So, normally, this story will update on Mondays (for the rest of this semester at least), but since today begins my school's Fall Break, I thought I'd kick things off early. Enjoy!

Hello, everybody; ModernDayBard here with my next full-length fanfic! Now, I don't consider myself a gamer by any stretch of the imagination, but thanks to the influence of my big brother, I do enjoy playing the few video games I have picked up (although my ratio of games started to games finished is a dismal commentary on my attention span/memory capacity for strategy).
I especially like games with plot, and my first introduction to these was the first Final Fantasy game (to date the only game in that franchise I have actually been able to finish). On a recent play-through, I started thinking about how to make a novel out of the game, develop the characters, etc. I couldn't help but notice all the references to the Warriors of Light being from somewhere else scattered throughout the game, so I decided to also make this an 'average person in a fantasy world' story. Hopefully, you all enjoy!
As always, I do not own any part of the Final Fantasy franchise, or any plot/character from the game. I only own my oc's and their background.

"...the small folk drawn into the pattern of fate, the small folk who live among small things." (TS Elliot, Murder in the Cathedral)

The yellow behemoth approached its lair slowly, before coming to a halt and disgorging its frenzied load in a noisy, energetic, and chaotic hoard. Wincing at the sound and adjusting the dark brown hair falling just shy of his bespectacled dark brown eyes, Matt Meyers allowed him flow to carry him off of the school bus. He did his best to blend into the crowd, hoping for once his diminutive stature and slight frame would play to his advantage.

No such luck.

Someone jostled him from the side, nearly knocking the sixteen-year-old over, and Matt braced himself, wondering what it would be this morning. "Watch it, 'genius'," the offending party snarled. "If you injure the star wide receiver the week before the big game..."

The threat implied was obvious, but the younger boy couldn't resist an eye roll. "To be fair, Marcus, if a slight run-in with an admittedly unimpressive featherweight such as myself could take you out of the game, then it would seem our team is in pretty bad shape." He'd probably pay for the comeback later, but he was hoping that while the three members of the football team that seemed to have it out for him tried to sort out the larger words and more complicated syntax, he'd have time to get away to homeroom.

"At least our team is representing the school. What's your contribution?"

"To school spirit? I like to think I raise moral by not lowering it with petty bullying tactics. You might give it a try some time."

They must've been in a good mood, or else in a rush, because they actually let him go with a combination push and conveniently extended foot that sent him sprawling and a parting shot: "Guess the genius really doesn't care about anything."

Matt scowled as he picked himself up and tried to gather the few items that'd scattered in his fall, ignored, as ever, by the passing stampede of students. Because it makes perfect sense that they pick on kids not in the popular clique in order to 'better' the school somehow. Is it any wonder I want to be out of here as soon as possible? At best the other students are apathetic in everything they undertake, at worst, they're outright lazy and antagonistic. I can't wait to graduate.

Sadly, the morning's events were nothing new to the teen. From early on in elementary school, he'd been singled out as a target for bullies at every school he attended. Smart student, slow runner, short person—the deadly triple-threat. Not only that, but Matt had one of those faces that made him seem a good three to four years younger than he actually was—add that to the fact that he had actually skipped a grade and was now a junior, and he supposed it was practically inevitable that the cycle continue. He'd just endure for the year and a half he had left, then escape to college, where he would finally, simply be left alone.

The slight teen turned away from his bag to grab a final erring pen, and with ghost-like quickness, someone stooped and dropped a small packet into the abandoned back-pack: a packet that, among other things, contained a crystal whose heart contained a flickering ember of green.

Zachary Prehill was not the class clown—he didn't usually disrupt classes, play pranks, nor did he seem bent on making people laugh, or even on causing chaos. Nor was he a hopeless student or athlete—actually, if there was anything his teachers and coach could agree on, it was that the tall, lanky, strawberry-blond boy actually had quite a bit of potential both in the classroom and on the football field, if he could only be bothered to try.

Unfortunately, he rarely could as he drifted his way through high school, dabbling in various extracurriculars, turning in schoolwork only slightly better than average despite an obviously high intelligence, and, while admittedly not slacking off on the field, most of the team could tell you that he only gave a much effort as he was pushed to at a given moment.

Even his social life was 'average'—he existed on the fringes of the popular group, not one of the rulers of the school, but nowhere near being a bottom feeder, either. He was a little more secure in his place on the team, having been the best friend/lackey of the new team captain since they were ten, but even there, he just went with the general flow of opinion, exerting as little effort as possible to maintain the status quo.

When he arrived in homeroom that morning, he was greeted by a glaring Matt Meyers. Normally not an intimidating person, the younger junior still managed to make a single glower feeling like an hour-long critique. "I am not in a good mood, Prehill," the shorter boy spat. "I've had a rough morning, and the only thing that could make it worse is if you don't have your part of the assignment finished."

"Relax 'genius'" Zach responded, using the taunting nickname the whole football team used for the dark-haired young man. Seriously, that kid would wreck any class's GPA that was graded on a curve, knew it full well, and acted like it, too—and he wondered why he didn't have any friends? "The project's not due 'till next Monday: you'll have my notes by Friday. Plenty of time for you to edit them twenty times and make them utterly unrecognizable as any piece of work I ever turned in, grumble for an hour about how much you hate group projects—especially with assigned partners—and write a ten-page thesis on how you could've done it so much better if you'd worked on your own, and got it done a month ago, besides."

Matt's glare didn't soften any. "I told you I wanted those notes today and you said you'd have them!"

"No, I said, and I quote: 'Don't worry about it, I'll have them to you in plenty of time for you to integrate them with your part of the presentation and put the finishing touches on the project.' You going to tell me you can't get it done in a single weekend?"

"That's not the point!" Matt hissed, his glare becoming even more condescending, if that was possible. "If you actually put in a modicum of effort into your work, I wouldn't have to edit so much—I don't understand how that crap I've seen you turn in lets you keep that B-average that you somehow maintain! Do you BS all of them the night before?"

Zach gave a quiet chuckle, noticing the teacher was about to enter, and threw himself into his chair as he smirked back at his disgusted rival, "No—some of them I do on the bus!"

As tall as he was, Zach was a hard figure to miss, even as he joined the throngs of students transitioning from first to second period, so the mysterious figure from before had no problem tailing him. And thanks to the sheer number of students, it didn't have any trouble getting close enough to slip the second packet into his backpack—the crystal of this one flickering with a dying red light.

Lunch period found Leslie Meyers (Yes, she was Matt's twin sister; no, she was not as smart as her brother) slipping unseen into the cafeteria yet again. Like her brother, Leslie was short and generally unimpressive looking, her dark brown hair usually pulled back into a low ponytail, her hazel eyes never still as she scanned the loud room, the world she'd never felt truly a part of.

After getting her tray of food, she sat at the end of one of the table, ignored by the talkative group of girls sitting on the other end. Once more she scanned the cafeteria, the sophomore wishing she had the courage to go up and introduce herself to one of the groups, ask if she could sit with them—maybe make a friend for once—but knowing full well she probably never would. No, she'd likely graduate in the same level of obscurity that she entered the school with, her own brother the only person who had a clue that she even went to this school.

It wasn't that she was anti-social; she genuinely liked people—she just didn't feel comfortable approaching them, thus her tendency to fade in the background as she wore plain clothes and never spoke up unless called upon by a teacher (which didn't happen often—they seemed to forget about her, as well).

Giving up on her observations, Leslie ducked her head and pretended to be completely absorbed by the food on her tray as she slowly ate.

The girl was so engrossed in her tray that she didn't look up when someone brushed by her table—nor did she notice when they dropped a packet in her bag as they passed: a packet with a crystal in it, the faintest blue light emanating from its center.

The school day itself may have been over, but for all members of the football team, the day wasn't over until coach sent you home—the real work had just begun. After all, the big game against their rival school was now under a week away, with a spot in the playoffs on the line (as if the pressure wasn't high enough), so if they thought they were being driven hard before, they were being pushed to their limits now.

"Wilson!" Coach Roberts called out to the young man who played center. The players had just been released to go home, and the tall, stocky blond boy stopped immediately and jogged back to his coach.

"Sir?" Josh Wilson asked as he stopped in front of the man who called, knowing without looking that Zach was lingering nearby—just out of earshot—waiting for his ride home.

Coach Roberts shook his head. "Wilson, you're doing your job on field well—better than most I've coached. But I made you captain over Miller for a reason, and you haven't accepted the challenge. You're their leader, Wilson, so step up and lead!"

Josh watched his coach walk away before turning and resuming his path to the parking lot, his best friend Zach falling into step beside him as expected. "What'd Coach want?"

The other athlete shrugged. "Wants me to actually earn my place as captain, I guess."

He knew his reluctance must've been clear, which was confirmed by his fellow junior's response. "I swear, man, you've got to be the one guy on this team who doesn't want to be captain, and Coach Roberts picked you of all people? What was he thinking?"

"I have no idea," Josh answered honestly as the two boys got into his car, shuddering internally at the thought of being responsible for the team. "I have no idea."

What neither boy had noticed was that someone had paused by Josh's bag—left unattended in those few moments the coach had spoken with him, when Zach had been just too far away to see—just long enough to leave behind the fourth and final small packet: this one's crystal barely gleaming yellow.

It was a very confused Matt who pulled the packet from his bag, but confusion quickly gave way to skepticism and suspicion. Is this someone's idea of a prank? He read the note carefully as he glared at the crystal shard now lying in his palm.

Darkness threatens all;
Your destiny awaits.
Loyalty will shine its light,
And open homeward gates.

Below that was simply written: Four Light's Pond, on the shore tonight—9 PM. After that there was only an odd little picture in the place of a signature: an odd, cone-shaped hat the same shade of green as the crystal.

He was about to wad it up and throw it away, when a timid knock on his door stopped him. "Uh, Matt?" his sister's voice sounded strange—more frightened than usual. "I-I found something odd in my bag."

Matt got up from his desk, opening his door, trying to soften his expression from its customary displeased glower. "Me, too."

She showed him her crystal—identical to his in everything save color—and the note that'd come with it. The poem was nearly the same as his, except that, instead of 'loyalty', the word in its place was 'courage', and the picture was a blue hammer, not a green hat.

He'd been all set to ignore it as someone's cruel idea of a prank, but someone brought his baby sister into it—that was crossing a line. (Okay, never mind the fact that Leslie was actually a half-hour older: he was a grade ahead, and nobody messed with Leslie.) "Let's go and chew out whoever thinks this is funny."

Leslie frowned, shuffling her feet. "Wouldn't that be doing just what they want? I don't want the whole school to suddenly know who I am because I'm the girl who fell for the senior prank."

"That's why you'll stay back, behind me, and let me do the talking."

She still wasn't convinced but Matt wasn't going to let this pass by without a fight.

Josh and Zach were upstairs in Zach's room, procrastinating starting in on their homework. Zach especially, seemed even more reluctant than usual. "I gotta get started on the group project or Matt Meyers is gonna kill me. Man, why did I get assigned to work with the nerd that hates all things human?"

"Maybe because you're the one person who can keep up with him? You know I'd be a C-student if it weren't for your help."

Zach shrugged, still not pleased. "I think this was assigned partners because Miss Waters knew no one would volunteer to work with Matt. He makes a cactus look cuddly!"

"Well, maybe if you didn't antagonize the guy," Josh retorted, reaching into his bag with a sigh of defeat, then frowning as he encountered the strange packet. Pulling out the crystal and scrap of paper, he frowned at the yellow shard as he read the note aloud.

"Darkness threatens all;
Your destiny awaits.
Leadership will shine its light,
And open homeward gates.

Four Light's Pond, on the shore tonight—9 PM." Josh frowned at the paper. "Then there's a yellow... is that a sword? What the heck?"

Zach shook his head, laughing. "That's either the captain of the Durnby Goon Squad's idea of a pre-game prank, or someone on the cheer squad's way of asking you out." He watched his friend put the note away, laughing a bit at the blond boy's frustration, only to find that a similar packet had been placed in his bag, with a red crystal, and a poem referencing 'Fortitude', signed with the picture of a red cap and feather.

"Durnby," the two football players chorused in unison.

"Well," Josh said, standing up. "Shall we go let them know what we think of their handiwork?"

"Wouldn't that be doing just what they want?"

"Maybe," Josh admitted. "But we've got the notes as proof they're trying to start something. And if the paper's get wind of a dirty trick, then it just makes our team look better."

"Can't argue with that," Zach decided, standing as well. "Let's go."

When the two groups met, glaring at each other from a distance of five yards or so, it was 8:57. Matt was the first to break the tense silence.

"I guess I should've expected you to have a hand in something this juvenile, Prehill. So let me guess—you've got the rest of the team hiding, waiting to jump up and ambush us with slime and cameras or something? Grow up already!"

"What the hell are you talking about, Meyers?" Josh demanded. "And why did you call us here? Don't you know we're busy people?"

"Oh, yes," Matt sneered, worked up by what he thought Josh had meant. "Because only the football team and that stupid rivalry game matter at our sorry excuse for a school—never mind those of us trying to get into a decent college and prepare for the future. You know, I can put up with another year or so of your team's stupid shenanigans and taunts. But who the hell decided it was okay to bring my sister into this—huh?"

"Your sister?" Zach blinked, just now noticing the second figure who appeared to be practically hiding behind the furious teen. "You have a sister?"

Before either of the Meyers siblings could retort, Josh put up a hand. "Look, there's been some kind of misunderstanding. This isn't a prank—at least, not from us. I just want to finish my homework, maintain my grades, and stay on the team. Then Zach and I found these." He held out the crystal and the note, and, still grumbling, Zach followed his lead.

Matt's furious expression didn't change, but at least he stopped yelling as he and his sister both displayed their strange gifts as well. "Well, if it wasn't you, and it wasn't us, then—"

But he never finished the question, as the cellphone in his pocket buzzed (he'd set an alarm for 9, to let him know at that point he should be running from whatever prank would be tripped), all four crystals flashed once—so bright they had to shut their eyes—everything went white, and the world seemed to turn inside out.

"Dude—what are you wearing?"

Josh blinked in the sunlight, sitting up and looking around to find himself in a strange forest in an unfamiliar place, with Zach staring at him incredulously, continuing his rant. "Josh—is that armor?" The taller boy didn't answer at first, though he did glance down to see that his friend's observation was correct: he was in armor...of a sort. Truth be told, Josh could tell the hardened leather wasn't that sturdy—less protective than his football gear, to be sure—but he wasn't really that concerned about that.

"Seriously, Zach? That's your first question? Not: 'where the hell are we'? Or better yet: 'what just happened'?" Then Josh really looked at his friend. "And I could say the same to you, anyway—cap and cape? Really?"

Zach looked down at his own outfit—all in silver and red—as if noticing it for the first time. He was clearly startled, but tried to play it off. "Hey, at least mine is stylish!"

Their bickering was interrupted by two voices moaning, and the boys whirled to see two other unconscious figures wake up and slowly sit up, also looking around in confusion. One wore a loose, blue robe and had a conical yellow hat pulled so low that the face was completely in shadow—although their eyes glowed yellow—and the other's face was all that could be seen of her, her loose, hooded white robe completely obscuring everything else. It'd been dark by the pond, but Josh thought the girl in white looked enough like Matt Meyers to probably be his sister, meaning the figure in blue...

"Meyers?" Zach burst out, his tone highly amused as he evidently had come to the same conclusion. "Hey, it looks good on you, man—a definite improvement!"

The yellow eyes narrowed, confirming his identity, and the voice that issued from the black void echoed slightly, but had lost none of its annoyed condescension. "Well, I can't say the same for you, but it's not your fault—premature grey hair is a difficult look to pull off."

That silenced Zach (who was frantically looking around for a reflective surface to confirm or deny Matt's taunt) long enough for Josh to step in. "Hey, are you two alright? Do you have any idea what happened? Or where we are?"

"N-no," the girl stammered, speaking for the first time and moving closer to her brother. In the daylight now (that was still throwing Josh off—had they been unconscious all night? Had someone moved them? Was this a Durnby prank after all?), he could see that she was even shorter than her brother, and he kept wracking his brain, trying to remember her from school.

He noticed Matt put a protective arm around his sister's shoulders, even as the younger boy glared at their surroundings, as if daring them to do any further damage. "Wherever we are, it wasn't any Durnby players that brought us here."

"What makes you say that?" Josh asked, surprised that Matt seemed to have read his mind.

"For one thing, if it were our oh-so-enthusiastic rival school, they'd have made sure you know it, and they wouldn't have targeted Leslie and me." Matt shook his head, and suddenly, his tone wasn't as self-assured as it normally sounded. "For another...As absolutely, certifiably insane as this sounds...that blast was magic, a teleportation spell."

It was a credit to their insane situation that the next words out of Josh's mouth were "How do you know?" and not 'yeah, right, buddy.'

Matt shrugged helplessly. "I-I'm not sure. I just know. It's like..." he trailed off, and to everyone's surprise, it was Zach who finished the thought.

"It's like the magic left an aftertaste in the air. I can feel it, too."

Leslie nodded in confirmation, and all three turned to Josh, who stared blankly at them. "Maybe I'm the odd one out, but I don't feel or taste or smell anything." Then he looked down, noticed the crystals they all were clutching and the (sadly empty) travel sacks each had, and sighed. "Wherever we are, and however we got here, I have the feeling it's got something to do with these ridiculous crystals. Wanna bet they're our ticket home, too?"

"I got no idea, man," Zach replied, standing up, looking around and stretching. "Why don't we go to that castle over there and ask?"

The world is veiled in darkness. The wind stops, the sea is wild, and the earth begins to rot. The people wait, their only hope, a prophecy:

"When the world is veiled in darkness Four Warriors of Light will come..."

After a long journey, four young warriors arrived. In the hand of each was a crystal.

So, yeah. For anyone who is wondering, this will be based on the Gameboy Advanced version, since that's what I own/play, and the party has three mages instead of two physical/two magical set-up. I picked personalities, then figured out the best roles for the character, and found out that Zach was more of a red mage than the thief I'd intended, so that's what he became.
Anyway, I hope you liked this first chapter; sorry that it was mostly set-up, the game starts more in the next chapter, I promise. And no, I have no idea if further chapters will be this long; I'll have to write them to find out.
As always, if you saw something you liked, or something you think I can fix/improve on for next time, don't hesitate to leave a review and let me know!