{Fan Fic} Possibilities

[breyzyyin.livejournal.com]

Username: Yin (of breyzyyin)
Class: White Mage
Title: Possibilities
Summary: A fic written for the "machine" prompt over at airship_lounge (also, the second part of the story was inspired by something the awesome chacusha put into my head! ♥). Set after the events of Final Fantasy Tactics, Mustadio ponders his new lot in life while interacting with friends he's become closer to along the way.
Characters/Pairings: Mustadio, Marach, Rapha, and Construct 8 are the main focuses of the fic...though Besrudio and other characters in FFT are also mentioned from time to time. I left the interaction with Mustadio and Rapha rather open-ended...so you could view it as either a friendship or potential pairing depending on your preference.
Word count: 3,675
Rating/warnings: G.

----Legal Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy Tactics or any of the game's characters. They are the rightful property of Square-Enix.----

A tiny, bothersome drop of sweat had formed on the young machinist's forehead. He grimaced somewhat at the tickling sensation it was causing on his skin as it trickled downwards unencumbered. In his current position, gripping a rather large wrench and trying to use both hands to secure a bolt in place on the metal sheeting he was working on...Mustadio Bunansa was in no position to readily wipe his forehead.

The bead of sweat made a streak of wetness down his face, already smeared with dirt and oil residue from the hours of work already done on his current project.

Finally, finally...the bolt moved and seemed secure in place, his muscles screaming as if he'd pulled them in the process. He tested this with his wrench: a satisfied grin overcoming his pale features when even his strongest efforts yielded no result.

Success!

He could sleep soundly tonight knowing he'd finished at least part of the puzzle...he'd been spending too many sleepless nights, far too many early mornings simply trying to reconstruct this portion of the current project himself, his father, and the other machinists of the Clockwork City of Goug had been working tirelessly on for months on end. Hopefully the dark circles under his eyes would lessen somewhat with at least one fitful night of sleep.

A rag was tossed unceremoniously over his shoulder, startling Mustadio from his thoughts.

"...Need any help?" a familiar male voice asked.

The wrench, which had dropped mere centimeters from Mustadio's foot, had hit the floor with a heavy thud that shook the wood paneling he was stepping on. The young man stopped to pick it up, his gloved hand gripping the rag tightly.

"You're a bit late, Marach." He told the newcomer, only glancing up at the other person to hand him the wrench he was going to put away for the night. He started absentmindedly wiping the rag over the bolt he'd just put in place to get rid of the excess grime the well-used wrench had left there.

Marach Galthena looked at him with amused brown eyes. He noticed that the other youth's hood was still up, concealing most of his face from view. It was a habit many of them had taken to doing when traversing outside. Despite a few months having passed, the infamous members of the heretic Ramza Beoulve's troop still had to concern themselves with the scrutiny of nosey passers-by, bounty hunters eager to make a fortune, or soldiers and overzealous church officials coming in pursuit of them.

Mustadio wondered if that would ever change...though he secretly doubted it. Their being labeled as heretics was too much of a convenient lie to keep others in the country from learning otherwise about the secrets of the governing bodies and the religious sect to ever let it be lifted. As was the belief that they were all dead: though that didn't dismiss the possibility of someone figuring out the opposite and attempting to come after them still, thus the cause for secrecy and maintaining low profiles. The caution had become a simple everyday occurrence in their lives now…as natural as breathing. Though it still didn't sit easy with any of them even if they tried not to think on it too hard.

To be fair, Mustadio felt relatively safe in his home city of Goug. His father and the other machinists, along with the miners and other workers who made up the city's populace, had been quiet supporters of Ramza due to his earlier assistance with them. Besrudio had even offered shelter to any of the group who needed it...no questions asked. The other machinists and workers, a trustworthy and loyal lot to those they believed had earned it, had sworn to keep silent on any surprise visitors.

He was still cautious though, surprised whenever he instinctively found himself looking over his shoulder on a street he'd run through carefree in his younger days...the nervous, apprehensive knot that formed in his stomach when he saw a face or heard an unfamiliar voice. But he felt more relaxed here than when he felt necessity caused him to move every few months to a new location, not wanting to be in one place for too long in order to avoid suspicion.

...But Marach and his sister Rapha had no familiarity with this place, so Marach's constant need for concealment was perfectly understandable, especially considering everything the siblings had been through even before joining Ramza's group.

Truthfully, Mustadio had been a bit surprised that the Galthena siblings had become his fairly consistent companions in this new chapter of his life: others in the group visited fairly frequently, but they usually left on their own business after a little while. Rapha and Marach had remained, accepting Besrudio's invitation of hospitality gratefully...often leaving with Mustadio when he believed it to be time to do so.

He thought that it probably had a lot to do with his father. Besrudio was a gracious host...and he had often enough expressed regret at not having a larger family. The siblings were young, close to Mustadio's own age, with Marach being a year older and Rapha being three years younger...and Besrudio had been even more gracious with them because of that: it didn't hurt matters that the siblings' own "family" story was a dark and tragic one that had pulled at the on-the-surface-stoic-but-surprisingly-sympathetic man's heartstrings.

By the time of their second day at their home, Rapha was already expressing concern that Besrudio was overworking himself with his late hours (which he in turn laughed at but seemed genuinely touched by) and Marach, who could sometimes be standoffish or extremely distrusting of others, was offering to assist the machinists at their work. Both he and Rapha still did so from time to time on big projects.

When he'd once brought this up to Marach the first time their small group departed the city together, the dark-skinned youth regarded him incredulously.

"You and your father gave us a home when we had nowhere to go." He replied, then shrugged indifferently and added, "Besides, Rapha seems quite content with staying in Goug when we can. That's more than enough reason for me. Though I suppose I don’t mind staying and helping out either."

"You know that I got that for your face, right?" Marach finally said, motioning to the cloth that Mustadio was now using to polish the metallic surface of the project he'd been restoring.

Mustadio blinked away his musings, his grimy face staring down at the oily rag in question. He hadn't even thought of that when it had been handed to him.

"...Thanks?" he muttered in embarrassment, grateful for the gesture but feeling dumb that he hadn't realized it before.

Marach shrugged, an amused glint in his brown eyes, "You and Rapha are the same when it comes to things like that."

"Rapha?" Mustadio glanced around, for the first time noticing the absence of Marach's sister.

"She was out with Construct 8 when I was heading here. Handed her a cloth because it was rather hot out...and she uses it to polish the machine's arm because it got mud on it." It may have almost sounded as if he was exasperatedly complaining, but a small smile had crossed Marach's features: he was rather content with the fact that Rapha seemed to like it here.

"Really?" Mustadio stood up finally, turning to gaze at the metal sheeting he'd been putting into place.

Underneath the plating, complex gears had been painfully restored back into working order. It wouldn't be too long now before his father would consent to trying to activate the mechanism to see what it could do at this early stage.

Knowing that Mustadio's thoughts were elsewhere, Marach tilted his head to the side to look at, what appeared to him at this point in time, to be nothing but a partially constructed metal box.

"What is this supposed to be, anyway?"

The question momentarily dulled Mustadio's growing sense of excitement, and he frowned thoughtfully, "I'm not entirely sure." He answered truthfully, "We think it might be part of an airship."

Not for the first time since the object's discovery, Mustadio wished that Balthier, Luso, or even Cloud (while his initial impression of him hadn't been too great, he had to admit the strange warrior had grown on him after awhile and wasn't all that bad) were still around...all three had mentioned about their knowledge of the legendary airships, so at least they wouldn't have been roaming blindly in the dark. If they'd stayed just a bit longer...they would have at least been there for the initial excavation.

...But at the same time, putting the pieces together and reconstructing from old diagrams, and their own creative ingenuity when that wasn't viable, was something machinists relished and took great value in. While he was curious, Mustadio wanted to figure out what made the mechanism tick on his own.

"...I think it needs to be a bit larger before I'd try riding in it." Marach remarked, unable to picture how the small contraption could be connected to the massive airships of legend, the skeletal remains of which were still seen all over Ivalice--they'd even camped in one once.

"The testing state isn't going to be about seeing if the machine can fly. We're just going to be seeing if we actually managed to put this component into some kind of working order."

"I knew that." Marach replied dryly, "...Are you going to be trying to power it for actual flight later, though?"

"Probably. If we can piece together an actual airship from looking at old diagrams and the relics of past ones." Contemplatively, he added, "It's going to take a long time though."

Marach said nothing, mulling over the information. Mustadio began to head towards the entryway of the massive hangar area the machinists were currently using for storage and as a workshop, "Can you imagine though? If we're able to create a working airship after all these centuries?"

"It would put Goug on the map." The other young man responded, "Your father and the other machinists must be ecstatic too."

"Well," Mustadio smiled, his teeth flashing white in his dirt-streaked face, "They're not the only ones. I'd love to see it happen...to see something we built fly in the air like something out of legend--we might even be able to create something better!"

Marach nodded, though his expression was thoughtful--troubled, even, "Though it will be difficult to stay here in hiding if that were to happen."

"..." Hand gripping the door handle, Mustadio stopped--a sudden, uneasy feeling in his stomach. Truthfully, in his excitement and being caught up in his work, he hadn't even given that much thought.

Marach noticed how his statement had altered Mustadio's mood and looked somewhat apologetic. He offered a quick, consoling smile and shook his head, "But...you said it yourself, didn't you? It's going to be awhile before you can make a completely functional airship. We'll be able to figure out something before then. It wouldn't be good get everyone into a worry phase this early on now that everyone's hopes are up."

Mustadio nodded his head slightly in agreement, grateful to Marach for trying to assuage his fear, "You're right. Thank you."

"...It will be impressive once it's completed." The other youth said, and after Mustadio nodded again and seemed no longer nervous he added, "Is your father here? I'd almost forgotten that I was supposed to help with a project he had."

"Oh, yes...he and a few of the other machinists are further in working on another component. They could probably use any help they could get."

...He decided not to mention that the only reason he wasn't down there helping was because Besrudio had noticed how little sleep his son was having and put him to work on the part that was pretty much close to completion with the strict understanding that he was to get some rest afterwards--as a tired machinist was more likely to make mistakes. The other machinists had laughed at that, much to the blonde's embarrassment.

"Right." Marach nodded curtly, taking one last look at the metal contraption Mustadio had just finished, still not entirely sure how that thing was supposed to fly, before heading towards the back of the warehouse-like building, "Better get some rest before your father chides you again."

He winced, "You heard that?"

Marach's amused response echoed through the cavernous darkness he'd just disappeared into, "I think everyone heard it."

*****

As he was walking home, he came across Rapha and Construct 8. The two were sitting (well, Rapha was sitting...Construct 8 hovered at her shoulder as still as a statue) in one of the few open-valley garden spots located within the Clockwork City proper: it had been a favorite spot of his mother's when he was little--he still remembered her taking him and his father there to play when she thought both of them needed fresh air. Mustadio's fascination with machinery even as a child often meant he'd been glued to his father's side in his workshop.

Even now, Mustadio had fond memories of the place. He came here often after his mother passed away and he needed time to himself...something he knew Besrudio did on occasion still as well.

Curious as to what they were doing, he headed over.

Rapha heard his footsteps on the dry blades of grass...unfortunately, the only time this spot looked "alive" was in Spring--most of the time looked like a desert landscape struggling to maintain the few sprigs of grass and hearty flowers that clung to life there throughout the rest of the year. She looked up...offering him a small smile and polite nod in greeting. An oily rag was at her side.

"What are you two doing?" he asked, stopping a few feet away from them and plopping down on the ground unceremoniously.

"Looking at the sunset." Rapha glanced over at where he was sitting, "You can sit a bit closer, it's all right."

Knowing what had happened to Rapha in the past, a story that shocked and angered him greatly to this very day, he always stayed at a comfortable distance unless she indicated otherwise. Nodding his head slightly in confirmation of what she just said...Mustadio obliged somewhat, scooting closer though with about a person's length still between them.

At the motion, Construct 8 turned its large head in his direction causing the youth to freeze uncomfortably.

...While Construct 8 and himself were rather friendly now (the machine was living with himself and Besrudio now for its maintenance needs, after all!), he still would at times occasionally remember the time when the machine had been first activated and Ramza had given a poorly worded order to the automaton that had resulted in Mustadio needing a Phoenix Down and having a knot the size of a giant fist on his skull for about two weeks. Every small motion the machine did in his direction still caused him to flinch unconsciously.

Rapha noticed this, an amused glint in her dark eyes. Like Mustadio, she was dressed in her normal clothes...though the design of hers still caused her to appear somewhat exotic in Goug.

"He was just trying to greet you, I believe."

"...HELLO." The machine's voice was booming as it waved a metallic limb in Mustadio's direction.

Marveling at the technology that brought such a complex machine into being, Mustadio waved back. Construct 8 was starting to adapt more and more to human customs.

...That was largely due to the amount of time it had spent with Ramza's group, and now in Goug. Oddly enough, since the Galthena siblings began staying here more permanently, Construct 8 had formed a rather close bond with Rapha in particular. It often followed her around like a pet would...which was perhaps why she, combined with her own special abilities, felt more comfortable than Marach did by himself at times with not concealing herself in the city: no one bothered the young woman when she was with the large and incredibly powerful machine. Rapha had grown quite fond of it as well, always helping with its maintenance.

"The sunset?" Mustadio squinted, seeing only small, quickly fading glimpses of buildings bathed in shadows and rapidly dimming reds and oranges.

"You just missed it." Rapha's amusement grew, "Your father's going to get strict with you again."

"...He talks strict, but he's a machinist himself. He understands." Mustadio said, although his face reddened somewhat in embarrassment, "Besides, I didn't stay all night this time."

"...You sort of look like it, though." Rapha joked, "Your face looks like you stuck it in a chimney."

Mustadio looked at the dust and dirt on Rapha’s clothing, the specks of oil on her cheeks. "Yours doesn't look much better. Helping with the machinists and workers again?"

A nod in addition to her reply, "Seeing how all of you plan on building the airship mostly from scratch is interesting. Marach and I were getting materials all day long...except when he volunteered to make supper."

"...Cold stew, then?" he asked, knowing the answer already.

Stew was the one thing Marach seemed to enjoy making since it lasted long and kept well, something that was pretty necessary at the moment considering the differing and rather long hours everyone was keeping currently. It was something they had rather frequently whenever he volunteered to make a meal. Truthfully, he was a pretty good cook: most of his stew variations were a lot more flavorful than the bland specimens Mustadio made when he was in charge of cooking.

"This time he said he added carrots to it." Rapha said as she stretched her arms, "He was kind enough to even bring me a cloth after, but..."

Mustadio glanced up, noticing how spotless and shiny Construct 8 looked in the waning light.

"He looks good." He commented, grinning conspiratorially, "I used the one Marach got me to wipe grease off of some metal sheeting."

"...Really?" Rapha laughed slightly, "I can imagine how amusing he must have found that."

Mustadio's smile lingered. Talking to the two of them like this, seeing Rapha smiling and Marach's contented exasperation with their antics...it was hard to believe that the two of them had once been raised and used as assassins for an underhanded Duke's power schemes; that both of them had been betrayed by a man they had respected and viewed as a father figure...that that very man had hurt Rapha in a way that most could not even imagine from how determined and strong she was.

Marach had found out the truth about what had happened once Rapha joined Ramza's forces: had shielded Rapha from the very man he had earlier believed she had been trying to deceive him about that whole time. He had died in the process, though the Taurus Stone and Rapha's desire for him to live had saved him--reuniting the siblings finally after a very tense separation.

In an odd way, despite this life of constant hiding that siding with the "heretic" had given them, they were free to feel and truly experience life in a way that had been denied to them for longer than either would ever care to admit.

He thought of Construct 8 as well, no longer left to rust in a discarded heap of twisted metal and ancient scrap parts. Of Beowulf and Reis, finally reunited together with Reis in human form. Of Ramza and Alma, two other siblings finally reunited...of the world continuing to exist without most knowing the danger they'd been in.

...The joy himself, his father, and the other machinists and workers felt upon the prospect of possibly being able to build a functioning airship: of all of the other discoveries and possible inventions awaiting them in the future.

Despite the uncertainty of the future, the unfairness and injustice of all of them being labeled as criminals...the anxiety such a title and living in hiding brought: maybe, just maybe there were still some things about what had happened that one could feel grateful about.

Small joys and cherished memories to find if you looked hard enough.

The notion comforted Mustadio somewhat--a faint conclusion in the back of his head that he hadn't realized he'd needed so desperately to find until he came upon it just then.

His expression must have changed slightly, for Rapha was looking at him curiously.

"What is it?" he asked, the buildings casting long shadows of the meadow grounds now.

"Nothing. You just had this really..." she thought on the word she wanted to use for a moment, "...Relaxed look on your face suddenly."

"I might be more tired than I thought!" he joked quickly, not really wanting to admit his thoughts to her at the moment.

Rapha smiled slightly at this. She had a nice smile, Mustadio noticed...not for the first time. It was great that her and Marach were smiling more in general recently.

She stood up, grabbing the oily rag as she did so and dusting her pants off with her free hand.

"Well, then...let's go, shall we?" she held out a dark-skinned hand to him to help him up as once he'd sat down his tired and overworked body didn't want to get back up right away, "We both could probably use some freshening up while the stew pot heats up again."

Mustadio took her proffered hand and finally managed to stand up, his muscles screaming in protest. The two made their way out of the darkening meadow and into the quiet nighttime streets of Goug, Construct 8 lumbering behind them.

Neither spoke on the trip back to the Bunansa residence...lost in the peaceful air of the place.

Whatever happened later on, at least at the moment there was a small sense of contentment here. Mustadio and Rapha probably would have been surprised if they knew that the other was thinking almost the exact same thing: that, right now, it was more than enough.