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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
- 39
- 40
- 41
Chapter Forty

Phelia drew Layle up a map of the way to their old employer's home. She also sketched out for him a layout of the house and where the locket should be. The two had stayed up all night speaking. The stern twin never once though told him what her power was. She had explained to him that she had tried to use it to help people her sister had made ill, but she found it only lessened the effects of her sisters spell, it didn't remove them. She had even tried to use it to remove her sister's crystallization, but to no avail.
"I just can't understand why this happened to us…" She dug through a closet they stored their coats in upstairs to find a disguise for Layle. "I just wish I knew what it picked us for… I can't imagine what use these powers are."
"We aren't picked for any reason," Layle leaned up against the wall behind her, his left foot pressed to it as well. "It's luck of the draw."
Phelia pulled out a long pilgrim cloak with hood and turned to Layle, "The Crystal Rule is that everyone has a purpose, no matter how small."
"You sound like Lyra… The Crystal Rule is a comfort people come up with to justify bad or good luck."
"So says the Bearer whose powers aided in the ongoing extinction of everyone like him," she tossed him the cloak.
Layle caught it and pulled it on over his jacket, "You just said yourself you can't see a reason behind your powers or Phedra's and you're still going to argue about your faith…"
"Just because I can't see it, doesn't mean there isn't a reason."
He pulled up the cloak's hood and shook his head, "You should see a reason behind training Phedra not to be afraid instead of just hoping a solution will present itself." The two made their way to the back door of the house. Outside the first rays of sunrise were lighting up the sky. "I'll be back soon, with the locket."
Phelia nodded to him and half smirked as he stepped outside, "Be sure to say hi to My Lady for me… I think you will enjoy it."
"Say 'Hi' to her? You two won't even tell me her name."
"We cannot. We promised we'd keep her secrete. Phedra revealed to you she is a Bearer, so we cannot tell you her name. You could use it against her."
"And if she had given me her name first?"
"The black haired girl leaned on the door and smirked, "Then we'd never tell you she was like us. But don't worry, Layle, you'll know soon enough." She closed the door leaving him wondering what she meant by that.

Layle slowly made his way through the city. He took the back alleyways and side streets that Phelia had marked on the map making sure to avoid any guards he saw walking the streets. He kept the cloak clutched tight around his body, making sure to keep his head down. Which for a wondering pilgrim was not all that unusual; so the guards paid him no mind when they caught glimpses of him walking around.
By the time he reached the high streets of the notabilities' homes the stars in the sky were fading form view and the dark night was being replaced with a rose tented sky.
The gravity bearer made his way through the streets, his head down, as he ducked between gates and cut through gardens. Occasionally he saw fat cats running through the yards or heard a dog barking as he went by. But other than that the streets were abandoned. Finally he arrived at the home Phedra and Phelia used to serve in. It was surrounded by a high iron gate. Layle circled it studying its appearance and trying to see if anyone was home. He couldn't spot any movement through the windows, so if someone was in there, they were more than likely still asleep.
"I'll have to jump the gate to get in…" He circled again to the backyard off the main street. He stopped and stood with his back to the gate looking up and down the narrow back street to ensure he was alone. When he was certain no one was about Layle turned around and used his magic to grab hold of the top of the gate. He yanked himself up and over landing on his knees in the yard. As soon as he hit the ground he heard a dog barking. To his left in the next yard a little dog with shaggy hair and great big bow was barking its head off. He shook his head and ran for the back door. It was obviously locked, but with his magic was able to force it open and ducked inside just as heard someone silencing the dog.
He carefully shut the door and looked around waiting. He heard no one moving about in the home.
"Still asleep I guess…"
He pulled out Phelia's map and started to make his way through the house. The room belonging to Phelia and Phedra was on the first floor of the three story home. The entire house was decorated with old portraits of the family's ancestry and flowers, blue bells and lilacs to be exact. He found the twin's room and tested the door knob; it was unlocked. Inside there was a bunk bed, a modest dresser and desk with a vase filled with fresh sunflowers, the most common flower from Fum.
He left the door open as he entered the room and started to search around looking for the locket he had been sent to find. Phelia had told him it looked like a crystal in the shape of a star, a replica of a pendant from their family history.
Layle dug through the desk, looked in the closet and even under the sheets trying to find the locket. There were still quite a few of the twin's possessions left behind, but none that fit the description of what he was looking for.
"For crying out loud… Where could it be?" He picked up the pillow on the top bunk and tossed it over his shoulder, however he saw it stop in midair just next to his head. Well stop wasn't quiet the right word. Layle turned to see the pillow slowly drifting downward, its decent to the ground slowed substantially.
"…What the-" Before he could figure out what he was witnessing something struck him in the back, with a chair.
Layle let out a shout from pain and fell backward onto the floor. He cringed when he hit the ground and looked up dazed. Overhead he saw the chair being raised again, poised to strike him across the chest. And holding a very surprised and familiar Lilty face.
"…Clavat?"
Layle raised his hands and tossed the familiar time wielding Lilty away from him. She flew back and collided with the desk on the other side of the room. He pushed himself up and pushed back the hood of his cloak.
"Clockwork! For crying out loud! What is your problem!?"
The female Lilty pushed herself off the desk, "Me! My problem!? What's yours!?"
"You struck me with a chair!"
"You're snooping around my house!"
"Your house!?" Layle looked at her puzzled. Now that she mentioned it the Lilty was wearing house coat and was barefoot as if she had just gotten up. Her hair wasn't up in its usual ponytail, but loose and slightly tangled, yet to be brushed. She rubbed her lower back and glared at him. "You… You're 'My Lady'…That's why they don't say your name…" He pointed at her, "And why Phelia knew about my powers!"
"Phelia?" Clockwork walked over to him, "You know Phelia?"
"And Phedra…"
"Why?" She crossed her arms, "What are you and that Selkie up to now?" Before he could answer she gasped and covered her mouth, "That fool Keiss thinks he can use the twins against me doesn't he? I'll tell you right now, if you so much as think about turning them in-"
"Relax, will you. Keiss isn't here… I didn't even know you were here until you hit me with that chair."
"Alone?" Layle watched as Clockwork pulled her robe tighter around her body, "Hmn… could it be you're coming to your senses?"
"It's not like that either… Look, Clockwork, I just need Phedra's locket. She doesn't want to leave town without it."
The Lilty stared at him for a moment wondering what to do. Layle could see she was thinking the situation over, more than likely coming up with some sort of scheme. But surly she would just let him go. If what the twin's said was true about her, she cared about them. Keeping him here would only disrupt their plans.
"You can have it… But you'd better tell me everything about why you're really here."
"Fine."
Clockwork motioned for Layle to follow her as she exited the room. The Clavat did so shedding the pilgrim robes as he went. He started glancing around the house, taking in the details more carefully than he had before. If Keiss had been here he's certain that his partner wouldn't have stopped snooping through the time controlling Lilty's possessions for anything short of death.
"So, what is your name, Clockwork?" He asked her as she led him up the stairs.
"Hmn, you would like to know, wouldn't you?"
"I could always get it out of the twins…"
"If you could, they would have given it to you already." She started down the hallway of the second floor and Layle kept glancing around looking for a clue to the girl's identity. He wished he'd taken a look at the mail box out front. He'd have to on the way out.
"You mentioned that you're studying Crystal Theory, right? I take it that's at the University… How do you hide that you're a Bearer? How do you hide it from everyone, actually?"
She chuckled as she opened a door to a side room, "I'm a noblewoman, Clavat. It's not all that strange for me to wear gloves every day that I am out." She held up her hands, the silver crystal on her right hand and the gold crystal on her left visible for him to see. Her crystallization wrapped around her ringers like a set of rings.
Layle mouthed an 'ah' in response to her comment as he entered the room. It was a small study with book shelves lining the walls, a desk next to the window, and a couch against the wall next to the door for resting. The Clavat glanced around taking it in. She had dozens of books on crystals, their uses, their theorized origins, bearers, and piles of paper work on the Military's current projects.
"…You and Keiss should start a club…"
She scoffed as she opened a locked draw of her desk. The lilac haired Lilty held up the locket he'd been searching for and smiled, "I doubt he'd enjoy it." Layle held out his hand for the pendant, but the girl shook her head. "Speaking of your partner… Why isn't he here? He'd be livid to know you found me, and didn't bring him along."
"… He's just not here. I quit."
"Oh? So now you quit? When the error of your ways threatens half the population? So that's what it took to get you to listen to me."
"I didn't quit because of that," He kept his hand out waiting for her to hand the locket over.
"Then why? If not because you realized you were wrong then why?"
"Look I know we were wrong. But I trust Keiss to set things right. I am too. Starting with the twins."
"So what!?" She chuckled, "You're just going to roam the country trying to save one Bearer at a time? You're an idiot."
He sighed and lowered his hand, "Look, I'm looking for answers. For a way to undo this. Keiss is too-"
"How can you be so sure when you aren't watching him? You say he is, but did he try to set things right in Denthe? Did he try to do the right thing from the start?" Layle didn't say anything to her. "You can't trust him. He's a Selkie. And worse yet he's a Selkie with a dangerous ambition. He'll turn on you, the moment he gets what he wants."
"That's not true. That's not Keiss." The Clavat crossed his arms, "You may not trust him, but I do. I know him. He'll do the right thing."
The Lilty twisted the chain of the locket around her fingers, "You're an idiot. A gullible, idiot. I'd almost say that this- unyielding loyalty was charming. If it wasn't for someone who's whole purpose in life is to turn on the people that trust him."
She started to walk around the desk, "You don't know anything about him. Where he's from. What he's really like. You just know he's got a goal. And he's thrown every Crystal Bearer alive under the wagon to get it! And he'll through you under if it comes to that!"
"Never!" Layle shouted at her. "You're just spouting off what you want to believe. He's not going to turn on me."
"Listen to yourself! Do you understand what that redheaded menace wants? His whole purpose in life is to become the shining example of everything his own tribe hates! You don't think that's a good sign he's not trustworthy!?" Layle's eyes twitched a bit with agitation as she spoke. "Don't look so shocked. There's not a Lilty in the upper echelons that hasn't heard the story about the Selkie trying to wear the uniform." She glanced down at the locket and shook her head. "What makes you so confident about it, hmn? If your powers weren't what they were, he'd have no problem turning you in."
Layle continued to glare at her and shook his head. He raised his hand never taking his eyes off of her and reached out with a gravity field across the room. His powers took hold of the couch and he started to lift it. Clockwork glanced at it puzzled and then at him. She was ready to ask him what he thought he was doing, until she noticed a twinge of pain across Layle's face. He kept raising the couch higher and higher and the field of gravity around it started to flicker. The couch itself started to shake violently and finally Layle had to let it go. He jerked his head to side gasping and the couch flew at them.
The Lilty let out a shout and held up her hands to slow the couch in midair. It fell just short of where they were standing. Amazed she looked down at it, and then to the Clavat.
"…Your powers… Your powers are out of control." Layle didn't say anything to her in response. He watched her bend down and touch the couch still trying to figure out the situation. "For how long?"
"Since Denthe… When the barn dropped on my head," Layle rubbed the left side of his skull.
"That long!" She stood up.
"Yeah… And never once did Keiss hand me over for treatment," Layle held out his hand for the locket, "But I quit. So he could pursue his ambition without having to worry."
The Lilty laughed under her breath and extended the locket forward. "Amazing… Truly amazing." She put it in his hand and smiled, "Layle. You should stay in Marr. I could help you. I could treat you."
"You should help Phedra…"
"She doesn't want to be trained. She's terrified. The only thing that keeps her calm is having her sister or me near."
He looked down at the locket and popped it open. Inside was a picture of a young Phelia and young Clockwork. "Are they why- are they why you fought us so much? To protect them."
"I fought you to protect all of us. Because what the Military is doing isn't right. Tampering with our crystals… It twists the fates of others. It disrupts the principle of life itself." She reached forward and put her hand over his. Layle looked up at her and she continued to smile. "You need help. You need to stay here."
"…I can't stay here." He pulled his hand back from her and tucked the locket inside his jacket. "I have work to do. And then-"
"And then what? Back to Alfitaria? Back to Keiss?"
"…Maybe. Who can say? But I'm not going to stay in Marr's Pass."
"Layle," Clockwork watched him put the locket away. "You can't run like this forever. You'll get caught. You'll never be seen again."
"Relax, will you. I'm not going to get caught-"
Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by the sound of banging coming from downstairs. The two Crystal Bearer's looked at each other with confused and surprised expressions. The banging started up again, this time accompanied by a man shouting. Clockwork held up her hand for Layle to wait in the room as she exited the study to see what was going on. Not one to listen, ever, he followed her out of the room.
Out in the hall the banging was louder, it was clearly coming from the front door. Layle watched as Clockwork dug into the pockets of her housecoat and slipped on a pair of white gloves. She looked over her shoulder at him and motioned for him to stay upstairs. He followed her to the end of the hall and stayed around the wall as she returned to the first floor to answer the door. From up here he could still hear what was being said, though it was a bit muted.
"-Stop all that banging. Are you trying to wake the dead?"
"We're sorry, Miss. But your neighbor reported seeing someone out around your back door?"
"My backdoor!" Clockwork exclaimed loud enough for Layle to hear clearly. The Clavat shook his head and cursed to himself. Whoever owned the dog must have seen him.
"We need to come in and-"
"You do not… I assure you, I am home alone. No one is here," he could hear the front door starting to close, but it never shut.
"We must check. There have been reports of dangerous individuals about. And we must investigate every report of dangerous activity, with all to respect Miss Vill-"
"I don't care about any of that," she cut them off. "I care about my peace and quiet. I'm very busy with my studies… So I want you all to leave," again the door started to close but this time Layle heard it be pushed back followed by the sounds of footsteps coming into the house. Layle backed up from the stairs and started to head back toward the study.
Downstairs he heard the soldiers apologizing to Clockwork as she shouted at them.
"You! Get out! Don't touch anything! I mean it! One Mail Moogle to Alfitaria and I'll have you lot fired!"
Layle quickly made his way back to the study and ducked inside quietly shutting the door. He used his magic to push the couch toward the door and by himself some time. The only way out of the room was through the window. He pushed the panel upward and looked down to see how far he had to jump. Out back he could see two large soldiers making their way down the street. They'd certainly see him jump out.
"I could wait for them to pass, or-" His thoughts were cutoff when he heard someone trying to open the door to the study. Layle could hear Clockwork shouting at them to stop rummaging through her home. However now that they found a door they couldn't open, they were determined to break it down. "Guess I go now!" Layle brought his legs up over the window's edge and hung outside holding onto the sides of the frame. Just as he was thinking about how he was going to have to keep moving to get over the gate in time the couch was knocked back from the door. Two soldiers burst into the room, the smaller one pointing at Layle and ordering him to halt.
Clockwork stood behind them and did her best startled noble impression and screamed, followed by a fake fainting spell. She collapsed onto the smaller solider, causing him to fall. The large guard with him immediately turned his attention to them to ensure she was alright. Layle took the opportunity to push himself off the window and the side of the house down into the back garden.
The Clavat hit the ground and rolled. He tumbled head over heels and as soon as he was up right started to run. Using his powers he grabbed the top of the iron gate and pulled himself up and over the top. As soon as his feet hit the cobblestoned street he heard guards shouting for him to stop. From either side the soldiers on patrol were barreling down the streets toward him. The Crystal Bearer only paused for a moment before running forward into the next yard across the street.
He hopped the little wooden gate and flattened the flowers in the bed just beneath it. Layle ran through the yard, the soldiers coming just over the gate after him, trampling the garden as well. The Clavat ran up the side and out through the front yard onto a larger street. Even here there were still guards coming. They were shouting for him to stop and ordering him to give himself up. Despite how many there were chasing him, he couldn't help but laugh.
Layle turned and ran up the street the opposite direction of the guards. From the corners of his eyes he could see them rushing his way from the other streets through the alleys and side paths. A few of them tried to ambush him as he darted by, but they quickly found themselves knocked back by a gravity field. He bother trying to control it, he just let it burst out from his body like a temporary shield every time one came close.
That was good enough for now.
The Clavat rounded the next corner and found himself at a set of stairs heading down. He started to run and looked back over his shoulder to see how many were after him. The number of knights that came flooding over the top of the stairs had to rival the ones that were chasing him yesterday.
"All this over a necklace?" He reached out with his hand and grabbed the guard rail that was mounted in the center of the steps. Layle jumped upward and brought his feet down on the iron bar, but he never let his shoes touch it. The Crystal Bearer focused his magic on the bar and the bottoms of his sneakers. The two spells repelled each other, causing him to slide forward and down the bar. Layle slightly stood up and held his arms to keep his balance as he used his magic to grind his way down the steps.
At least until the spell over loaded.
Right at the end of the bar when he meant to jump off, the barrier between him and the bar expanded. He didn't jump, but he was propelled upward. The guards shouted and pointed as he flew up, high enough to land on one of the near one story rooftops shoulder first.
It took him a moment to regain his sense of direction, but soon he was stumbling forward running.
As the guards started to make their way upward Layle shook his head, "Didn't I do this yesterday? But with a pretty girl?"
He glanced over his shoulder to see how close the nearest guard was. While he was looking back he missed the man coming up through a roof access. The large guard rushed out and attempted to tackle him. Layle turned his head just as the man was about to grab him, but his collisions seemed to slow down. Just like the pillow back at the house he was falling forward slowly. Slow enough for Layle to run around him and out of harm's way.
He turned around as he ran looking for the caster of the spell.
Two roofs ahead he caught sight of the pilgrim cloak he'd discarded at Clockworks. Though now she was wearing it with the hood pulled tightly around her face. The time controlling Lilty kicked open a roof access, looked back at Layle, and then jumped down into it.
"Follow the leader?" The Clavat jumped to the next roof running for the entrance she'd gone into. "Not my favorite game but I can play it!" He jumped down into the building, by passing the ladder. As he fell through he used his magic to grab the latch door and jam it shut.

The rest of his escape back to the twin's house was guided by Clockwork, who stayed one step ahead of him and guards with her magic. She never lingered long enough for anyone other than Layle to catch sight of her. And honestly by the time she had lead him back to the street where the girl's home was even he had no idea when was the last time he'd actually seen her. He'd just been following the trail she left behind.
As he came up to the abandoned the two were hiding in he shook his head, "I don't understand that Lilty. We could work together… She is right about that." He opened the back door to the empty house. He knew Clockwork was good. She just had a skewed sense of how to handle things. So long as she kept insisting to him that Keiss had to go, he knew that between him and the Lilty there would always be fighting.
But why?
She was a Bearer. She wanted to stop the Military. She wanted peace and quiet and for her friends to be safe… All Keiss wanted was his position. To get into the Military. To be like Spinosa and work for the High Commander. What exactly had Keiss done that proved he was more trust worthy than Clockwork? True, he never turned him in but…
"Doesn't he just think of these powers as a stepping stone?" Layle looked down at his hand and clenched his fist. He leaned against the back door of the house thinking about all his past missions with Keiss.
While he was lost in through Phedra made her way up the stairs to see who had entered the house.
"Layle!" The poison casting Clavat smiled as soon as she saw him. "Where have you been?"
He pushed doff the door and approached her, "You mean you don't know? Phelia didn't tell you?"
"No, she told me nothing! I've been worried sick! I thought maybe you left us…"
He smirked and shook his head, "Didn't I say I'd help you?" The Clavat reached into his coat, "Thought I suppose since you didn't know where I went, then that will make this twice as surprising." He pulled out the locket and dangled it just in front of Phedra. The girl shrieked in delight as she held out her hands for it. Layle let it drop into her palms and she clasped it to her heart.
"You got my locket! You got it! You got it!" He had to take a step back as she started to jump up and down and spin in place. "Oh my gosh! You actually made it across town! Crystal! You're amazing, Layle! You really are a mercenary! The best mercenary! You're fantastic!"
The blond laughed at her excitement. He wasn't expecting all of that. Phedra finally calmed down and opened up the locket. She ran her fingers over the images of her sister and Clockwork. She used her nail to slowly pull up the image of the Lilty and reveal a second one.
"See here, these are our parents," she held it up for him to see. The man and woman in the tiny frame were standing just in front of a field of sunflowers. "We don't have any others. So it's very important."
"I see…"
She put the image of Clockwork back over the two, "Even Phelia doesn't know I have it. She thinks they're all gone. Most everything we had was confiscated when the soldiers started to round up Bearers. But I remembered I had this tiny photo. I can't wait to show her that Mother and Father are coming back to Fum with us as well."
Layle watched her careful close the locket. He didn't say anything. There wasn't anything he could say.
"…Layle?" She slowly looked up at him, "If you went and got this… then, did you meet My Lady?"
"I did."
"…" Phedra looked back down at the locket, "I'm sorry I didn't- I didn't tell you anything. We try to keep her secrete. So that the guards won't take her away."
"Even her name, huh?"
The girl nodded. "Her name especially. It would ruin her family if it got out. They're tied to the Military. If you're ever caught, and they try to get you to talk-"
"-I won't."
"But if they try!" She shook he head. "She's done a lot for us. The only way to can hide her is to never mention what she can do. Or what she's done. You won't turn her in, right?"
The Clavat scratched at the crystal on the side of his face. If Keiss was here there would be no guarantee about that. However, he was alone. "I promise. I won't tell a soul."
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The Crystal Rule