1 Final Distance
Chapter 1:
2 That Night on the Ramparts
As you may have guessed by the title, this chapter is almost entirely a flashback. It takes place the night before Ramza's crew leaves for the Thief's Fort. I think it will answer a few questions. Enjoy.
Ah yes, the disclaimer. If you think that I own FFT and still write fanfiction for it, you are a crackpot. I don't own FFT, squaresoft does, and I am still just a penniless high school student.
Teta sat on the ramparts staring at the sky, trying to suppress the tears running down her cheeks. The people at school had been so mean to her lately. Sighing she stared at the crescent moon. She had to stop letting it get to her, and she knew it. She didn't want her brother or Ramza to worry about her. She lay down and closed her eyes.
"I wish I could get away from here, just for a little while," she whispered. "Just for a bit."
She relaxed, her tears drying on her cheeks. A few minutes passed before she bolted upright. Some one was coming. She scrambled for cover, ducking behind a wall. She crouched silently and listened.
* * *
Algus frowned. This was his chance to prove himself; he could finally regain his family's status. So, why was he so uneasy about it? He shook his head and looked up at the sky. He couldn't let emotion get to him. He was being trusted with this assignment, he couldn't fail.
"This is my chance, possibly the only one I'll get…" he looked at the landscape below, "I can't screw up…"
Sighing, he sat down on the ramparts and stared at the moon. He had to calm down, he was too nervous. If he didn't get this done, and done right, it was as good as over.
* * *
Teta watched him silently. He seemed so nervous, so uncertain. He continued to sit there, muttering to himself. Teta caught a few comments about commoners, and how much he disliked them, but she couldn't hear what his problem was. Shaking her head, she turned to leave, dislodging a small stone as she did. She froze, listening for him but he didn't get up.
She sighed in relief and continued down the stairs, tripping on the second step. She shrieked and threw her hands out to catch her self, keeping her eyes shut so she wouldn't see the ground rush up to her. She braced herself for the impact, but it never came. Instead, she felt something grip her wrist. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked up at the figure that had stopped her fall. The cold glare of Algus Sadalfas is what she saw.
He pulled her up and stared at her, making her feel small and frightened. Looking up at him, she stammered slightly.
"Uh…thank you," she managed, still trying to meet his gaze. He just glared at her.
"Why were you spying on me?" he asked coldly. Teta looked at the ground for a moment, then back at him.
"I wasn't spying on you. I was here first, when I heard someone coming, I hid," she replied sternly. She stood her ground and watched him. It was a few moments before he replied.
"Why didn't you simply leave, or make your presence known, rather than sat around and listened to me?" he asked his gaze like ice.
Teta thought for a moment. Why hadn't she left? She looked at him, his cold glare frightened her, but she tried not to let it show. "I don't know. The thought never crossed my mind," she said softly, realizing by the look on his face that it had been the wrong thing to say.
"Your kind don't seem to know a lot of things," he said coldly. Teta stared at him in disbelief.
"M…my kind? Oh… you mean commoners," she looked at the ground for a moment. "It's not fair of you to judge people by their class," she said softly, hoping he wouldn't notice the tear rolling down her cheek. It didn't matter where she was. She would never get away from the truth. Nobles saw her as filth, even Dycedarg could be cold to her at times.
"It doesn't matter what you think. You kind are as low as animals," he snapped. Teta jumped and looked up at him, meeting his gaze once more.
"How can you say that!? Just because we are not rich, that does not make us any less human!" she defended. "We are just like you, we're all the same in God's eyes."
"Hmph. Animals have no God," he turned to leave.
"What!? How can you be so cold? There must be a reason," she grabbed him. "Algus! You say we are animals. Why? Why do you see us as such?"
He turned sharply, raising his hand to cuff her, but she managed to dodge. He glowered at her, his eyes full of fury. "Why!? I'll tell you why, you villain. You're kind are filth, no more than knaves. All you have ever done is serve us, that is what you are meant to do. When you get out of place, you cannot lead yourselves, and like animals, you get out of hand. Like a pack of wolves, you kill for the money, you'll slit the throats of others for a gil," he paused for a moment, his anger focussing on her. He grabbed her harshly by the shoulder and looked into her eyes. "You killed my parents. Do you understand that, animal? Animals like you slaughtered my parents."
Teta froze, her body stiffening with fear, but her mind was racing. That was the reason. His parents had been killed. It was enough to make anyone enraged, and he had imprinted all commoners on the ones who had murdered his family. His grip on her slowly loosened, and he let go. He didn't leave, however. Rather, he just stood there, staring at her, his eyes full of some hidden emotion. She looked into his eyes. Was it regret, possibly remorse? He was definitely sorrowed by the memory. She walked up to him.
"It's okay. I understand," she said, hoping to comfort him.
"How could you possibly understand?" he hissed.
"I lost my parents too. It's a pain that never really goes away," she looked him in the eye. "I try not to think about it, but I can't help it sometimes. My parents may not have been killed, they were taken by the plague, but angry knights killed my aunt and cousin. That's why Balbanes adopted my brother and I, we had no where to go," she paused. "You see? We're not so different."
Algus looked at her. The fury that had been in his eyes had mellowed to nothing and he seemed quite shocked. He faltered for a moment, then he turned away.
"Algus? Please try," she called after him. He stopped and turned his head to look at her.
"Maybe…" he said softly and left.
* * *
Teta opened her eyes and stared at the sky, allowing the soft snow to land on her face.
"Algus…" she whispered. Sitting up, she pulled the cloak that had been lain across her closer. Gazing around her, she frowned. She couldn't see any survivors. Gingerly touching her shoulder, she winced at the burns. She looked at the wound on her chest. It was almost mended, the ashes of a phoenix down scattered on her dress. Pulling her self to her feet, she began to walk towards what was left of the main building of the fort. Algus had to be over there somewhere. He had to be alive.
What next? Questions, comments, suggestions send to opal_10013@yahoo.com or leave them in your reviews. Flames will be used to heat the frozen tamales I found in my freezer. Ja ne,
Opal K. Teaterishidai
Chapter 1:
2 That Night on the Ramparts
As you may have guessed by the title, this chapter is almost entirely a flashback. It takes place the night before Ramza's crew leaves for the Thief's Fort. I think it will answer a few questions. Enjoy.
Ah yes, the disclaimer. If you think that I own FFT and still write fanfiction for it, you are a crackpot. I don't own FFT, squaresoft does, and I am still just a penniless high school student.
Teta sat on the ramparts staring at the sky, trying to suppress the tears running down her cheeks. The people at school had been so mean to her lately. Sighing she stared at the crescent moon. She had to stop letting it get to her, and she knew it. She didn't want her brother or Ramza to worry about her. She lay down and closed her eyes.
"I wish I could get away from here, just for a little while," she whispered. "Just for a bit."
She relaxed, her tears drying on her cheeks. A few minutes passed before she bolted upright. Some one was coming. She scrambled for cover, ducking behind a wall. She crouched silently and listened.
* * *
Algus frowned. This was his chance to prove himself; he could finally regain his family's status. So, why was he so uneasy about it? He shook his head and looked up at the sky. He couldn't let emotion get to him. He was being trusted with this assignment, he couldn't fail.
"This is my chance, possibly the only one I'll get…" he looked at the landscape below, "I can't screw up…"
Sighing, he sat down on the ramparts and stared at the moon. He had to calm down, he was too nervous. If he didn't get this done, and done right, it was as good as over.
* * *
Teta watched him silently. He seemed so nervous, so uncertain. He continued to sit there, muttering to himself. Teta caught a few comments about commoners, and how much he disliked them, but she couldn't hear what his problem was. Shaking her head, she turned to leave, dislodging a small stone as she did. She froze, listening for him but he didn't get up.
She sighed in relief and continued down the stairs, tripping on the second step. She shrieked and threw her hands out to catch her self, keeping her eyes shut so she wouldn't see the ground rush up to her. She braced herself for the impact, but it never came. Instead, she felt something grip her wrist. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked up at the figure that had stopped her fall. The cold glare of Algus Sadalfas is what she saw.
He pulled her up and stared at her, making her feel small and frightened. Looking up at him, she stammered slightly.
"Uh…thank you," she managed, still trying to meet his gaze. He just glared at her.
"Why were you spying on me?" he asked coldly. Teta looked at the ground for a moment, then back at him.
"I wasn't spying on you. I was here first, when I heard someone coming, I hid," she replied sternly. She stood her ground and watched him. It was a few moments before he replied.
"Why didn't you simply leave, or make your presence known, rather than sat around and listened to me?" he asked his gaze like ice.
Teta thought for a moment. Why hadn't she left? She looked at him, his cold glare frightened her, but she tried not to let it show. "I don't know. The thought never crossed my mind," she said softly, realizing by the look on his face that it had been the wrong thing to say.
"Your kind don't seem to know a lot of things," he said coldly. Teta stared at him in disbelief.
"M…my kind? Oh… you mean commoners," she looked at the ground for a moment. "It's not fair of you to judge people by their class," she said softly, hoping he wouldn't notice the tear rolling down her cheek. It didn't matter where she was. She would never get away from the truth. Nobles saw her as filth, even Dycedarg could be cold to her at times.
"It doesn't matter what you think. You kind are as low as animals," he snapped. Teta jumped and looked up at him, meeting his gaze once more.
"How can you say that!? Just because we are not rich, that does not make us any less human!" she defended. "We are just like you, we're all the same in God's eyes."
"Hmph. Animals have no God," he turned to leave.
"What!? How can you be so cold? There must be a reason," she grabbed him. "Algus! You say we are animals. Why? Why do you see us as such?"
He turned sharply, raising his hand to cuff her, but she managed to dodge. He glowered at her, his eyes full of fury. "Why!? I'll tell you why, you villain. You're kind are filth, no more than knaves. All you have ever done is serve us, that is what you are meant to do. When you get out of place, you cannot lead yourselves, and like animals, you get out of hand. Like a pack of wolves, you kill for the money, you'll slit the throats of others for a gil," he paused for a moment, his anger focussing on her. He grabbed her harshly by the shoulder and looked into her eyes. "You killed my parents. Do you understand that, animal? Animals like you slaughtered my parents."
Teta froze, her body stiffening with fear, but her mind was racing. That was the reason. His parents had been killed. It was enough to make anyone enraged, and he had imprinted all commoners on the ones who had murdered his family. His grip on her slowly loosened, and he let go. He didn't leave, however. Rather, he just stood there, staring at her, his eyes full of some hidden emotion. She looked into his eyes. Was it regret, possibly remorse? He was definitely sorrowed by the memory. She walked up to him.
"It's okay. I understand," she said, hoping to comfort him.
"How could you possibly understand?" he hissed.
"I lost my parents too. It's a pain that never really goes away," she looked him in the eye. "I try not to think about it, but I can't help it sometimes. My parents may not have been killed, they were taken by the plague, but angry knights killed my aunt and cousin. That's why Balbanes adopted my brother and I, we had no where to go," she paused. "You see? We're not so different."
Algus looked at her. The fury that had been in his eyes had mellowed to nothing and he seemed quite shocked. He faltered for a moment, then he turned away.
"Algus? Please try," she called after him. He stopped and turned his head to look at her.
"Maybe…" he said softly and left.
* * *
Teta opened her eyes and stared at the sky, allowing the soft snow to land on her face.
"Algus…" she whispered. Sitting up, she pulled the cloak that had been lain across her closer. Gazing around her, she frowned. She couldn't see any survivors. Gingerly touching her shoulder, she winced at the burns. She looked at the wound on her chest. It was almost mended, the ashes of a phoenix down scattered on her dress. Pulling her self to her feet, she began to walk towards what was left of the main building of the fort. Algus had to be over there somewhere. He had to be alive.
What next? Questions, comments, suggestions send to opal_10013@yahoo.com or leave them in your reviews. Flames will be used to heat the frozen tamales I found in my freezer. Ja ne,
Opal K. Teaterishidai
