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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
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Chapter Forty-One

Layle spent the rest of the day indoors with Phedra trying to help her keep her emotions calm. He might not have been able to help her practice casting, but he could at least do this for her. However it proved to be a more difficult task than he expected. Perhaps it was because she was so conditioned to be afraid or because she just so worried over what she could potentially do to someone. Whatever the reason, the black haired Clavat was jumpy and skittish and easily rattled.
"Phedra, isn't there anything that you can think of that gives you courage? That makes you unafraid?"
The girl stood rubbing the side of her arm. She was watching as a desk she'd cast poison was slowly deteriorating. The wood creaked and cracked and slowly rotted before her eyes. "J-just My Lady…"
"Then think about Clockwork. Think about how she would handle herself. And do that."
"I can't!" She covered her face with her hands, her locket dangling from her neck. "Layle can't you just accept that I can't! I'm not like you two! I'm cursed beyond help!"
"Phedra you've got to stop calling it a curse." He put his head on her shoulder. "If you keep this up you'll get caught in Fum too. You'll have to run all over again."
The black haired Clavat sighed and turned away from him, "I know that. I do… But Layle, it's too much. How can I- How can I not be upset when my magic can do such terrible things."
He watched her as she slowly started to walk away from him rubbing her arm. She was exhausted from trying all morning to control her magic. Maybe Phedra would never learn to control it. The two Crystal Bearers returned downstairs to the little apartment hidden in the basement. Phedra fell face first onto her bed and sigh. Layle leaned on the kitchen counter watching her. "So where did Phelia run off to, anyway?"
"To fetch our tickets for the ferry to Fum. Though she's been gone a long while…"
Layle looked towards the door and pulled away from the counter top. "I'm going to go back out and see if she's close by."
The poison casting girl lifted her head, "Why? She's probably just getting something else… Sometimes she lingers so the soldiers don't question why she's in such a hurry."
"Yes, but," Layle stood on the stairs to the door, "The guards today are also in a fury…So I had better go check up on her."
"…In a fury? Why?" The girl rolled over to study his face. Just as Layle was about to answer her, the door at the top of the stairs opened. He turned his head to see the guards weren't the only people upset with him. Phelia leaned against the door and let out a long sigh before turning to glare at Layle.
"Oh, Phelia… You made it."
"You!" She stormed down the steps. "You good for nothing idiot! Do you know what you've done?" Layle shrugged at her, he had no idea what was going on; he'd not left since this morning. "Every guard in the city is looking for you! Practically everywhere they've got barricades and check points set up-"
"They what?" Phedra slid off the bed.
"They check every single person that goes through the gates! You're lucky they all know me! It's the only way I could argue against having my arms checked! But it's near impossible to get anywhere with a guard stopping me!"
"Oh no…" Phedra had come to stand next to Layle. She looked up at him with worry in her eyes, "How are we going to get to the train? If Layle and I can't take the back streets…"
"Nearly every side road is blocked off. You have to take the main roads. And there have to be at least twenty check points between here and the train station." Phelia crossed her arms and her sister continued to look frightened. Both the girls were clearly worried they wouldn't make it out of town tomorrow. Layle looked back and forth between the two of them and scratched the crystal on his face.
"Why are you both so worried about this?"
"Didn't you hear her? What will we do if they discover she has a crystal too?"
"They won't." He pointed at Phelia, "It's like you said most every guard in the city knows you. And they know Phedra's got the crystal in her leg right?" He turned away from them and made his way back into the main room, "The plan is the same! It will just take longer to do- And Phedra and I will just have to stick to the rooftops instead!"
"The roof top-"
"Even if you take the roof tops how will you get her on the train!?" The sterner sister followed him as he took a seat on the couch. "There's no way with all the increased patrols you'll make it."
"I made it this morning didn't I?" He leaned back and smiled at her, "Don't worry about it, Phelia. I'll get Phedra onto the train. That's what I'm here for isn't it?"
The girl scoffed, "Why are you always so confident?"
"You two should be confident too, we're all Crystal Bearers just the same."

Late that afternoon Phedra and Phelia got changed into matching outfits while Layle waited in the abandoned house upstairs. Originally they had planned to leave the next day, however Phelia feared that more guards from Alfitaria would be sent in to cover the extra shifts. There best bet was to leave now, while she knew she could charm the guards into only checking for a crystal in her legs.
The plan was that the twins would dress the same, but Phelia would walk the check points, making sure that it was known she'd left the city. Layle was to help Phedra get to the train, and cause a distraction so she could board it and hide. When everything was settled, Phelia would board the proper way and find her. The two would travel the train both as 'Phelia' switching places from time to time. Security out in the far country wasn't as heavy as in cities like Marr's Pass. So getting off at the ferry station in the country side together would be no problem.
The door to the basement opened and a girl stepped out in a long sleeve bright blue dress and white apron. She wore long black stockings and boots, and her hair hung around her face. She approached Layle looking cross as usual.
"So… I take it you're ready to go, Phelia?"
As soon as he spoke the girl burst out laughing. She twirled around and stopped with a smile. "Phedra!"
"Ah, well, you were doing such a good job making a face like a Blazer Battle had jabbed you with its horn, I couldn't tell."
"I do not make a face like that!" The other twin emerged carrying a small bag full of what the girls could bring with them. Phedra chuckled at her sister's expression. She did often look as if horrible had gotten to her. "Stop you laughing… Alright! I'm going to get going. You can get to the roof of the house through the attic. Be certain you aren't seen!"
"Don't worry; no one's going to see us, Phelia." The twin pulled a pilgrim's cloak out of her bag and handed it to her sister before pulling one out for herself.
"Be careful, Phedra…"
The poison casting girl took the cloak. She reached into her dress and pulled the locket forward. She unhooked the clasp and handed it to Phelia. "You had better be careful too."
"…This? But this is for you?"
"It was always for you, sister." She put her hand over it as the other started to open it, "Just get going. Layle and I will be right behind you."
The girls hesitated for a moment before finally Phelia pulled the cloak's hood up over her head and left the little house. Layle looked to Phedra and the two started to make their way up stairs as she pulled the cloak on. Just outside the house's gate Phedra stopped to open the locket. Inside the picture of Clockwork was gone and the just the pictures of the twins and their parents remained. The sterner of the two sisters smiled as she slipped it on around her neck. What was twenty check points? She'd make it to the train, and they'd make it to Fum together.

For fifteen minutes Layle and Phedra hopped rooftops, peeked over the edges of houses, and used onnings as jumping points. They had to go slow to make sure they didn't make a lot of noise and attract the guards. Phelia had not been kidding when she said they were everywhere. He must have really upset them this morning.
Occasionally the pair would catch a glimpse of Phelia stopped in line at check point in a little square or at the top of a set of stairs. Layle knew they had to keep moving, but every time she saw her sister Phedra wanted to stop and wait. She had to see for her own eyes that the other girl made it through.
"If we keep stopping like this, Phedra, we're never going to make the train."
"We're going as fast as Phelia is, we'll make it."
"We're supposed to be going faster than Phelia," He crossed his arms watching her peek over the edge of the roof trying to see if her sister cleared the last guard. "Remember you have to be on the train before Phelia. I need to make the distraction before she gets there."
The nervous girl nodded and reluctantly pulled back from the edge of the roof. "I know, I know but, but, Layle I'm just worried."
"Don't be." He raised his hand and let the blue light of his magic flicker, "I'll get you both out." He offered his other hand to her, "Now come on." She took his hand and he pulled her forward. Layle really didn't mind that Phedra wanted to watch her sister clear the check points. In fact he completely understood her need to make sure her sister was safe. But the Clavat didn't want to linger. After his brush with the guards earlier, his magic was in truth, exhausting him.
Though the pain in his skull was light, it was still there, every time he had to use his magic to help them across a long jump. Or to cause something to flip so they could distract a guard and make the next leap unseen. If he was planning on making a big show with his magic later, he wanted to get tot eh train station and be ready. Hopefully they'd get there before the pain became so constant he couldn't focus. He hadn't told Phedra his powers were on the fritz. And to be honest he wasn't sure if Phelia had told her either. But it didn't matter. It was as he said; he didn't need them to function at one-hundred percent for him to make a distraction.
As the two neared the train station the roof tops evened out. All around the station the buildings were businesses with flat open roof tops. They were the easiest to jump, but they provided no cover. So staying away from the edges until they absolutely needed to jump was crucial. Layle looked out across the expanse of buildings; ahead he could see the smoke coming from the Selkie train.
"Alright, Phedra, we're almost there…" He looked back at her. She was looking out over the street, her body lying flat on her roof while she watched Phelia at the check point. "Phedra…Phedra…" he walked over to her and crouched down putting his hand on her back. "Hey."
"Something's wrong," she muttered at him. He turned his attention toward the street. Indeed Phelia was being held up. She seemed to be arguing with the guard. But over what he couldn't tell. "They checked her leg… They know she's not me, but they won't let her pass…"
At the checkpoint a guard in black armor stood off the side. His attire was not one Layle had seen around Marr before. He must have been from Alfitaria. They were already insisting upon more through checks of the citizens. The guard speaking to Phelia motioned to her sleeves and was motioning for her to roll them up. Phedra started to stand up and Layle grabbed her.
"What are you doing?"
"They're going to catch her! I-I have to-"
"You have to get to the train," Layle pushed her back down. "I'm here for the distraction remember?" The black haired Clavat looked up at him and nodded slowly. "Get going. And don't stop for anything, got it?" Before she could give a proper answer Layle turned his attention back to the street. Phelia was rolling up her left sleeve slowly and now the guard was asking her to roll up her right one. The gravity Bearer leapt from the rooftop down onto a shop onning and flipped out into the street. Immediately all the guards turned their heads to see what was going on.
"Hey now," Layle dusted himself off, "All of you guys wouldn't happen to be looking for me, would you?" The black guard gave a command and the soldiers rushed Layle. He used his magic to flip a few onto their backs before taking off. He ran away from the check point down an alley leaving the way clear for Phelia. The girl grabbed her bag and ran for the next guard sentry. There were only a few left.

Layle raced through the streets ducking and weaving. He didn't bother trying to control his powers. He more or less used them as a shield, holding his hand out and creating a wall of energy to stop anyone from grabbing him or using it to bulldoze his way through a group of guards. When he had the chance he'd stop and grab a few or a nearby rain barrel or crate and use them as weapons. Sure enough any guard that heard the commotion came running. They left their stations to help in the attempt to catch him, making it easy for Phelia to run through the checking stations.
Above the streets Phedra leapt over the buildings, the Poison Bearer was just one line of roofs away from the train. She could hear the guards shouting and calling for help as they attempted to reel Layle in. Finally, when she reached the row of buildings lining the train station she stopped running. Down below she could see that the guards here hadn't left their positions. They didn't respond to the cries for back up. They stood fast at the train doors and the entrances to the little plaza still keeping watch over everyone that entered. Phedra lowered herself to lie flat on the roof; hopefully Layle would come this way and clear a few out. Hopefully…
Phelia too saw that the train station was still under watch. She stopped running and stood back looking at the two guards watching over the entrance to the square. The Crystal Bearer clutched at the locket under her dress as she tried to catch her breath. What now? There was no way for her to get through on her own. She started to back up, thinking she'd find another way into the train station plaza. However as she took a few steps back she collided with a guard that was rushing toward the commotion. Phelia turned around quickly and backed up form him apologizing.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there-"
The solider dusted himself off as she apologized and tried to slink around him. However as she passed him he pointed at her, "How did you get here?"
"E-excuse me?" Phelia stopped walking, "I walked here, why?"
"All the check points are shut down! How did you get cleared to come to the train station?"
"Ah- ah well, I was already cleared, but I was just-" The solider turned his head to call over one of the guards at the station entrance. "What are you doing?"
"If you're going to the station, you need your final clearance."
Phelia clutched at her arm as the guard drew near, "No, oh no, it's alright I don't need-"
"What's wrong?" The solider turned to her, "You got something to hide… Let me see your arm." Just as he reached out for her, she pulled away ready to run. However right before her eyes the two guards were enveloped in a black light. They let out a cry of pain and topped over holding onto their stomachs. Phelia gasped and looked around. On the roof Phedra was holding out her hands casting poison over the two Lilty men. Unfortunately her spell was seen by the last guard standing at the entrance, though she was not. He raised his spear to Phelia and shouted at her to stop. The girl turned and took off running. Her twin cast another poison spell, concentrating her fear on just the guard, just as Layle had told her to focus on only the desk. He fell to the ground rolling in pain. Phedra congratulated herself and stood up; she took off after her sister.

Layle in fact did make his way to the train station. Leading a group of surly and cursing guards as he did so. He'd stopped casting gravity spells and now just focused on running. His headache was getting worse. To the point that keeping his eyes open was causing him pain. But he knew he had to hold out to clear out the station. Then he could be overwhelmed by it. Then he could stop fighting. Then he could get caught. But only then.
The gravity Bearer rounded the corner and made his way down the main street toward the station entrance. He stopped running and came to halt, nearly falling over in the cobblestone street. Three guards were on the ground, crying out from pain and fever. They were obviously poisoned.
"Phedra…" A few streets over he could hear more guards shouting ordering someone to stop. Layle rubbed the side of his head and ran forward. The station was cleared out of guards, and most of the civilians had fled. He ran through the square and out the other side. Behind him he could hear the soldiers that were chasing him were catching up, in front of him the cobblestone streets and the rustic buildings were blurring together from the throbbing on the side of his skull. He barely leapt over down guards and nearly stumbled over crates as he followed the sounds of the soldiers fighting Phedra.
He rounded the corner into a small alley and crashed right into one.
Layle hit the ground, and even though it should have been nothing, the feeling of the cobblestone hitting the back of his head just added to his headache. He grit his teeth and cursed as the black guard over him raised his spear. Layle lifted his hand and grabbed the Lilty with a gravity field. With a flick of his wrist he tossed him. To where he wasn't sure, but he tossed him as far upward as he could manage. The Clavat started to sit up just as a set of hands grabbed him.
"Layle!" Phelia pulled him to his feet and started to drag him, "Layle are you alright!?"
She pulled him along behind her and he nodded, "Y-yeah, just- just losing a bit of control…" He looked around, everything seemed to be turning. "Where's Phedra?"
"I don't know!" The girl pushed him down another alley way, "We were together… But then the guards broke us up. There are so many of them swarming the city, I can't seem to find which way she went." The twin stopped under a fire escape ladder and jumped up. She grabbed the bottom rung and pulled it down. "We need to get higher!"
"Right… You first…" Layle let her go up the ladder and he followed. As soon as they were on the roof they pulled it up. The gravity Bearer knelt down holding his head. "Ph-helia… We've got to find Phedra so you two can get out… But you need to fight."
The twin watched him holding his head, "What, what's wrong with you?"
Layle stood up, and slightly stumbled back before catching himself. "I told you, I lost control… My head. I injured my head a month ago. Using my magic makes it hurt." He held the side of his skull, "I can keep fighting, but you have to help. You've got to use your power, no matter how useless it is." He started to walk past her.
"An injury… But, Layle!" She started after him. He jumped to the next roof top, looking around trying to sppt where the other twin had gone. Finally the two spotted Phedra. The girl was running from a group of guards. She stopped on an empty street and ducked behind a set of shipping crates. Layle leaned over the edge of the roof and scanned the street, the guards chasing her were coming up the street, and another set of black guards was coming from up the way. Each group was looking in windows, and shop stalls, and flipping over crates and barrels.
"They're going to catch her!" Layle gripped the edge of the roof and decided he was going to go down. "Phelia, when I start fighting the guards, call to Phedra. There's no one at the station. You can get on the train and-"
The girl put her hand on his shoulder to keep him from jumping, "And what? And leave you? You'll get caught!"
"I was always going to get caught, Phelia!" The guards on the street were drawing closer to Phedra's hiding place. "My magic is busted. I can barely use it for an hour before I can't function. I was always going to get caught; I just wanted the option of deciding how and where!"
"Layle…" The two turned their heads as the guards started to rummage through the shops on either side of the supply crates where Phedra hid.
"Alright, get read-" The Clavat felt himself be pulled back again. This time his back hit the roof and Phelia put her right hand over his mouth.
"You can't get caught, you idiot… If you become part of the cured, who's going to stop it from spreading to Fum!?" He wanted to argue but couldn't. He tried to use his magic to throw Phelia off of him but something was stopping him. A pale green light wrapped around her arm and around his entire body. "…It can't stop poison. I've tried and tried and tried. But I know it can do this. This is why I was given this power… I really will help Phedra." She pulled her hand away from Layle and the light faded.
The Crystal Bearer felt like the world was spinning, but in a different way than before.
The pain from his head was gone, washed away as if it had never been. He reached up still trying to reorient himself, "P-helia… W-what did you-?" The black haired Clavat stood up as Layle was sitting up.
"You have to stop this from spreading to Fum. I'm counting on you, Layle." She turned her back to him and jumped off the roof. Layle shouted her name and he heard a crash below. He looked over the side off the roof to see Phelia pushing herself out of a bunch of smashed barrels. The guards saw her as well. Layle could see the same soft green light wrap around her as she stood, and she started to run. Completely unhurt from her fall. The guards shouted at her to stop and gave chase as she ran up the street away from the train station and away from Phedra.
Layle watched her run out of sight and jumped down. Instinctively he summoned a gravity field to break his fall, and it came and went on command.
No pain.
The Crystal Bearer looked down at his hands and then back up the street to where the girl had run off. He walked over to Phedra's hiding place and moved the crates with the wing of his hand.
As easy as sweeping aside a bunch of feathers.
He felt a chuckle catch in his throat.
Phedra looked up at the floating crates and stood. "Layle!" She ran forward and hugged him.
"…Come on, Poison Pin. The way is clear. We've got to go." He held her hand and ran with her back to the train station. As they ran through the streets he could hear the sounds of the trains whistle indicating it was getting ready to pull out of the station. Phedra followed him, but she kept looking around confused.
The two reached the station just as the train was starting to pull away. Layle cursed and started to run for it, yanking the Clavat girl along behind him. Phedra followed but she looked over her shoulder. "Layle!"
The blond Clavat ignore her he raced along the platform trying to grab hold of some part of the train with his magic.
"Layle, wait! Where's Phelia?"
The Clavat cursed as the line he kept making broke when the car he latched onto pulled out of reach.
"Layle! Answer me!" Phedra started to pull back on his arm stopping him from running. He finally looked back at her, but didn't say anything. For a moment the only noise that filled their ears was the sound of the training rushing past. "…No. No! NO!" Phedra tried to pull away but Layle held onto her arm. The caboose of the train went by them and he reached out with his magic grabbing onto the back bars of the train. He tugged and they were pulled forward off the platform.
"No! Let go of me! Layle, let go! No! I have to go back! NO!"
The two Crystal Bearers landed with a thud onto the small platform on the back of the train. Phedra was struggling to get away from him. He let her go and she shoved him away. The black haired Clavat leaned over the side of the railing as the train pulled away from Marr's Pass. "No! Phelia! No-!"
Layle stood up and reached out to put his hand on her shoulder, but the moment he touched her Phedra's hand lashed out at him, wrapped in the black light of a poison spell. "How could you! My sister! My only sister!" The twin collapsed to the ground shaking and sobbing. "My only sister! She was all I had left! No! No! Phelia!" Layle didn't say anything, he wanted to try and comfort her, but Phedra's body kept popping off poisons spells forcing him to back up to the other side of the little balcony.
He slowly sat down watching her as she curled in on herself sobbing the same few lines over and over again.
"My only sister… My only one… How could, Layle? How could you leave her?"
Layle still didn't answer her.
There just wasn't an answer to give.
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The Crystal Rule