Chapter one. The gathering.
Edgar Figaro was being bored out of his mind with the Chancellor's lecture on how things should be in the kingdom. He wasn't really paying attention to the speech, because he had already heard it before. On the paper in front of him was several drawings of his friends and him fighting off some monsters, or him flirting with the women, or his brother showing off his muscles, that sort of thing. One of the best pictures was one of Locke looking strait at the person looking at the picture, with his hand motioned behind him, where there was a dragon with a dagger in it's throat. It made Edgar laugh.
"Pay attention sire, this is important!" The chancellor said stopping from his talking.
"No, I think I know how this lecture will end, thanks for the help Chancellor." Edgar yawned and got up, waving a slight gesture to him, and leaving. He headed to the library. "Man, have I ever been so bored? How come no one ever visits me? I'm not that annoying am I?" Edgar thought out loud as he grabbed a few papers and began writing on them. "Maybe I just have to invite them." He started scribbling invitations to everyone. Gogo, Locke, Celes, Terra, Cyan, Sabin, Setzer, Relm, Strago, Gau, Mog, and Umaro. Was there anyone he was forgetting? Edgar was
trying to hurry, so he didn't have time to look things over. He sent the invitations out with his message carrier and one on a carrier pigeon to Terra.
The next day, Friday, he was going to have a huge banquet. He hoped everyone could make it.
Friday arrived, and Setzer was taking his airship to Figaro Castle. He had picked everyone up, because his invitation asked him to. Below deck Locke saw Strago, Relm, Terra, Cyan, Gau, and Celes. Shadow, Gogo, Sabin, Mog, and Umaro weren't there.
"So…" Locke said as he stared at his invitation, how it had strange information about what Edgar was planning on doing. Then he looked at everyone. "You all hungry?"
"Gau am! Gau want food!" Gau said excitedly hopping around. The voice of Setzer came from above deck saying they had arrived. They all climbed out of the ship and saw Edgar greeting them from the castle gates. He walked over to everyone as they came to the castle entrance.
"Ah, Terra, Celes, little Relm, do come in!" Edgar said politely, and Relm began to throw a fit.
"I ain't liddle!" She grumped.
"Strago, Cyan, Locke, Gogo, and Setzer! Gau too! Oh, how I've missed you all so very much! Come on in and make yourselves at home!" He said and shook everyone's hands. Talking to Setzer he asked if he got Mog, but Setzer told him that Mog and Umaro weren't in the mine. Everyone went inside, Edgar just glad they were only missing two guests and a brother.
Mog got home from fishing with Umaro, and picked the invitation up off the floor.
"Eek! KUPO! We're late!" He said dropping the ten fish on his hooks all over the floor. Umaro came into the room to see Mog running around in circles. Mog stopped spinning, and shouted. "To the 'Mog 'O' Pult!'" He grabbed an umbrella and then ran into a sunny room where a giant spoon was bent over a log, and tied into that position. Mog moved the devise pointing in the direction of Figaro, indicated with a mark on the ground. Umaro went over to him as he jumped into the spoon, and Mog shouted: "Fires away!"
"Bye bye." Umaro said deaply and launched Mog clear into the air. He pulled the string back to the ground and tied it up, then jumped into the spoon himself. "Wee!" he shouted before he pulled the string and was launched. "Hah, hah, hah!" He laughed as he soared in the direction of Figaro Castle.
The air was sweet from the creek. There were small fishes, and crawdads at the bed, and a rotweiler splashed at the water trying to get them. The mini lobsters all shot away before the dog got any. In the distance a harmonica playing a song was heard, with a Jew's harp's rubber band twanging with the rhythm over the barking of the dog.
When Shadow was done playing his song, he called Interceptor and began walking on the road. He instinctively put out his hand to pet Interceptor, and there she was, slobbering all over his hand.
"You gettin' hungry girl?" He asked, and she barked, and drooled, her tongue hanging from her muzzle. Shadow took out a mythril blade and threw it speedily into a bunch of bushes, and Interceptor jumped in after the blade. She dragged a Rhodox and a Leafer out, the blade instantly killed them both at the same time. Two birds with one stone, or should we say, mammals with one blade? Shadow wasn't really hungry, so he just watched Interceptor eat. Afterwards, they got back on their Journey.
"Wow! What's that?!" a soldier asked as he saw two balls, one three timesbigger than the other, hurdling at the castle through the air. "Should we shoot those things down?" He asked another guard, but then the smaller ball popped open, and it was Mog, Mog opened up his umbrella and floated into the castle, while Umaro hurdled, and landed in the sand next to it.
"Owch, dat's Smarts!" Umaro got up and ran to the castle gate. "Wowsa! Dis place much different from last time me was here!" Umaro said in his bad grammar and was welcomed inside by the guards.
Edgar and the others were playing a game of clue in the game room, while they waited for dinner to be ready. The only one not playing was Umaro, because he was using the restroom, and he didn't know how to play. The game room consisted of a Billiards table, a board game table, and a water cooler with paper cups, and a trash container. Locke was looking at his checklist. There was only one of each type left, and he flashed a grimacing smile as it became his turn. He had five of the people marked off from the six cards he got at the beginning, and he had been holding them out. He only gave one, which was the sixth card he received, the rope.
"I know who did it." Locke said calmly. He felt like making the murderer sweat for a second. "In my hand I started the game with six cards, one of which you all know was the rope. The other five cards were all people. Who you may ask? Well so far we started off with the Mimick being free, and we all know it wasn't the Queen, the Joker, and the bell boy." Gogo, Terra, Setzer, and Gau, nodded. "And for the five in my hand." He put one card at a time down, naming each one. "Myself, who was Colonel Mustard. The delivery girl is safe. Celes, you were the Maid, you're innocent. Sabin, being Professor Plumb is not the one, and the Chancellor and Butler, who were Mog and Strago are home free. It was the king, in the Billiards room, with the Poison Darts!" He shouted pointing a finger at Edgar.
"Well done!" Edgar got up and congratulated him. "Very well done!"
Chapter two. The game.
"Dinnar is reday." The cook said in a strange accent that made him sound somewhat like a pirate. The dining room was spetacular with the great white drapes and red carpetting. The large table in the middle of the room was fitted with twelve chairs, one for each guest, and the king. Everyone ate quickly, talking about what they had been doing since the end of the world was resolved. Terra had been watching over the kids, Setzer was on a. After everyone was finnished Edgar announced that he had a suprise for everyone.
"S'il te plaît, apporte les cadeaux pour mes invités." he said to the french servant.
"Oh, Wee M'lourd." She replied and brought some gifts to everyone, placing them all on the table before them, and leaving the room. Each gift had a coconut sized fortion cookie attached to it. Everyone looked at their gifts smiling, expecially Mog, Gau, and Relm, who were always open for presents. "Please open them!" Edgar grined mischivously and everyone opened their gifts. They exposed the contents by order clockwise around the table from Edgar, starting with Mog, who was to the left of him. Mog pulled out a Scythe encrested with gleaming see through light blue gems. Setzer had a handful of special poison darts. Relm recieved a big brush with a death symbol encrested on it. Gau was curiously examoning his new DragonClaw(FFMQ), Sabin had a claw with a death symbol on it's palm. Strago held up his Cain of Thorns, Cyan looked astonishingly at his UltamaBlade, Locke played around with his enchanted theve's dagger, and Celes looked up at Edgar from her Spiritual Runic Blade. Terra had yet to show what her present was.
"A Jumprope?" She asked holding it up.
"I couldn't think of anything you would want!" Edgar shrugged.
"Great. While a murderer is on the loose, I'll be able to excorsize him to death!"
"Look at it this way, Umaro, Gogo, and I didn't get anything.
Just then a woman's scream came from out of the room.
"Let the party begin!" Locke joked.
"Wait... that wasn't planned..." Edgar said softly, and the room became quiet. All at once everyone jumped out of their seats and ran out of the room down the hallway, and into the throne room where the french maid was pointing at the dead chancellor laying in the middle of the room. Edgar looked at everyone. "How could he have died?"
"Maybe the shampagn has been poisoned!" Locke blerted out and Celes dropped her champagn glass on the floor screaming. Locke tried to calm her but failed with speach, so he slapped her across the face, and she shut up. "I had to stop her screaming..." Locke said embarrased. Edgar was still pondering.
"The game hasn't even started yet! Who did this?" He asked not sounding quite happy. No one said a thing. "Well if it wasn't any of you... then we must have a killer in the house." He looked at the maid. "Did you see what happened?" he asked her.
"No, I just found him in here like this!" she said.
"I have an idea." Edgar said looking to the rest of everyone. "We should all split up to see if someone else is in the castle. There should only be us, the maid here, and the cook. All the soldiers are outside. Here' everyone draw these straws I just so happen to have in my pocket." He cuts them into equal lengths, two the each length to pair everyone off. The pairs are as follows:
Cyan-Gau
Celes-Relm
Locke-Mog
Strago-Umaro
Gogo-Terra
Edgar-Setzer
"Hold on," Cyan stopped Edgar. "If one of us is thee killer, then someone will shall be paired with him or her."
"That's the point." Edgar said sarcastically and Terra shreaked looking at the frightening Gogo.
"But they might die!" Gau said somewhat frightened. He was covering his scared additude up horribly.
"Well we can't worry about that now, everyone split up. Cyan, Celes, you and your partners take the upstairs. Locke, Strago, you and your parnters take the bacement area, and Gogo and Setzer's group will check out the main floor."
"What about you?" Gogo asked.
"I'm in yours and Setzer's group." Edgar replied and everyone started leaving. Gau looked up at Cyan and Cyan looked at Gau, then to Celes and Relm.
Chapter three. The invisible paranoia.
"Well? Shall we be off?" Cyan asked and everyone agreed. Cyan went ahead of everyone and up the stairs, while everyone else followed closely behind him. The first room they came to was a guest room. Cyan looked in and saw pitch blackness. "Did anyone get a candle before coming up here?" Cyan asked and looked at the others. No one did. "Blast it all. Sir Gau, will thou go find lord Edgar and asketh him for a candle so that we may see into the darkened rooms?"
"Asketh?" Gau asked.
"Yes, asketh..." Cyan responded softly.
"He means 'Ask,' Gau." Celes said and smiled to Cyan.
"Oooooh... Okieday!" Gau shouted loudly and ran down the stairs. Cyan looked back into the guest room, allowing his eyes to adjust. He could see something that seemed to move inside. He squinted his eyes to get a better look, but he still wasn't able to get a good look at it.
Back at the stairs Celes and Relm were waiting for Gau. "What's taking him so long?" Relm wondered. "Eddie couldn't have gone that far."
"Don't worry about it Relm, I'm sure he's just fine."
Gau had climbed up the other side of the stairs and saw Cyan looking inside. "Gau back!" he shouted right next to Cyan, causing the old retainer to freak out.
"Sir Gau, please keep thyself from doing that once more!" he took a deap breath. Celes and Relm came to see what was up.
"Man , Cyan, you scared?" Celes asked him.
"Scared? What possessed you to think such a thing?"
"Maybe the sweat running down the side of your face, and the hurried breaths, that could have helped a little." Celes giggled as Cyan turned and straightened himself up.
Locke was looking around at everything. He made sure nothing was unnoticed, there could be valuable clues on anything. This began to spooke Mog. As they walked into the first room, Locke held up his torch he had with him and looked around. There was nothing special, really. "Wait, what's that?" Locke said as he ran to the other side of the dusty unused room.
"Huh? What?" Mog shouted catching up to him. Locke was looking at a small pool of water.
"How did this get here?" Locke asked himself softly.
Strago and Umaro were looking around their room. Strago talked, and talked, and talked so much, Umaro felt like a mime.
"And well if you ask me, I think this hole thing is just a trick. It is the game, the Chancellor wasn't really dead, he was faking! It was so obvious! That's why I doubt we'll find anything." At that something slunk out of the room behind them. Strago and Umaro froze in fear. After a few minutes they both screamed and ran up out of the basement and into the main hallroom. Edgar, Setzer, Terra and Gogo all came to see what was the matter. "Monster! Scary one! Tried to eat me! And Umaro too!"
"Hold on, what tried to eat you?" Edgar asked.
"Thing! It was huge!" Strago said again.
"But what was it?"
"I don't know, I didn't see it." He said at last. Edgar nearly fell over.
"So you didn't see it, but you know it was huge?" The young king asked, and Strago nodded.
Walking through the darkness, Sabin looked up at the huge castle. Edgar just keeps on building up on it, it was nearly twice the size as before! It's suprising how peaceful the desert is at night. He liked it for that reason. When he reached the limits, one of the guards stopped him. "Sorry but, oh! Sabin! You're returned once again! I'm sure Edgar will be glad to see you!" He said.
"Thanks Ferive, has the game already started?" He asked.
"I think it has actually, but you should run in and join in."
"Thanks a lot." Sabin nodded and ran into the castle. He ran into the great hall and saw a whole mess of people thinking and talking about something. Just then Locke and Mog came into the room from the basement.
"Edgar," Locke started and Ed walked over to him. Mog ran to Umaro and joined in on the talking. "I need to tell you something."
Terra felt alone. She was the only girl of everyone there at the time, Celes and Relm were still up there with Cyan and Gau. She wondered how they were doing. She decided to go take a look at what they were up to. When she reached the top of the stairs she looked in the first room, the guest room. There was no one inside it at all, so she moved to the next room. It was a hallway of some sort, leading to two other rooms, one on her right, and one ahead of her, at the end of the hallway. She looked in the first room and she could hear something strange inside of it. It sounded like a slithering, wet slide. She shook with fear and disgust as she backed away. Suddenly she saw an eye look right at her through the darkness and she turned and ran away screaming.
Chapter four. The past, a trip to.
Almost there, Shadow was on his way to Narshe to visit his brother. He wasn't sure if he could handle the fact that his brother was part esper. He still feel uneasy inside. When he reached the mining town, Shadow looked around a bit. He remembered what Terra had told him once after Kefka was rid of. She said that someone had told her, "If she loves someone she will not perish." Who knows what that meant... This got him wondering though. Baram was a loner, like he was. He couldn't love anyone, so he just may have perished with the rest of the dead espers, and magic. It wasn't a suprise that Baram became the pickpocket everyone now hates, LoneWolf. Shadow didn't even know why he cared.
Back when they were teenagers, Shadow was known as Clyde Arrowny. His younger brother, Baram, turned out to be half esper. How, they didn't know, ther parents had disapeared when they were young.
"Baram, you're an Esper???" Clyde remembered saying those many years ago. He backed away then and ran out the door and to his house. With that he suited himself up in his black outfit, and held his headgear in his hand as Baram came in after him.
"What do you think you're doing?" Baram said. He was in his human form at the moment.
"Going." Clyde replied and threw some things in a pack.
"Oh, that's real smart, so you're going to leave your girl here to care for Relm all by herself?" Baram asked distainfuly.
"She ain't my girl, and yes. Now step aside."
"I can't let you do-" Baram started but Clyde turned and stabbed him in the gut.
"Sux to be you." Clyde said as he left the room with the dagger in hand. "Interceptor, come." He had become Shadow. Baram limped out of the room and followed him partway, and stopped.
"Clyde..." He dropped to his knees and passed out.
Shadow knew Baram was still alive. He felt it, almost as painful as the wound he gave his brother all those years ago, and word had it that he was hanging around Narshe. That's where he was going to look.
Once the dark mercenary, once known as Clyde, entered the city of Narche, he felt Baram's presense. He was in this town somewhere, the question was, where? He walked to the nearby pub and sat down with his pup beside him.
"What'll ya have Mack?" the new bartender asked. He obviously didn't know who he was looking at.
"Psycho Mantus Ale." Shadow said and patted his dog. The bartender abliged and got him the drink in a freshly washed mug. Shadow loosened his mask a bit so that he could drink it. "Say, you wouldn't of happened to have seen a wolf guy have you?"
"LoneWolf, that thievious pickpocket, eye I've seen 'im. 'Ee built 'imself a 'ome up on the mount over yonder." he said pointing through a window at the mountains that Narshe is surrounded by. "But what would ya want with 'im? 'Ee got a price on 'is 'ead? 'Ee didn't kill someone did 'ee? And who are you?" Shadow finished his mug before replying.
"You ask too many questions." he said getting to his feet. He left without another word said. Interceptor barked and followed after him.
Edgar was holding Terra's fainted body close to him as everyone went up to investigate the room Terra had run from. They found nothing inside.
"See? I was right! Something is here!" Strago said trying to get everyone to believe him. The only thing was, he didn't know they already did. Mog looked in the next room to look for Cyan and his group.
"Where are the others? Kupo?" He asked as he went into the room. No one saw him leave, or heard his words.
"Well, Terra's comming around." Edgar said as Terra opened her eyes and looked up at him.
"My hero?" Terra giggled and kissed him for his efforts. Edgar blushed.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!" A moogle's scream shot through the entire castle. Terra and Edgar ran up the stairs to try and find out what happened.
"See?! They got Mog!" Strago hollored and ran down the steps past Terra and Edgar. Almost everyone followed him down. Those who were left was Sabin, and Locke.
"Wait," Edgar said. "Cyan and Celes' groups are still in there..." Locke looked at Edgar and Edgar shruged, bending his head slightly out of sight of the others to signal for Locke to check it out. Locke nodded and went inside.
Gau yelled out to the stars. "WOOOHOOOO!" He and the other three were on the balcony. Relm looked at Gau and stood next to him.
"It's so romantic out here." Celes said outloud, yet to herself. Relm nodded and looked at Gau.
"What, rome-and-tick?" Gau asked Celes, and turned his face, right into Relm's accidentally 'kissing' her. He backed away shocked. "Eek! Me sorry Relm."
"Sorry? What for?" she asked and leaned a little closer to him. Gau inched away, nearly falling over the balcony's edge.
"Relm? What.. WHAT!!!" He almost fell then but Relm grabbed his shoulder and steadied him. She leaned into his chest and he held her. He felt strange inside, but he liked the feeling.
Cyan looked up at the stars and sighed. "Is this all just a game?" He asked himself. He didn't know. Celes couldn't answer. She didn't know the truth. "What good dost this do?" He asked some more. "It's not like we're training for anything..."
"Well, Edgar could have gotten lonely all by himself, cooped up in this castle he calls home, never seeing his friends, or his loved ones. If it is just a game, I'm glad he took the time to get us all back together. I really missed everyone."
"I guess you're right." Cyan said and looked down at the sand a couple of floors below. "Well, I suppose we should get back to the game then." he said and walked back in the room. Celes stood there for a second, looking at Relm and Gau kissing. She smiled and walked inside as well.
"Baram, that you?" Shadow asked the wolf before him.
"Shadow?" The wolf man asked back. "Brother? I thought you were killed!"
"Call me Clyde." Shadow said and took his mask off. They hugged each other. When they stopped, Shadow was the first to break the silence. "Look man, I'm sorry for what I did all those years ago. I just couldn't face the facts..."
"Don't worry about it, what's past is past." Baram said.
"So you're a pickpocket, 'eh?" Shadow laughed. Interceptor was sniffing Baram's legs.
"Yeah, and uh, could you call Blossom off? I think she's got the hots for me..."
"Hah, you forgot I renamed her, didn't you?" Shadow smiled. "Interceptor, heal." She obeyed and stood at his side. Once again there was silence. Shadow felt uneasy about somthing. "For some reason something doesn't feel right with Figaro."
"Figaro? When did you start caring about things?" Baram asked him.
"Just today actually." Clyde responded. The two set out for Figaro.
Chapter five. The betrayal, Ending one.
Locke looked through the room to find the creature inside. He walked to the other side of the room where he found a door that was hidden by the darkness. He reached for the knob and stopped suddenly when he saw a shimmer from it. Light from behind him had shine off it's wet surface. He grabbed the knob and opened the door, and charged inside about to attack.
"AAH!" Celes screamed in horror as Locke nearly stabbed her; however he haulted his arm before doing so.
"Celes!" Locke squeeked, "I'm sorry!" he hugged her. Cyan came in from another room, opposite of the balcony on Locke's left, Gau and Relm came in as well from outside.
"What happened? Something the matter Celes?" Relm asked, everyone else looking concerned, but they sighed as they relaxed when they realized it was nothing.
"Listen up everyone, Who ever it is down here, got Mog... We can't find his body anywhere."
"Sir Locke, We should check on the others, what if this killer has gone back around? I didn't find anyone in these rooms here."
"Oh no! You may be right! Come on, let's go!" he said. Cyan left, Relm and Gau following, Celes about to follow them, but Locke grabbed her arm. "Wait Celes, I need to tell you something." She stopped and looked at him.
"Yes?" She asked, and Locke pricked her hand with a neadle. She looked at him confused, but the poison took it's effects quickly; she collapsed into Locke's arms.
"Ok, you can come out now." He said as he left the room and joined the rest, leaving Celes there.
After Locke used his thief skills to lie himself out of suspission of killing Celes, Edgar called everyone to join him in the dinning room.
"This meeting was called for several reasons. One, I think I know what's going on." A soft murmer went around the room. Everyone alive was present, Edgar, Cyan, Terra, Umaro, Gau, Relm, Strago, Sabin, Gogo, and the french maid, they all wondering who the killer is, or just what was going on. "As you can see, I found this in the throne room." he held up a lock of Yetti fur. "Umaro killed the chancellor." he said. Umaro looked ashamed. "But that's ok, he had a heart attack. He was getting old, and annoying. Umaro is in the clear for everything else that has happened. I myself, however, am to blame for everything else." he said as everyone's gaze met his face. They were so mad.
"So this is just a game?" Cyan asked. "Thou hast lied to us?"
"No! I said I was going to involve us into the game, the chancellor brought us into it quicker than planned..."
"Where are Celes and Mog?" Terra asked.
"Come on in!" Edgar esclaimed and Mog and Celes came in from the hall. Mog had a small box, he pressed a button on it, and it made a slithering sound.
"I had to use a sleeping tonic on Celes because Edgar accidentally forgot to tell her that she was supposed to be in on everything." Locke said boasting on the wonderful job he did. The Great old antique clock rang ten times. It was ten pm then.
"And little Mog here informed me on what was going on. Man Edgar, you really missed us that badly?" Celes laughed. Edgar did too, and soon, everyone began to laugh.
"Wait a second!" Terra yelled and everyone quieted down. "I still don't see why I got a JumpRope." Everyone began laughing again.
Chapter six. The joke. Ending two.
"Listen up everyone, Who ever it is down here, got Mog... We can't find his body anywhere." Locke told the room.
"Sir Locke, We should check on the others, what if this killer has gone back around? I didn't find anyone in these rooms here."
"Oh no! You may be right! Come on, let's go!" he said. Cyan left, Relm and Gau following, Locke also followed them. No one noticed Celes' disapearance.
After Locke tried as hard as he could to convince everyone that he didn't kill Celes, Edgar called everyone to join him in the dinning room.
"This meeting was called for several reasons. One, I think I know what's going on." A soft murmer went around the room. Everyone alive was present, Edgar, Cyan, Terra, Umaro, Gau, Relm, Strago, Sabin, Gogo, and the french maid, they all wondering who the killer was, or just what was going on. "As you can see, I found this in the throne room." he held up a lock of Yetti fur. "Umaro killed the chancellor." he said. Umaro looked ashamed. "But that's ok, he had a heart attack. He was getting old, and annoying. Umaro is in the clear for everything else that has happened, however, that does not mean that one of us is not."
"I knew it! I knew that this was a game all along!" Cyan said standing up.
"No! The chancellor brought us into it quicker than planned... We havn't even begun playing the game."
"Let's make a guess on who the killer is." Edgar said getting down to buisness. (Do you know, reader?)
"Hmm.." Locke looked like he was thinking.
"I know who it is! It's Edgar!" Relm said excitedly. Edgar shook his head.
"Nope, I do not have a weapon to kill anyone with." Edgar said. Locke knew who the killer was.
"Gau tink Locke's the killer."
"Do you really think so?" Edgar asked while looking at Locke. Edgar already knew who the killer was too.
"Gau think so, Locke came back alone, Celes was following him, no one else was able to get her!"
"Actually, Gau, that's not fully true, you see, I know who the killer is." Locke said as the Great old antique clock rang ten times. It was ten pm. "It was Celes and Mog together. They just made it seem like something had happened to each of them, there is no monster at all."
"Where are Celes and Mog then?" Terra asked.
"Yeah!" Edgar esclaimed and Mog and Celes came in from the hall. Mog had a small box, he pressed a button on it, and it made a slithering sound.
"You mean they tricked us?!" Relm gawked. Edgar did too, and soon, everyone began to laugh.
"Wait a second!" Terra yelled and everyone quieted down. "I still don't see why I got a JumpRope." Everyone began laughing again.
Chapter seven. The real ending. Ending three.
"Listen up everyone, Who ever it is down here, got Mog... We can not find his body anywhere." Cyan said wth a touch of worry in his voice. "Sir Locke, We should check on the others, what if this killer has gone back around? I didn't find anyone in these rooms here."
"Oh no! You may be right! Come on, let's go!" Locke said. Cyan left, Locke, Relm and Gau following, Celes about to follow them, but then a slithering octopus tentacle came down from the celing and grabbed her, covering her face so she couldn't breath. She passed out.
"I wonder what's taking them so long." Edgar muttored as he looked at the Great old antique clock. It then rang ten times. It was ten pm. "I say we go and look for him." Little did they know that the octopus was watching them. Just then Locke and the others made it back.
"I second that." Locke said and laughed.
"Wait, where's Celes?" Edgar asked. Locke looked behind him.
"Oh no!" Locke began to curse. "I'll kill whoever did it.." he grumbled.
"Let's go look for her!" Relm shouted.
"Yeah!" everyone was saying. They all decided to go check it out. As they exited the dinning room and entered the main hall, Edgar heard the slithering sound.
"Wait..." he held up a hand. Locke didn't stop. He ran up the stairs and saw the sea beast.
"It's Ultros!" He gasped. "What have you don't with Celes and Mog?" He growled loudly.
"Who? The fluff ball and lady? They were, well, delicious!" Ultros said. Locke looked across the room at Ultros. He had to walk all the way around the room's walls to reach him. He saw the chandelere and developed a plan. "You're gonna die!" Locke shouted as he took out his enchanted theve's dagger and jumped to the chandelere with the use of his dragon boots. He swung on it and lashed out at Ultros, but Ultros lashed back and swatted him away. "You Eembee-cile!" the octopus laughed. He slipped up on the railing and shouted. "Bomb's away!" as he jumped from the railing. Just then Shadow and Baram crashed through a window and kicked the octopus back. Shadow took out two brand new katanas and sliced Ultros up into bits. SLASH! SLASH-SLASH-SLASH-SLASH SLASH!!. The octopus fell apart, and an unconcious pair of Mog, and Celes were inside. "Looks like they need a bath." Baram joked. He picked Celes up and Shadow grabbed Mog. They both jumped from the rail and landed before the king and the others.
"Shadow?! LoneWolf... I thought you were in my prison." Edgar looked at him.
"Hah, you never check the cells yourself, do you? I escaped a year ago!" LoneWolf laughed. Edgar rolled his eyes. "Well you don't have to worry about things like that anymore, I'm a retired pickpocket. I'm an Merc for hire now, like my bro here." He said. Shadow grinned under his mask.
"Sure." Edgar said. Shadow looked and saw Relm, but he was too ashamed of himself to talk to her. Baram decided not to push it.
"If you'll excuse us," Shadow said at last. "We better get going. We did what we came to do, now we're off." Shadow left without anyone replying. Baram sighed and followed.
"See ya'll later." he said as he back flipped onto the upstairs floor and ran out to the window, hurling himself out it after Shadow.
Chapter eight. The conclusion.
The room is dark, and a very serious looking imp walks in front of the camara. He scratches his chin and finally speeks in a voice that sounds very much like he could be the announcer for a mysteries broadcast.
"After that day everyone knew how lonely Edgar was cooped up in that castle all by himself, so they offered to come visit more often. Edgar offered everyone a place to stay and live inside his castle. Celes thought it was a good idea, but Locke needed more convincing, so they didn't stick around. Mog moved back to his cave with all the other moogles, along with the Sasquatch, Umaro, following behind him in his wake." The imp raises a brow as he lets the readers take this information in.
"Then there's the kids. Relm and Gau decided to stay at the castle with Strago. Edgar insisted. Edgar felt like a father to Gau, and wanted to help raise the young man. Relm just wanted to stay with Gau, and Strago didn't want to leave Relm, so he stayed with them all. Terra sadly went back to Mobliz to care for the children, Edgar didn't have the nerve to ask her to marry him. Sabin moved in for a little while, but then moved back into his own place when he felt the responsibility of being a prince dawning on him. He ran away one night leaving Edgar to his kingdom, ruling alone once again. Gogo himself wanders the world over looking for a mate, but never successful at finding one. Cyan was crowned king of Doma by Edgar, Edgar knew Doma needed a new king, and Cyan would be a good one. People from all over the world moved to the new establishment of Doma. Cyan was a great king." the imp changes his stance to make himself seem more important.
"A year from the date this story ends, Celes and Locke had their first child. Her name was Maria. Baram and Shadow split up sadly, after having another one of their fights. Shadow couldn't take the pressure of his older brother's 'help' and ditched him in the middle of the night. Baram didn't care all that much, because he wasn't really doing too good at his new job, and he decided to just become a recluse. I would tell you more, but I'll leave that for another story."
The room dimmed and the reader stopped reading.
Edgar Figaro was being bored out of his mind with the Chancellor's lecture on how things should be in the kingdom. He wasn't really paying attention to the speech, because he had already heard it before. On the paper in front of him was several drawings of his friends and him fighting off some monsters, or him flirting with the women, or his brother showing off his muscles, that sort of thing. One of the best pictures was one of Locke looking strait at the person looking at the picture, with his hand motioned behind him, where there was a dragon with a dagger in it's throat. It made Edgar laugh.
"Pay attention sire, this is important!" The chancellor said stopping from his talking.
"No, I think I know how this lecture will end, thanks for the help Chancellor." Edgar yawned and got up, waving a slight gesture to him, and leaving. He headed to the library. "Man, have I ever been so bored? How come no one ever visits me? I'm not that annoying am I?" Edgar thought out loud as he grabbed a few papers and began writing on them. "Maybe I just have to invite them." He started scribbling invitations to everyone. Gogo, Locke, Celes, Terra, Cyan, Sabin, Setzer, Relm, Strago, Gau, Mog, and Umaro. Was there anyone he was forgetting? Edgar was
trying to hurry, so he didn't have time to look things over. He sent the invitations out with his message carrier and one on a carrier pigeon to Terra.
The next day, Friday, he was going to have a huge banquet. He hoped everyone could make it.
Friday arrived, and Setzer was taking his airship to Figaro Castle. He had picked everyone up, because his invitation asked him to. Below deck Locke saw Strago, Relm, Terra, Cyan, Gau, and Celes. Shadow, Gogo, Sabin, Mog, and Umaro weren't there.
"So…" Locke said as he stared at his invitation, how it had strange information about what Edgar was planning on doing. Then he looked at everyone. "You all hungry?"
"Gau am! Gau want food!" Gau said excitedly hopping around. The voice of Setzer came from above deck saying they had arrived. They all climbed out of the ship and saw Edgar greeting them from the castle gates. He walked over to everyone as they came to the castle entrance.
"Ah, Terra, Celes, little Relm, do come in!" Edgar said politely, and Relm began to throw a fit.
"I ain't liddle!" She grumped.
"Strago, Cyan, Locke, Gogo, and Setzer! Gau too! Oh, how I've missed you all so very much! Come on in and make yourselves at home!" He said and shook everyone's hands. Talking to Setzer he asked if he got Mog, but Setzer told him that Mog and Umaro weren't in the mine. Everyone went inside, Edgar just glad they were only missing two guests and a brother.
Mog got home from fishing with Umaro, and picked the invitation up off the floor.
"Eek! KUPO! We're late!" He said dropping the ten fish on his hooks all over the floor. Umaro came into the room to see Mog running around in circles. Mog stopped spinning, and shouted. "To the 'Mog 'O' Pult!'" He grabbed an umbrella and then ran into a sunny room where a giant spoon was bent over a log, and tied into that position. Mog moved the devise pointing in the direction of Figaro, indicated with a mark on the ground. Umaro went over to him as he jumped into the spoon, and Mog shouted: "Fires away!"
"Bye bye." Umaro said deaply and launched Mog clear into the air. He pulled the string back to the ground and tied it up, then jumped into the spoon himself. "Wee!" he shouted before he pulled the string and was launched. "Hah, hah, hah!" He laughed as he soared in the direction of Figaro Castle.
The air was sweet from the creek. There were small fishes, and crawdads at the bed, and a rotweiler splashed at the water trying to get them. The mini lobsters all shot away before the dog got any. In the distance a harmonica playing a song was heard, with a Jew's harp's rubber band twanging with the rhythm over the barking of the dog.
When Shadow was done playing his song, he called Interceptor and began walking on the road. He instinctively put out his hand to pet Interceptor, and there she was, slobbering all over his hand.
"You gettin' hungry girl?" He asked, and she barked, and drooled, her tongue hanging from her muzzle. Shadow took out a mythril blade and threw it speedily into a bunch of bushes, and Interceptor jumped in after the blade. She dragged a Rhodox and a Leafer out, the blade instantly killed them both at the same time. Two birds with one stone, or should we say, mammals with one blade? Shadow wasn't really hungry, so he just watched Interceptor eat. Afterwards, they got back on their Journey.
"Wow! What's that?!" a soldier asked as he saw two balls, one three timesbigger than the other, hurdling at the castle through the air. "Should we shoot those things down?" He asked another guard, but then the smaller ball popped open, and it was Mog, Mog opened up his umbrella and floated into the castle, while Umaro hurdled, and landed in the sand next to it.
"Owch, dat's Smarts!" Umaro got up and ran to the castle gate. "Wowsa! Dis place much different from last time me was here!" Umaro said in his bad grammar and was welcomed inside by the guards.
Edgar and the others were playing a game of clue in the game room, while they waited for dinner to be ready. The only one not playing was Umaro, because he was using the restroom, and he didn't know how to play. The game room consisted of a Billiards table, a board game table, and a water cooler with paper cups, and a trash container. Locke was looking at his checklist. There was only one of each type left, and he flashed a grimacing smile as it became his turn. He had five of the people marked off from the six cards he got at the beginning, and he had been holding them out. He only gave one, which was the sixth card he received, the rope.
"I know who did it." Locke said calmly. He felt like making the murderer sweat for a second. "In my hand I started the game with six cards, one of which you all know was the rope. The other five cards were all people. Who you may ask? Well so far we started off with the Mimick being free, and we all know it wasn't the Queen, the Joker, and the bell boy." Gogo, Terra, Setzer, and Gau, nodded. "And for the five in my hand." He put one card at a time down, naming each one. "Myself, who was Colonel Mustard. The delivery girl is safe. Celes, you were the Maid, you're innocent. Sabin, being Professor Plumb is not the one, and the Chancellor and Butler, who were Mog and Strago are home free. It was the king, in the Billiards room, with the Poison Darts!" He shouted pointing a finger at Edgar.
"Well done!" Edgar got up and congratulated him. "Very well done!"
Chapter two. The game.
"Dinnar is reday." The cook said in a strange accent that made him sound somewhat like a pirate. The dining room was spetacular with the great white drapes and red carpetting. The large table in the middle of the room was fitted with twelve chairs, one for each guest, and the king. Everyone ate quickly, talking about what they had been doing since the end of the world was resolved. Terra had been watching over the kids, Setzer was on a. After everyone was finnished Edgar announced that he had a suprise for everyone.
"S'il te plaît, apporte les cadeaux pour mes invités." he said to the french servant.
"Oh, Wee M'lourd." She replied and brought some gifts to everyone, placing them all on the table before them, and leaving the room. Each gift had a coconut sized fortion cookie attached to it. Everyone looked at their gifts smiling, expecially Mog, Gau, and Relm, who were always open for presents. "Please open them!" Edgar grined mischivously and everyone opened their gifts. They exposed the contents by order clockwise around the table from Edgar, starting with Mog, who was to the left of him. Mog pulled out a Scythe encrested with gleaming see through light blue gems. Setzer had a handful of special poison darts. Relm recieved a big brush with a death symbol encrested on it. Gau was curiously examoning his new DragonClaw(FFMQ), Sabin had a claw with a death symbol on it's palm. Strago held up his Cain of Thorns, Cyan looked astonishingly at his UltamaBlade, Locke played around with his enchanted theve's dagger, and Celes looked up at Edgar from her Spiritual Runic Blade. Terra had yet to show what her present was.
"A Jumprope?" She asked holding it up.
"I couldn't think of anything you would want!" Edgar shrugged.
"Great. While a murderer is on the loose, I'll be able to excorsize him to death!"
"Look at it this way, Umaro, Gogo, and I didn't get anything.
Just then a woman's scream came from out of the room.
"Let the party begin!" Locke joked.
"Wait... that wasn't planned..." Edgar said softly, and the room became quiet. All at once everyone jumped out of their seats and ran out of the room down the hallway, and into the throne room where the french maid was pointing at the dead chancellor laying in the middle of the room. Edgar looked at everyone. "How could he have died?"
"Maybe the shampagn has been poisoned!" Locke blerted out and Celes dropped her champagn glass on the floor screaming. Locke tried to calm her but failed with speach, so he slapped her across the face, and she shut up. "I had to stop her screaming..." Locke said embarrased. Edgar was still pondering.
"The game hasn't even started yet! Who did this?" He asked not sounding quite happy. No one said a thing. "Well if it wasn't any of you... then we must have a killer in the house." He looked at the maid. "Did you see what happened?" he asked her.
"No, I just found him in here like this!" she said.
"I have an idea." Edgar said looking to the rest of everyone. "We should all split up to see if someone else is in the castle. There should only be us, the maid here, and the cook. All the soldiers are outside. Here' everyone draw these straws I just so happen to have in my pocket." He cuts them into equal lengths, two the each length to pair everyone off. The pairs are as follows:
Cyan-Gau
Celes-Relm
Locke-Mog
Strago-Umaro
Gogo-Terra
Edgar-Setzer
"Hold on," Cyan stopped Edgar. "If one of us is thee killer, then someone will shall be paired with him or her."
"That's the point." Edgar said sarcastically and Terra shreaked looking at the frightening Gogo.
"But they might die!" Gau said somewhat frightened. He was covering his scared additude up horribly.
"Well we can't worry about that now, everyone split up. Cyan, Celes, you and your partners take the upstairs. Locke, Strago, you and your parnters take the bacement area, and Gogo and Setzer's group will check out the main floor."
"What about you?" Gogo asked.
"I'm in yours and Setzer's group." Edgar replied and everyone started leaving. Gau looked up at Cyan and Cyan looked at Gau, then to Celes and Relm.
Chapter three. The invisible paranoia.
"Well? Shall we be off?" Cyan asked and everyone agreed. Cyan went ahead of everyone and up the stairs, while everyone else followed closely behind him. The first room they came to was a guest room. Cyan looked in and saw pitch blackness. "Did anyone get a candle before coming up here?" Cyan asked and looked at the others. No one did. "Blast it all. Sir Gau, will thou go find lord Edgar and asketh him for a candle so that we may see into the darkened rooms?"
"Asketh?" Gau asked.
"Yes, asketh..." Cyan responded softly.
"He means 'Ask,' Gau." Celes said and smiled to Cyan.
"Oooooh... Okieday!" Gau shouted loudly and ran down the stairs. Cyan looked back into the guest room, allowing his eyes to adjust. He could see something that seemed to move inside. He squinted his eyes to get a better look, but he still wasn't able to get a good look at it.
Back at the stairs Celes and Relm were waiting for Gau. "What's taking him so long?" Relm wondered. "Eddie couldn't have gone that far."
"Don't worry about it Relm, I'm sure he's just fine."
Gau had climbed up the other side of the stairs and saw Cyan looking inside. "Gau back!" he shouted right next to Cyan, causing the old retainer to freak out.
"Sir Gau, please keep thyself from doing that once more!" he took a deap breath. Celes and Relm came to see what was up.
"Man , Cyan, you scared?" Celes asked him.
"Scared? What possessed you to think such a thing?"
"Maybe the sweat running down the side of your face, and the hurried breaths, that could have helped a little." Celes giggled as Cyan turned and straightened himself up.
Locke was looking around at everything. He made sure nothing was unnoticed, there could be valuable clues on anything. This began to spooke Mog. As they walked into the first room, Locke held up his torch he had with him and looked around. There was nothing special, really. "Wait, what's that?" Locke said as he ran to the other side of the dusty unused room.
"Huh? What?" Mog shouted catching up to him. Locke was looking at a small pool of water.
"How did this get here?" Locke asked himself softly.
Strago and Umaro were looking around their room. Strago talked, and talked, and talked so much, Umaro felt like a mime.
"And well if you ask me, I think this hole thing is just a trick. It is the game, the Chancellor wasn't really dead, he was faking! It was so obvious! That's why I doubt we'll find anything." At that something slunk out of the room behind them. Strago and Umaro froze in fear. After a few minutes they both screamed and ran up out of the basement and into the main hallroom. Edgar, Setzer, Terra and Gogo all came to see what was the matter. "Monster! Scary one! Tried to eat me! And Umaro too!"
"Hold on, what tried to eat you?" Edgar asked.
"Thing! It was huge!" Strago said again.
"But what was it?"
"I don't know, I didn't see it." He said at last. Edgar nearly fell over.
"So you didn't see it, but you know it was huge?" The young king asked, and Strago nodded.
Walking through the darkness, Sabin looked up at the huge castle. Edgar just keeps on building up on it, it was nearly twice the size as before! It's suprising how peaceful the desert is at night. He liked it for that reason. When he reached the limits, one of the guards stopped him. "Sorry but, oh! Sabin! You're returned once again! I'm sure Edgar will be glad to see you!" He said.
"Thanks Ferive, has the game already started?" He asked.
"I think it has actually, but you should run in and join in."
"Thanks a lot." Sabin nodded and ran into the castle. He ran into the great hall and saw a whole mess of people thinking and talking about something. Just then Locke and Mog came into the room from the basement.
"Edgar," Locke started and Ed walked over to him. Mog ran to Umaro and joined in on the talking. "I need to tell you something."
Terra felt alone. She was the only girl of everyone there at the time, Celes and Relm were still up there with Cyan and Gau. She wondered how they were doing. She decided to go take a look at what they were up to. When she reached the top of the stairs she looked in the first room, the guest room. There was no one inside it at all, so she moved to the next room. It was a hallway of some sort, leading to two other rooms, one on her right, and one ahead of her, at the end of the hallway. She looked in the first room and she could hear something strange inside of it. It sounded like a slithering, wet slide. She shook with fear and disgust as she backed away. Suddenly she saw an eye look right at her through the darkness and she turned and ran away screaming.
Chapter four. The past, a trip to.
Almost there, Shadow was on his way to Narshe to visit his brother. He wasn't sure if he could handle the fact that his brother was part esper. He still feel uneasy inside. When he reached the mining town, Shadow looked around a bit. He remembered what Terra had told him once after Kefka was rid of. She said that someone had told her, "If she loves someone she will not perish." Who knows what that meant... This got him wondering though. Baram was a loner, like he was. He couldn't love anyone, so he just may have perished with the rest of the dead espers, and magic. It wasn't a suprise that Baram became the pickpocket everyone now hates, LoneWolf. Shadow didn't even know why he cared.
Back when they were teenagers, Shadow was known as Clyde Arrowny. His younger brother, Baram, turned out to be half esper. How, they didn't know, ther parents had disapeared when they were young.
"Baram, you're an Esper???" Clyde remembered saying those many years ago. He backed away then and ran out the door and to his house. With that he suited himself up in his black outfit, and held his headgear in his hand as Baram came in after him.
"What do you think you're doing?" Baram said. He was in his human form at the moment.
"Going." Clyde replied and threw some things in a pack.
"Oh, that's real smart, so you're going to leave your girl here to care for Relm all by herself?" Baram asked distainfuly.
"She ain't my girl, and yes. Now step aside."
"I can't let you do-" Baram started but Clyde turned and stabbed him in the gut.
"Sux to be you." Clyde said as he left the room with the dagger in hand. "Interceptor, come." He had become Shadow. Baram limped out of the room and followed him partway, and stopped.
"Clyde..." He dropped to his knees and passed out.
Shadow knew Baram was still alive. He felt it, almost as painful as the wound he gave his brother all those years ago, and word had it that he was hanging around Narshe. That's where he was going to look.
Once the dark mercenary, once known as Clyde, entered the city of Narche, he felt Baram's presense. He was in this town somewhere, the question was, where? He walked to the nearby pub and sat down with his pup beside him.
"What'll ya have Mack?" the new bartender asked. He obviously didn't know who he was looking at.
"Psycho Mantus Ale." Shadow said and patted his dog. The bartender abliged and got him the drink in a freshly washed mug. Shadow loosened his mask a bit so that he could drink it. "Say, you wouldn't of happened to have seen a wolf guy have you?"
"LoneWolf, that thievious pickpocket, eye I've seen 'im. 'Ee built 'imself a 'ome up on the mount over yonder." he said pointing through a window at the mountains that Narshe is surrounded by. "But what would ya want with 'im? 'Ee got a price on 'is 'ead? 'Ee didn't kill someone did 'ee? And who are you?" Shadow finished his mug before replying.
"You ask too many questions." he said getting to his feet. He left without another word said. Interceptor barked and followed after him.
Edgar was holding Terra's fainted body close to him as everyone went up to investigate the room Terra had run from. They found nothing inside.
"See? I was right! Something is here!" Strago said trying to get everyone to believe him. The only thing was, he didn't know they already did. Mog looked in the next room to look for Cyan and his group.
"Where are the others? Kupo?" He asked as he went into the room. No one saw him leave, or heard his words.
"Well, Terra's comming around." Edgar said as Terra opened her eyes and looked up at him.
"My hero?" Terra giggled and kissed him for his efforts. Edgar blushed.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!" A moogle's scream shot through the entire castle. Terra and Edgar ran up the stairs to try and find out what happened.
"See?! They got Mog!" Strago hollored and ran down the steps past Terra and Edgar. Almost everyone followed him down. Those who were left was Sabin, and Locke.
"Wait," Edgar said. "Cyan and Celes' groups are still in there..." Locke looked at Edgar and Edgar shruged, bending his head slightly out of sight of the others to signal for Locke to check it out. Locke nodded and went inside.
Gau yelled out to the stars. "WOOOHOOOO!" He and the other three were on the balcony. Relm looked at Gau and stood next to him.
"It's so romantic out here." Celes said outloud, yet to herself. Relm nodded and looked at Gau.
"What, rome-and-tick?" Gau asked Celes, and turned his face, right into Relm's accidentally 'kissing' her. He backed away shocked. "Eek! Me sorry Relm."
"Sorry? What for?" she asked and leaned a little closer to him. Gau inched away, nearly falling over the balcony's edge.
"Relm? What.. WHAT!!!" He almost fell then but Relm grabbed his shoulder and steadied him. She leaned into his chest and he held her. He felt strange inside, but he liked the feeling.
Cyan looked up at the stars and sighed. "Is this all just a game?" He asked himself. He didn't know. Celes couldn't answer. She didn't know the truth. "What good dost this do?" He asked some more. "It's not like we're training for anything..."
"Well, Edgar could have gotten lonely all by himself, cooped up in this castle he calls home, never seeing his friends, or his loved ones. If it is just a game, I'm glad he took the time to get us all back together. I really missed everyone."
"I guess you're right." Cyan said and looked down at the sand a couple of floors below. "Well, I suppose we should get back to the game then." he said and walked back in the room. Celes stood there for a second, looking at Relm and Gau kissing. She smiled and walked inside as well.
"Baram, that you?" Shadow asked the wolf before him.
"Shadow?" The wolf man asked back. "Brother? I thought you were killed!"
"Call me Clyde." Shadow said and took his mask off. They hugged each other. When they stopped, Shadow was the first to break the silence. "Look man, I'm sorry for what I did all those years ago. I just couldn't face the facts..."
"Don't worry about it, what's past is past." Baram said.
"So you're a pickpocket, 'eh?" Shadow laughed. Interceptor was sniffing Baram's legs.
"Yeah, and uh, could you call Blossom off? I think she's got the hots for me..."
"Hah, you forgot I renamed her, didn't you?" Shadow smiled. "Interceptor, heal." She obeyed and stood at his side. Once again there was silence. Shadow felt uneasy about somthing. "For some reason something doesn't feel right with Figaro."
"Figaro? When did you start caring about things?" Baram asked him.
"Just today actually." Clyde responded. The two set out for Figaro.
Chapter five. The betrayal, Ending one.
Locke looked through the room to find the creature inside. He walked to the other side of the room where he found a door that was hidden by the darkness. He reached for the knob and stopped suddenly when he saw a shimmer from it. Light from behind him had shine off it's wet surface. He grabbed the knob and opened the door, and charged inside about to attack.
"AAH!" Celes screamed in horror as Locke nearly stabbed her; however he haulted his arm before doing so.
"Celes!" Locke squeeked, "I'm sorry!" he hugged her. Cyan came in from another room, opposite of the balcony on Locke's left, Gau and Relm came in as well from outside.
"What happened? Something the matter Celes?" Relm asked, everyone else looking concerned, but they sighed as they relaxed when they realized it was nothing.
"Listen up everyone, Who ever it is down here, got Mog... We can't find his body anywhere."
"Sir Locke, We should check on the others, what if this killer has gone back around? I didn't find anyone in these rooms here."
"Oh no! You may be right! Come on, let's go!" he said. Cyan left, Relm and Gau following, Celes about to follow them, but Locke grabbed her arm. "Wait Celes, I need to tell you something." She stopped and looked at him.
"Yes?" She asked, and Locke pricked her hand with a neadle. She looked at him confused, but the poison took it's effects quickly; she collapsed into Locke's arms.
"Ok, you can come out now." He said as he left the room and joined the rest, leaving Celes there.
After Locke used his thief skills to lie himself out of suspission of killing Celes, Edgar called everyone to join him in the dinning room.
"This meeting was called for several reasons. One, I think I know what's going on." A soft murmer went around the room. Everyone alive was present, Edgar, Cyan, Terra, Umaro, Gau, Relm, Strago, Sabin, Gogo, and the french maid, they all wondering who the killer is, or just what was going on. "As you can see, I found this in the throne room." he held up a lock of Yetti fur. "Umaro killed the chancellor." he said. Umaro looked ashamed. "But that's ok, he had a heart attack. He was getting old, and annoying. Umaro is in the clear for everything else that has happened. I myself, however, am to blame for everything else." he said as everyone's gaze met his face. They were so mad.
"So this is just a game?" Cyan asked. "Thou hast lied to us?"
"No! I said I was going to involve us into the game, the chancellor brought us into it quicker than planned..."
"Where are Celes and Mog?" Terra asked.
"Come on in!" Edgar esclaimed and Mog and Celes came in from the hall. Mog had a small box, he pressed a button on it, and it made a slithering sound.
"I had to use a sleeping tonic on Celes because Edgar accidentally forgot to tell her that she was supposed to be in on everything." Locke said boasting on the wonderful job he did. The Great old antique clock rang ten times. It was ten pm then.
"And little Mog here informed me on what was going on. Man Edgar, you really missed us that badly?" Celes laughed. Edgar did too, and soon, everyone began to laugh.
"Wait a second!" Terra yelled and everyone quieted down. "I still don't see why I got a JumpRope." Everyone began laughing again.
Chapter six. The joke. Ending two.
"Listen up everyone, Who ever it is down here, got Mog... We can't find his body anywhere." Locke told the room.
"Sir Locke, We should check on the others, what if this killer has gone back around? I didn't find anyone in these rooms here."
"Oh no! You may be right! Come on, let's go!" he said. Cyan left, Relm and Gau following, Locke also followed them. No one noticed Celes' disapearance.
After Locke tried as hard as he could to convince everyone that he didn't kill Celes, Edgar called everyone to join him in the dinning room.
"This meeting was called for several reasons. One, I think I know what's going on." A soft murmer went around the room. Everyone alive was present, Edgar, Cyan, Terra, Umaro, Gau, Relm, Strago, Sabin, Gogo, and the french maid, they all wondering who the killer was, or just what was going on. "As you can see, I found this in the throne room." he held up a lock of Yetti fur. "Umaro killed the chancellor." he said. Umaro looked ashamed. "But that's ok, he had a heart attack. He was getting old, and annoying. Umaro is in the clear for everything else that has happened, however, that does not mean that one of us is not."
"I knew it! I knew that this was a game all along!" Cyan said standing up.
"No! The chancellor brought us into it quicker than planned... We havn't even begun playing the game."
"Let's make a guess on who the killer is." Edgar said getting down to buisness. (Do you know, reader?)
"Hmm.." Locke looked like he was thinking.
"I know who it is! It's Edgar!" Relm said excitedly. Edgar shook his head.
"Nope, I do not have a weapon to kill anyone with." Edgar said. Locke knew who the killer was.
"Gau tink Locke's the killer."
"Do you really think so?" Edgar asked while looking at Locke. Edgar already knew who the killer was too.
"Gau think so, Locke came back alone, Celes was following him, no one else was able to get her!"
"Actually, Gau, that's not fully true, you see, I know who the killer is." Locke said as the Great old antique clock rang ten times. It was ten pm. "It was Celes and Mog together. They just made it seem like something had happened to each of them, there is no monster at all."
"Where are Celes and Mog then?" Terra asked.
"Yeah!" Edgar esclaimed and Mog and Celes came in from the hall. Mog had a small box, he pressed a button on it, and it made a slithering sound.
"You mean they tricked us?!" Relm gawked. Edgar did too, and soon, everyone began to laugh.
"Wait a second!" Terra yelled and everyone quieted down. "I still don't see why I got a JumpRope." Everyone began laughing again.
Chapter seven. The real ending. Ending three.
"Listen up everyone, Who ever it is down here, got Mog... We can not find his body anywhere." Cyan said wth a touch of worry in his voice. "Sir Locke, We should check on the others, what if this killer has gone back around? I didn't find anyone in these rooms here."
"Oh no! You may be right! Come on, let's go!" Locke said. Cyan left, Locke, Relm and Gau following, Celes about to follow them, but then a slithering octopus tentacle came down from the celing and grabbed her, covering her face so she couldn't breath. She passed out.
"I wonder what's taking them so long." Edgar muttored as he looked at the Great old antique clock. It then rang ten times. It was ten pm. "I say we go and look for him." Little did they know that the octopus was watching them. Just then Locke and the others made it back.
"I second that." Locke said and laughed.
"Wait, where's Celes?" Edgar asked. Locke looked behind him.
"Oh no!" Locke began to curse. "I'll kill whoever did it.." he grumbled.
"Let's go look for her!" Relm shouted.
"Yeah!" everyone was saying. They all decided to go check it out. As they exited the dinning room and entered the main hall, Edgar heard the slithering sound.
"Wait..." he held up a hand. Locke didn't stop. He ran up the stairs and saw the sea beast.
"It's Ultros!" He gasped. "What have you don't with Celes and Mog?" He growled loudly.
"Who? The fluff ball and lady? They were, well, delicious!" Ultros said. Locke looked across the room at Ultros. He had to walk all the way around the room's walls to reach him. He saw the chandelere and developed a plan. "You're gonna die!" Locke shouted as he took out his enchanted theve's dagger and jumped to the chandelere with the use of his dragon boots. He swung on it and lashed out at Ultros, but Ultros lashed back and swatted him away. "You Eembee-cile!" the octopus laughed. He slipped up on the railing and shouted. "Bomb's away!" as he jumped from the railing. Just then Shadow and Baram crashed through a window and kicked the octopus back. Shadow took out two brand new katanas and sliced Ultros up into bits. SLASH! SLASH-SLASH-SLASH-SLASH SLASH!!. The octopus fell apart, and an unconcious pair of Mog, and Celes were inside. "Looks like they need a bath." Baram joked. He picked Celes up and Shadow grabbed Mog. They both jumped from the rail and landed before the king and the others.
"Shadow?! LoneWolf... I thought you were in my prison." Edgar looked at him.
"Hah, you never check the cells yourself, do you? I escaped a year ago!" LoneWolf laughed. Edgar rolled his eyes. "Well you don't have to worry about things like that anymore, I'm a retired pickpocket. I'm an Merc for hire now, like my bro here." He said. Shadow grinned under his mask.
"Sure." Edgar said. Shadow looked and saw Relm, but he was too ashamed of himself to talk to her. Baram decided not to push it.
"If you'll excuse us," Shadow said at last. "We better get going. We did what we came to do, now we're off." Shadow left without anyone replying. Baram sighed and followed.
"See ya'll later." he said as he back flipped onto the upstairs floor and ran out to the window, hurling himself out it after Shadow.
Chapter eight. The conclusion.
The room is dark, and a very serious looking imp walks in front of the camara. He scratches his chin and finally speeks in a voice that sounds very much like he could be the announcer for a mysteries broadcast.
"After that day everyone knew how lonely Edgar was cooped up in that castle all by himself, so they offered to come visit more often. Edgar offered everyone a place to stay and live inside his castle. Celes thought it was a good idea, but Locke needed more convincing, so they didn't stick around. Mog moved back to his cave with all the other moogles, along with the Sasquatch, Umaro, following behind him in his wake." The imp raises a brow as he lets the readers take this information in.
"Then there's the kids. Relm and Gau decided to stay at the castle with Strago. Edgar insisted. Edgar felt like a father to Gau, and wanted to help raise the young man. Relm just wanted to stay with Gau, and Strago didn't want to leave Relm, so he stayed with them all. Terra sadly went back to Mobliz to care for the children, Edgar didn't have the nerve to ask her to marry him. Sabin moved in for a little while, but then moved back into his own place when he felt the responsibility of being a prince dawning on him. He ran away one night leaving Edgar to his kingdom, ruling alone once again. Gogo himself wanders the world over looking for a mate, but never successful at finding one. Cyan was crowned king of Doma by Edgar, Edgar knew Doma needed a new king, and Cyan would be a good one. People from all over the world moved to the new establishment of Doma. Cyan was a great king." the imp changes his stance to make himself seem more important.
"A year from the date this story ends, Celes and Locke had their first child. Her name was Maria. Baram and Shadow split up sadly, after having another one of their fights. Shadow couldn't take the pressure of his older brother's 'help' and ditched him in the middle of the night. Baram didn't care all that much, because he wasn't really doing too good at his new job, and he decided to just become a recluse. I would tell you more, but I'll leave that for another story."
The room dimmed and the reader stopped reading.