Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift Side Stories

Below are Side Stories from Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, which could be read at the Japanese official website or Square Enix Members.
==Chapter 1: Rocket Weather==
This is chapter narrated from a new student at the real world's school about Luso Clemens.
:I was staring out of the classroom window on a bright, clear day. School was out, so everything was quiet. There was nobody outside, nobody in the classroom. The place was empty. We'd just moved, and my mom and dad brought me in to enroll for next semester. My parents were busy talking with the teacher or whoever, so I thought I'd take a look around the place. The room they said I'd be in was pretty nice. It was warm and sunny.
:Just then I spotted someone through the window. He looked the right age to be a student here, and he seemed to be carrying something. He was walking across the campus, and then all of the sudden, when he was right in front of the window I was looking through, he stopped and looked straight at me. It caught me by surprise, and I don't think he expected to see anyone either, because he jumped a little when he saw me. Then he started to run towards me. As he got closer, he shouted, "Hey, you're not a ghost or anything, are you?" He came to a stop just in front of the window I was standing at.
:"No, I'm no ghost", I answered. I'm gonna be going to school here next semester. My parents are enrolling me right now. I'm just takin' a look around."
:"That a classroom you're in?"
:"Yeah, I think so. Mr. Blair's room."
:"Hey, we have the same teacher!"
:"That's cool."
:"Heh, yeah."
:He had a big, friendly grin. He gave a quick nod in my direction, "Hey, you wanna launch this with me?"
:He showed me he'd been carrying. It was a plastic bottle rocket. The water sloshing around inside glinted in the sunlight.
:"None of my friends could come, so this'll be perfect."
:I glanced away, not really sure what I was getting myself into, but he prodded me on, "Just climb out the window." The grin from before was back on his face, and that was all the convincing I needed. Grabbing hold of the window sill I swung my feet outside and hopped down to the ground.
:"As soon as I woke up I could tell the weather was great. No wind or anything. Perfect for launching a rocket. So I threw one together as fast as I could. A day this good, who knows how high it'll fly!"
:We walked a little ways, and then we came to a bicycle pump and something that looked like a pipe lying in the grass. I soon learned that that was the launch pad. He looked from the rocket he was carrying to the sky, then made adjustments to the angle of the pad. He placed the rocket on the pad and attached the bicycle pump to a tube snaking from its base. The tube ran into the rocket at the bottom. Working the pump up and down, he filled the rocket with air.
:"...Thirty-nine, forty. That oughta do it! Alright, here goes."
:I'd just been standing there watching him get the rocket ready to launch. As he finished pumping air into the rocket, he waived me closer. He told me to hold onto the launch switch, a big clip at the base of the rocket.
:"Which one of you was it? Who launched that rocket?"
:"Uh oh. It's Mr. Blair!"
:A tall man was looking at us from the school window. My parents were standing right behind him.
:"Once I grab my rocket, I'm outta here."
:Jamming the launch pad and bicycle pump under his, he darted off. I think I mumbled something to him as he left, but I couldn't think of anything to say. He picked up the rocket and shouted back to me, "My name's Luso. Luso Clemens. See ya after the break!" And then he was gone.
:I walked back to the school, and I knew I was in trouble. Sitting there with Mr. Blair scolding me, the end of this break couldn't come fast enough.
==Chapter 2: A Day Like Any Other==
A chapter telling about one of Adelle's ordinary days.
:What am I doing here? The clatter of plates and chatter of conversation drifted past Adelle as her finger traced the lip of an almost-empty cup. She'd been waiting for hours. Outside dusk gathered, the pub was slowly filling with patrons.
:This hasn't been my day.
:The morning had started well enough. She had awoken to the warm morning sun and the chirping of birds. Determined to get the most out of such a fine day, she got out of bed, washed her face, and dressed.
:It was only when she reached to fix her hair that she noticed it—an unruly tuft of hair standing defiantly on end.
:She set about bringing it under control, but the hair was having none of it. Adelle struggled with it for nearly half an hour before she finally gave up. She finished the juice she'd been drinking and rested her chin on her hands.
:I never should have gotten out of bed.
:Adelle's perfect morning may have been ruined, but by the time she'd finished breakfast her frustration had faded, and she set out to do some shopping. She had loot to sell, and planned to put the money toward a new pair of boots. Anne Salier had just released a new line perfect for hunters such as herself.
:She arrived at the shop and produced the magick fruit she'd brought to sell, only to see that three of the four pieces had split open. Just the day before they had glowed with soft light; not a one had shown even the slightest blemish. Needless to say, they didn't fetch quite the price Adelle had hoped for. Her dreams of cute red-laced boots with white leather trim burned away like so much morning dew.
:Now here we are.
:Adelle's gaze shifted to the seat beside hers. A dirt-caked rucksack rested at the foot of the chair. A sinking feeling came over her as she looked from the rucksack to the boy straddling the chair.
:"Something wrong with my rucksack?"
:"No, it looks normal enough to me."
:"As you say."
:The boy narrowed his already narrow eyes, and a broad grin spread across his face. There was something about him seem open, someone you could trust.
:I thought I was supposed to be the friendly one.
:It happened on her way to the pub. Adelle wanted some food to take her mind off the failed shopping expedition. There was some sort of commotion between a street merchant and a young adventurer on the roadside. The boy was trying to rid himself of the insistent peddler, with little luck. Distracted, Adelle walked right into them. Though he'd kept his cool dealing with the peddler, the boy turned and snapped at Adelle.
:"Were you gonna keep me waiting all day?"
:Thinking Adelle was the boy's companion, the peddler reluctantly turned and left.
:The boy apologized to Adelle, but their encounter didn't end there. As it turned out, he was supposed to meet someone at the pub Adelle was heading to, so they went together. Once there, he set his bag down beside Adelle, and they ordered some food. She hoped he'd offer to treat her to a meal, but no such luck. As they finished eating, she tried to find a good time to say her good-byes, but the chance escaped her, so she was stuck with him.
:"Well?"
:"Well what?"
:"You're meeting someone, aren't you? Shouldn't they be here by now?"
:"It looks as though I've been stood up."
:He punctuated this with a carefree chuckle.
:"Then what have we been waiting here for?"
:"The barman told me there were some people here just before us who matched the description of the hunters I was supposed to meet. They rounded up some people from the pub and left."
:A resigned smile crossed his face.
:"Well, it happens. Happens to me a lot, actually. I'd get mad about it, but the people I want to get mad at are already gone, so it wouldn't do much good."
:"Guess that's the way it is," he added with a sigh.
:Adelle couldn't stay mad at this boy who himself had every right to be, but choose instead to laugh it off.
:Laugh and the world laughs with you.
:Adelle's mouth cracked open and she said lamely, "I'm sorry it has to be like that."
:The boy smiled again, then picked his bag up off the floor.
:"Well, I should be going. Thanks for waiting around with me. You're a hunter too, right? We have to watch out for each other. It's not easy."
:"No, it's not."
:Adelle watched from her seat as he left. She stared a while at her empty cup, then stood up to leave. The sun had already set when she stepped outside, and a chill wind was picking up.
:"Tomorrow isn't going to be easy, either."
:Adelle walked off down the darkening street.
==Chapter 3: Just Like Old Times==
A chapter that tells about Cid's thoughts after an assassination attempt.
:He could smell the ocean.
:Cid lay on the flagstones, breathing the rain-heavy air that carried a faint trace of sea salt. Consciousness, a dim and blurry thing, began to take form. His body was stiff, stilled to the core. Whether from the blood he'd lost or the driving rain, he couldn't say. Only his stomach, from which blood still flowed, was warm. His thoughts grew strangely poetic. He mused that the blood gushed from him like lava from a volcano or some such. He harbored no delusions of being a poet.
:Even as he danced with these stark thoughts, color and sound seemed to gently fade from the world around him.
:As he lay there, a vaguely unpleasant sensation of spinning washed over his body. Round and round, round and round. Oi, this wasn't good.
:Seeing the bullet open a hole in his gut, Cid felt as though he was watching it happen to someone else. He couldn't decide if that was because he'd been shot like this once before, or just that he'd lost so much blood he couldn't think clearly. He decided it was probably a little of both.
:At first he thought he was alone, but then the weight of someone's gaze fell on him. He opened his eyes the slightest crack and looked up into the driving rain.
:He thought he saw pale blue eyes looking down into his. He pushed the thought away. It couldn't be. That was impossible. There weren't any eyes the last time, why should there be now?
:An image flashed before him. There in silence stood a slender woman. Her dark, indigo hair was wet, and she wore a steady, dark expression. She mouthed words with blue-stained lips, but Cid couldn't hear her. He tried to open his own mouth in reply, but failed. Slowly, she raised her arm. A flash of light bloomed in the barrel of her gun. Fireworks. The gaze of those pale blue eyes, the spinning landscape. Finally, the smell of the ocean.
:All of this had happened before. No. No, this time was different. Soon there would be no blood left to bleed. That was all it was. And then it would be over. She wasn't there. She hadn't shot him. She hadn't done this. He had to hold on.
:Cid opened his eyes again. A dark mist clouded his vision. Stars danced. Determined to know if the eyes he'd seen were only his imagination, he lifted his head. He was alone. No one was standing over him. Satisfied of his solitude, he again rested his cheek on the rain-slick flagstone. The corners of his mouth curved back in a grin. Maybe things weren't so bad after all.
:What had he said then? He'd said he would live. He'd left behind his past, his duties, his obligations, everything.
:And now a ghost out of that very past had chosen to haunt him at the worst possible time. It was enough to make him laugh. The past didn't want to let go.
:He had to hold on. He had to live. That's why he'd left in the first place.
:But this was no time to worry over the past. No, there was the boy to worry over now. That strange boy who'd literally fallen out of the sky before Cid's own eyes.
:He had to get back, that much he knew. Struggling to stand, it was clear his body wasn't going to cooperate. His arms and legs might as well have belonged to someone else. With great effort, he finally moved his right arm ever so slightly. As he did, he felt a rush of light-headedness. His vision went black, as though someone had tied a blindfold over his eyes. If this was what happened when he moved an arm, this wasn't going to go well.
:If he passed out, he'd be done for. His body was ready to give in, but he refused to let it. He fought for consciousness, and won.
:Over the ringing of his ears, he heard the distant crunch of gravel. The sound drew steadily nearer, until at last it stopped beside him. There was something black wavering before him. A piece of cloth. No, it was more than that, it was a cloak. Of course.
:Just like before. Lowering his gaze and drawing a breath, Cid addressed the figure standing beside him.
:"I'm not ready to die yet. Come to save me again, have you, Judge?"
:There was no answer, but the chill loosened its grip on his body, and the pain in his stomach eased. A gentle calm settled over him.
:He would be all right. He would live.
:The rain had slackened, and in its place a tepid wind caressed his cheek. Cid breathed in the air and gave himself over to sleep. He could smell the ocean on the wind.
==Chapter 4: Hurdy Heads for the Hills==
Narrated by Hurdy, this chapter tells about his farewells to his somewhat odd siblings before he travels by his own.
:My name is Hurdy. I like music, so I decided to travel and experience the music and instruments of the wide world, kupo. But before I leave, I want to say good-bye to all of my brothers and sisters.
===Sorbet (My second eldest brother)===
:"You're going on a trip, kupo? I'm jealous! I want to come, too, kupo." (Whenever Sorbet saves up enough gil, he disappears on long meandering trips, kupo. —Hurdy)
:"I have a few words of advice for you, little brother: There's no shame in traveling, kupo. Just remember this, and you'll be carefree and happy wherever your journey leads you. It's advice I follow myself, kupo."
:"Anyway, have fun on your trip. Bring me back something sweet, kupo!"
:I'm not sure a moogle can be carefree and still call himself a moogle, kupo.
===Nono (My fourth oldest brother)===
:"If you were only leaving a little later, I could've taken you on my airship. A pity, kupo. That's right, the Brilliante I, my pride and joy, is almost finished."
:"I'm no mere airship wright anymore, I'm an airship owner, kupo!" (Building his own airship was Nono's dream. He's been saving gil, drawing up the plans and working on it for years. —Hurdy) "You should come for a ride sometime. I'll take you anywhere you want, kupo."
:"Anyway, have fun on your trip. If you go to Goug, pick up the latest Goug Consortium catalog for me, kupo."
:I hope his airship is skyworthy, kupo!
===Horne (My third oldest brother)===
:"Will it be a long trip, kupo? Make sure you bring everything you need. And not just everyday things, kupo."
:"You should be ready in case you fall ill, or meet with any unsavory characters. I'll give you a list of the items I recommend so you can pack them, kupo." (Horne's a real item aficionado. He knows the right item for just about every occasion. —Hurdy) "Oh, and don't forget to bring a pouchful of dried zignuts, kupo!"
:"Anyway, have fun on your trip. Bring me back some rare and exotic item, kupo!"
:I'm happy to buy him something, but I wonder if he'll have any place to put it. Kupo...
===Gurdy (My twin sister)===
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:"Are you sure you'll be alright traveling on your own, kupo? I'm going to be worried out of my pom-pom. I'd loan you one of my chocobos to ride, if only you knew how, kupo." (Gurdy has a chocobo stable. For the record, I can ride chocobos just fine, but I have a policy against riding them. Montblanc is the one who can't ride, kupo. —Hurdy)
:"Just be sure you don't do anything foolish. You've always been too kind and trusting, so don't let anyone take advantage of you, kupo. Mind what you eat and drink, too, or you're like to upset your stomach. I'll try to drop you a line every couple of months. That is, if you don't mind, kupo."
:"Anyway, have fun on your trip. Bring me a nice accessory, kupo!"
:She sounds less like a sister and more like a mother, kupo.
===Montblanc (My oldest brother)===
:"This music appreciation trip of yours is certainly out of the blue, kupo. But I think it's a good idea. You've always shied away from adventure, and this is the perfect chance to overcome that, kupo."
:"The things you'll learn and see while you're traveling will be priceless, kupo. You're in for surprises you can't even imagine. I hope you enjoy every last minute of it, kupo!"
:Montblanc never was like the others, kupo.
:"Would you mind bringing me back some wine? A vintage bottle of Prudence should do, kupo."
:Prudence? There are only a few thousand bottles of that in the whole world, kupo.
:It'll cost a fortune!
:Is he out of his pom-pom?
:If he's joking, I'm not laughing, kupo!
:As far as I know, Montblanc doesn't even drink wine.
:Just who does he think he is, kupo?
:...And now it's time to leave. I can't wait to find out what music and surprises my journey has in store! So long, kupo!
==Chapter 5: A Chance Encounter==
This chapter takes place after Luso had left Ivalice.
:A few days had passed since he left. Cid, Adelle and Hurdy had stopped by the pub for a drink after finishing off a quest. As they entered, the barman stopped them.
:"Cid, you and your hunters seem a little down in the mouth."
:"That so? I hadn't noticed."
:"There's something I thought you might want to see. Follow me."
:The barman came round from behind the counter and wove his way through tables filled with carousing patrons. Cid followed in silence.
:Close on Cid's heels, Adelle asked in a low voice,
:"What's this all about?"
:"You've got me."
:Hurdy chimed in from Adelle's side with a muted "Kupo-po."
:The barman reached the far side of the dining hall and gestured at a low spot on the wall. Cid and the others craned their necks to see what he was pointing at, and then they spoke in unison.
:"Ah?!"
:"Kupo!"
:"Hrmm."
:Someone had written something there in this out of the way spot, but it was unmistakable nonetheless.
:Luso Clemens of Clan Gully was here!
:The barman folded his arms and addressed the three as they examined Luso's handiwork.
:"Were it ink, I could remove it easily enough, but as you can see, it's been rather carefully carved into the wall.
:This complicates matters. The... inscription... makes it clear that your clan is responsible, so I only think it appropriate you pay for the repairs."
:"He plagues me even now," Cid spat in annoyance.
:"What are we going to do, kupo?"
:"Under normal circumstances I suppose we'd pay for the repairs and have done with it."
:"Kupo... I'm not sure how I'd feel about that."
:Cid scratched his neck, a cross expression on his face. Finally he turned to the barman and made a small bow with his head.
:"Barman, do you think I might ask you to leave it as it is? I'd pay you for the trouble, of course."
:The barman thought it over for a moment, then answered with a shrug and a sigh, "I suppose there's nothing for it." Cid ordered a slightly more pricey meal than their usual fare, and then they took seats at an empty table.
:"Something tells me this isn't the only pub we'll find this in," mused Adelle.
:"I'd wager my pom-pom on it, kupo."
:"If we come across more, we'll deal with it then."
:"Just so we're clear: I, for one, have no intention of paying a single gil on account of Luso."
:"Hear hear."
:When their drinks came, they raised their glasses toward the carving on the wall in silent toast.
Category:Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift