Wow… It certainly has been a while since I last updated this *_* Months. To make up for it, here's an extra long chapter! XD Not that that really makes up for anything at all… You know the deal about copyrights, right? Good.
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It was a horrible sight. The entire tree looked as though it had used every bit of strength it had to extend its vines towards something near the base of the tree. Why would it do that? Exactly what was it after at the base? The entire tree had been petrified, much like the trees in the Evil Forest had been in the beginning of their journey so long ago. Maybe Zidane had been petrified… Then the Supersoft could cure him! It would be so simple, and then he'd be back. In her heart Garnet knew that that would be far too easy, far too unreal. That may have been the outcome in a world of perfection, but not here. Not here on their continent, maybe not even anywhere on this entire planet.
Steiner approached her slowly, "your Majesty, we're here…"
"I know Steiner, I'm ready… Or at least I think I am…" Garnet allowed him to help her up and then headed off in the direction of the tree. They left the ship in a hurry, eager to be on solid ground once again. The tree looked much larger at this range, and the ground around it was dark and cold, like the life had been taken from it in a cruel way. The entire scene set before was not one that was particularly inviting. Garnet looked to the faces of her friends and noticed that both Vivi and Eiko looked severely shaken by this whole visage… Even Steiner and Beatrix seemed to be bothered deeply by it.
"Come now everyone… Let's bring him home!" Steiner broke the silence as he struck a 'heroic' pose. He looked more comical than anything else, but everyone cheered joyously in agreement despite the humorous facade. The group marched behind him, still much in fear and doubt.
The inside of the tree was even less inviting than the outside of it was. The cold and dark corridors offered the party no comfort. The inside of the tree had changed immensely; since the mist had cleared there were no longer many monsters anywhere, and here seemed to be no exception. There was not a monster to be seen in this place, there was absolutely nothing to disturb the eerie peace that seemed to be haunting this place since they were last here.
As the group went into the corridors, they noticed that each chamber was darker and deeper than the last, and if it weren't for the small fires Vivi had lit by each door, they could have been lost in the cavernous place forever. Each person also had his or her own torch (these two were also compliments of Vivi's spectacular talents). It was strange to see that the chambers were 'in tact', if you disregarded the vines that had invaded most of the rooms.
The air got very stale as the group worked their way to the center of the Iifa Tree, and soon they arrived at the chamber in the center of the tree. A sense of panic came over Garnet as she peered into the room before her, illuminated by the torches held by the companions. Vines had driven themselves into the ground, almost as if they were pursuing something that had at one time been there. The torchlight set bizarre shadows around the room, making it even more chilling as they entered it for further inspection. Garnet couldn't take her eye off of the vines in the center of the room. There was something about them that was different from all the other attacking vines in the tree. Whatever the vines were after was in this room; she knew it. After staring at the vines for a long period of time, she realized exactly why these frightened her so much at first glance. In the torchlight she saw a glint of red flashing on the vines, each one stained a deep red color. These colors were not natural, and she knew exactly what had done this to them. These vines had found whom they wanted to attack… And they must have succeeded. The vines were stained with the deep colors of blood and it ran far up and down each vine. They had found their target… And by the looks of things, they had triumphed over him.
I appeared that Garnet was not the only one to notice the deep red that covered the bottoms of the vines. Vivi was looking to the floor, shaking his head and Eiko had started crying quietly beside her. Beatrix looked to Garnet sadly, almost as if she were expecting some explosive reaction that she had thought had been inside of Garnet all along. Steiner had begun to walk towards the scene, unable to believe what he was seeing before him.
"No…" Garnet was the first to speak, her voice sounding hollow, bouncing off the walls of the room. "It can't be!" The princess backed away from her friends, shaking her head frantically.
"Your Majesty…" Beatrix approached her slowly, as she watched Garnet's tears fall silently to the ground.
"He's not here!" Steiner's voice broke the tense atmosphere slightly. "It may not have been him! Wait…" Steiner's voice broke off suddenly.
"What is it Steiner?" Beatrix yelled skeptically.
"There's a trail of…" he broke off choking on his own words. "Whoever was hurt tried to leave! This trail might lead to whoever was hurt!" His steps could be heard going in the other direction.
"Come on now, Dagger! Don't cry, I mean we don't know much yet, right?" Vivi ran to help her up as he spoke.
"Right, let's find him… No matter what." Garnet smiled through tears while Beatrix gripped her other arm to help her up.
Soon the group had caught up with Steiner and all seven of the companions were now bounding down the long corridor following a grim trail, one that they dreaded what they would find at the end. Garnet couldn't help thinking… What if it wasn't him? What if he was perfectly safe somewhere right now, living his life. She decided to only concentrate on following the trail for now, as the only way she would ever know if he was safe or not would be if she let time tell.
The chambers continued on for what seemed like an eternity, each getting lighter as they traveled further and further away from the center of the tree. Each step brought them closer to the outside world. The trail never did lead them there… It seemed to just cut off sometime before the entrance to the Iifa Tree.
"That's it… It was for nothing." Garnet's feet were receiving the piercing stare of a lifetime as she glared at the ground. She quickly shut her eyes, trying to keep fresh tears from emerging.
It was silent for a long time after; everyone had chosen a little spot to sit where they could rest and gather together all the thought they had floating around in their heads. The silence was eerie, until it was broken by a very unusual noise. Through the darkness the companions heard a strange fluttering noise, much like the noise you hear when a rather large bird is nearby. The next noise made it incredibly easy to identify the creature in the darkness as the companions heard a whispered 'kupo' sound in the cavern.
Everyone looked up at the same time, but Eiko was the first to react. "Who's there? Don't be scared, we won't hurt you. Come on," she said in a small whisper.
The small pink moogle pulled herself out from behind one of the large petrified vines that had fallen over due to its weight.
"What's your name, little friend?" Garnet knelt down so that she could communicate more effectively with the small moogle.
"Mognissa, kupo." The moogle shook as she spoke.
"It's nice to meet you, Mognissa. I'm Garnet, but my friend sometimes call me Dagger. These are my friends, meet Vivi, Steiner, Amarant, Freya, Eiko, Quina, and Beatrix. Don't be scared little one. No one here will hurt you," she smiled as she spoke. The moogle looked considerably more comfortable after the introductions.
"Do you know anything about what happened here, Mognissa?" Freya knelt down beside Garnet, trying to rush the situation a long.
"He was hurt… Bad, kupo. The tree attacked them, it did. It's an evil tree. No one could help him…" It was obvious that the moogle had been through quite a traumatic ordeal. She spoke very quickly and her gaze hardly left the ground.
"Who?" Vivi had stepped forward.
"He was already dead… The blonde-haired boy tried to get him out, but he was hurt bad too. The tree tried to kill him, it did."
"… It didn't kill the blonde man, did it?" Dagger's voice was very shaken.
"I don't know… They took him…"
"Who took him? Where did they take him!?" Amarant's tone was annoyed, but no one could really understand why. He hadn't cared in the least earlier.
"Relax, Amarant… Don't scare her," scolded Beatrix sternly.
"I didn't see his face… But he was pretty big. He had friends, kupo. The blonde man had just collapsed and I was going to go help him, but the strangers beat me to him. The big man had five friends with him, but I didn't hear what they said to each other. They spoke in really hushed tones… They picked him up and carried him with them, but the other one…" The moogle glanced out the opening as she paused, "they buried him in the field.
"I see… About the other man… How sever were his injuries? Could one survive such?" Steiner looked a little more optimistic concerning Zidane's well-being. At least someone had come to his aid. Hopefully that was the strangers intention.
The moogle looked down at her feet again, feeling uncomfortable with all of the sets of eyes focused on her small frame. "It was bad… I don't think he could breathe. He left a message where the tree attacked him, I saw him pin it to the vine before it petrified. It might be petrified too, kupo. It might have been a kind of farewell. I think he thought he was going to die…"
"A note? Should we find it?" spoke Quina quietly, something very uncharacteristic for the Qu, "maybe Zidane left directions! Maybe he find yummies…"
Garnet shook her head. "I don't know about the yummies, Quina, but I think it'd be a good idea to look for that note." Garnet rose and turned from the exit. "Come on you guys." She started to walk back into the darkness of the center. The others trailed her reluctantly, hope glimmering faintly for hope of what news Zidane's note would bring.
The cavern was even more dark and lonely on the trip back. The optimistic mood, however fake it might have been, had now faded and left the part with only a growing sense of dread that only grew with each step they took further into the darkness.
Garnet tried to keep her gaze ahead of her; as she didn't want to look at the blood soaked ground on which she walked. The smell of it hung in the air, making Garnet lose the awareness of many of her senses. The thought of the pain he must have suffered… It broke her heart.
He had always done what he could to protect her, and now there was nothing she could do to save him.
The sound of dripping water could now be heard. "It must have started raining," said Vivi, shivering in the damp cavern while struggling to keep up with Garnet's quick pace. Rain. It seemed that rain had been more common since the day they fought in the Iifa. Maybe it was just the princess' imagination, but the last year had been damp, lonely and tired, the weather changing to fit her mood.
"Well, we're here. Mognissa, where did he leave the note?" Freya broke the silence as they entered the central chamber.
"Over here, kupo." The little moogle picked herself up off of the ground and fluttered to where the note must've been. "He left it here after he pulled the vines out of himself, kupo. They were what hurt him…" Garnet felt he heart wrench as the moogle described how Zidane was injured. She tried to bloack it from her mind, with little success. The moogle disappeared momentarily, returning with a torn piece of parchment. "It wasn't petrified! KUPO!" The little moogle seemed slightly excited. Mognissa carefully handed the delicate piece of parchment to Garnet.
The parchment was also stained with blood and seemed to have a fairly lengthy message crudely written with a piece of charcoal. Garnet did her best to read it a loud as she choked back tears.
Hey guys,
I'm not sure if you'll read this or anything, but just in case you come looking for me or something, I thought it might be a good idea to explain a bit about what happened and to let you know that I survived the Iifa Tree's attack… With some minor injuries, of course…Anyways, Kuja was here in the center of the tree when I found him… But just before the tree attacked… I lost him. Then the vines came. I'm hurt and that, but I'm alive and that's all that really matters. I'm going to do what I can to get Kuja out of here, and I'm going to do everything I can to make it back to see all of you. In case my little plan doesn't carry out, I'll just say my piece to each of you. Listen good, guys!
Vivi - You're one of those great friends people always remember, and you're always there to help out… Even when you do want to run away screaming. Keep going little buddy! You've gotten this far; you must be doing something right.
Freya - Knowing you for years has really had an influence on me. Good or bad, I'm not really sure. In any case, you're one the strongest and most determined person I've ever met… And damned persistent too! You'll find what you're looking for… Just don't ever give up.
Steiner - Well, Rusty, things started off rough between you and me, but I have to say I trust you to watch my back. You may be hardheaded and stubborn, but I know in the end… You'll take care of everyone.
Quina - You'll keep everyone well fed right, Quina? You're a strong one, and just 'cause not everyone sees it, doesn't mean it's not there. I've seen it, I should know.
Eiko - You'll be a great summoner one day, Eiko. That I know for a fact. I know that I can trust you to take care of people and grow up to be the best person you can possibly be. Hell, you're more mature than I am most of the time!
Amarant - We've definitely had our differences. I say up, you say down. I say black, you say white…But still the two of us have a lot in common in the way we live our lives. You'll do fine, just don't get caught. Seriously. The last thing I want to have to do is break your butt out of prison.
Tantalus - You guys are my family, and I'd trust you with my life. I probably wouldn't be around if it wasn't for all of you. You're my brothers (and sister) and you guys know I suck at all this sappy stuff so…Thanks.
Dagger - Last but certainly not least… Thank you… You helped me be a better person; I changed a lot for the better because of you. You know how much I care about you, and I just wish things were different so we could see where that could go. Well Princess, I want you to know that you'll make a great queen someday… You can do whatever you put your mind too. That's one of the many things I love about you. Take care, and I'm sorry that I've never been the kind of friend you deserve, but I think the only people that deserve your friendship are the people that you're with now… Be strong, OK? You have a whole country to take care of.
There's a good chance that this letter will be all pointless and stuff cause we'll all meet again soon… I have faith in that. See you all soon, and don't you dare forget about me! Soon, OK?
Zidane
"It sounded like a goodbye…" Beatrix whispered, her face solemn. It was a useless comment because pretty much everyone had understood the meaning of the letter. Though Zidane had tried to put a happy face on everything he said… He really did make it sound like he wasn't coming back. It did sound like a goodbye. He was never that serious, and he wouldn't have written a long letter if he truly believed they'd see each other again.
Dagger looked at the letter again as tears rolled down her face. He had cared about her! Now it was too late… Beatrix approached the princess and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. Garnet had felt like such a crybaby as of late… No wonder everyone treated her like she was made of glass. She would break down at any mention of pain, any mention of being alone… She was tired of crying. She was tired of being made of glass. Looking around the room made the feeling even worse, because she noticed that she was crying when she should be helping her friends. She wasn't the only one feeling pain. She watched as Eiko sobbed, Quina at her side. Vivi sat on the ground, his hat tipped over his eyes and face, hiding whatever expression he had. Steiner kneeled beside the young black mage, doing what he could to comfort him.
"He'll make it… I know he's OK…" Garnet wiped the tears off of her pale face and did her best to hold her chin high as she spoke. "Come on you guys, let's go home," she sniffed, "he may already be there… Waiting for us!" Garnet turned away and headed for the exit. "Let's go…"
The others all looked at each other, and some sighed. She had such high hopes, despite the depression caused by the letter. She wouldn't give up; she was in denial.
The trip back was harder to bear than anything. The splendor of the twinkling stars against the navy blue sky was not enough to brighten the mood. No matter how vivid the stars were as they illuminated the deck of the airship, they could not bring comfort to its crew.
The entire party was sitting in the bow of the airship, all but Garnet who was standing alone at the stern. So many thoughts were going through her mind as she watched the ocean beneath the boat as they flew over top of it. They waves were tiny, with very little wind to move them. Other than that, the night was almost completely silent.
He was coming home… He had to, he wouldn't lie. He said he'd see them again… Garnet sighed heavily and took out her pendant that she had hidden beneath her shirt. It gleamed slightly in the starlight as tears started to stream down her face. Though outwardly she seemed hopeful, inside that letter had broken down what little hope remained in her heart. If Zidane was coming home, the letter would've been vague and brief… It just wasn't like him to write such a letter, especially one so serious.
Two more days… Garnet leaned upon the railing of the ship. Her tears continued to flow some dropping onto the deck and others dropping onto her shirt and her pendant. Only one fell from her face and dropped into the ocean far beneath the ship into the stunning sea below. Deep inside, Dagger felt as though she had about as much chance of finding Zidane in Gaia as she did of finding that tear in the ocean.
She thought grimly about going after that tear; jumping over the steel railing to find it, deep below the cerulean surface of the water. She clutched the railing thoughtfully, until her knuckles had turned white from the pressure. "No…," she whispered, pulling her vicegrip from the railing and turning away. Zidane believed in her. Alexandria believed in her. Quina, Eiko, Steiner, Beatrix, Freya and even Amarant believed in her… She couldn't let them down. She tucked the pendant back into her shirt and looked up to the bright starry sky.
A shooting star streaked across it, lighting the water below more brightly than Garnet had ever seen at this time of night; even by moonlight. "I wish…" whispered Garnet, clutching the pendant beneath her shirt again. It had sort of become a comfort item for her… Which was strange because of all the pain it had caused her earlier last year.
They had already spent a total of four days on the journey and at the Iifa tree itself, and there would still be two more to pass before she was home in Alexandria.
"Dagger…" Eiko appeared carrying a small candle. "We're lighting candles and Beatrix is using her magic to make them float… It looks really pretty." Eiko looked noticeably happier with the flickering candle light illuminating her round face. Eiko carefully handed Garnet a small candle. "Come on… It'll cheer you up." Garnet nodded solemnly and took the candle. Eiko grabbed Garnet's free hand with her own and headed for the bow of the ship.
The scene was warm and comforting, like a surreal dream that Garnet never wanted to wake from. Her friends looked happy, watching the tiny lights twinkling behind the ship as it tore through the air. The lights were small in numbers, but it almost seemed as though they engulfed the night sky. They were nearly the same hue as the twinkling stars; maybe more orange than the yellow-white stars in the sky. Vivi was lighting the candles with a very mild fire spell, and Beatrix was waving her sword casting the float spell.
The beautiful night was more soothing to Garnet now, but still a tear feel down her cheek. She was tired of crying. She wiped the tear away and forced her own realization…
Zidane was not coming home.
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Wow, that's three times longer than usual! Yeah, I know that really doesn't make up for the months of updates I should have been doing but didn't. I hope Zidane was in character *_* Ah well. Read and review… And all the mumbo-jumbo :) 22 pages down, 36 to go! X_x
It was a horrible sight. The entire tree looked as though it had used every bit of strength it had to extend its vines towards something near the base of the tree. Why would it do that? Exactly what was it after at the base? The entire tree had been petrified, much like the trees in the Evil Forest had been in the beginning of their journey so long ago. Maybe Zidane had been petrified… Then the Supersoft could cure him! It would be so simple, and then he'd be back. In her heart Garnet knew that that would be far too easy, far too unreal. That may have been the outcome in a world of perfection, but not here. Not here on their continent, maybe not even anywhere on this entire planet.
Steiner approached her slowly, "your Majesty, we're here…"
"I know Steiner, I'm ready… Or at least I think I am…" Garnet allowed him to help her up and then headed off in the direction of the tree. They left the ship in a hurry, eager to be on solid ground once again. The tree looked much larger at this range, and the ground around it was dark and cold, like the life had been taken from it in a cruel way. The entire scene set before was not one that was particularly inviting. Garnet looked to the faces of her friends and noticed that both Vivi and Eiko looked severely shaken by this whole visage… Even Steiner and Beatrix seemed to be bothered deeply by it.
"Come now everyone… Let's bring him home!" Steiner broke the silence as he struck a 'heroic' pose. He looked more comical than anything else, but everyone cheered joyously in agreement despite the humorous facade. The group marched behind him, still much in fear and doubt.
The inside of the tree was even less inviting than the outside of it was. The cold and dark corridors offered the party no comfort. The inside of the tree had changed immensely; since the mist had cleared there were no longer many monsters anywhere, and here seemed to be no exception. There was not a monster to be seen in this place, there was absolutely nothing to disturb the eerie peace that seemed to be haunting this place since they were last here.
As the group went into the corridors, they noticed that each chamber was darker and deeper than the last, and if it weren't for the small fires Vivi had lit by each door, they could have been lost in the cavernous place forever. Each person also had his or her own torch (these two were also compliments of Vivi's spectacular talents). It was strange to see that the chambers were 'in tact', if you disregarded the vines that had invaded most of the rooms.
The air got very stale as the group worked their way to the center of the Iifa Tree, and soon they arrived at the chamber in the center of the tree. A sense of panic came over Garnet as she peered into the room before her, illuminated by the torches held by the companions. Vines had driven themselves into the ground, almost as if they were pursuing something that had at one time been there. The torchlight set bizarre shadows around the room, making it even more chilling as they entered it for further inspection. Garnet couldn't take her eye off of the vines in the center of the room. There was something about them that was different from all the other attacking vines in the tree. Whatever the vines were after was in this room; she knew it. After staring at the vines for a long period of time, she realized exactly why these frightened her so much at first glance. In the torchlight she saw a glint of red flashing on the vines, each one stained a deep red color. These colors were not natural, and she knew exactly what had done this to them. These vines had found whom they wanted to attack… And they must have succeeded. The vines were stained with the deep colors of blood and it ran far up and down each vine. They had found their target… And by the looks of things, they had triumphed over him.
I appeared that Garnet was not the only one to notice the deep red that covered the bottoms of the vines. Vivi was looking to the floor, shaking his head and Eiko had started crying quietly beside her. Beatrix looked to Garnet sadly, almost as if she were expecting some explosive reaction that she had thought had been inside of Garnet all along. Steiner had begun to walk towards the scene, unable to believe what he was seeing before him.
"No…" Garnet was the first to speak, her voice sounding hollow, bouncing off the walls of the room. "It can't be!" The princess backed away from her friends, shaking her head frantically.
"Your Majesty…" Beatrix approached her slowly, as she watched Garnet's tears fall silently to the ground.
"He's not here!" Steiner's voice broke the tense atmosphere slightly. "It may not have been him! Wait…" Steiner's voice broke off suddenly.
"What is it Steiner?" Beatrix yelled skeptically.
"There's a trail of…" he broke off choking on his own words. "Whoever was hurt tried to leave! This trail might lead to whoever was hurt!" His steps could be heard going in the other direction.
"Come on now, Dagger! Don't cry, I mean we don't know much yet, right?" Vivi ran to help her up as he spoke.
"Right, let's find him… No matter what." Garnet smiled through tears while Beatrix gripped her other arm to help her up.
Soon the group had caught up with Steiner and all seven of the companions were now bounding down the long corridor following a grim trail, one that they dreaded what they would find at the end. Garnet couldn't help thinking… What if it wasn't him? What if he was perfectly safe somewhere right now, living his life. She decided to only concentrate on following the trail for now, as the only way she would ever know if he was safe or not would be if she let time tell.
The chambers continued on for what seemed like an eternity, each getting lighter as they traveled further and further away from the center of the tree. Each step brought them closer to the outside world. The trail never did lead them there… It seemed to just cut off sometime before the entrance to the Iifa Tree.
"That's it… It was for nothing." Garnet's feet were receiving the piercing stare of a lifetime as she glared at the ground. She quickly shut her eyes, trying to keep fresh tears from emerging.
It was silent for a long time after; everyone had chosen a little spot to sit where they could rest and gather together all the thought they had floating around in their heads. The silence was eerie, until it was broken by a very unusual noise. Through the darkness the companions heard a strange fluttering noise, much like the noise you hear when a rather large bird is nearby. The next noise made it incredibly easy to identify the creature in the darkness as the companions heard a whispered 'kupo' sound in the cavern.
Everyone looked up at the same time, but Eiko was the first to react. "Who's there? Don't be scared, we won't hurt you. Come on," she said in a small whisper.
The small pink moogle pulled herself out from behind one of the large petrified vines that had fallen over due to its weight.
"What's your name, little friend?" Garnet knelt down so that she could communicate more effectively with the small moogle.
"Mognissa, kupo." The moogle shook as she spoke.
"It's nice to meet you, Mognissa. I'm Garnet, but my friend sometimes call me Dagger. These are my friends, meet Vivi, Steiner, Amarant, Freya, Eiko, Quina, and Beatrix. Don't be scared little one. No one here will hurt you," she smiled as she spoke. The moogle looked considerably more comfortable after the introductions.
"Do you know anything about what happened here, Mognissa?" Freya knelt down beside Garnet, trying to rush the situation a long.
"He was hurt… Bad, kupo. The tree attacked them, it did. It's an evil tree. No one could help him…" It was obvious that the moogle had been through quite a traumatic ordeal. She spoke very quickly and her gaze hardly left the ground.
"Who?" Vivi had stepped forward.
"He was already dead… The blonde-haired boy tried to get him out, but he was hurt bad too. The tree tried to kill him, it did."
"… It didn't kill the blonde man, did it?" Dagger's voice was very shaken.
"I don't know… They took him…"
"Who took him? Where did they take him!?" Amarant's tone was annoyed, but no one could really understand why. He hadn't cared in the least earlier.
"Relax, Amarant… Don't scare her," scolded Beatrix sternly.
"I didn't see his face… But he was pretty big. He had friends, kupo. The blonde man had just collapsed and I was going to go help him, but the strangers beat me to him. The big man had five friends with him, but I didn't hear what they said to each other. They spoke in really hushed tones… They picked him up and carried him with them, but the other one…" The moogle glanced out the opening as she paused, "they buried him in the field.
"I see… About the other man… How sever were his injuries? Could one survive such?" Steiner looked a little more optimistic concerning Zidane's well-being. At least someone had come to his aid. Hopefully that was the strangers intention.
The moogle looked down at her feet again, feeling uncomfortable with all of the sets of eyes focused on her small frame. "It was bad… I don't think he could breathe. He left a message where the tree attacked him, I saw him pin it to the vine before it petrified. It might be petrified too, kupo. It might have been a kind of farewell. I think he thought he was going to die…"
"A note? Should we find it?" spoke Quina quietly, something very uncharacteristic for the Qu, "maybe Zidane left directions! Maybe he find yummies…"
Garnet shook her head. "I don't know about the yummies, Quina, but I think it'd be a good idea to look for that note." Garnet rose and turned from the exit. "Come on you guys." She started to walk back into the darkness of the center. The others trailed her reluctantly, hope glimmering faintly for hope of what news Zidane's note would bring.
The cavern was even more dark and lonely on the trip back. The optimistic mood, however fake it might have been, had now faded and left the part with only a growing sense of dread that only grew with each step they took further into the darkness.
Garnet tried to keep her gaze ahead of her; as she didn't want to look at the blood soaked ground on which she walked. The smell of it hung in the air, making Garnet lose the awareness of many of her senses. The thought of the pain he must have suffered… It broke her heart.
He had always done what he could to protect her, and now there was nothing she could do to save him.
The sound of dripping water could now be heard. "It must have started raining," said Vivi, shivering in the damp cavern while struggling to keep up with Garnet's quick pace. Rain. It seemed that rain had been more common since the day they fought in the Iifa. Maybe it was just the princess' imagination, but the last year had been damp, lonely and tired, the weather changing to fit her mood.
"Well, we're here. Mognissa, where did he leave the note?" Freya broke the silence as they entered the central chamber.
"Over here, kupo." The little moogle picked herself up off of the ground and fluttered to where the note must've been. "He left it here after he pulled the vines out of himself, kupo. They were what hurt him…" Garnet felt he heart wrench as the moogle described how Zidane was injured. She tried to bloack it from her mind, with little success. The moogle disappeared momentarily, returning with a torn piece of parchment. "It wasn't petrified! KUPO!" The little moogle seemed slightly excited. Mognissa carefully handed the delicate piece of parchment to Garnet.
The parchment was also stained with blood and seemed to have a fairly lengthy message crudely written with a piece of charcoal. Garnet did her best to read it a loud as she choked back tears.
Hey guys,
I'm not sure if you'll read this or anything, but just in case you come looking for me or something, I thought it might be a good idea to explain a bit about what happened and to let you know that I survived the Iifa Tree's attack… With some minor injuries, of course…Anyways, Kuja was here in the center of the tree when I found him… But just before the tree attacked… I lost him. Then the vines came. I'm hurt and that, but I'm alive and that's all that really matters. I'm going to do what I can to get Kuja out of here, and I'm going to do everything I can to make it back to see all of you. In case my little plan doesn't carry out, I'll just say my piece to each of you. Listen good, guys!
Vivi - You're one of those great friends people always remember, and you're always there to help out… Even when you do want to run away screaming. Keep going little buddy! You've gotten this far; you must be doing something right.
Freya - Knowing you for years has really had an influence on me. Good or bad, I'm not really sure. In any case, you're one the strongest and most determined person I've ever met… And damned persistent too! You'll find what you're looking for… Just don't ever give up.
Steiner - Well, Rusty, things started off rough between you and me, but I have to say I trust you to watch my back. You may be hardheaded and stubborn, but I know in the end… You'll take care of everyone.
Quina - You'll keep everyone well fed right, Quina? You're a strong one, and just 'cause not everyone sees it, doesn't mean it's not there. I've seen it, I should know.
Eiko - You'll be a great summoner one day, Eiko. That I know for a fact. I know that I can trust you to take care of people and grow up to be the best person you can possibly be. Hell, you're more mature than I am most of the time!
Amarant - We've definitely had our differences. I say up, you say down. I say black, you say white…But still the two of us have a lot in common in the way we live our lives. You'll do fine, just don't get caught. Seriously. The last thing I want to have to do is break your butt out of prison.
Tantalus - You guys are my family, and I'd trust you with my life. I probably wouldn't be around if it wasn't for all of you. You're my brothers (and sister) and you guys know I suck at all this sappy stuff so…Thanks.
Dagger - Last but certainly not least… Thank you… You helped me be a better person; I changed a lot for the better because of you. You know how much I care about you, and I just wish things were different so we could see where that could go. Well Princess, I want you to know that you'll make a great queen someday… You can do whatever you put your mind too. That's one of the many things I love about you. Take care, and I'm sorry that I've never been the kind of friend you deserve, but I think the only people that deserve your friendship are the people that you're with now… Be strong, OK? You have a whole country to take care of.
There's a good chance that this letter will be all pointless and stuff cause we'll all meet again soon… I have faith in that. See you all soon, and don't you dare forget about me! Soon, OK?
Zidane
"It sounded like a goodbye…" Beatrix whispered, her face solemn. It was a useless comment because pretty much everyone had understood the meaning of the letter. Though Zidane had tried to put a happy face on everything he said… He really did make it sound like he wasn't coming back. It did sound like a goodbye. He was never that serious, and he wouldn't have written a long letter if he truly believed they'd see each other again.
Dagger looked at the letter again as tears rolled down her face. He had cared about her! Now it was too late… Beatrix approached the princess and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. Garnet had felt like such a crybaby as of late… No wonder everyone treated her like she was made of glass. She would break down at any mention of pain, any mention of being alone… She was tired of crying. She was tired of being made of glass. Looking around the room made the feeling even worse, because she noticed that she was crying when she should be helping her friends. She wasn't the only one feeling pain. She watched as Eiko sobbed, Quina at her side. Vivi sat on the ground, his hat tipped over his eyes and face, hiding whatever expression he had. Steiner kneeled beside the young black mage, doing what he could to comfort him.
"He'll make it… I know he's OK…" Garnet wiped the tears off of her pale face and did her best to hold her chin high as she spoke. "Come on you guys, let's go home," she sniffed, "he may already be there… Waiting for us!" Garnet turned away and headed for the exit. "Let's go…"
The others all looked at each other, and some sighed. She had such high hopes, despite the depression caused by the letter. She wouldn't give up; she was in denial.
The trip back was harder to bear than anything. The splendor of the twinkling stars against the navy blue sky was not enough to brighten the mood. No matter how vivid the stars were as they illuminated the deck of the airship, they could not bring comfort to its crew.
The entire party was sitting in the bow of the airship, all but Garnet who was standing alone at the stern. So many thoughts were going through her mind as she watched the ocean beneath the boat as they flew over top of it. They waves were tiny, with very little wind to move them. Other than that, the night was almost completely silent.
He was coming home… He had to, he wouldn't lie. He said he'd see them again… Garnet sighed heavily and took out her pendant that she had hidden beneath her shirt. It gleamed slightly in the starlight as tears started to stream down her face. Though outwardly she seemed hopeful, inside that letter had broken down what little hope remained in her heart. If Zidane was coming home, the letter would've been vague and brief… It just wasn't like him to write such a letter, especially one so serious.
Two more days… Garnet leaned upon the railing of the ship. Her tears continued to flow some dropping onto the deck and others dropping onto her shirt and her pendant. Only one fell from her face and dropped into the ocean far beneath the ship into the stunning sea below. Deep inside, Dagger felt as though she had about as much chance of finding Zidane in Gaia as she did of finding that tear in the ocean.
She thought grimly about going after that tear; jumping over the steel railing to find it, deep below the cerulean surface of the water. She clutched the railing thoughtfully, until her knuckles had turned white from the pressure. "No…," she whispered, pulling her vicegrip from the railing and turning away. Zidane believed in her. Alexandria believed in her. Quina, Eiko, Steiner, Beatrix, Freya and even Amarant believed in her… She couldn't let them down. She tucked the pendant back into her shirt and looked up to the bright starry sky.
A shooting star streaked across it, lighting the water below more brightly than Garnet had ever seen at this time of night; even by moonlight. "I wish…" whispered Garnet, clutching the pendant beneath her shirt again. It had sort of become a comfort item for her… Which was strange because of all the pain it had caused her earlier last year.
They had already spent a total of four days on the journey and at the Iifa tree itself, and there would still be two more to pass before she was home in Alexandria.
"Dagger…" Eiko appeared carrying a small candle. "We're lighting candles and Beatrix is using her magic to make them float… It looks really pretty." Eiko looked noticeably happier with the flickering candle light illuminating her round face. Eiko carefully handed Garnet a small candle. "Come on… It'll cheer you up." Garnet nodded solemnly and took the candle. Eiko grabbed Garnet's free hand with her own and headed for the bow of the ship.
The scene was warm and comforting, like a surreal dream that Garnet never wanted to wake from. Her friends looked happy, watching the tiny lights twinkling behind the ship as it tore through the air. The lights were small in numbers, but it almost seemed as though they engulfed the night sky. They were nearly the same hue as the twinkling stars; maybe more orange than the yellow-white stars in the sky. Vivi was lighting the candles with a very mild fire spell, and Beatrix was waving her sword casting the float spell.
The beautiful night was more soothing to Garnet now, but still a tear feel down her cheek. She was tired of crying. She wiped the tear away and forced her own realization…
Zidane was not coming home.
Wow, that's three times longer than usual! Yeah, I know that really doesn't make up for the months of updates I should have been doing but didn't. I hope Zidane was in character *_* Ah well. Read and review… And all the mumbo-jumbo :) 22 pages down, 36 to go! X_x