Author's Note: You know the drill by now. I don't own Soul Nomad, "Dido's Reply", or the story of Dido and Aeneas (I swear, I want to write Dio every time I write Dido…). Anyone who understands the reference behind the name, the King's Men, and the style the performers started the show officially rocks. For those that don't, you still rock, but not as much [Is shot

[Phoenix Down conveniently falls and revives self Any way, chances are this will be my last update for a while (read: probably no chapter next week or the week after that) due to final exams and school projects. But on the bright side, the next chapter is a monster in length so that's fair enough.

Chapter 4: Brief Happiness

"Um, Revya? Hey…"

The redhead jolted as Reira lightly brushed her shoulder. "What?"

"You looked ready to fall over just a moment ago," Reira frowned slightly. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yeah, just tired is all," the redhead answered with an apologetic smile.

"All right, if you say so…" Reira glanced back to the row of stalls. "C'mon, the jeweler's over there!"

While Reira zipped off to haggle for a chain, Revya let out another long yawn. Last night's incident had kept her up later than she thought…

With little surprise, in the morning no one seemed to be aware of what had happened last night outside the Cat's Eye. Someone mentioned they had heard rain and thunder and a red sky but he was the town drunk so that opinion wasn't exactly the most credible source. Other than though, nothing…

Reira and Revya worked the shop for about midday before they decided to call it a day. Partially because they were almost sold out, partially because of Reira's promise, and partially because Revya had almost fallen asleep twice. At least moving around like this was keeping her awake…

Reira paid for the chain, looped the ring through, and slipped it under her shirt. She gave it a light squeeze, her face twisting in discomfort. She turned to Revya and said nervously, "It's not noticeable, right? You can't see it?"

"No," Revya cocked her head slightly. "Why the chain? You were happy wearing it in the open yesterday."

"It's complicated, let's just say it's easier this way…you know, it keep thieves away and it'd be suspicious for a common girl like me to have something like this," the brunette said, rubbing her fingers over the chain briefly. "But enough of that. What do you think of the market so far? Isn't it great?"

"It's wonderful," Revya answered.

"I know, it's just so full of life!" Reira's eyes seemed to gleam. "Everyone looks so happy and there are so many people and so many new things. It's all so bright and it makes the city feel alive too. It usually feels so cold but not on these days. Even the knights look less stiff than usual and…I really have to stop rambling off like that. It must bore you listening to me go on at you all the time."

"Not really," Revya shrugged. "I have a friend who does that sometimes."

"Oh? Is it the guy you're looking for?"

Revya shook her head, smiling a little at the memory of Danette. "No, she's a friend from back home."

"What things does she go on about?"

"Uh, stuff…Like how I'm unreliable and how I should act my age."

"Really?" Reira blinked in surprise. "You don't mind her doing that?"

"Not really, that's just how she is, for as long as I can remember. She's like a sister to me I guess."

"A sister? That must be nice…" Reira fell uncharacteristically silent.

Revya felt a stab of worry. "Reira?"

The apothecary suddenly snapped back and flashed her a smile, "Have you ever watched the players?"

"What?"

"Players, actors, you know, they're troupes that go around and perform shows. The main group around this area is called the King's Men. Have you ever heard of them?"

Revya shook her head, "No, I'm afraid I haven't."

"Really? They're pretty popular," Reira said. "Before the boarders closed, they traveled pretty much everywhere so they know too many stories to count. When they got stuck here, the tavern owner of McNally's gave them a venue at his place. Once a month they always pull out a new one so it's always exciting. It's always really crowded but if we head over now we can catch the afternoon show."

Revya glanced through the pouch of money Reira handed her to hold onto (after all, it was less likely anyway would go after the one with the sword). "You sure we have enough?"

"Don't worry about it, it's pretty much free aside from drinks and food. All they really want is an audience…provided you behave. And besides, if you've never seen them you should check them out at least once."

And there she went again. Revya shook her head with a faint smile and followed after her.

---

As according to Reira's prediction, McNally's was brimming up in customers by the time the show was about to start. They had managed to snag a spot near the back by the main counter. While it wasn't the best seat at least they could sit down. A fair number were forced to stand.

A hush befell the tavern as man wearing a mask took to center of the space. He swept his arm and declared, "Welcome ladies, gentlemen, and drunkards! Today, we bring a special treat, surpassed only by the genius of our host's meals."

Several patrons let out whoots while the bar tender gave them an eye roll at the acknowledgement.

"A brief preview will begin in a moment's notice." He bowed in a grandiose manner. "We bring you a tale from afar, a tragedy. A tale of adventure, love, hopes, betrayal, and longing. We of the King's Men bring you the story of Dido and Aeneas. But first, a brief preview, if you will."

The lights finished dimming and the masked man disappeared. On stage, a group of warriors began miming a journey.

"I know this story," Reira sighed. "Liam told it to me once. It's beautiful but sad…"

"Really?" Revya asked.

The warriors met the locals of the area. The most prominent two on stage was the leader of the warriors and a woman who appeared as royalty. Though the interactions were brief between the two, the attraction was obvious.

"It's a famous story from another continent," Reira explained in a low whisper. "It's about a man named Aeneas and woman named Dido. Guided by the Gods, Aeneas was leading his men from a defeat in war and they ended up in a place called Carthage ruled by Dido. During that time, they fell in love and Aeneas and her were even planning on marrying, ruling the country side by side.

And now Dido was alone, staring mournfully where her lover had been.

"However, they say the Gods had another purpose in mind for Aeneas. For the sake of the greater purpose, he turned his back to his own desires…and Dido too. He led his men away under the cover of night and they were never seen in Carthage again. Dido was heartbroken. In her grief she asked her servants to build a pyre for her. Before she died, she laid a curse on her love. You know what the scary part is? According to Liam, the curse is a real one the writer stole from actual witches."

Up on the stage, the actors mimed the actions of building the pyre. The actress of Dido acted out as Reira had spoken. However, while the preview had been mimed, the next part was the only part voiced.

"And if you find your Illium

And if you build your Troy

I hope you feel the pain I felt

Twice upon your sword

Aeneas on your noble hands

My life shall stain with blood

Let Dido's curse rest in the mind

A shade begot by love

Carthage shall this grudge recall

Upon your seven hills

And nothing less than misery

Will remind you of whom you killed

And though with hate I suffer now

The truth is deeper still

For I love you with my dying breath

And know I always will

Beyond this world into the next

I know I always will..."

And then Dido stabbed herself while the 'flames' engulfed her body.

Then the 'real' show began.

Revya felt goose bumps speckle her arms. It all appeared so ethereal…

Somewhere at the back of her mind, she couldn't help her self from thinking,Another failed love…Lujei, the Crimson Tear, and Dido…

Meanwhile, Reira seemed down cast as she watched the stage with great intensity while the actual show started.

"You don't look too happy," muttered a man that sat beside her to the bar tender.

"Not your business, so just shut up and watch," the bar tender grunted.

"Humor me, I'm only here because of my girlfriend."

"It's nothing important," he shrugged. He went to pass out another order before coming back. "Just a eat and run I guess."

"Oh," the man looked bored now. "Did you get him?"

"Tried to today when he came back, he rushed back out. The knights said they'd look into it but I'm not expecting much."

"Why's that?"

"Hmph, you know how they are," the bar tender said dismissively. "He didn't cause any physical harm so it's 'below their notice'. All he did was crack comments and a few insults and you can't arrest people over 'petty words'."

"So I see," the man shrugged. "So he just took one look at you and ran off when you demanded money?"

"Not quite. He appeared, I brought up yesterday and the fact he owed me for a hotpod dish, he got huffy about it. 'Why should I? I didn't even get to eat it before some broad shoved it in my face! You guys offer satisfaction guarantee, right? Since I didn't get squat you don't either.'"

Revya nearly fell over at that description.

"No kidding?" The guy laughed. "Who's stupid enough to say that?"

Revya knew exactly who would….

She turned around and faced the two. "When did you see that guy?" Revya asked, trying to contain her excitement.

The bar tender gave her an odd look. "While ago, before the crowds came in for the show. Why? You know him?"

"Probably." She couldn't think of any other people that were hotpod obsessed and talked like that. "Do you know where he went?"

"Not really, he was mostly wandering around," the bar tender leaned forward and gave her a stern look. "But if you're affiliated with him, could you pay-"

Unfortunately, Revya had said a quick goodbye to Reira and was heading towards the door.

"God damn it! Not again!" The bar tender scowled while his companion simply laughed.

On stage, Aeneas and Dido professed their love, experiencing brief happiness…

----

Revya muttered quick apologies as she rushed through the crowds. She didn't know where he was exactly but she felt a surge of happiness. Maybe it was stupid (she hadn't found him yet) but she couldn't help it.

When she got a chance she repeated what she had originally been doing earlier and asking if anyone had seen a guy with dusty brown hair, blue eyes, and a foul mouth. Usually, like before, she got nothing but on occasion she got something for once. Unfortunately, it seemed all of it came down to 'you just missed him' or 'yesterday' or 'don't think it's the same guy'.

After about an hour, Revya took a break and leaned against a nearby wall. Mira wasn't a big place in general but with so much people…

Then she heard a weedy voice say, "Hey, you."

The source was a Sepp male that looked a lot like someone she had seen before (maybe one of Shauna's minions?)

"Yes?"

He flicked his hands nervously and said, "Uh, this may sound a bit awkward but you're the girl that's been going around asking about some rude guy, right?" Revya nodded. "That's perfect! I met some guy like that looking for some girl with red hair and a black sword a short while ago. And you fit that perfectly!"

"Really!? You have?" Revya asked.

"Yeah!" He bobbed his head. "You're looking for him, he's looking for you, why don't I give you a hand? For a price of course."

It figured. There had to be a price. "How much?"

He smiled crookedly. "Since I'm only playing guide, how 'bout 50?"

Revya thought of the pouch of money she had. They had money stored back at the inn and while it wasn't hers, that was going a little too steep…

"25," she told him.

"No way, 45."

"25," she repeated.

"C'mon, be fair, 43."

"25."

"All right, all right! 35 and that's my final offer!"

"30, half now, half later."

"Fine!" He threw his arms up in the air. "Just don't blame me if he's gone already!"

Revya hesitantly counted out the coins (silently making a promise to make it up to Reira later) and handed them to the sepp. The sepp nodded and eagerly rushed ahead, leading her through a 'short cut' through the alleyways. As they walked, they went further and further away from the busy sounds of the crowds. The only thing Revya could really hear was the Sepp's occasional reassurance and her sandals lightly padding against the dirt.

Her instincts screamed as she sensed movement behind her.

There was a clang of metal as the onyx blade struck a knife.

The attacker's eyes widened in shock.

His hesitation was more than enough time for Revya to force his knife hand against the wall, forcing him to drop the knife. As he let out a yelp of pain she had already stepped inwards and struck his gut with the pommel of her sword.

"Damn it!" The sepp backed off as his buddy hit the ground. Seeing Revya's eyes fletch with anger, his voice became a notch higher. "Uh, guys, a little help?"

That's when Revya became more aware of other shapes in that alleyway, mostly from behind and a few in front joining the sepp in front.

One word ran through her mind: shit.

Revya was a good fighter (after all the things she had to go through last year, she better have been) but her sword wasn't exactly the most useful thing in enclosed spaces. And no matter which way she attacked, she going to have to worry about a back attack.

One of the would-be thieves stepped over his fallen buddy. Revya gritted her teeth and stepped back a bit too avoid the high thrust of the knife. A blur of steel came from behind. She pivoted off the ball of her foot (missing the second knife by a hair) and caught the ankle of the guy from behind.

She didn't have time to think. Heat formed at the end of her sword and she fired a small burst of flame at the first of the two. He yelped in panic and ran back into his buds behind him. She thought that would buy her a bit more time but two more leapt at her. A broad swing managed to get them to back up a little but the mob began pressing closer, cutting down her range further.

And then one of them yelped in pain. The new sound carried over and spread through the fighters. What?

"Can't you do anything yourself!?" A voice demanded haughtily.

Before anyone could react, another yelp of scream of pain was heard.

"What a bunch of pansies. I mean, c'mon, a bunch of guys versus one puny little kid? How's that make sense? Maybe your soooo weak you need your fellow girlfriends to back you up?"

The would-be thieves looked caught between shock and anger.

Revya's heart sped up. There was only one overly arrogant voice she knew like that…

"Gig!?"

"Yeah, yeah, jeez!" Gig rolled his eyes. "Why're you the one looking so surprised? Whoa-" He lithely sidestepped the new attacker, grabbed the back of his head, and slammed it against the side of the wall.

At that point, two of the guys flanking the guy from earlier shot each other nervous looks that read that now may be a good time to start running. As they began to run off the Sepp from earlier jaw seemed to drop. "H-hey! You cowards! You can't just ditch-"

He froze in terror as Revya body checked one of the blocks in front of her propelled herself forward in his face!

"Eheh-please-ya don't want to do this!" He scurried backwards and almost tripped over a pile of trash. He reached into his pocket and threw to coins out in front of her. "Here-uh-your money back-just don't-"

His eyes flashed in terror as she brought up the onyx blade, swung it towards his face…

And the blunt side crashed into his nose.

His head twisted backwards and blood spurted out in various directions. He reeled on the alley floor, clutching his face and squirming in pain.

Revya looked at the remaining few that weren't unconscious or getting the snot beat out of them by the former Master of Death. She gave them a hard look and said is chilled voice, "If you want to leave, do it now. Just take him with you."

They didn't need a second thought. Like most cowards in groups they quickly hauled up their original ringleader (one muttered shallow apologies) and scurried off. Revya exhaled when they left, feeling weariness settle as the adrenalin began to subside.

Meanwhile, Gig seemed to be finished up on his end. He was shaking his (somewhat bloodied, it was hard to tell if it was his or not) fists as he muttered a few incoherent phrases to himself. He didn't look too badly scuffed up, most of the potential hits he probably managed to dodge (probably from constantly dodging Danette's attacks back in the village).

Revya sheathed her sword. She felt a familiar sense of…happiness seeing him again. At that moment, she guessed it because she had been looking around for him so long or just because she knew it was someone that was a part her life and not some variant of them. That's what it had to be…

She moved closer and asked, "Gig, are you all right?"

He seemed to snap out of whatever he was thinking and flashed her a familiar look of ire. "Hm, let me think. Well, aside from getting dumped in the middle on nowhere, having to deal with aggressive whackos left and right, having to waste my precious time hunting around for you, when I do find you you're the one with the sword and needing to be rescued, and to top it all off, my knuckles stinging like hell, I'm perfectly 'all right'."

Revya internally winced a little. Not like she should have expected anything else from him. "Sorry, stupid question…"

"Not half as stupid as you were acting," Gig growled. "Why didn't you just hack them to mince meat or something? Not killing them is like, hundred times harder."

"I didn't want to," she replied quietly. "It seems kind of stupid to kill someone over money."

Gig looked at her in disbelief. "Good God, I can't believe I'm hearing this. The fact those jerks were probably going to kill you isn't enough?"

"No, it isn't," Revya said firmly. "I just don't like killing unless needed."

"So stupid," he narrowed his eyes slightly. "Then again, you were always were way too nice, kid."

He absently rubbed the blood off on one of the unconscious would-be thief's shirts. After a moment she said, "Thanks, Gig. For helping me out."

He looked at her oddly and then quickly turned away. "Heh, since I had to work my ass off, you owe me hotpods."

"What?" Revya blinked.

"You heard me! It's the least you can do."

Revya began to argue but couldn't find the energy.

Hotpods. Always back to the hotpods…

She sighed and with a weary smile, thought, Same old Gig…

----

Unsurprisingly, Gig ended up picking a small hotpod stand far, far, away from McNally's, where a certain unpaid bar tender was. It cost the money she had originally been planning on giving the Sepp, maybe even a bit more but it would probably be enough to satisfy his cravings for now. Revya made a mental note to make it up to Reira later, both for running out on her and using up some of her money…

They mostly exchanged snippets of information when they were apart. From Gig, he told her mostly how he ended up on the road attacked by bandits and few scant bits about him being in Mira. He began to mention something else about a Dracon but cut himself off and shifted the topic back to her end. She mentioned about how she had spent most of her time with Reira (to which he didn't really react) but when she mentioned a second Galahad, that caught his attention.

"You gotta be shitting me," he said in a deadpan tone. "Two cowardly knights?"

"It's true," she answered. "Though, he's not a knight here…"

When she explained Gig let out a low laugh. However, when she brought up the witch's tombstone and Lujei, his expression hardened a little.

"So, we're stuck in a whole other world, created and engineered by some witch?" He muttered, taking a big bite out of his dish.

"Sounds like it."

"This sucks. This makes this like, Big Brother: Soul Nomad Edition."

Revya agreed. She leaned her head against her arms and sighed. Whatever happened in this world, the Crimson Tear could decide when it wished. Like when Lujei had appeared. The space-time witch's appearance in the world felt nullified. If what Lujei said was true, than the people of this world and they're actions couldn't be controlled but everything else…

"Another plate!" She heard Gig call to the cook.

"Hey!" Revya protested. "You said the last one would be enough!"

"Oh hey, you're actually paying attention!" He said feigning shock. Gig smiled his usual cocky smile and said, "Back from the Great Land of Duh?"

Revya suppressed a scowl and said, "Don't forget who's paying…"

"Or else what? You won't pay?" He laughed. "Get real, we both know you wouldn't follow through."

He was right but Revya wouldn't, but she didn't have to admit that to him. So she'd settle for the next best thing.

When the cook came back with the plate Gig asked for, she snagged one of the hotpods, leaving him with a slack jaw.

"You-that's mine!"

"You're not paying for it," she said innocently enough, stuffing it in her mouth. Damn, it tasted good…

"Tch, you know what? Fine, whatever! I don't even care anymore!"

Revya had to hold back a desire laugh as Gig began shoveling it down faster (in fear of more of his precious hotpods going missing). It didn't seem to work because he gave her dark glare and with the hotpod juice rolling down his face she ended up laughing anyway. He tried chewing her out for it but almost choked on a bit of hotpod and was forced to surrender by default. In the end he told her that she better not tell anyone (specifically the 'stupid cow', 'the hag', or 'that Christophe bastard') or else.

By the time they finished, it was getting late and the play would be ending. Revya figured this would be a good time to catch up with Reira and tell her what happened.

Little did they know, as they stood up to leave, they would hear the thing that would jump start the next, horrible string of events…

"Waaaaaah!!" screamed a man's voice.

Revya turned towards the source. Out of the alleyway mouth ran an extremely fast Sepp, his face fraught with fear. Whispers ran through the crowds as question and anxiety rode through in waves. What was going on?

"Out of the way!"

"Move it!"

"Official business!"

A group of knights began pushing through the crowds (among them was the knight Revya now recognized as Liam). They stopped to hear the man's trouble but when the gleamed a scant bit a few went on ahead to investigate where the man had come from. A cleric (who looked much like a certain spy-turned-chef) went to check up on the man but he seemed in a state of hysteria.

"Calm down," the cleric said firmly. "Tell me what happened."

"It's-it's terrible!" The Sepp panted. "I was going to visit my sister and-and-when I got there-oh god…"

"A second man-cow can mean only one thing," Gig said, his eyes slightly narrowed. "Another shit storm of trouble about to hit…"

One of the knights that disappeared down the alleyway ran back with a look of horror on his features.

"It's…scarlet iago! Scarlet iago's appeared!"