Promise Me Forever

Chapter 4: Promise Me Forever

LLL

Disclaimer: I don't own any FFIX related characters, themes, or settings. I only own Loki.

This is a really sad chapter. I'm not sure I can finish it…I'm overly sentimental.

LLL

I refused strongly on the idea of Vivi stopping. I wouldn't allow it! I had no control over it. Vivi pretended like that night had never happened around everyone, so I did the same. It wasn't hard. I didn't want to talk to them anyway.

Whenever I could, I'd wrap Vivi in a hug, refusing to let him go for several minutes at a time. He never objected to it. His children would occasionally walk in while I had Vivi in one of these hugs, but they never said a word about it.

I'd watch Vivi play with his children, each day seeming to become weaker and weaker. I wondered if anyone else noticed. I wondered if his children would miss their father when he was gone. I wondered if I'd be able to go on without him.

Life continued on this way for nearly a month. We prepared night and day for the coming play, hiding Zidane's presence from Vivi as best as we could. I hated it-lying to Vivi just for some dumb play I wanted nothing to do with in the first place!

I wasted away hours just lying on the spare bed in the clubhouse. I wasn't as mean to everyone, but kept completely to myself. Except for Vivi. I welcomed him any time. On one night, intended to be wasted on the bed, Vivi's children stumbled into the room, panting and screaming and crying.

"What's wrong?" I asked, fearing the worst before they could speak one coherent word.

"D-daddy!" One wailed. The Tantalus members huddled around them to get details. I just ran out. I wasn't running to escape from my problems this time. I was running to catch up to them. I needed to see Vivi for myself.

He wasn't far away, and I didn't have to run long. He was lying, face down, on the street. I went up to him; tears streaming down my cheeks like water would poor from the sky in mid summer. I was afraid of what I would find.

"Vivi…" I whispered. My voice was distant, as if on another plain. Fear rang through it, as shrill as a whistle. "Vivi, wake up! This isn't funny!" I knelt by him, determined to prove to myself this wasn't real.

"Loki?" His voice brought me out of the other plain my voice had gone to. My head spun in confusion.

"Vivi…please tell me you haven't stopped!" I whispered, running my fingers around the wide brim of his hat. I needed to feel that he was still there.

"No…not yet," He said, opening his eyes to look at me.

"You'll be o-okay then!" I said, trying to muster up as much confidents as I could. I scooped him up into my arms, carrying him towards the clubhouse.

I hate rain. I hate the dark, and I hate the rain. They followed me, bringing only disaster and sorrow to my world. It was night, and it was raining, and Vivi was dieing in my arms as I struggled to get him to safety.

I brought him in, soaking from head to foot. I stood in the doorway, dripping water from my form. My tears were hidden by the drops of rain, which trailed down my cheeks in the same manner. The group looked at me in pity, watching all I had be destroyed. Vivi's children looked at their father, crying in horror.

I carried him to the ladder, climbing up the structure with one had, supporting Vivi on the other. I laid him down on the bad I had been using for so long-and felt like screaming my hatred for the world right then and there.

I watched as Vivi slept fitfully, tossing and turning in his sleep. Exhaustion, mixed with the lullaby of rain, tried so desperately to send me into a dream world. I lied down next to him, starring at him in sorrow. Tears were everywhere, from my vain attempts to wipe them away. I wanted to scream so much…

Everyone else was sleeping, Vivi's children in one big huddle, using each other for warmth and comfort.

I saw a faint line of yellow shine through the shadows in front of me. Vivi was stirring from his sleep. "Loki…" He called out, not even looking at me.

"I'm here, Vivi," I replied softly, hoping this meant he was getting better. I should have known better,

"What do you think happens to people when they die?" He asked.

What did I think? I had no idea. I didn't believe in anything anymore. There were no heavens, there were no hells. There was nothing I could believe in. "I don't know, Vivi. I guess we just go to sleep, and never wake up."

Vivi nodded in the darkness, closing his eyes. He shifted a little, grunting with discomfort.

"Vivi?"

"I think…that you just kind of float there, if you've been good, and watch everything around you live, with everyone else who has died. I think that everyone will be with the people they love…"

"What happens…if you haven't been good?"

"Then…you don't get to be with the ones you love…at least, that's what I think."

"Where would I be?"

Vivi turned to look at me, as if surprised by the question. "You'd be with the ones you love…you'd be with me!" He replied simply.

I smiled in the dark. This was the only thing that made me happy that night. "How long would it last?"

"…Forever…" He replied. "I'd finally get to see Zidane, you know?"

"Zidane…how long has it been since you last saw him?"

"…months. He left. I was hoping he'd come back to see me before I stopped, but I guess I won't get to see him. I'm really…disappointed."

"Vivi…it's so unfair. He should be here for you…"

"It's okay! You're here for me. I'm glad…I didn't want to stop without anyone at my side." He seemed rather content. It broke me inside.

"I don't want to live without you around, Vivi…"

"I'm sorry…Promise me something, Loki…"

"Sure."

"Promise me you'll go on with your life…"

"…I will. I promise…" How could he ask that of me? Here he was, about to die, and he was the least selfish person anywhere. Why was life so cruel to him, of all people? "Will you promise me something in return?"

"Anything…"

"Promise Me…Forever…" He smiled at me, letting me get a long look at his eyes.

"I promise you…we'll spend forever with each other one day…" He whispered, his voice drifting off into nothingness. I reached over, pulling him into a hug.

"I love you," I whispered softly to him, stroking his hat.

"I know…" He nodded. "I love you too…and I promise you…forever…"

"I promise you…I'll go on…" I whispered, watching him close his eyes a final time. He shuddered against my body, and was gone.

I screamed, holding onto his body as tight as I could. I'd have to let him go. I couldn't go with him into death. I had to fulfill my promise. I cried and screamed until the entire area was awake. I held onto his last words all my life. They were the only thing that kept me going. They were the only thing I had left of the only one I would ever truly love.

LLL

I'm a Vivi fan…don't get me wrong. I love the poor little guy! I had to for the sake of the story, and I so hate myself right now. How could I do that to poor Vivi? Please review. Before I lose what little of my sanity I have left.