"Tomorrow you're going on that Callypso mission?" Raven asked.

Gukko nodded and resumed biting his nails.

Raven stuck a piece of paper onto the Fighter's forehead.

"Hey!" Gukko tore it off and began reading.

"Gukko! Haven't heard from me in a while, eh? Let's just say it involves many things, mostly about law enforcement officials, rotten potatoes, and the such. Take youself and all the members you can trust and head to the harbor as soon as you get this message. Go to the Goddess of Wings, the ship with the Flightress on her bow, and tell the captain I sent you.

Godspeed,

Sir Fey."

Gukko groaned. "The mission was today... But I owe my life to Sir Fey..."

Raven pondered for a moment before replying. "The choice is clear. Let's chose our trustiest, then."

00000000000000000000

The whole clan headed up the rampway.

"You're positive that you trust every single one of us?" Raven asked dubiously.

"Not Crazy Chicken Cooper," he shrugged back. "Captain? Sir Fey sent us."

The captain was a middle-aged bangaa, weather-worn and looking much like a tanned Panther Skin someone left in the sun too long. "Well... You be headin' fer de Fa Lanssss?" he asked, his rough voice sounding much like his appearence. "Naw probleem, I jissst need ter get zisss riggie up. Eeevrie-un! Pisitins!"

(A/N: I'm not all that wonderful at typing out accents/vocal stuff. If you have trouble reading the Captain's words, look to the bottom of the page for translation.)

000000000000000000000000000000

Raven looked far out into the ever-rolling expanse of water. Water water everywhere? He almost laugh.The ocean was merely a desert filled with water. But the desert hid much life... And this desert they had been sailing on for three weeks already.

"What are you looking at?" a voice asked. Gukko appeared on his left side.

"Water. What else is there to look at?" the Paladin asked.

"Good point."

"Still sad about missing the mission?"

Gukko shrugged nonchalantly. "Who knows?"

0000000000000000000000

Mariasta scrambled up the hill alone, flickers of sadness and loneliness whispering to her. Muglio was sick with the chocobo pox, and Clementina was sick with the Rouchess... The Tree Twins had work to do... The other village children were boring and hated the thought of a viera whipping their butts at everything he even suggested. To top it all off, the town kids were snobby, prissy and waaaaay too boring and dignified.

The sun shone brightly on top of the grassy hill. On the brighter side, this would give Mariasta much time to contemplate her older sister's sudden shift of behavior.

Sitting on a sun-warmed boulder as the wind played through her hair, she thought.

Callypso's been acting so weird ever since she met that guy in town...Momma says that Callypso's probably in love... But she also told me that often times, girls her age often fall for a nice face or big muscles, not bothering to look for what really matters...

Mariasta stared out in the distance.

Callypso normally shunned everyone, except for Father, of the opposite gender. Not outcasted, but merely, she ignored them or told them off if they were too demonstrative. But for the first time, Callypso waved to Muglio! And she stopped to chat to the neighbor boys. What's up with that?

Mariasta watched a bird lazily flap across the sky.

Wonder if it has to do with the guy.

Mother had posted up a request at the pub to ask for the Languas Slayers. She knew that they were in town... Maybe they know something.. When were they supposed to come- Today!

Mariasta tucked her arms in the side pockets of her skirt, lay on her side, and rolled down the hill. It was the fastest way, after all!

000000000000000

"Your sword's crooked," Gukko commented to Raven as they sparred, swords slashing the air.

"Yours too," the Paladin rebutted, blocking both his friend's swings.

000000000000000000000

Mariasta knocked the door back with a wild punch.

"So has-" She stopped.

Callypso was scowling. Not just scowling, but snarling. Unusual...

"What's going on?"

"They ditched the mission," Mother explained. "Your sister is very angry."

At this terrible time, the neighbor boys knocked on the open door.

"Callypso, are you-"

"GET OUT!" she roared, making a hand motion like an exagerated slap across the face. Both boys' heads knocked sideways in a burst of red fire, and they ran away.

Callypso fumed.

000000000000000000

Raven notched the stick, his heart pounding. Five weeks had passed by now- they were nearly at Rosettas!

00000000000000000000000000

"Well... You be heading for the Far Lands?" he asked, his rough voice sounding much like his appearence. "No problem, I just need to get thisRiggie (slang for ship)up. Everyone! Positions!"