This is my first attempt at a fanfic, based on Final Fantasy Tactics A2, obviously. I haven't completed the game, and I also haven't played in a while, so bear with me on new chapters.

Strap in for the prologue.

Legal Disclaimer: All characters, elements, settings, etc. are the properties of their respective owners, though I have put my own spin on some of the elements of the game

Prologue- Crisis Point

The nu mou waddled down the hallway as quickly as he dared. With night already upon the land, the entire building was quiet, and hasty footsteps would only disturb the peaceful sleep of others. The restless flame of the torch in hand cast flickering shadows over the stone walls as he moved by, weaving through the maze of corridors with the ease of knowledge. A large, dusty tome was nestled in the crook of his right arm: a bit of reading for a vain attempt at easing his mind. Unfortunately, there would be no peaceful respite for Aldous. There hadn't been for some time. There had been a time, perhaps a hundred years ago or more, when he would have been able to rest easily, but those days were no more. Ever since the new "arrivals" to Ivalice, there had been seemingly no end to his problems. Even though the two humes had arrived several hundreds of years apart, it seemed that they had both managed to cause trouble when they arrived. Marche. Luso. Those were their names. Names recorded and passed into legend. They had both been humes, both claiming to be from a different dimension, and looking to return home. By raising powerful clans, they had been able to do just that, and inadvertently became legends along the way. Yet they had both challenged normal conventions, pushed the envelope, if you will. It simply wasn't enough for them to find a way back home. They took on the government, the system of judging itself, and won. And therein lay the problem: there weren't supposed to be winners.

Not winners on this scale. Clans could win engagements, amass territories, gather resources, and perform jobs all they wanted, but the system was designed to keep them in check. Ancient magic worked into Ivalice's constitution had laid the groundwork. Numerous archmages and scholars had simply adjusted and finished the job, yet the premise was simple: follow the laws of the land, and you will not die. No one could remember a time when a thing such as death in battle existed, because it never had. The laws had been made, the first clans were established, and that was that. The government took over to perfect the system, police the clans. Eventually, more rules had been instituted to prevent needless engagements and senseless bloodshed. The laws had been made stricter to prevent excessive violence. How could it have all gone to hell? How could the system have failed? No matter how many times he thought about it, Aldous couldn't figure out how exactly it had happened. It started off small, and then escalated fiercely and swiftly. No one knew what had happened until it happened, and by then it was chaos: riots in the cities and wars everywhere else. Bloodshed, race riots, and rampant destruction had ruled Ivalice for some time. In a way, they still did. After all, without the laws it was only a matter of time until the next incident. The next fight. The next death.

So lost in thought was he, the nu mou almost didn't realize that he had reached his destination. Pushing open the heavy oak door, he waddled forward into the room. A small fire blazed in the hearth of the airy chamber. A large, rectangular window on the far side of the room let in the night air and gave a beautiful view of the sky and stars. Aside from that, the room was fairly plain: there was a circular table and chairs, a few tapestries here and there, and a large rug placed in the middle of the room. A gift from the merchants of Graszton Seaways, procured from some eastern land. It was a pretty thing, though a bit worn from age, but still it served for decoration and a bit of comfort. A large bookcase graced the wall near the fireplace, and it was here that Aldous went first. He put the book in a gap between two others, and made his way to the window. A dark figure stood on the balcony outside, facing away from the nu mou and looking out over the sea. Suddenly the nu mou was very nervous. Even with his face turned away, the king made an imposing figure.

"Sire?"

The king turned suddenly at the voice.

"Ah, Aldous. I've been expecting you. What news?"

The king's voice sounded as weary as Aldous felt.

"More of the same sire. The registered clans called Rookwood and Highmoon have been eradicated. The Bangaa Brotherhood destroyed Highmoon. Monsters claimed Rookwood."

The king remained stoic, but the concern was etched across his face: although still fairly young by hume standards, the king looked about thirty years too old for his age. Numerous lines stretched across his face, a haggard beard grew about his mouth, and his hair was going prematurely white in several places. Still, he was a tall man and powerfully built, easily towering over Aldous even when not on his throne. Even in a simple nightshirt and breeches, he looked quite regal.

"We have also had a messenger from the Bisga Greenlands about outlaw clans. Since they are unable to assimilate into any of the more powerful clans, numerous smaller clans have formed raiding parties and taken to the wilderness. They harass travelers and take what supplies they need to survive. Often they kill travelers from other clans as well. There have been more reports of the same from the Rupie Mountains and the Tramdine Fens."

The king's jaw clenched. In fact, it seemed that his entire body clenched with unspoken rage and frustration.

"This is madness, Aldous." he said angrily. "If these were the early days, I could simply tell the judges to crack down….."

The king trailed off.

"T-the judges are no more, Your Grace."

The king snorted derisively.

"I know that Aldous. All too well." He turned towards the nu mou now, an intense look glittering in his eyes as he placed two strong hands on Aldous's shoulders. "But have you found what I asked you to look for?"

"Y-y-yes, Sire." Aldous swallowed noisily, clearly nervous. "Are you sure it's the only way? It seems a bit…. extreme."

"The situation calls for nothing if not extremity, Aldous." the king remarked gravely. "These years have been dark and bleak and full of death. The clans suffer, the land suffers, and I suffer. But the people suffer the most."

There was a long pause.

"This must be done." he concluded as he turned away again. It was clear that the decision pained him, but there was no other way. At least not that he could see.

"Take as many of the palace guards as you need along with you, Aldous. You will have need of them, I'm sure."

"But, sire-"

"Do not question me in this, Aldous. It matters not what happens to me, so long as your mission is successful. A king is replaceable, but his kingdom is decidedly less so. If they come, I will fight. And most likely die, but you must not. Unless you complete this task, Ivalice will fall into utter ruin."

Aldous was quiet for a moment, biting back what words he would have said. "I…. I will….. do as you command, Sire."

"See that you do, Aldous. You have been a faithful servant to me over the years. This is likely the last order I will give to you as king."

The king crouched down now, placed his hands once again on Aldous's shoulders, and looked him directly in the eyes. The urgency that had not been in his voice was in his eyes, and he spoke very clearly, without hesitation.

"Destroy the clans, Aldous. All of them. There is no other choice."