The Black Mage machine. A thing Vivi had never wanted to see again, and yet it was now a sight for sore eyes. It meant the hope, the salvation, of all casters everywhere.

That made his heart beat in happiness, and smirk a bit in irony.

"Fascinating," muttered Kuja. "I created these to destroy, as a tool of death, and notw it houses the promise of life for many."

"I was thinking the same thing," agreed Vivi. He suddenly had to swallow a tickle in his throat, one that concerned him, but he forced himself to dismiss it was Kuja opened the machine and reached in with both - trembling - hands to draw out a five sided crystal filled with gray Mist nearly as big as his own torso.

"It's not much," Freya commented. "According to Vivi's dream, it's got to cover the world."

"Then we've come for nothing," replied Steiner, frustrated. "We don't have a means to produce more, nor to increase what we have." Steiner's comment sparked a memory in Vivi, one of another time when he saw a bit of something become a lot of something.

"Hey," he began slowly, "there might be a way. I remember when I traveled with the other Bretheren, and Dregan broke his leg. Zentarou cut about an inch off of his belt, and used a spell to lengthen it out to over twice its original length." He pulled out the gate cube. "I can ask for his help."

"You go do that," Zidane said. "We'll work on this spell she mentioned, this Soul's Mastery. I've never heard of is, but maybe Dr. Tot has."

"And I'll ask Zentarou too. After all, it was his mother who told me about it."

"First," Kuja said as he handed the precious crystal to Zidane, "I'll get us out of here." A quick spell warped them back to the chocobos, waiting patiently just inside the door, and they exited the hidden plane. The gate closed behind them.

"Where shall we meet?" asked Vivi, fingering the cube. "Back at the Village?"

"If the Mist must cover the world, we should release it from a high place," Kuja reasoned.

"The mountains around Alexandria," Zidane said instantly. "It's one of the highest places on the planet."

"Then we meet in Alexandria," agreed Vivi. "I'll find Zentarou - the Cube should take me to him - and get his spell, or get him to return with me, and then head there."

"We'll take everyone we can to Alexandria," Zidane finished. "Hopefully there's enough casters left." They went their separate ways, Vivi going to the valley floor below where he dismounted and the chocobo ran off. Then he pulled out the gate cube. He'd done this only once, and that was to return home, but the Black Mage trusted his previous instructions. He found the side that was purple streaked with gray, and quickly double-clicked it, and vanished.

He appeared in a thick forest, the trees garbed in autumn colors. For a moment, he thought that he'd accidentally clicked Dregan's side. No, his finger was still on the purple and gray.

Suddenly he heard a swish behind him, and a voice spoke in Common:

"Don't make any sudden moves." Vivi slowly glanced over his shoulder to see a group of elves and fox and raccoon Sir'Kai, all in orange, brown, green, and rust colored clothes so they better blended in with their surroundings. Each held a bow with an arrow at the ready, pointed at Vivi.

"Um... heh... c - can you t - take me to Zentarou?"