Author's Notes: Hey everyone, I've finally posted a new short... it's been so long and I've been fighting writer's block like crazy.. so here's yet another Final Fantasy 9 fic to help rid me of it.
This little Fic is just a sweet one that let me play around with Zidane and Vivi's friendship. I like how Zidane seems so protective of Vivi, tries to help him out like a big brother would... so I've always wanted to do one just about them (well... almost.. there is another character at the end of the fic.. but I'm not telling nyah nyah nyah!) I should also say that this is kind of based on the song "You are not Alone" my fav from the FF9 soundtrack... sure there are no words but the meaning is there... I'm sure there will be a second part to this story... one that will take place at the end when Zidane is 'alone' and Vivi and Eiko try to help him...

This is dedicated to you Zerosystem! My best friend who just got married! WOOT! I wouldn't post it till it had the zero seal of approval

Well hope you all like it, and thank you to anyone who comments!

oh... I don't own Final Fantasy IX, Square does... that said, you may read now.

Am I Alone?

Final Fantasy IX Fan fiction

by Dragonnova

Night had finally fallen like a gentle blanket across the small canyon where the band of travelers had decided to take shelter from the darkness. The air had a pleasant warmth to it, but this did not stop one small figure under a blue blanket from shivering in the shadows.

The small room was silent, but soon the soft whimpers of a small voice could be heard echoing throughout. The comforter flew back as the tiny figure jerked upright, a small scream shattered the silence. Yet another figure just a few feet away bolted awake, arms flailing in the air as incoherent muttered curses escaped a startled young man. Slowly his senses began to come back to him as he scanned the room for the source of the terrified scream that had so rudely snatched him from the arms of his love and flung him into the horrible grasp of fear.

Just a few feet away from him sat the smaller terrified boy, still shivering from the fright that had come over him. Yellow eyes wide, scanning the room but only seeing the dark shadows that had haunted his dreams.

"Vivi? Vivi... Are you all right?" The young man inched closer, slowly until he was sitting next to the frightened little mage. He reached out and set a gentle hand on the little one's shoulder.

Vivi flinched, quickly his senses came back to him. He slowly turned his face upward and met the gaze of his friend. "Zidane?"

Zidane smiled, and brushed back a clump of his blond hair so he see just a little bit better in the dim moonlight. "Yeah, Vivi, what's wrong? Another nightmare?"

The shadowed boy nodded, agreeing without words. Then he glanced out toward the open front door of the small living room they were forced to sleep in after the girls had taken the only room left in the inn.

"I….I…" he squeaked and then nothing came out. His head bowed until Zidane could no longer see the bright shimmer of the little Mage's eyes.

Zidane leaned closer, his words almost as a whisper, "It's alright, Vivi. Everyone gets scared from time to time. Everyone has fears. You don't have to be ashamed of being afraid… In fact sometimes it really helps to let others know what you're afraid of. It helps us deal with it, and eventually we can conquer our fears through the strength of our friends."

Vivi glanced up for a second before his gaze fell once more, "But you… Do you get scared, Zidane?" The small voice sounded even smaller in the void of night… smaller… and helpless.

"Of course I do… I'm afraid of a lot of things." He chuckled, noticing the suddenly look of interest in the boy's face. It was the cue that he needed to elaborate on the subject a bit more. Whether he wanted to or not. "Well… like… spiders… I'm afraid of spiders…"

"You're what?" Vivi snorted suddenly.

Zidane scratched his head, "Y…yeah… they're creepy… they move all weird and fast like… on those hairy legs. That bouncing thing they do when you accidentally touch their webs… and their beady little eyes…. Eight tiny little eyes…staring at you… watching your every move" He began to unconsciously rub his shoulder, brushing occasionally at unseen legs, eight of them. His heart just about stopped as he almost leapt out of his skin when he felt a tickle run down the back of his neck, sending a violent shiver that ran down his spine to the tip of his tail. He jerked his gaze back to Vivi who was now snickering, pointing a guilty finger that had just been used to brush the hair at the back of Zidane's neck.

"Well, aren't we full of spunk suddenly…" Zidane snorted, half heartedly irritated.

"I'm sorry…" Vivi snuffled, still smiling his unseen smile.

"Aaaw…. Shoot" Zidane glanced away.

"Well, spiders are something…" Vivi finally whispered, "but what about something you cannot see or touch…"

Zidane's pout softened, "Unseen? Something you can't touch…" He laid back folding his arms behind his head. "You mean just strait fear, of the unknown…"

Vivi thought on that for a moment before he nodded in agreement, Zidane then continued, "of course Vivi, that's probably the worst fear of all. That's the fear that all people have."

"But you never seem afraid…" Vivi looked down at Zidane, waiting for his answer.

"I was afraid just now… and I don't mean about spiders." He paused, then sat back up with a grunt, "Just now, when you screamed, I was afraid."

"You were?"

"Yes, I was… I heard someone I care about in danger, I heard one of my friends crying out for help and I was afraid. I didn't know what was happening, I wanted to protect them but I was afraid I was already too late…" Zidane smiled gently toward his little friend. "You see Vivi, just because you can't see it all the time… EVERYONE gets scared, for many different reasons. That doesn't make them a coward, that doesn't mean they're weak. It just means they are human…"

Vivi rubbed his eye before he glanced back at Zidane, "So it's alright to be afraid then…"

"Yep… you just need to admit to them, then learn to control your fears and not let them get the best of you…" he glanced sideways toward the mage. He could clearly see the wheels turning in the mind of his shadowed face.

A few minutes passed before the stillness was disturbed "I'm afraid…" Vivi's voice was barely audible, "I'm afraid, in the dark… when it's dark… I feel so alone. All I can see is shadows, and I feel so lonely. And then…" his voice trailed off as tears began to spill to his hands folded up in his lap.

Zidane tilted his head and shifted his weight, waiting for the next words of Vivi's frightened confession. The next thing he knew Vivi had thrown his arms around him, and buried his face in his shoulder. "Vv…Vivi… it's ok…" Zidane was startled but started to try and comfort him again, then noticed that the small voice had continued.

"The darkness makes me feel so alone, and so cold… I start to wonder if I'll ever see light again… I start to wonder if I'm about to stop and there's nobody there. Nobody is here with me... I'm so afraid…" the last words were unheard, drowned by the sobs that now freely echoed in the small room.

"It's ok… you don't have to be scared in the night anymore, Vivi…" Zidane whispered as he rubbed small circles in the boy's back, "You'll never be alone… everyone is here… I'm here with you. So, the next time you feel that cold and alone feeling I want you to call. And you'll see, you are not alone." Zidane leaned back, looking down at the small mage.

"Okie dokie…" Vivi smiled as he rubbed away the tears that had been threatening to spill. "I'm never alone…"

Zidane scooted over and then snagged the comforter and the pillow and fluffed them up, "Now try to get some sleep… We've got to get up early," he whispered as he tucked Vivi back into the little corner where he was sleeping. Then he turned gabbing his own pillow and settled close to the mage.

He listened to the night, until he could make out the sure signs that his little companion had finally found a blissful dream. Then the night decided it was time for him to return to his love… Sleep almost found him; he could almost make out the slender form of a dark haired young woman walking toward him smiling as though she loved him with every fiber of her being. But the vision faded, as quickly as it had come, then there was silence. In a dark void, a slight chill, then a soft blue light filled the void accompanied by what he thought was a faint cry once again. Only this time it was the cry of someone else, familiar and far away like a memory that had been lost. Zidane opened his eyes, sitting up as his own blanket fell from his shoulders. He stared out the open window toward the stars that glittered and winked through the small space at him.

Darkness, all around, the great hallways echoed the weak cries of some poor scared soul. Marble eyes stared blankly, shadowed wings never fluttered, figures of stone listened uncaring in the night. They stood silent guard at the door of a large bedchamber. Amidst the layers of blankets and lace canopy above a large bed sat a hunched over figure, crying softly into the blankets gathered around his waist. A dark cloud moved from the silver moon, finally giving the soft platinum light entry through the window. It's gentle touch reached for the figure, caressing his silver violet hair that hung all around him, hiding him from the star's twinkling lights, keeping him in the darkness.

His body trembled as the unseen tears stained his cheeks before falling the short distance to the covers. A choked whisper then broke the silence…

"I don't want to be alone… someone help me, I'm so cold… Brother… help me…"