The merchants arrived three hours late, panting and wheezing with exertion. They stumbled into the designated alley, pulling huge, heavy sacks along. There was a loud, dull clunk as they set their payloads down roughly; DiamondArmor does not tend to be light, to say the least. Then there was a small thud as they both fell to the ground, trying to catch their breaths.

Seb stepped out from a shadowed doorway, his arms crossed over his chest menacingly. Though he was not exactly a physical powerhouse, the sheer cold hatred that seemed to radiate out from him made the effect quite chilling. He turned his watercolored blue eyes towards the panting merchants, and narrowed them evilly.

"Where were you? You're three hours late. I don't like it when people are late," Seb whispered harshly.

One merchant looked up at him from the ground, apologetic. "We tried to get here faster, but we got sidetracked by some Rhinoxes..." the merchant started, almost begging. Seb waved him off quickly. The scowl on his face lessened somewhat, and he began to slouch a bit.

"Ah, don't panic. We're all friends here, right? Just try to be one time from now on, hmm? Anyway, do you have the delivery for me?" Seb replied. He had dealt with more than one Rhinox in his time, and could understand their dilemma. The merchant smiled and reached into his shirt pocket, rummaging around for a few moments before producing a small envelope. Seb took it, and looked it over with interest. After a few seconds filled with poking and prodding, he finally lifted it skyward, trying to find better illumination.

"No name. Who do I give this to?" Seb asked, then turned to the merchants, who were just now raising themselves off the ground.

"Message for the Impresario - something important, I'd imagine. Probably a status report from one of his talent scouts."

"Talent scouts?"

"Sure, the Impresario is always on the lookout for new blood. Maria can't be the star of EVERY opera, y'know. So, he hires some talent scouts to run all about the world, checking for anyone with singing or acting talent. He's been doing it for years."

"Interesting. Anyway, I'll see you guys later. I'm off to get myself a quick bite to eat, and then I'm off for the Opera," Seb said distractedly. He ran his fingers through his slightly curled auburn hair and then, with a blur of grey and a cloud of kicked-up dirt, he was gone. The two merchants looked up towards the rapidly thinning cloud of dust, and couldn't help but laugh. Fastest damned courier in Jidoor.

******************

"A bag of pretzels. To go. As in now."

The shopkeeper looked up at his new customer, and was more than a bit surprised to be faced with an anxious courier. He scratched the back of his head thoughtfully; he was pretty sure he hadn't heard anyone come in. He shrugged, and slowly reached his hand under the counter, his fingers searching for the food in question. The grey-cloaked courier merely paced irritatedly, apparently in something of a rush. Taking a hint, the shopkeeper picked up the pace of his pretzel search, and soon lifted his hand to the courier, his palm full of packaging. Seb grabbed it hastily.

"That'll be ten GPs, sir," the shopkeep drawled out. Even as the price was given, Seb had already dropped the coins to the counter. He then quickly tore open the bag, and stuffed a pretzel into his mouth. He chewed it slowly for a moment, looking quite thoughtful, and finally waved to the bewildered shopkeeper.

"Good pretzels. See ya."

The characteristic flash of grey followed, and the shopkeeper was left alone in his shop, feeling as alone as he'd been when there were two people in the room.

*****************

Seb's thoughts wandered to the merchant's ramblings as he sped towards the Opera House, his RunningShoes working at double speed to keep him moving faster than the monsters in the area. His shoes, a seeming gift from the gods after the fall of the Floating Continent, were his prized possession; they let him outrun the wind itself. That, and they kept him in business...

However, Seb was pondering a different topic: talent scouting. The life of a talent scout seemed to be a great way to raise some quick GPs, as the Impresario was notoriously generous with his money. Further, getting around wouldn't be a problem, given his shoes and all. Plus, his ability to judge music was no worse than anyone else's; he'd taken a few lessons in how to play the flute a few years back. He was an ideal choice. Perhaps he would enquire about job vacancies once he arrived -

"Damn!" Seb yelled as he skidded to a stop, broken out of his reverie. In his daydreaming, he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going; a now seemingly fatal mistake. He looked up at the huge metal creature that was now looming up before him, and wondered how it had managed to escape his notice. He'd probably mistaken it for a small mountain; it was certainly big enough...

"Stop where you are, Returner scum, or I burn you down where you stand!" boomed a deep, echoing voice from within the machine. Seb backed up a step in shock as he saw the Guardian's twin cannons powering up. Suddenly, making a job offer was the least of his concerns.

"Didn't you hear me? Drop down where you are, and remove all valuables. Now!" boomed the guardian's echoing voice once again.

Seb, seeing that escape probably wouldn't be such a hot idea at this point, quickly set to work, unstrapping his sword from his belt, emptying his pockets, and tossing them in the Guardian's direction. After finishing, he looked up to the machine.

"That's it. Can I go now? I have a message for the Impresario," he stated, itching to finish up with this mugging. There was no response for a while, as the Guardian slowly lowered itself to the ground, clanking loudly as it went. The weapons, unfortunately, stayed locked on Seb. Finally, as the bottom vents of the Magitek machine hit the ground, a small hatch opened at the top, and a shabbily clad man popped out of the hole. Seb stared in disbelief: apparently the Empire had lowered their standards. He watched as the man scampered down the length of the Guardian, and, ignoring Seb entirely, proceeded to gather the pile of valuables in his arms. He was lazily walking back to his machine, arms full of Seb's belongings, when Seb finally had to ask:

"What kind of Imperials ARE you? Wasn't there some sort of a dress code for Magitek Knights before?"

The soldier in front of him started laughing. A harsh, shrill sort of laugh, and one that was echoed from all around the edges of the field that Seb and the Guardian were in. Seb glanced around, and saw a dozen or so shabbily clad men emerging from the brush, all smiling ear to ear. The man who had been using the machine before had set down his load on the ground , and was pretty much rolling on the floor. Seb blushed uncontrollably, and he felt blood rushing through his head.

"I can't believe I fell for that. The oldest trick in the book..." Seb repeated to himself, like an absurd mantra. Finally, after most of the laughter had died down, he stared at the band of thieves surrounding him, specifically the Magitek rider, and emanated cold hatred as best he could. After some time, the circle of thieves closed, and after much rough-housing and swearing, his upper body was bound tight, and was led off. Seb presumed they were heading to the robbers' camp. He stayed very quiet, still not terribly pleased with himself. He noticed the Guardian clank its way into the underbrush, not really concealed but still not quite as visible as normal. His curiosity was peaked.

"How'd a bunch of thieves like you get a hold of working Magitek armor, much less a Guardian? You don't seem to be the engineering type..." he questioned. The nearest thief grinned.

"Sure, I'll tell you. I was heading out of Albrook, heading to Tzen with some... "merchandise", when Kefka's tower was taken out. There was this huge flash of light, and I was knocked out. Anyway, when I awoke, I decided to check it out. It was a wreck, and but I managed to salvage enough Magitek parts to build that," he thumbed towards the Guardian. "It took a lot of work to get it working again, but I come from South Figaro, y'know. I know my way around machines. So, a few months later, me and my buddies, we set up this scam. Works like a charm. The Guardian's steam-powered now, of course, but we fake the weapons powering up with mirrors and candles. No one tells the difference."

"How'd you know I was coming? Why am I being held captive?" Seb asked.

"Our man in Jidoor warned us about you; sent a sprinting Chocobo ahead of you. You might remember him; he runs a shop, sold you some pretzels," the thief said, and smiled when Seb scowled at the mention of the pretzels. "As for keeping you hostage, me an' the boys figured we ought to get to know you before we kill you. For fun, y'know."

Seb stayed silent for a while. Great. Sadistic thieves, and he was their captive. Just peachy. He REALLY needed to figure a way out. Later that night, he tried asking the watchman if he could go take a midnight stroll, hoping the thief would forget about his shoes, but his request was politely declined. So he waited. And prayed.

She wasn't exactly a mercenary; she actually wandered around finding adventure. The many inns she had been to were filled with many people who told of news in other countries. She had always sat half-listening to the tales of whole towns destroyed by a single airship. That was the way her life had been for as long as she could remember. Sometimes she sat and pondered a reason for her existence, and once or twice she remembered trying to give up, but the hatred inside her kept her going. She had forgotten most of the reason for the hatred, tried to push it out of her mind, but memories kept fighting their way through her mental block. She sat inside the Jidoor inn lost in one of these memories.

**********************************************************************

Strange, distorted creatures trying to pull her down, all trying to swarm in the now cold house. Where was her father? Why wasn't he there to save her? She glanced at him, lying pale on the floor. The knife in his chest meant nothing to her. Why had he killed himself? Why had he left her alone? And why had her mother been killed in the same way, except by someone else and not herself? Alin remembered screaming, remembered the blurry man who had grabbed her left hand, gone over the blue glove with his fingers, then cut her arm sharply with a knife...

**********************************************************************

"Hey girl, you gonna sit there all day?" The words of the tavernkeeper brought her back to reality with a jerk. She glared at him, and he looked at the countertop. Something about her always seemed to do that to people. She secretly observed everyone around her, yet the blurry man of her nightmarish memories was not there. Why did she feel as if she was being watched by someone?

The deep voice behind her made her jump. "What would bring a blue-haired mercenary to this town? On a mission to kill someone?" He laughed, a cruel, quiet laugh, then looked at her left arm. Instinct caused her to hide the glove. She was just in time, for as she stuck her hand in the pocket of her blue tunic she noticed a look of suprise on his face, as if he had been expecting something. "You seem to be... different. Why don't you tell me your story?"

She clenched her teeth. "My name is Alin, and that's all you'll ever need to know." Looking back at the innkeeper, she spoke. "Can you tell me where the Opera House is, or if anyone unusual has come through looking for a companion?"

The man seemed to think for a moment. Passing her a map, he said, "This should take you to where you're going. Now about that second question, there was a man passing through here just a few days ago, but I think he left to go find some kid as a companion. Mark my words, you'll not make it far alone."

"I wouldn't be so sure. I've survived alone for nine years, I can make it for another few. I just like having someone around. It's not so lonely. So, can anyone suggest a place where I might come across some other wanderers?" She glanced around; everyone else was either talking to someone or too deeply involved with their drink to pay attention. Except that one man who had talked to her earlier.

"You won't need a companion when I'm through with you. I have my orders," he whispered, pulling her out of the inn, "and they are to not let you live." He pulled a knife out of his boot. It was the knife itself, and not the fact that her was about to use it on her, that made her gasp in shock. She recognized it.....

There was no time to wonder where. She pulled the whip she always had handy out of her sack. In the blink of an eye, she had caught the other and had him tied up. He merely laughed again, and - vanished. Turning around, Alin ran as far as she could. She did not know why, but she felt that he would return soon with others.

She saw a man being confronted by Magitek armor. She didn't care how she knew what it was called. When she drifted out of her thoughts she noticed several bandits (or so they seemed and probably were) rolling on the ground laughing, and the man she had seen earlier was looking ashamed and a bit upset as the obviously cruel men made fun of him. Then the rough thieves tied their victim up with a harsh rope; she noticed the sun going down and decided that they were going to sleep. Only a fool would rest without a sentry, she thought. As all the men but one unrolled sleeping blankets and lay on them, she realized that, uneducated as these... these... these incredibly mean people might be, they were not unfamiliar with sleeping in the open. Although it seemed ridiculous for one girl to be able to defeat a well-armed man, she knew that there were powers that wouuld bend to her will if need be. What's more, she thought, I know how to use my whip WELL. The thought was encouraging, but barely. This would be only her third attack on a humanoid. But this time she had the element of suprise.

The sun had gone completely down before she made her attack. Her heart thumped uncontrollably in her chest, and even though she knew better she was worried that the sentry would hear her. She peered through the misty darkness, hoping for both her and the prisoner's sakes that she would be successful. Holding the tip of her whip, she applied a poison to the edge. So what if it might be considered cheating, but she had never called herself a fair fighter. And even if the poison was meant for swords, it had worked well for her and her whip.

The attack was over so fast she barely knew she had done it. Simply a single slash and her opponent lay on the ground, staring with eyes that would never see again. Oh great, she thought, it's just my luck that he dies with his eyes open so they know it was an attack and not poison in a drink or anything. She hurriedly ran over to the captive. He was still asleep. Rummaging through her supplies, she found a knife and a small flask of water. Quickly she began to work at the ropes. It was only a matter of time until the next sentry woke up and caught her. The rope fell to one side and vanished. Where had these bandits stolen a magic rope? Pouring a bit of water on his face, she hoped that he would be silent when he woke up.

The stranger sat up. "Wha-"

She silenced him with a harsh whisper. "No time for that now. Hurry." Pulling his arm, she dragged him out of the makeshift camp. Still mumbling about lost supplies and messages and things he had been dreaming of, she guided the half-awake man beyond a few hills in the direction, she hoped, of the Opera House. When they finally stopped, panting from their excursion, she looked at her companion. There was not enough light for her to see him well, and she did not risk a fire.

"What's your name? I'm Alin. I happened to see those bandits capture you. You're lucky they let you live for so long."

The man seemed to wake up a bit more. "I'm Seb, message-carrier. Right now I have an important message for the Impresario."

She smiled, although he could not see it in the dim light of the now-rising sun. "Great, that's where I'm heading too. Why don't we go there together? Maybe it would be safer."

"Sure. But first I need some rest."

He lay down on the grass and rocks right there, without any sort of blanket. She bent down a few paces away, ready to take a nap, but she tripped on something cold and sharp. Picking it up, she realized it was a knife. THE knife. That strange knife that always triggered memories, that always made her wonder why she recognised it...

"Drat these darned knives. Why are they always bothering me? I hate knives." She barely realized that she had spoken aloud.

"Hm?" muttered her new companion.

"Oh, just go back to sleep." She lay down on the hard ground. She was exhausted, but too much filled her mind...

NIGHTMARE.

"Uh... are you okay? Looks like you had one helluva nightmare," Seb offered, not entirely sure of what to do, given the circumstances.

"You have no idea."

There was a distinct silence between the two for a moment while the girl pulled herself together, and started to regain her steely demeanor. Her face flushed ever so slightly, somewhat embarrassed that the man she'd just rescued had seen her in such a state. She got up and checked over her equipment, making sure everything was fine. Seb merely sat back on the grass, still a bit out of it. He just watched the girl go about her business, fascinated. Eventually, this got on her nerves.

"What is it? Why are you staring at me like that?" she lashed out. Seb blinked a few times, then rubbed his temples with his forefingers.

"Sorry. I just sort of spaced out for a minute. I do that. Anyway, I'd just like to thank you for, you know, rescuing me and all. I still can't believe it was neccessary. I feel like a complete idiot."

The corner of the girl's mouth lifted slightly. "Oh, I think you're being too hard on yourself. You only seem to be, I dunno, three-quarters of an idiot to me."

"Everybody's a comedian. Oh, by the way, what's your name? I don't remember it offhand."

The girl extended her hand, which Seb grasped and began to shake. He was ever so slightly disturbed that the girl had a stronger grip than he. "It's Alin. My name, I mean. Anyway, you want to get going to the Opera House? It's a pretty long trip, so we can talk more on the way."

As Alin prepared to leave, a glint of shimmering steel caught Seb's gaze. He looked harder, and noticed a knife, somewhat tarnished but still sharp, lying in the grass near where Alin had been sleeping. He pointed at it.

"You forgot your knife," he offered helpfully. His new companion turned about, stared down at the knife, then finally knelt down and picked it up, shuddering slightly as she felt her fingers touch lightly on the icy blade. She quickly pocketed it, and seemed quite relieved to have it out of sight, at least to Seb's eyes. She raised herself to her feet once again.

"Let's go."

The two, already packed, set off, with Seb deciding that he might as well walk at his new companion's speed; he was already halfway there, and going the rest of the journey at normal speed wouldn't tarnish his reputation. Much. The two had hardly travelled half a league before a conversation started up again.

"So, what does a wee lass like you do for a living? Dancer? Courier, like me? Waitress?" Seb asked, his tone suitably light.

"I'm a mercenary. I moonlight as an adventurer, but you get the idea."

"I don't know; maybe it's just me, but aren't you just the slightest bit young for that line of work? It just seems odd: you don't look like the adventuring type, anyway."

"A misconception. Being an adventurer is a mindset, not a physical regime. Although, in your case," she paused, and gave Seb a wink, "a height requirement might be neccessary to keep you as a courier." She began to laugh, as Seb crossed his arms over his chest defensively, and narrowed his eyes. Stupid little sow, he thought. Joke or no, she deserved a smack for the short crack. Still, nice kid overall. He looked at her, as she continued striding forward purposefully. Her face still carried an absurd grin with it. Seb began to consider: perhaps it was about time to expand his courier business? An extra pair of legs couldn't hurt...

"C'mon! You'd better get moving if you want to get to the Opera by dawn!" Alin yelled from quite a piece ahead. Seb gave himself a mental thrashing for losing track of time again. He really needed to work on that. Then, checking his RunningShoes over one last time, he dashed off after his newfound companion.

"You coming or not?" He had managed to sneak up on her and pass her while she had been thinking. Why does he run so fast, she wondered.

"Wait up! We're travelling together, right?" She did not understand why her hand was throbbing; it felt like something important was going to happen soon. "Hang on, I think I dropped something." Leaning down, she pulled the blue glove off her hand.

Anyone who saw that hand would think she was some kind of freak. The whole thing was covered with a blue ribbon-like substance that was as much a part of her hand as the skin. Each day the pattern changed, and sometimes she could understand what it meant. Today was one of those days. Running a finger over it, she sensed a coming battle. 'Ambush," she muttered, so intent on what she felt that she didn't hear Seb behind her.

"What the heck is THAT?!?" He jumped away from her as if she was a monster.

"N-nothing! Just forget you saw anything! It's nothing, okay? NOTHING!" He backed away even more, expecting an attack. She'd lost control of her emotions once again, and now he probably would leave. Why did that hand of hers always ruin friendships? She considered chopping it off, not for the first time, but common sense won. "Please," she said, a little shaky, "it's not your concern. Just leave it alone." She stood up slowly. Looking around, she saw that the sun was more than halfway up - a little past noon. She noticed a hill just a few minute's walk away. "Perfect for an ambush. Seb, get your weapon ready. They're gonna attack us any time now." She pulled her own whip out of her pack. Running her finger along the sharp edge, she remembered getting it. She had been only a young child then, peering over the counter of the shop. Than was almost nine years ago, she realized with a start.

A warcry made her jump. The man was running like a maniac. Probably was, she thought with a grin. Then she charged. Whipping out, she tangled the man. Pulling him a bit closer, she struck him with the knife with a shudder. Then she turned and ran.

Seb caught up to her with no problem. Again she wondered how her ran so fast. Had to be the shoes.

"Wasn't that your knife back there? It looked like it was worth a bit; surely you want to go back and get it."

She shook her head violently. "Not my knife. I hate it. It always is there. I want to get rid of it for a while." Seb smiled and nodded his head, obviously not believing her. "You'll see!" He grinned. She sighed, frustrated.

Ahead of them was what she assumed was the Opera House. It was a large, strangely shaped building with Chocobos parked in front of it. People were going to and fro; they had come just in time for the latest production. The two travelers raced each other to the entrance. Seb hurried in, looking around. Finally he seemed to find someone who worked in the Opera House.

"Where's the Impresario? I have a message to give him!"

The opera man just shook his head. "I'm afraid the Opera has already started. You'll have to wait. Don't worry; we have a place you can stop and rest a while."

They were led to a table covered with food. Seb sat down and ate a large amount for someone his size, but Alin could not take a bite. As a matter of fact, she felt kind of queasy.

"No, Seb! Don't touch that!" She knocked the cup of wine away from his hand.

"Hey-"

She pointed to the tablecloth, which the wine was already beginning to demolish. Then she pointed to her own cup, which was stained a bright green.

"Jehr. An acid-like poison rarely used by anyone because it often eats away anything it touches. Yes, someone tried to kill us. I don't think they're after you. You're just a message-carrier. But me, I'm a bit... different than anyone else I've met."

The sound of a knife, the same kind of knife that always tormented her, sticking into the wooden table silenced them. She smiled grimly.

"I told you so."

"What?" /What's with him anyway? He didn't act this strange before./ "Why're you staring, Seb? Is something wrong?"

He shook his head. "No, it's just that... no one's ever tried to kill me before. Except those bandits."

She sighed. He didn't understand that the attack had been meant for her. No, he didn't know that there was anything wrong with her, other than blue hair. Even if he had seen her hand, for a second. (Personally, I can't figure out what's wrong with me either. Life seems to have gotten interesting over the past day or so.) She would just have to continue going where she was heading, no matter what.

The man who had welcomed them to the Opera House came up then. "Follow me. The Impresario says all messengers are welcome to the Inn here for free. If you'll give me the message, I'll give it to him."

Seb shook his head. "I'd rather give it to him myself. But, if you insist." Pulling a rolled-up piece of paper out of a pocket, he passed it to the man. "I'll check with him in the morning to make sure he gets it."

The man stared at him. "You don't trust me?"

Seb laughed grimly. "I had a hard day. Right now I don't trust anyone." He winked across the table at Alin. /I guess that means I'm an exception,/ she thought. "Lead on to the rooms."

/This stupid guy better just show us to the rooms and leave,/ she thought. The "stupid guy" pointed to their right. "There they are. You're in rooms 11 and 16."

Alin looked him in the eye. "And we can't get rooms next to each other? We'll need to talk during the night, and if there's an attack on the Opera House we need to be able to reach each other quickly."

The Opera man blinked. "There won't be an attack on the Opera House. What makes you think there will be?"

Seb started to explain what had happened to them, but Alin silenced him. "We've been attacked a few times, that's all." /Why won't this guy just leave us alone?/ "I'll take room 16. It's the one closest to the exit. That way the noise won't bother you."

The man choked. "N...no, you can't take that room."

"Why not?"

"You just can't. Uh... umm... it's near the.. uh, men's restroom."

At that both Alin and Seb started laughing.

"If that's the best excuse you can come up with. I'll take room 11." /He's lying. I can tell that just by the tone of his voice./ They walked through the hall and stopped at room 16. "See you in a little while Seb." (Funny, I didn't see a restroom near there. I knew that guy was lying!) Continuing down the hall, Alin found her room. Stepping inside, she jumped onto the bed and started bouncing. The Impresario was treating them nicely. She lay down on the bed and fell asleep within minutes.

When she woke up it was dark. She guessed that it was midnight. Looking up, she examined her room. /That's odd,/ she thought. /I could've sworn I left the door open. Probably room service./ Looking on the bedside table, she noticed something that sent chills up her spine. The knife was there. Picking it up, she turned it around. Running her fingers along it for at least the fourth time that day, she felt a little ping and then she was lost in a pool of darkness. Flashing fire-colored lights around her gave it an eerie feeling. Then she saw Seb standing near her.

"Seb! Over here!"

He turned his head, and made the motions of walking, but he stayed in the same place. Then she noticed he was stuck in a green substance. So was she. She felt a burning on her legs, like something was eating them. Her hand was glowing bright blue. As a matter of fact, her whole body was blue. She screamed, but no one answered. Then a dark figure approached her, followed by a red being. The dark one spoke.

"Nice to see you again, Alin. I didn't think you'd return so soon, without your job finished. And why do you bring such an... insignificant human with you?"

"I don't know or care what you're talking about. Maybe.. you have.. the wrong person." She was struggling with the green substance, focusing her attention on getting it off. Everywhere she got free glowed an even brighter blue. Finally she pulled her whole body out. Running over to Seb, she tried yanking him out. He managed to get first one foot free, then the other. Slowly they made it to where the dark creature waited.

"Impressive. Do you always show off like this? Never mind that. Please introduce us to your.. friend."

She stared at the strange man. She recognized him...

"Very good... now we'll show you WHY you recognize us." It was as if he reached inside her mind....

********************************************************************************

She stood before the big man. She was mad. They'd killed everyone. Killed her father, her mother, almost killed her. And now, she wanted revenge. The man had offered a chance to her. No. She wouldn't kill for him. She couldn't say no. She was trapped. Trapped by a man who could be the same that killed her mother.

********************************************************************************

"You said I had the power to avenge them any time."

"It was true. It still is."

********************************************************************************

Running away. Running so far no one could follow her. No family, no friends. Maybe it would have been easier to kill. But she had seen killing. She wanted no part in it. Knife. The sword. Didn't want the sword. Sword attacked her. Oh, the pain.

********************************************************************************

"You gave me a scar with that sword. I still wear it today."

"Hidden, of course. Though all it does is let your power guide you."

"Could someone explain what's going on?"

********************************************************************************

The red lady wanted to kill her. She hated red. Red this, red that, red burning everything. Red fire burning the town. Red ribbon, burning her hair. Red was out to get her. Like the sword. Running. Had to run, find people....

********************************************************************************

"So you see, you do know us. And now we'll put you back, and you can explain everything to your friend." He made a movement, and they were back in her room.

"Seb, don't ask. Just don't ask."

"What was that all about?"

Alin grimaced. "You don't want to know. Just content yourself with knowing that someone's out to get me, and they'll stop at nothing to put me under their control. AND IF YOU ASK ABOUT IT ONE MORE TIME I'M GONNA KICK YOU."

"Well, what was it all about? I mean, how... why... was I supposed to see that?"

She laughed as if he had been foolish. He HAD been foolish, though. "No, Seb, you should have stayed in your room and slept like a baby." She heard her own voice, mean and sarcastic towards the one person who had never run from or hurt her.

"Well, I didn't and that's all we can do about it now. I was just worried that someone was attacking you or something when you screamed."

She felt ashamed. The last time anyone had ever worried about her was at the back of her memory, the day before her father died. Now here she was, insulting her only friend. Something was nagging the back of her mind, something she had to know, but every time she thought of it it evaded her mind, like a favorite tune long forgotten. "Please, Seb, just leave. Something might happen if... I don't feel like..." She was hardly aware that she had picked up the knife on the bedside table until Seb put his hand on hers and slowly pushed it down.

"All right, Alin. But if something bothers you or you need to talk, just call."

When the door had shut behind her, she put her head in her arms and cried. She had never felt this lost before. Oh, if only there was someone else she could find who wasn't a normal human, who had been as confused as she! In the town of Jidoor she thought there might be something to do. Now here she was, feeling as if her life had been ripped apart. All she wanted to do was have one crummy adventure, just one excursion into the world! Not this bizzare realization of her true identity! She didn't even really know who she was, just that someone wanted to kill her or force her to join them, and she needed someone to talk to. Not Seb. Someone who could understand. She needed that. She felt like she could go crazy. Actually, she didn't know how much longer she could hold onto sanity if this kept up...

Alone.

She felt alone, as if the only one in an empty universe.

The Red was the cause of this.

But if she hated red, what was she?

Something Blue?

She had to find out. Soon.

Silken strands of quicksilver and shadow weaved through Seb's resting, near-sleeping body, twining through his pores, resting his mind. Slowly, gently smoothing back tensed muscles and rampant thoughts and filling his mind's eye with naught but silence and night...

"Get out..." Seb's lips mumbled without sound as he passed into dreams and memories.

*************************************

"GET OUT OF HERE, BOY! NOW!"

Seb blinked his tears away, cradling his injured hand in the crook of his other arm. The sickening dampness spreading across his tunic twisted his stomach, and he barely choked back a rush of bile.

Seb's father lifted his sword, slowly; with precision, he raised it to his son's trembling adam's apple, letting the tip lightli scratch the soft, thin skin. Seb shivered more from fear than anything else.

"Why are you doing this? I had to get rid of it! You know I did! Trying to defeat Kefka is suicide!" Seb yelled, barely choking back sobs.

"That armor was all I had, Sebastian! All I had left of your mother! I was going to avenge her, make things right for me, for all us. And you ruined that," his father roared back, seething with rage.

Seb's eyes narrowed, still glistening with salt and water and misery, and hardened. The sheen of innocence, of fear, of powerlessness, melted away; all that remained were two marble orbs, full of conviction. "You would have died fighting Kefka. You know that. I would not then, and I will not now let you commit suicide, no matter how much you want it. Mother is dead," Seb said, and watched his father stiffen at the last statement. He reached up with his uninjured hand, and pushed the sword blade aside, not feeling the tip carry a thin strip of flesh. Not seeing the trail of airborne blood. Seb advanced now, walking slowly towards his father, fire slowly burning behind his eyes, in his soul. "I won't have your death on my head."

Seb's father suddenly slackened, then turned away, dropping his sword to the ground, resting his hands on a table. The wood almost buckled under the pressure of his sweat-covered fingertips. "Get out," he said quietly.

Seb stepped forward, confused.

"I said get out. Now. I don't want to see you ever again. Take the sack of gold on the table and get out of my sight."

Seb's finger's brushed lightly against the yielding softness of the sack, ably concealing the cold metal coins inside...

*****************************************

Seb woke up with a start. He was bolt upright before he understood where he was. He was alone. In a rented room. Home seemed very far, very harsh from where he now sat, fairly dripping with cold sweat and memory. In the warming emptiness of the room, Seb couldn't resist smiling sheepishly to no one at all. How silly he'd been. After all, dreams, much less memories, couldn't hurt anyone.

Could they?

-From the diary of Seb Alltaire

*******************************

"Hey there, short and handsome. Wanna dance?"

Seb looked up from his half-empty glass at the woman before him. His eyes were encrusted with frost.

"That is the lamest pick-up line I've ever heard. Ever. Now go away," was his icy reply. The dancer looked at him amazedly for a moment before shrugging listlessly and walking off. Off to find another victim, Seb assumed as he lifted the glass to his lips to drink again. He felt the burning taste of warm liquor in his mouth, and stopped drinking in a blink. The glass, now a quarter full, was set down on the table again, sticking to the wetness of spilled beer. Seb swallowed the mouthful down, sighed, and ran his hand through his hair.

"Nikean wine. One of their few local exports, besides traders, and it tastes like mucus," Seb commented quietly to himself. From the seat next to him, a sharp voice piped up.

"What was that? I'm sorry, I wasn't listening," Alin asked, covering her boredom well. Seb waved it off.

"Nothing. Nothing of importance, at least. Anyway, I can't stand the liquor here, and you're too young to drink." Alin glared at him menacingly, as if to say "I was tossing back vodka when you were still in diapers, bud". Seb ignored it, and continued, "So whaddya say we ditch this place and do something interesting. Maybe go to the auction, perhaps? I mean, we're in Jidoor, after all. Let's enjoy it while our money lasts."

Alin nodded in agreement, and hopped lightly off her stool. Seb turned, tossed a small bag of gold to the barkeep, who barely caught it in time. All debts gone, Seb whipped out of the bar and into the street. Alin jogged up while Seb, glad to be up and about again, smiled widely and spread his arm theatrically, motioning to a crowd that didn't exist. Alin fixed him with a quizzical look.

"Do you have any idea how annoying it is when you move that fast?"

"I would imagine it would be infuriating."

"Then stop doing it outside of travel and combat."

"Ah, but cherie," a devilish smile flickered on Seb's thin lips, and he turned to Alin, leaned very close, and said in his most serious voice: "That wouldn't be much fun, now would it?"

***************************************

Garric pulled on his heavy gauntlets effortlessly, and then flexed his diamond-encased fingers. The warrior grinned grimly to himself. Everything was as it was; as it should be. As it always should have been. He'd spent the past year searching high and low for his scattered armory, but now... A coldness crossed his features.

The boy would pay. Dearly, and with his life's blood. No one embarrassed Garric Alltaire like that. No one disobeyed him. No one. Not even - the armor seemed now heavier than ever - not even his own son. Sebastian would die at his hand. It was the only thing to do.

**************************************

Seb shivered, pulled his cloak tighter around him, and felt no warmer. Alin looked to him.

"What is it?"

"I... don't really know. I just, all of a sudden, have a very bad feeling."

"About what?'

"Everything."

"Something on your mind?" She looked up as Seb turned to speak to her.

"No, not really. Just thinking about what's happened so far. I wonder if the future's got a lot for me. You know, I really have no plans for it."

"For what?" he asked, unaware that he sounded kind of foolish.

"The future, dummy. Do you have an idea of what you want life to give you, or do you just ride fortune like a river, as I do, and accept what comes to you?"

He merely shrugged and looked up at the blue sky, as if something weighed heavily on his mind.

"Is something wrong?" She could not keep the concern out of her voice, for he looked like he knew that something was going to happen that she, possibly, wouldn't like.

"No. Hmmm... it's a nice day, isn't it? Or at least as nice as a day in this filthy city can get." Although the words he spoke would seem as if he hated Jidoor, his voice gave the impression that he was fond of it.

"I wonder.. do you see something?"

"Where?"

"Over there." But it was gone, before she could decide just where the shape was. Perhaps she needed some of those spectacles she'd heard of once in her travels. "Never mind. Anyway, I think we need to find an inn. It'll be growing dark soon, and I don't want to think of what might happen in Jidoor at night."

Seb grinned. "And you said you didn't have any plans for the future."

"The near future, yes. But in the long run, no." Her eyes noticed a sign above what obviously was an inn. "The Sleepy Traveler. Sounds okay to me."

They turned to enter the building, but a man was standing in their way. He appeared to have dozed off, but when Alin put a hand on his arm so she could shake him awake he opened his eyes sharply. Looking at the whip handle jutting out of her pack, he reached for his sword, which her foolish eyes had failed to notice. It was merely an instant before she had her knife up, blocking the blade. Glad her reflexes were as sharp as they should be, she glanced around to see if anyone was watching. Only Seb, who stood by her with his sword unsheathed, she, and the man were within viewing distance. This scene she managed to take in in the blink of an eye.

Then Seb had his sword where the man had been, the stranger himself had somehow moved behind Alin, and Alin was trying to avoid his blade. Striking out blindly with her knife, it found its way into his arm. Howling either with rage or in pain, their enemy tore it from his arm and launced it at Seb. Seb dodged just in time, but not before it brushed by his cheek, drawing a fine line of blood. Alin, meanwhile, had pulled out her whip but not before realizing how useless it was at close range. Pulling out a small boot knife that not even Seb knew about, she struck the man deep in the heart. Although he was dying, he managed to srike her leg with his sword. Gasping, Alin knelt down and instinctively put a hand over the wound to stop the blood. Removing her hand, she saw - blue!

"Alin.. you.. uh, could you explain a bit? Or are my eyes failing me?" Seb appeared a little shaken, and the bleeding on his cheek had gone down.

"Let's get in the inn. Before someone else attacks us." Ignoring his question and the pain in her leg, she tried to clear her mind of the one fact she now knew was not her imagination.

She wasn't human.