-I honestly don't know how the time flew by. LOL at epic KH reference...-cackles-

Disclaimer: I do not own FFIX, and if I did, well...goodbye to Zidane's womanizing traits. :P

"Zidane, I don't see how this is all—"

"Somehow..." I paused, looking down. I fumbled a little with my fingers and laughed softly. "Maybe it's because you'd understand why I feel so broken now when you hear everything. Maybe, you'd help me answer that question hanging in my head. It's been bothering me for so long."

"Oh..." Freya nodded silently, understanding. I smiled at her.

"Actually, before I continue, what happened to everyone, do you know?"

"Garnet...she's a queen now. She rules Alexandria with the best of her efforts. Her kingdom is quite prosperous, in fact, I've heard Lindblum and Alexandria are working on a project that they claim can 'change the future of Gaia'. Eiko...she has been adopted by the Regent of Lindblum and Lady Hilda. Amarant remains in the shadows, Steiner is definitely still in Alexandria with Beatrix, protecting Garnet. Quina, if I heard correctly, resides in Alexandria as the head cook. S/he's quite good, honestly." Freya didn't want to continue, by the seems of it, and turned her head down.

"Vivi...we don't know. He could be de—"

"He's alive." I said with a hint of happiness among the depression in my eyes. "I met him, he's not in Gaia, that's the problem. He's all the way in another dimension. He seems to like it there, at least he lives like a human, wherever he lives."

"Really? What happened?"

It's been a week, I guess. The time really flies.

"Kuja! We're here. The Black Mage Village." I said with a bright smile. It wasn't too early in the morning and too late in the afternoon. It was a bit before lunch. I wanted to see Kuja apologize to them all, it was a step closer to living a better life, wasn't it?

"Oh, Zidane...I'm kind of..."

"Nervous? Shy? No matter. Just apologize before they cast something on you." I smirked, poking my tongue out. "But don't worry about anything. I'm here, I'll be on your side. The genomes won't go against you, I'm pretty sure of that."

He gave a nod, standing up and dusting himself off. He still had that look on his face—the one I didn't like. Kuja wasn't the type who would always look so sad, was he proving me otherwise again? I didn't like it. I just didn't like that look, especially since Kuja had a face of a girl. It went against my nature to leave something like that.

I just watched him take his leave from our room. Never in my life had I been too shy to ask a simple, one syllable question. It only had three letters, what's making it so hard for me to ask 'why'?

Kuja's head popped in, staring at me. "Aren't you coming with me?"

I gave a wan smile. "Yeah."

"So, you're apologizing to us?" No. 288 asked. I could really imagine him arching a brow, if ever he had a face. "And you wish to make it up to us somehow?"

"I don't know how to do so, given the Mist is gone...I could have lengthened your life." He was thinking while talking, like he was mentally scrolling through his mind for anything he could do to make it up to them. "How many of you...?"

"We prefer to say...'stopped'."

"Okay...how many of you have...stopped?"

No. 288 fell silent, looking down. He looked back at the other Black Mages who hid behind the buildings. The numbers decreased from last time I was here. I could see the genomes as well, what worried me a bit was Mikoto wasn't anywhere there. I tried counting the number of Black Mages. The number barely exceeded ten.

"No..." I muttered. "It's like...it's like half of you already..."

"Even No. 36. He came to existence around the same time I did. And he stopped..."

"Oh no..." I muttered again. "Vivi..."

"Oh, Vivi is one of the lucky ones." No. 288 said, a bit of envy in his voice. I jerked my head up. "Yes, he's still alive. And he will be for more years to come, as I suspect it. His knowledge is even more advanced than ours. Yours. Maybe even Lindblum now."

I didn't know why they even knew of Lindblum, but I was in disbelief. I wanted to hug Vivi and tell him I'm happy he hasn't stopped. But what would he say about Kuja...? That's one thing I was afraid of. I didn't want Vivi to go all berserk on Kuja. I nodded.

"I want to see Vivi."

"He's in another dimension, I'm afraid." No. 288 said, earning a confused expression from me and Kuja. "he comes around though, that's why we know what is happening with him. He's one of the most powerful Black Mages we've seen. He ripped a hole to get through to that other dimension. We don't even know how, but he did. Now, he practices that power and visits us. Problem is he cannot stay here too long and he can only go through the portal he set here. Mikoto forced him to take her to that dimension, and she brings good things. She says the place is beautiful and—"

"Wait, where's Mikoto?"

"Mikoto is...sick."

"What...?" I grit my teeth. "I told you to take care of her..!"

"We did. But maybe the travel between dimensions took a toll on her. Zidane, note she doesn't belong in that dimension. It's laws are different. That alone is enough to take a toll on her body." He paused. "I know what you're thinking. And I will answer you. Vivi doesn't belong in this dimension because, for one, he chose to be apart of that other dimension. Second, he does not want to die. Behold the will of such a young boy."

I stayed silent, listening to Kuja get distracted by the chocobo that barely grew. It looked like it was still a baby. I could even hear one Black Mage comment on his hair, saying it didn't match him that much, but he still looked fine.

"Zidane?" I heard a soft squeak from behind. I looked behind No. 288, and lo and behold. It was Vivi.

"Vivi...!"

"Zidane!" Vivi ran up to me, but tripped like he always did. He stood up, adjusted his hat and dusted himself. "Zidane, you're alive! I'm...I'm so happy! I wish I could stay here for a while longer. I wish Rai and Fuu could meet you!"

"What? Who's Rai and Fuu?"

"They're my new friends..." Vivi said shyly. "I'm in a group, but sometimes I stray away from them and walk around the forest. It's a bit scary though, it's near an abandoned mansion. They say there's a ghost girl in there, always staring out the window!"

I laughed. Vivi sounded so excited to tell me everything, and I think he was. Vivi continued telling me everything.

"Zidane! You should see my world...it's just a not-so-small town. It's always twilight there, so when I climb up the tower, I see the sunset. I like buying ice cream and sitting there, and sometimes, a boy who is about your age would swing by and talk to me. We would sometimes buy ice cream and sit on the tower, just because he feels like it. I don't understand him, though." Vivi tilted his head. "He just talks to me about random things, and I told him all about you guys. He says he wants to meet you someday, Zidane."

"What? Why? I'm not special!"

"Well, to me and everyone else, you are. You taught me a lot, and I will never forget that. I taught him all that you've taught me, too. And he thinks you're pretty special." Vivi told me, innocent eyes looking at me with happiness.

"Well...if you put it that way..."

"Oh, Zidane. Your sister! She's sick."

"Yeah...I heard. Don't worry Vivi. It isn't you fault." I bent down. "How long can you stay here, anyway? Just as long as Mikoto can stay in your town?"

"It doesn't matter, actually. The dimension doesn't bring consequences to 'foreign' travelers. In fact, the one who wants to meet you is from another world. This dimension I live in, it's hard to explain. But it's like it's a universe, rather than a world. Our—no, your dimension is more of a world. Mine is a universe of some sort, but that's according to my friend." Vivi paused to breathe a little. "I think Mikoto just got a sickness from that world."

"Oh, well. I'm assuming you can stay here for long periods of time?" I smiled, obviously hoping yes.

"I'm guessing so..."

"That's great!" I felt like jumping for joy. I will admit that Vivi has his own charm. He makes people want to hug him sometimes. I'm not saying I would, though. My mind suddenly shifted to his friend. I wasn't one who would leave something unanswered.

"Hey, you said your friend wanted to meet me...?"

"Yeah. He really wants to. Don't worry. He's not like Rai, Fuu or Seifer. He's really nice and funny, but he has a bit of a sad past." Vivi said, seeming to frown. Ah, Black Mages. You just never know what their facial expression is. Like, ever.

"What's his name?"

"His name? It's Sora." Vivi seemed to smile childishly and sheepishly. "He kills stuff called Heartless. But you don't have to worry about that too, they won't eat you like other birds do. Though, they can be ten times bigger than you, if Sora tells the truth. I think he does."

I seemed to grow soft and wimpy inside. "Uh...it's really safe?"

"Not really. But if we beat Necron and Kuja in Trance, I think we can handle Heartless." Vivi seemed to give another childish and sheepish smile.

"Zidane? Who is—" Kuja cut himself off. "Oh." Vivi looked up and gasped, raising his hands to cast fire magic.

"Zidane! It's Kuja!"

"About that..."

Vivi's flames weakened until it was but an amber on his palm, cackling softly until it died. He tilted his head and stepped away from Kuja. Vivi stood down, and I praised him for it. He hasn't really changed, but, he was sharper now. He knew that if Kuja was with me, he wouldn't have to burn him unless Kuja double crosses me. I highly doubt that.

"Mikoto, little sis..." I said, feeling her forehead. She was sweating and burning hot. She had a strange bottle of translucent, green liquid with leaves at the bottom. Kuja sat on Mikoto's bed, near her legs and I sat on the chair, wetting a towel and wringing it to put it on her burning forehead. "What happened...?"

"It's nothing you should...worry about." She said, smiling a little.

"Oh, you've learned to smile."

"Genomes are, apparently, fast learners. Our blank minds and observant eyes come to our advantage, proving to us to be useful. The presence of the light outside, the one you call a sun. That is daytime, when all are active. When it disappears and turns to the moon, it is called night, when all rest in beds. Yes, we are beginning to understand more of Gaia." She kept up a smile.

"Then you must know what it means to be happy, right?" Kuja asked, holding a bowl of soup. "You know what it's like, right?"

She shook her head. "I have not...fully comprehend that. As far as my observation goes, people smile when they are happy, or they want to show that they are still fine." She paused, as if she went over everything else she learned and tell me about it.

"Are there different kinds of smiles...?" She asked, looking at me and releasing a rough cough.

"Yeah. There are truly happy smiles. There are smiles of acceptance. There are psychopathic smiles. There are sad smiles. Comforting smiles...the list is endless. Point is, a smile has so many kinds because it means so much to one. If someone is crying, you can pat the back of that someone and smile at them. They will end up smiling because smiles are proven contagious." I grinned. "You're learning a lot, little sis, and you're learning fast. Keep it up."

Vivi came in with a bag of something. He seemed to give a sheepish grin. "Sorry I took so long Mikoto...I had trouble finding it. My friend back at home said you're just suffering from a 'flu'...whatever it is. He told me herbal medicines would help you best." He waddled to Mikoto's side and mixed the herbs with water. I question his method.

"Are you really supposed to do that?"

"Well, these leaves are bitter, so maybe it would lessen if we mixed it with water..." He said innocently. "It's easier on Mikoto's part...I'm sorry Mikoto had to get so sick. I don't know what happened to let her get this."

"Vivi...don't worry about it." She smiled. I assumed it was to reassure him, but it didn't really look like it. "It was very worth it. I got to see how humans act...they are really nice. Some are quite...naive. Some are wise. It's a strange world, Vivi. I wish to know more about it, but..."

"No, Mikoto. You might get sick again. Plus, I don't want to risk it. I honestly don't know if it really is safe, but it's going well for me. Mikoto, I'll take you there when I'm sure it's safe for you. You too, Zidane." He turned to me, bag still in his hand. "I'll let you meet Sora when I know it's okay for you to go there. But while I find out, can you please tell everyone else I'm fine, Zidane?"

"...Um...okay." I nodded, watching Vivi mix the medicine and help Mikoto drink it.

Vivi has always been one who gave it his best so he could learn. He's always given it his best and he's been training with his magic. Look at where it's gotten him. He's now living in another dimension that's more technologically advanced than Lindblum, according to No. 288. Mikoto, too. She's learning a lot and fast, she gives it her best shot to learn, I can tell, if she already knows that much. It's only been a week, and to learn how humans act in just that short time is a lot, in my opinion.

I wasn't one to always give it my all, but maybe I should start now.

"That was a bit of an awkward moment, wasn't it, Zidane?" Kuja said, the lightheartedness evident in his tone of voice. He folded his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling while I rested my head on my pillow. I was looking at the sky slowly fly by. The Prima Vista wasn't a ship of speed, after all.

I nodded a little. "Yeah. At least you got to apologize and warm up to them and I got to see Mikoto and Vivi." The sun set in the horizon, making the sky turn light orange. Vivi told me it was always twilight in that town. So it must always look like this in that town. "Hey Kuja? Speaking of smiles earlier...why do you look so sad nowadays? Do you miss going crazy and fighting us again?" I asked, sticking my tongue out at him.

"I don't know." He sighed, ignoring my tease. "I just feel sad..." he gave a sidewards look at me, like he expect me to know what he was talking about.

"Kuja, you expect me to know something I know very well I don't." I sighed heavily, turning my back to him to stare at the sunset. It was almost as if I was trying to show him I was peeved that he was expecting me to. It was more of a joke, really. I get kicks out of acting like so.

I snuggled my pillows and sheets and didn't face Kuja. He sighed behind my back and threw a pillow at me. "Hello? You just met one of your friends. Need I remind you, you have a handful of other friends who don't know you're alive; how long do you intend to keep them anxiously waiting?"

I didn't face him, continuing to snuggle into my pillows and sheets, go under the blanket. I could feel his gaze on me while I stared at the sunset, slowly disappearing in the horizon while stars popped out one by one. I heard him flop to his other side and sigh, mumbling something about me. I didn't know how long I was going to keep them waiting. I don't want to, really. But I feel like I shouldn't yet. I was one who never thought things deeply, but when I found out who I really was, I changed.

Then did it hit me—I wanted things to go back to the way it was, and help me believe I wasn't created for such a reason.

"Mornin', darlin'!" Ruby smiled at me, waving. I gave a tired smile, I was always like this when I'm woken up so suddenly. "Ya okay there? Ya look more tired than a horse back from a nerve-wreckin' rodeo! What's got ya so tired there?"

"I thought you knew I'm always like this when I'm—" I yawned wide. "woken up so suddenly..." I rubbed my eyes. "Besides, I slept late wondering over something."

"Wonderin'? Dear, what ya wonderin' 'bout?"

I fell silent. Ruby was confused but after a few moments, she understood, to my surprise. "Ah, I get ya. If yer wonderin' why I know, we asked 'bout ya when yer friends reached Lindblum. They told us everythin'. Ya had it tough, darlin'."

"I trust then you know my purpose was to kill all of you?"

She nodded. "But that's all in the past! Dear, ya can't live yer life like this, broodin' about something that ain't yer destiny. Yer created with a wrong purpose, but ya can change that, can't ya? I think ya can. And so does yer other friends."

"I just don't find it that simple, I guess. Besides, I know what you're saying. I can change that, I know, but it gets me down, and...I want to stay here because it reminds me of the old times, when I didn't know of what I was yet. That's why I don't want to go back to Alexandria. Or Lindblum...I know I have to, but I..."

"Tsk, tsk! Is this fella here really the Zidane we all knew an' loved? The one I loved in a sisterly way, such a bright ray of sunshine and fun. Yer just a big bag of confuzzle and depression. I don't know why ya bein' like this, darlin'!"

I laughed. "Confuzzle, huh?"

"Here," Ruby cleared her throat, ignoring what I just said. "I'll tell ya a little story. There was a pretty young girl, barely past seven, who met another young girl like herself. They were both shy at first, but it was like fate brought those two together. Their friendship grew stronger and they did everythin' together. They laughed, played and even cried together. It was all fun and games, but one day, there was a horrible accident. The little girl ain't know nothing, so she went her way to the place they usually met up, but the other never showed."

"That little girl ran back to her mommy and cried, sayin' her friend ain't love her no more, but her mommy just gave a sad smile and told her the truth. Her friend was dead from the horrible accident. She knew deep down, and good thing she knew, that she had to move on, like everyone else does. Darlin', you gotta move on, even if it ain't easy! It wasn't your destiny to kill, it was just what brought you here. You can change that, make your life the way you want it." She smiled.

"Heh, thanks, Ruby. I'll try."

"That's better! That's the little fella I loved in a sisterly way!" She grinned, turning to leave. Before she could, I called after her.

"Hey, Ruby? Just wondering...but where did you get that story?"

She paused by the door, waiting for like, two seconds to go by and she turned around. Ruby walked up to me and gave her brightest smile, a little tear visible at the corner of her eye. "Sometimes, darlin', we lost precious friends when we need them most!"

And she left in a hurry.