Final Fantasy Frontier 88 (Patreon)

While everyone else took a break, Andrew flew down to the water's edge to investigate the light beneath its surface. His presence invited a pair of large, frog-like Fiends with vicious claws and curved horns to attack, but they were easily dispatched with a Thundara spell that charred them from the inside out.

Unlike the Fiends of most worlds, those in FFXII stuck around, at least for a short while, after their deaths. They would eventually be subsumed and become a part of Mist, the energy that powered the world's Magicks, but it could take hours to days depending on the capacity and conductivity of the Fiend's bones, as well as other factors.

Speeding up the process quite a bit, Andrew absorbed the energy from the defeated monsters, condensing it into tiny, energy-rich blue crystals around the size of a grain of rice. The individual crystals fused to make a larger one, and if he gathered enough, he presumed he would be able to create a crystal large enough to power a Paling.

"You're not going to take anyone by surprise walking around a stone cave in metal boots," said Andrew, prompting Vaan to come out from his hiding place and scratch the back of his head.

"I wanted to ask you something," said Vaan, not giving Andrew much of a choice as he directly questioned, "So, how did you meet Penelo? You said she was the reason you came down to break us out."

"Hmmm..."

Turning away from Vaan to stare at the water, Andrew replied, "We met on the day of the Consul's inauguration ceremony. Everything else is a mix of fate and opportunity. Why do you ask?"

"It's just...she's important to me, you know? I don't want her getting involved in anything dangerous..." said Vaan, moving over to join Andrew at the water's edge.

"Do you like her...?" asked Andrew, prompting Vaan to fall silent for several seconds before responding, "It's not like that. Her family took me and my brother in when our parents contracted the plague and died. She lost her parents two years later during the war, so the three of us promised to look after one another, no matter what..."

"Mmm...I'm sorry to hear about your parents..." said Andrew, resisting the urge to ask the youth how fooling around in the sewers and stealing from Imperials helped Penelo in the slightest. She worked upwards of fourteen hours a day running errands and tending Migelo's shop while Vaan, likely feeling lost and powerless after the death of his brother, all but refused to work. Instead, he spent his days loitering about, killing rats in the sewers, and stealing food and anything else he needed from the same people he criticized the Empire for taking advantage of...

"You're like super strong, right?" asked Vaan, looking up to Andrew as there was about a fifteen-centimeter difference in their heights.

"Some might say that, but compared to the truly powerful, I still have a long way to go," replied Andrew, turning to meet Vaan's gaze, raising his brows as he asked, "Why?"

Feeling embarrassed, Vaan looked away, scratching the back of his head as he replied, "I don't know...I just thought you might be able to give me some advice..."

"And what would you use your strength for?" asked Andrew.

Though he was tempted to answer that he would use it to oppose the Empire and help the people of Dalmasca, Vaan took a moment to consider his response before answering, "Honestly, I'm not sure. My dream is to be a Sky Pirate, but what I really want is freedom...the freedom to live how I please without anyone else telling me what I can or can't do..."

'Sounds pretty selfish...' thought Andrew. However, as his current lifestyle was made possible by Hydaelyn's grace, he endeavored to be charitable when he could.

"Other than advising you to train and push your limits, there isn't much I can say," said Andrew. "But I can provide you with something that may or may not help you, depending on how you use them..."

Materializing a pair of red, black, and gold-trimmed vambraces, similar to the ones worn by high-ranking Samurai, Andrew presented them to Vaan, explaining, "These are known as Genji Gloves. I won't explain their effects in detail, but so long as you continue to believe in and push yourself, there are no limits you can't overcome."

"So, they're like magick...?" asked Vaan, accepting the surprisingly light gloves with glistening eyes.

"Which part of 'I won't explain their effects in detail' did your brain fail to process?" asked Andrew, raising his brows. "Either use them or sell them. Just know they're useless if you lack the conviction and drive to surpass your limits."

Hugging the gauntlets as if he were afraid Andrew would take them back, Vaan offered a curt, somewhat insincere-sounding "Thanks. I'll hold onto them..." before turning away and retreating. His behavior gave Andrew the impression that he would have someone assess them when they returned to Rabanastre. If the person doing the assessment failed to recognize the enchantments, the short-sighted youth would likely pawn or sell them off for the value of the materials used in their construction...

Shaking his head, Andrew returned his gaze to the frigid waters below, eventually forming a magic barrier around himself before descending into the luminescent pool to take a sample of the crystals within. He had little use for them, but Chadley and Shinra would want to evaluate them. Their ability to produce clean, ice-cold water would be a godsend in places like Ul Dah, so Andrew took samples of several crystal lodes before returning to the surface to find Fran observing him.

"I'm popular this morning," remarked Andrew, rising from the water and landing next to the exotic, rabbit-eared beauty.

"You can fly?" asked Fran, seemingly wanting to confirm what her eyes had witnessed.

"There's little I can't do," replied Andrew, shrugging as he asked, "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Narrowing her eyes slightly, Fran expressed, "I came to inquire about the Goddess, Etro, and your purpose here. It's no coincidence our paths have intersected. Your cryptic remarks to Balthier make that clear..."

Raising his brows, Andrew admitted, "You're not wrong. I do, in fact, have a reason for being here. But why would I reveal my hand when I went out of my way to keep it a secret only hours prior?"

Crossing her arms, Fran changed topics, asking, "Then at least answer me this...are you familiar with Nethicite?"

"I'm familiar with the term," replied Andrew, seeing no reason to keep that particular tidbit of information a secret.

"Do you seek it...? asked Fran, narrowing her eyes as if she were trying to see through Andrew. She even activated Libra, a 'Technick' that allowed the user to discern truth from lies, reality from illusion, and, depending on the user, ascertain the identity of weaknesses of a target.

"Not really," replied Andrew, shrugging a second time as he appended, "I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a sample for others to study, but me, personally? I have little use for it."

"I see..." muttered Fran, deactivating Libra as she visibly relaxed. There was still one thing she was curious about, however, so before turning to depart, she questioned, "Why do you choose to tarry here? What are you awaiting...?"

Adopting a cheeky smile, Andrew teased, "Maybe I just like the look of you from behind?" before adopting a marginally more serious expression and answering, "While there is some certitude to that, the actual answer is fairly straightforward. If something were to happen to Vaan before his reunion with Penelo, she would be pained and potentially blame me for whatever happens to him."

"Penelo..." parroted Fran, adopting a faint smile as she asked, "She's the one whose scent lingers on you?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if it did," replied Andrew, winking as he mused, "I can be 'very' thorough."

"And greedy..." appended Fran, shifting her weight and observing Andrew with crossed arms. It was clear from his comments to Balthier that he had some idea of their aim and purpose. That being the case, there must be a reason he approached Penelo and potentially set Vaan on the quest that saw him obtain the treasure that had compelled her and Balthier to sneak into the palace, the Goddess's Magicite.

Shrugging his shoulders, Andrew justified his actions by stating, "I believe in equivalent exchange. Thus, while I may be greedy, I'm correspondingly charitable. If fate wills, you'll find out just how much in the coming weeks or months..."

Making his way past Fran, Andrew casually grazed her left butt cheek with the tip of his tail, adding, "If not, well, such is life. We can't always get what we want..." 

Though she narrowed her eyes, Fran observed Andrew's departure in contemplative silence. She might have assailed him if he used his hand, but since he had simply brushed her bottom with his tail, she abstained from rebuking him in favor of building rapport. Andrew was clearly a man of means and power, so it was better to have him as a tentative ally than risk having him as an enemy. The Gods knew they already had more than their fair share of the latter...

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After a large meal, Andrew retired to his cottage, intending to get a bit of shut-eye before they set out anew. Unfortunately, mid-way through his pre-sleep peeping, his senses perked a few seconds before a faint knock sounded at his door.

'I was wondering when he would show up...' thought Andrew, rising to a seated position before calling out, "It's open," in a lazy tone. In response, a gruff, somewhat raspy voice responded, "Pardon my intrusion..." before the door opened to reveal a much healthier-looking Basch.

"May we speak...?" asked Basch, sitting on his knees in a way that made it seem like he was about to perform harakiri.

"Let me guess, you mean to ask for my aid in wresting Dalmasca from the grip of the Empire...?" asked Andrew.

Bowing his head slightly, Basch responded, "I know this isn't your fight, but the Empire will eventually swallow up the whole of Ivalice if Vayne's ambitions are not stopped. With your assistance, even if it's just moving supplies from one location to another, our chances of victory will increase manifold..." 

"And, what of it...?" asked Andrew, causing Basch to raise his head and stare at him in silence.

Shaking his head, Andrew asserted, "In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter who controls the world, only that it eventually becomes 'one.' In the ancient past, the Dynast King conquered the three central continents and unified the people to bring about an era of prosperity. I understand your desire to protect the people of Dalmasca, but unless it serves a grander purpose, the 'concept' of Dalmasca is meaningless..."

Furrowing his brows, Basch asserted, "Vayne is a man who would kill his brothers to further his ends. Do you truly believe such a man capable of unifying anything...?"

"And, just as Vaan and the people of Rabanastre are ignorant of your circumstances, do you know with absolute certainty that Vayne killed his brothers in cold blood?" asked Andrew.

"..."

Unable to answer Andrew's question, Basch fell silent for several seconds before asking, "Do you mean to say that Vayne had a reason for killing his kin...?"

Putting Basch on the spot, Andrew countered by asking, "Do you think your brother didn't have a 'reason' to betray you? People act as they do for certain reasons, Captain. I certainly wouldn't mind helping to restore Dalmasca, but to what end? Restoration cannot be the Kingdom's only goal, as that will strain an already overburdened populace who stand to gain little from reinstating a monarchy that did little to elevate them even before the Empire's occupation."

Shaking his head a second time, Andrew added, "What the Kingdom of Dalmasca needs isn't restoration but 'reformation.' If the one who would lead your people can make an appeal I find convincing, I will aid them to the best of my ability. However, if their only goal is to sit upon the throne because of something as senseless as birthright, they don't deserve the burden of a crown. After all, the line of Dalmasca wouldn't exist if such a sentiment truly mattered. Rabanastre would still be in the hands of House Galtea who, like the Empire, came into power through conquest..."

Though he remembered very little about the plot of Final Fantasy XII, one of the things Andrew recalled was that the entity backing Vayne wasn't a villain in the truest sense of the word. Some of the things Vayne had done were objectively evil, but those were the actions of one man. In the wake of his death, his younger brother aided in the restoration of Dalmasca and sought to bring harmony to all of Ivalice. In that regard, the Empire wasn't truly evil. With a benevolent ruler at its helm, it had the potential to be a powerful force of good, as, in the grand scheme of things, the citizenry of any nation simply wanted to live peacefully and without worry. It was the people at the top, most notably those who believed they had an inherent 'right' to rule over others, that fucked everything up...

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