Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Final Fantasy: The World of One ❯ Important Mission ( Chapter 2 )

Final Fantasy: The World of One

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Final Fantasy, the characters within and all terms with relations to the said game series are registered trademarks of Square Enix. The original characters depicted in this fanfiction piece are copyrighted to the author. Thus, nothing in this fanfic can be used without the author's, or the game producer's permissions.

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Second Chapter... where fate begins to take shape. Oh, I forgot to tell you the premise of the story... Imagine the near future... where the computer industry will take a big leap and create realistic virtual play... where you use you own thought patterns and brain waves to play the game, instead of the consoles. Such will allow you actually `feel' the game. The most famous of these virtual games is a game called `Final Fantasy', a world similar to reality but with swords and magic replacing guns and war weapons. Captivated by the beauty of this `reality', many people began to play the said game, and began to `live' in the world of `Final Fantasy'. But, what is reality?

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Important Mission

"So, what'll be today?" a teenage, black-haired waitress asked Gene, Ryan, Cliff and Sarah the next day at an exclusive table at the Gold Chocobo, the most active and Tavern/Clan's Guild in the Gutenberg County of the Bastok Republic.

"The usual!" Cliff answered, his eyeing the waitress' legs and bosom.

"Same goes for me, please." Ryan replied, grabbing Cliff's head and smacking it on the table.

"Keep `em comin'!" Sarah added.

"I wonder..." Gene said.

"Ow..." Cliff said, nursing a nasty bump on his head (which now had a comical bandage). "Why can't ya just lemme off the hook sometimes, Ry? You're getting too grumpy nowadays."

"What do you mean by, you wonder?" Ryan asked Gene, ignoring Cliff's statement.

"Oh, yes... um, guys, we have a new mission on our hands. I'm jsut wondering as to why they would let us, a small clan like us do this big mission." Gene said.

"Yeah, right. And I'm a big fat ugly Galka with warts and whatnot growin' on my skin." Cliff answered lazily.

"No, it's true. Look at this." Gene pulled out a mobile pone similar to Vincent's and punched a few items on the keypad. At once, a miniature hologram of a man about thirty or so years old appeared. He looked like a normal person, with a clean-shaven face and short white-blonde hair, but what made him different was an odd red gleam in his eyes, as well as pointy ears.

"An Elvaan? What would an Elvaan bum want with us?" Cliff growled.

"Cliff, keep it down." Sarah whispered lethally. "I swore I saw a few Galka Dark Knights at Table 42 heard your little remark. What do you want to happen to us, be murdered?"

"Okay, okay, take it easy..." Cliff "Geez, what are you guys so worked up about anyway?"

"It's because you just think about women, insulting other clans and races and spending as much Gil as possible rather than working seriously." Ryan answered sharply. "We need less of fools like you in this world, much less the real one. I might even go as far as believing that you have only ONE BRAIN CELL in that thick cranium of yours."

"Hey, that's so UNTRUE! I... uh... I have... eight... yeah... eight of them right now!"

<Ehem...> Gene cleared his throat to catch everyone's attention. "Why did I ever end up with you guys? Anyway, We should wait for Vincent to see if he's interested in the mission."

"What mission?"

Gene almost jumped out of his seat when he heard someone say that from behind him. Regaining his composure, he looked behind to see Vincent looking at him with an aloof expression on his face. Gene then got up and offered im a seat.

"Vincent! Good timing! Here, have a seat. Want a drink? Have you decided to join the Redwings?"

"No, thank you. As for the Redwings, I shall be content on aiding you in you missions." Vincent said as he sat down next to a very relaxed Cliff whose feet were on the table, and was rocking his chair back and forth, daydreaming. Until, that is, Ryan swept the two legs supporting the chair with his right leg, causing Cliff to crash down with a loud THUD.

Many of the people who saw the scene were laughing mad. The waitress who attended them a while ago had to lean on the back of an empty chair to keep herself from falling since she was laughing so hard. Even Gene couldn't suppress a giggle.

Enraged, Cliff pulled out his Bismarck Rifle, and if it wasn't for Sarah's Sleep spell, the whole place would have been filled with bullet holes, not to mention the heads of many people who were there.

"Alright, it's time to get to business." Gene said, reactivating the hologram. "This mission we'll be handling isn't an ordinary one. So, why don't you hear for yourself what the mission is all about?"

He pressed a few more keys, and the hologram began to talk. He spoke in a refined tone, and had a British accent.

"Greetings, brave adventurers. I am Ulrich Lancaster, a Captain of the Temple Knights of San D'oria. I must say that I am quite impressed that you have accepted this mission. This will be no ordinary mission. It is a very difficult one I'm afraid. However, we are willing to pay you up to five million Gil and a Free Pass to any point in the continent."

"Five million Gil?" Sarah gasped. "Five MILLION!? And then we get free movement ANYWHERE? Is this a bluff?"

"Now, I think you must understand this mission thoroughly." The Ulrich hologram continued. "About two or three months ago, an ambassador from Palamecia in the form of a Dark Knight named Golbez had come to pay respects to our new king, Lord Edward. The young King accepted him as both a friend and an advisor. Ever since then, he ceased from visiting us Temple Knights, and began to spend more time fashioning airships and war weapons together with Golbez.

"Recently we have heard about Golbez being appointed by the king himself as the new leader of the Royal Knights. We have also heard about Golbez's plan to create both a battleship and a spaceship fleet for San D'oria. We fear he and the king might be planning something that involves the invasion of Bastok and Windurst. But, as they are juts rumors, none will believe us.

"That is why I turn to you, young adventurers. Your mission to infiltrate the Dreadnought, the flagship of the Elvaan Spaceship Fleet, docked in the Castle of Mount Saint Ordeals, and search for any evidence you may find that we can present to the Council of Jueno, supporting our claims and stopping the king from planning such treachery. I know that I am the king's servant, but I am a human being first and knight second. I cannot allow the king to cause any violence that may lead to yet another war. I pray you understand, young adventurers. If you are willing to continue this mission, meet me tomorrow at noon at the Elysian Tavern in the City of Saint Ordeals."

After completing the last sentence, the hologram faded. Gene then put the mobile phone back in his cloak's pocket and said, "So, how about it, guys? Ready for a little spy work?"

"Okay, so let me get this straight." Sarah said. "That Ulrich wants us infiltrate Mount Saint Ordeals Castle, the most well-guarded, known to be impregnable fortress ever know, and sneak inside an equally well-guarded airship and risk our tails for five million Gil?"

"Sort of like that." Gene answered.

"Hmm... a good challenge. It seems that this job will be worth the five million. The Goblins we dispatched earlier this day were a bunch of pushovers." Ryan answered.

"Not a bad idea." Sarah added. "Five million Gil..." Her eyes were sparkling, thinking about how she would spend that money here in the virtual world.

"What about you, Vincent?" Gene asked.

"The decision is yours. I'm just here to support you." Vincent told him.

"Well, at least just tell us if you're not interested in it." Gene said. "I mean, we're not exactly forcing you to help us."

"Then, shall 250,000 Gil be an enough fee for my services?"

"250,000?" Gene was shocked at Vincent's request.

"Once this mission has been accomplished, you will have more than enough to pay for that." he said.

"No... It's not that, Vince. I mean, that's too small a price. If you wish, you can take up to a million, since you and Ryan will most likely be our point men..."

"250,000 Gil." Vincent replied firmly. "Now, we should get going. The sooner we get done with this, the better."

"Hey, wake up, we're going." Ryan shook Cliff vigorously.

"Mwaaah... huh?" Cliff woke up from a very deep sleep.

"Never mind."

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"This is the place..." Gene said as he read the signboard. It was nighttime when they reached Saint Ordeals. It read `Elysian' and seemed to be booming with people of all shapes and races. They got inside and talked to the Elvaan bartender behind the wine bar.

"So, what'll be, boys?" the man asked.

"One Martini, shaken not stirred." Cliff replied, of which he got a blow to the head from Ryan as his answer.

"Wild Rose." Gene whispered to the bartender.

"Wait a moment." The bartender said as he disappeared behind the door at the other side of the bar. After a while, he reappeared and whispered, "Get in."

"Hey, Slim, what's that you told the guy?" Cliff asked Gene as they passed through a dark, narrow way with light at the end.

"A password." Gene answered. "Ulrich told me about it. The Wild Rose... the crest of the Elvaan Templars."

After the narrow path was a spacious room that had tables, a virtual board, and three Elvaan persons that waited for them in silence. They recognized one as Ulrich.

"Well... you are the Redwings, right?" Ulrich asked.

"Yes..." Gene answered.

"Have a seat, gentlemen... and lady." One of Ulrich's comrades, a tall lady with neck-length black hair gray eyes beckoned them to sit down some chairs arranged facing the virtual board. They all found their seats and relaxed.

"Now that we are here, let us first familiarize with each other." Ulrich said. "I need no further introductions. This here," he pointed towards the tall lady who gave them their seats. "Is Xu Lei, a subordinate of mine, and there," he pointed to the man in the opposite side of the room. "Is Rufus, a Captain with a rank parallel to mine. He got those scars when he fought and tore a Ruby Dragon in half with his bare hands."

Rufus just stood there, leaning against one of the walls and leering at them. He had a tall, burly build, and was wearing only a vest as his top, which three slash scars that ran vertically across his chest. He nodded as a sort of greeting.

It was Gene who stood up and began. "I am Gene McIntyre, Redwings leader. This is my younger sister Sarah, this here is Cliff Sutherland, and there" Gene motioned towards Ryan and Vincent. "Are the two point men for the job... Ryan Ogawa and Vincent Nomura."

"Very well... I am pleased to meet you all..." Ulrich replied. "Now, it is time for the mission. Xu will go over the mission parameters. Xu?"

"Yes..." Xu replied. She booted the virtual board, and after a few minutes, it began to display an elaborate blueprint.

"Whoa!" Sarah exclaimed. "That's... that's Saint Ordeals Castle!"

"Yes... the floor plan of Saint Ordeals.." Xu replied. "From the Temple Archives. Now, shall I continue?"

"Yes, please."

"Let us be straight to the pont as possible." Xu answered. "Your two point men, therefore known as the Infiltration Team, will infiltrate the Dreadnought and bring back voice recordings... treaties... anything we can use against the king and Golbez to stop them from what they are planning to do. The other three will pose as ambassadors from Bastok who will request an audience with his Royal Majesty, King Edward. This is to draw attention away from the Dreadnought so the Infiltration Team can procure the items easily.

"The Dreadnought shall depart tomorrow from Saint Ordeals to Esthar City, the capital of Palamecia in the early hours of the evening. We shall begin all operations at 3:00 in the afternoon. Make sure you are here tomorrow by 9:00 AM, to smoothen any wrinkles in the plan."

"Okay, will do." Gene answered.

"As for the Infiltration team," Xu added. "You will need the proper equipment... Night Vision Goggles, Waterproof Gear, Knockout Gas, and vice versa. You can find them here tomorrow. Now, are there any questions?"

"Yeah..." Cliff said. "You available this Friday night?"

Ryan quickly silenced Cliff with a blow to the shin the scabbard of his katana.

"Any more questions with sense?" Xu asked.

"Yes." Vincent asked. "Why are you calling on a small mercenary group to execute this plan, much less Human mercenaries? Why not ask large and organized groups such as the Elvaan Avalanche Clan?"

"Because," Ulrich began. "Clans from San D'oria are funded by the Kingdom. And large clans from the other countries have connections to their own respective governments. Should you get caught, we are trying to classify this activity as an independent attack, and not somehow connected to any government, to prevent bloodshed between our people. "

"I see..." Ryan said, his eyes closed and bringing up a bitter smile. "So, you mean to say, that should we fail, you shall use the Redwings' name as a scapegoat to blame for the attack?"

"Well..."

"Don't answer that question." Gene answered. "We already know that."

"Alright then, we shall begin operation tomorrow by 0900 hours. Meet us here Do not be late." Xu answered.

Vincent stood up and walked away.

"Hey, Vince where ya goin'?" Cliff asked.

"Training." He left through the narrow tunnel, and disappeared from their site.

"What's with him?" Sarah asked.

"Have no idea.." Gene answered.

"He is valuable to you, eh?" Rufus growled, making each of them turn their head toward him.

"Well... sort of." Sarah said. "But... he doesn't seem to have any emotions or somewhat. He's like a machine that can't feel anything..."

"Don't worry about him." Ryan remarked. "He may be cold, but he's the most reliable person I know.

"I guess you're right..." Sarah said. "Well... I think we should get some rest. I'll see you all tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright..." Ryan answered.

"Sure ya will..." Cliff added. He was polishing Bismarck with his sleeves as he walked away. "Ya hear that, baby? We're gonna have a big mission. If you help me get through this, I promise you I'll buy you that set of Mythril counterweights I couldn't buy you some time last week, that I guaran-damn-tee."

"Because I was too busy spending it on a Mithra I met who was really a thief who robbed me of my wallet." Ryan added grimly.

"Shut up."

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Well, this is Chapter Two. If you are an avid player of the Final Fantasy series, you will find many terms coming from different parts of the FF Canon. Anyway, I'll be back with Chapter Three after a few.

Thank you for reading this fanfic.