Mira walked over to a dusty trunk that didn't look like it had been opened
for quite some time. She opened it, tossing dust into the air. Lifting up
a few neatly folded sets of clothes, she retrieved a pair of pants and a
shirt for Zidane. She handed them to him and then turned to attend to the
cooking. She prepared two plates of food as she heard Zidane dressing
behind her. She placed the plates on the table, noticing that he had
already finished putting on the clothes. He came to the table and sat
down. Her father's clothing fit him perfectly; he looked like a gentleman
in them. They ate peacefully without saying much. Every once and awhile,
she would look up and see him staring at her. She would look shyly away;
she was so unused to having another person to be with. After the meal was
over, they washed the dishes together. Just when they were finishing up, a
loud "Kweh!" could be heard from outside the window.
"Oh! Do you like chocobos Zidane?" Mira asked exictedly.
"I think so..." responded Zidane.
"Oh good!" she exclaimed before calling melodiously, "Fern, come here!"
The bright yellow bird appeared in the window, sticking its head in and scanning the small lodging. Zidane was standing near the window and the chocobo immediately nuzzled up to the boy. Mira laughed as Zidane petted the bird. "Wow! She's never warmed up to anyone or anything before. You really must be something special. This is Fern, my chocobo, by the way," explained Mira. "Do you want to go for a ride?" "Yeah!" Zidane excitedly responded.
They walked out the door to be greeted by the ecstatic chocobo. "You first," said Mira. Zidane hoped easily onto the chocobo's back. Mira climbed on behind him. Fern took off running, gleefully darting along the island's beautiful landscape. As the chocobo ran, Mira wrapped her arms fully around Zidane's waist, hugging him tightly and laying her head against his back. He grasped her arms in his and they rode together around the island. The sun was setting over the lone mountain, if you could call it that, on the island. Bright reds, oranges, and yellows streaked across the sky, painting a truly beautiful picture with the shimmering blue water below it. On the island of Jero, all was well.
However, many miles away, halfway across the world, the queen of Alexandria was in turmoil. It had been nearly a week since they had left that dreadful place, yet still her love had not returned. To her citizens, she never let on that anything was wrong; she was the head of state and had to always be the constant force of balance in the lives of the people. She had already dispatched a search to sweep the area around the Iifa Tree. She was certain that they would have something to report. Zidane was too strong and stubborn to be done in by a tree; they had gone through too much just to fail now. A knock at the door preceded the entrance of the great female soldier and Garnet's aide Beatrix. "Your Majesty," stated Beatrix, thrusting her arm across her chest in salute. "Please, you know I don't like all the formalities..." responded Garnet. "Yes ma'am, I'm sorry. I have come to report on the search of the Iifa Tree," she replied. "Yes?" asked Garnet, struggling to restrain herself. "I'm afraid that... that Lord Zidane was nowhere to be found... All that we found were these," stated Beatrix sadly, passing over Zidane's favorite set of daggers, most of his shirt, and a very old world map. "I see..." replied Garnet, placing the objects on a table. As Garnet began to think of Zidane, to wonder what happened to him, to question if he still lived, her legs gave out and she fell to the floor in tears. She kneeled facedown and sobbed. Beatrix dropped to her knees and held the girl close to her. "Just because you're queen doesn't mean that you can't feel. Let it all out..." Beatrix coaxed softly. When Garnet had cried for quite some time, both women stood. Beatrix saluted once again, stating very officially, "We will continue the search, Majesty." "General Beatrix..." Garnet stated softly as the woman left. "Yes ma'am?" "Thank you," stated Garnet passionately.
Beatrix exited the room and Garnet walked to the window holding Zidane's possessions. She looked at the daggers as they caught the last of the setting sun. She didn't know what it was, but in that moment she was certain that somewhere out there, Zidane was alive and well. She would find him no matter what the cost. But she needed a plan first. She planned to go and see Dr. Tot first thing the next morning. He would know what to do like he always did. Garnet held up the dagger and let it flash one last time before the sun fell below the horizon. "Zidane, you promised... Come home to me!"
The bright yellow bird appeared in the window, sticking its head in and scanning the small lodging. Zidane was standing near the window and the chocobo immediately nuzzled up to the boy. Mira laughed as Zidane petted the bird. "Wow! She's never warmed up to anyone or anything before. You really must be something special. This is Fern, my chocobo, by the way," explained Mira. "Do you want to go for a ride?" "Yeah!" Zidane excitedly responded.
They walked out the door to be greeted by the ecstatic chocobo. "You first," said Mira. Zidane hoped easily onto the chocobo's back. Mira climbed on behind him. Fern took off running, gleefully darting along the island's beautiful landscape. As the chocobo ran, Mira wrapped her arms fully around Zidane's waist, hugging him tightly and laying her head against his back. He grasped her arms in his and they rode together around the island. The sun was setting over the lone mountain, if you could call it that, on the island. Bright reds, oranges, and yellows streaked across the sky, painting a truly beautiful picture with the shimmering blue water below it. On the island of Jero, all was well.
However, many miles away, halfway across the world, the queen of Alexandria was in turmoil. It had been nearly a week since they had left that dreadful place, yet still her love had not returned. To her citizens, she never let on that anything was wrong; she was the head of state and had to always be the constant force of balance in the lives of the people. She had already dispatched a search to sweep the area around the Iifa Tree. She was certain that they would have something to report. Zidane was too strong and stubborn to be done in by a tree; they had gone through too much just to fail now. A knock at the door preceded the entrance of the great female soldier and Garnet's aide Beatrix. "Your Majesty," stated Beatrix, thrusting her arm across her chest in salute. "Please, you know I don't like all the formalities..." responded Garnet. "Yes ma'am, I'm sorry. I have come to report on the search of the Iifa Tree," she replied. "Yes?" asked Garnet, struggling to restrain herself. "I'm afraid that... that Lord Zidane was nowhere to be found... All that we found were these," stated Beatrix sadly, passing over Zidane's favorite set of daggers, most of his shirt, and a very old world map. "I see..." replied Garnet, placing the objects on a table. As Garnet began to think of Zidane, to wonder what happened to him, to question if he still lived, her legs gave out and she fell to the floor in tears. She kneeled facedown and sobbed. Beatrix dropped to her knees and held the girl close to her. "Just because you're queen doesn't mean that you can't feel. Let it all out..." Beatrix coaxed softly. When Garnet had cried for quite some time, both women stood. Beatrix saluted once again, stating very officially, "We will continue the search, Majesty." "General Beatrix..." Garnet stated softly as the woman left. "Yes ma'am?" "Thank you," stated Garnet passionately.
Beatrix exited the room and Garnet walked to the window holding Zidane's possessions. She looked at the daggers as they caught the last of the setting sun. She didn't know what it was, but in that moment she was certain that somewhere out there, Zidane was alive and well. She would find him no matter what the cost. But she needed a plan first. She planned to go and see Dr. Tot first thing the next morning. He would know what to do like he always did. Garnet held up the dagger and let it flash one last time before the sun fell below the horizon. "Zidane, you promised... Come home to me!"