Chapter 1: Innocent Enough

Vivi Orunitia watched the gently rippling water of the stream that flowed through the Black Mage Village trickle by under the bridge. It had been two months since his return, and still he felt the effects of being snatched away from his family and friends, his home. It was as if he was seeing the world with new eyes. Everything was bright, and wonderful, and fascination, like the way the ripples distorted his reflection, and made funny effects with his glowing eyes.

A second set of glowing eyes joined his, as another, taller Black Mage, No. 37, came to stand beside him.

"Vivi, I think you should contact Regent Cid immediately," he said. As Vivi looked at his fellow Black Mage, his mind mused for a moment on their seemingly inherent ability to tell each other apart, despite the fact that for the most part they looked identical.

"Why? Is something wrong with Eiko?" The little summoner, one of the last of her people, had been spending a few days at the Village to visit Vivi's sons, whom she considered her best friends.

"While she was cooking with No. 42, she said she felt ill. He sent her Bernadice - " She was one of the Genomes who was the Village's herbalist, along with No. 18, working with him to prepare plants into medicine. " - and she gave Eiko some medicine. But now she's running a fever."

"I'll contact the Regent." Vivi moved off to his house, where he kept a device given to him by the Regent for just such an emergency. Within moments, he was speaking with the man through the radio-like device.

"Vivi, is everything okay?"

"I think Eiko is sick. She's got a fever," replied the Black Mage. "She probably should see a doctor. Bernadice thought so, anyhow."

"Dr. Tot can be there by this evening."

"Okay. I'll send Nicara to meet him." They broke off communication, and Vivi went to check on Eiko.

He found the girl in bed in the medical hut, under a blanket with a damp cloth on her forehead about her horn. Bernadice sat in a chair next to the girl's bed, a bowl of cool water in her lap. She looked up a Vivi's approach.

"Were you able to get in touch with Regent Cid?"

"Yes. He's sending Dr. Tot," Vivi replied, thankful for the thousandth time that the Genomes had seemed to develop into normally functional beings with personalities and identities of their own, and even choosing names for themselves.

"That's good. This is beyond me." She rewetted the cloth, rung out the excess back into the bowl, and replaced it on the summoner's forehead. Eiko's cheeks were red, and she stirred restlessly. Vivi gently squeezed her hand.

"Poor girl. Well, Dr. Tot will be able to help her. Now I've got to fine Nicara. I told Regent Cid I'd sent him to meet the airship." And Vivi, after giving her hand a final squeeze, went to find his sons.

He found all his sons together in a little park-like clearing that had been set up about three weeks before Vivi's disappearance, practicing magic. He watched them for a bit, smiling from pride and love, before calling,

"Nic." Instantly they dropped the spell, and the sageous son hopped up from his seat in the grass.

"Yes, father?"

"I need you to meet Dr. Tot at the usual place. Eiko is sick, and he's coming to help her." Normally Vivi would've been worried about monsters or wild animals, but all of his sons' magical abilities had enhanced greatly of late, and their father was confident in them.

"Okay. Val, wanna come along?"

"Sure." The youngest hopped up, and the two brothers went off. Vivi smiled, at his sons, and joined their circle to practice with them.