Chapter Twenty-One: Jahara

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XII or any FFXII characters. I do, however, own my OC (Celeste von Valen).

"We'll be spending the night here, so don't do anything stupid, Vaan!" I exclaimed as the bridge came into sight. He scoffed in annoyance. "Be on your best behavior." Two Garif stood in front of the entrance to the Lull of the Land, blocking our only way in. "Who are you? This is Garif land. No place for Hume-children to play games." Before I could reply, a mysterious voice said something first. "They are wayfarers. They bring no harm." I turned around to see the Garif War-Chief Supinelu. "I saw them cross the Ozmone Plain. They are warriors of great distinction. The fiends of the plains troubled them not at all." One of the warriors stepped forward, "You ventured upon the plains alone, War-Chief? Again?" Uh-oh.. He busted his cover. Supinelu was quiet for a moment. "What business have you with the Garif?" The War-Chief asked calmly. "We want to ask him about Magicite and Nethicite." He nodded. "Let them pass. The responsibility will be mine." Both of the warriors moved to the side. "If this is your wish, War-Chief." One of them said. "Then, you may pass. These days see many Humes wandering through our lands." Added the other.

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We walked past the two Garif that guarded the entrance and made our way across the bridge. At the end, Supinelu waited for us. "Ah, I have not made introductions. I am Supinelu, War-Chief of this village. We Garif have been friends to all since long ago, however, lately the Hume world is in much turmoil. We must protect our village, and our people. As War-Chief, and protector of our village, I ask you: Why have you come to this land? Other than to find information about the Nethicite and Magicite." I came to the front of the group. "We are in a bit of a... situation.. If you can really call it that. Even though we escaped captivity more than once, we are still being hunted as we speak. I don't doubt that... And Lady Ashe needs to find as much information about Nethicite and Magicite as possible. This group that stands before you, all of us, plan on ending the turmoil that the Hume world is currently in. But, in order for us to do that, we need to know about Nethicite and the kind of power it holds." There was a long pause before the War-Chief spoke. "Hmm… I see. So you too have come to ask about the Nethicite. You must speak with the elders. Though our masks may make it difficult for you to tell us apart, walk through the village and look with your eyes, listen with your ears." I nodded and turned around to find the group looking at me. "What?" I asked quietly. "You are very persuasive with your words." Basch replied. I nervously laughed. "Really? I've never noticed before."

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We did as Supinelu said. We walked through the village using our eyes and our ears. "Lead the way to one of the elders." Balthier stated as he matched his strides with mine. "There is a High-Chief, telling by his mask. Just watch and learn." I walked up to Zayalu, slowly. " Oh? What is this? More humes come to visit us? A little bigger this time, but no matter. You need not tell me anything. I know you have come to our village to learn of the stones, the Nethicite. We Garif have knowledge of this, passed down from father to son, mother to daughter. Some of it remains, some has been lost in history's sands... I... know nothing of the stones. You must speak to the Great-Chief. He alone holds the deep knowledge of these things. He alone remembers all the tellings. Cross the bridge to the north, and there you will find him. There are watchers at the bridge, so I think it best to speak with War-Chief Supinelu." He paused briefly. "…May I ask of you a favor? Give this to War-Chief Supinelu, from me?" He handed me a Jaya Stick, as to what exactly a Jaya Stick is... I still have no clue. I shook the stick and the beads inside the hollowed out compartment made a delightful sound. It was sort of like a rain-maker, I suppose. "There is no rush. When you next happen to meet him, you may give it to him then. May you find all the answers you seek." I bowed and turned to the group. "Onward to go speak to Supinelu."

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As we walked through the land, I noticed how comforting the sight of this village was. The atmosphere was very laid-back, many of the Garif were standing around chatting with one another. As we approached the second bridge, I saw Supinelu talking with two warriors, at least, I think it was Supinelu. The masks made it awfully hard to tell any of the Garif apart. "That which you carry, is it a Jaya Stick?" Supinelu asked. I nodded and handed it to him. "This is from High-Chief Zayalu." "The High-Chief has given this… to me? I shall receive it. I thank you for bringing it to me. Now, did you learn what you wished? No, do not tell me. It is written clear upon your face. So, even the High-Chief could not help. Then, you must meet with the Great-Chief."

I nodded, "That is the only option we have left. We will meet the Great-Chief." Supinelu was hesitant. "Yes… It is true. The Great-Chief may know something that would aid you. Yet, arranging an audience may be quite difficult." This did not make Ashe happy. She pushed to the front of the group and started to plea with Supinelu. "I must learn more about the Nethicite. I cannot turn back now. Please, tell your Great-Chief that I am of the Royal Line of Dalmasca, a direct descendant of Dynast-King Raithwall. If the Garif have passed down knowledge of the stones, they must know of the Nethicite that the Dynast-King once held." The War-Chief found this interesting. "Do you have proof of your heritage?" He asked the blonde princess. She shook her head, "I… I do not." This didn't please the chief. "Hrm… I have looked into your eyes and seen that you speak the truth, Hume-child. I give you my trust. The Great-Chief is ahead, across the bridge."

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I bowed and led the group over the bridge, to the hut of the Great-Chief. "Ashe, you should take over now." She nodded at me and stepped up to the plate as we approached the blazing fire inside the hut. "I am Princess Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca. I am of Royal blood, and my father was King Raminas. I have no proof of my lineage, only my word. However, I carry with me the Dawn Shard. It is Deifacted Nethicite, straight from the tomb of King Raithwall. Can you teach me the ways of the Nethicite?" The Garif Great-Chief did not answer, but simply looked at the stone that Ashe had handed him. After examining it, the Great-Chief finally spoke to us. "This Nethicite-you have used it." Ashe shook her head profusely. "It was not I who used it. Indeed I had hoped you could show me how. Thus I've come." Now cue the bad news.

"Hmm… You do not know the workings of the stone. Then we are no different." The Great-Chief said. Ashe looked stunned. "What?!" Her voice was full of surprise. "In ages past, the Gods made a gift of Nethicite to my people. But the manner of its use eluded us. Displeased by our failure, the Gods took back their stones. They chose instead to give them to a Hume-King. Called the Dynast-King, he used the Nethicite's power to bring peace to a troubled time. It is a curious thing. Though the blood of Raithwall flow through your veins, you cannot wield Nethicite." Cue more bad news. "Cannot wield it?" Ashe asked, "So then, I am to understand you cannot tell me how to use the stone?" I was tempted to facepalm. That is what he just said, Ashe. Weren't you listening? "Though it shame me so to admit. Here before me stands a descendant of the Dynast-King himself… And I accord her no help at all. Still, even if you knew how to use the Nethicite, you would find it of small avail."

The Great-Chief handed Ashe back the stone. "The Mist collected in the stone over ages past is lost, and with it the stone's power. It will be your posterity who wield the stone in ages yet to come." Ashe wasn't taking the bad news well. A look of pity crossed Vaan's face. "This stone is devoid of power. Empty, yet full of thirst. A terrible longing to drink the world dry. The power of men and of Magick, of good and of evil. It is often those who desire Nethicite whom the Nethicite itself desires." At the sound of footsteps, we all turned to see the young Solidor. "Larsa?" He smiled at Penelo. "Well, it is nice to see you again. I see you've been well. No doubt cleaning up after your brother." Larsa nodded to me, "You would be correct. Every time I turn, there is another mess to attend to." I crossed my arms. "He'll get what's coming to him. It's just going to take some time. Until then, we must unravel this turmoil and save Ivalice from peril."

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After our meeting with the Great-Chief was over, everyone met up outside the hut to discuss further actions. I stayed behind, hoping to ask the Great-Chief a question. "Is there anything you can tell me about why I'm here?" He shook his head in response. "There is not much that I can say, for you must figure that out for yourself. Deep inside, you know the reason. During your journey, you must connect with your past. It is then that you will find what you are looking for." Awesome, I had to figure this crap out by myself. Well, not entirely by myself. I was going to have a little help from my companions in crime. I bowed and thanked him before I walked out to find the others. Ashe's voice was a dead giveaway. "To Bur-Omisace?" She cried out. Larsa approached the princess. "I say we ought leave tomorrow. I was going to wait for my escort, but meeting you presents a great opportunity. This terrible war can be stopped, but I will need your help to do so." Ashe almost looked surprise. "A war?"

I walked up to the group. Vaan nodded at my presence and looked back to the young Solidor. "You know the Marquis Ondore leads a group of insurgents- Your pardon, he leads a large resistance force against the Empire. Lady Ashe, neither of our countries can afford this now. The Rozarrian Empire would stir. They would aid the Resistance and use this aid as a pretext to declare war on Archadia… And Archadia would have no choice but to answer." Larsa briefly paused. "Lady Ashe, let us go to Bur-Omisace. With the blessing of His Grace the Gran Kiltias Anastasis, you may rightly wear your crown, and declare the restoration of the Kingdom of Dalmasca. As Queen, you call for peace between the Empire and Dalmasca, and stop Marquis Ondore." This got Ashe fired up, and not with motivation. "For peace...?! How dare you say that! The Empire attacked us, stole all we hold dear… And you would have me save them from war?!"

It was my turn to butt in. "Ashe, you know that it is the right thing to do. The Empire did not act alone when Rabanastre was attacked and killed your father. Vayne was the brains of the whole thing. Calling for peace might save us some time!" Larsa furthered my argument. "Dalmasca would be the battlefield! What if Nethicite were used on Rabanastre? You know my brother would do this!" Ashe didn't answer him. "Forgive me, I presumed overmuch. I could think of no way to avoid bloodshed. If you cannot trust me, then please, take me as your hostage," Larsa said in a much calmer tone. I clenched a fist. "No Larsa, we will not fake a hostage situation. You are right! Even if Ashe does not believe you, I know that I do! Rabanastre has become my home. I cannot imagine what it would be like if Vayne got his way…"

The thought of Rabanastre being burned to the ground made me think of Gallifrey. The Doctor was forced to destroy his own kind just to save the universe, but we have a better option. We can call for peace before we have to fight on the soil of Dalmasca, or we can work behind the scenes... Before I could stop myself, I quoted the 50th anniversary special. "No more… Dalmasca falls no more!" Everyone looked at me like I was crazy. Words frantically escaped my mouth in a desperate attempt to convince them. "Think about it. We can save Dalmasca. If we can keep the battle off the sweet Dalmascan soil, we can save Ivalice." Vaan smiled at me in agreement. "I think Celeste is right. No more!" I started to tear up at my ingenious work. I just made a really awesome cross-over! As I wiped away the small salty droplets of joy, I quickly pulled myself together. "As long as we believe in those words, we can stop Vayne and restore peace. Dalmasca falls no more!" Some of the group chimed in with me, "No more!"

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The sun had set a couple of hours ago and most of the group had retreated to the temporary tents that the Garif had kindly lent us. My brain was on auto-pilot and I found myself pacing around the village, trying to calm the storm that invaded my mind. So many things were bouncing off the walls of my skull, sometimes colliding inside my cranium with other outrageous ideas. A flood of maps, cut-scenes, and quests were overtaking my mind, fighting for dominance as I tried to forge a plan of action. I had to think of something. We were traveling head first into this disaster, and I had to make sure the boat was going to sail as smoothly as possibly. Although, with the situation as it was, the boat was bound to hit a few storms and a couple of tsunamis before we reached the shores of truth and absolution...

The crackling of the Great-Chief's fire disrupted the cyclone of ideas that was running amuck inside my head and the thought of a fire and its warmth proved to be better than standing here in the somewhat chilly night. Maybe it would calm my nerves. I lazily made my way to the open hut, but as I walked across the bare ground, I saw a figure standing before the fire. It was Ashe, who I'm sure was reflecting on the past couple of days. A lot had happened, that was for sure. After a few minutes, she left the warmth of the fire and started toward the bridge. I turned my head to find what had stopped her in her tracks. It was the apparition of the late Prince, gazing out at the quiet land. It seemed like his cape was flying in the wind, almost like a glorious flag of hope. Ashe rushed to him to find that there was no apparition, only the blond-haired teen who wore no shirt. I trailed in behind the princess, making my way to the bridge as well. I could hear Vaan talking to Ashe. "You saw him, didn't you? Like at the King's tomb." Ashe walked closer to him, "So you did see him, too. But why?"

I had caught up to them and now moved in to Ashe's side. "He is not the only one who saw him. I did as well. Before I blacked out, I mean." I thought I was going to give the princess a heart attack. "Sorry for sneaking up on you, but I was watching you by the fire side." I was such a creep. Vaan started walking away across the bridge, and the two of us had no choice but to follow him. "It's strange," He started to say, "Before, I didn't even know what you looked like. And the prince- I barely knew there was a prince." He paused before regaining his thoughts. "Who knows? Maybe the person I saw was my brother." Ashe moved closer to him and I stayed back to watch the scene unfold. "Basch told me about him." Vaan half-turned his head, "He enlisted, right at the end. But for what? He knew we couldn't win." I propped myself up against the wooden post behind, leaning back on my elbows and crossing my feet together. "To protect something," Ashe and I said in unison.

Both of them turned to look at me. I guess, for a split second, they forgot I was here. "How can he protect anything when he's dead? Was it different for Prince Rasler? Did that make sense?" Ashe didn't respond. My mind flitted back to the opening movie. The wedding, the war, Rasler's death. Why had all of it happened? Well, I knew why. At least I thought I did…

"Hating the Empire, getting revenge. It's all I've ever thought about. But I never did anything about it. I mean, I realized there was nothing I could do," Vaan sighed, "It made me feel hollow, alone. And then I'd miss my brother. I'd say stuff like "I'm gonna be a Sky Pirate" or some other stupid thing. Just anything to keep my mind off it. I was just- I was running away. I needed to get away from his death. That's why I followed you."

I could feel my heart strings tugging, trying to break free. I had a feeling that Ashe was trying to keep herself intact as well. I finally managed to choke out words from my dry throat. "Vaan… I never really knew how hard of a battle you were fighting…" He turned towards us. "Know what? I'm through with it. I'm through running. I'm ready to find my purpose. To find some real answer-some reasons. If I stick with you, I think I will." A small smile grew from the straight face I was keeping. "I wish I knew," Ashe's tone was so heartbreaking. "I'll find 'em." The smile grew even bigger, fending off the tears that threatened to flow. "There is a reason for everything, and only in time will that reason be known. You'll figure it out, Vaan. I know you will."

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The next morning, our group met Larsa on the outer bridge. "I will accompany you to Bur-Omisace." I cleared my throat, "She means we will." The princess gave me a light glare, but Larsa was delighted to hear this. "I had hoped you'd say yes. I am glad." Cue the sassy princess. "My heart is not set. I still have questions. I hope to find answers along the way." Larsa nodded, "I had other reason to invite you. There is someone I'd like you to meet waiting on Bur-Omisace." My eyebrows knitted together. He didn't mean that saucy Spaniard, did he? "Who is that?" Ashe questioned the little Solidor. "An enemy, and an ally also. You will just have to wait and see for yourself." I was tempted to laugh, but Larsa walked away with a faint smile on his face. "That Larsa likes his secrets," Vaan approached Ashe and stood by her side. "He does not mean ill by it," Ashe said with a very lighthearted tone. They both had smiles on their face. "He's not bad. At least for an Imperial." Now that was something I could agree to. Vaan rubbed his nose and led the way across the bridge to the Ozmone Plains. I turned about half-way across the bridge to see Basch, Fran, and Balthier conversing near the tents. "What's holding them up?" Penelo asked as she passed me. "I'll go fetch them."

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I approached the three older members of the party, catching a glimpse of that sexy gold plated chest and tight dark pants. "Holy Mt. Bur-Omisace stands at the northern end of the Jagd Ramooda. Once we're in Jagd, we need not fear pursuit by their airships." Being in Jagd didn't mean anything. "Don't get your hopes up, Captain," Balthier began, "You remember the Leviathan sailed straight over the Jagd Yensa, right up to Raithwall's Tomb. Skystone that works even in Jagd. You know Nethicite's behind it. Little wonder they're so keen on the stuff." Basch faced the male Sky Pirate. "And what is it you're after, Balthier? You're a welcome hand, and a great aid, but why?" The man in question answered quickly, "Worried I'm out to steal the Nethicite, eh? Can't say I'm unaccustomed to people doubting my intentions…" He paused and looked me directly in the eyes.

I scoffed and shook my head in disbelief. "Nothing could be further from my mind. Shall I swear by your sword or some such?" Balthier waved his hand a bit. Basch paused. "Apologies. But I needed to know where you stand. Her Majesty depends on you. And you seemed to have interest in the stone." I laughed. "He's a Sky Pirate, of course he shows interest. That's what he did for a living before he found us." Balthier and I locked eyes, and I couldn't help but smile. "Oh, I'm just joking. Balthier is a trustworthy man and a worthy adversary, if you happen to cross him." Balthier winked at me before turning his back. "I'm only here to see how the story unfolds. Any self-respecting leading man would do the same." I choked back a laugh and we walked through the middle of the land to regroup with the others.