RPG Final Fantasy: Quest for the Crystals [M-LVS]

[Retribution]

OOC: Yeah, I've taken the liberty to make a training ground exist, solely for the point of sight-seeing. I decided it was a way to stall for time while Shinji waited for everyone to wake up.

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IC:

[b]That Night[/b]

Shinji swam over to the barrier, and knocked on it. Ripples resounded from where he had hit on the ethereal wall, and several girls crowded around the location of the ripple on the other side of the barrier. He remembered they could see throught he barrier, and he only saw distorted figures. He slowly backed away, and there was an increase of motion on the other side. Surely they knew that he couldn't see them.

He turned, and summoned for his clothes. Remembering they could see him change, he kept the white robe on until he was out of sight, then dried off and threw on his robe, and picked up his staff. He checked to make sure the card was in his inner pocked, and walked out of the bathing all.

Turning the corner, he saw girls who were dripping with water, and clothed in the thin white robes. He assumed they were from the other side of the barrier, the ones who saw him. He pointed at him, giggled and approached him. Shinji felt nervous, as he had to get by them to get back to his sleeping quarters.

He tried to walk past them, but they created a four-girl chain across the hall so that he could not pass.

"uh... Could I get by please?" He asked politely.

"Hm... not without a kiss." The leader of the group said.

"I'd prefer not, sorry." He said, his shyness taking over when in front of girls. They started walking towards him, and surrounded him. One threw herself on him, and he caught her before she ran into him. But it wasn't the kind of catch he wanted to make, as he had 'caught' the girls breasts.

He opened his mouth in shock, and pulled back his hands. Another girl hit him on the shoulder, and they decided to leave.

"What... the hell was all that about?" He had to admit, he liked the attention for whatever reason it was given to him. But he still wondered what they were doing.

He continued walking, and go to the sleeping quarters. He took off his robe, and went to sleep in his gray shirt and pants. It was easy to do so, as the beds were exquisitely soft and accomodating.

[b]The Next Day[/b]

He awoke slowly, wanting to sleep more. But he forced himself awake, and decided to take a stroll around the grounds to see what there was to see. He shrugged on his robe, took his staff, and began walking.

After about half an hour of sight-seeing, he came upon what looked like a training ground, but with only a few people on it. He jogged over, eager to see what was happening on it. Several people trained with swords, and there was one other Black Mage. Shinji wanted to talk to him first.

"Hello. What are you doing here, sir?" He said to the man. He looked to be about 45.

"Hello," He said, bowing slightly, "I'm here training. I want to push my limits, and become better."

"And how might you go about doing that? What kind of exercises do you perform?"

"First, I sit cross legged," The man took the position sitting down, "And I meditate, with the sole purpose in mind to displace the air around me. That decreases the amount of time it takes to cast your spell."

"Yes, I've noticed that the air moves away from me when I begin casting. So this exercise would speed that up?"

"Precisely. Try it." He patted the ground next to him, smiling amiably. Shiji took a seat. He put his staff on his lap like the other mage had done, closed his eyes, and concentrated. He wasn't exactly sure how to displace air, so he tried mentally casting the spell. [b][i]Firaga![/i][/b] he thought as hard as he could.

Quickly, the air rushed away from him. The other mage had been faster at displacing the air, but not by much. He relaxed, and so did the man. Then they began mentally trying to cast the spell again.

This time, Shinji became faster, knowing what to do. He only had to put command in his voice, and concentrate more deeply. By doing so, he blew the air away from him so hard, that the man struggled to stay sitting up. The other mage concentrated his hardest, his and Shinji's vortex's colliding monstrously. It was a battle of the minds.

Shinji's wind blew ever harder, and eventually knocking the other man's concentration. It looked like a hurracain was striking when he opened his eyes. There was a great deal of air swirling around him, kicking up loose dirt and grass.

"That was exceptional! Where'd you learn to do that? I've been training all my life, but I've never been out-casted before." The mage exclaimed.

"Thanks alot!" Shinji said sincerely. "I've been doing this for about ... two days now I think. Maybe a total time of 2 hours have been in my training regiment thus far."

"That's impossible. You can't have done that. It's much too hard." Shinji raised one eyebrow, and pulled back his sleeve slowly. The words [B]"Canaas of Granada"[/B] were etched in his arm, as black as charcoal in intracate, gothic letters. The man's eyes widened considerably. He stood as quickly as he could, and bowed deeply.

"My apologies for doubting you, young prodigy of Granada. Please forgive me." The man begged.

"It's really not a problem. Besides, what's so good about Granada?" He man's eyes looked at him incredulously, as if he was insane.

"Granada is a noble line of Black Mages. It is said that the very essence of magic is in a mage of Granada's veins. Even young mages are able to perform impossibly difficult magic tasks. You are very gifted and priviledged as a member of the Granada family. You are of noble descent." He rised from his bow. Shinji also stood up, and spun his staff.

"Like this?" He gripped his staff tightly, and clenched his teeth, trying to remember how he flew. He became impatient with himself, as he could not do it again.

"It is alright, Sir Cannaas. It will come with due practice and time." He said, happy that he could surpass Shinji in at least one aspect of being a Black Mage. He just shook off the man's comments, trying even harder to fly. He pictured the concept of flight, what it meant, and how he could attain it. He connected on a deep level with his staff's orbs, and felt himself levitate off the ground.

But he kept concentrating, intent on flying longer than he had last time. He shot forward with incredible speed, at least twice as fast as what he had already flown at. He banked sharply, and came back at the same speed. But the fatigue of concentration and harnessing the necessary magic was unbearble. His concentration broke with him gasping desperately for breath, snatching gasps at the air. And he fell. From the height he was at, 2 feet or so, a fall wouldn't even be noticiable. But it was his speed that made it dangerous. He crash landed on the grass, flipping head-over-heels, kicking up dirt as he rolled along the ground swiftly.

He eventually came to a halt in front of the mage again. He was clapping as hard as he could.

"Jolly good! That is very speedy improvement. Next time, you'll be able to stop more gracefully, instead of skidding about like you did." He nodded in the direction of his trail of thrashed grass and dirt.

"Thank you. And if I may ask, what is your name?"

"Orion of SanReon. My family is not nearly as prestigious as yours is, but it is well off." The last name felt vaguely familiar to him.

"I've heard that name... 'San Reon' somewhere." He said thoughtfully. He explained he had best be going, and left the grounds. He brushed off the dirt from his cloak, and went to where his friends where.

[Redemption]

[COLOR=Blue][FONT=Trebuchet MS]OOC: That event sounds very familiar Altron, ;) ;). The attack of the girls.

[center]========================[/center]

[B]The previous night...[/B]

Many thoughts crossed Dyna's mind as they were escorted down the passages towards their chambers.

[I]We are expected to do so much, and yet we know so little. This is really getting confusing. At least this law card will give us more freedom in battle. I'm glad they gave it to us.[/i]

The servant, clothed in a crisp white robe, showed the boys to their room and the girls to theirs, which was on the other side of the hall. Celia, Sakura and Dyna walked into their room to find it skillfully tailored for all the girls' needs. There was a wash basin at the back of the room and three comfortable feather beds on the right-hand side of the room. On the one was a chest of drawers. On top of the chest was a pile of fluffy white towels, stacked three high.

The three girls each grabbed a towel, waled out of the room and down the hall to find the bathroom. There was a door for either gender: male or female. Dyna pushed the 'female' door open and allowed Celia and Sakura to walk in, following behind them.

A large spacious room splayed out in front of them. The colour on the walls was a subtle blue, evoking a calming, relaxing feelings. The girls looked around the room in wonder and awe. But something caught Sakura's eye.

" What that?"

Celia and Dyna turned and they all looked at what looked like a magical mist barrier that separated the girls from the boys - half the pool to each gender.

" It looks like a barrier of some sort," Celia commented as Dyna stepped towards it. From a distance, it looked misty, but when Dyna came closer to it, the barrier became clearer. She could see Shinji and Zeth in the bubbly water. Her cheeks flushed a crismon colour.

" Oh my good lordy!" She quickly turned around and looked straight at the others. " I just saw Zeth and Shinji naked. I think I'm going to be blind for the rest of my life. I'm certainly not looking at those two normally again.

Celia and Sakura laughed at her as she turned even more crismon. Dyna quickly walked away from the barrier, cursing herself and her curiosity.

" As they say, curiosity killed the cat," Sakura laughed at Dyna.
" And blinds them as well. I hope that never happens again!" Dyna replied.
" Oh be reasonable. Now when you look at them, you won't be able to get the picture of them naked out of your head!" Celia taunted, trying very hard not to laugh while saying that.
" Oh you mean person!" Dyna exclaimed. Sakura and Celia doubled-over laughing.

Dyna stripped off and jumped into the pool/bath and splashed water all over Sakura and Celia.
" Nah nah nah nah nah!" she said in a sing-songy voice.
" Why you..." Celia growled. Sakura and Celia stripped off and jumped into the pool as well. The girls had a major water-fight, with water going everywhere and over the other girls that were in the pool.

[center]***********************************[/center]

[b]The following morning....[/b]

Dyna awoke to sunlight gently caressing her face. The warmth was soft and gentle, just like the Queen. She sat up slowly, looking at Celia and Sakura who were both still fast asleep. Standing up, Dyna dressed herself in her normal battle clothes that had been freshly washed. They smelt of softly scented roses washed with a summer rain. The smell was invigourating - perfect for the start of a new day.

Walking out of their room, Dyna walked to the breakfast hall where Zeth and Shinji sat. Apparently they were the only ones up from the Crystal Clan. When Dyna saw them, her cheeks went the colour of her hair. What Celia said was true - all she could see was them naked. Shaking off the image, she walked over to the table that had a spread of delicious food upon it, from end to end.

Dyna sat at opposite Zeth and Shinji.
" Good morning Dyna," Zeth said warmly.
" Morning," she said stiffly. The image of them naked just wouldn't go away, despite her best efforts.
" What's the matter with you this morning?" Shinji asked, munching his way through a piece of toast.
Dyna took a piece of watermelon from in front of her and stared at it. " Well...you know that barrier in the bathroom?"
" Yeah..." Shinji started uncertainly, wondering where this was going.
" IsawyouandZeththroughitlastnight!" she said very quickly, looking down at the table, her cheeks now ruby red. Shinji and Zeth looked at each other with wide eyes.

The others had finally awoken and joined them. Celia and Sakura sat either side of Dyna and Joseph and Kent sat either side of Shinji and Zeth.

Then, Dyna's saviour arrived. The Queen swept into the room, looking fairly flustered.
" Crystal Questers!" she addressed them firmly. " I have bad news. A faction of Clan Borzoi has left Jagd Ahli and have besieged the city of Muscadet! They request your presence immediately otherwise they will destroy the city! Even the judges have been refused to be allowed into the city. This means that this will not be a fair fight!"

" What!" the Crystal Clan yelled in unison.

" They are quite capable in doing that! They have a very powerful illusionist with them, so be careful! This is your first mission! Go quickly!"

The Crystal Questers all stood quickly and ran back to their rooms to collect weapons and the such. They all heard a loud thudding come down the hallway. Poking their heads out of the doors, they saw Judgemaster Zedekiah approach quickly, running along in his armour.

" Crystal Questers!" he bellowed, gaining all of their attention. They all gathered in front of him as he gained back his breath.
" Quickly! We must go now!"

All together, Judgemaster Zedekiah pulled out a card that only Judges can have. It glowed brightly and the Crystal Questers and Judgemaster Zedekiah were teleported to the outer walls of Muscadet.
" They await you inside. Good luck!"

The Crystal Questers nodded and made their way through the now opening doors. Forming a tight group, all of them had their weapons at the ready for any sneak attack that may be waiting for them. The huge wooden gates closed behind them with a crash. They were now all on their own!

OOC: Have fun fighting guys! Create yourself an enemy, one each. I've created the powerful illusionist. Have a look through the jobs and races and choose your opponent and happy fighting![/FONT][/COLOR]

[Orcus]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=Blue]The Crystal Questers walked cautiously around the town, each on alert for danger. They had only walked a short while, when suddenly there was a great surge of energy. The next that they new they were in a freezing cold tundra, and were being assaulted by a snowstorm. Zeth was shocked.

[B]"How th..th..the hell did that happen?! H..ho..how did we end up out h..hee..here?"[/B] He clutched his body, weak from the cold. The others, too, were falling to the weather, even Sakura, who normally loved the cold. Shinji attempted a Firaga, but the cold air wiped it out. Zeth looked over at Dyna and could see that she was close to freezing to death, and he was not going to allow that. He rushed over to her and wrapped his cloack around her.

He drew his sword and walked around, looking for shelter. Suprisingly, the tundra dissapeared for a second, leaving them in Muscadet, and then reappeared around them. Zeth figured it out.

[B]"It's an illusion! Concentrate and we'll be able to escape!!"[/B] They all concentrated and the illusion faded. But when Zeth opened his eyes, the others weren't around. Only a Nu Mou stood there, grinning mockingly. Zeth growled.

[B]"Where are my friends!? Answer me! Grrr...."[/B] The Nu Mou didn't respond, so Zeth drew his blade and lunged at him. The Nu Mou jumped backwards, avoiding the stab. It laughed.

[B]"Hmm...such impatience. Time to put you in your place."[/B] The Nu Mou grew taller and more ferocious. It grew wings, claws, and a horn, untill it had become a dragon.

[COLOR=Red][B]"NOW...DIE!!"[/B][/COLOR] It reared it's head back and emited a wave of flames at him. Zeth roled behind a building as the flames licked the street. He gripped his blade tightly.

[B]"This doesn't look good. Hope the others are alright..."[/B][/COLOR]

[B]OOC: Good? One-on-one battles are always fun...Sorry it's short, though.[/SIZE][/B]

[Kairi]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray][SIZE=1][B]*** The Night Before***[/B]

''Hey Zeth, hows it goin?'' Joseph said warmly as Zeth took a seat beside Joseph in the garden.

''Couldn't sleep...you?''

''The same...just looking up at the stars, they're quite beautiful aren't they?'' Zeth looking up at the sky himself.

''That they are my friend...that they are. Amazing really...''

''You really like it here, don't you Zeth?''

''Don't you Joseph...you've been acting weird lately. Usually you're one of the must uptempoded, energetic ones out there. Since the desert, you keep wandering off on your own. I would imagine you would be thrilled to be in a place like this. I mean, I can't get enough of it.''

''Sorry Zeth, I've just had a lot on my mind.''

''Thats what Zedekiah told me as I came into the garden, something wrong? Is it about what the mage told you in the presence of the queen? I saw you lower your head when she talked about ''The World'' crystal.'' Zeth tried to look into Josephs eyes and see what was wrong. He and Joseph have been friends for a long time, and they knew each other well. But this was the first time he's seen his friend like this.

''I'm lost Zeth...this whole ordeal with my crystal. They keep telling me I already have it...but I don't see it. It's frustrating at times...but Zedekiah told me not to fret. All things will come to pass I guess.'' as Joseph tried to show a smile.

''I feel the same way, we still don't know much about our crystals...or the powers that they might possess. But look at the bright sight...apparently you've already found yours'' both of them began to laugh ''even if you don't know exactly how!''

''You're right Zeth, better let it be I guess.''

''Thats very wise Joseph to think about it like that...prevents a lot less stress in the future. Come on...lets get outta here.''

Joseph was the first up and stretched out a hand to help his friend up. ''So...you're a soldier right...wanna spar?''

''Like the old days...sure, why not *with a smile as Zeth drew his sword* but, you don't have a weapon?''

''I may not have a sword *picking up his staff* but this will do. Come on...*stretching out his hand and motioning Zeth to come forward* bring it:)''

The two of them went right at each other, remembering the times back home. The fight was playful of course...laughing at everything...but, even if it seemed like play. They had been doing this for years, and they always got better and better.

[B]***Next Day: Muscadet***[/B]

''Zeth, Kent, Dyne, Sakura, Shinji...ANYBODY!''

The winter tundra had died down with Zeth's help...but everyone was gone. Joseph was seperated from the rest of the group...

[I]They must all be somewhere in the city...[/I]

''Don't waste your time human...'' a dark voice echoing across the emptyness of the street. ''Your friends are all scattered around the city, fighting for their lives...''

''Reviel yourself coward.'' Ever since this morning, Joseph felt refreshed and renewed. Whatever he felt within him...didn't feel so alien to him anymore. With the spar with Zeth last night...he felt alive.

''Such brave words towards an already dead man...'' as a dark figure appeared from around the corner of the local pub. Whatever the thing was...it glowed with bright red eyes hinden beneathe its hood, and skeletal hands coming from the cloak ''No one will come to save you human...one such as you doesn't deserve to have the power of Ivalices Crystal, Joseph of the Sacred Fire.''

''You know me?'' Joseph nearly dropped his staff upon hearing the beings words. He could sense an evil aura emmiting from the creature. Its words were cold...and deadly...speaking right to Josephs core.

''I know a lot about you...unlike these pathetic clan members that your friends are facing, I on the other hand know what you all are...and what you, Joseph, possess.''

A harsh breeze swept past the two beings...staring down each other in the middle of the street. The wind lifted up Joseph's bandana reveiling the black half moon on his forehead.

''What do you want from me?''

''I want to fight you...show me what you've got Lord of the Sacred Fire.''

Joseph didn't need any second thought, he wielded his staff and casted Curaga around the creature.

[I]If this thing is undead...then it must be weak to healing powers. [/I] ''CURAGA!''

As a bright light opened up above the creature, white little water droplets fell down from the light, however...the droplets didn't touch the being. An invisible wall prevented the Curaga to pass through.

''Your powers are futile human!" within an instant...the creature was upon him, the barrier around the being pushed Joseph straight into a wall from its force, then it came for him again, swiping away the Spring Staff, causing a deep cut in Josephs forearm. The being lifted him up into the air with one hand....and began to strangle the life out of him. Joseph battled back...hitting the creatures arm as hard as he could with his good right arm, but all he was hitting was bone, the creature couldn't feel a thing.

''Pathetic...I expected more from the Essence of Ivalice...servant of the Sacred Fire...ha...your friends will all be dead by my hands by nightfall.''

''No...please....'' Joseph was on the verge of passing out...but a surge of energy came upon him. Looking down at the skeleton warlord, Josephs blue eyes dissapeared, leaving only a white flame burning in his eyes.

''There we go...thats much better Joseph...'' the skeleton warlord threw Joseph back up against the wall. Joseph slowly got himself back to his feet. Outstretching his right arm...the Spring Staff came back to his hands. At a mere thought...the wound in his left forearm was healed.

When Joseph spoke...his voice was different. As if another being was speaking through and in him, as if he was in a trance.

''Enough...'' he said calmly...with a certain gentleness to his voice. The tattoo was burning as well the marvelous white flame. ''Be gone...'' stretching forth his hand once again...the same flames in his eyes now surrounded Joseph...and suddenly surrounded the skeleton warlord. The creatures screams were deafening...''master!'' and then it was gone, vanishing into dust leaving only behind his cloak and two rings that were on the creatures hands.

Joseph nearly blacked out when it was over...his body felt exhausted. Not remembering completely what happened...''..wh....what happened?'' His head began to hurt again...pressing his palm up against his forehead.

He was looking frantically for the warlord, only to see a pile of dust underneathe a black cloak. ''Did I do that...'' with the staff in his hands...Joseph heard a voice in his head yet again.

[I][COLOR=Blue]You have mastered Curaga...Life[/COLOR][/I]

The staff began to change...the orb on its stand was now a pure white, attached to a now silver walking stick. ''Weird...''

[I][COLOR=Blue]Life...to save souls. [/COLOR][/I]

''Amazing...I've learned another ability...'' looking at the pile of dust, Joseph picked up the two rings that the creature left behind. Placing both on his left hand...Joseph again...felt a strange feeling surge through his body.

[COLOR=Blue][I]Haste, and Wall (barrier, shell) aid you...[/I] [/COLOR]

''This is too much...'' his head still throbbing...''I gotta find the rest of the gang...they're gonna need my help.''[/SIZE][/COLOR]

OCC: Basically, Josephs little trance was a surge of energy from his powers as a servant of the sacred fire...a clan that served ''The World'' Crystal, which im also calling the ''Essence of Ivalice.'' Since mine really isn't part of the Final Fantasy storyline, I figured I'd let you all know where I was going with it. The reason why Joseph is coming to understand these powers quickly and there terms is because it the actual spirit of this world working in him...aka...his crystal. PM amgoddess if this is ok...trying to wing it:)

[Retribution]

OOC: Yeah, I can see where you'd have problems with your race being "the world." Personally, I'd be a white mage, but where you're taking it is good too. Anyway...

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IC:

His teeth were gritted tight with anger and burning desire to prove himself. He wanted to do well... no, the best in this mission. And he was already off to a bad start; he had failed to cast a Firaga to warm his friends.

"There's no fucking way I'm going to be the number two. I'm going to pull through for everyone." He said quietly, keeping his cool. He and his group had been seperated. He decided to displace the air around him, and he closed his eyes. His body's senses were stretched to the limit, every fiber on it's breaking point, every cell in his body in anticipation for an attack.

He thought of powerfully casting a spell.

[i][b]FIRAGA!![/b][/i] He thought as loud as he possibly could. The air was displaced in a few instants, dispelling the thick fog around him. Opening his eyes, he saw another black mage looking at him.

"O... Orion?" He stammered. It was him.

"Yes. Now you die, Canaas of Granada."

"Fuck you." He spat back. He readied his staff, and began walking towards him. Orion kept his ground, not moving at all. But somehow, he knew that you didn't have to move to kill someone when you're a Black Mage. Sticks and stones may break your bones, and words will burn you to death.

"Firaga!" He said as sharply as he could, as if he was willing the heavens to obey his call. He straffed to the right by flying. The spell was casted with great accuracy, with a huge jets of fire spontaneously combusting in midair.

"Shell!" Orion said at the last moment. A green aura encircled him, repelling the flames away from his body. But Shinji did not slow down. He used the momentum of his strafe to run up a lamp post. He forced air to move in the direction of Orion, knocking him off balance.

The thought hit him that Orion must've lied to him. He must be some sort of hybrid between Black and White mage. He refused to entertain the thought, as the moment was more important than theory.

The vortex of air knocked him off balance, but that was all Shinji needed. He jumped off the lamp post in the direction of Orion.

"Thundaga!" Orion spat at him. A lightening bolt completely vaporized the lamp post he had just left. He was a powerful magic caster. But not strong enough. Shinji brought down his staff like a sword atop Orion's shell. The revolving orbs spun faster, and the shell went from a lime green to a blood-red. Light was shining, and time was warping around them. Shinji was suspended in the air by an unseen force for a moment, as if time had froze.

[B]"FIRAGA!!"[/B] He shouted with all his might. Fire went inside the crack of the shell, turning Orion to dust. Time proceeded once more, and Shinji collapsed on the ground, panting heavily next to a smoldering pile of ashed. It felt like he had been drained of all his strength.

"U...nn...." he groaned. His legs felt tired, as if he had ran somewhere.

"Oh hell no! I'm not gonna be the weakest link!" He forced himself to stand. Surprisingly, after he propped himself back up, he felt rejuenated. It felt like he had grown in his skill some way. Looking at the heap of ashes, he wanted to take his staff. But that too was disentigrated. He pushed the pile around a bit, and found an ethereal fragment of the broken shell.

Frowning, he put it in his pocket securely. Then he jumped in the air, using the motion to begin his flight once more. He flew around, looking for where everyone else is.

"Maybe... I can cast a really, really huge Firaga to make everyone know where I am." He landed at the top of a rather tall building, and concentrated. He was happy when he could cast the spell without much thought or effort. The problem would be to make it strong. He decided he'd try it anyway.

Closing his eyes, he summoned forth the strength to cast the spell. He was successful, and when he opened his eyes, he heard a low [i]ping[/i]ing sound like some musical instrument was playing. And it came from his staff. It was one of the orbs, glowing a bright red, and coincidentally, the flame grew and grew in midair. He eventually had to control the magic, as it had gotten as wide as a city block and threatened to burn down the surrounding buildings. Using self-restraint, he slowed the flow of the magic to keep it at a steady burn.

"So lemme get this straight," he said to the three spheres orbiting the main orb. "You're for flying," he pointed to the amber one "You're for fire magic," he pointed to the ruby one.

"But what are [i]you?[/i]" he questioned the marble orb. It hadn't been glowing at all. Only maintaining it's orbit. He kept thinking as he looked out among the town for his friends.

[Sakura]

[color=Navy][font=Tahoma]Sakura walked around, during the time that the illusion of the Winter Tundra had been around, they had all been dispersed.

[b]"Hello? Anyone?"[/b] she called, gripping her staff in case there were enemies.

[b]"Hello. Welcome!" [/b]a loud booming voice sounded, and a figure appeared.

Sakura squinted at it, she made out that it was male, and he wore a long robe with a hood that he wasn't wearing, and he also carried a staff. She looked carefully and made out the colour of her robe, it was red. He was walking toward her, so she held her staff up at a position that could defend or attack with a small movement. Soon he was close enough that she could see him clearly without squinting.

[b]"Who are you?" [/b]she asked, glaring at him, she didn't like the vibe she was getting from him, even more since she had a sixth sense about people.

[b]"I am your defeat!" [/b]he laughed, before waving his staff [b]"Poison!"[/b]

Sakura looked around herself and saw a purple fog surrounding her, and she suddenly felt painfully ill.

[b]"Ah!" [/b]she cried out as she slid to the ground in pain. [b]"What did you do to me?"

"Figure it out yourself. You're pathetic, and you call yourself a mage." [/b]he scoffed evilly. [b]"You're an embarassment, I might as well just finish you now." [/b]

Sakura glared up at him, she looked at her left palm and saw the cherry blossom mark that made her part of a high class of mages, and this guy was mocking her family, even though she didn't know them.

She dug her staff into the ground and got up, her left arm wound around her stomach to try to stop the pain, her right hand gripping the staff.

[b]"Take that back..."[/b] she growled.

[b]"Oh, you got up. Take it back? Never. You're worthless, probably part of a reject family of mages."[/b] he snickered.

[b]"Blizzara!!!" [/b]she roared, pointing her staff at him.

A look of surprise appeared on his face as he was hit by a full on strong blizzard, blinding him temporarily and freezing him. The ice lasted a few second before cracking, shattering around him. Particles clung to the material of his robe and his hair. He brushed them off quickly.

[b]"I wasn't prepared for that. You must be of a high family to have such magic. Who are you?!" [/b]he demanded.

[b]"I'm Sakura, the Deadly Flower, I'm of the 'Deadly' clan." [/b]she said, holding up her left hand to let him see the mark.

He was completely shocked that she was part of such family of mages.

[b]"Looks like you won't be such a pushover after all." [/b]he said smirking.

Sakura took her arm away from her stomach and stood upright strongly, even though she felt the sting from the poison after she'd cast her attack.

He rushed toward her and they locked staffs, Sakura glared at him and winced as he suddenly put a lot of pressure. She was weak from the poison that had infected her body.They both pushed against each other, the red mage with the upper hand, being stronger. Sakura knew she wouldn't win so unlocked and did a rolling dodge to his other side and whacked him across the back with her staff. He swore as he felt the blow and whirled around to face her.

[b]"You'll pay for that. Double Cast!" [/b]he roared.

She swore as she saw two coloured auras surround him and his staff. She raised her staff, and as the first magic came toward her, she cast Ice, to null the fire. Then the second blast of ice came, Sakura fought it with her own attack and the two attacks fell away harmlessly.

They were both tired from exhausting their magic and Sakura was really feeling the pain from the poison. She only had enough strength for one more strong attack and she cast it, hoping it would do the trick.

[b]"Blizzaga!!"

[/b]He was caught by surprise and screamed as he was hit by the blizzard and encased in ice. When the ice shattered, so did his body, there wasn't enough strength in him to ward off the attack of the biting ice.

Sakura panted and leaned on her staff. It was her first real battle and she was exhausted and in pain. She hoped she could find her other party members and get it cured. So she used the staff as a walking stack and started to wander in search of her friends.
[/font][/color]

[Kairi]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray][SIZE=1]''Sakura!'' she slowly turned around to see Joseph running at her with great speed.

''Joseph...''

''Sakura...are you hurt?'' he got to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, sighing in relief that he had found at least one of his friends.

''I'm not doing too well...'' as Sakura continued to lean against her staff.

''Don't worry, I'll take care of you...'' stepping back a couple of feet, Joseph pointed the staff at Sakura as it began to glow a bright aqua green; ''Curaga!''

As always, a white aura began to surround Sakura, feeling a rush of a warm energy spreading through her body. Above her head, 3 droplets of water appeared over her and feel upon her body. In moments, her wounds were healed; she could feel her strength coming back to her.

''Wow...'' the feeling was incredible...''thank you Joseph.''

''No problem...'' he walked up and gave her a hug...''I was worried about all of you.'' He released her and held out his hand...containing a ring.

''Whats that?''

''It's called a Haste ring, for brief amounts of time...you're able to go at great speeds. Take it...''

''Really...cool.'' she slid it onto her left pointer finger...looking at the it, it contained a yellow gem within it...with a red band for the ring itself.

''The power is activated immidiately on a thought...so try to control it when you're searching for everyone else. I gotta see if anyone else needs healing...''

''Ok...I'll go down this road, and you go down there...''

''Sounds good too me...lets go!''

Sakura sped off in her direction, running like the wind. Echoing through the streets, Joseph could hear her cheering joyfully in the distance.

''Be careful Sakura...'' as Joseph ran off in the opposite direction. [/SIZE] [/COLOR]

[Redemption]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][COLOR=Blue]Dyna shivered as the cold winter swirled around the Crystal Questers. Then she felt someone wrap their cloak around her. She looked up into the face of Zeth. He smiled at her warmly as Dyna tried to control her shivering.

Soon the illusion passed. Dyna found herself on her own atop some sort of mud-brick building.

" Where the hell am I?"

" You are atop of Muscadet's only weapon shop - Double Blade," a strong, evil sounding voice came to her. Dyna spun around, her sword unsheathed in a matter of seconds.

" Who the hell are you and what the hell do you want?" she asked angrily. Darkness surrounded her so she couldn't see a thing. The sound of someone pacing around her echoed through the dark. Dyna stood there, waiting for an answer.

" I am Toshi, one of the finest Illusionists around," the voice said. A young Nu Mou appeared. Dressed in a black robe with a black witches' hat, he looked the part of evil.

" And one of the evilist," Dyna parried.

" That maybe so. But still, you cannot deny my power." He flung his staff at Dyna. " FIRAGA!"

A huge ball of flame jumped up from Dyna's feet and engulfed her. The flames were so intense, so hot that Dyna screamed in pain. It felt like that flames had erupted inside of her and were burning her insides to crisps. The flames subsided and Dyna was on all fours, breathing very hard.

" Awww...were the flames too hot for you my dear?" Toshi mocked. Dyna stood up slowly, staring him straight in the eyes.

" Quite....the opposite. I love fire and heat......That scream you heard, that was a scream on enjoyment!" Dyna hissed. What she said was not true, but it was something that Toshi definitely wasn't expecting for the Nu Mou's eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

" You lie!"

" Now why would I do that when I know you are far superior in magical skills than I?" Dyna spoke.

" Now that is the truth! I am far more powerful than you!"

" Then you won't mind if I overpower you with my attack strength then!" Dyna swung the sword around and stopped right at the Nu Mou's nose. " You may be superior than me in the magical department, but you can never beat the Bangaa's Crystal Quester for brute strength. Come with me. You're going to prison, where you belong!"

" Not without a fight!" Toshi bellowed and cast another spell on Dyna. This time she felt her vision disappear into nothingness. All she could see was darkness.

" What the HELL did you do?" Dyna shrieked.

" I made you blind. So you can't see!" Toshi laughed as Dyna wandered around helplessly.

" You bastard!" Dyna's temper suddenly snapped. It wasn't like her to get very angry, but this was battle, and the time called for it. Gripping her sword tightly, Dyna swung around and heard a definitely clang. Toshi had been in the sword's path and quickly parried her blow with his staff.

" Even blind you still won't die!"

" Bangaa aren't known for quitting!"

Dyna listened carefully for Toshi. He had to chant something, even if it was a whisper, to summon any of his magic. She heard a slight mumbling and quickly attacked the source. Another clang! Toshi had parried her attack yet again.

[i]Wait! I have a technique that I know that can help me![/i]

Dyna backed away. " First Aid!" she said softly. A soft warm feeling spread throughout her body and her vision returned slowly. She now saw Toshi standing one foot away from her, chanting.

" Oh no you don't!" Dyna leapt forward and punched the Nu Mou in the face, knocking him unconscious, his staff clattering to the ground. The darkness faded around her and Dyna saw the city of Muscadet sprawl out over the land. A cool sea breeze hit her face. It smelt of salt and water.

" I need to find the others."

Dyna leapt down from the roof, with Toshi slung across her shoulders. She had to bring him to Zedekiah, and there was no other way that she knew how at that present moment in time.

OOC: Ok people. Finish fights, and then we'll go crystal hunting. Hee hee hee. You can upgrade your job if you wish after this battle.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Retribution]

Shinji cut the flame off.

"Dammit. No one's coming." Stemming the energy for the flame took a while, as it was a large spell. He jumped down to the street, slightly hovering before landing to lessen the impact, and ran down the block. He heard a staff hit the ground, and he turned the corner, readying his staff for battle.

"Oh.." he sighed with relief. "It's you."

"At least I've found [i]you[/i]." Dyna said to him.

"What do you mean [i]at least?[/i]?" he asked her.

"Oh, Shinji! You take things too seriously sometimes. Chill out. We need to find the others." He remained silent, following behind her for a while. They walked to the center of the town, where they were reunited with a few more of the group memebers.

"Hey guys!" he waved to them. As soon as he began waving, his hand began to glow a dim blue. "What the hell?" he stopped in midsentence. The light spread throughout his body, and once it had passed, he looked different. Instead of an orb at the tip of his staff, there was an old fashioned clock. It was golden, and the numbers where in roman numerals. The second hand ticked away.

"What just happened?" He said to Dyna.

"No idea. Transforming or something? I dunno, just ask someone else I suppose."

"Okay" he said, rather puzzled at the change. He looked at himself, and saw that his silver fringe was now more elaborate than a simple border. He smiled... he like the new change.

[0ber0n the Neko]

Kent tried desperately, with little success, to dodge and weave the magical assauly led by an individual short in stature, temper, and sanity. Probably the results of the former condition.

"YOU'LL NEVER GET AWAY!!!" The man said, artfully punctuating with three exclaimation points. Anyone who has any reason to use any more than two is reasonably insane. He flung a fireball at Kent, who avoided it, trying to advance. He drew his sword and tried something very stupid.

The next fireball came, and he tried to block it with his sword. As was stated before, a VERY STUPID IDEA.

He found that he was now on the ground writhing in agony. He was very possibly on fire, but the agony and pain of stupidity struck hardest. "Dammit!"

"God, you'd have to be INSANE to try that! Are you fucking NUTS?" The short man called.

"I hear this coming from you?" Kent asked as sarcastically as possible.

The short man entered a state of contemplation. "Well..."

Kent took this opportunity to stand and hap-hazardly kill the man with a single bodily blow from his sword.

"Shit." Kent said, as he slumped to the floor, realizing that, yes, he [i]was[/i] on fire.