DISCLAIMER: I do not own Final Fantasy XII or Balthier, Fran, and Dr. Cid. They are property of Square Enix. I do, however, own many of the characters, such as much of Balthier's family, friends, and enemies. I also own many of the locations. In one of the official guides, Balthier is said to be the third son of Dr. Cid.

Years are in Old Valendian time, the calendar that FFXII uses.

This story takes place about six years before the events of Final Fantasy XII. This is my interpretation of how Balthier (here known as Ffamran) escaped from a terrible life in the Archadian Empire. There is plenty of fanon in this story. Rated T for cursing and sexual references.

I had published this a year ago, but then I had deleted it. Due to my renewed interest in Final Fantasy XII, I republished it. Chapter 1 is largely intact, but other chapters are subject to change.


THE ESTATE OF NIBIRU-MUL PRESENTS

THE STORY OF A SKY PIRATE

CHAPTER 1: PROLOGUE

There was a great city located in the north of Ivalice. It was called Archades. It was a great city, with many tall buildings and grand shops. It was a center of commerce and was home to well over a million people.

The city of Archades was shaped in a great octagon, centered around the royal palace. Beyond the palace were the Senate Chambers and other administrative buildings, and then the merchants' districts. Archades was a great city of innovation and learning. Technology was often built in Archades, especially in the Draklor Laboratory in the district of Tsenoble. The buidings in Archades were often very tall, reaching towards the sky. There were divisions in the buildings. Most people lived on the lower floors of the buildings, while the higher floors served other purposes. Some were businesses; some were residences of the wealthy; and some were for gazing upon the city. One could see for miles from the tops of the tallest buildings.

Most of the population of Archades was hume (humans). There were also moogles in the city. There were even a few bangaa and seeq, but they were not well-liked by many of the Archadians.

Archades, unfortunately, was heavily divided into social classes. People were not locked in their social classes, meaning that one could become rich and join the gentry. Even so, the class system was a part of the Archadian culture.

There was the Emperor at the top of there who ruled the land. He was a member of the House Solidor, who had ruled the land for 200 years, subjugating many other kingdoms on the horizon of the great city.

There were also the gentry, right below the Emperor. These were usually nobles and other wealthy families. Some of them were kindly, but others were arrogant and selfish people who looked down on the lower classes with hosility. Many of them became Judges, the guardians of law in the Empire. And many of them could be as ruthless as the Emperor. The gentry often lived in fancy homes high above the ground.

There were also the ardents: middle-class people. They, were not as high-ranking as the gentry, but could maintain a good status in the city, and associated with them as well. Ardents could even become gentry by making enough money and collecting wooden chops.

Last, and least liked, were the poor. By the time of this story, they did not even live in Archades proper. They were swept away to Old Archades, the city's slum and original center to the east. They were disliked by other classes, especially many of the high-ranking gentry.

This story focuses on one family of the Archadian gentry. That family is called the House of Bunansa. They were not a very old-money gentry family (meaning that they were not nobles), nor were they a huge family, but they had served the Archadian Emperor for over 150 years. Quite a few of them became Judges and scientists in the Emperor's service.

The whole story starts with Dr. Cidolfus Demen Bunansa, better known as Dr. Cid. He was the head of the Draklor Laboratory. Dr. Cid was born towards the end of the year 647. He was the second son of Rudolfus Bunansa the Elder and his wife Luril. Cid's older brother, Rudolfus the Younger, died suddenly during an expedition in the year 669. Cid worked at the Draklor Laboratory from the time that he was sixteen, proving himself to be a prodigy. When the old head died in 683, Cid was appointed to be the new head of the laboratory.

In the year 673 Dr. Cid wedded Elise of the House of Milazhe, another gentry family. The House of Milazhe was not a noble house either, but it was a wealthy business family. The two got along well at first and they started a family.

Five children were born to Dr. Cid and Elise. The first two children were two sons, Cidulus (born 674) and Argath (born 676). They were promising young men, who planned on following in their father's footsteps. In their adolescent years, Cidulus and Argath served in the Archadian Imperial Army. They fought in the wars on the continent of Valendia, including ones that gained nearby kingdoms. Cidulus and Argath were dashing young men who loved to charm the women of Archades.

The next two children were daughters: Otilia (born 678) amd Irmelin (born 680). They were beautiful and noble young women. The two also proved themselves to be knowledgeable, and did very well in the girls' academy in Archades. Otilia and Irmelin were both promished in marriage to charming young men. Otilia wedded Numer of the House of Tiffos in 698, and Irmelin wedded one Lord Gharith a year later. Lord Gharith was a high-ranking nobleman and the son of a senator.

Cid and Elise's youngest child was another son, born in 684. His full name was Ffamran mied Bunansa, and he is also the focus of this tale. Ffamran was probably the most intelligent out of the siblings, though he was still susceptible to their influence. He showed capable intellect at an early age and was sent to the Grand School of Archades, a highly expensive school for the sons of gentry. There he did exceptionally well. Ffamran seemed to be having a good life, but that would soon change for the worse...