Disclaimer: None of them are mine, except Ellie (
Author's Note: Thanks for the few reviews I got. Keep em coming, they're my motivation. I'm finally realizing the plot so it'll get more interesting from here on (I hope). Read and review!
~Chapter Five~
Zidane wondered for hours through the streets of Alexandria. He had not had time earlier that day to see the progress of the reconstruction. The town barely showed any signs of the attack now. I've been gone this long.? He thought, amazed that when he had last seen Alexandria, it was in ruins. He stopped outside some areas that he had seen after the destruction, and studied them hard, looking for scars of that horrible event. There were none. His brow furrowed as he began to walk on.
His thoughts flowed from one thing to another. He remembered a conversation he had with Blank on their way to Alexandria, on the deck of the theater ship.
"I'm worried about seeing her."
"Why man? I'm telling you, we always hear stories of her sadness from loosing you, all the way in Lindblum."
"I never wanted to hurt her."
"Well, you did make the choice to go back for Kuja."
"I had to."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Bull, you know why."
"No I don't, Blank."
"Yes you do. You're a terrible liar."
"Do you think I wanted to leave her behind? Do you think that I wanted to turn to her and tell her to go without me. To look at her and tell her that I couldn't promise that I would come back, and then be haunted to this very day by the look in her eyes when I said that?"
"Zidane, you did make the decision. The guy had just tried to kill you and you wanted to save him. You wanted to save him more than you wanted to stay with her. What message do you think that sent to her?" He had tried not to listen to what Blank had said. He had chosen saving Kuja over coming back with her. But not to hurt her. That was never his intention. He hoped that Garnet knew the real reason why he left. He'd have to ask her when he got back.
There had been a moment of silence before Blank continued.
"What about Ellie?" Zidane's face twisted in pain at the mention of her name. Another wound in his heart, this one still fresh.
"I will go back for her," he'd told Blank. "I promised."
Zidane closed his eyes, trying to fight off the memories. Tears stung at the corners of his eyes, but he quickly shook them away. He wouldn't give up on her. As he looked down the alley where Ruby's theater was, another conversation with Blank came to mind.
"So what do you plan on doing, after you get there?"
"Well, what we planned for the play. Then. I don't know."
"Your hands are still to weak to be a thief again."
"I know."
"Do you plan on staying in Alexandria?"
"I don't know."
"No idea on what you're going to do with yourself?"
"No clue."
The truth was, Zidane knew exactly what he was going to do. He had made a promise, and he planned on staying true to it.
He also knew that sometime soon, Garnet would step forward and offer for him to stay there, and he could have everything he needed. But he didn't know if he'd have what he wanted. He didn't know what to do with his life now.
He knew what he wanted though. Of course he wanted to be with Garnet. After their journeys together, he'd been ready to leave behind his former girl chasing ways and be with her, if she had wanted that too. He couldn't stand being without her, but something was holding him back.
Zidane approached the fountain in the middle of the town's center. He sat on the edge and in the dim lights, looked at his reflection in the water. I have to go back to Treno. He thought. He reached his hand out over the water, and touched the scar on the face of his reflection. Chills danced up his back at the memories that would haunt him every time he saw that scar. He watched the ripples run away from his fingertips, and to the edges of the fountain, hitting the stone and then bouncing back.
He was staring into the water, lost in thought, when Blank appeared from an alley.
"Whatcha doing? Its too early in the morning to be awake," Blank said.
"So why are you up?"
"Eh.getting the theater ship packed to go back to Lindblum," he replied, shuffling around in a bag that was slung over his shoulder.
Zidane nodded, then looked at the sky. Dawn was beginning to light up the horizon. He hadn't realized he'd been out this long.
"Blank, do you think she's okay?"
Blank stopped what he was doing, a worried look on his face. He set down the bag and sat next to his best friend. "I don't know. I hope so."
"Do you think Tantalus would help me?"
"I don't know. I'll talk to Boss."
There was another silence when Zidane spoke. "I'm really worried about her."
Blank looked up to the few remaining stars left in the sky. "I know. Did you tell Garnet about her yet?"
"No, I lied. Told her I was captured by some tribe. I hope she'll understand."
"You might want to get back to the castle. Imagine you not being there when she wakes up." Blank said, standing and gathering his things.
"You're right." Zidane said standing.
"Listen, Zidane," Blank said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'll talk to Boss about her. If he says no, tell me when and I'll be there.
Zidane managed a small smile. "Thanks bro."
Author's Note: Thanks for the few reviews I got. Keep em coming, they're my motivation. I'm finally realizing the plot so it'll get more interesting from here on (I hope). Read and review!
~Chapter Five~
Zidane wondered for hours through the streets of Alexandria. He had not had time earlier that day to see the progress of the reconstruction. The town barely showed any signs of the attack now. I've been gone this long.? He thought, amazed that when he had last seen Alexandria, it was in ruins. He stopped outside some areas that he had seen after the destruction, and studied them hard, looking for scars of that horrible event. There were none. His brow furrowed as he began to walk on.
His thoughts flowed from one thing to another. He remembered a conversation he had with Blank on their way to Alexandria, on the deck of the theater ship.
"I'm worried about seeing her."
"Why man? I'm telling you, we always hear stories of her sadness from loosing you, all the way in Lindblum."
"I never wanted to hurt her."
"Well, you did make the choice to go back for Kuja."
"I had to."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Bull, you know why."
"No I don't, Blank."
"Yes you do. You're a terrible liar."
"Do you think I wanted to leave her behind? Do you think that I wanted to turn to her and tell her to go without me. To look at her and tell her that I couldn't promise that I would come back, and then be haunted to this very day by the look in her eyes when I said that?"
"Zidane, you did make the decision. The guy had just tried to kill you and you wanted to save him. You wanted to save him more than you wanted to stay with her. What message do you think that sent to her?" He had tried not to listen to what Blank had said. He had chosen saving Kuja over coming back with her. But not to hurt her. That was never his intention. He hoped that Garnet knew the real reason why he left. He'd have to ask her when he got back.
There had been a moment of silence before Blank continued.
"What about Ellie?" Zidane's face twisted in pain at the mention of her name. Another wound in his heart, this one still fresh.
"I will go back for her," he'd told Blank. "I promised."
Zidane closed his eyes, trying to fight off the memories. Tears stung at the corners of his eyes, but he quickly shook them away. He wouldn't give up on her. As he looked down the alley where Ruby's theater was, another conversation with Blank came to mind.
"So what do you plan on doing, after you get there?"
"Well, what we planned for the play. Then. I don't know."
"Your hands are still to weak to be a thief again."
"I know."
"Do you plan on staying in Alexandria?"
"I don't know."
"No idea on what you're going to do with yourself?"
"No clue."
The truth was, Zidane knew exactly what he was going to do. He had made a promise, and he planned on staying true to it.
He also knew that sometime soon, Garnet would step forward and offer for him to stay there, and he could have everything he needed. But he didn't know if he'd have what he wanted. He didn't know what to do with his life now.
He knew what he wanted though. Of course he wanted to be with Garnet. After their journeys together, he'd been ready to leave behind his former girl chasing ways and be with her, if she had wanted that too. He couldn't stand being without her, but something was holding him back.
Zidane approached the fountain in the middle of the town's center. He sat on the edge and in the dim lights, looked at his reflection in the water. I have to go back to Treno. He thought. He reached his hand out over the water, and touched the scar on the face of his reflection. Chills danced up his back at the memories that would haunt him every time he saw that scar. He watched the ripples run away from his fingertips, and to the edges of the fountain, hitting the stone and then bouncing back.
He was staring into the water, lost in thought, when Blank appeared from an alley.
"Whatcha doing? Its too early in the morning to be awake," Blank said.
"So why are you up?"
"Eh.getting the theater ship packed to go back to Lindblum," he replied, shuffling around in a bag that was slung over his shoulder.
Zidane nodded, then looked at the sky. Dawn was beginning to light up the horizon. He hadn't realized he'd been out this long.
"Blank, do you think she's okay?"
Blank stopped what he was doing, a worried look on his face. He set down the bag and sat next to his best friend. "I don't know. I hope so."
"Do you think Tantalus would help me?"
"I don't know. I'll talk to Boss."
There was another silence when Zidane spoke. "I'm really worried about her."
Blank looked up to the few remaining stars left in the sky. "I know. Did you tell Garnet about her yet?"
"No, I lied. Told her I was captured by some tribe. I hope she'll understand."
"You might want to get back to the castle. Imagine you not being there when she wakes up." Blank said, standing and gathering his things.
"You're right." Zidane said standing.
"Listen, Zidane," Blank said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'll talk to Boss about her. If he says no, tell me when and I'll be there.
Zidane managed a small smile. "Thanks bro."