Most fanfics will follow a game's story by focusing on the major events, like boss fights and big turning points. Not this little drabble series of mine. Random Encounters tells the story by focusing on random encounters, the little stuff. As such, it will help a lot if you've already played the game.

After doing the quite serious FFIV, I'm moving on to the less serious FFV. I'm playing the Anthologies PS1 version as I write this, so all names come from there.

Tule countryside

The ground didn't look right; it was moving in spots, starting to crack. The trembling and groaning didn't help. Both man and chocobo were reluctant to go further into this narrow valley, as a rockfall could start up in seconds. And then a girl's scream came over the chaos.

That could not be ignored. "Let's go, Boko!" Bartz called, nudging his partner into action.

"Wark!" The chocobo lowered his head to race down the canyon. As they went along, the cracking ground crumbled, leading to dark holes that were of unknown depths. Boko was quick enough to jump over the weak spots before he tripped into them.

Just ahead, Bartz could see two fallen forms. Was that the pink-haired girl and the old man? How had they gotten ahead of him and Boko? However it had been done, they were now in trouble. He would help them out again, of course.

Four scrawny and leathery humanoids jumped down from the upper ledges of the canyon, in between the two groups. Bartz withdrew his broadsword. "Go for it!"

His chocobo raced past three of the imps, barreling into one and knocked it over. Bartz slashed his sword through the remaining monsters, cutting them down before they could attack. With them out of the way, Boko jumped over another pit, then slowed to a stop near the girl and old man.

The tremors had died off by then, leaving the valley silent and full of potholes. The traveler jumped off his chocobo and checked on the girl. Although she had some bruises and injuries, she was alive but unconscious. If she got a potion, had those wounds cleaned, and got some rest, she'd probably come out just fine. the old man seemed to be in the same state. They'd probably gotten ambushed by monsters; Bartz had been traveling for a long time and he knew how dangerous the wild lands could be.

Patting the neck of Boko, he said, "Let's get them out of this imp-infested place and take them somewhere quieter. I'll give you the old man; don't run and lose him."

The chocobo bobbed his head in agreement.

If you think about it, 'random encounters' is a good way of describing how this game's party gets together when you start out.