I'M NOT DONE YET!

I'll get into more detail later…don't you worry….

Heh heh heh…kinda left ya hanging back there, didn't I? Well, you people know the drill. Review, Review, REVIEW! (I really do appreciate reviews! They help me write better stories!)

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Disclaimer: I don't own it. Squaresoft does. I wrote it. Squaresoft didn't. I don't send lawyers to Squaresoft's doorstep. Please don't send them to mine.

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Dagger stared up at the large black animal. Its cat-like face, not stupid like most beasts, rather very intelligent, stared back at her. The Cat's bright green-yellow eyes portrayed a certain sadism.

Zidane's dead body lay at Dagger's feet, and as she stared up at the monster, numb tears poured down her face. She could hardly take in that the beast had just killed her sweet Zidane. The Cat raised her head and flapped her wings, before picking up her head to strike Dagger dead as well. Dagger cringed just as she heard the snap of the beast's jaws….

Dagger awoke with a start. She was in her bedchambers, and for a second, dismissed the entire thing as simply a bad dream.

Until she remembered where Zidane was.

Poor Zidane was being looked after by Dagger's medical staff. She knew it was very possible that Zidane wouldn't make it through the next few days. She recalled what Dr. Klamia had told her: "It's very likely that Zidane will die. He lost a lot of blood when that beast attacked him," he had said, turning and lending his eyes to make full eye contact with Dagger. "I've sedated him. It's the best way. If he wakes up on his own, I think he'll pull through. However, if he doesn't…." The doctor had trailed off. The sentence didn't need to be finished. "He won't be in pain, this way," the doctor had said in a very comforting way.

Dagger rolled out of bed and dressed herself. She didn't even think about breakfast. She had to see Zidane. She walked down the halls she knew so well after becoming queen.

When she came to the door she recognized as the Infirmary, she held her breath and closed her eyes before going in. She took a deep, even breath, and tried not to think about what would happen if Zidane didn't wake up.

Dagger knew it was early. She knew the sun hadn't risen yet. Maybe it was anxiety that had caused her to wake up this early.

Dagger opened the door. As her eyes focused in the dark, she could just make out Zidane's still form on the bed. A soft, mournful sigh slipped past her lips. In return to her soft sigh came a pained whimper. Dagger's ears pricked and she rushed over to the bed.

Zidane's large, blue-green eyes opened and he stared at her for a moment. Pain and confusion vied for dominance in those eyes, and Dagger leaned down and touched his face lightly, cupping his face in her hand.

Zidane whimpered again, and Dagger stood up and went over to light a candle. Feeling much better with light in the room, she returned to Zidane.

"You're alright," She whispered, feeling tears welling up and falling from her face.

"My back hurts," Zidane, obviously tired, choked back in (what Dagger sensed) was a humorous tone of voice. Moving slowly, Dagger gently rolled Zidane over. To her surprise, the gash was still bleeding slightly.

Dagger caressed the back of his neck. She heard a tiny purr (purr?) escape from Zidane's lips. Dagger smiled.

But for some reason, Dagger sensed Zidane was sad or anxious about something. She chose not to ask.

Dagger left Zidane alone for the rest of the day, completing work and such, walking around the market to look for some food that she could snack on (or bring to Zidane, she thought) as well as various errands.

When she was done and returned to the castle, it was nearly midnight. She slipped into her nightgown and crawled into bed.

But she couldn't sleep. She woke up several times, thinking of Zidane. She couldn't stand it any longer.

Dagger pulled herself out of bed and wrapped a robe around her. She walked down the hall and came up to the infirmary she knew housed Zidane. She pushed the door open…

…And gasped.

Zidane was standing outside on the balcony, but that's not what startled Dagger. The large black beast stood in front of him, with the same sadism Dagger had had nightmares about.

Thank goodness it wasn't moving though, but as Dagger leaned in closer (making sure she wasn't seen) she could hear them talking.

"I'm here for you," the beast said, with a cruel growl growing deep beneath her speech.

"I know," Zidane whispered, defeated, really. He hung his head, and sighed softly. The Cat smiled, as if she knew something that would absolutely devastate the already devastated Zidane.

"I'll have to kill Queen Garnet…" Dagger could hardly contain the gasp that slipped past her lips. Fortunately, they didn't hear her. Zidane looked up sharply, with a look of almost panic on his face.

"No…" he whispered, pleadingly. Dagger hung on his words. The large Cat smiled heartlessly.

"Yes," she whispered back, with a growing laugh in her throat.

"Please…no…" He said a little louder, looking the beast in the eye, "I beg of you, don't hurt her…" She continued to laugh, even as small tears poured down Zidane's cheeks. "Please!" he whispered, falling to his knees in supplication. "I'm pleading with you, don't hurt her…"

"Why shouldn't I? If it hurts you, why shouldn't I do it? You mean absolutely nothing to me, and neither does she. Why should I spare her life?"

Zidane stared up into the Cat's eyes with a look on his face that Dagger never had seen. He was completely, utterly broken, with no recourse left. This was the last thing he had left to give, and Dagger felt tears falling down her cheeks as Zidane whispered his final supplication to the Cat.

"I'll go willingly. You have me…" he whispered, "Why do you want her dead? Please…please…don't kill her…I promise to give you absolutely no struggle when you take me. But please…please don't kill her. She means more to me than life itself."

The Cat picked up her paw, as if to console his grieving heart, but then struck him so hard across the face, that he fell helplessly on the ground. He didn't move, simply lay there and listen to the Cat's words.

"I'll spare her life," she said, "For now. But you will not speak to me in that way ever again. If you do, I will not hesitate to kill her."

Nothing but a whimper escaped Zidane's lips, before the large animal kicked him hard in the middle of the stomach before flying away deep into the night.

Dagger stared at him for a minute, torn between rushing to his side or calling for help. Her cheeks were slick with her tears, and as she stared at the broken form of her dear, sweet Zidane, the tears started pouring again. She ran to his side.

Dagger slipped her hands underneath his limp body, pulling his body up close to hers. He was unconscious as Dagger pulled him back into the infirmary room.