Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy IX, only this plot.
For a moment, everyone just continued to stare, utterly befuddled, at the tiny child. Meanwhile, the baby, now quite cold and uncomfortable, was becoming more and more distressed. His cries grew louder and little tears began forming at the corners of his eyes. Beatrix was the first to finally snap out of her trance.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, and hurried forward. "First thing, get him off the ground!" she said, concerned. The general quickly bent down and scooped the infant up, wrapping and bundling him in the clothing to keep him warm. She then held him close and rocked back and forth on her feet, all the while making soft cooing noises and stroking his head.
It worked. After only a minute, the baby calmed down and his cries ceased. Once he sensed he was safe, his tail snaked up and wound itself securely around his caregiver's forearm. Now, warmly nestled in Beatrix's arms, his tiny hands clinging tightly to her, the little boy began to take in his surroundings, his big eyes wandering curiously over the area.
Everyone blinked.
"Beatrix," said Freya, "I never knew you were good with children."
The general nodded. "I have younger siblings, and I also would sometimes get to help with Garnet a little when she was young."
Dagger was, at this moment, examining the infant in Beatrix's arms. "Well," she said, "He isn't looking at me indignantly, so the transformation was probably total, right down to his mind. The main question is," she crossed her arms, "is this the effect of the spell or the effect of the spell gone wrong?"
Steiner stepped up, "In any case, we had best hurry and change him back," he said matter-of-factly.
"Awww!" Vivi and Eiko both protested unhappily. "But we want to hold him!" Eiko said indignantly with Vivi fervently nodding beside her. The captain's jaw dropped.
"But that is absurd, Master Vivi…" he began to explain but he was cut off by a laugh from Beatrix.
She then motioned for Eiko to sit down on the ground. The young girl happily obeyed and spread her arms to accept the bundle. Beatrix then knelt down and passed the infant over, showing Eiko the proper way to hold him and how to support his head. As the little boy felt himself being passed from one set of arms to another, his tail unwound itself from around Beatrix's arm and proceeded to spiral itself around Eiko's. Vivi then plunked down excitedly next to his friend and the two of them began to play with the little baby.
Steiner turned to Beatrix and Dagger, who were watching with grins on their faces. "Um, that is still Zidane…Doesn't such behavior seem a little…odd?" he asked uncertainly.
"Oh, it's alright," Dagger giggled. "They've never seen a baby before. Anyway, I'll prepare the Esuna."
"Look!" Vivi said happily. "He grabbed my finger!" Dagger laughed, and began waving her staff. After a moment…
"Esuna!"
PING!
Dagger blinked. The spell had hit, but nothing had happened except the strange sound. She tried again.
"Esuna!"
PING!
Still nothing. Everyone look at the child, confused.
"…Maybe it needs both of us," Eiko suggested. With Beatrix's help, the baby was passed over to Vivi, his tail uncoiling and recoiling his new caregiver's arm. Once again…
"ESUNA!" they both shouted.
P-PING!
Jaws dropped as nothing happened, except that the baby began to look around for the source of the odd noise.
"Um…ok…" Freya said apprehensively. "Let's try the Remedy then." She held up the vial. There was a bit of a pause.
"How do we get him to take it?" Vivi asked. But Eiko already had an idea. She played a few notes on her flute, which called Moguo to her side very quickly. After a quick conversation, the moogle sped off again and just as quickly reappeared with a baby bottle. He handed this to Eiko, who heartily thanked him.
"No problem!" he said, running off again. "Call me anytime!"
Freya proceeded to pour the Remedy into the bottle, and then she knelt down next to Vivi and tried to get the infant to take it. It was obvious he found the taste quite unappealing, but after a minute, he accepted the bottle and downed the medicine. There was a small flash and several tendrils of colored light, which showed that the Remedy was working. However, when it was done and the light faded, there Vivi sat, still holding the tiny baby, tiny tail still wrapped around his arm.
"Great," Amarant grumbled.
"Now what we do?" Quina asked. After a moment, it was Beatrix who answered.
"We try to find another way to change him back," she said. "We'll look in the library, the archives, perhaps even try to find someone who is a scholar of ancient spells or Old Standard. Until we find a cure though," she sighed, "we are going to have to take care of him." This last statement earned her a few incredulous looks, namely from Amarant and Steiner. "What?" she asked, hands on her hips. "Come now, a child that size is helpless and needs a lot of care and attention. Besides, Adelbert," she smiled at her fiancée, "this will be excellent practice for when we are parents ourselves."
The captain blushed at this, then, seeing her point, straightened and nodded. Amarant, however, was not so easily swayed.
"Well, I need no such practice," he responded stubbornly, but then added, "Although I will stick around, just in case, you know, since you are now short one fighter." Everyone hid their smiles at the big man's excuse.
"Thank you, Amarant," Dagger nodded. Turning to everyone else, she said, "Well then, I guess the first thing we are going to need is the proper supplies. I think we still have a crib and blankets, maybe even some toys, somewhere in the palace."
"Leave that to me, Your Highness," Steiner put in. "I believe I remember where such items are stored."
"I'll help you then," Freya added.
"Alright, next we need to go to the market and get things like clothes, diapers…"
"Me'n Vivi can take care of that!" Eiko piped up. Dagger bent down and took the wide-eyed infant from the black mage so that he could stand up. As before, the little boy's tail uncurled from around Vivi's arm and wrapped itself around Dagger's.
"I'll go see what help the monster hunters may need." Amarant stated.
"I know what milk be good for little Zidane!" put in Quina. "I take care of that, no problem!"
"Then I'll go start searching the archives," Beatrix said, and with that, everyone dashed off to complete their appointed tasks.
"W-wait!" Dagger protested, too late. Sighing, she looked down at her new charge, who stared right back at her with those huge blue orbs.
"Well, I guess that just leaves you and me," she said to him, watching as his little hands found her pendant and tried to put it in his mouth.