UnShaekable (FFXII)

XXXVIII) Cidolfus Demen Bunansa

            The halls are dark- the lights flickered out long ago. Nothing but a trail of dead Imperial soldiers lays behind us. My muscles ache and my head pounds as we finally come to a stop. Exhaustion is written clear over all our faces; the laboratory took much longer to traverse than we predicted it would. Even Balthier's cool, calm demeanor has melted away just enough to reveal the nerves that cause his fingertips to tremble and his breathing to go ragged. The elevator doors close behind us and I heave a sigh of relief.

And then my heart leaps into my throat as I'm thrown to the floor. I start to protest when I see Basch leaping back from the slash of an unknown man's curved swords. The knight clenches his teeth, unable to draw his sword, and presses his forearm to the other man's, preventing a deadly downward swing from reaching its target. They struggle against each other for hardly a moment before the stranger raises his dark eyebrows.

"Ah. My apologies. You bear not the stench of Cid's lackies."

"And you are..." Basch grits. "Our earlier visitor." I start to stand, a new voice freezing me in place and washing a wave of goosebumps over my skin.

"Yes, a valuable man, one I'd sooner not lose. Yet he knows too much."

I look up at Balthier and he glances back, the same answer written clear in his eyes. Doctor Cid. With a strangled growl, the mysterious swordsman sprints off and up the set of stairs to our target. Basch turns sharply to pull me to my feet. I huff, dusting my shirt off.

"You know, he's strong for a bald guy in hot pink pants."

No one replies, following Balthier's rushed lead up the dark staircase. Sighing, I shake my head and hurry after them, tugging my spear free from its sheathe on my back. A dim red light casts a glow down the stairs, flashing brighter once we reach the top. Balthier skids to a stop, the man from before standing on the ground with his swords drawn as Doctor Cid, a pudgy, well-dressed man, stands over him on a platform.

"Cid!" the swordsman calls, glowering up at his opponent. "You know deifacted nethicite brought down the Leviathan! How can you persist in this folly?"

"And you've come here to stop me?" Cid chuckles and I shudder, my heart panging. He sounds exactly like Balthier... Come to think of it, they have the same face as well...Creepy. "I'd fain to see you try."

"Consider your bones, old man," Balthier calls, stepping forward and staring up at his father defiantly. "You're outmatched." Cid's nose crinkles and rage flashes behind his familiar green eyes.

"Pirate scum of the skies," he spits, his voice mocking. His next words are low, bitter. "What brings you here?"

"Treasure," Balthier retorts. "What else would a pirate want? We'll take the Dusk Shard."

"You've come all this way for that trinket?" Cid laughs. "I thought you above this." He pauses, his attention directed to something over his shoulder. "Hm? What's that?" He sighs, turning back toward us. "The Princess of Dalmasca come to visit?" He straightens, a smug look overtaking his face. "She's not entirely without merit. A test of sorts for our princess? A trail for Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca!" he cries, throwing his hands in the air.

"You're not testing anyone," I snap, stepping in front of Ashe, eyes narrowed on the fallen scientist.

"You're a babbling fool!" Ashe calls, scowling at him. Cid chuckles.

"You lust for the Stone's power, do you not?"

"We're not to here to listen to your madman's rambles," I counter. "Balthier's already told you—we're here for the Stone, so hand it over."