of cold ore. Because it's clean and more pleasant. Because Dagger's in it. But I'm bound out of it by my low class.
The droplets of seawater that Zidane was pitching into the air were quite lovely, but Amarant was too annoyed by the fact that they were making him wet to notice any beauty. All he had learned of Zidane was that he was an irritating buffoon.
"This is the last straw," he pulled Zidane away from the wheel, where he had been conducting insanity for over a day. "That mage kid puked on me. It's my turn to pilot." Zidane looked about ready to protest for a moment, but then he nodded.
"Yeah, I was getting tired anyway," he walked back to the cabin. Unpredictable as always, Amarant thought.
Zidane peeled off his armored vest, gloves and boots before he threw himself into the bed. Sleep, please sleep… I don't want to think anymore. Some people cannot sleep because they are afraid of something. Some cannot sleep because they are hungry. Others have disorders. Zidane could only sleep out of need for it, never want. Lesse, what'll make me sleep? Counting stuff? Nope. I once counted to 7,594 before I gave up. Alrighty then, how about a lullaby? Dagger's song… damn, well, I managed not to think about her for a total of four and a half seconds. Come on, there has to be something else that puts me too sleep. Oh yes, Blank's nagging. Well I'm screwed there. Hmm… (A/N: he should just step outside and listen to Amarant's theme for a few seconds…) Gosh, has nothing else honestly ever made me sleep before? …Maybe I should ask Dagger to sing for me. No wait, she's mad at me. I should apologize—no! It's better for everyone else that we part now, remember? …Zidane, old buddy? Do you really want her mad at you for the rest of eternity? To never consider you with a smile? To never maybe…just maybe, think of you with happy accompaniment again? The thought was completely unbearable. He immediately got up and went out to find Garnet, in only his white undershirt, pants, and belt.
She was at the ships stern, staring out over the waters. She had the same blank look on her face from the last time he had seen her. He realized quite suddenly that he hadn't a clue how she felt, but it didn't stop him from wanting to make her feel better.
"Dagger?" She glanced at him, but turned back to stare at the trail the boat left in the water. Well, she didn't shoo me away. He walked over to her and leaned on the railing, staring out the same direction as she. She looked away. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
"I guess," he finally said, "I guess I can't possibly understand how you feel. I—I never had a mother to lose. I never meant to hurt you, Dagger. I was kinda trying to stop you from getting to hurt." He glanced at her. She was staring at him with tears in her eyes. Her lower lip was trembling. Great, I'm upsetting her more. Geez, I'd better hit the punch line. He looked directly into his eyes. "Can you ever forgive me?"
"Zidane…" Now she was trembling. "I didn't know…I'm sorry—I mean I'm not mad at you about that—or about anything! I just… I'm… I don't know." She looked out over the water, her eyes flooded with tears. Zidane, relieved that she forgave him, was now only concerned for her. Keep her feelings before yours, man, he reminded himself before saying anything. She's more important!
"Dagger?"
"I forgive you, Zidane! I really do!" She was trying to hold back her tears. Zidane was trying to keep himself from trembling. He wanted so badly to comfort her, but he was in uncharted territory now. What he did now could result in appalling consequences.
"I believe you, and thanks," he smiled. It means a lot to me, he decided not to say.
"Zidane?" the sound of her voice saying his name made his heart skip a couple of beats.
"Yes?" he ventured.
"Zidane…Zidane," she tried to speak through tremulous lips, only his name coming out. He found this heart wrenching. "Zidane, I'm scared…" she finally managed. I know. Me too.
"My shoulder is still available," he offered, carefully and gently. "It always will be," he also added before he could stop himself. He held his breath as he waited for something to come crashing down. After an eternity, she answered.
"Thank you, I'd like that." Zidane blinked once before opening his arms to her. His heartbeat quickened as she drew close, sobbing. Her hands balled into fists around the material of his shirt; she pressed her head against his neck and her nose bridge to his bare collarbone. Gently, he closed his arms around her, his large hands resting on her back. There, in the safety of his embrace, did she finally burst into tears. Zidane rested his cheek in her hair, uttering a constant, comforting "shh" as her warm tears trickled down his shirt and chest and her shoulders quaked violently beneath his hand. His heart wailed along with her. This was where he longed to be: so close that he could feel her heart beat. And this was his only chance, with her full of sorrow and fears.
It would never be perfect.



Sorry it took so long. Maybe I should post the research paper that is hindering me?