Tara and Taro were making their way through the Cavern of the Dragon after splitting up with the group. It was a hidden place between Wormwood Creek and Upover, the continent itself the home of all dragonkind in the world.
"What were you two doing in the Magmaroo when you saw Zoma revive Barbatos?" Tara asked, cutting through vines that had grown all over the place so they could walk through.
Taro answered, "I wanted to talk to him because received word that Suzuri had been poisioned by the RoseVine. Turns out, he all ready knew about it, because he had been to Stornway that very day to make more Dragon Ash. He was really upset at the time about Suzuri, but he didn't want to explain."
"And why did we need to come here, anyway?"
He pulled out a thick book from inside his robe's pockets. "Because of this right here."
"...is that the Dragonic Almanac?"
"Yes, Ciresso had it. Seems like he saw this coming from a mile away. He wanted her as far from it as possible, which is why he let her go on that treasure hunt with you," Taro said. "As a Knight of Greygnarl, he felt he had no other choice."
"Oh, now I really feel bad. He all ready knew, and I was getting onto him about it," she said sadly.
"I wonder how he knew about Zoma." Taro thought aloud. "That's what I wanna know. We have no idea how Zoma came back to life, as well as the other Nightmares."
"You don't think he would have started this, do you?"
"That's not what I'm saying."
Tara slashed the vines which bound up an altar with its overgrowth. "There must be something."
Taro placed the thick book on the altar. "There has to be something."
Suddenly, a ghost appeared on the other side of the altar. "Those who can hear me, must hear the prophecy."
"Wha... it's a ghost," Tara said, blinking in amazement. "I can hear and see you."
"The blood of the dragon tribe knows the truth, of how the times of holiday are nothing but lies. Those who follow the Code of Erdrick will see what others cannot. The blood of Loto is not enough to stand against the rage of the new wave of Demons to come. Zoma, the wizard whom Loto defeated, will come back, stronger than ever before. He will try to take what destroyed him in the first place, so that he will be unopposed. He swore to revive in 200 years."
Tara shook her head. "Why wasn't this message broadcast across all continents ever since Loto's time?"
"You'd think the leaders would want that message widespread," Taro said. "But this is important to know. You know that the Knights of Greygnarl are said to live how the Hero Erdrick did in every single way, right?"
"I read about that somewhere," Tara said. "So Ciresso knew because he truly saw the signs as a follower of Erdrick would!"
"Bingo, little sister. All we can do is wait to see if he comes around." He looked around the cavern, not really seeing anything else of interest. "We can meet back up with Angelo. There isn't much else here."
"Oh..."
"Now is it just me, or do you have a thing for Angelo?"
Tara blushed. "He's certainly very dashing, and he's been a great help."
"Heh heh," Taro said. "I just hope he treats you well, if you ever decide to be more than just fans who adore each other from afar."
Meanwhile, Upover wasn't a very easy climb for Alicia and Seth.
"So I bet you're happy about this new turn of events," Seth said.
"What are you talking about?" Alicia pondered aloud.
"Suzuri admitted to cheating on Ciresso. You'd been trying to get her to hook up with the Prince since you realized he could stand you," Seth said, hopping over a fallen column. "Or are you going to say that all your talk back then was just joking?"
"It's true that I'd rather her be with someone understanding and nurturing as Art is," Alicia admitted, "But I really didn't want to break Suzuri's heart outright. She loves Ciresso, I understand that."
"You sure she didn't succumb to the peer pressure?"
"No, she had to have made the choice on her own," Alicia retorted. "If she really believed him to be dead, maybe at the moment she just wanted comfort. She wanted to experience some of that warmth that she felt she'd never have again. I understand that, too."
Over to the east, some rocks fell off of the mountain. When Seth looked in that direction, he pulled on Alicia's shoulder. "We shouldn't go any further," he said. "That's Barbatos up there. I guess since they realized that we had escaped, they let the dragon loose."
"You think it sees us?"
"No, we'd better go back and report this to Angelo and everyone else before he does," Seth said. "You got a Chimera wing?"
"Do I ever leave home without one?" Alicia asked, pulling one out of her pocket. "Hold on, we're going up!"
And in the middle of a vast snowfield outside of the famous Swinedimples Academy, Art and Suzuri were looking for the location of the map that Zoma dropped. "I can't believe I'm even near this place again," she muttered as she kicked one of their well groomed shrubs.
"What do you mean?" Art asked.
"This is a very memorable place for me, y'see. I became a sage by studying here for years. I took it pretty seriously, but that's when I met someone who changed my outlook on life," Suzuri explained. "Ciresso was a wild thing. He made my heart sing, quite literally when he had me try to be a Luminary for a while. I tried it because we were gonna be a traveling troupe, at least that's what the plan was..." She sighed. "But I couldn't wear a short skirt, and that devolved pretty quickly. So we continued our natural studies as normal, graduated, and moved back to his hometown."
"Sounds like your first love."
"He wasn't. My first love was a jerk back in Bloomingdale. That ended as well as everything in Bloomingdale ends. Badly."
Art grunted. "Why do you hate your hometown so?"
"Because it's a cesspool of waste," Suzuri answered. "Why do you love yours so much?"
"Everyone in Cannock has always treated me special because I'm the son of a King, but when I escaped out of the castle wearing commoner's clothing, I loved it. It was a peaceful place for years, even though I was confined to it until Hargon attacked Moonbrooke," Art explained. "I just spent so much time there that it felt like home."
Suzuri thought she felt something under her foot, so she stamped it. When she did, the magical grotto opened as any other treasure map did. "Ha," she said. "Time to go get some answers."
"I doubt this will end particularly well," Art said. "Especially since we don't have what he wants."
She said, "Always keep a shield handy, then." She went in, determined to get some answers. Art followed her.
What they found was an empty cave. Zoma wasn't standing there, there was no treasure, nothing.
"Well isn't this great," Suzuri said angrily. "I came here for some answers!"
"Is someone there?" a voice called out from deeper in the cave.
Suzuri rushed at the sound of that voice. "Cires, are you in here?"
"Suzuri?" he reacted. "Oh, no, I wanted to keep you out of this mess!"
At the very end of the cave, Suzuri and Art found Ciresso chained up to the wall. She was relieved and hugged him as tightly as she could.
"Oh, my brave Knight of Greygnarl, what are you doing down here?" she asked him. "How did that Zoma capture you?"
"I went into a grotto that was beneath the house in Upover. I expected to find a holy dragon, and if I didn't, I was going to use the Dragon Ash to revive Greygnarl. Barbatos can only really be defeated by a dragon of matching power, and Greygnarl is the only one I could think of at the time," Ciresso explained. "What I found down there was a dead baby holy dragon and Zoma. I was too late."
"Then how do we revive Greygnarl?" Art asked.
"Take the Dragon Ash to the Summit of the Magmaroo and say a prayer known only by the ones who follow the Code of Erdrick," Ciresso said. "Why, Princey, are you out to show me up again?"
"For Heaven's sake," Suzuri snapped. "Art helped me every step of the way, and he was ready to help me avenge you, had you really been dead as we thought."
"Your lack of faith in me is astounding, Suzuri," Ciresso said. "But I know why it is. You always did deserve better."
"Shut up right now," Suzuri said. "If I didn't love you, I wouldn't have fought against this entire world to find you again. Monsters, grottos, poision from other lands, and evil wizards from eons ago all have stood in my way to finding you, and I fought through them all... with help from my sisters and new friends."
"I told you that I never intended on taking Suzuri as my own," Art said kindly. "You just had so little faith in yourself that you believed if any chance to leave you came up, she'd do it. All she ever talked about was you, how she was going to find you, and kill Zoma and Barbatos for even putting you through this."
"I am sorry," Ciresso said. "Forgive my ignorance, Prince, I just didn't know what else to do." He pulled on the chains. "Look, I can't get out of these, and I don't think anyone can break them but Zoma. I need you two to take the ashes up to the Summit of the Magmaroo."
"I'm afraid that's impossible," Zoma's voice said from the cavern enterance. "You won't be going anywhere any time soon."
"Zoma!" Suzuri roared, instantly drawing out her favorite weapon, her black and gold fan.
"Well, well, if it isn't the little prince and his violent, easily manipulated escort," Zoma said, coming closer. "I thought a nice few moments together would be a nice treat, considering what I have planned for you if you don't give me the Seal of Loto." He extended a hand to Art. "I believe you bear it, little prince."
"Actually, no, I don't." Art said, pulling out his sword. "It no longer belongs to me."
"Really?" Zoma turned to Suzuri. "You seem different to me. Doesn't she, Ciresso? She seems really... different right now."
Ciresso spat at Zoma. "Shove off, Zoma. You're a manipulative son of an ugly barmaid. I won't listen to anything you have to say."
"But don't you feel this new aura?" Zoma asked. "This beautiful, holy aura that only comes with the blessing of the Descendants of Loto... I wonder where that came from?"
Suzuri used her special technique, Schizophanic, and split herself into several different images of herself. "The book says this technique is supposed to actually split my personality every time I do it," she said. "I wonder if that's true."
Ciresso laughed. "So that's where it comes from, huh?"
"Maybe," she said. "You're not getting a free pass, Zoma."
"Well, if I must go, so must your very sanity," Zoma said. "I know the truth. I saw it myself, the poor little lonely girl reaching out for the warmth of whoever would reach back."
Ciresso shook his head. "You're a liar!"
Art couldn't hold back any longer. "I call upon the lightning from the heavens! Gigaslash!" The lightning charged up his blade, and he rammed it into Zoma's heart.
Zoma stepped back, holding his chest where he was stabbed, bleeding all over the place. "Little prince, you are brave, yet cowardly to not admit the full truth."
"I am not!" Art yelled. "This is a private matter and it does not concern you!"
"But it does, you see, for when I am to be revived again in another two hundred years during the same Dragon Warrior festival, I want no Descendants of Loto alive so I may have my reign, finally," Zoma said, smiling. "All of the ones who have inherited my wrath, including the Malroth that you defeated, will always seek to destroy the Descendants of Loto as long as they exist. We will never die off completely. We are brought back by the fears and hatred of humanity, those who curse this world and wish it gone, we come to answer those wishes!" He laughed loudly. "Erdrick and Loto, who both tried to save this world from its own inner darkness, could never get rid of us permanently."
"So instead of the world changing its ways all together, the Descendants of Loto were forced to be raised to fight against you for when you came back," Art said. He decided to make another rush for Zoma's heart, just because his purpose in life now made a lot more sense.
"And the Code of Erdrick was kept alive by the Dragon Tribe," Ciresso said. "Hit him for me, Art!"
Art ran up to Zoma, slashing his face through the middle. "Die, monster. You don't belong in this world."
"Gahh," Zoma said, scratching at his face. "Let's see how you like this!" He extended one of his claws at Suzuri, but she dodged it, thanks to her being split several different ways at once. He then reared back and aimed at her again, this time aimed for her heart.
Art caught the claw with his sword, then slashed upward again. "How many times do I have to do this?" he asked. "Die!"
Finally, bloody and falling apart, Zoma stepped back in a dizzy stupor. "You will... not have... true victory," he said. "For it... will cost you... dearly!"
Art looked back at Ciresso. "You think you can do everything it takes to take care of Suzuri?" he asked.
"I hope so," Ciresso said. "What an odd question."
Art then looked over to Suzuri. "I'll say this right here, in the open. I love you, Suzuri. Don't ever forget that."
"What... what are you saying?" Suzuri asked. "Art... don't you even think-"
"Suzuri, you're the only woman I think I ever really got to know," Art said with a smile. "The only one who didn't judge me just because I'm a prince." He reached over, kissed her cheek, and gave a thumbs up. "It's been a pleasure."
"No, no, no, you are not-"
Art walked over to Zoma, eyes burning. He charged up all of his aura, and released it into his sword. "You aren't going to revive in 200 years. I'm gonna make sure of that-"
"ART! NO!"
"This world will be a peaceful one, from now on!"
The room was bathed in a bright white light. Both Suzuri and Ciresso had to cover their eyes to keep from going blind. But when they were finally able to see, Ciresso's chains were broken. Both Art and Zoma were gone.
"No..." Suzuri said, falling to her knees. "I... didn't want you to... to die!" She cried out, as if her wails in the darkness could somehow bring him back to her.
Ciresso leaned down next to her. "He really was a nice guy. To have helped you come all this way, and then give his life to save us."
"And I don't have anything to point my anger and frustration at anymore," Suzuri cried, grabbing around him.
"I don't think he wanted you to be angry or frustrated," Ciresso said. "I think he wanted you... to be happy."
"At the cost of his own life?"
"That's what love is. You're prepared to make that kind of sacrifice every moment of your life, when you truly love someone." Ciresso helped her to her feet. They started to leave the cavern together when they heard a cough from under a rock.
Suzuri immediately ran towards the huge boulder. "Art?"
"I seem to be stuck," his voice said. "Didn't think I'd make it that time, y'know?"
Ciresso grunted. "You mean you've done that before?"
"Oh yes, back when I was fighting Malroth's minions," Art laughed. "No big deal. I always say my final goodbyes, because there's a high chance the spell will kill the caster."
Ciresso and Suzuri helped Art get out from under the huge rock, then left the cavern. Then Suzuri ripped the map to shreds and scattered them to the four winds.
"I guess I'll have to live with a rival then," Ciresso said. "In both love and battle."
"Ha," Art said, shaking Ciresso's hand. "Well met."
"Before we get happy, let's go see what the others are up to. Angelo said to meet them back in Stornway when we had something to tell, and boy, do we have some news!" Suzuri threw a Chimera Wing into the air, and they once again, landed safely before the town gate.
"Let's go tell everyone the news!" Suzuri said, racing up to the inn.
Ciresso then asked, "So, what is it about Suzuri that does it for you?"
Art answered, "It was originally her understanding and willingness to listen that got me, and then I begun to see her adorable innocence was real and not just a farce. And you?"
"I really think it might have been the same thing for me," Ciresso answered. "I suppose you'll have to introduce me to all our new friends, huh?"
"If Suzuri doesn't beat me to it."
They laughed together, walking into the inn.