No adventure today. No dates with destiny, no run-ins with fate, and no journeys to other dimensions to save friends or family. Sazh had done plenty of all that in his time, and he wasn't going to let it change now.

He leaned back in his chair and propped up his feet on the stool before him. A cool wind blew in from the open window and tickled his face, but his jacket was enough to protect him. Spring always proved to be a refreshing change to the bitter winters of the Floating Continent and he looked forward to the warm arrival of summer.

But then, something about the cold reminded him he was high up in the air, and he couldn't complain when he had such a lofty view of the world below. When he took the time to visit the edge, that was.

Still. To feel the heat of the sun on his back again would be nice.

Dajh and Cid sat at the table playing cards and Sazh listened to their playful banter.

"Aw, Uncle Cid! Why'd you have to go and pull a flush?"

"Because." Cid Haze, the portly and jovial friend of Sazh's, had a glimmer in his eye and a quirk in his lips. "That's what fate determined, son."

"Nuh uh." Dajh placed his cards facedown and folded his arms with a pout. "We don't give in to fate in this house, that's what my dad says. We work to our ends."

"That's not the way it goes with cards and luck, I'm afraid." Cid turned to Sazh. "What are you telling your boy?"

"Exactly what he said." Sazh pulled his mug of ale from the counter and took a long sip. "We don't work with fate."

Cid gave a thoughtful hum and Dajh took the cards to shuffle again.

Sazh kicked his feet off their rest and turned to face the two. "How's the new Nautilus coming along?"

"Oh, just fine, just fine." Cid took his new hand and looked at the cards turned up on the table with a stony face. "They're not treatin' the fins right, I'll say, but the structure is faithful to the old beauty. The engineers in Saronia are working around the clock, you know. Didn't look too alert when I visited, but they care as much as I've seen. We'll have the old girl back to herself before you know it."

"Kind of a new girl after what happened." Sazh shook his head and leaned forward to see how Dajh dealt with those numbers in his hand.

"And what about your glider, huh?"

On the table sat a jack, ten, and ace. All hearts.

"Oh, it's coming."

"Well?" Cid betrayed some impatience with a tapping of his finger, though his expression and voice remained level – Sazh found himself surprised at his friend's poker face.

Dajh looked Cid square in the eyes and said, "Call."

Cid swore under his breath and placed a four and an eight on the table. Dajh's grin split his face and he placed a king and queen of hearts on the table.

"You sure you're not rigging this thing?" Cid asked with a huff while Dajh collected his win and got to shuffling again. "You made the cards, after all. Who's to say you didn't enchant them?"

"Drawing isn't magic." Sazh hauled himself over to kneel by the table. "Deal me in, Dajh. It's about time someone told this old-timer how it's done."

"But that's what I've been doing!" Dajh threw his head back before dealing hands. "Besides, I didn't just draw the cards, I laminated them, too!"

Cid scoffed. "What in the name of pandemonium does 'laminate' mean?"

"It's why they're shiny!" Dajh pulled off a nine of spades to demonstrate with a flick of the card. It gave off a faint gleam in the light. "Also protects them from water damage."

Sazh took the card. Dajh was talented for his age, but it didn't stop some of the spades from appearing asymmetrical or rough at the edges. Their limited resources here on Blue Terra didn't help either – figuring out about the laminating thing was an accident when Dajh spilled wax on his paper. As it was, the gloss was splotchy and got on the fingers when he held it too long.

"You did a good job, son." Sazh slapped a hand on Dajh's back and the boy beamed back.

Cid stretched out his arms and they popped. "Oi. This takes a lot of mind power."

"One more round." Sazh pushed Cid's hand his way. "I'll see if I can inject some humor into this one, huh?"

"Dad!" Dajh whined. "Stop!"

"Yeah, yeah." Sazh fanned out his cards in his hand. "What's the flop?"

Dajh started and pulled off the top three cards. "Uh, three, ten, and queen."

"Clubs, clubs, hearts." Cid heaved a sigh and looked at his hand. "Huh."

A knock sounded at the door and it opened with a meek "Hello?"

"In here." Sazh frowned at the one of clubs and ace of diamonds. Not a good start, for sure.

Dajh jumped to his feet and rushed for the door, cards forgotten on the table. "Arc!"

Sazh exchanged a knowing look with Cid before he stood to greet his new guest. "What'cha doing here?"

Arc stood in the doorway, dressed in his typical, layered robes. His face donned a couple of hair-thin scars from whatever it was they did on their last adventure. "I wanted to see Cid about borrowing an airship."

"What for?" Cid betrayed some intrigue when he stood and brushed himself off. "Leaving again, already?"

"Possible." Arc sucked in a breath. "Well. Actually, I'm only just visiting from Saronia. I, uh, kinda need to get back."

Cid furrowed his brow. "Then how did you get here?"

"Erm." Arc looked around them. "It's kind of a long story. But to keep it short, I ran into some mages and we're trying out some experimental magic."

Sazh raised an eyebrow and summoned a fiery warmth within to calm himself. "Better watch yourself with that stuff. I hope you don't find yourself ported to the edge of the Continent and dropped over the edge."

Arc managed a weak laugh. "Yeah, I'll, uh, be careful. But I was wondering if I could get a ride back down with my friends?"

Sazh exaggerated a sigh. "Okay, but it'll cost you."

"Of course!" Arc bobbed his head. "We'll pay you."

"Hey, guys!" Desch entered with a wide grin. "I'm not the first one, this time!"

Cid slapped a knee. "Well, if we're not just getting all the visitors today!"

"I'm getting visitors." Sazh leaned back and grimaced. "What am I, a tavernkeeper now? Geez."

Dajh interrogated Arc and got him to tell a story from one of his adventures, so Sazh gestured for Desch to join him and Cid. "What warrants today's visit?" Sazh asked. "More trouble with that girl of yours?"

Desch scratched at his scalp. "Kinda. She doesn't like that I want to see the world."

"Oh, let me take this one." Cid leaned forward and ran a hand through his beard. "Why do you think that is?"

Sazh shook his head and stood. Desch went on to explain something about the wonders of the world while Cid took it in with measured looks.

Adventure. Sazh felt a constricting in his chest at the thought and bit his tongue against a retort. Held himself back from explaining for the thousandth time that Desch should just settle down and enjoy life while he could. Before something took him or his loved one away.

Dajh listened to Arc with rapt attention and Sazh didn't miss how animated Arc got when he explained transforming into a toad.

Despite Sazh's best attempts, Dajh retained a nostalgia for their old lives and that left a gnawing sensation in Sazh's stomach. He tried to ignore it, tried to ignore the sparkle in Dajh's eye when Arc motioned in wide circles and spoke in that soft voice of his. Tried to ignore the injuries Arc sustained since Sazh last saw him, the bruising on his neck and the scab near his hairline, the flinch in his fingers. Tried to forget the way Cid glanced to him like he was worried.

Sazh swallowed hard and moved to get dinner started.

Arc had the power he needed to open that portal that Palom and Porom mentioned and he might have just completed the first, crucial step to see a whole other world.

Inside the airship, Arc kicked his feet back and forth in anticipation. Ingus and Refia sat beside him, Ingus with closed eyes and Refia with an anxious chewing on her lip. Luneth paced back and forth with an occasional glance upward.

Out of sight, Sazh and Cid manned the helm and Arc trusted them to guide them a lot better than the orphans could. Those two had spent decades doing it, after all.

"This is so inefficient," muttered Luneth without breaking his stride. "Why not just teleport back down?"

"Because we don't know how," Arc reminded him. "It wouldn't be safe to try to get back down without help."

"But these mages you mentioned," said Refia, "they do know?"

Arc's breath caught in his throat and he nodded. "And so much more."

Luneth rolled his eyes. "Like portals?"

"Like portals."

Refia furrowed her brow. "But they need us?"

"For the power to generate it." Arc looked between them. "They had to train their village for years to get everyone capable – now they just need our crystal energy to get that last boost."

"And their motives?" Ingus asked without looking at them. "Do we know their intentions regarding your plans?"

Arc shrugged. "Probably just wanting to explore like the rest of us. I don't see what they could with portals that isn't that."

"Conquer," Ingus said.

"Stealing stuff," Luneth said.

"Spying," Refia said.

"But they don't seem like the kinds to do that type of stuff."

"Yeah, well, neither does Ingus."

"I'll have you hanged."

"Do you ever think we should be doing stuff like that?" Everyone turned to Refia – she fidgeted with her feet. "I mean – we are Light Warriors after all. What if we're wasting our time as blacksmiths and captains?"

Luneth said, "I wonder the same thing."

"You never stopped." Arc shook his head. "I swear, trying to get in contact with you is like trying to catch wind. But I suppose our call is a bit nebulous."

"You're not much better," Refia said. "Honestly, both of you should learn to listen to the Crystals a little more."

Ingus let out a sigh. "I should hope it superfluous to fuss over specifics when it isn't every day that the equilibrium of our world is disturbed."

"Easy for you to say," Luneth said with a flick of his head. "You've got a hot girl waiting for you back home."

Refia grumbled, "Yet he still pays attention, unlike you guys."

"Sara is away on diplomatic missions." Ingus gave Luneth a hard look. "It would be inappropriate for us to engage romantically."

"But you won't say you're not committed?" Refia asked.

"I-…" Ingus folded his arms. "I will speak no further on the matter."

"Of course, he won't." Luneth looked up at the ceiling. "How much longer is this gonna take anyway? I'm getting kind of hungry."

"Same here." Refia frowned. "It isn't the Nautilus, so we can't expect anything quicker than this evening, I expect."

Arc hummed. "That gives the twins more time to recover. Might be good for them to get more energy back before we all come in."

"Yet they moved you across the planet in an instant?" Ingus asked. "Rather an impressive move if it's true that they're so sickly."

"Yeah, that was… a mistake."

"On whose part?"

Arc hesitated. "I don't know. Mine, I guess. I got a little excited and encouraged them to demonstrate their powers despite being in obviously bad shape. But this could mean space travel and seeing other worlds and I… want that."

"Same!" Luneth threw himself back. "Let's keep investigating and just keep an eye on the new guys."

Refia worked her jaw. "Would that be enough, though? If they're powerful enough to create portals, could we stop them if they tried something?"

"We'll have to," Ingus said. "We have the Crystals on our side and we're the designated protectors of this planet. If these mages have ulterior motives, we're the only ones that could do anything to stop them."

Luneth groaned, "Oh, come on. They can't be that good."

The ship pitched into an angle and Arc grabbed at his seat to hold on. The others didn't seem as fazed by the motion. It wasn't that much more of a dive than usual, was it?

Everything shook and rattled about him like a storm billowed about outside, but he knew it had to just be the typical rush that came with landing. With a look out with the window, he found only the sky that quickly gave way to the tops of trees, then buildings. The ship slowed and they landed with a thud.

Luneth jumped to his feet, but Ingus strode to the front. Refia followed behind and Arc forced himself to swallow before joining them. His legs felt weak below him and he used the wall to help him toward the exit.

They exchanged thanks and parting words with Sazh and Cid – Dajh was up by the wheel and admiring the view with enthusiastic narrative. The orphans then started on their way inside Saronia's gate.

They'd not made it far before a man with flaxen hair and dark clothes greeted them. "I'm Ace," he said. "Would you know Sazh Katzroy?"

"You betcha." Luneth gestured behind him. "You should catch him before he takes off again."

Ace paused and blinked at Luneth. "You're-… Ahem. Thanks for the help."

"Of course."

Ace left and the four continued on their way. Saronia greeted them with its bustling streets and clinking beads that hung from the rafters of shops. Wooden shafts formed dozens of windchimes that decorated the fronts of doors and caused a constant, calming din of soft ringing and twinkling.

People passed, wearing predominant reds, oranges, and blues. Voices rang out across the streets and surrounded them with calls for coinage, bartering, and deals.

Arc adjusted the grip on his bag and stared down the imposing image of Saronia's castle. It loomed in the distance like a beacon to the citizens and intimidated with its view. He wasn't sure what would happen once he introduced his friends to the twins – part of him feared they would all see through him and abandon the plan on the spot.

A girl bumped into him and Arc startled back to reality and stuttered, "I-I'm sorry!"

The girl froze and looked up at him with huge, blue eyes and shimmering, golden hair. Dark scars crisscrossed her skin like veins and he could swear he smelled… Crystal? On her? Within him, he felt a distant recoiling and the disgust of a higher power that left a chill on his skin and a sickly feeling in his stomach.

"My bad!" The girl dipped her head and adopted a huge grin. "I wasn't watching where I was going!"

He barely had the chance to speak before she bolted off again, legs moving faster than he thought should be humanly possible. He could swear he saw a hint of glimmering dust in her wake.