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. |
A/N: Just a warning, from this Chapter on, nothing has been betra read. Please forgive me for any errors I missed, they'll be fixed in a bit. Thank you!
Chapter Thirty
There was nothing like the smell of smoke, grease, and grinding gears.
It was a smell that belonged to Bridgetown and Bridgetown alone. Layle supposed that if you lived there, it must be easy to get used to the smell; especially if you were always working with machines. The town was heavily populated with Selkies and Lilties. It really wasn't a place were too many Clavats were found- not much to farm on the edge of the dessert. The last time they were here, was when they were stuck watching cave tunnels for Piper and Regal. Now they were hear to get the Acote fixed. Which Keiss assured him should already be more than half way along, as the ship had a two day head start on them. "Keiss, I know, Bridgetown has some of the best mechanics in Alfitaria…But these guys are also eccentric. There is no WAY you a have mechanic here that is not charging you a small fortune." "And I keep telling you, Crystal Bearer," The Selkie turned to him and smiled as they walked the path to the southern end of Bridgetown, "I have connections. Not only have I got a mechanic. I have an expert." 'An expert?' Layle mouthed as he followed his partner through the iron gates of the town. He still did not really believe Keiss on this whole matter about getting the ship fixed. He was certain there was some sort of catch involved. Some detail he was leaving out. For the past two days on their trip from Denthe to here, the Selkie had been acting different. And by different he meant forgiving. He wasn't all trying to dissuade Layle from needless tossing the guards, or using his powers in useless needless ways on the train. In fact he nearly encouraged it by laughing and covering for him. Letting him vent his anger anywhere he felt like. It was weird. Why wasn't he bossing him around? Perhaps this is his way of apologizing for what went on in the town? Or just in general, though usually apologies from Keiss come with sex. There was no sex…Why the hell is he being so nice…? "Here we are!" Keiss stopped in front a large workshop. It was the largest one on this block. The building itself was at least three stories tall, with smoke bellowing out the stacks. Out in front in the little open plaza Lilty guards, trash Moogles, and Selkies hurried this way and that. They had long since grown accustom to any odd noises that came from the local workshops and engine rooms throughout town. And this shop seemed to be the loudest. Layle looked up as he heard loud crash after explosion after bang coming from the steel door just at the top of the steps. 'Expert, huh?' He frowned. 'That sign over the door looks like a smiling-' "So help me, don't you dare say ANYTHING, about onions." Layle looked to Keiss. The Selkie was staring at him with a stern look. Was he reading his mind now? "Come on." The red head walked up the steps and pulled a red leaver by the door. The pipes on the sides of the walls let out a large amount of steam, and the shuttered trembled before they started to pull upward. The revealed a wide entrance into the shop, big enough for someone to drive a small wagon inside. Keiss motioned for Layle to follow him and the boys made their way inside. Inside the shop was a mess, to say the least. There was a desk to the right, probably meant for a receptionist, or a place to calculate out payments and schedules, but it was covered with blue prints and parts. Just like the floor was covered with them, and the walls as well. In the middle of the room was a large silo. The inside was also filled with parts, tools, and divide off into sections with a stair case wrapped around the outside and a ladder leading up on the inside. From up above the wounds of machine work and clanging were louder than ever. Layle looked around the room and shook his head, "How…does someone work like this?" "This is how a genius works, Layle," Keiss smiled and pointed at him. "To you it makes no sense, but to a higher mind, it's perfect!" "…Are you trying to tell me that mess in the kitchen is an indication you're a genius?" "Naturally!" Keiss smiled and made his way up the stairs to the higher floors while his partner followed shaking his head. Each floor was just like the last, a seemingly unorganized mess of parts and papers. The only variations were of what the parts were, some were small, some were in the process of being assembled, most looked like they were in the process of being ripped apart. There were oil splatters, burn marks, holes blasted into the walls. Layle was starting to think they should have brought helmets. On the top floor the noise of the machines was nearly unbearable. Up here there were large mechanical arms moving and drilling and welding into the Acote. It sat in the middle of the large room supported from the ceiling as it was slowly being repaired. It almost looked as good as new. The Selkie and Crystal Bearer looked up at and Layle nodded. It did look like Keiss was getting the best job he could for his ship… "Nice to know you're not cheap about this at least!" He practically had to shout to speak. "Shut up," Keiss shoved his partners shoulder and looked around, "Now, I want to introduce you to Cid!" "Cid?" Layle looked around. The Selkie started shouting as loud as he could, hopping his voice would carry over the sounds of machinery. "CID! HE-EY!" The red head walked around looking left and right, "CID! COME OUT FROM WHERE EVER YOU ARE!" Abruptly there was another loud blast. The entire room shook, and everything hanging from the walls, including the Acote, seemed to sway. Layle looked around expecting something to drop but nothing did. As soon as the room settled down the machines came to a slow stop, along with the noise died out. Keiss stopped walking around and put his hands on his hips with a smile. Layle opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a voice shouting from above the airship. "Keiss! Is that you!" "Hey!" The Selkie made his way over to the ships side and motioned for Layle to follow, "Cid! Come down here!" Layle looked up as he walked, just above the Acote he could make out the figure of an older Lilty with an onion shaped head. He was coming over the side and climbing down the ladder. He jumped down the last few rungs and landed in front of the mercenaries with his back to them. When he turned around Layle could see his face and goggled were covered in soot. He turned up the lenses of the goggles to reveal his glasses underneath- the only clean thing on his face. "AH! Keiss! You've arrived!" The Lilty held out his hand for Keiss to shake, but when the red head took hold he pulled him forward into a hug. As he pulled back he pat the Selkie on the shoulder smiling, "It's a good thing to! I've been wanting to ask you just what you did to this ship! It's in terrible condition. I had to completely rebuild its hull!" "Well, it's a long story, Cid, but I want to introduce you to-" The Lilty walked past him and picked up a towel off the floor and started to wipe the soot from his face. "Not to mention the entire back half the engine was gone. I had to get a new one, but of course it's hard to come by a Wing 284X Gunner model engine. So I had to use a Wing 385X and convert it-" He tossed the towel and picked up two sets of blueprints as he spoke. "That much work, huh?" Keiss shrugged but Layle shook his head. The Clavat leaned over and whispered to him, "So tell me again how you're getting all this for free?" "Well…its not exactly free…Just watch!" The Selkie took a step forward and interrupted Cid. "Cid," He took on of the blueprints form him and looked at it, "I want to introduce you to someone. Someone important." "Oh?" The Lilty snatched up another blueprint for the ship and rolled it up to tuck it under his arm. "Yes! You remember the letter I wrote a few days ago, right, about my new partner? The Crystal Bearer?" Keiss waved his hands over to Layle, "Well this is him." The Lilty followed Keiss is hand and stared across the way at Layle, "Ah! So this is the Crystal Bearer," He took a few steps forward and looked him over, "My it's hardly noticeable, isn't it? Your Crystal, that is…" "I guess…" Layle scratched the side of his face. "Cid, this is Layle!" Keiss grabbed Layle's hand and put it in Cid's forcing them to shake, "Layle, this is Cid! The Head of the Alfitaria Crystal Research and Development Program." "…WHAT!" Layle jerked his hand back. "The former, head," Cid pointed at Keiss correcting him while his partner glared, "I stepped down some time ago." "Current, former, details, details…" Keiss shrugged and smiled at Layle, "The point is, Cid is the man who invented the Crystal engine system we currently used. He's a genius. The best." "Hmn, try telling that to Jegran. Since he became High Commander, you'd think I was touched with madness." "That's great, but-" Layle grabbed his partner's arm, "Can you excuse us for a second?" He pulled Keiss away from the old Lilty who watched them disappear around the side of the air ship. "What? What's wrong with you?" Keiss pulled his arm away from Layle, "What's wrong with you now?" "Is this why you've been acting so nice? Because you were planning on dragging me off to see another Crystal researcher? Another kooky Lilty scientist!" "Now, Layle! Don't say that! Cid is nothing like Odies or Piper! He's perfectly sane!" The Selkie bent down too look under the ship and ensure the Lilty wasn't listening to them. He stood back up and smiled, "Besides, I was being nice because you seemed like you needed to blow off some steam… And everyone said it was best to just let you throw your tantrum-" "Tantrum! You're the one that throws the tantrums!" "Am I? Because you're the one having one right now." Keiss pointed at Layle as he crossed his arms, "Look, Cid is harmless. He likes to work with machines. Not people. He's fixing the Acote for us. That's all." "Oh yeah, and just HOW are you paying the Head of the Crystal Research and Development department?" "I have ways…and none of them will cost us any gil…Now, will you please, just, calm down?" Layle stood silently for a moment before nodding. Keiss smiled and ducked back under the ship to speak to Cid. "So! Cid!" The Selkie held out his arms and motioned over the room, "How long will it take to fix the ship?" "About another day," The Lilty nodded to him. "Excellent! I've got a little mission I need to undertake-" "We do?" Layle looked surprised. "I do!" Keiss pointed at Layle, "You're not coming." The Crystal Bearer opened his mouth to protest but was cut off when Keiss spoke again. "So, Cid, let's talk about what I owe you." "Hmmnn…" The Lilty researcher put down his paper work and walked over to the Acote. He looked it over and nodded rubbing his chin. "It was and still is a lot of work, Keiss. A lot of time and energy…I don't think there is anything you can trade to match this repair job. It's much more than the simple tune up." "Is that so…" Keiss walked over to stand next to Cid. "What if I could trade you access to Piper and Oides' latest research project?" The Lilty shook his head, "I know about the M.D.F.C. and the Bearer cure project…They're the very ideas that made me step down." Layle smirked; well that news was at least a relief. "Yes, yes, but," Keiss reached down and picked up a hammer on the ground, "There's something else they're researching. Something that came about after you left… Reactions of one magic to another. They've got this wild idea, that magic can fuel magic." "Nonsense," Cid waved off Keiss words, "Magic is designed to cancel or match one another. It's the way that it works. One reaction of a magical affect either matches or overpowers others. It can only grow form the same type of spell. This is fact. And has been since the days of the Yuke's discovery of magic." Keiss started tossing the hammer up and down watching it flip in the air. "That's not what they think… They think they've found a way to fuel and generate new spells from one different one. Like a—a power source. They've already proven it can make a common fire spell into a Firaga spell without the addition of a secondary or third fire spell." Cid rubbed his chin and looked at Keiss, "A universal element that when combined with basic magic elements it to the third level… Interesting, but improbable. Even if such a thing did exist, you'd have to have an exact way to control it, know how to make it combine with other spells, and most likely need a steady supply of it for it to work." Keiss smiled, "I know! But I've got it right here…and I'm willing to let you have it, for the day, it's too valuable to let you keep, in exchange for the ship repairs." Cid chuckled, "If you have this wonderful source of infinite magic then let me see it, and you've got a deal." Keiss smirked, "You know I never did tell you what Layle's power was…did I?" The Selkie abruptly turned and hurled the hammer at his partner. AS expected Layle instantly reacted by holding out his hand and catching the tool in a field of gravity magic. It stayed suspended in the air for a few second before he let it drop to the ground. "What the hell, Keiss! Are you trying to give me a second head injury!" The Selkie shrugged but Cid adjusted his glasses, "A Crystal Bearer, with power over gravity…" "...An endless and infinite amount of possibilities…right?" He smiled at Layle, "My partner can do anything and everything. And Oides and Piper are just so keen on experimenting with his powers, aren't they Layle?" The Crystal Bearer glared at him, " Keiss…You just told me you weren't-" "Alright, Keiss, it's a deal!" Cid held out his hand to him and Keiss shook it. "Great! Layle will stay here and work with you for the day!" "Keiss!" "Hmn, and just where are you going?" The Lilty looked at him suspiciously, "Just what is your 'mission'." "Oh," Keiss backed up from him, "Just a few visits I have to pay." He looked over to Layle who was already starting over to him with a slight look of murder in his eyes. "I should warn you though, don't work Layle to hard. He's got a bit of a cracked head, so sometimes his magic does whatever it wants…" "…" Cid pointed at Keiss, "But you said his powers can do anything!" "I did! He just can't control it!" "Keiss!" The Crystal Bearer lunged at him and he jumped back. As Layle hit the ground the Selkie turned on his heels and made his way for the stairs, "Now, don't get cross, Layle! This is nothing like Oides or Piper I promise!" The Clavat got up and shouted at him again, "Keiss, get back here!" "I'll be back in the evening! Don't be a jerk, Layle! Thanks again, Cid!" Keiss sat on the railing and shoved off the top stair letting himself slide down as both the Clavat and the Lilty watched him. Layle sighed and rolled his eyes while the Lilty chuckled, "That boy…" Layle turned to look at Cid who looked back at him and shrugged, "I've always told him he'd make a better con-man than a mercenary."While AFF and its agents attempt to remove all illegal works from the site as quickly and thoroughly as possible, there is always the possibility that some submissions may be overlooked or dismissed in error. The AFF system includes a rigorous and complex abuse control system in order to prevent improper use of the AFF service, and we hope that its deployment indicates a good-faith effort to eliminate any illegal material on the site in a fair and unbiased manner. This abuse control system is run in accordance with the strict guidelines specified above.
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