FanFic: My Phantasy - Chapter VI: Brothers Ying and Yang

[Chaos_Phoenix]

Consider this...

What if the real world, and the world of Phantasy Star, were somehow linked? On your mark, get set... Chapter VII: Strange Encounters of the Woym Kind!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Chaos_Phoenix on 2004-02-22 18:47 ]</font>

[Skett]

Interesting idea. It has been used in many fics before (not on PSOW, I dont think anyways). This could be interesting. Good luck.


This post is rated T for This fanfic is not rated.

[Chaos_Phoenix]

Thanks for the good luck, and expect the first chapter within the next week or so.

PS- School starts tomorrow, but I don't know if Hikara has his next chapter ready.

[Chaos_Phoenix]

Here ya go- Chapter I: Good Ideas, Bad Judgement
-----------------------------------------------------

"Any new transmissions?" asked the goofy looking scientist, to his brainy assistant.

"Nope, sorry," replied the assistant. The scientist's head drooped, and he began to mumble. "Hey, Professor? I just thought of something."

"What?" gruffed the scientist.

"Maybe the transmissions aren't from another planet," spoke the assistant.

"What?! What nonsense is this? If there is no other planet, then where are the transmissions coming from, huh?" yelled the scientist, enraged by his assistant's unbelief.

"Let me finish. It may be another dimension, not another planet," explained the assistant. Just then, the static from the reciever broke the silence.

"Can anyone hear us....... We... are trap...d ..... on t....e pl...t ..........Ragol............" And with that, the message became incoherent.

"Quick! Trace it!" exclaimed the scientist.

"It's too late for that, Professor. But, perhaps we can recontact them, using your latest invention?" suggested the assistant.

"Oh, but of course! The Garanz Arbital Tele-Engine, GATE for short! We can use that to create a temporary rift, so we can find the sorce of this distress call!" laughed the scientist. He and his assistant rushed to another room, and the scientist began madly flipping switches, as the assistant applied power using the brakers. "Throw that last switch!" yelled the scientist, competing with the loud roar of the machine. The assistant flipped the final switch, and the GATE glowed an eerie green. "Isn't it beautiful?" awed the scientist. But, before the assistant could speak, the GATE went haywire. "What's happening??!" shouted the scientist.

"I don't know!" the assistant shouted back. Before another word could be spoken, the GATE exploaded, causing large pieces of debris to fall from the sky. As the smoke cleared, both the scientist and the assistant were gone, without a trace...


Meanwhile, about twenty miles away from the explosion, Tidus, Rikku, and Alex all set atop their favorite boulder, laughing and joking. The three had been best friends since any of them could remember, and they hoped to always keep it that way.

"What should we do today?" asked Tidus. Tidus was the leader of the group, without a doubt. For being only 17, he was already very mature, even though he hardly acted that way. He stood an average height of 5' 9'', with light blue hair that loosely fell just above his ears. He was completely facinated by swords and any other weapon of that sort. He was training to become a full-fledged swordsman, but he was still years away from accomplishing that. An interesting thing about Tidus was that, although he was quite normal, his eyes were not the same color. His left was blue, while his other was green. He was a big flirt, and quite popular with the ladies. But, there was only one girl whom he had his eyes on. Sadly, he could never go about it.

"I dunno. How about we go to the woods?" chuckled Rikku. Rikku the cheer-bringer in the group, because you'd never find a frown on her face. She stood 5' 7'', with long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail that fell just below her shoulders. Having being raised about boys all her life, she was also the biggest tomboy you'll ever meet. She enjoys playing sports with the guys because she gets a kick out of beating them every time. Tidus tried to get her to take up swordsplay with him, but she'd rather watch him. She was certainly attractive, but you'd never want to double cross her. She might beat you up.

"Wha--? Why the woods? I'm sick of that place," complained Alex, the brains of the group. Graduating at the top of his Sophmore class, Alex was certainly the brightest guy in the city of Springfield. But, since he spent so much time studying, he's not what you would call athletic. But, even so, he is well-built, having to keep up with Tidus and Rikku, his only true friends. He stands 5' 9'', the same height as Tidus. He has green hair, that falls down below his ears. Tidus got him intrested in swordsplay, but Alex secretly desired to learn a more, difficult art. A year ago, he began studying the ancient arts of magic, but to date could not manage to do anything.

"Aww, quite yer whinin, or I'll belt ya!" laughed Rikku, shaking her fist at Alex. The three burst into laughter again, before Tidus spoke.

"Come on! Last one there's a rotten egg!" With that, the three lept off the boulder and raced down the large ravine that seperated their giant boulder and Terra Woods. Now, Terra Woods was not known for too many things, but one thing was for sure: If you got lost in these woods, you were as good as dead. There were wolves that would eat you alive if given the chance. Not to mention the Piranha that make themselves at home in the numerous streams that flow lazily along the floor of the woods. Despite all these dangers, Tidus, Rikku, and Alex would rather be there than anywhere else. As the three raced for the opening in the trees, the ground began to quake violently.

"Earthquake!" shrieked Alex, as he spun around and headed back for the boulder. The other two followed up the hill, racing upwards. As they lept on to their boulder, the shaking stopped.

"False alarm," muttered Tidus. But, as the three hopped off, a bright flash blinded them momentarily. When the flash subsided, there floated a large hole, that looked quite ominous. As the three peered at the strange hole, it began to suck. It began to suck anything and everything that wasn't tightly holding on. The three gripped the boulder tightly, and watched as the vortex grew bigger, beginning to uproot the brush on the ravine floor. As their arms grew weaker, they felt the pull getting looser and looser, until finally stopping.

"Whew, that was close," sighed Rikku. Before they could celebrate, though, something worse happened. The now giant hole began taking the shape of something even bigger. At first, it was merely a shadow, but soon the entirity of the beast appeared, and the three screamed.


It was a horrific beast, standing a least 50 feet tall, riding a giant hidra, that looked just as deadly. The giant beast reered it's head towards the screams, and the three shut their eyes and began to pray for their lives. After a few moments of nothing, Tidus slowly opened his eyes to see why the beast hadn't destroyed them yet. Half expecting to see the beast lunging towards them, Tidus gasped as he saw what was really happening. A cloaked swordsman was fending off the gigantic beast! Tidus was completely amazed at the masked swordsman's awsome skill. He also took notice of the swordsman's sword, and had never seen anything like it. There wasn't even a blade. It was just a long beam of light, almost like a lightsaber. Rikku and Alex both opened their eyes to see why their deaths had been postponed. Rikku chuckled a laugh of relief, and started cheering on the strange swordsman. Before the three could escape, though, everything went dark.

"Hmm... New arrivers I see..." spoke a mysterious voice as he laid eyes upon the unconscious Tidus, Rikku, and Alex.





<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Chaos_Phoenix on 2004-01-08 17:08 ]</font>

[Gnarled_rose]

Per your request, I've read the first chapter. Sic follows my critique.
Pretty good, although there was one spelling error in the scientist's dialogue. Right after he abbriviates GATE, I think. Thereabouts.

As far as describing your characters goes, I think you'll have more fun as a writer if you let their hidden relationship slowly come out, instead of explaining it on page one. But that's just me...and the rest of the literary world.
And your intro confuses me. You said something about the real world and Ragol merging(Thereabouts, anyway) but the names don't quite coincide with OUR world. I'm not complaining or anything, but it doesn't sound like Earth and Ragol merging/combining/fighting/meeting. It's nothing huge, but your teaser-of-a-first-post should be altered accordingly.
In conclusion, as a rough draft of chapter one, it was better than most. Consider that a compliment, considering I'm not in the best mood right now.

[Chaos_Phoenix]

Why the bad mood, Rose? Femalial problems? Anyways, thanx for the review, and I changed somethings. I'm hoping to add some serious twists and turns, so stay tuned.

[-Raider-]

Sounds like it's going to be a very interesting story. I want to hear more.

[Sord]

1. This is surprisingly intresting, despite that parralell dimension stories can be somewhat...dull, at some times.

2. Rose, he never actually said who the girl was, it might be Rikku, but it never specifically says. It could be someone else, and since he apears to have never brought up the subject, he could still develop the love for each character.

3. Keep up the work!

[Chaos_Phoenix]

Just so you know Sord, it did mention Rikku before, but I edited out because I came up with something else. Oh, and thanks for the good feedback! I'm glad that my story is a hit, even if it's just a small circle of people.

PS-I'm nearly done with writing Chapter II, so hang on to your shorts a bit longer http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif

[Sord]

On 2004-01-14 17:07, Chaos_Phoenix wrote:
Just so you know Sord, it did mention Rikku before, but I edited out because I came up with something else. Oh, and thanks for the good feedback! I'm glad that my story is a hit, even if it's just a small circle of people.

PS-I'm nearly done with writing Chapter II, so hang on to your shorts a bit longer http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif


Well, you shouldn't have told me cause now you ruined it and anyone else who hasn't read it. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/twak.gif http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_chuck-ball.gif

[Chaos_Phoenix]

On the contrary. I have told you nothing... Perhaps I have merely misdirected you. You'll just have to read to find out http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif

[deathreaper]

great work, although i found the start was slow...hope chapter 2 is better!

Good luck! http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

[Chaos_Phoenix]

Here's Chapter II: Not In Kansas Anymore
-----------------------------------------------------------
As Tidus regained conciousness, he slowly opened his eyes to check his surroundings. His eyes popped open when he found himself surrounded by trees. He began frantically looking around, looking for something he'd recognize. Assuming that, somehow, he, Rikku, and Alex had all wound up in Terra Woods. Not recognizing anything, a feeling of panic started to overwhelm him.

"Where are we?" asked the half-asleep Rikku, squinting her eyes because of the bright sun. She sat up and looked around, a confused look on her face.

"Wish I knew," groaned Tidus, as he lifted himself off the ground. "None of it looks familiar to me," he continued.

"Morning already?" yawned Alex, rubbing his eyes. "Hey! Where are we?" he asked as he took in his surroundings. Tidus shook his head.

"I don't know." Tidus extended his hands, and pulled both Rikku and Alex off the ground. "But, I think we're somewhere in Terra Woods," spoke Tidus. as his two friends' eyes widened. Tidus spun around, and his eyes soon beheld an odd sight. Standing before him, there was a young man draped in an all white robe, with a blue strip across the collar, in the shape of a cresent. His silver hair was pulled back into a ponytail, which fell from under his tall white hat. In one hand he held a black rod with a cresent-shaped top. His smile was amazing, and it made Rikku's knees wobble. Tidus saw this, and nudged her hard in the ribs. She jumped in surprise, and glared at Tidus.


"Heh, I get that a lot," chuckled the mysterious young man. "You may call me Leon. I am a Maester of this land. And you are?"

"I'm Rikku! Oh, and this is Tidus and Alex. It's good to see a friendly face around here. Where are we, anyway? Rikku blurted excitedly. Leon smiled, and laughed to himself.

"Well, Rikku, you are on Ragol. This is a land of great beauty, and also a land of great danger. If you are to stay as you are, then you will not survive. If I may, I would like to help you with this dilema."

"What kind of help?" asked Tidus, glaring at the Maester. As Leon was about to speak, Alex interupted.

"What exactly is a Maester?" he asked. Leon looked towards Alex.

"Excellent question, Alex. A Maester is neither alive nor dead, but more just --- being. We act as guides for newcomers, and keepers of the peace. We also care for the occasional wild MAG, but that's another story. Now, to answer your question, Tidus. I will grant you the abilities of this land, and give you strength you've never before experienced," explained Leon.

"That sounds awsome!" exclaimed Rikku, jumping happily.

"Powers? Like what?" asked the now intrigued Tidus.

"Well, let's see," started Leon. He placed his hand on Tidus' shoulder, and Leon's eyes flashed red. Leon's hand shot up, as if it had been burned. "Hmm, you are certainly a different breed," muttered Leon, shaking his hands. "I suppose I shall make you a Hunter. Now, hold still." Leon closed his eyes, and muttered a strange incantation, forming strange signs with his fingers. With a flash of light, Tidus felt his body change. When the light faded, Rikku and Alex gasped as they saw Tidus. He wore gray armor, with a green coin inserted in a slot that was in the middle of his shoulder line. In his left hand, he wielded a strange glowing blue sword, and there was also a small machine floating above his right shoulder.

"What's that?" asked Tidus, pointing towards the machine.

"That is a MAG. Take care of it, and it will take care of you as well." While Tidus admired his new equipment, Leon turned towards Rikku. "And now, it is your turn, Rikku." Leon looked into the heart of Rikku, and then soon spoke. "I think that I shall make you a ranger." With a bright flash, Rikku felt a strange tingling in her body. When the light was gone, Rikku found herself in bright green armor, with a yellow coin in the same place as Tidus'. In her right hand, she found herself holding a handgun of some sort.

"Oh, wow! This is so cool!" she exclaimed. Leon chuckled, and then turned towards Alex.

"It is your turn, Alex. Are you ready?" Leon asked kindly. Alex nodded his head confidently, and Leon immediately looked into his heart. After a moment, Leon closed his eyes, and the bright flash appeared once again. Alex felt something in him that wasn't there a moment ago. As the light disipated, Alex looked to see what had changed. He found himself in a light blue robe, that fell to his feet. There were colorful designs all along his robe, and atop his head, there was a blue hat, that was almost too big for him. In his left hand, he held a curved staff that almost seemed to glow. "You are now a Force, in more way than one," chuckled Leon. The three, having looked themselves and each other over, decided that it was time to explore this new land.

"Thanks for the help," thanked Tidus. Rikku chimed in.

"Will we ever see you again?"

"Perhaps," smiled Leon. Leon closed his eyes, and in a flash, was gone. As the three began to walk towards a break in the trees, Alex spoke up.

"Um, now what?"

[TalonHUcast]

not bad i want to hear more

[Gnarled_rose]

Auto-refresh, burn in the fires that burn but do not consume!!!
Where was I? Right...
Nice job on the second chapter, although short for my tastes.
Nice job on the descriptions, short and succinct, which is always good.
You're keeping your audience in mind, equally good.
I had it better the first time around, but now I need to rant on about the dang auto-refresh.
And it almost happened again! But my lightening quick [sarcastic laugh] reflexes[/sarcastic laugh] stopped it. And if it tries it again, I'll rip it's ears off.

[Chaos_Phoenix]

Thou disliketh the auto-refresh as much as I do. Great minds thinkith alike http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif

Thanks for the review, and I'm sorry that it's so short. I'm trying to make my chapters longer, but I'm more of a short chapter writer. It takes me long enough just to produce that, so you should at least be somewhat appriciative. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

[Chaos_Phoenix]

Here's Chapter III: Pioneers Abroad
-----------------------------------------------------
As the three began to wonder the forest aimlessly, Alex felt a sense of uneasiness overwhelm him. Every few moments, he checked behind him to ensure that there was nothing there.

"What's a matter?" asked Tidus, noticing Alex's recent paranoia.

"I just got a bad feeling that something's gonna happen..." Alex trailed off.

"Aww, come on. What bad could happen? And besides, big bad Tidus can take care of anything!" laughed Rikku as she slapped Alex on the back. Tidus laughed back as they continued their unknown path. Suddenly, a flash of lightning, and then everything went eerily still. Tidus looked up, and noticed that the sun was beginning to set.

"Huh, that's weird," Tidus muttered to himself.

"What's weird?" asked the concerned Alex.

"Well, I didn't think that it was already dusk."

"It shouldn't be..."

"Well, it is now," Tidus said, pointing upwards. He was right, the sun was setting. They just couldn't tell under the shade of the trees. The three were shaken out of their confusion by an ear-splitting roar. They spun around to see a terrifying beast standing before them. The beast was horrific, and it looked like a giant turtle creature gone terribly wrong. The beast roared again, but another bright flash interrupted it. As the light faded, Alex was stunned by what he saw. The giant beast wasn't so giant anymore, and looked more like a would-be dinosaur. He then noticed something else. He looked up, and noticed that the sun was back in it's original place, high above them. He pointed this out to the other two, and they were just as astonished.

"What's going on?!" demanded Rikku. Before anyone could answer, a bright bolt of blue shot over their heads. Instants later, the would-be dinosaur let out a deathly cry, and slumped over dead. It's body soon faded away, and there was nothing left but a green capsule.

"You noobs need to be more careful," chuckled a voice from behind them. "If you're not, some pathetic Booma is gonna make lunch out of you!" The three spun around and found themselves facing a tall, slender man, holding twin handguns. He wore what appeared to be wrestling gear on his head, with his green hair tumbling over the sides of the open helmet. He wore black armor, with red designs here and there. He also had a red-colored medallion on his chest.

"Who are you?" Tidus questioned, stepping in front of Rikku and Alex.

"The name's Charles. And you are?" Charles asked, eyeing Rikku and smiling. Rikku blushed as she realized that he was looking right at her.

"I'm Rikku, and this is Alex and Tidus," she spoke sheepishly.

"Nice to meet you all," Charles responded, placing his handguns in their holsters. "I assume that you're new here?"

"How do you know that?" asked Tidus, offended by Charles' remark.

"How do I know? Well, for starters, you were afraid of a stupid little Booma," laughed Charles.

"No! You don't understand! At first, it was this big monster that looked like a turtle and..." Alex started, but was cut off by Tidus.

"We weren't afraid! Just... confused." This made Charles laugh even more.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," he chuckled as he walked off. "Oh, and don't expect me to come running to save you every time a Rappy falls from the sky."

"I don't like that guy," Tidus muttered as Charles walked into the distance.

"I think he's kinda cute," giggled Rikku.

"Wha--? Since when did you start acting like a girl?" laughed Tidus. Rikku backhanded Tidus, and then started walking ahead.

"I've always acted like a girl, you just haven't noticed," retorted Rikku. Alex walked up to Tidus and started to laugh.

"Guess she got you there," he chuckled.

"Shut up," groaned Tidus, as he rubbed his red cheek.


*******

"Sir, I've been getting some strange readings from the forest lately."

"Does it have to do with those alleged 'Time Rips' that the PTC are whining about?"

"Um, I don't know. But, there have been recent reports that strange monsters are appearing in the forest. Not to mention that many new arrivers have appeared, more than usual."

"Are any of the R units down there?"

"Yeah, I think Charles is down there. Said he was going to greet the new arrivals."

"By himself? Who does he think he is? Flowen? Grrr, I can't stand that Ranger. Thinks he's all high and mighty. I'd like to see a Hildeblue just..."

"Sir!"

"Sorry, I just don't like the guy."

"Well, it's one thing to not like him, but it's an entirely different thing to wish such a fate upon him."

"Come now. You don't actually believe in Hildeblues, do you?"

"Well, there have been many reports on them."

"Have you seen any actual proof?"

"Well, no, but..."

"My point exactly. Now, Any updates on Olga?"

"Just one. But, this one is a bit different from the rest."

"Like, how different?"

"The DNA construction is acting a bit oddly."

"Well, keep me posted."

"I will, sir."


******

"Are we there yet?" whined Alex, after walking for several hours.

"Well, if I knew where 'there' is, I would have an answer for you," groaned Tidus, just as weary as Alex.

"I'm sorry, but this getting kind of annoying, you know?" huffed Rikku, sitting on a nearby rock to catch her breath.

"Ahoy there!" a voice in the distance called. The three looked in the direction of the voice, and beheld a small person walking towards them. He couldn't have been taller than 4 feet. We wore a green and blue jester's hat, and frilly blue clothes. He had an orange-colored medallion on his chest. They couldn't tell, but it looked as if he was wearing platform shoes as well. "A bit lost, are you?"

"What makes you say that?" wheezed Tidus.

"Well, the fact that the warp to Pioneer II is thata way," the small stranger said, pointing in the direction that he had come. "By the way, my name's Jack." Jack smiled, and tipped his jester's hat to Rikku.

"I'm Tidus. These are my friends, Alex and Rikku."

"Pleased to meet the lot of you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to," smiled Jack, as he headed off. Rikku stood up, and started walking in the direction that Jack had pointed.

"Well, at least now we know where we're going," spoke Rikku enthusiastically. The three raced along the well-worn path, and soon found themselves standing before a blue wave of energy.

"Um, now what?" asked Alex, perplexed by the blue pipe.

"Hmm," muttered Tidus, studying the weird object. Rikku, unable to wait for her brainy buddies to figure it out, she stepped through the blue wave. She instantly disappeared. "Wah!" exclaimed Tidus. He looked at Alex, and then smiled. He ran right for the wave, and as he touched it, he felt a strange thing overcome him. He felt as if he was being pulled into a million directions at once. Then, everything went dark. He felt happy, sad, angry, and tired, all at the same time. When his vision returned, he found himself standing on a large platform. There stood Rikku, jumping excitedly. Tidus stepped out of the wave of energy, and walked towards Rikku. He heard a sharp chirp, and turned to see Alex stumble through the gate. They all turned around to greet their new home. Two guards standing before them spotted them, and one spoke.

"Ah, you must be the newcomers that Maester Leon told us about. Let me be the first to welcome you to Pioneer II!"

"Pioneer II? What happened to Pioneer I?" asked Rikku.

"Um, well, did you happen to see any ruined buildings while you were down on Ragol?" asked the second guard.

"Yeah," responded Rikku.

"That would be Pioneer I. It was a failed attempt at colonizing the uninhabitable planet.

"Oh," spoke Rikku, taken back by the response.

"So, this is our new home I suppose," Tidus said glumly.

"Yeah, I guess so," spoke Alex.

"We're gonna have to make the best of this then," Rikku smiled, trying to convince even herself. As they stepped into the somewhat bustling city, they spotted a familiar face. "Leon!" Rikku shouted. Leon turned to see who was calling his name. The people gathered around him gasped as they heard this. One woman whispered in disgust.

"How dare she address our beloved Maester by his first name."

"Kids today," whispered the woman's friend. "Think they own the place."

"Rikku! How good to see you alive. And you too, Tidus, Alex."

"It's good to see you as well, Leon," spoke Tidus.

"Well, now that you're here, I suppose it is a good a time as any to speak with the Principal," Leon said, pointing towards a large warp behind them. The three nodded, and stepped into the large portal.





<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Chaos_Phoenix on 2004-01-18 12:31 ]</font>

[Gnarled_rose]

Pretty good. I'm not sure how well it meshes with the second chapter, but I don't care, either.
BTW, you spelled 'proof' wrong.

[Skett]

Pretty good few chapters. I agree with what Thorny said too.

And I'm guessing your a Final Fantasy X fan, huh?

[Chaos_Phoenix]

How'd you guess, Skett? Oh, and Rose, I don't quite understand your post, but er... thanks anyway http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif

[shinto_kuji]

I think it's pretty good. Keep it up.

[Chaos_Phoenix]

"Sir, it seems that Vol Opt has reactivated itself."

"Again? How many times to we have do deactivate that stupid machine?!"

"I don't know, but we are running out of hunters brave enough to take on the task."

"Why? Are there no fearless hunters anymore?"

"It's not as much a question of fearlessness as it is a question of sanity."

"Meaning...?"

"No one is stupid enough to pit against one of the strongest defense systems on Ragol."

"Hmm... What about the new arrivals? The ones who know nothing about Vol Opt?"

"Odds are they wouldn't even make it past the defense posts down in the Mines."

"Aren't there any hunters out there who are strong, but dim-witted?!"

"Actually, we have three new arrivals who seem perfect for the job."

"What class?"

"A Hunter, a Ranger, and a Force."

"Heh, that sounds ideal, doesn't it. See if you can convince them to do this for us. Promise them a great reward for their deeds, if they are successful."

"Lie to them, sir?"

"It's worked every other time, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, but I just feel so guilty lying to those poor newbies..."

"Sympathy is for the weak, Lieutenant."

"I guess you're right, sir."

"Now, get to work..."


******

As the three stepped into the Principal's office, they saw several scientists manning the scattered computers, and one man sitting in the middle at a large desk.

"Are you the Principal?" Tidus asked as he approached the man.

"Ah, you must be the three that Leon spoke of. Yes, I am the Principal of Pioneer II," spoke the hearty man, standing from his chair and extending his hand towards Tidus.

"I'm Tidus," Tidus started, shaking the Principal's hand. "And this is Rikku and Alex."

"Pleased to meet all three of you. I assume that you are here for your Hunters' Licenses?"

"Apparently," laughed Rikku. The Principal chuckled.

"My, what a light-hearted group," he exclaimed. He then cleared his throat, as if he had said something he shouldn't have. "Oh, excuse me."

"For what? You did nothing wrong," stated Rikku, a confused look on her face.

"Er... can we get those Hunters' Licenses?" asked Tidus, breaking the awkward silence.

"Oh, yes, of course," smiled the Principal, his previous seriousness gone. He typed a few things on his computer, and then went serious once more. "Hmm, you're all from the... Earth?" he said, perplexed by what his computer told him. "What is this... Earth?"

"Well, it's a planet quite like Ragol, from what I can see. Except, there are many people living there," explained Alex, dumbfounded by the Principal's odd question.

"Oh, I see. Well, your Hunters' Licenses can be picked up at the Hunters Guild, just northeast of here," laughed the Principal, his attitude once again changing from serious to comedic. Tidus scratched his head as he studied the Principal's face, but shook off his first thoughts about the Principal. As they walked towards the Hunters Guild, Tidus asked a question without even realizing what he was saying.

"How could he not know about EARTH?!?" blurted Tidus, a look of utter confusion was his expression.

"I was thinking that same question, Tidus," responded Alex.

"Hey, maybe... Nah, never mind," Rikku trailed off.

"No, what were you going to say?" asked Tidus.

"Well, maybe this is an entirely different dimension... You know, like in those really old Japanese movies," Rikku finished. Both Tidus and Alex looked at each other.

"Godzilla!" They both exclaimed, laughing at the thought. Rikku soon joined the laughter.

"But, you know, Rikku could be right..." Alex thought aloud. Tidus stopped and stared at Alex. "What?!"

"Can you even hear what you're saying? Or perhaps, you just put words together?" Tidus chuckled to himself. Rikku and Alex both glared at Tidus, and Tidus quickly straightened up. "Alright, so this is a different dimension. How'd we end up here?" Tidus asked more seriously.

"Not to mention, how do we get back?" Alex added.

"I'm sure we'll find some way!" exclaimed Rikku enthusiastically. As they reached the Hunters Guild, they were all discussing their theories, until the lady at the counter interupted.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a sweet voice.

"Yeah, we're here to pick up our Hunters' Licenses!" cooed Rikku, imitating the lady's voice. Both Alex and Tidus covered their mouths, trying to muffle their laughter. The lady at the counter glared at the two boys.

"What are your names?" she gruffed.

"I'm Rikku! And this here is Tidus, and Alex!" Rikku said excitedly. The lady typed a few things, and then reached under the counter, and pulled out three small chips. She stuck the first chip on Rikku's madalion, and the madalion glowed, interfusing with the chip. Then, she did the same with Tidus' and Alex's.

"There you go. You are now official Hunters." The lady spoke, more cheerfully than before. "Now, before you go off anywhere, there is somebody over there that would like to speak with you." She pointed towards the furthest corner, at a man cloaked in all black. The three cautiously approached this stranger, and Tidus was the first to speak.

"You wanted to meet us?" asked Tidus, taken back by the stranger's ability to completely conceal himself, even though Tidus was trying to catch a glimpse of the man's face.

"Yes, I have a job for you," the stranger spoke in a raspy voice.

"A job? Like what?" asked Alex, also taken back by the stranger.

"It is quite simple, and I shall pay you 10,000 Meseta each."

"Meseta? What's that?"

"Ignorant huma--- I mean, heh heh, Meseta is the currency of Pioneer II. So, I will pay you handsomely for doing this simple task for me."

"Could you explain in detail what you want us to do?"

"No, but I will tell you when you meet me in the Caves..."

"The caves? And we get there, how?" asked Tidus, annoyed by the mysterious stranger.

"First, step into the teleporter you arrived in, and when you are prompted with your destination, simply say 'Caves'. That is all you must do. I will meet you down there in a few minutes." And with that, the mysterious cloaked figure walked out of the Hunters Guild, and towards the main teleporter to Ragol.

"Geez, that guy is creepy," Rikku shuddered as she spoke.

"What? You don't think that he's cute?" laughed Tidus, Alex soon joining. Rikku glared at Tidus and stormed off towards the teleporter. After wiping his eyes, he ran to catch Rikku. "Hey, Rikku! Hold up!"


******

"Sir, we could not reach them in time."

"Meaning what, Lieutenant?"

"Well, some unidentified creature has already enlisted the help of the three I was going to speak with."

"Don't make excuses. Do something about it! Even if it means eradicating this so-called employer!"

"Sir, don't you think that that's somewhat drastic?"

"Drastic times call for drastic measures, Lieutenant. That's what separates us from the Hildebears."

"Shall I call on the entire R squad to take out this guy?"

"Now that's drastic, Lieutenant. 5 or 6 should be plenty."

"Right away, Sir."

"When you're done with that, I want an update on Olga. I want to know exactly what's happening down there."

"It may take me a while Sir. There have been many security malfunctions lately."

"As soon as you know something, let me know."

"Don't worry, Sir. I will..."

[Gnarled_rose]

YAY! First reply!
Anyway, it wasn't too bad a chapter. It developed the plot, anyway.
And nice job on the Godzilla thing from yesterday.

[Chaos_Phoenix]

Well, thank you for noticing, Rose. I had that inspiration, so I just decided to type it http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif

I'm glad that you enjoy the story thus far, and I hope that I can keep you hooked. I've started writing Chapter V, so look for it in the next couple of days.

[Chaos_Phoenix]

Did you miss me? ...No? Didn't think so. Well, here's Chapter V: Praise the Outcast for all you ungrateul swines http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A strong scent of death filled the trio?s noses as they stepped into the Caves.

"Geez! It reeks down here!" gagged Rikku as she covered her mouth and nose.

"Yeah it does. It smells like rotting flesh," coughed Tidus.

"Mind not the stench. That's just how it is down here," spoke the familiar raspy voice of the stranger that brought them down here.

"Alright, we're here. Now what?" Alex said quickly, and then went back to holding his breath.

"First, we must travel deeper underground, to the Waterfall Caverns. Then, you can start your task," explained the stranger. The mysterious figure swiftly moved from the shadows towards the furthest door. "Hurry! I haven't got all day!" The three looked at each other, and then Rikku began to speak.

"Hope we don't run into any monsters down here."

"Yeah, me too," spoke Alex.

"Aw, come on. We can take anything!" laughed Tidus.

"Whatever, let's just hurry!" Rikku said quickly. The three raced for the door that the stranger had gone through. As they stepped into the next room, they found flowing magma all around them. In the center of the room was a large platform that opened in the center, exposing the lava underneath.

"Whoa!" gasped Alex in awe. They were so distracted that they didn't hear the low roar of a beast. Realizing that something was wrong, Alex spun around and gasped in shock. The other two looked to see, and were just as shocked. The beast had the head of a shark, and a sharp scythe on either arm. The beast raised its scythes, and began to shake them wildly while roaring again. Tidus drew his sword, and Rikku pulled her gun out of its holster. While Rikku was shooting, and Tidus was swinging, Alex felt something strange inside of him. Instinctively, he pointed a finger towards the beast, and instantly a ball of fire shot out and hit the monster. It screamed in pain, and then fell over dead.

"Awesome, Alex! How'd you do that?" asked Rikku, returning her gun to its holster.

"Very impressive. Guess you are useful," smiled Tidus, as he sheathed his sword.

"I don't mean to interrupt your celebration, but we really must be going," growled the raspy voice. They spun around to see the cloaked stranger standing before them.

"We're coming, we're coming," muttered Tidus, his spirit instantly crushed. The figure rushed ahead into the next room, as the three followed.


******

"So, have you found them yet?"

"Not yet Sir, but we're looking."

"Any idea who their mysterious client is?"

"Nope, and Sarah didn't know either. She just said that they wanted to meet them. Their mission isn't even through the Guild."

"And that didn't seem odd?"

"Apparently not. But, what's even odder is that they went down to the Caves without clearing it first."

"What?! How'd they bypass security?"

"No clue. We're looking into it right now."

"I have a feeling that this is more than some random mission. Whoever the client is, they must have ulterior motives. Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken a trio of newbies down into the Caves."

"Well, as soon as my troops intercept them, I'll let you know."

"Alright."

"Now, I have news on Olga..."


******

As they stepped out of the teleporter, the three felt a most certain change of atmosphere around them. The air was cooler, and there was a refreshing scent about.

"Hey, it feels nice down here, you know?" said Rikku cheerfully.

"Yeah, but it's still kind of eerie. Almost like silence before storm," added Tidus.

"Aw, come on. Just admit that it's nice," laughed Rikku. The three laughed with each other until Alex stopped dead in his tracks. The other two stopped, and looked at what Alex was entranced with. There, staring at Alex, was a mean looking dragon, with a very impressive wing span. Right before the dragon could attack, a yellow blade sliced its neck. The beast slumped over and quickly disappeared. They looked to see the owner of the blade, and there stood their client.

"No sight-seeing. If you live, you can look at all the Nano Dragons you want. That is, when I am done with your services," the raspy voice growled.

"What do you mean 'if you live'?" asked Tidus, annoyed at their client.

"It doesn't matter. Now come along." The shadowy figure rushed ahead, and the trio attempted to keep up with him. As they left the room, a stranger entered.

"Copy that. I have visual."


******

"Sir, the R squad has found them."

"Any I.D. on the client?"

"Negative, Sir. They said that he or she is draped in black."

"Well, have your men incapacitate the client. Do not harm the newbies. We need them to disable Vol Opt."

"Roger that, Sir. Oh, and I have the report you wanted on Maester Leon's twin brother."

"You mean Marc? The one who tried to release Chaos?"

"That's the one. Apparently, he has a new alias."

"Oh really? What is it?"

"IDOLA..."


******

"You want us to do WHAT??" blurted Tidus, confused by their client?s request.

"I want the three of you to touch this Obelisk. It is quite simple."

"Exactly, so why can?t you do it?" asked Alex.

"Do you want to get paid or not?" boomed their client. Tidus sighed, and reached for the Obelisk, followed by Rikku and Alex reluctantly.

"Stop!" a voice behind them instructed. All four of them turned to see who it was. Standing before them was Leon!



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Chaos_Phoenix on 2004-02-02 11:39 ]</font>

[Chaos_Phoenix]

Oh, come on! This is pretty depressing... Why won't any of you read this?

[Robo47]

Awesome. I likey!

[Chaos_Phoenix]

Well, thanks Robo. At least I have one fan http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

[Crystal_Heart]

Hey, this sounds a lot like the story you n' Kyle were writing way back when. But, all things aside, it's a very good story! I hope to see more http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

[Chaos_Phoenix]

Chapter VI: Brothers Ying and Yang
-----------------------------------------------------

"Leon? What are you doing here?" asked Tidus, dumbfounded.

"I'm here to stop you from doing something foolish," explained Leon, walking over to the cloaked client.

"Stay away from me!" the raspy voice screeched. The hooded figure leapt up, and walked backwards away from the approaching Leon.

"Come on, Brother. No more running," Leon said in a soothing tone.

"Wait, this is your brother Leon?" Alex blurted, looking back and forth at Leon and the stranger.

"Yes, this is my brother Marc. He was once a Maester like me," explained Leon, still approaching Marc.

"Don't call me that!" growled Marc.

"Oh? Would you prefer traitor? How about betrayer? Why can't you put the past behind you?" retorted Leon, his tone becoming angry.

"Why, you ask? Because of this!" yelled Marc, lowering the hood off his head. Tidus, Rikku, and Alex all gasped. Marc had no face. Where his eyes, mouth, and nose should be, there was just a silhouette.

"What are you?!" gasped Rikku.

"I am that which no longer has an identity. The fool standing before me is the cause of this!! growled Marc, pointing at Leon.

"I caused this?" laughed Leon, tightening his grip on his staff. "If I remember right, you brought this on yourself. you're the one who tried to unleash Chaoz on Ragol. Your loss of identity is your fault, not mine!" With a flick of his shadowy wrist, Marc's yellow saber crackled to life.

"You just sealed your own fate!growled Marc, readying his weapon. Leon leapt high into the air, making distance between him and his brother. "Running away, brother?" sneered Marc.

"Nope. Just getting out of the blast radius," smiled Leon.

"Huh?" asked Marc, tilting his head to one side. Leon raised his hand swiftly, and pointed his fingers towards Marc.

'CHIIIIIING! BOOOOM!!'

A large blast of fire engulfed Marc, and Alex shielded his eyes from the bright flame. As the flames subsided, Marc stood there seemingly unharmed.

"Is that all you've got, brother? laughed Marc. Leon's look of surprize quickly changed to a scowl as his brother mocked him.

"I'm just getting started," retorted Leon, rolling up his sleeves. He began to mutter incoherently, and once again pointed his forefinger at Marc. A bright light enveloped Marc's body, and he began to gasp for air. Suddenly, a flash, and Marc fell to his knees. "Ha! Guess I got you!" spoke Leon triumphantly. Marc stood up, unharmed, and stepped towards Leon.

"Don't be so naive, brother," stated Marc, stepping closer to Leon. With a quick thrust, Marc's yellow saber impaled Leon in the chest. "It is I who have you!" Rikku gasped as Leon took the blow without a fight. Leon just stood there, with the hilt sticking out of his chest.

"You know, we're going to be at this forever," sighed Leon, pulling the saber out of him.

"You ok, Leon?" asked Tidus, wrapping his hand around the hilt of his sword.

"Don't worry, Tidus. I fell no pain, for I have no reason to," smiled Leon, returning the yellow saber to his brother.

"So, how are going to do this?" asked Marc, peeved by Leon's calmness.

"Hold it right there!" a voice interrupted. There stood a strange man wearing a face mask. He had a large shotgun in his hand. "All of you throw down your weapons, and put your hands above your heads!" Leon took a step forward.

"Excuse me, but I am MAESTER Leon!" yelled Leon, agitated at the demanding stranger. The stranger fired a shot just above Tidus' head.

"Whoa!" gasped Tidus, his life flashing before his eyes.

"True, but they are not," responded the stranger.


*****

"Sir, a Ranger from the Cult of Gemini has found our target, and is holding them all hostage."

"WHAT?! I thought we eradicated every member of Gemini?"

"Apparently not. Should we pursue?"

"Where are they going?"

"Currently, they are in the underground caverns, but our Rangers report that they are heading deeper."

"They're not heading to the mines are they?"

"I cannot be certain, but I think they are."

"How many Geminis are there?"

"There are four visible, but they probably still control the mines."

"Well, perhaps they can disable Vol Opt for us."

"That's highly unlikely, Sir."

"And why is that, Lieutenant?"

"Because, if they're residing in the mines, they've obviously found a way around it."

"Do you really think that nine people can sneak past one of the most effective security systems on Ragol? I could see the four Geminis, but not the other four."

"Sir, the R team says that there are five people, not four."

"What? Who else could be down there with them?"

"I don't know, Sir, but they must be a Force. They made it undetected past our Rangers."

"Well, have your men follow them at a safe distance. And keep me posted."

"Yes, Sir..."


*****

"Why'd we take these useless newbies captive?" grumbled a Gemini soldier, walking behind Tidus and the rest.

"I don't know, but the boss wants them," responded the soldier walking beside him. Tidus walked one foot in front of the other, for he could not see. After the Gemini Rangers tied their hands, they blindfolded them as well. Both Leon and Marc laughed at this, because they didn't need their eyes to see. As Alex listened to the beeping of machines around him, he knew that they were headed for trouble. Leon knew that they were heading for Vol Opt.

"Trouble's brewing, brother," Leon said within Marc's mind.

"Yeah, maybe for them," laughed back Marc.

As they were guided onto the raft, Rikku felt an evil presence beneath them.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Chaos_Phoenix on 2004-02-22 18:53 ]</font>

[Crystal_Heart]

Hmm, it's not your best work, but it's very good all the same. Kudos to you, Phoenix http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif