Chapter 20: Back in Alexandria…
…net…Garnet…
Garnet awoke with a start and looked around her. She then grabbed her head and groaned. "Where am I…?"
"Garnet! You're awake!!" Zidane hugged her tight.
"Wha…Zidane?"
"Oh man I thought we were losing you!"
She looked at him and notice the tears flowing down his face even though he was smiling. "Losing…me?"
"That's right, your Majesty," Beatrix said, a worried frown on her face. "Dr. Tot was examining you when you suddenly turned pale and cold…ugh gives me the shivers!"
"But Her Majesty is alright!" Steiner said ecstatic. "You are alright…aren't you?"
"Now now, she's just come to after five days," Dr. Tot said while pushing everyone except Zidane out of the room. "Let Garnet have some time to realize what's going on. And some peace! You just stay out there and you can come back in when I tell you." With that, he closed the door and walked back to the bed, where Zidane was still hugging Garnet. "Um…Zidane…you'll squeeze her to death if you keep hugging her like that."
Zidane let her go startled. "Sorry…I was just so relieved that she was alright…"
Dr. Tot smiled. "Well it's alright." He pulled up a chair on the other side of Garnet's bed. "Now tell me, Garnet, how do you really feel?"
Garnet blinked. "I feel fine…why do you ask?"
Dr. Tot raised an eyebrow. "Hm…"
"What's going on? How come I'm in bed? I have so many things to do!"
"Huh? Garnet! You were just on the brink of death a few moments ago!" Zidane said, a surprised look on his face.
"I was?" She placed her hand on her forehead. "Now that you mention it…I do recall something…"
"Did it have to do with Democlese again?" Zidane asked, a serious look on his face. (boy…that's new for him o.O)
"Tell us what you saw, Garnet," Dr. Tot said taking out a notebook. "I'll write it down, so just tell. Don't worry to have it in chronological order."
"Um…ok…well…" (it's flashback time! Hehe note: what occurred in the dream is in regular font. IRL time is in italics. Got it? good)
"Take your time, Garnet," Zidane said. "And if there's a part that you don't want to talk about, then skip it."
She smiled at him. "Ok…but I think I can tell all of it…well…I guess it was when I first went unconscious…I felt like I was sucked into a black void filled with nothingness…I felt like screaming but when I tried I couldn't make any noise at all…"
(cue the fade in and voice over narration! it's flashback time! Hehe note: what occurred in the dream is in regular font. IRL time is in italics. Got it? good)
* * *
"I felt like I couldn't breathe…it was terrible…all of the sudden I heard this voice and I finally landed on the ground.
"Where am I?" I asked myself and started walking.
"Welcome back, my dear niece."
"I turned around and found myself face to face with Democlese.
"You seem to be a bit thinner when I last saw you…you should give up living, Garnet. You're just wasting your time up there on Gaia."
"Where am I?!"
"In a black void, of course. A place between time and space. My home in other words. Now come and give your uncle a hug…" He had reached out to me and I felt myself moving toward him. I was just an arm length away when I heard you calling me Zidane…it was then that I snapped back to reality and jumped back."
"Hm…probably when I broke through the door, eh-heh…" Zidane said nervously.
"You broke through the door?!?!" Garnet yelled.
"Well they wouldn't let me in…I wanted to check up on you…" he looked down.
Garnet smiled. "Ok…"
"Continue please," Dr. Tot said.
"Oh right!"
"Hm…looks like you still have life in you…pity…" Democlese straightened and raised his hand. I could see that he was about to cast a spell so I braced myself. After a few moments, I realized he hadn't cast the spell. He seemed to be talking to someone. He turned back to me and narrowed his eyes. "We'll meet again, princess…" And he vanished.
"I was then thrown into an endless dream where I seemed to be watching the others work their way to Burmecia…They seem to have another person along with them now. Another genome…"
"Mhm…" Dr. Tot scribbled some stuff down. "Continue."
"I guess after a long time, I was once again thrown again into the black void and once again I found myself in front of Democlese. But this time, it was pitch black, and the only thing I could see was just him.
"Like I said, we meet again. But, I promise you, this will be the last time we will meet." His smile made my blood run cold. I knew that I was going to die.
"I could let you die slowly with the disease…but why wait? I'll just kill you now."
"I tried to run but I couldn't move. He unsheathed his sword and I felt it go through me…I screamed in pain and saw my life flash before my eyes…but most of all…I saw you, Zidane…and when I saw your face I felt this burst of energy flow through me. I just wouldn't allow myself to die. I heard your voice calling out to me…along with Beatrix, Steiner, Amarant, Dr. Tot, the attendants…but yours was the loudest of all Zidane…
"I had opened my eyes and I saw this beautiful woman in front of me. I could see around me and found that I was in this dungeon like cell. Democlese was crumpled against a wall and the woman had her back to me. She was dressed in white and her hair was golden and seemed to be flowing in wind but there wasn't a breeze. She turned around and smiled at me.
"You'll be alright now, Garnet. You still have a long life ahead of you. Your mother had risked her life to get you to Gaia, knowing that your twin relative had passed away. Unfortunately…Kuja had come and destroyed Madain Sari, which made the voyage perilous. On that voyage, she died protecting you from the harsh waves and the harsh conditions of the sea. She knew that King Alexander would take good care of you. She probably didn't fully rely on Queen Brahne…why the heck did he marry that ugly piece of…" She blinked and smiled nervously. "Ahem…excuse me…what I'm trying to say is…your mother risked her life so that you could get to be what you are now. And I'm not going to let her down. She was a very good friend of mine…so…be healed of all the darkness that had entered your body and be once again the Queen of Alexandria with the heart full of purity and light!"
* * *
"Whoa…she sounds like a babe!"
"ZIDANE!!!" Garnet whacked him.
"Ow ow ow ow!! I was just kiddin' Garnet!" Zidane rubbed his head and looked at her. "You know you're the only one for me…"
"…"
"Ahem…continue?" Dr. Tot interrupted.
"Oh yes! I was surrounded by this bright flash of light and I felt my strength return. That was when I woke up…to Zidane's voice again." She smiled at him.
"Well at least you're cured…but what should we do about Miranda and the others?" Zidane questioned. "They sought out to find the cure…er…well if she's cured, they can stop their journey, couldn't they?"
"Actually, no," Dr. Tot said getting up. "Their destination was Systania to begin with, and that's where it ends."
"You mean they're going to die there?!?" Zidane grabbed his neck.
"Zidane! Put Dr. Tot down!" Garnet yelled. "He means the end of the mission. They'll return home afterwards of course."
"Yes that is exactly what I meant, Zidane. Now…er…could you put me down gently?"
"Oh…uh…hehe yea!" He put Dr. Tot down and placed his hands behind his head laughing nervously.
They turned to the door at the sound of an urgent knock. "Message for King Zidane, kupo!"
"Come in!" Zidane yelled. "I still have to get used to being called that…"
"YOU SHOULDN'T CALL THAT THEIF A KING YET!!!!" Steiner's voice roared. "HE'S NOT EVEN MARRIED TO THE QUEEN YET!!!!!"
"STEINER! Just go in and don't mind him," Beatrix's voice said.
The moogle entered the door looking behind him with a surprised look on his face. He then turned his attention back to the message and approached Zidane. He stopped short when he saw Garnet awake. "Your Highness!! You're cured!!!"
Everyone burst through the door at that. "YOUR MAJESTY!!" everyone shouted.
"I thought I told you that I would call you when you were allowed in…" Dr. Tot said, an eyebrow raised.
They hung their heads in shame. "We're sorry…"
Zidane laughed. "Stop acting! You guys can come in. Looks like the message is for all of us anyway."
"What does it say?" Garnet asked, moving closer to him so she could read it.
Zidane put an arm around her and skimmed over it. He then smiled and looked at everyone. "Looks like our friends are in Lindblum! They had stopped by Burmecia to do research and it seems that Chris and Miranda won a ball game over there as well. They'll be spending a few days in Lindblum and then will be stopping here. They say they have found some great information on Systania (what kind of name is that…*sweatdrop* ß Zidane's thought) and Democlese. I think we better tell them of their new mission right away."
"Kupo! I'll be glad to do it, kupo!" the moogle said.
"Alrighty!" Zidane took a piece of paper and quickly wrote a reply then handed it to the moogle. "Get it to them ASAP."
"Okie dokie!" Wonder what sap has to do with the message…The moogle flew out of the window heading toward Lindblum.
"Phew! My first job as King…"
"YOU ARE NOT KING YET!!!!" Steiner roared.
"Steiner!!!" Beatrix dragged him out of the room. "I think I'm going to talk to him…eh-heh…"
Dr. Tot raised an eyebrow. "Maybe we should all leave. Lets leave the King and Queen to talk things over. They have much to discuss about."
Amarant snorted and walked out. (bet you didn't know he was there did ya? O.o) The rest followed and Dr. Tot closed the door behind him.
"Finally…time to ourselves," Zidane sighed.
"Zidane…what would I do without you?" Garnet said smiling.
"Iunno…hopefully NOT go out with my brother."
"Hah! Not even if they paid me a million gil. Anyway, him and Kristin are getting along very nicely, teehee."
Zidane raised an eyebrow. "Reeeaaallly? Hehe…I got something to tease him about, hah!" He leaned back against the back of the head piece of the bed and sighed. "You have no idea how worried I was about you Garnet."
"I'm sorry I made you worry…"
He gave her a warm smile. "Don't worry. It just made me realize how much I really do love you." He gave her kiss. "Anyway, you look kind of tired. Why don't you sleep?"
Garnet rested her head on his chest, his arms still around her. "Okay…"
"I'll always be here to protect you…don't forget it…" He ran his fingers through her hair and watched her as she fell asleep. He kissed her head. I love you, Garnet…don't leave me again…
Author's Note: . pwee…the 20th chapter :D and still going . what are the others doing in Lindblum? I don't know yet . but both you and me will find out in the next chapter of this thrilling story of From Earth to Gaia! Hah! Thrilling story!! THAT'S RICH!!! XD anyway, just read .