Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy IV

Well, hello everyone! It's been three years (almost exactly) which has been just about enough time for me to age, reply to about two emails, and write some more prompts! I'd like to say thank you to ValkyrieCeles and EdenXIII for your reviews! Hopefully I'll acquire a larger community of readers as I post more!

Although I think I must address your request, EdenXIII. I'm afraid that a Kain/Rydia pairing just isn't on the cards from me, sorry! I just think that Rydia and Rain are simply two different characters at two vastly different stages of maturity; Kain I think is closer to someone older, just from how he is, than a character he literally saw grow before his eyes. I don't know, something about it sits weirdly with me. That's just me however, I do appreciate that other people enjoy it! If you want to see some Kain writing, then you can check out Friendship and Betrayal!

I was originally supposed to start reposting last weekend, but since I was suddenly out of the country (standard, I know) I'm doing a double feature this weak so as to not throw out my wider schedule. So without further ado, here's the first. Enjoy!

001. Crash

"Well?" Rydia snapped, folding her arms and leaning back slightly as she stood, rigid, and ready to fight. She stared at Edge, sitting in the dark cave before her, the fire she'd created being the only thing keeping this place alight. "Do you have anything to say?"

Edge scoured over at the other side of the Cave. They'd been down in the Lunar Depths for at least several days now and everyone was being driven slowly mad. The often tight corridors forced those in the field party to interact in closer quarters than they might've liked, and the forced interacting was unveiling memories and reactions that they'd rather not acknowledge. For Rydia and Edge, it was the memories of their time on that other mood that haunted them. And the things that had gone undiscussed whilst they were in Eblan had bubbled to the surface. Including things in their family that were more political than they really wanted. A few days ago it had been Mist, and now it was their own on.

"Well?!" She demanded again.

Edge jumped. "Fine! Fine." He formers even deeper. "I'm sorry I almost married off our son in sacrifice." He mumbled something else afterwards but Rydia pushed herself to ignore it.

"Yeah, you'd better be!" Rydia shouted in response. "You almost missed out his chance to have this." She gestured between the two of them. "No one deserves to miss the opportunity to be as happy as we are!" She yelled, still scowling. But there was this sad little bubble in her chest she couldn't quite ignore. She didn't enjoy arguing with Edge, not anymore. Bickering was fine. And their fights of passion in their younger days had led to many, many happy memories. But this wasn't like that. That passion had burnt out into a deeper, stronger love as they aged, and fighting never had the same appeal.

"Oh yes, because we're the picture of happiness right now!" Edge's voice dropped with sarcasm. Even the more hot-headed of the equally impassioned two had grown tired of this.

"Oh shut up Edge." She sighed, her voice so packed with derision the entire timbre changed.

"I do still think he likes her, in my defence." He held up his hands, and braced for the impact.

Rydia was opening her mouth for another tirade, when she caught what he said. "-sorry?"

"He likes her! I saw them kissing behind the rose bushes one time." Edge admitted quietly, with a sigh of defeat. "Now look what you made me do, I just broke a pact of secrecy with my own son!" He whined like a wronged dog. "I'm such a terrible father. Sometimes."

Rydia paused, looking off to the rocky crags of the corner of the Cave. "But... hold on." She lowered her arms, still looking off, eyebrows frowned in concentration. "You were actually doing something nice for our children? Even in the face of the Nation?" She blinked slowly and turned her eyes to him.

Edge scoffed. "I always do nice things for them! Hina and Haru and I play together all the time! And I trained Hitomi myself, and I released Hotaru from most of her duties because I have never seen a girl less suited to all that ceremony, and I was trying to get Hiro to marry the girl he loves!"

Rydia blinked slowly a few times, then smiled. "Edge. I love you." She walked over to him and drew him into a tight hug. "Although Hotaru actually really enjoys standing there, looking so pretty in the ceremonies."

"Huh." He clicked his tongue. "still doesn't like the whole 'obliged to marry whoever is decided on' thing though, doesn't she?"

"Oh God no."

"Thought not"

Suddenly, the wall crashed open just behind where Rydia had been standing and an assembly of people fell through.

Leonora, and Palom, and Porom, and Ceodore, and Ursula, and Rosa, and Cecil, and Luca, and Kain, who was standing at the back looking rather smug.

"I had always wondered when exactly you two would get together." He grinned at the couple who had been so close to kissing when they were disturbed, and was ready to turn away and leave when Edge shouted back to him, "only 18 years late, then."

Kain looked at the two with shocked eyes, and then a frown.

"Yeah, didn't you hear them talk about their kids?" Palom intoned, to which Porom thwacked him on the head. "Five of them, if I counted right." He turned to Edge. "Nice going," he winked.

Rydia cringed internally, one arm still around Edge. She looked at him and, as she sometimes did, wondered if he was even worth it, because Palom's wink looked way, way too familiar. When she heard him begin to school Palom on the value of protection, however, she remembered that of course it was.

I know, kinda short and drabbley for the first one, but I thought I'd just ease us in. Well, I'll see you next chapter!

Please review if you've got time and follow for more. Thanks!