He was thinking about Zidane and Dagger. They were so happy together and Vivi wondered if he would ever have a relationship like that.
He was so distracted by his thoughts that he bumped into someone by accident.
⌠Oh, I▓m ever so s-sorry■ apologised Vivi.
⌠Its ok kid■ said the man.
Vivi noticed something. The voice, it was one he knew. Vivi looked up into a face shrouded by a thick jungle of red, flaming hair.
⌠A-Amarant!■ stammered Vivi and was about to embrace his old friend when he thought better of it.
⌠You look different■ commented Amarant.
Vivi looked down and noticed this too. It had been 6 years since the ⌠8 heroes of Gaia■ as everyone called them, had saved the world.
Vivi was much taller now and had outgrown most of his old clothes. His coat was now buttoned up and was now a deep navy blue. His gloves were pretty much the same except bigger. People had ridiculed him for his old trousers which even he had said looked ridiculous, so Dagger had asked the royal tailor to sew Vivi a pair of baggy forest-coloured jeans. His boots were made from the finest leather on the whole continent and were probably the most expensive too. Strangely enough Vivi still wore his Broken, ragged, old hat. It had been stitched so many times and the royal tailor had almost collapsed in despair when it had been ripped in half when Vivi had tried to retrieve it from a thieving moogle.
⌠Yeah┘■said Vivi, remembering what he looked like all those years ago.
⌠Well anyway, why are you in Alexandria?■ questioned Amarant.
⌠I could ask you the same question■ accused Vivi jokingly■ I▓m here to stay at the castle. Y▓know, like we do every year■
⌠Damn■ cursed Amarant in that cool voice of his ⌠I forgot■. Vivi couldn▓t understand how someone could be so calm about things like forgetting virtually the only time you saw all your friends together.
⌠Well, I better go get ready then■ said Amarant calmly and walked off into the rain. Vivi continued his way towards the hulking figure of Alexandria castle.
Eiko squealed in delight at her new dress the moogles had made for her. She twirled around in it and examined herself in the mirror. It was white and came down to her knees and on each part of the dress was a different friend of hers. Her long violet neon hair shone in the hot sun. She stopped at the image of Vivi. He was holding a flower and had a questioning look on his face.
Eiko remembered those words he had once said ⌠How do we prove we exist? Mabye we don▓t exist┘■ The words rung in her head. She knew Vivi existed. If he didn▓t exist people wouldn▓t have feelings for him. And she definitely knew someone who had genuine feelings for him┘..Did she just think that?
Eiko was brought out of her trance-like state by the sharp call of her mother.
⌠Alright, alright! I▓m coming already!■ yelled Eiko. She maybe 13 now but she still retained some of her childish habits, such as her hot temper. Eiko jogged down the hallway and into her parents▓ chamber, where they were waiting for her.
⌠Yes mother?■ asked Eiko in a hurry up and get on with it-way
⌠Well as you know, your 14th birthday is in 2 weeks time and we were wondering if you would mind if we said we had invited some young men to see if you liked any of-⌠ started Hilde but she was interrupted by her enraged daughter.
⌠MOTHER!■ yelled Eiko ⌠I don▓t want you getting me boyfriends! There is only one boy I love and its-⌠
Eiko froze. She suddenly realised she had nearly let slip out that she loved Vivi. She cupped her hand to her mouth and fled the room at top speed, leaving her mother with an evil grin on her face and a worried look on her father▓s.
Dagger was rushing around the castle. The maids were rushing about too. Every room contained at least 2 maids. Zidane chuckled at his wife as she rushed about all in a flutter.
⌠Zidane! Please make yourself useful!■ Dagger said urgently as she ran past.
Zidane got up off his chair and walked down the hall to check all the guestrooms. Eiko▓s. Fine. Quina▓s. Fine. Amarant▓s. Fine. Freya▓s. Fine. Vivi▓s. Fi-wait, was that movement by the bed? No. There was no one here yet. But Zidane still crept up to the bed and dived under it and dragged a small creature out by the limbs.
⌠D-d-don▓t hurt me, kupo!■ cried a small moogle
⌠Oh! I▓m terribly sorry!■ apologised Zidane, putting the moogle down ⌠what are you doing here anyway?■
⌠I was coming to deliver a letter to Master Vivi■ explained the moogle ⌠and I heard he was coming to stay at the castle for a while, kupo!■
⌠Hang around for a bit, he▓ll be arriving soon■ Zidane told the moogle.
⌠Zidane! Oh good, you▓ve found a little helper■ panted Dagger as she rushed into the room.
⌠Well? What are you waiting around for? Go, go, go!■ she garbled and ran out of the room at full pelt Zidane grinned and rolled his eyes.
⌠She gets a bit flustered when we have guests■ Zidane explained. The moogle had frozen and gone completely white.
⌠W-w-was that Queen Garnet Alexandros the 17th?■Breathed the moogle.
⌠It sure was■ grinned Zidane ⌠and that dress was very tight.
Eiko rushed over to the airship after having pecked her mother and father quickly on the cheeks and got on. She waved to her parents as the airship began to move and her parents waved back. Eiko leaned back in her seat and a waiter came over to her and said
⌠Madame, we are doing a special service where you are allowed any free services of your choice if you just answer this question ⌠which boy are you in love with?■.
Eiko looked at the waiter sweetly and said
⌠No thank you I▓m quite alright■ and she sent the waiter away.
⌠Stupid mother■ she thought ⌠I knew she would do this■. Eiko knew her mother. She had connections. Eiko sighed and looked out the window. She squinted and saw a pointy-hatted boy amongst the crowd. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw Vivi. She closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Vivi sighed with relief at being out of the rain. He carried his bags up the stairs and walked along a familiar corridor and went into his prepared room, it didn▓t take long to unpack his belongings. He walked out into the corridor ⌠Helloooo■? He called. No answer. He was about to turn a corner when a figure launched itself at Vivi. Vivi was to slow and the figure took him to the ground.
Vivi looked up at the person
⌠Zidane!■ yelled Vivi and embraced him. They both got up.
⌠Hey! Having a little gay moment were we?■ asked a Dagger, coming out of the shadows. Zidane and Vivi saw a certain dragoon knight sneaking up on Dagger and suppressed laughter. Freya pounced on Dagger and yelled in her ear
⌠CHOCOBO!■ she had yelled which made Dagger jump 4 feet into the air.
Vivi, Zidane and Freya burst out laughing whilst Dagger glared and then started laughing too.
⌠Hey, what so funny?■ asked a familiar voice
⌠Quina!■ yelled the others in unison.
Quina ran up and licked each of them.
⌠Ewww!■ they all said
⌠Me can▓t help it! You taste good!■ laughed Quina
⌠Having a moment without me?■ asked a cool voice from the window and Amarant stepped down from the window sill and walked over to the others.
⌠Ol▓ Red▓s finally here!■ grinned Zidane and patted Amarant on the shoulder.
⌠Hey. Thief, Queen, Tongue, Ratty and Kid■ Amarant greeted his friends by their nicknames he had given them.
⌠Where▓s Eiko?■ said Vivi worriedly
⌠Yeah, where▓s little miss short circuit■ joked Amarant, but even he was worried.
Suddenly Zidane spotted a speck in the sky coming towards the castle. It grew bigger until it smashed through the window grinning widely
⌠Best entrance gets the gold!■ yelled Eiko triumphantly. Vivi rushed over and hugged Eiko tightly.
⌠I thought you weren▓t coming! I was worried!■ he cried into her shoulder.
Before, Eiko would have shoved Vivi off and gone to greet the others but now┘she felt different. She gently patted Vivi on the back.
⌠Its ok, I▓m here and fine■ she said softly and let go of Vivi. Suddenly Vivi rushed back to the others and pushed his hat over his face.
⌠There will be no celebrations without me!■ joked a joyful Steiner who came over to the group■Master Vivi!■ cried Steiner and thoroughly shook Vivi▓s hand.
⌠Brilliant!■ smiled Dagger ⌠we▓re all here!■