Running Away

Chapter 11. Bad Feelings

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A few weeks later…….

"Hi hun! What's up?" Cassie sweetly asked Zidane when she ran over to him, giving him a kiss on the cheek but he didn't show any reaction to it.

Zidane was sitting on a bench, soaking in all his thoughts of the few weeks and where Dagger was all the time. Cassie came and sat next to him, smiling happily at him and trying to get his attention. They were sitting in front of the side of Alexandria town, looking out into the green mountains taller than the town stone walls cutting most of it out of sight. It was still beautiful, since the sky was a lovely shade of blue with no clouds in the sky to be seen, though, Zidane didn't seem too happy, in fact, he didn't really show an emotion. Cassie started to get worried.

"Zidane? What's wrong?" she asked curiously, Zidane continued to gaze at the sky and didn't reply.

"Zidane! Answer me! Talk to me! What's wrong with you honey?" she shouted in his ear and shook him in the process, but he still didn't reply.

"You haven't been yourself these few weeks! Okay, that's it! I'm going Zidane! Good-bye!" she yelled at him angrily, waited for a reply but didn't get one, so she walked off.

Zidane didn't even seem to realize that she was there in the first place. He was too sad and upset to care. See, these few weeks, he hadn't seen Dagger at all since she was with Sir Robert all day. He was drowsy, tired, and dirty since he couldn't stand being in the castle anymore. He was ignoring everyone and they ignored him, everyone except Dagger; she didn't care anymore it seemed to Zidane. He just couldn't stand being in the same room as when Dagger and Robert would make out everyday, it was just too painful. It tore him to pieces inside his heart, so he didn't care. I mean, why should he care about her anymore, she had Robert and she didn't need him as a friend anymore. She had Robert.

She said, she loved me…..

She said, she had been having a hard time without me………….

Then, why is she not even talking to me now?

Why is she always around that Robert dude?

I feel, worthless now………………

I feel, stupid and upset that, she's not here, with me…………………..

I miss her……………

I miss having Dagger standing next to me with that lovely, sweet Dagger smile………………

Zidane covered his face with his hands, crying sadly into them. It was all too much for him. He had just got the news that Dagger was engaged to Robert. He didn't understand, why he was feeling this way…………………………

Why is this happening?

Why?

Why am I hurt?

Maybe……..

Maybe it wouldn't hurt, if I could go back to the castle………..

I, guess……………………

So, he went back to the castle, to have a talk with Dagger who luckily was in the castle.

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At the castle………..

Zidane entered the grand hallway and just then, a flashback clicked into his mind………………..

Flashback

Dagger ran to the door opening it and running down the stairs as quick as she could. Her heart was beating loudly as she opened the hallway door.

She stopped. Zidane was walking in the door with Freya and Vivi. They stopped. Zidane looked up at Dagger; his face had a touch of sadness in it. They gasped at each other. It was silent for a long time.

"So, um, good morning Princess Garnet." Zidane said startled and quickly bowed towards her.

Dagger gasped again.

She moved forward towards him, slowly walking down the stairs. He gazed back at her, his warm smile making her remember the adventures they had. She was standing right in front of him; she slowly put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Surprisingly she smiled at him.

"It's good to see you again Zidane. I need to talk to you. Privately." She said quietly.

End of Flashback

He sighed peacefully, nearly forgetting what he was going to do, but he remembered a few minutes later. He ran into the nearby study room, where sure enough there was Dagger, dressed in a light purple say dress, looking through an old think covered book near a tall bookcase that touched the ceiling. Dagger stopped her reading and put down her book, smiling happily at Zidane as she came over to him and surprisingly hugged him.

"Zidane! I haven't seen you for ages! Where have you been? Steiner and Beatrix told me you left the castle and didn't come back!" Dagger exclaimed happily, letting him go as they went and sat down in two warm red armchairs near the crackling fire.

"Dagger….." Zidane started uneasily.

"We really need to talk."

"Sure!" Dagger agreed pleasantly, smiling sweetly.

"Okay, first of all, why have you been going out with Robert so often?" Zidane asked.

"Um, I don't really know! Well, I love spending time with him!" Dagger answered casually.

"Zidane, are you, and Cassie, back together?" Dagger asked curiously, getting a little serious.

"Um, well, um, kind of, I've been kind of ignoring her lately." Zidane answered nervously.

"Why?" Dagger asked again.

"I, haven't been feeling well." Zidane said gravely, Dagger nodded as if she understood.

"Listen, about what I said about Cassie, I'm really sorry." Dagger apologized quickly, blushing.

"It's okay….." Zidane muttered softly.

It was quiet for a while.

"Dagger, this might sound weird, so could you do this for me?" Zidane said hopefully.

"Okay…" Dagger said in return as Zidane held her hands and looked straight into her lovely chocolate brown eyes gently.

"Do you still love me?"

Dagger gasped and drew away quickly. She looked away and her face flushed red. She turned back to Zidane's longing eyes.

"Oh Zidane!" She worried, covering her mouth with her hand as she shook her head, miserable.

"I was just wondering Dagger! Okay?" Zidane assured, Dagger gave a sigh of relief.

"Can you still answer the question?"

Dagger sighed uneasily.

"Yes. I'll always love you. But, from afar, I had to move on….." Dagger replied, sorrow filling her heart as she thought of it.

"Oh…." Zidane muttered to himself gravely.

Silence again.

"Did you believe me when I said, that Cassie was cheating on you?" Dagger asked softly.

"I was shocked. But it doesn't matter now Dagger, it's all in the past." Zidane explained kindly.

Dagger smiled softly.

"Thank you Zidane." She praised.

"Is, that it? Do you want to tell me anything else?" Dagger asked contently.

"No. No that's it, thanks. I'll be staying in the castle from now on, so you don't have to worry." Zidane assured, and walked out of the room.

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