My eyes force open, drawing me out from an eternal world of darkness. The dim light burns and I flinch, suddenly realizing that I'm draped over someone's back, my arms slung limply over their shoulders and their two hands are tucked underneath my knees. I lift my head up, looking around us. Vaan walks to my right, a shred of bloody fabric tied tightly around his upper arm. To my left, Fran's eyes are searching through the thinned mist that now swarms around us, each droplet of water reflecting an image of us back.
"Hey, look who woke up," Vaan teases gently, offering a slight smile. I sigh, letting my head fall back onto Basch's shoulder.
"Unfortunately. How long was I out?"
"Long enough," Balthier replies, though I can't see him.
"What's happened?
"Ashe was poisoned by a giant flower," Vaan replies simply. "The amount of magick it took to heal her wiped Pen out, so now Balthier's giving her a ride."
"Don't word it like that," I scoff.
Balthier chuckles despite our grim circumstances. I'm never given enough time to recover; our most important member is sick, and our healer's been knocked clean out. Beneath Basch's boots, a fine white powder crunches, sparkling in the dim light of the thick forest. I know for certain that it's not snow, but I'm not sure what else it could be.
"We came to a gate that required Belias," Balthier continues. "And so Basch summoned him up and it opened wide. It's only a matter of time until we reach Giruvegan."
"Finally," I sigh.
"You've hardly done any work," Balthier retorts. "I see no reason for you to complain."
"I have plenty of reasons," I huff, wincing when my healing wounds voice their own opinions.
"Perhaps if you weren't wandering off on your own, you'd be fine."
"Please," Ashe speaks up, irritated by our constant bickering. "Let's just focus on getting to Giruvegan."
"Seems we'll need to focus no longer," Balthier replies, pushing a broad wall of tree leaves out of the way to reveal a towering temple sculpted from aged stone.
Deep green ivy curls up around the edges of the enormous structure, a glistening crystal path leading to the towering doors of its entrance. Gold, pointed stones mark out the way to the front, glowing and casting an eerie light on the heavy fog that seems to swallow us whole. The pirate stops, staring long and hard at our surroundings. Ashe steps forward, eyes trained on the temple ahead.
"On the farthest shores of the river of time, shrouded deep in the roiling Mist," she murmurs. Vaan comes to a stop beside me and Basch; I slip out of the knight's grasp, stumbling onto my own two feet with a wince.
"What is it, Fran?" Penelo asks quietly, her hand gently clutching Balthier's vest from where she lays in his arms. I turn to the viera, watching her clawed hand close over her heart and her ears twitch irritably. Her crimson eyes turn toward the girl.
"The Mist runs thick here."
"Like on the Leviathan?" Vaan asks, tilting his head to the side. Fran shakes her head, a slight smile tugging at her lips.
"Do not worry. I will behave myself," she replies calmly. "The Mist here is… cooled." Her eyes fall onto Balthier's turned back, her face falling as she watches the young man. "I sense something like the shadow here."
"Venat," Balthier replies, his voice dry. Penelo stretches and he sets her down, though his eyes remain locked on the temple. The realization dawns on me suddenly. This is the place Cid lost himself once and for all… Where Dern and Balthier lost their father. He shakes his head, turning to face us with a hasty mask to cover his bitter nostalgia. "It appears Cid has yet to arrive. We'll lie in wait for him here."
"So we're not going inside?" Penelo asks, frowning in confusion. I watch curiously as the pirate's eyes harden uncharacteristically.
"Not unless you want to end up twisted," he replies sharply, scowling at the ruins to his left. "Like the old man." Suddenly, he notices Ashe standing at the forefront of the path, her eyes locked on something ahead. Balthier steps closer to her, trying to see what she's staring at so intently. "Something there?"
Something in the Mist shifts, but Ashe says nothing. She shows no sign of hearing Balthier's voice. With no words passing her lips and no acknowledgment crossing her face, she takes one step forward. And then another. And another. The princess walks down the path alone, trapped in a sort of trance. Balthier frowns, stepping back.
"What is it?" Penelo whispers. I sigh.
"She can see him," I reply, though I can't see anything ahead of her. "Rasler."
"Let's follow her," Vaan suggests, starting after the princess.
Hesitantly, everyone else trails behind. Balthier sighs, looking around once more before passing me an irate glance and following the boy. I shake my head, taking up the rear uneasily. Something about this place feels wrong. The path is sturdy beneath my feet despite its age; the overpass of crystal and stone holds strong overhead. Penelo gasps, eyes filled with wonder at the temple's striking beauty. All around us is a never-ending pool of cloudy gray water. Not a ripple crosses its glassy surface. Ahead, Ashe slows to a stop before a waystone. She stands still, staring at the rippling energy surrounding device as we all catch up. And then she touches it and a familiar tug pulls on our bodies until we're teleported to another piece of Gurivegan's exterior.
At the end of the path stands a figure frozen in crystal, enveloped in a thin layer of gleaming blues and grays. I stop walking, watching the princess blink out of her trance suddenly as if woken from a dream. Balthier eyes the creature at the end of the walkway, frowning when Vaan starts to run ahead.
"Wonder what froze this guy," he calls, nodding for Penelo to follow. She looks back at us before sighing and cautiously hurrying after him.
Left with little choice, we head toward the hulking, headless figure. Just as Vaan crosses the threshold between two pillars, an ear-splitting crack echoes through the empty air. I start, pulling my spear free and waiting for the creature to move. Two more cracks emit from the frozen figure before a burst of crystal explodes from its body, sending sharp shards of blue flying in all directions. The beast raises a sword that's the size of Vaan and growls, stomping its giant feet on the ground.
"Nice going, Vaan," Balthier sighs, raising his gun and firing a shot.
Enraged, the beast shrieks and charges toward us, each thud of its feet sending a spiderweb of cracks across the crystal ground. I dive out of the way just in time, ignoring my aches and pains, and swing my spear out to the left, jabbing the monster in the back. Fran shoots a burst of fire, scorching its stitched flesh, and Vaan dives in with his dagger, slashing down the beast's chest. Roaring, the monster raises its enormous sword and brings it crashing down. Basch hardly dodges the blow; shards of crystal fly in every direction as the path is shattered.
Though it's sizeable, this foe is particularly unguarded and soft, making it all too easy for us to tear it to shreds quickly. Ashe delivers the final blow with her broadsword and the creature topples over, losing its balance. When it gets back to its feet, we're prepared to end the fight, but instead of attacking, the monster plunges its sword into the ground and bows over it, freezing over just as it was when we found it. Before it appears another waystone.
"We're heading inside, I presume?" Balthier asks, glancing over at Ashe tiredly. To be fair, she was only going to follow the pirate's orders for so long. There's something new that she's set her eyes on. Not bothering to answer him, Ashe steps toward the stone and presses her slender fingers against its rough frame. We're tugged into another location, inside the temple from the look of it.
The floor is a long, winding downward path carved from blue crystal. It hovers over a black abyss of nothingness. A symbol glimmers on the floor beneath the stone that summoned us here, traced with edges of green and gold. In the distance, something bright green glows. A dark wall of black stone and gold light surrounds us from a distance, a mere shadow to shelter us from the rest of the world. Fran is the first to step away from the waystone, her speckled ears twitching.
"Something up, Fran?" Balthier asks shortly, crossing his arms.
"The sensation has grown stronger," the viera muses. Her voice remains calm and collected, much like the "cool" feeling she used to describe the atmosphere.
"Let us know if you're gonna lose it," I mutter, earning unreadable glances from both she and her partner. "What?"
"Since we're already here, I suggest we get a move on," Balthier says, ignoring me and turning to Ashe. His words are clearly bitter, filled with disapproval.
We start down the crystal path, Ashelia leading the way through multitudes of hulking behemoths and floating creatures of all types. Despite their strength, our resolve proves stronger, and each monster is defeated in mere seconds. The path winds downward in a set of squares, each level leading us closer to the spiraling wall of green light. We come to our first difficulty when a wall of glowing emblems blocks us from continuing downward. It matches the blockades in the Golmore Jungle.
"What do we do?" Penelo asks. Fran doesn't reply, stepping forward with Lente's Tear pressed into her palms. The barrier shudders, shattering into a million pieces moments later.
"That," Vaan replies, watching as Ashe continues her brisk pace without so much as a "thank you" for Fran.
"What's her deal?" I mutter, coming up to Balthier's side. He sighs.
"I believe she's seen another vision of Rasler."
"She lets those guide her frequently, it seems."
"The Mist preys on those with a weak state of mind," he replies grimly, glancing down at me. "Perhaps that's why you stopped seeing Dern." Even now, the pseudonym sounds odd on his tongue.
"How did you know that I…?"
"Vaan," he shrugs. "The boy can hardly keep a secret. Said he used to see his late brother in those images—until he decided that killing Basch over Vayne's treachery wasn't worth it."
"I most certainly do not have any qualms about killing Vayne over his own treachery," I huff. Balthier raises an eyebrow.
"I know it's touchy, but you were the one who ended your partner."
"I'm aware," I reply curtly, scowling at him. "Perhaps I'll have you sit and listen to what really happened someday."
"I'm not sure how many more lies I can take from you," he counters, though I can tell it's his attempt at wry humor. Because of the present mood, it failed terribly. At least I can still catch on to his intention.
"Come on, I'm not that bad. I've told you the truth far more than you've told it to me."
"Touché." He fires a shot into the breast of a flying monkey, coming to a stop at the edge of the pathway. "Dead end?"
"No," Fran replies, stepping past Ashe and reaching a foot out over the edge.
"Uh, Fran?" Vaan frowns, watching as she steps down onto nothing. As soon as she stands on nothing but thin air, a glowing green path of emblems shudders to life, one panel appearing after another until a full path leads down to the next section of spirals. The viera looks up at the thief, a glimmer in her crimson eyes.
"Don't doubt my sense, remember?"
"Right," he laughs sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Won't forget again."
"You're gonna get it next time," Penelo teases, but her lighthearted comment is lost on the gravity of our endeavor and we force ourselves to continue down the everlasting corridors of monsters and mysterious creatures.
A particularly small flying monkey dives at us, swiping tiny claws at our hair and skin. I duck under it and jab with my spear. The creature dodges my attack easily, sending a fizzling green ball of light my way. I start to back out of the way when Vaan, as usual, finds himself in someone's way and I trip, toppling us both over. The light slams into my back with the force of a gunshot, knocking the breath from my lungs.
I force myself off the sandy-haired thief, only to see him gasping for air as well. His face goes sheet white just as my head loses all sense of weight and I dizzily fall onto all fours. Basch grunts as the monkey bites into his shoulder; it's killed by a blow from Ashe's sword. Vaan's loud retching overcomes the squawk of the next creature's disdain. I swallow hard, fighting my own nausea as the world swirls in all directions. Why me? Why am I always the helpless one? I shudder, groaning when my stomach lurches and tightens. Vaan sits up only to double over and vomit again, choking.
"What's wrong?" Penelo demands, falling to her knees at Vaan's side and pressing a hand to his trembling shoulder. Her blue-gray eyes turn up to Fran, demanding an answer from the viera. "What did that thing do to him?"
"A peculiar poison," Fran murmurs, eyeing the thief. Vaan wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, his face green, and moans, holding his head. I squeeze my eyes shut, a sharp pain shooting through my skull. One of my hands grips my churning stomach and the other holds me up with trembling, burning muscles. "It must be a magick-inflicted disease."
"How do I help?" Penelo snaps impatiently, looking thoroughly offended when Vaan waves her away, slurring unintelligible words. My muscles suddenly snap tight, eliciting a sharp, pained cry from me as they all cramp at once, burning. A cold sweat breaks out across my skin. "Shae, you too?!"
"I… am unsure," Fran replies under her breath, glancing back to the others as they kill off a pair of behemoths. Basch slings the blood off the end of his blade and Ashe ends the life of the second beast, turning to see the four of us bunched up at the beginning of the new path.
"What's wrong?" she asks sharply, sheathing her sword and watching Vaan dig his nails into his skin until blood trickles down his arms. She's clearly disturbed, turning her eyes to Fran's. "What happened?"
"They got some disease from that creature," Penelo shakes her head, trying to pry Vaan's hands away from his arms. He doesn't react, constantly muttering nonsensical words under his breath as he rocks back and forth. I curl up tighter around my core, shuddering on my knees. My insides are on fire, my head is screaming, and my breaths are short and ragged. I can't control anything. "Fran says it was magick, but I don't know any spells to counteract this one. Cure spells don't work."
"Of course it was these two," Balthier sighs, running a hand through his short hair. "It's always these two."
"You're not—" I grit my teeth, cut off as burning acid stings my throat. I swallow hard, gagging. "Helping."
"What potions do you have?" Ashe demands, turning to Basch. He shakes his head and another wave of tension hits my muscles. I hiss, babbling some plea for any sort of cure as my body endures the agonizing torture.
"Remedy, Fran?" Balthier asks, raising an eyebrow. Fran watches me and Vaan writhe a second longer before nodding, looking lost in thought.
The sky pirate opens the pouch on his hip, crouching beside Vaan and forcing the boy to look up just long enough to pour a glittering violet liquid into his mouth. The thief relaxes almost immediately, gulping down oxygen like he'd been drowning. Just as Balthier turns to hand me a potion, everything loosens up and I'm practically thrown forward as my side effects align with Vaan's. Whatever it was that I last ate spews out onto the blue stone and a gleaming pair of metallic sandals. Choking and shaking, I jerk away from the slightest touch on my shoulder.
"… You owe me a new pair," Balthier huffs, forcing me to lift my face. "Open up, Princess." Too tired to argue, I roll my eyes and obey, grimacing at the cold, bitter potion that pours across my tongue. Moments after I swallow the concoction, all the pain subsides and I breathe a sigh of relief.
"Gods above, what the ever-loving fuckdid that thing do to us?" I snap, pushing my hands onto Balthier's lowered shoulders to get to my feet. He rolls his eyes and stands, scowling down at the bile staining his shoes.
"Some sort of odd sorcery. Can we continue?" Balthier replies dryly, arching an eyebrow. I sigh, motioning toward the end of the corridor.
"Let's, Sir Leading Man."
"That's Mister Leading Man to you," Balthier bites back, turning to continue our trek through this labyrinth.
"I feel like they've had this conversation before," Penelo hisses to Vaan. I shrug, sheepishly eyeing my disgusting puddle of vomit.
"And what if we have? A good joke's worth recycling a few times, at least."
"Better give him another kiss or two, then," Vaan snickers. I can feel my face turning a shade of red as Ashe laughs, Balthier tossing a playful wink over his shoulder.
"The only joke in that, Vaan, is that you think kissing is as far as it goes," the sky pirate counters smugly.
"For the god's—" I snap, cutting myself off to groan, rubbing my face with my hands. "Do you two know when to stop?"
"Oh, she's blushing!" Penelo giggles, skipping past me.
"Of course she is," Balthier replies. "She's remembering."
"I am not!" I practically shriek, hurtling a potion at him. It hits him square in the back, clattering to the floor.
"Must've been good then," Vaan grins, nudging me. "Yeah? Princess Shae and Leading Man Balthier? Match made in heaven."
"Alright, Vaan, let her be," Ashe warns, smiling at our bickering. Vaan laughs long and loud.
"I can make it worse, watch." He steps back from my side, dramatically rolling his head back on his shoulders and moaning loudly. "Balthier, oh my—ah! Harder!"
"Vaan!" I shriek, shoving him so hard that he falls onto the ground. He's laughing too hard to notice the impact; Ashe's ears go pink. I have no words to express my rage, so I kick him in the ass, which only makes him laugh harder. Penelo snickers with a hand clapped over her mouth. Even Basch, though mildly disturbed, fights a smile.
"Oh c'mon," Vaan rolls to his feet, grinning from ear to ear. "That was accurate. I just know it. Right, Balthier?"
"Don't you dare," I snarl, glowering at the sky pirate's back. He says nothing for a moment, but I know he's smiling when his shoulders shake with a soft chuckle. He loops his thumbs through his beltloops and turns to face us, waiting for us to catch up as he speaks up.
"Mm… Almost there, Vaan. Just another 'fuck' or two, and you'd be well on your way."
"That's it!" I lunge toward the pirate, missing by mere inches when he steps back. "I'll cut your goddamn dick off, you ass!"
"No you won't," Vaan points out. "You liked—"
"Vaan," Ashe interrupts, clearing her throat uncomfortably. "I think that's enough for one day."
"Psh, always killing all the fun," Vaan teases, clasping his hands behind his head. I sulk at Balthier's side, glaring at the boy.
"I hate you both," I grumble, crossing my arms tightly.
"Do you now?" Balthier raises an eyebrow. "Perhaps you should learn to take a joke, hm?"
"Perhaps you should learn to keep your mouth shut," I snap.
"I'll consider it," Balthier replies, glancing up at the ceiling. The others finally catch up, waiting to continue the walk. "Considered and denied."
"I'll never speak to either of you again, I swear," I mutter, scowling at Vaan.
"Good luck with that," Balthier shrugs, turning on his heels to lead the way.
"Won't talk me either, huh?" Vaan grins, skipping past me.
He pulls out his dagger, charging toward another flying monkey creature. He reaches the monster before it can react, slicing into its flesh. As he stabs, he throws back his head and lets out a loud, high-pitched cry that sounds heinous. I pummel him to the ground seconds later, dragged away by Basch before I really do mutilate the kid's junk. I would do it, too.