Hey everybody…(giggles nervously) Ummm…well…I killed Zidane…(huddles) No, not the rotten tomatoes! I'll bring him back! I promise! I promise! Don't hurt me! (hides behind a large cow) I'm scared…..

Dagger ran to Zidane; his great sad eyes were closed. She touched her fingers to his pulse, praying desperately that she'd find one, even a weak one. There was none. Dagger turned to the crowd. "He's dead," she whispered.

In a soft, gentle movement, Dagger gently cut the ropes that held him so that she could lay him flat against the table. She looked at his chest for a moment. The words were scripted with a skilled hand; Kylima had a beautiful hand. Oh, Zidane… Dagger thought. The scars on his chest looked like they were agonizing. "Poor Zidane," she whispered softly.

She remembered the look on his face after Kylima had heartlessly kissed him, the look that said, "Please forgive me, Dagger, please!"

And now he was dead.

Before the thought could fully sink in, a white-clad woman slipped into the front. "Malica?" Dagger asked, watching as the woman strode up to Zidane. Then there's hope?

"Blank," Malica whispered, grabbing him and staring at him, "Get these people out of here." Blank did as he was told and began the tedious task of driving the people out.

Dagger slipped over to Malica. "Can you revive him?" Malica shook her head. "That's not the problem. I can revive him, and I will, but his life will still be in danger." She slipped over to Zidane and pulled from her dress a small vile. She opened it and gave it to him; Zidane's eyes fluttered open.

Dagger shivered as she heard the howl. It was far away but at the same time close enough to make her nervous. Malica, curiously enough, took on a look of panic. "Dagger! We need to go, now!" Malica whistled. Before her galloped up a pure white horse, and beside it, a bay horse. Malica lifted Zidane onto the white horse's back, and gave Dagger a lift up and onto the bay horse. Malica swung into place next to Zidane. She dug her heels into her steed and galloped off as fast as the night.

I0I0I0I0I0I

All Dagger could do was to grip the horse's neck. It was too dark to see where she was going; her only prayer was the Malica knew what she was doing. She could just see the white stallion galloping beside her, Malica leaning over the glorious horse's neck. One hand was on the horse's mane; the other was holding Zidane.

Zidane was quiet; Dagger had no doubt that he was in too much pain to be conscious of what was happening to him. In his great blue eyes swirled pain, humiliation, and pure confusion. His eyes came to rest ultimately on Dagger. She could only offer him a small smile; she didn't know where they were going or why. Zidane's eyes rolled back and he fell limply against Malica's grip. He was simply too exhausted to try.

At length, Malica's horse slid to a stop, as did Dagger's. Dagger heard Malica whispering softly, to no one it seemed.

"We can't outrun them…I guess I have no other choice." Dagger slipped off her horse and walked over to Malica. "Can't outrun what?" she asked softly. Malica swung off her horse, setting Zidane down on the ground.

"The wolves. Kylima isn't stupid; she knew the instant she had killed Zidane, I'd be there to bring him back. The only way she knew how to counter that is to send wolves to either kill him if he's alive, or to tear him apart if he's dead." The distant howling in the air sent chills up Dagger's spine. "Their orders are to tear him apart, should they find him, or rather, hold him at bay until Kylima comes and gives them the order to kill."

"We have to leave then! They'll find him here!" Malica sighed softly. "Yes, they will." Dagger sighed as Malica walked back to her horse, and then watched in horror as she slapped her horse on the haunches. It broke off into a gallop, taking the bay with it.

Malica lifted Zidane up and out, into the open, and then turned and left. Dagger couldn't believe what was happening. Without even the meager cover of trees, Zidane was left even more helpless than he already was. She watched in horror as Malica disappeared into the night. She slipped over to Zidane's side. Even if all else fails him, I'll still be here.

Out of the corner of her eye, Dagger spied wolves. Before she could even scream, she and Zidane were surrounded. The wolves were dark, ranging in color from black to dark grey; perfectly fitting for night hunting. From amongst the wolves, Kylima appeared. "Queen Garnet," she whispered, staring at Dagger who had lifted Zidane up into her arms, "Come here."

"I won't leave him," she whispered, clutching as tightly as she could without hurting him. Kylima growled. "Then I will have the wolves tear you apart too, but I'll give you another chance. Come here." Dagger stood up, and walked over to Kylima. She smiled, cruelly.

"Kill him." One wolf, the one Dagger guessed was the wolves leader, began to circle Zidane. It growled in expectation. It opened its jaws to kill Zidane.

A flash of white caught Dagger's eye; it caught the wolf, too. By laying its talons upon the wolf's back, it easily lifted the wolf up and out. The wolf yelped. With a growl, and a hiss, the now recognizable winged cat lifted him up higher and higher until with one great roar, released him.

A look of panic crossed Kylima's features. "Tear him apart now!" she screamed. Dagger could no longer see Zidane for he had disappeared in the sea of fur; however, she heard his screams. Yet another flash of white began to run through the wolves, tearing through them and leaving a trail of whimpering wolves behind to get to Zidane. At long last, the animal got between Zidane and the wolves. With a sound not unlike a horse's whinny, another cat dropped from the sky and tenderly laid her talons on Zidane's body. She lifted.

Just as the thought registered, Dagger felt a pair of talons on her back as well. She too was lifted off the ground to a pack of six flying cats. The animal laid Dagger upon another's back, while the one holding Zidane simply held him there.

The one holding Zidane moved back slightly so that Dagger could see him. He was alive, but unconscious. He was lucky; one of the bite marks had missed his throat by a matter of inches. A soft, warm purr echoed from the cat holding Zidane. "I'd never abandon Zidane without a plan, Dagger." she said, softly. Dagger gently relaxed against her cat's neck. She was exhausted.

AN/ Yay! He's alive…don't throw stuff at me okay? Please?