Authors Note: First, I don't own any of the characters, items or events mentioned from the game Final Fantasy Tactics. They are the sole property of Square/Electronic Arts and they are used without permission. The characters of Dr. Simon Cortez, Horatio Marcus, and any other character that does not appear in the game are my property and can be used by others with permission… but I am not sure why you would want to.

Second, the first part and the very end of the story takes place 2003 years after the events of the game in the same world. Don't get confused as I will try to explain in the story what is going.

Third, enjoy and review often.

The Aftermath: To find a purpose…

Chapter 1: The find

            An older man in a tweed blazer was sitting at an old oak desk looking over some paper work when the door to small office was thrown open. This action startled the man he dropped his glasses which caught the sun from the rather large window on the Westside of the office. He picked them up and put them back on to address the man at his door. This man was far younger; he was about 6'2" with jet black hair and was actually very well built compared to the status quo of where he was.

            "A simple knock would have sufficed Jonathon." The old man said cleaning off his green steel, bifocal glasses.

            "Oh, sorry Dr. Cortez, I didn't mean to barge in like that." Jonathon stated catching his breath.

            "Yes you did or you wouldn't have done it. What the rush?" Dr. Cortez asked the man.

            "Doctor… we found something. I am not sure what it is, I can't read the language but I believe it's the same language as that scripture we found two years ago." The man said with a toothy smile on his rather wide face. The doctor for his part simply raised and laughed to himself.

            "You mean the Durai papers?" He asked.

            "Yes Professor." The man responded.

"That would put your discovery from the time of Ivalice… but I didn't think you were in that part of the world." Dr. Cortez stated.

"I wasn't sir… and that's why I brought this to you. I actually found this in the northern part Geldalan." The man said handing a large stack of papers to the Doctor. The papers were actually what appeared to be a very old scripture of some sort. Some of the corners looked rotted and the papers were a very dark shade of yellow brown. The doctor took them and gave a glance of skepticism to his student.

"I think you're overreacting. For these to be from two millennia ago they would have had to come from Sichella… or what was once called Ivalice. There were no populations on the continent Geldalan at that time… you have been my student long enough to know that." The doctor said looking over the old scripture. It certainly looked old enough to be from that long ago but it was absurd to think that it was.

            "I know sir. But it is the same language and it very old, it looks older then twleve-hundred years. I also know what you taught me bout Ivalice, not to mention the fact that this university was built on the very location of what was once Igors castle, but I just feel that there is something to this. I would hope that I have been your student long enough to recognize something worthwhile." Jonathon said finally breathing normally. Doctor Cortez simply laughed. He knew that Jonathon was overzealous but not usually wrong about things. He was the student leader of the dig that found the Durai papers in the first place. However, this time he was going to be wrong. Doctor Cortez knew that nothing from that time could have been in Geldalan. He examined what his student had given him and became flabbergasted at what he was reading.

            "Oh my god…" Was all he could muster. This was Jonathon first dig as dig leader. Doctor Cortez felt that he had enough knowledge and experience to handle this before he even graduated but this… this was more then he could have ever hoped for.

            "What is it Professor?" Jonathon asked trying to serve his curiosity about what his team had found. It felt good saying that the team was his.

            "I… I… I can't believe it… this is not only from the time of the Ivalice… it is part of it." Doctor Cortez said looking on at his student.

            "What?!" Was all Jonathon could think of saying. For Doctor Cortez to say that it must be true. But how could that be possible he thought, he wanted to believe it to be true but logic told him that it wasn't possible. Doctor Cortez had been reading more and look up at Jonathon.

           "I thought it was just insane ranting of a man that was going to be burned at the stake…" The Doctor said cryptically.

            "Professor?"

            "In the last part of the Durai papers, Olan Durai reported that he could have sworn he saw his true hero of the war ride past on one of those Chocobo things. Up until this point, I thought it was as I said, insane ranting. But, what we have here proves what Olan Durai saw." The Doctor stated to his dumbfounded student.

            "But that would mean…"

            "Yes, that would mean that Ramza Beoulve was not only still alive after they broke the seal and were sucked into Murond Death City… but they somehow found a way out." Doctor Cortez retorted.

            "But from everything you have said to me Doctor the idea of surviving that would be like going to hell and back."

            "Well… according to this… they did just that." The doctor responded.

            "What is that Professor?" Jonathon asked

            "This… this is a diary… no, the diary of Ramion Ruglia." The doctor said quietly.

            "Who?"

            "Ramion Ruglia… the chosen name of Ramza Beoulve. According to the Durai Papers he took a name similar to this after the events at Fort Zeakden. He reclaimed his Beoulve name for later battles. It appears however he changed his name permanently to this after… he and his group left Ivalice." Dr. Cortex stated reading further.

            "Professor… this is just one… of six. There are five more books like this." Jonathon returned.

            "I believe that this is the beginning. It seems that it has information about how and when they Murond. It looks like Ramza's own hand wrote this… it inscribes his thoughts. However, it seems to be of a language that I am having trouble translating. It is like ancient Ilacian but with some major difference… almost as if written in a different dialect. I am going to need some help on this." The Doctor said thinking about what to. Jonathon and then remembered something that the professor had said to him almost a year ago.

            "Professor didn't you say that you once worked with a man to translate the Durai Papers?" Jonathon asked. Cortez thought about the questioned and then scowled at the realization of who he was talking about.

            "You are quite correct. His name was Doctor… Mr. Horatio Marcus. He lost his credentials when he reported that there was more to the Durai Papers then what I had reported… apparently he was right. I want you to find him and bring him here. He you and I will go over what we have and we will find out just Ramza himself had to say." With that he bid Jonathon out of the office and the student did so. He sat back down in his brown leather office chair and pondered the scripture he had.

            "If this was one of six… then perhaps all six of them survived." He thought to himself.

            A few days passed and the more Cortez tried to understand the scripture the less it made sense. He could interpret bits and pieces of the scripture. He was about to throw it in the trash when a knock at his door ripped him from massaging his temples.

            "What!" He said gruffly.

            "Is that anyway for a professor to answer his door?" The voice from behind the door said condescendingly.

            "So you've finally arrived." Cortez said standing. A man dressed in virtual rags stepped through the door. Now, this man didn't look like someone who should be in this attire. He seemed to hold himself high and look to be a scholar. He was tall, about 6'1" and had a grey mustache to match his almost smoke color eyes and hair. He was built but not as much as Jonathon who was standing behind him. He had a smile of almost victory on his face as the men stared at each other.

            "Look at you; you look like you have been living on the streets." Cortez stated.

            "I have… no thanks to you. Ever I was discredited I have not been able to get a decent job anywhere. So I was force out of my house and on to the streets." The man said walking in.

            "Well Horatio… I may have something here that could win all three a Alistair Prize." Cortez stated recognizing Jonathon. Horatio Marcus just looked at him skeptically.

            "Why am I here?" He asked

            "Because… you were right. I have proof here that in fact the last part of the Durai papers is very true. The problem is it is written in a dialected language that I can't fully translate." Cortez retorted

            "I knew it! I knew it had to be, Ramza being pulled into Murond and the churching winning like that… I knew that couldn't be true." Horatio said jumping up at him. Both men looked over the scriptures. All six of them were laid out on the desk before them. Jonathon for his part was simply staring out the window at the cheerleading team while the two men toiled to put the books in order.

            "Well Simon… it appears that it is time that I get my PhD back. I knew that something like this had to exist… there had to be more to this story. Now that we have it in order… let us finish translating it and see just how right I am." Horatio stated as he picked up the first book and was join by both Dr. Cortez and Jonathon as he began to premise what he was reading.

            "It seems that this starts with Ramza's thoughts right after their final battle with... St. Adjora… my god, he actually reached that battle." Horatio stated looking at the other two men.

            "We can get to the part between this and the Durai Papers later… first read." Simon insisted.

            "Of course, it opens up with Ramza's thoughts as he floated through the void that was left from that final battle. It appears that Ramza and his group actually held on to the Holy Stones. It was them that allowed them to be freed of the place." Horatio answered.

            "Well, read, what does it say?" Jonathon asked impatiently.

            "Well… here goes." Horatio said before taking a deep breath and starting with the actual text of the scripture.

Well, that's what I am going to post in the first chapter. Coming up is just what was listed, Ramza and the aftermath of the battle with St Adjora/Bloody Angel