Sever All Ties

Chapter Six: Moving Forward

Disclaimer: I don't own Radiata Stories or any of the characters in the game; they are the property of the brilliant minds at Square Enix.

Author's Note(s): Words in '…' indicate a thought. Words in "…" indicate spoken words. This story will proceed based on the assumption that Jack has joined Ridley on the path of the non-human. This path would inevitably lead him to face his former friends and allies in combat. It is these fights I will illustrate in this story. Some creative liberties will be taken regarding who they face (i.e. Jack will face opponents in this fic that you don't get to face in the game). I hope you enjoy.

Sitting in the light of the fire, Jack couldn't help but note how amazing Ridley looked. She had removed the metal from her valiant mail, and wore only the pink shirt and skirt that accompanied the armor. Her golden tresses were missing their usual ribbons, and the evening breeze gently stirred her hair. Looking into her eyes, Jack noted that the fire's glow he saw reflected in them only made her seem that much more beautiful. She looked like she had in their days under Captain Ganz. She looked happy. Jack however, could tell that this was due to the glow of the fire. Everything about her, from the way she carried herself, to her facial expressions, suggested unrelieved pain and sorrow. When the silence finally became unbearable, it was Jack who spoke.

"You really ought to be getting some rest," he said. "Who knows what we'll be facing tomorrow."

"I could say the same to you," Ridley said with a sigh.

"Hey, I'm keeping watch," Jack replied.

"And I'm keeping you company," Ridley retorted. In that moment, Jack saw the old fire return to her eyes. However, it seemed to be almost instantly replaced by sorrow and weariness.

"Hey, Ridley," Jack began. "What's wrong with you? Don't try to tell me nothing, because something is definitely wrong with you. Remember what I said before. You can talk to me about anything. Knights of the same brigade…"

"…Are as family," Ridley finished. "I know, Jack. And it is you I need to talk to."

"That's what I'm here for," Jack said cheerfully. "So what do you want to talk about?"

"War," she answered. "The war between humans and non-humans, and our role in it."

"Well," Jack began. "I think today has probably been a pretty good indicator of what we can expect in the future. We'll have to always be ready to fend off attacks from both the guilds and the castle. Ready to fight to the death."

"That's what I was afraid of," Ridley said.

"Why," Jack asked. "I don't think there's very many of them who could take us."

"That's not what I meant," said Ridley. "I'm not nearly as worried about being defeated as I am about having to fight all the time. What we went through today…"

"What was so tough," Jack asked, forcing down thoughts of his friends from Vancoor. "I mean, you didn't even let either of those two guys touch you. You could have finished Conrad on your own."

"No Jack," Ridley said, suddenly sounding frantic. "The fighting isn't what bothered me. It's the other realities that I had to face today. I guess I…I didn't realize exactly what war meant until today. Having to let that young boy die…"

"No one said it was going to be easy," Jack said, thinking of the warriors they had faced that day.

"That wasn't even the worst," Ridley stammered. "Jack, when was the first time you killed someone?"

"Well, back when we were with the captain," Jack began.

"No," Ridley interjected. "Not a monster in the wilderness, a real person."

"I…" Jack started. "Vancoor. Back at Theater Vancoor, on a mission. Some bandits attacked us, and I killed one of them. I had to kill on more than one occasion. When you're attacked like that, your own life comes first."

"Jack," Ridley said slowly. "That man, Rolec, what was he like?"

"When I first got to Vancoor," Jack said. "He was the most pathetic looking guy you'd ever seen. He didn't have any self-confidence, and he wasn't very good with his sword. I helped him build his confidence up, and he was improving every day. Why do you ask?"

"Because…" Ridley said. "Because he was the first."

"The first what," Jack asked.

"The first person I've ever killed," Ridley said with a sob. "Jack…his eyes! The light just faded from his eyes!"

The girl next to him dissolved into tears. Suddenly, it was very clear to Jack why Ridley had seemed so different during the day. Thoughts like Ridley's weighed very heavily on a person, especially when they were brought on under the present circumstances. When he thought about it, Jack realized that killing would be a new thing to Ridley. While in the Rose Cochon, any bandits who beset them were allowed to live after being defeated. It was a part of the Radiata Knights Charter: Defeated enemies must be given the option of leaving peacefully. Killing people was far different from killing beasts in the wild. The knowledge of what you had done often weighed very heavily on a person. Jack himself had been troubled when he had first killed those bandits. Now, he was fighting down even more overwhelming feelings, the ones that came to him after he had killed his former friends. However, he hadn't even considered that Ridley might be troubled by the same thoughts.

Silently, Jack cursed himself for overlooking this earlier in the day. All he had thought about was his relationship to Ridley. He had been so caught up in wondering what she felt for him, he hadn't thought about what else she might be thinking. It was his sworn duty to watch over Ridley, and be there for her no matter what happened. And it appeared he was neglecting that duty already. She was deeply troubled by what had happened, and needed someone who understood what she was going through. Jack knew he had to do something.

"Ridley," he said, putting his arm around her. "It's okay Ridley."

Feeling Jack's arm around her, Ridley sank into his embrace, crying in his shoulder. Jack put both arms around her, and held her close to him. He whispered soothing words to her, telling her he was there for her. Eventually, her tears stopped and her sobs faded away. Still, she did not pull away from Jack's embrace. Ridley contented herself with allowing Jack to hold her. He gently brought a hand up and wiped the tears away from her eyes. She smiled at him, and tightened her grip around his waist.

"You don't have to worry," Jack said, gently stroking her face. "I'm here for you. Remember what I promised Ridley. I'll be here no matter what. If that means fighting, then I'll fight. If it means comforting you when you're sad, then I'll accept this duty too. I won't let anything happen to you."

"Jack, I saw him in my dreams," the girl said, letting sadness overtake her once more. "You can't guard my dreams."

"You had the dreams too," Jack asked. "They say everyone does, sooner or later. I was no exception. I relived many killing strokes in my sleep, only to wake up in my own bed."

"What did you do," asked Ridley.

"I thought about life," Jack replied. "And death. And the choices that lead us through life. Things that we do, things that we don't do, and the way we feel about the choices we made. Things that happen in our lives that shape us into the people that we are. Understand that what you've done can't be undone, and do everything you can to keep from repeating the things you view as mistakes. It may not make you feel better about past mistakes, but the knowledge that you've learned from them eases the pain a little. It did for me anyway."

"Thank you Jack," Ridley said. A moment later, she was stifling a yawn.

"Looks like you need to get some sleep," Jack said.

"In a…minute," she said through a yawn. "Hold me for a while longer."

"Okay," Jack said, softly stroking her hair.

Sitting in the glow of the fire, the boy and girl maintained their embrace, neither willing release the other. Jack suddenly felt as if everything was right. It didn't matter that humans were going to war with the non-humans, or that he was being forced to fight his old friends in battle. As long as he had Ridley, nothing else mattered. After sitting for some time, Jack saw the fire was fading, and needed more wood added. As he prepared to rise, he saw that Ridley had fallen asleep in his arms.

'Well, maybe it doesn't need it just yet,' Jack thought to himself.

The rest of the night passed without incident. Jack sat in silence as the long hours passed into the morning. The only sounds were of animals in the forest, the crackling of the fire, and an occasional sigh from the young woman curled up and asleep in his arms. The hour for him to have Gil relieve him came and went, and Jack stayed at his post. Seeking the light elf would require that he rouse Ridley from her slumber, something he steadfastly refused to do. On the other hand, Jack saw nothing wrong with keeping his lonely vigil. He had stayed awake for extended periods before, and it wouldn't be a problem here. Finally, at an hour before dawn, Jack gently shook Ridley to wake her up. When her eyelids fluttered open, her emerald eyes fixed on Jack, and a smile graced her face.

"Good morning," Jack said with a grin. "Sleep well?"

"Actually, yes," Ridley said. "No dreams."

"Well, that's good to hear," Jack replied. "Listen, the other two are going to be getting up soon, we'll need to get going when they're ready. You sit here, and I'll go start packing up your tent."

"Let me get my things out first," Ridley said.

"All right," Jack said.

Following a parting embrace, Ridley walked away and into her tent. As she walked away, Jack decided to tend to the fire he had neglected in the previous hours. Stacking the logs in the fire pit, Jack struck one with his blaze saber, and the fire quickly roared to life. He then set about preparing breakfast. Or, more to the point, getting things ready so Mikey could prepare breakfast. Jack had never been a competent cook, and thought it would be better for everyone if he didn't make breakfast for them. A few moments later, Gil came out of the tent, and glided toward Jack. The elf's face was emotionless.

"Morning Gil," Jack said. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Just fine," said the elf. "Although you must not have."

"Sleep," Jack asked. "No, I guess I didn't. But hey, I'm not tired, so why worry about it?"

"Fair enough," Gil replied. "You'd better not run out of energy on us today."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Jack said.

A minute later, Mikey came out and joined them. Seeing the cooking supplies set out, he set about cooking their meal. Gil went back to the larger tent and began to take it down. A few minutes later, Ridley walked out of her tent. Stretching, she walked over to the fire and greeted everyone. After wishing her good morning for the second time, Jack quickly strode to her tent, and started the tear down process. When he and Gil had finished their tasks, they rejoined Mikey and Ridley for a quick breakfast. The entire time, Jack's thoughts were solely focused on the castle in front of him. After eating, he rose and strode over to the door to the castle. His three companions were right behind him as he pulled the door open.

When they walked in, they found themselves at the beginning of a long bridge. Foliage intertwined through the guardrail, and moss grew on the floor. All around them, vines draped from the ceiling, and clung to the walls. Mikey studied their surroundings intently, and began flipping through one of the books he had brought with him, comparing what he saw to what was described. Gil feigned indifference, but it was evident from the amount of time that he spent looking examining the architecture that he was truly interested. Ridley examined the structure of the area around them, admiring the natural beauty she saw. Jack simply stared, his mouth hanging agape.

As if an unspoken command for forward progress had been issued, all four suddenly ceased their observations, and continued walking forward. Mikey talked rapidly as they walked, telling them of the castle's history, and the things they could expect to find when they went inside. When he mentioned the demons that accompanied the castle's curse, Jack's excitement grew. Demons would be worthy opponents. When they reached the doors at the far end of the bridged, conversation stopped as the party tensed in anticipation. Jack gave them all a solemn look, which seemed to say that they had reached the point of no return. This expression was quickly replaced by a mischievous smile, and he pulled the door open.

Inside, they found Mikey's ancient texts had been correct in predicting what they would face. All sorts of demons congregated in the cavernous room they had entered. The castle's current residents were, no doubt, taken aback at the sudden opening of a door that had remained closed for centuries. They recovered quickly, and were soon advancing on the intruders. Black creatures with red eyes, they moved in a menacing fashion that left no doubt regarding their intentions. Sharp fangs and claws were bared, and large scythes were brought forth as well. Jack looked around, and saw that they would soon be completely surrounded. Only quick action would save them from this fate. The problem was, there were five different paths to choose from, and Jack was unsure which was the right one. Turning to Mikey, Jack hoped the dark elf knew their path.

"Which way," Jack asked quickly.

"Straight ahead," Mikey responded.

"Well, let's get going," Gil said, ice sword suddenly appearing.

Jack nodded and stepped forward. As he did, his blaze saber was drawn. Behind him, he heard Ridley readying her axe, and Mikey close his book. Their assailants seemed stunned by the fact that their prey intended to fight, but their advance did not falter. When the first demon lunged, Jack began the attack. Cutting into the wings of the smaller creature, he quickly immobilized it and stepped forward to face his next opponent. Parrying a stroke from one of the scythes, Jack countered with a thrust into the creature's chest. Behind him, he heard his comrades' weapons making contact with their otherworldly opposition. One of them cried out in pain as an elven lightning bolt stuck it from above. All the while, Jack made steady forward progress, and made certain that his friends were right behind him. They could not allow themselves to be separated. When they reached the doors at the opposite end of the room, Jack turned to aid in the attack. Lashing out with his saber, he motioned for his friends to run past him and into the stairwell. When everyone had passed him, Jack fell back as well. Ridley quickly shut the door behind him.

All things considered, they had come out of their first battle okay. Gil had few marks from demon teeth, but none of the wounds were very deep. Mikey's left leg had a semi-circular cut just below the kneecap. Made by a scythe blade no doubt. Ridley's right sleeve had been cut from the elbow down, and the wound had extended almost the whole length of her hand. Jack himself had a few tears in his sleeves that were crimson stained, but was otherwise unharmed. Upon confirming that the stairs were free of enemies, they took the time to heal their injuries. Jack was thankful he had thought to bring the supplies he had. In a matter of moments, they were ready to proceed once more. Leading the way, Jack strode calmly down the steps. When he reached the door at the bottom, he hesitated only an instant before opening it.

The hallway that they entered had very few enemies in it. They were even lucky enough to catch the first one turned away from them. Seeing this, Gil instantly sent his wind blades flying into the creature's exposed back. As he fell to the ground, Jack ran forward, cutting into the demon facing him. This one proved tougher than some of the others. The fact that he could drop into a hovering hole in the air made it difficult to read his movements. As Jack struggled with this opponent, he saw fireballs fly past him and into the demons occupying the remainder of the hall. Eventually, his opponent made a mistake, and Jack capitalized. The creature, possibly disoriented, came out of its hole feet first. Jack's sword thrust lodged itself in the demon's stomach; as a result, the airborne hole fell to the ground and disappeared. Raising his saber to strike the next opponent, Jack realized that there was no one to attack. The corpses of charred demons lay in front of him, and he could still feel the heat from the fireballs. Turning around, he smiled at Mikey before continuing down the hallway. When he reached the door, Jack stopped and asked their guide which direction they would be heading.

"The door we want will be on our immediate right," Mikey said. "We should be able to slip in and get to it before the other demons get the chance to come after us."

Nodding his head, Jack cautiously opened the door. The four companions slipped into the room, and simultaneously looked to the right. Demons began to move toward them, until it became clear that their destination was the set of double doors in the center of the room. A half-circle formed around them, and the demons would come no closer. Unsure of what this meant, Jack confidently approached the doors in front of him. Pulling them open he stepped into the next room. His friends followed suit, entering on his heels. They were uncertain just how long the demons would hesitate, and had no desire to find out.

Upon seeing what awaited them in the next room, Jack began to wish for the demons they had left outside. Standing before them was a massive demon, looking much more formidable than any foe they had previously encountered. Though only his upper torso protruded from the glowing purple circle in the floor, the demon still towered over the party who stood against him. Eight crystal balls were positioned at equal intervals around the glowing circle. Two each, red, blue, yellow, and green; all eight pulsed in unison. Jack looked at Mikey, unsure whether or not the elf had expected this or not.

"So, what is that thing," Jack asked.

"I didn't think it would really be here," Mikey exclaimed.

"What exactly is it," Jack reiterated.

"It's an archdemon," said Mikey. "He was summoned to be the ultimate defender of this castle. We can't defeat him."

"What do mean we can't," Jack asked. "If we hit him enough, he'll fall eventually."

"No," Mikey said gloomily. "This demon was specifically chosen for this job. He is immune to physical attacks. Your sword can't hurt him."

"What," exclaimed Jack. "There's got to be something we can do."

"Wait," Mikey said, his face brightening. "The orbs! Destroy the orbs and we can send him back to where he came from."

"Orbs huh," Jack said, his eyes focusing on the round objects before him. "You got it, eight broken orbs coming up."

Vegeta26: I guess that'll do it for chapter six. This one was…interesting to write. I don't have much experience in the field of romance-oriented stories, so forgive me if the whole Jack/Ridley thing sucked. Hopefully, you're all still enjoying this story, and you'll let me know what you think. See you in chapter seven.

MelMuff: Glad to hear that you like the story. Don't know what you were expecting Jack and Ridley to discuss, but I hope you liked the scene. I look forward to hearing from you again.

Blue Persuasion: Yep, one Jack/Ridley moment, hold the onions. It's good to hear that you still like the story. It's been an interesting one to write. Especially since I'm trying to enhance a storyline that is already somewhat set. But that's part of what makes Radiata Stories such a great game, huh? It's only set to a certain degree, and you get to choose the way everything else happens. But I digress. It's good to hear from you again, and I hope this chapter was to your liking.