***Hello again! Well, I must admit, I'm not terribly pleased with this chapter. It was a you-know-what to write and took several sessions before I was satisfied. Even so, I know it's not great. I hope you like it anyway. By the way, I'd appreciate it if people could stop trying to predict what's going to happen next when they review my chapters. I hope that's not too much to ask. I just find it insulting that, after all the time and effort I put into updating this story regularly FOR YOU, you have the audacity to second-guess me. Maybe I'm overly sensitive, but I find it a little rude. Thanks.***

When the Red Rose docked in Alexandria, Beatrix literally had to carry me off the ship. I was still in shock when she passed me off to Steiner and the pair of them took me upstairs to bed.

When I came to, my room was dark. I was in my nightgown, tucked tightly into the plush bedding. My eyes were burning and dry – from crying, I guessed. The tender skin beneath my eyes was raw and stiff. Presently the image of Zidane falling flashed through my mind and I began hyperventilating. Beatrix was instantly at my bedside, seating herself beside me and pulling me into her arms. I hadn't seen her in the darkness.

"There, now," she cooed gently, stroking my face. "It's alright."

"Zidane… where is he? He's not dead. He's not!"

Beatrix shushed me patiently. "Regent Cid has deployed a fleet of airships to search the area where he fell. We will soon know what they found."

"We must join them," I said frantically, pulling away from Beatrix and climbing out of bed. I scanned the room for my clothes and changed quickly. "Ready the Red Rose. We leave at once!"

"Please, my queen. You are in no condition-"

"I said 'ready the ship!'"

Beatrix saluted me. "Yes, Your Highness."

As we stepped into the hallway, I said, "I want Steiner aboard as well."

"Captain Steiner has already joined the Lindblum fleet. He is aboard the Hilda Garde with Regent Cid."

I nodded. "Very well. We must hurry."

Perhaps I was in denial. Perhaps I had finally lost my mind. But neither of these possibilities suggested themselves to me as I marched confidently back toward the ship. I would not entertain the notion that I'd lost Zidane. After everything we'd been through… I refused to give into the possibility.

It took only a short time to reach the place where Zidane had fallen. We flow very near the sea, weaving in between the Lindblum ships. I could see the Hilda Garde, dwarfing the other ships in Cid's fleet, and thought I could make out Steiner's hulking form on the deck. I knew he would not give up on Zidane.

Searchlights drew pale patterns over the dark water below. The crew of each ship searched tirelessly, scanning the treacherous sea for signs of Zidane and finding none. But I could see the doubt in their eyes as they performed their duties. In my heart, I knew the truth. If Zidane hadn't made it to shore by now, he had surely drowned. Yet he'd been an hour from land, at best, when he fell. Even if he'd survived the fall itself, could he have swam the distance?

My eyes followed the beams of light and I half-expected Zidane to appear at any moment. But he never did. Hours passed. Finally someone – a deck hand I'd never noticed before – set a hand on my shoulder.

"Your Highness?"

"What is it?" I asked shortly.

"My queen… surely there's no point in continuing the search now."

My eyes narrowed and my lip quivered. "No point, you say?" I spun on the young man and he flinched a little. "Are you married, Sir?"

He nodded timidly. "Yes," he said. "Since last spring."

"Then imagine, please, that your wife has fallen into the ocean from several hundred yards above. Would you be so eager to return home to a life in shambles?"

I could tell the young man was both baffled and horrified by my morbid suggestion. "N-no, your majesty. We will search as long as you wish!"

He dismissed himself quickly, jogging away from me hurriedly. I continued to scan the water for another moment, then sighed. He was right. This was all in vain. I had to face the facts… or, at least, one fact. We would not find Zidane this way. If he'd survived – and I had to believe he had – he could not still be in the water.

I turned to find Beatrix standing a few paces behind me, watching me with that cold, calculating stare. I nodded to her slowly. "Let's go."

"Yes, Your Highness. I will inform the captain."

"Wait, Beatrix." I hesitated as she waited. "I'd like the fleet to move its search to the coastline northwest of Burmecia."

A look of disgusting pity and worry came over her face then, and I had to turn away.

"I know what you're thinking," I said coldly. "I'm not a fool. Nobody could survive a fall like that. But I can't give up. He has overcome impossible odds before. He'll do it again."

Beatrix bowed and, without a word, turned and left me.

ONE DAY LATER…

I opened my eyes slowly and into focus came a dimly lit room. Sore muscles rested painfully on a lumpy mattress and flickering patterns made from the flame of an oil lamp danced across the low ceiling overhead. For a moment I watched these, hardly aware of myself or my surroundings, until I heard the faint rustling of fabric nearby. I turned my head, wincing at the sharp shooting pain in my neck, and let my heavy eyes fall upon the figure beside the bed.

"F… Freya?"

"Zidane," came the low, cool voice. "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," I admitted, straightening my neck again to relieve the pain. "Where am I?"

"Burmecia," she returned seriously. "A fisherman found you on the beach with a chocobo standing over you."

"Choco?" I asked quietly, rubbing my face with my hands. Suddenly it all came flooding back. The airship, the smoke… the fall. I'd barely had the energy to blow the whistle that summoned Choco and he'd arrived just in time to save me from drowning.

"Well?" Freya said at length, an edge to her voice. "Aren't you going to tell me how all this came about?"

"It's a long story," I murmured. "Wait… The Red Rose. What happened to the ship?"

Freya shrugged. "To my knowledge, it's in Alexandria. Cid's fleet was spotted over the coast shortly after you were discovered, however. We attempted to get their attention, but to no avail. They circled a few times, then moved on."

That hurt a little, I had to admit. I would have expected Dagger to do a little more in attempt to find me. Then again, it had been a very long fall. Even I was surprised at having survived it.

Something else dawned on me then. "Freya? You're Freya."

"Of course. Who else would I be?"

"I remember you!" I exclaimed, as excitedly as I could.

"I should hope so," she answered smugly.

But I was immune to her bruised feelings and sarcastic remarks. I closed my eyes and tried to picture other people from my past – with total success this time. Eiko, Amarant, Steiner, Beatrix, Quina, Vivi, Baku and my Tantalus brothers and… "Dagger."

"The queen?" Freya muttered absently.

"I have to get back to Alexandria!"

"You're in no condition to travel, Zidane. You need to stay in bed. You're lucky to be alive."

"Dammit. Freya, I need a favor."

Freya bowed her head. "Ask."

"Is there any way you can get word to Dagger? Let her know I'm alive, and that I'm here?"

Freya sighed, then shook her head. "I'm afraid our best hope would be to wait for the next cargo ship. It's not due for two days yet."

"What about a chocobo?"

Freya laughed half-heartedly. "That would take twice as long."

"Not if someone flew Choco there."

"Zidane…"

"Please, Freya. It's important. I'm afraid Dagger's going to do something she'll regret forever."

She considered this for a moment. "Choco isn't very keen on strangers, if you recall."

"He knows you well enough," I pressed earnestly.

"That is true. Very well, Zidane. Shall I leave immediately?"

"Please. As soon as you can."

She rose from her seat and patted my shoulder gently. Her small eyes glittered in the lamp light. "I'll do what I can, old friend."

"Thank you, Freya," I said weakly.

She nodded then and left the room with speed. I let out a sigh as the door closed behind her. Would she get there in time?

As I lay there, I couldn't help but smile. My amnesia was gone. I could remember everything from before. Everything. Mostly, though, I focused on my memories of Dagger. I was the only thing keeping her from marrying that Siticus character. If she thought I was dead… "No!" I cried aloud, clutching my throbbing head.

Wait for me, Dagger. Freya… Please hurry!