Disclaimer: Nothing is actaully something, did you know that? Though, it has to be classified as nothing, because it's called nothing, and it is literally nothing. But then again, it's something, because if it were nothing, then it wouldn't exist at all. Nothing is still nothing, because it's not there, but it is still considered something. Everything is nothing but something, unless anything that becomes something is nothing. Something is anything, and anything can be a something, but something cannot be nothing unless it's anything.

My point?

I own *nothing* but these fanfics. That's what they are. They aren't *anything* but fanfics. I do not own FFIX. Squaresoft does.

(Hehe, I'm such an Amarant/Lani freak, jsut like Orenery-Chan told me. Thanks Ornery-Chan! At first, I thought it'd be just you reviewing my fanfic! But no, fortunately, others came. Still, I'm glad you like it that much! ^_^ ANyway, just cause I like Amarant/Lani pairings doesn't mean I don't like Zidane/Dagger too, hehe. Right? Am I right?)

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"Zidane, you're trying my patience."

Dagger straightened her back and glared uneasily at the irritating genome. Zidane took a wary step backwards, and raised his hands in front of him, as if he were fending off an attack.

"Whoa, sorry," he said and slowly lowered his arms. "I guess I was stretching my special birthday-boy privledges."

Maybe he shouldn't have snuck up on her like that. Not that he'd startled her. It was actually the opposite.

"Maybe you should go and see who's all here," suggested the queen, kneeling down again to examine a flower arrangement. Once again, she was purposely ignoring Zidane. For some reason, his birthday seemed to make him think he was more important than anything else. Either that, or he was just trying to impress her again. In which, he was definitely not doing.

They'd only been officially married for three weeks. Dagger had to admit: It had been her happiest day of her life, besides that one day when Zidane returned. The queen smiled softly to herself, thinking about it. How she'd flown into his arms, crying all the while. How she'd. . .

"That's Steiner's job," said Zidane, jolting her form her thoughts. "Besides, I want to spend my time here, with you."

To Dagger's surprise, Zidane's voice wasn't drenched in his usual sarcasm. He'd meant it? He really wanted to be here with her?

Her glassy stare appeared to give away her thoughts, for Zidane grinned and said, "Oh, come on. If I didn't want to spend my time at your side, would I have married you and become king?"

Dagger thought about it. Certainly, Zidane hadn't seemed exactly thrilled at the idea, the warm, summer night he'd proposed to her. He didn't like being a king, she knew, but she supposed he was doing it because he really did want to be there. She knew that, but it had seemed so unreal at first.

"Zidane. . ." she said softly, and suddenly embraced him with an unexpected tenderness that obviously shocked him. "That's so. . .thoughtful of you."

The newly-dubbed king smiled lop-sidely, and returned her hug, "Wow," he said. "I should work this charm more often."

Suddenly, Dagger gave him a playful shove, and broke their embrace, "You're never going to change, are you? Go help Steiner, please."

"I don't care if he calls me 'sire'," grumbled Zidane. "I know he still doesn't like me."

"Please," pressed the queen, rolling her eyes.

"Right," he said, and shrugged. Then he turned and began to walk away.

"Oh, Zidane!"

"Hmmm?" Zidane turned around and looked at her questioningly.

"About Amarant," said Dagger, brushing her hair behind her shoulders. "If he's coming at all, then he should be coming on the gargant, right?"

Zidane scratched the back of his neck thoughtfully, "He doesn't really like those things."

Dagger gave him a unsure glance and pressed her lips together to keep herself from grinning, "No, but he's probably with Lani, Zidane."

The genome shrugged, "Good point."

"Well," said the queen. "If Amarant does come that way, then he'll be arriving inside the castle via my mother's old room. Maybe you should go there and greet h- them."

"Right," the king said again, and crossed his arms. "He'll really appreciate that."

"Just go. Please!"



"All right, all right," said Zidane, lifting his hands into the air in defeat. "Geez, you're the only one in this whole kingdom that can boss me around. Might as well make myself useful."

He heard her snicker as he left the dining hall. She was so....unpredictable when it came to formal matters like these. It was almost as if his birthday was more important than even himself. Maybe she was just getting caught up in the spirit of the event. Personally, he thought a festival, a grand ball, and even a production performed by his old larcenist group, Tantalus, was a bit much for a birthday party. Especially Tantalus's presentation.

It was a play called, "The King of Thieves".

He didn't find it very funny. It wasn't as if they entire kingdom of Alexandria already didn't know what he'd been at one time. Their own king, a thief with many crimes, including kidnapping their princess. Then again, he supposed marrying their new queen gained enough respect, at the least.

Zidane brushed his jacket off carelessly, not daring to let the dust collect on it too much. The last thing he needed was Dagger nagging at him about how unclean he was. Zidane hated his new outfit. It was gray, and formal, and very old-fashioned.

He sighed. But it was what a king wore.

The genome suddenly found himself facing the grand doors to the Queen Brahne's bedroom, in which had been turned into a nice guest room just recently. Grasping the handle with a nervous grip, Zidane turned it and pulled the heavy door open. He entered the formerly royal chamber.

It hadn't changed much. It was still the same room, only with a single bed in place of the vermilion couch. The candle on the far wall (an actual switch that opened a secret passage through the empty fireplace) burned with a dull glow, it's magically-lit flame never dying to anything lower than a glimmer. Zidane was about to cross the room to activate the 'candle' switch, when he realized that the passage was already open.

Suddenly, before he could react, he heard the sound of soft footfalls -- just one pair of feet, her noted -- from inside of the passageway's steps. Zidane automatically realized that one set of feet wasn't the quota he was looking for. There was Amarant, and Lani that was expected to arrive, no one else. If they didn't arrive together, he figured that neither would arrive at all. The king drew his blades from beneath his vest and crouched into an attack position.

It was then he both heard and saw the mass of flaming red hair emerge from the stone stairway. Amarant Coral lifted his head to catch Zidane's wary gaze with a note of amusement in his eyes. Lani was slung over his shoulder, almost disregardingly, and she was clearly struggling to break his grip. Amarant stopped, and then suddenly seemed to remember what he was carrying.

Zidane slowly lowered his blade from it's attack position, and scratched the back of his neck, curiously, "Um, am I interrupting something?"

Amarant merely smirked and abruptly dumped the squirming bounty huntress off of his shoulder, "Nothing's going on," he muttered. "She was in my way."

Zidane grinned inwardly, though he dared not do so outside, "Right. Um, hey."

Lani slowly picked herself up off the floor, and rubbed her back where she had landed roughly on the marble floor. Barely able to contain her annoyance, she half-hissed through gritted teeth, "Hello, Zidane."

"So, your royal higness," the red-haired bounty hunter quipped, crossing his arms. He eyed the king distastfully. "So much for my rematch."

It sort of surprised Zidane, when Lani shoved Amarant shoulder, grimacing at his sourness. And what was strange, was that Amarant said absolutely nothing after that. Wheras he would have broken the neck of the first person to push him around, six years ago, he took absolutely no mind to the bounty huntress's rudeness.

"He's right," agreed Zidane, shrugging. "Either I resign, or go on vacation, or my fighting days are over. Unless, of course, our little rematch that you oh-so-desire becomes a formal quarrel with fencing swords."

Amarant stared cooly, and didn't reply.

"I didn't think so," concluded the genome. "So that's it? Right to the point, I see. Not one 'hello', or 'how've you been over the past half a decade'. . .Just, 'Where's my rematch'?"

"I don't stress so much on those immediate topics," said Amarant, as if that explained everything.

"And if I were you, I wouldn't force him to," said the bounty huntress. Slowly, her eyes circled the room. "This is the most disgusting place I've ever seen. I've only been inside of the castle once. I don't remember seeing this place."

"No," said Zidane. "It's was the queen's personal bed chamber before."

"Oh," said Lani. "And how are things? Anything get blown up since I was here last?"

At first, Zidane's glare was inquisitive. Then the look turned to disbelief as he rounded on Amarant, "Geez, Amarant. Six years, of living at Madain Sari. Six years of partnership, and you couldn't find the time to tell her what happened?"

The bounty hunter shrugged, and leaned agains the nearest wall, "Didn't think it was important."
Lani looked from Zidane, to Amarant. "What?"

"It's a long story, involving an Eidolon," said Zidane, shaking his head. "But the towns in ruins. Long story, I'll probably have to tell you later. Or just have your new Prince Charming tell you all about it."

Amarant found the nerve to lift his gaze at the genome, "Not funny."

"I was just kidding. Well, it's nice to see you. . .I think. It has been six years, after all. I'm turning twenty-two. I feel so old already. But I guess I shouldn't rub it in, huh? You're around the age that Steiner was when the whole Kuja incident started, Amarant," said the genome.

"Don't go assuming that makes me any less capable of pulverising you in our rematch," replied Amarant. "When the day comes."

"Of course," agreed Zidane, almost a little too readily. "When the time comes. Man, I can tell you haven't changed that much over the course of six years, Amarant."

"Besides his new tolerance to annoyances like me?" said Lani, half-grinning. "I would say I have to agree."

".......How many others are here?" inquired the bounty hunter, ignoring Lani altogether.

Zidane thought for a moment, "Well, there's Dagger and myself. Steiner's here, Freya's on her way. . .Vivi's coming too, with all six of his sons. . .Eiko and Quina are already here. I don't know where Eiko is, but Quina's in the kitchen, as always."

"....That brat'd better have a maturity level higher than her age for once," said Amarant, stiffly. "Twelve years old sounds like a compromisable age."

Zidane snorted his sudden laughter, "Sorry, Amarant. I wouldn't count on it."

"Eiko? Isn't she-" the bounty huntess began, and cut herself short. "Never mind. I won't ask."

Zidane grinned, "Right, Lani, I wouldn't spend too much time around her. I don't think she forgets what that 'old hag' did all those years ago."

"But-" said Lani. "It was so long ago, and I've apologized since then!"

The genome shrugged. "Not to her."



"If you're quite done the more pointless part of this conversation," said Amarant, breaking the sudden silence. "Maybe we can actually go somewhere else in this castle besides this room, to take care of this. . prominent matter."

"Well," said Zidane, shrugging once again. "The festival begins in the morning, the ball is tonight, and the play performance is going to happen just before dinner and dancing. So formal, it almost makes he sick, but it's the way Dagger wanted it."

".....A ball?" inquired the red-haired man, and he uncrossed his arms. "Dancing? You're crazy."

"Hmm," thought Lani, outloud. "That actually sounds like fun. I'll be doing some fancy footwork without a giant axe slung over my shoulder for once. I'm just worried that I'll be forced to wear a dress, or something like that."

Amarant snorted, "You're going?"

The bounty huntress smirked, and this time, she was the one to cross her arms. "Of course I am. And so are you."

Suddenly, Zidane took a step backwards, studying them both with wide eyes. "I'm not saying that he has to or anything, but Amarant wearing something formal isn't exactly the likeliest thing to happen."

"Wait-"

"He doesn't have to wear something formal," said Lani, cutting Amarant off. "Just so long as he goes."

"Lani-"

"And-" the bounty huntress continued. "-he can go to the play, too. It would be nice if he got to perform, but....."

"I'm not-"

"Then it's settled?" inquired Lani, tilting her head at Zidane. "So where do we stay? If you don't have room for Amarant, I completely understand. He can sleep outside. When's dinner?"

Now Zidane finally knew that she was joking. At first, he'd thought she was being serious about it all, but he found himself laughing now, at Amarant apalled expression, and Lani's smirk of amusement, "Right," he said. "You'll have your own rooms tonight, but due to the overcrowding of relatives and other stuffy noblemen and woman, there's only two rooms left. They'll have to be beside each other."

Amarant, deciding that this new subjet was more important than objecting to Lani's words, shook his head. "That doesn't sound too bad."

Zidane grinned meekly, "......And, they have, um, a connecting door."

"What!?" cried Lani and Amarant both.

"Calm down, calm down," requested the king, and snickered, not being able to help it.

"It...." Lani began, and swallowed dryly. "It has a lock, right?"

"Oh, come on," said Zidane, shrugging. "You two have been sharing inn rooms, tents, and the same stretch of dirt you might lie yourselves on to sleep under the stars. A wee doorway between two rooms can't be that-"

"Does it have a lock or not?" demanded Lani.

"Um, well, no," admitted Zidane, and once again, took another step backwards. "It, see. . . well, it. . . .doesn't even have, um. . . .a door."

"I'm sleeping outside."

Amarant's reply was instananeous. He suddenly turned his back on both of them, and began to proceed out of the room, but Lani just stood, with her jaw agape. Slowly, she turned to Zidane, and raised an accusing finger to point at him.

"You. . .you were planning this! You purposely did this!"

"Hey, hey!" exclaimed Zidane. "First of all, no, I didn't. And second of all, what's the big deal? It's still two rooms! And third of all, Amarant, you can't sleep outside."

"I've been looking forward to being able to-"

"Why not?"

This time, Amarant cut Lani off. And it was obvious his tone wasn't in the slightest bit happy about the matter, so Lani didn't object.

"Well," said Zidane. "I'm the king, and....it's against the law to loiter, which includes a serious penalty for making camp in public, or on castle grounds."

He could tell Amarant was fuming inside, "Fine, then I'll stay at the inn."

Zidane scratched the back of his neck, and almost squeak his next words. . ."It's....booked."

"Then I'll-"

"Look!" Zidane suddenly lifted his hands in defeat. "You're acting like a kid, Amarant. Just stay in the room, and don't complain, geez. Lani, if you leave him alone, then he'll leave you alone. Amarant, she'll leave you alone, if you leave her alone. Get it?"

".........Fine."

".........Fine."

"Good," the king concluded, and slowly began to back away. "So....we're clear on this? The rooms are on the eastern wing of the castle, near the end of the hall. They're the only ones with the doors open. Go there, do whatever you want, and come to the dinner. Or not. Do, what you want."

"......Hee, Amarant," said Lani, after they had both watched the king exit the room in an annoyed rage. "I wonder if he's like that around Dagger?"

"........"

Amarant and Lani both left the room, but only Lani was talking nonstop. Soon, their usual silence between themselves grew into a one-sided conversation for Lani. Amarant did his best to ignore her, and almost let himself sigh with relief when they eventually reached the end of the eastern wing. Two doors stood ajar -- one was painted red, and the other blue.

"Oh," said Lani, and abruptly stopped talking.

"....What?"

Lani glanced from the doors, back to Amarant. "I know where we are now. These rooms used to belong to Brahne's henchmen, those idiot clown twins. Anyways, I'll take blue, you take red, all right?"

Amarant eyed her suspiciously. "What's wrong with red?"

Lani pretended to be innocent, "What? Whatever do you mean, Amarant?"

The bounty hunter crossed his arms and stared at her, skeptically. "What's wrong with the red room? Did someone get murdered with an axe?"

"Hey, hey, what's wrong with assasinating people with axes?" demanded Lani. "You're speaking to a girl who does that for a living! And no, nothing's wrong with it. I just thought, you know, 'Red', being you, and the 'red' room would go great, right?"

"......." Amarant looked from the red door, to the blue, and then back at Lani. "I think I'd better take the blue room."

"You don't trust me?" Lani said, and then stifled a giggle.

"No."

"Too bad!" she cried, and without warning, she dashed into the open doorway, and slammed the blue door in his face.

Amarant stood for a few more seconds, blinking back his a irritance. Then, he slowly proceeded through the red door, and closed it with a careless flick of his wrist.