Notice: I don't own Final Fantasy 9. I do own my character, however.

A New Life

Prologue: The Arrival

It was a beautiful day in the Kingdome of Alexandria. The sun was shining. The birds were singing. The wind was blowing, and the town was bustling. In Alexandria Castle, Princess Garnet Til Alexandros the 17th had just awoken from a horrible nightmare. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and walked over to her window. She opened the window and watched a flock of doves fly by. She looked out at her Kingdome.

She should feel happy, after all, today was her sixteenth birthday and she would get to see her all time favorite play tonight as her gift. However, despite all this, she couldn't seem to relax. Something was bothering her, but she didn't know what it was.

Princess Garnet was stunningly beautiful. It is even said that she is the most beautiful princess to ever grace the Kingdome of Alexandria. She had long, waist-length, black hair. She also had on an elegant white dress with a matching silver tiara. She had a fine, slim figure and the face of a beauty queen.

Suddenly, there was a knock at her door. Having effectively broken her train of thought she turned to her door to address the person on the other side. "You may enter" she said.

The door opened to reveal Beatrix, the general of Alexandria. She saluted her majesty, "The play will begin within two hours, your majesty."

Garnet nodded to this "I shall be ready shortly, you are dismissed."

Beatrix saluted, responding "yes, your majesty" and left the room closing the door behind her.

Garnet sighed after she left. Things felt so different ever since her father had died last year. So many things had changed. Garnet turned back to her window to look out on to the town again. She still couldn't figure out what was bothering her, and she hoped that by the end of tonight she would make the right choice. She then turned around and left her room, having one last, wistful glance out the window before she left.

Meanwhile in the town square…

People where bustling around everywhere, each preparing for the up coming performance. One such individual had just stumbled through the front gates of Alexandria. He was a small Black Mage, with a face as black as the night itself and large, oval, glowing, amber eyes. He was wearing a blue and white jacket that had coattails at the end of it. He also wore leather shoes and light-green, dark-green stripped pants as well as a floppy, brown, leather steeple hat. In his right hand he clutched a small wooden staff, a 'Mages Staff', and in his left hand he clutched a ticket. His name is Vivi Ornitier and he has come to watch the performance.

A shadow passes over the town square as the people, including Vivi, look up and see the giant theater ship as it approaches the castle. After the theater ship passed over him, Vivi continued on his way to the ticket booth. Vivi moved a few more feet before tripping over his own feet and landing flat on his face. A little girl named Ilia came out of her house and tried to see if Vivi was okay. Vivi got back on his feet and Ilia handed him his ticket that he had dropped during the fall. She then bid Vivi farewell and left. Vivi straightened his hat and continued his journey to the ticket booth.

He looked around and realized that he was alone on the street. Everyone else had moved on to the castle. He took no more than a few steps, when a great flash of light blinded him. After the light had left and his eyes readjusted he noticed a lone figure lying facedown on the ground. Vivi walked up to the figure to see if he was alright. Little did Vivi know what kind of adventure he had just stumbled into.

And so the adventure begins…