And…we're…back…no real notes to add for this chapter. Enjoy and review!

This Is Who I Am

Chapter 2

Before he'd met Vaan and his life had been turned upside down, Balfonheim had been the closest thing to a home Balthier had, but he felt anything but at home as he made his way through the crowded streets to meet his contact. The air had a sticky quality to it, and he wasn't sure if the place had always been so crowded or if he was having one of those few and far between moments of claustrophobia that occasionally plagued him.

Even though he had insisted on going to this meeting alone it had been an argument he hadn't won. He had convinced Vaan to stay aboard the Strahl and continue to rest, but Basch trailed behind him through the crowd, and Balthier thought momentarily about trying to lose him. It was nothing against Basch personally, he just really hadn't felt much like being around other people lately, and Basch knew too much. It made the older man unconsciously pamper him, and though Balthier had yet to say anything about it to him, he really hated sympathy.

His contact, a Bangaa named Cheel, would be waiting for him at the inn. He had been buying information from Cheel for years, and it was a love hate relationship. Cheel always wanted more money than the information was worth, he always wanted more information than he had money for and the two of them would argue price until they were blue in the face. Usually, they would end up right back at the price and information that had agreed upon before the meeting in the first place.

Balthier had always been good with directions. If he'd been somewhere once, he never forgot how to get there, so he let his feet guide him and let his mind focus on other things. Things like the fact that Basch was pressuring him to tell Vaan the truth. He knew the older man was right, "How would you feel," he'd argued, "if it were Vaan keeping something like this from you?" He knew the answer to that, he be furious. He'd even asked Basch to tell the boy for him, but he hadn't gone for that either. "He needs to hear it from you, Balthier," he'd said, "It isn't fair for someone else to tell him." And damnit, Basch had been right again.

He was afraid of how the boy would take the news; it was his main concern with the whole thing. Not that he wasn't upset himself. He did not particularly want to die. He was a young man, and he had a lot of plans for his life, things he'd wanted to do before it was too late. Like an idiot he'd asked the doctor about magic. He didn't understand how it was that people could be raised with a phoenix down or a simple raise spell from so many horrible wounds, or healed with a cure spell even when on the brink of death if a simple brain tumor could kill him beyond magic's healing capabilities. The doctor had explained it to him, but he still didn't understand. All he knew was that when this thing killed him, no spell was going to be able to do shit about it.

They reached the inn, and Balthier didn't have to peer through the smoky fog to find the table at which his contact sat, they always did business in the same place.

"Cheel," he said, nodding to the Bangaa in greeting, "I trust you have what I came for."

Cheel leaned back and picked his teeth, "I always do. You have my money?"

"Ten thousand gil, like we agreed."

The Bangaa shook his head, "This information is worth twenty, if not more."

Here we go again, Balthier thought to himself. "Here," he said, throwing a heavy bag of gil down on the table, "Just tell me what I want to know."

Cheel looked at him suspiciously, "Never seen you give in to paying more, Balthier. This information must be important to you."

"It is. But don't think of raising your price again, I'm in no mood for this today."

Cheel regarded him warily for a moment, as if he were deciding whether or not to test his limits, "You want to know about d' Astrae, is that correct?"

Balthier sat down across from him, "Yes, everything you know."

"Well," whispered the Bangaa, "He came through here some days ago, injured I might add. Talk is that he's mixed up with the imperials, but you know how cheap talk is."

Balthier smirked, "I know all that. You'd best have more."

"Oh I do, I do! Patience pirate let me finish. The wound was near fatal, but near don't count for much you know. He took a room here, at this very inn until Dr. Cidolfus himself came and fixed him up."

"So, he isn't here anymore?" asked Balthier.

"Left day before yesterday," said the Bangaa.

"Where was he headed? I need to know, Cheel. It's very important."

Cheel leaned in closer, "They headed for the Pharos, but Balthier I wouldn't give chase were I you. D' Astrae is not what he seems."

"I've found that out recently," spat Balthier.

Cheel shook his head, "No, no, you don't understand. D'Astrae, that isn't even his real name, and he's up to much worse than pissin you off boy, I'll tell ya that."

"What do you mean?" asked Basch, who up until then had kept quiet.

Cheel shook his head, "Seraph d' Astrae is really…" he paused and looked around nervously, and then whispered something into Balthier's ear.

Balthier's eyes widened, "Oh my god. How could I have been so stupid…Cid said this wasn't about me, I should have known…I should have seen the big picture."

Balthier pushed himself up from the table and walked away.

"Balthier!," Basch yelled after him, "Hey!"

He ran after the pirate and grabbed his arm, "What the hell is going on?"

Balthier shook his head, "Did you know that Ashe has a brother?"

Basch was taken aback, "Ashe has no brother, she is an only child."

Balthier shook his head, "I thought so too, but it would seem we were wrong about that."

To Be Continued…

Will Balthier be able to tell Vaan the truth? Does Ashe know about the existence of her evil brother? Find out in chapter 3! Hope you enjoyed! Reviewing earns updates!