To See Another Day Chapter 4

Atrocity

By Kain Servant

With the light rushing through his body, pounding against his brain, Zidane was no longer aware of night or day, of time or where he was. All he knew was that there were seventeen men standing in front of him who had lived long enough as far as he was concerned. It was their time to die.

He could feel everything, even though he tried to concentrate solely on his enemies. He was dimly aware of Marcus standing next to him, his sword hanging limply at his side as he stared at Zidane in amazement. Vivi was somewhere around, playing with his little magic bubbles. His mind focused with a snap again, and he raised his daggers. Time for a grand lethal.

As he plunged his daggers down into the earth, for some reason Garnet came to his mind. Garnet and that Kain man she had been with when he left. Even with all the excuses he threw out, he felt that she was doing something with this man…she wasn’t celibate, she wasn’t to busy for Zidane, she just didn’t want him. He plunged the daggers into the earth again angrily. Well if she didn’t want him, then fine, his feelings for her were too strong to be described, that was the only reason he had stuck with her so long. But she could have at least told him!

Again he plunged the daggers. But no, she was the queen and he was her humble servant. Queens could go around sleeping with anyone, it didn’t have to be their husbands, the husband she had never even slept in the same bed with!

Again! Well damn her for being this way, after all he had ever done for her, she pushed him away to go talk to this Kain fool. Kain be hanged! Why had he ever thought he was worthy of her in the first place?

Again! Worthy? He was plenty worthy of her, it was she that was playing the prostitute, not him. If she was going to be that way, then fine, she could be, but he could play that game as well. It wouldn’t take long to find a sleeping partner, or two, or five. But that wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted Garnet!

Again! Again! Again! The earth erupted and exploded, pillars of dirt bursting forth with unseen power. The seventeen men that had stood there before Zidane could not see. He could only see what had been left of them, a trickle of blood here, a few bits of entrails there. Let them try to revive themselves from entrails.

But even though his foes were gone, he could not stop his anger from flowing out in the trance, his frustration, his disappointment. He could not count how many times he stabbed the earth, how many times the earth rose up around him in answer to his call, but the euphoria never died. Somewhere in the back of his mind a thought came to him “This trance isn’t fading!” but it was gone before he could heed it.

Suddenly a sole pillar of earth rose in front of him. Zidane looked around and found that all of the earth for hundreds of feet in front of him and around him had been destroyed, literally destroyed, it was no more. He looked back frantically to the city, and found thankfully that it was still intact, that Marcus and Vivi were still there, watching him with wide-eyed expressions. He would talk to them later, right now the bliss was overwhelming him, and he would not let it go.

As he turned back to where the battle was, or had been, he saw the pillar again. This was no result of his actions, it was not falling or crashing. It stood still and firm in the middle of the quaking earth. He raised his eyes to look to the top of it, and found that there was another man standing there.

The same, and different from the redheaded men that had been there today. Instead of red, his hair was black, black as the eyes that stared at him from the deathly white face. But instead of the huge mop of hair, it was combed back into a long braid behind his back. He was all dressed in black, black with silver linings at the belt and cuffs of his sleeves, and he wore golden glinting claws where his fingernails should have been. Claws that reminded Zidane of the ones Amarant wore. And the man smiled.

Zidane roared and launched five more earth attacks at the man, and felt relieved when he realized none of the bliss had left. ‘Am I reaching an eternal trance, like Kuja did?’ he wondered. But that wasn’t the question to ask at the moment. The real question was why the attacks were not effectual against the man and his pillar. So Zidane launched a fire attack. He didn’t know where it came from, only that it was there. Just as casually, the man simply lifted his hand, and the flames vanished. And he continued to smile as he spoke in a clipped, icy voice,

“Calm yourself, Zidane. I am not here for you…Calm…” Suddenly calm washed through Zidane, not a natural calm, but a forced one, meant to suppress him, to push back his true feelings. But he couldn’t do anything about it. The bliss washed away, and so did the light, and it left Zidane on his knees, feeling as if he had a weight of a hundred tons on his back.

“You are powerful, young Zidane.” The man went on, as if he had not just taken away the most power Zidane had ever felt in one quick move of his hand, “Powerful, but not bright. Why do you fight against me? Do you know? Have I tried to kill you? The Fa’al em Delamfar are here, but not for you.”

“What is Fa’al em Delamfar?” Zidane croaked, trying to rise. He had never felt such sheer exhaustion in his life.

The black-haired man went on as if Zidane had never said a word, “They are here for this planet. Gaia…a strong planet, many have tried to take it over many years, and they have always failed. Fa’al em Delamfar is here for your planet, and for the precious jewel…the precious jewel who made herself another jewel…with the jewel, the Chosen can be born once again!”

“Jewel? Chosen?”

The man tilted his head downward, his eyes seeming to bore into Zidane’s skull, “Is this…Garnet…is she the last of those you call…Summoner?” He pronounced Garnet and Summoner like they were very foreign words. Zidane gasped, then stood angrily, trying to shake off the weight,

“I don’t know, and I don’t care. If you try to touch Garnet I’ll kill you like a-“

Laughing cut into his words. Harsh laughing, “You will kill me like a what? Like a flea? Do you have any idea how easy it was to stop your miniscule attacks? Any idea how powerful I am?”

Zidane did have an idea, but he wasn’t going to say, “Who are you? And why are you in control of the mist creatures?”

“Those you call the mist creatures were only copies of the true ones, just like your mist. My minions have nothing to do with your world. As for my name…” He reached back and touched his black hair thoughtfully, then sparks of magic began to entwine around him, “I will have your Garnet, I will touch her, Zidane, no matter what you do. Leave, leave this planet, or else you will die.” And then he was gone. The sparks faded slightly afterward, but he was gone.

Silence reigned down. Zidane suddenly realized that he didn’t hear any battle noises coming from the other parts of the city either. It was over…Alexandria was saved, for now. But the battle truly wasn’t over, in fact, it probably hadn’t even been fought.

A ragged cheer arose from the Alexandrian soldiers left defending the wall. They rose, clashing their swords against their shields, “The victory is one! Hail General Marcus! Hail Blade master Marcus!”

Zidane quirked his lip slightly and turned to Marcus, “So, you get all the credit.”

Vivi stalked up to stand beside the two men, “The power you held, Zidane, it was amazing. You’re much stronger now than Kuja ever was!” Marcus gave a grunt and a nod in agreement to that.

Zidane whipped a hand through his hair and shook his head, “I’m going to have to ask someone about what just happened, Cid or Doctor Tot or someone…but now I have to find Garnet!”

--

Beatrix fell to her knees with fatigue as the last redheaded man disappeared from view. There was no one left to kill. She realized her breath was coming in ragged gasps, and she tried to maintain control of it. “Eiko…don’t ever let me underestimate you again…you understand that? We all owe you our lives.”

The sixteen-year-old girl stood above her proudly, and suddenly sparkles surrounded her small frame, most radiating from the horn in the center of her forehead. A jolt of refreshing power ran through Beatrix, then another and another. Slowly her power came back, and she rose to her feet. Her breath came easier this time. The girl not only summoned a few gods to finish off the whole horde around the castle; she had healed everyone who was wounded.

Beatrix looked up to give her thanks, but Eiko wasn’t looking at her anymore. She was frowning concernedly, “Where’s Garnet? She should have been doing something all this time, it’s not like she’s helpless just ‘cause she’s a queen.”

Blank shrugged and ran a hand through his red hair, a habit Beatrix was beginning to hate, “I dunno, Zidane kinda sounded iffy about her. Maybe she’s sick or something.” Again he wiped his hand through his hair, and she snapped at him,

“Blank, you’d better find a hat to hide that hair with, or I might snap your head off! I never want to see a redheaded man again!”

In spite of the seriousness of the mood, Steiner managed to smile as Blank hastily withdrew his hands and ducked his head, “Come on, Beatrix, I’ll get you fixed up and in bed. It’s been a long day for everyone.”

A smile crawled to her lips as she let him lead her away, “Oh I think I have enough energy to do a little more…how about a little exercise, Steiner?”

Blank smirked as his gaze turned from Steiner and Beatrix to Cid. The old man looked ready to cover Eiko’s ears in horror. But the girl didn’t seem to have noticed the innuendo at all,

“I’m glad we came, father…” She shuddered, “I don’t want to think about what might have happened if we hadn’t.”

Marcus and Vivi suddenly sprang out through one of Vivi’s gateways. Blank flinched. He hated those gateways, and anything to do with magic, after today. Marcus bowed slightly to Cid, and then grinned as he wiped his forehead clear of sweat, “Well we got our wall clear before you all. Zidane’s anger went a little over the edge I guess…”

“He had a trance.” Vivi explained, his eyes wide with excitement, “But it was a really long trance, and it wouldn’t have gone away if it wasn’t forced – I think he’s reached that level of power Kuja had before he died.” Slowly he quieted. No one liked to talk about Kuja, and Zidane had ordered them not to. Whatever he had done to the world, Zidane still liked to think of him as his brother…and he had saved the world, in a way. Half destroyed and half saved.

“What do you mean he was forced?” Cid demanded, ignoring the embarrassed looks around the circle. The old man sure was a proud guy, and he got his way most of the time. ‘A good leader.’ Blank mused, ‘Almost as good as the Boss.’

Marcus explained this time, “This weird guy came out after Zidane had tranced like twenty guys to death. And here Zidane was, making the earth explode and just about destroying everything around him, and the guy just told him to stop. And then he stopped, and the trance went away, just like that!”

“What man? What did he do then?” Eiko demanded, stamping her foot impatiently in the way Blank remembered she had done for a long time.

Marcus shrugged, “Then he just stared at Zidane for a while, and Zidane started talking to him, like they were having a one sided conversation or something. Well…” Marcus scratched his head as he tried to explain it, “Zidane was asking questions, stuff I didn’t understand, and if the guy gave him answers or not, I don’t know. I didn’t hear a thing from him, did you Vivi?”

The little mage shook his head slowly, and Cid let a breath out slowly,

“He talked to his mind then. Garland and Kuja could do that, maybe a few others. I don’t know how they accomplish it, but I suppose they use some sort of magic, I must study that sometime…or have Doctor Tot do so. Anyway, then the man just disappeared?” Marcus and Vivi both nodded, and Cid shook his head in exasperation, “And where is Zidane now?”

“He yelled something about finding Garnet and then took off.” Marcus said bluntly. Blank snickered silently. Maybe it had something to do with the rage Zidane had settled into earlier,

“Maybe the guy talking to his mind was hitting on the Queen.” He said jokingly. Four pairs of eyes turned to stare intently at him. Hastily he waved them off, “Sorry, sorry, maybe not. Hey…um…I’m a bit tired myself, I guess I’ll head to Ruby’s.” He bedded at Ruby’s, in a different bedroom of course, and her bedroom was locked. She was nice to him, but definitely not open, “Good night.”

Marcus nodded and turned to follow him, “I’ll stay with Ruby too, In the morning I’ll head back to Lindblum to meet the boss and tell him what happened.”

Vivi nodded and waved to them both, then began creating sparks again, “I’m going home, I’ll be here in the morning to help work things out.” He stepped into the portal, and then was gone.

“I’ll be at the castle in the morning as well, as for now, come Eiko, let’s head back to the airship.” Cid and his daughter hurried off into the night, Cid putting a loving arm around Eiko.

Blank shrugged and hurried off through the deserted streets into the night. He wasn’t going to work things out in the morning, he was just going to see Zidane and see what was going on with him. His brother was his only real concern in Alexandria. If Zidane was fine, then it was back to Lindblum and Tantalus for him, Ruby wasn’t going to hold him with false hopes anymore. “This is to love.” He called weakly to the night.

--

The servants all gave Zidane queer looks as he made his way into the castle, working through the milling crowds toward Garnet’s chambers. The announcement of victory had been made, of course, and everyone was celebrating and heading back to their homes. Some gave him congratulations about the victory they heard he had won, or bowed to him in semblance of honor.

He didn’t care. All that dwelt in his mind now was the black-eyed man and Garnet. The black eyed man after Garnet. The black eyed man somehow connected to Garnet…what was this Fa’al em Delamfar anyway? The creatures of mist were copies? But for now he was satisfied with worrying about the question of what the man wanted with his wife.

Slowly the crowds thinned out as he came deeper into the castle. But the servants still looked at him queerly, some blushing or giving him knowing nods and smiles. What the hell was that all about? A maid stood at the entrance of the hall to Garnet’s rooms. She giggled and curtsied when she saw him,

“Oh, Master Zidane! I didn’t know you had left!”

“Left?” His words felt slurred…the exhaustion he had felt when the trance had left was still there. He stumbled onward, past the giggling maid, toward the room, hoping the man had nod somehow come already.

What met his ears when he neared the door was not what he expected at all. He heard a deep man’s voice mumbling, he heard the soft rustling and squeaking of a bed, and overall, a dagger into his heart, he heard the passionate voices of lovemaking. And one of those was Garnet’s.

“No…” The exhaustion fell heavier, the weight seemed unbearable, as unbearable as the reality he was facing. All his thoughts before had been fantasies, a worried husband’s thoughts, they weren’t truth. They couldn’t be truth! No! He slammed the door opened with his fist. It was not locked, and it gave way hastily to a hot room inside.

His eyes immediately fell on Garnet. She was lying down on the bed, her head thrown back and a picture of ecstasy painted on her face. She was naked, Zidane noticed that as well, and the gentle swells of her bare breasts, sweat trickling down the soft skin, made passion arise in him.

But she was in another man’s arms. There he was, naked as well, gnawing on her shoulder like some kind of wild animal, connected to her…Both of them were rolling with bliss...until Garnet saw Zidane. But it was too late, he knew who that graying black hair perched on top of his wife was. It was time for someone to die!

“Zidane!” She gasped, wriggling away from her lover. Kain turned and gasped, then fell off the bed; Zidane was after him in an instant, preferring his fists to his sword for the moment,

“Bastard!” Tears of anger, tears of sorrow rolled down Zidane’s cheeks as a punch landed on one side of the elder man’s face, his other fist caught the man in the eye, and Kain went staggering back. The tears wouldn’t stop, “How could you defile my wife, bastard! You’ll die! I’ll kill you!”

Distantly he felt Garnet’s arm on his, trying to pull him back, her cries trying to stop him. But he did not hear them, he only heard and saw the man in front of him. The man he was going to kill. Four more, sweet and painful punches crashed into the man’s face. But all he did was stand there, looking past Zidane with sad eyes. ‘Sad that his night of fun ended so suddenly. Maybe he didn’t get to put his god-forsaken seed inside her yet.’ Not that it mattered. The deed was done, the anger built…so much tension rolled away, tension built over years of marriage, of not getting to do what the man had so easily done to his wife.

Again and again he punched him, not even thinking of his sword, only thinking of bringing more pain to the vermin before him. He punched him until the man was lying on the floor below him, his face a bloody mess, his arms resting limply at his sides. And then the exhaustion welled over Zidane even stronger than before, and his own arms fell to his sides.

Then reality slowly came back to him. Garnet was still crying and yelling dimly behind him. Kain, below him, was not unconscious, his eyes still stared hurt and sadness at Garnet. ‘He thinks he’s hurt and sad, what about me?’

Zidane realized his face and hands were soaked with his tears, and so was the chest of the man below him. Slowly he got up, wiping his face with a hand, and then turned to Garnet.

“Zidane, listen to me, please, don’t-“ He raised a hand and she stopped instantly.

“No…” His voice was weak, hoarse. He wanted to just lie down and cry for the rest of his life…to die…death would be bliss right about now. “Listen to me. I’ve listened to you for years…and years…and years…now hear me out.” He took a deep breath before a sob ripped it out of him.

“Why? Why, Garnet? Why him and not me? Why all of the lies and excuses, why all of the hugs and kisses that meant nothing. Nothing! Why marry me, was I anymore than a puppet? Was it anything more than appreciation because…some rat-tailed guy had saved your life a few times and you wanted to thank him? Why did you promise me the world and give me nothing?

“You were so innocent, so innocent and sweet and that was why I never said a thing. I couldn’t accuse you of something like that because you wouldn’t do something…like this. Why did you have to change?”

Without noticing he was down on his knees, sobs ripping his lungs opened, his words coming through tearful gasps, “You changed, Garnet, all of the years I spent with you were nothing like this. You’re still so beautiful on the outside, you make every man look at you, but what happened to your heart?”

“I…” She faltered, tears building in her own eyes. “Zidane it’s not what you think, I just…”

“You just wanted pleasure, you wanted something that I could give you but not well enough. You wanted someone better, maybe more experienced? True, I’ve never done it before but I was saving myself for you.”

“I’m the queen…” Garnet murmured, “What I want to do is my own concern.”

“I’m your husband.” He pleaded weakly, “I deserved to know.”

Her voice grew in confidence, which sank Zidane’s own, “You have no idea what I’ve been doing, Zidane. I was saving myself for you, but when I needed you then you weren’t there.”

“No…you sent me away.”

“I didn’t mean for this to happen! It was all about this book, I never planned it to be like this. But I was so scared, and he comforted me. And you were off fighting with no concern for me being scared.”

“You sent me away.”

“One thing led to another and…I was a virgin before today, Zidane, trust me. But if you had really pressed your love on me then I would have lost it to you. But you never did.”

“You sent me away!” The words ripped from his throat in a hoarse yell, and he turned away from her. There was silence for a moment, then she began again, still commanding,

“If you don’t stop yelling then I will send you away.”

He shrugged. Tired…so tired…all he wanted was to…”My whole life was you, was yours. If you don’t want me then my life doesn’t matter anymore.”

“So all those years together come down to nothing?”

“With what you’ve done, yes. I can never feel the same way about you again, even if I never love again.” Why was that stupid man still whimpering on the ground, damn him? He should be trying to crawl away on his miserable belly to save his damn life!

“Zidane…I still love you…”

His only answer was spoken quietly, without any of the life that usually accompanied him, “Bye, Garnet, I hope you two have a nice happy life.”

“Well…then…” Garnet sniffed. She was no longer crying, and Zidane supposed that all her self-pity for being caught had worn out, and now she would get where she wanted to go. Her next statement proved him correct – not that he wanted it that way. “Then don’t come back, I’ve tried to deal with your way of things, but…our lives always drift apart…I suppose we weren’t meant to be together.”

“Yeah…” His head was swirling, he needed to lie down and rest, he needed to cry, he needed death, death was bliss, “Then…night.”

“Night, Zidane.”

The door closed, and with it came heavenly darkness.

--

After the door clicked softly behind him she waited. But nothing changed…the room was still hauntingly quiet. He didn’t come back…she wanted him back. What had she done!

“I think I need to go…” Kain had pulled his pants on hastily, and was moving toward the door, looking half-embarrassed, half-mortified.

She nodded slowly, “I may see you again…I’m not sure.” She turned her eyes up to his, expecting them to melt away her thoughts and feelings once again. All she saw was a dim sadness. There were tears in his eyes.

“Garnet…I never wanted that to happen. You told me…you told me that he was your protector, and that you were having m…I should never…you hurt him. I hurt him…its all my fault.” And then he dashed away down the hallway, still trying to tug his shirt on over his head.

She closed the door once again…listening to the soft click. ‘Zidane…please come back. I need you…’ Her mind whispered. Slowly she stored the thought away…she had said what she had said, there was no way to change that now. If he came back now…well that would be his own choice.

Tired, she slipped back to her rumpled bed. Oh it had been glorious…blissful. It was as good and better than anyone had ever told her. But the sting was there, the pain, and she knew what it was. ‘I promised myself that would be with Zidane…I cannot even trust my own self.’

She had wasted all those years of penance from pleasure and made love to the first man that came along and appealed to her more than Zidane. ‘Oh Zidane, what have I done to you?’

Again the urge came to go after him. But she would not, she could not. ‘At least not tonight, maybe in the morning he’ll still be here…’ Slowly her eyes fell upon the book, lying discarded on the floor. The book that had caused all this wretched mess so far.

But the longer she looked at it, the more her curiosity grew. What did her life have in store for her next? Slowly she picked it up, tossing the sheets aside so she could lie down on the still-warm bed. His warmth was still there. ‘Curse Kain and his bloody eyes! My love is for Zidane, my love is only for Zidane!’

Slowly she opened the book, her breath coming in quick gasps. ‘Focus on something else, something beside Zidane and Kain and…today…’ Hastily she flipped to the half-filled page and scanned down it. There had to be something there!

And there was. In flowing words, carved into silver, a new sentence ran.

“With the sun and the arrow she flew to find the truth in her life, The unknown to reveal the known, yet not but close.”

She peered at the writing curiously, especially at the last line. “Yet not but close?” “That’s not flowery words at all, that’s just bad grammar.” So…she was destined to fly to find truth with Kain. Truth…to Macema. Kain would be going back, and when he said he was she would babble something about having to go with him…that was of course if she didn’t have the book. Now she knew what she was fated to do, and so she would do it. Tomorrow. But first she would talk to Zidane.

--

As night grew and darkened, a shadow began to crawl over Gaia, growing larger and larger as the night went on. Then there was another, and then another…three patches of midnight against a sea of black.

Somewhere a man was writing…writing and speaking to himself in incantations unknown to any mage alive. Black sparks surrounded him, almost joining in a roaring halo of black fire around his head. His black eyes narrowed, and he touched the parchment softly, mumbling to himself. The time was ripe…it was almost time for him to break forth, to get his revenge. And he would get his revenge…a thin smile passed across his lips, not humorous. Oh yes, he would.

--

A day passes…

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