Stone 1

Today had been a normal day for Vaan. He did odd jobs for measly pay. Running errands for Migelo, which usually were annoying as hell, and then there was Panelo, always home to bring the headache. The only thing that had been fun was stealing from those guards harassing the man at the bazaar. Of course, that’ s when Vaan’s headache came to chastise him. Vaan really didn’t want to listen. It were times like these that Vaan wished he was free. Free of everything. Of course, Vaan was always wishing he was free. But seriously, did he need this migraine today too?

The only thing of actual interest, and by interest it meant that is disrupted the same repetitious chain of events day after day, and that was the parade for the Emperor’s son who was going to be their consul. Vaan despised how he spoke as if he were a noble, good man. The Empire is what killed their kingdom! And…. Took his brother. Vaan would never forgive them. He swore it.

After the parade Vaan finally made up his mind. That bastard Vayne Solidor was what really spurred Vaan after the incident with the soldiers. He was going to sneak into the palace and find something valuable enough to sell and make some money, better money than he got for all the crappy, but hard labor he always did. Of course, his headache, err, conscience decided to nag at him again. It was almost the same as scraping her nails on a chalkboard. Vaan went on with the conversation, trying to ambiguously hint that he wanted to be alone. When Panelo was done mocking him, Vaan went to see old Dalan, and of course, the man was intrigued enough to sponsor his trip by tipping Vaan off about his crescent stone. It was a bitch trying to power the damn thing up, but once it was done Vaan stubbornly started on his mission to “Robin Hood” the castle.

And that left Vaan where he is now.

Vaan wondered into the drove, looking for anything that looked good. It couldn’t be bulky or something that would be easily noticed was missing. It had been chance really. That he had found it in that statue and was amazed when it just opened up! Vaan walked over and picked out the stone, noting that hiding it there would have been clever if the thing hadn’t come out of it’s own accord. Vaan handled the stone, mesmerized when it gave off a glow.

‘Wow. This is it!’ Vaan realized with giddiness as he tightened his fist over the stone. This thing would definitely fetch him a high price, but as soon as his fist tightened a bright light shot from the stone, shocking the blonde so much he dropped the stone. However, the stone did not fall...

Vaan stared, unable to believe what he was seeing. This was definitely no ordinary stone. It was floating! Vaan gasped and stumbled back a step when a gold beam of light shot into his chest. Vaan froze as he watched, muscles locked in tension as the stone encroached to his chest, and then a warming sensation filled his insides as the stone melted into his skin and disappeared inside. The light quickly faded and the blonde stared down at himself in disbelief as he touched his chest.

‘Wh-what the hell just happened?!’

“You there boy, hand over the stone.” Vaan jumped and spun around, surprised to see someone that definitely was NOT a guard.

“Wh-who are you?!” Vaan gasped as he took a step back. The man was taller than him, older and more broad in physique. His red hair was cut short and slicked back. He looked very classy, stylish, even his clothes looked expensive, unlike the cheap fabric of Vaan’s own attire.

“Formalities later. Hand over the stone.” Vaan’s eyes went wide when he saw the gun strapped on the man’s hip as he held out his hand.

“I don’t have it! …Exactly.” Vaan mumbled, absently touching his chest that still felt warm inside.

“The God’s are toying with us.” Both men looked when from behind the elder man a woman scantily clad in black attire and tall bunny ears entered. The woman crossed her arms over his supple chest.

“The stone and the boy infused.” The man gave the woman a quizzical look and sighed.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. After we came all the way here.” His hand went to his hip as he regarded Vaan before looking back toward the woman with the long shock of white hair.

“Is there anything we can do about it?” She shook her head, the wavy strands of her pretty hair dancing over her shoulders.

“Not likely. Though it’s not impossible.” The man looked at Vaan and took a step toward the teen. Stepping back the teen gasped when a sudden loud blaring and red flashing sung through the air.

“Damn.”

Vaan looked around quickly, panicked when he heard soldiers at the closed door on the other side of the room he came from trying to get inside.

“This way!” The man cried as he grabbed the stunned street rat’s arm and towed him out of the room.

“Hey! Lemme go!” Vaan cried as he stumbled after the man. A group of soldiers cut them off after a couple twists and turns down halls. Vaan took the chance graciously and broke free from the mans iron grip to run down a vacant hall while the other two had to deal with the soldiers.

Vaan ran blindly, guessing random directions in a frenzy as he tried to avoid soldiers. He didn’t recognize where he was at all. He was completely lost.

As he ran, Vaan became increasingly aware of the burning in his chest, and how it kept getting hotter and hotter the faster his heart beat and the more scared he became. A sweat had begun to pour from Vaan’s pores by the time he found a large entry onto an outside path. Vaan jogged down it, feeling more and more drained from the raging heat burning through his body, radiating from where the stone entered him. Vaan gasped and came to a dead stop when light flashed through the sky and explosions shook the masonry that supported him.

Vaan started to run again but came to a skidding halt when he saw the man from before coming at him and cursed. Spinning around on his heels he froze when he saw guards coming down the way he’d come.

‘Shit!’ Vaan gasped when he was jerked from behind shoved toward the edge of the ramp. Vaan gasped when he was lifted up off the ground and dangled over what he finally recognized as a full on battle below and above. The palace was under attack.

“Let me go! I CAN’T give it to you!” Vaan cried when he was dropped over the ledge. A scream tore its way out of his throat when he suddenly found his arm grabbed and looked up to see the fellow intruder holding him up while riding on what appeared to be a failing air bike.

“What’s wrong Fran?” The man called toward the woman operating the bike.

“I don’t know. It’s not heading me.” The woman cried as the bike started to dangerously loose ground.

“Don’t drop me!” Vaan cried in desperation.

“Oh shut-up. I have no intension of—“ His retort was cut short into a cry when the bike gave out and all three plummeted down toward the planet.

Vaan groaned as his world faded in from black and wobbled around a few times. Reaching up, Vaan touched his slightly burning chest.

‘What the hell?’ Vaan jerked to alertness when he heard a man’s voice speak to him and for the first time since his fall, noticed that the man and woman were there. Looking around him Vaan recognized that they were deep in the waterways of Rabanastre, the bike totally destroyed.

“So, that stone really is infused with you.”

“Huh?”

“When we fell, a golden light enveloped us. It’s thanks to that, that we’re even alive.” The man explained and Vaan gawked before gazing down and touching his chest.

“I wonder why it happened though…” A loud boom shook the area, throwing down dust and dangerously sized debris toward the group.

“Since it seems like a battle is raging up above, and with the presence of the Ifrit, we’ll have to escape on foot.” The man rose to his feet and looked down at Vaan before offering his hand.

“You’ll be coming with us.” Vaan glared and jumped to his feet before backing away.

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” The man sighed.

“Come on, don’t make this difficult.” Vaan had the childish urge to stick out his tongue but suppressed it in favor of spinning on his heels and running down the steps into the inch or so deep water.

“Hey!” Vaan heard him call and then the sloshing of footsteps quickly chasing after him. Vaan panicked and turned up the first staircase he saw.

“It’s dangerous here!” The man called again but there was no way in hell Vaan was surrendering himself!

“Why don’t you just worry about yourself then!” Vaan cried back. He knew this place! The worst he’d ever seen were just rats, which he currently avoided.

Vaan turned a corner and gasped when a sudden screech caught his ear. Vaan froze when he found himself in the way of a charging monster, shield-less and weaponless.

‘Oh shit!’ Vaan jumped when a couple shots went off and hit the monster, startling him to such a degree that the burning in his chest jumped back to life and a bright golden light shot out, killing three more monsters in the vicinity. Vaan watched in horror as the power radiated from his body and flooded the whole short passageway before suddenly dying out. A strong wave of fatigue and grogginess washed over Vaan and he stumbled backwards, collapsing into his pursuer. Vaan weakly stared up in fear of his captor, knowing that his suddenly exhausted limbs were useless now.

“Are you all right?” The words echoed, distorted, and faded as Vaan’s sight darkened and faded inward to black, just seeing the silhouette of the woman approaching with a long bow in her hands.