Final Fantasy Tactics:

Bitter Blood

By King Salad

Chapter One

Rating: PG-13

Reason: Mild Bad Language, Violent Content.
Summary: Five Years after FFT. Ramza and Alma are living on a farm, in the farthest corner of Ivalice, they're happy and have many new friends, but when a Odd Cult kidnaps the newborn princess and injures Delita, he sends for his old friend once more… *SPOILERS*

Author's Notes: My first FFT story, yes I know FFT is old, but who gives a crap? Not my first FF story, I wrote others but never posted them on Fanfiction.net. *Shrugs* Anyway, just a few notes, below is a list of characters, some real, some made up, I own the made up ones, but Square owns the rest and everything else. Also, just for the record when I play, I like making Ramza a Lancer, just because Lancer's kick ass, but for this story he will be a Knight since he's "Supposed" to be one. -Lol- Oh and its rated PG-13, but a couple chapters may be R, instead of changing my rating I'll just post a warning. Also, just because I can, some more "Guest Stars" have shown up from other FF games. Who? You'll see. Thanks all, by the way, I used to go by the name Golden when I wrote my anime stories before, if you know me. ^_-. Adios. A

Chapter I Growing Shadows

Episode 01: Sunsets and Shooting Stars

"Alma! Alma!"

The sun, as yellow as the gold used to make palaces or Kings and homes of Bishops, was raining down blissful heat. Wonderfully blissful heat. Not the kind that makes you sweat and fall over needing water, and not the kind that is hot until the wind blows and makes you cold again. No, this was a perfect heat, the kind that kept you warm, but didn't make you hot. Of course it also made sure you didn't get cold.

"Alma!"

The gold haired boy ran across the crisp green grass, it broke under his feet and showered his bare legs with morning dew, fresh and wet. He leapt with speed and grace, but it lacked in its step, as if he was used to moving swiftly and hadn't in a long time.

"Alma sister!"

Finally the person who the pale yellow haired boy was chasing stopped and turned around. The girl, whose name was Alma Beoulve, was now standing aside, her hands clasping one another and held down below her waist. She stomped one of her feet an huffed at him, only in a playful way, however. Who could really be mad on a day like this? In a place like this? The air was so crisp and clean it almost had a taste to it, a sweet taste, like water on a hot day.


"Yes Ramza brother?"

"Alma, where are you going?"

It was the near sunset of a nice day in Eburacon, a farming community on the island which bore the name Selby. Selby was a small island, far away from Ivalice's mainland which was ruled by King Delita Hyral. But the Selbians, as they were called, didn't heed law or word of King Delita, or of his Knights. Indeed, the only thing that marked them as the same people was their devotion to the Glabados Church. And standing in this land, were two citizens. They had come five years ago, riding upon the backs of Chocobos, and they settled down. They were welcomed with open arms and friendly smiles. Once they had not only cared about the Crown, but had fought for and saved it. But of that, is a tale for another to tell.

"I'm going into town. Eve and I are going to go picking apples down by the stream."


Since Alma and Ramza Beoulve, half-brother and sister, moved to Selby, they had made many friends. Eve Clain was the greatest of these. Alma and Eve were friends till the end. Alma, small with chocolate eyes and gold hair may look different from the tall and redheaded Eve, but they were the same in every other way.

"Alright, well tell me next time. I worry about you."

A frown appeared on Ramza's face, but Alma smiled and giggled and gave him a playful punch on the arm.


"Come on now brother Ramza, no one can hurt us now. That is all over. Now cheer up. Besides, the barn dance is next week, shouldn't you find a date?"

Ramza frowned again and shook his head. She could always change the subject until he gave up. So he gave up now, ruffling her hair and walking his time slowly back. It was peaceful here, so he thought as a ruby red bird gave a sweet call that made the ears happy in a nearby oak as the sun began to set, and Ramza sat on the hill and looked out at the sunset of reds and browns and golds and oranges and purples. So beautiful. So happy.

But not everyone can be so happy, and not all happiness lives forever.

*****

"I'm tired, must we do this now?"

The throne room of King Delita was splendid as it any had ever or would ever be. It was Igros castle, where he had grown and was raised by the Beoulve's. Delita had a spot in his heart for this place, and so this is where he dwelt. It had been given a makeover, however, making it fit for the King who ended the "Lion War." The room was strong and sturdy, made of bright red bricks, black banners were draped across the ceiling and walls, and on them was a crest of a golden lion. For when the White Lion and Black Lion felled in their war, the Gold Lion took the throne. Or so it was told. In the midst of the room were two thrones, upon them were Delita and Ovelia Hyral, the King and Queen. Behind them on the wall sat the greatest of the black banners, with the gold trim and gold lion in the midst.

"Del, it won't take long."

Ovelia was urging him. In the room was the King, his wife the Queen, and with them were Agrias Oaks and Leo Cyneburga, heads of the Houkten and the Black Sheep.

"Alright. Agrias, you report first."

The King said, motioning for the girl. She nodded and stepped foreword, very quickly and swiftly. Quite in a military fashion.

"Milord, Milady, as you know the Goblins have been up in arms from Sweegy Wood and some other local areas. We, Houkten, have rather shocking news to repo--"


"Then get on with it!"

Oaks was taken aback, she felt anger swell but could do nothing, for he was King, and she a knight. She never trusted Delita, she had always felt he used Ovelia. Always. But Ramza's last words to her had been to trust him, and for Ramza's sake, wherever he was, she would. But this was horrid. She was only following protocol, she was following his rules. And punished for it, and a horrid punishment it was, for Cyneburga was sneering. And that was worse than any punishment.


She hated him. Leonardo Cyneburga had appeared one day near the end of the "Lion War" and caused a great uproar with his Dark Knight powers. He slew a gang of thieves who had been ransacking a nearby town in the uproar of war. Horrible thieves, rape, murder, torture, none of it was above them. And Cyneburga killed them all. Now Leo was her equal, and he was a, well she was above such words to properly label him. But if she was less of a person, "Son of a bitch" would work.

"Agrias, go on." Ovelia urged. With a sigh, Agrias Oaks cleared her throat and kept speaking.


"Since you gave me the order to double the guard on the towns around Sweegy and Rat Cellar, we've foiled three attacks on the town, but we have lost many Knights and Archers in the process. And--"

She stopped, pausing and remembering who and what she was. She could not continue speaking with what she had wanted to, it wasn't her place. Ovelia could sense this, so she urged again.


"Agrias, you were saying 'and?'"

". . .And. . . the Houkten cannot keep everyone safe. If, if The Black Sheep don't get their act together and defeat these Goblins on their own land there is no way we can keep up like this unless we had one thousand knights all as strong as Cidolfas Orlandu!"

It was a mistake to say, of course, with the Black Sheep's head a few feet away, and because Delita himself had been the head of the Original Black Sheep before he became King. The reaction was immediate, Leo Cyneburga stepped foreword with rage in his heart and foul words on his lips.

"Hold your tongue wench! You know nothing of the Black Sheep's business and have no right to speak of it!"

Agrias was not one to break mandate, nor was she one to argue with the crown or its rules, but she was not one to be insulted for doing her job and trying to make others do theirs.

"I am not the one who cannot even raid a Goblin nest!"

The swords from their belts were still away in their sheaths, but both the Dark Knight and the Holy one wanted to draw them. The tension was so thick in the room it weighted more than the air.


"That is enough. Oaks, out."

The King spoke at last. Agrias was furious, but she had regained enough sense of her own to stop from snapping at her liege.

"Del!"

"Ovelia." Delita spoke in a soft voice that was a cold as a bitter north wind. "Out Oaks."

Agrias said nothing and turned on her heels and made for the door. She may have slammed it shut behind her if not for the Knights who stood at it and closed and opened it for others, and if not for her mind. She could not do such things. Her tongue needed to be kept in check, perhaps the memories or Ramza and the days she had spent traveling without rules or mandate or crown had gotten to her.

"Agrias."

She stopped and turned, it was Orlandu, called "T.G. Cid" by some. He was old, but still as strong as a ox in a fury. And with age of body came age and ripening of the mind.

"Don't let Cyneburga get to you."

It was no secret how much she hated him, and it wasn't the first time he'd embarrassed her before their highnesses. With a sigh the gold haired maiden turned and stared into the Archduke's eyes.


"Besides, I'm his boss. When this crap with the Goblins is over I'll assign him to something to teach him a lesson."

"Do you think it would help Cid?" She asked with a heavy sigh and stared longingly at him. He reminded her so much of her father, Sir Oaks the Brave, a Houkten Knight killed in the "Fifty Year War".  With another sigh and glance she turned away and spoke. "He was on a assignment like that when he found those thieves, and instead of punished he became my equal. For killing some thieves. And someone like Delita is on the throne."

"Be careful." Cid warned. "Speaking ill of the King isn't good, even if the Archduke and Queen like you."

"I know." She spat, regretting to be angry, but he'd understand. "But if you ask me Ramza Beoulve should be sitting there, not Delita Hyral."

Cidolfas Orlandu, "Thunder god Cid", didn't speak. He turned and looked out a window at the fleeting sunset. A ripple of golds and purples and oranges and reds splashed across the blue sky and under the white clouds. It was peaceful now, even with the Goblins attacking and the cult gathering strength. Yet it was still peace. How long. . . ?

*****

That same sunset, the gold and purple and orange and red that was splashing in the sky like ripples in a pond was, in fact, being viewed in the Slums in Zarghidas by Cloud Strife and Aeris Gainsborough. Cloud wasn't from around here. Not at all. Aeris was. This was what made it so odd. He met her eight years ago in the Slums of Midgar. He fell in love with her. He watched her die. He killed her killer. And then he met her for the first time five years ago.

The same girl, the same name, the same body and hair and personality, it was all the same. But different. Cloud never told her about his past, though, since Altima's demise he had remembered it all. He remembered it all too well.

Now they were sitting on the roof of one of the buildings in the Slums. His spiked gold hair was gleaming in the sunset. Aeris' long red hair was behind her back, which had Cloud's arm around it holding her close.

They didn't speak. They never spoke. Not in the sunset. They just sat on the roof, him holding her, and she leaning her head against his large shoulders. Aeris once was regarded badly in the slums. The thieves and jerks and bad men of the town often talked to her in harsh ways, took her money, and said things to her, and tried to do things to her. But that was then. Now she had Cloud. And Cloud would keep her safe.

"Cloud."

She spoke at length as the sun went down over the horizon, her bright blue eyes staring out at the distance.

"Hmm?"

She turned to him and began to ask a question, stopped and leaned into his arms.

"Nothing."

Cloud looked out, holding her gently but firmly. He wouldn't let her go this time. Not this time. He couldn't. And besides… He was dead. He was gone. And even if He was alive, He wasn't in Ivalice, and never would be.

But He isn't the only person who could take her from him . . .

*****

Murond, Holy City. The capital of Glabados Church. It was as beautiful a town and a monastery as any King's castle. Cardinal Romia dwelt here, in the greatest of Churches in all Ivalice. Great stone gates, decorated with banners of silver and white, with great gold gates and black marble floors. Upon the stone road towards those great gold gates was now a young lady, only twenty fives years of age, and already head of the Shrine Knights. Her name was Meliadoul Tingel, the only surviving child of Vormav Tingel, was now in charge of the Shrine Knights of Glabados.

"Who approached the gates of Glabados? By St. Ajora speak now!"

Meliadoul drew herself up, proud and noble in her sacred green robes and matching turban. She drew a pendant from under her breast and held it up, in her other hand was a long, gleaming silver sword.

"Meliadoul Tingel, head of the Shrine Knights, by the will of … St. Ajora … open the gates…"

She had started with such enthusiasm, as she always did, but fell quiet. St. Ajora. Altima. Her father had died "By Ajora's will". She would not. But Murond's gates opened only for Ajora's name. Past the Knights she swept by, and up the black marble floors by the gleaming silver walls. She was on her way to see Cardinal Romia, the head of Glabados.

Finally she reached his study, inside sat the old man. Long gray hair made it's way down his back and from his chin, he was plump and short had eyes of blue fire.

"Meliadoul, maiden and knight, I thank you for your speed."

"Your letter said to make haste. I was nine days away, I arrived in six."

"And I am thankful." He said with a sadistic grin and a gleam in his eyes. "Meliadoul, you are aware of what the former High Priest had done?"

Meliadoul stopped and nodded. Yes, what Romia was not aware of was that she not only knew, but has stopped that plot. But that was known by a few, and he was not one.

"I am sir." She said at length.

"You're not the only one." Romia spoke, turning to the side and staring out of one of the great windows. The sun was setting now, and here too they watched it as it was being done in other places. "Others know. The King for one, and the Archduke Orlandu. But they won't say anything. The government is too unstable for them to say anything bad about the Church… however…"

He paused and turned to her, staring her in the eyes. She stared back, her jade eyes piercing his sapphire ones.

"Olan Durai, the adopted son of Archduke Orlandu… we believed he may pose a problem. I have my eye on him, he's been asking a lot of questions. My spies in the King's court have learned this. Since you are the highest ranking Shrine Knight--"


"I'm not killing anyone." Meliadoul said at once. She knew Olan, she had fought alongside his father, and she would not kill him. "That isn't my job."

"I never since kill him. I am not Funeral or Draculu or Zalmo. I have no attention on killing the Church's enemies. Just remind him that "heretic's" are burnt at steak." He said in a sadistic grin. Meliadoul sighed. She wouldn't kill him. Thought she knew Romia might.

"If that is all?" She said in a 'I'm-leaving-thanks-for-wasting-my-time' voice.

"Not quite." The old Cardinal said as he turned back to the sunset.

A quiet sunset, both he and Meliadoul knew. But neither of them knew or could guess how very, very unquiet it would become soon….

*****

It was a nice place. Not a King's palace. And not a Church. Just a house. But to them it was fine. They didn't need a big place. Beowulf and Reis Kadmus lived here. It was a small ranch house, old, late model, with a nice wide back yard. That was good, because Reis loved her pets almost as much as her husband, and when your pets are Dragons, they need room.

Currently Reis was out back tending to a large red dragon called Reeves, it was her favorite. Beowulf was out with her, his wide eyes scanning her. He loved her, and he loved the dragons she kept. But he was waiting for a child. He wanted one, and had tried to get one. But Reis' time was devoted to her dragons. They were young, and, because of what happened, she had a soft spot for dragons.

He was still a Knight, Beowulf was, but not of the church or the king. He just lived here with Reis and the dragons. No one to answer to but himself. No job to do but take care of her. That was how life was supposed to be. And he was left alone, for the most part, by the world of the King and Church. Save only Malak and Rafa, two friends from the days when they knew Ramza Beoulve, who often stopped by because they had nothing else to do, and enjoyed the company.

"You busy, love?"

The Knight said, approaching his wife and clashing his hands on her shoulders. She was bent over, feeding a handful of something green and smelly to Reeves.

"Not for long."

Came Reis' reply as the dragon's great tongue swept her hand clean of the slime. She withdrew and turned to him with a smile on her face.


"But I think it will have to wait."

Beowulf turned around and saw Malak and Rafa were now here, walking in the dim light of the sunset over the grass, which looked purple in this light. He smiled, delighted to see them, but a bit annoyed none the less.

"Busy?" the Hell Knight asked.

"Extremely." The Temple Knight responded.

"Good." Malak laughed as he and his sister walked towards them, staring at the sunset. A beautiful sunset, but it wouldn't last…

*****

Goug Machine City, since the rise of King Delita the city has changed. Mustadio Bunanza, Head Engineer, and his robot, Worker 8, have revolutionized the city. When the new Black Sheep were founded Delita ordered 500 of the devices Mustadio calls "Guns" built for them. Now all Black Sheep carry a gun with their sword or spear.

Mustadio and his father (And Worker 8) dwell in a wonderful place. A huge dome made of steel and iron to shield their inventions from those who would look at, touch or steal them. Under the protection of Leo Cyneburga and the Black Sheep (who need to keep their "gun" suppliers safe).

The dome is large, bigger than some castles. And made of enough steel and iron to forge a entire armies armor and swords. A impressive site to Goug citizens, but what is more impressive is what is below.

Mustadio has spent five years, since he returned from the Airship Graveyard where he helped defeat St. Ajora in her Altima body with Ramza Beoulve, rebuilding a airship. A new one, better than any the ancients used. Cloud Strife often helps him, having not only seen airships, but ridden on them before. Though most of Cloud's time is spent in the Slums with Aeris.

Now Mustadio was on top of the dome, his father not far away. The two looked up, the sun was now set and the red and orange were fading into blue and black, the stars shining against it like specs of white flames dancing across the feather of a raven.

"It's almost done." Mustadio said to his father, unable to contain his joy any longer. "The airship."

"Oh? I wish I could be more help, but I'm too old to do much of this."

Mustadio nodded and looked back into the sky. His eyes scanning it. One of the stars seamed to be moving. Amazing! He quickly dashed down the stepladder into the dome to get his telescope, which is what saved his life. At that moment the Meteor that he had seen moving struck the top of the dome. There was a explosion of flame and light that could be seen for miles as the great iron dome broke open. Mustadio fell from his ladder and landed on the ground, a great shard of metal falling to his back. His father had still been on the dome when the meteor hit.

"Go! Get the things!"

The voice was high pitched and cold and Mustadio, drifting between awake and asleep, could see shapes moving. Wizards. Black Mages. Knights, perhaps a couple of Lancers. That was what it had been, a magic spell. He realized it now.

Then he fainted, as the sun had done a short time ago. And as Mustadio fainted, so did the peace of Ivalice. For the Mages were members of the heretic cult "Lucavi's Hand". And what was about to happen was worse than any of them could have imagined . . .

*********************

Notes: Well, I tried to spice it up a bit at the end, I promise the next one will be MUCH better. Right now I just wanted to inform you readers what happened since Tactics. Hope it was enjoyed. Chapter 2 should be up tomorrow or the next day, or so I hope.

Review Policy

I love reviews, I could read 'em all day. So if you liked it, just review and I'll respond to you at the beginning of the next chapter or in my notes at the end. If you must flame me, go ahead, but I'll just tell you to "F" off, because I hate flames.

And, if you do take the time to review to my story, remember that note on love from the prologue, maybe you could tell me what couples you as the reader would want to see. I don't know if it will matter at all, because it's my story and I'll use whatever couples I want, but I'd still like to know just to see how popular my choices are.

^_-  G'nite folks!