Disclaimer: I don't own the characters nor the rights for Vivo, those rights are owned by Sony and Netflix and a few others. I DO own a few characters in this fic, though.

A song of the heart

Vivo had never thought he'd wind up in a situation like this as the thought never occurred to him.

Here he was standing in a dark, block-shaped alleyway with a female Kinkajou standing in front of him. A scared female Kinkajou too! Vivo hadn't seen another of his kind ever since he fell into that fruit crate when he was a baby. Ever since then his interaction was limited to humans and other species of animal, he didn't know how to interact with his own kind!

Nevertheless, he would have preferred a different meeting place then a disgusting place like this.

A grand water fountain or underneath a bridge or something would have been more ideal than a dark alleyway any day!

The grungy darkness of the alley made him shudder with mild emotional discomfort —this place had a not-too-nice scent about it with it smelling like rubbish (more than likely thanks to the huge rubbish bin tucked into a corner mixed in with a cold dampness due to the moisture clinging to the air.

One would think it had rained recently with it smelling so strong.

Vivo took a couple of cautious steps forward, until he was standing face-to-face with the female Kinkajou.

Their eyes were completely locked on each other's, deep coffee brown eyes staring endlessly into cloudy gray/pale blue…in a one sided term as it would be discovered in a few moments from now. Neither Kinkajou knew what to say to one another as they were still trying to proceed what exactly what was happening right now. Their minds were reeling and they spent a painfully long time trying to say something, anything, to break this silence.

The female, apparently known as Marie, approached and sniffed Vivo apprehensively.

Vivo fought against the urge to step back and snap at her to remember personal boundaries.

"Are…Are you a Kinkajou?" Asked Marie, genuinely curious.

Vivo blinked, stupefied.

It was obvious from a visual perspective that he was a Kinkajou just like her!

Granted, this place was rather dark so one could reason that it was difficult to make out what he was in this light but, nevertheless, his mind reeled from the shock as he was taken aback by the inquiry but he made sure to smooth that shock from his voice.

He tried making sure to disguise it as best as possible while he stared at Marie with a bewildered expression.

"Yeah. I'm a Kinkajou, just like you." He answered after an uncomfortable few moments of silence.

Vivo's suspicions about Marie were heightened with the previous question she had asked and he felt somewhat stupid for not seeing the signs earlier —those eyes of hers were that strange gray/pale blue colour for a reason, her strange behaviour was there for a reason, her stumbling and clumsy manuvers were there for a reason, her caution regarding everything was there for a reason…everything about her had a reason.

As a need for confirmation, he stooped down and proceeded to wave a hand in front of her face to see if she really was…he just couldn't even finish that line of thought.

It was only after doing that that Marie's perplexed expression drooped into a deadpan glare.

"….I know what you're doing and, before you ask, yes I'm blind."

Vivo's face immediately went red hot with pure embarrassment and his eyes widened in their sockets. He was quick to apologise. He hadn't meant to insult the beautiful lady! He hadn't wanted to outright ask since he worried that it would come off as rude but he quickly realised that doing what he did was also pretty impolite!

"Ah! I'm so sorry, miss, I didn't mean to offend you!"

Marie just rolled her eyes and shook her head, albeit with a smile.

He felt a degree of shame rise up in him as he hadn't meant to insult her and fumbled and tripped over his own words to try and make a swift recovery from his big blunder, trying to find something to say to amend his statement in a way that wouldn't further insult the beautiful lady further.

Marie couldn't help but chuckle. "It's alright, Vivo, honestly…"

Vivo wanted to ask about how she came to be blind but decided against asking her such a personal question when they just became acquainted. There was so much he wanted to ask her such as how she wound up fending for herself in these brightly-lit streets and if there were any other Kinkajous around here somewhere? He didn't know if asking would be too forwards for a first meeting but the curiosity was beginning to eat him alive.

"I, erm, uh, ummm…" He fumbled a bit before mustering up the courage. "My apologies if asking this seems a bit too nosy but how did-"

Marie sighed and glanced away from him at that moment. She looked saddened

Seeing such a look on Marie's face made Vivo's musical heart quake and quiver, threatening to shatter into a million bits with the most softest of palpitations or beats. He couldn't help but feel guilty for asking the question that put such a solemn expression on her sweet and beautiful face. He didn't know why but he felt that time was limited and he wanted to know as much about her as possible, she was the only other Kinkajou he had ever met.

"Let's just say that there was an…accident when I was small and leave it at that, I don't like going into details."

"Oh. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"

Marie's sad face morphed into a gentle smile as she delivered a soft yet playful punch to Vivo's shoulder, or what she thought was his shoulder (it was his shoulder), eliciting an "Ow" from him. She teased playfully and spared him a smirk.

"While I admire the fact that you are trying to be a gentleman, please don't apologise so much."

Vivo couldn't hold back a chuckle of amusement at that and neither could Marie and the two Kinkajous shared a hearty laugh together.

Vivo, still laughing, started to notice something about Marie.

Within the past couple of minutes, she had really started to show a different side of her. She first started off scared of everything around her but, as time went on, she started to grow playful and teasing. It was actually a cool thing to witness such a beautiful flower like her had started to blossom with confidence the longer they shared the same space.

Here they were, together, standing, sharing a laugh, lost in a dark and cold alleyway in the middle of Las Vegas.

Not the most romantic scenario ever but still…

Then Marie broke into the conversation, her laughter dying down.

"Alright, alright. I've got a question for you if that's okay."

Vivo nodded.

"Go ahead."

"What are you doing here in Las Vegas? If I'm not mistaken, you aren't from around here."

Vivo finished laughing completely and just stared at her for a moment in silence. He pondered on how much information he should be sharing right now upon this first meeting, how much should he tell her? He cast a single glance towards the damp concrete, gravelly ground beneath his feet and started to shiver slightly when he finally noticed that the moisture hanging in the air shared to dampen his bright orange and purple fur —Marie's fur was beginning to dampen slightly too.

A few seconds ticked by…and then Vivo responded to her question.

"No. You're right. I was originally from Cuba then I moved to Florida two years ago and I'm here now for this event called the "Neon lights contest/concert" where I will be performing at the end of the week."

Marie's eyes lit up, but she contained her excitement…poorly.

"Wait a second. Perform? What kind of performances do you do?"

Vivo shrugged his shoulders in a rather care-free, nonchalant manner.

"Singing, dancing, stuff like that."

Marie appeared to be very intrigued about this information, she wore the biggest smile Vivo had ever seen on any animal (let alone another Kinkajou) and she started to look as though she was told the greatest news she'd ever been told —heck, it could have been said that she looked as though she were a child on Christmas morning.

She seemed to love music, Vivo took a mental note of this.

But then there was a loud sound that jerked Marie from her sociable mood and she immediately grew shy, scared and nervous again. Her ears drooped, her smile dropped and her eyes widened in terror. She didn't make a sound but her expression was that of pure terror and it was clearly pointed towards the human race.

Once a few more moments of silence passed by, making sure that whatever perceived danger was nearby had passed, Vivo reached a hand up to scratch the back of his head sheepishly.

This couldn't go unasked any longer.

"I noticed that the people over by the plaza appear to…." He trailed off for a moment as he fumbled for an appropriate word that wouldn't upset the beauty standing before him "….not like your company all that much."

Marie closed her eyes and hung her head, exhaling heavily through her mouth and nose.

It was clear that she didn't exactly like this line of conversation as she fidgeted where she stood and twiddled her thumbs anxiously, her ears drooping and her frown so down that it probably caused her facial muscles to ache. Even her pinkish-tipped tail swished back and forth against the concrete ground, thus further outwardly communicating her discomfort with talking about this.

Vivo had an inkling of an idea of what he was about to hear.

The fact that she was roaming these streets all alone was telling enough that she wasn't living an easy life.

"I frequent the plaza quite often. You see, to survive, I've got to steal fruit from some of the vendors and they kind of recognise me almost immediately. The humans tend to not like me being anywhere near the plaza and like to throw stuff at me while yelling at me…"

Vivo listened.

While that would explain a few things, he had a feeling that Marie's fear of humans ran far deeper than a simple repeated thievery thing. He could never excuse anyone throwing a bunch of items at something or someone so beautiful or precious as Marie and risk her possibly getting hurt when something hurled at her would land it's target.

The thought saddened him.

How would she feel around Gabi then?

Would she be scared of her too?

Then he remembered that he still had to give her something that rightfully belonged to her.

"Oh yeah!" He exclaimed and then nodded to Marie, feeling it awkward to ask outright. "May I…?"

Marie sighed as she gave a single yet reluctant nod and then bowed her head.

Vivo was oh-so careful as he took the flower in both of his hands before he reached forwards and then tucked the yellow hibiscus behind her ear. She didn't move but her right ear did twitch as the hibiscus was put back in its proper place right behind that same ear.

It completed the look and now Marie looked all the more enchanting in Vivo's eyes.

She was so beautiful it quite literally took his breath away.

However, upon being reminded about the subject on the flower, the hat and bandanna-clad male Kinkajou decided to change the subject. He asked while trying to throw on a smile to lessen the unpleasantness of both their environment and everything that threatened to spoil this interaction that hung in the air much like a blanket.

"So that flower must be really special to you?"

Marie nodded as she reached up to touch the hibiscus tucked behind her ear, deftly letting her own fingers loftily drift through the soft petals of yellow with red/magenta highlights. She couldn't help but let a nostalgic smile bloom across her muzzle and her eyes lidded slightly even though it had no impact on her vision; she appeared to be reminiscing as she explained her attachment to the plant.

"It is. This Hibiscus is my keepsake from my home, it's important to me."

Vivo blinked.

Her home?

So it was possible that she could have come from somewhere else where those yellow hibiscus flowers grew, just like Gabi had said after reading that huge monster of a book. As it was a keepsake from her old home then how did she wind up as a stray surviving in the brightly lit-up streets of Las Vegas? She must have arrived here somehow and the urge to ask her to tell her tale was almost unbearable as the suspense became almost as heavy as a ton of bricks.

As if sensing the curiosity emanating from the male Kinkajou, Marie shook her head and frowned.

"I'm sorry, Vivo, but I'm not ready to share that story yet."

Vivo just gave a sound of acceptance.

He was fine to wait since he knew that it wouldn't be right to force the lady to speak about things she wasn't ready to. But he was fairly certain that his brain will be filled with inquiries about this until the answers to his questions were satisfied, yet he knew that he didn't wish to bombard the poor thing with questions that could possibly run the risk of tearing open or pouring salt into multiple wounds.

He knew that it was time to end the questions and get out of that alleyway, it wasn't a nice place to talk in.

Vivo smiled warmly.

"Come on," He said "Let's get out of here."

Marie stared sightlessly at Vivo's outstretched hand and her nose wiggled to outwardly express her fear. She seemed to ponder her options for a few moments before nodding to herself and then started to reluctantly accept his hand, reaching her own arm forwards to take it.

…But then there was a loud bang followed by a series of exasperated yells and shouts.

Marie jumped, startled at the sounds.

Her head and ears both shot up attentively, her blinded yet clouded eyes widened and shrunk into tiny dots, her pale orange fur stood up and raised into hackles and she looked as though she had seen her very worst fears right in front of her. She seemed so scared that she had completely let her instincts override what was left of her senses!

The female Kinkajou whirled on her feet, her eyes wide and full of fear and panic.

Vivo noticed this as his smile faded and he raised both hands in a calming gesture.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Calm down, it's alright!"

Vivo's words had little effect in calming Marie, she didn't even seem to hear him.

Marie snapped her head in every which way and faced every direction imaginable, just like before, she started to pant heavily and quickly, her breaths shuddering as she sucked in oxygen and then inhaled it. Huge tears sprung to her unseeing eyes. She dropped to all fours as she had the sudden urge to run away and get away as fast as she could.

All Vivo could do was watch helplessly.

What was going on?!

The shouts and yells of people in the distance grew from a murmur into a roar.

Marie felt as the urge to run came to a boil inside her, shot down her legs and forced her to rush away at top-speed.

Vivo whirled his head to follow her as she shoved passed him, not enough to hurt him but just enough to knock him to the ground and out of the way.

His eyes were full of concern and his heart shuddered as he couldn't react fast enough to even try and chase after her…and it cemented his theory that her fear of humans came down to more then people simply getting angry at her simply for stealing food in order to survive.

No, this was from something much more severe.

Vivo noticed that some people had apparently noticed him in the alleyway and had crowded around him, only unlike the ones who were mean to Marie, they seemed much more friendly. They were bending down to his height while cooing and trying to summon him by making cute clicking noises with their mouths.

Vivo wasn't into that but he was also confused.

Where were the angry yells and shouts coming from?

They were gone now.

Maybe it was a pair of men arguing or something?

Either way, the hat and bandanna-sporting Kinkajou sighed as he just wanted to get back to the Hotel. It was no use looking for Marie right now, he'd probably only succeed in scaring her more. But his eyes hardened when he made himself a promise that he would meet up with Marie again and he'd make her feel special like she deserved!

He only hoped that he'd find her in this huge city.

He was so busy pondering that he hadn't noticed as a familiar shaggy form burst through the crowd and ran up to Vivo. Apparently Rufus had immediately seen the solemn expression on Vivo's expression and decided that it was time for him and Vivo to return to the hotel and get some rest and recuperate from the stress of all that had happened tonight.

The golden retriever stepped up while sighing and he shook his head sadly.

He craned his head whilst he bent down and picked Vivo up by the scruff of his bandanna. Vivo cried out in shock after being lifted off the ground by the back of his neck and he couldn't help but find it awkward as his knees tucked themselves inwards and his feet touched the back of his legs.

"C'mun…" The dog said with his mouth full of the material, his words muffled as a result. "…Weuff go b'ck t'da 'otel."

Vivo gave a single nod in agreement and remained quiet.

While Vivo was a tad upset that Marie had ran off, he was also completely starstruck; Marie was the most stunningly gorgeous creature that he had ever laid his eyes upon.

Her peach orange fur, her little pink nose, her voice, her smile and (to top it off) her eyes which sparkled like stars twinkling and shining in the bedazzling night sky. The stars that dotted the sky sparkled like jewels shining in the light, the moon was full and out in its full glory, and the famous lights of which the city was known for were all illuminating through the beautiful evening. The lights on each one of the buildings shimmered with golden lights of splendour and thus acting as a nighttime candle of light.

The mental image of Marie's face was forever burned into his mind and he was completely certain that it would never leave.

His heart never stopped pounding as hard as it could inside his chest.

Then, before he could do or think of anymore, he passed out.

The next morning…

"Wakey-Wakey, Vivo!"

Vivo's eyes snapped open when he heard Gabi call out to him.

Vivo hadn't returned until the early hours of the morning and it was inevitable that he'd fall asleep and just drift in the endless abyss of darkness that was slumber for several hours more. He didn't know what time it was before he was awoken —curtesy of Gabi.

He felt so tired.

Nevertheless, the Kinkajou sluggishly sat up whilst groaning from the bottom of his throat as he felt as though he'd been dragged through a thousand miles of spiky thorn bushes. He was the practically the absolute epitome of exhaustion with his eyes bloodshot, red, and stinging and with his face looking completely bedraggled with his messy spikes of hair looking way messier then they normally would.

His mouth felt dry even though the left side of his chin and cheek felt damp and slimey with saliva.

He clearly dribbled a bit in his sleep.

Disgusting.

He moaned, his voice slurred a tad, and he blinked repetitively to ease the pain in his eyeballs and to wake himself up.

He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck that ached so much, he felt the vertebrae in his neck click beneath the firm pressure of his fingertips. He grit his fangs as he felt the clicks in his own neck and he shrugged his stiffened shoulders as he finally sat straight up in his bed —his spine ached too.

His eyelids were heavy and his mind as slow as a snail to sort things out in his head.

His eyes stung and his words were slurred from fatigue as he tried to shake off the exhaustion he felt due to being woken up so abruptly. He was fairly certain that it would take quite some time for him to completely bring himself back to the real world, he found it hard to tell whether or not he was dreaming or not.

Last night after meeting up with Marie (which he desperately hoped wasn't a dream), he had been taken back home and promptly fallen asleep during the trek back to the hotel. He didn't even know how he wound up back in his suitcase bed but he did know that he'd have to find Marie again and talk with her more because he was desperate to find out more about her!

He didn't know what was happening as Gabi practically grabbed the Kinkajou by the underarms and swung him around the room.

"C'mon, Vivo! We gotta get ready for our first day of practice!"

Vivo couldn't quite comprehend everything yet.

Practice?

Practice for what?

When his eyes closed yet again, he was forced to reopen them thanks to the bright sunlight hitting him right in the face as though punishing him for trying to return to the deep chasm of slumber. He couldn't help but cry out in pain as he tried to use one arm to shield his own face from the harsh warmth and brightness of the sunlight that streamed into the hotel room.

"Aah! Ouch!"

Now he was awake.

Vivo then realised that he was still being swung around and around in the air with Gabi smiling at him with a smile so big that it could have rivalled the sunlight. Accordingly, he cried out in panic as he was caught in the twelve-year-old's waiting grasp as she finally stopped spinning him and hugged him so close —Vivo smiled but in a confused manner as he wondered why she was so happy.

Gabi kept holding Vivo close as she giggled.

"Don't you remember, Vivo? Today we're gonna figure out a cool routine that will knock that Las Vegas crowds socks off!" She exclaimed.

That was when Vivo suddenly remembered the performance —the reason he and Gabi had come all the way here in the first place!

How could he have forgotten about that? He couldn't believe it had slipped his mind until now. However he did feel a buzz of excitement about the prospect of practicing his and Gabi's routine made him feel a bit better after the sour note of how last nights meeting ended.

He smiled and gave Gabi a thumbs up of agreement.

"But first, time for breakfast!" The girl sang, not very in tune but more in a cheerful jokey manner.

Gabi was beaming from ear-to-ear as she spun Vivo around the room a few more times, making him dizzy, and then skipped merrily out of the room to go and meet with her mother and Esteban outside the room so they could all go down the lift and have breakfast in the downstairs dining area.

Vivo licked his lips hungrily when the scent of mangoes and breakfast pancakes and waffles wafted throughout the corridors and made everyone salivate in hunger.

He even felt a pang of hunger hit him right in his stomach with as much force as a gut punch.

He imagined that Nick, Nico, Ella, Rufus, Bea, Louie and Nigel would be already down there.

First to eat and then to practice with Gabi…but the thought of Marie had remained emblazoned within his mind.

A/N: Here's a new chapter, everyone!

I want to give a shout-out to eiracloude45 who made some FANTASTIC fan art for this fic! I absolutely love it and I want to thank you for making such wonderful art that captured the moment Vivo first saw Marie perfectly! You are awesome!

We got to learn a bit more about Marie and how she can't see and is scared of humans.

-Chloemcg