Return To Alexandria

Garnet and Zidane embraced each other tightly inside Alexandria Palace. Garnet clung onto Zidane, not wanting to let go; Zidane was still hugging her to give her comfort.

"Where'd you go? What happened to you?" She asked.

Her voice was croaky and high-pitched, due to the tears streaming down her face. She lifted her face from Zidane's chest and looked him in the eye.

"Nothing really. We'll take about it later." He said, wiping the tears off of her cheeks.

The double doors behind Garnet opened and Beatrix and Steiner entered. Beatrix bowed a little and held out the Royal Pendant and Tiara.

"We managed to retrieve these, Your Highness." She said.

Garnet looked at them for a moment intently, and then shook her head.

"I don't want them." Garnet said, not taking her eyes off of the objects in Beatrix's hand, shocking both of her Guards, "I don't want them if it means I can't be with Zidane." She said resolutely.

"Dagger-" Zidane started.

"No. I've made up my mind. I want to be with you, Zidane." She said, turning to look at him.

"Dagger, I can't ask you to do this."

"You're not asking me to."

"Well, I can't let you do it then."

"Queen Garnet, you can still be with Zidane and rule over Alexandria. Do not be distressed." Beatrix said to her.

Garnet looked from Zidane to Beatrix to the floor and up again. She nodded, taking the Pendant from Beatrix's hand and fastening it around her neck once again. The weight of the Gem around her neck felt reassuring and familiar. Garnet then took the Tiara and delicately put it on her head once again. She looked at them all, looking like the Queen she was; yet she looked unhappy.

"Hey, Dagger, don't worry. I'll be here, with you." Zidane said reassuringly, a smile upon his face.

Dagger smiled weakly and nodded. The doors opened once again and in rushed Freya, Eiko and Vivi, with Amarant following behind slowly.

"Zidane! It's great to see you!" Freya exclaimed

"Yeah, I missed you soooooo much!" Eiko added, hugging Zidane's upper legs.

Zidane ruffled Eiko's hair playfully and looked at them all.

"It's great to see you guys too. Can't wait to catch up with you guys, got a looooot of time to kill." Zidane answered smiling.

Steiner looked ready to explode, his arms were shaking violently and it looked as if steam were about to erupt from his ears.

"Relax Rusty, I know you're glad to see me too." Zidane joked

"Glad? I'll be glad when you're gone!" Steiner retorted

"Steiner!" Garnet scolded, put her arms angrily on her hips.

"Sorry, Your Highness." Steiner apologised, dropping his head a little in shame.

Beatrix, with Steiner following close behind, led the group out of the hallway and into a room where they could sit and chat. Zidane began to follow when Garnet held him back. Once everyone else had left she just smiled at him. Zidane noticed how much she had changed again while he was gone. The first thing he noticed was that her hair had grown long again. She also looked more…adult-like and regal than before. She had matured a lot since the last time he saw her, when she was flying away from him on the airship.

"Zidane…" She said softly, pulling him from his thoughts. "I… missed you… a great amount. I am pleased you have returned."

"Me too." He said. That's another thing, she's gone back to way she used to talk, He thought.

And with that, they headed off down the corridor to re-join the others.

"So Zidane, what happened to you at the Iifa Tree?" Freya asked

Zidane looked awkwardly at the others.

"Err… not much really." He answered, not wanting to talk about it. "What, err, what's up with you guys?"

They all shrugged or replied that nothing was going on with them. They sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes. Zidane was thinking of a way to break the tension when there was a knock at the door of the parlour. Beatrix went over and opened it, a nervous looking soldier stood there.

"General. Your Majesty." He said, saluting to Beatrix and bowing at Garnet.

"Yes?" Garnet asked.

"There are… err… some-" He began, but was cut off by a loud racket behind him.

"ACHOO!" Someone behind the guard sneezed loudly

"Why we waitin' so long?" Another voice said

"Relax, Bro." Said another

"Sheez." Said the second voice.

"Hey, quit your complainin'." Said the first voice.

Zidane jumped out of his chair next to Garnet, nearest the fire in the large marble fireplace.

"Boss!" He exclaimed.

The guard was pushed aside as Marcus, Blank, Cinna and Baku strode in.

"What are you guys doin' here?" Zidane asked

"Hey, kid, we rescue you at the Iifa Tree, heal ya up, then bring ya here only the newly repaired Prima Vista, and you jus' go waltzing off and forgetting us!" Baku said irritably.

"Sorry Boss." Zidane apologised.

"Nah, man, forget it. You 'kay?" Blank asked

"Yeah, can't complain." Zidane replied.

In the corner, Steiner was ready to explode once again.

"YOU- YOU- YOU SCOUNDRELS! I DEMAND YOU LEAVE THE PALACE IMMEDIATELY!" Steiner yelled at the other members of Tantalus.

"Steiner!" Garnet scolded, once more. "You do not act that way towards the guests of the Palace."

"Your Highness, I must agree with Captain Steiner. They are thieves after all." Beatrix added, rushing to Steiner's aid.

"I do not care. They are friends of Zidane's, and any friends of Zidane's are welcome, whomever they may be." Garnet replied, "Besides, I am sure you would not steal from me would you?" Garnet asked the group of thieves.

"Course not." Was the general reply.

So the Tantalus members made themselves comfortable and joined in the conversation. It was very late when Steiner and Beatrix made the Queen go off to bed, waking the sleeping Eiko and Vivi at the same time. Eiko and Vivi sleepily stalked off to their bedrooms without hesitation, where as Garnet took more convincing. Eventually, she gave in and agreed to go to bed, since Freya and Amarant were going to bed too and the Tantalus members had to go back to the Theater Ship and rest anyway.

Beatrix and Steiner walked Garnet back to her bedroom, with Zidane following close behind. They all stopped outside her room and she turned to face Zidane.

"Good night, Zidane." She said, and kissed him softly and briefly on the lips.

She turned back to her door and went inside, Beatrix following her in.

"Night Dagger." Zidane said just as Beatrix turned to close the door, and he managed to see Garnet smile back just before the door closed.

"Follow me." Steiner said irritably and led Zidane down the corridor.

Zidane was surprised to find that his room was not that far away from Garnet's. Steiner opened the door and went inside, Zidane following. It was a decent size room, a king-size bed, large wardrobe, desk and chair, two-seater sofa and a balcony. Zidane sat down on the bed and bounced a little on it.

He looked around the room, impressed, when he saw that Steiner was still in the room, glaring at him.

"What's the matter Rusty?"

"Listen, you," He said, pure hatred on the word 'you', "If you so much as hurt the Queen, in any way, I will have you so fast-" He warned

"Woah, woah, woah. Listen, I like Dagger, a lot. I sacrificed everything for her. I'm not gonna just run out on her. If I was gonna do anything like that I wouldn't have come back here. So just relax, Sir Rust-a-lot, your stuck with me. For a long, long, time." Zidane replied

Steiner glared at Zidane for a moment then stormed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Zidane went over to the large glass doors and opened them. He went out onto the balcony and looked at the view. The cool, crisp evening air surrounded him and a gentle breeze blew through his hair as he gaped at the view from his balcony. From here, he could see all of Alexandria City, and where the waterfalls began. It was an amazing sight.

A sweet sound drifted to his ears and Zidane looked around for the source. To his left and up a little he could see Garnet standing on a larger balcony, looking out over Alexandria City while she brushed her hair. She was singing her song, the one she learnt when she was little in Madain Sari. The one she sang in Dali and in Lindblum.

Zidane watched her for a few minutes while she sang, completely entranced. When she was finished she turned and went back inside into her bedroom, not noticing him standing there watching her. He heard the window-doors close and saw the light from her room disappear as she presumably drew the curtains closed, before finally returning to his room. He lay down on his bed, exhaustion finally creeping up on him, and slowly drifted off into the land of dreams, thinking only of Dagger.

Short chapter, I know, but I thought I might as well give you a real chapter to read instead of just that poem in the prologue. It might be a couple of chapters before I really get into the story line, but bear with me. It could be next chapter, who knows? Only the fiction gods who rule over us all… bows, well, reviewers away! NO! Don't go away, I mean, review! Oh, dammit.