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Chapter Text

"Where the hell is he?" the large hulk snarled. "I'm gonna kill im!"

Someone shouted a warning but feet thundered up the stairs to the sleeping quarters regardless. A bed was turned over, blankets flying but there was no-one there. Next the cupboard was thrust open, followed by the dusty chest in the corner. Huffing and puffing the man discovered them to be empty. He ran hands through his dark purple hair. Every trace of the boy was gone.

Gingerly Blank put his head around the door. "Boss?" he asked, slightly unsure whether he would get an answer or a thump. "Is it true?"

"Yeah, he did it for real this time. He's left Tantalus!" Baku wasn't the type of man to get sentimental over his troupe, but Zidane had been well...special.

The teenager stepped inside. There was an eerie silence to the place now. They had slept and shared this room for over six years. It felt strange not to see his best friend swinging from the wooden beams and throwing something at him. How he'd often lounge on the bed and whistle cheerful (if irritating) tunes. The endless questions he would ask about women that Blank could never answer. All the hours they'd spent learning lines and practising fighting sequences, was all that over?

He spotted something taped on the telescope near to the window. It was an old drawing with two scrawny stickmen that seemed vaguely familiar. The two figures held swords and were duelling. Gazing at it brought Blank nothing but a horrible squeeze in his chest. "Little bro," he whispered. The paper was immediately crushed into a ball. He threw it hard and watched it bounce harmlessly off the opposite wall.

"Now don't be like that, darlin." A slender hand covered in white lace picked up the picture and began to smooth it out again.

"Did you help him, Rubes?" It was a loaded accusation.

"What cha yer gonna do if I did?"

Nothing, he was going to do nothing. Zidane was long gone. Even if they left now there were far too many possibilities about where he went. They could search for years and still never find him. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

The leader of Tantalus stood up and glared. "Interfering woman! He's out there – alone!"

Most may have flinched at the sharp tone. Ruby however was made of sterner stuff. She had nursed the majority of the thieves back to health at some point. She'd seen them drunk, even naked (not through choice) and offered a friendly ear. Baku could be terrible when roused but even she could see he was just upset. He'd lost one of his boys.

"Tribal's got food, the clothes on his back and a sharp brain. You've always said that's all a man needs to survive. Or was that just hogwash?" Baku grumbled but did not reply. "He has a right to find his 'ome." She pressed.

This made the large man sigh and shake his head. "He won't find his home."

Both of the youngsters looked at each other with surprise. "Wha' do yer mean?" they asked in unison.

"The only thin' Zidane can remember about his homeland is a blue light."

"You can't be serious?"

"He did mention summat about all that," Ruby said thoughtfully. "Little guy was hazy on the de-tails, but he really wan-ted to try!"

Blank rolled his eyes. "What's he supposed to say? Hey, you seen a place with a bright blue light round here? He'll be laughed out of town – that's if they don't think he's crazy first!" He looped a finger near to his temple to emphasize the point.

"That light isn't even a place," Baku muttered. "It was a shooting star!"

Ruby stamped her foot. "What? You tellin me lies now!"

"If you shut up for five minutes I'll tell yer what I know!"

Baku could distinctly remember the time and place. The great clock in the Theatre District had just chimed eleven when he came stumbling out the bar. He was feeling tipsy, but gawped at the sheer beauty of the glowing blue tail as it streaked across the night sky. He didn't think much on it and staggered home to bed.

The next morning with the mother of all hangovers he decided to go for a walk and clear his head. Lindblum however (as everybody knows) is a very busy city. With at least three distinct districts: Theatre, Industrial and Business. The number of people living here was close to sixty thousand. It was a metropolis of the modern age governed by Regent Cid. On most days it was a hive of interesting activity unfortunately it was all too much for poor Baku to take.

As he stomped along holding his sore head he came upon the Lindblum Grand Harbour. A number of large ships were docked ready to pick up supplies. Baku admired them for a while and pondered about a life on the seas. He wondered if the Blue Narciss was even a patch on the Prima Vista. Alas the leader of the Theatre Troupe was not allowed to take it for a spin! The daydreaming cheered him a little as a light breeze tickled the purple whiskers on his nose. He leaned on the rail and closed his eyes. He heard the seagulls circling above waiting for the fishing boats to return.

"HEY, STOP THIEF!"

He cringed. Damn it! Who's spotted me now? Swiftly in his head he tried to remember the thefts he'd authorised recently. Who would recognise him in the cold light of day? This was one of many risks in a career of thievery. Although to be fair he would only steal from those who afford it. He was steadily gathering a group of orphans with hungry mouths to feed through no fault of his own.

"STOP, THIEF!"

Now came the whistles and the police as well. Baku gritted his teeth and turned ready to face the music. "Come on now guys, I'm just an ol' man-" He saw a blond haired youth flash by being chased by the mob.

What the heck was that just now? He thought with confusion. A monkey tail? Baku strained to see more but they were making their way towards the jetty. Without hesitation he raced to follow.

Chapter Text

It looked more like a half starved animal than a human. Long greasy locks the colour of tatty hay obscured his face, but it was the eyes that were haunting. Those eyes did not see, nor comprehend the crowd. The monkey tail twitched back and forth as a low growl gave out a warning.

"Get him!" a woman shrieked. "He stole one of my loaves, filthy urchin!"

One of the Regent's officers came forward, a pompous man. "Bet, don't get yourself so worked up. I'll deal with this!" He wore a claret jacket one size too small, so it appeared the shiny gold buttons might fly off at any given moment. In his youth the law enforcer had been quite the charmer. In his hand was a silver whistle which he blew. A horrific shrill sound cut through the air. His name was William Clatterbridge and he still held a whisper of respect within the district.

Baku watched the scene unfold with an uncomfortable feeling brewing inside his stomach. He wanted to put it down to simple indigestion. Any normal self preserving thief would turn away and walk to the nearest coffee house. He should ignore the commotion and continue his day without a care. All it took was three little footsteps in the opposite direction. The Tantalus leader could taste the delicious mocha coffee already. Memories of the flavour were teasing his taste buds and the heady aroma always helped to ease his aching body. Would that not be a better way to end the morning?

Keep moving. That's it, one foot in front of the other! This ain't nothing to do with you. He grimaced it was a half hearted effort, a snail's pace. Suddenly Baku was aware that the woman's infernal shrieking was growing louder and louder. He couldn't help himself and turned to look.

The monkey boy was backing away onto the jetty leading out to the open sea. He didn't seem at ease with the water but the shouting pack in front of him wasn't appealing either. The situation was rapidly turning sour. When William demanded the bread the youngster clung to it ever more tightly. The officer tried to grab the food and was rewarded with teeth into flesh. Immediately Clatterbridge attempted to retrieve his hand. He threw the thief to the floor and gave a distressed wail. In the process three of the small lamps perched on the wooden stumps of the jetty smashed. Pieces of glass showered the floor causing some of the group to scream.

Mr Clatterbridge was losing patience. He crept back towards the boy but this time his sword was drawn, sharp and keen. "You're making things worse for yourself!" he warned.

The kid however was stubborn, not only that, he was snarling at the officer now and his audience was growing. What had started as an outrage for Betty the Baker's sake was fast becoming free entertainment for some of the throng. Young men with time on their hands had snuck into the crowd swelling the numbers still further. So many unfriendly brows were beating down on the blond, but still he would not yield.

Got a lot of spunk that one! Baku thought with admiration. It was hard to tell from a distance but he reckoned the monkey boy had to be younger than Blank. That would make him no older than six, but what was he doing out here alone? Did he just wander into Lindblum from somewhere nearby? He considered this and then shook his head. No, I've never seen no one with tails like that on my travels.

"Thief! Thief! Thief!" the mob started to chant.

One of the group picked up a stone and threw it. This was quickly followed by another. By the time Clatterbridge realised things were getting out of hand it was all too late. "Now, now, folks there's no need for violence here!" he pleaded trying to maintain order.

Stones mercilessly rained down on the kid. All he could do was cower squeezing the loaf against his chest. The stones were replaced with rocks which caused a lot more pain. At this rate he would be covered from head to toe in bruises. He gave a howl and shuffled his body further away scraping through the pieces of broken glass.

Baku had seen enough. He straightened his belt and readjusted the goggles he was wearing. He strode forward pushing his way through until he was standing in front of everyone. "Stop this crap!" he shouted brandishing his own sword. "You want to stone the boy? What is this the dark ages?" Without flinching he glared at them standing as a shield between the child and the horde. Their faces fell becoming abashed.

Betty pointed a long accusing finger. "He's a thief – stole one of my loaves!"

The Tantalus leader looked down at the pathetic excuse for a human being. Two teary blue eyes stared back at him in wonder. In a heartbeat Baku snatched the loaf and held it out to the old woman. "Here, have it back!" he said with a loud guffaw.

Unimpressed Betty wrinkled up her nose with disgust. "No," she snapped. "He's had his dirty mitts all over it! Who'd want to eat that? He either pays for it or I'll have my pound of flesh, mark my words! Isn't that right, Will?"

Clatterbridge only coughed.

Two pointed ears drooped and reluctantly Baku searched his pockets. "Fine, how much do yer want for it?"

"Finest loaves they are! My boys break their backs working in the fields and my 'usband grinds the wheat to make flour-"

"I'm not askin for its life story woman! I'm asking how much it is!"

Betty suddenly smiled. "Quality loaf like that is worth least ten gil."

"TEN GIL! And you have the cheek to call this kid a thief?" Baku wanted to swear at the witch but managed to hold his tongue. The old woman stared back at him immovable as a mountain. "Right... here!" He nearly threw the coins but thought better of it. Two skeletal hands snatched them out of sight and at long last the hag seemed satisfied. "I hope yer choke on one of yer rotten loaves!" he called after her. Her cackling laugh was ringing all the way down the street.

Now the excitement was over the crowd started to dwindle away. All that remained was Clatterbridge and the child who was currently pulling at the loaf lodged in Baku's right hand. He succeeded to rip off a small piece which he devoured immediately.

"What do you think you're doing, hmm?" Will asked the man with the bushy purple beard. "Don't you already have ten orphans staying at your place? How do you expect to feed them all?"

"There's only three," Baku muttered although he suspected that Ruby might be joining them sometime soon. "And anyways it ain't none of your damn business what I do!"

He picked up the child (who instantly started whining) and tucked him under his arm. Already his head was starting to pound again so he shoved the remaining loaf into the noisy hole. That'll shut him up for a while! With peace restored he bid the officer good morning and started his way back home.

Meanwhile back in the Theatre District a frustrated red head was trying to sew up a hole in his spare trousers. It had taken nearly five minutes for Blank to thread some cotton through the needle's eye, never mind mending the garment. Perched on a table a little girl swung her legs. He could feel her grey eyes on him watching with amusement.

"You want a hand with that, darlin?"

"I don't need help," he snapped back, "Especially from you. Why do you keep coming round here anyway? Haven't you got a home to go to?"

Her smile slipped. "Pa goes out drinking tonight." She bit her bottom lip and gazed at the floor. "I just don't like being in the way when he comes 'ome."

"These days your old man goes on a bender every night," Blank said dryly.

"That's not true!" she flared but it didn't sound convincing.

The other child could still see the yellowy bruises on her arm. These combined with a black eye looked weird on the eight year old. In fact it made him angry when he thought about it although he would never tell her that. Ruby was built like a doll all white pale skin, long grey hair and spindly thin legs. Her dream was to become an actress or something in the theatre world. It was a stupid dream.

She came to crouch down next to him. "Do you think the Boss will mind?"

"Nah, course not." In vain he attempted to pull the fabric together but his stitches were spaced too far apart and everything bunched together. "Arrr!" he growled with frustration. "I hate doing stuff like this!"

"Give it t' me before you poke your little ol' eye out!" She laughed as he finally surrendered the trousers with a pout.

The door swung open making them both jump. Whoever it was however could not be seen as they carried a gigantic chest. Immediately Blank leapt up and cleared the table to make space for the new found treasures.

"Thanks bro," the teenager said with a smile. He took off his bandana for a moment and wiped the sweat away from his brow. "Trying to get this back in one piece was a pain, but I think it'll be worth it."

Like children on Christmas morning they began to unpack the contents. There was a velvet hat with an extravagant purple plume, a pair of rusty copper gauntlets, strings of coloured beads, a helmet, several wigs of varying colours, a walking cane, jar of marbles, rolls of ribbon and a silk waistcoat. It was an impressive haul.

Blank couldn't resist getting dressed up. "Look at me, I'm a proper gentleman!" he attempted with a posh accent. His friends fell about with laughter as he began to saunter around the room. The way he carried the cane twirling it with a flourish and then a bow had them rolling on the floor.

"If that ain't the funniest sight I ever saw!" Ruby giggled. "Don't cha think so, Marcus?"

"Yeah, hilarious, you should be on stage."

That seemed to put Blank in a black mood however. He stopped suddenly and began to place the items back into the box. "I'd just scare away the punters." He shrugged. A frown appeared on Marcus' face and for a moment a tense silence passed between them.

"Well..." She stood up. "I'll give these clothes a goin over and maybe Cinna can work his magic on these rusty gloves, huh?"

"Sounds good," Marcus agreed circling his tired arms. "Where is that lazy bum anyway?"

"In the cellar, where else?" Blank rolled his eyes. "He's been promising to fix my dagger for like an age!"

The youths complained a little longer about the chef / black smith of Tantalus before they heard screaming coming from outside. They exchanged glances as once again the door burst open. Cold air blew into the room along with Baku who was struggling somewhat.

"Boss!" they called out.

"This brat owes me money!" He threw the youngster in their general direction. Three sets of confused blinking eyes stared at the monkey boy and then back at him. "He stinks! Give him a bath! And Ruby my dear, I need a drink, something strong, very strong!"

"Comin right up, Boss!" Ruby said brightly as she went to the pantry.

The red head's response was not so enthusiastic. "You've got to be kidding!"

"Do you want a thump, lad? I've been bitten, spat on and scratched to hell! I'm going for a lie down!" With that he stomped up the stairs leaving them alone.

"Humph! Howz about that?" Blank grumbled. "What are we supposed to do with this?"

Marcus sighed and started to roll up his sleeves. "Well, the Boss said give him a bath. So we give him a bath, simple right?"

Chapter Text

The newcomer's eyes went wide as saucers darting from one corner of the room to the other. Upon trying to stand he dramatically collapsed. On all fours he skittered away, retreating until his back thumped against a wall. He cried out and looked wildly at them as though they were monsters about to eat him. His chest heaved up and down in rapid, desperate breaths.

"Aw, poor thing!" Ruby said walking over with a double shot of whisky.

Blank studied the new recruit and found him wanting. "What a wimp!" he huffed. "Oww! What the hell was that for?!" The sudden elbow to his ribs had taken the thief by surprise.

She shook her head. "You should be ashamed! Don't seem that long ago Marcus found you in awright state too, or did yer forgit that, huh?" The younger boy pulled a face as she climbed the stairs only to have her turn suddenly. "Don't just stand there cowboys! Make yerself useful and git him undressed! Lucky for you the warter's been bubblin a good while now. Just giv' me a minute to take this up to the Boss."

Get him undressed? Marcus glanced at the flaps of material the youngster wore. He'd never seen 'clothes' like that before. In another time they used to be blue with white stripes but now he was caked in black soot and who knew what else. They'd have to find him something new to wear. Not that they were short of costumes exactly but he was on the small side. He sighed. We'll worry about that later...

A lot later the two friends found themselves red faced and exhausted. Catching the rascal was easier said than done. Despite appearing to be nothing but a bag of bones he was very nimble. Every time they tried to catch him he would somersault out of harm's way or dive underneath a piece of furniture. They tried kind, coaxing words which only turned to threats of violence as the child refused to cooperate. Plan C was to use a net unfortunately this only resulted in the pair getting tangled up in each other! Success was nearly in their grasp when they offered the boy some food.

"I bet you're hungry, aren't you?" Blank held out the shiny green apple tentatively. His target eyed the fruit - it was obvious that he wanted to gobble it down. However the blue orbs flickered to the red head. It was as if they were saying 'Yeah, I trust you about as far as I can throw you!'  They returned to the apple. "Come on, I know you want it! Juicy, yummy, mmm..."

He took the bait. As soon as the blond made his move the two Tantalus members dived. Blank restrained his arms and Marcus went for the legs. They were surprised at the sheer strength of the monkey kid. His limbs jolted, wriggled and rammed against them. He wasn't just struggling. It was like he was fighting for his life!

Marcus could feel their grip already beginning to loosen. "Water would be good about now!"

"Nearly ready boys!" Ruby sang pouring a small bucket of cooler water into the tin bath. The fire was burning merrily as was tradition on Saturdays when all members of the team had their only 'thorough' wash of the week. There was no running hot water and as things stood Baku didn't have an endless sack of coal to use for such luxuries either. "Okay, bring 'im over!"

Alas it was not to be. Blank was punched hard in the nose which was so painful that he had to let go. The trio could only watch helplessly as the child jumped up onto a gigantic cog which was a part of the clock tower mechanism. With his tail as a balance he swung up and over navigating a path of smaller cogs until he had reached one of the support beams near the ceiling. Here he rested looking down at the group and began eating the apple Blank had teased him with before.

A fourth youth came over to join them. He craned his neck trying to get a good look at whatever had captured his friends' interest. "Who's that then?" he asked swinging a hammer over his shoulder.

"Hey Cinna," Marcus greeted him briefly. "That's meant to be our new member."

"Oh?" This young man was fifteen years old. He'd always had a strange shaped face which was far too wide and round. Cinna had taken to growing facial hair as soon as possible to cover it up. He had very tender skin on his nose that looked almost as red as a clown's. His yellow eyes had a queer luminous quality that made people uneasy. "So, what's he doing up there then?"

"He's a little... strange."

"Should fit right in with us then!" he gave a chuckle.

"We're trying to give him a bath but he escaped up there."

Cinna assessed the situation. He strode over to clock face to study it and then nodded. "Bring the bath 'ere directly under him."

"Whut in tarnation are you doin?" Ruby protested as the three males scraped the heavy tub across the wooden floor boards onto a mat. They then heaved the mat and brought it directly underneath the beam.

Expectantly the Troupe stared at Cinna who only held a smug smile on his face.

"Well?" Marcus said, "What's the plan?"

"Just wait."

The friends waited patiently hearing only the scrunching sounds of an apple being enjoyed far above. The core was thrown down soon after, followed by a loud belch.

I'm gonna tan the hide of that brat! Blank promised himself. "What the hell are we waiting for?!"

"Uh – uh, wait one more minute..."

They did so until at last it was three o'clock in the afternoon. The cogs came to life squeaking and turning. Only then did they understand.

The guest peeked over the edge at the children standing next to the vessel of water. He didn't like water, water made him cold and wet. When he'd first opened his eyes water had been falling from the sky in thick heavy sheets. He had no idea where he was and what had happened to him. He had wandered aimlessly until his stomach was crippled with pain. It was then of course from watching the locals that he realised food was needed. But when he had taken some food for himself all those people began to chase him through the streets. They'd been so angry. They threw stones at him. The cuts on his arms were still raw and throbbing.

Suddenly a great noise rang out. Bong! Bong! Bong! It went. He covered his ears in terror. What is this? Why is it hurting? He lost his balance and tumbled. As he fell he saw a large domed object swinging to and fro. Then the next minute his body had smacked into the water. He gasped and fought to get out, but four pairs of hands grabbed him preventing his escape. His soggy clothes were stripped away. He was being pushed down. Let me go! He lashed out at them. Just leave me alone!

"Stop complaining!" the red haired boy told him.

A brush was brought out and the one known as 'Blank' yanked his tail to make it straight. After that the brush was scrubbed mercilessly over and over. The older boy had an odd scar on the right side of his face. He was fascinated by it.

"Quit staring you little runt!" Blank snarled.

"Hey, quit it yerself!" Ruby snapped at him. "Ya can see the poor guy's terrified. Stop yappin and keep scrubbin ain't no way we're done yit!"

This water was strangely warm and full of white soap that caused bubbles to rise and dance into the air. He relaxed slightly. He allowed the children to put a strange gloopy liquid onto his hair, and quite liked the soothing motions of the girl's hands on his scalp. The bath continued for a good ten minutes until it seemed the group was at last satisfied.

They lifted him out and wrapped him up in something large and fluffy. He felt dizzy from the water and swayed. The red head caught him. "Watch what yer doin!"

Marcus looked dubiously at the water left in the tub. "Think I'll pass on a bath tonight."

"Don't cha worry partner! Baku said I can make up a fresh tub of warter just this once!"

"So generous," Cinna said with a smirk.

Tantalus Headquarters was a jumble of all sorts of props and costumes that were hung up, stacked or stored lovingly in every corner. For the children it was like stepping into another world at times. One day Baku might have a cutlass and an eye patch pretending to be a pirate. The next he was a wise wizard and after that a dragon! You could never tell what mad cap theme he might choose next. It was incredibly fun but there was a serious side to it. Baku was in the process of setting up a Theatre Troupe, a group of actors that would perform shows to make serious money. Unfortunately his efforts to capture the audience's imagination had so far fallen flat on its face.

It wasn't the acting per se that was the problem. The working folk in Lindblum had an appetite for wanting to forget their troubles and have a good time. They didn't want to appreciate the 'arty farty' gimmicks that had made the play so popular in Treno. They didn't want to think too hard. So trying to perform an intellectual master piece from a long time ago had not been the smartest move. The failure of opening night had cost Baku: what with refunds, hiring the stage and actors quitting. It would be a while before he had both the courage and the finance to try again. But in the meantime he had managed to collect a group of unwanted misfits who needed a roof over their head and food on the table. He had to get the cash from somewhere.

It was at this point that an old friend came to town. He told Baku about a 'job' that was available but he warned him that it wasn't strictly legal. With the threat of losing his digs and winter coming on, he took up the offer. It wasn't so difficult to steal the diamond necklace from the noble. Blank had really come in handy squeezing through the tight window that led into the house. That didn't mean he wasn't praying to any Gods that would listen so they didn't get caught! All was well however when the exchange was made and Baku found himself with enough gil to last the month. After that Tantalus became a den of thieves with the theatre as a cover story and they hadn't looked back since.

He yawned and stretched aware that the ruckus down stairs had finally died down. Making his way towards the main living space he could hear a curious snipping sound.

"How long is this gonna take?"

Blank sounds about as happy as usual!

"Jus hold yer horses! Cuttin hair ain't an easy thin to do! If he's wigglin it goes all cock eyed and I have to git it straight again!" She heard the familiar heavy footsteps behind her and smiled. "Hey Boss! Did yer have a nice nap?"

Baku had to laugh. The monkey boy had scrubbed up well, but was being pinned to a stool by his boys. He looked incredibly fed up with the situation and glared at him. Ruby was hunched over with a pair of scissors trying to complete the haircut with a small mountain of blond hair at her feet. She'd done a pretty good job at the front layering the pangs perfectly, but it seemed that the newbie had had quite enough.

"Gwahahaha! That'll do for now."

Ruby huffed. "But I haven't finished the back!"

He considered this and wandered over to the chest on the table were something had caught his eye. The thief rummaged for a while and finally produce a strand of teal blue ribbon. "Ere, use this." He gave it to Ruby.

With his hair smartly tied back in a ponytail it was at last possible to see the whole face. He was a very handsome little boy with high cheek bones, flawless skin and again, those glassy blue eyes. He'll break a few hearts when he's older! Baku grinned to himself. The get up for the child suited him quite well too: a small pair of brown breeches with a long leather belt that had to be wound around his waist several times, a simple white shirt with a ruffled collar and boots.

"Don't he look cute?" The girl went to pat the youngster on the head but he shirked away. "Aww..." She was disappointed. "I thought we were buddies now."

The leader smiled at her kindly. "Be patient. I've seen that look before. The only thin this kid knows is fear."

"But we ain't gunna hurt im!"

"Yeah, but he don't know that!" They both looked across at the newcomer. He was sitting at the table with Marcus who was encouraging him to eat some soup. He eyed the food suspiciously and took only the smallest of sips. "It's gonna take time for him to trust us."

"Don't he even have a name?" she asked and when he shook his head she added, "That's so sad."

The afternoon drew on and Ruby had to leave Tantalus and return home. Blank watched her go and gave the all clear - it was time to get down to business.

"Right, let's start this meeting already!" Baku clapped his hands together and drew up a chair. What followed was a general summary of the heists they had conducted and their current cash flow. As it stood they had saved up a fair amount of gil and the excited man declared they were nearly ready to perform again.

"Boss, do you think another play is a good idea? You know what happened last time." Cinna wasn't convinced.

"Perfect timin! We can show greenhorn over there the ropes and earn enough gil to put down a deposit."

Blank's ears stood to attention. "Deposit for what?"

"Boys," he paused for dramatic effect. "I'm finally gonna make the Prima Vista ours." Everyone gasped.

"Are you serious, Boss?" The red head could barely contain himself. He stood up and punched the air with jubilation. Ever since Blank had joined the Troupe he'd fallen in love with machines - especially airships. The Prima Vista in his eyes was the jewel in the crown.

Marcus was more sceptical. "Are you sure Trent weren't just playing yer? I mean, where did he say this, the bar?" He ducked as the older man tried to take a swipe at him.

"Ya fool, give me a little credit!"

"Boss, if this is Trent though..."

Dolf Trent was an airship pilot from Lindblum born and bred. As a soldier in the Regent Army he was interested in the design of new ships for the Lindblum Imperial Fleet. Trent had invited Baku and his boys onboard one day to show off the beautiful machine and everyone agreed that the Prima Vista really was a very special lady. As the current owner he had the pleasure of taking her to the skies and kissing the sunrise. Baku dreamed one day to take the Theatre Troupe travelling all around the world on a tour. In order to do that he needed an airship but for years Trent had denied any discussion on the matter. That was until a week ago.

As old drinking buddies Baku and Dolf often met up for a game of cards. They liked the atmosphere and the opportunity to share news and let their hair down. It was during the early evening that Trent had brought up the Prima Vista and that she was a little outdated nowadays. Baku disagreed but continued to listen as his friend talked about a new project he was developing. The army wanted faster and more powerful airships at their disposal. He was working with a number of talented engineers to build a new type of ship called the Viltgance. This meant in effect he would no longer have the time or resources to care for his beloved Prima Vista. If a buyer could not be found she would be taken apart with components scrapped and recycled for the new fleet. Upon hearing this Baku was heartbroken. He didn't care if he had to pay Trent all the way into old age the thief swore on his honour he would find the money to save her.

"And that's the way it is!" he finished taking a swig of beer. His team was astonished, their very own ship! Was it really possible? "We're gonna have to work our butts off for the next couple of years and everyone will have to pull their weight, got it?"

"Yes Boss!" All three chorused.

"Aye, she's not getting away this time." He seemed lost in his thoughts for a moment. The bell chimed again indicating another hour past. Baku felt the blond as he dashed under their table cloth. "Geez kid, even ol' Ben scares yer, eh?" He picked up the quivering bundle by the scruff of the neck. "You'll have to get used to it, lad. You're gonna have to get used to a lot of things round here! Gwahahaha!" The child went limp. All the fight had gone out of him. "When I think of the trouble you caused me today. Now look, dead on yer feet!"

"Where's he sleepin anyway?" Blank said sharp as a tack.

Protectively Baku picked up the child whose eyes were starting to droop. "He'll take the spare bunk under yours."

"Over my dead body he will!"

"That can be arranged," Baku warned with a hiss. He towered over the boy of seven winters and glared. It didn't take long for the Boss to win the staring contest however and Blank averted his heated gaze. "He's a member of Tantalus now," their leader pointed out, "whether you like it or not."

Chapter Text

He woke up to the screams coming from the next room.

"Mum! Dad?" he calls out. The room is in darkness aside from the milky rays of the moon. They transform the cupboard and toy box into threatening shadowy creatures. A racing heartbeat is pounding through his ears, and he tries to take the five deep breaths that his parents taught him to help. Things calm for a while and he begins to wonder if he wasn't just imagining the whole thing. He pulls the blanket up to his chin still feeling disorientated. If he was wrapped tightly away then nothing bad could get him. He was a big boy now he had to show dad that nothing scared him. That's right! Nothing scares me. He shuffles back down into bed and turns over.

But just as the child begins to drift off again there is another scream. This time he knows it's his mother even though her voice sounds strange. His fingers crush the material between them. He can't hear what she's saying, but his whole body tenses. What's going on? There's the smash of glass and then a great rumbling heard from downstairs. He's frozen to the spot. More screams follow and another voice – deeper, male. The screams stop. His head snaps toward the door, with eyes adjusting to the dark now he can make out the frame and handle. There's a glow coming from underneath the door. Sometimes dad would leave a candle burning on the landing, but this was giving far more light than usual. It wasn't a golden light either, more...red in colour.

He sits up sharply. As he stands his feet are greeted by the icy cold floorboards but he feels nothing. He creeps towards the source of the strange light, but he knows in his gut that something is terribly wrong. His hands reach out and they are met by heat. The door is warm.

Don't open it!

But the child is entranced and without thinking he throws it open. In the next moment he is engulfed by a ball of fiery hell.

"I SAID DON'T!" Blank cried out. He's sweating profusely and can't quite catch his breath. The familiar sights and smells of the clock tower slowly drift back into focus, and he drops back onto the pillows. "Damn it!" He blinks and then finally notices the pair of curious blue eyes peeking over the side of his bunk. "What are you looking at?" he growls. "Get lost!" But the newcomer does not retreat and the thief is forced to get up himself to escape.

After jumping into a pair of black dungarees and a blue shirt he wanders downstairs and finds Baku drinking coffee.

"Another nightmare, huh?"

"Don't even go there..."

The Tantalus leader shrugs his shoulders. "Fair enough –ah..." He notices the blond. "Morning little fella, did you sleep better than princess 'ere?"

The child scratches the back of his head shyly and does not reply.

"Here," Blank said whilst pulling up a chair. "Sit down. You look kinda dumb just standing there." Surprisingly the child does and Baku bursts out laughing.

"I think he likes yer!"

"Drop dead, old man."

Suddenly two plates are dropped onto the table loaded with a fried egg and toast combo. "Mornin bro," Marcus greets him, "You okay?"

Blank breaks off some of the toast and starts to dip it in the yolk. "I'm fine."

"Heard you shouting," his friend mentions whilst pouring some more coffee. The look received in return was crystal clear – drop it. "Yer know where I am," Marcus says as he turns to leave.

"Sure," Blank replied with a half hearted smile. He looks across at his fellow diner and sighs. "What the 'eck are you tryin to do there? You're meant to eat it not kill it!"

The egg had been stabbed several times making the mustard yellow heart bleed into the pure white. Then for whatever reason the boy had decided to mix the two together. The result was a sickening mess and both Baku and Blank were startled when he lifted the plate to his mouth and shovelled the whole lot in!

"That... is... disgusting," the older boy said with hooded eyes.

Baku took another sip of his coffee. This kid really is a wild one!

"That's the last of the eggs by the way!" Cinna's voice called from below. He was busy in the cellar doing a stock take. "In fact we're running low on a lot of stuff!"

"Make a list!" Baku shouted back. "Blank and Blondie are on shopping duty this mornin!"

"We're what?!"

A small bag of gil chinked as it landed on the table. "Have a quick wash and get all the bits on the list, you got that?"

"But Boss, it'll be a hell of a lot quicker if I go by myself!"

The man grinned. "What d'yer have to rush for? Take the boy to the dockyard and introduce the Prima Vista. I bet he ain't seen an airship before! Gwahahaha!" He stood up scrapping the chair away from the table. "Jus' make sure you don't lose 'im!"

"Why do I have to babysit? He's such a pain in the arse!"

Baku didn't appreciate the red head's tone. He really had woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. "Yer better watch that mouth o' yours-"

"We don't need 'im! We're fine as we are!"

"Sounds like the green eyed monster payin a visit," Baku muttered. "It don't suit yer well." Disappointed he walked away without saying another word.

I hate you! Blank glared after the giant but felt a sting inside his heart. He didn't like it when the Boss sounded like that, almost sad. Mr Blue Eyes was still gazing up at him expectantly. Blank banged his head on the table in despair. Why do I have to be stuck with this loser?

A quick wash turned out to be something of trial. Blondie glanced at his new toothbrush and shook his head. No way that's going in my mouth!

"Don't be such a wuss!" Blank dragged the youngster by his ponytail to the mirror. There was a small tub next to the sink which contained a foamy mixture of bicarbonate of soda and salt. This he smeared onto the bristles and began to brush in circular motions. "Yer she," he said through a mouthful of foam. "Nofink tow it!"

Blondie copied although he wasn't a big fan of the taste. It seemed to take forever before the red head spat out the contents and gargled with more water. He tried to follow but ended up swallowing some of the foam. Why do I have to do this? He thought miserably.

They headed away from the clock tower towards the station to catch a cab. Taking a seat Blank and Blondie stared out the window as parts of the city went streaming by. They arrived in the Industrial District without incident and headed straight towards Zebolt Dockyards. It was a beautiful day and as the sun reflected off the airships they shone like gold. There were a few Dockers about the place keeping an eye on things, but when they spotted Blank they gave a wave.

"You can't be here to see the Prima Vista again?" one of them asked.

"Course!" He grinned back. "Although really am meant to introduce her to our newest member. That's 'im." His head nodded in the blond's direction.

"He'll be in for a treat. There's no denying it, she is pretty special. I was beside myself when they said to melt her down for scrap!"

Blank could sympathise with the man. "No fear, she'll belong to Tantalus soon. Boss nearly has the deposit and everythin!"

"Is that so? Well, she'll be goin to a loving new home then! That's great news! Anyway boys gotta run, but take yer time and enjoy the view!"

"Thanks!" He sped down the grated steps. "Yer comin or what?" he yelled back up to his companion who seemed far away. "Don't keep her waitin!"

Prima Vista meaning 'First Sight' was an observatory ship owned by the Regent Army of Lindblum. On the bowsprit was a figure with angelic wings, long flowing hair and a mermaid's tail. Four gigantic propellers jutted out from the four towers located at the corners of the ship. At the stern the wood bulged as though fitting over a wide stomach. There were further propellers at the back along with the rudder used to steer the monster of a ship.

"She's a luxury liner, weighs 8235 tonnes and can hold at least 288 guests at one time." Blank reeled off his collection of facts at lightning speed. "But we're gonna turn her into a theatre ship with a stage on the poop deck, sets, costumes, lights – everything. It's gonna be awesome!" The monkey kid leaned over the side to get a better look and then turned to Blank and actually smiled. "You think that's cool? Just wait till we go travelling round the world! We'll get to see Alexandria, Burmecia, Clerya and Treno. Baku says there's even a whole other continent out there! But you have to go across the western sea to see it."

The children continued to watch as more airships came to dock. "In another year Trent's gonna start teaching me how to fly an airship. Kinda like a crash course for dummies - but still, I'm gonna keep it all up here." He tapped the side of his skull as he said this. "When I grow up I'll be the pilot for the Prima Vista, pretty impressive, huh?" His companion blinked and said nothing. "Geez, why am I tellin yer this anyway? Like you understand anything!"

It was time to go shopping and so after another trip on the air cab they stepped out into the Business District. The decor of choice for this part of town was blue and coral. There were cobble stones under foot and emerald green tiles on the sloping roofs. Blank took the time to stop and admire the water fountain found in the centre of the square. Around this was painted a sixteen pointed star. There were Roman numerals cast around the edges and the central column a pointed tower. The current shadow was cast on XII. The child put his hands into the cool water and made to take a sip but was stopped.

"It's pretty to look at," Blank agreed, "but I wouldn't be drinkin that. Not if yer don't wanna get sick!"

They finally reached the market which (as expected) was teeming with customers during the lunch hour. Everyone was here from rich nobles with their fancy frocks and silk waistcoats to the more modest working classes. Young boys from the slums were hanging around too waiting on the kindness of strangers. Even though Lindblum was a metropolis, like every major city it still had its fair share of poverty to deal with. Regent Cid was trying his best to solve the problem and not make it worse however, that wasn't an easy task!

"Lemme see now: eggs, tomatoes, flour, bread, milk, pickles? Gross! Hope Cinna isn't makin that weird pasta thing again!" Blank looked up from the list only to find himself alone. Oh great, where the 'ell has that brat gone off to?

A quick scan revealed a lad with blond hair standing near to the milk stand. He was already earning himself a few suspicious looks as he kept trying to pet the cow. When the creature eventually turned its back on him the monkey boy proceeded to pick up bottles, sniff them and then place them back down again. By the time Blank got there the shop attendant's patience was beyond frayed.

"You buyin anything?" he said sharply. "Yer friend there is giving my Daisy a right funny turn!"

"Yeah... I'll have a pint of yer finest. Sorry bout that! He's er got something wrong up 'ere you know? Really sad case...anyway, sorry again." He paid for the milk and as they walked away he slapped Blue Eyes right across the back of the head. "What yer doin? Wandering off, patting the cow! Yer supposed to stay near me!"

After that the child stuck to him like glue, and carried the large paper bag that was steadily growing heavy with groceries. They were just on their way to collect the flour when suddenly Blank cursed and pulled his confused companion in the opposite direction. They stooped low behind a cart selling scarves and blankets. He peeked through the spokes of the wheels as a shiny, black pair of immaculate shoes stepped into view.

"Well my friends, what shall we do today?" a young voice enquired. Devoid of all accent, pronounced to the letter this was a child from the high end of town.

A purple velvet dress swooped next to the shiny shoes. This was long and flowing with pleats neatly sown down to the ankle. "Oh Frederick, let's take a good look around and buy some sweets!"

"Sounds like a capital idea, Vicky!" yet another voice said. "What do you think, Brooks?"

"Must you ssound sso common, Ssam? Do not give me a nick name! Anyone would think you have not been taught the pwhoper etiquette!"

This was 'The Snobs' as Blank affectionately called them - snobbish by name and snobbish by nature. He'd had run ins with them before - particularly Frederick. They didn't get along. He sighed, all he wanted was the flour and then they could go home. Unfortunately the bags of flour were right next door to the sweet shop. Of all the damn luck! He wondered if they should just wait it out until the group were gone, but he knew better. The Snobs took hours choosing their sweets, being picky over size and discussing whether sticky toffees were better than sweet caramels. It wasn't as if Blank had any idea what they were talking about he rarely got the opportunity to waste money on such things.

He watched them walk away and enter the store across the street. Quickly he grabbed Blondie and strolled up to the merchant. "One medium bag, please," he said keeping one trained eye on the door.

"That'll be seven gil, son."

He wasn't expecting that. "You tryin to pull a fast one?"

"What d'yer mean by that?"

I don't have time for this! "It was five gil last weekend," Blank reasoned. "Why the sudden increase?"

"Don't take it personally. Supply and demand is all! Now, you gonna hand over the gil?"

He placed some coins on the counter and raised an eyebrow. "I'll give ya six."

The grocer's lips curled at the edges. "Cocky little fella, ain't yer?" But he gave Blank the flour regardless.

At last with all the items safely collected they were ready to head back. The thief in training felt his shoulders sag with relief. He was looking forward to kicking back and planning the next raid with Marcus. Ruby could babysit the brat and hopefully Baku would finally get off his case. He could still get this day back on track all he had to do was...

"Why fancy meeting you here!" A boy with slick jet black hair had just stepped outside the sweet shop.

He tried to smile back but it was more of a grimace. "Oh, hey Parcel, been a while."

"Very humorous but allow me, it's pronounced, Parsell."

Blank looked thoughtful. "P-A-R-C-E-L, right?" Frederick nodded sagely. "Nah, that's just Parcel, like a box you mail."

"My family name has been passed down for sixteen generations! I should know how to say it, you uncultured swine!"

Blank tried hard not to laugh. "Whatever, I'll be goin now."

"Not so fast!" Fred blocked his exit and stood over him. He was good two inches taller than the red head. "Whom is that behind you?"

He scowled. "Who this?" he asked pointing over his shoulder. "He's erm...He's new to the group doesn't really 'ave a name yet."

"He does not possess a name? How vulgar!" Victoria Sullivan sniffed as she stood beside Frederick. "Although I have heard that residents from the slums often do not name their children until they are two years old."

"Do they really?" Sam Cohen also appeared beside the two friends. "Why on earth would they do that?"

"Mother told me it's because babies from lowborn families often do not survive. The whole thing is most tragic, but then we cannot have the streets overrun with vermin."

Blank bristled. "Shut yer trap! Who the 'eck do yer think you are?"

"Do not speak to a lady in such a heated manner!" Fred warned. "Would you like me to teach him some manners, Victoria?"

"Oh that's quite all right. I wouldn't want to cause any trouble, and besides he's hardly worth our time." She turned back to inspect the small blond boy. "Good heavens!" she cried out suddenly. "What is that monstrosity?"

"Lindblum has folks with feathers, claws and snouts and yer freaking out about a monkey tail?" Blank shook his head with disbelief.

"That is fwightfwlly queer," Oliver Brooks commented as he began to circle the boy. "Is it weal?" He reached out and gave it a sharp tug. When the child yelped he laughed meanly. "Well, what do you expect? You sshould keep that ugly appendage to yourself and tuck it away!"

"Hey," the thief stood between them, "leave him alone."

"Or what?" Brooks said with a buck toothed grin.

"Or I'll punch those pearly whites of yours clean out!" Oliver didn't seem to appreciate that threat and covered his mouth hastily with a hand.

Frederick stepped forward. "I wouldn't be concerned with this vagabond, Ollie. He should look at himself in the mirror before making comments about others."

"Why don't cha come say that to my face, pretty boy?"

He came closer. "Those scars...how do you live with them day after day?"

"Shut the hell up, Parcel."

"Yes, the little scarred freak that gives children nightmares. The abomination of Lindblum!"

That was it. Blank threw the flour down and prepared to launch into the older boy. But he was met instead by cold steel prodding against his chest. Frederick had unsheathed a short sword and settled into a fighting stance.

"You know, I've always wanted to see just how sharp this blade is." He trailed it slowly down Blank's front and sneered. "It is a great shame however that you could never quite appreciate the beauty of this fine weapon. How could you? What does a common thief know of such things?" He pressed the blade into Blank's shoulder making him wince. Frederick laughed as he saw crimson blood blotting through the blue shirt.

Quickly however his laugh turned into a loud screech. The noble began cursing and squealing like a piglet. He looked down in horror to see the little monkey boy biting his finger! There was a struggle as he tried to prise the child's mouth open to retrieve his precious digit. He was a grade eight pianist; there was no way he could afford to lose it! "Release me, you demented fool!"

At last the blond let go and spat out the skin he'd managed to take with him. Oliver fainted. Victoria and Sam were left speechless.

"You spawn of Satan! I'm going to chop off that tail of yours!" Frederick bawled already lunging towards him.

"Time to move!" Blank grasped his companion by the wrist and ran. He couldn't believe the lad had actually bitten Parcel! He had balls! That wouldn't save them from getting chased by the gang though. If he was caught the red head had no doubt that Frederick would make good on his promise. Already he could hear angry shouts from behind them.

In the market square chickens, potatoes and wicker baskets went flying! Blank pushed through the crowd trying to get away from their pursuers. If he was alone this wouldn't be a problem but he was still dragging the kid with him. In his right hand the supplies were getting pretty heavy too but it was worth more than his life to lose any of Baku's money. He jerked and swerved around the shoppers who were in worlds of their own, oblivious to the hunt that was going on. We need to get off the main street!

Just as Blank was about to turn, the boy stumbled. He brought the pair crashing down landing heavily on the brown paper bag. The tomatoes! The eggs! He saw oranges rolling away, spilt milk and fish being trodden on. But that wasn't the worst of it – Frederick's pals had caught up with them. He couldn't think what was worse: the wrath of Baku for losing the food or a beating from The Snobs. His feet moved first and with one last effort he grabbed his bewildered charge and made for the nearest alleyway.

All was well as he went left then right. It was quieter round here. There were less people to get in the way as they tried to make a break for it. Without the heavy load and the monkey boy finally running in the same direction there was a real chance they could get away. His legs were aching and a stitch stabbed in his left side but he didn't stop. Again another turn, then another and then-

"So, you thought you got away!" Frederick stood there in triumph. His golden eyes burned with a psychotic fire as they latched onto the enemy. The hilt of his sword was stained with red blood that dripped soundlessly onto the ground.

"How the hell did yer find us?"

"I knew you would sneak off down the side streets at some point like the rats you are. So, while my friends gave chase I waited. I followed you. I watched you turn and turn making a complete circle all the way back to me."

"Ya know that bite looks pretty nasty - I'd get it checked if I were you!"

His eyes narrowed. "Oh, I intend to, right after I take what is mine."

Chapter Text

Blank didn't like the look in Frederick's eyes. His once slick black hair was jutting up at odd angles so it appeared he possessed a set of horns. Anger radiated from him and it was all directed at the monkey tail that continued to swish back and forth. The thief had never seen Parcel lose control like this before. He'd always played around, threw a few insults and then lecture Blank about his perfect upbringing. The red head knew it was all rubbish. If life was so rosy for Frederick then why did he need to escape to the streets each weekend? Why didn't he stay in his mansion with his one hundred and twenty servants and sword play lessons? How could Lindblum market hold any interest to him whatsoever?

"Get out my way!"

"I can't do that." Blank tugged his smaller companion behind him. He could feel Blondie shaking. "I'll handle this. Go home," he said quietly. When he still felt his presence there he added, "What are yer waiting for? Get outta here!" This was enough to finally make the boy move and soon after there was nothing but a trail of dust. Blank turned back to Frederick and the two children glared at each other.

The taller of the two stepped forward slowly. "I suppose you think you're being gallant by letting him get away." When his opponent didn't respond he gripped the sword more tightly. "Well, if I can't have his tail then I believe a piece of you will have to suffice. What shall I have? There is such a wide variety of choice!" He laughed. "I could gouge out those hateful little eyes of yours or perhaps I should slice off an ear?"

"I'd like to see yer try," Blank teased feeling less than confident.

"Is that a challenge?"

There was a slight pause as he took his target in and then without an invitation he charged forward. In the narrow streets there wasn't much room to swing but Frederick was not concerned with such matters. He had been trained to strike with efficiency. His sword however clanged as it hit the stone wall, the red head had ducked and rolled away. Again Frederick collected himself and started after the boy. He carved the air up in front of him tantalising inches away from fragile pink flesh. But the street rat was cunning and could twist just out of reach each time. He jumped and dived, even slid between his legs at one point to avoid getting hit. Fred spun around and yelled. He tried again hacking and slicing at the scurrying thief. His sword met with a barrel sending a shower of water across the floor and he slipped.

Not wanting to fall on his own sword he thrust it away and hit the cobble stones with an almighty bump.

"Yer know," a rasping voice said behind him, "a real man shouldn't have to rely on weapons all the time. In a situation like this fists are probably better!" He chuckled taking the sword and throwing it over the wall out of reach. It clattered on the other side.

"Why you..." Frederick growled. "That's been handed down for generations! You can't just toss it away!"

"I can if you're threatening a member of our crew!" he corrected him and then crossed his arms. "Man, you are such a loser!" When all Fred could do was shriek with frustration Blank knew it was over. Not too soon either, he was drenched with sweat and his stomach was beginning to growl. Which reminded him - Baku wouldn't be too happy about the food. He rubbed his temples, how was he supposed to explain all this?

"Oh Fwederwick!" Oliver suddenly skulked around the corner. "There you are!" A vaguely familiar whining accompanied the youth.

Oh crap! Blank froze as he saw Blondie thrashing around in Brook's vice like grip.

"I caught him for you! He was trying to wun away." His squeaky, gleeful tone was painful to the ears. He had a mop of brown curly hair and spectacles the thickness of milk bottles. He possessed a healthy curiosity, sometimes even bordering on the obsessive. So when Oliver had caught sight of the monkey boy running he just couldn't let him go.

"Ollie," Frederick said with the widest smile, "Nice work. Bring the devil here, would you?"

As Brooks set to walk over the red head saw his chance. He swept water from the ground directly into the Snob's eyes. There was a cry and Oliver was swiftly relieved of his precious prize.

"That's the second time I've had to stick my neck out for yer!" Blank moaned bitterly to the child as they ran for their lives once more.

Their feet pounded the ground at speed. He had no idea which direction they were heading anymore. Usually the streets spoke to the Tantalus member giving him subtle clues or escape routes. Today it was as if they had turned their backs on him. Nothing seemed familiar and he couldn't fathom which way was out. If he had the time to stop and think he might be able to find something, unfortunately Frederick was unlikely to give him such a luxury.

It was the final straw when the pair rushed blindly into another dead end. This time the whole gang had caught up with them. Even Blank was smart enough to figure that the odds of 4:2 were not favourable. The way Frederick was worked up right now it was more like 6:2! He saw part of the wall had crumbled away and so bent down and threaded his fingers together.

"Hey, I'll give you a boost!" he said sharply to Blue Eyes. When the child hesitated he really was tempted to just leave him there. "Come on! What are yer waiting for, an invitation?" Blank lifted the boy up until he had a good foothold. Afterwards the thief scrambled up only just managing to kick off Cohen.

"Come down here!" Sam shouted nursing his sore hand. "That's hardly sporting!"

There was only one way to go now and that was towards the skies. The monkey boy had a much easier time climbing from the wall onto a window ledge before leaping across to a balcony. As Blank tried to follow he looked down and spotted Frederick and the others cursing. They began to throw debris.

"Keep climbing!" he commanded. "Get as high as you can and don't stop!" He saw the child pull himself up onto the upper balcony. Unfortunately the red head's arms and legs didn't want to respond. They were tired and raw from all the running. In vain Blank tried to get a better grip of the window sill but he was slipping. If he didn't jump soon he was going to fall. If the brat can do it then so can I! He thought stubbornly. Can't have the greenhorn showing me up! Three...two...one...

Unfortunately as he made to jump Frederick caught him with half a brick he'd found. The blunt rock smacked straight into his side so he missed the balcony entirely and came tumbling down. As Blank fell he saw the blond reach out to him with both arms, but he was too far away. There were just a few seconds when it felt like he was flying through the air. This sense of freedom was cruelly replaced with the crack and thud of his body smashing into a stack of crates.

Lying face up in the splintered wood for a minute or two the shock took over. He couldn't breathe. He didn't think it was possible for his back and chest to hurt so much at the same time. Faces cast in shadow towered over him and all he could do was wheeze and blink.

"Is he dead?" the girl asked.

Frederick used his foot to prod him. "No, he's been winded that's all." He turned and cast his yellow eyes skywards. "You better come down here," he said to the monkey boy. "Otherwise I shall take my revenge on him."

"Don't you dare!" Blank yelled. "Stay there, you 'ear me?" The boy did as he was told and slunk down to peer through the metal bars of the balcony.

"You disgust me, trying to act all noble. You're a scourge on this town, you and all your kind."

"Fred, he looks hurt pretty bad..." Vicky piped up.

"Not nearly enough," he growled. "Do you see this?" Frederick held up his bloody finger. "He will pay one way or another!" And with that he grabbed the lapels of Blank's dungarees and hauled him up. He pinned him against the wall. "You know, I believe you were quite right before."

"Oh yeah, what about?" Blank coughed. Then he felt his ribs cracking, as a fist was driven hard into his chest. His eyes bulged out their sockets. Another blow came to the side of his head then an uppercut to the chin. Suddenly he tasted blood in his mouth and spat it out.

"I'll have to try this more often!" Parcel smirked. "There is a certain pleasure from fighting in such a raw way." He punched Blank in the eye leaving him staggering there for a moment. "Are you just going to hide up there and watch your friend being beaten?" Fred called up to the child. "What a coward you are!"

Blondie couldn't have moved even if he tried. He was curled up, face pressed against the bars watching in horror as the Tantalus member was being used as a punching bag. He clamped hands over his ears trying to drown out the sickening thumps. Stop! He begged. Stop hurting him! But it didn't stop. A madness had taken over Frederick and he kept on again, and again and again. Blank's face was beginning to resemble a tenderised piece of meat. Then he was kicked in the shin and collapsed on his side.

"That's it Fwederwick! Beat him to a pulp!"

"Hey Fred, I think that's enough now, yeah?" Sam swallowed hard. This animalistic brawl was starting to scare him a little.

As if hearing his thoughts Victoria stepped in. "You're taking this too far!" But she was pushed roughly backwards.

"You keep out of this!" Frederick snarled. "I haven't even started!"

Blank tried to crawl onto his knees. His vision was blurry and he couldn't make out the figures in front of him anymore. Damn! Parcel packs a wallop! He thought. Something was falling into his eyes and when he tried to swipe it away the back of his hand felt sticky and wet. He craned his neck to stare at Frederick directly. "You got everything out yer system yet?"

Another beating followed.

"He isn't worth it!" Vicky screamed. "Stop it Frederick! You'll kill him!"

There was something in those words that finally broke through the red mist. The pounding stopped and the young noble was shaking uncontrollably. His crisp white shirt was splattered in crimson red splodges. When he clenched his fists there was blood on them. The rings he wore had scrapped skin compacted into their settings. He studied Blank and only then did the full enormity of his actions hit him.

"I...I didn't mean..." But he couldn't get a coherent sentence out. He felt a hand clamp onto his wrist leading him away.

"We have to get out of here," Sam's voice warned. "You don't want the guard on your back. Your dad will have a fit. Come on!"

"But..." Frederick saw the red head. The damage looked sever. He could hear the monkey boy sobbing above. He isn't actually dead, is he?

Cohen started to drag him now. "You said it yourself he's just a street rat, right?"

"But he isn't moving..." The youth couldn't quite connect back to reality. His brain was still flooded with adrenaline. How could he feel so alive when there was a lifeless body right in front of him? "Sam?" He turned to his best friend whose face was pale as chalk. The question remained there between them.

"He's just blacked out!"

Frederick shook his head violently. "He...He isn't moving Sam!" He didn't recognise his own voice. It had jumped several octaves in pitch. His hands pressed down on Cohen's shoulders with the pressure increasing as he tried to steady himself. "He - isn't – moving - Sam!"

"Fred, you're hurting me."

"ARE YOU DEAF? HE ISN'T MOVING!" The hands were now clamped around Sam's throat.

Sullivan and Oliver couldn't believe what they were seeing. They stared at him unable to recognise any trace of their old friend. This was a monster, a raging tornado out of control. The pair raced forward and wrenched Frederick off. He toppled backwards and landed in the wet.

"What are you doing?!" he screamed. His companions couldn't find anything to say and they backed away fearfully. It was all too much so they ran. "Don't leave me!" Frederick shrieked after them.

Sam stood gingerly rubbing his tender neck muscles. "You still don't get it, do you?" He saw his friend trembling. "We have to go. If we're found here it'll be trouble for all of us."

Frederick swallowed hard. "I didn't mean to..."

"I know, I know." Two onyx black eyes softened. "You never do." For the sake of the years they'd grown up together Cohen tried one last time. "Will you come with me?" When Fred nodded meekly the pair made their exit leaving Blank behind.

Blondie remained frozen, arms wrapped around his small frame. The silence was deafening. Have they gone? Have they really gone? It took a long time before he gathered the courage to peer over the balcony. He saw the red head lying there. He was hurt. He needed help.

Blank wished the buzzing noise in his ears would go away. He had no feeling, everything was just numb. But somehow his body shivered on its own. What I wouldn't give for some water right about now.

"Blank!"

Someone was calling him. Hmm, who's that? He crushed his eyes shut.

"Blank! Blank! Blank!" This time it was more urgent.

"Give it a rest," he mumbled back. He heard a hiccup of relieved laughter. Then his name was chanted again until finally Blank dared to open his eyes. They were met with a blurry and snotty mess of a face. The thief squinted back at the monkey boy.

"Blank."

"Why am I always helping you?" he croaked weakly. Then pain hit him like a sledge hammer. Oh geez, that's right I got pummelled! He tried to move which was a mistake. "Aha, mmm...okay...oww." He waited for his body to adjust to the injuries but it was getting harder to focus and stay awake. "Look," he hissed, "I can't move." The boy tried to lift the red head but failed. "You're too scrawny to carry me, idiot!" He began coughing violently and had to fight for air. "Get help," Blake said gritting his teeth, "Get bro."

"Blank..."

"Get bro," he repeated in a whisper this time, his eyes fluttering strangely.

Blondie placed an ear to the boy's heart it was still beating. He wasn't familiar with the city or even how to get back to Tantalus. But if didn't do something then Blank could die. He forced himself to stand and start running. There wasn't a soul to be seen anywhere. Through the shady side streets his echoing footsteps haunted him. The alleyway seemed to go on forever but somehow he managed to find his way back to the market square. Everyone was still going about their daily business as if nothing had happened. He retraced his footsteps past the sundial and back to the air cab station.

When he reached the Theatre District however he soon became lost. To him all the buildings looked exactly the same it was like a maze. After what seemed like hours he found himself yet again outside the station. He'd been running in circles! Exhausted and frustrated he hid his face in his hands. I don't know what to do! As the child struggled with this problem his face grew increasingly hot. What's this? He touched his cheek. Strange water coming from my eyes again, why does it happen?

The child wept bitterly. Passersby left the boy alone for how could they know the horror he'd seen? There was no sympathy or compassion. Children cried on the streets everyday it was hardly anything new. For all this progress in a prime age of industrial revolution human suffering still existed. Life was not kind to the weak. The weak faded into the background and disappeared without a trace. It was hopeless.

Bong! Bong! Bong!

His blue eyes flew open. He got up, ears straining for the source and then he remembered. Old Ben! Without a second to lose he stumbled through the strangers. He followed the loud ringing back into the square and up a flight of stairs that he'd completely missed. Jumping the steps two at a time he raced to the top and saw the clock tower. The monkey boy had never seen anything more beautiful in his young life. The rickety bell was still clanking as he fell through the door.

Baku looked up from his newspaper. "What's up kid?" he asked raising an eye brow. The child looked in a right state. "Hang on, where's Blank?" When Blondie kept repeating Blank's name over and over alarm bells were ringing.

"When did he start talkin?" Marcus popped his head up from the cellar. He nearly fell down again when the blond scrambled over and began pulling on his arm.

"Big Bro, come!" he pleaded. "Big Bro help Blank!"

The teenager gave a moan. "What's he got mixed up in now?"

"Never mind all that." Baku abandoned his paper and pulled on a jacket. "We better find 'im!"

They soon reached the Business District and Blondie was trying to navigate the alleyways. Of course the young boy couldn't remember exactly where Blank was so they tried calling out. When that didn't work they split up only to find each other again empty handed. It wasn't until they spotted something glinting in the dim light that they made a break through.

"It's a sword," Marcus said as he picked up the weapon and turned it over in his hands. "Nice craftsmanship too, surprised it's just sitting 'ere." Blondie appeared to recognise the sword however and then turned half circle. He pointed to the wall. "You sayin Bro's on the other side?"

The monkey boy nodded before he took a running jump and hoisted himself up. Marcus watched him go over. He kept his hand to the wall and followed it down the other side. When he finally reached the thief his heart was in his mouth. "Boss!" he shouted. "Over here!"

Chapter Text

Blank's small body was a patchwork of black and blue. His face had swelled up beyond recognition. The injuries he'd sustained would put him out of action for weeks and that was if he survived the night.

"I think the nose is broke too," Ruby said as she assessed him. "And a couple a ribs that's why the poor darlin's having trouble breathin."

Baku stomped up and down the room as he had done for the past half hour. "I'm gonna kill the bastard that did this!" He looked at the sword on the table with hate. "I shoulda taught him how to fight. If I'd done that he wouldn't be lyin there now!"

"He's seven years old!"

"Rubes, there's people out there that don't give a stuff! They'll prey on anyone that's got somethin they want!"

"Well, it ain't right." The girl scowled. "Blank never hurt no one if he can help it. Seein him like this..." She bit her bottom lip. He may be one of the most grumpy, stubborn little boys she'd ever met, but underneath it all he was a good soul. He didn't deserve to be lying there. "I've patched him up best I can, but what he really needs is a doctor!"

"Cinna and Marcus are on it. Although I haven't got high hopes, all the medical geezers don't like comin this part of town!" He shook his head in disgust.

Ruby glanced at the monkey boy pressed into the corner. He hadn't moved since they returned. "Howz the little guy doin?"

"Still in shock, he did well to make it back." The Tantalus leader sighed. "Look at 'im pathetic pipsqueak. Thought I could make a thief outta him - must be out my mind!"

"You don't mean all that." She laughed.

He flopped into a chair. "Don't I?"

"Boss, I can see through all that tough talk. I see that soft heart of yers clear as day so no point tryin to hide it!"

"Humph!"

"Ain't none of yer fault this happened, and Blank won't accept yer sayin so either."

His frown dissolved into a warm smile. Sometimes it was as if Ruby was an old crone trapped inside a child's body. Her honesty was refreshing and helpful too. "Guess yer right...But soon as I find who did this they're dead meat!"

There was a brisk knock at the door. When the girl went to open it Baku blocked her and shook his head. Any member of Tantalus would just breeze on in. Together they waited.

"Mr Baku? Mr Baku? Are you there?" More knocking followed. "I wish to speak with you about a serious matter!"

Baku and Ruby exchanged looks. Neither recognised the voice as a member of the team. "Who wants to know?" Baku barked not making any attempt to move at all.

"Allow me to make introductions face to face. I'm not accustomed to communicating through a door!"

Upon opening Baku was greeted by a gentleman with long black hair. He tilted his head politely. "My thanks, may I come in?" As they entered, the Tantalus leader eyed the boy that sheepish came in behind him. The lad's gaze was cast to the ground and he appeared to be shaking.

"Baku Bosu, what can I do yer for?"

The stranger's ruby eyes seemed to glitter as he scanned the room. They settled on Blank who was asleep on the makeshift bed by the fire. "My name is Charles Parcel. I am -"

There was a roar. Suddenly Blondie dived forward to grab the sword from the table and stand directly in front of Blank. "No hurt!" he yelled. "No hurt!"

"Whut is goin on here?!" Ruby went to the child who seemed very upset to see the man. She searched his face. No, it ain't the man he's lookin at it's the boy! The sword rattled in his small hands but he wasn't going anywhere.

"Ah, this must be the monkey child you were referring to."

"What's this all about?" Baku was growing impatient. "Either state your business or get the hell outta here!"

Charles cleared his throat. "This is my son, Frederick. He has an apology he wishes to convey for the assault against...Blank is it?" The name sounded strange on his genteel tongue. "I believe the boys met in town earlier this afternoon." He turned to his son. "How dare you shame this house! Look at him!" Fred shook as his father scorned him. "This is inappropriate behaviour for a gentleman!"

"But the monkey boy bit my finger!" he protested.

"Is that right?" Baku crossed his arms. "And how did you react to that I wonder?" Frederick remained silent. "Why did my boy have to get involved, kid?"

"I... threatened to..." Parcel stuttered helpless in the face of this colossal purple haired beast.

"Speak up and be a man!" Baku growled.

This made Frederick nearly jump out of his skin. "I threatened to chop his tail off!"

"What, with that sword?" He pointed at Blondie. "Think yer higher than thou cos you've got a weapon? Think yer can swing it around and get some attention, eh? EH?!"

"I'm sorry," the boy whimpered now on the verge of tears. "I was angry."

"What would make you do such a thing?" Charles asked him in confusion.

"Why do you even care, father?" Frederick rounded on him. "You're never here anyway!"

Mr Parcel wore a dangerous look. "We shall discuss this later," he hissed.

"That's right, always later." He continued shaking his head. "It's always another time another day."

"And what do you imply by that?"

"I gather daddy here ain't around much, that the gist of it?" Baku said bluntly and for once the young man looked him in the eye. "I see, tough break kid."

"I would appreciate it if you did not mollycoddle my son."

"Well, don't folks say the devil makes work for idle hands?"

The nobleman sneered. "You have the gall to say that to me in your line of work?"

"Are you guys done?!" Ruby cut in glaring at both men with hands planted on hips. "And put that thing down before yer cut someone!" she said sternly to Blue Eyes. When he refused she tried to snatch it away.

"No!" Blondie shouted. "No hurt Blank!"

Baku rolled his eyes. He stormed over to the child. "You really think I'd let this brat have another go at 'im? What kinda leader do ya think I am? PUT THE SWORD DOWN!" In shock the monkey boy dropped it immediately. His lip wobbled and then he fled out the door.

"Come back!" Ruby cried. "He didn't mean ta scare yer!"

Baku frowned. "Oh leave 'im! Little brat needs to grow a backbone."

"Oh my!" another voice said as the child dashed past. "What a commotion!"

"Ah, I see you got my message, Doctor Sullivan. Please come in." Charles stepped aside. "That is the boy we spoke of over there."

Immediately the medic rushed over. "By the Gods he's been beaten to a pulp! A broken nose and jaw... There's a few missing teeth too by the looks of it!" Quickly he made an assessment and injected some medicine into the boy's arm. "That should prevent any infection. Help me lift him a little, please? Right, we need to keep that wrist elevated. Just a sprain I think. Hmm, that eye does look nasty though. Now, where are those anti- inflammatory pills? Can't do anything about the ribs they have to heal on their own..."

When Blank was finally treated and resting comfortably the doctor got up to leave. "How much do I owe yer?" Baku grumbled.

He pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his long nose. "There's no charge! My fee has already been catered for." Then the good doctor smiled. "Please ensure you change those bandages on a regular basis," he reminded Ruby. "Bed rest and fluids are the best cure for something like this."

"I'll remember don't cha worry doc!"

"We're not a charity yer know," Baku muttered to Parcel. "I won't be seein this as a favour!"

"Ha! I would never expect you to. Frederick will receive no allowance until the debt has been paid." Now he eyed the sword on the floor. "You do realise that is actually a Parcel family heirloom?" Bosu handed over the weapon in truth glad to be rid of it. "Why thank you, much obliged! Now we shall take our leave."

"Hey, Frederick..." The Tantalus leader tapped him on shoulder. "You touch one of my boys again and I'll stick that sword somewhere the sun don't shine!" He smiled pleasantly back at Parcel but the way Fred tripped over his feet showed he'd made the point.

Later that evening Marcus and Cinna returned. They'd only managed to find a woman with experience using herbal remedies. Despite Doctor Sullivan's treatment Baku invited her in for a cup of tea. She applied an ointment or two and then left promising to keep the boy in her prayers.

Ruby stayed by Blank giving water when he asked for it. They were warm by the fire but her eyes wandered to the upper window. By now the clouds had become over cast and it started to rain. She didn't mention anything to the others, but she was worried about Blondie. When Baku was angry it was like a volcano erupting. The child wasn't used to his stormy outbursts that soon fizzled out as soon as they started. Besides, if he was to be a Tantalus member he had to follow orders.

"So where's the newbie?" Cinna ventured placing a card onto the grid.

Baku did not reply. He shuffled the cards in his own deck pondering how best to tackle the 'Bomb' his subordinate had pulled out. It was a pretty good one with arrows in all directions and an evolved attack parameter of D, and defence of C. If he could secure the card it would come in handy later. Marcus was the real killer card player of the Troupe, so it was a surprise that Cinna held such an impressive treasure.

Marcus was scanning his lines for the new play when the red head stirred. He was trying to mumble something. "How yer feeling brother?"

"Rough," he said wincing. "Howz little bro?"

The teenager was surprised and gave a small smile. "Thought yer hated the kid...This morning yer said we didn't need 'im."

"Yeah, I know. But he stuck up for me. Biting Parcel like that, I mean he's completely nuts!"

"He's gone darlin. Took off like a buckin bronco soon as the Boss yelled at him."

"What?" Blank tried to sit up but had to give in and sink back under the covers. "Hey Boss this true?"

"Yeah, what of it?" The man grumbled as he placed down a Zuu card to combat Cinna's Bomb. As the monsters attacked each other the Bomb was defeated. He grinned at the other man's despair. "Gwa hahaha! I'll be taking that!"

"But it's raining cats and dogs out there!"

"Quit yer whining!"

"I'm gonna go look for him!"

"What? Did you lose a few brain cells when Parcel was laying into yer? Yer in no fit state to go anywhere!"

"I don't care!" Blank said as he tried to get out of bed.

Baku shook his head and brought a steaming cup to his lips. "Rubes, talk some sense into him."

Ruby gently pushed him back into the bed. "You try walkin now all you'll git is dizzy and fall. The doc said plenty of bed rest so that's what cha gotta do partner." She then turned to Baku. "But don't cha worry cos am goin out there to look for 'im."

The Tantalus leader spat out his coffee. "What?!"

"I said am gonna go out there and look for 'im. Blank's right, a storm's brewin tonight and he's all alone. I can't rest easy not knowin where he's sleepin. Yer said he's a member of our team. But yer happy to jus leave him out to get wet and catch cold. What kinda man are you?"

"Give me strength!" The cards went flying off the table. Cinna dived immediately for his bomb card. "Fine, we'll go look for the monkey kid! Boys, get the lanterns! You!" He pointed sharply at Ruby. "Are gonna stay 'ere and make sure he don't move!"

"Aww, yer such a sweetheart! That's real kind!" She smirked.

"Don't think I don't know what game yer playin. Can't have a young lady wandrin round in the dark is all. Besides, that kid still owes me money!"

So out went the Tantalus Brothers into the night. The wind was a gale snatching at their hair as they pressed forward. The cold rain soon made their clothes cling to their chilled bodies as they called out for the child. They checked everywhere they could think of, asked the few people that had ventured out if they had seen a small blond boy, but the answer was always no.

"This is ridiculous!" Cinna moaned. "He could have gone anywhere!"

As water spray ran off the drain pipes and shutters were pulled tight the trio bumped into none other than Clatterbridge.

"Evening Will," Baku said mildly. "Nice weather, eh?"

"Good Lord, what are you doing out here?" The Regent Officer couldn't believe his eyes.

The thief shrugged his shoulders. "Lookin for that kid from the other day. He's run off somewhere."

"I see, any luck?"

"Nope, no one's seen or heard nothing, where you off to?"

William pulled his coat more tightly around him. "I'm going to investigate reports of a wolf at the cemetery."

"A wolf?"

"Quite, apparently howling has been heard coming from there."

"Could be a Fang made its way there after the Festival of the Hunt?"

"Always a possibility and since I am entrusted with security this side of the city, it is my duty to find out."

"Hey, yer goin alone to deal with it?" When Clatterbridge nodded Baku looked thoughtful. "Me and ma boys can come along for backup, if yer need it."

"That would be most helpful if you could," the man said shivering. "It has been a while since I've come face to face with such creatures and in this weather..."

With that settled the group headed towards the edge of town. The rain became heavier and heavier pelting their backs. The lanterns they kept swayed wildly with the small flickering flames inside holding on for dear life! Their eyes and ears remained on high alert for any sign of Blondie however there was none to be found.

Thunder cracked and lightning forked across the dark grey sky. Upon reaching the lichgates of Lindblum cemetery Clatterbridge produced a key. The gates creaked loudly as though angered to be disturbed. In the men went to this foreboding place of tombstone crosses, monoliths and obelisks. The moon cast an eerie light upon the statues like silent sentinels they watched the group as they trudged in the rain.

Cinna held tightly onto Marcus' shirt. "This place gives me the creeps!"

"Knock it off!" His friend prised the older man away from him. "Buncha dead people can't hurt yer!"

"Can't hear any howling..." Clatterbridge shook his head. "Everything seems to be in order."

They completed a brief search of the cemetery. By this time Baku was sniffing and cursing. Cinna and Marcus were dead on their feet and even William was starting to flag.

"I fear I may have led you on a wild goose chase," he apologised.

"Better to be safe than- ACHOO!" Baku sneezed. "...Sorry!" he finished trying to wipe his nose with a limp handkerchief.

They were about to turn to leave when suddenly there was a sound, not a howl exactly more like a wailing. The group looked at each other. Baku led the way and the others followed. They hastened to the western corner and spotted an angelic figure with gigantic white wings. Underneath was a small shivering Blondie clinging to the statue.

"Of all the places to take shelter!" William said in astonishment.

The angel had seen better days. When Baku raised his lantern he could see the face had been chipped over the years. The rain made it look as though the angel was crying. Its hands were reaching out but several fingers were missing. He looked at the bevel marker partially hidden by green moss and began to read the epitaph.

"For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast. And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed; eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill, with their hearts but once heaved, and forever grew still... What the 'eck is that supposed to mean?" The Tantalus leader's brow furrowed as he examined the rest of the inscription. However there was nothing more aside from a single name. "Weird choice must have been a poet or summit."

Blondie was frowning at the floor. He wouldn't look up at Baku despite the fact they had come out in the storm to find him.

"Well Blondie, you stopped sulking yet?" The boy jerked away from him. This is folly. He thought.

"Come on Boss, just grab him!" Cinna called.

"There's no point dragging 'im back if he just runs away again!"

"Well, what do you propose we do? We can't stay here all night!" Clatterbridge chimed in.

The man growled. "I know that!" He was beyond cold and fed up. "Look kid..." Now the child stuck his tongue out at Baku. Can't keep callin him that! He wiped some of the dripping water from his face. Damn it, need a name! Then he considered the inscription and smiled. Dead man won't need it no more, right? "Hey Zidane, how bout we go home and see how Blank's doin? He's been asking about yer!"

The monkey boy stared at him. "Zidane?" he repeated scratching his head.

"Yeah, Zidane Tribal - yer like it?"

"Zidane...Tribal..." The child said the name slowly and then grinned.

Baku sneezed again. "So," he sniffed. "How about it? You wanna go home, Zidane?" Zidane nodded and held out his arms to the gentle giant. Baku scooped him up. "Right, we got what we came for. Now let's- ACHOO! Get out this blinkin rain!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 7 – Over Those Hills

Even with the combination of Ruby's strict bedside manner and Doctor Sullivan's expertise, it still took Blank over six months to fully recover from his ordeal. He hadn't been an easy patient refusing to take medicine and stay in bed at times but the end result was worth it. To see the boy laughing and up to mischief again warmed all the hearts in Tantalus.

Zidane meanwhile had at last broken his silence. Gaining trust in the group he had begun to speak more and more often to them. The suspicious, cold eyes were a thing of the past and had melted to become bright and friendly. He now knew Baku as 'uncle' firm, friendly but fair. Ruby was his affectionate older sister and the other men his 'non law abiding' brothers. But everyone knew that by far Zidane's favourite person on the planet was Blank. By throwing himself in harm's way the red head had gained a best friend for life.

Everyone saw the difference in Blank too he wasn't quite so prickerly. They put it down to all the quality sleep he was getting. Then Marcus noticed that Blank hadn't crying out in the night for ages. Having the little blond to worry about was keeping his nightmares at bay it seemed. Sure they bickered sometimes and the seven year old got fed up of having an extra shadow, but pretty much the two became inseparable. With little to do he'd observed his brother teaching Zidane how to read and write, project his voice, sing songs and share stories. Seeing them grow like this had brought Marcus such happiness. It triggered memories of sweeter, kinder times however he never allowed himself to dwell on them for long. After all everyone in Tantalus had their secrets.

"It's about time boys!" Baku declared.

Cinna and Marcus looked up from the gil they'd managed to pilfer from their evening's work. "What's that, Boss?"

He chuckled and strode over to the shelf to pick up a dagger. After that he made his way to where Zidane was happily colouring at the other end of the table. He pointed the weapon at the boy's nose. Startled, he yelled and toppled backwards off the chair. More laughter followed as the blond picked himself up.

"Not funny!" Zidane snapped as he glared at Baku, who only stood there and smirked.

"Gwa hahaha! Don't get excited! It was nowhere near yer." As he said this the blond launched himself at the man trying to scratch him. But he simply twisted the lad into an easy arm lock. As the monkey boy struggled in vain he continued his conversation. "It's time for a trek in the wild!"

"What yer talkin about?" Blank asked as he came climbing down the ladder. He saw Zidane pinned, shrugged and then added, "Are we goin somewhere?"

"We're takin a hike over the Lindblum plateau. I've set up a training ground in the forest so yer can learn how to fight!"

"For real, Boss?" Blank was grinning from ear to ear.

Baku nodded and let go of the blond who fell to his knees. "Well yeah, plus I need to teach this greenhorn how to actually steal, can't have 'im free loading forever!"

"The new equipment we bought has abilities to learn too," Marcus reminded the leader. "We've gonna need to rack up some major experience!"

"There'll be plenty of game out there for everyone. By the time we're done I reckon we'll have more than a few new tricks up our sleeves."

Cinna frowned. "That sounds like hard work. Can't I just stay here?"

"Lazy bum!" Baku snarled. "Get yer bags packed. We leave in the mornin!"

By this point Blank had held out a hand to pull his younger colleague to his feet. As usual Zidane had no idea what was going on. "We're goin on an adventure little bro," he explained. "It'll be fun!"

Kneeling side by side the two boys looked over the contents of their packs. Blank counted amongst other things: sleeping bag, extra clothes, tinder box, water bottle, blanket, remedy, bandages, candles, rope and a roll of tarp. He showed his friend how to pack efficiently and secured the pack onto his shoulders. Unfortunately when Zidane stood he fell backwards.

"Too heavy!" he cried out.

Blank shook his head the kid looked like an upturned turtle, his legs wriggling pathetically in the air. "Idiot, even I can see that!" He sighed and added some of the blond's equipment to his own. This time he was able to take the weight and stand without trouble.

"Thanks Blank, you're the best!"

"Yeah, yeah..." The red head waved away the compliment. "Better go to sleep now otherwise we'll be beat for tomorrow."

Zidane pulled on a nightshirt and climbed into the top bunk. The bed was cold and he curled himself up to try and get warm. Blank blew out the light and there was silence for a few moments. The boys considered what lay ahead.

"Hey Blank?"

"Go to sleep." There was a grumble from above and then the child tossed and turned. In the darkness Blank rolled his eyes. "What is it?"

"Have you ever been outside?"

"Yup," he replied willing that to be the end of the conversation.

"What's it like?"

He thought for a moment. "There's grass, mountains and a dirt path that leads to the forest. Couple a monsters to take out on the way – usual stuff."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, nothin bad'll happen."

This seemed to calm the boy's concern for soon after the thief heard gentle snores from the top bunk. Only once before had Baku taken Blank on a brief trip beyond the wall. It wasn't like he was an expert or anything, but he just knew this trip was going to be special!

At daybreak the wisps of cloud were illuminated with a hazy red tint. The band of thieves turned away from Hunters Gate and into the big wide world. It was chilly as they started walking across the plateau but Bosu's marching pace soon warmed them up. With the weight of their packs and their shorter legs Zidane and Blank both fought to keep up with the group. Despondently they looked ahead and saw the men sit down to take a breather. But just as the two boys had caught up they immediately moved on.

"Will yer just wait a minute?" Blank shouted after them. He glanced back at the monkey boy who was wheezing and sweating with the effort. "Zi can't keep up!"

Baku continued not caring a jot. "If he can't keep up then he can go home!"

This left Blank fuming. "Heartless cad!" he shouted back. Their leader's laughter carried over the hills not helping the red head's temper. "Like we need you anyway!"

They plodded on and spotted the trio over the next rise, however this time they were in no hurry. Blank muttered and cursed under his breath. Tribal couldn't help but wonder why his best friend thought this trip was going to be fun. Watching airships was fun, listening to Baku singing was fun and playing hide and seek. Chasing and hiking for miles without a break he didn't really see the fun in that. He stopped suddenly and turned around.

"What's up?" Blank complained. "We have to keep moving!"

"But... something..." Zidane protested. There was a peculiar feeling that he couldn't shake off. The hairs on his tail were standing on end. His stomach was clenching uncomfortably. This aura he could sense was behind them he was sure, but every time he snatched a glance there was nothing there. It was only when he considered the cliffs around them that it made sense. "Blank!" he gave a sharp yell.

"What now?"

A gigantic spider over two metres tall came scrambling down the rock face. Each of its four legs had a sharp claw attached. It's fat, purple abdomen was marked by a pink stripe going down the back. The fiend jumped down blocking their path causing the earth to shake. Two antenna were raised menacingly over the boys' heads.

Marcus had already spotted the carve spider when he gave the alarm, "Boss!"

"Shit!" Baku turned to run but tripped over his own two feet. Cinna and Marcus raced past him. "Get over there pronto!" he bellowed from the ground. "They'll be skewered!"

Marcus bounded forward his strong arms pumping as fast as they would go. He saw Zidane push Blank out of harm's way and then roll under one of the spider's huge legs. The pack he wore was weighing him down, and yet his reflexes were astounding. The speed of his dips and dives were as agile as an acrobat. At one point he even performed a back flip to avoid a fire ball the carver threw. He forced himself to stand, ready to read the creature's next move. But then the arachnid spat out a sticky white web – a spell Marcus knew very well. Zidane was covered and unable to go anywhere fast. He panicked and pulled at his legs which wouldn't respond. His two blue eyes grew larger in the face of snarling teeth.

Meanwhile Blank was struggling to remove something from his pack. He was shouting at Blondie to get away but it was useless. Now the spider lifted both antennas into the air poised to strike. Tribal gave an almighty shriek as they came down...

Clang! They were met with cold iron. Marcus struggled against the sharp points as they scratched and pushed down onto his sword. He grunted as he had to use both hands to force the pincers away. The spider's yellow eyes narrowed it was not happy at the intrusion to its meal.

"Bro!" Marcus called out. "Get Zidane outta here!"

The red head didn't need to be told twice. He threw down the packs, heaved the blond on his shoulders and ran. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins and he dare not stop until he reached Baku. He collapsed onto his knees breathing hard. Looking back Cinna had joined his Tantalus brother in the battle smashing the carve spider over the head with his hammer. They made a good team: whenever they had an opening they hit hard. When Marcus was engulfed by a fire spell Cinna was ready with a potion to heal. If Cinna was caught in a web Marcus used an item to negate it. They made light work of the enemy and soon it was all over.

The cook knelt down near the dead remains as they lay twitching on the grassy plain. "Least we got some free ore!" he said cheerfully placing the sparkling rock into his pocket. They picked up the abandoned rucksacks and returned to the others. Zidane appeared to have recovered from the ordeal and smiled at them gratefully. Poor Blank however was bitterly embarrassed by the whole situation.

"It wasn't your fault," Marcus tried to say but Blank snatched his pack and stormed off. The teen winced.

In the past the red head had often called Marcus his hero. Every time the youngest thief got into trouble it was Marcus who bailed him out. Blank had hung on his every word and stuck to him like glue. But ever since Zidane had appeared things had started to change. It was natural he supposed, there someone his own age to relate to now. Perhaps having the child following him around made him realise how stifling it could be. Maybe Blank just wanted to become his own man.

He still cared though. Bro didn't have to prove anything to him. There was no need to just flat out refuse any help. They were supposed to be a band of thieves! His heart grew heavy with the thought and he wondered if Blank needed to have his hero around anymore. His throat stung painfully as he tried to swallow. Sometimes it was hard watching youngsters grow up. Suddenly there was great warmth around his middle and he looked down.

"Thanks, Big Bro!" Zidane said sweetly. He couldn't wrap his arms all the way around Marcus even when standing on tip toe. The teenager ruffled his hair which made the child giggle. He jumped back and cocked his head to one side. "Why you sad?"

"It's kinda hard to explain," he replied honestly. "Just glad I made someone happy..." Marcus was surprised when his voice cracked. He drew back his bandana revealing a pair of shimmering green eyes. Thinking like this is bad news. He scolded himself, but there was something in the kid's expression; something innocent and open, still untainted by the hardships of life. It reminded him of how Blank used to be. "Zidane, promise me you'll remember something?" The child nodded and crept closer. "Ya don't ever need a reason to help someone, okay?"

"Yeah," he said fidgeting with the buckles on his pack. "But sorry don't understand, Big Bro."

"That's fine, one day yer will."

"You teach me to hit spiders?" This time there was a cheeky grin. "And how you go fast again?"

Marcus found the monkey boy's broken English endearing. "When yer get attacked by a slow spell you have ta use a remedy to get rid of it." He held up a purple vial. "I think Bro was trying to find one, but he wasn't quick enough."

"Oh. Blank mad at me?"

The human gave a reassuring fanged smile. "Naw, he ain't mad at yer. The only person he gets mad at is himself." He paused for a moment. "Well, that and maybe Ruby."

It was lunch time when they finally stopped for a rest at a place called Pinnacle Rocks. This was located to the east of Lindblum. There was a collective sigh of relief as everyone slithered out of their pack holds and took a cold drink of fresh water. There was the rumble of a small water fall and they watched it for a while listening to the soothing sounds it made. Blank took off his shoes and socks letting his feet dangle in the water flow.

"Still can't get over how sneaky that carver was!" Cinna commented as he retrieved some cheese, ham and bread. He sliced a little for each Tantalus member and they immediately devoured the food with a great hunger.

"I've heard stories bout clusters of spiders increasing on the mist continent," Baku said. "Merchants been complaining about monster attacks on the road for a while now. The buggers are gettin bolder and more aggressive. It's one of the reasons why folks tend not to use Gargon Roo anymore. In fact the only transport people want nowadays is airships!"

"Gargon Roo?" Zidane repeated. He'd never heard the name before.

The older man took another bite of his sandwich. "It's a network of tunnels and roots underground." He tried to eat and speak which sent a shower of half chewed spittle spraying into the air. "Yer can hitch a ride on a gargant there."

Tribal's face showed further puzzlement. "Gargant?"

"It's a large insect that crawls along the roots of the Iifa Tree," Cinna explained. "You can feed them flowers and they'll stop for a bit so you can hop into the carriage."

"That sounds fun! Blank, we go on gargant?"

He pulled a face. "Yer wouldn't catch me dead on one of those! I'd take flyin any day of the week."

Baku raised a toast. "I'm with yer there lad, I'm with yer there!"

Pinnacle Rocks was a beautiful hideaway of red and white peonies, small caves and dens blocked with wicker. There was a branch work of wooden bridges and tree trunks caked in green moss that crisscrossed over the water. Below were shimmering ponds with lily pads and pretty pink blossoms. For all this tranquillity however Tantalus agreed that they did not wish to stay the night. There was just something about the place that made them feel on edge. As if they weren't quite alone. So they didn't linger and headed back onto the road.

Far in the distance they could just make out the form of the bastide but as they curved more towards the North West it disappeared from sight. They stayed together as a group this time. Baku, Marcus and Cinna took the lead and dispatched a fair number of carve spiders. Large pythons and flocks of trick sparrows were also on the prowl. Sometimes the monsters would leave items after their demise such as hi-potions, ore and phoenix downs. Soon the children wanted to join in and try to steal things from the creatures which Baku was more than happy to allow. He taught them to wait until an enemy's health was low before making an attempt, and how to dodge should it fail.

Both students were naturals. Zidane in particular was very fast and began to enjoy himself immensely. Blank was more cautious but his ability to steal rarer items gave him a sense of pride. The boys were keen to try using weapons unfortunately the senior members were all in agreement – combat training had to come first. That meant learning the basics away from the battlefield.

There was a light drizzle by the time they entered the forest. It was late afternoon and Chocobo calls could be heard in the surrounding green. The group headed into the denser trees until they discovered the campsite. Baku pulled at the sheets of tarp he'd set down to cover the ground. These patches of grass were dry. He'd chosen an area with sturdier, older trees that could provide extra shelter and wouldn't snap with the weight of a bear hang. It didn't take long to erect the tents: Blank and Zidane shared the smallest, Cinna and Marcus took the second and Baku had the third to himself. The leader believed this was due to his higher status in the Tantalus Troupe. None of his band had the heart to tell him the truth: in reality Baku's snoring was loud enough to wake the dead.

As the cook set about getting a fire started, Marcus volunteered to collect more wood. This left the trio plenty of time to continue their training.

"So, yer wanna learn how to fight, eh?" His face held a wicked smirk.

"That's why we came here!" A disgruntled Blank held up the thick tree branch he'd been given. "Boss, what am I supposed to do with this? Poke yer to death?"

"Yer got a problem?"

"Yeah I got a problem! Yer can't do diddly squat with a stick, that's my problem!"

Baku chewed the inside of his cheek. If he had fifty gil for every time he'd heard the same thing he'd be a rich man. They always placed such blind faith in steel. "Alright, I tell yer what," he unbuckled his orange waistcoat and put it aside, "You can have my short sword and I'll even give Zidane a dagger!"

"Now yer talkin!" Blank exchanged his stick for the blade eagerly.

However Baku wasn't quite finished. He took the branch and then said, "'l'll use this and I want the pair of yer to come at me with everythin you've got!"

Tribal studied the dagger. It felt light in his hands and the hilt was gold and blue. On the metal there was an engraving of a small heart and further blades. He recognised this to be the Tantalus logo. He looked at Blank uncertain. "Is fair?"

"Sure it is!" His friend winked back. "The old man is going down!"

"Ha!" Baku sneered. "That's assumin yer can hit me at all!"

"Don't worry about that."

"Yer all talk, boy. I wanna see somethin to back up the hot air comin out yer trap!"

Blank charged, he lifted up the sword and aimed it directly at the heart. It was an attack full of determination, however Baku simply side stepped and stuck out his leg. The next minute the seven year old was eating the dirt.

"Gwa haha! I thought yer said I was goin down?"

Not to be made a fool of the child spat out mud. Then he staggered up ready for round two. "Come on, Zi!" he barked at the blond. "Help me out will yer?"

Reluctantly Zidane stepped forward. If he'd learnt one thing from the 'Parcel Incident' it was that learning how to fight was vital. In order to protect Blank in the future he had to know how defend himself. There was sweat forming on his brow though. He couldn't get over how calm Baku looked as if this was just a game to him. Zidane's lungs felt like they were squeezing together making it difficult to breathe. His arms were quivering as if they had a mind of their own.

"Snap out of it!" A harsh voice sliced through his thoughts. "We'll attack together, ready? GO!"

There was a great rush as the two boys careered towards their target. Despite the fear, despite the odds they met it head on. Baku raised his stick and spun around the children. He smacked the wood down hard on Blank's knuckles. He howled and dropped the sword. Zidane leapt at him and was promptly kicked in the stomach. Now Blank countered but was swiftly dealt with by a leg sweep that sent him crashing once more. The monkey boy's return saw him try to keep some distance but Baku was having none of that. He started to chase Tribal who was actually very swift and managed to avoid many of the swipes towards his head. Eventually though he tried to make a retreat up into the trees.

"Get down 'ere!" the leader grunted as he grabbed onto the yellow tail.

As Zidane tried to scramble up the tree trunk he was hauled back down. Baku was about to hit him again when the child raised the dagger to block. The blade became jammed in the thick wood and he couldn't pull it out again. Tribal latched onto the stick trying to snatch it away from his leader, but Baku had the advantage here. He was heavier than Zidane and easily overpowered him by leaning on top of the trapped weapon. As Blondie's arms gave way he was rammed backwards into another tree and pinned in place. It was only when his lips started turning blue that Bosu finally let go.

It was another seven beatings before Blank decided he'd had enough. The boy slumped down in defeat. With bruised body and ego he watched Baku twirl the branch around playfully and whistle.

Marcus had come to announce that dinner was ready and was taken aback. "Whoa Boss, don't yer think this is a little hardcore? It's like their first lesson!"

"Holding back isn't a kindness!" He huffed. "These brats have gotta learn that there's more to fightin than just swinging a weapon around!"

There was a feeble moan coming from Blank. "I think am gonna puke."

"Come on," Baku said. "Yer just need a bit of grub. Don't be so pathetic, yer don't hear the greenhorn complaining, do yer?"

Blank glanced over briefly at Little Bro. "Well, that's only because he's out cold!"

"Stop makin – hang on, he's what?!" He did a double take, but clear as day Zidane was lying there unconscious. "Geez," the large man groaned and shook his head, "We've got a long way to go!

Chapter Text

Bump in the Night

Exhausted Zidane could barely keep his eyes open to eat the scorching hot stew he was presented with. There were muscles aching all over his body that he never knew existed. His poor tail was knotted and bent after being pulled so often. He was still patiently waiting for the ‘fun’ Blank had promised to actually start.

“You need to eat!” Cinna chuckled blowing on a spoonful before shoving it forcefully into the little boy’s mouth. “Chew...Now swallow...That’s the way! Tastes good, yeah?”

Tribal had to admit after taking such a beating the warm food was just what he needed. Soon he was gobbling it down and asking for seconds. He was given some bread as well to soak up the remaining juices.

Afterwards his brothers piled him up high with their empty tin mugs and bowls, and sent him to the stream to clean them. He walked briskly through the forest which was now dark and full of strange eyes. The water was icy, but the child tried to make quick work of the dishes whilst staying alert. He wanted to be ready in case any monsters decided to attack. His ears were assaulted by the hoots of owls and the relentless chirping of crickets. It wasn’t long before his shuffling footsteps became hurried strides as he ran back to camp with his clanging load. So he wasn’t prepared when he collided into something.  

“Unghh!” A garbled grunt sounded.  

The mugs and bowls went flying out his hands. On all fours Zidane was panting and trying to recover them. This part of the forest was dense and he could only just make out the outline of a figure on the floor ahead. More curses could be heard until at last the child whimpered, “Who there?”  

“Who d’ya think?” Blank moaned. “For the love of...damn it, Zidane!” He wheezed but slowly began to get up again. “Yer almost gave us a heart attack!”

“Sorry.” The blond was trying hard not to cry, but he’d been so scared. He put his hands over his eyes and took five deep breaths.

It was more the shock that had got to Blank. His chest coming into contact with the brunt force of a running child was unexpected. “Where are you?” he asked with annoyance.  

“I lost...I lost the cups!”

“Alright, alright, no point cryin about it.” He reached out blindly until he touched a quivering shoulder. “I’ve got yer, Little Bro.” He hauled Zidane up who then clung to him. “Don’t like the dark, huh?”

Violently the monkey boy shook his head. “Monsters.”

“The pythons and carvers will be asleep now, and Marcus told me the nocturnal creatures ‘ere are friendly enough. That’s part of the reason why the Boss likes to train in this forest. Come on, we better get back.”

“But the cups...”

Blank growled. “We’ll have to get up real early and find ‘em then.” Geez, he’s such a pain!

Upon return to the camp site they found Marcus and Cinna playing cards. The fire was burning steadily with the flames dancing and twisting around one another. Smaller red embers glowed as the wood crumbled into ash. It was a comforting heat and both boys warmed themselves for a while.

“You found ‘im then?” Baku closed up his tent and set himself down on one of the larger logs they used as a seat. He took a silver flask from his waistcoat pocket and poured a small measure of something into the lid. “Zidane ‘ere,” he commanded. “Yer look like you’ve seen a ghost, boy!”

“Erm...” He squirmed under Bosu’s scrutiny. Then the flask was held out before him. Blondie wasn’t quite sure what to do.

“What’s the matter, you never had a drink before?” The child nodded. “Try it - put hairs on yer chest!”

Zidane necked a whole capful of the foul brown liquor. As the liquid went down his throat it burned and the smell blasted through his nostrils so that he nearly gagged. He coughed and coughed amongst the laughter and mirth of his companions. Baku nearly went so far as to fall off the log entirely.                          

“Want some water, Zi?” Blank offered the canister which was grabbed immediately and gulped down.

“Yer too soft on ‘im!” Baku pouted. “Spoiling my fun... Still, suppose yer make the perfect couple!” He took another measure for himself.

“What yer talkin about, old man?”

“Well, yer see Zidane there is agile and light, can avoid most attacks through quick reflexes. But he don’t have the strength or stamina to attack head on. You on the other hand have plenty of oomph but I can knock yer off your feet without too much trouble!”    

“So what? It’s only been the first day of training! By the end of the week I’ll have yer begging for mercy!”  

In the firelight Baku’s goggles glinted. His face was half cast in shadow so it was difficult to read the expression on his face. “Yer think today was hard? That was nothin but a play fight! I could have gut yer half a dozen times over if I’d wanted to!”

Blank knew the Boss was just trying to wind him up. Would it kill you just to give a bit of encouragement, for once? He thought bitterly. Then the anger started building making his ears tingle and his hands balled into fists. “I ain’t afraid of dying!” he hissed.

“Well you should be! It ain’t a game when a man has a knife to yer throat, or a pack of wolves is hunting yer down. It’s the fear that keeps yer alive. Spouting crap like that... Stop actin like a spoilt kid!”  

“I AM A KID!” Blank protested his shout echoing through the entire forest. Birds roosting in the nearby trees scattered.

Immediately afterwards he regretted the outburst. He looked around the group, Cinna and Marcus were open mouthed. Zidane was still reeling from the effects of the booze and had started to hiccup uncontrollably. But the leader of Tantalus ignored him and instead reached inside his pack. He retrieved a brown pipe and some tobacco which he began stuffing into the bowl. It was rare to see the Boss smoke as his main vice was usually coffee, however when outdoors by the campfire he never missed the opportunity.          

Baku took a puff of his pipe. “So you’re just a kid? That makes it okay to be Parcel’s punching bag, eh?”

“Just shut up!”

He took another deep drag and blew smoke rings into the air. The goggles lifted following them until they dispersed. “Soon as yer joined my crew you became a man. I ain’t gonna stand for snot nosed brats and whinin. And if yer can’t stomach that, you can get the hell out!”

“Stuff you!” Blank had reached his limit. He was grateful for all that Baku had done for him, but there were times when he just wished the leader would cut him some slack! Why did he have to keep pushing? Why was his best never good enough?

The red head turned on his heel and strode into the trees.    

“Runnin away?” Baku called after him.

“I’m gonna take a leak!”  

There was no come back for that one so silence reigned once more. Above their heads the sky was cloudless. Here, away from the lights and industry of Lindblum the night display was quite spectacular. The twin moons: one blue and the other red were very clear, and against the blanket of stars it only served to make them look even more beautiful.

Baku recalled one particularly mind numbing evening when an astrologist was bending his ear at the bar. He explained that the study of the twin moon phenomenon had been taking place for hundreds of years. The blue moon always shone brighter even when hidden behind the red moon. No one could find a satisfactory explanation as to why this could be. The red moon would find itself cast completely in shadow whenever its sister was in front.

It was discovered however that the moons’ orbit was every sixteen days and then they switched positions causing them to appear to overlap. Such lunar eclipses had become so common place that eventually the population came to accept them as a part of everyday life.

When considering the mysteries of the wider universe Baku had decided long ago that as the moons didn’t fall, what they did or why they did it was of no consequence. If people wanted to dedicate their lives to studying hunks of rock good luck to them, otherwise he really didn’t care.  

“That’s always gonna be a part of his problem.” He grumbled. “Blinkin hot headed mongrel, takes everything so personally...”

“You could be kinder,” Marcus spoke up as he ladled the remaining stew into a tub.

“I’ve given that lad a roof over his head and food in his belly!” he snarled. “I’ve been kinder to ‘im than the scum who torched his ‘ome! But I’m not his father! And if he’s crying like some whelp been kicked, am not givin no sympathy!” The rest of the group visibly withered under his heated gaze. “If he wants attention,” now his voice grew quieter, “that’s what you lot are for.” 

The next day Cinna and Marcus took over training the two youngsters. In the meantime Baku took the new equipment for a spin and tried to gain more experience points.

“Okay, so you’ve pretty much got the idea of how to steal from a monster. But stealing from folks isn’t exactly the same!” Cinna explained. “Hey, you’re looking stronger, Zidane!”

The monkey boy blushed. “You think so?”

“Absolutely, you’ll be giving the Boss a run for his money in no time!”

“You silly...” the child said pushing him away.

“Aww, now don’t be like that!” Cinna came closer again and put an arm around his shoulder. “Yer Tantalus Brothers are here to help!” At that remark he walked away and watched with glee as Zidane’s trousers fell down and his long blond hair came loose.

Blank knew exactly what his friend had been up to, but even he hadn’t seen how he did it. He saw Little Bro’s confusion as he tried to grasp how the ribbon had come undone, and how his belt (which had been tied so snug against his slim waist) had just disappeared!

“Ta dah!” He revealed the belt and teal blue ribbon from underneath his hat. The children gasped in awe and he took a short bow to their round of applause.

“That was pretty cool, but yer won’t fool me!” Blank smirked.

“Ah, such confidence - I’d expect no less!” Cinna said as he returned Blondie’s belongings. He knelt down and wrapped the belt around the child once more. “Being able to charm any noble makes it easy to part them from their goods. And I tell yer what, with a pretty face like yours Zidane, you’ve got it made!” Next he carefully tied his hair back into a ponytail. “By the way, what’s the time?”

The red head reached deep into his pocket. “It’s about...” He stopped and then fumbled as he felt around for the familiar rounded disc. I put it in here! But there was no doubt, the pocket watch which Marcus had given to him as a birthday present was gone!

“Looking for this?” The young man enquired swinging the silver watch to and fro.

“How the hell did you? When did you even-”

Cinna tutted. “Why else do you think I let you to carry my hammer? I mean, duh!”

“You planned this before we left the camp?!” Blank was aghast. He thought Cinna had been trying to cheer him up. It turned out the thief was just tricking him.    

Watching from the sidelines Marcus had thoroughly enjoyed the show. Now he went over to his elder and gave him a high five, “You’ve still got the moves, Cin!”  

The chef looked very pleased with himself. It had been a while since his thievery skills had been put to the test. He threw the watch back to Blank who caught it. “Thieving is all about opportunity. Sometimes yer can plan for it and other times yer have to wing it. That’s what makes it a career like no other!” He scratched his thin beard. “Yer wanna know what makes a good pickpocket?”

“Don’t get caught?” Blank suggested with a lacklustre tone.

Wise guy! Cinna grinned. “The best pickpockets in town can adapt to any situation and know when to quit. No point stealing the biggest diamond ring if you land in jail. Yer can always try again another day!”  

“So, how did you steal the belt? I was watchin and I still can’t work it out!”

“You were watching but actually only saw what I wanted you to. The hand is faster than the eye! Here, let me show you with this scarf...”

For the rest of the morning the lesson continued. Cinna taught his subordinates how to slash open a purse and collect the loot inside without being seen. He explained that in order to pull off a more ‘intimate steal’ as he called it the unfortunate victim had to be put off guard. If a quick tap of the shoulder, or an accidental bump didn’t work then a compliment might! Timing was a key issue in all of this and holding ones nerve.
Marcus demonstrated many times making it look so easy. Blank was overwhelmed at first. There was so much to remember! It was tricky trying not to look suspicious, getting the job done and then making a quick exit.

“I’m never gonna get the hang of this!”

“That’s because yer thinkin about it too much!  Keep practising until it becomes second nature. You’ve got the advantage Brother, smaller, lighter and faster than me. If I can pull it off then yer definitely shouldn’t have any problem!” Marcus gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. “I have faith in you.”

Blank had to admit it felt so nice to hear those words. He suddenly realised that he’d missed spending time with Marcus, just the two of them. His attention was so fixated on Zidane these days and keeping him out of trouble. “Why does Baku hate me so much?” he asked when they took a small break.

The teenager laughed then. “He doesn’t hate yer. The Boss is in charge that’s all. Can’t expect him to be a pal one day and give orders the next. That ain’t how things work!”    

“He doesn’t give Zi a hard time.”

“Zidane doesn’t try to challenge him every five minutes! I mean, you practically back chat anything he asks yer to do. That’s why he gets cranky!”

Blank thought about this and knew he was right. Still, he wasn’t quite prepared to admit it. “I’m not gonna become a pushover! And besides, sometimes he says things that make me wanna punch him!”    

“Only because you let them get to yer.” Marcus tried to reason with the seven year old. “Look, in the future there’s gonna be guys that are all talk. They’ll give it all ‘this’ tryin to get a rise from yer. Do you really want a bottle in your face cos of some bar brawl? I’ve heard of folks goin blind over petty fights it ain’t worth the hassle!” 

The boy crossed his arms and sighed. “Okay, I’ll try to calm down.” He was surprised when he found himself suddenly wrapped up in a hug. “Bro...” he complained. “You’re kinda squashing me!”

“Sorry!” Marcus said releasing him. The two brothers smiled at each other. “Yer ready for another round?”

“Yeah, I’ll nail it this time!”  

When it came to turn in everyone was in a far better mood. Baku after a day of grinding had managed to acquire several new abilities including Anti-Body, Bright Eyes and Bug Killer. He was keen for Marcus and Cinna to hit the fields tomorrow so they could do the same. As for Zidane and Blank he was willing to try the combat training again, and this time they would all begin with sticks!

About half way through the night Tribal found himself wide awake. The call of nature was to blame, but he really didn’t want to go out alone. Waking Blank wasn’t an option as he was such a deep sleeper that even a storm wasn’t enough to rouse him. He sat up and listened to the wind which was whipping the sides of the tent. I wish Cinna hadn’t told me that ghost story! He thought. At the time around the campfire with everyone laughing he’d been so eager to listen to the gory and spooky details. Now in the darkness and alone it was very different. Carefully he crept on his knees to the door and peeked out. As expected there was nothing there only the leaves rustling. Steadily the pressure on his bladder was becoming unbearable. I really have to go!  He had no choice and fought to get his boots on before slowly lifting the flap. Squeezing through the gap he quickly closed the door.

Out in the open he immediately became aware of how chilly it was. The last embers of the fire were dying. He scurried towards the nearest tree finally able to relieve himself, sighing with bliss. After zipping up his trousers he was about to head back to bed when he heard a noise. Zidane immediately dived behind the tent and crouched.

That was when he saw it. In the eerie light of the red moon was a hulking beast with twin pincers like a crab. It crept silently around the camp. It’s the Forest Demon! He’s come to take us away! Cinna’s words came unbidden into his mind: The Forest Demon who would come to steal children away in the small hours when all others were asleep. He would cut out their hearts and eat them. He would use their skulls as drinking cups!

Frozen to the spot Zidane could hear the creature drawing closer and closer. Its heavy, rasping breathing was making his skin crawl, and he could feel a scream welling up inside. When he turned there were two pig like heads with black skin and jagged scars towering over him. Finally the monkey boy couldn’t take it anymore and gave an almighty yell. The pincers made to grab the child but he kicked hard against them. He took off shrieking and screaming as loud as he could before scrambling up the nearest tree.

“What in the name of Gaia, is goin on here?” Baku roared and stumbled out of his tent. Dressed only in a modest nightshirt that clung to his large belly, he looked around wildly. Soon he was joined by Cinna and Marcus armed to the teeth with hammer and sword. They wandered towards the source of the commotion. “What the ‘eck you screaming about, Blondie?” he growled. “I’m tryin to sleep here!”

“FOREST DEMON!” Came the answer and the Tantalus leader was even more confused.  

Cinna winced. This was his doing plain and simple. “Geez, there’s no Forest Demon, Zidane! It was just a stupid ghost story!”

“Hey Boss, that you?” Someone called out to their left.

That made everyone jump.

“Who the devil is that?” Bosu demanded.

From the right came yet another voice. “That’s him! That’s the Boss!”

“Marcus, give us some light, will yer?” His request was met by match and candle. In the dim light Baku at last began to make sense of things. “Well I’ll be, Zenero and Benero! You boys followed us all the way out here?”

“Been a long while, Boss!” said Benero the slightly taller of the two.

“We came for training!” Zenero added sounding very excited.

Benero and Zenero were brothers. They’d only recently joined the Tantalus Theatre Troupe after the promise of a good wage and plenty of action. In the Nero family were a total of ten siblings both brothers and sisters all dependant on Benero and Zenero for income.

“So, who’s the new kid?” Zenero referred to the monkey boy still hiding in the tree.

“Yeah, who’s the new kid?”

Marcus came to stand beneath the branch where Zidane was. “There’s nothing to be scared of! These guys are our friends, okay? Come down and say hello!”

Slowly Zidane climbed down still unsure about the pair. He stayed behind Marcus who eventually pushed him in front of the brothers. He could see now that they wore thick leather masks and what he believed to be scars was simply poor stitch work coming apart. They had cute floppy ears that were crinkled at the edges.

“What’s your name?” Benero asked raising his claw in greeting.

“What’s your name?” Zenero repeated and also offered the same greeting.

Tribal gulped. “Zidane...” he said shyly. “You not Forest Demon?”

The brothers looked at each other. “Forest Demon?” they said in unison. “Not us!”

“Alright boys, enough with the intro! Marcus, Cinna, get another tent set up – I’m goin to bed. And Tribal...” his voice was wary, “no more ghost stories for you!”      

Chapter Text

It had been a gruelling training schedule and by the end of the week Zidane and Blank were ready to drop. They had bruises on their bruises and not much else to show for their hard work. But despite this the boys were beaming. Something had changed they weren't the same frightened children as when they first entered the forest. Now the carvers and pythons thought twice about attacking them. They weren't experts and would still need to practise every day to build up their strength. But even Baku could see their potential and though begrudging and stiff in his praise he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.

"Time to head 'ome!" he said as they finished packing their gear.

Both Zenero and Benero were overjoyed to hear this. Sleeping on the ground night after night was no joke. They were fed up with stones sticking into their backs and the relentless chirping of insects! The brothers were dreaming of a soft bed, home cooking and sweet kisses from the ladies. Unfortunately for the dear pair the path of true love had never run smoothly. Women just weren't interested and they couldn't even begin to put their finger on why. They'd tried to buy them drinks, give flowers and even sing ballads! Their hearts were full to bursting with affection but this only served to drive away the object of their desire. But they never allowed this to dampen their spirits and remained optimistic.

It was dark when the group finally set their eyes on Tantalus Headquarters. The clock chimed eleven as Zidane zipped up the steps but the others slowly ascended at a more modest pace. Baku unlocked the door and entered the dusty, drafty tower they liked to call home. Everyone piled in and greeted the place as they would an old friend. Marcus lit the lamps spread sporadically around the main room as Cinna tried to rustle up a late supper. The Nero brothers shovelled some coal into the fire place and set about lighting it.

Sat at the main table everyone shared what was left of the pork pie and cheese and toasted the stale bread. It wasn't a meal for kings to be sure but enough to settle their growling stomachs. Tomorrow they would need to get their affairs in order. There was shopping, laundry and cleaning to be done. Their weapons needed sharpening and purses needed filling. It had been a while since they'd caught up on news happening in the city as well. The senior Tantalus members were keen to have a leisurely drink at the pub before seeking jobs requiring their expertise. But all of this could wait, it was time for bed.

"I'm beat," Marcus admitted rubbing his eyes. He took a lantern and carefully began to climb the rungs of the rickety ladder.

"What that?" Zidane asked as he looked up towards the loft. His furry tail swished from side to side.

The group strained their ears to listen but couldn't hear anything.

Blank shrugged. "Probably mice they've had the run of the place for a whole week!" He was used to hearing them scurry about. They'd have to put some traps out in the morning along with poison pellets to stop the buggers breeding.

"Mice, eh? Baku muttered as his keen eyes made a sweep of the room. His fingers reached for the sword at his belt as he stood up. He pointed towards a small hung window which had a hole about the size of a fist through it. "Last time I checked mice don't break windows."

This caused quite a ruckus in the troupe as their thoughts flew immediately to robbery. They headed straight for the stairs. As Marcus was already on the ladder he continued to climb and poked his head out. Sure enough there were pieces of glass on the floor but it appeared nothing had been taken. The chests, clothes and other valuables remained undisturbed.

"It's clear here, Boss!" he reported hanging the light on a hook driven into the beams.

Bosu rubbed his head. "Could be a kid causin mischief, throwing stones..." The only problem with this theory was that the bolt on the window was busted. Someone had definitely broken the latch. "Check the other rooms, boys. See if anything's missin."

The Tantalus Troupe searched but nothing had been taken. Old Ben's tolls announced midnight and by this point everyone's heads were nodding off. Baku made the decision to send his crew to bed and rotate a watch. It wouldn't do any good to be caught out in their sleep.

Baku kept his back flush to the wall as he waited on the landing. He hated this uncertainty. Somethin don't smell right. He thought tapping the wooden chair arm. Most thieves would break in, take what they wanted and scarper. With the whole troupe away it had been the ideal time to bleed them dry. Not that Tantalus was 'rich' far from it! But that didn't mean they would just let people walk all over them.

It was then he heard a muffled shout coming from above. Immediately the giant got to his feet. That ain't no mouse! He dashed up the stairs following the noise until he came upon a large wardrobe. Baku snatched the door open.

"GIT AWAY FROM ME!" piercing screaming exploded from inside.

"You?!" he exclaimed before the door was slammed shut. He tried again but the occupant appeared to be in some kind of daze.

"Keep those dirty mitts away from me, or I'll gut yer like a hog!" She held a cutlass with the pointy end now directed at the Baku's stomach.

Slowly the man tried to back away. "Alright girlie, no need to be so lively!" The blade however followed his path. Her legs dangled as she hopped out. He really didn't fancy the idea of being stabbed in the guts. Bosu continued to retreat until they reached the bunk beds.

"Boss, what's up?" Blank squinted half asleep. He watched curiously as their leader appeared to be shuffling backwards. Then finally she came into view as well. "Whoa! Hey!" He leapt from the bunk. "What are yer doing, you gone barmy or what?"

"Just keep 'im away!" she warned staring angrily at Baku. Her grey eyes were large and bulging. "Or I swear am gonna run him through!"

"Kid, you've gotta wake her up. She's sleep walkin!"

"What?!" he cried out.

Keeping the two males in a line she circled them. The cutlass remained far too close for comfort. The red head could see clearly now. Her clothes were ripped and there was a very swollen, purple mark on her neck. The usually pale face was red raw. "Ruby..." his voice became softer. "Rubes, I'll keep him away if that's what yer want. I won't let anyone near yer, promise."

She was still holding the weapon between them with both hands. He could see tears brimming in her eyes.

"Promise me?" The words were more like a plea.

She looked so frightened, a world away from the bossy, nuisance of a girl who pushed everyone around. He'd never seen this side of Ruby before and couldn't describe how it made him feel. All he knew was that he didn't like it and wanted to make it stop.

"I promise," Blank said seriously.

With that she sank to her knees exhausted. The cutlass forgotten, the child squeezed two shaking arms around herself and rocked back and forth. She bit into her sleeve to try and prevent sobs from escaping. Gingerly Blank came to sit beside her but couldn't think of the right words. To Ruby that was fine. It was enough to know that he was there and she could cling to that.

A while later her teeth began retrieved a blanket and placed it about her shoulders. Blank offered a belated tissue so she could blow her nose. Again they sat there in silence. By now the Nero brothers were yawning, Zidane had fallen asleep against Marcus' shoulder and Baku was left wondering if it was safe to approach yet.

"Yer still wanna run me through?"

"Oh Boss," she gasped. "I'm so sorry!"

He chuckled. "Don't worry about it. Yer was caught up in some nightmare. Still," he considered. "Nice to know yer can handle yourself in a pinch!"

"What happened, Rubes?" Blank could still feel the girl quivering despite the blanket.

She took a shuddering breath. "Last night Pa was drinkin again, and he came 'ome all riled up. Kept shoutin stuff bout how I shouldn't hang around with a buncha men. Called me a slut and I said Uncle Baku and you boys ain't like that!" Ruby rubbed her wrist absently. "Well, he didn't like that at all! He slapped me hard."

"Bastard." Baku clenched his fists.

"It's okay, I'm kinda used ter all that." She swallowed. "But then he had his hands round my neck an' I couldn't breathe. Started seein stars and feelin all weak and I jus' lashed out! I punched Pa and then he got real mad! He was screeching like a wildcat: 'Git out, git out! Or I'm gonna string yer neck!' and I jus' ran and ran. You boys were on a trip so I broke the window. I'm sorry but I had no place to go!"

"Yer did the right thing," Blank reassured her. "Right, Boss?"

Baku nodded. "Damn right, yer stayin with us till we sort things out."

She sniffed. "I don't wanna cause no trouble for you folks."

"Ain't no trouble."

"I dunno whut to say!"

"Don't think about it no more." He smiled warmly. "Yer Tantalus brothers are family an' we look after our own!" Overcome the girl went to him. The giant hugged Ruby gently afraid that he might crush her small frame. With his fearsome reputation, seeing the Boss going soft over a lass caused more than a few amused grins around the room. With the mystery solved it meant they could finally retire that is - with one extra guest!

The next morning Baku gathered everyone around. "Alright we need to move the gear from the old stock room!" A great grumbling followed but he was having none of that. "Lady needs a room so stop complaining and shift!"

Everyone lent a hand to settle Ruby in. Zenero and Benero made sure the old costumes found new homes and located a bed. Zidane put some flowers he'd picked into a vase on the dresser, and Blank managed to retrieve a comb and mirror set he'd kept aside. Marcus found some spare clothes (gratefully received) and Cinna a bedpan (not so much!) By the time they were finished she was tearful again. They left her to sleep until dinner was ready and then began to discuss the new play.

Over three days passed and Baku had expected the girl's father to come to their door and start a ruckus by now. So when there was still no sign of him they decided to investigate. Ruby wanted to return home anyway to collect a few things, but she was afraid to go alone. Blank came along for moral support - or rather he was volunteered by the troupe. He was getting used to being picked for anything regarding Ruby, despite the fact that she still irritated the hell out of him.

"Whut if Pa starts a fight?" she confided to the red head as they walked side by side.

Blank grinned. "I'd put my bets on the Boss!"

She sighed. "Will yer be serious for a minute? Oh my Gawd, we're here."

The children had stopped outside one of the smallest houses on the block. To say it had a rustic charm was generous. There were tiles missing from the roof, graffiti on the walls and patched up windows. The faded green door hadn't been painted in years.

"You live here?!" Blank said in shock. In all the time he'd known the girl not once did he imagine that she might live in conditions like this. Haven't you got a home to go to? He remembered saying and suddenly felt very guilty indeed.

"It's 'ome," she whispered fiddling with her grey hair.

Baku rapped on the door which as it turned out was already open. It made a loud creaking sound as they stepped inside. The place was a mess with upturned tables, empty bottles and curtains lying in tatters on the floor. Cautiously the trio watched their step as they navigated their way around the wreckage.

"Pa?" Ruby called out but there was no answer. "That is mighty strange. Even when he goes off the wall he'd never go this far. I don't-" Suddenly her sight was cut off. "Dang gummit, whacha think you're doin? Let go of me!"

But Blank did not let go. What he saw made him wish he really hadn't. As Ruby struggled against him he was determined not to allow the girl to have such a horrible image carved into her brain forever. It was a man slumped to one side. His skin was ashen grey and dried crusty blood trailed from his mouth. He'd been shot in the head at point blank range.

Baku took action and lifted a table cloth to place over the dead body. Swiftly he closed the study door and gestured towards the stairs. "Blank, stop messin about yer ginger brat!" he growled giving him a cuff around the ear for good measure. "Put her down!"

"Oww, it was a joke!" Blank said playing along but then added, "Geez that really hurt!"

Ruby swiped at him as well. "Well, yer sure deserved it! What kinda man likes to scare a lady, huh? Don't cha think this is freakin me out enough?"

"Fine, sorry! So where's this loot you stashed anyway?"

"Upstairs and it ain't loot!" she corrected sternly. They began to climb the steep staircase. "It's a buncha stuff belonging to my ma. I had to hide it in case pa tried to sell it for his drinkin."

Bosu called up to them, "Looks like he ain't come back yet so might as well grab what yer need. I'll guard the door."

"Thanks Boss, yer sure are nice!"

That left Blank to follow his friend to the back of the house. There was a small washroom on their left and to the right was the master bedroom. Ruby bypassed these seeming to be on a mission. They turned a corner and found a part of the house shrouded in shadow. The ceiling was low and the walls narrow. At the very end they halted outside a white door. He saw her hesitate outside.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothin," she said. "Jus' never had a boy see ma room before."

Blank huffed. "Like I care, seeing a buncha dolls and dresses!"

In they went and for the second time that day the thief was speechless. It was almost completely empty, save for the sorry excuse for a bed. Propped up was a mirror with a crack that zigzagged from one end to another. There were no dolls or teddies. The clothes horse near to the smeared greasy window contained some underclothes, ragged skirts and blouses that had been patched up more than once. A melted down stub in a bottle was clogged with dried wax.

Ruby smiled and brushed the cold picture less walls with her fingertips. She headed over to one of the floor boards in the corner and tugged at it. "Yer got somethin I can lift this with?" When the boy didn't respond she looked up. Blank was pale but she couldn't read his face as he gazed around the room. "Hey!" she tried again. "Yer deaf as well as stupid?"

"What?" he said finally.

Ruby pointed to his belt. "Can I borrow yer dagger? I need ter to prise this open a sec!"

Coming to his senses the red head came forward and helped. Together they managed to pull the wood up until Ruby leant in and retrieved a drawstring bag. It was made from purple velvet and decorated with green rhinestones. She opened it up and produced a pair of ballet slippers. Her shoulders sagged with relief as she cuddled them.

"They belong to yer mom?"

She prepared herself for some nasty throwaway comment. "Yeah..."

"They're pretty," he muttered, his cheeks dusted with just a hint of pink. "Where is she?"

"Well, she's dead." Ruby replied simply and was surprised by his reaction. It was like he'd just swallowed a fly. "Died durin childbirth - ma fault as Pa always says. Wishes it were me sometimes but that's jus' the whisky talkin." She smiled absently. "Ma was a dancer at the theatre company in Treno. She was ever so good. Could bend her legs right ova her head! Then she met Pa fell in love and all that. Got married and moved to little ol' Lindblum. They were so happy. Now it's..." She stopped for a moment then seemed to shake her head. "Now is jus' different is all."

It was difficult for Blank to digest this. How could she be so cheerful about things? It made him angry. What was worse was that there wasn't anything he could do about it. He felt like he owed a debt to Ruby for taking care of him after his encounter with Parcel. But as a thief bringing people back from the dead was beyond his abilities.

"Look at me ramblin on!" she said breaking the awkward silence.

He glanced at the slippers. "I'm sorry about yer mom. I'm sorry about..." Then the words caught in his throat. What good will it do, tellin her that? A voice in his head snarled. Blank struggled. If the man downstairs was Ruby's father it meant she was an orphan now, just like him. "Look, just hurry will yer? I'm not waitin round all day!"

"Alright, alright keep yer hat on!" Now she quickly reached down once more and this time pulled out a silk scarf. It was aqua in colour and trimmed with a silver lining. She stood up and wrapped it around her neck. "Thanks, Blank."

"Whatever!"

They gathered the small amount of clothes Ruby had to her name and made their way down the stairs.

"You ready to go?" Baku was waiting holding open the front door. The young lady nodded and without looking back stepped out into the bright sunshine.

As the Boss had business to take care of Ruby and Blank returned to Tantalus Headquarters alone. They came across Cinna who was outside busy sharpening blades on a whetstone.

"Hey guys, how'd it go?"

She stretched her hands behind her back. "After all that he wasn't even there!"

"Well, for the best I suppose!" he said and picked another weapon. This was a broadsword caked in rust. His face was already looking a bit red from exertion. Cinna had to be careful not to be too heavy handed or else the edge might break. Tantalus didn't need blades that let them down at a crucial moment!

"Yer seen Zidane?"

The blacksmith let out a despondent sigh.

"Blank!" Speaking of the monkey boy he came running out the front entrance. He was jumping up and down. "Come inside, come inside! I show you, I show you!" Then he was gone.

"He's been like this ever since he came back with Marcus. I mean, I dunno where he gets his energy from! He's been bouncing around the clock tower like some wacko Jack in the box."

Blank smirked. "I thought it was weird, you being so eager to get outside and sharpen stuff!"

"Cheeky little-"

"Gotta go!" he cut off his friend and slipped inside the building.

They found Zidane standing proudly beside a crate. On top amongst the small pile of gil was a pearl necklace, silk handkerchiefs, a pocket watch and a ring. His hair was looking pretty tussled as though he'd been running like the wind.

"You see what I got?" he asked. Nervously Zidane waited for his friend's opinion. Blank picked up the pearls running the string of orbs along his teeth. Then he picked up the ring and turned it over in the light. It sparkled and shone. The red head considered his younger colleague in crime with respect.

"It's your first day on the job and yer actually managed to nab a diamond ring?" He just couldn't believe it. Jammy git! Zi gets a head start thieving and am stuck between a girl and a dead body! Great! "That ain't half bad!" Blank admitted and was blinded by the brightest smile on the other boy's face.

"I did good?" he demanded. "Blank proud?"

"Geez, why does it matter what I think?" he growled but when faced with the set of adorable blue eyes he relented. "Yer did a good job. Er..." Blank was not known as the self esteem boosting machine. He wasn't used to giving compliments and this was killing him. "Well done...Keep up the good work..."

For Ruby however this delight in stealing felt wrong. "That's real nice, pumpkin!" She managed a small smile for Zidane but she knew he'd started on the slippery slope to corruption. No one remained innocent in Tantalus for long. "Look, am gonna go and get sorted out. I'll be seein yer boys later!" With that she took the pile of clothes from Blank, rushed into her bedroom and closed the door.

Blank rolled his eyes. "Girls are so weird," he muttered to himself. Zidane tilted his head the way he often did when confused. "Hey, wanna practise swordplay?" A sly grin now broke out on the monkey boy's face he most certainly understood that!

Early evening there was a knock at the door. It turned out to be none other than Officer Clatterbridge who needed to speak with Ruby. He brought with him the grave news that Mr Mason had been murdered. His body was found in an alleyway outside the 'Twin Moons' a local pub. The only comfort William could offer was that her father's death would have been swift.

To add further insult to injury he explained that Mr Mason had been spiralling into debt. He had several loans owed to various business partners in the city. Seeing as the man did not possess a will and complaints had gone so far as reach the Regent something had to be done. It was decided therefore that the house belonging to Ruby's father would be put up for sale, and the proceeds would be used to pay off the deficit. Legally she was not entitled to counter claim until she was sixteen years of age. In addition as a woman she did not hold the same rights as a male heir. In all likelihood Ruby would never see a single penny of her inheritance.

The child nodded to indicate her comprehension but hardly said more than a few words. He kindly offered his services for help and advice should she require them. She had no additional questions and only thanked Mr Clatterbridge for his time. As he left, Ruby returned to her sanctuary stating that she didn't want anything to eat. The boys could only sit around helplessly pondering what to do.

Later on when Baku had returned he insisted that Blank take some food in. He didn't want to hear how Ruby wasn't hungry. As he saw things when a girl says they want to be alone it really meant you were supposed to follow them. This logic wasn't shared by every soul but since the troupe was concerned everyone agreed to it. So in the end Blank loaded up a tray with a sandwich and some milk. Zidane held open the door and they entered together.

In the dim light they could make out a lump inside the bed. Blank set the tray down on the dresser. "I brought yer a sandwich," he ventured. The lump turned over with a large sigh.

Zidane crept over and lifted up part of the blanket. "Ruby, you 'kay?"

"Jus' leave me alone please, sugar." she said in a croaky voice.

"Come on Zi, let's go."

"But Ruby sad," he protested with a pout.

Blank yanked his tail. "If she wants us to go then we gotta go! What do yer want from me?" The child's forehead furrowed. He picked up the stool and sat down leaning against the bed. "Zidane, this isn't the time to be a stubborn ass!"

"Ruby sad!" he repeated.

"She just found out her father's dead! What do yer expect her to feel?!" He didn't want to shout at the kid and in a way he wanted to stick around too, but he couldn't force her to talk.

"Blank?" Her voice sounded strange beneath the sheets.

He folded his arms and leaned against the wall. "Yeah?"

"Pa was already dead in the house weren't he?" She poked her head out. "That's why yer grabbed me?"

"I just reacted. I mean, did yer really wanna see your old man with his brains blown out?"

That was true enough and Ruby was grateful. "Baku moved the body too, didn't he?"

"He didn't want anyone suspicious of yer, makes sense. Look, I wanted to say something at the house but I wasn't sure. I'm sorry, alright? Just don't get mad and start going crazy again!"

She grinned. "Am I so awful? Maybe I am when I let rip!" Ruby sat up and rested her hands in her lap. "I ain't mad. In fact I thought it were kinda sweet in a way. No one's ever looked out fer me before and I really appreciate it. Yer all so kind to me, including you - little rascal!" She smiled at Zidane and pulled him into a hug. His musical laughter broke the tension in the room.

"Are yer gonna be okay?" Blank said scuffing the front of his boots on the floor.

She looked at him thoughtfully. "Ya know when I lived with Pa I'd have this knot inside all the time. It was funny cuz whenever I came here it would jus' go away like magic. That's why I wan-ted to stay so much. Whenever I came 'ome he'd always be waitin with somethin to say, and I'd feel sick to ma stomach. It's been that way for so long that when that Mister told me about Pa, the first thin that hit me was I didn't have that knot anymore. Does that make me a bad person?"

Blank shook his head. "No way, and don't let anyone tell you any different!"

She played with the fabric of the quilt. "Alright, I won't." Why would he say somethin like that? "I can't help wonderin what am supposed to do now? I know the trade of you folks and I've turned a blind eye to all that. I know it's difficult to understand but my conscience is ma guide and I couldn't turn to thievin!"

"Like the Boss would let you anyway!"

She whipped off the covers and stormed over. "I'm bein serious! If I'm a part of this team, how am I supposed to earn ma keep?"

"Baku won't care about-"

"Hell I sure do!" Ruby interrupted. "I pay my way. I'm not gonna be cooped up in this clock tower swapping one prison for another!"

Finally Blank was starting to see what his friend was driving at. She needed purpose - something that would give her life meaning. Suddenly he pointed to her hand. "Make a fist," he instructed. "Now beat your chest once with it near yer heart."

"Whut?!"

"Just do it!" When she did so he nodded with satisfaction. "Hey Zidane, you should learn this too." They proceeded to copy him. "This is the Tantalus secret salute and only official members can use it! So whenever we meet you've gotta show the salute, got it?" Tribal saluted again although a little too enthusiastically. He clutched his chest in pain. "Not so hard, Little Bro!"

Ruby lifted up her arms and let them droop. "I still don't know what am supposed to do."

"Well, isn't it obvious?" he said. The girl was still confused. "You've always wanted to be a famous actress, right? Now you can!"

The realisation swept over her. All the promises she'd made year after year about making her dream come true. Her father had put a stop to any hopes but now she had the freedom to make it a reality. "Oh ma stars yer right! I could be famous like Ma. I could make a name for myself in show business!" At this point she grabbed Blank and gave him a huge sloppy kiss on the cheek. "You are such a darlin!"

"Get off me!" In disgust the red head pushed her away. He glared at Zidane who had become seized by a fit of giggles at his expense. "Damn it," he cursed wiping his rosy cheek with a sleeve, "this is why I hate girls!"

Chapter Text

"No way!" Blank shook his head violently as he backed away from Baku. "Yer can get yourself lost!"

Unfortunately this wasn't enough to deter the director. "I'll make it worth yer while!" he said rubbing his large hands together. "I'll put in a word with Trent for a little extra lesson on the Prima Vista..."

His heart skipped a beat and Blank found himself sorely tempted, but one more glance at the offending garment shot his desire down in flames. "Yer could promise me a ship, yer could promise me that I'd never have to do the laundry again, it don't matter! I ain't gonna wear it!"

Bosu's lips twisted as if he were sucking on a lemon. "We need every member of this crew pulling their weight! In three days time we've got a show to do otherwise we'll be a laughing stock. You don't have to say much, just pick up a gold coin and give it to me, how hard can it be?"

"Why can't I be Ali Baba?" Blank pleaded. "He gets to do all the cool stuff like making the wall open and at least he wears a decent costume!"

The man shook his head firmly. "I've told yer a thousand times, Ali Baba is a grown man! Marcus has already learnt the lines-"

"Yer said when I joined Tantalus I became a man, now yer want me to wear...wear...I don't even know what it's supposed to be!" He pointed at the light purple chiffon draped over Baku's arm. "People'll be laughing," he added sourly.

"It's a pantomime, they're supposed to laugh! Zidane has to play a woman too and he ain't being precious about it!"

Blank turned to look at Little Bro and felt his stomach lurch. Zi wore a pair of light blue transparent trousers and sheer top. There was a teal belt strategically wrapped to cover his nether regions, but nevertheless every part of his flawless body could be seen. I can't wear that! He thought in panic. As soon as he stepped onto the stage the audience would see his scars and burns laid bare. His imagination was already running wild with how they might react.

Frederick Parcel had once called him 'The Abomination of Lindblum' and those cruel words had stuck with the red head ever since. He wanted to play his part truly, but this was just too big an ask for him.

"Do I look funny, Blank?" Zidane asked as he admired the soft, padded slippers on his feet.

Then the blond bounced happily towards him. He was wearing a long haired wig that had been plaited so it hung down his left shoulder. In this light he found it difficult to tell whether Zidane was a boy or a girl. Blank wasn't sure what to say to his friend as the pair of giant blue eyes continued to gaze at him. "Yer look great," he said awkwardly.

The monkey boy snatched the costume from Baku and held it out to the thief. "You get dressed too?"

"Er..." Blank suddenly found the purple bedlah in his hands, he swallowed. What's with this kid? He thought in confusion, but there was just something about Zidane that he couldn't say no to. "Fine, I'll try it on," he growled before storming off to the backroom.

Marcus blew out a tired breath as he placed the paintbrush into the pot. He took a step back and admired his handy work; a backdrop showing the inside of the Forty Thieves' treasure cave. It had taken a long time to finish, what with the individual gold coins he'd painted, precious jems and the flickering candle effects. He'd sketched the outline making sure it was perfect and then went on the hunt for all sorts of coloured paint. He remembered when he first got involved in set design and how his scenes resembled the clumsy artwork of Zidane. It had taken a lot of practise to get anywhere near this good.

He watched as Blank swept past without saying a word, Brother looked angry. Wonder what upset him this time? Marcus pondered.

The door closed with a loud bang immediately followed by a laboured dragging sound. Blank was taking no chances. Nobody was going to see him in this state of shame until he had come to terms with it himself. The large, ornate mirror stood by ready to reveal his hateful reflection, filling him with a sense of dread.

Blank wanted more than anything to just run away. If Tantalus was going to force him to 'act' he would rather leave and take his chances on the streets. But then he thought about the life he'd have to leave behind, the people and the place he called home. This realisation hit hard and he put his head in his hands.

After a while Blank finally struggled into the bedlah: essentially a bra with green tassles and long trousers. He was surprised at how soft the material felt against his skin, there the pros ended abruptly. He removed the belt he'd taken to wearing around his head and pulled the wig over it instead. Then Blank stepped in front of the looking glass with his eyes still firmly shut. This is stupid! He chided himself but couldn't seem to gather the courage to even open them. He could feel his heart nearly beating out of his chest. The boy became surrounded by his own heavy breathing in the darkness, time stood still. Just do it! But he couldn't and turned away in defeat.

"Damn it!" he gasped. "I can't...I just can't."

Suddenly there were three loud knocks.

"Go away!" he said racing towards the door, before remembering he'd already blocked it.

"Blank, darlin?" Ruby's voice was muffled through the wood. "Yer decent yet, or needing a little help?"

He leaned his head against the frame. "Go away, Rubes."

There was silence for a moment before she firmly replied. "I ain't budging from this spot until yer open that door!"

A choked laugh escaped from his lips but he still didn't move.

"Whut's got into you?" When there no further response she continued, "I swear I'll bust this thing down!"

Blank flicked a wisp of stray, black hair from his face. "Oh yeah? I'd really like to see that!" he said sneering. "Yer interfering, stubborn witch, go bother someone else!"

"Fine!" she yelled back and thumped the wall.

Finally he heard her footsteps die away and his body slumped down to the floor. That was kinda nasty, even for me. He thought and then shook his head. She asked for it, always sticking her nose in where it don't belong!

Blank had lost all track of time stuck inside the small room, and his gaze wandered to the props scattered around. Nine wide jars were lined in a row, along with a set of scales and curved scimitar blades. He picked up a turban and gave a deep sigh as he turned it over and over.

Their newest 'play' was called Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves apparently a tale from the Outer Continent. He didn't know much about that part of the world only that Baku had said it was largely covered by the Kiera Desert. Blank knew deserts were meant to be boiling during the day perhaps that was why the women wore such skimpy outfits. Still, he didn't understand why they couldn't just adapt the costumes, or why Baku refused to hire another actress. It isn't fair! He sulked, and tossed the headwear away.

Bang! He felt vibrations jolting along his spine. Bang!

"What the -?"

Bang! It continued then paused until at last he heard Ruby on the other side. "Better let me in, Blank! This door ain't gonna be holdin for long!"

"Yer breaking it down?!" Blank knew Miss Mason was pretty determined but he still couldn't believe she would go this far! "Hey... cut it out!"

"I meant whut I said, now open this darn door!"

Ruby could feel her arms beginning to ache as she pulled back the cart she'd 'borrowed' from Cinna. There was already an impressive dent in the white gloss. She prepared to ram it once more however it seemed the boy had at last decided to cooperate. He poked his head out, scowled, before dragging the girl in with him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Blank hissed as he returned the boxes to their original position. "Baku ain't gonna be happy if you bust up the theatre!"

She grabbed his shoulders and jerked them roughly. "Why, wouldn't yer open the door? I was thinkin the worst!"

Blank gestured to the costume. "Ain't it obvious?"

She burst into giggles. "Aw shucks, in a pantomime it don't matter if a boy dresses like a girl, and a girl dresses like a boy, that's kinda the fun about it!"

"I'm not bothered about that!" he huffed. "Just look at me!"

Mason tilted her head slowly from left to right and then smirked. "I can fix that, no problem!"

"You can?" Blank asked, surprised. "But yer can see them pretty clearly... whoa!" As Ruby bent down near to his crotch he jumped away. "Oi, what are yer trying to do?"

Now it was the girl's turn to be surprised. "Well how else am I supposed to fix it? Yer givin everyone a right eyeful hangin about all over the place, shame on you!"

The boy flushed scarlet as he looked down. "I'm what?"

"Now jus' hold still a sec and I'll have it fixed in a jiffy. Can't have our boys exposing themselves, huh?" She tugged and pulled at the plum scarf before tying a secure knot at the back. Blank's body went stiff as a board while she worked. "I dunno, gettin all shy like that, as if I ain't seen it all before!"

"Seen it before?" Blank squeaked.

"After Parcel's beating, not like yer could sit in a tub and wash yourself! Who else do yer think gave yer a bed bath, huh? Pa always said that cleanliness was next to Godliness."

Suddenly he felt very sick indeed. "I don't remember any of that!"

She nodded. "Hmm, yer were pretty out of it those first few days especially with the meds the doc injected. Sometimes it were like talkin to a rag doll!" Now Ruby stood up and took his hand. "We better get rehearsing; this play ain't gonna act itself!"

"I can't go out there," he said wrenching out of her grasp.

His friend's eyebrows rose. "And why not?"

"Don't pretend like yer can't see 'em - my scars!" Blank stabbed at his chest. "I'm a monster! How can I go out there and face the audience? I'll be eaten alive!"

Hearing him talk like that shocked Ruby, it had never occurred to her. As the girl reflected she realised that he did take great pains to cover up his body. She'd often wondered why Blank, even in the height of summer would wear long sleeved shirts. She knew he wouldn't believe her if she told him it was unnecessary. When they argued, did the chores together or went searching for Zidane, the scars never came into the equation. What mattered to Ruby was that her Tantalus brothers were kind, decent people, (baring the thefts) and treated her right. Who cared what they looked like?

"Well, I ain't seein no monster," she said gently "All I see is a survivor."

She straightened the black haired wig which had begun to slip forwards and turned up his trousers which were a little too long.

"Yer wanna know whut else I think?" He shook his head wildly. "I think it's time yer owned those scars rather than letting 'em own you." She embraced him, he froze. "They're a part of who yer are, proof that yer alive!" Ruby let him go, studying the boy whose hazel eyes were wide and shining. "I know some folks are unkind, but that's only cus they ain't happy with themselves."

Blank was left speechless. He watched as she turned and pushed the boxes aside once more.

"No one can force yer to get on that stage, but it'd be mighty nice to see yer up there in the spotlight. Just think about it, okay?"

Alone again, his brain struggled to comprehend what had just happened. Did she just hug me? He did feel better somehow and the knot in his gut had unravelled too. A small smile crept over his face, he even felt a little giddy.

Silently his nemesis waited in the corner. The red head was filled with a new determination. "Time to end this," he told himself before striding towards the mirror...

Three nights later and the Tantalus cast were waiting anxiously backstage. The hall was packed to the rafters and the rumble of eager theatre goers could be heard. This was the real deal, after rehearsing into the small hours of the morning and all the blood, sweat and tears it came down to this.

"Now remember, no matter what happens the show must go on-" Baku tried to address his crew but there was a great fuss coming from stage right. "Benero! Zenero! Get yer siblings to pipe down, I 'm tryin to give a rousing speech 'ere!"

"Sorry Boss, right away!" the brothers called back sheepishly.

"Just keep 'em quiet!" he snapped, turning back to the others. "You've all worked damn hard, so don't mess up! The Prima Vista is counting on us along with my wallet!"

Marcus chuckled. "No pressure then, eh Boss?"

"Oh, am so excited!" Ruby said with glee. "My big debut as Morgiana, I can't wait!"

"Bring it on!" Blank agreed with adrenaline pumping hard and fast through his veins.

Only Zidane remained quiet peeking behind the curtain. His face had been caked with some kind of weird paint so it felt very itchy. He squinted against the brightness but couldn't see any faces out in the black void, he didn't like it. I don't want to do this anymore! He thought, backing away.

Suddenly he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Yer okay there, Zi?

"Blank!" The child jumped, he barely recognised his colleague anymore what with the black hair, blue eye shadow and red lipstick. "No, my tummy hurt bad, can we go home?"

His friend started to laugh. "It's too late for that, Little Bro." Zidane played with his plait and glanced back at the auditorium. "Don't freak out, everyone gets butterflies before they go on."

"Butterflies?" he asked looking suspiciously at his flat stomach.

Blank rolled his eyes. "It's a phrase, idiot! Yer know, like a break a leg? It don't mean break yer leg, it means good luck for the performance!"

Clearing his dry throat Baku entered the spotlight to begin his introduction.

"I don't get it," Tribal said his face deadpan.

He sighed deeply. "Why don't that surprise me? Anyway, Ali Baba's waving, you're up!" Zidane gulped as Marcus dragged him away like a lamb to the slaughter. "Oh, and remember...break a leg!" Blank called after him with a sly grin.

As the curtain rose Zidane busied himself sweeping the floor just as he'd practised. Marcus paced up and down looking deep in thought until he stopped, pretending to notice the audience for the first time.

"Well, hello there, boys and girls! Come in, come in! Although I am but a lowly wood cutter you are most welcome! My name is Ali Baba and this is my beautiful wife, Ziba. Say hello, Ziba!"

"H...Hello, Ziba!" Zidane said with a polite curtsey. There was laughter from the crowd which was good, because Baku had told him it was meant to be funny. Maybe this won't be so bad!

Unfortunately there were some in the audience that wanted to make life hard for the newbie. "Hey Ali Baba, did you know you married a monkey?" There were titters coming from the back row.

"There's always gotta be some wise guy!" Ruby growled. "Oh gosh, poor little guy...Why don't he just shout summit back?"

Blank frowned. "He's never done a play before, so he can't improvise away from the script."

Monkey sounds soon began to fill the theatre as the bullies continued their cruel game. Zidane gripped the handle of his broom trying to stop the shakes overwhelming his small body. His tail grew limp and lifeless. Marcus was saying something to him but he couldn't hear properly. The noises seemed to grow louder as he froze to the spot unable to move. This isn't supposed to happen! He kept thinking over and over.

"Oh my!" a high pitched voice shouted over the rabble, "If it isn't my poor, impoverished sister in law, Ziba!" Blank strolled onto the stage and then bumped his padded cleavage deliberately into Zidane. It was enough to make his friend fall off balance but Zi back flipped instinctly landing on his feet. The name calling from the hecklers was drowned out at once by the clapping of the children.

"Don't push me -" Tribal started to yell back before noticing that Blank was mouthing something. "Don't push me around," he repeated, "...Blanka!"

"Ooooooo, don't you use that tone with me! Have you forgotten that I am the gorgeous, rich, not to mention humble wife of the handsome, legendary Cassim?"

"She forgot to say blind!" Marcus said aside to the audience. "My brother isn't exactly a looker!"

Blank stuck out his chest. "What are you mumbling about?" he snapped.

"I said my brother has a nice cooker!" Ali Baba replied followed by a roar of laughter.

At this point Baku made his grand entrance wearing a cream turban and red thawb, a long tunic that went passed his ankles. "Blanka, my darling and delight!"

"Cassums, my grumpy, rumpy roo!" he cooed.

By this point Marcus was struggling not to crack up. In rehearsals Blank had never acted like this, it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. He forgot all about Zidane who was tugging on his waistcoat wondering what to do next.

"You may laugh," Bosu continued aware that they needed to move on. "But at least we can feed and take care of our family! You are nothing but lowly peasants, whahahah!" Then he swept up and down the stage scowling and glaring at the spectators. The little boys and girls booed and hissed at Cassim as Ali Baba egged them on.

"Farewell, perhaps we will meet again, if you don't starve first! Whahahahah!" With that Baku held out his arm for Blank to take and the couple made a swift exit stage left.

Ali Baba and Ziba were able to finish their scene without further incident.

"Nice save!" Marcus clapped Blanka hard on the back as they came off.

Blank smirked and hoicked up his bra that had begun to slide down. "What else could I do?" he said. "Yer were dying out there, a real professional had to step in!"

An hour later and Ruby took to the stage as Morgiana the slave girl for the finale. In a daydream of beautiful pink and jade silk scarves, she twirled and danced in wide circles. Her body flowed in perfect timing to the music even as the tempo increased. All the boys found themselves entranced, the elaborate dance lasting for several minutes, until at last she plunged a foam dagger into the heart of Zenero. Dramatically the villainous thief staggered around the stage, gasping in pain before he collapsed onto his back. A great cheer erupted from the crowd as Ali Baba thanked Morgiana for saving his life.

As the trumpets from the musicians sounded the entire Tantalus Troupe, (plus the Nero family) came to take a well deserved bow. Zidane had never felt more energised and excited. There was such a buzz having people chanting and wolf whistling at them, he couldn't explain it. The thunder of their appreciative applause was deafening and he didn't care, he wanted to hear more! They went off stage momentarily and returned for another round. Flowers were thrown for Ruby who quickly scooped them up and blew kisses. The hissing directed at Cassim, Blanka and Zenero was good natured as the audience continued to clap until their palms were sore.

All too soon the curtain closed and everyone breathed a great sigh of relief.

"Right, I've got a bottle of whisky with my name on it!" Baku laughed. "Anyone wanna join me?"

Ruby and Blank were more up for a game of Tetra Master than drinking but Marcus and Cinna looked very interested. Zenero and Benero had to decline stating that they needed to get their brothers and sisters back home to bed.

"What about you, Blondie?" Bosu asked.

However the monkey boy did not respond. He still had his hand held up to the heavy, crimson curtain and appeared upset. The voices from beyond were growing fainter and fainter as the theatre goers filed out. When he'd been cut off so suddenly from the happy, smiling faces it felt like his heart had been ripped out. What is this pain? He thought forlornly.

Blank removed his wig and strolled up to Zidane. "Yer feelin bummed out, huh?" The child refused to look up. "When you've been eatin, sleepin and livin a show for a while it can't be helped. We call it the 'Post Show Blues.'"

His lower lip trembled. "Will it go away?"

"It might take time, but yeah...eventually." The red head nudged his friend's elbow. "The important thing is to keep busy. We can train a bit and go monster hunting tomorrow, if yer want?"

Zidane nodded. "I like that, thanks Blank."

"Whatever," he sang in reply. "Come on, let's head home. Cinna's gonna ask the Boss for a rematch at Tetra Master, and I could do with a laugh!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 11 – Trek to Treno, part one.

Spring, 1792, five years later...

Cinna just couldn't understand how he'd managed to get into this mess. He loathed travelling, hated heights but beyond everything else he really detested birds. To find himself involved with all three seemed like a really bad joke the Boss kept insisting was funny. But despite the excuses and distraction tactics this nightmare situation had become a hardened reality, and for the blacksmith of Tantalus escape was denied.

He tried to ignore how each jerky movement threatened to hit the eject button in his stomach. It hadn't seemed so bad at first; Ms Burgundy's disarming smile had been so reassuring. The chocobo trainer lived at the foot of the Aerbs mountain range that separated the western side of the Mist Continent from the east. She was unlike any woman he'd ever seen; skin a beautiful mahogany and dyed red dreadlocks with different coloured feathers entwined within them. Burgundy had captured Cinna's heart completely.

'I'm sure a big man like you can handle my little fire cracker, Scarlet.' she'd said. And like a complete fool he'd just grinned and nodded back. So what if he'd never ridden a chocobo before? Was he going to let the others tease him for the rest of his life? Or would he take action and prove to everyone that he did have some guts, even if it did come across as dumb recklessness.

Scarlet let out a loud 'wark' as he pounded his strong, taloned feet along the ground. He was the youngest chocobo of three other siblings, impatient to explore the world and run as fast as the wind. Scarlet's feathers like his namesake, were a bright red that demanded attention, but his fiery temperament left a lot to be desired. Cinna, completely unprepared, had no sooner mounted Scarlet then the young buck decided to bolt.

As sky, mountains, trees and grass whipped by, Cinna felt the skin across his cheek bones become taut and stretched. Scarlet appeared to be gaining more and more momentum by the second. "Whoa boy!" he yelled to no avail. Terrifying images of being thrown from his steed, scraping his brains down the mountain side as he careered to his death, made him pull sharply on the reigns. He pleaded with Scarlet to stop but the chocobo tossed his head dismissively, completely ignoring the human meant to be in charge. Why didn't I pay more attention? He cursed himself. At this rate we're gonna go over the edge!

Pathetically he squeezed the thin leather cords which were supposed to help maintain control. He felt his tin hat being snatched away and promptly clamped down a shaking hand onto it. "Stupid bird!" he shrieked losing his last shred of composure. "I don't wanna die!"

Suddenly there was a distinctive yell behind him. "Hang on Cinna, I'm coming!"

As Cinna's body twisted around in the saddle he couldn't believe his eyes. A large female chocobo was galloping for all their worth trying to catch up, steam vented from her nostrils and two coal black eyes were locked onto the target. Its rider had an equally determined mindset it seemed. A familiar monkey tail swished back and forth fighting to maintain a steady balance.

"Zidane?" he gasped.

Tribal, who by now had managed to get alongside them, gave his Tantalus brother a cheery wave. Trust him to make light of something like this! He thought bemused. What the heck does he think he's doing? Cinna watchedas his friend bent over to whisper something in his chocobo's ear. The creature nodded its head in agreement before promptly smacking its entire body into the runaway. This received a sharp squawk in response from Scarlet who didn't appreciate the gesture one bit.

"Think you've got his attention now, Blush!" Zidane chuckled. "Do it again!"

Cinna didn't have time to brace himself for the next assault. He thought being stuck on a chocobo gallivanting over miles was the worst thing that could happen today, he'd been wrong. When Blush charged into his side it took on a whole new level of terror. Instead of being thrown at high speed he would simply be crushed by one of those confounded birds! As she swung by again Cinna wrapped his arms around Scarlet's neck and cried out. "What's wrong with yer?! You tryin rescue or kill me?"

Loud, evil laughter could be heard from the monkey tailed boy. Whatever happened to that shy kid who wouldn't say boo to a goose? Cinna asked as he glanced over at Tribal, then he remembered that this 'kid' was eleven now. Zidane still had the palest skin and brightest smile that he'd ever seen. He loved to dive in and think about the consequences later. Of course he should have expected something as wacky as this from Zidane, it was his style.

When Blush began to nip at the younger male he gave an irritated squawk and drew away from her. What followed could only be described as a series of increasingly cranky 'kwehs' from Blush and snappy 'warks' from Scarlet. After nearly five minutes of this peculiar exchange she appeared to lose all patience and started pecking him. Immediately Cinna could sense the chocobo putting on the brakes. Frantic running slowed to a jog, then gently to a trot until at last Scarlet had stopped completely. He slithered out of the saddle and kissed the ground, thankful to still be in one piece.

"Oh," he panted, trying hard not to vomit. "I thought I was a goner for sure!" He turned to Zidane who unfortunately ignored Cinna and instead made a big fuss of his pink chocobo.

"You're a good mum, Blush!" he complimented the bird who clearly loved the attention. "Have a treat on me!" With that, Tribal held out a bunch of gysahl greens on his flat palm which she gobbled up within seconds. "Wow, you sure worked up an appetite, huh? Must be tiring keeping tabs on Scarlet!" Blush nuzzled her beak against Zidane's hand hopeful for more of the leafy, bitter vegetables. "Ah, sorry girl, that's all I had, honest!"

Seconds later Marcus turned up on another chocobo and came skidding to an abrupt halt. His companion was Ms Burgundy, who jumped down from the older male called Crimson and her thick, brown boots jingled as she walked towards Cinna.

"Are you okay?" she asked with genuine concern.

Cinna felt his cheeks grow warm and then grinned stupidly. "Oh am I fine, just a little-" And his face dropped as the trainer marched straight passed him.

"Oooo, you little rascal!" Ms Burgundy went over to Scarlet and gave him a clip round the ear. "Fancy taking off like that, you could have been seriously injured!"

Don't mind me... Cinna pouted. I just nearly died!

"You okay, Cin?" Marcus knelt down beside his friend. He noted the twisted scowl of embarrassment on the blacksmith's face. "Anything broken?"

Cinna sighed. "No, just my pride..." His eyes followed Ms Burgundy as she checked the condition of her precious chocobos. Her entire life revolved around breeding and training them, and he realised sadly that there would be no room for him. His shoulders slumped as he gave a feeble laugh. "Why do these things always happen to me?"

"Everyone has an off day," Marcus countered trying to make him feel better, but he knew it was useless. When Cinna decided to drop into self pitying mode he'd milk it for all its worth. "Hey Zidane, nice one!" he said changing the subject.

The blond scratched the back of his head. "Aww shucks, no big deal!" He came forward with a confident swagger. "So, how yer feelin, Cinna?"

"I'll live," the chef grumbled. He gave a loud groan as he forced himself to stand. No point hanging around in the dirt with a broken heart. Besides, if Baku didn't hear from them soon he'd have their hides. "We better get back to the others." As they turned to go Cinna suddenly felt a twinge of guilt. He caught up to the youngster before he mounted Blush again. Taking him by the arm he said, "You know you're crazy, right?" Zidane only shrugged his shoulders. "Anyways," he coughed awkwardly, "I owe yer one."

Back at the chocobo ranch Baku and Blank were making their last minute preparations for the journey to come. This was a simple escort job to make a tidy sum of gil towards their final payment for the Prima Vista. It had been a long, hard slog to save up the funds to buy the coveted airship; but the end was in sight, and all they had to do was make sure their client arrived in Treno in three days time.

Unfortunately their client didn't exactly have the best track record with Tantalus...

"Boss, I don't understand why we 'ave to take him!" Blank hissed as he jerked the straps down tighter on the bulging sacks attached to his chocobo. "Why can't he take an airship like everyone else?"

Baku picked up the last bag and dumped it at his feet. "Yer really think I'd choose chocobos for travellin' if I had the choice?" He stretched, hearing the bones in his spine snap back into place with a satisfying crack. "South Gate is a no go," he explained, "the mechanism is busted again and knowing those idiots it'll take the best part of a week to fix it."

He took a dusty parchment from his waistcoat pocket and spread it out on the grass. Kneeling down Baku continued, "Okay, this 'ere is Lindblum," he said pointing to the castle in the bottom left hand corner. Then his index finger hovered over a shaded area on the map with the faint outline of a city. "This is Treno, our destination. Usually we'd take an airship through South Gate but as yer know that ain't an option. So, what other way is there?"

Blank stared at the map which was discoloured and torn. The most direct route to Treno had a line of mountains blocking the way by foot. "Aerb Mountains," he murmured, "ah, that's why we're using the red chocobos."

"Aye, lad." Baku nodded sagely. "With mountain chocobos it'll be quicker but that don't mean safer! These mountains 'ave claimed more than a fair share of unwary travellers."

The red head studied the tall peaks which were to be home for the next few days. Sobering thoughts of mortal men that had copped it on the mountainside flew unwanted into his mind. We'll be alright. He reassured himself. The Boss knows what he's doing and Brother is here too, no problem.

Blank glanced over at the young gentleman responsible for such a high risk venture. He wore a white shirt, navy blue waistcoat and gold cufflinks, hardly suitable attire for a gruelling journey! "Do yer think we can make it in three days?" he whispered to Baku.

Baku gave a loud belly laugh. "We'll make it - even if it kills us! Course, it'd help if that lazy bum hadn't run off!" He squinted his eyes in the direction that Cinna had disappeared and frowned.

"Is there any sign of your cook?" the client enquired. His voice was laced with irritation. "According to my calculations we should have set off over an hour ago."

"Keep yer knickers on!" Bosu snapped back. "They'll be 'ere soon enough, unless yer fancy gettin lost in the mist?"

The man cleared his throat. "Of course not that is why I hired you! But this is quite ridiculous! You do realise if I lose my place you'll be held personally responsible!"

"Yeah, yeah and like I said - Fred, since no one else is willin to take yer, you'll just have to wait!" He glared in return and Blank sniggered behind a brown gloved hand.

Frederick Parcel was someone the red head hadn't seen in years. He'd grown tall and lanky like a bean sprout and desperately wanted to study in Treno at some 'lah de dah' university. The way he looked down his nose at thieves hadn't changed and despite needing money, Blank couldn't comprehend why Baku had agreed to this.

His Boss had warned him not to go looking for revenge against Parcel. It would be hard enough navigating the mountains and keeping a sharp eye out for monsters, than to waste energy bickering as well. That's easy for him to say... Blank had thought. He wasn't the one bed ridden for six months! He narrowed his eyes at the memory but Frederick had already retreated back to his chocobo. This would likely be the last time he'd see the snob in a while, as he began living the privileged life of comfort and security he'd been groomed for. "Whatever..." he muttered under his breath scanning the hills for signs of Zidane. Where are yer, little bro?

Then he blinked, there was something coming towards them. Blank smiled when he spotted a head of distinctive blond hair. Tribal had returned with Cinna just as he promised. He smirked as Zidane trotted to a stop just beside him. The monkey tailed boy held out his hand with amusement dancing in his sea blue eyes. "Give it up," he said, "fair's fair."

Blank dug into his pocket and pulled out a silver coin with a hole in the middle, he shook his head before throwing it over. "Alright, don't be such a damn show off about it!" Zidane caught the gil without hesitation and gave it a chaste kiss. "Geez, that's the last time I make a bet with yer." But he knew in his gut that it probably wouldn't be! There was just something about the challenge in Zidane's voice that he couldn't ignore. When the blond had stated he could get Cinna back without falling off his chocobo, Blank couldn't resist taking a punt on him.

"Cinna, what the 'eck did yer think yer doin?" Baku demanded.

Instinctively the chef put his arms up in defence. "I'm sorry, Boss. Scarlet just kinda-"

"We've got a blinkin' schedule to keep, or did yer forget, eh?" the Tantalus leader shouted him down. "You've gotta keep control of that bird!"

Cinna gulped. "But I...I can't ride that crazy thing!" He closed his eyes almost in prayer. "Please Boss, just let me go home!"

It didn't take much to irritate Baku but pleading like this was like a red rag to a bull. "For the love of Gaia," he snarled, "I swear I'll swing for yer Cinna, if yer don't grow some balls!"

Sensing the impeding bloodbath Zidane bounced in. "I don't mind switching," he quickly offered. "Blush is a better chocobo for beginners anyway. It won't take two seconds to change things over, promise!" Baku turned around and considered the child who stood almost up to his waist. "Don't worry, I can handle Scarlet and the sooner we switch, the sooner we get goin!"

After what felt like an age Bosu finally stepped away from Cinna. "Make it quick," he growled and then stormed over to his own chocobo, a large red male by the name of Claret and hoisted himself up. "I'll be tryin to smooth things over with Burgundy. She might be changin' her mind about us borrowing 'em as we speak."

The three thieves breathed a collective sigh of relief when he was gone. Cinna rubbed hot sweat away from his face as Blank nudged Zidane. "Nice save," he said. His friend gave an impish grin in return. "We best hurry up though and get this sorted!"

Quickly they raced to swap over the packs, tying them securely onto their chocobos and double checking the weight ratio of cargo to rider. By the time Baku returned, still annoyed it had to be said, they were all smiles and ready to go. A total of six chocobos left the ranch that day, setting off on the misty mountain pass leading to the city of eternal night: Treno.

The Aerb Mountains were a long range of branching peaks that served to separate the three great kingdoms of Alexandria, Lindblum and Burmecia. The rock formations were very old, and their tall brown bodies dominated the Mist Continent landscape. In the winter, snow dusted their pinnacles like icing sugar on a cake which made them simply breathtaking. But for all their beauty and wonder the Aerb Mountains were extremely dangerous, the unpredictable weather could change in a heartbeat. The craggy surface could be slippery particularly after rainfall. Due to natural erosion from the elements there was also the danger of landslides which could sweep away the entire group in seconds. In some places the sun had miraculously managed to break through, baking the rock and causing it to become brittle, again another serious hazard for the unwary. In addition, not many lees existed in which to take shelter, which meant that Baku had to rely on maps and information gleaned from Ms Burgundy.

As they went on their way Scarlet did not make life easy for Zidane. He shook his head violently trying to throw the child off; he stamped his feet, jumped and bobbed. But Tribal was having none of it, and held on stubbornly. "Come on, I'm actually a nice guy! Can't we be friends?" he asked. Scarlet's response to this was to nip at his new rider, so Zidane dug his heels in sharply.

When he felt the creature wince between his thighs however he stopped. "I don't like doin that, but if you don't behave I will," the human said in a sharp tone. Scarlet huffed defiantly and ruffled his feathers. Tribal's head flopped forward with a disheartened sigh. "This is going to be a long journey." He tried stroking the collection of tiny tufted feathers at the back of Scarlet's head. At first the chocobo flinched at the touch but quickly pretended to ignore it. "No matter what you do, I'm not goin' anywhere," he promised. "So yer better get used to it."

Meanwhile Blank tried ignoring the fact that he could no longer feel his backside anymore. Riding adult chocobos could be very uncomfortable for thieves of a smaller stature; his body was drowning in a feathery nest, and he had to sit rigidly straight and tall just so he could see properly. After nearly three hours of this his back started to scream in agony and he became desperate to distract himself. He turned to the person riding alongside him, who turned out to be Parcel. To his great annoyance Frederick appeared to be enjoying the experience. He sat easily in the saddle atop a pink chocobo called Rose.

"Oh dear," he commented to Blank. "You look quite haggard and it's only been a few hours. Are you sure you have the stamina to survive an entire mountain trek?"

The thief put one hand across his heart and said, "Geez Parcel, didn't know you cared! You gonna propose to me?"

"Tsk, you haven't changed." The noble's son ran a hand through his short black hair. "If we are to be travelling companions it is natural to enquire about the state of your health. I do not want you to slow me down."

Blank scoffed. "Yer don't have to worry about me, and we ain't travelling companions either," he corrected. "I'm gettin' paid to do a job – nothin' more, nothin' less. Don't get soft ideas that we're pals, Parcel."

"What an absurd notion!" Frederick hissed in disgust. Evidently having heard enough he tugged on the reigns and fell back behind Marcus. There would be no further communication between the pair for the rest of the day.

Before dusk, the travellers came to large outcrop in the rock which they followed through until they found a small cave. It would be a bit of squeeze but all members of the party and their steeds went inside. The chocobos huddled together in a corner devouring their ration of gysahl greens and carrots. Whilst around a small fire the Tantalus brothers and their client rested. It didn't seem possible to feel so tired after riding a chocobo all day, but everyone's muscles felt sore and ached. Within an hour of settling down a heavy rain fell drumming on the roof of the cave. It sent a shiver through them all as they rubbed their hands together and dreamt of warmer places to be.

Cinna provided some distraction as he began chopping vegetables and slicing salted meat ready to put into the bubbling pot. After a time he added some herbs too and put the lid back on to allow the broth to simmer. "Won't be long now," he assured the hungry group. "It'll be worth the wait!"

"Better be," Baku grumbled as he took another look at the map.

It was left to Zidane to try and make conversation, unfortunately Parcel had been avoiding him, casting his eyes down whenever he said hello. But silence and awkwardness were two things that the young blond disliked intensely. "So, how are the others doing in Lindblum?" he began.

Frederick appeared puzzled. "Sorry, the others? By whom do you refer to?"

"Ya know, erm...Vicky? Sam I think was another one and that weird guy with the specs that used to pull my tail?" He said this with genuine interest and no hint of anger.

"Oh, I see." Parcel nodded. "Well, Sam is an apprentice working in his father's firm to become the next business manager. Mr Cohen is a specialist in trading goods particularly silk, spices and pottery, it's quite the opportunity. Miss Sullivan is very well." A small smile appeared as he said her name. "She wishes to become a writer."

Zidane grinned. "Is she any good?"

"She is working on several projects and surrounds herself with nothing but books, parchment and ink - it is a strange sight to say the least. Her children's novels are both humorous and imaginative but Victoria has her heart set on changing society. Currently she is researching about the gap between the rich and poor in the city."

"Isn't that a bit controversial?" Marcus said. "Not everyone will like that."

"No, they don't. Victoria has already received death threats and been told to stop." This surprised the Tantalus brothers and they looked at each other. "But she is stronger than that and determined to continue regardless. Her goal is to persuade Regent Cid to change labour laws in industry. Did you know some men and women are working over fifteen hours each day?"

Parcel continued to share Victoria's findings so far and spoke passionately about the subject. Marcus questioned whether Mr Cohen and Victoria were on opposite sides, but Frederick was adamant that Sam also wanted reform and to make things better. Cinna served the hearty soup which as promised tasted divine on such a miserable evening.

"I hope you will not consider me to be rude, but how is the young lady of your establishment faring? Alas her name escapes me," Frederick admitted. "Perhaps it was Rachel...Rebecca or perhaps Ruth?"

"It's Ruby." Blank cut in sharply. "And she's doin' fine." He readjusted the wide leather belt that he wore around his head, which concealed his eyes and gave him an air of mystery.

Parcel seized the information. "Ah, Miss Ruby of course! It was most unfortunate regarding the loss of her father. Please pass on my sincere condolences, won't you?" He blew delicately on a spoonful of soup before supping it without a single sound. "And what of her current employment?"

"That ain't none of yer damn-"

But Blank found himself interrupted by Zidane. "She plays the female leads in our Theatre Troupe. She's really good! I can't think of anyone that can sing and dance as well as Ruby can. She's gonna become a famous actress one day and everyone will want her autograph, and then she can marry a rich guy and eat as much ice cream as she wants!"

Parcel blinked for a moment taking it all in. "That is also... a fine ambition," he said generously. "Perhaps I should see Miss Ruby's talents for myself one day. Do you have another play in mind?" The blond shook his head. "Might I suggest, I Want to Be Your Canary by Lord Avon? It is a tragic romance between a noble and a peasant, quite entertaining so I've heard."

Without realising it Blank's hand had balled into a fist. The thought of Frederick being anywhere near Ruby upset him, although he couldn't explain why. "Am assuming by tragedy things don't turn out well?"

"Actually, in the end both the noble and peasant are killed."

"Such a happy story," Blank said his voice dripping with sarcasm. "For an educated guy you've got really dull taste!"

If looks could kill, the one from Frederick would have been enough to slaughter the entire population of Lindblum. "I Want to Be Your Canary is a treasured classic! And it is precisely because the two lovers cannot be together that strikes an emotional chord with the audience. Not all people are as intellectually challenged as you are!"

"What did yer say, pretty boy?" The red head stood up abruptly but felt a hard tug on the back of his shirt pulling him down. "Wha?"

Marcus frowned. "Cut it out. If the Boss hears you talkin like that you'll get a thick lip! Do you wanna make him mad?" Blank crossed his arms and glared, but did not say anymore. "So, what about the kid with the glasses? You ain't mentioned him."

The young man's face visibly darkened at the question. "Yes, Oliver Brooks," he said almost in a whisper. His enthusiasm when talking about his other friends had been clear to see but now he began to fidget with his hands. "Ollie isn't well I'm afraid, he's suffering from consumption." When the noble saw the blank looks of his listeners he went onto explain. "It is a disease that attacks the lungs causing a high fever, weight loss and the victim to cough up blood. The doctors say he'll be dead within the month." He licked his dry lips. "So that is that - as they say." His golden eyes glistened in the firelight betraying the sadness that his words tried to conceal.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Marcus replied, "must be tough." Parcel's only acknowledgement was to nod. After that the atmosphere turned rather sombre as each person considered their own mortality.

Suddenly Baku clapped his hands. "Alright boys, time to hit the hay! Remember tomorrow mornin' to put more layers on otherwise you'll be freezing yer arse off, gwahahaha!"

As the travellers snuggled down into their sleeping bags and drifted off to sleep, Zidane was left alone with his thoughts. He'd been moved to learn about Oliver's illness and wondered why they didn't try to save him. What was death anyway? Why did people die? Tribal struggled with such ideas and it didn't help that his friends avoided the subject like the plague.

He remembered Mr Clatterbridge telling Ruby that her father had died, and she'd shut herself away. That week had been so confusing; they'd gone to the local church which they never usually did, and wore smart new clothes that made his skin itch. Baku told him it was a funeral service and he'd witnessed a large wooden box being blessed by some priest. Afterwards they'd gone to Lindblum Cemetery and the box had been placed into a massive hole. He recalled delicate white roses being thrown down and then smothered with dark brown soil. Everyone had acted so weird – there'd been no laughing or talking, such stern, pale faces. By the end of the day Zidane had been thankful to go back to the clocktower and forget all about it.

Zidane visited the priest a year later and asked when Ruby's father would come back. The holy man had looked kindly at him and spoke of heaven, a peaceful place where souls return to, however he still didn't understand. If a person lost their life surely they could find it again? But the priest had shaken his head sadly. 'I'm sorry, my son," he'd explained. "The man you speak of is no longer of this world, for when a person dies they cannot return.' Such an answer had frightened the monkey tailed boy so badly that to this day he refused to go anywhere near a churchyard.

I wonder if death hurts. He considered. It doesn't sound very nice and it makes people sad... After nearly an hour of tossing and turning he gave up and went to check on Scarlet. Surprisingly he found the chocobo to still be wide awake.

"Can't sleep either?" he said softly. Scarlet narrowed his eyes at Zidane as he sat down. "I bet Ms Burgundy is missing yer. She's a good master, isn't she? Takin' care of all your family, it's important to do stuff like that, ya know?" He leaned his head against Scarlet's body, hearing a strong heartbeat and stroked the feathers absently. "Don't know what I'd do if I lost my family, I don't like being alone."

Scarlet could hear the small human muttering on about something. He was an odd one, not put off at all by the unfriendly squawks and pecking. The chocobo had never had a problem getting rid of unwanted riders before. But the more Scarlet retaliated against Tribal the more tightly he would cling, it didn't make sense. The bird noted how the boy's breathing had changed and glanced down. He scowled at Zidane who had fallen asleep against his side. The chocobo felt tempted to give the human a quick nip behind the ear, but as he reached over Scarlet froze. He studied the sleeping form, listened to the quiet, steady breaths that strangely made him feel calm. In that moment his desire to cause pain disappeared. Instead, Scarlet slowly lay his head down. Stupid human... He thought before sleep claimed him.

Chapter Text

Trek to Treno Part Two

In the morning Zidane lifted his sleepy head and yawned. That was a really good nap! He thought still feeling so warm wrapped up in the comfortable blanket. He turned to grasp the material to pull it further over his shoulders, but found a fistful of red feathers instead. He blinked and then realised that he was also leaning against Scarlet's body. The chocobo's staggered snore was music to his ears, despite the loud rumbling sound it made. Without realising, the stubborn bird had wrapped his long neck around Zidane encircling him completely. The monkey tailed boy tried to keep his excitement in check so as not to ruin the moment. Finally, I think we're getting somewhere! He giggled and stroked Scarlet affectionately.

This caused Scarlet to wake and crane his neck trying to discover the source of disruption to his pleasant dreams. "Morning!" Zidane greeted him brightly. "Did yer sleep well?" The chocobo cocked his head and sniffed suspiciously. Tribal tickled Scarlet under the chin and laughed. "Guess a little heart to heart works wond – hey!" he yelped suddenly, as the chocobo tried to snap its beak shut over his fingers. Zidane snatched his hand out of harm's way but the crazed bird continued to nip at him. "Just – take – it – easy!" he exclaimed, his fingers dancing around to avoid being bitten.

Scarlet's nostril's flared with anger. "Yer not a morning person, huh?" Tribal joked. He stepped away from the chocobo, counting his fingers and thumbs to check they were intact. "Geez, yer don't have to get so upset!" He sighed, and tried to pat Scarlet reassuringly on the head. Unfortunately this caused the bird to give a roaring 'wark' which echoed around the small cave. Scarlet stamped his feet and prepared to make a dash for freedom. "No, you don't!" Zidane yelled as he grabbed onto one of Scarlet's thick legs. He hooked his monkey tail around the limb just to make sure. This didn't deter the would - be escape artist, and together the pair took off, smashing the dead firewood apart as they charged out of the cave entrance.

Disgruntled shouts and yells from his companions died away, as Zidane found himself being dragged along the floor. It had snowed during the night and didn't the underside of his belly know it. The icy touch made him gasp and his bare skin screamed as if being stabbed by steel blades. Owie! Owie! Owie! The boy scrunched up his face against the stinging sensation. He slid a good 300 yards by the time he came up with a plan, and so looping his monkey tail around both of Scarlet's legs, he pulled hard. Like a tree being felled the chocobo toppled over fantastically onto the snowy ground. There was a resounding thud as they went over and a cloud of powdered snow shot up into the air. With a moan Zidane crawled onto his knees, and heard his warm, jagged breaths intruding on the cold soundless landscape.

Scarlet gave a faint whine but the little boy had no sympathy. "Don't start!" he groaned, dusting off loose snow from his head. "I'm not the one who ran off! Brrrr! It's cold! So cold!" Zidane rubbed his arms as he stood and took in the misty view. In the early morning light, thin beams of the sun tried to fight through thickened cloud. On this part of the mountainside the snow was a good three inches deep, and Zidane's foot disappeared as he took a step forward. There were icicles hanging from ledges, and the few brave trees that had taken root here bowed low under the weight of their heavy white burdens. Had it not been for his discomfort, the boy might have appreciated the pure unspoilt beauty. As it was his stomach clenched painfully reminding him about missing breakfast, and that he couldn't put off his sorry trudge back to the cave any longer.

By this point Scarlet had recovered and ruffled his feathers in the cold air. Moodily Zidane stumbled over and yanked his reins in the right direction. For once the chocobo didn't argue, sensing his rebellious actions had already earned him a few sharp heel digs in the side. "Yer gonna learn that humans are more stubborn than chocobos when they wanna be." He turned and stared directly into those big black eyes. "I ain't givin' up, so quit bein' such a jackass!"

Zidane took a calming breath and prepared to move on. The others are never gonna let me live this down! He thought before something soft and wet hit him full in the face. He stumbled back in shock. What the hell? Slowly he smeared away the remains of a dripping snowball and found Blank keeling over with laugher. "Hey!" It didn't take long for Tribal to return the favour. "Thanks for kickin' a guy when he's down!" he shouted back, gleefully scooping up another handful of snow.

"Welcome!" Blank replied with an evil gleam in his eye. Dressed in fur trimmed boots, a thick red shawl, scarf, gloves and a hat he was more than ready to face the elements. He dodged another of Zidane's feeble throws with ease. "So, yer still in one piece?"

"Like... yer... care!" The blond thief's teeth chattered and the stinging in his arms had become unbearable. "Apart... from... freezing to death? Ye...Yeah, I'm fine!" He watched suspiciously as Blank came towards him with his hands in the air. Over his shoulder was a woollen blanket which he held out with a smug grin. Zidane couldn't snatch it away fast enough. "Oh mmman, yer a life saver!"

"Yeah, yeah, why am I helping you, again?" Blank shook his head. "Seriously, getting hypothermia on the second day? That ain't smart, Zi!" The other boy gave him a withering look as he shivered under the blanket. "This Scarlet," he considered with a steely glare, "is more trouble than he's worth. Howz about switching with me today?"

But Zidane wouldn't hear of it. "No way, Scarlet's sticking with me. I'm gonna win him over no matter what!"

"Even if it kills yer?"

He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. I'm hoping it doesn't come to that! Zidane knew Blank was just looking out for him but he felt responsible for the bird now. Allowing someone else to ride Scarlet just didn't seem right. He'd made a little progress, hadn't he? Even if this morning had been a complete disaster, he couldn't just dump the problem on someone else. "Look, am not a kid anymore. There are some things you've gotta do on yer own!"

Blank huffed. "Whatever, I'm not yer blinkin' keeper!" He turned around and started back the way he'd come. Zidane stood still, worried no doubt that he'd hurt his feelings in some stupid way. The thought bothered Blank far more than it should do. His Little Brother had grown up a little in some ways. You could see it in the way he walked and talked - how he interacted with people. His confidence knew no bounds; he was clever and fast, already catching the eye of many pretty ladies at the Twin Moons. Not that he understood anything about that but he had everything going for him. But his one weakness drove Blank beyond mad, it wouldn't make any profit for a thief. In the future it would probably cause him endless trouble and strife. What was this inappropriate quality? In a word – kindness, Zidane's heart beat for lost causes, underdogs and misfits. He made friends with anyone: the shy and timid, the angry and lonely, upper class, lower class, girls, boys, hippos, rats and now it seemed... chocobos.

Jealousy had never been an emotion that Blank dealt with very well. He tried to stop himself because he knew Zidane loved him like family. They were brothers, and he deserved better. It was just sometimes he found it so hard, how could he compete with someone like that? When the monkey tailed boy stepped into the room you couldn't help but be drawn to him. Like the sun, he was bright and warm whilst in comparison Blank stayed hidden in the shadows. He hated this seed of envy growing inside of him, it made him feel toxic inside.

"Hey, Blank!" a familiar voice cut through his troubled musings. He rolled his eyes and looked back.

"What?" he shouted. "Oh shi-" But it was too late. A round white sphere exploded on his forehead. He blinked a few times feeling the melting snow slide down his nose and cheeks. I should have learnt by now...

Zidane cheered and with gusto punched his fist into the air. "Got yer!"

"Little brat!" But there was no heat to the insult and Blank even smiled.

Upon return to the cave, the boys found the others still getting changed inside their sleeping bags. Cinna had miraculously resurrected the fire that had been smashed from before, and soon bacon and eggs sizzled in the pan. After Baku had chewed Zidane out for being careless he explained about the next part of the trek. First they would reach the mountain summit. Then they'd scramble down the other side and keep going until they found a lee known as 'Hermit's Haven' to stop for the night.

"Why's it called that?" Blank asked attempting not to be distracted by Zidane, who was currently hopping around trying to put on another layer of trousers.

Baku waggled his eyebrows. "Wouldn't yer like to know, hmm?" The red head shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't care either way. "Yer could pretend to be a little excited!" Bosu complained with a pout. Blank sighed but came slightly closer trying to show willing. "Alright, a long time ago before Lindblum had even become a city, the villagers often saw dragons in the mountains. They believed the dragons had built a nest there and wouldn't go anywhere near 'em. One day a local lad, Petri decided to take a hike over the mountain and see a dragon for himself."

"This Petri guy don't sound too smart!"

Baku gave him a sharp look but continued, "Anyway, when he went up the mountain he got lost in the mist and found the dragon he'd been looking for. Well, course he thought his days were numbered, since he wasn't exactly a fighter!" He chuckled softly.

"So what happened, did he get scorched to death?" Blank slouched down nearer to the fire.

The Boss shook his head. "According to legend some moogle stepped in and persuaded the dragon to be on its way."

"A moogle?" This made the redhead sit up and take notice. "Like one of those fluffy white teddy things with a red pom pom on its head? How could that see off a Grand Dragon?"

"Look 'ere, whose telling this story, you or me?" Baku growled.

By now Zidane had finished changing into more suitable attire and joined Blank. The older boy drew his knees up to his chest and sighed again. "You're the boss, Boss."

"Right, after that, he took the frightened lad back to his 'ome. He told Petri that Grand Dragons don't take kindly to humans bein' on their territory, and that in the mornin' he would get him down again. When Petri asked why the dragon hadn't attacked, the hermit said they'd been very lucky. 'Dragons are dangerous, fickle creatures,' he warned him and Petri could hear sadness carved into those words. The next day, true to his promise the moogle led Petri down the mountain path and was never seen again. Hermit's Haven is meant to be the place where the moogle lived, so the legend says."

Zidane thought for a moment about the tale. "Hey Boss, do Grand Dragons live in these mountains?" he said very carefully.

Baku burst out laughing. "Nah, they moved on when Lindblum started with all its technology stuff. Dragons ain't fond of noise, and with airships buzzin' round and humans drillin' gates through the mountain, I'm not surprised they scarpered!" He took a gulp of hot coffee. "The only place to see Grand Dragons nowadays is Popos Heights near Gizamaluke's Grotto, and thank Gaia we ain't nowhere near that!"

After breakfast, the group mounted and continued their journey over the Aerb Mountains. Tribal hummed cheerfully to himself as they went along. He loved being able to leave the city once in a while and explore the world, there was still so much he wanted to know. Baku often spoke of places that he'd visited in his 'younger' days and they sounded fascinating. He'd heard of a settlement called Clerya, which was built in the branches of a gigantic tree and surrounded by a constant sandstorm. The kingdom of Alexandria, famous for many things not least the Royal Family: Queen Brahne Raza Alexandros XVI to give the monarch her full title. The Queen's army were said to be made entirely of women, although there existed some men who were in charge of protecting the city known as the Knights of Pluto. Burmecia, Realm of Eternal Rain the only high walled city to be found actually below the mist. The Burmecians were said to train to become dragon knights that fought with spears and lances. A king ruled this city where the streets shone like silver in the never ending rain.

What I wouldn't give to see them all! Zidane thought with longing. They were so close to owning the Prima Vista, and once Tantalus had her there would be no stopping them. No more scrapping around trying to find a venue to perform in, the ship would be their mobile theatre home. They could go anywhere they wanted and everyone would marvel at the Tantalus Theatre Troupe. Just thinking about the prospect made him want to finish this job as quickly as possible. But with his head up in the clouds he'd quite forgotten about Scarlet who bobbed suddenly to leap over a craggy gap. "Whoa!" Tribal exclaimed, shifting around in his saddle, "forgot I was riding yer there for a minute!" The chocobo snorted through his nostrils and bobbed again using his powerful legs to clamber up the rock face.

By noon they reached the mountain peak and the sun finally won its battle against the mist. Up here, the group bathed their bodies in the pleasant golden rays. All the aches and stiffness from their joints melted away, it had been worth the effort to get to this point.

"Oh wow, that feels good!" Cinna said taking the opportunity to stretch his arms. "I was beginning to forget what the sun felt like!"

Baku shielded his eyes from the bright light but there wasn't much in the way of a view. They were an island surrounded by a sea of thick, rolling clouds obscuring the land below. "Make the most of it boys it's downhill from 'ere! Keep yer wits about, cuz things are gonna get a lot more tricky."

Not for the first time Baku's prediction had been spot on. Zidane heard his friends sneezing and coughing somewhere in the mist before him. The chilly fog steadily grew thicker until it smothered every direction, so it looked as if they were swimming in a white, cloudy soup. He wasn't fazed by this, after all Ms Burgandy had warned them in advance this would happen. Zidane remembered in particular that chocobos had a very keen sense of smell and considered these mountains their home. Their talons were designed to grip the slippery rock with ease, and since the whole family of chocobos were tied end to end they wouldn't lose anybody by accident.

His body continued to shiver even though they were climbing down rather than up. Now he understood perfectly why Baku had insisted that they wear lots of layers. A biting wind hounded the group, pushing them this way and that. The wind chill factor was more severe on this side of the mountain, so Zidane snuggled closer to Scarlet's fluffy feathers trying to use him as a wind break. Surprisingly the young chocobo didn't protest, even he felt too cold to care anymore.

They ate on the move for the rest of the day as no shelter could be found for them. But a meal of tough, salty meat and dry bread didn't exactly help to settle an uneasy stomach. Such food compared to the bacon and eggs from the morning held no competition. Whenever they were lucky enough to find a decent ledge, Baku made sure they fed and watered the chocobos. But the skies were growing increasingly dark even though it was in the middle of the afternoon. It was as if the shadows had taken on a life of their own, growing and stretching out in front of them. Zidane didn't like the way they were sinking into a darkening world and glanced back towards the mountain summit wondering why the sunlight had abandoned him.

"Why's it getting dark all of a sudden?" he called out to Blank but it was Marcus who answered.

"Treno's known as the dark city for a reason. On this side of the mountain it's always night."

"Always night?!" Zidane repeated in disbelief. "I'd hate to live there full time! How would yer know when to sleep and when to wake up? Everythin' would be mixed up, right?"

Marcus could just picture the confusion on his friend's face. "From what I've seen the nobles don't seem to mind. I mean, to them Treno is practically a playground anyway!"

"Why? What do they do there?"

"Well...There's the auction house that has some pretty rare items, but they ain't cheap. I've played in the card stadium a few times for the Tetra Tournament. The players there have a half decent stack of cards and are actually a challenge!" He heard an indignant cough from Cinna and smirked. "Oh yeah, the weapon shop has a small battle arena so yer can fight monsters for fun."

Zidane's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "What? The rich geezers pay to fight monsters for kicks?"

"Erm, not exactly, it's more entertainment for the bounty hunters so they can win a few gil. This city is kind of a weird mix, yer got folks with money living the high life, those on the run from the law, and others that ain't got nothing."

Throughout this exchange Frederick remained silent. He didn't agree with everything Marcus said but a lot of it was true. The rich lived in grand houses overlooking the waterfront with its twinkling lights and marble fountains. In contrast, the poor found shelter in the slums and tried to survive as best they could. He remembered visiting with his father years ago, and how they'd walked passed beggars on the street as if they didn't exist. Mr Parcel had told his son not to stare. 'They are beneath you,' he'd said simply. 'They are not worthy of your time.' Somehow such memories did not sit comfortably with the young man. But I am different now. He reasoned with himself. I shall perceive things clearly when I reach the university. I will not become like my father!

It was getting late by the time they reached the rock formation known as Hermit's Haven. The lee essentially was a natural wall carved into the mountain over years of weather erosion. It blocked off most of the wind but unfortunately a chilly draft slipped through the cracks, which meant it was nowhere near as comfortable as the cave from the night before. Parcel had expected some sort of log cabin which the thieves found highly amusing. Nevertheless the travellers made do and were just glad for anywhere to lay their weary heads. The lack of light made it difficult to gauge how much time had passed, and so Blank often glanced at his pocket watch underneath the glow of a burning lantern. The men huddled around the small stove as Cinna fought to keep the flames alive long enough to heat up some soup. After that the senior members of the group kept a watch for monsters whilst Zidane and Frederick stayed in the warmest corner and rested for a while. As always, Blank leaned casually against the wall as though in deep contemplation.

After nearly ten minutes of stony silence between Blank and Parcel, Zidane wanted to bang their heads together. Trying to pretend the other guy isn't here is just dumb! His only comfort for the time being was the knowledge that it wouldn't be like this forever. Soon Frederick would be in Treno and life would go as normal for Tantalus. But still, playing piggy in the middle between these two was not fun. "Come on guys, it's gonna be real boring if we just sit here!"

"I ain't got nothin' to say to that snob," Blank muttered.

Tribal could feel the tension in Frederick's body next to him. He took the hint and placed both arms behind his head trying to get more comfortable. They listened to the wind soughing and whistling beyond the wall. Having never been the type to stop and consider the wind's song Zidane closed his eyes and tried to tune in to the subtle shifts in pitch and tone. Sometimes the wind howled, it could lash against the rock face or ruffle the grains of dust near his feet. He imagined the wind to have a large bearded face and a gaping mouth, dancing through the clouds making them shift across the sky.

A sudden burst of inspiration came to him. I know what we can do! He sat up quickly and reached over to his knapsack. "Hey Blank, howz about a game?"

"No." Blank snapped. The red head wanted no interaction with Frederick at all, and that included playing Tetra Master.

Zidane stuck his tongue out. "Fine, suit yerself! Hey Frederick, wanna play?"

Surprised, Parcel twisted around to face the blond boy. "I'm afraid I've never had the pleasure, Mr Tribal," he admitted. A mocking huff came from the hunched figure near the wall. He ignored it and instead focused on Zidane. "Would you kindly explain the rules?"

"Only if yer never call me mister again," he said cringing. "It's Zidane, okay?"

Parcel found this to be an odd request but agreed. "As you wish, Zidane it is then."

Tribal took his modest collection of cards and shared them equally between them. He then tried his best to explain the basics. Tetra Master was a deceptively simple card game that the inhabitants of Gaia took rather seriously. For some it was more than just a pastime it was an obsession. The cards themselves depicted monsters, buildings, ships, people and even weapons. Generally each card held at least one arrow in the corners or at the sides, and these arrows had a number attached to it. The numbers (sometimes letters) represented the attack or defence of a card.

"Yer can only attack cards next to you," he explained, "and if the card has no arrows I can take that over straight away, see?" Parcel's blue card immediately turned orange. "Your Goblin card is mine now unless yer attack one my cards to win it back."

Frederick considered his cards and decided to choose a Sand Scorpion with an attack of four. He placed it on the grid and watched as it fought a battle with Zidane's Skeleton. When both the skeleton and the Gobin card turned blue in his favour Parcel appeared confused.

"Nice one, yer made a chain!"

"I made a what?" he said, glancing back at the grid and then to his teacher for further clarification.

It didn't bother the child one bit. "Yer beat my Skeleton card cuz it only had a defence of three, and then after the last battle my Goblin's defence had gone down to two as well." He pointed to the numbers on the cards. "So yer made a chain and took two cards in one turn!"

"Ah, I see! Your actions from previous moves determine what could happen in the rest of the game. You have to adapt your cards depending upon the changing variables." Zidane's forehead furrowed slightly and Parcel laughed at him. "It's quite all right, I'm beginning to understand."

They continued the game with Zidane as victor in the first and second round. By the third round however Frederick had caught up and started making more strategic choices, they ended up in a draw. He seemed to enjoy the game and wanted to play more. "So how come yer never played before?" Tribal asked as he shuffled the cards.

"I've been taught that drinking, gambling, spending time alone with women and so on, are considered taboo. Such pursuits are inappropriate for a young gentleman apparently."

"Oh, yer don't have to play anymore if it'll get yer into trouble!"

Frederick smiled at him. "I appreciate your concern, but it doesn't matter to me anymore. I've become a different person, Zidane. My studies are proof that I am breaking away from the natural order of the Parcel family name."

Despite insisting that he wasn't interested, Blank found his ears betraying him and listening to the conversation. My studies are proof? He wasn't convinced. What's he talking about? Stupid toff! He tried to concentrate on something else, the small spider crawling over his boot for example but curiosity soon got the better of him. "So, what yer studying anyway?" he asked in a bored tone. "Aren't yer training to take over from daddy when he pops his clogs?"

"Actually, I am no longer my father's heir." Parcel corrected him. "That honour now belongs to my younger brother, Francis. It appears I am no longer worthy to hold such a title."

Of all the karma he could have received this was like winning the lottery. Yet, such a victory felt hollow and empty to Blank. There was no joy to be found in Frederick's misfortune. Yes, Parcel had messed him up pretty bad but to lose everything? He snatched a glance at the sixteen year old who unbeknown to him was also sneaking a look as well. The boys' eyes met and then, because neither wanted to lose face they sharply turned away again.

Another round of Tetra Master followed and this time Frederick won. "Good job!" Zidane praised him. "You'll be a master in no time!"

Parcel raised an eyebrow. "A little soon to be saying that, don't you think? But I appreciate the vote of confidence." He glanced at his right hand and in particular the middle finger, with the tooth shaped scars etched into it. A smirk came to his lips. How could this be the same monkey tailed boy from so long ago? He'd been a nameless savage, a vicious creature with barely any speech. Now Zidane shamed him with his friendly nature and forgiving ways.

"So when yer go to lunaversitty-"

"University, the word you are searching for is university." He had to fight the bubbling giggle in his throat but managed to retain his composure. "What will I do there?" he suggested. The thief smiled and nodded. "My studies will involve medicine. I am to become a doctor-"

Blank started to cough as though something had gone down the wrong hole. "Yer gotta be kidding me, a quack?!"

Parcel's cheeks turned slightly pink as the red head continued to gawp at him in shock. "Well, you don't have to stare at me so!" he snapped. "It is a respectable profession!"

Zidane cheered and clapped him on the back. "I think that's great!"

"Wait...You...You do?" Frederick blinked for a few seconds registering Tribal's positive encouragement. "But I tried to cut your tail off!"

"Oh, water under the bridge and all that!" he replied easily. "Lindblum needs more doctors to help sick people, right?"

"He just wants to cure those that can afford it." Blank said. "Must be nice getting paid for treatin' the odd cold!" He wanted to see Parcel's face twist up in hatred, to say something equally vile but he did neither.

Frederick stared at the floor considering what to say next. "I understand why you would think that." He exhaled deeply a few times then continued. "To be honest, a day hasn't gone by when I haven't thought about what I did to you." He forced himself to look at Blank. "I should thank you, truly. It's because of you that I watched Doctor Sullivan at work. I've reflected on my actions and made a decision."

"What kinda decision?" Zidane said as he shuffled the cards again.

"I want to use my hands to heal, not to hurt others." He stood and glared at Blank who had scoffed at the statement. "Yes, I admit, it may seem laughable to you, but I want to do some good in this world."

The red head met his stare confidently. "Be honest for once, Parcel. Yer just wanna make money, right?"

Such a comment did not go down well and Frederick marched over to Blank. "No, that is not right in the least!" he exclaimed. "I vow to open a clinic right in the heart of the Theatre District and treat real patients that need help. I swear it on my life!" The intensity of this man made Blank frown. He tried to squash the memories from back then but they came flooding back like a tidal wave. Being hauled up by his shirt and beaten within an inch of his life, things like that didn't just leave you. He could feel Parcel's breath on his cheek, and those annoying eyes, the same golden eyes that held such contempt on that day.

"Back off! Or I'll have yer!" He shook an angry fist in Frederick's face. "Just try it, pretty boy!"

"Blank, give it a rest!" Zidane sounded frustrated and fed up. "Can't yer let bygones be bygones?"

After paying Doctor Sullivan's fee it had left him out of pocket for months. Frederick Parcel decided a long time ago what he was going to do when he saw Blank the street rat again. He'd waited and waited for an opportunity but their paths never crossed. It was only on the eve of leaving Lindblum, and realising that his only option was them, that Frederick had the chance to make things right.

He took a step back from the thief pinned against the wall. "I do not wish to fight," he said calmly. "But if you need to 'get it out of your system', I will not stop you." He folded his hands behind his back. "Feel free to take your revenge as you see fit."

"What the 'ell?" Blank snarled. He didn't like this sudden change in his nemesis. What does he think he's doing? I'm not gonna to hit a man that doesn't fight back! This wasn't what the red head wanted. He needed to see the monster in Frederick again. He had to hear the sneering jeers and snobbish put downs. He could understand that person it made him feel secure. Now Parcel stood there, a defenceless punching bag waiting eagerly for the blows. The temptation was crushing him, he yearned to lash out and release all the adrenaline rushing through his veins. "Yer gone crazy?" His voice shook despite himself.

But Frederick was not backing down. "Do what you must," he insisted. "What's the matter? Has your courage deserted you?"

"Shut up!" Blank warned him. "I'll knock yer into next week!"

Zidane could only stare helplessly at the two boys who had quite forgotten he was there. It had been a long time since his brother had scared him like this. Blank could be so laid back and humorous when he wanted to be. But there was another side to him; an uncontrollable side, wild and destructive like a raging fire. When Blank's temper got like this he was capable of anything. There was no way to stop him; Zidane had tried in the past and failed miserably. He'd felt the cold shoulder from Blank afterwards and it had nearly broke his heart.

There was a queer expression on Blank's face but his fists were more than ready to strike. He felt sick watching, waiting to see what was going to happen. He was back on that balcony again peering through the bars unable to do a damn thing. I wish Baku or Marcus would come. He felt the rough edges of the cards sinking into his fleshy palms, but remained frozen. There had to be something he could do but it was too late. Frighteningly fast, Blank drew up a fist and roared. "Ruby won't like it!" Zidane shouted in vain and covered his eyes. Please don't!

He waited, but there was no crunch of bone connecting with bone. It grew quiet. Tribal couldn't bring himself to look, seconds felt like hours as they ticked by. But eventually he opened his fingers just a fraction and gasped. Frederick remained standing although his face had grown significantly paler, and there, only a mere centimetre from his nose was Blank's fist. Zidane wasn't sure who looked more stunned, Blank or Parcel.

Blank's laboured breaths filled the silence. "Damn you," he said glaring at Frederick but withdrew the fist and smacked it hard into the wall behind him instead. "Yer know what, Frederick?" He shoved the young man away. "You can stuff yer revenge!"

And with that he shouldered past. Without so much as a second glance at Zidane he put a shawl around himself, and headed out into the howling wind.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13 – Trek to Treno Part three

Blank huffed and grumbled as he strode away from the protective shelter of the lee. He didn't even notice the cold wind as his heated anger carried him along for a good ten minutes. The thief did not register where he was going or how far, he simply did not care. All that mattered was to put some distance between himself and a certain raven haired snob. What was that supposed to be? I should've smashed his face in! He couldn't stand it. It felt like a wasted opportunity, one he would never have again. Who couldn't take pleasure from beating the crap out of someone like him? Stuck up, pompous ass!

He'd been ready to follow through right up until the last moment but then Tribal had to use her name. An image of Ruby flashed through his mind, her pretty face spoiled by a horrendous shiner. He couldn't stop thinking about how scared she must have been. If he had gone through with it, how could he look her in the eye upon their return to Lindblum? In addition, Zidane would probably have sulked for the rest of the trip and that would be just damn annoying.

When he began to calm a little, he came to a complete stop and took off one of his gloves. He opened the sweaty palm to allow the wind to blow across it. He always thought that hands were odd things; nothing but wrinkled flesh with stubby sausages hanging off the ends. But they could create colossal monuments that could be seen from miles away, paint beautiful artworks and give comfort when it was needed most. He'd seen parents ruffle the hair of their children or hold their hand to keep them safe. As always though, there was another side to having hands. When you considered their capacity to cause pain for example; hands that made weapons, hands that gave signals to destroy or kill. Hands that over powered others or force them to do what they didn't want to. In many ways hands were a blessing and a curse.

Blank knew standing out here just looking at his hands was ridiculous. Then, when the first spits of rain licked his skin he scowled. Just what I don't need - a shower! He looked up at the grey clouds as the light rain transformed into drops the size of marbles. They pelted down instantly flattening his red spiky hair, soaking the thin shawl he'd brought to keep out the cold. He lifted up his chin to meet the chilly water and then opened his mouth to catch the droplets. He found himself reluctant to move from the spot and it was only after he sneezed twice that Blank considered the others. I better head back before Zi comes chasing after me... Sluggishly he turned to walk back the way he'd come.

The rain grew even heavier cleansing the mountain of the mist that had choked it for so long. He saw clearly for the first time the weathered rocks sticking out like jagged shark teeth from the ground. As he plodded on Blank heard squelching from his boots, water seeping between his toes. Great, I'll have to dry these out as well! On he went, his body suddenly very tired from the bracing walk of before. He should have stayed at the lee, at least then he could be drinking something warm. Playing cards with Zidane didn't seem so stupid now nor a roof to keep the rain off. As if to mock him further the rain turned rapidly into hail. His mood darkened, he picked up a stone with a fair weight to it, grey and rough. Feeling his temper rising again he threw the stone hard. "I hate this stupid mountain!" he cried.

His shrieking voice echoed for a while around him. 'Mountain... Mountain... Mountain' it said. Then silence followed and Blank was alone again. He pressed his back to the wall and listened to the thump, thump, thump of the hail attacking the makeshift hood of his shawl. His stomach gave a small growl. I should have eaten more of that soup. It's that dumb snob's fault for getting me so wound up! It grumbled again in protest making Blank feel slightly queasy. But then another growl came from his right. This different growl sounded like it rumbled deep in the back of a throat. It repeated, louder this time.

Instinctively Blank's head twisted towards the curious sound and froze. Through the pelting ice he saw a shadowy figure. The hail bounced harmlessly off its huge green behind and countless scales shone like precious emeralds. A long tail uncoiled from its body and swept over the ground, smashing a nearby rock to smithereens. Fully awake now it roared and Blank's throat seized up as if a block of ice were stuck inside it. Crap! The old man said not here! What's a bleeding dragon doing here?!

Foolishly he'd left his sword back at camp so he had no way to defend himself. Not that a battle here would be anything less than suicide of course. Knowing that, he slipped away quietly in the opposite direction. His legs just managed to obey his commands and before he knew it Blank was running. He fought against the wind which pushed him back. In desperation his arms stretched out, and he scrambled over loose debris that tried its best to trip him up. He didn't want to believe what he'd seen or rather what he thought he'd seen, but the only thing on his mind was escape. Blank heard another roar and nearly screamed.

No, keep moving you idiot! He could hear his wheezing breaths becoming haggard and short. It can't be! He kept telling himself. On and on he ran forcing his aching legs to keep going, at one point he stumbled and slammed hard into a wall. Crashing down in agony his thoughts flew to the monster. Had it followed him? He clutched his chest trying to suck in pockets of air which was nearly impossible. This is it, I'm a dead man! He thought in horror. It wasn't like the fairytale Baku had told him about. No magic mountain moogle was going to save him now.

"KWEH!"

"A chocobo?" Blank choked not daring to hope that someone had actually come for him.

There came a familiar gruff voice, "Where are yer, ginger brat?" When the response was far too slow for his liking he added, "I ain't playin' Chocobo Hot and Cold here! Where the 'eck are yer?"

"I'm 'ere!" Blank squeaked, ashamed of his situation. He heard the ruffle of feathers coming closer and closer, the soft pad of the bird's feet trotting towards his position. It stopped and the rider dismounted slowly with a grunt. Baku's hairy, smelly face eventually came into view. "Boss...Boss..." it was all he could manage. I have to tell him!

"Stupid, little brat," Bosu shook his head with annoyance. The boy looked so small laying there like some injured bird. He heaved Blank up onto his back and carried him towards Claret. "Geez, yer need to lose a few pounds, kid!" he gasped. "What in the name of Gaia did yer think yer was doing? I told yer to stay at Hermit's Haven!"

Blank couldn't reply. The Old Man hadn't carried him anywhere since he was seven. He gripped Baku's shoulders more tightly and buried his face into the man's back. He felt warm and smelt of coffee, something about that made his lip tremble. It took all of his stubborn pride not to succumb to the blubbering there and then, but he managed it. Roughly Baku dumped him onto the chocobo, before mounting and turning around. Claret sniffed the air for a few seconds to get his bearings before galloping off back to camp.

"Dragon," Blank kept whispering between pained breaths. "There's a bleedin' dragon..."

Marcus lifted the younger boy's head carefully. "Drink it, Brother. It'll warm yer insides." As he watched Blank sip the sweet tea he frowned. This was the last piece of news he wanted to hear especially only a few hours away from Treno, and completing the job. He did believe the red head, and Baku's actions since then suggested he did too. The seasoned fighter had checked their equipment and attached the beast killer ability to each one. Not that it would have much effect on a Grand Dragon but he considered it better than nothing. There wasn't a single magic user amongst them, just a gentleman and a bunch of thieves. If they were so unlucky as to meet the wretched creature it would not be an easy fight.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Zidane demanded. They'd already stripped his friend of the sodden clothes he'd been wearing and towel dried his hair within an inch of its life. Upon taking Parcel's advice, they'd wrapped Blank up like an oversized birthday present to keep the thief from catching a chill. "Do yer really think he saw a dragon?"

"I won't lie to yer and say everything's fine," Marcus replied, keeping his voice low. Seeing the blond wince slightly tugged at his heart but Tribal wasn't a novice anymore. He needed to be prepared, and sugar coating the truth was not going to do him any favours. "Who knows what he saw out there? But one thing I know is that we have to get to Treno soon as we can." He made sure Blank finished the entire cup before moving him nearer to the fire. "As for Mr Trouble here, he's tougher than he looks, right?"

Zidane saw the gentle smile on Marcus' face which put him more at ease. "He sure is!" he agreed. "Seems to be gettin' dumber with old age though."

"I heard that..." Blank mumbled and everyone laughed.

When morning came, although it was hard to tell as the light was so dim, the companions set out once more. Blank had survived his ordeal with only a cold. His sneezes however were incredibly loud and made his whole body shake. Poor Cerise nearly jumped out her feathers each time her rider blew his nose.

Carefully they tread down the mountain path which had become akin to a slide due to the downpour of the previous night. Even the talons of the chocobos were having trouble gripping in certain spots. This made their progress significantly slower than it should have been. After travelling for over an hour, Baku gave a shout and they came to an abrupt halt.

"What the devil happened 'ere?" Bosu cursed. He shifted forward to the edge of the cliff and looked down. The Tantalus leader appeared to be deeply troubled by what he saw. He took out the map turning it this way and that before scrunching it back into his pocket. "Well, this complicates things!" he grumbled to no one in particular.

"What's up, Boss?" Marcus came alongside him and glanced down too. Under the cliff was a sheer vertical drop, far too steep for them to even attempt a safe descent. Below, a substantial mess of upturned earth and rock lay, suggesting a recent landslide. He surmised that this was what had taken out the pass they were meant to climb down.

Baku rubbed his eyes wearily. "Right boys, we're gonna have to backtrack!"

"You cannot be serious!" Parcel protested. "We're running out of time as it is!"

The older man gestured to the slope and then smirked. "If yer wanna fly down there go ahead, but I wouldn't if I were you!" Swiftly he turned Claret around. "Come on, we'll get there, just cuttin' it fine that's all!"

They followed Baku's lead towards the west which took them further away from Treno and back into the light of day. Frederick's increasing dismay was obvious as he grew restless and whined constantly. It seemed every five minutes he asked for another check of the map which began to grate on the nerves of all the party members.

Blank's cold, which had been rapidly worsening as the day went on, made him reconsider punching Parcel. His swollen red nose felt sore with all the rubbing and his eyes were bloodshot too. Inside his head it felt like a little Cinna was beating his brain into submission with a hammer.

"We do not have the time to be delaying like this!" Parcel complained yet again.

Baku pointed a finger at the young man. "Look 'ere, feedin' and waterin' the chocobos regularly was a condition of Ms Burgundy-"

"Do you see the bird woman here now, Mr Bosu?" Frederick opened out his arms, spinning himself in a wide circle. His hands shook with frustration, the old Parcel was trying to break through. "Surely, it will not matter to skip a single meal to get back on track? They are only chocobos, sir!"

Baku raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "For someone so smart yer got no common sense," he growled. "I'm not gonna run these birds into the ground just cuz yer getting jittery. Those chocobos are our lifeline on the mountain, don't cha understand that? If they collapse or get sick we're stuck up here!"

"This is ludicrous!" the noble's son hissed. He took a step towards Baku as if to square up to his guide.

Cinna, Marcus and Zidane gave Frederick dark looks, but it was Blank that stepped in between the two taller males. "Pack it in, Parcel!" he barked. "ACHOO!" He pulled out a limp, snotty rag which instantly made Frederick shuffle backwards. "The Boss knows what's he's doin'! Yer actin' like a baby, moanin' and carryin' on like that. Shut the 'ell up!"

Embarrassed, Frederick pulled down his shirt and straightened his waistcoat. "Who are you to lecture me?" he said angrily. Baku pat Blank on the shoulder and made his way back to the chocobos. "This is my career we're talking about. The course of my entire life depends on making the deadline!"

"Can't make a deadline if yer dead, idiot!" Blank shot back but his blocked nose took away the nastiness in his words. "ACHOO!"

Parcel huffed. "You truly are a pathetic specimen of the human species, aren't you? Not even a proper handkerchief to your name!" He looked away in disgust and fumbled about in his pockets. At once he produced a white cotton hankie, sewn with fine blue lace around its frilly edges. "Here," he said sternly, "take it." The red head eyed the piece of material suspiciously but did not reach for it. It was only when he sucked in another telling breath that Parcel clamped the handkerchief forcefully to his nostrils. This left Blank with little choice but to make use of Frederick's gift. "Now then, that most certainly is yours!"

Narrowing his eyes, Blank tried to think of something foul to say but another fit of sneezing made that impossible.

"Hey, how yer holdin' up?" Zidane crouched down to check on his friend. "Geez, looks kinda raw!"

Blank couldn't disagree he'd rubbed his nose so hard that he could hardly bear to have any sort of material near his sensitive skin. He envied Tribal; the wonder kid had the strongest immune system he'd ever known. In all the years he'd grown up in Tantalus he couldn't remember Zidane getting sick, ever. Ruby had mentioned once that for a child living in the Theatre District not to pick something up was incredibly lucky. He saw it more as just downright unfair.

"I've had better days," he admitted, taking a gulp of water from his tin canister. "Don't go givin' me that look, Zi. I'm fine."

The blond sighed. "Yer look like hell!"

"Cheers, that makes me feel so much better!" He gave a lopsided smile. Soft lad, getting worried over a cold!

The Tantalus crew settled down on the grass and took the opportunity to rest themselves. They completely ignored Parcel, who to his credit had decided to take onboard Blank's harsh advice and keep his mouth shut. Out the corner of his eye he watched the interaction between Blank and Zidane, and somewhere deep inside he had to admit to feeling quite envious. The pair had no blood ties and yet their brotherly bond was a strong one. He reflected on his own family and frowned.

Upon becoming his father's heir, Francis had completely withdrawn from his elder brother. It started with missing their swordplay practises and avoiding eye contact at the dinner table. When Frederick went to confront his sibling about his behaviour Francis had swept passed him without a single word. It was as if Frederick was dead to him, a sickening result of their father's influence. He didn't want admit that it had hurt, but seeing his little brother change so rapidly had cut him to the core. How could his own blood just turn his back on him so easily?

Parcel felt sick inside, he continued to watch as Zidane poked fun at Blank. A strange longing welled up within his chest. He flipped open his satchel and took out a small glass pot, then he stood and slowly walked over.

"What do yer want, baby? Come to have another go?" Blank sneered.

He held out the small pot of salve. "Rub this in," he instructed stiffly, "it will prevent cracked skin and any bleeding."

Blank dipped a leather finger into the gloop and studied it. The green slimy ooze was not exactly appealing. "Yer not a doc yet, ya know. What's this supposed to be?"

"A composition of beeswax, olive oil and rosemary leaves."

Zidane leaned over. "It smells nice! Wow, yer can make potions and stuff already? That's pretty awesome!"

"You seem surprised." Frederick cocked his head to one side. "Before I was able to apply for university I gained some experience with Doctor Sullivan as he went about his rounds. I've learnt that combining certain herbs and ingredients can ease discomfort. I actually have a repertoire of around fifty different recipes and potions now."

Blank continued to stare as the slime trailed down his finger. "Uh huh, like am gonna rub some random gunk on my face! How do I know yer not tryin' to turn my face blue or somethin'?" Then he paused to sneeze once more. When he tried to dab at his nostrils rather than rubbing them it became clear he was in more pain than he let on.

"Don't be a stubborn ass. Give the medicine a try!" Zidane pleaded.

Parcel added to the monkey tailed boy's argument. "It works wonders on sore skin, I promise you."

Looking at them both, he wondered which was the lesser of two evils; applying the ointment for peace and quiet or sticking to his guns. The thought of both Frederick and Zidane constantly on his case like a pair of nagging wives made the thief scowl. I suppose I've got nothing to lose! He thought as he took a small blob and rubbed it into the tip of his nose.

It actually had quite a soothing effect and his confidence grew. Maybe Parcel does have some uses apart from winding people up! Blank smothered the gloop all over and waited. This time however a curious tingling began, especially underneath his nostrils. He winced slightly as the tingling evolved into more of a burning and stinging sensation. Then suddenly his hazel eyes went wide. "What have yer done to me!" he cried.

"Calm yourself!" Parcel grabbed his wrists and held on. "If there is stinging it means the treatment is working-"

"What was all that crap about easing discomfort?!" Blank screeched yanking his hands out the gentleman's grasp. "Yer lying toerag!"

"Blank! Blank, you okay? Do yer wanna wash it off ?" Zidane panicked not quite sure what to do to help.

The red head pushed him away. "Leave it, just leave it!" he growled. "Ow... Ow!" He sucked in a sharp breath trying to bare the pain. He could feel his eyes beginning to water and screwed up his face. "That stuff is nasty!"

"I'm sorry, what was that about acting like a baby?" Frederick asked whilst crossing his arms.

"Yer knew it would do that, right?" Blank accused him. He was still fighting the urge not to wipe the salve away.

The raven haired man nodded. "Of course, the stinging has died down now I trust?"

Strangely enough Parcel was right about that. Blank found the burning had stopped and was replaced with a more tolerable throb. "It's working?" he said in surprise.

"Yes, although you will need to apply more to get the full benefit. The initial sting is unpleasant as your skin has become so dry due to the natural protection being rubbed away. The beeswax in particular acts as a barrier to prevent further irritation." Frederick looked up. "I wouldn't expect a mere thief to comprehend the complexities of... You're not listening are you?"

Indeed, Blank didn't hear Parcel's in depth explanation as he was far too engrossed in slapping more of the healing salve onto his nose.

"I think he likes it now!" Zidane grinned widely. "Ya did good, doc, first patient a complete success!" He saw the young man freeze for a moment. "Yer okay?"

Frederick swallowed. "Yes, I am quite well," he assured him but still turned away.

"Break time's over!" Baku gave the signal for everyone to mount their chocobos again. With a loud chorus of 'warks' and 'kwehs,' the company headed back to the mountain pass at full speed.

By noon, the detour had brought the travellers and their steeds to a flat plateau. The grass here mostly grew tall and luscious, aside from some odd yellowy patches. They were high enough to see the mist beginning to form and they knew it wouldn't be too long before the mountain was engulfed again. Baku calculated they weren't too far from Treno distance wise, but trying to descend had become a challenge. Due to the main route being impassable they had been forced to use some of the lesser known paths. Ms Burgundy's map proved to be out dated in this area; for no sooner had they made their way down, they had to come back up again as the way was blocked. Some paths led to dead ends, others to long drops which infuriated the Tantalus leader. The temptation to sell his very soul for an airship was increasing but he refused to give up.

Everyone showed signs that they just wanted the job to be over. Parcel had become depressed, no longer voicing his concerns. Cinna slumped all over Blush, his body giving in to home sickness and Marcus' fangs were bared more than usual. Blank sniffed and blew his nose, whilst Zidane had stopped humming altogether. Baku had never seen his boys looking so pitiful. He thought about giving them a stern talking to but it wouldn't solve the problem. They needed to get to Treno, pure and simple.

In sheer boredom Zidane had taken to watching the clouds to occupy himself. There were so many different shapes and sizes; he made out rabbits with huge floppy ears, horses' hooves and swans with long, delicate necks. Some were thin and streaky whilst others resembled puffed up cotton balls. They were all moving at a steady speed which he guessed meant a strong wind was blowing up there. He'd spotted a few birds flying between them and he wished more than ever to be on the Prima Vista sailing the skies. It won't be long now! He told himself then glanced back at the cloud resembling a rabbit. There was another bird flying over which he hadn't spotted before. He focused on it. It was moving very quickly parting the clouds like a knife through butter. Scarlet had taken an interest too and stopped suddenly.

"What yer doin' now?" Zidane moaned at the chocobo but the bird's onyx black eyes remained fixed to the skies. He could feel Scarlet's tail feathers quivering much like the hairs on his very own tail. Behind him Marcus came to a standstill as well and Tribal swivelled around to face him. "Hey Marcus, what's that bird over there?"

Marcus didn't reply. He flexed his muscular arms which were decorated with strange green lined tattoos that stretched from his shoulder all the way to his knuckles. The gobin - like man scratched his left ear thoughtfully, the one that looked like someone had taken a bite out of it. His breath hitched. "Boss!" he gave a sharp shout as he reached to his side and unsheathed his sword. "Zi, that ain't no bird. Yer better prepare yourself!"

"What?" Zidane didn't understand.

"Get those daggers out!" Marcus boomed at him, "And get away from the edge!" As Crimson nudged Scarlet further in there was an almighty roar from above. The thief bared his large fangs and glared at the intruder. "Damn, it found us!"

The Grand Dragon flapped its enormous ruby red wings. It seemed a miracle that such a monstrous creature could actually fly, but those powerful wings beat steadily until the dragon turned sharply in the air. It swooped down over their heads making the chocobos scream and flap in terror.

Scarlet shrieked before starting to buck and jump wildly. "Hey, calm down! Calm down!" Zidane tried his best to sooth the bird but when the Grand Dragon roared again, the youngest chocobo threw him off. The blond thief could only watch helplessly as his steed ran in chaotic circles before abandoning him on the plateau. "Get back here!" he yelled but Scarlet had already left a trail of dust in his wake. Zidane pushed himself onto his hands and knees. The dragon was coming back for another pass, its beady yellow eyes studying their every move. Blank was right all along! He still couldn't believe it. Out of all the monsters Tantalus had ever fought this had to be the biggest and the meanest.

He heard Baku shouting orders to the group and everyone obeyed without question. They began to dash towards an outcrop in the rock, the only place they could find to hide from the monster. He still felt a little dizzy from the fall but forced his jelly legs to stand. Soon another chocobo came to stand beside him.

"Zidane, you okay?" Cinna offered his hand to pull the child to safety.

As the blond clamped his arms around the blacksmith's middle, he tried to shake the woolly cobwebs from his mind. "Yeah, am alright, but Cinna, what are we gonna do?"

Cinna pulled sharply on Blush's reins and headed straight for the others. "I haven't the faintest idea, never thought we'd actually be attacked by one of those darn things!"

"Why is it here, anyway? Baku said-"

"The Boss was wrong and now we're all gonna die!" the fear in his voice bordered on hysteria which made Tribal extremely nervous. The poor man was literally quaking in his boots.

When they reached the others hiding behind the rock there was no further sign of the Grand Dragon. Baku's eyes were darting from one section of sky to the other. He turned around as well surveying the mountain trying to predict what the sly creature might do next. When he saw Zidane he let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Good job," he told Cinna absently in a rare moment of praise. Like a crocodile swimming in a river only his eyes and nostrils could be seen peeking over. "Boys, don't let yer guard down. Far as that dragon's concerned we're lunch so runnin' ain't an option here."

"What's the plan, Boss?" Marcus whispered next to him.

The Tantalus leader hated having the pressure piled up like this, but his crew needed him to be decisive right now. What am I supposed to do now? If it were a plain fight on flat land with no chocobos to consider the battle plan would be a simple one. Fighting on the mountainside with an airborne enemy, that was tough even for a skilled bounty hunter. The boys had skills - after all he'd taught them everything he knew. They had a strong instinct for survival and would rather put up a decent fight than be dragon food. But the chocobos were a different matter entirely; they were not battle hardened, he saw what happened to Zidane and it had shook him hard. If all the riders were thrown off as each chocobo panicked they would be in serious trouble. He closed his eyes mulling over the options.

"Mr Baku?" Frederick tapped his shoulder gingerly. "This is my fault, I had no idea such a dangerous creature existed. Forget about Treno. I don't expect you and your men to die for it. We should hide in the mountains until help arrives."

Baku shook his head and laughed. "Until help arrives? Gwahahaha! Whose gonna send a rescue party for the likes of us?"

"My father-" Parcel began but was swiftly interrupted.

"Your daddy won't do nothin,'" he grumbled. "What reason has he got? Think about it! We could 'ole ourselves up in a cave until the water runs dry or hunger drives us out. What then? We make a break for it? That dragon would gobble up our charred hides! Look, I get it seems like a smart idea but I ain't gonna be trapped like some animal and fall straight into its jaws!"

Parcel took a shuddering breath feeling the wind knocked out of his sails. "But we must do something!" he pressed. He saw the chocobos huddled together quivering uncontrollably. The Tantalus boys were tense and uncertain, their faces grim. I want to preserve life not be the cause of death!

"Hey, a Tantalus always gets what he sets his eyes on!" He stared directly at Parcel as he said this. "If yer wanna be a doctor then yer gotta fight to live that dream. We ain't lettin' no dragon stop us and neither should you!"

Frederick's mouth opened and then shut again. I have sorely misjudged you! He glanced at the pack of thieves and for the first time since he'd met the Tantalus Troupe he felt unworthy to be alongside them. I've misjudged you all!

"That bastard won't know what's hit him by the time we're done!" He saw Parcel's startled expression and winked at him. "Just stay with the chocobos and keep an eye out. We'll take care of the rest!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 14 – Dragon Attack!

The roar of the Grand Dragon had Zidane gripping his daggers like a lifeline. He strained his neck trying to find out where the source of the sound was coming from, but the mountain's echoes were playing tricks on them. His heartbeat was a drum playing to the rhythm of his fear, body tense and coiled ready to spring out at any given moment. Tribal forced himself to take slow breaths through his nose. His body wasn't sure what to do, it was strangest feeling; one minute he wanted to run back towards the caves, and the next, he wanted to plunge his dagger into the creature's neck. If it's between him and me, then he's the one going down! he vowed to himself.

Many monsters had fallen at his own hand since joining Tantalus, but he'd never felt any remorse about killing them. But now, they were the ones being hunted by a dragon, and he suddenly began to appreciate what it might have been like for those creatures. Did they feel a noose steadily tightening around their necks? Could they see death coming, but fight against it anyway? This dragon could easily wipe out everything he cared about in the blink of an eye. Zidane felt a stab in his heart just thinking about it.

"Gee, Zi, you look about ready to throw up!" Blank's voice sounded strange under the confines of his soggy handkerchief.

"Hey, like you're any better!" He came to crouch shoulder to shoulder with his friend. Blank was trying too hard to project an image of perfect calm, but his quivering shoulders gave him away. "Look man, it's gonna be okay."

"Shut up, idiot." Blank's eyes were glued to the skies. "I know that!"

Suddenly, there was another almighty roar that silenced them both, as the dragon burst through the clouds, and came swooping towards them at frightening speed.

"Hit the deck!" Zidane felt himself being pulled sharply to the floor. Tongues of fire seared over their heads as they ducked just in time. The surrounding tall grass caught ablaze and a carpet of bright orange flames began devouring the landscape. The heat was so immense it licked at their faces making them retreat backwards on their stomachs.

By now, the Grand Dragon had decided to halt the assault. In mid - air it stayed, beating its powerful wings just enough to stop landing on the ledge with them. For a long while it stared at the group, golden eyes shining.

Is that thing smiling at us? Zidane scowled. He didn't like it; at least the creature could have the decency to look slightly put out by a group of thieves armed with daggers and swords. Even a dragon should think twice about snacking on lunch that can fight back, right? He closed his eyes and counted to ten, then opened them again, but no, amongst the haze of the burning grasses the dragon was still there.

"Get ready for another blast!" Baku warned as its large mouth opened wide. Instinctively, everyone hit the dust. The horned beast drew in the surrounding air, the suction so powerful that it inhaled smoke and debris from the plateau as well. Its stomach swelled to twice the size, becoming rounded like a ball.

It was here, nose deep and shaking in the earth that Zidane jammed his fingers into his ears. If he couldn't hear what the dragon was doing, then maybe it would stop the trembling in his legs. He hated waiting like this, it reminded him of when Ruby deliberately blew up balloons until they popped. The prospect of a loud bang was always worse than the noise itself.

Then suddenly there was a sharp dig in his ribs. "Aww, what was that for?"

The Grand Dragon gave a great big yawn and when it was done, the set of gigantic jaws snapped shut.

"What the 'eck is it doing?" Blank muttered. "Why doesn't it just attack already?"

Now it gave a huff, blowing smoke rings through its nostrils. Two narrowing eyes surveyed left and then slowly to the right. The entire group stopped breathing unsure what to do. In the end, it was the dragon who broke the staring contest. It snorted what sounded like laughter before taking off and flying out of sight towards the west.

All at once, everybody remembered to breathe and then slumped. The bundle of nervous energy that had built up in their muscles had nowhere to go, and worse still, was the promise that this wasn't over.

Parcel hugged the rock face wishing he could be anywhere else. "Thank goodness, it lost interest." He swallowed, pulling at the sticky collar of his shirt. It didn't help to ease the tightness in his throat, but at least he could feel the breeze on his skin.

"If yer daft enough to believe that Fred..." Baku gave a deep sigh. "...then yer deserve to get eaten! It was just getting the lay of the land, lookin' for escape routes, sizing up the meat and anything that might do it damage." He looked over at the chocobos still huddled together. "We need to get movin' and fast!"

It took a lot of effort to convince the remaining chocobos to leave their current spot, but handfuls of gysahl greens seemed to help. The company were forced to walk along the path for a while, as the large red birds were far too jittery from their ordeal with the dragon to take passengers. Unfortunately for Zidane, there was still no sign of Scarlet.

Marcus gave him a sympathetic smile but shook his head. "I think yer might have to accept he's gone." Tribal pulled a face. "Come on, it wasn't your fault-"

"He'll be back. Just you wait and see." Zidane corrected him and wouldn't be told otherwise.

Meanwhile, Parcel had decided to start up a debate with Baku about the finer points of dragon theory. He seemed to have recovered from the shock of before and was chattering excitedly.

"Mr Bosu, you speak as if dragons have some form of superior intelligence. But my textbooks say they're nothing but mindless savages, driven by the instinct to hunt."

"I'm no dragon expert, Fred but dragons are smart, no matter what some bit a' paper says. They're killers, and they'll have yer soon as look at yer. That's what monsters do."

Blank sniffed. "What textbook are yer on about, anyway? Oh wait, yer mean bedtime stories more like! Ain't yer a bit old for stuff like that, Parcel? Do yer sleep with a dolly too?"

"Tsk, a Bestiary of Beasts by Lord Reis is a collection of professional studies about monsters on the Mist Continent. It was a favourite of mine..." to which he hastily added, "...when I was very young."

The red head blew hard into his hankie, making a loud, disgusting sound that seemed to stretch on forever. "Whatever you say," he said finally, his lips tugging at the corners.

"Well, would you mind explaining then with your extensive knowledge on the subject, how one does go about killing a dragon?"

Immediately, that wiped any hint of a smile off the red head's face. It was a very good question, and one which he'd never had to think about before. For all their talk, nobody in Tantalus could claim they'd killed a Grand Dragon. "That's easy," Blank lied, but grew silent.

The older boy waited. He saw one of the buttons of his shirt dangling loose on a thread and pulled it free. Placing the gold disc into his waistcoat, he declared, "I see your smart mouth is about as useful as ever!"

Blank glared at him. "I told yer, it's easy! Yer stab it... in the heart, everyone knows that!"

"Stab it in the heart?" Frederick repeated slowly. "Well, that would be rather convenient, wouldn't it? There is however, one small problem regarding your hypothesis." Upon seeing Blank's utter confusion, he crossed his arms in a smug fashion. "I may have lived a sheltered life in your eyes, but it appears I am far more observant than you."

"Just get to the point already!"

Parcel wasn't quite ready to show his hand just yet. Making Blank angry had become his new favourite past time, and he wanted to draw out the moment. "Oh all right," he relented, "the dragon we just observed had yellow scales across the entire breadth of its chest. Now, is there anything special about dragon scales that you can recall?"

It took a little time for this question to sink in, before Blank growled with frustration. Dragon scales are impenetrable!

"Ah, the proverbial penny has dropped at last."

They could try to pierce the dragon's heart but their weapons may as well be tooth picks. Blank knew Parcel was right, however, he would never admit it. In the end, Blank acknowledged him the only way he knew how. "Jus' shut yer mouth, smart arse!"

Baku, who had been listening with amusement, cleared his throat. "Boys, this is about survival. We don't have to kill the bleedin' thing, ya know."

"Then what'll we do, Boss? What if it comes back?" Zidane looked up at him with his monkey tail swishing back and forth.

If I had the answer to that, do yer think we'd still be here? he thought grumpily.

Suddenly, Blush gave a shrieking cry and was quickly joined by the other chocobos. All the birds began to stamp on the spot and flap their wings, growing increasingly agitated. The great din forced the travellers to cover their ears, but they couldn't understand why the birds had gone completely crazy.

"Hey, it's Scarlet!" Zidane shouted and felt a small flutter of joy. He came back after all! He could see Scarlet, who was headed directly towards them at full speed. In fact, he could honestly say that he had never seen the chocobo shift so quickly. Then the joy he'd felt drained out of his body, like water slipping down a plug hole. Scarlet wasn't alone.

"Dr...Dr... Dragon!" Cinna screamed, and bolted from behind the boulders.

Whilst the blacksmith had lost his wits, Baku grabbed several of the chocobo reins and attempted to drag them to safety. Marcus quickly followed suit, and Blank took charge of Cerise as best he could. Alas, Blush was proving to be a problem, as she fought against the Tantalus leader. Her large talons pushed him away and she pulled hard at the restraint. All the while, her squawking continued, rising in pitch and building to an unbearable crescendo.

"Zidane, help me get her under control!" Baku yelled. When the child didn't respond, he snapped in frustration, "Tribal get over here!" and then froze. Zidane was nowhere to be seen. For the love of Gaia... He lifted his head to look back at the mountain pass and grimaced. Sure enough, there was the monkey tailed boy running straight towards certain danger. I'm gonna kill 'im!

Leaping over rocks, and with his boots slipping on the gravelly path, Zidane made a beeline for Scarlet. He knew he'd be in big trouble with the Boss when he got back, but he didn't care. He could see his chocobo zig zagging frantically along the road. The dragon was snapping and snarling at Scarlet's back, flying close behind him. If a chocobo could look scared, then this one was nothing short of terrified. "I'm comin' buddy, just hold on!" Zidane promised.

If he'd expected a heart warming reunion, then he was going to be sorely disappointed. The chocobo gave the human nothing more than a fleeting glance before continuing to dash past him.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Tribal moaned, watching his 'loyal steed' yet again, abandoning him at the worst possible moment. He turned around to face the Grand Dragon as it landed. The ground shook; a plume of grey dust gathered around its clawed feet. His thin, scraggly shadow was instantly swallowed up by the dragon's bulky form. "Hi there, big guy!"

The dragon opened its jaws and roared angrily. It made his hair flap about his ears, and a foul odour invaded the air. The stench was akin to meat that had been left rotting in the sun, mixed with the undeniable sting of sulphur.

"Woo! Serious case of bad breath you've got there!" he said, trying to waft away the smell from his sensitive nose. "You ever tried brushing yer teeth?" Zidane rolled to the side as the monster's tail swung down in a hammer strike. He got up and tried to maintain the distance between them. So, how am I supposed to hurt this thing? he thought, flipping backwards to avoid the snap of deadly teeth. Oh, wait I know!

When the dragon made to snap at him again, Zidane jumped high onto the bridge of the creature's snout. He took his pair of daggers and plunged them either side into its nose, the resulting shriek from the dragon could be heard for miles. It started to shake its head violently in an attempt to throw the thief off. Tribal held onto the handles as a world of blue and green spun around. One of the blades slid free, so he twisted the other more deeply into the flesh. This was rewarded with another piercing scream. The spiked tail whipped at Zidane as he was jerked back and forth. It didn't take long for the tail to find its target, and the resulting force smacked the boy clean away.

Tribal landed heavily rolling over and over until he came to a stop on his back. It was a small miracle that he'd managed to keep hold of his daggers, but the price was the intense pain now shooting down his left side. That wasn't a smart move... He winced and made to clutch his calf which was throbbing. Any second now, the dragon would come and his little bones would be crunching and grinding inside that colossal, smelly mouth. At least Scarlet's okay. he tried to think on the bright side. I would have liked us to be friends though.

"Zi, Zi!" He felt the breath of someone bawling in his face. "Idiot, what the 'ell do yer think yer doin?" Zidane smiled for a second, feeling the warmth of the sun on his closed eyelids. "Is he okay?" the voice asked someone nearby. "He looks kinda kooky!"

Zidane felt pressure on his chest and then his chin being tilted back to open his mouth. "He's experiencing symptoms of concussion I expect, but still alive." It was Frederick this time, he was sure of it. "Mr Tribal, can you hear me?"

"Name's Zidane..." he protested with a pathetic slur. Then, he felt the collar of his shirt being pulled.

"If you're gonna pick fights with dragons, then yer can at least be awake to help!" Something slapped him hard across each cheek. "Wake up, damn it!"

Zidane blinked, and upon opening his eyes he could see Parcel holding back Blank, who was preparing to hit him again. "Hey, what's up?" he mumbled.

"That!" Blank replied, pointing his shaking finger towards the dragon.

Not so far away, the Boss and Marcus had taken it upon themselves to go on the offensive. In comparison to the size of the Grand Dragon they looked like small children, but this didn't deter them in the least. Baku pulled out his iron sword, and right by his side, Marcus placed stones into a leather sling and started to swing it around in a tight circle. They didn't say a word to each other, and yet it was clear that the men knew exactly what they were doing.

When Marcus let the stones fly they went directly for the pair of golden eyes. There was an explosion, which was followed by a familiar roar. Afterwards, when the smoke had cleared, there were black patches over the creature's eyelids.

Whoa, they managed to blind it? Zidane tried to stand up, but a stabbing jolt down his left leg reminded him of his injuries. He could only watch, as Baku took the opportunity to jab at the leathery skin stretched over the hard bones of the left wing. It didn't take long for Marcus to draw his own falchion sword and join him. They sliced into the wing until finally a hole had been pierced right the way through. Next, they began hacking at the wing's joints, which were made of dense bone.

The dragon may have been blinded, but that didn't mean it would simply allow the humans to tear it apart. It spun wildly, knocking Baku off his feet before using its keen sense of smell to locate the enemy. Marcus was forced to kiss the ground as the spiked tail swung too close for comfort. It came away with his red bandana, waving it like a flag.

Baku tried to scurry away on his elbows, but his large body was making it harder than it needed to be. The dragon's mouth drew close and he greeted it with a hefty kick. You ain't gettin' no piece of me! The dragon was forced to back off. Wasting no time, he dragged himself up, and made his getaway.

Meanwhile, Blank had come to assist Marcus and the companions had their work cut out for them. The skin membrane on the other wing had started to thicken becoming more like rubber than flesh. When he pushed the dagger down with both hands it sprang back and wobbled. Even with Marcus' help it was impossible to puncture.

Marcus pondered whether this could be a natural defence mechanism. They were supposed to blind the beast, clip its wings and scarper. It irritated him thatthe plan wasn't going to work anymore however, they had to conserve their energy. He tugged at Blank's arm. "Bro, we've gotta try somethin' else." And with that, they leapt out of harm's way.

Everyone regrouped. By this time, even a shame faced Cinna had arrived carrying his precious hammer.

"Where are the chocobos?" Baku demanded.

The blacksmith looked distraught. "I couldn't hold them down," he said. "They've all ran away!"

"Fantastic, now we're blinkin' stranded!"

The dragon turned, drawn towards the irate voices. It gave a low rumbling growl and paused, as if contemplating its next move. The veil of blinding darkness, which had been such a barrier to its hunt, began to lift. Upon seeing sunlight once more, the Grand Dragon was able to see the full extent of the damage to its wings. The left had tattered flaps of skin and jagged bone sticking out. Outraged, the monster locked eyes with the group of thieves. The fire in its belly bubbled and churned.

Marcus frowned. "Er, Boss... It's lookin' right at us."

But these words were too little too late, for soon after the Grand Dragon opened its jaws and a stream of purple, green and black gas jetted out. The dragon's vile breath swamped Baku and Marcus, and instantly they fell to their knees.

Zidane saw them desperately clutching at their throats. It was as if they were drowning right in front of him. "What's going on? What's happening to them?"

"I don't know!" Blank panicked, unable to tear himself away from the Grand Dragon. He tried not to think about the tongues of fire that would come if they didn't move. Yet, the more he tried to push the thought away the more vivid it became. He imagined the flames, rolling and twisting before him. His whole body shirked away from the imaginary heat.

Zidane saw the dragon charging towards them with its large front claws swinging. "Blank, get out the way!" he yelled. But it was no good, his friend wasn't responding.

Scrash scrash!

The dragon swung left and then right with incredible speed, but its vicious claws connected with something unexpected – a hammer.

"Yer like that? I've got plenty more!" Cinna piped up as he deflected the blow. He readjusted his hat which had slipped over his eyes. Looking across at an opened mouthed Zidane, he laughed. "What's the matter?" The blond was completely stunned. "Don't be goin' soft on me now!" He then turned and smacked Blank hard around the back of the head. "And you can wake up an' all, sleeping beauty!"

The physical jolt was enough to snap Blank out of his daydream. He saw Cinna and then remembered the others. "The Boss... Marcus... "

"Frederick's got it under control. Worst case of venom I've ever seen though, so we have to hold the line until they get back on their feet, alright?"

Venom was a status effect known to paralyze travellers and cause their health to deteriorate rapidly without treatment. It could be mistaken for poison and in such cases, when medicine was not given immediately, the unfortunate victim would die. Happily, a simple antidote or remedy was usually enough to reverse the symptoms.

Blank and Zidane peered up at their older Tantalus brother with a mixture of gratitude and disbelief. Even though Cinna could be such a wuss sometimes he'd come to help them when it mattered. They could get back on track; everything was going to be okay.

Unbeknown to the group, towering vertical clouds had started to gather overhead. They grew steadily darker, becoming a foreboding wash of grey and black that seemed to swirl in anger. The air around them became hot and humid, with particles of dust and small stones beginning to roll away. A yellow light glowed from the dragon's chest, and great bolts of lightning crashed down from the skies. Zidane cried out as the electric energy hit his comrades full on making them fall lifelessly to the ground.

"Blank!" he croaked, but no sound came out.

The Grand Dragon stomped nearer and nearer to the monkey tailed boy. Its eyes focused on the daggers in his hands, the weapons that had taken sizable chunks out of its snout.

Zidane had been taken by surprise, and his thoughts became a muddle. He wanted to fight, run and scream all at the same time. His training was supposed to prepare him for events like this. Baku had always told him that no matter how dire things seemed, it was important not to give up. But his family were lying there and he was alone now. I don't want to be alone! And his courage flew away with a binding fear taking its place.

He could feel tears threatening to erupt. No, no, no! He hated crying. He hated looking at himself in the mirror with those pathetic red streaks rolling down his cheeks, evidence of weakness. What am I gonna tell Zenero and Benero? Ruby'll be... He couldn't even feel his daggers anymore, everything was going numb.

The Grand Dragon came closer and he knew that the beast had been biding its time, waiting for the chance to make the kill. It didn't rush; slinking steadily forward, licking its lips with anticipation. Slowly, it opened its enormous mouth and tilted its head slightly to the left. I have to move! He willed his body, unfortunately, nothing was happening. Tribal could see the monster's teeth up close, and they were smeared with dried blood. I don't want to die! The muscles in his arms and legs clenched, just as the dragon lowered into position to swallow the human up whole.

It was then, Zidane could feel himself falling away from a flash of striking red. His brain tried to process the images in front of him however, it was like wading through treacle. There was a delay in his senses; sounds and sights were unclear, even the smell of the grassy plain wasn't as strong as it had been before. Scarlet?

The chocobo's tail feathers stood bolt upright and shook rapidly. It let out a loud screech, and flapped its wings in front of the dragon.

What yer doing here, boy? Zidane wondered dumbly.

At once, there was a stream of fire; a cascade of yellow and orange, even streaks of blue. Tribal couldn't help but admire how beautiful it looked sailing through the air. He followed the trail until he realised the direction it was taking. Then Zidane's admiration turned to horror, as the dragon fire consumed Scarlet. He tried to scream again and reached out with both hands. When he landed, the wind was knocked out of him. He gasped in pain as reality clicked mercilessly back into place.

Nobody would have blamed the eleven year old boy if he'd shut his eyes, but Zidane did not. He saw everything. He saw the chocobo's body being reduced to ashes. He heard the deafening thud which followed, as the bird's wrinkled and smoking corpse dropped dead to the ground.

Scarlet? Scarlet? Continuing to stare at the unrecognisable heap, Zidane was reminded of the chicken steaks that Baku was so fond of at the Twin Moons. He always had the meat so overcooked that it was charred black, encrusted with the remains of a dark sauce that looked like sticky tar. His stomach lurched at the memory, and then he was hit by another horrendous smell, the stench of rotting eggs. It wasn't coming from the body; it was the stray burnt feathers drifting soundlessly from the sky. Their curling blackened edges were succumbing to the fire that had set them ablaze. I didn't even know feathers could burn, he thought stupidly, and then shook his head. That bastard... He glared at the dragon with a hatred he'd never felt towards any living creature before.

Parcel had just about managed to pour an antidote down Baku's unwilling throat, when he witnessed the dragon stalking Zidane. Never before had he felt so powerless. The first born of Lord Charles Parcel had always held the cards that could dictate and manipulate the behaviour of any man. This wild dragon however, could not be bought with wealth. The Grand Dragon did not care for title or position, you could not reason or barter with it, all attention was solely focused on its prey.

He looked towards Marcus who had taken a bunch of phoenix downs from his duffle bag. The thief released the power of the down feather, making a soft glow of golden light appear around Cinna.

Within seconds the blacksmith was wide awake and wondering what had happened. "Take it easy, Cin. I've brought yer back from the brink." Marcus explained, as he reunited his confused comrade with his missing hat and hammer.

"Sure, yer won't hear any complaints from me," Cinna replied. It wasn't the first time that his Tantalus brothers had brought him back, each time left him feeling light headed and woozy. Such were the after effects of phoenix feathers when cheating death. He began to take in the full scale of his surroundings until he spotted the dragon too. "Oh hell!" he exclaimed, "the little guy's in big trouble!"

"Zidane!" Blank gasped and tried to run. He made it as far as perhaps two metres before his legs caved in from under him. Two strong arms picked him up and carried him the rest of the way. Even without looking up, he knew who it was.

"Always in a rush to get somewhere," chided Marcus under his laboured breath.

"Geez, yer don't have to treat me like such a kid!" The red head crossed his arms and glared at Marcus. He hadn't realised, but the red bandana that the fanged thief favoured was missing. It was very rare to see Marcus' bald head, which he covered religiously every day. Did the dragon eat it? he thought, when they came to an abrupt halt. "Hey, what gives?" But Marcus didn't reply and so he was forced to crane his neck in the same direction. After failing to comprehend what it was he could see, Blank asked, "Erm, your seein' what am seein' for real, right?"

"I think so." Marcus' reply suggested that he wasn't entirely convinced either.

Zidane had begun to glow an intense shade of pink and white, it was so bright that both companions had to squint uncomfortably against the glare. A spotlight of electric blue appeared, illuminating the monkey tailed boy. Beams of pulsing white with jagged tails of purple and pink energy radiated from his body.

By this time, Marcus had settled Blank down on his own two feet again. They shared uneasy glances as a curious whirring sound began to get louder and louder.

"The dragon's pullin' off an attack!" Blank shouted, clamping two hands over his ears.

But Marcus disagreed. "That ain't the dragon, it's Zidane! Something's happening to him!"

Finally, there was a loud whoosh accompanied by the blinding flash of a brilliant, white light. Zidane's body transformed so that his entire body was covered in thick pink fur. He pulsated with the same pink and white hue from before. The Grand Dragon didn't appear to enjoy the light show however, and had retreated backwards. It snarled and roared at the alien form, which remained steadfast in its presence.

Tribal brought the pommel of both daggers together. "Mors tua, vita mea!" he declared, and then drew them apart in one swift motion.

"What the?" Blank's mouth dropped open. He'd never heard the language before. Even in Lindblum, where the mingling of different cultures was a way of life, he was certain that no species had spoken in such a strange tongue. Zidane, what is all this? His body felt so cold, like a block of ice had frozen inside the pit of his stomach. He sneezed a few times and couldn't help but start to shiver. "Zi!" his voice trembled.

"Stay back," Marcus grabbed his shoulder instinctively. "You don't know what's going on here. That's a whole lot of energy he's building up and you don't want to get in the way."

Blank shirked him off angrily. "That's Zidane, remember? He wouldn't hurt nobody! What's wrong with you?"

"That ain't the Zidane we know," Marcus said. In his irises flashes of eerie pink and white were reflected. For the first time since they'd taken Zidane under their wing, he actually felt afraid of the younger boy. He'd never seen anything like this before. This wasn't natural at all.

Then Blank pushed him back. "Yer dunno what yer sayin'! He's a Tantalus! One of us!" He ran from Marcus ignoring his pleas to come back. "Zidane!" he shouted, "Zidane!"

But the blond couldn't hear him. "Et thadal flamma!" he bawled with threatening finality.

White symbols appeared on the ground making some form of elaborate inscription. Blank shook his head in disbelief; the letters again were unfamiliar and strange to him. Then from nowhere, waves of intense fire rumbled into life. Zidane allowed them to build, generating more and more power making the ground shake.

Where is this coming from? How's he doing that?

"Mortem ut quod draco!" In that moment, Tribal unleashed his flames upon the Grand Dragon. When they connected, the monster cried out in torturous agony. It was a burning sphere, shrieking and thrashing about as if trying to escape from the flames somehow. It didn't take long before the dragon ceased to move at all, it burned quickly, becoming smouldering remains.

Blank skidded to a stop and looked down at the smoking mess that had once been called a Grand Dragon. Its skull had been stripped back to bone white, and even now, it grinned mockingly at the two humans. There was very little left in the way of scales and flesh, but the smell was awful. "Zidane, what did you-"

Silence came at once, Tribal turned his head to acknowledge his comrade, but he was a different person. His usually friendly blue eyes were cold and lifeless. He stood taller, his posture elongated and stiff. The blond seemed to have aged, no longer looking like the child he'd grown up with.

"Cut it out, Zi, it ain't funny!" Blank hissed. Then he started to cough over and over.

But Zidane didn't smile or burst into laughter, this was no practical joke. He raised his index finger pointing directly at the red head. "Quia venit tempus," he said, the words sounding like a vow.

Blank didn't like the sound of that, whatever that was. "Hey, snap out of it, idiot!" But Zidane showed no sign of emotion, like a statue he simply stared through Blank like he was nothing. At his wits end, Blank shoved Tribal hard. "Don't you get it?" he started to whimper. "I just want us to go home!"

This seemed to break the spell, for Zidane began to blink rapidly as though waking from a dream. His eyes widened when he recognised his friend, but then he collapsed.

By now, the rest of Tantalus had arrived along with Parcel. They found Blank bent over Zidane's body, coughing and cursing. It took both Cinna and Marcus to prise him off and allow Parcel to get a good look. The would-be doctor had never come across such strange events before, he wasn't even sure if there was a scientific explanation. Patient comes first, he reminded himself, I can always investigate another time...

A short while later, Frederick came to tell them the news. "He'll be fine," he concluded. "There will be some severe bruising down his left leg, but nothing broken. He collapsed due to exhaustion, not surprising really after the amount of energy that came out of him." Then he chuckled. "I have to say, that was incredible! I've never seen such phenomena, can you all transform like that?"

"No," Baku replied shortly. He didn't know what to make of this transformation. He'd assumed that the kid he'd picked up at Lindblum Harbour was just some regular orphan with the same old sob story. Zidane, where the 'ell did you come from? He took a short sip from his hip flask trying to calm his nerves. After tasting the liquor however, he thought he deserved a much larger gulp. "I ain't never seen anything like that before, Fred. Yer probably best forgettin' all about it." Parcel wanted to protest, but when he saw the stern look on the thief's face he knew better than to argue.

Bosu knew things looked bleak for Tantalus. After all that effort, the dragon's corpse had yielded little more than a few teeth. With the chocobos gone, they barely had any supplies and no way to get down the Aerbs Mountains safely. In a few hours it would be nightfall, signalling their failure to get Parcel to Treno in three days. He sighed and shoved a hand into his pockets. The sound of jingling gil could be heard before he pulled out a small pouch. This, he held out to Frederick.

"I don't understand..." Parcel stared at the money in confusion. "That was the money for your fee," he said.

"Aye," Baku agreed. "Look, I'm sorry we let yer down."

Frederick shrugged his shoulders. "Keep it, Mr Bosu, with my eternal gratitude." Then he smiled at the older man.

Baku never thought he'd see the day when Parcel was literally ripping the shirt off his own back to make bandages to treat his boys. "You've grown up a bit, Fred," Baku said, returning the smile.

They sat together in silence for a while, occasionally looking up at the flock of birds making their way to the south. Baku reflected how Lindblum would be preparing for the Festival of the Hunt as was custom for the time of year. Crowds would be watching from the roof tops and city walls as monsters were let loose, the districts would become a temporary hunting ground for anyone with a decent weapon. Looking across at an unconscious Zidane, his heart sank. The festival was one of the boy's favourites. Every year he would ask if he could take part and Baku kept putting him off saying 'maybe' next year. With powers like that he could take down a whole herd of zaghnols! he thought scratching his chin, then he shifted his gaze elsewhere.

Blank lay groaning in his sleep, begging for water, but they had none left to give him. There was no way to bring his fierce temperature down, and this frustrated the Tantalus leader no end. To survive a dragon attack only to succumb to illness was cruel. Blank was the one that Baku had never worried about. He'd been born a fighter; he clung to life so tightly to the point of strangling it. Now it seemed he was slipping away by the hour.

"Never thought it would end like this," Baku said honestly. Below, he could make out the twinkling lights of the city of Treno, so close and yet so painfully far. "Don't seem right for a kid to die before an ol' man."

Parcel hung his head wearily. "I thought the same thing when I first heard about Ollie. That's why I wanted to become a doctor."

"Well, I hope yer can convince the folks in Treno to give you another chance."

Parcel had actually considered his appeal to the university council. He wanted to explain himself and the events that transpired to prevent his appointment. But then, he imagined the faces of the doctors and scholars changing from interest, to amusement within seconds. 'Well, Mr Parcel, we certainly haven't heard an excuse quite like that before! A dragon, you say?'

He couldn't help but smirk at the thought. "Perhaps, we shall see."

"Boss!"

Baku closed his eyes in the hope he'd only imagined his name being called. "What's the matter now?" he grumbled. "Can't a man be left alone for five minutes without dealing with some blinkin' crisis?"

Cinna was too happy however, to be put off by a snappy temper. "Boss, yer won't believe this! Yer gotta see this!" And with that he skipped away.

"I wonder what he's found." Parcel's curiosity was piqued and he followed the skipping blacksmith. When he turned the corner, all his Christmases had come at once.

"It's Blush!" Cinna said cheerfully, patting the female's head. "If yer take her down the rest of the way, yer might be able to get to there in time!" He took a knife and began slicing through the ropes attaching the supplies.

"It's miraculous!" Frederick exclaimed. "But what about Blank? He's got a fever for goodness sake!"

Cinna looked at the ropes in his hands and smirked. "I've got an idea about that!"

It didn't take long for the thieves to tie Blank and Parcel together. Luckily, Blush didn't seem to mind the weight of two riders, and after a quick feed she was more than ready to go.

"You must never tell Blank that I agreed to this freely." Frederick stiffened at the thought.

Marcus couldn't help the grin spreading from one ear to another. "You do make a cute couple," he teased, "think Ruby might even get a little jealous!"

"Yer better make it, Fred." Baku didn't even try to hide the threat in his voice. "After everything we've bleedin' been through today!"

Parcel nodded and took the reins with confidence. "I will ensure that Blank receives medical attention, and then come back for you," he promised.

"Yeah, yeah." Bosu replied with hooded eyes. He wanted to believe what the young man told him, but he also knew the distractions of Treno. "Good luck!" They all watched as Blush's wagging tail feathers disappeared into the distance, along with their hopes. "Let's head back to the caves," Baku told the others. "We're gonna have a long wait…"

Chapter Text

Chapter 15 – Treno

At the dockyard, Cinna stretched his weary bones as the last chocobo trotted up the ramp and into the airship. He took a gysahl green from his sack and held it out to Blush, whom he'd grown quite fond of after all their adventures. "I'm gonna miss you, old bird." he said, giving her a tickle behind the neck. Blush chewed the vegetable automatically, but remained quiet. Cinna gave a large sigh. "Hmm, she's still really down about Scarlet. Do you think she'll ever get over it?"

A taller man came to stand beside him. "Time heals all wounds as my wife used to say. Still, it doesn't make things any easier." Closing the gate to the chocobo pen, he secured the latch and then clapped the dust from his large calloused hands. "I think that about wraps things up here."

"Not quite, Mr Trent," Cinna corrected, and handed him a letter and a small box. "You'll need to pass these onto Ms Burgundy."

Trent eyed the items suspiciously. "And what is this supposed to be?"

"Compensation and an explanation?" Cinna replied not sounding entirely convinced himself. "The Boss is kinda occupied right now. He's not coming."

"What's that?" The pilot snarled, thrusting the items back at Cinna. "If that old wind bag thinks am taking the flak for his stupidity, then he's got another thing coming! Where's the slimy git? I'll set him straight, asking a favour from an old pal and he tries to land this one on me!"

Cinna didn't appreciate the sudden invasion of his personal space. Smelling the man's coffee loaded breath, and bearing witness to impossibly long nose hairs made him feel queasy. "Heh, heh I really don't think that was the intention…"

"Course it was! Now, where is he hiding?"

As much as Cinna wished, Trent wasn't going to leave Treno until he'd had it out with the Boss. He hated being messenger, things never went to plan as Baku promised. And it was always him that got the brunt of the abuse. He'd been spat at, threatened and even punched in the face once. It was like he had the word 'doormat' tattooed on his head, and he'd had about enough. "Fine, fine, this way."

As the men made their way back up the steps, they failed to notice two hooded figures emerging from behind the hay bales. After checking no one had seen them, they slipped out into the city of eternal night.

Marcus smiled broadly as he stood outside an imposing building. The iron work was a series of twisting vines and spirals that set off the warm, ruby glow of the lanterns perfectly. Trickling water fountains could be heard, as was the tooting of a horn when announcements were made. The Card Stadium was the largest on the whole Mist Continent, with architecture that left tourists drooling and filled the nobles of Treno with immense pride.

Marcus turned to his companion who was overwhelmed by the structure. "You ever been to a place like this before?"

"Of course not! Surely you remember what I told you about my father?"

To their left, the registrar - a beagle with a yellow pointed hat, was checking her papers at the desk. She glanced up at the them briefly before returning her attention to the spidery scrawl.

It was always like this. Marcus had tried in the past to be polite, enquiring about the evening weather for example, or giving a curt cough. However, the members of staff were sometimes a little hard to win over. So now, Marcus leaned heavily on the counter and pressed uncomfortably close to her and grinned.

"Can I help you…sir?" she asked, deliberately leaning around Marcus to the younger man standing beside him.

This shocked Frederick for a moment. "Oh, there appears to have been some misunderstanding… I'm not even a member of this establishment!" It wasn't as if he were dressed in a fine suit, his simple shirt and trousers could only be called smart at best. Even so, the receptionist appeared to be treating him with far more respect than poor Marcus. It was then, that he saw the thief place a shiny gold card on the worktop.

With a look that could sour milk instantly, the receptionist met Marcus' smug grin. "Well, that changes things somewhat."

"Sure does," he agreed with hooded eyes.

The disgruntled beagle took out a large stamper and two tickets. She stamped them with far more force than necessary and bid the pair a very curt good evening.

Parcel followed Marcus through the large archway into a very different world. From the ceiling, chandeliers sparkled with light and he was blinded by them. He slowed down a little to navigate his descent down the carpeted steps into a gigantic hall. The strong smell of piped tobacco, hit him along with finer scents of perfume drifting by. He heard the tinkling of glasses on a tray, and the clicking of waitresses' shoes as they did their rounds of the tables.

"Mr Marcus, what was on that card?"

He smiled back. "You're gonna find out that Treno is just a whole bunch of contradictions."

To Frederick, it always seemed as if the thief delighted speaking in riddles. "I do not fully comprehend."

"Don't matter. You wanted to take a break, right? Got your playing cards?"

"Er…Yes… But I hardly believe I am ready to take on world class players!" To this, the older man shrugged his shoulders and continued to move through the crowd.

There were many tables in the stadium, mostly set up as one on one games. Some of the other players were taking part in Black Jack and Whist for a change. The atmosphere was charged, so many people enthralled and enchanted by Tetra Master. Parcel was stopped and asked about a drink, which he declined. Marcus however, ordered two large beers for table 7.

"Can't be taken seriously if you sit there without a drink," he warned.

Frederick raised an eyebrow. "Contradictions indeed! How can one remain alert and focused on the game if they become inebriated? It defies logic itself!" He wasn't expecting Marcus to laugh so openly in his face. "Well, I hardly see what's so amusing!"

Marcus put a conspiratory arm around him and pulled him closer. "If you ain't got a drink, it makes the other players think you're not stickin' around. If they think you're not stickin' around, they won't bet their best cards." He finally released Parcel and continued walking ahead.

Through the smoke, Frederick was surprised to find the clientele of the stadium to be incredibly varied. There were the nobles dressed to the nines in gold and jewels, and other players that looked very rough in comparison. He came across a woman with green hair for example, had a full facial scar that stretched from one ear, across the bridge of her nose and back to the other ear. The weapon of choice she carried was nothing less than a battle axe with a rather unfriendly jagged edge. Frederick couldn't help but wonder where he'd seen such a character before. He dodged to the side to allow a large bear to shuffle past, before enlightenment struck him. The wanted posters around town! Wasn't her bounty something like five thousand gil? Yet no one in the entire stadium seemed remotely interested in her.

They found their table over in the corner, and Marcus sat down. Parcel, who was privy to sitting next to Marcus, tried to learn as much as he could. He was hypnotised by the cards and the way every game was so different. The thief played a few rounds with an elderly hippopotamus who eventually lost a prized Behemoth card with attack points F. Another opponent included a dwarf who was lulled into a false sense of security by winning the first match, and then proceeded to be beaten constantly after. From him, Marcus obtained a duplicate of his white dragon card, although quite how the card had been copied so quickly was a mystery.

"How did he train to be so good?" Frederick said aloud in wonder.

One of the spectators gave a snort behind him. "You a first timer or something?" It was a boar with two sharpened tusks pierced with golden rings. "Haven't you ever heard of Card Shark Marcus?"

"Card Shark Marcus?"

The boar shook his head making the golden rings jingle. "Your friend there, he's one of the big guns. Been coming to this stadium for as long as I can remember, won the Card Tournament at least seven times and even beat the Regent!"

"The Regent? As in, the Regent of Lindblum?"

"Hey, even officials need a break now and again!"

They were soon drawn back into the card game. Marcus appeared to be in a spot of bother however, with most of his hand turned blue. If he carried on like this, he'd be beaten in a perfect game and lose all the cards he'd played.

"Excuse me, you drinking that beer or wearing it as an accessory?" A waitress jolted Frederick out of the action. She was a pretty brunette with one hand firmly attached to her hip. "We could do with the glasses, ya know…"

He rediscovered the pint glass that he'd been cradling for the past hour. "Oh! My sincere apologies." And without even thinking, downed the whole beverage. He placed the glass onto her tray, and turned his attention back to the game.

By now, the dwarf was rubbing his tiny hands with glee. In only two moves this match would be his. His opponent appeared to be in deep concentration, no doubt trying to think of a way to escape defeat. But the dwarf knew better, he had waited for the opportune moment to take control. He cared not about Card Shark Marcus' reputation. As far as he was concerned, a player was only as good as their next game. He placed his final card on the grid, and began to stretch out his hand to take all the cards on the board as his own. However, a larger hand clamped around his wrist.

"Bit eager, aren't we?" Marcus said. "I haven't played my last card!"

The dwarf snatched back his arm. "Ye're as good as dun!" he protested. "Ye dinnae have tae get sae roof!"

Despite the dwarf's obvious annoyance, Marcus took out one final card. He placed it in the bottom right corner of the grid and smirked with satisfaction. Nothing seemed to happen straight away, but suddenly one blue card glowed and became bright orange. As the battles continued, each card was overcome until a chain reaction was unleased. The single orange card transformed four in a single line. The line of four became an orange cross, and then spread even further until the entire grid was claimed. A great cheer erupted around Marcus' table. The winner scooped up his cards and shuffled them back into his increasing collection.

After a time, the queue of people to challenge Marcus began to die down, and he invited Frederick to sit in the opposite chair. "We've got some time to kill, wanna practise?" He saw the young man's brows furrow together. "Come on, I'm not gonna rob yer blind!"

"Is that right, Card Shark Marcus?"

Despite his reservations, Frederick did play. He'd improved a lot since playing with Blank and Zidane on their journey through the Aerb Mountains. They chattered a little about the university and how the medical training was coming along. The doctor in training found the never-ending lectures exciting, but ultimately exhausting too. It was one the reasons he'd agreed to come out with Marcus, to take his mind off the stress.

"So, how's your lady friend doing? Victoria?" Marcus had just claimed an Alexandria card with arrows in four corners. Not a bad starter card, but there were much better ones that he'd spotted in his partner's pile. Frederick was holding back on purpose.

At this question, Frederick's eyes softened ever so slightly. "She is well, thank you. I believe she is gaining more publicity for the workers and even the unions are showing interest. It sounds most promising!"

"You gonna invite her to Treno?"

The cards in his hands shook suddenly. "Surely, you jest? Whatever for?" He took a large gulp of his second frothy beer, which was nearly empty.

"Don't you want to keep in touch with her?"

"But we exchange letters every week!" Parcel began defensively, "It is not as if we are…" Suddenly, he glared at Marcus. "What business is it of yours anyway?" The thief gave a fanged grin at the young man's expense. It looked like Parcel was about to storm off, but instead he sank back down resting his head on his elbows. "I do miss Vicky," he admitted almost in a whisper.

It was true, receiving those letters were often the highlight of his week. She had a very fine hand and the pages were scented too. They shared successes in her life and gave welcome news about the city. All of this however, was just impersonal chit chat that she could say to anyone. But when Frederick had told her about the dragon attack, her following letters had become very different. Underneath a heavy pretext of concern, there were words and phrases that she had never written before. The whole tone of the letters sounded more affectionate. He wasn't sure how to respond, so had written nothing back.

"I wouldn't know what to say," he confided after another beer. Evidently, Marcus had a new career as a councillor. "We've known each other since we were children. I used to make fun of her freckles for goodness sake!"

This revelation made Marcus snort but he recovered quickly. "Hey, people change. At the end of the day, you have to take happiness when you find it. She ain't gonna wait around forever."

Parcel sighed in agreement. "The female of the species… You seem to speak from experience."

"Maybe."

"Care to share?"

Marcus scooped up his cards. "Nope." He ignored the pouting face of his companion. "It's about time we went to check on our favourite patient."

Outside, the air had grown chilly. Frederick buttoned up the neck of his jacket and turned up the collar. He walked briskly passed the young fir trees wondering how any vegetation could survive without the sun. The benches where the nobles liked to have their afternoon tea, were empty. A light breeze made the yellow and green parasols flutter, the only sound, aside from the trickling water.

They didn't have too far to go, as The Rising Star was located on the waterfront. Marcus gave the innkeeper a quick wave and headed down the corridor. He gave a knock and upon hearing a grumbling greeting, entered the room.

Inside, Blank was leaning against the window, staring out at the bright lights of the city. He had a large blanket wrapped about his shoulders. The young man had recovered from the raging fever, but there was still a wheezing from his chest that troubled him.

"How you doin' today?" Marcus asked, leaning against the wall.

"What do you think? This sucks!" Blank snapped back.

"It won't be for long."

"I'm fed up of being stuck here. I want to go and see Zidane!" He began to cough again, his throat burning with the constant irritation.

Frederick set about his business, carefully pouring some hot water from the copper kettle. He took an herbal remedy from his pocket and added the ingredients, before thoroughly stirring. After that, he handed Blank the steaming cup. "Take this," he ordered. The red head took a peek at the contents, which turned out to be a mint green liquid with a pungent smell.

"No way," he said, holding the cup at arm's length.

Frederick grinned evilly. "You are beginning to act like a child again. Do you wish to be healed or not?"

"Course I do! Just don't want to be a guinea pig to a stuck up, doc wannabe, that's all. Yer think I'd forget you nearly burnt my nose off last time, Parcel?"

The memory brought a smile to Frederick. "Whether you believe me or not, I do have your best interests at heart. Do no harm is a part of a doctor's sworn oath, after all."

"Yeah, do no harm, my arse!" But Blank snatched the medicinal cocktail anyway. His face screwing up as he forced himself to finish every last drop. It was perhaps the biggest compliment Frederick had ever had from the thief. "That was gross," he said, sticking his tongue out.

"Well, medicine is hardly meant to taste like chocolate!" Frederick retorted.

Blank shuffled back to his bed. "Like I know what chocolate tastes like." He propped the pillows a little higher and rested his hands behind his head. "So, Marcus, have yer heard anything from the Boss, yet?"

It had been over a month since their ordeal in the mountains. With the loss of two chocobos, weapons, items, inn rooms and food, the bills were beginning to rack up. Parcel's payment would cover a little, but this was Treno. The longer they stayed here, the worse it would get. Sure, they could pick pocket a few nobles to make ends meet, but this wasn't their territory. The thieves in the slums might have a few words to say about unwelcome competition, and they couldn't afford to be attacked right now. Not to mention, the number of guards around the city would make things even more tricky.

Because of this, Baku had taken it upon himself to disappear. Marcus knew the Boss had some errands and would come back eventually, however, this was taking far longer than even he expected. Then there was the mystery of where Zidane was supposed to be. He thought they were happy enough at The Rising Star, but the next morning both Baku and Zidane were gone. There had been the odd message left at the front desk, along with a small bag of gil to keep them going, but it revealed very little.

"Sorry no, wish I had better news."

"What does the Old Man think he's doing, anyway? It doesn't make any sense, just taking off with Zi like that. I mean, he wasn't gonna die or anything, right?"

Frederick nodded. "He had bruising and a bad sprain at most. Bed rest would be recommended, but certainly nothing life threatening. Perhaps I could make some enquiries, and see if anyone has heard about the whereabouts of Mr Baku? Or perhaps even a monkey tailed youth?"

"You've done enough," Marcus said, shaking his head. "You need to focus on your studies, not get involved in our mess."

"But even so, I would still like to assist. It would play on my mind terribly should anything foul befall either of them." Blank began to stare. "What?! Why are you gawping at me again?"

The red head didn't have an answer. His mind couldn't process that Parcel had volunteered freely to go and look for members of Tantalus. "Thanks, man." The words shot out of his mouth before he could take them back. What the hell was that? he thought, horrified. "Erm, I mean…"

Looking equally shocked, Frederick was the first to recover. Such a comment sounded dangerously like respect, which he knew was impossible because this was well, Blank. He smoothed a hand through his raven hair. "Obviously, the illness is causing confusion in your little weak mind. Maybe you should be a good boy and have a nap, hmm?"

"I don't need a nap, pretty boy. I need to find Zidane!" Blank had never been more grateful for an insult. "If yer gonna help, then go do it and stop buggin' me!"

"Tsk, so ungrateful." Frederick huffed as he went to leave the room. "You haven't changed at all," he said, but his lips were already curling into a smirk.

After he'd gone, Blank turned onto his side. It felt strange relying on someone who wasn't a member of the troupe. Geez, we've been at loggerheads for so long. When did I decide he was okay? The realisation made his stomach churn, he wasn't sure if he could take being 'nice' to Parcel from now on.

"Don't sweat it." Marcus' voice drifted over from the window, as if he knew exactly what his brother was thinking. "Stranger things have happened."

"Yeah, I guess - still weird though." He turned onto his back. "Do yer think he'll find something about Zi?"

The older man looked thoughtful. "Who knows? Treno's a big city, Zidane and the Boss could be anywhere."

Meanwhile, Zidane had regained consciousness and felt like a deflated balloon. His arms, heavy and floppy were trapped beneath tight bedsheets. In vain, he tried to open his eyes but it was as if someone had sewn his lids shut. After several attempts, his only reward was the growing sensation of a nasty headache. Where am I? he wondered.

"Zidane…"

His body tensed. The voice sounded like the dry cracking snap of a burning kiln. But as he listened his own body began to feel colder and colder. He didn't know how long it had been since he'd seen or heard anything from outside his dreams. And what dreams they were; an entire world that pulsated with a queer blue light. It was an alien place, where he saw himself standing on a bridge overlooking a river, except the water wasn't moving. Zidane had seen rivers bursting with life with gold tailed fish swimming and jumping into the air. Rivers were meant to be alive, they made sounds, but here it was completely silent and still. The spiralling mosaic paths tinted with mother of pearl seemed to stretch on forever, and trees that looked like mushroom plumes towered high above him. Do I know this place? I feel like I do.

"Zidane…" the voice returned. "My angel," it said, "my angel…"

What are you saying? However, the more Zidane tried to remember the more the words slipped away. He could do nothing and sank helplessly back into his deep slumber.

The next time he became aware, Zidane was banging his fists against toughened glass. He was sure there was someone on the other side watching him, but it was hard to make them out as the bubbles kept distorting the image making it warped and strange. "Who are you?" he tried to say. A shadow flickered, they could hear him. "Let me out!"

"My angel…my angel…my angel…"

He didn't care who it was, they couldn't keep him here. "Damn it, let me go!"

"Hey, Tribal!"

"Let me go!" Zidane screamed. "Let me go! Let me go!"

Baku nearly jumped out of his skin when the boy gave such strangled cries. He wanted to go over and shake him awake, but he found himself hesitating. The door looked increasingly tempting, but there was a part of him that just couldn't leave.

He glanced around and saw the glass vase on the window sill. The beautiful lilac tulips that had stood so pleasantly before were thrown onto the floor. Heavy boots trampled on their delicate bodies as Baku strode over to the bed and dumped the water on top of the screaming dreamer.

"Cut it out!" he bawled and took five large steps away from the bed. His hands clutched the vase tightly against his chest like a shield.

At last, Zidane responded. "Whoyersa? Whoyersa? Whereyame?" Then he felt his soaked nightshirt and water sliding down his face. "Whyomoweta?" He kept blinking over and over trying to see where he was.

Bosu growled. "So, yer finally decided to join the world of the living."

A turn of the head found the Tantalus leader right by the door. "Oh, hey Boss!" Zidane piped up cheerfully and then cocked his head. "So erm…whatcha got there?"

Bosu looked down at the vase he was still holding. "Nothin,'" he said hastily, setting it aside.

An awkward silence spread between them. He's being weird. Zidane thought trying to sit up a little straighter, but a sudden jolt up his leg made him wince. "Okay, ow. Won't be trying that again." He looked down at his arms which were covered in bruises and scrapes. "Geez, why am I so beat up?" Baku didn't offer any explanation and remained by the door.

"Boss, help me out here, would yer? I'm really confused!" Zidane tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "Have I done something wrong?" Maybe he'd messed up really bad somewhere and he just couldn't remember. Zidane braced himself for a scolding from a parent, however the man did not move. He refused to even look Tribal in the eye. "Look, I'm sorry, alright? Whatever dumb thing it was, I'll make it up to everyone!"

There was still no response. Baku did look up but behind those goggles it was difficult to read him at all. This silent treatment made the hairs on Zidane's tail stand on end. He'd prefer a slap over the back of the head than this. Suddenly, the unwelcome stabbing in his right temple made itself known again. He sucked in a painful breath.

Baku took a step forward but stopped himself. "Tribal," he said heavily, "we'll be needin' to part ways."

"What?!"

The large man crossed his arms. "You heard me."

"Very funny, Boss! Yer had me going there for a minute!" Zidane gave a light chuckle, of course Baku was just pulling his leg. Tantalus was his family, they'd lived in the clock tower forever, they were going to travel across the world in the Prima Vista together.

"I'm sorry, kid." Baku wavered, but his telling hand was already curled around the door handle. "Jus' the way things work out sometimes."

No, don't go. Don't leave me alone.

As the door clicked shut, Tribal struggled to digest what had happened. For a few moments, he simply sat there shaking his head in disbelief. "He can't be serious. There's just no way..." Then he was struck by an icy cold wave of terror. He clawed at the sheets and scrambled out of bed. Zidane managed to get within a metre of the door before his weak leg collapsed and landed with a hard thud. This ain't happening. On his belly, he snaked closer and closer until his cheek banged against smooth oak wood. Despite his leg screaming bloody murder, he forced himself to reach out. If I could just reach it! His sweaty fingertips slipped as he tried to turn the handle, once, twice and a third time he failed. At last, he managed to get a grip and pulled hard… only to find the door was locked.

"What have I done wrong?!" he screamed. "Damn it!" He punched the solid wood instantly regretting the action as his whole body swayed and toppled over.

Zidane stayed down on the floor boards, beaten. His chest hurt so badly, like there was a deep gash right across his heart. He couldn't fathom what this new emotion was; all he knew was that Baku Bosu, the man who was the closest he'd ever had to a father, had just abandoned him.

Chapter Text

Chapter 16 - Sold

Baku’s heart squeezed a little more with each pound of Zidane’s fists at the rattling door. Give up lad. He closed his eyes waiting for the beaten silence, but the screams of rage seemed to go on forever.

“Boss. Boss, please I’m sorry!”

His name began as a plea but steadily transformed into a dark word, a curse, and Baku knew that it would always haunt him.

By the fire, a man stooped low holding out his hands. “Are you sure the brat just wants watching? I can make him real quiet for you, wouldn’t take long at all.”

“Ya know full well what I want Pug,” Baku snapped. Pug gave a buck toothed grin in return. He wasn’t Baku’s first choice as a spare pair of hands, but he couldn’t get any of the Tantalus Crew involved, not even Marcus. “I’ll be back. Keep watch and keep shtum, that’s what am paying yer for, right?”

Baku trudged around Treno in a daze. His mind refused to focus on a solution to his current problem which was driving him mad. How could he possibly tell the troupe that he was throwing out Zidane? He could see it now, a full-blown mutiny with Blank and Ruby leading the way. I knew he was trouble. Should have followed my gut and walked away that morning. But I didn’t, and now it’s eight years too late.      

He stumbled upon the Knight’s Residence, a rather grand building that housed the largest weapon shop on the entire continent. He didn’t have the money for a new weapon but there was something else in the shop that might take his mind off things.

Baku pushed open the tall wooden door and stepped onto the black scaffolding leading to the shop counter. An old woman stood there smiling, tapping her long fingernails on the desk.

“Good afternoon, sir. How can I help you today?”

 “I want to fight,” he growled, drawing his iron sword.

The old woman raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? That’s a griffin in there you know, I can’t guarantee your safety.”

“Just get on with it.”    

“Go stand in the middle of the cage then.”

Baku stomped over; he could feel his teeth grinding inside his skull. Sometimes fighting could offer him clarity when nothing else would. Below him, a gigantic bird with iridescent purple wings and sharp talons was strutting around. He heard the crank of a lever, before the floor gave way and he was falling towards an angry, snapping beak.    

Meanwhile, Trent huffed and puffed as he climbed the steep marble staircase. He paused to remove his hood and wiped his brow. “That idiot, thinks I’m some blinkin’ mailman, the bloody cheek of it.”

Cinna nodded absently, thinking of the best way to explain to Trent that his boss had actually disappeared.

“Are you listening to me, Cinna?”

“Er, sure, Mr Trent, when we get back to The Rising Star…” He stopped, pretending to peer out over the water.

The older man hovered behind him. “What are you stalling for?” he shouted, before dropping to a whisper. “So, you noticed them too, huh?”

“Yeah, they’ve been on our tail since we left the chocobos.”

“We’ll split at the Auction House and backtrack to the slums.”

They both set off. Cinna didn’t break into a run or hurry, he knew better than that when being stalked. He could see the Auction House in the distance coming closer and closer. From the tall narrow windows beams of light shone through, and an illuminated Pegasus with white wings and lowered head, perched above the wooden doors. Whoever was following them (if they had any sense) would steer clear of a public place. And sure enough, by the time Cinna had wound his way around the outer brick walls he no longer felt like prey.  

Alone, Cinna helped himself to a black cloak from one of stalls and retraced his steps back to the central bridge in Treno that led to the exit. From there, a brisk walk down to the lower city was all he needed to return to The Rising Star Tavern. He looked around for Trent but there was no sign.

Did he get caught? Cinna wondered, his eyes darting in the dim light. He sank down onto a bench to wait. “Maybe my mind’s playing tricks, I mean, who’d want to follow us?” He shook his head dismissively. “I’ve had enough of this; I’m jumping at shadows!”

Suddenly, there was a hard, sharp poke in his back. His spine straightened to attention, and when he tried to reach for his hammer, the blade plunged a little deeper between his shoulder blades. 

“What do you want?” he whimpered. There was no response to his question. “You better back off, I’ve got my brothers coming any minute.”

“Your brothers, huh?” a voice purred into his ear but the blade remained. “I know all ‘bout your brothers. A little birdie’s been tellin’ me you’ve all been fightin’ dragons in the mountains, that wouldn’t be true now, would it?”

He laughed awkwardly.  “Gee, what can I say? We didn’t want to fight any Grand Dragons, one just found us.”

“But you got a pretty gil for all the dragon’s teeth, ain’t that right?”

“No way, that dragon was burnt to the ground by a fire wave. We don’t have any money, and some of us got hurt pretty bad, then we had to pay to get them seen to.” Cinna wriggled on the bench. “Look, Treno ain’t cheap ya know.”

The stranger eased the blade back slightly. “Funny how none of that turns up in the letter to a gal back home.”

Cinna could smell rose water, a cheap perfume that he recognised from somewhere… 

The stranger continued, “Took a little longer to get over the mountain than we thought. Everything’s just fine here. Nothing to worry your pretty little head about, we’ll be home soon…” He could hear the sharp rip of paper. “Absolute hogwash, how could you boys do that to me? I’ve been worried sick about y’all!”

He winced. “For Gaia’s sake Ruby, you didn’t have to come all the way to Treno to find us!”

“Cinna honey, my Pa’s dead or did you forget that?” Ruby spun the blacksmith around like a top. “You boys are the only family I got and I hear that y’all nearly died from some Grand Dragon. What in tarnation am I supposed to do?!” She dragged a deep breath through her nostrils. “Now, where the devil is the Boss?” 

“You can join the queue for that one missy,” Trent said as he jumped out of the darkness. “I’ve got a word or two to have with ‘im myself.”

“Well, I’ll be. Hi Captain Trent, how’s life treatin’ yer?”

“Not too bad,” he said, turning to speak to a nearby bush. “And you can come out too young lady, it must be uncomfortable in there.”

Victoria stumbled from her hiding spot, pulling a stray twig from her auburn hair. “How could you possibly have known I was there? I was quiet as a mouse.”

Trent chuckled. “You must think I was born yesterday, those clipperty clop boots are a dead giveaway.”

“But I so wanted to be a successful stalker.” She pouted at him yanking her skirts back into some form of order.

“I told ya not to wear those darn boots, Vicky!” 

“It isn’t very lady like to say such things.” Victoria sniffed with disapproval at Ruby before turning her attention to Cinna. “Excuse me, have you seen Frederick by any chance? I heard about the journey over the mountains, I’m ever so grateful that you saved him.”

“Oh, it was nothing. You’re welcome and all that though.” Cinna scratched the back of his head. “Frederick’s doing really well at the university, he’s even helping to get Blank back on his feet. Hey, that reminds me, we better be getting back sharpish.”   

As the group made their way to The Rising Star, Ruby was quiet. Not the calm and serene type of quiet, the sort that was the calm before the storm. 

Cinna twisted the key in the lock and gently opened the door. “You know, even though you’re kinda scary right now, I’m glad you’re here.”

As they entered the room, Ruby spotted Blank asleep in his bed but Cinna put a finger to his lips and gestured towards the fire. “Parcel’s been giving him all sorts of pills and potions, he’ll be fine.” Ruby frowned as she cast an eye over the red head’s peaceful form, but then settled onto the stool. 

“Right, now tell me what’s goin’ on?”         

Cinna went to speak and then stopped. He tried again, throwing his hands in the air.  “All I know is, we got a room here and the Boss took off the next morning. Zidane was gone too and I just thought maybe he’d gone to sort his busted leg, but he didn’t come back. There was a note and some gil but I can’t track him down.”

“That don’t sound right, why would he leave you boys without a plan, huh?”

“I swear on my hammer that’s all I got,” he insisted cuddling his most prized possession.  

Ruby didn’t know what to make of such events, but she knew Baku Bosu was a control freak that loved to be in charge of everything Tantalus did. She shook her head. “This ain’t like him, this ain’t like him at all.”

It was the funniest thing, just when you thought your day couldn’t get any worse - it did. The ropes bit into Zidane’s wrists as he swayed to and fro. It was completely dark; his knees were tucked towards his stomach with only the sound of his ragged breathing for company. He poked against the confined space and wondered how he’d ended up here.

“I brought the goods, now where’s my money?”

Zidane finally managed to wiggle his tail free that had been wrapped around his feet. It didn’t sound like Baku; this voice had a deep twang of the slums about it, which could be good or bad for him.

“You will have your payment soon enough Pug,” another man said, “I would like to inspect my purchase if you do not mind.” This one reminded Zidane more of Frederick, there was something about the way his words rolled on the tongue. 

The man called Pug growled. “Alright, have it your way.”

Where once there was darkness, daylight flooded in and Zidane was dumped onto the floor. He blinked furiously as the creak of a metal door clanged shut. As his eyes adjusted, Zidane realised he could see through the bars of a cage. He was being watched again just like in his dream and it made him shudder.

“Who are you?” he demanded trying to stand up. Unfortunately, his leg cramped and he was forced to slunk back down.

There was a loud tsk from the gentleman the other side of the bars. “You assured me this one was in pristine condition. He is lame, just look at that leg!”

“Always picky picky, he’s got looks good enough to attract just about anyone.”

Mr Picky readjusted his glasses. “This is not what was promised, you will receive 2500 gil only.”    

“That ain’t what we agreed, Auctioneer.” Pug’s face reddened as he scraped a huge hand through the tuft of blond hair that reminded Zidane of a pineapple.

“Well, you could always throw him back into the gutter you retrieved him from.”

At that, Zidane rattled the bars. “Hey, quit talking about me like some piece of junk. Who the hell do you think you are?” 

The auctioneer stopped and smiled. His long, red nose peered down at the captive. “Hmm, such a potty mouth, how deliciously rebellious.” He took a pouch from his pocket and tossed it to Pug. “Well then, as a gesture of good faith you may have 3000 gil and not a penny more.”   

Pug didn’t need to be told twice. “Always good doing business,” he said heading for the stairway.

With the two of them alone, the auctioneer strolled around the cage. He wore an oversized silver gil pin on the lapel of his tangerine coat. It was obvious he held some sort of importance, but Zidane couldn’t make it out. What sort of place would hold people in cages like this? There was something about the way the man was inspecting him that made him feel queasy.

The temptation to panic was starting to creep into his nerves, but he knew that escape meant he needed information. “Listen, I’m getting really fed up of being hauled around and waking up in strange places, where am I?”

“In this place, things that are unloved and unwanted become desirable and are sold.”

This didn’t make any sense, weapons and clothes were sold at the market not actual people. “Did the Boss put you up to this? Is he so desperate to dump me?!”

There was a hollow laugh that echoed through the hall. “Where you come from and the Boss you knew no longer matter. All you simply need to understand is that you are my property now.”

“Your property? No way, I’m a Tantalus and a Tantalus don’t belong to anyone but themselves, Ruby said so.”

“Talk is cheap as they say. In time, you will come to realise that I what I say is true. Tonight, you will be sold and have a new owner-”

“The hell I will!” Zidane yelled. 

It seemed the Auctioneer didn’t appreciate loud outbursts from his property.  “I’m afraid our little chit chat must be cut short; I have my three o’clock to consider and we mustn’t keep the public waiting.” He brushed down his duck egg blue trousers. “No one will find you down here. Many have tried and all have failed to leave, you will be sold in the end.”    

Zidane could only watch as his jailer disappeared behind the door. It was cold in here and the hairs on his tail were spiked up end to end. He didn’t want to believe that Baku would just sell him like that. Surely, the others were worried about him? But in this solemn quiet he felt something he couldn’t explain. It was like vines growing around his heart, closing off the warmth that came when thinking about his family. “They’ll come and get me,” he whispered. But when he closed his eyes and tried to imagine such a rescue, the vines grew thicker and tighter. He needed to get out of here. Zidane peered through the bars into the dim candlelight and sighed. No, if Baku didn’t want him why should he bother? He’d only find another way to cut him out of the troupe. But he hadn’t even had time to say goodbye.

“Hello?” a child cried out. “Please, is there someone there?”

It took a second for Zidane to snap out of his daze. “Oh hey, I couldn’t see anyone else in here.” He heard a fit of sniffles and coughs. “You okay?”

“No, I’m…nnnot okay. I’ve been tttaken, I’ve been tttaken from my brother. He’ll be wwworried sick… He can’t look after himself.”

When she started to weep it was more than Zidane could bear. He had to stop moping and help her out. “Ya know, you sound like a really good big sister, what’s your name?”

“N…Natalie,” she said.

“Ah, that’s a pretty name. Well Natalie, I’m gonna make a promise just for you. I promise to get ya out of here and back to your bro, alright?”  

There was a silence that stretched for a long while. It seemed the girl was trying to compose herself before she replied, “Why would you help me?”

Zidane couldn’t help but smile. “Well, one of my big brothers told me that ya don’t need a reason to help people. I know what it’s like being apart from yer family, it hurts right? I don’t really get it, but-”

“I wish Mario was here,” Natalie bit out.

“Aww, I can be your big bro for a while if you like.” He quite liked the idea of being the eldest for a change. Even at the age of eleven, he was still the youngest member of Tantalus and everyone treated him like a kid.

“You will? But I don’t even know your name.”

He’d always enjoyed introducing himself, maybe it was the acting side of him.  “My name is Zidane Tribal,” he said, “and I’m real pleased to meet ya.”  

   Blank hadn’t expected to wake up and have Ruby force feeding him chicken soup, this was a nightmare. “What the devil yer doin’ here?”

“Now don’t pitch a fit Blank, lemme help yer git better,” she insisted pressing the bowl of soup back into his hands. “And anyways, that’s a fine way to treat a lady that’s travelled miles to see yer.”

“Nobody even wants you here,” he moaned.

She glared at him. “Yer an ungrateful mutt Blank Tantalus, I reckon that Grand Dragon must have knocked all the sense outta yer.” Then she snapped her head around to look at the others. “So, the Boss has gone AWOL and Zidane is missin’?”  

Marcus knew how it looked. He could only nod in agreement and leaned against the wall. “There’s only one thing I can think of that might have spooked the Boss. Something happened to Zidane on the mountain-”

“Don’t be telling her about that,” Blank cut in. “Zi is still Zi, I don’t care what anyone says, he’s still one of us!”

She smacked him over the head. “I know that, silly.  We all love the bones of him, even you. Nothin’ yer tell me could ever change that, so what happened on the mountain?”

The reaction of the group was quite telling. They looked at the floor awkwardly, not quite sure how to describe what happened. All they knew was Zidane had scared them and they couldn’t explain why.     

“Zidane has a power,” Marcus began. “He kinda starts glowing and sayin’ weird things in a language I ain’t heard of before. It was like he became a different person.” When Ruby nodded, he continued. “I saw symbols on the ground and he was casting some sort of spell, a real powerful one.”

“A fire wave cooked the Grand Dragon in an instant,” Cinna added.

“Ya tellin’ me that our little Zidane, took out a Grand Dragon on his own? Jus’ what in the Lord’s name possessed him to do that! Where was Baku, why wasn’t he fightin’ that dang dragon, huh?” Ruby’s face screwed up as if she might breath fire herself at any moment.

Angry Ruby was bad, but Blank knew if left unchecked, her fury would lead to a full on screamathon. “Geez, calm down Rubes.”

“Don’t yer be tellin’ me to calm down. I’m so mad I’ll knock the teeth clean down the Boss’ throat and he’ll spit ‘em out again in single file!”

The goblin like man put a large warm hand on her shoulder. “Don’t get excited, a lot happened in that battle. The Boss and I tried to take the dragon down but we got poisoned. Cinna and Blank were knocked out by lightning. Zidane’s chocobo burned to death in the flames and after that he started acting really weird.”

Upon hearing this, Ruby’s face fell and the full seriousness of the situation became clear. “He must have been so upset, but I ain’t never seen Zidane do anythin’ like yer describing,” she admitted.  

 “Not as a kid, but he is reaching that age of... well, becoming a man. Which reminds me, you ever had that talk with him Cinna?”

“Hey, when did that become my department?!”

“Anyways, we were all in danger, a bad situation. Maybe that tipped him over the edge and woke up this ‘power’ in him. We know zip about his background after all, where’d he come from? A race of people with monkey tails, maybe they all use magic.” He walked over to the window, looking out into the dark. “There’s too many unknowns, but I do know that power gave me the creeps.”          

No one in the group could argue with that. They’d never come across such destructive fire magic. At first, they’d been glad that the Grand Dragon was dead but upon reflection it had been completely decimated. Such power was frightening.

The clock on the wall ticked for another hour, but there was still no sign of Baku. Ruby spoke to the inn keeper about an additional room, whilst Trent considered whether he should just walk away.

“That was quite a story.” He took a pipe from his pocket and filled it with tobacco. “I’ve seen my fair share of odd things over the years, not sure what I’d make of this though.”      

Blank didn’t reply at first, he had all sorts of thoughts chattering inside his brain. Eventually, he rolled on his side and looked at Trent as he blew out a thin cloud of smoke. “You’ve known the ol’ man a long time, right?”

“Hmm, long enough. Folks died in the war, built Tantalus up from scratch so he could pick up waifs and strays like yourselves.” He took another slow drag. “It could be possible that he sees Zidane as a threat now.”

“That’s a bunch of crap, we’ve grown up together. Zi wouldn’t hurt us!”      

Trent shushed him. “Watch that mouth of yours - ladies are present.” He waved at Victoria who gave a thankful smile in return.  “What if the next time this power gets loose it’s one of your brothers in the line of fire, or Ruby, did yer think about that?” The teen turned away from him in a huff. “When you’re the Boss, you have to make tough decisions. Sometimes those decisions don’t make you popular, but you still have to do it.”  

Blank didn’t like taking advice at the best of times, but he could understand what Trent was getting at. Still, he wouldn’t just abandon Zidane. “I reckon we could find a way to help him control…whatever it is.”

“Our specialty is fighting,” Cinna reminded him. “Any magic knowledge we got is pretty basic.”

“Yeah, but there are people out there who do know stuff. They’re called mages, I heard the Boss talk about them once. We could find one and ask them. I bet Frederick knows someone at the university.”

Trent had never understood how his friend could reconcile thievery with bringing up children. It just didn’t seem to fit, despite Bosu’s insistence that they only stole from those that could afford it. But he had to admire Blank’s determination. Baku had raised these kids to be good people, a real family.

All at once a great commotion could be heard outside. Marcus opened the door as Cinna and Trent peered over his shoulder, swords at the ready.   

“Erm, Boss?” Marcus couldn’t believe it. Baku staggered from wall to wall in the corridor, tripping over his own feet. His purple beard and moustache were singed and jutting out in all directions. The white shirt he wore was torn, his face black with dirt. “Boss?” Marcus caught the much larger man and propped him up. “Where have yer been?”

Baku wheezed, “Zidane’s gone.”

“We know that, you took him with you, remember?”

“No damn it!” he growled, trying to fight off the increasing guilt punching him in the gut. “That double-crossing bastard stole him. I’ve no idea where the hell he is!” 

Chapter Text

Chapter 17 - True Colours

“Guess the auctioneer guy wasn’t joking after all.” Zidane groaned, nursing his throbbing cheek. “Escaping won’t be a cake walk.”    

Natalie was a talking shadow opposite him. “Are you okay, Mr Zidane? That must have hurt.”

“Yeah, I should have known better,” he started to shout, “than try and bribe his mindless cronies.” The door slammed shut again. I need some pointers for sweet talkin’ girls cos that was pretty lame. “I’m okay, honest. I mean, I’ve fought a Grand Dragon and lived to tell the tale, right?” He grinned at the gasp from his inmate. “Yeah, I’ve faced worse than this.”

In truth he had, but Tantalus had always been there in case it went wrong. It was going to be a different story from now on. Maybe I could get my own band of thieves, how about the Tribal Terrors? He sighed. Nah, just ain’t right. I’m not a leader; people look out for me, not follow me.

The creak of the door brought the Auctioneer sauntering into the prison. He went first to Natalie, passing something through the bars. “There’s no need to be afraid. I noticed that you require some new clothes.” The child backed away, shoving her hands into tatty pockets. “This is pure silk, have you ever seen a dress so lovely?”

“Leave her alone,” Zidane snarled.

“There is no need for jealousy, I have brought you something also.” The auctioneer presented him with a bundle. Zidane stared at it and his nose wrinkled. The green waistcoat and black buckled shoes would make any young boy look like a prince.

“You want us to look pretty for the buyer or something? I’m not wearing that.”

There was a sudden snap from Natalie’s cage and a high-pitched cry. Zidane thumped his forehead against the bars. “What are you doing?”

The snap came again louder this time. It continued with swishes and cracks. He watched in horror as the Auctioneer circled the cage lashing out at Natalie with a bullwhip, he was frighteningly accurate. She ran to the other side but the Auctioneer was waiting. Zidane flinched at every snap of the whip. There was nowhere for her to go, and his heartbeat spiked as the chase intensified.     

“I would never break the skin of course.” The man sneered. “But tell me boy, shall I play cat and mouse with her a little more?” Zidane shook his head. “Then again, it is not essential to sell any goods tonight.” This time the whip stung Natalie on the wrist making her howl.  “Down here, there is plenty of time for trifle hurts to fade.” He crouched down near to the girl. “You will wear the dress, won’t you?” Natalia glanced up at him, her head nodding stiffly.    

He ain’t right in the head, Zidane thought. Sure, Baku had given him the odd cuff around the ear and random sword fights in the basement, but Zidane had always been able to defend himself. How can he hurt a kid like that and smile?         

“If you continue to be uncooperative, I suppose I will just have to keep punishing the girl.” The Auctioneer flexed his whip. “Although, if you leave it too long, she may be scarred for life.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll put the clothes on damn it.”

“And you will cease this ridiculous notion of escape?”

Zidane hung his head. “Whatever you want.”

“Marvellous, I truly look forward to tonight’s special auction.” He looked over his shoulder at the monkey tailed boy. “You would be surprised at the calibre and competitive spirit of the bidders. It always makes things so very interesting.”

Meanwhile, Baku bared his teeth and continued to struggle. “Get off Marcus, I don’t need fussing over!”     

It was unheard of for Marcus to ignore the Boss. Out of the entire group they had known each other the longest. “You always told me fightin’ the beasts in that weapon shop alone is suicide. What gives?”

“I don’t have to explain nothing to you.” His face was beginning to turn as purple as his beard but somehow Marcus managed to hold the armlock.

“Please Boss, let Ruby sort yer head out and I’ll cut yer loose.” At last, he felt the large man collapse back into the chair.

Baku took a large gulp of the lukewarm coffee that had been tittering on the edge of the table.  “Curse you, Marcus. I’m getting too old for this.” He glared at his crew their faces grew pale. “Quit gawping, haven’t yer got somethin’ else to do?”  

“Idiot!” Trent waved a flimsy note in Baku’s face.  “Did you really expect me to just hand this over to Ms Burgundy? I’m a man of my word, you said you’d treat those chocobos like your own family.” He crushed the note. “I’ve come especially in the Prima Vista to collect a whole herd, and I find out the youngest thoroughbred has been cremated!”

Baku scowled. “We had complications…”

“Yer call Zidane fighin’ a Grand Dragon a complication.” Ruby teased off his sticky hat and cracked goggles. “I bet you’d call an alligator a lizard, huh?” He jerked as she dragged a damp cloth over the scratch. “Marcus reckons yer scared about that magic stuff Zidane pulled off, but that ain’t no reason to throw ‘im out.”  

“You weren’t even there, woman.” Baku snapped.

“Maybe, but-”   

 “Shut yer mouth, yer never saw what I did.” He forced himself to breathe, but the tightness in his throat grew worse so he dug nails into the bridge of his nose.

“Right, get out of here, the lot of you.”

“I’m bed ridden here,” Blank protested.

Trent stood up. “Out I said!”

Marcus pulled his Brother from the bed. Cinna rolled his eyes but complied anyway, taking Victoria by the arm and leading her outside too.

“Bosu, what the devil has got into yer?”

“Why didn’t I leave him there? I never wanted another mouth to feed and I don’t give a stuff about what happens to him.” The coffee cup smashed.

Ruby’s eyes narrowed. “If that’s true, then why yer actin’ like this?”

“I kept telling myself that, fightin’ the Griffin.” He bent over to retrieve a jagged piece and hissed.  “I got trounced, started remembering stupid things.”

She tore a strip off the table cloth and knelt down beside him. “What did yer remember, boss?”

Baku peered up at her through his bushy eyebrows. “I dunno…Humming first thing when I’m tryin’ to get shut eye. Asking questions, robs my cards when I’ve had a few. Eats like a hippo and those hare-brained schemes he comes up with.” He winced. “Divin’ in without thinkin’, fighting monsters well above his weight and then expects me to bail him out.”

She finished tying the knot. “That sounds like our Zidane, don’t it?”

“In a few years’ time, he’ll be chasing after girls and that’s a hassle I can’t be arsed with.” Baku pulled his hand away, tucking it under his armpit. “But I took ‘im home, gave him a name and made him a Tantalus.” This ramblin’ ain’t gonna get him back. Brain tellin’ me one thing, heart strings another, I don’t know what the chuff to do!  

“I know why you didn’t walk away that day.” Trent smirked as he tugged his grey moustache.  “Because a Tantalus always gets what he sets his eyes on.”

The thief was surprised to hear his number one rule. Captain Dolf Trent had always told him how childish it was, but coming from him now it made perfect sense. Baku cracked a smile. “Fine, let the brats back in, we’re gonna find Zidane.”

Trent scanned left then right, but when he opened the door the only one there was Blank shivering in his blanket.

“Well, they weren’t gonna wait around for the old man – achoo! Victoria and Cinna went to the university to ask Frederick for help. And Marcus headed for the card stadium to get some leads.”

A growl escaped Baku’s throat. “Is that right? Since when did yer start makin’ plans without me?” Blank blew his nose. “Forget it, gwa ha aha ha! I’m goin’ to the slums to track down Pug in whatever hole he’s hidin’ in. Yer with me?”

Trent shrugged his shoulders. “Fine, but you’re coming back with me to Ms Burgundy even if I have to drag you. I’m not your messenger boy.”

The two men charged down the hallway leaving Ruby shaking her head.  “I’m getting’ mighty fed up of being left behind.”

“You and me both.”

“Up for a bit of searchin’ of our own, darlin’?”

They shared a sly grin.

“Read my mind, Rubes.”

At the slums, Trent and Baku continued their search for Pug. This part of the city was a DIY model kit of wooden blanks, mismatched curtains and lopsided roofs with water butts near the cracked gutters. The people here were wary, refusing to open their doors to anyone. It was more than Dolf could handle trying to keep his friend calm as the Tantalus leader stumbled around yelling the vagabond’s name. But when his back flared up, they were forced to take a break near the fire.

“Been a while since someone pulled the wool over my eyes.” Baku grumbled. “Forgot what it felt like.” When Trent offered his pipe, he took a deep drag. “I remember fallin’ hook, line and sinker for a lot of things back then.”

 “There’s no guidebook for creating a band of thieves, I expect. You were a real pain in the neck for me.”

“Oh yeah? Well, you and that stuffy uniform were a joke.”

Trent adjusted his wide belt. “Thought I looked the bee’s knees in that get up. The trousers though – what a killer, did they have to be so darn tight?” He burst into laughter until he realised that Bosu’s head had sank. “Not again, we’ll find yer boy, so -”

“It ain’t that. What if we find ‘im and he don’t wanna come home?”

“You’ll have to deal with that one day, but I’ve got a feeling it won’t be today. Don’t get me wrong, he’ll be angry and probably give you the cold shoulder for a week. Still, if you let him in the Festival of the Hunt this year, I think he might just forgive you.”

The silence grew between them as they watched the smoke rings rise towards the twin moons. Where would that Pug slink off to? Baku thought, if he wanted to make some gil off Zidane but not get caught, what options has he got? Sellin’ dead bodies to those med types. He shuddered a little. No, Fred would have been all over that. Holdin’ out for a ransom? Nope, he knows I wanted to get rid, that don’t make sense. He looked up, spotting a slum boy staring at them from behind a barrel.

“See somethin’ interesting, kid?”

The boy yanked his blue t - shirt down over his belly, before he stepped forward stopping a metre away from the strange men. “You’re not nobles, are you?”

Baku pointed to the shoddy state of his attire. “Do I look like some posh toff to you?”

“Sorry, I guess not.” The boy lifted up his white cap and grinned. “The nobles try to push us around, keep telling us to dismantle our homes and move on. The thing is, they exploited us to make their money in the first place. They took all the water front property and forced us up into the hills. It’s not right.”        

“Er, sure.”

The boy came to them and offered his hand. “My name’s Mario.”

“I’m Baku and this here is Trent, nice to meet yer.”

“I shouldn’t sit here and complain about it really. My big Sis tells me off for that, she says I’ll end up a self-fulfilling prophecy and spend the rest of my life in this miserable place.”

“So, where is this sister of yours?”

Mario’s grin faltered. “She’s been taken.”

It was only now that Mario was sitting close to them that Baku could make out a black eye and swollen jaw. “What happened?”

“We went to see one of the demonstrations at the water front, power to the people.” The boy suddenly yelled and punched his fist into the air. “But when we headed back, someone kicked me down and snatched Natalie. I ran after them all the way to the place but when I told the men at the door, they wouldn’t believe me.”

“And what’s this place?”

“The Auction House.”

Trent scratched his head. “You can’t be serious? All they do there is flog useless junk to those with more money than sense. I’ve seen griffin hearts, rat tails and wacky mirrors but not kids!”

“I’m telling the truth, cross my heart and hope to die.”

“Alright, alright we believe yer, as it happens, we’re lookin’ for our boy that’s gone missin’ too. No harm in checkin’ for both.”

Mario jumped up and clapped his hands together. “Thank you, thank you so much.”

Behind the red curtain, Zidane pulled at the collar of his shirt. He hadn’t had new clothes in a while, Ruby tended to mend and patch up his shirts at home and that suited him fine. When he wanted to look fancy, he just borrowed one of the Boss’ costumes, although that wasn’t exactly an option right now.

“You doin’ okay, Natalie?”

She tried to smile for him. “My wrist stings a bit but I’m fine.”

“Don’t give up, I’m keepin’ that promise no matter what, okay?”

“I know,” she said as her voice cracked.

Two chandeliers burst into life illuminating the grand hall. A crowd had gathered and quickly filled the velvet plush seats, fanning themselves or straightening their top hats. There were others too, birds carrying large swords and bears with sacks that leaned on the grey stone walls further to the back.         

The Auctioneer stepped onto the small stage with two marble columns either side. Behind him, a dramatic painting stretched all the way up to the arched ceiling.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome once more to our very special auction.”

Zidane felt the blood in his veins boil. Soon as I’m out of this, I’m gonna get the police to tear this place down.

“I am confident that tonight you will find something to your taste and perhaps there may be a few surprises in store as well. Please, have your cards at the ready.”  

Chapter Text

Chapter 18 – Bidding War

It was slow going as Blank followed Ruby along the winding paths, asking passers-by if they had seen a boy with a monkey tail. Sadly, the answer was always the same and that was only if they bothered to stop and talk.

Man, they’re just in their own little bubble, aren’t they? Blank thought as he sneezed for the umpteenth time. “Damn it, I’m slowing us down.”

Ruby nudged him with her elbow. “Naw, yer fine partner, better than doin’ nothing at all.

They’d come to the largest bridge in the city, many couples arm in arm looked out at the spectacular view. The buildings were floating islands of light, lit up from below, their reflections shimmering in the water.

“Ya know, when we find Zidane, I really want to go and see a show.”

“Huh?”

“At a real big theatre. The ballet maybe, you ever seen them pretty ladies leapin’ so high and in the arms of a fine man? Gives me goose bumps.”

Blank could feel flem tickling the back of his throat. I better not hock it out just now, he decided. “Hey, wasn’t your mom a dancer in Treno once?”     

She slapped him on the back. “Well bless yer pea – pickin’ little heart, you got a memory after all!” Ruby laughed at the thief’s scowl. “Yep, I’m gonna find me the place where ma danced, somehow.”

“Pardon me dear,” an elderly woman with a maroon shawl waddled towards the pair. “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation.” She eyed Blank warily as he spat on the ground. “Is the young man quite well?”

“Jus’ ignore him.” Ruby sighed. “What did yer wanna say?”

“Only that I wondered which theatre you were looking for. You see, the old Pegasus Theatre was bought out years ago and Lord King converted it into his own personal mansion. I’m a big admirer of the performing arts myself and I was so disappointed when it happened.”

“That’s a mighty shame, is the old theatre still around? Even if it ain’t puttin’ on a show I’d sure like to see it.”

“Oh yes, if you keep walking to the right and follow the steps down you can’t miss it. It’s been given a whole new lease of life as an Auction House.”

Ruby gave the lady a curtsy. “Thank you kindly, that’s a real help.” And as she waved goodbye, she dug Blank in the ribs.

“What the hell was that for?”

“Do yer have to be so vile in front of the locals?”

He sniffed. “Like I care what they think. Come on, if we follow the old bird’s directions, we might find out something about Zi.”

They weaved in and out of the evening strollers and navigated the wide stones across the lake. Soon, an imposing Pegasus loomed over them and Ruby stared in silence for a while. The building was a chequerboard of white and coral bricks, chiselled cross windows and a security guard that gave a large yawn.

Blank strode up to the guard who immediately readjusted his yellow sash. “Hi there, we wondered if we could just have a little looksie inside?”

“Get lost, riffraff!” the guard bawled as he reached for his sword.

“No need to get excited, the girl here just wants to reminisce.” Geez, wears a fancy piece of cloth and thinks he can talk to folks like that?  

Ruby stepped between them and smiled sweetly. “Blank don’t give ‘im a hard time, can’t you see the dedication he has to his work? Your boss must be mighty impressed, after all, being in charge of this big, ol’ important Auction House. My, my, the responsibility… You know, I sure love a man in uniform with a strong sense of duty.”       

No matter how many times he witnessed it, Blank was always amazed at how Ruby could turn a torama into a kitten with a few choice words. She lay a hand on his shoulder and smoothed out the creases.    

“My dearest mama was a dancer here.”

The guard swallowed and pulled at his collar. “Well, the thing is, there’s an auction on at the moment.”

“Is that right, darlin’? You wouldn’t let little me take a sneaky peek, would yer?” she purred and leaned in closer. “I know how awful busy you are, but I would really, really appreciate such a kindness.”

“I suppose I could let you in the side door...”

Sucker! Blank rolled his eyes.

They followed the security guard around the back of the mansion and good as his word, he fumbled with the small padlock until at last they were inside.

“When I get off, perhaps we could meet for a drink?” the guard whispered.

Ruby caressed his cheek and wore a grin that promised the world and more. “I would sure like that,” she said, before closing the door firmly behind her.   

Inside, Blank smirked before peering around the nearest column. “You really are something.”

“Jealous, pumpkin?”

“As if.” 

The Auction House was full of nobles and undesirables sharing the same red velvet chairs stacked in rows. In alcoves just off the main hall, were more intimate booths that he guessed were for important guests that did not want to be recognised. The crowd was already in the middle of a bidding war with numbered cards punching the air. They cried out in a chorus of high-pitched demands and insistent low drawls. Higher and higher the bids climbed in a frenzy of final chances and last-minute sniping. The upper classes and underworld lords clearly got a kick out of spending such astronomical amounts of gil.

"I purchased a life-sized griffon statue the other day..." one nobleman said to the lady next to him.

She fanned herself with an emerald silk fan trimmed with gold leaf. “How wonderful! I’ll bet it’s gorgeous.”

“Indeed, it is. I had to add a room to my mansion for it!”

“Oh, my…”

“Everything costs so much!”  

And with that, the pair dissolved into a fit of laughter.

Ruby took in every detail of the stage; imagining her mother, wearing the same pink ballet slippers that she held so dear, leaping and twirling gracefully in front of an adoring audience. To be in the spotlight for all to see and hear gasps of amazement at the spinning pirouette. Perhaps her father had sat in a seat not so different from this, unable to take his eyes off the beautiful dancer that had claimed his heart. It was a strange feeling, bittersweet.

“Huh, you okay?” He stared down at the talon grip the young woman had on his arm.

Shaking her head, she suddenly felt incapable of trusting her words that might transform into tears. She swallowed hard. “Maybe this ain’t my brightest idea.”

A winning bidder roared with triumph making Ruby jump.

“I’ve got yer,” Blank said, squeezing her hand. “Don’t go fainting on me though…”

Such a gent!  she thought darkly, but didn’t let go.

Further auctions came and went: a gold, diamond encrusted behemoth figurine, Mini – Cid, Une’s Mirror, dark matter and many, many more acclaimed accessories sold for mind boggling sums.  

“What’s a Doga artifact supposed to be anyway? And magical fingertips? Seriously, Trent wasn’t kidding, they could buy the Prima Vista three times over with that kind of gil!”   

“Oh my stars, fairy earrings! I’ve always wanted a pair of those!” Ruby cooed.

The auctioneer’s head snapped from right to left, hunting for eager hands. “I just heard 9500 gil!”

“10,000 gil!” a man cried from near the back.

“10,100 gil!” countered another.

Blank shook his head in dismay. Who in their right mind would want to increase the price? Haggling’s more fun than this, and thieving’s even better.

“10,500 gil, anymore?” It seemed as if interest in the fairy earrings had waned. “Sold for 10,500 gil!” As the gavel was brought down the auctioneer bowed to his audience. “Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our absolute auction. Now, we shall move onto a more bespoke auction. Members who do not possess an invitation are asked to vacate the premises and I look forward to your returning patronage in the near future. A short intermission will now follow.”    

A bespoke auction huh? Blank heard the curious mumbling from the nobles that appeared not to have secured an invitation. He studied the crowd in the hall again and suddenly had an idea.

“Hey, can I borrow your headscarf a minute?”

Carefully, Ruby unwrapped the aqua scarf that had once belonged to her mother. “Well sure, but whut do you want with it?”

“Not for me, for you. It’s silk, right? And with that silver lined detail it should pass as something from one of those poncey boutiques.” He draped it about her shoulders, ignoring the girl’s bewilderment.

“Yer must be as crazy as a lady bug!” she hissed.         

Blank wrinkled up his nose as if he might sneeze again. “But this is the perfect time to ask about Little Bro.” She began to pout. “Well, I can’t do it, can I?”

“I dunno, I reckon you’d fit right in with those bounty hunter types… If yer weren’t so eaten up with a cold.”

“So, you’ll do it then?” 

Ruby didn’t answer. She stormed away from the red head behind the pillar, and wandered about the great hall. Feeling completely out of her depth, she asked questions about a young blond boy and was met with a range of responses, but ultimately, they were all the same. No one had seen him. She did however manage to strike up one promising conversation.

“Lady Margo,” the noblewoman introduced herself. “Well, who knows my dear? The auctioneer caters for most tastes, perhaps a slave with a monkey tail may turn up. Oh, and that scarf is absolutely divine, you must tell me where you got it.”

The actress laughed. “Oh, just a lil’ ahem, little shop in Lindblum.” She wasn’t used to minding her P’s and Q’s. “Did I hear you right, mentioning slaves?” 

Lady Margo grinned. “I suppose that is a rather vulgar term, isn’t it? In this day and age as well.” She took out a mirror and fussed with the enormous white and purple feathers of her plumed hat. “Personally, I need new serving staff and a bit of eye candy never goes amiss. Although once I’ve finished with them, my husband has a rather tedious habit of throwing them back on the street, such a bore!”     

Suddenly there was a clap of hands. The auctioneer pushed his spectacles back up the bridge of his nose and smiled.  

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome once more to our very special auction. I am confident that tonight you will find something to your liking and perhaps there may be a few surprises in store as well. Please, have your cards at the ready.”   

Lady Margo winked as she took her leave. “Must dash, my husband insists I’m his lucky charm when it comes to bidding.”

Meanwhile, Zidane stood behind the red curtain, his toes tapping. He hadn’t felt this restless since the Ali Baba pantomime when he was nine. Not that I was being sold at the time, he mused. Damn these cords are tight and this dog collar sucks... He wriggled his wrists, any minute now the bidding would begin and he still hadn’t figured out a way to get loose. But he had to find a way, Natalie was counting on him. 

As the curtain swished open, a chorus of ooo’s and aah’s erupted. Usually Zidane reveled in the spotlight and loved to entertain, but he’d just about had enough of being stared at. Out there, a sea of eyes displayed so many emotions: desire, excitement, disgust and joy. He couldn’t understand them, he didn’t want to understand them. He wasn’t some fancy coronet to pick up for a song, he was a living, breathing person.

The auctioneer came behind him, clamping two firm hands on his shoulders. “Remember our deal, or little Natalie will face the consequences.”        

“I’ll play my part.”

“Our first lot, I am sure you will agree is a handsome rogue. Clearly something that will brighten up even the dullest of chores around the home. He may require some breaking in but that is to be expected of course.” He yanked on the leash, forcing the Tantalus thief forward. “See the golden hair, perfect teeth and a smile that will charm any guest.” The auctioneer gave a poignant look.

“Are you for real?” Zidane growled back. The sudden jerk at his throat suggested otherwise. He gave a smile and the gagging pressure ceased.

“See this tail? An exotic curiosity, the perfect ice breaker at dinner.”

Give me a break! But he twirled his tail in circles, making the ladies squeal with delight.

“I guarantee that you will not regret such a purchase. This robust young man, has met with an unfortunate sprain that will need tending to, but just think of the ways he could show his appreciation afterwards.” 

Not likely… Zidane felt his stomach turn as an elderly lady blew a kiss.

“Shall we start the bidding at 20,000 gil?” A great flurry of activity followed with a wave of cards being presented at record pace. “20,500, 30,000 and 500, 40,000 -”

“50,000 gil!” Lady Margo cried out giving Ruby a challenging look.    

“My goodness, it appears the ladies have such fighting spirit tonight! Yes, he is a grand prize, isn’t he? Will you take him home? 60,000 I have, 75,000 gil, 80,000! Ladies and gentlemen, this is incredible, a bidding battle of the highest order.” The auctioneer’s arms swept across the room; his attention held only for as long as the price was right. The gil kept rolling in. “95,000 gil, anymore? 95,000 gil for the monkey tailed boy, going once.”

Climb the rafters? Nope, not with my hands like this.  

“Going twice…”

I’d be caught if I ran for the door.

“I will sell ladies and gentlemen, do not lose this fabulous opportunity.”

I just need a distraction, anything will do!

“100,000 gil!”      

Tremendous gasps came from the audience, a slave had never sold for more than five figures.

“100,000 gil? That is an extraordinary sum! May I have your name my lady?”

There was a pregnant pause as Ruby stepped forward. “Er, well now, that would be… Lady Ruberta.”

Lady Ruberta? Zidane squinted against the limelight, that voice sounded strangely familiar. 

“A fantastical bid from Lady Ruberta, 100,000 gil. Going once, going twice, sold to the lady in the scarf!”

Blank pulled up his black hood and followed ‘Lady Ruberta’ as she gracefully made her way to the stage, ignoring the frustrated huffs of disappointment. He flashed his dagger openly however, letting the crowd know he was not to be messed with.

By the time the pair had reached the auctioneer, Zidane was far too occupied wondering whether he could strangle his jailer with the leash. He didn’t want to kill the man, just squeeze enough to knock him out.  

“Lady Ruberta, if you could just show your card, I will be able to locate your payment details.”  

“Well I’ll be, heh, seem to have mislaid the critter. I’ll have a looksie in my purse, must be here somewhere.”

Taking his chance, Blank whispered to Zidane. “Hey, Little Bro.”

The blond did a double take before recognizing his former partner in crime. His sea blue eyes narrowed. “What are yer doing here? Thought you’d kicked me out of Tantalus.”

Blank had to crane his neck slightly as he glared back at his friend. “Don’t be dumb, everyone’s been looking for yer!”

“Oh yeah? Everyone?” Tribal demanded. “I bet the Boss ain’t lifted a finger. He told me we had to part ways, ya know. He locked me up and sold me off to a total scumbag.”

Blank jumped onto the stage. “He didn’t mean it. He just cacked his pants, cause of that fire number you pulled on the Grand Dragon. Sheez, you fried it to smithereens and scared the stuffing out of me too.”

“What are you on? I never fried a Grand Dragon!”

“You mean you don’t remember.” As he unsheathed his dagger, the crowd at the front of the auction screamed in horror. They began to clamber over the chairs trying to put as much distance as they could between themselves and the armed red head. “Look, I’ll explain later, but the Old Man’s been a proper sappy mess since you went missing.” He cut the cords around Zidane’s wrists and sliced his leash. “Any idea how to get outta here?” 

“Probably a fight, kinda hard without a weapon though.”

The auctioneer spun around. “Wait, Lady Ruberta, what is the meaning of this?”

“Idiot, you know I keep a spare. Why am I always helping you?” 

Zidane took the dagger with a cheeky grin. “Aww shucks, why break the habit of a lifetime?”

Crack!

The reunion between the pair was rudely interrupted as the auctioneer flexed his whip. “Unfortunately, your bid has been rejected, you will return my property at once.”

“Zi ain’t no-one’s property, you stuck up bastard,” Blank said as he dodged the thin leather snake snapping in his direction. “You want him, you’ll have to…ACHOO!” The sneeze was enough to distract the red head and the auctioneer snared his arm.

“I wonder how much pressure the human arm can take before it pops like a pinata,” he said, pulling the whip tight.

“Ha, you think your little skipping rope is enough to tie me up for long?” 

The auctioneer and Blank struggled in a tug of war on the stage. By this point, the auction had been abandoned by bidders in their droves.

“Security, we have uninvited guests in the Auction House, release the Bandersnatch!”

“And just whut in tarnation is a Bandersnatch?” Ruby asked, but before her Tantalus brothers could reply, a snarl came from backstage. “Oh my, I don’t like me the sound of that.”   

“We can beat one of your little guard dogs no problem,” Zidane piped up defiantly.

“Er, Sugar…I gotta feelin’ there might be more than one.” She clutched at her scarf and staggered backwards towards the others. More snarls joined the first, some from the upper stalls and some from behind the pillars of the long corridor. A whole pack of Bandersnatch stalked forward ready to tear them apart.  

“Dammit!” Tribal cursed as they were surrounded. This is bad, what are we gonna do now? 

Chapter Text

Chapter 19 – The Rise of Tantalus

Zidane had heard the Boss talk about a Bandersnatch once, but seeing it in the flesh was an eye opener. From a distance it looked deceptively cute, with big floppy ears and a curly tail that reminded him of a cinnamon roll.

“Don’t let it lick yer,” Blank said. “Sends you straight to sleep.”     

The Bandersnatch panted, letting its long red tongue loll out. Thick drops of saliva dribbled onto the stage; its glowing green eyes trained on the three friends.   

“How do you like my little pets?” The auctioneer stroked his monster, the Bandersnatch delighted at such a fuss. “Do you vermin realize how much money I, Sebastien Gillingham, have lost due to your insolence? I will be reimbursed, with interest!”

At once, the Bandersnatch set upon the thieves, rushing into them with incredible force. Zidane and Ruby dived in different directions, but Blank could only fall backwards as the auctioneer’s whip still held him tight in its grasp.

Ruby shot back up immediately, seeing Zidane squirming in pain.

“Why won’t this thing just heal already?” he moaned clutching his thigh.

With another monster advancing, she had no choice but to drag him along the tiled floor. All around them were snarls and growls. One Bandersnatch to their left took a mistimed snap catching Ruby’s scarf and dragging her back. She screamed, her hands clawing at the precious memento. “You git yer filthy mitts off my mama’s scarf, or am gonna jerk a knot in your tail!”

“Just leave it,” Zidane cried.

Ruby grabbed one of the nearby chairs and smashed it down onto the monster’s head. Its howl went through her, breathing became ragged as she brought the chair down again and again until it had splintered into pieces.

“I think you got it, Ruby.”

Indeed, the Bandersnatch had long let go, the nose less hound lay silent on its side. She retrieved the scarf and opened it out, mourning the series of tooth marks along the edge. “What am I gonna do with this?”

“Move!”

Zidane yanked the young woman out of the jaws of another Bandersnatch and introduced it to his dagger. He hated hobbling away from enemies like this. Looking across, he could see Ruby wrestling with the velvet ropes hooked onto a stanchion. She seized one of the golden poles raising it like a club and began swinging it around with wild abandon.

“Bring it on, yer pack of hornets.”

I think she’s enjoying this a little too much…

Back on the stage, Blank and his unwanted dancing partner were circling each other. For the moment, the auctioneer kept the Bandersnatch at bay, seemingly confident in his ability to finish off the thief without interference. Blank didn’t think much of this; for as soon as the tides of battle turned, and they would, no doubt the pompous weasel would change his mind.

The problem still remained however, as his dagger waggled uselessly in the hand of his trapped arm. He had to do something about that, preferably before Zidane and Ruby had been chomped into chow. Blank ran full pelt towards the auctioneer with a demonic grin. He slid on his knees seamlessly dropping the dagger from his right hand and scooping it up with his left. As he continued to skid towards his target, he thrust the dagger outwards aiming at the auctioneer’s ankles.

“What on Gaia, are you doing?”

The auctioneer jumped causing him to topple over and lose grip on the whip. Relieved, Blank untangled the limp leather from his arm, which resembled a bleeding beef joint with multiple lacerations.  

Great, more scars to add to my collection.

“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?”

“Clever, handsome, modest – just a few of my better qualities.”

“Street scum!”

“Hey now, no need to get personal.” Blank stamped his foot on top of the black cord. “Yer never heard not to judge a book by its cover?” He slashed at the red curtain behind him making it collapse into a heap. “Call off your mutts, or am gonna smash every little thing I can lay my hands on, including those twinkling beauties up there.”

“Those chandeliers are worth more than you could earn in an entire lifetime.” The auctioneer’s usually pristine hair jutted out at all angles and his red frilly shirt was untucked and hanging. Still, he had a rather odd smile that played on his lips. “Ha, you think you can get the better of me?”

Suddenly, intense flashes of yellow and white assaulted his vision. A familiar sharp sting seeped through his bones and he juddered to the floor, muscles twitching in spasm. It had to be thundara, didn’t it? Blank thought as a pair of black and white dress shoes squeaked into view, stopping a centimetre from his nose.

“What a pleasure it would be to sell you at my next auction. Seeing you in chains, your detestable spirit breaking a little more each day.”

The hairs on Zidane’s tail bristled; he remembered being trapped in the cage, how his heart had felt crushed. All hope of escape beyond reach, not just because of the metal bars but his own mind that had turned against him. He couldn’t describe the feeling, only that it had been a very dark and lonely place to be.

Hobbling, he ascended the smaller staircase, stage left.

“Zi, what yer doing? Take Rubes and get outta here!”

But Zidane refused to listen. He staggered, trying to ignore the stabbing pains in his side. “I’m not goin’ anywhere without you.”

“Idiot, yer can’t take down a pack of Bandersnatch on your own.”

“He ain’t alone,” Ruby corrected, playfully tapping the stanchion into her palm. “Am here too.”

Guys… Blank knew if the auctioneer didn’t whip them to shreds, then the monsters would tear the meat from their bones, and if by some miracle they survived that, then the guards would carve up what was left with their swords. But they were still there, his Tantalus brother and sister, they believed he was worth fighting for.

“You will regret this,” Sebastien said. “I was going to sell you all, but I see now that would be a mistake.”

Efficiently, Ruby retied the scarf around her head. “I bet you’ve got an awful lot of regrets, Mr Gillingham. But ya gotta understand, life’s too short to be regrettin’ anything. Don’t cha see?”

“I must admit, you have amused me greatly. Our time together has indeed been far too short.” He snapped his gloved fingers. “For your sake, I will make this quick.”

From backstage a group of guards came marching. As they stopped, a salute was given to the Mr Gillingham and in return he gave a curt nod. They drew their swords and pikes turning on the intruders. Outnumbered four to each one, Ruby and Zidane soon found themselves relieved of their weapons. Forced onto their hands and knees, they struggled to no avail.

“Any last words?” Mr Gillingham took one of larger swords and deliberately scrapped it along the floor. The resulting screech of metal was enough to make teeth chatter.

“Go to hell!” Blank lay on the floor paralyzed.

“Yes, as expected, such an inspirational speech. I think I’ll let you watch your friends die first, and then I can amuse myself as you beg to join them.”

“Ruby, what are they gonna do?”

“Just look down, Sugar.” Her voice quivered as she tried to maintain calm. “Blank?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m gonna have me a nice dream.” She swallowed hard. “We’re all flyin’ on that big, ol’ airship in the sky, the one you always go and see.”

“The Prima Vista?”

“Sure thing, and… you’re the pilot steering us towards the sun. We’ll put on a play… What was that one Mr Parcel said?”

“Ruby, please don’t.”

“What was the show?” she insisted.

He wanted to see her face, but it was hidden by a curtain of grey hair. “I want to be your Canary.”

“That’s right.”  

As the auctioneer raised the sword up high, she chose that moment to tilt her head. Blank saw the softness in her grey eyes. Why’s she looking at me like that? He knew what was coming, but he couldn’t turn away, not now. Stop smiling, dammit. Not when I can’t save you!  

“Goodbye, partner.”

“Blank, why can’t I shoot fireballs now, huh?” Zidane asked tearfully. The realization of a bare neck and a sharp blade couldn’t be ignored any longer. “You said I was a real badass, right? You said I took out a Grand Dragon.”

“I don’t know how it blinkin’ works!” Blank scowled. “Why do you always gotta play hero, anyway?”

“We got precious seconds left together and you boys are -”

The double doors burst open. A steady stream of police charged down the centre aisle, dispatching Bandersnatch as the monsters jumped into the fray.

“Halt the beheading immediately,” Frederick called as he pushed through the chaos trying to reach the captives with Victoria close behind. 

The Auction House guards looked to their master for direction, but he had already abandoned them and opted to make his escape. Swords and pikes clattered to the floor in surrender. From the western side, another door was kicked in with the trio of Baku, Trent and Mario, roaring and brandishing weapons of their own. From the east, a window smashed sending shards of glass raining down upon the stage.

“Cinna, I told ya to take it easy with that hammer!” Marcus’ exasperated voice could be heard above them. He secured a rope and climbed down with steady experienced hands. When he landed and had tiptoed around the glass, he greeted his friends. “Hey, everyone still got their heads?” The three would be captives nodded and he chuckled. “That’s good.”  

A heavy thud came soon after and Cinna rubbed his sore behind. “Sorry we’re a bit late to the party.”

“You came,” Zidane said.

“Yer had doubts?” The goblin man seemed surprised. “Gotta tell ya, you play the meanest game of hide and seek. Tore up half of Treno trying to track yer down – woah, Boss!”

Baku collapsed next to the Zidane. “Did he do anything to ya?” The monkey tailed boy ignored him and twisted away. “Alright, I messed up.”

“Yer messed up? You locked me up, threw me out the troupe and sold me off!”

“Bwa ha ha ha! Can’t take a joke, eh? Heh, heh…” He gulped. Ruby was giving him the evils and Marcus had taken to avoiding eye contact altogether. “Yer really think this bunch of morons would let me get away with that? I’ve nearly had a heart attack ‘cause of you, cut me some slack here.”

“You suck.”     

“Don’t push your luck, kid.”

“I’m eleven, not a kid.” 

“Fine, yer can enter the Festival of the Hunt this year, go bag a Zaghnol or two for us.”

“Are you for real?” Tribal broke out into a childish grin. “Well, it’ll do for a start I guess…”

“Do for a start? Yer fool, you ain’t getting no more outta me!”   

Blank shook his head. “Yeah, Ruby and I are just fine, Boss, thanks for askin’.” But then someone else offered his hand. He analysed the hand and left it hanging there for a moment. “Took yer long enough,” the red head said. 

“Tsk, impatient, aren’t we?” Frederick said. “You do realise it was notoriously difficult to convince the authorities into action. They won’t rally just for anyone you know.”

“Alright, I hate to admit it, but ya did pretty good.” Blank took the hand firmly and allowed himself to be pulled up. “Tantalus owe you one.”

Mario wandered through the maze of happy faces. “Big Sis? Natalie? Where are you?”

“Aww heck, that’s right.” Zidane slapped his forehead. “There’s a girl still locked up in the dungeons.”

It didn’t take long to rescue Natalie, although she lectured ‘Mr Zidane’ about making her wait. With brother and sister reunited, however, the sibling’s attention was focused on more important things such as organising a slums revolution. Victoria was keen to learn more and decided to stay on in Treno, much to Frederick’s delight which he made no attempt to hide.     

That had been a week ago and the gang were still waiting. Cinna slumped in a corner by the fire, snoring and Zidane was propped up in bed with half a dozen pillows. Ruby had long given up trying to wipe up the mess of spilt beer and pork scratchings from the rickety table. Blank had recovered from his cold and considered his cards carefully as Marcus kept an annoying poker face.  

“Still can’t believe that scumbag talked his way out of it,” Zidane said in a huff.  

Ruby perched on the bed and ruffled his hair. “At least he ain’t gonna be snatching kids no more.”

“But the auction was packed, why are they letting them get away with it?”

She understood his frustration, seeing Lady Margo and her husband tottering around without a care in the world got her own heckles rising. “Whoever this Lord King is, sounds like he’s got a finger in every pie.”

“Gil talks, simple as that.” Marcus shrugged.

“Blaming the security guard like that, what a cheap trick! It makes me mad as a box of frogs.” 

Blank smirked at her from behind his cards. “You’re only mad ‘cause yer didn’t get to have a drink with him afterwards!”

“And what’s wrong with that? He seemed like a nice man to me, didn’t deserve to be used as no scapegoat.”

“Whatever.”

Back at the Auction House, Mr Gillingham was more than aware of his close shave with the law. The cages that had once hung in the dungeon had been taken away and replaced with something altogether new. He circled the curious new arrival, about the size of a small child.

What use does Lord King have for such a doll? he thought sullen. Steepled hats are so last season and as for those baggy trousers! Honestly, I know of a perfectly good tailor…   

“So, what do you think of my prototype?” 

Gillingham gasped. “Lord King, I didn’t expect you to be back so soon.” The auctioneer had only known the younger man for little over a year, but he was always taken aback by his flamboyant appearance. He surmised that his Lord’s dress sense was due to a great love of theatrical arts and hence why he had purchased the Pegasus in the first instance.     

“Yes,” Lord King said. “My visit to Alexandria was most informative, the ugly – elephant lady is the perfect candidate. Although, she is far too content at the moment, I shall have to pull my puppet’s strings with some delicious tragedy or other.” He paused to consider The Prototype, which had no eyes to speak of, only a darkened face concealed behind a high turned collar. “I wonder how long dregs of souls last?”

“I beg your pardon, my Lord?”     

The young man laughed and raised his hands to the heavens. In the flame of flickering candles, Lord King’s hair resembled more of a Behemoth’s mane than a man. “Do not trouble yourself, it is far too soon.”

“I wished to express my gratitude; your intercession was more than I deserved.”

“Inciting war and greed on Gaia is an expensive business. In order for my plan to succeed it is vital that the auctions continue. However, your little secret side business, slave trade was it?” Lord King caught his loyal servant and pinned him against the wall. He smiled as his long, purple fingernails dug into the struggling auctioneer’s throat.

“Please… forgive me…” 

“You almost beheaded the boy,” his tone became dangerously low.

“I…did not…know!”

Lord King relented, withdrawing his nails. “I must admit, I was surprised myself. I never considered he might actually survive.” He released Gillingham, who promptly collapsed. “I’m prepared to wait a bit longer, Zidane,” he promised. “But only to prove who has the greatest power. And when it is your final curtain call, it will be I who will take centre stage.”

In the early morning, Zidane woke up with the rather odd sensation that he was moving. This wasn’t the strangest thing however, the fact that he could tell it was ‘morning’ had been unheard of ever since they arrived in Treno. But he couldn’t deny the rays of sunlight streaming through the window. Am I dreaming? he wondered. Perhaps the withdrawal of being away from Lindblum for so long had caught up with him. He did miss being able to look out of the clock tower and see the whole city. Zidane liked to watch the cabs zipping around from one station to another, the mist rising from their wheels. He was itching to get back to thieving too, no doubt all this bed rest had made him rusty.

“Hey, sleepy head, finally awake?” Cinna stood at the foot of the bed. “It’s about time yer got up. Get dressed and meet me outside, and don’t take too long.”

“Yeah, sure.” Zidane threw the blanket off and hunted for his clothes. They were neatly folded on the back of a chair, which surprised him, as he quite often just dumped them on the floor. He pulled his hair into a messy ponytail and secured it with a ribbon. The daylight still winked at him through the clouds as he struggled with his enormous boots. Baku had told him that he would grow into the pair of castoffs from some raid or another. Until then, wearing three pairs of socks would have to do. 

He wobbled along the corridor until he met Marcus by a ladder.

“Head up,” he said. “Think you can climb with that leg?”

Zidane swung it back and forth with ease. “I can manage it, Frederick fixed me up pretty good, ya know.” He made light work of the ladder and ascended to the upper floor. Following Marcus, they came to a large square hatch.

“It can get windy out there, so just watch yourself.”

“It can get wha-” But before Tribal had a chance to finish, Marcus pushed him out.

High-pitched screeches of seagulls and the loud chugger of rotating blades assaulted his ears. Zidane staggered as a gust caught him off guard but he clung to the nearest portside. The whole ground seemed to rise and fall around him as if it were breathing. I’m not at the Three Stars anymore, am I?

This view could not be seen from any inn, in any city from the ground. They were sailing through milky blue skies and faint wisps of cotton wool. He could see the land below, a patchwork quilt of green and brown fields, white dots of sheep and houses the size of a coin. As the chilly air snatched away his breath, Zidane clamped a hand over his mouth.

“Bwa ha ha ha, brought me to tears as well.” Baku slapped the blond’s back and laughed. “How do ya like Blank’s driving? Not too shabby for a maiden flight, eh?”

Zidane spun around, searching for the helm and a familiar red head. There he is!  Blank gave a brief wave from behind the wheel, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. Trent wasn’t too far away though and kept a wary eye on the young pilot.

“Is she really ours now, Boss?”

“Yeah, the Prima Vista belongs to Tantalus, but this is only the beginning… I’ve gotta find a band and some backstage hands. More blinkin’ mouths to feed.” He scratched his purple beard. “We’ll have to change the layout, snag some new plays, ‘cause Ali Baba ain’t gonna cut it. From here on out, we’ll be upping our game, boys!”

A great cheer erupted across the bow.

Just the beginning, huh? Zidane looked upon his Tantalus family with a heart swelling with happiness. He put both hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. Well, I’m ready for anything.

Author’s note –

So, that brings Tantalus Tales to a conclusion just in time for the end of 2019! I hope you have enjoyed reading the story. Thank you so much for the reviews, favs and follows. I wish you good luck in your own writing goals and dreams for the future. All the best – Otwl.