One To Be Born Again
A Final Fantasy IV Fanfic
By Roehl Sybing
Chapter One: The Headlines At This Hour
"Good morning, I'm Terry Crawford, and this is Morning Briefing here on
Planetary Network News. Here are the headlines at this hour. It only happens
once every one-hundred forty-or-so years, and astronomers from around the world
are assembling together for an event unlike any other. A spherical mass of
rock the size of a small moon will be completing its' elliptical orbit around
our planet in about three months. The Lunar Rock, as scientists call it, is
believed to have been a moon that circled around the planet until it was
influenced by the sun almost a millennium ago. Now for the seventh time in a
thousand years, the Lunar Rock will fly by and assume orbit around the planet
for two weeks, after which the sun will pull the phenomenon towards its path
for another seventy-two years.
"The Damcyan Senate has approved final construction of their statewide defense
net. The project has been in full force for almost two years now and has
already begun to take shape long before it is set to go online. When
completed, the defense net, the first of its kind, will protect the citizens of
Damcyan from invaders of neighboring countries. The construction has drawn
international criticism from Tororia to Baron, who believes that the net is a
reactionary and paranoid measure against enemies which do not exist. The
defense net is expected to be completed on schedule one week from tomorrow.
"In Baron, the Red Wings are setting up for a live-fire demonstration to be
held at the millennial Anniversary of the founding of the Kingdom of Baron. The
celebration of mass proportions is still three weeks away, but already tourists
are gathering together just outside the town of Baron to bear witness to the
event of the millennium. On the schedule for the festivities include a
demonstration by the Red Wings, which will use pulse cannons, tactical
missiles, and electro-magnetic lit-bolts to take out four decommissioned
cruisers provided by the Sea Power.
"And finally, fires rage for the third straight day in Mysidian City as support
from neighboring areas and local Light and Shadow Technicians pool in their
resources to save countless people from danger. Mysidian City was attacked
three days ago by unidentified terrorists who took the Crystal of Water from
the highly-secured Crystal Room. Reports are sketchy at best and casualties
are light with the death toll only at about a dozen civilians and policemen,
but the government of Mysidian City is already pointing fingers at the Kingdom
of Baron. The President of Baron told reporters in a press conference
yesterday that the Mysidian Council has no proof, only history, to back up
their accusations. The Kingdom of Baron has offered humanitarian aid, but
Mysidian City has denied all help offered by the President."
---
"This is Red One," Cole said, "Requesting on behalf of mine and four other
airships to dock immediately at Military Bay Four, over."
"This is Baron Flight Control. Negative, Red One," the voice crackled above
the static, "I have several aircraft in my airspace that require immediate
attention. It will take several minutes, we can begin docking procedures
then."
"Acknowledged, Flight Control. Red One out." Cole sat back in the command
chair. It had been a long few days, several minutes were relatively
insignificant, though he sure would love to be home as soon as possible. Then
he could put the whole thing behind him. Then he could get rid of...this.
On the tray table to his left lay the black box. It was nothing special except
for the contents inside. Cole dared not look at it again, how beautiful,
though, that it was. When he grasped it in his hands, it was a sight to
behold. But he was too...unworthy to even look at it again. He didn't belong
in its presence and yet, he held possession over yet. No, he thought, it was
the possession of Mysidian City. He and everyone under his command had no
right to steal it. No right to take it from the Crystal Room. No right to
murder innocent technicians and Councilmembers and definitely no right to take
out a good part of the city. All Cole had...were orders. Orders directly from
the President to storm Mysidian City and take its' prize. He hid well the fact
that he was sick of it, and he knew that his squadron was sick of it as well.
Including his First Officer. "Captain," Commander Williams approached the
Captain.
Cole lifted his head up, "Yes, Commander?"
Williams trembled, "I would...like to...inform you that...you will have my
resignation in the morning."
The other officers on the bridge turned their heads. It was the first bold
move anyone made on this mission.
Cole shifted in his chair, "This is the military, Commander, you cannot just
resign from the Red Wings."
"With all due respect, Captain, if the President can do what he wishes, then so
can I."
"I understand your objections, Commander, but given the circumstances--"
"I cannot bear the circumstances! We are trained soldiers, Captain, but we are
ordered to act as common thieves! I can see through you, Captain, you do not
agree with the orders yourself!"
"That is what we are under, Williams," Cole said, "Orders! We must carry them
out to the best of our abilities without question. That is what loyalty is all
about."
Williams replied, "Then I cannot be loyal, sir."
"You are out of line, Commander! But your remarks are noted. We will settle
this when we land, is that clear!?"
Williams stood silent. All he could do was step back and return to his
station. Cole sat back again. He felt the same way, but he couldn't do
anything about it. If only he could put it all behind him and look ahead, but
all he saw was what was behind him.
---
Cole crept up to his First Officer. "Report," he whispered.
Williams was eyeing the Crystal Room through a pair of binoculars. "Two pulse
cannons along the opposite wall, sir. If we trip the sensors, we'll have holes
in our stomachs."
"We have to take them out before that happens, Commander. Suggestions,
anyone?"
The soldiers whispered among themselves.
"How about a lit-bomb?"
"Can take 'em out with a few cannons of our own."
"Or maybe fill the room with smoke."
"Too risky, we'll trip the sensors," the Commander said, "We gotta hurry this
up, the Defender bot we lured away will be coming in back two minutes."
"No time then," Cole said, "I'm going in. Alone."
---
Motion sensors criss-crossed the room, creating a protective web in front of
the display case. Too bad for just anyone looking to steal the coveted
Crystal. But those designing the defenses were sloppy, Cole thought, for there
was a gap in the field, just along the lower-left corner that he could sneak
through. He did so, with ease, and when the pulse cannons shifted their aim
across the room, Cole hid under the display case to avoid their gaze. He sat
under the Crystal for half a minute before he was confident that he was in the
cannons' blind spot, and before he knew it, the Crystal was within his reach.
Slowly and surely, his hands reached for the jewel and lifted it off its'
resting place.
Bells and whistles set off. A screeching noise filled the room and the Crystal
Room lit up like a bright candle. Obviously, Cole thought, this was the final
defense. All of a sudden, the cannons were pointing at him, charging up before
they could fire. And like that, Cole bolted out of the room before the cannons
fired and the door sealed itself.
"Everybody out!" Cole cried, and his men sprung to life and scrambled for the
exit. For as far as they can see, the part of town that they invaded was on
alert. Streets and buildings shielded in darkness were now covered in light to
reveal their invaders. All the more motivation to get to the airship before
they were overtaken by local authorities.
"Drop your weapons!" an officer on behalf of his men halted the progress of
Cole and his command. Instinctively, Williams was the first to fire his
weapon, and everyone else followed suit. The riot gear the locals wore were no
match to the military-class weapons of the Red Wings, and the officers were
taken in short order.
"There'll be more of that, people," Cole said, "We gotta get a move on!"
---
Six hundred paces to the airship. Five hundred paces. Four hundred.
Suddenly, a gunshot, then a cry of pain. Cole looked behind him. One of his
men was shot to the ground by a guardsman at the city limits. Cole was the
only one who noticed the fallen soldier, while everyone else was just
scrambling for the entrance to the airship. But the poor guy was too far
behind, and Cole could not come back for him.
"Come on, Captain!" Williams cried from the door to the airship. Cole was
conflicted between escaping and saving his fellow officer. He chose the
former.
---
The next thing he knew, Cole was on the airship, already fifty feet above the
ground, with part of the city already torched by support ships. By then, the
fallen officer would have activated his self-destruct device to avoid capture.
He should have never left him behind. He tried to convince himself that there
was nothing he could do, but it wasn't true. And it was too late.
"Sir!" an officer said, "I've got a big hostile coming in on attack vector!"
"Battle stations!" Cole said, and at that order, the bridge crew rushed to
their stations to defend their ship from trouble.
"Unidentified creature at four o'clock!"
"Charging pulse cannons to full power, sir!"
"Tactical missiles armed and ready, sir."
"Camera Eight has visual on the target, Captain."
"On screen," Cole ordered. What he saw on the screen relieved him in part, for
it was a large vulture-like creature approaching the ship. It was no big deal,
as opposed to airships from the enemy seeking retaliation, but it was still
menacing. The creature flew in and rammed the ship, rattling its crew,
especially those on the bridge. Cole shook around in his chair a few times
before he gave the order. "Lock cannons on to the target and fire at will."
"Aye, sir," the officer said as he fired the main guns at the creature. It was
a swift kill, and the creature fell towards the ground and out of sight.
All the officers breathed a sigh of relief as the ship stood down from
emergency. But tensions among the crew rose again.
"That was the third time this mission we were attacked by monsters."
"Last week we were hit four times by things like that."
"I heard rumors that one of our ships were taken down by a whole slew of those
things."
"Enough," Cole said, "I just got the order by Flight Control. Begin docking
procedures into Baron immediately."
"Aye, sir!"
As the airships begun their descent, Cole breathed a sigh of relief. The
mission was finally over. As far as he was concerned, he could put the matter
to rest. But not a second before he turned over the little black box in his
possession over to the President. But guilt loomed over his head as the ship
lowered itself onto the ground. He couldn't wear his uniform with honor. He
couldn't look at his fellow officers with pride. He couldn't look at himself
in the mirror. Most of all, he couldn't look at his daughter with the guilt
that filled his eyes.
---
"Mommy! Mommy!" Ashley cried and ran to her arms.
"It's OK," Rachel said, "Mommy's here."
"Where's Daddy?" she asked.
The schoolteacher stepped in, "That's a good question, Ashley."
Rachel stood up, "I'm sorry, ma'am. Today was not my scheduled day, and..."
"Understandable. Let's not make this a habit, though. The school day ended
thirty minutes ago."
"This won't happen too often. Cole was supposed to take my daughter today."
"And how is your husband, if I may ask?"
Rachel sighed, "I wish I knew, ma'am. I don't see him anymore. He's probably
off somewhere getting himself into trouble."
---
On the contrary, for Cole was right outside the gates of the castle.
"Cindy, this is Captain Cole Porter. I have a package to take directly to the
President."
Cindy was the central computer. Some will even say she is the entire castle.
Nothing runs properly without Cindy. More importantly, Cole could not get into
the castle without Cindy.
Her face was on the front viewer, to the side of the castle gate. "Very well,
Captain," she buzzed, "Enter."
The gates opened up, and waiting inside someone was waiting for Cole.
"Geez, Cole," Kent said, "You OK?"
"That's a matter of opinion," Cole said as they walked together.
"What's wrong?"
"A whole lot of things. Unofficially?"
"Sure."
"I killed three Light Technicians and four Shadow Technicians among several
other local police to get to this little gem."
Kent eyed the black box. "What is it?"
"THIS is official. And it's classified. Though I'm sure you'll figure it out
with what I just told you."
"Oh. OH. Oh, boy." Kent had watched the news. But he couldn't believe what
Cole was suggesting. "Wow, Cole, you're neck deep in it, aren't you?"
Cole opened the outer door to the President's office. "Depends. How bad does
the news say it is?"
"Bad. Really bad."
"Say no more," Cole said as he tried to opened the final door into the office.
It was locked. "Cindy! I need to speak with the President."
"I am sorry, Captain." Cindy said from another screen on the wall, "I need to
speak with the President before I can give you authorization."
"Fine. Make it quick."
The face disappeared, for a brief minute, until Cindy appeared on the monitor
again. "You may enter," she said, "Just you, Captain."
---
The doors swung open, and at the opposite end of the large room was the
President sitting behind his desk. "Captain! Come in, come in," he said, "I
trust all went well with the mission?"
Cole was near speechless, but managed to say something, "As planned, sir."
"Good! Good!" said the President, pointing at the box, "Is that what I think
it is?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then bring it here!"
Cole did so, laying the box in front of him. As the President opened the box,
his eyes widened with delight. He took the artifact from the box and held it
openly. Its light spread to every corner of the room. "The Crystal of
Water..." the President said, "It's even more beautiful than I expected. My
apologies for being brief, but that will be all for today, thank you."
Cole gave a weak smile to a President who was too busy looking at his new
prize. He turned around and headed for the door, but not before speaking up
again, "Mr. President..."
The President looked up, "Yes?"
"Permission to speak freely, sir."
"Always."
Cole relaxed his stance, "Well, my crew, sir, they...have moral objections
about what we have done on this last mission."
The President put the Crystal down, "Continue."
"And it sorta turns out...I have objections to this mission."
"Continue."
"Mr. President, I have to ask. Why did we just steal the Crystal of Water from
Mysidian City?"
"Are you questioning my authority, Captain?"
"Sir, I--"
"Don't deny it, Captain. Cindy told me all about it."
Cole's jaw dropped, "Cindy!?"
"The computer told me you put up quite a fit about it."
He blinked. "I'm sorry," Cole said, "What's your point?"
"My point is your recent disregard for authority and lack of loyalty. If you
cannot serve me without question, you cannot serve in the Red Wings."
"Wait a minute--you're cutting me!?"
"That's right, Captain. As of now, you are suspended from active duty,
indefinitely. Guards!"
The door on the left sprung open and two officers came to take Cole away. Cole
struggled while saying, "Mr. President! I demand an explanation!"
All the while, the President remained in his chair, "You are in no position to
demand anything from me. Take him away, NOW!"
Cole dragged his feet across the floor as the guards forced him out the door.
And as the door to the office opened, Kent watched on. "Hey!" he said, "What's
going on?"
Cole was still making his plea to the President, "You can't suspend me without
authorization from the admiral! This is nuts!"
"'Suspend'?" Kent repeated the word, just before storming into the office
himself. "Mr. President!" he said, "What is going on, sir?"
"Disciplinary action, Lieutenant. Run along now," the President said as he
scribbled something on a pad.
"With all due respect, sir, you are apparently putting down one of the finest
Captains I have ever served under."
For once, the President rose from his chair, "You listen to me, Lieutenant.
You're in Division Three, which means you're not part of the Red Wings anymore.
So don't you ever question my authority on a matter which is certainly none of
your business, do I make myself clear!?"
Kent straightened up, "Yes, sir."
"Now get the hell out of my office before I throw another soldier out of here!"
---
"And that's what he said," Kent told Cole.
"Barkeep," Cole said, "Another ale please. Kent, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I'm looking at my own discharge from the Red Wings, and I almost got you
booted back there!"
Kent drank up, "No big deal. The President'll keep you on, you're the finest
Captain in the entire fleet! He can't forget that!"
"You know, Kent, how can you be so calm about this? You worked your way to
Special Forces, and all of a sudden you can be taken off duty in a heartbeat!"
"Well, like I said, you put in the hours, I put in the hours, the President
can't forget all of that and boot us in an instant."
"Excuse me, Captain, Lieutenant," an officer from behind approached the two.
Cole turned around, "What is it?"
The officer handed Cole a slip of paper. "Your new orders. Both of you," he
said just before walking away.
He examined the paper. Cole let out a weak laugh. "I'm gonna need yet another
ale, barkeep."
"What happened?" Kent asked.
"Temporary transfer," he replied, "To the Transport Division."
Kent's jaw dropped, then his hand raised to signal the barkeep, "I'll have
another one too."
---
At least she brought her work along, Rachel thought. She just knew Cole was
going to be late, despite that fact that it was HIS meeting. No big deal,
Rachel could sit in the Inn all day doing filling out paperwork. After all,
being a Light Technician was no cakewalk. Handling complaints, fixing
problems, devising new methods. It was not easy...but it should've been fun.
Rachel remembered a time when it was fun.
Once upon a time, Rachel was much younger and in training. She learned to heal
wounds, open portals, and neutralize poison...all with just a few pieces of
minor equipment. It almost seemed like magic. Especially with Cole by her
side. They knew each other since forever, so it was only a matter of time
until--
Ugh, she said to herself. The very thought of Cole these days just saddened
her. The very sight of Cole weakened her. And right now, she was feeling very
weak.
"Sorry I'm late, honey," Cole said as he sat down.
"Please," Rachel said, "Please don't call me 'honey.'"
"Why not?"
"Because. Because we're not like that anymore, that's why."
He sneered, "Gee, Rachel, you sure know how to break a heart."
Rachel reacted, "Where do you think I learned it from, Cole?"
Wow, Cole thought, she's really putting up a fight on the worst day of his
career. "What in the world brought this on, Rachel? What's going on?"
"'What's going on?' Cole, I was in the middle of a very important Cure
procedure when I was called away to pick up Ashley, on a day on which it is
your responsibility to take her from school. I drew all sorts of hell from my
boss who almost threatened to take my equipment from me. And on top of that,
YOU'RE two steps from being sued by me for child support in the amount of
five-hundred Gold Credits!" By the end of her speech, she was standing up with
her hands leaning against the table, with everyone in the Inn looking on.
Right after noticing, she slowly sat back down before saying, "But really,
nothing's wrong."
Cole leaned in his chair, "Good, I'm glad there isn't."
Rached couldn't understand it, but her only reaction was to laugh. She laughed
for a long while without saying anything to Cole.
"Well, good to know you can still be in good spirits."
"Oh, Cole," Rachel said as her smile slowly left her face.
"I'm so sorry, Rachel. This is the first time I've been home for three days.
I keep forgetting to draw a check for child support. You know how much I love
Ashley. I'll get it to you right away, but Rachel..."
"Don't say it. As much as I hate to admit it...I'm sorry, too. It's
just...been one hell of a day."
Cole's eyes rolled upwards, "Tell me about it."
---
"So where HAVE you been anyways?" Rachel asked more than halfway through
dinner.
"I can't tell you," Cole replied, "It's all classified."
"Oh. Right."
"You don't want to know anyways."
She put her fork down, saying, "Yes, I do."
"No, Rachel, you don't."
"Cole, I want to know exactly where my daughter's father is every moment of
every day that he is gone. More importantly, I want to know at the start of
each day whether or not my daughter will have a father that will take care of
her at night. Yes, Cole, I want to know."
Cole put his utensils down as well. He sighed, saying, "Rachel, have you been
watching the news lately?"
"Yeah, something about your Red Wings and the millennial Celebration," she said
as she chewed on a piece of food, "What about it?"
He could not determine whether or not Rachel was intentionally feigning
ignorance, for the incident had led all news for the past three days. "Rachel,
the OTHER news."
Rachel stopped chewing. Her eyes widened and her face leaned forward. "Please,
Cole. For Ashley's sake...for my sake, please tell me you are not a party to
it."
Cole shook his head in sadness, "I'm right in the middle of it."
She dropped into her seat. She tried not to believe it, but her suspicions
were correct. She never saw him all week. Several ships from the fleet were
gone. And don't forget that the very same thing happened one thousand years
ago. It came to Rachel's mind that it was one thousand years ago to the day
that it happened. She tried to make light of the situation, "Am...Am I
consorting with a known war criminal now?"
Cole, too, was in his own trance, "Rachel, you're not helping."
"Sorry."
"I was following orders, Rachel. I couldn't abandon my post for moral
convictions."
"Well, what about thinking for yourself? How about that?"
"Soldiers aren't supposed to think, we're supposed to act."
"You don't expect me to believe that, do you?"
"It doesn't matter. Because it gets worse."
Rachel looked at Cole with disbelief, "How could it possibly get worse, Cole?"
"It does. I have been re-assigned to the Transport Division."
Another shock. Obviously one of many. By now, Rachel was completely off
guard. "Wow," she said, "Talk about being canned."
"Kain and I, we're supposed to, uh...take some package and head west."
History. That pesky thing again. "Where are you headed?"
"Mist," Cole uttered.
She had reached her peak at the third shock. Rachel upon hearing this bit of
information swept her plate off the table and onto the floor, catching
everyone's attention once again. "You know, Cole," she said, "Even after we
separated, I always thought of you as at least the slightest bit charming.
Which I kinda mistaken to be synonymous with intelligent. Until tonight, I
have never thought of you as this stupid."
Cole looked at Rachel, "Are we gonna add insult to injury now?"
"Cole, do you have any knowledge of history whatsoever?"
"Of course I do! I know full well what happened one thousand years ago. I've
heard it all before. But things are different."
"Like what?"
"Well...for one thing, there are no more Callers anymore, if they ever existed
in the first place! The last of them died in the Cave of Summoned Monsters,
it's a fairy tale now! Mist is so insignificant today, why would anyone torch
a town of innocent people these days?"
"Does the President need a reason anymore? Mist was so insignificant THEN,
even the Callers presented no match in the great war."
"The point is, there is no reason for the President to go on a cold-blooded
killing spree. Theft is one thing, I doubt mass murder is part of his psyche."
Rachel lifted the napkin off her lap and stood up. "Cole, you may be charming,
and you may still be the least bit intelligent, but you have a great weakness."
Cole folded his arms, "And what is that."
"You're so naive." She handed the check to him, saying, "Forty-four Gold
Credits for the dinner. Plus the dishes. It's your turn anyways." And with
that, she picked up her belongings and stormed out of the Inn, leaving Cole to
place his face in his hand.
---
"Who is it?" a voice said.
"It's Cole. Open up, Carl."
The door opened. "Cole!" Carl exclaimed, "How've you been? How was the
mission?"
Cole shrugged, "I'm alive, right?"
"Ha," he said, "That bad, huh? Come on in, kid. I usually don't take in
guests this late, but for you..."
---
"I have to know," Carl said as he gave Cole a seat, "How're my airships?"
"Perfect condition," Cole replied, "Just like you left them."
"Good. So's long as I don't have to clean 'em in the morning! So, really,
what brings you to these parts?"
Cole shifted in his chair, "You know a lot about history, right?"
Carl pointed at his bookshelf, "This is all thanks to my son. Got him the
whole Planetary Database in paper form. Why?"
"You just have to refresh my memory about The Great Mist Tragedy."
Carl offered a look of suspicion, "What's this about, kid?"
"I have to know," Cole said, "It's important."
He took a seat opposite Cole. "Well," he said, "A thousand years back, just one
week before the Great War, two unnamed couriers brought a package into Mist.
It was believed to be sent by the King of Baron, though not many people are
sure. Anyways, the package was a death trap, see? They didn't say what was in
it, only that it torched the entire town and sent the Callers into extinction.
Well, the Great Rydia survived, but she was the last of her kind. Come on,
Cole, what's this all about?"
Cole took a piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and showed it to Carl,
"This."
Carl read the orders on the piece of paper before saying, "Just what I feared."
"'Feared'?" he asked, "You mean, you knew about this?"
He gave the paper back to Cole, saying, "Go. You have a mission."
"I can't take this mission, Carl! You and I know what will happen!"
"Perhaps. But you have to go tomorrow," he said, taking Cole out the door. He
said, "Trust me. You have to fulfill prophecy!" before he closed the door on
him.
Prophecy? What prophecy? Cole asked himself, what had he gotten himself into?
---
At home, Cole sat at his table and constantly shifted his gaze between the slip
of paper on the table and the clock on the wall. Ten o'clock, it read. He
couldn't sleep, knowing the risks ahead. He was already responsible for taking
the lives of a handful of innocent people just three days ago. Now he was
ordered to take out an entire town of innocent people. Did the President think
he was that ignorant? No, he thought, it doesn't matter. He was a soldier,
and he has an obligation to his President to carry out whatever orders he was
given. And he was curious anyways. Prophecy? Please, thought Cole, this is
the modern world. But what about what Carl said?
Cole's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," he said,
"The door's open."
The door opened, and in the doorway stood a happy figure.
"Daddy!" Ashley said.
Cole ran up to Ashley and lifted her up, "Ashley! Oh, you're a sight to
behold!"
She was only six, so she shrugged and said, "Huh?"
"Never mind," Cole said happily, "How was school today?"
"We played with Shadowtech today, Daddy. They taught us how to create Ice!"
"Oh, I'm so proud of you honey!" he exclaimed, before asking, "Where's your
mother?"
"Right here," Rachel said, just coming up the steps to Cole's house.
Cole's smile weakened but still remained on his face. "C'mon, dear," he said to
Ashley, "Why don't I read you a story and put you to bed?"
---
"And Rydia, who was once afraid of fire," Cole read from a storybook, "Summoned
a great flame to melt the ice and open the passageway to the mountains."
"So did they get to the other side?" Ashley asked as she stood up in bed.
"Yes, and the great warrior Yang showed them the way to Fabul, and there, they
held off ten thousand soldiers from taking the Crystal away. They even stopped
the evil Golbez from destroying the entire castle!"
"Is that the end of the story, Daddy?"
Cole closed the book, "It's never the end of the story, dear. But it's time
for bed."
"Aww, just one more chapter?" Ashley pleaded.
"Sorry, Ashley," he apologized as he tucked her into bed, "Daddy's got a big
day tomorrow."
"Are you going away again?"
"Yeah," he said softly, "But I'll be back. I always come back."
"Like Kain, right?"
Cole laughed, "Right! Like Kain."
---
Cole stood in the doorway of Ashley's bedroom and looked out into the living
room. There, Rachel looked out the window where she could see the rest of
town. She knew he was watching her, so she said, "I'll pick her up before you
leave in the morning."
"That's no problem," he replied.
Rachel turned around and approached Cole, saying, "Cole, whatever happens,
please..."
"What is it?" he asked as he touched her face.
"Come back for Ashley," she said softly as a tear rolled down her cheek, "Come
back...for me. Find your way...back to me, OK?"
Cole said nothing, only touching her lips with his as they held each other for
what seemed like an eternity.
---
But this eternity didn't last. Morning came as Cole, all geared up and ready
to go, however uncertain of the mission ahead, walked out to the outer
perimeter of the castle. There, Kent stood at the castle gate, with a package
in his hand.
"This is it," Kent said as Cole came up to him, "This is the infamous package."
"Are we willing to do this, Kent?" Cole asked.
"Do we have a choice?"
Cole, strangely enough, had no response. All he could do was walk with Kent
outside the castle.
---
And so began their journey for the Town of Mist, located in a valley enclosed
in deep fog.
Many questions stuck in the back of Cole's mind: for one, why did he put up a
fight in the President's office, only to submit to the President's will and go
on a mission that would eventually result in the destruction of an entire town?
Why did he allow his men to take out Mysidian City and steal the Crystal of
Water from their land?
A more important question: what does the President want with the Crystals
anyways?
---
"West of here," Kent said, "Should be where the cave leading to Mist is."
"Then we'd better head west," Cole replied.
The two walked on, and within minutes they disappeared from the sight of Baron.
---
The crystal was shedding its light silently...
To be continued.
A Final Fantasy IV Fanfic
By Roehl Sybing
Chapter One: The Headlines At This Hour
"Good morning, I'm Terry Crawford, and this is Morning Briefing here on
Planetary Network News. Here are the headlines at this hour. It only happens
once every one-hundred forty-or-so years, and astronomers from around the world
are assembling together for an event unlike any other. A spherical mass of
rock the size of a small moon will be completing its' elliptical orbit around
our planet in about three months. The Lunar Rock, as scientists call it, is
believed to have been a moon that circled around the planet until it was
influenced by the sun almost a millennium ago. Now for the seventh time in a
thousand years, the Lunar Rock will fly by and assume orbit around the planet
for two weeks, after which the sun will pull the phenomenon towards its path
for another seventy-two years.
"The Damcyan Senate has approved final construction of their statewide defense
net. The project has been in full force for almost two years now and has
already begun to take shape long before it is set to go online. When
completed, the defense net, the first of its kind, will protect the citizens of
Damcyan from invaders of neighboring countries. The construction has drawn
international criticism from Tororia to Baron, who believes that the net is a
reactionary and paranoid measure against enemies which do not exist. The
defense net is expected to be completed on schedule one week from tomorrow.
"In Baron, the Red Wings are setting up for a live-fire demonstration to be
held at the millennial Anniversary of the founding of the Kingdom of Baron. The
celebration of mass proportions is still three weeks away, but already tourists
are gathering together just outside the town of Baron to bear witness to the
event of the millennium. On the schedule for the festivities include a
demonstration by the Red Wings, which will use pulse cannons, tactical
missiles, and electro-magnetic lit-bolts to take out four decommissioned
cruisers provided by the Sea Power.
"And finally, fires rage for the third straight day in Mysidian City as support
from neighboring areas and local Light and Shadow Technicians pool in their
resources to save countless people from danger. Mysidian City was attacked
three days ago by unidentified terrorists who took the Crystal of Water from
the highly-secured Crystal Room. Reports are sketchy at best and casualties
are light with the death toll only at about a dozen civilians and policemen,
but the government of Mysidian City is already pointing fingers at the Kingdom
of Baron. The President of Baron told reporters in a press conference
yesterday that the Mysidian Council has no proof, only history, to back up
their accusations. The Kingdom of Baron has offered humanitarian aid, but
Mysidian City has denied all help offered by the President."
---
"This is Red One," Cole said, "Requesting on behalf of mine and four other
airships to dock immediately at Military Bay Four, over."
"This is Baron Flight Control. Negative, Red One," the voice crackled above
the static, "I have several aircraft in my airspace that require immediate
attention. It will take several minutes, we can begin docking procedures
then."
"Acknowledged, Flight Control. Red One out." Cole sat back in the command
chair. It had been a long few days, several minutes were relatively
insignificant, though he sure would love to be home as soon as possible. Then
he could put the whole thing behind him. Then he could get rid of...this.
On the tray table to his left lay the black box. It was nothing special except
for the contents inside. Cole dared not look at it again, how beautiful,
though, that it was. When he grasped it in his hands, it was a sight to
behold. But he was too...unworthy to even look at it again. He didn't belong
in its presence and yet, he held possession over yet. No, he thought, it was
the possession of Mysidian City. He and everyone under his command had no
right to steal it. No right to take it from the Crystal Room. No right to
murder innocent technicians and Councilmembers and definitely no right to take
out a good part of the city. All Cole had...were orders. Orders directly from
the President to storm Mysidian City and take its' prize. He hid well the fact
that he was sick of it, and he knew that his squadron was sick of it as well.
Including his First Officer. "Captain," Commander Williams approached the
Captain.
Cole lifted his head up, "Yes, Commander?"
Williams trembled, "I would...like to...inform you that...you will have my
resignation in the morning."
The other officers on the bridge turned their heads. It was the first bold
move anyone made on this mission.
Cole shifted in his chair, "This is the military, Commander, you cannot just
resign from the Red Wings."
"With all due respect, Captain, if the President can do what he wishes, then so
can I."
"I understand your objections, Commander, but given the circumstances--"
"I cannot bear the circumstances! We are trained soldiers, Captain, but we are
ordered to act as common thieves! I can see through you, Captain, you do not
agree with the orders yourself!"
"That is what we are under, Williams," Cole said, "Orders! We must carry them
out to the best of our abilities without question. That is what loyalty is all
about."
Williams replied, "Then I cannot be loyal, sir."
"You are out of line, Commander! But your remarks are noted. We will settle
this when we land, is that clear!?"
Williams stood silent. All he could do was step back and return to his
station. Cole sat back again. He felt the same way, but he couldn't do
anything about it. If only he could put it all behind him and look ahead, but
all he saw was what was behind him.
---
Cole crept up to his First Officer. "Report," he whispered.
Williams was eyeing the Crystal Room through a pair of binoculars. "Two pulse
cannons along the opposite wall, sir. If we trip the sensors, we'll have holes
in our stomachs."
"We have to take them out before that happens, Commander. Suggestions,
anyone?"
The soldiers whispered among themselves.
"How about a lit-bomb?"
"Can take 'em out with a few cannons of our own."
"Or maybe fill the room with smoke."
"Too risky, we'll trip the sensors," the Commander said, "We gotta hurry this
up, the Defender bot we lured away will be coming in back two minutes."
"No time then," Cole said, "I'm going in. Alone."
---
Motion sensors criss-crossed the room, creating a protective web in front of
the display case. Too bad for just anyone looking to steal the coveted
Crystal. But those designing the defenses were sloppy, Cole thought, for there
was a gap in the field, just along the lower-left corner that he could sneak
through. He did so, with ease, and when the pulse cannons shifted their aim
across the room, Cole hid under the display case to avoid their gaze. He sat
under the Crystal for half a minute before he was confident that he was in the
cannons' blind spot, and before he knew it, the Crystal was within his reach.
Slowly and surely, his hands reached for the jewel and lifted it off its'
resting place.
Bells and whistles set off. A screeching noise filled the room and the Crystal
Room lit up like a bright candle. Obviously, Cole thought, this was the final
defense. All of a sudden, the cannons were pointing at him, charging up before
they could fire. And like that, Cole bolted out of the room before the cannons
fired and the door sealed itself.
"Everybody out!" Cole cried, and his men sprung to life and scrambled for the
exit. For as far as they can see, the part of town that they invaded was on
alert. Streets and buildings shielded in darkness were now covered in light to
reveal their invaders. All the more motivation to get to the airship before
they were overtaken by local authorities.
"Drop your weapons!" an officer on behalf of his men halted the progress of
Cole and his command. Instinctively, Williams was the first to fire his
weapon, and everyone else followed suit. The riot gear the locals wore were no
match to the military-class weapons of the Red Wings, and the officers were
taken in short order.
"There'll be more of that, people," Cole said, "We gotta get a move on!"
---
Six hundred paces to the airship. Five hundred paces. Four hundred.
Suddenly, a gunshot, then a cry of pain. Cole looked behind him. One of his
men was shot to the ground by a guardsman at the city limits. Cole was the
only one who noticed the fallen soldier, while everyone else was just
scrambling for the entrance to the airship. But the poor guy was too far
behind, and Cole could not come back for him.
"Come on, Captain!" Williams cried from the door to the airship. Cole was
conflicted between escaping and saving his fellow officer. He chose the
former.
---
The next thing he knew, Cole was on the airship, already fifty feet above the
ground, with part of the city already torched by support ships. By then, the
fallen officer would have activated his self-destruct device to avoid capture.
He should have never left him behind. He tried to convince himself that there
was nothing he could do, but it wasn't true. And it was too late.
"Sir!" an officer said, "I've got a big hostile coming in on attack vector!"
"Battle stations!" Cole said, and at that order, the bridge crew rushed to
their stations to defend their ship from trouble.
"Unidentified creature at four o'clock!"
"Charging pulse cannons to full power, sir!"
"Tactical missiles armed and ready, sir."
"Camera Eight has visual on the target, Captain."
"On screen," Cole ordered. What he saw on the screen relieved him in part, for
it was a large vulture-like creature approaching the ship. It was no big deal,
as opposed to airships from the enemy seeking retaliation, but it was still
menacing. The creature flew in and rammed the ship, rattling its crew,
especially those on the bridge. Cole shook around in his chair a few times
before he gave the order. "Lock cannons on to the target and fire at will."
"Aye, sir," the officer said as he fired the main guns at the creature. It was
a swift kill, and the creature fell towards the ground and out of sight.
All the officers breathed a sigh of relief as the ship stood down from
emergency. But tensions among the crew rose again.
"That was the third time this mission we were attacked by monsters."
"Last week we were hit four times by things like that."
"I heard rumors that one of our ships were taken down by a whole slew of those
things."
"Enough," Cole said, "I just got the order by Flight Control. Begin docking
procedures into Baron immediately."
"Aye, sir!"
As the airships begun their descent, Cole breathed a sigh of relief. The
mission was finally over. As far as he was concerned, he could put the matter
to rest. But not a second before he turned over the little black box in his
possession over to the President. But guilt loomed over his head as the ship
lowered itself onto the ground. He couldn't wear his uniform with honor. He
couldn't look at his fellow officers with pride. He couldn't look at himself
in the mirror. Most of all, he couldn't look at his daughter with the guilt
that filled his eyes.
---
"Mommy! Mommy!" Ashley cried and ran to her arms.
"It's OK," Rachel said, "Mommy's here."
"Where's Daddy?" she asked.
The schoolteacher stepped in, "That's a good question, Ashley."
Rachel stood up, "I'm sorry, ma'am. Today was not my scheduled day, and..."
"Understandable. Let's not make this a habit, though. The school day ended
thirty minutes ago."
"This won't happen too often. Cole was supposed to take my daughter today."
"And how is your husband, if I may ask?"
Rachel sighed, "I wish I knew, ma'am. I don't see him anymore. He's probably
off somewhere getting himself into trouble."
---
On the contrary, for Cole was right outside the gates of the castle.
"Cindy, this is Captain Cole Porter. I have a package to take directly to the
President."
Cindy was the central computer. Some will even say she is the entire castle.
Nothing runs properly without Cindy. More importantly, Cole could not get into
the castle without Cindy.
Her face was on the front viewer, to the side of the castle gate. "Very well,
Captain," she buzzed, "Enter."
The gates opened up, and waiting inside someone was waiting for Cole.
"Geez, Cole," Kent said, "You OK?"
"That's a matter of opinion," Cole said as they walked together.
"What's wrong?"
"A whole lot of things. Unofficially?"
"Sure."
"I killed three Light Technicians and four Shadow Technicians among several
other local police to get to this little gem."
Kent eyed the black box. "What is it?"
"THIS is official. And it's classified. Though I'm sure you'll figure it out
with what I just told you."
"Oh. OH. Oh, boy." Kent had watched the news. But he couldn't believe what
Cole was suggesting. "Wow, Cole, you're neck deep in it, aren't you?"
Cole opened the outer door to the President's office. "Depends. How bad does
the news say it is?"
"Bad. Really bad."
"Say no more," Cole said as he tried to opened the final door into the office.
It was locked. "Cindy! I need to speak with the President."
"I am sorry, Captain." Cindy said from another screen on the wall, "I need to
speak with the President before I can give you authorization."
"Fine. Make it quick."
The face disappeared, for a brief minute, until Cindy appeared on the monitor
again. "You may enter," she said, "Just you, Captain."
---
The doors swung open, and at the opposite end of the large room was the
President sitting behind his desk. "Captain! Come in, come in," he said, "I
trust all went well with the mission?"
Cole was near speechless, but managed to say something, "As planned, sir."
"Good! Good!" said the President, pointing at the box, "Is that what I think
it is?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then bring it here!"
Cole did so, laying the box in front of him. As the President opened the box,
his eyes widened with delight. He took the artifact from the box and held it
openly. Its light spread to every corner of the room. "The Crystal of
Water..." the President said, "It's even more beautiful than I expected. My
apologies for being brief, but that will be all for today, thank you."
Cole gave a weak smile to a President who was too busy looking at his new
prize. He turned around and headed for the door, but not before speaking up
again, "Mr. President..."
The President looked up, "Yes?"
"Permission to speak freely, sir."
"Always."
Cole relaxed his stance, "Well, my crew, sir, they...have moral objections
about what we have done on this last mission."
The President put the Crystal down, "Continue."
"And it sorta turns out...I have objections to this mission."
"Continue."
"Mr. President, I have to ask. Why did we just steal the Crystal of Water from
Mysidian City?"
"Are you questioning my authority, Captain?"
"Sir, I--"
"Don't deny it, Captain. Cindy told me all about it."
Cole's jaw dropped, "Cindy!?"
"The computer told me you put up quite a fit about it."
He blinked. "I'm sorry," Cole said, "What's your point?"
"My point is your recent disregard for authority and lack of loyalty. If you
cannot serve me without question, you cannot serve in the Red Wings."
"Wait a minute--you're cutting me!?"
"That's right, Captain. As of now, you are suspended from active duty,
indefinitely. Guards!"
The door on the left sprung open and two officers came to take Cole away. Cole
struggled while saying, "Mr. President! I demand an explanation!"
All the while, the President remained in his chair, "You are in no position to
demand anything from me. Take him away, NOW!"
Cole dragged his feet across the floor as the guards forced him out the door.
And as the door to the office opened, Kent watched on. "Hey!" he said, "What's
going on?"
Cole was still making his plea to the President, "You can't suspend me without
authorization from the admiral! This is nuts!"
"'Suspend'?" Kent repeated the word, just before storming into the office
himself. "Mr. President!" he said, "What is going on, sir?"
"Disciplinary action, Lieutenant. Run along now," the President said as he
scribbled something on a pad.
"With all due respect, sir, you are apparently putting down one of the finest
Captains I have ever served under."
For once, the President rose from his chair, "You listen to me, Lieutenant.
You're in Division Three, which means you're not part of the Red Wings anymore.
So don't you ever question my authority on a matter which is certainly none of
your business, do I make myself clear!?"
Kent straightened up, "Yes, sir."
"Now get the hell out of my office before I throw another soldier out of here!"
---
"And that's what he said," Kent told Cole.
"Barkeep," Cole said, "Another ale please. Kent, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I'm looking at my own discharge from the Red Wings, and I almost got you
booted back there!"
Kent drank up, "No big deal. The President'll keep you on, you're the finest
Captain in the entire fleet! He can't forget that!"
"You know, Kent, how can you be so calm about this? You worked your way to
Special Forces, and all of a sudden you can be taken off duty in a heartbeat!"
"Well, like I said, you put in the hours, I put in the hours, the President
can't forget all of that and boot us in an instant."
"Excuse me, Captain, Lieutenant," an officer from behind approached the two.
Cole turned around, "What is it?"
The officer handed Cole a slip of paper. "Your new orders. Both of you," he
said just before walking away.
He examined the paper. Cole let out a weak laugh. "I'm gonna need yet another
ale, barkeep."
"What happened?" Kent asked.
"Temporary transfer," he replied, "To the Transport Division."
Kent's jaw dropped, then his hand raised to signal the barkeep, "I'll have
another one too."
---
At least she brought her work along, Rachel thought. She just knew Cole was
going to be late, despite that fact that it was HIS meeting. No big deal,
Rachel could sit in the Inn all day doing filling out paperwork. After all,
being a Light Technician was no cakewalk. Handling complaints, fixing
problems, devising new methods. It was not easy...but it should've been fun.
Rachel remembered a time when it was fun.
Once upon a time, Rachel was much younger and in training. She learned to heal
wounds, open portals, and neutralize poison...all with just a few pieces of
minor equipment. It almost seemed like magic. Especially with Cole by her
side. They knew each other since forever, so it was only a matter of time
until--
Ugh, she said to herself. The very thought of Cole these days just saddened
her. The very sight of Cole weakened her. And right now, she was feeling very
weak.
"Sorry I'm late, honey," Cole said as he sat down.
"Please," Rachel said, "Please don't call me 'honey.'"
"Why not?"
"Because. Because we're not like that anymore, that's why."
He sneered, "Gee, Rachel, you sure know how to break a heart."
Rachel reacted, "Where do you think I learned it from, Cole?"
Wow, Cole thought, she's really putting up a fight on the worst day of his
career. "What in the world brought this on, Rachel? What's going on?"
"'What's going on?' Cole, I was in the middle of a very important Cure
procedure when I was called away to pick up Ashley, on a day on which it is
your responsibility to take her from school. I drew all sorts of hell from my
boss who almost threatened to take my equipment from me. And on top of that,
YOU'RE two steps from being sued by me for child support in the amount of
five-hundred Gold Credits!" By the end of her speech, she was standing up with
her hands leaning against the table, with everyone in the Inn looking on.
Right after noticing, she slowly sat back down before saying, "But really,
nothing's wrong."
Cole leaned in his chair, "Good, I'm glad there isn't."
Rached couldn't understand it, but her only reaction was to laugh. She laughed
for a long while without saying anything to Cole.
"Well, good to know you can still be in good spirits."
"Oh, Cole," Rachel said as her smile slowly left her face.
"I'm so sorry, Rachel. This is the first time I've been home for three days.
I keep forgetting to draw a check for child support. You know how much I love
Ashley. I'll get it to you right away, but Rachel..."
"Don't say it. As much as I hate to admit it...I'm sorry, too. It's
just...been one hell of a day."
Cole's eyes rolled upwards, "Tell me about it."
---
"So where HAVE you been anyways?" Rachel asked more than halfway through
dinner.
"I can't tell you," Cole replied, "It's all classified."
"Oh. Right."
"You don't want to know anyways."
She put her fork down, saying, "Yes, I do."
"No, Rachel, you don't."
"Cole, I want to know exactly where my daughter's father is every moment of
every day that he is gone. More importantly, I want to know at the start of
each day whether or not my daughter will have a father that will take care of
her at night. Yes, Cole, I want to know."
Cole put his utensils down as well. He sighed, saying, "Rachel, have you been
watching the news lately?"
"Yeah, something about your Red Wings and the millennial Celebration," she said
as she chewed on a piece of food, "What about it?"
He could not determine whether or not Rachel was intentionally feigning
ignorance, for the incident had led all news for the past three days. "Rachel,
the OTHER news."
Rachel stopped chewing. Her eyes widened and her face leaned forward. "Please,
Cole. For Ashley's sake...for my sake, please tell me you are not a party to
it."
Cole shook his head in sadness, "I'm right in the middle of it."
She dropped into her seat. She tried not to believe it, but her suspicions
were correct. She never saw him all week. Several ships from the fleet were
gone. And don't forget that the very same thing happened one thousand years
ago. It came to Rachel's mind that it was one thousand years ago to the day
that it happened. She tried to make light of the situation, "Am...Am I
consorting with a known war criminal now?"
Cole, too, was in his own trance, "Rachel, you're not helping."
"Sorry."
"I was following orders, Rachel. I couldn't abandon my post for moral
convictions."
"Well, what about thinking for yourself? How about that?"
"Soldiers aren't supposed to think, we're supposed to act."
"You don't expect me to believe that, do you?"
"It doesn't matter. Because it gets worse."
Rachel looked at Cole with disbelief, "How could it possibly get worse, Cole?"
"It does. I have been re-assigned to the Transport Division."
Another shock. Obviously one of many. By now, Rachel was completely off
guard. "Wow," she said, "Talk about being canned."
"Kain and I, we're supposed to, uh...take some package and head west."
History. That pesky thing again. "Where are you headed?"
"Mist," Cole uttered.
She had reached her peak at the third shock. Rachel upon hearing this bit of
information swept her plate off the table and onto the floor, catching
everyone's attention once again. "You know, Cole," she said, "Even after we
separated, I always thought of you as at least the slightest bit charming.
Which I kinda mistaken to be synonymous with intelligent. Until tonight, I
have never thought of you as this stupid."
Cole looked at Rachel, "Are we gonna add insult to injury now?"
"Cole, do you have any knowledge of history whatsoever?"
"Of course I do! I know full well what happened one thousand years ago. I've
heard it all before. But things are different."
"Like what?"
"Well...for one thing, there are no more Callers anymore, if they ever existed
in the first place! The last of them died in the Cave of Summoned Monsters,
it's a fairy tale now! Mist is so insignificant today, why would anyone torch
a town of innocent people these days?"
"Does the President need a reason anymore? Mist was so insignificant THEN,
even the Callers presented no match in the great war."
"The point is, there is no reason for the President to go on a cold-blooded
killing spree. Theft is one thing, I doubt mass murder is part of his psyche."
Rachel lifted the napkin off her lap and stood up. "Cole, you may be charming,
and you may still be the least bit intelligent, but you have a great weakness."
Cole folded his arms, "And what is that."
"You're so naive." She handed the check to him, saying, "Forty-four Gold
Credits for the dinner. Plus the dishes. It's your turn anyways." And with
that, she picked up her belongings and stormed out of the Inn, leaving Cole to
place his face in his hand.
---
"Who is it?" a voice said.
"It's Cole. Open up, Carl."
The door opened. "Cole!" Carl exclaimed, "How've you been? How was the
mission?"
Cole shrugged, "I'm alive, right?"
"Ha," he said, "That bad, huh? Come on in, kid. I usually don't take in
guests this late, but for you..."
---
"I have to know," Carl said as he gave Cole a seat, "How're my airships?"
"Perfect condition," Cole replied, "Just like you left them."
"Good. So's long as I don't have to clean 'em in the morning! So, really,
what brings you to these parts?"
Cole shifted in his chair, "You know a lot about history, right?"
Carl pointed at his bookshelf, "This is all thanks to my son. Got him the
whole Planetary Database in paper form. Why?"
"You just have to refresh my memory about The Great Mist Tragedy."
Carl offered a look of suspicion, "What's this about, kid?"
"I have to know," Cole said, "It's important."
He took a seat opposite Cole. "Well," he said, "A thousand years back, just one
week before the Great War, two unnamed couriers brought a package into Mist.
It was believed to be sent by the King of Baron, though not many people are
sure. Anyways, the package was a death trap, see? They didn't say what was in
it, only that it torched the entire town and sent the Callers into extinction.
Well, the Great Rydia survived, but she was the last of her kind. Come on,
Cole, what's this all about?"
Cole took a piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and showed it to Carl,
"This."
Carl read the orders on the piece of paper before saying, "Just what I feared."
"'Feared'?" he asked, "You mean, you knew about this?"
He gave the paper back to Cole, saying, "Go. You have a mission."
"I can't take this mission, Carl! You and I know what will happen!"
"Perhaps. But you have to go tomorrow," he said, taking Cole out the door. He
said, "Trust me. You have to fulfill prophecy!" before he closed the door on
him.
Prophecy? What prophecy? Cole asked himself, what had he gotten himself into?
---
At home, Cole sat at his table and constantly shifted his gaze between the slip
of paper on the table and the clock on the wall. Ten o'clock, it read. He
couldn't sleep, knowing the risks ahead. He was already responsible for taking
the lives of a handful of innocent people just three days ago. Now he was
ordered to take out an entire town of innocent people. Did the President think
he was that ignorant? No, he thought, it doesn't matter. He was a soldier,
and he has an obligation to his President to carry out whatever orders he was
given. And he was curious anyways. Prophecy? Please, thought Cole, this is
the modern world. But what about what Carl said?
Cole's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," he said,
"The door's open."
The door opened, and in the doorway stood a happy figure.
"Daddy!" Ashley said.
Cole ran up to Ashley and lifted her up, "Ashley! Oh, you're a sight to
behold!"
She was only six, so she shrugged and said, "Huh?"
"Never mind," Cole said happily, "How was school today?"
"We played with Shadowtech today, Daddy. They taught us how to create Ice!"
"Oh, I'm so proud of you honey!" he exclaimed, before asking, "Where's your
mother?"
"Right here," Rachel said, just coming up the steps to Cole's house.
Cole's smile weakened but still remained on his face. "C'mon, dear," he said to
Ashley, "Why don't I read you a story and put you to bed?"
---
"And Rydia, who was once afraid of fire," Cole read from a storybook, "Summoned
a great flame to melt the ice and open the passageway to the mountains."
"So did they get to the other side?" Ashley asked as she stood up in bed.
"Yes, and the great warrior Yang showed them the way to Fabul, and there, they
held off ten thousand soldiers from taking the Crystal away. They even stopped
the evil Golbez from destroying the entire castle!"
"Is that the end of the story, Daddy?"
Cole closed the book, "It's never the end of the story, dear. But it's time
for bed."
"Aww, just one more chapter?" Ashley pleaded.
"Sorry, Ashley," he apologized as he tucked her into bed, "Daddy's got a big
day tomorrow."
"Are you going away again?"
"Yeah," he said softly, "But I'll be back. I always come back."
"Like Kain, right?"
Cole laughed, "Right! Like Kain."
---
Cole stood in the doorway of Ashley's bedroom and looked out into the living
room. There, Rachel looked out the window where she could see the rest of
town. She knew he was watching her, so she said, "I'll pick her up before you
leave in the morning."
"That's no problem," he replied.
Rachel turned around and approached Cole, saying, "Cole, whatever happens,
please..."
"What is it?" he asked as he touched her face.
"Come back for Ashley," she said softly as a tear rolled down her cheek, "Come
back...for me. Find your way...back to me, OK?"
Cole said nothing, only touching her lips with his as they held each other for
what seemed like an eternity.
---
But this eternity didn't last. Morning came as Cole, all geared up and ready
to go, however uncertain of the mission ahead, walked out to the outer
perimeter of the castle. There, Kent stood at the castle gate, with a package
in his hand.
"This is it," Kent said as Cole came up to him, "This is the infamous package."
"Are we willing to do this, Kent?" Cole asked.
"Do we have a choice?"
Cole, strangely enough, had no response. All he could do was walk with Kent
outside the castle.
---
And so began their journey for the Town of Mist, located in a valley enclosed
in deep fog.
Many questions stuck in the back of Cole's mind: for one, why did he put up a
fight in the President's office, only to submit to the President's will and go
on a mission that would eventually result in the destruction of an entire town?
Why did he allow his men to take out Mysidian City and steal the Crystal of
Water from their land?
A more important question: what does the President want with the Crystals
anyways?
---
"West of here," Kent said, "Should be where the cave leading to Mist is."
"Then we'd better head west," Cole replied.
The two walked on, and within minutes they disappeared from the sight of Baron.
---
The crystal was shedding its light silently...
To be continued.