FINAL FANTASY: ANGEL’S SYMPHONY

These memories of our journey together:
The battles, the hurt and the laughter
They’ll stay with me
Forever
Even in death …

++

Chapter 1

Darkness and silence; only the sounds of their weapons adjusting and small voices from beyond the steel doors before them. Focus - concentration - then strength and power.
Minutes later, they slid open, veiling them both in a brilliant electric white light, and in the centre was their battlefield, drowned in the screaming excitement of the younger students in the stands, and the burning intensity between the two fighters. His female opponent showing a smirk through the forming, electric shields, a small sword gripped in her hand. A sound rang, signalling the beginning of the fight and the two leapt from their stands and to the battlefield beneath them, the screams louder and the shield glowing as soon as their feet touch the ground and their weapons clashed, sparks raging and flashes of light illuminating the stands, the students screaming for more from their ‘entertainers’!
He transformed his own being, through his weapons, into tough silvery skin, jet-black hair and sharp rows of teeth, while she kept up with her acrobatic moves, attacking back as she avoided his movements at such a sharp speed; this just made the students even more thrilled with the display!
Coming to the end of their struggle, she threw out her sword into separate blades, glinting with a lust for blood, and wrapped the weapon around her opponents throat - though she wasn’t in the clear either, a long bright orange sword of energy pointing at her throat - they both breathed out heavily, a moment of anger between them. Until she let out a relieved breath and then a giggle, bringing her sword back into it’s natural form without scarring her opponent.
They both stood up shaking each other’s hand, agreeing at a tie - oh, the crowds still went wild for the fighters, eventually calming down with the shields and the battlefield vanished, a tutor coming into the fray.

“Well done to Lance and Ivy, wouldn’t you agree?” the female tutor called up to the screaming and gossiping students. Her voice seemed amplified, ringing through the arena like sirens.
“These two showed a perfect example of a fair fight between two allies, if ever the opportunity arose; but you know, not ALL fights are fair. Okay! This concludes today’s lesson; dismissed!”
Whilst the students still gossiped amongst themselves, the stands emptied within a few minutes, all to return to their studies and continue with their other lessons. Though they’ll be talking about that fight for a long time.

++

“Aah, I love showing kids how strong we are - they really look up to us, y’know; how about you?” Ivy commented, a smug-ish smile on her face the whole time she walked down the corridor beside Lance. He, on the other hand, didn’t nearly share enough of her joy, barely a smile on his face. But she could see he was listening when he turned to speak, and wasn’t off in his own world, like he usually was.
“You don’t think they pick us too many times to show the students what fights are like?”
“Naaah, I love the thrill of a fight! Especially if it’s against someone challenging” she answered, her arms crossed behind her head, while Lance just shook his, resisting a chuckle.
“I’d feel the same if I had one” he said, smirking as he walked ahead of Ivy, she came to a slow stop after realising what he said …
“Well yeah, we all want- … HEY! You sayin’ I’m not a challenge in fights?! Get back here, pretty boy!”

The Moscow Abbey. A building where children and people are taught to fight and defend themselves against the bigger evils, known as Daemons. They are all separated in different ranks: naturally, the younger students start at a low rank, slowly making there way up when they pass grades and exams in normal education, then training in the Battle Centre for physical education. The highest ranks belong to the seniors of the Abbey, who only have one or two years before they can graduate and go on with whatever life they choose, be it a teacher or a fighter. Lance and Ivy’s ranks were somewhere in between; they weren’t seniors just yet.
There was everything in the Abbey that made it seem like a normal school mixed with elements that treat it like a military base; concealed weapons and shields in case someone (or something) decided to attack. It was all in control and everybody knew the machines wouldn’t malfunction so suddenly.
The younger students always looked up to the two - not only because they were taller, but because the older students were always role models for the children, and didn’t dare abuse their ranks or positions. Well, one or two did.

Reaching the classroom, the tutor had registered them just in time to continue their lesson, the rest of the room filled with students of their rank; in normal clothes and not uniform and having the freedom to sit wherever they pleased, as long as they were at a working computer.
“Oh hey, you two were so cool in that fight!” a girl Lance and Ivy knew, dressed in pale pinks, commented, receiving a giggle from Ivy.
“Eh, it was no big deal, really” she replied, taking the seat next to the girl. Lance sat at a distance from the two girls, but still next to Ivy.
“Okay, everyone here? Good; now if I can have all your attention, I’m ready to give you your exam results. Those who pass can move onto the field exam, with one senior ranking student assigned to your teams”
Everyone loved taking the field exams; it meant getting out of the Abbey and experiencing new things in the world around them, whether it was helping people in need or clearing towns infested with Daemons; even venturing through dangerous obstacles to acquire powerful entities known as Summonings.
Mimi, the girl in pink, was shuffling in her seat excitedly, anxious for her grade - she, more than anyone, loved the field exams, especially to show how strong she really was. Lance, on the other hand, was a little biased towards them; he had failed his last field exam by being unable to capture a Summoning from a nearby town - it left him with not only a burn injury on his leg, but his rank being temporarily lowered. Not a good day for him.
“If you log onto your own screens, you’ll see your grade show up” the tutor explained; everyone followed the instructions and soon, they received their grades and points. Mimi gave an excited squeal, clearly showing she had passed; Ivy was the same, but minus the squeal.
“This is gonna be sweet; wonder where we’ll be taken to” Mimi said, she and Ivy then gossiping amongst each other over which area they’d be assigned to.
“So I see you got all your grades? Okay, the first team will be … Harry Kinlochan, Bradley Mason and Damien Sakuya-Kira; your assigned team leader will be Raven”
The three males all seemed to change their seating places so they were all around each other, but Mimi couldn’t help but pout.
“Why’d he get put with them and not with me? Bradley’s MY boyfriend” she whined, Ivy giving her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.
“The second team will be … Lance Wahrheit, Ivy Kuznetsov and Chai Mimiahna- erm, Mimi, eh-heh - and your assigned team leader will be Sirian”
Ivy and Mimi both let out an annoyed groan; no one in the class really liked Sirian, especially those three, but if it was who the school chose, they didn’t have a choice in the matter. The tutor carried on calling on the next two teams and their assigned leaders.
“Okay, that’s everyone! Now, you’ll file outside of the classroom where your team leaders will be waiting and from there, you’ll be given a vehicle to go to your designated areas”
“Uuh, Miss Bloodmyer?” Mimi asked, raising her arm nervously, the tutor acknowledging Mimi’s question.
“Can we, uh … have a different team leader … perhaps?” she said, twiddling her fingers and thumbs in anticipation of Miss Bloodmyer’s answer.
“I’m sorry, Mimi, but once a team leader has been signed for you, you can’t change it; don’t worry, Sirian’s not too bad, you might get used to his company” the tutor answered, though neither Mimi nor Ivy were convinced.

“I can’t believe this. In a team with that obnoxious, uptight son of a-”
“I’m not too crazy about it either” came a half-hearted reply from a young man with piercing eyes that almost seemed to glow, and black and white hair. He stood with his arms crossed and his weight leaning on his right leg.
“We’ll just get this over with, get you the grades you want and we can all forget we were even seen together, sound fair?”
“Just because you’re the team leader doesn’t mean you order us around like dogs; fine, give us instructions, but we‘re not like your gang of slaves” Lance answered back, receiving a glare from the older student  - it wasn’t everyday someone answered back to Sirian, but Lance wasn’t an ‘everyday’ kind of student.
“Well, I see you all getting along rather well ~” Miss Bloodmyer said, with a small tone of regret in her voice, that said ‘Good Lord, why?’ and led all four teams to their vehicles.

++


“We’ve received reports of there being an outbreak of Daemons in small towns around the Siberian wastelands; we want you to go to these towns, dispose of the Daemons and bring back any injured individuals. We have a medical teams standing by just in case, and also, listen to the instructions your leaders give you - they’re your leaders for a reason, they’ve done these exams before”
“That doesn’t necessarily mean they have to be so big-headed” Mimi complained, Sirian opposite her and giving her one Hell of a dirty look after she said that. It was plain to see, they didn’t exactly get along. The vehicle continued on it’s trek through the vast icy plains of the Siberian wasteland, the cold nipping at their skin even in the comfort of the car.
“C’mon, we don’t wanna start any fights, alright? So let’s just cool it and get the mission finished” Ivy interrupted the small quarrel between Mimi and Sirian - it was scary how the two seemed so alike, even with movements, the way they spoke and the words they used to speak with.
“Is there anything worth looking for within the mission?” Lance questioned and the tutor rose to the opportunity to tell him.
“Your usual; items, money maybe even a Summoning - if you can find any of those, it may just heighten your grade, but remember, that’s not what the main mission is about” they all nodded in response. As soon as Miss Bloodmyer was ready to explain one more thing, there was a loud thud outside of the vehicle then a violent shake, everyone falling forward off their seats.
“Wh-What was THAT?!” Mimi squealed, just getting up on her knees and examining the large dent in the side of the vehicle - again, another ‘eek’ escaped her lips when she saw it.
“The Daemons got outside of the towns, you better go now!” Miss Bloodmyer ordered, rubbing a small bump on her head; the four didn’t hesitate, and even though it was freezing beyond the vehicle, they managed to trudge through the thick snow and fight pass the Daemons
“Anybody got a clue where they’re coming from?!” Ivy yelled, her voice just barely heard above the biting winds.
“I dunno, but we’ll wipe them out quicker if you keep quiet!” Sirian answered back, throwing a thorned whip forward from his weapon and thrashing a Daemon out of their way.

“Damn, this place is infested” Mimi commented, letting out a heavy breath of exhaustion as the four reached the town centre, passed only a few of the Daemons.
“Great observation there, Mimi; okay, we’ve checked through the northern expanse of this town, and more seem to be coming from the south - they might be coming from the cave out there. Ivy, Mimi, you two should look for any survivors or injured people and take them back to the vehicle - if you find a repairman, that’ll be even better; Lance, you’re coming with me” Sirian instructed - the three younger students suddenly realised that he did seem like the right man for the job.
“Only two people wiping out the Daemons? Will that be enough?” Lance questioned, following after Sirian as the two girls scanned over the town for any people in need of medical attention.
“You know we’re both the strongest in this team, so yes, all it’ll take is two people” he answered bluntly, and from then on Lance just kept his mouth shut and answered if he needed to.
The two males fought passed more packs of Daemons, sometimes being forced to use their own medical equipment and spells to heal and protect themselves - it just amazed Lance that half of the time, Sirian had a heart to help him, in case he needed it.

“Okay, that’s the southern expanse done …” Sirian trailed off at the end, as if this entire thing still wasn’t complete - he surely knew it wasn’t
“What now?” Lance breathed out heavily, leaning forward with his hands resting on his knees. Sirian didn’t give Lance an answer then, instead keeping his senses clear - the town suddenly went quiet; this wasn’t normal.
“We need to go out to the wasteland” was all he said, and was already on his way into the large fields of snow and wind; Lance kept up his strength and solemnly followed, getting the bad feeling that Sirian’s judgement would put them straight into hot water.
There was nothing for miles and miles on the snow and ice fields, just black skies and harsh winds, almost taking Lance’s breath away - occasionally, he felt like turning back to the hopefully repaired vehicle, just for it’s warmth.
“How can you fight in these terrains?” Lance questioned, eventually catching up with Sirian.
“Haven’t you practiced fighting in these areas before?” Lance shook his head - he was more used to much hotter areas.
“I’m used to the snow; I’ve been born and raised in two cold countries, that answer your question?” Lance was about ready to say something else to Sirian, but there was another violent rumble beneath them, much like when the vehicle was attacked … The two males went silent, their eyes scanning the area for where the sound and the quaking was coming from. Nothing - it was just black and clear white ahead of them. Maybe it was the tress rustling in the background, or the vehicles being charged up. Then again, nothing that minor could create a rumble this big.
“We should head back” Lance warned - and usually his bad feelings came true - but Sirian didn’t seem to pay attention; he still looked out to the snowy meadows for a sign of where the rumbling was coming from. A sign of a precautious leader, at least.
“Sirian-”
“We’re not finished here” the team leader interrupted to Lance - it wasn’t like him to suddenly feel worried and even paranoid, looking over his shoulders and all around him. After a moments waiting, Sirian eventually let out a small sigh and turned from the dark abyss ahead of them, relief written all over Lance’s face. But another loud rumble, then a thunderous roar and the meadows shook even more violently, the two males falling to their knees when losing the balance. They saw no Daemon, but a sharp white flash, appearing practically in the blink of an eye, filled the area and Sirian was thrown back more than a few feet, the beam narrowly missing Lance!

“Sirian!”
He was almost helpless, the team leader lying motionless in the snow and the head of an enormous Daemon, with razor sharp teeth and claws to match, shot up through the icy fields - Lance couldn’t even think ONCE to fight this thing alone. Just as the Daemon clamped it’s jaws along the ground, Lance leapt up and ran to where Sirian was lying, frantic to try and wake him up.
“Hold on, we’ll help!”
He recognised that voice, seeing members from the second team running forward with their weapons; Harry and Bradley went up directly to the Daemon, waiting for Lance to join the fray and help them fight back.
“I’ll take care of Sirian, you help get rid of that Daemon” Raven ordered, almost pushing Lance up to fight with Harry and Bradley while he tended to the unconscious team leader.
The Daemon charged first with a swift swipe of it’s spiked tail, throwing Lance, Harry and Bradley back a few feet - Harry was first to counter the attack, ordering Bradley to take the other side of the Daemon, leaving Lance to go beneath it’s scaled torso and hack at it’s chest and stomach.
“She’s a wriggly one!” Bradley commented, jumping back to avoid another claw to his body, then charging onto it’s arm, blasting shells from his shotgun weapon into the creatures body. They all struggled in the fight to beat the Daemon, all near their last breaths in exhaustion - for a split second, the creature was almost winning, until Lance had sustained enough damage.
“Harry, take to it’s head!” he commanded, and the younger of the three swiftly attacked up it’s scaled to it’s horned head, daggers stabbed into the creature to stay put; the Daemon howled ferociously in pain, trying with all it’s might to throw Harry of it’s head - Bradley took to the swinging tail, leaping onto it’s hide and blasting the more sensitive flesh with shells to stop it’s more frequent use of damaging.
An electric purple aura beamed around Lance’s arms, on his metallic weapons - with a lethal cry, and charged forward, a sharp dagger extracting from the violet gem in his weapon and glowing even brighter - once he reached the creature’s head, Harry took on dagger to it’s eye and it howled out worse than before, Lance leaping up high and slashing the dagger through it’s jaw and it’s head. He somersaulted back into a fighting stance, the Daemon’s blood spurting from the wound - Harry and Bradley both leapt from the Daemon to stand either side of Lance, as it let out it’s final roar, crashing to the snow with an enormous thud, a thin line of pale blue blood travelling through the snow. This one was finally defeated. At least.
“… Thanks” Lance managed to say through heavy breaths.
“Don’t mention it - was nothin’” Bradley answered, his hands on his hips and breathing out - they all had wounds, but nothing too serious.
“Ow … that was a tough one”
Bradley let out a small chuckle at Harry’s comment, handing him a first aid kit he kept handy.

“Is Sirian okay?” Lance asked Raven as he walked over to them; his own team leader was still motionless, but he could sense he was breathing.
“It’s nothing too fatal, just some internal injuries that can be fixed easily. C’mon, we best get back to the Abbey before anyone else gets hurt” Raven replied, placing his arms beneath Sirian’s body and holding him up, carrying him and leading Lance, Harry and Bradley back to their vehicle - he got the feeling that Miss Bloodmyer’s was completely out of commission.
“There you are! My God, I thought something terrible happened, are you all okay?!” Miss Bloodmyer asked frantically when Raven came into the crowd, followed by Lance, Harry and Bradley - Mimi and Ivy had already finished their round of helping survivor’s and were in the comfort of the new vehicle.
“We’re fine; Sirian may need a little help, but apart from that, there’s no major injuries” the older students explained, a sigh of relief coming from Miss Bloodmyer.
“Maybe this mission was too dangerous for you, I knew I should’ve picked a slightly easier one. Come on, get inside and we’ll head back to the Abbey” she said, ushering the rest of the group into the cosier and slightly bigger car.
“I thought it was good; gave us some good explanation and help on leadership skills” Harry said, an achieved smile on his face as he wrapped a single bandage around his arm; it seemed that was the only damage he sustained.
“I’m just glad you’re all okay” Mimi sighed out, immediately wrapping her arms around Bradley in a comforting hug. They all let out a sigh of relief after that, Lance looking out of the vehicle’s door just before they were closed. His eye caught something … something standing in the distance. A Daemon? A human? Whatever it was, it was almost like he could feel cold, sinister eyes on him the whole journey back to the Abbey …
Not long now, Lance. Not long now …

++

The vehicle was safe back in the car park of the Abbey, everyone still in one piece, and Sirian finally coming to.
“That was awful … I don’t ever wanna do something like that again” Mimi said, brushing snow off her shoulder and shuddering slightly to the thought of being attacked by more Daemons.
“You okay, Lance?” Ivy asked, noticing the worry and question in his expression. He was hesitant for a minute, but finally answered - not honestly, but at least he answered.
“Yeah … yeah, I’m fine. … Did you see anyone out there? As in someone that felt … dark?” Ivy and Mimi both looked at other and blinked, probably thinking Lance had used far too many Potions.
“Nnno, I didn’t; just normal townspeople. I didn’t sense anything dark” Mimi answered, but Lance didn’t want to seem crazy and feel like he was the only on who saw it.
“I did - It was like us; someone with Daemon aspect in them but … they were evil. Cold-blooded evil, like- like they could slaughter thousands and not blink an eye in regret” he said, trailing off at the end as he turned away from the girls, his hand over his mouth in thought.
“Hey, Lance, maybe you ought to get some rest. That mission would’ve tired you out” Ivy said in sympathy - she almost felt like he may have had an injury to the head, which caused him to speak like this.
“I know what I saw … it looked human, but with more Daemon essence than us”
‘I can’t just be imagining things, can I?’ he thought, then with a sigh - maybe it was just a head injury …
“I’ll go back to the dormitories” he almost murmured, not needing another answer from Ivy or Mimi, or anyone else for that matter; he just strolled down the corridors to his room, with his hands in his pockets and his head down.

‘That thing was definitely there … I know it was’ he kept thinking this again and again in his mind; he slowly sat on his bed, taking out the small sphere he found in the snow after defeating the Daemon - one piece of valuable item, at least: a new Summoning, the shape of a snowflake engraved into the sphere. But he was barely even interested in the new Summoning … it was that figure in the distance that bothered him.
‘Maybe they’re right … I better get some rest’ he sighed out after his thoughts, placing the sphere onto the desk and lying down onto his bed, again with another sigh. He didn’t need to see that figure, leading him to see unpleasant images in his mind as he slept …

A blood red floor with a black aura, his vision slightly blurred. He ran forward to where he could hear the pleading voices, voices he knew from somewhere but not here.
When he reached the voices, before him was the dark figure with the cold eyes he saw on the fields … one of it’s arms was wrapped around another persons neck. This person, a brilliant pure aura around him, looked too distressed, struggling to get free of the shadow.
“Lance …”
How did this person know his name? He had never seen him before … he hadn’t seen the shadow before now either, who had repeated the name but much more sinisterly.
“Help me …”
The blonde hair, stained with red, and the crystal blue eyes clouded with fear. He couldn’t help him. He felt like his feet were nailed to the floor, helplessly watching this shadow taking the breath out of this victim.
“Lance!”
His vision turned from a blur to dramatic red and black, shaking violently like someone had grabbed his head and shook it like a rag doll - the shadow dragged it’s clawed hand across it’s victims neck, clear red blood dripping onto the pure white clothes. Motionless.
“I couldn’t save you …”
You couldn’t save him …

His eyes snapped open, his own blue eyes shot with fear, like the blue eyes that looked helplessly at him.