Pike: Hiya, y'all. It's about time for another fanfic!

Mindie: Again! Boo-o-o!

Pike: Yeah, yeah, with Mindie, the mistress of humiliation here too. For all you FFCC fans, this is the fic for you!

Mindie: Gonna tell them what it's about?

Pike: They should've read the summary, but I'll explain it here, too. Tales of the Crystal Caravan is a series of shorts. It follows the story of the new crystal caravan of Tipa, whose travelers go on typical, yet wild adventures throughout the world collecting Myrrh — adventures that would throw each of them for a spin on their lives. There might even be a few original twists (not in the game), so stick around! Here are who and what the characters are:

Lura: female Clavat

Bran: male Clavat

Alana: female Selkie

Becca: female Yuke

Rav Conas (Rav): male Lilty

Disclaimer: Pike Anderson does not own FFCC.

Pike: Let's get this under way! -tunes in-

Episode 1: Meeting with Roland

That time of year came around, again. When the blue sky starts to fade into gray darkness. The air becomes mostly, and you have a forboding feeling creeping along at the back of your mind. The time has come once more… to send out the crystal caravans.

But at the very edge of Tipa's cliff came the soft words of a song…

Dreaming of the stars on high

That speak to me in secret sighs

Drifting on a breeze

Only I can feel and hear…

The young female Clavat gazed out over the sea, beyond the rising sun, seated at the cliff at the edge of the Tipa Peninsula. It looked so calm. She had to wonder if the miasma affected the sea too. No one lived at the sea, save the isles to the southwest, inhabited by Selkies. But how could something so dense and ugly infest something that looked so clean? Perhaps she should ask the world, but she would never find out.

"Lura! Lura!"

The Clavat stopped singing her song, hearing the abrupt calls of her friend. Standing and turning around, she spied a Lilty boy huffing up the hill. He reached her nearly out of breath, though he did his best not to show it.

"A problem, Rav?" Lura asked, crouching down to his eye level. "You're in quite the hurry."

"Roland has just rallied a meeting to the crystal." He hopped once and again, waving his hand down the path. "Come along! Come along!"

Giggling in amusement, Lura followed this eager Lilty to the crystal of Tipa. Down the path that led to the cliff, which curved towards the tailor's home. It opened right up to the area of the crystal, where Roland awaited the final arrivals. Those were, of course, Rav Conas and Lura. The Clavat girl recognized several others at the meeting — all of them neighbors or family.

"The time has come," Roland began, "for Tipa's current caravaneers to retire." Holding up a scroll, he continued. "And here, I hold the names whom the town has chosen to represent Tipa, in their places. There are five, rather than four, because our good blacksmith Belgano could not decide between the two."

Chuckling and murmuring laughter all around.

When that had died down, Roland continued. "Hence, I call you out. Please, stand before me. …Bran, the blacksmith's son. …Alana, the rancher's daughter. …Becca, the alchemist's daughter. …Rav Conas, the merchant's son. …And Lura, the farmer's daughter."

Each stepped forward and lined up in front of Roland in the order in which he called them. The old mayor went on to explaining what their quest was about, and various situations they might end up in. But Lura wasn't quite paying attention. Her mind was elsewhere — somewhere where it should only be during her quiet hours. She chanced a very quick glance across the line…

"…And may the wishes of your neighbors be with you all," Roland concluded. "Today, you will set out on life's important journey."

Coming back to her senses quickly, Lura faced Roland. By that time, he was already walking away, and those in line withdrew to their families. She felt her cheeks simmer a notch. Everyone was walking away, by now. This would be a good time for some silence before the travels.

Mindie: Ouuu! Quiet time, eh?

Pike: Nothing's going through your mind right now, right? Oo

Mindie: Not true
Pike: Mindie—

Mindie: If nothing went through my mind, I wouldn't be alive, eh? .

Pike: You're not even real, though…

Mindie: -glares and stands up- I'm "not even real", huh?

Pike: Oo;; Uh… M-Mindie?

Mindie: -aura of flame- If I weren't real… …Oh -turns to you- Tune in next time! -tunes out-

Saving… Game saved.