Chapter 14
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
------
Road back to Bakuba area
"Aren't you...Shara, isn't it?"
Marche asked the Viera. Marche felt a bit uneasy, for all he knew, Ritz's clan could be after him as well. Because he saw Shara alone, he decided to risk going against his better judgment to see her. He left the rest of his clan to hide within viewing distance in case something happened.
"Ritz...wouldn't happen to be with you somewhere, would she?"
He continued on. Shara nodded.
"Behind you."
------
Forrest beside road clearing
"Hey, that Ritz lady is coming behind him."
Rooty stated. Cloud grasped the hilt of his Buster Sword, and Mustadio cocked his gun. The two turned towards Montblanc.
"Well Montblanc? Do we dispose of her?"
Cloud asked. Montblanc shook his head.
"Calm down everyone. Marche and Ritz are friends. If she came behind him with intentions of hurting him, she probably would have drawn her rapier for the task."
Everyone nodded and remained silent as they continued to watch.
------
Road towards Bakuba
Marche turned to see Ritz behind him as Shara said. Although they were the only ones of their clan present, Marche had a good feeling that the rest of Ritz's clan was nearer than he thought.
"Wow, it's been a while Marche. It's nice to know your in good health."
Ritz told him. Marche nodded, and decided to bring his question out in the open.
"Tell me Ritz, you aren't here by any chance because of the bounty on my head, are you?"
Ritz shook her head at the question.
"This meeting is purely coincidence, Marche. I know of the bounty placed on your head, but I never joined into this clan for gil. I'm not here to capture you, Marche."
Ritz said. To Marche, it seemed genuinely true, but Marche could detect what seemed to be a bit of offense towards his question, perhaps because he did sound somewhat accusing her of being in the area to capture him rather than just meeting up with each other accidentally.
"We have no interest in your bounty. This is, as Ritz's says, a meeting of chance."
Shara stated, backing Ritz up.
"..."
The three clan's members narrowed their eyes, already sensing danger.
"Stop hiding already, we know your there. We already happen to know of the stingy snitch in your group!"
Ritz declared. An Alchemist entered the scene, walking closer to the trio talking on the road.
"All my clan needs is your head, bounty. Give up quietly, Marche Radiuju, if you want to live a while longer."
The Alchemist warned. Marche narrowed his eyes.
"And if I refuse?"
"Your pretty friends get killed first of course. Although, I must say that, up close they look like they might be more suitable opponents than I originally thought."
Shara narrowed her eyes now.
"SUITABLE, he says...What do you think, Ritz?
"Suitable, huh? No, I think were more on the Overwhelmingly Powerful. He needs to get his eyes checked again."
Ritz said with an arrogant smirk on her face. The Alchemist looked slightly taken aback from that response, but his composture was regained shortly after.
"Is that so? But can your so-called Overwhelming power take on twice as many opponents as yourselves?"
The Alchemist let out a shrill whistle, making the rest of his own clan appear. Ritz scoffed.
"My clan is bigger and better, Mr. Leader."
Ritz let out a shrill whistle of her own as her clan appeared. To Marche's surprise, not only was Clan Ritz a very big clan, it was made up entirely out of Viera clanswomen, save for Agrias, Meliadoul, and Ritz herself. They were the only human ones. The Alchemist and his clan snickered.
"What? That's it?"
The Alchemist asked in an amused tone.
"That's...it?"
Ritz asked herself softly, at a lost for what the Alchemist said. The Alchemist whistled again, and this time, an army of warriors for hire came out of hiding, surrounding the clan.
"Hey, you know were not allowed to fight with so many opponents. The Laws forbid them."
Ritz said. The Alchemist chuckled.
"What are you talking about, missy? Your on the edge of Bakuba territory, a place not controlled by stupid Laws. We only want the bounty, so hand him over slowly."
The Alchemist explained. Marche let out his own whistle as his clan made their presence known. The Alchemist didn't retort about any of Marche's clan members. He knew that regardless of their small size, Marche's clan was highly skilled, more so than most other clans for unknown reasons. They were beyond simply dangerous.
"So this is the famous Clan Ruglia. Your the best clan in existence, so I can't take any of you lightly."
The Alchemist stated calmly. Marche did not miss the small bead of sweat trickling down the Alchemist's face, regardless of his massive bounty hunter army.
"Let's get this over with."
Marche declared. All hell broke loose after those words were spoken. The massive bulk of warriors under the Alchemist charged in, wanting to use their superior numbers against the much smaller double partnered clans of Marche and Ritz. The Clanmembers proved to be more than a match for most of them.
"Let me ask you something, Marche. Is the Prince Mewt of the Royal Family the same Mewt from our time?"
Ritz asked as she dodged a Fighter's sword with a side step, and then followed up with a devastating thrust of her rapier through the opponent's neck, killing him instantly.
"Yeah, he is. He is convinced I'm a major threat to his existence, and put the bounty on my head."
Marche answered as he twirled his blade around in front of him, cutting down any attacker attempting to take him down.
(Author's note: That description sounds quite a bit off. If you want to know what move Marche is using, think of it as Soul Edge / Soul Calibur series Nightmare's Blaze Storm attack. Any player of that game should know what I'm talking about, I hope...)
Since Marche was the main target in this endeavor, the two allied clans made sure to keep the bounty hunters as far away as possible by any means.
"This is because your trying to change the world back, right? As regular Mewt, he knows that he will simply be bullied all the time should the world return to normal."
Ritz stated as she stabbed another opponent right through the chest, before kicking him off her blade.
"Yeah. Mewt totally hates the real world. Because I want to find a way back, I'm his enemy. He's happy here, so he wants to do anything he's able to stop me. Me who is the harbinger off to destroy his dream."
Marche said as he continued his fluid dance of offensive attacking to keep the enemy away from him. His words struck a nerve in Ritz.
"I can see that your trying to destroy his dream. The all important question is why. Why are you trying to do it? And to your own friend. Surely you've found something in this new Ivalice worth staying for that's better than the old one right?"
Ritz asked him.
"Something better...?"
His words were very faint, almost unable to be heard over the clashing sound of the ongoing battle.
"Yeah, Marche. You know, haven't you noticed all the changes around you? Like no longer having to be called the new kid. Your treated so much better here than in the real Ivalice. Don't you have some important situation at home you wanted to change from the real Ivalice?"
What Ritz said was true, Marche had to agree. Of course he was very tempted to stay in this Ivalice, but he had his reasons, and like always, they would not go astray. Sadly, not even for a friend.
"Tell me something Ritz...why do you wish to remain here? I know you have no desire to go back. What is your reason? It's obvious what Mewt's is, but yours eludes me."
Marche stated. Where Ritz was fighting, the question took her back a bit.
"It has nothing to do with YOU!"
The battle ended shortly after she said those words. Marche and Ritz turned towards another.
"Thanks for the help Ritz."
Marche said.
"There's no need when I wasn't trying to help you in the first place."
"Fair enough."
Luckily, the clans sustained little to no injuries.
"You might want to hang low for a while, since a lot of clans will want to drag you to the Court."
Shara stated to Marche.
"Don't worry about that. I'd better get going."
Marche said as he turned his back to Ritz and her clan.
"Listen Marche. Pretty soon I'm going to have to ally myself with Mewt with the way things are going. I'll probably have to be your enemy as well. Hopefully you understand that."
Ritz stated seriously. Marche's shoulders slumped a little bit, and he shrugged.
'I already had a feeling her clan would become an enemy in the near future.'
Marche thought as he walked off with the rest of his clan, leaving Ritz's clan alone.
"He seems to be very concerned about you. Maybe you should cooperate with him. I know that you have no love for the Royal Court."
Shara stated. Ritz's eyes widened in mild surprise at her friend.
"That's a first Shara. Actually being worried about something."
Ritz said, making Shara look thoughtful for a moment.
"If what he says is all true, then your family and friends would all be in the other world, right?"
Shara asked. It was logical enough question, and Ritz seemed to pale a little at it.
"I...I definitely don't want to go back to have my hair back to the way it was. My no longer white hair..."
Shara had a surprised look on her face.
"White...hair? No longer white hair?"
What Ritz had said threw the Viera for a loop. All she saw was red hair that bordered on a reddish pink color.
"Yeah...my hair in the other world is actually pure white. It's a trait I was born with."
Shara no longer had that confused look as she nodded in understanding. Of course, Shara was still a bit puzzled at why Ritz seemed to loathe the idea of having her hair white like in the real world again. Not that she disliked Ritz red hair, but picturing her with white hair seemed so much more appealing, but it was just her opinion.
"Until I was able to dye my hair myself, mama used to do it all the time. I HATED IT!"
Ritz's fury was rising as she thought more and more about the past in the other world.
"Mama was always sad...she would always cry when she had to dye my hair..."
Ritz voice sounded slightly broken as if she was trying to stop from crying. She was close to that point where she wanted to let all the salty tears down but she held them in check.
"Ritz..."
Shara put a comforting hand on her leader's shoulder. She wouldn't pretend to understand anything, but she had a feeling that white hair in the other world didn't bold well with the residence that Marche and Ritz hailed from.
"I had to stop caring...taking in mama's sad face was far better than being called a white haired granny by all the other kids...that's the whole reason I got into the habit of using hair dye...I should have been the one crying all those times, but it was mama who always did it for me...I can't find a family and friends to go back to there like I can here. I found the unattainable here. Mewt most likely did, too. I guess Marche couldn't gain it, so he wants to return things to normal..."
The last of Ritz's words seemed very strained, as if she was fighting whether to love or hate Marche's ways. She seemed very displeased about him.
"You knew Marche in the real world, right, Ritz? Can you tell me anything about him?"
Shara asked her. Ritz looked confused, but after giving it a thought, decided that there was no harm in telling her friend.
"There's not much I can say about him. I knew Mewt quite a bit longer than Marche so I could tell you more about his life...well, here's what I know: According to what I've been told about Marche, he has no relation to his mother and younger brother. He was adopted some time when Ms. Radiuju divorced with her husband. Me and Mewt were the only friends he had, I think."
Ritz concluded. Shara visible blanched at the lack of information.
'She wasn't kidding when she said she didn't know much about him. I guess I shouldn't be surprised...'
"Do you know how close he was to his family, Ritz?"
Shara asked her. Ritz shrugged.
"I only met the two once. His mother was a nice person, but I don't know how close the two are. Now his younger brother, he seemed very close to, judging by the way he acted when we all looked at the book that brought about this world..."
Ritz trailed off as she thought of something.
"No way...that's right, Marche's younger brother was with us when we all looked at the book...he might be in this world, too. Maybe that's why..."
Again Ritz trailed off into thought.
"It sounds as if it was a bad thing that his younger brother is in this world. Any particular reason?"
Shara asked the concerned looking Ritz. Ritz nodded slowly.
"According to Marche, his brother has been sick since birth. He's to weak to be able to walk without some sort of transportation. Maybe that's why Marche wants to return things to normal...his brother could be hurt so easily in this world. That's why his clan would always go out on so many missions, Marche wanted to find his brother..."
That was true, as it was one of Marche's perspectives, but it was only one of many, unknown to Ritz.
------
Bakuba, once more...
"I don't have anything to do with that clan, kupo."
A Moogle Trainer told the Judge.
"Besides, the bounty's a Human and I'm a Moogle, kupo."
The Trainer continued.
"Even so, we are aware that the young man has a Moogle comrade with him. That is sufficient enough to take you to Prison."
The Judge stated. The Trainer looked very pissed, but there was nothing he could do.
"Enough of this. He really has nothing to do with it. I'm the Marche your looking for."
The real Marche stepped up to the front of the line of clans.
"Marche, kupo. What are you doing, kupo?"
Montblanc asked in disbelief. The Judge looked visibly shocked.
"Are you really him?"
The Judge never thought the real one would simply turn himself in like this.
"Yes, I'm the one that Prince Mewt wants. Now let all these other clans go."
Marche stated. The Judge shook his head.
"I'll need real proof of that, I'm afraid. All I can do is capture you..."
Before the Judge could say anything more, Marche interrupted.
"Take me to the Judge Master. He'll know who I am"
Marche said. The Judge didn't do anything at the moment, but then shrugged.
"I guess that can't hurt. Come with me, boy."
Marche made sure that his clan stayed out of this as he went with the Judge, alone.
------
Judge Master's Quarters
"Excuse me, Judge Master. A young man claiming to be Marche Radiuju is here to see you."
The Judge said respectfully before moving sideways to all Marche entrance. Both Judge Master and clan leader's eyes met. There was a look of familiarity between them.
"You were the one...the one with Ezel Berbier, correct? So you were Marche Radiuju..."
Cid turned towards the Judge.
"I believe this is the same one. Bring the Clan Ruglia here and send the other clans away."
Cid ordered. Marche stepped further towards Cid.
"He only brought me. The rest of my clan is gone by now, so please, just take me and leave the rest of my clan and the others alone."
Marche pleaded. Cid shook his head.
"If they are free, they could destroy another Crystal while your still here. I can't risk that."
"I was the only one with the desire to destroy the Crystals. The rest of my clan did not participate as I defeated the Divine Beasts. They won't do anything , so please, let them go and take me."
Marche pleaded. Cid was reluctant, but seeing how genuine Marche's eyes were, he decided to let them go.
"Fine. I won't go after the rest of your clan and the rest may go free. Release the imprisoned clans."
He ordered the Judge by the doorway, who saluted before leaving.
"It's time to go to prison."
------
Spurom Prison, last cell
"Babus, so you are here."
Marche said as he looked up from his seated position on the floor of his rather large cell.
"Judge Master Cid has finally caught you. I'm glad to know that."
Babus said with a smirk of satisfaction on his face. Marche ignored the pleased look as focused attention to Cid.
"You have let the other prisoners go, right?"
Cid nodded at the question before asking one of his own.
"I don't doubt Babus, but I want to the whole proof you are who you say you really are. You should be able to tell me the names of the Divine Beasts you've defeated, correct?"
"Of course. Famfreet, Ultima, and Adrammelech."
Marche answered. Cid nodded.
"Correct. I now am truly convinced you are who you say you are. Only the innermost members of the Court would know the Divine Beasts' names."
"I could care less whether you believe me or not. All I want is to go back to my original world."
"Your...original world?"
Cid questioned. Babus stepped closer to the Judge Master.
"He claims that the town he lived in was somehow transformed into this country of Ivalice. It sounds far to preposterous for my liking."
Cid raised an eye brow at what he was told.
"Perhaps the young man is delusional."
Cid stated. Marche spoke up after this.
"Believe what you want, but I know the truth. Not only did me and Mewt live there, but you did, too. You..."
"That cannot be. I've known the Judge Master all my life."
Babus said firmly. Cid stepped closer to the cell as he peered at Marche.
'His eyes are so clear...I don't feel anything that would suggest he's lying, but what am I to believe...? No, I must sway this man's priorities elsewhere somehow...I would feel guilty for executing such a spirited and talented person...maybe...'
"Listen carefully, Marche Radiuju. The destruction of the Crystals will bring chaos to this world. Of course, for you, their destruction holds a different meaning. Tell me, is there any other possible way you've found that would allow you to return home without destroying the Crystals in the process?"
Cid asked Marche. When Marche's head fell forward so that his hair covered his eyes, Cid was sure that no other way had been discovered.
"I'm sorry. I've have not been able to find any other way that will keep this world and it's Crystals intact."
Marche answered truthfully. Cid nodded.
"I see. If such is the case, your going to have to abandon your search home and remain here. The Crystals sustain balance to Ivalice. Should they fall, Ivalice collapses with them. As it stands at the moment, it's a simple story of you appearing in this world. What you can do to appease your need to return home is rather simple: Forget about your own world."
Marche face rose up so he met the eyes of Cid.
"Forget...my world..."
Marche asked feightly. Cid nodded.
"According to my sources, your clan is already the top clan in Ivalice. Power, friends, rank, money...all are yours here, correct? Is there anything beyond that you want or need? Your quest will keep hurting my son and I cannot have that. Live here happily with all you've attained."
Cid insisted. Judging by the way Marche looked, it seemed he was having the right effect on Marche, little did he know that everything would backfire shortly after those words escaped his lips.
"Are you trying to sway my priorities elsewhere from the Crystals? If you are, then I'm afraid it's not working. If you, Mewt's father, truly cared for your son, you'd let him return back to the original Ivalice to face the demons he couldn't overcome and ran away from."
Marche's blue eyes went from soft and warm to hard and frigid. Cid was taken aback by what Marche just said to him. It was short lived however as darkness began covering the three's vision.
"What...A PORTAL?! When did it appear?"
Cid growled as he found himself slipping further and further into darkness.
"You did this, didn't you?"
Babus scowled at Marche.
"What are you talking about, I had no idea there was anything of significance here to begin with."
------
Unknown Location, Ivalice(?)
"This is...so the Divine Beast has summoned you..."
Cid said as he looked around the area All that happened to be of much interest around the Divine Beast's chamber was the ghostly looking trees filled with very odd, pulsating fruit. The Crystal was in the center, as all the other ones before this one.
"Where is it?"
Marche asked as he looked around steadily. The fruits of the trees pulsated and glowed brighter.
"Welcome, Marche Radiuju. I am Exodus, The Spectral Tree Of Judgment, and I have been waiting to finally meet you."
Marche narrowed his eyes.
"You sort of remind me of Ultima...I doubt your as stationary as you appear, too."
"You wield good perceptions, but of course I expected no less from the one who could defeat my fellow Totema."
"I'll bet destroying that fruit is the key to destroying the Crystal as well, Exodus."
"Correct again. Now let me test my might against your own, Marche Radiuju. Let me feel the power that destroyed the other Points Of Bindings."
The Divine Beast ordered. Marche walked closer to one of the trees, but Babus and Cid were there to guard it.
"Your all alone here, Marche. Me and Babus must ensure you don't destroy this Crystal, so we will protect it as well."
Cid stated, before tossing Marche's large blade at the young man's feet. Marche grabbed it with his right hand as he leaned down to retrieve it. Upon standing back up, Marche saw that Cid went into his fighting stance, holding a giant blade similarly to Marche's except his was pure white, just like his Judge Master armor.
"I don't want to have to do this Mr. Randell, but I have to."
Marche said. The two swordsmen ran at each other as battle cries escaped their throats and they hefted their blades behind them. Marche and Cid swung vertically downward, and when the two swords met, sparks flew. The grinding of metal against metal soon followed as the two remained locked, each one trying to overpower the other. Babus broke it when he chanted a spell.
"Explode!"
Cid jumped back quickly as Marche's body ignited in flames. To the Judge Master and Rune Seeker however, it was a surprise to see Marche swiftly roll out from the raging fire. As Marche got up, it could be noted that he somehow escaped with only light patches of black where the fire got to, but otherwise, Marche remained generally unhurt. Babus gaped at him.
"Impossible, that was a perfectly aimed spell, and all that's damaged is your clothing?"
Babus seethed. Cid put his hand on the Nu Mou's shoulder.
"Be calm Babus. This man killed the Divine Beasts single handedly. We can't be allowed to underestimate his power."
Cid advised, calming the Nu Mou down significantly. What Cid said was right. Marche could not be underestimated. Marche took the offensive first and charged at the two. Cid jumped in front of Babus in order to protect him. When Cid felt the impact of Marche's sword on his own, he side stepped backwards, getting Marche off balance as he rushed past him. Making the side step into a full 360 degree spin, Cid struck down vertically at Marche's back as he went by. To Cid's own surprise, the attack was blocked miraculously as Marche switched his own sword from his right hand to his left hand before arching his back and bringing the sword with him to shield the blow intended for his unguarded back. Using the momentary surprise, Marche swung out with his now swordless right fist, intended on striking Cid down, but the older man brought up his gauntleted hand to block his face from the attack.
"Explode!"
Babus used his spell again. Cid kicked out with his armored boot, making him and Marche break away from another. As soon as Marche saw the flames that were about to explode all around him, he jumped through the air, using the force of Babus's spell to get away, and landed right near Babus himself. Cid yelled out to alert Babus.
"Babus, look out!"
It was too late. Upon landing near the powerful Nu Mou mage, Marche got up quickly as he spun 360 degrees, swinging his sword vertically and catching Babus in the head. The spinning clothesline attack he pulled off sent Babus flying towards Cid and he touched ground just in front of the Judge Master's feet, out cold.
"Babus!"
Cid declared as he went towards his fallen comrade. A blow like that could kill the wise, old Nu Mou. A Phoenix Down was throw by Cid's hand as he cradled Babus in his arms.
"Use that to rouse him, but otherwise, please don't interfere anymore with this battle."
Cid obliged to Marche's words, using the Phoenix Down on the fallen Babus. Babus stirred slightly.
"Oh...my...head..."
Babus moaned. Getting hit in the head by the flat of a giant blade and getting sent flying across the room hadn't been his idea of fun.
"Alright, Exodus...here I come!"
Marche declared as he rushed towards the first tree, his eye now turning crimson to accommodate for the real battle. When Marche tried attacking the tree, however, it physically swayed to the right from the vertical slash and swung out with it's branches, striking Marche hard in his unprotected side, sending him hard into the ground. Upon trying to get up, Marche was soon held down as the roots burst from the ground and tied him down.
"I don't like the look of this..."
Marche said as he struggled to get free. The roots lifted him up slightly, before throwing him into another tree, which swung and struck him high into the air. All the trees expanded in size rapidly to match Marche as he ascended higher in his daze. At the peak of his ascent, the trees struck him down to make his impact with the ground that much more painful.
"Where did he go?"
The voice of Exodus asked as it used the roots of all it's trees to feel for Marche along the ground. After his descent with the ground, Marche could not be felt, as if he disappeared.
"He can't feel him...where did he go?"
Cid asked as he watched as the roots tore through the ground and walls. There was one area the tree roots were not present it, however .
"Up here!"
Marche yelled as he let his sword loose from the ceiling, so he could head down to one of the trees, swinging down with the flat of his blade. He was able to not only crush the tree, but destroy it's fruit. Some of the Crystal began to break.
(Author's note: Sorry, while writing about the Divine Beast battle, I just realized that I didn't even tell how many trees there were. There was a total of four, but now that Marche destroyed one, there's three left.)
"He's succeeding..."
Babus muttered as he and Cid watched the fight going on. Marche quickly dashed for the next tree, wanting to destroy it as quickly as possible. When his sword was just about to touch the bark, however, the roots of the tree caught his sword arm, and threw Marche back suddenly. Marche skidded against the ground with a surprised yelp as he hadn't expected the tree to counter attack like that. When he finally stopped along the ground, the roots tried to catch him again in their grasp. Marche was up instantly, but the roots snagged the back of his sweater, tearing it off him. Marche put a hand to the remaining front of his sweater and tore it off.
'It may sting to get whipped by those roots while I'm shirtless, and I'll have to get a new sweater...oh well, I go through enough of them anyway, so what's one more.?'
Marche pondered before jumping back as the roots tried to catch him again. Marche's left hand went out as he gathered magic energy.
"Firaga!"
Marche bellowed as he threw the giant ball of fire at the second tree, making it go up in flames, along with it's fruit. Marche hardly ever used magic, but he had it at his disposal anyway, just in case.
"This battle will end sooner than I thought, Exodus."
Marche boosted. He could simply do away with the remaining trees with a couple of Firaga spells left. And that's exactly what Marche did, barrating himself mentally for not realizing sooner that he could burn the Divine Beast since it was only a collection of trees, and therefore making the battle harder for himself simply out of his usual habit of taking on the Divine Beasts physically rather than mentally. The Crystal shattered and the Divine Beast's essence left the mysterious area.
------
Outskirts of Bakuba
"That's one more Divine Beast under his belt, and one more to go."
Celine said as Exodus's power combined with hers.
------
Mysterious Location, Ivalice(?)
"No...the world will surely come to an end. We were unsuccessful."
Babus said sadly. Cid cursed softly as he muttered.
"Why did I hold so much power back against him, even in such a crisis as this?"
Cid hung his head down in shame for his failure, something he not often done. He did not have much time to feel that way as two ghostly images showed up in the center of the area. Marche knew them all too well, as Cid and Babus gawked at what they were seeing.
"This is...?"
Cid began, but could not finish.
"The Judge Master and the Prince?"
Babus asked in curiosity. The entire area was now a snow filled road, one that Marche knew all too well.
"Papa, you can hardly walk. Are you sure you can make it home?"
Mewt asked his drunken father. The man had fallen on the ground.
"Sake'sh oo goood! You forget everything..."
The last words spoken by the other world Cid were surprisingly unbroken words. The entire world went black, as Mewt was the only on cast in light.
"Since mom died, he's always drinking to forget the pain of her loss. It's pretty bad, isn't it?"
Mewt said to no one in particular. He then vanished, leaving Marche and the other two back where they were originally.
"That drunkard...he was really me...the real Cid Randell..."
Cid pondered.
"Yes...yes, that was me. After my wife's death I stopped working and wanted to just drown away my sorrows in sake, pushing my son away because all he did was remind me of her."
Cid spoke more clearly, now understanding the entire truth.
"The Queen died...?"
Babus asked, perplexed.
"Mewt didn't want to see his father as the slob he actually was so when he became the master of this world, he made Cid into a Judge Master. A mighty warrior and caring father who did everything proper again."
Marche said. Cid's eyes closed softly. He knew it all to be true. All he was, was a creation of the ideal father his son wanted.
"Lord Cid...?"
Babus asked the Judge Master. Cid clenched his gauntlet fist tightly, his eyes burning with a new resolve.
"Babus! From now on, the Judges will be an independent party from the Court from now on."
Cid stated. Babus looked very shocked.
"Leave the Court? And the Prince as well?"
Babus's head shook with disbelief. Cid put his hand on the Nu Mou's shoulder.
"My son shouldn't have a false creation for a father by his side. For him...and myself included, this is the best decision. I will head back to the palace. Marche, I'm releasing you. It's not within my power to decide the best course of action for you at this time, even if you are a danger to Mewt and the country. Babus, You will have to run the Court in my absence. From here on out, the Judges will be public servants of all the Laws."
Cid stated. Marche smiled at this.
"Thank you, Judge Master."
"On the contrary, it is I who should be thanking you for opening my eyes to the truth, Marche. I am in your debt."
------
Bar in Bakuba
"Why also the Judge Master?"
A Blue Mage asked an Illusionist.
"To make the Judges independent from the Court, I'd wager."
Marche sat on a near by stool, listening to the two talking about the Judges, while drinking milk. The Bartender looked at him.
"You should be very happy about all that, huh?"
"Yeah...It sounds great but..."
Before Marche could finish, a Hunter jumped into the conversation.
"What does it mean to be independent of the Court?"
He asked.
"They want to become neutral. Until now, their influence in the Court has been second to none."
The Illusionist answered.
"And the Royal family really permitted it, huh?"
The Blue Mage asked. The Illusionist nodded.
"Actually, it seems their moving selfishly of their own will."
"The Queen must be pissed."
"The Prince is probably even more pissed. Even if he's an adult he can sure turn into a wild child at times."
The conversation continued.
"Mewt..."
Marche muttered as he looked at his now empty glass.
------
Royal Palace, Throne Room
"If you need me, just call and I'll rush to your side to help you, son, understand?"
Cid said. Mewt looked very angry indeed, but he kept it in check, somehow.
"Please reconsider this, Lord Cid, you must stay and protect the Prince."
Babus pleaded, but it was no use.
"SHUT UP!! Papa already said he was leaving me. I have no use for a father who would decide to abandon me without reason."
Mewt ordered. Babus kept silent, not wanting to get an earful of yelling in his ears should he continue.
"Are you truly leaving?"
Cid turned to see Remedi behind him. There was someone behind her, but he could not make out who it was.
"Yes, I am."
Cid answered her. Remedi stepped to the side to introduce the person behind her. Cid's eyes widened in amazement, for a brief moment. The young man's face was near identical to that of Mewt's yet his hair looked somewhat like Marche's. It remained covered in a royal red turbin. The young man's hazel colored eyes bordered slightly on red. Cid felt an odd presence about the young man.
"This young lad will be your replacement as the Prince's protector. He will be given powers that far exceed your own. His name is Llednar."
The Queen told him. Llednar bowed slightly, his face remaining emotionless. Cid nodded.
"I see you have things under control. Farewell."
Cid said before he departed.
"Your father can be quite cruel sometimes. Leaving you alone like this."
Babus now took in Llednar's appearance
"Who is this young man?"
"He is Llednar. He will be Prince Mewt's guardian in the Judge Master's absence."
Remedi explained. Llednar stepped forward and bowed deeply in front of Mewt.
"It will be an honor to protect you, Prince Mewt. I am Llednar."
Mewt smiled at the Queen.
"You got me a new friend Mama, just for me? Thank you, Mama!"
Babus felt the oddity that was Llednar just like Cid had. There was something he didn't trust about him.
"Lord Cid..."
***TBC***
Note: Well, there's the fourteenth chapter. Llednar finally makes a proper introduction, so any Llednar fans rejoice, because he's finally here. Anyway, I have to answer the review question of Video Game Fanatic. First off, let me thank you for the kind comment. I'm glad you like this enough to think I could make a sequel out of it, but unfortunately, I have no plans on making one. Now, about the other important FFT characters who still have yet to show up like Malak, Rafa, and Orlandu: The three will appear for a VERY small but VERY significant role in the later chapters, but otherwise, they won't be joining any clans or anything (Sorry to any fans of those characters). Anyway, thanks for reading and hopefully all of you will have a wonderful Valentine's Day.
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
------
Road back to Bakuba area
"Aren't you...Shara, isn't it?"
Marche asked the Viera. Marche felt a bit uneasy, for all he knew, Ritz's clan could be after him as well. Because he saw Shara alone, he decided to risk going against his better judgment to see her. He left the rest of his clan to hide within viewing distance in case something happened.
"Ritz...wouldn't happen to be with you somewhere, would she?"
He continued on. Shara nodded.
"Behind you."
------
Forrest beside road clearing
"Hey, that Ritz lady is coming behind him."
Rooty stated. Cloud grasped the hilt of his Buster Sword, and Mustadio cocked his gun. The two turned towards Montblanc.
"Well Montblanc? Do we dispose of her?"
Cloud asked. Montblanc shook his head.
"Calm down everyone. Marche and Ritz are friends. If she came behind him with intentions of hurting him, she probably would have drawn her rapier for the task."
Everyone nodded and remained silent as they continued to watch.
------
Road towards Bakuba
Marche turned to see Ritz behind him as Shara said. Although they were the only ones of their clan present, Marche had a good feeling that the rest of Ritz's clan was nearer than he thought.
"Wow, it's been a while Marche. It's nice to know your in good health."
Ritz told him. Marche nodded, and decided to bring his question out in the open.
"Tell me Ritz, you aren't here by any chance because of the bounty on my head, are you?"
Ritz shook her head at the question.
"This meeting is purely coincidence, Marche. I know of the bounty placed on your head, but I never joined into this clan for gil. I'm not here to capture you, Marche."
Ritz said. To Marche, it seemed genuinely true, but Marche could detect what seemed to be a bit of offense towards his question, perhaps because he did sound somewhat accusing her of being in the area to capture him rather than just meeting up with each other accidentally.
"We have no interest in your bounty. This is, as Ritz's says, a meeting of chance."
Shara stated, backing Ritz up.
"..."
The three clan's members narrowed their eyes, already sensing danger.
"Stop hiding already, we know your there. We already happen to know of the stingy snitch in your group!"
Ritz declared. An Alchemist entered the scene, walking closer to the trio talking on the road.
"All my clan needs is your head, bounty. Give up quietly, Marche Radiuju, if you want to live a while longer."
The Alchemist warned. Marche narrowed his eyes.
"And if I refuse?"
"Your pretty friends get killed first of course. Although, I must say that, up close they look like they might be more suitable opponents than I originally thought."
Shara narrowed her eyes now.
"SUITABLE, he says...What do you think, Ritz?
"Suitable, huh? No, I think were more on the Overwhelmingly Powerful. He needs to get his eyes checked again."
Ritz said with an arrogant smirk on her face. The Alchemist looked slightly taken aback from that response, but his composture was regained shortly after.
"Is that so? But can your so-called Overwhelming power take on twice as many opponents as yourselves?"
The Alchemist let out a shrill whistle, making the rest of his own clan appear. Ritz scoffed.
"My clan is bigger and better, Mr. Leader."
Ritz let out a shrill whistle of her own as her clan appeared. To Marche's surprise, not only was Clan Ritz a very big clan, it was made up entirely out of Viera clanswomen, save for Agrias, Meliadoul, and Ritz herself. They were the only human ones. The Alchemist and his clan snickered.
"What? That's it?"
The Alchemist asked in an amused tone.
"That's...it?"
Ritz asked herself softly, at a lost for what the Alchemist said. The Alchemist whistled again, and this time, an army of warriors for hire came out of hiding, surrounding the clan.
"Hey, you know were not allowed to fight with so many opponents. The Laws forbid them."
Ritz said. The Alchemist chuckled.
"What are you talking about, missy? Your on the edge of Bakuba territory, a place not controlled by stupid Laws. We only want the bounty, so hand him over slowly."
The Alchemist explained. Marche let out his own whistle as his clan made their presence known. The Alchemist didn't retort about any of Marche's clan members. He knew that regardless of their small size, Marche's clan was highly skilled, more so than most other clans for unknown reasons. They were beyond simply dangerous.
"So this is the famous Clan Ruglia. Your the best clan in existence, so I can't take any of you lightly."
The Alchemist stated calmly. Marche did not miss the small bead of sweat trickling down the Alchemist's face, regardless of his massive bounty hunter army.
"Let's get this over with."
Marche declared. All hell broke loose after those words were spoken. The massive bulk of warriors under the Alchemist charged in, wanting to use their superior numbers against the much smaller double partnered clans of Marche and Ritz. The Clanmembers proved to be more than a match for most of them.
"Let me ask you something, Marche. Is the Prince Mewt of the Royal Family the same Mewt from our time?"
Ritz asked as she dodged a Fighter's sword with a side step, and then followed up with a devastating thrust of her rapier through the opponent's neck, killing him instantly.
"Yeah, he is. He is convinced I'm a major threat to his existence, and put the bounty on my head."
Marche answered as he twirled his blade around in front of him, cutting down any attacker attempting to take him down.
(Author's note: That description sounds quite a bit off. If you want to know what move Marche is using, think of it as Soul Edge / Soul Calibur series Nightmare's Blaze Storm attack. Any player of that game should know what I'm talking about, I hope...)
Since Marche was the main target in this endeavor, the two allied clans made sure to keep the bounty hunters as far away as possible by any means.
"This is because your trying to change the world back, right? As regular Mewt, he knows that he will simply be bullied all the time should the world return to normal."
Ritz stated as she stabbed another opponent right through the chest, before kicking him off her blade.
"Yeah. Mewt totally hates the real world. Because I want to find a way back, I'm his enemy. He's happy here, so he wants to do anything he's able to stop me. Me who is the harbinger off to destroy his dream."
Marche said as he continued his fluid dance of offensive attacking to keep the enemy away from him. His words struck a nerve in Ritz.
"I can see that your trying to destroy his dream. The all important question is why. Why are you trying to do it? And to your own friend. Surely you've found something in this new Ivalice worth staying for that's better than the old one right?"
Ritz asked him.
"Something better...?"
His words were very faint, almost unable to be heard over the clashing sound of the ongoing battle.
"Yeah, Marche. You know, haven't you noticed all the changes around you? Like no longer having to be called the new kid. Your treated so much better here than in the real Ivalice. Don't you have some important situation at home you wanted to change from the real Ivalice?"
What Ritz said was true, Marche had to agree. Of course he was very tempted to stay in this Ivalice, but he had his reasons, and like always, they would not go astray. Sadly, not even for a friend.
"Tell me something Ritz...why do you wish to remain here? I know you have no desire to go back. What is your reason? It's obvious what Mewt's is, but yours eludes me."
Marche stated. Where Ritz was fighting, the question took her back a bit.
"It has nothing to do with YOU!"
The battle ended shortly after she said those words. Marche and Ritz turned towards another.
"Thanks for the help Ritz."
Marche said.
"There's no need when I wasn't trying to help you in the first place."
"Fair enough."
Luckily, the clans sustained little to no injuries.
"You might want to hang low for a while, since a lot of clans will want to drag you to the Court."
Shara stated to Marche.
"Don't worry about that. I'd better get going."
Marche said as he turned his back to Ritz and her clan.
"Listen Marche. Pretty soon I'm going to have to ally myself with Mewt with the way things are going. I'll probably have to be your enemy as well. Hopefully you understand that."
Ritz stated seriously. Marche's shoulders slumped a little bit, and he shrugged.
'I already had a feeling her clan would become an enemy in the near future.'
Marche thought as he walked off with the rest of his clan, leaving Ritz's clan alone.
"He seems to be very concerned about you. Maybe you should cooperate with him. I know that you have no love for the Royal Court."
Shara stated. Ritz's eyes widened in mild surprise at her friend.
"That's a first Shara. Actually being worried about something."
Ritz said, making Shara look thoughtful for a moment.
"If what he says is all true, then your family and friends would all be in the other world, right?"
Shara asked. It was logical enough question, and Ritz seemed to pale a little at it.
"I...I definitely don't want to go back to have my hair back to the way it was. My no longer white hair..."
Shara had a surprised look on her face.
"White...hair? No longer white hair?"
What Ritz had said threw the Viera for a loop. All she saw was red hair that bordered on a reddish pink color.
"Yeah...my hair in the other world is actually pure white. It's a trait I was born with."
Shara no longer had that confused look as she nodded in understanding. Of course, Shara was still a bit puzzled at why Ritz seemed to loathe the idea of having her hair white like in the real world again. Not that she disliked Ritz red hair, but picturing her with white hair seemed so much more appealing, but it was just her opinion.
"Until I was able to dye my hair myself, mama used to do it all the time. I HATED IT!"
Ritz's fury was rising as she thought more and more about the past in the other world.
"Mama was always sad...she would always cry when she had to dye my hair..."
Ritz voice sounded slightly broken as if she was trying to stop from crying. She was close to that point where she wanted to let all the salty tears down but she held them in check.
"Ritz..."
Shara put a comforting hand on her leader's shoulder. She wouldn't pretend to understand anything, but she had a feeling that white hair in the other world didn't bold well with the residence that Marche and Ritz hailed from.
"I had to stop caring...taking in mama's sad face was far better than being called a white haired granny by all the other kids...that's the whole reason I got into the habit of using hair dye...I should have been the one crying all those times, but it was mama who always did it for me...I can't find a family and friends to go back to there like I can here. I found the unattainable here. Mewt most likely did, too. I guess Marche couldn't gain it, so he wants to return things to normal..."
The last of Ritz's words seemed very strained, as if she was fighting whether to love or hate Marche's ways. She seemed very displeased about him.
"You knew Marche in the real world, right, Ritz? Can you tell me anything about him?"
Shara asked her. Ritz looked confused, but after giving it a thought, decided that there was no harm in telling her friend.
"There's not much I can say about him. I knew Mewt quite a bit longer than Marche so I could tell you more about his life...well, here's what I know: According to what I've been told about Marche, he has no relation to his mother and younger brother. He was adopted some time when Ms. Radiuju divorced with her husband. Me and Mewt were the only friends he had, I think."
Ritz concluded. Shara visible blanched at the lack of information.
'She wasn't kidding when she said she didn't know much about him. I guess I shouldn't be surprised...'
"Do you know how close he was to his family, Ritz?"
Shara asked her. Ritz shrugged.
"I only met the two once. His mother was a nice person, but I don't know how close the two are. Now his younger brother, he seemed very close to, judging by the way he acted when we all looked at the book that brought about this world..."
Ritz trailed off as she thought of something.
"No way...that's right, Marche's younger brother was with us when we all looked at the book...he might be in this world, too. Maybe that's why..."
Again Ritz trailed off into thought.
"It sounds as if it was a bad thing that his younger brother is in this world. Any particular reason?"
Shara asked the concerned looking Ritz. Ritz nodded slowly.
"According to Marche, his brother has been sick since birth. He's to weak to be able to walk without some sort of transportation. Maybe that's why Marche wants to return things to normal...his brother could be hurt so easily in this world. That's why his clan would always go out on so many missions, Marche wanted to find his brother..."
That was true, as it was one of Marche's perspectives, but it was only one of many, unknown to Ritz.
------
Bakuba, once more...
"I don't have anything to do with that clan, kupo."
A Moogle Trainer told the Judge.
"Besides, the bounty's a Human and I'm a Moogle, kupo."
The Trainer continued.
"Even so, we are aware that the young man has a Moogle comrade with him. That is sufficient enough to take you to Prison."
The Judge stated. The Trainer looked very pissed, but there was nothing he could do.
"Enough of this. He really has nothing to do with it. I'm the Marche your looking for."
The real Marche stepped up to the front of the line of clans.
"Marche, kupo. What are you doing, kupo?"
Montblanc asked in disbelief. The Judge looked visibly shocked.
"Are you really him?"
The Judge never thought the real one would simply turn himself in like this.
"Yes, I'm the one that Prince Mewt wants. Now let all these other clans go."
Marche stated. The Judge shook his head.
"I'll need real proof of that, I'm afraid. All I can do is capture you..."
Before the Judge could say anything more, Marche interrupted.
"Take me to the Judge Master. He'll know who I am"
Marche said. The Judge didn't do anything at the moment, but then shrugged.
"I guess that can't hurt. Come with me, boy."
Marche made sure that his clan stayed out of this as he went with the Judge, alone.
------
Judge Master's Quarters
"Excuse me, Judge Master. A young man claiming to be Marche Radiuju is here to see you."
The Judge said respectfully before moving sideways to all Marche entrance. Both Judge Master and clan leader's eyes met. There was a look of familiarity between them.
"You were the one...the one with Ezel Berbier, correct? So you were Marche Radiuju..."
Cid turned towards the Judge.
"I believe this is the same one. Bring the Clan Ruglia here and send the other clans away."
Cid ordered. Marche stepped further towards Cid.
"He only brought me. The rest of my clan is gone by now, so please, just take me and leave the rest of my clan and the others alone."
Marche pleaded. Cid shook his head.
"If they are free, they could destroy another Crystal while your still here. I can't risk that."
"I was the only one with the desire to destroy the Crystals. The rest of my clan did not participate as I defeated the Divine Beasts. They won't do anything , so please, let them go and take me."
Marche pleaded. Cid was reluctant, but seeing how genuine Marche's eyes were, he decided to let them go.
"Fine. I won't go after the rest of your clan and the rest may go free. Release the imprisoned clans."
He ordered the Judge by the doorway, who saluted before leaving.
"It's time to go to prison."
------
Spurom Prison, last cell
"Babus, so you are here."
Marche said as he looked up from his seated position on the floor of his rather large cell.
"Judge Master Cid has finally caught you. I'm glad to know that."
Babus said with a smirk of satisfaction on his face. Marche ignored the pleased look as focused attention to Cid.
"You have let the other prisoners go, right?"
Cid nodded at the question before asking one of his own.
"I don't doubt Babus, but I want to the whole proof you are who you say you really are. You should be able to tell me the names of the Divine Beasts you've defeated, correct?"
"Of course. Famfreet, Ultima, and Adrammelech."
Marche answered. Cid nodded.
"Correct. I now am truly convinced you are who you say you are. Only the innermost members of the Court would know the Divine Beasts' names."
"I could care less whether you believe me or not. All I want is to go back to my original world."
"Your...original world?"
Cid questioned. Babus stepped closer to the Judge Master.
"He claims that the town he lived in was somehow transformed into this country of Ivalice. It sounds far to preposterous for my liking."
Cid raised an eye brow at what he was told.
"Perhaps the young man is delusional."
Cid stated. Marche spoke up after this.
"Believe what you want, but I know the truth. Not only did me and Mewt live there, but you did, too. You..."
"That cannot be. I've known the Judge Master all my life."
Babus said firmly. Cid stepped closer to the cell as he peered at Marche.
'His eyes are so clear...I don't feel anything that would suggest he's lying, but what am I to believe...? No, I must sway this man's priorities elsewhere somehow...I would feel guilty for executing such a spirited and talented person...maybe...'
"Listen carefully, Marche Radiuju. The destruction of the Crystals will bring chaos to this world. Of course, for you, their destruction holds a different meaning. Tell me, is there any other possible way you've found that would allow you to return home without destroying the Crystals in the process?"
Cid asked Marche. When Marche's head fell forward so that his hair covered his eyes, Cid was sure that no other way had been discovered.
"I'm sorry. I've have not been able to find any other way that will keep this world and it's Crystals intact."
Marche answered truthfully. Cid nodded.
"I see. If such is the case, your going to have to abandon your search home and remain here. The Crystals sustain balance to Ivalice. Should they fall, Ivalice collapses with them. As it stands at the moment, it's a simple story of you appearing in this world. What you can do to appease your need to return home is rather simple: Forget about your own world."
Marche face rose up so he met the eyes of Cid.
"Forget...my world..."
Marche asked feightly. Cid nodded.
"According to my sources, your clan is already the top clan in Ivalice. Power, friends, rank, money...all are yours here, correct? Is there anything beyond that you want or need? Your quest will keep hurting my son and I cannot have that. Live here happily with all you've attained."
Cid insisted. Judging by the way Marche looked, it seemed he was having the right effect on Marche, little did he know that everything would backfire shortly after those words escaped his lips.
"Are you trying to sway my priorities elsewhere from the Crystals? If you are, then I'm afraid it's not working. If you, Mewt's father, truly cared for your son, you'd let him return back to the original Ivalice to face the demons he couldn't overcome and ran away from."
Marche's blue eyes went from soft and warm to hard and frigid. Cid was taken aback by what Marche just said to him. It was short lived however as darkness began covering the three's vision.
"What...A PORTAL?! When did it appear?"
Cid growled as he found himself slipping further and further into darkness.
"You did this, didn't you?"
Babus scowled at Marche.
"What are you talking about, I had no idea there was anything of significance here to begin with."
------
Unknown Location, Ivalice(?)
"This is...so the Divine Beast has summoned you..."
Cid said as he looked around the area All that happened to be of much interest around the Divine Beast's chamber was the ghostly looking trees filled with very odd, pulsating fruit. The Crystal was in the center, as all the other ones before this one.
"Where is it?"
Marche asked as he looked around steadily. The fruits of the trees pulsated and glowed brighter.
"Welcome, Marche Radiuju. I am Exodus, The Spectral Tree Of Judgment, and I have been waiting to finally meet you."
Marche narrowed his eyes.
"You sort of remind me of Ultima...I doubt your as stationary as you appear, too."
"You wield good perceptions, but of course I expected no less from the one who could defeat my fellow Totema."
"I'll bet destroying that fruit is the key to destroying the Crystal as well, Exodus."
"Correct again. Now let me test my might against your own, Marche Radiuju. Let me feel the power that destroyed the other Points Of Bindings."
The Divine Beast ordered. Marche walked closer to one of the trees, but Babus and Cid were there to guard it.
"Your all alone here, Marche. Me and Babus must ensure you don't destroy this Crystal, so we will protect it as well."
Cid stated, before tossing Marche's large blade at the young man's feet. Marche grabbed it with his right hand as he leaned down to retrieve it. Upon standing back up, Marche saw that Cid went into his fighting stance, holding a giant blade similarly to Marche's except his was pure white, just like his Judge Master armor.
"I don't want to have to do this Mr. Randell, but I have to."
Marche said. The two swordsmen ran at each other as battle cries escaped their throats and they hefted their blades behind them. Marche and Cid swung vertically downward, and when the two swords met, sparks flew. The grinding of metal against metal soon followed as the two remained locked, each one trying to overpower the other. Babus broke it when he chanted a spell.
"Explode!"
Cid jumped back quickly as Marche's body ignited in flames. To the Judge Master and Rune Seeker however, it was a surprise to see Marche swiftly roll out from the raging fire. As Marche got up, it could be noted that he somehow escaped with only light patches of black where the fire got to, but otherwise, Marche remained generally unhurt. Babus gaped at him.
"Impossible, that was a perfectly aimed spell, and all that's damaged is your clothing?"
Babus seethed. Cid put his hand on the Nu Mou's shoulder.
"Be calm Babus. This man killed the Divine Beasts single handedly. We can't be allowed to underestimate his power."
Cid advised, calming the Nu Mou down significantly. What Cid said was right. Marche could not be underestimated. Marche took the offensive first and charged at the two. Cid jumped in front of Babus in order to protect him. When Cid felt the impact of Marche's sword on his own, he side stepped backwards, getting Marche off balance as he rushed past him. Making the side step into a full 360 degree spin, Cid struck down vertically at Marche's back as he went by. To Cid's own surprise, the attack was blocked miraculously as Marche switched his own sword from his right hand to his left hand before arching his back and bringing the sword with him to shield the blow intended for his unguarded back. Using the momentary surprise, Marche swung out with his now swordless right fist, intended on striking Cid down, but the older man brought up his gauntleted hand to block his face from the attack.
"Explode!"
Babus used his spell again. Cid kicked out with his armored boot, making him and Marche break away from another. As soon as Marche saw the flames that were about to explode all around him, he jumped through the air, using the force of Babus's spell to get away, and landed right near Babus himself. Cid yelled out to alert Babus.
"Babus, look out!"
It was too late. Upon landing near the powerful Nu Mou mage, Marche got up quickly as he spun 360 degrees, swinging his sword vertically and catching Babus in the head. The spinning clothesline attack he pulled off sent Babus flying towards Cid and he touched ground just in front of the Judge Master's feet, out cold.
"Babus!"
Cid declared as he went towards his fallen comrade. A blow like that could kill the wise, old Nu Mou. A Phoenix Down was throw by Cid's hand as he cradled Babus in his arms.
"Use that to rouse him, but otherwise, please don't interfere anymore with this battle."
Cid obliged to Marche's words, using the Phoenix Down on the fallen Babus. Babus stirred slightly.
"Oh...my...head..."
Babus moaned. Getting hit in the head by the flat of a giant blade and getting sent flying across the room hadn't been his idea of fun.
"Alright, Exodus...here I come!"
Marche declared as he rushed towards the first tree, his eye now turning crimson to accommodate for the real battle. When Marche tried attacking the tree, however, it physically swayed to the right from the vertical slash and swung out with it's branches, striking Marche hard in his unprotected side, sending him hard into the ground. Upon trying to get up, Marche was soon held down as the roots burst from the ground and tied him down.
"I don't like the look of this..."
Marche said as he struggled to get free. The roots lifted him up slightly, before throwing him into another tree, which swung and struck him high into the air. All the trees expanded in size rapidly to match Marche as he ascended higher in his daze. At the peak of his ascent, the trees struck him down to make his impact with the ground that much more painful.
"Where did he go?"
The voice of Exodus asked as it used the roots of all it's trees to feel for Marche along the ground. After his descent with the ground, Marche could not be felt, as if he disappeared.
"He can't feel him...where did he go?"
Cid asked as he watched as the roots tore through the ground and walls. There was one area the tree roots were not present it, however .
"Up here!"
Marche yelled as he let his sword loose from the ceiling, so he could head down to one of the trees, swinging down with the flat of his blade. He was able to not only crush the tree, but destroy it's fruit. Some of the Crystal began to break.
(Author's note: Sorry, while writing about the Divine Beast battle, I just realized that I didn't even tell how many trees there were. There was a total of four, but now that Marche destroyed one, there's three left.)
"He's succeeding..."
Babus muttered as he and Cid watched the fight going on. Marche quickly dashed for the next tree, wanting to destroy it as quickly as possible. When his sword was just about to touch the bark, however, the roots of the tree caught his sword arm, and threw Marche back suddenly. Marche skidded against the ground with a surprised yelp as he hadn't expected the tree to counter attack like that. When he finally stopped along the ground, the roots tried to catch him again in their grasp. Marche was up instantly, but the roots snagged the back of his sweater, tearing it off him. Marche put a hand to the remaining front of his sweater and tore it off.
'It may sting to get whipped by those roots while I'm shirtless, and I'll have to get a new sweater...oh well, I go through enough of them anyway, so what's one more.?'
Marche pondered before jumping back as the roots tried to catch him again. Marche's left hand went out as he gathered magic energy.
"Firaga!"
Marche bellowed as he threw the giant ball of fire at the second tree, making it go up in flames, along with it's fruit. Marche hardly ever used magic, but he had it at his disposal anyway, just in case.
"This battle will end sooner than I thought, Exodus."
Marche boosted. He could simply do away with the remaining trees with a couple of Firaga spells left. And that's exactly what Marche did, barrating himself mentally for not realizing sooner that he could burn the Divine Beast since it was only a collection of trees, and therefore making the battle harder for himself simply out of his usual habit of taking on the Divine Beasts physically rather than mentally. The Crystal shattered and the Divine Beast's essence left the mysterious area.
------
Outskirts of Bakuba
"That's one more Divine Beast under his belt, and one more to go."
Celine said as Exodus's power combined with hers.
------
Mysterious Location, Ivalice(?)
"No...the world will surely come to an end. We were unsuccessful."
Babus said sadly. Cid cursed softly as he muttered.
"Why did I hold so much power back against him, even in such a crisis as this?"
Cid hung his head down in shame for his failure, something he not often done. He did not have much time to feel that way as two ghostly images showed up in the center of the area. Marche knew them all too well, as Cid and Babus gawked at what they were seeing.
"This is...?"
Cid began, but could not finish.
"The Judge Master and the Prince?"
Babus asked in curiosity. The entire area was now a snow filled road, one that Marche knew all too well.
"Papa, you can hardly walk. Are you sure you can make it home?"
Mewt asked his drunken father. The man had fallen on the ground.
"Sake'sh oo goood! You forget everything..."
The last words spoken by the other world Cid were surprisingly unbroken words. The entire world went black, as Mewt was the only on cast in light.
"Since mom died, he's always drinking to forget the pain of her loss. It's pretty bad, isn't it?"
Mewt said to no one in particular. He then vanished, leaving Marche and the other two back where they were originally.
"That drunkard...he was really me...the real Cid Randell..."
Cid pondered.
"Yes...yes, that was me. After my wife's death I stopped working and wanted to just drown away my sorrows in sake, pushing my son away because all he did was remind me of her."
Cid spoke more clearly, now understanding the entire truth.
"The Queen died...?"
Babus asked, perplexed.
"Mewt didn't want to see his father as the slob he actually was so when he became the master of this world, he made Cid into a Judge Master. A mighty warrior and caring father who did everything proper again."
Marche said. Cid's eyes closed softly. He knew it all to be true. All he was, was a creation of the ideal father his son wanted.
"Lord Cid...?"
Babus asked the Judge Master. Cid clenched his gauntlet fist tightly, his eyes burning with a new resolve.
"Babus! From now on, the Judges will be an independent party from the Court from now on."
Cid stated. Babus looked very shocked.
"Leave the Court? And the Prince as well?"
Babus's head shook with disbelief. Cid put his hand on the Nu Mou's shoulder.
"My son shouldn't have a false creation for a father by his side. For him...and myself included, this is the best decision. I will head back to the palace. Marche, I'm releasing you. It's not within my power to decide the best course of action for you at this time, even if you are a danger to Mewt and the country. Babus, You will have to run the Court in my absence. From here on out, the Judges will be public servants of all the Laws."
Cid stated. Marche smiled at this.
"Thank you, Judge Master."
"On the contrary, it is I who should be thanking you for opening my eyes to the truth, Marche. I am in your debt."
------
Bar in Bakuba
"Why also the Judge Master?"
A Blue Mage asked an Illusionist.
"To make the Judges independent from the Court, I'd wager."
Marche sat on a near by stool, listening to the two talking about the Judges, while drinking milk. The Bartender looked at him.
"You should be very happy about all that, huh?"
"Yeah...It sounds great but..."
Before Marche could finish, a Hunter jumped into the conversation.
"What does it mean to be independent of the Court?"
He asked.
"They want to become neutral. Until now, their influence in the Court has been second to none."
The Illusionist answered.
"And the Royal family really permitted it, huh?"
The Blue Mage asked. The Illusionist nodded.
"Actually, it seems their moving selfishly of their own will."
"The Queen must be pissed."
"The Prince is probably even more pissed. Even if he's an adult he can sure turn into a wild child at times."
The conversation continued.
"Mewt..."
Marche muttered as he looked at his now empty glass.
------
Royal Palace, Throne Room
"If you need me, just call and I'll rush to your side to help you, son, understand?"
Cid said. Mewt looked very angry indeed, but he kept it in check, somehow.
"Please reconsider this, Lord Cid, you must stay and protect the Prince."
Babus pleaded, but it was no use.
"SHUT UP!! Papa already said he was leaving me. I have no use for a father who would decide to abandon me without reason."
Mewt ordered. Babus kept silent, not wanting to get an earful of yelling in his ears should he continue.
"Are you truly leaving?"
Cid turned to see Remedi behind him. There was someone behind her, but he could not make out who it was.
"Yes, I am."
Cid answered her. Remedi stepped to the side to introduce the person behind her. Cid's eyes widened in amazement, for a brief moment. The young man's face was near identical to that of Mewt's yet his hair looked somewhat like Marche's. It remained covered in a royal red turbin. The young man's hazel colored eyes bordered slightly on red. Cid felt an odd presence about the young man.
"This young lad will be your replacement as the Prince's protector. He will be given powers that far exceed your own. His name is Llednar."
The Queen told him. Llednar bowed slightly, his face remaining emotionless. Cid nodded.
"I see you have things under control. Farewell."
Cid said before he departed.
"Your father can be quite cruel sometimes. Leaving you alone like this."
Babus now took in Llednar's appearance
"Who is this young man?"
"He is Llednar. He will be Prince Mewt's guardian in the Judge Master's absence."
Remedi explained. Llednar stepped forward and bowed deeply in front of Mewt.
"It will be an honor to protect you, Prince Mewt. I am Llednar."
Mewt smiled at the Queen.
"You got me a new friend Mama, just for me? Thank you, Mama!"
Babus felt the oddity that was Llednar just like Cid had. There was something he didn't trust about him.
"Lord Cid..."
***TBC***
Note: Well, there's the fourteenth chapter. Llednar finally makes a proper introduction, so any Llednar fans rejoice, because he's finally here. Anyway, I have to answer the review question of Video Game Fanatic. First off, let me thank you for the kind comment. I'm glad you like this enough to think I could make a sequel out of it, but unfortunately, I have no plans on making one. Now, about the other important FFT characters who still have yet to show up like Malak, Rafa, and Orlandu: The three will appear for a VERY small but VERY significant role in the later chapters, but otherwise, they won't be joining any clans or anything (Sorry to any fans of those characters). Anyway, thanks for reading and hopefully all of you will have a wonderful Valentine's Day.