Final Fantasy: Rise of Despair

Now we dive in to the first of the Harris and Heidi chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy: Tactics Advance, I do own the characters and plot.

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Wounded

Harris and Heidi lay on the forest floor for a whole day. Around noon, Heidi finally stirred. "Uuuuunnnnggghhh…" Heidi got up slowly. "What… happened?" She asked. She looked to the side and noticed Harris lying on the ground. "Harris!" Heidi immediately went over to him. She placed two fingers against his neck to check for a pulse, to double check she placed one of her ears against his chest. "He still has a faint heartbeat. Augh…" It's at this time that Heidi noticed how sore she was. "Harris… hm?"

"I swear that this bounty hunter business isn't what it's cut out to be."

"Augh…" Heidi ignored the pain in her body and jumped up to a nearby tree branch. She looked at the source of the voices and heard two guys, a moogle and a nu mou.

"I know what you mean, all the easy wanted people aren't worth enough and all the pricey ones are just too hard to catch." The nu mou told his partner.

"We need a miracle to help us now." The moogle said. "Hey!"

"Whoa!" The two were shocked at the sight of the unconscious Harris lying on the ground. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Yes yes yes! It's him! One of the ones worth 200,000 gil! Unconscious and ripe for the taking!" The moogle said excitedly.

"Oh thank you!" The nu mou said to the sky.

"You… won't touch him." Heidi hissed from the trees.

"Huh?" The two looked at the trees and saw Heidi kneeling there. She dropped down to the ground breathing heavily, and angrily. "Uuuuuuuuhhhh… it's the other one worth 200,000 gil…" The moogle moaned in fear.

"Wait… she's wounded. This shouldn't be a problem." The nu mou said.

"You're right… yaaaaaaaaahhh!" The nu mou rushed Heidi with a knife drawn. Heidi caught the knife and then stabbed the moogle through the heart with her wrist knife. She then drew her bow and fired an arrow in the nu mou's skull.

"Ugh…" He gasped before he dropped dead.

"Harris…" Heidi walked towards Harris and bent down. "Urrrr…" Heidi attempted to pick Harris off the ground and on to her shoulder. It wasn't easy due to the pain Heidi was feeling as she tried to pick him up, but slowly and surely, she hoisted him to where he was leaning on her shoulder, and she started walking slowly.

As Heidi walked on, she observed her surroundings. "I guess we're in Koringwood. That's pretty far from where we were." Heidi thought to herself. "Hmmm… teleportation? Cole was doing something… but was it teleportation?" Heidi asked herself. "I guess… that's the only explanation. Harris… you protected me from that attack… now it's my turn to protect you." Heidi thought. Heidi continued to drag Harris on her shoulder through the woods, looking for somewhere to hide from any random bounty hunters or soldiers.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhh…" Harris groaned weakly.

"Harris… just rest right now." Heidi whispered.

"Vivian… uuuuuuuuhhhhhh…" Harris groaned before he passed out again.

"Hm? Oh well…" Heidi continued walking. "Harris… I have to get him somewhere… wait… what's that?" Heidi looked to her left and though she saw a small opening in the ground. She walked over and found a small cave opening. Barely noticeable from a distance, yet still easily large enough for a person to fit in. Heidi slid Harris in through the opening, and then crawled in herself.

Later…

"Oooooooooooogggghhhh…" Harris groaned. He slowly opened his eyes to stare at a rocky ceiling. "Hm?" Harris felt something cool on his forehead, and he also felt warm. Harris tried to move his arm to feel his forehead, but his arm was searing with pain. "Augh!"

"Harris?"

"Heidi?" Harris' eyes looked as far to the left as they could and he saw Heidi leaning over him.

"Oh thank goodness. You're awake." Heidi sighed in relief.

"Where the heck are we?" Harris asked weakly.

"I think we're in Koringwood, I found a small cave to stay in." Heidi said.

"Koringwood? Heh… Cole sent us pretty far." Harris laughed. "Augh!"

"Harris! Be careful… you took a lot of damage from the Black King's attack." Heidi told him.

"I'll just… cu-ARGH!"

"Harris!" Heidi immediately pressed down on Harris to keep him from moving. After he calmed down a bit, Heidi changed the wet cloth on his forehead, and then rekindled the fire next to him.

"It… hurt to try… and use… my magic." Harris moaned.

"I guess he did a lot of damage to your mana as well." Heidi said.

"Heidi… you don't look to good yourself… you should be taking care of yourself." Harris said.

"Harris, you're in a lot worse of a condition than I'm in." Heidi told him. "Don't worry, I won't let you die, and I don't intend to kill myself to do it." Heidi reassured him gently.

"Heh… alright." Harris said weakly with a smile.

"Now Harris, sleep. I know you don't like to, but please sleep." Heidi told him.

"…" Harris breathed for a moment. "Alright… you win." Harris said as he closed his eyes.

It was now the next day, Heidi was still severely hurt, but she nonetheless helped Harris. Right now she was mixing herbs for Harris. "Here Harris, this will help you get some strength back." Heidi said.

"Where did you learn to mix herbs?" Harris asked weakly.

"My… mother…" Heidi said sadly.

"Oh… I'm sorry Heidi…" Harris said. He took the small wooden cup Heidi made and drank it. "Ugh… it tastes terrible."

"It's supposed to help you regain some strength, not taste good." Heidi said.

"You… took some yourself right?" Harris asked.

"Yes, don't worry. Now get some rest so that the medicine can run through easier." Heidi said.

"Heh… fine." Harris said as he closed his eyes.

"Sorry Harris… but there was only enough for one of us. Sorry I lied." Heidi thought with pity. When Harris woke up he found that Heidi was brewing some stew. "Good, you're awake. Here." Heidi helped Harris sit up against the wall of the cave.

"Thank you… argh!" Harris tried to move his arm but it only hurt him a whole lot.

"Oh Harris, you're still too hurt to move. I'll feed you." Heidi said as she dipped a wooden spoon in to the bowl.

"I guess I don't have a choice." Harris said. Harris opened his mouth and let Heidi feed it to him. This went on for the next several spoonfuls. "Heidi… save some…" Harris was forced to swallow some more before he could finish. "… save some for yourself…" He finished after swallowing that last spoonful.

"Oh alright." Heidi said. Heidi finally stopped giving some to Harris and thus she made a bowl for herself. Although the bowl was far smaller than Harris'

"Heidi… you should have more than that." Harris said.

"Harris, you're far more hurt than I am. You need this more than I do." Heidi told him. Everything was silent while Heidi ate some of her stew.

"I'm… sorry to be… such a burden." Harris said.

"Harris, if anyone has been a burden it's me." Heidi said.

"I'm sorry?"

"When you first started training me, I slowed down your travels, and put us in needless danger a few times. And… and recently when I…" Heidi started to say.

"No… no." Harris said. "As you noticed, neither one of us has ever been happier… since we've met Heidi." Harris said weakly as he started to grow tired. "Heidi… is this stew supposed to… make me sleepy?"

"It… is made with something to help you relax." Heidi said.

"Fine then… Heidi…" Harris said all the quieter.

"Yes?"

"Thank you." Harris said as he drifted off in to sleep again.

"…" Heidi stayed silent as she watched Harris sleep. "Harris… I never thought I'd have to take care of you like this. You've always been such a powerful warrior." Heidi thought with a smile on her face. "You seemed invincible since the day I met you… until recently that is. But still, you always have inspired me and… for that I should be the one thanking you." Heidi thought as she nodded off to sleep as well.

Outside the cave, a raven watched the two of them drift off in to sleep before spreading its wings and flying off in to the night.

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