"I've read about these," Dagger murmured, "but I didn't truly believe they existed."

The princess crouched, her attention drawn to the trio of jizo statues on the side of the path. Her delicate fingers brushed away leaves that had fallen on top of them. Sori halted next to her, nostalgia slamming her hard.

"My mother believed in them," she explained, forcing a grin to crack through as Dagger looked up at her. "She always said they brought good luck and safety to travelers on the roads." She paused, her words lost on her tongue. It used to be painless to speak of her family, but since Blank left her side, it ached like the day of the fire. "She said they kept Blank safe on his journeys between our home and Lindblum."

Standing, Dagger asked, "Did you believe in them?"

"I used to."

Marcus and Steiner caught up to them then, the latter breathing in soft wheezes. "Finished sight-seeing, Dagger?" Marcus teased.

Dagger blushed, clasping her hands behind her back. "I am," she said. "I apologize-"

"Sorry," Sori interrupted.

"O-Oh, that's right. Sorry for being distracted. This – all of this – is like a new world to me."

"Please keep in mind, Princess-" Steiner began.

"Dagger."

"...D-Dagger, please remember that we are on a critical schedule. We must meet with Queen Brahne at once."

"Yes, Steiner. I am more than aware."

They continued on through the South Gate and into the wilds of the Bentini Heights. Creatures roamed free, their howls echoing off the mountains. Sori kept a close eye on every Trick Sparrow and Carve Spider, unsure if they were friendly enough to allow them secure passage. Fortunately, the monsters paid no mind to them.

The closer to Treno they ventured, the darker the sky grew. A certain uneasiness filled Sori and she grabbed for her sword. "Is this a normal thing or should we be worried?" she wondered aloud.

"Treno is perpetually in darkness," Dagger expounded, the same excitement glistening in her eyes as when she surveyed the jizo statues. "I've read that it proves growing crops to be rather difficult, but the majority of the residents are very well off, so they don't mind paying the extra cost to have their foods imported."

"Is reading all you do?" asked Sori incredulously.

"I...Well, in a way, yes. I spend much of my time in the library of the castle."

"Do not berate the princess," Steiner scowled, raising a fist toward Sori, "just because you are too lowly to know how to read!"

Sori scoffed, rolled her eyes, and swatted his fist away as if it were nothing more than a gnat. "I know how to read," she lied.

As they approached the gates, two guards yawning in unison welcomed them. They murmured a cursory greeting, opened the metal entrances, and returned to lazing about their posts. Sori could have sworn she watched one immediately fall asleep the moment he stood still.

Once inside, Steiner inhaled deeply through his nose and closed his eyes contently. "Ah, yes. The City of Nobles," he said gleefully. "This will be a grand change from traveling with two penniless thugs."

"Oh, shut up, tin-can."

"Yeah. Do you ever get tired of hearing your own voice? Because we do."

Dagger stepped between the trio and cleared her throat. "We have no time to waste," she announced, her voice climbing over the bickering. "We need to find out which noble has the Supersoft."

Marcus and Steiner seemed to be too lost in their verbal brawl to pay any mind to her. Though Sori had give Dagger her undivided attention, the men argued on, both trying to explain why the other needed to shut their mouth. Before long, the topic shifted. Steiner began to howl, claiming that people like Marcus and Sori were the reason why part of Treno had become a slum.

"We're running out of time," Dagger remarked, turning to Sori.

"For once, I agree with you."

"Shall – I mean, should we start the search on our own?"

A grateful groan graced Sori's lips. "Yes," she replied. "We shall."

(!)(!)(!)

Hours of mindless wandering ensued. At first, the duo simply strolled the streets, taking in the atmosphere while sizing up anyone who appeared as though they were familiar with the concept of wealth. They inquired about the Supersoft, but nobody stopped to lend an ear. With each failed attempt at obtaining information, Sori's spirits weakened.

"This is hopeless," she moaned once they came to a stop. A homeless man retched in a nearby alleyway.

Dagger curled her nose at the noise and turned away from it. "We haven't looked everywhere yet," she reminded. "I doubt we've even discovered half of this city."

"Even if we do find it, how can we be sure the owner will be so willing to give it up to a couple of strangers?"

Casting her gaze to the side, Dagger gave a meek shrug as if she were ashamed. "Well, we could always take it by force," she suggested.

Sori's brows lifted. "Dagger," she gasped. "I'm appalled! And very proud!"

After a long while, they stumbled upon the auction house. Sori's mouth dropped the moment they entered the gigantic double doors. She'd never seen so many nobles gathered in one place, shouting their worth and practically begging to be pick pocketed. Dagger shot her a warning glare, seemingly reading Sori's intentions and dashing her hopes.

Blending in with the crowd (the best they could; their filthy clothes were an obvious sign that they didn't belong there), they sat in the red leather seats and listened to the auctioneer spout off items Sori had never heard of before. The longer she listened to the prices raise, the worse she felt about herself. She longed to know the luxury of owning so much gil.

"Who is that?" Dagger murmured, her voice just barely audible over the buzz of the crowd.

Sori followed her stare to the balcony seats to the right where a single person stood. With a brilliant flow of silver hair and revealing, jewelry-adorned clothes, Sori was uncertain of the person's gender. At first glance, they appeared to be female, but the sharp jawline told her otherwise.

"Prin – Dagger!" came Steiner's awkward boom from the entrance. The nobles paid no attention to the disturbance. "Thank goodness I found you!"

Sori swore she heard a groan rumble from Dagger's mouth as she stood to her feet and turned to face the knight. "How can I find the Supersoft when I keep having to listen to your complaints?!" she snapped.

It took both Sori and Steiner by surprise. The look of pure shock flashed across his face. Dagger may as well have delivered a stinging palm to his cheek. For the first time, Sori almost pitied Steiner. Almost.

"I don't think it's here anyway," Dagger continued, maneuvering around the row of chairs. Sori followed close behind. "Where's Marcus?"

"I do not know," Steiner answered faithfully as if nothing had happened.

Dagger looked to Sori. "Marcus could have found it by now." Her eyes trailed up toward the balcony. It was empty. "We should go."

"Yeah, we should."

They exited the auction house and agreed upon Steiner's suggestion to search the inn he had passed on the way to them. Although it wasn't a far distance away, the tension between him and Dagger gave Sori the impression that they'd been walking in agonizing silence for hours. She'd considered picking fun at him by calling him a tin-can again, just to spark somewhat of a conversation, but decided against it. Dagger's previous comment had given him more than enough humiliation for the day.

During their brief excursion, a group of six or seven children shoved their way past, their sights set on a mangy dog. One of the boys, the smallest of the bunch, tripped over his own feet and toppled onto the ground, catching and scraping his knee on the bricked walkway. Through his teary vision, he looked onward and hollered for the others.

The only one who seemed to hear him was a raven-haired girl in a blue sundress. She didn't hesitate to scurry back to him, kneel down, and plant her lips on the scratches on his knees. "There," she said, pulling him to his feet. "All better."

Sori lingered behind a moment to watch their act come to an end as they walked away hand-in-hand. Her chest tightened. She flexed her fingers, feeling for just a fleeting second Blank's hand curled around hers. She carried on to the inn.

Turning a corner, Sori witnessed Steiner holding the door to the building open for Dagger. The princess gave him a nod of appreciation, which forced his mood to skyrocket. A smile nearly flaunted on his face before Sori appeared in his sights. An immediate grimace grew in place and he nudged his way in front of her as she tried to pass through the threshold.

"Very mature for an Alexandrian Knight," Sori hissed, glaring at his back.

She lifted her hand in a quick wave to the innkeeper, who she had seen only once before in the Lindblum hideout. Only somewhat familiar with each other, he murmured a greeting and jutted his chin toward the set of stairs that led underneath the inn.

Marcus met them halfway down the stairs. Sweat beaded his forehead and he seemed breathless, but his face was alight. "We're ready to get the Supersoft!" he declared.

Partly out of revenge and partly out of enthusiasm, Sori rushed toward Marcus, ducking underneath Steiner's arm and lunging to the side, nearly knocking the armored man off his feet. "Filth!" he hollered, steadying as hastily as he could to save himself the embarrassment. Sori turned, winked, and bit her thumb at him.

Dagger, too invested in Marcus' words to dignify the rambunctious behavior with any sort of acknowledgment, attempted to hide her eagerness by pursing her lips. "When do we leave?"

Marcus let out an astonished, "Huh!" He offered a half-smirk. "You're really coming, aren't you? Well, we can leave right away, if you'd like. The boss is waiting at the dock."

"Boss?" she repeated.

"That would be Baku," Sori informed her. "I'm sure you remember him. He's tough to forget."

Apparently on an agenda of her own, Dagger sprinted past them and descended the makeshift stairs and ladders. Steiner shouldered his way through, hot on her trail. Deciding it best to save themselves from any injuries, Sori and Marcus took their time catching up.

"So," Sori began once they were out of earshot, "how'd you find out about the attack on Burmecia?" She narrowed her eyes as the lighting around them fell dimmer.

"Before I found you at your old home back when we were in Dali, I'd overheard a storekeeper talking about it. He said he wasn't pleased with Dali being a supplier of the Black Mages. I guess the whole 'quiet, wholesome town' theme is just a cover-up."

"I knew something felt weird about that place."

The sounds of trickling water and creaking boards replaced their voices. Just as Sori began to form the thought that life seemed peaceful in that moment, Steiner's gruff voice shattered it. "Don't you talk back to me! I am escorting the princess-"

"I thought you might've changed after travelin' with Zidane, but you ain't changed!" came Baku's terrifying yell. Sori was filled with the utmost joy that it wasn't directed at her this time. "Do you even know why you're here?!"

When Sori and Marcus hustled down the last flight of stairs, Dagger sighed in relief and hopped into a tiny boat that Marcus had prepared for them beforehand. "Let's just go, okay?" she persisted.

His face crimson, Steiner shuffled after her. Marcus followed, but a beefy, hairy hand stopped Sori before she could set foot in. Baku peered down at her, his beady eyes glistening with something she'd never seen in them before.

"You're really stickin' with this," he stated as if he were affirming it with himself.

Sori nodded. "I'm doing it for Blank. I have to."

Baku mimicked her nod and gave her a "gentle" pat on her back before urging her into the boat. It may have been gentle in his terms, but it nearly knocked the wind out of Sori.

The boat drifted on. While Steiner prodded Dagger, asking her for the tenth time if she truly wanted to stoop so low as to steal the Supersoft, Sori sat on the edge of the vessel. Marcus fiddled with his blade, running his fingertip down its length. "He's proud of you, y'know."

The realization that Marcus was speaking to Sori didn't strike her until a second of silence had passed. She tore her gaze away from her reflection in the water. "Who is?"

"The boss," he answered matter-of-factually. "I've only ever seen him give that look to me and Blank."

A warm, comforting sensation grew in Sori's stomach and spread to her chest. She turned from Marcus and looked back into the water, watching as her reflection's lips curled into a wide grin. Baku was proud of her. That fact made up for all the names Steiner had called her. She was finally becoming someone of value to Baku and the rest of Tantalus.

The boat slammed against a stone dock, cracking the bow slightly. After the initial shock of impact faded, Marcus turned his attention toward a stairway leading upward. "In there!" he hissed sharply.

"Where are we?" Sori whispered as she pulled herself onto the dock. Dull pebbles pressed into her palms and left mismatched imprints when she brushed them away.

"Under a shop," Marcus answered, his gaze darting all around them. "The Supersoft is here."

They filed up the staircase and found themselves in a storage room of sorts. Sori soon noticed that it was just the back area of the store – a place entirely visible to customers. Heaps of boxes and books were littered about the space. A few had been knocked over at some point, creating a mess of papers and potions on the floor. Dust invaded Sori's nose, tempting her to sneeze. She pinched her nostrils, but Steiner gave in.

"How are we going to find it?" she asked as she pried open one of the boxes. Empty, save for an over-sized spider corpse. She gasped and flinched away.

"Just keep looking."

Much to their chagrin, their time to search was cut short. There was a squeak of a lantern dial, a wheezing cough, and an approaching light from a connecting hallway. Steiner snatched the back of Sori's tunic and yanked her toward him as he huddled in a dark corner. Dagger, who had shielded herself behind a crate with Marcus, cast Sori a panicked glance.

"Oh, I can't believe I ran out of ink on a night like this," an ancient, fragile voice mused. "I must find more ink and go back to the observatory."

Marcus looked to Dagger, who had been smiling since she heard the unknown voice. "Should I take care of him?" he asked.

Her voice came out strong, clear, and loud. "No!" Bolting from her hiding spot, she disappeared from Sori's sight. The younger girl peered around the edge of a box, watching as Dagger bowed to a stubby, feeble man. "I've missed you, Doctor Tot."

Behind Sori, Steiner gave a puff of surprise as Doctor Tot greeted Dagger by her true name. He shoved Sori to the side and into a pile of torn and crumpled papers as he jumped to his feet. "Doctor Tot?"

Marcus was at Sori's side before she could get her bearings, helping her from the trash and shaking his head at Steiner. "You know him?"

"Doctor Tot is the highly respected scholar who tutored the princess!" Steiner barked as if it were common knowledge.

Doctor Tot motioned his free hand rapidly. "You must be quiet," he scolded, "or you'll wake the shopkeeper. But, Princess, what on earth are you doing here?"

"It's a long story, but we're looking for Supersoft right now."

Dagger's confession sent Steiner into a series of alarmed rambling. "There is a proper reason for this! We are not here to steal, or commit any form of crime-"

"We actually are," Sori chimed in, earning herself a bewildered stare from Doctor Tot. It seemed as though she and Marcus had gone unnoticed during the whirlwind of a reunion.

"Is someone there?" a new voice called from the hallway. There was a collective halt in breathing.

Moving swiftly, Doctor Tot urged the four back the way they came. "Run along!" he whispered. "I will give you the Supersoft later! Go left from the Treno entrance and continue until you find a large tower. The tower is my home. It's locked, but I shall unlock the door and await your arrival."

Before they had the chance to properly thank him, the door thudded shut behind them. Dagger, Steiner, and Marcus chattered on as they perched themselves back in the boat. Sori, however, was silent. Her mind hummed with that had just occurred. Disbelief invaded her thoughts. It just seemed too good to be true.

(!)(!)(!)

"This must be it."

Standing before the tallest tower in Treno, Sori's heart thumped against her chest. This was it: the place that held Blank's cure. Although it had been only a mere three days since she last heard his voice, it felt as if eons had passed.

She assumed that night had truly settled over the city. Children no longer roamed the streets. Most had retreated to their homes, others found beds in the corners of alleyways and patched tents. The stall vendors had packed their belongings and abandoned their posts for just a few hours to catch up on sleep. A certain stillness, almost peaceful, filled the area.

Marcus took the initiative to open the wooden door leading into the tower. Countless stairs met them, winding up the interior in a spiral. Taking two steps at a time, Marcus, Sori, and Dagger ascended higher into the tower while Steiner huffed and puffed his way up, falling further and further behind. By the time they reached the top, his face was dripping with sweat and he sounded as if there wasn't enough air in the world to fill his lungs.

"Princess!" Doctor Tot exclaimed, turning from an open book to look at us. "Thank you all for coming to my humble abode."

Sori crossed her arms over her chest as she surveyed the room. With the monstrous broken globe nestled in the middle, thousands of books strewn across the floor, and a messy bed shoved underneath a catwalk, there was hardly any room to move about. An musty smell lingered around; she tried to hide the fact that her nose crinkled as the scent entered her nostrils.

"This is your home?" Dagger questioned, a soft bout of commiseration in her voice. She, too, attempted to hide her discomfort.

Marcus leaned in closer to Sori once the doctor and Dagger fell into their own conversation. "Find the Supersoft," he whispered urgently.

Sori inched toward a wooden chest that had first caught her eye when they entered the room. A golden lock secured it. She fumbled with it, searching for any crack in the design.

"Will you two stop snooping around for five minutes?!" Steiner snapped, startling Sori. "Damn thieves."

Instead of erupting in a fit of anger and mistrust like Sori had expected, Doctor Tot simply rasped out a gruff chuckle and fished about in the pocket of his coat. "Here," he said, providing a rusted key. "The Supersoft is in that chest you're touching. Go ahead and take it."

Sori's hands trembled as she inserted the key into the lock. She missed twice, but aimed right on the third try. Twisting it so hard that the key nearly broke, she licked her lips and let out a sharp exhale. The chest opened, revealing a vial of violet liquid. She shook it side to side gingerly, watching as it sloshed about in the glass, before holding it to her chest.

"Blank..."