Disclaimer: All right, here goes…I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of the game's characters. These wonderful creations (With the exception of Lunar, Dr. Jenner and Dr. Sabateur!) belong to the AMAZING company known as Squaresoft. :^)

Barrett's Note: Hello again! Well, I decided to just squeeze my little Trilogy into one whole story so it would be much easier to read. I just prefer for things to be as simple as possible. :^)

So here's the newly revised version of my own personal GF's life story. The story of Lunar, the lost Guardian of the Moon.

*For my buddy Kev Martin, who helped me discover my true love for this game. Also for Sharpshot Legend, Nataku. Griever, Papagallo, GF Carbuncle, DemonQueen17, Chris Hulme, Jeremy Chapter and everyone else who kindly reviewed this story the first time around. :^)

The Exiled Guardian

Chapter One- The Exile

Have you ever had the displeasure of being exiled?

I really don't recommend you try it. For those of you who haven't, you don't know how lucky you are. And for those of you that have, well…welcome to my world.

But of course, I welcome you only in a manner of speaking. No one can enter my world. Not nobody, not no how. That's how deep my exile is. For years I have been doomed to walk the world in my own little dimension, completely cut off from everything around me. I have no contact whatsoever with anything, in any shape or form. All I can do is observe.

And regret.

But how did this happen? And why? What could I possibly have done to deserve such a punishment?

Believe me, it was pretty bad. And even though it has taken me many lonely years to admit it, I really deserved my banishment from the world.

So where should I begin? How about at the beginning of the world and my birth? Yes, that seems good.

The Great Hyne created the world that all things live in today. The lands, rivers and seas, plants and animals, humans and yes, even myself. In fact, I was the first of many beings she created to help her keep watch over her creations. I was the very first Guardian and Hyne created me in almost an exact replica of herself. My name was (is) Lunar and I was called this because Hyne derived my powers from the moon. She also gave me the extra responsibility of watching over the creatures that lived there as well. I accepted both of these things proudly.

My Immortal life was simple back then. Observe the lives of all living things, assist them if necessary and then relay the information of the day back to Hyne. By then, more Guardians were created by Hyne to help me keep order and peace around the world. Soon, there were thousands of us wandering around. Harmony was maintained with every little thing and the world was good and righteous.

So what happened?

Jealousy, that's what happened. My petty, disrespectful and downright dangerous jealousy.

Of course, as I look back now I know that I was a fool for it. The world was beautiful, Mortals were prosperous and all of the Guardians were happy with both their work and each other. Hyne was proud of all of us.

But she was prouder of one in particular. One who all the other Guardians respected the most. One who finally drove me over the edge when Hyne declared him Leader of the Guardians.

Bahamut.

I tried not to hate him. Honestly, I really did. There was no room for that kind of emotion inside our circle of Guardian's. We had more important things to take care of besides our Immortal egos. So for everyone else's sake, I made an effort to get along with Bahamut and just kept my feelings to myself.

It worked for awhile. But then one day chaos erupted in the world and we Guardian's were sent to restore order and calmness. I can't remember the specifics of what started the chaos, but I do remember what stopped it. Or more appropriately, who stopped it.

That's right. Bahamut. He was hailed and proclaimed a hero by all of the Guardians. When he was brought back before Hyne, she praised him for his bravery and thanked him for the job he had done. And then before the whole assembly of Guardian's Hyne announced that from that day forth, Bahamut was to be head overseer and leader of the Guardian's.

To them, he was simply known as Lord Bahamut.

But to me, he was now my enemy.

My Immortal life became torture. Every time I saw him my hatred threatened to surface. And the strange thing was that at first, I wasn't sure why I hated him so much. Was it because Hyne favored him more than she favored me? No. I knew I was special to her in my own right. I was her first Guardian and no one could take my place there. So what else could it have been?

Perhaps the admiration and respect he received from the other Guardians? No, because I knew that I had more than enough respect from them myself. As for admiration…I didn't think I needed it. If some Guardian's admired me, then that was wonderful. If not…well, then that was okay, too. It really didn't matter to me.

No, my hatred wasn't based on any of those things. It was based on something much more selfish. Something that continues to shame me even to this day. I hated Bahamut for one stupid and self-centered reason.

He was better than I was. And not necessarily just in battle, but generally in everything else we did. He was better at adapting to new things, keeping peace between Mortals and staying focused and levelheaded. In short, he always made me feel as though I were inferior to him. And the most infuriating thing was…he never tried to make me feel inferior. No matter how much I hated the fact, Bahamut was just being himself. And I could tell just by looking at him that he had no idea how much I resented him for that. Because if he had been trying to compete with me on purpose, then my hatred would have been more understandable. But since he didn't, my hate and anger could only be described as jealousy. And as we all know, that's considered a one-sided emotion.

So what did I do about it? To put it mildly…the unthinkable. But to put it bluntly (as well as truthfully), I did the most horrible thing a sworn Guardian of the world could ever do. I plotted the death of the Lord Guardian. And if that wasn't horrible enough, I also planned a Mortal's death right along with it…

*Years Earlier*

In order for us Guardian's to help serve and protect the Mortal's more effectively, they were sometimes able to absorb us into their minds. When they did, our full power was then at their fingertips. It wasn't a common practice back then, but Hyne was willing to permit it as long as we Guardians understood the danger that we were submitting ourselves to. For once absorbed into a Mortal, we then became Mortal while inside them. That meant that if the Mortal should die…then the Guardian housed inside would die as well.

I'm sure you can now see where I'm headed with this. Shamelessly, I lured Bahamut into the mind of a young male Mortal and then proceeded to try to destroy them both. The battle was fierce, but I had my hatred to give me the strength to overcome almost every obstacle thrown at me by both Bahamut and the Mortal. In the young man's mind, I could hear the great Bahamut pleading to be released from him and for the Mortal to escape. Even at his most perilous hour, Bahamut was more concerned about the Mortal's safety than his own.

But the Mortal was proud. He never ran away from a battle, which was one of the foremost reasons why I chose him as bait for Bahamut. He couldn't kill me, the Immortal, but I knew that he would fight to earn his survival. He fought valiantly and I must confess, with the added power of Bahamut he had me a bit worried that they might escape. But then luckily for me, the Mortal became overconfident and made one fatal mistake. He believed my surrender and then withdrew his blade. And that's when I struck.

Bahamut screamed a warning to the man, but it was too late. My two long knives were already embedded into his chest and had appeared out through his back. The Mortal gasped more in surprise than pain, but I heard Bahamut roaring in agony. I couldn't help my glee. Victory was mine and by Hyne, did triumph taste good!

Unfortunately, it was also short-lived.

I don't know why, but the consequences of my actions were something I never considered while plotting. Maybe I was too involved with the idea of getting rid of Bahamut that nothing else was able to enter my mind. Or maybe it was that I, too, had become overconfident with myself. As I left the Mortal body in the woods, I found myself thinking about a good explanation to tell the other Guardians and Hyne herself. I would tell them that the Mortal had challenged me and I killed him without knowing that Bahamut was inside him. And if asked, I would say that I heard Bahamut's voice only after I had delivered the final blow. As far as they were all concerned, I had accidentally killed Bahamut and then nobly stayed by his side until he and the Mortal had taken their last breath.

Yes, my confidence was high as I made my way back to the Guardian Realm some time later. After all, it was an honest mistake right? I would probably be consoled and then excused of any possible wrongdoing. After that, there would be a period of mourning for the great Lord and then everything would be back to normal. My conscience would be completely clear.

I should have known better.

I entered the Guardian Realm and was immediately restrained by Diablos, the Guardian of Demi. He told me that Hyne wished to see me now inside the Great Hall because she had some very important questions to ask me about Lord Bahamut. Then without waiting for a reply, he picked me up and flew me to Hyne's Tower.

Was I afraid? Foolishly no, I wasn't. I still felt that my story would hold up to Hyne. After all, I was her first Guardian. She had to believe me.

Diablos led me into the Great Hall. All of the other Guardian's were present. I could hear them whispering to each other, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. The Demi Guardian then threw me down at Hyne's feet.

My creator's eyes were very round and looked to be full of sadness. She was a beautiful being. Her hair had been made out of the sunshine, her complexion made out of the pale moonlight and her eyes were made out of the blue of the ocean. Her compassion and love for all things also contributed to her beauty, for she was truly one with everything. Her gown was made out of puffy clouds and reached all the way to her toes. Even though my hair was white and my eyes were silver, I looked just like her. And I was proud of that.

"Lunar," she began in a very soft voice, "A very upsetting thing has taken place. Lord Bahamut is missing and I've received word that you are the last Guardian to have seen him. So I would like you to tell me what happened when you two met."

This was it. I took a deep breath and began with, "Your Grace, I encountered a young Mortal man while inside one of Earth's forests. He was threatening and foolish, and challenged me to a battle with him. He had no morals and no respect for a Guardian and I was forced to kill him quickly. Believe me Your Grace, this Mortal was not a good man. I had encountered him several times before and his disrespect was always evident in his words and in his actions."

"Please do not ramble off the subject," Hyne requested in that same, soft voice.

"Forgive me, Your Grace," I apologized quickly. "I killed the Mortal quickly but…a little too quickly. I did not realize until I had already struck the death blow that…that Bahamut had been inside the Mortal."

The Guardian's all began to talk at once and a low buzzing sound filled the air. They were obviously in shock. Good. Then that meant that my plan was working.

Hyne simply had to raise one hand and the noise died down. When all was silent again, she looked at me and said, "Continue, Lunar."

I obediently continued with my lies. "Once I found out that Bahamut was housed inside the Mortal, it was too late to save either one of them. Moments after I had struck, both the Mortal and Bahamut took their last breath. They died in my arms."

"And then?" Hyne asked.

"I left the body in the woods and returned here to our Realm," I explained. "I was going to tell you personally about what had happened, but Diablos met me just as I returned and flew me here to see you in council with the other Guardian's. He said that you had some questions to ask me about Bahamut."

"And so I did," Hyne agreed, shifting her position inside of her huge throne. She still spoke in the same, sad voice. "And so our Lord Bahamut is dead? You have inadvertently killed him while he was inside a Mortal?"

"Yes, Your Grace." I bow my head and force concern into my voice. "I inadvertently killed your Guardian Lord. In my rush to dispose of a worthless and disrespectful Mortal, I ended the life of one of my own. I am eternally sorry, my Lady. And to my fellow Guardian's, I apologize to you as well. I have slain your Leader and am truly sorry. Please forgive me."

There was another small buzz as the Guardian's murmured to each other. Again, Hyne just raised a hand and all was silent. Then she fixed her gaze on me again and said, "Everything that you have said is true, Lunar? Lord Bahamut's death was an accident because you honestly did not know that he had been absorbed by the Mortal?"

"It is all true," I swore. "I stand before my Creator and fellow Guardian's and pledge that this is what happened. I killed the Mortal without knowing that Bahamut was inside of him and I was not able to help them in time. This is the solemn truth and may I be dammed to exile if I lie!"

The hall became still. Hyne had risen out of her throne and was now standing next to me. Her expression remained sad. Then in a disappointed voice, she said, "You lie to me, Guardian of the Moon."

"No!" I denied quickly, hoping that my voice sounded convincing. "I speak nothing but the truth, Your Grace!"

Hyne was not convinced. "More lies."

"No! Again, I speak the truth!"

This time, she didn't answer. Instead, she looked over my shoulder toward the doors of the hall. I turned around…and then gasped.

Bahamut was standing inside the threshold, his great wings outstretched and his mighty arms loose at his sides. His long neck was perfectly straight and he was holding his head proudly erect. The candles that lit up the Great Hall seemed to make his dark blue scales glow as he headed toward me. His walk was magnificent. Shoulders back, head high, steps slow and measured while his long tail swung back and forth behind him. Words really could not do him justice. He was truly a Leader and a Lord. I was both disgusted and fascinated.

The Guardian's lowered to the ground as he passed them, but he paid them no heed and continued forward. A moment later he was in front of me, bending his great head so his big, glowing green eyes could look straight into my silver ones. Staring back, I tried to read what he was thinking in his expression. To my dismay, I couldn't read anything. His face remained impassive and he gave absolutely no sign of any emotion. No hurt, anger or fear was visible on his face. His expression remained blank.

Fury began building up inside me. What was he doing here? He was supposed to be dead! He was NOT supposed to be standing here before me!

My anger was a hideous thing and it broke me from my plan of lies. Enraged, I leapt at him and began angrily beating my fists against his stomach, silently wishing that I could reach his face. "Damn you, Bahamut!" I roared. "Damn you straight to hell! I killed you and that horrible Mortal! Why aren't you dead?! CAN YOU NOT JUST DIE?!"

The Guardian's gasped in outrage and then all began shouting at once. Diablos pulled me away from Bahamut and held my arms tightly behind my back. I screamed and struggled to free myself, trying to use my fury to give myself strength. The Hall was now in an uproar.

"ENOUGH!"

Hyne's voice echoed throughout the Great Hall. Instantly, everyone was still. Including me. All of our eyes turned to her.

My Lady's face had undergone an alarming transformation. Her usually pale cheeks were now bright red with anger and her mouth was pulled back in a terrible scowl. None of us Guardian's had ever acted this way before and I knew that she did not approve of our behavior. It was really this change in her appearance and in her tone that quieted us.

Taking a very, very deep breath, she then focused her attention on me and said coldly, "Lunar, Guardian of the Moon, you have disgraced yourself in my eyes. For not only have you betrayed your Lord Guardian by plotting his death, you have also willingly spoke lie after lie to your Creator. For these abominable acts, you shall be severely punished."

Punished? I opened my mouth to protest but before I could make a sound, Bahamut stepped forward and spoke for the first time since he had entered the Hall. "Your Grace?" he asked Hyne quietly. "May I have permission to speak?"

She seemed to consider for a moment. Then finally, she told him, "I believe I know what you want to say, Lord Bahamut. If you want to discuss the terms of Lunar's punishment, then I grant you permission to choose it. It is only fair."

Fair?

Bahamut nodded and then thoughtfully began to pace back and forth in front of me. The Guardian's couldn't take their eyes off of him. Even while pacing he appeared powerful. And whether I liked it or not, all of that power was now over me. It was up to him to decide my fate.

Finally, he stopped in front of me again and announced in a booming voice, "We Guardian's were created for two purposes. One, to oversee and observe life on Earth and two, to protect and serve the Mortals. After each of us was created, we swore an oath to faithfully honor these duties for all time. Especially where the Mortals were concerned because like Lunar, they were all created to resemble our Lady Hyne herself."

"But…Lunar has betrayed her sworn duty to protect the Mortal's. For in trying to destroy me, she has also willingly killed a Mortal as well. A young Mortal who had absolutely nothing to do with Lunar or myself in any way. He was an innocent soul."

Bahamut paused there and then studied me. I raised my chin and just glared right back.

This seemed to unsettle him. He then turned back to Hyne and finished with, "Therefore, Your Grace, I feel that Lunar should be punished only on the grounds of her betrayal to her duty. Not because of what she has done to me."

There was a general muttering from the crowd of Guardians. But this time, Hyne did not stop it. Instead, she just stared at Bahamut and said, "Are you sure, my Lord Bahamut? You do not believe she needs to be punished for her betrayal to you?"

Bahamut shook his head. "No, my Lady. I have never asked Lunar to swear any sort of oath on my behalf. She has never pledged her allegiance to me or promised anything specific. It is just that I myself believe that there is a greater injustice in betraying a sworn oath than in trying to murder me."

His words brought the Hall back to silence. The other Guardian's seemed surprised. I was as well. He didn't want my trying to kill him to be another factor in my punishment? Why not? What kind of game was the infernal dragon trying to play?

"If that is how you wish it," Hyne agreed slowly, "Then I will comply."

Bahamut seemed very grateful. "Thank you, Your Grace. Now…regarding Lunar's punishment…"

I stiffened. Here it was. My fate was in his horrible, scaly claws.

He looked at me again. "Since she took the world away from an innocent Mortal, then I suggest that we take the world from her as well. In fact, I believe Lunar suggested it herself before I walked inside here. 'May I be dammed to exile if I lie.' Well, she has lied to our Lady Creator and for that I say that she should be sentenced to exile."

"No!" I shouted in horror, trying to step forward. Diablos tightened his grip on my arms and held me back.

"Quiet, Lunar!" Hyne ordered sharply. "You are in no position to object. I for one see the justice in your Lord's suggestion. Sentencing you to exile may be just the thing you need to see the atrociousness of your actions."

"But Your Grace!" I pleaded frantically, refusing to be silent. "Surely you cannot let this dragon decide my-!"

"I said QUIET!" Hyne cried. "One more word, Lunar, and I shall have the Guardian Siren Silence you. Is that understood?!"

More angry words were burning on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them down and then glanced quickly over at the Guardian of Silence. The blond sea siren gave me a meaningful look in return. She would do anything our Creator asked of her and we both knew it.

"Yes, my Lady," I told her lowly.

"Good." Hyne then glanced back at Bahamut and went on with, "Have you anything else to say, Lord Bahamut?"

There was a long pause during which Bahamut once again studied me with his glowing green eyes. I studied him right back. What more could he possibly have to say? The Great Bahamut had spoken. I was going to be exiled. Let the punishment fit the deed. That seemed to be his credo. My hatred for him increased.

"I did have another thought," he began slowly, keeping his eyes on mine. "Since no other Guardian has ever been accused of something like this before, then I believe that maybe Lunar should be given a chance to redeem herself."

The Guardian's looked at each other in confusion. I was confused, too. Redeem myself?

Again, Hyne looked just as surprised as I felt. "Redeem herself?" she repeated incredulously.

Bahamut nodded. "I consider myself a fair being, Your Grace. Lunar was your first created Guardian and has always been thought of as someone special by the rest of us. Because of this, I believe she deserves a second chance. But in order to receive that chance, Lunar must meet my conditions."

I pressed my lips into a firm line and scowled. His conditions? Now what was he up to?

"My conditions are this," Bahamut continued. "Lunar first must give me a formal apology right in front of everyone inside the Hall as well as an explanation of the motive behind her actions. Then, she must kneel to swear her complete loyalty to me and give me the promise of being my most humble Guardian servant. If she will accept these conditions and declare me as her Lord Guardian, then I will reconsider her exile."

Bow to him and declare him as my Lord?! "NEVER!" I shouted in reply, violently squirming against Diablos' hold and giving Bahamut my best look of revulsion. "I will never submit to you, dragon! Not even for my freedom! The only vow I will give you is this! Every day of my exile, I will hate you more and more with each step that I take! As long as you breathe here in the Guardian Realm and on Earth, you will be hated, detested and abhorred by me!"

There was another long silence. All present were in shock. Then for the first time, Bahamut looked down at me with evident sadness in his big green eyes. Then in a voice that I expect he wanted only me to hear, he asked, "Why?"

Why? "You don't deserve to know why," I retorted bitterly.

Again, there was silence. Then Bahamut gave what sounded like a huge, rumbling sigh and said to Hyne, "Lunar has chosen, Your Grace, so I therefore leave the fate of her exile in your hands." Pause. Then, "And if it is all right with you, then I wish to take my leave now."

I heard the pity in Hyne's voice as she said, "Of course, Lord Bahamut."

He nodded again and then started back toward the doors. Once more, the Guardian's lowered themselves as he passed them. But this time, he stopped to quickly look at all of them. When he had finished, he shook his head and continued out the doors. Then he was gone.

Hyne didn't hesitate. "Lunar," she began in a firm voice, "Step forward."

Diablos pushed me up the two small stairs that lead to her throne and then once again threw me at her feet. I landed awkwardly on my hands and knees and then looked up at her. She was sitting very straight in her throne and gazed back at me with eyes that plainly said, 'The time has come'.

"Lunar," she started again while pointing a finger at me, "Guardian of the Moon. For the crime of betraying your oath to the Mortal's, I hereby sentence you to immediate exile. You are forthwith stripped of both your title and all of the power that the Moon and I myself have given you. From this day on, you shall walk the world of the Mortal's without any physical or mental connection with them OR, any other living or inanimate thing. They will not hear you, see you or even feel you in any way whatsoever. As far as everyone and everything is concerned, you no longer exist."

I just nodded. What else could I do?

"Have you any last words?" Hyne inquired stiffly.

Taking a moment to think, I answered with, "Just one thing, Your Grace. While I am gone, who is going to take care of the creatures on the Moon?"

This time, Hyne took a moment to think. "No one," she answered finally "I will seal your power and bury it somewhere deep within the Earth's surface."

"What?!" I gasped in disbelief. "But Your Grace, that would be extremely dangerous! If my power were to fall into the wrong hands, it could have terrible effects on the Moon! You know how temperamental these Moon creatures can be! If not properly watched over, they can become frighteningly violent and will even try to leave the Moon ! If they succeed, then the whole lot of them will come crashing down to the Earth and the Mortal's will be in very grave danger! I beg of you Lady Hyne, please pass my power along to someone else!"

She watched me carefully for a few moments. Possibly in an effort to see if my concern was genuine. She must have seen that it was because her next coldly spoken words were, "You were not concerned with the one Mortal life that you have taken, Lunar. Why should thousands, or possibly even millions more make any difference to you?"

Her words hurt, as I'm sure she had intended them to. Just because I had wanted to sacrifice one horrible Mortal didn't mean that I wanted them all to die. Could Hyne not see that? I tried to stammer a reply, but she interrupted me again by saying, "And if anything should happen, then let it be a constant reminder to you of what you have forsaken yourself for. If your power does indeed fall into dangerous hands, then the Mortal's shall have no one to blame but you. They may not know you exist, but their tragedies will still rest on your shoulders. It will be your fault, and your fault alone for whatever events your powers bring in the future."

And with that, she stood up and raised her arms above her head. A glowing white orb appeared in between her hands and then slowly made it's way over above my head. I looked up at it just as a bright beam of light shot out and quickly surrounded me on all sides. Seconds later, the beam disappeared and the glowing orb moved back to Hyne. She held it against her chest. I didn't have to ask. I knew that the orb now contained all my power. I lowered my head.

"You exile begins now," Hyne said stiffly. "Farewell, Lunar. May thousands upon thousands of years help you develop a sense of morality and compassion. And when you do, you will rue the day that you ever committed these sins. And if I were you, I would give thanks every day to my Lord Bahamut for suggesting exile for your punishment instead of death. Because make no mistake, Lunar, that if he had considered death…I would have accommodated him."

I no longer had any doubt that she would. There was an even greater bright light then and I found that for the first time, it hurt to look at it. I squeezed my eyes shut against the brightness and then felt the sensation of being lifted. I wanted to open my eyes to see what was happening but the pain from the light made it impossible. Soon though, I was able to open them and then found that I was now on Earth, sitting on top of a grassy hill that overlooked the ocean. My exile had begun.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*

So that's how it all happened. From that day on I have wandered Earth, watching as it and the Mortals changed over the years. I did nothing in particular, really. Just drifted in and out of places. I especially liked being around the Mortals. They were so lively and carefree with their lives! It was a long while before I encountered any Mortal that was not happy. They always had something to do or talk about. One of my favorite things to do was to sit with them while they told stories. Some made up by themselves, others out of storybooks. I soon came to truly appreciate them. They had their lives and were living them to the fullest.

Years went by. Many years. Countless years. I did a lot of thinking during this time. Mostly about what I had done, and Bahamut himself. I was still angry with him for what he had done to me. Exile wasn't the most exciting thing in the world. I had discovered that very quickly. But Hyne did have a point when she said that Bahamut could have sentenced me to death. I suppose that in some way I should be grateful for his mercy. I hadn't died, but what kind of life was a life of exile? Simple. It wasn't a life at all. Living meant being a part of the world and basking or cursing in whatever it gave you. None of that applied to me now. I had to settle for just observing and after awhile, I finally became used to the idea.

Then came a day when I discovered a Guardian lying dead while I was exploring a mountain range. Incredulous, I sat next to the body and studied it critically. It couldn't have been a Guardian. They were Immortal. They couldn't die unless absorbed into a Mortal who dies. I examined the supposed Guardian closer until I found a series of horrible gashes in its back and a hole in its head. It was indeed dead and yes, it was also indeed a Guardian. The traditional mark of Guardianship was clearly visible behind its neck. I knew of it because I too had one on the back of mine. All Guardians did. Hyne herself had given them to us after we had sworn our oaths to protect the world and the Mortals. There was no mistaking the mark of a Guardian.

But what had happened to him? How did his assailant (or assailants) manage to kill him? He had been an Immortal. Nothing should have been able to hurt him while in his Immortal form, as he was now. It was a complete mystery, and I intended to solve it.

So I began travelling more frequently around the world, hoping to find someone that could give me some answers. I had no power, so my means of travel were restricted to whatever was available to me at the present time. If there was a boat leaving from a place that I had finished investigating, then I was on it. If there were trains heading for another city, I was there, too. If nothing was available, then I walked to my next destination. I wasn't picky. I had all of eternity to find the answers.

It wasn't much later when I got all the answers I would need. It was nighttime, and I had made my way into a patch of woods. I had not been inside them long before I saw what looked like fire in between some trees. Curious, I hurried over to see what was causing it and to my surprise, found two Guardians sitting on the ground around a bright fire. I recognized them both as Cerberus, the Guardian of Multiple Magic and Carbuncle, the Guardian of Reflect.

I watched them in disbelief. Carbuncle was holding what looked like a wet cloth of some sort over one of Cerberus' heads. Thick, red blood was pouring down its face, staining the cloth. Cerberus' other two heads were examining both Carbuncle and the blood. One of the heads then shook back and forth as it said, "I had never seen anything like that creature before."

Carbuncle folded the cloth again and then set it back on Cerberus' wound. "Neither have I," he admitted. "I imagine that it along with a number of strange creatures came from…the moon."

The Moon?! I had to hear more, so I moved and sat down next to Cerberus. The great three-headed dog let out a growl of agreement at Carbuncle's words and commented, "They had to have. You heard about what happened to the land that the Mortal's call Centra?"

The furry green Guardian nodded his ruby-jeweled head. "A wave of falling monsters appeared out of the sky and destroyed it. Millions of them are now running loose on the Earth. Trillions more by the time they're all finished breeding. And after that…" he stopped and then shrugged his little shoulders. "Who knows?"

Cerberus grew thoughtful. Then he asked softly, "Do you suppose Lunar's power may have fallen into the wrong hands?"

I sat up straighter. I knew that this would happen one day. If only Hyne had listened!

"They might have," Carbuncle allowed slowly. "Or the monsters could have become irritated over the years due to lack of supervision. Lunar did warn our Lady Hyne that that could happen. Here, try to stand now."

"That insolent fool," Cerberus growled as he tried to get to his feet. "She should have known better not to commit those acts. And she sure as hell should have known to accept Lord Bahamut's conditions. If she had, none of us Guardians would be in the position we are all in now. Ouch!" He fell to the ground, apparently still weak.

I was miffed. "I beg your pardon, mutt? Did you just refer to me as an insolent fool? I'm not the one bleeding from my head."

Helping him back into a sitting position, Carbuncle cast a Cure spell on the wound and then scolded Cerberus quietly with, "You can't blame Lunar for the things she herself has not done. Yes, she hated our Lord for reasons that were never explained. Yes, it is possible that her power is to blame for the monsters from the moon. But is it her fault that Ifrit and Shiva had a heated rivalry and became bitter enemies? Is it her fault that a few of us Guardians followed the Fire and the Ice Guardian's lead and had rivalries amongst ourselves? No Cerberus, it is not her fault. Lady Hyne is the reason we are all in this position. She is the one who banished us Guardians all to Earth as Mortals for our behavior."

She had what?! I was shocked. Our Creator had turned the Guardians Mortal?

"Speak for yourself," Cerberus told Carbuncle, shifting his position by lying his three heads on his two front paws. "I had no rivalry with any other Guardian. I didn't deserve to be banished here to earth."

Carbuncle put a sympathetic paw over one of Cerberus'. "I understand how you feel. I didn't have a rivalry, either. But this is how Lady Hyne wanted it. We have no choice but to obey her wishes."

"True," Cerberus agreed reluctantly, giving a small yawn from all three heads. Then he closed all six eyes and went on with, "I just wish I knew why Hyne did this to us."

Me too," Carbuncle told him, curling into a little ball and then closing his eyes. "Me too."

They fell asleep and I slowly got up and headed out of the woods. My mind was churning with thoughts. A few of the Guardians had had rivalries, and because of them Hyne had banished all of them to Earth as Mortals? Amazing. She must have been extremely upset with them because she must have hoped that behavior like that would cease to exist after I had been exiled. No wonder Cerberus was trying to blame me. I never considered the fact that I might have set a very bad example for the rest of the Guardians. But…after seeing what had happened to me, you would think that they would have known better.

And what about Bahamut? He had been their Leader, for Hyne's sake! How could he have let the Guardians come to such as pass? Unless…something had happened to him.

No. He was Bahamut, the Guardian who had somehow cheated death. Nothing had happened to him, I was sure of that now. In fact, he was probably roaming somewhere on Earth right now. I wondered how he felt about being turned into a Mortal. It probably wasn't so bad. From watching Carbuncle, I could tell that the Guardians still had their power. The only difference in their lives now was just the fact that they could become injured. And possibly…die.

I didn't know what to think of all this, so I just accepted it and went about the world. Soon I discovered that Mortals were still able to absorb the Guardians into their minds. And if I wasn't mistaken, these Guardians preferred living this way. The fear of pain and death must have convinced them that being inside a Mortal was safer then being alone in a new and dangerous world. I didn't blame them for these possible thoughts. I probably would have felt the same way.

More time passed and I felt myself begin to greatly tire of my exile. Almost everywhere I went, a Mortal was housing a Guardian. And nine times out of ten, the union was both peaceful and respectful. I believe that the Guardians not only felt safe, but also felt that they were still honoring their oath to protect the Mortals. Before long, these Guardians came to be affectionately known to the Mortals as GF's.

Guardian Forces.

I longed for that. To be part of someone or something again that would need and respect me. If there was one thing I hated the most about my exile, it was the constant feeling of loneliness. I had been alone in my own dimension for almost six thousand years with nothing but my own thoughts and regrets to keep me company. Seeing life go on around me had become too painful to bear. I wanted to live among the world again. I wanted to be a Mortal's Guardian Force. I wanted it more than anything.

But it was impossible. I had been cursed, dammed. Doomed to walk the Earth in solitude for all time. There was no way I would ever be allowed to rejoin the world.

Yet my desire to escape my exile helped me realize a few things. One, the world had changed dramatically since my exile had begun. Guardians had become Mortal, sorceresses were ruling lands, and most Mortals were living their lives by either fighting in wars or by training to fight in them. Two, my power had caused millions of monsters to invade the Earth, whom the Mortals were now trying to fight on a daily basis. Everywhere I turned there was one type of creature or another causing mischief. Hyne had been right. It was my own selfish fault that they were here. If I hadn't have tried to destroy Bahamut, then I would still be in control of my power today and this whole monster situation could have been avoided. I felt guilty for it. Very guilty.

And lastly, I realized that I was extremely sorry for what I had done. Bahamut wasn't a bad being. He never had been. He was just the unfortunate being who had been the target of my foolish and insane jealousy. And Hyne had been right another thing. Bahamut could have considered death, but he was merciful on that account and then even tried to spare me my exile. But I would have none of it. I chose my pride over his mercy. I was a fool.

I owed him for that. For his mercy, I mean. I wasn't sure how I was going to make everything up to him, me being in my exiled position and all. But I finally decided on one thing. If I couldn't apologize to him, then I would stand by him. For the rest of his life, I would stick by his side throughout everything he did. Like I should have done six thousand years ago. It wouldn't give me my freedom back, but it would give me back my peace of mind.

So with all of my old jealousy and fury firmly put behind me, I set off in search of Bahamut.

I searched for a long, long time. Through the mountains, deserts and fields. Through the forests and across the oceans with absolutely no luck or clue as to his whereabouts. With each day that passed by, I became worried that I might never find him and my hope at making silent amends slowly began to crumble.

But then one day, when I had almost given up on my search, I found him…