If Rosa hadn't spoken to Cecil herself when she first awoke, she would have thought he never moved. When she and the other girls returned to the center of Sanctuary, he was perched exactly where he was before. He was knelt on the ground, weight rocked back on his heels, with his upper body resting on Cosmos' throne. His arms were crossed, and his head lay in the crook of his elbow.

She climbed the stairs and sat opposite him, watching his face. He never twitched, not even his eyelids. He was fast asleep once again.

People tended to look softer and more vulnerable in their sleep, but he looked the same. She knew, both from her memories and from how he treated her when she arrived in the war, how gentle and caring he truly was. It was his natural disposition. The sharp features that she couldn't recognize before - his bright eyes, pointed nose, and contoured jawline - now belied a sweet, honest, genuine nature that she remembered fondly, and the thoughts brought warmth to her heart and a smile to her face. His ability to care for others that he loved was a sentiment that they both shared, and she found everything about his personality terribly endearing now. Elegant, graceful, majestic, and modest. He sported all of them whether awake or asleep.

She almost lamented waking him again to talk to him. He deserved his rest, for how hard he worked to keep her alive, and he looked so completely exhausted and drained before. Already, the circles and bags under his eyes were beginning to fade with the little rest he caught.

She brushed some of the soft, silver strands of hair away from his face, and he stirred. He lifted his head, blinking hard against Sanctuary's bright light.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"Oh! No, no, I'm glad you did," he said. He scrambled up to sit next to her on the throne. "I didn't expect you to be back so quickly. I, uh-" His eyes focused on her, all cleaned up and good as new, and he paused mid-sentence. " . . . I, um . . . " He blinked, and she watched his eyes flick to every part of her face. " . . . Um, I . . . " Her eyes, her lips, her hair. She smiled, tilting her head to politely say, 'Go on,' and it only flustered him more. His cheeks turned a violent shade of red that looked ridiculous against the normal paleness of his face. He shook his head. " . . . I'm sorry. I lost what I was going to say. I'm struck by you."

She couldn't help but laugh, and he chuckled in embarrassment. "Thank you. Do you like my hair?"

"I do! That looks like one of Tifa's braids. And I also recognize that outfit." he said, reaching out and grabbing the lace on one of her sleeves.

"I do as well! I wore this when we went on our adventures together. I'm so excited to tell you all that I remembered."

"I am, too. Do you still want me to get Kain?"

"I want you both to be here to hear it. There's a lot I need to say to him."

He stood up from the throne quickly and took a few steps, then his knees wobbled threateningly. He blinked rapidly and threw his arms out for balance. Rosa couldn't get up and circle the throne fast enough to help him, but luckily he recovered.

"We're both worse for wear," she teased, and he chuckled. She said, "I'll go to get Kain."

"No, I can fetch him," he said. "You shouldn't exert yourself,"

"Me?" she asked incredulously. "You told me you barely slept since I was brought back here."

"I haven't, but I don't mind," he said. Before she could protest, he ran around Cosmos' throne, behind where she was facing, and she found Kain resting with his back against one of the crystals. Cecil knelt down next to him and touched his shoulder, and when Kain lifted his head, Cecil pointed back her way. He vaulted to his feet, and the two of the were back at her side in an instant.

She stood up from the throne and he bowed stiffly, but she rolled her eyes. "Come here," she said, and she opened her arms for him. He stepped into her and she hugged him as tightly as she could.

"How are you?" he asked her when they pulled away.

"I'm fine. A bit sore, but I'll be fine. I remembered so much about us. I wanted you both here so I could tell you." She gestured to the throne for all of them to sit, and when they took their positions with her in the middle, she launched into her retelling. "It's silly how so much of us is built on our experiences. The more I remember, the more I learn about myself. There are things I now know inherently to be true that I had no way of even conceptualizing before. And now that I remember more I realize I haven't been acting like myself.

"On the day I completed my Mage's training and was inducted into the Guild, my mother reminded me of why I became a White Mage, and of all the values I hold because of her. Charity, love, loyalty, and others. If I ever have the power to make a difference then I have an obligation to, and that obligation brings me great joy. I want to always be kind and respectful to others, and I know I owe you both a few apologies for falling short of that. Sorry," she said, even though she knew neither of them would hold her to it. "There are people I want to protect, and I know now that I should always give my best effort in that. I will, from now on, no matter where I am or for whom I fight." She gave a pointed glance to the two of them, so they would know it was them.

"My mother was my most avid supporter, and she would have loved and supported me even if I had chosen a different path. Come to think of it," she said, the sentiments suddenly appearing to her, "I think she wished I would have chosen something else towards the end. But she was still proud of me, and I am glad I chose to be a White Mage and live the life I chose. I feel grateful to her for being the one to instill those values in me."

"Lady Joanna was well-respected in and around Baron," Cecil said, "both for her talents and for her virtues. Before you, it was she who was the kingdom's premier healer."

" . . . She's still alive, isn't she?" she asked. Rosa felt as though she was still alive in her heart, but she asked quietly, afraid of the answer should it be negative. She wasn't sure if she would even be able to grieve properly if she hadn't remembered everything.

"Oh, yes!" Cecil said quickly. "Yes, when we went on our journey across the Overworld, she was well."

She sighed her relief. "I still don't know much about my father."

"He was a Dragoon," Kain said. "And was also well-respected. He was high up in the chain of command, only a few ranks below Commander." Kain paused. "He, unfortunately, fell in the service of the Kingdom." She felt a burst of sadness when he told her, but it felt faint and distance, like the wound was old.

"He died when I was very young, I think," she said. "I feel sad, but it feels . . . faded."

"Yes, we were children. Five or six, I think," Cecil said, and with it came a small flash of the funeral procession, with six Dragoons in full ceremonial armor hefting her father's wooden casket on their shoulders. Her mother, inconsolable, walked and wept next to him, occasionally peering down at him. Rosa was too short to see inside. Instead, she kept her eyes on Cecil, who was walking on pace with her but in the crowd. Luckily, the memory fizzled out quickly.

"I remember much of the time we spent together," she said. "We used to have this game, you and I. A question for a question. But they couldn't be normal questions. They had to be meaningful and comprehensive. Something about the most deep parts of our souls, so we could know each other." Kain looked away, and Rosa realized with a start that he must not have been in on their little game. Her heart sank as she realized she probably inadvertently hurt his feelings again. "And Kain, she tried to salvage before it was too late, "on days when Cecil was called away for the Red Wings, you and I used to . . . " She trailed off. No memories of just her and Kain alone had come back to her yet. She panicked. "Well, we would . . . " she stammered. She stared hard at where his eyes would be under the helmet and to her embarrassment, no new ones surfaced either. She wanted to make him feel included. "Help me remember," she said. "What would we do?"

Kain's back stiffened. He was clearly unprepared for the question. He took a few seconds to think it through, then chuckled. "I think I spent most of my time with you being scolded."

"Well, if you didn't do so many things that got the two of us in trouble, I wouldn't have-" she huffed impulsively, the words escaping like she had been ready to say it. She made a show of shaking her head, letting him know there were no negative feelings. "You told me one day as a joke that the library Tome Room was open to visitors and I believed you! I wanted to go in there to read, but got angry when you had to sneak us in through a window by Jumping up to it! The Tome Keeper caught us and chased us out, throwing Toad spells at our feet!" It was scary at the time, but she remembered it fondly. It was a funny story, and she told it more than once to make others laugh. "You constantly played pranks on the both of us!"

"They were well-mannered," he insisted lightly. "Cecil eventually found all of his left shoes."

"That was you?!" Cecil yelled, lowering his chin to stare hard at Kain. He scoffed, but the slight smile on his face ruined the show of his outrage. "I was punished for that! I showed up for training with one shoe on, and my commanding officer put me on gate guard that night with no shoes on!"

Rosa snorted, picturing Cecil standing guard at the castle gate in full plate armor from his head to only his knees. Only his shins and his bare, pale toes poked out and glared in the sun. She watched his face, and his mouth was locked open in shock, utterly betrayed. Kain smirked, one corner of his lips turned up, and his eyes flicked between the two of them. Rosa dissolved into laughter, curling protectively over her aching ribs. She quickly winced from the pain and was forced to cough, but when she recovered she still couldn't stop giggling.

"And you!" Cecil said, pointing at her. "You were involved! You were complicit!" Rosa glanced at Kain and the two of them laughed even harder. Cecil couldn't maintain the façade. He chuckled once, hanging his head. "I can't believe that was you making me suffer. I never suspected you two."

"Well, don't get too worked up about it," Rosa said. "In fact, you should be thanking us. A little bare-footed shame does wonders for one's character. I think it made you into the man you are today."

"Perhaps, if I hadn't been so bitter for so long!"

"Our friends used to prank each other, too," Rosa said. "Rydia and Edge fought constantly. Edward and Yang were often the peacekeepers of the group and would try to separate them or calm them down."

"Palom and Porom used to make me so angry," Cecil said. "They would fight about anything and everything. Just constantly in each other's faces. I had to remind myself that they were children to keep myself from yelling. If Porom was right, Palom would stop talking completely and wait for her to lower her guard. Then he'd get her back somehow. If Palom was right, Porom would find a way to tell him he was wrong. 'You cast that spell wrong!' 'You should know that if you're so smart!' What made me the most angry was that they would nearly trade blows and then be best friends again, less than two minutes later. They were good fun."

The conversation lulled, and they shared a comfortable silence. There was one more memory she knew she had to mention, but she struggled to come up with the most tactful way to do so. "I said earlier that I owe you both an apology. And I do. I'm sorry for treating you both so poorly. Especially you, Kain." She reached towards him and covered his hand with hers. "I remembered what happened in the Tower of Zot, right after you rescued me." His face crumpled and his shoulders slumped down, but she gave his hand a slight squeeze. "I remembered that you helped to rescue me, and I recalled how grateful I was, and how hurt you were by . . . everything that happened. I know I forgave you - you were our friend, and I wanted nothing to disrupt that. All I wanted was for you to fight alongside us again, and I harbored no ill feelings towards you then. None at all. What I said before, the way I drudged up old wounds like I did . . . I had limited memories, but I should never have done that to you. That's not how I felt when it actually happened, and that's not how I feel now. That's not the person I am, and I hope you can forgive me. I promise, I'll never do that to you again."

She was staring down at his chest plate, but she forced herself to stare up into his face despite her embarrassment. He took a short moment, unmoving, and her heart jolted at the thought that he wouldn't forgive her. Then, after a moment, he turned his hand over and squeezed her hand back. "Just as you forgave me, in the same spirit I forgive you. I know you did not know what you were doing, and I would not want something so insignificant to come between our friendship."

"Thank you."

Out of the corner of her eye, Cosmos raised a hand to signal her approach. At Rosa's nod, she and her guards crossed the water again towards them. The rest of the warriors took that as their cue, and approached as well.

"Welcome back," Cosmos said, and Rosa could tell how tired she was as well. She had a muted sense to her powerful gold aura, as though she had poured some of her very essence into a strenuous task. Rosa knew instantly that Cosmos had used much of her power to heal her.

Cosmos smiled, with a genuine light in her eyes. "I'm so pleased to see you awake."

"Yes, awake by your providence," Rosa said, staring into her crystalline blue eyes. "Thank you," she said, clasping her hands over her heart and bowing her head to show her sincerity.

"Not just mine," Cosmos said. "Cecil stayed by your side for the duration of your peril."

"I know," she said, and she reached for his hand. He clasped his other hand over hers and squeezed it tightly. Cosmos beamed down at the two of them, and Rosa remembered that they had commandeered her throne. "Oh!" she startled as soon as she realized it. "I'm sorry. Would you like to sit?" She pushed herself off the throne with a quiet groan, working out the stiffness of her joints.

"No, thank you."

"Cosmos and I wanted to ask you about some details of the attack so that we could start to develop a plan moving forward," Firion said.

Kain crossed his arms. "I think, based on the frequency and ferocity of the Emperor's attacks, that we need more than a mere schedule change. Another course of action entirely-"

"Exactly," Firion said. "Cosmos approved a direct attack against the Emperor, and she placed me in charge of leading that attack." Rosa's eyes widened, and she looked to Cosmos for the confirmation. It seemed odd and out of character for Cosmos to launch the same vicious attack that had almost killed her.

"I do not want a drawn-out or cruel attack," Cosmos said at Rosa's quick glance. "I will not support or condone the same violence that he inflicted upon you in this attack. But we've suffered enough by his hand. We very nearly lost you, and I expended too much of my power to revive you. If the Emperor persists, it will only grow more difficult to keep you safe."

"Actually, he had help this time," Rosa said. "I was fighting in the Fens with my party, and I chased a manikin behind some rocks to a little inlet. That manikin and two others cut off my escape, and I took some damage. I was thrown over the edge of the path and over the water, and the next thing I knew I was being tossed through a portal."

"Where did you go?" Firion asked.

"I woke up in a dark world. The floor was glass, or maybe crystal, and I could see stars through it. There was a large orange crystal hanging from the ceiling that lit up the entire world." Firion nodded, and she knew that he recognized the place she was describing. "Three warriors appeared, and from their talking I found out they called themselves Kefka, Ultimecia, and Exdeath. We fought for a bit, I took some blows, and . . . " She could only remember bits and pieces. She remembered her heart beating out of her chest. The panic and the tears that nearly fell as she waited in suspense for someone to show themselves. A harsh Thundaga that contorted her muscles, the Shell she used to break some kind of hold over her, a back-handed slap that stung her cheeks. The rest was a blank slate. " . . . I don't remember anything after that. How did I get out? I remember seeing someone appear before I lost consciousness."

"Golbez saved you," Cecil said. "He held them off so that I could get you out of there." Cecil craned his neck and peered over his shoulder, pointing somewhere across the room. Rosa followed his gaze to see a familiar set of jet-black plate armor, lurking timidly at a distance. Close enough to hear the discussion, but far enough away to not be noticed. She beckoned him over, and Golbez stiffened, standing up straight. His hand immediately went to his side, and as he lumbered forward she realized he was limping heavily, covering a wound with his hand.

"Are you wounded?" Rosa asked him.

" . . . N-" he began, and then paused. "As I said before, it was a small price to pay for your safety."

"Did no one offer to heal you?" Rosa asked.

"I refused. I did not want to take up any more time than necessary. Your condition was far more dire than mine. I have more than enough potions and supplies to care for myself in the Realm of Discord, but I wanted to see to it first that you recovered. I'm glad you are well."

With that, Golbez turned and began to slowly trudge to the edge of Sanctuary.

"Wait! You're leaving?" Cecil asked, launching to his feet.

Golbez chuckled lightly, cutting the sound off before it turned into a groan. "Would you have me stay here any longer?"

"Kefka, Ultimecia, and Exdeath will be after you for saving me," Rosa said. "And, perhaps, the Emperor. You'd be safer here. I can heal you, too."

"Safer?" he repeated. "You think remaining here will keep them from hunting me down? No, the only thing I would do is lead them to your doorstep. . . . To not return would be worse. I'll not be seen by them as a coward. A fool, perhaps, stubborn in morals, but not a coward."

"But-" Cecil tried, but Golbez cut him off.

"Cecil, I condemned myself from the moment I raised a spell against a fellow warrior. I am prepared to suffer whatever consequences Chaos deems necessary - I assume he's heard by now of what I've done. I do not regret my actions. You will not sway my judgment."

"At least let me heal you," Rosa suggested, one last time.

"No. You and Cosmos both need to save your strength. As I said before, I have enough Items in my personal stock to care for myself."

"How can I repay your kindness?" Cosmos asked, but Golbez grabbed the edge of his cape and swirled it around himself, disappearing from Sanctuary.

"So . . . was the Emperor there, Rosa?"

"Firion, you take yourself far too seriously," Rosa sighed.

"Only when the Emperor's involved."

Rosa tried to recall if the Emperor ever made an appearance at the end of the fight. She was certain he hadn't been there at the start, but she faded fast in the last few moments. "I don't know. I don't think so, but my memory is hazy. Did Golbez say anything about what happened once he showed up?"

"Golbez said he didn't see the Emperor either, but he arrived late," Cecil said.

"He most likely wasn't there at all, then," Firion said. "It would align more with his normal dealings if he wasn't there. Remember how I said before, after his first attack, that he never makes the same mistake twice? Instead of risking another direct failure, he most likely hired Kefka, Ultimecia, and Exdeath to do it for him."

There was a small snort from somewhere in the group, and Vaan poked his head up from behind Cosmos. "Haha, the Emperor's gonna flip if he finds out that she's alright, won't he?"

"If we're launching a direct attack as you say," Kain said, "he won't live long enough to find out." He looked directly at Cosmos. "I'm going on this mission." He said it like a challenge, as though she had any reason to object and he was already ready to fight anyone about it. "Rosa, let me fight for you. I owe you as much."

She smiled to herself at the irony of him asking her that. In her memory, after his betrayal, he didn't find himself worthy to be in their party. She and Cecil both had to beg him to team up with them again. "You owe me nothing. But I'd be honored nonetheless. I can only assume that you'll be going to valiantly avenge my untimely demise as well," she said, looking to Cecil.

He laughed. "Absolutely. I would consider it the highest privilege and honor."

"Man. This is gonna make for a great story!" Zidane said. "I can see it now, on the stage of the Prima Vista, the most premier stage in all of Alexandria! Brave knights, charging into battle for their woman! An Emperor, slain in the name of love," he said, clasping his hands over his heart. He suddenly clenched his fist and yelled, "and retribution! The fair maiden," he emphasized, winking to Rosa. She rolled her eyes. "The fair maiden waves her token at their figures, growing smaller on the horizon as they leave for battle. I, of course, play the brave knight who comes away victorious and wins the heart of the maiden," he added at the end.

"Zidane, if you produce that play, I'll gladly play a part," Rosa said.

"Okay," Vaan said. "But you have to play the maiden, Rosa," Vaan said as though it wasn't obvious. Rosa paused, thinking he was only joking and waiting for a punchline. But when none came and they all sat in awkward silence, she cleared her throat.

"Yes. Thank you, Vaan. Anyway, when were you planning on launching this attack?"

"We first want to strategize with Warrior," Cosmos said. "I value his insight on a plan of attack, and potential challenges he may forsee. In the meantime, Rosa-"

"I know. I wasn't planning on leaving Sanctuary by myself any time soon."

"Whoever goes and messes the Emperor up has to bring back something to give to our fair maiden," Zidane said, still stuck somewhere between his play and the discussion. "A trophy, or a token. Oh! His staff! Bring back his staff, someone."

" . . . Could Rosa use it?" Firion asked, already thinking of the practicalities. "It's probably tainted with bad magic."

"No, no, not to use. As a trophy! We can mount it in Sanctuary or something."

"Zidane, we have to defeat him first," Cecil said. "This will be dangerous, and we can't plan too far ahead."

At that moment, there was a flash of gold from the nearby Teleport Stone. The last mission group was returning, with Warrior at their front.

"There he is," Cosmos said. "We will keep you updated as we make our decisions, Rosa," Cosmos said. "Cecil, Kain, and Firion, you three with me."