Author's Note:

Author's Note:

Music for the Chapter. All available on YouTube. Go and search the EXACT phrases, then click on the first link.

Section One: Acoustic medley injoy In Flames

Section Two: Opeth Slideshow Patterns In The Ivy

Section Three: I Am Legend Sad Soundtrack

( C A L A M I T Y-of the-S E R E N E )

Chapter Thirty-Four: Minor Disputes

Larsa's mouth was moving, and Penelo understood that he was talking, but she had completely tuned him out. She blinked sluggishly, allowing her eyelids to moisten her dry eyes, and then turned her gaze pitifully onto the floor. Sinking slowly into the chair behind her, she sniffled and kept her gaze down. She could feel Vaan's eyes burning into the right side of her face, but she ignored him as she ignored Larsa's words. Her mind danced with cruel thoughts, and she instinctively shivered as she ran the key points of the last five minutes of Larsa's conversation with them through her brain.

She bit down onto her lower lip. Basch killed Voli. Basch freed Lara and Ashe. Voli took over Basch's body, and then kicked the crap out of poor Ashe. Ayon burned down Eruyt and murdered countless Viera.

Too much had happened too soon, and Penelo shivered again as she pictured Basch torturing the woman he loved. The woman he loves? But it's Voli who hurt her, not Basch. Is he...? She glanced up sharply and immediately interrupted Larsa. "Is it still Basch, or is he gone?"

Larsa hesitated, not looking like he was at all annoyed by her rude interruption. He mimicked her unconsciously by biting his lower lip and appeared to be deep in thought. "I honestly cannot be sure. It all happened so quickly, you see, but I cannot imagine Basch ever harming Lady Ashe in such a terrible way."

"I can't either," Vaan agreed, leaning forward in his own chair. He turned to glance at Penelo, but spoke to the group as a whole. "If any part of Basch was left, he'd fight for her."

Balthier stepped forward, moving away from the wall in which he had perched himself. "Let us get these facts straight." When all eyes locked onto him across the small meeting room, he continued talking speedily, and turned to address Larsa: "Basch killed Voli and freed you and Ashe when?"

"A few days ago," Larsa replied with a small shrug of his broad shoulders. "Maybe a week."

Balthier folded his right arm across his upper abdomen and raised his left hand up to stroke his chin. "And the Varran plague ended about a week ago, as well. It seems as though Voli's death ended his dark magick."

"But Voli's not dead," Vaan quickly added, tilting his head to the side. "He's inside Basch."

"Correct," Balthier agreed, snapping his fingers once at Vaan. "But perhaps by going inside the body of a mortal Hume, he lost a great deal of his powers? Perhaps he can no longer pull those little tricks of his?"

"Perhaps he can be killed," Larsa finished Balthier's words for him, and Balthier turned to the Emperor once more in order to give him a satisfied smile. Larsa nodded grimly in return: "Perhaps now we can put a real end to his reign of terror."

We can't do that, Penelo's mind instantly screamed, and she raised her hands up to her mouth in an effort to conceal a gasp. We can't kill Basch. I don't care if it's not really him, we can't kill him. He's our friend, for gods sake!

"Penelo," Vaan called our warily from beside her. Quickly, she turned her frightened eyes onto him and noted his look of concern. "Are you okay?"

His words brought on the stares of her comrades, and at once she was embarrassed. She realized that she was sitting on the very edge of her chair with her hands clasped tightly over her mouth, with her blue eyes nearly budging from her head. As hard as it was, she forced herself to relax and look logically at the situation.

Tell them it's best to try and research this whole thing first. "You can't seriously be thinking about killing Basch," she complained, her voice betraying her mind.

"It is the best course to take at this moment," Balthier explained bluntly. "If we are able to destroy Voli once and for all, we must not waste the chance."

Desperately, Penelo turned her eyes towards Larsa in order to talk sense into him, but he, too, was abandoning her: "I fear Balthier is right, Penelo. If we delay, perhaps Voli will discover a way to make himself immune to our attacks. Clearly, he is weak, or else he would not have given up the plague on Dalmasca."

"And if he's still Basch deep down?" Penelo sniffed, feeling her heart break at Larsa's refusal to see eye-to-eye with her on the matter.

Larsa sighed and dropped his head onto his chest. "He's not. You were not there. You didn't see him. He knew the Lady Ashe was with child, yet he still kicked her directly in the abdomen."

Penelo drew back, as she was stunned by Larsa's words; they all were.

"Wait," Vaan said with a tilt of his head and a sharp blink of his eyes. He raised up his palm in order to silence Larsa. "So Ashe's actually pregnant?"

"She is," Larsa responded, turning his eyes onto Vaan. "And despite his cruel physical acts on Lady Ashe, Voli clearly desires her child, which is why we must destroy Voli and rescue her immediately."

Penelo bit down fiercely onto her lower lip, resisting the urge to protest against Larsa and Balthier's frantic plan. She knew it was a bad idea to rush into the Feywood completely unprepared- why, I can't believe an Emperor like Larsa doesn't see the stupidity in the idea!- but it was her word against theirs, and the men were set in their resolve, leaving her completely outnumbered. She hung her head in defeat.

"Uh," Vaan suddenly spoke, giving Penelo reason to lift her head and glance at him. He ran a hand sheepishly through his platinum blonde hair. "I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but, isn't it kinda dumb to go marching into Voli's domain? I mean, it would be suicide for Balthier, me, and Penelo, and Voli would capture Larsa, you know?"

Vaan's words instantly brought a smile to Penelo's face, which she quickly hid as she thought it would be an inappropriate time to smile. His eyes darted in her direction and briefly latched onto her own, and a knowing look passed between them. She nodded slightly, thanking him mentally for joining her side, and he turned to look back towards Balthier and Larsa. The two men had troubled yet thoughtful looks on their handsome faces.

"Indeed," Larsa muttered after a moment of silence. "Perhaps you are right. It is foolish to gallop into the Feywood like invincible hero's."

"That may be true," Balthier added. "But we cannot leave Ashe to Voli."

Another wave of silence filled the meeting parlor, and each of them quieted into their own minds as they thought of how they could possibly rescue Ashe. Penelo's thought's were dark: Ashe is my Queen, old ally, and most of all she is my friend. But there is literally no possible way we can save her, unless we want to die in her place.

"He's not going to hurt her anytime soon," Penelo told them carefully. "He's gotta wait at least nine months. And I doubt that he'll take her soul while she's pregnant. I don't know much about soul-stealing, but I can't imagine it would be good for the baby."

At Penelo's request to simply leave Ashe be, Larsa's face filled with worry and guilt. At first confused by Larsa's sudden facial display of emotion, Penelo tilted her head at him, but he quickly wiped his face clean of feelings.

"Indeed," Larsa repeated, rubbing at his chin with his scarred hand. "We do not have to decide how to save her at this very moment."

Balthier, too, agreed with Penelo. "Well, I don't know about you, but I am very tired from our journey. I think I may go find a spare room and sleep on this decision."

"A good idea," Larsa nodded. "We shall continue this later."

Moving quickly, Larsa sidestepped around the seats in which Penelo and Vaan sat and moved behind them. Penelo turned her body to follow Larsa, and felt startled to see him reach his hand out to Mjrn, who stood in the corner in the back of the room. Oh, gees, I completely forgot she was here. She's been so quiet. The last of the Eruyt Viera had a rather numb look on her young face, and Penelo wondered if she had been listening to their intense conversation at all. After a moment's hesitation, Mjrn accepted Larsa's outstretched hand and wrapped her long fingers around his.

"I will show you to your room," Larsa told her gently, leading her away from the corner and towards the doors in the front of the room. As the pair made their leave, Larsa called back to his friends, "I will meet with the Dalmascan advisor's to see what we shall do since the Queen is missing."

As Larsa left with Mjrn in tow, Balthier left quietly after them, leaving Vaan and Penelo alone.

Penelo warmly smiled at her childhood friend. "Thanks for standing on my side." Even if it does mean poor Ashe is left alone.

Vaan half returned her smile. "Anything for you."

Their decision to 'sleep on it' lasted nearly a week. During the time, Larsa had remained mostly alone: he was too busy with political affairs to bother making chitchat with his old friends. It had been decided that he, along with many of Ashe's advisors, would watch over Dalmasca while Ashe was away.

Only once during the seven days did Larsa try to make contact with Penelo. Penelo, who was commanded to reside in the castle as it wasn't safe for her to be in the city, received a letter on the fifth day that asked her to join Larsa for dinner. She had been most irritated by the lack of informality and friendliness, and was unhappy that he hadn't come to her in person to make his request. Promptly, she denied his request without giving so much as a reason as to why. Deep down, she had still been hurt by him by his unwillingness to agree with her on the Ashe and Basch situation.

As for Penelo, she spent most of the week idly with Vaan and Balthier; the latter of who seemed rather normal- back to his old self- only a bit quieter. Vaan nor Penelo dared to bring up his hostility towards the Rozarrians or the blatant murder of one of their princesses. His reaction to such inquiries, they knew, would be one of anger.

The seventh day after their return to Dalmasca found Vaan, Balthier, and Penelo taking lunch in one of the palace's smaller dining halls. Penelo watched Balthier carefully as he slowly ate at his large portion of bread and meat, curious as to why the older man had latched onto her and Vaan. Balthier had never been one to stay in one place for long, nor was he one to follow around other people. Yet during the past week, he had seemed nearly inseparable from Vaan and Penelo.

She wondered if his neediness had something to do with Fran's death. Maybe Balthier needs to cling to someone. He clung to Fran, and now that she's gone, maybe he needs us to cling to. Fran's death had obviously changed Balthier.

Still, noon found Balthier in good spirits, and he was busy teasing Vaan about something or other, Penelo wasn't exactly sure. She hadn't exactly been paying attention. Her mind was back on Larsa.

"Hey," she suddenly interrupted the two men as she set down her fork. "Maybe we should ask Larsa to join us for dinner tonight." She was beginning to feel guilty that she had refused his request for dinner a few nights ago; it wasn't in her nature.

"That's a good idea," Vaan agreed, talking through a large mouthful of warm bread.

Balthier nodded as well. "Perhaps we can continue our discussion on the Queen. I have come up with several ideas on how to rescue her."

He's rather obsessed with this whole ordeal. "Yeah, maybe."

Unconsciously, her hand found its way to her pocket, where she still kept the tiny glass rose that Larsa had given her. Her hand somehow found it whenever she thought of him. "I have a lot I need to say to him."

To this, Vaan gave Penelo his undivided attention, and this didn't surprise Penelo. She knew Vaan still considered himself Larsa's rival for her affection, although she told neither of them one way or the other. He raised one of his eyebrows at her. "Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know," Penelo muttered with a quiet blush. She hadn't expected for him to ask her about what she was going to say. She didn't even know what she wanted to say. "I haven't decided yet."

There was a pause of silence, and then Penelo felt Balthier's eyes burning into her. Quickly, she turned her head to look at him, and noticed that he was eying her lower half. Confused, her hand fell away from her pocket and she shifted in her seat. "What's wrong, Balthier?"

He shrugged lazily at her question. "May I ask what is in your pocket?"

Penelo froze, and immediately did her hand find her pocket again. "What are you talking about?"

Balthier sat back into his chair and pointed directly at her pocket. "All week, whenever someone mentions the boy Emperor's name, you touch at something in your pocket."

Oh, crap. I totally don't want Vaan to know I have this. It'll only make him feel bad about himself. "It's nothing," she told Balthier flatly. Rigidly, she locked her eyes onto his, and mentally commanded him to shut-the-fuck-up.

"It is something," Balthier remarked, ignoring her headed gaze and tilting his head.

Balthier looked ready to leave the conversation at that, but he had sparked Vaan's interest. The boy was keen, and he had noticed Penelo's wish to hide whatever it was that was in her pocket. Vaan was the nosy sort, and immediately repeated Balthier's words like a pirate's noisy parrot: "So, what's in your pocket?"

Penelo sighed, frustrated by the situation she had gotten herself into. I should have been more careful. Now, if I don't show them the rose, Vaan will be suspicious. If I do, he'll be hurt.

Damn you, Balthier.

Hesitantly, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the tiny glass rose, enclosing it tightly in her palm. With a soft, innocent smile, she opened up her hand and exposed the rose to them. "It's a present from Larsa," she told them quickly and cheerfully. "He gave it to me a while ago." Instantly, she turned her eyes to Vaan's face in order to see his reaction.

She was surprised when he didn't give her one. Instead, he merely shrugged and turned back to his food. "Doesn't that thing poke your leg?"

"N-not really," she stammered, completely shocked that he hadn't thrown a tantrum.

Even Balthier looked bored by Vaan's reaction. "Interesting."

Penelo sat, her palm still outstretched and the rose still glistening on her skin, and stared blankly at Vaan. She, too, was almost disappointed by Vaan's lack of reaction. His indifference made her wonder if he no longer cared for her in the same way he used to. The idea upset her: He no longer cares for me?

"That's it?" she asked.

Vaan glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "What's it?"

"You don't care?"

He shrugged halfheartedly. "What's there to care about?"

Hurt and embarrassed, Penelo clasped the rose into her fist and stood slowly from the table. Her two male companions were busy eating their food, and neither had seemed to notice her slow retreat from the table. Sliding the rose back into her pocket, she moved for the heavy doors.

When her hands found the door handle, Vaan called out to her: "Penelo? Where are you going?"

She winced, and cast a sharp glance at him from over her shoulder. With a cold tone, she said: "I'm not very hungry."

She left her goodbye at that. Hastily, she yanked open the heavy door and fled from the room.

As the door shut behind her and left Balthier and Vaan alone, Vaan sat back in his chair and placed his hands on the back of his head. "Man, I really don't understand women."

To this comment, Balthier chuckled wisely. "And you never will, my dear friend."

When she woke, she found that the day was cold. She wondered what time of the day it was; there were no windows in her small dungeon cell, and therefore she was without any sense of time. Without being able to distinguish time, she had lost count of the days. Without knowing how long she had been imprisoned, she was unaware of the fate of her friends. Not that it mattered to her, for she had lost her heart, and time seemed pointless to her without her heart. Her face was withered with the loss of him.

She wondered who had taken control over Dalmasca in her absence. She had already assumed Voli would send one of his Rozarrian soulless princes to be a tyrant for her country, but she prayed that perhaps Larsa could establish some sort of peace in her kingdom. Yet she was getting ahead of herself: I must first pray that he made it safely back to civilization.

Commanding Larsa to leave her behind was a sacrifice she had to face every day. She knew she had made the right decision, but the selfish side of her longed for him to have been captured, for then at least she'd have someone to talk to. Instead, she only had him- Basch's body that talked and walked and looked like him, but was not him at all. And the inhabitant of his body was not a friendly man.

It hurt to have to try and live with a positive outlook, when every morning she woke and knew that she couldn't smile at him and see him look back at her with a loving glance. Every night as she curled up into a ball and prayed for a nightmare-less sleep, she would ache for him. She thought that the pain would fade with time, but instead it grew, until she didn't know how to bear it any further. She was still sick for him; it did not ease at all. It seemed to her that all the color and life had bled out of her world.

It feels as though I am missing my eyes. Without him, I am nothing more than a poor, blind child.

It occurred to Ashe at that moment that she had never properly grieved for him. She had been too terrified for both her life and the life of her child to mourn properly. Yet as she finally allowed the tears of anguish to rise up into her weary eyes, she decided it was time to mourn: to let loose and mourn for his death.

Placing her hands onto her belly- which slowly grew from his child- she drew her legs into her chest and buried her face into her knees. Then, Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca released the most woeful, heartbreaking wail she had ever made in her entire life.

Author's Note:

...and the group begins to fall apart. :(

I daresay, only a few chapters left!! :-O Sorry if this one seemed slow and boring... Tried to set it up a bit for the next few chapters. ;)

On the next episode of Calamity of the Serene: One group member makes a rash decision.