Disclaimer: As stated before, I do not own any of the final Fantasy characters you see, I do own Ellisa and any other new characters.
Gelendra - It doesn't bother me how long it takes you to read it, as long as you do so. Joking, joking. I'm glad that you liked it, I know angst can be a little over blown and annoying (Don't anyone dare think I'm excluding my own from that, I know I can be a little over dramatic sometimes.) Am glad to make it onto you favourites list with this fic, it was so hard to write (From an emotional perspective.)
Rifa - Garnet came as a surprise to me, originally it was Zidane and Ellisa's idea but it seemed more fitting from Garnet.
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He was not sure how long he sat there, both hands now tight in Garnet's; only just aware of her, everyone else in the room and what was going on. After the measureless time, Garnet released her grip on him so that she could hold her child; she looked tired but Vivi noticed how much her face lit up when she held the baby, she looked so happy and content. The Queen gently kissed a small mark on the babe's head, in time this would grown into a summoners horn; a small damp tail hung limply over Garnet's arm; the babe's hair was light brown, including it's tail.
Zidane was grinning like a fool; he kissed his wife on the forehead, gladly taking the baby from her. He stood for a long time with the child in his arms, planting a careful kiss on a pale cheek before moving to pass it back to Garnet, but she shook her head. "There's still one person for the new princess to say hi to," She murmured sleepily, her eyes going to the quiet form of the Black Mage, "Someone who's going to be very important to her."
Smiling to his wife, Zidane nodded; he moved to Vivi's side, the mage shook his head, backing away slightly in his seat. "I don't deserve to," He mumbled, his left hand going to his right wrist as if to prove why, he shook his head again.
Tenderly, carefully, Zidane used one hand to move Vivi's left arm. "You do, you're still here," He said simply, supporting his daughters head as he slipped her into Vivi's arms. She curled into him, her fingers closing around the red ties that held his jacket closed; the look of worry that had entered his eyes when Zidane had given him the child vanished as she wrapped her tail around his right wrist tightly. It was not like holding the boys had been, they had never been as small, having grown to 'full size' within moments of hatching; they had not smelt the same either.
A small, proud smile met Garnet's lips as she watched him with her daughter, she had been right about his being there; he had needed the sharp reminder that not all of life was painful, some parts of it could be amazing and wonderful too. "I'm glad you were here Vivi," She admitted in a soft voice, part of her not wanting to break the spell of the moment by talking. "Before you went away, Zidane and I spoke in great depth about asking you to be Godfather; we very much want you to be a part of her life." A wave of utter helplessness swept over the mage as the infants startling blue eyes opened and looked at him.
"But, after what happened-" Zidane took over the conversation. "- After we knew what you felt, it didn't seem right to ask you." He quickly took note of the fact that Vivi's eyes lingered on the child still, "But, maybe asking isn't such a bad idea." He took the infant from the mage so he could give her back to Garnet. "What do you think?" Bright yellow eyes went to Zidane as Vivi's confused mind battled with complex conflicting ideals, he was overwhelmed by what he felt and by the number of arguments going on inside.
Garnet and Zidane wanted him to be their innocent child's Godfather, the tiny newborn who had not looked at him strangely because of what he had done or tried to be sympathetic, the infant who had still to experience life. "You don't have to answer now," Zidane told him softly, breaking into his thoughts for the second time that day; the same manic smile still on his face. "We're not going to offer it to anyone else until you've decided."
Vivi shook his head, dropping his gaze; "I don't think it's a very good idea," He mumbled, eyes on his hands, which were folded in his lap. "What sort of role model would I be for her?" Distress bit into his tones as he spoke.
Delicately, Garnet shifted her grip on her babe, who was enjoying her first meal, so that she could touch Vivi's shoulder; a quick squeeze drew his eyes to her. "You are the most humane, kind and wonderful person I know, I'd be very glad for you to be her Godfather; I know she'd be happy to have you."
"I used to be,"
The smile on Garnet's face grew more sorrowful, "I think you are still, your just … sick right now." She attempted, knowing this was not true; she moved her hand back to her child. "And before, we didn't have the treatment, now we have something, I think." She stroked the infant's cheek with one finger, before her eyes went to the mages; there was always something lingering under the surface of what he was thinking and no one could ever work out what it was.
Ellisa moved to Vivi's side and gently took him by the elbow, "Come on you, we'd better give the family time to get to know one another," She offered, watching as Zidane sat in close next to Garnet. "It'll give you time to think about what you want to do too," Vivi nodded in reply, his yellow eyes on his wrist again. 'If only he could find some way to forgive himself, a way to admit that this isn't all his fault,' Ellisa thought, she knew that Vivi felt the boy's death had somehow been his fault and that only he would be able to find a way to forgive himself.
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AN: Thus endth part A
No really, that bit is complete.
However, in this same fic, part B will follow. I'm really glad to get that bit over and done with, because now I can focus more on Vivi directly, rather than using Dagger, Zidane etc to monitor him.
Oh yes, my little preview ... ahem.
A princess born, the promise of a new start; maybe some further happy news for Vivi. Find out in part B of Shatter soul, Chapter 11, 'A Journal and a Hope'.
