Before I begin the chapter let me let you know of all the warnings.

Violent character death

Lots of blood

A non/con kiss—but nothing more

If any of those make you want to run, then please do. All that this chapter really contains is Zidane's death, so if you don't like, just skip over to the next chapter.

Thank you!

KalmeKalica

Kylima began to walk out towards the stone table. She noticed a crowd gathering around it; it was a crowd of Alexandrians. The guards managed to stay between the people and Zidane, who looked as if he was already dead. The three days out in the heat and cold had taken a cruel toll on him.

The guards had done as she asked; Zidane was shackled and stretched taut against the rock. A soft wind blew; thunder rolled gently in the distance. She began to circle Zidane in a manner not unlike Cyra's. She found and held his gaze; he looked up at her pleadingly. She placed her hand upon his chest. Zidane flinched.

"Leave him alone!" Kylima spun around to find the one who had said that. Blank stood defiantly in front of the crowd, sword drawn for battle. Kylima snorted. "Who do you think you are? Zidane belongs to me." With that, she slapped him. He turned back to slash her with his sword when he heard a soft whisper.

"Don't, Blank," Zidane whispered, "Let her be." Blank slipped over to Zidane. "What's your plan, chief?" he asked in a bare whisper. Zidane shook his head. "This is the plan," Blank looked confused.

"You're going to let her murder you?" Zidane sighed softly and lay back against the cold rock. "Please Blank," he whispered softly, "Take care of Dagger for me."

Cruel laughter seethed from behind Blank. "Coward," Kylima whispered, staring into Zidane's eyes with predatory conceit. "No," Blank whispered, "I think he's braver than anyone I've ever known." Kylima growled.

"Get back to the crowd before I make you suffer the same fate as he." Blank walked slowly back to where Dagger stood. "What did he say to you?" she asked, her deep russet eyes brimming with tears. "He told me to take care of you for him." Dagger closed her eyes and leaned against Blank for comfort. He touched her back gently as she sobbed into his shoulder.

Kylima stared into Zidane's eyes, icily. He glanced away first, closing his eyes and turning away from her. She smiled. She had broken him. She leaned down and dragged a finger down his face, almost tenderly. In a whisper no louder than a breath of air, she whispered, "Dagger tells me that you are an expert at kissing." She watched in satisfaction as Zidane pressed against the cold stone in a futile attempt to get away from her. In exhaustion, he lay his cheek down on the opposite side as she. Kylima turned him back. He whimpered, before she laid her lips against his.

The kiss was not tender. It conveyed no love, only malice. To Kylima, it was yet another way of breaking his spirit. Zidane gave a soft whimper as she pulled back, her fierce features illuminated by torchlight. Zidane turned away from her to look at Dagger.

"Please forgive me…" he could only mouth the words, he was so weak. She stared at him for a moment before shaking her head.

"La Tristie Utiliana Zidane Crullieliama." Kylima said. Zidane gasped. "No," he whispered, "Please…not that…please, I beg of you…"

"Silence!" she cried, growling in a way that made Zidane cower.

"What does that mean?" Dagger asked Blank. Blank shrugged. "I have no idea…but it can't be good. Look at Zidane!"

"It means, 'Zidane, marked slave of the blood line of Kreshinka'." said a voice from behind them. It made Dagger jump. She spun around, in time to see Kalika. Dagger was about to move away in panic when she saw that Kalika's face was streamed with tears. "She's about to mark him now, with that phrase on his chest." Dagger shook her head. "What? How?"

"Look." Kalika pointed forward. Lying flat against the rock, terrified and quivering, Zidane whimpered. Above him, Kylima was laying a blade in a torch. When she pulled it from the fire, it was white-hot. She smiled, sadistically, bringing it around so that it was inches from his heaving chest. A soft, desperate cry emanated from Zidane. Kylima pressed the blade against his chest. Zidane screamed. Kylima let it rest there for a moment before pressing the blade itself and slowly cutting him. Zidane writhed against his bonds, screaming in agony.

Kylima stopped for a moment, watching as Zidane fell limply back against the rock, panting in anguish. Dagger watched in horror as Kylima raised the blade back into the torch and let it sit there for a minute. She pulled it out again.

Dagger knew that being cut by a knife hurt a lot; she could only imagine how much a searing hot knife would hurt. Zidane's cry left no doubt in her heart that it was immensely painful.

Slowly, little by little, the letters began to form. She gave him no rest except the minute as she would heat the knife again. If she wasn't satisfied with the letters, she'd go back and retrace them, carving them deeply into his delicate chest.

"Please!" he screamed at her, unable to bear the pain any longer, "Please Kylima, stop…I beg of you…" Surprisingly enough, though the knife was still hot, Kylima stopped. She took a moment to look down at him. Dagger watched a flash of tenderness cross her face. She leaned down to touch his face.

Just as Zidane closed his eyes in the warm comfort, she slapped him hard. She slapped him with the hand that bore the knife. She pressed the knife against his tender cheek, laughing as he screamed. She drew the knife back across. It left a gash across his cheek.

Zidane struggled during the last little bit of carving. Despite the explicit pain in his arms, the pain of being burned slowly was more painful.

Finally, after an eternity of sheer pain, Zidane was allowed to lie back against the rock. He breathed deeply; his chest felt like it was on fire, however, he was immensely grateful for the mercy of being allowed to rest.

After a few minutes rest, Zidane was lifted into a kneeling position. His wrists were bound to the trellis that grew above the table. It was painful. Kylima slipped in behind him and laughed softly. Dagger's lips parted in sympathy for Zidane; Kylima slipped her arms around Zidane's waist, smiling cruelly as he shook with fear. She laid her hand upon his injured chest; he choked back a sharp gasp. It must have been excruciating.

Kylima, once more, laid her blade into the torch beside Zidane's table. After a few minutes she pulled it up and held it next to her face. Her smile looked even more sadistic in the glow emitted by the hot knife. She lifted Zidane's tail. Dagger couldn't bear to watch. She buried her face in Blank's shoulder. "Hush…" he whispered in way of comfort.

Kylima laid the knife upon his tail, letting it sear his tender skin. Zidane screamed in agony. She moved the blade up right against his back, where his tail grew from. She bore a very sadistic expression. Dagger looked up. No…she thought desperately, not that…

She drew the blade across his tail. Zidane screamed sharply as she began to draw it back and forth in a sawing motion. In one quick movement, she drew it down.

She had severed his tail.

Zidane gave one terrible, inhuman shriek, falling limply against his bonds. Kylima watched as he began to bleed profusely; within a few minutes, he stopped moving entirely.

Kylima disappeared.

AN/ GLs enjoy that? It was HARD to write….poor Zidane….