The Stranger

By Xenomorph666

Disclaimer: I own only the characters of Wraith, Skalla, Perf, Captain, Birch and Beano. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles and all related artifacts are owned by Square-Enix

Summary: He arrived with no knowledge, no family, no way of knowing that the miasma should kill him. Now the strange young man journey's with the caravan that has welcomed him as they collect their myrrh, while he journey's for the truth of his past.

Definitions

The next day I was looking over my new armor, carefully tracking the stitches for any flaws. I found, surprisingly very few, and the ones I did find were easily remedied. I also decided that today would be my first day in fulfilling my obligation to the village, after I got my new weapon forged that is.

I was on my way to the blacksmith, Perf's father, when I decided to take a small detour to Birch's house. I think it was partially my feeling that Birch was just different that made me feel a sort of companionship with him. A sort of unconfirmed, yet accepted respect.

"Hello!" Moggly said as he zoomed in front of me. Skalla had taken the small ball of fluff in as a friend and admittedly "cute little moogle".

"Hello, my friend." I said calmly as the moogle started to jump and hover from one of my shoulders to the other. Moggly was so easy to smile at, so easy to dismiss as a playful little friend.

"Wanna play?" Moggly asked as he fluttered in front of me.

"I'm sorry, not today my friend. I must be on with my duties." I explained.

"Oh. Okay." Moggly's face turned to a frown as he fluttered away from me. I could almost taste the sadness on him.

"Perhaps when I am done with them we can play." I suggested.

Moggly immediately cheered up and flew straight into my face. "Do ya mean it!" He squealed as the force of his light tackle sent me to the ground.

"Yes, but first I must get them done. Agreed?" I said as I lifted my self up and dusted my knees off.

"Ok!" Moggly shouted as he buzzed of with as much energy as ever. A small smile came to my face as I went back on my way to Birch's house.

When I arrived I could here several people shouting from inside the house. At first my instinct was to rush inside and see what was wrong, and I was about to but Birch came stomping out of the door. Then he saw me.

"What, never hear a family argue before?" He snorted, then he crossed his face in anger. "Ugh, of course you don't!" He threw his arms up into the air in an exclaimed gesture.

"What were you arguing about?" I asked calmly as he walked off and I joined him.

He gave me an odd look before continuing. "My step-mother wants to setup an arranged marriage."

"Oh, is that such a problem?" I asked, not fully understanding the concept.

"Well yeah it is." He stopped. "See, for one; I don't believe that two people should be forced to spend their life together because of some ancient tradition that hardly anyone follows. That and…" He seemed to pause and muse on his thoughts.

"What?" I asked. "Do you not like the woman they chose for you?"

"See that's just it…" He said as we continued on. "I am not attracted to women." He seemed to stop breathing for a second.

A pause of confusion passed over me before I spoke. If he did not find himself attracted to women, then what could be left? Then I got it, he was attracted to his own gender. For a second I gave him a pausing glance.

"Does your father know this?" I asked calmly, "Or your stepmother?"

"Why do you think she wants the arranged marriage." He scoffed lightly. "Ignorant, self absorbed, glutton of a whale!" He shouted as he turned back and looked at his house.

"Hm…" I thought for a few seconds. "Well they should respect whom ever you choose to spend our life with. Shouldn't they?"

"Yeah, you'd think, but us Selkies don't always think along those terms. Makes for some exciting family reunions." Birch smiled, then his face lightened. "Hey, why do you even care?"

"Excuse me?" I asked as he shook me from my thought.

"Almost everyone in the village avoids me because of how… I am, but you don't even care and you're helping me." He gave me a suspicious look.

"Do friends not help each other?" I asked.

"Yeah, of course they help each other." He scoffed.

"Good, then I may have a way to help both of us." I said.

"Oh?" He arched an eye brow.

"Skalla and the others have offered to teach me about the world, but I'm afraid their views are of a narrow perspective…" At that he burst out laughing. "What's so funny."

"Almost everyone in that groups has a different view of the world. Just listen to them and you'll be fine." He snickered a little. "so what were you going to offer me?"

"I was going to offer a solution to your problems." I said simply.

"Oh, and what's that?" He asked as he crossed his arms.

"Just tell them 'No.' and leave it at that." I explained as we came upon the smithy. "The worst they can do is yell at you and they honestly can't make you do anything you don't want to do, not if you don't let them."

"Riiight. Well when you come back from your fairy tale land were happy endings and candy drops are all rage, let me know so I can help you come up with a better idea." He said in a very condescending tone.

"For what?" I asked before I turned into the shop.

"For getting the girl." He said as he walked off, "See ya."

"What girl!" I shouted to him.

"You know the one!" He shouted back as he disappeared into the town market.

"What is he talking about?" I asked aloud of no-one.

AN: Yes, Birch is gay. And no this is not a shonen-ai or whatever the hell the boy-boy pairing stories are called. I simply needed this world to replicate our own in many facets. This is only one of many.