Vaan slid on the Judge's armor. There were still claw marks across the breastplate where Larsa had slashed Basch, but Vaan was proud to wear the same armor. He was also proud to wield the same sword that Basch fought with and that Larsa ended his life with. Vaan finished clasping the armor together, and then he tied the tassle Basch had given him to the end of his sword.

There was a knock at the door behind him. Everybody had risen early to get a head start on assembling the armies and getting word out of the attack.

"Come in," Vaan said.

"Vaan?" Ashe questioned, walking into the room, Balthier suited up behind her.

"Heaven on Earth," Balthier said outloud. "You look just like Basch."

Ashe looked at him in amazement and repeated the same thing. She walked up to Vaan and sized him up. He had indeed grown enough to fill up the armor the same way Basch had. His hair had also grown longer. The most stunning feature was that scar that ran across his left eyebrow now from the cut Ammon had given him nearly two weeks prior.

"Vaan, that scar above your eyebrow..." Ashe said outloud in amazement. "It's nearly identical to the one Basch got after the death of my father."

She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair, pulling his hair backward out of his face and out of its part on the side. Vaan hadn't been able to shave for a day or two since they entered the tunnel, and he had a stubble beard growing along his jawline and neck. When she pulled his hair back, he now had a striking resemblance to a young Basch.

"Amazing," Balthier said in wonder. "Of course, Vaan's eyes and facial features are much happier than Basch's ever were. You're not nearly as intimidating, you big friendly stuffed animal."

Vaan and Ashe both chuckled at the remark.

Vaan looked over Ashe's shoulder at Balthier. He too filled out the armor very well. He held the helmet at his waist.

"You going to put the helmet on?" Vaan asked Balthier.

"At first I was against it, because I know it's going to ruin my hair, and I'm going to get serious helmet hair. But then the fair lady here reminded me that there most likely won't be any girls to impress out on the battlefield," Balthier joked, stating it with his air of coolness.

"No girls except for me," Ashe corrected.

"Absolutely not," Vaan immediately interjected.

"I know," Ashe said sadly, "But I wish I could be out there with all of you, defending my homeland."

"No, you just want to be out there so you can admire my fighting skills," Balthier replied calmly.

All three of them chuckled, but Ashe blushed lightly, and then defiantly replied in her serious, prideful tone, "Cocky bastard."

This shut Balthier up quick, but Ashe smiled at him jokingly, and that was the end of that.

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After much of the day passed, the armies were finally assembled right along the western border of Rozarria. Ashe had accompanied Balthier and Vaan to the front lines to make a speech to the soldiers. Penelo remained at the castle, but hugged Vaan goodbye for nearly ten minutes, visibly afraid for his well-being. He assured her that he was going to be okay, and the two exchanged a passionate kiss before they all left.

"Soldiers of Rozarria! Nabradia! Dalmasca! And Archadia! Listen to my words and advice carefully!" Ashe yelled to the thousands of soldiers in front of her.

There were nearly eight thousand soldiers there. A few other thousand were scattered throughout Eastern Ivalice in case of a surprise attack. Ramza estimated that Delita had brought nearly double the amount of soldiers with him. Western Ivalice was much larger, and Delita had been accruing soldiers for his army over the past six years. Ashe knew that they were outnumbered by double, but she continued on with her speech anyways.

"We have all come to unite in an attempt to maintain peace! But our peace is now threatened! And our unity has come at the perfect time! We now have a use for our unity! And we now can truly defend the name of our late kings and rulers! We can now fight for their memory and ideas! Miles away, the Western Army has assembled in an attempt to surprise us! We will not let them attack us! Nor will we allow them to get any farther than they have already come! We will push them back and massacre them until they have retreated back into the tunnel that they have been digging for the past six years!" Ashe continued to shout.

The soldiers had begun to cheer her on.

"And so now! Before you, I present your two generals! Judge Bunanza and Judge Vaan! They are epic fighters who have defeated Vayne! Driven back the rogue Occuria! And already crossed the dangerous mountains, indescribable river valleys, and the hundreds of thousands of undead inhabiting the cursed tunnels that lie between East and West Ivalice! They are your leaders in this time of war! They are true heroes in every sense of the word! They have dedicated their existence to the protection of others, and they are an example for all of you to follow! Defend your homeland with the same passion that these two men do!" Ashe ended.

The soldiers began to cheer uncontrollably, inspired by the feats of the two judges that stood on the stage on either side of Queen Ashelia.

"Best of luck soldiers! I know you will not fail your country's sovereignty and peace!" Ashe finished.

She turned, hugged Vaan, and then did the same to Balthier. To her surprise, he kissed her after she began to leave his embrace. She looked up at him in shock.

"In case I die on the battlefield," He explained, smirking.

She realized the possibility of the fact, and without holding back, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him again in front of the army before them. The army cheered louder when they witnessed the trust Ashe put in this judge. She held Balthier's hand and was reluctant to let it go as she continued to walk toward the stairs to climb down from the platform.

Balthier and Vaan unsheathed their swords and held them up to the bright blue sky, making the soldiers cheer even louder.

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But hours later, that open, blue sky changed drastically, as did the entire scene. The West Ivalice army had charged forward, and with great surprise, they came face to face with the united East Ivalice Army. The Eastern Army took advantage of this surprise and lack of preparation. Vaan and Balthier led a charge straight into the enemy lines. The two of them raced forward together on the backs of armored chocobos. Their army followed behind them passionately.

They two armies crashed into each other like tidal waves crashing into each other. Vaan and Balthier had split up into two battalions and first took on the army head first. Their plan was to attack head on, but soon make their way to the sides of Delita's army in an attempt to surround them on three sides. Balthier looked as hard as he could, but Delita was nowhere in sight. His army was fighting under the command of generals.

Balthier had the same weaponry as the fight against Altima. He had Fran's katana drawn, his two pistols at his side, his dagger scabbed, and Fran's bow slung over his back. He rode on through Delita's army like a madman; a reckless killing machine. When in the middle of the frenzied combat he slashed and hacked away at any Western Ivalice soldiers from the height of his chocobo. When some of the enemy soldiers retreated he would draw his pistols and shoot them down in their escape. He'd also draw his bow and arrows and snipe down any oncoming chocobo cavalry. He led a charge all the way to the enemy's side perimeter, and the onslaught slowly drove the enemy back. Balthier took notice of the heavy casualties on both sides though.

Vaan was doing the same, except in the opposite direction. He kept his balance on the center of the chocobo, keeping tight to the saddle while swinging both Basch's old sword and Fran's old katana. He was slaying enemies left and right leading a charge toward the other side of the enemy's army. When he finally got to his side, he could see off in the distance that Balthier had succeeded in doing the same, and the enemy was retreating on that side.

Pretty soon, Vaan's side was retreating as well, and like a domino effect, before anyone knew it the entire enemy army was retreating. Vaan and Balthier had both decided that if their side maintained heavy casualties after the attack, that they would pull back if the enemy retreated.

The sky had turned black with storm clouds hours earlier, and now it was pouring rain down upon the battle. Vaan let the enemy retreat, and held the thousands of soldiers behind him at bay as Balthier did the same. They let the enemy go back to their encampment near the tunnel entrance, and they returned back to Rozarria's border to celebrate a victory.

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"That worked out perfectly, Balthier!" Vaan cried.

"Indeed," Balthier said solemnly, putting the fork to his mouth and eating the piece of meat he just cut.

Balthier and Vaan were sitting at an oak table within a Rozarrian inn eating the first full meal that they had in almost a week. Before that they were limited to rations and scraps on their journey to West Ivalice.

"We sustained too many casualties though," Balthier added. "We don't have as many lives to sacrifice as the enemy, and I'd like to lead our army with as few fatalities as possible."

"That's no problem, Balthier," Vaan replied. "We already decided what our second course of action would be. We've received the shipment of rifles. It cost a bundle, but Ashe successfully levied taxes across the nations and raised donations to buy them all. We can have the front lines fire away. We also have airships over here. We can just fly overhead and drop grenades and drop off battalions of soldiers in the middle of their army to destroy their army from the inside out."

"Exactly," Balthier said, swallowing a bite of food.

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"So the battle today was a success?" Penelo asked, sitting across the dinner table from Ashe.

"It sounds like it. We had many casualties, the numbers coming in say that we lost about 800 soldiers, but they have a better battle strategy as a plan B to reduce that number drastically," Ashe replied. "And yes, both Balthier and Vaan are safe."

Penelo blew a sigh of relief at the news. "So, is anything going on with you and Balthier that I should know about?"

Ashe shrugged, "He kissed me today for the first time ever, in front of the army nonetheless. And believe it or not, I kissed him back. Back four years ago, there was some romantic chemistry between us, but I was too focused on things to really act upon anything or give it much thought. But the more and more I've thought of it lately, I think I'm starting to fall for him."

"I think you two would make a great couple," Penelo said cheerfully.

"You don't think he's trying to play me or anything?" Ashe asked. "I'm just afraid that I might be some other girl to him."

"Believe it or not," Penelo started, "I've never seen him really go after any other women seriously. I've never known him to have a girlfriend, or even any romantic interests. I think he's just confident and collected."

"I'm still not sure. When we heard about Larsa's death, he was comforted me so much. I love being wrapped up in his arms, I feel so safe. I just know that he's there for me. While you were all gone, I also thought about him fondly, but I still don't know how he might feel, or what could happen," Ashe continued.

"It sounds like you haven't really noticed all those little things before, but they sometimes come up out of nowhere. It was a little like Vaan and I. We were also very close, almost like siblings, and the thought of a romance never really crossed our minds. But when it happened, it happened perfectly, and naturally too. It wasn't forced, it just felt right," Penelo advised.

"I think I feel a little like that," Ashe said, contemplating the thought. "But, thank you for talking to me Penelo. I can't remember the last time I had a female to confide in like this."

"Remember, it's okay to let loose sometimes," Penelo said with a smile.

The two of them finished their dinners and decided to go for a walk around the castle walls. The night was cool, but the wind lay still. The sky above was almost a dark blue color, illuminated by the crescent moon and the sparkling stars. It was peacefully silent and perfectly still. The two girls walked to the front of the castle and looked out to the city of Rabanastre.

The entire city laid in front of the castle. There were several torches lit up throughout the city, and it was illuminated by the orange flickering of the flames. The crowds and noise of the city was quiet and peaceful; extremely relaxing.

"Wow," Penelo thought outloud. "This is one of the most astounding sights I've seen in a while."

"I loved coming out here when I was alone. It let me know that there was something beautiful that I was trying to protect," Ashe replied.

There was silence for a moment, and then Ashe spoke again.

"What do you think about Larsa's death now that it's been almost two weeks?"

Penelo considered her answer for a moment and then replied, "I'm sad that he's gone. I think it's awful that he had to die so young. He really did have the best intentions, and he would have had one of the greatest reigns ever in history. He had the complete loyalty of the Archadian Senate and the love of his people. But at the same time, I'm glad his memory isn't dead, and I'm glad that people have been inspired by his death. It was almost like he was martyred and the people are now fighting to honor his memory. I doubt anyone besides us will know how he really died though. What do you think about his death? And Basch's?"

Ashe, too, considered her answer a moment before answering, "I miss them both dearly. I agree with you completely about Larsa. There was a time where I even considered marrying him when he got older. Then again, I've pondered that thought with a lot of different people. I thought the same about Basch for a while, knowing that he would make a noble king and a strong man of the people, as long as they could understand that he was no traitor. I also had the same thoughts about Al-Cid, infatuated by his essence, aura, and good intentions."

"What about Vaan and Balthier?" Penelo questioned further.

"Believe it or not. I had the same thoughts about Vaan, especially four years ago. His innocence, good will, and sincerity was very attractive. He could understand things that most people didn't care to see or think about in the same way. Don't worry though, there's no competition for his love," Ashe chuckled. "I've definitely had the thought about Balthier though. I wasn't too sure four years ago what kind of ruler he would make, but it really seems like he's changed a bit since then. Not by much, he's still the same as always, but I feel like his humanity has shed light a little more. I think I was just lonely for somebody to love and to love me in return."

"That's not the reason why you're confused about Balthier now though, is it?" Penelo asked. "Because that's not a good reason. You shouldn't love somebody because you're lonely. You should love them for the way they make you feel. And thinking about what you said before on your feelings about him, I'd say that whole idea of being lonely is an excuse you've made up."

Ashe smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

"I'm going to go to bed now though," Penelo added. "It's getting late, and I want to go to bed with this image of Rabanastre fresh in my mind so that I can dream more of it tonight."

Ashe nodded, turned and hugged the young woman goodnight. It was odd to think that Penelo really was 21 years old now. She was almost as old as Ashe was four years ago. The memory seemed like just yesterday.

With that, Penelo left the presence of the Queen. Ashe remained there for a few more moments, and then turned to go back to her own bedchamber. She walked along the castle wall back down the stairs into the maze of hallways. She made her way down another few flights of stairs and then reached the door to her bedroom. She took her key and unlocked the door. She walked in, looking down at her feet deep in thought about Balthier, almost love struck, and she closed the door and locked it behind her.

"Pleasant evening, isn't it your majesty?" A voice said from the corner of the room.

Ashe's head shot up and her eyes darted to where the voice came from. From the shadowy corner of the room emerged the man with the scarlet tunic and black cape.

"Delita!" She said in surprise and fright.

She turned and unlocked her door, ready to flee from the room.

"Oh no Queen, I wouldn't do that. Believe me, you're much safer here just talking to me for a few moments," Delita said, stepping further from the darkness toward the center of the room.

"What do you want?" Ashe asked. "What is your whole plan, why are you here, and what do you stand to gain?"

"What do I stand to gain?" Delita repeated, half his face shrouded in darkness, the other half exposing a devious smirk, lit up by the moonlight. "I have all of Ivalice to gain, Your Majesty."

"What was your plan? Why did you manipulate Larsa and the other rulers?" Ashe questioned persistently, feeling a startling fear rise up inside of her.

"I'll tell you now because the information can help you in no way," Delita replied, taking another step toward Ashe in the darkened, silent, bedchamber. "Six years ago I became King of Western Ivalice. But believe me princess when I say this, there is an innate trait in human beings to always want more. We're not always satisfied with the things we have."

"That's not true," Ashe interjected.

"Young Larsa had the same answer before I gave him the Gemini Stone and exposed the thing that he wasn't satisfied with," Delita continued. "I do not know you well enough to tell you what you crave more than anything. But I did my research on my other puppets, and I could easily use that to manipulate them."

"You still haven't told me what you want with us," Ashe blurted angrily, not letting her terror show in her expressions or voice.

"I'm here to take over Eastern Ivalice. Once I do, I would control both the East and the West. When I took power six years ago I had this plan in mind, and I began to dig a tunnel across the distance between us so that one day I could lead my army through it to conquer your half of Ivalice, and then to set up a safe trade and travel route between the sides of Ivalice."

"So why did you chase Ramza and destroy our nations rulers?"

"Easy. I just wanted to cause as much confusion, uproar, and frenzy as I possibly could. This would leave East Ivalice weak against my attack. I decided to track down Ramza after hearing from a reliable source that he was still alive. I believed the statement the man made because I know he would not lie about such a thing, and it was perfectly plausible that they survived their final battle. After all, I had found a man named Thunder God Cid that had accompanied them. I found him unconscious in the Orbonne Monastery. Of course I killed him on the spot, but it left me to question whether Ramza was really dead. So I assembled a battalion of Temple Knights and came East. I wanted the zodiac stones from Ramza, because when I controlled both East and West Ivalice, if I had the zodiac stones I would have complete and unrivaled power."

"You would still have the opposition of the Occuria," Ashe spat.

"Ah, but you don't realize, the zodiac stones were actually a kind of nethecite created by the Occuria. I learned much about them in my castle's libraries. The Occuria gave you King Raithwall's nethecite, and they gave us the zodiac stones. The demon Altima that was resurrected is most likely the rogue spirit of an Occuria. I have done enough research to argue that point, but it of course does not relate to my plan. The bottom line is that the Occuria did not interfere with anything I had done, and after many different events, murders, and manipulations, they remained separate from my plans. So I just continued on, and they have never given me any problems."

"So you wanted to become King of all of Ivalice? And maintain control of the zodiac stones so that nobody could rise up against you?" Ashe questioned, still filled with dread.

"That's right. And when I got here I gained the trust of Conpichio and Ammon. I led them to instigate a war between Rozarria and the other nations. I also went to Larsa in an attempt to cripple him or get rid of him, and to with my luck, or rather, the favor the Occuria seem to bestow upon me, he was killed. I used the zodiac stones to let everybody run around and destroy themselves. That's how I gained my Kingship in the West. I manipulated people so that they destroyed themselves and each other, until finally I could marry the Queen and become King myself. I planned to do the same thing here, in a frighteningly close parallel."
"So you come here to tell me what?" Ashe said, weary of the stranger in her bedroom.

"I come to offer you a few options," Delita continued, his black cape fluttering from a gust of wind from the balcony. "First option, you marry me. That way, we can both control East and West Ivalice. My intentions are not to destroy nations or kill people thoughtlessly, I just need to be king of all the land. With a marriage I can accomplish that, and you will gain immeasurable power as well. Another option, is that I leave this room and we can continue our war until I win, and trust me, I will. I still have tactics that you don't know about."

"Don't worry Delita, we have yet to even infringe upon our wartime potential," Ashe rebutted. "But both those options don't seem to work for me, so why don't you just surrender, spare the lives of your army, and go back to where you came from?"

"Well, there is a third option," Delita said, taking another step toward the Queen, slowly getting closer and closer.

"I doubt that I'll accept that one either, but go ahead and say it," Ashe said bravely.

In the blink of an eye Delita had leapt forward and jabbed a dagger into Ashe's stomach, whispering in her ear, "I can always just kill you, topple your army's morale, and continue to destroy these nations from the inside out."

Ashe thought through the pain of the dagger, letting Delita rest against her with the metal cutting into her belly.

"Do you have no heart? Or have you just done this before?" Ashe said calmly, somehow overcoming the pain, terror, and surprise.

"Oh no, I have a heart Your Majesty. I just have more brain and experience to think through decisions and actions. I've lost many loved ones and my conscience has taken heavy blows; I do have a heart. But, yes, I have done this before. This is how I killed the very Queen I married back in West Ivalice to become the sole ruler of the nations," Delita said, smirking devilishly.

Suddenly the door burst open from behind them. Ashe was hit by the door as it swung open violently and knocked Delita backward. Delita took the blade out of Ashe's stomach, surprised by the sudden interruption. Penelo stood at the door holding a spear. It was the zodiac spear that they had collected four years earlier. Ashe had forgotten that Penelo was the one who mastered it, since she was already so skilled with poles.

"Get out!" Penelo screamed.

Delita smirked, turned, and ran toward the balcony and jumped over the edge. Penelo ran after him, but when she looked over the balcony he was nowhere in sight.

Ashe slumped to the ground in pain and fright. She couldn't believe that she had remained so calm during the whole period of time.

"Ashe!" Penelo cried as she ran toward her fallen friend. "I came back up here to ask if you wanted to go to visit the frontlines tomorrow, but I heard you talking with someone else in the room. I'm so sorry I hadn't burst in sooner but I couldn't hear some of what you were both saying and I didn't want to intrude. But then I heard what he was saying once he was close to the door! I'm so sorry I hadn't done it sooner!"

"Don't worry, Penelo. Thank you for coming. But, please, go get a medic quickly," Ashe said, weak from shock.

Penelo nodded and dashed down the stairs to the infirmary. She quickly woke the doctor up and ushered her upstairs to the fallen Queen.

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