Disclaimer: I no own, you no sue.
*`*`*`*`*`
Author's Note: Please....don't yell at me....this chapter is going to earn me alot of
o_O from many of you, I'm sure. But I still believe that there's a link between
Garland creating the genomes and Kuja creating the Black Mages, if not Black
Waltzes. Actually, Zorn and Thorn did, but still!
Like I said, forgive me for how evil this is...and how weird my theories about
how things came to be. Special thanks to Dennis Paulson, who inadvertently
helped me with this chapter by posting a glossary of avian anatomy. (bird
anatomy, hoorah!)
And I apologize Kitty....none of his sons will die, I assure you. But....eh....you'll
see. *chuckles nervously*
*`*`*`*`*`
Chapter 5: Changes
*`*`*`*`*`
The blue green grass outside Alexandria blew aside as the Hilda Garde IV came
for a landing, its motors humming as it stalled, allowing the passengers off. The
small group watched as the ship left them at the gates of the large town, waiting
for someone or another to break the uncomfortable silence. Only the crickets
obligated, their lonesome chirps echoed in the warm night air.
"Let's get to the inn," Freya suggested.
"What? We're staying at a PUBLIC inn?" Cid said, a regal tone entering his voice.
"Yes father!" Eiko laughed. "We're going to surprise Garnet at the play
tomorrow, so we need to stay at the inn."
"Oh alright," Cid grumbled.
"Where's dad?" Sparrow asked Freya.
The Burmecian bit her lip.
"I'm sure he'll turn up in the morning, don't you worry little one," Freya assured.
*`*`*`*`*`
Vivi was now in the same position as an experimental genome, floating in the
blue, Strife enriched liquid inside a large glass tube where the grated platform
once was. Lenore checked a small panel which read out the mage's vital signs, his
heartbeat, breathing, etc. She smiled.
"First, we'll tweak the mind. I'd like to start off with a clean sheet of paper,"
Lenore sighed. The Strife couldn't do anything about this, but her father had
shown her and taught her about how easily things were put and programmed
into a black mage's mind. But she didn't want a soulless puppet, a creature with
no personality. So, recollection by thought, she erased his memory. Everything
he had learned over his past ten years of existence, everyone he had known,
every past sensation made foreign and forgotten. The hardest part done,
Lenore sighed blissfully, now knowing he couldn't possibly carry a grudge.
She ran her fingers over the console, anxious for the next part. His wings.
Lenore had already planned it out, precisely how they would look, everything.
She had the same obsession with perfection and beauty as her father, though not
quite to the same degree. Lenore began painting a picture in her mind of how
they would look, portraying it to the Strife. The long, elegant primary flight
feathers were slightly tapered near the end and about as lengthy as the wing
itself. In contrast, the secondaries were small and acute, coming off with sharp
points, giving his wing the look of a falcon's whose primaries refused to stay at
an angled collection. The covert feathers....hm...small, obtuse and downy. Yes,
that's perfect.
Now, the color. Lenore thought. She tried on shades of raven black and midnight
blue, neither seemed fitting for the child's new appendages. She smiled. Lenore
made the wings the color of purest the dove white.
"Innocence," she murmured and forced her will onto the Strife laying wait in the
tube. She could sense them start to work, tearing his very genetics apart,
inserting their own plans and orders. Vivi shifted, beginning to settle near the
bottom, resting peacefully. "Sleep well my pet."
*`*`*`*`*`*`
The day of Tantalus's annual production of 'I Want To Be Your Canary' came, the
sun bright and clear over the excited city. Nearly every corner was busy with
activity, preparing for the upcoming event. Three o' clock came, the play nearly
an hour from starting. Freya, Hilda, Eiko and Cid had already went ahead,
honoring a request from Sparrow to let him and his brothers wander around
town for a while before the play.
Sparrow was walking nearly a full block in front of his brothers, unable to put
into words the sheer joy he felt just exploring this place. Sparrow cocked his
head to one side when a Burmecian, no taller than Vivi, waved to him. The boy
ran over to Sparrow.
"Hey! Long time no see!" Puck said chirpily.
"Um..."
"What's wrong? Don't you recognize me?" Puck asked.
"N-no..."
"Vivi! It's me, Puck!"
Sparrow suddenly got up into the Burmecian's face.
"H-how do you know that name!?"
"Wh-what are you talking about?" Puck asked, now being quite frightened. "If
you're not Vivi, then who are you?"
"I'm...." Sparrow started off. "Vivi's son!"
And, right on que, as if something planned by some all controlling Japanese man,
Sparrow's brothers toddled down the street, curious of their sibling's doings.
"Whoa! Look at all the Vivis!" Puck exclaimed. Quan, Jet-Jet, Almanac, Fawn and
Sprite stopped, staring at Puck and Sparrow.
"So you're Prince Puck?" Sparrow asked.
"Ugh, just 'Puck'," the Burmecian retorted.
"Are you going to see the play?" Quan asked.
"Actually, I was looking for Vivi," Puck started. "I needed him to be my slave
again to help me sneak in."
The brothers looked to one another.
"I'll be your slave!" Jet said happily, hardly knowing the meaning of the word.
"And do whatever I ask?" Puck asked hopefully.
"Sure!" he nodded.
The Burmecian smiled.
"What's your name?"
"Jet-Jet, but everyone calls me Patches."
"Erm...we'll stick to Jet," Puck said. "Come on, we'll miss the play if you don't
hurry. Are you...afraid of heights?"
Jet shook his head.
"Good, come on!"
"Bye," Jet said to his brothers. "I'll see you later."
"But....we promised Dad we'd all see it together," Sparrow muttered.
"Well....dad's not here, right?" Jet shrugged. "I'll find you guys after the play, I
promise!"
Sparrow grumbled.
"Fine."
"Okay! Whatever! Let's hurry, before the play starts." Puck groaned, tapping his
foot impatiently. Jet followed the Burmecian away from his siblings as they went
to the ticket booth, ready to go see their first play.
*`*`*`*`*`*`
A hooded figure walked across the stage, everyone in the audience going quiet
to hear the character's line. The entire arena was buzzing with tense energy,
waiting for this mysterious new character's place in the play. Everything had
went so well so far, the climax and resolution was within sight. Finally, the figure
spoke.
"Please, come to me. I want you to be..." the character tossed his robes high into
the air. Zidane finished his line, looking high into the seats at the Queen. "My
canary!"
It was a few moments before Garnet's graceful and stable form pushed her way
through the crowd. Her dress was a beautiful contrast of white to the crowd's
garments of dull greens, browns and dark blues. She felt a sudden lightening
around her neck as the Falcon's Claw necklace slipped off its chain and onto the
ground. Garnet didn't turn back, no longer caring if anyone had it. She had her
love back, and that was all that mattered.
Garnet ran up the stage, leaping into Zidane's arms, savoring his warm embrace.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she cursed him.
"How could you worry me like that Zidane Tribal!?" she sobbed, beating his
chest with her frail fist. "If you ever leave me again I'll...I'll...."
She couldn't finish her sentence, breaking down into sobs, burying her face into
Zidane's chest. The genome smiled, wrapping his arms around her.
"Sh....I'm here now Garnet," Zidane whispered, stroking her brown hair. It was
made almost red by the fading sun. "It's alright."
The crowd erupted. Angry cries, whooping cheers, hissing comments, racious
rounds of applause, all a symphony of emotion for them. Garnet wiped her tears
away as twelve figures made their way through the aisles, all shouting and
cheering approval. Freya, Beatrix, Steiner, Eiko, Vivi's sons, Cid and Hilda
jogged down the steps, ready to greet the couple with warmest wishes.
*`*`*`*`*`
A/N: Reallly crappie chapter, I know. Please....don't kill me. I want to get to the
part of the story where Vivi does all his little Black Waltz style stuff......eh!!!!
*`*`*`*`*`
Author's Note: Please....don't yell at me....this chapter is going to earn me alot of
o_O from many of you, I'm sure. But I still believe that there's a link between
Garland creating the genomes and Kuja creating the Black Mages, if not Black
Waltzes. Actually, Zorn and Thorn did, but still!
Like I said, forgive me for how evil this is...and how weird my theories about
how things came to be. Special thanks to Dennis Paulson, who inadvertently
helped me with this chapter by posting a glossary of avian anatomy. (bird
anatomy, hoorah!)
And I apologize Kitty....none of his sons will die, I assure you. But....eh....you'll
see. *chuckles nervously*
*`*`*`*`*`
Chapter 5: Changes
*`*`*`*`*`
The blue green grass outside Alexandria blew aside as the Hilda Garde IV came
for a landing, its motors humming as it stalled, allowing the passengers off. The
small group watched as the ship left them at the gates of the large town, waiting
for someone or another to break the uncomfortable silence. Only the crickets
obligated, their lonesome chirps echoed in the warm night air.
"Let's get to the inn," Freya suggested.
"What? We're staying at a PUBLIC inn?" Cid said, a regal tone entering his voice.
"Yes father!" Eiko laughed. "We're going to surprise Garnet at the play
tomorrow, so we need to stay at the inn."
"Oh alright," Cid grumbled.
"Where's dad?" Sparrow asked Freya.
The Burmecian bit her lip.
"I'm sure he'll turn up in the morning, don't you worry little one," Freya assured.
*`*`*`*`*`
Vivi was now in the same position as an experimental genome, floating in the
blue, Strife enriched liquid inside a large glass tube where the grated platform
once was. Lenore checked a small panel which read out the mage's vital signs, his
heartbeat, breathing, etc. She smiled.
"First, we'll tweak the mind. I'd like to start off with a clean sheet of paper,"
Lenore sighed. The Strife couldn't do anything about this, but her father had
shown her and taught her about how easily things were put and programmed
into a black mage's mind. But she didn't want a soulless puppet, a creature with
no personality. So, recollection by thought, she erased his memory. Everything
he had learned over his past ten years of existence, everyone he had known,
every past sensation made foreign and forgotten. The hardest part done,
Lenore sighed blissfully, now knowing he couldn't possibly carry a grudge.
She ran her fingers over the console, anxious for the next part. His wings.
Lenore had already planned it out, precisely how they would look, everything.
She had the same obsession with perfection and beauty as her father, though not
quite to the same degree. Lenore began painting a picture in her mind of how
they would look, portraying it to the Strife. The long, elegant primary flight
feathers were slightly tapered near the end and about as lengthy as the wing
itself. In contrast, the secondaries were small and acute, coming off with sharp
points, giving his wing the look of a falcon's whose primaries refused to stay at
an angled collection. The covert feathers....hm...small, obtuse and downy. Yes,
that's perfect.
Now, the color. Lenore thought. She tried on shades of raven black and midnight
blue, neither seemed fitting for the child's new appendages. She smiled. Lenore
made the wings the color of purest the dove white.
"Innocence," she murmured and forced her will onto the Strife laying wait in the
tube. She could sense them start to work, tearing his very genetics apart,
inserting their own plans and orders. Vivi shifted, beginning to settle near the
bottom, resting peacefully. "Sleep well my pet."
*`*`*`*`*`*`
The day of Tantalus's annual production of 'I Want To Be Your Canary' came, the
sun bright and clear over the excited city. Nearly every corner was busy with
activity, preparing for the upcoming event. Three o' clock came, the play nearly
an hour from starting. Freya, Hilda, Eiko and Cid had already went ahead,
honoring a request from Sparrow to let him and his brothers wander around
town for a while before the play.
Sparrow was walking nearly a full block in front of his brothers, unable to put
into words the sheer joy he felt just exploring this place. Sparrow cocked his
head to one side when a Burmecian, no taller than Vivi, waved to him. The boy
ran over to Sparrow.
"Hey! Long time no see!" Puck said chirpily.
"Um..."
"What's wrong? Don't you recognize me?" Puck asked.
"N-no..."
"Vivi! It's me, Puck!"
Sparrow suddenly got up into the Burmecian's face.
"H-how do you know that name!?"
"Wh-what are you talking about?" Puck asked, now being quite frightened. "If
you're not Vivi, then who are you?"
"I'm...." Sparrow started off. "Vivi's son!"
And, right on que, as if something planned by some all controlling Japanese man,
Sparrow's brothers toddled down the street, curious of their sibling's doings.
"Whoa! Look at all the Vivis!" Puck exclaimed. Quan, Jet-Jet, Almanac, Fawn and
Sprite stopped, staring at Puck and Sparrow.
"So you're Prince Puck?" Sparrow asked.
"Ugh, just 'Puck'," the Burmecian retorted.
"Are you going to see the play?" Quan asked.
"Actually, I was looking for Vivi," Puck started. "I needed him to be my slave
again to help me sneak in."
The brothers looked to one another.
"I'll be your slave!" Jet said happily, hardly knowing the meaning of the word.
"And do whatever I ask?" Puck asked hopefully.
"Sure!" he nodded.
The Burmecian smiled.
"What's your name?"
"Jet-Jet, but everyone calls me Patches."
"Erm...we'll stick to Jet," Puck said. "Come on, we'll miss the play if you don't
hurry. Are you...afraid of heights?"
Jet shook his head.
"Good, come on!"
"Bye," Jet said to his brothers. "I'll see you later."
"But....we promised Dad we'd all see it together," Sparrow muttered.
"Well....dad's not here, right?" Jet shrugged. "I'll find you guys after the play, I
promise!"
Sparrow grumbled.
"Fine."
"Okay! Whatever! Let's hurry, before the play starts." Puck groaned, tapping his
foot impatiently. Jet followed the Burmecian away from his siblings as they went
to the ticket booth, ready to go see their first play.
*`*`*`*`*`*`
A hooded figure walked across the stage, everyone in the audience going quiet
to hear the character's line. The entire arena was buzzing with tense energy,
waiting for this mysterious new character's place in the play. Everything had
went so well so far, the climax and resolution was within sight. Finally, the figure
spoke.
"Please, come to me. I want you to be..." the character tossed his robes high into
the air. Zidane finished his line, looking high into the seats at the Queen. "My
canary!"
It was a few moments before Garnet's graceful and stable form pushed her way
through the crowd. Her dress was a beautiful contrast of white to the crowd's
garments of dull greens, browns and dark blues. She felt a sudden lightening
around her neck as the Falcon's Claw necklace slipped off its chain and onto the
ground. Garnet didn't turn back, no longer caring if anyone had it. She had her
love back, and that was all that mattered.
Garnet ran up the stage, leaping into Zidane's arms, savoring his warm embrace.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she cursed him.
"How could you worry me like that Zidane Tribal!?" she sobbed, beating his
chest with her frail fist. "If you ever leave me again I'll...I'll...."
She couldn't finish her sentence, breaking down into sobs, burying her face into
Zidane's chest. The genome smiled, wrapping his arms around her.
"Sh....I'm here now Garnet," Zidane whispered, stroking her brown hair. It was
made almost red by the fading sun. "It's alright."
The crowd erupted. Angry cries, whooping cheers, hissing comments, racious
rounds of applause, all a symphony of emotion for them. Garnet wiped her tears
away as twelve figures made their way through the aisles, all shouting and
cheering approval. Freya, Beatrix, Steiner, Eiko, Vivi's sons, Cid and Hilda
jogged down the steps, ready to greet the couple with warmest wishes.
*`*`*`*`*`
A/N: Reallly crappie chapter, I know. Please....don't kill me. I want to get to the
part of the story where Vivi does all his little Black Waltz style stuff......eh!!!!