I know this chapter is freaking' long. Please don't lose interest in it!

Author's note: Hi there! Welcome to my homage to one of the greatest games ever: Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced. It was an awesome game and it deserves WAY more attention. Anyways, back to the fanfic. In this story, the spotlight falls on my original characters. The main characters from the game will appear eventually in this comic but there is no guarantee that they will have major roles. Anyway, I'm starting out with a prologue to set the scene for my fanfic. Please read and review.

The obvious disclaimer: All characters are copyright of Square Enix, etc.

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Prologue

"But if you are as just when you get older, you will be deserving of it."

"Thank you, I'll try my best."

It has been 200 years since Marche was handed the Judge Sword, the sacred weapon of the Judgemaster. The days of his reign were prosperous ones. Technological advances have allowed Ivalice to make contact with foreign lands, bringing new people and items into their borders. Clans were experiencing more freedom since laws were abolished; rendering the judges into powerless lifeguards whose only purpose is to make sure no one dies in an engagement.

Ivalice grew more beautiful each day, but it was not without flaw. Monster attacks were becoming more and more frequent and rebellion has been stirred up in a few villages by revolutionaries wanting life to be "like in the good ol' days". When a young Viera girl was killed by a wild panther, the palace had finally had enough. Judgemaster Marche ordered the complete annihilation of all monsters. This was a declaration of war and thousands of men and women went off to serve their country. It didn't take long for the monsters to realize that their existence was being threatened and they began to fight back.

The war went on for 3 months. We are now entering a crucial turning point in Ivalice's history. The monsters have broken through Bervenia's borders and were slowly making their way to the palace. Unfortunately, Marche and the royal army were fighting a battle in Lutia Pass, which was about 200 miles away. The only thing standing between the Horde of wild beasts and the Palace's inevitable doom was a single clan…

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The monsters stampeded through the abandoned streets of Bervenia. Upon hearing the roars and cries of the untamed horde, the civilians grabbed only their most precious belongings and were herded into the palace for shelter. It was a good thing they did, too. The monsters went wild when they broke through the borders of the capital. The broke into any house they set their eyes on; tearing up furniture, smashing walls and windows, and feasting on anything they could find. Within a few hours, the town was a complete wasteland.

The monster's pace suddenly came to a halt when they neared the castle gates. A fifteen-foot wall stood between them and the palace. The door, obviously, was shut with a feeble attempt to prolong its fate. The monsters seemed paralyzed by the gates, as if they were amazed that they had come this far. Through the herd, a Coeurl, more commonly known as a blue panther, pushed his way to the front. When he turned to face them, the monsters fell silent. "My fellow brethren!" He barked in clear, audible human language, "I speak for all of us, from the Tonberrys to the Icedrakes. The events of today will not be forgotten. The eyes of history will not turn away. For centuries we have waited for this day; we have come too far to lose now! Beyond those gates lies our destiny. Let's take it by force!" Excited roars and cheers came from the masses. Many of them snapped their jaws and clawed the earth in anticipation. The Coeurl nodded to the two red panthers at his sides and stepped back. "Company attention!" The Reds barked. The cheering died down. The sounds of soft growling echoed through the barren streets. "Charge the gates! Kill whatever you find when you get inside!"

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Inside the palace gates, a man donned in Hunter gear waited patiently in the middle of the front bridge. He wore dangerous-looking leather boots with plates of metal over the soles. The yellow hunting hat did little to hide his messy brown hair. A bow and a quiver of arrows were slung on his back and a long-sword and knife was belted to his sides. Two Bangaas stood on either side of him, each wearing regulation armor and chain mail and wielding huge broadswords.

"Where is Master Marche?" The hunter whispered to himself. "He must've gotten the message by now." The two Bangaa's continued to stare relentlessly at the front gates as the fingered their weapons with anticipation. The silence was broken when a young moogle boy ran towards the group. "Lord Gale! Lord Gale!" He cried out as he dashed towards them. Upon hearing his name, the hunter turned his head the slightest bit, so he would not lose sight of the gates.

"What are you still doing here, Anry?" He asked the boy. "You should be in the vaults with your..."

"They're evacuating the castle, Kupo!" The moogle interrupted, "I volunteered to bring news from central."

"Anry…" Gale took a nervous glance at the gates, as if he expected them to burst open right then, "Alright. Just give me the important facts and get back to safety."

"Okay, here goes." Anry took a deep breath and started to recite the report. "Seven rangers and eleven spell casters are positioned on the upper balconies. The second battalion, consisting of three soldiers, three Paladins, and two Templars, are on their way here. Villagers are currently being sneaked out through a hidden passageway in the south end of the castle. Two fencers and a Gunner are overlooking the escape while two snipers stand guard. The first and third battalions are inside, still awaiting orders."

"And what about Lady Samantha?" Gale tried to hide his uneasiness when he asked the question but he did a very poor job.

"She is resting, Kupo." Anry said comfortingly. "She hasn't been out of bed all morning."

"That's a relief." Gale took a relaxing breath. "But it is not an assurance. She won't stay off her feet for too long, even if her health is against her."

"Do not worry, Kupo. Sammy's a strong…"

"KUPO! Anry!" A voice suddenly interrupted the report and made both Gale and Anry turn in the direction of the speaker. Standing between the iron-wrought doors was another moogle. He was a bit taller than Anry and wore a blue shirt that extended beyond its knees, a skin-tight hood, and a ski cap, the typical gadgeteer outfit. He also wore a small backpack with cotton wings sewn onto the sides. Anry was overjoyed to see him.

"Kyle! What are you…?"

"I have a reason to be here, little brother. I am a guardian. You must go with the other servants and get out of this castle."

Anry scowled. "But I want to help you fight!"

"Anry…" Kyle walked up and put a hand on his shoulder. "Remember when I left the palace in order to join a clan?"

"Kupo! It was the last time I saw you before today. Why?"

"Do you remember the promise I had you make? I told you to look after and protect mom because I wouldn't be around anymore."

"Oh…right." Anry wriggled out of Kyle's grasp and looked at his feet, "I guess I haven't been very truthful to my words, Kupo."

"There's still time, Kupo! Hurry to the southern exit." Anry looked up and nodded. He stayed long enough to give his older brother a quick hug before running back into the palace. "And give my salutations to mamma!" Kyle called after him.

Gale watched as the young moogle boy ran off. "He's got a lot of courage," He said, smiling. "He'll make a fine warrior one day."

Kyle walked up next to Gale and took a seat on the ground. "Yes, but he can be stubborn at times."

"I wonder where he got that from…" Gale said jokingly. The statement earned him a swift punch to the knees. "Hey, it's the truth." Gale said, trying to hide the pain in his voice.

"Right." Kyle took off his pack and set it down next to him. "What are you doing down here? Aren't you supposed to be up in the alcoves with the other rangers?"

"They can do just fine without me so I decided to help out here."

"Your swordsmanship is exceptional but it's nothing compared to your archery. You should play by your strengths, we'll be fine down here."

Gale shook his head. "No you won't. With the royal army gone, we're short on men. We'll need as many land units we can get in order to hold off these beasts. Besides, I'm in the mood for some hand to hand combat."

Kyle sighed. "You're probably right. We don't know how many monsters are coming for us. Better safe than sorry, I guess." The doors burst open again and the second battalion ran in. "Guardian Gale, sir!" The first soldier saluted, though he was a bit out of breath. "We've arrived not a minute too soon. The monsters have just been spotted over the northern hills. There's hundreds of 'em!"

"Calm yourself, soldier." Gale said sharply. "I want you two to stand guard by the doors." He pointed at a Templar and a Soldier. "If the monsters get past us, I want you to close the doors. Do not hesitate. Understood?" The two units nodded immediately and walked back to the doors. "Now the rest of you, form a second row behind me and wait for the signal." The other units said nothing and formed a line behind Gale, Kyle, and the two Bangaas. They each drew their various weapons; short-swords, knight swords, spears, each with different sizes and shapes. Above, the archers strung their bows and aimed at the gates.

Kyle's long rabbit-like ears perked up. "You hear that?" He asked as he pulled on a leather glove with 5-inch razorblades fitted on each finger. Gale closed his eyes and concentrated. There it was: the stamping of thousands of feet, the excruciating pants and growls, and the angry barks and snarls. There was no mistake, the monsters were here. "Ready yourselves, men..." He said, drawing his own weapons. There was a loud thump on the door as the monsters tried to force their way in. "Wait for it…" there came another thump which was followed shortly by a crack. "On my command." On the third thump the gates gave way. The barricade split in half and the leading monsters wriggled their way in as others worked to widen the hole. "Attack!" Gale shouted. He charged at the monsters, his blades cutting through the air at his sides. And with a confident war cry, the battalion followed.

---

Loud coughing was coming from the far end of the room when Hannah poked her head through the door. "Mistress Samantha!" Samantha turned around in fright but calmed down when she saw it was only her lady-in-waiting. She immediately turned back and continued to tie up her battle boots. Hannah was almost fuming. "Lady Samantha!" She called out louder, thinking that her mistress didn't hear her. Samantha finished lacing up her shoes and gave the young Viera girl a friendly smile.

"Hello Hannah."

"Don't get smart with me." Hannah said in a tone that probably would get her fired, "Just what do you think you're doing out of bed?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" She said coolly as she tied up the end of her hair.

"You're not going out to fight, are you?"

"I sure am. And don't try to…" Samantha meant to say 'stop me' but she was immediately interrupted. Hannah had snapped.

"Are you crazy? Fighting in your condition? You won't last…" It only took one look at Samantha's eyes to get her to stop.

"I know that you, like many others, are concerned about my health." She tied up the back of he shoulder-less red mage outfit and wrapped a small cloak around her. "But I won't let it stop me from helping my clan."

"But aren't you afraid you'd die?"

"It will not be a life wasted. I would rather go down fighting than die helplessly in a bed." She turned her back to the Viera and walked to the other side of the room and picked up her rapier. "Besides, they need me out there. They need Enclair."

"BUT WHAT ABOUT SARIA?" Hannah burst out. Across the room, Samantha dropped her rapier. Her hand was shaking uncontrollably. Hannah clapped both hands over her mouth, hoping to stop the words from coming out. Too late. "Mistress, I'm sorry…" she began.

"You…" The woman turned around and looked right at the Viera girl. Hannah could see streams of tears pouring out of her eyes. "…leave her out of this!" She reached down and snatched up her rapier. "Now get out of my way!" She took three steps towards the door when her knee suddenly buckled and she collapsed on the ground. Immediately, her coughing started up again. Only this time, she was coughing up blood. Hannah walked up beside the female human and tried to calm the coughing. "Mistress, are you…?"

"I'm okay. I just bit my lip." Samantha lied quickly. Somehow, she knew Hannah didn't believe her. To her surprise, the Viera put one of he arms around her shoulder and helped her to her feet. "Hannah? I thought…"

"Save it." She said sharply. "This goes against all of my judgment, but I won't stop you from doing your duty. It's my job to fulfill your wishes to the greatest extent possible. If it is your will to fight, then I will fight beside you." Samantha was at a loss for words. The only thing she could manage was a nod and a smile of overwhelming happiness. "Now come on." Said Hannah, returning the smile, "It sounds like they really need you down there."

---

A high-pitched shriek echoed through Gale's ears as the Antlion fell lifeless. He barely had enough time to catch his breath when a second one came lunging at his ankles. He twisted himself out of the way and jabbed his knife through the top of its skull. It gave one final roar before collapsing next to the other Antlion. Gale reached down to pull out his knife only to find out it had stuck fast. "No time to pry it out…" He thought, knocking a bomb into the water. He gripped his long-sword with both hands and charged at a Thundrake.

"Push your way forward, brethren!" Shouted the head Coeurl, "We have them on the defense! Keep…" The panther's commanding barks was interrupted when a giant, yellow beach ball came whizzing towards him, smacking him hard on the head. He stumbled around, trying to blink away his confusion. After a few seconds, his vision was beginning to clear up. He got a good look at the battlefield right before two razorblades pierced through his eyes while a third went right through his forehead.

Kyle flinched as he yanked his blade-tipped fingers from the Coeurl's skull. "Gross!" He whispered as he wiped it clean on the ground. As he looked up, he caught sight of two red panthers standing over their fallen leader. After some prodding and sniffing, they turned their heads at Kyle and snarled. "Crap. They just keep coming."

"There are too many of them!" Cried a Paladin. He was right. The monsters were everywhere, going for the first break in the defenses they saw. They had formed a semi-circle around the mouth of the bridge and were slowly closing in. "Fall back!" Ordered Gale as he yanked his sword out of the dragon's corpse. "The bridge is the only way to cross. If we force them into an enclosed area, we might have an advantage. Go now! I'll hold them off." With that, he tossed aside his long-sword and drew his bow. "Sonic boom." He whispered, notching three arrows into the bow and shooting them straight upwards in the direction of the monsters. When it hit about 40 feet, they each exploded, showering the beasts with a barrage of fireballs. Gale started backing up, sending arrows left and right. It wasn't enough to stop them from approaching but at least it kept them at a distance. When he reached the end of the bridge, he stopped firing and moved behind the other units. The monsters took this as a sign to attack and they all rushed to cross the narrow bridge. Gale immediately saw a problem with his plan. True, only a few monsters could cross the bridge at one time, but there was always a row behind the first. The narrow bridge also meant he could only send in a four or five men in at one time. They managed to destroy a few waves before becoming overwhelmed by the large numbers. He watched helplessly as the men were torn apart before him. "Retreat! Back into the castle! Now!" He turned around and dashed at the doors. The remains of the battalion didn't hesitate to follow. As soon as the last soldier was in, the Soldier and the Templar dragged the heavy doors closed.

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"We're doomed!" Cried Kyle, collapsing on the floor. "It won't be long before they force open the front door. I think I'll just lie here and offer myself as a sacrifice. While they're busy with me, you guys can escape."

Gale looked at Kyle in disbelief. "Was that supposed to be funny?"

Kyle shrugged. "Maybe a little. The first part was true though."

"Have you lost hope already?" Asked a calm, female voice. Gale, Kyle, and the rest of the soldiers turned to see who it was. At the end of the hallway was a red-clothed woman being prodded up by a Viera. "Samantha?" Gale's expression went from surprised to alarmed. "What are you doing out of bed?"

Hannah helped her walk up to the group. Gale gave her a sharp glance. Hannah retaliated with one of her 'she made me do it' looks.

"I couldn't sleep knowing that you're out there risking your life with the other clan members." Samantha said weakly. "You need me. You need Encl…"

"ARE YOU NUTS?" Gale found himself screaming, but he didn't care. "You can't use that again! The last time you used it, it nearly sucked the life right out of you!"

"I have to. It's the only way we can…"

"No! You can't! I won't allow it! It's too…"

"STOP TRYING TO PROTECT ME!" Samantha shouted. Despite the frailness of her voice, the words seemed to echo through the halls. Gale immediately shut up. And so did everybody else.

"Sam…I was only thinking of your…"

"Stop thinking about me!" She cried angrily. "I'm not the thing you're supposed to be protecting here! Now get out of my way."

Deep down, Gale knew she was right. Still, his feet refused to move an inch. Hannah gave him a defeated look. "Gale, you know how she is." She said, "She's already made up her mind. There's nothing you can say or do to stop her. Keeping her here is only prolonging the suffering." She was right, of course. He couldn't do a thing.

"There has to be another way…" Gale looked down at his hands, feeling them crunch up into a fist. "I can't lose you…I won't lose you!"

"I wish there was another way. I really do." Said Samantha, folding her hands in a praying style, "But sadly, there isn't. Now step aside!" With that, she willed up whatever strength was still inside her and cast Aero. Hannah and Gale were blown out of the way, clearing a path to the front door. As the winds died down, Gale sprang back up onto his feet and tried running back in front of Samantha. Instead, he ran right into a metal wall. "Owww…what the..." Looking up, he realized it wasn't a wall, but the metal fist of a Totema. It had materialized right above Samantha, hovering over her like a shield. The Totema had blue skin and was wearing a white dress. The six angelic wings that protruded from her back were arranged like a butterfly's. Instead of legs, an ancient looking laser cannon was connected to the bottom of its hips. It didn't take long for Gale to realize who it was. "Ultima? What are you doing? Samantha's in danger!"

The Totema paid no attention to his cries and instead, she helped Samantha to her feet. "I will listen only to my master's desires. If she wishes me to do something, it will be done." It said.

"Thank you, Ultima." Samantha slowly started walking towards the doors. Each step felt like every bone in her leg would break but she continued forward. "I'm sorry, Gale." She said to him as he tried to break through the barrier Ultima had created with her arm. "I'm so sorry." As she came closer to the great iron doors, memories began blossoming in her mind. There were memories of being happy, of being sad, and memories of her just being glad to be alive. As she watched her life flash before her eyes, a single tear managed to squeeze it's way out and roll down her cheek. "This is it…" She said to herself as her hands pressed against the smooth metal. "The end of the line. There's no turning back." Taking a deep breath, she pushed against the heavy doors.

---

Outside, the monsters were restless. The retreat of the humans (and Bangaas and moogle) had given them a much needed confidence boost. They were practically jumping out of their skins in excitement as the Wyrms and Blade Biters tried to scratch and bite a hole through the door. When they had taken a good chunk out of the door, they suddenly stopped. Confused, the other monsters strained to see why the diggers had stopped. The reason: the door was slowly opening. Unable to wait any longer, the monsters pushed forward, as if they wanted to squeeze themselves through the inch-wide crack. They could see it now; the screaming women, the crying children, it was going to be pure bliss…

POW! The doors flew open so fast, the monsters unfortunate enough to be standing in the front row were either knocked away or crushed between the wall. The giant fist of Ultima plowed its way through the rows of monsters, clearing a space for Samantha to walk. "Whenever you are ready, mistress." It said, knocking away several Tonberrys. Samantha nodded slightly and stepped out of the castle's doorstep. Ultima quickly pushed the doors closed behind her.

For about five seconds, everything was silent. Then, primal instinct kicked in and the beasts threw themselves at what they saw as a potential meal. Ultima had to cup her hands around her to keep the snarling beasts at bay. Samantha closed her eyes and concentrated. "Release the light…Enclair!" As soon as the words left her mouth, she immediately collapsed, clutching her chest in pain. It felt like someone was pressing white-hot metal against her lungs. Her whole body became bathed in light. Above her, Ultima was in a similar state; rays of light burst through random points on her body. Common sense told the monsters to back away, but their feet refused to separate themselves from the ground. Their bodies began to grow heavy as the blinding light claimed row after row. Samantha did her best to ignore the pain as she rose to her feet. From above, Ultima gave her a reassuring smile. "Forgive me, Saria." Samantha whispered to what seemed to be no one in particular. With that, they raised their arms over their heads and began to chant in unison the words of destruction. With every word, strength began to drain from their bodies and the light began to recede. At the end of the spell, a gigantic orb of light rested between Ultima's palms. "See you in hell…" Samantha muttered as the light turned from white to black. Together, she and Ultima closed their hands around the orb and brought it downwards. "Alpha Masher!" The second their hands touched the ground, all hell broke loose. The earth began to crumble up as the orb exploded on impact, sending a wave of pure energy at everything surrounding it. The monsters could do nothing as the wave swept over them, tearing the very flesh from their bones. The metallic plates on Ultima's arm began to peel back from the force of the attack. Cracks revealed themselves throughout her entire body. Within seconds, her entire left side was blown apart and it collapsed onto the ground. Samantha could feel herself being torn apart too. Starting from her arms, she slowly began to break apart. Literally. Cell by cell, her body began shriveling up into dust.

---

After what seemed like a lifetime (it was really only 35 seconds), The light faded away and the dust began to settle. In the middle of the castle grounds was a huge crater, spanning over a hundred feet in diameter. Outside the crater, the corpses of the monsters 'luck' enough to be hit only by the shockwave were spread out across the ground. Silence lingered over the land, quietly mourning the lost souls.

"What the hell was that?" Exclaimed Kyle as the ground finally stopped shaking. He picked himself up and looked over the room. Everything was still in one piece and nobody was hurt. Gale was in ruins, however. His fists were clenched and he was shaking uncontrollably. A mixture of grief and anger was set on his face. "She used it." He managed to choke out as he tried to suppress his ague, "She used Enclair." Hannah walked over and gave him a comforting pat on the back. "It's not your fault." She told him repeatedly. Gale took a deep breath and relaxed. "I know it's not." He said, wiping away his tears, "But that doesn't change the fact that she's gone."

One soldier pressed his ear against the door and listened. "Hey…it's quiet." Motioning to two other units, they pushed the doors open. As the light of day streamed through the doorway, it brought with it a gruesome sight. But, as gruesome as it was, it was peace.

---

Though her body had long turned to ash, her voice still lingers in the wind. "My dearest wish…" She said to herself, since no one was around to hear her final words. "To live a life not wasted. To extinguish my light so one greater can take form. I'm sorry it had to end like this. Please take care of Saria." And in the center of the crater, a small glass sphere lies half buried in dirt. Inside it sleeps an unborn human fetus.

It has been fifteen years since that faithful day when Guardian Samantha gave her life to protect the people she loved. Soon after that, the war came to an end and life began anew. And so, our story begins…

Ending note: Hiya! It's me again. I just want to get a few things cleared up.

1. The story takes place 200 years after the game's second ending and Marche is 25 (Cus time flows differently in Ivalice. It's magical!)

2. There are human females (shocking, I know!)

Thank you for sitting through this first chapter. The next will be up soon (I will try to make it shorter).