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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
- 4
- 5
- 6
Chapter Five
He hit the ground hard. Even trying to roll is body inward to brace the impact, the force of the ground sent shockwaves through him. He rolled in haphazard way and came to a stop on his back. Keiss saw Layle seemingly swinging across from him, where the Clavat skid into the ground and also tumbled, landing on his side. Before he could think to ask if his partner was alright, the mercenary heard the sound of the mushroom crashing into the forest floor. It released spores everywhere, clouding his eyes. Keiss stood up calling to Layle.
The crystal bearer covered his nose and looked around the spore filled air. He could hear Keiss but couldn't see him. Damn what a mess! "Keiss! Keiss!" He tried using his powers to clear away the drifting spores but all he saw when he did were several paris of gold eyes, hovering at two feet high coming his way. "Shit." Layle held up his right hand and reached out to the closest pair, grabbing it and flinging it into another. He started to do the same with his left hand, but they kept coming.
No matter how many times he lifted and bashed and tossed a Tonberry, they kept coming. They never dissolved. "Shit shit shit! Of course it's never ending…This is where they return too…" As the spores cleared, Layle could clearly see he was surrounded, and about ten feet from him, so was Keiss. The Selkie had drawn his sword and was pushing back the Tonberries, but they still kept coming out of the forest at them.
"Layle!" He called to him as he kicked on away. "We need to get to higher ground!"
The Clavat picked up two nearby Tonberries and used them as battering rams to make a path. "Just leave it to me!" The two hovering in front of him flailed endlessly as Layle used his powers to force them to stab and cut down their fellow monsters. He cleared away to Keiss who fell in behind him as he ran forward. The Selkie pulled out his gun and began shooting at Tonberries that came to close as they ran.
"We need someplace we can put our backs to!" He called to the Clavat leading the way. As they ran, what Tonberries could still get up gave chase. The defeated monsters remained on the ground, their bodies undissolved.
"Right! A place to put our backs too…" Once the front path was clear, Layle tossed his Tonberry-battering rams into nearby mushrooms and rushed forward. He had no clue where they were going, but he kept running. Occasionally reaching out to weak and old mushroom stems and yanking them down behind the two. Yet no matter how fast or how far they ran, it seemed the forest went on forever, with no place for cover and no end to the Tonberries.
"We can't keep running, Keiss! We have to stand and fight them! It's never gonna end…"
The Selkie looked back at their monster pursuers and knew Layle was right. 'Damn, no wonder no one's ever returned.' He turned his head forward, "Then let's do it, Crystal Bearer!" He stopped and turned around as did Layle. As the monsters caught up and swarmed around them, the two moved to stand back to back. "Damn…to think out first mission could be our last."
"You giving up so soon?" Layle chuckled, "I figured you for a braver Selkie than that."
"Tch…" Keiss put his gun away and held his sword with both hands, "Crystal Bearer, when we get out of this, I'll be sure to show you just what kind of Selkie I am!" Keiss charged forward swinging his sword at a group of Tonberries. Layle did the same, rushing the group across from him using his powers to spin them and knock them to the ground. The two continued to fight wave after wave and Tonberries, though they were small, they were fast and relentless. More than once, they had gotten close enough to stab the two. And each time had been a narrow miss, only cutting their sides or their clothes. It seemed they were never going to stop until suddenly, the next wave didn't come.
Instead they stood off in the distance at the mushrooms watching them and swaying from side to side. All around there were fallen Tonberries. Keiss turned his head left and right watching them. Layle backed up to him and muttered, "What are they doing…"
"Don't know…" The Selkie took a few deep breaths. "They should be attacking…Maybe their tired?"
"Or maybe they know we're getting tired?" Layle kept his left and up and studied his right, a Tonberry on the last wave had cut the palm of his hand. Keiss's arms were covered in cuts as well. The blades we unbelievably sharp…
As the two stood waiting, they watched as the Tonberries all turned their heads one direction. The boys turned their heads too and watched as the Tonberry Queen came out into the clearing. She still held her little bear and lightly touched her bow as if fixing it. It then looked around the area before pulling out its own knife.
"Huh…I guess it's her turn."
"Two on one," Keiss smirked. "We can handle her no problem.
"Yeah, but what about the others…they'll swarm as soon as she goes down…"
Keiss looked around, Layle was right. There were at least a good twenty more Tonberries hanging back, and that's what they could see. Who knew how many were hiding. He turned his eyes upward, "When she goes down…Grab her and pull yourself up to a mushroom." Layle turned his head to Keiss and followed his line of sight to a low mushroom top. "Then pull me up…I'll be okay for a few seconds."
"Got'cha…" The boys looked back at the Queen, she was slowly weaving her way toward them. Her movements were like that of old Tonberry tales, slowly taking her time; as if she were out on a stroll. She watched them with every step, and they watched her. Finally when she was few feet away, she rushed forward, knife thrusting forward and her bear clutched tightly under her arm. They each rolled to the side and let her pass. As soon as she was behind them Layle turned and took hold of her with his powers. He yanked her back and threw her Keiss' direction. The Selkie mercenary swung his sword and slashed at her back. The force sent the Tonberry flying into a nearby mushroom stalk.
She hit the ground and fell with a thud.
The boys stood still watching her, waiting to see if she would get back up. Unfortunately she did.
The Tonberry stood shakily, weaving on her feet until she stood perfectly still and stared at the mercenaries. Out the corner of his eye, Keiss could see the other Tonberries drawing back- they were leaving… "Hey, Layle…" He said quietly, "So-mething is u-p…" He motioned his head toward the retreating Tonberries. As the blond turned to look the Queen let out loud, cry. It sounded much like a two year old throwing a tantrum. Both the boy's heads snapped back to her. When she was done crying she stood perfectly still, almost like a statue.
"Hey!" Layle turned to Keiss, "Didn't Oides say she would cry or something…to attract the King."
Keiss nodded, "Hey, yeah! You're right." The Selkie looked around, trying to spot where the king would come from. They each turned their heads until finally they heard movement. And from the mushrooms emerged another Tonberry holding a toy. He stepped out and stood next to the Queen adjusting the little bowtie around its neck. The King held its toy truck close and drew its knife; the Queen followed suit.
"Two on two?" Layle looked at Keiss and nodded.
"Still easier than twenty on two." As they finished talking the Tonberries rushed forward swinging their knives and dashing to take the mercenaries from both sides. Layle and Keiss each rolled a different direction. Keiss took the Queen and Layle took the King. The redhead swung his sword out and his bade connected with the Queen's knife, knocking her back. He took the moment she was unbalanced as a chance kick her in the face and send her falling back to the ground. Layle used his powers to seize the King just as he made a stab for his stomach. He rolled his hands and flipped the Tonberry before dragging it across the ground and hurling it to the side to land next to the Queen.
The creatures lay on the ground for a moment seemingly paralyzed from pain, and the boys laughed. "Really?" Layle shook his head, "That's the Tonberry King and Queen? I thought they were supposed to be hard to fight."
"Yeah, this is easier than taking on the mass of them…" Keiss relaxed his stance and stood with a hand on his hip. "I could do this all day. I can't imagine why everyone else has failed."
"Maybe they got beat out by the underlings."
"What morons!" The boys laughed as the Queen and King picked themselves up. Layle smirked and hit Keiss' shoulder.
"Looks like round three is about to start." The boys didn't bother taking a defensive stance; they stood, cocky and watched as the creatures stood. However this time neither the Queen nor King straightened their appearance.
Instead the Queen shook her head and stomped her feet before tossing her teddy to the ground. The King had a similar reaction, kicking up the spores on the ground and tossing his truck away. The boys snickered.
"They look like a couple of spoiled kids…"
"Hey, what's the matter, Tonberries?" Keiss called to them. "Angry you didn't get your way?" As the two laughed. The monsters tantrums came to a halt and the two reached into their robes.
They tossed away their knives and drew out new weapons. For the King a large, thick buster sword that was probably twice the size of his body, and for the Queen a long rusted looking chainsaw. Slowly Keiss and Layle's laughter died out. And as the King swung his sword and the Queen pulled the chainsaw's cord, amusement was replaced with disbelief and horror.
"What the- how the—where the!" Keiss stood speechless. Weapons? Actual weapons? They carried actual weapons and knew how to use them- Screw that, where they even keeping these things? He turned to the crystal bearer who looked just as confused, but before he could say anything, the monster duo charged forward. This time twice as fast as before. They boys barely had enough time to dodge before a chainsaw and a sword cut into the ground they were standing on.
The Tonberry Queen turned and jerked her weapon Keiss' direction, tilting it forward and running at him at breakneck speed. The King did the same to Layle. He hoisted his sword high over his shoulder and charged.
Keiss drew his gun and fired, but the monster just swung her saw and deflected his shots. She was on him in seconds, and if not for his sword to use as a shield she'd have cut into his chest. Layle used his powers as a shield knocking back the King's blows. But the force of each impact was knocking him back and costing him footing, while the King seem un waivered by the recoil from his sword.
"Damn! DAMN!" Keiss finally took a chance and pulled back from the Tonberry. He pushed his sword upward and rolled back. Without looking he started to run into the forest, knowing he couldn't slow down. The Queen quickly recovered and gave chase. Layle watched as Keiss took off running- he decided it was a good idea. With a final push, he forced his energy forward and knocked the king a few feet away from him, before taking off into the forest as well. Behind him he could hear the sound of the sword swinging through the air and cutting into mushrooms.
The two boys raced forward, weaving and ducking between fungi trying to escape. Within minutes they were running next to each other, panting and trying to think of a plan. "Up!" Was all Keiss could shout, pointing upward to the mushrooms overhead. Layle nodded in agreement and took his partners hand. With the other he shot out a stream of energy and yanked them both up two a mush room top.
"Oh Crystal!" Keiss gasped for air, "Where were they keeping those! They're bigger than they are!" He turned his head to Layle who was also gasping.
"Forget that! How'd they get so fa-" She stopped talking the mushroom was slanting. "Shit…" He looked over the edge to see the Queen chopping it down while the King circled like a shark. "Come on!" He took Keiss's hand and reached out for another mushroom top. Just the surface gave way underneath them, Layle pulled them to the next mushroom.
But they couldn't rest long, the Tonberry royals followed them, and once again began hacking away at the stalk. "We need a plan!" Layle looked around for their next escape route.
"Plan! We need to get to the ship!" Keiss held up his sword, there was a huge gash in it from the chainsaw. "We're gonna die if we try to take them on again! At least with the ship we can use the turrets!"
Layle took Keiss's hand and pulled them to the next surface. "And we'll blast them to bits! We need the bodies, remember!"
"Hey! Its either their bodies or ours…Don't get me wrong. I love gil as much as the next Selkie…but living is more important!"
Layle cursed and looked around, he could already feel the mushroom giving away underfoot, though it was a bit slower than the last two. "Let's talk while we run…" He extended his hand to grab the next mushroom, but to his dismay it fell before he even grabbed it.
"The heck!" Keiss ran to the edge and looked down; the Queen had cut the mushroom next to them…and now she was cutting the one on the other side. It was the King this time, hacking away at their safe haven while his partner cut off their escape. "Quick! This one! It's not cut!" Keiss pointed to the only other mushroom and they ran for it. The monsters followed using the same tactic, cutting down the mushrooms around them, leaving them with limited options.
"We have to go down!" Layle said by the time they were on their fourth mushroom. "We have to!"
"And do you have a plan?" Keiss looked around, the available tops were disappearing quickly as they approached a clearing.
"Well…you have a sword, the King has a sword. You take him I'll take the Queen."
"That's your plan!" The Selkie looked cross as the leapt to the next available top.
"We'll be evenly matched…somewhat!"
"That plan sucks, Crystal Bearer!"
"I don't see you with any ideas Mr. Stealth! It's your fault were in in this mess!"
"Mine!" Keiss looked pissed as Layle jumped ahead. He followed swearing, "You're the one who fucking wasted time drawing out the queen rather than thinking of how to catch her!"
"Well you were bragging about how sneaky you were, yet the monsters got the drop on us!"
"I didn't see you sneak up on any monster, Crystal Bearer! Huh? What were you doing? Oh right! Starting a race! In a monster nest!"
"No one asked you to join in Ke-" Layle stopped running. Dead end! There was only open air in front of them. A long gap of open air before the next mushroom tops and just a little beyond that some odd structure. The tops of which were looked pale dull green and smoothed down.
"Great! You let them lead us into a trap!" The boys looked around, the mushroom they were standing on was shaking from being cut and all around them was already chopped.
"Well," Layle nodded to Keiss, "Then it's time to go down."
The Selkie drew his gun and reloaded it. "…I'll take the King."
"I'll get the Queen…"
"See if you can lift her…I've got an idea…" The boys nodded to each other and looked ahead as the mushroom slowly gave way. When it started to fall, the both ran forward and jumped, rolling their bodies to lessen the impact. This time they didn't have time to look through the spores for each other. As soon as they hit the ground, each stood and started to run- even if it hurt. The Tonberries were hot on their heels. Layle looked over his shoulder to see the King was still after him. He cursed and turned to run and intercept Keiss.
The Selkie was doing the same, as the boys ran past each other, Keiss smirked and Layle shook his head with a grin, they were now each running head first toward their new opponents. Keiss pointed his gun and fired at the King. As could be expected the creature swung its blade to deflect the bullets. When it brought its sword crashing down, Keiss jumped back letting it hit the ground. He then swung his own sword down, using the gash in the blade to link onto the kings and kept it down.
The Tonberry let out a strangled squeak of a roar and Keiss sneered, "Yeah yeah, I get it, you're upset." He drew his gun again and this time fired right in the monster's face. It drew back screaming and Kiess ran forward to fire again. However as soon as he stepped he felt the ground under his foot move. Kiess looked down to see the toy truck speeding around on its own under his feet. It pulled out from under him and he fell the ground.
Layle ran at the Queen and she charged forward her chainsaw pointing right at him. The crystal bearer extended his hand and tried to take old of her and her weapon, but as soon as she felt the pull the Queen started to struggle. She yanked to the side violently and broke free of the stream. "Damn!" Layle rolled to the opposite side and crouched, trying to grab her legs as she circled back around. He felt his powers take hold and he yanked forward, but Queen didn't come.
Instead the teddy bear rushed forward, startled Layle let it go, but the bear spread out its arms and grabbed for his face. The Clavat lifted his hand to bat it away only for it to extend claws and scratch his other hand. "Shit!" The bear landed with a thud and got back up, it turned and charged swinging its claws. He got up and ran again, the bear and its owner giving chase. He looked over his shoulder to see Keiss rolling along the ground avoiding the King's swings. He changed direction and ran for the mercenary, extending his powers to grab him and toss him up into the air.
The sudden jolt upward caused him to scream. Keiss turned his body in midair; as he was coming down he saw Layle running with the two monsters on either side of him and the truck rushing around his feet trying to trip him. "Damnit…Layle!" The Selkie pulled out his throwing knives and tossed them down, taking out the toy truck. Its wheels whizzed and tried to move forward, but it remained pinned in place.
Three of his daggers missed, the fifth took out the teddy bear and the last connected with the Queen's chainsaw causing it to malfunction. Then he was out of time, Keiss hit the ground with an unpleasant smack. The King turned to see the Selkie slowly picking himself up, groaning. It turned to charge at him waving its sword while the Queen stopped trying to restart her chainsaw.
Layle turned once he realized he wasn't being chased. Without missing a beat he reached out with his powers and grabbed the Queen with both hands. Again she tried to jerk free, but this time he kept his hands steady with her movements instead of against them. He held onto her with his right hand and tore her weapon from her with his left. The crystal bearer then hoisted her high and tossed her as hard as he could at the King's back.
Just as Keiss was on all fours the King was swinging his sword for his face. The Selkie was stunned, but even more so as the King was pushed forward and over his back. The two monsters tumbled and hit the ground causing the King to drop his weapon. Keiss pulled himself up and grabbed the sword, before either Tonberry could get up the Selkie ran to their side and brought the sword down on them.
They let out an awful cry together before each lay still, the sword pinning them together and two the ground. Keiss stood over the defeated monsters gasping for air and rubbing his face.
Layle slowly walked up to stand next to him looking just as tired. Neither said anything for a long while until finally Keiss smacked his hand into Layle's shoulder nodding. "Good plan, partner."
He nodded, "You did great, buddy…" He pat him on the back. The two sighed and sat down, staring at the Tonberries. Neither said anything they just sat catching their breath.
After about twenty minutes of sitting, Keiss finally spoke up. "We should go…before the common Tonberries come back."
"Yeah…that would be bad…" Layle stood up slowly and looked around. "But we lost the pack."
"Doesn't matter. We'll just drag the bodies."
"And the map?" Layle asked as he pulled the sword out of the monsters.
"We'll follow the trail of chopped shrooms…"
"That could lead us into a lot of angry Tonberries." He tossed the weapon aside and grabbed the two monsters by the tails.
"Well." Keiss crossed his arms, "You got any bright ideas?"
Layle hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Just one…I saw something, right before we were cut down…" He started to walk across the clearing, "Come on."
"Layle…That leads deeper into the forest. Layle…Layle….Crystal Bearer!" Keiss angrily called after him, but followed none the less.
The two walked for another fifteen minutes before they came upon another clearing.
Before them was a hill, covered in dozens of small mushrooms and a thick lining of spores. The area here was a pale white with a clear, but old path leading up the hill to a structure towering over the mushrooms. It was lean and twisted winding up until it fanned out at the top and folded over gracefully into several tips, some that met to make a point in the center. And under the point an old alter covered with spores and little mushrooms. It looked like it had once been a bright green thriving tree, but not it was dulled and practically looked as if it was made of rock.
Keiss and Layle stood quiet and speechless before the Selkie took a step forward. His partner reached out and grabbed his arm. They looked at each other for a moment before finally moving forward together.
"Layle…" The Selkie looked about…"Do you know, where we are…Do you know what we've found…"
The Clavat nodded. "A Myrrh Tree…And ancient Myrrh Tree… No one has probably been here since the days of the caravans."
"The last Myrrh Tree was seen…over hundreds of years ago…Near New Tida, before it finally died…Everyone thinks they're dead…Layle….Layle!" The boys came up to the alter and Keiss looked up in awe, "We just stumbled onto a piece of history! We're gonna be rich. Fucking rich! Famous!" He turned his head to him, "More than that! Think of the status, the acclaim!"
Layle was unimpressed "…I wonder why it survived…" The Clavat looked up at its dulled and faded branches.
Keiss looked up again and stared at it, the spores rolled right off of it. It was the only uncovered surface in the entire forest. "Probably because it's all alone. Once the miasma cleared, people moved into the forest and the wilds, cities grew, population expanded…but no one can live in the mushroom forest…Its uninhabitable…."
"…Think it will die…If Lilties come here and try to study it…"
The boys looked at each other and then back up at the tree. " …We haven't got the map have we?" Keiss asked.
"Nah…lost it off that springy Mushroom."
"…I don't remember the way here…do you?"
Layle shook his head with a smile, "Nope."
"Ah well…There are other ways to gain acclaim." The Selkie smirked and reached down to knock the mushrooms off the alter. Clearing it for anyone that should want to make an offering. "There. Good as new…"
Layle chuckled at his partners actions, they were pointless. As he opened his mouth to tell him so he heard the sound of movement from behind them. Both boys turned expecting to see Tonberries, but their surprise a Lilty woman stood there.
She was about Keiss's height, wearing a long cloak to protect her clothing from the spores. Her hair was a light green, pulled to the side to fall over her shoulder. In the ends of her hair, lilacs bloomed freely. She stopped walking, her green eyes trained on the duo.
"A Lilty!" Keiss pointed at her. "Who the hell are you! How did you ge-" As he spoke the girl raised her hand. For a brief moment Layle could swear he saw a faint golden light, but before he could react or question it the girl was gone. "-t here! …Hey!" Keiss looked around. "She gone!"
Layle also looked confused. "There was a girl there, right? A Lilty?"
"Yeah!" Keiss whipped his head around turning in circles. "She just vanished! Right as I was talking to her! I didn't even blink!"
"Neither did I…but I saw a light."
"A light? What light?" Keiss looked at him, "I didn't see anything!" The Selkie raced from the alter to where the girl stood. Nothing was there except the impression her feet had made in the spores and the boys supply bag and map. "…Our stuff…"
Layle walked down to meet Keiss as the Selkie unfolded the map. There was trail marked on it, indicating how to leave. And on the bottom the words 'Stay Away'.
Layle looked around the clearing searching for signs of the girl. "What do you make of it?"
Keiss cursed, stuffing the Tonberries into the bag. "As long as she doesn't get in the way of our contract, I don't care!"
"Keiss…Is that really all you can think abo-"
"Look!" He stood up turning to Layle, "I don't know what just happened. But we weren't gonna come back here anyway. Whoever she is, let it go. We need to get out of her before the Tonberries return."
"Boy, your mood soured quick!" Layle put his hands in his jacket pockets as Keiss started to leave the clearing.
Keiss wouldn't admit it, but he was now bothered. That girl looked perfectly unharmed. How did she get this deep into the forest without being seen or attacked by Tonberries? How did she disappear so quickly? There was only one logical answer, and he was not up for a fight with a bearer right now. Especially one he couldn't distinguish the powers of.
Layle followed close behind him, silent and looking over his shoulder form time to time. He was looking out for monsters and the mystery girl. Though he saw nothing for the duration of their silent walk back to the air ship. Like Keiss, he had come to the conclusion only a bearer could have gotten in and gotten out so quickly, especially right before their eyes. He wasn't nervous though, just curious.
The entire trip back he was hoping to catch a glimpse of this new mystery. But he wouldn't. At least not today…
Author's Note: And that's Four and Five!I will be back next week with Six and Seven! Its my intention now to update at least two chapters a week. Sometimes it may be only one. I hope that won't be the case though.
- 4
- 5
- 6
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The Crystal Rule