Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Desolation ❯ Sadness ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3: Sadness

She had known that this would be hard for him, but Ritz was unprepared for Marche's reaction. He didn't cry, he didn't curse himself, and he didn't try to do something foolish. Instead, Marche walked slowly to the hospital bed, stared down at his little brother, and said nothing at all. His gaze seemed to express nothing but the emptiness he felt in his heart, and that look disturbed Ritz to no end.

"I did this to him, Ritz," Marche whispered, hesitantly reaching out to brush Doned's pale forehead with his fingers. "Didn't I?" He looked at her, his eyes growing damp.

Ritz remained in the doorway, where she somehow felt safer. "Possibly. I don't know for sure that everything is this way solely because of you. There are other factors to consider…unknown variables that could've-"

"Are you saying that because it's really what you think, or because you don't want me to blame myself?" he interrupted.

She gave him a hard look. "Make no mistake about it, Marche. A lot of what has happened here IS your fault. I'm not going to sugarcoat anything. But I know you would never intentionally hurt your family, and I do think Doned's coma might be the result of someone else's actions."

Marche frowned. "No one else but us and Mewt knew for sure that this world even existed."

Ritz shook her head. "As hard as you fought to get this world back, you must've convinced at least one of your foes."

"At least one…? Ritz, what aren't you telling me? Who else knew that St. Ivalice exists?"

She closed her eyes and turned away. "Later. Right now, we need to-"

His hand landed on her arm without warning, and Ritz jumped slightly. "Wait. You know some White Magic, don't you?" Marche asked, a hint of desperation in his voice.

"…what makes you think that?"

He nodded at her clothes. "You look…just like a White Mage. I was hoping it wasn't just coincidence." Marche swallowed noisily. "Can't you do something to help Doned?"

Ritz opened her mouth, but whatever she was going to say died in her throat as she locked eyes with her friend. Frowning, she approached Doned's bedside and stretched out her arms, her hands hovering over the young boy's body. "Esuna," she murmured softly, even as her hands flashed briefly. But when the light faded, there was no visible change in Doned.

"Is he…?" Marche began to ask.

She whirled on him angrily, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I tried to tell you. My magic won't always work here. It's part of Ivalice, not this world. And you've got no one to blame for that but yourself, Marche."

"Ritz…I'm sorry. I didn't know…"

"You couldn't know. Maybe that's why I'm here: to make sure you do." Ritz brushed past him quickly, wiping her eyes. "Come on. There's someone else here that you need to see."

Marche hesitated, and leaned over quickly to kiss his little brother's forehead. "I'll be back later, Doned," he promised, squeezing the boy's hand. "I promise you we'll beat this thing together." He reluctantly let go and hurried after Ritz, who had already swept out into the hall and was halfway to the elevators by the time he caught up with her.

* * * * *

[Marche sighed as he sheathed his swords and turned toward the large doors. Defeating Llednar and his forces had not been easy, but there was comfort in the fact that they wouldn't be returning. But as Marche and Judgemaster Cid stepped forward to open the doors, a hand grabbed Marche's arm.

"Wait, Marche," Eldena said, something like fear in her voice. "Don't go in yet. I need to give you something. For the trip back home, I mean."

"There isn't much time to spare, Eldena. We should really-"

"Listen to her, Marche," Cheney interrupted, wiping blood from his katanas onto his Dark Gear as a kind of morbid war paint.

"Take this, please," Eldena said, pressing something small and hard into Marche's hand. "You don't have to use it, but promise me you'll at least keep it with you when you leave."

Marche opened his hand to see one of Eldena's twin Angel Rings. "Eldena…I can't accept this."

"You can and you will!" she nearly cried, her voice rising without warning. "I want you to always be safe, you silly boy," Eldena whispered after a moment, tears in her eyes. "Can't you see that?!"

"All I see is someone that's been keeping me safe since the moment I met her. So while I don't think I'll need this, I will keep it, since you asked me to." Marche slipped the ring into his pocket. "You don't need to worry, Eldena. Nothing bad can happen to me, as long as you're by my side." He smiled at her before turning to help Cid with the doors.

"But I won't be, if we succeed," she murmured, so softly that he couldn't hear her. "I may never be by your side again, and that frightens me more than anything else…"]

* * * * *

"This probably isn't the best time to mention it," Marche said as they rode the elevator up, "but it seems like you know a lot more than you're telling me, Ritz."

She glanced at him, but otherwise didn't move. "Are you saying you don't trust me, Marche?"

"Of course I trust you," he replied at once. "I just don't understand why you won't tell me everything you know about Ivalice changing back into St. Ivalice."

Ritz sighed and shook her head. "Remember when I said I learned a lot from the Viera in my clan? Well, that was an understatement. I was privy to things most people will never know. I can't just tell you everything I learned; much was told to me in confidence. There are things that I can tell you now, things I can't until later, and things no one else was meant to know."

"You almost sound like some sort of prophet," Marche said jokingly.

"Good," she responded instantly. "The more like the Viera I am, the better off we both are." Before he could question her further, the elevator slowed to a stop, and the doors slid open.

Marche frowned slightly as he followed her down the hall. He wasn't sure if he liked this new, mysterious Ritz. He'd said that he trusted her, but he was beginning to wonder just how much she really knew about what was going on in this world. While he didn't fear her betraying him, Marche worried that she might not tell him something that he would've deemed important.

"Here," Ritz said suddenly, stopping beside a room. "You first."

"What? Why?"

"Just go," Ritz all but ordered.

"You come with me."

"Why?"

Marche colored slightly. "I'd feel better if you came with me. Please?" He held out his hand.

Ritz rolled her eyes, but she did take his hand. Still, she pushed him into the room first.

Marche had been afraid that he might find one or both of his parents inside. Instead, he found a heavily bandaged man that couldn't be his father, because he was someone else's. "Mr. Randell?"

There was a quiet grunt as the man slowly opened the eye that wasn't covered by gauze. "Oh…kids. What are you doing here?"

"We heard about your…misfortune," Ritz supplied, seeing Marche was at a loss.

Cid let out a weak laugh. "If you call being beaten up by loan sharks that, I guess it is. Anyway, I want to thank you kids."

"What did we do?" Marche asked.

"You're the only friends my son has. I don't know what would've happened to him without you two. Lord knows I wasn't there for him. Now I'll never have the chance…"

"What are you saying? You'll be fine!" Marche insisted, though he looked doubtful.

"Well, assuming nothing gets worse, I won't die right away. Even then, it could be years before I walk again. Mewt would be a man, and hopefully a much better one than I was. Besides, he'd want nothing to do with me. He has another father now."

"What? Who?!" Marche demanded.

Cid sighed and shook his head. "Just leave me here to waste away, kids. If I can't have a hand in raising my son the right way, I don't deserve a second chance. Besides, I know he's in good hands."

Marche turned to Ritz. "Do you think you can…?"

Ritz walked over to the bed and placed her hands on Cid's chest.

"Don't," he whispered. "Don't do it, girl. There's no point in-" His voice failed him as white light surrounded him and poured into his body.

"Curaga," Ritz murmured, her face a mask of intense concentration.

When the light faded, Marche could see that the bruising on Cid's face was gone. He could also see that the man's lips had curled into an ugly snarl.

"Get out," Cid whispered, his voice trembling with new life and barely suppressed rage. "Both of you."

"But we-" Marche began to say.

"Out, damn you!" Cid roared, sitting up in the bed.

"Let's go," Ritz whispered, pulling Marche away from the bed.

Marche turned as they reached the door, only to find Cid glaring at him. "What do you think he meant about Mewt having a new father?" he asked when they were out in the hall.

Ritz gave him a look of disturbing certainty. "I don't 'think' he meant anything," she replied.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Next Chapter: Loneliness

A visit to Mewt's turns disastrous, as Marche encounters two foes from Ivalice and parts ways with Ritz.