Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XII. This story was born from a phone conversation my fiancé and I had about the Mist…
The Beginning…
"So, how are you doing on the game so far Autumn?"
"I'm at Giruvegan…the Feywood is so beautiful with all the Mist." I answer into the phone, eyes set on the swirling gold around my party, reflecting their every move.
"The Feywood, huh…hey, you ever wonder where it actually begins? Where the Mist originates from, how Giruvegan could be so large?" he sounds perplexed over the phone, as if he'd had this though for a while. Knowing Zerey, he probably has.
"Don't spoil it, silly! I've only just begun exploring the city, and I know you've beaten the game already, so leave some surprises for me." I laugh into the phone, earning a grumble from the other line.
"You do the same thing with books to me, you little weasel." was my answer, the ever present, sarcastically loving, bite in his voice. It was true though, I really can't keep my mouth shut about a book I'm passionate about.
The conversation carried on like this for a couple more minutes, the topic going from characters, monsters, and then found its way back to Mist. He seemed worried about it, questioning the maps on the game, talking about the Espers and their contribution to the density of the Mist. It was interesting, seeing as apparently there are the two strongest of the Espers, right next to the Feywood.
"I don't think the Feywood actually exists..." he trailed off, becoming lost in his own thoughts.
"What do you mean? Is it like Tactics, a rift in space?" I asked, trying to keep my eyes open. It was getting close to 12:00, and I'm usually in bed by ten.
"Zodiark!" he snapped immediately, "He folds reality around him, he's there, but then again, he isn't. The Feywood is the Espers playground!"
"But he's in the Henne Mines, Zerey, according to the guide you gave me." I yawn, the screens glare adding to my drowsiness.
"And where is that, Autumn, where are those mines."
I pull up the map, impatient now to get the conversation over with and get to bed, when my breath caught. There was a branch of the mines...leading to the Feywood. I don't know how, but my drowsiness rushed away at the sight of that.
"You're right! It doesn't exist, Zerey, it doesn't make sense, it doesn't…Zerey?" I paused, noticing the absence of breathing on the other end, only the faint buzzing sound of static. As I listened for few more seconds, a low wail began to start, getting increasingly louder until it was a high pitched shriek. It grew so loud, the pictures that hung on the wall started to shake, and eventually shatter, the glass scattering over the floor in a dangerous arrangement, the TV and game system blinked off. Then after a few seconds, it stopped abruptly, leaving the phone fried on the floor where I'd dropped it. Sparks fizzed about haphazardly, the plastic bent inward, almost as if melted.
"Zerey…?" I whispered, bending close to the phone in hopes of hearing his voice on the other end, just to hear if he was alright. Silence rolled on with time as I waited for just a small sign. He could call on the other phone; there could somehow still be signal in the damaged one, anything.
"Why doesn't anyone answer…in fact, why hasn't anyone questioned about the noise yet? Surely my Grandparents heard the wail from upstairs…" as I said this, a chill went through me. What if it was something happening upstairs that caused this to happen? I leapt to my feet and scrambled to the door leading upstairs, flinging the dark wood door open, only to meet the normal stairs. Upon further inspection, nothing seemed disturbed by what had happened. My Grandmother was asleep on the couch, the TV still going, meaning power was still on, I checked my brothers room to see if they were affected at all by the noise directly underneath them, but both them, and my Mom, were sound asleep. As I turned to leave their room, my Grandmother was on her way to the bathroom, staring at me oddly.
"Shouldn't you be in bed? It's a school night." She asked tiredly, and went into the bathroom, not asking what the noise was, not panicking as I felt, just wondering what I'm doing up at…1:48 in the morning. A yawn crept its way out of my mouth, and the drowsiness from earlier sank in again. I'd see Zerey at school tomorrow, ask him about what had happened, and everything would be back to normal. Perhaps some rest would ease my worries. I stumbled into my room, got ready for bed, and fell into a troubled sleep.
I was in a long, green, high-necked shirt, tied at the waist with a brown sash, and heavy material along the arms, ankle length white pants, and brown, slipper-like shoes. I kept seeing white and gold flickering across my vision, obscuring a figure hidden in the colors. The shadowed figure raised an eloquent hand and beckoned me to them, and, try as I might, I couldn't move, the swirling colors halted me in one place, keeping me away from the person. The silhouetted figure seemed to grow larger, still beckoning, but more urgently. I fought against the colors keeping me in place and gained an inch, or a mile (who can tell in a dream?), toward the person, and noticed something moving behind them, that seemed to shine with a golden radiance beyond the swirls of light.
"Hello? Can you tell me how I got here?" I yelled, still struggling against the light.
"I was wondering the same thing, Child…", a woman's voice sighed, clear even from a distance, it had the sound of a church choir, plus the bite of winter, "I have been trapped here for so long…I wish to see the world again…but alas, you are not able to free me from this injustice…good-bye Child", the woman said in that same still voice, and turned as if to go. I reached my hand out toward her to stop, but touched something soft, like smooth silk. I blinked as realization swept over, and let go of the hem of a brilliantly white dress the woman wore. I felt ashamed and raised my eyes to her face to apologize, when the sight her skin froze me, a beautifully flawless deep teal. Silvery hair flowed in motion with the light, capped by a horned helmet. An Ethereal Lady lowered her gaze in surprise to meet my own. Something tickled at my memory from the sight of her, but I pushed it aside.
"My Lady, forgive me, it was wrong to touch an angel's garb." I said, bowing low to her, for she was an angel, with four wings of pure gold.
The angel laughed quietly, chimes ringing in my ears, and adjusted the skirt of her fine gown, as if to clean the spot a beast had touched.
"Ah, maybe you can…I've missed the reaction you Children gave when you saw me, so I will not punish you this time."
"Thank-you my Lady…" I said, grateful. Who would imprison an angel so she might never see the world, and why? "High Lady, I'm worried about someone…maybe you would know of it?"
The angel's eyes narrowed for but a moment, possibly in thought, then the calm serenity returned. She shook her head sadly.
"Oh, I'm sorry for troubling you." I said and turned to leave, though to where I hadn't a clue.
"Halt, Child, for I am not finished with you yet", the cold voice demanded, "You misunderstand me, I shake my head not for incomprehension, for I know all to well of whom you seek."
I held my breath; she knew what happened to Zerey? Whom I seek…was he taken away?
"I am sorry to be the one to inform you, but your friend has been…removed. It was against my power for it to happen, and if it was, I assure you it would have been stopped."
"Removed?" I gasped, my hand unconsciously moved to my heart as a pain erupted from it. "Do you mean…he's dead? Why?! What did Zerey do for…whomever to kill him?!"
The angels face formed a grimace as my voice rose to a high pitch, but right then, I didn't care. A warm block seemed to form in my throat, inhibiting any oxygen to access my lungs, tears started to form and all sensory left an already numb body.
"Peace Child, peace."
An aura emanated from the golden wings, and a feeling of calm washed over.
"His life has not ended, merely…moved"
"To where…where is he?!" I demanded, it sounded harsher than originally intended. Instead of becoming angry, the angel pointed behind me, and turning, I witnessed a rift form in the light, appearing as though seams of thread ripping from one another. The image of a desert
"There. He was moved to the eastern sands, helpless as a newborn, and is moving toward a small nomadic village. I cannot place you any closer than this, for fear of discovery by those who would play with fate."
I nodded and took a step toward the opening, paused, and turned to the angel again, "If you can do this, why can you not leave?"
Anger flashed and settled across her face, the light around her grew harsher, rushing around, beating against my face, and the thing was, it hurt, like a howling, chilled wind it hurt. I lifted my arms for a shield against it as the angels voice roared in my ears.
"I cannot leave because the Mist that emanates from my very being traps me here until those that bound me are vanquished! Now go, before I change my mind of allowing you to, I've been too lenient with you already."
A sudden burst of light caused me to stagger back into the rift, blinding my eyes as I fell into the glow…
The rushing of the light immediately halted as the girl, Autumn, dropped to the sands below the rift. It would have to take a miracle for her to survive the fall, but quite luckily for her, an angel was on her side…or to be more precise, a fallen one.
Ultima, the High Seraph, released the power that held the opening, and hid the true color of her once beautiful wings. Now deep ebony, they twitched irritably from under the weight of Mist, and slowly began to draw the light into them. She gave a deep sigh, pleasure shown on every inch of her countenance. After a few minutes of stretching them, she turned ghost-like to a warped space in her prison.
"Come from hiding, Daughter." She commanded, and the warp folded into the form of a young woman, willowy and thin, with shining white hair that went past her knees. She wore mostly white, shawl, long floor-length shirt and a flowing sleeved skirt, all except for an opaque black veil that covered from her eyes to the top of her rosebud mouth. She crossed the space between the Seraph and herself, knelt at Ultima's feet, and rose, not meeting the cold gaze of the Esper.
"Mother…I bring news from the outside." She said, a mere whisper compared to the cold voice of Ultima.
The fallen Seraph's lips formed the cruel imitation of a smile, "Excellent my Child…you have made grand progress."
'Light…endless light, so warm…my stomach's doing flip-flops, am I falling? I want to wake up soon…'
Thoughts came sluggishly, as wind whipped hair across my face. I opened my eyes to see a twisted world, everything converging to a center point, of which I was hurtling toward. I opened my mouth to let out a scream, only to hear air escaping my throat in a reedy sound.
The twisting started to ease the farther I fell, time seemed to stretch until I could feel every second crawl painfully across my skin. Curling up into a ball, I readied for the second my body would hit the earth, and, quite possibly, dying. Wait, aren't I still asleep?
The rushing of the wind abruptly halted, slowing down into playful waves. I blinked, unfurling my arm from in front of me and stared in wonder, as the ground suddenly was before me, and I hovering in the air not a foot from it. Tentatively, my foot extended to touch the sand underneath, and the entire weight of my body hit, hard. Nope, not dreaming.
"O-ow…that smarts, oh…wow, the sand is hot…" I said aloud, and then smacked myself on the forehead. I was just brought out of a world of light, to look for my supposedly missing boyfriend, and the first thing I focus on is how hot the sand is. Brilliant Autumn…just, brilliant.
A nomadic village, within the eastern sands…of where? Where exactly is this? All around, all I can see is sand, a canyon wall, scrub, and the occasional creature. Wait, creature? A slow, stalking movement caught my eye to the left, a low growl from behind. I turned my head slowly, and froze. Teeth, brown, spotted fur, a horn, claws, a hungry look in the eye, and saliva dripping from the muzzle. Add two more and a predatory gait and you have my situation.
"Nice doggie…things, be good for Auty…please?" I muttered to myself, knowing it wouldn't help at all. All I had to do as think, what do hunters love the most? The chase and what happens when you do not give it to them?
A sharp bark from one of the hunters gave me my answer, dinner. I leapt to my feet in an instant and bolted, hearing one of the creatures give an order behind me, and the chase was on.
'Must not fall, must not fall, fall and you're dead. You don't want to be dead, right? Right, so focus on escaping and not talking to yourself in your head! Hey…that rhymed!'
Panting on my right, growling on my left, and the other right behind me, they were catching up fast. The sun was beating down harshly, the dry air impossible to breathe; I was slowing down at a dangerous speed, easy prey for the hunters. One of the creatures crossed in front of me, teeth bared and crouched to pounce. The one to the right of me started coming closer, setting up for the take down. I did probably the stupidest thing I could have done at the moment, stopped and jumped to the left, feeling something scratch my arm, scrambled up, and started running again, this time up a dune. Looking toward my attackers, it had appeared that the one behind me had just sprung at me, and fortunately missed; now they were angry. I ran harder.
I didn't look behind me again after that, for fear it would only slow me down, but after about fifteen minutes of terror-driven running, I looked behind, only to see nothing there. I checked around to see if they were hiding someplace, but all around me there was nothing but sand, and tiny cactuses. Correction, tiny, moving, cactuses, with almost childishly drawn faces, waddling without a care. One was so bold as to come within a foot of me, before turning away as if I didn't even exist. I took a moment to rest, my breath coming in ragged gasps, and legs like jelly almost collapsing under me. My arm was beginning to sting from the fanged creatures cut, it was still bleeding. The sands heat seeped through my thin slippers, burning feet within seconds. Hopping from one to the other, in an attempt to cool them down, I saw the little cactus copy my movements comically.
"Hey there little guy, you like to dance?" Laughing, I started to wave my hands around lazily, watching as the little mime did the same. After few minutes of playing with the funny plant, I scanned the horizon for any sign of habitation, and seeing none, sighed and started to walk in the direction I was heading. The cactus began waddling after me, probably thinking this another game.
A wind swirled the sand under my feet and in front of me, causing the tiny grains to fly into my eyes. No matter how hard I scrubbed them, not a single spec came out, and only furthered the irritation.
"Augh, I'm blind!" I screamed, feeling every single grain pierce my eyes, the burning even worse than the sand beneath my feet.
I heard the cactus squeak (do cactuses really squeak?!) beside me, and the tiny sounds of its feet scurrying away, the yell must've scared it.
As I staggered around (wouldn't help to stay still for whatever else was out there to find an easy meal), blessed tears finally streaming down my face, my side hit what was supposedly the canyon wall, and I slid down it, the rocky crevices jutting out at odd angles, digging into my back. A low sound started in the back of my throat, choking until it came out in a sob, eventually I was crying my heart out. Mouth cracking from the dryness of the air, and for lack of moisture within it, the strangled sounds, like that of a wounded beast, seemed foreign even to me.
"Hey, you alright?" the sound of another human voice was carried across the sands, a little ways to the left of me. I tried to open my eyes, but was still met with searing pain, and quickly closed them again. The noise of shuffling feet came close to me, until I could feel the presence of someone next to me.
"Oh, you're hurt! Here, I've a couple bandages and some ointment to clean it with, but unfortunately no water to spare, I wasn't expecting to stay out here very long, you see." The voice, a boy's it sounded like, explained as gentle hands moved over my arm. Even though they were careful around the cut, a sharp sense of pain shot through when the worn feeling fingers brushed to close. I let out an involuntary hiss, and tried to squirm away from the offending hands.
"Sorry, but you've got to hold still so it doesn't get worse, lady" he apologized, and the feeling of a warm gel and gauze was put over the wound, sealing it from the elements. "Hey, are your eyes alright? You haven't opened them since I came over here."
"Sand…" I murmured, my dry throat cracking even that simple word.
"Oh, well, then we'll just have to take you to the city to get them washed out, can you stand?" the boy asked, and with a nod from me, he grabbed hold of my arm and helped me to unsteady feet. We started to walk slowly, due to the fact I was holding on to the boys arm for balance and direction. Silence between, the howl of the occasional wind around, and the sun glaring above proved to make the trek a lonely one. Abruptly, the boy stopped and put her hand to the rough bark of a scrub.
"Hold on to this for a few minutes, I've got to take care of something." He rushed, and the sound of metal scraping something filled my ears, that, and the abnormal cry of a creature as it was stricken.
"Rouge Tomato…no problem." He muttered to himself, the soft pad of his footsteps coming closer, and then halted abruptly, "Galbana lilies? Never thought I'd see them growing out here," he grunted, earning the sound of something tearing, and walked closer to me, "This'll make a nice souvenir. Time to call it a day."
'Rouge Tomato…the lilies…that sounds familiar somehow…' I thought as he took my arm again and began to lead me around again, a very sweet smell coming into contact with my senses.
"Those smell lovely…" the whisper left my mouth before I could stop it; earning a chuckle from my companion.
We crossed the shifting sands for about twenty more minutes, and just when I was on the brink of asking where this city was, the sand ended with a firm stone path under our feet. Shade fell across burning skin, giving a relief incomparable at the time. Though, relief it might have been, the shade did nothing for the dryness of the air, or the burning of my eyes.
"Well, even though you can't see it, welcome to Rabanaster!" he said cheerily, "Huh, you alright?"
I had frozen, knowing now why things were tugging at my memory. The angel, the Esper, Ultima the High Seraph, had told me Zerey was taken and dropped into eastern sands, and opened a rift through light, no, Mist, close to where he was. The sands held fearsome beasts, horned Wolves, and docile ones, Cactites with childishly made faces, near the City of Rabanaster, on a world that was only supposed to exist in a game. The shear impossibility of it drove me to my knees, laughing. I felt the boy crouch down beside me; I could almost see the worry on his face, almost a shame he has been traveling with a girl gone mad.
"Boy," I croaked amidst the laughter, "Tell me your name, so I can tell if there is any sanity left in the world."
"Uh, Vaan." He stated, puzzled. I laughed manically, squirming on my knees, and clutching sides, then groaned, having hit my all too real cut. Why did this have to happen, what need was there for Zerey to be removed? He must be enjoying himself if he figured out where this is, his game come to life as it was.
"What's yours?" the boy asked, surprising me into silence.
"Ehh…Autumn?"
"Okay Autumn, we need to hurry. A friend of mine needs to have a shipment through before a big parade starts. We can get you fixed up while we're there, so, hop up!" the smile in his voice could probably be heard a mile away. I rose slowly to my feet, Vaan helping with balance, yet again. As we turned to wherever the entrance was, another voice was directed toward us.
"Ah, Vaan, I guess I'm not the only one who got locked out of the city! I told Penelo about the Mark you were hunting, and I guess I got her worrying, so the two of us headed out here to find you." Scratching was heard, one of them must be rubbing their head, "As soon as I stepped out, the guards closed the gates and things got crazy. I haven't been able to find her since."
"Someone you know?" I asked hoarsely, racking my brain for the owner of the voice.
"Yeah, Kytes. He's like me, works for the Bangaa Shop-Keeper, Migelo, on various errands. Like the one I was working on in the Estersands, the Rouge Tomato." Vaan explained in undertones to me.
"Ah, alright then," Smiling at the memory of the small boy who looked up to Vaan so much, then a thought came to me from when he said errands, "Hey Vaan, do you know of any No…" I began, but was halted as the muffled voice of an older man yelled across the entrance.
"Stand back, there! Back! This gate is closed until the ceremony is over, do you hear?" Groans and complaints met his statement.
"Now what…?" Vaan sighed, pulling me along closer to where the voice came from, but halted yet again as something big passed us by, I reached out a hand to see what it was, but was slapped away roughly by someone's gauntleted one.
"Ow…" I grumbled, holding the sore hand close.
"Open the gate," the voice came again, and a loud rumbling filled the area as the action took place, "All right, out of the way!"
"Wait a second," Vaan said, outraged, "How come you let those Chocobos through the gate and not us?"
'C-Chocobos…!'
"What of it," the man replied, the creaking of metal against metal suggested a nonchalant shrug. One of the mans friends must've been near, for he took part in the conversation next, though muffled like the other.
"This here's a pedigreed parader, boy. Cost tens of thousands of Gil, this one did."
I took a step away from Vaan, in an effort to get closer to the gigantic bird, just to touch one. I never was one for listening to adult prattle…or warnings.
"A prettier price than a hundred of you provincials would fetch," Came the smug voice of the first man again.
As I crept a little closer, the soft breathing of the Chocobo my guide, something blocked the path, something cold and armored.
"Keep your distance! We don't want the Chocobos stinking of peasant." The second man said, shoving me aside.
"What did you say?" Vaan demanded as he stepped beside me incase I fell, but that didn't help as we were both pushed away by one of the men.
"Step aside," he said with his armor clanking as he went back to the gate. Vaan gasped, something must have happened as he was pushed.
'The sweet smell is gone…no, the lilies!'
I dropped to the ground, hands scrabbling wildly in search of Vaan's precious flowers, but the guard gave the order, "Right then, move 'em in."
The birds started moving forward, a pair of hands pulled me out of the way, and the subtle sound of crushing plants meant the Galbana lilies were gone.
"I'm sorry Vaan; I tried to get them…" I whispered.
"That does it," he growled, getting up and taking a step toward the guards, but was halted as another voice joined the scene.
"Ho ho, a fine, fine Chocobo you have there. Yes, Tchita Downs stock, if I'm not mistaken. Change the soil, change the Chocobo, am I right?"
Heavy shuffling steps announced the presence of the owner of the voice, followed swiftly by lighter ones that rushed in Vaan's direction.
"Migelo…and Penelo," Vaan whispered, vindicating the one who moved to his side as Penelo.
"Yes, yes…different soil means different bouquet, too. Take a Dalmascan Barose wine, eh? It may lack the flavor and depth of some of your Arcadian wines…but it has a certain strength of character. It's not bad, really, once you get used to it. Care for some sirs? There's more than enough for everyone to cool their throats, of course."
I giggled, as the deep voice that was supposedly Migelo, tried to bribe the guards with a drink. Apparently, the guards had accepted, for people began shuffling through and past us into the city.
"You, let these carts through, then we can close these gates as ordered." One of them said before walking away.
"My mails choked with this sand…" the other explained as he took a drink, earning an agreement grunt from Migelo. The heavy shuffling came close to where we were, meaning the Bangaa was in front of us.
"Don't give me a scare like that; you're lucky that ended where it did," the Bangaa scolded Vaan, who shuffled from foot to foot.
"Right, now's our chance to go through," Penelo said, "Oh, who's this?"
Apparently she meant me, for no one spoke until I did, "Um…my name's Autumn…"
"Penelo, nice to meet you," she cheerily stated, and another silence ensued.
"Uh…Autumn, she's holding out her hand…Oh, sorry, I forgot about your eyes!" Vaan cried, nervously moving his feet again.
"Her eyes, what do you mean?" Penelo questioned, stepping closer to me.
"I…got sand in them while in the Estersands…no water to flush them out with." I explained, blushing at how foolish it sounded.
"Ah, a couple of Eye Drops should help with that, no problem." Migelo stated simply, pushing something into my hands.
"Th-Thank-you, sir…" Of course, he was the Provisions store owner, so it was easy for him to obtain these. I forced my eyes open, put a couple of the gel-like drops in each, and blinked a few times. Vision was blurry at first, then as each blink forced the offending sand and tears from my eyes, it grew clearer until I could see the faces of the people in front of me. They were people, not just characters in a make-believe game. Penelo's earnest blue eyes stared into mine at a very close range, her face breaking out into a smile and hands clasped together in glee as my eyes finally gained focus. Vaan rubbed under his nose in the endearing way I'd seen so many times, but never really appreciated. Migelo nodded his blue, reptilian head and shuffled back through the gate as a bell begins to ring.
"Ah the ceremony'll be starting soon. I'd best be hurrying." He stated without another word. I ran up to him and embraced him in a full hug.
"Thank-you Mister Migelo!" I cried, glad for the gel to mask my real tears. Migelo's head hung in embarrassment as he shook me off gently, continuing to walk to wherever the parade would be.
"Okay, well…" Penelo began, but was stopped as a float hovered past, carrying a foreboding figure on it. Vaan pushed past her and ran after it; Penelo looked to me and shrugged, deciding to chase her hyper friend. I smiled, walking in the same direction in an easy pace. The streets of the Dalmascan capital, Rabanaster were full of life, vendors, citizens, of all races, living in harmony with the flow of the sands.
"Beautiful…" I whispered, fully enjoying the scenes played in front of me. Only, they weren't just bits of video and action. This was reality now, and I'd have to get used to it's rules…Zerey is somewhere in this world, and I'm going to find him.