Final Fantasy XII 1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XII, it's characters and ideas, do not belong to me, not matter how happy it would make me if they did.

Note: Bizarrely, this story started because I associate myself with Fran and I was feeling a little bit dismal one day. This chapter was actually an afterthought when planning out how the story will go overall. I sense that it's going to end up being quite a long story. Odd how that happens, isn't it? I have a few chapters written, but the story has barely even started. Also, I'm not going to post more chapters unless I get reviews. I'm writing this for my own amusement, and I'm only posting it if it's going to be for someone else's entertainment, so tell me if you're reading this thing, okay?

Running

By Wei Jiangling

Chapter 1: Distaste

This is not me.

It was all Ffamran could think as he stared at his judge-outfitted form in the mirror. He failed to understand why his father had thought that this would make him happy. It was true he had been a near exemplary student up until then (with the exception of a few incidents that will not be mentioned, but what young boy doesn't play a few pranks on his fellow students and teachers?), but he had trained as a scholar, not as a judge. He wanted to be out in the world researching and exploring, not stuck in the capital filling who knows what despicable purpose. He frowned at the mirror. In actuality, he had no issue with the judges, but what he did have a problem with was being tied into someone else's service. He had just returned from his third full day of doing nothing but be ordered around by people of higher rank. It was almost intolerably frustrating. Right then and there, he made a decision. He would submit his resignation tomorrow and be done with this horrible job by the end of the week.

Sighing, he removed the infuriating costume and climbed into bed. How had his life ended up getting so out of hand? He sighed a second time, thinking of his father. What had turned the man to such madness? Ever since he began his research on nethecite, he had been nearly impossible to talk to. He was holed up in his laboratory day and night, never giving anyone or anything else a second glance. Ffamran's pleas for more attention had served only to get him a position as a judge at the unusually young age of fifteen. It seemed the man had assumed his son only needed something to keep him busy. It was quite a change from the loving father the boy had once known.

With a slight growl, Ffamran slammed his fist into his pillow. He hated this! He hated being a judge! He hated being ignore by his father! He hated being cooped up in this damned capital city! He smacked his pillow again and again. What did his father want of him, anyway? He had thought he wanted Ffamran to follow in his footsteps, but then he'd gone and made the boy a judge. What on earth was he thinking?

His raged subsiding, he flopped limply back down onto the bed and stared at the wall. What was he to do? He was out of reasonable options. Despite his original interest in it, his father's recent insanity had given him a bit of a distaste for the field of research. He certainly disliked being a judge, and he was even less fond of anything directly involving the military. He had half a mind to run off and become a sky pirate. Had anyone else been in the room, they would have heard a slight chuckle emanating from the vicinity of the pillow. That would irritate his father to no end, he imagined. With a smile on his lips and thoughts of gold a jewels in his head, he drifted off to sleep.

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Several months passed and Ffamran went back to his studies. As promised, he had resigned his position as a judge and focused only on a devoted path of learning. In truth, he was far less intrigued by science and histories than one might take him to be, though he generally found them suitably entertaining. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he hoped the dedication would make his father pay attention to him again. Any time he felt disheartened in this pursuit, he abandoned himself to fantasy as his research turned from practical matters to records of valuable treasures and other things of interest to a budding sky pirate. He never gave any serious thought to such information, which was precisely why he found it so relaxing. It was a fun little game he played with himself; a little bit of freedom from a life that demanded so much and gave so little. He feared that without at least some support from his father, no matter how much he studied, he would have trouble securing a decent form of employment. Even then, being holed up in a lab constantly like the renowned Doctor Cidolfus wasn't exactly an appealing prospect. But the scientists' son he was, and a scientist he would most likely become, at least if society had anything to say about it, and one thing everyone in Archades knew was that society would invariably have something to say.

He sighed, unable to concentrate on the book in front of him. He had been doing his best to while away the hours, but evening was fast approaching and he hadn't heard a peep out of his father all day. Had the man truly forgotten it was Ffamran's birthday? He had certainly never missed an important occasion before. The boy was forced to conclude that this was some poor attempt on the part of his father to surprise him, though the possibility seemed less and less likely with every passing minute. Could it be possible that he would actually forget? Ffamran knew his father was distracted and a bit peculiar recently, but he hadn't thought the man was quite that far gone. In that case, then, where was he? Unable to cope with waiting any longer, he went to search for his father in the most obvious place he could think of.

Sure enough, a knock on the door of the lab was met with a familiarly reluctant "Yes?" Ffamran cautiously opened the door, half expecting something to blow up on him (a fear he had held since he had knocked into a certain experiment of his father's as a young boy and barely avoided losing a hand). Nothing seemed particularly dangerous or out of place, though. His father sat at a desk, hunched over a pile of papers, intently examining a jagged chunk of nethecite.

"What do you need?" he mumbled, not even looking up to see who had entered. A surge of anger welled up in Ffamran's chest, but he suppressed it.

"How is your work going? He asked, careful to keep the acid out of his voice.

"Of, Ffamran," Dr. Cid turned toward the boy, his expression becoming ever so slightly softer. Ffamran relaxed almost imperceptibly. At least he knew the coldness of his father's original response to his arrival hadn't been directed at him intentionally. "My work is going well," the scientist continued. "I may not be back tonight, though. There are snacks in the cupboard if you get hungry." Ffamran's face fell.

"So you did forget," he muttered. A look of confusion passed over Cid's face. He peered quizzically at the boy.

"What did I forget?" he inquired gingerly.

"What day is today?" Ffamran responded, his voice taking on a perceptible edge. When his father did not respond immediately, he sharply repeated, "What day is it?"

"Wednesday?" his father replied hesitantly, obviously struggling to come up with even that much information. For Ffamran, that was the last straw.

"What is wrong with you?" he shouted, his hands clenching into fists. "What is so damn important that you've locked yourself away in here and hot given me a second thought for almost a year? What happened to the man who used to ask me how my studies were doing and was always waiting to give me presents on my birthday? Where did he go? I've put up with you ignoring me and never being home, but this is too much!" He paused to catch his breath and restore some semblance of calm. He looked at his father pleadingly. "I just want to know why you're acting like this. Please, just tell me why."

"I…" His father began, obviously taken aback, then paused as something seemed to call his attention away. "Please stay out of this Venat. This is between my son and I." He seemingly addressed the wall. Ffamran's anger faded briefly in favor of confusion.

"Venat?" He repeated, bewildered. There wasn't anything there as far as he could tell. Cid continued, seeming to grow more flustered with each word.

"I, I know, I realize… It's your birthday today, isn't it? I don't have anything for you, I… Please, Venat, be quiet. I'm sorry but… I don't have time for you right now. I'm too busy." Ffamran bristled.

"So that stupid rock is more important than your own son?!" He paused long enough to fix the scientist with a steely glare. "I guess I only thought I had a father." With that, he turned and ran from the room, slamming the door behind him. He couldn't have noticed through his own tears the wetness in his father's eyes, nor the faint whisper that followed his exit.

"I'm so sorry, Ffamran. Happy birthday, my son…"

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Note: I've discovered I find Cid an incredibly compelling character. I'm rather sad he probably won't be appearing again in this story.


	2. Chapter 2

Note: As promised, I got reviews, so you get another chapter. This is actually the first chapter I wrote. As I mentioned before, it really just came out of me kind of having a bad day and needing a catharsis. This was originally going to be the first chapter, but I want to flip back and forth between Fran and Ffamran/Balthier's perspectives, and I decided the next chapter would end up too long if I didn't split it. Anyway, here goes.

Running

By Wei Jiangling

Chapter 2: Distance

Thump. Thump. The sound of footfalls resounded in Fran's sensitive ears as her feet made contact with the hard ground of the Giza Plains time and time again. She was running, as she did every time she felt less than satisfied with her life. It could be so frustrating, living with the Humes. None understood her; the few who tried seemed to view her only as something to study. Most others treated her with disdain or fear, unwilling to accept what they knew little about. Those who were left were even worse. They were the ones who saw Viera as mere toys to be abused for their pleasure. Fran hated that kind of Hume most of all.

Most times, she simply went about her business, ignoring the unpleasantness of the life she had found outside the wood. But now and then there came a time when she could stand it no longer. On those days when she had received one too many spiteful comments, one too many frightened looks, one too many propositions—those were the days she dropped everything, picked a random direction and began to run. She frequently had no idea of where she was running, other than away. Away from her troubles, away from her present life, and away from irritating Humes.

As she crossed the plains, she noticed another set of footfalls approaching and, turning her head, discovered they belonged to a wild hyena. It was chasing her. She figured it had been attracted by her quick motion. Immediately, she took an arrow from her quiver and readied it in her bow. The hyena drew closer. Fran loosed her grip on the bowstring and the hyena halted abruptly as a narrow shaft of wood pierced its neck. Two more swiftly followed, causing the hyena to fall to the ground. Its breath was labored, and in a matter of seconds it breathed no more. Fran allowed a small smile to grace her lips. Slaying a few beasts was never bad for her mood at times like this either.

Feeling slightly better, she slowed her pace a bit. She had nearly crossed the Giza Plains and did not wish to get so far from the city that it would be difficult to return before sundown. Sighing, she looked up at the sky. It was clear with the exception of a few scattered clouds. Compared to the hustle and bustle of the city, it was peaceful. And yet, Fran found the emptiness of the plain very lonely.

"Why must the outside world be so cruel?" she inquired, to no one in particular. She sighed again. Lost in thought, she continued on, barely noticing as the Giza became the Ozmone. Through luck or design, the monsters that inhabited the area seemed to be leaving her alone for the time being.

Suddenly, she snapped back to reality. She had heard something, a faint voice in the distance. Thoughts of the wood flooded into her mind. She hadn't noticed how close to it she had become. Her pace picked up again as she forgot her earlier concern about getting too far away from Rabanastre. This time, she couldn't control her motion. It was as if she was being pulled by some intangible force. Maybe it was simply her excitement that did it. The wood was calling to her! It beckoned her to come home!

She ran and ran, footstep after footstep. She could barely contain her happiness. If she hadn't been running as quickly as she could, it was likely she would have been skipping instead, and that was something she did on only the rarest of occasion. There, she could see the entrance to the wood! She was home again. Pausing before the first trees, she opened her ears and heart and listened. She waited to hear what news the wood had for her. No answer came.

Of course, she thought, shoulders slumping. Why would the wood call to her now? Why would the wood call to she who had turned her back on her home years ago and never looked back until now? It was ridiculous, a stupid thought. Had she hoped so desperately to return that she imagined the wood's voice? With that simple imagined whisper, light had returned to her gloomy life only to dump her into a pit of despair. She slumped onto a nearby rock, looking at the sky. She could not venture farther. She was outcast. She knew the wood would not accept her.

Memories of her prior life washed over her. She could see her sisters' smiling faces as they had ventured out to the wood to play. She had been so happy in those days. Why had she desired anything else?

"Viera begin in the wood, but that is not the only end they may choose." That was what she had said to her older sister when she had left. She wondered now why she had chosen a different path.

Why could she not have remained content to wander the wood and live a life suited to a Viera? Why had she been so fascinated with these foul creatures known as Humes? She asked herself, and yet she knew the answer. The wood was not big enough for her. She was too inclined to explore. Before she was even fully grown, she knew the paths of the wood like the back of her hand. She knew every nook and cranny. She had even hidden things in them on occasion. She smiled a tiny, ironic smile as she remembered a time when she had taken one of her younger sister's prized possessions, a shiny stone she had found, and hidden it away somewhere in the wood. It had been intended as a game of hide and seek, but after searching only a few minutes Myrn had decided the game was no fun at all and cried until Fran went and brought it back. It was amazing how quickly she had recovered once the stone was back in her hands. The child's face had glowed as if she had been reunited with a long lost friend. Fran had never attempted that game again.

The smile faded from her face as she remembered her younger sister. Myrn… The child hadn't deserved the pain Fran's departure had put her through. She remembered Myrn hugging her tightly as she was preparing to leave.

"Why must you go, sister?" she had asked, through tears. "I don't want you to go. I'll miss you." Fran had lightly stroked the girl's hair.

"I will miss you too, Myrn," she replied softly. She pondered how to explain her situation to the distraught girl, then shook her head. "I'm a bad Viera, Myrn. The wood gives us everything we need, and yet I feel I need something more." Myrn looked up at her.

"What is it you need?" she asked.

"Adventure." Fran knew that the young Viera would not be able to understand. So few did. It was not something a Viera needed. A Viera needed only the gifts of the wood and the love and wisdom of her family and neighbors. Adventure was for those who were too headstrong for their own good. She had been warned many times with stories of Viera who sought adventure and died at the claws of strong forest creatures. There were few stories of those who had left the wood, as they were not allowed to return. "There are things I wish to know," she added. "Things the wood cannot teach me." Myrn continued to stare up at her sister. She looked as if she were heavily pondering Fran's words, a look of puzzlement on her face. After a moment, she seemed as if she had come to a descision.

"Then I'll go with you!"

"No, Myrn!" Fran replied, a good deal more sharply than she had intended. The younger Viera loosened the grip she had had on her sister and backed away slightly. Fran regained her composure and smiled slightly to let the girl know she wasn't angry. "No, Myrn," she repeated, kneeling to look the child in the eyes, "The outside is no place for a young Viera. You must stay here with Jote. She may seem as if she is only angry with me, but I know she will miss me too. You must be here for her. Besides, you have must learning and growing to do. You are a good Viera. You will be happy here. Stay in the wood with Jote. Will you promise me that?" The young girl bit her lip and nodded slightly, tears welling up in her eyes yet again. "Good girl," Fran said, patting her sister's head gently. It was all she could do not to lose her resolve at the sight of tears streaming down her sister's face. But she knew she could stay in the wood no longer. It was something she needed to do for herself, even if it hurt her sisters.

Fran regretted the decision now. "I'm sorry, Myrn, Jote," she whispered, though she knew her words could not reach them. Then she simply sat, unable to move from her position on the rock. She had no desire to return to the city. She wanted to go home! She missed it so terribly. But here she was and she could not go farther. So she was stuck, sitting there just outside the wood, contemplating her actions. How many years had it been since she had left? It was over forty, of that she was certain. Myrn was probably grown by now. And Jote would have succeeded their mother as village leader. So much would have changed, at least as much as anything changes in the wood, and she would have missed it all. Why, she thought, why could I not have just listened to my sisters back then? I would be home now, and I would be happier. Why should I have chosen this miserable life?

For the first time in her life, Fran felt as if she did not care what happened to her. She did not care who or what knew of her despair. She had made a mistake and she longed with all her heart to take it back, but she knew she could not. The life she had with the Humes could barely be called a life, and she would never see her sisters or hear the comforting words of the wood again. There was nothing for her now. Knowing not what else to do, she curled her knees to her chest and cried.


	3. Chapter 3

Note: Yay, longer chapter. This was fun to write. Incidentally, Kip is an original character because I decided there needed to be another moogle.

Chapter 3: Flight

His father was mad. Stark raving mad.

Ffamran could process no other coherent thoughts as he sat on the steps leading to Old Archades, his knees tucked against his chest. After the argument, he had gone back to his room and given his bed a few good kicks before packing a handful of items he thought necessary (as well as augmenting his finances somewhat from the hidden stash his father thought nobody knew about) and leaving for good.

The only problem was the decision had been so sudden that he had no time to contemplate where exactly he was planning to go. No brilliant ideas were coming to him, either. After wandering aimlessly about the city for a short while, he finally came to his present resting place to sit and contemplate just how insane his father had become. Who or what was Venat? Despite his assertions that his father was going crazy, he never thought it was to a clinical extent. He simply thought the man had suddenly become far too involved with his work. Apparently, though, the aforementioned insanity also involved hallucinations. Whatever was going on, Ffamran now had no hope of his father returning to normal. He barely recognized him anymore. The memories of a father that he once knew washed over him again, and he could barely force himself not to cry. He was alone now. He no longer had a real place he could call home. If he went back, all that would greet him would be an empty house and the smallest evidence of a man who abandoned his life and family to researching who knows what. No, that was not a home. He had no idea where he was going to go, but he did know this: back was not an option.

So lost in thought was the boy that he did not even register the presence of a somewhat frantic Moogle running up to him.

"Ffamran!" trilled a voice befitting of a creature who stood at the height of a Hume's knee. The boy registered his name barely enough to look at the one who had called him. He recognized the Moogle, but it took him a moment to produce the name that went with the adorably furry face.

"Nono," he finally concluded. "What's wrong?" The Moogle was obviously in a rush about something, and he couldn't imagine what business the small creature would possibly have in the slums. The Moogle nodded slightly and caught his breath, only to release it all again in a frantic stream of words.

"This man wanted an airship and then he didn't and it's beautiful but nobody seems to want it and they're going to scrap it if I don't find someone today to buy it and its such a waste kupo plus Kip will be mad at me because he built a lot of it and he and I were going to be the engineers for it and he doesn't want to see it go to waste either and I've been looking all over the city and nobody wants to help me I'll even pilot it if you can't please please." The moogle had only enough breath left to utter a nearly silent "kupo" and give Ffamran a desperately pleading stare. The boy simply stared back at him, causing Nono to wonder if he had been speaking so quickly that the words hadn't made sense. "Um, did you get that kupo? I can say it again slower…" Ffamran shook his head.

"How much?" he asked, matter-of-factly. The moogle's eyes went wide.

"R-really? You'll help me, kupo? Thank you!" Not thinking, he took a leap toward Ffamran and wrapped his arms around the boy's neck. "I'm so happy, kupo!" Ffamran jumped slightly, not having expected to be pounced upon. There was a brief pause.

"So… how much?" Looking embarrassed, Nono extracted himself from the boy's neck and dusted himself off.

"That, well…" He glanced around cautiously, apparently thinking better of talking too conspicuously about money in this area of town. He leaned over and whispered the price into the boy's ear. Ffamran frowned. It would take just about all he had. He mentally cursed himself for not taking the entirety of his father's secret money collection. Not like the man was going to need it as much as he would. Then again, he was going to have to find some source of income eventually, anyway. He peered uncertainly at the hopeful Moogle for a moment before nodding.

"Alright." Nono jumped around happily, restraining himself from giving his savior another flying hug. After finishing his odd little victory dance, he hopped off down the road, waving for Ffamran to follow.

"Come with me! You won't be sorry, I promise. Wait until you see the ship!" The boy stood up with considerably less enthusiasm and paused long enough to mumble something to himself before walking after the happily bouncing Moogle.

"Sky pirating it may be, after all."

The ship was indeed as beautiful as Nono had implied. Ffamran's eyes widened at the sight. He paused at the doorway of the hangar to take in the sight while Nono rushed ahead to greet another Moogle who was staring at the ship, dismayed.

"I found a buyer, kupo!" Nono shouted excitedly, causing the second Moogle to jump. The other Moogle turned around and his face lit up.

"Really?" The other Moogle grinned widely. "I knew you would, kupo." Ffamran was barely paying attention to the exchange between the Moogles as he imagined what this ship looked like on the inside and what extra modifications he would add to it when he was financially able. He had dabbled a bit in the field of airship design a while back, though he never expected to own one himself, particularly one this beautiful. How on earth would anyone want this ship scrapped? He did take note of the interaction occurring nearby just enough to suppose that the second Moogle was the previously mentioned "Kip," however.

"You don't know how much effort it took me, kupo!" Nono complained. "I was so out of options, I had to go search in the slums. I was about to completely give up hope, but then I found Ffamran, kupo." The other moogle nodded in acknowledgement then turned his attention to the Hume, moving toward him and holding out a small hand.

"I assume that would be you, kupo?" Ffamran nodded and shook the Moogle's hand. Despite having been to the aerodrome numerous times, he and this particular Moogle had never been introduced. He was apparently far calmer than his easily flustered companion.

"And you?" he replied.

"Kip," the Moogle answered. "Nice to meet you." He looked over his shoulder at the ship. "So what do you think? She's something, isn't she?" He glanced back at Ffamran hopefully. "You are still interested, right, kupo?" The Hume nodded, pretending to only be halfway interested.

"How much was it again?" he inquired. Kip hesitantly repeated the same price Nono had given. One thing that could be said for Moogles: most of them were painstaking honest. Most. "Sure that's a fair price for something that's about to be scrapped?" Kip looked indignant.

"Just because the person who asked for it didn't want it doesn't mean it's a bad ship, kupo!" He glared at the boy for a moment, then forced a calmer expression. "Plus. It's less than it would be normally."

"Hmm." Ffamran relpied simply, trying to think of the best way to get a bargain out of this. Looking around the room, he noticed it was empty aside from himself, the Moogles, and the airship. "Where is everyone?" he asked. This time Nono was the one to respond. He shrugged.

"It's late. They probably went home already. We're only here because we wanted to save our airship."

"That's right, you were going to be that ship's crew, weren't you?"

"We still will be if you buy it," Nono replied, nodding. Ffamran raised an eyebrow.

"No matter what I plan to use it for?" Nono and Kip looked at each other, then back at the Hume.

"What does that mean?" they asked simultaneously. Ffamran shrugged.

"Nevermind. Anyway, teach me how to work the controls. You might talk me into the price." Kip looked mildly suspicious, but nodded and gestured to Nono, who opened the ship's doors.

"This way," the Moogle at the ship called. Ffamran followed along with the other Moogle. Nono did the honor of closing the doors again once they were all safely aboard. The boy made his way to the control panel and took a seat. He looked around, taking in the scheme of the buttons and levers.

"Which one opens the hangar?" he asked, sounding mildly overwhelmed.

"Um… normally you have to contact for permission, kupo," Nono replied, but reached into his pocket, "But I have a remote." Kip opened his mouth to protest, but Nono had already pushed the button and the doors began to glide open. As soon as they were, Ffamran dropped his confused façade and masterfully started the ship and maneuvered it out of the hangar.

"Ahhh, what are you doing, kupo?" Nono screamed as he and Kip grabbed onto the nearest solid object for support. Ffamran just laughed in response. In all truth, though he had never actually piloted an airship, he was quite familiar with the controls. His father had long ago created a rudimentary flight simulator for use by trainees of the imperial fleet. The boy had made a bit of a hobby out of playing with it himself. He knew piloting an actual ship would be different, but he had enough confidence that he would be able to at least avoid getting them all killed. Besides, now that he was actually flying it, he was rapidly learning that what he had been playing with was a remarkably accurate simulation. Controlling the ship was considerably easier than he had expected. Kip was the first of the Moogles to regain his senses.

"What on earth do you think you're doing? You could have killed us, kupo!"

"I'm stealing the ship, what do you think I'm doing?" Ffamran replied, through bursts of hysterical laughter. Somehow, he never thought his first shot at being a sky pirate was going to be quite this easy. Or this fun. He could barely keep his laughter under control enough to focus on the controls. "Besides, do I look like a bad pilot?" Kip blinked momentarily.

"I guess you do seem to know what you're doing, kupo… You are aware that it's something illegal, though, aren't you?" The Moogle seemed nothing short of shocked by the calmness with which the Hume had just declared that he was stealing an airship.

"Trust me, I'm not that much of an idiot," the boy replied, his laughter subsiding to occasional giggles. Though given the fact that he just stole an airship with two Moogles on it and earlier today he hadn't even decided on being a sky pirate, he wasn't exactly sure he was a genius, either. Nono, who had been struck completely speechless, looked back and forth between the Hume and the other Moogle.

"What should we do?" he finally inquired of Kip. Ffamran had never struck him as the type to do something like this. The other Moogle pondered for a moment, then nodded resolutely.

"We stay with the ship. That was our job, and we're going to do it, kupo." He was silent for a moment, then added with noticably less confidence, "I guess we just have to hope this lunatic doesn't get us killed or arrested." Nono blinked at his partner.

"Are you serious, kupo?" He looked at his companion, who shrugged, then at Ffamran, who was a little too focused on the control panel to respond. The Moogle sighed slightly and hopped into the seat next to Ffamran's. "Alight, then where are we going, kupo?" The boy didn't respond for a moment. Again, he hadn't exactly thought about that. Obtaining an airship had been sort of a spontaneous decision to begin with.

"Wherever I feel like landing," he replied finally. Nono stared at him for a moment, then shook his head.

"Here's to hoping," the Moogle muttered.

Ffamran flew around for a while until he found a section of plain large enough for him to be confident he could land safely and isolated enough that he doubted anyone would be around who might have any idea about the stolen airship. Once he had landed, he turned to the Moogles, who had stopped quivering in fear, but still didn't precisely seem comfortable.

"I apologize for not talking with you a bit more. I've never piloted a real airship, so I had to focus on the controls." Kip looked like he was going to faint.

"You what, kupo?" Ffamran scratched his head, embarrassed.

"I learned on a flight simulator," he admitted. Thinking back on it, that whole stunt had been incredibly stupid, not that he could say he regretted it. It had certainly gotten his mind off of his problems at home, anyway. And besides that, it had been really damn fun. The Moogles stared at him in disbelief.

"I'm so glad you didn't tell us that sooner. I would have had a heart attack, kupo," Nono told him. "I didn't think you'd ever piloted before. I thought maybe I was wrong, but I guess not, kupo. That was really impressive for never doing it before, kupo." Kip nodded slightly, looking like he was going to have a heart attack anyway. Ffamran smiled at him.

"Relax, okay? We landed safely, and I want you to help me get an even better sense of this thing before I try that again, so don't worry." Kip just nodded again, the expression on his face blank. The boy stretched, noticing for the first time how stressful that experience had actually been. Getting out of the ship sounded like a very good idea to him at the moment. "I'd like to go take a walk," he commented, peering at the Moogles. "You promise not to take the ship back and leave me here, right?" Nono blinked a few times.

"You think we could take it back now? They'd think Kip and I stole it, kupo!" Another dazed nod from Kip. Nono looked mildly concerned as he nodded his head toward the other Moogle. "Besides, I think you broke him. It'll probably take me a while to get him out of shock, kupo. Anyway, I'll be here, and I think Kip will feel the same way. This is our ship, too, and he and I are a team, kupo" Ffamran nodded.

"Thanks. And I am sorry for tricking you earlier. I won't make a habit of it. You are my crew now, after all." He meant what he said, but could only hope that the Moogle would believe his words. He hadn't precisely proven himself trustworthy just then. The Moogle gave him a smile and a nod.

"Alright." He looked at the boy seriously for a moment, contemplating. "I know it sounds crazy after what just happened, but… I trust you. Someday, you are going to have to tell me what possessed you, though, kupo. That's not something the Ffamran I've met before would have done." The boy gave a small, nervous chuckle.

"I'll give you that," he replied, "It's not something he would have done." With that comment, he left the bewildered Moogle to deal with his shocked companion and hopped out onto the open field.

The last bits of sunlight were still hanging in the sky, but it had gotten pretty dark. Looking around, he was surprised to find that he could just make out the shape of a person in the distance. What was someone else doing out here at this hour? He cautiously snuck a few steps nearer, making as little noise as possible so as not to be noticed. Upon closer inspection, he found that the figure in question was a Viera. He had never seen a Viera is person before, and while it may have been due to the sheer exoticness of the sight, he couldn't help but think she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. The fact that she was wearing only a scant amount of clothing could only add to the effect. If only she wasn't curled up crying, he might be able to see her better. He mentally chided himself for that horribly selfish thought and approached her. She didn't seem to notice him coming, but that was hardly surprising since she seemed in about the same state he had been earlier.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently. The woman was visibly startled, for which he immediately felt guilty. "Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you." She took a moment to regain her composure.

"Does it matter?" she finally replied, looking away.

"Well, no, I suppose not," he replied, "But I would like to know." He wondered briefly why he seemed to have such a strong desire for this stranger to cheer up. Was it because he felt an association with her, having been in the exact same emotional state earlier that day? Or was it just because he found her attractive and he was being selfish again? In any case, he wanted to do something for the miserable-looking Viera in front of him. She peered back at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Who are you?" she asked. Somehow, he was taken aback by the question. It wasn't that it was a difficult question, but more that he just didn't quite know the answer. Even Nono, who barely knew him, had pointed out that he wasn't the same person he used to be. He had little desire to be that person, either. Ffamran was a boy who tried too hard to get his father's attention, only to completely fail in the end. He was no longer that. He refused to be. He was on his own, taking charge of his life. He smiled at how much that thought appealed to him.

"I play the leading man," he replied.


	4. Chapter 4

Note: Apologies for the slow updates. This has been written for a while actually, but I have a rather poor and unstable internet connection at the moment.

Chapter 4: Feelings

"I play the leading man." Somehow, she had not expected the young Hume to introduce himself in such a cryptic manner. She also was not precisely in the mood for trying to decipher the intentions of a cryptic Hume at the moment, though he seemed quite content to be a perfect enigma.

"You are an odd one," she told him, a bit snappishly, then again buried her face in her knees and tried her best to ignore the Hume's presence, hoping he would depart and leave her to her misery. Unfortunately for her, this boy seemed to be persistent on top of cryptic. He was still standing there watching her a few minutes later. She sighed. "What is it that you want of me?"

"I want you to feel better," he replied as if this were all perfectly normal behavior on his part, "and if you'll pardon the cliché, I'm rather curious what a beautiful girl like yourself is doing in a place like this." She examined him for a moment, eyebrow raised. Her years of experience with Humes had taught her to be at least cursorily wary at the delivery of such a remark, though in this case she suspected that the Hume was quite sincerely curious. Knowing not how to explain her situation, nor having a particular desire to give her life story to a perfect stranger, she turned away and sighed again.

"What does a Hume care for the feelings of a Viera? You would not understand even if I told you," she remarked. It was true, was it not? Granted, no one had ever seemed especially interested in her before (at least not in the way the boy standing before her seemed to be), but even so… a Hume could not understand the feeling of being separated from one's life and home, unable to return, the way a Viera felt when she had left the wood. It was simply impossible, she decided. Noticing that the boy was still there, she turned back to him. "Why do you not leave?"

"I already told you, I believe."

"And I already told you that you would not understand." She was beginning to become annoyed with this oddly persistent Hume. Certainly, any other person would have given up and left by now, so she could be alone to sort out her thoughts. Why would this boy take it as his job to cheer her up? It made absolutely no sense in the Viera's mind. "For what reason do you wish me to feel better?" she decided to ask. The boy paused for a moment, looking strangely perplexed. He gave a small, embarrassed-sounding laugh.

"I'm not sure I know, myself." Regaining his prior confidence, he added, "Perhaps because it's the leading man's job to help the damsel in distress."

"Well, I do not need your help, thank you," she replied, perhaps a bit more quickly than would have been socially proper, not that she much cared. Apparently, the boy was helping her out of some bizarre self-inflicted sense of duty. Either that, or this was some incredibly odd attempt at courtship (of which Humes' variations tended to confuse her anyway). She honestly couldn't tell, nor did she feel particularly inspired to try. Few things made sense to her at the moment, and this boy was certainly not helping.

"Or perhaps it is just because a lady shouldn't have to cry," he ventured, reaching forward, probably to wipe the trails of tears off of her face or some such. She swatted his hand away.

"Don't touch me!" she commanded. "Leave me alone." He immediately backed away.

"My apologies, that was too forward of me." The tone of his voice and expression on his face led her to believe that what he said was sincere. Even so, she gave him a harsh look.

"Good, don't do it again." Despite her general irritation, she was beginning to take a vague interest in the boy. He seemed different from any Hume she'd ever met. At the very least, he seemed to acknowledge that she had feelings. Her expression softened a little. "I apologize as well. You have done nothing wrong. I just would rather be alone for now, if that is alright." This, the boy seemed to understand.

"I'll leave you be, then. Sorry to bother you." He took a few steps away, then turned back. "Could I have your name, at least?" She looked him over for a moment, deciding whether his apparent difference from other Humes she had met was sufficient to merit knowledge of her name. She came to the conclusion that he had not given her his name and despite any significance this brief interaction may have had (which the Viera estimated was very little in the grand scheme of things) he was still a complete stranger.

"My name is something I give to a precious few," she replied, then added in as reassuring a tone as possible, "It is nothing personal." The boy nodded, and Fran could tell he was attempting to mask a look of disappointment.

"I understand," he replied simply, then walked off into the distance, though she noticed that he turned to look back at her every once in a while, and stopped before he was completely out of sight. She noticed for the first time that there was an airship in that general vicinity as well, which the boy climbed into a few minutes later. She chided herself for having been so lost in thought as to not notice something as noticeable as an airship landing at such proximity. Having time to think again, she soon came to the conclusion that she had little left to think about. The short interaction she had had with that strange Hume had been enough to pull her out of the desire to wallow in her own misery. Idly, she wondered how long she had been sitting there. Her awareness of the passage of time as the light had faded about her was vague to say the least. Yet again, she sighed. What a waste of a day, not that she didn't have many, many more left to live and little of import left to do. She had already forsaken the life that gave her purpose. But it did her no good to sit here and contemplate things past. Then again, the thought or returning to life in the city right at this moment did not strike her as an appealing option, either. She again turned her gaze toward the airship.

That boy… He was unlike other Humes. He did not seem to think of her as an object. It had surprised her. Other Humes treated her as something to be studied, something to be used. It was even more odd considering his clothes and manner gave away a level of high-class breeding, a type she associated with even more distrust, if anything. If that wasn't enough, he seemed to be in possession of a private airship. She truly could not fathom what a rich boy was doing in the middle of the Ozmone plane at night trying to cheer up a depressed Viera. Yes, he certainly was a strange one. She briefly entertained the idea of paying the boy and his airship a visit. Perhaps she could travel Ivalice with this Hume who seemed more receptive to her than any prior. Smiling faintly, she shook her head. It was an amusing thought, but she knew it was not to be. Besides, who was to say he truly was different from any other Hume. First appearances could without a doubt be deceiving. Even so, it was a pleasant thought, as well as one that sparked a small flicker of hope for her.

"I suppose I should thank you, young Hume. You seem to have gotten your wish," she uttered softly, knowing that the words would never reach his ears. Deciding her mood had improved enough that she could deal with returning to her generally unsatisfactory life, she stood and began the short journey back to Rabanastre.


	5. Chapter 5

Note: I couldn't resist taking the shot at the Japanese version. You'll understand when you get to it. By the way, I love the Moogles.

Ch. 5: Naming

"I'll leave you be, then. Sorry to bother you." Ffamran took a few steps back, suddenly feeling remarkably awkward. He was not at all sure what had possessed him to persist in annoying the poor women when she obviously did not wish to be bothered. It would seem that what began as very bad sixteenth birthday had turned into a very good day for acting on impulses that previously would not have even occurred to him. When he had a chance, he was going to have to think through all this and sort out whether or not he thought that change was a good thing. In any case, it was time to return to the airship. He had certainly worn out his welcome here, and he did need to check to see if the Moogles who were now his crew were alright. He took a few more steps away, then turned around to make one last inquiry before leaving.

"Could I have your name, at least?" He asked. He realized he hadn't asked it, and felt it was only proper, though he technically still hadn't introduced himself either. Not that he was entirely sure he wanted to be called by his name anymore.

"My name is something I give to a precious few. It is nothing personal," she replied. The boy nodded again. Her tone let him know she was speaking honestly.

"I understand," he said quietly, doing his best to hide the disappointment he felt as he turned to leave. Even though he knew there was nothing he could do for her and in all likelihood he would never see her again, he couldn't help but look back at her once he had gone a distance. He still was lacking any real understanding of what exactly was drawing him to her. Without a doubt, she was beautiful, but that wasn't the only reason. Somewhere, in the depths of his consciousness, he really felt like she would be someone he would get along with well, despite a complete lack of any evidence for or against that assumption. Noticing that she was looking back at him again, he quickly turned and made his way back to the airship, taking a few moments to make another vain attempt at analyzing his own actions before climbing back inside.

"Welcome back, kupo," a perky voice he identified as belonging to Nono greeted him. "Have a good walk?" Ffamran didn't look back at the dark-furred Moogle as he muttered a reply.

"I suppose…" Nono cocked his head to one side.

"Something wrong, kupo?"

"How's Kip?" he inquired, avoiding the question. That was a far more pressing matter, anyway. He had felt a good deal responsible for putting the poor Moogle in a state of shock. Nono smiled at Ffamran and gestured for him to follow.

"He's fine. He's this way." The Moogle led the boy to a room a distance back from the cockpit, where Kip was sitting at a small, centrally placed table, sipping a cup of what appeared to be tea. Ffamran briefly wondered at the fact that this airship seemed to have come equipped with tea, and wondered what other kinds of miscellaneous supplies he was going to find upon further inspection. He was generally relieved to note that the tea-drinking Moogle seemed to have regained at least some of his cognitive processes, though he still looked a little bit dazed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked the lighter-furred Moogle softly, taking a seat at another chair beside him. The Moogle peered up at the Hume and blinked, obviously trying to force his thoughts into coherence.

"Well, aside from being kidnapped by someone who had never piloted an airship before, I seem to be doing perfectly fine, kupo." His voice sounded sleepy, though it was easy to detect a certain sarcastic edge to it. Ffamran peered back at him.

"I am sorry," he replied, unsure of what else there was to say. The Moogle at the table merely shot him a look of skepticism. After a brief silence, Nono decided to make an attempt at satisfying his curiosity.

"So why did you do it? You said you would tell me, kupo." The Moogle watched Ffamran expectantly.

"Ah, yes, that," the boy began. "A story for another day, I'm afraid. Suffice it to say I had a falling out with my father and it seems to be making me do a number of things that confuse me probably as much as they confuse you. In any case, I've decided to give up my old life and start on a new one. By the way, I need a new name." The statement, he realized, sounded a bit abrupt, but the prospect had been bothering him ever since the Viera had asked him who he was.

"What's wrong with Ffamran?" asked Kip. The boy shrugged.

"Nothing. But it's a name for my old self. I'm not really him anymore, nor do I want to be. So I just want to be called something else."

"How about Toggi?" Nono offered. "That's a nice name, kupo." Kip looked at the other moogle as if he had suddenly grown a second head.

"That's a Moogle name, silly. He needs a Hume name, kupo. Though I still find this whole business of renaming oneself a bit strange, kupo." Nono looked embarrassed and scratched at his ear as he pondered. The tea-drinking Moogle continued, "How about something descriptive, like Ship-snatcher or Crazy-man?"

"Now, now, no need to be mean. I said I was sorry," Ffamran reminded him. The Moogle in question pouted and turned his head with a slight "hmph." The boy decided it was best not to bother with any more of that discussion and went back to thinking about possible names.

What do you think of Alvar?" he offered, throwing out the first thing that popped into his head that sounded even mildly decent to him. The suggestion was met with two furry looks of disgust.

"Not you," Nono replied, though he couldn't really have a very good concept of what was particularly fitting of the Hume. Kip just nodded in agreement, though it was difficult to decipher whether he did it based on an opinion or simply to disagree with Ffamran.

"Well, do you have any other suggestions?" the boy prompted. Kip turned his gaze back toward the Hume.

"Are you sure you want suggestions from me, kupo? I'll have you know I don't especially like you so far." The Moogle crossed his arms and watched the Hume's reaction, which happened to be a small smile.

"That means there's hope then," the boy replied, raising one eyebrow slightly. He was beginning to wonder if the Moogle would be determined to hate him forever. The Moogle looked confused.

"What, kupo?"

"You said 'so far,'" Ffamran explained. "That means I still have a chance at making you like me. Obviously, I didn't expect you to be overly fond of me, having just stolen your ship and all. Then again, I should point out that I did save her from being scrapped. You must be awfully fond of the ship, or I doubt you'd stay around someone you dislike as much as you seem to dislike me." The Moogle nodded.

"My pride and joy, kupo. I built her, in large part." Kip seemed to contemplate something for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I'll give you a second chance. I still don't like you, though, kupo." The Hume nodded.

"Fair enough. So about the name." The Moogle thought for a moment.

"You could do something more similar to your name now, kupo," he suggested. "Like rearranging the letters or saying it backwards." He took a moment to mentally swap around the sounds in the boy's name. "Then again, I suppose Narmaff doesn't really sound like a name, kupo."

"Not especially, no," the Hume agreed, cringing slightly.

"Francis?" the Moogle tried again. Nono looked neutral and simply shrugged, deciding he wasn't very good at this game anyway. Ffamran cringed again and shook his head.

"No, thank you." He thought for a moment again. "Balthier?" It was certainly the best thing that had been offered thus far. The Moogles thought for a moment, looked at each other, then back at Ffamran, then nodded simulataneously.

"I like it."

"Me too, though…" Nono pondered for a moment, "I think maybe Balflear sounds a little better, kupo." The boy was silent for a moment, then chuckled slightly. This Moogle was perhaps not the best choice for someone to consult about a name.

"Let's go with the version I suggested, if that's alright with you."

"It's your name, kupo."

"Balthier it is, then." The boy smiled, rolling the name over in his mind a few times. It would take him a while to undo sixteen years of thinking of himself as Ffamran, but overall he thought Balthier was a name he could live with. "Well, now that that's out of the way, would either of you mind giving me a rundown of the ship? I have a general idea of the controls as you might have noticed, and I assume this room is a kitchen, but the finer details escape me at the moment." Both Moogles nodded, though in the case of Kip it seemed more of a gesture toward the other.

"Would you mind giving… Balthier a tour of the ship, Nono? My head still hurts, kupo," asked the Moogle at the table.

"No problem, kupo," Nono replied, bouncing his way to the room's entrance. "Come with me, kupo. I'll show you around, and then we'll go over the controls." Ffamran, who quickly reminded himself that his name was now Balthier, nodded, standing up and following the Moogle out of the room.

The two of them spent several minutes walking around different areas, Balthier noticing for the first time just how large the ship actually was. Nono happily pointed out the function of each room as they passed, passages that were specifically for the Moogles to be able to get to various parts of the machinery, where the engine was in relation to everything else, and a number of other details that the Hume only managed to understand due to his being brought up around assorted scientific concepts. Despite the Moogle's constant perkiness and deceptively childish manner, there was certainly nothing one could say against the small creature's intelligence. Balthier found it admirable. He could tell he was going to enjoy having this Moogle as a member of his crew.

"This room is another bedroom, there are three total, though they aren't very big as you can tell. This one is the biggest actually, so I guess it can be yours, kupo." The Moogle paused and glanced around. "I think that's about it, kupo. Just ask me if you forget where anything is. Do you still want to go over the controls, too?" Balthier stared blankly at the Moogle for a moment. He had forgotten he'd been planning to learn all that, too. His brain was already swimming in technical information.

"Ah, perhaps not tonight," he replied. "It's been a long day. I think my head might explode if I try to shove any more new information into it." Nono nodded, but concernedly watched the Hume for a moment, as if attempting to decide whether or not the Hume's head was actually in danger of exploding. "Don't worry, I'll be fine," the boy assured the dark-furred Moogle, who nodded again, looking vaguely relieved. Glancing toward the door beside him, the boy added, "I think I'm going to turn in. Say goodnight to Kip for me, would you?"

"Sure thing, kupo," the Moogle chirped in reply. "Have a good night, Ffa--Balthier. That's hard to get used to, kupo." The Hume laughed.

"You can say that again. Imagine what it's like for me." He figured the Moogle was trying to do just that, as his furry face suddenly looked terribly vexed and possibly a little dizzy.

"Why did you want a new name again, kupo? I don't think I'd ever get used to people calling me anything but Nono." Balthier shrugged.

"It seemed appropriate," he replied, then his voice took on an edge of the anger he had felt earlier that day, "Besides, I'd rather have as little as possible to do with anything having to do with my old life." Noticing the Moogle seeming yet again concerned, he softened his tone and added, "My having known you previously excluded, of course."

"That's a relief, kupo. You still owe me an explanation of what happened, by the way." Balthier nodded, but waved a hand dismissively.

"Later, later. I want to sleep."

"Alright, kupo. Have a good night." With a nod, the Moogle bounced off down the corridor. The Hume silently marveled at Nono's seemingly boundless energy, though he figured it could be at least in part attributed to the fact that the ship had been saved, albeit in a rather unseemly manner. Once the Moogle had disappeared from sight, the boy entered the room and flopped down onto the bed, which he discovered to be surprisingly comfortable. He hadn't quite realized how exhausted he was. It occurred to him that he had probably been running on excitement for the past several hours. Looking back on it, it had been a very long day. Having completely lost any sense of time, he questioned what the hour was. Unfavorably late, he was sure.

Making some vague attempt at analyzing the day's events, he found his thoughts scattered. They flipped moment to moment between his father, the airship, the moogles, what his first real aim for loot would be, how strange it was that he seemed to have suddenly found himself a sky pirate, and the Viera he had met in the field. Somehow, the latter of the bunch became a favored subject. Though he bided a few minutes idly wondering if and when he would ever meet the mysterious woman again, he discovered he had absolutely no trouble drifting off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: I've actually written a bunch more of this thing, but stopped posting and stopped writing it because I sort of felt like the characterizations were falling apart. Since people want to read it, I'll go ahead and post up the rest, but no guarantee that this will ever be finished. Maybe if people really bug me to keep posting, I'll figure out something to do with it, but no promises. In any case, you'll all have a good deal of reading to do before you get to the end of what I had already written. Enjoy.

Ch. 6

Fran awoke to the general sounds of Rabanastre hustle and bustle outside the window of the room she had managed to more or less permanently reserve in a local inn. She groaned quietly as she rolled over, debating whether or not she was tempted to simply go back to sleep. Yesterday's expedition had left her rather emotionally drained and she had not yet quite regained the level of tolerance necessary for wandering about the city. After a few minutes of rolling to and fro in a vain attempt at blocking out the sunlight, she came to the conclusion that going back to sleep was simply not going to be an option.

Sighing, she rolled out of bed, donned the few extra bits of her clothing she deemed too uncomfortable to sleep in, and wandered out into the city. The quandary of what she planned to do for the day barely had a chance to nag at her as she nearly immediately heard someone calling her name as she stepped out onto the street. Turning around, she noticed another Viera she recognized as Krjn of the city's hunting club. Despite the bond of them both being Viera and generally friendly terms between them, the two did not often converse, and Fran wondered what the other Viera wanted.

"Ah, Fran, I am happy to have found you," the other commented when she had gotten close enough for normal conversation. Fran shot her a curious glance.

"You were looking for me?" It was even more unusual for the other Viera to seek her out specifically. Krjn nodded.

"Yes. Well, I was looking for someone and that seems to have become you, provided you are interested. Someone has posted a hunt I would like to answer, but I fear it may be a bit too much for me alone. Others of the hunt club are either busy or disinterested. I know you can fight. Would you care to join me?" Fran peered at the other Viera for a moment, then decided it would be pertinent to get some questions answered.

"Where and what is this hunt of which you speak?" she inquired.

"Right, that would be important. It is in the Zertinan Caverns. An unusually large Mallicant has appeared there. I know little else, as I have yet to speak to the petitioner." She appeared somewhat apologetic, though her gaze was still hopeful and generally excited. Fran pondered a moment, then nodded her consent.

"It is true that I have nothing better to do. As long as you do not ask me to follow you to Golmore Jungle, it is fine with me." The other Viera laughed, though her chuckles carried a mild tone of sadness.

"Even I do not dare enter the Wood now that I have left it." Fran simply nodded again, fully understanding the sentiment.

"Allow me a moment to go and get my bow." With that, she headed back inside to her room and gathered her bow, arrows, and a pouch of anything else that struck her as potentially necessary at that moment, then returned to where Krjn was waiting for her.

"Shall we go, then?" the other Viera seemed vaguely impatient.

"I am prepared now." Hunts were usually of no particular interest to Fran, except when she was in need of money, but this was a favor to a friend, as much as the word applied. Though in this case, she was also in need of a distraction. "To whom must we speak?"

"Follow me." The other Viera gestured to match her words and walked off down the street. Fran, of course, followed. The silence between them as they walked left Fran to fall into her own thoughts. Yesterday had been an unusual day for her. Not often did she think quite so strongly of her past, though it quietly tore at the back of her mind even at the best of times. And then there was that boy. She did wish he had given her some better description of himself than 'leading man,' as she was now forced to think of him as 'that boy.' Though she supposed it was only fair as to him she was sure she was called 'that Viera.' If he even thought of her at all. She could never be sure what events would stick in a Hume's memory. It truly made no sense to her. Viera did not select as Humes seemed to what memories to store and what to discard. They remembered everything, just chose not to spend the time or effort to contemplate most of it. Though in Fran's case, she occasionally wished she had this strange ability to make certain memories disappear.

As she walked, Fran took in the sights around her. Krjn was apparently leading her in the direction of the eastern city gate. She supposed that made as much sense as any other direction, as she did not know who they were seeking. All around her, Humes milled back and forth, in and out of doorways, going on with whatever they were doing. Fran still wondered at the franticness of the Hume lifestyle as compared to that of the Viera. Humes seemed to find it necessary to always be in motion. On some level, it was that which made them akin to her. She had always had more of a need for activity than others in her village. On the other hand, she suspected the typical Viera habit of sometimes resting in the same area of the Wood for days on end would utterly confound the frenzied Humes, while it seemed a perfectly normal practice to her.

Among the bustle, she thought she spotted in the periphery of her vision the form of the boy from the night before. She turned to look, but the figure had already disappeared through the door of a weapon shop. Had she not been en route to somewhere, she may well have been tempted to peek into the weapons shop to see if it was truly him that she had spotted. As it was, she assumed it must have been her imagination, and even if he was there, she had no reason to follow him. He would probably not even recognize her. Humes seemed to have some difficulty in differentiating Viera, only accentuated when said Viera had only been seen in poor lighting. She somehow failed to notice, or perhaps intentionally ignored, that she was putting an unusual amount of effort into mentally justifying the fact that she hadn't just broken away to follow the figure who may have been that boy into the weapon shop.

"Aha, I've found him," Krjn exclaimed, shaking Fran out of her thoughts. The other Viera approached a man Fran could only assume was the petitioner. Following only half-interestedly, she heard her partner say,

"So what information do you have regarding this unusual Mallicant?"


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7

Balthier awoke refreshed, but perhaps even more confused than he had when he fell asleep. He decided his father's madness must be of some contagious form, or he doubted he would have stolen an airship on a whim without any thought to what was going to happen next. It wasn't precisely that he regretted the decision, as the life of a sky pirate sounded far more interesting than anything Archades would have handed to him, but he somehow found his own motivations mildly perplexing. Much as he had used the thought sky piracy as an amusing escape from his life, he had never thought about it in any serious sense. And yet, here he was, now an airship thief. After several minutes of rolling the previous days events about in his head and managing to tie them in several knots, he decided to give up and go see if the moogles were awake.

They were indeed, and it turned out that Nono had even prepared breakfast and had been fussing over it to prevent it from getting cold while he awaited the Hume's arrival. Kip was even remarkably happy to see Balthier, if only to make the darker-furred Moogle stop whimpering about the consistency of the biscuits. Admittedly, the boy felt bad for making the Moogles wait, but he found the scene upon his arrival far too amusing to truly feel any guilt over the whole situation. Besides, they hadn't told him they were going to make breakfast, nor that they were especially early risers.

After enjoying what Balthier thought was a rather satisfactory meal (and making sure to express his compliments to the chef, who was watching him nervously the entire time), he made his way to the cockpit and began going over controls in detail with the Moogles. Kip seemed in a better mood when discussing the capabilities of what the Hume realized he would always consider _his_ airship, though he still seemed a bit reluctant to let the boy touch anything. Balthier felt the need to remind him several times over that even without Kip's special training he had managed to fly the ship here and land it safely. Once both Moogles were passably confident that Balthier could in fact tell the button that started the engine from the one that turned the lights in the cabin off and on, they collectively decided it would be best to dock at Rabanastre and gather some supplies.

"There won't be any trouble over the fact that I didn't come by this ship legally, will there?" Balthier inquired of the Moogles once the ship was in the air.

"Would have been something to think about before you acquired it illegally, wouldn't it, kupo?" Kip shot back. Obviously, the offence had yet to be forgiven in the eyes of the Moogle.

"Oh hush," Balthier dismissed. "Given the choice between letting me steal her and having her scrapped, you would have chosen the former." A small 'hmph' from the lightern-furred Moogle told Balthier he was right on the mark, but that didn't mean the Moogle had to be happy about it.

"By the way, you never told us what you want the ship to be called, kupo," Nono chimed in. "She still needs a name." To the Moogles' surprise, the boy responded almost immediately.

"The Strahl." While he had never given any serious thought to sky pirating, he had given some thought to what he would title an airship were he to ever obtain one of his own, and he had come to that conclusion long ago. He watched Kip out of the corner of his eye with mild anxiety, hoping that the Moogle wouldn't be entirely opposed to his suggestion. Indeed, the Moogle in question seemed to be heavily contemplating what he thought of the name, but concluded with a nod.

"The Strahl it is, kupo." Smiling warmly, he patted the interior of the ship a couple of times. "You hear that, girl? You have a name now." Balthier raised an eyebrow, but made no comment. He supposed he might feel similarly attached to a creation of his that had nearly been returned to scrap metal the day before.

"Now, about trouble over this being a stolen ship," he prompted.

"I'll take care of that, kupo. If anyone asks, I'll just come up with a reason why you don't have any paperwork yet and see about getting some. That's part of what I wanted to go to a city for, anyway. Once I can come up with something saying you own this ship, we'll never have any problems, at least not because of that, kupo." The Hume waited for the other moogle to make some remark about how Balthier was likely to cause lots of other problems (which he wouldn't quite be able to deny, since it wasn't exactly his intent to be an upstanding citizen), but the Moogle still seemed preoccupied with cooing at the control panel.

The rest of the trip went smoothly, and Nono made good on his word of making sure they would be able to dock without difficulties. Once they were off the ship, they went their own separate ways, agreeing to meet back at the aerodrome a short time later. Balthier's first matter of business was to find the nearest weapon shop and find some means by which to defend himself. Lost in thought contemplating what type of weapon he planned to get, he very nearly crashed into a young woman coming out of the store as he was about to go in. Quickly regaining his wits, he grabbed the door and gestured for her to continue.

"After you." Despite his imminent shift of lifestyle, he was well-trained to be a proper member of high society and being a gentleman was a piece of his past he was not in such a hurry to discard. Of course, the way the woman nearly swooned as she thanked him left him wondering if the people of Rabanastre were generally lacking in common manners. He decided for the moment to attribute it to his good looks and go back to worrying about what weapon he was about to purchase (thinking it unwise to immediately make himself an enemy in two major cities, he determined it best to actually make use of his monetary funds). He spent a while browsing through assorted swords and spears before his eyes finally rested on a gun that pleased him. It was beautifully crafted, and reasonably priced from what he could tell. In general, he also thought guns were the weapon most suited to him, though he had managed to obtain over the course of his upbringing some cursory training in almost anything the store could offer. All in all, he bought the gun, some accompanying ammunition, and a small dagger to keep with him as a last resort. He would make sure to find some place to practice with his new acquisitions before a time came when he would need to be proficient with them. From what he recalled, the area just east of the city was populated with monsters that weren't overly aggressive, so he thought a walk over to that area was probably in order sometime in the near future.

First, though, he wanted to poke around the city a bit more in search of some additions to his wardrobe. He had neglected to bring much in the way of clothing with him and those garments he was wearing had become decidedly wrinkled from having been slept in. Besides, while his generally fanciful taste in clothing was not likely to change any time soon, he thought it high time to gather a new wardrobe suitable to his new self, whatever he thought that was going to be. After scouring the city's shops and amassing a small pile of shirts, trousers, vests, and the like, he returned to the ship to drop off his purchases (minus the gun and the dagger) at the ship. From all appearances, the Moogles had not yet returned and he still had a bit of time for exploring. He decided the expedition to practice with his new weapons had better wait until later as he did not think he had ample time before he was supposed to meet up with the Moogles. Instead, he thought it best to get a feel for this city socially.

A short bit of wandering led him to a tavern called the Sandsea, which he figured was as good a place as any to relax for a while and possibly strike up some conversation with the locals. Taking a seat along the bar, he waved for the bartender's attention.

"Your specialty here, whatever that may be," he told the bartender, who returned the request with an incredulous look.

"I think that might be tad strong from someone of your years." Some part of Balthier bristled at that comment, though the rest of him realized it was a perfectly reasonable statement to make.

"I have a higher tolerance than you might imagine, but I'm not in the mood to argue. I'll take whatever you deem appropriate." He chose not to think about how he had gained that particular insight about himself, aside to recall that some people frequenting Old Archades were not necessarily the best choice of friends. They had, however, managed to impart on him the knowledge that he was remarkably resistant to the effects of alcohol. He was not sure whether to consider this fact fortunate or unfortunate, though in general alcohol was something he tended to avoid except in rare circumstances. He had, after all, also read books regarding what the substance tended to do to one's brain.

His idle pondering of Rabanastrian drinks was interrupted as a young lady, who he supposed was about his age but perhaps one or two years older, plopped into the seat next to him. She was clearly a local from her appearance and manner of dress, for which he was grateful as learning about Rabanastre had been a primary goal of this expedition. Of course, the general prospect of a pretty girl about his age sitting beside him was a welcome addition.

"Hello," he addressed the girl, just as the bartender returned with his drink.

"Hi," she replied, shooting a glance at the cup then returning her gaze to the boy. "What are you drinking. Balthier peered at the cup for a moment as well.

"I have absolutely no idea," he replied with a laugh. "Perhaps you could tell me." Taking a sip of it, he added, "It is very mildly alcoholic." The girl raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I must admit I'm curious now," she said. She waved for the bartender, though Balthier preempted her attempt at ordering.

"Another glass of whatever you gave me for the lady here, please." He then added more quietly to the girl, "My treat." From the look on her face, she was positively flabbergasted.

"You don't have to," she began, but was interrupted by a hand gesture silencing her.

"Of course I don't, I just happen to be in a generous mood." Looking mildly embarrassed, the girl just blinked at him for a moment before mustering a small 'thank you.' Once she regained her composure, she began to strike up a conversation.

"Where are you from? You don't look like you're from around here and I think I would have remembered you had I seen you before." Balthier raised an eyebrow, but refrained from inquiring as to the meaning of that last bit. He generally surmised that she either found him particularly attractive or particularly odd-looking. Again, for the moment, he chose to believe it was the first.

"Archades," he answered, "though I can't say I'm especially fond of the place in some respects."

"Oh?" She peered at him curiously. He shook his head.

"I shall not trouble you with my life story. Besides, I believe your drink is coming." He nodded toward the bartender, who was approaching with another cup of the mysterious substance.

"Ah, yes, thank you," she addressed both Balthier and the bartender as she took the cup in her hands.

"How about you?" Balthier continued the conversation. "I assume you're from around here."

"Yes," she replied, peering at the drink as if trying to decipher some code, "though I will say this city has is not without its flaws, either."

"None is, I imagine," he replied simply, taking another sip of the mysterious drink.

"Ah, Cactoid Spine," the girl muttered.

"Excuse me?" Balthier wasn't sure what to make of the comment.

"The drink," she clarified. "It has a syrup made from Cactoids' flowers in it, hence the name." Balthier smiled, looking at the cup in his hand and then the girl.

"Well, thank you for the information. It's quite good." Finishing off his drink, he realized it was probably time for him to be getting back to the aerodrome, not that it was especially his wish at the moment. He was rather enjoying this girl's company and he was sorely tempted to see if she might be agreeable to meeting up with him again at some point in the future. Then again, he really had no idea where he was going to be at any given point in the future. "I'm sorry, I'd forgotten to ask your name." He would at least get that bit of information before he left.

"Sanna," she told him, "and yours?"

"Balthier." The girl seemed to contemplate the name for a moment.

"A nice name," she commented with a smile.

"As is yours," he replied politely, before standing up. "Well, I do believe I am about to be late for an appointment, my apologies for cutting the conversation short." He got the bartender's attention again and payed the appropriate amount for both drinks. Before leaving, he directed a nod at the girl. "Perhaps we shall meet again." With that, he left the Sandsea and made his way to the aerodrome, where the two Moogles were waiting impatiently.

"Where were you, kupo? We've been waiting for ages!" Kip scolded, to Balthier's amusement. Under other circumstances, he might not have received the accusation quite so well, but it should have been obvious to just about anyone that he was in a fairly good mood.

"I was having a very pleasant chat with a very pretty girl," he replied, "and I was right where you now stand less than half an hour ago, so you couldn't have been waiting that long." Kip looked as if he was about to reply, but seemed unable to come up with an answer. Nono simply looked amused. "Now, what say you two look after the ship for a bit while I go practice my marksmanship on a few unsuspecting monsters."


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 8

Fran now found herself accompanying Krjn through the tunnels of Zertinan caverns, being assaulted by Mallicants and Slimes, wondering again about why she had not gone into that weapon shop, but this time with the thought of extra arrows in mind. She was not yet in danger of running out and she salvaged them where she could, but were they to spend much longer searching for this purported huge Mallicant, she was almost certain to find herself lacking in arrows just as they managed to run across the beast.

"Are you sure we are in the correct location?" Fran inquired. The other Viera simply nodded.

"This is the area the man described, though it is possible that it has moved." Fran was about to suggest another search of the nearby areas when a terrifyingly loud whinnying sound behind her commanded her attention. Spinning to face the source of the sound, she was entirely unsure whether to consider herself luck or extremely unlucky.

"I believe we have found it," she commented as she quickly readied and shot an arrow into the beast's face, then quickly dodged the frenzy of stomping hooves that followed.

"Indeed," she heard the other Viera reply as she followed suit. The beast was certainly an unusually large Mallicant, as had been reported, though the petitioner seemed to have failed to communicate exactly how large. Fran suspected it could kill a normal-sized member of its species merely by stepping on it. As she continued to unleash arrows toward it, she briefly marveled at the fact that it even managed to fit into this cramped environment. She had little time to ponder the subject, however, as she was suddenly tossed backward by a wave of magic, landing hard against the rock wall bordering the tunnel in which they were fighting. Cursing herself for not being more prepared for that, she stood back up with a slight groan and continued to fire arrows. She had landed at least ten direct hits on the accursed thing and it seemed not in the least bit phased.

The Mallicant let loose another bombardment of magic that this time knocked both Viera off of their feet. Fran glanced at her current companion, who looked a bit worse for the wear, but still seemed quick at getting back on her feet and shooting arrows into the beast. Fran, on the other hand, noticed that her vision appeared to be getting a little fuzzy. Noticing that her woozy partner was still on the ground, Krjn quickly reached into a pouch at her waist and tossed a bottle of some potion to Fran.

"Drink that," she told her quickly before turning her attention back to the rampaging Mallicant. Fran did as she was told and quickly felt herself recovering.

"Thank you." Without further hesitation, Fran shot several more arrows into the beast, now aiming for its legs in the hopes of debilitating its wild thrashing. The plan seemed to work and soon the enormous Mallicant was stumbling around rather than attempting to stomp the two Viera to death. A few more well-placed arrows and the creature fell to the ground, unable to move. Unfortunately, accompanying the achievement was an angry bombardment of magical attacks from the frustrated Mallicant. Fran managed to withstand a few waves while she shot a few more arrows into what she hoped were vital locations on the beast, but with every hit, she felt herself staggering more and more, until finally she felt herself fading…

The Viera awoke to the concerned gaze of her Viera companion.

"You are awake," Krjn sighed, sounding relieved. "I am sorry, I lost track of you amongst the spells." It took Fran a moment to remember where she was. Suddenly she sat up with a start, immediately regretting the decision as her head began pounding.

"Is it dead?" she asked, weakly. The other Viera nodded.

"Yes, do not strain yourself. It was nearly dead when it collapsed," she assured her. Fran nodded and laid down again.

"Give me a minute," she requested, waiting for the cave walls to stop spinning around her. "It was powerful. I am glad you did not go alone." Krjn simply shook her head.

"No, I should not have brought you with me. It was too dangerous." Fran attempted to pull herself into a sitting position again, a bit more slowly than she had before. This time she seemed to suffer no ill effects.

"I am alright," she assured her companion, standing up with equal consideration. "I think it would be best if I stay here a moment and try to salvage some of my arrows. I have few left." She was grateful that the normal beasts of the area seemed to be staying away for now, probably frightened by the gigantic creature they had just felled. She and the other Viera scoured the area for any arrows they could find that had not been broken in the battle. Once they were satisfied that they had collected enough for the return journey, they began their path back.

They had traveled only a few steps when they heard a noise that sounded like the frightened yelp of what was probably a young male Hume. Both Viera paused and looked at each other.

"You heard it too," Kryn observed.

"What was it?" Fran asked, though she could tell by her partner's perplexed expression that she had no answer. The other nodded toward one of the passages out of the section of the cave they were in.

"It came from that direction. Let us go. Someone may have encountered difficulty." Fran nodded, considering that the statement the other Viera had made was likely to be an understatement. It would not be unlikely for some wayward traveler to duck into the caves expecting shelter, only to find more terrifying and vicious beasts than those from which they sought to hide. The two Viera quickly changed their course to find the owner of the voice they had heard. Occasional sounds of gunshots ringing through the tunnels gave them additional clues as to which direction they were to go. They were unsure at one junction which path to take, so they split up, agreeing to stay at the location of the unfortunate traveler were they to find him. The other would find meet up with the group eventually.

Fran quickly scampered down the path she had chosen, barely taking time to rid the area of its monsters as she ran by. Soon, she spotted the form of a Hume in the distance, running from a rather angry-looking Mallicant and desperately fumbling with ammunition as he attempted to reload his gun and keep himself alive at the same time. She was at a far enough distance and the light in the cave was dim enough that she could not yet quite make out the Hume's features, but something about him looked familiar to her. Not taking the time to ponder the situation any further, she readied an arrow and pointed it directly at the Mallicant.


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 9

Balthier truly wondered what in Ivalice he was doing. While he brimmed with technical knowledge and his fair share of experience in the useful skills of deceit and manipulation necessary to his now chosen profession, he was not accustomed to placing himself in situations of immediate physical danger. It was, perhaps, unfortunate that he now found himself completely alone in an unfamiliar complex of caves surrounded by monsters whose fondest wish would be to tear him to pieces with naught but a crudely depicted map constructed from bits and pieces of information regarding treasure once hidden in here. Well, and his weapons, of course. Balthier wondered, not for the first time, if the death of the prior Ffamran had been in truth due to pure and utter insanity.

He had indeed gone out to the Estersand and practiced using his newly bought gun. He quickly came to the conclusion that he had made a very good purchase as he found that it handled extremely easily. Once he had satisfied himself that he would be able to defend himself from various monsters using it, he returned to the ship to poke through his many notes regarding treasure. For his first expedition, he decided it best to look for one of the ones that was fairly out of the way and likely unguarded. Despite his luck with the airship, he did attribute that success to the lack of anyone around and, despite various pranks and lies he had pulled off in his childhood, doubted his ability to completely worm his way out of a bad situation were there too many potential observers involved. Unfortunately, he had forgotten to take note of how numerous and aggressive the enemies he would find in this area were said to be.

Entering the cave, he very quickly found himself surrounded by horse-beasts (Mallicants, they were called in this area, if his memory served him correctly) who seemed to appear and disappear at will. One of them gave him quite a scare as it suddenly appeared directly in front of him. He was not entirely sure, but he thought he may have screamed and was rather grateful to not be in the company of anyone he was particularly trying to impress. Or in the company of anyone for that matter (as he was generally trying to impress anyone he possibly could). He quickly gathered his wits and shot the thing, but felt a little silly for letting it startle him like that. He counted himself lucky for the fact that the enemies seemed to generally subside whenever he needed to reload his gun.

In truth, he was considerably more afraid of being all alone in here than he would admit, even to himself. In fact, somewhere in the back of his mind, he was quite certain he was going to die and no one else would be stupid enough to venture into these accursed caves to find his remains. The only thing that kept him moving forward was his own stubbornness at having decided to find a treasure in here. If it was still there, or ever was there to begin with. Yes, optimism and stubbornness, those would get him through this mess. He hoped.

Suddenly his fears were brought to the forefront as another Mallicant appeared directly before him right as he was about to reload his gun.

"Terrible timing you have," he commented with a façade of calm, though his hand was shaking and seemed to refuse to actually put the bullets into the gun. He very quickly came to the conclusion that it was time to run. He sprinted over a bridge of rock (sincerely hoping that the Mallicant would fall over the edge of said bridge, but he knew that was highly unlikely), all the while still attempting to reload the damned gun, which he discovered to even more difficult while running. A sudden swooshing sound and a loud thunk behind him stopped him in his tracks. Cautiously, he turned around to see what had happened. Across the rock bridge stood a Viera, her bow still poised, and by his feet slumped a fallen Mallicant. He blinked at the scene, wondering what amazing stroke of luck had made the kind archer suddenly appear, then noticed that said archer looked surprisingly familiar. As she approached, he recognized her as the Viera from the field the night before.

"Thanks, I owe you one," he told her, heaving a sigh of relief. He thought he noticed a brief look of surprise cross her features as he came fully into her view. She shook her head.

"No, now you may consider us even." Balthier raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" She simply shook her head again.

"Are you hurt?" she inquired, obviously ignoring the prompt. He checked himself over for any wounds he may not have noticed.

"I seem to be fine," he commented, "Though a change of clothes will certainly be in order one I get out of this place." His moment of relief subsided as a horrible rumbling sound echoed above them and a pillar of falling sand formed over the bridge he had crossed a few moments before. "Oh, what now?" he cringed as both he and the Viera looked around for other methods of getting back to the other path. Finding none in sight, he walked over the falling sand, cautiously inserting his fingertips into the flow and finding his hand immediately pulled downward by the force of the sand. He quickly pulled his hand back and shook off the sand. "Well, I do believe we are stuck. I suspect I am simultaneously the luckiest and unluckiest man alive," he commented, knowing full well that if it were not for the presence of some level of companionship in this situation, he would be curled up on the cave floor sobbing at this very moment, were he not already dead. (He realizes that there were some Humes who would object to the use of the word 'man' as a descriptor of himself, but he would argue that for all that he had disliked it, he had already been appointed a judge among other achievements and he prized himself smarter than most adults so he thought it only fair that he be considered one).

"So it would seem," the Viera replied, taking note of a rock that might be used to form another path across, were she standing on the other side. "Do not worry, my traveling companion will find us eventually."

"Travelling companion?" he questioned.

"Another Viera. We came to hunt a mark that had been spotted in this cave." The boy nodded in understanding.

"Well, I do hope she comes soon," he commented, looking around again for possible escape routes. "Much as I never mind being in the company of a beautiful woman, I suspect I would find it far more pleasant under different circumstances."


	10. Chapter 10

Ch. 10

Fran could certainly agree with the sentiment of finding the circumstances rather unpleasant. When she had agreed to help Krjn with the hunt, she had not expected to faint in battle nor find herself trapped by sand in a cave with a Hume she barely even knew. At least, she thought, this Hume probably would have been her choice were she forced to pick someone she had to be stuck with. At the very least she found him interesting and not especially abrasive. She looked around for a rock she deemed worthy as seating and having found one sat to rest. It had been a long and exhausting journey today on top of the still present emotional drain from the day before.

"You may as well make yourself comfortable," she commented to the boy. "My companion will be coming, but it may not be for a while." She suspected that Krjn was one to be exceptionally thorough, especially when she was intent on helping someone in danger. Nodding discontentedly, the Hume took a seat on another rock nearby and decided to strike up conversation, probably mostly for the sake of passing the time.

"So we meet again. Would you care to tell me your name, now that we seem to be trapped in a cave together?" She decided that at this point, it would probably be useful to give him her name, but the circumstances had left her feeling rather petulant.

"Possibly, provided you give me yours first."

"Balthier," he replied. "Now yours, m'lady." She suspected the tag he placed at the end of the request was intended to be mildly irritating, which was how she took it.

"Fran, and please refrain from calling me 'm'lady' from now on." After all of this she was in no mood to be teased, even in such an innocuous way.

"I apologize, Fran." He hesitated slightly when saying her name, seeming unsure of whether he was allowed to use it even though he now knew it. She shook her head.

"It is fine. I am merely upset by the circumstances." Somehow this boy seemed to find her in bad moods that had little or nothing to do with him. Though she realized this one did have a bit to do with him, in an indirect sense. "What were you doing wandering about this cave alone, anyway?" He grinned back at her in response.

"Seeking treasure. What else would a sky pirate be doing in this cave?"

"Pirate?" She raised an eyebrow. Now there was something unexpected. "You do not seem the type," she told him. This time it was his turn to give her an incredulous look.

"Really, what type do I seem, then?" She had hoped he would not ask that question, as she had no idea of how to answer it. She pondered for a moment.

"I am unsure. But pirate does not seem to suit you. You are too polite." The comment brought the grin back to his face.

"Perhaps, but that isn't a trait I intend to give up. Besides, guile comes easily to those who are gifted with words." Fran was honestly not sure of whether or not the boy was boasting, though she suspected he was. "I should also note that you are perceptive. I have not been a pirate for long, though I would care not to go into the past I left behind to become one." The smile faded from his face and she thought she could detect a hint of anger in his eyes.

"The thought of a past left behind means something a bit different to me. You may regret it someday," she commented, though she was unsure what motivated her to say such things. Her past was not something she tended to even mention, much less confide in a Hume to any extent. Of course, she had no intention of elaborating. The boy either sensed that she was unlikely to say more or was caught up in thoughts of his own past. He crossed his arms.

"Well, I can't go back now, nor do I have any intention of doing so. For one, if I returned to my hometown this soon, I would probably be arrested." Fran could not help but laugh quietly, which just made the boy look at strangely.

"I will never understand Humes and their reasons for doing things." Balthier seemed about to make some retort, but decided against it.

"It is quite simple, actually. We do things to keep ourselves satisfied and when we are unsatisfied, we run away and do something else. I happened to be supremely unsatisfied, so I ran away and became a sky pirate." Fran was surprised at the simplicity with which he was able to admit to running away. Thinking through his words, she determined he was not as dissimilar from her as she had originally thought. Was that not exactly what she had done when she had left the wood?

"Hmm, perhaps I can understand, then. It is not so unusual, after all." She paused a moment, before adding, "Thank you." The Hume looked surprised.

"For what?" he inquired.

"For that. I think I have gained some insight. Also for your attempts to cheer me up before." She realized that she was talking far more about personal matters than she would under normal circumstances. There was something highly unusual about this boy. He had admitted to being a pirate and quite possibly a very good liar to go along with it, and yet there was something about him that inspired trust. That, and he managed to be the only Hume thus far that she had found any way to truly associate with.

"Was I successful, then?" he asked hopefully, to which the Viera simply nodded. "That's good," he continued. "I hate to see a lady cry, whatever the reason." Fran was simply not sure what to make of a comment like that, particularly having been raised entirely around females.

"I hate to cry," she replied simply, not sure what else to say. The boy laughed in response.

"I'd say that goes for most people."

"Aha, there you are!" came a voice from the other side of the bridge, startling the two out of their conversation. Fran smiled upon recognizing to whom the voice belonged.

"Krjn. I am glad you are here." She nodded toward the large rock he had noticed earlier. "Are you able to move that rock?" The other Viera looked somewhat perplexed by the request until she took in the details of the situation.

"I will see. How did you get in there?" Balthier was the first to respond.

"Combination of a monster, a new sandfall, and horrible timing," he explained, to which the other Viera simply nodded. She gave the rock a shove, which caused it to shift a bit.

"I think I can topple it," she told them. "Stand back." The trapped Hume and Viera quickly put a significant distance between themselves and anywhere the rock was likely to fall. Moments later it came crashing down with a terrible noise, forming a new bridge to the other path, though not the most stable-looking one Fran had ever encountered. In any case, it was something and she was quick to make her way toward it, testing it lightly with one foot. Deeming it safe enough, she took the few steps across, the Hume following behind her. A shift in the rock as she stepped off accompanied by a small sound of dismay from behind her alerted her that the Hume had lost his balance on the uneven footing. Whipping around, she grasped his hand tightly, allowing him to regain his stability over the last couple steps. Once he was safely on solid ground again, he let out the breath he had apparently been holding and visibly relaxed. Only after he regained his composure did he again address the Viera, whose grip on his hand had now loosened.

"That's twice today that you've saved my life. I seem to be incurring quite a debt." Checking his gun to make sure it was fully loaded, he continued, "Forget the treasure, I'd like to get out of this place."


	11. Chapter 11

Ch. 11

The three made their way back to Rabanastre as a group, which made progress back out of the caves considerably faster. Balthier did regret leaving the promise of riches behind him, but had quite solidly concluded that whatever was there, it was certainly not worth his life (after all, what good is gold if one is too dead to enjoy it?). That, and while he would never admit it, he was absolutely terrified of becoming even mildly separated from the two Viera accompanying him. Had he thought it the slightest bit appropriate, he probably would have spent the remainder of the journey clinging nervously to Fran's arm.

He was only able to relax once they had passed through the gate of the city of Rabanastre and he could be reasonably certain that no monsters were going to suddenly appear in front, behind, or anywhere near him. Once the two Viera had tracked down the petitioner of the mark and split the reward, Krjn thanked the other two for an interesting day and departed. Balthier, of course, thought 'interesting' was a horrific understatement.

"Thank you again," Balthier repeated to Fran once the other Viera had gone on her way. He knew he had already said it, but somehow felt that no matter how many times he repeated the words it would never be quite enough.

"It is no trouble," she assured him. Balthier was about to object, but thought better of it, opting instead to attempt more conversation. As he'd expected, he found Fran's company surprisingly pleasant and wasn't quite ready to see her go.

"So what's your profession?" he inquired. "I've already told you mine. Do you hunt for a living?" He decided that was a safe enough question to ask, plus he was curious. The Viera shook her head.

"Only when I must, or to help a friend as was the case today. As for a profession, I have none."

"What keeps you in this city, then? Provided I am not prying too much." It was certainly not his goal to scare off the Viera by prying too deeply into her life, but she had piqued his curiosity. In response, she shrugged slightly.

"Lack of a better option, I suppose." That statement prompted a certain thought that had been brewing in the back of Balthier's mind to pop to the forefront.

"Care to run?" he inquired with an impish smile, greatly enjoying the look of confusion that fell over the Viera's face.

"Regarding the statement I made earlier about Humes, I'd like to make one small correction. In the case of myself, I do not run. I fly. You too, could soar through the skies, going wherever you please." He held out a hand to the Viera. "What do you say, Fran? How about accompanying this unusually polite pirate on his escapades?" He watched silently, smiling at the Viera as she seemed to deeply contemplate the offer.

"What do I get out of it?" she finally asked. Balthier only grinned wider.

"As much treasure as you ever wanted, and a life that is what you and I decide to make of it," he explained, gesturing grandly, gaining a slightly more serious air, he peered at her. "You must admit, it is a tempting offer." He certainly had succumbed to it without any particular thought, and was thus far, aside from the mortal danger he had put himself in just previously, finding it rather enjoyable. "Besides, I feel I owe you something for having saved my life."

"That it is," she conceded, "and that you do." She nodded after a few more moments' contemplation. "Alright, I shall join you. But on the condition that I will be able to leave whenever I see fit." Despite the inherent reluctance in her words, it was acceptance, and that pleased him to no end. He felt that in itself was quite adequate consolation for completely failing in his first attempt at gathering treasure. In fact, perhaps he had just received an even better prize than the one he originally sought.

"You have a deal, my dear Fran," he told her with a wide smile, "Though I suspect that once you have taken a taste of the life I plan to lead, I doubt that you should ever be anxious to give it up."


	12. Chapter 12

Ch. 12

Several months had passed since Fran had decided to add herself to the crew of the Strahl, and she had to admit that she did find it much more satisfying than aimlessly wandering about the city looking for odd jobs. For one thing, the other three members of the crew seemed to barely even take notice of the fact that she was a Viera. She found it refreshing after years of being treated in various unusual ways because people barely seemed to recognize her as a sentient being. This group was quite nicely different. The boy, Balthier, never ceased to amaze her in an ever-growing list of ways, and she had become rather fond of the two Moogles as well. It gave her a level of companionship she had not come even remotely close to since she left her sisters in the Wood.

She also would have to admit that Balthier's constant schemes regarding the acquisition of various treasures, unclaimed or otherwise, were constant source of amusement and excitement (she was also pleased to note that the Hume had become far more proficient with the use of his chosen weapon and no longer found himself in the predicament from which she had saved him in Zertinan Caverns). Here was the sense of adventure she had been seeking when she left the Wood. Balthier had been right; this was a lifestyle she would be unlikely to leave.

As for the here and now, she was presently sitting in the small kitchen area of Strahl, which was presently docked at the aerodrome in Bhujerba. The aerodrome attendants had found it mildly strange that the crew had generally decided to stay in the ship after parking the night before, but overall they saw no point in finding a place to stay the night when they had brought perfectly good rooms with them. Fran, however, had woken up earlier than the others and was simply letting her thoughts run idly to bide the time. It was not too long before Nono appeared at the doorway.

"Wow, someone else is up, kupo! How strange." He greeted her with a smile. "I hope you slept okay, kupo." Fran watched the Moogle as he wasted no time in rooting through the small cold box and pulling out a small pile of Cockatrice eggs that she assumed were soon to become breakfast.

"Quite well, thank you," she assured him. "I merely woke up earlier than usual for some reason." She was truly unsure of the cause, though she supposed it didn't much matter. She felt perfectly well rested.

"That's good, then, kupo," Nono told her as he rummaged in a cabinet for a pan and turned on the heat for the small stove. Fran silently wondered at how complex this kitchen managed to be despite its small size. Machinery in general tended to fascinate her, as it still struck her as a bit foreign. Viera in the Wood had little used for it. In this situation, most Viera would be perfectly content to build a fire and leave it at that. "I didn't sleep so well," he added after a moment. "Kip was snoring, kupo."

"I most certainly was not," came a groggy voice from the doorway. "You dreamed it, kupo." A sleepy-looking Kip wandered into the room and hopped up on a seat next to Fran. "How are you, kupo?" he asked her.

"I am well," she replied as Nono cracked the first egg into the pan.

"I did not dream it or imagine it, kupo. You snore all the time." Fran just watched the interaction between the two. She knew from personal experience that it was unwise to get even vaguely involved in a squabble between the two. It upset Kip, who despite being a fairly early riser, was rather unpleasant until he woke up fully. These kind of mild arguments were a common morning occurrence on the Strahl even though the two Moogles were by all appearances the best of friends at any other time. It was in general best just to let it all blow over.

"It's your own fault if you can't sleep around me, anyway," the lighter-furred Moogle told him, still seeming as if he might just collapse on the table. Fran noticed that Nono clenched a little furry fist at that remark.

"You know there's nothing I can do about it. The other rooms are taken, kupo." That was true enough. The ship was intended to have a small crew, so it only had three rooms suitable for sleeping, two of which were occupied by herself and Balthier, leaving the two moogles to share the last one. Nono huffily cracked another egg onto the pan. "Hmph, just for that, you get fed last, kupo." The other Moogle's face fell.

"What? That's not fair, kupo!"

"Yes, it is. You kept me from sleeping, so now I get to keep you from eating, kupo."

"Now, now, what's the trouble about?" Another voice emerged into the conversation, accompanied by the crew's only Hume member appearing at the doorway.

"Balthier!" both Moogles exclaimed, seeming to temporarily forget about their argument. For some reason Fran couldn't quite understand, Balthier had managed to become the clear commander of this ship over the past month and both Moogles seemed to generally behave themselves better in his presence. She still could not quite make out how that change had occurred, since it was quite clear to her that Kip at least had some diffuculty in accepting the leadership of the pirate, though she supposed she could attribute the whole thing to the same mysterious force of persuasion that had made her consent to join the crew. It was one of the things that fascinated her about the Hume.

"I'll have breakfast ready in just a second, kupo," Nono chirped, poking at the eggs in the pan to test their consistency. Once the dark-furred Moogle was satisfied, he divided the eggs up onto four small plates and handed them out, making a point of giving Kip his last. Fran quietly nibbled at her food, waiting for the morning's squabble to come back into conversation.

"Nono said he couldn't sleep because I was snoring and I don't snore, kupo." Balthier rested his elbows on the table and his chin on his hands and peered at the two Moogles for a moment.

"I happen to have it on good confidence that you do snore, Kip," Balthier replied in a somewhat mocking tone. The lighter-furred Moogle looked offended.

"What? Where did you hear that, kupo?"

"Right here," the Hume answered, tapping his own ear. Fran, who had been watching the debate with general amusement, could not help but let out a quiet giggle at that, which caused the Moogle in question to glare at her.

"You don't need to make fun of me, too, kupo," he snapped.

"There is nothing wrong with snoring," she told him. "It is the conversation I find amusing. Besides, one or the other of you can sleep in my room if this is a problem. I assure you I do not snore, nor do I mind it." The Moogles both blinked and Balthier raised an eyebrow.

"Into Moogles these days, Fran?" The Viera gave him a look that let him know that comment was not appreciated. She was aware it was a statement that would be easily misconstrued, but she had not really needed anyone to jump in and misconstrue it for her. Then again, she should have expected as much from the Hume. Poking fun at his crew was as natural to him as breathing, it seemed.

"Only trying to put an end to these morning arguments," she explained. "Though for the sake of clarification, I was offering for one of them to occupy the extra space on the floor."

"I think the snoring might be better than the floor, kupo, but I'll keep that in mind," Nono finally replied. Fran found herself yet again grateful for the innocence of the dark-furred Moogle, who seemed to have missed any false connotation that had been placed on her offer. Kip seemed to be finding it most appropriate to make no comment whatsoever. A somewhat awkward silence hung over the table for a few minutes as various members of the crew finished off the last of their food. Balthier was the first to speak.

"Let's not be glum, people, yesterday was a success!" he exclaimed cheerfully, slapping the table lightly with his hands and standing up. Another true statement, Fran noted. He and she had managed to pilfer a significant amount of loot from the storehouse of a Rabanastrian official, which was exactly why they were not in Rabanastre at this moment. She was certain that with the amount of wealth they managed to take, they wouldn't need to make another such expedition for a long while. On second thought, between Balthier's expensive tastes and need for excitement, she doubted it would be anywhere near as long as it potentially could before they were attempting some other crazy expedition. Of course, while she did not quite understand the expensive tastes, she shared the sense of adventure, so she certainly would not complain. "Today is a day to celebrate," the Hume continued, "We are docked in beautiful Bhujerba! What are we doing sitting on this ship squabbling over who sleeps where and who snores? We should be going out and having fun!" Fran simply smiled, watching both Moogles immediately perk up. The enthusiasm of their captain was contagious. It even managed to infect her, and she had long since forgotten how to have enthusiasm about anything.

"And what do you suggest?" she inquired. He looked at her as if wondering why she had bothered to ask.

"Whatever we want, of course. I thought that was the point." Without waiting for any response, he extended a hand to her. "Well, shall we?" She opted not to give him the satisfaction of taking his hand and instead simply walked out the door of the kitchen.

"I will see you in town," she informed the group as she disappeared down the hall.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: Note: If anyone knows the song "Traveling Man" (by Ricky Nelson, I believe?), it rather appropriately got stuck in my head when I was writing this chapter. …go Balthier. XD

Ch. 13

Balthier was sorely disappointed to discover that not only had Fran refused his offer to leave together, but had disappeared from view before he had even managed to leave the airship. She was an independent woman, he would give her that. It was something he greatly admired about her, actually. He did not know exactly how long nor how she survived, but somehow she had managed to live a good number of years without any close companions. Meanwhile, he was quite sure that without her and the Moogles for company, he would have long since gone crawling back home in the hopeless pursuit of making amends with his father. While he appreciated time alone, companionship was something he absolutely could not do without, not for an extended period of time, anyway. He realized that she probably had also correctly surmised that one of the items on his agenda for the day was shopping for clothing. He was immutably concerned with his clothing, a trait he knew confused his Viera companion to no end. Balthier figured of all random neuroses he could have, a complete intolerance of dirty and wrinkled cuffs and collars and a fascination with expensive clothing were certainly not the worst.

After a good couple hours of perusing Bhujerban clothing (and refraining from buying very many things, wouldn't Fran be proud?), Balthier decided he was done with spending money for the day and found himself wandering toward the area of the city that had rapidly become his favorite on prior visits. There were few things he found more exhilarating than standing in a beautiful plaza, looking over the edge of a platform and seeing nothing below but open sky and clouds. He was fully aware of how many people would be terrified by the exact same thought, but he had grown a strong attachment to the sky. It was beauty and freedom, and he felt there was no better view of it than from above.

"Balthier!" the voice of a girl calling to him caused him to look around behind him. Approaching him was a familiar Bhujerban.

"Ah, Tasha, my Bhujerban beauty," he greeted her with a smile and a wave. "What brings you out this way?" She grinned at him, stopping a bit shorter of the edge than where the sky pirate had been standing, leaving him to close the gap. Somehow, he discovered, a combination of good breeding and a slowly growing reputation as a sky pirate made him remarkably popular with the ladies (though he did suspect the clothing had a little bit to do with it as well). She was one of many he had managed to befriend over the course of the past couple months. The label attached to her name was there solely because he had said it once and it had made her particularly happy, so he opted to keep it. Having a few people who clearly enjoyed his company in just about every city he had been to was something he found immensely comforting. It was a boon to that same need for companionship that made him characteristically a bit possessive of every member of his crew. Plus, he in general found it useful in a purely practical sense. Guile came easily to those who were generally found attractive, as well as those gifted with words. Of course, that wasn't an advantage he preferred to use if at all avoidable.

"I thought I might find you here," she commented. "I heard your airship landed here last night." He gave her a quizzical look.

"News travels quickly, I see. My reputation precedes me." Honestly, that shocked him. He had doubted that after only a few months people would find his ship recognizable. The girl laughed and shook her head.

"No, I just pay attention." Balthier chose to ignore that this girl was perhaps a bit too interested in him.

"How did you know to find me here?" he inquired, curious.

"It doesn't take a genius to notice that this is your favorite place here," she replied.

"You know me well," he complimented, though in fact she knew him not at all and he preferred it that way. He liked interaction, not invasions of his privacy. Besides, there was only one woman he thought capable of understanding him fully (and for that matter she was the only one he was particularly interested in), though he had yet to test that theory. Of course, he was certainly not ready to divulge that particular thought to anyone. His true feelings were best kept a complete secret for the time being, and he thought in general he was doing a good job of it.

Nodding toward the sheer edge of the city's plaza, Tasha added, "What is it that fascinates you so about this area, anyway?" He grinned in reply, taking a couple steps back toward the sheer drop, which made the girl gasp quietly.

"A love of the sky," he told her, peering over the edge. "There is no greater view than this, aside from the one I see through the windows of my airship. Ah, how wonderful it is to rule the skies." He knew the phrase was a bit incorrect, since he certainly was not the only person in the world with an airship, but as long as he was able to fly freely, it was truly how he felt. The fact that his life was finally his to command and he had now gained the confidence to do so still made him positively giddy.

"I'm sure it's a wonderful view to you, but you also know I have a terrible fear of heights," the girl commented, taking another step back and looking just a bit sick from watching Balthier stand so close to the edge.

"And yet you live in the cloud city," he commented ironically, taking a few steps back to keep the poor girl from passing out. Noticing her obvious relief, he shook his head sadly. "Pity for you, my dear, you are missing a wonderful thing." Suddenly noticing a small rumble in his stomach, he realized it was becoming late for lunchtime and he had not had an exceptionally large breakfast. "Hmm, I seem to have lost track of the time and missed lunch," he commented. "What would you think of us going somewhere I can get myself a bite to eat?"

"I know a restaurant I think you would like," she replied, nodding.

"Well, then, you lead the way," he replied, gesturing ahead of them, and hold out his arm, which she graciously took. Balthier decided that all in all, this was turning out to be a rather nice day.


	14. Chapter 14

Ch. 14

Fran stood watching Balthier as he sat at a table by a small café, chatting merrily with some girl. She found the scene bothersome somehow. Balthier's behavior with Hume girls was something she considered nothing short of bizarre, down to the fact that he seemed able to strike up conversation with anyone (and she realized that included herself) without any effort whatsoever. Fran herself had found very few Humes who she was capable of talking to for more than a few minutes without falling into awkward silence. But more than that, the general principles involved confused her. Viera had little understanding of the word love in the sense that Humes used it. There was family as well as friendship, and then there was mating, the latter of which tended to involve very little in the way of emotions. The concept of romantic love developing among Viera was not unheard of, but it was far from a commonplace event. And if she found the idea of love bewildering, the notion of casual dating was a perfect enigma. Balthier, she observed, tended to make the strange phenomenon a daily occurrence whenever possible.

It also bothered her a bit that his behavior regarding Hume girls was quite different from his behavior regarding her. Aside from the tendency to append "my dear" to her name (which she suspected was largely because he just liked the sound) and the occasional jokingly suggestive comment, she saw no signs to indicate he was in the slightest bit interested in her in that way. It was not that he was unkind to her. On the contrary, she was sure he thought of her as a friend and a valued member of his crew. Nor was it that she especially desired to be treated any differently than she was at present. It was more that she simply wondered where the difference lay. The only conclusion she could see was that she was a Viera and thus she fell in a different category from Hume females. The thought depressed her a bit. She did not wish to consider the fact that she might, and with all likelihood was, still considered something "different," even though in this case it did not matter in the same way. He already treated her as a person worthy of being a friend. She should be content with that. And yet… She sighed quietly, shaking her head. It was pointless to contemplate. She would ask him later.

Continuing to watch, she felt a small twinge on anger rise through her as she watched him give the girl a kiss on the cheek as they parted, though she knew not why she should feel such. There was nothing unusual or offensive about the action, aside from the fact that for some reason unbeknownst to her it bothered her. Deciding now was as good a time as any to work through this puzzle, she approached him.

"Do you have time?" she asked, neglecting to greet him in any way.

"Fran!" he exclaimed, seeming a bit startled by her abrupt appearance. Getting his wits about him enough to answer the question, he said, "Yes, why?"

"There is something I wish to talk to you about. Preferably in private." She figured it would be somewhat inappropriate to discuss the puzzling matter of Hume courtship in the presence of many people. Balthier seemed concerned.

"Is there something wrong, Fran?" She shook her head.

"No, I just have some questions I would like to ask." Balthier looked as if he would say something further, then shrugged and just followed her back to the airship. It was the most obvious place to go where there would not likely be people about. "I am sorry to have dragged you here, but I decided questions about Hume behavior I find puzzling were not suited to being discussed in public," she explained.

"Probably wise," he admitted, looking at her curiously. "What sort of puzzling Hume behavior are you interested in discussing?" The look in his eyes bespoke a certain amusement at her confusion regarding Humes.

"You enjoy courtship." She began with a simple observation. The Hume pondered for a moment.

"Do you refer to Humes in general, or me specifically?" To be honest, she wasn't quite sure of the answer to that clarification question herself.

"Both, but let us go with you for now." He nodded.

"Alright, then. I'm not sure I would put it in quite those words, but I find flirting to be somewhat of a fun game, yes," he explained. "Do Viera not?"

"Not in the same sense, no," she replied, not caring to go into further detail about Viera mating habits. Perhaps she would explain it all to him later. Continuing with her little interrogation, she added, "And you seem to be interested in most all Hume females."

"Discounting those too far from my age range and those I find unpleasant," he clarified.

"Granted," she said, then paused, trying to figure out how to continue without tangling the conversation into a horrible mess. "The next question could easily be misconstrued and I will ask you to simply take it at face value as a matter of curiosity. Why do you not court me?" He laughed.

"Are you jealous? I always assumed such an attempt would result with an arrow being pointed at my face." Fran frowned at him.

"You tease."

"I apologise," he said, his expression becoming serious. "It is a defense mechanism. Though I suppose I owe you a real answer." He paused, seeming highly reluctant to say any more. Fran suddenly felt a jolt of fear that her suspicion had been absolutely correct and he did not wish to say it to her. She cast her eyes down at the floor.

"It is because I am Viera, is it not?" she asked quietly, only to be met with a look of utter shock.

"Oh, goodness no! Had I any problem with Viera, or any other variant of person other than Humes, I assure you that my crew would not be so unusually diverse, though I suppose I would have some compunctions about attempting to court a Moogle." He reached out to lightly touch her cheek, his expression one of genuine concern. "How would you think such a thing, Fran?" She looked back at him, even more confused.

"It seemed a natural conclusion to me," she remarked, to which the Hume shook his head and sighed.

"Perhaps I have hidden my feelings too well. I had not planned to tell them to you for a long time yet, but it seems the time ends up being now." He peered at her seriously. "It is because, my dear Fran, I can that with you I would have no choice but to enter into a very serious relationship and I feared that prospect would upset the relationship we have now. I daresay that if I allowed myself, I would be head over heels in love with you at a moment's notice, because as you may have guessed by now, I suspect that aside from the wall set up by a terrible fear of rejection, I already am." Fran merely stared back, unable to speak. She was completely taken aback by his confession. Of all answers she had not expected to receive, that was probably near the top of the list. She had no idea how to respond.

"Now you have a choice," he prompted, lowering his hand and taking a step back from her She had never seen him look quite so utterly defeated, nor quite this afraid. It was obvious his words were true, though in some respects she had difficulty understanding him. The concept of love still made little sense to her, at least in the way that Balthier used it.

"I am unsure what you mean by a serious relationship," she admitted, and a small smile broke through the anxiety shown in his features.

"It means I will be highly attached to you and completely unwilling to let you go. I can be rather stubborn as you may have noticed." Fran raised an eyebrow.

"And if I found that I was unhappy, would you let me go, as you say?" A look of utter pain crossed the Hume's face as he briefly considered the possibility.

"Yes, reluctantly," he finally replied, "Though I assure you I would do everything in my power to prevent that from being the case." Somehow, she found this all very similar to the conversation in which she had agreed to join his crew. Except then he seemed perfectly carefree and now he seemed as if he were in danger of breaking. But there was one more thing she wanted to ask.

"And this game of flirting as you call it… It will stop?" At that, Balthier's eyes widened.

"You were jealous?" He seemed both shocked and amused at the concept, while still somehow managing to look like a puppy that had just been kicked. Fran turned her glance to the side.

"Perhaps. I am not sure I understand the word," she admitted. Balthier blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out how to explain.

"My being around other girls was bothersome to you." Fran simply nodded, which made the Hume smile. "My dear, I had no idea you were the jealous type," he commented with amusement, seeming to recover a bit from the fear that had seemed to paralyze him a few moments prior. His smile fading again slightly, he asked, "So what choice have you come to?" She knew her answer, but feared it would not please him.

"I am a Viera. I am not sure whether I am capable of love in the sense that you ask," she explained, "But I am willing to try." At the last bit of her statement, the Hume looked so happy that he might be about to cry tears of joy.

"That's good enough for me." He reached up again to lightly stroke her cheek, then pulled her into a kiss, his tongue venturing to gently taste her lips. The action surprised her, though she found it a pleasant sensation. She had little concept of how much time passed from the moment the kiss had begun to the time that their lips parted, other than it had been enough for the initial tension she had felt to gradually relax away. While she still had little concept of what love was, she suspected she now had some idea of what it felt like when received, that being a very nice feeling that left her both happy and very slightly dizzy. It took her a second to notice that Balthier was grinning at her with a look of general amusement.

"You've never been kissed like that before," he observed gleefully. She shook her head in response.

"Viera do not love, and many Humes do not love Viera." The Hume's smile faded momentarily as he contemplated those words and seemed to find them sad, though for Fran it had been a simple statement of fact.

"Well, this Hume loves this Viera, and plans to let her know all about it," he finally replied. "Incidentally, you have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that. I think I've been in love with you from the first moment we met." The sentiment took her by surprise, though she quickly rationalized that she had been strangely fond of him after that first meeting as well.

"So what happens next in this version of courtship you label a serious relationship?" Balthier raised an eyebrow at her, grinning impishly.

"Well, nothing… yet. There will be time," he replied cryptically. His smile growing slightly, he added, "Though I certainly wouldn't mind repeating what happened just a moment ago."

A smile growing on her lips to match his, she wholeheartedly thought she agreed.


	15. Chapter 15

Ch. 15

Another few months went by and Balthier's seventeenth birthday had come and gone. This time, he was perfectly satisfied with the amount presents and happy wishes he had received, which happened to be absolutely none. He had quite intentionally neglected to let anyone know when his birthday was, figuring that if they didn't know then they wouldn't be able to forget. All in all, he thought it was quite a good plan, though he decided he would have to clue Fran in eventually.

On the subject of the absolutely gorgeous Viera, he continued to find her nothing short of amazing, though to be honest very little had changed in the way of their daily lives. The only publicly visible differences were that he seemed to have lost interest in the various girls in various cities fawning over him and his reputation was becoming less about being a sky pirate and more about being constantly accompanied by a Viera. Of course, he minded that distinction not a bit, and in fact found it useful. He had at some point come to the inevitable conclusion that being immanently recognizable as a sky pirate was probably not the best way to avoid getting arrested, and prison seemed a rather unappealing prospect. As for the more private side of the relationship, the line had remained solidly at kissing. The last thing Balthier wished to do was to scare away his lovely partner, and beside that he was just practical enough that any probability whatsoever of little bunny-eared babies running about terrified him just a little. To be perfectly honest, he wasn't even sure if that was possible, but it wasn't something he quite dared to find out the hard way. In any case, Fran seemed happy enough with their relationship as it stood, and Balthier was certainly content to leave it there for a while. In fact, he found his lips pressed against hers at that very moment, though the circumstances were not necessarily the best for it.

"Not to complain, of course, but are you absolutely sure we should be wasting time?" Fran quipped, her eyes shining with amusement. Balthier's only response was to grin.

"For the claim of having kissed you in an off-limits section of the Nalbina fortress, I'm willing to sacrifice a few seconds," examining himself for any sign that the pockets in his various pieces of clothing (of which there were many), were now filled with gil. By stroke of luck, they had been able to find a side corridor containing a storeroom, presumably in which to keep the profits from the aerodrome's transport business, completely unguarded, which he knew was a rare occurrence. That was not to say the whole ordeal was undertaken without caution. He had known the exact location of this room coming in and was certainly not about to leave this room looking as if he were carrying anything more on his person than usual, hence the self-examination.

"Let us hope that we do not soon find ourselves kissing in the dungeon," Fran commented as she, by some miracle Balthier could not fathom, managed to find room in her own scant attire to disguise a few coins of her own.

"Such little faith," he replied smugly, deciding he was satisfied with his appearance. "Now, let's get ourselves out of here." They had not gone too far out of the way of where they were allowed, but he was well aware that the way back was going to be risky. If there was not now a guard on duty, one would be coming soon, which was going to call for extreme caution and quick thinking. Peeking out of doorway, he was grateful to notice that there was in fact not yet a guard blocking off this hallway. He gestured to Fran, and she followed him in cautiously sneaking out of the room and quietly shutting the door behind them. Unfortunately, they were not so lucky as to make it all the way back without the ominous sound of footsteps resounding from around a corner. "Not good," he whispered, assessing the situation. He doubted they would be able to get into the completely safe area without running, which was like to attract even more unwanted attention. Of course, the fact that there was no guard there currently afforded them a bit of an opportunity. Moving quickly, he pushed Fran against the nearby wall, perhaps a bit more roughly than intended as a quiet 'oof' escaped from her as she hit.

"Sorry," he quickly whispered into her ear, pausing as the footsteps quickened and drew closer.

"Hey, you there! This area is off-limits! What are you doing here?" A voice came echoing down the hall. Balthier trembled ever so slightly. That voice certainly did not sound like it belonged to someone he wanted to mess with. Of course, at this point he really only had one goal in mind: get the two of them out of there safely without the guard suspecting they had just been filling their pockets from the storeroom. He only hoped Fran was going to have some brilliant idea as to how to help him pull it off.

"Seems it's time for an act," he continued to whisper in Fran's ear. "Let's make it a good one, shall we?" With that last remark, he closed his eyes, pressed his lips against Fran's and hoped.


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Note: My only explanation for this chapter is that sometimes I write… and stuff happens… and I really don't have any idea where it came from… but it's sort of weirdly amusing so I keep it. You have been warned.

Ch. 16

"Oof!"

Fran gave Balthier a look of mild dismay. She had not expected to be suddenly shoved into a hard wall, though noting the sound of footsteps approaching from behind, she suspected she knew the Hume's motivation for such an action.

"Sorry," she heard him whisper, which assured her somewhat. He at least had his wits about him enough to realize that had not exactly been pleasant for her. If only she could decipher exactly what plan he was cooking up, she would be a bit more relaxed.

"Hey, you there! This area is off-limits! What are you doing here?" She felt Balthier tense at the sound of the voice, which she would admit sounded quite intimidatingly aggressive.

"Seems it's time for an act. Let's make it a good one, shall we?" She found the words simultaneously reassuring and mildly nerve-wracking. On the one hand, it meant he did in fact have at least some semblance of a plan. On the other, Balthier's plan tended to be crazy and confusing at best. It was not that they didn't work, in fact they often worked perfectly, it was simply that they were occasionally difficult to follow. And apparently this one involved him kissing her, which was one of the few things that could very quickly cause her to lose her concentration. Dammit. Either fortunately or unfortunately, there was little time before Balthier was pulled away from her by a rather large hand on his shoulder.

"I said this is an off-limits area and you shouldn't be here," the guard repeated, sounding irritated. Balthier immediately recoiled and cowered, putting on an expression of absolute terror, which Fran suspected was not entirely an act.

"I'm sorry," he stammered weakly (this Fran knew was a total act and despite the circumstances she had a bit of trouble containing her amusement at seeing Balthier act so completely uncharacteristically), "I didn't know, I'm not from here and there wasn't a guard just now and nobody said anything. We were just looking for a place that was a little more private if you catch my drift and," he paused briefly, glancing at Fran, then back at the guard, "well… you know…" The guard peered at both of them suspiciously.

"You mean to tell me neither one of you has been here before?" Balthier gave a nod, still doing his best to look as absolutely pathetic as possible. The guard then turned his attention to Fran. "And what's your story?" She simply peered back at him, masking the fear she felt at being directly questioned and hoping that a simply apology was going to be enough.

"I am terribly sorry. I too am new to this town, and it is true there was no guard." The guard seemed to consider that a moment, looking back and forth between the two.

"Something still seems fishy to me," he commented. From the looks of it, Fran was going to have to take on some kind of false persona after all. Alright, if Balthier was willing to completely humiliate himself, so was she.

"Well, if you must know," she began, "I came here in search of work and today happens to be my first day on the job." The guard did not look satisfied.

"And what sort of job would that be?" Fran raised one eyebrow and smiled as alluringly as she could muster.

"Can't you guess?" she asked airily, noticing out of the corner of her eye that it was now her companion's turn to nearly break character in amusement. At that, the guard frowned, raising an eyebrow himself.

"Well, learn the rules. This area is off-limits to you and I can't say I appreciate your kind being in this facility at all." Fran flipped a few strands of her hair back dismissively.

"Oh, no need to worry about that, love, I learn anything quickly." Fran was having a difficult time not looking at all disgusted with herself, though on some level she had to admit she was having fun. She just hoped this particular persona didn't create a reputation that stuck with her.

"Address me that way again and I guarantee you're not getting out of here." She forced her face into a frustrated pout. She was about to add something else hopefully witty and suggestive when another voice suddenly entered the conversation.

"Dalian Marcus Francisca, what on earth do you think you're doing?!" Fran did not need to feign surprise and confusion as she turned to look the direction of the voice. It would seem the commotion had managed to gather a small crowd of onlookers, not the least of which was a girl, hands on hips and looking rather miffed, that she did not recognize, but as it was a Hume female not far off from Balthier's age, she suspected he did (either that or the girl had drastically mistaken him for someone else, which the Viera thought unlikely). She glanced at Balthier, who while still precisely in character, mock fear now directed toward the unknown girl, glanced back at Fran.

"Perhaps you had better go," he commented in a deliberately secretive fashion, to which Fran replied with a quiet 'hmph.' Keeping a look of mild annoyance, she lightly stroked one finger across his chest, finding her way to a hidden vest pocket and grabbing the coins it contained.

"My pay, I believe," she snapped, walking away and making a specific point of swinging her hips just a bit more than usual. The girl watched her with a look of what only Fran and Balthier knew was false distrust.

"What were you doing?" the girl demanded.

"Absolutely nothing, dearest, just wandered into an off-limits area by mistake," he simpered, taking the opportunity to skitter over to where the girl was standing, which was quite clearly in the bounds of the safe area. The girl gave him a suspicious look.

"I don't believe you. Who was that woman?"

"No one, dearest, never seen her before in my life." Fran listened amusedly as the girl questioned as chastised Balthier all the way to the door, leaving the bewildered guard to grumble something about "teenagers these days."

Once the three were safely out of earshot of anyone who had been in the fortress, Balthier burst into hysterical laughter.

"Oh, that was beautiful," he remarked through giggles. The laughter died down as he put on his best imitation of Fran a few moments before. "My pay, I believe," he mocked. And then the laughter began again. The Viera was far less pleased by her acting, though she couldn't keep a smile off of her face. It had been fun, but she couldn't help but feel a bit disgusted by her role.

"I am a disgrace to all Viera," she commented, earning a raised eyebrow from Balthier.

"And what of me with regards to Hume men?" he retorted, still giggling to himself. "I do believe we may well be the most disgraceful pair on the face of this earth! I suggest we not use those facades again, lest we gain a reputation as such."

"I had no intention of doing so," Fran assured. Up until now, the third member of their impromptu acting troupe had been watching them silently. Presently Balthier turned to address her.

"And what inspired you into that stunning display of theatrics back there?" he inquired, to which the girl simply shrugged. Fran noticed that he neglected to use her name, which meant he probably hadn't met her before as she had originally thought. Either that, or it had gotten lost among the many other girls he seemed to be familiar with.

"No real reason. I saw you were in trouble and I hate it when the guards go hard on people anyway. Besides, it was fun."

"That it was. Here." Balthier pulled a coin out of some pocket or another and tossed it to the girl. "I believe you deserve that." The girl only barely managed to catch the coin in her surprise.

"Oh, thank you, but…" Balthier put up a hand to silence her.

"No trouble, keep it. I owe you something for that, anyway. I wasn't sure that guard was going to let us leave." The girl nodded reluctantly, then peered at the both of them as if analyzing them somehow.

"I take it you two actually are an item, then?" Fran made no response other than to weave her fingers together with Balthier's.

"Perceptive girl," the sky pirate commented. "Absolutely right." Looking mildly disappointed, the girl turned to leave, with only a single parting remark.

"Pity. I thought you were cute."

"Well, then. That was interesting," Balthier remarked once the girl was out of earshot. He seemed a bit perplexed by the somewhat odd interaction that had just taken place, for which Fran certainly could not blame him. This had turned out to be an immensely strange day in her opinion. Also a humiliating one. She strengthened her grasp on Balthier's hand, suddenly feeling unusually possessive. It was reassuring to her that the gesture was matched by his hand giving a similar squeeze as he turned his gaze again toward her. "And I would say, my love," he added, amusedly reaching into his vest and retrieving several more coins, which he then dropped into the Viera's open hand, "That your performance was easily worth the other pocket as well."

Author's Note: No, seriously, what the hell just happened?


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note: Last chapter I have written and I will be on permanent hiatus from this particular story unless you people manage to convince me otherwise.

Ch. 17

Balthier was becoming rather bored with the pattern of minute imperfections in the ceiling of his room. He had already stared at them for a longer time than he wished to think about, tossed and turned a bit, and then stared at them some more. For one reason or another, he found himself completely unable to sleep this night. After a few more minutes of blankly staring at nothing in particular, he grumbled something incomprehensible (even to himself) and put a fist to his pillow. That was it, he was going to get himself out of bed and do something before he went entirely insane. Perhaps, he thought with a small smile, Fran would by some chance also be awake and he would have someone to talk to, as well as something far more pleasant to look at than his ceiling.

Walking down the hall, he discovered the Viera's door slightly ajar, allowing him to peek into her room. Fran lay on her bed, her limbs sprawled unceremoniously in somewhat awkward-looking directions. He could not help but smile quietly to himself. The scene was such an adorable departure from the grace and precision that characterized her conscious actions. Despite his hope that she would be awake, he really could not bring himself to be disappointed. He truly found her beautiful and would honestly be content to just stand there gazing at her, at least for a while. Besides that, he also thought it was good that she at least was getting some rest. Leaning against the door frame, he sighed slightly.

"Oh, I am hopelessly in love, aren't I?" he commented almost inaudibly. Not that he minded, obviously. Somehow when he ran away from his home, he had not expected to find himself a year later standing in a hallway of his own airship staring at the woman of his dreams, who seemed perfectly happy to be in a relationship with him. That decision really could not have turned out any better.

As he watched, Fran rolled over into a position that struck him as seeming far more comfortable than the previous one. He couldn't help but notice that the way the sheets fell wonderfully accentuated the perfect curves of her body (which of course left his thought trailing off onto the question of just how much clothing she was not wearing under those sheets). It took him a moment to catch himself drooling.

"Hmm, how unbecoming," he mumbled, forcibly dragging his train of thought back onto tracks that would be less likely to make the lovely Viera want to slap him. In any case, he was glad of the fact that the opportunity for views like this was a privilege exclusive to him. Well, with the possible exception of the Moogles, but he refused to be jealous of anything that stood at less than half his height.

A quiet whimpering sound from the interior of the room made the Hume feel a twinge of concern, though the Viera seemed to still be asleep. A moment later, she began to thrash about slightly.

"Bad dream?" he questioned, pushing the door open a bit further, though not yet deeming it worth waking her up. "What about, I wonder?" If her dreams were anything like his, they covered a very wide variety of subjects and in general it was best to simply let them play through, even if they were somewhat unpleasant. Unfortunately, the whimpering and thrashing seemed only to be getting worse.

"Fran?" he prompted softly from where he stood, unsure how light a sleeper she was and not wanting to scare her by suddenly appearing in her room, though he supposed suddenly appearing in the doorway wasn't so much different. Having no noticeable effect, he moved closer to her and touched her shoulder lightly. This too, seemed to have no effect, except that the Viera began mumbling quietly. He wasn't sure if that was related or not.

"No, Mjrn, don't follow…" The following words slipping into incoherence. Balthier made a mental note to ask later about who this Myrn was, then gave Fran's shoulder a slightly more forceful nudge.

"Fran," he repeated, "Wake up, love." This time he got some semblance of a response as she murmured something incoherent and limply attempted to swat his hand away. Fortunately for him, his reflexes were a little faster than the sleeping Fran's and he was able to remove his hand from danger. "Careful, dearest, you have claws there," he reminded, though the chance that she was awake enough to comprehend the words was slim. "Alright, up we get," he murmured, giving her shoulder another gentle poke. This time the Viera's eyes slitted open and she jumped away from Balthier, sitting up slightly as she returned to consciousness. "Just me," he assured, noticing that the poor woman looked both startled and confused. Gradually her expression began to show recognition.

"Balthier." It was a statement moreso than a greeting. "Did I oversleep?" He shook his head.

"No," he replied, "You seemed to be having a bad dream, so I woke you." Fran shifted her gaze toward the floor, looking mildly embarrassed.

"How did you know?" she asked. It was Balthier's turn to look mildly embarrassed. _Well, you see I was standing in your doorway staring at you… _He also noticed, in response to his earlier somewhat derailed train of thought, that while her normal attire left little to the imagination, it was now stripped down to just the cloth bits that covered little more than her most private parts. It was an absolutely glorious sight in his own very personal opinion. Right, she had asked him a question.

"I couldn't sleep so I was walking around and heard you whimpering." That sounded better. And it was mostly true. He sat down on the edge of her bed and lightly brushed his fingers through her soft, flowing hair. "Anything you want to talk about?" She shook her head and looked at him seriously.

"Sorry to bother you. I am fine." Balthier raised an eyebrow. He knew better than to be convinced by that. Even if it was something she didn't wish to talk about, she most certainly did not seem fine.

"You sure about that?" he inquired. She simply nodded, to which he frowned slightly and cocked his head to one side. "Who is Mjrn?" The Viera's gaze snapped to his immediately, her eyes wide. He could tell she was about to inquire as to where he had learned the name and what else he knew, so he saved her the trouble. "You mumbled something in your sleep," he explained, "'Mjrn, don't follow,' or something like that. Nothing else I could decipher." He idly wound a few strands of her long hair around his finger while still gazing at her apologetically. "It's alright if it's something you don't wish to talk about. I hadn't meant to eavesdrop." Fran nodded and was silent for a moment as she shifted into a full sitting position (which, Balthier noted quite happily, left her with even less cover from the sheets) .

"My sister," she finally said.

"Hmm?" Balthier prompted, making it obvious he was listening, though his fingers were still occupied with her beautiful hair. Fran smiled sadly.

"Mjrn is my younger sister. I have two. Jote is the older. Mjrn loved me much. She tried to follow when I left the Wood." The smile faded from her face. "I worry about her. She did not understand. I fear she may leave as well." The Viera shook her head. "It is pointless to worry. I know this." Meeting Balthier's gaze, she added, "I do not know why I tell you this. I need not burden you with my past." The Hume shook his head in response, and moved his hand to stroke the fur on her ear, a gesture he had discovered did quite a good job of relaxing her.

"It isn't a burden," he assured her, though he realized it was by precisely the same reasoning that he had avoided saying anything about his past to Fran. Her story confused him a bit, though. "Why is it bad to leave the Wood?" She had, after all.

"I do not think it is necessarily bad, only reckless. We cannot go back. It is forbidden. Even if it was not, the noise of the outside world deadens our ears. We can no longer hear the voice of the Wood. There is no point in returning. It is not a decision to be made lightly, or for the wrong reasons." She looked at Balthier seriously. "Do you remember when we first met?" The Hume nodded. How could he forget?

"You were crying," he recalled, wrapping his arms around the Viera, who relaxed against him.

"I was running. Forty some years I had spent with Humes and found no satisfaction. But I tried to run backwards, and found a dead end." Balthier felt her hands grasp the fabric of his shirt and attempt to pull him even closer. "That is why I told you that you would not understand. A Hume may understand the loss of contact with my sisters, but not the loss of the Wood herself." Balthier was silent for a moment as he worked on making as much sense of that as possible. His mind reeled slightly to realize that the length of time she had spent wandering more or less alone was more than twice his entire lifetime thus far. He knew Viera were long-lived, but it was difficult to think about in practical terms. Part of him was suddenly curious with regards to her age, but he decided it best not to ask. It didn't matter, anyway.

"I have no concept of what it is like to have sisters," he told her, after pondering the rest of her statement for a moment, "or brothers, for that matter. I had two siblings, from what I know, but there was a terrible bout of disease in Archades a couple of years before I was born and well, let's just leave it at I never met them." It was not something that made him sad, and he said it in the same tone he would use to present any fact. Fran nodded understandingly, which in her position had the general effect of nuzzling her farther into his chest. "I never knew my mother very well, either. She died when I was young. But as for the loss of contact with family members, it was my father who managed to leave an emotional scar." Fran pulled back from him a bit so she could look into his eyes.

"What happened?" Balthier shrugged.

"He went crazy. Became obsessed with his work and left me alone. The day I met you, it was my birthday. He had forgotten. I couldn't take it anymore, so I ran away. Flew, rather. In a stolen airship." He sighed. Thinking about that day, at least the earlier part of it, still frustrated him to an extent (The latter part he couldn't quite complain about, having been introduced to his two best Moogle friends as well as his dream lover.)

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, startling the two and causing them to instinctively jump away from each other a bit.

"It's me, kupo. Are you awake?" A very groggy Nono appeared at the door, not waiting for a response. "Kip is snoring again and I thought the floor might… Balthier?" The Moogle blinked a couple times, obviously trying to make sense of the scene in front of him. "This is Fran's room, right? Why are you both in here, kupo?" Balthier was sorely tempted to steer the Moogle toward a quite incorrect answer, but thought better of it. He decided to go with no answer whatsoever and let the Moogle make of it what he would.

"My room is presently unoccupied. You're welcome to make use of it until I want it back." Still confused, the sleepy Moogle simply nodded and wandered off down the hall.

Balthier chuckled softly.

"I guess he hadn't forgotten that offer after all. I wonder what he's going to conclude about us in the morning." Balthier could imagine any number of things that might come to the perky Moogle's mind.

"Probably nothing as improper as you hope," Fran muttered. Balthier smirked.

"Ah, the lady knows me well." It was one of the few times he had made the comment and actually meant it. "As for our previous conversation, I'll give you all the details later, provided you'd like to hear them. I feel I owe it to you. There are more things I'd like to ask about your Wood, as well." Not the least of which was his curiosity over what her own reasons for leaving were and whether she deemed them correct ones. He desperately wanted to think that she was actually happy with him and not simply biding the time. The Viera nodded and returned to her previous place snuggled into the Hume's chest.

"Later," she said, "I do not wish to think of it any more tonight." Balthier nodded, again lightly massaging her ears.

"Understandably. Though before we leave the subject entirely, I'd like to tell you that your ears are beautiful, even if they don't work as well as they may once have." He neglected to add that he also found them very warm and soft and nice to touch, though that should have been decently obvious from his actions.

"Thank you." The Viera murmured, then pulled back to look at the Hume. "What do you plan to do with the rest of the night?" Balthier raised an eyebrow at her.

"Let the Moogle sleep, of course." He hadn't planned it at all, but Nono had managed to give him a wonderful excuse for not returning to his room. Fran peered back at him quizzically.

"And what does that entail for me?" Balthier smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. This one, he was going to leave up to her. He really needed a better sense of what she was looking for at this point anyway.

"As much or as little as you want it to," he told her, to which she simply nodded.

"Alright, then." She flopped over on the bed and pulled up the covers. "Good night." Balthier opened and closed his mouth a couple times, not sure in the slightest what he wanted to say to that.

"Fran, that's mean," he finally managed. She rolled over to face him, a terribly amused smirk on her lips. "You tease," he mockingly scolded. "Alright, you got me. I admit it." She nodded, seeming rather pleased with herself.

"That I did. You should have seen your face." Thinking about it, Balthier would admit it had to have been rather entertaining. He still thought that had been a rather mean trick. He also realized he was pouting like a petulant child at the moment, but he didn't quite care. Smiling reassuringly, the Viera moved one hand to rest lightly on the Hume's cheek. "Now get over here and kiss me." A smile returning to his lips, he decided that was more like it and did as he was told.


End file.

Final Fantasy XII, Adventure, Romance