Four Hearts - Final Fantasy V
Title: Four Hearts
Fandom: Final Fantasy V
Characters: Bartz, Lenna, Faris, Krile
Rating: PG
Summary: The party goes to confront Exdeath.
Author's Note: I've always thought that FFV has a very strong main cast (not a widely shared opinion, I know). They're very close-knit, but after the party change *cough* I always sort of wondered what they were thinking and how it was different. Especially for this dungeon.
Castle Exdeath rose above the landscape, stabbing into the sky in jagged spires that stood out sharply against the dark blue. The monsters that roamed the lands freely looked up and then skulked away as something else appeared above them--a screech cut through the air as a wind drake came into land. Small enough for a dragon, it was still not a creature that a monster would have anything to do with. Four people hopped down, eyes fixed on the castle. Then the man at the head of them squared his shoulders. "Let's go."
"Wait!" said a small girl with a high blond ponytail. "This way? Through the front door?"
"And why not?" growled the third, a woman with violet hair and a deep tan. "We came out through the front door, when--besides, there were enough monsters running around that it won't make much difference where we come in." She turned a very black look on the castle.
"We'll be all right," said the last of them reassuringly. She was pink-haired young woman who would have looked delicate if it hadn't been for the knight's sword hanging from her belt. The blonde girl only seemed to look more dubious, but she nodded.
***
"Hey! Are you three coming?" said Bartz. "We've got a warlock to stop and crystals to save!" Somehow he managed to flash them a smile, that same light, carefree smile that he'd had when the four of them had gone to find dragon grass. Nobody has ever returned... Guess we'll be the first who do! Krile had to hold onto that. She had to be strong. There was no sense in being afraid... just think of defeating Exdeath. They would do it--they had to.
Amazingly, the four of them entered Castle Exdeath without being struck down where they stood. But then Krile saw how that was possible... the dying soldiers... "Sock Exdeath one for us!" one of them said, blood staining his teeth as he smiled. Instantly Lenna went to their sides, healing, giving potions. Krile quickly followed after her. She had stronger magic now--she cast Regen, and then Haste so that the ones who pulled through would stand a better chance of getting to a place of safety.
Faris watched, the wooden look on her face in sharp contrast to Lenna's concern. What was she thinking? Krile wondered as she concentrated on not crying. She couldn't do that, not here.
***
I'm sick of it. Sick of people dying. Watching them die. Being helpless. Faris watched as her sister and the girl went to the wounded. Of course they would. Lenna wouldn't let someone suffer if she could do anything about it, and the girl was just young. Without speaking, Faris walked over to one of those around the corner. He looked up at her with leaden eyes. The green tinge on his lips showed where he'd been fed a potion, but it wasn't doing him any good except to drag things out. He watched as Faris reached over, unbuckling what was left of his crushed and torn breastplate. She fought the urge to look away from what lay underneath...she had seen worse over the course of her life.
We'll get Exdeath for you. That bastard. She withdrew a knife from her boot. Sorry we weren't quicker. When she stood, Bartz was there. He didn't say anything either, just nodded. Faris felt grateful for that. All of them knew now that there was a point beyond the reach of any spell or healing salve, but it was still the worst sort of kindness that she had just shown.
The old man hadn't fought with anger or hatred. Faris remembered that. But she couldn't say the same. Maybe Exdeath didn't think all of the hatred in the world could bring him down, but Faris was pretty sure that she had much more than that. And if that didn't work... there were still the other three to fight him too.
***
What could be done had been done. Lenna rested a hand on Krile's shoulder for a moment as the two of them went back to the others. There were no tears from either of them. They had healed as many of the soldiers as they could and sent them on their way, but what would happen to them beyond those doors? Lenna prayed that they would be able to reach somewhere safe, at least get to Big Bridge. She saw the wooden look on Faris' face, betraying to Lenna the anguished feelings it was supposed to hide.
Galuf... I wish we had your strength with us now, Lenna thought. They had failed so hard and so often... but that was no way to feel about it. Only Exdeath would call Galuf's final battle a failure. He didn't understand what had happened there. Lenna did. He had died--they were still alive. They still had a chance, however small it was, and that was well worth fighting for. Lenna refused to entertain any thought of despair or doubt. She didn't have time for it. It was her duty to ignore it and to fight on no matter what happened.
Lenna set a hand on Faris' shoulder and turned to Bartz. "Let's go," she said. "We need to stop Exdeath!"
***
"Right," said Bartz. "Krile, you follow me--Faris, bring up the rear." The four of them marched up the stairs, all of them alert and wary of the skitters and growls that seemed to come from every shadow in the castle. He knew that they weren't afraid though... no, he corrected himself. Krile probably was--but if that was so, she wasn't letting herself show it. Bartz made sure she stuck close to him. Oh, sure, he knew what she'd said. That old man had given her his strength, but she was still a tiny scrap of a thing. It wasn't the same as having Galuf at his back. But making her stay behind was out of the question. Galuf had sent her with them with his dying words. No heartfelt confessions or fond farewell--Bartz remembered all too clearly. Exdeath... destroy him.
Exdeath... Bartz couldn't put into words how badly he wanted to stop him. He thought about his dad, staying on the first world to watch over that seal. And here he was fighting him too. The four of them would finish what the Dawn Warriors had started. They would bring him down once and for all. Bartz couldn't guess what would happen after that, if they'd ever find a way back home. But that didn't matter. He'd gladly stay here for the rest of his life--even if he had to die, there was no way he was going to let Exdeath do what he wanted.
No, he didn't know exactly what that was. At this point, Bartz doubted it mattered that much. Everything until now had just been in preparation for something--and if this was the warm-up, Bartz did not want to see what Exdeath really wanted to do.
Fandom: Final Fantasy V
Characters: Bartz, Lenna, Faris, Krile
Rating: PG
Summary: The party goes to confront Exdeath.
Author's Note: I've always thought that FFV has a very strong main cast (not a widely shared opinion, I know). They're very close-knit, but after the party change *cough* I always sort of wondered what they were thinking and how it was different. Especially for this dungeon.
Castle Exdeath rose above the landscape, stabbing into the sky in jagged spires that stood out sharply against the dark blue. The monsters that roamed the lands freely looked up and then skulked away as something else appeared above them--a screech cut through the air as a wind drake came into land. Small enough for a dragon, it was still not a creature that a monster would have anything to do with. Four people hopped down, eyes fixed on the castle. Then the man at the head of them squared his shoulders. "Let's go."
"Wait!" said a small girl with a high blond ponytail. "This way? Through the front door?"
"And why not?" growled the third, a woman with violet hair and a deep tan. "We came out through the front door, when--besides, there were enough monsters running around that it won't make much difference where we come in." She turned a very black look on the castle.
"We'll be all right," said the last of them reassuringly. She was pink-haired young woman who would have looked delicate if it hadn't been for the knight's sword hanging from her belt. The blonde girl only seemed to look more dubious, but she nodded.
***
"Hey! Are you three coming?" said Bartz. "We've got a warlock to stop and crystals to save!" Somehow he managed to flash them a smile, that same light, carefree smile that he'd had when the four of them had gone to find dragon grass. Nobody has ever returned... Guess we'll be the first who do! Krile had to hold onto that. She had to be strong. There was no sense in being afraid... just think of defeating Exdeath. They would do it--they had to.
Amazingly, the four of them entered Castle Exdeath without being struck down where they stood. But then Krile saw how that was possible... the dying soldiers... "Sock Exdeath one for us!" one of them said, blood staining his teeth as he smiled. Instantly Lenna went to their sides, healing, giving potions. Krile quickly followed after her. She had stronger magic now--she cast Regen, and then Haste so that the ones who pulled through would stand a better chance of getting to a place of safety.
Faris watched, the wooden look on her face in sharp contrast to Lenna's concern. What was she thinking? Krile wondered as she concentrated on not crying. She couldn't do that, not here.
***
I'm sick of it. Sick of people dying. Watching them die. Being helpless. Faris watched as her sister and the girl went to the wounded. Of course they would. Lenna wouldn't let someone suffer if she could do anything about it, and the girl was just young. Without speaking, Faris walked over to one of those around the corner. He looked up at her with leaden eyes. The green tinge on his lips showed where he'd been fed a potion, but it wasn't doing him any good except to drag things out. He watched as Faris reached over, unbuckling what was left of his crushed and torn breastplate. She fought the urge to look away from what lay underneath...she had seen worse over the course of her life.
We'll get Exdeath for you. That bastard. She withdrew a knife from her boot. Sorry we weren't quicker. When she stood, Bartz was there. He didn't say anything either, just nodded. Faris felt grateful for that. All of them knew now that there was a point beyond the reach of any spell or healing salve, but it was still the worst sort of kindness that she had just shown.
The old man hadn't fought with anger or hatred. Faris remembered that. But she couldn't say the same. Maybe Exdeath didn't think all of the hatred in the world could bring him down, but Faris was pretty sure that she had much more than that. And if that didn't work... there were still the other three to fight him too.
***
What could be done had been done. Lenna rested a hand on Krile's shoulder for a moment as the two of them went back to the others. There were no tears from either of them. They had healed as many of the soldiers as they could and sent them on their way, but what would happen to them beyond those doors? Lenna prayed that they would be able to reach somewhere safe, at least get to Big Bridge. She saw the wooden look on Faris' face, betraying to Lenna the anguished feelings it was supposed to hide.
Galuf... I wish we had your strength with us now, Lenna thought. They had failed so hard and so often... but that was no way to feel about it. Only Exdeath would call Galuf's final battle a failure. He didn't understand what had happened there. Lenna did. He had died--they were still alive. They still had a chance, however small it was, and that was well worth fighting for. Lenna refused to entertain any thought of despair or doubt. She didn't have time for it. It was her duty to ignore it and to fight on no matter what happened.
Lenna set a hand on Faris' shoulder and turned to Bartz. "Let's go," she said. "We need to stop Exdeath!"
***
"Right," said Bartz. "Krile, you follow me--Faris, bring up the rear." The four of them marched up the stairs, all of them alert and wary of the skitters and growls that seemed to come from every shadow in the castle. He knew that they weren't afraid though... no, he corrected himself. Krile probably was--but if that was so, she wasn't letting herself show it. Bartz made sure she stuck close to him. Oh, sure, he knew what she'd said. That old man had given her his strength, but she was still a tiny scrap of a thing. It wasn't the same as having Galuf at his back. But making her stay behind was out of the question. Galuf had sent her with them with his dying words. No heartfelt confessions or fond farewell--Bartz remembered all too clearly. Exdeath... destroy him.
Exdeath... Bartz couldn't put into words how badly he wanted to stop him. He thought about his dad, staying on the first world to watch over that seal. And here he was fighting him too. The four of them would finish what the Dawn Warriors had started. They would bring him down once and for all. Bartz couldn't guess what would happen after that, if they'd ever find a way back home. But that didn't matter. He'd gladly stay here for the rest of his life--even if he had to die, there was no way he was going to let Exdeath do what he wanted.
No, he didn't know exactly what that was. At this point, Bartz doubted it mattered that much. Everything until now had just been in preparation for something--and if this was the warm-up, Bartz did not want to see what Exdeath really wanted to do.