The party, still a mixture of amused and shocked at the change of genders between Garnet and Zidane, was racing to Terra. But it would take an overnight trip for the Invincible to reach their destination.
"Hey, wait... when we're affected by Mini, if we sleep, it reverts, right?" Zidane realised.
"Well, yes. Maybe this will undo if we sleep?" Garnet agreed.
"Worth a shot. Maybe we should share a bed in case we need to be close?" Zidane tried.
"Well, some things don't change," Steiner sighed.
"Nice try, Zidane, but I... uh..." Garnet trailed off as he apparently considered the idea more.
"Crap, I broke her. Him. Her?" Zidane wondered, and then actually thought about her words.
"...Oh, yeah, I kinda realise a big problem from that plan."
"Given how Garnet's trying to cover his crotch now, yeah, I think you did cause a big problem," Armarant laughed, only to be slapped on the back of the head by Freya.
The blushing genderswapped pair quietly withdrew, to separate beds.
"Don't forget to sit down if you gotta piss, monkey girl!" Armarant shouted after Zidane, to another slap, this time from Steiner.
"Worth it," the redhaired menace smirked.
Going to Terra was now done. They had encountered the Genomes, fought Kuja (who barely even noticed what had happened to his 'brother' in his egomania), and now were racing to figure out how to stop him once and for all.
This was not exactly helpful to the now genderswapped Garnet and Zidane, the latter now having to adjust to quite a lot of changes and revelations in his, er, her life.
Her newly discovered 'sister' was somewhat helpful there, and yet, also not.
"I have heard of devices intended to do that, but I know little of them. All I know is, they were apparently one way," Mikoto said.
"This... is permanent?" Dagger gulped.
"We... We can check in Daguerro still, right?" Zidane fretted.
"We should move quickly if we do, who knows what madness Kuja will inflict on the world if we don't stop him soon," Steiner warned.
Their quick visit to Daguerro bore no sign of any cure. Even a look into powerful magical remedies showed nothing. And so, with time still tight, the two opted to try and fix the one thing they could adjust easier for now - their clothing. Dagger had found a pair of (still orange) dungarees to take over from his tighter jumpsuit, and had obtained some newer shirts. Zidane simply had obtained some bras to help prevent her new additions from being so awkward in combat, but overall, not too much had to change there.
One problem that had emerged, though, was that the scholars eyes were now rather drawn to her, especially as having retained shirts designed for a slightly smaller chest, she was somewhat drawing attention to those awkward new additions.
"...I think I want a baggier shirt," She decided.
The party stopped by Lindblum to resupply and also consult with Lady Hilda, in case she had insight. She did not.
"This seems to be the result of pretty powerful magic. Beyond even the spell I used on Cid to make him an Oglop."
"So, could you use something to turn us into the right gender?" Dagger asked.
Hilda sighed.
"It wouldn't last. The oglop spell should really have worn off after a while, Cid is just unlucky in that he is very susceptible to transformations. I could turn you to the correct genders for a short time, but as magic fades, it results in a reversion to a natural state. How you can usually unshrink or depetrify overnight, unless a really skilled mage cast the spell. But to be altered into another species or gender for a long time requires immense power."
"Can you at least try temporary? I think I can deal with having to get it recast each day," Zidane said.
Hilda tried... but nothing happened to either of them.
"I admit I haven't actually used the spell to alter genders before. Perhaps I'm doing it wrong?" Hilda said.
"Maybe you need a test subject?" Cid suggested, thought about what he had said, and quickly excused himself.
"...Fine, try it on me," Armarant sighed.
The party looked at him in surprise.
"Look, I've been giving these two a lot of crap over this, I am feeling a little bad about it."
The party kept staring.
"What? Look, I really do feel a little bad. Like, not a lot, I still think it's kinda hilarious, but honestly, a cute Zidane is just wrong."
"Well, if you're sure," Hilda said, and prepared the spell.
It indeed was the correct spell - Armarant shifted, becoming a little thinner, growing breasts, and 'her' hair grew longer while the beard seemed to vanish, but overall, she wasn't too different - still powerfully built, still blue, still human.
"Can you change his skin colour? Ooh, can you change mine?!" Eiko asked.
"Probably, but I should undo it and try on Zidane and Garnet now rather than spend more mana, now I know it works I may need all I can get," Hilda said.
Armarant was reverted to male, and another attempt was made. And another, and another, with no results. Trying a different transformation worked - Garnet was briefly a Burmecian male, but efforts to make him a female from there or as part of the change did not work.
Zidane looked ready to either scream or cry before she simply sighed.
"Okay, I'm gonna go for a walk, I think I need to clear my head a little here,"
"I'll go with you," Garnet offered.
The others let them be, and the pair headed to the centre of Lindblum.
"Man, Tantalus is gonna laugh their asses off at this," Zidane said.
"I'm sure we'll find some solution, somehow," Garnet tried.
"What the heck are we gonna do though? I mean, you're meant to be the Queen of Alexandria! How's this gonna work if it is permanent? And, like, what happens when I have the girl time of the month, huh? Can I even do that? I mean, lucky you, no more for you I guess, but we've both gotta adjust to a lot here!"
"We're still who we are though. You're a skilled fighter. And, uh, well, there's precedent for Alexandrian monarchs that can fix my issue there...."
"Ah, 'Queen' Richard. Right," Zidane nodded, and then yelped, turning to face a leering drunk, who she immediately punched.
"...He pinched your butt?"
"He pinched my butt!" Zidane fumed.
"And only I'm allowed to do that?" Garnet said innocently.
"Yeah! I mean, uh... erm... " Zidane stammered and blushed, as the drunk groaned.
"I think I can get used to this part at least, making you blush is fun no matter what gender we are," The summoner grinned.
"...Are you sure we're still the same people, because I think testosterone might be altering your personality a little."
"Well, we might have to change a little, but look, even if we can't find a fix, I'm sure we can deal with this together. We've dealt with much more, haven't we?"
"I guess..." Zidane said.
"And hey, it's not like you don't know how to wear dresses or anything, you were an actor, after all!" Garnet joked.
"Hey, even when I was a guy I could rock a dress, Dagger, don't mock my acting prowess!" Zidane smiled.
The pair kept walking, feeling a little better after the disappointment in the castle.
"So, uh, I have a question, Dagger... does my voice sound any different to you?"
"A little higher maybe, but you've still got a Lindblum accent. You can do different voices though, right?"
"Yeah. Uh, yeah," Zidane tried lowering her voice, managing to sound like her old male self.
"You have that skill, at least. I must sound a little different too."
"Your voice is a little deeper, now you mention it."
"I can explain that away to most in Alexandria at least, a side-effect of me losing my voice. So at least on that front I'm not too worried."
"Yeah, but... I've got like a million things I'm worrying about now."
"Try not to worry about it now. Like I said, we'll get through this, together. "
Still, they had larger matters to attend to. They entered Memoria, and won... at an apparent price. Zidane was now missing. World saved, but Garnet couldn't help but reflect on how dealing with it together wasn't possible any more. Couldn't help but think back on how that had basically been one of their last real conversations not about trying to stop Kuja. Couldn't help but admit as a woman she'd grown to love Zidane, and even as a male, still had love for the now-female Genome.
In the months that followed, the world rebuilt. Few knew that 'Queen' Garnet had become a male, and those that did kept the secret. It was no problem for Garnet to wear her old dresses, with some padding. However, he missed Zidane greatly.
Then came the performance on 'her' birthday, and Zidane's surprise return.
The party, Beatrix, Tantalus, and the Lindblum Royals all retired to Garnet's sitting room elsewhere in the castle that evening, for a more informal dual celebration, birthday and Zidane's welcome back. Freya had brought Fratley, who had not actually been privy to the gender-change, but simply shrugged it off.
"We did laugh our asses off, by the way, but we were glad to have our favourite monkey pain in the butt back regardless of gender," Baku admitted later that night.
"By the way, Your Majesty, can I just say you're probably one of the finest crossdressing actors I've ever seen? You looked very feminine in that dress earlier," Zidane smirked.
"I wore dresses like that for years, Zidane," Garnet reminded her.
"So did Zidane," Blank tried to tease.
"So did you," Zidane shot back.
"Fair point."
"By the way, Garnet, on that subject, now Zidane has returned and, well, I think it's rather blatant you two would seek a formal relationship, I may have a possible solution to one small issue you face," Hilda said.
"What might that be?" Garnet wondered.
"Uh, I kinda spoke to her about this before, so, I'll volunteer...." Zidane stood.
Hilda cast a spell, and while Zidane of course remained female, her hair grew, changed to black, and her tail vanished. What soon stood there, in Zidane's clothing, seemed to be a copy of Garnet - but of course, her original female form.
"Of course! I don't need to wear that padding now, Zidane can just look like I should and be me!" Garnet realised.
"What about the voice?" Blank frowned.
"What about it?" Zidane said, sounding exactly like Dagger, even the slightly deeper pitch she had been using 'as a result of losing her voice some time ago'.
"I think I can probably learn to impersonate a Lindblum accent. Of course, that being said this does raise a little issue about a formal relationship now we're discussing it. This is Alexandria," Garnet noted.
"...And?" Blank was confused.
"The girl takes the lead in Alexandria," Ruby said.
"...Well, I mean, I can do that, heck, I could just propose outright if you like, but I don't have a ring," Zidane teased.
Garnet grinned.
"...Alexandrian proposals don't require a ring," Steiner then helpfully interjected.
"Oh. Well then."
"You know what, it might be a bit quick and all, but after that showing today the people probably half expect some kind of announcement, so I accept."
Everyone stared.
"Wait, hang on, did you two just agree to get married?!" Eiko was the first to voice it.
Zidane and the 'Queen' exchanged a glance
"....Yeah?" They both said together.
It would go down as only the fourth least romantic proposal in Alexandrian history, since unlike the other three less romantic ones no one had been decapitated at any point in the proceedings, but a proposal it was nonetheless.
"...You could at least kiss or something," Beatrix sighed.
"Am I still meant to take the lead on that or-" Zidane began, but was cut off by being kissed by her new fiancee.