Woot woot! We're back! I'm really excited about this story, and I hope you are too. Still time to vote, but Vaan is winning by a landslide right now. We're still rated M, and I still don't own em'. Reviewing makes me a very happy person…and gets these updates in quicker. Enjoy my freaky little darlings! Enjoy!

The Edge of Forever

Chapter 14: Enemies, Enemies Everywhere…But None That We Can See

"We have to get moving," said Ashe aloud to herself, "Time is running out. Al-Cid may be dead by now for all we know, and we don't yet even know what or where the Anovan is."

"Yes we do."

Balthier's words were weak sounding and Ashe almost didn't hear him. In fact, if the two of them hadn't been left alone while the others went to hunt, his voice would probably not been able to be heard over all the noise. The pirate had been in and out of consciousness for the past hour, while the others had been desperately thinking to determine a course of action.

"What do you mean?" asked Ashe, dropping to her knees beside him; she leaned over him so that she might hear him better, "What is it you know?"

Balthier closed his eyes and grimaced in pain, "The witch…she…she told Basch…"

Ashe frowned; it seemed that every time a bit of the truth was uncovered; another layer of lies came into light, "Basch knows where the Anovan is?"

Balthier nodded weakly, "I'm…sure…he plans to…tell you. It's…" a trickle of blood emerged from his mouth, and Ashe took a moment to wipe it away gently with a handkerchief, "It's an amulet…" he said finally, the words coming out in quick, painful gasps, "An…amulet...in a temple…"

"The Anovan is an amulet?" gasped Ashe, "Are…are you sure?"

Balthier nodded weakly, "It's…it's in a temple…at the edge…"

"Of the world," finished Ashe with a frown, "If only we knew where that was."

Balthier grasped clumsily at her hand when she didn't look back down at him, "There's a map," he whispered.

Ashe didn't attempt to hide her shock, "What?"

But Balthier had already slipped back into unconsciousness.

He awoke to the sudden pain of being moved. A strangled moan escaped his throat, and he felt something hard being shoved into his mouth. It felt like a…stick…

"Keep him still," he heard Basch warn in a stern tone, "You've got to hold him down, once Fran starts don't let go no matter what."

He felt his companions grab his arms and legs, pinning him to the ground. His eyes flew open, but the others were only blurry figures leaning in, he couldn't tell what was happening. He tried to spit the stick out, but he was too weak. In a panic, he began to struggle against those who held him.

"Calm down, Balthier," he heard Fran whisper, "I have to get the bullet out before you get an infection. You must be still."

Her words did nothing to calm his panic. They were about to operate on him…in the middle of fucking nowhere…with no magic. He shook his head wildly, and began to struggle harder, attempting to shake them off of himself. He succeeded in kicking Penelo off one of his legs, and he heard Basch let out a muffled curse.

"Goddamnit stay still Balthier!"

He refused to listen.

"You are going to have to knock him out," said Fran matter of factly, "His panic is making his injury worse."

Silence.

Balthier continued to flail about with every ounce of strength he had.

"What do mean knock him out?" asked Basch warily, "Why me?"

Fran sighed, "Hit him. And it has to be you because I don't think any of the rest of us are strong enough to do it."

"I'm not going to hit him!" Basch bellowed, the shock of Fran's suggestion sending his voice an octave higher than normal, "Are you insane?"

"It is for his own good," she insisted, "I cannot do this if he doesn't lie still."

Basch didn't say anything.

"Oh, just do it already Basch," argued an obviously irritated Vaan, "It isn't like he's gonna remember it anyway!"

Balthier was about to protest, but Basch's fist had already made contact with his face, sending him reeling into darkness.

"I didn't want to do that," said Basch as Balthier's head slumped to the side.

"It was for the best," said Fran, "Penelo, hand me the knife."

They continued to hold the pirate in place, just in case he woke up, while Fran gently removed the bullet from his chest. Luckily, Balthier hadn't been thinking straight enough to actually aim the gun at his heart, and had instead shot himself several inches below and to the right. Otherwise, he would have been dead already. It took Fran a long while, as she didn't want to mess anything up…there was no magic to fix any mistakes that might be made. Finally, after the better part of an hour, she held a small bloody bullet in her hand.

"Will he be ok?" asked Vaan, his voice shook slightly in concern.

Fran didn't say anything.

"I'm sure he'll be fine Vaan," offered Ashe, but she didn't sound as sure as she'd hoped she would.

"Let us hope he sleeps through the night," said Fran, as she finished dressing her partner's wound, "He will be in quite a lot of pain when he awakes, and there is nothing we can do to ease it for him."

They left him alone after that, not wanting to disturb him as he lay there, bloodied and broken looking, his face already purple and swollen from Basch's punch.

"I really am sorry this all happened Vaan," said Basch as he followed the boy away from the sleeping pirate.

Vaan shrugged, "I brought most of it on myself. He should have heard about Tomaj from me…but I just…being around him again…"

"Has an intoxicating effect," finished Basch.

"Yeah," said Vaan, "I just forgot everything else once he walked into the palace that day."

"I know the feeling."

"I never knew," said Vaan carefully, "About how you felt about him, I mean."

Basch shrugged, "I never meant for him to know, but I couldn't let him suffer like that. You should have seen what she did to him."

"Do you think she'll kill him if you don't give her the Anovan?"

Basch nodded, "I've no doubt about it. I don't quite know what to do about that, Balthier says he'll kill himself before he lets me give the witch the Anovan…and after last night…I believe him."

Vaan didn't say anything, and he and Basch sat in silence for a long time. Finally, the group settled down to sleep, so they didn't see the black cloaked men who were slowly surrounding the camp.

To Be Continued…

Hope you enjoyed! Reviewing makes you awesome! Stay tuned!