Two Tears

"Don't worry. What did I say? The leading man never dies." The words rang hollow to my ears. My death was desired, I was simply not sure where or when. Staying aboard a falling ship seemed an apt occasion as any.

They ran aboard the Strahl, Basch knew, but in his wisdom, he stayed silent.

"Such acts of nobility were above you once."

"Yes, I'm quite disappointed in myself." She was not meant to have stayed. She knew why I stayed, yet when I tried to convince her to leave with the others, my words increased in volume and intensity yet fell on deaf ears. My efforts it would seem, yielded nothing but a stubborn obstinancy to remain by my side, no matter the consequences.

Had there not been another issue at hand that needed my attention she would have forced aboard the Strahl; I had no wish to die in futility. No, staying aboard the Bahamut was a last attempt to save Rabanstre from the swiftly descending war-ship. It was in fact, a last attempt to save both my soul, and my fathers.

"You could have run Fran. Fran?" A soft moan; she was underneath a heap of rubble. I have long since learnt fate is cruel. This however was beyond cruelty, to take my dearest friend from me as I try to save a nation of people was brutality beyond measure.

I ran to her, immediately realising there was no prospect of removing her from the pile which would kill her.

"Balthier..."

My voice failed me... a tear would have to do. All around us the ship fell apart; likely my sacrifice will prove futile, but an attempt must be made, Dalmasca deserves better than an effort in futility, it deserves better than what Arcadia has offered it.

"Balthier..." It tore me to do so, but my soul would be tormented should I let a city die because of the cries of one. That said, my soul would be tormented should I leave Fran to die. I was always a gambler, this time I gambled on the least detestable odds.

I ran to where I might alter the course of Bahamuts inevitable fall.

When I was a child my I was told I would die in service to the Empire. It did not take long for me to come to the conclusion that such a sacrifice was foolish, and this led to my flight from my duties, and eventually led me to Fran. Since I abandoned my home, and my family, meaning in my life has been absent. I have since established Fran as that meaning, a loyal partner, a reliable friend, and recently what could have been a lover. In my recent struggle against Arcadia she has remained steadfast. And now, in her last moment, not only was I the reason for her death, I abandoned her in her last breath. Killing my father at the Ridorana Cataract broke me, leaving Fran to die without any comfort I could offer has annihilated my soul.

I know now I made a horrible gamble in leaving Fran to save Rabanastre; in my final moments I realised Rabanastre could burn if it meant she could still live...

"Don't worry. What did I say? The leading man never dies." His bravado was a facade. He had wished for his Death ever since Dr. Cid had been slain. I did not share his feelings to end my life, yet I knew I could not convince him otherwise, at least not in this circumstance. He would kill himself under the pretence of saving Rabanastre. My staying with him is an act that perplexes me still, but one I would not regret, regardless of the consequences.

"Such acts of nobility were above you once."

"Yes I'm quite disappointed in myself."

He had insisted that I go with the rest, but I had abandoned everything else in my life, this, this one man, I will not, that I knew as certainty.

Besides Balthier never had such an aptitude with the mechanics of a ship as myself, likely he would need my...

A crash, and I was trapped. Immediately I felt my body fail me, my organs were destroyed, and the press was so strong, there was no prospect of escape. Pain of the body was non-existent, however I could not hope to be with Balthier as he died, and that caused pain greater than I could stand.

"You could have run Fran. Fran?" He saw me and ran to my side, he also saw that death had taken its claim on me, that there was no hope.

"Balthier..." I called out his name, even though I knew it pained him, even though I knew that he demanded more from himself than such sentimentality to stay by my side to my last breath. The word brought a tear, a single tear, which fell just out of reach. His eyes held within them the deepest sorrow, such that I could not hope to perceive.

I knew the right thing to do, I knew what I would have done had I been he, but regardless I called out his name...
"Balthier..."

The conflict plain on his face, he turned and ran to alter Bahamuts fall. For years we had been partners, friends, and I did not imagine death to be so painful. I knew the conflict he faced, to comfort me, or save Rabanastre. To assuage two kinds of guilt, he could not do both.

He had asked for Death, after killing his father it was he thought it to be his only redemption. I had hoped to save him somehow before the ship fell, to show his debt had been paid in full; that he had no debt to pay, but chance struck me down.

My next breath was to be my last, and I struggled to form the words I needed to say, my lips simply would not move as much as I willed them. As I died a single tear fell to join his, and I thought

I love you...

I hope you enjoyed my First Fic. And please review it, even if it is just "I enjoyed it". That would do me a lot of good in writing my future fics.