Chapter 8 - rememberance and birth

Lottirebel - Rock a dragon, I have many (Pern RP). Am still going!

Niara - Thank you Niara, I update often because I know how annoying it is when authors don't. (Furious blushing.)

Kittynak14 - I never meant to sound so whiny (Smacks self with over sized malet,) No I'm not quitting yet, I want you all to know what happens. Problem is, I am running out of stuff to put with this fic (Namely I haven't finished it yet.) Trust me, you really don't want to know what I think of Vivi (Vivi runs away screaming, he knows all too well).

ashitaka666 - Zidane's a meany! And Vivi is coming across as very stubborn. Your a smart one, I'll give you that, three reviews of your own. Am going to keep going.

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Zidane clutched at his wife's hand, surprised by how tightly she gripped it in her pain; she released it slowly as the contraction ended. "Zidane … I've … got an idea." She just managed to murmur, she closed her eyes for a few moments. "I want Vivi to be here," She opened her eyes, looking her startled husband full in the face.

"Garnet, that could just drive him the wrong way completely!"

"It's better then what we've done so far," She snapped, the snap was coupled by a furious glare; Zidane stumbled backwards a few steps and ducked out of the door just in time to avoid something she threw at him. He sprinted to Vivi's room, bursting in without knocking, standing just inside the door as he caught his breath.

The mage was nowhere in sight; uncertainly, Zidane stood panting for a while, trying to think where Vivi could be. Dreading Garnet's reaction if he returned without the mage in tow, he dashed out of the room and towards the kitchens. In the past, he had often found Vivi and the boys in there, all of them possessing large appetites.

Quina greeted him with a scornful look, "Queen have baby, what Zidane leave Queen for?" S/He asked, brandishing a fork threateningly. S/He noticed Zidane's quick breathing, lowering the fork, "What Zidane do here?" The kitchen was alive with activity as usual; the Gourmand was head chef and controlled the lesser cooks with the skill of a well-versed conductor.

"Have you seen Vivi?" Zidane panted, his breath seemed to be avoiding him, one hand went to the wall to steady himself.

"Mage in garden,"

"Thanks Quina," The Genome yelled back over his shoulder as he charged in that direction. He had spent a great deal of time exploring the castle with Vivi's sons when he had returned and knew its passageways and shortcuts well. He rushed past sleepy knights, who barely registered his presence before he was gone again. Someone's hand gripped his arm in a steely grip as he ran past, forcing him to stop. "Let go Beatrix," He snapped exhaustedly.

The female knight's grip was unwavering, her one good eye going to his flushed features. "Please, Garnet's in labour. She sent me to find Vivi." Zidane blurted, his breath coming out in heaves from his exhausted lungs.

"Oh," Beatrix managed to say as she released him. "He was in the Garden when I patrolled Zidane, that was some time ago but he was under one of the bigger oak trees." Thanking her, the Genome leapt the five ancient stone steps that led into the gardens, his jump upsetting a good number of the stones that decorated the pathway.

He paused for a moment, contemplating the best way of getting to the tree Beatrix had mentioned; he cast his gaze left and right down the path as he thought. A pair of green and white striped trousers swung into view and out again, and he dashed in that direction. Vivi was sitting on a grey stone bench, swinging his legs absently; with a jolt, Zidane realised that this was the first time the mage had been out of the main castle in the past month. A second jolt made him realise why Vivi was sitting where he was; the last time the boy had sat there he had had all his sons there with him, the day before the eldest had stopped.

The Genome sat besides him, his breath still coming in pants. "Vivi," He managed to say at last, snapping the mage from a bittersweet memory; a look of anger crossed Vivi's still dull eyes as he woke from the reminiscence. "Garnet's in labour, she wants you there. I've ran all the way here to find you." A bitter comment died in Vivi's throat as he looked to Zidane; the erstwhile thief offered up a weary smile. "I don't think she'll let me back in without you."

His breath fully recovered, he grabbed Vivi by his left wrist, tugging him to his feet. "Zidane, get off." Vivi partially instructed, his voice still lacked strength yet there was a dangerous edge to the way he spoke; the Genome did not catch it, his hand still on Vivi's wrist. "I got tired enough walking down here; I can't run to the other side of the castle." Dejectedly, Zidane let go of his friend, watching as the mage sat down again.

"I wasn't joking you know, she nearly took my head off getting me to leave."

"I can't do the impossible Zidane, why don't you go and see if she'll let you back in alone?"

Angrily, Zidane's tail flicked from side to side, and he kicked at some of the stones on the path. "I'm gonna miss it," He grumbled, kicking some more of the stones. He sat down heavily on the bench, slumped forwards to look at the ground. "It's funny, Ruby said I'd miss it. 'You'll miss your own babe's birth dahlin', you're so darned late for everything.'" He adopted her accent in a very poor approximation of how she spoke.

A hand rested very gently on his arm, drawing his eyes to the dull-eyed form of his friend. "I'll be there. You go to Garnet, she'll need you." He drew his hand back, dropping his gaze; he was not sure why he had done it but it seemed unfair for Zidane to miss his own Childs birth. The Genome squeezed his hand in quick thanks, blessing the mage with a smile before running towards the castle.

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AN: A child on the way, a faint glimmer of caring, is Vivi finally ready to let go of his painful past? Find out next time in 'Shattered Soul'