Two days later, Eiko and I arrived in the Black Mage Village. Seeing Eiko and Vivi's reunion was enough to distract me temporarily from the guilt which had gnawed at me throughout the duration of our flight from Alexandria. Now, though… I had to see him.

I found Zidane sitting near the stream which ran past the cemetery, staring thoughtfully at the child-like grave markers there. Without speaking, I sat down beside him and folded my hands in my lap. He seemed oblivious to my presence as he studied the moving water. I was reminded of the simplistic understandings of the black mages years ago. Water flows here on Gaia, as does time. On Terra, time did not move. The genomes did not age… nor did they die due to the passage of time. But now Terra was gone. Zidane – and the other genomes – were not made for this world.

"Hello, Zidane." I offered the greeting more to silence my destructive train of thought on the matter of his existence.

He turned to me slowly, offering only a mildly polite smile. "Hello… Dagger."

His expression worried me. "Are you alright?" I asked. "You look upset."

"You keep coming here to see me… But you've got things going on in Alexandria that keep you from staying."

I nodded. "That's true. I wish I could spend more time here, but a queen has business to attend to."

"You never talk about it, but I can tell it makes you unhappy."

"Things aren't as… stable as I'd like them to be at the moment."

Zidane then began to fish around in his pocket. A moment later, he produced a glittering ring and held it out toward me. I blinked in bewilderment. The stone was small, but the silver band had been ornately shaped around it. Its value could not be anywhere near that of the crown jewels of Alexandria, but this ring seemed to shine brighter than they.

"I found this in my things the other day," he said, sadness in his voice. "I guess I was supposed to give it to you."

I tore my eyes from the ring then. "Zidane, I… I can't accept that. Not now, I mean."

"You might as well. I haven't got much use for it."

"No, really. You keep it."

Zidane shook his head and let out a long sigh as he dropped the ring back into his pocket.

"Zidane, I have to tell you something." He nodded, letting me know he was listening, but didn't look up. "There is a… a man. He has challenged my right to the throne of Alexandria…"

Zidane's eyes widened slightly. "How can he do that?"

"He is a cousin of mine, evidently. Well, no. Not my cousin at all. I don't know if you've been told this, but I was not born Garnet Til Alexandros. The real princess died as a small child. I was actually a refugee from a village of summoners. I was adopted in secret to replace the dead princess. This is something I only discovered myself a few years ago. You were standing beside me when I learned of this."

"I wish I could remember," he said. "I'd like to be able to remember that."

"It's alright, Zidane. You were there with me then, and that's what's important."

"I'm glad… So, about this cousin. Can he really replace you?"

"Well, that's what I've been back in Alexandria to determine. I've been in court, you see. There has not yet been a decision. I… was proposed with another arrangement to prevent the possible negative outcome of the trial."

At this, Zidane's face briefly reflected something like fear. "What are you saying?"

I bowed my head. Could I really tell him?

"In exchange for my hand in marriage, I will remain the queen of Alexandria."

I thought I detected a minute flare of anger in Zidane. Perhaps it was only foolish hope that made me see it.

"I see," he said plainly. "What was your answer?"

"I… haven't given it yet. Lord Siticus agreed to let me have some more time to think on the matter. I don't feel comfortable making such a huge decision without knowing for certain that…" I caught myself at the last second, but it was too late.

"Until you're certain I'll never get my memories back." He finished my sentence without looking at me.

"Oh, Zidane."

"Don't feel bad," he said. "You're only being logical. There's no sense in your tying yourself to me if there's no hope I'll ever remember you."

Unable to resist the urge, I leaned my forehead against his shoulder. "Zidane, please understand. I can never love anybody the way I love you. I will never forsake you. Even if you never regain your memories, I know we can make new ones together."

Unexpectedly, Zidane's arm fell upon my shoulder. It felt so good to be close to him, I nearly convinced myself that he'd remembered me. But, no.

"I'll admit… I feel a strong attraction to you. It's more than physical, too." He sighed, obviously frustrated once again with the challenge. "I can feel that there's something between us. But… I can't guarantee I'll ever feel the way I did before. Are you willing to throw your future away on that?"

I nodded quickly. "There's no future without you, Zidane."

"There could be," he argued. "I've been thinking… It must have been difficult for you, being royalty. You probably went to a lot of bother keeping our relationship under wraps. Even then, I'm sure there was a lot of gossip."

"It didn't matter what people whispered about me, as long as we were together."

"I just think perhaps you'd be better off with this other man."

"I don't even know him! Would you really ask me to marry a stranger?"

He looked me square in the face then. "Would you ask me to love a stranger?"

Severe nausea came over me in that instant. I felt myself trembling as I searched his eyes for any sign of hope. What I found there, I could not describe – but it filled me with such fear that I could no longer be in his presence. I stood abruptly and rushed off, not stopping until I was deep in the forest, out of view of the village.

There I remained until sunset. When I returned to the inn, the room was empty. I wondered where Eiko and Vivi were, but hadn't the energy to go searching for them. I knew Eiko was in no danger, and so I let the matter go and let myself sink into the deep reserve of the overstuffed mattress. I had nearly dozed off when the sound of approaching footsteps stirred me.

I squinted toward the door as the curtain there was pulled aside by a shadowed figure.

"Dagger?"

It was Zidane's voice!

"Y-yes?"

"May I come in?"

I bit my lip. "Of course."

Zidane stepped into the room slowly, his tail swishing behind him. He stopped in front of me where I was now sitting up on the edge of the bed. For a long moment, he stood in silent repose.

"I'm sorry," he said at last. I could sense the pain in his tone and deemed it sincere. "I didn't mean to upset you. I only wanted you to know… I won't hold it against you if you decide to move on without me."

"I appreciate that," I managed to say. "But… I'm not sure I'm capable of moving on. Zidane, I waited so long for you to come back. Even when I thought you were dead, I didn't want anyone else. Getting you back was the greatest gift I've ever received. I vowed then never to let anything separate us again. I can't walk away now. If there's any chance for us, I'll wait. Even if it costs me Alexandria."

He smiled a little then. "I see now what I must have found so irresistible about you."

I laughed a little. "Zidane… please tell me this isn't the end."

He took a seat beside me on the bed. "Maybe it's just a new beginning." He reached up slowly and brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. "But… only if you're sure this is what you want."

"I've never been so sure of anything in my life."

He nodded then, as though to reassure us both, then leaned in closer. His lips brushed against mine ever so softly at first. I breathed him in deeply, banishing the doubt that threatened to ruin this moment for me.

Slowly his hands moved up my back and he pulled me closer, intensifying the kiss.

Then, without warning, he jerked away. His eyes were wide with surprise and, possibly, fear as he stared at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I… I think I remembered something."

My pulse quickened, if that were possible. "What was it?"'

"I saw… white wings spreading into the night sky. Then a dragon. Something happened. You were in danger. I saw you falling."

There was terror in his voice.

"The summoning of Alexander," I muttered. "Yes, I was falling. But you saved me, Zidane. I think that was when I first realized my feelings for you."

"I saved you?"

I nodded. "I knew then that you'd always come for me. No matter what, Zidane would be there."

He bent his head forward slightly. "This is so hard," he whispered. "I want so badly to remember. Sometimes I sit for hours, digging for the memories, but they never come."

"It's alright, Zidane. It hasn't been very long. Give it time."

"You'll stay here with me?"

I nodded. "If you want me to."

"Yes, I do. I don't know what's happening to me, but when I'm with you… I feel better. More at peace."

I hugged him then and he eagerly accepted the gesture. For the first time in weeks, I felt a glimmer of hope. Perhaps things would end well, after all. Lord Siticus would not be pleased when I responded to his proposal… and I knew it was selfish to put my needs before those of my kingdom. But I also knew this: I could not live without Zidane. If that meant losing my kingdom, then so be it.