Chapter 0: Prelude of Fate
I awake to the sound of running water and the squeaking of rats. What happened...? Where am I? I open my eyes to see a high ceiling and lots of water all around, not all of it clean... ugh...
Slowly, i come to realize where I recognize this place from: it's the Garamsythe Waterway from FINAL FANTASY XII... How is that possible? Last I remembered, I was on Earth just shortly after December 21, 2012... Suddenly, it hit me:
[Flashback to last night's dream]
I am drifting in blank emptiness... Suddenly, a figure appears to me. S/he (I can't really tell) speaks to me
"Do not be scared, young one. I am Illumina, scion of Light. You have been chosen to save a world that has lost its ties with its true destiny, and restore balance."
"What?" This made no sense to me. Why would I of all people be selected to save any world?
"Because you are dedicated to doing the right thing." The being could read my mind as easily as if I'd spoke it out loud. "Now, before any further denials and questions occur to you, let me explain a few things. Your world is only one of many. All worlds exist aside each other, protected from exact detection of each other by what you humans call the fourth wall. If one world begins to lose its true destiny, then all other worlds will come to an end. That is why I have called upon you, a human from Earth, to fix this problem. Earth is a sort of a 'hub'. Many worlds are known of in its many fictions, and so you know of what will happen in this world to come."
I still had my doubts. "I am simply a human, though. No special abilities. No extra power. Why me?"
"Because of your imagination, which we interdimensional Scions feed off of, I can give you your 'special powers', as you chose to call them. Also, you won't be alone. We have plucked from your subconscious characters from your own imagination, and that of a friend. Your friend will also be there. Altogether, you will number 8: the two of you, and the six we selected for you."
At that point, in faded six indistinct figures and my greatest friend, Tim. The scion began to glow. "You cannot be recognized as humans, nor should anyone you meet know your real names. Should either thing happen, the fourth wall will crumble, and all worlds are doomed whether you save this one or not. Therefore, you must take on new forms, and new names. Are you up for it?"
I looked at Tim, who nodded. He must have conversed with another Scion elsewhere in this dream world. I looked at Illumina. "I am."
The Scion smiled. "Good. The world you are saving is called Ivalice. Most of the main heroes are dead. You are the new heroes, but you must find each other and protect the remaining heroes to preserve the world's main destiny. Good luck." The glow intensified, and everything whites out...
[End flashback]
Realizing I hadn't discovered what my new form was, I gave myself a quick look-over from where I lay. I had grown fur, my fingernails had become claws, and a numbness at the base of my spine suggested I had a tail. Rolling over, I looked in a body of water to find out; I had become a kitsune, a fox person, with three tails. As for clothes, I was wearing a black trench coat, a black t-shirt with the kanji for Samurai on it in red, jeans, and wore a dream catcher necklace, a lucky charm from Earth. Perhaps our forms were also selected from our subconsciouses. My name came to me immediately.
"Grypinh. Grypinh Moonfox" Standing up, I immediately noticed the Dire Rats had not attacked me. This struck me as strange, so I walked deeper into the room to investigate. What I saw shocked me beyond belief.
"Oh my god..."
