Disclaimer: I no own, you no sue.
*`*`*`*`*``
Author's Note: Whoot, okay. This is the part of the story where super fun things happen. We'll be sticking primarily to Vivi's situation starting this chapter, so hoorah. And one word for this opening part: Mewtwo.
~NeoNaoNeo
*`*`*`*`*`*
Chapter 7: Reborn
*`*`*`*`*`*
"Heartbeat: Normal; Breathing: Normal; Cell Replication:.....normal," Lenore said easily, reading the waltz's vital signs off a nearby moniter. She could no longer call Vivi a black mage; over a month his wings had grown quickly and beautifully. They seemed that much more alien and angelic while the newly fledged waltz rested in the Strife enriched fluid, every long and obtuse flight feather accented by the blue liquid, the down of his coverts drifting lazily. Talons tipped his gloved fingers, an unexpected but helpful growth.
'That's one problem with the Strife,' Lenore thought, running her eyes over his small claws, 'They may bring up something you didn't intend.'
Lenore smiled, having taken the best of his predecessors and combining them in an unnatural harmony. Black Waltz No. 1's loyalty; 2's speed, cunning and control; No. 3's merciless power and intelligence. The waltz shifted in the tube, his eyelids twitching slightly. He tried moving a wing, but the poor effort was stifled by the glass surrounding him, holding him as tightly as a butterfly's cocoon.
His eyes slowly opened, their soft yellow glow turned amber by fatigue and his slightly groggy attitude at the moment. Vivi looked about the chamber, everything outside it was distorted and blue hued. He touched the side with a hand, surprised when his fingers met the solid surface his wings were forced against. Vivi shifted again uncomfortably, wanting out. The waltz clawed feverishly at the glass in front of him, his talons hardly making any imprint.
He panicked, Lenore watching him with a bemused smile.
"Come now my little angel," Lenore muttered. "Think a bit."
Vivi tried spreading his wings again, the curved glass holding strong against the small waltz's frenzied struggle. Still applying pressure against the glass with his wings, Vivi's mind rushed in the conjuration of an unknown spell. The glass shattered around him and for a fleeting second, he stayed suspended in the air, his beautiful, wet wings spread to full length in a graceful show, the glass and fluid both shimmering like crystals around him.
But it came to a quick end as he snapped to reality, falling to the ground, shards of glass cutting his sensitive skin and ripping his coat. The waltz choked and gasped, then threw up, expelling the fluid from his lungs with several coughs and sputters. Lenore merely watched, waiting for his next move.
The waltz's breathing was quick and thin, slowly adjusting to this new atmosphere. His clothes and wings were completely soaked, dark and slightly discolored from his long stay in that unnatural amneotic fluid. He was cold and shivering, every limb was shaking from weakness. He coughed again, another spurt of fluid ejecting itself from his gullet. The waltz sat there a few moments, looking around, helpless and cold. Lenore cleared her throat, grabbing his attention.
"Hello, my name's Lenore," she introduced. "What's yours?"
The waltz didn't answer, his vocabulary now severely limited and the concept of a name just out of his grasp.
"Good, my adjustments worked." Lenore said with a grin and stooped beside the waltz. "Your name is Angel. Say Angel."
"...a-angel." he repeated with a choke, starting to cough again.
"Very good," Lenore gushed. She handed him a small and fluffy towel to dry himself. Angel took it and quickly figured out its use, drying his feathers and skin, then draping it over his shoulders to keep warm. "Now stand up."
Angel trembled slightly as Lenore put her hands under his arms, helping him to his feet. His legs were shaking violently as he tried to keep himself up, knees buckled. Lenore began walking out of the lab.
"You had better learn to walk fast," Lenore called, leaving Angel behind.
"No!" he cried, fear of isolation giving him a new strength in voice. "W-wait!"
Lenore said nothing, now completely out of the lab and in the hallway. Angel looked around, afraid.
"C-come back," he whimpered. Angel shakily took a step foward, stumbling into it, but recovered quickly and took another lurch towards the door. Lenore peered from around the doorway's corner, checking on Angel's progress. The waltz hobbled forward, steps becoming more sure and steady as he went along. By the time he made it all the way across the slick, glass covered floor, Angel had rediscovered the ability to walk.
"Good, good," Lenore said. Angel beamed at the petty accomplishment. "So, do you like it here?"
"I don't know," he replied, looking around. Everything seemed to grab his attention, mind full of questions and hungry for answers. "What's that?"
He pointed to a vase on a pedestal a little ways down the hall.
"Why that's a vase," Lenore replied. "You put things in it."
"Like what?"
"Flowers usually." Lenore replied. She was glad to answer the onslot of questions the little waltz produced, knowing newly conscious mages to be boundlessly curious.
"What're flowers?"
"They're the part of the plant that blooms," Lenore replied.
"....what's a plant?" Angel replied, cocking his head to one side.
"I'll show you on the way to the kitchen," Lenore retorted.
"What's a kitchen?"
"It's where you cook food, to eat."
Angel didn't know exactly what food was, but he understood the word 'eat', realizing how hungry he was.
"Are we going to eat?" he asked.
"Of course," Lenore chuckled, ruffling his feathers. The waltz caught sight of her tail and made a slow grab for it, but Lenore swished it into his face in a teasing manner. She knew she'd have to be somewhat firm with him, though she found it nearly impossible to the cruel and spoiled mistress she was assumed to be around the child. Something about the mage formerly known as Vivi made her feel...needed. He laughed foolishly and made another grab for her tail. "Please leave it alone."
"Oh, o-okay," Angel replied meekly. They continued walking down the hallway until Angel's small voice broke the silence once again. He approached a large set of ornately decorated double doors on the other side of the hallway and tugged at the bronzed handle, curiousity swelling within him. But the doors refused to open, only making him that much more detirmined. He consulted his mistress. "What's in here?"
"Books, shelves upon shelves of books." Lenore replied, continuing to walk down the hallway.
"What are books? Can I see?" Angel pestered.
"Books are things made of paper with words written all inside them, telling stories and giving information," Lenore explained. "And of course you can see. But first, you'll have to learn how to read."
Lenore had no dread of teaching this last part. But still, his questions were becoming slightly tedious.
"When can I learn how to read?" Angel implored.
"After supper I suppose," Lenore shrugged. The waltz looked at the doors another moment and followed Lenore down the hallway.
*`*`*`*`*`*`
Dinner was a small meal of beef and vegetable soup with some bread on the side, Lenore didn't feel like cooking too much that night. The girl had either fired the servants her father had kept around the palace or imprisoned them in the small dungeon. She vented her feelings after a bad day by tormenting the imprisoned black mage guards and human servants with several high level spells. She did all her own cooking and cleaning, thinking it lazy to not do so. Of course, Lenore's days were less hectic and filled than Kuja's, so she needed some kind of menial task to keep her amused.
Angel slurped up his last bit of soup, finishing off his bread with small greed. He wiped off his mouth with his sleeve when Lenore corrected him snappishly.
"Use the napkin," she directed, gesturing to the handkerchif nearby. The waltz looked at it a moment then complied, unfolding it and wiping his mouth. He was about to set it down on the tabletop when Lenore's voice corrected him again. "Spread it out on your lap."
Angel looked down and then obeyed, turning his gaze up to Lenore's, hoping for some form of approval. The girl smiled.
"Are you through?" she asked, collecting her dishes in one hand. Angel nodded. "Well, put your bowl and spoon over here in the sink."
Lenore cringed slightly, remebering how clumsy Vivi had been, or from what she had seen from past observations. But the waltz toddled over to the sink with a pompous security, daring not to falter. He once again turned to Lenore, hoping for approval.
"Very good pet," the girl said, ruffling his feathers. The waltz pushed his wing against her hand slightly, as a cat would arch his back against a master's hand when stroked. "Now, would you like to see the library?"
Angel nodded.
*`*`*`*`*`*`
Author's Note: OKay, you probably should have got it, but for the slower, more special members of our audience, I'll tell you now: Vivi is Angel. Vivi is the little clawed, winged black mage that is asking all the questions. Okay? If you don't like me giving Vivi wings and erasing his memories in this story, you're gonna hate me in a few chapters.
~NeoNaoNeo
*`*`*`*`*``
Author's Note: Whoot, okay. This is the part of the story where super fun things happen. We'll be sticking primarily to Vivi's situation starting this chapter, so hoorah. And one word for this opening part: Mewtwo.
~NeoNaoNeo
*`*`*`*`*`*
Chapter 7: Reborn
*`*`*`*`*`*
"Heartbeat: Normal; Breathing: Normal; Cell Replication:.....normal," Lenore said easily, reading the waltz's vital signs off a nearby moniter. She could no longer call Vivi a black mage; over a month his wings had grown quickly and beautifully. They seemed that much more alien and angelic while the newly fledged waltz rested in the Strife enriched fluid, every long and obtuse flight feather accented by the blue liquid, the down of his coverts drifting lazily. Talons tipped his gloved fingers, an unexpected but helpful growth.
'That's one problem with the Strife,' Lenore thought, running her eyes over his small claws, 'They may bring up something you didn't intend.'
Lenore smiled, having taken the best of his predecessors and combining them in an unnatural harmony. Black Waltz No. 1's loyalty; 2's speed, cunning and control; No. 3's merciless power and intelligence. The waltz shifted in the tube, his eyelids twitching slightly. He tried moving a wing, but the poor effort was stifled by the glass surrounding him, holding him as tightly as a butterfly's cocoon.
His eyes slowly opened, their soft yellow glow turned amber by fatigue and his slightly groggy attitude at the moment. Vivi looked about the chamber, everything outside it was distorted and blue hued. He touched the side with a hand, surprised when his fingers met the solid surface his wings were forced against. Vivi shifted again uncomfortably, wanting out. The waltz clawed feverishly at the glass in front of him, his talons hardly making any imprint.
He panicked, Lenore watching him with a bemused smile.
"Come now my little angel," Lenore muttered. "Think a bit."
Vivi tried spreading his wings again, the curved glass holding strong against the small waltz's frenzied struggle. Still applying pressure against the glass with his wings, Vivi's mind rushed in the conjuration of an unknown spell. The glass shattered around him and for a fleeting second, he stayed suspended in the air, his beautiful, wet wings spread to full length in a graceful show, the glass and fluid both shimmering like crystals around him.
But it came to a quick end as he snapped to reality, falling to the ground, shards of glass cutting his sensitive skin and ripping his coat. The waltz choked and gasped, then threw up, expelling the fluid from his lungs with several coughs and sputters. Lenore merely watched, waiting for his next move.
The waltz's breathing was quick and thin, slowly adjusting to this new atmosphere. His clothes and wings were completely soaked, dark and slightly discolored from his long stay in that unnatural amneotic fluid. He was cold and shivering, every limb was shaking from weakness. He coughed again, another spurt of fluid ejecting itself from his gullet. The waltz sat there a few moments, looking around, helpless and cold. Lenore cleared her throat, grabbing his attention.
"Hello, my name's Lenore," she introduced. "What's yours?"
The waltz didn't answer, his vocabulary now severely limited and the concept of a name just out of his grasp.
"Good, my adjustments worked." Lenore said with a grin and stooped beside the waltz. "Your name is Angel. Say Angel."
"...a-angel." he repeated with a choke, starting to cough again.
"Very good," Lenore gushed. She handed him a small and fluffy towel to dry himself. Angel took it and quickly figured out its use, drying his feathers and skin, then draping it over his shoulders to keep warm. "Now stand up."
Angel trembled slightly as Lenore put her hands under his arms, helping him to his feet. His legs were shaking violently as he tried to keep himself up, knees buckled. Lenore began walking out of the lab.
"You had better learn to walk fast," Lenore called, leaving Angel behind.
"No!" he cried, fear of isolation giving him a new strength in voice. "W-wait!"
Lenore said nothing, now completely out of the lab and in the hallway. Angel looked around, afraid.
"C-come back," he whimpered. Angel shakily took a step foward, stumbling into it, but recovered quickly and took another lurch towards the door. Lenore peered from around the doorway's corner, checking on Angel's progress. The waltz hobbled forward, steps becoming more sure and steady as he went along. By the time he made it all the way across the slick, glass covered floor, Angel had rediscovered the ability to walk.
"Good, good," Lenore said. Angel beamed at the petty accomplishment. "So, do you like it here?"
"I don't know," he replied, looking around. Everything seemed to grab his attention, mind full of questions and hungry for answers. "What's that?"
He pointed to a vase on a pedestal a little ways down the hall.
"Why that's a vase," Lenore replied. "You put things in it."
"Like what?"
"Flowers usually." Lenore replied. She was glad to answer the onslot of questions the little waltz produced, knowing newly conscious mages to be boundlessly curious.
"What're flowers?"
"They're the part of the plant that blooms," Lenore replied.
"....what's a plant?" Angel replied, cocking his head to one side.
"I'll show you on the way to the kitchen," Lenore retorted.
"What's a kitchen?"
"It's where you cook food, to eat."
Angel didn't know exactly what food was, but he understood the word 'eat', realizing how hungry he was.
"Are we going to eat?" he asked.
"Of course," Lenore chuckled, ruffling his feathers. The waltz caught sight of her tail and made a slow grab for it, but Lenore swished it into his face in a teasing manner. She knew she'd have to be somewhat firm with him, though she found it nearly impossible to the cruel and spoiled mistress she was assumed to be around the child. Something about the mage formerly known as Vivi made her feel...needed. He laughed foolishly and made another grab for her tail. "Please leave it alone."
"Oh, o-okay," Angel replied meekly. They continued walking down the hallway until Angel's small voice broke the silence once again. He approached a large set of ornately decorated double doors on the other side of the hallway and tugged at the bronzed handle, curiousity swelling within him. But the doors refused to open, only making him that much more detirmined. He consulted his mistress. "What's in here?"
"Books, shelves upon shelves of books." Lenore replied, continuing to walk down the hallway.
"What are books? Can I see?" Angel pestered.
"Books are things made of paper with words written all inside them, telling stories and giving information," Lenore explained. "And of course you can see. But first, you'll have to learn how to read."
Lenore had no dread of teaching this last part. But still, his questions were becoming slightly tedious.
"When can I learn how to read?" Angel implored.
"After supper I suppose," Lenore shrugged. The waltz looked at the doors another moment and followed Lenore down the hallway.
*`*`*`*`*`*`
Dinner was a small meal of beef and vegetable soup with some bread on the side, Lenore didn't feel like cooking too much that night. The girl had either fired the servants her father had kept around the palace or imprisoned them in the small dungeon. She vented her feelings after a bad day by tormenting the imprisoned black mage guards and human servants with several high level spells. She did all her own cooking and cleaning, thinking it lazy to not do so. Of course, Lenore's days were less hectic and filled than Kuja's, so she needed some kind of menial task to keep her amused.
Angel slurped up his last bit of soup, finishing off his bread with small greed. He wiped off his mouth with his sleeve when Lenore corrected him snappishly.
"Use the napkin," she directed, gesturing to the handkerchif nearby. The waltz looked at it a moment then complied, unfolding it and wiping his mouth. He was about to set it down on the tabletop when Lenore's voice corrected him again. "Spread it out on your lap."
Angel looked down and then obeyed, turning his gaze up to Lenore's, hoping for some form of approval. The girl smiled.
"Are you through?" she asked, collecting her dishes in one hand. Angel nodded. "Well, put your bowl and spoon over here in the sink."
Lenore cringed slightly, remebering how clumsy Vivi had been, or from what she had seen from past observations. But the waltz toddled over to the sink with a pompous security, daring not to falter. He once again turned to Lenore, hoping for approval.
"Very good pet," the girl said, ruffling his feathers. The waltz pushed his wing against her hand slightly, as a cat would arch his back against a master's hand when stroked. "Now, would you like to see the library?"
Angel nodded.
*`*`*`*`*`*`
Author's Note: OKay, you probably should have got it, but for the slower, more special members of our audience, I'll tell you now: Vivi is Angel. Vivi is the little clawed, winged black mage that is asking all the questions. Okay? If you don't like me giving Vivi wings and erasing his memories in this story, you're gonna hate me in a few chapters.
~NeoNaoNeo