#and tiz is only able to walk around and continue living because he's being controlled by the player

[shedeltaonmyrune]

i really wanna know how big the overlap between UTDR fans and Bravely Default fans is, but I don't really have a way of finding out lol

I played the first BD game when I was like 13 or something, but I'm pretty sure it was my first exposure to the kind of "meta" narrative that's present in UTDR. I can't help but compare the two lol

[woodland-knight]

Can I ask for rock short stories? As in stories about a rock. If so please tell me the take of rock.

Somehow anon, out of all the requests I got, this ended up being the easiest one for me to write despite being so… Odd. You should know, however, that since you asked Bravely writer for a short story about rocks… You got a short story about the crystals, since they are giant floating magical rocks. So uh, that’s what this is about ovo’

Title: An Ancient Tale

Summary: When the Lee twins cause trouble and make her son cry, Agnès decides to tell the three children a story that might better help them understand the situation and world around them.

Word Count: 3745 Words

Additional Notes: Please, please, please take the story Agnès tells in this with a grain of salt. I’m emphasizing here that it’s supposed to be treated as a fairy tale, and I’m not trying to suggest any theories or anything along those lines. It was just me having fun with the request!

“Mommy! Moooommy!”

Agnès looked down at her 6-year-old son as he ran over to her and hugged her legs. He had tears in his eyes, and snot was slowly dripping down from his nose as he sniffled and whimpered. Agnès had no idea what had caused her son to start sobbing like this, but she knew it was her motherly duty to stop it. Putting the dishes she was cleaning back in the sink and kneeling down, Agnès tried to find the source of her son’s crying. She hoped he hadn’t gotten himself hurt.

“Sweetie, are you alright? Theo, what happened?” she asked her little boy as she grabbed a napkin from above. She took a moment to wipe her son’s runny nose, and he sniffled as she did so.

“A-alternis and Lyvia were being bullies!” he cried before he blew into the napkin. “T-they started calling me names and l-laughed at me!”

Agnès frowned. “Now why would the two of them do such a thing?” she continued to ask as she hugged Theo tightly. She knew that the twins, whom she and Tiz were currently babysitting, were trouble, but they had never bullied Theo before. In fact, they were the only children Theo was comfortable enough talking to other than his little sisters. She didn’t understand why they would suddenly act this way now.

“T-they said that people who p-pray to the crystals are d-dumb!” Theo told his mother. “A-and when I said that you weren’t d-dumb for doing that they said I was a huge d-dummy for saying s-so and laughed at m-me!!!”

Smiling sadly, Agnès smoothed her son’s hair back. “That wasn’t very nice of them, was it? I think we should tell them that,” she said before standing up. Looking and sounding more stern, Agnès called out to the twins. “Alternis, Lyvia, come here. I would very much like to speak with you.”

Hesitantly, the twins peaked in from around the corner. “Yes, missus Arrior?” the two asked in unison. Agnès gestured for them to come over, and a moment later, the two shuffled their way to her.

“Now why did the two of you tell Theo I was dumb for praying to the crystals?” she sternly asked the two as she crossed her arms. “What you said was very upsetting to him along with being very disrespectful to me.”

Pouting, Alternis spoke up. “It’s not our fault!” he said in attempts to protect himself and his sister. Nodding in agreement, Lyvia made sure she was heard as well.

“Uncle Barras was the one who told us!!!” she said before stomping her foot down. “He said people don’t need the crystals anymore, so people who pray to them are dumb!”

Agnès raised an eyebrow. “Oh did he now? Did he also tell you that Eternia’s White Magic Hospital relies on the power of the earth crystal?” she asked them. The twins turned to each other for a moment before looking back at Agnès.

“…uncle Barras didn’t say that to us,” Alternis said after a moment of silence. “He just said people who pray to the crystals are dumb cause the crystals are giant floating rocks.”

Sighing, Agnès shook her head and knelt down. “Well, there’s much more to the crystals than Barras is telling you two,” she began to lecture. “As somebody who prays to the crystals, I can tell you more than he can.”

“T-that’s what I tried to tell them! M-mommy is smart and did a very i-important job!” Theo interrupted as he continued to cry. Agnès hugged her son once more but continued looking at the twins as she did so.

“Now what do you two have to say for yourselves?” Agnès once again asked sternly. Lyvia looked down at her feet and Alternis started to fidget with his hands. It seemed the four-year-olds were starting to understand what they said was wrong.

“We’re sorry, Theo…” the twins once again said in unison. Theo stayed close to his mother and didn’t say anything in response, and the twins looked just about ready to start crying as well. Agnès knew it was because she had lectured them, but she didn’t need anymore crying children on her hands. She’d have to figure out a way to calm them all down.

“…how about I tell you three a story about the crystals? I know one that you might like,” she said as she rubbed Theo’s back to calm him. “It will also let you learn a little bit more about the crystals than what Barras told you.”

Lyvia looked back at Agnès. “You’re not gonna yell at uncle Barras for telling Althernis and I the crystals were dumb, right?” she asked as she grabbed her brother’s sleeve. Though Agnès did want to give Barras a piece of her mind, she knew she was better off not even bothering with it. It wasn’t really worth getting into a fight with somebody she had only interacted with a few times prior.

“I promise that I won’t yell at him as long as you two don’t make Theo cry again, “ she told the twins with a small finger wag. “Now go sit at the table, and I’ll tell you three an old story that comes from a long, long time ago.”

Listening to Agnès’ directions, the twins walked over the table and pulled themselves up into chairs. Agnès, meanwhile, picked Theo up and placed him on his favorite chair. Pulling out a chair for herself, Agnès sat next to her son and placed her hands on the table. She knew what story she wanted to tell, but it had been many years since she had last heard it. Trying her best to remember, Agnès looked at the three children.

“Now let’s see, where do I begin… Ah, I know!”

A long, long time ago, before the crystals had even formed, Luxendarc was home to two unique races…

The first race was humans; a powerful and intelligent people. They were known for relying on the powers of nature for survival, and magic was rarely ever seen among them. Using their strength and wits, they were able to thrive and form communities throughout the land. In time, all continents of Luxendarc became homes to the humans, and they lived in peace with the land. To keep this land thriving, the humans would pray to those who controlled nature- the second race.

The second race was Cryst-Fairies; a gifted and independent people. Unlike the humans, they lived solitary lives as they traveled the world indefinitely. Using the power of humanity’s prayers, the cryst-fairies would harness the power of the wind, water, fire, and earth to keep the land prosperous. In return, the humans would protect the fairies from beasts that plagued the land and the dangers of the world. It was a relationship that could not easily be severed.

For many years, these two races lived in peace with each other, as their coexistence was essential for life. Over time, however, humans began to pull away from the bond they created with the cryst-fairies. They had begun to believe they could survive without the cryst-fairies, as the lands were staying rich and bountiful on their own. Soon enough, many humans stopped praying to the cryst-fairies, and many of these fairies lost their ability to use magic. Though some of these fairies tried to beg and plead with humanity, their cries fell on deaf ears.

There was one human, however, who heard these cries…

…but it was not who they wanted.

A young human boy, born with a twisted mind, listened to the fairies’ cries. “If you have the ability to make the land prosper, do you not also have the ability to make the land wilt as well?” he asked the fairies. “Do you not have the ability to take revenge against those who wronged you?”

Hearing the twisted boy’s words, the cryst-fairies realized he was right. For so long they had kept the land alive with their magic, but now they could use it to punish those who made them suffer. Humanity would soon know the mistake they had made, and the cryst-fairies would hold all the power in their hands. Gathering together, the fairies who could still use magic set a plan into motion. With what power they had, they let the land begin to wilt.

The wind stopped, the seas rotted, fires raged out of control, and the earth shook and cracked. All of Luxendarc was plagued with disaster, and it did not take long for humanity to start to wither away. Towns fell into ruins, and those that had yet to fall struggled to survive. Humanity wept many tears for what they had lost, but it did nothing to stop the land’s destruction. Soon they would completely disappear.

In an attempt to save themselves, humanity retaliated against those who tried to punish them. Cryst-fairies were hunted down, and upon capture had to suffer as the humans did. As the hunts continued on and the world still withered, all of Luxendarc was shrouded in darkness. The horrors that plagued the world destroyed all light and hope, and there was nothing left to illuminate it. All was to be lost to the hatred and sorrow the two races had created.

Yet there was one human left who still believed all could be saved…

A young maiden with a pure and kind heart.

When only four cryst-fairies remained, the maiden, desperate to stop the suffering, ran to them. “Please stop this fighting!” she begged as she fell to her knees. “We humans and you shall all lose this war if we keep fighting! We will all disappear from this world!”

Unconvinced by the maiden’s words, the cryst-fairies turned to her. “And why should we listen to a human like you?” they asked the maiden. “Why should we listen to your cries when your people did not listen to ours?”

Determined to stop the fighting, the maiden clasped her hands and continued to beg. “Humanity has hurt you, but not out of hatred or spite! We were unaware of how important you truly are!” she tried to convince them. “Yet you need us as much as we need you!”

Unconvinced, the cryst-fairies approached the maiden. “We do not need humanity,” they told her. “We have power far beyond what you humans can do.”

Hands still clasped, the maiden rose to her feet. “But our prayers are what gives you your powers! Without us, you shall soon lose what powers you have left!” she explained to them. “With no magic, you will be left to die in this world you have created!”

Slowly, the cryst-fairies realized the human maiden was right. Looking around them, they could see the scars they had left on the earth. No creature would be able to survive in such a place, and without magic the fairies were sure to perish. Yet in the current state of the world, no human would consider praying to those who made it this way. They were all destined to suffer regardless of what happened.

“How will we restore our world to what it once was? Humanity will surely never pray to us again. Without them we will have no magic to save the land,” the cryst-fairies said to the maiden. Stepping forward, the maiden held out her hands to them.

“Then I will pray to all of you in their place,” she said in response. “If you travel to the four corners of the world and hide where humanity cannot find you, I will find my way to you and pray to you until you can restore the world to what it once was.”

“And what if you cannot find us?” the fairies asked. “What if we must wait for all of eternity?”

The maiden shook her head. “Then I will search for you for all of eternity,” she promised them. “I will not rest until my prayers reach you.”

Hesitant, the four cryst-fairies looked at eachother before turning back to the maiden. “…then we shall rest in your place,” they told her. “We will go to the four corners as you said, and enter eternal slumbers. We will let what magic we have left protect us, and when you find us, we will listen to your prayers.”

Nodding, the maiden clasped her hands once more. “Then I shall pray for your safety until then.”

An agreement having been made, the four fairies flew to the four corners of the earth: a distant mountain, a frozen land, a forgotten paradise, and a beautiful valley. Upon reaching their destinations, they entered their eternal rests and let their magic form a barrier around them. For years the maiden searched, and one by one she found the fairies as they slept. Wind, water, fire, earth… She prayed to all four of them in hopes of restoring the world. As she prayed, the fairies’ power grew, and soon the world began to show signs of life.

By the time the lands were once again prosperous, the maiden had been praying for eight years. The fairies’ magic became so strong their magical barriers grew, and as they slept, crystals began to form around them. In time, their hearts became the core of these crystals, and the crystals gave life to the world. Hope and light had  been restored, and humanity was able to live on. The maiden continued her travels to pray to the crystals, and with each prayer she gave thanks to the fairies who had given their lives for the world.

For so long the maiden had kept this journey a secret, but with the land once again filled with life, she knew it was time for the truth to be spoken. Humanity was shocked to learn the fairies they once considered enemies had helped save them, but the revitalized world and crystals were proof of what had transpired. Soon enough, humanity slowly started to give thanks alongside the maiden, and their prayers were given to the crystals as well. The world was at peace once again, and though lives had been lost, they were not forgotten. Until the day she passed, the maiden made sure all the struggles and sacrifices of the years prior made their way into her prayers.

To this day, many crystalists refer to this maiden as the first vestal and mother to all vestals. While some say she still prays from the world beyond, others believe she continues her journey and prayers to this day. It was also believed she had the ability to speak with the crystals, as she had spoken with the fairies they once were. Her descendants are said to have this ability as well, and those with it are destined to become vestals themselves. No matter what one believes, however, the sacrifice the maiden and the fairies made for Luxendarc will always be known.

And to this day, people refer to the maiden who traveled the world to pray as-

“The Crystal Maiden!!!” Theo interrupted as he stared at his mother with an awestruck look on his face. Laughing at her son’s eagerness, Agnès nodded and smiled.

“That’s right, Theo,” she told her son as she reached over and patted his head. “This is a story from before your favorite one takes place.”

“There’s another story!? But this one was so long!!!” Lyvia whined as she stretched her arms across the table. Her twin brother did the same and looked up at Agnès.

“Are you gonna tell us that one too, missus Arrior?” Alternis asked. Agnès shook her head.

“Not right now, no. Perhaps tonight before bed if you’d like, though,” she told him, “but I’m sure Theo wouldn’t mind telling you what it’s about.”

Theo beamed. “It’s about how the crystals tell a lady called the Crystal Maiden about a prophecy to prevent a big bad thing from happening!! ..but then she dies before she can stop it from happening… But then her daughters hear the prophecy too, and, and they’re able to stop it!” Theo explained with much excitement. Lyvia blinked a few times and looked at her brother.

“Don’t ya think that sounds like the Crystal Prophets?” Lyvia asked her brother, who nodded in agreement.

“Uhuh, but in that story, they’re not nice people!” Alternis said before scrunching his face. Intrigued, Agnès looked at the twins.

“Oh? And what is this story you’re talking about?” she asked curiously. Lyvia turned her attention back to Agnès and scrunched her face as well.

“It’s a story daddy and grandpappy always tells us. It’s kinda scary…” she admitted. “It’s about the crystals telling four sisters a bad thing is gonna happen… So they lock up these people who are gonna get married to stop it!”

Agnès changed her expression to one of surprise. “Oh, that does sound scary!” she said in attempts to humour the children. She assumed the fairy tale Lyvia was describing was an anti-crystalist version of the one she told Theo, which made sense for the area they were from. Parents probably used it to scare their children for misbehaving, and she could briefly remember Ringabel mentioning it when the quads were born. He seemed to have been a fan of it according to Edea.

“I like the Crystal Maiden a lot more than that…” Theo said as he kicked his feet. Agnès knew her son was quite the fan of the other fairy tale, so he probably didn’t like hearing about a version that put the story in a bad light.

“Now, now, children. That’s enough for now,” Agnès said in order to prevent any more arguments among the children. “I think it’s about time you go play with the quadruplets.”

“But you didn’t tell us what happened to the boy yet!” Alternis suddenly interrupted. “You never said anything about what happened to the mean boy who made the fairies evil! Mommy and daddy say that when people do bad things, they get in trouble! That’s why they took away our favorite toys for a day when we tried to steer the airship for daddy, so he should get in trouble too!”

Agnès realized Alternis was right- she hadn’t mentioned what had happened to the boy with a twisted heart. “Mmm… Well let’s see…” she said as she began to think once more. “After the maiden finished her prayers, the boy was said to have disappeared… The crystals themselves punished him for his actions by locking him away in a place he could never cause harm again…”

Lyvia blinked a few times. “….so they grounded him forever?” she asked while she tilted her head. She looked a bit confused, and her expression made Agnès laugh a bit.

“I guess you can put it that way,” she told the little girl while smiling. The story itself had been nothing more than a mere fairy tale she had been told as a vestaling, and since that version hadn’t covered it, she had just made up the ending for the boy. She assumed it was a good enough moral to keep the children out of anymore trouble, and it seemed her message had gotten across.

“Well if he ever tries to un-ground himself, I’m gonna stop him!” Alternis said as he stood up on his chair. His sister stood up as well and threw her hand in the air.

“Me too! Me too!” Lyvia exclaimed with a giant smile. “And Theo can help us too!”

“W-what!?” Theo said as he curled up a bit. “I d-don’t wanna fight him!” he said as he teared up again. Agnès leaned over and kissed her son on the cheek.

“It’s okay, Theo. It’s just a fairy tale. You don’t have to worry about anything, okay?” she assured her son before hugging him. He snuggled up to her as she did so.

“O-okay, mommy…” he said as he clung to Agnès. She gave him another kiss on the cheek and kept him close. Realizing she had almost forgotten the reason she told the story to the children in the first place, Agnès glanced around at all three of them.

“Do you all understand the importance of the crystals now though?” she asked the three. The three of them nodded their heads, but Lyvia was the one to speak up first.

“Uhuh! The crystals make sure that Luxendarc is a good place to live!” she said proudly.

“And the vestals make sure that it stays that way!” Alternis said right after. Agnès was glad to see the three had learned something, and she hoped it meant there wouldn’t be bullying among the children anymore.

“Now go on and play with your sisters for a bit. I’m sure they’re looking to have some fun too,” Agnès said as she turned her attention to her son. “Perhaps you can tell them the fairy tale?”

Nodding his head, Theo wiggled out of his mother’s grip and off his chair. “We’ll tell them everything just like you told it!” he said as he went over to his friends. Lyvia scooted down with her brother and then turned to look at Agnès.

“Althernis and I will make sure to tell uncle Barras too!” she said before taking her brother and Theo’s hands. Agnès smiled again and leaned down to be at their eye level.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” she told Lyvia. “Now run along now. The girls are in their playpen, and I’m sure Theo’s father is out there with them too. I’m sure they’d all love to hear it!”

“Yeah, if babies can even understand it!” Alternis chimed in before laughing. Still smiling, Agnès gestured for the three to go and watched as they ran out of the kitchen.

“Back to work, now,” Agnès said to herself as she stood back up. She still had much cleaning to do before Ringabel and Edea came back from their official business in Caldisla, and it wasn’t going to get done if she continued to stand around and tell fairy tales to the children. Throwing the napkin away and grabbing her dish towel, Agnès went back to work. As she washed the rest of the dishes, she could hear the children playing around in the other room with Tiz. Eventually, things quieted down, but soon a single voice could be heard.

“A really long time ago, before the crystals were even around, Luxendarc was home to both humans and fairies…”