Author's Note: I blame Wood Dog for this. Giving me the last piece of this and all…I wrote this than a full day. I REGRET NOTHING!

Beyond the Masses: A Hunt for One's Self

Part One:

Humble Beginnings

Chapter One:

Carrying the Weight

The loud sound of steam leaving their mechanic prison crossed the young woman's ears, violet eyes fluttering open for the first time in hours. The mystifying limbo between realm of sleep and the realm of the awakened ones still tried to push her back into her dreams, but she was used to trespassing it again and again, never once letting herself fall into the bliss of sleep again. And so, she fully opened them, her vision slowly focusing.

"Where… am I?" she asked herself, her memories fuzzy. What she DID know though… was that she was in a bed. "Why am I in a bed?!" she asked herself, quickly throwing away the fine sheets from it. "Why am I wearing different clothes?!"her emotions started to run sky-high as she did. Had she been kidnapped? Abused? Where was she? She only remembered entering the-

"Oh, Terra, you finally woke up. Just in time also," a voice familiar to the girl said, the clasping of a door being heard. She turned in its direction and saw a man walk in. This man, this man was someone she knew, it calmed her to see him for she knew she had been in good hands. He wore a very long black trench coat with a very classy gold lining, beneath it were… it was a lot of clothes put together. For some reason, it worked, the violet tone contrasting with the coat and hair. His face though… whatever he must've been through, it had to had been harsh to leave all those scars, silver-flowing hair covering the rest of his face and flowing down his coat, into his waist. To be fair, while she wasn't attracted to him, she admitted he was extremely handsome.

But the question at hand was another one.

"Setzer…" She called, the question brewing in her mind. "I fell asleep?" our newly awakened Terra asked, sliding her feet off her bed and sitting there while Setzer sat on a nearby table. He seemed quite amused actually.

"Oh yes you did mademoiselle… why yes you did. Made quite a ruckus too! Were me and Daryl not sharing the wheel, your little sleeping quirk would have given us quite a stir!" he continued to smile, but Terra knew he was just doing so to soften up the news. He seemed to notice that too, as he dropped it pretty quickly. "You fell asleep on the edge of the airship. Had I not reacted in time and jumped for you, you would've fallen off. I do not know what you've been through lately, but I do remind you that you are a person. You need sleep. Working yourself so hard you nearly fell off my ship is NOT going to help your mother."

This was enough to hit Terra deep. She took her hand to her heart and trembled heavily, realizing how her carelessness had almost cost her mother a daughter and a life… Seeing this, Setzer walked up to her and laid his hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry Terra. It all turned out fine. We even got you out of those rags you called clothes." This revelation however, also reminded Terra how she was, in fact, in a whole different set of clothes. Before her mind drifted any further though: "Don't worry, Daryl got you the clothes and she dressed you right up. Truth be told this was going to be a present for your next birthday, but we'll just slide around the dates a bit," Her birthday wasn't even in the following three months…

"Setzer, I can't…" she began, the older man not taking no for an answer.

"Just look at yourself in the mirror and tell me that straight-faced," he ordered, pointing towards the side of the room, where a large, full-bodied mirror stood. She took his advice and looked herself in the mirror. She gasped at the sight. Standing there was a small and frail-looking young woman, wearing a very unconventional sleeveless red dress with floral patterns drawn into it followed by two matching long red gloves that covered most of her arms, several different sashes around her waist, and a whitish cape, also patterned over flowers. Her legs were covered by patterned white tights, and red and gold high-heeled boots. She had even had her two broken earrings replaced by silver ones with red gems inside them. Her blonde hair cascaded down her shoulder line, laying itself on her bare shoulders. She hated to be so conceited but…

"I look… amazing!" At least in comparison to what she was used to looking, she did! The only thing that bothered her was addressed immediately.

"Your Mama's ribbon is right here Terra," she heard a woman explain as she appeared on the side of the room, seemingly out of nowhere. She was a dirtied blonde in a similar jacket to Setzer's but colored bright red. She wore purple gloves, the inside of the jacket was green and you could see the stains of oil and rust on her whole body. Her hair was as big as Setzer's, reaching to her waist. In her right hand, waving to the movement, was something that Terra held very dearly. Her mother's floral ribbon, one that amazingly seemed to match perfectly with her cape and clothing!

"Setzer… Daryl… I can't ask you all of this!" she exclaimed, knowing that this must've cost a fortune. Far more than her or anyone close to her could compensate for.

"You didn't. We just gave it to ya!" The woman exclaimed, grabbing her hand, pulling her up to a table and sitting her down in a chair, retrieving a brush and smiling. "Now, we still have an hour 'till we reach the port, so let's get you all dolled up!" She was wearing a darn near lunatic grin as she said it. Terra looked at Setzer for help, but he said something about "laying off his apprentice from the wheel" and walked away slowly. Ladies and gentlemen, best friend in the world.

Now, most girls loooooved the idea of being catered to by another one, what with the clothing and all, but Terra had hardly ever spent any time shopping in her life, given, it was more out of necessity than out of want, but still, she did NOT appreciate a nearly hour-long tune up to her hairline. What's worse, if she didn't vehemently oppose it, she was pretty sure Setzer's fiancé would have filled her with make-up. Honestly, she felt like a doll, being dressed up by the older woman. Now, that is not to say she was not grateful beyond words to the duo, but she could be somewhat… overwhelming.

As she was being prepared for society, as Daryl put it, she had little more to do than look out the one window in the room, seeing the clouds drift by, a sliver of the landscape sometimes being visible between the fluffy white existences. Sometimes they were mountains… sometimes it was the sea… but now, it was much greener, plains of green signaled the arrival to what was called the safest large city in Minegarde. And who better to announce it than the captain itself?

"Daryl, hurry it up. We arrive at Cornelia in a couple of minutes," Setzer announced from the deck, Daryl sighing while she finished tying up the ribbon.

"Well, I guess make-up will have to wait for now. We're almost there Tewah!" she exclaimed, pinching her cheek. "To think… you'd try and enlist the Hunter's Guild. I'd never see it coming, yet, it feels oddly right, now let's go! You have to see Cornelia from the skies!" she took a mirror and showed it to Terra, who gasped again. She had no idea Daryl had such a way with hair. What was a dirty, splintered hair with no defined cut was now a lustrous and flowing ponytail, the cleaned ribbon being the centerpiece of it all. "See? Now the boys will swoon around you!" Daryl said, winking and pulling her up. "Now, for the showing." Grabbing her wrist, she lured her out of the cabin and into the deck.

As soon as they left, they caught the eye of the crew and passengers, how Terra wished they didn't. She didn't like attention, but boy oh boy, was she getting it!

"I-is that the same girl that almost fell off board?!"

"No… way…"

"She looks completely different."

"She looks downright gorgeous!"

Now, most people would pump their chest out and just strut through a crowd like this. But Terra? She was deathly afraid of them. Not going to joke. Deathly afraid of crowds. So she did the best thing she could while she was being stared out. Thought of something else. This time, the best thing she would have do is to observe the airship. Ah yes. Airship. A modified air-balloon with propellers to drastically increase speed. She was on the only airship in the entirety of Minegarde, the Blackjack. This baby was the brainchild of Setzer Gabbiani and his soon to be wife Daryl. Now, what is this, you may ask? Well it possessed a big balloon on top, the top of which was colored black and was simple enough, the bottom part, which was separated from the top by a golden lining, was colored gray and it had a stripped surface from bottom to front. It had two propellers on the top sides and two more on the back, but these were put on the lower part. The steering wheel was situated on the deck of the ship-like compartment. The ship itself was colored light brown and had a very futuristic feeling when compared to the rest of Minegarde… In short, it was a technological breakthrough, maybe the one of the decade.

After the minute or two Terra needed to cover, Setzer announced: "Ladies and gentlemen, to your left, you may see the City of Cornelia!" that said, even Terra's fear of crowds didn't stop her from rushing towards the left of the ship as it crossed the clouds. As the last of the fluffy white curtains caressed her face, she could see it, finally. She had only been outside of her home-village of Narshe once, so the sight of a City-level structure was still something she was not used to, especially from the skies. Cornelia, while not as big as Minegarde, it still competed with Dondruma and was just bigger than Loc Lac.

The city was also one of the few cities placed on a non-harsh environment, as the monster density, while existing, was lower than average, for that, it sat as a bastion of humanity in the middle of the luscious Cornelia Fields of Green. She could see that the entirety of the city was surrounded with tall gray walls, preventing any "unwanted" visitors from cropping in. The city itself was bustling with energy and life, even from above, she could see what seemed to be tiny ants, running, talking, trading, all in the interior of it. What was amazing was the minimalistic usage of man-made soil and stone, it was mostly the same pasture of green as the outside, which gave it a very natural and welcoming feel. Another thing that caught her eye was like every rooftop was made of the same stone and the same bright red color, it was amazing to behold.

Finally, the one other thing this view could wield was the mountains and the fortress. Not so far to the north, there were a pair of mountains that seemed to perfectly leave a large valley to be traversed by human and non-human beings. Guarding said valley was a large fortress made out of pure marble, glimmering at the sunlight in its pure white. Terra was speechless at the sight of the rumored Wyverian-made fortress. She would have to ask the residents just who had built such a magnificent building, but not now. She had a job to do. As they approached the city, they slowly moved towards a port where all hot air balloons were stationed. The workers however, seemed to be hard at work preparing for the airship to arrive, a crowd of curious bystanders forming, the airship truly being one of the rarest sights on Minegarde it seems.

Soon, the landing occurred, flawlessly might I add. Terra let the full brunt of the people leave before taking to the exit herself. However, Setzer and Daryl appeared one last time.

"We're leaving for Minegarde next…" Setzer started, a hint of sorrow in his tone.

"Yes… if they don't accept me I'll be back soon," she replied, grabbing a small stack of papers and clutching it to her chest. She heard a foot stomp and looked up to see burning eyes of Daryl looking down on her.

"Don't you dare think like that! We've known you for two years now. You doubt yourself too much, but when you don't, you are capable of accomplishing things no one could imagine. You impressed the best, don't let yourself fall with the rest!" she exclaimed, both of her hands finding Terra's shoulders, "Besides, if it weren't for you bumping into Setzer two years ago, we wouldn't have met, engaged, and you wouldn't be here right now, so it's too much luck for you to throw away…" She turned her away and pushed her down the ramp, shouting: "Now go! And don't you DARE come back here today!"

Terra looked back at her older-friends as she finished descending, seeing them give a heart-warming goodbye wave, even if Daryl was also telling her to "beat it". She smiled back and waved, leaving as she passed by kids admiring the airship.

"Now… to find someone who knows where the Guild Headquarters of this town is." She said to herself once she arrived at the streets.

"Oh and why does a lady like you have the need to reach the guild, may I ask? Perhaps to give them some sort of task?" Terra at first didn't know where the voice came from, but she soon found out. Behind her, there was nothing, but that "nothing" pulled her cape, forcing her to look down. Her eyes opened wide as she looked at what she guessed to be a Wyverian elder. She was completely blonde and had her hair tied in two pigtails by blue strands, wearing a beige and black stripped dress with a golden staff on her back, a red orb resting on the top. This woman ALSO had pointy ears, but I was sure this one had not even a hint of human blood. The reason for it was because she was small. Terra's hips small. She also seemed to be an elder, as only highly respected politicians get a staff to show off their importance. Her rhyme also didn't go unnoticed.

"No… I need to speak with the Guild Leader for the Cornelia region," She explained, receiving a through glare from the woman, who seemed to be inspecting her. "I… I want to become a hunter," the woman's voice became and O before a small chuckle, which led to her saying:

"You want to join, right? Well, I agree we can't tell one's ability just from sight. Very well, I shall take you there! I know the way, I swear!" And with that, she started hopping down the street, the crowd strangely parting to give her space. Terra was shocked at her antics for a bit, but decided to run along, following her through the corners of the smaller streets of Minegarde for a few minutes until they arrived at the plaza. At the very center of a plaza, there was a fountain. A fountain that immortalized what seemed to be a scholar, even if he had a sword in hand. The man seemed not too old, a long, somewhat spiky mane reaching his shoulders and possessing an imposing short beard, he wore a robe and in his right hand was a large time, yet on his left was a sword. Anything Terra would want to question would just have to wait for afterwards though.

The plaza was filled with open commerce, nothing like full-blown shops, just trade, bartering, the life. All of them centered on the outside of the plaza, the inside seemed like a place or rest and serenity for the town. People sat, talked, walked around, some admired the fountain. It was so different from any other town. They acted so… unafraid of monsters. And the center piece to all of it was to the north. The large, stone building was much different from what she was used. It was much more refined, marks of white and light green adorning the walls as angel-wing insignias marked the walls. The double-doors seemed to follow the same theme, both having a green-lined white angel wing on them.

"Are you going to stay there all day? No you are not, we shall go in, okay?" She ordered in the guise of a question. Terra snapped out of trance and pushed the doors open for the woman, who entered in it as if it was her home. Terra followed suit and found herself inside the Guild Hall she would only dream to enter as a member off. Much like Minegarde's Guild Hall, the first room in the building was very similar to a tavern. The entire guild was decorated with flags of the Guild Crest in their Red and Golden glory and the tables, while of wood, were finely crafted and perfectly tailored with a mantle. They of course were now being used by a healthy amount of hunters that seemed to chat happily, not paying any attention to who had just entered. At the far side of it, one giant mission board proudly stood, various papers stacked on it to signal all quests that were accepted but still in the twenty-four period used to find a group before heading out. Right next to it was a for now abandoned counter where the Guild-Exclusive goods were sold. Various chests also were deposited, mostly to have Guild Members drop any and all cargo there before relaxing if they so desired.

But what we should be focused was where the Wyverian was heading. Ah yes, the Guild Counter. The most used and desired place in the entire guild, the back of it filled with requests yet to be taken, what took Terra's eyes was how was manning it.

"Cosmos you have a meeting! Now come here before someone starts seething!" the woman called, the defiant tone and demanding one at that being enough to get the attention of some. But it did call the attention of the gorgeous woman at the county. Flowing golden locks that seem to shine fell down her shoulders and near her waist, a tiara keeping her hair in check. Pale and tall, the woman wore a single white silk dress, an ornate golden crest with blue stones around the waist. The design rose to her collar where it split and went around her neck as the clasp on her dress, then going down her back to loop around her waist back to the circular crest. She also wore bracelets, armlets, earrings based on the same style as her dress and her tiara, all of that complimented her golden hair and sky-blue eyes perfectly, she was also not shy in the curves. Finally, an almost transparent yellow shawl was wrapped around her arms, only being seen by Terra when she turned towards her and smiled the smile angels could only dream off. Even her voice was divine.

"Aaaah, Shantotto. I believe this day was part of your vacation. I take it the meeting is with the girl, not with you, am I correct?" she deduced, having the other woman replying with a very distinct:

"Ohohohoho! Always the smart one, are you not? Well girl, this is the spot. Cosmos here will take of you. Now it is high time you tell her what you are here to do!" And with that and another laugh, she hopped off the guild. Terra gulped, shaking her head to get her nervous system slightly under control… it didn't work that well. She made her way to the counter where Cosmos awaited, the Guild Leader asking her:

"Are you here to post a quest? Or are you a relative of one of the hunters stationed here?" It hurt Terra that she didn't even CONSIDER the third option. Still, she summoned up all her bravery, closed her eyes and said:

"I am here to enlist as a hunter!" That… came out much louder than she expected. For a second, there was silence, but then, laughter. "Why… why are they laughing?!"

"SILENCE!" a male voice shouted. Terra opened her eyes to see an older man standing in front of her. An almost equal mane to the statue outside flew from his head, silver being its color. His eyes were blue and he wore simple blue clothing. Yet, he was cold. "As much as I apologize for our colleague's reaction… we still cannot accept minors milady." This was the worst. Terra just wished she could hide away on one of the chests of humiliation…she was no minor!

"I-I'm eighteen! And instructor Rayleigh told me to give this to you." She said, her eyes darting away from any others in the vicinity. She was still hurt, but she had to push through, not for her, but for her mother.

"Instructor Rayleigh? Minegarde's best (and loudest) instructor? Well, let us see…" She said, grasping the papers and swiftly reading them… eyes bulging out and hand covering her mouth as she dropped the paper, who was picked up by the man in silver hair. He too seemed SHOCKED at the contents of the paper. "W-well, this truly changes everything…" Cosmos said, regaining her composure. The entire guild had gone silent. We'd come to know Cosmos lost her composure once in a blue moon. That had been huge.

"Yes, yes it does… did we not have a rookie mission planned for today?" he questioned, to which Cosmos touched her chin before nodding.

"That is true… very well, Terra, aren't you?" Terra nodded, Cosmos smiling and pointing towards a stand nearby. "Take that Leather Armor for your first mission. We give it to everyone who does not have one. Consider this a test. If this mission's objectives are met with flying colors, you will be given an entryway into the guild. Fail and… well, you'll need another recommendation letter. Be at the town gate in around… three hours, as the bell rings four times, and you'll be met with fellow candidates. They are your teammates. I wish you the best of luck…" And then she did something Terra did not expect, she reached over the counter and pulled her into a hug. A motherly hug. It almost made Terra tear up as she remembered her mother. "I can't wait to welcome you into the guild." Not knowing how to react, Terra simply hugged her back and replied:

"I won't disappoint you…" she said, walking down the silent hall, retrieving her armor and taking it to one of the changing rooms Cosmos pointed out.

Terra looked down at herself and in the stonewashed mirror. Based off the mirror and how she felt, it fit well. It was definitely protective, but by Fatalis was it ugly. It was a sickish green and brown. The headband she wore was a murky blue, the same blue that matched the flattened coif connected to her neck. She had a beige trimming that she wasn't fond of. The same blue was spotted on the leather bracers. They exposed her fingers for better grip on her weapon. Her vest was patched in color: green here, brown there, different gree somewhere, and so on. She had straps under her arms that connected to her utility belt that held up her green cargo pants, and even those pants left something to be desired. Her right leg was bare from her knee to her hip! High ended boots topped off the armor, which she would NOT mind changing… soon. Still, she kept her ribbon. She could not go without her memento after all.

"Now you look like a true soon-to-be hunter." Cosmos complimented, Terra smiling before having Cosmos inspect her. "But… you do need a weapon. We do not provide one, as the guild does not have them… do you have one?"

Terra gasped. She had one but…

"Can you direct me to the blacksmith? I need him to repair it…" she explained. Cosmos smiled and gave her directions for the blacksmith, which she took immediately, rushing through the door.

"Cosmos… even with this… you gave her a chance far too easily." The man in silver hair said. Cosmos looked back at him and simply said:

"The last time I felt what I felt when I looked at someone… was to the Guild Master and his boy…"

After rushing to the left part of the plaza, Terra finally arrived at the blacksmith. It was a simple joint, besides his creations, there was simply an anvil, a furnace, a whole lot of tools, and the small, bob headed and almost rags wearing Wyverian Elder.

"Oh! A customer! And wouldja look at that, a new face! How can this ol' geezer here help ya, young lassie?!" he questioned. Terra smiled and pulled on her sheath, revealing her dagger-like blade. It seemed to have a handle of pink crystal that lead into a curved, rusted and chipped blade. "Ooooh, can I see that?" he questioned.

"I'd love to…" Terra said, handing it over. He looked at it for over five minutes and answered:

"I can repair this… just give me an hour and five thousand zeny." Terra froze.

"F-F-Five Thousand?!" she gapped, the man seemingly understanding her surprise.

"Aye. This material is highly rare. I'm going to have to use a Firecell Stone for this. Those don't come cheap. You can always buy a new weapon for three thousand." Terra was still stuttering.

"I… I don't have that amount!" She exclaimed as the world around her started to crash. She mindlessly bolted out of the blacksmith, leaving even her weapon behind. She closed her eyes, ignoring the crowd, even though she knew she had bumped into someone as she left it. Tears were streaming down her eyes as her hopes had been dashed. Not enough… not enough money… why?! She found herself in an alleyway, where she could be alone. She instantly sat back and cried.

She slowly took her ribbon out, her hair flowing to her back and, in near delirium, talked to her mother's memento. Her eyes no longer leaking, but simply hollow as she stared at the cloth.

"Sorry mother… but our two-thousand that we saved for so long are simply not enough. Setzer said we could get a room for two weeks with that in mind and seeing the payment for the mission, I thought I could repair my weapon and take a mission to get money to arrange my stay for a time longer… but it seems that I can't do that. We can't pay for more exams without sacrificing your health. Guess I'll have to take that offering for one of the factories in Dondruma. I may not become anyone, but at least I'll know you'll be okay…"

A loud thump followed by the rattling of coins. Terra looked to her side and saw a bag of coins laying there, a young man about her age with a similar armor to her, just slightly less revealing on his leg stood by her, arm outstretched.

"Here. That should be enough for it." The man told her, stepping into the light to reveal his brown, mane-like hair and matching eyes. She could also see an iron Greatsword over his shoulders.

"I can't take this amount! This is far too much!" Terra replied to the total stranger, not wanting to become a charity case.

"Look. You need this more than I do… Don't worry about me." he replied, turning his back at her and starting to walk away. This choice of words… she knew what he meant.

"You don't have anymore, do you?" She asked him, making stop in his tracks. Yeah, she had caught him. "Then I refuse to take this." She told him, who turned back at her in surprise. "You… you are trying to become one too, aren't you?"

"A hunter? Well… that was the plan." He replied somberly, now slowly looking downwards. "Look, I told you not to worry about me, it's not about the money."

"Was?" Still, she had to know more. "You were going to use this for a house, weren't you?" Again, he was flabbergasted she had read him so easily. "Then take it, I am not going to put myself over your dream." She told him, trying to handing the bag back to its owner. Something in him just seemed to break at that precise point.

"It is NOT my DREAM!" he shouted, slapping the bag of coins away into the wall.

"When someone shouts at another person like that… he's not shouting at the other person, but at himself." She told herself… as if she was looking at a reflection. He was heaving heavily as she realized it, and then she broke it out. "Then why are you shouting?" She questioned. One final time, his eyes bulged open. He knew he had been caught. She knew he had caught him. He could only try to explain.

"You see… it's not about the money. I could go on this mission and maybe sleep on the street for a while until I get the money to rent a house. It's just that… dreams are simply aspirations. They do not tell you what you will become, just what you want to become. And for me… there is no choice for failure if I take this route. I'm just wondering if I should do this." He explained, his voice quiet and melancholic. Suddenly, Terra felt they were more alike than she could ever imagine once she met him. The next words were almost like instinct to her.

"Then let me repay the favor in my own way." She told him as she grabbed his bag of coins.

"What do you mean by that?" he questioned, receiving a warm smile in return.

"I'll decide for you. That way, you won't have yourself to blame for the choice." She told him, grabbing his wrist. "And besides, we both know what you really want to do." She finished, pulling him with her out of the dark alley. He was speechless, and to tell the truth, she herself was confused by what she was doing. She felt that she was helping herself…

"I don't even know your name." The man said as they approached the blacksmith. Terra opened the door and pulled him in. She then paid the blacksmith, who gave a knowing smile at the youngster near the girl and got to work.

"It's Terra. Terra Branford." She told him, her unknown burst of confidence still ridding strong. She still wondered how could she have had the guts to do this.

"Well, I'm Shin… Magus. Yes. Shin Magus." He introduced himself as. Terra saw the hesitation, but even her injection of confidence didn't change who she was. She left it be for now.

Terra huddled away into a chair nearby, Shin doing the same, and they both waited the twenty minutes it took for the finishing touches to Terra's weapon to be done. When the blacksmith returned it to her, it was brimming in a new silver blade, the handle still the same, but repaired to its former splendor.

"That's quite the blade you have their young'un. Don't waste it!" he exclaimed, to which Terra couldn't help but nod.

"I won't. It was my father's present to my mother before…" Both the blacksmith and Shin swallowed hard. "Oh well, thank you! If it all turns out okay, I'll come back here often!"

"I hope ta see ya again soon lassie! And you too boy!" The blacksmith said, the duo nodding before they left the building.

With the time in mind, they simply started to walk towards the main gate, the blacksmith having them directions to it.

It didn't take long for someone to say something.

"Terra… thank you." Shin told her, a tired but grateful eye turning towards Terra as they walked. Feeling more down to earth, Terra simply answered:

"You can thank me when we are both hunters…" as she saw the large gates to the outside world on the horizon, two figures standing right in the middle of them.

It all started now.

Next Chapter:

"We're taking the test with you! I'm Vaan, he's Bartz!"

"Velocipreys shouldn't be too much of a deal."

"That's… that's not human."

The Hunt Continues in: Ten No ō

Post-Chapter Note: I finally did it… I finally made a Monster Hunter fic… Now that I took this out of my mind, I can concentrate on other projects! But yeah, for now, I have another fic to write and to accumulate ideas for. In your rage, amazement, or overall opinions, remember to review this one! Please…? Herald, away!