me: whew! no time for even a little break! gotta get writing! BASCH!!!
Basch: ff-kh-luvrgrl doesn't own ffxii, so don't sue. this fic contains yaoi, so if you don't like it, then GO AWAY!!!!
me: ...right.
well, on with the fic!
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Remember me?
by ff-kh-luvrgrl
dates written: March 30, 2007
April 2, 2007
September 1, 2007 (so sorry it's taken so long to finish this, everyone!)
September 4, 2007 (finally done!)
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--CHAPTER 5: Barheim Passage--
"You've grown very thin, Basch." the Judge says to the man chained up in the cage. Vaan's eyes widen at the name. "Less than a shadow. Less than a man. Sentenced to death and yet you live. Why?"
"To silence Ondore. How many times must I say it?" Basch replies with a voice that is obviously not used much.
"Is that all?" the Judge questions.
"Why not ask Vayne himself. Is he not one of your masters?" Basch says, sounding somewhat mocking and somewhat disappointed at the same time.
"We've caught a leader of the insurgence. She is being brought from Rababanstre," the Judge informs Basch, ignoring his last comment. Basch seems disinterested, so the Judge continues, "The woman Amalia." Basch's head snaps up, eyes widening slightly. "Who could that be? Such a faithful hound to cling to a fallen kingdom."
Basch's eyes narrow. "Better than throwing it away," he replies. The Judge, who looks a lot like Basch, strangely, except the Judge seems well-fed and has short hair and a closely trimmed beard, puts his helmet back on, hiding his face from the party.
"Throwing it away? As you threw away our homeland?"
He walks off, the Imperials close behind. A minute later, the party deems it safe enough to move.
"Who's there?" Basch demands, and the party moves into view. Balthier looks below Basch's cage - there's nothing there, literally - there's no floor.
"This the place?" he asks Fran, ignoring Basch for the moment.
"The Mist is flowing through this room. It must be going somewhere," she replies.
"Hmm."
"You! You're no Imperials. Please, you must get me out-"
"It's against my policy to speak with the dead. Especially when they happen to be kingslayers, " Balthier says, interrupting Basch.
"I did not kill him!"
Balthier regards Basch for a moment. "Is that so? Glad to hear it."
"Please, get me out. For the sake of Dalmasca!"
Vaan, enraged by this last comment, jumps onto the cage. "DALMASCA?! WHAT DO YOU CARE ABOUT DALMASCA?! EVERYONE THAT'S DIED, EVERY SINGLE ONE! EVEN MY BROTHER- YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!"
"Quiet! The guards will hear," Balthier says softly.
"I'm dropping it," Fran states, then kicks a switch, releasing the chain on the cage.
"Pirates without a sky," Balthier says, jumping onto the cage as it begins to fall, and Fran follows him, also jumping onto the cage.
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Basch stood, rubbing his wrists, which were sore from being in that cage for so long. With a loud cry, Vaan lunged at Basch, intent on punching him, but Balthier grabbed his arms, holding him back.
"Spare us your quiddities!" Balthier ordered.
"Yeah, but- but he's a-" Vaan started, trying to get Balthier on his side. Unfortunately for him, Balthier felt the need to interrupt.
"A traitor, I know. Stay here and fight, if you want." Turning to Basch, he continued, "If you can walk, let's go."
"You're taking him with us?" Vaan asked incredulously.
"We could use another sword arm," Balthier explains. Basch stands up slowly, making sure he is able to stand without falling over.
"And you have it."
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me: well, there you have it!
i know, it's not very long (I was surprised at the length), but my script showed me that it's time to stop. Strangely enough, both this section and the next are titled Barhiem Passage. Waitaminute... ((checks script)) OMG! this was the end of the "Nalbina Dungeons" part! lol! guess i'll continue, then! sorry to bother you!
Peter: ((slaps forehead))
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After restoring the power to the area, they walk through a gate. Unfortunately, once they do, they notice the lights dimming rapidly.
"Hey! who turned out the lights?!" Vaan exclaims, confused. "One of those?" He indicates a creature over at the wall, sucking the electricity from a circuit.
"I've heard of these: Mimics," Balthier explains. "They disguise themselves as all manners of things, then strike when you're least wary. Some of them have a fondness for energy, I'm told. They gorge themselves on the stuff till there's naught left."
"So... what happens then?"
Suddenly, the four heard a noise, and turned toward the darkened area to see a ghostly figure approaching them.
"Lights out," Balthier replied, answering Vaan's question. "And it's worst in the dark. Much worse. So, let them get too close to one of those conduits and they'll suck it dry. But don't worry. It'll give the energy back if you ask it nicely. Sticking it with a sword helps too. Clock's ticking!"
The party rushes forward, Vaan and Balthier attacking with their swords while Fran hangs back and heals them, shooting arrows between cures. Basch is busy fighting off another fiend, and when they are done, the other three help him dispose of a particularly nasty bomb. The lights have now come on most of the way, and the four continue on through the Barheim Passage, fighting Mimics and stealing the power back as they advance.
((A/N: yes, i know it's a cop-out, but I don't really remember much of this part, i'm SOOO far ahead of this that it's not funny. that, and the script i'm using skips from the end of Balthier's line to Fran's line in the next cutscene... -.-'))
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After passing through a gate, the party stops to rest.
"The Mist seethes," Fran states, sounding slightly anxious.
"It reeks," Balthier argues. "Something's close." Basch puts on some clothing he got from a few of the bodies in the area. Picking up a sword, he practices swinging it a little, Balthier watching him. "Nice moves there, Captain."
"You mean 'traitor'," Vaan says vehemently.
"So they say. But I didn't see him kill anyone."
"My brother did," Vaan says sadness taking over his eyes. Balthier resists the urge to go take him into his arms and comfort him. Now is not the time or place, and it might scare off their guest as well. Basch thinks for a moment, then his eyes widen, head whipping towards Vaan in realization.
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((Balthier's POV))
"Reks," Basch states. "He said he had a brother two years younger. I see. He meant you."
Vaan glares at him coldly, hurt and anger swirling in his eyes. But if Reks was the one who supposedly saw Basch then what...
"Your brother." Basch's voice cuts in, snapping me out of my thoughts. "What became-"
"He's dead." Vaan interrupts. Once again I must resist the urge to go comfort Vaan. He's been through so much... his parents dying, me leaving, Reks going off to fight, Reks dying...
"I'm sorry," Basch says, again bringing me back to the real world and away from my thoughts.
"It was you who killed him!"
"I give you my word; that was not the way of it."
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((after flashback scene. yeah, i got stuck on this, so i decided to skip it.))
I raise my eyebrow in interest. "A twin brother? Fancy that. Hmm. But still, the pieces fit. I'll give you that much. And he did look like you."
Glancing at Vaan, I see him glaring in the opposite direction from Basch.
"I don't believe you," he states stubbornly.
"Of course not," Basch replies sorrowfully. "It was my fault that Reks was there. I am sorry."
Vaan whips around, glaring. "My brother, he trusted you. He trusted you and he lost everything! How can I believe you?!"
Basch gets up from where he was sitting, still looking apologetic. "Not me then. Believe in your brother. He was a fine soldier. He fought to the last to protect his homeland. No. Surely he fought to protect his brother."
"You don't know anything!" Vaan yells at him. It's time someone broke this up.
"Believe what you want to," I interrupt, looking Vaan in the eye. "Whatever it takes to make you happy. What's done is done."
Vaan looks at me, then looks away, embarrassed.
We continue on.
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((end of Mimic Queen battle. Vaan POV))
Finally, the Mimic Queen falls. I smile, relieved. suddenly, the room starts shaking.
"Vaan! Run! This place is coming down!" Balthier yells to me. Fran is casting cure on the nearly-unconscious Basch.
"Go ahead!" she yells. "We will catch up!"
Nodding, Balthier runs toward where I am standing, my feet rooted in place from fear. We're not going to make it!
"Hurry!" Balthier yells in my ear, and suddenly, I can move again. Following Balthier, I stumble, and he grabs my wrist, pulling me along. I glance ahead at the ceiling and my eyes widen. I grab Balthier's hand and yank back hard, trying to plant my feet firmly so that I don't fall forward, what with him still pulling me along.
The result is not what I expected, but it is still preferable to what could've happened. Balthier, not expecting me to stop, stumbles, and my jerking his hand causes him to fall gracelessly onto me. He knocks me to the floor just as the chunk of ceiling hits the ground four and a half feet away, little rocks pelting us as it breaks apart.
"Ow," Balthier says, chuckling weakly. Suddenly, someone casts cure on him. Pushing himself off of me weakly, I sit up and turn around to see Fran running our way, Basch close behind. Looking back at Balthier, I see him reaching around to his back. He winces, and then his hand moves back into eyesight, holding a small piece of rock that was apparently lodged in his back.
I wince in sympathy and then stand, walk over to Balthier, and then bend down, pulling his arm over my shoulders. Supporting him, I help him stand and then we take off, Fran and Basch now caught up with us. As we are running, Fran casts cure on Balthier again, and he stops stumbling in pain as much, though I'm still supporting him slightly as we burst outside, escaping just as the area collapses.
Balthier removes his arm from my shoulders after we're a few yards from the exit, and stretches, wincing slightly.
"Sorry about that," I say. He looks at me in surprise.
"Don't be. If not for you, it could've been a lot worse." I don't point out that if not for me, he might not have ever been here. Nodding slightly, I move over toward the ledge.
Basch inhales deeply, then sighs. "To think Dalmascan air could taste so sweet."
Looking around, I realize I have no clue what the heck this place is. "Where are we?"
"The Estersand, by the look of it," Balthier says, coming to stand beside me. "Let's head back to Rabanastre before we shrivel up. By your leave, Captain." he adds, nodding to Basch. I unwillingly feel a jolt of jealousy pass through me.
"Yes," Basch replies. "The hour of my return is already overlate. The people may hate me, but it does not free me of my charge."
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We make it back to Rabanastre in good time. As we approach the gate, Basch turns to us.
"I thank you."
Balthier nods in acknowledgment. "I'd avoid crowds, if I were you," he advises. "In this town you're still a traitor, you know."
"The resistance will surely find me soon. Fates will we meet again. I would pay my respects to your brother," he adds, looking at me. Having said this, he nods at all of us in gratitude and walks away.
Balthier turns to me. "You're a fugitive now, too," he says softly. "Stay low for a while." I see the rest of his sentence in his eyes: if not for your sake, then for me.
I nod, then hesitate. "What about the stone?"
He shrugs. "Do as you like. That stone's ill-favored."
"We feel regret," Fran inputs. "We sought that stone and found ourselves only worry."
"You offering it?" Balthier asks.
"It's mine!" I reply quickly before seeing the teasing glint in his eyes.
"Then why do you ask? Our regards to your girl," he adds with a wink. I can't help but give him a small smile.
"We stay in Rabanastre a while," Fran states, then walks away.
'Stay nearby,' Balthier mouths. 'I'll find you soon.' I give him a small nod, and he walks away, catching up to Fran. I watch them as they disappear.
"What do you think?" I say softly, talking to Reks. It's kind of a habit, I guess. It comforts me, acting like he's still here to give me advice and stuff. "Can I trust Basch?"
"I gotta get rid of this thing," I say to myself, looking at the stone. "But... maybe I should show it to Penelo first. So she knows I got something. She'd be at Migelo's place this time of day."
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me: well, there you go! the long-awaited chapter 5!
now that i've FINALLY found my script, chapter 6 shouldn't take too long to write. Also, I've started the game from the beginning, so that should refresh my memory of all the scenes. Unfortunately, I haven't caught up to where I had left off in March yet. I am in the Barheim Passage, though, so it shouldn't take too long. Also also, (lol) I will probably go back and add a scene for the Mimic Queen fight, as well as one for the Arena fight a few chapters back, but no guarantees.
I don't usually respond to reviews in the chapters, but I received a review that was very offensive to me. this person criticized me for how i wrote this. i believe i have it somewhere, because i printed out the reviews... here it is:
Gah! I hate BalVaan fics, but since it was my choice to read it, I'm not going to rant at you about it, DARN MY CURIOSITY! Anyway, pushing the pairing issue aside, it would have been much better if you hadn't copied the script verbatim. It felt like I was just playing the game again. It didn't do anything for me. Make up some original dialogue, or create a less /exact/ flashback.
This review was from Kanarah J and was for chapter 1. they didn't even bother reading chapter two.
Kanarah J, if you are reading this, here is my response: I copied the script so it would fit into the game. If I had created a whole new dialogue, it wouldn't have seemed as if it were the game, which is what i am trying to do. I'm just adding a little bit to it. also, those flashbacks were my own, so i don't know why you believe them to be exact. also, if you hate the pairing, then i wouldn't expect this to do anything for you anyways. My sister was even offended by this review, and she can hardly stand the pairing, even though she is my lovely beta (sometimes) and is usually very supportive of whatever i write.
In contrast, i got a very encouraging (although short) review from clouded in darkness for chapter 4:
aw, i love it, it's nice how you put the actual story in with your story. pleaz update soon.
it's great to get encouraging reviews like this. i had almost changed my mind about updating soon after reading the previous review, but then i saw this one, and it really brightened up my day.
from Firey Chronicles (ch4):
lol, balthier/vaan is the most hinted pairing. (at least from what i know until now...which is level 10) haha
((laughs)) well, i hope you're enjoying both my story and the game!
from coolgamer (ch4):
fantastic story please update soon
sorry that it took me- ((looks at calendar)) -four months after you reviewed. thanks for the encouraging review and i hope you like this chapter!
to elichi and Ranchdressing:
i'm really sorry you had to wait so long for the update! please don't kill me!
Peter: don't worry, I'll do it for them. ((is whacked))
to Honor, Tracyj16, Silver-Angel-Wings, and White-Witch-Sakura:
thanks for the reviews! here's the next chapter!
i'm sorry i didn't answer all of the reviews individually, but i'm taking too much space up for the author's note as it is. i'm sorry!
please review - your encouragement/feedback/whatever is always appreciated!
Peter: ...unless it's flaming.
me: ...
yeah, i guess so. but we can always use them to make smores!
Peter: yum! smores!