A/N: I still haven't found a better title for this. In any case, here is the second part to this story, Silence. It's a part with many flashbacks and explanations, to hopefully make the plot a little more I announced at the ending of 'Sound of the Underground', this is the very first fanfiction I have written, meaning there are mistakes and ways of writing I don't use anymore. Please keep this in mind when reviewing :) That being said, please enjoy! :Meresta
Summary: She will be forced to remain in silence.
Rating: T
Warnings: Slightly suggesting a malexmale pairing, language, violence, blood, use of weapons, one very corny line, bickering that makes no sense whatsoever, OC for plot purposes.
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XII, or Final Fantasy XII; Revenant Wings.


Silence

"What's wrong Migelo?" Penelo asked, putting aside the bag of groceries she was carrying. Migelo had been taking care of her and Vaan ever since their parents passed away, in return they helped him with running his shop. The old Bangaa sighed deeply and sulked.
"I'm not allowed to cater for the Royal house of Dalmasca anymore." He said, letting his snout drop.
"They fired you? But how?" The blond girl replied, hardly believing any of it. Migelo had been taking care of the catering of the castle for about his whole life, always delivering a great job.
"I don't know.." The merchant said, sniffing. "The queen is of opinion that it is time I retire."
"Ashe?" Now this was really something. She hid her own astonishment and tried to appear calm. "Well, don't be too sad about it. You still have your shop, right?" She took a starfruit from the bag and handed it to her caretaker, attempting to cheer him up a little. He gladly accepted it and nodded.
"I guess you're right."
"You know I'm right." She said smiling, where after she headed back to the Galbana. Migelo watched her take off and sighed again, still feeling sad inside.

Once Penelo had arrived, she found Vaan rummaging about in the kitchen of the ship. He didn't look up but noticed she was back home again.
"Penelo!" He began, sounding strangely happy she was back. "Have you seen the screwdriver anywhere?"
"The screwdriver?" She refrained from asking why he was looking for a tool in the kitchen. "It's still in the engine room."
"Ah, thanks!" He replied, smiling at her and headed for the said room.
"Vaan?" Penelo called, before he had been able to leave.
"Yeah?" He spun around. "What's up?"
"Migelo has been fired."
"It that's a joke I'm not laughing."
"Maybe that's because it's not a joke." She said, slightly annoyed. "I was there half an hour ago. He's so sad it hurt me." She looked at the ground.
Understanding that right now, Penelo needed his attention more than the loose cupboard, Vaan wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her to the sofa where they sat down.
"But why would they fire him? He's never done anything but great work." He asked carefully.
"I know.." She answered. "He said the queen is of opinion that it's time for his retirement."
"Ashe fired him?" Disbelief trickled from his voice.
"Well what other queen do we have?"
Vaan scratched the back of his head in thought.
"Well that's strange.. Maybe she just wanted him to rest more. He's been working a lot lately."
"If she really cared she would have known he loves his work more than his own life."
Vaan sighed and patted her back gently.
"We'll just let this one go, okay? There's not much we can do about it, Migelo would hate to see you sad over him." Penelo nodded reluctantly, though she knew he was right.
"Want to help me fix the cupboard?" Vaan asked out of nowhere. His partner looked up at him and blinked. She stayed silent for a while, but smiled shortly after. He was thankful she did.
"Sure. Wouldn't want you hanging it lopsided again." A grin.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!"

Time passed and Migelo seemed to have gotten over the fact that he had been fired. This made it easier for Penelo to do the same and Vaan was happy to have his cheerful partner back. One of Penelo's good sides is that she cares. She cares a lot and she cares for a lot. Nice trait as that may be, it also gets her down a lot. It was good that things seemed fine again, because when Penelo's down, everyone's down.

Devont and Ashelia married on a warm, sunny day. Everyone expected them to have a public wedding, but they decided to keep it private. The people of Dalmasca expressed their joy and best wishes by placing flowers near the church while the service was being held. Ashe didn't have time to talk to her people later that day, which disappointed some. Most could understand though, being a newlywed queen had to take up a lot of her energy because she looked very tired, even on the happiest day of her life.

When the queen announced an alliance between Dalmasca and Rozarria, no one was surprised. It was natural that her husband's homeland would ally with Dalmasca, now that Dalmasca's new king had become a Rozarrian. The announcement was an event where many Rozarrians attended to, together with the people from Rabanastre they celebrated all night long in honor of their newfound peace and love.

Larsa's letters got more weary over the weeks, though. The Empire of Archadia was intimidated by the huge front Rozarria and Dalmasca formed together, controlling the complete West half of Ivalice. The council had asked Lord Larsa to ally with Nabradia, to increase their power as well, but the young emperor refused. He would not force an alliance just for the 'who's more powerful' game the two empires have been playing for a long, long time. Archadia didn't need that, he claimed, earning the respect of his people once more.
Penelo read his letters of political actions with interest and showed them to Vaan, hoping he'd learn something from them. Her partner would look at the tiny handwriting and narrow his eyes, saying:
"Oh, nice." Where after he would continue messing with the Galbana's engines and gauges. This would result in a nice smack on the head and some playful yelling.

Nobody really knew what was going on in the castle anymore. Ever since requesting audiences has become impossible, news coming from the Royal Family had been little. The new spokesman of queen Ashelia had announced her being incapable of receiving guests anymore, because of the large amounts of work she had to do. Feeling sympathy for their queen, the people of Dalmasca learned to accept his fact. Good thing she was married now, she didn't have to do it all on her own anymore.
Not all of them were so considerate. Over time, more and more people came with complaints directed at Ashe. They would come together in the Sandsea and debate about the truthfulness of the Royal Family. Whenever a guard entered the tavern, it would fall silent immediately.

The tavern wasn't the only place silent. Ever since Ashe got engaged the requests to be escorted had stopped completely. Even the usual trips through Dalmasca she used to take were history. This worried Penelo, much to Vaan's surprise. They both assumed she was too busy, even for her own kingdom.

The atmosphere in Rabanastre was tensed. Nobody knew who they could trust anymore, since many people had turned on the queen in the past months. One word to the wrong person and you'd be thrown in the dungeons.
A spark of hope seemed to light the sky when Ashe showed up at the towns square to take a stroll and talk to some people. The words she said were small and it seemed like talking hurt, but the two scary-looking guards escorting her kept most people at a safe distance so she didn't have to talk much.

***

The rains on Giza had begun and thus time for the council to present their plans for the next year. The people had expected them to favor the kingdom and they did, but in a most unexpected way.

War.

Queen Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca Margrace had declared war to the kingdom of Nabradia. Motive: Expanding the kingdom of Dalmasca and with that the Empire of Rozarria. Together with king Devont Remis Margrace she stood before the people, reading from a scroll in a monotonous voice. The people of Dalmasca were dumbfounded, Vaan and Penelo no less. They had been present during the declaration, looking at the queen as if they saw water burning. Ashe, the one who would sacrifice her own life for peace, declaring war to Nabradia? This was really all the young sky pirates could take. They rushed back to their airship where they discussed the matter immediately.

"I can't BELIEVE this!" Penelo shouted, slamming her fist unto the controls of the Galbana.
"Easy on my airship please, it's not her fault." Vaan said, sighing.
"I know, I just.."
"I can't believe it either. This isn't like Ashe at all. What could have gotten into her?"
"I don't know.." Penelo said. "She didn't act like this before.. I wonder why she's doing this." She gazed outside, it was dusk already.
"Only one way to find out." Vaan said, suddenly sounding strangely serious. His partner looked up at him in question.
"What do you mean?"
"Where going to see her. Right now." He answered, grabbing his coat.
"But she's not taking audiences anymore." The blond replied.
"Who said anything about an audience?" He pulled on his coat and ran hand through his hair. "I said we're going to see her. She owes us an explanation."
"So you're going to..break in?"
"Wouldn't be the first time." He said. "Are you coming or not?"
After a few seconds of thinking, she nodded.
"I'm your partner after all. Besides, I also want to know what she has to say for herself."
"Then it's settled. Get ready, we'd best go prepared."
"Do you have any idea how much you sound like Balthier right now?" She asked, while walking to her room. Vaan frowned. When she closed the door, he could hear her giggles coming through it.
"That's not funny!"

***

They travelled through the sewers and Penelo didn't complain. In fact, she was actually quite impressed with the way Vaan moved through the narrow, humid place. Must be because this was his second time.
"Are we there yet?" She couldn't hold the question back any longer.
"Almost." Vaan answered. He could already see the set of stairs leading to the castle. "This way."
The blond girl followed obediently.

A few minutes later, they were standing in one of the treasure rooms the Dalmascan castle held. Vaan smiled when he saw a certain statue still activated, presenting a treasure that wasn't there anymore. This was the room where he had first met Balthier and Fran, it felt nostalgic to be back after so long.
"Where are we going next?" Penelo whispered, letting her eyes feast on all the riches of the Royal Family. It was so tempting to take some, but they were not here to steal from their own queen.
"Outside, two times right, up the stairs, first room left, through the hallway, left again. If we go straight ahead from there, we'll end up just below Ashe's room." He made his way through the many treasures to the exit. "You coming?"
His partner just nodded as if she had understood everything he just said perfectly and followed. Walking on tiptoes, both young pirates had to be very careful not to get caught. Anyone spotting them here would instantly come to the conclusion that they were stealing and Vaan wasn't up for a one-way ticket to Nalbina Dungeons, thank you very much.

Following Vaan blindly, Penelo tried to keep track of all the turns her partner had announced earlier. If she was doing things right, they were at the 'through the hallway' point now. When the wheat blond turned left his partner did a silent victory dance, noticing she had been right.
"We just need to go straight from here."
"Do you know what you're going to say when you see her?" Penelo questioned, making Vaan look confused. To be honest, he hadn't really thought about that. "I hope that she'll be the one talking." He admitted, making his partner shrug softly.
Moving through the hallway being as silent as possible, they had reached the final set of stairs. Things seemed to go very smoothly and both young pirates were quite proud of their stealth skills. Vaan was just about to give the door a soft knock, when he heard the sound of someone walking in heavy armor, slowly coming closer.
Penelo gasped in shock and felt her heartbeat speed up. The wheat blond took her by the hand and pulled her with him behind the wall, where they hid in the shadows. The one in armor came closer and closer and Penelo did everything she could to calm her breathing but it didn't work. When he noticed they were making too much noise to go by unnoticed, Vaan started to panic.
"Shh!" He whispered, knowing he was being too loud as well.
"I'm trying!" She replied, but nothing seemed to work.
Both sky pirates felt adrenaline rushing through their bodies, their heartbeat making more noise than their heavy breathing. The footsteps came closer still, when they finally halted. It seemed as if he didn't notice the two young ones hiding just a mere three meters away from him. He knocked on the queen's door softly and waited patiently for her to open.

She opened it a few seconds later and eyed the guard.
"What is it." She asked, failing to make her words sound like a question.
"I'm here to guard for the remainder of the night." The man in armor replied. Ashe sighed.
"This will not be necessary. You can guard me from the end of the hallway as well. I wish for you not to disturb me anymore." The man nodded and Ashelia closed the door, where after the guard left the hallway to find his colleagues and tell them the queen's orders.

Vaan carefully took a peek around the corner to see if the man had gone. When he was certain he had, he allowed himself to breath again. Penelo, seeing relief in her partner's eyes, did the same. The young sky pirate silently walked up to the door and gave it a soft knock. Again tension rose in the hearts of the boy and his partner, but this time it was a different kind of tension. How would Ashe react?
The door opened not soon after.
"I thought I had told you that I did not want to be dis-" Ashe's eyes widened when she saw who her visitors were. Penelo waved and smiled, where Vaan winked.
"Hi Ashe. We wanted to see how you're doing, but since you're not accepting visitors anymore, we thought we'd let ourselves in."
The queen, in shock of the guts her friends had, narrowed her eyes.
"So you choose to break in to the Royal Castle, just to speak to me?"
"We were worried..you've not been yourself lately.." Penelo said softly, not really wanting to admit that she was worried about the former princess. The said princess raised her voice.
"Whether I am myself or not is not for you to decide!" She claimed.
"Shh! Not so loud! Do you want us to get caught?" Vaan warned her.
"No. In fact, I will catch you myself. Guards!"
Vaan's eyes widened as Penelo eyed him in fear. Was Ashe really calling the guards on them? The sounds of metal and rushed footsteps left no room for doubt, but both the pirates were too shocked to run. They wanted to run, but they simply couldn't. When the guards came closer, they didn't even struggle when they caught them and bound their wrists together.
"Your orders, my queen." One of them spoke. Ashe eyed Vaan with a look he couldn't really place. It wasn't the cold look he had been expecting, it was a..plea for help?
"They will be sent to Nalbina, right now. I shall travel with you." The guard protested.
"With all due respect, you ought not to leave the castle."
Ashe eyed the guard warningly.
"I said, I shall travel with you. We leave this instant."
The guard nodded, leading the two still not struggling pirates to an airship, to fly them to Nalbina. Penelo was in a maze of emotions while Vaan tried to get things straight in his mind. They went to see Ashe and now they are being taken to Nalbina in the middle of the night. He was afraid to think it couldn't get any worse though, his life had learned him things could always get worse.

It did, when Vaan recognized Devont as he came closer to them. He was still in formal wear and looked at his wife in question.
"What is this?" He asked. She didn't break eye contact with him.
"They broke into the palace with the means to steal. I shall go with them to ensure their punishment." Her husband frowned.
"Are you sure you want to go with them?"
She nodded. He eyed her with warning, but gave in.
"Fine. I will leave you to do as you wish. Be careful though, it would be terrible if something were to happen to you." He moved closer and leant in to kiss Ashe on her lips. She didn't back away, but she didn't close her eyes either. Vaan and Penelo watched as one of the queen's hands formed into a fist and looked at each other in question. That didn't really look like a display of true love now, did it. He seemed to be whispering something against her lips, but it was so soft that she was the only one able to hear. She nodded and when he turned away, she turned to the guards again.
"Let us make our leave with haste, I want to return before dawn."

***

"Fran?" His soft voice woke her.
The Viera faced her partner. Whatever it was he wanted in the middle of the night, he'd better get it over with quickly.
"Yes?"
Balthier eyed her awkwardly, then shook his head and sighed.
"No, it's nothing."
The silver-haired beauty would have none of this and frowned at him, forcing him to elucidate. The brunet sky pirate couldn't ignore her piercing stare for long and gave in.
"I'm worried."
"About your apprentice?"
"You should know that I don't take apprentices."
"Most would state otherwise."
"Most doesn't interest me." He replied, inspecting the order of his colorful rings. "It's just.." A small silence fell and the Viera sighed.
"War always brings worries. They will be fine." She said calmly. Balthier, blinked and realized that he had just acted very unlike a leading man.
"Of course!" He exclaimed in an attempt to restore his dignity. "They learned from the best."
"I thought you did not take apprentices?"
Too stubborn to answer her question, he simply closed his eyes again. Fran smiled unseen and followed his example, soon falling back asleep.

***

"Why are you doing this?" Vaan asked the queen, sounding hurt. She had changed, yes, but the young pirate didn't think she would betray them like that. After all that they have been through together, they were friends, right?
"I could ask you the same question. Why did you come to the castle? You can not expect me to believe it was just to speak to me."
"But it was!" The wheat blond replied, squirming a little against the chains that held his hands. Him and Penelo were being led by four guards until they reached the pit. Penelo peered down and shivered; all prisoners were thrown down here. There was a stairway, but using that to guide prisoners inside was too risky, especially when it's dark outside.
"Can we, your Majesty?" One of the guards asked, pushing Penelo closer to the well-like hole. Ashe eyed her for a second but the blond girl avoided her look.
"He's using you, isn't he?" The sudden voice of Vaan sounded and his partner looked up in question. The queen's eyes widened and her mouth fell open only to close again.
"Isn't he?" He asked again, this time a little louder. "You don't love him, do you?"
"Of.. of course I love him." Ashe said, a little softer than usual.
"You're too proud to lie convincingly." Vaan said with a confronting tone.

Ashelia faced away from him and dropped the tone of her voice to a cold, low sound.
"Throw them in." She said, almost in a whisper. The guard holding Penelo nodded and forced her closer to the pit, her feet leaving long traces in the sand.
"In you go." The guard said, pushing Penelo inside. The long fall she made without voicing a single scream of fear, but when she hit the ground a soft cry was heard.
"PENELO!" Vaan shouted, looking down at the small dot that was his partner. He looked at Ashe, eyeing her until the very moment he got thrown in himself. He too hit the ground face first and quite painfully, but he refused to show it. Getting up quickly, he brought his hands to his mouth and shouted in direction of the queen.
"You should have come to us! We would have protected you!" Ashelia looked down on him from above the ground.
"I am not the one needing protection." With these words, she nodded at the guards and left.
Penelo, still feeling dizzy from the blow she took, leant against the wall and slid down to the ground, slowly closing her eyes. She faintly heard Vaan scream.
"Ashe! Get back here! ASHE!!!"

Dear diary, ...

...It's the princess her birthday today. I brought flowers to the castle, but they sent me away. I left them in front of the gates, maybe she will find them later.

...Tonight Mom took me for a walk through Rabanastre. She told me that the castle had been lived in by many different families, some from different countries, ruling over Dalmasca. I'm not worried though, the princess is in the castle now. She will make things right.

...I saw the princess today on her balcony. It was dusk out and I just finished doing my final errand of the day. I walked back home I looked up at the castle like I always do, and there she was. I think she was enjoying the weather as much as I was. I wanted to wave, but I don't think she is allowed to wave at strangers.

...Vaan was in a bad mood today, he kept talking on and on about leaving Dalmasca in an airship and escaping from everything. I think the princess must feel like escaping sometimes too. Still she is very responsible, she won't run away from her duty. Vaan should be like that too.

...Today the princess held a speech at the memorial for the people who have died of the plague. She looked really sad, but strong all the same. She managed to give us hope and motivation to fight in the upcoming war. If only I could be that strong.

...I'm so happy! The princess is getting married! He seems to be a wonderful man, but he will have to be in order to match our princess. They are a beautiful couple, the smiles they give each other, it's so real. His name is lord Rasler. The wedding will be in two weeks, I can hardly wait.

...I asked my parents if I could go to the wedding, and they said yes! They are not letting me go alone though, so I will have to ask Vaan to come with me.

...I told Vaan I wanted to get the princess something to show her our support, but he said she wouldn't be allowed to accept it anyway. It must be terrible to live in a golden cage all the time. Hopefully lord Rasler can make it easier for her.

...The Royal Wedding took place today. Vaan and I watched the fanfare lead the carriage to the church. It was so beautiful. The princess looked like an angel and lord Rasler was her knight in shining armor. We weren't allowed to go inside the church, but I am very happy to have caught a glimpse of them.

...My parents keep lowering the amount of chores I need to do. They also wants me to come back home much earlier than usual, so I can't take my night strolls anymore. When I ask about it, they say that I am only sixteen, and that it's dangerous out. I don't understand, I have been fine all the time, right?

...It's scary to be outside, now that the king has left to sign the treaty for peace. People fear that it's a trap and that he will be killed. I'm afraid for Ashe, she must be scared to lose her father.

...It's war, the Archadian fleet has attacked Nabradia, lord Rasler's homeland. My parents are going to the front to fight for our prince, so is Vaan's brother, Reks. Lord Rasler is also going to fight, I will never forget the worried look on Ashelia's face when he entered the army. Still, she is strong. If it weren't for her, I would have left Dalmasca together with Vaan, but I can't do that. Dalmasca has sacrificed a lot for me, so I will sacrifice for Dalmasca. I'm sure the princess would have done the same. Sacrificing all to protect the thing you most want to protect. I guess that's what they call love.

...I'm not in the mood to write. There's nothing left. I feel so empty inside. The princess, couldn't bear with the loss of her husband and took her own life. Now the only ones I have left are Migelo and Vaan. I feel like the royal family has betrayed me. Wasn't she supposed to give us hope? Wasn't she supposed to make it better? How could she give up when we needed her most? Why did she..

"Damn Ashe, why.." Vaan said softly, slamming his fist against the wall once more though they had lost their strength. He turned to face Penelo, who seemed to have regained consciousness and was looking down at the sand floor.
"Are you ok?" He asked, coming over to sit beside her.
"I'm fine.." She sighed, understanding she shouldn't let things from the past bother her so much. "..my ankle hurts a bit, but a few healing spells will do the trick." Vaan nodded.
"You're bleeding." She suddenly noticed, pointing at Vaan's chest. A large cut around his left collarbone was bleeding terribly, the sand in his wound mixing with the red fluid. The wheat blond hadn't even noticed his injury and looked at it.
"Oh."
Soft whispers triggered a white, healing light covering the crimson skin as the wound started to heal slowly. It was too deep for Penelo to cure completely, but it would at least stem the bleeding.
They sat together in the dungeon, both silent, while the blond girl healed their wounds as good as she could. Without any words being spoken, they leant on each other seeking warmth and support, eventually falling asleep on the cold, rough surface of Nalbina Dungeons.

...When I had found out the princess was still alive, I didn't really know what to think. I was happy to see the one I had admired all my life standing before me, but also sad to see that same person consumed by hatred and desire for revenge. I couldn't understand how someone so strong and responsible had turned into someone so weak and shallow, like a puppet on the strings of her own emotions. It just hurt to watch her, so I didn't. She managed to get herself back together in time, but the damage had been long done in my eyes. It was over.

***

Soft, gentle hands caressed her hair and she lay her head to rest on his chest.
"How are you feeling, darling?" He asked, tucking some locks of pale brown hair behind her ears.
"I am fine." She said softly, not looking up to meet his eyes.
"I have to admit, you are behaving better than I gave you credit for." He bent down a little and kissed her hair. "What happened to those thieves? Weren't they present at the banquet?" Ashe nodded and Devont sighed, stroking her arm. "Sad to hear your friends turned on you."
She looked away, not wanting to reply.
"You're worried about the war, aren't you?" He asked.
"I do not favor war." Ashelia whispered.
"I know." Her husband said. "Nabradia will be given the chance to surrender. If they have half the brains you have, they will know what to do and no victims will fall."
"But what if they do not?"
"Shh.. It's going to be fine. You need both love and war to be victorious in life." He shifted a bit, laying her down on the mattress. He leant in to kiss her gently, Ashe closed her eyes. She felt disgusting and weak, but above all, guilty. If she hadn't travelled with Vaan and Penelo, Gods know what the guards would have done to them. She hoped she had done the right thing. Opening her eyes, she watched her husband as he descended down to her neck.

There was no other way.

***

Morning arrived, but the only way Vaan could notice was by the small stream of light shining through the hole they were thrown last night. He looked down to find Penelo sleeping in his arms, breathing in ragged, soft breaths. The wheat blond sighed and gently touched her cheek.
"Hey, wake up." After a short moment, the girl slowly opened her bright blue eyes and looked around. Vaan gently pushed her off him and got up, reaching out to help her up after. She took his hand and he brought her to stand.
"We need to find a way out of here. When me, Balthier and Fran got thrown in here, Fran said something about the Mist flowing in direction of the exit."
Penelo, although just awoken, could follow what he was saying; she just didn't understand it.
"But.. we can't sense the Mist."
"I know.." Vaan said, trying to remember the directions he, Fran and Balthier had walked in when they escaped from Nalbina Dungeons, early in their adventure. This place held a lot of memories for him, since this is where he got to know his now very close friends a little better. Here was where he decided that one day, he was going to be exactly like the legend sky pirate. Even better.

Remembering there was no time for sentiment and nostalgia, Vaan took Penelo's hand and lead her out. There was one room he could recall: the prison repository of wrested relics and raiments. Well, that's how Balthier liked to call it; in reality it was just the storage room for all the things the prisoners had on them when they got here. Vaan figured they might find some weapons there, to force their way out if necessary. Increasing there pace, they walked through the dirty sweltering dungeons.

***

'My dearest lady Ashe,
it has been too long since we last met. I would like to invite you to Eruyt village, to have a little chat. There are many things we need to discuss.
-D'

The queen made a face as if the paper she held was cursed and gave it back to the silent maid.
"Tell him that I have nothing to discuss with him." She said coldly. The maid nodded and grabbed another piece of paper, handing it to the former princess, who frowned at it. When the maid didn't turn away, she took the paper from her and read it.
'It would be in both our interests if you were to be present. The news of your absence would set the wood on fire, if you know what I mean.
-D'

"Damn him." Ashe whispered, giving the paper back to the maid who nodded and left.

Talking Vaan into escorting her to Eruyt Village wasn't so hard as she had expected. He and Penelo even let her be once they arrived, going on a monster hunt in the Wood. This gave the queen all the privacy she needed when looking for the man who wrote to her. He appeared a few moments later, hiding in the shadow of a large tree, motioning her to come over. She obeyed reluctantly and kept her distance while standing beside him. He smiled.

"My lady. How have you been?"
"What is it you want." She replied coldly. He eyed her with interest.
"I have news you will want to hear." He started, holding his hand our to her. "Let's go for a walk, shall we?"
"I will not ask again." The queen said, staying put.
"Such fiery eyes, where does all that hatred come from?" Ashe didn't answer and avoided his eyes.
"Inside, you never really dealt with it, did you? The pain of losing all you hold dear? It hurts, doesn't it?"
"My matters are mine alone."
"Only imagine, were that terrible history to repeat itself." The queen looked at him, suggesting him to explain himself. He smiled at her and grabbed something out of his pocket. It was a stone shard, glowing with a sharp light. Ashe's eyes widened and she gasped.
"Nethicite.." She whispered, not able to believe it was still in existence. After the almost-war three years ago, they had destroyed the source of the metal to avoid someone misusing it again. Yet before her, in his hands, lay a shard of nethicite, glowing to show it still had all of it's destructive power. Devont smiled and reached his hand out to her.
"Now, will you go for a walk with me?"

***

Nalbina Dungeons hadn't exactly improved it's environment since the last time Vaan was there. He recognized some prisoners, fighting over the small bit of clean water. Penelo kept looking around, she was very nervous and a bit scared too. No reason not to be, the wheat blond remembered the first time he saw a corpse lying somewhere. Lucky for him, he didn't have to spend much time in the dungeon since Fran was very quick to find an exit; Vaan really hoped he could do the same.

When the pair of young sky pirates reached a set of stairs, Penelo looked down in doubt.
"I think that's where they throw the junk.." She said carefully.
"I think you're right." Vaan replied. He wanted to make a turn and head back, but his feet slipped on something Penelo couldn't really define. The wheat blond shrieked and bounced down the stairs and his partner couldn't help but smile, her first smile since they had been thrown into the dungeon.
The stairs were long and the blond girl couldn't see her partner from where she was standing. She wanted to walk down a few steps when a soft, warm hand gently grabbed her wrist. Penelo turned around, readying a scream when she recognized the one holding her and smiled with major relief.

Vaan grunted, it's always him falling. He wanted to rest his hand somewhere so he could get up, but looking around all he saw was icky, slimy junk-stuff and the remains of something that looked like it was supposed to be a rat. Making a disgusted face, he decided to stay down for a minute until his legs had regained enough strength for him to get up on his own.

"And he had talks about your double heels, Fran."Suddenly, a tanned hand reached out to him. Following the arm it was attached to, grey eyes met brown.
"Balthier?" He asked with disbelief. He either hit his head real hard, or someone had told the older sky pirate of him and Penelo being captured. The said sky pirate shot him a playful grin.
"Don't look so surprised." He looked at his hand, still reaching out for Vaan's. "Are you going to join us or would you like to enjoy the scenery a bit more?"
Vaan grinned and took his hand, allowing Balthier to pull him back up to both feet. The two walked up the stairs to find Penelo and Fran, talking softly. That's when Vaan remembered:
"Devont!" Balthier frowned at his sudden exclamation. "He's using Ashe, we have to stop him before the war starts!"
Both Fran and her partner exchanged looks, where after they turned their gazes to the ground.
"What's wrong?" The wheat blond asked.
"The war has already started. It is too late for precautions." The Viera spoke with a sad tone of voice. Penelo saw Vaan's hands forming into fists. Suddenly, footsteps were heard. They sounded like three men in heavy armor and they were moving closer. Balthier turned to look at Vaan again.
"However, it's not too late to get out of here, so let's move while we still can."
"But-" The younger one tried to protest, but the brunet silenced him.
"We'd be in a much better state to come up with a solution if we're not being executed Vaan, trust me."
A sigh of defeat spilled from the boy's lips, as Penelo and him followed the older sky pirate and his partner to the exit. The two young partners eyed each other, the girl with a smile and Vaan with a shrug. He didn't know what had brought their friends here, but he was really happy they were. Things were going to be alright now. Together, they could do anything.

As expected, Fran could sense the Mist and had brought the group to an exit in about half an hour. The escape went smoothly and none of the guards seemed to be on their trail. For a minute Vaan thought it was going too easy, but when he thought about the situation it made more sense. War had started, so most of the guards would have gone to fight instead of staying here in the dungeons. This made the escape of the four sky pirates a lot easier than the escape Vaan, Balthier and Fran had to make three years ago.
Finally being able to breath in fresh air again, Penelo was almost on the edge of hyperventilating; only to cleanse her lungs of the filthy air hanging in the dungeons. The place they had ended up was the Estersand, a desert located between Nalbina and Dalmasca. Balthier and Fran headed into the desert a little further when the brunet grabbed a small remote and pressed an even smaller button. The Strahl became visible and Vaan felt like a little kid in Disney Land, his mind screaming: 'We're going to ride the Strahl! We're going to ride the Strahl!'. His admiration of the beautiful airship wasn't new, but Balthier still found it nice to see. Probably, because it provoked his pride towards the ship, being her captain.

Once aboard, the four decided it would be best to avoid Dalmasca for now. The kingdom was at war and the sky pirates weren't really up for all the tension and stress coming from the normally so vibrant city. They stayed inside the airship, Fran readying the guest room for Vaan and Penelo to spend the night. Balthier was still with the controls, checking some things. Vaan walked up to him and sat beside him on Fran's chair.
"Say Balthier.."
"Hmm?" He said absently.
"How did you know where we were?"
"I got a letter saying I'd want to check the dungeons."
"A letter? From who?"
"Haven't got the slightest idea. Does it matter?" He eyed the wheat blond.
"I guess not."
"Good answer." A smirk. "It's been a tiring day for all of us so you'd better get to bed. We'll think about Devont and the princess tomorrow."
Vaan nodded, strange as these words might sound coming from Balthier, he was right. Vaan hadn't slept for almost two whole days and it was getting the better of him. Right before he left he turned to the brunet once more.
"Say Balthier.."
"Yes?"
Vaan took a moment to think.
"It's not like you to just fly wherever a letter tells you to." Balthier spun around in his chair to face his younger friend and smiled.
"Let's just say I had a reliable source. Good night Vaan."
"Yeah..good night."
When Vaan left, Balthier sighed. The kid knew him better than he gave him credit for. Leaning back in his chair a bit, he took a small piece of paper from his pocket.

'Something more valuable, they are waiting at Nalbina.
~Amalia'

***

After Eruyt came Bhujerba, after Bhujerba came Jahara and after Jahara came the Phon Coast; Devont kept asking more and more gil with every 'date' the two of them made. At Mt. Bur-Omisace, he even got violent towards her. Still, she couldn't refuse to pay him; if he were to use the nethicite, he could destroy the better half of the world, killing thousands of innocent people.

The queen sat behind her desk, looking at the small envelope before her. A maid had given it to her this morning and it had the Margrace seal on it. Ashelia was afraid of opening it, not wanting to know where he wanted her to go next and how much she had to pay. Still, if she didn't respond to his letters in three days he would use the nethicite anyway, so she opened the letter carefully. While the queen was trying to make out the words, a man entered her room. Ashe looked up to meet Devont's dark blue stare.

"Devont.." She said, surprised he was here.
"My lady, are you glad to see me?" He smiled at her.
"How much do you want this time?" She asked coldly. He kept smiling and took a few steps closer, making the queen take a few steps back.
"Gil doesn't satisfy me anymore. I realized; why settle for money, when I can have a kingdom?"
"What are you talking about?" Ashe said, confused.
"I'm talking about you. I want you to marry me." He grabbed a ring from his pocket and threw it at her. The metal hit her shoulder and dropped to the ground where it lay sparkling in the sunlight. She looked at it, not able to believe this was happening. She couldn't, he couldn't. Her hands found their way to the two rings around her fingers. Hers and the one of her late husband. Devont noticed them.
"Oh, come on, he has been dead for over three years now, it's about time you got remarried. If not, I could always just.." His eyes suggested destruction and the queen let her head drop. He smiled.
"Of course, if you want to sacrifice Dalmasca for the sake of your dead husband-"
"No!" She interrupted, facing the man before her with fire in her eyes. "I'll do it."
"Care to repeat that, my lady?" She didn't look away from his gaze, trying to appear proud when her heart was breaking inside.
"I'll.. I'll marry you."
"That's what I came here to hear. Good to know you still care for your people. I'll have the arrangements ready in no time, oh! We have to celebrate!"
Ashe faced away from him and looked out the window, fighting back her tears with all the strength she had. He came a little closer to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Darling, don't be sad. You'll learn to love, you'll be happy, I promise. Dalmasca will rise higher than any kingdom has ever risen before."She slapped his hand away.
"Get out." Ashe said in a whisper. When he didn't move she repeated herself. "Get out!"
With a smile, Devont bowed before the queen and left the room, his eyes never leaving her powerless figure. Finally.

After that, came a life of silence, hurt and shame. Every public event Ashe had to attend to, her husband silenced her beforehand and would do all the talking, together with their new spokesman. Being silenced on such a regular base made Ashelia incapable of talking, even when Devont lifted the spell at the end of the day. Her throat hurt so much it had become hard to breath and when she did speak, her voice sounded ragged and broken. Devont had took her heart, pride, love and left nothing but silence in return. A cold, lonely silence, consuming her soul with every passing day.
There was no other way.

***"They fell asleep the moment their heads hit the bed." Fran said while walking up to sit next to Balthier, highly amused.
"They're young and tired, what did you expect." He replied, sighing.
"You are still worried." The Viera noticed. He eyed her.
"He's badly wounded."
She nodded.
"It will take some time for it to heal properly."
He sighed again.
"I know I know. He'll be fine. It just don't want him bleeding on my airship."
Fran frowned at him, the older sky pirate frowned back.
"What?" He asked. She faced away from him and wiped some sand off the controls. It seemed that no matter where Vaan went, he always left a trail of sand.
"Nothing," She answered, getting up from her chair and heading to her own room. "sleep well."
"You too." Balthier let himself sink a little deeper in his chair.

In his life as a sky pirate, he had seen many things he had rather not seen. Sadness, hurt, death. Torture, pain, dishonesty, betrayal. Corpses couldn't scare him anymore, tears barely reached his heart. But blood. For some reason, he couldn't stand seeing the crimson fluid running freely on skin. It made something inside him twitch and it hurt. He would never admit being scared of it, though he knew he was. Fran knew he was, but Fran knows everything. Travelling further onto that trail of thought, Balthier closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

***

As usual, Penelo woke up first. It took her a second to realize where she was and what had happened; and when she did realize it, it took her a second to believe it. Glancing over to the side, she found Vaan to be sleeping still, his breath soft and even. Almost feeling sorry for what she was about to do, Penelo got up and gently pulled the covers from her childhood friend. He shivered in the cold and blindly grabbed around him to find the blankets taken from him. When his hands found nothing but air, he opened his eyes, grunting when he saw his partner smile at him.

A soft knock on the door prevented Vaan from throwing a pillow at the blond (his aim would have been off anyway) and both partners looked up to see Fran in the doorframe.
"Good morning Fran, is Balthier awake yet?" Penelo asked, throwing the blanket back to Vaan who caught it and held it close, pouting. The Viera nodded.
"Strange as this may sound, he is. We have to discuss what to do about this situation."
"Right. We'll be with you in a minute." Vaan replied, making both Fran and Penelo look up in surprise. Vaan, talking clear and understandable even though he had just woken up; it showed just how serious he seemed to be about this matter. Fran nodded again and left the two young pirates to get ready.

"Morning."
Again an air of surprise filled the room, when Balthier talked clear and understandable. Deciding not to pay too much attention to it, both Vaan and Penelo sat down beside the two older pirates.
"So..what's the plan?" The wheat blond asked, looking at the brunet in question. He frowned.
"Do I have to do everything around here?"
"If you don't want to, don't act like you'd do it best."
"If you have a problem with me, why don't you just leave."
"Thanks for the idea."
"My pleasure."
Balthier turned away from the younger boy and stared out of the window like something very interesting was going on behind it. Vaan spun around and marched out of the room with big steps, slamming the door on his way back to the guest room. Penelo looked at Fran and blinked.
"What..in the world just happened.." She asked, no one in particular. The Viera let out a sigh, men could be so childish. Both of them were very worried, but way too proud to show it to the other.
"This does not help us." The silver-haired woman said to her partner.
"Do I look like I care?" Balthier answered with a bitter tone.
"You do, so talk to the boy."
"I'm not in the mood for talking."
"Do as you wish, but I am not flying until the war inside this ship is over. There is enough war outside,for both of you."
Balthier let out a frustrated sigh and threw his hands in the air.
"Fine! I'll talk!" He got up and reluctantly headed over to Vaan, turning to Fran when he reached the door. "This'd better make you happy."

A knock.
"Go. Away."
"Acting like a stubborn teen now, are we Vaan?"
"Shut up."
"Just let me in." Balthier sighed, why was he doing this again? Some shuffling sounds were heard and the door opened slightly. The brunet pushed the door open and let himself inside the small room. Vaan was by the window, looking outside, refusing to eye his friend. Balthier shook his head.
"You know I usually do things best.." He started, trying to make himself sound playful.
"I'm not seventeen anymore." The wheat blond replied, a short silence followed.
"I know." He almost sounded sad when he said this and looked at his feet. "I won't deny you've learned a lot."
"You won't admit it either."
"Do I have to?"
"It would be nice." Again a silence followed.
"How did you end up in Nalbina anyway?"
"Ashe threw us in." Balthier looked up. Ooh, so that's why. Vaan pushed himself away from the window and walked past him. "Honestly, I'm happy you were there to help us out, but things could have ended a lot worse. Penelo was seriously hurt. I just can't believe.."
"Everything has a reason Vaan. Do you trust the princess?"
"I did."

"Then don't lose that trust and give her a chance to explain."
"How am I supposed to do that?" Vaan's voice sounded desperate. "Last time I wanted to give her a chance to explain she threw us in the dungeons!"
"Well go and try again, Gods, since when do you give up so easily?" The annoyed tone of Balthier's voice got the boys attention and he eyed his friend, who was heading back to Fran and Penelo.
"Everyone gets burned Vaan. But I'll save you from the fire if I have to, so don't be afraid to keep trying."
There were these rare moments in life, where Balthier managed to render Vaan speechless.
This was one of them.

***

Vaan stayed in the guest room until noon and no matter how many times Penelo asked him, Balthier didn't want to tell what the two of them had talked about earlier. When the wheat blond finally came out, he came out with a plan: revisiting the queen, the four of them this time. While he explained, Fran eyed Balthier, who threw her a look saying: 'I had nothing do to with this'. She knew better.

They would leave that same day, as soon as it got dark outside. Balthier refused to go through the sewers, so they would have to climb their way up to Ashe's balcony. Hadn't it been for Dalmasca's creative architecture, this would have been a mission impossible. They went back to Dalmasca in the Strahl, landing just before the East Gate. The rest of the trip they travelled by foot, to attract as little attention as possible. Vaan was very nervous and Penelo had to admit, she was nervous too. Their first visit to Ashelia didn't really turn out the way they had expected and she could well remember the fear rushing through her body when she was thrown down the pit. Still, she didn't want this fear to stand in the way of their goal: finding out what was going on behind those castle walls. Vaan had managed to climb his way up to the first floor balcony and reached out to help the blond get there too. Swallowing her last bit of fright away, the girl took his hand and followed her childhood friend; wherever he may lead her.

***

"The enemy troops are decimating, this war shall soon be over." Devont said softly, running his hand through Ashe's hair.
"I am glad." She closed her eyes in pain, speaking hurt.
"I have a meeting to attend to this night darling, will you be ok on your own?" The queen nodded. Her husband got ready to cast another silence spell on her, but Ashelia shook her head violently and whispered:
"Please, not tonight. I can barely speak as it is now."
Devont cancelled his spell and looked his wife up and down, seeing she was speaking the truth.
"Alright then." She eyed him with a look of gratitude and watched him leave the room. Just when Ashe was about to get ready to sleep, she heard a soft knock on her window. Surprised and a bit scared, she walked over to the window and pulled away the curtains. Behind the glass stood Balthier, smiling and waving. When the queen opened the window, he hopped inside the room.
"Evening, princess."
"Please leave." She managed to choke out.
"We're not leaving." Vaan's voice came through, as he hopped into the room too."Not this time."
"Please," She repeated and both men could see it was hurting her. "I do not want to hurt you again."
"Then come with us," Penelo said, as she got inside, Fran following suit. "let us help you."
"I.."

Suddenly, footsteps were heard. Ashe's eyes widened in fear and she tried to push Balthier back to the window but he didn't budge.
"Didn't you hear him princess?" He said, placing his hands over hers and putting them to her sides. She shot him a frightened look and he smiled. "We're not leaving."
The door slammed open and Devont appeared in the frame. Upon seeing the room crowded, his eyes started to burn.
"I leave you to speak and this is the thanks I get?" He said, raising his voice in anger. He moved to Ashe and lifted his hand to hit her but Balthier grabbed his wrist and shook his head in disapproval.
"Hitting a lady, how weak."
"Don't you DARE say I'm weak!" Devont shouted, throwing Balthier against the wall.
"Balthier!" Penelo shrieked, her earlier confidence rendered to zero. The older pirate came upright and grunted.
"Guards!" The black-clad man yelled, when he suddenly felt cool metal on his throat. He turned to find Vaan holding a blade dangerously close to his skin.
"What did you do to her." He said. "Tell me, what did you do!"
"Vaan, we have no time! Leave him be for now, we have to move!" Balthier said, hearing voices and more footsteps coming closer every second. Fran tapped Penelo on the shoulder and nodded. Not wasting anymore time they ran past Devont heading for the nearest exit.
"We'll get to him later, come on get moving!" Vaan lowered his dagger reluctantly and grabbed Ashe's hand, dragging her with him as he followed the older pirate out of the room. Devont gave chase, whispering words.
"Please, Vaan, do not do this!" Ashelia managed to say, cringing at the pain it caused her. "He has nethicite!"
"What?!"
"He has-"
"SILENCE!" A dark, purple light caught up with the kidnapped queen and sank into the skin of her throat. She pulled back in pain, her hand slipping from Vaan's. Ashe fell to the ground, but motioned the young pirate to keep running.
"No! I'm not leaving you with him!" He shouted, reaching out for her. The others noticed Vaan had fallen behind and turned to find him kneeling beside Ashe. Devont got closer every second and the guards were advancing from the other side. Penelo didn't think twice and ran towards Vaan, pulling him away from Ashe.
"Penelo!" He protested.
"They won't kill her, they will kill you!" She yelled, eying him with anger. Blinking, Vaan let his partner drag him along before he started running on his own. His sight got blurred by tears forming in his eyes and he saw colors dancing before his eyes. His legs were moving on their own and noise was coming closer and closer, louder and louder till he could hear a gun being fired.

Through all the different sounds he could hear Penelo scream and armor clash. He felt his back hit the ground but he didn't feel pain. He recognized the smell of aftershave when two arms lifted him off the ground. He heard Fran speak but he couldn't understand the words. A sudden turn was made and all was silent for what seemed like eternity. Eternity came to an end when he felt his body being laid down on a stone, humid surface. A sudden tiredness overwhelmed him and he felt his strength seep away into the ground. The last thing he could register was a calloused, tanned hand, brushing strands of hair from his slowly closing eyes.

"Vaan.." Penelo would have screamed, but this would attract the attention of the guards they had just managed to shake off. She kneeled down beside him and reached out, but Fran held her arm and shook her head. Tears stung in her eyes as she watched blood flow freely from a large shot wound on Vaan's chest and she clung unto Balthier desperately, who wrapped an arm around her as she cried on his shoulder.

"He'll be okay, right? Please say he'll be alright Balthier, please.." He pulled her closer and watched his hands behind her back, stained with Vaan's blood. Balthier felt his stomach turn and looked at the young pirate. The large wound on his chest was leaking crimson, blood flowed over his skin, following the contour of his ribcage as it spilled on the ground, mixing with the dirty water sewers were full of. All the brunet could see was red, his hands started shaking in horror and fear. Vaan's mouth fell open and blood trickled from his lips, staining his face.

Balthier felt Penelo shake in his arms, wetting his bloodied clothes with a waterfall of tears. He wanted to look away from the sickening sight of Vaan pierced by a bullet, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the thick, warm fluid staining more and more of Vaan's body. He saw Fran's hands move over the wounded chest as she whispered healing spells like her life depended on it. Penelo started trashing in his arms and Balthier placed one of his hands on her soft blond hair, gently pushing her closer against his shoulder.
"Say he'll be alright!" She yelled, the volume of her voice toned down by the fabric of his shirt.

"He'll be alright." He said, trying to believe his own words. There was no way Vaan would be dying here. He couldn't be. "He'll be alright."
Fran casted more and more spells but the bleeding didn't stop and Balthier felt himself panic slightly. He came to, realizing he couldn't afford to break down in front of Penelo right now. He couldn't break down in front of anyone, when all he really wanted to do was cry. He wanted to keep telling himself things were going to be fine, but the sight of crimson took his words and rendered him silent.

A silence hurting in a way he had never felt before.


Thank you for reading! Reviews are much appreciated!