Hell Does Part Us
Author's Note: Disclaimer: I do not own any character's of FF12, but I wish I did. I just like to fool with their minds!
I hope that those who began to read my other fanfics did not get discouraged about my lack of attention to my last fic. I have simply been through some rough times lately... promise to pick up on my other story. But first is first! Larsa and Penelo. They've always been a beautiful match. Warning: may contain some SPOILERS for the end of game.
This is not going to be a terribly long story, I don't think, because I'm just going to focus on my pairing mostly. The action/adventure part of the story is a lot longer and may take a sequel to cover. But, we'll see if we get that far. It all depends on you! The readers and reviews that I get. You always encourage me.
Well, for the record, it's my first FF12 fic. So, I hope it goes well. Enjoy!
A.E. Croft
Chapter 1: Chains
Geographically Dalmasca was a desert and a vast expanse of sandsea was not easily crossed. It took almost half a day to fly from Dalmasca to Arcadia. The tenants were miserable, having been adapting from war in the eight years and having different restrictions put on their air-time for public shuttles, and not to mention the prices for a one way ticket anywhere was almost a full month's work with no break. This is why Penelo preferred to write letters to Larsa.
She would have loved to visit him and spend hours at his palace talking over an elegant supper about all the new adventures she and Vaan had been through since they last parted eight years ago. She had many questions to ask him and so many things to say to him that it almost seemed impossible to write it all down without it flooding her mind and causing her to forget the last thought she had wrote down on the parchment.
She paused her quill over the letter again, trying to remember the last thing she had planned to write. She read the letter over again in attempt to jog her memory, but then she realized that she had gone on way too long about a certain dream of hers: a goal, to say the least.
Ignorantly, she started a new paragraph and changed the subject, leaving the subject of her dream to hang off the edge of the letter like a hint, though she never meant it to be. She had never done well with literature. Though, she was lucky enough to be literate, being a low-class citizen, yet she never did master the art of writing.
Finishing her letter, she folded it and dripped a flimsy wax seal onto the fold before running down to Migelo's to mail it off. This was definitely cheaper than flying to Arcadia.
Her work with Migelo had picked up a bit more when Vaan announced he would be leaving Dalmasca more often to carry out his dream as a sky pirate. Penelo was happy for him, yet at the same time she often found herself wondering about her own future and when she would finally decide to leave the past behind and carry out her own dream. Yet, leaving the past behind like Vaan had so easily done, meant leaving everyone else behind as well. Letting go of the past was something Penelo was never able to do.
Her past had been so adventuresome and she had met so many exciting challenges and people that it was difficult, even self-interested, to give it all away for her own desires. Maybe, she should have asked Larsa about this in the letter. Of course, he would surely have a reasonable answer for her. He always did.
Larsa… somehow, Penelo found it difficult to let go of the past more so because she feared she and the boy would never say in contact afterward. Though, she knew she could stop thinking of him as a boy now, she knew he was by now a man. However, she also knew that though his writing, he had not changed in the slightest.
"Penelo? Could you go and track down Kytes for me?" Migelo was saying to her, as she stood beside the mailbox daydreaming, "He was supposed to pick up an order for me down at the Sandsea. Unfortunately, he hasn't come back and I need that order before five tonight."
Penelo nodded, "No, problem."
Migelo waved her off, but then decided better of it. "You look a little off today. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Migelo. I was just thinking about…" Larsa? Penelo trailed off, wondering why in the world she even thought to explain herself.
Migelo gave her a questioning look. "Well, alright. I trust you. But I don't need my hardest worker getting sick on me. Let me know if you want some time off? Of course, you deserve it."
Penelo gave Migelo a brilliant smile, before heading off to find Kytes.
Later on that week, a folded letter with a broken seal sat on the Emperor's desk in Arcadia. Larsa Solidor found himself pacing before his wide, office windows studying the south horizon were Dalmasca lay in the distance.
He smiled to himself as he thought about the dream that Penelo had, in a hazy sort of way, described to him as her dream for the future. It was, from what Larsa could understand from the writing, another adventure into the strange, foreboding world, yet this time Penelo almost hinted the desire to stay there away from everything else. She seemed to want to get away from everything.
Larsa was smiling not because he found it humorous that he knew Penelo would never want to sacrifice her former and present life, but because he envied her ability to dream of such a thing.
Him on the other hand, Larsa could not dream of escaping the past or present. It was almost out of sadness that Larsa smiled. The weight of the Acadian Empire was an ever heavy burden on his shoulders, yet he was proud of his duty and it pleased him to see that his people were satisfied with his rule.
A knock on his study door brought his eyes from the window and drove his thoughts away from Penelo. He could admit he was thinking of her. She was really the only real friend he ever had, besides Basch, who was more a guardian than friend. "Yes?" Larsa answered.
Judge Gabranth entered slowly in, with his gaze low. "My lord, the counsel is requesting your presence in the next room."
Larsa nodded. "Thank you. I'll be there in a moment."
Damn them, Larsa thought bitterly. The counsel had requested a meeting to be set up in order to discuss an issue they had not yet revealed to Larsa. He had the slightest suspicion it would be something to do with the sky pirates from Balfonheim, who had rioting and quarreling with each other in the streets of Balfonheim Port. Yet, the nerve of the counsel to leave Larsa unprepared for a meeting was staggering. Usually, they at least allowed him the subject of conversation or discussion.
Judge Gabranth had left him and Larsa followed the familiar path to the conference room just beside his study. Upon entering he noticed their voices became hushed and their faces quickly hid any signs of interest they had taken in the last conversation they had just ended. Larsa almost scowled; they thought him a fool, indeed.
"Larsa Solidor," bowed the head member of the counsel.
"And this meeting's subject? I was not informed," Larsa began, impatiently. He found his usual good-temper wore thin around those men, who believed they were more Arcadian than Arcadia itself.
"Ah, that is a shame our letter did not reach you," said the head member. Though, his voice carried a tone of humor that told Larsa they did not intend to send a letter on the subject at all. Again, Larsa resisted the urge to scowl. More than once had he been subjected to the arrogance of the counsel members and more than once had he wished that he had met a few of them in Golmore Jungle when he was too busy brandishing his thin sword around to care much of what it hit. He almost smiled with the thought.
However, he kept his face still and replied, sternly, "Then I trust you will tell me soon." It was not a question.
"Indeed," the head member said, with a malicious flash of the eyes, "It has come to the counsel's attention that you have been showing no interest in assuming your role as Emperor. And by that, we mean, seeking out a suitable marriage and eventually producing a successor."
Larsa bared his teeth. He was not expecting anything like this.
"Of course, this has us concerned that Arcadia will be left with no one but the counsel to succeed the Emperor." The head member finished with the hint of a sneer.
Larsa forced all diplomacy unto himself and replied, "I have several years before me to make such a decision of marriage. If you are skeptical, please, remember my father's first son came when my father was twenty-eight. I am but only twenty."
The head member looked rather uncomfortable with the mention of Emperor Gramis and decidedly changed the subject. "Very well. We will allow the leeway of eight more years to pass before we question you again on this subject," Larsa had the strangest suspicion they assumed he would never marry, "To begin another topic, a disturbance in the West lands has summoned our attention. You may not have heard, but an ancient temple was discovered amongst the ruins of Nabudis. Historians from Nabradia have dated it back to before Nabudis was even built. The temple remains closed, however, and historians and scientists are working as we speak to figure out a way to open it."
Larsa decidedly hid the look of surprise that threatened to surface. "How far back do they date it?"
"Centuries… they haven't an exact date for it yet," the head member replied, "This is all the information we have on it for now, but we will inform you if we receive more."
Larsa nodded. Through embarrassment and surprise, he did not know whether this meeting was all to his liking. Though, something about the mystery behind the old temple interested him. He made a habitual, mental note to tell Penelo about it as the meeting carried on into more political topics.
Author's Note: Well, there is the first chappie! I hope you liked the begin prologue type chapter 'Chains'. I will update as soon as I can. I look forward to some reviews!