Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ So Let Me Come To You... ❯ Prologue

[ A - All Readers ]

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy or any of the characters, nor do I own the song Eyes On Me or anything like that. Gosh these disclaimers are depressing...
Note: Kudos to my friend, Pam, for giving me this idea! I had thought that Eyes On Me (Which I love almost as much--well, as much as Melodies of Life) went well with the ending of FF9, but she's the one who actually got me to put my ideas on paper. :) Ah, well, enough talk! Read, review, and enjoy!
So Let Me Come To You...
Garnet sighed softly, her eyes following the events of the play but her heart and mind following the events that seemed to only have just happened. She saw herself, young and naive, cloaked from head to toe as she rushed through the halls of the castle in her first attempt at escape, only to run headlong into a young man dressed as one of her own soldiers. A young man that, from that moment on, would change her life as she knew it. A life that, without him, would have been short-lived and meaningless. She shuddered to think of how her life would have been lived if she hadn't run into him, and if she had excused herself from her seat just a little sooner, she would have found out.
She smiled softly as she drifted deeper into the realm of nostalgia, remembering how he used to make her laugh in his clumsy attempts at flirtation. She had been annoyed at first, but she had also been scared and nervous. Scared that she wouldn't be able to find out what ailed her mother and scared that, when she found out why she was acting so strange, it would be something unpleasant. Nervous because she had never been far outside the castle, much less out of the kingdom, on her own and with complete strangers...
But Zidane... Zidane had always been there. He made her feel comfortable even when in uncomfortable situations. He reassured her, helped her, and even taught her. He made her feel on top of the world, like she could do anything, though she never admitted it. No, she made a point to take advice but not acknowledge it, silently convincing herself that she wouldn't need his help for long. Once she arrived at her destination, she would strike out on her own, proving that she was as independent as she wanted to be.
But the more she got to know him, the more she realized how lonely she really was...

Whenever sang my songs,

On the stage, on my own...

Whenever said my words,

wishing they would be heard,

I saw you smiling at me,

Was it real, or just my fantasy?

You'd always be there in the corner

Of this tiny little bar...

She had struck out on her own when she arrived at Lindblum. She didn't think of Zidane then, all she thought of was proving that she didn't need anyone, that she could make it on her own. But that was a mistake, and she had been too careless, too trusting. She had been imprisoned in her own home by the mother she had wanted so much to help, the mother she wanted so much to trust and love. And though she had tried to forget him, Zidane did not forget her. He had not condemned her for deserting him, but had instead been the one that bailed her out, risking his own life to save hers. From that point on, she realized the one thing that was important, much more important than her own stubborn want of independence. Friendship.
From that moment on, she held onto that friendship, holding onto her friends, who had believed in her from the start. She held her friends near her heart 'til the very end, scarcely noticing how that friendship gradually grew. And among those friends, one stood out. Zidane, her teacher, her companion, and eventually... Her love.
But that love had never grown to it's full potential for she had been torn from him before it had barely begun to bloom. But though it had never fully blossomed, for some reason Garnet still found it hard to let go. She doubted she ever would. One might not understand why it was so hard for her. To someone that did not know her, her distress might seem foolish. After all, she hadn't loved him that long, right?
She sighed softly, but no one noticed. After all, the play was at one of it's romantic scenes, with Marcus the peasant making plans with his lover, the princess Cornelia, to run away together. Oh, anyone who though she hadn't been in love long would be mistaken. While Zidane had been busy wooing her--unsuccessfully, in his mind--she had been busy being wooed.
She took life for granted, always believing that she and her companions would always be together. Sure, they may be separated, but it would never be for long. Perhaps it was this belief that made accepting his death so hard. She had never believed that the last time she saw Zidane would be her last.

My last night here for you,

Same old songs, just once more.

My last night here with you?

Maybe yes, maybe no.

I kind of liked it your way,

How you shyly placed your eyes on me.

Did you ever know

That I had mine on you?

Garnet straightened out her back when she realized she was slouching slightly, pulling her shoulders back into their proper position, wiping a fugitive tear from her eye before it could snake down her rosy cheek. She then felt a soft hand give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Beatrix stood beside her, smiling softly. Had she noticed?
"I know how much this play means to you, Your Majesty," She whispered. "I heard what happened the last time you saw it. Just be strong. I'm sure Zidane wouldn't want you to be sad. After all, this is the play that brought you two together..."
Garnet returned the smile meekly, though the sadness still showed through her revealing eyes. "I know... But knowing and doing are two different things," She whispered, drawing a deep breath. "I'll be alright. Thank you, Beatrix."

Darling, so there you are

With that look on your face,

As if you're never hurt,

As if you're never down.

Shall I be the one for you

Who pinches you softly but sure?

If frown is shown then

I will know that you are no dreamer...

"I love this scene," Beatrix suddenly commented, her soft eyes dancing, though Garnet could not see them since she stood behind her seat. Garnet nodded slowly in acknowledgement, and tore herself from her thoughts. Maybe Beatrix was right--no, not maybe. She was right. Zidane wouldn't want her to dwell on his death. He'd want her to remember his life and all they had shared together.
She lowered her eyes to the stage, which had darkened as a night scene came into play. On the stage, sad and forlorn, was the princess' lover, Marcus, who was waiting for his love to arrive so they could board the boat that would carry them both away from the rules that forbade love between a princess and a peasant. How very strange... It seemed that the play reflected on she and Zidane's own life...
She moved forward in her seat a little in curiosity when the cloaked figure of Marcus looked to the blue and red stage lights that served as artificial moons, watching as he raised his hands to their light, commending them to listen to his prayers...
"As the sun lends me no ear, I pray instead to the twin moons. O wondrous moonlight, grant me my one wish..." He said, his strong yet desperate voice capturing the attention of the audience. And then, he bent over, turning away from the audience so that his back was to them and they couldn't see what he was doing. Then, after a long pause that only managed to increase the suspense, he spun around, throwing the cloak from his body and turning his face up to where Garnet sat. "Bring my beloved Dagger to me!"
The audience's gasp was echoed by Garnet who stood up, slowly and shakily, to peer over the edge of the balcony she sat in, eyes wide and heart in her throat. Had she heard what she thought she did? Was she seeing what she thought she was? Or was she just insane? No, that couldn't be it! The audience could see him, too. Zidane really was there.
Realizing this, Garnet hesitated no longer. She turned on her heel and ran toward the door that would lead her from the room, but stopped as Steiner and Beatrix moved in front of her, blocking her path. She stared up at them, confusion and accusation in her eyes. Would they not let her pass? Would they not let her go to Zidane after all they knew he meant to her?
But as soon as those thoughts had entered her mind, they were dismissed when the doors were opened.
Picking up her skirts, Garnet barely glimpsed their smiling faces as she flew through the doors and down the steps to the door that opened to the outside. The guards moved aside quickly as she pushed open the great doors, not waiting for them to do it for her. They must have caught the look on her face that clearly warned that, at this moment, she would probably have killed them if they stood in her way.
Maneuvering through the thick mass of people that had gathered to enjoy the play was not an easy task, and Garnet did not think twice before she had abandoned her lady-like manners and had resorted to simply pushing people out of her way. Her sense of urgency increased with each step she took, each step she took toward Zidane, as though she believed he would vanish if she wasn't quick enough.
Feeling she was almost there, praying that he would still be there, she moved to get around a spectator that blocked her view--only to have him bump into her, her pendant knocked loose and thrown from it's place, sparkling in the sunlight, to land far from her reach in the center of the crowd that was now behind her.
Garnet paused, feeling her throat with her hands as though confirming that it really was gone, looking after it uncertainly. Should she retrieve it? It was an Alexandrian treasure, passed down from generation to generation to the heirs of the throne, a symbol of royalty...
She turned away from it and ran away from it instead, and in that instant, like an apparition from a dream, she saw Zidane watching her from the stage. No, being queen was not what mattered. her ties to Alexandria were not what mattered. All that mattered now was the present
Throwing her crown from her hair, Dagger threw herself up the steps of the stage and into the waiting arms of Zidane, who swayed backwards a little as he caught her, his tail lashing out to balance himself and save them both from toppling over, even as their arms entwined around one another.

So let me come to you,

Close as I want to be.

Close enough for me

to feel your heart beating fast.

And stay there as I whisper

How I loved your peaceful eyes on me.

Did you ever know

That I had mine on you?

Sobbing, Dagger hugged Zidane fiercely before suddenly turning on him angrily after he offered her a cocky yet sad smile, beating on his chest with a tiny yet strong fist while the other arm still clung to him in the same forceful embrace.
"How could you do this to me!? Do you know how worried I was? Everyone thought you were dead! I thought you were dead!"
But then one gloved hand was stroking her hair gently, calming her, drawing her head to rest against his chest. She was content to stay like that forever, his strong arms holding her, supporting her. With him, she was not alone. With him, she was safe...
"How did you survive?" She asked him when she felt her voice had returned, her voice a soft whisper. She could feel Zidane's smile as he whispered back in her ear, his warm breath caressing her cheek.
"I didn't have a choice. I had to live," He replied, closing his eyes as he relished in the soft feel of her. "I wanted to come home to you. So... I sang your song. Our song..."

Darling, so share with me

Your love if you have enough.

Your tears if you're holding back

Of pain if that's what it is.

How can I let you know

I'm more than the dress and the voice?

Just reach me out and you will know that

You are not dreaming...
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