Hey, guys! I'm back! As always, I don't own Final Fantasy, Square Enix, or any of the characters. This takes place directly after the first arc finished. It's going to have 5-6 chapters.

°Arc 2: The Dragon's Peak°

°Chapter 1: Purification°

The boys and I exited the cavern through a magic circle behind the crystal. All of us were reeling from the revelation given to us by the crystal. The world was ending, and only we could stop it. I didn't like the world's chances.

Once we were out of the cavern, we all began the long trek back to the castle. It would be a day's worth of travel. For a long time, none of us spoke. Unsurprisingly, Luneth was the first to speak up.

"So, after we get back to the castle, where to next?"

"We return to Kazus, and talk to Cid. He may know a way to break through that boulder," I replied.

"Boulder?" Ingus asked.

"Ah, yes, you weren't here to see it," I answered. "You know those two giant mountain ranges that form a path out of the valley? Well, during the earthquake, a large boulder must have landed there. It's so large, we highly doubt the airship could fly over it safely."

"But that makes no sense," Ingus said. "If the boulder is as large as you claim, no ordinary earthquake could move it."

"We discussed this fact," Arc said, "but we couldn't make sense of it for that very reason. However, with what the crystal told me, I'm starting to doubt more and more that that was an ordinary earthquake…"

After this conversation, we were completely silent until we returned to the castle. No monsters appeared, which I found weird, but I didn't complain. I needed a rest after the Djinn.

When we reached the castle gate, we found it already open, with Lady Sara standing on the threshold. Grinning, we ran towards her, glad to see a friendly face. When we saw how she looked, however, we stopped dead.

Her once-beautiful dress was in tatters. Her long, flowing blonde hair had been scorched black in some areas, and in others there was no hair to speak of. I looked at Ingus, to see how he reacted. He was as white as snow.

"M-my lady," me managed to choke out, "what has happened? Surely the battle against the Djinn could not have been so terrible…"

Sara attempted to smile, but only grimaced in pain. "Indeed, the Djinn was just as strong, if not stronger, than we believed. The havoc caused by him will take a long time to repair. Luckily, there were no fatalities. Come, we must purify the ring to remove the curse."

Ingus and I followed her into the castle, but Arc and Luneth stayed behind. Luneth I could understand. He had been unusually silent since we had left the cave. Earlier, when Ingus asked about it, Luneth's only response was, "My fault…it's all my fault…" After that, we left him alone.

Arc timidly raised his hand. "Erm…Lady Sara? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Arc. What is it?"

"Well, I was just wondering…. How did you manage to escape the curse?"

At that, Sara's features took on a grim appearance. "I'm afraid that is a question for another day. I myself cannot fully comprehend it."

Arc nodded slowly, and, looking satisfied, walked into the castle with us. Luneth warily followed.

Walking through the castle, we saw the damage had not just occurred outside. Piles of rubble were strewn everywhere. Once-beautiful tapestries had been scorched black.

The four of us allowed Sara to guide us into an underground room with a beautiful fountain in the center. Sara took out the mithril ring, which now shone brighter that it had before. She turned to us and managed a smile of sorts.

"Thank you, Warriors of the Light. You have saved our land from a terrible fate. We are forever indebted to you."

All four of us grinned at each other.

"However," Sara continued, "you must be wary. You quest is only beginning. Stronger enemies await you. However, with each other, you are capable of anything!"

And with that, she threw the ring into the fountain. I asked the boys about it later, and, though they deny hearing anything, I could have sworn I heard the Djinn's scream as the ring hit the water. I guess it was just my imagination.

When we got to the throne room, miraculously, everyone was back to normal. What happened next was a bit of a blur. Lots of handshakes, people thanking us, and small gifts. I do recall one thing, though. The king giving us a magical folding canoe that, when not in use, folded up (I know, surprising, right?) to about the size of our hand.

"Ingus, must you truly leave?" I remember the king asking.

Ingus looked down, and for the first time since I had met him, he looked truly sad. "Yes, my lord. I have been chosen to accompany the others on their quest."

The king looked sad, but granted Ingus leave nonetheless.

As we were leaving the castle, I heard a voice from behind us: Sara. She had changed into a lovely gown, and her hair had been styled to look somewhat presentable. She ran forwards, stopping directly in front of us.

"I know I've already thanked you a lot, and you're tired of hearing thanks," she said, "but here's one last thing to remember me by."

And she promptly kissed all the boys on the cheeks. Their reactions were the best part: Luneth got a stupid grin, Arc turned beet red, and I swear I saw Ingus blush a little. When she got to me, she simply curtseyed, which I was okay with; I didn't want to know what the boys would do if she kissed me.

After that was settled, we boarded our airship which was still outside, and I took the helm. I looked back at the others.

"So, where are we going?"

Arc answered instantly, "We return to Kazus. There's a theory I want to test…"

I'm back, guys, and sooner than expected! Comments and critiques are greatly appreciated, as they will help me to become a better writer.