As you should know by now, I am willing to take creative liberties to create a better story.
Enjoy.

Chapter Twenty-One

The royal city of Rabanastre
Year 706 of the Old Valendian Calendar

The sun was just peaking over the horizon as Strahl docked in Rabanastre's aerodrome, bathing Dalmasca's deserts with rosy light. The flight from Bhujerba to Rabanastre had been an uneventful one. Ashe struggled to stay awake while Vaan and Penelo chatted. Balthier wondered if the two teenagers would ever run out of things to talk about, but they never did. He'd be glad to be rid of them. Now that they had arrived at Rabanastre, that would be soon.
"We're here," Balthier said, standing up from his pilot's seat. "Vaan, Penelo; this is your stop."
"Well, Balthier," Vaan started, "I was thinking-"
"You can't come, sorry," Balthier said. He had no desire to take care of those kids a moment longer.
Vaan sighed. "I thought so."
"Why would you want to?" Penelo asked, frowning. "It's dangerous!"
Vaan sighed again, then turned to Ashe. "Bye, princess. It was great to meet you!"
"Oh, yes." Ashe stood, still looking exhausted. "It was… good to meet you, too."
"Alright, down to business." Balthier strode to the cockpit's doorway where he could address the entire group. "Vaan, Penelo; go home. Fran and I will go around town to gather supplies, and meet back here as soon as we're done. I hope to leave for Jagd Yensa before noon."
"What should I do?" Ashe asked. Balthier studied her tired face a moment before replying.
"Stay here and take a nap."
"What?" Ashe's eyes widened. "You can't be serious!"
"I am," Balthier said. "We've got a lot of ground to cover today, and I can't have you falling asleep on your feet."
"But… Isn't there anything I can do to help?"
Balthier sighed. "Here, if any Moogles come in here, tell them to leave, alright?"
Ashe looked confused, but Balthier ignored her. He turned and walked down the stairs.
"Come on, Fran. Vaan, Penelo, are you leaving?"
Fran followed Balthier down the stairs, Vaan and Penelo close behind.
"I'm gonna miss those two." Strahl's voice appeared with a sigh.
"Vaan and Penelo?" Balthier frowned. "Why?"
"They were good kids. Besides, I think taking care of children would've been good for you."
Balthier scoffed. "Really? I've been trying it, and trust me, it hasn't been that enlightening."
"Well, you never know." Strahl sighed, seeming distant for a moment. "Well, then, see you soon?"
"Right."

Vaan and Penelo said their goodbyes outside the aerodrome, then set off down the bright streets of Rabanastre. Balthier was surprised by the tinge of disappointment he felt as he watched them go. He'd gotten used to having Vaan around, sure, but it would be easier to get things done without the kid underfoot. So, of course, there was no reason to be disappointed.
Tents, provisions, and other basic survival equipment had to be gathered, so Balthier and Fran split up to cover more ground quicker. Balthier found a lot of trouble in obtaining a map of Jagd Yensa. The massive desert sprawled to the west of Rabanastre, drenched in a myst so thick no airship could operate. That meant, while they could fly Strahl out to the edge of the Westersand, they'd be walking the rest of the way. The desert of Jagd Yensa, also known as the Yensa Sandsea, was, like all jagds, a dangerous place full of vicious creatures and other unpredictable natural forces. It was rarely traveled and apparently, mapped even less. Balthier tried two shops and eventually found a traveling cartographer selling out of his caravan in an open-air marketplace. He figured the man might have some more exotic maps then the local stores and decided to give it one more try.
"Jagd Yensa?" the man said after Balthier asked. "I've maps from the Tchita Uplands to the Ozmone Plain, but it's asking a lot to find a man who's walked the depths of jagd just for the sake of a map." The man shook his head, stroked his short beard for a moment, then spoke again. "I've got a few maps from an old friend in the back. I'll check those, but if there's nothing there, you're out of luck, my friend."
"That's alright," Balthier said. "I'm willing to take a chance at this point."
"Well then, just wait here and I'll be right back." The mapmaker climbed into his caravan parked by the roadside, vanishing beneath the thick canvas sides. The chocobo tied up next to it, whom Balthier assumed pulled the vehicle, chirped and thrust its head under the canvas, as if curious about what its owner was up to. Balthier stood by the roadside, watching.
"Hey. You there."
Balthier nearly jumped at the voice. He hadn't heard anyone approach, but as he turned, he saw a woman standing nearby at the roadside. She had long hair of darkened blond, like Ashe's, and her bangs were combed to one side, covering one of her cool amber eyes. She wore a blue-grey tunic and matching breeches, a long, thin sword in a leather sheath tied at her belt. She was completely silent, staring at the mapmaker's wagon. She seemed so distant Balthier wondered if it was her who'd spoken.
"Did you hear me?" This time the woman let her gaze drift sideways at him. Her eyes narrowed in a most unfriendly way.
"What is it?" Balthier asked, more than a little suspicious of this newcomer.
"You're a sky pirate, right?" she asked, turning to face him.
"Why do you ask?" Balthier replied.
"Because I'm looking for one," the woman replied. "One in particular. You know a Balthier?"
"And if I do?" Balthier said. This was beyond suspicious. Who was this strange woman?
The woman let out a chuckle. "Yeah, I thought so. Listen: tell the little princess Hasta's looking for her, alright?" And then she turned around and walked back down the street, vanishing around a bend. Balthier stared after her, brow furrowed in confusion. 'The little princess' meant Ashe, of course, but who was that woman? One of the resistance, or maybe an imperial spy? Perhaps Ashe would be able to shed some light on the matter.
"You see something?" That was cartographer. He had climbed out of his wagon and walked towards Balthier.
"No, nothing important," Balthier said, tearing his eyes away from where the mysterious woman had disappeared. "Did you find that map?"
"No, sorry. I'm afraid your out of luck." The mapmaker threw up his hands in a hopeless gesture. "Just out of curiosity, what takes you to the Yensa Sandsea, anyway? It's hardly a vacation destination."
"Just business," Balthier replied. "If that's all, I think I'll take my leave, now. Thank you for your efforts."
The mapmaker nodded in acknowledgement, and Balthier set off down the streets of Rabanastre, back towards the aerodrome. Hopefully, they'd be ready to leave as soon as he got there, even without a map.

Inside Strahl's cockpit, the first thing Balthier saw was Ashe pacing back and forth between the two rows of seats, head hung in thought. She didn't look nearly as tired as before. The next thing Balthier noticed was that Fran wasn't there.
"Hello, princess," Balthier said. Ashe lifted her head, halting her pacing.
"Oh, hello," she said. Her eyes glittered with a suppressed apprehension, and she refused to meet Balthier's gaze. He guessed she was just worried about their trip.
"Fran hasn't come back yet?" Balthier asked, taking one more glance over the cockpit. Ashe just shook her head in reply.
"Odd." Balthier walked down the aisle, stopping at the wide panel of controls. "She's usually quick." He plopped down in his seat with a sigh. "I suppose we just wait, then." This was also the perfect opportunity to get Ashe's take on the strange woman from before. Balthier didn't intend to waste it.
Ashe sat down in a seat in the second row, just behind the copilot's seat. She leaned back and stared up at the ceiling, her eyes fixed on some point far away, or perhaps one that existed only in her memories. Balthier took this moment to broach the subject.
"I met someone out in the marketplace," Balthier said. "It seemed she was looking for you."
"Really?" Ashe said. That seemed to catch her attention.
"All she said was 'tell the little princess Hasta's looking for her.' I hope you know what that means."
"Oh," Ashe said with a gasp. "Yes, I… I do know… what that means."
Balthier sighed. "Care to clarify?"
"Hasta is one of the resistance," Ashe replied. "Her and Vossler have been my personal guardians these past two years. I suppose… Vossler must've noticed I was missing and sent word to Rabanastre. Or he might be here himself…" Anxiety filled her voice again. "No, they can't find me now…"
"Calm down, princess," Balthier said. "We'll be leaving in just a few minutes, as soon as Fran gets here, then we'll be far away from your resistance friends."
Ashe nodded, then leaned back in her seat, resuming her distant staring up at the roof.
The next half-hour was full of awkward silence. Strahl reached out, and they chatted a bit, but nothing interesting. Ashe said nothing at all, and Balthier found silence unnerving. When he could take it no longer, he stood from his seat.
"I'm going to go look for Fran," Balthier said.
"Oh, I'll come with you," Ashe said, standing also.
Balthier let out a sigh. "Weren't just freaking out over the resistance finding you? And it's not like we don't have the Empire to worry about, as well. No, it'd be much safer for you just to wait here."
"Again? But… but I want to help!"
Balthier sighed. It seemed like arguing with the little princess was a waste of time.
"Fine, come along. But do try and keep a low profile, alright?"
"I will," Ashe said, "don't worry."
Balthier sighed once more as he turned towards the doorway. I have a feeling I'm going to.

Crisp morning sunlight washed down over the city of Rabanastre, bathing the sandy streets and buildings hewn of grey and brown stone in its light. Merchant stalls lined the main street, among which people from many of the high races wandered. A pair of Bangaa scrutinized the fruit of a human's stand, a Seeq at an adjacent stall snorted his approval over a new weapon, and a Moogle across the street by a pen of renting chocobos struggled to calm one of the massive birds, which had been frightened by some noise from the marketplace. Though he'd seen it a lot over the last two years, such diversity still amazed Balthier; the population of Archades had been almost entirely humans, and he still couldn't help but think of that as normal.
Ashe stared at everything with nostalgic wonder, like she was walking through her childhood home for the first time in decades.
"I haven't been able to walk around the city like this for years," Ashe said.
"Haven't you been here since the war ended?" Balthier asked.
"Yes, but always hiding," Ashe replied. "Underground, moved through secret passages, only coming out at night for strikes. Never like this." Ashe sighed. "Really, even before the war, I could never walk around just normally. But the city… Rabanastre hasn't changed so much. Maybe there's hope for Dalmasca yet."
"Perhaps," Balthier replied. "Now keep an eye out for Fran. If she's around, we'll spot her. The crowds usually give her a wide berth."
Ashe nodded. "Right, I'll- Oh! Look! Over there!" Ashe pointed across the street, eyes wide with alarm. Balthier followed her pointing finger, expecting to see Fran at the indicated place, but he saw nothing. It took him a few moments to find what Ashe had spotted: two Archadian knights, standing over a boy who looked even younger than Vaan. The boy crouched on the dusty ground, covering his head with both arms while the knights shouted at him. One knight kicked the boy, who let out a cry. Balthier didn't like getting involved in things, but that wasn't something he could just watch.
"I see," Balthier said, frowning. "Ashe, you wait here, and-"
Balthier didn't finished, because Ashe darted away from him, straight towards the Archadian knights. He could barely believe it. Surely the princess wasn't that foolish? Balthier shook off his shock and raced after her, wishing once more that he was a little quicker on his feet.
Balthier caught up to Ashe just as she reached the knights.
"Stop it!" she cried. "Stop it right now!"
"Stop it? And who are you to tell us what to do?" one of the knights replied, turned to face Ashe.
"This rat tried to swipe my money bag!" the second knight said. "He needs to be taught a lesson! If you ask me, all you Dalmascan sand rats do!" He finished with a barking laugh.
"How dare you?!" Ashe said, eyes smoldering.
"Ahem." Balthier came up beside Ashe, inserting himself before things could get out of hand, or the knights recognized Ashe as their escapee. "Please excuse her, sirs, she's rather… excitable." Humbling himself to two Archadian lapdogs, the type he'd commanded only two years before, was hardly pleasant, but it was preferable to getting caught.
"What?" Ashe snapped her gaze to Balthier. "What do you mean?"
With the knight's attention on Ashe's outburst, Balthier made eye contact with the boy still crouching on the ground and nodded as subtly as he could towards a nearby alleyway. The boy seemed to notice; he carefully uncurled, slipping away behind the two knights towards the escape route.
"So you want us to forgive this defiance?" the first knight said, his gaze dancing between Balthier and Ashe.
"You have no right to rule in the first place!" Ashe snarled. That got the two knights upset. The first one growled in his throat, and the second rested at hand on his sword hilt.
"Why don't you calm down, Ashe?" Balthier said. He realized too late that he'd said her name, but the knights didn't seem to notice. "I don't think this is really our place to interfere." Of course, the boy had already gotten away, so the interference was all said and done. Ashe hadn't noticed this yet, however.
"Balthier!" Ashe swung an astonished look to him. "What are you saying? You're on their side?"
"I think you should listen to your boyfriend, blonde," the second knight sneered. "Archadia does what she likes in her provinces."
Ashe swung a look of shock and horror between Balthier and the knights, floundering for words until she spotted the little boy's absence.
"Oh!" she gasped. The two knights spun around, muttering and cursing their surprise and irritation.
"I think that's our cue," Balthier hissed into Ashe's ear. He turned to leave, but Ashe stayed rooted to the spot. Unwilling to wait until she decided to follow, Balthier turned back, grabbed Ashe's wrist, and dragged her after him as he crossed the street. It seemed like he was always dragging Ashe around. The princess stayed right where she'd planted herself until someone forcibly removed her. Stubborn as a mule and reckless to boot.
Balthier released Ashe's wrist once they'd made it across the street, then turned on her with a scowl.
"What happened to keeping a low profile?"
"I wasn't going to do nothing!" Ashe replied. "Unlike you, apparently!"
Balthier sighed. "We distracted the guards, and the kid got away. Everything worked out. You should be glad those knights didn't do their homework, otherwise you'd be back behind imperial bars."
"But I… I…" Ashe shook her head with I sigh. "I couldn't do nothing."
"Well, next time, think a bit before you go flying off to save the day." Balthier turned to continued down the street. "Come on, princess. We still have to find Fran."

Balthier and Ashe continued into the next open marketplace, but Fran was nowhere to be found. They looked all over, and eventually stooped to asking if anyone had seen a Viera recently, but the answer was always no. Balthier had expected Fran was just running a little behind, but now he was getting really worried. After a while, he and Ashe had stopped in the shade of an alleyway to discuss their next move. The day was getting on, and the desert sun beat down mercilessly.
"I don't understand," Balthier muttered under his breath. "Where is she?"
"We've looked everywhere reasonable," Ashe said. "If you sent her to fetch supplies, why hasn't anyone in the marketplaces seen her?"
"I… I don't know." Balthier shook his head and sighed with frustration. "It just doesn't make sense…"
"HEY! Balthier!"
Balthier looked up sharply at the sound of his name. Dashing across the street towards him and Ashe was none other than Vaan. Balthier let out a groan.
"Oh, not again."
Vaan darted into the alley, then bent over, leaning on his knees and panting for breath.
"Vaan? What are you doing here?" Ashe asked.
"Hey, is… is Fran with you?" Vaan asked between breaths, ignoring Ashe's question.
"No," Balthier replied. "We're looking for her. Why?"
Worry flashed on Vaan's face. "Well… One of the other orphans, he told me he saw some weird guys and a Viera fighting down in Lowtown. I just thought… I mean, I've never seen another Viera around Rabanastre, and since you guys were still in town…"
"I see." Balthier did not like the sound of that. "That does sound disturbingly plausible. In Lowtown, you said? Can you take us there?" Lowtown was the underground, less desirable section of Rabanastre. What Fran was doing there, Balthier couldn't fathom, but it was a good a lead as they had.
"Sure thing," Vaan said, nodding. "It's just this way. Follow me!"

Lowtown was accessed through a large gateway at near Rabanastre's south gate. Vaan said there were other entrances, but this one would bring them closer to the spot of the fight. Balthier tried to get some more information out of him, but Vaan said he only knew what he'd been told. The other orphan, who'd seen the whole event, was waiting down at the scene.
Lowtown was vastly different from Rabanastre, though its occupants were no less varied. Members of all four of the commonly seen high races walked the tunnel-like streets of the underground city. The walls were made of tiled stone like the floors, obviously man-made if not well maintained. Small brooks of underground spring water ran here and there, and the street simply arched over them. The shadowy underground passages and plazas were lit with small lights hanging from the ceiling, emitting a soft, golden-white glow. No chocobos or carts could be seen, no stands or merchants, only ragged people and stacks of crates. Rabanastre's buried slums.
Vaan led Balthier and Ashe to a large open plaza, where a few grates in the ceiling let in rays of sunlight. Plants sprouted up around a once fabulous fountain, now covered in ivy and moss. People sat all around the fountain, chatting among themselves. A large, charred crater in one wall hinted the use of a powerful spell, and recently, given the smoke still curling slowly from the crumbled stone. Uprooted plants, other smaller impacts in the walls and on the fountain all told that quite the fight had taken place there. As they entered the plaza, a boy with sandy brown hair jumped to his feet and rush to meet the newcomers. He was younger than Vaan by a few years, Balthier guessed.
"Vaan! You're here!" the boy said, grinning up at Vaan. "Hey, these those friends you were talking about?"
"Hey, Kytes," Vaan said. "Yeah, this is Balthier and Ashe." And there he'd gone and spilled out Ashe's name. At least this kid had no idea what he meant.
"I'm all for pleasantries, but this is important," Balthier cut in. He turned to Kytes. "Can you tell me exactly what happened?"
"Oh, sure," Kytes said, shrinking a little under Balthier's intensity. "Well, they came out of that alley over there." Kytes pointed towards a shadowy alleyway across the street from the plaza. "That Viera lady and three guys with swords. They chased her up here and they fought on the plaza. I hid behind the fountain, so I didn't see much, but that Viera did some really cool magic!"
Balthier sighed. "What about her attackers? Were they imperials? Knights?"
"No, they were weird," Kytes replied. "They all dressed the same, dark clothes and brown capes. Their swords were all the same, too. Like I said, they were weird!"
Balthier frowned. That did sound odd.
"And what happened after? Where did they go?"
"One of the guys knocked the Viera out cold, and they dragged her off down there." Kytes pointed towards a dark passage Balthier hadn't noticed before. It led away from the plaza, the entrance barely larger than an average doorway. The walls within were old and crumbling, the lights dim and flickering. "No one goes down there anymore," Kytes explained. "It's been disused for years. The place is falling apart."
"I see," Balthier said, nodding slowly. "I suppose the next course of action is clear. Vaan, you think you can avoid getting underfoot?"
"Wait, you mean… You'll let me help?" Vaan said with wide eyes.
"If you have a sword with you, then yes. I have a feeling this isn't going to be easy."
Vaan nodded, patting the scabbard that hung by his side. Balthier turned to Ashe, who was about to speak, but he cut her off.
"Sorry, Ashe. This time, you're staying put. Stay right here, in this plaza, and don't leave unless it becomes very unwise to remain."
Ashe's face hardened into a scowl, but for once, she didn't object. "Alright," she mumbled after a few moments.
"Good," Balthier said. "Come on then, Vaan. Let's go rescue Fran."

Past the small doorway, then tunnel was just as decrepit as it appeared from the plaza. The walls had clearly once boasted the same tiled pattern as the rest of Lowtown, but now the paint and tiling had eroded away, patches of bare earth showing through in places. Cobwebs laced the ceiling, the occasional bat rousting among them. A trail of fresh footprints ran along the musty floor, leading down into the shadowy dungeon. Balthier could only assume those belonged to Fran's captors. But who were these mysterious people, and why were they after Fran? Fran owed Balthier some answers, and he intended to collect as soon as she was safe and sound.
"How far do these tunnel's go?" Balthier asked as he and Vaan rounded a bend.
"I'm not sure," Vaan's replied. "This was a storage area way back when, but no one's been down here for decades."
"No one except a bunch of mysterious kidnappers," Balthier added.
They carried on for a while longer, until Vaan stopped them.
"Wait, there's a door over here," Vaan said. He pointed to the wall on his right. The old wooden door eaten with mold hung on rusty hinges, and light flickered from under it.
"Right. Let's look inside," Balthier said, nodding. He grabbed the doors rusty handle and twisted it with some effort, then pushed the door open. Its hinges let out a whine in protest. Beyond the ancient door lay another passage, exactly like the one where they stood. Footprints trekked down both passageways.
"We could split up," Vaan suggested.
"That sounds like asking for trouble," Balthier replied. "Although… it is the most logical course of action. Vaan, you go down there, and I'll keep on the main passage. If it doesn't seem like anyone's been there, come back and find me. If I can't find anyone, I'll come and join you. Understood?"
"Yep," Vaan said with a nod. "Good luck!" Then he started off down the passage. Balthier didn't look twice before leaving the kid and continuing down his corridor. He'd made it a few yards when shouts from Vaan's hallway drew his attention. Balthier stopped in his tracks as the shout was followed by the clang of steel on steel. Oh, dear…
Balthier spun around and hurried back towards Vaan's passage, trying to keep his footfalls light while keeping up a reasonable speed. The element of surprise would be key, but not if he got there to late.
Vaan had left the door open, and Balthier arrived just in time to see the kid hit the floor, obviously unconscious. Over him stood a girl who looked not much older than Kytes, dressed in a navy-blue tunic and dark brown cloak, holding a short sword. Her back was to Balthier, so he couldn't see her face, but she had coal-black hair tied in pigtails. She was scrawny little thing, and certainly didn't look capable of defeating Vaan in a sword duel, yet there she stood over his unconscious form. Balthier didn't know how things could get any more confusing.
Seeing Vaan had already lost the fight, Balthier stayed where he was, using the door at cover. He watched as the girl pulled her cloak's hood back over her head, then removed Vaan's sword from his hand. She threw it against the wall, then grabbed Vaan under the shoulders and started to drag him down the hall. Balthier had no idea what to do. Vaan was in no immediate danger, so he had time to think. He could jump with his rifle out, but Balthier knew there was no way he could shoot a little girl like that, even if she had just taken out Vaan single-handedly. Perhaps he could-
Balthier's thoughts broke off at the feeling of cold steel against the back of his neck. He froze instantly.
"I want your hands where I can see them," said a voice as cold as the sword that held him in place. Balthier compliantly lifted his hands. There was really nothing he could do but obey.
"Now move forward," the voice said.
Balthier walked in the direction he was prodded, through the doorway. He was simmering at this guy telling him what to do, but, he reminded himself again, he was in no position to argue.
"Cara," the man behind Balthier said, and the girl dragging Vaan stopped and looked up. The shadow of her hood hid her face save, the faint outline of her nose and mouth. "Take this one, too," the man continued. The girl in the hood nodded.
"Understood."
"Search these two then tie them up," the man continued. Balthier was sure he felt the sword against his neck press harder. "Can you handle this one, or should I knock him out?"
"That would be convenient," the girl replied.
"Now, let's not get hasty," Balthier said, speaking up even with the sword against his neck.
"Prisoners don't get a say," the man said. Balthier was about to reply, but something hit the back of his head with incredible force, and world spun into blackness.