The trio find themselves at Pinnacle Rocks, where the Eidolon Ramuh challenges Garnet to seek his power. With Vivi and Zidane's help, Garnet collects the parts of the story as Ramuh requests. She gains Ramuh's power as a result. As Garnet runs off with renewed excitement, Zidane ponders the labeling of the hero in the story. Says Vivi:

Vivi § ...I think the old man would've become her eidolon either way.

Ramuh agrees, telling them both that what's most important is being true to oneself. He tells them that Garnet wished to learn her summoner powers again, and asks them to protect her, which they promise to.

The group exists the Pinnacle, just in time to see Brahne's ship, the Red Rose, completely decimate Lindblum with her eidolon powers and black mage army. When they reach Lindblum, Zidane and Garnet tell Vivi to stay behind, even though he wants to fight...

Garnet meets up with her uncle in the city ruins, and she and Zidane are taken into the castle to see Cid. Vivi is hustled in a while later, the guards not believing he isn't an Alexandrian soldier. Cid saves him by telling them Vivi is disguised to deceive the enemy, which he isn't too happy about. Cid tells them of Kuja, who is a weapons dealer from one of the Outer Continents. Garnet and Zidane quickly realise who their next target is. Vivi decides to come along as well, knowing he has no place in Lindblum or anywhere.

The trio head out into the world, meeting up with Quina again at Qu's Marsh. With it's help, they discover the route to the Outer Continent: a treasure trove wherein Brahne's hired mercenary Lani awaits them. They defeat her easily and she runs off. Continuing on with the help of the Gargants, they make it out of the cave and to Conde Petie, a town in the land of no Mist.

Vivi § Rh-Rhallie-who...?

Vivi and the Couple Vivi wanders Conde Petie, accidentally involving himself in a married couple's dispute. When the husband hustles off, the wife finally takes note of him, but doesn't seem to be afraid of him, much to Vivi's chagrin.

Vivi continues around the village, surprised and a bit worried at how the people seem to know him. He and Zidane meet up in the village Items shop, only to find, to their immense shock, a black mage dealing with the shopkeeper. Frightened, the black mage runs out of the shop, and Vivi chases it to the city limits. There, the dwarfs tell him that they've been trading with a group of black mages hailing from the Southeast Forest.

After navigating the owl forest, Vivi and the others reach a clearing. At the far end is the black mage. They race after it as it opens a portal to the Black Mage Village.

The black mages flip at seeing humans in their village. Vivi is too excited to stay still, running off into the village after the black mages who can speak like he can.

Vivi § They were talking!! There ARE others like me!!

Different Language Vivi runs about the village, eventually coming across the village leaders. They tell them they are black mages who have escaped from Alexandria; they crossed the ocean to build a home far from humans. Vivi notices a black mage-like scarecrow behind the leaders, and asks what it is. They tell him its a cemetery. One explains that it'd escaped with a friend, and together they helped found the village. But suddenly its friend stopped moving. Not understanding what death means, the black mage comments about cleaning its friend off when it awakens, and Vivi becomes quite confused and frightened.

As Zidane heads toward that end of the village, Vivi runs by him in a flash. He finds him in the local inn. Vivi denies anything being wrong, but he's obviously upset about something. The others show up and decide to rest for the night, but Vivi can't sleep, and Garnet catches him sneaking out. She awakens Zidane, who doesn't seem too concerned. They talk about Vivi.

Garnet § Maybe he'll find what he's looking for...A place to call home.

Zidane agrees, and tells Garnet a story about a self-same young man who'd searched for his own lost home. They wonder if Vivi will stay in the village   call it his home.

Elsewhere, Vivi talks to the leader of the village, asking how many black mages have died. The leader admits that quite a few have. It believes that their lifespan is limited to a year. It's frightened, but despite its fear, the black mage believes that living with the others joyously outweighs all else, even potential death.

Black Mage No. 288 § Isn't it the same for you? Traveling with your friends gives your life meaning.

Vivi doesn't know what to say. The next day, Garnet and Zidane are worried that Vivi will stay. But Vivi's taken the black mage leader's words to heart, and under the impression of scouting the world on behalf of the black mages, he decides to continue journeying with them.

The group returns to Conde Petie, but can't make it through the pass into the mountains behind unless... they get married. Garnet agrees immediately, leading Zidane to believe she's interested...and a few thousand egotistical thoughts later finds them wed and ready to be on their way. Zidane suggests Quina and Vivi get married in order to ensure they can come along as well, and they hesitantly agree.

Quina § I...so happy...
Vivi § ...M-Me, too...

Quina attempts to make the moves on Vivi, but just then, someone yells out, "Thief!" (Phew...) At the exit, Zidane and Garnet watch as a small, blue-haired girl and a moogle run out of Conde Petie and into the mountains. Vivi and Quina catch up, and the group heads off into the dwarfs' sacred area.

There, they come across the blue-haired girl, stuck on a small tree protruding from a small ledge. After Quina threatens to eat her, she lets herself fall into Zidane's arms. The others assure her they're not out to eat or or punish her for stealing from the dwarfs, since she's clearly in need of the food she's taken. She introduces herself as Eiko, and proceeds to break into an argument with poor, unsuspecting Vivi.

Eiko eventually agrees to take them to her home, and off they go. On the way, they encounter a huge ogre, and Eiko reveals her ability to summon eidolons. She doesn't pause long enough to explain, ushering them on to Madain Sari, her home.

The group finds the city a mere ruin, overrun with moogles. While Eiko captures Zidane and Garnet's attention for a while, Vivi scuttles off to mull things over on his own.

Vivi's Feelings Vivi is pondering Mr. 288's words about death and life, and realises he's not sure what either term means. He wonders where everyone comes from, and whether or not everyone will return to that place at death. Vivi finds himself shaking...

When Zidane comes across Vivi, he's looking quite ponderously into the distance. Even when Zidane tells him to rest, he says he'd prefer to stay and think some more. He does take a moment to help Eiko heat her stove with his Fire Magic, thought. Dinner commences, and Vivi feels something with feelers in his food...an oglop, ew!

After dinner, everyone rests, but Vivi and Zidane stay up. Vivi is still worried and can't stop thinking about things. Zidane tells him not to worry, that he doesn't have to act like Zidane or try to think like him. But Vivi says:

Vivi § I want to stop...I don't wanna feel like this anymore.

Zidane tells Vivi he has two choices: stop worrying or continue to worry. Nearby, Eiko is eavesdropping, and at his comment, decides Zidane is the man for her. But then:

Zidane § Doesn't it feel nice to let yourself go under the stars?
<Tinkle.> <Tinkle tinkle.>

That's right, folks. Male bonding. Yeesh.

The next day, Eiko decides to leave with the party. Before they go, Zidane asks Vivi if he's figured out what he's going to do. And though Vivi knows he doesn't have the answers yet, he's decided he's going to move on.

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