OT's Final Fantasy

[OutlawTorn]

Foreword

Final Fantasy is something that has been in my life for over thirteen years, and that's half of my life. It has inspired me from as early back as I can remember. The first eight games impacted me as a writer in a big way--but more-so Squaresoft's body of work in the 90's as a whole.

Creating and writing this story was massively important to me, because I know I can do it, and I feel like I have to do it, for the fans and for myself. It's something I've seen many people try and never quite nail for some justifiable reason or another. I personally never tried, although I had many moments where I thought about it, sometimes even giving it serious thought. But nothing good ever came to me, and I never saw the risk of running with it as worth taking a gamble. Then late last year I went through Six for the first time since the late 90's, about six months after beating Seven again. Somehow the gravity and heart of those games somehow got lost in translation in my mind over the years. They didn't stay with me like Eight did from day one, but somehow I had forgotten just how moving and powerful they were. I immediately began working on some concepts, putting a few characters together, working on a few plot ideas. Two characters emerged, one complete concept, and one skeletal concept, neither of which are the young lady you're about to meet.

The first was Edge. A character I put together for myself as a lead role. An average guy who wields strength of character, moral discipline, and a good heart. The name Edge comes from my Final Fantasy gaming experiences, and was almost a deal breaker for me on this one. I used to name all of the lead male characters Edge in the games. Cloud, Squall, Locke, even my trusty Fighter in the original game. Edge is a name I still use a LOT for old school RPG's.

The skeletal concept was a Final Fantasy icon, and a tricky decision as a fan and artist. The mysterious Black Mage. From the start I wanted the shade-like enigma we see in One, and many others. As a big fan of the traditional Black Mage, I was faced with the challenge of fitting them into a very organic, grounded, realistic feeling story that will satisfy a group of adult Final Fantasy fans who write themselves and know their stuff. It wasn't easy, and I decided to go with a tall, leaner, very human looking black enigma of a man. The Black Mage is looked upon and considered a cursed, outcast of a creature. They are looked down upon and shunned, but not bothered, as they are powerful, and known for defending themselves with a force often described as overkill. They stick to themselves, as not to be bothered or have to bother. They are a strange people, containing so much knowledge and wisdom, yet so little real emotion. Having said that they do feel, but not as... brightly or strongly as we do.

The summons will also play a big role in this story. That was something I was adamant about from day one.

This story is for the purpose of paying homage, and tribute to the games, their characters and storyline. But also something you can look at, and say it could stand alone as a Final Fantasy story. It's going to be everything you expect from a Final Fantasy, and hopefully more.

I hope everyone enjoys, and thank you for your time.

Introduction

Ana Maria Grace rolled over in her comfy bed, sound asleep. Her beautiful blonde hair rested over her forehead, covering her left eye. Her sparkling green eyes were shut as she slept the morning away against her fluffy purple pillow.

The buzzer inside of her old mechanical clock clang it's usual dull, metallic, insistent racket. New clocks had something called a chip that was made from data or something. Here in the slums of Zenobia, there was no fancy, fussy technology. Bikes that ride themselves, you just sit and stare at people passing by. Neat little boxes that show moving pictures. Nothing so sophisticated.

The inner city was like something from a comic book or fiction novel. Some futuristic metropolis turning time like the inside of a clock. Late at night you can look out your bedroom window, peer north into the night sky, and see it's lights glowing, flashing and blinking like stars hung just above and below the horizon.

She opened her eyes quickly, smiling wide. She smacked the plated spring on the clock, silencing it for another twenty-four hours, and leaped from her bed.

She jogged down the stairs of her tiny home, running into the kitchen where her mother was sitting, reading the Zenobian Times over a cup of tea.

"I made breakfast" her mother said lovingly.

"Not hungry mom" Ana replied, kissing her on the cheek, heading for the door.

Ana's mother looked over her shoulder at her as she grabbed her coat from the rack. "Stay away from those leftwing, hooligan friends of yours!" her mother yelled out to her as she dashed out the door.


The streets of Zenobia were bustling. Buildings, trees, structures and rooftops towered over power lines and into the sky. Bikes, strangely built cars and trucks filled the busy streets. Some were paved or stone, others were run down dirt roads, usually in a series of gritty backstreets networking the outermost corners and reaches of the slums.

Far beyond the cluttered, towering groupings of buildings, the massive structures and sky scrappers of the inner core of Zenobia loomed in the sky like pillars of the heavens, watching over the poverty, despair and corruption that ensued every day amidst the outer slums.

OutlawTorn
Presents

Final Fantasy
Created by OT
Inspired by Squaresoft's Final Fantasy Series

Special Thanks To
The True Role Players
Squaresoft & Final Fantasy
V (TwistedMyth)
The Readers