Prisms and Cosmos
Note: Well, here's the next chapter. This idea is just hard to get rid of. I hope it's enough motivation to get this story going to the end. Preparation for another term in college is making things crazier. I hope I can sustain this.
Disclaimer: Square Enix has full ownership of Final Fantasy. I have no claim to anything else except for the storyline.
II. A Treasure Hunter?
The sun tilted with its warmth being gentle for the late afternoon. The streets were not much filled up in this corner, being away from the marketplace. Her face held a downcast expression, feeling bad about the events that took place earlier. Her jolly mood that she carried earlier that day faded into a look of disappointment and regret.
Something was really bothering her.
She began to remember what it was.
"Oh, there you are?" the vendor smiled as his favorite client entered his stall. "How is my cute little customer doing?"
"I had a great day." Terra beamed with her cute smile. It was because of her antics that made those she meet feel gentle with her.
"So, do we have a few things for me to check out?"
"Well…" Terra brought out the hat that she found earlier and placed it on the counter. "I tried the other shops and they don't want to buy it. I'm not sure why since they looked…uh…scared."
"Hm…" The vendor rubbed his chin in fascination. "May I appraise this for you? It's on the house since you came by."
Terra nodded and watched the man take the hat and scrutinized every detail it had. The fabric it was made of, the shape it holds, the grooves on the brim; all were dealt with a closer look. With a stern look on his face, he laid the hat down.
"So…" she asked. "What is it?"
"I now know why they don't want to buy that from you." He said to her with his arms crossed, his face looking a little gruff. "It's a mage hat alright."
"I was right." Terra snapped her fingers in delight.
"Easy there." The vendor raised his hand. "Mage hats do earn a high price tag. But this one here, this is no ordinary mage hat. This one is a Black Mage hat."
"So, does that earn a large sum of gil?"
"Nope." The vendor shook his head. He pointed to the brim of the hat and explained. "Now look at this one, lass, this is why they don't want to buy it from you."
Terra looked at it closely. "What is it?"
"That right there is an Enchantment Groove." He replied. "Black Mages hats are notorious for being cursed. This is one of those. It is true that mages are common sight in our society but Black Mages are held in regard for being notorious. They are rarely seen to be wandering around. People believe that they teem with so much evil that taking one of their belongings would transfer the curse to whoever holds it."
Terra slightly pulled back when the vendor was making a scary face.
"What I think is that taking stuff from a mage, especially from a Black Mage, is dangerous. They might trash the place down with a high-level spell." The vendor shook his head. "That's why they don't want it. Now that you mentioned it, there was a Black Mage spotted in the Sundries Bazaar. The shopkeeper was kind enough to give him a discount so he won't get pissed."
She looked at the hat again. She never thought it would be that dangerous.
"Now, look here, missy." The vendor spoke again. "I'm not sure whether you snatched the hat from a Black Mage or whatever story you put, you better find the owner or you'll be in big trouble."
A sigh left her lips as she held the mage hat closer to her chest.
"Sorry, Mr. Hat." Terra said softly, "I thought you can make others happy. Looks like he'll be happy to have you back. I'm sorry for trying to sell you."
She continued to walk on as the destination began to come into view. The sign hanging on the building's doorway had an interesting design; a cocktail glass with a spade placed on its rim. It was the well-known tavern and casino in the whole of the village best known as the Blackjack.
"Well, I'm back." Terra breathed deeply as she entered the establishment with a smile marking her lips.
"So, what you're saying is that you got your hat stolen and that while you're chasing the thief, you found yourself in an alley with some goons and after using your magic, you didn't get to find your hat before Tidus found you…" Firion rubbed his chin as he tried to get the gist of the events.
"Well, it does sound probable." Cecil remarked, "Having some problems because of sly conmen and petty thieves in the marketplace is quite common in these parts. It may have not been a good idea to have Cloud get supplies every time we make a stop on a town."
"It is really a good excuse." The summoner scowled as he looked at the spiky blond.
"He could have gone out with a girl before heading here." Tidus piped as he sneered at the black mage. "Going to flirt without my signal."
"I'm telling the truth." Cloud said flatly. "That's why I'm not wearing my hat when I got here in the first place."
"Well, you could have given it to a girl before you met up with me." Tidus interjected.
Cloud slightly gave off a tinge of crimson on his face, knowing that the knight have struck a nerve in him. It may have looked like he had given it to the girl after rescuing her since he didn't bother taking the hat.
"You can't hide from the truth, buddy." The knight snickered as he proudly tapped his chest.
"Crap, that was underhanded." Cloud muttered softly.
"When you think about it, you have a point." The white-haired white mage replied as he rose from his chair. "Well, Cloud is a bad liar. But what he said earlier, I can tell that it's true. Not to mention that most likely, the possibility that Tidus stated is also possible."
"Never thought of it that way." Firion nodded his head and faced Cecil with a smile on his face. "You must have done a lot of confessionals to get this right."
"It goes with being a White Mage." He replied with a chuckle. "You sometimes end up being the counselor or the priest. Happens with male White Mages. Come to think of it, this is the first time I saw Cloud without his hat."
"He does look different without the hat." Firion looked at the spiky blond hair on the youth's head. It just invites the imagination of those who look at it.
"It looks like a Chocobo's butt, if you ask me." Tidus commented.
"That was crude." Cecil replied.
Cloud grimaced as he began whispering some words that are inaudible to the trio. He looked at the knight and glared. This didn't look good.
"Uh-oh." Tidus manage to say before he felt a frigid sensation on his legs. The other two looked in horror as they found the knight's legs were frozen to the floor. The black mage began to amble towards him, his grim expression taking the trio by surprise.
"Don't. You. Dare. Say. Anything. About. My HAIR!!!" Cloud brought his hands towards Tidus's sides. A flux of electricity rushed to the metal points of the armor and as these bolts found its way to the skin, it jolted the young man into screaming. Though it was just enough to keep him alive, what it managed to do was—
"Gah, make it stop...." Tidus writhed as he stood, finding himself being tickled by the jolts. "Too….ticklish."
Cecil and Firion looked at each other, finding this to be an interesting thought. On the flipside, they now know what it meant if they piss Cloud off.
"Should we stop him, Firion?" the white mage asked.
"Nah, let him be for now." He replied with the knight's screams in the background. "This is already amusing."
"MAKE HIM STOP! AAAAHHH!" Tidus continued to squirm, scream and laugh hysterically, falling victim to the torturously tickle-inducing bolts coming from Cloud's magic. "GUYS! HELP! WAAAAAAAH!"
"Not until you take back the remark about my hair." Cloud answered, handing to him this condition.
"ALRIGHT! I'M TAKING IT BACK!"
Cloud released his grip on Tidus as he heard what he wanted from the knight. Tidus fell to the floor, limbs slightly twitching. The black mage looked at the floor and noticed the point where the ice was as it held his victim in place. It has already melted, now leaving a wet spot on the wooden floor that was already drying up.
"I didn't notice the ice melted and added to the intensity." He whispered to himself. "I'll keep that in mind for the future."
Cecil shook his head as he knelt to Tidus's side. He brought his hand to hover upon the knight's chest, a verse being recited in a quiet voice.
"Life's refreshing breeze, blow in energy. Cure."
A flash of gentle light began to cover the knight's body, undoing the scorched appearance of the young man. While he was busy healing the so-called injuries, Cloud walked towards the door without a care.
"Wait, Cloud." Firion stopped him. "Where are you going?"
"Are you seriously staying in this room?" Cloud asked him. "If this is your idea of fun, I'm going out for something better."
"Hey, Cloud. Wait up." Tidus suddenly rose from the floor. The sound of the word 'fun' roused his spirits. "Guys, come on. Let's get out and enjoy the town for a while. All work and no play—"
"Makes Firion a dull queer." Cloud finished the statement as he stepped out of the room.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" Firion shouted only finding the spot was already empty.
"Well, I'm coming along." Tidus darted towards the door. The rest of the party is left behind, looking at each other with questions in mind.
"What do we do now, Firion?" Cecil asked as he stood from his kneeling.
"We can't be left behind." The summoner answered. "We need to keep them under control in later situations."
"Those two have a point though." Cecil followed suit and made his exit, raising the hood of his robe to his head as he walked away.
"Terra," a cheerful voice of a young boy greeted her. His blue clothes stand out among the colors of the bar, usually dominated with shades of black and red. His short blond hair looked slightly unruly, probably caused by long days having a hat on the head. He took notice of Terra's change of mood, wondering what happened. "Something wrong with you today?"
"Not really." Terra answered as she shook her head, taking a seat on the stool near the bar. The lad followed suit. "It's just a tiring day."
"Well…if you say so." He muttered with his body slumping over the bar surface. "I'm bored. Sitting here the whole day, waiting for any missions coming from that rich gambling owner. I'm rotting in here."
The girl turned to face the bartender and called his attention. She brought her hand inside the pouch she was carrying and brought it on the bar's smooth surface. What she laid down was a black poker chip with gold edges. An interesting note was the image on its center face, having an engraving of a champagne glass and a wine bottle in white lines. The man looked at the item closely, recognizing the engraved image.
"Can we see him?" Terra asked him.
"Very well, miss" the bartender replied as he looked at his companion. "Take care of things here, I'll escort them to the boss."
The two got off the stools and followed the uniformed man to the secret door beside the bar. Entering this passage, they came across a flight of stairs leading to the second floor. They followed the path as it went, reaching a corridor with doors on either end. Soon enough, they stopped as they have arrived.
"Here he is." The man stated as he opened the door and went ahead. The duo heard his voice from inside the room. "Boss, your guests are here."
"Good," another voice replied, its tone a lot smoother and deeper, "Send them in."
Terra and the young boy entered the room and what welcomed them was something slightly different from the bar's interior. It had the same black and red shades on the floor and walls respectively. However, this was contrasted with the wooden table's brazen varnish. The chair set with it was also wooden but had cushions of black leather. Near the wide glass window behind the desk, a man stood with his back facing them. Long, silver gray hair cascaded down his back, contrasting the black coat he is wearing. The two already knew who this man was even before turning to face them.
"Well, well. If it isn't my favorite treasure hunters." The man spoke as he turned. He then motioned his hat to the chairs before the two. "Please, have a seat."
The two sat down as suggested and later, the man followed suit.
"Now, let's get to business." He started. "Terra, were you able to obtain the maps?"
"Oh, you mean this strange thing." Terra answered as she placed a circular object on the table. It resembled a stylized compass with metallic edges. "I was able to get it back from those bandits."
"That's a map?" the boy asked in surprise, seeing the point that it doesn't resemble any conventional map placed on paper.
"It's not any ordinary map, Luneth." The older man answered. "This happens to be the key that leads to the treasures you will be looking for in the future. In reality, I have a job offer for you two now that you're here in my office."
This caught the attention of the two as he looked at them.
"Is this a treasure hunt, Setzer?" Terra asked right away.
"Yes." He replied without mincing any words. "And it is about the ruins found within the mountains east of town."
"You mean Trial Pass?" Luneth asked, surprised as he was reminded of the rumors. "But those who go there have no chances of returning alive."
"It is to keep people away from what is inside." Setzer replied. "So please do this favor for me. Of course, any of the spoils you find there are yours except for one thing."
"What's the treasure you want us to bring back?" Terra asked in a serious tone.
"It's a relic called the Mimic Joker. You might recognize its appearance well, Terra."
For some reason, she had this uneasy feeling on the mention of the word 'joker'. She was not sure of the reason why she felt this way. For now, she shrugged over the thought and smiled.
"If there's treasure, we find it." Terra said with an energetic tune.
"And adventure's not far off." Luneth followed the same tone as the girl.
"The Returners are on the case." Both said in unison.
"Are we there yet?" Tidus groaned as he followed the black mage in navigating through the alleys.
"Almost there." He simply replied without even bothering to look behind him. "I'm sure that I saw it around here."
It only took a few steps for them to arrive at the location. The sign of the Blackjack was already illuminated with lights while other colored rays of light bring the establishment to life. The party had just arrived.
"Here we are." Cloud said flatly as he looked up while Tidus felt his jaws fall open in awe. "The Blackjack."
"This is great. Let's get in," the knight piped in glee. "You cute damsels, here I come."
He went in first through the door, leaving the rest outside. Firion and Cecil soon followed and walked past Cloud. The black mage walked in quietly.
What welcomed them was an epitome of a lively haven. Lights placed at specific points brought out its laid-back atmosphere along with the tables and chairs used. The layout was different from a conventional tavern. In fact, the impression it gave was that it was ahead of its time, ahead of the world outside.
Cloud looked around and noticed that his companions were not with him. He was left alone again. Not letting this bother him, he walked towards the bar and made himself comfortable.
"This place isn't so bad." Firion commented after a moment of observing his surroundings. He isn't wearing his Summoner's Horn but still donned his green robes. Crossing his arms with a stern look, he noticed a few red roses on the table. This made him smirk in interest. "They even have good tastes."
"It is quite relaxing. It's not bad to unwind, you know." Cecil commented as he sat down by the table.
"Although, I can't help but worry." The summoner whispered. "I better look around and see what else is around here."
Cecil was left behind on his seat, bowing his head a bit and kept quiet in a bit. Thoughts began to run in his head, brooding about plans and paradigms that would go hand in hand with the ruins. He tried to picture how the place would look like inside. He was planning ahead for tomorrow's work that is yet to be done.
He was thinking too much that he forgot to take his hood down. It was there, covering his face with the hem laid with red triangles. Silver hair ran down his cheeks as he stared at the table for moments without end. His thoughts went on until.
"Excuse me, miss. Is this seat taken?"
"Alright, now this is fun." Tidus grinned at what he is seeing. Beautiful women, a good amount of ale, and an awesome looking bar; just the thing he was looking for.
He made his way towards a number of girls, ready to have his own brand of fun, as he would describe it to his companions. A pair of eyes observed his actions, following every detail.
"A pleasant evening, maidens." Tidus greeted as he flashed a charming smile. "Is there room to spare for someone such as myself?"
The ladies demurely chuckled at each other, the sound of their light voices made Tidus sure he would be able to get this done quickly. He wrapped his arms around their shoulders, perching himself between two of them and started walking towards the stairs leading down the lower floor to where the casino is located.
Meanwhile, Cloud was watching him from the bar. Though he would choose to follow him to be able to find the other two, he chose to be alone for a while and stayed seated. He could see how Tidus would end up with stories bragging about his deeds, something he should rather stay away from for a while.
"He'll be begging for more money, bringing in more trouble." Cloud whispered to himself as he brought his stool to pivot to face the bartender. "Bartender, what's your special for tonight?"
"For tonight, we have our Blackjack original. We call it Black Water."
"Sounds nifty." Cloud remarked. "Give me that."
"Right away." The man answered as he started making his brew. "And you miss, what will you have?"
Miss? Cloud thought as he looked on either side, finding a girl seated on his right. She looked quite cute; having wavy blond hair on the side of her face, milky skin that has not a single blemish, and a beautiful face to enjoy. The green bandanna worn on her head made it a perfect match on her outfit, consisting of a green vest and white shirt. Hold on. I'm sure I've seen her somewhere.
"Can I have the usual please?" the girl asked in a gentle voice. This caught Cloud's attention.
"T-Terra?" Cloud shyly mentioned her name. The girl slowly turned and to his surprise, it was the same girl from earlier.
"C-Cloud." She slightly stammered. She never thought that they would end up finding each other in the same place.
Once again, both fell speechless. The ambient music in the bar drowned the silence that was between them, ending up both staring at each other for long moments. The awkward feeling was taking over again.
"So…uh…I never expected to see you here." Cloud managed to start, still feeling uneasy but he was able to start something.
"Well…s…s…same here." Terra couldn't help but stammer. It's him. It's the guy who helped her get away, the guy who saved her from the bandits. Finding him in this place again brings back the thoughts
Ok, Cloud, so far so good. Now to get the conversation going, He began to search his thoughts for something to say. Sadly, there was nothing in that regard that comes to mind. He still kept trying to find a good reason to talk to her.
"Uh…are you feeling well…or anything?" he managed to ask. He could hear Tidus's voice running in his head for a moment. You call that a question? Cloud, be smooth with everything or you won't get anywhere.
"Well, I'm feeling fine…thanks to...you." Terra replied, the last word ending up in a whisper.
"Here's the Blackjack Special, Black Water for the spiky gentleman." The bartender said with a pleasant voice as he placed their drinks adjacent to their seats. "And the cute missy's Narshe Frost Iced Tea. Enjoy your drinks."
Cloud managed to get something in mind. This time, he might be able to get this conversation going. But this one has to make him take the lead this time.
"Narshe Frost Iced Tea," Cloud mulled at the thought as he looked at her with a slight curve on his lips. "I think that drink is a favorite among locals in Narshe."
"Yes," Terra replied, seemingly without any hint of her timid aura. "They drink this when summer comes. Although I'm not sure how they make these."
Cloud smirked as he began his explanation. "The secret in making Narshe Frost Iced Tea is placing the sake and tea in a small jug. Then they place it in the snow for the whole day to let it cool. After a while, they take it out and they mix it with lemon juice and after shaking it, you get the tastiest drink that you have now."
"Really?" Terra was amazed with the black mage's words, her mouth agape in awe. This time, she wanted to hear more now that her attention was with him.
"I think their secret is with the leaves the mix along with the tea. They place mint along with it to add more to the cool texture and taste." Cloud answered. He paused for a moment as he looked at Terra. For some reason, her smile was an asset that adds to her innocent allure.
"How come you know this, Cloud?" Terra asked, curiosity influencing her words.
"Well, I was able to pass by Narshe once and visited a good friend of mine." He replied candidly as he took a sip from his cocktail. "He told me the secret to the drink."
"I've been to Narshe before and I was able to drink some of their iced tea. However, no one told me how it's done." She complained quietly as she took a drink. After a while, she lowered her glass and looked at him. "You're a traveler, right?"
"Yeah," he replied as he drank from his glass. "This journey I am in is for the sake of something that I want to find."
"Then, we're the same." Terra answered, placing her glass on the bar beside her. "Although what I'm looking for is something that people would want to take for themselves, not understanding what kind of value it holds inside."
"So…you're a treasure hunter?"
Terra's eyes lit up after hearing him say that. "You're the first person to understand what I am…" She smiled at him and clasped his hands. A tinge of pink marked the young man's cheeks as he noticed that her face was a deal closer to his. He was staring at her eyes, her glistening eyes that were filled with gratitude. "Thank you. Cloud."
"Alright," Tidus yelled, being hyped up with another win.
The girls beside him hugged him tighter, make remarks on how he was being lucky in another go. Having won so much and earning a great deal of cash, he was convinced that his luck was going really well.
"Wow, you're really good at this." One of the girls praised him, this being a girl with blond hair standing on her left. She was leaning close to him, her hands clinging to his body.
"There's nothing the Great Tidus can't conquer." He arrogantly said.
"And what are you planning to do now, trying to squander all our money?" said this cold voice behind him.
Tidus recognized the voice, freezing in every action as he noted that this would belong to his summoner companion. Walking towards the side of the roulette table was Firion, giving a grim expression.
"But my luck's hitting the jackpot." Tidus whined. "You're being such a spoilsport."
"I'm just being practical, Tidus." Firion replied as he crossed his hands on his chest. "And its time we get going. We have to be ready."
"Tch. Alright." Tidus shrugged his shoulders and looked at the girls. "Well, half of the winnings are yours."
This made the ladies squeal in glee, having gained a sizeable amount of money. Tidus took half of the chips he earned on the pile and made his way to the reception center, bringing Firion to meet up with the others.
"To think that I only started with 10 gil on the bet. That's awfully lucky."
"Were you waiting for someone, miss?" The boy in blue clothes asked the white-robed figure seated on one of the tables. The lad was wearing a mask on his face, one that would cover the eyes. He had already taken the liberty of sitting across the table.
The white-robed figure merely nodded. The boy eagerly watched as he wondered what kind of face was under the hood. He could only purple lips, fair skin and wavy fringes of silver hair flowing from beneath the train of red triangles. The boy smiled confidently as he began to continue.
"This place is fun to be in. You can relax as much as you want." He said as he began to introduce himself. "I'm Luneth, by the way. I hope you're not impatient or anything."
A smile made its curl on these purple lips, a fact that made Luneth's heart throb uncontrollably. Now if only he knew this stranger's name.
"Cecil. It's time to go." Firion's voice echoed from the side of the table.
The hooded figure lifted his head, his face illuminated by the lamp. Luneth had a good look of the person's face. He was in awe as the duo left. His thoughts seemed to have lagged in its reaction, standing without any word.
"Oh, that White Mage is so beautiful." Luneth said to himself. "And her name is Cecil? That's lovely. Just like Terra. Speaking of Terra, I should go and find her."
On the other end, empty glasses sat on the bar as the couple fell silent again. This time, they stare on the flock of people on the tables of the establishment. The spiky blond youth stood from his seat, the lass following suit almost at the same time as he.
"I…I should be going." Terra said to him with a gentle voice. She didn't give Cloud time to react but noticed something that made him lose the ability to react.
She was smiling.
Cloud watched her move away in a jog. Seemingly confused to what has happened, he exhaled, as his eyes have not left the direction to where she had disappeared.
"Hey, spiky." The bartender called him.
Cloud turned around wordlessly.
"When she leaves like that, it means she's had a good time." He continued. "Congratulations."
"Thanks." Cloud answered as he walked towards the entrance. It was time for him and his companions to get enough rest.
"Damn, Firion. I'm almost at the jackpot." Tidus complained while they were walking through the dark streets.
"If you continued going at it, you'll be mugged for sure." Firion replied sternly as he sauntered along. He looked at Cecil and smirked. "You, on the other hand, are so unaware that a boy had his time hitting on you."
Cloud and Tidus looked at Cecil, the latter being more surprised than the former.
"Whoa, DUDE LOOKS LIKE A LADY!" Tidus jeered at him, his voice echoing through the street. "I can't believe it."
"Does the boy know you're a dude?" Cloud asked without any tone.
"Enough of that, both of you." Cecil squeaked as he tried to find a way to stop them.
"Heh, Firion the Worrywart, Cecil the Trap, and Cloud the Loverboy." Tidus jeered even more. "What a party."
"What in the world?" Cloud grimaced as he snorted in protest. His face flushed once again at the last phrase.
"Uh-oh. He's pleading guilty." Cecil chuckled as they walked on to their inn.
This would go on, Cloud falling quiet for the whole night. The jeering and jesting would carry on in their rooms, having only a sleep away before the day comes for their hunt. Unaware of what they will face, the party dreamed through with the night sailing away.
Author's Note:
This chapter really took a lot out of me. Well, Pine and Arc had a hand on some of the events here. I think there are so many puns seen in this chapter. Treasure hunt is coming up on the next chapter.
Come to think of it, the screaming part of Tidus on the last part of the previous chapter was inspired by the movie Prince Caspian. It was the part where one of the bad guys stabbed their general (or king or something) with Susan's arrow. What he screams at that part would be the thing for Tidus going crazy.
Now for the random thought/quote, it has now gained a funny name courtesy of yours truly. We call it the Kupo Nuggets. It's defined as a random thought that comes up every chapter.
Today's Kupo Nugget: "Not all White Mages are girls. Still think that way, you must be sexist."
Keep those reviews coming. See you again in the next update.
Saga