Disclaimer: I do NOT own the rights to the Final Fantasy game series, any
of the characters there-in, or any square material. The characters in the
story are mine, but based on the Final Fantasy game series. Furthermore,
any resemblence to anyone else- living or non-living- is purely
coincedential and I hold no responsibility in that instance. Now with that
legal mumbo-jumbo outta the way enjoy the story! I wrote this for fans of
Final Fantasy, RPG, and fantasy fans alike, without further stuff...
storytime!
Prologue: Then
The moon shone bright in the starry night sky, its light bathed over all that was seen casting a blue-white luminescence to it. The stars twinkled in the sky alongside its watchful gaze. It would be hard to believe that this bright beauty could have seen such pain and suffering, the likes of which went on in the world. At the same moment, a red-haired man had his eyes locked on to on the moon these thoughts ran through his head over and over, along with thoughts of many other things...his wife, his child, his country, and his life. He leaned forward on his elbows and continued looking out on the dark night sky. Somehow the moon seemed to shine brighter as his thoughts grew deeper, although he knew it was just in his mind, it still felt comforting to him.
"Why do we fight?" the man thought aloud. He looked down at his hands, ravaged with age and work. They were worn into callused, hardened pieces of flesh from his years upon this world. His eyes moved slowly from his hands to the rolling countryside that lay beyond the walls of the castle, where all the towns' people were celebrating a victory just outside. He couldn't bear to join in on the celebration; the victory had felt hollow to him. "Like so many others", he spoke again, still deep in thought. He'd been a warrior, a knight, to uphold the peace his kingdom had brought to the world. He put his hands, the ravaged pieces of flesh that lay at the ends of his arms, on the ledge of the balcony he stood out on. No one else was there; they were all down celebrating in the town. He smiled to himself and wondered if his family was down there, enjoying the food and drink and laughing with the people about the "fools" the army had just won a battle against.
His train of thought was broken with the approach of clanking footsteps on the marble floor. He turned around and brightened up a bit when he saw a fellow knight and pushed back the thoughts. He strode forward to greet his comrade in a hearty handshake; a smile appeared on both their faces. The other knight was the first to break the silence. "Vermillion of Andromeda...you old dog! What are you still doing fighting? You could have retired by now!" the other knight joked. Vermillion smiled back at him.
"Hey, I'm not so old that I couldn't take you in a battle, rookie!" Vermillion shot back and punched his comrade in the arm jokingly. The younger knight rubbed his arm a bit, and suddenly became much more serious. He looked at Vermillion and stood rigidly, finally stating his business.
"Um..Vermillion my friend, the King wishes to see you. It is of grave importance you meet with His Highness at once." The young man seemed forlorn in telling Vermillion this, but he continued on his act and strode towards the hallway, "Please follow me, my friend." The young knight started down the hall with Vermillion following shortly.
Vermillion and the knight walked slowly down the hall. The younger knight looked sadder with every step the pair took. Vermillion looked over at him and broke the ominous silence. "Why has the King summoned for me? Another battle? No...it's something else isn't it?" Vermillion asked, but the younger knight kept staring straight ahead. Vermillion started to ask again but the younger man interrupted.
"It's about the prophecy", he said, a very serious tone in his voice.
"The prophecy? What's it got to do with me?" Vermillion asked. He looked confusedly at the other knight, wondering what this night would bring.
"I....I can't say anymore Vermillion. The King will tell you the rest...my friend" The younger knight dropped his head a little as he said this.
There were very few people in the castle as they walked down the halls to the throne room. Vermillion knew most were celebrating the victory over the rebel countries, but still the castle was left too unguarded. He didn't like it; the castle was usually overflowing with people. The King welcomed his subjects en masse, since he'd wanted no one to feel left out in the kingdom. Vermillion and His Majesty were good friends since they started training together to become knights, but Vermillion didn't like what was going on. Be it about the prophecy or not, the castle was left too empty, hardly even the courtiers were around.
"We're here, sir", the younger knight said. Vermillion's train of thought was broken once more by the young man. Vermillion knew this place well-- the throne room. He and the King used to talk for hours on end during peacetime. He looked around the room and noticed it was definitely more full of people than the rest of the castle, with the mages and courtiers lining the room as if preparing for something huge. Strangely, the Queen was nowhere to be seen, which Vermillion knew to be a sign that something huge was, indeed, about to be undertaken. The Queen was always at the King's side.
Vermillion walked towards the King, past the guards and mages that lined the throne room. He kneeled before the King and smiled.
"Your Highness has summoned for me?" Vermillion said, half in jest and half serious. He could never be totally serious when around an old friend. The King smiled warmly at Vermillion, but there was a sadness to the smile. Vermillion's face changed from a smile to a quizzical look as the King strode forward. It was common etiquette that he or she who was to be summoned stayed at the foot of the throne's stairwell and talked to the King from there; the King never walked down the stairwell to speak with those summoned. The king placed his hand on Vermillion's shoulder and spoke. "Yes, old friend, I have summoned you...for the last time." the King said, noticeably saddened by his words. Vermillion shot up and looked at the King.
"King Bryce, what have I done wrong? I've obeyed your every command and carried it out with the most of my abilities! Why is this time any different from the others?" Vermillion asked angrily. He stared at Bryce in disbelief.
"It's not like that Vermillion. You..." King Bryce looked suddenly older as he spoke, his voice fading. "You are... part of the prophecy. You are the one who will save this world, old friend", the King finished, looking towards Vermillion. Vermillion looked at the king in disbelief still, as though his face was frozen from the comments they'd both made. He struggled to find the words to say, and failing, looked down at his feet. He turned his back and took a deep breath.
"My Lord, you know I'd walk into the cave of Bahamut for you. But this...this is quite unexpected." Vermillion finally spoke. He closed his eyes and was once again lost in his thoughts. The prophecy was this: "One day the world would be destroyed by the fire from the gods. There would be one man who would survive and one man only. He would stay alive to make sure that the next time of terror could be averted. That time would be heralded by the abandoning of all magic. People would grow weary of the old ways and start to tear themselves and the world apart. He who was chosen must teach the fools the ways of magic and the summons. He would have to bring order back to the planet."
Vermillion knew if he was indeed the one to stay behind, he'd lose his family and friends. The world would be a different place altogether. He didn't know if he could handle the transition or not. Pacing along the carpet in front of the throne, he was deep in thought when the head mage walked forward. He looked deep into Vermillion's eyes and smiled.
"Knight of the Kingdom of Andromeda, Vermillion. You must do this. I know it is a lot to ask from you-- you have a wife! A daughter who is at home right now doing her studies. You need not worry about them, they will be at your side again",the mage said to him, smiling all the while. Vermillion looked at the mage with no expression on his face. He struggled once again to find the words he needed to say. "My daughter is on her way to becoming a White mage, she is very skilled. How can you tell her, or me for that matter, that I won't be there to see her when she does? How can you tell her that no one will be?! This world will be gone...all will be lost." He sighed and looked down. The mage's expression turned sorrowful, his old eyes full of emotion for Vermillion's obvious pain.
"Vermillion, I know it's a lot to ask for you to do this. I would not ask you unless it was of the utmost importance that--" the king started, but Vermillion cut him off. Vermillion finally turned around and looked in the King's eyes. The gaze of the two friends seemed to last forever. Vermillion was the first to break the silence, smiling as he spoke but his eyes betrayed his feelings.
"Your majesty, it is for the good of all things that I do this. I understand the consequences...tell my Athanasia goodbye. Tell her I love her dearly and will always be with her. Tell my Ruri that she must continue her studies, her father will still be waiting and watching to see her become a healer." Vermillion said, full of sorrow. He knew his duty and regretted that he had to leave his family to do it, but it had to be done.
He kneeled down at the foot of the throne's stairwell and nodded towards the head mage. He was ready to do what had to be done. The mage walked towards him and beckoned to the other mages lined around the room. They stood around him in a circle and raised their staffs to start an incantation. The head mage looked at Vermillion as they chanted in a language Vermillion couldn't understand. The King watched on in deep thought and sorrow. Vermillion hated that things had come to this, but he also knew that it had to be done. The mages continued to chant, their violet robes flowing as a draft started through the room. Vermillion looked around and saw the draft was centered around the mages. The chanting stopped but the wind continued, as the head mage looked in Vermillion's eyes and spoke.
"This spell will place you under a trance, Sir Knight. You will sleep uninterrupted and protected until the time of the Awakening. We will relay anything to your family you wish and we will make sure they are safe as well", the head mage said, smiling at Vermillion as they finished the spell. Vermillion said nothing; the King knew what to tell his family. The spell started to take effect. Vermillion felt tired and noticed a strange light forming around him, a greenish light. He looked around drowsily and fought to stay awake but to no avail.
Vermillion looked around the throne room through half-closed eyes; it was a grand room. Ivory and silver pillars lined the high walls. The floor was a light green shade of marble with a red velvet carpet leading towards the throne's stairwell. The stairwell lead to the majestic thrones of wood and gold that the King and Queen shared. The halls of the castle were lined with marble pillars of the same color on the throne room floor. The floors in the hall were of polished limestone and quartz, a grand sight to behold. Vermillion smiled and took in every last detail, from the red draperies at the ceilings to the walls of limestone. He knew this was the last time he'd see them. He smiled as his eyelids grew heavier. He felt a sudden wave of happiness envelop him as he started to drift to sleep. He smiled at the King and waved a hand at him lazily, he knew this was the last time he'd see him or anyone again...for a very long time...
Final Fantasy:
The Revival
Chapter 1: Now
A bright sun dawned on a new day in the city. People hurried off to work and school while the dew still dripped from windowpanes and leaves. Automobiles honked and pedestrians scrambled along. In the park pigeons were gathering around passers-by who threw bread crumbs; the little birds pecked away at their breakfast. The sky was brightening, though the sun was still hidden by the city buildings. The western world was slowly waking up to a brand new day, full of new possibilities and new sadness; a day of new hope and new despair, of new lives being born and taken away.
The sun broke free of the tall buildings shadow's and finally started to beam into offices and apartments across the city. The sunlight broke the darkness of an apartment on the west side of town and its bright fingers enveloped the room. A tall man walked into the room, dressed and ready for a new day. The sun shone bright in his eyes and he lifted his hand to shield himself from the rays. The man looked down through half-squinted eyes at another man who lay sprawled lazily in bed. The standing man smiled and kicked at the bed. After he'd kicked it the other man didn't move. He waited a minute then said, "Man, get the hell up", through a smirk.
Startled a bit, the other man jumped up after hearing his roommate. Looking around, he saw the standing man and threw a pillow at him. His eyes were attacked by the bright sunlight that came through the window; he stood up, squinting at the bright sunlight. The man looked around the room, half asleep, and yawned loudly. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes he looked over at the man who woke him again and punched him square in the arm. "I was havin' the best dream Seirios. Why in god's name did you wake me up? It's only .." the man said, looking down at the clock by his bed; the clock read 9:15 am. "It's like 9:20 man, it's not like I gotta job I'd rather be at you know" the slowly waking man said.
Seirios laughed and punched the other in the arm. "Yeah but we got things to do, ya know? It's time we started getting an early start insteada' missin' out on everything 'cos we sleep all day" Seirios said. He looked over at the younger man and threw the pillow back at him to wake him up. "It's almost 9:30 so c'mon get a shower and let's go. You stink ya know" Seirios snickered and left the room.
Still waking up, the other man walked towards the bathroom. He tripped over his jeans and fell flat on his face. Grabbing the jeans he cursed and threw them back at the bed. Slowly he stumbled back on his feet to the bathroom. The bathroom smelled of smoke and cologne; the man coughed as he entered and waved his hand. "Dammit Seirios...you gotta cut back!", he thought aloud. The medicine cabinet door was opened and he closed it, looking into the mirror. He ran a hand through his tousled hair and sighed, "Donovan you gotta get a hair cut, this is just shabby" he commented, grabbing a comb.
Donovan looked around the room and saw Seirios was gone. He reached over and shut the door to get ready to shower, making sure he locked it. Undressing, he turned the faucet for the hot water on full blast, then the cold. Looking over at the mirror before he got in the shower he shook his head and laughed. "I'm gonna shower, why'd I comb my hair before? Blah, I'm gettin quirkier by the day" he said, smiling. He stepped in the shower and let the water run over him; he was tired and needed to be woken up fast.
Donovan started to shower and, as per usual, collected his thoughts for the morning. He still wondered why Seirios had woken him up so early. It wasn't like his roommate to ever be awake so early in the morning. The shampoo bottle popped open and Donovan poured some in his hands and lathered his hair. He'd always woken up at least at noon; they didn't exactly have day jobs so they etched out a living otherwise. Washing his hair was always the most annoying part of the shower. He had shoulder length black and violet colored, wavy hair.
Prologue: Then
The moon shone bright in the starry night sky, its light bathed over all that was seen casting a blue-white luminescence to it. The stars twinkled in the sky alongside its watchful gaze. It would be hard to believe that this bright beauty could have seen such pain and suffering, the likes of which went on in the world. At the same moment, a red-haired man had his eyes locked on to on the moon these thoughts ran through his head over and over, along with thoughts of many other things...his wife, his child, his country, and his life. He leaned forward on his elbows and continued looking out on the dark night sky. Somehow the moon seemed to shine brighter as his thoughts grew deeper, although he knew it was just in his mind, it still felt comforting to him.
"Why do we fight?" the man thought aloud. He looked down at his hands, ravaged with age and work. They were worn into callused, hardened pieces of flesh from his years upon this world. His eyes moved slowly from his hands to the rolling countryside that lay beyond the walls of the castle, where all the towns' people were celebrating a victory just outside. He couldn't bear to join in on the celebration; the victory had felt hollow to him. "Like so many others", he spoke again, still deep in thought. He'd been a warrior, a knight, to uphold the peace his kingdom had brought to the world. He put his hands, the ravaged pieces of flesh that lay at the ends of his arms, on the ledge of the balcony he stood out on. No one else was there; they were all down celebrating in the town. He smiled to himself and wondered if his family was down there, enjoying the food and drink and laughing with the people about the "fools" the army had just won a battle against.
His train of thought was broken with the approach of clanking footsteps on the marble floor. He turned around and brightened up a bit when he saw a fellow knight and pushed back the thoughts. He strode forward to greet his comrade in a hearty handshake; a smile appeared on both their faces. The other knight was the first to break the silence. "Vermillion of Andromeda...you old dog! What are you still doing fighting? You could have retired by now!" the other knight joked. Vermillion smiled back at him.
"Hey, I'm not so old that I couldn't take you in a battle, rookie!" Vermillion shot back and punched his comrade in the arm jokingly. The younger knight rubbed his arm a bit, and suddenly became much more serious. He looked at Vermillion and stood rigidly, finally stating his business.
"Um..Vermillion my friend, the King wishes to see you. It is of grave importance you meet with His Highness at once." The young man seemed forlorn in telling Vermillion this, but he continued on his act and strode towards the hallway, "Please follow me, my friend." The young knight started down the hall with Vermillion following shortly.
Vermillion and the knight walked slowly down the hall. The younger knight looked sadder with every step the pair took. Vermillion looked over at him and broke the ominous silence. "Why has the King summoned for me? Another battle? No...it's something else isn't it?" Vermillion asked, but the younger knight kept staring straight ahead. Vermillion started to ask again but the younger man interrupted.
"It's about the prophecy", he said, a very serious tone in his voice.
"The prophecy? What's it got to do with me?" Vermillion asked. He looked confusedly at the other knight, wondering what this night would bring.
"I....I can't say anymore Vermillion. The King will tell you the rest...my friend" The younger knight dropped his head a little as he said this.
There were very few people in the castle as they walked down the halls to the throne room. Vermillion knew most were celebrating the victory over the rebel countries, but still the castle was left too unguarded. He didn't like it; the castle was usually overflowing with people. The King welcomed his subjects en masse, since he'd wanted no one to feel left out in the kingdom. Vermillion and His Majesty were good friends since they started training together to become knights, but Vermillion didn't like what was going on. Be it about the prophecy or not, the castle was left too empty, hardly even the courtiers were around.
"We're here, sir", the younger knight said. Vermillion's train of thought was broken once more by the young man. Vermillion knew this place well-- the throne room. He and the King used to talk for hours on end during peacetime. He looked around the room and noticed it was definitely more full of people than the rest of the castle, with the mages and courtiers lining the room as if preparing for something huge. Strangely, the Queen was nowhere to be seen, which Vermillion knew to be a sign that something huge was, indeed, about to be undertaken. The Queen was always at the King's side.
Vermillion walked towards the King, past the guards and mages that lined the throne room. He kneeled before the King and smiled.
"Your Highness has summoned for me?" Vermillion said, half in jest and half serious. He could never be totally serious when around an old friend. The King smiled warmly at Vermillion, but there was a sadness to the smile. Vermillion's face changed from a smile to a quizzical look as the King strode forward. It was common etiquette that he or she who was to be summoned stayed at the foot of the throne's stairwell and talked to the King from there; the King never walked down the stairwell to speak with those summoned. The king placed his hand on Vermillion's shoulder and spoke. "Yes, old friend, I have summoned you...for the last time." the King said, noticeably saddened by his words. Vermillion shot up and looked at the King.
"King Bryce, what have I done wrong? I've obeyed your every command and carried it out with the most of my abilities! Why is this time any different from the others?" Vermillion asked angrily. He stared at Bryce in disbelief.
"It's not like that Vermillion. You..." King Bryce looked suddenly older as he spoke, his voice fading. "You are... part of the prophecy. You are the one who will save this world, old friend", the King finished, looking towards Vermillion. Vermillion looked at the king in disbelief still, as though his face was frozen from the comments they'd both made. He struggled to find the words to say, and failing, looked down at his feet. He turned his back and took a deep breath.
"My Lord, you know I'd walk into the cave of Bahamut for you. But this...this is quite unexpected." Vermillion finally spoke. He closed his eyes and was once again lost in his thoughts. The prophecy was this: "One day the world would be destroyed by the fire from the gods. There would be one man who would survive and one man only. He would stay alive to make sure that the next time of terror could be averted. That time would be heralded by the abandoning of all magic. People would grow weary of the old ways and start to tear themselves and the world apart. He who was chosen must teach the fools the ways of magic and the summons. He would have to bring order back to the planet."
Vermillion knew if he was indeed the one to stay behind, he'd lose his family and friends. The world would be a different place altogether. He didn't know if he could handle the transition or not. Pacing along the carpet in front of the throne, he was deep in thought when the head mage walked forward. He looked deep into Vermillion's eyes and smiled.
"Knight of the Kingdom of Andromeda, Vermillion. You must do this. I know it is a lot to ask from you-- you have a wife! A daughter who is at home right now doing her studies. You need not worry about them, they will be at your side again",the mage said to him, smiling all the while. Vermillion looked at the mage with no expression on his face. He struggled once again to find the words he needed to say. "My daughter is on her way to becoming a White mage, she is very skilled. How can you tell her, or me for that matter, that I won't be there to see her when she does? How can you tell her that no one will be?! This world will be gone...all will be lost." He sighed and looked down. The mage's expression turned sorrowful, his old eyes full of emotion for Vermillion's obvious pain.
"Vermillion, I know it's a lot to ask for you to do this. I would not ask you unless it was of the utmost importance that--" the king started, but Vermillion cut him off. Vermillion finally turned around and looked in the King's eyes. The gaze of the two friends seemed to last forever. Vermillion was the first to break the silence, smiling as he spoke but his eyes betrayed his feelings.
"Your majesty, it is for the good of all things that I do this. I understand the consequences...tell my Athanasia goodbye. Tell her I love her dearly and will always be with her. Tell my Ruri that she must continue her studies, her father will still be waiting and watching to see her become a healer." Vermillion said, full of sorrow. He knew his duty and regretted that he had to leave his family to do it, but it had to be done.
He kneeled down at the foot of the throne's stairwell and nodded towards the head mage. He was ready to do what had to be done. The mage walked towards him and beckoned to the other mages lined around the room. They stood around him in a circle and raised their staffs to start an incantation. The head mage looked at Vermillion as they chanted in a language Vermillion couldn't understand. The King watched on in deep thought and sorrow. Vermillion hated that things had come to this, but he also knew that it had to be done. The mages continued to chant, their violet robes flowing as a draft started through the room. Vermillion looked around and saw the draft was centered around the mages. The chanting stopped but the wind continued, as the head mage looked in Vermillion's eyes and spoke.
"This spell will place you under a trance, Sir Knight. You will sleep uninterrupted and protected until the time of the Awakening. We will relay anything to your family you wish and we will make sure they are safe as well", the head mage said, smiling at Vermillion as they finished the spell. Vermillion said nothing; the King knew what to tell his family. The spell started to take effect. Vermillion felt tired and noticed a strange light forming around him, a greenish light. He looked around drowsily and fought to stay awake but to no avail.
Vermillion looked around the throne room through half-closed eyes; it was a grand room. Ivory and silver pillars lined the high walls. The floor was a light green shade of marble with a red velvet carpet leading towards the throne's stairwell. The stairwell lead to the majestic thrones of wood and gold that the King and Queen shared. The halls of the castle were lined with marble pillars of the same color on the throne room floor. The floors in the hall were of polished limestone and quartz, a grand sight to behold. Vermillion smiled and took in every last detail, from the red draperies at the ceilings to the walls of limestone. He knew this was the last time he'd see them. He smiled as his eyelids grew heavier. He felt a sudden wave of happiness envelop him as he started to drift to sleep. He smiled at the King and waved a hand at him lazily, he knew this was the last time he'd see him or anyone again...for a very long time...
Final Fantasy:
The Revival
Chapter 1: Now
A bright sun dawned on a new day in the city. People hurried off to work and school while the dew still dripped from windowpanes and leaves. Automobiles honked and pedestrians scrambled along. In the park pigeons were gathering around passers-by who threw bread crumbs; the little birds pecked away at their breakfast. The sky was brightening, though the sun was still hidden by the city buildings. The western world was slowly waking up to a brand new day, full of new possibilities and new sadness; a day of new hope and new despair, of new lives being born and taken away.
The sun broke free of the tall buildings shadow's and finally started to beam into offices and apartments across the city. The sunlight broke the darkness of an apartment on the west side of town and its bright fingers enveloped the room. A tall man walked into the room, dressed and ready for a new day. The sun shone bright in his eyes and he lifted his hand to shield himself from the rays. The man looked down through half-squinted eyes at another man who lay sprawled lazily in bed. The standing man smiled and kicked at the bed. After he'd kicked it the other man didn't move. He waited a minute then said, "Man, get the hell up", through a smirk.
Startled a bit, the other man jumped up after hearing his roommate. Looking around, he saw the standing man and threw a pillow at him. His eyes were attacked by the bright sunlight that came through the window; he stood up, squinting at the bright sunlight. The man looked around the room, half asleep, and yawned loudly. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes he looked over at the man who woke him again and punched him square in the arm. "I was havin' the best dream Seirios. Why in god's name did you wake me up? It's only .." the man said, looking down at the clock by his bed; the clock read 9:15 am. "It's like 9:20 man, it's not like I gotta job I'd rather be at you know" the slowly waking man said.
Seirios laughed and punched the other in the arm. "Yeah but we got things to do, ya know? It's time we started getting an early start insteada' missin' out on everything 'cos we sleep all day" Seirios said. He looked over at the younger man and threw the pillow back at him to wake him up. "It's almost 9:30 so c'mon get a shower and let's go. You stink ya know" Seirios snickered and left the room.
Still waking up, the other man walked towards the bathroom. He tripped over his jeans and fell flat on his face. Grabbing the jeans he cursed and threw them back at the bed. Slowly he stumbled back on his feet to the bathroom. The bathroom smelled of smoke and cologne; the man coughed as he entered and waved his hand. "Dammit Seirios...you gotta cut back!", he thought aloud. The medicine cabinet door was opened and he closed it, looking into the mirror. He ran a hand through his tousled hair and sighed, "Donovan you gotta get a hair cut, this is just shabby" he commented, grabbing a comb.
Donovan looked around the room and saw Seirios was gone. He reached over and shut the door to get ready to shower, making sure he locked it. Undressing, he turned the faucet for the hot water on full blast, then the cold. Looking over at the mirror before he got in the shower he shook his head and laughed. "I'm gonna shower, why'd I comb my hair before? Blah, I'm gettin quirkier by the day" he said, smiling. He stepped in the shower and let the water run over him; he was tired and needed to be woken up fast.
Donovan started to shower and, as per usual, collected his thoughts for the morning. He still wondered why Seirios had woken him up so early. It wasn't like his roommate to ever be awake so early in the morning. The shampoo bottle popped open and Donovan poured some in his hands and lathered his hair. He'd always woken up at least at noon; they didn't exactly have day jobs so they etched out a living otherwise. Washing his hair was always the most annoying part of the shower. He had shoulder length black and violet colored, wavy hair.