You guys are biting at my heels! I need to pick up the pace before I run out of chapters to release. Right now I've only got four chapters ahead of this one. Maybe that's because they're all really long. Well, I'll figure it out.
Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter Nine

Dalmascan township, Lemahl
Year 704 of the Old Valendian Calendar

Days pasted slowly. The day after the battle, Ffamran spend the morning in the village per General Gabranth's request, helping repair homes and the like. Gabranth seemed like a decent man, if cold and stony, and he did apparently care how he left the townsfolk of Lemahl. The general seemed incredibly worried about the upcoming clash at Nalbina Fortress, almost to the point of paranoia. He made sure the mechanic Moogles got the air force ready and had all the soldiers training, keeping their skills sharp as they waited for the reinforcements. So there they were again, waiting. Ffamran's patience had been run dry during the last week of waiting. He wasn't sure if he'd make it through this one.
That afternoon, Ffamran snuck back to his corner in the tent and reached out to GB47 again. After their weighty conversation the night before, he wanted to make sure she was alright.
"GB47?"
"Hey, Ffamran," she replied. She sounded less in pieces, if not as energetic as usual.
"Are you alright?" Ffamran asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine now," GB47 replied. "You're right, Ffamran. I can choose… And I choose to change, to be the best I can be! I'm not ruled by my nature. Thanks so much for showing me that. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"I'm just glad you're alright," Ffamran said.
"What about you?" GB47 asked. "I know you're hurting too."
"I'll be fine," Ffamran replied.
"You sure?" GB47 asked. "If you ever need me, I'm here for you. I promised, right? Besides, I owe you now. Who knows where I'd be without you?"
Ffamran had honestly thought GB47's whole unwavering loyalty thing would just be a quick, passing event that she'd forget about in a few days. Now, it was apparent she really saw it as a solid, binding vow. How Ffamran felt about that, he wasn't really sure.
"Don't worry about me," Ffamran said. "I said I'll be fine. This war won't go one forever, and then I'll be able to carry on with my life." Back to Reina at last. That was a nice thought.
"Well, you could always just desert," GB47 said.
Ffamran let out a grim chuckle. "It's not that easy. Like you said, the Archadian punishment for desertion is high. Even if I did make it away, there's no way I'd ever be able to go home. And I've got too much waiting for me to do that."
"So we just… hang on until this is all over, huh?" GB47 asked.
"I think that's all we can do," Ffamran replied with a sigh.
"So hang in there!" An ounce of brightness crept into GB47's voice. "And remember, if you ever need me, just holler! I promised."
Ffamran let out a sigh. She was bringing that up again? But had it really been so bad so far? Maybe… Maybe that was the moment he finally stopped fighting GB47's constant friendliness and support. Maybe that was the moment he finally let down his walls and accepted her friendship.
"Thanks," Ffamran said. And he meant it.

…

Time kept rolling by, slow and unforgiving. The people of Lemahl were mostly settled back in, though it was clear they were antagonistic towards the Archadian soldiers. No one could blame them.
Four days after the battle, a painful realization dawned on Ffamran; this was the day. It felt so long ago, but he'd been dreaming of this day. This was the day he and Reina were supposed to get married. And it was perfect. The sky was clear, the sun bright, a gentle breeze floating over the hills. He'd longed for this day for so long, and now… There was no wedding. Not yet, anyway. Reina was still back in Archades, waiting for him, and their wedding, though not that day, would be someday. Someday soon, they'd finally be able to start their life. But that day wasn't today, like it was supposed to be. With that thought in mind, Ffamran couldn't help but be sullen as he plodded around the camp, training and waiting.
That night, Ffamran couldn't get to sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about Reina. How was she? Was she alright? He never even got to say goodbye to her…
"Are you still awake, Ffamran?" GB47's voice appeared amidst his thoughts. He wasn't startled at all. Maybe she'd sensed his despondency.
"Yes," Ffamran answered simply.
"You're down," she said bluntly. "What's wrong? You know, other than war and all that general unpleasantness."
Ffamran let out a slight chuckle, then sighed. "I supposed to get married today."
"Oh? Really?" GB47 sounded quite surprised. "I wasn't expecting that. What's her name?"
"Reina," Ffamran said after a moment. So many thoughts and images were rippling through his mind, so many old hopes. He just let the words spill out. "Two weeks ago… Well, I knew my life wasn't perfect, but I was trying to forget all that. I wanted to forget about my father, my powers… All I wanted was to marry Reina, and then everything else could take care of itself. Now look at me."
GB47 was silent for a long moment.
"I've probably said this too much lately," she said at last, "but hang in there, okay? Things will be normal again someday, right?"
"Who knows?" Ffamran said bitterly.
"I guess they might not," GB47 said. "But that's no reason to give up. I know there's more to you than moping, Ffamran. Try to cheer up, okay? I can't stand all the depression around here!"
Ffamran felt a smile start to grow over his face against his will.
"There you go!" GB47 said, sounding very pleased with herself. "You keep doing that and, well, hang in there! We'll make it through all this craziness, right?"
Ffamran let out a chuckle. "Yes, GB47. We will."

The next day, the promised shipment of troops arrived. Gabranth was still rather nervous, but Ffamran just ignored him. He talked to a few of the new soldiers; they were mostly draftees, without much combat training at all. Gabranth had a conversation with some important-looking man, and it took all of Ffamran's self-control not to eavesdrop on them. Who knew how much trouble that would get him in?
Back in his tent, Ffamran found Ross sitting by his bed. He looked worried.
"What's wrong?" Ffamran asked him, coming over.
"Oh, Ffamran. I was looking for you," Ross said, standing up abruptly. "There was a letter for you. They brought it in with the reinforcements. I told them I'd bring it to you." Ross held out the aforementioned letter, and Ffamran took it. Something from Reina? He hoped so.
"The guy I took it from said… well…" Ross continued nervously. "From what he said, it doesn't seem like good news.
Ffamran narrowed his eyes, a sinking feeling taking hold. "What do you mean?"
Ross shook his head with a sigh. "I think you should just read it, Ffamran."
Suddenly, reading the letter seemed much less exciting. Ffamran stared down at it, reading over the information on the front. Nothing there gave away what was inside. It was from his father, not Reina. That, too, seemed bad.
What could his father want to tell him? Last time Ffamran checked, their relationship was hardly booming. Why go through all the trouble of sending a letter out to the front? And exactly how bad was this news? Ffamran had enough worries on his plate. He didn't need any more.
"Are you gonna read it?" Ross asked. Ffamran was silent for a few moments before answering.
"Later. I'll read it a little later."
So Ffamran tucked the mysterious letter into his pocket, alongside the wrench with his name on it. He'd read that bad news later.

…

That night, Ffamran still hadn't read the letter. The next day they'd be leaving for Nalbina, so he knew this was his last chance to learn whatever bad news the message held. He seriously considered not reading it at all. Perhaps things would be better that way. Even so, Ffamran couldn't bring himself to throw it away, no matter how much he wanted to. So he just sat there on the edge of his bed, staring at the unopened letter in his hand, willing himself to open it up and read what was inside.
"Ffamran? You still haven't read that?" This was Ross's voice. Ffamran looked up to see his friend standing over him.
"No," Ffamran replied dully.
Ross shook his head, then snatched the letter out Ffamran's hand.
"Look," Ross said, "either you read this, or I'm going to read it to you. Which would you prefer?"
Ffamran let out a sigh. It was probably for the best, anyhow.
"Hand it over."
Ross handed the letter back, and Ffamran opened it slowly, willing his hands not to shake. Surely this news couldn't be that bad, could it? But somehow, he knew…
Ffamran's eyes darted quickly over the paper's surface, barely comprehending the words. Only the message, written clearly in painfully concise words, made its way through to him. His hands did start to shake then, his grip tightening until the paper crinkled. Ffamran clenched his jaw, his breath coming in short, shaky gasps.
"Ffamran?" Ross's concerned voice sound very far away to Ffamran's ears. He ignored him, crumpling up the paper in a sudden spark of anger. Ffamran wordlessly turned away, striding out through the tent flap and into the cold night air.
A thousand stars painted the black night sky, them and the moon the only source of light. The cliffs were painted with a magical silver hue, sparkling out of the darkness. Reina would have loved that view.
That thought brough pain afresh pulsing back through Ffamran's heart and body. Ffamran clenched his fists, wishing some angry outburst would be good enough to undo the terrible news he'd heard.
Reina…
He hadn't even been there. He was out here on the front, while she… she…
The note hadn't said much. Something about a lab accident. Ffamran didn't really care. All he knew was that Reina, all he had left in the turmoil that engulfed Ivalice, his fiancée, his love, his everything… She was gone. Gone, and yet again, there wasn't a thing Ffamran could do about it. He hadn't even been there to try.
"Ffamran?" The familiar sound of GB47's voice entered Ffamran's mind. Her voice was thick with concern. "I don't know what's happened," she continued. "I won't even pretend I understand. But I'm here."
Ffamran didn't reply. He didn't have to. He knew she could feel his thoughts. He could feel hers, too.
For perhaps the first time he could remember, tears dripped down Ffamran's face, as hot and burning as the pain that raged inside him. There was nothing he could do to stop it, not any of it. He hadn't been there when Reina needed him.
And now she was dead. Gone. And it was all his fault.
Ffamran stood there outside the tent, under the beautiful night sky, and wept.

…

The next day, the army left their camp outside Lemahl and headed for Nalbina Fortress. The Kingdom of Dalmasca was mostly desert, and the marching would be long and tiring. There wasn't time for any sort of proper mourning for Ffamran. He was almost glad of that. He wasn't sure he could handle it. He wanted anything but to forget Reina, and yet at the same time, every thought of her delt those terrible wounds anew. Every image of bright green eyes and chocolate-brown hair, ever sound of bright laughter and kind words, every memory of the time they had together, crippled him. Ffamran wouldn't forget, but he couldn't remember. Every option was fraught with pain.
GB47 seemed very worried about Ffamran. She wasn't nagging him, and not once had she asked if he was alright, but Ffamran could tell by how quiet she was and how often she reached out that she was concerned. Ffamran wouldn't realize it until much later, but it was her gentle listening and bright encouragement that brought him through that dark day of marching. GB47 really was true to her promise, always there for him.

…

Cid could barely believe his eyes. In his arms he held a squirming, crying newborn, a beautiful baby boy. His mind went blank for a moment as he realized all his dreams were coming true. Yes, all their dreams were being fulfilled in this one small infant. They'd talked about this so many times the past nine months, he and Talna. It was really real. He was here, their little Ffamran. Finally, it was real.
"Oh, Talna!" Cid laughed, looking up at his exhausted wife. "It's a boy! You did it!"
A weak, tired laugh came from Talna, lying in the bed. Cid's heart skipped a beat when he saw her face: pale and weak, red hair clinging to her sweaty cheeks, eyes closed as she gasped for breath. Cid shifted the newborn Ffamran to one arm, taking his wife's hand.
"Talna?" he said gently. "Hang on. We have a son! Oh, look and see!"
Talna sucked in a shaky breath, her blue eyes fluttering open weakly. A smile tried to cross her weary face as she saw the infant.
"Ffamran…" she wheezed out, closing her eyes again. "That's what we decided on, isn't it?"
Cid felt his panic grow. This had been too long, too hard. He tightened his grasp on Talna's hand.
"Hold on, Talna!" he said. "We have so much time left! Ffamran needs you. I need you!"
Talna didn't seem to hear him. She'd weakly opened her eyes again, resting her glassy gaze on their newborn son.
"We thought we'd never have children…" she said, a weary yet lovely smile on her pale lips. "Oh, he's so beautiful…"
Talna tried to raise a hand to touch the child, but she didn't have the strength. She let her hand fall, closing her eyes again.
"Cid…" Talna's voice was little more than a whisper now. "Take care of our Ffamran. Please?"
Cid tried to say something but failed. Tears fought their way into his eyes.
"Talna, no…" he breathed out at last, his breath as shaky as his dying wife's.
Talna opened her eyes one more time, gazing at Ffamran.
"He's special… Oh, I felt it… He… needs you… Cid …" she whispered, then her eyes fell closed. She wore a peaceful smile on her now still face. She wasn't breathing either…
"Talna?" Cid could barely get the words out. She wasn't… not now, not when everything was going right. No, she couldn't be…
"Talna…"

Dr. Cid stirred awake, the sunlight of a new day washing through the lone window in his bedroom, the pale dawn light banishing the dark and cold of night. But no matter how bright the morning, it couldn't wash away the stain of that awful memory.
Cid sat up slowly in his bed, breathing slowly. Every time he remembered her smiling face, every time he recalled her voice, and those last dying words… It always hurt just as much as that moment when she lay dying. Talna… gone forever…
Cid shook his head, trying to banish those despairing thoughts. He had a purpose now, a new purpose. To make a world where there was no needless death, a better Ivalice. That was what Venat had promised, and Dr. Cid believed him. That was their goal: to forge a new and better world. And Cid wouldn't let anyone get in his way.
Cid reached out to his bedside table, where a small, glassy-white stone lay, and rested his hand on it. The nethicite, the Midlight Shard, the instrument with which they would shape their new world, he, Venat, and Vayne. Dr. Cid knew what price Venat had demanded, the one thing Cid himself would give up for their new world. It was a price he was willing to pay, however harsh it seemed.
Talna's finally words echoed in his mind one more agonizing time, and something beyond her sweet, now absent voice made its way through to him. Take care of our Ffamran… He needs you… Cid…
Cid shook his head, banishing the memory. He had a mission, a purpose, a new world with no needless death, somehow a righting of that foul wrong when Talna was taken away.
And whatever price was necessary, he would pay it.

…

The Archadian army marched all day, and it was dark by the time they reached their target. Nalbina really was a fortress, surrounded by high walls and a thick paling. The paling, a barrier of magic created by experienced mages, covered the fortress like a dome, blocking out any aerial bombardments. Even from that distance, Ffamran could see the movement of Dalmascan soldiers atop the walls in the light of their torches; as Gabranth had said, this would be a difficult battle.
Ffamran ran through the battle plan in his mind for the thousandth time. The army would make a full-on assault on the gate, then once they made it through, a division would infiltrate the fortress, find the mages who held the paling up, and dispatch them. Once the paling was down, the full Archadian armada would descend on Nalbina Fortress, and the Dalmascans' defeat would be assured. Ffamran himself, as a Judge, was in charge of a small division of the army. It was a small group, and Ffamran got the feeling Gabranth didn't trust him that much. It was insulting, but Ffamran had little desire to command troops; perhaps he was lucky Gabranth didn't trust him.
As at Lemahl, Gabranth sat astride his chocobo at the front of the army, making some speech about Archadia's greatness and how the taking of Nalbina Fortress would be forever remembered. Ffamran wasn't really listening. Instead, he reached out to GB47.
"Are you alright?" Ffamran asked.
"I guess," GB47 replied with a mental nod. "And you?"
"Well, as much as I can be," Ffamran sighed. "You ready?"
"If I say no, does that mean I don't have to fight?"
Ffamran let out a bitter chuckle. "Good luck up there. Don't crash."
"If I do, it's the pilot's fault," GB47 said, letting a bit of humor creep into her voice. "And you don't go getting killed, either, okay?"
Ffamran let out a breath. Without Reina… "Maybe it'd be better if I did. There's not much left for me."
"Ffamran!" GB47's voice was shocked. "Don't talk like that! You've got plenty left to live for, and a lot of life left to find more! Don't go getting yourself killed, okay?"
"Don't worry, GB47," Ffamran sighed. "I'll be fine."
GB47let out a worried sigh. "Okay. Good luck."
Ffamran's response was cut off by the cry of, "For Archadia!" that rippled through the army's ranks. He didn't shout along this time. However much he loved his country before, all that patriotism was gone now. Ffamran couldn't care less about the great Archadian Empire.
Without further ado, under the black, starless night sky, the Archadian army descended on Nalbina Fortress. Unlike at Lemahl, their opponents were fully trained soldiers. However, the Archadian army had the advantage of numbers. The gate fell easily, and once the army was inside, the real battle began. Chocobo-mounted calvary forces met, and after them the infantry collided. It then became apparent that Dalmasca was sorely outnumbered.
The infantry battling was sheer chaos. Seeqs plowed down rows of mere humans, archers from both sides showered arrows into the fray, and calvary cut down swordsmen with ease. The archers often hit the calvary men, and their terrified chocobos would run aimlessly through the fighting, else the wounded birds would toppled over, often crushing others in their decent. As the fighting carried on, it became less of a battle and more of a desperate struggle for survival, kill or be killed. The fighting was fierce and unforgiving, but Ffamran's excellent sword skills managed to keep him alive. He struggled to keep his calm, to remember the battle plan. They were only to hold the Dalmascan forces at bay while the selected division took out the mages holding up the paling. Then, aerial bombardment would finish off the remaining enemies.
Above the fortress, aerial combat had already begun. The Dalmascan and Archadian fleets collided mercilessly, engaging in a battle as chaotic as the infantry wars below. The paling rippled blue over their heads as wrecked airships and other debris crashed into it, bouncing off to litter the desert around them. Ffamran had no time to worry about GB47 and how she fared in that collision of forces; keeping himself alive was hard enough.
After who knew how long, the rippling paling overhead disintegrated in a dazzling display of myst and light. The Archadians had successfully dispatched with the mages and taken down the paling. Now Nalbina was all but taken.
But Ffamran realized the battle was not over yet. The Dalmascans still fought, and there were still lives to be lost. Archers continued to rain down death upon the infantry and calvary below. One arrow hit Ffamran in the shoulder, but he ignored it and fought through the pain. It was his sword arm, but he couldn't let even that slow him for a moment. To do so would mean certain death.
With the paling gone, wreckage from the aerial battle rained down over the soldiers below, along with the bombs that struck into the deepest parts of the fortress. Every now and then, and entire airship would crash and explode in a spectacular display of flames, often right into a knot of infantry. The sheer number of torn corpses that littered the ground was astonishing, so many dead…
But Ffamran couldn't dwell on that. A moment's focus diverted to anything but survival would be fatal.
The fighting carried on until Dalmasca's forces had dwindled to almost nothing. The Archadian army had taken heavy losses as well, but they had more troops to begin with. It felt like they had been fighting all through the night when at last the Dalmascans sounded the horn for retreat.
Slowly, the battlefield emptied as the Dalmascans fled, leaving Nalbina Fortress to the Archadians. The army didn't pursue. Somehow, after a long, grueling fight, Ffamran found himself standing on a now-still battlefield among many of his weary fellow soldiers, still alive.
Ffamran took a few steps forward, no real destination in mind. His brain was fogged with weariness, and he just wanted to be off that corpse-strew battlefield where he'd spent the last who knew how long. It was still night, no sigh of dawn on the horizon. Smoke filled the sky so much that the moon and stars were invisible. Ffamran had no way of knowing the time.
After a couple of steps, Ffamran's weary legs gave out, and he fell to his knees, his helmet sliding off and rolling to a stop. His sword, now stained completely scarlet, slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground. Ffamran had no idea why he was suddenly so tired and light-headed. Nothing hurt, but he was certain any pain was covered with adrenaline. So Ffamran just knelt there on the battlefield, staring at the blood-stained ground, struggling to suck in shaky breaths. His head was spinning, and his eyes fought to close. His right arm felt sort of numb, too.
"Ffamran?" This voice was Ross's. It sounded oddly distant. Ffamran managed to lift his head and look up as Ross crouched down next to him. Ross seemed frazzled but mostly unharmed. His eyes widened as he knelt closer.
"Hold on," Ross said, his voice deeply worried. He reached out and took Ffamran's arm as if to help him stand.
"I'm fine," Ffamran hissed out through clenched teeth. "I just need… to catch my breath."
"Fine?" Ross said. "You look like a pincushion!"
"What?" Ffamran barely managed to get the word out. He remembered that one arrow in his shoulder, but…
Ffamran craned his neck to look over at his right arm, his breath coming short at what he saw. In addition to the one in his shoulder, which was lodged deeper than he initially thought, three more long arrow shafts stuck out of his arm from joints in the armor. One had broken off halfway up. The black metal of his armor was stained with shiny crimson blood, dripping off to add to the swirling canvas of red on the earth below. No wonder he felt so light-headed.
"Oh…"
Ffamran breath was coming shorter now. His still didn't feel any pain, but that wasn't a good sign.
"Just hold on. I'll get you to the medics." Ross grabbed Ffamran's uninjured arm and slung it over his shoulder, gingerly lifting his friend off the bloodied battlefield. Ffamran clenched his teeth as he tried to get his feet under him. A sudden spell of dizziness rocked him, and he slipped.
"Ffamran?" Ross's worried voice sounded miles away. Ffamran fought to keep his eyes open, but it was a losing battle. A soft cloud of darkness covered him, seeming much more inviting than the death and pain all around. Ffamran lost his hold on consciousness, and everything went black.