A large creature, white with a long lolling tongue stared at the mage lying in the bed before her. She shook her head and turned to stare with a pleading expression at the young girl who stood nearby.
"I don't know what to tell you Quinna." Eiko stared down at her shoes. "He's really, really sick."
"Eat soup!" the Qu demanded with a stomp of her foot.
"He doesn't want to eat. You can't force someone to eat when they don't want to."
"Vivi eats, Vivi don't die." Again the stomp.
"Quinna, I know you care about Vivi a lot, but if he won't eat, you can't force him. You want to make him worse?" Eiko's horn seemed to gleam in the darkness of the room where the black mage lay sleeping.
Vivi lay quietly under a heavy blanket. A few days before, he'd been out gardening with some of the other mages in the Black Mage Village when he'd fallen to the ground seemingly lifeless. After he'd been brought back to his little home, Quinna had taken over his care, imperiously ordering the mages to find Eiko and bring her to the village. Quinna knew how to cook, but not how to heal an invalid. Despite what everyone thought, she was merely young and inexperienced, not dimwitted. Carefully she brewed the best broth she could concoct and she sat at Vivi's bedside waiting patiently for the young summoner to arrive.
Eiko had indeed arrived quickly and immediately set about trying to figure out what was wrong with Vivi. But even all her skill and knowledge, even that of her pet moogles availed no answer to Vivi's malaise.
"We're gonna need to get Dr. Tot here Quinna. I'll bet he'll know what to do." Eiko nodded emphatically and began to gather up her things. "I'll get one of the mages to go with me and we'll track him down in Treno or Alexandria and bring him back here. In the meantime, you take care of Vivi!"
Quinna nodded and returned to watching the black mage while he slept. Closing her eyes she bowed slightly and offered up a silent prayer to the ancestors of the Qu, especially to Vivi's grandfather. Somehow there had to be a way to save the mage. He was her intended after all, and she wasn't about to lose him now.
Eiko trotted through the dark streets of Treno, the city that never sleeps. She ignored the curious glances of wealthy gamblers as she made her way past the card tournament that was in session, and climbed quickly up to the stone walkways that lead to Dr. Tot's tower. The gate creaked open, the harsh noise grating on her sensitive ears. The staircase that wound upwards was long and steep, and the little girl was breathing heavily when she reached the top.
"Eiko! As I live and breathe! What are you doing here child, so far away from your moogles?" Dr. Tot shuffled forward, peering over his heavy glasses.
"Oh Dr! You're in. Thank goodness!" Eiko collapsed on the floor and tried to collect herself. "It's Vivi…he's very sick…" she panted trying to catch her breath.
"Oh dear me, now, you just rest a moment before you speak further." The Dr. ambled over to one wall and filled a goblet with crystal clear water. Shuffling back he knelt beside the tiny summoner and helped her drink down some of the water while she rested.
'Now then, tell me slowly, what has happened."
Eiko nodded soberly. "Vivi, he collapsed the other day and he's really sick. Quinna was there and sent the mages to get me…but I can't do anything for him."
Dr Tot shook his head sadly. "It sounds as if perhaps Vivi's time has run out Eiko…"
"But he was different from the other mages!" Eiko protested, tears starting to form in her large, luminous eyes.
"Yes, but he was still a black mage child, and their lives are not like ours you know." He reached out and patted her on the shoulder gently. "Now then child, it'll be alright. I'll come back to the Black mage Village with you and see if there is anything that I can possibly do."
"Oh doctor, thank you! Thank you so much!" Eiko bounced up and began pulling the old man out of the tower, barely giving him time to snatch up his bag.
Their return trip to the Black Mage Village didn't take nearly as long as had been feared and they rushed through the strangely quiet main thoroughfare of the town while somber mages watched their passing. Upon entering Vivi's hut they were met with an incredibly strange sight. Quinna stood near Vivi's bed wringing her hands, her feet surrounded by large striped eggs.
"Quinna! What happened?" Eiko regarded the rocking eggs warily.
"Mist, Vivi make mist, then eggs come!" Quinna glared down at the eggs, then cast a worried glance over towards the Mage who lay sleeping peacefully in his bed.
Dr. Tot examined the eggs carefully, touching one gently, then pulling back his hand in surprise.
"These eggs will hatch very soon Quinna. Quickly, you must make a nest for them, of blankets or some material which will help them stay warm. Quickly now, quickly!" He shooed the Qu and the summoner off in search of blankets then turned his attention on the Mage.
Eiko had described Vivi as appeared rather stressed, as if in pain when she'd told him of the mage's symptoms. The mage did not appear to be in pain however, merely exhausted beyond all imagining. He merely mumbled incoherently when Dr. Tot tried waking him. Meanwhile Quinna and Eiko put together a large nest made of old quilts they'd procured from about the village. Not a few curious mages peeped in the door to stare in amazement at the striped eggs, before removing themselves from view with nary a word.
Suddenly Quinna squawked in amazement and grabbed her bistro fork, shoving Eiko behind her in a curiously protective geniture. The eggs were rocking more violently, the green stripes growing brighter as they did so.
"OOOH! They're gonna hatch!" Eiko squealed in amazement as she hugged one of her moogles close.
Dr. Tot scratched his head and pulled at his long nose. Vivi had begun to stir restlessly in his sleep with the sudden increased activity from the eggs and he was mumbling once more. Quinna's face was a mask of worry as she looked from the eggs to the mage lying on the bed. Finally, with a glare that seemed to quell the rather excitable eggs, she threw down her fork and waddled over to where Vivi lay. She patted his chest through the blankets and nodded her head encouragingly.
"Vivi get well, Quinna cook food, help raise babies."
"Babies?" Eiko blurted out, staring harder at the eggs."
"Of course!" Dr. Tot hit himself in the forehead. "How could I have been so blind?" He picked up Eiko and swung her into his arms. "Of course my dear sweet little girl. Remember…the mist. Vivi was created out of the mist! Hatched out of an egg!"
"But…none of the other mages had this happen to them. They would have told Vivi about eggs and stuff."
"Ah…but remember, Vivi here was a prototype. He's not entirely like the other mages. It's probable that he is actually able to reproduce my dear. His body produces the mist necessary to create his offspring. That's why he's in this sleep state, rather like a hibernation phase. You see?"
Eiko nodded dubiously, then her eyes grew rounder as Vivi cried out and the first egg cracked open. A tiny replica of Vivi rolled out into the nest of quilts and began to cry piteously. Quinna looked to the tiny creature then back to Vivi as he began to moan. She seemed to be confused for a moment, then she waddled over to where the tiny mage lay squalling and she gently picked it up. The tiny creature regarded her with glowing yellow eyes and grew quiet as she walked back to where Vivi lay. Carefully, she nestled the baby mage next to it's sire. Vivi stopped moaning and sighed briefly, growing quiescent for a few moments before his head began to toss on the pillows once more.
Eiko and Dr. Tot watched in amazement as the process repeated itself over and over until at last all of the eggs had hatched. Vivi lay in his bed surrounded by the tiny black mages, all cuddling close against his body, Quinna hovering nearby.
"It's just amazing….but, will Vivi be okay?" Eiko's face mirrored the concern they were all feeling.
However, as Dr. Tot was about to speak, Vivi opened his eyes and regarded the faces of his friends wearily.
"I - I didn't stop?"
Eiko shook her head, unable to talk for fear that she would start blubbering. She was unsuccessful and buried her face in Dr. Tot's shoulder. The old doctor patted her shoulder gently and smiled at Vivi.
"No my boy, you didn't stop. In fact, you did something far better, you've ensured that you may never stop."
"I have?"
Tot indicated the babies. "Your children Vivi. If they are like you then they too shall produce offspring and you will live on in them indefinitely."
"So…I could still…stop?"
"We all stop someday my boy, each and every one of us. What's important is not the length or our lives, but the quality. Fill each day with happiness and love for your family Vivi and you'll have led a full life so that when you do eventually stop, you'll have done so with no regrets."
"Vivi lay his head back down on the pillow and snuggled down with his children and closed his eyes, drifting off into a light slumber.
Some time later his children would venture forth into the world and visit Alexandria, the perfect replicas of their father. While Vivi never again left the Black Mage Village, in fact it is still not known whether or not he lives at all….his children grew and prospered and in them he lived on, forever.
"I don't know what to tell you Quinna." Eiko stared down at her shoes. "He's really, really sick."
"Eat soup!" the Qu demanded with a stomp of her foot.
"He doesn't want to eat. You can't force someone to eat when they don't want to."
"Vivi eats, Vivi don't die." Again the stomp.
"Quinna, I know you care about Vivi a lot, but if he won't eat, you can't force him. You want to make him worse?" Eiko's horn seemed to gleam in the darkness of the room where the black mage lay sleeping.
Vivi lay quietly under a heavy blanket. A few days before, he'd been out gardening with some of the other mages in the Black Mage Village when he'd fallen to the ground seemingly lifeless. After he'd been brought back to his little home, Quinna had taken over his care, imperiously ordering the mages to find Eiko and bring her to the village. Quinna knew how to cook, but not how to heal an invalid. Despite what everyone thought, she was merely young and inexperienced, not dimwitted. Carefully she brewed the best broth she could concoct and she sat at Vivi's bedside waiting patiently for the young summoner to arrive.
Eiko had indeed arrived quickly and immediately set about trying to figure out what was wrong with Vivi. But even all her skill and knowledge, even that of her pet moogles availed no answer to Vivi's malaise.
"We're gonna need to get Dr. Tot here Quinna. I'll bet he'll know what to do." Eiko nodded emphatically and began to gather up her things. "I'll get one of the mages to go with me and we'll track him down in Treno or Alexandria and bring him back here. In the meantime, you take care of Vivi!"
Quinna nodded and returned to watching the black mage while he slept. Closing her eyes she bowed slightly and offered up a silent prayer to the ancestors of the Qu, especially to Vivi's grandfather. Somehow there had to be a way to save the mage. He was her intended after all, and she wasn't about to lose him now.
Eiko trotted through the dark streets of Treno, the city that never sleeps. She ignored the curious glances of wealthy gamblers as she made her way past the card tournament that was in session, and climbed quickly up to the stone walkways that lead to Dr. Tot's tower. The gate creaked open, the harsh noise grating on her sensitive ears. The staircase that wound upwards was long and steep, and the little girl was breathing heavily when she reached the top.
"Eiko! As I live and breathe! What are you doing here child, so far away from your moogles?" Dr. Tot shuffled forward, peering over his heavy glasses.
"Oh Dr! You're in. Thank goodness!" Eiko collapsed on the floor and tried to collect herself. "It's Vivi…he's very sick…" she panted trying to catch her breath.
"Oh dear me, now, you just rest a moment before you speak further." The Dr. ambled over to one wall and filled a goblet with crystal clear water. Shuffling back he knelt beside the tiny summoner and helped her drink down some of the water while she rested.
'Now then, tell me slowly, what has happened."
Eiko nodded soberly. "Vivi, he collapsed the other day and he's really sick. Quinna was there and sent the mages to get me…but I can't do anything for him."
Dr Tot shook his head sadly. "It sounds as if perhaps Vivi's time has run out Eiko…"
"But he was different from the other mages!" Eiko protested, tears starting to form in her large, luminous eyes.
"Yes, but he was still a black mage child, and their lives are not like ours you know." He reached out and patted her on the shoulder gently. "Now then child, it'll be alright. I'll come back to the Black mage Village with you and see if there is anything that I can possibly do."
"Oh doctor, thank you! Thank you so much!" Eiko bounced up and began pulling the old man out of the tower, barely giving him time to snatch up his bag.
Their return trip to the Black Mage Village didn't take nearly as long as had been feared and they rushed through the strangely quiet main thoroughfare of the town while somber mages watched their passing. Upon entering Vivi's hut they were met with an incredibly strange sight. Quinna stood near Vivi's bed wringing her hands, her feet surrounded by large striped eggs.
"Quinna! What happened?" Eiko regarded the rocking eggs warily.
"Mist, Vivi make mist, then eggs come!" Quinna glared down at the eggs, then cast a worried glance over towards the Mage who lay sleeping peacefully in his bed.
Dr. Tot examined the eggs carefully, touching one gently, then pulling back his hand in surprise.
"These eggs will hatch very soon Quinna. Quickly, you must make a nest for them, of blankets or some material which will help them stay warm. Quickly now, quickly!" He shooed the Qu and the summoner off in search of blankets then turned his attention on the Mage.
Eiko had described Vivi as appeared rather stressed, as if in pain when she'd told him of the mage's symptoms. The mage did not appear to be in pain however, merely exhausted beyond all imagining. He merely mumbled incoherently when Dr. Tot tried waking him. Meanwhile Quinna and Eiko put together a large nest made of old quilts they'd procured from about the village. Not a few curious mages peeped in the door to stare in amazement at the striped eggs, before removing themselves from view with nary a word.
Suddenly Quinna squawked in amazement and grabbed her bistro fork, shoving Eiko behind her in a curiously protective geniture. The eggs were rocking more violently, the green stripes growing brighter as they did so.
"OOOH! They're gonna hatch!" Eiko squealed in amazement as she hugged one of her moogles close.
Dr. Tot scratched his head and pulled at his long nose. Vivi had begun to stir restlessly in his sleep with the sudden increased activity from the eggs and he was mumbling once more. Quinna's face was a mask of worry as she looked from the eggs to the mage lying on the bed. Finally, with a glare that seemed to quell the rather excitable eggs, she threw down her fork and waddled over to where Vivi lay. She patted his chest through the blankets and nodded her head encouragingly.
"Vivi get well, Quinna cook food, help raise babies."
"Babies?" Eiko blurted out, staring harder at the eggs."
"Of course!" Dr. Tot hit himself in the forehead. "How could I have been so blind?" He picked up Eiko and swung her into his arms. "Of course my dear sweet little girl. Remember…the mist. Vivi was created out of the mist! Hatched out of an egg!"
"But…none of the other mages had this happen to them. They would have told Vivi about eggs and stuff."
"Ah…but remember, Vivi here was a prototype. He's not entirely like the other mages. It's probable that he is actually able to reproduce my dear. His body produces the mist necessary to create his offspring. That's why he's in this sleep state, rather like a hibernation phase. You see?"
Eiko nodded dubiously, then her eyes grew rounder as Vivi cried out and the first egg cracked open. A tiny replica of Vivi rolled out into the nest of quilts and began to cry piteously. Quinna looked to the tiny creature then back to Vivi as he began to moan. She seemed to be confused for a moment, then she waddled over to where the tiny mage lay squalling and she gently picked it up. The tiny creature regarded her with glowing yellow eyes and grew quiet as she walked back to where Vivi lay. Carefully, she nestled the baby mage next to it's sire. Vivi stopped moaning and sighed briefly, growing quiescent for a few moments before his head began to toss on the pillows once more.
Eiko and Dr. Tot watched in amazement as the process repeated itself over and over until at last all of the eggs had hatched. Vivi lay in his bed surrounded by the tiny black mages, all cuddling close against his body, Quinna hovering nearby.
"It's just amazing….but, will Vivi be okay?" Eiko's face mirrored the concern they were all feeling.
However, as Dr. Tot was about to speak, Vivi opened his eyes and regarded the faces of his friends wearily.
"I - I didn't stop?"
Eiko shook her head, unable to talk for fear that she would start blubbering. She was unsuccessful and buried her face in Dr. Tot's shoulder. The old doctor patted her shoulder gently and smiled at Vivi.
"No my boy, you didn't stop. In fact, you did something far better, you've ensured that you may never stop."
"I have?"
Tot indicated the babies. "Your children Vivi. If they are like you then they too shall produce offspring and you will live on in them indefinitely."
"So…I could still…stop?"
"We all stop someday my boy, each and every one of us. What's important is not the length or our lives, but the quality. Fill each day with happiness and love for your family Vivi and you'll have led a full life so that when you do eventually stop, you'll have done so with no regrets."
"Vivi lay his head back down on the pillow and snuggled down with his children and closed his eyes, drifting off into a light slumber.
Some time later his children would venture forth into the world and visit Alexandria, the perfect replicas of their father. While Vivi never again left the Black Mage Village, in fact it is still not known whether or not he lives at all….his children grew and prospered and in them he lived on, forever.