Author's Notes: Thank you very much for the review!! It is greatly appreciated, as are all those who read this fic.
Chapter 25: Trouble in the Water
Balthier was leaning back in the soft cushioned bench, he had his left arm on the edge and he was looking out at the Moonflow. He was in the corner, it was very comfortable, and with the slow pace of the shoopuff, it was relaxing. Ashe was leaning over the edge, looking down into the water. Basch was trying to get her to sit down, with little success. Fran and Vaan were sitting near each other, looking out at the Moonflow as well. Auron was sitting opposite Balthier, looking around at everything. Balthier understood why he was called the legendary guardian. He had kept his cool while sin attacked, and was an incredible fighter and he protected Ashe well. Though, he did still want to know what else he was keeping from him, and what the others were hiding as well. Earlier, Vaan and the others had explained in a little more detail about forbidden machina, after Auron had pointed out the ruins of a city below the waves. They said there used to be a machina city built on many bridges over the water, and when sin came, it was easily destroyed. They also had explained that Yevon tells them which mahina they can and cannot use, Machina like the ones used in the Blitzball stadium in Luca were acceptable, and machina like the ones used in operation Mi'Ihen wer forbidden. They also explained that many years ago, the people of spira kept making more and more powerful machina, and a war erupted between them. The people feared that the world would be destroyed. Sin appeared shortly and destroyed all the cities and its machina.
Then shoopuff shook violently, and stopped moving.
"What was that?" Ashe said, she was still standing.
"Sit down." Auron said.
Ashe went to sit down, but an Al Bhed came and grabbed her, and jumped into the water. Balthier sprang to his feet and grabbed his sword and jumped into the water. Vaan also jumped into the water, along with his new ball he had bought before they boarded the shoopuff. Together, he and Balthier swam downwards towards some bright lights that moved around. As they neared, Balthier could see that the lights were attached to tentacles that moved around, and those tentacles were attached to a piece of Machina. The body of the machina resembled the one they had fought in Luca and on top of the machina was a sphere, inside was Ashe. She pounded against the sphere, trying to break free.
The machina opened up slightly and fired to missles at them, they quickly swam out of the way and the missiles hit some ruins nearby, destroying them. Balthier swam up to the thing and slashed at one of the three prongs that seemed to generate the sphere, but to little effect. He swung at it again, barely scratching it. He swore silently and swam away for a bit, he looked over at Vaan who looked at him and shrugged. He too was having the same luck as Balthier. The machina opened up again and shot two more missles, they quickly dodged out of the way. Balthier looked at the machina then got an idea. He hoped that this Vaan knew at least one of his Quickenings. Smirking, he seethed his sword. Vaan looked over at him and he winked. This thing doesn't appear to be too powerfull. As he closed his eyes and concentrated, he hoped that the shell Ashe was in would protect her.
He felt his feet touch solid ground and felt the familiar six balls of fire come near him and circle around him. He opened his eyes and pointed at the machina, the fire balls rushed forwards and collided with it. A large pillar of fire shot upwards, engulfing the piece of machina. Balthier felt himself in the water once more, and looked over at Vaan, who looked shocked. It appeared that this Vaan didn't know about quickenings. He then looked over at the Machina that was in very bad shape. Some parts were hanging here and there. And, to Balthier's joy, the sphere on top of it was still intact, along with Ashe.
Balthier swam towards the machina and destroyed one of the pillars with his sword, it had been heavily damaged. The sphere disappeared and Ashe floated in the water. Balthier sheathed his sword and held onto her hand and swam towards the surface, with Vaan following. Leaving the machina to either blow up or float down to the bottom, Balthier didn't care.
Their heads broke the surface of the water, near the Shoopuff. It was still standing where it had been before Ashe had been taken. They swam over to the shoopuff.
"What was that!?" Vaan asked Balthier excitedly as they swam.
"A quickening… I'll try to explain it to you once we're back on the shoopuff."
Vaan smiled, and Balthier looked at Ashe, who was still holding onto his hand and swimming slightly behind him, she smiled at him, and he smiled back. Basch leaned out from the opening in the platform that had been closed off by a net. He held his hand out for Ashe to grab. Balthier and Basch helped her back onto the Shoopuff, then Balthier, then Vaan. The three were soaking wet.
"Nothing like a nice dip to refresh oneself, eh?" Balthier said smiling.
Ashe and the others chuckled. Balthier retook the seat he had before, and Ashe and Vaan took theirs. This time, Ashe sat down, and everyone made sure she stayed sitting for the rest of the crossing.
The Moonflow – North Bank, Spira.
Vaan, Balthier and Ashe had been given towels as soon as they got off the lift, so they could dry off slightly. Night was rapidly approaching, and they had to be on their way. They were going to spend the night in Guadosalam, much to Balthier's disappointment.
"Perhaps he won't be there." Fran offered, though, she herself didn't believe her words.
"Let's hope." Balthier replied as he rubbed the towel against his hair to get as much water out of it as he could.
After restocking their supplies, they headed out towards Guadosalam.
Balthier and Ashe walked along ahead of the others. They didn't say anything, but they didn't actually need to. They enjoyed each other's company, and were enjoying the peacefulness of the woods around them. They neared a bend in the road, it was also a very small beach to the waters of the moonflow. Someone lay there face down, in a black and red wet suit.
"Oh my!" Ashe said and ran over to her.
She knelt down beside the person. Definitely a woman. Balthier thought, smirking slightly. Ashe gently touched the girl's shoulder, she stirred and sat up. She was wearing goggles. Her wet suits had scratches and holes here and there, some blood trickled from some of them too. She stood up and reached behind her, unzipping a zipper. She removed her arms from her wetsuit. A pink tank top became visible, she also wore green armbands on her arms. She started to take the suit off her wet legs, which took some time and effort. She was wearing fairly short, yellow shorts. The white scarf she wore around her neck hung freely now. She managed to get the suit off and she kicked it off to the side. On her feet she wore short boots. They were white and blue. She took off her goggles, it was attached to a headpiece of sorts that she had too pull off her head. She threw the goggles aside and Balthier immediately recognised the face, he sighed. Ashe didn't notice his sigh, though she too recognised this person, but for another reason entirely.
Author's Notes: And that makes 7! All seven party members are now in the story! Yay!! Three guesses who it is! Lol Though I doubt you'll need them. ;)