Chapter 13
Written By Illuminet
Disclaimer: Most (if not all) of the characters appearing within this story do not belong to me, but rather, are creations of the brilliant minds within Square Soft/Square Enix. I make no claim over any of them.
"..."-Indicate Speech
'...'-Indicate Thought
------
Outskirts of Bakuba, A Lawless Territory
All of Clan Ruglia gathered by the fire. The area they decided to come to was a region not watched over by the Laws of the rest of Ivalice. No Judges came here to witness Engages, and the battlefields were free of any of their interference.
"Are you feeling better, Marche, kupo?"
Montblanc asked Marche as the heavily beaten young man laid on the side of his tent. Marche nodded, but the effort looked pretty hard. The last Divine Beast had really done a number on Marche, and even more so to his clothing and weapon. Marche was only covered in a thick blanket, while underneath he had no under garments.
"We have to get him some more clothes. Maybe we should start buying them in bulk rather than one at a time."
Mustadio said as he picked at the fire to keep it going. Everyone nodded at this. It wasn't a bad idea considering Marche had gone through three pieces of clothing while the rest still were able to wear their first sets of battle clothing. Few of the clan members needed little more than sewing up tears in their uniforms occasionally, and a lot of cleaning.
"Tell me, Montblanc, one of your relatives live around this area, yes?"
Marche asked as he turned his head to his Moogle companion. Montblanc nodded.
"Yes Marche, kupo. We also have to visit my black smith relatives to get your sword fixed again, kupo."
Montblanc said. His words made Marche think about the three broken pieces of his blade that resided in his tent.
'Just like my sword, I won't be able to do battle for quite a while. The Divine Beasts are amazingly powerful, to say the least. I wonder what the next one has in store for me...'
"When do we reach your relative?"
Marche asked.
"Should be by tomorrow, Marche, kupo."
"Alright. I'm going to bed now."
Marche got up very slowly, so as not to agitate his wounds. It would be very unwise to cause himself more harm, that much he knew.
------
Bakuba, the next day
Marche traveled in the center of his clan, riding Boco. Being out of commission with his injuries, plus without any protective clothing, he would simply be a burden. Because of the lawlessness in the area, the entire clan decided that they should tread carefully and protect their leader by keeping him in the center. Engage did not exist in this part of Ivalice so there were no rules to the amount of opponents to be met on a battlefield. Marche found himself sighing comfortably.
'I probably should be afraid of being in lawless territory, but I can't. I'm reminded of the Ivalice of old...'
Marche's thoughts were interrupted as Montblanc flew beside him and Boco.
"We should be there real soon, kupo. After we secure you, we'll go shopping for some clothing and I'll get the black smiths to re-forge your sword, kupo."
"Thanks Montblanc."
------
Bakuba, Nono's place
"Kupo! Montblanc, kupo!"
A Moogle with large goggles on his forehead came running up to Marche and Montblanc. Montblanc grinned excitedly as the two Moogles hugged each other.
"Nono! It's been ages since I've seen you, kupo. You look good, kupo."
Montblanc said to the slightly shorter Nono. Nono shook his head vigorously.
"Well, good is something I'm not at the moment, kupo. It was so awful I could cry, kupo..."
Nono stated sadly. He really did look to be on the verge of crying. Montblanc looked at him seriously.
"Something happened?"
Marche interjected before Montblanc could speak. Nono looked up at Marche as if seeing him for the first time.
"Hey big brother, who's he, kupo?"
"The leader of the Clan Ruglia and friend, Marche Radiuju, kupo. Marche I should introduce you too. This is Nono, my younger brother, kupo."
"Pleasure to meet you, Nono."
"No, it's a pleasure to meet you, kupo."
"Thanks. So, why not finish your story?"
"Oh yeah, kupo. Marche, big brother, it was a hit and run accident, kupo."
Nono said in exasperation. Marche raised an eyebrow.
"Hit and run...of what?"
"Nono is an engineer apprentice and has been working on an air ship for a while, kupo. It's his one and only dream to make one, kupo."
Montblanc explained. Marche nodded slowly.
"So he completed it but got it stolen, huh?"
'Nono and Mustadio would get along so well. To bad the air ship isn't here for Mustadio to inspect...'
Marche thought. He was a bit surprised, as the only air ships he ever saw were remnants of old air ships from the age of Ajora in Murond Death City, in his old life. No one in the original Ivalice, not even the engineer geniuses at Goug, had the full knowledge to construct one.
"Me and my team were going to christen it for it's first voyage, kupo. But then those thieves at the Dolusa Yakuto stole it, after I had worked so hard on it day in and day out, kupo."
"If you know where they come from, why not just fight your way back to it?"
Marche asked. Montblanc shook his head.
"Dolusa Yakuto is a lawless territory swarming with so many powerful clans that it would be impossible, kupo. Remember what I told you about this place, kupo. Without Laws to govern this place, things won't be so simple, kupo. Besides, you won't be much help, I'm afraid, kupo."
"I agree, Montblanc. I'll still go to this Dolusa Yakuto anyway. I won't be doing any fighting but I'll make sure Boco helps out. We can't leave your brother in the state he's in."
Marche said with forceful determination that kept Montblanc from saying differently.
"Alright, Marche, but let Boco do most of the fighting for you, okay, kupo."
Montblanc said. Nono looked very pleased.
"Thanks a lot big brother. I'm sorry to be swaying your objectives elsewhere for me, Marche, kupo."
Nono said apologetically. Marche shook his head.
"Don't worry about it, Nono. I know what it's like to have a younger brother in need of assistance, so just leave everything to us, okay? I'm not about to let people bully others just because they can."
------
Nearing the Dolusa Yakuto
"They didn't have extras, huh?"
Marche asked as he looked at his new sweater. It looked to be an amethyst violet color.
'It's the same color as that armor I used to have..'
Marche thought. A lot of things have been starting to remind him of the old Ivalice lately since coming into the lawless territory of the new Ivalice.
"Yeah, that was the last one. Better than nothing, I guess."
Rooty replied. They began getting closer and closer to the land known as Dolusa Yakuto. Montblanc flew close to Marche.
"Remember what I told you about this place, Marche, kupo. Our clan can really get killed since there won't be any Judges to revive us. You, of all of us, should be the most careful, kupo."
Marche nodded as he heard Montblanc's words. He hadn't forgotten any of it. He soon stopped with rest of the clan when the reached a small clearing in the wilderness of hills.
"Someone's here..."
Marche warned as he narrowed his eyes and looked around. His clan already withdrew their weapons ready for an oncoming battle. A Ninja stepped forth from some of the bushes.
"I don't know why your here, but it's best to turn and leave if you don't want to be killed."
The Ninja said bluntly as he withdrew two short swords from his belt. Marche shook his head.
"I can't do that. You see, me and my clan are here to do away with the ones who stole our friend's air ship."
"Oh, so your a friend of that Moogle, Nono. That explains things more clearly..."
The Ninja whistled shrilly, alerting more Ninjas to come out of hiding.
"Looks like where surrounded..."
Mustadio said, looking bored.
"Your probably right."
Cloud said as he let his blue eyes scan the wilderness around them. The Ninja leader stepped closer towards the clan.
"Enough of this chatter. Let's begin."
With that, the Ninjas swarmed all around the clan, closing in. Not wanting to fight up close, Mustadio already began firing his gun. Everyone else had to battle close up. The Ninjas attacks were quick and graceful as they manipulated their swords to fly through the air. Cloud brought up his giant blade to defend himself, as metal met metal. Cloud countered the Ninjas attacks with a wide swing after the attack came. Most of the enemies got by the giant weapon, but a couple were slashed cleanly in two. Worker No. 8 protected Hedges with his tough body as swords deflected harmlessly of his armor. Hedges struck out more with a potent Blizzaga spell. Any Ninja that survived was picked off by Celine or Rooty as they slashed through the weak Ninjas. Victory, though slow, was still able to keep himself protected from deep wounds thanks to his scaled hide. Any Ninja foolish enough to draw near would be grabbed as quickly as possible and get their neck broken.
"Wark!"
Boco also strode into the action, trampling over Ninjas or kicking them around as they were being occupied by Clan Ruglia. Montblanc stayed close to Marche and Boco, making sure that Marche would stay on. For some reason that perplexed Montblanc was that Marche never put a harness or reins on Boco, so he was very highly susceptible to falling off Boco. Since the close range approach was not working for the Ninjas, they started throwing shurikens from afar.
"Oh crap..."
Mustadio muttered as he dove out of the way of flying shurikens that landed where he used to be. He got behind Worker No. 8 for protection, as the tough metal hide kept Mustadio and Hedges safe. Cloud drove his sword in the ground and hid behind it, cursing as the side of his cape was snagged by the flying projectiles.
"Oh no, we have to take cover!"
Rooty yelled as he grabbed Celine's hand and made a mad dash for Worker No. 8. Victory decided to take cover with Cloud. That left Marche, Boco, and the flying Montblanc. All of the Ninja's attention turned to them.
"KUPOOO!!"
Montblanc was grabbed rather roughly by Marche as he held tightly to Boco's neck, making sure he would not lose balance as the Chocobo evaded the shurikens with ease. Before long the Ninjas ceased their long range assault.
"Did they run out?"
Mustadio asked himself as he was about to peek around Worker No. 8, however shadows streaked across his vision.
"You guys look out, they're right on top of you!"
Marche warned as he saw the Ninjas jump high into the air over Worker No. 8 and Cloud's Buster Sword. The Ninjas let loose a flurry of shurikens at the now unguarded party. Everyone closed their eyes and waited for the inevitable. However, that inevitable never came. The sound of shurikens clanged against the ground was all that could be heard. Cloud cracked open one eye to see the Ninjas with a dumbfounded look in their eyes as they touched ground.
"What just happened...?"
A Ninja asked as he scratched the back of his head. Another Ninja threw a stray shuriken towards Mustadio and Hedges location. The shuriken was deflected by a shield of blue light. Everyone's eyes widened in amazement. Boco simply warked and got their attention, indicating he had erected a barrier of some sort to protect the party as he flapped his wings . Cloud wasted no time in standing up and grabbing his cape forcefully and tearing it free from the shurikens before uplifting his sword from the ground.
"I'm getting tired of this..."
Cloud muttered before bringing the sword behind him. All of Clan Ruglia got behind Cloud as a spark emitted from his sword, and then Cloud spun in a complete circle, before hurling a giant tornado at the Ninjas. They were all swept away to parts unknown.
"Well, I'm glad that's over, right Montblanc?"
Marche asked as he turned towards the Moogle he was still holding onto.
"Kupooo..."
Montblanc had swirls in his eyes as he wiggled in a confused daze. Marche scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Oh well. I can apologize later. Let's get that air ship back to Nono, shall we?"
------
Bakuba, Nono's place
"Marche, you've come back safely, kupo! Then that means you guys got the air ship back, right, kupo?"
Nono asked. Montblanc sighed.
"Sorry, Nono, kupo. Although we found the air ship, I think it will need some repairing, kupo. Here, we'll give you money to repair it, kupo."
"But big brother...I can't accept gil from you, kupo. It..."
Nono began before being interrupted by Marche.
"Don't worry, we have plenty gil with us, so don't worry about a thing."
Marche said. Nono nodded happily.
"Thank you, Marche, kupo. I owe you and your clan a lot, kupo. Once this airship is complete I can really start paying that debt off by turning this air ship into a trading air ship, kupo."
"Your ship's kind of small though, compared to a typical one, right?"
Marche asked. He got wide eyed looks from Nono and Montblanc.
"A typical one, kupo? You've seen ones bigger than this, kupo?"
Nono asked with great curiosity. Marche mentally kicked himself for his last remark.
'That's right...Nono's air ship is incredibly small compared the one's in the Graveyard of air ships back in Murond...I already said it, what do I do?'
"Oh...well you see Nono, I'm not from around here. Where I come from, there are these giant things called airplanes which fly through the air and serve as transportation for people and luggage. Your ship seems kind of small, no offense or anything, of course...it's just..."
"So basically an airplane is like an air ship, only bigger, kupo?"
Nono asked with an odd twinkling in his eyes. Marche nodded.
"Yeah, you could say that."
"I see, kupo. I don't have the funds to try and construct a large one right now, but I will definitely thing about it in the near future, kupo. Right now, I'll trade on a small scale and be the first to notify you, Marche, kupo."
Nono said. Marche smiled.
"Alright thanks, I'll be waiting."
"When the ship is up and running, I'll probably have to give you your re-forge sword, kupo. It will be a little while, kupo."
Nono said. Marche wasn't really worried, since Boco would probably be fighting for him for a while.
------
Outskirts of Bakuba, Clan Ruglia house
Thanks to Montblanc's Moogle connections, Clan Ruglia decided to stay at a house offered to them for a few months. Since they were pretty far away from the rest of Ivalice's Law influence, Nono would sometimes bring new propositions for the clan from other bars he traveled since he got his air ship running and Marche's sword returned. The house was large, but fairly simple. There was nothing fancy, and it was located in a peaceful area of Bakuba, so bandits and thieves were not much of a problem.
"Hey Marche, looks like a bounty hunt is starting, kupo. It was offered by the palace, and there's a lot of gil in it, kupo."
Marche looked at Montblanc. Luckily he healed nicely over the months of rest he needed. His voice no longer held any strain of pain on it, which Montblanc took to be a good sign.
"So who's the bounty?"
Marche asked curiously. Montblanc sighed.
"Not sure, the paper said that Clan Ox has the information, kupo. Funny thing is, Clan Ox doesn't have a set location sited for it in the paper, kupo."
Montblanc said while handing Marche the mission paper. Marche scanned it quickly, and his eye brows knitted in slight worry.
"That's strange. First they don't say who the bounty is, then they don't tell where the very clan that has the information is either. We might have to do some tracking around back in the Lawful Ivalice. This would be a lot of gil to pass up."
------
Road to Cadoan
"You wouldn't happen to be the Ox Clan, would you?"
Marche asked as he passed by a small clan like his own. The leader, a Paladin eyed Marche oddly.
"Yes, we are. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Yeah, actually. I want to be briefed about the bounty. Under the Palace's order, you are the clan entrusted with that information and wanted at least one more clan to enlist with you, so..."
Marche explained. The odd way he was looked at didn't go unnoticed. The Paladin cleared his throat before speaking.
"I see, as I thought...your description matches the one as the tipster. Plus your a famous clan. Your Marche, right? Of Clan Ruglia?"
The Paladin stated. Marche narrowed his eyes. Something didn't feel right.
"A tipster, you said...wait...we're the bounty, aren't we?"
Marche asked, knowing the answer. He felt sick to his stomach.
'Such as simple trick they pulled off and I fell for it...regardless, they aren't that powerful, that much I can feel...so they shouldn't be too bad, but I won't underestimate them...'
The Paladin smirked as he drew his sword and aimed at Marche.
"The most famous Clan to ever exist so far has become nothing more than a bane to the Prince's very existence. Let's go everyone, this bounty is ours for sure."
The Paladin said, boosting his clans morale. Marche narrowed his eyes as he brought forth his own sword.
"You'll not have us that easily."
Marche stated calmly.
"I wasn't expecting us to. Your Clan is very powerful after all, but here's the trump card. ENGAGE!!"
The Judge appeared after those words were spoken by the Paladin. He proceeded to take out a red card from his cape.
"All abilities, either physical and magical, cannot be used by the Ruglia clan. The clan cannot escape battle either. Any attempt at any of these will result in immediate going to prison even without the battle's end. Let this engage begin."
The Judges stated.
"We were so close to Ezel's shop for some Anti-Laws, too, kupo."
Montblanc stated. Marche cursed softly.
'I still can't believe I fell into an obvious trap...'
"Montblanc, Celine, Rooty, Victory and Hedges your with me. Cloud, Mustadio, and Worker No. 8, you know were to go. Go get HIM and tell HIM it's important."
Marche ordered softly. They obliged before taking off for the direction of Cadoan City. The Paladin looked to his troops.
"Alright, we can get those other three later. Concentrate on the leader since he won't be able to retaliate."
Marche looked over at the Clan members the Paladin was addressing: A Sage, White Mage, Black Mage and a Time Mage, plus the Paladin himself.
'The Paladin is the only physical fighter. He and the White Mage would normally be my first targets since they could revive fallen allies on their side. The Time Mage could very well be my undoing if I'm taken by a Slow or Stop Spell, and the Black Mage attacks from afar with the elements. With the Judges Law so in their favor, the Paladin had taken the basic group necessary for combat...'
Marche's thoughts were interrupted as the Paladin advanced on him with his sword raised high. The rest of the Ox Clan were too far away to be of any use for the time being until they decided to get closer to use their spells. When the Paladin reached Marche and slashed vertically downward, Marche jumped to the side and rolled along the ground so he was further away from the Paladin.
"Everyone, all we can do is evade since we can't run away. This is a battle of time, so don't any of you attack."
Marche ordered. He decided to try and keep the Paladin busy while the rest of his clan bided with the rest of the enemies some way. Hedges took on the Time Mage since he had the mental discipline to prevent any Time Spells from taking hold of him. The White Mage would pose little threat in the situation, so the rest of the clan went for the Black Mage. Whenever he would cast a spell, they would evade it as best they could.
"Hold still Marche, and this will be much quicker."
The Paladin said as he made for a vertical strike, which Marche simply ducked under before jumping all the way over the Paladin with a front flip. Once he was on the other side, the Paladin swung behind him with another slash, but Marche already jumped back out of harms way.
'Hurry up and get Ezel...'
Marche though as he side stepped another attack. The engage continued for quite a while longer with everything pretty much the same. Marche was wearing out the Paladin, who had only got a lucky strike and struck Marche's swords free from his hands to clatter to the ground with a bang, before advancing quickly to make sure Marche didn't retrieve it. Marche, however was even faster now that the familiar weight was gone. The Black Mage and Time Mage ran out of magical power but were lucky as the Clan Ruglia could not fight them at their most vulnerable. Unfortunately, the White Mage already had hi-ethers to restore their former power and they were on their way of using Spells once more.
"Just...give...up..."
The Paladin breathed heavily, getting tired of swinging his own heavy sword at Marche and missing. Marche breathed quietly, and although he too was tired, it was not nearly as much as the Paladin. He smirked.
"I told you it wouldn't be easy."
Marche said, still smirking at the Paladin.
"Well if it isn't The Infamous One."
A new voice was heard. Marche looked around before his eyes zeroed in on Ezel. The Nu Mou brought forth a blue card and left the battlefield awashed in the ever familiar light that broke the Law of the Judges.
"Nows it's your turn, Infamous One."
Ezel said calmly. Marche decided to ask him about the odd nick name later. He turned to a very stunned looking Paladin.
"Lights out."
Marche stated. before grabbing the Paladin's shirt and reeling his fist back, before striking the Paladin into darkness as he fell to the ground. Marche turned to the rest of his clan, who already made short work against the physically weak group of the opposing clan.
"Damn it, why did Ezel have to be here."
Muttered the Judge, before teleporting away, knowing that the Anti-Laws prevented his capture.
"Well Infamous One, seems you survived yet another battle."
Ezel stated calmly. Marche smiled.
"Thanks to you Ezel. I'm glad we were so close to Cadoan."
Marche stated. Ezel smirked.
"Of course you survived easily with me as a friend. Still, I'm a bit disappointed how your bounty got to be twice as high as mine. What made them give you such a big bounty anyway?"
"Most likely because they figured out I was a threat to the Prince's existence. I've destroyed three Crystals so far. If I'm right, since the Crystals all correspond to a certain tribe, there should be two more to deal with. I have no clue where to begin, of course. So Ezel, how have things been with you?"
"Well, to be honest I feel like a free Nu Mou. All attention has turned on your trail, Marche. Mine and every other bounty as well have all been postponed. Everyone wants first dibs on you. While you were gone off the face of Ivalice for a while, clans have been harassed by Judges and anyone fitting your description even just a little bit is being imprisoned. Since you weren't able to be found, they've finally set their sites on the Law less Bakuba region. If they make Laws effective there, It will be easier to catch you. So what are you going to do?"
Ezel finally asked after their long talk. Marche digested the information and decided on what the best course of action would be.
"Looks like we'll be heading towards Bakuba again. I don't want other Clans to suffer simply because I'm being hunted. Thanks for saving us Ezel, I'll repay you for it, but first, I have some Clans to release."
"Don't worry about repaying me, just go on and get to the saving, and take these decks of Anti-Law cards with you, on the house."
"Are you sure?"
"Don't worry, you save my life and I'll save yours Just be sure to keep your path on the straight and narrow as I have. Well until then, see ya."
Were Ezel's final words before he departed for Cadoan. Marche turned to his clan.
"Let's go."
------
Royal Court of Ivalice
"Why haven't you captured them yet? WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG?!"
Mewt ordered of Cid darkly. Cid cringed.
"Please, my son, we are frantically searching for him as best we can."
"But it's not fast enough, Papa. If he destroys the Crystals, he destroys my world. You must hurry. Your the Highest Judge here, no one is stronger, Papa..."
At that instance Babus made himself known to save Cid from Mewt's onslaught of words.
"Please your Highness, Judge Master Cid will definitely capture him in time, but you must be patient. I know you worry for Ivalice's safety greatly, but you must stay calm."
"Yes, my son, please. We are leaving no stone unturned in trying to bring this criminal to justice."
"Where's Mama?"
Mewt suddenly asked.
"I'll get her for you."
Babus announced as he left the room. Cid took his leave shortly after.
"Mama...where are you? Marche wants to hurt me now. Please help me. HELP ME!!"
Mewt screamed as his voice echoed. Even if he was a grown man now, being without a mother made him feel like the little boy he still was in reality. He badly wanted those feelings to go away, but Marche was simply making him relive them.
"Why Marche? I thought we would be good friends...why are you doing this? What is your motive?"
------
Remedi's room
"The Prince has asked for you, your Highness."
Babus said. The Queen nodded curtly.
"I will be there in a little bit. Thank you for telling me, Babus."
"Of course, your Highness. By your leave."
Once Babus exited, Remedi returned to her deep thoughts.
'Babus was unsuccessful in finding out the weaknesses of Marche Radiuju. He has proven to be very powerful, so I must use the trump card, it seems...'
------
Hidden Chamber
"Soon, my creation. Soon you will walk Ivalice and put an end to the one called Marche Radiuju. I have the perfect essence to fill you with. You'll have the power that the Divine Beasts don't have, and when you crush Marche Radiuju, my son's world will be perfect."
Remedi said. She looked on at a giant transparent cylinder. A young man with a striking resemblance to Mewt greeted her. He looked to be asleep as he floated within the center.
"Very soon now..."
She chanted as she stared at the young man. The very room she was in was the very one that all Divine Beast, or the Totema, were born in. Since it seemed no normal Divine Beast would be able to take Marche down, this final creation would soon be put to the test. Yes, very, very soon.
***TBC***
Author's Note: Well here's the thirteenth chapter. I'm sure all you readers who have played Final Fantasy Tactics Advance are already aware that the scenes where Marche meets Ezel, and Mewt has a conversation with his dad don't actually come yet until Marche meets Ritz and they fight along side each other and then have a long conversation before departing again. That will come up in the next chapter. Anyway, I'm sure your all aware of who Remedi was talking to, huh? Well, thanks for the feedback from reviews. I'm glad your all still entertained, considering pulling off a novelization plus a cross over can get pretty hard, too. Anyway, still a lot of chapters left until this story is finished. I've already have a pretty good inkling to what my extra epilogue will look like and I have a feeling readers will be pleasantly surprised when we finally reach it. Until then, stay healthy, readers.
Written By Illuminet
Disclaimer: Most (if not all) of the characters appearing within this story do not belong to me, but rather, are creations of the brilliant minds within Square Soft/Square Enix. I make no claim over any of them.
"..."-Indicate Speech
'...'-Indicate Thought
------
Outskirts of Bakuba, A Lawless Territory
All of Clan Ruglia gathered by the fire. The area they decided to come to was a region not watched over by the Laws of the rest of Ivalice. No Judges came here to witness Engages, and the battlefields were free of any of their interference.
"Are you feeling better, Marche, kupo?"
Montblanc asked Marche as the heavily beaten young man laid on the side of his tent. Marche nodded, but the effort looked pretty hard. The last Divine Beast had really done a number on Marche, and even more so to his clothing and weapon. Marche was only covered in a thick blanket, while underneath he had no under garments.
"We have to get him some more clothes. Maybe we should start buying them in bulk rather than one at a time."
Mustadio said as he picked at the fire to keep it going. Everyone nodded at this. It wasn't a bad idea considering Marche had gone through three pieces of clothing while the rest still were able to wear their first sets of battle clothing. Few of the clan members needed little more than sewing up tears in their uniforms occasionally, and a lot of cleaning.
"Tell me, Montblanc, one of your relatives live around this area, yes?"
Marche asked as he turned his head to his Moogle companion. Montblanc nodded.
"Yes Marche, kupo. We also have to visit my black smith relatives to get your sword fixed again, kupo."
Montblanc said. His words made Marche think about the three broken pieces of his blade that resided in his tent.
'Just like my sword, I won't be able to do battle for quite a while. The Divine Beasts are amazingly powerful, to say the least. I wonder what the next one has in store for me...'
"When do we reach your relative?"
Marche asked.
"Should be by tomorrow, Marche, kupo."
"Alright. I'm going to bed now."
Marche got up very slowly, so as not to agitate his wounds. It would be very unwise to cause himself more harm, that much he knew.
------
Bakuba, the next day
Marche traveled in the center of his clan, riding Boco. Being out of commission with his injuries, plus without any protective clothing, he would simply be a burden. Because of the lawlessness in the area, the entire clan decided that they should tread carefully and protect their leader by keeping him in the center. Engage did not exist in this part of Ivalice so there were no rules to the amount of opponents to be met on a battlefield. Marche found himself sighing comfortably.
'I probably should be afraid of being in lawless territory, but I can't. I'm reminded of the Ivalice of old...'
Marche's thoughts were interrupted as Montblanc flew beside him and Boco.
"We should be there real soon, kupo. After we secure you, we'll go shopping for some clothing and I'll get the black smiths to re-forge your sword, kupo."
"Thanks Montblanc."
------
Bakuba, Nono's place
"Kupo! Montblanc, kupo!"
A Moogle with large goggles on his forehead came running up to Marche and Montblanc. Montblanc grinned excitedly as the two Moogles hugged each other.
"Nono! It's been ages since I've seen you, kupo. You look good, kupo."
Montblanc said to the slightly shorter Nono. Nono shook his head vigorously.
"Well, good is something I'm not at the moment, kupo. It was so awful I could cry, kupo..."
Nono stated sadly. He really did look to be on the verge of crying. Montblanc looked at him seriously.
"Something happened?"
Marche interjected before Montblanc could speak. Nono looked up at Marche as if seeing him for the first time.
"Hey big brother, who's he, kupo?"
"The leader of the Clan Ruglia and friend, Marche Radiuju, kupo. Marche I should introduce you too. This is Nono, my younger brother, kupo."
"Pleasure to meet you, Nono."
"No, it's a pleasure to meet you, kupo."
"Thanks. So, why not finish your story?"
"Oh yeah, kupo. Marche, big brother, it was a hit and run accident, kupo."
Nono said in exasperation. Marche raised an eyebrow.
"Hit and run...of what?"
"Nono is an engineer apprentice and has been working on an air ship for a while, kupo. It's his one and only dream to make one, kupo."
Montblanc explained. Marche nodded slowly.
"So he completed it but got it stolen, huh?"
'Nono and Mustadio would get along so well. To bad the air ship isn't here for Mustadio to inspect...'
Marche thought. He was a bit surprised, as the only air ships he ever saw were remnants of old air ships from the age of Ajora in Murond Death City, in his old life. No one in the original Ivalice, not even the engineer geniuses at Goug, had the full knowledge to construct one.
"Me and my team were going to christen it for it's first voyage, kupo. But then those thieves at the Dolusa Yakuto stole it, after I had worked so hard on it day in and day out, kupo."
"If you know where they come from, why not just fight your way back to it?"
Marche asked. Montblanc shook his head.
"Dolusa Yakuto is a lawless territory swarming with so many powerful clans that it would be impossible, kupo. Remember what I told you about this place, kupo. Without Laws to govern this place, things won't be so simple, kupo. Besides, you won't be much help, I'm afraid, kupo."
"I agree, Montblanc. I'll still go to this Dolusa Yakuto anyway. I won't be doing any fighting but I'll make sure Boco helps out. We can't leave your brother in the state he's in."
Marche said with forceful determination that kept Montblanc from saying differently.
"Alright, Marche, but let Boco do most of the fighting for you, okay, kupo."
Montblanc said. Nono looked very pleased.
"Thanks a lot big brother. I'm sorry to be swaying your objectives elsewhere for me, Marche, kupo."
Nono said apologetically. Marche shook his head.
"Don't worry about it, Nono. I know what it's like to have a younger brother in need of assistance, so just leave everything to us, okay? I'm not about to let people bully others just because they can."
------
Nearing the Dolusa Yakuto
"They didn't have extras, huh?"
Marche asked as he looked at his new sweater. It looked to be an amethyst violet color.
'It's the same color as that armor I used to have..'
Marche thought. A lot of things have been starting to remind him of the old Ivalice lately since coming into the lawless territory of the new Ivalice.
"Yeah, that was the last one. Better than nothing, I guess."
Rooty replied. They began getting closer and closer to the land known as Dolusa Yakuto. Montblanc flew close to Marche.
"Remember what I told you about this place, Marche, kupo. Our clan can really get killed since there won't be any Judges to revive us. You, of all of us, should be the most careful, kupo."
Marche nodded as he heard Montblanc's words. He hadn't forgotten any of it. He soon stopped with rest of the clan when the reached a small clearing in the wilderness of hills.
"Someone's here..."
Marche warned as he narrowed his eyes and looked around. His clan already withdrew their weapons ready for an oncoming battle. A Ninja stepped forth from some of the bushes.
"I don't know why your here, but it's best to turn and leave if you don't want to be killed."
The Ninja said bluntly as he withdrew two short swords from his belt. Marche shook his head.
"I can't do that. You see, me and my clan are here to do away with the ones who stole our friend's air ship."
"Oh, so your a friend of that Moogle, Nono. That explains things more clearly..."
The Ninja whistled shrilly, alerting more Ninjas to come out of hiding.
"Looks like where surrounded..."
Mustadio said, looking bored.
"Your probably right."
Cloud said as he let his blue eyes scan the wilderness around them. The Ninja leader stepped closer towards the clan.
"Enough of this chatter. Let's begin."
With that, the Ninjas swarmed all around the clan, closing in. Not wanting to fight up close, Mustadio already began firing his gun. Everyone else had to battle close up. The Ninjas attacks were quick and graceful as they manipulated their swords to fly through the air. Cloud brought up his giant blade to defend himself, as metal met metal. Cloud countered the Ninjas attacks with a wide swing after the attack came. Most of the enemies got by the giant weapon, but a couple were slashed cleanly in two. Worker No. 8 protected Hedges with his tough body as swords deflected harmlessly of his armor. Hedges struck out more with a potent Blizzaga spell. Any Ninja that survived was picked off by Celine or Rooty as they slashed through the weak Ninjas. Victory, though slow, was still able to keep himself protected from deep wounds thanks to his scaled hide. Any Ninja foolish enough to draw near would be grabbed as quickly as possible and get their neck broken.
"Wark!"
Boco also strode into the action, trampling over Ninjas or kicking them around as they were being occupied by Clan Ruglia. Montblanc stayed close to Marche and Boco, making sure that Marche would stay on. For some reason that perplexed Montblanc was that Marche never put a harness or reins on Boco, so he was very highly susceptible to falling off Boco. Since the close range approach was not working for the Ninjas, they started throwing shurikens from afar.
"Oh crap..."
Mustadio muttered as he dove out of the way of flying shurikens that landed where he used to be. He got behind Worker No. 8 for protection, as the tough metal hide kept Mustadio and Hedges safe. Cloud drove his sword in the ground and hid behind it, cursing as the side of his cape was snagged by the flying projectiles.
"Oh no, we have to take cover!"
Rooty yelled as he grabbed Celine's hand and made a mad dash for Worker No. 8. Victory decided to take cover with Cloud. That left Marche, Boco, and the flying Montblanc. All of the Ninja's attention turned to them.
"KUPOOO!!"
Montblanc was grabbed rather roughly by Marche as he held tightly to Boco's neck, making sure he would not lose balance as the Chocobo evaded the shurikens with ease. Before long the Ninjas ceased their long range assault.
"Did they run out?"
Mustadio asked himself as he was about to peek around Worker No. 8, however shadows streaked across his vision.
"You guys look out, they're right on top of you!"
Marche warned as he saw the Ninjas jump high into the air over Worker No. 8 and Cloud's Buster Sword. The Ninjas let loose a flurry of shurikens at the now unguarded party. Everyone closed their eyes and waited for the inevitable. However, that inevitable never came. The sound of shurikens clanged against the ground was all that could be heard. Cloud cracked open one eye to see the Ninjas with a dumbfounded look in their eyes as they touched ground.
"What just happened...?"
A Ninja asked as he scratched the back of his head. Another Ninja threw a stray shuriken towards Mustadio and Hedges location. The shuriken was deflected by a shield of blue light. Everyone's eyes widened in amazement. Boco simply warked and got their attention, indicating he had erected a barrier of some sort to protect the party as he flapped his wings . Cloud wasted no time in standing up and grabbing his cape forcefully and tearing it free from the shurikens before uplifting his sword from the ground.
"I'm getting tired of this..."
Cloud muttered before bringing the sword behind him. All of Clan Ruglia got behind Cloud as a spark emitted from his sword, and then Cloud spun in a complete circle, before hurling a giant tornado at the Ninjas. They were all swept away to parts unknown.
"Well, I'm glad that's over, right Montblanc?"
Marche asked as he turned towards the Moogle he was still holding onto.
"Kupooo..."
Montblanc had swirls in his eyes as he wiggled in a confused daze. Marche scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Oh well. I can apologize later. Let's get that air ship back to Nono, shall we?"
------
Bakuba, Nono's place
"Marche, you've come back safely, kupo! Then that means you guys got the air ship back, right, kupo?"
Nono asked. Montblanc sighed.
"Sorry, Nono, kupo. Although we found the air ship, I think it will need some repairing, kupo. Here, we'll give you money to repair it, kupo."
"But big brother...I can't accept gil from you, kupo. It..."
Nono began before being interrupted by Marche.
"Don't worry, we have plenty gil with us, so don't worry about a thing."
Marche said. Nono nodded happily.
"Thank you, Marche, kupo. I owe you and your clan a lot, kupo. Once this airship is complete I can really start paying that debt off by turning this air ship into a trading air ship, kupo."
"Your ship's kind of small though, compared to a typical one, right?"
Marche asked. He got wide eyed looks from Nono and Montblanc.
"A typical one, kupo? You've seen ones bigger than this, kupo?"
Nono asked with great curiosity. Marche mentally kicked himself for his last remark.
'That's right...Nono's air ship is incredibly small compared the one's in the Graveyard of air ships back in Murond...I already said it, what do I do?'
"Oh...well you see Nono, I'm not from around here. Where I come from, there are these giant things called airplanes which fly through the air and serve as transportation for people and luggage. Your ship seems kind of small, no offense or anything, of course...it's just..."
"So basically an airplane is like an air ship, only bigger, kupo?"
Nono asked with an odd twinkling in his eyes. Marche nodded.
"Yeah, you could say that."
"I see, kupo. I don't have the funds to try and construct a large one right now, but I will definitely thing about it in the near future, kupo. Right now, I'll trade on a small scale and be the first to notify you, Marche, kupo."
Nono said. Marche smiled.
"Alright thanks, I'll be waiting."
"When the ship is up and running, I'll probably have to give you your re-forge sword, kupo. It will be a little while, kupo."
Nono said. Marche wasn't really worried, since Boco would probably be fighting for him for a while.
------
Outskirts of Bakuba, Clan Ruglia house
Thanks to Montblanc's Moogle connections, Clan Ruglia decided to stay at a house offered to them for a few months. Since they were pretty far away from the rest of Ivalice's Law influence, Nono would sometimes bring new propositions for the clan from other bars he traveled since he got his air ship running and Marche's sword returned. The house was large, but fairly simple. There was nothing fancy, and it was located in a peaceful area of Bakuba, so bandits and thieves were not much of a problem.
"Hey Marche, looks like a bounty hunt is starting, kupo. It was offered by the palace, and there's a lot of gil in it, kupo."
Marche looked at Montblanc. Luckily he healed nicely over the months of rest he needed. His voice no longer held any strain of pain on it, which Montblanc took to be a good sign.
"So who's the bounty?"
Marche asked curiously. Montblanc sighed.
"Not sure, the paper said that Clan Ox has the information, kupo. Funny thing is, Clan Ox doesn't have a set location sited for it in the paper, kupo."
Montblanc said while handing Marche the mission paper. Marche scanned it quickly, and his eye brows knitted in slight worry.
"That's strange. First they don't say who the bounty is, then they don't tell where the very clan that has the information is either. We might have to do some tracking around back in the Lawful Ivalice. This would be a lot of gil to pass up."
------
Road to Cadoan
"You wouldn't happen to be the Ox Clan, would you?"
Marche asked as he passed by a small clan like his own. The leader, a Paladin eyed Marche oddly.
"Yes, we are. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Yeah, actually. I want to be briefed about the bounty. Under the Palace's order, you are the clan entrusted with that information and wanted at least one more clan to enlist with you, so..."
Marche explained. The odd way he was looked at didn't go unnoticed. The Paladin cleared his throat before speaking.
"I see, as I thought...your description matches the one as the tipster. Plus your a famous clan. Your Marche, right? Of Clan Ruglia?"
The Paladin stated. Marche narrowed his eyes. Something didn't feel right.
"A tipster, you said...wait...we're the bounty, aren't we?"
Marche asked, knowing the answer. He felt sick to his stomach.
'Such as simple trick they pulled off and I fell for it...regardless, they aren't that powerful, that much I can feel...so they shouldn't be too bad, but I won't underestimate them...'
The Paladin smirked as he drew his sword and aimed at Marche.
"The most famous Clan to ever exist so far has become nothing more than a bane to the Prince's very existence. Let's go everyone, this bounty is ours for sure."
The Paladin said, boosting his clans morale. Marche narrowed his eyes as he brought forth his own sword.
"You'll not have us that easily."
Marche stated calmly.
"I wasn't expecting us to. Your Clan is very powerful after all, but here's the trump card. ENGAGE!!"
The Judge appeared after those words were spoken by the Paladin. He proceeded to take out a red card from his cape.
"All abilities, either physical and magical, cannot be used by the Ruglia clan. The clan cannot escape battle either. Any attempt at any of these will result in immediate going to prison even without the battle's end. Let this engage begin."
The Judges stated.
"We were so close to Ezel's shop for some Anti-Laws, too, kupo."
Montblanc stated. Marche cursed softly.
'I still can't believe I fell into an obvious trap...'
"Montblanc, Celine, Rooty, Victory and Hedges your with me. Cloud, Mustadio, and Worker No. 8, you know were to go. Go get HIM and tell HIM it's important."
Marche ordered softly. They obliged before taking off for the direction of Cadoan City. The Paladin looked to his troops.
"Alright, we can get those other three later. Concentrate on the leader since he won't be able to retaliate."
Marche looked over at the Clan members the Paladin was addressing: A Sage, White Mage, Black Mage and a Time Mage, plus the Paladin himself.
'The Paladin is the only physical fighter. He and the White Mage would normally be my first targets since they could revive fallen allies on their side. The Time Mage could very well be my undoing if I'm taken by a Slow or Stop Spell, and the Black Mage attacks from afar with the elements. With the Judges Law so in their favor, the Paladin had taken the basic group necessary for combat...'
Marche's thoughts were interrupted as the Paladin advanced on him with his sword raised high. The rest of the Ox Clan were too far away to be of any use for the time being until they decided to get closer to use their spells. When the Paladin reached Marche and slashed vertically downward, Marche jumped to the side and rolled along the ground so he was further away from the Paladin.
"Everyone, all we can do is evade since we can't run away. This is a battle of time, so don't any of you attack."
Marche ordered. He decided to try and keep the Paladin busy while the rest of his clan bided with the rest of the enemies some way. Hedges took on the Time Mage since he had the mental discipline to prevent any Time Spells from taking hold of him. The White Mage would pose little threat in the situation, so the rest of the clan went for the Black Mage. Whenever he would cast a spell, they would evade it as best they could.
"Hold still Marche, and this will be much quicker."
The Paladin said as he made for a vertical strike, which Marche simply ducked under before jumping all the way over the Paladin with a front flip. Once he was on the other side, the Paladin swung behind him with another slash, but Marche already jumped back out of harms way.
'Hurry up and get Ezel...'
Marche though as he side stepped another attack. The engage continued for quite a while longer with everything pretty much the same. Marche was wearing out the Paladin, who had only got a lucky strike and struck Marche's swords free from his hands to clatter to the ground with a bang, before advancing quickly to make sure Marche didn't retrieve it. Marche, however was even faster now that the familiar weight was gone. The Black Mage and Time Mage ran out of magical power but were lucky as the Clan Ruglia could not fight them at their most vulnerable. Unfortunately, the White Mage already had hi-ethers to restore their former power and they were on their way of using Spells once more.
"Just...give...up..."
The Paladin breathed heavily, getting tired of swinging his own heavy sword at Marche and missing. Marche breathed quietly, and although he too was tired, it was not nearly as much as the Paladin. He smirked.
"I told you it wouldn't be easy."
Marche said, still smirking at the Paladin.
"Well if it isn't The Infamous One."
A new voice was heard. Marche looked around before his eyes zeroed in on Ezel. The Nu Mou brought forth a blue card and left the battlefield awashed in the ever familiar light that broke the Law of the Judges.
"Nows it's your turn, Infamous One."
Ezel said calmly. Marche decided to ask him about the odd nick name later. He turned to a very stunned looking Paladin.
"Lights out."
Marche stated. before grabbing the Paladin's shirt and reeling his fist back, before striking the Paladin into darkness as he fell to the ground. Marche turned to the rest of his clan, who already made short work against the physically weak group of the opposing clan.
"Damn it, why did Ezel have to be here."
Muttered the Judge, before teleporting away, knowing that the Anti-Laws prevented his capture.
"Well Infamous One, seems you survived yet another battle."
Ezel stated calmly. Marche smiled.
"Thanks to you Ezel. I'm glad we were so close to Cadoan."
Marche stated. Ezel smirked.
"Of course you survived easily with me as a friend. Still, I'm a bit disappointed how your bounty got to be twice as high as mine. What made them give you such a big bounty anyway?"
"Most likely because they figured out I was a threat to the Prince's existence. I've destroyed three Crystals so far. If I'm right, since the Crystals all correspond to a certain tribe, there should be two more to deal with. I have no clue where to begin, of course. So Ezel, how have things been with you?"
"Well, to be honest I feel like a free Nu Mou. All attention has turned on your trail, Marche. Mine and every other bounty as well have all been postponed. Everyone wants first dibs on you. While you were gone off the face of Ivalice for a while, clans have been harassed by Judges and anyone fitting your description even just a little bit is being imprisoned. Since you weren't able to be found, they've finally set their sites on the Law less Bakuba region. If they make Laws effective there, It will be easier to catch you. So what are you going to do?"
Ezel finally asked after their long talk. Marche digested the information and decided on what the best course of action would be.
"Looks like we'll be heading towards Bakuba again. I don't want other Clans to suffer simply because I'm being hunted. Thanks for saving us Ezel, I'll repay you for it, but first, I have some Clans to release."
"Don't worry about repaying me, just go on and get to the saving, and take these decks of Anti-Law cards with you, on the house."
"Are you sure?"
"Don't worry, you save my life and I'll save yours Just be sure to keep your path on the straight and narrow as I have. Well until then, see ya."
Were Ezel's final words before he departed for Cadoan. Marche turned to his clan.
"Let's go."
------
Royal Court of Ivalice
"Why haven't you captured them yet? WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG?!"
Mewt ordered of Cid darkly. Cid cringed.
"Please, my son, we are frantically searching for him as best we can."
"But it's not fast enough, Papa. If he destroys the Crystals, he destroys my world. You must hurry. Your the Highest Judge here, no one is stronger, Papa..."
At that instance Babus made himself known to save Cid from Mewt's onslaught of words.
"Please your Highness, Judge Master Cid will definitely capture him in time, but you must be patient. I know you worry for Ivalice's safety greatly, but you must stay calm."
"Yes, my son, please. We are leaving no stone unturned in trying to bring this criminal to justice."
"Where's Mama?"
Mewt suddenly asked.
"I'll get her for you."
Babus announced as he left the room. Cid took his leave shortly after.
"Mama...where are you? Marche wants to hurt me now. Please help me. HELP ME!!"
Mewt screamed as his voice echoed. Even if he was a grown man now, being without a mother made him feel like the little boy he still was in reality. He badly wanted those feelings to go away, but Marche was simply making him relive them.
"Why Marche? I thought we would be good friends...why are you doing this? What is your motive?"
------
Remedi's room
"The Prince has asked for you, your Highness."
Babus said. The Queen nodded curtly.
"I will be there in a little bit. Thank you for telling me, Babus."
"Of course, your Highness. By your leave."
Once Babus exited, Remedi returned to her deep thoughts.
'Babus was unsuccessful in finding out the weaknesses of Marche Radiuju. He has proven to be very powerful, so I must use the trump card, it seems...'
------
Hidden Chamber
"Soon, my creation. Soon you will walk Ivalice and put an end to the one called Marche Radiuju. I have the perfect essence to fill you with. You'll have the power that the Divine Beasts don't have, and when you crush Marche Radiuju, my son's world will be perfect."
Remedi said. She looked on at a giant transparent cylinder. A young man with a striking resemblance to Mewt greeted her. He looked to be asleep as he floated within the center.
"Very soon now..."
She chanted as she stared at the young man. The very room she was in was the very one that all Divine Beast, or the Totema, were born in. Since it seemed no normal Divine Beast would be able to take Marche down, this final creation would soon be put to the test. Yes, very, very soon.
***TBC***
Author's Note: Well here's the thirteenth chapter. I'm sure all you readers who have played Final Fantasy Tactics Advance are already aware that the scenes where Marche meets Ezel, and Mewt has a conversation with his dad don't actually come yet until Marche meets Ritz and they fight along side each other and then have a long conversation before departing again. That will come up in the next chapter. Anyway, I'm sure your all aware of who Remedi was talking to, huh? Well, thanks for the feedback from reviews. I'm glad your all still entertained, considering pulling off a novelization plus a cross over can get pretty hard, too. Anyway, still a lot of chapters left until this story is finished. I've already have a pretty good inkling to what my extra epilogue will look like and I have a feeling readers will be pleasantly surprised when we finally reach it. Until then, stay healthy, readers.