FicWad

Roisterous singing emanated from Tule's tavern. Not surprising, considering that there was a full crew of pirates in there- probably getting blind drunk, Faris thought with a shake of her head and a smile. The crew of the merchant barque were also inside, which would explain the angry, undecipherable yells and sounds of breaking glass mixed in with the music.

Faris, however, was not in the mood for a drink. She prowled around the alleyways next to the bar, green eyes darting left and right. What she was seeking would hopefully be easy to spot. Hot pink was hard to miss, especially if it was all over your head.

Unless she 'ad the sense t'wear an 'ood... The pirate frowned as she emerged on a sidestreet. Would Reina do that? If she don't want noone t'find 'er, she would. An' seein' 'ow she ain't spoken t'me abou' this, I bet she don't... The half-smile quickly darkened to a frown. No, Reina wouldn't want to be found, would she? Especially not by that fool Aberon, or her big sister who might try and stop her.

One glimpse of a chocobo, an' she's off... 'onestly. Faris shook her head as she moved down the moonlit avenue, boots thudding on the cobblestones. Okay, so it had looked a lot like Boco, but that didn't mean it was Boco. Most chocobos looked the same. But once Reina had an idea in her head... Faris sighed.

She stiffened suddenly, the back of her neck pricking. She whirled quickly, her hand already gripping her sword hilt. A hooded figure was standing in front of her, and whoever it was had done a damn good job of sneaking up...

"Faris? What are you doing out here?" asked Reina's voice from beneath the cowl. The pirate relaxed.

"Wot are yew?" she countered.

"I would have thought you'd guessed that by now."

Faris sighed. "Lissen, Reina, jus' 'cuz yew thought yew saw Boco..." she began, but stopped. Something wasn't right. Her sister had obviously sensed the disturbance as well, for she stiffened and whirled.

The two waited in tense silence for a moment- then, a small light grew at the end of the alleyway. But it wasn't a warm light, not clear and illuminated. No, it was pale and unwholesome-looking... They took a step back from it as a dark figure stepped into the sickly glow.

Faris and Reina gasped in unison. Even wrapped in a turban and cloak, that face, that body still struck a familiar chord. "Bartz?" Reina murmured.

He turned to look, and Faris blinked hard to make sure she was seeing clearly. It was Bartz- but something about him seemed wrong. "Reina..." she warned. But her sister didn't listen.

"Bartz, what are you doing here? Why are you a Sorcerer?" the nineteen-year-old went on. "What's wrong?"

Bartz didn't answer. He just stared with a flat, emotionless gaze at the pink-haired young woman before shifting his eyes to Faris. The pirate gave a startled jolt- she couldn't explain why, but his eyes were wrong. Somehow, they were wrong. No pupils... she noticed. Solid blue. That couldn't be right. Her hand moved back to her sword, and she began to inch it from its scabbard.

"Bartz, mate... wot's 'appened t'yer?" she asked warily. The wanderer looked down sharply at her weapon. Like lightning, he had whipped his own sword out, though it was not of the like Faris had ever seen. Not with that black blade.

With his face still utterly blank, he brought his arm back. Faris saw it, but she didn't quite comprehend it. She felt frozen by that strange, solid azure gaze of his. She didn't even move as the jet metal came swinging down-

There was a sudden blur of blue armor and pink tresses as Reina barreled into her sister, shattering the spell. The ominous sword flash through her Knight armor as though it were nothing, sending dark blood spattering onto the street. Reina stood there for a moment before crumpling to her knees and crashing onto her back.

"No!" Faris cried as she fell next to her, glaring up at Bartz. "Bartz, wot the 'ell is wrong witcher?!" She drew her Ice Brand and started for him, but the young man stepped back into the light and disappeared.

Faris was caught in mid-step as a fierce internal debate raged over following him and finding out what was going on or staying and helping Reina. It was a short argument; she dropped the sword with clatter and dropped by the Queen.

"Reina! Reina! Yew awright?!" she questioned fervently. The sword had left a long, ugly slash from shoulder to hip.

"I... no," Reina answered, shaking her head. "I feel weak..."

Dammit, I bet that sword were poisoned. "Yew 'ad ter go leapin' in front of it, didncha? Jus' 'ad to take the 'it..." Faris shook her head. "Dammit, if I still knew that spell..."

A shadow fell across the two without warning, and Faris whirled her head to see what had cast it, groping for her sword. "Who the 'ell are you?!" she demanded, trying to identify the sillouhette.

"Faris? Reina? What are you two doing here?" asked a young female voice.

"Krile!" Reina breathed painfully, trying to sit up; Faris shoved her back down.

"I dunno wot yer doin' in our world, princess, but I 'ope yew 'ave yer crystals on yeh!"

"Oh!" Krile gasped, looking down at Reina. "Yes, but hold on... oh, to hell with it, Cure3!"

White light danced upon the injury, smoothing it back together. Reina winced and pushed herself up to a sitting position. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. What's going on?" Krile asked urgently. "This light just appeared in Val Castle, and someone said they saw a Sorcerer running around. Who was he? Is this some sort of portal?"

"Looks like," Faris said grimly, helping Reina to her feet. "That Sorcerer were Bartz- though wot 'e's doin', I can' say."

"Maybe we'd better find out," Krile suggested.

"Aye."