Author's Note: Sorry this took so long…I was going to update a few days ago, but I had to go to the doctor and…well…long story short, I can't go to school for a few weeks cause I have a type of Mono (or at least they think I do, they aren't sure). Since I'm completely bored out of my mind, and don't get my homework until Tuesday, I'm offering you, the reviewers, a new option. If I get at least 3-4 reviews, I'll update at least once a day. Also, you still get your cookies. J

Oh, and for those of you who don't know [or don't remember No.288 was the black mage that told Vivi that they 'stopped' after about a year, he was the one that was always at the cemetery at the black mage village.

Disclaimer: I do not own FFIX, the characters, the idea about what black mage's look like without the hats and coats, or anything else. SquareEnix (formally SquareSoft, when the game was made) does.

Black Mage Village

I guess…we should have come here sooner…it's too late now…oh, Vivi, I'm so sorry…-Entry from Diary of Eiko Carol.

She noticed that things didn't feel right as soon as they entered the village. There wasn't anyone walking around. The shops were empty. Even the 'baby' chocobo was gone. She sat down on the bed in what had once been the inn. But…it's only been four months since we were here last…have they all…'stopped'…already? I thought that they lived for a year, some of them were only two months old when we were here last… Sighing, the girl got up and walked over to the house that the baby chocobo had been born in…Even Bobby Corwen is gone…I wonder where he went? She walked over to an oddly shaped horn and blew it.

Active Time Event [ATE

Bobby Corwen sneezes "…Wark?" Bobby Corwen turns around and walks towards a dead-looking forest. "Wark?…Wark!" Bobby Corwen enters Black Mage Village.

End of Active Time Event [ATE

"…Well, that was pointless…I hope Vivi is ok…" She turned around, and was nudged gently by the chocobo Bobby Corwen. "WHOA!" Eiko Carol fell down on her bottom, too surprised by the sudden appearance of the yellow bird to even notice that she was suddenly on the ground.

Actually, I did think about staying here for a long time…but I decided against it…for the simple reason that all of the others 'stopped' after about a year, and I had already lived for at least three years with Grandfather. I knew I was different from them…But now, I'll never know if they had bodies under their coats and hats…just how different from them am I? I guess I'll never know now… -Entry from journal of Vivi Ornitier.

He stood at the graveyard. He looked at the dozens of graves. Each had a number at the top. At the very end of the line, was No.288's grave. Of course, the graves were not in numerical order…for they had not been born with the same longevity. "No.288..." Who buried him? It was his job to bury and take care of this place…who will now that he is gone? And who buried him? With these thoughts in mind, Vivi Ornitier paid his last respects to the only members of his kind he had ever known…though they had never had any names of their own, he said goodbye to them individually in the only way he knew how. He laid a single flower on each of their graves.

Quickly hands cookies to fft4ever, Xanthera, and sup3rl0z3r. Also, I was going to have them ask about the fish thing, but there were two problems. 1) I couldn't decide wither to have them ask Freya or Amarant (who are currently off doing their own thing, you'll see next chapter), and 2) This was a fairly serious chapter, and it didn't feel quite right to have something as humorous as that in the same chapter where Vivi finds out that he is the last of his kind, and just the Bobby Corwen part felt like I was pushing it, so…yeah ; Review please, it makes my day!