Split Ends

Introduction: Hello everyone! I am Love Star, and you're looking at my first fanfiction in a long time. It's also my first game related fanfiction. Ok, I'm done with that crap. This is my version of an epilogue for Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, in which our loveable heroes Ritz, Marche, Mewt, and Doned come back to Ivalice. It's not what you think, this is no happy trip… oh it is quite the opposite. Anyway, I blended a little bit of romance and untold information into it (like the explanation of Ritz's hair to Marche, Mewt, and Doned, and what happened to the book) and I'll also expand a little more on some other issues. As we speak I'm currently writing the second chapter up, so tell me what you think!

Italics- word emphasis, thoughts, memories, etc Bold- actions, important stuff

Disclaimer: I do not own FFTA or any of its characters! Also, SPOILER ALERT! I do NOT recommend reading this story if you have not finished the game. I'll end up spoiling a little bit, but hopefully not too much. The story's pretty straight forward anyway!

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      I'm late!  Marche tore through the streets of the small, snowy town of St. Ivalice. It was nearly a month after Marche had slain Li-grim and brought everyone safely back home. Everything was back to normal thankfully, except for the fact that Marche had not seen Ritz since he last saved her in Ivalice.

  He was slightly worried about her since no one else had remembered seeing her either, except maybe Erika (a classmate that was on his side of the snowball fight in the beginning) but he didn't know her too well and felt awkward asking.

   As of right now however, all other problems were in the back of his mind as he willed his feet to run faster as he sped toward school. For some reason Doned had not awakened him nor had his alarm gone off this morning, so naturally he was going to be late for school if he didn't run.

    Yet as he ran his chest burned, his body pleading for him to stop. He finally gave in at the intersection, as he was now only across the street from his school, and he had a few minutes. Breathing deeply to slow his pounding heart, he walked across the street and through the throng of milling people.

    Something caught his eye as he wove his way through the crowd, something yellow. He cocked his head to see what it was, but just a little so that he could keep moving. The yellow thing however, had slipped behind someone, but as he moved it slowly came back into view.

   Marche almost walked into a pole.

 A blond boy with a haircut similar to his was in deep conversation with a store clerk. The boy nodded in approval and turned, facing Marche. His eyes widened as the boy spotted him and gave him a cold grin; there was no mistaking that face, that windswept hair, and those cold pinkish eyes…

   Llednar?!

 He turned away quickly in shock, but when he dared himself to glance back, the boy was gone. He can't be… he turned to stone and crumbled back in Ivalice…

  He dismissed the thought of Llednar in St. Ivalice. Must be someone else… my eyes are tricking me…

  "Oi! Marche!!" came a cry as Marche's fingers touched the school doors. He had made it in time, thank god. He turned around to see a girl come toward him, her hair neon green. "Hey Marche! Open the door already; we're going to be late!"

   He opened his mouth to question who the girl was, but closed it as he did a double take. His jaw dropped, "Ritz?!"

    Ritz beamed and flipped her green hair, dismounting the snowflakes clinging to it. "Yep! How have you been? I missed you."

     "I missed you t…" his amazement got the better of his as he finished by blurting out, "What happened to your hair?"

    The moment the words left his lips he knew that had been the wrong thing to say. Her face darkened quickly, "What do you mean what happened to it?!"

    He backed into the door. "I-I'm sorry Ritz! I didn't mean it that way! I just… you're… you're hair looks so different."

   "And so what if it is?!" she snapped at him, brushing past him and opening the door. She stomped the whole way down the hall, Marche walking after her with his head down.

  "Ritz…?"

 She kept walking, but at least she spoke, "What?!"

"I…I didn't mean to-

   "Forget it," she growled, storming into the classroom. He sighed and walked in after her just as the bell rang.

   The class was about as amazed by Ritz's new hair color as Marche was, but apparently she did not notice too much. However, she did not speak to Marche at all for the rest of the school day.

   It wasn't until the end of the day when Marche finally mustered up the courage to apologize again. This time Mewt was with him.

   Mewt grinned, "You must've done something serious to have her boycott you Marche."

  He was only half listening as he watched Ritz converse with Erika a couple feet away. "I still don't understand Mewt. What happened to her hair? Why wouldn't she tell us why she didn't want to leave?"

  "Because she's Ritz," Mewt inclined his head. "And Ritz is Ritz and Marche is Marche and Mewt is Mewt." He smiled at Marche. "That's why."

  Marche stared at him for a moment, making sure he was staring at Mewt and not Montblanc, who had said pretty much the same thing. He sighed. "That reminds me… you'll never guess who I saw today."

   Mewt watched his features carefully. "Who did you see?"
  He inhaled, "Well, as I was walking to school I thought I saw…" His voice trailed off, Ritz was walking home, and thankfully she was alone. "Hold on. I'll be right back."

   Mewt shook his head in slight annoyance. "Can you come over later? I have something to tell you too."

   Marche nodded and sprinted off in the direction of Ritz. Mewt called after him, "Bring Ritz and Doned too!"

   He waved to show he had heard him and continued his pursuit. He caught up to her moments later, gasping for breath and grabbing her wrist. "Wait!"

   She immediately snapped her wrist out of his hand, glaring reproachfully at him. He was not, however, about to give up that easily. He came to her side, "Will you just listen to me?"

  She acted as if he wasn't there. Marche gave an annoyed sigh and stood in front of her, arms outstretched. "Ritz!" he said exasperatedly.

   She had in her right mind the motion to plow right through him, and pressed hard against his body to push him away. Apparently he held his ground, but took this motion the wrong way.

   Two arms wrapped around her, and before she could protest she was locked in his embrace. "Ritz… I didn't mean to hurt you. It was just a little surprising…"

  Ritz felt a tinge of guilt. She had no right to be angry with him, no right at all. She would have acted the same way if one minute Marche's hair was blond and the next it was green without an explanation. She pushed away from him. "I know."

  "So you're not mad?"

 She nodded and smiled slowly. "How could I be mad at you?"

 He felt his cheeks flame at that remark, which apparently amused Ritz. She chuckled lightly.

  Her laughter ceased and they stood in silence, facing each other. Marche had no idea what to do, should he leave her alone? Or should he stay? On top of his indecisiveness he felt strange, like he was on fire. He checked his arm to make sure he wasn't really burning… but how could he? Snow was falling all around.

   She stayed deep in thought. She knew he was confused; she knew she'd have to eventually tell the both of them. But for some reason she couldn't. Was she truly afraid Mewt and Doned would abandon her if she mentioned it? Was she truly fearful of telling Marche, the one person who cared enough about her to battle at her side in Ivalice? The same person who just embraced her and apologized even though it was not his fault?

   She knew they wouldn't abandon her… but still, she was afraid. But she was never one to let that show.

   Finally he spoke, "Um… Mewt wants us at his house… he has something to tell us."

 She nodded and followed silently behind him as he strode toward Mewt's house. As they walked he did not press any conversation upon her, and allowed her to dwell in her own thoughts. Yet as they pushed through the crowd together Ritz looked up but once, and saw to her amazement, someone familiar walking across the street in a bemused fashion.

   Shara?

***To Be Continued***

 Did you like it? Hehehe. This is only the tip of the ice berg!