Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction. I do not own the original concept of this story. The naming of the characters Celas, Domi, and Jaces are my own doing (Just wanted to let you know that there is no generic naming like in other games). All other names and places are solely belonging to the makers of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles.
Explanation: While playing Final Fantasy CC, I fell in love with the idea and art of it all. It's just beautiful, I suggest to all who have no clue what I'm talking about to check out this game by either playing it, or checking out it's official website.
De Nam, I'm coming
Celas stood with in the boundaries of Conall Curah and the road that lead to a nearby miasma stream. She held the chalice high before placing it down for Mog to pick up. She searched the entrance. He said he was waiting for her, yet he was nowhere near. She held her racket high and advanced, dismantling a few snow mu that rushed at her when her footstep were heard in their underground hollows. A bomb casted magic on her as she rushed after its floating form. After a few hits she retreated to heal as the bomb exploded, a dieing attempt to stop her from advancing. She held herself high as she crossed the first planks through the marsh of dead dreams.
It was not her first time in this land. She had faced the Dragon Zombie twice before, and had been successful in collecting the holy water of purity, the only force that kept the miasma away from her village of Falla. She had gone from the daughter of merchant to mighty warrior in a crystal caravan in nine years. And in these nine years she had seen her homeland, a princess that bonded two tribes and helped a third (Once again the Selkies were left out of this unity, a fact that still made her irritated at a such at peaceful union), met an odd Clavat, and had fallen in love with science and a man.
When she first met De Nam in the city of Shella, she had scorned him. He was out of his place and out of his mind, but then she was only three years with in the caravan, and cared for nothing except the safety of her own village. She had just fought Armstrong of the ruin village Tida and was still feeling sick from the vast amount of mushrooms when she saw him among Yukes, playing with magic. The Yukes gathered around him, amused by his determination to learn the art that the Yukes had perfected long ago. He sat there in deep thought until leaping up with revelation. He ran up to Celas and began to shake her hand vigorously.
"Hello there, fellow Selkie, do you wish to learn what I have just discovered?" He opened his palm to the sky. Celas rolled her eyes, but nodded her approval. She didn't pass up learning anything, even some nonsense.
"Monsters and Miasma co-exist." He grinned like a dog that was about to sneeze. Celas gave a hardy sigh before answering.
"You don't go out much do you?"
"Excuse me?" He staggered backwards in shock.
"A moogle told me that in my first year and beside, it's a little obvious. You don't see monsters carrying crystals, do you?"
He slumped. Looking sadly at her he spoke. "I guess so…but how about this?" He held out a jug of green tinted water. Celas wrinkled her nose as a poisonous odor drifted from it.
"What is that stuff?" She shuddered and took a deep breath to keep from loosing her last meal, a fish with a side of star carrots. He took a swig of it and gagged.
"This is water from Conall Curah. I took a sample and brought it back here to test it. It's tainted with miasma, can you believe it? I'm going back there and try to live there." He took another swig and squinted his eyebrows, the only barrier against its bad taste.
"Then why are you drinking it? It could kill you!" She reached out for it, to push it away, but he placed it back in his bag.
"It's not so bad. It will take some getting used to. I believe that if I drink this stuff, I'll get used to the miasma." Her gave her another dog grin. "I don't believe I introduced myself. My name is De Nam."
Celas snarled. "Your name is fool, and a dead one at that."
"But…" He looked hurt. "I'm not just doing this for myself. What I'm doing is for all the Selkies. I'm tired of being looked at as thief and nothing more, and when I done, I could help all the other tribes too. Wouldn't that be great? Selkies helping the other tribes?" He sighed. "I guess it's hard to make any one believe, even another Selkie…" He voiced trailed off.
"I think…I think I can see it. I mean, I can see your point." She shrugged. "But don't kill yourself over it, ok?" He smiled and leapt at her and hugged her tightly.
"I knew you would understand!" He let her go and she gave a small smile.
"I need to leave. We only have one drop left to collect before we can go home. Domi wants to make sure her father doesn't get too fat while she's gone." She started to trot back towards the road.
"But you didn't tell me your name!" He shouted.
"Celas, daughter of a merchant." She called and continued to run.
"I'll send you a moogle to let you know how I'm doing!" His voice faded away as she crossed the magic made bridge and left the city.
He kept his promise, and no matter where she went some one was talking about the controversial Selkie. It took him many years for him for him to send a mail moogle. Most of his letters told her of his observations in the marsh. She sent him food when she could, and some fresh water, hoping to sway him from drinking the miasma water. One day Domi mused playfully.
"Like him much?" She said as Celas read the makings of a Legendary weapon.
"I think it so." Said Jaces as he tapped on Domi's steal blade, testing it.
"At least not the way you two do." She poked at Domi's forehead and giggled. Domi and Jaces never left the safety of the caravan. Celas didn't mind, as long as they came along she didn't feel alone. That, and she got discounts at their family store. She wondered what happened while she was away. A mail moogle floated in.
"Letter for Celas from De Nam." Celas grabbed eagerly and tore it open. Her smile twitched and then faded all together. She dropped the paper. Domi snatched it up and read it her self. She passed it to Jaces and they sat there stone-faced, waiting for Celas.
"Tell him I'll be right there." Celas said to the mail moogle. He looked doubtful and then floated off. Domi stood up and grabbed her sword from Jaces.
"We're ready when you are." Jaces stood by Domi as they spoke in unison. Celas picked up her Steel Bludgar and set out.
Celas bashed up a Hell Plant and continued on her way. She ignored the larger monsters, the ones that were more likely to bash her up just as she had done to their smaller cousins. She ignored the tired moans of Mog as she rushed on. She made a mistake though; letting the lesser monster live. Soon they had started to gang up on her, trapping her against the planks.
"De Nam, where are you?" She batted away at a ghost and continued running. She stopped. All the other monsters had quit their pursuit. A lone ghost floated, in its willowy arms was a bandana, De Nam's bandana. She snarled and held up her racket and focused on the monster. She didn't even bother casting Holy on it, not like she had collected the necessary elements to do so.
"De Nam!" She used his name as a battle cry and rushed forward. Yet while she was preparing this, it was working up some magic of it's own. It let the ice ring out from under it as she rammed right into it. She reached out for the bandana as her body became frozen in a block of ice. She felt the warmth of life slip away.
"Not like this, not like this…" She whispered in her prison as the ghost shattered it. She fell backwards and could not stand up. She was dieing, and the ghost knew it. It floated away from her cold body; leaving behind the bandana.
Celas stood up again, renewed by the Phoenix's blessing.
"I'm not finished with you yet." She wrapped the bandana around her arm and focused again on the ghost. It turned back to her as she released her final attack. It wobbled and then ran off. Celas panted. She then marched on, ignoring her weakening health. She couldn't move forward, she was to heavy with death; the plank sank into the poison water. She crawled back and let the poison consume her. She stroked the bandana and pulled out his last letter.
"I'm sorry…I didn't come in time." She let the paper fall into the marsh.
The ghost floated back to her and lay down beside her, a shadowy figure of De Nam appeared through the ghostly light. His arm held Celas in a last show of worldly affection, and then faded away, to haunt the marsh of dead dreams.
Domi yawned. "What's taking Celas so long?" She shook out her coat and yawned again.
"I don't know. She might be a little off her game after that shook up she took." Jaces yawned as well.
"Do you think she's going to be ok?"
He shrugged. "I don't know." He paused; his head perked up and look out to the road. "Do you hear that?"
"Yes, I believe it's the couple from Lueda again." Her head swayed to the tune.
"Let's go meet up with them."
"But what about… She paused, trying to remember.
"What about?" He patted her back.
Domi shook her head. "Oh, just nothing, I thought maybe we had something else to do." She handed Jaces the reins as they moved on. Mog landed in the back of the caravan, the chalice shining dully. A light zipped off toward the abyss, just as the memories of Celas did.