I in no way, shape or form take credit for creation or ownership of the Final Fantasy series. That belongs to Square-Enix.


"What!" Firion exclaimed, his eyes slowly revealing that he was coming to this conclusion as well. Padrone's home and school, or at the very least, the area immediately surrounding it, was completely ablaze.

"You think he's still there? Maybe he wasn't home." Eliza suggested, more to calm the two boys down more than anything else. "I mean, he pretty busy and all, maybe the Council was meeting tonight."

"I don't think so…" Firion muttered. The other two looked at him in a way that clearly meant, "How do you know?" He steadied his voice, knowing his friends weren't going to like what he was about to say. "The Council won't have met tonight. My Dad's on it, remember? And I know for sure he said that they weren't."

"That doesn't mean he's home, does it?" Jayson asked, his eyes never trailing away from the ominous orange glow filling a small portion of the sky. "I mean, a busy guy like Padrone, I'm sure he's got tons of stuff that he needs to do."

"I doubt it. The Council and the school is pretty much all he does. I'd bet anything he was home." Firion informed Jayson, his voice making it clear that this was as hard for him to say as it was for the others to hear.

"Well, what are you two waiting for? Let's go!" Eliza ordered, breaking into a run. The two boys quickly took off after her, Jayson getting ahead of his friend but still trailing behind the other. They skidded around a street corner, where Firion nearly knocked Jayson over because he couldn't stop in time. But half a second and a little cursing later they were up and running again, hoping and praying that their good friend was all right.

"There! Through that alley!" Jayson shouted forward to Eliza, but barely. They had been running through the Cornelian streets for a good few minutes now, and spare breath was hard to come by.

"Are you sure?" She called back, equally tired.

"Yes, it's a shortcut!" He shouted. He had taken that route many times before, his house being not too far from where they were now. It wasn't a very wide space, but it was larger than most alleyways, and they would easily be able to run through it.

"Alright…" Eliza said to herself, grabbing onto a streetlight and swinging around it, causing the candle within to shake violently, letting it's illumination dance along the street. This particular normally looked very nice, Jayson thought. It wasn't in the rich part of the city, but it wasn't in the slums either, and most people tried to preserve the beauty of the City of Dreams. But with the light flickering all over the road and houses, along with the now reddish glare covering it all, he couldn't help but it think it looked rather sinister. "Oh, sorry, sorry!"

Jayson looked ahead to see what Eliza was rambling about, when he noticed a second figure standing in the alley as she took off. The figure was dressed in a full cloak that covered him from shoulder to foot and was parted to one side, probably because of the apparent collision with Eliza, to reveal a short sheath hanging from his waist. His face was covered in shadows because of the intense light from behind him, but as Jayson ran by him he couldn't help but notice a pair of distinguishing pointy ears….

And when he pulled his gaze away from the stranger, he saw it.

The entire building was caught in the blaze, the radiance of the fire nearly blinding. A team of men, some of them apparently volunteers, lacking the bright red outfit that represented most important Cornelian positions, were working feverishly to put out the torrent of flames. Two Magi, likely the only two magic users in the city, were chanting non-stop, probably to keep the building from collapsing. Pieces of burnt wood, embers, and smoke were spiraling upwards into the air, which created almost beautiful patterns across the star-lit sky.

"This is… horrible…" Eliza muttered, her hand over her mouth in quiet shock, still gasping for air.

"There he is!" Jayson heard Firion exclaim, and for the first time in the past five minutes, he felt a glimmer of hope and happiness surge through him.

'He's okay…' Jayson thought to himself, his eyes closed in relief, his mouth curving into a slight smile. He had trained under Padrone for nearly nine years, and it would have been a tragedy to lose him.

Then suddenly, a loud, "Look out!" pierced the night air, and screams soon followed it. Jayson didn't quite clearly remember what happened after that, it was all a blur. He saw Padrone was being carried out… he was panting… a Magi collapsed from exhaustion… he was moving… a pillar on the building began to shake… he was running… the men carrying him sped up… they wouldn't make it… they were getting closer… he was in the air… he hit them… a scream…

Then darkness.

----------------------

"h… e ok…"

He was floating in the darkness. He could hear the voices, and he had some control over his thoughts, but he didn't seem to be quite capable of anything else. It seemed like his brain had shut down.

"…be fi… bed r…"

But it wasn't a bad darkness though; it was rather elating. No troubles, no worries, just him and his thoughts. It was a form of bliss really.

"…e's been o… r a whil…"

But those voices wouldn't stop talking. He knew them from somewhere, he just didn't know where from. Maybe it was a friend? Yes, he recognized that voice, knew it from somewhere.

"I know he will."

Then it all came flooding back. Padrone's house was on fire, the mysterious stranger showing up, running down the street with Firion and Eliza, even the snack he'd had at the café. He opened his eyes, quickly shut them, and started opening them again slowly. The light was too bright from him to handle right now.

"I think he's coming around!"

Light from the room slowly started to flood into his eyes, things started assuming colors, the colors split apart to form basic shapes, which in turn became more and more complex as patterns formed. His wardrobe in the corner of the room, his poster of the Conquerors, his favorite Blitzball team, hanging on the wall, everything started flooding back. And finally, after what felt like an eternity, he recognized two familiar faces leaning over him.

"Ugh… Hey guys." Jayson tried to smile, although he figured it must've only come up as a weak grin. He started to sit up, his arm buckled underneath him and he nearly fell back onto his bed, but Firion and Eliza caught him, propping him against the backboard. "Uh… How long was I out? What happened?"

"Well, in what was either heroism or stupidity, you--" Firion started, but was promptly cut off by Eliza saying, "Not now, eat first" as she handed Jayson a bowl of hot soup. He didn't feel much like eating, but he thought that whatever had happened, he probably needed the food. After the first few mouthfuls however, his appetite returned in full force, and he gulped down the soup in what must've been record time.

"Okay," He said a few minutes later, setting the bowl down on the table beside him, feeling quite rejuvenated, "tell me what happened and how long I've been out."

"You've only been out for the night, so don't worry about that." Eliza explained. "A support pillar on Padrone's house collapsed under the stress of the fire, and out of what I can only assume was instinct, you dived into him and too others to get them out of the way."

"Are they okay?" He asked.

"Well, you took a nasty bump to the head, as you may have noticed." Firion said with what was a sort of half-grin playing on his face. "The two guys carrying him managed to roll out of the way. But Padrone…"

"What… What happened…?" Jayson asked, almost afraid of the answer he might get.

"Don't worry, he's fine!" Eliza blurted out, foreseeing Jayson's reaction. "He's okay. For the most part…"

"His leg got caught under the pillar, completely crushed it." Firion said solemnly, pounding his open hand into the other in a rather disturbing manner. "And, the doctors think he may have suffered some brain damage from all the smoke…"

"What's that mean?" He asked, still being cautious about the subject. This had the potential to turn very bad.

"Well, he keeps saying that when the fire was about to reach him, he saw a flash of light, heard a hissing sound, and then the fire in front of him disappeared, leaving a pool of water behind." Firion continued. "Don't look at me like that. I'm as reluctant to say he's crazy as you are, but his story makes no sense. The fire itself was hard enough to explain, but then it just melting away to water. He's a pretty old man; he might be finally going senile."

"Maybe…" Jayson muttered, his eyes drifting down towards the floor. He suddenly wished he hadn't accepted that soup.

"But every cloud as a silver lining." Firion said, his face suddenly shifting from an anxious frown to a victorious grin.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jayson asked, disgusted. "Padrone may never walk again, and you're happy about it?"

"Of course not you idiot." He continued, pulling a long, sealed envelope out of his back pocket and tossed it by Jaysons feet. "Arrived in your mailbox not even ten minutes ago. Got a pretty important looking seal on it, and if I remember correctly, the one goes on letters that came from the King himself. Guess what that means?"

Jayson just stared at the piece of paper sitting at the end of his bed, its folded design meant to conceal its contents. At least that's what it felt like it was for, as he reached out with a slightly shaky hand towards the letter. And as he brought it back and started to rip open the top, he came to the conclusion that Seers from ages ago foresaw this moment and invented envelopes for the sole purpose of keeping him in an agonizing suspense. Finally, he pulled the letter out, and proceeded to stare at its folded up form for a few moments. Even it seemed to have a mystic glow around it.

"I hate to ruin the moment," Firion interrupted. His grin had, for some reason, receded to an anxious smile, "but can you hurry this up?"

Jayson slowly unfolded the letter, and struggled to read it aloud, the butterflies in his stomach going nuts.

"To Jayson Godwin,

Through much deliberation and trial, the High Council of Cornelia, in concordance with his Royal Majesty, King Steven III, has made its decision in regards to the position of the Guardian of the Solaced. We, the High Council, have come to the conclusion based on the evidence laid before us, that you would be the most suiting choice for this coveted title.

The appointment ceremony will take place one week from the time this letter was written, June 15, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, in the Coronation Hall of Castle Cornelia. You are expected to be there by 9 o'clock that morning to begin preparations."

"Then it just lists the Councilors…" Jayson muttered incredulously, his eyes wide with excitement. 'I don't believe this…'

"Ha! I told you it'd be you! I told you!" Eliza shouted, unable to contain her excitement anymore.

"Well, well. Looks like I owe you ten Gil Liz." Firion admitted, a twinge of defeat in his voice.

----------------------

The next week of Jayson's life was simultaneously the most exciting and the most boring. The excitement came from knowing exactly what was going to happen one morning when he woke up. The boredom stemmed from knowing how exactly how long it would take for it to happen. Amazing how the speed at which time moves is always the exact opposite of what you want it to be. Jayson hardly slept at night, despite knowing that he'd be leaving soon after the ceremony was over, and that he'd need all the rest he could get. Yet dreams of glory kept floating his mind late at night. Dreams of him in solid red armor, a glittering sword at his side, surrounded by people all wanting to worship him as much as the Solaced. The Guardian who would bring it all together…

Padrone was making a speedy recovery as well. Because of what could be attributed to good physical health throughout his life, or his natural tendency to not die, the groups teacher was up and walking within three days, albeit with a little bit of help from some crutches. He'd constantly wince in pain, having accidentally let his leg touch something, but he'd let the pain kill him before he accepted help, and was soon off at double his original speed to prove he could handle it. He was staying at Firions house, it being the largest and the closest to Padrone's old home, and two days before the ceremony was scheduled to take place, he pulled Jayson aside as he and Eliza started to leave.

"What is it Master?" Jayson asked with a grin. He couldn't help but smile nowadays.

"I've told you, I'm no longer your teacher. Stop calling me that, it's quite annoying." Padrone criticized. He was old, with poor eyesight and could barely walk under the best of conditions, yet he still managed to find a way to make other people feel inferior to him. It was a natural talent at his age.

"Yes M- I mean… Sir?" He asked, hoping he picked the right title.

"That's… Oh, never mind…anyway, they've managed to salvage some of the things from what's left of my home." He eyes glazed over for a moment as he stood lost in thought, but he quickly continued. "And they've brought what they found here, mostly partially burned portraits and certificates and the like, but they managed to find a few of my swords. I want you to go to the guest room and pick out one you like. We all know you'll be needing it more than I will…"

And pick he did. After about half an hour of testing out all the different blades, Jayson finally chose a simple steel sword. The blade itself was double-edged and about two and a half feet long, ending in a gold colored hilt that fit easily in his palm. It was a bit heavier than what he was used to, but it was the sharpest sword there, and it's not like he wouldn't have time to get the feel of it. It was going to be a long journey after all.

His friends changed somewhat after hearing the news as well. Eliza, who was normally a fairly quiet person, became more energetic and overall happy over the news. While Firion took the exact opposite route, toning down his humor and wit to an almost depressed level. In fact, Jayson noticed that Firion didn't even seem to look him in the eye anymore, and it was almost like he was trying to avoid talking with him. But, with the fact that the ceremony was almost upon him, and he was in the best mood he could remember, he didn't really take much notice.

----------------------

"A Mr. Godwin I presume?"

It had been a long week, but it was finally time. He hadn't slept at all last night, what with the "official" good-bye party that was thrown for him, as well as the restlessness that accompanied the following days plans. Yet he felt wide-awake, like nothing in this world could mess up his day.

"Yeah, that's me." Jayson replied to the castle guard in front of him. The guard merely nodded, mumbled a simple "Follow me" and led Jayson inside the castle.

It was more beautiful that he could have ever imagined. A red carpet stretched all the way down a long marble hallway, with elaborate paintings of past rulers decorating almost all the available wall space. The ceiling was at least twenty feet high for most of the corridor, save for the end, where it suddenly dropped down to a normal level. Hanging on this was an extremely large portrait of King Argoth II, the ruler during the time of the Light Warriors, who had commissioned the Bridge of New Day's Dawn. The guard led him down this hallway for a moment or two before veering off to the left, down an equally extravagant path ending in a large, polished wooden door. The guard shoved the door open with an audible grunt, and it gave way to the largest room Jayson had ever seen.

It was at least twice as tall as the hallway outside, and far, far wider, with a fine, red carpet covering every square inch of the floor. The first thing that caught your eye was the mass amount of banners and drapes hanging from at the far side of the room around a raised platform, where many people were working feverishly to see this ceremony go smoothly. Once you let your eyes wander however, you saw something even more amazing.

On both sides of the room were two huge statues, four in all, each as tall as the room itself and carved to complete perfection. On his far right was a swordsman, dressed in heavy armor, and who appeared to be in the process of drawing his sword, his stone eyes showing a ferocious battle spirit. To his left was a powerful looking man in a long flowing vest, his flawlessly straight hair held back in a ponytail, as he too held a pose that made it seem like a battle was drawing near. He carried no weapons, but Jayson could tell, even though the statue might've been exaggerated, that this wasn't the type of person who needed one. On the other side of the room stood a man, or it might've been a woman, he couldn't tell, because their figure was cloaked in a long flowing robe. A tall, pointed hat stood atop their head, and that entire body part had no excess details on it at all, save for the piercing eyes that peaked out from beneath their clothing. To the left of that, in the far corner of the room, was the most majestic looking statue of them all. A thin sword hung at her waist, nearly covered by the billowing cloak around her. A fancy hat was perched on her beautiful face, the feather that was sticking out of it only adding to her graceful appearance. Jayson knew who these people were from the moment he saw them.

They were the Light Warriors.

"Quit gawking and come on." Jayson snapped back to reality as the guard spoke, and quickly followed him through the busy crowd. They made their way to a door just beside the stage, and passed through it quietly into a much smaller, L-shaped room, where everything seemed to be covered in a deep red color. A few female voices echoed from around the corner, and the guard came to an abrupt halt.

"He's here." He said simply, and the voices came to a stop. A young woman stepped into view, dressed in an elegant red gown, her black hair running all the way down her back in an elaborate fashion, and her eyes seemed to analyze Jayson on first glance. She was the Princess of Cornelia.

"It is about time." She said swiftly.

"My apologies your Highness." The guard said, as he bowed slightly and backed out of the room. Jayson, who also had bowed his head slightly, thought she was being a bit harsh. But then again, he didn't have to deal with the stress that training to be Queen undoubtedly came with, so he let it slide.

"Calida, it's okay." The Princess called around the corner to the other person in the room. "You don't have to stay out of the way, it's not business this time. In fact, I think you should meet this young man."

A bushel of bright red hair popped out from around the corner, two blue eyes peering out from behind it. The girl named Calida stepped out from behind the corner, revealing the beautifully decorated white robe she was wearing. She was a lot smaller than Jayson, and nearly a head shorter, but she still seemed to carry an aura of power with her.

"So this is him?" She asked. Her voice was quite calming.

"Unless my guard lied to me, than yes." The Princess replied. There was no sarcasm in her voice.

"I see. He seems capable." Calida commented, looking at Jayson from head to toe. He didn't know what was going on, but he quickly formulated the idea that he shouldn't complain and just go along with it.

"We shall hope so. Jayson is you name, correct?" The Princess asked, looking him square in the eye. Jayson didn't think he would've been able to lie under that look if his life depended on it.

"Yes, your Majesty." He said a bit nervously.

"Well then Jayson, I'd like to introduce you to Calida," She said, looking towards her friend, and back at Jayson, "Solaced of Light."

He tried hard not to shout out his surprise. All his life he was taught that Solaced was the one who would use divine powers to save the world from the brink of destruction, something no other person in the world could do. But as she stood there in front of him, she seemed so… human.

"Is something wrong?" Calida asked, tilting her head a bit.

"N-no, it's nothing important." He said, somewhat embarrassed.

"It's understandable. Many people want to meet you Calida, and they may be overwhelmed when they do, for you are a source of great inspiration and hope throughout this land." Calida visibly blushed at this comment. " But we have no more time to waste. There is much to be done, and barely enough time to do it. I will have the guards direct you to the man who will help you prepare Jayson, and Calida, you will come with me. Now let us hurry."

----------------------

Jayson wished he knew how much longer this ceremony was supposed to take. He was late by half an hour because they couldn't manage to keep the ceremonial armor from sliding off him, and they only managed to solve that problem because they were later informed that it did in fact come in another size. He then rushed towards the hall at top speed, hitting dead ends at least twice, only to be told that he wasn't due yet. So there he was, sitting in the Waiting Room for what he guessed had been at least two hours, after supposedly being half an hour late, wondering when this would be over so he could take the stupidly hot armor off.

'And how did they expect people to fight in this…?" He thought to himself, wiping his brow on his pant leg, the only piece of material he has managed to find. The guard in the room seemed to know what he was thinking, as he offered him a small smirk that plainly said, "Hot isn't it?". Jayson only managed to nod before a well-dressed man peeked into the room.

"It's time."

The wide doors into the hall opened for a second time before him, and this time it was just as impressive. What must have been thousands of people inside the hall, all dressed in the finest of clothing, and all of them watching him silently as he walked down the path between the two masses. It must've been only about a fifty-foot walk, but Jayson quietly wished someone would do something to pull the attention off of him.

'What are you talking about? The voice inside his head reminded him. 'You earned this.'

After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the main stage, where Calida and the Princess were both waiting for him, each on one side of the King, who sat on a richly decorated throne that certainly wasn't there during Jayson's first trip through the room. He climbed the stairs on the front of the stage, and remembering what he was told to do, knelt down in the middle of the stage. The Princess was the first to step forth, carrying a short, golden scepter, which she placed on his right shoulder.

"Jayson Gowin," Her voice rang throughout the hall, "do you, from this moment forth, swear to carry out the duties that are asked of you?"

"I do." He said. It was one of his very few lines in this whole procedure, so it was easy enough to remember.

"Do you swear to bear the burden of responsibility we bestow upon you?"

"I do."

"And do you swear to be loyal to the Cornelian crown, his Majesty the King, and the people of this land? Do you swear to fight only for the sake of these people, that you will never be lead under the banner of another?"

"I do."

The Princess removed the scepter from his shoulder, took a few steps back, and handed it to Calida. The Solaced then came forth, much in the same manner as the Princess had, and placed the scepter back on him, this time on his left shoulder. Murmurs arose from the crowd as Calida came into a more prominent view. Apparently, some people still couldn't believe that the Solaced had finally come.

"Jason Godwin," Calida echoed the Princess. Her voice was much quieter, but she still commanded respect, perhaps because people knew who she was, "do you swear that you will protect me with all of your strength, through life and death?"

"I will." Jayson said, much louder than before. His voice had been getting noticeably quieter with the repetition of his lines, and he quickly realized that he needed to speak up.

"Do you swear that whatever trial we face and whatever hardship we endure, that you will remain loyal to me and faithful to your duty?

"I will."

"And do you swear to do everything in your power to guide me safely to the four Orbs of Light, and in turn, the salvation of the world?"

"I will." Jayson said for a final time.

Calida stepped back, and for the first time since Jayson came in, the King rose to his feet. He was a much larger than looked from the aisle, taller than both girls beside him, and considerably wider as well. He had the look of an athletic man who had completely gone to seed, of a man who couldn't possibly rule a kingdom. But when he spoke, there was such a commanding power in his voice that you couldn't explain, and there was suddenly no doubt that this man was the ruler of all Cornelia.

"Jayson Godwin. You came before us a simple man, who wished to do his part towards a greater cause. Now, your efforts are realized. You knelt before us Jason Godwin, a student under the guidance of the esteemed Sir Arthur Padrone. And now you rise before us, Sir Jayson Godwin, Guardian of her holiness, the Solaced of Light, and honorary Knight of the Cornelian kingdom!"

The King sat back down as Jayson rose to a standing ovation from the crowd behind him, a perplexed look on his face.

'I get knighted too…?'

----------------------

The ceremony had ended over an hour ago, but many people had decided to stay for the celebration afterwards. Jayson had been mobbed ever since he stepped off the stage, and he didn't have any time to go find his friends. He had almost given up hope that they were even still there, when a familiar voice cut through the crowd.

"Alright, leave 'em alone! Give the guy a break, he's had a big day!"

The fledgling Knight couldn't help but smile as Firion pushed his way through the throngs of people around him, and led him away, telling off anyone who tried to get close. Finally, they reached the corner of the room where Eliza was waiting, wearing a dress for the first time in Jayson's memory.

"Well… I don't know what to say. Way to go." She said with an honest smirk, her cheeks red from the amount of heat in the room.

"Thanks. Um, you look nice." Jayson complimented, also not knowing what the heck was expected to say.

"Oh, uh, thanks." She replied, turning a slightly deeper shade of red.

"Yeah, I'm impressed too." Firion piped up, an unmistakable grin on his face. Eliza saw it, and knowing him for as long as she had, was a bit skeptical.

"What do you mean?" The girl asked suspiciously.

"I mean, this is the first time you've ever actually looked like a girl." Firion joked, and Jayson couldn't help but chuckle a bit. Eliza's cheek color quickly deepened dramatically, and as quick as lightning, she hit Firion on the head while giving him a look that could kill.

"Jayson! There you are!"

The three of them turned around to see Calida and the Elven man Padrone had spoken of earlier coming towards them, he was still wearing a dark cloak, but it was pushed back, and he looked like he had at least tried to appear decent for this event. Jayson's friends took it as a sign to leave, saying they would meet him at the main gates to next day to say goodbye because he had more important things to do tonight than talk to them. He didn't really agree with that, but if it was what they wanted to do, then it was their choice.

"I've been looking all over for you, I don't think you two have met." She said, gesturing towards the Elf. "Jayson, this is Dau'Mahl. He's going to be our guide on the journey."

Jayson reluctantly extended his arm to shake hands, his eyes not leaving Dau'Mahl's face. The Elf stared down at his hand for a moment, then shook it with what was obviously an equal amount of reluctance. Once they released, Dau'Mahl took a step back and just stared towards the door, not looking at the other two.

"I think he's just being shy." Calida whispered to Jayson, but quickly regained her normal voice level, which wasn't really all that louder. "Well, Dau'Mahl was nice enough to reserve us the best room in the inn down the street. Once we're there, we'll decide where we're going first, and of course, get a good night sleep."

"If you're ready, we should be going. It's getting dark." The Elf finally spoke. His voice was as quiet as Calida's, but there was something different about it. His voice didn't seem have the same amount of life in it, and it was somewhat creepy.

"Yes, you're right." Calida realized, looking out the window to see that the sun was almost gone. "C'mon, let's go!"

"Gotta admire her enthusiasm." Dau'Mahl said to no one in particular as Calida bounded away and out the door, following after her a moment later, leaving Jayson alone. It was now that the impact of everything that had happened in the past few hours finally hit him, and he couldn't help but smile. He was going on the Journey of Rebirth. Soon enough, the four Orbs would shine again, spreading light throughout the world and staving off any darkness that threatens to engulf it.

And he would be a part of it.


Phew... Please, never ask me to write another chapter this long again... I only kept going because this seemed like the best place to end it, and it means we actually get to start the journey next chapter. And anyways, now comes the time when I respond to the reviews I've been given. It's my way of letting you know I care. :) That, and I can cover up mistakes to make myself seem less stupid. >>

Fatalis Prime - Thanks. And yes, I am aware that the Light Warriors quest technically never happened, but I the concept of the story was too heavily determined when I found out, and no matter how hard I try, I can't work the story with the Light Warriors being a legend. It's not ignorance, just... creative liberties.

So, I'm pretty drained from writing this, and now the story is going to get a bit tougher to write. Here's hoping I can keep my willpower up.