Hi there! Radiklement's back with another fic. Yes, now, Balthier/Fran. Really, I'm just taking the most known couples of the game. Will I gave you a Basch/Ashe next time? Maybe not, I still hate the princess. Ah, poor Basch… Well then, no surprise for the couple in this fic. This should be a little fanfic, a collection of drabbles over my theory of what Balthier and Fran had of a life after the game. I've got no right over any characters, creatures, story facts, square-enix related things, no right over anything said before. Alright, now then, I'm a french writer. I'm not that bad in English, but if you find any mistake, it's maybe because I didn't realise it was a mistake. See, I write more by instinct than anything else…
I know that for now, it will seem a little fuzzy. There will be lotsa names, no description, but you'll figure all out sooner or later. So, get ready to enjoy Balthier's family!
A whole new party
A simple life
The sun was almost down. Almost. Fran was lying in her bed, smiling a bit while her partner was softly closing the door behind him. Tonight, Balthier had but one plan and this plan implied only two things. Them and…
"Daddy, Ran kicked me!" cried a little girl's voice.
Balthier closed his eyes, trying not to burst in anger. So long for his plans with Fran. The kids were still up and the sun already down.
"Waaaaahhhh!"
"Marika, it's my hair!"
"Give me back this moogle!"
"Help, captain, help me, kupo!" called out Nono.
"Eeeeyaahhhh!"
"Waaaaaahhhh!"
Fran sighed while getting back up but froze as the sky pirate upped one of his hands in front of her. She knew what meant his gaze. And she knew he was going to have his way, even if it meant imprisoning the kids in the storage room of the Strahl.
"I'm taking care of this, you don't move a finger," he said.
"Alright, Balthier. But they're six, and you're alone."
"Don't forget who you're talking too," he smiled.
Cautiously, Balthier unlocked the door, readying himself to step into enemy territory. He knew that he had to concentrate on this one, otherwise, he would find himself bound to play with the kids.
"Feyrj, he's coming out!"
"I'm ready, Bella."
"My hair's on fire! Help, Daddy!"
To hell with concentration, the situation was damn serious! Balthier jumped out of the room, caught his daughter by the arm and put out the fire in her hair. The door closed itself behind him and he stood tall before the enemies' line. His eyes were burning with anger and the children withdrew before to receive one last order.
"Ready, fire!" Ran shouted, almost throwing Nono in the ceiling while she jumped.
A little boy, with real bunny ears on his head, ran to the man, a wooden sword in his frail hands, a warrior's cry in his throat.
"Eeeyyaaaaaooouch!"
"Gotcha, kid."
The Viera boy stopped by his father tried to get out of his grip, to no avail.
"Ran, put down this moogle, now. He's a living being, and you lil' sky pirates are all far past your bedtime's hour. Must I release the Punishment? Zeromus? Is that what you want?"
"Marika've put my hair on fire!" wept Ella over her father pants.
She couldn't reach higher. He gave her a small hug, trying to check if all his kids where in sight. Ran, Trè, Ella, Bella, Feyrj. Yeah, they were all there. No… Wait a second!
"Where's Marika?" he asked, his grip tightening over Trè's arm.
"Owww! Dad, you mustn't squeeze like that, it hurts."
"Where's Marika?" he repeated.
Nono had already run away, happy to get out of his hostage's position. And as Balthier count and recount them, all the Viera, all his daughters, there was only four of them, five plus Trè, his only son. Then, it left only one possibility. Marika, who had put her sister's hair on fire, had run away. If not worst.
To lose a child is an awful feeling, especially when it's yours. After his pretended disdain, he was getting back to his anxious self, well, the anxious Balthier born with those six kids he and Fran had made together.
"Balthier, is everything all ri…?"
"I'm coming, just give me a minute to get them all to bed," the pirate whispered.
"Daddy, I'm sorry," moaned Bella.
Ella, her twin sister, was crying softly and silently, as she used to. Trè stand still, his little body tensed. He knew their sister Marika had a strange behaviour and that Feyrj was supposed to look after her all the time. He knew he was at fault for agreeing to Ran's plan. But after all, it was only a game. Their daddy knew it, didn't he?
"Ran, if you ever try again to…"
"Don't even think you understand me, poor Hume! I hate you, I hate you all, why do you have to always take HIS side! He's evil, can't you understand?"
No one could ever understand why, but Ran and Balthier didn't get along well. She was his daughter, but she hated him, truly and fiercely, and the poor man didn't know why. He loved the girl, sincerely, like all of his kids, but… She seemed to hate the fact that her father was a human being. After all, each of his kids looked like Vieras. Well, Trè was a boy, a problem to be called a Viera, but nonetheless, they were all like their mom. And Daddy looked a bit as them, but still, he was… a Hume.
Balthier frowned a bit, before to raise Ella in his arms and releasing his son.
"Shhh. Your mom is tired; we don't want her to worry. Trè, you're getting all of these girls back to their rooms and beds. When I'll come to wish you goodnight, if you're not asleep, I'll be sure to call out your mom and she'll get in one of her frenzy mood."
"Oh no, not that, please daddy!"
"You can't, it's just too much!"
"Daddy, I'm not tired!"
"I'm sleepy, carry me too, why is it always Ella?"
"It was you yesterday Bella."
He shut them all up by raising one hand.
"I'm going to look for Marika, okay?"
Trè had ordered his sisters in a nice line and was now showing them the way back to their rooms. He took any demand of his father very seriously and usually, the girls obeyed him. But, it was always easy for them to beat him up. They were greater in number and Balthier couldn't remember how many times he had to rescue the boy from his sisters. Not easy to raise six kids at the same time. It was terrible to raise those six kids with only his sky pirate's job. But it was worth it all.
They entertained his life more than any bounty hunters. He had to train them, to stop them from burning, stealing, or breaking any part of the ship all the time, and when it wasn't to recognize one of the twins or to protect them from real enemies, he found himself enjoying almost every part of it. The stress, the pressure, everything. Well, not the stress when he'd loose one of them. Especially Marika. But he ended by finding the little girl, in the cockpit, shouting silly orders in the mic.
"Marika."
"Oh no, help, help, red rabbit was found!"
"Red rabbit ?" he repeated, while Ella was snuggling against him with a tired and overcute sigh.
"It's because I'm on fire!" retorted Marika with a smile.
She's not really on fire, please, tell me she's not really…
Marika's clothes were a little more greyish than what they used to, but after a quick inspection, she wasn't burning. It didn't take too much time for the poor dad to realise that this one girl was a pyromaniac. A real one. It was such a deal to work with.
"Will daddy carry me, even if I've burned some of Ella's hair?"
"Only if you promise never to do it again."
"I promise, I promise!"
It took a long time before Balthier could go back to Fran and his plans. He was tired, felt bad for putting on Ivalice six little demons, but he felt content at the same time. He almost fell over his partner, sighing for himself.
"So, what about those famous plans?"
He yawned. Put a hand over his head.
"I'm so beat."
"Well, it's all your fault. Why did you have to treat them as if they were sky pirates? They're still seven years old!"
"And I'm thirty! It means they're twenty three years in greater shape than me."
Fran sniggered. When he complained like this, it could only means two things. He was going to throw out a tantrum or he was going to get really, really passionate.
"You know, you're still way too young for me. But I love you better that way."
She took his face in her hands, smiling weakly. It had never been easy. They were the first couple of Hume and Viera having children. But they were strong. The kids were still alive, and they both were too.
"I love you, she softly repeated. Don't ever forget that."
He let her kiss him, before to hold her in his arms. She was his partner in the sky and in life.
"I love you too, Fran."
He kissed her lips. Her face. And you're the one who shouldn't forget. he thought for himself. They both knew one of them would end up by dying before the other. And life seemed to say, it was Balthier who was going to die first, after all, he was only a Hume. She got rid of his clothes, their skin met. Then there was a bang on the door.
"Mom, Ran has wet her bed. Again!"
They stopped before anything could begin, Balthier's fist tightened threateningly. Before, the kids weren't as demanding as now. Now, they wouldn't go to sleep, wouldn't stay asleep the morning, wouldn't listen to anything, and wouldn't keep their bed dry through all night!
"This time, I'll go."
"Well, you're still dressed," he observed before to cover himself with the blankets.
He was quite bored.
"Wait for me," Fran said before to wink at him.
He yawned again and when she finally came back, Balthier was fast asleep. They needed all their strength to fight every day, to get money for the kids, and to keep the said kids in check. It wasn't the life they once had, surely not the life they had dreamed for but Balthier had the only thing he wanted. He was free. No debt to any man or woman. He was independent. And snoring in his sleep, looking just like those six children he'd gave her.
"Well, if it isn't my sky pirate. Goodnight, dear," she said before to snuggle against her man.
In his sleep, Balthier grabbed Fran, to shelter her with his arms. She was all he really had. With his airship and their family. She was his family. She was his liberty. His everything.
She replaced the covers over them both. The Strahl was quiet, his inhabitants falling asleep, one after the other. In the middle of the night, the parents were waked up by Bella, who'd made a nightmare. They took her with them, knowing that the next day, it would surely be Feyrj, or Ella or even Marika who would come. Still, with his daughter under one arm and Fran next to him, Balthier thought he had all that the leading man should have. Fran stroked their little girl's ears, humming a mysterious lullaby, known only in The Wood. I want it to be like this forever. he thought.
…to be continued…
yeah, Balthier's a daddy! Now, the next chapter, which will come faster if you give a lot of reviews, will be on how he got to be a father exactly. I could have done it the other way around, but I wanted to test it like this. And why did I choose this title? Well… Because there's six kids! Just like they were six members in our party for this game!
Okay now, I think it's alright with this. Just so you know, Trè isn't a typing mistake, I really intended to write it that way. I think it gives him a Viera sound, because it's short, and it's cool at the same time. Well, cool in my head, you don't have to share my opinions…
See ya!
