I'm Coming Back to You
Chapter 4-Controversy
Disclaimer: *innocently pretends to have amnesia like poor "Zid"* What? What? What do you mean, disclaimer? I don't know what you're talking about! *Square/soft pounds R_Stardust on the head and yells "I WANT THE CREDIT THAT I DESERVE!!!"*
AN: Chapter 4. Yes, chapter 4. I can hardly believe it myself. Finally got this thing moving. O_o Oh, yeah, Konnichiwa. Hello. Bonjour. Salutations. Hola. Aloha. Wuzzup?! Wherever and whenever you are, greetings from me, Rainbow Stardust. I'm trying to alternate between Zidane POVs and Garnet POVs, but I may not be able to be consistent for long. Oh, well. As long as I get the story done. If you have any complaints as to whether or not Zidane and Dagger have an uneven amount of chapters in their name, post it up as a review. Wait, no-read this chapter first! Then tell me what you think of it. Go on, read!
Key: _..._ emphasize (italicize)
/.../ thoughts
"..." words
*...* action
"General, any luck?"
I twitched at the pain in her voice. "I'm afraid not. No one has seen him, Your Majesty. We've searched everywhere, and even put up some signs. Nothing has turned up yet." I hung my head. Zidane wasn't in the Iifa Tree, so where could he be? /Maybe he's trying to find his way to me,/ I thought, then sighed. /Don't hold on to any false hopes, Garnet./
"He's coming back!" A defiant voice declared beside me, as if reading my mind. I looked down to see the reassuring face of Eiko Carol. She was grinning confidently. "He's coming back, he'd better come back, because he owes me a kiss!" I frowned. She wasn't still in love with him, was she? But Eiko quickly added, "On the cheek, of course. I've given him up for you, Dagger." She grinned and patted me on the shoulder-or as close and high up as she could reach.
I smiled. Friends were something I was glad to have. And I wouldn't have met them without Zidane...the thought of him brought tears to my eyes. "I hope he's not in pain or anything."
"Zidane is strong," came a voice. A rodent-like creature clad in a red-pink jacket.
"Freya!" I jumped up. "You're supposed to be in Burmecia, rebuilding."
"I simply came for a visit," she replied casually. "And to see how the search is doing. He will come back, Dagger. He would not desert you for the world."
Friends...
Vivi stepped awkwardly next to me and took my hand. "Freya's right, Dagger."
"And we won't desert you for the world, either," said Beatrix's soft voice.
They were being so nice...so supportive...the compassion brought tears to my eyes. I smiled at all of them gratefully. Having friends and people who cared about you was worth it. I'll never regret leaving the Alexandrian castle walls that day, that day that Zidane "kidnapped" me. I met so many good friends, and I met my true love as well. "Thank you," I whispered hoarsely. "You've been so kind. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"You starve, that what," said Quina, waddling toward us. "You want cake or pie? I make lots. But I no understand. Servants no like froggy food. Oh well. I eat other yummy-yums." And s/he waddled off. We all looked in confusion after him/her, then chuckled.
"I'm going to go attend to the needs of my people," I announced.
"My Queen," Steiner objected, "Musn't you rest? You've toiled over their problems long enough!"
I shook my head. "I need to take my mind off Zidane, or I'll be sad all over again. Besides, helping people makes me feel good. Beatrix, you can take a break. You and your soldiers have been at it day and night. You may resume when you're fully rested. Steiner, please send a few messages via Mognet to the moogle in the Black Mage Village. I want to send a letter to Mikoto."
Everyone nodded. Vivi and Eiko disappeared into the kitchen. Freya bid me farewell and went to return to Burmecia. Steiner and Beatrix scattered to do their orders. (Err...Beatrix was ordered to rest.) I then set to work. /Sorry, Zidane, but thinking about you hurts. Why won't you talk to me again?/
-0-0-0-0-0-
They think I can't hear. What am I, deaf? I can hear them perfectly well in the next room. I keep quiet and listen. Listen to the words that I didn't want to hear.
"Steiner, did you do what Her Majesty asked you to?" Beatrix's voice.
"Yes, of course I did." Guess who.
"Is there something wrong?"
A pause. Then, "No."
I could hear Beatrix heave a sigh. "Just tell me, OK? Just tell me."
"I do not suppose that is how you are to speak?"
"Come off it. I know this has to do with Zidane."
Another pause. "Sir Zidane."
A snort. "Since when did you decide to call him something other than monkey-boy?"
"Since the day he left and Prin-_Queen_-Garnet decided that she fell in love with this man who deserted her to be with his brother. I shall say it again: This is ludicrous!"
"Deserted-no. Temporarily departed. It is not ludicrous, in fact. Kuja needed him."
"No, he didn't. He was a killer. A murderer. He massacred like a bloodthirsty creature. And what? For his own gain."
"Think about what he's been through. I'm not about to forgive him as readily as Zidane, but there's still a thing or two you have to keep in mind."
"Why did he leave Dagger?"
I blinked. Did Steiner just call me Dagger? He almost never said it, mostly because it reminded him of Zidane. Someone whom he had a few bitter memories with. But someone who had saved Gaia from the face of destruction.
Beatrix again. "Steiner, he wouldn't leave her if he knew he wasn't ever coming back."
"He's not."
"Don't say that."
His voice was gruff, but also tired. "The chances for finding him are slim."
"Zidane's a survivor, Steiner. And if he said he's coming back, as Her Majesty clearly stated that he did, he's coming back. Zidane doesn't break promises easily, OK? Maybe he's a flirty kid who's a thief-slash-actor, but he's got courage, and a heart, and he knows what's right. I believe that he's coming back. Don't you dare say a word to Dagger that he isn't."
"Don't get her hopes up, Beatrix."
"..."
"...nor yours."
"Shutup, ruffian."
"Hey!"
"Sorry. I promise not to use even mild language around the baby."
"Don't use it _ever_! Not even-wh-what? Baby?"
I could imagine the smile on Beatrix's face. "Yes. Only Her Majesty knows. It's why she made me rest. I was going to tell you sooner, but we were all caught up in duties."
Satisfied, and not wishing to hear Steiner's excited squeals of joy, I stood from my hiding place and casually strode out of the corridor, as if I had a real reason to be there. Soldiers bowed and greeted from both sides, apparently not realizing I had been eavesdropping on my two most loyal military recruits. I grinned and thought about Beatrix's words. She had had a hint of disbelief when she made her little speech, as if she were trying to convince herself. I was convinced, though. Zidane would be back for me.
I was willing to wait.
-0-0-0-0-0-
"Eiko?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you really think Zidane's coming back?"
"Of course..."
"I hope so. I miss him."
"I do too, Vivi."
"Are you going to cry again?"
"No-*sniff*-of course not!"
"Crying relieves your sadness."
"It takes everything in me not to cry in front of Dagger."
"Me too."
"I want to tell her that everything will be OK...but, I don't know anymore."
"Zidane will be back. He'd never let us down."
"I hope so, Vivi. I hope so with all my heart."
Zidane, oh my Zidane, when will you return to me? I miss you so.
AN: How'd you like it? Looks like a little reunion for our heroes. Everyone seems to be worrying about Zidane... Time skips randomly throughout my fic. Let's say this one happens about a week, more or less, since the last fic from Dagger's POV. We're about 2 weeks into the story since Kuja died. I find this chapter sorta boring, in my own opinion. Sorry, just went braindead. Practically everyone is telling Dagger the same thing over and over, and she's thinking the same thing over and over. (I was trying to potray that the other characters were simply wearing a "mask" of assurance for Dagger, because they're not sure themselves if Zidane's coming back.) I PROMISE to have some variation in Dagger's POV fics in the future ones. I'm just a lil' too lazy, sleepy, and hungry to redo this one. !.! Will you forgive me? Oh well. Matte ne, and review please!