(no subject)

[xshatterheartx.livejournal.com]

Who: Balthier, Fran, Vaan
When: A bit after everything else
Where: The Strahl
What: Talking about the future and Larsa
Rating: PG-13



Fran was laid on the bed. She was curled up, with her head buried in the pillows. And despite being exhausted she was wide-awake. She still hadn't slept since Balthier's near death experience. She knew she had to sleep soon, or she'd probably never overcome this fear.

Balthier, after all the potions Fran had used, was feeling a lot better. His throat was almost perfect again and his fever was nowhere to be seen. His bullet wound was still there but only slightly. After a moment, he woke, shifting in the sheets.

Balthier's movement caused Fran to stir from her silent ball of exhaustion. She turned over to face him, smiling at him sleepily. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better." He replied, his voice almost back to normal. He sat up and kissed her head. "You should be asleep." He stroked her hair gently.

Fran leaned into Balthier's touch, nuzzling against his hand. "I have just awoken."

"I see exhaustion in your eyes. You should stop these attempts at lying to me." He murmured, moving his hand to caress her cheek.

She rested her hand on top of his, lowering her gaze. "I cannot sleep. I fear... I fear my dreams."

"Dreams are not real, sleep will claim you if you do not give in." He kissed her head, closing his eyes as he did.

"Your dream came true, did it not?" She said, resting her head against his chest. "What if I see something terrible and it comes to pass?" She gave a sigh. "All I see when I close my eyes is you hanging there..."

"I am alive. In my dream, I died. Dreams cannot predict our futures." He replied, looking into her eyes with a soft expression.

Fran turned her gaze away, fearing if she looked into those eyes for too long she would simply crumble.

"You... do not wish to look at me?" He frowned, shifting back from her slightly.

Fran cupped his cheek and kissed his lips softly. "It is not that. I fear if I look into your eyes I shall wish to lose myself in them for eternity. Crumble under the weight on my shoulders and simply fall into your embrace."

"Is it not better to rely on my embrace than to live with fears that plague you? Is it not better to let me be the one to carry you for once?"

Fran shifted closer to Balthier, closing her eyes for just a second. "Don't you always end up carrying me one way or another?"

"Not so. You've been carrying me since we met." He replied, stroking her hair and nuzzling her lightly.

"Have you rescued me more times than I can count? I think you might have." She said with a yawn.

"Have you carried me and kept me strong since I was merely a boy? I know you have." He said back, smiling at her face.

"Some might disagree. All I have done is picked up the pieces when you fall apart and accompanied you through a world of drink, and pirating."

"Some do not know my mind and how I feel about you." He replied. He ran his hand through her hair. "Sleep, Fran. You are exhausted."

"I shall sleep. Later. There is too much to do for now."

Balthier rested down on the bed, looking at her. "What is there for us to do? We cannot go out, we simply have to stay in bed."

Fran gave a soft laugh. "You have to stay in bed. Some of us have work to do." She teased. "There is food to prepare, moogles to bathe, a runaway pirate to talk with, a foolish Hume to nurse."

"You can sleep. I am able to care for myself now, I shall care for the moogles, I can cook and Vaan is like a cat. Talk to him a moment then leave him to groom himself."

Fran gave a soft chuckle. "While I sleep the day away like some spoilt princess? I am not so sure about that."

"You are a princess. Far more beautiful and precious than even Ashe." He replied, kissing her softly. "Let me be the one in charge a while, love."

"I am no princess. I am a sky pirate." Fran replied with a laugh, resting her head on the pillow.

"Hush up and sleep. I shall be very authoritative with you if I have to. I was a judge, remember." He smirked at her.

She closed her eyes. "Mm. Okay, but just for a little...whi..." She hadn't finished the words before she was asleep.

Balthier stayed until he was sure she was asleep then moved to get dressed. He spent time going over the tasks that needed doing, everything Fran had been doing whilst he was unable to help.

Fran curled into a tight ball, whimpering and mewling in her sleep, twitching slight, but not awaking.

He was sure to leave her for a few hours, knowing it was better she had a sleep filled with nightmares rather than no sleep at all.

Fran stirred a few hours later, stretching with a slight yawn.

Balthier was sat in the cockpit, half asleep, half piloting. Vaan was passed out in Fran's seat, the chair at a horizontal angle.

The Viera got up, running her fingers through her hair as she walked to the cockpit, smiling warmly at the sight of the two exhausted males. She ran her fingers through Balthier's hair. "Our young pirate has worn himself out."

"I thought it best to let him sleep. He has been awake far too long for a boy his age." He replied, reaching over to gently brush some hair from Vaan's eyes.

Fran gave a nod and moved to sit on Balthier's lap. "You should rest more as well. I know you are eager to play with your toys again, but you should sleep."

Balthier chuckled and held her around her stomach. "You've got a fine attitude for someone whose sleeping schedule has turned completely upside down." He replied, smiling at her.

"I have slept. Now it is your turn." Without warning the Strahl jerked and shook, almost knocking Fran off of Balthier's lap.

Balthier held her tightly and frowned, looking out at the sky. "Imperials." He murmured, glaring at the ships surrounding them.

The teen woke at the shaking, sitting up and looking out onto the sky. "We'll going to be boarded if we're not careful..."

Fran pressed some buttons on the control panel, taking control of the Strahl. "Guh! So many of them!" She growled, trying to manoeuvre the Strahl through them. She was a fast ship - in open spaces. Technical manoeuvring was not the ship's strong point.

Balthier slipped out from under her and gestured for Vaan to move. As soon as he did, he took hold of Fran's usual duties, navigation, defence and tactics.

Vaan sat in the seat behind them, watching the two pirates work amazingly together.

Fran weaved the Strahl in and out of the Imperial fleet ships, avoiding most of the attacks. "We cannot outrun them this way." She let go of the controls long enough to fasten her safety belt, suggesting the boys did the same. After a moment she tilted the ship almost vertical, diving straight at the ocean's surface, hoping the fleet ships would follow.

Balthier had his safety belt fastened in seconds and his faith in Fran was at it's peak. "You've never done this manoeuvre..." He commented.

Vaan was panicked, gripping tightly to his seat and sitting with wide eyes at the sudden plummet.

"Then let us hope it works." Fran commented. She knew if it was timed even a second wrong, the nose of the Strahl would hit the water and cause the ship to crash. She folded in the ships wings and continued the straight drop, speeding up slightly.

Balthier continued to check the ships vitals and defence, frowning as she shields began to deplete. "Shields at forty percent..." He informed her, pressing buttons to attempt to move power from facilities to the shields.

Just before the Strahl struck the water, Fran pulled up, tipping the Strahl back into a horizontal position, once more opening the wings, putting the ship into full speed, skimming the water's surface in the hope the Imperial fleet ships would not be able to change direction as quickly and plummet into ocean.

Balthier was completely calm and collected as the Strahl was moved about, continuing to keep the ship in one piece.

Vaan, however, panicked more as the ship jerked back up. He watched the Imperial ships crash through the surface of the ocean. "Y-you did it!!"

Fran smiled a little, lifting the Strahl higher to a more stable height. "You feared I would fail?"

Balthier chuckled. "Did he not make it clear when we met that he has little faith in your decisions?" He teased, smiling.

"N-no! I didn't... I..." He squirmed in his seat then pouted angrily at the two older pirates.

Fran chuckled a little and stood, leaving the pilot's seat free for Balthier. "Yes, I do remember such things." She smiled and looked out at the sky. "Let's hope we safe for awhile longer."

Balthier stayed in her seat a moment. "Just a moment..." He continued switching around the power supplies. "If we reroute the power from the lighting and extra electrical equipment, we can power the cloaking. It may just be dimly lit in here until we can get more power generators."

Vaan hugged his knees. "It's possible to do things like that?" He tilted his head a little, scrunching his nose.

Fran gave a nod. "Anything is possible with the right tools and knowledge." She turned her attention to Balthier. "Yes, we must put the safety of the ship before our need for luxuries."

He nodded once then changed the supplies. The lights immediately dimmed and he looked out onto the sky. "It seems we've truly fallen on dark times."

"No pun intended?" He half-joked, trying to lighten the mood before a long yawn took him.

Fran rested back against the control panel, folding her arms across her chest. "Speaking of which..." Fran started, her attention to the younger, tired blonde. "How did your meeting with the young lord go?"

Balthier shifted around in his seat to look at Vaan. His own question had been voiced by Fran and he felt no need to ask anything else just yet.

Vaan frowned darkly, looking to his knees. "Good. And bad. Larsa is our ally still." He scrunched his nose up again.

"Our ally you say? Yet he calls a war upon Balthier and all who stand by him?" She replied, scowling a little.

"I-it... was not Larsa." How could he get the words out. Vaan took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly. "It was Vayne."

"For gods'..." He shook his head and stood up. "That boy cannot use his loss of a brother as his excuse for the rest of his days."

Fran rested a hand on Balthier's shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze. "He has time to grieve. He cannot use such things as an excuse. Would people accept such things if Balthier used the death of his father to excuse all his crimes? Or you of your own brother?"

Vaan shook his head hard. "No. V-Vayne... he is alive." He whispered the last part, hugging his knees tightly.

Balthier tensed, staring at Vaan for a long moment before looking at Fran. "How far do we believe this, Fran? We finished Vayne with our own hands..."

"Vayne is dead." Fran said simply, tilting her head to look at Vaan. "You saw his demise. You were there. You helped. He is dead."

Vaan stood and backed off slightly. "No... he is alive. He... he has Larsa captive. 'By order of the Emperor'. Emperor Solidor. No one is saying 'Lord Larsa' anymore."

Balthier frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "And if what you say is correct, I'm being hunted by a dead man?"

Fran shook her head. "This makes no sense. Why would people follow a man like Vayne. Dead or alive. Knowing what a twisted, power-crazed Hume he was?!"

Balthier hummed slightly in thought. "Power-crazed or no, he was a very charming speaker and a very threatening man. Fear makes followers." He replied.

"Yeah... Archades and Rabanastre are both filled with people saying how happy they are that things are 'returning to how they should be." Vaan added.

Fran tapped her claws against the control panel. "Then that leaves us in a most dangerous situation. The wrath of a man such as Vayne is bad enough alone, but add the that that hate of two nations and the lust for revenge... This shall be no walk in the park."

"In other words, we are royally screwed." Balthier sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "With this, we cannot acquire Basch's help nor Ashe's. We are simply the three of us here."

"And Penelo... but she's busy with Migelo. I... don't want her put in danger." Vaan replied, crossing his arms.

"We return Vaan to Rabanastre." Fran stated, speaking mostly to Balthier. "It is not fair for us to endanger another for our own gain."

Balthier nodded once. "It is best we stay away from Rabanastre after leaving him there. If he were to stay here, the Imperials would soon be sure he was with us."

Vaan shrugged a little. "I... kinda agree. I can be your eyes and ears on the surface. I can go wherever you need me to."

Fran nodded once, folding her arms across her chest. "We must find some way to keep contact that doesn't put Vaan in danger. Mail is too risky. Some form of phone may work. Or even mooglemail."

"Moogles will be watched, especially as it is common knowledge we conspire with Nono." Balthier replied, frowning slightly.

"I... don't know how we're supposed to keep in contact. A phone... seems rather risky. If I was caught with something like that..." He shuddered slightly. "Nalbina."

Fran was silent for a long moment. "We could use my village as a place of meeting. The wood allows Vaan passage despite the Vieras hate of Humes. War would not reach there, and those who cannot open the pathway cannot enter."

"I am sure Jote will be more than excited to see me after my last appearance there..." He half-joked, sighing afterwards. "The wood will be secure but were any wayfaring Viera to mention our presence to an Imperial..."

"It's better to try it and make an escape if necessary than to have no contact and be in a panic when we need it." Vaan replied.

"Even if Jote will not help us, Mjrn will." She tapped her claws against her elbow. "Then it is settled. Eruyt village shall be our meeting point, and if for any reason a message must be left, it is left with Mjrn and no other."

Balthier nodded once. "Now, to send this young pirate on his way." He shifted to his seat and set a course for Rabanastre, being sure to double-check the cloaking.

Vaan shuddered a little then curled into the seat behind Fran's hugging his knees. Even for someone with so much experience in adventures, this was one he was sure he'd mess up.

Fran moved from her position to Vaan's side, cupping the boy's cheek gently. "Do not worry. Everything will work out. The Gods have willed it." She said softly, trying to reassure him.

Balthier looked to the Viera and the boy a moment, frowning before piloting the ship as fast as she would fly.

"Y-yeah... I just worry about you both. I can't keep making awesome rescues like I did. That was purely a fluke!" He frowned.

Fran stroked Vaan's cheek tenderly. "Have faith in yourself. Balthier and I have every faith in you. You are stronger than you realise."

Vaan nodded slightly. "I'll try. I need to be strong for you guys. I've gotta keep things together on the ground." He said, mostly to himself.

Fran ruffled his hair slightly, before moving to her seat. "The key is to worry less. Things will fall into place. Try too hard and you shall crumble."