Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Final Fantasy Saga ❯ Fight Night ( Chapter 2 )

Final Fantasy Saga

Chapter II: Fight Night

It had been a week since his encounter with Eliza, and Ark found himself worried about her since she wouldn't talk to him. He sighed and looked down at the water of the pond he sat beside and thought about things. It had been so easy to break the promise he'd made, and yet why did he not even feel a little bad about it? The promise mattered, Eliza mattered, but then there was this entirely new world surrounding him. Then Ark laughed and shook his head, he really was an idiot. Why did he spend time thinking about such deep things when they were beyond him? It did no good at all. So he sat up and looked around, it was as simple as finding Eliza and saying he's sorry.

Beginning to walk away from the pond, Ark couldn't help but feel himself getting more anxious to see Eliza again. The two had been such great friends before, and so with her and Gren to hang out with Ark found himself certain he wouldn't have a single moment of boredom anymore. Though it was also likely that Eliza was going to try and keep him from fighting anymore, and that might complicate things since he only had this year left to get good enough to beat Gren. It wasn't that the promise to her didn't matter, but he couldn't stop himself from being himself. He'd try to help her understand that since he had met Gren, fighting was something else entirely for him.

The school was always abuzz with something going on, with someone doing something, with trouble and with joy. There was an energy to this place, an energy to life here, like this place helped people discover exactly what it was that made them complete and so those who attended the school were always motivated to find something new. It wasn't that the students were any less confused than normal teenagers, they just never got a chance to be sad when there was so much to do surrounding them. Every day had become a new experience, and now an older experience would bring Ark a familiar warmth he had not felt in too long. He missed Eliza. Arriving at the gym, Ark wandered into it and began looking around for Eliza, he was pretty sure Gren had mentioned this as where she was taking a fencing class.

Looking around at the rows of people fencing, Ark watched for anyone who had the same level of skill Eliza would be likely to have. Everyone was wearing masks and practicing with each other so he couldn't see anyone's faces, except for the man who was observing and teaching the class. Instructor Sephiroth was one of the favorite teachers that the school had, especially among the girls. It was pretty obvious why to Ark, he was one of those pretty boys, the type of lady killer that broke hearts and knew it. Unfortunately he was also a master swordsman, and so Ark was completely unable to beat the teacher, which would give him quite a rush to do so. He'd beat the guy before he graduated, but first he had to overcome the wall standing in his way: Gren. Though they were indeed best friends, Ark also saw Gren as an obstacle to becoming the best fighter in the schools entire history.

While Ark was looking around, he suddenly heard Gren say from behind him, "Hey, beast! You owe me twenty Gil!"

Turning around, Ark growled and then said, "What're you doing around here Ashforn?"

"Delivering a letter to Sephiroth," Gren smiled as he waved the envelope a bit, "And what are you doing here instead of attending your Algebra class?"

"Who has time for Algebra?" Ark shook his head and looked around more, not focusing on Gren, "I'm on a hunt."

"Eliza?"

"Shut it," Ark squinted now, his pupils slowly sleeking over to Gren again through nearly shut eyelids, "I have to apologize to her."

"You aren't going to find her here," Gren slugged the top of Ark's head, "She has the same Algebra class as you. Her fencing class is tomorrow. Dumb animal."

"For the love of--!"

* * * * * * *

"This is the worst luck!" Zell whined as he mopped the floor, groaning, "You guys really are dumb asses, you know that?" His normally spiked hair was currently shaggy, ragged from the hours upon hours of hard labor he had been forced to do, his moose having literally dissolved in his own sweat.

"Don't blame us for it!" Aeris hit Zell over the head with her own mop, "You're the one who started yelling, and got us caught!"

Squall, as usual, was entirely silent as he worked, and completely calm. Zell found it very weird that he was able to stay so calm during detention. They had to clean the entire cafeteria every day, the work of janitors, and Squall simply did it without a care in the world. To top it off, Squall hadn't even broken a sweat, and had gotten more done than any of them. It wasn't Zell's fault they'd gotten caught, he was just scared because a bug had gotten on him and so he had to shout. Then Sephiroth had heard him, found them, and given them detention for a month. So maybe it was his fault, but it was a dumb idea to ditch gym class and go to the roof of the gym anyways.

Cloud laughed, shaking his head, his hair tied back into a ponytail, "Calm down you guys, it isn't so bad. We get lots of exercise, and we can get to lunch before a lot of people!"

"Always the optimist," Aeris smiled gently, "I suppose that's what I like about you, or hate about you. One of the two."

"Didn't Tifa say she was coming to visit?" Squall pointed out, not taking his eyes from his work as he did so.

"Hey, you're right!" Zell exclaimed, "After we finish our work we should go to the club!"

"In broad day?" Aeris gave Zell a strange look, "Setzer doesn't open the club up until dusk you idiot."

"He does have to teach during the day, you know," Cloud explained further.

"Setzer is a TEACHER? What class?" Zell was baffled by this. Setzer ran a secret nightclub at the Mana Academy, which the students had thus far kept secret from the teachers. Though no drugs ran through it there was usually a decent amount of drinking and gambling going on, not to mention tons of dancing. Every Saturday there was also a special event, Ark and Gren would almost always get drunk together and then have one hell of a fight right there in the club, only to pass out and get dragged just outside to sleep it off. People always called it the "Saturday Fight Night."

"I'm pretty sure Setzer teaches a history class, or something," Aeris said, looking a bit puzzled, "Never really found myself thinking about what he teaches."

"He teaches advanced calculus," Squall once again had the answer to what nobody else knew, "I'm taking his class this semester."

"A math whiz?" Cloud then contemplated, "That must be why he's so damned good at gambling, he can calculate odds really well I'm betting." Setzer never, ever lost a bet, that was one of the things more infamous about his club, which was called The Invincible Gamble.

"Hey everyone!" Tifa then ran up, smiling as she tossed her backpack onto a table and sat down facing everyone, "Long time, no see!"

"You saw us yesterday! And this morning!" Zell shook his head, "You're a clingy one, aren't you?"

"I meant at the club, you guys haven't gone for the last couple of nights. What's keeping you in?" Tifa smirked, leaning back, "I know Cloud and Aeris have been pairing off like rabbits, but you and Squall have no excuse. Unless…"

"Don't even think it!" Zell glared.

"Well what else should I assume?" smiling, Tifa looked to Squall, "It's Saturday though, you guys know what that means right?"

Cloud and Zell both cheered with enthusiasm, "Saturday Fight Night!"

"Looks like we'll be there," Aeris giggled and shook her head, "What is with this obsession all the boys seem to have with Ark and Gren?"

"I have no clue," Tifa snickered, "Barret is only just getting the feeling back in his stomach from his fight with Ark."

"Barret fought Ark?" Zell looked shocked, "Doesn't that moron know his place?"

Cloud chuckled, "Aside from Aeris, Barret is the worst fighter in our group. How much of a fight did he put up before Ark beat him?"

"He did pretty well actually," Tifa smiled, "But Ark was holding back. Having already fought him, I know what he's capable of."

"Two of us have fallen," Zell smirked and leaned against his mop, "I wonder…"

"What?" Cloud looked towards the other blond of the group.

"I think I'll fight him tonight, instead of Gren," Zell remarked with a sly grin, "Seeing as I'm the next up as far as skill level is concerned."

"New blood for fight night eh?" Cloud closed his eyes and smiled, "I can't wait, it should be quite entertaining!"

* * * * * * *

"Zell is going to fight Ark d'Speare tonight?" Rufus asked, turning around to face Squall Leonhart. "Why should I care?"

"They are of high enough skill levels that, if used properly, they can become a large distraction," Squall explained, "If we use that, it might be possible to move forward with your plan."

"It's nowhere near a large enough diversion for the main plan," the Literature teacher said gingerly, "However, you are right, this might be a valuable opportunity. Ensure that the fight catches Laguna's attention, I will take care of the rest." Rufus was a brilliant tactician, as well as an expert soldier, and he commanded Squalls absolute and utmost respect.

"As you wish," Squall walked out of the empty classroom, knowing well what was going to happen. Rufus would likely use the chance to get something he could use to further discredit Laguna, sneaking around right under the principals nose. The time for the revolution was drawing closer and closer, and Squall knew exactly where his loyalties were.

* * * * * * *

Waiting outside the Algebra class with Gren, Ark looked around and waited in his usual impatient manner. He was never one for patience and he knew it, but he didn't really care. Pacing back and forth furiously, being near math having given him an itchy feeling that no amount of scratching could quench, Ark wanted to eat something really big and really juicy. Suddenly Ark sneezed and looked up at the sky, why was it so damn cold out? It was the middle of September!

"Calm down," Gren shook his head, "The class is almost over, and then we get to go to the club."

"Can't do fight night, at least not for a little while," Ark explained, sighing as he stopped pacing for a bit, "It'll make her sad."

"Eliza?" Ark could tell that Gren was very confused, seeing as he wasn't considerate of anyone's feelings really and yet he was of Eliza's. Gren asked the most obvious question, "Why did you promise her that you wouldn't fight?"

Ark looked backwards and then turned to face Gren. "It's pretty simple really. In middle school I had some serious issues with rage. When I fought, people got hurt, badly. It wasn't like now… it was like I didn't care when I flung my fists around, I just wanted that burning to leave my body. She got scared when she watched me fight, and hated it when I got in trouble, so I stopped fighting to soothe her."

"If something were so important, why did you start fighting the moment you got here?" Gren eyed Ark, he could tell that Gren didn't believe him.

"I… I missed her," Ark closed his eyes, "And that loneliness turned into the old rage, which… well, you met me when I had it, and that's how it was."

"You're different now."

"What?" Ark seemed surprised at Gren's words, "What do you mean?"

"You're different. You're more like I am now. You don't fight to get rid of rage, you fight to help your soul grow stronger. It's no longer about hate with you, it's about growth. Explain that to her, tell her you aren't who you once were. If you'll notice, you always accept challenges, but the only person you've challenged since meeting me is me."

"Hey…" Ark's face lit up and he turned towards the door which kept him apart from Eliza, "You're completely right! How could I not notice that?"

"Because, despite your growth, you're still a dumb animal," Gren reasoned, his arms crossed and his back leaning against a lamp in his usual cool manner.

"This dumb animal is going to own your ass by the time you graduate," Ark smirked, "But first thing is first. I'm going to get back on Eliza's good side, and then invite her to the club tonight."

As Ark spoke these words, recited this declaration, the bell for the end of the day rang. It took a mere few moments and then a flood of people began to move out of the door. Looking through the crowd for Eliza, Ark spotted her and she spotted him. Eliza froze, and Ark couldn't help but smile at just the sight of her. "Eliza," Ark uttered slowly, the crowd of the class finally moving beyond him, a strange calm beginning as he spoke his next words, "I'm sorry."

"I know," Eliza smiled her gentle, warm smile, and looked Ark directly in the eyes, "I forgive you. Please don't fight anymore though… I…"

"I don't fight because I'm angry anymore," Ark walked closer, "Please, let me explain."

"This animal isn't capable of explaining properly," Gren cut in, Ark furrowing his brow angrily. "Eliza, when he got here Ark was like a beast. He still is, but I've been teaching him, showing him things. When he fights, he does it to help his soul grow, or to protect, but not to hurt."

Eliza looked down at her feet calmly, "You guys don't understand a thing. That's not what it is at all."

"Then… what is it?" Ark pushed Gren aside, now right next to Eliza, looking right down into her eyes.

"I don't want you to get hurt as badly as that day, ever again…" responded the girl, "I don't want you to have any more scars."

"How did he get those scars?" Gren asked, smirking, "He won't say, so I'm glad I can get it out of you."

Giggling, Eliza shook her head, "I can't say. I told him that he could always have his secrets."

"Eliza," Ark put a hand on her cheek, "I can't stop fighting. But with you by my side, and Gren watching my back, I know I will never get hurt like that again."

"Ark…" she sighed, "Fine, I'll let you show me how you fight now. But if you get hurt again, I'll never forgive you."

"Deal."

* * * * * * *

Ark was happy. He and Eliza were back to being friends, it was the weekend, and now he and her were hanging out at The Invincible Gamble and enjoying the scene. Gren had decided to stay in and do some studying tonight, though Ark knew he was simply using this as an excuse to give Ark and Eliza some time to catch up. The entire hall was made of clear plastic, with mirrors embedded deeply in the walls reflecting the lights in a strange and random assortment as laser lights zoom through the room and bounced around. It was as stunning, and disorienting, as could be, but Ark had grown accustomed to the very unique setting. Eliza, however, was obviously having some trouble assimilating it all. So instead of dancing or getting anything to drink, the two were sitting in a quiet corner of the place talking about old times. It was a change of pace from his usual activities here, to be sure, but it was a very unexpected and welcome one.

"I can't believe I wasted my first week here not talking to you," Eliza shook her head, "I've missed you so much Ark. I couldn't help but feel as if a part of me was missing without you."

"I felt the same way," Ark smiled at her and then poked Eliza's forehead, "You're the best friend I've ever had. You have no idea how great it is to have you here."

Eliza poked Ark's forehead right back and laughed, "You're still as weird as ever though. I wonder if I should take to calling you a 'dumb animal' too."

"Hey!" Ark glared at her, "I wouldn't take to acting like that bastard Gren if I were you, he's my rival you know!"

"He's also been your friend when you needed one," Eliza added, "You should realize he isn't all bad."

"Of course he isn't all bad, nobody is. But I have to surpass him or I'll never be satisfied, it's that simple," Ark took a sip of his water and then looked around, at all the familiar faces in the club, "Besides, if I beat him maybe he'll stop calling me an animal."

"I don't think so, but he might stop calling you dumb," Eliza laughed, Ark laughing with her before dumping the rest of his water on her head. She didn't even seem to notice, but before Ark knew it her glass was covering him too.

In the fun of the moment, Ark didn't even notice the man walking up to their table. Then, as he got there, Ark turned to look the guy over. It was another of Tifa's friends, and Ark found himself sighing as he had an idea of what was coming next. This one had spiked blond hair, with a tattoo of a lightning bolt coming down the side of his face. He wore black leather gloves and denim jeans, with a black vest and a strange grin on his face.

"Let me guess, you're here to get revenge for my beating Tifa and Barret?" Ark inquired with the guy.

"Not especially, they lost because they aren't as good as you. I'm here to see if I am," the guy explained, "I'm Zell Dincht."

"Ark d'Speare," sighing, he looked back at Eliza, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. This guy looks pretty brittle." Standing up, he walked in towards the dance floor and announced in a loud, booming voice, "Saturday Fight Night!"

With that, the dance floor cleared, and people began to stare and await their usual entertainment which came on this night. Setzer got on a microphone and announced, "We have a special treat on this night it would seem! Instead of his usual foe, Gren Ashforn, we will be watching Ark d'Speare face off against Zell Dincht!"

The crowd cheered, making Ark laugh a bit and shake his head, looking across what was now his own personal arena at his enemy. Zell looked a bit scrawny, but he definitely had an air to him which resembled a street fighter, Ark could tell that there was more to him than met the eye. Cracking his knuckles, Ark took a fighting stance and then relaxed his body. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Eliza, but she didn't seem the least bit worried. She knew Ark, and he had sworn not to get hurt, so she trusted him not to get hurt. Taking his attention back to Zell, Ark tried to pay very careful attention to his foes fighting stance.

Zell's arms were loose and free, not staying fixed in any one way, but swaying with each moment. Likewise, his feet did not stay in one spot, but were instead bouncing back and forth in a strange semi-circle, as if he were dancing almost. This guy was going to try and confuse Ark with moving in an unusual way, but in the end a punch was a punch. All Ark had to do was block the hits, not focus on the style. It would begin quickly, and it was Ark's hope that it would end with equal speed.

After a few moments, Zell made his move. Leaping and bouncing his way towards Ark, the man made his first three punches much faster than Ark was expecting. They all hit with a very unusual amount of force as well, considering the speed that went into them, and Ark was surprised by how aback he was taken from the hits. Falling to his knees, he looked up to Zell and smirked.

"Most people who fight with their fists focus on either speed or strength, but rarely do people combine them," explained Zell, "I hit with perfect speed, precision, and strength, making me the best at hand to hand that there is."

Ark laughed, slowly standing up and looking Zell in the eye. Ark's eyes didn't even seem like that of a human though, his piercing gaze now resembled a wolf, a smirk crossing his lips. Ark then responded, "Strength? Speed? Who cares!"

Cracking his knuckles, Ark dove right in, running towards Zell and throwing a punch at the man. Zell attacked at the exact same time, and their fists collided with great power, the entire room shaking with the strength of their blows. Zell fell back from the sheer impact of the collision, and Ark moved on to kick his opponent in the ribs. Zell spun to his feet and smiled, Ark could tell that he was fighting a tough guy, this wasn't going to end easily.

"What makes you think that you can beat me so quickly?" Zell lunged in and hit Ark two more times, then adding a spinning roundhouse kick to the combo, Ark getting knocked onto his back from the last hit

"Nothing," Ark stood up slowly and wiped a small trail of blood away from his lips, "Quickly, slowly, long term, short term, none of it matters. I don't know if I'll beat you quickly at all, but I do know you're going to lose." Leaping into the air Ark brought both of his feet down onto Zell's shoulders, standing on Zell's arms and laughing as the force from it brought the blonde man to his knees. Using this to spring back into the air, Ark smirked as he flew downwards o deliver the final punch. As he landed, his fist slammed into Zell's face, knocking him out in one last blow.

Looking towards Eliza, Ark saw that she was still not worried, even actually cheering with the rest of the crowd. He breathed in a sigh of relief, and looked back at Zell. When he did so, Ark found himself surprised at the sight which greeted him. Zell was standing again, a trail of blood coming down his forehead, and he had a huge smile on his face.

"Good… very good!" Zell laughed, balling his hands up into fists, "I haven't had a fight like this in some time!" Ark was amazed that this man had withstood so many hits, and ones of such strength at that. Zell then said to the baffled Ark, "You beat Barret easily, but he was the weakest of us. Tifa is right above him, but below me in skill. The truth is that you're going to have to put a lot more into this fight than you did against them."

Ark cracked his knuckles again, "The only people on this planet who can beat me right now are Gren and Eliza. So I'm not worried one bit."

Zell looked very chocked, and turned towards Eliza, "She's beaten you?"

"Not really," Ark smiled, "I just could never hurt her."

"I see," Zell closed his eyes and began moving again, "My specialty attack is sure to end this. Farewell, Ark d'Speare!"

Zell began to run towards Ark. Ark could tell that Zell was about to use a Limit Break, and so in return Ark would do the same. Taking a special stance, Ark began to run towards his opponent with similar speeds. Zell's hands began to glow, and he yelled out the name of his specialty attack with renewed vigor, "Fists of Lightning!"

"Unbeatable!" Ark cried out the name of his as well, coming to a very sudden stop and grabbing Zell's hand.

"You… you stopped me, how?" Zell seemed baffled, his hands jolting electricity across the arena, which then bounced off the mirrors in the glass and all came to collide with Ark, but had no effect.

"Unbeatable is my only Limit, it gives me the ability to block out all pain and concentrate on one thing and one thing only," Ark curled his free hand into a fist and then finished, "Victory!" Bringing his fist up, he slammed it right into Zell's jaw with as much force as he could bring into it, his own body flying upwards from the sheer strength and coil of his attack. Zell soared through the air and then landed on the ground, not moving, but still breathing. Ark smirked, "You were good enough to get me to use my Limit Break, neither Tifa nor Barret did that, but in the end Gren is the only one who has gotten beyond it and beaten me."

The crowd roared in excitement, and Ark raised his hands in victory, he wasn't used to winning on this night since he usually fought Gren. It was a great feeling, the joy of victory truly was without equal. Eliza cheered, Setzer shouted praise over the microphone, the crowd yelled out, and he could feel the adrenaline pacing through his entire body. It was short-lived though, as suddenly a large group of Security Moogles burst in the doors and stormed the place. Laguna and Quistis came in, walking through the crowd to the arena. Laguna looked around and shook his head.

"Setzer, what have we here?" Laguna smiled, "I'm surprised that you've been using this place as a front to Rufus' upcoming revolt."

"Laguna," Quistis placed a hand on the principals shoulder, "How do you know that?"

"You really believe me so naïve that I didn't know of this place?" Laguna smirked, "As long as nobody dies, it's all in good fun." He began to walk out, but then added, "No more alcohol here, okay Setzer?"

Setzer nodded and said over the speakers, "Yes Mr. Loire sir!"

Ark looked at Laguna a bit and thought about what he had said. A revolt by Rufus Shinra? Why would he revolt? Something bigger was going on, Ark had a feeling that there might even be a connection between Tifa's gang and all this, but only for one simple reason. The one night he fought them, Laguna came, and the smile on Laguna's face was screaming that there were hidden agendas laced within tonight.

To Be Continued

Author's Notes: Hello again! This is, obviously, the chapter where some villains began to come into play. I enjoyed writing this chapter, because between the first chapter and this one I had a bad block, and so getting this done was quite refreshing. So you notice, I'll likely be posting one chapter every week (two weeks if I get held up at any point). In this chapter there's some hidden foreshadowing for the second major plot arc of the storyline, but I wont point it out, see if you can guess! Most notable should be the addition of Limit Breaks to the various things characters can do. Throughout the entirety of the story you will be seeing tons more Limit Breaks, but don't expect them to be what you saw in the old Final Fantasy games. Part of the entire purpose behind this is to use familiar elements in a new setting, with a new twist, and so there's a lot to be said for making it my own way. I hope you've been enjoying the story so far, in Final Fantasy Saga Chapter 3: Duel - The Challenge things begin to get intense as secrets are revealed and a crisis begins to unfold! See ya!