Act Twenty-Five: The Dragoon's Tale | The Dead Ringer
Ceodore and the hooded man were frozen in place, watching helplessly as the Red Wings' airship lifted from the ground, a whirlwind of sand and dust discharging into the air and erecting an ephemeral curtain over Damcyan Castle. The ship was still flying too low to make it over the oncoming mountain pass, yet it seemed to be undoubtedly heading southwest – toward Baron.
"What in the world is happening?" the hooded man frowned, and Ceodore gasped in reply, pointing due west of the castle.
"Look, another ship…!"
A resounding explosion tore through the skyline – the newcomer, an oak-paneled ship with billowing red and white sails, was firing cannons through the wall of smoke. Ceodore narrowed his eyes to get a better look, his throat clenching. He didn't want to dare to hope, or worse yet, realize he was suffering from an exhaustion-induced mirage, but the attacking ship was a far too-recognizable vessel from his childhood – no one else in the world ever had, or ever would have, an airship so splendid as the man who had helped craft with his own two hands the miracle of flight for the people of Baron.
"I…I think it's the Enterprise! Could that be Cid and my parents!?"
Another shot rang out, but this time, the Red Wings ship finally managed to right its course, soaring higher in the air in a sudden burst of momentum and fleeing its assailant. For a moment, Ceodore thought the Enterprise might give chase, but instead, it sunk back down to the ground without ceremony – it appeared that whoever was on board was going to make a stop at the castle.
"Let's go, Ceodore!" the hooded man commanded. "I fear for the crystal…"
"Yes!" Ceodore gasped, tears of fatigue springing to his eyes as he ran ahead, forcing his legs to pump harder than he had ever run in his life. With each stride, his feet sunk painstakingly in the sand – it was as if the desert itself was dragging him down with its claws, desperate to keep him away from the smoking castle and the terrifying secrets enveloped within. He could hear the hooded man grunting behind him, muttering curses he couldn't quite make out.
Mother, Father…I'm coming! Please, wait for me!
"Hello!?" Ceodore shouted as they dashed through the castle courtyard. There came no response – the castle appeared to be utterly abandoned; their only company the overgrown raised beds of flowers that spilled from every corner. Ceodore whirled around, jogging backwards as he looked up at the hooded man.
"Where is everyone!?"
"Hopefully they got out before the Red Wings came. We should head for the keep – that's where the smoke is coming from."
The pair rushed up the next few flights of stairs, Ceodore breathlessly calling out on each floor, just in case someone needed aid. When they came to the throne room, whose doors had been blown open and were half-hanging from their hinges with smoke still trailing out, Ceodore stifled a gasp, tugging his scarf around his mouth and nose before diving inside. The hooded man wrapped his cloak tighter around his face, taking up the rear.
Kneeling on the floor near the now-decimated royal throne was Cid, propping up a fallen figure drenched in blood with a makeshift pillow he had created with his jacket. Ceodore leapt over the piles of debris, screaming Cid's name and promptly tripping over an overturned column in his rising hysteria. Falling flat on his face, he let out a pained groan, his silver headband imprinting a deep, throbbing groove over his forehead.
"Ugh…Cid!"
The hooded man wordlessly bent down to help Ceodore to his feet as Cid whirled around, his lacquer pipe falling out of his mouth in shock and clattering to the floor as a semi-recovered Ceodore bounded over to him. He threw his arms around the old man's neck, burying his head in his fluffy white beard. He smelled like a heady combination of sweat, wood shavings, smoke and motor oil – Ceodore never thought he would be so happy to drown in such an odd, unpalatable scent again in his life.
"Whoa! Ceodore!" Cid cried, holding the boy tightly against him and shaking his head in disbelief. "You're alive and in one piece! Thank the gods above…!"
"Is that really Ceodore…?" a meek voice asked. Ceodore pulled away from Cid, blanching when he saw that the bloodied figure Cid had been tending to was none other than King Edward – the slight, trembling man had taken a horrible beating – his dull brown eyes were encircled in bruises as black as night, and it looked as if one half of his nose was caving in on itself, a trail of wet blood steadily dripping down the hollow of his cheek. His shoulder was a ruptured crater of yet more blood, which had been absorbed into his vest, creating a nauseating muddy hue. Despite all of this, Edward offered up a small smile, which the prince reluctantly returned.
"I almost didn't recognize you...but my god, you're the spitting image of Cecil now, aren't you? You're only a few years younger than he was when he and I first met, now that I think about it…time has gone far too quickly."
"M-Most people seem to think I look like my mother," Ceodore stammered, still overwhelmed by the sheer amount of blood he was staring at and wondering how they could be discussing something as asinine as his appearance at a time like this. "…Are you going to be OK?"
Edward laughed softly, although the way he cringed when he did so indicated to Ceodore that even such a small effort was excruciating. "Don't worry, Ceodore. It looks worse than it is."
"Yeah, just a half-broken nose and a stab wound," Cid sighed sarcastically. "No big deal. Now stay still a moment so I can finish bandaging this."
Ceodore paused, grateful for the break in conversation to take a better look at their surroundings. There were large scorch marks on the floors and walls from where a powerful fire had obviously run rampant, and entire chunks of the ceiling were missing, collapsed in various piles on the floor, providing some ventilation in the otherwise stifling room. It looked as if someone had taken a wrecking ball to the place, but hadn't quite finished the job. Ceodore noticed no one else other than the four of them, and frantically spun on his heel, turning back to Cid.
"Mother...where's Mother!? You didn't leave her behind in Baron, right?"
Cid shifted his eyes away guiltily, and Ceodore could feel the panic rising in his throat, his oxygen cutting off.
"…What about my father? Was he…?"
"I'm sorry, Ceodore," Edward cut in, and to Ceodore's surprise, managed to shift himself under his own power so that he was sitting up. Cid shot him a look, but ended up shifting behind Edward so that he could reach the rest of the shoulder wound. Edward lifted a handkerchief to his nose, dabbing the blood away tenderly as he looked up at the confused prince. Cid merely shook his head, leaning in to tie off the ends of the bandage and still avoiding Ceodore's pointed gaze as he muttered inaudibly.
"Ah, it's not your fault, Edward. I should've stayed with her..."
"What happened to her!?" Ceodore shrieked, black spots starting to fill his vision as the room spun around him. "What. HAPPENED!?"
"She's been taken away, Ceodore," Edward said softly. "I'm so very sorry – no matter what anyone else says, it was my fault. She rushed from hiding to defend me, and…Kain took her. If it wasn't for Rosa, I would be dead right now." He looked down, exhaling shakily – the handkerchief dropped from his trembling fingers. "She did everything she could to save the crystal…but he got that too."
Ceodore's legs gave out from beneath him, and he fell to the broken floor tiles wordlessly, his eyes clouded with abysmal heartache. All of their effort, all of their pain, all of the suffering…and it had amounted to being just a few minutes too late to save her. If Kain had done this to Edward just to get a stupid crystal, what would he do to his mother…?
The hooded man clenched his jaw. "What!? So he has the crystal, and Rosa?"
Cid glanced up at the hooded man, as if he was just now noticing him for the first time. "Wait up. Who's this guy?"
Ceodore kept staring ahead listlessly, Cid's question not even registering in his mind – how would he have answered it, at any rate? The hooded man shook his head, reaching down to grab Ceodore by the arm, the boy floundering in his grip like a rag doll.
"Never mind that – we'll talk later! To the Enterprise – now! We have to follow him, before it's too late…!"
"I'll come too," Edward murmured, and Cid crossed his arms over his chest.
"Nuh-uh, no way, no how. I'm taking you upstairs to Harley, and she's gonna put your skinny behind in bed where it belongs."
"No!" Edward protested. "Harley will be more useful here at the castle than I – I have to help save Rosa, no matter what – it's my fault that she's gone. Besides, Ceodore is a white mage, right? He can finish patching me up on the ride over."
"I…" Ceodore lowered his gaze, sniveling and finally giving in to the hooded man's insistent hold on him, his legs trembling as he forced himself to stand back up. "I'll do my best to heal you, Edward…I do want us to go together. We don't know what Kain is capable of, right? We need all the help we can get…" He glanced up at the hooded man as if to get a confirmation of his suspicions about just how dangerous Kain might be. The hooded man frowned and looked away, crossing his arms.
"Oh, fine," Cid sighed, rising to his feet and reaching down to support Edward, who was all too happy to use the sturdy old man as a crutch. "I can't say no to this kid…can't say no to anyone in this damn family, apparently! I think when this is all said and done, I may finally retire."
The Red Wings
Rosa's eyes never left Kain's, even as she stared solemnly into the mirror's reflection before her. He had dragged her into the berth below deck, locking the two of them in a room he had obviously been spending quite a bit of time in. She was overwhelmed by his scent when she was shoved inside, although it wasn't entirely in a discomforting way – it was more nostalgic and strangely assuaging than anything else. She had once heard that there were times a certain scent could trigger repressed or forgotten memories deep inside one's brain – but for her, she had never let herself forget any of her precious memories of the person who had once been her best friend – she had told herself that he might never come back to her if she forgot even one tiny detail about him – like her mind was the only force keeping him tethered in their reality.
But he was here now…although something had apparently gone terribly wrong along the way.
And even though Kain had said he wanted to "catch up", he actually hadn't answered any of her questions with anything more than a frustratingly knowing look or a clap of laughter: Where had he been for the last seventeen years? Why did he leave Baron? Who had he seen during his time away? What had he been doing, thinking, feeling…?
She tried again with another question, her hand shaking as she reached up, tracing a finger over her lower lip to flake away the dried blood.
"How did you get your hands on a Red Wings ship, Kain?" Cecil didn't loan you a ship to aid in attacking the other nations that held crystals…right?
Kain raised an eyebrow. "There are no more Red Wings. They were annihilated in an accident – or monster attack, depending on which story you believe – the morning the moon returned. I picked up on the rumors while I was relieving Mysidia of their crystal. They've no need of a ship while rotting in the ground, so why shouldn't I use it?"
As she listened, Rosa stiffly swept the hairbrush that had been left on the crate-turned vanity through her hair – she didn't know whose it was and didn't care to find out – wondering if the stabbing sensation that had suddenly ruptured in her chest was her heart shattering into a million pieces – if they would tear through her circulatory system like crystal fragments until she had been sliced to ribbons and fell dead at Kain's feet, at last relieved of this needless agony.
Ceodore…is that why you never came home…? By the time Baron fell, you were already…!
She swallowed, the taste of blood mingling with vomit burning her throat. She realized by the disinterested curve of Kain's lips that he had no clue about the crushing impact of the "rumors" he had gleefully shared – he didn't know Ceodore existed, after all – let alone that he had been with the Red Wings the day of the accident thanks to a sick jest of the gods.
She realized that she still didn't want him to know about Ceodore, either. She slowly lowered the brush, cringing at the tiny "click" it made against the crate. Mechanically, her fingers swept through her hair, her eyes locked on her captor's through the safety of the mirror's reflection. He was watching intensely as her fingers lifted the veil of hair from her neck, meticulously gathering it into her fist above the crown of her head.
If she didn't do something with her hands to keep her mind distracted from Ceodore's fate and from the massacre Kain was arranging for her to come home to, she was afraid she would reach for his lance and proceed to slit her own throat.
My son is dead…the crystals are lost…and if Kain manages to find Cecil…!
"Kain...just tell me…why?"
Kain looked away from her cold stare to his folded hands – he had been imagining what it would feel like to run his fingers over the sleek curve of her neck hidden beneath that waterfall of hair.
"Heh heh...Hah hah hah hah!" he suddenly laughed, Rosa's chest contracting at the sinister sound. She didn't say anything, hoping he would elaborate on whatever it was he found so damn funny as she carefully tugged a thick lock free from her fist, using it to wrap around the base of the ponytail and securing it in place with a knot. She turned around in her chair, her hair spilling down her back as Kain extended his hand toward her.
"I've reserved a front-row seat for you, Rosa...just so you can watch as Cecil dies right before your eyes. I know you don't understand why…but you will when it's all over. I swear to you, everything will become clear – you just have to trust me."
"Answer the question, Kain!" she hissed, shoving the chair away and crossing the short distance between them to the bed he had claimed as his seat, smacking his hand away with a loud crack. Despair had suddenly given way to blood-boiling anger – his lance stashed in the corner of the room near the doorway caught her eye, and she could feel her fingers twitching longingly. Before she could make a dive for it, he rose to meet her, blocking her way and grasping her chin in his hand. His other hand encircled her waist, trapping her against him. She had to push up on her tiptoes to keep her neck from straining in his grip, and could see her lip quivering as he stared down at her zealously.
"How about you answer a question for me instead? Why do you still care about Cecil, even after everything he's done?"
Because he loves me. Because of his heart. Because he gave me our son, and a chance at having a family that was whole. Because we shared a dream.
Because it was never an option to love him or not. I just always have.
Rosa closed her eyes – she couldn't bear the way he was ravaging her with his stare, like he was about to unhinge his jaw and swallow her whole.
"…It doesn't matter."
"Heh," Kain shook his head, brushing her bangs out of her face and releasing her before turning to leave, making it a point to seize his lance in the process – he had picked up on the deliciously crazed look on her face when she had laid her eyes on it. "It might matter once you see him again – you'll be begging for me to end it and set you free. Apparently, our Cecil hasn't been himself as of late – he's got a new girl hanging around, too."
"You don't know anything," Rosa said quietly, her fists clenching at her sides. "You haven't seen him. I heard what you told Edward – unless you were lying."
"I've never lied to you a day in my life," Kain said coolly, his hand on the latch. "You'll do well to remember that – the same can't be said about your precious Cecil." With that, he stepped outside, slamming and locking the door behind him. All of the temporary strength Rosa's rage had lent her escaped through her pores like a deflating balloon, and she collapsed on the bed, her wide, watering eyes rolled up toward the ceiling.
Kain had struck another nerve – maybe not on purpose, but she found it very hard to believe that he didn't know more about Cecil's current state of mind than he was hinting. She recalled the rushed conversation she had had with Harley before she had stumbled upon Kain and Edward in combat. Her stomach twisted as each line replayed in her head – she was about to become sick all over again, wondering just exactly who – or what – it was she would be coming home to.
"Queen Rosa."
Rosa turned away from the window, surprised to see the statuesque scholar standing behind her, polishing her glasses with the sleeve of her jacket and staring at her expectantly. She had been staring wordlessly at the twin moons, of which Harley had a perfect view of from her bedroom.
Golbez…that's not your moon, is it? Something about all of this just feels too new…even as the tragedies of the past stand to repeat once again…
"It's just Rosa," she replied absentmindedly, still lost in thought. She said that same line to Harley so often that her brain just went on auto-pilot, regardless of what the actual conversation was about.
"Er…Rosa," Harley tried, making a face as if she had just bitten into something sour. "Listen…There is something I think you should know about King Cecil, just in case he shows up in-person looking for the crystal. I feel that King Edward kind of glossed over it in his rush to get us out of the way of the battle preparations…"
"What about Cecil?" Rosa asked softly. Now Harley had her full attention. "The chancellor told us he was acting strangely about the meteor…what did he tell you when you went to see him?"
"More of the same as what was in his message, I'm afraid," Harley frowned. "But seeing him for myself…it was like I was talking to a complete stranger, and he couldn't have been colder to King Edward. Was there anything at all that we might have done to offend that you know of?"
"What…? No, of course not!" Rosa's hand flew to her mouth. "It was that bad?"
"I'm afraid so. He told us if the Lunarians had returned that it was his personal responsibility to deal with it, rejecting King Edward's offer to help. And he gave my lord a strange box as a parting gift…he suspects that was King Cecil's way of springing the trap for our crystal. He called it a Carnelian Signet."
"…The same item that destroyed Mist seventeen years ago?"
"Yes, the very same, according to how my lord interpreted the conversation he overheard between King Cecil and a woman we were not able to identify. It would seem they are working together to gather the world's crystals."
Rosa shook her head, the only thing keeping her standing at this point being pure adrenaline. "Everything you are saying…well, to be honest, it sounds like a poorly thought-out ruse. Cecil would never treat his friends like that…and to partner with some woman none of us have ever met to seize the crystals? It's nigh-on fiction."
"I agree with you, Your Highness," Harley shrugged. "It would seem that we agree, then – that perhaps the person we met in Baron was not King Cecil at all."
"Wait…what?"
It was then that the crash rang out from the chamber below – if Rosa remembered the layout of the castle correctly, that meant it would have come from Edward's throne room. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise, and before she could stop herself, she had run to the bedroom door, throwing it open. Every cell in her body was screaming at her to get downstairs – that something terrible was about to happen…that someone she loved dearly would be the one to pull the trigger, setting something irreversible and unforgivable into motion.
This feeling…this presence…I haven't felt it in seventeen years…how…?
"Rosa!" Harley cried. "Where are you going!?" She ran only as far as the threshold, watching with dismay as Rosa fled down the tower steps, disappearing from sight.
The Enterprise
Ceodore sat mutely, his face white with shock as Cid finished telling the group everything he and Rosa had been through since the morning the twin moon had returned. He had set the Enterprise to auto-pilot, although he had purposely lessened the speed so that Kain could get just far enough ahead to not catch them tailing him. None of them could be sure what Kain would do with Rosa on board, but what Cid was sure of was that the Red Wings were outfitted with plenty of weapons, and he knew Kain could use every single one of them with ease. Everyone had agreed that it was best not to put the Enterprise in a situation where Kain would feel the temptation to use a weapon in the first place.
Ceodore slid his fingers through his hair, his eyes watering. From what he had been able to piece together between Cid's tale and his own, it appeared that the Red Wings and Baron were attacked roughly at the same time. Cecil had ordered Cid and Rosa to flee, and the two of them had wandered for several days, not knowing what to do or from whom they should hide, while Ceodore and his companion had made their way through Baron, Mist and Kaipo. In the meantime, Edward's land had been desecrated by a mysterious meteor, he had been threatened by Cecil, attacked by Kain, and the final crystal was now in enemy hands, according to Kain's insane ramblings.
"This can't be happening...I've heard so many stories about Kain and his brave deeds, and this is who he turns out to be? A crystal thief and a kidnapper? Why is he so angry at Mother and Father?"
The hooded man, who had remained silent for the duration of their trip thus far, continued to say nothing. Cid gave Ceodore's shoulder a reluctant squeeze, and Edward shook his head.
"Please don't worry, Ceodore. I doubt he'd ever lay a hand on Rosa – he cares for her very deeply." He frowned, taking a sip of the potion Cid had scrounged up for him to supplement the healing spells Ceodore had cast upon him. "Cecil, on the other hand...it sounds like they're on bad terms again."
Ceodore looked up. "My father!? That's right…Cid, you said he never left Baron! If that's true, why didn't we see him when we infiltrated the castle? It was completely abandoned except for some brain-washed soldiers!" He looked over at the hooded man. "Right?"
The hooded man crossed his arms. "…Right."
"I don't know, kiddo," Cid frowned. "Edward, you did say you saw Cecil yesterday, right?"
"I did," Edward nodded. "But unfortunately, our stories don't add up with the conversation I had with him. Why would Cecil tell me that Ceodore was out of the castle for training and that Rosa was sick? Clearly, he would have known that Ceodore's training had ended – he was due home the morning the moon returned. And he sent Rosa away himself – I'm sure he would be as surprised as I was to learn she had landed on my doorstep. He clearly has no idea where either of his family members are…"
Ceodore growled under his breath, digging his fingers into his scalp. "This doesn't sound like Father. None of this makes sense…and now my head hurts."
The hooded man strode to the bow of the ship, taking a look through the scope Cid had specially installed as one of the Enterprise's custom upgrades.
"Cid – we need to go faster! Kain is gaining too much of a lead…it will be too late if he keeps up this pace."
"Too late for what?" Ceodore blinked, and the hooded man whirled around.
"Ceodore, if Kain finds your father, he is going to kill him."
"What!?" Ceodore shrieked, and Edward tilted his head. He had been trying to spare that little detail of Kain's impromptu visit from Ceodore – the boy already looked as if he were about to pass out from fear about Rosa. But he supposed the cat was out of the bag now – their mysterious new ally seemed to have an appreciation for cutting straight to the chase.
"It sounds as if you know Kain's agenda quite well if you've managed to track him this far and have figured out why he came to Baron. Who did you say you were again?"
"I didn't," the hooded man replied snidely. "And it's not important. I'm just someone with a score to settle that happened to come across Prince Ceodore on the way. It was mutually beneficial for us to travel together."
Mutually beneficial… Ceodore recoiled and closed his eyes. He had known all along, but it still had hurt worse than he thought it would have when it was finally said aloud – a stinging sentiment given oxygen and ushered into what had rapidly become his new ugly reality. A teeny, tiny, smallish portion of his heart thought that maybe he had actually succeeded in making a friend – but at most, it looked as if he had just gotten a temporary business associate. He was sorely tempted to share with the group just why the hooded man was so interested in meeting up with Kain, but he realized with a sinking horror that if someone had to die tonight, that he didn't want it to be his father.
And if Cecil staying alive meant that meant the hooded man needed to complete his mission and kill Kain…
…Then so be it. Ceodore would keep the hooded man's goals close to his chest so that there would be no potential interference from the others. He wasn't sure how deeply Cid or Edward's loyalties lay with Kain, after all – especially now that Cecil appeared to be hunting the world's crystals too.
Cid sighed, lumbering up to the navigation system and punching in a series of codes – he was removing the auto-pilot and taking over the Enterprise himself. They were crossing over the Misty Valley – with Cid behind the wheel it would be no time at all before they would be back in Baron.
The exhausted engineer said aloud what everyone on the ship had been thinking as he revved up the engine to catch up to Kain, sending his fellow passengers stumbling forward from the sudden burst in speed.
"…What in the heck is going on here?"
The Red Wings
Kain killed the engine on the airship – Rosa could hear the gears and pistons and everything else far beyond her knowledge that made the ship come to life fade in their knocking and grinding through the walls of her little prison. She sat up in bed, rubbing her bloodshot eyes as the door flew open. Kain appeared before her, practically glowing with excitement.
"Come, Rosa! It's time for the main event!"
"Kain…" Rosa began, but lost her train of thought when he sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and touching the tip of his nose to hers. It was such an unexpected, undesired burst of affection that Rosa's cheeks exploded in an angry blush. He leaned in yet closer, and she tried not to outwardly cringe as his lips brushed over hers while he whispered.
"You'll see me walk right up to him..."
"Kain!" Rosa cried, regaining her senses and scooting so far off the bed that she miscalculated and crashed to the floor. He towered over her, his smile twisting grotesquely as she inched back with every step he took toward her, letting out a shriek when her rear hit the wall – there was officially nowhere left for her to run.
"…And tear him apart limb from limb!"
"You're insane!"
Kain snorted, grabbing Rosa by the arm and roughly lifting her from the ground. She screamed as loud as she could possibly manage, but knew that nobody would come – if the soldiers at the castle had been like the ones Edward had defeated in Damcyan, none of them would bother coming to her rescue.
"Let me go!" Rosa protested as Kain dragged her down the ramp of the ship toward the castle gates. She dug her heels in the ground defiantly while Kain ignored her pleas, yanking her back to her feet as if she were a child throwing a tantrum when they finally met up with the guards.
"Move it!" Kain barked. "I've got the crystals...and I've got Rosa, too!"
The guards stepped aside without comment, and Rosa let out another scream that echoed maddeningly in the great hall – but still, no one came.
The doors slid shut behind them silently.
The Enterprise
"Prepare for touchdown!" Cid called out, and Ceodore, Edward and the hooded man scrambled for something to brace themselves to. Ceodore's heart nearly burst when he saw the towers of his castle come into view – it felt like it had been years since he had been home again, even though it was mere days.
The hooded man slid next to Ceodore, who looked up at him apprehensively.
"Ceodore…no matter what happens in there…all that I ask of you is that you follow whatever it is your heart tells you to do. Above anything else, you must learn to trust your intuition."
"What?" Ceodore blinked. The airship came to a complete stop, and he could hear the ramp unfurling beneath them.
"That will be your last lesson," the hooded man gave him small smile. "We've covered traversing the Devil's Road, breaking into your own castle, catching chocobos, spelunking, cliff scaling, waterfall diving, and combat. I'd say that overall, you've been a stellar student. Your father is not going to recognize you when you see him again."
Although unfortunately, that could be taken quite literally if what I suspect is coming to pass is true.
"Hold on a second," Ceodore frowned. "First of all, I don't remember agreeing to be your student – that implies some sort of trusted relationship. Second…what do you mean by last lesson? So you really are going to ditch us once you find Kain?"
"I'm sorry, Ceodore…one way or the other, I may not be able to be by your side after this. I've made peace with it – I hope you can, too. This would have happened regardless of your family's connection with Kain Highwind – I can assure you of that much."
"You are being ridiculous…" Ceodore began, tears stinging his eyes – but the hooded man had walked away, bounding down the ramp and running to the castle gates, his cloak unfurling behind him in the wind. Edward approached Ceodore, gently touching his shoulder – he had mistaken Ceodore's tears for nerves.
"You don't have to come inside if you don't want, Ceodore – we'll make sure to find both of your parents."
Ceodore shook his head quickly, grinding the tears from his eyes. It disheartened him how easily it had become for him to craft little white lies – but he feared Edward would never understand – he didn't even understand the chaos that was unfurling in his heart.
"No, sorry – just got a little emotional about finally returning home. I'm going too."
"Haaah hah hah! I'm coming for you, Cecil!" Kain sang, admiring the way his baritone reverberated off of the castle walls. Rosa limped behind him, her eyes on the ground as she tried her best to conceal the spell she was attempting to cast – but alas, it was for naught anyway. She was still cursed with Silence – her body had not been rested enough on the ship to attempt a recovery on its own. Kain looked back over his shoulder as he dragged her along, raising his eyebrow.
"Where do you think Cecil is at this time of day, my dear? You know his schedule far better than I – is he consorting in the practice yards, perhaps? Taking a nap in the west tower? Or maybe he's in the throne room, regaling an audience? I'm sure wherever he is; we'll find his new lady friend as well. She seems to keep a tight leash on him."
Rosa didn't reply – she could feel her heart shattering all over again, and wondered if her body would be merciful and shut down before they reached her unsuspecting husband. Kain shrugged and proceeded to go forward through the next set of doors.
"Throne room it is, then."
"No one may pass..." Ceodore heard the soldiers guarding the front gate drone to the hooded man, Cid and Edward trailing behind him.
The hooded man withdrew his sword as a final warning. "Out of the way!"
"Ceodore!" Cid hissed. "What is the meaning of this, letting him raise a blade to the castle guard?" Ceodore lowered his eyes, his fingers clutching Cid's jacket.
"You'll see…they're not human anymore. I've…I've been around enough of them to tell now."
"What?" Cid frowned, and there was a blinding flash of light as the hooded man drove his blade into the first soldier's abdomen – the body exploded into a cloud of dust that rained over the hooded man's cloak as he dove in for the second kill. Cid stared wordlessly ahead, and Ceodore released his jacket, swallowing.
"Ceodore…I'm so sorry…" Edward pressed his hand to his mouth. "Why is this happening to Baron all over again…?"
Kain turned to face Rosa in the antechamber, yanking her shivering form next to him as he rested his free hand on the doors that would take them into the throne room she had shared with Cecil what felt like many lifetimes ago.
"Finally…I will be released from this hell! Yes, Cecil…I'll be free from you at last!"
"Kain, I am begging you! Whatever you think Cecil did to you – it's not true! Please…you have to wake up! This isn't you!"
"How many times do I have to tell you?!" Kain roared, his lips turning white with strain. "I am awake! This is me – the me I have always been, the me I have always longed to show you! Why can't you just accept me for who I am, Rosa? Will nothing I ever do be good enough for you!?"
Rosa stepped back as far as his hold on her would allow, her eyes watering.
"You say you have never lied to me Kain…but you are lying to yourself. I know you…I know you better than anyone else on this planet – yes, including Cecil, who loves you with all his being – who has missed you every minute you've been gone! I know this isn't who you really are. Whatever you are pretending to be…end it now, before you do something you live to truly regret. It's not too late…" She looked up at the throne room doors, sealed tightly shut before them.
"…It will never be too late for us to go back to how it used to be – not as long as the three of us are together. Time, distance…none of that can erode what we had!"
Kain pressed his lips together, and for just a fraction of a second, Rosa felt his hold on her arm slacken. But a fresh wave of boiling, ugly rage and pain reared forth once more, flooding his eyes in darkness as he dug his fingernails through the sleeves of her gown, branding her with bloodied, pointed half-moon marks.
"Ahhhhhh!" Rosa shrieked, and Kain slammed his hand on the door latch, pressing down.
The doors they had come through to reach the antechamber suddenly burst open behind them, and Ceodore stumbled inside, letting out a stunned whimper when he spotted Rosa and Kain's retreating forms. They both spun around at the sound of the doors screaming on their hinges, Rosa's breath catching in her throat at the sight of her son running toward her – smiling, whole, and undisputedly alive.
"Mother!" Ceodore choked, reaching his hand out for her as he blinked away his tears.
"Ceodore!" Rosa exhaled sharply and violently shoved the heel of her sandal into Kain's ankle. Kain let out a yelp, the shooting pain exploding up his leg enough of an incentive to release her. Stumbling forward, Rosa met Ceodore in the middle of the room, pulling him into her arms and pressing her lips to his hair over and over as she began to sob. "My darling…I'm so happy you're alive…oh gods, where have you been!?"
"Mother…" Ceodore sniffled, burying his head into her chest as he clung to the back of her dress. "I'm…I'm sorry for everything…I…I don't even know where to start…"
Rosa pressed her hands to his cheeks, trailing her lips over his forehead and the tip of his nose. "Ceodore, what happened? What could you possibly have to be sorry for…?"
"…What is the meaning of this?" Kain interrupted, hesitantly limping toward them like Ceodore was a bomb set to go off at any minute. He pointed his finger accusingly. "Who is this little brat?"
Ceodore raised his head at the acerbic voice, flinching as he took his first long gaze at whom it belonged – a dragoon wrapped in armor as dark as night, a sash the color of fresh blood trailing from his hair. Even though his face was concealed by a helmet shaped like a dragon's maw that appeared to be consuming his very flesh, Ceodore could sense that he was being glared at with an almost incapacitating hatred. This wretch of a man was a legend in Baron – the famed hero who had saved their planet, and supposedly once his father's best friend. He pulled away from Rosa, lifting his chin as he took a step forward.
"I'm Ceodore Harvey – first of his name, son of Queen Rosa Joanna Farrell, the Crown Prince of Baron, esteemed Knight of the Red Wings, and heir to the holy paladin, King Cecil Harvey. And you're Kain Highwind, I presume? A Dragoon, Ex-Baron, if I recall from the tales…"
Kain's face twisted in confusion, his eyes flicking between Rosa and Ceodore's twin stares as if he couldn't possibly believe what he was seeing.
"You…you have a son? With Cecil? How did this come to pass?"
"The usual way, I suppose," Rosa said dryly, and Ceodore couldn't help but cringe at the particular image that brought to mind. There came a clamor of hurried footsteps, and Ceodore turned to the door, where he saw the hooded man, Cid and Edward approaching them from the next hall.
"You!" Kain cried, brandishing his lance as the hooded man crossed the threshold first. His cloak had been blown back from his head, and his hair was a mess of knots and tangles tossed over his shoulder.
"Found you," the hooded man smirked, and Ceodore noticed his mother staring incredulously at him, a shaking hand pressed to her mouth. She rose to her full height, her eyes shining with tears that clung to her lashes like diamond dust. Her voice cracked as she took a step forward, mumbling against her fingers.
"Kain!?"
The hooded man spun around to face Rosa as she approached, his sneer faltering when their eyes locked. Ceodore saw something burst to life in his gaze that he had never before witnessed: the icy blue of his eyes were illuminated as brightly as the twin moons, filled with such beautiful brilliance that it almost hurt to stare for too long. A fiery blush lit up his mother's cheeks, and she slowly shook her head, lowering her hand to reveal a beaming smile.
"Of course…" she whispered, her words seemingly just for him. "…It's you I've been waiting for."
"Huh!?" Ceodore blinked. He turned back to the hooded man, who was still staring at Rosa wordlessly, and then turned to Kain, who was glaring at all of them with unfettered disdain. He slid to his mother's side, gently taking her arm – he wanted to be near in case Kain tried anything sudden. Cid and Edward gawked from the rear of the room, not understanding at all what they had just walked into – Rosa and the hooded man had seemingly withdrawn into their own private universe. Ceodore's hesitant touch broke whatever spell had woven itself between Rosa and the hooded man, and she returned to her senses, cutting a glance at Kain.
"So...who are you?"
Kain snorted. "I am Kain. The real Kain." He thrust his lance toward the hooded man, who didn't even flinch. "And this pathetic fool's back to shame himself in public for one last time, I see!"
The hooded man crossed his arms defiantly. "That's right."
"Mother…why did you call him "Kain"?" Ceodore frowned. "He's…uh…" He trailed off when he remembered that he didn't actually know who the hooded man was. Rosa bit her lip, pulling Ceodore closer against her, her gaze drifting back toward the hooded man. His hand was now resting on the hilt of his blade, but his eyes had never left the queen.
"This man before you is Kain Highwind. The man in the dragoon armor…he's a fake."
Cid and Edward gasped simultaneously, and Ceodore's jaw hit the floor – it felt as if someone had taken the antechamber and turned it upside down like a snow globe – it was all he could do to keep his legs from failing him again.
"Mother, that's impossible…I've been traveling with him this entire time, and he never said…!"
How can he be Kain if he wants to kill him?
"There are two of them…?!" Edward murmured. "Does Kain have a twin?"
"Definitely not," Cid frowned. "Their mannerisms and the way they move are identical – like a reflection in the mirror. Not even Palom and Porom are that similar."
The Kain dressed in dragoon armor stepped forward, the tip of his lance hovering over the hooded man's chest. Finally, the hooded man turned to meet his glare, the corner of his mouth twitching into a sneer. Kain tilted his head, and for a brief moment, the hooded man caught a glimpse of the madness seeping from his eyes…
"Ha…so you think I'm the fake? Let's settle this once and for all! If that's what it takes…then I'll fight to prove who I really am!"
The hooded man withdrew his sword, side-stepping gracefully just as Kain thrust his lance forward. He parried with a fierce blow to Kain's left side, sparks flying off his blade when it struck Kain's armor. Kain let out an angry roar as he clutched his side, stumbling backward as the hooded man followed up with a kick square to his chest, sending him flying back against the throne room doors with a deafening crash.
"Oh my god," Ceodore gasped aloud, and the hooded man turned to him, holding out his palm.
"Stay far away, Ceodore! I need you to protect Rosa!"
"A-Alright!" Ceodore blinked, shifting into a defensive stance before his mother. She covered her mouth to disguise her fear – but Ceodore could still feel her knees knocking behind him.
Kain pulled himself up from the floor, laughing and spinning his lance back around. "That's right! This is my own battle…If anyone interferes, I'll kill them too!"
Cid and Edward rushed to Rosa and Ceodore, flanking Rosa on opposite sides as Ceodore stood guard in front. Kain jumped in the air, grabbing hold of the tiered gold and crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling and swinging outward, somersaulting into a chest dive with his weapon thrust forward.
"Look out!" Ceodore cried.
But his warning came too late – the skies were Kain's domain as a dragoon, and the hooded man couldn't move fast enough on the ground to dodge Kain's streamlined path of flight. The lance plunged into the hooded man's ribs, sending a spray of blood on the floor as he collapsed to his knees, howling in pain. Kain landed behind him effortlessly, kicking his dropped sword away and ripping the lance out of the hooded man's wound. As he arched his back, his screams intensifying with agony razing his form, Kain smashed him in the back of the head with his foot, knocking him flat to the ground into a pool of his own blood.
"Kain!" Rosa cried, and the dragoon, thinking she was calling to him, turned toward her voice. The hooded man took advantage of the distraction, clamping one of Kain's feet with his legs and twisting himself onto his back, using the momentum to trip Kain up and send him crashing to the ground. He scrambled to his feet despite the throbbing protests of his body, returning Kain's kick with several of his own. His last attack was so frenzied that his boot caught on the extended lid of the dragon's snout, sending Kain's helmet flying through the air. Cid and Edward shoved Rosa down just in time for it to sail over her head and shatter against the wall behind her, steel and crystal raining from above.
Ceodore could feel Rosa's fingers digging into his shoulders painfully as she lifted herself back up, but he couldn't make the effort to pull away – he had become paralyzed with numbing, mind-clouding terror when he saw what had been hidden from them beneath the helmet.
Kain managed to roll away from the hooded man and lifted his head, his fingers gingerly brushing over the split lip that he had been gifted from the final kick as he started to laugh to himself, tossing his head back so that his hair fell away over his shoulders. The malice-drowned fiend Ceodore saw before him was a dead ringer of the man who had become his savior the first night of the twin moon's return. It was true enough that Kain's eyes were darkened pools of obsidian creased with shadow, and his lips were tinged violet, like he had been continuously sipping from a flask of poison – but every other feature was impossibly identical to the hooded man's: From the arch of his pale brow, to the slope of his aristocratic nose, and the contoured ivory hollow of his jaw line.
How can there really be two of them if they are not twins? Ceodore screamed internally. Someone, tell me what's going on!
The hooded man clutched his mangled side, wincing as he tried to stay the bloodletting – the convulsions of pain had become so overbearing that he was struggling not to sway on his feet. Kain let out a sudden growl and launched himself forward, slamming the hooded man back down to the ground – the crack of his skull crashing into the stone floor turning Ceodore's stomach. Kain reared back on his knees over the hooded man's crumpled form, smashing his fist into his face over and over as he ground his armored knee deeper into the wound. The hooded man feebly raised his arms in an attempt to protect himself, but Kain easily tugged them away, punching him yet again with his other hand.
The dragoon's laughter grew louder, his knuckles cracking as he flexed his bloodied fingers and sat back on the hooded man's legs to take a momentary rest. "What's the matter!? This is what you wanted all along. You wanted Cecil dead so you could have Rosa for yourself!"
"Ugh…" the hooded man groaned, his eyes closing. Ceodore lowered his head, his lungs burning as he tried to suppress the sobs that threatened to detonate from his very core.
It can't end like this…it just can't! I thought you were stronger than this? You came all this way, put yourself in senseless danger, and you're finally reunited with Mother – now you're not even going to complete your mission?
It's unacceptable!
"Stop it!" Ceodore cried, and without realizing what he was doing, dove forward, throwing himself on Kain's back and wrapping his arms around his throat in a chokehold. Kain growled as he tried to throw the boy off, but Ceodore held on for dear life, slamming his knee into Kain's spine. Kain roared his displeasure and clawed at Ceodore's arms with his razor-sharp nails, the searing agony pulsing with each beat of the boy's heart as Kain's fingers tore through his skin. Ceodore arched his back, pulling tighter on Kain's neck despite the objections of his tiring body.
Please, if the gods can hear me…give me the strength to save my friend…!
"Kain!" Rosa gasped, scrambling to the hooded man's side and collapsing next to him while Ceodore distracted the dragoon. She brushed the hair out of his eyes, wincing as her fingertips touched the rapidly-swelling welts on his face. "Open your eyes…please…!"
"Rosa!" Dragoon Kain growled, finally managing to grab hold of Ceodore's arm and give it a violent jerk backwards – a nauseating popping sound reverberated in the boy's skull as his shoulder dislocated, and everything around him began to drift about in agonizingly slow motion as the first wave of pain deluged his senses.
And then all at once, the room exploded in a flare of holy radiance.
Ceodore's scream was lost in the piercing shriek of the light as now-familiar warmth enveloped his body, infusing his life force with stardust and weaving through his torn shoulder and battered body with the force of a raging river. His vitality renewed and his form overflowing with infinite vigor, Ceodore used Kain's back as a springboard, slamming his feet into his shoulder blades and launching himself into a backward somersault to gain some ground between the two of them. Kain stumbled under the prince's strength, falling to his knees and frantically feeling for his lost weapon in the depths of the blinding light.
The hooded man slowly opened his eyes, the world around him immersed in a mist of shimmering brilliance. A tender caress, soft as the down of a phoenix, trailed down the path from his temple through his jaw, and he could just barely make out slightly-parted lips, the shape of a cupid's bow…
Rosa…my greatest and most selfish fear while I was away was that you and Cecil would forget about me. Now I understand just how foolish I was...But I fear it's too late.
The mist was beginning to clear; he could feel the last lingering motes of holy energy sinking into his restored tendons, could see the way his skin glowed with the divine blessings of moonlight. Rosa's face came into deeper focus above his, twin trails of tears running down her cheeks as her lips moved again, her pleas finally breaking through the airwaves.
"…Please, open your eyes!"
He suddenly shot up, a rush of air expelling from his lungs, and she gasped in shock, falling back on her knees. He spotted Ceodore and the dragoon in the midst of a showdown, Ceodore's platinum hair standing on end and imbued in celestial blue moonlight, his depthless cerulean stare locked on the dragoon as he took hold of his lost lance and made his advance toward the prince.
The hooded man rose, extending his left hand. Another pulse of light rolled through the room in a shockwave, Ceodore's eyes flashing as a sapphire and silver twin-bladed lance materialized in the hooded man's grasp, snow-white ribbons of diamonds, pearls and holy emblems trailing from the razor-edged wings affixed at the vamplate.
Rosa widened her eyes. "That weapon…it looks like the holy lance you found deep within the Lunar Subterrane seventeen years ago…"
"Stand back, Rosa!" he commanded, and Edward and Cid stepped forward to shield her as she backed away without reply, allowing them to pull her to her feet. The hooded man leapt into the air, and the dragoon made a sudden dive forward, aiming his blade for Ceodore's heart. Ceodore remained wordlessly, frozen in place by a deep trance – his was body already demanding payment for the miracle to which he had given life. He closed his eyes, tears spilling over his cheeks as his spent body ignored his brain's final desperate pleas to run away.
Mother…Father…I'm so sorry for everything…
Kain, I beg of you – please save them…and Baron!
The dragoon's eyes widened as he came to an abrupt halt, a trickle of blood trailing from the corner of his mouth as his lips parted in confusion. Ceodore wondered what was taking so long – surely, he would have felt the steel piercing his heart by now – opening his eyes mutely only to see the dragoon collapsing to his knees before him, glistening twin blades thrust cleanly through his torso. Behind him, the hooded man retracted his weapon, and the dragoon slumped to the floor, his body convulsing all over as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.
"Y-You...!"
The darkness that took Ceodore was sudden and welcomed – the last of his energy drained, he was released from his paralysis, his body sailing backwards through the air. Rosa tore herself away from Cid and Edward, screaming his name as she threw herself in his path to catch him.
The hooded man bent to one knee over the fallen dragoon, lowering his head and extending his hand toward Kain's seizing form. "I am ready to accept you now."
Mount Ordeals, the day before the moon's return
"…I have finally been released! Freedom is mine at last!"
"Who are y-you...?" Kain pressed his hand over the tepid, slimy wound that had blossomed in his abdomen – when he dared to look down to see how bad it was, he realized with horror that his flesh had become transparent beneath his shattered armor – he could see the exposed tendons of his muscles and the pooling blood through his clenched fingers as easily as if he had been gazing through a window. There wasn't a single inch of his body that wasn't ravaged in torment – he could even feel the fibers of his hair twitching in pain.
What is happening…? It feels like the weight of my very bones is lifting from my body…like something deep inside me has been ripped away.
The dragoon offered a cold smile. "It's not obvious yet? I am...you! I am what you really feel, deep down in your heart! And thanks to your eagerness to step aside, I can finally go forth into the world that rejected you and make all of our beautiful dreams come true…" He turned away, his boots crunching through the crystal shards as he took his leave, the blade of his lance dragging aimlessly on the glass tile and releasing a blood-chilling shriek into the air.
"W-wait..." Kain muttered. He could feel his eyelids getting heavy – it was getting harder to focus on the retreating figure in the blinding glimmer of the shattered crystal raining down around him. "I don't understand…"
The dragoon paused for a moment. But instead of turning back, he leapt forward, disappearing in a swell of shimmering white light. Kain closed his eyes, lulled to sleep by the slow, meticulous rhythm of his fading heartbeat humming in his ears. As the darkness devoured him, he swore he could feel a warm rush of air kiss his skin – it smelled salty and crisp at the same time, like the eastern coast of Baron where the forest met the sea.
"You, too, will suffer intense pain... Just as my son did before... Just as he will again when the Blue Planet is once more veiled by an invader's eclipse…"
There's that voice again…the one that lured me to the shrine…
"The end of your exile comes now. Go forth, and face your final trial… I will gift you the last of my strength so that you may retain your corporeal form. I beg of you…please save him!"
Kain felt a shockwave of scalding fever surge through his form, the comforting, familiar darkness blown away by a shroud of blinding light. He bolted upright, his eyes snapping open to greet the glaring blue sky as a rush of stale air discharged from his lungs.
He was back on the summit of Mount Ordeals, deposited in an exposed heap of limbs in the shadows of the lifeless shrine behind him. His tattered tent stood a few feet away, visibly undisturbed, along with the rest of his minimal possessions. The lance he had been carrying, however, was nowhere to be seen, along with his armor. Blinking, he raised his hands to his face, turning them over and raising them to the sun several times before he was convinced that they were no longer transparent.
He then reached down, pushing his palm to his bare torso and gingerly pressing against the new, pink flesh stretched over his abs where what seemed like only moments ago, he had been torn asunder. A mild ache warned him from probing any further, but as far as he could tell, he was back in one piece.
He let out a shaking sigh as he lowered his head, massaging his temples with his fingertips. He couldn't grasp hold of any of his thoughts – his memory of what had happened after he had stepped into the shrine was already beginning to fade. A sense of urgency churning deep within compelled him to unsteadily rise to his full height, a timely blast of chilled mountain air reminding him of just how very naked he now was.
I've got to get out of here. I've got to find that dragoon…but where would he have gone?
He paused before ducking into his tent to see what he could salvage to make himself decent. In the far northern skies, he could see what looked like a black speck tearing across the horizon toward the Adamant Isles – if he were a betting man; he would have put money on it being an airship full of new Red Wing hopefuls being escorted to their trial of knighthood. Kain could remember Cecil's trial like it was yesterday – Cecil had been so nervous that he had spent the entire night prior to his departure alternating between pacing in Kain's chamber and throwing up the spirits Kain gave him in an attempt to calm him down. Kain had already been rising in the ranks of the Dragoons, and Cecil was novice in the dark blade, which their king had specifically asked him to train under in preparation for his trial to join the most elite military force in Baron – maybe even in the entire world.
Baron, 21 years prior
"What if I'm not able to find the Knight's Emblem, Kain? Do you think they'll leave me behind to rot?"
"Not likely, being you are the king's favorite and all," Kain said dryly, raising an eyebrow. "Honestly, what has gotten into you? This sudden lack of confidence is rather untimely, don't you think?"
"Ah, you just don't understand," Cecil sighed. "You were destined to become a great dragoon – it's practically encrypted in your DNA. You're already living your dream…and all of a sudden, the king wants me to become a dark knight – and when his word is law, what else can I do but accept? What if I'm not as adept as he thinks…and I fail?"
"So what?" Kain blinked. "Since when is Cecil Harvey afraid of failure?"
Cecil paused, his haunting blue eyes darkening even in the light of the fire Kain had lit for them. Despite the turn of the summer season, nights in Baron were still cold, and the dragoons' barracks in the eastern tower were particularly drafty. Kain didn't understand why Cecil didn't see it to fret in his private quarters, where he would have at least been more comfortable while he emptied the contents of his stomach.
"It's not the failure I fear…"
"Then what is it?"
"…Disappointment, I think. With everything His Highness has done for me…saving me from a life on the streets and pouring all of his ambition and time into me…how would it look to the court if I were to be the one that demonstrated his hopes were misplaced?"
Kain frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "The king has done much for you Cecil; that much is true. But that doesn't mean your life is an extension of his – you're still a sovereign soul. If you don't want to become a dark knight, you should just tell him, before it's too late. He'll find someone else to master the dark blade, and serve whatever purpose it has of Baron."
"But he already asked you…"
"…And I rejected him."
"So how could I do the same?"
"Easily, if you would just listen to your own heart."
"And what of Rosa? Her mother has enough dislike of me – becoming a dark knight is the minimum effort I'll have to exude if I have any hope of her approving our courtship someday."
"Rosa doesn't care what you are," Kain shook his head, his lips involuntarily pressing into a tight line. "If you wait for her mother's approval before actually doing anything about your feelings for her, you'll both be long dead in the ground. But that's another subject for us to rehash on another day – preferably one where we have much stronger drink at our disposal. What are you going to do about tomorrow?"
And to this very day, I'm sure it's still hard for you to put yourself before anyone else, Kain thought, tucking a stray lock of hair behind his ear that the wind had blown into his eyes. I think that's what I always admired most about you…but it also infuriated me to no end. You went on to become the youngest officer in Red Wings history. You mastered the dark blade, secured your position as His Highness' right-hand man, and even though you kept Rosa at arm's length, she never had eyes for anyone else but you.
And then on a nondescript summer day seventeen years ago, you threw it all away to save a little stranger in Mist. And neither you nor I realized that the next time we saw each other, it would be as adversaries…
To the west, he could see the village of Mysidia, tucked away on the dragon-shaped seascape that had given birth to the Lunar Whale. The night he, Cecil, Rosa, Rydia and Edge had flown to the moon and to what they had all anticipated was certain death – Cecil had forgiven him, and Kain had pledged that no matter what happened the rest of their days, be they many or few, the two of them would face it together.
And that was the last promise I made – and broke – for seventeen very long years.
Kain's mind played back the crystal-tinged fragments of the intense pain and sorrow that had enveloped him in the shrine. He hardly recognized the frustrated, animalistic scream that ricocheted in the heavens as his own when the dragoon's enigmatic sneer flashed before him once again.
"It's not obvious yet? I am...you! I am what you really feel, deep down in your heart! And thanks to your eagerness to step aside, I can finally go forth into the world that rejected you and make all of our beautiful dreams come true…"
Of course. Kain clenched his jaw, closing his eyes. I know exactly what his dream is...it's the nightmare that has haunted me every night since the day we came home from the moon – the nightmare for which I came to this forsaken place so that I could prevent it from ever occurring. No matter how high the price I had to pay for my desertion of Baron, it was all so that the only two people I've ever loved could continue living in the peace for which we fought so desperately. But still, it seems there is yet more I owe…
That dragoon…
No, the other me…he's going to kill Cecil. And Cecil won't realize he is in danger until it's far too late.
Kain crossed his arms over his chest. Mysidia would be his only possible gateway to Baron – he would have to convince the Elder to let him take the Devil's Road, if it was still in commission. Time was of the essence – he had no way of possibly knowing where the dragoon was at that very moment, or if he had even yet left Mount Ordeals – but he didn't want to stick around to find out. He still wasn't exactly sure how he survived his assault, but he knew that in his current state, he would not make it through a second round if he were to encounter the dragoon again. He had no weapons, no armor, no allies, and barely enough life in him to put up a fight.
Kain pushed back the flap of his tent, crawling inside and hurriedly digging for the disguise he would sometimes don when he absolutely could not avoid going into town for supplies: A nearly worn-through cotton tunic he had retrieved from the body of a hunter who had met an untimely end in the forests years ago, the breeches he had worn when he first came to Mount Ordeals – luckily, he had remained disciplined enough in his training to still fit into them – although now they were baggier, and he had to keep them aloft on his hips with a utility belt he had once found abandoned at the base of the mountain. A tattered cloak he used as a blanket and well-worn boots (another item borrowed from the unfortunate hunter) completed his ensemble – he hastily tied his hair into a knotted ponytail and pulled the hood over his head before slipping out of the tent.
I'll need to find a weapon, he thought, pulling the cloak together around his body as he approached the bridge that would take him across the summit and to the worn mountain path that would lead him back to the outside world. And it will be nightfall soon enough – I may need to hide in the woods until I gain my bearings. I can't risk the dragoon finding me here on the mountain – not until I've returned to full strength.
The next time we meet, I will end him – even if it means I have to die too. To have unleashed such abhorrent darkness into this world…if my life itself is the final price for keeping Cecil and Rosa safe, I will gladly pay it a hundred times over…
I just pray I'm already not too late…
Baron, current day
The dragoon glared up at Kain's hand warily, still refusing to concede. He clutched at the twin puncture wounds on his stomach, unending blood pooling between his fingers and knuckles in translucent crimson ribbons. "W-why...? Why? How could you possibly want to temper such chaos in your heart once more…?"
Kain shook his head. "I realize now that I've been held back all this time by the past. I thought those days had to be buried for good... But it turns out that solved little. My past is as much a part of me as any part of my body. The happiness, the sadness..." He took a deep breath. "And all the hatred..."
The dragoon clenched his eyes shut, writhing in agony as little blue veins began to pop in his temple, his mouth twisting with distain. "Stop...no!"
"I'm not here to deny your right to exist," Kain said softly. "You're not going to die…"
"Wha...what?"
"…You're a part of me, too. Without a past, I have no path that I can walk upon toward a future. Without hatred, I wouldn't appreciate the miracle of unconditional love. And without darkness, light cannot shine."
Pulling Ceodore's unconscious body into her lap, Rosa lowered her head and let out a breathless sob. The light Ceodore had summoned that had healed Kain had also cured her curse of silence his dark self had cast upon her – but none of the healing spells she tried to use on him had any effect. She could feel his breathing getting shallower by the minute as he sunk into himself…how could the gods be so terrible as to take him away again after they had finally found each other?
The dragoon sluggishly tilted his head toward her, the corner of his mouth tugging into the slightest of smiles. Startled, she stared down at him, her hands instinctively clutching Ceodore closer to her breast. He lifted his hand, his weakening body trembling with the effort, and let it silently fall against Kain's outstretched palm as his obsidian eyes met hers.
"Ro...sa…!"
The dragoon closed his eyes, a soft sigh escaping his blood-streaked lips as his body dissolved into a turbulent whirlwind of dancing particles of violet and ruby light. Left behind, sparkling faintly on the floor in his place, were the stolen water, wind and fire crystals.
Ceodore's eyes suddenly fluttered open, and he glanced up at his mother confusedly as one of her tears slid down her chin and splashed onto his forehead. He had heard everything as he had been drifting in blissful, numb oblivion – and then suddenly, it had been like someone throwing open curtains to reveal the blinding morning sun in his bedroom. The peaceful darkness had shattered beneath his feet, dropping him cruelly back into the real world.
That dragoon…he was the hatred in Kain's heart…?
When she felt Ceodore stir, Rosa looked down at him, her heart nearly bursting with joy as she let out a whimper of relief. The light particles before them gathered into the fluid shape of a ribbon, rushing toward Kain and weaving around his torso, arms and neck in an infinite spinning loop of dazzling light – like hundreds of miniature shooting stars hurling through his body's orbit. A gentle voice called to them from above – but when Ceodore tilted his head, he couldn't see anyone there.
"Yes...this is justice..."
"That voice!" Kain gasped. "I heard it on Mount Ordeals in the crystal shrine…"
I've never been on Mount Ordeals…but I recognize that voice from somewhere… Ceodore could feel his own eyes watering now, but he couldn't understand why. It's so sad…a lifetime's worth of despair and regret is engraved in that person's heart…I wonder why?
"Please...my sons..."
Kain, Ceodore, Rosa, Cid and Edward let out a simultaneous cry of surprise as the room flooded with blinding light once again. Ceodore and Rosa clung to each other, clenching their eyes shut and pressing their heads together. Cid and Edward covered their eyes, the radiance seeming to even burn through their fingers. The light from the fallen dragoon that had wrapped itself around Kain was scorched to nothingness, and he could feel himself being lifted into the air, the soft caress of angel wings trailing over his feverish skin.
And as quickly as the light had come, it had just as suddenly vanished. Kain opened his eyes, blinking away the pale pink and white spots that clouded his vision – it was as if he had been staring at the sun. The first thing he noticed as his vision came back into focus was that he was still grasping the lance that had mysteriously appeared before him when Ceodore had called upon his powers. The more startling observation, however, was that his clothes had completely transformed from shabby rags into magnificent pearl and emerald plated armor, inlaid with rainbow-flecked dragon scales that shined as majestically as the stars in the night sky. A pair of sea foam green dragon's wings framed the mantle hanging over his shoulder blades, an ivory and violet cape spilling forth in a luxurious pool of silk on the floor. A moonstone-flecked headband mounted with delicate wyvern wings was wrapped behind his ears, the curling earpieces studded in dripping pearls. His corn silk hair was pulled up in a ponytail, a waist-length loose tendril falling over the right side of his face.
"What the...?" Kain trailed off, bewildered. As he flexed his fingers in his new gauntlets, the holy lance disappeared in a shower of emerald light and reappeared in a holster on his back.
Ceodore climbed to his feet, grinding his eyes with his fists as he gawked at Kain. "That outfit..."
"It's like...a paladin," Edward breathed. "He's immersed in the very same holy light that Cecil wields and that Ceodore summoned just now…"
Holy…light…? Ceodore lowered his eyes, his heart racing. That mysterious light that's been protecting me…it's the same as my father's…?
"Kain!" Rosa cried, shattering his reverie. Ceodore wordlessly offered her his hand, and she used it to pull herself up, nearly tripping on her gown as she stumbled forward and closed the remainder of distance between them by throwing herself into his arms. He caught her easily, pulling her to his chest, his fingers curling into her hair and shoulder blades.
"Rosa…" Kain whispered, closing his eyes as she embraced him so tightly that it ached even through his armor. But he didn't care how much it hurt – he would never, ever pull away, even if she crushed his bones to dust. "…Thank you for believing in me…for knowing who the real me was, even when I no longer knew for myself."
"I always knew you would come back to us," Rosa mumbled into his chest. "I never stopped praying…"
"Yeah, you sure kept us waiting, kid…" Cid sniffled, tugging his goggles over his eyes. That was a sure sign that he was tearing up himself. "After all this time! You're finally back!"
Kain patted Rosa's back, and they pulled apart, Rosa wiping away her tears with her sleeve. Kain looked up at Cid and Edward, smiling crookedly. "Yes, I am here before you once again! Sorry for the dramatic entrance…it's not really what I pictured for my homecoming."
Edward stifled a laugh, and Ceodore stepped up to Kain, lowering his head.
"Why did you keep your identity a secret from me this entire time…? Had I known who you were, I could have done something to help…" He finally managed to lift his eyes to Kain's. "Or did you really not trust me after all?"
"Ceodore…" Kain sighed, resting his hands on his shoulders. "It was never my intention to lie to you. I didn't know what was going to happen when I was finally able to catch up to my other self – during our first battle; I was brought to the brink of death. If I were to die or lose my memory of our time together, I wanted it to have as little impact on you as possible. You're strong – far stronger than you believe – but you're also the son of my dearest friends. If anything I did resulted in you getting hurt…I would never be able to face Cecil and Rosa – or myself – again. I hope you can understand, even if you can't forgive my unintended deception."
Ceodore looked away, and Rosa bit her lip, approaching them.
"Ceodore…it was nothing short of a miracle that you and Kain found each other. And having witnessed what I've seen here today…" in each of her hands, she first took Kain's, and then Ceodore's, "…It seems as if the bond you two share created another miracle of your own. Ceodore…the light in your heart emanated with Kain's, giving him the strength to return to his true form. And subsequently, Kain's awakening brought you back to us. You understand what I'm trying to say, right?"
Ceodore raised his eyebrow, glancing back up at Kain. "So, you're not going to leave anymore, right? Because if you make my mother cry again…I really won't forgive you."
"I'm not going anywhere," Kain nodded. "I'm done with running away." He turned to Rosa and Edward, guilt flooding his features. "I haven't inherited his memories from while we were apart, so I don't know everything that happened before Ceodore and I arrived at Damcyan…but know that I claim all responsibility, and I intend to face the consequences when all of this is over."
"Kain…" Edward shook his head. "I know that we've never really become acquainted, but I feel like I know you well enough just from all the stories Cecil and Rosa have shared with me over the years – Rydia, too. And the Kain standing before me now is much more in alignment in what I've come to learn from them versus the Kain that stormed Damcyan. I'm fairly confident the two of us can find reconciliation."
"Thank you…" Kain bowed deeply, his ponytail sliding over his shoulder. "…I understand now why Cecil was drawn to befriend you during the war…a kind soul like yours must have been a panacea for him in those dark days." Edward blushed, and Cid cleared his throat, his hands on his hips.
"I feel like I'm the one who always interrupts these cheesy, gooey moments, but…speaking of Cecil, does anyone else find it strange that we've effectively raised hell right outside his throne room, but no one in the entire castle has come to check up on us?"
"You're right – now's not the time to catch up," Kain frowned. "We have to figure out why the other Kain and Cecil seemingly shared a goal to gather the crystals." He bent down, scooping up the water, wind and fire crystals that had been left behind by his other self and placing them in Rosa's arms. "These will be safest with you…if something happens, use Teleport to get far away from here, all right?"
Rosa pursed her lips. "I'm done running away too, Kain." But even as she said it, she took the crystals, cradling them in her arms with all the attention and delicacy of a newborn child. The five of them turned toward each other, Rosa casting Curaja over the party to ensure they would face whatever was next with full strength.
But why do I have the feeling that something even more terrifying than I can imagine is waiting for us…? She shuddered, clutching the crystals tighter against her chest as Kain and Ceodore pulled open the throne room doors. Cecil…a perpetual dread has settled in my heart where I was once able to sense your light…please, you have to still be alive!
The throne room was dimly lit. Only a few standing candelabras had been given life, while the curtains that lined the incredible floor-length windows that afforded a view as far as the Misty Valley on a clear day remained tightly drawn shut, even though the day had been blessed with abundant sunlight. As far of the rest of the chamber was concerned, everything appeared to be in its normal place – the exception being a vase of strange flowers that had been tucked in the corner of the room, and the young woman who was perched on the arm of Cecil's throne, turquoise hair spiraling down her bare shoulders in wild waves, her bare feet crossed primly at the ankles beneath a gossamer white gown. Her face could best be described as the personification of an arctic winter night – her skin was unmarked, unblemished, and as white as snow – a heart-shaped face providing the frame for thin, pale pink lips and ample amber eyes that flashed before them like headlamps. Her upturned nose twitched ever so slightly as she took in the new arrivals, the only sign of emotion or life on her otherwise blank face.
Sitting next to her in the throne was Cecil, his leg crossed over his knee. He smile widened as the group approached, although he didn't bother to get up to meet them. He reached up behind him as if to stretch, gathering his hair in his hands and twisting until it fell over his left shoulder in silky layered waves. Titling his head slightly, his ethereal face got caught the candlelight, sending a shiver down Rosa's spine. She could see nothing reflected back at her when she gazed into his eyes – the miniscule amount of light had been absorbed like a black hole, his pupils so enlarged that she couldn't even see a hint of blue.
Ceodore stared up at his father worriedly, wondering why the room felt like it was near one-hundred degrees when the rest of the castle had been absolutely freezing and lifeless. Was he sick? Physically, he appeared to be well…he didn't seem any different than the morning Ceodore had left him…
…Yet undeniably, there was something very strange about him – he wondered if it was because his enthusiastic – almost maddeningly so – smile didn't reach his eyes…he was suddenly very disturbed to realize that he was reminded of the dark dragoon.
"Welcome back," Cecil declared, finally rising to his feet. He took a long look at each of them, tapping his finger to his chin as he slowly strode down the line. Ceodore felt his heart skip a beat when his father's eyes finally landed on him – he wondered if he would say anything about the Red Wings trial, or make a comment about him seeming different now that he was a knight…
But instead, Cecil's gaze moved over to Rosa, and then eventually everyone else, not speaking again until he had finished inspecting them. "I'm glad to see you all. Ceodore, Rosa, Cid, Edward…" He shook his head as if he simply could not believe what was saying next, crossing his arms over his chest. "…and most of all, Kain Highwind!"
He recognizes me, this time, Kain thought to himself. Curious…
Rosa broke rank, rushing up the stairs to the throne and grabbing Cecil's hand in her own, the other cradling the crystals. "Cecil! I'm so glad you're alright…" She glanced over his shoulder at the mysterious girl, who hadn't moved an inch. "…Who is she?"
Cecil turned his head to look at the mysterious girl, but didn't say anything. Kain noticed that when Rosa had taken his hands that he hadn't reciprocated – she was the only one holding on. In fact, he had been staring through Rosa while she was talking as if she were nothing more than an illusion.
Ceodore took a step forward, raising his head. "Father…I've returned from my trial…something terrible happened that you should know about…"
But Cecil wasn't paying attention to Ceodore – his eyes had fallen back to Kain, who was meeting his stare with one of his own. Cecil pulled away from Rosa's grasp, crossing his arms over his chest.
"That light…Kain, have you finally done it?"
"Have I finally done what?" Kain asked crisply, taking a step closer to the throne. Rosa bit her lip, inching away slowly after noticing the mysterious girl had hungrily rested her eyes on her – or rather, what it was she was holding. Cecil chuckled, but his laugh was hollow and thin – it sounded like it had come out of someone else, like a ventriloquists' dummy.
"Finally managed to achieve your dream of riding my coattails, of course. I see you couldn't quite make it as a Paladin, but I suppose a Holy Dragoon is the next best thing, right? And it only took you seventeen years!"