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 awoke to find himself in a very strange place.
It was a place where stars gleamed and every single spot was covered in some starry constellation or another. The stars twinkled like diamonds as they sparkled brightly then any other star that Vivo had ever seen. He looked down and saw that every step he took would form ripples around his feet and hands, making it appear as though he were walking on water —but there was no puddle or pool, just this empty space full of stars with a navy blue backdrop. Another thing he had noticed was that there was no breeze or even any evidence that warmth or cold even existed in the first place here.
There was just nothing but stars and blue for as far as the eye could see.
The Kinkajou looked around curiously, his nose twitching, and his mind started to race as he felt a force of a thousand thoughts pour into his mind all at the same time and it made his skull pound like a bongo drum.
Where was he?
Why was he here?
He didn't know where this was, he had never seen such a place like this before!
And that's when a cold realisation hit him:
Could he be dreaming again?
Why was he passing out so much lately?
Could he even be dead?!
"Vivo."
Upon hearing his name, Vivo's panic-induced thoughts silenced.
His head snapped up and his ears pricked up to attention. His heart had come to a complete halt as his body froze but his bright orange fur stood on end. He knew that voice and he had spent so long wishing to hear that voice that was sweeter than honey again.
But it couldn't be…!
Vivo stood up on his two feet and looked behind him to see exactly who he thought it was.
His eyes widened and he couldn't breathe, his chest felt tight, and his lungs felt as though they were beginning to deflate. This had to be some sort of dream...this couldn't be real! It just couldn't be! The mere sight of this person made Vivo's eyes start to well up and he had to hold back from breaking down into a mess of sobs and sniffles on the spot.
The apparent apparition knelt down to Vivo's height and held out his arms invitingly.
It was Andrés and he didn't look any different from when he last saw him but he seemed to be glowing with life instead of that awful limp and cold state he last saw him in. The old man had tears in his eyes and smiled warmly.
"A-A-Andrés!"
The Kinkajou hardly opened his mouth yet not much managed to pass his lips, his words laced with a disbelieving breath.
"….ANDRÉS!"
Vivo dropped down on all fours (for the thousandth time this week) and ran as fast as his legs could carry him, tears flooding down his cheeks like miniature waterfalls in little rivulets. He immediately leapt into his best friend's arms and hugged him tightly while Andrés had to catch him by holding the back of his head and supporting his back.
The old man and Kinkajou sobbed in each other's arms.
Vivo was really scared that this was some cruel dream, that his brain was playing tricks on him. He had many dreams where Andrés was present and he was tricked into believing that they were real but was always tearfully disappointed when he awoke to find out it was a dream…but no, he could feel the warmth emanating from the old man's body.
This had to be real!
But did this also mean that he was….?
Vivo snuggled deeper into Andrés' embrace and clung to him desperately, frightened that if he loosened his grip in the slightest then he'd disappear again. The tears just kept on flowing down his cheeks even though his eyelids were tightly shut. He was a sobbing mess right now.
"Andrés, I'm so sorry for my b-behaviour that night! I was selfish! I-I-I-I wanted to a-apologise the n-next morning b-b-b-but then you were…! I'm so SORRY Andrés! P-Please forgive me!" He whimpered through a cracking and choking voice, his tongue feeling like a cheese grater all of a sudden.
Andrés shushed the hysterically crying orange mammal and patted his back soothingly, kind of like he would do with a baby. He lifted him up over his shoulder and let the Kinkajou rest there for now whilst making sure to reassure him.
"Shhh. Vivo…it's alright. I was never angry at you, little one, you were scared and I understood then and still understand now. I'm so proud of what you've done all by yourself."
Vivo hiccuped as he raised his head incredulously. Every breath he took made his own heart quiver in his chest and he found it hard to reign in his emotions right now, he sniffed hard and his nostrils sucked back all the dripping mucus that threatened to dribble out. The air felt cool in his air as he sucked in a breath to help steady his rampaging feelings.
"You…You can understand me? You can un-understand what I'm -hic- saying?"
Andrés smiled sadly and nodded.
"I was watching everything, Vivo. I watched when you left Cuba, I watched when you joined with Gabriella, I watched when you asked for that sign…which I sent."
Andrés smirked at the Kinkajou as he mentioned that last part and Vivo couldn't keep from chuckling at it —the Kinkajou remembered what the man was referring to; when he escaped Gabi's room and managed to ask Andrés for a sign so he could find Marta which came in the form of a large bus sign.
Andrés continued.
"I was always watching."
Vivo was relieved.
He had known that his former owner was watching over him and it always comforted him to know that.
But that didn't stop the guilt he felt from re-emerging.
It burrowed into his heart like a worm digging through soil before nibbling away, only serving to deepen that guilt that pounded through his body like the melancholic beat of a drum. His stomach churned and tied into a pretzel knot, increasing that guilt which flowed through his body.
Vivo's ears drooped and his eyes lowered as he looked down towards the starry ground below.
"I'm…I'm still so sorry about how I behaved that night. I know I acted out of fear, fear of leaving the one home I'd ever known, but that's no excuse…"
A single tear oozed out of his right eye and trailed down his cheek.
Andrés smile fell a bit but remained in place as he kept a tight hold on Vivo for a few lengthy moments before he repositioned him by pulling him away from his shoulder and then placing him upon his knee as though he were placing him on his lap.
Vivo adjusted his position accordingly by burrowing his knees up against his chest and resting what would pass as his chin atop of them, leaning back on his arms and curling his tail inwards.
The elderly man avoided eye contact for a couple more seconds before he spoke once more.
"Vivo…there isn't enough time. There is something you must know."
Andrés didn't know how long he'd been asleep but his mind was really hazy and he felt really weak. His eyes opened but his vision was a foggy haze too. He felt awful and his skin was sweaty and cold at the same time and his chest felt as though it was about to explode.
The old man looked down where the little Fedora Vivo wore used to be but sore the song sheet he'd written instead.
He was confused for a moment.
If the song was here, where was…?
He weakly peered over his shoulder to find that not only had all the items in the suitcase left the floor but were obviously packed away in the suitcase which Vivo had currently slept on top of. He was curled up in a ball and was sleeping soundly with a peaceful and contented smile on his little face.
A small smile stretched on Andrés' lips.
This must have meant that Vivo had a change of heart and packed everything as an apologetic gesture of sorts.
That was when a sharp pain stabbed it's way through his chest and he clutched it one-handed, the other hand still clasping the song he had written for Marta. The pain and agony was unlike anything he had felt ever before and was as if his very own heart was trying to explode and then give up. This made him panic a bit as he knew that he couldn't die now —if he died, not only would he not deliver his song to Marta but Vivo would be left all alone!
No matter how much he wanted to deny it, his fate was coming fast and he couldn't stop it.
Nevertheless, he gripped that sheet of music like it was his lifeline as his hand hung limply from the armrest. He gave a quiet gasp as he slumped back into his chair, his own body pinning him down. He couldn't move anymore and his own consciousness was beginning to fade out; big black spots were starting to dot his hazy vision and his world started to fade into a cloudy white colour. Soft wheezes slipped through his clenched teeth as he stared off into space but he never stopped smiling despite the pain he was in.
All he could do was think as he consciousness faded into oblivion.
"Chiquito…I am so…sorry…you are going to have to…go on your own for this trip…I will always be…proud of you…my…Vivo…."
With one final breath, he was forever at rest.
Vivo had listened with a steady listening ear and his eyes were wide and attentive.
Andrés had known…that Vivo had felt sorry before he passed…?
Really?
He couldn't help but tighten his grip on the old man who saved him, loved him, raised him, taught him everything he knew about music…and about life. He closed his eyes and lay his head on the elder's shoulder and wrapped both arms tightly around him in as tight a hug as a small Kinkajou like him could manage.
His soul felt free, free from that guilt that had plagued it ever since Andrés had left the land of the living.
He felt liberated, like he could stop living in the past.
Andrés said in a voice as warm as a campfire in the midst of a blizzard "I'm so sorry that I left you so suddenly…but I'm so proud of you and I'm indebted to you for giving Marta my song when I could no longer do it. You are the thing that kept my heart going after Marta left, the son I never had,"
Vivo's eyes watered all over again.
He had longed to hear those words for a long time.
The old man stood up, holding Vivo in his arms, and pulled him in for a tight hug for the umpteenth time which Vivo was all too thrilled to return. Part of him wanted to stay here and never leave…he had wanted this for a very long time, he had wanted to play music with his friend again, this was his chance.
But, then again, he knew that he couldn't stay here and that fact made his heart tremble and shake with guilt.
He couldn't just up and leave Gabi because that child still needed him to be not only her friend, not only that but he had a family waiting for him back in the realm of the living and that included Marie. He might have known her for a week but he truly felt a connection between her…and it wasn't just because of the fact that they were the same species.
His eyes clamped closed as the oncoming tears threatened to ooze out from his eyelids.
Why couldn't he just stay?
He knew the answer.
He even answered his own question aloud without fully realising as he looked up at Andrés.
"Gabi needs me, Marie needs me…I'm still needed."
Through a voice that felt as though it were shredding his own voice with a cheese grater, he asked the old man holding on to him tightly.
"…Can I go back, Andrés?"
Andrés pulled Vivo out from the hug.
Vivo cringed when he saw a hint of pain glimmering within Andrés' deep brown eyes but he also could sense this strange sense of guilt too. What did Andrés had to feel guilty for? It wasn't his fault he died! He couldn't control it and he would have stayed if he had the choice, he was about to reunite with the love of his life after all…just like Vivo was going to reunite with the girl he wanted to be the love of his life.
Andrés nodded with that very same fatherly still fixed upon his lips.
"Yes. It is your decision, though, my friend." He said.
Vivo's eyes snapped as wide as possible and he began to panic.
"Wait. Does this mean I'm actually dead!?"
Andrés chuckled and shook his head.
"Yes and no. I guess one could say you are dreaming but you've got the choice to stay here if you wish."
Vivo was confused beyond rational thought.
So…he wasn't dead?
But then how could he choose to stay here if he wasn't dead!?
He smacked himself mentally, now wasn't the time to find logic in this and he pondered on his choice.
He could go back or he could stay here with Andrés, he didn't like choosing between one friend over another like this and it made his heart crumble a bit at the thought of leaving like this. He slowly turned to face the empty void ahead of him and, surprisingly, he felt no fear at all.
As a matter of fact, he couldn't hold back a courageous smile as his eyes hardened.
He clambered up the old man's knee before he then reluctantly leapt off of Andrés' lap and landed on the ground, the watery impressions forming around his hands and feet once more whence they planted on the constellational ground below. He whirled back around and up to face the old man who looked down at him with a pained but kind-hearted expression etched upon his aged face.
"Care to lead into one last song until we see one another, Vivo?" Andrés asked, a guitar materialising into his arms.
Andrés let his eyes close and his hands steadied as he repositioned the guitar in his arms so he could better cradle and play it, then he strummed the strings of said guitar and started to play a familiar song. He had been looking forwards to this for a long time and had saved this bit of energy for this reunion, even if it was short. He made a gesture with his shoulder, pointing down to the Kinkajou down below, and grinned.
Vivo smirked in response.
He didn't think he'd get one last song with Andrés and his heart was full of elation that he finally had this one and only chance. He wasn't going to pass it up and he was already beginning to twirl his hips as he started to dance along to the melody that the old man was strumming to, the song was familiar and toe-tapping as it glided through the air like a bird taking flight.
It was as warm, bouncy and fun as a Cuban holiday that could easily pound through a summer piazza.
Vivo started to bob his head up and down along with the music as he sprung up to his two feet and started to sing a phrase that he'd shared between Andrés and then Gabi:
"Heeeey…Lo le lo lai,
Lo le lo lai, lo le lo lei
Lai le lo lei…"
Vivo extended an arm and hand to Andrés, who smiled and down at Vivo in turn and sang back in repeat:
"Lo le lo lai,
Lo le lo lai, lo le lo lei
Lai le lo lei…"
The old man and the Kinkajou both circled one another in the starry plains, ignoring everything but each other —their eyes trailed on one another and didn't stray even for a moment as their feet moved them around and around with the smoothness of melted liquid chocolate. Their feet movements were slow but precise and their eyes were as sharp as arrows as their circling lasted for what felt like a century before they finally stopped.
The two grinned and began to back away from one another.
Vivo sang softly, shifting songs but the bouncy fun instrumental Andrés played didn't stop.
The tempo lowered a little and the tone shifted from happy to nostalgic but that didn't stop either Vivo nor Andrés from grinning at one another.
"You spent your life making music,
I thought the songs would never end.
Now it's so quiet…"
Andrés knew this song, he watched over Vivo as he sang it just after he passed away. He remembered feeling just terrible when he heard Vivo sing such a sad song —so unlike what they usually played in the plaza when they were cheerful and happy— and it made his guilt about leaving the Kinkajou all alone in the world worsen. But he had made his peace with his own departure, as did Vivo.
Nevertheless, he decided to not only sing along but adjust the lyrics a little.
"…All I wanna do is play again with you, my friend.
You helped my heart find new music.
The sun came up, you were left all alone."
He strummed along to the song being sung, his instrumental harmonising with the lyrics being weaved and then sung.
Then the two sang in a duet, backing further and further away from one another.
"…Now here we are…"
Then they both stopped dead in their tracks, never once breaking eye contact.
Vivo and Andrés sang the finishing lyrics to end their short last song:
"Someday we'll reunite for
one more soooooooong!"
With their duet finished, Andrés bent down and then rested a hand on Vivo's small shoulder.
"Go on, Vivo. Take care of my sobriná and look after Marie."
Vivo nodded.
"I will, Andrés, but don't worry. I'll be back someday and we can throw a partido and perform like old times..and tell my mama that I'm okay if she's where you are."
Andrés nodded back, agreeing to do just that.
The old man began to vanish into a figure of low opacity and bright starry lights. He began to shine as bright as the sun but it didn't blind Vivo whatsoever.
Then he remembered something he needed to ask of the Kinkajou before they were parted once again.
"Oh and Vivo?"
"Yes?"
"Carlos wanted me to thank you for taking care of his daughter..and he wanted me to tell you to let her know that it's okay to let that Esteban fellow into her heart."
Vivo, picked up and encouraged by the elder man's parting words, smiled even wider.
He started to break into a run.
He started running straight towards that dark void ahead that all of a sudden became engulfed in some bright light that seemed to grow ever brighter the closer he got to it. It was like he was literally chasing a light at the end of the tunnel! As he jumped into the light, his whole body started to also become part of that light.
It felt strangely amazing as he vanished from this world, leaving Andrés for the time being.
He knew he'd see his friend again someday and, while he didn't know whether or not this was real, he knew that the guilt that had been weighing him down didn't need to plague him anymore.
He was going home.
Indistinct voices crept in through fog in Vivo's head, and he found it hard to figure out whether they were human or animal.
It was as though his whole being had been encased in a ball of cotton wool, muffling all sound, sight, scent…even his thoughts. For a split second he even had to wonder whether or not this is how plushies felt when being stuffed with cotton.
Vivo instinctively curled up into a tighter ball, his movements sluggish and slow.
He couldn't hear, couldn't see and his tongue even felt like a ball of rubber in his mouth.
His eyes struggled to open open and his brain tried to connect the dots so he make out where he was; there was a purple blanket covering him for warmth so, he managed to figure out after lying confused for several long minutes that he could not have been anywhere too bad. Steadily and slowly, the voices around him became clearer while the memory of what had happened before he had passed out began to came back to him like a smack to the face.
It was so intense that it brought Vivo back to reality with a jolt.
Gabi…Marie…his family…Rico Avaro…!
WHAT HAD HAPPENED!?
His mind was a mess of questions and irrational thoughts as he struggled to piece his brain together.
What had happened?
How had he passed out?
Where was Gabi and the others?
Where was Marie?
"Vi…vo!"
Vivo's attention cast itself upon something else and his ear twitched when he thought he heard something.
His hearing was fading in and out due to the fading cotton-wool-like sense of being; normally his hearing was as sharp as the lash of a whip but it was now foggy and was still recovering but he wasn't sure whether or not this was due to his recovering consciousness or if he had been drugged with something while he was out.
He moaned and clutched his head as he tilted his gaze upwards, peering through the bars of this cage, and was shocked and relieved when a familiar blob started to come into focus.
It was Gabi!
Out of pure desperation to see whether the young girl was alright, the male Kinkajou dragged both of his eyelids open, focusing his eyes on the tan/brown and purple blur that was blearing into pure visibility so his sight cleared. He squinted for a second before the vision settled and he saw that Gabi was smiling at him with a face full of relief.
"Gah…G-G-Gabi?" He rasped, his words probably coming out as a weak squeak. He could barely manage half a grin as he stared at her.
"Vivo! You're okay!" Gabi cried.
Barely able to contain her excitement, the twelve-year-old girl proceeded to reach in grab the Kinkajou into her arms and pull him into a hug —blanket and all; she wrapped him up like a burrito and swaddled him like a baby before cuddling him as tightly as she could without hurting him. Vivo would have felt rather uncomfortable when they first met as her hugs were suffocatingly tight when she was ten but she seemed to have learned to handle him more gingerly as she aged.
Vivo looked up at her with a slight wistful look in his eyes.
She had grown up.
His heart began to sink as he melted into her arms, closing his eyes in relaxation, and he felt as unconsciousness tried to suck him back into the black void of slumber but he stubbornly refused to let it drag him down. It was difficult not to surrender to that need to let sleep itself take over but he fought through it and kept his eyes open despite the slow whirl of his vision as his sight began to spin around the room in a slow and rather monotonous loop.
The warmth, the soft way she was holding him, the gentle lull of her heartbeat pounding gently against his ear…it was like a symphony designed to put him to sleep.
His eyelids proceeded to slide shut without him meaning to and it took a few seconds for him to drift off.
He was going to be alright.
He was okay.
"H-Hey now!" A new voice broke through his unwanted sleep. "You need to let the vet look him over before taking him out of his cage!"
It was a voice full of alarm.
Vivo's eyes reopened again and he grunted in a disgruntled and irritated manner, a glare fixing itself upon his facial features. He may not have wanted that sleep but he wasn't happy to be violently jerked awake from it, he was even enjoying it for a brief second…part of him wanted to pull the blankets over his eyes and try and sink back into that void but he knew he needed to refocus himself, he wouldn't get any answers if he slept any more.
He mentally smacked himself!
He needed to stay awake!
He barely registered it as he was promptly taken away from Gabi and cradled in someone else's arms, he only saw the fact that this voice belonged to a woman and she wore a pale teal-coloured shirt and a crisp white hat. She was probably a veterinary nurse, Vivo guessed, while her shadow fell over the Kinkajou's prone form.
The woman carried him down the hall with Gabi scuttling anxiously behind.
Vivo managed to catch a glimpse of the twelve-year-old's face and she looked as though she had her hand caught in the cookie jar and got scolded for it…then again, she kind of did just get scolded. Gabi shuffled along behind Vivo and the vet nurse and, after what felt like a quick couple of seconds which probably passed in much slower succession than what his mind was able to sort out, he soon found himself being brought to a veterinarian whose eyes lit up with surprise when he saw him cradled in the nurse's arms.
He also spotted Rosa and Esteban stood by the side and they, too, seemed shocked that Vivo was awake.
Gabi gathered with the two adults and looked away for a second, anxious.
The vet unwrapped Vivo from the blankets and placed him on the cold steel table and proceeded to check him over by doing a multitude of things.
The Kinkajou lay down as he felt a gloved hand press down firmly against his mid-back, pinning him down.
This felt familiar…but not in the same way as before.
He still didn't like the feeling of having a latex glove restraining him and he even shrank, practically melding against the cold steel table, with the white coat the veterinary doctor wore looming above him —he still felt a tad weak and floppy from earlier so his resistance was less vigorous than before but he decided to just take the pokes and prods.
The first thing he did was that he produced a small thing from his coat pocket and shone a bright light in both of his eyes, said light stinging his eyeballs and making him flinch back in response. He tried to scurry back but the hand holding him down wouldn't let him move anywhere and he almost cursed at that. Vivo squeaked and rubbed his eyes to soothe the stinging as the doctor mumbled something about his pupils responding to the light or whatnot and tried to blink away the dark splotches dotting his vision. He blinked multiple times before his vision returned to normal, with the exception of those dark dots turning into differing colours from reds to yellows to other colours.
The next thing the vet did was that he ran a hand through his bright orange fur, his gloved fingertips pressing firmly against his skin as he rubbed him. Vivo gritted his fangs and arched his back a bit, his fur raising into hackles and, while it wasn't sore, he still felt the vet's fingers feel for fleas or mites or lumps or anything but there was nothing to be found on that aspect —thank goodness!
The Kinkajou breathed a sigh of relief when the vet withdrew his fingers and let him lay down flat again, still restraining him.
It was following this that the male vet raised his head to speak to Rosa, Gabi and Esteban whom stood nearby and started to say some jargon that Vivo couldn't bother to focus on too much since he was still tired from everything he had gone through. The cold metal felt less unforgiving beneath him than before and he felt less demeaned than he had last time, however was probably because he was too tired to care...
The vet smiled down at the Kinkajou and gave him a tender pat on the head and gave him soft and comforting praises.
Vivo fought the urge to bite the vet on the hand and just settled with an irritated growl as he turned away, just in time for a familiar and more welcome face to pop into view. The twelve-year-old girl wore a massive grin and her eyes were overflowing with relief to the point where a thin layer of tears started to begin welling up inside of her spectacled eyes, the Kinkajou's heart softened at the sight and he couldn't help but smile at her.
Gabi smiled enthusiastically.
"Did you hear that, Vivo?" She asked delightedly "The vet said that you're all good to go and perform! It turns out you had a big ol' boost of adrenaline and it made you pass out when it ran out so that's why you're all floppy."
Vivo felt a huge wave of relief wash over him when he heard that.
So he felt the way he did because of the adrenaline he'd lost during that final confrontation? That made sense. He hoped he'd regain the energy he'd lost in not too long since he had a feeling that the performance was due in not too long, he didn't dare look for any clocks to confirm it since he didn't want to feel pressured by the time right now.
He needed to get more information.
He needed to hear how Marie was doing, what happened to Rico Avaro and everything else.
Without him even needing to try and ask, Gabi explained.
"That Rico Avaro guy was arrested and carted off to jail, Marta decided to temporarily step in and replace him as the presenter and host of the Neon Lights contest and competition until they find a replacement. Bea, Taylor, Ella and the others managed to get back to the hotel safely with their animals and the escaped wild animals are either being reunited with their owners or being placed in sanctuaries right now until they could be released back into the wild."
Vivo huffed another breath of easement after hearing that.
He'd worried about those animals that split up from them back at the…base…wherever it was.
He was happy that they were going back to their rightful places.
But there was one more thing he worried about.
Marie.
Gabi seemed to read his thoughts and immediately the enthusiasm seemed to be sucked right out of her face and the light left her eyes as she evaded Vivo's questioning gaze by looking him anywhere but in the eye —Vivo's face had flattened immediately as he recognised this behaviour of hers after two years of being stuck with her.
She was withholding something.
"And…?" Vivo urged, knowing full well that she couldn't understand him anyway. "Tell me the rest, Gabi."
"Umm…the doc said that as soon as ya get better that we can get to the performance!"
The purple-haired girl shuffled on her feet awkwardly as she swung back and forth on the balls of her feet. She didn't meet his eyes but a very wide yet shifty smirk spread across her lips, flashing a strained toothy grin to the Kinkajou who didn't buy any of this as he recognised this as both a stalling tactic and a means of glossing over the actual bad news.
Vivo raised a brow at her, clearly not fooled.
Gabi knew it.
She let out a defeated sigh as a solemn look etched across her facial features as she continued to avoid eye contact with the male Kinkajou.
"The…That girl Kinkajou kiiiinda has a broken arm and has gotta stay at the vet for a while."
Vivo didn't stop staring at the human girl, there was more that she wanted to say and she had trouble getting it out. He had a bad feeling beginning to brew in the pit of his stomach, however, as he continued to push her to spit out what she wanted to say while he became more and more worried. Why was she hesitating so much? Why couldn't she just spit it out? How bad was this news?
"And…I…I…I, erm, found the flower that belonged to her…"
Vivo's eyes widened temporarily.
He had completely forgotten about that flower!
Where did Gabi find it?
How could it have been elusive at the time?
But…he really didn't like that hollow tone in Gabi's voice.
Something had happened to that flower, didn't it?
That's the only thing that made sense.
Before he could even try and ask her what had happened, Gabi reluctantly produced a single petal from her pocket, being extraordinarily careful as she cradled it in the palm of her hand and Vivo felt like he was about to be sick when he was struck by the sight of the plant.
The flower was flattened and then crushed into bits, it didn't even look like a flower anymore!
Only one flower petal remained intact…
Marie was going to be crushed.
That flower was her last momento from her family back in Brazil, aside from a lullaby she learned back from then.
Not only that but that flower was the thing that brought him to Marie in the first place!
Vivo felt his heart shudder and stop in his chest, it was as if it and been plunged into ice cold water. He continued to lay on the cold steel table and the scent of antiseptic hung in the air like a damp blanket and that, as well as the disbelief, made his eyes widen into dinner plates and his mouth formed into a frown that physically hurt his face. His brain tried to help sort out his emotions but it was difficult.
He couldn't move and it wasn't because of the fatigue anymore…
His ears drooped and his mouth feel even further as he thought of how to break this news to Marie.
How was he going to tell her?
The mere thought of seeing her heartbroken expression threatened to shatter his own heart!
How would she take this?!
But…he had to tell her.
Nobody else could.
Vivo closed his eyes and hung his head low, he exhumed a deep breath from within the depths of his lungs.
He rose to a sitting up-position and took a second to prevent him from getting a severe case of head rush as he didn't wish to have his head spin dizzily. He sat up for quite a couple of seconds until he decided that it was time to jump off as he sprang to stand straight and then jumped down to the ground and landed splendidly and delicately. He didn't drop down on all fours like all the other times and just kept a slow jog, despite being a bit unsteady due to being a bit dizzy, he kept a brusque pace behind Gabi as he followed her to find Marie in the vet ward.
Gabi reached into her backpack and passed Vivo his hat and bandanna before they slunk off down the halls and followed the signs that led them to the in-patient's ward.
The two had to sneak passed several vet nurses and other guests before they arrived.
Vivo climbed up Gabi's arm and perched on her shoulder, peering through multiple cages as the girl walked passed —the two kept searching for Marie's cage until they found it wedged in between a cat cage and a hanging bird cage.
"Marie!" Vivo cried, rushing over to the cage.
Marie's face brightened instantly upon hearing Vivo's voice as she ran up to the cage door to meet him.
Vivo saw that, instead of wearing his bandanna in its sling (of course because Vivo was wearing it again), she now wore a temporary sling instead that was clearly going to be used to cradle and support her broken arm until her surgery. She gripped her arm painfully while she stumbled up to the cage door and smiled hopefully up but she couldn't stop shaking —she was scared and why wouldn't she be? She was practically in a place that could be described as her worst nightmare.
"V-Vivo?" She cried back, relief prominent in her tone "Is that you?"
Vivo was relieved that Marie was alright.
But…that probably won't last long…
"Y-Yeah. It's me, Marie. I'm here."
The two Kinkajous looked at one another with a pair of gentle gazes, their eyes locking, despite Marie being blind; they wished that the moment could last forever and that they could just stay in the bliss of said moment…alas, it just couldn't be fated as such…this just couldn't last as the moment had to end.
Marie could sense the tension in the air, apparently.
"…What's going on? What's the matter?"
Vivo couldn't hold off the conversation much longer.
He had to tell her.
"It's….It's about your flower, Marie."
The atmosphere immediately dropped from bright and somewhat happy to intense and heavy.
It sunk like a stone in water.
A very uncomfortable silence brewed between Vivo and Marie as the former tried to break it and say something to her, to explain to her what had happened. Just trying to form the words had caused a lump to form in his throat and made it difficult for him to speak. The words bounced around in his mind as he tried so very hard to say something, anything, to shatter this uncomfortable silence.
He just stared at her as she seemed to ponder on the fact that there was bad news at all.
It was Marie who finally broke the silence.
"What happened? Vivo, what happened to it?"
Vivo kept struggling to find the words to explain…but he couldn't. All he could do was, instead, climb up Gabi's arm again, grab the remnants of the red and yellow hibiscus flower from her hand before he scuttled back down again and thrust both of his arms through the bars of the cage and presented the flower and the one petal to her in both of his tiny paws.
Marie, being blind, didn't understand what was happening at first…until she caught a whiff of the familiar scent and reached out to touch it…only to feel how flat and broken it was.
She immediately knew what had happened and her eyes welled up with large tears.
With a gentle hand, she gingerly scraped the crushed flower into one clasp before her fingers closed around it and she held it close to her chest. She hung her head low and let the huge tears fall down her furry cheeks and she began to sob and sniffle. She couldn't help but flinch when her sore arm continued to throb but she ignored it as best as she could as she held the precious reminder of her broken family.
Marie's stinging bloodshot eyes peeled open a little when she remembered that last petal and she took it out of Vivo's waiting hands and into her broken hand whilst pushing through the pain just holding said petal caused her.
Gabi just so happened to glance at her watch and her eyes widened when she saw what time it was. She knew that she couldn't make much noise, though, and bent down just patted Vivo on the shoulder with a finger and directed his attention to the time. His eyes widened for a millisecond before glistening with worry.
They had to go soon!
But…but he could not just…leave!
"….Marie? Are you okay?" He asked.
"What do you think!?" She snapped, her eyes glaring darkly at Vivo. "I'm having surgery, I'm in a place full of humans, I just lost one of my only prized possessions aside from one petal and I'm about to be left all alone!"
Vivo jerked back in shock at her snapping at him, his eyes wide and his face hurt.
He wasn't expecting that…but he really should have.
She had just lost her momento of her family and she had every right to lash out.
Marie seemed to sense the hurt her snapping at him caused, however, and proceeded to shrink back and turn to the side so he and Gabi, whom had been so quiet that the female Kinkajou didn't even know of her presence, could see her profile. Her eyes were overflowing with tears and her tiny pink nose wiggled softly as she huddled up into a ball.
She sighed to calm herself despite the pain running stabbing her in the heart.
"I'll….I'll be fine, Vivo. I wish you luck at your concert…"
Vivo was doubtful for a lot of reasons.
He also wanted to ask how she knew that the contest/concert was soon…but he decided to leave that matter alone for now.
His mind was on Marie.
He couldn't leave her like this!
But he knew he couldn't do or say anything to mend this situation.
Judging by the fear showing in her clouded gray/blue eyes, she was terrified and no amount of false bravado was going to convince the male Kinkajou that the female wasn't in the slightest bit scared of the operation she was about to go under in his absence. Not to mention the major upset that was coursing through her right now as she gingerly clutched the final petal of her precious flower.
The rest of it had disintegrated by now…much to her sorrow and sadness.
Tears fell from her eyes as she sniffled.
Vivo stopped mid-step.
He couldn't leave her like this.
She was scared of her surgery, upset and in emotional turmoil…but what could he do!?
But…that was when he had an idea.
He couldn't stay for her surgery but he could maybe give her something with his scent on it and it could help soothe her should she get any more scared —he remembered their talk the other night when she spoke about a certain thing that helped calm her when she felt scared or terrified in spite of all she had been through.
That's it.
That should help!
He turned back around, running towards the cage and skidded to an abrupt stop. He could see the utter perplexity and confusion written on Marie's face as she looked up at him, probably after hearing his footsteps and abrupt halt, and he couldn't help but feel a warm smile grace his lips.
He stood tall on his own two feet.
He reached up and removed his hat, lifting it off of his head, before he removed one of his maracas from underneath.
Marie's ear twitched when she heard the soft rattle of the musical instrument and she seemed to calm down when she heard it, she even let her eyes widen and the tension left her body the instant her ears picked up the soft and rather rhythmic noises.
"Wh-What're you doing?" She asked, her voice choked with a soft sob.
Vivo responded as he passed her the one maraca whilst keeping the other tucked beneath his hat.
His voice was warm and jolly.
"This should help you cope before…your operation. Now, that maraca is dear to me and I want you to take care of it. Can you do that for me?"
Marie stared up at him with an unreadable expression on her face.
Then she smiled….just a tiny bit, though.
"O-O-Okay…snff…I'll see you later…and I'll give your maraca back to you."
Vivo nodded, hesitant to leave her, but he didn't say anything as Gabi picked him up and carried him in her arms.
She had a sad look in her eyes and she seemed to sense the heavy tension in the air and it wasn't just because she was in a place full of sick and hurt animals. She might have been young but she knew that something was off and it seemed that an emotional exchange was shared between her best friend and the female Kinkajou in the cage.
"C'mon, Vivo…" She said, trying to pick her voice up to sound like her cheerful self "…Let's find Mum and Esteban and get outta here."
Vivo sighed and hung his head sadly.
He wasn't even that far away yet and he felt sick with worry.
But he needed to push that fear aside for now.
Marie was the strongest creature he'd ever met, he was 100 percent confident that she could brave this storm and get through anything that stands in her way…and he was determined to get that maraca back from her because, like both maracas, they belong together.
He didn't know it but this was the last time he'd see Las Vegas.
But what he did know was that it was time for him to perform with Gabi and do what they came here for.
A/N: Hi, guys.
Here is a new chapter of "A song of the heart" and I hope you lot enjoy it.
I'm sorry that this took awhile.
Btw, the reason I added that little memory bit during Vivo and Andrés' reunion was because when watching the film again, I noticed that Andrés was in a different position from when he went to sleep.
It made me wonder.
Btw, you guy are awesome.
Don't forget to fave and review.
-Chloemcg