I think the title is self explanatory.
Disclaimer: I don't own jack diddly shit.
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Chapter I: Garden Fall
It was a joyous day in the nation of Radiant Garden. Months after the untimely passing of his majesty King Cidolfus Draklor Radiantis XII, his daughter, Princess Kairi Christina Radiantis, was to be crowned queen. What made the day more of a joyous celebration was the fact that it was also her 18th birthday as well. The day had been declared a nationwide holiday, to allow people to engage and enjoy themselves in the festivities. The current times were full of stress, with the threat of Xehanorian Empire forces arriving in Radiant Garden at an all time high. Still, the people refused to allow that to dispel the celebratory atmosphere.
A group of men were attempting to lift a marble statue of Princess Kairi into a moving truck when a pair of, judging by their appearance, young men walked past, one of them accidentally knocking into one of the people carrying the marble statue, a burly fellow named Wedge.
"Hey, watch where you're goin', idiots! I almost dropped this! Sheesh! Young people these days..."
The taller of the two men apologized, and they continued onward.
"Where did Leon say to meet him at? I'm pretty sure it's not around here," the shorter of the two said.
The taller angrily huffed, raising a hand to move his silver bangs out his face, while holding a piece of paper in his hand with illegible writing on it. "You expect me to be able to read this? We all know Leon's got the handwriting of a six year old. Why he didn't just call us, I don't know."
"Hey, it's Yuffie!"
A young woman who appeared to be roughly the same age as the two males heard the shorter male's outburst and noticed them. She had raven coloured hair, with violet eyes, and a pale complexion. She was wearing a black top with white flower designs that revealed her midriff, a black vest worn over the top, khaki colored short-shorts with a belt that had various pouches hanging off, and green knee high combat boots. This was Yuffie.
"Sora! Riku! In here!"
The shorter man, who was Sora, went through the doorway Yuffie gestured to. Sora was a man of slightly above average height, with blue eyes, tanned skin, and a spiky mess of caramel brown hair. He was dressed primarily in black, with a black short sleeve jacket with silver armor on his shoulders over his black, zipped up shirt, and long, puffy, black shorts with red pouch-like pockets. He wore brown leather combat boots and black fingerless gloves. He also had a sheath, which held his two-handed sword Kingdom.
The taller companion, Riku, had long silver hair, turquoise eyes, and pale skin. He wore a sleeveless, zipped, yellow vest sporting a upside down zipper, zipping down instead of up. He also had on blue jeans tucked into black combat boots, and a sheath for his katana Soul Eater. Riku walked up to Yuffie. "I see you still choose to leave little to the imagination. Why don't you meet me later and we can make nothing to be left to the imagination?"
Riku walked into the building rubbing his cheek, where a very visible red handprint could be seen. Yet he was smirking.
The room they were in was sparsely decorated, and rightly so. Other than the portable radio and the digital map devices located on the small book shelf behind where Yuffie was standing, the room was empty, with only a few people in it. Rooms need to be kept bare, for quick escapes. They were members of a notorious and illegal resistance after all.
Standing at a table was Leon, one of the leaders of the resistance against Xehanort. He had long, spiky, brown hair, a diagonal scar across his face, and was dressed in black leather. He had a white shirt underneath his leather, collar furlined jacket, and wore three belts at his waist.
"So, time to get to the point," Leon spoke to Sora and Riku. "Vincent managed to figure out part of Xehanort's next plans. He already deployed his army and air fleet to conquer Radiant Garden, and we have good info that the attack will be today. This wouldn't be such a problem if Xehanort was only sending his troops since Radiant Garden's army is quite formidable, but he sent out the Recusants as well."
As soon as Leon mentioned the Recusants, Sora began grinding his teeth in rage. The Recusants were Xehanort's own thirteen man army. They were his own personal assassins as well as secret police. They were strong enough to destroy an entire country and burn it to the ground in a night. Radiant Garden's army might not stand a chance.
"Our focuses are simply evacuation. Get as many people away and take them to a neutral nation. Yuffie, Aerith, Cloud, Tifa and I will handle that. Sora, Riku, you two will need to enter the castle. If the Xehanorian army and the Recusants manage to defeat the Radiant Army, they will surely assassinate the princess. Get her out the castle. Meet up with us at the West Gate. The princess will know the way. Understood?"
Sora and Riku nodded.
Aerith, a brunette with green eyes, a pink bow in her hair, and wearing a pink dress, brought over a telecommunicator, a device used to communicate with others through sound and image transmissions. "Leon, the other Radiant Garden bases want to go over battle strategy. We also need to discuss the Recusants problem."
Leon thanked Aerith and began conversing with the leaders on the telecommunicator. Cloud, a blonde with hair spikier than Sora's, walked up Sora and Riku.
"If you run into any Xehanorian soldiers, fight if you must. Be wary of any Recusants. Protect the princess with your life. She's the future of Radiant Garden. As soon as our boys at the gates hear the Xehanorians coming, we begin. For now just rest." Cloud walked away and sat back down next to Tifa.
Sora and Riku looked at each other.
"Soooo...Yuffie said yes, didn't she?" Sora asked, already anticipating what would happen next. And indeed, Riku nodded and Yuffie grabbed Riku's wrist and dragged him upstairs.
"Sheesh, even being a resistance leader can't make him less of a perv."
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The coronation was to begin in less than an hour. Princess Kairi was very nervous about being crowned Queen of the Garden, and she was still somewhat shaken by her father's death several months ago. During that time, the king's most trusted advisor Ansem the Wise had been in ruling in her stead until she was of age. She was unsure of how she would rule, so she found herself fortunate that Ansem would be her advisor. As she stood at her balcony watching Radiant Garden's capital bustling, a sharp knock on the door shook her from her thoughts.
"Princess! You must come to the dressing room to be fitted into your coronation gown!" It was Olette, a maid who was a refugee from Twilight after Xehanort conquered it.
"Thank you for informing me. Give word that I'll be down momentarily."
"Yes Princess." Olette's footsteps receded as she went away. Kairi examined herself in her large mirror, ensuring her face and her well known vibrant red hair remained perfect, and left the room to be fitted. She knew nothing could postpone her coronation now.
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Unknown to those in Radiant Garden, rapidly approaching the capital was a massive army of silver armoured men. Leading them were 14 individuals, each garbed in black armour, and sporting a black cloak that billowed in the wind as each of them walked towards the Main Gate, to fulfill their Lord's orders.
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"Kairi, are you ready to be our new queen?" Ansem asked Kairi, who was standing next to him, waiting for the royal trumpets to blare, a signal for the coronation to begin.
"Honestly Uncle, I am unsure. I fear I will lack the strength necessary for one who bears the crown. Why can't you be king instead, Uncle?" Kairi begged Ansem with puppies eyes.
Ansem simply chuckled and replied, "I am not fit to be one who rules. I am one who guides. Do not fret, my child. I will stand by your side, helping you in becoming the best queen you can become." Ansem knelt down and placed a hand on Kairi's shoulder. "This I promise you."
Kairi smiled, and then the trumpets sounded. Ansem and the other royal advisors exited out the doorway in front of them to a massive balcony, one used by the ruler for speeches, or used for important events. It would be on this balcony, called Garden's Vale by many, that Kairi would become Queen.
"His lordship, Lord Ansem Christophe Radiantis the Wise, will now be speaking."
The crowd, which had been loud and boisterous seconds before, had hushed to hear what Ansem would say.
"Men and women of Radiant Garden! In the wake of the loss of our king, we gather here together to make merriment and enjoy ourselves, on this, the 18th birthday and coronation of Her Royal Highness, Princess Kairi Christina Radiantis! We ate all aware that Xehanort's forces will come. And they will seek to conquer us, to crush us, to obliterate us! But shall we let them? No! Radiant Garden is one of the oldest nations in this dangerous modern world! We have survived countless tragedies, civil wars, plagues, more than any nation has or ever will! We will survive Xehanort! Now, to the reason we are gathered here today. Now presenting, soon to be Queen!"
As Kairi walked onto the balcony dressed in her coronation gown of red and pink fabrics, the spectators cheered, and the euphoria of the moment made Kairi grin widely, waving here and there to important people, including her mother, nobles, and the castle guard stationed there to protect her. Kairi continued walking forward until she reached the very center of Garden's Vale, marked by a raised platform. Once she stood on it, Ansem and a young servant boy approached her, the boy carrying the Heart Stone Crown, to be written by the ruler of the Garden. Its name came from the gleaming heart shaped ruby set in the center of the gold, jewel encrusted crown.
All spectators hushed once more, and filming cameras closed in on Kairi, recording the event for viewers at home.
"We shall begin. Whatever I say, you repeat, understood?"
"Yes."
"Place your right hand upon the Heart Stone." Kairi did so, and Ansem continued. "I, Kairi Christina Radiantis..."
"I, Kairi Christina Radiantis..."
"Hereby swear to uphold..."
"Hereby swear to uphold..."
"The law and tradition that has been set..."
"The law and tradition that has been set..."
"Since the beginning of our nation..."
"Since the beginning of our nation..."
"And swear complete and utter loyalty to my people and my country..."
"And swear complete and utter loyalty to my people and my country..."
"And to maintain order and peace."
"And to maintain order and peace." Kairi finished.
"As of this moment, you are now Queen." Ansem took the crown from the servant, and placed it on Kairi's head. He then turned, and facing the crowd, declared, "Your new queen, Kairi!"
A deafening roar and cheer sounded, people chanting, "LONG LIVE QUEEN KAIRI!" repeatedly.
BOOM!
Those were cannons. Cannon fire only meant one thing. Xehanort's troops had come far earlier than expected.
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The resistance members had been watching the televised coronation, when the telecommunicator came on, a man's voice clearly discernable. "Leon, they're already here!" Everyone was ready instantly.
"Sora, Riku, go! Get the queen. Ansem the Wise should help you! Everyone else, we need to go!"
Sora and Riku nodded and ran towards the castle, planning on using a back entrance.
"Damn, those bastards work fast! I didn't think they come until evening! While this throws a big wrench in our plans, we can adapt. Sora, your sword ready?" Riku said as they ran, Soul Eater out in his right hand.
"Yep! Any Imperial soldiers we come across, we kill and run! And if wounded, we just use the Cure Orbos Aerith gave us! Cone on, faster Riku!" The two picked up their pace, running down the crowded street, dodging the panicking citizens, until they reached the grounds surrounding the Radiant Castle. Sora and Riku continued running, searching for a way to sneak in. After all, even with Xehanort attacking, the castle guard wouldn't stop doing their job. And speaking of castle guard...
"Sora, we're surrounded!"
"Really? I didn't notice." Sora sarcastically commented. "We don't have time for this. We came for the queen! We don't work for Xehanort!"
The gray uniform clad guardsmen simply guffawed at Sora. One of them, a large man with red hair and wielding a battleaxe, spoke, "We are not trusting our queen to strangers. Leave, or we fight."
Sora and Riku shared a look, and together exclaimed, "We fight!" Sora drew Kingdom, his unique massive silver coloured sword with a gold guard and grip, and in his other hands a grey colored orb that appeared to swirl, almost like wind. "Aero!" Riku held a red orb that flickered between red and orange, giving the appearance of a tongue of flame. "Fire!" The two spells the duo used enveloped a large portion of their foes, knocking them out, or in Sora's case, sending them a small distance back. Once the spells finished, Sora charged towards a guardsman with long black hair tied in a ponytail and wielding a lance. The man jabbed at Sora's abdomen, but it was deflected by Kingdom. Sora retaliated by striking downward, but the guardsman evaded, countering Sora's strike by jabbing him repeatedly, a jab at each major weak point of the body. A jab to Sora's knees brought him down to the ground, but Sora noticed opportunity to strike. He slashed at the man's legs, managing to knock him down, getting up to bash him on the head with Kingdom's guard, knocking him out.
Riku had taken on two guardsmen. One was fortunately poorly skilled in combat, so a simply slash to his torso took him out. The other was the man with the battleaxe, who proved trio be a formidable opponent. He slammed his axe down on Riku, who struggled to block it, due to the sheer strength in the attack. Eventually Riku have in and rolled away. The man may had had superior strength, but he was incredibly slow. Riku rushed in, Soul Eater in his right hand and dashed for the guard, dodging his attempts to attack him. Riku sucked under a horizontal swing of the axe, and stabbed Soul Eater into the man's side. The injury was positioned to not kill or mortally wounded the man, but to simply weaken him enough for Sora to show up and knock him out. After using Cure to heal their wounds, they continued searching for a way in.
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Kairi was devastated. Her special day, a day for all the kingdom to enjoy, ruined. All around her, she could hear the screams of her people. The sounds of gunfire, the clinging and clanging of swords, the sounds of violence, everywhere. All she could do was stand and watch.
"Kairi, we must go! Kairi!" Ansem grabbed Kairi and shook her, bringing her out of her daze. "Kairi, Xehanort's soldiers will be here any minute! We must evacuate!" Kairi nodded and followed her uncle as they ran. The other people on Garden's Vale had already escaped, heading deep into the castle. Ansem grabbed Kairi by her wrist and took her down the stairs. As they ran down multiple floors, Kairi could hear what sounded like fighting. They're here in the castle already? Is Radiant Garden doomed to be nothing more than a property of some empire? Ansem's sudden shout shook her out of her thoughts.
"Stop attacking! Guards stand down!" The castle guards had been fighting two young men, both of them about the same age as Kairi was.
One of the men spoke, the tall one with long, silver hair. "Ansem the Wise? Leon sent us. We're from χ-Blade."
"Uncle? Why are these...insurgents here?" Kairi asked, confused as to what he were saying to Ansem.
"Kairi, I am a leader of χ-Blade. I contacted them because I knew eventually Xehanort would come. They are here for you. To protect you."
"I don't need protection, especially from them. You know how I feel about law breakers like them!"
Ansem bent down slightly to look directly into Kairi's eyes. "Kairi, you are the queen now. And also the last of the Radiantis line. Xehanort always kills rulers of countries he conquers, which means he will kill you. If you die, the Garden can never be restored once χ-Blade is able to gather enough forces to combat him. So please, I beg of you, go with these young men."
Kairi gazed into her uncle's eyes, and saw emotions she never saw in her own father's eyes. Pleading. Worry. "Fine. But what of you? Will you come with us?"
Ansem stood up, and simply shook his head. "I shall assist the guards in throwing off all pursuers. Now, you two, take her and go!"
"Yes, Lord Ansem, sir!" the two men said at the same time while performing a pathetic salute. Kairi hugged her uncle, which he returned, then the shorter man, who had brown, spiky hair, then grabbed Kairi's wrist and began running. "Riku, let's go!" The silver haired man waved good-bye, and followed the two as well.
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Aerith and Yuffie ran up to Cloud and Tifa, who had found several more evacuees, taking them to the airship. "Cloud, have Sora and Riku returned with the queen yet?" Aerith asked. Cloud shook his head. Yuffie groaned.
"We don't have much time! Squall said that the soldiers are already gaining on us! Even worse, I heard reports about airships too! Ugh! This is horrible!"
Aerith and Cloud had become downcast, but Tifa noticed three figures running out of the city from the exit χ-Blade had made. It was them!
"Quick! To the Shera!" Riku screamed while trying towards the airship Shera. The others were wondering what had Sora, Riku, and the queen all worked up when they noticed the Xehanorian soldiers approaching! The group piled in, finding that Leon was already on board and Cid was already starting up the engines.
"Bett'r hold on to yer seats! This ascent migh' be a lil' rough!" Cid commanded as the Shera began to rise. Even inside the airship, the occupants could hear what was going on inside the city walls. Once the Shera was in the air, it flew off, flanked by larger airships that carried the evacuees.
Kairi had been looking out a window, watching her the capital sieged by Xehanort's men and those damn Recusants. "My home. My nation. My people. How could this happen? Radiant Garden has always survived any event that befalls it. Uncle said so himself!" She silently cried to herself as she remembered Ansem. She didn't even know if he was still alive. She hadn't seen her mother either since the attack began, but it didn't matter. She was never close to her parents. Uncle Ansem had been more of a father, and his possible death was affecting her.
"It feels horrible, doesn't it?"
Kairi looked to her left to see the brown haired man that brought her out the castle. "What makes you say that?"
Sora smiled, but Kairi could tell it was a sad one. "I watched my home get burned to the ground. Xehanort apparently found it useless." Kairi frowned at how dark Sora's voice became when he brought up Xehanort. She placed her hand over Sora's, rubbing it to comfort him.
"I see. Has everyone in χ-Blade been affected in some way by Xehanort?" she asked.
"Yes. It's why Riku and I joined. You know, even though I know you're a queen, I have no clue what your name is."
"It's Kairi. You can call me Kairi. And yours?"
"Sora."
The two began to bond, taking about themselves, as they ventured further and further away from what was once the proud kingdom of Radiant Garden, and now nothing more than another territory of the cruel, militaristic empire that sought to control the world. Those on board that ship didn't know of the events that would transpire in the following weeks, and how sharply their lives would change.
-ＦＩＮＡＬ ＦＡＮＴＡＳＹ ＨＥＡＲＴＳ-
And Chapter One is done! I'm trying to go for a more realistic approach with this story, though like a regular Final Fantasy there will be fantasy elements in the main plot. Expect dozens of Final Fantasy cameos and references through the next chapters, as well as some Kingdom Hearts references as well. Also, the next chapter of Elementals: Book I will be up soon, hopefully by the end of the month or the first week of July. Later, and remember to review!