Act Twenty-Eight: The Kinsman's Tale | The Lunar Progeny

Edge seized the stranger in black's bare shoulder, forcing him to turn and face him with what took a surprising amount of effort. He tried to hide the whimper that had accidentally slipped out his mouth with an awkward cough as his still-aching side throbbed in protest. What the hell is this guy made out of, moon rocks?!

The man's violet eyes narrowed as he shrugged off Edge's hand, an insolent, silent dare passing from his gaze to the ninja's.

Touch me again, and see if the hand comes back with you next time.

"I want an answer!" Edge hissed, all of the man's reticent warnings going right over his head as he took a step forward. "Where did you come from!?"

"Edge, stop it!" Rydia sighed in exasperation. She forced herself between the two men, pushing up on her toes so she could glare directly into Edge's eyes. "If you must know, he saved my life, back in Agart. If he hadn't stopped Titan, I would be…" She pressed her hand to her mouth, muffling a sob. "…Erg, Titan…!"

Edge softened his glare, biting his lip as he reached for Rydia's hair. "Hey…I'm sorry, I didn't know. What happened with Titan…?"

Rydia reached up with the reflexes of a cat, smacking Edge's hand away with a sharp "crack". Meanwhile, the man in black had turned away once more, his attention stolen by a thunderous banging that had taken up directly above them. A barrage of rocks and dust had become loosened in the Underworld's massive ceiling, raining down all around them and plunging into the boiling magma below.

Fusoya…the Tower of Babil has been activated...and Rydia's eidolons have been turned against her, just as Asura and Leviathan turned on us. Have the Blue Planet's crystals already fallen into enemy hands…? If you can hear me – if you're still alive – please, tell me what to do!

Luca let out a shriek as one of the rocks fell into the maw of the Falcon's chopping propellers, igniting a shower of golden sparks and causing the airship to shudder violently. "We can't idle here much longer!" she huffed. "Are we going in the Tower of Babil, or not?"

"There's nothing in there worth seeing," Gekkou frowned. "I reckon you'd be walking into a death trap based on what we just escaped."

"We need to go somewhere safe to gather our thoughts and share what little information we may have," Zangetsu said. "Does that sound reasonable to everyone?"

"Fine by me," Edge grunted, glaring up at the man in black. "And everyone is gonna talk – or else we're going to have to lighten our load a bit."

The gods help me – it's been seventeen years, and this man hasn't changed a bit – he's as obnoxious as I remember. I know he has the right to be suspicious, but…

Golbez pressed his lips into a thin line to mask his uneasiness, watching as Edge spun on his heel and went back to mooning over Rydia, who clearly wanted nothing to do with his sudden attentiveness, turning her hips away from him as she crossed her arms under her chest and rolled her eyes. Golbez cut a glance to the four other ninjas – Edge's guard, he presumed, since they had followed him in his foolish leap of faith – but they were paying him no mind. He got the impression that he was no more a stranger to them than Rydia and Luca, and it seemed their hackles weren't raised by their leader's immediate distrust of him. So why…?

He watched Rydia march to the front of the ship, leaning in over Luca's shoulder and pointing her finger toward the entrance to the Overworld as she said something that was inaudible over the roar of the falling rocks and the now-wailing rotor. He could feel Edge glaring daggers at him from behind, the cold sweat breaking along his scalp his first major clue that he was being watched.

Ah, of course. It's not just that he suspects my identity – he's mad that I had the audacity to show up with his little girlfriend. It is obvious even to me that those two can't communicate their way out of a paper bag…what the hell have I gotten myself into?

He shook his head, giving a backhanded wave to Edge to indicate he knew he was being watched as he made his way toward the rear of the ship.

It was both a blessing and a curse finding Rydia – she would have surely been killed if I had not stopped the eidolon – but I was not yet prepared to face any of my former adversaries so soon after my arrival. And now Edge is suddenly here too – will the others be close to follow?

I can only pray we find the crystals as quickly as possible… If either Rydia or Edge find out who I really am, they might tear me to shreds before I can save anything or anyone – and Fusoya's sacrifice will be for naught. I can't let that happen – I can't let anyone suffer ever again because of my failings.

My debt to this planet is already so exorbitant…


Agart

The scholar snuggled into the cot, muttering happily into her pillow as she curled her legs tighter.

"Hee hee…why, yes Your Highness, I'm not promised to anyone…yet…Zzzzz…"

"What in blazes!?"

"Gah…!"

She shot up in bed, sucking air between her teeth as she listened to what sounded like a herd of elephants tap dancing on the ceiling and Cory's amplifying screams. Grabbing her pillow, she gave it a few hard punches, pretending it was her boss's face as she tried to regain a semblance of composure. Giving the pillow one last jab, she tilted her head toward the ceiling, exhaling deeply and calling out.

"What is it, sir?"

"Meteors! Falling toward us from the moon!"

She blinked, rolling over on the cot and throwing apart the blackout curtains installed next to her. She let out a strangled gasp as tails of white flame greeted her, streaking across the sky without rest. The looming specter of the new moon was now so close that a heavy gray shadow had fallen over half the village – how could it had possibly moved so far, so quickly, from when she had first observed it in the telescope only days ago?

She realized with horror that when she drew the curtain shut again, the amount of light that poured into the room no longer shifted – the observatory had been submerged in total darkness.


Damcyan

The throne room doors flew open, Toby sliding to a halt as he haphazardly fell to one knee before the chancellor. "Trouble, my lord!"

The chancellor stepped forward, Harley observing from her position near the empty fireplace, listlessly staring into its depths – it had been one of the few parts of the throne room that hadn't been blown to smithereens when the Red Wings had attacked, but she couldn't bring herself to light it with the scorched mess that already surrounded her – it seemed impractical, somehow.

"What is it?" the chancellor blinked, motioning with his hand for Toby to rise.

"Meteors are bombarding the land! Countless waves of them!" Toby gasped, not bothering to stand back up. "I watched several of them crash into Mount Hobs – there's been a landslide, and now the path to Fabul has been blocked!"

"What!?" the chancellor shrieked.

"Some of the other soldiers have already left to check for casualties…"

Harley pressed her lips together, summoning every last ounce of strength she had left to keep herself from collapsing into a heap on the floor. Somewhere out there, newly-injured and throwing himself headfirst into what was looking more and more likely to be a second War of the Crystals, was her king…and he hadn't even the nerve to tell her in-person that he was chasing that murderous dragoon back to Baron – she had suffered the indignity of one of the guards seeking her out after he had witnessed King Edward's escape.

And now a meteor storm, too…! How was she expected to stay strong for Damcyan in Edward's absence if the odds were ever-increasing that he may never return? She lowered her head, her fingers clumsily bumping against her glasses as she reached up to grind away the fresh onslaught of tears forming under her lids.

No…King Edward…!


Fabul

Sheila and the duke consort's eyeballs bounced back and forth as they watched the chancellor pace – one could not be faulted for thinking they were observing a tennis match with the speed and tenacity the chancellor had invested in his ten foot journey back and forth across the throne room. He threw his arms in the air, shaking his fists dramatically. "Oh, what will become of us!?"

Sheila rolled her eyes, reaching for her broom. The duke consort grabbed the chancellor's wrists, swinging them back down and whispering harshly. "Calm down, Chancellor! We cannot afford to lose our heads! If anyone were to see you like this…"

"He's right!" Sheila added, smacking the handle of the broom against her palm with a menacing "smack" that echoed across the chamber and subsequently made the blood drain from the chancellor's face.

"We must maintain control of ourselves until Yang comes back with Ursula!" She fastened a hopeful smile on her face, though it didn't reach her eyes. "It shouldn't be long now…"


Agart

"I... I cannot believe this," Cory moaned, his head sinking in his hands as he rolled the stool and himself away from the telescope. "This is utter madness…"

"What now, sir?" the scholar asked softly. She had retrieved a fresh pot of coffee and had forgone a mug, handing the entire affair to Cory. He had already tossed half of it back in between random mutterings and bemoaning fits at the telescope. She bent over the telescope since it didn't look like he was going to be able to will his legs to work any time soon, making a slight adjustment for her height and peering inside the metal eyepiece.

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up straight when she saw it. The scream that raised in her throat came out as a whimper as she lifted her gaze away, the world around her fading to white as her knees turned to jelly.

"No…this cannot be…!"

"It can, and it is! The moon…" Cory rolled himself to the nearby window, yanking up the blinds and shaking his head as he pressed his palms to the glass. "It's...it's falling!"


Eblan

A sweeping darkness poured over the Eblanese throne room through the skylights above, plunging the Seneschal and his company of soldiers in abrupt afternoon twilight.

"What in the world!?" a soldier blinked. "It wasn't supposed to storm today…"

"It's no storm…!" Seneschal barked an order for two of the other soldiers to investigate, giving in to his knocking knees as he fell back into Edge's throne, his stunned gaze never leaving the bruised skies suspended above.

Young Highness! Where are you…?


Luca had guided the Falcon out of the Underworld with all the urgency of a bat out of hell, just narrowly avoiding a crushing rockslide that had nearly taken them out of commission. Neither the man in black nor Rydia had uttered a word about their abandoned mission to the Tower of Babil, although the Eblan Four were secretly grateful that they were now a respectable distance from the creepy monolith.

"Oh, no!" Rydia cried as they emerged on the Overworld, her eyes darkening as she took in the destruction that surrounded them. The small island that housed the Underworld's entrance and the village of Agart sat upon had been utterly devastated – craters the size of houses had been implanted everywhere, entire swaths of forest torn away and the massive peaks of the mountains that made up the entrance to the Underworld cut down to half their height. In the distance, scores of meteorites were canvassing the horizon; some of them were crashing into the ocean with such intensity that twenty-foot high tidal waves were smashing into the shores below.

But perhaps most horrifying of all was the strange color of the sky – it had been painted a putrid brown, dust and ash from the pulverized planet swallowed by the atmosphere. The twin moon had now plunged into the path of the sun, blanketing the land in staggering dusk as far as the eye could see.

"What's going on here!?" Edge gasped. "How can it be night already?"

"It would seem we do not have the luxury of time to dally any longer," Golbez frowned. "It's not night…the moon has advanced so closely that we've been cut off from the sun's light. It will be a matter of either being frozen or crushed to death, now…"

Edge whirled around, grabbing the man in black by his cloak even as Rydia screamed for him to stop. "You! Spill everything you know, right now. How about starting by telling us who you are, for one?"

"I don't have the answers you seek," Golbez sighed. He tried to exercise his constraint by not backhanding Edge off of him and tossing him over the ship – it was a good thing he had had seventeen years to practice his meditation skills. "What's critical is what we have already witnessed – the Tower of Babil has been made active once again, which must mean the crystals have fallen to enemy hands."

"How can that be?" Izayoi blinked. "We four just observed the crystals, safe and sound, only days ago."

"No…He's probably right…" Luca shook her head, her lips twisted in a scowl. "All of the Underworld's crystals were stolen away…one of them right from under Rydia and I's nose! A day or two might have been all it took to finish the job."

"Especially if Baron really is behind all of this…" Edge trailed off.

"Baron?" Golbez shook his head. "What are you talking about…?"

"Look out! A meteor!" Rydia suddenly shrieked, pointing above them to where a streak of blinding white light was making its way directly for them.

"Punch it, boys! We need to get out of here!" Luca snapped her goggles back over her face, releasing the brake on the Falcon and sending them shooting forward, a chorus of screams rising from the rear of the ship. Rydia stumbled backward, Golbez catching her just before she hit the floor – much to Edge's chagrin.

"Where are we going!?" Tsukinowa cried, clutching to Izayoi's leg.

"Anywhere the meteors are not!" Luca replied over her shoulder, letting out a curse as she made a sharp turn to dodge yet another onslaught. "The storm can't be encompassing the entire planet…right?"

Edge kept his eye on the horizon as Agart got smaller and smaller, soon shrinking into nothingness. "It's unbelievable... Meteors really are falling all over the land as far as the eye can see!"

Suddenly, Golbez released Rydia, gently shoving her toward Edge as he marched up to the steering wheel and wrestled it from Luca's grasp. Rydia stared after him, so surprised that she didn't notice Edge's hands brushing over her shoulders.

"Wh-whoa! What are you doing?" Luca cried. "We can't stop here! We're gonna be sitting ducks!"

"We're not stopping," Golbez grunted, giving the wheel a hard spin to the left.

"Then what're you…?" Rydia trailed off. She watched as the universe blurred before her, smears of sparkling white light perforating the progressively darkening sky.

"We're headed towards Baron Castle!" Edge frowned. "Do you think the crystals are really all there…?"

"Gods…I hope not…" Rydia whimpered. "That will mean…Cecil…!" She pressed her face into Edge's shoulder, smothering her words. She couldn't bear to say it out loud – that perhaps Cecil had betrayed them after all…


Baron

Cid's nostrils flared as he spat his pipe out of his mouth, waving it threateningly at the bemused king.

"Cecil! How could you say something like that to Kain after all this time? What's gotten into you, boy?"

Cecil tilted his head, his smile deepening in reply. Kain, for his part, hadn't let himself react to Cecil's taunt – he continued to stare at Cecil silently, drinking in the chaotic aura of the man who had once been his very best friend – his brother in everything but name. Finally, Cecil broke the lull, his voice overly-cheerful as he spat his words through clenched teeth.

"Kain is my dearest friend…he knows when I'm joking, don't you, Highwind?"

"…Sure," Kain shrugged. "I suppose that's all this is, right? A joke."

"...Cecil!" Rosa's face was white as bone. She couldn't believe what she was hearing – she hadn't been naïve enough to expect the two of them to kiss and make up after the immense pain they had been letting fester for seventeen years – but Cecil's dismissive attitude was beyond the pale. Didn't even a small part of him realize the pure hell Kain had had to go through to be here again?

"Please, don't do this…not now. These past few days…I thought you were dead. And Kain...this whole time, he's been guarding your son! What have you been doing since you sent Cid and I away?"

When Cecil didn't reply, Ceodore took a shaky step forward, his fingers clenched into a fist over his chest. "Father…the Red Wings…there was a horrible accident on our way home from the trial. Our ship was attacked by monsters, and we crashed on the Mysidian continent. Biggs…Wedge…everyone…they died, protecting me…" He glanced over his shoulder at Kain, who was watching him warily. "If Kain hadn't found me wandering the fields, I wouldn't be standing here before you. So please, don't be cruel – this isn't like you at all!"

Cecil arched an eyebrow, his smile fading as he swept down the stairs that lead from his throne. He placed both his hands on Ceodore's shoulders, Ceodore wincing as a rush of piercing cold penetrated his armor. He couldn't bear to bring himself to look into his father's eyes – they made him feel as if he were drifting aimlessly through space, each breath taken another one closer to suffocation.

"Ceodore – Have you forgotten yourself? You're the Prince of Baron – my only child, and heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. It was the Red Wings' duty – no, their honor – to exchange their lives for yours." He glanced up at Kain as Ceodore's jaw hit the floor.

"Kain has no need of a prince's reprieve – it's the sins he's laid against the king that require payment."


It seemed that Luca had been partially correct about the whole world not yet being under siege – the meteor storm had not quite reached Baron's shores. But Golbez knew it was only a matter of time – the nauseating stench that he recalled from the impact site on the Red Moon was hanging warningly in the air. Maybe the others couldn't pick up on it yet, but it had been thoroughly burned into his memory – he could now detect it anywhere, anytime. If he ever went back into stasis, he somehow knew he would dream of it, too.

Landing the ship outside of Baron Village, Golbez had to then mentally steel himself to actually exit it. Luca gave him a strange look as she "helped" by pressing the switch that would lower the ramp, but he continue to stare dead-eyed at the steering wheel, suddenly very much regretting the cavalier way he had taken over their mission. He should have asked Edge what he meant when he had said that Baron was the power behind gathering the crystals…but that would have required him to talk to the annoying brat and put up with more of his cross-examinations.

And right on time, as if he could read Golbez's mind, Edge stomped to the front of the ship, his arms crossed as he eyed the man in black from behind. "What form of treachery is this? Are we going in, or not?"

Golbez rolled his eyes up toward the heavens, his fingers finally releasing the steering wheel.

It was foolish to think I would accomplish anything here without seeing Cecil. Maybe he won't recognize me…

…But if he's in danger, then it really doesn't matter…I'll do anything to save him.

Golbez turned, shoving past Edge as he barreled down the ramp. "Off we go."

"Hold it!" Edge shrieked, running after him. Rydia and Luca both shared a look of dismay, rolling their eyes in unison.

The Eblan Four padded after Edge silently, their best stone-faced masks bereft of emotion plastered to their faces. Luca whirled around to face the newly-repaired Calca and Brina, who were waiting patiently at the front of the ship.

"You two stay and watch the Falcon," Luca smiled, and they both nodded, pumping their little fists.

"Gonna watch the ship!"

"Make sure everything is safe!"

"I'm so glad they're with us again," Rydia smiled. "It felt really lonely for a while, huh?"

"Yeah," Luca nodded, adjusting her visor as she watched the man in black and the five ninjas cut through the meadows that would take them to Cecil's doorstep. "But then all of a sudden, we acquired six more passengers, and enough drama to fill the entire ship to capacity."

"I don't know what Edge's problem is," Rydia groaned. "We haven't seen each other in nearly fifteen years, and this is how he acts? Has he any idea the gravity of the situation we have on our hands, or is he just playing hero for his adoring fan club?"

Luca raised her eyebrows, weighing her words carefully before just deciding it was best not to reply at all. Jeeze, Rydia… Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees…

Rydia and Luca caught up to the others, who had paused at the castle gates. Rydia had been afraid that they might have been stopped by soldiers, or worse – but there was no one to be seen outside the castle walls. A dense fog had quietly closed in around them, and the castle itself was ablaze in a soft red light that was unfortunately very familiar.

"What the...!?" Edge reached for the handles on the abandoned doors, but was thrown backward upon making contact. He contorted his body mid-air to curl into a half-somersault, unsteadily landing on his feet a few yards away instead of careening into the moat. He flicked his wrist anxiously, his fingertips still burning from the energy that had surged through him. "Ugh... That didn't do anything..."

"Are you trying to get yourself killed!?" Luca blinked, and the Eblan Four all cut Edge a dirty look that he sheepishly laughed off.

Rydia stepped up to the door, tilting her head as she pressed a finger to her lips in thought. "It's the same glow as the one coming from the Tower of Babil." She stared up at the tallest towers of the castle, sighing in resignation. "And it is surrounding the entire property. So we're not getting in from above with the Falcon, either."

"Is there no way for us to break through?" Luca frowned. "A secret passage, anything like that?"

Golbez took one last look at the castle, sweeping his gaze down to the moat as something sparked in his memory. I seem to recall something like that…it was Cagnazzo's downfall, if I am remembering correctly…

Golbez turned to leave, but Edge stepped in front of him, shoving his injured hand in his pocket.

"Where're you going?"

"Were you not listening to the dwarf? We must find another way inside," Golbez said coolly. He brushed past Edge, his black cape snapping to attention behind him as he began to make his way to Baron Village.

"Stop! Wait!" Edge cried, curing his burned hand with a ninjitsu technique before chasing after him.

"I haven't seen the master this agitated in quite a while," Izayoi blinked. "Normally, he's so calm and collected in these kinds of situations."

"…You're joking, right?" Rydia pressed her lips together. "We're talking about the same Edge, right? Edward Geraldine? King of Eblan?" Izayoi's icy gaze rested on Rydia, and for a moment, the summoner wondered if she would be flash-frozen on the spot.

This lady would give Shiva a run for her money with that stare…!

But Izayoi merely smiled, her blood-red lips curling to meet the apples of her well-sculpted face. "Perhaps a lot has changed since the last time you two saw each other – it's been quite a while, right?"

"I suppose so…" Rydia tucked her hair behind her ear, not sure of what else to do with her suddenly trembling hands.

Izayoi's hand brushed over her cousin's shoulders – she was gesturing for him to start following Edge. "But rest assured, he's as committed to protecting his devotions as he has ever been – maybe that's the difference between what's happening now and anything else that has occurred before. I think…perhaps…" She licked her teeth and shook her head. "Ah, I was about to speak out of turn. Forgive me." She turned away, her arm still around Tsukinowa, and left, taking him with her.

"I know it doesn't seem like it, but that's Izayoi's way of trying to make friends," Gekkou smiled as Rydia stared after her, dumbfounded. "If she had been assigned to seduce you or spy on you, it might have gone a little better. I don't think she knows what to do with herself if she has to talk with a stranger just for the sake of conversation and not to meet an end-goal."

"…Seduce?" Rydia flushed. That had been the one word that had stuck in her ear as she listened to Gekkou ramble on. "What do you all do for Edge, exactly…?"

At the village gates, Rydia and Luca were once again the last ones to arrive, having trailed behind with Gekkou and Zangetsu – the two men had been kind enough to properly introduce themselves and share the names of the remaining half of the Eblan Four, something Edge had neglected to do when he had crashed the party back in the Underworld. The man in black and Edge were standing opposite each other against the wall that housed the village proper, sharing a weary look between the two of them that kindled the tiniest of hopes in Rydia that perhaps they had put their petty pissing match aside for the sake of what had quickly become a string of world-class disasters.

"There are soldiers milling about everywhere," Golbez frowned. "It's difficult to tell if they are…still human, or not."

"Oh no," Luca gulped. "Didn't something like this happen once before in Baron?"

"Yes," Rydia sighed, her eyes meeting Edge's. "Before Edge and I were able to join up with Cecil, unfortunately…all I know is that at the time, Baron was being ruled by a false king – a usurper that Golbez had put on the throne to play a role in gathering the crystals. By the time Edge and I had made our way to Baron, Cecil had neutralized the threat – so I don't have a point of reference."

"It doesn't seem like they are bothering anybody," Edge added, not noticing that the man in black had turned away from them, finding a sudden interest in his feet. "But it's odd that the streets are totally empty at this time of day. I bet the villagers are hiding."

"Where should we go, then?" Tsukinowa asked. "Who in town would know about a secret passage to the castle if we can't risk asking the soldiers?"

"Oh, I've got it!" Luca exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "I can't believe I'm only thinking of this now – Master Cid might be home! He knows the castle inside-out – he'll know exactly what to do." She pointed to the northwest, toward a white-painted brick house perched on a small hill. "That's his place – ya'all follow me, and try not to look too suspicious."

The Eblan Four glanced at each other. That last part was going to be a little difficult – they were sure it wasn't everyday that Baron had a parade of ninjas traipsing through town.

Edge allowed Luca to take the lead, everyone falling in step behind her as they cautiously tried to avoid eye contact with any soldier that crossed their path. Most of the soldiers seemed to be out of it – they kept close to their designated routes, their eyes never leaving the few feet of space in front of them until it was time to turn around and reverse direction. Rydia wrapped her arms around herself as they walked, keeping her head down and counting her steps to keep herself distracted from staring at any of them out of morbid curiosity.

Deep within, a needling fear was gnawing at her stomach – if Ceodore had really joined the military like the rumor they had heard in Agart had proclaimed, would one of the mindless zombies wandering around town have his face?

No…Cecil would never let something like that happen to his only son – he loves Ceodore more than anything in this world! That much would be true even if he were pursuing the crystals…right?

After what felt like an eternity, Rydia found stone steps beneath her feet, and she followed Luca upward until they had reached Cid's small, but tidy front yard. Luca bounded up to the door, banging on it in the total opposite of a non-suspicious manner that made everyone else cringe silently behind her.

"Master! Master Cid!" Luca called, and there was the sound of hurried scraping on the other side of the door.

"Who is it?" a child's voice rang out.

"Shhh! Don't go outside!" another voice hissed – this one most definitely belonging to an adult.

"No, it's all right! It's me, Luca!"

"Huh…?"

Silence fell between Luca and the door, and for a moment, Rydia worried that no one was going to let them in. But at last, there came the distinct click of a latch being unfastened, and the door slowly slid open. Standing before them was a taller, willowy, and much easier on the eyes version of Cid – it was his daughter, Amelia, whom Rydia had always assumed was at least Cecil's age, if not older. A little boy was clinging to her skirt, gazing up at Luca with starry eyes.

"Luca!" Amelia blinked, her hand flying to her chest. "Rydia and Edge, too!" She peered over their shoulders, spotting the man in black and the Eblan Four as well. "…Wow, a whole cavalcade…"

"Oh, it's such a relief to see all of you safe…" Luca sniffled, kneeling down and opening her arms. Mid threw himself at her with abandon, nuzzling his cheek into her chest as he tried to reach his tiny arms around her muscular shoulders.

Amelia took one last look to make sure no soldiers had followed them, her voice dropping an octave. "Do you know of my father or of King Cecil? The rumors being thrown about continue to be…unsettling."

Luca's face crumpled as she heard Amelia's question, pulling Mid tighter against her so that he couldn't see the tears starting to pool in her eyes. If Amelia hasn't seen Cid or Cecil…it must mean they've been together this whole time...!

Edge cleared his throat, eying Mid as he spoke. "We are in the midst of searching for them, but you know that stubborn old man better than I do. I'm sure he's doing just fine."

Edge… Rydia felt a soft blush blossom over the bridge of her nose. Sometimes you actually know the right thing to say, huh?

Amelia tilted her head, her eyes crinkling with a smile. "Yes... You're right, of course. It's not like he hasn't been gone for far longer before. Mid just keeps haunting me about the airship ride Father has been promising him…he's driving me crazy."

"Luca can take me," Mid shrugged, finally pulling away from her. "Can we go right now?"

"Uh…not quite yet," Luca smiled, ruffling Mid's hair. "We actually came to visit to see if your Mommy or Granddaddy knew another way we could get into Baron Castle…one a little less, under the radar, shall we say?"

"…Oh!" Amelia eyes widened when it finally dawned on her what Luca was asking. "Oh dear. I'm afraid that your timing is just slightly off – the only other way I know to get into the castle is via the underground waterway that runs beneath town. I was carrying the key for my father, but Ceodore borrowed it – I told him to just give it back to Cid when he was done, so I haven't seen him since."

Rydia practically screamed in joy, pouncing in front of Amelia. "You saw Ceodore!? How recently?"

"Ah…" Amelia took a step back from Rydia's sudden burst of crazy, smiling weakly. "About two days ago. He said he needed it for a mission he had been assigned. Did you know he is in the Red Wings now?"

Two days ago…so definitely after the moon returned…maybe even after the Red Wings stole Luca's crystal. Perhaps the real Red Wings were not involved in any of the raids after all!

"Is there anywhere else he could be?" Edge asked. "I know you said you haven't seen him, but…it would be helpful if we were able to get our hands on that key."

"Perhaps he stopped at his grandmother's house," Amelia offered. "Lady Joanna has been moaning on and on about not seeing him enough lately." She clasped her hand over her mouth, sighing. "Sorry, that was rude...I've just been a little stressed as of late."

"Rude?" Edge chuckled. "If you heard what I consider rude, you might faint. That was downright cordial."

Out of the side of his eye, Golbez caught a soldier at the foot of the hill staring up at them for what felt like a beat too long. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth in warning, getting Luca and Rydia's attention while Edge flirted away.

Let's find this Ceodore they keep clamoring about and get out of here…if he's a Red Wing, he might know another way to get into the castle, even if he no longer has the waterway key.

"Well, thank you for your time," Rydia smiled, taking the man in black's hint that they should keep moving. "We'll let you know as soon as we run into Cid."

"Thank you," Amelia nodded. "Mid, come along…Luca will be back to play with you later. Right, Luca?"

"Of course," Luca rose to her feet, giving Mid an eager wave. "It's a promise."

They tromped back down the stairs to the village main drag, Golbez noticing that the soldier who had been watching them no longer lingering at his post. Either his shift had coincidentally ended, or he was getting some friends to do some further investigating…either way, he didn't want to stick around for what might come next.

"We should hurry," Golbez muttered. "Where is the grandmother's house?"

"I can help with that," Rydia said. "It's just a few doors down. Follow me, everyone." After passing a few houses and shops, all of which appeared to be locked up tight with curtains drawn over every window, Rydia paused in front of a well-kept single-story wood and brick-inlaid cottage that had a tan, clay-tiled roof. A trail of smoke was drifting out of the chimney around back – a hopeful indication that someone was home. The front and back gardens were fenced in with wrought-iron ornamental panels, framing a stone-embossed walkway that took you to the front door.

"This is it," Rydia announced, taking the brushed nickel door knocker between her fingers and rapping loudly. She couldn't remember the last time she had been to Rosa's mother's house – she wondered if it had been for the impromptu baby shower she had thrown for her daughter that had really ended up being all about her and her society friends – Rosa had luckily caught wind of the "surprise" and had begged Rydia to come as a barrier to her mother and the rest of the clucking hens that made up Baron's upper crust. She had been so desperate that she had commissioned Cid to pilot her eight-month pregnant self to the Feymarch to ask Rydia to attend in person.

Those days feel so extraordinarily far away now…like an entire lifetime ago.

"Who is it?" a strained woman's voice drifted through the heavy oak door – she sounded miffed that anyone would have the audacity to arrive on her doorstep uninvited.

Oh, thank goodness, Rydia thought to herself. That snotty drawl can only belong to one possible person…we definitely have the right place, and she seems as well as ever. She pushed up on her toes, leaning closer against the door. "Ms. Farrell, can we please come in?"

"That voice..." Joanna Farrell mumbled something else inaudible, and Rydia heard the sound of a chair being pushed away. A deadbolt slid back, and Rydia found herself staring down at Rosa's mother, a petite tyrant who couldn't have been taller than five-foot two including the hair piled upon her head in her an opulent twist. Spirals of white-streaked loose curls ran down her back, and ropes of pearls were draped around her neck. It was such a stark contrast to the styling of her daughter, who was an actual queen, that Rydia would have burst out laughing if it hadn't been an entirely inappropriate time to do so.

"Wait... I do know you," Joanna frowned, not noticing Rydia's twitching lips. "What was your name again?"

"It's Rydia, madam!" Rydia bowed her head slightly. She didn't really think it was protocol that she had to bow to the grandmother of the crown prince, but she decided to hedge her bets, based on what she knew about Joanna thanks to Rosa's many amusing (and cringe-worthy) stories about growing up with a noblewoman for a mother. She had seen Joanna outside of her home on several occasions – Ceodore's birthday celebrations among them – but since she wasn't rich, connected, or had much else going for her other than the ability to talk to eidolons (which didn't much matter in the circles Joanna ran in), she didn't expect Rosa's mother to actually remember her beyond being Rosa's poor friend.

"And…uh…King Edge, of Eblan," Edge added as he popped over Rydia's shoulder. That made Joanna's eyes light up – and once again, Rydia was immediately forgotten. "Do you think we could come in? We have some questions, and the soldiers out here don't exactly seem friendly."

"A…king, you say? In my humble abode?" Joanna had the grace to blush, flicking a hand filled with glittering rings dismissively. "I don't have much, but…you're welcome to come in, if that's what you would like. Is that your entourage back there?" She motioned toward Luca, the man in black and the four ninjas, all of which were way too amused by this for their own good. Each one of them was dreaming up how they were going to tease Edge later for being fawned over by a woman he would have kindly described as "ancient". Luca bristled at the thought of being considered part of anyone's entourage, but kept her mouth shut. She had to silently remind herself that not every human was as wonderful as Master Cid or Cecil and his friends.

"That would be great," Rydia said hurriedly, pushing past Joanna to get away from the glare of any soldiers as fast as possible. "Can we use your dining room?"

"I'll need to put on tea!"

"Not necessary," Golbez grunted, following Rydia. The rest of them piled inside, and Rydia took the first seat at the table, Edge plopping next to her. Luca and Izayoi took the last remaining seats, leaving the rest of the men to stand. Joanna fluttered about the attached kitchen, filling a kettle and setting it over her stove. Golbez shifted uncomfortably as he drew his shoulders in, feeling clumsily out of place in such an elegantly-decorated, tiny cottage – he felt as if he had been jammed into a child's dollhouse, and had to stoop to keep his head from smacking the ceiling beams. In his haste not to make eye contact with their overzealous hostess, his eyes fell over a pair of oil paintings in gilded frames that had been hung on the western wall of the room.

One of them was of a young woman, who couldn't have been more than fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in the traditional garb of a white mage. The girl's hood was down, and she was flashing a bright smile at whoever had been lucky enough to capture her portrait, spirals of golden hair brushing the tops of her shoulders with a side part that was pinned with a kunzite-studded barrette. Her cream complexion was tinged pink at the cheeks with the flush of youth, her warm brown eyes sparkling with the reflection of the diamond and silver staff she held across her chest.

The second portrait next to the girl looked much newer, although the subject looked remarkably similar – Golbez wondered if they were brother and sister. The young man in the second portrait had messy platinum hair that spiked carelessly in several directions – unlike the coiffed perfection of the girl, it looked as if someone had gotten halfway through styling the boy's hair and had given up, although it somehow still suited him. A silver and sapphire circlet hung around his forehead, a subdued smile that didn't quite reach his otherworldly blue eyes set upon his bow-shaped lips. He was dressed in a high-collared black coat with silver chains draped across the chest, the mantle of a pinstriped cloak framing his shoulders – the stark contrast of his dark clothing and his alabaster coloring made his eyes even more arresting, although it was obvious that whoever had painted the portrait had spent far-more painstaking effort on the minutiae of the raiment and the attempt to make the boy appear happier than he probably was.

Beautiful kids…but something is odd about both of them. Golbez looked away, deciding his best bet was to just keep staring at the floor. I feel as if I've seen them before…which is not ideal, considering my last jaunt around this planet.

Joanna opened a cabinet, pulling down a tin of tea and a collection of cups. "Your Highness, what brings you Baron? I suppose some sort of consortium with Cecil?"

It had always amused Rydia that even though her son-in-law was king, Joanna never referred to his royal title – and it wasn't because of overt familiarity.

"We're looking for Ceodore, actually," Edge began, and Joanna spun around, the whistle on the kettle letting out a shriek as she nearly dropped a stack of tea cups.

"And what of Ceodore!? Is Ceodore with you!?"

Edge's eyes widened in surprise at her sudden change in demeanor, and Rydia jumped up to help Joanna with the china before it fell and shattered everywhere. "I'm sorry..." Rydia held the cups to her chest, her eyes creasing with concern. "…We haven't seen him…we were hoping you might know where he was."

Joanna turned away, setting her half of the cups down perhaps a little too forcefully and closing her eyes. "I see... I hope nothing's happened to him and Rosa... I've heard horrible rumors about what's happening at the castle, and it's not like either of them to stay away so long – those damned soldiers say that it's the king's orders that no one can see them, but I don't think they're even here." A tear escaped her furrowed eyes, and Rydia pressed her fingers to Joanna's, not sure what else she could possibly do or say.

Rosa? Golbez felt a muscle twitch painfully in his neck – pop! Had he heard the woman correctly? His eyes unwittingly flicked back up to the portrait of the girl. A piercing scream reverberated in his memory, and he was transported from an overcrowded kitchen in Baron to the crystal chamber in Fabul, the smell of blood and darkness permeating the air around him.

"Cecil...!"

"Rosa, let it be!"

Edge stood up, pressing his palms to the table. "Ma'am…there's no need to worry. Ceodore is a strong young man – he's Cecil's son, for heaven's sake. Do you really think he would just roll over and not fight for his kingdom?"

"He's right," Rydia frowned, squeezing Joanna's hand as she stared dead-eyed at Edge. "And not only that, but he has the bloodline of one of the most powerful white mages in the world to keep him safe, all thanks to your daughter. Ceodore will make it through this...and I promise we won't rest until we find both him and Rosa."

Golbez could feel his palms slipping in perspiration from where he had been pressing back against the counter. The screams in his head were getting louder and louder – dizzily drowning out whatever comforts Rydia and Edge were trying to offer the shaken woman. He cautiously pressed one hand to his mouth in an attempt to mask his astonishment, the salty tang of his sweat stinging his chapped lips.

My brother has a son…

His eyes were drawn to the portraits once more – this time, he took a closer look the boy with the haunting blue stare, and suddenly, the similarities became too obvious. Golbez had never known Cecil as a child – their time together had been a total duration of one day before they were separated for twenty long years – but he would have believed it if someone had told him the portrait before him was of Cecil, and not Cecil's son. That was how similar the two of them looked – right down to the melancholy aura persisting in that crystalline gaze.

The birth of a new Lunarian… After everything that has transpired with our people, it's nothing short of a miracle. I wonder if Fusoya felt the boy's arrival while he slept…?

Golbez closed his eyes, inhaling deeply – after the count of ten, he could hear his own breath once more over the alarms blaring in his ears.

And I…I have a nephew…

"Are you OK?" Tsukinowa whispered. Golbez glanced down at the ninja boy next to him, who had been staring up at him curiously – the gods only knew for how long.

"Just need some air," Golbez muttered. "It's too crowded in here." Tsukinowa nodded, as if to agree – although Golbez suspected the child was more perceptive than he was willing to give him credit for at the moment.

"Thank you for your offer to help find my grandson," Joanna mumbled, pulling the screaming tea kettle off the heat and shaking her head. "But I'm sorry…all of a sudden, I feel as if I need to lie down. You can stay as long as you would like…just lock the door behind you." She slipped past Golbez and the others, pausing before she crossed into the next room. "If the guards stop you in the street…please, don't tell them you're looking for Ceodore."

"We won't," Luca offered a small smile. "…Don't worry."

Joanna nodded, disappearing into the next room and closing the door behind her. The party stared at each other wordlessly for a few painful seconds, Rydia finally giving her head a shake as she pried open the abandoned tin of tea. If the hot water was already there, she figured she might as well take advantage of the free caffeine – she could no longer keep count of how long she had gone without sleep. "Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any to come up with our theory about what the hell is going on…it would appear we're not getting into the castle anytime soon. If Ceodore is gone…then the key to the waterway must be as well."

No one said anything as Rydia plopped a tea satchel into her cup and poured the water over. Edge couldn't help but notice how wildly her hand shook as she was lifting the kettle – one slip of her fingers, and the scalding brew would have been launched across the table. More than anything, he just wanted to wrap his arms around her, pull her against him, and tell her that everything would be OK – that the last fifteen years apart had been a horrible mistake, and that he would do whatever needed done to make sure another fifteen years didn't pass without being there for her again.

The only problem with that little scenario was that he would have been lying his arse off – he didn't know if anything would ever be OK again, at the rate things were going – evidence was rapidly piling up that something was rotten in the state of Baron. And if the crystals really had already fallen into the enemy's hands – whoever that actually was – they probably wouldn't even have a week left on the planet, let alone another fifteen years.

Zangetsu cleared his throat, the sudden burst of noise making everyone jump.

"Perhaps if there are some facts we can all agree upon, an idea about how we can proceed next will come to us. Does that sound like a good place to start?"

"Good idea, Zangetsu," Gekkou smiled, ever leaderful. "If I may speak for our king…" he looked over at Edge, who nodded and waved him on dispassionately, "…Nothing suspicious occurred in Eblan until the morning of the moon's return. At that point, we four went on our separate ways to…er…"

"Spy on the crystals?" Luca interjected, and Gekkou reddened. She shrugged, leaning so far back in her chair that it began to precariously balance on two legs. "Izayoi said on the ship that you guys had seen the crystals in their rightful place just days before. So obviously, you must have gone on a little field trip. I don't care – just putting everything out on the table. As both a dwarf and a princess, I feel it is best to be direct, don't you?"

"…Right," Gekkou conceded, shaking his head. So she was the crown princess of the Underworld? Master Edge had friends in very high places indeed – or in this case, rather low, Gekkou supposed. "Master Edge was concerned for all of you, and that's why he sent us on our mission. But Luca, you said your crystal was stolen after all?"

"It happened the day after the moon came back," Luca glowered. "I was on patrol – the monster levels in the Underworld skyrocketed after the damned moon's return. I went to pick up Rydia in the Feymarch, and we witnessed my castle being attacked by the Red Wings – or at least what looked like the Red Wings."

"What were you doing in the Feymarch?" Edge blurted, and Rydia raised her eyebrows, taking a sip of her tea. Oh, you know, just begging for King Leviathan and Queen Asura to take me back…

She set the cup down, her eyes cast to the floor. "The King and Queen…everyone in the Feymarch…they were petrified. It wasn't normal petrification that you could cure with magic. It was if…" She clutched her arm, her knuckles whitening with the effort. "…As if their very souls had been spirited away, leaving behind only empty shells. That was when I discovered I could no longer summon the eidolons…"

Golbez crossed his arms over his chest. Just like Bahamut…and yet, that girl was able to summon Asura and Leviathan without problem. But neither of them recognized Fusoya…did she place them under a spell when she shackled them? Why can she summon eidolons when Rydia, their rightful master, no longer can?

"The Red Wings stole King Giott's crystal?" Izayoi frowned, and Luca sighed.

"My father said the onslaught was perpetrated solely by a girl that could summon eidolons – she stole all of the other dark crystals as well. Rydia and I got to meet her for ourselves in the Sealed Cave – she zapped us to oblivion and left us for dead. She wasn't a Red Wing I'd ever seen, that's for sure!"

"The mysterious girl with turquoise hair," Edge muttered, and Luca slammed her first into the table.

"Yep, that's her! Did you guys run into her too?"

"On several occasions," Gekkou sighed. "I spotted her in a rotting crater between Damcyan and Fabul – she murdered a group of Fabul's highest ranking monks in the blink of an eye." When Rydia's face paled, he quickly appended his statement. "Neither Master Yang nor his family were among them."

"And we ran into her again in the Tower of Babil," Edge added. "She point-blank told us that Cecil was gathering the crystals…which would explain why she had control of the Red Wings."

"That has to be a lie!" Rydia sniffed. "Why would Cecil…?"

"Ceodore has never seemed interested in becoming a soldier. You don't think Cecil forced Ceodore to join the Red Wings to gather crystals, do you?" Luca questioned, and Rydia let out a horrible wail that practically rattled the windowpanes. Everyone was waiting for a shriek from Rosa's mother to tell them to keep it down or to get out, but it never came.

"No, no…! None of this makes any sense! Cecil…let alone Rosa and Ceodore…and Cid too – they wouldn't stand for it!"

"But the Troians were preparing for war with Baron," Izayoi pointed out.

"And Mysidia was afraid as well," Tsukinowa shook his head. "The Elder sent Lady Porom to Mount Ordeals to find someone to fight on their behalf…"

Rydia ground her fists into her tearing eyes, shaking her head over and over. Edge pressed his head to his hands, letting out a shaky sigh. The mysterious girl's harsh speech before he had thrown himself out of the Tower or Babil came roaring back in his mind.

"But, despite all of this "love" people have for Cecil, he is a man that is truly, utterly alone in this world – a half-breed with one half of his soul on this planet, the other torn away, released into the infinite universe to forever wander. When he needed help, there was no one by his side, and now, he's…"

"Can any of us really say that we've seen Cecil enough as of late to really know what he might be thinking?" Edge asked softly. "I don't think I've talked to him in months."

"Master Cid would have said something…!" Luca began, but Rydia shook her head. She recalled the way her heart had dropped into her stomach as Luca crash-landed their ship in Agart after the Red Wings had nearly shot them down – there was little room for interpretation of intent from those actions.

"…Perhaps Edge has a point. We're all just speculating…for better or worse." She gnawed on her lower lip as she shakily lifted her cup again. "So where does that leave us?"

"Well…" Zangetsu raised one finger. "It would seem that we've established that the four dark crystals are undoubtedly gone. We don't know the whereabouts of the Fire, Earth, Water and Wind crystals, but it's reasonable to assume they are in danger if the Tower of Babil has already been activated."

"Agreed," everyone except for Golbez replied cheerlessly. He continued to silently stare down his chest, his mind spinning at all of the troubling revelations that were being laid out about his little brother.

Cecil…you were supposed to go back home and live…to at last find the happiness I had been conspiring to take from you since the day you were born. His eyes found Ceodore's portrait, and he felt a paralyzing chain of guilt wrap itself around his heart and squeeze the breath out of his lungs. None of this is true, right? I left so that you never had to feel afraid again…what purpose would you have in gathering the crystals?

Zangetsu flicked up his middle finger to accompany the first. "Two – Rydia can no longer summon eidolons, yet this mysterious girl most certainly can. And none of us understand her relationship with Baron other than the obvious complicity in obtaining the crystals…"

"Ugh…" Rydia tossed the rest of the scalding liquid down her throat, her eyes stinging.

"And three," Zangetsu raised his ring finger, "It would all seem this started with the return of the twin moon." He looked around, and Golbez shrank back slightly when Zangetsu's gaze rested on him for half a beat too long. "Does that sound about right to everyone?"

Edge raised his head from his hands, his eyes falling on Rydia. She parted her lips like she was going to say something, but the words died in her mouth as she stared down at him, her body tensed and taut against the counter.

"Actually, I don't think this started with the moon at all."

"Really?" Luca frowned. "Did something weird happen before the moon came back?"

"Sure," Edge blinked, pointing to her. "You were there, remember? It was nearly sixteen years ago. Cecil, Cid and the twins found Rydia sleeping in the crystal chamber of the Sealed Cave after something god-awful made a bunch of monsters in there go berserk. At her request, they brought her to the Tower of Babil. She could summon eidolons, and cast magic – although there was something undoubtedly off – Cecil had been worried something terrible had happened before they stumbled upon her. But then when the real Rydia showed up, their little hitchhiker showed her true colors real quick and tried to bury us all."

"The girl who was pretending to be me?" Rydia blinked. "But I destroyed her – and I took the eidolons back, too!"

"But what if you didn't actually kill her?" Edge pressed, leaning across the table. The more he said out loud, the more his twisted theory had begun to make sense in his own mind – which brought him very little comfort. "What if that was just what she wanted us to think, because she had gotten what she needed at the time?"

"She was pulverized by Meteor," Rydia frowned. "The only way someone could survive something like that was if they were immortal." Golbez clenched his jaw.

Yes, or they had a bunch of spare bodies.

Edge didn't say anything, and Rydia could feel her legs starting to fail her as the puzzle pieces began to fall into place. If she hadn't been holding herself up on the counter, she would have collapsed into a puddle on the floor.

"…But then why after all this time…?" She shook her head, her face paling. "I mean…you're right – it's been nearly sixteen years! If you're saying what I think you're saying…it will have meant she's just been lurking around all this time, waiting for something before she made her next move."

"And whatever it was, finally happened," Edge growled. "I don't think it was the twin moon – I think the moon returned as a result of whatever it was she was waiting for. The wheels have been turning for quite some time now – it's that we're only just now waking up."

Golbez bowed his head. Is this what the lunar crystals were warning us of when they woke Fusoya and I from stasis? What is that girl's relationship with the crystals…and with Cecil?

Izayoi leapt up when she saw that Rydia was about to keel over. She grasped the summoner under her arm, gently escorting Rydia's sandbag-esque body to her now-vacant chair and setting her down. Rydia pressed her hand to her forehead, closing her eyes and taking deep, rattling breaths.

"Are you OK!?" Edge cried, practically diving across the table. Izayoi gave him a stern look, shoving him back to his own spot with an impatient grunt.

"Give her some air!"

"Miss Rydia?" Tsukinowa peered over Izayoi's body anxiously, which was blocking most of his view. "Master meant no harm with his words…please; tell me what I can do to help."

Something horrific was stalking my precious eidolons and my dearest friends this entire time…why, why couldn't I have done more to stop her? If I hadn't been so obsessed with forcing my way into a place I no longer belonged, would I have realized something was wrong earlier? Rydia drew a sharp breath between clenched teeth, a streak of tears running down her face. Cecil…I don't care what anyone else may tell me, or how long it's been…I know your heart – you will always be the knight that saved me from your own countrymen in that little Kaipo inn. I will never give up – not until I know the truth!

Finally, she opened her eyes once more, smiling at Tsukinowa. Even if he hadn't been such a sweet boy, she felt she would have been drawn to smile in his presence – he reminded her so much of a younger, less coarse and more earnest version of Edge – it was obvious the influence Tsukinowa's master had on him was nothing but positive.

"I'll be all right – please forgive me for worrying you." She turned in her chair to face Edge, who was staring at her wide-eyed like she was a precious objet d'art in a glass case that was teetering on the ledge of a cliff. "But I feel like we're at a loss of how to reach Cecil – so I'd like to make a proposal, if it's OK with everyone."

"What's up, Rydia?" Luca tilted her head. "You have an idea?"

"Not really," Rydia shook her head. "But with everything that's happened – I'm really worried about Mist. Would it be all right if I stopped home and checked up on things? I won't take long…"

"Of course it's all right," Edge said quickly, jumping to his feet. "We'll leave right away. You're right – no sense in sticking around here and drawing attention to ourselves."

Rydia lifted her gaze to the man in black – she was hoping he would not object since he had been the one to originally set her and Luca on the path they had been pursuing before Edge showed up. He was staring at a pair of portraits hanging over the wall. Rydia recognized one of them as a young Rosa – it must have been painted years before they had met. Rydia had always been impressed by how well-traveled and mature Rosa had seemed when the two of them were brought together by Cecil – but in the portrait, she looked just like a regular, happy teenager who didn't yet have the burden of the world's condition laid at her feet. Rydia idly wondered if normally stoic and clueless Cecil had said or done something to make Rosa so joyful before she had sat for the portrait – Rydia recognized the glow in her eyes as one belonging to a girl deeply in love.

The other portrait was of Ceodore – it looked recent enough that Rydia thought perhaps it was from his fifteenth birthday that past winter, but she found herself momentarily shook at how grown-up he suddenly seemed to be. With his portrait hanging next to his mother's, it was even more obvious how much Ceodore looked like Rosa – but Rydia could see a lot of Cecil too. Not just in his beautiful, alien eyes, but in the elegant curve of his jaw that was at last emerging from the "baby fat" he had carried through his tween years, and the way he held his lithe, but strong shoulders with the same fragile confidence Cecil had when she had known him as a dark knight.

"That's the boy we're looking for, Prince Ceodore," Rydia offered, and the man raised his eyebrows.

"Ah, I see. Not really a boy though, it would seem."

"I suppose you're right," Rydia smiled. "He's already fifteen, and now a knight. I bet he would be offended if he heard me call him a boy. Don't say anything when we finally meet up with him, OK?"

"Perish the thought," he replied in his usual monotone – although Rydia could swear she saw the tiniest hint of a smile – well, perhaps if she squinted… She quickly turned away when he caught her staring.

Edge and the Eblan Four made their way into the parlor, preparing to make their exit. Tsukinowa was peering out the heavily curtained windows, trying to pick up on the routes the soldiers made between Rosa's mother's house and the village gateway that would take them to freedom. Izayoi and Zangetsu were debating the merits of casting an Illusion spell to mimic one of the soldiers, and Edge had pulled Gekkou aside, whispering hurriedly before Rydia, Luca and the man in black left the dining room. Edge could see that Rydia was already starting to feel better just from the prospect of visiting Mist – she had risen from her chair and was cheerfully leading the charge in straightening up the unused tea cups and supplies Joanna had suddenly abandoned. The man in black was pressed into a corner, watching Luca and Rydia silently, although Edge could tell his mind was a million miles away.

"Gekkou…from the moment we arrive in Mist and going forward, I want you to wait on the Falcon and keep guard with the other three."

"Master…" Gekkou raised a perpetually-sleepy brow. "…Do you not trust us to keep up? Maybe we didn't prove ourselves in the Tower of Babil after all?"

"No," Edge shook his head. "It's not like that. I need people I can trust implicitly with securing an escape, if we should need one. I can't take my eye off this man in black for a moment."

"I see," Gekkou replied, and Edge immediately got into huff, his cheeks reddening.

"What's that tone for!?"

"What tone?"

"That…that one right there!"

"That's how I always talk."

"Exactly! You always sound like you're talking to an idiot when you're talking to me!"

Gekkou's other eyebrow joined the first, and Edge crossed his arms over his chest, daring him to argue.

"Master..." Gekkou shook his head. He wasn't going to take Edge's bait today – not after the hellish twenty-four hours he had spent in the Underworld. "May I offer an uninformed opinion?"

"If you must," Edge sighed.

"My initial instinct tells me that this man means us no harm – and that better yet, he seems to have a good grasp on this mess we've suddenly been thrown into. Don't you think it's interesting that he knew to seek out the Tower of Babil, and that better yet, he was not afraid to do so? And here we are, effectively declaring war on Baron by trying to break into the castle and seek an audience with a recluse king – and he didn't even bat an eye. It would seem to me that he's willing to support whatever you and Miss Rydia have in mind."

"Sure, sure," Edge shrugged. "So he's not afraid to get himself killed – I can begrudgingly respect that as long as it's not my own men being careless with their lives. But what I can't respect is that he won't be straight with me. What does he have to hide? As far as I'm concerned, he's no better than the hell-raiser who stole Rydia's eidolons."

"I can't say if he's hiding anything, of course," Gekkou mirrored Edge's shrug. "But Miss Rydia seems to trust him – if you hold any stock in her judgment– and I get the impression you think highly of her in many ways – perhaps you could focus more of your energy elsewhere."

Edge opened his mouth to argue, but took one look at Gekkou's calm, placating smile, and decided to give it up. The man was unflappable despite the many burdens Edge dumped on him – which just confounded Edge all the more. Even he couldn't stand himself most of the time – he had no idea how other people did it.

"Fine, fine – I'll try to back off a little," Edge relented. "But I was serious about you guys being my eyes on the Falcon while I'm away. I still don't trust him enough to leave Rydia alone."

"I will convey your wishes to the others when we have some privacy," Gekkou slightly tilted his head, and Edge saw that Rydia, Luca and their black-cloaked comrade were approaching.

"Do we have the all-clear to leave?" Rydia asked hopefully, and Tsukinowa let the curtain drop he had pinched between his fingers.

"It looks pretty safe." He gave her a wink, tugging up his cowl. "But if it comes to a fight, I'll definitely protect you!"

"Wow, what would your girlfriend in Mysidia say about that comment?" Izayoi giggled, and Tsukinowa blushed.

"She's not my girlfriend!" He scratched his head, looking away. "She would have to know I exist, first…"

Rydia shook her head, chuckling as she ruffled his hair. "Aw. Don't give up, OK? Maybe when this is all over, you can properly introduce yourself to her – give her a compliment and use it to strike up a conversation! Girls really like that, you know."

He looked up at her with a sheepish grin, and she patted her hip, where her coiled whip hung, ready at a moment's notice to slay. Edge couldn't help but feel as if she were directing her voice toward him as she cut him a brief side-eye.

"Besides…I'm quite capable of taking care of myself."


The flight to Mist was mercifully short – just a quick journey over the northern mountain range that bordered Baron, and plenty of flat grassland for them to land the Falcon, although there was evidence that a few small meteors had crashed from the storm. Rydia anxiously waited to disembark as Luca killed the engine and began her usual slew of end-of-flight prep. Rydia was only seconds away from just diving over the edge of the ship when Luca finally hit the button that would lower the ramp.

"I'll be back soon!" Rydia called over her shoulder, and Edge raised his hand in confusion.

"Wait…! We'll go with you…!"

Rydia didn't hear him as she pounded down the ramp, the wood panels buckling under her spiked heels as she elevated her pace to a clumsy jog. A tingly feeling spread over her scalp and down her neck as she laid eyes on the sloped, thatched roofing of the village homes and shops – none of the chimneys had smoke rising from within, and the air itself was eerily quiet – she didn't hear anyone working in the fields, playing with friends, or just lazily gossiping on the main drag. She had expected that by now there would have been at least one shout of surprise at the appearance of the Falcon – the ship was awfully loud. She also knew from visits from Cid and Luca on their respective ships that one could feel the wind generated by the rotors if you were anywhere in the valley, so it wasn't as if they had been stealthy with their arrival.

It doesn't look like any of the meteors actually crashed in town, Rydia frowned as she ran up the solitary dirt road that would deposit her in the heart of the village. There are no downed trees, the buildings are all standing, undamaged... It's dark from the moon, but not so much that you can't see if you still needed to be outside. So where is everyone?

"Hello?" Rydia called out, crossing the small community garden at the entrance of the village and running to her neighbor's house. No children were playing in the front yard, nor were any of them holed up in Rydia's apple trees next door. When no one responded to her greeting, she gave a forceful knock on the door, pushing up on her toes and peering anxiously into one of the upper story bedroom windows whose shade wasn't entirely pulled down.

"Hello? Is anyone home…? It's me, Rydia!"

But no movement came from inside – and the window remained dark.

She took a step backward on the stoop, a painful bubble of anticipation inflating in her stomach. She couldn't remember a day in her life that the family next door had never actually been around in some capacity – the matriarch had always seemed to have a little one to tend to, and her husband worked in the forge just across the lane. The older children never left town, and Rydia knew they didn't have family elsewhere – both parents had been teenagers when Mist burned to the ground and were each the sole survivors of their respective families. They had decided to make their lives in the newly-revitalized village and got married around the time Ceodore was born.

Cautiously, Rydia reached out, trying the door handle – but it was locked tight. Shaking her head, she took another step backwards, bumping into something unexpectedly warm and squishy and letting out a shriek.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"Whoa, girl!"

Rydia whirled around, pressing her hand to her chest as she gulped for breath. "Luca! Don't scare me like that!" The dwarven princess rested her hands on her hips, eyeing the house Rydia had just tried to enter.

"No one home?"

"No…" Rydia wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. "Isn't it too quiet?"

"Yeah, it's pretty quiet," Luca frowned, reaching up to adjust her visor from where Rydia had smashed it banging into her. "Your roomie home at your place?"

"I haven't tried yet."

The two of them walked next door, and Rydia tried the latch, only to find herself locked out of her own house.

"What the…?" Rydia furrowed her brow as she tugged harder and jiggled the door knob. "I…I didn't even know this door could lock."

"Are you serious?" Luca blinked, and Rydia nodded.

"Take a look around you…would you ever feel the need to lock your doors in a place like this?" Luca's gaze settled on the small pond next to which Rydia's mother was buried, a few other tiny houses that looked exactly alike in their simplicity and coziness, and finally, an inn that probably got one guest per year, if she were being generous – and it was probably King Edward or Master Cid when they came to visit.

"Uh…I guess you're right."

"I don't even have a key," Rydia frowned, collapsing on the front step and pressing her head to her hands. "This is insane…where did everyone possibly go?"

"There's no one at any of the shops," Edge's voice drifted over to them from a few yards away, and Rydia peered through the gaps between her fingers. Edge and the man in black were approaching them from across the street, with twin looks of concern plastered on their faces. Rydia felt another chill race up her spine, and she suddenly found herself wishing she could run into her own home and get a coat. Yes, the sun was being blocked by that dreadful moon, but…surely the planet wasn't freezing over already?

"Rydia…" the man in black squinted. "I can barely see you."

"What?" Rydia dragged her knuckles over her eyes before climbing back to her feet. Edge and the man in black had suddenly disappeared, and Luca was frantically spinning around, fading behind a curtain of white before Rydia's very eyes.

"Where'd those voices come from?" Luca blinked. "Edge…?"

Rydia gazed down at her hands, her eyes widening. Minute flecks of water were beading on her skin, a swirling white haze lacing between her fingers as she lifted them in the air.

"This mist…!" She gazed up toward the darkened sky, her heart pounding like a jackhammer as glittering particles began to dance around her. Someone was calling her name – it was faint, but she could still hear it over the roaring rush of blood pounding through her ears. "Mommy?"

"Huh?" Luca gasped, blindly reaching in front of her. "Rydia, where'd you go?"

"This must be the Mist Dragon's work..." Edge whispered, and the man in black nodded, even though no one else could see him.

"The mist itself is protecting the village, it would seem."

"Mommy?" Rydia tried again, her eyes watering as she unknowingly stumbled past Luca toward the pond she had spent so much time at as a little girl. She stopped when her boot splashed into water, and sank down to her hands and knees, the ends of her hair dipping into the stagnant pool as she stared at the quivering reflection before her. The girl staring up at her from the pond had a mop of untamed curls and a full, heart-shaped face, with dilated green eyes and a yellow cotton capelet thrown over her neck and shoulders.

This is me…my exact appearance the day Mist fell…I was here at this pond, reading with Mommy, when Cecil and Kain…

"You must leave at once, Rydia..." the voice whispered, and both Rydia and her reflection blinked.

"Mommy! It is you…!"

"Rydia? Do you hear something?" Edge's boots crunched over the gravel walkway to her house.

"Dear Rydia – I cannot leave this village unguarded. Not for now. Once you have freed the Eidolons from enemy hands... I want you to return here once more."

"Free the Eidolons?" Rydia shook her head, a tear splashing down her cheek into the pond, sending her reflection into a fit of ripples. "It's different this time…sixteen years ago, I was able to call them back to my side. But now…" She thought of the deadened indifference in Titan's eyes as the shadow from his foot washed over her pathetic form back in Agart, poised to crush her into dust and return her to the planet she had once fought so desperately to save by his side.

She felt a warm rush of air on her cheek, the earthly scent carried with it so nostalgic that she feared her heart would burst from her chest. She closed her eyes, her reflection in the pond gazing up at her as the dewy shade of a woman drifted across the ripples and kissed the little girl's cheek.

"You have all that you need for the task, Rydia... I will be waiting for you..."

Rydia's eyes snapped open when she felt the hand on her shoulder. Tilting her head, she saw Edge kneeling beside her, his brow furrowed and his cowl pulled down around his neck. The delicate white scar that cut over his brow, just reaching above his eyelid, glowed like a beacon in the fading veil of the retreating mist. She silently lifted one hand, tracing the tip of her nail over the smooth indentation where hair no longer grew.

You got this when my imposter from sixteen years ago attacked you in the Tower of Babil. She had thrown you into a wall of glass, slicing you to ribbons in retaliation for revealing her true form. You had been the only one to know that she was a fake – you knew as soon as you laid eyes on her, even though she was a perfect replica.

You said it was nothing – that you would be back to normal in a flash after Rosa healed you.

But you walked away with an eternal reminder of the price of your loyalty – and as for me? I let everything that happened that day slip from my mind…

"Rydia..." Edge reached up, capturing her fingers between his. "…Talk to me."

Rydia shivered from the warmth that exploded in her palm, resisting the urge to run her hand down the hollow of his cheek. Instead, she watched silently as he stood up, still clutching her hand in his. She followed his lead, rising with him and pushing the damp hair away that had fallen in her face, heavy with clinging droplets.

How could I have been blinded by despair for so long? With my friends by my side, I am unstoppable. I will free all of the eidolons, and woe to anyone who stands in my way this time! I swear to it, Mommy!

Rydia reluctantly released Edge's hand, a blush crawling up the sides of her face when she realized that Luca and the man in black were with them. The man in black was staring off toward the closed end of the valley that was collapsed under a mountain thanks to Titan and Rydia seventeen years prior, but Luca had a sneaky smirk on her face that told Rydia that the mist surrounding her and Edge might had dissipated faster than she thought. She looked across the pond toward her mother's grave, her fingers unconsciously curling into a fist. She felt Edge's hand over hers once more, his digits insistently entwining with hers – and this time, she could not bring herself to pull away.

"I know what we need to do to destroy the barrier surrounding Baron Castle."