"You ask many questions." Quan remarked about a month later to the child wearing the pointy hat. In fact, that was all he had been doing since Quan had found him. He learned quite fast, even though, as far as Quan could tell, the child knew absolutely nothing about the world. He had even asked what the sky was! How could someone not know that?
"What’s this?" the child asked, holding up a small knife.
"That is paring knife. You put it down, it could hurt you."
The child quickly dropped it, drawing his hands back to his body. "I-it could?"
"Only if you not careful. Knife sharp, used to cut things."
"Oh…"
Quan had seen human children during his visits to the nearby city of Treno. There were the well-dressed children of nobles, and the much scruffier ones living in the poorer sections. This pointy-hatted boy didn’t look like any child he had seen. And he was beginning to doubt his original theory about amnesia.
He wasn’t sure what to think. His life had been the same as all Qus, their main goal being to learn things by eating. Though it may sound very strange to a non-Qu, it was simply the way they lived. Thinking about things in any other way aside from ‘Is it edible or not’ wasn’t something he was too familiar with.
"What’s this?" the boy asked again, this time pointing to a jar of odd-looking peppers he saw on the shelf.
"Those dead peppers. They very, very rare. Not grow anywhere. I spend lot of gil for them, they only for very special occasion."
"Dead peppers? …What’s dead mean?"
"Hmm? Dead mean not alive. We alive now."
The child looked confused for a moment, but just shrugged.
It’s still so hard to understand things… But Quan is very nice. I’m glad he was the first person I met.
"You say you no have name…" Quan began. "You know anything though? About who you are?"
The child concentrated for a few moments. "Um.... B-black mage…?"
That just popped into my mind… Is that what I am? …How do I know it though?
"Um, yeah. Black Mage." He nodded, though unsure himself.
"You Black Mage?" Quan said as if he’d heard it before. "I read in book, Black Mages people who use black magic. But there not many, they disappear long time ago in war."
This sounds interesting…
"I’m a Black Mage, though."
I guess I am, anyway… Somehow I just know that… Why? Did someone tell me?
"Yes, that also strange."
"Do you know more about Black Mages?" the child asked.
Maybe it’ll help me understand some things…
"Some. I read about it once. There was war between people who no can use magic, and people who could. People who could were mages. Many types of mages, use different magic. Some mages were bad, and used magic to harm. They called Black Mages, because of black magic they use. They get too much power, want to rule Gaia. There was war, and bad mages lost. Not sure what happened, but because they lost, then there always very few Black Mages. I never see one until I meet you. I thought they look different, though…"
The child seemed a little upset by this story, and was looking down at his clasped hands.
"Black Mages are bad?" he asked quietly.
"What? No, not all. Book say there good mages too."
"You said they hurt people…"
"Not all. You not bad."
"What’s a war?"
"War is where many people fight, many die. Is very bad. There no wars now, world peaceful. Everyone happy."
"That’s good… What’s magic?"
"Magic very special. Is power some can use. Can be used to hurt or heal. Many different kinds of magic."
"C-can you use magic?"
"I know few spells. My tribe learn much by eating. I know lot of things."
If I’m a Black Mage… Does that mean I can use magic? But he said it hurts people… I don’t wanna hurt anyone…
"Um, do you think I-I can use m-magic?"
"You Black Mage, so probably can. They very powerful with magic."
"D-didn’t you say it hurts people?" he asked worriedly.
"It can, but only if use on people. Magic used to fight, and defend self. If you attacked by Mist monster, you use magic, scare it away."
"Oh…" he said. That sounded okay. The young mage had only seen one monster. Quan had taken him outside of the cave where he lived to the nearby forest. He had been overwhelmed with all the things he had seen, and Quan had barely been able to keep up with his questions. Then some sort of thing had appeared from no where. Some huge thing with many legs.
It was scary… But Quan made it go away. It’s a really good thing I met him first…
(Author's Note: As for my little story about the war, that was just something I thought up… I think a weapon had a description that said something about a war against mages, or at least fighting them. And one thing that always got me was that Zidane and the other chars knew what a Black Mage was, apparently before meeting Vivi, so I figured there must be ‘natural’ Black Mages too… Just a lil' theory. =)
Several more months passed. The Black Mage child learned quite a bit from Quan. Eventually he found himself thinking less about his lack of a memory, and tried to focus more on learning about Gaia.
Quan found what he thought was a good name for the Black Mage, ‘Vivi’. He said he had heard or read it somewhere, and the child thought it was a good name, too. So then he was called Vivi.
Quan considered Vivi to be a very likable person. He was much different from the rude children in Treno. He was very polite, if a bit on the shy side. He didn’t even mind the near constant questions that much…
Vivi had started calling Quan ‘Grandpa’. Quan didn’t quite get why Vivi started calling him that. Vivi had said since he didn’t have parents, that he kind of considered Quan like a parent, because he was taking care of him. He chose to call him Grandpa rather than Father, though. He said he liked it better. Quan didn’t mind.
That day, Vivi noted that Quan was in a rather bad mood. This worried him, because nothing seemed to upset his Grandpa, expect maybe if his food got burned when he cooked it…
Quan had gone to Treno the day before, he had said to meet up with someone important. Vivi hadn’t bothered asking whom, and just nodded. He had to stay at the cave; Quan said Vivi was too young to go to Treno, and it could be dangerous. Not that he knew how old Vivi was. He said that since Vivi didn’t remember anything from before Quan found him, maybe they should just start at zero.
I might as well have just been born a few months ago… I wonder if I was…
When Quan had come back, a little late, he was obviously upset. Vivi had tried asking, but Quan only mentioned something about some ‘stupid fool who no can think past food!’.
I don’t think Grandpa wanted to talk about it… I hope whatever happened wasn’t too bad…
Vivi wanted to ask, but also didn’t want to upset him. Luckily, Quan explained without being asked.
"I just have argument with someone I know. I used teach him, but no more. He never good student, now I see that better. Vivi good student. I teach Vivi now."
"O-oh." He said, a bit more confused by the vague explanation. By then, though, the little mage was getting used to the way his Grandpa thought and spoke. Almost, anyway…
"Vivi teach me, too." Quan added after a moment.
What does he mean by that?
"I see maybe things important other than food, but learn anyway. Is strange, but make sense. But he not understand, and no want to. He lost cause."
Who’s ‘he’?
"It not matter now."
"Okay…"
Time passed. Vivi’s knowledge grew, though he didn’t seem to grow in body much at all.
"Maybe you not eat right things." Quan had commented near Vivi’s second birthday. (Or at least the same day Quan had found him two years before.) "But you just child, maybe you grow more later."
Vivi didn’t consider his life with Quan boring. (Even though to others, it may have seemed that way.) He had never really lived any way else, so it seemed normal to him. Besides, Quan was always finding new things to teach him about.
There’s a lot to know… I wonder why Quan thinks it’s so strange I don’t know these things? He said ‘everyone know that!’ but that can’t be true, because I didn’t…
"Grandpa, can I ever go with you to Treno?" Vivi asked for what was probably the hundredth time, or that’s what Quan felt like it was. "I’ll be careful."
"Vivi still too young. Treno not good place for child, you wait."
"Okay…" he never argued with him. After all, Quan obviously knew more than he did, so he was probably right. Still, he wouldn’t mind going to explore a little…
Maybe I can meet other people like me… Are there others like me though…?
Of course he had met other people. Some people from Treno occasionally visited who Quan knew. Vivi was surprised how different they all looked. Quan said that some of them were humans.
Am I a human, too? Grandpa says I am… But why do they look so different…?
Quan told Vivi he shouldn’t worry about it. So Vivi didn’t. After all, his Grandpa was always right about things.
Until one day, a few months before his fourth birthday, Vivi had never been really frightened by anything. There was a memory of being confused and scared of something, but it was vague.
Vivi was in the large cavern leading to the small room holding all of Quan’s things. He was on the stone path above a steaming pool of mud, kneeling as he looked over the edge.
I wonder what that is?
He had seen something down at the bottom level of the cavern. Something sparkly down by a rock, but he was having a hard time trying to see it again.
I’ll go down and see what it is…
Vivi stood back up, and started to turn towards the rope leading down.
He wasn’t sure what happening next. As he turned, one of his feet slipped or maybe the edge of the path gave way. All he knew that was he suddenly found himself tilting precariously over the edge of the stone path. He gyrated his arms wildly, trying to grab onto something, but there wasn’t anything.
He briefly thought that the ground never looked so far down before…
Then he fell.
I’mfallingI’mfallingI’mgonnagethurt!
"Aaaaahhh!!!"
Instead of falling straight down into the mud, he hit a smaller ledge below the one he fell from, then tumbled from that one to the left onto cave floor next to the mud pool.
"Vivi?" Quan ran from the smaller cave when he heard the scream. He didn’t see Vivi. "Vivi? Where you go?"
The mage lay stunned on the ground from the fall.
Everything hurts…
He heard a thump nearby as Quan jumped the last few feet from the rope.
Is it supposed to hurt like this? I don’t like this…
"Vivi, what happen?!" Quan exclaimed, running over. "Vivi okay??"
…I still feel scared…
Quan helped Vivi up, asking what had happened. Vivi didn’t say anything at first.
Why is there water in my eyes…?
Confused, Vivi raised one gloved hand to wipe away the tears forming in his glowing eyes.
What is this?
"You crying?" Quan asked worriedly. "You okay?"
Crying…?
The young mage started sobbing.
"Vivi not okay? You get hurt?"
I can’t stop crying…
Vivi just stood there, tears running down his black face. Then suddenly he grabbed onto the front of Quan’s shirt, crying louder. A bit unsure what to do, Quan put one arm around the sobbing child.
"Vivi, what happen?"
"I-I-I dunno…" he managed to say, sniffling. "I-I was l-lookin down, and s-something happened a-and then I f-fell and I was s-scared and it hurt and…" He continued crying.
"Is okay now, Vivi!" Quan tried to assure him. "You not get hurt bad, is okay! Vivi not need to cry!"
Gradually his sobs grew quieter, and he rubbed the tears from his face. "I was so scared… It was so high up…"
"Vivi okay now!" Quan repeated. "Vivi no need be scared. You safe."
"O-okay Grandpa…" he said, sniffling a little.
"Nothing hurt?"
"It doesn’t hurt much anymore…"
"That good. We go back up now."
When they got back up to the ledges, Vivi cautiously walked over to the one he had fallen from. He reeled back a bit as a feeling of vertigo rushed over him. He hurried back over to Quan.
I don’t like heights anymore…
End part 2...
Thank you to the people who responded to part 1... I'm enjoying writing this actually. ^_^ It's not easy, but challenges are good....