Disclaimer: We still don't own Final Fantasy IX…blah, blah, blah

Honor:  Thanks!  I think Amy is cute too…probably my favorite of the original characters I made up. 

Kingpin, Crystaleyes, Angelic Demon16, Aya Yahiko: Thanks for arguing with 'French Maid'.  But he's stubborn and not giving up O.o and thanks for the reviews too! 

Nothing Happens By Accident

            As soon as Zidane was pulled from the rubble, Steiner contacted Alexandria to inform the press that the king was indeed all right.  The next day, the whole story was the headliner on the front page of numerous newspapers.

            Two men sat alone in a desolate bar, reading the daily headlines.  Unknown by anyone else, they looked menacingly.  The first one wore a long black cloak that covered his whole body, and shadowed his face.  His counterpart wore normal clothes but had a face covered with deep scars.

            "King of Alexandria survives fatal airship crash," the cloaked man spat as he read off the front page.  With disgust, he threw the newspaper back onto the table.  The paper folded open, exposing the article and a picture of Zidane hugging his wife and child.  "It just isn't right!"

            "What isn't right, sir?" the scarred man inquired picking up the paper to read.

            "Hasn't it occurred to you all the luck this man has had lately?" the cloaked man fumed, his scarred friend only shook his head.  "Eight years ago he came back from the Iifa Tree's violent reaction, unscathed.  Now he survives an airship crash that no one else made it out of, and he doesn't have a single bruise!"

            "There has to be a perfectly logical explanation for this, I mean, he seems like a nice enough man."

            "Yes, there is a perfectly logical explanation.  Witchcraft!" hissed the shadow-faced man.  His counterpart cringed.

            "No, that can't be right!  The reason he left yesterday was to deliver a Peace Proclamation to…" he stopped short.

            "Yes, that's right.  He was delivering a Peace Proclamation to the Black Mages." The man smirked wickedly.  "I don't know about you, but I want what is best for everyone in Alexandria.  For their sake, we must eliminate him!" the cloaked man slammed his fist on the table.

            The scarred man looked doubtful, but agreed. 

            "Meet me outside Alexandria castle, soon.  I want this carried out as soon as possible." The cloaked man stood up and left the bar, despite a few curious glances.  The scarred man remained sitting for a while longer, thinking.  After a while, he gathered his belongings and headed to Alexandria Castle.

            It was early morning, and Zidane had gotten out of bed before anyone else.  Amethyst and Dagger were still sleeping, as were a lot of the staff in the castle.  Morning was the only real time that Zidane could think to himself. 

            He was wearing his jeans and vest today, for comfort.  Lately a few thoughts had been creeping into his brain.  He didn't dare bring it up with anyone else, but he knew that they knew.  Eight years had passed; Zidane still hadn't aged, not even a day.  Nothing had changed in his body; he hadn't even done so much as gotten sick in that time period. 

            As he walked, he continued to think until he heard someone coming, in a fast run.  He turned around just in time to see Amy run down some stairs.  "I thought you were sleeping." He chuckled as he picked her up and put her on his shoulders. 

            "I'm not tired." She lied as she tried to stifle a yawn.

            "How 'bout I take you to breakfast." He laughed lightly.  He passed a clock and noticed the time, and it was about eight o'clock.  Soon everyone would be awake, and his time to think would be gone.  Oh well. 

            Zidane sat next to Amy at the table and waited for Quina to come.  Dagger arrived before Quina did and the three of them talked as they waited.

            "Have you noticed anything different about me?" Zidane asked Dagger. 

            "No!  Not at all." She lied.  The last thing she wanted him to do is to think that she thought that there was something wrong.  Especially if he was just aging extremely well.

            "Hm, how about you Amy?" he turned to his daughter.

            "Nope!  Your just fine!" she smiled up at him. 

            "Thanks." He smiled back. 

            Before anyone else made an attempt to have a conversation, a door was heard opening.  "Good!  Quina's up!" Dagger thought out loud.  But it wasn't Quina.

            "Sorry to intrude…" a cold voice came from the doorway.  Zidane spun around in his chair and saw a cloaked man standing there.  In his hand was a drawn sword.

            Amy whimpered, "Don't worry, get behind me." Zidane said in a cool voice, pulling Amy and Dagger behind his back.

            "Oh my God!  Somebody!  Please help us!" Dagger screamed, frantically wondering if anyone outside the room could hear.

            "Shut up!" the man yelled and pointed his sword at her.  Dagger cringed, almost waiting for the man to take her head off when the doors to the dining room were thrown open.  In ran Steiner and Beatrix, looking both confused and worried. 

            "Take Dagger and Amy somewhere safe!" Zidane ordered Beatrix.  With only a glance at the intruder, Beatrix did as she was told.  "Steiner!  Give me a hand!" Steiner put his hand to the hilt of his sword and ran forward.

            However, the cloaked man was faster than both of them.  He swung his sword behind him, and threw it, straight at Zidane. 

            Zidane could see the blade come closer and closer to his chest.  It was like a deer with a car hurling straight for it, he couldn't move in time.  All he could do was watch as the blade drew dangerously close. 

            Finally, the sword hit him and the impact knocked him down.  Behind him, he heard a thud.  Anxiously, he looked down at his chest, where he thought the blade had pierced him, but nothing was there.  The sword went right through him.  However, this wasn't the only surprise.  Before his very eyes, his wound closed up.

            Zidane gasped and spun around to see Steiner lying on the floor, the sword lodged in his stomach.  A faint stream of blood flowed from both his wound and from his mouth. 

            "What?!" the stranger screamed from behind.  Eyes blazing, Zidane turned to face the man.  His lips formed into a scowl as he reached into his scabbard and pulled out his dagger.

            Noticing the king's sudden hostility, the man took off down the hall, with Zidane pursuing close behind.  With expert marksmanship, Zidane threw his dagger and hit the man directly in the back.  The man collapsed to his death.

            Frantically, Zidane ran back to where Steiner had fallen.  "Oh my God!" he yelled once he realized the severity of the wound.  "BEATRIX!" It wasn't very long before she came running.  When she noticed her fallen husband, she ran to Zidane's side.

            "Steiner?  Steiner?!" hysterically she fell to the floor beside him.  A faint groan escaped his lips.  "He's alive!" she yelled.

Zidane ran to his side also and put his head to his chest.  There was still a heartbeat.  "I'll go get something to stop the bleeding, in the meantime try to get the sword out!" she nodded and he bounded out of the room and up the staircase to his bedroom.

He searched his drawers and pulled out an old tee shirt.  And then, as fast as he could, he ran back down the stairs, while he ripped the shirt into strips.  When he got to the bottom he heard an agonizing scream ring out.  She got it out… he sighed.

Upon entering the Dining Room again, he noticed Beatrix was crying on the floor next to Steiner.  She sat with his head in her lap, her clothes soaked with blood.  Nearby laid a red, wet sword.  "We have to get his armor off of him to treat the wound." She said as a tear rolled down her cheek. 

"I know." Zidane answered.  He helped sit him up and they started to take his armor off piece-by-piece going as carefully as they could, trying not to hurt Steiner.  When they finished all he had on were some shorts and a now crimson colored shirt.  Zidane peeled the bloodstained shirt off of him and inspected the wound. 

It was very deep, his armor didn't do anything to prevent the sword from piercing him.  Zidane started tying his strips of tee shirt around it, hoping to stop the bleeding.  It still came out in a heavy flow.

"Where is Zak?" Zidane asked as he worked.

"Upstairs with Amy and Dagger." She answered between sobs.

"Where at upstairs?"

"Hiding in Amy's room."

"Go to them." He said, "I can take care of him, I've treated worse injuries than this."

"As I have Your Majesty, perhaps you should go, I wouldn't be able to stay calm, and I don't want Zak to see his father like this." Zidane looked at her tear stained face and nodded.

"Alright then." He agreed.  "You know where I'll be if you need anything." She nodded and he left to make sure his family was safe.

"Zidane!" Dagger exclaimed running to him.  Amethyst waddled behind her.

"I'm alright," he said grabbing her hand.

"You have blood all over you!" she shrieked.  His eyes darted down to his white shirt; sure enough it was covered in Steiner's blood.

"Where are my mom and dad?" Zak stepped out from the closet.  What should I tell the kid? He asked himself.

"Uh," he started nervously.

"Why is there blood on your shirt?" Dagger repeated, only louder this time.

"Hold on!" he yelled hoping to calm them down.  "Your mom is helping your dad.  He uh, got a boo-boo."

"Daddy!" Amethyst said pulling on his tail.  "Hold me!"

"Just a second Amy, Daddy needs to talk to Mommy." Amy pouted and watched as he grabbed her mother and pulled her out of the room.

"What's wrong?" Dagger asked, her voice trembling.  Wide eyed she stared into his eyes.  Timidly, he ran his gloved hand through his hair.

"It went right through me…" he put his hand against his forehead.  It was so complicated it confused even him.  Dagger's eyebrow arched.

"What did?  What went through you?"

"The sword.  It went right through me and hit Steiner instead…" he tried to explain, but all Dagger did was stare at him in confusion. 

"What?" she lifted up his shirt and inspected his chest.  There was no puncture wound, not even a sign of a scratch.  "I don't see anything…"

"That's because it closed up."

Dagger shook her head, "I don't know sweetie, maybe you imagined it."

"I couldn't have!  I-It was way too real."

"Is Steiner alright?" it was a desperate attempt to change the subject, but it worked.  She didn't want to tell him, but Zidane was starting to scare her.

"I don't know.  But I'm going back down to check on him and Beatrix.   Just act calm in front of the kids." She nodded and leaned in and gave him a kiss goodbye.

"Be careful!"

"I will!" he took off.  Taking the stairs three at a time.  As he rounded a corner he nearly ran into Beatrix.

"I was just coming to get you Your Majesty." She said urgently, "We need to get Doctor Tot over here to look at it.  And he needs to be moved," Zidane nodded and followed her into Dining Room, where Steiner was still laying.  Bits and pieces of Zidane's shirt were tied around him, and an empty elixir flask lay on the floor next to him.

With Beatrix's help, they were able to lift Steiner and carry him into one of the spare bedrooms. 

"Will you be staying with us then?" he asked as they set the unconscious Steiner in the bed.

"If it isn't to much trouble," she answered placing her hand on Steiner's head.

"Of course not!  You're always welcome here!" Zidane answered brightly. 

"Thanks." She said bowing slightly.  He smiled and shook his head.

"It's fine, remember you used to live here anyway."

"But that was before Zak was born."

"Don't worry about it." Zidane smiled, "You can stay here until Steiner gets better."

~ ~

Oooooh.  It's starting to get interesting now!  Okay!  That's it for that chapter!  Read and Review!  We should have the next one posted shortly!  Remember our goal!  ^_^