Same Day

Royal Air Dock

The party froze. The voice echoed everywhere, seeming to drill into their skulls the finality of the situation.

Basch felt Ashe's grip tighten as she moaned. He glanced at her quickly. She was not fairing well. He shot Fran a worried look, but he could tell she knew just as well as he, that Ashe was running out of time.

Fran stood calmly, her face blank, and her eyes closed.

"What are you doing Fran?" thought Basch, this was no time to be still.

At the thought her eyes shot open and glared at him.

"I see you are surprised." Came the voice again, sounding more victorious than before.

"You shouldn't be, but I can see why you decided to underestimate me."

There was the slow clanking of metal now, indicating the approach of a small militia.

"As you have probably noticed my men, I will start listing the terms for your surrender..."

"I-I, will no- not- surrender" came a winded voice next to Basch's chest. Looking down again, he saw Ashe had swallowed her pain to spit out her fury at such a nonchalant claim to victory.

"The Queen refuses to surrender" Basch said loudly, projecting his voice and adding his own hint of resentment.

"I thought she would." There was a snap of fingers and the soldiers moved forward into the light.

Basch had to smirk, there weren't that many.

Out of the corner of his eye Basch noticed Fran's arms move.

" If you knew the terms of surrender were impossible without proper negotiation, then why waste your time? You have not even achieved proper victory."

"Ah, but I have the queen in the palm of my hand now thanks to you."

A figure walked out of the shadows and presented itself on an upper deck right in front of them.

"You have brought her right to me." Al Cid flashed his winning smile.

Suddenly there was a rumbling sound from above.

Basch knew what it was and was bearly able to escape the explosion from overhead without compromising Ashe's delicate situation.

When he looked back Fran had leaped out of the way and fired an arrow. It made its mark.

Al Cid's chest.

The soldiers had scrambled about when the roof above them imploded, revealing an airship Basch had never been more joyous to see.

Fran sprinted over to Basch.

"Get her to Balthier, I will get hold them off."

He nodded, scooped Ashe back up and made his way to the Strahl.

Balthier had lowered the ramp while he hovered over them. Soldiers were starting to bloom everywhere. He saw Fran coming up next to him.

Balthier was waiting for him. Fran hurdled up the ramp and turned around to help Basch with Ashe.

"Balthier, go" She said

" We're going to need some privacy soon"

To everyone's surprise Balthier merely nodded.

Ashe was now free to scream and she was doing so ear piercingly.

Ashe saw it before it hit.

"BASCH!" she shrieked. "LOOK OUT!"

But it was too late. Basch who had turned slightly to look behind him was hit by enemy fire. An arrow, right in the chest. An arrow in the exact spot Rassler had been hit so many years ago.

He looked back to the Strahl.

He saw Fran's face, openly shocked and brokenhearted.

Balhtier, who had just begun to leave. His usual smirk replaced with an expression of utmost horror.

And then Ashe, screeching his name, her anguished, tearstained face too much for him to bear. She was reaching for him. Desperately trying to get to him. He staggered towards her.

He knew where it would end now. And it was the end he knew that he, born and raised a warrior, would inevitably to come to despite his best efforts.

He pulled out the arrow and continued forward. He reached Ashe who had been released by Fran. Looking closer he could see she was fighting the pain, which was increasing with each second.

"Ashe" he whispered when she reached him, sobbing.

Placing a hand on her stomach he could feel their baby fighting its way in to the world. He felt his own tears begin to fall, for he knew he would not witness its birth.

"I love you, my Queen"

Looking to Fran he said,

"Take her, get her out of here, I must stay and fight. I cannot die without honor."

Ashe kissed him. It was a kiss he had never received from her before. It was filled with sorrow and desparation, but he felt her understanding.

"I love you!" She screamed over the roar of the airship.

Fran, by now, had pulled Ashe back, signaling to Balthier who began to raise the Strahl.

He watched as Ashe's beseeching figure was swallowed by the closing ramp, before unsheathing his sword and turning to face the hoard before him.