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The Crystal Rule	By : QueenDraggyofSwords Category: Final Fantasy Games > Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Views: 956 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy: chrystal Chronicles, any of its characters nor am I making any profit off of them.

Chapter List
- 20
- 21
- 22
Author's Note: Back! Actually update this more on the other site than I do here. XP Anyway, I figured I would give a little insight into my way of thinking about Layle and the anger from last chapter:
1.) During the course of the game, Layle never really loses his cool. Even in the beginning while in a crashing airship he laughs if you crash into the walls. 2.) He roughly explains to Belle he's stronger the more excited he is/more worked up he is. 3.) Layle only openly displays anger at Jegran after the murders of Vaigali and Amidatelion, and as the High Commander grabs Keiss with the same crystallizing hand. 4.) While openly pissed, Layle attempts to crush Jegran is only stopped by being shot at.
I thought about all of those things when I was writing the last chapter. And figured that in the case of people threatening his home and family, Layle would probably get angry enough to hurt someone on purpose. Coupled with the adrenaline rush and blood loss, he probably take hurting to the point of nearly killing. Anyway, I am glad the scene got some shock and awe. Hope you guys like what's next.

Chapter Twenty One

By the time the sun had set, the two story farm house was filled with the smell of food being cooked. Lyra had taken over keeping an eye on Layle, while she made up something for them to eat. She had taken Layle's jacket and shirt and given them to Keiss with the instructions to toss them in the hall and go get a shirt from an upstairs room. An understandable order, as Layle had been covered in blood for the better part of two hours. What bugged him is that he was told to do the same, since his clothing looked 'scruffy'.
He did just crash an airship and dig his best friend out of a pile of rubble. Plus Lyra herself was still covered in blood- but something in his head said complaining was out. So as he looked around upstairs for the room she had only defined as 'you'll know it when you see it', he was grumbling under his breath. "Did we land in Layle's home town or mine? Perhaps he does not come back home because he likes doing whatever the fuck he wa-" Keiss stopped and stared at one for the door frames.
All around the sides there things carved in it, and a little knife stuck in the frame. One side had what looked like series of notches going up the side, and the other looked like it had a pattern carved going all the way up it. Across the top was 'Layle' carved into the wood. The Selkie put his hand on the door knob and opened it up. In no way was the room decorated like the rest of the house. The rustic farm feel was just not there- well save for the furniture. However the rest of the room was covered in odd things. Maps of Alfitaria on one wall with darts stuck in it; the dart board across on the other wall, next to it a map of all the different rail ways- this at least had tacks in in and not darts. On the ceiling there were pictures of monsters: large ones, small ones, some with 'X's through them and a date; the other pages were left blank. Under the monsters different posters could be seen of places around the world. There were two desks in the room, one next to the bed, one across of it. The one across had a little shelf on it for a few books and magazines and the one next to the bed had a light on it.
The first thing Keiss noticed was the room looked a bit disorganized. There were books stacked on the desk instead of on the shelf, the closet door was open, and there was a knocked over jar on the little stand by the bed. Just lying on its side. He picked it up and turned it over in his hand. 'She left it the way it was…' As he turned the jar over he realized there was writing on it. 'Ticket Money- I count it ever night, stop taking gil, Constance'. He set it down, at first right side up, but then turned it back down. "Man, I heard Clavats get empty nest syndrome bad…But leaving it just as he left it… She must really miss Layle."
He walked over to the desk and picked up one of the magazines on the shelf. A few of the pages were tabbed off. Turning to them he saw they were listings for work around the area. Some were marked out, others circled, ones marked 'No Bearers' were distinctly scribbled over and in the margins was a total of all the money the jobs offered. Above the books on the wall was a list of items with prices next to them. Some in Layle's hand writing, some in Lyra's. Probably added after as they were all at the end and crossed off. Keiss leaned over and smirked. The last one was 'Something Chainmail so you don't get run through'.
"Well I can see you at least took her advice halfway…" He set the book down and turned to the closet. Inside he found the typical Clavat attire. "I can see why 'better clothes' is at the top of the list…" He started to rifle around for a shirt for Layle. "Yep…everything in here sucks…Brown, green, yellow and green, yellow and brown, oh hey blue!" he pulled out the shirt and tossed it over his shoulder. "That's mine."

After leaving his clothes and Layle's outside the door in the hallway as asked, the Selkie came back down stairs. Something smelled good…He rounded the corner back into the kitchen where Lyra was setting two plates on the table.
"Here, Layle." The Selkie extended a shirt to him. The Clavat looked up, looked at what Keiss was wearing and frowned.
"…Switch."
"I called it. No switching," he dropped the shirt on Layle's shoulder and sat down.
"They're my old clothes."
Lyra set a bowl down in front of Layle and then brought over a pot- which Keiss noted was not what smelled so good. Inside was some odd- thick looking green soup, or stew, or whatever, that she poured into the bowl with a ladle. "Layle, he's your guest, let him wear what he wants."
"Ugh…"
"What is that?"
"Mimett and Curiel Greens soup. And old recipe. Guaranteed to boost your strength and help your body when it's out of sorts."
"Greens?" Keiss curled up his lip, "Like Chocobo Greens?"
"The leaves off of them, yes."
Keiss watched as Layle pushed the bowl away and put his head down. "I think…I'll die…Thanks." The woman pulled him by the shoulders and pushed the bowl back at him.
"I hope you like pork chops, Keiss, It's really all I could make on such short notice."
Keiss smiled at Layle was he continued to pick up a bit of the soup with a soup and watch it drizzle back into the bowl. "Sounds better than Chocobo Feed Soup."

Through the course of dinner, Keiss had learned a few more things about the situation. It wasn't that he meant to snoop, but that it was the topic of conversation. After all, he did just fight Behemoths in the plains and witness his partner nearly kill a man- men. There was no way he was not going to talk about it.
So while he ate, and Layle cringed, Keiss and Lyra got into talking about the monsters. Apparently the little band of mercenaries had been hired about five days after the first band of odd monsters came to town. Originally Lyra, like everyone else, paid the gentlemen to dispose of the monsters and investigate why their streams had changed. However after the first week, the monsters grew and changed. The first few odd waves had been sea monsters: Sahagins, Electro Jellies, Flans. And they were followed by desert creatures: Cactuars and Chimeras. And it just kept getting worse. Each time the monsters changed, the mercenaries asked for more gil, as the risk on their lives kept going up.
And for the first few increases, Lyra paid with the rest of the town. However by the start of the third week, the price had gone up six times, and there was no sign of the monsters stopping. Nor could the men offer any explanation on the sudden changes in the storms, or even prove they were looking into it. When they were not fighting they could either be found in town eating up resources or seen out on the roads drinking and joking around. At the last town meeting, the mercenaries had told them with the arrival of the Behemoths they were going to start charging them five thousand gill a home a week, and they still had nothing to show on how they planned to stop the monsters from attacking.
"So I stopped paying…Right then and there, I stood up and told them I wouldn't pay. That none of us should."
"And I take it the town didn't like that?"
Lyra folded her hands under her chin, "Not really. They yelled at me, scolded me…I told them I would protect my own land. I knew how…But they all insisted we needed the protection. That we needed them to guard us if we wanted to have our festival…"
"Festival?"
"The 'Starry Moonlit Night'," Layle spoke up between choking down soup. "…Every year…On the last clear night of spring."
"Which is the in five days. We celebrate the first night the world was uncovered from Miasma after the meteorite fell." Lyra nodded to Keiss, "The Lilties and Selkies have festivals too, perhaps not on the same dates. But for us Clavat, we hold it at the end of spring. …But with the monster attacks, we probably won't hold it this year."
Keiss leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "So that's why, you were asking Layle if he was coming home for it? You know you could have just written us and said you needed help."
Lyra scoffed, "No, I was writing him to tell him not to come if he was…I would never write Layle to tell him I needed help with monsters."
"…Yeah…I'm noticing…Gaps of time in your story…" The Crystal Bearer frowned at his mother, "You wrote me and said…monsters were bothering you…for a few weeks. They started…Changing over a month ago."
"Well, I did not start fighting them myself until two weeks ago."
Again Layle grumbled, and Lyra stood up. "Anyway, Keiss, if you will just give me a minute, I can get the guest room ready for you-"
"I can just stay with Layle." He spoke up without thinking. "Y-you know, because, he can't fall asleep…" He smiled at the woman. Lyra stared at him for a second before nodding and getting up to clean the dishes. The Selkie tried to get up to help her, but she insisted upon doing it herself. So instead he was dealt out another order: to go get some sheets for the bed they would stay in tonight. So again, Keiss left the kitchen under vague direction; all he knew was that what he wanted was in a closet upstairs. And again as he climbed up the steps he nodded to himself, "I can see why I always fight tooth and nail to get Layle to do what I want…There is just no arguing with that lady."
At least getting the sheets was no trouble. He dumped them on the bed in Layle's room and considered changing the sheets before that old instinct of his clicked on. He wasn't with Layle right now…And Lyra was watching him and doing dishes. So, there was no one in the front room where all those pictures were. It was true, he could just ask about the stuff in the front room, he thought to himself as he crept down the stairs. It's not like Lyra wouldn't tell him. But Layle would complain. He shouldn't upset him with his busted head, and soon to be busted stomach. He stopped on the bottom of the stairs and looked down the hall. He was glad he didn't have to eat that stuff.
Without making a sound, Keiss crept into the front room of the house and made his way over to the mantle over the fire place. He glanced over the pictures taking them in quickly, before staring a closer inspection with the ones on his left. Photos of Layle and Lyra, Lyra and Layle; Layle and Constance, Layle, Constance, James and Lyra; Lyra and James, James and Constance. The photos were definitely arranged in chronological order, as the one on the farthest left was where everyone looked the newest. Layle was standing at Lyra's height. Just as he was now, but he still looked younger than he was today. Down the row were odd photos- probably big days- each telling a story. The most amusing had to be the one of Layle looking miserable next to Constance as she held his hand and they posed outside Red Leaf wearing pilgrim clothes. They had to be about thirteen and ten in that shot.
Down the line, his partner got younger and younger until finally there was a picture of Lyra holding a baby out in front of the house. And then the next picture to the right was of Lyra and a man. A man that was not James. Keiss eyed it for a second. She looked younger, by a few years. And the man next to her was tall with black hair and brown eyes and lean build. The next photo to the right was of Lyra and the man again, and again, and again, some had James, most did not, until the very left which was a wedding photo of the two.
The red head looked back that the breaking point in the photos. "Layle over here…No Layle over there. Guy over here…No guy over there. No Layle, guy. No guy, Layle…" He reached out and picked up the last picture with the man; on the back was a date for twenty four years ago. He flipped over the one of Lyra holding Layle in front of the house. "-And this one is twenty years ago…There's a four year gap here…Why?"
"You snooping for something worth stealing, Selkie?" Keiss jumped as he heard Lyra speaking from behind him. He dropped one picture and set the other down at the wrong angel. How had she snuck up on him? No one ever gets the drop on him.
"No-no! I'm not a thief. I was just, I was-"
"Calm down, Keiss, it's a joke," She laughed at him, but Keiss just sighed.
"I was, I was just looking at your photos, and decorations," He turned around and smiled, "It's a very nice house, you have. Lots of nice stuff. I, huh, guess being a Chocobo rancher brings in a bit more money than the usual farmer."
Lyra chuckled from where she stood in the doorway holding her shield and sword, "It does, but I am mostly just fortunate." The Clavat woman walked around the room to the mantel. "I had a good paying job when I was younger. Saved up a lot. And struck a good deal with the Rivelgauge Monastery. Besides most of the decorations around here have been in the family for generations." The woman hung the sword and shield up on fixed hooks on the wall. Keiss turned around and studied them. A yellow shield with three points, and bright blue gems that looked like eyes. It kind of reminded him of a Chocobo's head. A curved sword with the back of the blade serrated into points. They looked a little old and worn.
Keiss crossed his arms, "What about those? They look like they get a lot of wear and tear."
"Ah," Lyra hesitated for a moment and reached down to pick up the photo Keiss had knocked over, "Those are- those are Dale's. He showed me how to fight."
"…Husband?"
"Yes," Lyra turned the picture of her and Layle back to the proper angel. "He used to work as a Pilgrim Protector for those making their way up the Holy Mountain. I worked in the Monastery taking care of Chocobos. They paid me a lot to do it. Paid him a lot to fight the monsters in the Snowfields." Keiss watched her as she fixed the family photos. She wasn't making eye contact. Something about that story was a lie. As if she knew he was questioning her in his head, Lyra looked up and smiled, "Do you want to ask me something about it, Keiss?"
The Selkie looked at her and at the photos and all around the room before looking back at the two 'Why is there a four year gap between your husband and your son?' But he couldn't bring himself to ask it, so instead he pointed to a photo of Dale and Lyra standing on top of what looked like a stack of bones and Lyra holding up a skull as big as her arm. "Is that a Lich?"
"OH!" She looked over embarrassed and turned the photo down, "Dale insisted we take that one…He felled the thing one day out at work. It would have killed the Pilgrims hiding out in the cave. …I was with them. It's rather, bad first date."
Keiss laughed, he almost told her it was better than running from Tonberries and falling off giant Mushrooms. But then again was that really a 'date'. It was more of a joke response but he shrugged at her instead, "I'm sure there's been worse." Besides, when could he really start calling whatever it was he had with Layle 'dating'. It more a refined and high form of tolerance.

Keiss sat across from Layle on the bed, watching the Crystal Bearer. He was definitely more aware now. He was no longer fighting to keep his head up, but occasionally his eyes would close for long periods of time. Not to mention he still looked pale, and now a little sick.
"You going to make it, Layle?"
The Clavat shook his head, "I—I am—going to hurl."
Keiss pointed to the side of the bed but didn't move, "Hit the floor please."
Layle leaned forward and put his head on Keiss shoulder, "I need a drink…"
"What? Water? Juice?"
"…How about…a Gourd Potato Beer…"
"Layle," Keiss stroked the back of his head, "You are not drinking like this." The Selkie shifted and pushed his partner back against the head board and fluffed the pillows supporting his back. "We just have to make it through the night, okay? And then you can rest." Keiss leaned up against the pillows next to him and smiled. "I know you can make, Layle. Just hang on." The Crystal Bearer grumbled but didn't resist when his partner reached over and held his hand. "Come on, let's talk to take your mind off of it…" The Clavat closed his eyes and proceeded to ignore Keiss when he spoke to him. Upset, the Selkie leaned over him and frowned. "Layle…Layle open your eyes before you fall asleep." He lightly pat the side of Layle's face, "Hey! Don't you dare fall asleep, Layle!"
"Stop…shouting…"
"Man, you're stubborn," The Selkie leaned down and kissed his forehead. "No wonder Lyra's always barking orders."
"…What's the…matter, Keiss? …Can't live…with yourself?"
"Very funny," The Selkie dragged his thumb over Layle's crystal and then over his top lip. "Actually I kind of like you like this. Docile. Calm. Not telling me to quit touching you."
"…Quit touching me."
"Hmn," Keiss kissed him lightly on the lips, "It's too bad you're hurt so severely."
"…Really? That's all…you can think about…?"
The Selkie kissed him again, a little bit longer this time, "Well, it's been two weeks. And you have been stressing me out."
Layle chuckled and squeezed Keiss' hand, "I will, make it up to you, when I can see straight."
"That's all I ask, Crystal Bearer." Keiss turned his head and moved in to kiss him again but suddenly felts his legs dangling from under him. He looked down and found Layle had unconsciously lifted them off the bed. "D-damn it! Layle! Put us down!" At once they both fell back onto the mattress and Keiss tumbled off the bed. Lyra opened the door to the room to see what all the fuss was about and shook her head.
"Layle…I thought you told me you had that under control."
The Clavat sat up and rubbed his head, "I do…I'm just tired. I did have a barn dropped on me."
The woman shook her head, "Well try not to get so focused on something you start casting…I un-nailed half the house after you moved out. I don't want my furniture flying out the window."
Keiss picked himself up and sat on the bed as Lyra walked out and shut the door. How long was she outside the door? "Does she always do that?"
"Do what?"
"Pop up like a ghost."
"Yeah," Layle fell back onto the bed. "She's old, but she's still able… She had to sneak around a lot for her old job. Tracking out in the Snowfields can be dangerous if you're seen…"
Keiss leaned back on his shoulder. Tracking out in the snow? Well she did say she had to take care of Chocobos, and he had heard wild ones were violent to no end. He still had a few questions, but he guess for now his curiosity would have to wait until morning.

While Keiss had vowed he would stay up with the Crystal Bearer all night, he subsequently failed that plan by the early morning. He wasn't sure when he fell asleep but he knew he woke up alone in Layle's room. Keiss rolled off the bed and rubbed the back of his neck as he made his way downstairs. The sun was just coming up, but he could hear people talking in the kitchen, not to mention smell food coming from that direction as well. As soon as he rounded the corner he heard a voice great him cheerfully.
"Good morning, Selkie!"
Keiss yawned and waved, "Hi, shop girl…"
"My name is Constance."
"Yeah, and mine's Keiss. When you us my name I'll use yours." As soon as he said that Keiss heard the sound metal clanging and he happened to look over to Lyra who was standing over a stove. She had a distinct look on her face. The Selkie just coughed and sat down with an apologetic look.
"Way to start the morning," Layle muttered to him. The Clavat was leaning on the table, resting his chin in his hand. Even though there was a large assortment of food spread out on the table, only Constance was eating. Keiss looked at the bowl in front of his partner, more of that soup, going untouched. Lyra came over and set a plate down in front of Keiss and told him to eat up.
"-So anyway, Lyra," The shop girl spoke up, "Like I was saying, the town's going to be going over what to do about the festival…You should come down."
"I suppose I'll have to, as I am sure Layle and his friend will come up during the meeting…"
"A town meeting?" Keiss stopped in the middle of loading up his plate, "Well why don't we all go."
"Layle should probably stay here."
"It's not like I really want to go talk to those hicks," The Crystal Bearer pushed his bowl aside and grabbed a waffle off the stack and started to eat it, "I'll stay here, liked asked for once."
"Then I'll go with you, Lyra." As Keiss spoke the woman shook her head.
"No way. Someone needs to still be here with Layle."
"Because I can't watch myself?"
"I can take care of Layle!" Constance raised her hand.
"He won't listen to you."
"She's right I won't."
"Well then how about Constance and I go?" Layle and his mother eyed Keiss. "What? Lyra wants to make sure you don't faint, or whatever. But someone needs to go defend us from the angry mob. And I am excellent with people."
"Because you did so well yesterday?"
"I guarantee I'll do better than you, Crystal Bearer." Keiss pointed his fork at Layle. The blond rolled his eyes and Lyra came over to the table.
In one swift motion she grabbed Layle's hand and forced him to dunk what was left of the waffle into the green soup and then pulled his hand back. The Crystal Bearer made a face clearly indicating the food was now un-consumable. "I like it. Constance, take Keiss into town. I'll stay with Layle."
The Selkie laughed as his partner continued to gag. Layle flicked the half eaten waffle onto Keiss plate soaking his food in soup as well. The red head glared at his partner who just shrugged back with a smile.
"Well, I'm glad to see you've got your attitude back."
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The Crystal Rule