Ok, this is a super long chapter, 5 thousand and half word's worth. There is a slight possibility that I might update a little late due to school and a little writers block. Anyway this chapter is long, some stuff happens, yada yada yada on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Final Fantasy, including Crystal Chronicles.

Chapter 8: Home

Five months after they had gotten their last drop of myrrh, Kris, Tyran, Mike and Rob were near the entrance to Tipa. Kris for once was walking along the side of the wagon next to Mike, and Rob was on the other side of it. Tyran had a huge smile on his face, like the rest of the caravan.

A large bell rang, signaling the caravan's return. The whole town came out of their homes, excitement filling the air. The caravan stopped at the crystal in the center of town, where Roland had been standing.

Tyran stood, holding the full chalice in the air.

The crowd cheered, and Roland announced that the Myrrh Festival would be held that night. It was early in the morning, so the caravan had plenty of time to relax before the festival.

They were reluctant to part after having to stay in a ten-foot circle for 11 months, 3 weeks and 5 days. They would get about two days including this one to be home until they had to leave again.

Kris ran as fast as she could home, while Rob tried to race her. Rob got his butt creamed, and Kris threw open her door to reveal her family inside waiting for her.

"Dad, Mom!" Kris then embraced a much older Selkic man. "How's business?" She asked as she switched from one parent to the other.

"It's going very well honey, but aren't you interested in anything other than the business?" Her mother questioned after Kris had constantly asked about business in her letters.

"Wow, you've gotten bigger!" She exclaimed to Sara.

"Duh! I'm eight!" Sara said as she gave Kris a little hug.

"You've grown a few inches yourself Kris, miss 16 year old." Joshua pointed out.

"Well, either I grew or you shrunk, mister 18 year old." Kris smirked. Her birthday is in May, Tyran's is in July, Rob's is in October, and Mike's is in November.

"Alright honey, I'm going to make your favorite meal tonight, my super secret fish!" Kris's mom announced.

"Yes!" (Kris) "No!" (Sara) They said at the same time. Unusual for a selkie, Sara hated fish, while Kris loved it to death.

"Hey, Mom? I'm going to go see Luca, OK?" Luca was one of Kris's best friends, a raccoon tail selkie. She didn't go on the caravan because she disliked the thought of having to live outside of civilization. "Then I'm going to go see Alli." Alli on the other hand was the most tomboyish girl alive. The long hair clavat loved to fight and swing her sword almost as much as she loved to breathe. Kris was more like Alli than Luca, and Luca had an air of selfishness surrounding her. Alli would have gone on the caravan, except her parents couldn't lose another pair of hands at the farm. They harvested mostly wheat, which she loved because she was the one who got to cut it down.

Kris walked out to Luca's house and knocked on the door.

No answer.

She knocked again.

Again, no answer.

Kris peeked through the window. Empty.

"What the heck?" Kris mumbled to herself as she walked next door.

An elderly woman was on her porch in a rocking chair, quietly watching the activities of the little town.

"Hello child."

"Hello ma'am. Have you seen Luca and her family? I looked and saw their house empty."

"Ah, the Myrrnez family. I'm sorry to say that they moved to Marr's Pass some time ago."

Kris dropped her jaw at this. 'Marr's Pass, the town we went through 3 times? How come she didn't tell me? She didn't even bother to mention in her letter that she was moving? TO Marr's Pass?'

"Um, thank you…" She quietly walked to Alli's house. She knocked on the door, and after a few minutes the door was swung open.

"Kris!!!" Alli yelled, hugging Kris like the world was about to end. "I thought I would never see you again!" She finally released Kris from her death grip. "How's the caravan? Is it fun? Do you like any one of the boys? Is kicking monsters butts' fun? Do you like it?"

"OK, addressing each question in order; the caravan is cool, and yes, it is fun. I kind of like Mike: he's really sweet and nice and that stuff, and yes; and kicking monsters butts' is VERY fun. I like it a lot; I just wish you could be there with me. Oh, and when did Luca move, and why didn't she tell me?"

"Oh! I just remembered that I have something VERY important to tell you!"

"OK, you can tell me, but not in your doorway. Come on." Kris led Alli to their favorite place in the world: the cliff at the end of the peninsula.

The ocean sparkled as the sun danced on it. Near the cliff edge was a waterfall from the stream that rolled past their village. The cliff was grassy, with a few flowers on it. It was a cozy warm place due to the tropical climate.

Kris loved to feel the ocean air blow over her, each one felt as if it had just been given life. Kris, Alli and Luca would always come here to talk. It was their favorite place in the world.

"OK! Now… about what you said about wishing I could be there with you. I've been considering asking my parents if I can go this year. Ryan's old enough to help out at the farm now, and I'm strong enough not to have to be babied like I have no experience, because I have a lot."

"Seriously? That would be great! It would be awesome to have you in the caravan, and I know you have experience because that one time when we were thirteen and our village was attacked by monsters, you were the one that killed them all by yourself, BEFORE the men came out with their swords! Not to mention you've been the un-official town protector ever since, AND you can chop down five acres of wheat in ten minutes! I wouldn't be the only girl any more, and it would be great to have my best friend by my side!"

"Wait a second, I thought Luca was your best friend?" Alli teased.

Kris frowned slightly. "I don't even know why she moved, she never told me. I didn't even know she moved until I found her house empty."

At this Alli frowned too. "She…never told you?" Kris shook her head. "She and her family moved to Alfitaria because they thought this town was doomed to miasma, like our once neighboring village of Tida. They said this whole peninsula was doomed, due to our 'pathetic excuse for a caravan'. Even Luca thought this. As soon as you left she told me, "We'll all die. We both know what a lousy caravan we have. Kris can't fight worth crap; Mike's too much of a pussy to go into battle; Rob can't stop drooling whenever he's around Kris enough to get his head straight in battle; and Tyran's only good attribute is his looks. He may have some fine equipment, but he'll never be able to use it well enough to keep this place alive. Face it, we're all doomed and might as well be dead." Then she walked off."

Kris was looking at the ground. 'Well. She didn't move to Marr's Pass…' She knew Luca could be a real jerk in a lot of ways. She also knew that she disapproved of her going on the caravan. She didn't know she was so prejudice against their caravan. She wished she could wring her neck at the moment. Alli would never lie, and the look in her eyes confirmed the fact that she wasn't lying.

"I'm going to, um, go talk to Tyran…" Kris said quietly, getting up. "Please do talk to your parents."

"OK! Will do!"

It was strange to be so far away from him. He had been talking to Mike on a hill that overlooked the stream and the cliff on the peninsula. (Their special spot)

"Hey, um, Mike? Is it OK if I talk to Tyran alone?" She asked.

Mike immediately noticed the look of worry in her eyes, and withdrew swiftly.

"Is something wrong?" Tyran asked.

"I just realized what a jerk my once-one-of-my-best-friends is and was." Kris said, sitting down next to him.

"Alli?" Tyran asked, very confused.

"No. Luca. Remember, the girl who said that she would always look out for me?"

Tyran nodded. "What did she do? What did Alli tell you?"

Kris gave him a confused look.

"You know we can see you from here, right?"

She looked behind her and laughed. "Yah, I guess you can. …Um, she told me that Luca said after we left that we were all failures, and that we would never prevail in the world, that this town was doomed for destruction and that we would be the death of all the people we love. They moved right after we left, to Alfitaria. I guess they thought the world-renowned Alfitarian caravan could protect them so much better. Heh, how they, selkies, got in is beyond me."

"That's what's troubling you? Kris, I know she was one of your best friends, but it could be worse. Don't let that jerk eat away at you. Just let her go. She's not your only friend, and she isn't your sister or anything. Just, let it go. She's not dead, just a real pain in the butt. Don't let her ruin your festival night." He gave her a small comforting hug, causing her to smile.

"Thank-you."

"Anytime."

"I need to talk to the three of you tonight."

"About what?"

"A possible new member." And with that walked off.

'A new…member?' The words rang in his head.

"Is Kris OK now?"

"Yeah, she just needed a little cheering up."

Mike nodded.

­

Rob basically had just talked to his brother and dad about the caravan and slept all day.

Kris went home and spent some time with her family.

Tyran and Mike talked some more then went home to spend some quality time with their families.

-:-

Roland was giving a speech about our 'courageous caravanners' and talking about their task as Tipa's caravan while Tyran, Mike, Kris and Rob stood in line behind him in front of the crystal, the only light was the moon, and few torches, and the faint glow of the crystal.

Roland then began a sort of spell, which took the myrrh out from the chalice and swirled it through the air. The myrrh had a sort of glow that made the blue shimmer against the black sky. It swirled around the crystal, and it was absorbed as it swirled. When the last drop was stored, the crystal let off a new, stunning light that now lit up the faces of the crowd. The music then began, and people joined the caravanners as they danced and flipped.

Alli decided to join them, and they were a part of the festival until it ended at midnight.

When Kris started to head home, Mike stopped her, and they went to the cliff at the end of the peninsula. Rob noticed this, and followed quietly behind.

"Is something wrong Mike?" Kris asked as they sat down next to each other.

"No! I- nothings wrong…" Mike stammered.

"Well, then what did you want to talk about?"

"I uhh, I found something that I want to give you."

"Really…?"

"Yeah. I- noticed that your pendent is missing a gemstone. That mold in the middle looks… incomplete. So, I-I looked- I mean found! – This gem." Mike held out a gorgeous sparkling slivery blue gem that glowed in the moonlight.

"It's beautiful! Where? And How?"

"I looked everywhere for just the right gem. It had to be perfect; that's all you deserve."

"Oh, Mike…" She looked up from the gem and into his liquid brown eyes as they sparkled sincerity. Slowly they leaned toward each other and shared a kiss.

Below in a hiding spot with a perfect view, Rob's jaw dropped. Not only jealousy, but also a slight bit of anger flowed through Rob's mind. 'How could she like him: a wimpy, spineless clavat? How dare he like her! He should know better than to hit on his girl!' Angrily he crept back into the main part of the village to find Tyran. He pulled him aside and told him what he saw.

"Then they kissed!" Rob sputtered.

"Right… sure. And this makes you mad… why?" Tyran stated coolly.

"Kris is MY girl!"

"Yeah, sure… Well if she's your girl, then why does she like Mike?" Rob looked at him like he was crazy. "Uhg. Whatever. Just, deal with the fact that she likes Mike and he likes her OK?" With that Tyran walked off. Grumbling, Rob went home.

-:-

'Dang, I never talked to them about adding Alli as a member…' Kris thought about five minutes after kissing Mike, then walking off holding hands until they reached the festival area and departed. 'Alli! Crap!' Kris looked through the crowd, but didn't see her. She went to Alli's house to see her perched on the porch railing.

"Have you…asked yet?" She didn't need to say what about.

"I asked them at dinner. They told me they would 'think about it'. Man, the anticipation is killing me!"

Kris smiled. Her friend always could make her smile.

"I hope they let you; they better!"

"My guess is that they won't tell me until the last minute. I'll keep a bag packed just in case."

"OK, see you tomorrow!" Kris gave her friend a hug before leaving for home. Suddenly, it hit her like a ton of bricks. Alli might come with her on the caravan. Excitement suddenly rushed through her body, and she knew there was no way she would sleep that night.

When Kris crawled in bed, HER bed, she felt sudden relief. Even with that relief though, she still didn't find sleep until three hours later.

-:-

The next day at about four o' clock, (Kris had slept in MAJORLY) Kris and Alli met at the cliff on the peninsula.

"Have an answer yet?"

"No! They said they would give me their final answer at dinner. Now the anticipation is REALLY killing me!!"

Kris smiled as Tyran and Mike along with Rob appeared next to them. Rob was still angry, and he remained somewhat silent during the whole conversation.

"You needed to see us?" Tyran asked.

"Yah, about what I told you yesterday. You know, about the new member thing?"

The boys sat down, preparing themselves for the following conversation.

"It isn't finalized yet, but if you guys agree, and if Alli's parents say she can, then she will be the fifth member of our caravan!" The boys looked at Alli who blushed slightly.

"It's true. If my parents say so, I will be the new member of your guys' caravan. That is, of course, if you guys agree." Alli said nervously.

"What do you guys think? Majority vote." Kris said. "Starting with Tyran, please tell us your decision and state your reason for why or why not!"

"I think it would be great. It would be nice to have another member, though I am wondering what experiences you have in battle." Tyran stated.

"I have a lot of experience actually. I'm sort of Tipa's unofficial protector, and I'm a wiz with a sword!" Alli boasted.

"Alright, if her parents let her, I'm fine with her coming along." She had Tyran's vote.

"Mike, what about you?" Kris asked.

"I only have one problem with the idea. Where would she sleep?" Mike asked, stating a question they hadn't thought about.

"That's an easy one." Kris said. "She'll take the unused bed when someone is standing guard. Otherwise, we've had sleepovers before! Does that answer your question?"

Mike nodded, then they all turned to Rob.

"Not that your vote matters at all, but what do you think?" Kris asked.

"I don't know. I'm worried about having a dead weight in our group. I know she says she has experience being Tipa's 'protector', but that still doesn't mean she has the experience to plunge into monster infested dungeons and caves." Rob grumbled. He did actually oppose the idea, but the fact that Mikes vote was different made it even better.

"Still doesn't matter. Majority rules! If Alli's parents give their say-so, she comes along!" Kris cheered, and Alli laughed. "Besides; Alli has experience when when we left we had no experience to speak of. Alli's a quick learner, and as soon as she enters her first real caravan battle, she'll be the strongest out of all of us!"

"There's just one thing I'm worried about." Alli said. "I don't have any special armor, and all I have is a makeshift shield and a copper sword.

"Don't worry about it. When your parents give their answer, I'll personally make you some weapons and armor. With a little help from my dad of course." Tyran offered.

"Scratch that! We'll all help make you some equipment. Tyran has shone us some blacksmith tricks over the year." Kris said, while everyone except for Rob nodded.

"You guys can do whatever you want. This time of the year is to relax, so that's what I'll be doing." Rob put his hands behind his head and laid back.

Kris grabbed his ear. "You're going to help us make armor for her and you're going to like it!"

"Ow, OK, OK! I'm sure it's going to be the coolest thing to have you in our caravan!"

"Good." She released his ear. "We finally get to spend some time next to the ocean, so I'm going down to the beach. Alli, if you get to come, then you probably aren't going to have much free time. Come on."

All the members of the caravan including Alli went down to the beach and played in the sand and water for and hour. Then they went home for dinner.

-:-

"Ok Alli, we've come to a decision." Alli's mom said.

"You have? What did you decide on?" Alli asked eagerly.

"Your father and I feel that our decision is in your best interest dear; and though you my think of it as unfair, we hope you respect our wishes and do as we ask."

Alli's heart sunk. 'Unfair? Respect our wishes and do as we ask? Crap… there's no way I'm was going on this caravan.' It was six o' clock and the family had just finished dinner. "And?"

"We decided that-"

"I know, I know! I have to stay here and help with the farm!" Alli put her head on the table and buried her head in her arms.

"As I was saying, we decided that it was in your best interest to let you go on the caravan as long as you took most of our extra money with you." Her mom stood up and cleared the dishes.

"What?! Really?! THANK-YOU THANK-YOU THANK-YOU!!" Alli ran and gave each of her parents a big hug, then rushed over to the door. "I have to go tell Kris!"

"Wait!" Alli looked over at her mom. "Don't you need to pack?"

"Nope, did it earlier! Bye!" Slam.

"Wow, I've never seen her so excited…" Her father just shook his head.

"Kris, Kris, Kris!!" Alli hadn't even bothered to knock, simply swinging the door open.

Kris ran down the stairs. "They let you!?"

"Yes!" The girls hugged each other and screamed.

"What the heck?" Joshua came in, noticed the screaming girls, shook his head, then went back into the kitchen.

"Let's go find the boys!"

They all gathered at Tyran's house. Miraculously they had all eaten, and they were now in Tyran's blacksmithing house.

"Alright, we leave tomorrow, so we need to get started right away." Tyran measured Alli to insure that the armor would fit comfortably.

Kris measured her height for the correct length of her sword, while Mike and Rob figured out how much she could hold well for her shield. Most blacksmiths usually didn't go through this much trouble, but Alli was a friend and would only give her the best.

Kris began drawing up sketches for the equipment. The blade was ground to chest on Alli, the shield could cover her whole chest, and the armor went from her neck to her thighs.

As soon as Kris finished the sketches, Tyran began to work on them. He started with the sword, custom made, and took some mythril from the extra materials in a locked cabinet. Mike used his Alchemy skills to imbue the sword to do elemental damage.

He heated it enough so it would stretch, then made a curved line out of it, then bent the edge down and curved it into the rest of the blade with a small amount of space between the two parts of the blade. (Kind of like Tidus's monster capture weapon combined with the color of brotherhood, though still has the sharp, silver tip from the monster capture sword, on Final Fantasy X) He started hammering it to maintain shape, then added a hilt and cooled it in a bucket of water. He retrieved the lightweight, turquoise blue sword from the bucket and placed it on a rack to cool/dry.

Tyran looked at the design for the shield and began working on it. It was slightly difficult due to the fact that it was smooth in the center and rough on the edges to prevent the weapon from ricocheting off and hitting either another person or some part of the user. It was made of strong, reinforced steel and was heavy but light enough for Alli to wield it with ease. Tyran had fused it with a sapphire to give it elemental protection.

While Tyran worked on the shield and armor Kris retrieved the now cool sword from its place on the rack and began to work on it. Alli had been shooed out of the smithing house before they started smithing to add the element of surprise. Rob was working with Tyran and Mike was helping Kris.

The sword was smooth and easy to work with. Kris inserted a small sapphire on each side of the hilt where the blade and hilt became one, then wrapped soft yet sturdy leather around the handle and secured it with small tacks. She took a design chisel and etched Alli's name in Ancient Clavation, an ancient Clavat language that was used during the reign of Rebena Te Ra that Mike suggested using. It took up about a foot of the four-foot blade.

She set the sword aside and started working on the shield. It was silver in color with a faint blue hue. Kris took out some special silvery white paint that would bond with the metal and would be basically permanent. She etched the clavat symbol into the entire center of the shield and wrote Alli's name in Ancient Clavation near the bottom of the symbol, at the tip of the small crystal shape. She painted the etched part of the shield, and took a very light, metallic-looking light blue paint and filled in the spaces between the symbol, including the crystalline look for dramatic effect. Other then etching a small clavat symbol with Alli's name in Ancient Clavation across it, (like on the shield) Kris didn't do much to the armor.

"OK Alli, we're done!" Kris yelled over an hour after they had shooed her away.

No answer.

"Alli?" Still no answer. Kris ran around the building to see the clavat asleep, at eight o' clock. "How can you be asleep!?"

Alli awoke abruptly. "You done?"

Kris just sighed. "Yes! Now come on!" She pulled Alli upright and led her to the front of the smithing house. "Now close your eyes."

Alli did as she was told. Mike, Tyran, and Kris lined up in front of her, Tyran holding the sword, Mike holding the armor, and Kris holding the shield.

"Open!"

Alli gaped in amazement at the equipment. "It's so beautiful!" She threw off her coat and put the armor on over her white long sleeved shirt. It fitted perfectly. She put her coat on over that and walked around a bit. "Other than the weight I can't feel it at all!" She took the sword and shield from them. "They're so light and easy to handle, not to mention the craftsmanship!" She examined the shield more carefully. "It's my name in Ancient Clavation! Who? And How?"

"Ancient Clavation really isn't that hard to write, and I've been drawing those symbols since I was six. Now the painting; that is a piece of art." Kris walked over and gave Alli a hug.

"You're awesome!"

"I know."

"Well it's obvious you like it." Tyran said.

"Of course I do! Oh! How much?" Alli pulled out a large bag of gil.

"You really don't have to pay. You're a friend." (Tyran and Mike have known Alli for even longer than Kris has, and they've always been friends, though not as close.)

"No, really, I do. These materials probably cost a lot, and all the work you put into-"

"Fine! I'll only charge for the materials we used. That's it!"

As Alli pulled gil out of her pouch, Kris pondered on how fun it would be to have her in the caravan.

"Alright, we're going to meet each other at the entrance of town at six o' clock. So get some rest. Alli, on this journey we sleep late at night and wake up early. I hope you're ready for it." Alli nodded at Tyran.

"I'm ready for anything this journey can throw at me."

"Good. Now it's time to rest. I know it's only 8:15, but you'll thank me tomorrow. Good night." They split up, and Alli went home fully equipped.

"I'm home!" Alli came into the house in full armor and equipped with a sword and shield.

"Wow! Alli has a cool sword!" A seven-year-old Ryan was sitting on the staircase to the second floor.

"It is nice isn't it?" Her father took the sword from her to examine it. "It has her name on it, see?" He showed it to Ryan, who got a weird look on his face.

"That's not her name! Someone scribbled on it!"

'Nice to know he appreciates the olden languages…' Alli thought. "It's actually a very old language. It says 'Alli Unagati' my name in Ancient Clavation."

"It's still weird!" He than ran upstairs to his room as their mom yelled at him for the thousandth time to get to bed.

"He'll learn eventually." Her father stated.

"Yah, eventually. Actually, my friends, the members of the caravan, made this stuff for me." Her father took a closer look at the craftsmanship.

"It's truly amazing. And this shield looks to be imbued of some sort. I had no idea they were such skilled blacksmiths." He was looking at the armor now, admiring the lightweight armor that had the strength of dragon scales.

"Actually, Tyran's dad taught him everything he knows, and taught his teachings to the rest of the caravan. He was the one who made all of the equipment, but Mike imbued the sword and shield, and Kris was the one who etched and painted all of it."

"Well, in every way, this is a beautiful example of skilled blacksmithing. But you need to go to bed now. Tomorrow is your first day, so you need to be prepared. Go on, get some rest. We'll see you in the morning."

Alli then took the equipment up to her room, and prepared for bed.

-:-

Alli awoke abruptly to the realization that she was going on a caravan today. She got dressed in the usual longhair outfit, then took care of the primary necessities and ate a striped apple for breakfast. She said good-bye to her family and ran out the door with everything she would need on the caravan, and was fully equipped in her armor.

She rushed to the entrance at 5:57, seeing her friends waiting with Papu hitched to the wagon and their things inside.

"I'm here!"

"Yah, right on time too." Kris smiled. "You don't need to be in full armor. Here." She took Alli's bag and put it next to her own on her bunk. She took her weapon and shield and put them under the bunk with the rest of the equipment, and took her armor, which wouldn't fit under either of the bunks due to size, and hung it securely to the wall next to the driver's seat with the rest of the armor. "All set! Now, we can't do anything like going on the roof now, so we get to sit innocently on the back seat until we leave Tipa, while Tyran drives and Mike and Rob walk on the sides. This only takes a few minutes and is over fairly quickly. Tired?" She asked as Alli yawned.

"Yah, a little. It is six am you know, and I couldn't sleep at all due to the fact that I'm so freakin' excited."

"Don't worry. You can sleep in a little while. I do feel kind of sad that you don't have your own bed though."

"Don't worry. As long as none of the boys sleep nude, I'm fine."

"Good, because we've already had repairs on this wagon. Didn't always used to be this nice."

"Yah, OK. Um, when do we leave?"

"Well, as soon as the clock hit's six, we leave. It has only been two minutes since you arrived, so we should leave in a few seconds. Tyran! Time to leave!"

"Gotcha!" They took their positions as Tyran slapped the reigns on Papu's back. The village yelled their final goodbyes as the caravan left Tipa.

"Now can I sleep?"

"Yah, go ahead." Kris climbed on the roof, Alli fell asleep in Kris's bed, Tyran drove, Rob did the same thing as Alli except in his own bed, and Mike talked to Tyran.

Alli dreamed of getting her very first drop of myrrh in the caravan, and fighting tons of monsters to save her village and become a local hero.

Hehehe. Alli really is an awesome, lovable character, hunh? I like the idea of the new member, and it's really going to add a bit more to the story.