Chapter Three...
Laura: Later that night, in the Tantalus Theatre House, Vivi is having his debut. Up in the rafters, Zidane watches quietly as the curtains go up...
Baku: Tonight I have something very, very special for all of you! A genuine Black Mage doll that can talk and walk all on it own! It can even sing! Introducing...Vivi Orunitier!
*The curtains have risen and Vivi appears at the top of a staircase. He begins to walk down, but falls flat on his face and tumbles down the staircase.*
Vivi: Oooowwwwiiieeeeeee......
Zidane: Aww, damn, and it's only his first night on stage....
*The audience finds the fall charming and begins to laugh*
Vivi: *gets up, adjusts his hat and blushes*
Vivi: Ehehehe...sorry, folks...So, uhm, h-how are you all tonight? Anyone out there from the Black Mage Village?
*the audience stares in confusion*
Vivi: No? Well, I guess that's not really surprising...*suddenly he turns as Baku gets his attention off-stage*
Baku (whispering loudly): Sing, Dance, do SOMETHING!
Vivi: But I can't---*turns back to the audience* Oh, sorry! Eheh...Mr. Baku says I should dance...*blushes* You don't want to see me dance, do you?
Audience: *claps and shouts*
Vivi: O-oh, okay...*sighs heavily and slumps his shoulders* I'm not very good at this though...
*he begins to clumsily try the Cleyran step dance that Freya taught him*
Zidane (still in the rafters): That's so pathetic, it's not even funny...
Laura: Still, the audience laughed and clapped at Vivi's feeble attempt at graceful dancing. He continued for about a minute until he tired, and then sat down on the stage, panting.
Random Audience Member: Show us some magic, Mage!
Vivi: M-magic? Sure!...w-what should I do?
Stupid Audience Member: Doomsday! Cast Doomsday!
Vivi: A-are you sure about that?
Stupid Audience Members: Doomsday, doomsday, doomsday!
Vivi: Oh, okay...you asked for it...*raises his staff for the spell...*
Zidane: Oh, #@$&! He's gonna do it! NO VIVI, NOOOOOO!
Laura: But Zidane was too small and far away for Vivi to hear.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*
*there is a huge explosion in the Theatre District, and the Tantalus Theatre House has been completely destroyed by the rampant black magic*
Vivi (the sole person left conscious): Ooops.
*****
Laura: Meanwhile, back at the puppet shop, Kuja is getting very upset at his son's absence.
Kuja: *running around in circles* Where is he?! Where is he?! My poor son, all alone in that big, mean, ugly city...I should have destroyed it while I had the chance! What will he do? I hope he's all right out there, with all those mutants and hippopotamus people...
Laura: Kuja, you're rambling. Shut up.
Kuja: But Vivi-chan! He's out there by himself!
Laura: I think he's shown quite capable of taking care of himself.
Kuja: But he's a puppet, he doesn't know anything yet!
Laura:...he just blew up Tantalus Theatre and everyone inside.
Kuja (amazed):....really?
Laura: Really.
Kuja: You're not just yanking my tail?
Laura: Nope, no yanking. Despite how much I'd like to. *grin*
Kuja (eyes shining): My Vivi-chan destroyed stuff! *breathes deeply*...What a good boy! I'd better go out to fnd him, so I can congratulate him! *pulls on a lavendar leather jacket and runs out the door*
*****
Laura: Back at the toppled Theatre House...
Baku: YOU MORON! Look at what you did! *points to where the audience used to be, now a smoking pile of rubble* What did you think you were doing!?
Vivi (crying): T-they asked for the s-spell...they asked f-for it!
Zidane (has survived the attack by a hair): *hops down the the floor* Vivi, you should have known better! Now look what you've done! You killed the whole audience!
Vivi (sobbing): Y-y-you got me into this, Z-zidane! You s-said I should come here!
Zidane: And you listened to me! That was your first mistake.
Baku: I don't care whose fault it is! *picks up Vivi and shoves him in a wooden cage* You're staying in there, where you can't do any more harm! And you, Zidane...you've always been trouble! You're going out!
Zidane: But I'm...
Baku: SHOO! *gets a can of OFF and chases Zidane out the door*
Baku: *walking back inside* Well, at least I made a lot of money...We'll head out tonight for Alexandria. And for you, little puppet...
Vivi: Let me out! Let me out! *crying* I hate cages! Let me out!
Baku: *takes out a prepared Silence spell and casts it over the cage*
Baku: Just to make sure you don't cause any trouble! Let's go! *he lifts the cage, with Vivi trembling inside, out into a wagon in the back. Once inside the wagon, he hangs the cage by a hook on the ceiling and leaves*
Laura: Vivi was alone and cold, hanging high from the ceiling in a hard wooden cage. Because of the Silence spell, he couldn't cry, he couldn't scream for help, and he most definitely couldn't use his magic to break free. And he was afraid of heights! But fortunately Zidane, his incompetant but dedicated conscience, was on the way to help his friend.
Zidane: Don't worry Vivi-kun! I'll get you out of there! *he hops into the wagon just as it begins to leave and manages to sneak his way in*
Vivi: *sees him and flails around madly, trying to cry out*
Zidane: Vivi-kun! What did he DO to you?!
Vivi: *gesticulates wildly trying to express a Silence Spell*
Zidane: He...silenced you?
Vivi: *nods emphatically*
Zidane: *smiles* Well I just happen to have an echo screen right here! *splashes the potion over Vivi's face*
Vivi: *gasp gasp* T-thank you!
Zidane: Now...what's that idiot Baku up to?
Vivi: He's taking me to Alexandria. He's k-kidnapping me!
Zidane: Kidnapping you!? That's awful! I've got to get you out! I'll get this lock undone in no time, little buddy, don't you worry!
*Zidane begins to pick the lock, but discovers that it's just a little too hard*
Zidane: Uh...it's one of those...trick locks...sorry, Vivi-kun.
Vivi: You mean...I-I'm stuck here? *puppy eyes*
Zidane: *turning away* AHHH! Don't look at me like that! It's not my fault, I swear!
Vivi: *sigh* I wish I had a better conscience....
Zidane: I shouldn't have let you listen to Blank and Marcus. Hmmph! There weren't even any girls, like he promised! Last time I listen to that rag-doll...I bet your father's worried about you right now...and it's all my fault! *sobs into his hat*
*Vivi and Zidane begin to bawl inside the cage, becoming very loud and pathetic*
Laura: Suddenly, a blue light appears outside the window of the wagon, and the Blue Fairy once again steps inside
Zidane: *wiping his nose* Hey l-look...it's Freya in the skanky dress again!
Vivi: She'll help me! *whispers* But what do I tell her?
Zidane (whispers): Don't tell her the truth! Or else she'll never go out with me!
Vivi: O-okay...Hullo, Freya-san!
Freya (still kinda cranky about being the Fairy): Hey, Viv. Okay, so what's the problem now?
Vivi: Well, you see...*thinks* Zidane and I were g-going off to school but on the way we...uhm...we were stopped by a b-big ugly Behemoth!...
*in that moment, a bright light glows around Vivi, and he discovers that his hat has grown, but he continues anyway*
Vivi:...and then it captured me and p-put me in a bag! *the hat grows more*
Freya: *quite amused* And what happened to Zidane?
Vivi (listening to Zidane's whispered cues): It d-dipped him in chocolate and sent him to Africa! (whatever that is...) *the hat grows huge and gets a bow on the end*
Freya: That's quite a predicament. How'd you end up here?
Vivi: The Behemoth s-sold me to an evil man to use as his slave! *bells appear tied to the bow*
Vivi:....what's going on, F-Freya-san?
Freya: You've been lying!
Vivi: No I havn't!
*the hat turns bright pink and glows*
Freya: Obviously, you have been. You see, Vivi... "A lie keeps growing and growing, until it's as plain as the hat on your head!"
Vivi: oh...okay...I'll never lie again!
Zidane (hopping up to the top of the hat to face Freya): Pleeeease, Freya? He'll be good, I'll make sure of it! *makes a puppy eyes and kissy faces at her*
Freya: I'll help you again, just this once. For God's sake, Zidane, stop looking at me like that! *takes out the Holy Lance with the paper star and taps Vivi's cage with it, opening the lock and returning his hat to normal*
Vivi: Thank you, Freya-san.
Freya: *sighs* It's no problem, Vivi-chan. Just be good. *gives him a little kiss and floats away*
Zidane: Hey, you're free, Vivi! Let's get out of here before something else happens!
*The two hop out of the wagon and into the night...*