Refia had the Crystals talk to Ingus and send him to Tokkul while she made her way there. When she arrived, Sara waited with Ingus in the small town's tavern. It was only big enough for their party and the other couple of people that populated the skinny counter of a service.

Ingus caught up Sara on the guild's ill-fated encounter. Sara was offended she wasn't ther.e

"We've rebuilt some of the main body," Refia said, "but it's nothing like before and now Baralai's drinking. Sometimes it feels like only Firion and myself remain."

"And the pirates," Ingus said.

"And the pirates. But they like to wander off and the responsibility falls to me to keep everyone in check. Cid handles the emotional burdens, but Firion's too battle-hungry and Baralai too discouraged for me to rely on them. We're a fraction of where we should be on our numbers."

"Breathe," Sara said.

Refia paused and found herself short of breath.

Ingus said, "It is a troublesome party brought from across the cosmos to wonder at each other's habits and rituals. All the cultures and differences you'll find, gathered into one room. Is it any wonder that they cannot keep themselves straight amidst the chaos?"

"But that's why I'm there," Refia said. "Cid, too. We keep them straight."

"And Arc?"

"He's gone."

"Before he left, did he much keep them straight or did he follow after those mages?"

"… The mages."

Ingus set his mug down and clasped his hands under his chin. "You wish for backup."

"Yes."

"I can come, too," Sara said. "At least, I wish I could. I might spare an evening now and again, at least."

"We need more than a precious evening, by the sounds of it," Ingus said.

Sara nudged him. "Then you should go."

"I am not meant for crowds."

"And yet you handle more troops than most of our captains. You might not specialize in individuals, darling, but you can handle a crowd like few I've seen."

"I'd kill for your help," Refia said. "If you're bad at crowds, then I'm plain useless."

Ingus took a while to respond. "I do not wish to commit the rest of my season to life in Saronia's countryside."

"Then give it a couple of weeks," Sara said.

Refia said, "No one's forcing you to stay. Just a few days would make me feel loads better. And then you can return to Sasune whenever you feel like it."

"Very well. I can depart in a week—"

"Oh, go on!" Sara shoved at Ingus. "We're close to the border now and you don't need much to make it to Saronia. Just go with Refia now and then you can come back sooner!"

Refia stared into her glass and remembered a dark afternoon in an unlit tavern not unlike this one. "Do you guys dream about it sometimes? Our quest last year?"

Ingus went stiff.

"Parts of it," Sara said. "Facing the general and meeting Desch. Why do you ask?"

Refia watched Ingus, but he wouldn't take his eyes off the far wall. "It's silly," she said. "But I keep seeing images. Strange ones. Of the future that I visited and things that I don't remember. It leaves me with a cold weight in my chest and I wonder sometimes… I know the Void can't be defeated for good, but I feel it creep closer."

"We will fight again," Ingus said.

"There's no avoiding that," Refia said, "and I know it. But don't you think we could get at least a few years' rest between fights?"

"It was a thousand years between you and the Warriors of Darkness, right?" Sara asked. "This has to be a fluke. I bet you're just tense and after this fiasco with the Guild below us, you can join me in Sasune and we'll do all sorts of useless things."

Refia allowed a flutter of nostalgia. "Yes, please."

"What do you think, Ingus?" Sara asked. "Maybe we'll dress up in something scandalous and flaunt ourselves about town like common wenches."

Ingus snapped out of his reverie and stared at Sara. "You'll do what?"

"Got his attention," Refia said.

"That I did." Sara giggled and shoved at Ingus. "I'm not turning to prostitution anytime soon, darling, you can be assured of that. But Refia's earned a break. Once you finish up with the Guild, how about you bring her to Sasune for me? Refia, what about your duties at home? Does your father not worry about you? How does the smithy keep running?"

"I learned from the best and the best can take care of himself for… a long time. Once I'm sure we're not about to fall to the forces of evil, then I'll go back to weapon-making. I've made a trip back already to replace and fix up some of the damage caused by our hardworking soldiers."

Ingus shook his head. "I swear I shall never remember a life outside your guild."

"Tell me about it," Refia said.


Seifer burst through the mist of nothingness and found solid, invisible floor. Fujin stepped in after him. If he squinted, he found the faintest outline of purple crystal, but no people to occupy it.

"Gone," Fujin said. "Too bad we used so many Heroes."

Seifer pulled his gunblade free. "They're probably hiding."

"We don't hide," came a smooth and baritone voice. "You dare expect a grand welcome as intruders?"

"You're one to talk!" Seifer forgot the pain in his feet and moved closer to the voice. "How about you show yourself!"

"What cheek."

"Pointless," Fujin said.

Seifer moved to cast fire, but the air left him dry. Instead he pulled a flask of holy water. "If you don't want me bursting this in your little palace, then get down here and talk to me like a real man!"

What looked like a lady decked in gold appeared and swished her cape, but when she spoke, it sounded like the dude that addressed them. "I could flog you for this," they said. "But alas, an emperor must abide by his principles; I can't deny that our error has caused unnecessary suffering on your world."

"Where's Alyssa?"

"I cannot give you her."

"To hell with that—where is she?"

The manlady flared their nostrils and leaned toward Seifer's level. "This is my domain, mortal. To speak down to me or mine is to speak down to all of—what you refer to as—hell."

Seifer broke the flask against the ground.

The manlady twitched and shuddered like they swallowed something. Another figure joined them, this one large and so heavily armored it hid every inch of skin. Seifer reached for a holy stone before Fujin snatched his wrist and held him back.

"You seek Alyssa of Gran Pulse," rumbled the armored man.

"They seek violence," said the manlady before straightening themself and facing Seifer. "We can grant you what you seek, but only at a trade."

"Dangerous," Fujin said. "Ghosts lie."

"Only in myths, dear," said the manlady.

The armored man landed with surprising grace and said, "You tread thin ground. We will not throw one of our own to the barbaric ways of mortal—"

Seifer hit the armored man with a holy stone and the place exploded with light. Fujin yanked Seifer back in time for the space around them to fill with dark explosions.

Fujin crushed a protect stone. The explosions boomed about them and the shock of it rattled Seifer's chest.

"Arrogant whelps!"

A whip of a sword struck Seifer in the back and sent him barreling into Fujin. The protect shield crumbled and Fujin tossed a flare stone that caught both their opponents in an explosion of fire.

Neither noticed its effects and armored dude caught Fujin on his sword-whip. Manlady aimed for Seifer with more lightshow magic.

Seifer threw another holy stone and caught both. Fujin got free of armored dude's range and readied a vial of holy water.

Fujin froze. Seifer reached for his items only to lose control of his limbs and lock into place. A woman stepped into the space and clucked her tongue. "What violence," she said. "Emperor, how could you let your guests run out of control like this?"

"Ultimecia!" Seifer yelled before losing his voice.

"We should kill them," said armored man.

"Precisely what I was thinking." Manlady approached Seifer and dropped to their feet before sticking the point of their staff to Seifer's throat. "Hence why I let you go on for so long. You bear a certain determination, mortal, as does your companion. Have you given any thought to the offer of a trade?"

Seifer found words again. "No deal until I get a hold of that bitch you're hiding."

"We'll take it," Fujin said.

"That's one of you," this "Emperor" said before moving to join Fujin on the edge of Seifer's view. "I'd love the whole set, but one of you is better than none."

The armored man said, "What have we to gain from two reckless living bodies?"

"Not as much as I would like," said Ultimecia.

Seifer barely breathed against the frozen weight on his chest. Fujin glanced to him, but his peripheral vision only caught so much of her. Fujin looked away and said, "We're going to hell, anyway. We'll find our vengeance then."

"Oh." Emperor dismissed their staff and returned to their float. "Then what would we do in return for your service? Unless you want to leave with nothing, of course."

"Call it a favor," Fujin said. "We'll hold you in our debt until the time comes when we feel like calling you out."

Seifer choked. "In exchange for what?"

"Service for service," Emperor said.

"What kind of service?" Seifer asked.

"You'll see when you get there," said Ultimecia. "Don't worry—we won't ask for dead babies or mutilated children."

Emperor chuckled and moved into a sitting position without anything to rest again. "But if you're coming here, anyway, then I figured I'd make use of you while we're at it. It's a terrible waste of talent to see you flailing about in mortality. It's a miracle I haven't claimed you all ready, so you should get going while I've the mind to let you live. Be careful when wandering realms, would you? There's a reason it's not the done thing."

"I don't care about living," Seifer said.

Fujin said, "I do! Let Seifer go and take me if you have to."

Seifer struggled against the witch's hold. "No!"

"Now, now, don't panic." Ultimecia approached Seifer and he felt that familiar, sickening draw to her like a fire in the cold. She forced him to look at her with sharp nails. "You two and your friend worked best together, so I won't soon separate you."

Seifer stifled that absurd rush at her touch and wished it didn't fill him with pride to hear her approval. Damned witch bonds.

"Let us go," Fujin said. "We've sworn ourselves to you ghosts already."

Ultimecia grinned at Fujin with the same smile but now it looked predatory. Was that how she looked at Seifer? "Of course, dear."

The space vanished and Seifer tumbled back through space.