Chapter 13

The problems of communication

One hour later all met again.

"Where's Rydia?" Rosa wondered.

"Your Majesty!" a castle maid hurried in the room. "Miss Rydia is nowhere to be found as well as Sir Kieran! And..." she was totally out of breath, "and Miss Rydia's chocobo is gone, too!"

"What?" the friends exclaimed.

"This damn wizard ran off with her!" Edge hissed furiously.

Cecil shook his head. "No - she wouldn't do that... Although... She seemed strange this morning and asked odd questions..."

Rosa nodded. "Yes, that's right - she seemed to be nervous... Edge, have you spoken to her?"

The Ninja looked embarrassed. "Er... yes... well - she was crying in her room and I wanted to comfort her... Er... we had a quarrel again..." He hung his head.

"Edge..." Edward sighed.

Cecil looked sorrowful. "It seems that it is not only Edge's fault... I was pretty rough to her, too..."

Rosa's expression was worried.  "She wanted to tell me something, but I was in a hurry..."

"I hadn't time for her, too - though she seemed to have problems..." a weak voice came from the door.

"Diane! We told you to stay in bed!" Cid said, surprised.

Kain rushed to her side and laid his red cape around her shoulders. "You'll catch a cold..."

She smiled weakly. "I've never seen Rydia like this..."

"So where could they have gone to?" Cid murmured, watching Kain and Diane out of the corner of his eye.

"The tower of Bab-Il! Sure!" Cecil jumped up suddenly. "That's why she was asking me about it... What a fool I was... Poor Rydia..."

"It's not your fault, darling..." Rosa hugged him. "Any way... let's go after them..."

"And Mysidia?" Kain asked.

"I know that it's selfish..." Cecil said, "But I cannot let her down in the condition that she's in. She's one of our best friends..."

The others nodded.

"So who is going?" Cecil asked.

"Me!" Edge blurted out. "I'll show this Kieran who I am!"

"Edge, please - you don't know if he's evil..." Cecil calmed him.

"I am going too..." Rosa exclaimed.

Cecil sighed "Rosa; please..."

"I am going... Why should this trip be dangerous? The tower of Bab-Il is empty and Rydia and Kieran probably just ran off because they were homesick..." Rosa smiled at her husband.

Cecil sighed again. "Alright.. Kain?"

"Going too!"

"No!" Cid exclaimed. "I am only flying the airship if he stays here..."

Kain looked apologizing at his friend. "Alright - then I'll stay here with Dian..."

"NO! Come along you dirty womanizer..." the sturdy man grumbled.

"Just be careful, Kain...Look after my father, too," Diane said.

Kain grinned "Don't worry- I'll take care of him... But you should get some rest now..." Diane nodded, kissed him on the cheek and left the room.

"One person more to go..."

"I guess I should go..." Golbez exclaimed.

Cecil looked nervously "I don't think that..."

"Hey Cecil - he could be quite useful... Edge exclaimed. "He knows the tower better than we..."

Rosa gave him a nudge: "He's right..."

"Good..." Cecil mumbled reluctantly. "Let's go..."

~*~

"Kieran, are you really sure that this tower is the reason for the earthquake? It looks pretty "dead" to me..." Rydia whispered and shivered a bit. They had entered the tower through a hole at one side, which must have appeared because the metal of the building was rotting away. Rydia had been glad about it - she had already feared to have to take the way to the tunnel system they had conquered more than a year ago. Still, she currently wished that she hadn't entered the building at all... "It's so dark..." she whispered again, her steps echoing on the metal ground.

Kieran laid an arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry!" He held his staff up high and murmured some incantations - the emerald at the tip of the staff began to glow softly, illuminating the surroundings. The tower looked as cold as Rydia remembered it - only that the machines with their once flashing and summing lights were turned of or broken...

"I wonder if there are still monsters..." She nestled deeper in Kieran's side to feel at least a bit protected.

"I don't think so... There's nothing to get for them anymore... Just metal parts..." the other said confidently.

Rydia nodded and loosened herself from his grasp. "You're right - how foolish to be afraid..."

"Still I wish that Cecil or Edge were here..."

"You're thinking about them, again..." Kieran said in a low voice.

Rydia blushed. "Yes.. That's right. I still cannot believe that they would not want me to return home... Sometimes I don't know myself where to go...I cannot say that..." she swallowed "that I felt completely happy at the Underworld..."

"In fact you quite often missed the upper world..."

Kieran stopped suddenly and embraced the surprised looking caller.

"Kieran..."

"Rydia," he said, his voice a charming whisper again, "I guess you felt alone at the Underworld, too. I... I know how this feels... We two - we are of one kind... That's why..." He looked at her, his green eyes looking more fascinating than ever "That's why I would like you to stay with me..."

"Kieran... I..."

"Rydia - when we reach the underworld let us search for a place to live, together. Think what we can do - you're a talented magic user as well as me... We can make wonders come true with our power!" His handsome face was flushed with enthusiasm, his speech being full of conviction.

"Maybe... maybe I could fall for him..." Still everything was going a bit too fast for her taste.

"Kieran...I don't know - this is all so sudden... Let... let me think about it for a while..."

The wizard nodded. "Yes - sorry.. I guess I was too rash, but I've never met a girl like you before... You have all time of the world to think about my proposition... For now let's find a way to go deeper into the tower..." He smiled sweetly.

Rydia smiled back, happy that he was not rushing her.

"I feel so strange when he's around... It is as if he could see right through my fears..."

~*~

Cecil and his group reached the base of the tower of Bab-Il in the middle of the night.

Rydia's chocobo, tied to a tree, proved that the caller and Kieran were there, too. Cid proposed to stay on the airship in case anyone would get out.

"So how do we get in?" Cecil gave a look of wonderment at the massive structure before him.

"Maybe there is a hole somewhere in the tower wall..." Kain frowned.

Golbez shook his head "Yes maybe, but if we want to catch up with your friends, we need to take another way in..." He reflected for a moment: "I guess this Kieran guy will try to get as deep inside the tower as possible - there is a control center at the base of Bab-Il... If I remember correctly, there should be a tunnel system leading right into it from this mountain... It was used for emergency reasons..."

"So let's look for it!" Edge was unusual serious - the disappearance of Rydia seemed to trouble him greatly. "Hey - if we need anything to dig a hole with - my castle, Eblan is near... We sure have some equipment..." he offered.

"Sure - probably some shovels..." Kain grinned.

Edge glared at him. He didn't liked Kain's recently good mood at all.

"No need to dig..." Golbez said and tracked with his hand along the muddy stone wall in front of him. "It's right... here!" he exclaimed and pointed to a wall section. "Cecil - If you would..."

The paladin frowned, unsheathed his sword and jammed the handle against the indicated point. After a few knocks, the loam wall crumbled and gave way to a dark, foreboding tunnel...

"The poor Rydia- I should have taken more care for her, instead of worrying too much over Golbez..." Cecil whispered to his wife as they entered the hole. "I guess it's my fault she ran away..."

Rosa shook her head. "No - I guess we all could have been a bit nicer to her... We and her friends at the underworld are her only family - and she needs a family..." Her husband nodded. Although Rydia looked like 18, she still was a girl inside of her which needed a family greatly.

"And don't forget this Kieran! He'll pay for taking Rydia with him!" Edge hissed. "Although I wasn't nice to her, too..."

Rosa smiled - Edge seldom apologized.

Led by Golbez, the group ventured further into the depths of the tower.

~*~

"Hey Rydia.. Is there something between Edge and you?" Kieran asked as he helped her down a ladder.

"No... no - why do you ask?"

"Oh - I was just curious..." the wizard laughed. "Look- I guess this is the control center at the base of the tower- I saw it in the construction plans..." Before them lay a round room full of mechanical instruments which seemed to be out of function.

"Let me see..." Kieran approached the control panels, while Rydia settled herself against a wall, tired from the long walk.

"Look at this, Rydia..." Kieran exclaimed after a while. "There's our gate to the underworld. He pointed to a closed door. "But it looks too sturdy- even for magic..." He bit his lip. "We need to activate the machines again..." He knelt down and rummaged through some cables.

"What are you doing, Kieran?" Rydia inquired curiously.

"If we send a strong magical impulse through that... Rydia - could you cast Bolt over and over at these cables, until I am ready here?"

The girl hesitated for a moment. "The machines look pretty dangerous - are you sure you can handle them?" She thought of the cannon the dwarfs had been threatened with. In this room some similar looking things were installed at the ceiling, too.

Kieran smiled winsome. "Rydia - it's just a little step towards returning home... Please!"

"Alright!" Rydia knelt beside him and began to cast Bolt.

The machines started to blink and to hum loudly.

"Good girl! Now let me see!" Kieran studied the machines, forehead laid in wrinkles.

From somewhere near familiar voices could be heard. "Rydia? Where are you?"

The caller got pale "Kieran - my friends are here..."she gasped between some incantations.

"They care for me after all..."

"Rydia, please don't stop casting that spell - they're here to get you back. I told you!" Kieran said pleadingly.

Rydia nodded. The voices came nearer. "Rydia! Here you are!" Edge was the first to burst into the room. "Kieran- why did you take her with you! I'll kill you for this!"

"Edge!" the caller shouted. "Don't!"

Suddenly the wizard grinned "She's right - don't!" He pointed his staff at the ninja - a bolt of lightening coming out of it struck Edge down.

"Kieran! What are you doing?!" Rydia screamed.

"Please Rydia- I didn't hurt him much - I won't let anyone hinder us from returning home- just hold out a little longer..."

Somehow Rydia still trusted the man, though she swallowed hard "O... Okay..."

Edge mumbled something.

"Edge - what happened?" Cecil and the others entered the room. "Rydia? Kieran? What are you doing here?" He approached the wizard.

"Welcome your majesty!" Kieran bowed deeply. "Let's give you a proper welcome... Let's see it's this, I think..." He pressed a button and one of the mysterious installments at the ceiling moved humming in the direction of the friends.

"How about that?" Kieran laughed. A fire bolt shot out of the strange device and burned the floor a few feet from away from Cecil.

"Kieran! Why are you behaving so strange all of a sudden?" Rydia gasped.

"I am only trying to get you back home, Rydia..." The man had suddenly a hard gleam in his eyes.

"The machines he's using are quite dangerous..." Golbez hissed.

"Rydia!" Cecil shouted, ignoring the wizard. "Please come here... This tower is dangerous..."

"They're trying to trick you, Rydia! If you stop casting the spell you'll never get home again" Kieran said.

"Is... is he right-You- you don't want to let me go home, or?"

Cecil looked confused. "Rydia - what are you talking about? I promised you to get you back to the Underworld - sorry that I had so little time for you during the last days..."

"Remember what he and Edge said when you needed their help..." Kieran hissed.

"I... I want to believe you - but I am afraid... You didn't really listen to me and... and Edge- he said such mean things..." Rydia started to sob again, barely able to hold the spell.

"Rydia, please..." Rosa pleaded.

"I... I am sorry, Rydia..." Edge staggered to his feet. "Please, please come back..."

"I've got enough of this!" Kain exclaimed and approached the wizard and the caller "I am going to fetch Rydia right now!"

"No - you won't..." Kieran laughed softly. The device from the ceiling shoot another fire bolt, which Kain could dodge just in time.

"Kieran - stop... You nearly killed him!" Rydia cried.

"But that's what he deserves, right? He killed your mother - and he wanted to kill you as well..."

Kain swallowed hard. "Rydia..."

"I...I don't want any more... deaths..." Rydia stepped away from the cables, but the machines didn't stop... "What?!" she gasped.

"Foolish girl! Your energy was enough to let the machines run some time longer! And now let's try out something else..." He studied the controls, his hand still on the button for the firing device.

"Kieran... stop..." Rydia went slowly towards him, extending a hand. "You're lost - there's so much hate in you because of what happened to you near Mysidia... Please, I am here..."

"Rydia, don't go closer to him!" Rosa screamed "He's mad!"

"No - he isn't, Rosa... You don't understand. He was attacked in a hamlet near Mysidia..."

"Rydia!" Kain said dryly "There is no known hamlet near Mysidia in the range of several miles..."

The girl looked at him wide eyed, than she looked at Kieran. "Kieran... Why?"

The man had suddenly a cold gleam in his eyes, his smile now an evil one - a mirror of his true self. With a laugh he snatched the caller and held a dagger against her throat.

"Rydia!" Edge could barely hold himself back.

"Don't come any closer, or this nice girl is dead..." Kieran hissed. "You're really naive, Miss Rydia... It was such a fun to stir you up against your friends, and it nearly worked..." He whispered to her in this strange voice of his, suddenly smiling again charmingly

"I am such a poor scholar Rydia... We are one of a kind... We belong to a world of magic..."

Rydia started to sob even more.

"Kieran! I'll kill you for this!" Edge exclaimed furiously.

Kieran ignored the comment. "It was so easy to lure you, caller... Although making the wound did really hurt... It was clear that you would fall for my story, since your friends were so busy with their own problems and Golbez's return that--"

"What do you know about my return?" the black haired man hissed.

Kieran just smiled evilly and pressed the knife a bit harder to Rydia's throat. The caller winced.

"It doesn't matter now... "

"Why... Kieran..." Rydia closed her eyes, barely daring to breath.

"Because I needed your power to activate this tower again - you seem I am far away from being a good magic user as you... I just know some tricks... And if your friends hadn't arrived just know, I would have also used your magic for ...other purposes..." He grinned madly again "I thought that my friends would hold them back longer... Summoning this wyvern was pretty good, wasn't it?"

"You're responsible for all the monsters, then?" demanded Cecil.

Kieran frowned "No - only for the sea snake to gain your trust and for the wyvern - but we are many and we had some help... But enough of this... You see, Rydia - you're alone again... You were so afraid that your friends were only using you, that you didn't see who was really betraying you all the time..." The girl sacked down a bit in his arms, the realization of the things combined with fear being too much to handle for her.

"Let her go, Kieran!" Edge screamed.

The green-haired man only smiled "Surely - she's no danger in her state..." He threw the dagger to the ground and flung the girl into a corner, taking his stance at the controls again.

"Don't get any wrong ideas!" he smiled. "There's still work for me to do..."

"Who are you really?" Cecil inquired. "What do you want?"

Kieran glanced at him. "My real identity matters not but know, King Cecil, that we, from the order of the Dark Paladins will change the world... And I will be starting by setting another sign... Let's see, I guess it's this one..." He pressed just another button.

"Order of the Dark Paladin?" Edge laughed, though glared concernedly at Rydia's limp figure at the end of the room. "What a stupid name! What can you possibly do, you idiot?"

"Pretty, much young ninja..." Golbez remarked dryly. "He's about to operate the giant cannon of Bab-Il tower and it looks like the coordinates are set at... Eblan..."

"WHAT!?" Edge exclaimed.

Kieran smiled approvingly. "It seems you still know a lot of this tower, Master Golbez... Yes - it's true. Burning Eblan again will strike fear to the hearts of people. And even more - the mightiest rulers of the Blue Planet can only watch it... People will loose trust in you...Maybe it was a good thing after all that you arrived just now! Say goodbye to your castle, ninja!"

"No - I won't let it happen!" Cecil rushed forward.

His brother caught him by his arm. "Cecil - don't be foolish. He'll have pressed this button before you can reach him..."

Cecil glared at him. "Don't tell me what to do, Golbez!"

Kieran laughed softly. "Charming! Yes - the master was right... It would be shame to kill you... You can be so useful for us..." He smiled at the two brothers. "So don't worry... I'll just end my work and then disappear from here through that door..." He pointed towards the exit to the Underworld. "Maybe you want to come with me after all, Rydia? Might be your last chance...Ah - I guess I'll just take you with me if you want or not. My master has need of talents like you..." He chuckled.

"Can't we do anything..." Rosa whispered.

Edge was standing next to her, quivering with rage "Damn- we're so helpless..." Golbez was still holding tight on to Cecil, who could also watch the scenery only in horror, as did Kain. Rydia moaned slightly in the corner.

"It is such a gift to manipulate others minds... isn't it Golbez?" Kieran said, obviously wanting to cost out the moment of triumph.

Cecil felt his brother stiffening beside him, tightening his grip around him as an advice for the paladin not to say anything.

Golbez raised an eyebrow. "Don't know what you mean..." he said coldly.

Kieran smiled knowingly. "Oh... I forgot... You're a good guy now..."

Rydia stood up slowly. Her hand was trembling as she picked up the knife from the floor.

Cecil gasped as he saw the caller.

"It was so sweet to manipulate Rydia's mind... the mind of a child in the body of a beautiful Lady... It is so pure, so utterly sensible to all influences..." Kieran went on fiercely, not noticing the girl behind him.

Rydia raised the dagger high above her head, still trembling. Her eyes were full of tears as she brought it down deep into his back: "I...I am sorry... Kieran..."she sobbed. "But...I... would never betray my friends..."

The wizard gave low sound of pain and turned slowly around, his face a mask of surprise - and triumph. "That... that's a surprise..." He laughed hoarsely. "So... how does it feel to kill... that way?" He slumped down, but not before pressing a triangle shaped button. Suddenly a loud siren started to ring.

Edge spurted to Rydia, catching her before she broke down. "Damn- he has turned on the cannon!!!" he shouted, aghast.

"No...It's not the cannon.." Golbez said.

"Huh - what a luck!" Kain sighed.

"No need to relax... He started the self destructive mechanism of the tower only I should know about..." Golbez continued calmly. "In approximately 10 minutes every machine here will blow to dust..."

"WHAT?" Cecil gasped. "Can't you stop it?"

"No... It was never intended to get used..."

Kieran laughed softly. "Yes! With that the last chance to get to the underworld will be gone for you, Rydia... Think wisely of what to do..." he ached, still breathing. "The button to the door is there..."

Rydia released herself from Edge's grasp and walked towards the button.

"Rydia if you go now, we may never see each other again!" Edge pleaded.

Rydia bowed her head. "I know..."

"Edge..." Cecil looked at his friend. "We have not much time. It may be the only chance for her to return to the Underworld..."

"Cecil..." Rydia sobbed.

The paladin looked sad and swallowed "We'll miss you, but it is your decision where you want to go as long as it makes you happy..."

Rosa had tears in her eyes "Rydia we'll always be friends... no matter where you are..."

"Er... Rydia... I know that it doesn't change much, but... I just wanted to say that I am sorry..." Kain murmured, but then grinned again "But just keep on hating me..."

"You... you all..." The caller glanced alternately at the exit to the underworld and at her friends, not knowing what she should do.

"Rydia...It's time to go... Cecil is right.. The most important thing is that you're happy... I'll press the button." Edge was still standing next to her, looking at her shyly. "I... I'll never forget you..." He sniffed.

For a moment Rydia seemed to reflect and suddenly looked very sadly. "I think I..."

"Don't say a thing..." Edge cut her short and extended his hand towards the control panel. Before he could reach it, Rydia had slapped his hand away.

"OUCH! Rydia?" he uttered surprised.

The caller had an angry gleam in her eyes: "You... you think I want to return to the Underworld... after what.... you all... all my friends said... You.. you dumb..." She started to sob again and fell in his arms. "I... I am staying here..."

"Rydia... Are you sure?" Cecil asked, but could not help smiling.

"You said you wanted me to be happy... And I am happy... here... with you all!" the caller smiled.

Edge pressed the girl a bit closer to him, a real look of relief on his face. "Rydia... I..." Rosa gave him a warning look. "Err... I am so glad that you're staying here, and I am sure that we'll find another way to the underworld..."

Rosa smiled. "That's right!"

"We should go..." Golbez disrupted the friends impatiently.

"Yes...go..." Kieran ached. He was still alive... "Go and meet the others... and my master...It has... begun..."

Cecil whirled around - he'd nearly forgotten the man.

He rushed to his side. "Who's your master? Claudius was one of you, too... Tell me: Who is your master?" he inquired furiously. Kieran smiled slightly "Ask... ask your friend... Paladin..."

"My friend? Which friend?" He grabbed him by the shoulder.

As Kieran felt the Paladin's touch, his man looked at him wide eyed, and full of pain.

"Her... She knows... You'll see..." With a sigh, he died - his eyes looking soft all of a sudden..

"Not again..." Cecil stared in horror at the person before him. "He had looked as if he suddenly realized something... Realized himself..."

"Cecil! What are you standing there?" Rosa called from the door. "We must hurry if we want to get out of here!" The paladin nodded and followed the others.

They left the tower through the tunnel just in time. Behind them the machines were exploded due to a giant electric shock, the wave of the explosion burying even the tunnel, they had come through.

Rydia, who was supported by Edge stared dully at the buried entrance. "Kieran... How could I be so foolish..."

"Rydia..." Cecil laid a warm hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry..."

Golbez cleared his throat. "He was a cunning man, Miss Rydia; and highly intelligent on top of that. He knew even how to operate the tower - it's a mystery to me... Most people would have fallen for him... That you, in the end did the right thing, speaks for your person - you seem to grow up..." He smiled slightly.

The group watched him amazed, hearing such words from his mouth.

"Well... thank you... Golbez..." The caller stammered, suddenly looking a bit more cheerful.

Golbez only nodded and started to walk towards the airship without a word.

Cecil stared after his brother with a pensive expression. "I don't believe it..." He sighed.

"Sometimes, your brother can be really unpredictable" Rosa said with an amused smile, only getting a frowning look from her husband in return.

"That's what worries me so much.. Let's return to Baron..."

"Rydia..." Kain said carefully as the walked towards the airship "While you were away, Diane... Diane got hurt and..."

Rydia looked as if she would faint just again and grabbed hard onto Edge arm who groaned in pain "What? Oh my god... I...

"Kain! Later!" Edge hissed, "You'll only upset her needlessly..."

"No - no I want to know..." Rydia inhaled deeply.

"She's alright, but... but... Er... how do I put it... You're her best friend and she likes you very much, so please don't judge her because of me..." He looked unsure - a rare sight.

Rydia smiled relieved "Oh I am so glad, that she's alright... I wasn't fair to her... Don't worry Kain... You really seem to care for her..." She looked at him curiously, discovering sides on him she didn't know before. Kain grinned embarrassed and walked a bit faster.

"I wonder what Cid is thinking of the two?" Rydia murmured.

Edge grinned. "Just listen!"

"I am not starting with that good for nothing brute on board!" Cid's voice broke the silence of the night.

"Cid - don't be silly again!" Cecil sighed.

"Well then, fly... I am taking the chocobo..." Kain proposed. "It's much safer anyway..."

"What?" Cid boomed. "The only thing you have to fear is my fist! Get on board! ALL!"

The airship left the crumbled heaps of Bab-Il tower behind...