"Are you ready, Celica?"
"It's now or never, I suppose."
All around the surrounding area were food stalls that reeked of fish and baked goods, people that were either buying or selling the harvested crops, seagulls and stray cats hoping to snag a piece of the resources being sold, and the deep blue ocean that expanded towards the horizon. The couple earnestly gazed out to the rapid waters that lied in front of them, reflecting on the life-changing events of the past that had avalanched them into their present state while predicting what the future was preparing for them. The sight of the boats docked at the Novis Greatport's wharf anchored them into a sea of regret and sorrow as if they were beckoning the two to quickly make their departure.
Alm and Celica tugged at their set of disguises they wore to ensure their identities were concealed from the public eye and gazed at each other longingly, saddened to leave the only world they knew behind and begin anew in a foreign land. Before they could allow their emotions to slow them down any further, they begrudgingly shuffled forward, hand in hand, towards the intimidating, symbolic, and heart-wrenching means of transportation. Just before they climbed aboard the ship, however, the couple froze in place when they heard a distant voice calling out to them.
"Alm! Celica! Hold on a minute!"
Simultaneously frightened and comforted by the familiar tone, the two quickly spun around to notice each of their childhood friends approaching them with much haste. The bug-eyed expressions on their faces made it uncertain whether they were there to deliver a word of caution or persuade them from leaving.
"Mae? Boey?" Celica spoke. "What are you all doing here?"
Struggling to fight back tears, the timid, heartbroken Genny answered, "W-We just couldn't let you leave without bidding a final farewell. Nothing will be the same without you…"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Genny," Celica replied with a sigh. "I wish it didn't have to be this way."
"Yeah, I really hate to see you go like this on such a short notice," Mae chimed in. "We've just been through so much together, you know? You two will be starting a new life together without us, and to make matters worse, I won't be there to see your newborn baby! It looks like that sucker's just about ready to pop right outta there!"
Boey briefly shot a glance at the pink-pigtailed mage. "Well, I suppose that's ONE way of putting it."
"Hey, Captain Downer, at least I'm trying to lighten up the mood! I don't see you offering optimism about Celica's future."
Amused by the usual, comical interactions between her colorful friends, Celica said with a giggle, "Well, I appreciate all you've done for me, everyone. And I'm sure the baby would love to have met you, Mae, had we not been banished…"
Amassing guilt for remaining silent throughout the heartfelt and emotional meeting, Alm decided to thank his wife's companions and his friends of Ram Village by offering, "Thanks for all of your support and kind words, everybody. It's unfortunate that we have to part ways like this, but Celica and I will always cherish the companionship and wonderful experiences and memories we all shared. We'll miss you guys…"
Seizing the opportunity before her chance was forever lost, Faye hastily blurted out, "I'm going to miss you, too, Alm!", and made a beeline towards her unsuspecting green-haired friend, wrapping her arms around him with eyes full of tears.
As Alm returned the favor, the remainder of the gang swarmed the three with open arms, sharing the mutual belief that a touching embrace would prove as a proper sendoff.
Seeking to quickly break up the tension and signal the end of their final union, the captain of Alm and Celica's water-treading ride stepped in to inquire, "We're about to set sail, you two. Are you sure you still want to go along with this?"
The couple looked on towards the captain and their companions in indecisiveness before Alm finally answered, "Yeah. We really don't have much of a choice."
At last, Alm and Celica begrudgingly dragged their feet onto the menacing, wooden ship and braced themselves for the irreversible journey on which they would soon embark. As soon as the captain joined them and his crew on deck, the ringing of a bell signaled the ship's departure and the married twosome were well on their way to the horizon in the distance and that of their new future. Their gazes remained tethered to the sight of their friends seeing them off and waving goodbye as they gradually disappeared into the sky and ocean's union.
"Alm?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm really going to miss them."
"I am, too, but...at least we have each other, right?"
Celica managed a tiny, quaint smile. "Yes. I'm glad we're together, at least. It's just the thought of going out there into the unknown and leaving our old lives behind, never to see our friends again. It's hard adjusting to the fact that this is our life now, and we have no choice but to accept it."
Sensing its mother's anxiety dealing with the situation, the baby reacted and abruptly kicked from within Celica's protective belly.
"Oh, it's all right, baby," the princess lovingly reassured, patting her lively tummy. "We'll be okay." She looked towards Alm endearingly. "Won't we?"
Her spirits were lifted at the sight of his encouraging smile and the comforting touch of his arms wrapping around her in affection. "Of course, Celica. Nothing will ever harm you two so long as I'm around. We may be banished, but that doesn't mean I won't keep us all alive on this journey."
"Hee hee. Well, all right. I'll take your word for it," she replied, nestling into his embrace. "But could you answer me this, though? Why are we sharing this little cruise with that captain friend of yours and his crew?"
"That's to help blend us in, Celica," Alm answered matter-of-factly. "They're here transporting goods, so while they're sailing across the ocean, no one will ever have any suspicion that they've got a couple of stowaways on their ship."
"They brought some goods on board with them? Well, knowing my experience with pirates, that makes us even more of a target for any that happen to come our way," she sighed nervously.
"Don't you worry about it for even a second, little lass," the captain attempted to persuade as he stepped into view. "My crew and I have been sailing these seas for several years, and we've never had any encounters with those thieving low-lives."
"Well, I'm sure you speak nothing but the truth, sir, but there's a first time for everything. You can never be too sure…"
Alm hoisted a couple of leather bags of belongings over his shoulder before stating, "You know what, Celica? You worry too much! Maybe you need to lie down and put your mind at ease."
"Yes, I'm sure you two have had a long day," the commander of the ship confirmed, "and it's getting pretty late, so I'll have my first mate here show you where you'll be staying for the night."
"Sounds great! Thanks again for letting us hitch a ride with you, sir!"
"Anytime, Alm!"
"They sure seem like a friendly bunch," Celica remarked as the captain left to pilot the vessel. "Perhaps we'll have smooth sailing on this voyage from here on- Oh!"
Upon tearing her gaze from her longtime companion, the princess was greeted by the image of a scrawny crewmember with oily, tousled hair that clearly had never prioritized maintaining his hygiene or appearance in addition to his duties.
"Welcome aboard, folks! Allow me to show ye to yer room! Let me just take those bags from ye…"
As an act of courtesy and to provide warm hospitality for his temporary shipmates, the feeble sailor aimed to lighten the load and carry the couple's luggage to their bunk, but his underdeveloped strength and the carry-on's weight proved the task to be more than he could muster.
"D-Do you want me take that?" Alm asked hesitantly.
"Aye, ye probably should."
Brushing off his lackluster performance, the momentary guide ultimately led the pair to the bedchamber located below the deck of the ship; it appeared small in size but was spacious enough to accommodate up to two persons. It even included a tiny porthole to provide a pleasant view of the uproarious ocean cradling the ship to its destination.
"Ye folks enjoy yer stay!"
As soon as the captain's first mate exited the room, Alm placed their luggage at the foot of the cot, thrust himself onto the mattress and released a tired sigh, comfortably sprawling his legs out with his arms snugly folded behind his head. "I don't know about you, but I'm just about ready for a nap!"
"Same here," Celica agreed. "All of this trouble has left me quite exhausted, and I really need to relieve myself. I wonder where they keep the latrine in this place…"
Down a candlelit hallway conjoined with her cramped bedroom, Celica spotted a conveniently-situated restroom that appeared clean and well-maintained, but she was halted in her tracks when an additional unhygienic crewmember left the facility emanating a horrendous, immobilizing aroma.
"Oh, I knew this was a bad idea, Alm!" the hormonal, expectant mother wept helplessly, wafting away the horrible odor as tears streamed down her cheeks. "This is all a bad sign! We're not going to make it across the Valentian border, I just know it!"
Emotionally and physically-drained from the hours before, Alm could only ask in response, "What are you getting so worked up about, woman? If the smell bothers you, just hold it in."
"I wish I could, but the baby's pushing on my bladder and this whole new life we're about to embark on is really taking a toll on me, and-"
"Celica, relax," Alm demanded, hoping to coax his overwhelmed spouse into a calm state of mind. "We won't make it very far in life if you continue to fret over everything. We're going to make out of this trip alive, and no matter what, we'll ALWAYS be together." He gently caressed the opposite side of the mattress to suggest that the empty space was missing his bedfellow. "I love you more than anything, Celica, and I promise to always be there for you and our child regardless of what life may throw at us."
The confidence in his voice and the determination he expressed suddenly released the tension and fear clouding her perspective on their condition. Their foreseeable future at last seemed bright and uplifting and void of any undesirable circumstances. Celica ultimately accepted Alm's inviting gesture and filled in the missing piece to the bed's two-person puzzle, relieved to have a husband willing to sacrifice his safety for the sake of his family.
"You always know just what to say, don't you? You know I always feel safe and right at home when I'm with you."
"I'm glad to hear it, Celica. I look forward to the two of us building a beautiful future together, and remember: no matter where life takes us, our hearts will always be united as one."
Soothed by their encouraging exchange and the undisturbed tranquility of the environment, Alm and Celica finally settled into a rejuvenating slumber, securely snuggled into each other's arms.
Thunderous, frantic footsteps rumbled through the walls of the ship, and constant chatter gradually increased in volume as it traveled through the air. The wooden vessel violently swayed in tune with the lively atmosphere, rocking the dozing couple to abruptly return them to the land of the wake.
"What's with all the commotion?" Celica yawned.
"I don't know. Maybe we made it to our destination?"
The fated pair remained silent and listened for any audio cues from the crew that would signal the end of their transportation, but in the midst of their observation, the captain unprecedentedly issued a command for his men to defend the ship and prepare for combat.
"But, sir! We haven't dealt with pirates in twenty years! I don't think we're ready for this kind of situation!" they could hear one of the crewmembers say.
"I gave you men an order, and we're all going to fight back whether you're ready or not, so get moving!"
The sudden realization snapped the twosome awake and instantly shifted their gears into a fight-or-flight reaction.
"P-Pirates?!" Alm stammered in shock. "I thought they were just unloading goods from the ship!"
Sensing an oncoming light-headedness, Celica gently placed a hand on her weary head and muttered, "Oh, this can't be happening… I TOLD you this was a bad idea."
"Hey, I promised I'd get you through times like these, all right? Just give me a minute to think here…"
Inspired by the nearby porthole's enticing presence, Alm bolted to the quite literal window of opportunity and peered outside to discover that the opposing vessel was within mere inches from their own, casting a menacing shadow over the ill-equipped ship. "Wow, they're practically right on top of us!" Off to the side and in the distance stood a cluster of blurred lights and chimney smoke - a clear indication of a nearby village and additional inspiration for Alm's plan in the works. "Hmm, I could probably swim that far… Celica, do you trust me?"
"Yes, of course, you promised to protect me. But what are we doing?"
"I'm going to get us out of here. Come with me, but let's keep our voices down."
"Huh? Right now? But what are we going to do about our bags?"
"I think our lives are more important than our possessions at this point, don't you?"
Without a second thought, Alm secured a gentle grip in Celica's hand and made a beeline for the ship's deck, noticing the captain's crew assessing the problem and inadvertently creating a visual barrier towards the starboard. The two stowaways quietly and promptly approached the port once certain that their general area was clear of greedy pirates.
"Alm, are you sure this is a good idea? We're bound to get caught one way or another."
"We're not going to jump, Celica." Alm surveyed his surroundings and noticed a coiled-up pile of rope sitting at his feet, subsequently tying the braided material hough a hole in the ship's railing. "We'll ease ourselves into the ocean instead so we don't make a splash."
Her hormones overriding her judgement once more, the princess hesitantly uttered, "Well, now that I think about it, these waters COULD be infested with sharks, so we might not even survive through the night either way…"
"What are you more willing to take your chances with? Sharks that lurk deep beneath the ocean or pirates that could kill you on the spot?"
An abrupt, booming gunshot determined her final decision, and Celica steadily descended the lariat with her quick-witted husband in tow. Alm offered Celica to mount his back to the lessen the strain on her pregnant belly as he swam to shore, using the same piece of rope from before to bind themselves together should Celica unintentionally lose her grasp.
"Don't let go of that promise, Alm."
"Don't worry about it, Celica."
With their surreptitious getaway underway, the two set out to finish the journey that their former crew had started, with Alm's sights set on the foreign land in the horizon and Celica's gaze fixated on the roaring, crashing waves, the waters as rocky and unpredictable as their future.