I'm Coming Back to You
Chapter 7- Interference
Disclaimer: *Runs around like a nut* I WANNA OWN FINAL FANTASY IX!!! I WANNA BE REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY RICH AND GET THE CREDIT FOR EVERYTHING!!!
AN: Before I say anything else, I want to first APOLOGIZE for my lack of updates. This was for 2 reasons: 1) I totally lost my internet connection. I'm serious. I did not have any access to my fanfictions, or any other website for that matter, for MONTHS. This was COMPLETE TORTURE. I guess you take things for granted and don't realize how important they are to you until you lose them. Sadly, I learned the hard way. 2) My hard drive crashed. And, the nut that I am, I did not have the chance to back-up some files. I saved my other files, but not some of my fanfiction works. That means I've lost several chapters. *sobs* Well, no use crying over spilt milk. Fortunately, I've been able to save a few. Here's one of them…
*Dun Dun Dun Duuuuunnnn* *deep, mysterious voice* Seventh chapter. *regular voice* Welcome back, or if you didn't even leave…welcome back anyway. I told you I would have several Zidane POV's in a row, and I was about to do that—until I realized I had a wonderful cliffhanger in the last chapter and I wanted to torture you by not telling you what happens right away. Hehehe. Plus, I have a few things in store for Garnet. *cue the evil laugh* Well, I'm still not entirely sure how many chapters this is gonna be. From the looks of things, it's gonna be a lot. I haven't gotten half of the storyline going yet, which is a terrible thing for an author like me.
Let's review the facts. Zidane was in the Iifa Tree, but he got it mad by poking his sharp Ultima Weapon into it, and now it decided to knock him out and erase half of his memory. (This poor guy gets amnesia too much. He just learned who he was and now he's gotta forget again?) This really nice and pretty girl named Zeithi rescued him and tried to nurse him back to health. 'Zid' starts getting really strange dreams of his past life, and Zeithi starts telling him about the war that was going on. (If you don't know what 'war' I'm talking about, I'll tell you this—quit while you're still ahead.) She also tells him she lost her family in the war. Then, in the last chapter, she kisses him.
On to Garnet and her less interesting part in the story. ^.^ She's still wondering where Zidane is, and everyone is trying to cheer her up. Beatrix is pregnant and on a frantic search for her Queen's lover, while Steiner is seriously doubting Zidane is still alive. Now to make Garnet's life more interesting:
Key: _…_ emphasize (italicize)
/…/ thoughts
"…" words
*…* action
Zidane, love. Where are you? I'll wait until the world falls apart for you. I'll wait until the sky caves in. I'll wait until the ocean swallows up Alexandria in its fury—/Which, by the way, I hope will never happen!/—or the Qus band together and try to eat every last chocobo on Gaia. Unless…
"Your Majesty?" *cough*
"Yes, Beatrix?" I glanced over at the armor-clad woman who stood at the entrance to the throneroom.
She bowed as low as she could, her hand on her conspicuously swelling stomach. "There is somebody here to see you. Apparently, a reknowed noble from Treno."
I raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
"A Lord Davilonen."
"Hmm, rings a bell. I think." I sighed. "Very well. Send him in, please."
Beatrix bowed once more and disappeared into the hallway. I yawned and rubbed my forehead in frustration. Now nobles from these other cities are asking me for help? I'm the Queen of Alexandria, not the Advisor of Gaia. But when the footsteps of the approaching aristocrat resounded, coming closer, I straightened myself and hoped I looked presentable.
The female general was looking very beat, so I sent her off to her room (not without one of her attempted protests, of course), leaving me alone with the man.
He smiled warmly and stepped forward with a bow of obeisance. "Good afternoon Your Lovely Majesty. How fares your day?"
"Quite fine, thank you," I replied cautiously. He was being a bit too charming.
"I am terribly grieved over the loss of your—er—beau, for I heard he was killed," he tried.
I sighed. "No, Lord Davilonen, my _beau_ is not dead."
The cocky man grinned evilly. "Oh, yet there are reports he was perhaps crushed or swallowed into the depths of the Iifa Tree, correct? Neither has he attended to your presence. I had a thought that you may be in need of consolation, my Lady."
"How kind of you." My voice was cold. I wasn't liking this man at all. "Lord Davilonen—"
"Please, Garnet. Call me Dave."
/What's wrong with him? First he calls me his 'Lady', and now he's called me by my first name? And he expects me to call him 'Dave'. Foolish man. I will have none of this./ I frowned and tried to remain calm. "Lord Dave—"
"Oh, you may drop the title altogether, dear."
Dear? I can't take anymore of this! Rising, I said angrily, "Lord Davilonen, I am kindly asking you to leave my throneroom and my castle, and preferably, my kingdom. I am not currently able to be won over with your enticements. If you do not immediately comply, I shall have you removed with force."
"But—" he sputtered, clearly astonished.
Enraged, I called for my guards, who scurried into the room and dragged the objecting fraud from me. "You will have to give him up someday!" Davilonen called. I scowled and plunked my hands on my hips, then thundered off to my room.
-0-0-0-0-0-
_Knock Knock._
"Come in."
_Clank Clank._ "My Queen?"
"Steiner. What is it?" I turned to face him, and sighed to find him kneeling on one knee on the carpet, in a begging stance. "Adelbeirt Steiner, what do you think you're doing?"
He crawled forward, still kneeling. _Clank, Clank._ "Your Majesty, I caught word of the earlier encounter with Lord Davilonen, and your quite fearsome frustration with the man, and, er, your discrepancy—"
"What's the point, Steiner?"
"Err, what I wish to say is that, won't you give him a chance?"
"WHAT?" I nearly roared, leaping up. "And drop Zidane altogether? Absurd!"
Steiner shrank back at my rage. "But, my Queen—"
"I told you!" I yelled. Steiner was really pushing it. "I won't give up on Zidane! Ever! Not until I see him, dead or alive, intact or mutated, right here, in front of me! I don't care what you do or what you say! I LOVE HIM!!!" I was vaguely aware my face was red, my chest was heaving, and I was digging my fingernails into the lower part of the palm of my hand. Making a tremendous effort to allay myself, I gritted my teeth and hissed, "Now, if you would be so kind Steiner, I would like to be alone for a moment."
Steiner rose to his feet, gravely bowed, and left. I feared I had hurt his feelings, but what was he thinking, to ask me something like that?
-0-0-0-0-0-
The General knocked on my door a few minutes later. "Your Highness, may I inquire on Captain Steiner? He seems to be upset. Has something terrible happened?"
I shook my head, remorseful. "It's my fault, Beatrix. I yelled at him." She seemed startled. "He was asking me to…to forget about Zidane," I tried to explain. But Beatrix was silent. "Oh, please don't agree with him! It's only been a few weeks, you can't already ask me to—"
"I'm not," she tried to say, "But Steiner only wants the best for you. He wants to make sure that you're happy. He's rather disheartened after that conversation of yours and his."
I frowned. "Please tell him that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset him…I just got upset too."
Beatrix nodded and left.
Zidane, I'm falling apart without you. Will I ever get to see your smile? Will you ever hold me safe in your arms again? I live for that day, love. Remember that.
AN: Good enough? Certainly not long enough, my apologies. I wanted to add more, but that seemed like a nice enough ending. More on Garnet's part soon. Until then, I'd really appreciate a review now and then! ~.^