"I smell a story!!!" Several taru scattered to all corners of the room, knowing full well what was barreling their way. "Please keep your voicey-woicey down.. this is a respectable part of town–" "RESPECTABILITY BE DAMNED! I will not be denied!" The small doors of Windurst's sole newspaper company flew open as if by a tornado. As the dust settled, two figures blocked the sunlight. They were tarutaru of course. One wore the immaculate robes of an apprentice white mage and glimmering spectacles. He looked positively haggard as he glanced in either terror or awe at his companion. Said companion cocked his head back and let out a hearty bellowing (for a tarutaru) laugh. He wore a cloak with the hood down and carried a large notepad with an oversized and artfully adorned pen attached to it. One of the workers shook her head. "Oh no…", she sighed in exasperation. "Pasquale.. not THIS again." The loud tarutaru grinned broadly and pointed a finger into the air, "Yes, THIS again! I have the story of the century here and it's going to make me famous! I'll finally be the world's most recognizable writer EVER!" Pasquale's companion grabbed his overenthusiastic friend's arm. "B-but you can't follow up on this! It's just a rumor and the Star Sibyl has forbade any mention of it!" At that, a glint shimmered in Pasquale's eyes. "Ah yes and that only solidifies the story's veracity, my friend! Why cover up what isn't true! Just like the unidentified flying object that crashed in Gustaberg fifty years–" His rambling was cut short by a scoffing voice, "Oi! Pasquale! Shut up! We've heard your story about the meteor already.." Pasquale jumped up in anger. "They only tell us it was a meteor! They're lying! Look, all our best astronomical charts clearly state–" The white mage tarutaru put a hand over his friend's mouth and stifled the oncoming rant. "If we see the editor, you'll stop all this nonsense right?" Pushing the hand away with an indignant huff, Pasquale nodded. "Yes let us attend to more pressing matters."
– – –
=Minutes Later…=
"–call ME a crackpot?! I'll show that mealy-minded lickspittle just how right I am! Mark my words, Ajovi.. I'll show them all!" With that statement, Pasquale dashed off to the residential area, yammering about how his life would soon be taking a turn for the better. The white mage, Ajovi, merely shook his head in exasperation. "He'll be back…"
– – –
West Sarutabaruta-
"I KNOW this story is true.. why else try to bury it so deeply? I knew it would be a good day.. first that cute girl at the map stand smiles at me, then I find a 20-gil coin on the ground, then I overhear some scruffy adventurers talking about the Shadow Lord returning! Oh joy of joys!!! The ultimate news story and only I have the only tip about it! And of course those uppity mithra that guard the Star Sibyl bumrush me and try to silence me with their paltry threats of imprisonment.. BAH!! The truth will not be denied! This is the story to end all stories and I shall be its penman!" A passing yagudo saw the tarutaru marching heedlessly while shouting to himself. Instead of waylaying the easy target, the beastman covered its ears and went on its way, grumbling about the noisy midget.
– – –
Xarcabard-
"Huff.. puff.. phew.. All these sneak oils and prism powders sure are heavy.." Pasquale stood shivering in the gloomy cold of the northlands, listening to a conversation taking place just inside the gates of Castle Zvahl. (I was right!! The Shadow Lord did return..! And these adventurers stopped him!! I could make a whole story out of each of their perspectives.. it could be a whole SERIES!! I'll be so famous.. and rich SO RICH!!!), thought Pasquale as he jotted down what he could hear, while visions of wealth and affluence danced before his eyes. (Oh! They're leaving now. Let's see.. Daltan. Avina. Kaolla..my she looks frightening. Zetireti. Fargol..flargol..fraggle..Elvaan #2. Yeah that works, adds an air of mystery. And Obtili…she's one of those Sibyl Guards that manhandled me! Yes yes that makes sense! I'll follow her first. A ranger's skills aren't a match for magical concealment.. at least I hope so.. BUT fortune favors the bold and I WILL have this story! The world will know the name of–) "PASQUALE, the greatest writer of the next five hundred years!!!" Several demon soldiers turned their heads toward the outburst of sound. "Uh uh.. um.. WARP SCROLL!" A small warp portal whisked the tarutaru away moments before several black arrows dug deeply into the snow where he stood.
END of Part 1Obi
Part 2 =HOT OFF THE PRESSES!! EVIL UP NORTH! RETURN OF THE SHADOW LORD?==
Windurst Woods-
"READ ALL ABOUT IT! READ ALL ABOUT IT!" Pasquale stood near the fountain in Bomingo Round, shouting and hopping excitedly while waving several sheets of paper. "You sir! You look like you need a copy of my latest hotsheets! Only the most exciting and most accurate news this side of the Silver Seas!" The prospective customer walked along without so much as a pause. "..Maybe next time good sir!", said Pasquale before muttering "uneducated worm.." Next to the reporter stood a stack of paper taller than him, each emblazoned with a poorly sketched picture of a hulking black monster that looked like some mix of a demon and an orc, along with the headline 'Disaster narrowly averted! Heroes defeat the Lord of Demons!'. Plucking up his gumption again, Pasquale let loose with more bellowing. "READ ALL ABOUT IT! CRYSTAL WAR II STOPPED IN ITS TRACKS BY NOBLE ADVENTURERS! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!"
– – –
Several minutes later a small group of mithra in the garb of gate guards approached our diminutive storyteller. "Oi! What's with all the racket, shortstuff?" "Looks like he's hawking some tawdry paper nya." "Tawdrrry? What's that?" Pasquale looked up at his incoming company and immediately scrambled to stow his product into the crate he had carried it in. "Uh uh nothing going on here, ladies! Just making… paper airships! Yeah just playing around like any ol' tarutaru!" The lead mithra shot him a sour look. "Yeah-huh.. an' my mother was a goblin. We got worrrd from th' Sibyl Guards that you're wanted for disturrrbing th' peace and that we're supposed to drrrag your sorry carcass in for detainment." Fury flashed through the tarutaru's eyes. "THE SIBYL GUARD?! AGAIN!! How DARE they try to impede the free exchange of information! ..well not free but you get what I mean.. Those furballs are becoming a pain in my rear end!" He pulled a small item from his robes. "Try and catch me if you can, kittens! This little beauty I got from a ninja all but guarantees my escape!" With that, he threw down the item, which promptly exploded into a cloud of blinding dust and soot. Before he could make good on his escape however, several of the mithra pounced through the cloud right at Pasquale. "I got him nya!!" With surprisingly deft movements, the reporter dodged his would-be captor and scrambled for the city gates as fast as his legs could carry him, several papers clutched in his hands. The mithra that almost apprehended him crashed headfirst into part of the fountain and crashed into the water. "Owwww..nya why are there stars out so early nya…" Her fellow guards looked at the papers that Pasquale had left behind. "Shouldn't we go after 'im?" "Nah.. the Sibyl Guards mostly jus' wanted whateverrr he was peddlin'. We'll give these to them and get a nice li'l reward for our trrrouble."
– – –
Outer Horutoto Ruins-
"Blast those mithra! It'll take me weeks to reprint all those…" Tears streamed almost comically from Pasquale's eyes as he lamented his loss. "Uh.. hey are you alright little guy?" A hume girl stood over Pasquale, looking concerned. "Why.. yes my dear I'm just fine, thank you. By the by, would you care for a copy of the latest news in Vana'diel? For you, half price.", Pasquale said while putting on his most winning smile.
– – –
=Epilogue= Lower Jueno -
"Did you hear? The Shadow Lord supposedly came back after all these years!" "What? No way! Is there another war starting or something?" Many young adventurers huddled together in the local tavern, looking over a sheet of paper a girl in the group had been holding. A mithra bard played soft music in the back of the room. "Well it looks like there was gonna be another war. But these people stopped him!" An elvaan male picked up the paper. "And let's see what the names are of these supposed heroes.."
END Of Part 2Obi
Part 3 =THE ENEMY WITHIN!! BETRAYAL BY THE DUCHY!=
Ro'Maeve (Before Divine Might)-
A small solitary figure slowly marched (or perhaps crawled) through the desolation of Ro'Maeve. A full moon was shining, casting eerie shadows throughout the ruined complex. "…This.. is.. ABSURD!!!" The tiny figure bellowed in fury. Pasquale quickly reapplied more sneak oil to his coat and sandals. Several evil weapons ran to where he was, attracted by his outburst but it was already too late. Stealthily making his was up yet another set of badly damaged stairs, the reporter mused over his latest scoop. (Incredible!! The Archduke and his brother actually members of an ancient race?! And the ones responsible for a ten thousand year-old cataclysm!) A downright perverse smile spread itself across his face. (THIS IS THE STUFF A REPORTER'S DREAMS ARE -MADE- OF!!!!!!!!!! I can already smell all the gil I'll be rolling in!) As he neared the pinnacle, Pasquale noticed a small group of adventurers huddled around an outcropping overlooking a quite grand looking fountain. (And what might this be..?)
– – –
Hall of the Gods-
Pasquale took several image recordings of the dilapidated statues adorning the odd building. Looking up at the figure of Altana, he raised a tiny fist in frustration. "You have denied me my rightful respect and glory for too long, Goddess! But now I know a great truth!" Pasquale's glasses glinted dramatically. "And this is only but the first! I will unravel all the secrets of this world…and sell the stories back to the world! And this time nothing will stop me!!!" Marching arrogantly forward, eyes closed, Pasquale felt an upwelling of pride and fulfillment. "At last.. I will get the biggest story of this, nay, of ANY generation! My name will be a hallowed byword of reporters for the next millennium!" With that, our…hero walked face-first into a hard metallic grate. "OWWW!!!" Falling on his behind, the intrepid reporter clutched his nose in agony. After much flailing about, Pasquale looked over this new obstacle…
– – –
Hall of the Gods (Hours later)- Pasquale leaned against the grate, a broken club next to him. "Why… I was so close…" Tears ran down his cheeks. "The greatest story ever.. and I get denied by a .. a.. ….STUPID FENCE!!!! RAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!" The tiny tarutaru grabbed onto the grate and fiercely tried to rend it from its moorings. But of course, to no avail. With a sigh he fell to his knees and sobbed. "Hey um… did you need help, little guy?" A couple of humes and an elvaan were standing nearby, one holding a tiny blue crystal fragment. "BEGONE! There is nothing you can do to help me! I am a failure.. now and forever…." The adventurers looked at each other and shrugged. "Okay then, good luck with whatever it is you're doing." They held the fragment up to the center of the grate, making it magically vanish. Like a pop gun, Pasquale shot through the new portal. "AHAHAHAHAHA I knew i would surmount that problem eventually! Now! ONWARD! So many stories to write, so little time!!!"
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