Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Final Fantasy: Dark ❯ Chapter 1

"Come on, let's go before they get us," Garnet said, pulling up Eiko, who had just tripped over a loose cobblestone. Garnet is a slender good-looking girl of about 16 or 17. Eiko is about 12. She is a close friend to Garnet, and they tend to have a sisterly bond between them. They were running from some of the castle guards, after being found in one of the carts picking a chest from the tax collectors of the city. All of a sudden, someone pulls them behind a building. Garnet and Eiko start fighting against their captor. "Hey, quiet down, I just saved your hides." They stop after the familiar voice calms them. "What were you trying to do, get yourselves killed?" Asked Zidane. He is about 16, and thinks that he is the ladies man. "Oh come on we were just having some fun, relax live a little" Garnet says, trying to get him to calm down. "Well, it wouldn't have been much fun if you ladies would have gotten caught by the royal guards, would it?" He countered "We're sorry Zidane" Said Eiko, "we were just getting bored, we needed something different than tricking people into giving us their money" They are soon interrupted by screams from a couple buildings away. When they get there, Garnet stops them at the corner of the house. They notice their friend Selphie being shoved into a cart that is behind the building.

"Any idea who they are?" Eiko asks. Garnet and Zidane both shake their heads. "Let's follow them, that way, we can know for sure who they are" Garnet says looking around, "Here. Let's climb this and follow them from the rooftops," directing them to a ladder that just barely makes it to the top. The group follows the cart until the buildings become to distant to jump anymore. Fortunately, the last building was small, and the roof is close to the ground, so the group jumps and lands as quietly as they can. They had gotten ahead of the cart, so they paused for a couple of seconds to see the whole cart. As it road by, they noticed that is was just the 2 people in the front, but as they saw the back of the cart, they saw Selphie knocked out and tied up next to a sleeping guard.

"Let's get her out of there, we can get here in and out before the guy wakes up" Says Garnet. "No, we have no idea where they are taking her, plus, we may wake the guard up" replies Zidane. As he says that though, the cart makes a turn out passed the City walls. "Wow" Garnet says amazingly, "She must have gotten someone mad at her from out of town. About the only other city around here is Austuria."

After traveling for about an hour in a forested area, Austuria is finally in view. It is a smaller town, about 30 buildings in view, but most are blocked by a large gate that is open during the day. They don't have far to go passed the gates though, about a block into the city, the kidnappers finally stop in front of a building. Garnet immediately recognizes it, "She got the wrong people mad, that's the Medar's place. I'm not going in there." "But Garnet, Selphie is one of your closest friends, you have to help her" Coaxed Eiko. "Yeah, you owe her that much," Adds Zidane. "I guess, but she's going to owe me a lot more after we get her out," Garnet says reluctantly, "come on."

The group walks behind the building and finds an open window. Fortunately, no one is in the room, so they are able to sneak in without being noticed. As they are searching the building, they find the room that they are holding Selphie in. She is sitting in a chair, fairly bruised and barely awake, and still tied up while facing the door. She lifts her head when the door opens and has a look of happiness as they walk in. As they start to untie her, Zidane notices a look of fear on Selphie's face. He turns to see a large, muscular man. "What do you want Medar?" asks Garnet while standing up, with a slight tone of fear, when she sees who is in the doorway. "What do you think? I want the one that dares make a fool out of me." Says Medar, "She tries to get in my gang's way, and to prevent that in the future, I'm taking care of it now. Now, unless you want to get killed, leave her to us, and leave this city." "I never leave a friend behind" Garnet says with more boldness. "Then you shall die. Draw your weapon!" Roars Medar as he draws out a long sword. Garnet draws her short sword, while Zidane draws his 2 daggers.

"Eiko, stay back and get Selphie out of here" commands Garnet while charging at Medar. He is able to parry her charge and shove her against the other wall. Zidane then comes charging with his Daggers. He takes a couple of swings, but miss. Then Medar slashes, but Zidane blocks with his daggers, and is able to kick the sword out of his hands. Out of desperation, Medar kicks him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. As Medar retrieves his sword, Garnet charges at him. He picks up his sword and blocks the attack, then sending a counter-attack of his own, but Garnet ducks out of the way. They then lock swords together. "This is where you die" Medar says. Garnet catches something behind him, then says "I believe that is my line" then Zidane slashes at Medar's back. As he turns around, roaring in pain, about to confront the new attacker, Garnet stabs Medar in the back, killing him

After a moment, Eiko gets Selphie out of the ropes, the group then leaves to go back home, but as they are about to leave out the window, a group of guards run into the room. When they see Medar dead, they become frightened, but the lead one charges. Garnet pauses and kicks him in the face, knocking him out.

Walking back, Zidane thinks of something "Hey, maybe we should do this more often, you never know what kind of money we can find and the girls I can get." Then, a large "smack" sound erupts in the forest as the girls slap him at the same time. After a minute or two, Garnet asks "Why was Medar after you Selphie?" Selphie thinks for a moment, then says, "well, it started with….."