Text Ivalice Undone (takes place two years after ffta2)

[Not-with-a-whimper 144]

Hey, this is Not-with-a-whimper and this is my first fan fiction. I really enjoyed the game ffta2 and it’s more happy-go-lucky approach to the Ivalice universe and just things in general, plus I was especially drawn in by a fanfic entitled The Tainted Grimoire by Cuttingmoon57 (if you like it then you’ll love his) so I decided to write one of my own. This is not a re-telling or re-imagining of ffta2, this takes place 2 years after ffta2. I hope you enjoy and comment so that I can see what I’m doing well and what I need to change. Thanks!

I don’t own a darned thing in regards to this story aside from my interpretations of how things from the game would function in real life and my OCs. Square Enix owns the rest of it. Please don’t sue me.

 

 

 

 

A rather tall man strode soundlessly down the seemingly endless gloomy path within the cave, his broadsword tapping against his side. His face was hidden under the hood of a simple cloak, pitch black with smears of darkening red. It was completely black just a few hours before.

 

 

 

He stopped abruptly upon reaching his destination, a large crystal, exuding the essence of darkness, bitterness, loneliness, and hate. It was the second of only two portals in the world that led to that dreadful place, though the first’s owner knew nothing of it. And I’d like to keep it that way, the figure contemplated. At least until the gears have been put fully into motion.

 

After chanting a quick incantation the mysterious markings on the floor surrounding the malicious stone began to glow and the figure was transported to his destination. A now familiar sense of dread filled the Mist laden air, ten times more powerful than the little that leaked through the crystal. While most would become sick upon entering such an atmosphere, the broadsword bearing individual merely felt a cold chill. He continued his journey onward, ignoring the pained cries of beasts and men alike.

 

A group of battle hardened warriors of all sorts defended their positions, standing attentively facing outward in a circle, a grim look on each of their faces betraying their lack of confidence. Many of their number lay dead around them decaying. Despite all of their fears, they dared not leave their positions, for they knew what would become of them if they attempted such a foolhardy mission. In the middle of the circle stood a figure with vaguely canine features and large droopy ears, the tell-tale signs of a Nu Mou, who was focused intently on a duo of fist sized crystals.

 

The blood stained individual stepped towards the circle, those guarding it making way for him out of a mixture of respect and terror. “I was last informed that they would be done by now” spoke the Hume in a deep voice and an apathetic tone.

 

“No, you weren’t. I distinctly recall telling you that one of them would be done, the other one still has quite a while left to go,” responded the Nu Mou bluntly. The guards gaped at the academic’s words. His superior, in full knowledge of his subordinate’s allegiance, simply ignored the statement.

 

“Which one is it, then?” he questioned with a hint of irritation creeping into his voice.

 

“The one with the most power, of course,” replied the academic sarcastically as he handed the hooded man a stone.

 

“Good. Continue with the other,” he answered impassively, walking away as he did so. He then turned to the guards. “In just a few hours your replacements will be here to relieve you all of your duties. You will all be rewarded handsomely for your services. As you leave, don’t forget to drag the bodies away. We can’t afford any more monster attention than we already have.”

 

As he finished his last sentence he heard a blood-churning, earth shaking howl dreadfully close by, and gaining fast. At the sight of the Behemoth behind their leader, the warriors readied their weapons, hoping against all hope that they would survive with the aid of their leader against this beast, easily twice as powerful as the fiercest foe they had faced thus far. The hooded figure, however, held up a gloved hand in effort to make them stop. They stared at him, shock evident upon their faces as he slowly unsheathed his massive blade. He casually turned ninety degrees to his right, so that the sword in his hand faced the looming mass. Not even bothering to look at the monstrosity he simply spoke the words “Crescent Cleave” and lifted his blade up in an arch from the ground.

 

In the wake of his sword came a blinding slash of energy, ripping a cavern into the ground and completely obliterating the vicious beast. The surrounding warriors looked on in awe, unable to believe what they had just seen. The sword master simply stepped around the debris and returned the way he came.

 

Perfect, he thought as he approached the portal, this deifacted nethicite is just what we needed to make our grand return to stage, and just what I needed to fulfill step one of my plan.

 

 

 

The first fanfic by Not-with-a-whimper

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Ivalice Undone

 

 

Chapter One: Barren Pages Not Yet Filled

 

 

Stepping out of the aerodrome and into the great city of Fluorgis, the sixteen year old Hume male turned his firm jaw up towards the sun, stretched his arms out wide, and basked in its warm rays as they glistened off of his hazel eyes, flashing with specks of gold. “Man that feels good after being stuck in an airship for so long,” he proclaimed to no one in particular. The fresh breezes that blew by regularly tousled his styled faux-hawk and left him feeling much better than he had during the long trip back to his homeland of Jylland from Archadia in the continent of Valendia. He rested his hands behind his head, making his already fairly developed muscles bulge a little. A few on looking girls giggled as they glanced at him. Oblivious to it, he turned to head into town.

 

His chocolate brown boot cut baggy pants rustled as his matching shoes pitter-patted on the smooth stone walkways in the radiant garden of a city. “Stinks that all of my stuff won’t get in until tomorrow’s ship arrives, but I guess I can make due for the night,” he said to himself as he entered the market section of Fluorgis, slowing down to an even pace. It was true, all the teen had on him were the training shoes on his feet (weighted to improve strength, speed, and stamina), the pants on his legs, the belt with a golden loop in the front which held up his aforementioned loose pants, the black sleeveless undershirt he had gotten used to wearing all the time, and a white sleeveless over-shirt. His white over-shirt featured black around the sleeve area that extended to black stripes on the way down each opposing side, a white collar which hung loosely about his neck, and gold trimming where the two sides of it came together in the middle, extending to where they broke apart at the bottom, continuing until the end of the over-shirt was almost at his knees.

 

He also had two more things. Two crystals which were very important to him. Stones nearly identical in shape, size, and color, but he could feel that one was more powerful at this point than the other. Man, he thought, these pieces of manufactured nethicite I got from Mom and Dad before they… well, they’ve really come in handy. I just wish I could figure out what to do when one of them is about to blow.

 

The brunette teen meandered here and there along the streets, brushing aside peddlers insisting that he buy their wares. “Everything’s half off! But just for today, see? *Snort* Come take a look at the best accessories in all of Jylland!” shouted a portly pig of a man. Literally, the individual had dark teal skin all around except for his rotund belly, which was cream colored, and he sported a short snout. He wore green cloth shoes and tattered shorts, sown together with misshapen pieces of fabric. Fortunately, a portion of his grossly obtuse upper body was covered by a light green jacket, the final clue that he was a Viking. Just like every other Seeq the boy had met, this one seemed interested in nothing but money.

 

When two small Hume children, a boy and his little sister, passed him in the street, eyes wide at their latest great discovery in the market followed closely by their overbearing mother, the young Soldier cracked a smile. As tears began to form in his eyes thinking back to his own mother, he wiped his face with his arm. Two draconically winged and pink faced teen girls walked past giggling as he did so. The naturally pink tone of Gria’s skin made it terribly difficult to tell if they were blushing or not. Jeez, get ahold of yourself man! he thought, embarrassed at himself.

 

“Hey there ssstranger! Thought you could ssstop by Fluorgisss without coming by to sssee me?” asked a bi-pedal, lizard-like man to the muscular teen, faking hurt.

 

“Aldo!” shouted the young Hume in surprise, running up to meet with his scaly old friend. “How’ve things been? How’s the weapon’s shop?”

 

Aldobrandino, or Aldo for short, replied with a chuckle. “Thingsss have been pretty good, young one. I’ve got a lot of waresss available and have had a lot of successsss in ssselling them as of late.”

 

After years of living with a Bangaa after his parents died, the Bangaa being Aldo’s brother, while the Hume’s older brother went to the University of Magick in Moorabella, the Hume had picked up on a number of things. First off, calling a Bangaa a lizard was something you never did, unless you wanted a fast way to die. Secondly, Bangaa had a difficult time pronouncing many words due to the strange shape of their mouths, but after you got used to it the language was easily understandable. And third was that when it comes to Bangaa, strength and honor in battle were of upmost importance, a characteristic that the boy had taken to heart.

 

“So how’sss that brother of mine doing, eh? Has Archadia treated him well?” the old, yet still powerful Bangaa asked.

 

“You know old Gwil, always sweet talking his way into deals. I tell you, I don’t know how he sells all of that armor. He could probably sell a shirt to a male Seeq,” the Hume responded to the weapon smith’s entertainment. “He’s actually headed back over here to Jylland, though, where the two of us both belong. He’s thinking about setting up shop in Camoa again and will be here, along with my stuff, in an early airship tomorrow morning. He told me that I could come on ahead while he took care of some things. Maybe now I’ll finally be able to actually go out and do stuff. You know, adventure and all that jazz.”

 

“Still dreaming big, I sssee. Well, bessst of luck to you. I have to go back in and tend to my customers,” Aldo stated with a wave of his hand. The young Soldier then turned to continue his stroll.

 

Approaching a calmer spot in the hustle and bustle of Fluorgis, the hazel eyed Hume paused. He listened carefully to the sounds all around him. The streams and mini waterfalls that constantly flowed through this lush, green city gave it a serene feeling, even in the crazy market section. The boy leaned back against the side of a warehouse that was being, not over run with, but rather joined by vines and other forms of plant life. Squinting up at the sun the brunette saw a flock of birds flying gracefully by. I’m finally back in Jylland and free to do what I want in life. To see things I’d never dreamed and go on adventures, just like my father.

 

Just as he was about to lose himself in thought the brunette male got a bad feeling in the pit of his gut. Whoa, I just got here and I’m already getting negative vibes? He quickly scanned the vicinity for danger, having learned long, long ago that his “vibes” were not something to be questioned or trifled with. He soon realized that not only was the negative energy not near him, but it was also not directed at him. That’s weird, I normally only get vibes relating to me.

 

As soon as the vibes intensified, however, the unarmed teen rushed into the nearby alleyway that was the epicenter of the negative energy flowing to him. Upon reaching the area he noticed what was wrong. A young Nu Mou Alchemist was lying flat on his back with tears welling up in his eyes, having just been kicked down by a Hume Thief who was backed by a Black Mage Moogle and a White Mage Viera. The Moogle’s small, rodent-like face was mostly covered by a large white collar and an enormous straw hat that left a hole for the big fluffy red pom-pom on the top of his hat to poke out. His tiny bat wings poked out of the back of his blue tunic. The Hume male’s long greasy black hair was tied up in a ponytail that stuck out under his green bandanna, matching the rest of his similarly hued semi-tight clothing. The Viera wore a long white robe that complemented her large white rabbit ears and silver hair that reached far down her back. She didn’t seem very comfortable with the way her compatriots treated the Nu Mou, but said nothing.

 

“Well, well, well, looks like our friend here was holding out on us!” said the Thief to his teammates upon discovering a bag full of potions, ethers, elixirs, and the like that had just dropped from the Nu Mou’s hands.

 

The Moogle, eyeing it greedily, taunts the Alchemist, saying “Don’t worry, Kupo, we’d be glad to take it off your hands.” The frustrated dog-man can do nothing but watch as the trio goes to collect his things.

 

As he looked on in horror the hazel eyed teen considered his situation. Well I can’t just sit idly by as he gets robbed blind! Then again, there are three of them and it looks as though the Alchemist over there is in no position to fight. Add to that the fact that I’m unarmed and I’ve got myself a black eye and a bloodied nose with nothing to show for it. Come on, think!

 

Glancing around hoping for inspiration the teen finds some in the form of a large bag of loot belonging to the dangerous trio but probably originally from an assortment of other people. Suddenly, a brilliant, or at least somewhat feasible, plan pops into his head.

 

He strolls over to the bag of items and pulls out a greatsword they happened to have with them. Being a Barong, the least powerful type of greatsword to his knowledge, the Soldier classed teen wasn’t terribly thrilled, however something was better than nothing. He decided to take what he could get and be thankful they had stolen a weapon that at least he could use. Well, maybe thankful was the wrong word.

 

The Soldier whistled loudly as if in admiration of the weapon he held in his two hands and got the attention of the Thief and his accomplices. “Hey, kupo! What do you think you’re doing with that, kupo?” asked the tiny Black Mage.

 

“Well,” replied the brunette with a smirk, “I’m actually kind of short a weapon right now and I didn’t see anyone around to stop me from taking it, so I decided I might as well.” He continued to shift through their stuff as if he were truly interested in taking anything in there.

 

“Hey,” interjected the Viera, trying to be tough, “that’s our stuff so, um, leave it alone… please.”

 

“Or I’ll cut your hands off for touching our stuff!” finished the Thief for her.

 

The greatsword wielding boy challenged back. “Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I should rephrase my last statement. What I meant to say was that I didn’t see anyone around here man enough to stop me from taking it,” he finished with a sly grin.

 

“Why, you! You’ll pay for that punk!” the Thief shouted while rushing at the boy, knife in hand. The mocking teen skillfully dodged the attack and turned mid-dodge to use a Speed Render by hitting the back of the Thief’s legs with the flat of his sword, disrupting the nerve endings in his calves and slowing him down.

 

“Grab your stuff and run!” the sixteen year old shouted to the Nu Mou. The Nu Mou quickly struggled to his feet to do so as the Viera rushed to the aid of the green wearing Hume and the Moogle readied a spell.

 

The tip of the Black Mage’s wand glowed a bright crimson as the elemental energy charged. “FIRE!” he shouted and flames burst forth from his wand towards the hazel eyed Soldier who was running, not away from the area, but toward, so that he could assist the Alchemist. The teen didn’t pause for a moment. Vaulting off the wall to gain height, he was able to avoid major burns, and as a result only got singed by the bonfire that sprang up beneath him.

 

He landed on the other side of the Moogle roughly and grabbed the Nu Mou, possessions in hand, to lead him into a storage complex at the end of the alley. When the Alchemist looked back he started to panic. “They are coming for us! Oh, what have I gotten myself into?” The greatsword lugging Hume drug him through the door and closed it behind them, finding a hiding spot for them both and turning off the lights.

 

In the darkness the Nu Mou turned what little he could to face his defender. “Thank you so very much for what you did back there. Even if this ends badly I want you to know how much I appreciate your help. My name is Scio. What is yours?”

 

He wasn’t sure, but even in the darkness Scio could swear that he saw, or rather felt, the teen give him a big crooked smile. “Nice to meet ya, Scio. My name’s Augustus, but you can call me August.”

 

 

A/N: So there you go! I tried to make it long enough for you, the audience, to get a feel for where I’m going to be taking the story and for my writing style, but not so much as to bog you down or give you a mental overload. For those of you who are frustrated that no reoccurring characters from ffta2 appeared in this chapter, don’t worry, next chapter’s full of ‘em. I’ll try to introduce characters slowly and give them unique and recognizable names. I will be fitting in a few characters from other Square projects and such to temporarily guest star, just because I want to. I love happy endings, but I know that in reality, not every good guy is going to win every time. Having said that, there will be a few ally or innocent deaths. Along with that thought comes this one; I’m a fan of huge over the top action, but I’m going to try to keep this story very realistic and reasonable, so there won’t be many “god-mode” characters, aside from the hooded man, of course. Anywho, I hope you’ve liked it so far and that you will continue to read and comment. Not-with-a-whimper out, peace off.

[Not-with-a-whimper 144]

Hey everyone, this is Not-with-a-whimper once again to bring you the next chapter in Ivalice Undone. I appreciate everyone who read and commented on the first. You guys rock!

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own a darned thing in regards to this story aside from my interpretations of how things from the game would function in real life and my OCs. Square Enix owns the rest of it. Please don’t sue me.

 

 

Two figures stood hidden in the shadows of boxes and shelves within the lit confines of a cramped storage building. “Didn’t your contact tell you that our mark would be meeting here right around now?” a sassy female voice asked her companion accusingly.

 

“Yes he did, however he holds no control over their schedule. They will get here when they chose to get here” responded a deep, gruff, somewhat frustrated voice, obviously coming from a much older individual.

 

“Ugh, I still don’t get why we have to stay held up in this hole! Why don’t we just stand out in the open, you know, like normal people?” the female, a teen by the sounds of it, interrogated the man, her bright yellow eyes briefly catching the glint of the overhanging lights.

 

“Because *sigh* we have to catch the Clan red handed of the thievery of these goods. If we stood out in the open then they may change their minds, not wanting to have witnesses” answered the man, his muscular frame barely hidden. The accompanying girl then went to say something, but was cut off by a swift preemptive strike by the adult next to her. “And no we can’t just go attacking anyone who steps through the doors.

 

The bright eyed girl crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue at the man, which he could barely see, despite their close quarters.

 

Suddenly, a brunette Hume closely followed by an injured Nu Mou burst through the door, the former scanning the room quickly for something, though the two already in hiding had no idea what. The girl silently drew her blade.

 

The man stretched out a warning hand to his partner as the light glanced off of his blonde hair. “Now, now, I’m sure there’s no need for that. Those two look more in danger than dangerous if you ask me.”

 

Having apparently found what he was looking for, the hazel eyed Hume turned off the lights and took his bag toting friend by the hand, leading him to a hiding place no more than four feet from the other occupants of the storage building.

 

Both the unarmed man and his young female associate, whose blade was now securely back in its sheath, stood silently as they awaited what was to come next, neither quite sure of what to expect.

 

The girl’s ears perked as she heard the Nu Mou, an Alchemist by the looks of his apparel, shuffle to face the Hume with him. Due to their close position she and her fellow clan member could easily make out the conversation between the two newcomers.

 

“Thank you so very much for what you did back there. Even if this ends badly I want you to know how much I appreciate your help. My name is Scio. What is yours?” asked the Alchemist of his apparent savior.

 

In the darkness the blonde male and yellow eyed female felt an odd sensation seemingly radiating from the greatsword wielding boy. It felt warm and comforting and cocky and a little unsure, all at the same time. But mostly, it felt like a smile.

 

“Nice to meet ya, Scio. My name’s Augustus, but you can call me August.”

 

 

Chapter Two: Turning Tides

Scio and August quickly became silent once they saw the trio they had avoided just moments ago enter the room, turning the lights back on and scanning for any sign of movement. Finding none, they began to search the area for the Hume who had stolen from their bag of stolen goods and had mocked them, and the Nu Mou who was carrying with him some pretty expensive items.

 

Hidden behind several boxes in an odd corner of the room the new allies began to plan their next move. The hazel eyed Soldier spoke softly to his long eared companion. “Now that you’ve gotten a chance to get away from them, why don’t you use one of those super powerful spells Alchemists have?” he suggested.

 

“Like what?” responded the dog-man, slightly confused.

 

“I don’t know. I’ve been away from Jylland too long. They do stuff weird over in Archadia. What was it called? Oh, yeah! How about Protometeor? It’s supposed to be big enough to hit all of them and do massive damage,” the greatsword touting teen replied, barely keeping the volume of his voice in check.

 

The Alchemist looked embarrassed and answered back, “I can’t, sorry.”

 

“Oh, I get it. Big city, lots of people, plus we’re in a building. It’s probably not the best idea to call down a freaking meteor,” August articulated quietly, slightly misinterpreting the red cloaked Nu Mou’s statement. “Well what about Flare?” he continued, “it’s even more powerful than Protometeor, plus it’s centralized, so we don’t have to worry about much collateral damage. It might not take out everyone, but it should disorient them enough for me to finish them off without much trouble.”

 

The Nu Mou shook his head in defeat. “I don’t think you understand. I only know a few White Magick spells and three Alchemy spells. That’s it. I never really wanted to fight, I just wanted to heal people and make medicine. My family is pretty well off, so they paid the S.C.I.E.N.C.E. department, Society of Calculative Independent Educated Nu Mou for Chemical Excellence, to let me become an Alchemist without the proper qualifications. The only Alchemy spells I know are Astra, because I want to study how it works and hopefully find a way to build up people’s immunity to sickness and disease, Poison, because it never hurts to know what you’re up against, but I’m not very accurate with it, and Rasp, because my Energy Mace” he continued as he unveiled his weapon, “made it really easy to learn.”

 

August bit his lower lip in frustration. He had to think of something, and fast. Their assailants had gotten tired of looking around and had begun to ransack the place. Soon the furry tailed Alchemist and faux-hawk sporting Soldier would be found out. “No real offensive spells, huh? Not even the Illusionist spells required to become an Alchemist or the Black Magick spells to become an Illusionist?” The Nu Mou, who was already depressed, became ever more distraught. “Hey, it’s cool. We can work with the three Alchemy spells you do know,” the Barong lugging teen stated as his mind began running furiously.

 

A few seconds later August looked up with a grin from ear to ear. “Alright now here’s what I want you to do…”

 

The fuming Thief tossed over boxes, bookcases, shelves, lamps, anything that got in the way of his finding his latest victims. For someone to steal from him, and mock him no less! could be a horrible blow to his reputation, as well as the simple fact that a lowly Nu Mou was able to escape him. If something were not done about it soon then he would lose all of the respect he had earned through fear and intimidation and he would not let that happen. “Uh boss, kupo? I think that you should see this,” called his Moogle associate. The raven headed Hume turned quickly to see that the jeering Hume boy from before was casually walking towards him down the incredibly long isle that divided the storage facility into two parts. A malicious smile played across the Thief’s face as he spotted his prey.

 

“Let me handle this one, alright?” the agile Hume asked of his comrades who respectfully allowed him to have the battle. “Come to beg forgiveness, I take it? You couldn’t have stayed hidden forever,” he asked in triumph. Then, a little louder, “Your Nu Mou friend will be spared if he’ll just give up all of his things and walk away. You, however, won’t be afforded such luxury.”

 

“Actually, no,” answered August, “I didn’t come to beg for anything. I just realized that this sword’s a piece of trash, and that I don’t need it at all thanks to this little beauty.” The brunette Hume teen pulled out a decently large crystal and the Thief instantly gets jewel struck, unable to take his eyes off of it. “Yep, pure manufactured nethicite. It’s terribly rare, especially over here in Jylland, and with it I could buy that sword ten times over at least.”

 

“A jewel like that doesn’t belong in the hands of a child, punk, so I’ll do you a favor and take it off your hands,” the Thief explained, and then took off towards August, who noticed with some dissatisfaction that the bandanna wearing man had gotten the White Mage of his group to reverse the damage done by Speed Render. In the blink of an eye the greedy Hume had swiped the nethicite from the Soldier’s hands as a faint smile played across the “victim’s” face. The sixteen year old swung his hefty sword through the air and onto his distracted opponent, who after feeling the pain caused by the massive blade, snapped back to reality to try to block the Barong from striking again.

 

They clashed again and again. Over time August’s Barong made physical contact a few times with catastrophic effect, but the black haired Thief got in a multitude of shallow cuts with his Rondel knife due to his great speed and Counter ability. As it looked like the battle would never change and both targets were wearing out, the Soldier suddenly smiled.

 

“Scio, now!” August shouted while in blade-lock with the Thief. Suddenly the room began to fill with a sickening green poisonous gas. Unlike most Poison spells, however, the gas wasn’t concentrated. As it approached the hazel eyed Soldier he smirked while his target freaked out. August had anticipated his friend’s “poison control issues,” and thus had Scio cast Astra on them before entering the fight. The Thief’s momentary lack of concentration gave August the upper hand he needed, allowing him to push past his agile enemy’s defenses and strike a major body blow, a large slash appearing across his chest with the green turning black as the Thief fell to the ground.

 

The White Mage’s focus immediately changed from casting Esuna to rid herself of poison to going to heal her fallen leader. The Black Mage instead decided to focus on destroying the individual who had caused their leader to be in such a state in the first place.

 

Having done his job with the Thief, August rushed over to confront the spell casting Moogle. A flurry of Fire spells were being unleashed upon him by the Black Mage and the Soldier was being forced to run and hide more than fight. He couldn’t even find a way to get close to the Pom-pom having spell weaver.

 

Meanwhile, the White Mage Viera rushed to her captain’s side and began to cast Cure spell after Cure spell with seemingly no effect, bearing little to no regard to her own health as the poison took its toll.

 

About that time August decided that enough was enough and that his plan had gotten far enough along to start up the next step. After pulling out his remaining piece of nethicite the Soldier charged at the now cocky Moogle with reckless abandon. The Moogle smiled smugly as he readied his biggest blast yet. “Fira!” he shouted as an inferno burst forth from the tip of his wand and completely surrounded the young “punk.” Satisfied, the Black Mage turned to go back to his leader until he noticed something strange from the corner of his eye. All of the fire was being drawn into one central location and disappearing. August stepped out of the flames completely unscathed.

 

Crap kupo, nethicite, the small bat winged individual thought to himself. The Soldier then attacked with a vengeance, his Barong clashing against the Black Mage’s Firewheel Rod. Staying on his guard, the Moogle alerted the White Mage, their leader having succumbed to unconsciousness due to loss of blood by this point, to the effects of the nethicite. “Get rid of the nethicite in his hand kupo! That’s what’s been absorbing your White Magick!”

 

The silver haired Viera grabbed the nethicite from his hand and tossed it into the far reaches of the building quickly, as to avoid having it suck up what little magic she had left. The White Mage began preparing a Revive spell to bring their fallen leader back to the battle when she suddenly felt her magick being ripped away from her. She turned to see none other than the Nu Mou Scio casting a Rasp spell upon her. The Alchemist then went to hit her with his Energy Mace, which she blocked with her Staff of Blessings. They continued that way for a while, each one blocking the other’s concentration by interrupting their spell with an attack until they each gave up on spells altogether. Although she was better at fighting than the red clad Nu Mou was, all he had to do was hold out until his poison spell finished her off, which got harder and harder as the time went by.

 

Even though the Moogle’s job class was a Black Mage, he was surprisingly good at melee fighting, much to the frustration of his Soldier opponent, who was already injured by his tussle with the Thief. When the fact that the Moogle hadn’t been poisoned was added to that it ended up becoming a ridiculously laborious fight for August. Come on! I have to do this! There’s no way I’m going to let myself lose in a melee fight with a Black Mage! It was looking like he wouldn’t have much of a choice, however, as when the Moogle attacked and the Hume defended, the Soldier was knocked down to his knees on the ground. The Black Mage lifted his Firewheel Rod high above his head, ready to serve the final blow to the exhausted Hume below. The Moogle was interrupted, however, by an Energy Mace to the back of the head.

 

August looked up to see Scio standing above him with an elixir in his outstretched hand and a smile on his face. “We did it!” proclaimed the Nu Mou with glee looking around at the unconscious bodies of their former foes.

 

“Yep, sure did,” agreed the beaten, battered, and bruised Hume half-heartedly in between swigs of elixir. August then stood with a curious expression on his face. “Where’d my other piece of nethicite go?” he questioned.

 

“Oh, gosh” Scio answered alarmed, “That white mage girl tossed it in some far corner, but in a storage building this size it will take for…”

 

“Got it!” August interrupted, stuffing the second stone back into the confines of his pocket.

 

“Wait, what? How in Ivalice did you find that thing so fast?” asked the furry tailed Nu Mou, flabbergasted.

 

“I don’t know” August lied, “I just kind of felt for where I thought it’d be and looked there, and what do you know, there it was. Anyway,” the nethicite bearer spoke, redirecting the conversation, “we should probably get out of here before those three wake up.”

 

Scio agreed and they headed for the door, each leaning on the other for support. As they approached the exit, a large group of people, about five in number, came pouring in. They were of all different races and classes, anywhere from a Seeq Berserker to a Nu Mou Beastmaster. A Hume Fighter with rather unruly facial hair stepped to the forefront of the group, glaring vehemently at the battle weary duo.

 

“Oh dear!” exclaimed the Alchemist. “Awe crap,” muttered the Soldier.

 

“You think you could move in on our grab before we take it for ourselves, huh?” the Fighter asked rhetorically. “Well you’ve got another thing coming! We of Clan Tailwind take what we can and give nothing back, isn’t that right boys?” He got a great round of cheering and yelling, presumably in agreement, in response. “Now which of you two thought it a good idea to ‘skim a little off the top’ of our big raid, letting us take the rap for it?” asked the putrid man, who had begun to stalk toward the fearful pair, one of which was having a harder time masking his fear than the other.

 

“I believe that we’ve heard quite enough to secure their guilt, don’t you?” said a tall muscular figure in the back to his lithe teen counterpart.

 

“Oh yes, plenty enough evidence to send them all to jail. After we give them a good thrashing, that is,” responded the yellow eyed female. They had both stepped out into the open and she was unsheathing her weapon, a shining golden katana the likes of which August had never seen before. The man beside her was simply cracking his knuckles as the two of them approached the group.

 

August stood in shock, staring at the newly revealed duo. Though he had seen many things and met many people, the Soldier’s hazel eyes had never set on a live Rev before, let alone a Revgaji. His race was easily apparent due to the somewhat catlike appearance of the man, as well as his incredibly dark skin, slightly long nose, elongated ears, and horns that sprouted slightly above his temples. Blonde hair adorned his head as well as his elongated eyebrows and upper lip in a well groomed mustache. His legs, while not long, were as thick as tree trunks, and his arms appeared powerful enough to rip a man in half, prompting the young man to wonder if they ever had. He wore very country apparel, and would have easily fit in with many farmers and ranchers.

 

Trying to get over his shock at seeing the Revgaji, the young Soldier turned his attention to the more mundane Hume. To call her normal, however, would be a grave error. She looked about August’s age, but was somehow more mature and more childish all at the same time. She had bright yellow cat-like eyes that just screamed of trickery and cunning, with a bright red bow on top of her head looking vaguely reminiscent of cat ears. The bow held a portion of her silver hair up in a ponytail, the rest of which drifted down her back. Clad mostly in pink with a bright gold inverted fleur de lis on her shirt it was easy to see that she was, or at least could be, very girly. She had a slender frame but somehow felt powerful, and August got the feeling that he would be no match for her, even on his best day.

 

The blonde Revgaji placed his mammoth hand on August’s shoulder for reassurance when he reached them. “How about you two leave them to us, hm? It seems to me that you’ve had your share of fighting for one day,” the dark skinned man said to the thankful Hume and Nu Mou before stepping in front of them and facing the warrior head on.

 

The indignant Fighter charged towards the calm hulk of a man carelessly, obviously infuriated, preparing to hit him with a Rush. That hope was quickly dashed by a flurry of punches from his intended target, the evidence of Pummel at work. His nose bleeding, jaw dislocated, and other parts of his body badly bruised, the once proud Warrior, leader of Clan Tailwind, fell to the ground unconscious.

The Master Monk, as evidenced by his handiwork, turned to face the remaining members of the opposing clan. A slightly mischievous gleam came to his eyes as he prepaired his next attack. “Earth Render,” he voiced, a cackle of energy surrounding his right fist before he slammed it into the ground. The result was a series of energy burst coming straight from the earth itself, cracking through the ground in a fissure in front of the attack’s initiator, doing mass damage to the opposition and knocking many of them of them off their feet.

 

“Adelle, if you please,” the blonde gestured to the silver haired girl prompting her to step forward as he stepped back.

 

“Finally!” shouted Adelle. “A little action! I don’t know if you could tell, Cid, but I was getting pretty bored of hiding out back there.” Cid the Revgaji simply rolled his eyes at the comment.

 

Her face finally serious, she pointed the tip of her golden blade towards the group of enemies who were still trying to gather themselves after Cid’s Earth Render. Adelle closed her eyes in concentration. Just off from the tip of the blade sprung a large circular rune which hung in the air, its flat surface made of glowing white energy etching out symbols of power.

 

Her eyes snapped open as she shouted “Lennart!” Suddenly a massive beam of energy shot out of the floating rune towards the rival Clan members, its blinding light causing Scio and August to shield their eyes, while Cid simply looked on proudly. After the light cleared all could see that all four of the remaining members of Clan Tailwind were down for the count.

 

Whoa, August thought to himself, I get the feeling that my life just got a whole lot more interesting.

 

 

A/N: Alright, so there’s chapter two! I’d love to hear what you guys thought, so if you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them here. My next few chapters won’t be coming along quite this fast, so I hope that I’ve filled your appetite for now. Thanks for reading! Not-with-a-whimper-but-a-BANG out, peace off.

[Snow 1,800]

Good story you got going so far.

[Not-with-a-whimper 144]

Hey there everybody, Not-with-a-whimper here with chapter three and hoping you’ll enjoy it. I’m going to do my best to post a chapter at least once every two weeks, but that may vary. Also, yes I know that Cid’s last name was never given in the game, but I decided to make it be Gully, considering he was the founding member and the whole “House Bowen” thing. Plus I wanted a proper title for him, so he could later be called Mr. Gully when the right situations arose.

 

Suggestion: If you’re ever confused about anything in the story then either head to the final fantasy wiki or simply ask. I’m always willing to clear up any confusion. If said question’s answer will be revealed in a later chapter than I will inform you of that. If you really want to know something, then ask, but be warned, I do give spoilers.

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own a darned thing in regards to this story aside from my interpretations of how things from the game would function in real life and my OCs. Square Enix and various other companies own the rest of it. Please don’t sue me.

 

 

Her face finally serious, she pointed the tip of her golden blade towards the group of enemies who were still trying to gather themselves after Cid’s Earth Render. Adelle closed her eyes in concentration. Just off from the tip of the blade sprung a large circular rune which hung in the air, its flat surface made of glowing white energy etching out symbols of power.

 

Her eyes snapped open as she shouted “Lennart!” Suddenly a massive beam of energy shot out of the floating rune towards the rival Clan members, its blinding light causing Scio and August to shield their eyes, while Cid simply looked on proudly. After the light cleared all could see that all four of the remaining members of Clan Tailwind were down for the count.

 

Whoa, August thought to himself, I get the feeling that my life just got a whole lot more interesting.

 

Chapter Three: Clanmates

Cid slouched down, leaning his hands on his knees for support as he breathed deeply, each intake haggard. Apparently the exceptionally powerful Earth Render had taken a lot out of the Monk. Ah well, he thought to himself, it was worth it to finish the fight quickly and without the chance of those two boys getting hurt. Although they were weak, the sheer number of them would’ve been difficult to handle if Adelle and I hadn’t stopped them before they could start.

 

The pink clad girl turned to the Rev. “What, you losing your touch in your old age? What’s with all of the heavy breathing?” she jested, though it wasn’t difficult to see that her breathing was labored as well.

 

“Ha!” he responded between pants, “leave it to the pride of youth to poke fun.” Scio simply stood by, mouth agape at what he had just seen. Augustus, however, took a more animated approach.

 

“Holy Ultima!” the Hume shouted. “That was amazing!” Turning to face the Rev head on he asked “Cid, right? As in THE Cid Gully of Clan Gully? I can’t believe it! During my time in Archadia I kept my ear on what was going on over here in Jylland and I’ve heard tons of stories of you guys!” The normally calm teen rambled on excitedly, hardly stopping for a breath.

 

Cid interrupted him to respond and, more importantly, to get him to be quiet for a moment. “Yes, yes, yes, that’s us. Clan Gully’s had her better days but right now we’re doing fairly well. We have reserve members all across Jylland and a good amount of notoriety.”

 

“That and we’re broke” mumbled Adelle under her breath. After receiving a sharp glare from Cid she didn’t back down and instead rose up to meet his challenge. “What? You know it’s true, a lot of the newer Clanmates aren’t pulling their weight, taking more cash than giving back. In addition to that there’s the quest shortage which sure isn’t helping any.”

 

Cid, knowing that force and intimidation would get him nowhere with her, simply sighed and requested “Could we please not talk about this in front of the children?”

 

Now this brought Scio back to full attention. “We are not children, sir!” he fumed, but kept his composure all the while.

 

August, however, wasn’t nearly so graceful about his response. “Yeah! We’re at least as old as she is,” he continued, pointing at Adelle. Suddenly a shooting pain erupted from his outstretched finger as Adelle, who had somehow crossed the considerable distance between them in but a second, bent it back causally, slightly enjoying the pained expression on the muscular teen’s face. The whole situation looked funny really. From the looks of things, this big strong guy was being pushed around by a tooth pick of a girl. Everyone knew how a fight between the two would’ve turned out however.

 

“I suggest watching where you point that,” the lithe pink clad girl spoke, her words laced with honey but dripping with poison. “Next time you point a finger, I might have to bend it back.” She abruptly let go and August released a breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding.

 

Rubbing his hand gingerly the Soldier faced the vicious girl. To the shock of all, he smiled. “Wow, that’s quite a grip you’ve got there! Sorry to offend, I didn’t mean anything by it. I’ll be more careful from now on, okay?” Adelle just stood there stunned. Being nice to her so shortly after she had done something against him? He reminded her of a certain blue eyed, chestnut haired, red hat wearing individual she had known a couple of years back. A small blush appeared on her distant expression despite herself, and Cid instantly knew what she was thinking. August and Scio, on the other hand, were clueless. “Hello? You still there? Did I say something wrong?” August asked.

 

“Huh? Oh! Nah, just reminded me of someone, that’s all,” she replied hastily.

 

August continued, a bit unsure of himself now. “So uh, what was your name again?” he asked, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

 

Without a second’s delay the katana wielding teen declared “My name is Adelle, of Clan Gully, but you may know me as Adelle the Cat.” Obviously impressed with herself, she struck a pose and waited for him to react to this news, preferably by worshiping at her feet.

 

“I’m sorry, who? It’s not ringing any bells,” August said truthfully. Even though she was a little bit shorter than him she still somehow managed to glare down at him. “Oh uh-um right!” August stuttered in terror. “I’ve totally heard of you, the amazing Addle the Cat.”

 

She grew even more indignant at that. “My name’s Adelle, not Addle stupid! I don’t go about making people forget things like that dumb spell!”

 

Cid turned to the Nu Mou Alchemist beside him and spoke under his breath. “No, but people sure wish they could forget after meeting her.” Scio, try as he might, just couldn’t keep it all in and so burst out into a fit of giggles.

 

Adelle spun on her heels swiftly to face the light skinned spell-caster. “What’re you laughing at, huh?” she asked as she approached.

 

When Adelle was not but two steps away from her new target August shouted something that surprised everyone, including himself. “I want to join your clan!”

 

Cid and Adelle both stopped in their tracks, unsure of what to do. August quickly recovered from his momentary shock at his own words and pressed forward. “Look, I know that I may be new to questing and stuff, but I’ve seriously been working for this my whole life. I want to do something good for my friends and family, for the people around me, heck, even for my enemies. That’s exactly what my father would’ve done and that’s what I plan on doing. Rest assured that I’ll carry on with that goal with or without you, but I can’t think of any group of people I’d like to adventure with and learn from more. So I ask; will you take me into your ranks?”

 

Cid and Adelle simply stared at him for a bit, Adelle in shock and Cid in quiet appraisal of him. Cid spoke first. “You’re more than welcome to come along.” As he was about to say more Adelle swiftly intervened.

 

“What? You can’t be serious! We’re already low on cash as it is! How do you expect us to support another one? Besides, he’s just a Soldier! Granted, a strong one, but a Soldier none the less!” Adelle conceded as she continued her rant.

 

Now it was Cid’s turn to interrupt. “May I remind you of where you were when you first joined our ranks and of a simple Soldier you once knew who grew to be a great hero?” She grew silent. “As I was saying, after seeing the show you put on back there and hearing your quick thinking first hand,” August’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Yes, we could hear you from where we were,” Cid answered the unspoken question before continuing. “I think that you’d be a fine addition to our group. Besides, we’ve never been a clan to turn people away.”

 

With that Cid drew out a small golden card and tossed it into the air. As the card vanished, a great bright beam of light came down from the heavens, somehow not damaging the roof above. It was an energy far more concentrated than Adelle’s Lennart ability had been. As the light faded away they could see a large pristinely armored figure standing in the midst of the residual beam. A powerful voice resounded through the air, not kind, not mean, just fair. “Augustus Concero, do you pledge to obey the laws of conduct as set forth by the judges regarding combat and join yourself to Clan Gully?” the voice asked apathetically.

 

“Yes, I do,” August pledged solemnly, keeping his enthusiasm in check.

 

“Very well, so it shall be,” said the figure, then vanished without a trace.

 

At this point Augustus was visibly excited, nearly shaking. Cid began heading for the door and motioning for the others to follow him. “Come now, we’d better head back to the pub to inform everyone that the mission’s complete and grab our Gil. That includes the two of you. We wouldn’t want Mr… ah, what was it Scio?” Cid asked the young Nu Mou.

 

The Alchemist bit his lip for a moment trying to decide whether to lie or not. He soon gave up thinking and went ahead and prepared himself for what was about to happen. “It’s Swain, Mr. Gully, sir.” At that a light of recognition sprung up from behind the cat like man’s eyes.

 

“You can stop with all of that ‘Mr.’ stuff, just call me Cid. You wouldn’t happen to be related to Babus Swain, world renowned magician and Runeseeker, would you?” Cid asked innocently enough.

 

“Yes, actually. Babus Swain is my father.” Scio had expected everyone to suddenly start swarming him like people seemed to as soon as they realized who his father was. However, noting the tone the Nu Mou used in expressing that information all of those present could tell that it was a touchy subject for him and didn’t press him any further. Scio was surprised by their reaction and secretly terribly thankful.

 

“Right,” Cid continued on his original train of thought. “We wouldn’t want Mr. Swain to get in another unfortunate run in and we can’t just leave our newest clan member out on his own.” He directed his voice to August specifically this time. “You and that Barong of yours are coming with us.”

 

August glanced down at his hand and realized only then that he had been holding the heavy two handed Greatsword in his offhand this whole time. As Cid reached the door he heard a clatter behind him and watched as the Hume boy followed after him having left his sword on the ground. Cid raised his large blonde eyebrows questioningly at the Soldier who simply shrugged. “Wasn’t mine to begin with,” he told the blonde. “I grabbed it from the bag of stuff the thieves had stolen as a means to protect myself. It’s not anymore mine than it is theirs.” Cid smirked and nodded in approval as he pushed on the door handle.

 

Yep this one’s a lot like him. I knew I was making the right call in letting him join, thought Cid as he stepped into the crisp air of Fluorgis under the noonday sun. It was surprising how much less time had passed than it had felt like while inside the musty warehouse. He was glad to be out of there, that’s for sure.

 

Adelle and August followed closely behind as Scio brought up the rear. Glancing back into the room the young Alchemist felt a pang of sadness for the bodies lying upon the floor before he reminded himself that they were members of a Clan, and as such would have a Judge looking out for them to make sure that they didn’t die and would regain consciousness and full health in a few hours. Scio was shocked to find that they had already gotten quite far from him so he had to dash to keep up.

 

The four walked quietly along the cheery streets, a stark contrast to their former location, and headed in the direction of the pub. Scio let his mind wander back to what had just happened and he analysed every moment of it. The more he thought about it, the more the Nu Mou realized what he must do, until it eventually reached a point to where he was forced to speak his mind. “I would like to join the clan as well!” he said abruptly, his words nearly tripping over themselves in their rush to come out, breaking the comfortable silence the group had carried with them on their way.

 

Startled, August and Adelle turned to face him with a jolt while Cid, who had been expecting as much, turned slowly. Adelle burst into laughter so bad that she doubled over clutching her sides. Scio’s expression went from confident to surprised to angry in a matter of seconds. As soon as she saw that he had actually been serious she calmed quickly and a concerned look crossed her face. “I’m sorry Scio, but what we do, it’s dangerous. Our judge helps us out of course, but there are some things that are beyond even the power of a judge and I’m afraid that it would be too dangerous for you.” Her eyes were filled with an emotion the two newcomers had never seen or expected to see from her. Sadness.

 

“She’s right, you know,” added Cid.

 

“Now wait here just a second, I can’t be in a clan that won’t accept my new friend,” voiced the Soldier, steadfast. Scio looked to him in shock and greatfulness, stunned that this person he’d known for a couple of hours tops had decided he was willing to give up his big break for the Alchemist. Cid, for his part simply raised a hand to quiet the Hume and continued speaking.

 

“What I was trying to say was that Adelle has a point. What we do is dangerous business often times and not to be taken lightly. That being said, however, you did manage to do quite well in that battle back there and I know that given enough time and practice you could grow to be a great Alchemist. If you would like, you may join us, but I ask that you think heavily about it first.” For a moment it looked as though Adelle would object. One sharp look from Cid, however, was all it took to keep her from voicing it.

 

“Cid, sir, I have been thinking of the risks. That is all I have been thinking of lately, to be honest. I have yet to truly do anything with my life because I was afraid of taking risks,” the Nu Mou chuckled, thinking it a sad joke. “A life without risks cannot properly be called a life, and more than that I would like to learn to not simply heal people from harm, but to prevent harm from ever befalling them. To that end I am ready and equipped to take such risks as life demands of me,” as he grew to the close of his monologue his tone became more and more forceful. Not harsh, just strong and confident.

 

With that Cid accepted and Scio Swain became an official member of Clan Gully alongside his new friend Augustus Concero. As they reached the pub, their feelings toward it changed. The familiar landmark was no longer simply a place to gossip and unwind, it was a place for clanners. It was a place for them.

 

A/N: Hey everybody! Sorry about the long wait on this one. Hopefully they’ll be coming out a bit more frequently than this. If I could, I would like to direct everyone’s attention to the poll going on at my page regarding Luso Clemens and his role in this story. I would appreciate it if you would all vote! In addition, any ideas that anyone has for a character, good or bad, plot point, quest, etc. will be gladly accepted and could potentially be put to use in the story. I appreciate all reviews given to me! If you have any questions or comments feel free to PM me. Thanks! Not-with-a-whimper out.