I have had a dream, past the wit of Moogle to say what dream it was.

In this dream, I am loved and accepted.

It is a dream that remains but a dream even upon dreaming it.

I have this dream every night.

The Moogle looked disdainfully about himself from under the tattered blanket that had served as his roof for the night.   The sun had not yet peekd out to see the world, but already Mo` Glump was on his feet and moving away from his sleeping spot.   Not that it was truly his, of course: nothing in Rein ever was.   The blanket wasn`t his, the ground wasn`t his.   The only thing in the world that he owned was the Thing, and he certainly never wanted to have it.

The Thing was a metallic object attatched to his left shoulder blade in such a way that it could peer over his shoulder.   It had been with him for as long as he could remember; he didn`t know what it was, so he just called it the Thing.   It didn`t do anything useful; on the contrary, it gave him his unsightly hunch, not to mention it had a tendency to babble annoying things at inopportune moments.

"I hope you`re going to find some food today.   We didn`t eat very well yesterday, and it`s your fault, not mine."

"Shut up," Mo` said, growling to himself.

"Oooh, someone got up on the wrong side of the blanket!"

If Mo` Glump could have gotten rid of the thing, he would have long ago.

There was something else bothering him today, though.   It was a Festival day.   Like almost every other bloody day of the year, there was a Festival going on in Rein, and that was the last place he wanted to be, for one reason: they would want him to dance.

His normal response when caught up in a Festival and asked to dance used to be, "I am for other than dancing measures."   But lately, he`d gotten sick of making up excuses and would reply simply, "Moogles don`t dance."

No one could argue with him.   He was probably the only Moogle in Rein, perhaps even in all of Aryth.   He had spent much of his twelve years of life searching the boundaris of Rein, looking for another like him, to no avail.   He couldn`t remember having any parents; he had been raised by his own wits, and the Thing.   He was truly alone, out of place, and didn`t belong here.

So no one knew if Moogles danced or not.   He sure didn`t.   Or, at least, he`d never tried.

"Look, Mo`, the sun`s rising."

Yes, indeed, that vermillion orb was cresting the horizon, and with it came a strange sight.   Mo` Glump rubbed at his sleep-heavy eyes, but the image only became clearer.   There before him had formed a large city, its gate pointed at him and slowly opening, beckoning him inside.

"Hello there!" called someone from the city`s walls.   "Won`t you come join us?"

"I don`t like this," the Thing hissed, but Mo` found himself drawn toward the place.   Where had it come from?

"Don`t be shy, lad, come on in!   The day is new, and there`s much to be done!   Come in and join the festivities!"

Mo` didn`t like the sound of festivities, but then he realized he could smell warm food from inside the gate, and his stomach urged him to in search of it.   He trundled up to the gate, and crossed the threshhold into the city.   A man stood just inside the gate, dressed in casual yet fine-looking garb, smiling down at Mo` Glump as he entered.

"Welcome to the Kingdom of Unity, lad.   I`m King Draegan; I hope you enjoy your stay here."

"Unity?   What is this place?   Is it even real?"

The King laughed heartily, and patted Mo` on the back.

"Come, follow me, I`ll show you around our city and tell you about Unity."   He began to walk off down a street, and Mo` hurried to keep up.

"What`s your name, son?"

"Umm...   My name`s Mo` Glump.   This is the Thing."

"The Thing?   Quite an odd contraption.   What does it do?"

"Not much, really, except be annoying."

"Now, now, no need to be rude!   I must apologize, your Majesty, my companion is not known for his good manners."

The King laughed again, and waved a hand at Mo`.

"No need to call me `Your Majesty`!   Daegan will do.   We try and keep things informal around here."

"Daegan then..."   Mo` mused over that.   A king who went by his first name, and who greeted people as they entered his kingdom; a very strange place this was indeed, its having appeared from thin air notwithstanding.

"How is it that this city just appeared from nowhere?" the Thing asked.

"That`s a long story, to be told over a hot meal," Daegan replied, placing his hand on Mo`s shoulder.   "Let`s go get you something to eat, I can`t imagine you`ve had breakfast yet today."

Mo` nodded and followed Daegan without question.   They wound their way through wide streets filled with market stalls and walled in by high buildings.   Brightly-colored streamers poured from the windows, the vendors below flying their own festive-looking banners.   The vendors they passed waved and shouted greetings at Daegan, and Mo` noticed that not a single one seemed to be awed by the King`s presence.

"This is a very interesting Kingdom, indeed," the Thing mused.

Daegan chuckled.   "What is the city but the people?   These folks are all my friends, my family; all of us share the same bonds, the same duties."

They continued on, and both Mo` and the Thing were startled when they stopped, not before a large and gaudy palace, but in front of the door to a normal house on the side of the street.

"Welcome to my home," the King said, and ushered them inside.   "I`m certain I know what you`re thinking by now, and while, as King, I do tend to my official duties in the castle that`s central to this town, I prefer to make my home where I always have, on the streets.   It`s comfortable here, and besides, when I became king, I didn`t want to have to move all of my belongings."   He let out an uproarious laugh at that point, and Mo` felt inclined to laugh with him.

"But weren`t you born of noble blood, in the castle?   Why didn`t you live there when you were prince?"

Daegan led them through the small and dimly-lit interior of his home to a long, low table laid out with foodstuffs.

"That, my boy, is an excellent place to begin my story.   Please, sit and eat something, you look half-starved.

"We here in Unity don`t believe in royal bloodlines and whatnot.   Our Kings and Queens are elected, and the position conveys no special privilege other than having to keep an eye out for the Kingdom while in office.   For instance, were I married, my wife would not be considered Queen.   And certainly, no child of mine would be royal.   No, I have been King for the past three years now, and my term will be up for reelection in another two.

"Of course, not just anyone can be King.   Granted, you have to be able to convince people to vote for you, but ulitmately, the people in Unity will vote in whoever they think will make the best King.   And you have to be able to demonstrate this, not just boast about it.   We all agree, it`s a fair system, and one we`ve lived with for many generations.   I think it also carries much less weight upon the King`s shoulders than another system would: my crown is contentment, a crown that seldom kings enjoy.

"Which brings me to my next point: I do believe you wanted to know about the unusual appearance of our town, yes?   Well, you see, a long time ago, Unity was a city just like any other, rooted to one spot in the middle of a much larger kingdom.   We enjoyed independence from our sovereign nation to some extent, they recognizing that we were better thought of as an ally than as part of the kingdom.   And so Unity prospered, left to itself.

"However, the day came that the kingdom was drawn into a very long and bloody war.   Unity wanted no part of it, of course, and that wish was granted, for a time at least.   The good King who granted our request fell in battle one day, however, and his greedy son acceeded the throne.   He was jealous of our peace, and wanted to teach us a lesson.   He trounced the enemies of the kingdom, and then made a pact with them, saying that he would give them some of his land if they would lay seige to our city.   And so he set the enemy`s hordes upon us; and where did that leave us, with no weapons or army of our own?

"Our only defense was a drastic one, but it was the only hope we had at the time.   Our most powerful wizard, a man who had actually retired to Unity in his old age, gave his life in creating a ritual to remove Unity from existence, and thereby ensure its safety, the ultimate effect being what you saw just this morning.   Each day, our city appears in a new location with the rising of the sun, and at dusk disappears, letting us sleep in limbo.

"There is more to the story, however.   It seems that this wizard placed a quantifier on the ritual he cast, in order to ensure that we would have some purpose in our travels.   For you see, Unity does not just appear randomly; each day, we are drawn to someone who needs our help, typically someone who needs to escape from the life they have been born into.   Unity is truly living up to its name: a haven for those who have no other home.   Here in Unity, they can find happiness, a community, a family.   And I do believe that`s where you come in."

"Me?" Mo` said, letting out a loud belch and patting his stomach.   "What do I have to do with anything?"

Daegan paused for a moment, and looked the Moogle over.

"Well...   While I don`t know your history personally, I have a feeling you don`t fit in anywhere.   I`ve seen few Moogles in my life, but something tells me there aren`t very many here.   Am I right?"

"Well...   I suppose so.   At least, in all my years I`ve never met another like me."

"That`s it then.   Unity has appeared before you because you belong here."

"I...   I belong here?"

The words rang in his head.   Never before had he said those words.   Never had he thought he would.   Yet somehow, he felt that they were true.   Maybe, just maybe, he really did belong here.

"And now," the King said, "I suggest you get yourself freshened up, young Moogle.   You wouldn`t want to go to the festival with dirty fur, would you?"   Daegan winked and laughed again.   "Feel free to use my bath, it`s just down the hall.   I have some business I must attend to, but I will make sure someone gives you fresh clothes and some money.   Farewell, Mo`!"

Mo` Glump walked down the hall in the direction he was pointed, and found on one side a very homely-looking bathroom, with a large cast iron tub.   The tub had already been filled with hot water, and there were towels and soap.

"I`ve never taken a real bath..."

"Yes, and I`m glad I don`t have a nose.   It would be unbearable to travel with you if I could smell you."

Mo` ignored the Thing and splashed at the water a bit.   He smiled, feeling a tad giddy.

"I`m not going in there," the Thing complained.   "I`ll rust!"

"Oh, hush up and let`s have some fun."

Mo` hefted himself up to the lip of the tub, balancing on it for a second.   Then he lost his balance and fell into the warm bathwater, spilling it over the floor.   He came up spitting water and laughing, realizing for the first time in his life, he actually felt happy.   He watched the dirt dissolve off his fur, much as his worries were dissolving from his mind.

"Krzzzgxh znnnbghv ghrfngv!" protested the wet Thing.

"At last, I`ve finally found something to shut you up!" Mo` laughed, and began to splash in the water, squealing like a small child.

A short while later, a young woman came into the bathroom, a small green tunic in her arms, which she nearly dropped when she saw the floor.

"Oh goodness!   I`ll have to spend all day mopping this!"

"Oopsie..." Mo` said, but then couldn`t help laughing at the girl`s dismayed look.   "Don`t worry, I`ll give you a hand!   I`m having fun, after all.   What`s that shirt?"

"Oh?   Oh, this is for you.   Daegan picked it out especially for you, he said it out to fit a Moogle of your size.   And thank you kindly for your offer; I was afraid I might miss the festival because of work!"

"It`s not a problem, you`ve all been so nice to me.   It`s the least I can do.   Just give me a minute, and I`ll be done."

He washed himself with the soap they gave him.   It smelled of hyacinths; he`d seen some back in Rein once, pretty purple and white flowers that looked like big fancy hats.

Rein...

Thinking of his old home struck him as odd.   He`d only been here a few hours, yet the idea of Rein felt like a past life, something that was done and over with long ago.   He smiled; somehow, he thought he might never have to go back there, and that suited him just fine.

When Mo` was done washing, he climbed out of the tub, dried himself with one of the towels left for him, and put the shirt on.   It fit him just perfectly.

"Well, clothing," the Thing, now dry, mused.   "That`s a new one.   And it`s just so pretty.   Before you know it, they`ll have you tying flowers into your fur."

"Somehow, I wouldn`t mind it," Mo` replied, and grinned.   "Stop being such a stick in the mud."

"Are you done yet?" called the girl from before, and she peeked into the room.   "Ohh, that tunic fits so well!   Daegan really did a good job in picking it out.   Come on, I brought a mop; this won`t take too long, and once we`re done, I`ll take you to the festival."

The festival...   Before today, Mo` would have shuddered at that word; Reinian festivals were notoriously wild.   But now, he was wondering just this festival would be like.   He concentrated on wondering about it during the entire chore, so that it was over almost before he knew it.

The girl handed him some small metal coins, with intricate pictures carved into them.

"Here are some marks.   Daegan wants you to be able to buy anything you like."

Mo` smiled up at her, and together they left.

Outside, the sun shone brightly on the city, the streets of which were now filled with people bustling back and forth, exchanging hearty greetings with one another, shouting, dancing, singing, and playing music.   Mo` felt his old reluctance coming back, and the Thing chuckled in his ear.   He still wasn`t sure what was going to happen at this festival, and seeing all these people kind of scared him.   The sight of King Daegan striding up to them helped put him more at ease.

"Ahh, Mo`!   Perfect timing, I was just coming to get you.   Ahh, and the tunic fits just right, I`m so glad!   Maelee, did you give him the marks?"

The girl nodded.

"Well?   Go have some fun, what are you standing around here for?"   Daegan laughed as the girl scampered off.   "And as for you, Mo`, there`s someone I`d like you to meet.   Follow me."

They wound their way through the streets, dodging people carrying all manner of goods, all of them wearing brightly-colored clothing that went along with the banners hanging out the windows and in the shops that he had noticed before.   Mo` reflected on the differences, how Reinian festivals were usually held outdoors instead of in a city, and how they typically wore very little clothing, if any at all.

Daegan led him to a gate that led past the inner wall of the city, to a large courtyard past which he could see the castle that took up the center of Unity.   Standing there beside a stall that was selling large, colorful fruits, was a female Moogle.

"Mo` Glump, I would like you to meet Kupitsia, our resident Moogle.   Kupitsia, this is Mo`, newly arrived from, Rein, was it?"

"Rein, yeah..."

Mo` was staring.   He had never before seen another Moogle, and now he didn`t really know how to describe what he was feeling at the moment.

Kupitsia, her mouth stained with reddish fruit pulp, giggled and extended her hand to Mo`.   "Pleased to meet you."   Her voice was soft, like a bird`s song.   When Mo` didn`t shake her hand, she asked, "Is... something wrong?"

"Huh?   Oh, gee, I`m sorry...   I`ve just never seen another Moogle before."

Kupitsia smiled at him.

"Well, I`m not gonna bite you or anything.   Moogles are friendly, and so am I."   She grabbed his hand and pumped it for him, and he grinned foolishly.

"Tell me, where is fancy bred: in the heart, or in the head?" murmured the Thing into Mo`s ear.

Kupitsia jumped.   "It talks!   What is that?"

"Oh, that?   That`s the Thing.   I dunno what he is really, he`s just always been with me."

"A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, my dear," the Thing oozed.

"And you too," she replied.   "So tell me, Mo`, where are you from?"

"I`m from Rein, although somehow I`m beginning to doubt that now.   What about you?"

"I`ve lived my entire life here in Unity.   My parents are here, too.   C`mon, I`ll take you to meet them; if you`ve never seen another Moogle in your life, now`s the best time to see as many as you can!"

She grabbed Mo` by the hand and tried to drag him along, but he resisted her pull.

"Wait a second, Kupitsia...   Tell me, what goes on in these festivals?   Where I`m from, festivals weren`t any fun, so I`m kind of scared to find out what they`re like here."

"Festivals no fun?   That`s silly," she said, putting her hands on her hips.   "Here, festivals are lots of fun!   You can eat lots of food, and play games, and sing, and dance.   Would you like to dance with me, Mo`?"

"Umm...   Well, I would, that is, I`d like to, but..."

"The worst fault you have is to be in love," the Thing muttered under its breath.

"Well, see, I don`t... really know how... to dance, that is."   Mo` scratched nervously at his arm and tried to look anywhere but at Kupitsia.

"You don`t know how to dance?   What`s the deal with where you came from?   Look, all Moogles know how to dance."

"We do?"

"Yes, silly!   Now come on, stop stalling, let`s go dance!   You`ll get the hang of it in no time, trust me."

"Love hath made thee a tame snake," the Thing snorted.

Mo` swallowed.   He really didn`t know how to dance, but...   Well, what did he have to lose?

"I`d love to dance with you, Kupitsia," he said, and he was surprised that his voice didn`t waver.

Kupitsia smiled at him, and he felt like his knees were going to give way.     She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek; he knew for sure then.

There was a buzzing sound, and then a clatter of metal on stone.   The Moogles both looked down to see the Thing, laying on its back on the ground.

"Help!" it shouted.   "I can`t move!   What`s going on?"

Mo` couldn`t believe his eyes.   He had never once seen what the Thing had looked like, considering it had always been just out of his range of vision.   But now he saw it was a metal cylinder, with a tapered head, two large discs that looked like eyes, and a small grill beneath them that sort of resembled a mouth.   He reached back and felt his shoulder, where the Thing had sat every day of his life till now; there was a slight indent in the skin, and no fur there, but otherwise, he was unharmed.   Kupitsia bent down and picked the Thing up.

"Please, be kind to me!" it pleaded.   "I know I`ve caused young Mo` so many troubles during his life, but I was just trying to look out for him!   And now look at me, I`m completely helpless!   Oh, what is to become of me?   Is there no pity sitting in the clouds that sees into the bottom of my grief?"

"Hmm..." Kupitsia turned the Thing over, examining it, which only made it yell louder.

"Don`t drop me, I`ll break!   Oh, what a life, to have my fate in the hands of one so young and inexperienced!"

"Oh, be quiet, silly," Kupitsia scolded, and the Thing grew silent.   "I think you just have to learn to move on your own, instead of clinging to someone`s back.   This should do it..."

She pressed a small button on the Thing`s back, and slowly, four thin mechanical legs unfolded from underneath it.   She set it down, and it wobbled for a second, then began to walk about.

"I can walk!" it shouted.   "Oh wonderful, wonderful, and most wonderful wonderful, and yet again wonderful!"

Kupitsia smiled, and Mo` did as well.

"Hey, wow...   Now you don`t have to ride around on me any more.   Thank you, Kupitsia, thank you so much."

He took her hand, and they went into the large archway that led into the central courtyard of the city.

"Wait!" the Thing cried, trundling after them as fast as it could.   "Don`t leave me behind, Mo`, wait for me!   You wouldn`t get rid of your old friend Thing so quickly, would you?"

Mo` stopped and turned, watching the Thing navigate clumsily on its new legs.   And he realized, it would be too different without its inane chatter every second of every day.   At least now, he could leave it behind if he really wanted.

"Come on, Thing," he said, stooping down and scooping up the contraption, "we won`t leave you behind."

When the sun went down on Rein that evening, the kingdom of Unity slowly faded away, vanishing into the night sky, and points unknown.

They danced the night away.

-----

Author`s Note: For reference, and because they may be a tad obscure, I have listed all the Shakespearean quotes used in this story here, along with their sources, in the order in which they appear in the story.

I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was. -A Midsummer Night`s Dream, IV, i, 208.

I am for other than dancing measures. -As You Like It, V, iv, 193.

What is the city but the people? -Coriolanus, III, i, 198

My crown is called content./A crown it is that seldom kings enjoy. -Henry VI, Part Three, III, i, 64

Tell me where is fancy bred,/Or in the heart, or in the head? -The Merchant of Venice, III, ii, 63

The worst fault you have is to be in love. -As You Like It, III, ii, 279

Is there no pity sitting in the clouds/That sees into the bottom of my grief? -Romeo and Juliet, III, v, 198

O wonderful, wonderful, and most wonderful wonderful, and yet again wonderful... -As You Like It, III, ii, 190