Ether For Sale
or,
Those Who Hunt Moogles

Prologue:
Just Before the Beginning!

"Ah! Excuse me, Miss Summoner!"

Yuna flinched, but turned around smiling. She'd hoped to pass the tiny shop without incident, but it seemed as though that was impossible. Paine and Rikku sat in the background, snickering. Yuna pursed her lips as she walked to the counter, remembering that next time she wouldn't hold back her laughter when one of them got called.

The old man at the desk smiled at her, a hint of pleading in his eyes. She sighed, steeling herself for his sales pitch. It was sad that she had to repeatedly turn him down because he couldn't remember that he'd already asked her, but it still had to be done delicately. He was a very old man, after all.

"Have we met, Miss Summoner? Ah, no matter!" he said, smiling broadly. "You look to be in the midst of some adventure! Perhaps you'd like to purchase a piece of fine equipment? The lovely NotaSword, perhaps? Or maybe my beautiful NotArmor?" The sword did not look particularly lovely, and the armor was certainly less then beautiful. It really didn't look like it'd even been dusted. Ever. In fact, there was a very prominent frowny face drawn in the coating of dirt.

She forced a smile, and started backing away. "No, thank you, I'm in quite a hurry, and I'm not a summoner anymore, but thank you!" When she finally reached Paine and Rikku, she punched each of them in their arms and stalked off. "Thanks for abandoning me!"

"You didn't go up with me the last three times," Paine said, waving pleasantly at the old man.

"What a gimmick." Rikku shook her head. "W'ont Wor'ky's NotaShop. I really hope he doesn't need the money."

Yuna sighed. "Really, we should just go buy it, even if we never use it. He only has the two pieces of equipment-"

"No," Paine said emphatically. "Rikku already donated our 'Pity Money' to the Chocobo Liberation Front." She walked faster, passing Yuna. "Besides, you still owe me for what you donated to the Home Reconstruction Fund."

Yuna's jaw dropped. "T-that was for a good cause!" Rikku clapped Yuna on the back, and nodded fiercely. "Yeah!"

"But it was my Gil," Paine said, waving , continuing off down the Mi'iHen Highroad. "C'mon, we're almost to the Travel Agency."

Behind them, W'ont Wor'ky sighed heavily. "Hmm, I'd better work on my pitch."