Misplaced Writings
An FFT Fanfic
Disclaimer: FFT, copyrighted characters, places, names, etc, all property of Square. (I don't need to say this stuff…you guys reading all know the same stuff.) Please R/R, and enjoy! Thanks!
Thanks again to all my reviewers! And I am truly sorry for the wait. It took me forever to think of something new…and it's kinda short too. I spent much of my time recently on school stuff and a Kikyo fic for Inuyasha…I'm a Kikyo fan. So anyway, read, review, and enjoy! ^_^
Chapter 3: Short Stories (from the characters' point of view)
Contents:
*New*
1) In My Dreams [New Version] (Delita/Ovelia)
2) One Cold Night…from Ice to Smiles (Ramza/Agrias)
3) A Cruel Destiny (Miluda/Delita)
In My Dreams
(A short story with Delita and Ovelia)
Day 25 of my incarceration…
I really can't believe it…Delita, the man who kidnapped me so many months ago…it's like he's a changed man. I've heard tidbits and such of his past…seems his sister was killed in the Fort Zeakden incident. Still, I hated him for kidnapping me, but over the past weeks, he's been the only one to treat me as a person, and not just a "thing." Could he really be my knight in shining armor? I…
"Ovelia, are you in there?" a voice called from outside her cell.
Ovelia jumped a bit as she looked nervously toward the door. She hurriedly closed her diary and shoved it under her blankets, along with the small piece of charcoal she used to write with. "Who is it…?" she inquired.
"It's me, Delita," the voice replied. "Can I come in? I brought you some food."
(Delita…? Of all people…did it have to be him, and now?) "S-Sure…" she managed to stutter out between her thoughts, and turned to the door to watch Delita enter her cell, carrying a tray of food and a bundle of something.
"Here you go," he said plainly as he put her food down in front of her. "Please eat," he said forcefully. He set the bundle down beside her and waited.
Ovelia looked over her "meal," which was more or less a piece of old, very stale bread and a bowl of some sort of funny-smelling soup. She stared glumly at it. (My knight…brings me leftovers…) "Why do you people want me here?" she asked him dejectedly. "You said it yourselves; I'm not the real princess…"
"That may be true, but we still need you," Delita said, adjusting his cloak.
"But why, then?" Ovelia turned her head away from the food, and tears began to form in her eyes. "I'm not even nobility…just some commoner look-alike that one of you picked off of the street…I overheard your conversation last night." The warm droplets forming in her eyes began to fall, and they splashed about her blankets, since that was about all that covered her otherwise "undressed" form.
"That may be true, but we are the only ones who know of your true identity. So, therefore," Delita said, turning to Ovelia, "to the rest of Ivalice, you are still the 'princess'…and we need that."
A long silence lingered in the room. Both Ovelia and Delita stared off into nothingness, Ovelia at the floor, and Delita at the small window in the cell, into the night. The tears ran much more fluently now, and as they gently ran down her cheeks, Ovelia stared at the floor. (So this was all a game then…even my knight intends to use me…and then, once they're done with me…) She shook her head at the last thought, not wanting to ponder upon her supposed fate.
"…so, you're going to use me then…" Ovelia whispered, between muffled sobs.
"Yes, they intend to use you." Delita continued to stare at the small hole at the top of her cell, which was her only source of light and fresh air. "And when they are done with you, they will probably dispose of you afterwards, so no one will know of the truth."
(My worst fears confirmed…they'll use me as a…as bait…or worse…and then they'll have my dead body dumped in some alleyway once they no longer need me…) "So why keep me alive then…?" Ovelia asked him accusingly as she stared at the knife on her tray. "Unless you enjoy watching me suffer…which is just cruel." With a stifled cry, Ovelia grabbed the knife on her tray and aimed the point gently at her breast. "Why not just let me die…" (And let my suffering end here, before it gets any worse…)
Delita quickly knocked her knife hand away with his right hand, as he placed his left on her shoulder. He slowly knelt down beside her. "Listen to me, Ovelia. They might not think of you as much, but that is them. I have a different plan in mind for us."
"What do you mean?" Ovelia looked up into his eyes, her own still filled with moist tears. She shifted uncomfortably, since she was wearing only her undergarment and her blanket. (A different plan…? Oh no…don't tell me…)
"I mean, I don't want to see you used and discarded," Delita quietly explained to her. "After they are done with you, I want to take you to a place far away from here, somewhere we can both belong…and a place where you will be a queen."
(What…?) "But you said yourself, I'm just a commoner…peasant 'trash.'" Ovelia stared at the ground again, as more tears splashed upon the cold cell floor. "What could I possibly be worth to you?" (No, he couldn't…I'd never…)
"You're beautiful…just like my younger sister…" Delita quietly mumbled. "You're worth a lot to me. I want you to be my queen."
('Worth'…so that's what he intends…I mean nothing to him…) "So, you'll just use me too…" Ovelia let a single, lonely tear trickle from her cheek. She looked up toward him…her captor, tormentor, and 'knight' all in one…and felt her despairing mind crumble. More silence ensued. (If you really want to help me now, Delita, kill me…please…)
"No, on the contrary, I will not use you." Delita turned to the window again. "I want you to be there beside me, when I get my revenge…when those tables turn…when those who have used us will be used BY us!" Delita soundly but silently declared to Ovelia, and the night sky, as well. "But until that time, my queen, you must eat. Please." He handed her the spoon and retrieved the knife. "You must eat, if you want to live…"
"…but I don't want to live…I hate this." Ovelia grabbed the knife again. "I hate my life…the Church…everything. The lies…the power struggle…I wish it would all end here." She slowly drew the knife up again, and placed the tip of the knife back where it had been just minutes before, at her breast, and smiled wanly. "Please, Delita…let me die. Let me end my suffering." (Please…)
"Had it been any other woman, I might have said yes." Delita turned to Ovelia, and pulled the knife away again. "But you, my dear…I don't want to see your life end this way." He then proceeded to hug her, embracing her shivering form in his arms. "Don't cry, Ovelia. We all suffer now and then…it's part of this misery we call life." He released her, and let her regain some of her composure. "But it passes."
(W-What did he just do…to me…?) Her mind running in circles, she was absolutely stunned. (Since when did I say he could hold me…? But it did feel good…oh, God, what's happening to me…)
Delita broke a few pieces of bread from the stale loaf and put them into her soup. "Please eat, my princess. Your meal's getting cold."
Ovelia looked at the warm knight, with tears still clouding her vision. (Maybe he is my knight in shining armor…the one who will take me to his castle in the far horizon…in a land we can call our own…away from here, and all the bad memories.) She slowly dipped her spoon into the now-cold soup and, scooping up a small chunk of broken bread, took a bite. Its intense and sour flavor made her cringe, and more tears began to return to her eyes, but as Delita urged her on, she ate, if rather slowly. When she was finally full, she looked at Delita, who was smiling.
"You're so beautiful, Ovelia…don't cry. You have a lot you can still live for." He gathered up the tray, and bowing to her, walked toward the door. "Oh, and that bundle is for you. There's a small dress inside…I hope it fits." He exited, almost as quietly as he had come.
Only after the cell door closed again, and Delita had left, did Ovelia pull the diary from under her covers again, and finish writing in her diary.
Beautiful? It's the first time anyone's said that to me… Thank you for everything, Delita. For coming tonight, for being with me as I cried…and for giving me something…someone to live for…thanks. I don't know what my fate will be, but I look forward to that day…when I can finally escape from this prison…and become free. And then, I will…I will be your queen, if you still desire me to be so. It's the least I can do for all your kindness. Thanks for a wonderful night.
Ovelia.
She silently stared at the stars, and smiled, waiting for another such night to come.
One Cold Night…from Ice to Smiles
(A short story with Agrias and Ramza)
Ramza looked out into the darkness. Guard duty, especially night watch, was usually supposed to be nerve-wracking, suspenseful, and kept most people on their toes…but these past few nights, Ramza hadn't seen, heard, or by any other basic sense detected anything out in dark tangle of trees and swamp that made up Sweegy woods. Must be the time of year…the goblins are all hiding in their dens and caves and such…it's just too damn cold.
"Hey, Ramza," a voice called out to him. "Anything out there?"
"No, Mustadio…nothing out here." Ramza looked around again.
"Why do we keep posting mobile night watches then?" Mustadio appeared in front of Ramza, shivering. "It's so friggin' cold out tonight…and there hasn't been a single thing in these woods for the past three days…"
"I'm sorry, Mustadio." Ramza patted his friend on the shoulder, and sighed. "It's just that I've heard a lot of rumors about thefts and such in these woods, particularly about this time of the year…I just want to make sure we don't get jumped by anyone."
"Ahh…it's ok, Ramza." Mustadio tightened the cloak around his body. "It's still so damn cold…let's just go back to the camp."
"Yeah…we should. It's just too friggin' cold out here." The two began to walk back to the camp, silently.
Damn…it's so cold tonight…just like the past two nights. …I know Agrias is going to hit me over the head for this one, but I just have to laugh at it…can't stop thinking that she might be the one causing all of this bad weather. She can be so moody at times…more like all the time. She's rarely talked to anyone, even to Lavian or Alicia, for the past few days…I wonder why?
"…so anyway, Ramza…what do you think of Agrias?" Mustadio asked, breaking the silence.
"Huh?" Startled and surprised, Ramza turned to his friend.
"I mean, what do you think of her?" Mustadio stopped for a moment. "She just seems so cold at times…like now." He chuckled. "Remember the other day, you were telling me how you thought she seemed like an "mistress of ice, incapable of humor or feeling…"
"Hey, hey…Mustadio…not so loud," Ramza chided his friend. Although the weather now really suits her personality… The two friends joked a bit, particularly at Agrias' expense, as they continued along.
***
Meanwhile, back at camp…
It's so cold tonight…
Agrias Oaks woke with a shiver. It was cold at that time of year, just before the snows of winter arrive, but long after the leaves had fallen from the trees. Covered only by a small blanket, Agrias quickly reached over to her bag and pulled out a thick coat. That feels better…at least I'll be a bit warmer. She curled up again and tried to go back to sleep.
However, it would seem that someone didn't want her to fall back into slumber that night. She tossed and turned in her blanket, and only got colder and colder as the winds picked up and blew cold air under her covers. God, damn this wind…it's so friggin' cold…who did I anger to deserve this? She finally gave up on trying to return to sleep, deciding that it was simply too miserable and cold to try. Angry, more or less at the weather, she picked up a small stone and threw it into the darkness. Damn you, stupid wind…I hate you…can't even get some decent rest.
"Ahh!" A voice cried out in the darkness.
Oh, damn…what was that? Agrias looked over in the direction from where the voice came, but saw no one. She reached for her sword, and withdrew it from its scabbard. She looked about sharply. Whoever the hell that was…I'm not taking any chances.
***
As if out of nowhere, a small missile flew and struck Ramza squarely in the head.
"OWW!!!" Ramza shouted as he fell backward into the brush. Owww…god damn, what the hell was that? Beside him, Mustadio drew his gun, looking around into the darkness.
"…yo, Ramza, you alright?" Mustadio quickly and quietly asked his friend.
"…yeah, I guess." Ramza began to get up, still a bit dazed from the stone. "What the hell was that?"
"I have no idea…" Mustadio shook his head.
Damn…if there are goblins in the woods… "We should get back to camp, Mustadio. In case there's goblins about."
"Yeah…I hope not." Mustadio nodded toward the camp. "Let's hurry." Running, at a brisk pace, the two friends hurried toward the camp.
***
Footsteps…from the same direction as the scream…I'd better be ready. Agrias crouched down, and listened for the falls of the feet, the crunch of the leaves. They're close…really close…and they're running… Sword drawn, she quietly began summoning her Stasis Sword. I'll catch them…they won't slip by me…
***
As Mustadio and Ramza entered camp, they were hailed by shards of raining ice.
"Stasis Sword!" a voice shouted from the darkness.
"Whoa!" Ramza shouted as he dashed to the side. God damn…a renegade Holy Knight? This could get dangerous really fast… "Watch out!" he shouted to his friend.
"Got you!" Mustadio shouted as he shot rapidly at the unknown figure.
Meanwhile, Ramza quickly darted right and left, trying his best to avoid the multiple shards of falling ice threatening to cripple him. However, after dodging the first three, the final, and largest one hit him square in the back. He stumbled forward, feeling now colder than ever. God be damned…whoever this Holy Knight is, she's good…wait…that voice…sounds familiar…
***
"Stasis Sword!" Agrias initiated her attack with her charged spell. Upon releasing her first one, the assailants split up, and she continued to pursue the one who darted to the right. She cast Stasis Sword once more, this time making sure that the shards would fall in line with her assailant. After missing again and again, she finally got one to hit. Hah…I've got you now…you'll pay for trying to sneak up on our group… Satisfied that her first opponent was stunned, she then turned to the other, who was firing at her, with considerable accuracy. Managing to somehow avoid or block the majority of his shots up until now, she turned to him, and readied another spell. They'll pay…
***
The unknown assailant, who had already hit Ramza, now turned toward Mustadio, who was still in the process of loading more bullets into his gun. Managing to load but a single bullet, he shot it at the assailant, trusting his aim. "Come on, lucky shot…" he prayed as he fired.
The bullet struck his opponent's sword, managing at least to knock it away.
"Damn…"Mustadio cursed to himself as he charged at his assailant.
Meanwhile, Ramza finally started to move again, as the effects of the stasis wore off. I have to know if it's her… "Agrias!" he shouted out.
As he shouted her name, the Holy Knight slowed. Oh, God…what have I done? Is that…Ramza…?
"Ramza, is that you!?" she shouted back.
The two parties both slowed now, each recognizing the other as allies. Ramza, Mustadio, and Agrias all stared at one another, barely believing the scene they were in. Fortunately, the others had not been stirred by their short battle, and the three gathered around the dull embers of their dying campfire.
"Haha…hoo boy…don't I feel like an idiot now…" Mustadio chided to himself. "I'm just glad the others didn't see that…"
"Yeah…I second that." Ramza chuckled to himself. As he watched Agrias, however, he noticed that she didn't seem to share in their laughter. She just looked more shocked than anything else. The humorless ice maiden…as always…she'd be so much more beautiful if she would just lighten up…
"Don't you find this a bit funny, Agrias?" Mustadio asked the quiet young knight.
"Umm…I don't know…" Agrias turned away. How embarrassing…I ended up fighting my own friends and hurting Ramza…I feel so stupid. I'm nothing but a failure…can't even recognize my own friends in the darkness…
"Hey, Agrias, don't worry about tonight so much, if that's what's been bothering you." Ramza turned back to the darkness. "It sure is cold though…"
"Yeah…" Agrias sighed. "Hey, I'm sorry, guys…I thought you were bandits lurking in the woods…" I know they say not to worry about it, but it's not that simple…people don't forgive and forget so easily…
"Hey, like Ramza said, don't worry about it." Mustadio smiled. "Besides, we all were at fault for starting the fight. It wasn't just you." Mustadio yawned heavily. "Sure takes it out of you, though…you put up one hell of a fight…if you guys don't mind, I'm going to get some rest." Mustadio walked off toward the rest of the sleeping group. "Night, guys."
"Night, Mustadio." Ramza turned to Agrias. "So are you going back to sleep too?"
"I tried earlier…it's just too cold." Agrias shivered. Just too cold…
"Will this help?" Ramza wrapped his cloak around her shivering form.
"Ramza?" Agrias turned to Ramza. "It's alright…I mean, aren't you going to be cold?"
"Yeah, but it's alright." Ramza smiled warmly at her. "Besides, girls tend to be a bit colder than guys anyhow, so don't worry about it."
"Thanks…" Why is he being so nice to me, especially after I hit him with my Stasis Sword…? Does that mean he really forgives me then? He makes me so happy…in the strangest of ways… "I feel a lot warmer now, thanks."
"You know, you should smile more." Ramza looked up at the stars. "Your smile…it's really beautiful…reminds me so much of Alma." He placed his arm around her shoulders. "So please, Agrias…smile. Smile for anything you can think of that's good in your life."
Smile…? But…how can I smile? It just seems so…not me. "…umm…Ramza…how do you…smile so easily?" Agrias looked up intently into his eyes. "How…what makes it so easy for you…?"
"Well…uhh…" What is Agrias thinking? Can she really be serious? I thought everyone knew how to smile… "…well, what makes you happy? Can you remember anything that would make you smile?"
If it's really that simple, just to think happy thoughts… "Umm…like this?" Agrias asked as she attempted a smile. "Is this right…?"
"Yeah, you're getting it. You know how people look when they're happy, right?" Ramza pointed to the corners of his mouth. "It's all right here…draw them out wide, and if you do it right, your cheeks will feel a little puffy."
Oh, God…this is so embarrassing…I feel like an idiot doing this… "Like thi-"
"No, no, Agrias. You're thinking too hard about it." Ramza put his warm hands upon her cheeks. "Just relax, first. Get a happy thought into your mind, and just smile." Ramza put a big smile on his face.
Alright…just think happy thoughts…maybe like the dream I had the other night…yes, like that dream. Just the two of us sitting on those grassy hills, eating sandwiches I didn't even know I could make…and the way he seemed to enjoy it all so very much…that made me happy… While staring out into the darkness, a quiet smile drew across Agrias' face.
"Just like that!" Ramza exclaimed, startling Agrias and drawing her out of her reverie. "Oh, no, hey…I didn't mean for you to stop smiling…your smile just looked so natural then…so wonderful." I wish she'd smile like that all of the time…she'd easily pass for a princess in disguise if she'd just smile like that once a day…
"Wow…was I really smiling…?" Agrias shook her head. "It sure didn't feel like I was…"
"Yeah, well, most people don't really notice whether they're smiling or not most of the time. It mostly reflects the feelings and thoughts of the person; so if they're happy, they smile." Or something like that…
Wow…I can actually smile! Feels weird though…as if my face remembers how to smile, but simply refuses to do so now…thanks, Ramza. "Hey, Ramza…thanks for everything tonight…" she finally said, trying her best to put a smile on her face. This 'smiling' thing made me more tired than that short battle…
She must be tired…she probably doesn't even realize that she's sleeping so close to me…ahh well…who am I to complain…
"Good night, Ramza."
"You too, Agrias." And sleep well…so you can smile more tomorrow…
A Cruel Destiny
(A story about Miluda and Delita)
Lenalia Plateau. In the early hours of a single spring morning every year, a flower which almost no one knows exists suddenly blooms there, sad and quiet. For but an hour, its petals dance upon the morning dew, blow in the cool morning winds, petals of red and purple swaying gracefully in the light. And just like that, its life is over; short, beautiful, and sincere. The flower dies, its petals scattering before anyone can see its solemn beauty. I only know of its existence because of one particular morning.
That morning, I remember like it was yesterday. Just before our battle with Miluda, I spotted such a flower hiding by a small cliff. I went to watch it, seeing the crimson and lavender petals waver in the morning's breeze. It was about the time at which the flower's colors dispersed, that Miluda had chosen to bring a patrol of the Death Corps straight upon our path. Delita, Amy, Brett, Partha, Chris and I went to meet them. Both sides fought with vigor and courage; I myself went with Delita to attempt to take Miluda out early. I went first, charging in quite foolishly with my Long Sword drawn. I took a wide swing toward her right, which she easily parried, and knocked me far to the side. Delita fared far better than I had; swinging first high and then low, he caught her off guard and managed to strike hard and break her shield. However, as the two exchanged blows, I could see that, however slowly, Delita was starting to falter. It was probably because Miluda lived and struggled against the world around her constantly, that she was so much stronger. Hoping for a lucky break, I finally managed to gather enough courage to grab my dagger and charge her from the side.
Those next few moments seemed so slow. I got to her side, tackled her down, and as I went flying over her, she dropped her sword; at that time, Delita, after expertly disposing of her weapon, took a swing down upon her, which she just barely managed to avoid, rolling to her left, and into me. We struggled for what seemed to be an eternity, her angry, pained face forever etched into my mind. When she managed to wrench my dagger from my hand, I thought it was all over…until Delita brought a crushing blow down upon her back. It tore through her armor, and she screamed as she struggled for a breath. Losing her strength, she fell flat against my chest, and the battle was over. Her remaining soldiers fled, and she fell to my side and rolled onto her back.
"…heh…" she managed through her pain.
"Why did you fight?" I asked her. "You wouldn't have suffered like this if you had simply surrendered to us earlier." As I waited, she simply turned her head to the side, letting some of the reddish liquid in her mouth spill out.
"…How can we blame her?" Delita asked as he knelt beside us. "No noble ever showed her kindness…compassion, or even respect. She has every right to be angry with us."
"Still…I wish it didn't have to come to this…" I sighed as I pulled out a water bottle. I poured some onto a cloth and tried to wipe whatever blood I could from her face.
"…I…kind of w-wish…cough…that there were more nobles like you two…" she whispered. "At…at l-least…you feel pain…r-remorse…" She continued to spit up more of her blood as she tried to talk.
"Miluda…" I sat up, and took an old shirt out of my battle pack, which miraculously stayed on my back during the entire encounter. I rolled it up and put it under her head.
"…you…dream of a place…cough…which isn't…real…cough…" Tears came to her eyes, and she spit more of her blood out onto the already crimson grass. "B-but at least…at least you…c-care."
She attempted a sort of smile, which looked really pitiful, with all of the blood and pain twisting the intended expression.
"I'm sorry, Miluda…" Delita brushed some of the blood-matted hair from her face. "Does it still hurt a lot?"
"…heh…not really." Miluda threw up a bit more of the blood. "I'm almost dead anyway…b-but…at least it's getting…easier to talk…"
"Sometimes, I hate my status, my rank." Delita looked down at the ground. "I mean, if you had only been a noble too…and a fine one you would have been…"
"Don't say…that." Miluda scoffed. "Nobles…they all deserve to burn. But…you…it's almost…almost as if you were born poor…like us."
"Funny you should say that…because my father wanted the same humility for both of us." I proceeded to remove Miluda's armor, at which point she flailed her left hand at me.
"It's alright. I…used to sleep…in this often." Miluda smiled as best she could, even with blood trickling from her mouth. "You know…this world would…be so much better…with nobles like you…" She let a little more blood trickle from her mouth. "…heh…amazing what…we commoners…can do…on the verge of death…"
"Don't say that…please. Algus may think so, but we don't feel there's much difference between commoners and nobles." I put another wet cloth on her head, and began wiping blood away from her now-broken breastplate. "Are you sure you don't want this off?"
"Yeah…it's alright." Her breathing became shallower, and she closed her eyes. "If…you two wouldn't…mind, could…I say something to Delita?"
"Yeah, sure." I grabbed my pack, but left the water and the towels, and headed down the hill to talk to the others.
About ten minutes later, Delita came down also, carrying the dead knight's body in his arms. I had no idea then what she might have said to him, but he told me the whole story sometime later. I guess it was better that I hadn't been there to hear it; love confessions are supposed to be private, after all. Miluda really liked Delita; maybe for his down-to-earth views, which unlike mine, were far more realistic, or just because it was him. I don't know for sure, but he did want me to tell Wiegraf for her that she was sorry. To this day, that flower still blooms there. It stands as the only marker to the grave of a brave knight, whose name history has all but forgotten. Its crimson-colored petals still show the sadness of a maiden who died there so many years ago.
Sorry for the EXTREMELY long wait. I know most of my readers probably gave up on this one…but for all you new ones, please read, review and enjoy! And for those old reviewers still reading my stuff, thanks a whole bunch! ^_^