Adult-FanFiction.org : Final Fantasy

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
- 25
- 26
- 27
Chapter Twenty Six

'Is it true? …Hey, is it true? …So, uh, that story, is it true?' Keiss kept his arms crossed and eyes rolling over the ground. He had probably spent the past thirty minutes trying to decide how to ask this question. It shouldn't be hard, he ask questions all the time. Not to mention…It was probably true, considering how he reacted…Or is it?
"Keiss…Keiss…Are you listening to us?"
"See, I told you this would go smoother without the Selkie." The red head lifted his head and glared at Clockwork. He was not thrilled she was here. Not at all. And didn't see why Layle was okay with her being present. She had tried to kill them. And interfered with their work on multiple occasions. "He's not listening to us, at all."
"Oh I'm listening," Keiss uncrossed his arms and put his hands behind his head, "I'm just not caring."
"Wonderful." The Lilty girl rolled her eyes. "Well then since you can't be bothered to care, your partner will go with you to make sure you don't mess up keeping the Mercenaries bus-"
"No." Keiss shook his head at her, "I am going to take on the Mercenaries alone. YOU are going to take Layle with you to find this-this machine and shut it down."
"Are you sure you can handle it, Selkie?" The girl leaned forward with her hands on her hips. "You seem like you need your Crystal Bearer to save you from trouble a lot."
Layle snorted, repressing a laugh and Keiss glared at them, "I can handle it. Layle and I have not been partners for long. I don't need him to rescue me. He just does."
"Uh-huh. Fine." Clockwork took the last bite of her Star Carrot and turned to Layle, "Be at the entrance of town before dawn. The M.D.F.C. needs all night to recharge… And considering the trouble you two have caused, they will want to call something big to get rid of you…We want to shut if off before that."
"Fine by me," Layle shrugged at her. The Lilty nodded and turned walking away.
As soon as she was out of sight Keiss pointed the direction she left, "You're kidding me by having her here, right? You're planning to tell me you've either got a plan or you want me to think of a plan to double cross her and we hand her over with the Mercenaries, right? RIGHT?"
Layle crossed his arms and frowned at his partner, "I don't care about turning her in, right now. I care about getting rid of the monsters. And she has a plan. You don't."
"Layle!" Keiss threw his hands up in the air, "Give me the night, I will have a plan!"
"You don't know how the machine works, Keiss…"
"I can! In no time. But for crying out loud, just agreeing to work with her-"
"It's one mission. You won't die from it…"
Keiss smiled and nodded, "You're right, you're right. I won't die from it. It's just one mission-" He pointed and started shouting again, "WITH THE GIRL THAT TRIED TO KILL US!"
"…Consider it a fair trade. You do a mission you don't like for snooping around in other people's lives." The Clavat turned and started to walk away from him.
Keiss followed shouting, "I didn't snoop! She told me voluntarily-H-hey! It's not like you would have told me!"
Layle looked over his shoulder, "You could have asked, if it was bugging you why I look different."
"Would you have told me!"
Layle shrugged, "I only feel inclined to tell you as much about me as you are willing to tell about yourself." Layle stopped and turned around pointing at the Selkie, "And everything about you is off limits. So why should I tell you anything."
Keiss ground his teeth together, "Fine! Then I will tell you everything! How's that?"
"Fine."
"Great, so now let's not do this mission with Clockwork."
"…No." Layle turned around again and walked off. Keiss shouted at him as he left before turning around and heading back to the Acote. The Selkie resolved he was just going to sleep in his air ship tonight. Which was fine by Layle, he didn't want to see Keiss anyway.

The boys were both up before dawn and slowly making their way to the edge of town. Keiss bit into a Striped Apple and occasionally would say a few words here and there about what Layle should do while alone with Clockwork. Little things like: 'Don't use your powers too much. Keep her in front of you at all times. Don't mention anything about your injury.' All of it was common sense stuff and it was wearing on Layle's nerves.
"What, Keiss, do you think I'm just going to tell her she's got the advantage now?"
"I don't know, will you? You seem fine about everything else with her…"
Layle shrugged and muttered, "Right now she's better than you…"
"What was that?"
"What was what?" Layle stopped walking and smiled sarcastically at Keiss. The Selkie glared at him and took the last few bites of his apple.
'Ugh…we are…really going to fall apart from this mission aren't we? Maybe I was thinking positive too soon about Layle and I lasting for a long time…'
Keiss pitched the apple over his shoulder just as Clockwork walked up the road from the outskirts.
"Ah, you're nice and early," The Lilty smiled at them. "Are you all set to go?"
"We're more than ready," Layle stuffed his hands in his pockets."
"So why do we need you to turn this machine off again?" Keiss glared at her.
"Because I know how it works. And the process of de-powering it is intricate… If you want a rush job and to summon something massively unpleasant than by all means, do it yourself."
"Ok…Well, why do you care about what goes on with this machine?"
Clockwork tapped her chin with a smile, "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a big fan of the Military's work…And turning it on innocents is something I'm really against. I attack Odies work because it will be used on innocent Crystal Bearers…I'm attacking Piper's because it goes hand in hand with Oides."
"…It does?" Layle looked at her curiously.
"It does," Clockwork pointed down the road. "I don't care how you manage it Selkie, but keep the Mercenaries away from this end of the forest. Layle and I will go through the camp to collect you once the machine is down."
"Whatever." Keiss grumbled and set off down the road. He didn't look back at his partner or his enemy.

The entire way to the camp, Keiss tossed one of his daggers up and down, back and forth in his hands. He was still thinking about how angry he was at Layle. This feeling was coming up a lot lately. More so than it should. Just because he disagreed with someone or because they wanted to do things differently really shouldn't be driving him mad like this. He should just move on pass the feeling and get on with his work.
Who cares if Layle is angry at him. He already apologized. And it's not like Layle hasn't equally spit in his eye with this Clockwork nonsense. That prick. Making him take orders from a girl he should be dragging back to Alfitaria in cuffs.
'That bastard. He's been nothing but a thorn in my side since the day we met. And a distraction too…Well I suppose now that his powers are shit, I could justify just leaving him here in this shit little town. That I offered to help for free. Free damn it. Wasting my time, and he wants me to listen to the chick that tried to murder me! MURDER US!' Kiess tossed the knife and it stuck itself into a tree a few feet away from him. He approached it and sighed.
"What am I thinking…I'm not going to leave Layle behind…I already said I wasn't…" The Selkie stopped and looked ahead. He was at the camp. That took a shorter amount of time than he remembered. "…Well I guess I better get to it."
Keiss crouched down in the bushes taking in the camp site. Three of the men were still in their tents. The door to the mobile bunker was open, and inside Keiss could see their leader sitting at the control panel. There were two more men sitting out by the fire eating. "Alright…six guys, no Bearers. I can easily take them…so long as they stay off the bikes." He looked up at the surrounding area, "If they do take to mounting up, the best bet is to take the trees."
He nodded to himself and held two of his knives in between his fingers, "Alright, let's get started."

Clockwork led Layle deeper into the surrounding woods. The Mercenaries hadn't set up the machine in their camp in case of malfunction. It would cause whatever was summoned to come right to the machine. Or at least that's what she told him.
"-he prototype itself works off a Class E crystal engine with Miasma Generation Core. However that core's purpose has been modified and amplified to generate a stream- it takes a good fifty pounds of crystal to make one stream- The monster Classification summoned is determined by the …"
Layle followed behind Clockwork- making sure to never take his eyes off of her, but he was having a hard time not wanting to slam his head into a tree. He had made the mistake of asking her how did the Miasma Directional Field Controller work- mostly as proof that he needed her to shut it down. And it had spiraled into a ten minute rant about her going on about parts, and Crystal engines, and mechanics.
"Where did you learn all of this…HOW did you learn all of this?"
The lilac haired girl looked over her shoulder at him and smiled, "College."
"They teach you about military weapons in College?"
"Well…" She stopped and scratched her head, "I'm studying to be a Crystal Research Engineer. It's what I would like to do…But I doubt I will see it happen. However, the military work, well, I learned that from a close source."
"Is this the same source that allows you to stalk us?" Lalye came to stand next to her and she chuckled.
"Maybe…Come on, it's just over here." The Lilty beckoned him as she pushed through the edge of a line of trees into a small clearing. In the middle of it was a large machine; it stood a good fifteen feet high, maybe more. The machine was domed shaped on top with a funnel pointing upward. On one side there was a control panel, the other had an access panel on its back, and all around it were tubes and pipes running in and out, some pumping purple mist around its systems, and others pumping a familiar blue liquid. "This is it…The device that's giving your little town such a hard time."
Layle looked up at it and glared. He might not have known how to work it, but he hated it. And seeing that blue fluid running and out of its base made him hate it more. "So how do we shut it down?"
Clockwork approached the control panel and began typing on the keyboard, "Go around and open up the back access panel. I'll give you instructions on what to remove as I turn it off…"
Layle walked around the machine, it was making all sorts of odd noises. Was it getting ready to summon another round of monsters?
He stopped at the back panel and tried to pry it open. No good. He leaned around the sides to see if Clockwork could see him before putting his palms against the piece of metal. He let his powers encase the rectangular panel and he pulled back. It was screwed in tight, but after a few tries he ripped it off. The sheet of metal flew back and jammed into a tree.
"With a little bit of grace if you don't mind!" Layle shrugged at her shouting to him from around the machine. Inside the tubes ran and interlaced into machinery. And in the middle of it was a glass structure with a large purple crystal. It glowed, filling the machine with its eerie light. Under it were more, smaller crystals and little cylinders of Oides' blue fluid. Layle leaned into the machine reading the labels. "Main Core…Power Cells… Monster Specimens…" The Clavat ran his fingers over the tubes reading what they were marked for.
Behemoth. Bloodbones. Tonberry. King Behemoth. …Antlion.
He had to resist the urge to start ripping the little tubes out and smashing them across the ground.
"Alright, Layle! Are you looking into the machine?"
"Yeah…"
"Great! There should be six small purple crystals in domes? As the light goes out remove them please…"
"With pleasure." He muttered. And as soon as the first light went out Layle yanked the gem from its container; a few wires pulled with it. He fought and yanked it out of the machine and hurled it at the ground. It shattered instantly. "Ha!" As soon as he turned his head back into the mass of mechanics another light went out- and he smashed this crystal too.
One, two, three! Four and Five. And Six was tossed right into a tree.
"…What are you doing over there?" Clockwork tried to lean around to see what Layle was doing.
"Nothing…is it done now?"
"No. Now you're going to take out the big gem. Just give me a second to cut the power…" Layle stood arms crossed until the lights around the Core went out. He pried open the dome with his powers, causing the glass to flip off and smash against a few tubes. The Crystal Bearer took a step back and grabbed the large crystal in a gravity field and yanked it out. He kept it hovering over his head for a second before tossing it, as hard as he could- or as hard as his limited control would allow him to- right back into the machine.
It shattered and tore down a few wires and cables on the way.
Clockwork came around the sides of the M.D.F.C. "Alright! Now let's take the crystals an- You smashed them!" She bent down and picked up a purple shard. "Unbelievable! You smashed them all!"
"Well, yeah."
She glared up at him holding a shard in her fingers. "This could have been put to good use."
"No one is using it." Layle pointed at her, "Not Piper. Not Oides. And Not you."
Clockwork stood up and smirked, "You don't trust me…Do you?"
"Well, despite his attitude, Keiss is right. You did try to murder us."
She scoffed and stood up, "I would have never of killed you…Just delayed you." Clockwork turned around and looked over her shoulder at Layle, "But you trust a Selkie who makes it his business to pry into everyone's life? To always ensure he comes out on top?"
"…Keiss has his short comings, but he's my partner."
"How can you trust someone who's not like you? That you don't even know? …It's dangerous to stay too close to Non-Bearers."
Layle frowned at her, "So far, you're the only person I've seen I should be wary about trusting…" This time Clockwork didn't respond. Instead she shrugged her own shoulders and motioned for Layle to follow her back to the Mercenaries camp. The Crystal Bearer turned one last time to the machine. He reached inside and pulled out the cylinder marked 'Antlion' before following Clockwork into the woods.

By the time the two passed through the camp they found it in ruins. No one was around, save for Keiss. Who was eating another Striped Apple.
"Hey," he casually waved to them as they approached.
"Where…" Clockwork looked around confused, "Where are the Mercenaries?"
Keiss shrugged and took another bite of his apple, "They left about…Ten minutes ago."
"…And you're okay?" Layle looked around.
"Yeah," he looked up at them. "I can fight you know." Keiss stood up and tossed his apple core, "Just because I'm not a Crystal Bearer doesn't mean I can't handle a few guys with weapons…Thought it was a bit difficult to deal with the bikes." He jerked his head over to where a Crystal Bike was crashed into a tree.
Clockwork shook her head, "Selkies are truly an amazing tribe…" She started off for the road leaving Keiss and Layle alone in the camp. Layle just looked at his partner.
"What?"
"…Its nothing." Layle walked around him, head up, but his eyes were down. He should be happy Keiss was okay. They're usually often in dangerous situations constantly, and it's refreshing to know they can get through them without his powers. But without him entirely? Layle looked at his hand and flexed it. Keiss did send him with Clockwork rather than asking him to help him with the camp. And he had been ditching him for a few solo missions the other day…
...Maybe…Maybe this is coming to an end?

When the trio made it back to Denthe most of the villagers were out in the street. At first they didn't think anything of it; until Keiss took note of the fact that some of them were staring at them. Layle started to notice it too. And the further into town they got, the more people started to look out their doors and windows at them. Even Clockwork was starting to wonder why some of them were following them.
When they reached the General Store Layle stopped and turned around. "What? What is it?" The few villagers following all stopped and took a step back when he started talking to them. The Crystal Bearer sighed and Clockwork giggled.
"My, you have quiet the effect on these people don't you?"
"Shut up…"
"Layle! Keiss!" The three turned their head to see Constance leaning out the window of the shop with a smile on her face. "There you are! Hehe~ Fantastic!"
"What are you so happy about, shop girl?" Keiss asked her a little annoyed they weren't in on the celebration.
"What do you mean? I'm happy about the monster attack!" Keiss and Layle looked at each other and the Clavat just shrugged. "What? You didn't know…I thought that's why you two didn't show up…A Storm blew in from the north! It was nothing but Beatles and Coeurls! We stomped them out fairly quickly…"
"Ah," Clockwork smiled, "So things are already back in place that quickly. It would seem the effects of the machine are quick to fade…"
"You mean it could have continued even without the machine?" Keiss glared at her, "You left that part out."
Clockwork tittered. "Why would it be a problem? I'm sure between you and your partner you could have handled it." The time controlling girl took a step back from the boys and bowed to them. "It's been a pleasure. But it's time for me to go… Until next time." They watched as she turned on her heels and started back down the road. The town's people parted for her to leave.
"I can't believe I have to watch her walk away…" Keiss sighed. "I can't tell if this is a victory or not…"
Layle crossed his arms, "I'm going to count it as not."

When lunch time was approaching Keiss found himself sitting outside Lyra's house writing Lieutenant Spinosa. He wasn't even sure if the Lieutenant would come round up the 'Mercenaries' since they were technically testing his project…however…
"They need to be round up. And I'm not spending any time chasing them down through the woods. Spinosa should send soldiers to come take care of them…That way we can move on."
"We should do it, Keiss…" Layle tossed the Antlion tube up and down in his hands. The blue fluid in it glinted in the sun light. "We should round them up and take them in ourselves…And expose this whole thing. They were putting an entire village in danger! And didn't even give a damn."
"Look I know you're upset…But what do you want me to do?"
"Let's take it to the High Commander! Tell him his underlings are nothing but scum…"
The Selkie leaned back, "I'm not sure that will work…I don't know how involved the High Commander is in this project. We could just be putting ourselves in a bad place with him."
Layle stopped tossing the bottle. "So?"
"So!" Keiss looked up at him, "It does us no good for the higher ups to hate us…there are other things to investigate. We have to test the waters."
"…So we're just going to let them go?"
"The town is safe…So yes," Keiss finished his letter and sealed it. "Come on…I need to find a Mail Moogle." He stood up and motioned for Layle to follow him but the Clavat didn't budge. "Layle?"
"…Whatever." Instead of following, he head up the steps to Lyra's front door and went inside. Keiss tossed one hand up in the air angrily.
"Fine! Forget it! I will just go by myself!"
By himself was how Keiss spent the rest of the day. Plenty of Clavats came by the ranch to see him and thank him for rescuing the town- He noted no one thanked Layle. If they even saw him on grounds they shied away. Some offered to pay him, but he turned it down. He did promise to do it for free. And some even invited him to the festival tomorrow night. However he declined under the impression he was going to be leaving for Bridgetown by night fall.
At least he had planned to. But Layle had been avoiding him all day. If he got within ten feet of the Bearer he would stop what he was doing and leave. Just, walk away without a word. After his fourth attempt to get Layle's attention he gave up.
So when the sun was setting and he was still in Denthe, Keiss was just a little bit bitter. He sat, his cheek resting on the palm of his right hand, at the dinner table, glaring across at the Crystal Bearer. Layle was leaning back in his chair glaring across at him. And despite her usual behavior- rather than openly point out how the two were trying to kill each other with looks, Lyra just served dinner and ate happily.
She even took the time to make light conversation, "So are you two staying for the festival?"
"No." Keiss answered stabbing at his food.
"Oh, that's too bad…Why not?"
"We're chasing down those Mercenaries." Layle said chewing on the end of his fork.
"You are?"
"We are?" Keiss looked at him.
"We. Are."
The Selkie looked down at his plate and grumbled. Lyra kept talking, "So when are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning…For Bridgetown," Keiss glanced up.
"…Is that where they are going?"
"Probably not," Layle picked up his drink, "So we shouldn't either."
"Except we are."
"We are not, Keiss."
"We are too, Layle!"
"We need to find them!"
"You're gonna get us booted out of Spinosa's contracts!"
"Who gives a fuck!"
The Selkie pointed his fork at Layle, "Look I tolerated work with Clockwork for you! You can stand to let these guys go for me! Let the army round them up! It's not our job!" Layle slammed his hand down on the table and everything on it jumped into the air and stayed there.
Lyra stood up and took her plate from the hovering mass, "I'm going to go eat in the dining room. When you two are done growing up I'll serve dessert." She started out of the room, but stopped at the door, "Oh and, Layle, whatever you break, you clean up." She walked out of the room and left them glaring at each other.
"Layle…Either you are coming with me to Bridgetown or else."
"Or else what? You're going to leave me behind?" The Crystal Bearer leaned back and sneered, "You've been doing that a lot already."
"For your own good."
"Is it? And for who's good is this? Mine? Or Yours?"
"W-what!" Keiss leaned over the table putting his head under the floating dishes, "For my own good?"
"Yeah, so you won't look bad in front of the Military. Or the High Commander."
"Why would you think that!" The Selkie stretched out his hand and waved it around. "I just helped you mess up one of their projects! Now you're gonna accuse me of taking their side!"
"Help me round them up!" Layle leaned forward and the dishes drifted higher, "Just help me, Keiss! It's not that big a deal! For once just do something for me!"
"No!" He hadn't actually meant to shout no. It was supposed to be a thought. Really it was. But he said it anyway. 'No.' The scam was taken care of, the Military would have soldiers out to get the mercenaries and the machine was destroyed. No, no, no, including themselves any further beyond this would get them black listed. It was already a sketchy situation. And they needed to get back on track, back to their job. And to Bridgetown. So no. No. No. No was the answer.
And as soon as he said it every plate in the air hit the ceiling.
Keiss leaned on the table and Layle sat on the edge of his seat. The Selkie pulled back without another word and stood up. "Layle…I am leaving in the morning. Leave the Mercenaries to the military…You can't win every battle. If you want to solve this 'cure' business, do not chase the Mercenaries…"
The Crystal Bearer leaned back in his chair.
Keiss pushed his chair back and walked out of the room and down the hall. He was certain that as he put his hands on the front door he heard the sounds of china and porcelain crashing.
- 25
- 26
- 27
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Crystal Rule