Chapter 9

Friends and foes

The next day, Kain was up early and was just about to cross the castle courtyard, whistling a merry tune, as he met Edward. "Oh up so early, Kain? Training again?" the bard, sitting on a bench, lyre in one hand, asked with his melodically voice.

"Good morning, Edward! What are you doing here?" Kain said. Although the King of Damycan and he hadn't much in common, they respected each other - and if it was to please Cecil and Rosa.

"Oh, I just felt the urge to play some music on this wonderful morning..."

Kain only gave a polite nod. "Liar... He probably had to think of this girl of his, Anna again..."

"And where are you going?" Edward asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Oh... On.. on a walk... in the woods... Right..."

"I don't want him to get any wrong ideas..."

"Alone?" Edward frowned. "Ah well I forgot! Cecil told me... You're doing this often...." He started to play a soft tune on the lyre.

"What a luck... He believes me!"

"Huhuh! Kain!" Diane shouted cheerfully from the castle gate. "I am here already!"

"Shit!"

"Ahem..." Edward smiled "Alone; yes? You wouldn't be supposed to go--"

"It's not how it looks!" Kain snapped. "Besides this is none of you concern..." He hurried towards Diane.

Edward just shrugged his shoulders and continued playing. "Don't get upset! Just be back in time! Cecil and the others should come back today..."

The ex-dragoon just muttered something unfriendly.

As Kain was out of hearing range the bard had to smile: "Oh my....Haven't I seen someone blush?"

~*~

This time, they ventured even deeper in the woods as Kain knew the best places for some special flowers. By Midday, Diane had a full basket of beautiful plants and the two settled down again to eat. They had talked and laughed a lot over this and that but hadn't gotten over chit-chat. Still, Kain felt in a good mood today and talked more than he usually did although the things that Diane had said yesterday hang foreboding in the air. Diane seemed to sense this. As they said down eating she suddenly became very silent.

"Your cooking is really great Diane! Now I know why Cid is so fat!" Kain grinned.

Diane smiled; almost shyly. "Are... are you angry with me about what I said yesterday? You know... with your lost love..."

Kain shook his head. "No... I like people who are straight forward..."

"Phew... Good..." Diane sounded truly relieved. "I just... I just like you much better when you're grinning like that...Ouch! Something's fallen on my head..."

She removed the hair net and tried to get a little twig out of her hair, but in the end had to loose it completely. Kain gasped as he saw silky red masses flowing down her shoulders gently.

"Not even Rosa has such hair..."

Diane looked at him questioningly while combing her hair out with her fingers. "Everything alright?"

"You... you are very pretty, you know that?" Kain said and then hastily took another bite of his sandwich. "This is really good!" he said while chewing.

"Thank... thank you... You're quite handsome, too..." Diane said softly beside him.

Kain swallowed and looked at her again. She was watching him attentively, only smiling slightly.

 "You're especially handsome when you grin..." Diane added and suddenly laughed.

"I wonder if she really likes me?"

"Kain?"

"Yes?" Kain tried to sound as calm as possible, though inside he suddenly felt excitement, nearly anxiety...

"Now it comes..."

"Let's... lets be friends..."

"Friends? She only sees in me a friend?"

Diane suddenly looked unsure. "Did I say something wrong? I... I am sorry to have asked… You're a famous fighter with enough problems of your own and I am just a simple girl... I am not like Rydia or your other friends... I can't even hold a sword..." She hastily tied her hair together and was about to stand up.

"No...no... Now wait!" Kain stammered. "I... I was just in thoughts - there's nothing I would like more than being your... friend!"

"Was I expecting something else?"

At once Diane's insecurity disappeared and she was back to her old self. "I... I am so glad..." she said; her brown eyes sparkling. "Oh - shouldn't we go back? Father and the others are coming back today..."

Kain stood up with haste, too "Yep - right, let's hurry..."

"Curses! I have forgotten completely about them... I just do not hope that they arrive earlier than expected, thus seeing us like this..."

~*~

The others had arrived earlier. As Kain and Diane reached the castle gate, they were already greeted by their friends. "Kain... Here you are!" Cecil exclaimed: "We were already searching for you, when Edward told us that you were taking a walk in the woods, alone..." He looked at Diane, surprised. "Why hello, Diane!"

Edward smiled mischievous, but flinched as he noticed how angry Kain was looking at him.

"This damn bard... "

The young woman at Kain's side smiled. "Welcome home, Cecil! Where's father?"

"He's still at the airship!" Rosa informed her.

"Hey Diane!" Rydia shouted. "Look whom I've met!" Diane rushed to her friend. "See you later Kain!"

"See you later? Oh - you have become friends! This is so great!" Rosa beamed happily.

"Err... no, not exactly... Er..." Kain stammered nervously, wondering how he should explain everything.

"Not? More than that?"

"Ah - Rosa stop it! It's a long story... We are friends, all right?! Nothing more..."

"Really? You're blushing..." Rosa giggled.

"Really...I am not blushing - I've been outside all morning- it is normal to have red cheeks... Cecil, tell her to stop!" He shot his friend a help searching look. However, the Paladin was deep in thoughts. "Why this serious face?" Kain asked.

Suddenly Rosa got serious, too. "Oh I nearly forgot - sorry Cecil... Important things first..."

"Important things?" Kain asked warily.

"Kain..." Cecil said, "Golbez is back..."

Kain stared in shock at his friend. "Golbez!?"

His two friends filled him in.

"He... he may be hard to get along with... But... but please try..." Cecil begged, but secretly wondered how Kain possibly could do this. He himself had problems to get along with his brother.

Kain nodded seriously. "I'll try my best... Where is he?"

"At the castle - he was tired and wanted to rest a bit... We'll have a meeting later this evening to discuss what to do next - why not meet him then?" Cecil said.

"Alright!" Somehow Kain felt as if he could take everyone on, today.

Rosa and Cecil exchanged glances as they walked in - they had not seen their friends so self confident in a long time.

~*~

The friends met in the great hall of Baron Castle. Golbez didn't seem to notice Kain until the blond man approached him with a greeting: "Long time not seen, Golbez - or should I say master..."

The tall man chuckled slightly "You seem to have kept some humour at least... The dark side can be so corrupting - I hope the weight on your shoulders is not too great."

Kain frowned. Cecil was right - Golbez was really strange.

"You're really straight forward, are you? I had some problems, but your brother was so kind to forgive me for my doings and is helping me, together with Rosa, greatly..."

"Yes - Cecil is that way... I hope it helps..."

Golbez behaviour angered and confused Kain - what was this man thinking! "Well excuse me, but--"

The tall man raised a hand. "No insult meant - If I haven't done it before I would like to apologize again to you for what I did, though I would understand also, if you would like to beat the hell out of me..."

"He sounds as if he's accepted everything he's done in a strange way- as if there had been no other choice..." Kain studied him coldly "What's done is done... Time will prove if we can get along..."

"Fascinating!" Golbez laughed. "I didn't think that you would react that cool - from what I remember, you used to be quite a hotspot. Maybe my brother's efforts weren't in vain after all..."

"Yes he's right... I am very calm... I wonder why?" Still, he did not like Golbez's way and secretly wondered why Cecil had brought him to Baron.

"Cecil has done very much for you and I am sure that his "efforts" could help you as well... Golbez. As much as I understand Cecil's desire to see his brother again, as much I hope that you won't disappoint him..." Kain grinned and started to walk back to the others. "The meeting is starting - you should come, too..."

"Well done; dragoon- you do not disappoint me- fight me with all you've got... It is the best you can do..." Golbez murmured quietly and followed him, smiling dryly.

The meeting started. Cecil and the others informed Edward as well as Kain shortly about what had happened at Agart.

"As Golbez didn't sense anything unusual at the moon, we can assume that the problems - or at least the reason for the increasing monsters lie somewhere else... Am I right; Brother?" Cecil said with a sharp glance at Golbez: He still hadn't gotten over what the other had said about their father the day before. His brother nodded calmly.

"All these things - the earthquake, the monsters, the burnt shrine, and the magical sea snake can't be just coincidences. And worst of all the magic fluctuations in the air make it harder and harder to cast certain magic spells..." the paladin continued. "Kieran here had an interesting theory concerning--"

"And I say again that it's is completely nonsense!!!" Golbez interrupted him in a sharp tone.

Cecil's face grew hard. "Would you be so kind Golbez to let him speak?"

"As you wish, Cecil..." Golbez seemed nearly happy about the scolding.

The tension between the two brothers was very visible now and unnerved the others. They were not used to Cecil talking in that way. Kieran bowed slightly, though his face showed no sign of triumph due to Cecil's scolding.

"Yes... well - I believe that the tower of Bab- Il is causing all these problems of late due to a mechanic malfunction. As you must know, the tower contains ancient technology - a weapon system or something like that may have gone out of control and is not only causing the earthquake but also an unusual amount of static energy which is causing the magical fluctuations..." the wizard reported in a calm voice. For a moment there was silence.

"And why the destruction of the shrine?" Edge asked sharply.

"Probably just the work of a madman..." the green-haired man proposed.

"No. I don't believe that... Dawn... a person I met at Mt. Ordeals knew the man - there sure is more to it..." Cecil argued.

"I agree. This man, who also tried to corrupt me surely was acting on purpose... He probably planned to separate us..." Kain added.

"Oh - so he was another manipulator...Interesting..." Golbez frowned. "May I speak, Cecil?" It sounded serious.

The features of the Paladin softened a bit. "Maybe I am too hard on him..." He tried to smile.

"Surely, Golbez - your advice is welcome."

"As I said before - the tower of Bab-Il has as far as I know no technology which could be responsible for an earthquake or such... I believe that your suspect that the moon is causing all this is right... It still does not explain everything. All I know is that I, too, am likely to have been brought to the Blue Planet by purpose rather than accident, which means that something here must be clearly wrong..."

Most of the others nodded in agreement.

Edge was still sceptical. "That's all fine, but what are we doing now? Waiting for the next catastrophe to come could be a mistake..."

"I would propose to visit the tower of Bab- Il right away. Not only that it could solve all problems, we could also try to re-access the underworld through it..." Kieran proposed.

"Really?" Rydia stared at him in disbelief.

"Most of the tower of Bab- Il lies in ruins... We do not know if there even is an entrance at all..." Edward considered.

"I agree... Maybe it would be better to visit the Elder of Mysidia again... Word from him comes only very sparely. Maybe something happened... We also could try to find this "Dawn" you were speaking of, Cecil," Yang said.

"Yes - it is probably the best thing to do... The theory with the tower of Bab-Il is too vague..." The paladin pondered.

"May I ask your Highness why you don't intend to at least try entering it? Surely the wish of Miss Rydia to return to the Underworld is known to you, as I understand you're friends..." Kieran demanded to know. Rydia stared wide eyed at him - to speak in such way with Cecil...

Unlike in Golbez's case, the paladin stayed calm, though. "Yes - she is a very dear friend... Netherless the risk is too great unless we have no other options left... Surely Rydia will understand that as well..." He smiled at the caller, who nodded, though seemed to be sad.

"Sir Kieran... May I ask where you knowledge of the construction of the tower comes from?" Golbez studied the man amused.

For a moment Kieran stared hatefully at him. "You may... In the library of Mysidia I have found ancient constructing plans for a tower very similar to Bab- Il. One can assume that there has to be a connection between the two..."

"Hmmm... Interesting..." Golbez murmured, leaning back in his chair.

"Er... so it's set then? We're off to Mysidia?" Rosa seemed to tire of this constant bickering.

Everyone agreed -- except for Kieran: "And I say it again... It's a mistake, your majesty..."

Rydia looked at him, concerned.

"For now let's rest..." Yang proposed. "Tomorrow will be soon enough".

Everyone nodded and left the table. As Kain was about to leave the hall he was stopped by Parom and Palom. The two twin wizard hadn't been at the meeting. "Probably for a good reason…" Kain frowned.

"Hey, Kain! Won't you thank us?" the little boy asked.

"Thank you? For what?" Slowly it dawned on Kain.

"Well that you're together with Miss Diane..." Palom stated.

"What?! I am not together with Diane!" Kain said aloud and cursed himself at once for this. "Hope nobody heard me..."

"What's with my daughter?" Cid approached the group.

The twins giggled.

"Nothing..." Kain answered quickly.

"She is his new girlfriend!" Porom blurted out.

"You little brat! That is not true!" Kain snapped, head deep red.

"See - he is blushing!" Palom laughed.

Cid stared at him stunned, "I hope this is a joke!"

"Really Cid! I... We've just become normal friends during your absence... You know that I love only..." As he saw the twin wizards blinking curiously at him he frowned. "Well, you know what I mean..."

This seemed to calm down the sturdy engineer.

"Good - hands off from her... She's a good girl - nothing for you..." Cid grunted and walked away. He and Kain had never got along very well, Cid being somewhat old fashioned while Kain had been quite a hot spot in his youth. Only their friendship to Cecil and Rosa held them together, though Kain often had the feeling that Cid never really had forgiven him for what he'd done to them... especially the quarrel between the couple due to Kain's return.

"You will regret this..." Kain hissed to the children, which started giggling even more.

The ran away, singing "Kain has got a girlfriend, Kain has got a girlfriend!"

"I believe the two are still kids after all..." For some reason, the ex-dragoon's anger disappeared as fast as it had come and he had to smile. Nothing could reach him today....