Chapter 51: Roles of Betrayal

Emperor Larsa wiped another trickle of blood away from his cheek as he followed Vaan, Penelo and Basch, who was carrying an unconscious Yvelle to the only passage that was not blocked. He had tried to understand Vaan's explanation of why there was an unblocked passage when every passage had been blocked before the ceiling had caved in, but Larsa still failed to grasp Vaan's meaning. Instead, the young emperor merely compromised to think about the reason later when they were better rested and away from danger.

Following just behind Penelo, Larsa began to think not the first time if he was selfish in dragging his friends with his trouble. No doubt they were capable warriors and they had saved the world three years ago, it just didn't seem fair to him to ask them to fight a war for him when they had no part to play in it at all is so they wished it. But then Larsa was not prepared to receive the loyalty his friends showed him, living so long within the shadows of deceit and lies that he had forgotten what it felt like to have people who were loyal to him.

Larsa turned a look over at Balthier who seemed to have recovered from his injuries and was looking with detached interest at their surroundings. Out of all Larsa's acquaintances in this little group, it was Balthier whom Larsa knew least. He did not know if Balthier was actually helping him or was in it for the ride. He had heard stories of his motives when the sky pirate had first joined then Princess' Ashe cause, and Larsa knew Balthier did not join because of some desire to aid the princess but was because he had been expecting gold at the end of it. Larsa now wondered if Balthier was expecting the same from him and how he would react if Larsa were to ask him if that were the case.

However, Larsa was snapped away from his musings at Vaan's cry of amazement somewhere ahead.

"Hey Larsa, come look at this!!"

The boy Emperor turned his attention to where Vaan, Penelo and Basch had entered a room, the one at the end of the passage that Selena had pointed them to. Behind him, Larsa could feel Balthier and Fran hurrying as well.

At the end of the passage was a small room. A slight room, slightly rounded, as if the passage had been made with that room as the end in mind. Like the rest of the Mines, the walls had a slightly blue hue, with tinges of the once prolific magicite that grew there.

Though the room was uninspiring enough, the thing that drew their attention was what was at the back of the room.

Set in a dais made of the same stone as the walls of the Mines, there was slight pillar, no more reaching the height of Larsa's waist. The pillar was made out of some sort of black marble that gave an eerie sheen. The marble itself was strange enough but the runes that was carved into them were stranger still.

For the runes there was written in the ancient language of long ago, where there was but one language spoken by all denizens of Ivalice and where empires and kingdoms did not fight and were but one great nation. There were very few now who could actually speak and read the language and there were fewer Humes who would remember it.

But that was not the strangest about the small room. For true enough, on top of the pillar, as if it hung by some sort of invisible rope, was a stone, no bigger than a Hume fist hovering a few inches above the top of the small pillar. It was an odd eerie blue, glowing then diminishing in light then back to glowing again as if it was a signal of some creature beyond to take it.

The party stood still, watching in awe at the stone, as if they had not encountered such a stone before in some dark depth of an ancient ruin. It was strange, to be in yet another situation like this, looking for a stone that would aid in yet another oncoming war.

Basch had laid Yvelle in one of the jutting rocks of the circular room and tried yet again to heal the wounds. Given the very few Mist that he had managed to accumulate in their short walk, all he managed to do was to close the wounds as to prevent Yvelle from bleeding out. Checking her pulse if she had regained a bit of strength, he sent a silent prayer to the Gods in relief when the heartbeat he felt underneath the tips of his fingers were stronger than that of earlier. Knowing now that Yvelle was in no immediate danger, the Judge Majister straightened up and looked over to where Larsa was standing in the dais and examining the pillar, but had not taken a move to retract the odd stone.

"Is that it?" Penelo asked breathlessly, staring wide-eyed at the glowing stone. "Is that the nethicite?"

"Well, Penelo, it is pretty obvious." Vaan said with a gesture at the pillar and a snort of derision. "How many times have we seen floating objects atop small pillars before? It's important looking, set in a dais, and is glowing. A stone like that could not be anything but nethicite. It's like treasure hunting basics."

Penelo rolled her eyes at Vaan but looked over at Larsa and Fran who had joined him at the examination of the pillar. "What does it say Fran?"

Before Fran could say anything, it was Larsa who spoke up, his fingers skimming over the half-washed out runes.

"It reads 'For balance do what must you do, One cannot have one when there are not two. With Light, there must be Shadow. With Despair there must be Sorrow. Tread softly in the realms of Day and Night.' "

"What in chocobo's butt does that mean?" Vaan asked loudly, albeit rather excitedly. He was glad they did find something that they were looking for. In the past, they had to search several locations to actually come up with something. He was eager to just grab the thing and be off their merry way and save the world again.

"It means, we must be careful, for it is indeed a dangerous object." Fran said softly, straightening up from her examination of the pillar. She exchanged a glance at Balthier who nodded.

"Elementary warnings from people of long ago Vaan," Balthier drawled with an idle wave of his hand. "You know how these things work. There must be a trap somewhere if we attempt to get it."

"There wasn't a trap when we got the Dawn shard at Raithwall's Tomb." Vaan protested folding his arms and looking stubborn.

"That is because it was someone of royal blood who took it from its pedestal." Basch interjected. "The Lady Ashe had every right to take her heirloom."

"Right." Answered Vaan in a voice that meant he did not entirely believe Basch. "So can we get the bloody thing now?"

"Well, seeing as how we don't know who was any right to take it then I suggest we do before anybody else does." Balthier answered with yet another grin. The sky pirate turned towards Larsa who was still examining the pillar. "You may do the honors, your Excellency."

Larsa straightened up at the sound of his title and threw a puzzled look over at Balthier. He did not register the pirate's words at first for he was still busy discerning the real meaning of the runes and he was quite unsure if that was the only meaning the people who wrote on it had intended. Nevertheless, he turned towards the stone.

Now that he was there, Larsa was not sure if he should take the stone. If wielded, it would unleash some terrible and awful power that few had ever seen, and even fewer had ever controlled. Now that he had the opportunity to take that power and create it as his own, he was reluctant. No person, however noble and just, should have any right taking more power than they deserved.

And yet, Larsa knew he needed to do something with the stone, lest he wanted it to fall into the hands of his enemies. Enemies, Larsa knew would have no hesitation in wielding said nethicite. Would he, Larsa, remove a power and take it as his own to save the lives of others and to take that power away from someone who would undoubtedly use it for his own ends?

Larsa knew with this nethicite he could help save hundreds and thousands of lives that would be subjected to yet another war in order to achieve more power. But what would he do with that power? After he had achieved what he had avowed to do, would he throw the nethicite away, relinquish its awesome power or keep it hidden and locked away until such time when it was needed yet again? To have such a powerful object in his possession was tempting yes, to achieve peace, Larsa told himself, but he did not know if he truly wanted that power.

Larsa's hand hovered over the stone and Penelo saw his hesitation.

"You don't want to take it." It was not a question.

Larsa turned his eyes away from the stone a moment to look at Penelo. In her eyes, he could see the understanding she held for the conflicting emotions within him, the sympathy in her face told him, she understood perfectly and did not blame him for hesitating. She gave a slight nod to affirm her understanding and Larsa wondered yet again if he had underestimated her.

"What?" Vaan was quick to ask. "Why won't you take it? It's there, right for the taking!"

"It is not my right," Larsa whispered underneath his breath, and with those uttered words, he grew more strength. "It is not my right," he repeated, this time louder and clearer.

"After all we went through just to get here?" Vaan asked in disbelief, though he too was beginning to understand Larsa's hesitation. He had seen it only once before. On Ashe's face as she stood between breaking history and creating history. Following what was destined or deciding to create her own destiny. Vaan knew the conflict pretty well, for he too had stood with that indecision in that day of almost-end, where he had finally met his brother's killer and where Vaan had realized that there was indeed no way in getting Reks back. The time he had stopped running and deciding to fight, like his brother.

And yet, he was surprised at Larsa. He had believed that Larsa would have the strength to take something so powerful and not be corrupted with it. Vaan had believed in Larsa to do what Ashe had to think to do. Vaan had thought, had believed in Larsa not hesitating at all.

"If you do not take it, somebody else will." Vaan said in a calmer voice now, looking over to Basch and Penelo. "If you allow somebody else to take it then you have doomed your country into obliteration. You know they will use this nethicite not only to be more powerful but to destroy, Larsa. I know this, and you know this."

"I will not be my brother." Larsa whispered, his hand still hovering over the stone, his head bowed so that his locks hid most of his face. "I will not fall into that temptation."

"But Larsa," It was Penelo now who spoke, her voice pleading and soothing at the same time. 'You are not your brother if you choose to sacrifice and take this power away from dangerous hands. You will be saving a lot of people. You will be doing good.'

'Will I?" Larsa asked now, staring at everybody in the room. 'Will I not be my brother after I do choose to take this nethicite away from the hands of Ortal or anybody else? Will I have the strength to relinquish this power in the end?"

'You will.' This time it was Basch who spoke and it was full of conviction. His green eyes stared hard directly at Larsa who had looked at him with surprise. 'You believe in the equality of your people. You will have the strength to give them that equality.'

Larsa met Basch's eyes and there seemed to be a silent conversation between them as their eyes locked. The young Emperor was silent for a moment, after breaking his gaze away from Basch as if that conversation had convinced him little and he had to think more on his decision. Sighing, he looked over to where Vaan, Penelo, Basch, and Balthier, around the room, where he himself was standing in the raised dais, slightly taller than all of them. His blue eyes met Fran's ruby red eyes as well, where she was standing opposite him on the other side of the pillar. In her eyes there was wisdom, cultivated over the years of experience with the world of Ivalice. She looked at him not unkindly.

'Tread softly in the realms of Day and Night,' was all she said before nodding at him deeply.

Larsa now closed his eyes, his mind full of indecision. It was unusual for him, to hesitate before making a choice, he had always known the right path, the right choice ever since he was younger and he did not know why he should falter now. He felt like he was trapped between a world of two evils and he was forced to choose the lesser of the two. Would he have the strength to choose and stand by that choice if time demanded it from him?

His hand hovered over the stone yet again. Risking yet another glance at his friends before he was to decide, he was surprised and more than a little relieved to hear Penelo whisper underneath her breath so that almost no one could hear her: "We'll be with you, as always." With those words, Larsa faced the pillar again and clasped his hand over the stone.

Nothing happened. As Larsa lifted the slightly glowing stone away from the pillar, nothing about them suggested that they had disturbed something that should not have been disturbed. There was no shaking of the ceiling threatening to collapse, no quaking of the earth to suggest the ground falling beneath their feet, nothing.

Vaan let go of the breath he did not realize he was holding. He was afraid something bad was going to happen. Something usually does when things like nethicite and other ancient objects were involved and he had had his fair share. He looked over at Penelo who had breathed a sigh of relief of her own before looking over to where Larsa stood, looking now with awe at the stone he held.

"See?" Vaan said with more than a bit of reassurance. 'No trouble has happened for you to regret taking the stone Larsa. It means you're meant to have it!" Vaan walked over and clamped a hand over at Larsa's shoulder. "Good job!"

"I beg to disagree." A voice behind them said followed by a cocking of a gun. 'Your trouble has barely started actually.'

XOXOXO

' There you are. I've been looking for you everywhere.' A deep rumble said as the Prince of Nabradia, now also of Dalmasca strode over to where a young woman was busy brushing the feathers of a golden yellow chocobo and was seemingly talking to it under her breath. She seemed intent on what she was doing and did not notice the Prince nor heard him approach.

The Prince himself stopped at the sight of his young wife looking relaxed and trouble-free for the first time since their marriage. Her light brown hair was falling across her face as she bent over the chocobo, intent in cleaning the bird thoroughly but instead of fussing over her hair, she merely threw her head back and continued on what she was doing. The Prince now wondered why his wife couldn't be this contented when dealing with matters of the state. She always seemed distracted, even discontented and she never smiled, as if her throne was a burden she was tired of carrying. Here with the birds, she was like a different person.

The Princess herself looked up after a while and was surprised to see her husband leaning against the door of the stables, looking at her intently but a small smile was flitting about his lips. She straightened up abruptly. She had not intended to be caught, by her husband no less, doing something that she was sure would have some cause for reprimand. As she straightened however, she had forgotten she was crouched under the chocobo in intent of brushing the underbelly of the bird, so when she straightened up, her head collided with bird feathers causing the chocobo to squawk in protest.

After soothing the bird and leaving it to the care of the stable master, the Princess strode over to her husband, bracing herself from the gentle chastisement she was sure that he was about to hear from here. What she didn't expect was he covering his mouth with a gloved hand and attempt to stifle chuckles.

"What?" she protested a bit annoyed. She knew it was not befitting of royalty to be caring for domesticated beasts, but she happened to like it. There was no need for his mockery of one of the only few things she loved to do and found pleasure in doing.

Prince Rasler however, as if noticing her annoyance, merely shook his head and offered an arm, a silent gesture that meant he intended to escort her to wherever she was to go. The Princess, after recovering from Prince Rasler's lack of defense, took his arm smartly and was silent.

The two walked in silence for a while, oblivious to the beauty of the gardens and the marble fountains that peppered the Royal Palace. The Princess was silent because she would not broach the subject if she could help it.

Finally, the silence seemed to stretch onto oblivion, for the Prince seemed adamant in not saying another word, so the Princess opened her mouth to speak.

"Is there a reason why you were looking for me?" she asked, as if he had not caught her doing something that was sure to bring some sort of admonishment not only from her father but from the Prince himself.

Prince Rasler meanwhile just smiled that small smile and with an incline of his head said in that deep rumble of his, "How are the birds?"

Princess Ashe looked up at his question. Her own grey eyes met his own slate-colored ones and did not detect any sort of malice, or mockery behind them. In fact, his eyes were really filled with curiosity and the question seemed innocent enough. She decided to humor him and answer his question.

What followed was an enthusiastic anecdote about the chocobos that the Prince, after getting lost on the technicalities of the methods of taking care of the birds, decided to just watch the way his wife talk, the way her eyes caught the light when she was excitedly talking about her passion. At first, he had provided adequate reactions when she paused to breathe, but pretty soon, even the Princess suspected and she abruptly stopped talking.

"What is wrong?" the Prince now asked, afraid that he had offended her somehow.

The Princess looked up the light in her eyes strangely extinguished and looking like her usual withdrawn self. "You were really not listening were you? I must have bored you."

That was the first time Prince Rasler heard the tinges of regret and sadness in his wife's tone that he oddly felt the need to comfort her. Reaching with his free hand, he gently tilted her chin so that he could meet her eyes once more.

"I was merely lost in the depths of your eyes," he said, and that was the truth. "What's more the passion behind your voice is much to be admired. How I wish you would show the same passion when it comes to your, pardon, our kingdom."

There was no sternness in his voice but the Princess felt the chastisement there. She looked away, suddenly aware of how childish she must have sounded, talking about the birds she loved so much. But no matter how much she wanted herself to be, no matter how much she willed herself, she was not her mother. She wished he could see that.

"Have you ever wished you could be someone else?" the Princess now asked, her voice barely rising above a whisper. She closed her eyes, afraid to meet his, as she was sure there would be no hiding the chastisement there anymore. Princesses should not even be thinking what she was asking him that moment.

But he said nothing, and the silence stretched enough to make her curious. She slowly opened her eyes and raised her head to meet his eyes. To her surprise, there was a deep understanding in her husband's grey depths, as if he knew the question beneath her words and he did not blame her. Instead, he raised one of his gloved hands and skimmed the back of his hand across her cheek, and shaping it against the side of her face, his touch gentle, the metal of his armored glove cool against her heated cheeks.

"When we are together,' he spoke steadily in a warm voice. 'We are simply Rasler and Ashe. You need not worry to be anything else but yourself.' the Prince dipped his head so he could meet her eyes. The Princess, though comforted by his words, could not find it in her heart to smile back. She looked away, in order not to falter under the scrutiny of his gaze.

"These roles we play," she whispered again, her voice full of sadness and longing. 'I must admit, I find it wearying."

This time the Prince's armored hand cupped Princess Ashe's chin to make her look at him with steady eyes. He smiled gently, the tips of his lips barely rising.

"I will play mine.' he said earnestly, telling her that it will be all right, and that she should have patience, and that no matter what would befall her, he would be there for her.

The Princess now felt her own smile grace her lips and held his hands in her own small ones. " I would have no other.'

This time, the Prince smiled a deep smiled that made his gray sparkle in silver and leaned in to brush his lips against hers. Somewhere behind them a chocobo squawked, but Princess Ashe was too preoccupied in the garden to notice.

XOXOXOXOX

Vaan turned around in disbelief. He was sure that was Balthier's voice that just threatened them. It couldn't be! Balthier was on their side! But sure enough, when Vaan and Larsa turned, Balthier was the one who spoke, and he had his Fomalhaut aimed directly at Larsa's head, though Balthier's face was as calm and as distant as ever, save for that characteristic small grin on his face.

"You're kidding me!" Vaan cried out in disbelief at his idol, aiming a gun at their heads, Balthier giving them the impression that he would not hesitate in shooting them if he fancied.

"So sorry Vaan," Balthier answered in that smooth voice of his. 'You do know I'm not particularly fond of jokes.' He grinned at them again before turning to Larsa. 'Now Excellency, if you would be so kind to hand over that stone there would be no need for blood,"

Larsa looked at Balthier steadily, his blue eyes full of an emotion they could not decipher. " What are you doing, Balthier?" he asked, his Archadian accent now prominent and echoing against the domed walls of the room.

Vaan recognized the voice and the look, it was the look Larsa used when he was trying to get his own way and Vaan was surprised that the young Emperor would even bother using it to Balthier. Somehow, Vaan despite the shock he was feeling coursing through his body, knew that Balthier would not even fall privy to Larsa's gaze.

Sure enough, Vaan was right. Balthier merely met Larsa's gaze head on, his own face betraying nothing, despite the small grin on his face, his Fomalhaut was still aimed directly at Larsa's head.

' Taking advantage of very advantageous situation, your Excellency." he interjected smoothly, cocking his head slightly to the glowing stone in Larsa's hand. "Could you blame me for doing so?"

"Are you mad, Balthier?" Basch ejaculated in a harsh voice, barely keeping in the anger and shock that would be evident in everyone's faces. Vaan was staring straight at Balthier, as if willing the older sky pirate to admit it was all an elaborate joke.

"Oh come on," Balthier chided gently, that smile still in place. His eyes scanned the faces of the other people in the area. "Must you really look surprised that I would pull a something as brilliant as this? I am a pirate after all." he gestured his free hand towards himself as he spoke.

"Fran?" Penelo, who had been quieted into shock turned her eyes towards Balthier's Viera partner. All eyes went toward the Viera who still stood on the other side of the pedestal where the stone was.

Fran, normally standing relaxed and almost indifferent to the most hume situations, was standing tensed and poised, as if anticipating an attack. Her eyes were unusually cold and the expression on her face was unreadable. She gazed at each of them with furtive and quick glances.

"Fran," this time it was Balthier's smooth voice that cut through the air and at once Fran relaxed. Her once shoulders slackened and in a few minutes, she was standing behind Balthier, but did not withdraw her weapon. Instead, she stood behind the sky pirate, hand on one hip and tossed her snowy white hair, just like always. She did not meet any of the others' eyes again.

"Fran," Penelo whispered, and everybody could hear the tears in her voice. Vaan turned around at once and placed a comforting hand around Penelo's shoulders, though he knew he could not provide comfort.

"It will be all right Penelo," it was Fran who answered, but there were no traces of comfort behind that lilting Viera accent.

"How can it?" Vaan asked angrily. "Do you even know what you are doing? Do you even know why you're doing this?" his azure eyes blazed in wrath as he met Balthier's eyes.

Balthier didn't even look up as he still aimed his gun at Larsa's head. "Let's not get into discussions about morals here Vaan. It's out of character for you." the pirate smiled at Larsa again. "Will you please give me the stone now? This doesn't have to end badly."

"I will not let that happen." Basch's gruff voice was also full of anger and he stepped forward, Zodiac spear in his hand ready for whatever fight it was going to. Balthier's eyes did the tiniest flicker towards Basch and his spear and grinned again.

"Always a fan of violence, Judge Majister." the pirate drawled, voice full of sarcasm. "It's no wonder people love to kill you."

Basch's growl had Balthier extracting another gun and pointing the other towards Basch.

"No! Enough!" Penelo's shrill voice echoed across the room. All the eyes flickered over to Penelo, save Larsa's, whose own blue eyes had not left Balthier's face.

" We're supposed to be friends!" Penelo said through clenched teeth. Tears were spilling over her the corners of her eyes. Her fists were clenched and her head bent; she was not looking at any of them. " We went through tough times together; we survived! After everything we've been through, how could you just forget that?!"

This time Penelo looked up, her tears free flowing. Her cheeks were red, and behind the anger blazing through her eyes there was a deep pain. A pain at seeing these people, these people she cared about fighting with each other, arguing about things that they should no longer be arguing about. Her eyes traveled towards Vaan who had looked over to her in concern, but the shock of a betrayal from his idol evident underneath his concern; Basch's face looked as if it were carved out of stone and Penelo glimpsed the man who was once trapped for two years in a cage both of his own making and a device of the Empire. Pure unadulterated anger had morphed Basch's face and Penelo could have shivered if she wasn't angry herself. The only faces that seemed to still bear calmness were the faces of Balthier, Larsa and Fran. Fran's detached demeanor was to be expected; she rarely displayed her emotions to Humes anyway. Balthier's calm was also understandable. After all, this was the man who barely flinched in decapitating Imperials during their assault at the sky-fortress Bahamut. This was the man who managed to avoid capture for the past four years and even then he talked about his life as if it were a mere toy. It would be no surprise that he would take betrayal to his friends, if he even considered them friends, into stride.

It was Larsa's calm that surprised Penelo, despite her anger. She knew Larsa was passionate not only by nature but in his beliefs. For him to act so calmly, to appear so calm in this situation that would undoubtedly put all of Ivalice in danger was something Penelo never saw before. But through her angry tears, through her disbelief at this fissure that was threatening to tear their group apart, Penelo saw the blaze in Larsa's royal blue eyes and saw the pain that he was trying to control.

It was Balthier again who interrupted her thoughts as he gave a sounding smirk and pointed both his guns at Larsa again.

"Your Excellency, the Stone if you please." Balthier said so smoothly, so easily, it was like he was asking Larsa to pass the sugar or some other condiment across the feast table.

This time, the young Emperor showed emotion but with the hint of a frown on his face. "What makes you so sure I will give it to you?" he asked with a cold voice that others who did not know him personally would definitely agree that he was Vayne Solidor's younger brother.

Balthier, at the answer Larsa gave also allowed a small bit of his mask to slip. A flash of irritation flickered in his hazel eyes before his lips quirked again to his characteristic grin.

"Let's put it this way, shall we?" He pulled one of his guns away from Larsa's face and brought it close to chest. "If you don't give me the stone peacefully, the Judge Majister wouldn't be the only one in pain." Balthier's eyes wer dead serious.

"What pain?" Basch's rough voice if it was possible became even rougher despite the confusion in the undertone.

Balthier merely quirked an eyebrow and without absolutely no warning, shot Basch in the leg, causing everyone to gasp in shock.

"That pain." Balthier simply said as if it were not blindingly obvious and that Basch was not grinding his teeth in the sudden pain that coursed through his leg where Balthier shot him. The only indication that something had changed in Balthier was that the casual grin of his had disappeared to be replaced by a frown. A deep frown.

Basch's shout of pain had jolted Larsa out of his own calm exterior. Without thinking about the other gun pointed to his own face and meant to step forward to help the his guard but another sound of a gun being cocked jerked the young Emperor up sharply.

This time there was no sound of a gun shot followed by the cocking of the gun, but the reaction was the complete opposite of his previous action. A deathly silence had suddenly permeated around the room, heavier than the sudden tension that had appeared once Balthier's true intentions were seen. The young Emperor looked up, this time expecting that Fran had at last taken her side clearer by drawing her own weapon to aim at him, but what he saw made him straighten up immediately, body suddenly tense and alert despite the sudden chilling of his heart.

Balthier was aiming the gun at Penelo.

Several things happened at once. Basch when he had seen that Balthier was aiming for Penelo, tried to stand and defend her as well, but all it did him was a shout of pain and him falling back down, his injured leg crumpling beneath his weight.

Penelo had frozen in place, for she too had been moving towards Basch before the gun was aimed at her, and now she stood stock still, unable to register that Balthier, a man whom she had come to regard as a friend, and perhaps may have even had a small inafatuation with, was aiming a gun at her, the same gun that minutes before did not hesitate in doing some damage to Basch's leg. She was shocked into place, her face draining in all color.

Vaan meanwhile, when he saw Balthier, his idol and mentor aiming a gun at his best friend, didn't hesitate. He growled loud under his breath and stood in front of Penelo unsheathing his Ultima sword in the process, daring the older sky pirate to shoot her. The shock that Vaan had felt at this sudden betrayal was still fresh, but his eyes betrayed nothing but pure anger.

"Leave her alone." Vaan growled underneath his breath and for once there was a sign of the fierce hunter underneath his tones. The hunter who would not hesitate in retaliating if it should come to bloodshed.

Balthier seemd unmoved. In fact, he merely cocked his head to the side, guns still pointed towards Penelo and Larsa and smiled again. "Really Vaan," he said in a condescending tone. "Do you really think you can stop bullets? Or do us some physical damage for that matter? Be reasonable."

Those last words seemed to snap the little control Vaan had. "You be reasonable!!" Before anybody could stop him, Vaan let out a great cry and charged towards Balthier, the Ultima Blade high above his head.

Then in a blur of movement, Vaan was stopped just inches away from Balthier, his expression torn between the still present anger and now more dominant astonishment. Balthier's face as well showed how surprised he was at what just happened.

For in that moment that Vaan charged and was about to hit Balthier with that ridiculously large sword of his, Fran had darted between Baltheir and Vaan, positioned herself in front of her partner and aimed at arrow at Vaan's throat even before anybody else could figure out what had transpired.

"No one need die today." The Viera spoke in a high clear voice betraying no emotion. Her ruby red eyes gazed deeply into Vaan's anger-filled ones and the warning was clear.

"Your Excellency." Balthier's voice cut through the tensed air again. There was no smile both on his voice and face now and his hazel eyes burned his seriousness and the barely controlled anger there. "The Stone now if you please. I'm getting rather tired in asking it from you and I might just have to take it by force." The sky pirate gestured wordlessly towards Vaan who was still held at arrow point by Fran and towards Penelo who still had Balthier's gun pointed towards her.

"If I give it you," Larsa whispered quietly but clearly so that everybody could hear. The other people in the room snapped their eyes over to Emperor Larsa who did not meet any in return.

"If I give it you," the Emperor looked up, his blue eyes blazing. "You will leave."

Those whispered words instilled several different reactions from those present. Penelo gasped her amber eyes widening swallowing her face, Basch, through the pain in his leg looked up at Larsa with calculating green eyes, Vaan's own blue eyes flickered towards the direction where Larsa stood, clutching the stone in his hands. Balthier smiled.

"I am Archadian of course." The sky pirate drawled, that smirk still evident on his face. "I must follow my Emperor even though I have become traitor." He cocked his head towards the Emperor in a mock-salute.

Emperor Larsa did not respond to the remark but merely repeated his previous words, his voice toneless, and his face expressionless.

"If you must take my fun away," Balthier merely replied, but there was no smile on his face now. Calmly, the sky pirate gestured towards Fran who in a fraction of a second, still held her defensive pose, straightened up and walked purposefully towards Larsa.

"Larsa..." Basch's growl was a warning, but Larsa held out one palm to indicate his own warning.

"Larsa...!" Vaan's panicked reaction was cut short by Balthier cocking his gun at the younger pirate, causing Vaan to lapse in another silence of shock and anger.

"Larsa," Penelo's whisper carried towards where Larsa stood, stock still, with the Viera equally rigid in stance before him waiting.

The young Emperor's blue eyes travelled towards where Penelo was still held hostage by Balthier's other gun. Blue met Amber and the silence grew. It was not Penelo who first broke the gaze.

Larsa looked up at Fran who stared back at him expressionless, her own ruby eyes betraying nothing. Then her lips moved and it sounded like she murmured something to Larsa that only he could hear. Larsa's response was his blue eyes widening, before the mask of stoicism was back on his face.

Slowly Larsa placed the dimly glowing stone in Fran's outstretched palm. Fran's long fingers clasped around the stone before she wordlessly strode back towards Balthier.

"Excellent." Balthier said monotonously, eyes still fixed towards where his guns were pointed.

"Our bargain?" Larsa's voice belonged to a much older man.

Balthier merely jerked his head again before looking towards Fran. An unspoken conversation transpired and Fran strode forward again, her free hand tracing unfamiliar patterns in the air.

"What are you doing?" Basch's voice was rough as he struggled to stand up despite his injury.

"My apologies," Balthier said in a dead pan voice, retreating further away from the domed room. He raised his gun to aim at some loose rocks in the ceiling. Vaan understood before anyone else did.

"They're going to cave the ceiling!!" he cried, panic racing through his heart and jerking him to action. Balthier's voice was lost at the rumbling of the cave walls.

"I'm trying to save you."

Vaan grabbed Penelo and Basch and pushed them away from the crumbling entrance as quickly as he could. Fran had retreated towards Balthier now, still tracing patterns in the air. The rocks fell on top of each other, one by one blocking the exit of the room away from those who would be trapped inside. Then Fran snapped her fingers.

Thin, green and cord-like slivers of Mist crept through the remaining spaces between the rocks. They wrapped around the people inside the domed room, and again Vaan understood the spell the Viera just released.

"TRAITORS!!!" was the last word that tore through Vaan's lips before unconsciousness took all of them.


a/n: Okay...okay,,okay...first of all, let me apologize for the LONGEST update wa ever...it's been a hectic few months and this is one of the toughest chapters I ever had to write...hopefully, updates will be quicker now...hope you guys are still with us!!

Love from the front lines,

Comet Wong =}