CHAPTER ONE

Eiko woke up with a start. She seemed to do that recently; wake up so violently in the dregs of the morning. Of course, considering the dreams she’d been having, it was a bit obvious why the disturbed sleep pattern and all.

Have you ever had a dream from memory? she’d asked Morrison one day. He agreed, and it made Eiko feel a bit better…but it didn’t stop things. She’d been having dreams about the day Garland and Kuja showed up and sacked Madain Sari. Her grandpa and parents falling under that laser-thingy from the Invincible. Eiko being stolen away in a safe place to wait until the monsters disappeared. It was painful, but real. Eiko wished she could convince herself that it was all a lie, but she always said never lie to yourself. Never.

She got up and headed outside. Madain Sari greeted the young summoner, it’s red rocks jutting out in all directions. Her moogle friends flew around everywhere, tending to this or that order of the day. Eiko was officially adopted by Regent Cid of Lindblum after she and everyone returned from defeating Necron, but she decided to come back to Madain Sari for a while and try to make the place more presentable. Besides, who was gonna look after the Eidolon Wall?

Cid let Eiko go on one condition. Take some Lindblum soldiers with her in case something bad happened. Eiko had no idea what that meant; Kuja and his big ugly boss were gone. But she agreed to her "father’s" demands. She’d let Cid know when to come get her by Mognet, and that would be that.

Outside it was looking like rain. The sky was overcast a bit, and that certain smell had come over the air. Eiko liked rain..just not when she had things to do.

She came over to the square in the middle of the ruined city. Mocha and Chimomo greeted her.

"Kupo!" Chimomo exclaimed. "Eiko you’re up! About time, kupoppo.."

"Shut it," the little summoner replied. "I had another bad dream."

She looked around for a moment. "Hey where are all the soldiers? They’re supposed to be looking after me, but I don’t see a one of em."

Mocha’s pompom flitted about, drawing Eiko’s attention. "they went to Conde Petie to find some food, kupo. We told them it would be okay, we’d be alright without them for a while. Is that okay? Ku.."

"Yeah," Eiko responded. "Hey guys, sorry to be so grumpy, but those dreams are bothering me. I wish I knew why I’m having em…"

"Anxiety!" Chimomo yelped.

Eiko looked at her moogle friend, confused. "Whassat?"

Chimomo looked at the ground for a moment, then back up at Eiko, face full of chagrin. "Um, I dunno. I saw it in a book, kupo. It looked good…sorry, kuku…"

"S’okay, Chimomo. Um, I’m gonna go to the Eidolon Wall for a while But I don’t wanna be bothered unless it’s mega-important, okay?"

Eiko skipped off to the Wall. The moogles exchanged concerned looks.

"Kupo…" Mocha sighed. "Lady Eiko’s been acting real strange, huh? Those dreams must be bothering her a lot, huh?"

Chimomo nodded. "Ku, yeah. I think it’s something for her to figure out though, kupo. We have plenty to do anyway. Time to go fishing! We were supposed to do it before Lady Eiko woke up, kupo!"

The Eidolon Wall seemed to come alive whenever Eiko walked into the stone circle encasing it. She liked this place best out of all of Gaia. Of course she did; this was home! But…

What good is home if there’s no one else to share it with?

Eiko tried to justify herself many times. She always told herself it was okay to be the last of her tribe…besides Dagger. But something made her feel..fear? Yeah, fear. Eiko wasn’t even that old but she knew what it meant not to have anyone left to carry on for you…your memories.

Zidane said memories went on through everyone…but…no one seemed to remember what Eiko did. No one but Dagger, but…she was a queen now..queen of Alexandria. How could the summoner tribe carry itself on in the queen of another kingdom?

Eiko wished she could go and see Dagger, but she had things to do. They both did.

She lay on the cold stone ground and stared at the mammoth images of her tribe’s charges- the Eidolons. Bahamut, Atomos, Carbunkle, Fenrir, and all of them. These guys made Eiko feel safe. This place did, like no other place on Gaia. She wished she could take the Wall with her to Lindblum, but…naw. Stupid! That sounded really stupid.

She heard a "kupo" from behind her.

"Yeah, Momatose?" Eiko said without even turning around.

Small footsteps. Momatose edged her way into the stone circle and stopped right behind Eiko’s tiny frame.

"Uh…kupo..sorry to bother you, Eiko, ku..but, Morrison sent me. He says there’s something coming into the city you should see, kupo."

Eiko rose swiftly and faced her moogle companion.

"S’okay, Momatose, I’m not gonna yell at you. Is Morrison at the front gate still?"

The moogle nodded.

"Kay! Come with me. I hope this isn’t something stupid like a weak monster or whatever."

At the gate to Madain Sari, Morrison was staring. He just stood and…looked. Eiko approached soundlessly, and the moogle jumped when she shouted…

"Sup Morrison!"

"AH! Kupo! Eiko, don’t scare me like that!"

The tiny summoner put hands on hips and snarled. "Sure. But why did ya send Momatose to get me? What’s so important?’

Morrison hopped up an down and pointed out of town. "T-that, kupo. I was taking inventory of my potions and I looked up and saw that. Look! It’s all blurry, and yellow and blue and…"

"…A chocobo," Eiko finished for him. "It’s a chocobo, dummy! I forgot you guys’ve never seen one before. And somebody’s riding it. Duh, Morrison."

The moogle sat on the ground and pouted. "Duh? Kuka…I dunno what that means…"

"Never mind that," Eiko replied. "I wonder who that is?"

The trio simply stood and stared for the longest time as the chocobo approached. After some time it’s rider began to wave slowly. Eiko stared more intently then, her eyes squinting so hard they felt as though they’d pop out of the sockets.

"..Ei---ko!"

The summoner girl’s eyes brightened. She began to walk out of Madain Sari, then jog, then run. It wasn’t…How? But….

"VIVI!!!" she exclaimed as she got closer. Eiko ran faster…faster..

Smack! Right into Janet’s chest.

Vivi dismounted and knelt to help his friend back up, patting Janet to comfort her.

"Oh, I’m sorry Eiko! I-I wasn’t watching where I wa-where Janet was going."

Eiko sat up from her makeshift bed on the soil and grinned. "Hi Vivi!"

The black mage stared at her for a moment. "Y-you aren’t hurt?"

"Well my head kinda stings, but I don’t care. Why are ya here?"

Vivi grasped Janet’s bridle and held out a hand for Eiko. "Um, I think it would be better to tell you inside? I might need some..help."

Vivi nearly fell out of his chair. Eiko’s yelp was out of fear more than anything, and she grabbed for her mouth after the question escaped. She was concerned for Vivi’s feelings, but it didn’t affect him much. He was used to being misunderstood.

"T-that’s right," he said. "I wanna find a way to make more black mages…like me. Will you, uh…help me?"

Eiko cocked her head. "Okay, Vivi. I know why you’d wanna do this, but think about it for a minute, kay? Who made the other mages? The ones that tried to fry us?"

"K-Kuja," Vivi answered hesitantly.

The tiny summoner nodded. "Yeah! And ya remember how Kuja did that? The mist from the Iifa Tree."

"B-but," vivi began.

"But nothing!" Eiko retorted. "Think, Vivi! Without any mist ya can’t have any more black mages. And I dunno about you, but I really don’t wannna bring back any mist. Not after what we had to go through before."

Vivi stared at his hands, clasped together in his lap. "But, E-Eiko…I wanna try. If there’s a way, I wanna try it. Um…wouldn’t you wanna bring back some of your summoner friends? If you could?"

At that, Eiko stopped dead from the response she was going to throw back. She slumped in her chair and stared at nothing for a few minutes. When reality claimed her again, the tiny summoner looked sidelong at Vivi.

"yeah, okay, so ya gotta point there. I would bring back my tribe if I could. Fine, Vivi. I’ll go with ya, and we can find a way to make ya some friends—without the mist. Deal?"

Vivi jumped out of his seat and flew into Eiko’s arms. "Yeah! Thanks Eiko!"

The summoner flung him back; Vivi landed in his seat again with a *plop!*

"Just one thing," she said. "I gotta royal escort or whatever. They’re in Conde Petie right now, but Gods know when they’ll be back. If I wanna get outta here, I’ll have to sneak past them."

Eiko glanced outside her home, where Janet was stationed and tied to a wooden pole.

"I think we can do this…"

The rain came and went, and Madain Sari was blanketed in moisture by nightfall. The Lindblum guards didn’t return from Conde Petie until after midnight, and Eiko was ready for them.

So was Vivi, whether he liked it or not.

The pair waited hidden behind the outcropping of rock that marked the path to the Eidolon Wall. Eiko had a hair-brained plan, but it semed the only thing they could do. It was too risky to chance those guards seeing them on the path out of Madain Sari, so they had to sneak out…on Janet.

Vivi didn’t like chocobos much to begin with; when they went fast, he got really nervous. At least Eiko knew what she was doing…hopefully.

"Look!" she whispered harshly. "There they are! I bet they’ve had some of that Dwarven liquor…so much the better."

"Uh, E-Eiko.." Vivi began. She silenced him with an orange-gloved hand.

The guards approached, and hesitantly stopped at the fountain in the former Town Square. One, who looked to be the senior officer, was stumbling a bit."

"Yeah, those Dweerves sure know how ta….how ta….*hic!*…"

"How ta PAR—TAY!" one of the other soldiers exclaimed. The whole party, four in all, burst out laughing.

Eiko sighed deeply, low enough not to be heard. "I really have to tell Papa about this."

The soldiers filed out—sort of—and Eiko watched as they entered her humble abode.

"I think we’re ready, Vivi! How fast you wanna go?"

Vivi grasped Eiko’s sides. "N-not very fast, please, Eiko. I get sick…"

The tiny summoner dug her heels into Janet’s sides and yalped. "Okay then! Super—duper fast! C’mon, Jenny, let’s GO!!!"

The chocobo stayed glued to the spot. Eiko sliped down a bit and looked her in the eye.

"Well?! What’s the matter, Jackie??? We have to go, now!"

Vivi tapped her on the shoulder, almost causing her to fall off the bird.

"WHAT?!" Eiko demanded as soon as she regained her balance.

The little mage giggled. "Eiko…her name’s not Jenny…or Jackie either. It’s Janet."

Eiko looked wide-eyed at the mage, embarassed. "Oh. Well."

She dug her heels in again and yalped. Again.

"C’mon…JANET!!! Let’s GO!!!"

The bird went. Itr simply went, very fast, and Vivi had to grip Eiko for dear life. Janet sprinted all the way out of Madain Sari and halfway to the mountain path between there and Code Petie. She came to an abrupt stop and jarred her two passengers.

‘UGH!" Eiko exclaimed. "I am SO not used to that.

She looked back, toward the village. Nothing; no activity or anything. But that would change soon.

"Well Vivi? We’re almost there! Once we get to Fossil Roo we need another plan though. Whadda we do?"

The little mage gave the matter a bit of thought.

"Um, well we could go to Burmecia and talk to Freya…or we could search the marsh and find Quina… or…"

"NO," Eiko cut him off. "We are NOT gonna see my father. I’ll be in trouble if he sees me without my..escort."

Vivi put a hand to his, uh…mouth. "B-but, Eiko. You were all scared because those guards came in drunk, and I came for a visit, um..and we both miss Dagger…"

She looked squarely at him, surprise etched into her face. "Vivi? That doesn’t seem like you at all. But are ya gonna tell Papa about your plan? Cuz I dunno what he’ll say."

Vivi nodded, more to himself. "I-I trust Uncle Cid. And Dagger might know where Zidane is."

"Why Zidane?" Eiko asked.

"Cuz..um, Zidane knows where to find Kuja."

Eiko stopped dead. She slid off of Janet and wheeled around to face Vivi and look him in the eye.

"Why Kuja?! What would he have to do with this??!"

Vivi looked hurt. "W-well, Kuja made the black mages…and Zidane said he was still alive, so…um…"

"He’s a maniac!!!" Eiko screamed. "If he finds us again, he’ll slaughter us, and you know that, Vivi! We could find a way to make more of your friends without him!"

Underneath the straw hat, Vivi’s eyes looked determined. Eiko’d only seen them that way once before…

"Eiko…E-even if Kuja’s still bad like he was, Zidane’s with him. I d-don’t think Zidane would let him do anything to us, do you?

"Um, I know what it must’ve been like for Kuja. He knew he was gonna die…so…"

With that, Eiko knew to stop. She climbed back up onto Janet and placed a hand on Vivi’s leg to comfort him.

"Okay. We’ll do it your way then. I just hope you’re right about Kuja is all, Vivi. I dunno about you, but I really hate the guy!"

Vivi looked to the ground. "I guess I can’t really hate him…not all the way…"

Eiko sighed a little sigh. "I know. He made ya. But I can’t forgive him for what he did to Madain Sari. Especially after these dreams…"

At that, the tiny mage looked back up. "D-dreams? Eiko…I don’t have dreams…could you tell me yours…? Please?"

She smiled. "Sure, Vivi. I’ll tell ya all the dreams I can remember on the way, okay? If it’ll make ya feel better…"