Minutes before Zidane and Garnet found a way to avoid being chased by Steiner...back on the surface, an intermediary performance had just finished before the grand finale of I Want to Be Your Canary. All the spectators and fans had returned to their seats, both inside the castle and outside. In the latter case, the viewers were watching atop the rooftops of their houses in order to not miss a single thing from the play. But back inside, at the spectator seats where both Vivi and Puck are seen still hiding at after all this time. The two share their respective comments and feelings about how they feel towards the show.

"W-Wow! gee whiz! this show...is cool!" says Vivi, shaking with excitement and anticipation at wondering what would happen next. "Yeah! I really liked it when that guy did this or when that girl did that. I also really, REALLY liked it when they showed those bossy aristocrats a what-what for their money! heh, it's true. Money can't buy everything in the world...at the very least, it can't buy "hearts"." says Puck, speaking about hearts all of a sudden. "H-Huh? h-hearts? what...are those?" says Vivi, actually saying those exact words to Puck. "!? Y-You're-You're kidding me, right? r-right!? you...really DON'T KNOW what a heart is!? !" Puck realised that if he were more surprised, his voice would accidentally raise higher and then that would draw attention to him and Vivi, still hiding whilst watching the performance.

"...Sigh, okay. I'll give you the short summary. Hearts, as well as souls. They are...well...uhhh…they're, well they're...umm. Dang! can't believe I have to explain hearts and souls of all things to my servant! talk about a big surprise, to myself anyways." Puck whispers that last part to himself, causing Vivi to wonder what was bugging Puck. Puck then replies after thinking up a sensible enough answer to give Vivi "...Well hearts are these organs that a person has to use and breathe with. Ain't no choice in regards, cause, without hearts...we'd die." says Puck...shocking and horrifying Vivi.

"We'd...die!?" says Vivi. "Well yeah...having a heart means to live. As for a soul...that's a bit more complicated, my servant." says Puck, thinking up how to explain a soul, right after explaining about hearts. "...Do you think-" says Vivi, as he then poses his own question towards Puck. "Do you think...that I have a heart?" says Vivi, wanting to know the answer to his question...in a way, somewhat desperately. "...I can't answer that for you, Vi. Everyone has their very own heart and...according to my old man, each one is different to the other. Without a heart...you might...just as well be an empty puppet." says Puck, not realising how cutting his words sound to Vivi. "!? An...empty...p-puppet? …" says Vivi, starting to seriously ponder the meaning of these words.

It only takes a few seconds for Puck to actually realise the insensitive things that he just said towards Vivi. "!? Hey Vi, I didn't mean-" says Puck before then being interrupted by Vivi at that moment. "D-Does this show have a Sequel act Puck?" says Vivi, wanting to change the subject. "!? N-No, unfortunately no. This show is based on a really, REALLY old play by some guy of ancient history. He wrote this "I Want to Be Your Canary" after being inspired from seeing something. According to the bigwigs of Alexandria, he wrote this play based on seeing something in the sky. A...blue light of some kind." says Puck. "A...blue light?" says Vivi, curious about the play's background. Before he could ask Puck about the rest though-

"LADIES and GENTLEMEN! it...is HERE! the final ACT that you have all been waiting for! the curtain call to close off the night of princess Garnet's birthday. May you all please sit back...and enjoy what will continue to be one HECK of a show." says Baku as the narrator, already on stage as his Character-king Leo. Vivi and Puck's attentions are redrawn towards the performance with the latter saying "! About time!" says Puck, eager to see the conclusion. Whilst Vivi...still ponders on the conversation that he just had with Puck. Wondering...if Vivi himself...was akin to being an empty puppet. Wanting to find an answer from I Want to Be Your Canary...Vivi continues to watch the play, also eager to see the performance to it's very end.

The Fateful Hour by JSF Music-da:embed id="i_qVLFuSa5U" height="315" width="560" profile="youtube"

The show resumes, starting with Baku as king Leo making a monologue. "BWAH HA HA HAAA! at last! thy at last! my infernal arch-nemesis…that hateful Marcus, has been caught! bring him here! my loyal subjects." says king Leo. Per the order of their king, Zenero and Benero bring forth a captured Marcus...still refusing to yield towards the corrupt king. King Leo draws his sword...preparing to behead Marcus. "So, does thou care to say any last words till his death at the timing of moonlight?" says Leo, wanting to kill Marcus at the exact moment when the clock strikes twelve. "...N-Nay, villain. Thy shall...never give you such sweet bliss of sorrow making." says Marcus, although having been beaten and battered...still refuses to relent in front of the enemy leadership.

"...Hmph, still eager to live, are you? such boldness to the king. Only I and I alone decides whom gets to live and whom to die! know your place, foul peasant!" says the king, kicking Marcus and then stepping his foot upon the weakened hero. "...T-Thy do have one last request. Please...let me see thy lover, Cornelia." says Marcus, for if anything at all...he would only yield to Leo if it meant seeing Marcus' lover, the king's daughter. "...Ho? still wish to make such a demand at this point? first. You poisoned my daughter's mind with your idealistic nonsense! and then. You had hoped to elope with her from my country. You DARE to think that I of all shall allow such a knave to offer his hand in matrimony to my daughter!? the princess of all and the heir to my throne!? you Marcus. Are NOT AT ALL worthy of her! what would she think if she were to see you now? WEAKNESS! weakness of the insulting kind. Though, I suppose it no longer matters what my daughter thinks..." says the king, turning his sword away from Marcus' throat.

"W-What!? what do you...mean...by that?" says Marcus, wanting an answer to Leo's words. "Currently as of now, my daughter, the princess Cornelia is being escorted to the enemy kingdom's boarders. Where she shall be wed to the prince Schneider and then, everlasting peace shall ensue between the two kingdoms. Once married...my daughter will think you naught but a fleeting thought that she indulged herself with during her passing time of youth. Tis a shame, Marcus. But in hindsight, it is, for the best. Why give up her claim to the throne and spend her entire life, scraping by with a dog on the streets such as you!? I dare not wish to see my beloved kin reduced to such insult! therefore...you must go, Marcus. Leave...descend from this mortal plane and back to the realm of transmigrating souls, forevermore." says king Leo.

Hearing the word "soul" being mentioned again so soon, Vivi starts to contemplate the meaning behind the king's words. "T-Transmigrating...souls?" says Vivi, the young Black Mage not understanding such sophisticated words and their meanings. He continues to think amongst the audience in secret before returning to the show's viewpoint, king Leo states towards Marcus the following. "Return! return to nothingness! my daughter's heart...shall not fall into the hands of a fiendish devil such as you! Marcus! now then." says Leo, returning his sword back to Marcus' neck. Vivi once more hears the word "heart", believing...that hearing all these words at this specific locale...couldn't just be a coincidence. At the very least, it was akin to that conclusion Vivi believed...but. Before thinking upon it anymore though, he sees Marcus...about to be beheaded!

Vivi and Puck were so engrossed in the show that the gazes of their eyes could not be averted, no matter what else both could and would happen. Backstage is seen Ruby, already in costume. Prepared to make her grand entrance onstage. "Hehe! my time to shine folks!" says Ruby to herself, gearing up into acting motion. "Marcus, my long hated adversary and nemesis...you must go. For the sake of my kingdom, nay. For the sake of my precious daughter, Cornelia. You...MUST die! DIE! MAAARRRCCCUUUS!" shouts out the king, taking his sword with both hands and preparing to swing down upon Marcus' head and behead him. "O-Oh no! run away! run away Marcus! run!" says Vivi, taking the show too literally and trying to intervene.

Seeing what Vivi was doing by rushing front and centre towards the first row of audience chairs, closest to the Prima Vista acting stage. Puck had to act quickly, otherwise the guards would spot both Vivi and Puck himself. "S-Stop you idiot! it's just fiction! it's just a performance being acted out! you WANT to get caught!?" says Puck, holding Vivi back from interfering and becoming spotted. "I can't just sit by and do nothing! even if it's all fake...even. If it's all hollow like an empty puppet's heart...I can't. I won't! I won't just standby and let it happen! I can't!" says Vivi. Although indeed knowing that it was all fiction...for some reason otherwise. Vivi couldn't help...but rush towards the stage. Wanting to help the fictional Character Marcus being acted by the real actor of the same name.

Suddenly though, all attention was drawn towards the centre of the stage. The audience, even the Tantalus actors were greatly surprised if not shocked. This was not in the script at all, as Ruby lastly says to this occurrence the words. "W-W-Wha!? what in...tarnation!?" says Ruby with a real cowgirl like pitch in her voice at that point. Emerging in the exact centre of the stage, following a cloud of automatic staging smokescreen...are...Zidane, holding Garnet and Steiner. The latter absolutely flabbergasted, wondering just where in the heck he is. As for Zidane? a final closeup is shown upon his face...smiling in the manner of a daredevil.

TO BE CONTINUED.