Chapter 36: A Curse Further Broken

"Trolly-molly..." Orko murmured, but if he referred to the spell, or the devastation below, not even he was sure. Alexandria's defenders had been hurt, badly. Many lay still, not moving. A few of Vivi's friends dropped to sit on the grass, panting. Dregan seemed to pass out, the fire long gone.

Tears filled Vivi's eyes, no longer in Trance and feeling very drained. So many dead! And no matter how irrational it sounded, he couldn't help but feel responsible for it all.

Natar, wounded heavily, glided low over the army. Then a miraculous thing happened. The underside of the dragon's wings began to glow a soft pink, little sparkled raining down over those on the ground as he passed. Right before everyone's eyes, the wounded stood straight, picked up weapons fallen from injured grasps, looked around with renewed eyes, were healed completely. Even Dregan stood slowly. And then- Then the dead stood, restored to life by the dragon's power.

"Wow!" gasped Zentarou as they joined Vivi. "I had no idea he could do that!" When all were restored, Natar flew up to the three in the air.

: It will be... quite a while before I will be able to carry you again. I've been greatly hurt.:

"Rest well, Natar," Zentarou bid. "We'll check up on you after we jump to see how you're feeling." The Twilight Dragon bowed his head, and vanished. The cat rested a hand on Vivi's shoulder, and the Black Mage looked at him, startled a bit as his eyes had been locked on his friends. "Lets land." The Black Mage nodded, and they drifted to the ground.

They landed just a few yards from Vivi's friends, who stared as if they thought they'd seen a ghost. Dregan strolled over, a bit slowly but appearing unhurt, and dismissed the feathered wings.

"You all okay?" he asked. They nodded.

"Are you?" asked Orko.

"Yes." Then they looked at Vivi, who was in turn looking at his friends. At last, a blond-haired boy with a tail stepped forward, slowly.

"Vivi?" Vivi shook his head and darted to his friends. Garnet met him halfway, kneeling to embrace him, and the rest gathered around: Zidane, Steiner, Beatrix, Freya, Eiko, all his friends. The other three Bretheren stood back, letting Vivi have his reunion.

"Master Vivi, what happened to you?" from Steiner, while at the same time Zidane was asking,

"You just vanished! You okay?" And from Garnet.

"We were so worried!"

"I'm fine," Vivi managed to get out around his joyful laughter and his happy tears. "It's a long story, but I'm home now." He wiggled out of Garnet's embrace. "H-how's the boys?"

"Missing you," answered Freya. "Val had a string of nightmares recently - in fact, he saw something much like the demons in one - but they're all fine." Steiner suddenly looked up, his face growing stern. Vivi didn't have to look to know the Knight of Pluto was frowning at the other mages, but turned to them anyways.

"These are friends I met. They were in the same place I was taken to, and helped me get home. This is Dregan, Zentarou, and Orko." Each nodded in turn. "And these are my closest friends, my family. Zidane, Garnet, Sir Steiner, Beatrix, Freya Crescent, and Eiko." Dregan smiled at Vivi.

"Can't forget." Vivi beamed, pulled out the cube, and pressed the third side. It turned a straw yellow, like Vivi's hat.

"Fourteen," muttered Zentarou with a smile. "Only one left."

"Master Vivi" interrupted Steiner. "Not meaning to sound rude towards your friends, but what is going on? Where were you taken to, and who exactly are these people"

"We'll explain everything," assured Vivi. "But first, where are my sons"