Originally written for infoaorin107 at the Kissing Battle. Re-edited for great justice.
But He Reminded Her of Some of the War Orphans…
They couldn't leave him up there, not with all of this Mist, not with the top of the tower collapsing. They couldn't.
Oh sure, Vaan was ready to leave him behind. "Leave the murdering bucket-head die up here. Anyhow, didn't he wanted Ashe to kill him?" Vaan grabbed Penelo's arm and started to pull her away. "Come on, Penelo! We got to get out of here now!"
But Penelo was not going to be dragged along. No, not this time. With quick twist of her wrist she broke free and stood her ground. Vaan stopped, turned, and sighed but then he hurried down the stairs, leaving the top of the Pharos tower to follow Balthier who was now carrying Fran.
They couldn't leave Gabranth up here. No, not with all this Mist. Who knows what would happen to him? Penelo could only think of the thick Mist in the Deadlands and the monsters that infested that place. Too much Mist did strange, terrible things. They couldn't abandoned him, leaving him to the unknown in this blasted-out top of the tower. No, they couldn't. That wasn't right.
"Noah?" Penelo bent over the judge. He was sprawled on the floor with one leg twisted at disturbing angle. Contorted metal mimed the path of damaged sinew and bone. His helm was off and his torso seemed misaligned within his cuirass, much like an partially open tin of canned fish that had fallen to the ground.
His breath rasped.
Penelo squatted down onto her heels and tentatively touched his shoulder. "Noah?"
"Uh?" He was barely conscious. Blood trickled from the side of his mouth.
"Noah?" It was obvious that his injuries were very serious and she hoped they were not critical. "We're going to get you out of here."
Gripping his shoulder more tightly, she quietly said a spell that would give him a little more strength.
"Who are you?" He spat the words out with a cough.
Behind her, Penelo could hear the soft sound of leather soles padding on stone. Basch. He remained silent.
Noah was looking at her now. "Why do you bother?" His words came out as a quick, harsh hiss.
"You can't stay up here." Penelo took a quick look at his leg. He won't be able to walk on it; she was sure of that. They would need to carry him out.
Now Ashe stood over them but her hands weren't balled up into fists as usual. "Where is the ship that brought you?"
"Lady Ashe, you could still avenge your father. Do what any ruler of Dalmasca should rightfully do." His voice was weak but Noah still demanded nothing other than death by noble steel. His request was ignored.
"We need to get him out of this armor," Penelo said as she turned to Ashe. "Otherwise we can't carry him." She glanced at Basch for just a moment. His face was pained and his lips pressed into a frown.
"Hey," Vaan shouted as he ran back into the top of the tower. "What are you still doing here? We got to get out of here now!"
"Vaan, just shut up and help me for once." Penelo's fingers worked the buckles just above Noah's left elbow. She could feel his arm stiffen but he was too weak to protest and to injured to do her any harm.
Their descent from the Pharos was much easier than their initial climb, excepting the fact that Basch and Vaan had to carry Noah while Penelo hauled his armor. Ashe led the way and neither bunes nor liches bothered them; the blast caused most of the foul spirits and monsters to leave. Only the mistmares caused a nuisance, seemingly drunk on the Mist and madness, but these were fiends Ashe was ready to slay.
"Not far from the colosseum," Noah had told them, so that was where they went. An Air Cutter Remora was supposed to be sent down for him but when Vaan scouted the sky, he did not spot any destroyer-class ships.
"That blast sent huge shock waves through the sky," Vaan said as he continued to scan the clouds overhead.
Wordlessly, Basch and Ashe exchanged a long, concerned glance. This was the first time Penelo had seen them not at odds. This was a good sign, a relief.
"Look, Ashe, you aren't thinking of taking him with us, are you?" Vaan pointed his finger accusingly at Noah. "Haven't we done more than what he deserves?"
Ashe sighed as she looked down at the injured Judge Magister but she said nothing in response to Vaan's disrespectful manners when addressing royalty. That's another first, Penelo thought.
Ashe was different and things have changed, mostly for the better.
"Lady Ashe," Noah demanded. "If you refuse to cut away my life, then leave me here so my ship can find me." Noah had not changed.
Ashe sighed as her fingers rubbed her face and pinched the skin at the bridge of her nose.
Meanwhile, Basch stood back with his arms folded and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other every count of twenty or so. He was more silent than usual, yet his expression spoke of pity and of the pain that comes from knowing what one cannot fix.
"Leave and let my ship find me if you cannot use your blade like a true Queen." Badly injured and leaning awkwardly as he sat on the ground with his back against a stone wall, Noah was still stubborn and defiant. He was everything that Basch had told her and Penelo felt sorry for him.
"Well, if that's what you want..." Penelo sat on the ground next to Noah and rummaged through her pack. They could easily spare a few potions. She pulled out a half dozen. "Here. And I'm also going to leave you some food and water. It isn't much, but it will hold you for a day or two."
Penelo could see that Ashe had turned and was slowly walking away. Vaan dawdled behind her.
There wasn't anything prowling in the colosseum but Noah would become easy target once they left, especially once it was dark. She could spare the hand bombs. Even in his state, he could probably use those. She also left him a lantern and a few motes and a blanket.
Noah refused to look at her as she lined up all of these supplies within his reach on the dusty colosseum floor. He acted as if she wasn't there as she covered his legs with the blanket and he steadfastly refused to look even once at his own brother. Penelo had seen this kind of denial before. She knew what it was.
"Noah?" Her voice was quiet and when he did not respond, she touched his shoulder.
"How do you know--" He stopped short and inhaled sharply, nostrils flaring. "Do not call me that." He still wouldn't look at her. She could guess why.
Although both Ashe and Vaan were walking very slowly, they were now halfway across the colosseum floor. She would need to leave soon.
Penelo ran her hand over the shoulder of Noah's tight leather tunic, feeling a rip where the seam had come apart. She moved a little closer to him. "Have hope. Someone will come for you. We can send out an alert and someone will come." He still wouldn't look at her. She was certain he preferred to drown in his despair and shame.
They really had to go. Basch was standing a few feet away, eyes squinting at the sky in the direction Ashe and Vaan were heading.
Penelo leaned in just a little closer — close enough that her body brushed against Noah's arm. "Noah... just have some hope." She wasn't sure why she was doing this, but he reminded her of some of the orphans she cared for after the war. She slipped her arm across the scuffed, sweat-soaked leather that covered his chest until her fingers grasped his other shoulder. As she studied his face, his eyes remained locked straight ahead. He reminded her of little Bucco who was only eight when the Archadians came. Day after day, Bucco sat on the floor in an alleyway just near Old Dalan's and he did nothing but stare at molding tiles on the wall whenever someone came near him.
"Noah?" Her index finger tentatively traced a line that followed the curve of his cheek. "We'll leave a beacon where an Air Cutter can land and we'll send an alert back to Balfonheim. You'll be alright. A ship will come for you. I promise."
War had broken Noah in a way that it had never managed to completely break his brother. Still, she wanted him to have hope.
She let her finger tip linger against his chin, against the fine prickling stubble that probably marked no more than a day since he had last shaved. He closed his eyes so she leaned forward and kissed him before she left.