Like the blast of the Lunar's cold air, Cecil felt trepidation settle onto his heart. What brought it on specifically he couldn't fathom, as he followed his father through the Lunar paths and onto the starship. It startled the Baronian king when Klu-Ya activated the crystal with a mere wave of his age-bespeckled hand, setting the light within flaring. With a great groan the ship lifted in the air, taking a general south-eastern direction. Cecil struggled to take it all in and as he was doing war with the choas slugging at him, his father dropped another of what could Cid's bombs on him.
"Are you ready to see him again?"
Cecil jerked. "See...who?"
"Theodore."
It took a full minute for the paladin to latch onto whom the lunarian referred to. Then an image of his brother interposed on that of the evil warlord Golbez flashed in his mind's eyes, like it did on that fateful last meeting after the downfall of Zemus. He swallowed. It had been a relief to Cecil to lock those feelings away after the man had disappeared with his uncle. It had been easy, knowing, thinking that he would never have to face that man again. Here, now, he would have to fetch the key and properly deal with the emotional implications, while working to keep Baron from being destoried, or worse, the entire Blue Planet.
Cecil took up a stance next to his father as the starship flew on, cutting through the skies. "How is...." The paladin cut off what he was about to say and just asked, "Where is he?"
Not waiting for the ship to land properly Klu-Ya hurried off, gesturing urgently at his son to follow. "To try to teach him the ways of pascisfism and peace, the Lunarians left him with the moogles, so that he might take after them. I sent him out not long ago to find you and free you from the wyvens so that he might return you to me. I instructed him to return here, and await my further orders." Not waiting for Cecil to catch up or to offer him a more detailed explaination, the Lunarian rushed into the caverns.
Fingers itching for a sword, Cecil followed.
Inside, he immediately realized his fears were manifest in the bodies that were scattered about the stalagmites. At first, he'd thought it was a bunch of calabrinas tossed about haphazardly, but covering his mouth in horror Cecil recognized the broken bodies of the moogles, the "Hummingways". He dropped to a knee beside one and clutched the lifeless shell to his own body. The paladin knew little of the creatures, just that they were moon-inhabitants and had a penchant for singing, but still the sight set his heart to stinging.
Releasing the body, the paladin stood up suddenly, gaze cast all around. More horror awaited him. Before him stood Klu-Ya, back to the paladin. Then in a painfully slow motion the Lunarian slumped to the crystalline floor, his body pierced by a blade. And to add to that shock, Cecil glismped the visage of the one who held the sword that had wounded and perhaps slain his father.
Golbez.
...Bring me the crystal.
"No, Golbez....what are you doing?!" Throwing the man a glare that could melt mithril, Cecil hurried to his father's side. The man had not perished, not yet. A swiftly spoken healing spell could certainly save him. Cecil lowered his hands onto the man's chest, whispered the words that would draw out the powers in him. But as the energy flowed out of his hands, the hilt of a sword smacked into his chest. The paladin was hurled to the far side of the cavern and up against the wall. With a groan he slumped to the floor.
Through blurry, bloodied eyes, Cecil watched as his brother lifted his sword and prepared to pierce their father again. The paladin yelled out, pleading with Golbez, but the man heard not a word, or seemed as such for his blade deterred not an inch on its deadly path. Ignoring the exploding pain in his back, Cecil hurled himself at his brother. The two fell in a heap, tangled in armor and limbs. Cecil sought to disarm Golbez but the man let out a gout of fire, and the paladin fell away screaming from the flames trying to consume his face.
"Golbez, why?!"
"For the Master!"
...the Master...
"For the Crystal!"
...Bring me the crystal....
"Cecil!" Klu-Ya's voice, surprisingly strong, despite life fluid pouring out of his wound. "My son, you must stop Golbez!"
With a hand to his own face, Cecil stilled the fire before it could do permanent damage. He glanced around the cavern desperately, looking for anything to use as a weapon. What was he going to do to incapacitate his brother--throw the body of a moogle at him? Slightly morbid, slightly amusing, but not likely to have any lasting affect. The paladin could try to wrest the blade from Golbez again but would he have any better luck now...as he dodged black-blue bolts of bright lightning and ducked underneath spheres of burning flame?
What a shame that paladins never came equipped with offensive magic...
It was time for some creative arcane action. Cecil muttered a few words swiftly and cast out his arms. A bright illumination burst from them, engulfing the cavern. Golbez instinctly stumbled back, cursing. The paladin siezed the opportunity as he siezed his father, rushing out of the cavern. Cecil didn't look back, not wanting to know if his brother followed, not sure how much of a magical reserve his brother retained.
Fireballs slammed into the ground all around him. A chunk of ice clipped his shoulder. Bolts of lightning crashed into the lunar whale. If he could just reach the starship and get it in the air, Cecil could send it soaring to the Blue Planet. There he could speak with his father further to find out what had come over his brother and what to do about it.
Then a wall of flames spread up right in front of the ramp.
Sighing, Cecil lay his father down and slowly turned around.
"You will not pass," Golbez said, his voice as cold as the moon-air. "If you wish to save your father you will do as the Master demands."
"Our father. Ours! He's your father too. And you're my brother. Please don't do this."
"Yield or die!"
Like being possessed the paladin-king flew into action, grabbing at Golbez's sword. The movement was so bold that his brother couldn't dodge fast enough and the two were locked into a tug-of-war on the sword. Golbez's strength was unimaginable and Cecil bit his lip straining to keep his hands on the hilt. A sharp kick to his mid-section forced the paladin to his knees so his brother took advantage of the minor victory to deliver the killing blow.
And brother did kill brother but t'was not Cecil that met his fate.
The paladin faked taking the kick and spun to his side while the blade came down. Not thinking he twisted his hands around the hilt and ripped it free. With a wild cry the Baronian king drove the blade through his brother's gut.
"...what have I done?" Cecil gasped, releasing the sword as it drifted to the moon-stones like his brother's body. His otherworldly eyes stained tears as his pristine gloves stained blood.
"Ce-ci-l!"
The paladin gazed at his father who seemed in astonishingly good health all things considered. He was standing on the ramp, leaning heavily on his staff. Cecil barely saw him, his vision drowned in the sight of his brother's glazed eyes. "Cecil! We must go! It is not safe here. And your friends and family need you."
"Friends...and family?" His voice was lost.
"Yes, come, now!"
He walked over to the ramp. Walked up the ramp. Into the starship. Watched as the vessel took to space. Watched as it spun away. But to Cecil he was still chained to the Moon, standing over the body of the brother he'd just slain.
