(Final Fantasy 9) Love Will Grow [Part 1]

[Leia Avenrose]

Disclaimer: I don?t own Final Fantasy IX(C) and the characters. Please do not sue for the angst!
Dedication: To ALL Final Fantasy cravers and lovers out there in this massive world



Love Will Grow
By: Lynzi Knight
Rating: R
Part 1: Accept The Goodbye




He was gone. Life had died. There was not a single thing for her to do that she could do but weep, mourn and weep some more. A family member had been the killer. He was gone because of that one relative. Gaea had been its main goal. He hadn?t reached that objective, not at all. It was because of that one goal that he was gone, dead, no longer with her. Garnet Til Alexandros the 17th clutched the robe closer to her slender frame. She continued to run through the maze of halls in her home, the Alexandrian castle. She closed her eyes against the familiar sting of warm tears that threatened to reveal themselves. She shook her head hard, willing herself not to cry. She would no longer show any signs of weakness for them. No more. It was over now. She had loved no other. Her only loved one was now gone.

Her first love he had been. She had never expressed her real feelings for him before. He never knew of her feelings towards him. It was too late now. It was too late to go back and tell him. Now he?s gone and she couldn?t do a single thing about it. She ran up three flights of stairs, the steps carrying a single, wide blood-red carpet. She never stopped once to catch her breath, as it came out in heavy pants. She never stopped once to rest her aching legs and heaving chest. She never even stopped once to calm her throbbing head. Garnet hadn?t met anyone like him before. He had been kind. He had been caring. He would?ve been loving, too, if she had allowed him to be. Too late now, though.

She sniffled lightly. Her chin dimpled in and out as she fought the sobs. Her long dark hair use to flow down her back, but now it was pulled back in a tight ponytail at the back of her head. His black elastic held it secured in place. His elastic. Her soft chocolate brown eyes put across how she felt. Her eyes expressed how much pain she truly was in. Garnet shoved the door to the roof open. She stopped as soon as the warm breeze of the mute night hit her flushed face. Two moons hung high in the dark skies. The stars sparkled like diamond surrounded by shimmering dust. They all shone down on Alexandria with their glory and secrets. She glanced around the dark and quiet rooftop. She brought her arms to her chest and hugged them as she began to slowly make her towards the stone railing.

As she approached it, she touched her hands to the balustrade and bent over. She looked around at the action below in the market square. The wind rushed past her face. It caressed her soft cheekbones with invisible fingers. It tried to soothe her pain, take away in the clutches of its imperceptible gusts. She loved the feeling of the fingers along her skin. She tried to push past the tears that welled up in her throat. The tears blocked her from breathing properly. Garnet remembered his deep, velvety voice. It echoed in her mind as she remembered the word he had breathed into her ear before he had left to battle with Kuja:

Goodbye.

A strangled sob slipped past her lips. Her head lowered to her chest shamefully. She then brought her arms to her stomach and hugged it hard, while doubling over. Tears, wet, warm, and at the same time reassuring, fell down her cheeks. The crystals fell off her chin. They were carried away with the breeze into the dark night. Garnet sank to the ground, to her knees, slowly. She hunched over slightly as she wept loudly. Sometimes she felt like throwing up whenever she sobbed like this. She wouldn?t throw up much, only the love she had had inside. She silently hoped that she wouldn?t ever have to go through the pains of heartache and loss again. It was too much for her to handle. Too many loved ones were being taken away from her. One by one they left slowly and yet quickly. First her mother, second little Eiko and now Zidane. She had loved him with all her heart. If only he had known it for himself.

She had loved his carefree style. She had loved that impish smile he?d always given her. She had loved him for who he was: Zidane. Garnet hadn?t cared if he had been poor, if he had been a Genome. She had just loved him because he had been able to love her and not for her money and not for Alexandria. He had loved her in his own way for who she really was: Herself. She had bumped into him in the Royal Hallway leading to her room and she had thought he was just another little guard that had belonged to the Knights of Pluto. She had been completely mistaken. After Zidane had been killed, Garnet had been found a few feet away from the Iifa Tree by her two bodyguards, Beatrix and Steiner. She had locked herself away in her room for weeks. She had vowed to never come out again. But?here she was.

She couldn?t believe it and she still didn?t. Garnet brought her hands to her eyes and furiously wiped away the tears that trailed down her cheeks. Zidane?s low deep laughter played over and over in her mind. Reminisces of Zidane holding her hand tightly as they were being wed back in Conde Petie to get through to the Iifa Tree flashed in front of her face. Her frail body trembled as more tears trailed from her eyes. The pain and re-opened wounds bled once again. All the memories kept playing over and over in her mind. All she wanted was for them to stop, to all go away. All she wanted was to get on with her life. She knew she would never love again. She still yelled at herself for not telling him how much she had cared for him. She still yelled at herself for not leaning over the rest of the way to taste his lips as they had camped outside the mountains of the Petrified Forest.

The torn queen still pictured his face as he had slept that night. His long dark lashes laid fanned out on his sleep-flushed cheeks, while his light pink lips were slightly parted, somewhat pursed. His brow had been crinkled as if he were almost deep in thought. About what? His long locks of honey-gold hair also lay splayed over his eyes and over his cheeks. Garnet managed to smile through her tears at the simple image in her mind. He had looked so peaceful. He had looked so angelic. He hadn?t appeared like the thief he was really supposed to be. Her scholars had told her about love so many times when she was younger. The only problem was that she hadn?t planned on actually falling in love or ever experiencing the feeling herself. She had left herself out.

She opened her eyes. Lifting them slowly, she looked up at the skies as a low rumble shook the clouds above. A dark haze filled the skies, sliding across the diamonds that sparkled in the moonlight and iridescent dust. That was also completely gone. She shivered and didn?t bother to get up and head into the castle. A streak of bright lightning flew across the skies. It lit up the entire area quickly. Large droplets of rain began to fall quickly. Garnet slowly stood. She leaned over on the railing, her chin resting on her hand as she propped her elbow on the thick stone handrail. She then closed her eyes and lifted her face to the rain. She let it pelt her face softly. Her hair hung limp in the ponytail. It now drooped down her back, while loose strands clung to the sides of her neck and ran down her chest. She welcomed the rainfall with open arms, while walking backwards away from the railing towards the door.

She mumbled something under her breath about the distance between the door and the railing. Also, she then mumbled something about how far the fall from the top straight to the bottom would be. As soon as she felt the sturdy, firm, cool door beneath her back, her eyes jerked open. She stared straight at the railing and waited for the right moment to charge forward and then fly right off into the air. She longed to become what the birds were: free. She wanted to be liberated of the nightmare that she wasn?t going to wake up from. She wanted to be free of the memories that haunted her sleep. She wanted to be free of everything that made her hurt, made her cry. She wanted to be free to be with her loved one. Garnet swallowed thickly and blinked absently as she leaned her head back against the door. She tried to rethink everything she had planned to do.

This is it. There?s no turning back now. There never was a chance to turn back and you know it, she told herself. She bit down hard on her lower lip and drew blood into her mouth. It pooled beneath her tongue.

Garnet then reached up with trembling fingers. She clumsily undid the latch in the front of her collar. It held the robes together. The robes fell from her shoulders and hit the ground with a loud wet sound. Thunder clapped loudly overhead in the skies and she jumped slightly. Her heart pounded against her chest, while she tried to calm herself down from the loud claps of thunder that rang out through the skies one after the other. She blinked again and looked at he railing. Exhaling slowly and deeply, she pushed off the door to jump to her death, to fulfill her wish. She watched through a blurred vision of tears and rain, as the railing approached rapidly. She prepared herself to push off the ground and soar through the air.

She was half way there when she was jolted forward unexpectedly. A pair of well-built arms snaked around her waist and caught her by surprise. She screamed out loud. She was pulled back and pressed back against a hard, lean body. She felt herself go completely stiff and still in the arms. Her mind was spinning around in circles. She felt like throwing up. The arms stayed around her waist. Garnet swallowed slowly and closed her eyes. She began to cry again. She was thankful for the strong arms around her waist. She felt like sinking to the ground. She felt the arms tighten their grasp when she began to cry. The simple gesture only made her cry harder. She wished so hard that it was Zidane holding her, comforting her. She wished so hard that it was Zidane telling her to not cry anymore and not to worry about anything else. She went to turn around and push the unknown person away from her and stopped immediately. The person placed its head beside her and nuzzled their warm cheek to her ear. Stubble from a beard scratched along the side of her jaw.

?Dagger,? a low, hoarse voice breathed into her ear. She went as still as a marble statue. Her heart skipped a beat. Only one person ever called her by that name. That person was now?dead. Wasn?t he?

Garnet sniffled lightly. She slowly turned her head to side for a chance to glance at the person from the corer of her eye. Soft, tender lips brushed up against her cheekbone. She hadn?t gotten a good view of the face and jerked back slightly as his lips brushed her cheek. So tender. So soft they were. She fully turned around then in his arms. She looked up into the face and gasped. She blinked a few times. She couldn?t believe it! She felt her face pale to a degree she never knew about. She began to tremble. With happiness? Anger for his death, his disappearance? At her stupidity for almost throwing her life away when he was, all this time, still alive? She couldn?t think about anything now, she was too shaken up. All she could do was stare up at him. Her eyes searched his face desperately for an answer.

Zidane Tribal stared down at her. He watched as she desperately searched his face. His lips lifted slightly and he flashed her his usual mischievous smile. Garnet?s bottom lip trembled. She closed her eyes against the tears again. It was then that she let it all out into the open. She began to viciously pound on his chest. She allowed all her hurt, all her anger and all her pain with each fierce beating.

?How could you? You left me! You left me to waste away!? she shouted at him, angrily.

Zidane just chuckled softly. He didn?t flinch, as she began to hit him harder. A choked sob entered the air and he stopped the quiet laughter immediately. He gazed down into her pain filled face and felt his heart ache numerously. Garnet lowered her head. She began to cry softly behind the long hair that fell from the ponytail.

?I thought you were dead.? She broke the silence between them. ?Please tell me this isn?t just some dream. Please tell me that you?re real,? she begged softly.

Zidane looked down at the top of her head. He nibbled on his bottom lip and remained silent. They both stood in the rain, the thunderclaps quieting down softly, the lightning intensifying. Garnet lifted her head and stared at him with a bewildered look. Tears continued to slide down her cheeks. They mingled with the rain. Zidane chuckled another little chuckle and began to lift his hand. He placed it to the side of her face, tenderly cupping her cheek. He stroked the outline of her cheekbone with his thumb. He looked deep down into her eyes and gave her mute encouragement.

?I?m real, Dagger. I?m alive,? he assured her. His eyes roamed over her face this time.

Garnet gave a little sigh of contentment and brought her hand up to cover his. She gave it a gentle squeeze and closed her eyes. She leaned into his head and loved the feeling of his ungloved hand on her skin. Zidane watched her and a smile came to his lips. He was here. He was home. He was alive. He was with Dagger. That was all that mattered to him at the moment, his precious Dagger. She opened her eyes and stared up at him. She wondered what he was thinking. Zidane?s hand slid from her cheek and hung at his side. He slowly lowered his face towards hers, his eyes open and watching her as she watched him. Garnet looked into his face and memorized every angle, every patch of soft baby smooth skin as he continued to lower his face to hers.

Zidane was only a whisper of air away when Garnet jerked back from him. She even left the comfort of his arms. He straightened slowly and stared at her. Confusion chased itself with other emotions within the deep forest green eyes. He didn?t understand why she had just done that. Why did she do it anyway? An unforeseen smile tugged at the corner of the queens? full, lush lips, as she watched him stare at her with a strange look on his incredibly attractive face. Her soft face suddenly went serious as something deep inside of her urged her, yelled at her to do it. She quickly walked up to him and reached up to grab his chin in her small hands. She brought his mouth down onto hers and kissed him with a wild demand, an untamed passion that surprised even herself not just Zidane. His eyes were wide for a moment before they slid shut and he returned the kiss with just as much fervor and longing.

My God. This is truly heaven.

Zidane wrapped his arms around her small waist and pulled her body up to his. He pressed the length of it to his and managed to fit every curve and swell with his hard angles. It worked out nicely. Garnet linked her arms around his neck and pulled him down farther. She deepened the kiss by gently caressing his bottom lip with her tongue and then sliding it into his mouth. His lips parted for her and he met her halfway. Their tongues danced to a fiery duet that only they could accomplish as the thunder and lightning behind and all around them danced to their own stormy cadence. Garnet arched her back and pressed her body even deeper into Zidane?s. Her demands were beginning to grow, but then again, so were his. The rain slowly came to stop and Zidane regretfully pulled his mouth away from Garnet?s. He needed to breathe. He looked at her slightly flushed cheeks and quivering lips.

Garnet blinked and reached up behind her head. She tugged the elastic from her hair and let it cascade down her back and around her shoulders. She sighed lightly and shook her head, while watching him. He watched her as she ran her fingers through her hair trying to rid herself of the tangles. Zidane tilted his head to the side and glanced over her shoulder at the railing. He brought his eyes back to her.

?Dagger, why were you running towards the railing?? His voice was low and full of worry.

Garnet found a sudden interest in her feet. ?You left me, Zidane. What else did you expect me to do? What did you expect me not to do??

?I didn?t leave you, Dagger. I?? He suddenly stopped and brought his own eyes downwards. Her demanding and needing kiss still lingered on his lips. They felt slightly bruised. He secretly liked the feeling.

?You what, Zidane??

?Ah, forget it.? He shook his head and waved his hand through the air.

Garnet placed her hands on her hips and stepped away from him. ?What? I?m not going to stop bugging until you answer me.?

?Looks like I don?t seem to have a choice.? He chuckled.

Garnet smiled. ?Exactly! Now?tell me.?

Zidane licked his lips absentmindedly. He brought his arm up and self-consciously rubbed the back of his neck. His fingers brushed against the clasp of a necklace he wore. He lifted his other arm and undid the latch. The necklace fell down his chest and landed perfectly in his hand. He stared down at it. The heart shaped locket gleamed in the moonlight that had begun to poke through the dark clouds. ?I Love Thee? was deeply engraved on the cover, as Zidane silently studied it more closely. It was made of 24-karat rose gold. Garnet tried to glance at what he was holding. He curled his fingers around it a little more, blocking off the view. She crossed her arms under her breasts and stared at him with a frown.

?You are going to explain something to me any day now, right??

?Huh?? His head jerked up. ?Oh?yeah, sure.?

Garnet didn?t look impressed.

Zidane smiled softly, but his eyes then went all serious. They were filled with something that she had never seen in him before. ?Dagger, you remember how, back at the Iifa Tree, I wanted to say something to you? Remember I just ended up saying goodbye??

?Yes. What was it?? She remembered that day like no other. It had been a day where her heart had shattered to pieces, a day where she had lost half of her heart.

Zidane chuckled. ?Well, I don?t know if you?re going to think I?m crazy or something, but when I first bumped into you in the Royal Hallway, I fell for you on sight. Dagger, I?m in love with you. I love you, Dagger.?

He loves me? Garnet blinked her surprise. Zidane thought she was going to faint. She didn?t. She only stared at him and a smile spread her beautiful lips. She felt tears brim her eyes once again, but they weren?t sad tears, they were tears of joy. ?Zidane, I?I don?t know what to say?? Her voice faded off and she covered her mouth with a hand. Say you love him too, you idiot!

?Say you love me.? Zidane took a step towards her.

?I love you, Zidane.?

?Say you?ll marry me.? His request came out soft. He quickly reached out to capture her waist and he pulled her close.

Garnet was flabbergasted. This was a dream! It had to be. She was going to awaken any moment now, she just knew it. This wasn?t Zidane. The Zidane she had known had died three months ago. She was completely dumbstruck. She stared up at him and hoped that her answer would reveal itself in her eyes.

It didn?t.

?Yes.?

Zidane bent forward to catch her answer. She had whispered it in such a quiet voice. ?What? I didn?t hear you. Speak up!?

Garnet burst into loud giggles and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips to his. Another severe kiss hit Zidane and he returned it fully. He pulled away breathless and gazed down into her eyes that shone with laughter and happiness. He gently reached up to smooth away some of her dark bangs from her eyes.

?I?m taking that as a ?yes???

Garnet nodded.

Zidane smiled meekly and bent down to steal a kiss from her tender lips. ?You actually want to become my wife?? He spoke through kisses.

Garnet nodded again and began to press kisses to his cheeks.

?Aren?t you ashamed of marrying a poor ol? thief??

?You?re not poor anymore, Zidane,? she whispered against his lips.

?I?m not after you for your money, Dagger. I?m after you for your love.? He was serious.

?And that?s exactly what you?re going to get.?

To Be Continued?

[Goldberry]

Wow, Leia! This is beautiful! I always thought that FF9 didn't get as much recognition as it deserved but this story does it great justice. *sighs dreamily* Awwwww, Garnet and Zidane were always so cute, especially at the end. A very nice alternate ending for them and I'm interested to see how you continue this.

Keep up the good work!
*huggles*
Berry

[silent muse]

dear lord, I love that game! The ending was simply amazing, jerks at my heartstrings every time....eh, I guess I'm just a sucker for romance.
But great, great fic! So sweet. It's about time someone wrote about the love between Zidane and Dagger.

-muse-

[AngelOfDeath]

::gets all teary eyed:: So pretty....

[ZidanesGarnet]

That does bring a tear to my eye... *sob!* Oh my... oh *sob* that was so beautiful!!

I love Zidane and Garnet!

Can't you tell?

Splendedly written, well though of, very impressive!
Mas! Por Favor!

[silent muse]

I loved this story, was there a second part forcoming?