A/N: Just some words of warning – I hate Ashe. Really. Why I wrote her, who knows… I guess Ashe and Penelo are just cute together. Also, if I add any more chapters, the rating will be bumped up to "M" for obvious reasons.

Ashe stood on the grimy floor of lower Rabanastre, suspiciously eyeing all the people who passed by. As much as she loved her kingdom, she could not stand this… sewer-city.

"Hey, miss!"

Damn. Some street rat was trying to get her attention. She peered down towards him.

"Miss, there's a rat on your shoe."

She looked down further, and her eyes widened.

"Ahhhhhh!"

The rat was skillfully punted into a wall, giving a sickening crack as its spine snapped in two. The kid, frightened by her sudden scream, fled off into some alleyway. Many others were as stunned as the dead rat, standing and staring at the ex-princess, including a blonde pigtailed girl.

"Ah, Penelo," Ashe exclaimed, rushing to her side, "would you know where Basch is? He said he would meet me around here."

"Wh-what the hell was that?" Penelo shakily asked.

"Answer the question."

"He said he was going to be training a bit with Vaan and Fran, and he'd meet you in a few hours at Southgate. What was with that scream?"

"Damn." Ashe began tapping her foot and put her head in a hand. She'd get out of the sewers, only to continue to wait, under a burning sun.

Penelo assumed her silence was confusion. "Do you want me to show you the way?"

"Yes, do that."

The two began to walk through the humid candlelit underground. Penelo smiled as they walked through the crowds, waving to a few along the way. Ashe avoided any eye contact. They soon made it to a door, one of several that blocked lower Rabanastre from the outside world. It took a few pushes, but the oil-drained door soon swung open.

"Hello Perron, how are you today?" Penelo greeted one of the door guards.

He smiled politely back. "Very well, Penelo. Stay safe out there."



"I will!" she yelled over her shoulder as the girls walked away.

If it was okay for a princess to do so, Ashe would have spat on the ground. "I wish you wouldn't speak to… dogs like that."

Penelo frowned. "What are you talking about? Some of them are my friends."

"For the good of Dalmasca, I request that you edit your friends to not include traitorous scum."

"Ashe…"

"To trust the likes of those swine would endanger our operations, not to mention myself."

The two were at the fountain. Penelo stopped dead beside the cooling water as Ashe finished her sentence. In a surprising burst of rage, Penelo spun around to face Ashe and yelled, "Why do you think I care about you?!"

Ashe's eyes were wide in shock at the outburst. "Wh-what do you mean?"

Penelo stomped her foot on the sandy stone ground. "I'm only in this for Vaan! Not for the war that took my parents, not for the good of this wasteland, not for a spoiled brat to regain her throne. Just to stop my best friend from getting himself killed!"

Warm tears bubbled by the corner of her eyes. Ashe felt a stinging pain in the pit of her stomach.

"Penelo," she whispered, putting a hand on the shoulder of the yellow-clad girl, "sit down for a moment."

The two slowly sat on the edge of the fountain. Penelo had her face buried in her hands in an attempt to mask the sobbing. About a minute passed before Ashe placed a hand on Penelo's thigh.

"You think I'm a spoiled brat… vain, unforgiving, not generous?"

Penelo looked up into Ashe's eyes, biting her lip. She hated to be mean towards others, but it was how she felt. Ashe playfully intertwined her fingers with Penelo's.

"Let me prove you wrong."

In a motion as swift as the strike of a Divebeak, Ashe almost slammed her face against Penelo's soft lips. Startled, she tried to pull back but Ashe held her hands tightly and pushed farther, opening the girl's mouth with her wandering tongue. The two tongues, like young Wolves, mingled and twisted around each other. Penelo relaxed, closing her eyes and allowing herself into the embrace.

For a few minutes they managed to keep up the wet kiss. A few people passing by looked casually or through the corners of their eyes. A group of young Humes giggled before being pushed along by their watchful caretaker.



Finally Ashe pulled away and gasped for air. Penelo wiped some stray spit off her cheek. Both were breathing heavily but had smiles on their faces. Ashe got up wobbly and said, "Do you wish to view how generous a princess really can be?... Meet me at the rebel base later."

Regaining her regal composure, Ashe continued her walk to Southgate alone. Penelo leaned back, cooling her warmed head in the clear fountain. She strained her thoughts – how much more generous could a princess be?