Islanders- Enter the WarMage by StarStorm

This is a fanfic I wrote originally for a message board, because I felt like it. It has a bit to do with Final Fantasy 4 (Well, a lot) and takes place in the future on a completely bizarre tangent. But hey, it was fun writing it. The stars of this little work are my creation, while the supporting characters are the ones you know and love, from Final Fantasy 4. I hope you enjoy this work, and I am currently starting on a sequel that will cross Final Fantasy 4 and 6 over.

This work consists of 10 Chapters, and my comments are listed at the top, in parentheses, under the title of each Chapter. You may find I use ideas from other fanfics in this. I assure you, if I borrowed (Read: plagiarized) from you, don't be angry. It just means I liked the little idea and decided to fit it in my little imaginary universes, years in the making. I should probably thank you as it means I've loved your work and thought an idea you presented in it would fit well.

Anyway, I could go on several pages telling you how this work came about, but the one thing I'm most proud of is the flexibility of my creation. Anything can go anywhere, and I just write, so If I ever come up with another fanfic starring the "Islanders", as I call them, it may not be a sequel, but a work exploring another tangent: "What if this happened, instead of that?". One of the most interesting things also is that the way it's set up originally allows for some serious crossovers, for anything at any time. But you'll figure WHY soon enough. If you've already read some crossovers, it shouldn't surprise you, it's not a totally new idea.

Now I think I'll shut up and let you read. I hope you enjoy. Oh yea, and all stated characters are copyrights of their respective creators. I don't mean any harm, and if you decide I've infringed on something, give me front row seats in the courtroom so I can see your ass laughed out of court. *grins* Really, I mean no harm. Just read and enjoy.


Islanders- Enter the WarMage, Chapter 1: "Prelude"
(This is the beginning. Duh. I never really intended to go farther than this, but these things write themselves and get begged to be put on paper... or screen in this case. *laughs* This bit focuses on introducing Robert and Aurora, and showing a bit of their relationship. Clues to the Queen are given, but never really revealed until the next Chapter.)
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A young man stood upon a balcony, looking down at the earth far below.

He had been afraid of heights once, but where he worked required him to face this fear: the Queen's Citadel, after all, being on an island floating upwards of three or four miles up. Why it was up there, and why it hadn't been detected by the radars of his own world he never asked, leaving it at the theory that it was some sort of magic performed by the Queen and her Lords and Ladies. He didn't like to ask questions much, preferring to just deal with the problems.

Not to say he COULDN'T, but he was always filled with a sense of urgency. Something had to be saved... this world or that world, a friend's life, perhaps... or some magical artifact of some sort of import.

Sometimes he felt like a Power Ranger.

He gazed up at the sky, letting the sun bathe his face. It wasn't exactly a handsome face, not ugly either, but described to some as merely cute. To some he looked silly, even somewhat feminine. It never made a difference to him, he learned to stop caring for the opinions of others unless they were of import. At least those he knew who had important opinions would not subject him to their thoughts of him... all of them anyway, outside of the occasional tease and playfully snide remark.

God Cecil could be such a self-righteous asshole at times! He smiled, having respect for the Paladin, as ageless as the rest of the Lords and Ladies... or their Watchers for that matter, kept that way by some magic the King had learned and used on himself and his group. But the King was long gone. Only the Queen remained. He remembered some long story Rydia had gone into about the King being temperamental to the extreme... and nearly slaughtering his friends in a Herculean-style rage before leaving in shame. When asked who the King was, however, everyone gave him a blank look. Surprisingly enough, no one knew.

Rosa had explained it to him that apparently the King wanted some time to rest... and not be found. Everyone could tell you what he was like... what his deeds were, but his identity? What he looked like? Wiped from everyone's mind by the King himself. Afterwards, it was believed, the King wiped his own, leaving for a mundane life everyone SHOULD know about but didn't.

Bringing himself back to his original train of thought, he wondered when Cecil was going to arrive. He was getting annoyed, and having a WarMage of his calibre annoyed was a potentially dangerous thing. Not that he was boasting, it was fact and everyone knew it.

"Why did he want to see me here anyway?" He grumbled to himself, looking back down at the ground. He was getting fidgety. He'd rather be at home than standing around watching the wind blow. He didn't like to be the errand boy of the Lords and Ladies sometimes, but that was his lot.

Warrior, Diplomat, Assassin, and Healer: He had played each of those roles at one time or another at the Queen's behest, when the jack-of-all-trades multi-talent was more effective then the specialized skills of the others. His kind had learned many fighting styles, not to the degree of mastery afforded by the others, true... no WarMage ever learned to be a better spell-caster than those who spent all their time with arcane tomes, but were deadly effective nonetheless.

He had been trailing off on his own thoughts when a voice was heard behind him. Never fails...

"Hey, I was wondering if you were going to come." A joke of course. He tried to be as punctual as possible... the same sense of urgency.

"Cecil, I always have to be on time for one of your rants." He rolled his eyes, turning to meet the Paladin with the skeptical "I'm listening, but I'm not" look on his face whenever he heard a Paladin rave about the methods of the WarMages... and usually their sense of honor. The Paladins were just, kind, noble and honorable. The WarMages had just down: They didn't kill without provocation or reason. Kind too: They preferred to heal more than hurt. Noble was up to the individual, but honor was a sticky point. What did honor mean when there were lives to protect? One should honor one's allies and friends as long as they remained loyal and good, they reasoned, but honor otherwise was a truckload of bull on the battlefield.

"I didn't come here to talk about what you do... I'll wait until you do something," Cecil chuckled, prompting a similar chuckle from the WarMage. "Although you could do something about looking all dour and brooding all the time. Why don't you get laid or something?"

The WarMage blinked... and blinked again. That was the LAST thing he'd expect a Paladin to say, PERIOD. "What?" he asked stupidly.

"You heard what I said, Robert. Find some female company. Someone to cuddle you at night," Cecil grinned, "Would you like me to?"

"Get away from me you sicko... besides what would Rosa say?"

Another grin... Oh well, it beats him bitching about why it's not nice to possess someone to kill their friends... "Seriously, Robert. All that aside, I wouldn't anyway."

"I was hoping that Cecil."

"Shut up. I need to ask you a favor."

"Non-sexual, I'm praying?"

"I'm hoping so too. You know David? My Watcher Lord?"

"I should. He works for me."

"He works for Rydia. He serves under you, remember? AND he is under my command as well." Robert laughed a bit at that, in a non-mocking way. The Watchers DID work under the Queen's name after all, and in the name of their Lords. He merely led them, kept them alive and coordinated long enough to prevent whatever earth- shaking catastrophe was about to happen, before Rydia and her group actually had to deal with it. First line of defense, he thought to himself. Under him, there were the Watcher Lords, then the Watchers of various worlds. The Watchers where the first line, the Watcher Lords being the second line. If all else failed, everything had gone to hell in a hand basket, and the Lords and Ladies were meant for that...

"So what about him, anyway?"

"You haven't heard? His wife's expecting."

"Ahh I'll congratulate him later. So what does this have to do with anything, outside of the fact that I'll end up short one Watcher?"

"That's about it really. Just make sure once he returns to duty, make sure he trains himself a bit more, to catch up after playing and showing off his kid to everybody within eight miles and three different worlds. Oh... and Aurora wishes to meet with you."

"Right. I'll deal with that now." Robert bowed, and Cecil followed suit, walking back into the Palace to do whatever errand or whim he had to deal with.

Aurora... He thought about her for a bit. Princess Aurora, he corrected himself, although calling her that would probably get your ass kicked somewhere into the Limbo between worlds. He smiled softly, thinking of his Mentor, the only surviving child of the King and Queen, who he had exceeded in strength some time ago... although her experience made her more than a match for him, and her knowledge of his inner self.

He sighed and took one last look at the landscape below him... that of an ocean now, the island having moved since he and Cecil talked. He then went inside the Palace, searching for his Mentor.

The Palace was beautiful from the outside, from lush gardens around the perimeter to stately marble architecture. It was even more beautiful inside, an elegant beauty for that visitors admired and residents took pride in. It was functional as well as wondrous, able to take the siege of any army of the "supervillian-of-the-day", as Rydia so snidely remarked, that managed to get onto the island. Cid had designed this place well.

But the WarMage wasn't there to admire the beauty. He was there to deal with his friend, whatever she wanted at this time. Where would she be? He thought to himself, deciding to check the living quarters first. After several twists and turns, he arrived at the private rooms of the various residents of the Palace, permanent or just rooms for those who would need to stay for an appreciable length of time. He was among the latter, having no real reason to stay unless he was needed for something, or just wanted some time away from his mundane life, a place where not to be disturbed. He looked at each door, inscribed with the name of it's intended occupant, the doors more elaborate the higher said occupant was ranked among them, and their personal desires.

From this, one would assume that Aurora's quarters would be one of the most elaborate. But as Kain said, "Titles are mere honorifics," it wouldn't matter. Besides, like many other WarMages, Aurora prized functionality over elaboration, so he walked up one of the simplest looking doors, with "Aurora" inscribed upon it and knocked on it. "'It opens, get over it.' indeed," Robert muttered, with a tiny smile, remembering Aurora's retort to the carpenter's protest.

"You may enter!" a feminine voice from within sounded, and he obligingly opened the door, shutting it behind him. He looked over Aurora somewhat, playfully making a show of ogling her. She was quite attractive really, with waist-length blond hair, and wonderful curves. Nothing exceptional about her height, she stood a bit shorter than he. "And why are you here?"

"Cecil told me you wanted to see me, m'lady." He also made a big show of bowing toward royalty, keeping his eyes noticeably glued to her more... stunning aspects. She smiled at that. "Well I didn't ask him to bring you here so you could ogle me." She made her own show of blushing and being modest.

"Why else would I come?" He looked confused, another mask of playfulness that made her laugh, as he sat down on a chair, across from her own seat upon her bedspread.

"I don't know. Maybe to give me something to do." The look in her eyes reflected his, giving him some small relief. I guess she just needed company, he thought to himself. If it was important, she would have a more businesslike look and manner to her. Like him, she wasted no time getting to the point.

"And what unladylike thing would you have me do to unbore you? I thought Cecil wouldn't ask me to do anything sexual."

"Pervert. Nothing like that!" She chuckled, "Although it does seem tempting." She rolled her eyes and smiled. He chuckled, grateful inwardly, somewhat for the fact that she had no business to take care of. She could be frightening to him when she had business, or was angry, and he had quashed almost all fear from his soul during his apprenticeship to her.

He shuddered visibly, drawing a look of concern from Aurora, but kept into the memories of his training. WarMages were not cruel unless necessity required it, but they were not taught with kindness. Aurora was not a forgiving Mentor, punishing his mistakes painfully and frequently. Not that the training ITSELF was a walk in the park: He remembered one bit about staying in freezing weather for hours on end with the clothes he wore and a simple fire-spell to keep himself warm. It wouldn't be so bad if he was able to find shelter, but being chained to a rock sort of hindered that considerably. The point was to be able to break the chain so he could leave by some means.

Not that he was angry, he understood somewhat the need. A WarMage must be able to withstand extremes, after all. And besides, at the time, earning Aurora's praise seemed like a blessing from God Himself. There was truth to the fact that one was never a WarMage until they learned to burn all hate and fear from their soul: Some WarMages needed only to hear their Mentor's name to end up in a frothing rage, or quivering fear. Robert did neither, independent and losing all hatred and fear. His relationship with his Mentor went quite well really. She was really quite nice once you got past the fact that she was a deadly, ruthless, vicious and cunning warrior.

"You alright?"

"Yeah," He smiled softly, "Just memories of my apprenticeship."

She winced. He WOULD have to think of that now, she thought to herself. She sighed inwardly, his training being just as hard on her as it was him, almost. Hearing herself silently scream in protest of the various things she had to do to teach him what it was to be a WarMage... She always rationalized it to herself, "It was for his own good. He willingly let himself into this," with surprising futility as she recoiled from things she had performed that under other circumstances, would be called torture.

A WarMage was never needlessly cruel, and almost NEVER tortured.

Truly, she thought to herself, the Mentor is trained along with the Apprentice, learning how to witness cruelties beyond imagine and push them out of her mind when needed for business, and recoiling and feeling anger otherwise. It was a question of balance really. When she met with her own Mentor, long dead now (bless his soul), to speak about what she felt during that time, he only smiled and nodded understandingly.

An uncomfortable silence followed, as both recalled memories both wished would remain buried, but would forever resurface.

"Anyway..." Robert was the first to speak.

"Oh, what? Oh..." She smiled, grateful to be interrupted from her less-than-joyful reverie...

"Ending the flirting and all, why did you need me?"

"Oh, just someone to talk to while I have lunch."

"While WE have lunch. Alright, fine. I'll buy. I'm hungry anyway."

She laughed again. "Thank you, my gallant friend, we will talk pointlessly over lunch." She offered him her hand, to pull her from her seat upon her bed.

He took the offered hand helping her up and hugging her to him gently. "Think nothing of it, it would be my pleasure. What fine restaurant were you thinking of?"

"Oh I don't know. I'll decide when we get there." Another laugh, from both, relieved to have been shaken from earlier memories and business, to get on with the more pleasurable business of enjoying the company of a dear friend.

As they leave her room, Robert chuckles to himself, letting the last of the fading memories go. Such strange circumstances...

Reviews and criticism are welcome, I'll have the next chapter up soon.