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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
- 2
- 3
- 4
Chapter Three
Keiss lead his new partner back to Alfitaria. He had tried chatting with the Clavat Bearer around the way, but found Layle answers were always short, concise and to the point.
'Whoever told me the Clavat were a chatty folk was full of slander and lies…' Keiss stopped at the bus terminal on the lower west side. He ran his finger along the list of scheduled routes looking for the line he wanted to take.
"So," Layle leaned up against the other half of the boarded, hands in his pockets, "Tell me about this job, and my twenty-thousand gil."
"Huh?" Keiss smiled and nodded to himself, "Found it!"
"What? Where our client is?" The Clavat watched as the red headed Selkie turned around searching the area before finding the right set of stairs. The lower and middle stations were not a large or grand as the central station, but they were still beg enough to accommodate all the traffic that flowed through them.
"Client?" Keiss smiled at Layle, "There is no client-"
"No client!" Layle glared at Keiss.
"Not yet anyway….Oh stop that. You'll get your money, as soon as we find a job that will pay twenty-thousand gil, up front."
Layle stopped walking and crossed his arms, "You..You lying son of a Sahagin! There's no job! There' no money. I'm out of he-"
"Now just wait right there, Crystal Bearer!" The two stopped walking. Keiss was heading up stairs and Layle was heading down. "Either you can come with me, and get your money, or storm off like a two year old and get nothing."
"Who's storming off?" Layle turned back around, "I have a right to leave, you don't have what you promised me. 'Should have known not to partner with a tribe that prides itself on theft and deceit."
Keiss put his hands on his head and watched as Lilties rushed passed them trying to catch their transport, "True. Is what I would normally say, if you were dealing with any other Selkie…But I keep my word. I'm going to pay you." Keiss took his hands off his head and turned around, 'And there's no way I'm going to let your powers fall under contract with anyone else!'
Layle watched the Selkie ascend the stairs. This guy was odd. He was so sure of himself… He turned his head and looked at his reflection off of a glass pain protecting a poster from vandals. "Hey, remind you of anyone else?"
Keiss stood waiting on the platform. One leg out and his hip to the side, as usual. It had been three minutes, 'Maybe he really is bailing? Well what a load of wasted time and trouble he was.'
"Hey." Layle came up to stand next to Keiss as if nothing had happened. They didn't look at each other. The Clavat just stood, strait faced with his hands in his pockets and the Selkie stood hands on his head, smiling in his feline way. They certainly stood out standing in a crowd of Lilties.
As the transport arrived the two boarded, Layle took a sneak peak at their destination. "Parkside Avenue?" He glanced over at Keiss, "You know something I don't?"
"Do I?"
"…Well with no job, usually mercenaries go stomping around the guild hall, not the middle business district."
Keiss shoot his head and took his seat, "The halls? Those jobs are pathetic. For lesser folk….The high paying jobs, the really challenges are the ones never posted."
Layle stood up in front of the Selkie as the transport jerked away from the platform and slowly made it way around the bend and out into the city air. "So you do know something…A connection perhaps? And inside man?"
Keiss leaned back in his seat, "You'll see in due time, Crystal Bearer. In do time."
"I'm…more than certain I told you my name…"
"You did, Layle. But when you're annoying I reserve the right to call you 'Crystal Bearer'." Keiss closed his eyes, "Now shut up and enjoy the trip."
Layle scratched the side of his face, right around his crystal. Part of him wanted to punch Keiss…part of him wanted to give him props for being so confident in the face of a bearer. Most normal people panic and run. There was definitely something that set this Selkie apart from others. Layle kept his eyes on him. 'This guy...if nothing else is interesting to be around.'
Parkside Avenue, should never be confused with Fountain Avenue, even though there was a fountain- there were several in fact. The difference was Fountain Avenue was a residential district, Parkside was all business. The buildings here were not simple or gave off a warm inviting feel. They were tall, lean buildings. Homes to offices, traders, negotiators, doctors, and of course, Military officers. Layle had to admit, to the many Lilties heading to work or to run some errand in this part of town, the two had to look out of place.
"So….where are we going?" Layle turned to his new partner who pointed down the street.
"This way, come on…" The redhead led the blond down the curving road until he reached one of the shorter establishments along the road. Layle stopped and read the sign out front, 'Mail Moogle Sorting Station'. When he looked back over to question Keiss the Selkie was gone.
"What the-!" Layle looked around. Turning in place in a circle. 'Where in the world…'
"Over here!" Keiss stuck his head out from a nook in the wall. "Come on, Layle. Before they come out."
"They?" Layle looked at the door and shrugged before rushing over to Keiss. "What are you doing?"
"Getting us a job. Come on…" The Selkie double checked the front making sure no one saw them as he pushed on an unsteady wooden fence that lay between the Moogle building and the one next to it. The fence slowly moved as if it were actually some sort of rickety gate. Keiss slipped behind and held it open for Layle. He followed though still questioning in his head why. But Layle wasn't the type to dig for too many details. So long as Keiss kept his promise to pay him, he didn't really care.
'It's not something I really need to worry about…maybe…' He followed Keiss down the narrow alley until it ended at the back of building. From here they could see a large open space, a landing yard for Moogles returning with incoming mail and ones leaving without going mail. There were only a few in the yard, but there were tons of mail bags.
"Excellent. We made it just in time." Keiss looked around the yard, "Now we just need the right bag…"
'Just in time? Right bag?' Layle watched as the Selkie peered around the corner watching the Moogles at work. He was scanning the yard for something, and though Layle couldn't see his face, he could tell he had found it. The Selkies back suddenly shifted, from a casual stance to a stiff one. He had seen him do that before, back at Padarak, just before he let loose on the crown of Bearers. And he was about to do something now… "Keiss!" Layle put his hand on his shoulder and pulled him back, "What are you doing! You're not gonna attack are you?"
"What?" Keiss pushed the hand off his shoulder, agitated he had been interrupted. "What's wrong with you, Crystal Bearer? Why would I attack Moogles? I just want that bag!" He jerked his thumb out to the yard. Layle leaned back and followed where he had been looking.
A small grey bag sat on top of the rest. It wasn't as full as the rest of the mail bags, nor was it the bright cheerful colors Moogles often used to code things. It was dull, grey and had the Lilty symbol on it. "That one?" Layle looked out into the yard. The Moogles were on the other side carrying things in to begin today's mail run.
"Yes," Keiss shoved past him, "Now let me go before-" It was too late. Before Keiss could say anything the bag moved. It lifted up into the air. He cursed thinking a mail Moogle had snatched it, but then he realized it was floating on its own… He turned his head to Layle who had his left hand up.
"That's the one, right?"
"Uh…yeah…" Keiss looked back. He now noticed the faint blue ring encasing the bag. It suddenly jerked and came drifting their way….Okay more like it was tossing itself their way! He held out his arms and caught the bundle. The force of the throw knocked him on his ass. "Guh!" He clutched the bag, slightly smiling and slightly annoyed.
"So, ready?" Layle leaned over him smirking.
"Come on…" Keiss stood up and dragged the bag. Layle offered to lift it but he refused to let him. In his mind, he had to admit, that had been useful, even cool. It did save him the risk of being caught…but that also annoyed him. As a Selkie he had his pride! He was thief….even if he played by the rules. He had never gotten help swiping the military mail bag before, and he didn't need it now. And he certainly didn't want anyone to help unless he asked. Stupid Crystal Bearer.
Once they were far from the Moogle Mail building and the busy flow of Lilty Traffic, Keiss picked out and alley way to sort through the mail. "Alright, Crystal Bearer," he said it in an almost sneering way, he was still annoyed. Layle just rolled his eyes. Keiss tore open the bag and tons of Militay Mail spilled out. "We want anything marked 'Contract' or 'Urgent' got it?"
Layle picked up the first letter, 'Urgent or Contract….is this how he gets his jobs...he's a crook. We could easily go to jail over this.' He smirked and tossed the letter to the side. 'I love it.' He picked up a handful of mail and started looking. To his surprise, most of it was junk, the letters home he was expecting, but very few with the promise of being what they needed. They had stumbled onto a few 'Contract' ones, but they opened them up to find they were already signed. Keiss wanted a blank one…
As the pile got lower, Layle was starting to think this was a goose chase, until he heard Keiss cheer. He looked up from his current stack of mail to see the Selkie waving a blue paper with a letter attached to it around like a flag.
"Well?"
"This is it! Our job, Layle!" Keiss leaned back on the trash can he was sitting on, he put his left ankle up over his right knee and read, "Dear Regal, here is the contract regarding the job. Please read in full, and return, in person, so I may discuss with you the urgency of this matter. If you still agree to take the job, I will pay you 50,000 gil. 25,000 before you go and the second half when you get back. Sincerely, Doctor Hyacinth Oides." The Selkie looked at Layle and smirked. He did not return the gesture.
"Excuse me…but that did say 'in person' Keiss….You are not a Lilty. Nor is your name 'Regal'."
"Oh Layle…you are so cute when you're clues."
'….CUTE!' he stood up, "Keiss, you can't take this contract!"
"I've been taking contracts this way for two years. Military contracts are hard to come by, even harder if you are not Lilty. Some interception has to take place... Now you can either come and get your money, or go back to the slums. Which is it?"
Layle's lips twisted. That was a lot of money… And he wasn't taking shit jobs. "Fine." Layle crossed his arms and glanced down, "What about the rest of this?" he kicked the mail.
"Ah yes…" Keiss stuffed the contract into his pocket. "It goes back in the bag, and then leave it on top of the trash….Don't worry, Crystal Bearer. The trash Moogles return any mail they find…its people they toss out. Now come on."
'People?' Layle helped Keiss clean up the mess and the two left the alley. Keiss read the contract as they walked to the address. Apparently this was some sort of retrieval request. He assured Layle that things would run smoothly…but the Crystal Bearer reserved his right to have doubts. He knew nothing about Keiss after all…And so far, the Selkie had been nothing but shady. 'This….may be worse than Blaze…maybe…'
The two followed the instructions to the address of the contract provider. It was a large medical building. Keiss pushed open the doors, still carrying his usual air of confidence. Layle followed, his face showing disinterest, but he stayed alert in case this went wrong. At the desk the receptionist was none to friendly, even after Keiss showed her the contract, she still resisted giving them the go a head to head up the elevator to see Dr. Oides.
Inside the elevator, other than the music, it was quiet. Keiss closed his eyes and smiled to himself and Layle just watched. What a guy…even now, he's so cocky. Are all Selkies this brazen? They stepped off the elevator onto the tenth floor. The entire floor was Dr. Oides' office. "So what now…"
"Now we observe," Keiss looked around the room. Take in as much info as we can before he gets here. We have to know enough about him to convince him Regal sent us in his place…"
"But we know nothing about, Regal."
"Don't have to," Keiss looked at the pictures on the wall, "The doctor will give us that info."
Layle studied a hanging diploma, "You've been scamming for way to long…"
"Hey," He turned and pointed at Layle, "At least I scam for honest work."
"A scam is a scam…And a Selkie is a Selkie," Layle shrugged, before Keiss could retort a man entered the room. The Lilty had entered the room, he had short brown hair that curled in at the ends. He was old, very old. On the tips of his bangs, one could make out wilting flowers, something that happened in all older Lilties, that resembled tinny blue bells. But who knew what they were now. If they had been actually flowers, one could argue someone had forgotten to water them for days. He was shorter than Keiss and Layle by about a foot. He had his hands in his lab coat pockets and he looked back and forth between the two.
"You are not, Sir Regal," was all he said. Not even a greeting. Layle looked at Keiss, in such away the Selkie wanted to toss something at him. Though he knew it would just be thrown back.
"You're right, we are not." Keiss approached the man and presented the contract. "My name is Keiss, I am a contract for the Military. Sir Regal forwarded me your request as he was called away. But he did not want all your correspondence to go to waste."
The Lilty eyed Keiss and then the contract. The Selkie had already filled it out, it just needed the doctors signature. "Yes…I did send this…" He looked up at the two, "So, Spinosa, is still using him…I thought he had a new contractor."
Keiss looked back at Layle and winked. This could not be better. A name he was intimate with! This really was a lucky day for him. The Selkie reached into his clothes and pulled out his old contract. "That would be my fault you see…The Lieutenant and I had a disagreement over a detail in my old contract…so I declined. But I have worked with Regal, and he asked me to come here and handle this."
Layle watched baffled, where had that other contract come from? The doctor took it and studied it.
"Ah, you work with Spinosa!" He took Keiss hand and shook it, "Then are familiar with my work?"
"Ah…yes, of course your medical work in, in-"
"Medical research and drug development," Keiss looked back at Layle whose eyes drifted to the degree on the wall. "Graduated with honors from Marr University."
The doctor released Keiss hand and inspected Layle, "A Crystal Bearer," he smirked, "It's not surprise you follow my work. It is for you all I look for a cure." The man turned around and motioned for them to follow him through the door he just came from. They followed, though Keiss could now see a bit of anger on Layle's face.
The rest of the 'office' was actually a lab with many interconnecting rooms. On nearly every table there was some sort of project going. "What is your power, boy?"
"Ass kicki-"
Keiss hit him and shook his head, "Gravity control!"
"Ah…a rare one…" The man stopped at a large boarded covered with charts. "I know one's like you will be the hardest to fix."
"Who says I need fix-AH!" Keiss elbowed him and shook his head.
The doctor just chuckled. "You are resistant. I know most will be….but there are many Crystal Bearers that wish to just live normal lives, young man." The doctor turned to face them. "And I finally believe I am on the verge of giving them just that…A drug, that neutralizes magic. It cannot remove the crystal in your skin…but it would make it no more than in interesting birth mark."
Layle rubbed his arm and glared at Keiss, and at the doctor. "Fuck you."
Keiss rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry. Layle is an idiot! Please, ignore anything he says." If looks could kill, Keiss and Layle were guilty of murder-suicide at this point.
"That is fine, young man…My Granddaughter said the same thing when I offered her the chance to be the first cured Crystal Bearer."
"I like her already…" Layle muttered.
"Please, doctor….what you do with your research…That's fine, but not why we're here….You need an ingredient." Keiss held up the letter, "Let's talk about that, please." The Selkie looked at Layle, 'Please let's talk about anything so I can get out of here with my reputation intact.'
"Yes…" The doctor turned around to his chart, "As I am sure you both know…since the passing of Yukes, only two creatures in the world possess 'magic'. Those creatures are Crystal Bearers….and Monsters." He reached up and began writing on his board, "It is….inhumane to cut up a person. So I have spent the last ten years researching monsters and miasma. And what gives them their properties…But the rare breeds. The stronger ones are hard to come by…which is why I needed Regal's help."
The doctor turned from his chart and approached another wall in the room. "Many have brought me back specimens from all over the world…but there are a few that still remain elusive."
"So you want us to bring back a monster? That will be hard…when they die-"
"They return to the stream." Layle smirked, "Your request can't be fulfilled.
"That is if you hunt them outside their places of origin." The doctor pulled down a map of the country. The Lilty kingdom was vast….encompassing the whole continent. On the map there were red dots. They were located in various places, but all of them isolated or areas were men had not gone since the days of the caravans. "These areas…they are…places were Myrrh Trees used to grow…Now they are the origins of miasma storms and the monsters that travel with them."
The old man ran his fingers over the map. He traced them down to Moogle Woods Forest and then deeper into the green. "Here is one…the center of Moogle Woods. Where the colorful Mushroom's grow higher than trees. Do you know it?"
Keiss shrugged, but Layle spoke. "The Mushroom Forest…Ask your mother, where did 'we' come from. And she will always respond, we all sprang up from the Mushroom Forest." Keiss turned his head, his expression was one of being on the verge of illness. "…Old Clavat bed time story."
"That's not a bed time story! That's just sickening...People aren't mushrooms!"
The doctor chuckled, "It is a bit odd to tell children that…but he is right…that is the myth. Passed down in the days of Caravaners…The mushroom forest used to be home to many vicious Malboro…but now, they have moved on and a new monster clan dwells within."
"And you want one of those?" Keiss smirked. "No problem. We will bring one back."
"It's a very specific one I need…Well I guess I should say it's more of a set. A male and a female."
"That's still not trouble!"
Layle watched Keiss and the old man, "Why so much money…for tow monsters?"
Keiss stooped talking and glanced at his partner, then at the doctor. Oides did not answer at first. He reached up and smoothed down his brittle dying hair. "The creatures that live there now, are Tonberries."
Keiss and Layle looked at each other. Keiss with a 'We can handle Tonberries!' and Layle glared back with a 'Fuck you.'
"So you just need a male and female Tonberry?" Keiss tore his gaze away from the angry Layle. We can handle that.
"It is more than just that…" Dr. Oides reached up and pulled down another chart. On it was a very slender lizard looking creature. It wore a tattered dress made of black, white, and grey patches. A top its head it wore a large pink bow, and cradling in its arms a sewn up ravaged looking teddy bear. The creatures large golden eyes looked dead a head like it was watching you, even though it was just a drawing. "I need this female…" He pulled down a second chart. On it another golden eyed Tonberry. But this one wore its tattered rags all the way down to cover its feet like a robe. The outfit was made of brown, black, and white patch work. Around its neck it wore a red bowtie and in one hand it clutched a beaten up run down toy truck. "And this male…They are known as a Tonberry Queen and King."
Keiss looked back at Layle. This time the Clavat was unreadable. "They look like kids…" Was all he said.
"Do not be fooled…I have sent many contractors to retrieve them…I even tried to make it less complicated. I only really need their tails…Still, none have turned from the Mushroom Forest."
'I don't know if singling out a body part makes it harder or easier…' Keiss studied the pictures. "Are you sure that's how they look?"
"Yes…And they are no taller than two feet high. The queen is easy to find, she is always at the center of large gatherings of Tonberries…but the King has only been seen twice. At least by the living. He appears when the Queen lets out a cry…some sort of way to communicated."
Layle shifted on his feet. 'We could die doing this…Large groups of Tonberries? Their Queen and King? We could very well die! No wonder it's so much up front.' He tapped Keiss on the shoulder and whispered into his ear. "How good are you against monsters?"
"Even better than I am against Crystal Bearers," She Selkie smirked.
"What about Tonberries?"
"They only attack if they see you…and I am a master of stealth."
"Is that right?"
"We can do this."
"…Yeah, we can…" The two pulled away from each other.
Keiss smiled at Dr. Oides. "Fear not, sir, My associate and I can handle this little venture. For mercenaries of our expertise….this is a cake walk." Keiss held out the contract and the doctor signed it. After receiving their upfront pay the two were off.
Both were convinced they could handle a group of Tonberries. They were just like little kids…with knives. Really sharp pointy life stealing knives…
Layle recounted his gill. It was more money than he made on three missions with Blaze….
Keiss studied a map of the forest the doctor had given him. Surely with Layle's powers and his cunning they could do this…
They both looked at each other. The first mission would go smoothly. They were certain of it.

A/N: It really bothers me, that in all the later Crystal Chronicles games, the world is much smaller. So when I wrote this I tried to include that old world from the first game and give justification for where it would be located. Ah well, next chapter the boys on on a Tonberry hunt. Wish them luck.
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The Crystal Rule