Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy 9. This takes place seven years after the events in the game. The main character is sixteen.

§§§

A small black mage was lost in Dali. She didn’t know where to go. Her “friends” had left her there. She was wearing a red shirt, <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=22&k=black%20pants" onmouseover="window.status='black pants'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">black pants</a>, and grey gloves. Her name was Samantha, but some people that liked her called her Sam. She didn’t know how to prove that she was a person more than a thing. She’d previously stayed in Treno, Alexandria, and wandered in the Pinnacle Rocks.

She looked around. Kids were running away from her, parents were trying to get her away from their kids. She felt horrible. It started to rain. The people wouldn’t let her in to stay the night. She found some sort of shelter under a tree. She knew that in the morning, the people would wake her up by screaming at her and nearly killing her.

§§§

The next morning, just as she had thought, people were holding their pitchforks and swords pointing them at her.

“Get out of our village you beast!” one man yelled whilst waving his pitchfork.

“But I’m not a beast...” Samantha said lowly.

“We don’t care what you think you are. Your kind took out Lindblum seven years ago!” a woman in the back yelled. Samantha knew that it was useless to try to fight back. She didn’t want to hurt anyone. She turned to walk away.

“Hey, where are you going?” a voice asked her.

“Are you talking to me?” she asked.

“Well, who else would I be talking to? I wouldn’t be talking to the villagers.” the voice said. She turned around to face the voice. It was a man. He had dirty blonde hair, a blue vest with a <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=22&k=white%20shirt" onmouseover="window.status='white shirt'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">white shirt</a> under it, <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=22&k=blue%20jeans" onmouseover="window.status='blue jeans'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">blue jeans</a>, blue arm cuffs, green and <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=22&k=white%20boots" onmouseover="window.status='white boots'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">white boots</a> and green gloves. He had a dagger on his side in a sheath. Samantha looked at him confused. Why was he talking to her?

“You’re a black mage right?” he asked suddenly snapping her out of her thoughts. She nodded. “Hmm... I had a friend like you. I don’t know where he is. Do you know a Vivi?” he asked. She shook her head.

“Never heard of him.” she said. She was just now getting used to the fact that someone was talking to her in a friendly manner.

“You don’t have to talk to it.” a villager said.

“What are you talking about? The one I knew what I friendly one. Then you took him and was going to ship him to Alexandria from that damn queen to deal with!” the man snapped back.

“You don’t have to sick up for me. I’m pathetic anyway.” she said. The man look at her.

“Hey, you don’t need a reason to help people. You’re a person aren’t you?” he said. She looked down.

“To these people, I’m a monster.” she said still looking down.

“Hey, come with me. I know someone that will understand you.” he said. She finally lifted her head and looked at him in the eyes. She glanced around at the villagers that were behind the man. “Don’t worry about them. They just don’t understand you.” he explained. “Come on. Let’s leave.” he said. He walked toward her and she smiled. They left the village.

“Do you see that man, he has a tail?” a villager said. Samantha heard this and she looked at the backside of the man.

‘He does!’ she thought.

§§§

“Who are you?” she asked after about and hour of walking.

“Me,” he said laughing. “My name is Zidane Tribal.” he said. “What about you? Do you have a name?” he then asked.

“Samantha.” she replied.

“There a last name?” Zidane asked. Samantha laughed slightly.

“No. I never had one. But my... the people that liked me at one time called me Sam.” she replied.

“I see.” Zidane said and dropped the conversation there.

§§§

She felt a bit weird. She was walking with someone she just met, and he actually accepted her for what she was.

“Zidane...” she said. He turned around to look at her. “I don’t feel to well...” she finished falling to her knees.

“Uh oh.” Zidane said and went up to her. “Come on. Get on my back. I’ll carry you. We’re almost there.” he said bending down. She carefully got on and Zidane stood up.

It's my sister's fan fic. As I've noted before, she loves Vivi. It's a love fic involved between her character, Samamtha (or Sam if you prefer) and Vivi.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy 9. Please don’t sue me.

§§§

“Sam, wake up.” Zidane said shaking her sleeping body lightly. She opened her eyes slowly.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“We’re in Conde Petie. We’re almost to the place that I want to go.” Zidane replied. He smiled at her. “Are you feeling better?” he then asked.

“Sort of.” she replied.

“Do you know what happened?” he asked.

“No. I just felt dizzy and my head hurt.” Sam replied. Zidane didn’t say anything, but he walked out of the room. Sam closed her eyes and dozed back off.

§§§

Zidane walked outside the Inn for a while. He wanted some fresh air. Conde Petie hadn’t really changed within the seven years that he’d been away.

Outside the village, he saw a group of black mages. He ducked behind a shrub and watched them go by. When he saw that it wasn’t the same type that Queen Brahne sent out, he smiled to himself and came out of hiding. He walked up to one that was walking a bit behind the others.

“Hey, do you know a guy named Vivi?” he asked.

“Vivi...? Maybe you should look in the Black Mage Village. There is a person called that there.” he replied.

“Thanks.” Zidane said and watched the black mage walk away. They were going that way anyway.

§§§

Back inside the village, Sam had gotten out of bed and started walking around. She glanced at the food that was in the store.

“Excuse me, how much is this?” she asked pointing at a small piece of bread.

“Seventeen gil. Either you pay, or no food for you!” the cashier replied. She fished out of her pocket a few pieces of currency.

“This is all I have.” she said. The cashier took it and counted it.

“It enough.” he said and took out the bread and gave it to her.

“Thanks.” she said kindly and walked out.

“What a strange mage...” the cashier said and went back to his business.

Walking in the hallway to the holy place, she met up with Zidane again.

“Glad to see that you are eating something.” he said. She smiled at him.

“Want some?” she then asked. He nodded. She tore off a piece and gave it to him. “If you want a whole piece, you have to go to the store and pay seventeen gil.” she explained.

“That’s a lot.” he said taking a bite. She nodded. She continued to wander in the little place filled with little people.

“Rally-ho!” one said coming up to her.

“Huh?” she asked.

“You no say Rally-ho, you no stay.” it said.

“Oh, okay then. Rally-ho.” she said trying to put on a smile.

§§§

Her smile was empty. Her soul felt as if it wasn’t there. She had no place to go. She wanted a place to call home, but she knew that she would never find it. Her spark of hope had diminished and had been replaced with longing and sorrow.

§§§

“Sam, are you here?” Zidane asked walking into the plains. He looked around and saw her images a few feet away. He walked up to her slowly. “Are you okay?” he asked placing a hand on her shoulder. She didn’t say anything. “Don’t worry, we’ll find you a place to live soon enough.” he said. She turned around slowly.

“Thank you...” she said sadly.

“For what?” he asked.

“Staying by me and not calling me a ‘thing’.” she said. He was taken aback by her statement.

“You’re not a thing. You’re a person. Deep down inside, you are a loving, caring person with a heart of gold. You just haven’t found it yet.” he said. He bent down to get to her eye level. “You’ll see in due time.” he then said and started to walk away.

“Zidane,” she said. He stopped and turned to looked at her. “Why am I so misunderstood?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Vivi was the same way.” he explained. “Do you want to go see him? I think I know where he’s at.” he asked. She nodded and smiled faintly. “Let’s go. We can catch a Chocobo and get there quicker.” he said. He looked at the sky. “It’s almost nighttime, do you want to wait?” he asked yawning.

“You’re tired. I can wait until tomorrow.” she replied. He nodded and walked her back into Conde Petie.

§§§

The next morning, Sam woke up first. It was early, so she didn’t bother waking up Zidane. Instead, she walked around the place again. A few other black mages were there now. They all looked like they had no souls, no life to live by. As she was looking at one, she bumped into a person.

“Excuse me. I’m sorry.” she said looking up. There was another black mage.

“It’s okay.” he said holding out a hand to help her up. She took it and watched him walk away.

‘Who was he? He was so kind.’ she thought still watching him walk away.

“You ready to leave?” a voice asked her. She turned around and saw Zidane standing there smiling. She nodded. He walked out of Conde Petie and she followed.