A/N: Wow . . . I'm impressed . . . Five reviews for the last chapter!
Awesome! I'm so glad I'm getting feedback on this little ficcy of mine!
And for those of you reading this and NOT reviewing, please do! It's not
that difficult! A minute here or there, so what?! Anyhow, I think this
chapter is really cute so be prepared for some romance and sweetness. But
not in a disgusting way *shudder* And Athena, what's a Mary Sue or whatever
you said? 'Cause whatever it is, I'm sure Megan won't turn out that way.
Er . . . yeah . . . So, thanks a bunch people and enjoy the fic! Oh, by
the way, there will be a small Final Fantasy VII reference in this story
which might come into play later on. If you've never played the game,
don't worry, you won't even notice it.
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX no está mi videojuega. ¡Yo no tengo el juega porque yo no estoy rica y famosa! Blah . . .
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"Zidane, I have the greatest idea. Wait until you hear this,"
Zidane didn't like the sound of that. He looked up from his breakfast and stared across the table at Queen Garnet Til Alexandros the XVII, his eyes glistening suspiciously. It was still around five in the morning and the two were probably the only people awake in the entire castle besides the guards. The ruler grinned back at him smugly, resting her chin in her hand.
"If this has anything to do with me marrying Eiko, I'll pass," Zidane muttered, nibbling on a piece of rye toast. Garnet laughed and stood up out of her chair across the long, antique table. She passed at least eight seats and finally plopped down into the one next to the nervous genome, her eyes still dancing.
"Of course not!" Garnet teased, grabbing the rye toast out of his hand just as he was about to take a bite and setting it upon the silky tablecloth. The guards stationed at the door cringed at the greasy spot forming beneath it.
"Then what is it?" Zidane muttered, staring longingly at the forbidden toast. Garnet scooted a little closer to the him, trying to contain her excitement.
"Why don't I leave my queenly duties behind and we just desert Alexandria for a day or two and . . . I dunno . . . elope or something . . ."
Zidane looked up sharply, the bread momentarily forgotten.
"Elope?"
"Yeah, sure! Why not?"
The former thief frowned thoughtfully for a moment, staring across the table to the far wall. Suddenly, he pushed his chair back and stood up, chewing on his lip once more.
"You know what, Dagger? I've got a better idea,"
Garnet watched him, hurt, and felt the first pangs of neglect.
/He doesn't want to be with me!/ she thought miserably. /What have I done wrong? Did I push too much? But I've hardly said a word! I don't understand!/
The young queen watched the blonde-tailed genome scratch his head as he walked past her and out of the room, nodding to the two guards who stepped out of the way to let him by. Garnet could feel the tears forming in her eyes and she leapt up out of her seat and ran after the boy, pushing the doors open and accidentally knocking into one of the guard's shoulders.
"Zidane! Wait! Where are you - "
She stopped. Zidane was standing in front of her, holding a folded up piece of cloth in his hand. Garnet stared at it, blinking in surprise, before it dawned on her what it was.
"My mage robe!" she exclaimed, reaching out and touching the soft white fabric. Zidane nodded.
"Dagger - if you would be so kind - I would like to reenact a very special moment of my life with you. With minor changes which I will add myself, of course,"
Garnet raised an eyebrow.
"Have you lost your - "
"Please? Just play along,"
Garnet wasn't sure where Zidane was going with this, so she sighed and nodded.
"Sure, why not . . ."
Zidane grinned with excitement and handed her the cloak, his tail wagging happily.
"Yes! Come on, let's go!" he grabbed her by the arm and began to drag the reluctant queen off, smiling with joy.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The two nineteen-year-olds stationed themselves in their proper spots; Zidane at the bottom of the staircase leading to the royal theater seats, and Garnet standing in front of them. After a moment of hesitation in which the blonde cleared his throat, Zidane began to run up the steps signaling for the scene to start. Garnet couldn't help but smile to herself. How she'd forgotten those days . . .
As Zidane charged up the stairs, Garnet hurried forward, timing her steps so that the two teens would run into each other. The young queen, feeling foolish as she faked surprise, stumbled backwards as Zidane - being the skilled actor that he is - let out a yelp of bewilderment. The two stood there for a moment, dusting their clothes off. Garnet had forgotten how nice it felt to wear her white mage cloak. She noticed, vaguely, that she did not have her yellow stretch-clothes on underneath it like she had the first time. Rather, she was framed by a thin blue dress. Not that it mattered . . .
The two gazed at each other silently for a moment and Zidane raised an eyebrow expectantly. Garnet blushed, remembering that she had been the first to speak all those years ago . . .
"Um . . . Would you please let me pass . . .?" she squeaked, the words feeling almost painfully nostalgic to her.
/Maybe Zidane's idea wasn't so bad after all . . ./
Her companion's eyes widened and he cocked his head thoughtfully, peering at Garnet's delicate features almost deliriously. Garnet laughed at the impersonation and tried to act annoyed despite the fact that she was, in fact, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
"Is there . . . something . . . on my face?" the young queen snorted. Zidane managed to keep the act up perfectly, his tail curling around his ankle as he pretended to be embarrassed at his rudeness.
"Oh no," he said. "You see, I thought maybe you were the one I'd been waiting for all this time!"
Garnet giggled and folded her arms doubtfully.
"Excuse me? You were waiting for me?"
Zidane nodded, giving her an approving glance.
"Yeah! I've dreamed of meeting you here ever since I was born!"
Garnet pulled on the strings of her hood, fearing it would slip off her hair.
"Do you mock me?" she asked haughtily, unaccustomed to the formal speech she had once been told was the ONLY way to speak. During her journey Zidane had taught her the joy of using such phrases as "Allrighty," and "Get off me you scumbag!" The thief shook his head hurriedly.
"No! Of course not!" he exclaimed, bowing his head in submission. Garnet smirked and stuck a hip out in a bitchy, supercilious sort of manner.
"Then I shall take my leave of you!" she snapped, pushing Zidane out of the way and brushing past him. The blonde genome - acting surprisingly realistic - jumped in front of her and grabbed her forearms, staring desperately into her lovely brown eyes.
"Wait!" he begged. "You can't go! I could never let someone as pretty as you get away! Say, you wouldn't - "
He stopped. Garnet raised an eyebrow with curiosity. When the scene had first been "performed" over three years earlier, when they were still only sixteen and quite young, Blank had come running up the stairs before Zidane had finished his thought. Now, the two of them stood there, Garnet waiting to see what would happen next.
Zidane slowly let go of the queen's arms and dropped carefully down onto one knee, right hand taking his Dagger's, the other reaching into his vest pocket.
"Say . . ." he repeated, looking deep into her eyes. "You wouldn't . . . you wouldn't mind if I . . . asked you to marry me?"
The blonde-haired genome silently slipped a dazzling diamond ring onto the young queen's finger, his tail brushing the ground softly, his eyes staring like laser-beams into hers, wide with hope.
Garnet couldn't breathe. How was this possible?! How had this happened?! She couldn't believe it! This was UNbelievable! The shocked summoner stood there, speechless and dumbfounded, before letting out a choked gasp and bursting into tears.
"Oh my god, Zidane! Of course I'll marry you!" she sobbed, collapsing onto the ground before him and throwing her arms around her new fiancé's neck. Zidane grinned, holding back his own tears. He rocked the brunette back and forth in his arms, embracing her warm body against his.
"I love you, Dagger . . ." he whispered. After a moment Garnet pulled back, sniffling as she beamed.
"We . . . we've got to tell everyone!" she sputtered. "We're going to have a celebration! Anyone can come! From anywhere!"
She stood up, grinning at the proud look on Zidane's face. He nodded.
"I'll go notify the newspapers,"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Say, Feather. What would you do if I kicked over all the supplies in this shop and spray painted the walls to say 'Feather Sucks?'"
Kuja blinked and looked up from the device seated across his lap, not sure if he'd heard the question correctly. He stared at Megan for probably a full twenty minutes before answering.
"Er . . . Clean it up . . .?" he queried uncertainly. Megan leaned over the item shop counter, smirking at the strange look on his face.
"You wouldn't . . . I dunno . . . hurt me or anything?"
"Uh . . . no . . ."
Megan frowned and straightened back up, looking suspiciously into the young man's eyes.
"Don't you ever get angry?" she asked, gripping the edge of the counter and pushing herself up backwards onto the wooden surface. The young girl folded her legs, watching the silver-haired man curiously. She knew if her mother were around she'd probably find her ass over her head for sitting there, but with Feather - no, no - everything was always all right with Feather. The said man laughed as if sharing an inside joke with himself.
"You wouldn't like me when I'm angry . . ." he commented, going back to his previous activity. While working in the Yorokobi Item Shop, Kuja had become very interested in weapons having never used one himself. The one seated across his lap was his favorite - and also one of the rarest and most expensive weapons out there. The Yorokobi's were known many towns over for having it but they would never EVER sell it. It was like a family heirloom or something. It was called the Masamune, and it had once been wielded by a very special, very famous warrior whom Megan did not know the name of off the top of her head.
She raised an eyebrow.
"Is that so . . .?" she mocked, lying down on her side and propping her head up with one arm.
"Mhmm . . ."
Megan laughed. Somehow, she couldn't see sweet, innocent little Feather harming a fly. Then again, she could still remember the first time she'd met him. A completely different side of Feather had shown through; one she wished never to see again.
/Flash/
"Don't . . . touch me . . ."
"Please . . ."
"No . . . No . . .!"
/Flash/
The copper-haired woman shuddered. He'd been in nasty shape. It had looked as if he'd crawled out of the Pit of Despair, bleeding to death and in shock. When her mother had tried to help him, the injured man had fought back. Later on, he claimed he had done no such thing and couldn't remember anything that had happened that day. She wondered what he meant . . . She wouldn't like him when he's angry . . .
"So . . ."
"Hmm?"
"Uh . . ."
Feather was too busy polishing the six-foot blade of the Masamune to notice Megan's silence. She sighed.
"I'm gonna go . . ." she muttered. As she dropped off the counter-top with a small thud - landing lightly on her feet, the door opened with a tinkling bell and Megan side-stepped as an old woman entered, muttering about her lazy son. Feather glanced up and set the Masamune down on the floor gently.
"Hey Ms. Hilda," he greeted, standing up. "Can I help you?"
The old woman looked distinctly ruffled. "My stupid son has gone and gotten himself silenced by one of his nasty little friends," she snarled bitterly. "I need an echo screen or two,"
Feather nodded, smiling. "Coming right up!" The young man hoisted himself up and over the counter before trotting up to one of the shelves, running his index finger over the labels, and scanning the boxes for the article. Megan suddenly noticed a flash of silver near the young man's leg. She blinked, frowning, and squinted her eyes, trying to figure out the source of the movement. Out of nowhere, she spotted Feather's tail, hovering near his ankles. She sucked in her breath quickly. She'd almost forgotten he had one!
"Ah, got it!" Feather announced, snagging a blue bottle off the shelf and tossing it into the air with jovial triumph. He handed it to the old woman and tried to explain to her how to use it. As he did that, Megan turned to the back room, wondering if her grandmother was in there. Pushing the swinging door open and squeezing her way into the cramped little warehouse, Megan did, indeed, spot her late father's mother, stacking boxes onto the shelves with amazing mobility for someone her age.
"What's up?" Megan queried, kicking an empty potion bottle out of the way. Her grandmother looked up, slightly startled, and smiled as she wiped her brow.
"Hey! How's my little grand-daughter?" the old woman asked cheerfully as she straightened herself. "Still single I see . . . and unemployed . . ."
"Grandma!"
"Just kidding, just kidding. So, 'what's up?'"
Megan sighed, running her fingers through her soft hair. "I was just wondering . . . Grandma, why does Feather have a tail? Don't you find that strange?" her grandmother chuckled, opening a drawer and pulling out an old feather duster.
"Not really," she stated, sniffing the duster and recoiling slightly. "After all, he's a pretty strange boy anyways,"
Megan nodded absently, listened to the muffled conversation from behind the door.
Suddenly, it swung open, causing the old woman to drop the feather duster with surprise. Feather stood there illuminated in the doorway, smiling.
"Hey! Is there a party back here that I'm not invited to?!"
Megan rolled her eyes. "Party's canceled," she joked, grabbing Feather's arm and steering him out of the room. She turned and winked at her grandmother, muttering "Separation anxiety,"
Laughing, the young girl closed the door.
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"No way! No - way! Nowaynowaynowaynowaynoway!"
"Yes way!"
"NO!"
"YES!"
"I don't believe it!"
"You better believe it!"
Eiko Carol threw her arms around Queen Garnet's legs, hugging the elder tightly in a stifling embrace. "Dagger, I'm so proud of you!" she exclaimed, staring up into her idols blissful face. Zidane ruffled Eiko's hair happily, smirking down at the small, purple-haired nine-year-old. The crew stood in one of the many hallways of Alexandria Castle, the news having just been revealed of Zidane's proposal to Queen Garnet.
"Guess this means you can't marry me," the thief pointed out, grinning at the young summoner's disgust.
"Oh, I can still dream!" Eiko chimed, folding her arms over her chest and sticking her bottom lip out indignantly.
"But really, your majesty, we are so proud," Freya Crescent, a tall Burmecian knight, articulated, bowing her head respectfully. Garnet gave her an annoyed look.
"Don't bow your head to me, Freya!" she scolded, looking up at the tall rat- like woman. "We're friends! I don't look down upon you any more than I look down upon Steiner!"
"Hey!" Steiner pouted, putting his hands on his hips in frustration.
"Yeah, and I won't either when I'm king," Zidane joked, patting Freya on the back. She winced. So did everyone else in the room.
"Zidane as a king . . ." Amarant, a husky red-haired bandit, muttered, glaring at the floor. "It's the end of the world . . ."
"Oh, shut up," the young genome snapped, rolling his eyes.
"I think you'll make an excellent king . . ." Vivi, a small black mage, murmured, straightening his large yellow hat.
"As do I," the female general, Beatrix, agreed, roping her arm through Steiner's. The tall armor-clad knight blushed at his lady. The two weren't married yet but Zidane and Garnet were expecting the question any day.
"Zidane! You make best king ever! Better than Master Quale's pancakes!" Quina, the obese, pink gourmand, guffawed, nodding his head approvingly. Zidane scratched the back of his neck uncertainly.
"Uh . . . thanks Quina . . ."
Fratley laughed. He was another tall Burmecian knight. "I think the two of you will be magnificent together!" the said knight bellowed, placing an arm around Freya's shoulder. Their situation was much like that of Beatrix and Steiner, however, Freya was still uncertain of the powerful commitment involved in a nuptial. Fratley's amnesia had not relented in the least and his knowledge of their past together seemed lost forever.
Lani, the exotic female warrior, leaned against the wall, kicking her axe in a bored manner. "At least I can say I was beaten by the king of Alexandria . . ." she muttered. Smirking, the bandit batted her eyelashes at Amarant, looking quite smug. "What about you?" The response was simple.
"Shut . . . up . . ."
"So will there be a celebration?" the Regent Cid of Lindblum queried, cocking his head curiously.
"Absolutely!" Garnet exclaimed. "We're inviting all of Gaia! Anyone can come! Of course, the party in the castle will be reserved only for nobles and our friends, but Alexandria will be open to anybody! It's going to be so much fun!"
"Wow . . ." Regent Cid's wife, Lady Hilda, murmured in awe. "That's amazing. How will anyone else know about this?"
"Oh, it's in the papers," Garnet stated, nodding. "We're gonna make sure EVERYBODY knows!"
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A/N: Did anyone catch that?! *Siren goes off* IT'S - IN - THE - PAPERS! *Bangs her hand on the desk* Plot point! Yeah! Anyhow, wasn't that just SO sweet?! Zidane is such a little cutey! But he won't be like that most of the story. He'll be . . . well . . . Zidane-ish. Not romance-ish. And don't worry, the two groups of people I keep going back and forth between will unite very soon. And also, pretty much every character will play a part in this fan fic (even Quina) so no matter who you're a fan of, you can bet they'll do something in this story. It's not promised but it's very probable. Even the Tantalus crew will be in it. Not to mention a little Conde Petie flavor and stuff. And don't forget: READ AND REVIEW! I don't want any less than five (please!) Oh, and did anyone catch the FFVII reference? If you've played the game it was pretty obvious. And it MIGHT play a part in this fic later. Not sure yet . . .
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX no está mi videojuega. ¡Yo no tengo el juega porque yo no estoy rica y famosa! Blah . . .
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"Zidane, I have the greatest idea. Wait until you hear this,"
Zidane didn't like the sound of that. He looked up from his breakfast and stared across the table at Queen Garnet Til Alexandros the XVII, his eyes glistening suspiciously. It was still around five in the morning and the two were probably the only people awake in the entire castle besides the guards. The ruler grinned back at him smugly, resting her chin in her hand.
"If this has anything to do with me marrying Eiko, I'll pass," Zidane muttered, nibbling on a piece of rye toast. Garnet laughed and stood up out of her chair across the long, antique table. She passed at least eight seats and finally plopped down into the one next to the nervous genome, her eyes still dancing.
"Of course not!" Garnet teased, grabbing the rye toast out of his hand just as he was about to take a bite and setting it upon the silky tablecloth. The guards stationed at the door cringed at the greasy spot forming beneath it.
"Then what is it?" Zidane muttered, staring longingly at the forbidden toast. Garnet scooted a little closer to the him, trying to contain her excitement.
"Why don't I leave my queenly duties behind and we just desert Alexandria for a day or two and . . . I dunno . . . elope or something . . ."
Zidane looked up sharply, the bread momentarily forgotten.
"Elope?"
"Yeah, sure! Why not?"
The former thief frowned thoughtfully for a moment, staring across the table to the far wall. Suddenly, he pushed his chair back and stood up, chewing on his lip once more.
"You know what, Dagger? I've got a better idea,"
Garnet watched him, hurt, and felt the first pangs of neglect.
/He doesn't want to be with me!/ she thought miserably. /What have I done wrong? Did I push too much? But I've hardly said a word! I don't understand!/
The young queen watched the blonde-tailed genome scratch his head as he walked past her and out of the room, nodding to the two guards who stepped out of the way to let him by. Garnet could feel the tears forming in her eyes and she leapt up out of her seat and ran after the boy, pushing the doors open and accidentally knocking into one of the guard's shoulders.
"Zidane! Wait! Where are you - "
She stopped. Zidane was standing in front of her, holding a folded up piece of cloth in his hand. Garnet stared at it, blinking in surprise, before it dawned on her what it was.
"My mage robe!" she exclaimed, reaching out and touching the soft white fabric. Zidane nodded.
"Dagger - if you would be so kind - I would like to reenact a very special moment of my life with you. With minor changes which I will add myself, of course,"
Garnet raised an eyebrow.
"Have you lost your - "
"Please? Just play along,"
Garnet wasn't sure where Zidane was going with this, so she sighed and nodded.
"Sure, why not . . ."
Zidane grinned with excitement and handed her the cloak, his tail wagging happily.
"Yes! Come on, let's go!" he grabbed her by the arm and began to drag the reluctant queen off, smiling with joy.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The two nineteen-year-olds stationed themselves in their proper spots; Zidane at the bottom of the staircase leading to the royal theater seats, and Garnet standing in front of them. After a moment of hesitation in which the blonde cleared his throat, Zidane began to run up the steps signaling for the scene to start. Garnet couldn't help but smile to herself. How she'd forgotten those days . . .
As Zidane charged up the stairs, Garnet hurried forward, timing her steps so that the two teens would run into each other. The young queen, feeling foolish as she faked surprise, stumbled backwards as Zidane - being the skilled actor that he is - let out a yelp of bewilderment. The two stood there for a moment, dusting their clothes off. Garnet had forgotten how nice it felt to wear her white mage cloak. She noticed, vaguely, that she did not have her yellow stretch-clothes on underneath it like she had the first time. Rather, she was framed by a thin blue dress. Not that it mattered . . .
The two gazed at each other silently for a moment and Zidane raised an eyebrow expectantly. Garnet blushed, remembering that she had been the first to speak all those years ago . . .
"Um . . . Would you please let me pass . . .?" she squeaked, the words feeling almost painfully nostalgic to her.
/Maybe Zidane's idea wasn't so bad after all . . ./
Her companion's eyes widened and he cocked his head thoughtfully, peering at Garnet's delicate features almost deliriously. Garnet laughed at the impersonation and tried to act annoyed despite the fact that she was, in fact, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
"Is there . . . something . . . on my face?" the young queen snorted. Zidane managed to keep the act up perfectly, his tail curling around his ankle as he pretended to be embarrassed at his rudeness.
"Oh no," he said. "You see, I thought maybe you were the one I'd been waiting for all this time!"
Garnet giggled and folded her arms doubtfully.
"Excuse me? You were waiting for me?"
Zidane nodded, giving her an approving glance.
"Yeah! I've dreamed of meeting you here ever since I was born!"
Garnet pulled on the strings of her hood, fearing it would slip off her hair.
"Do you mock me?" she asked haughtily, unaccustomed to the formal speech she had once been told was the ONLY way to speak. During her journey Zidane had taught her the joy of using such phrases as "Allrighty," and "Get off me you scumbag!" The thief shook his head hurriedly.
"No! Of course not!" he exclaimed, bowing his head in submission. Garnet smirked and stuck a hip out in a bitchy, supercilious sort of manner.
"Then I shall take my leave of you!" she snapped, pushing Zidane out of the way and brushing past him. The blonde genome - acting surprisingly realistic - jumped in front of her and grabbed her forearms, staring desperately into her lovely brown eyes.
"Wait!" he begged. "You can't go! I could never let someone as pretty as you get away! Say, you wouldn't - "
He stopped. Garnet raised an eyebrow with curiosity. When the scene had first been "performed" over three years earlier, when they were still only sixteen and quite young, Blank had come running up the stairs before Zidane had finished his thought. Now, the two of them stood there, Garnet waiting to see what would happen next.
Zidane slowly let go of the queen's arms and dropped carefully down onto one knee, right hand taking his Dagger's, the other reaching into his vest pocket.
"Say . . ." he repeated, looking deep into her eyes. "You wouldn't . . . you wouldn't mind if I . . . asked you to marry me?"
The blonde-haired genome silently slipped a dazzling diamond ring onto the young queen's finger, his tail brushing the ground softly, his eyes staring like laser-beams into hers, wide with hope.
Garnet couldn't breathe. How was this possible?! How had this happened?! She couldn't believe it! This was UNbelievable! The shocked summoner stood there, speechless and dumbfounded, before letting out a choked gasp and bursting into tears.
"Oh my god, Zidane! Of course I'll marry you!" she sobbed, collapsing onto the ground before him and throwing her arms around her new fiancé's neck. Zidane grinned, holding back his own tears. He rocked the brunette back and forth in his arms, embracing her warm body against his.
"I love you, Dagger . . ." he whispered. After a moment Garnet pulled back, sniffling as she beamed.
"We . . . we've got to tell everyone!" she sputtered. "We're going to have a celebration! Anyone can come! From anywhere!"
She stood up, grinning at the proud look on Zidane's face. He nodded.
"I'll go notify the newspapers,"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Say, Feather. What would you do if I kicked over all the supplies in this shop and spray painted the walls to say 'Feather Sucks?'"
Kuja blinked and looked up from the device seated across his lap, not sure if he'd heard the question correctly. He stared at Megan for probably a full twenty minutes before answering.
"Er . . . Clean it up . . .?" he queried uncertainly. Megan leaned over the item shop counter, smirking at the strange look on his face.
"You wouldn't . . . I dunno . . . hurt me or anything?"
"Uh . . . no . . ."
Megan frowned and straightened back up, looking suspiciously into the young man's eyes.
"Don't you ever get angry?" she asked, gripping the edge of the counter and pushing herself up backwards onto the wooden surface. The young girl folded her legs, watching the silver-haired man curiously. She knew if her mother were around she'd probably find her ass over her head for sitting there, but with Feather - no, no - everything was always all right with Feather. The said man laughed as if sharing an inside joke with himself.
"You wouldn't like me when I'm angry . . ." he commented, going back to his previous activity. While working in the Yorokobi Item Shop, Kuja had become very interested in weapons having never used one himself. The one seated across his lap was his favorite - and also one of the rarest and most expensive weapons out there. The Yorokobi's were known many towns over for having it but they would never EVER sell it. It was like a family heirloom or something. It was called the Masamune, and it had once been wielded by a very special, very famous warrior whom Megan did not know the name of off the top of her head.
She raised an eyebrow.
"Is that so . . .?" she mocked, lying down on her side and propping her head up with one arm.
"Mhmm . . ."
Megan laughed. Somehow, she couldn't see sweet, innocent little Feather harming a fly. Then again, she could still remember the first time she'd met him. A completely different side of Feather had shown through; one she wished never to see again.
/Flash/
"Don't . . . touch me . . ."
"Please . . ."
"No . . . No . . .!"
/Flash/
The copper-haired woman shuddered. He'd been in nasty shape. It had looked as if he'd crawled out of the Pit of Despair, bleeding to death and in shock. When her mother had tried to help him, the injured man had fought back. Later on, he claimed he had done no such thing and couldn't remember anything that had happened that day. She wondered what he meant . . . She wouldn't like him when he's angry . . .
"So . . ."
"Hmm?"
"Uh . . ."
Feather was too busy polishing the six-foot blade of the Masamune to notice Megan's silence. She sighed.
"I'm gonna go . . ." she muttered. As she dropped off the counter-top with a small thud - landing lightly on her feet, the door opened with a tinkling bell and Megan side-stepped as an old woman entered, muttering about her lazy son. Feather glanced up and set the Masamune down on the floor gently.
"Hey Ms. Hilda," he greeted, standing up. "Can I help you?"
The old woman looked distinctly ruffled. "My stupid son has gone and gotten himself silenced by one of his nasty little friends," she snarled bitterly. "I need an echo screen or two,"
Feather nodded, smiling. "Coming right up!" The young man hoisted himself up and over the counter before trotting up to one of the shelves, running his index finger over the labels, and scanning the boxes for the article. Megan suddenly noticed a flash of silver near the young man's leg. She blinked, frowning, and squinted her eyes, trying to figure out the source of the movement. Out of nowhere, she spotted Feather's tail, hovering near his ankles. She sucked in her breath quickly. She'd almost forgotten he had one!
"Ah, got it!" Feather announced, snagging a blue bottle off the shelf and tossing it into the air with jovial triumph. He handed it to the old woman and tried to explain to her how to use it. As he did that, Megan turned to the back room, wondering if her grandmother was in there. Pushing the swinging door open and squeezing her way into the cramped little warehouse, Megan did, indeed, spot her late father's mother, stacking boxes onto the shelves with amazing mobility for someone her age.
"What's up?" Megan queried, kicking an empty potion bottle out of the way. Her grandmother looked up, slightly startled, and smiled as she wiped her brow.
"Hey! How's my little grand-daughter?" the old woman asked cheerfully as she straightened herself. "Still single I see . . . and unemployed . . ."
"Grandma!"
"Just kidding, just kidding. So, 'what's up?'"
Megan sighed, running her fingers through her soft hair. "I was just wondering . . . Grandma, why does Feather have a tail? Don't you find that strange?" her grandmother chuckled, opening a drawer and pulling out an old feather duster.
"Not really," she stated, sniffing the duster and recoiling slightly. "After all, he's a pretty strange boy anyways,"
Megan nodded absently, listened to the muffled conversation from behind the door.
Suddenly, it swung open, causing the old woman to drop the feather duster with surprise. Feather stood there illuminated in the doorway, smiling.
"Hey! Is there a party back here that I'm not invited to?!"
Megan rolled her eyes. "Party's canceled," she joked, grabbing Feather's arm and steering him out of the room. She turned and winked at her grandmother, muttering "Separation anxiety,"
Laughing, the young girl closed the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"No way! No - way! Nowaynowaynowaynowaynoway!"
"Yes way!"
"NO!"
"YES!"
"I don't believe it!"
"You better believe it!"
Eiko Carol threw her arms around Queen Garnet's legs, hugging the elder tightly in a stifling embrace. "Dagger, I'm so proud of you!" she exclaimed, staring up into her idols blissful face. Zidane ruffled Eiko's hair happily, smirking down at the small, purple-haired nine-year-old. The crew stood in one of the many hallways of Alexandria Castle, the news having just been revealed of Zidane's proposal to Queen Garnet.
"Guess this means you can't marry me," the thief pointed out, grinning at the young summoner's disgust.
"Oh, I can still dream!" Eiko chimed, folding her arms over her chest and sticking her bottom lip out indignantly.
"But really, your majesty, we are so proud," Freya Crescent, a tall Burmecian knight, articulated, bowing her head respectfully. Garnet gave her an annoyed look.
"Don't bow your head to me, Freya!" she scolded, looking up at the tall rat- like woman. "We're friends! I don't look down upon you any more than I look down upon Steiner!"
"Hey!" Steiner pouted, putting his hands on his hips in frustration.
"Yeah, and I won't either when I'm king," Zidane joked, patting Freya on the back. She winced. So did everyone else in the room.
"Zidane as a king . . ." Amarant, a husky red-haired bandit, muttered, glaring at the floor. "It's the end of the world . . ."
"Oh, shut up," the young genome snapped, rolling his eyes.
"I think you'll make an excellent king . . ." Vivi, a small black mage, murmured, straightening his large yellow hat.
"As do I," the female general, Beatrix, agreed, roping her arm through Steiner's. The tall armor-clad knight blushed at his lady. The two weren't married yet but Zidane and Garnet were expecting the question any day.
"Zidane! You make best king ever! Better than Master Quale's pancakes!" Quina, the obese, pink gourmand, guffawed, nodding his head approvingly. Zidane scratched the back of his neck uncertainly.
"Uh . . . thanks Quina . . ."
Fratley laughed. He was another tall Burmecian knight. "I think the two of you will be magnificent together!" the said knight bellowed, placing an arm around Freya's shoulder. Their situation was much like that of Beatrix and Steiner, however, Freya was still uncertain of the powerful commitment involved in a nuptial. Fratley's amnesia had not relented in the least and his knowledge of their past together seemed lost forever.
Lani, the exotic female warrior, leaned against the wall, kicking her axe in a bored manner. "At least I can say I was beaten by the king of Alexandria . . ." she muttered. Smirking, the bandit batted her eyelashes at Amarant, looking quite smug. "What about you?" The response was simple.
"Shut . . . up . . ."
"So will there be a celebration?" the Regent Cid of Lindblum queried, cocking his head curiously.
"Absolutely!" Garnet exclaimed. "We're inviting all of Gaia! Anyone can come! Of course, the party in the castle will be reserved only for nobles and our friends, but Alexandria will be open to anybody! It's going to be so much fun!"
"Wow . . ." Regent Cid's wife, Lady Hilda, murmured in awe. "That's amazing. How will anyone else know about this?"
"Oh, it's in the papers," Garnet stated, nodding. "We're gonna make sure EVERYBODY knows!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Did anyone catch that?! *Siren goes off* IT'S - IN - THE - PAPERS! *Bangs her hand on the desk* Plot point! Yeah! Anyhow, wasn't that just SO sweet?! Zidane is such a little cutey! But he won't be like that most of the story. He'll be . . . well . . . Zidane-ish. Not romance-ish. And don't worry, the two groups of people I keep going back and forth between will unite very soon. And also, pretty much every character will play a part in this fan fic (even Quina) so no matter who you're a fan of, you can bet they'll do something in this story. It's not promised but it's very probable. Even the Tantalus crew will be in it. Not to mention a little Conde Petie flavor and stuff. And don't forget: READ AND REVIEW! I don't want any less than five (please!) Oh, and did anyone catch the FFVII reference? If you've played the game it was pretty obvious. And it MIGHT play a part in this fic later. Not sure yet . . .