Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Final Fantasy: The chronicles of Four! ❯ Stolen goods, old shrines, and the birth of the Invincible Ninja! ( Chapter 22 )

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Black Belt marched onto a podium in the middle of the Cherry Town Square. As soon as he reached the microphone, all of the chit-chatting stopped, and Sabin, Fighter, and the rest of the crew Sabin managed to scrounge up focused on Black Belt. He cleared his throat.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I know you're all wondering why you're here. Well, I'm here to answer such wonders.” Black Belt said, “To make it simple, we need help restoring this town. We used to have a small crew, but for whatever reason, they all just went missing. Now, before I take roll call, are there any questions?” A man in black armor and a sphinx helmet raised his hand.

 

“When do we get to shoot things?” he asked, grinning.

 

“We... we don't shoot things. We're here to build, not to destroy... someone's already done that enough around here.” Black Belt replied, glaring at Fighter. The man threw his gun down.

 

“WHAT!? But I thought this was a destruction meeting!” the man screamed. Black Belt smacked his head lightly.

 

“That's CONSTRUCTION meeting...” he sighed.

 

“I'm outta here then!” the man replied, and stomped off, leaving the rest of the crowd in silence. Black Belt blinked before continuing.

 

“Are there any other questions?” he asked, and he sounded a bit shaken from what just happened. A blonde swordsman raised his... or was it a her... hand.

 

“Can I please get a restraining order on this guy? He won't leave me alone and he wants to see my sword.” The person asked, as Fighter poked him and pulled his hair. Black Belt twitched slightly.

 

“Fighter, get away from her!” Black Belt yelled, and Fighter slumped away sadly. The person who would've needed a restraining order looked very offended though, despite being rid of Fighter.

 

“Who are you calling a girl!? I'm no girl, you humanoid maverick!” he yelled, drawing his sword and charging toward Black Belt. A few other people tried to stop him, but most merely ran away as he bolted past, raving like a maniac. Black Belt ran like a scared schoolgirl and hid in a tree, praying he'd live to see his friends again.

 

“I'm in some deep crap now...” he said, throwing rocks to keep the psychotic lunatic away from him.

 

---

 

Meanwhile, back in the destroyed town of Onrac, our four heroes contemplated about their plans to take on the third fiend, who had already begun his course of destruction.

 

“It's obvious he's going to be in the ocean, Thief! He's the Water Fiend!” Black Mage was arguing, pacing around and throwing his hands up to emphasize “Water Fiend.” Thief, who had obviously gained the power of foreshadowing knowledge, simply sat in a tree, his katana in hand.

 

“I realize that, BM, but where in the ocean is he going to show up? That's the one question I'm asking, and until we know for certain, we shouldn't make any hasty moves.” Thief said reasonably, hacking off a branch and sticking it into his mouth. White Mage wiped her forehead.

 

“Thief is right. If we needed to consult Bahamut just to be able to withstand Kraken, the wisest choice is to plan our fight accordingly. There isn't a guarantee that this'll be anything like Lich.” White Mage added, getting off of the rock she had previously been sitting on. Black Mage stopped pacing, but his fists were tightly clenched.

 

“And since when has Thief been a suitable advice giver?” Black Mage asked, angrily, “I realize what you're all saying, but come on! Look around! We've done enough wasting our time. You heard Bahamut! Chaos won't wait for us to show up! We must take action!” Black Mage's body tensed considerably as he spoke, and thought it was entirely useless to even argue. They could've already found Kraken by now, in his mind. Red Mage put his hand on Black Mage's shoulder to calm him down.

 

“BM, they're right. Action needs to be taken, I know, but we can't continue to wander blindly now. Think to yourself, which would take more time in the long run? Stopping to ask for directions and advice, or diving into the ocean and searching for hours, with possibly no result?” Red Mage asked, and Black Mage calmed down, returning to his newly logical self.

 

“That's quite a point, RM. Although it is a rather big waste of time for right now, I suppose we should ask if anyone can help us find Kraken.” Black Belt agreed, sighing in defeat.

 

“Then what are we waiting for? Let's get going.” Thief said, and jumped out of the tree he'd been lying in. He landed next to Black Mage, and smiled confidently. Black Mage returned with a weak smile, as White Mage joined them again, and the four walked down the short path that soon opened up into the village square. But, as expected, only mud and debris greeted them. Each of them looked around, trying to find a shop or a house to get information from, but they found nothing as the cold wind blew gently across the mucky yards.

 

“On second thought... there doesn't seem to be anything here...” White Mage commented, as the four strolled across what should have been a grassy yard, and up to a run-down house. It might have been beautiful at one time, but now it was even a miracle the roof hadn't fallen in. This only made White Mage's comment a bit stronger. But Thief never left his spirit.

 

“WM, we can't be drowned down so easily. There must be something!” Thief exclaimed, and knocked on the door, “Hello! Please, answer us! We are here to defeat Kraken!” But Thief didn't get any reply. And as he went to knock on the door again, it fell over with a mighty crack, revealing a dusty, dirty interior. And it smelled strongly of mold and earth. Carefully, Thief stepped inside.

 

“Thief, be careful... if the town is deserted, who knows what may be hiding here.” Black Mage warned calmly, stepping inside and standing in a defensive spell-casting position. Red Mage walked in and drew his sword, and White Mage stood beside Black Mage, a Harm2 spell ready. Thief opened a closet and quickly brandished his katana, but the only thing that fell out was a ruined fur coat.

 

“I'll go check the second floor.” Red Mage said, as Thief threw the coat aside. Thief gave the thumbs-up and both mages nodded approvingly. Red Mage ran up the damp stairs and pushed the door to the first room he saw open. The second floor was in even worse condition than the first. The bedroom was particularly a wreck. The bed was sagging, the drawers were all upturned, and the windows looked as though they'd been forcefully blown open, as the glass laid there in pieces.

 

“If there is anything in here, you have three seconds to come out.” Red Mage called out, and crept near the bed. It creaked with every step he took, and he slammed a Fire3 spell when it sloshed a bit. But the spell fizzled out as the bed burst, causing more water to spill onto the already wet rug, and all over Red Mage himself. He could hear footsteps as they ran up the stairs, and the door creaked as Black Mage burst in.

 

“Red Mage, is everything okay!?” Black Mage asked, as he charged a Bolt spell. But he dismissed it when he saw Red Mage standing there, soaked, “What is going on here? I heard an explosion!”

 

“Everything's fine. I thought there was something moving under the bed, so I shot at it. But nothing's here.” Red Mage replied, and began walking out of the room, “Where's WM and Thief?”

 

“They went to check out the basement.” Black Mage answered simply, following Red Mage into the other room on the floor. Red Mage urged for them to keep quiet as he opened the door. The room was dark, and when Black Mage went to turn on the light, it simply blew out from the moisture. And the room smelled horribly of mold.

 

“Well, this is nice...” Black Mage muttered, as Red Mage rummaged through the desk he found. Finally, he took out an old log book and opened it up, curious as to what may be inside it. A small key fell out, but Red Mage was more intent on the text inside.

 

“RM, I don't see why you're reading that now. We have work to do.” Black Mage stated, then sighed and walked over when Red Mage hadn't appeared to have heard him, “What is so damn interesting that you're not listening to me?”

 

“Sorry, BM. This seems to be some kind of receipt book for stolen goods.” Red Mage replied quietly, as Black Mage took a look over his shoulder, “Look at this! Hydra fangs, Ochu roots... Naga scales... there's even a log on a fairy from Fantasia!” Black Mage looked around thoughtfully.

 

“I'd like to know where these people got these goods...” he murmured, “Maybe WM and Thief found something.” With that, Black Mage walked out of the room and down the hall, Red Mage close behind.

 

“So, where'd they go, anyway?” Red Mage asked, as they walked down the stairs and through the remains of the living room. Black Mage stepped over a moldy, moist door and went down another flight of stairs.

 

“They said there might be something for us in the basement. I can't imagine anything useful here though. If it's not destroyed, then something is either soggy or moldy beyond use.” Black Mage explained, and the two stepped into a large warehouse-type room. Crates had been destroyed, and the bookcases in the corners of the room fared no better. But on the other side of the room stood White Mage, who was holding a small bottle. Thief was looking through a box for something.

 

“Did you find anything useful?” Black Mage asked, walking up to White Mage. White Mage flicked her red hair back, and held up a bottle. Both Black and Red Mage peered inside it, but it was too dusty to see if it actually held anything.

 

“There's a fairy in there.” White Mage explained, seeing the others' clueless faces, “A fairy from Fantasia. She says she was kidnapped while sending a message to the mermaids.” Red Mage nodded absentmindedly and his thoughts went back to the logbook in the attic.

 

“That must be the fairy they mentioned...” he said, though he didn't think White Mage would hear.

 

“What is he talking about?” White Mage asked.

 

“We found a book of receipts on stolen rarities, and one of them was an unclosed log of that fairy.” Black Mage replied, “WM, did she say where exactly the mermaids live? Can they help us find Kraken?” Thief had gotten out of the box and was standing near White Mage when he explained.

 

“Actually, the reason the fairy needed to send the message was because Kraken kidnapped the mermaids. She was sending a response from the Sahagin Prince about their cry for help.” Thief explained, holding up a small piece of paper, “Here's the note.” Black Mage took it and read it carefully. After a few minutes, he rolled it up.

 

“By Chaos, we've nearly found Kraken! He's close to Onrac by way of the Onlac Sea.” Black Mage exclaimed with excitement, “However, that leaves the problem with waterbreathing. It's impossible without magic from the mermaids.” White Mage looked at the dusty bottle in her hands.

 

“At any rate, let's first return this fairy to the ocean... it should be buried by the beautiful sea.” White Mage said, sadly. She walked up the steps onto the first floor, and the other three heard the front door open. Without word, they followed White Mage.

 

Within a mere five minutes, the warriors were standing on a short dock overlooking the sea. It had grown windy, and the skies were dark with clouds, but that wouldn't stop them. White Mage opened the bottle, but didn't expect what happened next. A flash of light flew out and hovered over her for a second, and when the light died, a small girl with wings was fluttering about.

 

“Thank you all so much!” she chirped happily. The four could only stare, mouths agape, at the fairy. Finally, Black Mage found his voice.

 

“What the hell? You're alive?” he asked, then clamped his mouth shut. The fairy giggled.

 

“Yes, I am! I've been in that jar for 50 years, though. I've been waiting for someone, anyone, to let me out! Thank you all!” she exclaimed, “Now I can save the mermaids! But... what should I give such good-hearted people?” Everyone turned to Red Mage. He swallowed, and walked up to the fairy.

 

“We need the ability to breathe underwater. We're here to stop Kraken as well. He's terrorized the entire area, and he must be stopped.” Red Mage explained calmly. The fairy's eyes widened with wonder, but her smile never faded.

 

“Really? Wonderful! With the powers of the Sahagin Prince, I grant thee the breath of water!” the fairy said, and a blast of sparkling light showered over everyone, “All right! Let's go!”

 

“Wait a second! How do we know the spell works?” Black Mage asked. But the fairy had already used her magic to push the other three in, and before he even got an answer, Black Mage was also thrust into the depths of the ocean. He kept his eyes shut, and only opened them when he felt he'd reached the bottom. He opened his eyes and saw that he was in an old underwater courtyard. Luckily everyone had landed near each other.

 

“Where are we?” White Mage asked, waking up. She stretched out as Thief got off a block of cement.

 

“Maybe we're in Atlantis.” he suggested, but Red Mage was standing in front of a huge pair of doors.

 

“We're in the Water Shrine...” Red Mage said, “This is... this is where my father was last seen...” Black Mage walked up next to him.

 

“Are you ready to go in? Can you go in?” Black Mage asked, tilting his head. Red Mage looked down, and his eyes were filled with tears.

 

“We have no choice, BM. No, I'm not ready to face the possibility that my father's gone for good. He's all I've had since mom died. But I must find out, and we have to stop Kraken. That means going in there and seeing history unfold itself.” Red Mage said, and tears began to fall down his cheeks. Black Mage patted Red Mage on the back.

 

“I don't think anyone could've put it any better.” Black Mage replied. Red Mage looked up at him and smiled as White Mage and Thief came over.

 

“We'll be here, too.” White Mage said, “If you need some emotional support for when we find out what happened to Cid.”

 

“That's what friends do, after all!” Thief added, “And if this adventure taught us anything, it's that we're best buddies who stick around, even during volcano blasts and evil eyes!” Everyone chuckled at Thief's statement, but they all knew it was true. Red Mage dried his tears.

 

“All right, then. Let's do this!” he yelled, and opened the doors. Inside looked nearly as bad as Onrac seemed, only underwater. But everything was covered in a thick mold, and seaweed had begun to block out some of the windows and doorways. But sunlight was able to get through the unblocked windows, casting rays of light along the walls and floor. If it hadn't been so creepy, the four might've found it beautiful.

 

“This looks confusing.” Thief sighed, walking up to a patch of seaweed. He took out his katana and attempted to slash it down, but the seaweed had grown way too thick, and the katana merely made a little scratch until the seaweed reformed itself.

 

“Is Kraken trying to trap us in here?” White Mage asked, when Black Mage's Bolt3 spell didn't even seem to hit the patch in any way. Red Mage looked carefully at the patterns of the seaweed. They'd blocked off all but one door. Red Mage walked into the doorway, and saw it led upward. He could also feel that the water was colder on those stairs.

 

“I doubt he'd trap us. Look, the entrance isn't closed up. No, I think someone is trying to lead us straight to Kraken.” Red Mage suggested, and without another thought, he was up the stairs.

 

“I think he's lost it again.” Black Mage shrugged, and along with White Mage and Thief, went up the stairs to find Red Mage. However, Red Mage was nowhere to be found as Black Mage reached the top step and walked onto what appeared to be a balcony overlooking the first floor. He looked over the railing as Thief walked up, and White Mage stood guard.

 

“This is just weird. Anyway, where the hell is RM?” Black Mage asked, and soon got his answer as Red Mage waved zealously at them, “How did you get there!?”

 

“There's a broken pillar we can jump on. Come on, I think this leads even higher up!” Red Mage called back, and pointed to a pillar, which had been broken just enough to be used as a pedestal for a jump to where Red Mage was standing. Black Mage sighed, and walked over, noticing that Red Mage had kicked the banister in perfect alignment of the pillar. He jumped onto the pillar, making sure to keep his balance, and finally jumped to the second balcony. White Mage jumped next, but when she reached the second balcony, the pillar collapsed, no longer able to support anything in the water.

 

“Oh no! Thief hasn't crossed yet!” White Mage cried, as Thief stood there, confused, “What do we do!?”

 

“Wait, if we're in water, why can't we just swim across?” Black Mage asked, raising an eyebrow. Red Mage pointed to the ceiling.

 

“There's some sort of vacuum in the ceiling that's creating pressure. If we attempt to swim across, it'll merely push us to the ground. I already tried to use a toy copter I found on the floor as a test subject, and it sank.” Red Mage explained. Thief, however, used his new ninja powers to simply run across the wall and land conveniently next to Red Mage. Black Mage stared in wonderment.

 

“How did you do that!?” he whispered, amazed.

 

“I'm a ninja now. And if you've ever read ninja manga, we ninja never get hurt.” Thief said proudly, “Our evasion is way too high.” Black Mage laughed.

 

“You never get hurt!? Thief, how do you explain your HP loss when you were still a thief?” Black Mage asked, amused.

 

“Oh, that's easy. I wasn't nearly as fast as I am now.” Thief replied, as the four walked through the door and up another pair of stairs. But before they reached the top, Red Mage stopped.

 

“Guys, did you hear that? Or was that just me?” Red Mage asked. The other three stopped immediately and listened intently.

 

“I don't hear anything.” Black Mage stated, “What did it sound like?”

 

“I hear it. It's some kind of cracking sound, like something is breaking.” White Mage replied, shivering. Thief concentrated carefully.

 

“It sounds very close, almost like it's... right...” Thief looked up at the ceiling, and the others followed quickly, only to realize something very lethal.

 

“Above us!!” They all screamed, “Red Mage, go!!” Red Mage dashed up the rest of the stairs, only to slam into a locked door. He kicked it, then rammed into it, and finally tried cutting off the lock.

 

“It's no use! I can't get this door open!” Red Mage cried desperately, “What about back down there!?” White Mage looked down, but the seaweed had begun to cling to the doorway, and she already knew nothing could break it.

 

“It's no good down here either!” White Mage called back, looking up, “What now!? It's beginning to fall!” Red Mage ran back to his friends, and tried to use Stop on the ceiling to keep it together for a little bit while he thought of a different plan, but the water fizzled out his spells, and Black Mage wasn't having any more luck. In a few short moments, small fragments of plaster fell onto the four, and they saw a huge chunk of the ceiling was about to fall. White Mage started screaming, and Black Mage fell to the floor, terrified.

 

“Wait! Quickly, everyone behind me!” Thief exclaimed, and stood in front of his friends, closing his eyes.

 

“Thief, no! Don't sacrifice yourself!” Black Mage yelled, “It probably won't work anyway!”

 

“Relax! I'm a ninja, remember? We ninja are never hurt.” Thief said.

 

“HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE!?” White Mage yelled, clutching Thief's arms. Thief winced a little in pain.

 

“You're just gonna have to trust me...” he wheezed. Finally, the ceiling fell in. The four shut their eyes and prayed to whatever god they believed in, but not one of them felt any pain or plaster strike them, and a few minutes later, the plaster stopped falling, and everything became peaceful. Black Mage opened his eyes and looked around. The ceiling had definitely fallen in, but it collapsed around them, and completely missed hitting everyone.

 

“We... we made it? We're alive?” Red Mage asked, opening his eyes and taking a look around.

 

“I see it, but I can't believe it.” Black Mage said, an odd mixture of confusion and happiness on his face. Thief, however, put one foot on a piece of plaster.

 

“I KNEW IT! I AM INVINCIBLE!” he screamed proudly, throwing his arms up in victory, “Now I need a cool nickname! How does Invinco-man sound? Or maybe Shade?” Black Mage sat down.

 

“I think Idiot-Boy suits you best.” he mumbled, “Besides, look around. We're not dead, but now we're trapped in a pile of moldy shrine. I freakin' dare you to find a way outta this.” Red Mage tried to lift a piece of the plaster, but it proved too heavy.

 

“Even underwater, we can't move a thing... But we must stay calm. Maybe we can think of something...” Red Mage said, sitting down on a small board. But what he didn't tell everyone was that he was beyond exhaustion now, as he sat there breathing heavily. White Mage sat next to Red Mage.

 

“Let's think for a bit about this. It's not like we can move much as it is, anyway. Maybe there IS a way...” White Mage said, as Thief joined them. And so, they would just have to think about how to get out. And with that, the brainstorming began...

 

---

 

Uh oh, this can't get worse, can it? Can our heroes get out of the pile? Will Kraken find them? Will the fairy's magic hold out long enough? And will they find Cid, Red Mage's father? Find out the answer to these questions next chapter, so click that review button!