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 Three:


"Whoa..." Fedrich breathed, eyes wide.

"I agree." Ruthy finished, her gaze tracing across the cityscape.

The two stood at the edge of the Surveyor's Square, looking over the massive landscape of Treno's various buildings. The massive Card Arena stood prominent in the center of the city, pathways and small canals strewn around the area as fires and electric lights flickered in the dark. The sky, magically altered to it's nighttime appearance, was devoid of stars and merely held the sun in it's exposure, moonlight gently illuminating the city.

"So this is the sleepless city." Ruthy continued. "I never thought it would look so elegant."

"Wonders never cease. I never imagined such a place existed."

"You've never heard of Treno?"

"No. Like I've said, we don't get much outside influence back home."

"Well, I've heard of this place, but nothing compares to the real thing."

Fedrich nodded. "So where is the play being held?"

Ruthy pulled out more tickets from her pouch, shuffling through them until she found the proper ones. "It says that it will be in the Grand Maria Amphitheater at eight 'o clock. I have no idea where that is."

"Maybe we should ask around."

"Sure." She agreed, motioning to one of the listless guards near the entrance. "They ought to know."

The two approached one of the guards, and Fedrich took the lead to ask.

"Excuse me, but could you point out where the Grand Maria Theater is?" The Burman asked.

"It's by King's Auction House." The Guard muttered.

"...And where's that?" Fedrich continued.

The Guard sighed, then pointed an armored finger towards a point in the city. "Look, you see the Arena out there? The Theater is just beyond it on the canal pathways. You'd have to be blind if you can't find it from there."

"Okay. Thanks." Fedrich said with a grumble.

The two walked towards the Arena, leaving the square and entering the vast walkways that crisscrossed the canals and connected buildings to one another. People were busily walking through the city pathways, many of them looking either extremely rich or very poor, of noble appearance or treacherous gaze. Ruthy kept her steps close to Fedrich's side, little fears rising as she saw many unsavory types looking her over.

"He was certainly rude." The redhead commented.

"Yeah, the guards shouldn't be so...standoffish."

"Maybe he's just sick of pointing the amphitheater out to tourists like us."

"Maybe, but everyone else seems to act like him." Fedrich added. "I guess this isn't just a friendly city to outsiders."

"Well, let's not let a grumpy bunch of people get us down! We've come for a good show, so we might as well make the best of our time and enjoy the sights!"

Fedrich grinned, Ruthy's chipper attitude rubbing off. "Maybe we can get something to eat before going to the performance?"

"Okay, sounds like a good idea."

Fedrich looked around the area, hoping to find some kind of eatery open for business. After walking for several minutes, pacing a wide circle around the Arena, Ruthy's sharp eyes finally saw a modest cafe open just beyond the canals. The two entered the restaurant and were presented with a dimly lit bar, people filling the tables while cigar smoke drifted lazily around. A worker led them to a small table tucked into a corner, giving the two a simple menu before walking away.

"Oh brother..." Fedrich muttered. "The selection here is just as strange as it was in Lindblum on my first day..."

"It's not all that different, there's plenty of drinks and sandwiches I recognize."

"True...I guess I'll have their spiced fish sandwich."

Ruthy waved a worker to their table once one came near, and the two ordered their meals and drinks, paying for the food up front. The two looked around the restaurant for a idle minute, observing the people as they chattered loudly and played cards with onlookers betting their precious Gil. A worker came to their table with her arms filled with plates, and she set the arrangement down before the two and bid them a good evening. Just before they started eating, a man dressed in a neat and orderly set of clothes stood up on a raised section of the floor and called out for attention.

"G'evening, everyone, and thanks for coming," The man began. "Tonight we've got a special guest here straight from the hallowed halls of the Alexandria musical school. The Playwright's Bar 'n Grill is pleased to present the man with fingers of ivory...Rod Dougin!"

The patrons all clapped lightly as a man dressed in formal attire stepped to the raised area and sat down at a grand piano that the shadow seemed to have hidden. With a shuffle of papers and the crack of his knuckles, the man began playing out a gentle tune while singing, his gravel like voice speaking of the many ways he would express his heart to his love. Fedrich and Ruthy listened for a while, but the smell of their meals took their attention and they began eating instead.

"Interesting music." Fedrich commented. "It's nothing like the music back home."

"What is it like, then?" Ruthy asked.

"Well, most musicians stick to stringed instruments or flutes and the like. It's more upbeat, I guess, and there's not much singing either. You'd only have music playing if you intended to dance, so a faster pace is kind of needed."

"And did you ever dance?"

Fedrich coughed. "No...I've got two left feet, I think is what they say."

"How strange! The fast and fleet-footed warrior of us all and he can't manage a few simple steps." Ruthy snickered.

"Hey now, I'll have you know that our dances probably have a hundred steps a minute or more!" Fedrich spoke, attempting to defend himself. "Then there's trying to dance with another person alongside you, it's tough work! Mother told me there are women who've dedicated their entire lives to perfecting their dances."

"Wow. I guess your people take their work seriously, even dancing." She said with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, although, there aren't many dancers in Burmecia. The Tree City Cleyra has a lot of dancers, since they don't train for war or anything else."

"Huh..." Ruthy exhaled, thinking on his words.

"What about you? Do you know how to dance?" Fedrich asked with an evil smile.

Ruthy felt a blush tinge her face. "Er...well...not exactly."


A while after they finished their meals, Fedrich and Ruthy continued their walk around Treno in search of the amphitheater. The number of people in the streets seemed to increase as time wore on, along with more shops opening and more sounds reaching their ears. As they passed the Arena, swarms of people walked around the entrance as they created a din of sound, all of it revolving around the game of cards, Tetra Master. Ruthy insisted on stopping to watch a few games being played outside the arena, and they observed two kids playing quickly with colorful cards with the pictures of monsters on them.

"You get it?" Ruthy whispered to her friend.

"Not at all." Fedrich replied.

After watching the kids play without understanding how they kept track of the score or who won, they gave up and walked away from the Arena towards the upper levels of the city's walkways. As they walked up a narrow flight of stairs, the two of the passed by a strange man with four arms and a collection of odd clothes on his body. The multi-armed man bumped against Fedrich as they crossed paths.

"'scuse me." The man apologized.

"Sure." Fedrich replied.

The two parted, but Fedrich felt something strange about the parting. He absently ran his hands across his belt, and surprisingly felt that the pouch of Gil he secured on his waist was missing. Panicking, he felt all around his waist and looked about his body, and surely enough, he couldn't find the jingling pouch anywhere. He looked back quickly, seeing the man continuing down the stairs with a quick pace.

"Excuse me, sir, but did-" Fedrich started.

The man quaked for a moment while looking back, but stopped his motion and took off running on fast feet.

"Ruthy!" Fedrich shouted, doubling back to pursue the thief.

The redhead looked to back to see Fedrich race after the thief, and she quickly followed suit and ran after the Burman. Fedrich's quick feet gave him an advantage to chase the bandit, who presently was shoving onlookers aside with ease motions of his four arms. Ruthy continued after them, testing her endurance as they tried to keep up with the fleet footed men.

"Stop!" Fedrich barked.

"Ya gotta catch me first!" The four-armed bandit insisted.

Fedrich growled, then jumped up and took to the air, hoping to catch the bandit off gaurd. Landing in front of the thief, he spun around and balled his fist in time for the bandit to crash into it, halting the pursuit with a loud crack. The four armed man fell back to the cobblestone ground, holding his face with two arms while supporting his body with the other two.

"Aya, you musta broke my nose, you whore-spawn!" The thief cursed.

Fedrich drew his short sword and pointed it down at the man. "You have something of mine. Give it back, please."

The bandit hesitated a moment, but quickly drew out two daggers from his belt and slapped Fedrich's blade away. He jumped to his feet and held the blades menacingly for a moment, then jumped to attack. Fedrich used his short sword to parry and block the two weapons away, keeping his ground as the bandit tried to hit flesh. The thief managed a lucky swipe of his dagger, a thin line of blood forming across the Burman's hand. Fedrich stifled a curse and continued to defend himself, finally stepping back to avoid another wound. The thief held his daggers menacingly, smiling widely with his yellowed teeth.

"Heh heh, you better back off 'n leave, rat!"

Fedrich regained his feet and brought his sword up defensively, ready to attack as he glared at his opponent. Ruthy finally arrived at his side, breathing deeply as she looked at the two in their standoff. She quickly pulled her longbow free from her shoulder and uncovered her quiver of arrows, drawing one in and tensing the string. Fedrich glanced back to see Ruthy ready, and he focused back to the bandit with a grin.

"Now you're outnumbered. Just give me my money back and you can go free."

"Err..." The bandit muttered, faltering.

"Just give him his money," Ruthy added. "I'll get you with an arrow if you try and run."

"Heh, like you'd be able 'ta-"

Before the multi-armed thief could continue with his threat, an arrow shot out from Ruthy's longbow and struck one of his daggers, knocking the weapon out of his grip. Ruthy pulled another arrow from her quiver and tensed it, aiming for the bandit's body with lethal intent. The thief backed away, dropping his remaining dagger as he waved his arms in desperation.

"Ah! Don't! Here, take it, just don't kill me!" The bandit pleaded, tossing the pouch down by Fedrich's feet.

Fedrich approached and bent down to pick up the pouch, keeping his eyes on the thief's every move. He picked up the pouch and dropped it into a pocket on his belt, then stepped back towards Ruthy's side.

"Alright, now get going, and don't you steal from anyone else again."

"Right, right!" The thief apologized before dashing away into the crowds of people that watched the altercation.

Ruthy unstrung her arrow and returned it with the others, slinging her bow across her shoulders as Fedrich sheathed his short sword. Fedrich checked the wound on his hand, seeing that it wasn't deep enough to be a danger, just enough to spill blood.

"What a strange guy." Ruthy commented.

"Yeah, this place is more dangerous than I thought. We'd better keep a safe hold on our Gil unless someone else tries to steal from us."

The redhead looked towards her companion, seeing him tending to his injury. "Did he get you?"

It's just a scratch, really, nothing-" Fedrich began.

"Let me see it!" She insisted, taking his hand and staring intently at the cut. "I wouldn't want you to get an infection because of that. I've got some bandages with me, just hold on a sec."

Fedrich raised his brows in surprise. "You really packed for everything, huh?"

She nodded. "You never know when danger can come. I made sure to pack enough medications in case we were attacked by monsters during the trip. Your hand, please?"

Fedrich offers her the injured limb, and she quickly wrapped it in several layers of medical bandage and secured a knot at the base of his thumb. She checked to make sure of her work, then pushed a potion into his hand, stuffing the remaining tape into her pockets.

"Drink it up, we can't have you bleeding all night long."

"Sure." He accepted, swallowing the thick concoction.

Ruthy nodded at her handiwork, then checked her pocketwatch. "Blast it, now we've got twenty minutes to find the amphitheater thanks to that thief!"

"Well, we just passed the Arena, so it's got to be somewhere around here." Fedrich thought, looking around the area. "It might be somewhere on the upper paths of the city."

"Hey, look!" Ruthy exclaimed, pointing up to a pathway high above them. "That's a banner from Tantalus, the play must be being held up there!"

"But how're we going to get there? There are no stairs leading near that path."

"I don't know..."

Fedrich looked up for a few moments, then was struck with an interesting idea. He glanced around the area, seeing that they were surrounded by cobblestone paths running parallel to two canals filled with dark water. There were few people about the area, and the walkways above looked to be as sparsely populated.

It looks about twenty meters up there. Yes...it just may work!...

With a humored grin, he looked to see the redhead glancing back towards the stairs they just descended. He approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

"Ruthy, do you trust me?" He asked.

"Huh?" She muttered.

"I asked if you trust me." Fedrich repeated.

"Well...yes, yes I do trust you." She answered. "But what does-"

The Burman smirked. "Then hold on tight!"

Giving Ruthy a tug, he swung his arms below her, picked her up swiftly by the legs and shoulders to his chest, then crouched down and leapt up into the sky. The redhead gave a squeal of surprise as the two sailed into the air, eventually coming to pass above the walkway with the Tantalus banner. As guessed, the expansive half-circle arrangement of the Grand Maria opened up before them, Fedrich's jump landing them on the uppermost edges of the amphitheater next to a usher bearing a stunned expression.

"Good Gods, Fedrich!" Ruthy gasped. "That was...unexpected!"

"But quick, eh?" He laughed.

"Most definitely." She agreed with a snicker.

The two stood idle for a moment before Ruthy squirmed in Fedrich's arms.

"Eh, Fedrich?" She began.

"Hmm?"

"Could you put me down?"

Fedrich felt a blush taint his face, safely covered by his gray fur as he let her down to her feet. "Sorry."

"Might the two of you explain yourselves!?" The usher asked, eyes wide in surprise.

"Sorry, we're just here to see the performance." Ruthy apologized, reaching into her pockets. "Here are our tickets for it."

The usher looked them over carefully, then tore then in half and returned the halves bearing the official marking of authenticity. "Seating is first come first serve, so it would be wise to find seating right away. Enjoy the performance."

"We will." Fedrich offered.

The two walked by the usher and descended the stairs dividing the circular arrangement of seats into differing sections, keeping their eyes open for the closest opening to sit at. Fedrich found suitable seats, and the two sat down to the delight of their feet and awaited the beginning of the play. After a while of waiting in silence, the stage opened up and revealed the platform that the actors walked on, and the crowds drew silent as lights focused on the front. A large looking man dressed in costume of a king approached the stage, facing the crowd and motioning with his arms to quiet them.


"Ladies and Gentlemen! Tonight's performance is a story that takes place long, long ago. Our heroine, Princess Cornelia, is torn from her lover, Marcus. She attempts to flee the castle, only to be captured by her father, King Leo. When our story begins, Marcus, having heard of this, crosses swords with the king." He stopped a moment, raising a hand to motion to the people in the audience. "And now, noble ladies and lords, and our uppermost viewers, Tantalus proudly presents I want to Be Your Canary!"

The crowds cheered and clapped, and the man left the stage to the left. From the right, a group of three young looking men approached, weapons drawn.

"Bereft of father! Bereft of mother! Marcus! Thou has lost even thy love!" A patched boy declared.

"Fortune hath escap'd thee! For what end shalt thou live?" A short, stocky man with a hammer added.

A blonde finally stepped up, raising his weapon. "For the sake of our friends... Let us bury our steel in the heart of the wretched King Leo!"

"Aye!" The other two agreed, stepping up to the center stage as four others came forward, weapons drawn. A man with a bandana tied across his face rested, sword ready as the King and two of his clawed men stood at his side.

"We shall back thee, kinsman!" The blonde man announced.

The man, Marcus, shook his head. "Pray, sheathe thy swords! This villain is mine alone!"

"Nay, kinsman! For I, too, have lost a brother to this fiend!" The stocky man informed, hefting his hammer with a steady grip.

The King laughed loudly, swinging his sword arrogantly. "What ho? Out, vermin! Away! Thou darest bare thy sword before the king!? All who stand in my way will be crush'd!"

The blonde growled in defiance. "Treacherous Leo, my kinsman's suffering shall not be in vain! For I shall instruct thee in his incomparable pain!"

The two groups engaged in battle, swords and weapons clashing with an intense fury. Strange magics were cast as well, fireballs engulfing the bodies of friend and foe and spheres of energy raining down pain on any within their reach. After minutes of conflict, Marcus delivered a powerful strike against King Leo, halting the battle.

"Arrg...Grr...Thou hast not seen the last of me, Marcus!" Leo swore.

"Come back!" The blonde shouted, pursuing.

Without warning, the patched boy stepped forward and blocked the others path, sword ready as he glared towards his comrade.

"Out of the way, Blank!" The blonde ordered.

"Consider this, Zidane! If Prince Schneider were to marry Princess Cornelia, peace would reign over both their kingdoms!" Blank considered, stepping forward in range of his weapon. "Is such a goal of more desire than the love of one man?"

"'Tis foolishness!" Zidane bellowed, readying his own sword. "If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world!"

The two warriors raced up onto a landing, swords clashing with expert motions. The two then ran down to the stage and onto the lowest pathways of the amphitheater, weapons ringing out as they fought. Fedrich watched the battle with interest, something about the two young men battling striking his memory. The two lashed out with a cry, swords locking as they stared at one another in disgust.

"Expect no quarter from me!" Zidane warned.

"We shall finish this later!" Blank shouted back, leaping from the battle and running to the right of the stage in retreat.

Fedrich thought hard about the two. What is it about them? I feel that I know the for some reason, but what?

"Nay! Come back, fiend!" Zidane called, chasing after the man. "Cinna! Marcus! Do not let that treacherous King escape our reach!"

"Aye, kinsman!" Cinna agreed, following the path King Leo took. "Marcus!"

"I shall retire for the moment, friend! Follow the King in my place, I have yet another meeting to attend." Marcus waved, standing to run for another end of the stage. The curtains closed as they prepared the next scene, but Fedrich paid little heed to that fact as he thought hard over the identity of the two actors.

"So what do you think?" Ruthy asked her friend. "Do you like it?"

"Oh...yes, it's very well done." He replied after a moment.

Ruthy gave him a curious look. "Are you okay? You look like you woke up from daydreaming."

Fedrich's eyes widened, suddenly, his body going rigid as he finally remembered where his knowledge of the two actors came from.

That vision! They came from my vision!! That phantom told me that they would help save Gaia from destruction, but I didn't think that it was true! But they were right in front of me, clear as day! If those two kids really do exist...then, that dream must really be true as well!!


* * *


"Gods, I'm tired." Fedrich moaned.

"So am I." Ruthy agreed. "Good thing the Inn's close by."

The two entered the Inn, walking to the front desk where the worker sat waiting eagerly for customers to his establishment. Ruthy reached into her pocket and pulled free the last ticket she purchased for the trip, putting it in front of the worker's eyes.

"Hello. I've rented out two room for the night." Ruthy informed the man.

The worker looked at the ticket with beady eyes, then back at the redhead. "No you didn't..."

"...Yes I did." Ruthy corrected. "I specifically asked to rent out rooms fifteen and sixteen in this Inn."

"Except this receipt says that ya rented out room fifteen only." He again noted, pushing the paper to her. "Look, unless my eyes've gone bad, I only see a fifteen there."

Ruthy sputtered. "But I...I made absolutely sure..."

"Look, missy, you've got a room for the night, so be happy. Most places here get rented out completely when a play is held." The worker explained evenly.

"Well, can I rent another room?"

"Yes you can, if we have a room to spare, which we don't."

Ruthy's expression fell greatly. "Then..."

"You have that room only? Yes, and I'm sorry about it, but what can I do?"

The redhead sighed heavily. "Alright, I'll take it."

"Glad to hear it." The man nodded, taking the receipt and giving her the key for room fifteen.

The two Regulators walked up the flights of stairs to the third floor, then proceeded down the hall to the door marked with a fifteen. Unlocking the door and opening it, the two stood mute as they saw the so described luxury accommodation was limited to a table, two chairs, and one bed.

"One bed, I see." Fedrich muttered, unimpressed.

"Dibs." Ruthy called with a smirk.

"No worries, the floor looks nice and comfy." Fedrich replied with a sour expression.


^ * ^ * ^


The Author Speaks!

Greetings and Salutations, my fellows! I'd like to start and end this note with an apology for two items. One, I'm sorry that the previous chapter was rather lackluster in action or much of a point, but I felt that I needed to describe their trip to Treno somehow. Two, I'm sorry that this chapter took a long time to get out. finals have been plaguing me for the past week, so my time for writing has been replaced for time to study for tests. Unfortunately, I'll be heading up north for Christmas, so the next chapter will sadly be either very early or very late in comparison to others.

On other notes, if anyone even cares much, I got some inspiration for the middle section of the story about the artist Rod Dougin from an actual singer, Rob Dougan. You might recognize his name from the Matrix series, since he did some music for them. If by any chance you have his CD, Furious Angels, I was listening to the track Drinking Song to describe that scene.

Oh well, have a happy holiday season in any case, peeps. Later!