FINAL FANTASY: INQUISITION
By Thomas Knapp
Act Four- Scene Two
Borz raised a hand the moment he finished his story, "All right, before anyone starts: Yes, I know my story's terrible, after all, I lived it. But in the end, I suppose it turned out all right. After all, I now know how wrong the status quo was. I got my wish, and they are wrong."
"They are dead." Creed reminded.
Midas exhaled, and said regretfully, "The more I hear about the world 20 years ago, the more I understand why the common folk rebelled."
"Rebellion… yes. Genocide… no." Fredros added sternly, "The Rationalists butchered my entire monastery, people dedicated to peace, people who would not have fought to sustain the corruption of old. But then… the Rationalists learned such cold-hearted tactics from the best, I suppose."
Trigger suddenly whirled around, eyes darting through the entire forest surrounding the secluded beach. Midas, reacting to the ninja's sudden posture, took to a defensive stance almost instinctively.
The rest of the group was just slightly slower in their response, but fortunately, a fight was not going to be in their near future anyway.
From the woods, several high pitched voices began chirping, "KUPO!" About twenty moogle heads emerged from the overgrowth, chanting in an almost rhythmic fashion.
One of the moogles popped through the grasses, and into the beach, and although it didn't look any different to the humans' untrained eyes, Borz recognized the little critter as the same one that had revealed Borz's little secret just minutes before.
"Kupo! Ku ku po kupo po!" The little sprite crowed happily at the nearest adventurer to its position, which happened to be Creed.
"What… the hell… is this thing doing?" Creed demanded of his comrades.
"He saying that he knows who we are." Borz translated. "His people had heard rumors about the heroes trying to revive Alexander, and when he saw our ship dock in this… unusual place, he figured that's who we were."
"He said all that? With just those little squeaks?" Creed asked, perplexed.
"Well… not in that many words, but that was the meaning he was trying to convey." Borz admitted. "Moogle speech IS somewhat simple in its nature."
The other moogles began chittering wildly, the cacophony of squeaks and shouts driving the human contingent to cover their ears. Borz on the other hand just soaked the details in, finally shouting, "THEY KNOW WHERE THE SUMMONER'S CAVERN IS!"
The moogle tribe fell silent after that, convinced that they had gotten their point across, and none too soon for Midas, who began rubbing his abused ears. "Well… that's great, but next time… do you think you could tell them to try and NOT blow out our eardrums?"
Borz apologized on the moogle's behalf, and the little moogle in the clearing spoke again, but this time in a quieter tone for Borz. The Black Mage nodded, and said to his friends, "We have been invited to meet the matriarch of this tribe. Once she has approved of us, they will escort us to the summoner cavern."
"Wonderful… we are putting the faith of our success on the shoulders of some grandmother moogle…" Creed commented, but nonetheless allowed himself to be escorted into the jungle.
Deep in the South Isle Jungle…
It was rapidly approaching night when the moogles had finally led the group to the secluded home of the moogles, which turned out to be a series of caves burrowed into a small hill. The moogle scouts shouted out several times toward the hill, and were rewarded with scores of white, furry moogle bodies bursting out of the various burrows.
While the moogles themselves didn't appear to be the least bit downtrodden, Borz couldn't help but be overwhelmed with a sorrowful regret. When he was young, before that fateful meeting with Fredros and Tarsis, the moogles had lived freely out in the jungle, carefree and happy. Now they were degraded to hiding in filthy holes, most likely to avoid the sharp spears of hunters.
"I take it that is the matriarch." Midas stated, causing Borz to put aside his rage for a moment, and turn to where the Red Mage was pointing. The moogle in question was a full head taller than any of her fellows, and moved very slowly, her tiny wings not fully able to move her larger body very easily. Upon looking at the matriarch's face, Midas was overcome with the sheer enormity of her years… a sense that he couldn't readily explain.
"The matriarch was ageless when I was a young one almost 25 years ago. She has lived to see kingdoms rise and fall." Borz explained, "I wouldn't be surprised if she was alive when these islands were formed from the sea."
Even Creed was overwhelmed by the strange aura of wisdom radiating off the aged sprite. Unable to find words for his amazement, he simply allowed his jaw to hang off his face loosely. His doubts wavered, and in spite of himself decided that maybe this "grandmother moogle" might know something valuable after all.
"Ku Ku… po ku Kupo." The matriarch chirped, in the moogle equivalent of a throaty voice not terribly dissimilar to the sound a broken harmonica would make. Afterwards, in that tone, she added, "Welcome, humankind."
This took even Borz by some surprise. "You can Humanspeak?"
The thin mouth of the Moogle matriarch turned upwards, and she replied, "If you can learn it, little one, do you not think I can as well?"
This caused Borz to twiddle his thumbs, and answer, "Yeah, I mean NO! I mean… now that you put it THAT way…" Finally, he threw up his hands, and finished with a frustrated growl, "Oh… I don't know WHAT I mean!"
"These eyes have seen many things, these ears have heard three times as many." Continued the matriarch, "One of those things is the cavern of the summoners where you wish to find the Crystal of Water."
She regarded the group one by one, starting with Borz, "You have come a long way, little one. You are indeed a true hero to our kind, reaching out for what your brethren have never bothered to attain. But you cannot hide your true self, no matter how thick of clothing you wear. You need not stay in the shadow of yourself."
Then she stood in front of Creed, "Hold no grief for that which you could not control, believer. The presence of one cannot be denied as a powerful tool to shift the balance, but even that power has limits. The time will come when that power WILL be needed to shift the balance."
Creed gaped, knowing that there could have only been ONE thing that the matriarch was referring to. "How did she know…?"
But by then, the wizened moogle had found her next target, Fredros. "You are truly a great tribute to your teachings on the outside, and your kind heart is witnessed every time one looks upon Borz. But like all things have a shadow… be minded that you will soon face your greatest unbeliever."
Next came Harmon. "Your mind is full with the knowledge of those that came before you, but that is only PART of true knowledge. Take what you have learned, and make that next step. Remember to keep yourself balanced, and you shall do well. Never forget what made you what you were."
When the matriarch stood before Trigger, the moogle tilted her head and leaned back slightly. "Your honor is your greatest strength, but it is also your greatest weakness. Pain must be expressed, or you shall become a greater monster than the one that bore you. Do not let the end of your vendettas blind you to the larger purpose."
Then there was Tamara. "Those that you once loved, you now hate, and that you once hated, you now love. Hatred can only be spread if you allow it to be spread. Hold all that you once held dear close to your heart, and they will return it in turn eventually. Also, do not hold back your desires. Even my life is too short to waste it procrastinating."
The moogle stepped into Yura's vision, and she smiled tenderly, "Dear child, you have fought a hard, long, and necessary road. However, your trial is nearing an end. When the time comes, have faith in your friends to help you achieve your goal."
Finally, there was Midas, "The blood of the summoners runs through you as well, that I can see. Your truths shall be revealed to you, but you may not like what you shall learn. Do not let your disappointment cloud what you must do. And remember these words most of all; in order to win for the light, you must be prepared to embrace the darkness."
The matriarch then turned away, and barked what sounded like orders to the assembly behind her. "We shall celebrate your coming, and will depart for the cavern at first light."
The questions that the adventurers had for the matriarch were answered with one simple, all-encompassing statement, "I have given you the questions you must ask of yourself. It is up to all of you to find the answers."
Later that night…
It was obvious that the moogles' celebration clearing had not been used for some time, as it took several hours to clear it out and return it to it's former state. "We haven't had much reason to celebrate…" The matriarch commented wryly.
But once the small bonfire had been started, it appeared that the moogles had never left. The eight travelers watched the furry sprites begin their ceremonial dances, stocky bodies jumping and flittering in circles around the fire. Even the matriarch took a turn at the simple hide drums that had been set up along the side, playing a perfect accompaniment to the various flute and whistle instruments.
One moogle seemed obsessed with Creed, prattling over and over in wistful tones that Creed simply could not understand. Finally, the former monk motioned to Borz, and asked him to translate.
Borz listened to the conversation, then he said brightly, "Oh! That's Doff! He's basically describing how he's pining away for Ray Aya."
"Who's Ray Aya?"
Borz chuckled, and replied, "It's a painting of a supposedly beautiful moogle in the caves. From what the other moogles have told me, Doff fell down one of the particularly deeper tunnels, although he claims he was pushed… Anyway, he hit his head, and he just hasn't been the same since… poor thing…"
"So you mean to tell me he is infatuated with this… painting?" Creed stated.
"Yup."
"Oh boy…" Creed muttered, dropping his head in disbelief.
Across the clearing, two moogle children, assuming from their much smaller size, were showing absolute fascination at Midas's bright red robe. Obviously they had never been exposed to such a vibrant color, and Midas had sat down on a small stump so as to give the small critters the opportunity to feel and admire the fabric.
Tamara almost didn't want to break up such a precious scene, but she had decided that she was going to take the moogle matriarch's words to heart. "Scatter, kiddies." Tamara said softly, "You are compromising the very person I wish to talk to."
The little moogles looked up, cheeped, but promptly turned right back to their task, not comprehending what Tamara had requested. She frowned, and Midas stepped in, saying, "Oh… they aren't gonna get in your way, nor will they understand you. What is it you want?"
"Well… I've been giving what the matriarch told me some thought…"
Midas chuckled, "Yeah… I have to, but she was so damn cryptic that I doubt I'll ever figure out what she meant until whatever it is she was warning me about has already happened."
"I was more referring to her advice to me." Tamara reminded, her eyes narrowing.
"Oh… THAT." Midas stated nervously. His posture had suddenly taken one similar to a frightened animal, and he looked nervously in Yura's direction. Fortunately, the summoner seemed preoccupied watching gleefully at the moogles' dancing, so he heaved a sigh of relief, and said, "Okay… go on…"
Sadly, Tamara was unable to get any further in her conversation. A deep voice shouted from the surrounding jungle, "I apologize if I am interrupting, but I have business that I must attend to immediately."
From outside the clearing emerged ten camouflaged Wodensland scouts, headed by Gregorian's right hand man, Tarsis. The Rationalist thug smirked victoriously, realizing that he had taken the group completely off-guard. Nonetheless, he told his scouts to hold back.
Tarsis, recognizing their confusion, explained in greater detail, "You see… I'm really not supposed to be here. As a matter of fact, I followed you to fulfill ONE personal goal of mine."
The former hunter turned his attention to a certain White Mage who at the time had been trying to figure out moogle language with some of the elder sprites. "I wanted to settle the matter earlier, but circumstances made you my ally. Now, I can deal with you like I should."
Borz hopped to Fredros's side, and shouted, "Hey there, you have issues to settle with me, too!"
Tarsis blinked, and replied, "I have an issue with ALL magic users. I fail to see how it's personal."
Borz's eyes narrowed, and with a flourish, he ripped off his hat, revealing his true origins. "Don't think I haven't forgotten that you nearly made me into a coat!"
Now Tarsis, like most humans, has no ability of telling one moogle from another, but was able to add all the clues to reach the correct conclusion. "Oh… it's that runt that the oh so humane priest saved. Fine, you want to join Fredros in the depths of hell, so be it."
Midas moved to join the pair of mages, but the group of scouts stepped in between, and the Red Mage was in no hurry of stirring up a bloody melee in the clearing. With a growl, he stepped back, eyes scanning for any possible opening.
Meanwhile, Tarsis continued his speech. "Did you know the fact that you escaped me irked me to no end, Fredros? The Revolution didn't seem complete without personally watching you burn with the rest of your religious freaks."
"Did you know how they died, High Priest?" Tarsis teased, "Bet you were wondering why they were all burned to crisps along the walls, huh?" Fredros didn't visibly reply, but Tarsis continued anyway. "About a hundred revolutionaries lined the entire monastery, and then we catapulted flaming balls of straw into the structure. Then we boarded up the main doors, and held off anyone trying to get out of the windows with pikes."
At this point, Tarsis was absolutely crowing, "It was so… exhilarating terrorizing the freaks. You could hear the screams of horror as they were barbecued. True, the smell of burnt human flesh wasn't the most appetizing, but the sheer thrill… Anyway, so much for being watched at all times, huh, Fredros?"
Tarsis was so engrossed in gloating that he never noticed the slowly increasing rage on the part of Borz and Fredros until it had exploded in the form of a burst of white light. When it was finished, the two mages had joined the elite group of people gifted with the Battle Trance.
"You… MONSTER!" Borz cried out defiantly, the beginnings of a spell on his lips.
Finally, Tarsis got the feeling that maybe he had laid it on a bit too thick. That feeling was confirmed when Borz unleashed a series of mid-level fire spells his way, at a rate that he had never seen any mage possess. Meanwhile, Fredros was simply piling on ability enhancing spells, increasing the speed and power of the already rabid production from the moogle mage.
And that's not even including the moogles getting involved.
The few moogles that were not already celebrating in the clearing had charged there as fast as they could; the small creatures displaying a speed and maneuverability in their flight that no one had ever attributed to their kind.
The appearance of the cavalry so to speak set the other moogles into motion. The sudden flurry of furry bodies turned out to be JUST the opening Midas was looking for, and the remainder of his allies joined the fray. In a matter of seconds, Tarsis had gone from a position of advantage, to being hopelessly outnumbered.
Recognizing that a strategic retreat was probably the only chance he had remaining, he cursed. He started to make another threat for Fredros and Borz's future demise, but a quick Thundara spell silenced him. Finally, with a scream of frustration, Tarsis disappeared into the jungle again. Fredros began to pursue, but Midas held him back.
"Fredros, we have a more important mission to accomplish. Tarsis will get his due." Midas reminded.
From behind the drums, the matriarch of the moogle clan raised her head. Panting heavily from the excitement, she agreed, "Yes… and it appears we cannot wait until morning after all. We must proceed now, before news of this… altercation… becomes known."
In the port town of South Wodensland…
Tarsis staggered into the small inn he had taken temporary residence in. With a sigh of relief, he tossed his weary and sore body onto the hard bed, grunting in pain as his back reacted less than favorably to the impact.
He didn't seem terribly shocked when a furious voice rattled in his head. As a matter of fact, he had been expecting it since he took his little… unauthorized jaunt.
I TOLD YOU NOT TO ENGAGE THEM! The voice bellowed.
"I know what you told me… but I want to deal with Fredros myself, and that damn moogle monster. It's not the same as passively letting you deal with them."
I NEED THEM ALL ALIVE! THEY ARE VITAL TO MY CONTINUED SUCCESS! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
Tarsis sighed. At the moment, it was doubtful that Tarsis would ever be strong enough to finish things the way he desired anyway. He exhaled, and replied somewhat dejectedly, "Perfectly clear."
End Scene Two