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

A soft enchanting melody pulled Vivo from his chasm of unconsciousness.

He didn't know what was going on but he couldn't help but feel soothed by someone's beautiful humming. That strangers singing overflowed his mind with nostalgia and his ears twitched as he took in the sounds of…

…birds?

Forest foliage being rocked in the breeze?

A soft summer breeze which accompanied a sweltering heatwave?

He finally got his eyes to open and realised right away that not only was he really young again but also in the presence of someone he hadn't seen before.

Where was he now?

He definitely recognised this area from the previous dream he had like this, on the same day as Gabi and him got the offer to head to Las Vegas…maybe he was in that rainforest again? Could it be that this was a memory he was experiencing once more? Could it be possible that he was somewhere else besides the rain forest?

Maybe even a jungle?

But then he had a closer look and observed how the walls surrounding him, noting how this place looked quite circular and round and it took him minute to realise that he was in some sort of tree hollow and the rest of his questions were answered when he realised that he was being cradled lovingly by an adult female Kinkajou.

Vivo didn't need to guess who this was seeing as how this grownup female looked a lot like him…or perhaps it was the other way around where he looked a lot like her?

The only differences between them both were that she had golden honey/amber-coloured eyes instead of his coffee brown ones and she had this majestic charm about her, not to mention the little white specks dotting her face and around her ears to mimic freckles.

As Vivo looked up into the eyes and face of this female Kinkajou, he felt his heart squeeze and then warm up inside of his chest. He couldn't help but feel entranced by how much love for him her eyes held and she had one of the sweetest smiles that he had ever seen on any living creature (with Marie being an exception).

He started to take in every detail about her.

Her bright flaming orange fur with golden yellow highlights creating ring-shaped patterns around the tips of her ears, her violet purple tail tip and around the matching violet markings encircling her eyes and her violet forearms, her bright pink nose and she had this aura that made Vivo feel safe. Her "hair" stuck up behind her head —much like Vivo's "hair" as well— and she had a scruffy "fringe" trying to cover her eyes but failed miserably at doing that.

He inhaled her soft yet sweet scent before he burrowed his face into the sleek bright orange fur that covered her body. Then, before Vivo realised it, he started to squeak softly and it was something which didn't go unnoticed by the female he was being held by.

The female Kinkajou's eyes widened and her smile broadened in pure delight.

"Aww, look who woke up from his nap!" She exclaimed, bringing him close to her face and nuzzling him.

Vivo noted the Cuban Spanish accent that tinted her voice which was like a river of sweet honey to his small ears. He couldn't help but feel his heart melt when he stared into those beautiful eyes which warmed his soul and made him feel like he was created just to cuddle up to her in her arms…as well as sing his heart out.

So this was his mother?

He had to admit that he didn't expect her to look so much like her, despite those slight differences he took note of earlier.

Little Vivo squeaked and chirped in bright-eyed delight.

The adult female held little Vivo out in front of her, staring into his adorable tiny face.

Her heart was full of love for him and it made Vivo feel somewhat saddened that he never truly got to know his mother, in spite of the great life he had lived after that incident when he was tiny and running from crazy hungry mutts chasing him.

Vivo's eyes drifted from his mother's face to the tree hollow leading to the outside world and he couldn't keep from chittering as he stretched his teeny arms out, birds were singing and trilling cries of joy sounded aloud. The sound of wistful birdsong made his little heart leap in response as he looked out of the hole of the tree hollow which was used as both an exit and entry point.

He wanted to see all the signs of festivities that was taking place right before his tiny eyes.

The mother Kinkajou, apparently sensing her baby's desire to have a closer look, smiled as she placed her kit on to her back and made a hastened exit via the hole in the tree hollow and she started to climb and scale the strong and thickened tree trunks, using her nimble physique to clamber higher into the tree canopies where both she and her son had a better view of the blue skies above.

"There we go, mi hijo. Is that a better view?" She asked him in that same sweet voice.

All tiny Vivo could manage was a feeble squeak as his mother gently grabbed him, hoisting him off of her back, and took to rocking him in her arms and caressing him once more. He gave a shrill chittering squeak as he cuddled up to his mother and proceeded to absorb her warmth like a sponge soaking up water; he couldn't remember the last time he felt so safe and protected and it made his heart expand so much that it could hardly fit within his tiny chest.

He couldn't speak but he wanted to express that he wished this moment would last forever…he almost didn't want to awaken from this dream.

His mother, as though sensing her son's hidden sadness of this moment potentially slipping away like sand, planted an oh-so-gentle kiss on the baby honey bear's tiny pink nose and stared at him with a tender gaze as if he was the most beautiful thing in the whole wide world. Her eyes became lidded and her smile widened upon her muzzle as she stroked the back of her son's head lovingly.

"Just remember, baby, that you can do anything you put your sweet little mind to just as long as you be brave."

Vivo gave a soft groan as his eyes struggled to open, thanks to the throbbing taking place behind them which intermingled with the even more painful headache that pounded away at his skull.

He hadn't thought that he'd dream about his mother again, he didn't know why he dreamt about her at all. He hadn't thought about this before after all these years so why now? Nevertheless the memory of seeing her before whatever circumstances made it so he was all alone in that dream/flashback he had earlier in the week made his heart quiver and shake with hurt.

He never thought he'd see what his mother looked like…

Alas, that was when he was snapped out of his thoughtful stupor and focused on the situation he was currently in.

He didn't know what was happening but he did know that he was suspended in midair with his tail hanging limp towards the ground and his limbs dragging towards the ground. Despite his daze, he somehow managed to pry his eyelids open a crack as he was realised that he had been picked up and was now being held and carried by some loose cloth that came from his bandanna, in a similar style to someone grabbing him by the scruff of the neck.

Then he remembered.

That dart.

Someone walking towards him.

Him passing out.

Vivo's train of thought came to an abrupt screeching halt as he realised that he had no idea what was happening or where he was right now.

He let out a cry and then a grunt of surprise and then pain as he was flung into a cage, only for the door to slam shut behind him and, thus, locking him in.

After the cage door shut behind him, he was quick to get up to stand on all fours after his fluffy tummy hit the cold and steely floor of the cage first by either ramming the side of his own body against it or banging the cage with two hands.

He inwardly cringed as the loud "clang" of the doors locking reverberated in his cell.

It was dark and cold and he felt awfully claustrophobic as he frantically surveyed his surroundings, but he felt even worse as the box-shaped, bar-ridden confinement seemed to be closing in on him. He couldn't help but feel as though the walls were beginning to inch ever closer towards him and beginning to trap him within a narrow space.

This wasn't like being locked up in his pet carrier and being loaded into the Cargo bay in that airplane in the beginning, this was much worse. He started to get scared and frantic as he stared towards the direction which he was thrown in from, staring disbelievingly at the cage door.

The kinkajou's vision swayed from side-to-side from fatigue as he sluggishly sat up from his laying-down-position whilst trying his best not to clumsily topple forwards and collapse from tiredness. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but feel fear begin to build up within his heart as the implications of his situation started to set in:

He had been captured.

He was in a state of panic.

He stood still for several seconds before he charged at the closed door and started beating his fists against it in an attempt to knock the door down or gain some attention.

Vivo started to yell so loud that his lungs started to expand and blow up into balloons in his chest.

"Hey! Let me out! PLEASE, LET ME OUT OF HERE!"

He continued to beat his fists against the cage door desperately, praying that somebody would actually hear him. He had no clue as to how he could get out of this closet and warn Gabi, Esteban nor Rosa of the fact that he'd been captured.

But how could he go about escaping?

It wasn't like he was a master of unlocking things (he remembered what happened to his tail the last time he tried to escape somewhere) and it wasn't like he had a paper clip or something like that to even try and lock the door.

His gaze flickered to the ceiling, then the cold steely ground, then from the left wall to the right.

There was nothing but cold steel on either side and the Kinkajou couldn't help but feel majorly claustrophobic in this cage. He felt like the walls were trying to close all around him and he couldn't keep from gripping the fur on his chest where his heart was pounding beneath.

This was getting to be too much!

Where was he?

Where was Gabi?

Was he all alone here?

A sudden helpless feeling suddenly overcame him, it felt like a tidal wave had crashed down upon him and was now trying to drown him in a void filled with hopelessness. His chest started to heave in and out while frantic breaths slipped through his fangs and he couldn't keep himself from hyperventilating as he sat down into a corner and curled into the smallest ball he could.

He brung both his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them whilst keeping his head down by ducking it in between his shoulders.

"Uuuuggghh….I can't believe this." Groaned Vivo as he kept his head down.

"Hey, kid. You okay?"

Vivo's head raised and his eyes flicked open when he heard that familiar voice.

He knew that voice and he recognised it from the very day he was shipped down into the cargo hold on the way to Las Vegas to begin with; he recognised the voice as to belonging to one of his close friends and he didn't want to dare believe that he would be….

He didn't even have time to finish his thoughts as he peered out through the cage bars and saw a pair of familiar faces staring back at him from their own cages across the room.

Rufus was stuck in a large cage with his collar chained to the wall while Nick was perched within a small bird cage which hung from the ceiling.

Vivo couldn't believe this.

Whatever this all was, they were involved too…

A lot of thoughts flooded his mind with the same force and velocity as a smack to the face as he tried to make sense of it all but all of those perplexing thoughts and feelings all summed up into a single and solitary question that left his lips like an arctic cold breeze:

"How…?"

Nick replied in a tone dripping with acidic sarcasm, his blue and white feathers fluffing up in annoyance.

"Don't ask, Estúpido idiota novato…we don't even know. One minute Nico and I are getting prepared to celebrate our impending victory but the next minute we are knocked out and wake up in these cages."

Rufus growled at the pompous blue jay.

"You shut up!" The white retriever then turned to face towards Vivo, his chained neck making turning his head difficult. "We don't have a clue. We were on our way to that final celebratory dinner when we were ambushed and blacked out, we woke up in these chains and cages."

Vivo sighed and gripped his temples in disbelief.

So Rufus and Nick were captured too?

And, seeing how there were a lot of other animals in cages in the surrounding area, a bad feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. His gut felt awful all of a sudden and he couldn't help but begin to wonder who was behind all this, even though he had a good idea at this point.

This was the work of the person Marie had overheard, right?

The one whom she warned him about?

He felt extra terrible for not taking her words seriously but still, seeing as there was a lot of animals around, this must have been going on for quite some time.

That was when a realisation hit him with the force similar to a truck:

Could it be that…this was the true reason for him and Gabi being brought to Las Vegas to begin with?

His heart sunk and his eyes started to tear up, could that really be the case? They weren't brought here for their musical talent or to further their careers but they were here for some twisted (and he did mean twisted since this situation was more complicated than an overly-complicated pretzel) scheme that was probably designed to make some nutcase rich!?

All that hard work…could it have been for nothing?

No.

That audition was real, they were meant to perform in that contest.

But…then…what was happening right now?

And, a more pressing matter was, was Gabi either here or involved in whatever this was?

Meanwhile….

Gabi, Rosa and Esteban all woke up from the sleeping gas some time ago and had found themselves sat on the ground with their wrists tied (not so tight that they would hurt, though) and with their minds foggy with fatigue and confusion.

They didn't know what was going on but they were beyond shocked when they not only woke up in some darkly-lit room but they were even more shocked when they realised that they were joined by the other contestants; Bea, Nigel, Tyrone, Louie, Nico, Gabi, Esteban and Rosa all sat crammed in the room with soft cushions placed beneath them to give them some comfort.

They were all pleasantly surprised that their "prison" was a nice and cozy little space that made them feel quite comfortable despite the terrifying circumstances that shook them to the core.

The walls were covered in fine elegant wine red wallpaper with a rich floral pattern while the floors were made from oak pine wooden planks that were nice and smooth. There was a huge brick fireplace which acted as the rooms centrepiece that warmed both the room and it's occupants in a gentle fiery glow which was cast from the crackling flames. A huge book case was jammed into one corner while a coffee table was stuffed into another corner.

Nobody knew what to think.

This wasn't much of a dungeon or prison one would have expected…

Although, needless to say, nobody was happy about their predicament.

Gabi spent a lot of her time since she woke up squirming and trying to wriggle out of her binds, much to the annoyance of her mother.

"Gabriella!" Rosa cried "Please stop wriggling!"

"But muuuuuum, I'm trying to get out of these binds! It works in movies!" Gabi cried back in a whiny tone.

Rosa and Esteban gave each other a worried glance and then transferred it to the persistent twelve-year-old girl, their hearts sinking since they didn't know what was going to happen to them nor why this was happening in the first place.

They didn't want to worsen their situation nor did they want to upset whomever kidnapped them.

Thankfully, the captive humans weren't treated too bad since they were given thick yet fuzzy blankets to warm themselves up with and were sat near a radiator to keep them warm after they each got soaked due to the furious thunderstorm that raged outside and shook the surrounding area as if a fissure was threatening to open below them.

So they were treated with a considerable amount of care.

Ker-chunk!

Everyone raised their heads simultaneously when they caught wind of the noise of the door unlocking.

Rosa's guard shot through the roof immediately when she spotted that very same woman who started this whole mess —that same woman who invited them to Las Vegas in the first place…in her mind, the person who caused this whole situation! Her eyes narrowed and, in spite of what she scolded her daughter for earlier, she started to make a frantic attempt at loosening her own binds whilst making a series of attempts to not only lunge at the woman but also throttle her most violently.

In the midst of her blind rage, she kept yelling inaudible gibberish which later turned out to be a mix between Cuban Spanish and English. Spit sprayed across the room as she snapped furiously at the woman agent dressed in a full-on tuxedo and sunglasses.

It was difficult to get to the woman since she was being restrained by Esteban; it was a miracle he was even able to do this with his wrists tied, too. Esteban had to resort to somehow enfolding both of his tied arms around his girlfriend in order to keep her from ripping the head off of that woman and his efforts had to be doubled when the woman spoke in a self-satisfied yet smug tone of voice.

"Ah, you are all awake now. The boss will be here shortly."

Rosa's eyes narrowed and both Gabi and Esteban could have sworn that they both saw the fires of hell spark to life within them at that moment. It became obvious that she wanted nothing more than to rip the head off of that woman right before melting her face off with her fierce shrieks of rage and fury.

"I knew there was something off about you!" She roared "How could I have been so foolish to let you in my home and convince us!?"

The woman didn't even seem to acknowledge the fact that she was being threatened.

Instead, the woman stared at Rosa and her family as if they were bugs she had stepped on with her shoe.

"….You're all comfortable I take it?"

Everyone froze when they heard that familiarly chill, casual, conversational voice.

They recognised it.

It didn't come from the woman but instead…

"M-M-M-M-Mr. Avaro!?" Cried Taylor in dismay. "Y-You're behind this!?"

Mr Avaro nodded with unique look of both shame and finality.

Esteban spoke up next.

He wore a look full of concern as he shuffled himself so he was sat directly in between both Rosa and Gabi just encase he tried to somehow hurt them, he might not have been the most bravest of men and he might have mainly been good with a calculator but that wasn't going to stop him from keeping those closest to him safe —Gabi and Rosa were too important to him not to protect.

"But why? What would kidnapping us accomplish?" He asked.

There was a pregnant silence that passed as Rico stood there with his head down so his expression was shielded by the shadows being cast upon his face, rendering his face unreadable, until he lifted it back up and looked Esteban directly in the eye.

That's when he began to explain everything:

"It all started two years ago when my daughter travelled to Havana Cuba; Marina had went there on vacation and she really liked a performance she encountered there. She told me all about it. But when she got back, she….she became so sick that she couldn't be saved. I spent a lot of my money on all kinds of treatments to save her but she eventually refused anymore treatments and passed away…but, before she passed, she asked me to grant her wish of reviving her favourite performance hall which had broken down in the years."

Everyone froze.

Wait a second…Marina's favourite performance hall?

That couldn't be that heap of ugly green bricks, could it?

Nico cried out inappropriately "Oh Dios mío, are you talking about that mess of a building where you had as all cramped in together?"

Nico was silenced when he caught sight of the dangerously angry look on his captor's face and he immediately took to cowering underneath his silently bubbling fury, his fists were clenched at his sides and his face was white hot and his teeth were visibly clenched so hard that it was impressive that his teeth didn't shatter like glass due to the friction.

Nevertheless, he channelled his fury out by stomping his foot for emphasis.

The pound his foot made when it hit the ground made everyone jump, jostling them all in the process.

"ANYWAYS. I spent the rest of my money on buying the place before someone else could get to it. Since I had run out of funds to fix the building myself, I had no choice but to try and profit from my business of recruiting stars from around the globe. Unfortunately, as my newer job isn't that lucrative, I had to resort to…other methods to getting paid."

Gabi was in disbelief.

"B-But you're, like, the richest guy on the planet! Why not just use the money you've got?"

Rico hung his head so low that it could have hit the floor with ridiculous ease.

"….I'm not rich anymore." He responded sombrely.

Everyone was surprised.

He wasn't rich anymore?

How could that be?

Wasn't he supposed to be one of the top ten richest people on planet Earth?

Did he honestly use all his money on getting his daughter the treatment she needed?

If that was the case then it was easy how he was getting desperate enough to do something on the wrong side of moral however that didn't even come close to justifying it.

Bea decided to try and reason with the man.

"B-But…kidnapping!? Why not do a fundraiser to help or something? There's many other ways to have done this without having to resort to going into the illegal route!"

Rico didn't lift his head and the agitation in his voice was becoming more and more palpable with every passing second. His eyes were starting to narrow into a glare thicker than the fine luxurious locks growing out of his scalp and his shoulders were becoming rock solid with tension as he started to show his impatience and frustration with his own situation.

"I tried. It didn't fall through. The people fled in disgust when they saw the building and decided to suggest that I demolish it and get rid of all the memories of my daughters love of the place…"

He sighed.

"Look, I'm not doing this because I want to! I'm doing this because I have to."

"NO YOU DON'T!" Gabi cried. "You don't have to do this! It's never too late to do the right thing and this isn't it!"

Mr. Avaro sighed and hung his head.

"What would you have me do, kid? I tried to make the money legitimately but it just wouldn't work out."

Gabi's eyes hardened.

"Why do I have a hard time believing that? And I bet you've got my friend too?"

The man went silent again for a couple more painful moments before he turned around to make his way out the door. His posture stiffened once again and he looked tense, especially from behind, and he carried an air of downcast sadness and sorrow wherever he meandered.

"…..How do you think I got the money I have in the first place?" He asked as he made it to the doorway.

Gabi went silent as her jaw hit the ground.

So it was true, this guy did have Vivo!

But how?

Before she could even ask him where he was keeping Vivo, the man turned to face the agent woman from before and told her something that made everyone confused and perplexed. His voice was a low mumble so it was miraculous that anyone caught what he had ordered that agent woman and everyone was caught off guard and didn't know how to react to his instruction:

"Please make sure that they are comfortable."

While everyone somewhat appreciated that he wasn't locking them in some sort of cliche dungeon that didn't really brighten the mood of anyone around.

The woman looked as though she couldn't care less, though, and just leaned back to and began to rummage through one of her pockets. She kept herself propped up against the doorframe and smacked her lips as she produced what appeared to be a ladies magazine from her pocket and started to read it in an effort to pass the time.

It was obvious she just didn't care.

In the meantime, Gabi sighed and hung her head woefully.

She couldn't believe that Vivo had been caught, not only that but the others were possibly captured too. She even caught sight of Ella whom was sobbing and clearly missing her dog, Rufus, while Nico was clearly longing to be reunite with his pet bird; it was a difficult reality to grasp as she worried for Vivo's safety and whatever Rico Avaro had in store.

"If only Vivo were here, he'd be able to chew through the ropes and get us outta here…" she said in a melancholic tone.

Then, as if by coincidence, Gabi felt something small and fuzzy squirm behind her and it made her look back and then down and what she saw made her gasp as she recognised exactly who it was; Her eyes widened when she saw the female Kinkajou who skittered back upon hearing that same gasp, her eyes huge and full of panic as she snapped her head from left to right as if trying to see who made the noise.

Gabi didn't know how the little female Kinkajou got here but she was thrilled it did!

In the meantime, everyone watched this interaction in wide-eyed surprise and uncertainty of what was going on right now —Rosa wanted to tell her daughter to relinquish her hold on the wild animal, fearing that her daughter would get hurt, but she was too stunned to even try and talk let alone scold her.

The fuzzy little orange, flower-wearing mammal gave a couple of worried chirps and squeaks as she flattened her back and looked up at her with a fearful expression on her face.

She couldn't see Gabi but she could hear her breathe, she could inhale her scent; she knew that she could probably trust this human but she couldn't help but feel fearful since it was humans that stole away her family and the life that she relished as a young baby…heck, if it weren't for the human race then she would have probably been able to keep her sight.

Nevertheless…thinking such things wouldn't do her any good.

Fixating on the past wouldn't accomplish anything.

Vivo still needed her help and she had a feeling that Gabi was her ticket to do just that.

Nevertheless, that didn't quell her fears in the slightest.

"Hey, it's okay…" The twelve-year-old with purple hair softened her own voice as she saw the fear in the creature's blind eyes "I'm not gonna hurt you."

Gabi made an attempt to bend down and pick her up but the female Kinkajou kept scrambling to get away, her eyes filled with fear out of being touched. The girl's heart sunk as she wondered why she was so scared and she knew that she couldn't handle this the same way she handled Vivo when he first came nor could she handle this the way she did when she first saw this female.

A gentle approach was needed here and she knew it.

"Shhhh…"

Gabi managed to grab and scoop up the scared female and held her close in a tight hug despite the restraints wrapped around her wrists.

Marie tried to get out and resist it and fight against the unwanted show of affection. She let out loud screeching noises and flapped her arms around in midair and kicked her feet in hopes that perhaps this would get the girl to let her go. She wriggles and flops about like a fish out of water while the girl continues to hold her close in spite of her hands being bound and, after a few minutes of staying in that hug, she stopped. She didn't know why but she lost all will to fight and her eyes started to fill with tears as she just let the girl hold her close…

Marie's heart started to warm up in the process as the tears dripped down her cheeks.

Gabi took advantage of the moment continued to murmur assurances to the scared female Kinkajou, holding her close and tight despite the fact that her arms were restrained. It was a miracle she even found a way to keep a tight grip on her in the duration of her flapping and wriggling period. She was even fairly certain that she may have received a couple of good scratches but she ignored that.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey…it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you, girl." She cooed.

The Kinkajou looked fearful as she stared up at Gabi, shaking and shivering as though she were dunked into a bucket filled to the brim with icy water. Her eyes were glossy and filled with tears that just didn't stop falling or spilling down her cheeks.

At least she wasn't writhing anymore…

"Are you here to find Vivo?" Gabi asked softly, smiling as she was happy to finally be gaining this female Kinkajou's trust.

Marie made a cute sniffling noise as she nodded, the tears kept falling.

"I get it. You're gonna need help if you wanna find him here, can you let me?"

Marie gave a second nod, although it was more reluctant than the previous one while her tears were beginning to dry by now; she wasn't expecting this but she was beginning to enjoy the hug and she even started to smile in contentment. She even leaned further into Gabi's arms to soak in more of the girl's body heat as she sought out more affection.

Meanwhile, Marie's blind eyes drifted to the floor thoughtfully.

Maybe Vivo was right…?

Perhaps not all humans are bad.

A/N: Hi, everyone!

Here is a brand new update for "A song of the heart" and we see Marie beginning to warm up to not only Gabi but the human race, not only that but we get to see who our (sort of) villain is!

It won't be too much longer before we get closer to the ending.

Plus it wont be too much longer until its my birthday so thats exciting!

And to Cocoabeanie144: I don't have a schedule for when I upload stories I'm afraid, I just update and upload when I can but the best thing that I could suggest is following and favouriting this story since whenever I follow a story, I get an email the second there's an update while if you follow an author, you should get an email saying when the author posts a new story. I'm happy you are looking forwards to seeing what else is in store with this fic, especially since we are going to get to the climax soon.

Anyways, thats all for today.

I hope you lot are enjoying this story, I'm enjoying writing it!

-Chloemcg