Track this topic | Email this topic | Print this topic

K, after reading some FFIV fanfics, I felt inspired. I had to do some reading up first, as I never really beat FFIV. Yeah, well, I've never really made a fanfic before, I hope I did this alright. Yes, I'm aware my paragraphing sucks, and my descriptions are totally bland and horrible. This will have multiple chapters.

Bah...this'll probably get 0 replies. Oh well, I'll give this a shot...here goes nothing...



----------
CHAPTER I: ABSENCE AND RETURN




"...Rosa..."

The Dragoon's gentle, familiar voice was enough to bring her to tears. His back was facing her, and his armor shone so brightly- as he turned around, she gazed at his face, remembering it after so many years. He hadn't aged a day. His handsome face still boasted the pride of a Dragoon- his helmet clutched in his left, spear in his right. The spear that now rested in the hands of her son.

"K...Kain? Is that you?"

"...Rosa..."

She was sure now. It was...him.

"Kain! It’s you! I haven't seen you in...it...it's been so long..." She was about to run to him, and embrace him, the friend she thought she had lost so long ago, when--

"...Rosa...I died."

She froze.

"I died, and you killed me."

Her eyes widened in terror. What was he saying? He was here, alive, and the two friends had just reunited. How could he say such an awful thing?

"Kain...what...what are you saying?"

"Rosa, I died, and you killed me."

His voice remained gentle, yet it pierced through her like a blade- she couldn't bear it any longer, and fell onto what seemed to be invisible ground. She cried, and tears fell from her beautiful face into nothingness. She summoned up the courage to speak, but her voice was muffled by her crying.

"Kain...how could you say that...? I..."

"Rosa. You killed me."

"No Kain...I...I..."

"You killed me, Rosa. And now, I need you to do me a favor. You owe it to me..."

"Wh...what is it?" Rosa said, using all her strength to stop her crying. She slowly arose, and watched Kain step towards her. He got close, and placed his fingers, covered in rugged gloves, on her cheek. He looked into her eyes passionately as he moved her silky, long hair back.

"Rosa. It's the only way I'll forgive you."

She gulped as Kain moved his mouth near her ear.

"Rosa," he whispered quietly. "There is a man named Cecil...he has been tricking you for a long time now..."

She only listened.

"Rosa," he said with a smile. "I need you to kill him."

----------

Rosa awoke panting and sweating, her eyes widened in fear. She didn't know what was happening to her- she had been having this nightmare for several days now, ever since her eldest son Kain had inherited the throne.

"...Rosa?"

In her confusion, she had forgetten that Cecil was next to her, and had expected to see Kain Highwind when she turned around. "Cecil...is something wrong?"

"I was just going to ask you that," he said quietly. "Are you alright?"

Rosa sighed with relief. "Y...yes. I'm fine..."

Cecil still felt a little unsure of his wife's current state, and spoke once again. "You're sure?"

She nodded. "Yes. Sorry for worrying you. I..."

She looked around and gulped before she opened her mouth again.

"Cecil...what do you think...what do you think happened to Kain?" Her voice was filled with sadness and worry.

The High Lord Cecil looked surprise. "Our son, Kain? Or do you mean..."

She shook her head. "No, Cecil...Kain Highwind. Our old friend..."

Cecil slowly got out of bed and took a deep breath. "I wish I knew, Rosa," he said. "Hopefully wherever he is, he's doing alright...I still feel a little guilty..."

Rosa looked right into Cecil's eyes. "...about what?"

He glanced back at her, unwilling to finish his sentence. "It...it's nothing, Rosa." He missed his friend, yet was glad for his absence at the same time. Would he have tried to take Rosa from him? But he had been missing for 25 years now, nowhere to be found.

His son- his son was a reminder, the memento that reminded him everyday of his old friend, the proof that he existed. He was almost a reflection of him- he had chosen the path of the Dragoon over that of the Paladin, and he was a master of the spear. He had elegant blonde hair that he inherited from his mother- or did he?

Cecil dismissed his thoughts and prepared for the rest of the day.

The pair got dressed in their day clothes, and as Cecil walked out to head downstairs, so did Rosa. Following close behind him, she began to feel chills running through her body. She shivered- something wasn't right. Her right hand began to tremble, moving on its own. She froze, beginning to sweat- what was going on?

She looked at her cold hands, getting paler and paler by the second. Fear filled her mind as she watched them clench into fists.

Rosa, I need you to kill him.

"No...no..." she couldn't keep control of her hands as she descended a spiral staircase with Cecil in front of her- he turned around as if he was to ask her something. She closed her eyes, and looked away as something within her caused her to punch him in the face.

Thump! The impact was hard and unforgiving, for both Cecil and Rosa. The Lord Paladin fell down the steps, hitting his head several times. He summoned the strength to stand as he fell to the bottom of the stairs- his forehead and mouth were both bleeding, and he was in shock.

"Rosa, what are you..." he said, panting as he raised his head. "Why did you..."

"Oh my god! Cecil, I, I'm so sorry! I don't know what..."

Rosa...kill him.

Her trembling body froze and she fell on her knees. "Oh god...could it be..."

Rosa. KILL HIM.

"Cecil, I...I need to be alone...!" She rose and ran back to their room, almost stumbling in the process. She got into a corner and curled up into a ball, holding and crying on her knees. Trembling, crying, she felt like that was the only thing she could do.

He's tricking you, Rosa.

"Kain...why...why..." she sniffled. "Why are you doing this to me?"



----------



Yeah...so...good members of CoN, was it OK?

I'm desperate for some criticism and advice, so I can atleast make the next chapter better. Pleeeeeeeaaaase.

This post has been edited by Samurai Bob on 12th August 2007 18:24

--------------------

FFIVDS looks awesome, right? Especially the character scans. I mean, look at that CGI scan of Yang. You see it and you just think...badass. And then you look at his polka-dot pants, likely stolen from a Dr. Seuss book. And then you just...shiver.

That was actully pretty good, That was your first Fanfic right? Oh and why is it called Memento, or is that gonna be mentioned later?

This post has been edited by BanjoTheClown on 11th August 2007 01:24

Quote (BanjoTheClown @ 11th August 2007 01:23)

That was actully pretty good, That was your first Fanfic right? Oh and why is it called Memento, or is that gonna be mentioned later?

I guess you could say that, I have some ideas in mind.

You thought it was good? Anything I could improve on? Oh, and, thanks for actually replying.

--------------------

FFIVDS looks awesome, right? Especially the character scans. I mean, look at that CGI scan of Yang. You see it and you just think...badass. And then you look at his polka-dot pants, likely stolen from a Dr. Seuss book. And then you just...shiver.

Quote (BanjoTheClown @ 11th August 2007 01:23)

Oh and why is it called Memento, or is that gonna be mentioned later?

Quote

His son- his son was a reminder, the memento that reminded him everyday of his old friend, the proof that he existed. He was almost a reflection of him- he had chosen the path of the Dragoon over that of the Paladin, and he was a master of the spear. He had elegant blonde hair that he inherited from his mother- or did he?

I actually really liked it, even though it was a bit short I really like Final Fantasy IV fanfics since it's one of my favorite Final Fantasies and you dont see too many of them.

The only fault I see so far is the setting, you could describe it a bit more but thats just me.

--------------------

Kel'Thuzad: She is persistent. Reminds me of you, death knight.

Arthas:Shut up you damned ghost.

-Warcraft III Kel'thuzad comparing Arthas and Sylvanas Windrunner.

Man, I really didn't describe anything in the setting...at all...

I'll work on that for the next chapter. Thanks for the feedback!

--------------------

FFIVDS looks awesome, right? Especially the character scans. I mean, look at that CGI scan of Yang. You see it and you just think...badass. And then you look at his polka-dot pants, likely stolen from a Dr. Seuss book. And then you just...shiver.

i like it so far. i am a big fan of fanfics that are based on a good topic, and this certainly fits the bill. its pretty simple so far, that's nothing to critisize for though. im interested to see where this goes.

--------------------

Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!

Well, I honestly didn't expect to get much response, but, well, since I actually DID get response, here's Chapter II. I think I did somewhat better with this one...



CHAPTER II: BLOOD FOR BLOOD



"Sir! High Lord Cecil!" the soldier ran through a decorative hallway towards Baron's former king. He had been searching for a while, now, but the castle was a large place. It had been greatly expanded when Cecil's rule had began.

Cecil began to wipe blood off his face as the soldier approached. "What is it?" His voice was stern, yet suttle.

"Your Majesty," the guard said as he bowed. "Lord Kain has requested an audience with you. He says it is urgent." His gulping implied he was nervous- perhaps because he had seen the High lord bleed.

"Really...?" Cecil said, staggering. "Tell him I'll meet him after I take care of something. He is in the audience chamber, correct?"

The lowly soldier nodded. "I shall deliver the message immediately," he said, his attention on the blood dripping from Cecil's forehead. "Your Highness...if I may...your forehead, are you alright?"

The Lord Paladin froze for a bit before answering. "...yes, I'm fine."

"Alright then, my lord," he said, turning around. "I shall leave you to the task you spoke of."

He took a few slow steps beofre Cecil's voice stopped him.

"Wait," he said. "...do not speak of this to anyone."

"...of course, sir." He took one last glance before heading back to the audience chamber in a hurry.

Cecil proceeded back up the spiral staircase, stepping on his own blood and staggering a little. He was worried for Rosa- she'd been acting troubled for the past few days, but he would forgive her for what she did. Because he loved her.

He entered through the large wooden door of their room and found Rosa crying on the floor. "Rosa...I..."

Seeing her like this, he was saddened. He had never seen her like this before- such a terrible state, and of all people, it was happening to his beloved...

"I'm so sorry, Cecil...I don't know, I just...Kain..." she mumbled somewhat clearly. "He...he..."

He sat down next to her and placed his rough hand on her soft, bare shoulder. "Tell me, Rosa...what's been trobling you?"

Rosa couldn't stop crying, and it took a moment for her to finally calm down and speak.

"...Cecil...ever since...ever since our son became of age for the throne...I've been having nightmares..." her crying resumed- and got worse- at this point, and it was hard for her to go on. "About...about Kain Highwind..."

Cecil's eyes widened. "What...what happens in these dreams?"

"He...he keeps saying that he's dead and that I killed him, and then...and then...he asks me to..."

She stopped, and at this point her face was moist, covered in tears.

"Rosa...tell me...what does he..."

"He asks me...he asks me..."

Cecil froze.

"...to kill you."

His heart almost stopped as he heard those words.

"To...kill me?"

"Y...yes..."

Kain wanted him dead. It could just be part of Rosa's mind, but, something told him it was true.

Kain wanted him dead. The thought itself was too hard for him to wrap his finger around- his best friend, who he had known since boyhood, wanted his own wife to kill him.

"...Rosa...d-don't cry," he said, wiping her tears, though he felt like he would burst into tears himself. "I don't think..."

Rosa seemed to completely disregard his words as she continued to cry. Cecil didn't know what to do anymore- he grabbed her in an embrace, and he, too, cried.

"Rosa," he said quietly. "It'll be okay."

----------

"I was told you wanted to see me?"

Cecil threw off his cape as he sat down in an elegant chair, which was a table across from his son. He got himself comfortable, as it didn't seem like Kain was going to talk soon.

Looking at his staggering son, he realized he had much to be proud of. His handsome, masculine face stood out, as did his elegant blonde hair, which was braided. Between his bangs was a circlet representing his rule over Baron. He then looked at the blue spear which Kain had placed by a wall near him- it was the reason for his namesake, and his greatest weapon.

A year before any of their three children had been born, Rosa and Cecil had gone to Mt. Ordeals in search of Kain. They had found nothing but his spear stabbed into the ground- they wouldn't admit it, they both believed that- that Kain was dead, and never to return.

The young Kain finally brought himself to speak. "Father," he said sternly. "Aria is...pregnant."

Cecil was surprised. "What!? For how many months now?"

"About a month now..." Kain's serious face hid his nervousness.

"That means...before you two married..."

He nodded. "I'm sorry, father. I know that we shouldn't have..."

Cecil looked away. "It's alright, I suppose. It's just a shock unexpectedly learning you're to be a grandparent."

Kain looked at the ground, unsure of what he should do.

"It doesn't look too good when a king tells his people that his wife was pregnant before his marriage," Kain said. "Should I tell the people of Baron?"

"It's up to you, Kain," Cecil said with his eyes closed. "I would personally just take the blow and be honest, but..."

"That's what Mother said as well."

"She knows?" Cecil felt somewhat excluded knowing his son had informed his mother before him.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But I'd felt that she would be more...gentle about it. She wasn't angry at all. Infact, it seems she didn't even tell you."

"I see," the Lord Paladin said, gritting his teeth. "Kain, you can make your own decisions. You are the King of Baron now...the second Harvey to ascend this throne."

Kain was now 21, as old as Cecil was when he married and ascended the throne.

Kain clenched his fist and lowered his head. "I'm sorry...but...I guess what I really dragged you here for is...I don't know...if I'll be a good father..."

Cecil sighed. "Kain, you'll make a great father. You have the right instincts and intentions, you'll be fine..."

"Kelthas is better in those departments."

"That doesn't matter. I taught you kids not to compare yourselves to each other..."

Kain didn't say anything. They sat there, frozen for a moment, until Cecil got up to leave. "You'll be fine, Kain. Having watched you mature into a man, I have no doubts. You will make a fine father."

"...thank you." he said quietly. There was a long silence beofre Cecil brought up another topic.

"You are heading to Fabul tomorrow, yes?"

"Yeah. You probably know this, but the king's condition got worse and he has no heirs- that's where the council and I fit in, to choose his rightful successor."

Cecil nodded, and with that, he and his son left and headed in seperate directions. Cecil's thoughts focused on Rosa's current state.

No.

What was truly on his mind...was the existence of Kain Highwind.

----------

The dungeon was a disgusting place to be, the walls moldy and the prison cells infested with insects and mice. Nonetheless, Princess of Baron, only daughter of Cecil and Rosa, Armony, was down there.

In her hands she carried a hot tray of delicious foods which she had prepared herself. Stopping at one of the cells, she bent down to see the shackled prisoner. "Zann?"

"...Armony." He smiled. The prisoner was in clad black armor, everything but his head covered. He had long black hair and electric blue eyes, making him handsome yet intimidating at the same time.

A Dark Knight, imprisoned. And here he was, being visited by a princess.

"I've got your food...here..." She grabbed a key out of her pocket and opened the cell to let herself in. Putting the tray aside, she looked into his eyes, and they both smiled. She moved her mouth forward and they engaged in a passionate kiss, with no one else on the floor to see them.

They both pulled back after a few seconds, and the princess gave him his food. "I'll get you out of here soon. I promise. My brother is visiting Fabul by airship tomorrow, so that should make enough commotion for people not to notice you...."

Zann nodded. "Thank you..."

He gazed at her. She was a brunette with hip-length hair, and that only complimented her beautiful face and her emerald green eyes. Her White Mage robes were hard to see in the dark, but still easy to make out. Her good looks made her a sight to behold.

"I love you, Zann..." They quickly kissed once more, and she got up to leave. "I'll be back soon."

She cautiously rushed out of the dungeon, avoiding contact with guards and maids, often taking glances around her to see if anyone was watching her.

Love. It was an experience she had never felt before, and an experience she never thought she would share with her childhood friend. They had been seeing each other for a year now, and it was in that time how they truly felt about each other was made clear.

They had met when he was a mere squire, and he had trained to become a knight. As it turned out, he was interested in the Arcana, the ways of the Dark Knight. He thought it would make him stronger- he, unlike most people, had never thought of darkness as bad. Just another side which is judged because of people who misuse it.

And here he was, imprisoned for it. She could never let her parents know of her relationship with him- if they knew of her relationship with a Dark Knight, they would never approve. Or so she thought.

----------

"Rosa..."

No. Not...not this again... she thought.

The two stood on what seemed to be Mt. Ordeals, the place where they thought they had found what was the last of Kain. But no, there he was, alive and well, proud and true. No...

"No. It can't be you. You're...you're dead!"

Kain slowly stepped towards her, his eyes focused on his target. "I am Rosa, I am," he said sternly. "Cecil tricked you and made you kill me...that is why..."

"No! Cecil would never...and you would never want him dead either! You...you're not Kain!" Looking away with her eyes closed tightly, she shouted as loud as she could.

"Rosa...don't you want us to be...together again?"

"...together again...what do you...we were never..."

"Cecil has been tricking you for a long time. He tore us apart and made you kill me," he stopped in his tracks. "And that is why you must kill him."

"No!" this time her fists were clenched and she looked ready to fight back. "No! That was never the way it was! And you would never ask me to kill your best friend!"

Rosa blinked and Kain appeared in front of her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and she looked into his passionate eyes.

"Rosa...you don't remember? Cecil was never our friend...he's altered your memories, toyed with your mind...brainwashed you..."

She gulped. Something about this...it really made her believe he wasn't lying.

"Rosa. You will kill Cecil, and I am going to help you."

She froze and a cold chill ran through her.

"Rosa. You are going to kill Cecil...and I will help you."

Nothing came out of her mouth. At this point, she had nothing to say.







Yeah, I know I was pretty vague with the Zann thing, and, er, I think the audience chamber scene could've been longer, but I wanted to get this done fast so this thread wouldn't die.

So, once again, I am desperate for response, constructive criticism, and other comments.

This post has been edited by Samurai Bob on 12th August 2007 18:29

--------------------

FFIVDS looks awesome, right? Especially the character scans. I mean, look at that CGI scan of Yang. You see it and you just think...badass. And then you look at his polka-dot pants, likely stolen from a Dr. Seuss book. And then you just...shiver.

You described the setting, which was nice and gave me a better thought of what it looked like.

I like it so far, quite frankly im a sucker for romances, so keep up the good work.

But I have a question, is Yang

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

Still the king?

or is that going to be answered in the next chapter?

--------------------

Kel'Thuzad: She is persistent. Reminds me of you, death knight.

Arthas:Shut up you damned ghost.

-Warcraft III Kel'thuzad comparing Arthas and Sylvanas Windrunner.

Quote (Dragon King @ 12th August 2007 06:02)

But I have a question, is Yang

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

Still the king?

or is that going to be answered in the next chapter?

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

OH FARG, Yang was king? Bah...I shoulda done more reading....*smashes head on keyboard* Bah, I guess I could implement this...it's not like I really mentioned anything about the king...ehhh

Err...on the other hand, thanks for the info and response.

--------------------

FFIVDS looks awesome, right? Especially the character scans. I mean, look at that CGI scan of Yang. You see it and you just think...badass. And then you look at his polka-dot pants, likely stolen from a Dr. Seuss book. And then you just...shiver.

FF4 Fanfics are always a good thing. Well-written FF4 Fanfics are a very good thing. Fanfics that start off hinting at greater things and don't come straight out and say what's going on are a very good thing.

Of course, the key trick with fanfiction is not that you get readers and reviews, it is that you have fun doing it. You don't even need to be satisifed with the work you write, so long as you enjoyed yourself writing it.

Personally, I'd have those characters who are noble use more formal speech, uisng "Yes" and "Indeed" instead of "Yeah" and not using contractions where they can be avoided in certain characters speech EG Lord Farnsworth says "Cannot" whilst John the Urchin says "Can't", but as I say, that's just me personally.

]If you want to keep a check on your writing staying within in-game canon, you could use game scripts on Gamefaqs for the GBA, Playstation, or SNES to check through scenes you can't remember correctly that are referenced by your fic. These documents of course contain massive spoilers and the spoiler tags cannot hide a link.

But keep going. And if you should ever want it to be submitted to the site, simply ask in the thread or by PM'ing me and the thread can be moved over.

--------------------

"Only the dead have seen the end of their quotes being misattributed to Plato."
-George Santayana

"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here..."
-Abraham Lincoln, prior to the discovery of Irony.

Quote (Del S @ 12th August 2007 14:24)

FF4 Fanfics are always a good thing. Well-written FF4 Fanfics are a very good thing. Fanfics that start off hinting at greater things and don't come straight out and say what's going on are a very good thing.

Of course, the key trick with fanfiction is not that you get readers and reviews, it is that you have fun doing it. You don't even need to be satisifed with the work you write, so long as you enjoyed yourself writing it.

Personally, I'd have those characters who are noble use more formal speech, uisng "Yes" and "Indeed" instead of "Yeah" and not using contractions where they can be avoided in certain characters speech EG Lord Farnsworth says "Cannot" whilst John the Urchin says "Can't", but as I say, that's just me personally.

]If you want to keep a check on your writing staying within in-game canon, you could use game scripts on Gamefaqs for the GBA, Playstation, or SNES to check through scenes you can't remember correctly that are referenced by your fic. These documents of course contain massive spoilers and the spoiler tags cannot hide a link.

But keep going. And if you should ever want it to be submitted to the site, simply ask in the thread or by PM'ing me and the thread can be moved over.

Thanks for the links to game scripts, I'm looking over some scenes right now. And, another thanks for pointing out the formal speech thing. I guess I hadn't really thought about that, and looking over some conversations I do feel I got a little out of character with Cecil and Rosa...

As for submitting this to the site...no thanks... I'll notify you if I ever change my mind though.

--------------------

FFIVDS looks awesome, right? Especially the character scans. I mean, look at that CGI scan of Yang. You see it and you just think...badass. And then you look at his polka-dot pants, likely stolen from a Dr. Seuss book. And then you just...shiver.

Quote

As for submitting this to the site...no thanks...  I'll notify you if I ever change my mind though.

well thats unfortunate. i like what you have here so far, it has me hooked. i have always been a Kain fan, and he his condition certainly has my sympathies, so i am excited to see how you portray him. i don't know how much you do/don't know, but it would certainly be a good idea to do as Del S mentioned and research up a bit, especially if you hate to re-edit stuff as much as i do.

--------------------

Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!

Sorry for the late update, I don't have much time on weekdays. Hopefully I can atleast another chapter up this weekend. I didn't edit this chapter much, but I'll revise when I have some more time.



CHAPTER III: PERSONAL CHAOS



The Gilgamesh was a fine ship, and Kain felt proud to call it his own. Despite the absence of Cid, who had left to reside with the dwarves long ago. Even though war had not existed for years now, the Gilgamesh, was, a warship. They never knew what could happen, especially if a king were to fly through the skies on a weak ship with no defenses.

Kain sat on a wooden stool in the docking bay, watching his soldiers fill his ship with supplies, loading cannons and whatnot. He observed them as they walked all over the wooden deck, and polish the crimson-red sides of the ship, which were indented with elegant patterns that resembled an aerial flow. The tall propellors, the carefully built lookout tower and the magnificient crest of Baron at its front- Kain had quite a taste for airships, and this was the most elaborate machine he had ever seen.

A somewhat tall woman with long blonde hair in a long purple dress walked through the docking bay's entrance and stood beside Kain.

"...Aria." he said, smiling, gazing upon his beautiful wife. She smiled back and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

"So...have you told your father...?"

He nodded.

"...oh," she said, gulping. "Was he...angry?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "His response was a lot like Mother's."

"I see," she muttered quietly. "That's...good."

There was a long silence.

"So...since you're taking to the skies, why not use your wyvern?"

"My...wyvern," he chuckled. "You're probably the only person in this world who believes me..."

Aria raised an eyebrow. "You make it sound like you don't believe it yourself."

Kain laughed out loud. "I...don't know anymore," he said, rubbing his forehead. "I was only seven, it's quite possible that I only made it up to make Kelthas jealous...who knows, I could have imagined it."

She sighed. "Well, maybe if it was real...you'll see it again someday. After all, it owes you its life. And you are a Dragoon."

----------

The reflection of Cecil, so many had called him. The king's younger self, the old flesh, the new blood.

Of Cecil and Rosa's three children, Kelthas was the most resemblant to Cecil. He was nineteen, and had looked just like Cecil had at his age. He was a trained Paladin, a holy warrior who represented light itself- if there was one trait he did not share with his father, it was that he had much more potential.

What's more was that he, too, had a close friendship with a dragoon- being only two years apart from his brother, they shared a bond much like their father had shared with someone who had been long gone.

He wore a long white robe and cape as he walked through a long, decorative hallway with a red carpet, leading towards the docking bay.

"Kelthas!"

The voice echoed, and Kelthas could clearly see his little sister running towards him.

"Armony," he said. "What is it?"

She stopped within a few feet of him. "Are you going to see Kain?"

He nodded. "He should be ready to go soon. I'll see him off before that." He took a couple steps before she stopped him.

"Wait," she said loudly as if he was far away. "What do you think...what do you think he's going to do to Zann?"

Kelthas looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. "Armony...it won't matter that you're his friend. Zann...he's probably going to be in that prison cell for more than a few years."

"Kelthas!" she yelled once again. "We should do something about it!"

"...like what?" Kain said distastefully as he opened a large pair of steel doors and entered the hallway. "Break him out?"

"K...Kain, you heard us?"

"I'm not a fool, Armony," he said sternly. "I knew you'd eventually say something about it, you grew up with him. But even so, he's a Dark Knight, he's filth. There's no way I'm going to let you associate with him. I will punish to the full extent of Baron's law.

Her eyes widened and she shouted at him. "You can't! He's a good person, Kain! He studied the Arcana to become stronger, not for-"

"Power, strength, aren't they related? Face it, Armony, he's only a friend of yours so he can have political power. He's a commoner seeking power."

"...no," she said, not about to let her brother insult her beloved like that. "He's not! And I'll..."

"Help him escape?" Kain chuckled. "Don't worry, I've already tightened the security there and alarmed the guards not to let you in the dungeon today."

"Kain..." Kelthas said. "I don't think..."

"Damn you!" Armony yelled. "You selfish bastard, you've been like this ever since you ascended the throne!"

Kain froze at the thought of what she said, and turned to face the door. "Do what you want. I'll be leaving shortly."

Kain went back outside, and a tearful Armony ran the other way, resenting her brother for what he'd done.

"She loves him, Kain," Kelthas said quietly to himself. "I...I wish you'd realize that."

----------

"Rosa."

"...Kain..."

What was this place? Advanced machinery, a pillar, multicolored lines everywhere...it was like the inside of some tower. It seemed so...familiar, yet, her mind was slowly forgetting it.

Was she imprisoned here? She couldn't remember...all she was sure of was that Kain was there, with her.

"Rosa. Do you remember this place?"

She shook her head.

"This is the Tower of Zot. It was here where I saved you from Golbez...he was Cecil's brother, and they were working together."

She smiled. "Thank you, Kain..."

He walked around for a bit, recalling dreaded memories of Cecil saving her, and watching them embrace...seeing their love, thinking about it- it made him feel such resentment, such a desire for vengeance.

"Rosa," he said, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth together. "I saved you. And now you must save me."

"But...how, Kain?" She looked relieved that she could save him, but concerned about how she would have to do it.

He walked up to her and placed a hand on her cheek. "Rosa," he said gently. "If you can kill Cecil, I may be able to return....to the world of the living. Then...we can be together again..."

She hugged him.

"Anything for you, my beloved."

----------

Within time, Kain was off. Many in the castle had come to the docking bay to see their king. They waved goodbye, and he did likewise before he took to the skies.

It was a wonderful feeling, going through the skies as if you were part of the wind's natural flow- he loved the feeling, the ecstasy it gave him. It was part of the reason he was a dragoon. He drove the airship, and he was quite skilled at it. He operated it with precise movements and careful turns with almost no effort.

Tchreeeeeeeeeeng. There was a loud screeching sound in his head, he didn't know it was- out of nowhere, his chest began to hurt, he panted and his hands trembled.

"Your Majesty," a soldier said. "You don't look so good. Perhaps I should take the wheel?"

"...maybe that's a good idea." He said, staggering. He let the soldier take the wheel and sat down by a wall in the cockpit, holding his forehead and breathing heavily as an invisible force seemed to come over him.

Chhhhiiiiiiiiiiing. The screeching wouldn't stop, and he quickly got a headache, one like he had never experienced before. Chills ran through him and he shivered, feeling a coldness fill inside him.

"Milord," a nearby soldier said. "Are you...alright?"

"It's just a headache," he lied. "I'll be fine."

She's going to kill him.

-----------

"Move out of the way!"

Armony hurrily pushed guards out of her way as she rushed into the dungeon. She grasped the key to Zann's cell tightly in her hand, which was on her chest, held close to her heart.

"The king told us not to let her in here! Hurry up and get her out!"

The guards quickly mobilized, chasing after the princess as she found Zann's cell.

"Armony! What's going on?"

She quickly inserted the key and opened the door. "Zann...I..." she breathed heavily. "I'm coming with you!"

He looked surprised. "You mean...you'll leave the castle?"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him up. "Yes! Now let's get out of here!"

They ran, but soon found themselves confronted by a small squadron of soldiers. She gritted her teeth, but thought quick. She found a longsword sheathed on the floor, picked it up, and gave it to him. "Can you work with this?"

He nodded. "Stand back!"

Armony took a few steps back as he removed the blade from its sheath and held it high. Blood red energy which seemed to eminate from him wrapped itself around his blade and he moved his arm back, preparing to strike.

"Souleater!"

He swung the blade swift and true, and a wave of dark energy lashed forward, painfully striking each guard and knocking them unconcious. He sheathed the blade and tied it to his back.

"I've got a chocobo waiting outside! Let's hurry!"

They ran upstairs and made their way through the grand castle to get outside.

"Wark!"

The chocobo bobbed its head a little, and willingly let Zann get on. Armony hopped on as well, and wrapped her arms around him. Zann was an experienced rider, and they had no trouble getting away.

"Where are we going?" Armony said, a little nervous because of the chocobo's quick movement.

"Kaipo," Zann replied. "We'll stock up on supplies there, maybe stay a night, but it's the first place they'll look...we can't go anywhere with a castle, because they'll be told about you having run away..."

"We'll do some planning when we get to Kaipo," she said. "Let's leave it at there for now..."

----------

"Prince Kelthas!" a soldier ran towards the noble in a hurry. "Princess Armony has escaped with the Dark Knight on a chocobo!"

His eyes widened, but he knew what to do. "Send out the Chocobo Knights- bring them back alive."

"Sir...the Dark Knight too?"

"Yes, him as well."

The soldier departed to send the news, and Kelthas headed up to his parents' room to alarm his father.

"Father!" he said as he opened the door to their room. "Armony has escaped with Zann, and..."

He stopped when he noticed his mother lying on the bed with her eyes open, like she was in a trance. She was breathing, but she never blinked. Her face was blank, and her pupils irises were empty.

"Father," Kelthas said quietly. "What's happened to Mother?"

Cecil sighed and looked at his son. "Kelthas," he replied. "She seems to have fallen into a trance. She was like this when I woke up, and...it's been like this ever since."

"Is she...alright?"

"I can tend to her, she seems fine...but..." he didn't want to tell his son about her nightmares, or even mention it.

Kelthas couldn't think of anything to say, but he took a seat on a steel chair near the bed. He looked at his mother, and it was frightening- to see her face so filled with nothingness, void of emotion.

"...son." Cecil said quietly. "I haven't told either your brother or sister this but...I was once a Dark Knight myself." Cecil grimaced at the memories of his times as a warrior of darkness.

His son's eyes widened.

"I was a murderer, Kelthas. A dog of war. I killed because I was ordered to, for terrible reasons...I did evil. And Armony's friend Zann has done nothing of such. He can still redeem himself. Having watched Armony and him grow up, I know he's a good person."

"...father...if Kain knew this, maybe he wouldn't have considered such punishment on him..."

"I know. And I'm sorry," he said with his head down. "Now...go take care of the situation with Armony. I'll watch your mother."

Kelthas silently left the room, and closed the door behind him. He was shocked to know that his father had done such things, but didn't have the will to continue thinking about it. He headed downstairs and more planning began.

Cecil sat there and waited for a couple hours, hoping that he would atleast get a sign that she was alright, and not suffering in some terrible nightmare. He held his hands together and prayed, hoping it would do some good.

Suddenly, Rosa blinked and turned her eyes to her husband. She was awake, at last.

"Rosa!" Cecil said with joy. "You're awake...did you...have another nightmare...?"

She said nothing. She simply got up and stood in front of him, looking him into the eye. Her hand reached for his blade, which was sheathed at his side, and she pulled it out.

"Cecil," she said. "Please die."

He froze with terror as she stabbed him in the chest. Blood splattered everywhere.

--------------------

FFIVDS looks awesome, right? Especially the character scans. I mean, look at that CGI scan of Yang. You see it and you just think...badass. And then you look at his polka-dot pants, likely stolen from a Dr. Seuss book. And then you just...shiver.

oh man, i hope you hurry with the next chapter, cause i can't wait to see what happens next. sounds good, i am still looking to see the actual kain though.

--------------------

Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!

I'm sorry. I really am. I was really convinced Chapter III sucked, and I just stopped. I was considering starting to write again, but then with school back and all...yeah. Once again, I'm sorry, to any of you who actually wanna see how this fiction turns out. I'll revise this later, but I have to go off to bed right now.



CHAPTER IV: LAMENT



Hein was a brutish man, with a largely muscular build and a shaved head. His eyes were small, as was his nose, and there were several signs of aging in his rough, wrinkled face. He wore a sleeveless orange vest with nothing under it, and metal armguards with a cape bearing the crest of Baron on it attached. He had rugged red wristbands and atleast three steel belts attached to his waist. His black pants were tights, and it complimented his muscular features. Plain brown boots were on his feet, though he had attached spikes to the bottom of them himself. Hein was a truly proud man, if not arrogant and conceited.

Surprisingly enough, he was the head of Baron's Chocobo Knights.

"You're sure they've headed into the Mist Cave?"

"Positive," Hein said as if the knight had questioned his authority. "I've dealt with this bastard before. I put him in prison once, I'll do it again. I know the way he thinks, and I caught him in this cave the first time."

He turned to look at the lowly knight who was a short while ago, a squire.

"Any other doubts?" he glared.

"...n-no, sir."

"Good. Then let's raid this damn cave like there was a war going on, and we'll find those two, eventually," he tightened his grip on his helmeted chocobo's leash. "They couldn't have gotten far. Move out!"

They abandoned the pleasant greenery and headed into the unforgiving cave of mist. It was ironic for a Dark Knight to be escaping a kingdom here, for stories have been told that a Dark Knight had once slew a dragon there, killing a summoner, and brought about the destruction of the village of Mist.

Swords drawn, the squad of chocobo riding knights slowly made their way through the cave and looked around every inch of the cavern. The sound of bats and chocobos stepping on the ground echoed throughout the rocky tunnel.

After about half an hour, Hein was growing impatient.

"DAMNIT!" he said, stabbing his zweihander into the body of a lizardlike monster which had approached him. It peirced the ground and made a crackling sound.

"Where the hell could they be...!? His frustration slightly frightened the rest of the squad.

"B-boss," a nervous, new recruit to the squad mumbled. "I...I hear something..."

"Hmmmm!?" Hein's eyes slimmed and he looked around. The sound was only slightly loud, but it he could tell it was metal hitting rock. He couldn't tell where it was coming from, however.

The sound only got quieter- Hein was once again upset. He grumbled and muttered curses, tightening his grip on the handle of his broadsword.

"Wark!"

His eyes widened. It wasn't any of the chocobo in the squad. The sound was too far away.

"Over there!" he yelled, pointing his finger northwest. A few knights with arrows began firing in that direction, hoping they had hit what they aimed for.

There was a long silence.

"There's no more noise," a knight said. "Do you think..."

"SOULEATER!"

A violent red glow appeared from the direction the archers had fired, and it quickly grew into an aura of darkness. The vision of a blade was clear, wrapped in crimson colours, and a wide, ominous wave came rushing out of it.

"Brace yourselves!"

The wave ripped through the force like a meat cleaver, and their blood stained the cavern floors and walls. A few chocobo were slain, and most had ran away. The remains of the squad, and Hein, rose from their places and held their weapons high.

"Shit, there are more left than I'd thought there'd be..." Zann got into a defensive stance with his blade, and Armony stood behind him, with her hands held close to her chest. There was an arrow in Zann's arm, but he had more important things to worry about.

"Just because they are to be brought back alive, it doesn't mean we can't slice them until they're close to it! Get them!"

Hein's small force rushed at the Dark Knight, proudly brandishing their halberds and swords. Zann charged as well, clashing swords with Hein and kicking away another knight. Neither Zann and Hein could land a blow on each other, but it was tiring for the Dark Knight, having to deal with multiple opponents.

His blade clashed with any others, and his sweating and breathing showed his fatigue. Hein smirked as he slashed the left side of Zann's abdomen, breaking some of his armor and leaving a small cut. Their blades clashed once more and Zann was bounced back to a rocky wall.

He recovered quickly, seeing the knights rushing at him, and without hesitation, he raised his sword high into the air.

Hein's eyes widened in terror as Zann harnessed energy and shouted.

"SOULEATER!"

----------

The Paladin's eyes flickered slowly before they finally opened. Cecil found himself surrounded by White Wizards, and one of them had his cold, dry hands on his chest. A pleasant green light eminated from the healer's palm, gently floating through the air. They looked concerned yet persistent, sweat coming out of their red and white hoods as they tended to their lord.

"Don't worry, sire," said a female White Wizard. "Everything will be alright."

He wasn't even sure what was happening. Why was he here? How did he get this wound?

After a moment, it came to him. He remembered. Rosa...had stabbed him.

He was scared to ask himself why she had done such a thing, or rather, why his best friend had made her do it. He had no idea what to expect anymore. His beloved had tried to kill him, his daughter had run away with a criminal, and his best friend was coming back from the dead to haunt him.

He summoned the courage and strength to speak.

"Rosa...where is Rosa?"

A White Wizard lowered his head and gulped.

"Lady Rosa...is in the dungeon."

Cecil's eyes widened. "What!? But...how could..."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," the devoted healer replied. "But it was the order of your son. After all, she tried to kill you..."

He was enraged. "No! Let her out! I...I must speak with her! I must--"

He gritted his teeth as a shocking pain course through his chest. Blood spurted from his wound, and a few White Wizards gasped.

"Your Highness! Please...do not strain yourself...if you do..."

As much as he wanted to see Rosa, he knew they were right. He would kill himself if he kept stressing himself out. He panted as they slowly but surely patched up the wound with White Magic.

They were practically miracle workers- Cecil trusted them with his life and knew that he would recover soon. There was no doubt in his mind. He was strong, he would make a full recovery in no time flat.

He shut his eyes tightly and clenched his fists. He would get through this pain. He would see Rosa later.


----------


Kain had been in Fabul for a day now, and his odd pain had only gotten worse. The second session of scholars and kings went on for hours. Fatigue could clearly be seen in his face. Edward and Edge had both shown signs of concern for him, but nothing could really be done in an important meeting like this. Kain hid his pain and distastefully participated in the discussion. By the end of the meeting, it had been decided that Alus, a dedicated scholar and nephew of the king before Yang would inherit the throne.

"Kain," Edward said as everyone began to leave the room. "You do not look so well. Is something the matter?"

You have to go back. You have to go, right now...

"I'm fine, Edward," Kain said, staggering. "No need to worry." They both knew each other well enough to call each other by name rather than by glorified titles.

The bard nodded, though still curious about his condition. Edge took a few glimpses at the young king but said nothing.

If you don't go back...you will lose everything.

"Come, everybody!" Yang yelled once everyone had entered the hallway. "My friends, let us feast. In honor of Alus' crowning, which shall happen in a week from now!"

The king began to cough after finishing his sentence, and held his stomach tightly. Time had not treated him well- he had survived disease before, but everyone knew Troia's king was to die soon. Many believed it would happen before Alus' crowning, infact.

Kain slowly approached his old friend, neglecting the fine meal that had been offered to him. He got close and then began to speak.

"I'm sorry, Yang..." he said, gritting his teeth. "But I can't stay. I...have to go. I have to...go back."

----------

Armony's soft gentle hand was placed on Zann's arm, and a soothing green light eminated from it. They sat and leaned against a large oak tree outside the Mist Cave. The arrow wound was slowly getting better, and Zann was grateful that he was alive.

"You shouldn't use Souleater so much," Armony said proceeding to heal his stomach wound. "If you hadn't used it that last time...your wounds wouldn't have been so bad."

Zann chuckled. "I guess there is one advantage to using Souleater."

Armony didn't look at him, but rather his wound. "And what's that?"

His eyes closed and he lowered his head. Feeling the blade sheathed at his side, he smiled and stared into the sky. "With Souleater...you don't have to feel your victims die."

Armony said nothing. After his wounds were healed, they got up and got on their chocobo.

"It's been over a day now," Armony said as the chocobo began moving forward. "Don't you think they'll get close soon?"

"They'll need time to regroup. I've dealt with Hein before, he knows I can't be taken alone. I probably can't take him alone, though, either...he's strong. In the four times we've dueled, that was his first loss."

"Stop." Zann gave the chocobo an order to stop moving via its leash, and he turned to face Armony.

"What's wrong?"

She pointed her finger into the sky ahead of them. A large red warship flew above the desert, and the very sight of it was intimidating.

Armony bit her lip. "It's the Gilgamesh...do you think...?"

"He could've came back for us..."

"Let's hurry...we have to get to Kaipo fast."

----------

Confinement.

It was a terrible feeling. Rosa felt alone, desperate and afraid...there was no one there to comfort her, in her solitary prison cell that a Dark Knight had once been sitting in. She was terrified- Kain had lied to her and she had almost killed Cecil. She had come to her senses, but wasn't able to forgive herself.

Would Cecil still love her? The question wandered around in her mind for a long while, but she could not find an answer....

Clang. The prison door flew open.

"Milady," a lowly guard said, bowing. "King Cecil's is recovering, and he requests that you be let out. He wants to see you in the throne room."

"...thank you." Rosa slowly rose and followed the guard to the throne room, still worried about Cecil would feel about the incident. As they went through the halls, this was all she could think of, and she almost cried.

The guard pushed open a large steel door attached to the throne room's walls, and directed Rosa inside. He left soon after, leaving the High Lord and his love to talk. Cecil, feeling much better due to the kingdom's white magics faction of mages, rose from the decorated throne he sat on, and embraced Rosa.

"Cecil," Rosa said as tears rolled down her face. "I...I'm so sorry...please, please forgive me...I don't know what I was doing..."

"It's alright- everything will be okay," Cecil said, kissing her on the cheek. "We can forget about this and put it behind us. Everything will be the way it used to be."

They tightened their embrace, both of them in tears. Rosa knew now, that everything would be alright, that she wouldn't have to worry anymore. Kain was gone, and Cecil was there for her.

Suddenly, a blinding blue light appeared between the two and disappeared. Rosa's grip on Cecil completely loosened and she lost all her energy as she fell onto the cold floor. Cecil immediately reacted by kneeling down and picking her up. He grasped her hand tightly.

"Rosa!"

"Cecil...I...something...just..."

She looked terrible. Rosa began to breathe rapidly, her heartbeat became intense, and she was trembling all over. She raised her arm out to Cecil and gasped for breath as if there was no oxygen to keep her alive.

"Rosa! Hold on!"

Cecil's eyes widened in terror. He held on tight, but to no avail- he could not feel anything from her. The Cure spells he attempted did nothing, and he felt helpless.

"R...Rosa...hold on! I'll get help!"

He was just about to get help from the White Wizards when the blue light that had materialised earlier gathered behind Cecil.

"Tell me...how does it feel...? How does it feel...to have the woman you love taken from you by your best friend?"

Cecil's eyes widened. He turned his head and his heart stopped at the sight of a blonde haired dragoon in blue armour. The Paladin trembled, not knowing what to say.

"K...Kain..."

Kain Highwind summoned a magnificient blue spear, one identical to the one now wielded by his son, out of thin air. He held it tightly and pierced the blade into the floor. It made an echo that bounced off the stone walls of the throne room. A wide smirk spread across his face.

"It's been a long time, Cecil."

--------------------

FFIVDS looks awesome, right? Especially the character scans. I mean, look at that CGI scan of Yang. You see it and you just think...badass. And then you look at his polka-dot pants, likely stolen from a Dr. Seuss book. And then you just...shiver.