Author's Note: This may be 'it' as it were. What I mean is the point where the story goes so crap it just needs to end. I tried to employ an interesting twist for a character, but having written it, I think it may, to use a popular phrase, 'jumped the shark'. I'm hoping people will find it alright, but I think that's hopeful. I think this is where it all goes downhill. Sorry people. This storyline I hadn't planned. I had the idea, but no actual storyline thoughts, so it's coming off very badly.

I may miss a few updates. Really sorry, but I want to try and end this well, and not a 'thank God that's over' ending. So I may take longer to do coming chapters. I'm finding this storyline very hard, losing sleep again, and being generally busy. I'm hoping it'll become better as it goes on, but it's a thin line.

Last chapter I forgot to say thanks to Phabrizoe for the congratulations on reaching 50. Sorry Phabrizoe, I forgot! Thanks a lot. Longest story in the FFXI section huh? I have far too much spare time on my hands it would seem! Thanks for the congratulations.

Oh, and referring to TheFrogKiller and how these guys always find themselves in a bad situation, that's why I set this eight months later. So that there was a suitably long break between stuff happening to them, although he's still really unlucky. At least these new events are the machinations of some mysterious new bad guy to challenge him.

CHAPTER 52

TRAINING

"Wait a minute." Olose said thoughtfully, looking up from the papers that recorded all of the public out cries that had been made by the protesters against Astra. "They have a lot to criticise, but they seem to target that they don't feel you'll make a strong military leader, right?"

"Well, yes." Astra answered.

"War is all that's on these people's minds." Santia explained.

"Everybody wants to blame somebody else for our defeat by Bastok." Dartian, who had now joined them, sighed. "For a while, the Cardinal made a perfect scapegoat. But now they've turned their attention to Astra and the royal family."
"Well, if they want a strong military leader, why don't we give them one?" Olose suggested.

"How?" Astra asked. "I can barely lift a sword. Not those big broadswords anyway." She blushed slightly.

"Who said anything about a warrior?" Olose asked with a grin.

"A mage?" Santia guessed curiously. "Interesting idea."

"I don't know anything about magic." Astra sighed. "Who would possibly teach me?" Olose paused.

"Oh. I know somebody." He smiled.

Phabrizoe sighed, clutching the link pearl.

"No!" He cried down it. "I'm not a teacher!"

"Hey! This is the fate of a kingdom here!" Olose cried.

"Well perhaps if she had had some training." Phabrizoe sighed. "But as it stands I couldn't possibly train her."

"Come on Phabz, you can do it." Olose encouraged.

"I really don't have the patience to deal with some prissy elvaan princess." Phabrizoe groaned. "Find her some royal educator or something."

"But I can trust you." Olose moaned. "Come on. You'll get to see San d'Oria. And insult the elvaans."

"Tempting." Phabrizoe said thoughtfully. "Fine. I'll do it. But only as a favour to you."

"I am your captain." Olose reminded him.

"I wasn't aware we were at sea." Phabrizoe shot back.

"You win this round." Olose grumbled. "I'll see you here as soon as possible then."

"Right. In the meantime, get her reading some magic books. I don't want to have to train a total newbie."

"Got it." Olose announced, placing down the link pearl. He turned to Astra who had been listening.

"Prissy?" She repeated angrily.
"Hey, he's a nice guy. Once you get to know him." Olose explained. "And he's dammed powerful too." Astra continued to stare at him. "Okay! It's not my fault! Blame him!" She sighed with a slight laugh.

"I'll go and get some books. I've read a few on magic before, but never tried it." She paused. "How am I going to become powerful in a matter of days? Powerful enough to lead a nation?"

"I have a theory." Olose answered. "Your muscles failed to develop due to the Cardinal's poison, but that wouldn't have stunted your magical abilities. However, it's entirely possible that the energy that would normally let you grow like an ordinary person was redirected into your magical skills, making you far more powerful than ordinary person."

"That's really clever." Astra remarked.

"I know. Arcadia suggested it to me over linkshell." Olose grinned innocently and Astra laughed. "It'll be a while before Phabz gets here. You should probably get reading." Olose stood.
"Where are you going?" Astra asked.

"To the tavern." Laughed Olose.

Dartian, Santia and Olose were all sat around the bar table, enjoying a drink and catching up on old times. Dartian would occasionally put his arm around Santia, and allow her to lean against him, which Olose still couldn't get his head around.

"So, when did you two get together?" He decided to ask.

"Clearing up after you saved the whole city." Dartian laughed. "Everybody needed somebody in the wake of the Cardinal. We were just kinda right for each other."

"Which is his way of saying he was too scared to ask me out." Santia ribbed, and Dartian smirked.

"So, you guys want more drinks?" Olose asked. He only drank for effect due to his regeneration skills, but he still offered.

"Yeah, sure." Dartian smiled.

"We'll buy the next round." Santia decided. Olose wondered up to the bar, and casually flung some money down.

"Three beers." He stated. The bartender nodded. Olose suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

"OLOSE!" Dartian suddenly cried. Olose swung around just in time to see a dagger flying at his head. He dodged out of the way and it thudded into the wall behind him. He glanced at it. Silver. His eyes went wide as he saw his attacker running, silver sword in hand.

He never made it, being impaled from behind by Dartian.

"Thanks for the save." Olose smiled.

"No problem." Dartian replied.

Half the bar suddenly seemed to draw silver weaponry.
"Ah. This looks like this is going to get worse before it gets better." Olose commented. "You two. Get out of here. They want me, remember?"

"Nonsense." Dartian laughed, sword drawn. "All for one, and one for all. Remember?" Santia drew her weapon and stood by Dartian's side.

"We'll sort out these thugs." She grinned. "If they dare mess with the Temple Knights and Royal Guard."

"Oh, we dare." Snarled one of the aggressors. "It's time the elvaan crown fell!"

"They always have to be difficult." Olose sighed.

He kicked the table they had been sat around. It hurled through the air, smashing into the group. By now, anybody not up for an armed barroom brawl had fled, and chaos erupted. Santia and Dartian quickly engaged the group with their swords, making quick work of their attackers with their rapiers. Olose picked up a chair and smashed it into one of the thugs before stealing his blade (luckily the handle wasn't made of silver). He slashed outwards at his attackers and they stayed back. He smiled before hurling the sword at one. The aggressor went down, which stunned the others long enough for Olose to find a new weapon. He ripped the whole top of the bar off, and swung it like a huge bat. He slammed into a group of the thugs, shattering the wooden base and taking them out. One sneaking attacker saw this as the perfect time to attack Olose, as he was without a weapon in light of breaking the bar top. He was wrong. Olose hurled the splintered shard of the bar at him, and he found a long piece of wood stuck in his chest.

Dartian swiped down at the attacking mobs feet, dropping many, while Santia drove them back by running into the middle. Olose jumped up onto a table and swung from the hanging candle light across to them.

"Run?" He suggested.

"Run." They confirmed. The three bolted and dove through the window, shattering it. Olose paused for a moment, before he let out a mighty grin. He slammed into the support beam holding up the cover over the exit to the tavern, and brought it down, blocking the exit. He smiled, dusting off his hands.

"Now that's a job well done." He laughed.

"Let's just get out of here." Dartian sighed. "I don't want to have to clear this one up." The three disappeared, leaving the shattered tavern behind.

Olose approached Astra some time later.

"That confirms it." He stated. "At least a part of this plan involves killing me."

"It's possibly they just heard you were in the vicinity so targeted you." Astra pointed out, looking up from her reading material.

"Possible. I don't mean to sound egocentric you know, but it does add up." Olose explained. "Somebody wants me out of the way, even if it is just to make it easier to take over from you." Olose decided. "It doesn't matter. We can handle it."

"Hopefully causing less damage than you did at the tavern." Astra laughed. "So, how does this help our situation?"

"I have a plan. But it's risky." Olose told her. "Look. It's clear that these protestors think themselves as pretty strong warriors, or else they wouldn't have tried to attack me head on. I propose a contest. You versus every challenger San d'Oria has to offer."

"WHAT?" Astra screamed in horror.
"Hear me out. If we can get you to be powerful enough magically, these guys will drop like flies." Olose explained.

"But it would have to be soon. I could never-" Astra started to shake with fear.

"Calm down." Olose stated. "Look, you can do this. I know you can. Arcadia thinks this will work, and she's usually right." He smirked. "Hell, she's always right. It gets annoying." Astra smiled slightly.

"You had better have one hell of a mage coming to train me." She said softly.

"Somebody call?" Phabrizoe grinned from the entrance to the throne room. Olose beamed a smile. Astra just rose a curious eyebrow.

Phabrizoe was perched quite happily on the throne of San d'Oria, once the proudest nation in Vana'diel, watching Astra practice.

"Now, just will the fireball into being before you. Feel the power run through you." He explained. "Feel, don't think. Use your instincts."

"I can't feel a thing." Astra replied.

"Come on." He tried to encourage her, but was feeling pretty weary. "If you just let yourself feel it, it'll come to you."

"I'll try." Astra sighed.

"Don't picture the world around you. Shut your eyes. Focus on the words of the scroll and-" The wall to the throne room suddenly exploded in a mass of flame like none Phabrizoe had seen. His jaw dropped. "-And quickly learn some self control." He finished. Astra opened her eyes cautiously.

"What the-?" She suddenly exclaimed.

"I think Arcadia's theory about how powerful you are wasn't off the mark." He gasped, looking at the crumbling rock. Santia bolted into the room.

"What happened?" She cried.

"I think we've just found us a very powerful mage." Phabrizoe explained.

Outside in the forest, Phabrizoe decided to put Astra through her paces.

"Alright. Water spell. Give it a shot." Phabrizoe suggested. Astra sighed, and began to focus. There was a sudden rumble as the ground cracked in front of them. "No. That's Earth. Focus on the scrolls you read." He warned. "It's easy to make a mistake with that much raw power-" He stopped as water erupted in a mighty tidal wave from the crack in the ground and rocketed out across the plains, crushing the trees before them. Once again his jaw dropped.

"Sorry. I got a bit distracted and faltered a bit near the end. Wasn't quite powerful enough, was it?" Astra said sadly. A tree collapsed. Phabrizoe just stared in awe.

Olose wondered through the street, pinning up flyers for the coming competition having gotten Astra's approval now. He suddenly stopped in shock as he saw a massive burst of flame erupting into the sky parting the very clouds. He just stared in disbelief. Astra was becoming insanely powerful at lightning speeds. It was unbelievable.

An undead Wight approached Astra, and she trembled nervously. Phabrizoe just smiled.

"Just concentrate. These are quite powerful, but no match for you." He explained. Astra shut her eyes and began to chant. A bright white light suddenly sliced the Wight in two, and it collapsed. "Wait. That was banish! You been studying white magic?"

"Well, last night I was done with the black magic spells. They came to me so easily, so I thought I'd try something different." She explained.

"But that was ridiculously powerful!" He exclaimed. "You're specialising in black magic! White magic shouldn't be that powerful for you! No way!" Astra just smiled.

"I've been trying my cure spells as well on sick people in town. They haven't failed yet. I think I may be getting good at this." She said happily.

"I'll say." Gasped Phabrizoe. "And you don't tire out at all."

"Not from casting, but all this exercise leaves me feeling faint." She stated.

"Yes, I figured with your background you'd have low endurance." Phabrizoe commented. "Then in a fight stand your ground. Don't move. You need all of your energy. Just use your spells. Nothing could withstand that. You're already better than I am and I've trained you for a few days."

"I can stand my ground. Watch this." She quickly cast a spell of protect on herself. Phabrizoe reached out to touch the force field and felt a solid wall.

"What? That's supposed to weaken the blow, not be solid!" The little tarutaru exclaimed. "This is insane!"

"If the Cardinal knew this made people so powerful, he'd never have inflicted it upon me." Astra smiled. "I kind of wish he was around now so I could show him!" She suddenly paused and her face fell. "I-I'm-" She suddenly ran off, much to Phabrizoe's surprise.

The black mage walked in to talk to Olose, who was talking to Santia and Dartian, having failed to find Astra after a long search.

"Olose." He stated simply. "You wouldn't believe Astra. She's excelled in both magic arts far beyond anything I've ever seen. It's insane."

"She's a red mage then?" Olose asked.

"Nope. A red mage can cast both types of spell, but limited. She can cast both to their full extent. She's more of a 'grey mage'." He shook his head in disbelief. "I'm serious. I've never seen power like hers."

"And you never will again." Astra commented from the doorway, her face stained with tears.

"Astra!" Olose cried.
"What's wrong?" Phabrizoe asked quickly.

"I thought. I wanted to see the Cardinal. I wanted to kill him. Use my new power to crush him. They say power corrupts. They're right. I don't want it." She explained.

"But Princess-" Dartian began.

"It's the only way to save the kingdom!" Santia input.

"But I feel horrible." She was shaking. "I think about death and destruction and power! I don't want it! I want it to go away!" She started crying, and Olose rushed in to hug her.

"Shh. It's alright." He said gently. "I understand. I know what it's like to have a power burning inside of you, ya know?"

"I know." She said through teary eyes. "But I can't handle it. I don't want to think mean thoughts."

"It's natural." Olose told her.
"Not for me!" She sobbed.

"Astra. The people you feel angry towards is a perfectly natural response. The Cardinal robbed you of your life. These people are planning to do the same. You can stop them. You can save San d'Oria." He told her.

"By being violent." Astra sniffled. "Why can't we solve things peacefully?"

"Because these people are evil. They won't give up. We need to stop them." Dartian explained. "Or innocent people could die."

"To protect life. Yes. That's why I'll do it. I'll do it." She decided. "I'll do it. To save life, not take it. I don't want to kill."

"We understand." Olose said gently.

"Then I'll continue my training. Sorry everyone." Astra turned and left with the elegance befitting her status as a princess.

Author's Note: Now you see what I mean. Ahem. For fun, you can always read Astra being trained with "Gonna Fly Now" from Rocky playing in the background, it makes it bearable at least! But for the most part, I'm really sorry this has gone so badly. I'm kinda back in that 'struggling to write' slump right now. I have the climax sorted, so the story should go out on a bang, but I feel this storyline is going to go really badly unless I come up with a way to make it better soon.

Sorry to have subjected you to another crappy chapter everyone!