The group were gathered in the dining hall for dinner. Zidane and Dagger made conversation while they munched on their food. Quina and Steiner appeared to be having an eating contest, neither wanting to give in. Amarant was eating, just so slowly that no one paid him any attention. Freya merely joined in the conversation, not eating at all. Vivi and Eiko weren't eating or talking. Vivi was staring at the floor and Eiko was staring at him from across the table.
"Hey Vivi, cheer up" grinned Zidane and gave Vivi a brotherly pat on the back "what's wrong, eh?"
"Its…nothing" Vivi muttered and half-heartedly took an apple and began to munch. Eiko continued to stare
"I never knew he cared so much" She thought "I want to ask him but I'm afraid he'll say no" Eiko sighed and Dagger raised an eyebrow.
After dinner the occupants of the castle went back to their separate rooms. Vivi slumped on his bed and sighed.
"Hey Vivs" said Zidane, poking his head around the door.
Vivi sighed "come in" he said, trying to sound cheerful.
Zidane sat on the bed
"It's Eiko" Zidane said knowingly
"How did you? I mean. Aww, how did you know?" asked Vivi, sounding defeated
"Hey remember" grinned Zidane slyly "I'm the guy who snagged the most beautiful girl in the kingdom. I know when it's a girl"
Vivi sighed again "I know, but how do you ask a princess on a date?" asked Vivi sadly.
"Well there's three easy words keep. Your. Cool" and with a grin and a wink, Zidane had skidded away down the hallway and through his large oak doors to his bed chamber where the others playing tetra master.
"Um, master Vivi?" came a voice from behind Vivi's door
"Yes Steiner, come in" Vivi sighed. Steiner came in and stood next to Vivi's bed
"Well, I just saw the king running down the hallway squealing something about you and mistress Eiko" said Steiner whilst fiddling with his hat.
"He what?!" yelled Vivi standing up
"I just thought I'd come to help" whimpered Steiner
"How could you possibly help?" asked Vivi, still angry at Zidane
"W-w-well I've had to ask Beatrix out for a date and I'd just like to say, be polite and don't do something unsociably redeemable" he said seriously and scurried out the room, leaving Vivi all by himself.
Eiko thought about Vivi as she walked down to the chocobo stables and wondered what it would be like if he said yes. She sighed as she stopped outside the stables and talked to Ben, the chocobo tender. He was a nice boy but not always quite there.
"Why hello there!" he shouted when Eiko was only about 2 feet away. Eiko smiled. Good old crazy Ben.
"You'll be wanting a bococho then" rambled Ben
"No Ben, a chocobo" Eiko said as if she was talking to a 3-year old who has eaten the paste.
"That's what I said bococho" Said Ben, nodding vigorously and handing Eiko one of the saddles on the wall. Eiko shook her head and clambered up onto the chocobo, but as she was about to leave Ben shouted "don't be afraid to ask! Life is about taking risks!" Eiko's head swivelled round
"What did you say?" she asked seriously
"2 pounds of balloons and a packet of glass" garbled Ben. Eiko looked around and rode off towards Moogle's shrine. Little did Ben know that for the first time in his life, some one had taken him seriously.
Zidane swaggered out of the tavern late that night after he and Freya had gotten drunk. He wobbled his way back to the castle to where he found Dagger. She was not angry with Zidane, she was never angry with Zidane, she loved him to much.
"Ziddy?" she shook him out of his slumber on the bed where he had fallen. She shook him harder "Ow! I've pricked my finger" This made Zidane sit up at once and look wildly around.
"Oh good, your awake" she trilled and then took on a more serious note "now what did Vivi say when you went and saw him?"
"He-He-he shed he wash in love with E-e-e-eiko" said Zidane drunkenly
"That's what Eiko was mumbling about!" realised Dagger "she said she needed to ask Vivi something! C'mon Ziddy, we've got couple-making to do!"
Eiko brung the moogles their food and they flew around her in delight that their friend was here. Eiko noticed a rather large moogle with a zip on its back. It stumbled over to her and said in a muffled voice "we will tell you the secret of moogles if you tell me what boy you are in love with and uh, kupo" said the moogle as if it was reading a script.
"Sure" said Eiko "but first…..let me see your back" she grinned evily
"Uhh, that's a nono" said the moogle, beginning to sweat but he was to late, Eiko had already jumped over his head and pulled down the zip, revealing a man who looked a lot like the waiter from the airship.
"Hey, aren't you that waiter guy? Eiko asked
"Uhhhhh, no?" tried the waiter
"Wrong answer" smiled Eiko and used the only black magic spell she knew: Fira. The waiter was sent hurtling over the treetops and landed with a dull thud, in a field. The moogles turned to Eiko and began to dance with her. Eiko remembered who had taught her that spell, it was Vivi. She sighed, more memories of Vivi.
When Eiko had returned the chocobo, she kept on staring at Ben as she walked back towards the castle.
Dagger and Zidane were in the library. Eiko had put down her favourite book to look for another, so Dagger had crept over and taken it. She had also taken Vivi's favourite book. She waited behind a bookcase and waited for Zidane to come in with Vivi.
And right on cue, Zidane and Vivi walked into the room. Dagger had put both books now and both Vivi and Eiko rushed to grab their books at the same time. They grabbed their books and froze.
"Uh, hi Vivi" said Eiko awkwardly
"Yeah, uh hi" said Vivi "Keep your cool, keep your cool, be polite" he kept repeating mentally to himself.
"Eiko I was wondering if you'd like to…." He said, his heart in his throat
"Yes? Yes?" said Eiko, hope in her eyes. For Vivi time stopped. He panicked, dropped his book and ran out of the library.
"Vivi, wait!" shouted Zidane and high-tailed it after the mage. Eiko picked up the book it read: Cupid's arrow, a guide to winning any girl's heart. Dagger suddenly felt very guilty. She could have put Vivi and Eiko even further away from each other.
"You can leave now, Dagger" said Eiko and walked slowly out of the room. Dagger felt the worst she had every felt in her life. She could have ruined this couple's only chance at love? Dagger slumped down against the bookcase and put her head in her hands.
Eiko knocked on Vivi's door
"Yes?" said Vivi
"It's me, Eiko" said Eiko weakly. There was a pause.
"Come in" he said decisively and Eiko shuffled out from behind the door. Vivi patted his hand on the bed and Eiko awkwardly sat down next to him.
"Here's your book" she said slowly and held out the book. Vivi took it and put it on his bedside table.
"Vivi, what's wrong?" asked Eiko concerned for her friend. Vivi looked at Eiko, his golden eyes lost in her emerald ones.
"It's…..nothing" he muttered "besides, why do you care"
"Because I love you, you silly tit" giggled Eiko. Vivi smiled, the moment hadn't been awkward at all. He was glad it was a funny, happy moment.
"I love you too" he laughed. It was strange, perhaps the first time ever; people had told they loved each other by laughing. Then Eiko leaned on Vivi and at first expected her face to pass through his like it was mist. But it was solid enough and she found his lips. They kissed. Every second seemed like an eternity in heaven and neither wanted to stop. They were interrupted however by Zidane yelling outside the door.
"SCORE!" he yelled and Vivi and Eiko looked up to see Zidane's eye by the keyhole.
"Hey!" they yelled at him in unison and got up off the bed and ran after Zidane and down the corridor into his bed chamber where Zidane him under the covers. When Vivi and Eiko pulled back the covers the found Dagger and Zidane kissing. They thought what the hell and fell on the floor kissing. The 2 couples were in that state of total bliss and suddenly they were amongst other couples. A spiky-haired boy with a girl dressed in pink and another girl in blue robes with a man with a scar on his face. A boy in yellow clothing was passionately kissing a girl in a white robe. But all of those couples were nothing to the way Zidane and Dagger were kissing and they way Vivi and Eiko were something words could not describe. And their love stretched beyond all limits, beyond all worlds and that is the story of the summoner a tale that will never be changed by history's war of change.