Final Fantasy IX
The Next Generation
Prologue
Mist had once had engulfed the world of Gaia after a short leave of absence over one continent. It spread fear, depression and anxiety into those who lived within its foggy depth. Monsters thrived in the dull, empty presence of the mist.
The source of the mist was a tree from a foreign world that existed within Gaia and had done for thousands of years. The intentions of people who had been in deep slumber were taking shape. One man had created an entire dimension based on memories, now loomed above the great Iifa Tree, driven mad by his own fate.
But a group of eight rose to challenge him. After what seemed to be victory, they were faced with evil itself. After hearing the views of life from one man, the evil deity suffered defeat, returning from whence it came.
23 years have passed since that fateful day. What was predicted would be a peaceful future had become a battle scared landscape. What once were tranquil villages and towns was now ruin. People travelled the world to escape from the horrors of what happened to Gaia. War raged in the mainland, bringing suffering and loss to those caught in the gory stampede of selfish minds of cold hearted men and women.
But what made this particular world so unusual, was not the loss of joy and the emergence of conflict, or the violence man dooms itself upon, or the new dangers that plague the face of Gaia. But the fact that peace and prosperity's only hope is a single 17 year old girl who is completely oblivious as to what she is...
Chapter 1
New found villages and towns now scattered small islands and peninsula's that were once uninhabited. Among these communities was Merridor, a small, back water village on one of the islands south of the Forgotten Continent. Families and friends lived in harmony, away from the troubles of the mainland. It is home to farmers, blacksmiths as well as others. One middle aged couple lived near the water fall, a cherished monument of the village.
"Julie! Where are you! Julie!" cried Ivan from the front yard. Julie opened the kitchen window and leaned out to her husband.
"Stop shouting Ivan! I can hear you! What is it?" she asked.
"How long is Kiara going to be? On top of that, where did she even go!"
"Oh for goodness sake, Ivan. You know full well she's gone to the square to check on stall prices. She only told you 8 times!"
"Well, obviously she didn't make it clear when she would be back!"
"Don't get in a strop! She's young, you know her, she'll have got side tracked."
"She said she'd be here to help with the chocobo stable."
"Just relax, she'll be here soon."
A few minutes later, a young, blonde haired girl appeared running down the path, wearing a white, summery shirt, a cream skirt and brown sandals. Her hair was in a pony tail held together by a standard black band. To everyone in the village, she is a local sweetheart and a cheerful sight on a rainy day. But what made this girl stand out from the rest and that would shock most foreigners were her distinguishable features. On her forehead protruded a horn, while an ape-like tail covered in blonde fur flowed from her lower back. She caught her breath when she reached the yard.
"Kiara! Where have you been! It's been over an hour!" Ivan cried out.
"That's how long I said I'd be." Kiara responded.
"It's now 3 minutes over an hour."
"Geez, don't get worked up over 3 lousy minutes. There are a few extra stalls now so it took me a little longer than usual."
"Whatever the case, you're here now, get that shovel and help clear this mess the chocobo has made."
"Uhh... Again! That's three times in the same week! I keep saying you're feeding him too much."
"We'll worry about that later. I don't do this for the good of my health you know. And the way I see it, you're partially responsible for gettin' him them nasty new pellets they have now."
"I only get those because you told me to."
"... Just get the damn shovel, Kiara."
After an afternoon of work, the three sat down for an evening meal.
"So, Kiara, heard anything about the next semester?" asked Julie
"Yeah, they start next season. Kirsten and Brad said they're already prepared, so I'm gonna do the same tomorrow." She answered.
"Next season?" Ivan butted in.
"Yeah. Why?" said Kiara, slightly on edge.
"You can't go then. I need you on the farm. It's the busiest time of year."
"But, dad, you promised."
"That was when none of us knew when it was happening. And I said you could as long as it doesn't fall in on an inappropriate time, and it does."
"But nearly everyone is going this year. That hardly ever happens; I'll be the odd one out, like I have been for the last 3 semesters!"
"Look, I know you were looking forward to it, but it's a crucial time. You know what it's like, Kiara."
"Ivan, Kiara's been waiting ages to hear when the next semester starts. She has her own life you know." Julie said, backing up Kiara.
"I'm sorry, but I've made up my mind!" Ivan declared.
There was a tense silence.
"... So I'll end up being left behind! Again!" Kiara pouted before she left the table and stormed off.
"Ivan, I just don't think you're being fair. You know how much she's been looking forward to that. She wants to be with her friend's." Said Julie.
"I know. I hate to see her upset like that, but I absolutely need her here. I'll make it up to her next year." He replied.
Outside, Kiara strutted around the yard in anger and sorrow. She easily held back the tears, but it was clear to anyone that she was upset. After stomping around for about 5 minutes, she sat on the ground to calm down. The gentle breeze blew through her soft, blonde hair. Her skin tingled in the warmth of the sun set and the water gleamed in her eyes. The faint sound of parents calling their children indoors could be heard from within the village. As Kiara stood up to see the great view her home had of Merridor, she breathed in the fresh air to cool her nerves.
She observed the trees swishing back and forth in the calm wind. Her peaceful episode was cut short however when she spotted something she had never seen before. Standing at the end of the dirt path was a tall man dressed in a black hood that hid his face. He was looking straight at Kiara. A shiver ran down her back as she quickly felt uneasy, knowing that she, herself, was being observed. When the hooded figure noticed that he had been spotted, he withdrew out of sight behind the trees. Keeping her eye on the spot where he was standing, Kiara hurried inside her home.
She ran up to her room and gazed out the window in time to see the tall man walking away down the path, and eventually, out of sight. She gave a little sigh of relief before getting into bed and going to sleep. Little did Kiara know that tomorrow, her life would change drastically. It would be up to her to see if it will be for the better or for the worst...