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FFXI: Tales of the Fallen (Title subject to change. Actually, this entire story is subject to change.)

A fictional story set in the past and present Vana'Diel from the perspective of a Hume male RDM named Kirby. Massive is a Galka PLD, Terris is a Hume male RDM.

Ronfaure has always been one of my favorite places to visit. This particular spot was my favorite. I love coming out here to see crystal clear water cascading down the smooth stones, to listen to the gentle bubbling and frothing, to feel the light spray of the waterfall. The pleasant variants of green are a sight to behold. One particular spot has the right amount of shade.
This spot is my secret retreat.

Others might joke about my sentimentality, though I know my true friends find it a great piece of my character. Sometimes I think about the future while I sit here. Other times I recall not-so-distant memories. Like that time Massive saved me from the skele’s down in King Ranpiere’s Tomb.
Turns out he’d aggroed some of the inhabitants on his way down to me. I laugh.

I’ve never had a reason to question what this world has given me: My unnatural ability in spell-casting, my endurance in physical combat and my unwavering loyalty to friends. I’ve always had a knack for getting my party out of sticky situations.
Up until now that is.

It all began when I noticed something on the side of the road while following Massive on choco. We were heading to La Theine from Ronfaure. “Whoa! What is that!?” I shouted. Massive replied in his usual get-to-the-point attitude, “Where?” I led us to the object I’d caught in my peripheral vision. Once I got closer, I realized what it was.
It was a Red Mage’s Relic hat, just lying on the ground.

Now to those who don’t understand the significance of the situation, let me explain. Red Mages are known throughout Vana’Diel for their ******* of spells and abilities, which make a Red Mage incredibly hard to take down.
To see not only a Red Mage’s hat, but a Relic hat just sitting there was unsettling at best.

We were just deciding on what to do, when suddenly I felt a pressure from all directions. It’s pretty hard to explain, but it’s kind of like when you get warped home. Similar, but this pressure fricken hurt. It was too much for me to handle, I started to feel dizzy and my eyes were losing focus rapidly.
The last thing I saw before I fainted was the Relic hat floating.

Some time later, it was hard to tell, I awoke on a grassy hill. Lying next to me was the Relic hat, which I put on my head. Sweet, I can already feel the slow trickle of energy. I started looking for Massive. He couldn’t have gone too far.
I’d only gone a few steps when I heard what sounded like clashing swords. Oh sh*t.

When I arrived at the source of the commotion, I was relieved to see that Mass was ok. It looked like Mass and the other guy were just practicing. The stranger looked like a Red Mage, though he was wearing what most of us would call Melee gear. I also noticed he wasn’t wearing a hat…
“Hey! You there, give me my hat back!” Dang, I liked the Auto-Refresh.

I quickly took the hat off and handed it to him. What’s his name? “I’m Terris.”
“Oh, I’m Kirby. Sorry about your hat.” I replied, trying to keep a smirk off my face. After the initial shock of being warped, I finally started to wonder where the hell we were. I was just going to ask when Terris said “We’ve traveled to the past. I know it sounds crazy, but I just spoke with a Royal Knight named Ballie, a younger Ballie.”
“Oh really?” was all I could say.

After looking around, I did notice that we were still in Ronfaure. It seemed weird that my favorite place could look so unfamiliar with just a few years difference. The waterfall I cherished actually looked more serene, the tree’s surrounding my spot weren’t big enough to provide the shade I liked. Yep, things were getting pretty weird.
“So… Any idea how and why we got sent here?” I asked.

“Not a clue” said Mass, quite bluntly. While he was my best friend, I sometimes found his lack of speech disturbing. Nothing against his ability to deal damaging blows and ward off enemy attacks. “I think we’ve been sent here for a reason.” Terris said, staring off into distance. I have to admit I was feeling pretty… what’s the word? Desperate I suppose.
I had no idea how and if we were ever going to make it back to the present.

“Well, whatever the reason, I think we should go speak to King Destin.” I said. Terris and Mass followed me without question, Terris was still thinking and Mass looked surprisingly calm. Along the way to the San D’orian castle, I felt a slight tremor in the ground. I was just going to say something when an arrow flew past my head and lodged itself into a nearby tree. Needless to say I nearly had a heart attack.
Mass and Terris were already facing the threat.

I felt like an amateur next to Terris; He was rapidly cycling through spells, while I fumbled with my enhancing magic. Mass was doing what he did best. Slicing, hacking, slashing and stabbing orcs with brutal force. We quickly dispatched of the orcs, hesitant to sheath our swords. “Those orcs seemed tougher than normal.” Mass said, wiping the blood off his weapon. The way you fought? Mass didn’t even look fatigued. Terris didn’t say anything, but he didn’t even look phased.
I have an odd feeling about this…

We continued towards the castle, more attentive this time. My mind wandered to my other friends; will I ever see them again? I had to shake my head to snap back into the here and now. The two elvaan R.K’s at the gate barred our way with spears. “Identify yourselves.” One said in monotone. “We’re here to speak to his Royal Highness, It is crucial to San D’oria’s future.” Terris said.
How does he know that? Is he lying so we can get in?

The other guard said in a deep bass, “Very well, follow me travelers.” As we followed the guard, I looked at Terris and raised my eyebrow. Terris only winked back at me. I let out a sigh. I sure hope the King will have an idea why we’ve been sent here. We eventually got to the King’s throne room, eager to explain our predicament. As the doors opened, we went forward and knelt before the King. Mass was fidgeting a little, while Terris stood up and bowed to the King. “I have made it your highness. I bring you two travelers from the future.” WHAT!?
“Ah, I knew you could it!” the King exclaimed.
I have a bad feeling about this…

The King said with a slight frown, “You lied to them Terris? I’ll need to speak to you about this later.” What the hell is going on here? Mass spoke up, “Your Highness, if you could please explain to us why we’re here, that’d be great.”
That was the most I’ve ever heard Mass say at once.

“I’ve asked for adventurers from the future, so that they may duel those uncivilized Bastokans,” the King replied. My jaw was literally hanging open at this point. Mass spoke up again, “What makes you think we’ll be of any use your Majesty?” Mass was right, why the hell did the King of San D’oria need two dudes from the future for a ballista match?
I had a feeling there was a lot more to this than meets the eye.

Once again I was thinking of my favorite spot. How could it betray me like this? I was pretty dismal about the whole thing until I started thinking about the possible rewards. When I’m feeling excited I tend to notice my surroundings in more detail. San D’oria of the past looked majestic. Flags, banners and even the armor on the Knights looked like they were in good repair. I was starting to feel better about being sent to the past.
Uh, how far back did we travel?

I was just going to ask when Terris said “You’ve been taken from your era to ours, nearly one hundred years difference.” Oh… well Destin really did look rather young.

To be continued…

Maybe I'll write about a restaurant named "Sub Samurai"; It'll sell all sorts of subs, with nifty names like the "Zanshin" (Kinda hit & miss) and the "Soboro" (fills your stomach 2-3 times faster!).
I could even give out coupons or "Store TP".