A/N: Ok, I'm continuing this fic even though I haven't gotten any reviews for Chapter 2 yet. I guess it's because I forgot to post "read and review" at the end of it. Oh well. This is probably my longest chapter yet, as it contains some back story about Alexander's companions, as well as their adventure to Delia.
Disclaimer: I do not own FFT nor FFTA. However, I will be "borrowing" aspects from the Final Fantasy series in the near future… probably in the next chapter or two. So be prepared. Also, my characters are going to be using a little bit of Japanese in their expressions as well, to show some connection between Ivalice and the "real world". Don't worry, I'll translate for you.
2nd disclaimer: I am not fluent in Japanese, so excuse me if I misspell a word here and there.
Also, sorry about the lack or ruler lines this time, my internet was acting stupid and I kept getting an "error on page" message. I'm spacing the story far from the Author's Notes so you'll know where one ends and the other begins.
Bacardi and Cola: They Get The Job Done! (best. commercials. ever.)
Chapter 3: Delia… And Destiny!
Lesson 1: Viera are extremely hard to keep up with, especially if they're assassins.
Alexander found that it took up all of his energy just to keep his new assassin friend in sight. It seemed to him that for every tree he jumped on, she was at least three trees ahead of him. She was silent, too; he could barely hear the leaves rustle as she nimbly jumped from branch to branch to find a clearing.
"She's really giving me a workout," Alexander thought as he finally saw her slow to a stop. "I haven't run this fast since P.E. yesterday." With that thought, he felt a small pang of homesickness. He knew this world was cool and all, but he really needed to get back. There was homework to do, school to attend, etc. etc. As these thoughts ran through his head, he felt himself slow down.
"I have to focus… otherwise, I'll never catch up with her." He shook the thoughts out of his head and started to speed up again. Finally he saw her slow down and jump out of the tree to the ground. Eldena appeared by her side a few seconds later. Alexander jumped out of the tree and landed next to the duo.
"You're… pretty… fast…" Alexander managed to say to Eustine between breaths. "I'm… tired out."
"Don't waste all your energy, kid… we still need to set up camp," she replied.
"Oh yay… more work."
While the two viera set up the two sleeping bags that they brought with them, Alexander left for a deeper part of the forest to chop firewood. He unsheathed his sword and swung it towards the nearest tree. Instead of being stuck in the hard wood as a normal sword should be, his sword sliced through the trunk with little effort.
"Whoa… strong sword." Alexander decided to sit down and make a more thorough examination of his sword, seeing as he was interrupted the first time by Eldena's scream. Its black hilt was made of pure obsidian and was set with glittering onyx stones. It was also hollow, allowing for messages to be passed through distribution of the sword. What struck him most, however, was the blade, just like the first time he saw it. On this second examination, he found that it was not black, as he had first perceived, but in fact a dark blood red. The "blood lines", as he had dubbed them, were a much brighter crimson red.
The lines were pulsing. I knew it. This sword shared some kind of connection with its wielder. Because the sword seemed to pulse with every beat of my heart. I longed to know the name of this exceptional sword. I searched all over the blade, and finally found it engraved in the hilt, in crimson lettering: "Ekibyougami." This sword's wielder must have been from the real world as well. He knew Japanese… as did I. "Ekibyougami" meant "Angel of Death".
"Sure picked the right name for this sword," Alexander said to himself as he got up and started to chop more wood. After slicing five more trees, he sheathed his sword and shouldered the six logs. He slowly lugged the wood back to camp as Eldena and Eustine finished setting up. Alexander placed the logs on the ground as Eldena cast a mild Fire spell. The trio stretched out by the fire to relax.
"So kid, where you from?" Eustine asked the tired Swordmaster.
"It's a small town called St. Ivalice. I just moved there last month. It's really great, with the snow, and high school, and all that…"
"Wait. Did you say St. Ivalice?" Eldena asked him. Alexander sensed some wonder in her inquiry.
"Yeah, you didn't hear me the first time?"
"Yes I did," she replied. "It's just that… we also know some people from St. Ivalice."
"Wait, you mean there's other people from the real world here?"
"Yeah, kid. Our clan leader, he's tall just like you. Blonde hair, with a weird flip on top. He's a little shy, but when he gets on the battlefield, man! He's a beast!" Eustine said to him. "His girlfriend's from the real world too. She's a little shorter than him, pink hair, and a somewhat short fuse. Make her angry, and you'll need more than some flowers and a Sleep spell to stop her."
Others from the real world? It wasn't possible. But the two people Eustine described… they fit the descriptions of the two who saved me in P.E. one day…
flashback
"Hey, new kid!"
I walked by without talking to them.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!"
"And?"
"You're gonna get creamed in today's snowball fight!"
"Yeah, right."
"Don't listen to those jerks," the girl said to me. "They like to pick on the new kids, all the time. They think they're all that… no wonder why they don't have girlfriends."
"They probably go out with each other." We both laughed.
"Team one: Marche, Ritz, Mewt, Christine, Alexander. Team two: Lyle, Colin, Guinness, Sylvia, Joseph. Everyone ready?"
"Yeah!"
"Begin!" I picked up a mound of snow, rolled it into a perfect ball, and threw it straight into Lyle's face. Then I did the same to Colin. And Guinness. That's what they get for underestimating me. Then I turned around to pick up more snow. I turned back, poised to throw, and felt something hard and sharp hit my forehead. I saw drops of blood mix in with the snow I was holding, and I felt faint. The last thing I remembered was the blonde kid tackle Colin, and the white-haired girl bent over me…
end flashback
"You look somewhat disturbed. Is something wrong?" Eldena asked Alexander as she saw the worried expression on his face.
"No, it's… nothing…"
"Whatever. I'm turning in. G'night, you two," Eldena said as she crept into her sleeping bag and drifted off.
"Good night, Eustine," Alexander replied.
"Sleep well," Eldena said.
I figured I would make some conversation… at least find out the background of my two partners. I didn't want to be adventuring with them one day only to find out that they're wanted criminals and have the law on my ass for being an accessory.
Lesson 2: Viera are very good conversationalists. Or maybe it was the rapture of the firelight that made Eldena tell her stories…
"So, Eldena…"
"Yes?"
"Where are you from?"
"Eustine and I are from Muscadet, the city of the viera. From what I heard, she was born into an archer family, one of the best in the city."
"Her voice is beautiful," I thought. "She speaks so articulately… It's like I'm talking to a princess."
"Archer family?" Alexander inquired.
"Well, it's tradition in Ivalice that you become the same job as your parents were. Eustine, however, wanted more than that, ever since that Borzoi assassin strolled through one day… She's trained her skills, and is now the top assassin in Ivalice. She's so dedicated to her job, and a huge credit to viera everywhere. I suppose her parents would be immensely proud of her, if they could see her now…"
"Where are they?"
"They join the never-ending ranks of the spirits now, Alexander. Ever since they died, she became a wandering mercenary, joining and resigning clans. Some were nice to her, and gave her kindness and love.. Others… weren't. She was treated as an object, a piece of property to send into battle. She continued this existence until a small moogle black mage asked her to join the newly formed Clan Chaos. For some reason, she stuck with that clan from its early days."
"Why?"
"My reasoning is that they were like her new family to her. They were unusually kind to her, especially Montblanc- the mage I mentioned earlier. I guess that's what spurred her to remain with them and become their assassin. I suppose that the spirits of her parents look on and aid her through her battles as well- both internal and external."
"Her parents help her? But they're dead!"
"That is true, Alexander. However, while she was perfecting her assassin abilities, she was also learning a viera-exclusive form of magic- Spirit Magic. You see, we viera are quite attuned to the presence and flow of sprits through both worlds- theirs and ours. Those who harness the power of the nature spirits that exist in Ivalice are called Elementalists, and the magic that they use is none other than Spirit Magic. I suppose that using Spirit Magic is one way for Eustine to remain close to her parents."
"But that doesn't explain the weird accent," Alexander said to her.
"She picked it up while she was still wandering the clans, and she's never seemed to get rid of it. Oh well, I think it's cool anyhow."
I didn't know she had gone through such a tragic past. She seemed so cheerful on the outside. I didn't know what to say, how to respond…
"That explains her, but what about you, Eldena? Surely you have an… interesting story about your background as well?"
Eldena chuckled. "Not really. My mother was a skilled White Mage, and my father a human Hunter. My sister Melissa followed my father's path in the way of the long-range fighter, but I wanted to study magic, just as my mother did. However, after my mother taught me the basic Cure spell, I decided that I didn't want to be stuck in the back of the battlefield just healing everybody. I wanted some of the action, too. So, I did a little bit of training with the rapier, and I started learning the skills of a Red Mage."
"And what exactly does a Red Mage do?"
"Red Magic combines the elemental offenses of Black Magic, the healing of White Magic, a protection spell, and a couple of status spells. Our real power, however, is to cast any two spells in one turn with our Doublecast ability. It's quite potent."
"Wow! Sounds good. You must be the Uber-Mage then, right?"
"Yes and no. The price of learning so much magic is that us Red Mages are only relegated to the basic level of each spell. Quantity over quality, I suppose. However, there was a way for me to become much more powerful, although I must admit, it puts a large drain on me every once in a while."
"What do you mean? From what I see, Red Mages are already powerful enough…"
"Do you remember what I told you about harnessing the power of spirits?"
"Yes, about how Elementalists can use the power of nature around them to attack?"
"Correct. It is only one of the two advanced schools of Viera Magic, however. The other school of magic uses their intimate connection to the Spirit Realm to call forth beasts of great wonder and power. They have been called different names throughout the ages- Espers, Aeons, Guardian Forces, Avatars- but their power remains constant. Those who harness this power are the Summoners."
"And I'm guessing you're a Summoner?"
"You're very perceptive. Using my unique Doublecast ability, and a ton of focus, I can call forth two of these beasts at once, whether it is to rain down fire and lightning on my foes or to heal and protect my allies. Like I said, it's quite a drain on my magical power."
"Wow. I didn't know you two were that powerful. I'm going to have to be more careful when dealing with you from now on."
"Don't be on edge all the time. We're your friends, Alexander. You have nothing to fear from us."
"Well, it's getting late. You should be going to bed."
"What about you, Alexander? Aren't you going to get some rest as well?"
"Nope. I'll take up a watch. After what I saw today, I don't need Clan Borzoi ambushing you during the night."
"But Alexander, you're tired! You won't be able to stay up through the whole night."
"Trust me, I'll try."
"No, you won't. Sorry I have to do this, but it's for your own good. Lose consciousness, wash away into the silent sea… Sleep." A calming white aura surrounded Alexander, and he started to relax and close his eyes.
Lesson 3: Don't argue with a viera. She'll give you a status effect…
The 6th of Kingmoon, 20xx.
That Sleep spell that Eldena cast on me worked wonders. I woke up this morning quite refreshed. The fire was going, and the ladies were taking out pots and pans for today's breakfast. It seemed like it was going to be another normal day.
However, it seems that with these two, no day is normal…
"Good morning, Eldena, Eustine," Alexander said while yawning.
"Ah, you're awake. How was your night?" Eldena asked him.
"Peaceful, thanks to your sleep spell. What's going on?"
"Hey, kid. We're just preparing stuff for breakfast," Eldena said as she took out two chocobo eggs.
"No, let me do it. I can make a mean omelet. You have any tasty herbs I could put in this thing?"
"Yea, here's some musclamoi, picked fresh from the Giza Plains. Tastes great, and it's good for you too," she said as she handed a bunch of a small green herb to Alexander. He cracked both of the eggs into a bowl and added some fresh lamia milk to the bowl. He stirred the mixture together and added the herbs, then poured it into a frying pan. Alexander held the pan over the fire as the omelet started to cook. When one side was done, he flipped it over with a flick of the wrist.
"It's ready," Alexander said as he cut the omelet into three pieces with a knife. "Do you like it?" he asked as they both tasted it.
"Like it? Kid, it's superb!" Eustine exclaimed as she cut piece after piece and ate. "Man, I haven't had a meal like that in ages!"
"Yes, this omelet is quite good. Where did you learn your cooking skills?" Eldena asked.
"In the other world, I always used to cook for myself. It's something I picked up from my mother. She was always telling me, 'Son, once you go to college, you have to cook for yourself! I'm not sending you a meal every day of the week!'" Alexander finished up his portion of the omelet and picked up the cooking utensils.
"Is there a river around here? I need to wash these."
"You don't need a river when you've got me. Essence of water, punish my enemy in your flow! Sliprain!" Eustine exclaimed. Blue spirits gathered around her and formed a blue ball over her head, which rose into the air. Giant balls of water fell down on the utensils, thoroughly cleaning them.
"Is that Spirit Magic?" Alexander asked.
"How- how did you know I was using Spirit Magic?" Eustine said to him with wonder.
"I- I saw the blue spirits gather around you as you were using that attack."
"There's no way-" Eustine thought. "Only viera can see spirits… just what is this kid?"
"Come on, let's go! We have a desert to find!" Alexander exclaimed.
Finally, I was going to know what was going on here. I needed some answers. Why was I sent here? Who are those two people that appeared while I was in that battle? How was I able to use those sword skills with no effort at all?
The trio quickly moved through to the forest's edge. As they approached the dunes, Alexander noticed the trees becoming more and more scarce, and then ceasing to appear completely. The ground was drying out into sand and becoming more and more rocky.
"Welcome to the Delia Dunes, kid," Eustine told Alexander after about a half hour of running. "Here's your stop…"
"It… can't be…" Eldena said. "There's no way it can still be here…"
"What are you talking about?" Alexander asked as he went over to Eldena's side. Then he saw it- the look of fear in her eyes.
The same look as when I met her… And then I saw it. A small black circle appeared out of nowhere. I could still see the rocky landscape, but it had turned black and gray. It then disappeared.
"A… seam? There's no way a seam still exists here! Clan Chaos destroyed the crystal and the seams three years ago!" Eustine exclaimed.
"What's a 'seam'?" Alexander asked.
It appeared again. The same size, and the same blackening effect. It disappeared.
"A seam is a wrinkle is space-time. It can teleport anyone to anyplace at any time. But it shouldn't be here…" Eldena said in a monotone voice.
"Look out! It's opening!" Eustine yelled.
The circle appeared for the third time. But this time, it engulfed everything. The desert, the sky, us. I felt the same sensation as when I arrived- like I had been punched in the gut and dragged through a steel tube. I awoke in some type of strange temple-like area. The floors were tied and the walls were made of gray stone. Before me floated a large blue crystal with yellow magical symbols under it.
"Wh-where am I?" Alexander said. Then he looked toward Eustine and Eldena, who were behind him. They started to wake up as well.
"There's no way… we're not here… there's no possible way that we can be here…" Eustine was saying. Eldena still had that look of fright in her eyes.
And then… she came. I heard a voice coming from my left side…
"Konichiwa, Alexander-san, Eustine-chan, Eldena-chan."
"Japanese? But how…?" Alexander looked to his left.
She must have stood six feet tall at least. She was fully clad in navy blue armor with orange trim. Her helm had two long appendages that stuck out from either side of her head, like a Judge's helm. She carried a large silver crosier with her, and she had… a tail? "Who are you?" I asked her. The answer was what I had been waiting to hear for a day now…
"My name.. is Mateus."
A/N: You knew it was coming. Alexander finally meets the totema Mateus. A lot of questions are going to be answered in Chapter 4: Inheritance of the Ages, so keep reading.
And because I didn't post it for Chapter 2, I'm putting it in caps this time…
READ AND REVIEW!