This story belongs to me and my creative mind. However, most of the characters, names, and places all belong to their respective companies, so don't yell at me for copyright infringements! Remember, Italics represent a person's thoughts or the telling of past events.

Enjoy...

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:Faraway Dreams:

Chapter Thirteen:


"So then he knows where you live?" Gordan asked.

"Yep."

Gordan frowned. "Then it is settled. Until we defeat and lock Elric away, I will stay with you at all times to protect you from harm."

"You don't need to."

"I have to. It is required of me to protect those who are in danger."

Illis sighed. "Since you've put it so simply, and I doubt you'll listen to me anyway, I guess that I'll let you have your way."

Gordan smiled. "I thank you for finally accepting the logic behind my words. You would have avoided trouble had I been present when Elric visited your home."

"I think you'd have caused more trouble if you were there." She smirked.

Gordan gave her a look. "I am glad to see you have such faith in my diplomatic skill."

"Alright you two, we need 'ta come up with another plan, again." Gerick reprimanded. "Now that we know just what we're dealin' with, it'll be easier to get this guy outta our hair."

"True, so what will we do?" Gordan asked of Illis.

"It's simple, really. So far we don't know where he lives or where he usually resides in the city, if he does at all. We know that he knows where my sister and I live, and that he'll arrive there whenever it pleases him. Lastly, he won't restrain himself from just threatening my life, but also everyone else's, so he could very well find your places of residence and try to attack you there."

"Then he holds all the cards." Gordan commented.

"All but the trump card, pure statistics that give us a five to one advantage over him. So long as we can prevent him from attacking any of us alone, we can use strength in numbers to overwhelm him like we tried to before in the Business District."

"But how can we do that?" Gerick asked.

"He won't fall for the same trick as before, so we can't lure him to steal something and trap him. The only thing I can think of is to use myself as bait."

Gordan looked at Illis, surprised. "How could you suggest such a dangerous maneuver!?"

"What other choice do we have? If we can't get him to attack us as a group, then he's gonna pick us off one at a time until none of us are left standing."

"But still...there must be another path to take."

"Don't think I want to do this," Illis added. "I'd rather do anything than use myself as a target, but it's the only viable plan that I can think of. Do any of you have ideas to share?"

Both Gerick and Gordan shook their heads, and Illis gave them a grim smile in reply.

"You see, this is the only plan we have."

"But are you willing to go through with such a dangerous idea?" Gordan further pried.

"I don't have any other choice. This is the only thing I can do." Illis sighed, standing from her chair and setting down the mug she held. "I'm going home to rest, I barely got any sleep...you coming?"

"Of course." Gordan answered, standing to meet her.

"Well then, I suppose I'll see you sometime later, Gerick." She apologized.

"Ah, don't worry yerself, you just get some sleep and take it easy. And Gordan," The bearded man added, drawing the nobleman's eyes. "Please...don't go gettin' yourself worked up over this. Elric's just toyin' with us, and the last thing I'll be needin' is my friend gettin' himself killed over it."

Gordan nodded his concurrence. "I will keep your words present in my mind, old friend."

With those words spoken, the two Regulators exited their Hall and headed further into the Theater District towards the safety of Illis' home. Gerick sighed deeply and leaned back against his chair, staring at the ceiling as he took a rare moment to reflect on his life. He knew how to defeat monsters, how to set traps to capture Vice's in the act of stealing, even how Imps and Goblins communicated with one another, but he didn't have any idea on how to fight a human opponent like Elric. Even with his time as a Sergeant in the Lindblum military, he never had to fight a human with the kind of radical power the Fire Bandit possessed.

Gerick felt unnaturally depressed over the entire situation.

Poor Illis...this is been a stressin' time for her. She's been doin' alright keeping herself together, but how long will she be able to keep that strong front of her's up?...

The elderly man harrumphed, standing to his feet and walking towards the doors of the Hall. Shutting them carefully, he continued his walk down the path towards the Aircabs.

"Might as well let Cecil know what's new." He muttered under his breath.



Gordan and Illis stepped outside of the Hall, both of them silent as they proceeded to her home. However, Gordan's eyes wandered over to a spot of rail at the edge of the Square, and he saw something that gave him a start.

"Illis." He started, putting a hand to Illis' shoulder to stop her walk.

"Hmm?" She muttered.

"Take a look over there." He pointed with a strange expression.

Illis looked towards where Gordan's finger aimed, and she saw something that surprised her as well, despite having knowledge of what lead to it. Her sister was standing alongside Fedrich, her arms wrapped around his body and his arms crossed over her shoulders, her small body quaking with obvious tears.

Goodness...I didn't think she'd take what I said so seriously...

"A strange thing, is it not? To see your sister being comforted by someone who she has known for barely a month." He commented.

"I suppose it is." She replied in kind.

"Should we say anything?"

Before Illis could reply, she saw the Burman's head look up from it's place and look at her with a surprised expression. Fedrich's eyes seemed to express his sadness he shared, but also sent a message that he didn't want them to interrupt, something Illis could understand.

She shook her head. "No, let's leave them be. I think that things'll be just fine for them."

The two shared a brief smile, then continued on their way back to her home.



"Ruthy?" Fedrich asked.

The redhead looked up from her resting place against his chest, her eyes tear-stained and red. The Burman wiped at her cheek with a finger, cleaning away the trail of wetness.

"You gonna be okay now?" He asked.

Ruthy swallowed, but gave a nod and stepped back slightly. "I'm sorry..."

"You don't need to be, everyone needs to cry out their sorrows now and then."

The two stepped away from one another, Ruthy wiping her eyes with her arm and holding herself. Fedrich tilted his head as he looked at her, wondering just what kind of emotional damage she suffered from. Before he could speak, she stepped back again, looking around the Square nervously.

"Fedrich...I'm going home." She excused, turning to job out of the area and follow the same path Gordan and Illis took just a minute ago.

Fedrich didn't try to stop her, but merely watched as she rounded the corner of the nearby houses and disappeared into the streets of the district. Once she was gone, he heaved a sigh and let his shoudlers slump, the emotional high disappearing and leaving him empty.

"Oh Ruthy...what kind of emotional demons have gotten hold of you?..."

The Burman straightened his stance, looking back out into the open sky of Lindblum's airspace, following Airships as they progressed from place to place. He reached behind his shoulders to grip the familair hilt of his weapon and drew it out, the metal glinting in the sunlight.

"Elric...why did he have to come here and do this to us? What kind of person would go and cause this kind of hurt to his own siblings?"

The Burman looked at the sword, studying the razor sharp edge and the design of the swordguard.

Had I been stronger...if I could have stopped him before he went to their house...I could have done something to stop him from making Ruthy suffer like that...

Fedrich stared at his reflection in the metal edge of his short sword, his dull green eyes staring into himself as if trying to peer into his soul. He kept reflecting back to his confrontation with Elric, seeing the bandit's skills were far above his own. Despite his assurances that the difference in their skill was purely on experience, Fedrich couldn't shake the ill notion that he was somehow being held back from attaining his own limits.

Why is it that Elric is so much stronger than me? Why can't I improve fast enough to meet him? Gordan told me that I'm improving in battle, but why don't I feel any more confidant in myself?

The Burman shook his head, looking away from the sword.

I shouldn't reflect so much on this...but what will happen if I face Elric again and I'm still unable to compete with him? I don't have the luxury to take as much time as I need to improve, my training has to bring better results that this...

Fedrich lifted his sword up and assumed his offensive stance, then jumped forward and lashed out with the weapon repeatedly, forcing his illusionary opponent back. He then leapt into the air and performed a downward stroke, imagining his opponent's struggle to defend himself against the strike. From his crouching position, he then jumped up with a twirl of his blade, knocking his opponent off balance, then landed and thrust the blade forward to impale the illusionary foe, ending the sequence of strikes. The Burman sighed, again glancing out towards the horizon of Lindblum's walls while wondering just what he needed to make himself stronger.

"What can I do? I've trained just as father told me to, but what else can I do to improve myself?"

The air didn't give him any answers, and Fedrich grumbled, looking back at the blade to see his reflection in it's surface. His eyes only reflected the same inner turmoil he felt, something he wished he didn't have. With a growl of frustration, he returned to his offensive stance and began the motions again, fighting the illusionary warrior with increased ferocity.

I'll have to make due with what I have, I must improve my skill, and I'll be damned if I fail my friends again!

Completing the sequence of moves, he thrust the short sword out with a battle cry, narrowing his eyes.

Ruthy...I'll never let Elric take you away from this place...


* * *


"You can be serious!? Elric is brother to Illis and Ruthy!?" Cecil repeated, face wide with shock.

Gerick nodded. "Yep, caught all of us by surprise when she told us."

The blonde Captain shuffled on his feet, face reflecting the confusion running through his head. "Gods...that just makes things freakin' great! How are we gonna get rid of the bastard when those two are going to pitch a fit about harming him?"

"You don't need 'ta worry about that. Illis seems set on gettin' rid of the guy, it's Ruthy that's got issues with fightin' her newfound brother."

"What are we gonna do about her, then?"

Gerick's bearded face frowned. "She's just gonna have to accept that he's a criminal and a danger that needs 'ta be removed and locked away. She isn't gonna try and stop us, if that's what your worried about."

"Nah, she doesn't seem like the type to do that." Cecil said, shaking his head. "But how does this help us any?"

"Elric found Illis at her home, and he basically told her that he was gonna drag her back to her hometown. She thinks he's gonna visit her again to 'talk' her into comin' home, so she wants 'ta use herself as bait to let us get the drop on him."

Cecil grumbled. "We tried something like that already, but he got away, remember?"

"Yeah, but she's gone 'ta think that we'll have no other time to try, since we can't find him in the city."

"Then it's the same trick, same risks, same damned challenge as before."

"'Cept this time he'll be in familiar ground for us. We can trap him in Illis' house and get him there."

"And if we warps?"

"You remember how close Fedrich got 'ta tagging him in the Jewelry Sector? This time we'll be in arms length of the guy, it's gotta work this time."

"Yeah, we have to get him this time. The Lady Chief is taking so much heat from the Royal Circle of Counselors that she'll come down here with lance in hand to get the bastard herself."

"Then let's make this happen."

"Right! I'll station some additional guards on the streets to her home so we'll know if he's nearby. I'll also have some of my fastest messenger birds with them so they can send word to you if they see him. Hopefully we can trap this damned Bandit before he can do anything else to complicate matters."