A.N. Welcome to the Layers Of Harmony Arc! It's a set of FFIX shortfics, all set in-game, and mostly written in the form of the diary of a minor character. FFIX has a vast quantity of these little three-line walk-ons, who all have NAMES which is disgustingly tempting to a shortfic addict... The events of the story affected all these people, so I decided to write about a few of them. This little scribble is an attempt at answering a question I'd always wondered at: what DO they write in the Moogle Diary?

And yep, believe it or not, these guys aren't mine...they belong to these Squaresoft people...

C&C are most welcome.

The Diary Of Kupo
28th April 1701, 5.30pm, Alexandria Steeple.

I really don't think it would have happened if it hadn't have been for the Ironite.

I'd been there all morning, just sitting there. I think I was waiting for something. No, really, I think we all were. Something feels oddly tense. Usually it's perversely fun watching the folk on the Mist Continent - little Ilia running around, the soldiers on patrol, the Queen playing at politics all that. I don't think they knew how much there was they didn't know. It used to make me giggle, the kids and the fishermen and the silly Knights Of Pluto all taking themselves so seriously when a letter from Mogrika was burning in my pocket and Esto Gaza wasn't even on their maps!

I treasure all the letters, but Mogrika's especially. It's been years and years since I've seen her but those letters somehow make me feel like all the warmth in my heart burst out and spilled into my body. Artemecion says it's cold in Esto Gaza but she never mentions that in her letters. She's brave. And she tells me about all the things she sees, so far away - she's further away than anyone! All the snow and mountains and the strange light on the island. I wish I could go there one day. I wish she could come here.

I got two letters today. One was from Mogrika. The other was from my brother Kuppo but I opened Mogrika's first, I always do.


From Mogrika to Kupo.

Do you know what I saw today?
A silver dragon! It had a man riding it!
Do you think something strange is going to happen?


Silver dragon… I blinked at that. Silver dragon man. Cold blood and shiny skin and long neck and big strides and beautiful, very beautiful but dangerous and magical and fast as a rattlesnake, like the one Kuppo once saw in the travelling zoo - Kuppo. Letter. Ah yes, Kuppo's letter! What had I been thinking? The Queen's husband died then a -

Kupo. I shrugged, then opened the letter.


From Kuppo to Kupo.

Have you heard?
I'm leaving Lindblum! I'm going to move to a place called Fossil Roo! I hope it's sunny!
Regent Cid did a strange thing today. He had the castle guest room made ready
because Princess Garnet is coming. You never told me the princess was coming!
Kupo!


That didn't make sense. The princess going to Lindblum? It's the play today. The princess is going to see the play. Why would she want to go to Lindblum? Not even politics is that silly. Unless she was going to fly there on the dragon. Ha, ha, ha. I wish Mogrika would fly here on the dragon.

Kuppo and Mogrika. Dragonmen and princesses and plays and castles and something is going to happen today! I'm sure! If my brother and my - and Mogrika, rather, have seen strange things I've got to. Now if I sit and watch and think all day I can't miss it, can -

"Hey, Kupo?"

"KUPO!" I shrieked. I hadn't heard him coming. "Hippaul? What are you doing here?"

The boy laughed, his podgy sides shaking slowly. He rubbed his pink nose with one paw. "'S a secret."

"Tell me, I am not in the mood for secrets!" What had I been thinking about? Had it been terribly important? The hippo-boy laughed again, this time at me. Gods, they sit here on this pathetic continent fidgeting and they think I'm stupid because I'm short and pink!

"Heh, I'm going to hide my cards up the steeple!" He fanned them out proudly. He wobbled to the ladder and shot up it with surprising agility. I heard a muffled clang, then a grunt, then all of a sudden he was on the floor again, and sweating like an animal. He smirked again and swaggered off, back toward town. I wanted to punch him, really I did! Not because he swaggered. Not because he'd been rude to me when I was thinking.

He'd hidden an Ironite.

Three whole months I'd been a collector and I'd never got an Ironite! How Dare He! Well, I waited till he'd got out of earshot then stalked angrily up to the ladder, intent on conquest. And I glared at it. Say what you like about that fat, spoilt monster, his legs were still about four times longer than mine.

Ah, kupo. No pain, no gain. I gingerly gripped the first rung.

Climbing is hard. I flapped my little wings, trying to gain height, and I pulled and heaved and kicked with all my might. I paused after a while, panting my breath away into the air. The blood-taste of exertion still filled my mouth, but I had to continue, I had to get up there before Hippaul came back. I had to continue! Mogrika would have continued. I flexed my arms, spread my wings and kuuUPPO!!!!

My body reacted somehow before I really realised what had happened. I scrunched up my legs and flappety, flappety, finally catching the breeze barely two feet from the ground. Still falling but in control once more, I opened one eye.

And saw what might just be what I was waiting for.

*

I blinked a couple of times, but he was still there.

An elbow came round, pushed his body upright. A gloved hand jammed the brown hat harder onto his head, then he stood up slowly, brushing dust off his knees. He looked at me in complete bemusement.

I gulped, equally bemused. Snow and dragons, regents and princesses - nothing could have prepared me for this! A boy with no face. No. A boy with eyes, what's wrong with that, most boys have eyes, but not big and yellow like lamps in the darkness, that couldn't be right. Blue coat and brown hat. A little staff in one hand, shiny like the eyes, and smooth and glittering. Was I going red? He wasn't going red, how could he when he didn't have a face, how did he look so bemused, yes bemused, that's the very word for it, bemused, when he had no face!? Now I was going red. I had to say something to the boy with no face. No mouth. Should you talk to someone without a mouth? What could I say to someone without a mouth?

I cleared my throat. "Kupo." I began -

"Sorry 'bout that, Kupo."

My head swivelled round, still ringing. Next to the steeple stood a large rat holding a ladder.

Then I realised what I was waiting for. I was waiting to wake up. That had to be it - I was still dreaming. Kupo. I never knew you could dream godawful headaches until now. The kid with no face was looking at the rat now. The rat? My, it was Puck. Why did I dream Puck, I wonder? "That's Kupo," says he, "he's a moogle."

"Kupo," I agreed.

Puck stepped under the steeple. "And this is Slave Number One! Try to get along, okay? Alright, time for some upward mobility!" I watched enviously as he scampered up the steeple, ladder in tow. The boy - the Slave - was looking at the steeple in seeming fear. Oh. Poor boy, slave to Puck and so frightened. I supposed I ought to say something constructive.

"I sorry. I enter you in Moogle Diary!" He looked a bit confused but I was on a roll by now, so I continued - "So what's your name? Are you a traveller? Do you like Alexandria much? I think it's too silly -"

But he wasn't looking at me any more. The big yellow eyes had fixed on the doorway. I looked round again, I bet I'll have tangled my nest by the morning if I carry on like this.

"Kupo? You here?"

Oh, kupo! Body hard with muscle, face light with wisdom, stride like a tiger and voice with no one single accent; pompom worn and just slightly unravelling; a staff, not glowing but strong and sturdy in one hand, big pack on the other shoulder. Khaki on pink and fur to leather - "Why the getup?" I demanded. "You're leaving again?"

He laughed. It sounded like the sun in the mountains. "Yes, and this time I might be away for a long time."

Hmph. I'd half-expected this. He must be off to see the dragon. But it tugged at my heart, this parting, as it always did. He'd seen so much on his journeys, so many strange sights and exotic people - he didn't bat an eyelid at the pointy-hatted boy. He was so wise and he had so much to teach me. And there was always the horrible possibility that he might never come back… "I'll miss you, kupo."

"Now don't you worry. I'll write." He took my hand, held it briefly, warmly, too much the wanderer to say "I'll miss you too" out loud. "Well, I'm off. Take care." And he swept round, calling, "Oh, and say hi to Mosh at the castle for me," as he left. He was walking in the way he always walked when he was on the road - fast but easy, swaying like a cat, his staff brushing the tiles with each step. Was it normal to get lumps in your throat when you dreamed?

The boy was staring after him too. "Was that a friend of yours?" His voice was uncertain on the word friend, as if he knew what it meant but had never said it before.

"Yes, kupo," I replied solemnly, "a very special one, kupo." We looked at each other for a second. "Would you take a letter for me?"

"A…letter?"

"Yes, for Monte. He lives in -"

"Hey, slave! I thought I ordered you up here!"

He grabbed my outheld envelope and fumbled his way up the ladder, slipping and stumbling but still persevering. I sat down heavily, wondering where the dream would end.

Well, it was a nice dream, and I'd remember it better if I tried to write it down. So I took out my quill and opened my Diary, and slid gently into the web the words wove around my mind.

Far away I heard cheering. Whistling and catcalls. The play? The play was starting? It wasn't all a dream!? Kupo!?

Oh kupo, I thought wretchedly, the kid never told me his name!

Kupo…

*******************************************