Chapter Twelve
To Leave Home
When you are a Dragon Warrior, you find out things you that didn't want to know, or refused to realize.
The King put high trust in me. I believe he may have put the most trust in me. He sent me on some of the more "dangerous" missions. I would often be sent for guard duty (which was far more boring than dangerous), and three different times was sent outside Burmecia to one of the other kingdoms for treaties. Most of the visits went well, but another - the one to Alexandria - was different.
I could see the strain in Queen Brahne's face, and sense her uneasiness. Something about her wasn't right. Then there was Beatrix. I didn't like her from the start. She seemed cold, with no mercy, and always spoke in low voices. When I headed off, I stayed around hidden behind the corner, and Beatrix continued to speak in a low voice. As I left Alexandria, I heard stories.
I didn't like what I heard. It stayed with me.
Two years later, I still remembered. I knew that dangers outside of Burmecia might just turn their heads in the direction of us. But I felt I should do something about it. No one else clearly would.
But first I had to tell my parents.
I woke up one morning in July with that as my goal. I slowly got out of bed and entered the kitchen to find Aireff and Rose awake. This was most likely a miracle in itself. They were rarely up at the same time.
"'Ello, Fratley," Aireff said with a smile.
"'Ello," I replied, sitting down at the table, but I could hear the strain in my own voice.
"What's wrong?" Rose asked, detecting the strain in my voice.
I sighed. "Well."
"What?" Rose asked, and now she looked worried.
"I'm going to leave Burmecia," I said quickly.
"What?!" Rose screamed, leaping out of her chair with shock.
"I'm going to leave," I repeated.
"You have to be kidding. You can't be serious!" Rose screamed angrily at me.
"Does the King know?" Aireff asked, his voice calm.
"Yes," I admitted. "And he says its okay."
"What?! Holy shit, no way!" Rose screamed angrily, tears gathering in her eyes. "How dare he! You're my son, God damn it! How dare he say it's okay when you're my son!"
"Rose-" Aireff began, but he was a bit late.
"I say what goes! How can the King say it's okay! God damn that asshole! You're my son and I'm going to go tell that to him to his face!" Rose screamed.
At this point Rose stormed down the stairs and out of the house. Aireff sighed, shaking his head.
"Over-reacting, thy name is Rose," he said quietly.
I nodded slightly in agreement.
Aireff didn't seem all that upset. He didn't seem pleased with my decision, but he didn't say anything he against it. He seemed to understand that I was going to leave no matter what.
Rose, on the other hand, had freaked out. And she hadn't returned ten minutes later. Aireff paced nervously, something troubling him. I lied on my bed, tracing designs on my pillow. Soon, however, I heard the door open. I expected it to slam, but instead it closed quietly. I slowly slid off the bed and into the kitchen. Rose had made it to the top of the stairs. Her head was hung, but I could still see the tears in her eyes.
"Mamá?" I asked.
Rose shook her head, her shoulders shaking.
"It's not fair," she muttered softly.
Rose rushed from the room and into her room. Aireff watched her with worry. He then swiftly followed. I quietly followed and stopped outside the doorway, kneeling down beside it. I could hear Rose sobbing.
"Rose, what is wrong?" Aireff asked gently.
"I-I talked with the King," Rose sobbed. "I told him m-my opinion. A- And he said."
"What?" Aireff asked. "Rose, what is wrong?"
"The king said. He said that I can't control him," Rose choked out.
"What?"
"He said that Fratley can make his decisions," Rose sobbed. "He said - He said he is an adult and that I - I can't say anything to stop him!"
"You're kidding," Aireff muttered. "You mean he's-?"
"Yes! Yes, he's considered an adult!" Rose choked out.
I stood still, brow furrowed with confusion. Adult? I was only sixteen. How could I be an adult?
Suddenly Rose rushed out of the room. She looked down at me.
"You heard, didn't you?" she asked.
"What does it mean?" I asked.
"It means - it means that you can do whatever you God-damn want! You can get married, get drunk, get in a fight, whatever! I can't do anything against your actions! It's - it's as if you're not even my son!" Rose screamed.
I only stared with shock. Rose stared at me with brokenhearted despair, then rushed back into her room and slammed the door.
I had won. I slowly realized that I had won the battle. But I felt no satisfaction. I could leave, yes, but I felt no satisfaction on winning the battle and defeating my parents. I only felt remorse.
With a sigh, I left the house, heading for Freya's.
As usual, I didn't bother knocking when I got to Freya's house. I'm simply stepped right in. I ignored Arana, who took one look at my face and chose to leave me alone, and I simply headed toward Freya's room. I swiftly walked up the stairs and, seeing the door to Freya's room open, entered.
Freya, who had been reading a book on her bed, immediately looked up when she heard me enter. She smiled, but soon saw my face.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
I sighed and sat down on Arana's bed. Freya shut the book and sat next to me.
"I've - I've decided to leave Burmecia," I announced.
"You're kidding," Freya muttered.
"No, I'm not," I replied.
"But why? Why are you leaving?" Freya asked.
"Burmecia is in danger. I leave to protect it," I replied, feeling stupid as I said it.
"But - But why? Why leave to protect Burmecia when you won't be there? Fratley, is there another reason? A reason you're - not - telling me?"
I looked up, hearing the soft break in Freya's voice. Her eyes were full of tears, and tears were slowly sliding down her cheeks. She was making a desperate attempt not to break into sobs.
"Freya, it's not you," I said gently.
"What is it, then?" Freya asked.
"No one here. It's outside. Burmecia is in danger. I can sense it. I must go," I began to explain, but Freya was quick to cut me off.
"Go? When you think there is danger! Frat, it makes far more sense to stay here and fight it off with the rest of us!" Freya declared.
I lowered my gaze.
"No. I have to find it, Freya. I cannot wait for it to come. Something tells me that it will annihilate us here," I replied softly.
"Can't I come with you, then?" Freya asked.
I took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. I wanted Freya to come, but my mind told me that it was too dangerous.
"I'm sorry, Freya, but no. It's too dangerous," I replied sadly.
There was a brief paused before Freya exploded.
"Too dangerous? Fratley, I'm older than you are! I should know about danger, God-damn it! And you're trying to tell me it's too dangerous!" Freya screamed. Tears were forming in her eyes once more. "Why won't you tell me anything? Why won't you let me come with you? What is something I did? Something someone else did? Fratley, what the hell is going on?"
"I already told you. Everything I said was the truth," I muttered.
Freya stared at me with shock. She then sighed.
"All right. Then when are you leaving?" she asked quietly.
I swallowed hoarsely. I knew when I was leaving. But telling Freya was the trick. Over a year Dragon Warrior duties had calmed her. But she still easily exploded.
"Two weeks," I muttered.
"Two weeks?" Freya repeated. "Damn it!"
Freya plowed her fist into my shoulder. It hurt, but I soon figured out that she had done it because she had nothing else to punch. Laying her head against my shoulder, Freya began to sob.
"Two weeks? That's it? Why not two months?" Freya asked between sobs.
"The enemies may come in two months," I replied gently, rubbing Freya's shoulders.
"Then you might as well leave tomorrow!" Freya choked out. "The enemies could come in two weeks!"
"I need to get ready," I replied.
"That's it! You need to get ready? Doesn't matter that you have friends and family to say goodbye to? Fratley, what's the matter with you?" Freya asked, pulling herself away and staring at me. "What the hell is the matter? You seem so eager to just get out of here!"
"I don't want to leave!" I replied defensively.
"Then why don't you prove it?" Freya screamed.
Before I could even begin to prove anything, however, Freya, still in tears, had stormed out of the room.
Late at night, I sat at the lake, throwing in pebbles. Rose had given an extremely similar reaction when she heard I was leaving, except she had been hysterical enough before that, so she was worse. Aireff had still showed no emotion, and I didn't know where Freya was. I sighed sadly, tossing another pebble into the lake. I watched it skid across the surface before it finally sank.
"You're using the wrong wrist movement."
I looked over at my left to find Freya sitting next to me. I had been so distracted I hadn't heard her come.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I was looking for you," Freya muttered, leaning against me. "I'm sorry I stormed out."
"It's not your fault. I upset you," I replied, putting my arm around her shoulders.
"Are you sure you want to leave?" Freya asked downheartedly.
"Yes," I replied quietly.
Freya sighed. "I know it's hopeless but - Can't you stay? Can't I at least go with you?"
I shook my head. Freya sighed once more.
"Fratley, why? What if I never see you again?" Freya asked.
"I'll come back. It's not like I'm never returning," I told her. "Freya, we have two weeks."
"When we could've had years," Freya muttered. "Fratley, I guess there is nothing I can do to change your mind?"
"Nothing," I replied.
Freya looked up at me. "Then can we at least have this night?"
I looked over at her and kissed her.
"Of course," I whispered quietly.
The next two weeks ended up being extremely depressing. Rose seemed as if she'd never be happy again, though she tried desperately to seem happy. Aireff also seemed low-spirited, though he tried to help me. Ruben seemed upset, but he was training to be a soldier and we barely saw each other anyway.
When I wasn't "preparing", I was with Freya. I couldn't help it. She seemed like the only one who would try to be happy, though her smiles were strained when they actually came. She also was with me when I was preparing, and I used her good advice when picking out items. But when the last two days came, I didn't see anyone. I couldn't. I knew I'd probably break down and give in to their begs.
The day came. I barely felt awake on the day I would leave. I got together my stuff and put on the clothes I chose to travel in. Rose had, thankfully, chosen not to burst out sobbing when I bided her and Aireff goodbye. She instead wished me good luck, which was pretty startling.
And, as I expected, Freya was waiting for me.
"So you are going to do it," she said quietly.
I nodded.
"Before you go, I have a question," Freya told me.
"Go ahead," I replied.
"What are some of the enemies you fear?" Freya asked.
I stared at the ground, spinning my spear idly. I then looked back up at her.
"Beatrix," I said simply.
"Beatrix?" Freya repeated with confusion.
I nodded. "Yes, Beatrix. I hear - and I have seen - that there are many fierce warriors out in the world - some more powerful than I. Beatrix in particular. They say her swordmanship is the best in the land - And it looked like it."
"Fratley, do you insist on going on your journey?" Freya asked.
She had asked that question so many times that I had come up with an automatic answer.
"Yes... Please understand, Freya. Right now, Burmecia is at peace, while other nations are slowly but surely gaining power. I don't know if my spear alone is enough to protect Burmecia... ...which is precisely why I must go out into the world," I replied automatically.
Freya sighed. "Fratley, don't you see? I don't think I can live on my own - not without you."
"Freya, you're going to be fine," I replied, remembering that we had had this conversation about fifty times. "Trust your strength... and have faith in your destiny. Once I complete my journey around the world, I will return to Burmecia." Freya lowered her eyes to the ground. "Then promise me, one more time, that you will return."
"I promise."
Now here came the hard part. I turned away, considering the conversation ended. As I began to walk away, feeling stiff, I heard Freya collapse. I then heard something that nearly made me turn around. Freya was crying. I could hear her sobbing. I almost stopped walking, but my mind told me that I couldn't stop now, no matter what. Yet if I kept walking, I would stop eventually.
I broke into a run. I dashed by everyone until I had passed through the gates. I then slammed myself against the walls protecting Burmecia. I panted, watching the gray sky.
I had left. I was supposed to be gone now. My feet, however, seemed ready to lead me back in. I sighed, swallowed and forced myself to look ahead. I could see a massive sandstorm in the distance, yet I knew that beyond that sandstorm was a tree - Cleyra.
Why not go there?
I took a deep breath and wiped at the tears in my eyes. I then began to walk slowly forward. Slowly my pace increased, until I was walking briskly. I looked around, examining the area for monsters, but I didn't really care if any came along. I sighed again. The rain felt more miserable than usual. Everything seemed miserable.
You can do this, I told myself. Why shouldn't you?
To other people, I'm sure I looked confident and completely aware of what I as doing. Yet if they came closer, they would no doubt see the tears in my eyes.
---------- So Fratley has left Burmecia. I tried to stay true to the flashback included in the game, though it was hard since I don't think Freya would exactly be calling him "Sir". I did add a thing or two to their words, but it's pretty much the same. I have no comment with this chapter, I'm afraid. It just seems bad to me. :\
Well, I'm slowly saving up the money I need to buy cute little ratties! And no, I'm not going to evolve them into Burmecians =D (I was chuckling when I read that) I plan on getting three females. And take a wild guess at what I'll name one of them ;)
This story is copyright to me. Some characters, locations, events, and Gaia in general are copyright to SquareEnix.
To Leave Home
When you are a Dragon Warrior, you find out things you that didn't want to know, or refused to realize.
The King put high trust in me. I believe he may have put the most trust in me. He sent me on some of the more "dangerous" missions. I would often be sent for guard duty (which was far more boring than dangerous), and three different times was sent outside Burmecia to one of the other kingdoms for treaties. Most of the visits went well, but another - the one to Alexandria - was different.
I could see the strain in Queen Brahne's face, and sense her uneasiness. Something about her wasn't right. Then there was Beatrix. I didn't like her from the start. She seemed cold, with no mercy, and always spoke in low voices. When I headed off, I stayed around hidden behind the corner, and Beatrix continued to speak in a low voice. As I left Alexandria, I heard stories.
I didn't like what I heard. It stayed with me.
Two years later, I still remembered. I knew that dangers outside of Burmecia might just turn their heads in the direction of us. But I felt I should do something about it. No one else clearly would.
But first I had to tell my parents.
I woke up one morning in July with that as my goal. I slowly got out of bed and entered the kitchen to find Aireff and Rose awake. This was most likely a miracle in itself. They were rarely up at the same time.
"'Ello, Fratley," Aireff said with a smile.
"'Ello," I replied, sitting down at the table, but I could hear the strain in my own voice.
"What's wrong?" Rose asked, detecting the strain in my voice.
I sighed. "Well."
"What?" Rose asked, and now she looked worried.
"I'm going to leave Burmecia," I said quickly.
"What?!" Rose screamed, leaping out of her chair with shock.
"I'm going to leave," I repeated.
"You have to be kidding. You can't be serious!" Rose screamed angrily at me.
"Does the King know?" Aireff asked, his voice calm.
"Yes," I admitted. "And he says its okay."
"What?! Holy shit, no way!" Rose screamed angrily, tears gathering in her eyes. "How dare he! You're my son, God damn it! How dare he say it's okay when you're my son!"
"Rose-" Aireff began, but he was a bit late.
"I say what goes! How can the King say it's okay! God damn that asshole! You're my son and I'm going to go tell that to him to his face!" Rose screamed.
At this point Rose stormed down the stairs and out of the house. Aireff sighed, shaking his head.
"Over-reacting, thy name is Rose," he said quietly.
I nodded slightly in agreement.
Aireff didn't seem all that upset. He didn't seem pleased with my decision, but he didn't say anything he against it. He seemed to understand that I was going to leave no matter what.
Rose, on the other hand, had freaked out. And she hadn't returned ten minutes later. Aireff paced nervously, something troubling him. I lied on my bed, tracing designs on my pillow. Soon, however, I heard the door open. I expected it to slam, but instead it closed quietly. I slowly slid off the bed and into the kitchen. Rose had made it to the top of the stairs. Her head was hung, but I could still see the tears in her eyes.
"Mamá?" I asked.
Rose shook her head, her shoulders shaking.
"It's not fair," she muttered softly.
Rose rushed from the room and into her room. Aireff watched her with worry. He then swiftly followed. I quietly followed and stopped outside the doorway, kneeling down beside it. I could hear Rose sobbing.
"Rose, what is wrong?" Aireff asked gently.
"I-I talked with the King," Rose sobbed. "I told him m-my opinion. A- And he said."
"What?" Aireff asked. "Rose, what is wrong?"
"The king said. He said that I can't control him," Rose choked out.
"What?"
"He said that Fratley can make his decisions," Rose sobbed. "He said - He said he is an adult and that I - I can't say anything to stop him!"
"You're kidding," Aireff muttered. "You mean he's-?"
"Yes! Yes, he's considered an adult!" Rose choked out.
I stood still, brow furrowed with confusion. Adult? I was only sixteen. How could I be an adult?
Suddenly Rose rushed out of the room. She looked down at me.
"You heard, didn't you?" she asked.
"What does it mean?" I asked.
"It means - it means that you can do whatever you God-damn want! You can get married, get drunk, get in a fight, whatever! I can't do anything against your actions! It's - it's as if you're not even my son!" Rose screamed.
I only stared with shock. Rose stared at me with brokenhearted despair, then rushed back into her room and slammed the door.
I had won. I slowly realized that I had won the battle. But I felt no satisfaction. I could leave, yes, but I felt no satisfaction on winning the battle and defeating my parents. I only felt remorse.
With a sigh, I left the house, heading for Freya's.
As usual, I didn't bother knocking when I got to Freya's house. I'm simply stepped right in. I ignored Arana, who took one look at my face and chose to leave me alone, and I simply headed toward Freya's room. I swiftly walked up the stairs and, seeing the door to Freya's room open, entered.
Freya, who had been reading a book on her bed, immediately looked up when she heard me enter. She smiled, but soon saw my face.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
I sighed and sat down on Arana's bed. Freya shut the book and sat next to me.
"I've - I've decided to leave Burmecia," I announced.
"You're kidding," Freya muttered.
"No, I'm not," I replied.
"But why? Why are you leaving?" Freya asked.
"Burmecia is in danger. I leave to protect it," I replied, feeling stupid as I said it.
"But - But why? Why leave to protect Burmecia when you won't be there? Fratley, is there another reason? A reason you're - not - telling me?"
I looked up, hearing the soft break in Freya's voice. Her eyes were full of tears, and tears were slowly sliding down her cheeks. She was making a desperate attempt not to break into sobs.
"Freya, it's not you," I said gently.
"What is it, then?" Freya asked.
"No one here. It's outside. Burmecia is in danger. I can sense it. I must go," I began to explain, but Freya was quick to cut me off.
"Go? When you think there is danger! Frat, it makes far more sense to stay here and fight it off with the rest of us!" Freya declared.
I lowered my gaze.
"No. I have to find it, Freya. I cannot wait for it to come. Something tells me that it will annihilate us here," I replied softly.
"Can't I come with you, then?" Freya asked.
I took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. I wanted Freya to come, but my mind told me that it was too dangerous.
"I'm sorry, Freya, but no. It's too dangerous," I replied sadly.
There was a brief paused before Freya exploded.
"Too dangerous? Fratley, I'm older than you are! I should know about danger, God-damn it! And you're trying to tell me it's too dangerous!" Freya screamed. Tears were forming in her eyes once more. "Why won't you tell me anything? Why won't you let me come with you? What is something I did? Something someone else did? Fratley, what the hell is going on?"
"I already told you. Everything I said was the truth," I muttered.
Freya stared at me with shock. She then sighed.
"All right. Then when are you leaving?" she asked quietly.
I swallowed hoarsely. I knew when I was leaving. But telling Freya was the trick. Over a year Dragon Warrior duties had calmed her. But she still easily exploded.
"Two weeks," I muttered.
"Two weeks?" Freya repeated. "Damn it!"
Freya plowed her fist into my shoulder. It hurt, but I soon figured out that she had done it because she had nothing else to punch. Laying her head against my shoulder, Freya began to sob.
"Two weeks? That's it? Why not two months?" Freya asked between sobs.
"The enemies may come in two months," I replied gently, rubbing Freya's shoulders.
"Then you might as well leave tomorrow!" Freya choked out. "The enemies could come in two weeks!"
"I need to get ready," I replied.
"That's it! You need to get ready? Doesn't matter that you have friends and family to say goodbye to? Fratley, what's the matter with you?" Freya asked, pulling herself away and staring at me. "What the hell is the matter? You seem so eager to just get out of here!"
"I don't want to leave!" I replied defensively.
"Then why don't you prove it?" Freya screamed.
Before I could even begin to prove anything, however, Freya, still in tears, had stormed out of the room.
Late at night, I sat at the lake, throwing in pebbles. Rose had given an extremely similar reaction when she heard I was leaving, except she had been hysterical enough before that, so she was worse. Aireff had still showed no emotion, and I didn't know where Freya was. I sighed sadly, tossing another pebble into the lake. I watched it skid across the surface before it finally sank.
"You're using the wrong wrist movement."
I looked over at my left to find Freya sitting next to me. I had been so distracted I hadn't heard her come.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I was looking for you," Freya muttered, leaning against me. "I'm sorry I stormed out."
"It's not your fault. I upset you," I replied, putting my arm around her shoulders.
"Are you sure you want to leave?" Freya asked downheartedly.
"Yes," I replied quietly.
Freya sighed. "I know it's hopeless but - Can't you stay? Can't I at least go with you?"
I shook my head. Freya sighed once more.
"Fratley, why? What if I never see you again?" Freya asked.
"I'll come back. It's not like I'm never returning," I told her. "Freya, we have two weeks."
"When we could've had years," Freya muttered. "Fratley, I guess there is nothing I can do to change your mind?"
"Nothing," I replied.
Freya looked up at me. "Then can we at least have this night?"
I looked over at her and kissed her.
"Of course," I whispered quietly.
The next two weeks ended up being extremely depressing. Rose seemed as if she'd never be happy again, though she tried desperately to seem happy. Aireff also seemed low-spirited, though he tried to help me. Ruben seemed upset, but he was training to be a soldier and we barely saw each other anyway.
When I wasn't "preparing", I was with Freya. I couldn't help it. She seemed like the only one who would try to be happy, though her smiles were strained when they actually came. She also was with me when I was preparing, and I used her good advice when picking out items. But when the last two days came, I didn't see anyone. I couldn't. I knew I'd probably break down and give in to their begs.
The day came. I barely felt awake on the day I would leave. I got together my stuff and put on the clothes I chose to travel in. Rose had, thankfully, chosen not to burst out sobbing when I bided her and Aireff goodbye. She instead wished me good luck, which was pretty startling.
And, as I expected, Freya was waiting for me.
"So you are going to do it," she said quietly.
I nodded.
"Before you go, I have a question," Freya told me.
"Go ahead," I replied.
"What are some of the enemies you fear?" Freya asked.
I stared at the ground, spinning my spear idly. I then looked back up at her.
"Beatrix," I said simply.
"Beatrix?" Freya repeated with confusion.
I nodded. "Yes, Beatrix. I hear - and I have seen - that there are many fierce warriors out in the world - some more powerful than I. Beatrix in particular. They say her swordmanship is the best in the land - And it looked like it."
"Fratley, do you insist on going on your journey?" Freya asked.
She had asked that question so many times that I had come up with an automatic answer.
"Yes... Please understand, Freya. Right now, Burmecia is at peace, while other nations are slowly but surely gaining power. I don't know if my spear alone is enough to protect Burmecia... ...which is precisely why I must go out into the world," I replied automatically.
Freya sighed. "Fratley, don't you see? I don't think I can live on my own - not without you."
"Freya, you're going to be fine," I replied, remembering that we had had this conversation about fifty times. "Trust your strength... and have faith in your destiny. Once I complete my journey around the world, I will return to Burmecia." Freya lowered her eyes to the ground. "Then promise me, one more time, that you will return."
"I promise."
Now here came the hard part. I turned away, considering the conversation ended. As I began to walk away, feeling stiff, I heard Freya collapse. I then heard something that nearly made me turn around. Freya was crying. I could hear her sobbing. I almost stopped walking, but my mind told me that I couldn't stop now, no matter what. Yet if I kept walking, I would stop eventually.
I broke into a run. I dashed by everyone until I had passed through the gates. I then slammed myself against the walls protecting Burmecia. I panted, watching the gray sky.
I had left. I was supposed to be gone now. My feet, however, seemed ready to lead me back in. I sighed, swallowed and forced myself to look ahead. I could see a massive sandstorm in the distance, yet I knew that beyond that sandstorm was a tree - Cleyra.
Why not go there?
I took a deep breath and wiped at the tears in my eyes. I then began to walk slowly forward. Slowly my pace increased, until I was walking briskly. I looked around, examining the area for monsters, but I didn't really care if any came along. I sighed again. The rain felt more miserable than usual. Everything seemed miserable.
You can do this, I told myself. Why shouldn't you?
To other people, I'm sure I looked confident and completely aware of what I as doing. Yet if they came closer, they would no doubt see the tears in my eyes.
---------- So Fratley has left Burmecia. I tried to stay true to the flashback included in the game, though it was hard since I don't think Freya would exactly be calling him "Sir". I did add a thing or two to their words, but it's pretty much the same. I have no comment with this chapter, I'm afraid. It just seems bad to me. :\
Well, I'm slowly saving up the money I need to buy cute little ratties! And no, I'm not going to evolve them into Burmecians =D (I was chuckling when I read that) I plan on getting three females. And take a wild guess at what I'll name one of them ;)
This story is copyright to me. Some characters, locations, events, and Gaia in general are copyright to SquareEnix.