Final Fantasy: Rise of Despair

When we last left off, Harris did battle with a terrifying demon. In spite of Harris' strength having grown since his last encounter with one, the demon was still too powerful with the misery of Ivalice and Harris' own internal strife. When all seemed lost, Vivian came to Harris and relieved him of his doubt. Harris finished off the demon and is now preparing to spar with Heidi. But why spar all of a sudden? Read on and you shall find out.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy: Tactics Advance, I do own the characters and plot.

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Hidden Within

Harris and Heidi stared at each other for a moment, the only sound was the babbling of the stream next to them. "Harris, why are we sparing anyway?" Heidi asked. "I mean, after last night, what happened to you?"

"Do you still trust me?" Harris asked.

"Hm?"

"Do you still trust me?" Harris asked again.

"…" Heidi sighed and then looked at Harris. "Yes."

"Well then, if you do, then spar with me, and hold nothing back." Harris said.

"Why?" Heidi asked.

"Let's just say… it's time to finish your training." Harris answered.

"Finish it?"

"That's correct." Harris said with a smile. "So, are you ready?"

"…" Heidi was still reeling over this. She gripped her katana tightly and then spoke. "Alright." The two crouched slightly and then ran at each other. Harris and Heidi swung their swords at each other. However in a moment, Harris was behind Heidi and Heidi had a few bleeding cuts in her torso. "Augh."

"Grrr… maybe I took it too hard on her." Harris thought. "Heidi are you…"

"No, I'm fine…" Heidi said. "Let's… keep going."

"Heidi, I don't want to push you…"

"Harris, I said that I trust you didn't I?" Heidi asked.

"…Yes. You did." Harris said as he drew his swords again. "Here I come!" Harris dashed at Heidi again. Heidi barely blocked two slashes and each slash nearly knocked the blade right out of her hands.

"Whoa!" Heidi rolled to the side and then stood up to see Harris coming at her with a focused look in his eyes. "What can I… !!!" Suddenly Heidi blocked, high, then low, then spun her way in and took a slash that Harris very narrowly dodged. The two now had their backs to each other. "Wha… how did I…"

"Heh… good Heidi." Harris said. He and Heidi turned to face each other, much to Heidi's surprise, Harris had a bleeding cut on his cheek despite it healing rapidly.

"Did… I do that?" Heidi asked.

"You might want to observe your own wounds." Harris said. Heidi felt her wounds, and to her surprise felt no blood and the scratches seemed to be disappearing quickly.

"What? But… but… well I know how to use auto-regen but I never use it." Heidi said.

"Shall we continue?" Harris asked.

"Um… sure." Heidi said as she took her stance again. Heidi was the first to rush Harris this time. When Heidi swung her sword Harris blocked it mere inches away from his face before pushing Heidi away and then swinging at her with his free sword. Heidi dodged to the side, took a horizontal slice that was blocked by Harris again, stabbed his sword at Heidi, who ducked under it and thrust with her wrist knife.

"Whoa!" Harris jumped backwards and avoided the attack. "Close one."

"Not done yet!" Heidi then jumped forward and thrust her katana, Harris jumped backward but to his surprise, green mana extended from it like a blade.

SHING

"Oh my god! Harris I'm…"

"Don't worry, this is nothing." Harris said. The green mana had physically pierced him almost right next to his stomach and continued to pierce through several trees behind him. The green mana receded back in to Heidi's blade and Harris used a white magic spell to heal himself.

"How did I… Harris do you know what's…" Heidi started asking incomplete questions.

"I have an idea what this is, but there is only one way to find out." Harris said. "And this time, I'm not holding back."

"You're…"

"Heidi, please trust me." Harris said.

"…" Heidi drew a hesitant breath, but she took her stance and got her katana ready. "Alright." Heidi said.

"Good, Blizzaja!" Harris cast a spell that was causing the temperature to drop rapidly around Heidi.

"Conceal!" Heidi disappeared right before ice erupted in to a column that reached high in to the air. Harris turned and jumped away from a bunch of arrows fired at him in rapid succession, each one creating a line of arrows that pierced the ground. Harris then drew four kunai and threw them.

"Capture!" A net of mana formed between the kunai as they flew for the now visible Heidi. Heidi first fired a single arrow through a hole in the net, and then slashed her way through the net.

"Multi-shot!"

"Whoa!" Harris had to dart back and forth rapidly as the arrow split in to dozens of arrows that began raining down on Harris. Occasionally a few would scratch him but none of them ever directly struck him. "Air blast!" Harris prepared to perform a powerful kick when Heidi pointed a palm at him and suddenly a cloud of rain formed a puddle of water under him that caused him to slip. "Whoa!"

"Ah!" Heidi was a little freaked out by that. "Wait… but I… I… I never learned sliprain… how did I…"

"Twister!" Harris cast a spell that caused light purple wind to surround Heidi.

"Swallowtail!" Out of sheer reflex, Heidi spun around, swinging her sword against the whirlwind to dispel. Heidi thrust her sword forward and light purple mana flew out in the shape of a diving hawk. "Huh?"

"Air render!" Harris thrust his sword forward and fired a pointed blast of air that cancelled out the night hawk attack.

"Harris… how am I doing this?" Heidi asked, now a little freaked out. "First I can keep up with you, now I'm performing techniques I've never learned and…"

"Once again, only one way to find out. Faster!" Harris threw a quick kunai that hit Heidi in the shoulder.

"Augh!"

"Faster! Faster!" Harris began quickly throwing kunai after kunai under his arm, concealing his throwing hand from Heidi. Heidi kept getting either hit or scratched by each incoming kunai. Heidi quickly used conceal and retreated to the nearest tree branch.

"Ugh… these really smart… and I don't know how to… wait… yes I do but… how do I…" Heidi held a hand above her head. "White flame." A small ball of flame flickered above Heidi before it became a dome of white flame that covered Heidi and healed her wounds.

"Found you!"

"Ah!" Heidi held out a hand and this time a line of flame flew from it and whipped Harris.

"Oof!" The flames encircled Harris' arms and mouth, but he just shrugged and gathered mana. "Return magic!" Harris performed fire whip on Heidi, striking her and encircling her arms and legs in flames, but she was still able to move normally.

"Okay, I know that I didn't learn fire whip." Heidi said. "And how is that not affecting you? I have my ribbon but you…"

"I have the blue mage immunity ability." Harris said. "And as one of the Racemasters I've developed it to cover all status ailments."

"Harris… what is going on here?" Heidi asked.

"There is still but one way to find out." Harris said.

"Oh…" Heidi sighed for a moment. "Alright." Heidi said. The two lunged at each other again with their weapons ready. Harris and Heidi were now going at it real quickly. Their blades clashed furiously and their bodies reacted quickly to each slash. It was not several attacks they were throwing at each other, but it was more like they were both making one long and graceful move against each other, dodging and countering with perfect timing. The two finally jumped away from each other.

"Heh… heh…" Harris had to catch his breath while his cuts and bruises were healing.

"Heh… heh… how… am… I… doing?" Heidi asked as her bleeding slashes were healing somewhat.

"Not bad… not bad at all…" Harris said.

"Good… now how?"

"It's time to take the final step." Harris said as he sheathed one sword and held his other in one hand. His sword started to glow brightly. "Before Cole created Demolition, before Casey created Sword of the Judge, and before Matt created Demi Ray, I created Divine Blade." Harris said.

"Wait… Harris…" Heidi was considerably worried now.

"And Heidi…" Harris started.

"Yes?"

"You'll know what to do." Harris said. His blade began glowing intently now. "Prepare yourself!"

"Harris I…" Heidi stopped, she suddenly knew exactly what to do, it was like someone was whispering her the knowledge she needed, as if she could do anything. "I am ready!" Heidi shouted as she pressed a hand against the ground, a bright magic circle forming where her hand was.

"DIVINE BLADE!!!" Harris swung his sword and sent a wave of energy at Heidi.

"I CALL UPON THEE! BAHAMUT!!!" Heidi's magic circle glowed brighter and when the flash died down, there above Heidi was a massive dragon. It had large forearms and a five fingered hand that ended in large sharp claws. It's thick hind legs led to four toed claws. It had massive bat-like wings, and finally it had a long snout with its fangs coming from its mouth and large horns on its head. "Wait… when did… I can summon?!?!" Heidi asked, very shocked. Bahamut inhaled and then opened its mouth. A large beam of concentrated mana shot out and collided with the Divine Blade attack. The two attacks pushed back and forth for a long time, neither one gaining the edge, or one would gain the edge and then quickly lose it.

"…" Harris smiled at this and a single tear trailed down his cheek. "Heidi…"

"Harris… what is going on?" Heidi asked. The two attacks seemed to merge in to one when finally…

KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

When the light died down, Harris and Heidi were sprawled on the ground, covered in dirt and bruises. "Ha ha ha ha…" Harris laughed a little bit.

"Harris, what is so funny? How am I doing all of that? And… and… my… outfit…" Heidi noticed that the fight had torn her outfit to shreds, her cape was in tatters, her boots had holes, her glove with the wrist knife was torn; exposing the wrist knife which was also broken. And her upper body clothing was torn in several places too, exposing some of her workout clothing underneath her outfit.

"Hm? Oh no worries." Harris said as he stood up. He handed Heidi a medium parcel wrapped in brown paper and a string.

"What is this?"

"It's… something of Vivian's. Much like your sword and bow." Harris said.

"Wait… these were hers too?" Heidi asked.

"Yes, I grew to trust you, much like I trusted Vivian, and I think that you're fit to use these as well." Harris said. "I'll leave you alone for a minute." Harris said as he turned and jumped away.

"Hm…" Heidi gently opened the parcel and gasped at what was inside. "He's… giving me… well… hmmm…"

A little while later…

Harris was even farther downstream, cupping his hands and drinking from the stream. "Hmmmmm…" Harris considered that fight he just had with Heidi. "Heh… Heidi… I wish there was an easier way to do this but… this is as much of a surprise to me as it is to you." Harris said as he stood up and turned around. "Hm? I didn't notice you there." Harris said with a surprised look on his face.

"Well, how do I look?" Heidi asked.

"…" Harris looked at her for a moment and then smiled. "Beautiful Heidi. Simply beautiful." He said.

"Thank you." Heidi said with a blush. She was now wearing a white top leaving her stomach exposed, white sleeves that extended from her elbows to her wrists, and a white skirt that reached her knees. Completing the outfit were white sandals that extended almost to her knees. "But Harris, what is the meaning of this?"

"Heidi… I wasn't aware of this until last night and… it is happening a little fast but. We now have one last chance."

"One last chance?" Heidi asked.

"Yes, one last chance to free Ivalice." Harris said. He walked over towards Heidi and held her left hand, concealing it from her view.

"What are you…?" Heidi started to ask. She noticed a glow escaping between Harris' fingers, he let go of her hand, the back of it now glowing. "Harris what did you put…?"

"I put nothing there, I simply released something that was hidden there for a long time." Harris said.

"What?" Heidi looked at the back of her left hand, after her hand stopped glowing, thick black lines started drawing what looked like the face of a ram on it, complete with swirling horns on either side. "What!" Heidi gasped. "But that's… that's… the symbol of the viera race…" Heidi breathed out heavily as it dawned on her. "But that means…"

"Yes Heidi, you are the Viera Racemaster reborn." Harris said.

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Well, I don't know if any of you saw that coming, but some of you might have. But let me know what you think.

Now let me think… I do believe I've introduced all of the major characters of the story now. You know what that means… you do right?

POLL: Who are your top five favorite characters in the story?