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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
- 22
- 23
- 24
Chapter Twenty Three

Annoyance was the emotion of the hour.
Keiss hadn't been in a good mood since after the revelation that his partner's head injury had directly affected the Crystal Bearer's control of gravity. He he wasn't heartless over the matter. Oh no, for the first hour he was worried. And rightly so. He went around Lyra's ranch with Layle testing to see how much control the Clavat had lost.
He could still grab things, but how long he could hold them was greatly reduced, not to mention that his control of where they went was skewed. About seventy-percent of the time, he could move things to where he wanted to, and zero percent of the time he could control how quickly they got there. So worry also became panic. Was this a permanent thing? Was Layle's power forever going to be on the fritz? It had always given them an advantage with their missions. And it just finally seemed like they were getting the upper hand on the ever annoying Clockwork.
This was terrible news. Dreadful. Horrid. But he was the only one worried about it. And that's when the annoyance kicked in.
Layle did not at all seem worried. When Keiss told him to stay at home and rest, and sleep in the hopes the pain in his head would lessen. He Bearer refused. When Keiss told him he would go patrol the town alone, he refused again. And when Keiss asked him to stop using his powers, because every time he did he got a headache, he still refused.
So now Keiss sat on his Crystal Bike on the outskirts of town, watching Layle continue to toy around with lifting rocks and old fallen branches. The two were far from town, on the road leading up to it. Constance had informed Keiss that the monsters always came up the road to the town. This had not always been the case, but ever since the streams brought them freakish monsters from out of the area, it never seemed to matter which way the wind was blowing. The Miasma Stream always came up the road from the direction of Nevul, and the monsters followed it.
The fact alone that the STream was defying the direction of the winds made the Selkie curious. He wanted to investigate. There had to be a reason down the road that the Stream never changed its approach. But he was not willing to go investigate with Layle. However the Bearer was not willing to rest.
"Could you at least stop using your powers if you won't go sleep?" The Selkie let his chin rest in his hand as he leaned over the front of the bike.
"Keiss-" Even though the Bearer had his back to him, he could see Layle's head slightly twitch and a rock he was flying sprang forward and rolled along the road. "If I don't work at it, I could lose control completely."
"At least go fucking sleep and then practice. You've slept like, three hours in two days!"
"Keiss!" Layle turned around, "Will you let me handle it? When you have bearer powers that go on the fritz I promise I will let you handle it how you want."
"…Jackass…" The Selkie muttered under his breath. He looked up to see the sky ahead of them was turning purple in color. He called for Layle to get on the back of the bike. The two raced down the dirt road to meet the next wave of Behemoths for the day. Luckily, Layle did not really need control over his powers to slow up a few giant monsters. Keiss just needed to be extra alert during his steering.
Between Layle's tossing of the creatures haphazardly into one another and Keiss' shooting with the bike's weapons, the eight monsters that were charging for the town were dealt with in no time. But it was a hollow victory. They still had no leads and Layle was still on the fritz. After that round of monsters, the third one that day, was cleared up, the boys rode back to the towns edges to figure out what to do next. Waiting there for them was Constance with a basket.
"Hi, Layle! Hi, Keiss!"
"Stance…Why are you here?" The Bearer was less than amused to see the shop girl.
"Lyra sent you all some lunch." The brown haired girl held up the basket with a smile. "So how is it going?"
"Well enough," Keiss took the basket and took out a sandwich that was clearly for him as the other item in the basket was more of that atrocious soup.
"Well, rest assured, the town's people are impressed."
"Are they?" Layle took his lunch and started to pour it out onto the ground only for Keiss to punch him in the arm and instruct him to 'eat it or die'.
"Yes! It's only been the first day of you working on this…But you've kept the monsters from reaching town every time. Everyone is very happy."
"The monsters always reach town?" Keiss looked surprised.
"Yes, they come up the roas, and the Mercenaries come behind them. It's nice that you all are staying out here to keep them from getting up the road."
Layle and Keiss looked at each other and an idea passed silently between them, but Keiss wanted confirmation first. The Selkie turned to Constance, "So what you are telling me…Is the Mercenaries stay down the road. That road there," he pointed backward. "The same road the storms come up."
"Umm…yes." The girl nodded.
"And they never stop the monsters?" Layle frowned. "Not once have they ever caught them before the town, even though their camp it outside it?" Constance nodded, and the duo turned to each other. "We need to go find their camp," Layle said.
"I will go find the camp," Keiss replied. "You go back with Constance and rest."
"Keiss!"
"No, no, no. Layle, go fucking sleep or I will drug you to get you to rest. It's just surveillance. I don't need you and your busted head."
The Bearer got of the bike with a frown, "It's dangerous to go alone."
"I'm a Selkie," Kuiess crossed his arms, "I can handle it solo."
"Those sounds like famous last words if I ever heard them."
"It's practically the tribe motto."
"It's practically stupid." Layle shook his head, "Just don't get caught. Or eaten."
"Oh, there won't be any more monsters today," Constance nodded, "The streams always bring three rounds. Usually throughout the day. But we only ever get three attacks."
"Three attacks exactly, every day, for over a month? And all from the same direction?" Constance nodded to the questioning Selkie. Oh yeah, that reeked of suspicious activity. "Constance, can you tell me, why did you all hire this group of Mercenaries?"
"Um, well they were the only ones that responded to the town's request."
"Really?" Layle crossed his arms. "A whole town puts out a commission for monster hunters and only one group responds…"
Keiss shook his head, "Man I have known five year old Selkies that have pulled less obvious scams. Hell! I was one of those five year-olds."
"A scam?" Constance twisted her lips. "I admit, everyone thinks it's odd…but…A Scam? People run scams. People can't run a Miasma Stream…"
"We'll be the judge of that." Keiss nodded to the Clavats. "I'll go check out their camp. I'll see you guys at Lyra's." With that the Selkie took off leaving his partner and his cousin behind.

Keiss spent a good four hours out in the woods. He traveled up and down the road, at one point hiding the bike and traveling on foot. He didn't want the engine's sound to alert the Mercenaries to the fact he was close by. However, finding their camp was not easy. He wouldn't have been able to approach on his bike anyway. The Mercenaries were camped in the middle of a wooded clearing. Their base of operations was an old model Military tank, with a mobile bunker attached to it. He figured inside was where they kept all their supplies and weapons. They had a few tents set up outside and a fire going as the evening approached.
Keiss watched them from the shadows of the trees, but could not pick up anything really suspicious about their activities. The men whined and complained to their leader at how affective a job Keiss and Layle were doing at protecting the town. How none of the monsters deterred them from fighting, and that the Crystal Bearer was too much. But no one out right mentioned or admitted how they were controlling the monsters.
After watching them for a few hours, he determined the only way he was going to get answers was to get into the camp. And for that he would need a diversion. But his diversion maker was totally busted. 'Ugh, what shitty luck I am having lately…' The Selkie made his way back to his bike and road back to town. He went over in his mind all the resources he had available to him as he tried to formulate a plan. He had one working Crystal Bike; two busted ones, courtesy of Layle; a busted airship, courtesy of a King Behemoth; and one busted Layle, courtesy of Lady Luck spitting in his eye. He thought Selkies were supposed to have all the luck? Isn't that what their Crystal promised them? All the world's luck and all the world's gil? So why was it they always got the short end of the stick.
For crying out loud, he made an honest living. As honest as it gets anyway, and he was getting fucked over. Fuck what anyone tells him about how the Crystal's work. He'd make his own way. Starting with those bikes. Two busted bikes can become one working one. And some parts from the Acote's engine could make them a bit faster…Perhaps even give them some extra fire power.

As Keiss pulled up to Lyra's house he had a plan in his head. Now he just needed to go over it with Layle. The Selkie entered the house to the smell of food being prepared. He wondered how it was Lyra had the time or energy to cook when she was taking care of her ranch. 'Stealthy, energetic, a fighter, a tyrant, apparently a good business woman, and a fine cook. This woman is on something.' He walked into the kitchen to see James, Constance and Lyra- no Layle.
"Hello, Keiss!" Constance greeted him with her usual upbeat attitude.
"Hey-Layle sleeping?"
"No," Lyra said dryly, "He kept getting up, so I put him to work."
"Wow, that's…" Keiss cut himself off, "So where is he now?"
"Outside watering the plants…He should be around the back of the house."
Keiss left the house and walked around outside in the night air until he found Layle out back watering a small field of vegetables. Using his powers.
"Damn it, Crystal Bearer! What are you doing!"
Layle looked over at him and shrugged, "Watering Lyra's plants."
"You know what I mean!" The Selkie crossed his arms and watched as Layle took water form a nearby well and slowly brought it over the field to scatter it.
"Relax, I've got it under control. I told you practicing was the only way to get back on track."
"And your head?"
"…It still hurts…Its mostly just, learning to focus through the pain." The Crystal Bearer watered the last line of plants and motioned for Keiss to follow him to the little flower garden under Lyra's kitchen window.
"The fact that your head still hurts when you use your powers, is a sign you should stop."
"And what if it hurts forever, Keiss? Should I just never use them again?
The Selkie frowned as he watched Layle bring the water across the yard. It was a slow going process. He didn't like watching the look on Layle's face. It clearly an expression of hurt, but the Bearer was still doing it. "Look, all I'm saying is, for now, we have other resources… I found the mercenaries camp. I think I can get in to snoop around, if you use on of the Crystal Bikes to distract them. And only the bike."
Layle stopped the water over the flowers and started to let some out onto them. "Don't we only have one bike anyway?"
"I can fix the other two."
"You can?"
"I know a bit about Crystal Engines."
"Since when?"
"Since I learned from the best. A mechanic in Bridge Town. The same guy that's going to fix up the Acote for us."
"That's going to cost us an arm and a leg each, you are aware of that, right?"
"It's not gonna cost us a thing. Now just listen: while you create a distraction, I'm going to get into their camp. They have an old tank and a mobile bunker. I'm certain the answers we need are in there. It should only take me twenty minutes."
"Only twenty? You don't even know what you are looking for."
"I'll be in and out, don't worry."
"Why not? You worry all the time."
The kitchen window swung open and Lyra stuck her head out. "Okay boys dinner is read-Layle, are you using your powers? Didn't Constance say they were causing you pain?"
"Holy hell! Is everyone going keep getting angry about this? I've got it under control."
"Layle!" Lyra frowned, "Even your friend thinks you should cut it out. Please just use a watering can until your head is fine."
"I'm perfectly fine, Lyra, Keiss. Will you two just let me fix it my way?" The Crystal Bearer rolled his eyes and continued down the line flowers, watering them.
"We're just worried for you, Layle."
"Well we don't have time to be worried. We promised the town the monsters would be gone in time for the Festival. And now we're down to three days. So please, just let me handle how I get better!" Layle pulled his hand to move the bubble of water again. And his powers responded to agitation rather than his command. The bubble of water burst forward from him and Keiss. Water sloshed all over Lyra and the open window, into the kitchen.
Layle and Keiss stared at her. Keiss was trying not laugh, he honestly was. But as Lyra just sighed and pressed her lips together he had to put a hand over his mouth. The woman shut the window without a word and he erupted in laughter.
"Damn it…I am never going hear the end of that…" Layle rubbed the left side of his head. It hurt like hell.

That night, Layle and Keiss sat on the Crystal Bearer's old bed going over their plan. The Selkie had drawn out a map of the camp and the surrounding area. He was going over how Layle would create a distraction along the road drawing them out. Keiss would come up from the woods on food, but leave his own bike hidden in the brush so he could make a quick getaway.
"All we really need is evidence…If I have time I'll stop whatever they're doing. But if I can get proof, you can get a few soldiers out here to arrest them."
"Can we really?" Layle looked up at questioningly.
"Yes, really. They're causing extensive damage to a town and endangering lives…That's more than enough for an arrest."
"…I wonder how they are doing it…"
"I've thought about that," Keiss started to fold up the map. "And I have to know, have you ever heard of anyone else with your power? Or that could move a Miasma Stream?"
"Nope. Never," Layle leaned back on the bed. "And I only found out I could change them by experimenting as a kid. Then it took forever to actually perfect it…"
"Hmn," Keiss set the map aside and climbed over his partner to kisses his injury. "Well, we'll know soon enough."
"…Quit doing that will you?"
"Quit doing what?"
"Treating me with kid gloves."
Keiss rolled his eyes. "Trust me, I do not want to treat you with kid gloves. But I'm worried about you. And about this mission."
"Why?" Layle watched as Keiss rolled off him and flopped down onto the bed.
"Because, what if we mess up? What if the town gets wrecked?"
"You're worried about the town?"
"And you, but yes, about the town as well…"
"I thought you hated this town."
Keiss shrugged, "I did…But you know…It's your town. As small as it is, and xenophobic as the people are…If it wasn't here. You wouldn't be here." He looked over at Layle and smiled. "I owe this town, if only because it means I got to meet you."
Layle was silent for a second before he settled down onto the matters and smirked, "You don't owe the town shit. Thank Lyra. She's the real reason I'm alive."
'Well, duh.' Keiss thought as he wrapped and arm around Layle.
"You know you can't justify sleeping in here tonight, right?"
"Sure I can…we were up all night, talking about our plan…and just…drifted off to sleep." Layle rolled his eyes. But didn't urge the Selkie to leave. Keiss himself did not fall asleep until after Layle. He kept his eyes slightly open, watching the blond to make sure he would actually sleep. Worried that if he went to sleep first, Layle would try to sneak out and practice with his powers again.
While the Clavat slept, Keiss wondered if maybe when the airship crashed he had bumped his head. Since they had arrived at the town, he couldn't deny he had been feeling and acting odd. He wanted to peg it on his curiosity about Layle's family. Or on his own frustrations over the past weeks missions and chain of bad luck. But at the same time he knew that doing so was only half the reason. He did dislike Denthe. But he liked the people he had met.
Usually he would find Constance aggravating. And James a thorn in his side. Not to mention Lyra was by far, the oddest of the three and absolutely under any other circumstance he would never put up with someone ordering him around. But he liked them. Maybe he was just, learning to like other people. Or maybe he just liked them because they were connected to Layle.
And he liked Layle.
He was a handful, stubborn, and nothing but trouble. On more than one occasion and for multiple reasons the Clavat made his heart race and knocked his thoughts for a loop. It was by far the most challenging, but satisfying relationship he had ever had. And he didn't even think they could work together past one week, originally. And now it was going on four months.
Four months.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized it was odd, for him anyway, to tolerate something like this for four months. But at the same time, he couldn't imagine life now without having the Crystal Bearer around to aggravate him and soothe him at the same time. Life without Layle would be boring. Unfathomable. And scary. And if the Crystal Bearer didn't get better, it could come to that. He could have to go to a hospital and stay there. Or what if Layle just left because he couldn't help Keiss with missions anymore?
No, no, Keiss would always have resources or a way to keep Layle. Like with the bikes. Just because he couldn't use his powers doesn't mean that he couldn't be his partner.
But thinking like that made Kiess wonder, why he would want to keep Layle around. He would be in the Selkie sense 'Dead Weight'. And Denthe was a town every Selkie would hate. And all this work for free? That was basically stabbing the tribal code in the back. But he was willing to do it. To see it through to its end. And even learn to like people he would normal hate.
And the more he thought about how, out of character that was for him. The more he realized he was doing it because of Layle. The more he watched the Bearer sleep his heart raced and his mind wondered. When he first saw Layle's power, his first thought was that gravity can affect all things, from people to objects, to weather, to the world. Everything could be drawn in and manipulated by it.
It was starting to dawn on him, that he was one of those things that could not escape gravity's pull.
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The Crystal Rule