Filling In The Blanks

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 9 or any of its characters.

Chapter 44: Who Are You?

Vivi stood and straightened his eyes wide and scared. He thought about turning back to tell somebody but then stopped. He had always wondered where he had come from, and why the other black mages were so unresponsive, when he was perfectly functional. He tilted his head, narrowing his shining eyes.

This might be the only chance he had to answer his questions. The others might not understand, and who knows… maybe he could get in undetected…

He began walking closer to the village then, hearing low rumbles of chatter from far off, and smelling mouth watering food sizzling over fires. There were buildings – some new, and some very old scattered around a centralized area. He could already tell there was a variety of stands, with mages much like himself selling things.

They all seemed to sound almost the same as Vivi, just with a bit of a different tone of voice, and definitely all looked the same. Each wore a pointy hat and gloves, with a dark almost non-existent face (they were such odd creatures, now that Vivi saw other well functioning ones besides himself), and shining eyes. Though a few of them had different colored eyes, unlike the shimmering gold that Vivi and many others had.

The closer he got, the more and more people looked up, their eyes widening. Eventually, a quiet alarm (yet loud enough for the whole village to hear) went off, signaling to everybody present that there was someone knew in their area. Each of them came out, staffs ready incase they needed to protect.

Vivi began to cry then. He didn't mean any harm – he was simply curious, and now he wasn't sure how to deal with things. He'd never been the leader in a situation before, and was confused as to what to do. "Zidane…" He cried out, yearning for the blonde who always protected him, even when they were in the fake Alexandria.

"Halt!" Somebody cried out, and immediately everybody lowered their weapons. The alarm silenced soon after that. Vivi glanced up to see a huge mage – much bigger than the rest, with a long staff, a crystal incrusted in the top. His eyes glowed with great wisdom, and he stood proudly, with sheer confidence.

The wind seemed to blow in an effort to start some sort of activity. It seemed everything – including the one who had directed the command – had stopped, awaiting for something more to happen.

"Lower you're weapons to the ground… He does not mean any harm…" How had he been able to tell without talking to Vivi? He glanced down at himself though, and saw the pitiful shape he was in, and guessed it wasn't hard to tell… they were probably just defending themselves.

He tromped over to where Vivi was – cautiously, yet in a non-hostile way.

"Who are you, little one?"

"My name is Vivi…" He whispered with a cry.

A few of them gasped, and a murmur rose and fell in the crowd. "Hush!" He commanded, and everyone snapped their mouths shut. "How did you find us?"

"I…" He wondered if he should speak of their camp, but then realized that he couldn't lie to these mages. "There is a camp not too far away from here… I come from there, with humans, Bermecians, and other types of creatures… I followed another mage here…" He shook his head pitifully, "I've never seen another of my kind who can move and think freely for himself."

Almost every single one of the mages understood who Vivi was without him even realizing it. The one who had spoken to him immediately softened. "You have nothing to fear, Vivi… You are among friends…"

For some reason, this made him feel a ton more relaxed.

"Now come," He extended a hand to the littler mage, "And tell us a story…"

He nodded slowly and followed, watching as the group of mages all parted. Apparently, the one who he tailed held much authority and respect. The mages caved in once again as soon as Vivi passed, and began to follow, as though in an orderly line. They were curious as well…

"Tell us, as we are all anxious to know, how did you stumble upon the Outer Continent?"

Vivi had to decipher many things in his mind, before he could decide how to answer. He contemplated a lie, but also the truth, and eventually, the question spurted out without him realizing it, "Are you a follower if Kuja?"

Everybody stopped and turned towards him, and Vivi shrunk with embarrassment and fear. The tallest mage was the only one unphased as he threw his head back and laughed, "Little one, we have escaped many years of torment by Kuja… we are, of course, against him…"

Again, he let out a little puff of breath, relieved. He didn't want such a kind creature to follow such a horrible being. "Alright…" He tried to remember all of the steps to the story, "Could I start from the beginning?"

"Why yes of course!"

So Vivi recalled his days in a fuzzy Alexandria. Soon they stopped moving altogether, and everybody was invited to sit in the grass around this strange, young mage to hear his story. He told of sun and bright grass, with hopes and trade, and relationships that didn't falter with false trust or true alliances. And suddenly, his story broke into something more tragic. He retold him waking up and finding Zidane, and how they fled Alexandria with a strange group of people.

He was introduced to a place called Dali, and some mages nodded, as though they'd been there before. Vivi told of the hideout, and how Zidane and him were invited to join the resistance.

"Resistance?" Someone gasped, "You mean there are more like us?"

Vivi nodded, hope shining in his eyes, "We're going to try and stop Kuja, and the torture he places on the world." Things suddenly went silent, and he felt self-conscious again.

"That is a very big dream…" the head mage nodded, "But I respect it deeply… I only hope you succeed… Please continue with your story, as I am mainly interested in the details that lead you here…"

"We were found out, because Zidane went back to look for his friends. Nobody but us understands how confusing it is, to go about being real, when you thought your other world was real… You don't know if the people there are real or fake, and you don't know truly who your friends were or not…" He glanced up at the sky, remembering the horrible condition he last saw Zidane in, "I don't blame him at all for what he did, for if I had friends, I would have done the same."

"It was brave of him… And noble of you to be the first to stand behind him…" Vivi nodded in agreement.

"So once we were attacked, we fled to two hidden airships the resistance obtained." He left Cid out of the story, just incase… This was information that wasn't difficult to find out, even if you were quarantined from the rest of the world.

"And we eventually landed here… Made it to Conde Petie and pushed pass their guard… We've set up a camp not far off…"

"I see…" He sat thoughtfully for a while, before staring up at Vivi in wonder, "It is an honor to meet you, Dreamer Vivi…" If he could, Vivi definitely would have blushed, and shied away by pulling his had down to try and cover his face.

The mage stood and bowed down, all of the others mirroring his movements. Suddenly, Vivi was the tallest of the mages in the village, in contrast to being the smallest one, and smiled shakily. "Do you really feel so strongly?"

"Let me tell you a story now, little one…" He nodded all knowingly, inviting Vivi to sit with them.

Everyone but he knew the story, and now they were ready to relay it back to him. "This village has been around for centuries…" He nodded slowly, "But we do not all come from the same spot…" He slowly shook his head, almost sadly. "The black mage population was a very delicate, and rare race… Nobody, not even we ourselves, know where the first mage came from, but now we are here, and that is that… But others were manufactured for this God forsaken war… The plague of Dreamer Catching was probably when you were very young, therefore you probably do not remember much of it, if I'm correct?"

"The only thing I can remember about the past, was that my Grandpa would take care of me at a secret hot spring by Treno…" The mage nodded, understanding.

"We were there since the very beginning…" He sighed and turned away, motion towards them, "You see no difference between us, and yet, we are so different in many ways… The moment Kuja began to gain power, was the moment he started manufacturing black mages, to copy this sacred race that not many had even seen before… And now we are a symbol of war and hatred, spread across the continents…" He turned back towards Vivi, "and let you stand as a symbol of hope…" He added solemnly.

"So we stay here, in our Black Mage Village, as our natural ancestors did before us, hidden from the rest of the world through illusive magic. Though the very strongest of people can break through it, if not allowed entry by the black mages… You, being a black mage, gained entry immediately, because this wood cannot tell the difference between you or me, whether we have met or not.

"Though sometimes… Soulless mages under Kuja's mind controlling command 'wake up'. It is a strange thing…" He threw a hand out to gesture to the crowd in front of him, "Suddenly, their eyes carry emotion, and heart, and they can remember things, protect things, and feel a variety of things… Many who just wake up have much to learn about the world, but can catch on quickly… Somehow, they are always drawn here, no matter the means to get here… Many have passed through Fossil Roo, a very dangerous place, simply to get here."

"Wow…" Vivi breathed, "I didn't think any of those mages could ever be able to have free will…" He shook his head, "I can't believe it… You mean they could be saved?"

The taller shook his head, "Not by us, they cannot be… We cannot talk to them, and try to force them into believing – they must find it on their own, and must fight to break free…"

Vivi glanced at all of his brethren. He had always wondered why he was the only walking, talking normal mage. It was because most of the others hid out of fear, until they could finally make it to a village that they would be accepted.

"What's your name?" Vivi finally asked, staring with awe at the wise mage.

"My name is Kamen…" He nodded, "And as you stay here longer, you will quickly learn the names of others as well…"

"Stay?" Vivi parroted with wonder.

He nodded again, "You may, if you wish… Of course we do not have a rule about leaving, but once most find us, they want to stay… But under a circumstance such as yours, I am curious as to what you'll choose to do…"

"I wouldn't want to leave…" He glanced around, seeing so many like him – with the same pain and worry in their eyes as to what will and could happen to their kind. "But, I couldn't stay either… My friends are fighting for a cause that I am so much a part of as well… I have to find my Grandpa, if he is still alive, and I couldn't abandon those who have helped me so much…"

Kamen nodded, "Well, I invite all of your friends to this village, though I do not suggest staying here… Though the woods is harmless, I would much rather keep separated too many of strange kinds, to those who are still weary of being here…"

Vivi yanked on his hat, and stood straighter with glee, "I understand… But I would love for you to meet them! We have Princess Dagger –"

'"Princess?" He gasped.

Vivi nodded, blushing because he forgot that many don't know about the princess being alive, "Garnet til Alexandros XVII is alive and well… She's the resistance leader, along with Cid Fabool IX, and knights Beatrix Sterling and Adelbert Steiner. We also have the disguised Tantalus Theatre group, and the second escaped dreamer, Zidane…"

Kamen gaped at the younger mage. "I cannot believe these words… Please, I must meet with them… This sounds like a great power!"

Vivi knew that he had just entrusted a lot of information within the black mages… But seeing their faces, and feeling their emotions from the very aura they gave off, he knew he could trust them. There wasn't anyone better to hold the secret than this village.

"I'll see what I can do…" He nodded, determined.

The joy in Kamen's voice was evident as he stood, inviting Vivi to take a tour around the village, and get to know some other mages, after a long awaited arrival.

?

Dear Dagger,

She kicked at the dirt, not really knowing where she was about to go.

I guess… I guess if you received this, you know what happened…

She moved away from the forest – away from the hideout, and away from her problems. The night was cool, and she had no problem bundling in her clothing to walk. She folded her arms across her chest, instead of clasping them behind her back as she normally did.

Let me start off by saying I'm sorry…

She closed her eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath as the wind picked up, rustling the leaves. It was a strange, shimmering sound, beginning in front of her and ending behind her. It was relaxing in a way.

I guess I'm not really sure what to say… I've never been very good at good-byes. Heh, as you might be able to tell, I normally just disappear instead of making them… Though, the one good one I've had was with you…

Soon though, she opened her eyes and began meandering around aimlessly again. All she knew was that she wanted open land, instead of the constant headache of trees she saw. She missed the grass and large pools of water, not to mention the cool nights and rain. Ohh how she missed the rain…

I guess though, I wasn't planning on that being a good-bye… I really didn't plan for this to happen Dagger, but I wanted to do this… I needed to. Trust me, Blank wouldn't have let me if it would have been his choice…

Eventually, the trees began to thin, though her mind was in a completely different place. Blinking lazily, she glanced around when she finally broke into the barren lands and sighed, her expectations far beyond what she saw.

The time I've known everybody – you – has been amazing. I may not remember much about my life before I was taken, but… I do know, that I would never regret it, because it lead me to you. I don't think, if I would have stayed with Tantalus, we would have met in quite the same way.

Her breath puffed out of her, and she began walking with purpose.

And that would be a shame, wouldn't it?

Her legs ached as she climbed the hill, it being much steeper than the last time she had emerged on top of it. But she was slowly beginning to see things from a much higher point of view, and she was delighted when she eventually reached the top.

I guess I don't really have much to say. I don't regret any of it, not even dying for the purpose of protecting everybody, and most importantly… you… I'm sorry it's not long, but what can I say? I hate writing like I'm narrating my own obituary.

Dagger sighed and sat down, chocolate eyes scanning the area. Her fingers dug into the dirt, uprooting a little grass, as her long legs stretched out in front of her. What was she doing out here by herself? Evaluating? What exactly?

Her head drooped in front of her, and she let her face drop into her hands.

I'm really glad I got the pleasure of meeting you, and I know that no matter what happened to me, or what happens to others, you're going to pull Alexandria out of its ashes as a flower…

"Why am I not with Zidane?" She questioned out loud, though to nobody but herself.

You're stronger than you think you are, and I think a lot of other people know that as well…

"Why am I not there, trying to fight this battle with him?" She yelled then, knowing she had the peace to do whatever she wanted.

You're going to make a good queen…

"I hate this…" Tears pricked at her eyes, but she promised herself she wouldn't cry anymore.

I think I've decided something while through this whole big mess…

"Why can't everything just go back to the way it was?" She stared out into the night sky, twinkling as though taunting her miserable state. "Why couldn't Kuja be gone! Why couldn't he be dead!" She more pleaded than questioned, "I wish I could go back to before the war… Hell! I wish I could go back to Dali! With Zidane alive and well, and before stupid Bronson had to go purposely starting trouble, and before everybody was so stressed they couldn't function…"

I love you, Dagger… Not a decision maker, not a princess nor a queen, not a leader, or somebody that I need to rely on to do everything for me… You're just a girl – just Dagger…

"Why?" She asked one more time, her voice pitiful as she laid back in the patch of grass.

The whole war was taking a toll on everybody, and she knew it needed to end soon. They either needed to win, overpowering Kuja and reclaiming the kingdom all for nothing, or they needed to lose and be executed, the world's hope gone with it…

But first and foremost, Zidane needed to heal. And she needed to be by his side. So she knew that he loved her… And she made it clear to herself (and their best friend) that she loved him… Instead of moping in the grass, she should be there with him, helping him fight of fever, infection, and pain.

Smiling a little and springing up, she glanced around one more time, at the suddenly serene environment, before taking off at a sprint, quick enough that one wrong movement could send her sprawling down the hill.

Through the trees she burst, easily picking the one that lead underground. Stealthily, she made her way past slumbering resistance members, careful not to creak the floorboards too much as she moved passed.

And down the hall a little ways, to the infirmiry that was only occupied by one, she pushed open the makeshift door.

He was laying there unmoving, with Freya leaning against the wall in the corner. When she moved in, the Bermecian made no movement to acknowledge her presence. Dagger wondered briefly if Freya could sleep like that, but shook the thought out of her mind as she sat next to Zidane.

Gingerly, she picked up his hand and studied his body. It seemed to be healing a little, but nothing comparable to the amount of damage he took. It might take a long time for him to get over it, and she needed to be right there next to him the whole time…

"Hey Zidane…" She murmured to the blonde, her voice motherly and gentle. There was hardly a shift in the room as she leaned forward, checking on his temperature. It was still fiery, but nothing compared to what she'd felt on his forehead earlier. His body was probably exhausted from the constant maneuver of spells to get his fever down.

A few moments later, she glanced back to make sure she hadn't woken Freya to find the girl had vanished from the room. Raven hair bobbed every time she shook her head. Befuddled, the princess turned her attention back towards the thief, and leaned forward towards him.

"I bet talking to you really helps…" She breathed, hoping her breath might send a cooling sensation over him – at least a little bit.

"Blank told me a little bit of what happened…" The teenager was quiet for a moment, before she continued, "And I really hope that you're okay… Not physically, obviously…" she laughed at how silly she sounded at the moment, "But of course, mentally… Kuja spoke of Elouise…" Dagger was unsure how to continue for a few moments. Of course she had heard of the girl, but not how she acted or what she looked like… It was almost… awkward speaking of the girl who Zidane held so dear to him, but she had no idea about.

"If she was a good friend of yours…" She smiled slightly, tilting her head and pushing stray hairs behind her ear, "I would love to meet her… If you were her friend, she must be a good person…" A slow nod bobbed her head, before she lifted her shoulders into a shrug, "I wish… I wish I knew a little more about her…"

A haze settled over the two of them as she sat, rubbing her thumb over the smooth skin of his hand. Chocolate orbs scanned his bare body, stripped right down to his shorts. She blushed, feeling almost guilty that she was seeing Zidane in such an attractive way when he was torn to bits.

"I read your letter…" He voice lowered to a whisper, though she wasn't exactly sure why. "I love you too…" She murmured in his ear, before lightly pressing her lips to his cheek.

She sat back up and glanced around, before her had snapped back to the blonde. There was the faintest squeeze of her hand, and she stared down at it in shock. "Zidane?" She questioned, her voice alert and no longer in a dreamy state.

But there was nothing, and she bent forward again, brushing the matted hair out of his eyes, "Zidane…" She blew breath in his face, and kissed the corner of his mouth, waiting to see if there would be another reaction. An even fainter squeeze this time, but this sent a smile soaring to her lips. "You're going to be fine… You're going to wake up soon, and I'm going to be right here to see you when you do…"

She laid her head on the side of the bed, over her folded arms, though she still held tightly to his hand. Her eyelids fluttered shut, and now that the turmoil inside of her was gone, drowsiness overtook her, and she fell into a comfortable slumber.

?

"A village of black mages?" Cid shook his head, baffled. "I've never heard of such a thing in all of my years…" a thoughtful look passed over his features, before he laughed, "Why yes of course! I'd love to meet them!" He grinned goofily, "Vivi! Thank you for finding this discovery out! This is so… helpful to our situation!" A certain amount of glee had him almost skipping about the room the next morning.

Vivi had spent the night in the camp with the black mages, getting to know them, and familiarizing himself with certain buildings there. One thing he was itching to check out (but knew he had much too much new information fed to him already) was the library, hoping to search their history books. If even Cid hadn't heard of such a thing, their history must have been pretty private.

He had learned that this select group of humans would be the first ever to set foot inside of the village. Kamen told of how important it was to have a trusting alliance, simply because of the circumstances in which the world was at right now.

Vivi let on a grin as he watched Cid waltz around the room. Hopefully, he would pick good people to go, so that a bad first impression wasn't set over them. But there was something the black mage wanted to request, but he was scared.

Beatrix, sitting quietly in the corner to listen to the conversation, could sense this, and stared at the black mage, wondering if he would make his question known. Eventually, she leaned forward, catching his eye as Cid preoccupied himself with humming, and nodded to Vivi, telling him he should ask.

"Sir Cid… Sir?"

"Yes, Master Vivi!"

"I Uh…" He pulled down his hat, becoming tongue tied with shyness, "Even if he doesn't make it there the first time, I'd like Zidane to be one of the few you pick to come with to the village…"

Cid blinked in surprise, even though in his mind, he wasn't really all that shocked. He could tell that the two dreamers shared a special bond that wouldn't be broken by a month apart. He let on a tender smile, "Of course he can…" He nodded.

Vivi smiled and looked up at the man with admiring eyes, "Thank you…"

"You're welcome, Vivi…" He placed a hand on the mage's shoulder, before dancing out of the room. "I look forward to this visit! We'll leave in an hour!"

Vivi glanced at Beatrix, who gave and wink and stood as well, "I should probably get ready…" She gestured to herself, showing that she was still in her sleeping shirt, the only armor she sported was her armored pants and combat boots. "I'll see you soon, Vivi…"

"Okay!" He watched her go, and decided he wanted to tell Zidane about the village, even if he'd have to repeat the story again once the boy was actually conscious. Believe it or not, it was first Vivi who had talked to the boy in his slight coma, and now, he had quite a few people doing the same thing.

Walking out into the hall, he glanced around, and continued down the pathway to the infirmary. He was excited to have his friends meet someone else of his own kind… Not just one – but dozens of black mages waltzed around that village! Ecstatic and positive feelings began to bubble within him, and he let out a small, chipper laugh just to test it out.

It seemed some things could still make people happy, and that's what he would focus on all for now…

?

A/N: Wow! That was surprisingly hard to write… I hope you enjoyed it! Vivi and his black mage friends, and a little thrown in Dagger/Zidane fluff! Yay! Hopefully, he'll be waking up soon… It's boring without the main character, right? ;)

Leave me some love!

-zesty-