FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Okay, so I lied. This chapter is pure storyline, much to the chagrin of the sex-starved readers. Hey, I need to expand on the original idea at some point. As usual, I don't own SquareEnix, Squaresoft, or anything FFTA-related other than a copy of the game. All original characters, items, A-Abilities, jobs, or anything like that, are mine, tho. So don't get any ideas. * * *

Chapter 4: The Palace

• * * Around the time Alex left for the Nubswood, Elric and company were standing outside the main gates of Bervenia Palace. The gate, an iron-and-steel work of art, had at least half a dozen figures before it: templars, defenders, paladins, and various other jobs patrolled the grounds at any given moment, traveling in pairs at the least and showing signs of constant preparation. For as much trust Marche had in the clan leader, a shiver of paranoia ran up the young man's spine. Any experience he had in the past with the Palace were less than friendly. As if on cue, the paladin looked back at Marche and smiled a little. "No need to worry, friend. I assure you, this visit will be cordial," he said lightly as they approached. The soldier nodded silently but his nerves did not ease as they the guards came into view clearly. Several of the guards looked directly at the assembled group, and a few weapons flashed in the magically lit area as they were drawn. Elric held up a hand, signaling the others to halt for a moment. "Identify yourselves!" One of the paladins called out, peering at the clan leader warily and resting a hand on his knightsword. Silently, Elric pulled something from within the folds of his cloak and held it out as the other Human neared. "We need to see the reagent. We have some..." Elric paused for a moment. "...interesting guests who need to be re-acquainted with the times." The guard arced an eyebrow, but his face flashed with surprise for a moment before returning to the usual serious look of a gate guard. "Very well, I'll inform him immidiately," he said with a nod, then turned and strode away- at a little quicker pace, Marche noted. The assembled group was ushered into what seemed to be a waiting room. Marche looked around the spacious area as Mewt, Ritz, Visk, and Godfrey seated themselves. Elric stood silently, almost regally, and gave Marche a questioning look. "Not going to sit?" he asked simply, getting a shrug from the other Human. "Bad memories," was all Marche had time to say before the door swung open. The sound of wood colliding with stone turned everyone's attention to the new arrival. A young Human, barely past his teens, quickly strode into the room with a palpable air of relief. "Elric!" he called loudly as he approached the paladin, "It's good to see you in one piece, friend!" They shook hands, Elric smiling brightly. "I should say the same, Alias," he replied lightly, turning to let the others get a good view of the reagent. His hair was an earthen brown and sat quite unruly upon his head, falling back to his shoulders from behind and nearly covering his eyes. His tunic was a deep blue, scarcely adorned by the traditional trappings of royal clothes, and his trousers were a simple tan color, almost resembling a well-trod dirt road. The overcoat he wore, which Marche thought resembled more of a trench coat than anything, was a grassy hue of green, accented here and there with bluish streaks that gave an odd glint in the light. The circlet he wore was quite simple, a mithral band with a single blue gem set in the center, the same color as his eyes; a pale and soft blue, almost like the surface of a clean and pure lake. Alias looked around with the same smile he entered in and spoke warmly. "Greetings, one and all. I'm sure you two jokers," he smirked, looking over at the Bangaa and Nu Mou, "already know me. As for you three," the reagent continued, looking over to the trio of Humans, "allow me to introduce myself. I am Alias, acting reagent of Ivalace and caretaker, of sorts, of Bervenia Palace," the Human said with a kind bow. Marche opened his mouth to speak, but his white-haired friend was quicker. "The name's Ritz," she said, standing and giving a slight nod. Alias looked warmly over to the girl and returned the gesture. "Ah, yes... I've heard of you and your clan's undertakings in the past," he spoke as she walked over and nudged the blonde boy in the ribs with a smirk. He winced and cleared his throat before holding out his hand. "I'm Marche. It's an honor..." The boy trailed off as Alias' eyes widened in amazement and shook his hand firmly. "If you're THE Marche, than the honor is mine, I assure you," the reagent said in awe. Finally, the man's eyes trailed over the the former Prince, and flickered with confusion. "Odd," Alias muttered, "...feels as though I've seen him before." Marche and Ritz exchanged worried looks, and the girl faltered a little. "Er... well, that's because-" Sounds of movement cut her off as the small boy walked over, looking down the whole time. The reagent's eyes held a somewhat confused look as the black mage slowly approached. "You're not going to the gallows or anything," Alias said sofly, trying to lighen his spirits, but the boy shook his head. "No, but I'm not proud of my past here," came the sullen reply as he met the other man's gaze. The reagent's eyes shot open, and he looked to Elric, only to find the same face mirrored back to him. Alias blinked in astonishment before uttering quietly, "Mewt Randell." The former Prince nodded sadly at the words, the memories haunting his consience. "By the Heavens..." they heard Godfrey mutter as Visk simly guffawed in shock. Alias, however, slowly knelt and removed the circlet. "M'lord, this rightfully belongs to you," the reagent said softly, but Mewt shook his head. "No, Alias... I'm not fit to rule. Last time I had power like that," he mused, "it just went to my head. No, it's better if you keep it." The man looked up, completely taken by surprise. "What are you..." he started, but Mewt cut him off with a suddenly steady and purposeful voice. "I, as the last of the royal family, hereby place leadership of Ivalice in you hands, Alias. Please," he sighed, returning to normal, "don't let the worst happen again." The reagent stared at the boy for a moment, stunned by the action, but quickly composed himself and replaced the white metal on his brow. "I understand, m'lord," Alias said quietly, rising. "I won't let you down." Alias led them around the grounds for a while, explaining "various knicknacks and whatnots" as he called them, before taking them to an area the they all recognised as new. It was easily the most sturdily built area of the palace, hands down. The masonry was several feet thick at the least, and the furnature strewn around the huge area were made of magically treated wood, the new Prince had explained. "It lasts longer, under the circumstances," he had told them as he opened the door. The group had only taken a few steps in when a loud explosion cascaded across from the rear wall. In the mass of shocked looks, Alias merely rolled his eyes and sighed. "We just started research a few months ago, and obviously, there's a lot to learn," he said over his shoulder to them, then turned and smiled at Marche. "And from the sound of things, I know who that was," the Prince smirked, leading a confused Marche and crew to the source of the commotion. Looking around, the boy saw many Moogles and Nu Mou puttering here and there with various alchemeical devices, collaborating, calculating, and on occasion, ducking under their tables. A set of sharp knocks on a nearby table recalled his attention, and he looked at the swiftly dissapating cloud of smoke with the rest. "You allright?" he heard Alias ask. A familliar voice called out from the grey haze, annoyed but friendly. "*hack hack!* I'm kupo, boss, but I think we just *cough!* found out that these green ones *hack wheeze!* don't take too well to Fire magic, kupo!" Alias moved to help fan away the smoke, and two figures slowly emerged- a pair of Moogles, still coughing and sputtering, but unharmed. Marche stared, not being able to see them properly, but they looked like- The smaller one peered through the smog and tapped the other's shouder. "Kupopo? Hey *cough* brother, isn't that-" The second Moogle turned as well. "Ku? Who the Kup- MARCHE?!?!" The Human dug around in his memory to pin the voice to a name, but it was eluding him by the barest of margins. "It IS you, Marche!!!" the Moogle cried out, and suddenly the young soldier felt something small and fuzzy slam into his midsection. "Kupopo! I thought you were kupo for good!!!" The Moogle shook Marche's waist and the boy finally got a good look at him. "M-Montblanc?!" he stammered, caught off guard to say the least. The little Mage stepped back and smiled brightly. "Of course! Did you think I'd just let you kupo and forget me? How've you been, kupo?!" Marche smiled warmly, grateful to see his first friend from Ivalace still safe and sound. "Well enough, Montblanc," the boy said earnestly, looking over to Alias' chuckling face. "I suppose this is how you heard about me?" The Prince laughed a little more and shook his head, then sat on the table. "No, not all of it. Anyone who kept up with the Clan Wars had heard of you. They just helped me know the truth," he explained passively, turning his eyes to the Mage as Nono proceeded to waylay Marche with questions and greetings. "Anything special to report tonight, M?" Montblanc sighed and shook his head. "No, kupo, unless you call this special," he said glumly, thumbing at the scorch marks on the wood. "Who started all the fun without me?" another voice rang out a few tables over, getting both Marche and Ritz's attention, and an oddly clad Nu Mou with a meschivious smile hurried over. "Ezel?" The two Humans asked in unison as they saw the new arrival. The smile turned sincere as he turned to see them, but that unique glint stayed in his eye as Ezel tipped his hat. "Yes, it's me. Surprised, friends?" Marche grinned and shook the hand of the man who broke the laws with flair. "That's a bit of an understatement, but yeah, I am," the boy said warmly. Mewt gave a confused glance between the pair before speaking. "Ezel Berbier? I thought you were against the Palace," he said, earning a shrug from the hermetic. "Well, the laws have calmed down quite a bit since then, Mewt," he said casually, not noticing the regretfull face the Mage wore, "and since the Redwings have been nosing around again, some things must be set aside, you know?" The Nu Mou looked over and registered Mewt's face, and gave the boy a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Now, now, don't go fretting over the past," Ezel advised, "there's nothing you can do to change it. Even the greatest of chronomancers can tell you that. But you can change the future," he said with a smile. The former Prince nodded, but he didn't seem to cheer up. "I know, but... it's just, looking back at what I did, I was a real ass," he said ruefuly. "Perhaps," Alias said calmly, "but knowing you did wrong is a reminder not to repeat mistakes, and I know you won't do that again, my friend." Mewt sighed and muttered, "I sure hope so." After catching up on a few things, Alias led the group back to the reception room, rubbing his eyes. "I'm sure you all are at least a little worn out," he began, looking around, "so I've arranged a few rooms for the night. It would be rude not to offer hospitality at this time of night, after all," he added, looking around. A door opened, and another familliar face entered; a short Nu Mou, dressed in regal garb and a stately air. Marche knew him, obviously; he had been hounded by this person at one point. Mewt, however, knew him even better. "Babus!" the Mage shouted, causing the Runemaster to wheel around, startled, and gape in amazement. "Y-y... Your Highness!" he sputtered, still shocked as Mewt gave him a friendly hug. "How?... When?... Where?" the Nu Mou stammered, getting a laugh from both Mewt and Alias. "I'll explain later, Babus," the Prince said, still smiling, "but our guests really need to get some sleep. Would you mind-" Whatever the Human had to say was quickly lost as he shot a glance behind him- -and then, oddly enough, relaxed and took a few steps backward towards a dim corner. "You timing needs work, as usual," the man said with a smirk as he looked at the half-formed shadows. "It does?" a quiet voice retorted, smooth and calm. Another voice Marche knew. He noticed Ritz also recognised the speaker, but she, too, just didn't recall whom. "What's the report?" Alias said to the dark, getting a serious look on his usually friendly face. "The Jagds are still in total chaos, as expected," the feminine voice told him. "The Cadoan Sages finally got the Ulei River cleaned out, but not without a clash with a few 'Wings agents trying to re-poison it. Uladon Bog's almost dried out, most likely from the sandstorms out of Eluut. Turbola is ready, now all we need to do is wait." The Human nodded and turned to face the corner. "Understood. Oh, you don't need to hide yourself. They're trustworthy." There was a pause before she spoke. "How do I know that?" "Elric can vouch for them," the Prince replied swiftly. The speaker sighed with a hint of exasperation. "Very well, very well." The shadows seemed to sway and form, then parted sussenly as an assassin walked out from the dark. Her face was covered in the same black cloth of the job, but her hair was quite different; instead of being long and flowing, it was short and untidy, almost like Alias', but more feminine. Cold brown eyes swept the room, quickly falling on the three Human friends and softening. "It's good to see you again, Ritz," she said in the same quiet voice as before, earning a gasp from the fencer and confused looks from her friends. "I'd like to introduce my best scout and intelligence agent," the Prince began, "but it would be pretty stupid to do so." The Veira pulled down the wrap that covered the bottom half of her face and smiled at her old friends. "Shara?" Ritz whispered almost in awe, and the Veira nodded. "It's been a rough time since you three left," the assassin said to them, "but we've managed, somehow." Marche smiled, but something nagged at him. "Why did you ask if we could be trusted?" he questioned his friend, who gave him an almost sad look as she answered. "It wouldn't be the first time a Redwing had tried to impersonate any of you," Shara told him. "Indeed," Babus spoke up, "but they never get past any of us," he said with an annoyed face. Alias just smiled lightly. "Actually, I'm really lucky that some of your old clanners showed up," he said whistfuly, "because I can't even begin to list how they've helped out. Aside from saving my neck more times than I can remember, of course," he jested, eaking out a sigh or groan from the two assistants. "Don't get us started," Shara chuckled, shaking her head at the Human. As Babus led the guests out of the room, Marche stopped and turned to the Prince. "Alias," he started, "you mind if we have a talk? I just want to know what's been going on since we left," the young man asked almost tenatively. Alias' face contorted in thought for a moment before answering. "Well, I suppose it would be better to know. I guess you're not as tired as the others," he joshed, sitting down and motioning for the other Human to take a seat as well. "Not really. I'm too curious to sleep just yet," the soldier shrugged as he sat. "It's all too confusing. I thought this place was, well, gone." The Prince nodded and leaned foreward, acting far more casual than nobility really should have. "Yeah, I can certainly see why this is a bit of a shock," he said in a casual tone. "I've managed to piece together quite a bit from stories your buddies told me, records, eyewitness accounts, and a little guesswork here and there," Alias said, "and this is what is looks like right now." "First and foremost," the Human began, "I think that when you smashed the World-threads, it split Ivalace apart from your world somehow." "Hmm. That makes sense," Marche mused. "At that point, you, Mewt, Ritz, Cid, and Donned were the only thing binding the two worlds, because you were the only ones FROM that world. You with me so far?" the Prince asked, and Marche nodded, easily following. "Cool. Now, after that, you had to cajole them, and yourself, into going back. Here's where I start guessing. I think that when you five went back, it seperated Ivalace from your world entirely... well, almost." Marche wrinkled his brow at this. "Almost?" Alias held up his hands, and continued. "Well, it obviously didn't cut the ties all the way. Somehow, it still pulled you guys back, right? And I think I figured out what may be the answer, in part," the Prince said, pulling a small, light blue crystal out from the folds of his coat. "Magicite," Alias told him, "pieces of the crystals. They've been showing up since, oh, about a month after you left. The boys back in the lab," he explained, "are still trying to figure out the full extent of what these things can do, but there's no real indicator other than color, which seems to be the element. This one, though, I figured out on accident," he said, handing the crystal to Marche. "Weird," the soldier said softly, "it almost feels like-" "There's something trying to connect with you?" Alias finished, looking Marche in the eyes. "Odd," the Prince said calmly, "you're the only other person she's not frightened to be near." The soldier looked up in confusion. "Uh.. she?" The man smiled and spoke directly to the crystal, "It's allright, Nautica, he's friendly enough." The stone responded, glowing a bit brighter, then quickly fading out to a dull grey. Marche gasped and whipped his head around, trying to see a change in the room, but saw nothing. Before he settled back down, the soldier felt a small weight press down on his head. With battle-forged reflexes, he reached up and grabbed at the mysterious presence- only to find that it had gone when he opened his hand. Glancing around warily, Marche looked up and finally saw whom Alias called Nautica. A small, blue humanoid, no taller than a man's hand, wrist to fingertips, with pale violet wings and a simple gown of the same hue, floated inches above his puzzled expression. Her pale blue hair fluttered in the draft her wings made, and she giggled at the Human before zipping over to the Prince's shoulder and seating herself near his neck. "Nautica, that's not very ladylike of you," Alias chided lightly. "Be polite to our guests, little one." The faerie gave a little sigh and stood up, giving Marche a curtsey, then turned and spoke wordlessly to the Human. "Yes, that's much better," the Prince told her, smiling. "Little things like that ARE important, you know," he joked, narrowing his eyes playfully at the little creature. "As you can see," Alias said, turning his attention to Marche again, "there are a few shards strong enough to call forth sprites, for lack of better term, but only for those who are strongly tuned to their particular call. This charming young lady, for example," he said, raising his right shoulder a little, "preferrs kind, caring individuals with a functioning moral compass, and is more open toward those who keep themselves individual in the face of monotony and conformity." Nautica smiled brightly, her waist-long hair waving as she nodded with vigor. Marche rubbed his chin thoughtfuly, a few questions buzzing in his head. "Okay, that all makes sense. What about the Redwings, though? How are they connected to all of this?" The Prince leanded back into the chair before speaking. "Well, before I can tell you that, you need to know what happened after Nutsy broke up. Let's face it, you practically OWNED the continent," Alias reminded him, "and none of the good clans ever tried to one-up you guys. They stopped considering it after Nutsy started cleaning out the Jagds." The soldier cocked his head in wonder. "Really? Weird. Why'd they do that?" "Mainly 'cause they saw the clan sticking their necks out to free places like that, and figured you guys were trying to make Ivalace a better place," The elder Human told him. "Of course, that all fell through when the clan disbanded... what?" Alias saw the puzzled look on Marche's face. "Hey, what did you expect? All of a sudden, the whole of Ivalace was up for grabs. The Clan Wars kicked back in with a vengance; it was kind of like they were giving away free beer at the pubs, man. Crazy shit. But the clans wern't the only thing goin' madder'n a bastard on Father's Day," the Human continued, mostly ingnoring the various funny faces Marche made. "Several of the territories, namely the Jagds and Uladon Bog, declared themselves independent and started beating back any clan that so much as spit near them. Then you had Cadoan, Sphrom, and Muscadet. They claimed that Clan Nutsy had a good reason for halting activity, and instead of going neutral like everyone expected, they maintained support for your clan, and still are." Alias caught the soldier's gaze and gave him a friendly look. "Hey, they liked you guys, Marche. Oddly enough, they've been the leading strongholds for repelling the Redwings." "Three months after you vanished, the Redwings started their incursions in Ivalace again. IT started relatively small, but in a month's time, it had escalated into full-scale assault on any areas that resisted. The Palace was getting its ass handed to it on a plate," The Prince told his guest bluntly. "About that time is when I started helping out around the territories, trying to get a feel for just how bad things were. I had collected some Magicite during that time, which was when I met Nautica. I'm pretty sure Elric's already filled you in on what's happened from then," he concluded, lacing his fingers together and resting his hands in his lap. Marche nodded and yawned lightly. "That's quite a bit to take in in one sitting..." the young man said tiredly, shaking his head to keep focused. "Oh, trust me, I understand," Alias chuckled, standing. "Nautica, would you mind showing him to the guest rooms? I still have a few things to take care of," he asked the sprite, who jumped up eagerly. Marche followed the faerie through the dark halls, the only light being the bluish glow Nautica gave off as she flitted this way and that, darting around corners and beconing to the Human. Finally, she hovered in front of an oaken door, and thumbed to it, indicating this was the room. Slowly, the soldier opened the door and peered in, but the darkness of the room obscured his vision. He opened the door a bit wider and gave the spirit a confused look. She smiled playfuly and zipped into the room, flying around for a moment before lowering to light an empty bed, then slowly traced the path back to the soldier. Pale blue motes of light glowed in her wake, and she flew up to Marche's face and curtseyed. "Thanks, Nautica," he whispered to the sprite, whose cheeks turned a deeper shade or two of blue at the words. She hovered up and gave the Human a light kiss on the nose before smiling and speeding out of the room silently. Marche rubbed the spot a little with a finger, gave a small sigh, then moved over to the bed. Alias sat back and looked at Babus' shocked face. "He.. he has passed royal authority to you, sir?" the Runemaster asked in a bit of shock. "Indeed he has, my friend. He beleives that he lacks the capacity to rule properly," Alias explained with a somewhat heavy voice. He didn't want to break the news to Babus, but somebody had to. The Nu Mou pursed his lips for a moment, thinking deeply. "I see..." he said quietly, "If he truly belives that is so, then I shall not argue. He has placed his faith in you," Babus said calmy, bowing, "and so shall I." Now it was the Human's turn to be surprised. "Babus, are you sure about this?" the man asked, but the Runemaster simply straightened and smiled. "Of course, Your Highness. All I ask is that you forgive Mewt for his past transgressions," he requested. "Well, I never planned on giving him greif for them to start with," the Prince joked, "so that'll be rather simple, eh?" * * * Okay, now was that so bad? *ducks a brick* Okay, or not... Look, if I don't have any sex in it by chapter 6, then you can hurt me, okay? Just be patient. Please? =P