Fuu: Hey everyone! Long time no speak-y!

Rozaline: You dumbass! It's about time you got on! You're nothing more than a lazy piece of—

Jude: Rozaline…please…

Rozaline: I mean…whatever, as long as you're back now.

Yuko: No wonder you hate her, Misa…

Misa: -sigh-

Jude: I'll say the disclaimer this time. Fuu doesn't own Final Fantasy XII. This includes plots, characters, and settings. However, she owns herself, Fini, Misa, Yuko, Rozaline, and me.

Misa: It's so weird to have that disclaimer extended with the two new peoples!

Rozaline: You better get used to it, dumbbell!

Jude: -cracks knuckles-

Rozaline: Um…I mean…enjoy chapter seventeen everyone…eheh…

Going into Ivalice

Chapter Seventeen: Carry me to Safety

The very first thing I saw when I opened my eyes were Yuko, tears welling up in her eyes. Fini was floating in front of her, peering down at me with a look of worry and relief.

"Fuu! You're awake!" Fini yelped, her voice with the tone of respite.

"Um…yeah?" I got up, rubbing the back of my head. My hair felt cold and wet… "Was I…laying in the snow?"

"Well, it's not like we have a 'fainting-person-survival-kit' with us to put you on some sort of bed or anything." Fini stated. Wait…fainting?

"What do you mean by fainting?" I asked.

"You were out for about half an hour!" Yuko exclaimed.

Holy crap.

Half an hour? And when the heck did I pass out? Then I began to remember what happened when I climbed up that hill. I felt a sudden weakness overcoming me. And I was pretty sure that THAT was when I passed out.

"So," I sat up a bit more, so my butt wasn't getting soaked from the snow. "I fainted, I was out cold for half an hour…SO YOU LUNATICS DECIDED TO JUST LAY ME DOWN IN THE FREEZING COLD SNOW AND JUST WAIT UNTIL I WOKE UP?" My sudden outburst was so audible that Yuko fell backwards and Fini flew off all the way to where Basch was standing (which was actually a bit far from my location.)

"Fuu-chan, we really did want to carry you to Mt. Bur-Omisace, but Misa said that there were monsters up ahead…and if we brought you along in your state, we would've been in a pickle." Yuko said, regaining her balance.

"Still…I could at least be in someone's arms." I grumbled.

"You mean Balthier's arms."

The voice was so startling that I jumped up and squeaked like a frightened little mouse. I spun my head around to see Jude. Almost forgot about that guy…

"You…YOU!" I fully processed what Jude had said, and I jumped up on my two legs and pointed an unpardonable finger at him. "How did you know that?"

"The way you kept staring at his ass when we were climbing up the mountain earlier. Duh." Jude said with no emotion in his voice or face. I swear, if that guy got every wish he wanted to come true, he still wouldn't give a smile or be happy.

"How dare you notice such vulgar things? Don't forget that I am Raithwall's Legend, and you treat me with respect-a-mundo!" Okay, I may sound like a bragging spoiled bitch when I said that, but when you're with people like Jude and his game guardian Rozaline, you have so much untangling to do that you just get more tangled up (if that made any sense at all to you.)

"First off," He scowled. "You were the one doing the vulgar act. And secondly, I have no idea what this damn Legend thing is about, but I'm pretty sure this so-called Legend wouldn't use the word 'respect-a-mundo'. That person would just be an idiot."

"I'm no idiot! I'm a flipping smart girl! You just wait until you know all about Raithwall's Legend, Jude! Because once you do, you'll begin to treat me with a little more approbation, like the rest of freaking Ivalice does! Because the good ol' folks of Ivalice know exactly what to do when it comes to respecting a high-classed being!" I screamed.

Don't I get scary when mad?

I was yelling so jarringly that everyone stared at me. I was breathing heavy, looking straight into Jude's hellish eyes, and still pointing an angry finger at him.

"How dare you yell at Jude like that? You're nothing but a cruel little—!" Rozaline jumped in from nowhere and began yelling at me.

"Shut up, Rozaline. She's too stupid to realize that she's in her own fantasy world." Jude gave me one last vicious glare before treading up the mountain.

"Right when I was about to get nice with him…" I muttered.

"Fuu-chan." Yuko walked up cautiously, afraid that I might begin yelling again.

"You know what? Forget about it." I sighed. "He's too stupid to understand anything about Ivalice and Raithwall."

"Is the Young Lady finally calm? After her collapsing incident, she should be feeble and muted. But she only seems to shout." Balthier was walking over towards me. I wanted to run up and tell him why bringing along Jude was the worst idea in the history of worst idea's…but I was trying to let it go.

"Do you always talk like a narrator?" I questioned jokingly. He gave me a small smirk, and what he did next was a bit shocking. He grabbed me and picked me up bridal style! "Hey, what are you doing?" I asked in shock, my face beginning to blush. (And not from anger, either.)

"To prevent you from fainting on us again, I should carry you to Mt. Bur-Omisace instead. It's an act of largesse." He said to me. At first, I didn't want Balthier to help me with such a thing…but you have to give in when it comes to someone as dashing and sexy like Balthier. You can't help but give up and let him carry you. Besides, how could you not resist the warmth of his chest?

"Thank you, Balthier." I mumbled, but said it loud enough for him to hear. He looked down and gave me my favorite crooked smile. I took that as a 'Your welcome'.

"Now that she is all right," Ashe walked over. "We shall continue."

"Right. Moving on." Balthier said as he began to walk to where Jude was headed.

We traveled for about forty-five minutes…forty-five minutes of being in the arms of the man of my dreams. So, you can imagine what kind of things I was dreaming about while leaning my head against Balthier's warm chest. But that's a very different story. I glanced over to see Yuko talking to Larsa, Misa planted on Yuko's head. Vaan and Penelo were in the back again. That's where I would've been if Balthier hadn't been carrying me. We encountered some monsters here and there, but I let the others handle it. Jude and Rozaline were a bit more defensive unlike the last time, when we first met them.

"Tell you what, boy," Basch laid a hand on Jude's shoulder. "Once we get to Mt. Bur-Omisace, we'll buy you a weapon."

"You're too kind." Jude smirked. He glanced over at me, as if he knew that I wanted to claw Basch's eyes out for saying that to him. And guess what? I did.

But I didn't want to care, because I looked up at Balthier.

I remembered our first meeting clearly, as if it happened seconds ago…which it happened about a week ago, actually. We were running on the bridge in the Royal Palace of Rabanastre. Then I introduced myself to him in the Garamsythe waterway. That was the only time he said my actual name, and not "The young lady". Then we were captured and arrested. We went through the Barheim passage, made it back to Rabanastre, flew on the Strahl to Bhujerba, went through the Lhusu Mines, got arrested again and then—

"Mt. Bur-Omisace is up ahead." Balthier said to me. I almost jumped because I was so lost in my thoughts and calculating.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked frenetically.

"Our destination. It's in the distance. I can see it clearly." He said to me.

"Oh." I mumbled, looking at my hands. I twisted my butterfly ring on my right ring finger over and over, wanting to say something. I wanted to get closer to Balthier…but then I remembered that moment in the tent when we were heading to Jahara.

"I just feel like you're the only person that I know that makes me feel…glad."

This may sound crazy, but I needed more of Balthier's attention. When I realized right then and there in Balthier's arms was that this crush on a video game character was growing…it was growing into love. I began to realize how much I was falling in love with him more and more each moment we had together. I suddenly remembered our first real conversation in that crappy prison before we headed down to the Barheim passage. It was the first time we really became friends.

"Hey." I said to Balthier. He looked down at me, and after rummaging through my back pocket for a few seconds, I pulled out the pack of Forever Fruit flavored Stride gum. I took out one piece and held it up. "Want a piece?" By the look in his eyes, he suddenly remembered the first time I showed him chewing gum, and he gave me my favorite smile again.

"With gratification." He was able to hold me with one hand as he grabbed the piece, unwrapped the wrapper, and put the gum in his mouth. And I couldn't help but chuckle and smile. I loved him.

To be continued in chapter eighteen!

Awww, that moment was precious between Fuu and Balthier!

Please continue reading! And leave me a nice review please!!! Thanks a ton!

-da Panda