Final Fantasy: Rise of Despair
Blaze 909: And hover cars? Wow. Moogles sure are smart in your story!
Me: Yep! Moogles are generally seen as very clever (especially in tactics advance) and skilled mechanists. Fun fact- Hover Vehicles have been used before in Final Fantasy games. The only one that comes to mind right now though is Final Fantasy IV (or II, pending on name preference.)
When we last left off, the group, and a constantly trying to escape Brently, traveled to Siena Gorge via hover car. After being given a series of trials by Kate, the group now stands before the most powerful mage in all of Ivalice. What is to come? Only reading on will tell.
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy: Tactics Advance, I do own the characters and plot.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Acadamy of Magic Arts
Cole approached the group ever closer. "Whoa… so you're the nu mou Racemaster?" Monty asked.
"Yes, and if you require proof..." Cole showed the back of his left hand to the group, it had black lines that seemed to take the shape of a bird with its wings spread open.
"Master Cole… it is truly an honor to meet you." Adam said while taking a deep bow. The remaining members of the group followed suit.
"I appreciate your gestures, but it is not necessary." Cole then looked past the group. "Stop."
"Gah!"
"Hm?" Everyone turned around to find Brently frozen in time making another escape attempt. "Well, he certainly doesn't give up." Gilbert noted.
"So Cole, you really did build this school." Casey said.
"Ah yes, I have." Cole said.
"And who is she?" Matt asked, motioning toward Kate.
"My former student already told you who she is." Cole said as he turned back toward the stairs.
"Wait… you know me?" Laura asked.
"Come come, I'm assuming that you're not here on a social visit, so let's get down to business." Cole said. "Kate…"
"Of course headmaster. Please follow us." Kate said emotionlessly.
"Um… is she alright?" Monty asked.
"Don't be so rude." Heidi scolded. The party began walking up the steps after Harris grabbed Brently.
"I am not at liberty to discuss Kate's mannerisms. That is her business and it shall be her business to tell you." Cole said.
"I see." Harris said. The group was now at the top of the stairs standing before the massive gold gates that had two much smaller doors built in to them.
"Alright, this way." Cole said as he opened the large gate with a single hand as if it were one of the small doors.
"Wow… you must be strong…" Kyle said in awe.
"Well, out of the Racemasters my physical prowess pale in comparison, but I'm still adequately strong." Cole said.
"And I must say… I've never even felt this much mana before. I mean, Master Casey's pales terribly in comparison. But he is a spellcaster, so it is natural I suppose." Adam thought. The group was now in a bright golden hallway with candles adorning the whole hall. Cole then stopped walking and the group stopped behind him.
"The rest of you are free to tour the school, as long as you don't interfere with classes, but I wish to speak with Casey and Matt alone." Cole told everyone. "Kate, please make sure they stay out of trouble."
"Of course headmaster." Kate replied.
"Quickly, quickly, to my office." Cole urged Matt and Casey.
"Always to the point aren't you Cole?" Casey asked.
"Of course, I can tell you two haven't changed tremendously." Cole said.
"Oh and you owe me an one-hundred and twenty-seven year old apology." Casey told him.
"For what?" Cole asked.
"Matt was the one who swiped your list of school names." Casey said with a sly smile.
"What! What'd you tell him that for?!" Matt yelled.
"That was you? Matt I swear that sometimes…" Cole started to say as they disappeared down the hall. There was a moment of silence among the group as they stood in the hallway.
"As the headmaster has said, you are free to roam the school so long as you do not negatively affect the lessons going on around here. Now I must return to my own class." Kate said as she turned down the hall and took a side hall.
"…" Laura watched Kate as she walked down the hall. "Yep, she hasn't changed a bit."
"She was like this before?" Kyle asked.
"I'm going to go check on my old classes." Laura said without answering Kyle.
"Wait, Laura…" Kyle followed her out of sympathy.
"Oh I simply must find the library here." Gilbert said with the excitement of most bookish nerds as he walked off.
"Hmmm… I wonder what the phantasm skill taught here is like." Syack said as he walked off.
"Well, now what?" Heidi asked.
"I'm just going to walk around." Harris said. He started down the hall, but then stopped and turned to Mendoza and Monty. "Try and stay out of trouble you two." Harris told them.
"Of course clanmaster Harris!" Mendoza said with a bow.
"Trouble? Ha!" Monty scoffed.
"I guess I had best keep an eye on Brently." Adam said as he put a hand on the still immobile Brently's shoulder. "What about you Hunter?"
"I'd just like to look around." Hunter said as he walked off.
Meanwhile…
"Hmmm…" Laura was in a room that had a first and second floor to it. The second floor was a balcony circling the rest of the room with stairs leading down to a small dojo like training area with a viera summoner standing at the head of the class leading young vieras in summoner's garbs in the art of summoning. "They're… so cute…" Laura said with a smile.
"I call upon thee! Carbuncle!" A student created a magic circle, which quickly flickered out. "Oh darn it!" She said angrily.
"Hm…" Laura smiled.
Flashback…
"Why can't I get this summon correctly?" A random student was griping.
"I call upon thee! Ifrit!" A young Laura cast a red magic circle and summoned Ifrit, but before he could do anything, Laura used some of her mana to order him to rest on the dojo floor.
"Laura summoned Ifrit!"
"But that's the second level training! We're only just now getting first level."
"Well done Laura…" The teacher commended.
"How'd you do that?" A student asked.
"…" Laura turned to the student with some annoyance in her eyes. "Simple… I'm strong, you're weak."
"Laura! There's no need for that!" The teacher scolded.
End of flashback…
"This bring back memories?" Kyle asked from behind.
"Kyle!" Laura gasped.
"So this was where you learned your summoning." Kyle said while watching the students below.
"And my red magic, and my fencing…"
"They teach fencing at a magic school?" Kyle asked surprised.
"Well fencing is a prerequisite to most viera magic abilities, so yes." Laura said.
"Class, remember, you must focus and then… Laura?" The teacher noticed Laura.
"Oh, Miss Arrow." Laura answered.
"I haven't seen you in… five years. Class I would like to introduce an old student who can certainly help with this lesson. Please come down Laura." The teacher beckoned.
"Go on." Kyle urged.
"Very well." Laura sighed happily.
Meanwhile…
"Hey Syack! What's up old timer?" Hunter asked lightly. They were outside in a beautiful green garden with many flower bushes and fountains with human and nu mou illusionists practicing phantasm skill.
"Don't call me old you whippersnapper!" Syack smacked Hunter with his rod.
"Ow…"
"I'm just watching to see how these young people handle phantasm skill." Syack said.
"Can't anyone get this spell right? I mean come on… soil evidence is one of the easiest spells in phantasm skill people…" A human illusionist that was apparently the teacher griped.
"I'll try. Hiyah!" A young human slammed his foot in to the ground and… "Ouch! Pain! Ouch!" The illusionist started hopping around on one foot while holding the foot he stomped with until he bumped in to another student and caused the whole lot of them to fall over.
"That's pretty funny." Hunter laughed.
"These kids are sad…" Syack said before teleporting in to the middle of the lesson.
"Oh this ought to be good." Hunter said, his interest really piqued.
Meanwhile…
Casey, Matt, and Cole were now inside an office that had several bookcases around the perimeter of the room, a desk in the middle that had a large pile of books and papers, a globe, and a golden vase on it. There were also many planetary models hanging above the room from the ceiling that seemed to be a perfect night sky, even having the illusion of going on for infinity. "Wow… nice office. Sure beats mine." Matt said.
"By a long shot." Casey added.
"Here, have a seat." Cole said as two chairs came out of nowhere via two magic circles.
"Whoa… when did you learn how to do that?" Matt asked as he checked the seat to make sure it was safe.
"I've studied magic and created two or three new spells since I last saw you two." Cole said as he walked behind his desk. "And Matt… I'm not a practical joker like you, that chair isn't booby trapped."
"See?" Casey asked as he sat down and nothing happened.
"Yeah you're right, you're not a practical joker." Matt said as he sat down. The second Cole sat down, a large farting noise was heard.
"What the…" Cole stood up and noticed a whoopee-cushion on the seat. "Matt…"
"But I am!" Matt said with a grin. Cole with an annoyed look on his face flicked a finger and the top of Matt's pom-pom caught fire. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
"Oy…" Casey blew out the flame with a single puff of his breath. "Yep, just like old times… but Cole we do have business we need to discuss."
"Very well. I'm listening." Cole said. The three of them in the room all took a far more serious disposition upon those words.
"I'll explain." Matt said. "You see…"
Meanwhile…
"This is a most interesting school." Heidi said to Harris as they walked in to another garden, only this one seemed to be more autumn compared to the one Syack and Hunter are in. "Harris, you don't happen to know why this place seems to exist in different seasons do you?" Heidi asked.
"Probably some advanced magic spell." Harris said. "Hm?"
"What is it?"
"It seems we've stumbled on Kate's class." Harris said. Heidi turned to her left to see what Harris was looking at. Ahead of them were several blue mages being trained by Kate.
"Now then… today you are to learn blow up." Kate said. "Yes?" She asked a blue mage male that raised his hand.
"Doesn't that move involved getting caught in an explosion?" He asked.
"Yes… and to assist with that, the school beastmaster lent us every bomb he had available." She said. "Begin." She said in a blasé manner. A bunch of floating fireballs with claws and faces suddenly rushed the crowd of blue mages and starting exploding in their midst.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" One shouted as an explosion caught him.
"So… this is blue magic training." Heidi said as she and Harris came up behind Kate.
"Yes." Kate answered without even turning to look at them.
"Kind of harsh isn't it?" Heidi asked, as another bomb blew up.
"It is necessary." Kate said.
"I suppose it would have to be." Harris said.
BOOM
"AUGH!"
BOOM
"ARGH!"
BOOM
"DOH!"
BOOM
Meanwhile…
"How fascinating…" Gilbert said as he read through his twentieth book on magic, and next to him was an even larger pile of books. But that pile of books was nothing compared to the multi-level library around him, each of the four floors filled with thousands of books.
"Sir… why not just take these back to your room?" A bangaa asked him.
"Oh, I'm not a student here, I'm merely a guest." Gilbert told him.
"Oh, I see." The bangaa then left him in quiet. That's when Adam walked in through the double doors on the first floor. "May I help you?"
"Yes, I'm looking for a short moogle juggler." Adam said.
"Um… I didn't see anybody."
"Never mind, I can smell him in here." Adam said.
"Crud… Adam will catch me at this rate." Brently said, looking down from the fourth floor.
"Ah-hem…"
"Hm?" Brently turned around and found Monty and Mendoza standing right behind him with their arms crossed. "Oh, it's just you guys." Brently sighed. "I can get away from you two easily." Brently said.
"Why you!" Mendoza tackled Brently and Monty joined in. The three of them were raising quite a ruckus with the pounding, kicking, and shouting they were making until Adam arrived, reached in to the midst of the three and grabbed Brently, leaving Monty and Mendoza still fighting, thinking Brently was still in with them.
"Darn it!" Brently said.
Meanwhile…
"I see then… so these people started finding you so that you may fight the black king, and now you wish for my help." Cole summarized.
"That's about the size of it." Matt said. "We think that the two of us can fight him together, but we still don't know how strong he is after ten years, so we thought to find you to increase our odds."
"Hmmm…" Cole rubbed his chin in thought.
"Cole, please help us." Casey said.
"We need you buddy." Matt said.
"Hmmmm…" Cole continued to think. "Matt, Casey…"
"Yes?" They both asked.
"It can't be done, I can't come with you." Cole said before taking a piece of paper, a quill, and some ink before he started writing something down on paper.
"Cole, don't be that way. We really could use your help." Matt said desperately.
"Just because you could use my help, doesn't mean that you need it" Cole said, putting down the quill for a moment.
"In contrast, just because we don't need your help, doesn't mean we couldn't use your help." Casey said.
"Look." Cole said, standing up from behind his desk. "Just because this Harris observed him being stronger than one of us ten years ago doesn't represent his strength now, he can't have grown significantly strong enough to beat two of us."
"Cole, what about our oath?" Matt asked him.
"… I am helping this world, by teaching tomorrow's mages the art of magic, I will continue to live longer than most nu mou should, and my purpose will have long been served." Cole said. There was a brief pause before Cole sat back down and continued writing. "I'm sorry, leave me be for a moment, if you need rest then you are free to stay as long as necessary." Cole told them apologetically.
"…" Casey sighed deeply for a moment. "We'll give you your space for now Cole." Casey said as he turned around.
"Yeah, please think about it though Cole." Matt said before turning around and leaving. After they shut the door behind them, Cole continued to write, but then stopped writing. A single tear leaked down his cheek.
"My old friends… it's good to see you again." Cole said to himself. He reached in to his coat and pulled out a small box. "I only wish, I could see him again."
Later…
"Did any of you learn anything today?" Kate asked, apparently not even concerned that all of her students were on the ground drooling from being knocked out.
"Uuuuuuuuunnnnnggghhh…" They moaned.
"Very well, tomorrow we'll be learning drain touch from zombies, don't be late." Kate told them before turning her back to them and walking away.
"Tough teacher." Heidi said.
"Yeah…" Harris agreed.
"Harris, Heidi!" Matt called from nearby.
"Matt! Casey!" Heidi waved back.
"So, what did he say?" Harris asked.
"He's adamant. He doesn't seem to want to accompany us." Casey told them.
"Hmmm… very well, I'll tell the others." Harris said. "Heidi…"
"On it." She said before walking away.
"Boy, you two must have spent some time together for her to already know what you're going to ask before you ask it." Matt said with a smile.
"You're not implying something are you?" Harris asked.
"Of course not." Matt said sheepishly.
"Very well…" Harris said as he walked away.
Meanwhile…
"It was good to be able to teach summoners." Laura said with a sigh.
"Good, you could learn a little humility that way." Kyle said.
"I could still kick your butt you know." Laura said.
"Right, my apologies."
"Oh, look. The weakling's back." Laura said.
"Gah! I am not weak!" Hunter yelled. "Sheesh, that just killed the good mood I was in."
"Why were you in a good mood?" Kyle asked.
"Syack tried teaching a class of illusionists." Hunter chuckled.
"How'd it go?" Kyle asked.
"Well…"
"Uugh…"
"My leg…"
"My ribs…"
"My back…" Several illusionists came down the hallway in various casts, neck braces, and crutches.
"Sheesh, you twits couldn't handle a spark." Syack said as he walked by the rest of them.
"Oy…"
Meanwhile…
"That is most troublesome news." Adam said after hearing what Heidi had to say.
"I know." Heidi said while firing an arrow to her right without even looking where she was aiming.
"Gah! Oh for the love of all things good and wholesome!" Brently shouted as he attempted to get his costume's leg out from being pinned to the wall by an arrow.
"I mean, it's not as serious when Matt initially wouldn't come with us, but this is still serious." Heidi continued.
"Indeed, we'll either be strong enough to fight the black king, or we'll all go to an early grave at our current level." Adam said.
"Yes…" Heidi said, turning her head away, obviously thinking about something.
"Hm? What are you thinking about?" Brently asked, still trying to get the arrow out.
"Nothing." Heidi said.
"…She's lying…" Adam thought.
"In all likelihood, I'd say we're going to an early grave if we don't receive Cole's help." Heidi thought.
Meanwhile…
"Good, this is far enough." A shadow in a tattered cloak said. "It's in sight now."
"Where? I don't see anything." A figure behind him said.
"That's because the place is guarded by powerful illusions, making it impossible to perceive with any of your senses until the person who cast the illusion dispels them for you." The cloaked figure spat.
"Then how can you see it?" The figure behind the cloaked figure asked.
"I have a counter enchantment that allows me and anyone I choose to see past illusions." The cloaked one answered. "I hate to admit it, but I had to use a little extra strength to get past this illusion, it was a powerful one."
"Well, help us out then." The other figure said. "It won't benefit any of us to leave us in the dark."
"Fine, but don't think I'm doing this to be nice." The cloaked figure turned around and uttered some words. After a few seconds, a large army of black soldiers rubbed their eyes in disbelief at the brilliant academy in the distance. "There. Satisfied Colonel Ical?" The figure asked.
"Yes." Ical answered.
"Now then, as per the orders, I'll infiltrate the place. You divide the army how you see fit and attack from two fronts. We must crush them here and now!" The figure said before running off.
"Very well." Ical said.
Later…
"I told you two not to cause trouble." Harris said to Monty and Mendoza.
"Do not be concerned, we are perfectly fine clanmaster Harris." Mendoza said while saluting. "Ouch!" He cried when he moved his arm.
"Never been better. Augh!" Monty said before crying in pain when he picked up his foot.
"Oy… cure." Harris used a simple cure spell and healed their petty injuries. "Now come on." Harris said. After a few minutes of walking, the three of them met with the rest of the party in a hallway. "How is everyone?"
"Great, I learned a lot from the library." Gilbert said respectfully.
"I wish I was in a better mood. I hate to see Cole so down and out to not be willing to help us." Matt said.
"There's got to be something to convince him." Laura said.
"Maybe we could…"
KABOOM
A tremor rocked the entire academy and caused many of our heroes to lose their balance for a brief moment. "What the heck was that?" Brently asked.
KABOOM
"Another one?" Casey asked.
"Students and staff! This is the headmaster!" Cole's voice rang over the school.
"How is he doing that?" Hunter asked.
"Obviously some enchantment." Syack said.
KABOOM
"Prepare for emergency escape 5! This is not a preparation exercise! This is the real thing!" Cole's voice rang once again.
"This is bad." Mendoza said.
"What's this all about?" Brently asked.
"What else?" Harris asked.
"Harris, are you saying… that the black army is here?" Heidi asked.
"No way!" Hunter shouted in surprise. "How would they even find this place?"
"…" Matt suddenly got a deadly look in his eye. "Die!" Matt quickly drew his gunblade and fired at the ceiling. A shadow darted from the spot the bullet hit and bolted down the hallway. "We've been followed here!" Matt hissed.
"But… surely one of us would have noticed." Syack said.
"I'm going after him!" Matt said as he sped down the hallway.
KABOOM
This time the explosion knocked some pieces of the ceiling off and a few pieces of stone fell down below. "Gah! What are we going to do!?" Gilbert asked.
"Casey, I want you to help me get the students to safety." Cole said from behind.
"When did you get there!" Laura gasped.
"Cole, shouldn't I…"
"This entourage of yours should be able to defend the Academy just fine, but the student's safety is our biggest concern and we're best suited to guard them." Cole said.
"Very well then." Casey said. "We'll assist you when we're done." Casey said before running off with Cole.
"Understood. Heidi, we need recon! NOW!" Harris said.
"Right!" Heidi said before disappearing.
"Where's that coward Brently?!" Kyle asked.
"Leave him be." Harris said.
"Why?" Kyle asked.
"Trust me." Harris said with a smile.
Meanwhile…
"Well, hate to leave those guys like this, but I'm not getting myself killed over some stupid fight." Brently said as he went out the back steps from the academy. "Hm?"
"Someone came out!" A black soldier shouted.
"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!" The Black soldiers shouted.
"Crap…" Brently said. "No way am I fighting these gu…"
"Get the short guy!"
"NOBODY CALLS ME SHORT!!!" Brently shouted pulling out as many Molotov cocktails and throwing knives he could hold.
Meanwhile…
"Okay, we've got an army from both the front and back of the school." Heidi said.
"I'm guessing Brently's already at the back, so then… Hunter, how do you think we should divide?" Harris asked him.
KABOOM
"Well, you and Heidi should take the front, along with Syack, and I. Everyone else needs to take the back." Hunter said.
"Dividing us a little thin at the front aren't we weakling?" Laura asked.
KABOOM
"Exactly, they're likely expecting us to have a stronger defense out front than in the back, so we have to strengthen both sides in different ways. Now let's go!" Hunter said.
"Right." Everyone said before running off.
Meanwhile…
"Rah!" Matt's gunblade was rapid firing down the hall at the cloaked figure that kept darting back and forth to avoid the bullets. "This guy's fast, I'll give him that." Matt said. The figure finally went through a set of oaken double doors. "Okay, I've got him now!" Matt burst through the door leaped down the stairs.
The room was very expansive, the floor was finely polished wood and the walls were covered in red wall carpeting with stain-glass windows all around. The cloaked figure stood at the other end of the room. "…"
"Nowhere to run now punk." Matt said as he waved a hand at the door, causing itself to close itself shut. The figure said nothing, but simply pulled up the tattered cloak above his arms and then drew two weapons in to each hand. "Hm?" The weapons resembled tonfas, but each stick attached to each handle more closely resembled a gun barrel, and there were also blades attached to the weapon.
"…" The figure pointed the tonfa blade in his right at Matt before taking a fighting stance.
"Alright, your funeral pal." Matt said. Matt charged and swung his gunblade, the figure ducked and thrust a blade at Matt. "What!" Matt barely reacted fast enough to flip over the guy's attack and attempt to shoot him from behind. The figure simply ran circles around Matt before dashing at him with his blades. Matt blocked both tonfa blades with his gunblade, but went skidding backwards as the other guy pushed against him. "Mog Attack!" Matt pushed the guy backwards and got several feet away.
"…"
"Who are you?" Matt asked as he got a more serious look on his face.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Who is this figure that Matt is preparing to fight? Can the others handle this sudden attack? And what of Cole? And would any of the readers do blue mage training with Kate? Only I know the answer to these questions, well okay maybe you know the answer to the last one. Read and Review.