Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Life of Erin Tribal ❯ Chapter 46

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

The Life of Erin Tribal Chapter 46

A/N: Woohoo! Never thought I'd get this far, seriously!

LuccaAshtear: Hey, thanks for the review, and for the one on my new songfic! To answer your questions: Zidane is currently only going to be mentioned until they are 10. Harry has already visited Lindblum (he was to when he was five, and he's seven now. The visiting happened way back in chapter 2). And yes there is going to be more that FF6 & FF9! There will also be (in this order, so you know when to expect them): FF6, FF8, FF9, FF10, Kingdom Hearts, FF7, FFX-2.

Kilam: Thanks for reviewing! Glad to know you like it (and wish me luck in getting a beta reader!).

DarkHolyKnight: Thanks again.

Anyways, please enjoy!

Oh yes, and also, I've finally gotten my site for this story ready! Link is at the bottom of the chapter.

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Disclaimer: See previous chapters!

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After about thirty minutes, everyone was finally up and they were on their way to the Veldt. The trip was quiet, and they arrived without incident within the hour.

"So, who's going?" Celes asked.

"Harry, Erin, and myself."

"No way, you three," Setzer said.

"Oh, come on!" Relm sighed. "We're strong enough!"

"Relm has a point, but..." Celes started.

"Hey, look, Gau might come around easier if it's only us three!" Erin pointed out.

"Good point," Sabin stated. "I'm up for those three going."

"Fine, you three may go," Setzer sighed.

The three kids smiled and ran off of the ship.

They prowled the Veldt for at least an hour without any luck. They figured they were a long way from the ship and didn't dare go back without the child.

"Hey look, it's a Leafer!" Harry exclaimed, pulling out a pair of cards as he did.

Erin drew out her sword, and right after Harry attacked, she took a swing at the tiny beast and slashed it in half.

"Uawoooo!"

"Looks like our luck has changed," Harry joked.

"Who find Gau?"

"Gau, it's us! We're your friends!" Relm explained the best way she could.

"Friends find Gau? Friends still alive!" the boy leaped out and almost tackled Erin to the ground. He would have succeeded had she not moved out of the way.

"Yes, of course we're alive! Don't think that the end of the world could have killed us!" Erin smiled. "Let's head back."

The group of four now headed back, killing off the occasional monster before Gau could leave them again. Another hour passed and they were back at the airship, but a monster decided to ambush them right in front of the ramp.

"Stupid monster," Erin sighed, pulling out her Soul Sabre.

She ran to take a swipe at the beast, a somewhat tall one, and took a good amount of damage from it. She saw two sets of cards flying at it, one from behind her and one from the deck of the ship. These penetrated the beast enough to make it fall, dead. The four kids finally boarded the ship.

"Gau find cave on home while wandering! Gau think friends should explore cave!" Gau exclaimed.

"Hey, why not? We might find someone there!" Setzer agreed. "So, who's going?"

"Well, the kids just went so I think that they should stay this time," Celes stated, looking directly at Erin. "Sabin, Edgar, Setzer, Cyan, and myself sound good."

"Mom!" Erin moaned.

"No arguments, young lady! You four are staying!" Celes argued.

"Celes, I think Gau should come along," Edgar pointed out. "He probably knows where the cave is."

"Gau know! Gau know! Uawooo!" Gau said happily.

"Fine, Gau may come," Celes sighed. "Strago will watch over you three."

"Whatever," Erin mumbled, and walked off to below deck, Harry and Relm trailing closely behind her.

Heading down to where the couches were situated, Erin sat down on the one she had made her bed. She pulled out her journal and a pen to make a quick entry.

`January 30, 1996

Can't say much. Strago will be down here any minute now to `watch over us'. Yeah, whatever. Just a quick note basically.

Found Gau.

Erin M. T.'

"Well, it seems you three were left behind," said an aged voice.

"Why does it matter Strago? Maybe we'll just go build up," Harry sighed.

"If you take me," Strago added.

"Forget that plan. We'll just sit here, waiting our lives away til they get back from this cave that Gau found," Relm joked.

"So, it sounds like you located Gau and convinced him to join," Strago smiled.

"Yeah, of course!" Erin mumbled.

"I thought I had heard voices," Strago stated.

"Hey, I've got an idea!" Relm exclaimed suddenly after several minutes of silence.

"No," Strago said strictly.

"You didn't even hear me out! I was just thinking we could sneak after them and..." Relm started, but was once again interrupted.

"No," Strago repeated. "You are not doing that again!"

"Again?" Harry asked, looking over at Erin.

"Oh, Relm went and snuck after us way back when at that place where we ran into all those Espers," Erin explained to the boy.

"Good going, Relm," Harry joked.

"Am I going to be made fun of for that that forever?" Relm complained.

"Maybe, maybe not," Erin grinned.

Relm sighed, and dug through her bag for a pad.

"Erin, have anything I could draw with?"

"Yeah," Erin replied, dug through her own bag and picked out one of her most simple pens, handing it to the other girl.

Relm started drawing, while Harry and Erin sat there bored. Erin finally decided on practicing her singing for a while, so headed over to a corner, sat down, and started humming to herself.

She started in on a song she knew by heart. She couldn't even remember where she had learned it. All she knew was that it always helped her remember to think positive.

"Who's humming?" Harry asked.

"Me."

"Sounds good, Erin," the boy replied, and he went back to not speaking again. Or just listening to Erin.

By the time she finished, Relm had finished drawing, and the rest of the group still wasn't back. They just sat there in silence for the rest of the time, except for the scratching of a pen on paper from Relm drawing another thing.

A four hours later, everyone else finally returned. They could tell by the rush of footsteps above. And by the sound of Setzer's voice in the stairway.

"Harry, get up on deck NOW!"

"I'm COMING! Geez. They are back for two seconds, and he's already ordering me around!" Harry sighed, and then ran above deck. Erin and Relm followed him at a quick walk, not exchanging a single word.

When they got above deck, they spotted someone dressed all in black.

"It can't be... Shadow?" Erin exclaimed, surprised.

"Yes, and we need to get him somewhere to heal! Relm, Erin, do either of you know of somewhere good?" Celes breathed, clearly out of breath from running.

"Thamasa. Take him to Thamasa," came a voice from the stairs that belonged to Strago.

"How will we find it?" Setzer asked, behind the wheel, Harry right behind him.

"The same way we've found everywhere else, Setzer! LUCK!" Erin replied. And then, to Relm and Celes, she whispered. "Let's just hope that we don't run into Doom Gaze!"

"Yeah, that'd be bad," Celes mumbled back.

The rest of the hurried trip from the Veldt to Thamasa was in silence. When they finally made it to Thamasa, the entire group went to Thamasa. They decided to use Strago and Relm's house to let Shadow rest there, while Strago went to talk to the town elder.

When Strago returned, he said that the elder would be more than happy to watch over Shadow. They headed out while discussing where to go next.

"Doma Castle," Cyan said straight-out.

"Oh yeah, it's your home, right?" Sabin asked, and Cyan nodded in agreement. "Very well. Next destination, Doma Castle!"

They followed Setzer and Harry onto the ship. Harry took the wheel this time, and the group searched out Doma Castle. Right before they had found it, Erin could've sworn she'd seen a flying shadow in the distance. However, they landed right before she could figure out what it was.

Cyan lead the chosen group of Relm, Erin, Harry, Celes, Edgar, and himself inside the castle. Cyan brought them into the sleeping area, as if he could sense that something was there.

"Cyan?" Celes asked carefully.

The older man simply pointed down at the beds, as if he was too scared to speak. Complying, the group lay down on the beds, even though none of them were tired, seeing as it was only about midday.

However, they all fell asleep as if some spirit had possessed them temporarily.

Only, a few minutes later, they woke up to find Cyan gone, and two spirits between the beds.

"Please, help Cyan. Don't leave him alone!" one of them pleaded, an older woman who looked to be in about her forties.

"Daddy is strong, but he needs help!" the other one said, a young boy who seemed to be about Harry, Relm, and Erin's age.

"What are you...?" Celes started.

"We will send you into the dream world to help my husband. Get rid of this nightmare that constantly haunts him!" the woman begged.

The group immediately fell asleep, and the next thing they knew, they were awake in the dream world. And separated.

"Ugh!" Erin moaned, trying to pull herself up. But something was holding her down.

"Oh, no you don't!" a kid's voice joked.

"Come on, please let me up!" Erin begged.

"Unless you wish to find your friends! Oh wait, someone else is going to do that!" the voice laughed.

"Oh COME ON!" Erin almost yelled.

"Quiet, girl," he said strictly.

There was a strange sound, and then footsteps. The sound of a billowing cape. The sound of a boy immediately disappearing.

"Well, there you are!"

Erin pushed herself up and saw Edgar standing in front of a strange doorway.

"Where are the others?" the girl asked immediately.

"I do not know, my lady. Let us find them."

"You can quit with the royal talk, Edgar," Erin mumbled to the man. "Wait, do you hear something?"

"No, I didn't..." Edgar started.

"Quiet! Follow me," Erin mumbled, and headed for the source of the voice. Edgar, figuring he didn't have a choice, followed the seven-year-old.

Running up the stairs, they found Relm on the ground just getting up. "Relm!"

"Huh? Erin! Edgar! Where are the...?" Relm exclaimed.

"Don't know," Erin answered.

"Hey, where's that door lead to?" Edgar asked, pointing out a door in the middle of the platform.

"Don't know, and don't want to find out right now! Let's go find the others!" Erin sighed, and marched off again.

After some searching, they eventually found Harry being guarded by one of the kids. Last, they found Celes, also being guarded. Eventually, they headed back to where Relm was and headed through the door, where they found three boys together.

"Curley!"

"Larry!"

"Moe!"

"We don't CARE what your names are! Where's Cyan?!" Celes shouted at the boys.

"We are possessing him!"

"Give him back!" Edgar shouted.

"No will do!"

"FINE! We'll just fight you to save our friend!" Erin exclaimed, pulling out her Soul Sabre.

"Wait, Erin, catch! I found it up on the Floating Continent! I think it's called the Atma Weapon," Celes exclaimed, handing Erin a blade that adjusted so Erin could easily handle it. "Let's do this!"

So, the group started battle with Larry, Curley, and Moe. After Erin cast scan on the three, they figured that they should defeat Curley first. Celes decided heal the group while the other three attacked. Erin whispered the strategy to Relm, Harry, and Edgar; use Ice magic until Curley is defeated.

They did exactly just that, and Curley went down eventually. Well, after Larry decided to Reflect himself, and they had cast Safe and Shell on Curley. Next, Edgar started using his tools, Chainsaw in particular, to attack Larry. Erin and Relm both used regular attacks, and the boy eventually went down.

The only one left was Moe, and after casting Scan again, they agreed to attack at full force with Fire magic. Well, Edgar still used his Chainsaw, and Erin and Relm switched between magic and physical attacks. The whole time, Celes healed whenever need be.

After Moe was finally down, they went through the door and blacked out again. But this time only for about a minute or two. When they awoke, they were on a moving train, and thankfully, weren't separated like before.

Heading down the train, they first passed through the cart, and had to face a couple of somewhat easy random encounters. In the next cart, where Erin could've sworn she'd heard something just as they entered in, they were at a complete dead end. So, Edgar flipped a nearby switch, and they found it revealed a path to a chest. So Celes, just hopping over the box that moved, opened it, and ran back to the group. Now they headed on, opening yet another chest to reveal some kind of metal, they placed it in a nearby open chest, not knowing what it would do.

The next part, Edgar flipped another switch and they looked around to see a pattern in the chests. On the row farthest from them, the right and middle chests where closed. And on the row nearest them, the far left one was closed.

"You guys think this means something?" Harry asked.

"Probably. Let's keep moving," Relm replied, and they did just that.

On the next car, they found a couple of chests, and opened both of them. The group also found some switches, and after some careful thinking, they figured out the pattern and made it through to a similar group of chests to that in the previous room.

Relm closed the correct chests, and then Edgar flipped a switch on the wall. This allowed them to pass through to the next car. In the next car, it was empty, so they backed out and headed into the engine. Edgar, being the mechanics wiz that he is, figured that they must flip the right switch to continue on, seeing as they were at a dead end.

When Edgar flipped the switch, the area around them turned black, and then reappeared to show them in Magitek Armor. They were also in a similar area to what looked like the Narshe Mines.

"No! Not this!" Erin cried, and then looked around and noticed something. "Cyan!"

It was true. The man was standing nearby, and then left running, apparently being chased by some nightmare. They chased after him, slowly because of their numbers and the armor, but they did it. The group quickly defeated any monsters in their way and soon found Cyan running across a bridge. They started off on the bridge, but it ended up breaking due to the immense weight cause by five Magitek Armor's.

When they landed, thankfully out of the armor, and were back in the castle. Yet, they were still in the dream.

At the throne, Cyan was there, but he was either asleep or unconscious. Above him was a monster, a particularly large one at that.

"Cyan!" Celes exclaimed. "We need to get rid of this thing in order to save him!"

And so, they started pounding away at the boss. But then... it possessed one of them. They had to think quick of what to do.

"Wait, anyone know X-Zone?" Celes asked.

"What is it? I have it, but what is it?" Edgar asked back.

"It's a spell that gets rid of the enemies on the field. If we get rid of these monsters while we are possessed, the monster will un-possess us and be defeated! Well, the last part is a guess, but hopefully it happens!" Celes explained.

Edgar nodded, and cast the spell. It got rid of the two other monsters on the field, and they found out that Harry was possessed as they saw the monster leave him and die. Erin quickly healed their friend, and then healed Cyan.

"Thy saved me."

"Of course, Cyan!" Celes smiled.

"Daddy!"

"Owain?" Cyan asked himself, turning around.

"My dearest, please do not blame yourself for the past."

"Eowain?"

"Daddy, don't be sad!"

"Cyan, go with your friends. Do not worry about the past. That's just what it is, dear. Go on with your friends. Owain and myself will be fine."

"Eowain. Thank you," Cyan said simply.

The two people disappeared, and a sword appeared on the ground. Cyan approached it, and smiled. "Shall we awaken?"

"We shall," Edgar replied.

In a few seconds, the group was back to reality. They headed out of the castle and back to the airship, only to be greeted by a welcoming group. Well, basically a welcoming group.

"About TIME you guys got back! It's been HOURS!" Setzer sighed.

"Woah, hey, we had some things to take care of. Well, I should say, Cyan did, right?" Erin smiled.

"Correct."

"That's nice. Now, I'm starving! Shall we eat? And I think quite a few of us need a bath," Sabin explained.

Everyone agreed, so they headed down to eat where the food was already ready. After they finished, Erin and Relm headed for some of the others rooms, seeing as they didn't have their own, and took a bath. Erin washed up, and then refilled the water and cleaned off her clothes, which had gotten extremely dirty from all the traveling.

Redressing, and brushing out her hair with her hands; seeing as she had nothing else to use; and allowed it to lie flat on her back. She left the bathroom she had been using; Celes'; and headed out of the room, allowing Celes to clean up. Erin headed down to her make-shift bed, and found Relm already down there, drawing like normal.

"Hi Relm. What are you drawing?"

"Oh, hey Erin. Just drawing one of our Espers..."

Sitting down next to Relm, Erin examined the portrait and realized that it was Maduin.

"Relm, that's..." Erin started.

"Yeah?"

"That's Terra's father."

"I see. That's nice. Hey, could you sing something for me?"

"What?'

"Sing something!"

"But what?" Erin asked Relm, thinking about the one song that she knew by heart.

"Something you know by heart. I mean, come on, everyone else is in their rooms cleaning up!" Relm smiled.

Erin stared down at the floor, trying to not think of what Relm had just said. `Do I do the one I learned from I don't know where? Might as well.'

"Fine."

Relm smiled to herself, not waiting to hear the song. Erin started humming the song. Each note memorized. Every pitch change down by heart. Relm set her work down to listen to the other girl.

By the time Erin finished, Relm was staring in awe.

"Man, you are GOOD," Relm commented.

"Thanks. That song helps me feel safe whenever I'm alone."

"That's nice. Where'd you learn it?"

"I don't know."

"Hmm..." Relm simply said. "I wonder HOW late it is."

"Probably late."

Relm looked over at Erin, who sighed and then walked back over to her bed and dug through her stuff for her notebook.

"I wonder what we are doing tomorrow. Or where we are going. Or..." Relm stated, but Erin interrupted.

"Or who we are going to find."

"Right."

Erin sighed again, and opened up her notebook, brushing back some hair. She picked up her pen and started writing.

`January 30, 1996 - Later

So much has happened since we found Gau. First, a few of the adults went and explored a cave where they ended up finding Shadow badly hurt. We rushed him to Thamasa, where he is resting now. After that, we headed for Doma Castle, which is Cyan's home. That's where it started to become strange. Let me explain it. Garnet, if you ever read this, and when I return home, I'm gonna have you read everything, please do let me know what this all means.'

"Erin, what are you doing?"

"Writing."

"You do a lot of that."

"I guess it's just like you and drawing."

"I guess," Relm shrugged, and went back to her Maduin drawing.

`When we first entered the castle, Cyan immediately had us go to the guest room for no apparent reason. We quickly awoke, but he was gone, and his son and wife were there and asked us to help him. Again, we went to sleep, and awoke in a strange place. There was this kid, Moe I think his name was, that refused to let me find the others. Edgar soon found me, and the kid left. Immediately after that, we found Relm, and after a bit of searching, we found Harry and mom (Celes).

We fought the kids, and soon wound up on this train. After figuring out the several puzzles, we moved onto an area in something I can't stand to mention. We chased after Cyan, but he crossed a bridge and it collapsed under a lot of weight. We landed in the throne room of the castle we were sleeping in, and fought the monster possessing Cyan.

He got a visit from his dead wife and son, and they told him not to think about the past. To think about the future instead. To stay with the group and fight.

After that, we woke up, and came back to the ship. We ate dinner, and then washed up. It feels so good to actually be CLEAN again!

That's all for now. Garnet, I do not know how long I will be here, but I cannot return home. Not yet. I do not wish to face mother. I love you, sister.

Oh yes, one more thing. Relm, one of my dear friends here... I sang her our song. I think she believes that I am truly an incredible singer.

I love you, and miss you daily, Garnet.

Erin Marie Tribal, Shiva til Alexandros'

Erin sighed, feeling that she had said enough, and her hand told her that she had from the dull ache in it from so much writing. She set the book and pen back in her bag, and stretched out on the couch, hoping to get some sleep, not knowing what the next day would bring.

Thankfully, the night was dreamless, as if there were no more memories to dream about. Or, as if someone controlled what she dreamt about, that person didn't want her to dream anything.

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A/N: Man, I REALLY didn't mean the long gap between chapters, but I couldn't help it! My keyboard died when I was on page six of this, and it was too hard to type until I got a new one! Anyways, I hope that the events of this chapter satisfied you! This really took some creative thinking to do, and I personally think it is great. I tried to reveal a few things, like with the dreams (how they occur), and the strong sister-sister bond Erin and Garnet have!

Oh yes, the site! I hope you like it, and these chapters will be up as soon as I get the patience to put them into proper formatting!

http://www.geocities.com/tloet/

Everything was hand done, and that takes time, so please ENJOY and give me FEEDBACK about it! I enjoy feedback about my work. And do you know what I enjoy even more?

REVIEWS! So, if you are reading this REVIEW! I allow anonymous reviews, so there is no reason NOT to review! Just, if you flame, give PROPER reason, and show examples please of why you are doing it!