Final Fantasy: Rise of Despair
Ugh… allergies are really starting to get on my nerves.
When we last left off, Harris and Heidi briefly spared with each other, much to Heidi's surprise she was using techniques she never learned before, and matching Harris no less. After one other gift from Harris, it was revealed that Heidi is the Racemaster of the Vieras.
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy: Tactics Advance, I do own the characters and plot.
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Emotions of Warriors
"… You are the Viera Racemaster, reborn." Harris said. These words echoed in Heidi's ears. She observed the mark on the back of her left hand. "Heidi?"
"I… think I'm… going to pass out…" Heidi said. Heidi's legs practically gave way, but Harris caught her.
"Heidi, easy there. Believe me I wasn't aware of this either." Harris said.
"But… what does… this mean?" Heidi asked.
"My best guess is… at least a part of Vivian's soul came to you the day you were born. From the looks of it, you essentially inherited Vivian's knowledge and power." Harris said.
"Her power?" Heidi thought over this. "But… even with you suppressing your mana, you grew stronger. I shouldn't have been able to match you then." Heidi said.
"That I don't have an explanation for." Harris said with a smile. "Maybe, she was growing stronger with you."
"…" Heidi closed her eyes in thought. "What is this? This is just… so sudden. One night earlier Harris was stricken with grief, then he comes back and tells me I'm the Viera Racemaster?"
"It gets a touch more complicated than that Heidi."
"Ah! Wha… Harris?" Heidi thought surprised.
"Yes. We Racemasters have found an old form of magic where we can speak to each other's thoughts." Harris told her in thought.
"Ah! Wait a minute!" Heidi shouted in a slightly panicked fashion. "How? Does this mean we can read each other's minds?"
"Hm? Oh no!" Harris said quickly. "Thing is, you just don't know how to control it yet, but that will come sooner or later."
"Oh…" Heidi said.
"Well Heidi, I believe we should get moving." Harris said.
"Get moving?" Heidi said in surprise.
"Yes, now we do stand a chance at defeating the Black King. But… I'll only ask you to come if you want to." Harris said. He paused for a moment and held out a hand. "So, will you?"
"…" Heidi looked at Harris' hand a moment. She then looked at her left hand and sighed. "Harris? Is this why… I'm so similar to Vivian? Because…" Heidi started to ask with a saddened tone.
"Heidi." Harris said sympathetically. "Heidi listen please." He said as he crouched down in front of her.
"Yes?"
"You may be similar to Vivian, but you are different." Harris said.
"How so?" Heidi asked.
"Well…" Harris smiled. "You are noticeably more curious than she was. And… your eyes are blue." Harris said as he stroked her hair gently. "Is there anything else?"
"Yes… why don't I feel… well hungry, and I feel a little strange." Heidi said.
"I'd say that you already have inherited halted aging. You won't need to eat or sleep, and you won't age biologically." Harris said. "Now then, will you come with me?" Harris asked as he offered a hand again.
"…" Heidi looked at the hand again, but she smiled and grabbed the hand. As they turned to walk away from the stream, "Harris?"
"Yes?"
"Am I going to be old like you?" Heidi asked with a sly smile.
"Hey…" Harris said. "Yes, you're going to be an old woman." Harris said.
"Oh well, I'm still two centuries younger than you are." Heidi said. The two laughed a little bit before disappearing in to the trees.
Meanwhile…
"Clanmaster Adam!"
"John! It's good to see you again!" Adam said happily. He and John shook hands vigorously with each other.
"Nice place." Hunter said. They were inside an old fort of yellow stone, and torches against the pillars all over the place. Behind them was a giant pair of wooden double doors, and down the hall there were a few doors lining it and another, smaller set of double doors at the other end of the hall.
"I see you have a few more companions since I last saw you." John said as he looked at the party behind him.
"Ah yes, let me introduce the honored Racemasters, Matt and Cole." Adam said gesturing a hand towards Matt and Cole.
"Hiyah." Matt said.
"Greetings." Cole said.
"It is an honor to meet you two." John said as he took a bow.
"Ugh… can we move along?" Blaze asked impatiently.
"Oh, I see some other fresh faces." John said.
"Ah yes, this is Blaze." Casey said as he gestured towards Blaze.
"Hmph." Blaze snorted.
"That's Seth."
"A pleasure to meet you." Seth said politely.
"And that…" Brently started waving as Adam spoke. "Is Toxin." Adam said as he ignored Brently and gestured towards Toxin.
"Doh." Brently said as he fell over.
"Charmed." Toxin said.
"It is an honor to meet such brilliant warriors." John said. "Wait though… weren't there two others? Where are Harris and Heidi? I was truly hoping to see them again." John said as he led them down the hallway.
"That's just it, we don't know where they are." Cole sighed.
"Ah well, those guys are as tough as nails, they won't go down that easily." Hunter said.
"The weakling is right you know." Laura said.
"Gah!" Hunter smacked himself in the face.
"Shush you whippersnappers." Syack told them.
"Well, I hope they do come." John said. "Anyways, we can have a meeting in that room later. Why don't you go look around, I know a few of our soldiers would be honored to meet you." John said.
"Well, I'd like to discuss things in private with you John." Adam said.
"Of course." John said respectfully.
"It'll be interesting to see what they've been up to… let's go." Monty said as he entered one door.
"Hey wait for me." Mendoza said as he walked behind Monty.
"Hmph…" Blaze scoffed and walked through a door by himself. Hunter, Laura, and Kyle looked at each other, and traded a single nod of the head before going through the same door.
"They really don't like that guy do they?" Syack asked.
"Nope." Casey answered. "Matt, Cole, perhaps we should talk?"
"Yes, it would be wise." Cole said.
"Aw… I can talk to Casey just fine but Cole always puts me to sleep." Matt groaned.
"Excuse me?" Cole asked as the three of them walked off.
"Bah, I think I'll just…" Brently started to say when he was grabbed by the shirt collar. "Gah!"
"Be coming with us…" Toxin hissed in to his ear, creeping Brently out.
"Now why do you do that?" Seth asked with a somewhat cheery tone. "Uh-oh, hang on." Seth threw a single shuriken and it hit Brently's sleeve and pinned him to a wall.
"Oh yes…" Toxin said with a slightly embarrassed tone. "I feel the felt now." She said as she dropped Brently's doll replicate on the floor.
"Jeez…" Brently whined.
"I wonder if they have any books." Gilbert said out loud.
"Wait, I'm coming with you." Syack said as he followed Gilbert through another door.
Meanwhile…
"So Harris, where exactly do you think we should go?" Heidi asked. Heidi was walking a little bit behind Harris as they walked through the woods.
"Well, I suppose Materia Woods is best." Harris said.
"Right, because that's where we were originally meeting." Heidi thought to Harris.
"Ah, you've already learned to control it. That's good." Harris thought. The two came to another stream. When they came right next to it Harris started walking across.
"I think I can handle anything now." Heidi thought as she stepped in to the stream and… "Whoa!"
SPLASH
"Hm?" Harris turned around and found Heidi on her hands and knees, water dripping from her hair as she stood up, the water reaching up to her knees. "Oh…"
"How… did you walk across the water like it was shallow?" Heidi asked as she flipped her hair behind her head.
"I… guess I still need to show you a few things." Harris said. "Before feather boots were created, it was widely taught how to walk on the surface of water. But when feather boots were created people didn't care to learn the old fashion way and it simply died out."
"So… you know how to walk across water?" Heidi asked as she stepped out of the stream next to Harris.
"Yes, would you like me to show you now?" Harris asked.
"Hmmm…" Heidi seemed to consider it. Suddenly she zipped behind Harris and elbowed him in the back.
"Wah!" Harris fell face first in to the water. He splashed around a bit but then stood up. "What was that for?" Harris asked.
"Now you can show me." Heidi said with a smile.
"Fine." Harris said. He raised a foot above water and when he brought it down it was like he stepped up on a single step on a set of stairs. He then climbed up to the surface of the water. "Now then…" Harris got a more focused look on his face. "Feel my mana flow, what am I doing?" He asked Heidi.
"Your general mana flow is directed at your feet…" Heidi said as she thought it over. "Is that all?" She asked.
"Almost, but you also need to keep changing the flow to match the water flowing beneath your feet. Try it." Harris said. Heidi stepped on to the surface of the water, it sunk for a moment but Heidi quickly adjusted her mana flow and was on the top of the water.
"Hm… not too hard once you know how to do it." Heidi said.
"Exactly." Harris said with a smile. The two continued to stand on the water for a while, when Harris' eyes lit up a little bit as if he just thought of something. "You know… if you didn't know about this… hmmmm… Heidi, do you know anything of Ultima?" Harris asked.
"Hmmmm… yes but… wait." Heidi thought for a little bit, then turned to Harris with a look of curiosity. "There are… other Ultima attacks other than Ultima Masher?"
"Well… here let's get somewhere just a little bit more quiet." Harris said as he stepped on to solid ground with Heidi following behind him.
"So… what is this about?" Heidi asked.
"Well, I believe I mentioned that there was a time when there were other Ultima abilities." Harris said.
"Yes, yes you have." Heidi said. "So wait…" Heidi searched her thoughts again. After about one minute of doing this she looked at Harris again. "Do… all of you know every Ultima attack of every job?" Heidi asked.
"Yes. And what about you?" Harris asked.
"Well it's… coming to me slowly. There are still some blank spaces." Heidi said.
"Before even our time…" Harris began. "There were mages that were capable of the almighty Alpha spell, but the spell was too powerful for most to handle. Soon two other spells were born from it." Harris said.
"Ultima…" Heidi started.
"And Omega." Harris finished. "Although the two spells didn't have elements like fire, holy or dark, Ultima was considered the spell of those who lived in light, while Omega was believed to be known only to those who lived in darkness." Harris said.
"Like good and evil?" Heidi asked.
"No. In spite of the general belief, darkness and evil do not go hand in hand, likewise light and goodness do not go hand in hand either." Harris said. "Over time the Omega spell became all but dead, and the Ultima spell is now only known in different variations." Harris said.
"I see." Heidi said, intrigued by this history lesson.
"However…" Harris started. "There are four people, and soon to be five people, that still know the original Ultima spell in all of its power." Harris said.
"… You mean…" Heidi started.
"Exactly." Harris turned away from Heidi and held out a hand. "Breath of life, gather your strength before me to show thy might to thy foe and sing within light." Harris chanted as a light purple orb of mana formed in his hand. "Ultima!" The orb shot out of his hand and hit a spot a couple yards away from him. Soon a light purple dome of mana expanded outward, leveling any trees it touched before it finally disappeared and left a crater in the ground.
"That mana was… incredible." Heidi said in awe. "But wait… is a spell that powerful really that simple. I mean, most spells just require an incantation the first few times." Heidi pointed out.
"But if it were only necessary to use the incantation until you understood the mana flow would I still be reciting the incantation?" Harris asked.
"I suppose not." Heidi sighed. The two continued to walk through the woods now, side by side as they talked.
"Ultima is a very difficult spell to perform, much less master to its full effect." Harris said. "Even if you know the incantation, you still have to control your mana in a specific way yourself." Harris said.
"That… sounds difficult." Heidi said in a discouraged manner.
"Hmmm…" Harris thought about the best way to respond to this. Finally, it came to him. "Heidi, you will figure it out." Harris said with an encouraging tone.
"You're just trying to console me." Heidi said.
"Heidi, when haven't I been honest with you?" Harris asked. "Well… besides… I'm sorry." Harris said with a guilty tone.
"Hm? Oh Harris." Heidi noticed that Harris was a little down on himself now. "Harris, I understand why you did hide it. It can't be easy to just… well… come out with it." Heidi said.
"No it's alright Heidi." Harris said. "We should be in Muscadet soon."
"Oh…" Heidi said almost sadly.
"I know that it holds a lot of memories for you Heidi but…"
"No, my past has nothing compared to yours, I think I can handle it." Heidi said as the two continued to walk through the woods.
Meanwhile…
"Say who are you?" A random viera clan Liberation member asked Blaze. Blaze was leaning against a wall in a storage room, with him and the viera being the only ones there.
"Buzz off." Blaze said irritably.
"Hey… I just wanted to know who you were." The viera said indignantly.
"Once again, buzz off." Blaze said more irritably as his arms started steaming.
"Hey what's with your ar…"
"Grrrrrr…" Suddenly Blaze was covered in ice. He didn't seem bothered by the ice so much, but he was obviously angry as the ice melted around his arms.
"You really need to cool it." Laura said.
"I came to this room to be alone, not to be pestered by someone who doesn't even look like they can hold their weapon without trembling." Blaze said.
"Sheesh what is it with you?" Hunter asked.
"I have no family or surrogate family anymore, because of the group I'm traveling with." Blaze said bitterly.
"They tried to hurt La…" Kyle started to say angrily.
"Grrrrr listen you!" Blaze broke the remaining ice on him with sheer brute force as he pointed a finger at Kyle. "I lost my real parents to the Black Army! I lost my men to you guys!" Blaze yelled. "Do you have any idea what it's like to feel accepted by others only to lose them?!"
"You!" That was the straw that broke the camel's back, Kyle tackled Blaze and the two were at each other's throats, wrestling on the ground, throwing the occasional kick.
"Hey knock it off!" Hunter shouted.
"You're both acting like children!" Laura yelled as the two of them separated the two of them. With tremendous effort, Hunter and Laura managed to split up Blaze and Kyle. Laura held back Kyle while Hunter held back Blaze. After the two of them breathed for a moment, Kyle stormed out of the room. "Wait, Kyle." Laura followed Kyle out of the room sympathetically.
"What's his problem?" Blaze asked as he turned his back to the door. Before Hunter walked out the room, he stopped at the door, and without turning around, he said five words to him.
"Almost the same as yours." Hunter said before walking out of the room. Blaze turned and watched as Hunter walked out, leaving Blaze with something to think about.
Meanwhile…
"Well, this is a most interesting place." Toxin said as she listened to all of the conversation going around.
"You know Toxin, why don't you look at it with your own eyes?" Seth asked.
"Seth… you know why." Toxin said sadly. "I only act intimidating because it helps me cope with this."
"Toxin, won't it be easier now that you have someone who is willing to help you through it?" Seth asked.
"Who?" Toxin asked.
"Me of course." Seth said.
"You know, you would make a good leader." Toxin said.
"Why?"
"Because you put the needs of others before your own." Toxin said.
"Oh well… thank you." Seth said.
"But… don't expect me to take this off anytime soon." Toxin said coyly.
"Oh…" Seth sighed.
Meanwhile…
Harris and Heidi were now out of the forest. Well, sort of. They were now in the town of Muscadet, although it bore some semblance to a village found in jungles. There were a few conventional buildings at the bases of trees, but some buildings were built in to the trees themselves, and there were also some sparse huts in the treetops.
"It's… been a while…" Heidi sighed.
"It is better than when we last saw it." Harris said. "Although…" He turned his head to the pub, where drunken black soldiers were kicking out townspeople, and breaking property while the pubmaster was helpless to do anything do to the sheer number of black soldiers.
"Oh… I can't watch this." Heidi said as she stormed towards the pub.
"Do you want any assistance?" Harris asked.
"No, I think I'll be able to handle it." Heidi said confidently.
"Get lost!" A drunken soldier threw out a moogle from inside the pub.
"Please sirs… you're going to ruin my business." The pubmaster pleaded.
"You can't tell us what to do. Now top me off!" Another soldier demanded.
"Hey fellas, look over there! We've got a cutie coming our way." A drunken soldier said while pointing at Heidi..
"You boys go right ahead." One of the viera soldiers said while she continued to talk with the other viera soldiers.
"Hey lady… come over here!" A soldier said. As Heidi got closer, she gave a wicked smile.
"You know something?" Heidi asked.
"What?"
"You'll wish you didn't invite me." Heidi threatened. "Pierce through!" Heidi drew her katana and green mana extended from it far beyond the normal limits of the pierce through attack.
"Ugh!" The attack pierced through several soldiers at once before the mana receded. She smiled as she let those soldiers hit the floor dead.
"Why you b… ugh!" Before the soldier could finish that Heidi shot him with a mana arrow.
"Get her!"
"Thundara." Heidi cast a single thundara spell, causing medium sized lightning bolts to strike all of the remaining soldiers, roasting them alive.
"Oh miss… how can I thank you." The pubmaster sighed.
"There is no need." Heidi said as she walked back toward Harris. To her surprise, there were a few dead vieras and human females from the black army around him, with an annoyed look on Harris' face. "What happened here?" Heidi asked.
"They were drunk, and they tried to hit on me…" Harris said very irritably.
"Say Harris?" Heidi started to ask.
"What?" He asked.
"Are we still able to be intoxicated?" Heidi asked.
"Yes, it doesn't last as long as it would with most people, but we're just as vulnerable to alcohol as anyone else. I personally never touch the stuff, it affects my coordination." Harris said. "You should know that, you've been with me long enough."
"I know, but you know that I don't touch it either. I was just curious." Heidi said. As they walked to the second level of Muscadet, an interesting tidbit of information reached both of their ears.
"Why mobilize an army that huge?" A human woman asked.
"They must be out of their minds." A nu mou man said.
"I agree." A moogle man said.
"Or really desperate." A bangaa woman added in.
"Heidi… did you catch anything else of that?" Harris thought to her.
"Yes, but not enough. I'll go ask what they're talking about." Heidi thought back to him. Heidi walked over to the gossipers briskly. "What's going on?" She asked.
"Oh you don't know dear?" The human woman asked. "The Black Army has sent out an absolutely massive army of soldiers to the North."
"North?" Heidi asked surprised.
"Yes, rumor is they're going to crush a small band of renegades." The moogle said.
"How long ago did they leave?" Heidi asked worriedly.
"They left one and a half days ago." The bangaa told her.
"Um… thank you." Heidi said as she started walking back towards Harris.
"Heidi did you…" Harris started to ask when…
"You and your husband be careful!" The nu mou shouted.
"Oh uh… we're not a couple." Heidi said as her cheeks blushed.
"Mmmmm…" Harris was also blushing. The two didn't look at each other until they were sure they stopped blushing. "So what about the Black Army now?" Harris thought to her.
"They're moving North, I think they're heading towards our allies." Heidi thought to Harris.
"We could intercept them but… how long ago did they leave?" He asked.
"One and a half days ago." Heidi answered as they started briskly walking back towards the lower level of the town.
"We could easily intercept them but… the Black Army does likely have more information than we do, and we're only speculating that they're all at the Materia Woods." Harris thought.
"So you're suggesting we keep a safe distance and tail them instead?" Heidi asked as they walked towards a chocobo stall.
"Exactly." Harris thought. The two entered the stall, full of chocobos walking around the straw filled stalls. "How much for two chocobos?" Harris asked the man in the stall.
"Uh… 500 gil."
"We'll take it." Heidi said as she set down the full price. As the two got on their chocobos, Heidi heard another thought in her head.
"You know, I could have paid for that." Harris thought to her.
"Just pay me half later. Deal?" Heidi asked sweetly.
"Deal." Harris thought with a smile. The two zipped out of the stalls on their chocobos, turned towards the North, and rode off, their chocobos in full sprint.
A few days later…
"It still feels hollow to be making such meetings without Harris and Heidi here." Matt said. He and Casey were walking down a hallway chatting. "Especially without Harris, even though he's changed so much since…" Matt started to say sadly.
"I know Matt… it is sad." Casey said. "I just wish he'd realize that we could have helped him through it." Casey said to Matt.
"Yeah…" Matt sighed sadly. After a long while of silence, the two entered a large, empty, circular room that had sand all over the floor. "Hm? Hey Casey… you feel something?"
"Yeah…" Casey said suspiciously. He sniffed the air for a moment before he drew his weapon, with Matt doing the same thing. "Show yourself!" Casey demanded.
"Oof!"
"Oof!" Both Matt and Casey felt someone press against their backs, but they turned around and swung their weapons too late to hit their target.
"Hm hm hm… I don't believe we've met… I am General Diabol… the highest mage in my king's court." Diabol introduced with a partially mocking, partially respectful bow to the two of them.
"Oh good, saves me the dilemma of what kind of ammo to unload on you." Matt said as he pointed his gunblade at him.
"Ah ah ah ah…" Diabol said as he waved a finger at them. "Have you checked your backs? You should clean behind them, we wouldn't want any… hindrances stuck behind there." Diabol said with a smile as he crossed his arms with open hands.
"Hm? Uh… Casey…" Matt said as he frantically tried to pull something off of Casey's back.
"Ow! What?" Casey asked.
"If this is what I think it is…" Matt said as Diabol clenched his fists. "WE'RE DEAD!!!" Matt shouted. A net of mana spread all over their bodies, binding their mouths, arms, hands, and feet, and causing them to float a few inches above ground.
"Damn it…" Casey and Matt thought.
"Hm hm hm hm… I don't see why Mis and Agres had such a hard time with you… oh well. Time to finish you…"
"Thundaga!"
"Whoa!" Diabol jumped back just in time to avoid bolts of lightning that were about to strike him. "Grrrr… I should have known."
"Who are you? And what are you doing with my special seals?" Cole asked angrily.
"Quite simple, I'm General Diabol, and I must give you my amends, your seals are really quite genius, took me ages to decipher them, and even then they proved to be hard to make. Those are the only two out the one-hundred I created that actually work." Diabol said.
"Grrrr… you have some nerve attacking us here." Cole said.
"Oh no… you are the ones with nerve." Diabol said as the two started walking circles around the room. "To try and battle an army of considerably superior size and strength and actually think you stand a chance of winning." Diabol said.
"We've done well before haven't we?" Cole asked rhetorically.
"Hmph… I'll admit, you've had your run of luck, but not this time. You didn't think I was fool enough to come alone did you?"
"You don't mean…" Cole started as it dawned on him.
"That's right… your little friends, are about to be crushed like the insects they are." Diabol said darkly.
Outside…
"We're under attack!" A Clan Liberation watchman shouted. Another guard picked up a large horn and blew in to it with all of his might. Soon more Clan Liberation members came outside, followed by the members of the large group.
"What! Where?" Brently asked.
"Over there!" Hunter shouted. From where everyone was, there was a massive clearing with only a few trees before the rest of the forest, and from the forest, a wave of soldiers began pouring from it, all of them heavily armed, with the look of a hunter moving in for the kill in their eyes.
"Oh… daaaaaaaammmnn…" Monty and Mendoza said in awe.
"Where are the Racemasters?" John asked.
"Uh… I don't know." Adam said.
"Well we can't just sit here and wait on them!" Blaze shouted. "You can do what you want, but I sure as hell am not going to sit here and wait for them to try and kill me." Blaze said as he ignited his arms. "COME OOOOOOOONNNNN!!! I'LL TAKE YOU ALL IF I HAVE TO!!!" Blaze shouted before running at the Black Army.
"As much as I HATE to admit it… he's right." Kyle said as he drew his lance.
"Well then, what are we waiting for you whippersnappers!" Syack yelled.
"Well Adam?" Laura asked.
"Clan Liberation! CHAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGE!!!" Adam shouted.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" Both sides yelled as they charged at each other, ready for perhaps the largest melee of armies yet.
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