In case anybody was confused, the Vale of Alfitaria and the Plains of Fum are areas from the original Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles game. Alfitaria is in the Vale of Alfitaria, and the Fields of Fum are in the Plains of Fum.

Now, prepare to meet the Crystal Bearers of Fum!

Chapter Four: The Bearers of Fum

With Layle following close behind Nakta, the two Crystal Bearers left the city of Fum. They continued walking down the main road for a few minutes, then Nakta suddenly turned away from the road and headed east. After a while, they were past the Fields of Fum and were walking through a dense forest. It was within this forest that Layle saw a long, wooden building.

"So this is where you meet?" Layle questioned Nakta.

"Yes."

"If everyone accepts Crystal Bearers here, why is this place so hidden?"

Nakta sighed. "Not everybody enjoys magic. Some people even tried to eliminate us when we met within the walls of Fum. That's why we changed locations."

Hoping the same would not happen to him, Layle followed Nakta through the door. As soon as the door had shut, a purple aura appeared around the two Clavats. Layle tried to move away, but his body felt like it was made of lead. He could hardly move, his body felt so heavy.

"Hey, it's me!" Nakta yelled in fury.

The purple auras vanished and a small Lilty with short red hair popped his leafed head out from behind a wall. "I'm sorry, but you should have knocked. You know how paranoid I am!"

"Yeah, I know. I apologize. I'll remember to knock next time."

The Lilty nodded in approval. "Good. Who's your friend?"

Nakta gestured to Layle. "This is Layle. He's a Crystal Bearer as well. Layle, meet Trookle."

Layle waved, but the Lilty did not move away from his hiding place. "Just because he is a Crystal Bearer doesn't mean you can bring him to our meeting place! He must have come from the Vale of Alfitaria; what if he's a spy?"

"He saved a man's life today, Trookle. The man slipped off of the roof of a building, and Layle managed to safely deliver him to the ground."

The Lilty left his hiding place then, bringing himself in front of Layle. Layle instantly saw that what looked like a huge, blue scar ran from his left shoulder to his left elbow. Except it wasn't a scar; it was the crystallized part of his body that all Crystal Bearers possessed.

Trookle's eyes were full of interest. "Really? What is that you can do exactly, Layle?"

"I was wondering the same thing about you."

The Lilty glared at Layle and stamped his foot on the ground. "Just because I didn't trust you at first doesn't mean you should talk back to me!"

Nakta laughed. "Don't worry, this is typical of Trookle. Lilties always are hot-headed." Turning to the Lilty, he said, "Calm down, or you might burn those leaves off your head."

"Nakta, don't push it!"

"Wow, I can see the fire building within you, that's how red your face is. Oh look, your leaves are on fire."

Instantly, Trookle grabbed his head and began running around, screaming. Nakta fell over laughing, and Layle couldn't help but chuckle. When Trookle had figured out that there was no fire, he turned to Nakta and put his hands on his hips. "That isn't funny Nakta!"

Wiping tears away from his eyes, Nakta replied, "Of course it wasn't." Then he whispered to Layle, "They obviously aren't the smartest race, are they? At least, not the short-tempered ones."

Layle nodded, and the two Clavats walked past Trookle laughing. "Hey," Trookle called after them, "I didn't even find out what Layle's powers are!" When the two ignored him, the Lilty grumbled to himself and ran after them.

As they walked down the hall, Nakta told Layle, "Long ago, before Crystal Bearers came into existence, people used items known as magicites to cast spells. Some Crystal Bearers' powers are based off of these spells. However, when they use their powers, their use of the spell is far stronger than the magic of the magicites. The Gravity spell, for instance, has the power to bring objects in the air down to the ground. But you, as a Crystal Bearer with the power of Gravity, can lift things up, slow the descent of falling objects, ect. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"I believe so. Is Fire a type of magicite?"

"Yes, it was. Did you meet a Crystal Bearer who had the power of Fire?"

Layle nodded. "What about Crystallization?"

Nakta raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "I have never heard of such a spell."

Jegran must have only acquired that power because of the accident of the Alexis. While Blaze and I were given our powers naturally, Jegran's Bearer powers were a mistake. Before Nakta could question Layle about Crystallization, Layle asked, "What about Trookle? What is his power?"

"Trookle's power is based off the Slow spell, which can slow the speed of a moving object." As Nakta finished saying this, they entered a long, rectangular room. The only things within the room were a few couches and a large, round table with several chairs surrounding it. This room was obviously the meeting room.

Two Clavats were sitting across from each other at the table. One was a girl who looked to be in her mid-twenties, only a few years older than himself. She was a bit shorter than Layle, and she had long red hair that ended a few inches beneath her shoulders. Her face was not very significant, but she had a few freckles on her cheeks and nose. She had a dusty look about her, as if she had worked in fields all of her life. Which is probably true, Layle suspected. Overall, Layle thought she was kind of pretty.

The other Clavat was an man who looked to be in his sixties. He had long, brown hair that was turning gray, and it covered his face and ended at his chin. Layle could only see the man's chin and mouth, and the rest of his face was hidden from his thick hair.

Both of the Clavats turned when Layle, Nakta, and Trookle entered. "I was wondering when you would get here Nakta," the girl said. "Of course, I knew exactly when you arrived. It isn't that hard to hear Trookle when he screams."

Nakta chuckled, but Trookle was baffled. "You heard me scream and you didn't come to help? What if I was being attacked?"

"I would think you could stop any attack, Trookle, since you are able to Slow it before it hits you," the girl pointed out.

"And of course," Nakta said, "you will always be able to Slow the attacker and then run. Isn't that why you were given the power of Slow? So that you could finally run faster than your enemies?" Both Nakta and the girl burst out laughing.

Trookle looked frustrated. "Just because I'm short doesn't mean I can't run fast!"

"Right, but I think we all know that, if you were to race a snail, the only way you would beat it is by using your magic on it." After Nakta said this, he and the girl once again went into a long round of laughter.

As Trookle angrily turned away from them, the girl walked over to Layle. Once she was done laughing, she said, "Hey there, fellow Crystal Bearer. I'm sorry about that; we just can't resist teasing Trookle every once in a while."

"I can see that."

Smiling, she extended her hand. "I'm Yania, by the way."

Shaking her hand, he replied, "My name is Layle."

"Nice to meet you." They turned as they heard Trookle yelling at a laughing Nakta. Furious, the Lilty turned and began to walk toward the hallway that Layle had just walked through. As he passed the table, he accidentally knocked over a glass of water sitting on the edge of the table. The water spilled in front of him, and before he could stop himself, Trookle slipped on the water. Before the short Lilty could fall and hurt himself, Layle swung out his hand and caught him using his Gravity powers. Lifting him away from the puddle of water, Layle set Trookle back on his feet.

When Layle turned back to the others, he saw that the old man with the long, grayish hair had stood. "You have power over Gravity, don't you?" the man asked him.

Layle nodded, but Yania immediately gave him a warning look and said, "Yes, he does."

The man slowly walked over toward Layle and bowed. "I am Olgra. What is your name, Crystal Bearer?"

"Layle."

"I am pleased to meet you, Layle." As Olgra straightened himself, his hair parted enough to allow Layle to see his face, causing Layle to gasp. A scar of crystal covered Olgra's eyes, beginning at one temple and ending at the other. Even his eyes were made of crystal.

"I am sorry for not warning you," Olgra apologized, "but I am also a Crystal Bearer. I was born with these eyes, and I have been blind my entire life."

"But how did you…?" Layle began.

"Olgra may be blind," Nakta interrupted him, "but he has the ability to see things that others cannot. He is capable of seeing magic and what it can do. And sometimes, he is able to see future events."

"He was the one who found us and organized this group," Yania told Layle. "Using his powers to see our magic, he was able to find us and bring us together."

"If it weren't for him, we may never have found each other," Trookle proclaimed. "If it weren't for him, we might still be alone."

"So do not fear us," Olgra said to Layle. "We have all lived lives similar to yours. We have been alone, outcast, and some have tried to kill us. But now we are together, we who understand each other, we who are different yet are the same. And you are one of us."

Glancing around at the others, Layle smiled. This is where I belong. "I would be glad to be a part of this group, if you will have me."

"Of course we will," Yania told him.

"How could we not?" Trookle said. "You did save me from slipping."

"He wouldn't have had to if you weren't so clumsy," Yania replied.

Everyone burst into laughter as Trookle complained that he wasn't clumsy. Nakta clapped Layle on the shoulder. "Come on, let's have dinner everybody!" Everybody, even Trookle, cheered and moved toward a second hallway that led to the kitchen.

As they walked together, Layle closed his eyes and smiled. He had finally found a place where he was truly accepted and understood. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was home.