This will be a one-off, unless popular demand requests a sequel. No, this isn't at all Pokemon related. It is a homage in parts to Final Fantasy, but it is neither an FF fan-fic. Enjoy. Feel free to leave any comments.

[color=gold]<center>First Flight</center>

The first rays of light tried to poke through the dim shadows of the slum. It glimmered on the rats, the vermin and the bodies, fresh and bleeding. It forced its way through grubby, dilapidated buildings. It shined on the faces of the living: decrepit and miserable faces, inhabitants of the great city. They could scarcely comprehend the great deeds that were going on, five tiers above their heads.

---

The real glare of the sun was focused on the dozen awe-inspiring creations lined up on the highest plate, and the only one in full daylight. The beams created a spotlight around the docks, as if proclaiming the historic event that these terrifying machines were to carry out.

Each monstrosity of wood and sky-iron was an airship, brimming with guns, dried supplies and all manner of scientific instruments. Each was shaped like the water-ships of folklore, but each contained an engine, powered by steam, and capable of staying aloft with a hundred men aboard the vessel. Shining metal hull-rings held the brand-new oak body in place, and securing lines tethered onto these rings.

The scene was chaos. The fifth platform was, in all fairness, a town-sized sheet on metal in which the richest men of the city lived. It had a wide, open park in the centre, the only strip of green in the entire city. This was where the airships had been assembled and were ready for launch. The trees had been cut down and removed, and the ornamental fountains had been drained. The wealthy citizens had, of course, stirred up a huge fuss, but the Council had taken none of it. The operation would go ahead.

---

Over a thousand workers lolled around the park, repairing parts of the airships, loading cargo, securing rigging and directing the soldiers onboard. Everyone present could feel the immensity of the plan.

Finally, at noon, the wizened Lord Mayor of the city stepped out onto a podium erected in the middle of the airships. He bore a look of slight boredom, which only the most gifted mind reader could have identified. He wore the bright blue clothes of nobility, and he appeared quite fitting for them; with his grey hair and pale skin, he could easily blend in with the skyline. He coughed mildly, and the whole crowd were silenced immediately.

GQ this is awesome! It needs a bit more action though. I think that this is probably one of the bes storylines that I have read.

Hey, I enjoyed writing that, so I decided to make a follow-up.

Yes, this is now a definite Final Fantasy fan-fic.

Fire from the Skies

It was a calm, moonlit night, and it was deathly quiet in the city. Little stirred except for rats and other vermin of the twilight hour. For all intents and purposes, the metropolis might as well be dead.

On the rooftops, in the houses and through the streets, the wind whistled. It flitted in between grand arches and around stone pillars. The breeze brought with it the shouts of the watchmen.

The citizens rose from their slumber, dashing madly to their windows to catch a glimpse of the sight that had the whole city in uproar.

In the pale glow of the moon, gliding down from the heavens, was the mysterious legion of ships, each one a wooden shrine to technology and science. Just barely illuminated in the light were the faces of the crew. Bright and excited, they stared in amazement at the views that none of their race had set eyes on for a hundred years.

The great, rolling plains, the sharp peaks of the mountain ranges to the north, the towering form of the great city, an everyday eyesore for the residents of the earth, but a magical, if awe-inspiring spectacle for denizens of the sky.

Then, without a second of thought, the airships rained a hail of fire and gunpowder downwards like a swarm of angry bees. People fled their houses in panic, but were cut down in the bombardment.

Infernos raged and the invaders from the celestial fields kept up the mortal blitz. Finally, they ascended from the crimson ruins of Alexandria and flew off into the distant horizon.

Whatever residents left crawled out of their hiding places, terrified and weeping. One or two of the braver souls raised a fist in the direction of the marauders, but to no avail.

***

Cid, captain of the squadron of death, sighed and took another swig of his jug.

“A pretty good maiden flight, eh?” he muttered at his second-in-command.