"Colors of Dawn"

Copyright 2001

Author's note:

Another one of my loose-end tie-up fics. This time, it's one of politics. Personally, I hate politics, but especially when it gets in the way of romance (unfortunately, it's happened to me before). So this is my short fic of romance triumphing over politics. I hope you enjoy, and don't forget leave a review!!

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Zidane lay awake in the royal chamber, intently studying the ceiling and listening to Dagger's soft, even breathing as she lay beside him.

It's weird…, he thought, so much space here.

Zidane felt out of place in this massive bed and gargantuan room, where he had previously only felt at home either on the road or in the small excuse for a room that he shared with Blank aboard the Tantalus ship. Now here he was, sleepless in what could almost be one of the most luxurious rooms in Alexandria castle.

Here he was, at the end of his journey, finally reunited with his love, and he couldn't catch a wink of sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he became immediately aware of how distant all the walls were from him. It made him very uncomfortable.

On the other hand, there was the very comforting warmth that he felt along his right side. He looked down at Dagger, her head resting on his shoulder and her expression one of peaceful sleep.

Poor thing… she's been through so much. More than any of us, I think. And then of course, she had to deal with the loss of her most loved one: me. But no, no, I came back, just like I promised her. In any case, she could use some time off.

Zidane realized that his body position would soon get uncomfortable and as much as he'd like to lie here in bed with Dagger, he wanted nothing more at the moment than to strectch his road-weary limbs. He looked down at her again, and determined that the action of stretching would be somewhat difficult, as he was being used as a pillow at the moment.

He fought to suppress a chuckle at the thought, but decided to go for it anyway.

In one smooth movement, Zidane reached out with his left arm and leg, gripping the side of the bed, and slipped Dagger's head off his shoulder and onto the pillow. His bare feet didn't make a sound as he slid the sheets off him and stood up on the heavily carpeted floor.

Dagger stirred slightly, but did not wake.

Damn, I'm good, he congratulated himself.

Noiselessly he stepped out onto the balcony and stared across at the brightening eastern horizon. The warm night air stirred gently through the room as he lifted his arms into the air, and gave his body one big stretch, as well as letting out a huge yawn.

It had all come to this conclusion. His miraculous escape from the Iifa tree, his long journey back from the edges of civilization, under the ocean to return to Treno. His chance encounter with the Tantalus crew during one of their gigs in Treno, and his reenlistment with the stage performance, as well as the hatching of the plan to surprise Dagger when their tour visited Alexandria. He had wandered across a continent by himself, and come through on the other side into the arms of his love. He remembered how difficult it was to remember his lines when he finally went onstage…

What now ? he wondered.

He pondered this as he stared out at the brightening rooftops of Alexandria. Quite an impressive view, he thought, but Dagger probably wasn't too impressed by it. She had lived all her life in this castle, except for the few months she spent with him and the rest. He knew that somewhere down there, under one specific rooftop, they were all sleeping comfortably. Vivi and company, Freya, Amarant, Quina, and Eiko had all rented out rooms at the same inn. He wondered about Blank, and if he was sleepless at all, considering the empty bunk.

Probably not, he thought humorously to himself, there have been enough nights where I just didn't come home from one party or another.

A smile creased his features. Freya was right: he had changed.

Zidane gave a small start as a hand was placed gently on his shoulder.

Dagger giggled pleasantly.

"Why aren't you asleep ?" she asked.

He looked at her wryly for scaring him before answering.

"The room's too big. Every time I shut my eyes, I feel this weird sense of vertigo, except sideways… too much space in here. I guess it just takes some getting used to."

She smiled softly.

"So you thought you could just sneak out of bed and watch the sun rise without me, huh ?"

"Well…" was the best Zidane could do.

"Just so you know, I plan on staying here and watching it with you, whether you like it or not."

He couldn't help but grin broadly and slip his arm around her.

"There's just one thing that bothers me now," he said.

"What is it ?"

"What am I going to do now ?"

Dagger started at the question, then was confused.

"You have a country to run. The people need you here. But me, I have no business anywhere in particular. At this point, I can go wherever I please…"

She dimly saw what he was getting at. But then tried to look at it from his perspective, and tried to think it through the way Zidane would think it through.

"Well," she said, "what do you want to do ?"

"I want to stay here with you."

They both smiled warmly.

"However, I can't stay here. The palace is too big for me. It would drive me crazy if I had to live here. And I couldn't live with myself if I just freeloaded off of you and the nation's taxes. I'm a working man. An actor, a thespian, a starving artist. I don't know what to do with all this luxury."

She saw his point. Zidane clearly wouldn't fit in in the world of royal politics. However, she desperately didn't want him to leave. She tried to keep herself out of the equation, and considered the alternatives.

"I hear the theatre in town is looking for actors. I don't see why you couldn't buy yourself a small place in town and live and work and," she hesitated, "love from there."

He looked down at her, a little surprised.

"What would I do without you ?"

"Probably go chasing after some other pretty girl that catches your eye," she teased.

"Now that's not fair… that was the old me !"

He turned the idea over in his head, and while it would be a little on the inconvenient side when he wanted some private time with Dagger, it would make his life infinitely more comfortable than if he were living in the castle.

"There's only one condition that I will do this under," he said.

"Anything, my love,"

"I don't receive a cent of your royal fortune. I want to earn it all myself, I want the life of the performer who is in constant suspense of where next month's rent is going to come from. You have to promise me now, that even if I come begging to your doorstep without a bite to eat, you've got to turn me away."

"You realize how difficult that might be for me, considering how handsome you are…" she countered.

"If you don't promise me, I'm leaving tomorrow," he bluffed.

"Okay, okay… I promise you that I won't give you a single cent of financial support." She paused. "Not like I was going to give you any to begin with…"

"Hey !"

She promptly stopped his protest with a kiss.

After the swirling, sinuous moment ended, she looked deep into his eyes, with her arms around his neck.

"Besides, I should be alright, considering the huge amount of gil that we each collected on our little adventure."

"What ?! You still have—"

This time it was her reply that was cut short by his kiss.

"You know, sometimes I wonder why I put up with you," Garnet whispered.

"It's because of my unbelievably good looks and perfect style, isn't it ?"

"That it most certainly is not," Garnet half-lied.

Zidane couldn't think of a witty retort, and the two fell silent. Garnet snuggled up to him, pulling him close.

I can hardly believe he's really here, she thought, I had given him up for dead, and then he shows up on stage. Ugh, I could almost be furious with him, but I'm just so thankful to have him back. The sunlight seems so much brighter when I'm with him.

She looked up into his eyes and wished for nothing more in the world.

"You know, for a second there, I thought I was seeing things when you appeared on stage," she said.

"You were seeing things: you were seeing me," he smirked in return.

"Ugh," she smiled and tried to pull away from him, allowing herself to be recaptured.

She grew serious, suddenly.

"Promise me you'll never leave me."

"I can't promise you that," Zidane said.

"Please, Zidane, promise me; I can't stand the thought of being alone again… I was so alone. Please… promise me."

"I can't make you a promise I might break. I don't know what the future holds, and I don't know what situation might come up where I might need to leave again. The fact is, there are things I believe in strongly enough that I would risk my life, and our love, in order to support them. I really don't want to risk what we have here, Dagger, but the time may come when I may have to."

She understood his words. The world was not rotating around their relationship, and so the future could tear them apart.

However, that's a chance I'm willing to take.

"I will promise you this, though: that while we're together, I will give you all the love I know how to give. You cannot possibly ask for more, even you, my Queen."

Dagger smiled at his oath. No, she could not possibly ask for more. It was all he had to give. She had his trust, his love, and his protection; what she didn't have was any doubts.

"Come on, Dagger, let's head inside, before your entire kingdom sees us standing here half-dressed on your balcony."

She giggled at the thought and followed him inside.

At least now being Queen won't be so horribly boring.