Il Sonata di Sogno
Another sunrise, and another sunset draws the day to an end as the hustle bustle of the streets of Manhattan crowded with cars of all shapes and sizes. All over this city of the world, shops were closing, offices were dimming, and restaurants had begun to fill with residents, tourists, and businessmen who needed a bite after an exhausting day in the city. The Met and Carnegie, New York's most renowned houses of classical music, had lit up their spotlights to feature the performance of the night. Tonight, however, the talent of virtuoso violinist Rinoa Heartilly wasn't going to dazzle the New York audience. Far away in the horizon, a black limousine was driving towards the John F. Kennedy airport.
"So what's the name of the guy picking us up?" asked Selphie as Rinoa gingerly placed her violin case on her lap.
Rinoa removed a card from her breast pocket and said, "The guy's name is Zell Dincht and he is supposed to look like this." She handed the card to Selphie.
"Boy, this guy sure looks like a punk," she uttered as she looked at the picture attached to the cardboard. "Doesn't look like a professor's aid, does he?"
"He sure doesn't..." Rinoa sighed as she gazed at the orange glow of Manhattan's sunset.
"What's wrong Rinoa?" Irvine asked the violinist. "I thought you wanted to fix whatever might have caused those deaths."
Rinoa looked at her friend and said, "I do, but I still feel somewhat responsible for those deaths. Somehow, I think there's more to this violin than a curse." She tapped the case of her instrument lightly with her fingers and continued, "Antonio Stradivari would never have created an evil instrument. Other performers who own these violins don't have patrons dying in their concerts. Why would they do in mine?"
Quistis' blonde head emerged from the back and rested between the two headrests on front. "Like you said, maybe there's more to that violin than a curse. And that's why we're going to Italy to see Dr. Loire," she told Rinoa.
Seifer leaned forward and asked Rinoa, "Um, I hope you don't mind me asking but, how much is that thing?"
Rinoa turned to the tall blonde and answered, "The Seduzione? Being called the finest of the Stradivaris, even much better than the legendary "Dolphin", I believe this one costs about seventy-five million dollars in the market."
Seifer's jaw dropped and Rinoa giggled and continued, "Honestly, if it weren't for the deep, rich resonating quality and well-preserved state of this old thing, I don't think it would cost that much."
Seifer clapped a hand to his forehead and whistled lightly. "That...is...a lot of money! You can buy a mansion with that violin, did you realize that?"
Rinoa laughed and rested her head on her headrest, "You can't compare a Stradivarius with a gorgeous house. It's so much more beautiful than that."
Irvine straightened in his seat and said, "I've been wondering...is that violin really cursed? I mean we only speculated that it was because of some past performances but this never really happened before right?"
Rinoa nodded and he continued, "What if they just died by chance, you know, the patrons."
Selphie shrugged and said, "It's a theory, but I think I like the curse thing more. It's more believable than having all patrons die in three successive concerts."
Rinoa looked down at her instrument and said, "I hope Irvine's theory is correct. This violin can't be cursed. I...I just don't think it can."
Selphie inched towards Rinoa and asked, "But why Rinoa?"
Rinoa looked at the setting sun and said, "I...I'd rather not talk about it."
Selphie nodded and looked towards the front. "Are we there yet Raijin?"
The chauffer turned back to the group and said, "Well ya know Miss Selphie, the airport's just about five minutes from where we are. So ya just sit back and relax, ya know."
Selphie gave him a two thumbs up and said, "Yeah! Got ya!"
Five minutes later, the black limousine arrived in the main terminal of JFK. The group to Milan began unloading their bags one by one and placed them in a trolley.
"So we're taking the Alitalia 6:30 flight. We're heading for that door over there," Seifer said as he pointed to the entrance indicated for Alitalia passengers. "Everyone give me their passports and I'll just check all of you and your baggage in."
"Why thank you Seifer," Rinoa smiled at him as she handed him her passport and other travel documents.
Seifer bowed graciously at Rinoa and smirked at her. Taking the passports from the others, he brought them along with their baggage to the counter and returned later with their boarding passes. It was Selphie who got hers first.
"Wow! We're taking First Class! Awesome!" she exclaimed as she received her pass from Seifer.
"Okay, let's go," Seifer said as he swung his duffel bag on his shoulder. Taking Quistis by the arm, they walked towards the waiting area.
Irvine saw Selphie and took her hand as well. Together, they made a dash towards Quistis' and Seifer's direction.
Rinoa just laughed to herself and thought, 'Gosh, some of them are lucky to find someone. I wonder if I will ever find a guy who would love me." She sighed and soon caught up with the rest of the group.
"We're boarding in about thirty minutes so I'll just sit here," said Rinoa as she sat in the waiting benches with her violin case on her lap.
Irvine looked around and said, "I'll stay here with Rinoa. I don't think it is safe for someone to hold a fortune like that Strad all alone in this airport." He sat down beside the violinist and began chatting with her about their postponed North American tour.
Quistis held on to Seifer and said, "Do you want to go check out the boutiques?"
Seifer winked at her and said, "Sure. Let's go and get you some perfume."
Quistis scoffed at him and said, "Seifer Almasy, are you telling me that I smell bad?"
Seifer laughed and said, "No, but I sure want to get turned on by some good- smelling chick like you."
Quistis poked his ribs and said, "Naughty! I'll whip you all over if I only knew how to!"
"Yeah right!" retorted Seifer with a smirk. "And I'll lash at you with some gun-sword crossbreed if there was really such a thing!"
They both laughed and walked to the boutique. Quistis found something that she rather liked and she started nagging Seifer to come along with her to the perfume shop (despite her protests earlier).
"Seifer, look at that! It's the latest fragrance from Chanel," she said while pointing to a gorgeous bottle. She took the tester and sprayed a mist of the scenty liquid on her neck. She turned to Seifer and fluttered her eyes seductively. "Like what you're smelling?"
Seifer took a whiff of the stuff and said, "Hmm...they haven't released this one here yet, have they?"
Quistis glanced at the bottle and said, "Well, I heard that this one was a Japan exclusive fragrance so I guess only airports carry them. Buy me one?"
Seifer looked at the price and shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, no problem." He brought one unopened box to the counter and presented it to the clerk. After paying, he took the plastic bag from the lady and returned to the waiting area with Quistis.
"We're boarding in about five minutes so get your boarding passes out," Seifer told them as he gave Quistis her bag of perfume, taking both of their passes out of his pocket. The others did the same and sat through the remaining minutes of waiting before the airport personnel announced that it was finally time to board the plane.
After the group had entered the large 747, an attendant assisted them to their seats. Placing their handcarry baggage on the overhead compartments, they all slumped to their seats and exhaled roughly.
"Finally!" Selphie said as she stretched out on her seat. "Can get some rest!" After taking whatever he needed out of his backpack, Irvine sat beside Selphie and drew the day's newspaper out of the seat pocket in front.
"What's that?" Selphie asked as she turned on her side to face Irvine.
Irvine showed her the newspaper and said, "Look." Selphie took the sheet of the New York Times and began reading. The headlines read, 'Large Earthquake in Athens Levels Town in Northern Greece.'
"Oh Irvy, this is terrible," Selphie said as she continued further. "What baffles most seismologists about this earthquake is that no seismic activity hinted them of this disaster."
Irvy put an arm around Selphie and said, "Well, at least we weren't in Greece when that happened, eh Seff?"
Selphie put the newspaper down and cuddled beside Irvine. "You know, dying together in an earthquake would be absolutely romantic. Imagine that last kiss we share before the town goes completely under. So romantic!"
Irvine kissed her forehead and said, "And I'm supposed to agree? I want to live long enough to have children and all." Selphie threw him a faked angry look. "But dying in an earthquake does sound tempting," he quickly added for laughs.
Selphie giggled and rested her head on Irvine's chest. "Um, if we get back home, will you play me a song?" she asked the musician.
"Anything for you love," Irvine replied.
Suddenly Seifer came up to them and said, "Hey lovebirds, better put on your seatbelts before those flight attendants start barking at you in Italian!" He patted Irvine's shoulder and returned to his seat beside Quistis.
Irvine and Selphie quickly put on their seatbelts and the pianist turned to the violinist on the seat across the aisle. "Rinoa, are you okay there?"
Rinoa smiled lightly and said, "Yup! As fine as I ever could be!" She put on her seatbelt and rested her head on the comfy, first-class headrest. In a few minutes, her eyelids began drooping.
'Feeling so sleepy...maybe I'd better get some rest,' she reminded herself. She shut her eyes and dozed off.
A few minutes later, when her eyes opened, they were already in the air. She saw her friends on one side and more people on the other. A flight attendant soon approached her and politely asked, "Madame, can I get you some refreshments? You were sleeping a while ago and I believe you missed the dinner. But don't worry, I still have a spare meal in the cabinet."
Rinoa rubbed her eyes and asked, "Um, what do you have to offer?"
The flight attendant handed her the menu and said, "We have a choice of grilled chicken breast or veal Milanese."
After a few minutes of deciding time, she chose the veal, and the attendant soon set the meal down on her table. "Would you care for some tea, coffee, juice, or liqueur?" the attendant politely addressed her.
"I'll have some orange juice please," Rinoa said with a smile. The attendant soon came back with a glass of sweet orange juice and bid her a good flight. As Rinoa ate her food, she noticed something rather peculiar on the corner of her eye. A few rows in front, a handsome, young man with his hair tied back in a short ponytail suddenly stood up, staring at her as he walked to the toilets.
'I know that man...he looks very familiar...where have I seen him before?' she wondered as she turned to look at the bathroom aisle. The man had probably gone inside, so she decided to take a better look the next time around. However, another man stood up, this time stopping right beside her.
"Rinoa Heartilly...so glad to see you here. Are you enjoying our little flight?" the man asked. He was deathly pale, and his touch felt cold.
"Of course sir. But may I ask who are you?" she asked the strange man.
"Why Rinoa, you don't recognize me? It's sad, very sad..." he sighed as he pulled out his glasses from his pocket and put them on. "Do I look familiar now?" he asked her once more.
Rinoa gasped and pointed at him. "You! You can't be! No! You're supposed to be dead! You're one of the patrons who died last night!" She began quivering in her seat.
"And so are we..." a group of men said in unison as they stood up and began closing in on her.
The flight attendant came back with dessert and gasped when she saw Rinoa shaking in her seat. "Madame! Are you alright?" She cleared the path to Rinoa's seat and gave her the dessert.
"Are you alright Madame?" she asked the trembling violinist.
"I...I...I'm alright," she said as she received a cake from the woman. "Thank you. This cake is wonderful!"
"Oh Madame, this cake would be nothing compared to what..." her voice immediately darkened. "...you did last night." The stewardess' eyes began turning yellow with dark slits in the middle for pupils and she continued. "I know your secret..." she whispered darkly and huskily.
When Rinoa turned to find what looked like and evil corpse staring at her, she screamed and immediately found everyone, her friends including, looking at her.
"Rinoa, is something the matter?" Irvine asked her.
She was shaking uncontrollably, but soon found the time to exhale and relax. "No, I just had a dream. Please don't worry about me."
Irvine returned to his seat. A few minutes had passed since they had taken off from JFK, and the seatbelt sign had been turned off. "Alright, but if you need help with anything, just call, okay?"
Rinoa nodded and slumped back to her chair.
'It was just a dream wasn't it? But it seemed too real to be just a dream.' Rinoa slid the window cover open and looked at the night sky. 'Maybe I should stop worrying...but who was that man?'
Another sunrise, and another sunset draws the day to an end as the hustle bustle of the streets of Manhattan crowded with cars of all shapes and sizes. All over this city of the world, shops were closing, offices were dimming, and restaurants had begun to fill with residents, tourists, and businessmen who needed a bite after an exhausting day in the city. The Met and Carnegie, New York's most renowned houses of classical music, had lit up their spotlights to feature the performance of the night. Tonight, however, the talent of virtuoso violinist Rinoa Heartilly wasn't going to dazzle the New York audience. Far away in the horizon, a black limousine was driving towards the John F. Kennedy airport.
"So what's the name of the guy picking us up?" asked Selphie as Rinoa gingerly placed her violin case on her lap.
Rinoa removed a card from her breast pocket and said, "The guy's name is Zell Dincht and he is supposed to look like this." She handed the card to Selphie.
"Boy, this guy sure looks like a punk," she uttered as she looked at the picture attached to the cardboard. "Doesn't look like a professor's aid, does he?"
"He sure doesn't..." Rinoa sighed as she gazed at the orange glow of Manhattan's sunset.
"What's wrong Rinoa?" Irvine asked the violinist. "I thought you wanted to fix whatever might have caused those deaths."
Rinoa looked at her friend and said, "I do, but I still feel somewhat responsible for those deaths. Somehow, I think there's more to this violin than a curse." She tapped the case of her instrument lightly with her fingers and continued, "Antonio Stradivari would never have created an evil instrument. Other performers who own these violins don't have patrons dying in their concerts. Why would they do in mine?"
Quistis' blonde head emerged from the back and rested between the two headrests on front. "Like you said, maybe there's more to that violin than a curse. And that's why we're going to Italy to see Dr. Loire," she told Rinoa.
Seifer leaned forward and asked Rinoa, "Um, I hope you don't mind me asking but, how much is that thing?"
Rinoa turned to the tall blonde and answered, "The Seduzione? Being called the finest of the Stradivaris, even much better than the legendary "Dolphin", I believe this one costs about seventy-five million dollars in the market."
Seifer's jaw dropped and Rinoa giggled and continued, "Honestly, if it weren't for the deep, rich resonating quality and well-preserved state of this old thing, I don't think it would cost that much."
Seifer clapped a hand to his forehead and whistled lightly. "That...is...a lot of money! You can buy a mansion with that violin, did you realize that?"
Rinoa laughed and rested her head on her headrest, "You can't compare a Stradivarius with a gorgeous house. It's so much more beautiful than that."
Irvine straightened in his seat and said, "I've been wondering...is that violin really cursed? I mean we only speculated that it was because of some past performances but this never really happened before right?"
Rinoa nodded and he continued, "What if they just died by chance, you know, the patrons."
Selphie shrugged and said, "It's a theory, but I think I like the curse thing more. It's more believable than having all patrons die in three successive concerts."
Rinoa looked down at her instrument and said, "I hope Irvine's theory is correct. This violin can't be cursed. I...I just don't think it can."
Selphie inched towards Rinoa and asked, "But why Rinoa?"
Rinoa looked at the setting sun and said, "I...I'd rather not talk about it."
Selphie nodded and looked towards the front. "Are we there yet Raijin?"
The chauffer turned back to the group and said, "Well ya know Miss Selphie, the airport's just about five minutes from where we are. So ya just sit back and relax, ya know."
Selphie gave him a two thumbs up and said, "Yeah! Got ya!"
Five minutes later, the black limousine arrived in the main terminal of JFK. The group to Milan began unloading their bags one by one and placed them in a trolley.
"So we're taking the Alitalia 6:30 flight. We're heading for that door over there," Seifer said as he pointed to the entrance indicated for Alitalia passengers. "Everyone give me their passports and I'll just check all of you and your baggage in."
"Why thank you Seifer," Rinoa smiled at him as she handed him her passport and other travel documents.
Seifer bowed graciously at Rinoa and smirked at her. Taking the passports from the others, he brought them along with their baggage to the counter and returned later with their boarding passes. It was Selphie who got hers first.
"Wow! We're taking First Class! Awesome!" she exclaimed as she received her pass from Seifer.
"Okay, let's go," Seifer said as he swung his duffel bag on his shoulder. Taking Quistis by the arm, they walked towards the waiting area.
Irvine saw Selphie and took her hand as well. Together, they made a dash towards Quistis' and Seifer's direction.
Rinoa just laughed to herself and thought, 'Gosh, some of them are lucky to find someone. I wonder if I will ever find a guy who would love me." She sighed and soon caught up with the rest of the group.
"We're boarding in about thirty minutes so I'll just sit here," said Rinoa as she sat in the waiting benches with her violin case on her lap.
Irvine looked around and said, "I'll stay here with Rinoa. I don't think it is safe for someone to hold a fortune like that Strad all alone in this airport." He sat down beside the violinist and began chatting with her about their postponed North American tour.
Quistis held on to Seifer and said, "Do you want to go check out the boutiques?"
Seifer winked at her and said, "Sure. Let's go and get you some perfume."
Quistis scoffed at him and said, "Seifer Almasy, are you telling me that I smell bad?"
Seifer laughed and said, "No, but I sure want to get turned on by some good- smelling chick like you."
Quistis poked his ribs and said, "Naughty! I'll whip you all over if I only knew how to!"
"Yeah right!" retorted Seifer with a smirk. "And I'll lash at you with some gun-sword crossbreed if there was really such a thing!"
They both laughed and walked to the boutique. Quistis found something that she rather liked and she started nagging Seifer to come along with her to the perfume shop (despite her protests earlier).
"Seifer, look at that! It's the latest fragrance from Chanel," she said while pointing to a gorgeous bottle. She took the tester and sprayed a mist of the scenty liquid on her neck. She turned to Seifer and fluttered her eyes seductively. "Like what you're smelling?"
Seifer took a whiff of the stuff and said, "Hmm...they haven't released this one here yet, have they?"
Quistis glanced at the bottle and said, "Well, I heard that this one was a Japan exclusive fragrance so I guess only airports carry them. Buy me one?"
Seifer looked at the price and shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, no problem." He brought one unopened box to the counter and presented it to the clerk. After paying, he took the plastic bag from the lady and returned to the waiting area with Quistis.
"We're boarding in about five minutes so get your boarding passes out," Seifer told them as he gave Quistis her bag of perfume, taking both of their passes out of his pocket. The others did the same and sat through the remaining minutes of waiting before the airport personnel announced that it was finally time to board the plane.
After the group had entered the large 747, an attendant assisted them to their seats. Placing their handcarry baggage on the overhead compartments, they all slumped to their seats and exhaled roughly.
"Finally!" Selphie said as she stretched out on her seat. "Can get some rest!" After taking whatever he needed out of his backpack, Irvine sat beside Selphie and drew the day's newspaper out of the seat pocket in front.
"What's that?" Selphie asked as she turned on her side to face Irvine.
Irvine showed her the newspaper and said, "Look." Selphie took the sheet of the New York Times and began reading. The headlines read, 'Large Earthquake in Athens Levels Town in Northern Greece.'
"Oh Irvy, this is terrible," Selphie said as she continued further. "What baffles most seismologists about this earthquake is that no seismic activity hinted them of this disaster."
Irvy put an arm around Selphie and said, "Well, at least we weren't in Greece when that happened, eh Seff?"
Selphie put the newspaper down and cuddled beside Irvine. "You know, dying together in an earthquake would be absolutely romantic. Imagine that last kiss we share before the town goes completely under. So romantic!"
Irvine kissed her forehead and said, "And I'm supposed to agree? I want to live long enough to have children and all." Selphie threw him a faked angry look. "But dying in an earthquake does sound tempting," he quickly added for laughs.
Selphie giggled and rested her head on Irvine's chest. "Um, if we get back home, will you play me a song?" she asked the musician.
"Anything for you love," Irvine replied.
Suddenly Seifer came up to them and said, "Hey lovebirds, better put on your seatbelts before those flight attendants start barking at you in Italian!" He patted Irvine's shoulder and returned to his seat beside Quistis.
Irvine and Selphie quickly put on their seatbelts and the pianist turned to the violinist on the seat across the aisle. "Rinoa, are you okay there?"
Rinoa smiled lightly and said, "Yup! As fine as I ever could be!" She put on her seatbelt and rested her head on the comfy, first-class headrest. In a few minutes, her eyelids began drooping.
'Feeling so sleepy...maybe I'd better get some rest,' she reminded herself. She shut her eyes and dozed off.
A few minutes later, when her eyes opened, they were already in the air. She saw her friends on one side and more people on the other. A flight attendant soon approached her and politely asked, "Madame, can I get you some refreshments? You were sleeping a while ago and I believe you missed the dinner. But don't worry, I still have a spare meal in the cabinet."
Rinoa rubbed her eyes and asked, "Um, what do you have to offer?"
The flight attendant handed her the menu and said, "We have a choice of grilled chicken breast or veal Milanese."
After a few minutes of deciding time, she chose the veal, and the attendant soon set the meal down on her table. "Would you care for some tea, coffee, juice, or liqueur?" the attendant politely addressed her.
"I'll have some orange juice please," Rinoa said with a smile. The attendant soon came back with a glass of sweet orange juice and bid her a good flight. As Rinoa ate her food, she noticed something rather peculiar on the corner of her eye. A few rows in front, a handsome, young man with his hair tied back in a short ponytail suddenly stood up, staring at her as he walked to the toilets.
'I know that man...he looks very familiar...where have I seen him before?' she wondered as she turned to look at the bathroom aisle. The man had probably gone inside, so she decided to take a better look the next time around. However, another man stood up, this time stopping right beside her.
"Rinoa Heartilly...so glad to see you here. Are you enjoying our little flight?" the man asked. He was deathly pale, and his touch felt cold.
"Of course sir. But may I ask who are you?" she asked the strange man.
"Why Rinoa, you don't recognize me? It's sad, very sad..." he sighed as he pulled out his glasses from his pocket and put them on. "Do I look familiar now?" he asked her once more.
Rinoa gasped and pointed at him. "You! You can't be! No! You're supposed to be dead! You're one of the patrons who died last night!" She began quivering in her seat.
"And so are we..." a group of men said in unison as they stood up and began closing in on her.
The flight attendant came back with dessert and gasped when she saw Rinoa shaking in her seat. "Madame! Are you alright?" She cleared the path to Rinoa's seat and gave her the dessert.
"Are you alright Madame?" she asked the trembling violinist.
"I...I...I'm alright," she said as she received a cake from the woman. "Thank you. This cake is wonderful!"
"Oh Madame, this cake would be nothing compared to what..." her voice immediately darkened. "...you did last night." The stewardess' eyes began turning yellow with dark slits in the middle for pupils and she continued. "I know your secret..." she whispered darkly and huskily.
When Rinoa turned to find what looked like and evil corpse staring at her, she screamed and immediately found everyone, her friends including, looking at her.
"Rinoa, is something the matter?" Irvine asked her.
She was shaking uncontrollably, but soon found the time to exhale and relax. "No, I just had a dream. Please don't worry about me."
Irvine returned to his seat. A few minutes had passed since they had taken off from JFK, and the seatbelt sign had been turned off. "Alright, but if you need help with anything, just call, okay?"
Rinoa nodded and slumped back to her chair.
'It was just a dream wasn't it? But it seemed too real to be just a dream.' Rinoa slid the window cover open and looked at the night sky. 'Maybe I should stop worrying...but who was that man?'