Frato was looking forward to his next lesson at the Academy. Frato loved to
fight; he loved any activity that involved duelling with an opponent or
tests of strength.
This was a good contrast to the rest of the students. Fratley just looked to the physical training lesson as "another training session". Freya was hoping to prove herself in front of her students, though she knew she was likely to receive ridicule thanks to her gender. She wasn't looking forward to it, but she wouldn't back down. The rest of the students were hoping they would come out of their next lesson in one piece.
Whether they liked it or not the following lesson came. Frato and Fratley had the same mad dash to get there on time as the previous lesson. Although they were eager to attend the Academy this didn't let them escape from the fact they were heavy sleepers.
---
"Freya, it's time to get up. You don't want to be late for the Dragon Academy again." Freya's mother called to her sleeping daughter.
Freya groaned and shifted herself into a sitting position. She stared at herself in the mirror on the wall opposite her bed. The day had come. She would have to prove that she, a mere girl, was more than able to become a powerful warrior for the vast army of Burmecia.
It was more than easy; she had already been picked on for even attempting to become a warrior. She was reminded of Frato's irritating remarks of her previous lesson as she opened the wardrobe next to the door to pick her clothes for the day.
"What does that idiot know?" Freya thought to herself as she got dressed. "I bet he's never even met a girl his age." Freya then looked at herself again in the mirror. She was wearing a white combat outfit. It consisted of a fairly loose top with short sleeves. These were joined with trousers which lied quite close to the skin to allow for mobility. It was also fairly tough to pierce.
Freya quickly brushed her locks of white hair, which reached to her shoulders, before going downstairs for breakfast.
---
Fratley and Frato were on their way to the academy. They travelled without a parent as they knew their way there and both their parents were busy. Fratley was leading the way to the academy along the stony, wet road under the endless rain of Burmecia. At least, Frato thought they were going to the academy, he then found they were not.
"Fratley, we're going the wrong way." Frato said slightly confused.
"No we're not." Fratley replied quickly.
"Yes we are! The academy is that way!" Frato said pointing down the road on their right. He was right; they were going the wrong way.
"I'm going somewhere else first." Fratley explained.
"Where?" Frato asked.
"Someone's house." Fratley replied after a slight pause.
"Whose house?" Frato asked again, he was determined to find out what was prolonging them from the lesson he had been excited about all week.
"What business is it of yours?" Fratley retorted, he was determined not to tell Frato, for he knew Frato would object.
"I'm going there." Frato replied hastily. "Tell me, who?"
"Dan's house." Fratley lied.
"We've just been past Dan's house." Frato answered, starting to become suspicious. "Whose house are we really going to?"
Fratley sighed, knowing his efforts to conceal his destination had failed. "If you must know, Freya's house." Fratley finally answered.
"Freya's house!?" Frato replied in shock. "Why do you want to go to her house!?" He asked in the same surprised tone, he then started to grin. "Do you fancy her?" He asked giving Fratley a light nudge.
"No." Fratley replied sincerely. "I just want to know why she joined the academy that's all. That and I want to know a little bit more about her, I barely know her."
"Right." Frato said sarcastically. "Well, as much as I want to see you completely fail at an attempt to get a date I can't stand to be around her."
"You don't even know her." Fratley snarled. "Besides, you're coming with me anyway. Mother told us to stick together.
"She thinks she can become a warrior. I know her well enough." Frato snorted.
"What's wrong with her becoming a warrior?" Fratley asked. "Are you afraid she'll become stronger than you?" He asked with a little smile.
"Stronger than me? Get real!" Frato sneered. "Women aren't made to be warriors."
"How would you know? You wouldn't know a woman if one came and sat on your head." Fratley replied smirking.
"Name one successful female warrior." Frato stated.
Of course, Fratley's list compiled of zero seeing as no females had entered any army on the Mist continent.
"My point exactly." Frato said after Fratley's long silence.
Despite what he said Frato did follow Fratley, after all he knew he would eventually get a smack off his mother if he left Fratley. It wasn't long before the two were outside Freya's house. The door opened as soon as they got there to reveal Freya in her sparring outfit, with a red raincoat on top. Freya seemed startled to see the two boys standing in the rain waiting for her.
"What are you doing here?" Freya asked, stammering.
"I just wish to escort you to the Dragon Academy." Fratley replied with a reassuring smile. "I was hoping to get more acquainted with you."
"Thanks, but I don't need an escort. I..." Freya then saw that Frato was with him. "What do you want?!" Freya asked him, irritated by his presence. Her memory of his remarks in the last lesson at the academy was strong.
Frato was just looking at her in disgust. He snorted and then asked a question of his own. "What makes you think that you can be a warrior?" He seemed to emphasize the second "you".
"The same thing as you." Freya responded. "What is wrong with a female warrior?"
"Women aren't made to be warriors." Frato stated as if it was a fact. "How would you like it if I started doing a hobby that females do? Like knitting, or if I did the housework?"
"I wouldn't care." Freya replied lightly.
"Actually Frato, it would make a nice change." Fratley added. "You normally don't lift a finger around the house."
Frato growled at Fratley and then at Freya when she started laughing. He then stormed off down the dull, wet and grey street towards the academy. He then turned and called to Freya and Fratley.
"Come on! We're going to be late for the academy!" Frato shouted.
Fratley and Freya obeyed this time and began to follow Frato, who seemed to be walking twice as fast as normal. Fratley and Freya trailed behind and they weren't too concerned about keeping up with Frato despite the harsh rain that battered them continually.
"So Freya," Fratley started, desperate to spark up a conversation. "...just why are you attending the academy? Most girls shudder at the thought of it."
"What is wrong with a girl joining the Dragon Academy?" Freya asked starting to get frustrated. No-one seemed to acknowledge it as anything other than a shame.
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Fratley answered.
"Really? You really think that?" Freya asked in an astonished tone.
"Of course. I don't see any problems with female warriors in Burmecia. As long as they help protect Burmecia they are fine by me." Fratley answered. Freya smiled as he spoke.
"No-one's ever told me that before." Freya responded in a soft voice. "Even my mother was against the idea at first, but I managed to sign up for the academy behind her back and I was accepted."
"They couldn't turn you down." Fratley reassured her. "So, what do like to do outside of the academy?"
"I like doing a few things: cards, sport and reading. I love to read. Especially books about Burmecia." Freya answered.
Fratley admired the sound of Freya's voice. It was like a choir of angels singing in harmony. He realised she had finished speaking and snapped out of his stare. "I like reading, I suppose. I prefer hearing stories about journeys and travels. I don't have much time to read now that I have to train."
"You train outside of the academy?" Freya asked in astonishment.
"Yes, my father insists on it. He trains both me and Frato." Fratley explained.
Freya sighed and began let her mind fall into though. She wondered whether anyone else in the academy trained before they had attended their lesson. Fratley was a viable exception, Sir Lion-heart was well known in Burmecia for his skill and strength. She mulled over whether he would be the only knight to teach his children before they went to the academy.
As Freya thought, Fratley looked at her again. He became lost in the long, silky strands of Freya's hair and then fell into the pools of emerald green in her eyes. Fratley wondered as he admired Freya just what he was feeling. It was something he had never experienced before. Whatever it was, he liked it and he wanted to be as close to Freya as possible.
Freya stopped her train of though and decided not to worry about it. She then turned to Fratley and realised he was staring at her like some form of zombie.
"What are you staring at?" She finally asked rather irritated. Fratley then realised just what he had been doing and turned away rather embarrassed.
"Sorry..." He muttered sheepishly.
In a few minutes they were outside the academy. Frato hadn't bothered to wait for them and was already inside. Freya and Fratley just walked in silently.
"This is it." Freya thought to herself as she entered the building.
-*-*-
Disclaimer: I do not own FF9 or any characters or locations in it. If I did, there would be a FF9-2. Frato, Lion-heart and April are mine, sort of.
Author's Notes: Update! Sorry for it being so late, but I fell behind with it after loosing a weekend at a friend's house. Things should speed up though.
Breeze of Summoners: I hope there is enough detail in this chapter to keep you satisfied. By "doing her nails" Frato could have meant she was filing them or cutting them, which is perfectly possible in the medieval period. The Burmecians don't seem too religious; the Cleyrans seem to be better in that aspect. Besides, in wars they would have been fighting for the spirit and yet they still get punished. The crystal isn't stated as being unknown in the game at any point, it could have a perfectly feasible legend or myth in Burmecia and Gaia. I hope this chapter impresses you. I know you're impressing me with your stories.
To everyone else: Review! Now!
This was a good contrast to the rest of the students. Fratley just looked to the physical training lesson as "another training session". Freya was hoping to prove herself in front of her students, though she knew she was likely to receive ridicule thanks to her gender. She wasn't looking forward to it, but she wouldn't back down. The rest of the students were hoping they would come out of their next lesson in one piece.
Whether they liked it or not the following lesson came. Frato and Fratley had the same mad dash to get there on time as the previous lesson. Although they were eager to attend the Academy this didn't let them escape from the fact they were heavy sleepers.
---
"Freya, it's time to get up. You don't want to be late for the Dragon Academy again." Freya's mother called to her sleeping daughter.
Freya groaned and shifted herself into a sitting position. She stared at herself in the mirror on the wall opposite her bed. The day had come. She would have to prove that she, a mere girl, was more than able to become a powerful warrior for the vast army of Burmecia.
It was more than easy; she had already been picked on for even attempting to become a warrior. She was reminded of Frato's irritating remarks of her previous lesson as she opened the wardrobe next to the door to pick her clothes for the day.
"What does that idiot know?" Freya thought to herself as she got dressed. "I bet he's never even met a girl his age." Freya then looked at herself again in the mirror. She was wearing a white combat outfit. It consisted of a fairly loose top with short sleeves. These were joined with trousers which lied quite close to the skin to allow for mobility. It was also fairly tough to pierce.
Freya quickly brushed her locks of white hair, which reached to her shoulders, before going downstairs for breakfast.
---
Fratley and Frato were on their way to the academy. They travelled without a parent as they knew their way there and both their parents were busy. Fratley was leading the way to the academy along the stony, wet road under the endless rain of Burmecia. At least, Frato thought they were going to the academy, he then found they were not.
"Fratley, we're going the wrong way." Frato said slightly confused.
"No we're not." Fratley replied quickly.
"Yes we are! The academy is that way!" Frato said pointing down the road on their right. He was right; they were going the wrong way.
"I'm going somewhere else first." Fratley explained.
"Where?" Frato asked.
"Someone's house." Fratley replied after a slight pause.
"Whose house?" Frato asked again, he was determined to find out what was prolonging them from the lesson he had been excited about all week.
"What business is it of yours?" Fratley retorted, he was determined not to tell Frato, for he knew Frato would object.
"I'm going there." Frato replied hastily. "Tell me, who?"
"Dan's house." Fratley lied.
"We've just been past Dan's house." Frato answered, starting to become suspicious. "Whose house are we really going to?"
Fratley sighed, knowing his efforts to conceal his destination had failed. "If you must know, Freya's house." Fratley finally answered.
"Freya's house!?" Frato replied in shock. "Why do you want to go to her house!?" He asked in the same surprised tone, he then started to grin. "Do you fancy her?" He asked giving Fratley a light nudge.
"No." Fratley replied sincerely. "I just want to know why she joined the academy that's all. That and I want to know a little bit more about her, I barely know her."
"Right." Frato said sarcastically. "Well, as much as I want to see you completely fail at an attempt to get a date I can't stand to be around her."
"You don't even know her." Fratley snarled. "Besides, you're coming with me anyway. Mother told us to stick together.
"She thinks she can become a warrior. I know her well enough." Frato snorted.
"What's wrong with her becoming a warrior?" Fratley asked. "Are you afraid she'll become stronger than you?" He asked with a little smile.
"Stronger than me? Get real!" Frato sneered. "Women aren't made to be warriors."
"How would you know? You wouldn't know a woman if one came and sat on your head." Fratley replied smirking.
"Name one successful female warrior." Frato stated.
Of course, Fratley's list compiled of zero seeing as no females had entered any army on the Mist continent.
"My point exactly." Frato said after Fratley's long silence.
Despite what he said Frato did follow Fratley, after all he knew he would eventually get a smack off his mother if he left Fratley. It wasn't long before the two were outside Freya's house. The door opened as soon as they got there to reveal Freya in her sparring outfit, with a red raincoat on top. Freya seemed startled to see the two boys standing in the rain waiting for her.
"What are you doing here?" Freya asked, stammering.
"I just wish to escort you to the Dragon Academy." Fratley replied with a reassuring smile. "I was hoping to get more acquainted with you."
"Thanks, but I don't need an escort. I..." Freya then saw that Frato was with him. "What do you want?!" Freya asked him, irritated by his presence. Her memory of his remarks in the last lesson at the academy was strong.
Frato was just looking at her in disgust. He snorted and then asked a question of his own. "What makes you think that you can be a warrior?" He seemed to emphasize the second "you".
"The same thing as you." Freya responded. "What is wrong with a female warrior?"
"Women aren't made to be warriors." Frato stated as if it was a fact. "How would you like it if I started doing a hobby that females do? Like knitting, or if I did the housework?"
"I wouldn't care." Freya replied lightly.
"Actually Frato, it would make a nice change." Fratley added. "You normally don't lift a finger around the house."
Frato growled at Fratley and then at Freya when she started laughing. He then stormed off down the dull, wet and grey street towards the academy. He then turned and called to Freya and Fratley.
"Come on! We're going to be late for the academy!" Frato shouted.
Fratley and Freya obeyed this time and began to follow Frato, who seemed to be walking twice as fast as normal. Fratley and Freya trailed behind and they weren't too concerned about keeping up with Frato despite the harsh rain that battered them continually.
"So Freya," Fratley started, desperate to spark up a conversation. "...just why are you attending the academy? Most girls shudder at the thought of it."
"What is wrong with a girl joining the Dragon Academy?" Freya asked starting to get frustrated. No-one seemed to acknowledge it as anything other than a shame.
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Fratley answered.
"Really? You really think that?" Freya asked in an astonished tone.
"Of course. I don't see any problems with female warriors in Burmecia. As long as they help protect Burmecia they are fine by me." Fratley answered. Freya smiled as he spoke.
"No-one's ever told me that before." Freya responded in a soft voice. "Even my mother was against the idea at first, but I managed to sign up for the academy behind her back and I was accepted."
"They couldn't turn you down." Fratley reassured her. "So, what do like to do outside of the academy?"
"I like doing a few things: cards, sport and reading. I love to read. Especially books about Burmecia." Freya answered.
Fratley admired the sound of Freya's voice. It was like a choir of angels singing in harmony. He realised she had finished speaking and snapped out of his stare. "I like reading, I suppose. I prefer hearing stories about journeys and travels. I don't have much time to read now that I have to train."
"You train outside of the academy?" Freya asked in astonishment.
"Yes, my father insists on it. He trains both me and Frato." Fratley explained.
Freya sighed and began let her mind fall into though. She wondered whether anyone else in the academy trained before they had attended their lesson. Fratley was a viable exception, Sir Lion-heart was well known in Burmecia for his skill and strength. She mulled over whether he would be the only knight to teach his children before they went to the academy.
As Freya thought, Fratley looked at her again. He became lost in the long, silky strands of Freya's hair and then fell into the pools of emerald green in her eyes. Fratley wondered as he admired Freya just what he was feeling. It was something he had never experienced before. Whatever it was, he liked it and he wanted to be as close to Freya as possible.
Freya stopped her train of though and decided not to worry about it. She then turned to Fratley and realised he was staring at her like some form of zombie.
"What are you staring at?" She finally asked rather irritated. Fratley then realised just what he had been doing and turned away rather embarrassed.
"Sorry..." He muttered sheepishly.
In a few minutes they were outside the academy. Frato hadn't bothered to wait for them and was already inside. Freya and Fratley just walked in silently.
"This is it." Freya thought to herself as she entered the building.
-*-*-
Disclaimer: I do not own FF9 or any characters or locations in it. If I did, there would be a FF9-2. Frato, Lion-heart and April are mine, sort of.
Author's Notes: Update! Sorry for it being so late, but I fell behind with it after loosing a weekend at a friend's house. Things should speed up though.
Breeze of Summoners: I hope there is enough detail in this chapter to keep you satisfied. By "doing her nails" Frato could have meant she was filing them or cutting them, which is perfectly possible in the medieval period. The Burmecians don't seem too religious; the Cleyrans seem to be better in that aspect. Besides, in wars they would have been fighting for the spirit and yet they still get punished. The crystal isn't stated as being unknown in the game at any point, it could have a perfectly feasible legend or myth in Burmecia and Gaia. I hope this chapter impresses you. I know you're impressing me with your stories.
To everyone else: Review! Now!