~*~Chapter 15 To the moon! ~*~
Following Rosa and Cecil through a short corridor, Kain found himself in the room where he and the others had been teleported before he fainted. Now he had strength enough to wonder about the crystal in the middle of the room, but only did so briefly.
"Charming," Rydia's voice said, with a poisonous scent, "I bet you tell every girl you meet stuff like that, if they don't run screaming in the first place."
Edge's voice gave a short, dry laugh. It seemed like they were behind the pillar.
"I conclude you consider yourself very brave, then?" he teased.
"I do, but the only reason I didn't back off the first time I saw you was that you were a miserable, defeated lump!"
"Now, now, lady, let's not bring up old mistakes."
"Better not," Rydia replied, "if you would make a list of yours, I'd die either of boredom or laughter."
"A heart of stone that perfect chest carries within…" Edge sighed.
"I wouldn't let my mind wander in that direction if I were you, my friend."
"They make such a sweet couple, don't they?" Cecil said with a tired smile.
He raised his voice.
"Get over here, you two!"
Edge and Rydia emerged from the pillar's other side. The ninja still watched Kain with disbelief, but the young woman smiled warmly at him. He was glad to know that his friends cared about him, it made his heavy thoughts a little lighter.
"Let's go to the moon and smash this Zemus, damn it!" Edge said, as if it was already set, "you know we can't stay here doing nothing!"
Zemus…?
"You're an idiot," Rydia snorted, "you mean we're just going there without planning or anything that complicated?"
"I don't know exactly what's going on," Kain growled, "but I agree with Edge!"
Everyone stared at him, the sudden anger that filled his voice had startled them all.
"Do you know something about Zemus?" Cecil carefully asked.
"I know that he controlled everyone, including Golbez and the fiends. That is enough for me; he is the one we must fight!"
"Let me explain everything to you," Rosa said to calm him, "when we went through the giant we got a lot of help from an old man named FuSoYa…"
Kain just listened, even though he already knew about the old man's name and that Cecil and Golbez were brothers. What he wanted most of all was to save time and enter the battle as soon as possible, and interrupting Rosa would only cost more, precious minutes as he in turn would have to explain.
"He and Zemus are both lunarians, which are a humanoid race. They have been sleeping inside of the moon for a long time, as the rest of their people. However, Zemus had sinister plans for the Earth, so FuSoYa sealed him away and forced him to sleep. But his mind wandered, and he found that a man of the lunarians, KluYa, had two half-human sons on Earth. Those are Golbez and Cecil. Zemus could easily control one of them since they were of his own race, picking Golbez."
She fell silent for a moment, and Kain realized that the chosen one just as well could have been Cecil instead. That realization almost made him shiver; the thought of his friend in the dark armor and black cloak, talking with the fiends…
Nobody said anything for a moment. Then Rosa continued:
"Now that Golbez' mind is free, he decided to come with FuSoYa and help him defeat Zemus."
"I say we go and help them!" Kain said, grimly.
He knew that he would fight with anger and the pure wish of avenging Valvalis. But he couldn't help the hate he carried within. Valvalis had suffered and died, just as many, many others, only because of Zemus. It could by no means be tolerated any longer.
The room was silent for a moment. Then Cecil slowly nodded.
"Alright. We'll go to the moon again," he said, "but…"
He turned to Rosa.
"You and Rydia won't come with us."
She stared at him, mouth open. Rydia did the same.
"What?!" Rosa finally stuttered.
"It's different this time," Cecil gravely said, "nothing can assure our return. Therefore I don't want you to come."
"I won't leave you behind!"
"Neither will I!" Rydia snapped.
"Come on now," Edge smirked, "be a good girl and stay at home."
Rydia gave him an extraordinarily cold gaze, and this time she was really mad. Edge blinked, realizing that he might have gone too far this time. But the caller didn't say anything.
"I won't go!" Rosa said, almost desperately.
"Yes you will!" Cecil harshly said, "I don't want you to die, now leave the ship. Please, Rosa!"
She stared at him for a moment longer, then she turned around and went down a stair in the room's bottom corner without a single word. Silent, Rydia followed her.
Cecil clenched his teeth and stared at the floor for a moment. Kain knew that his friend had suffered greatly giving Rosa such an order. It hurt the dragoon as well. The prince of Eblan only sighed a bit as Rydia disappeared.
"Let's go," Cecil said.
He went up the stair to the crystal and said something in a low, demanding voice. Everything shook a bit, and Kain felt the familiar sensation of being inside of something that was flying. He had learnt it as he had grown up in Baron, with its airships.
"To the moon again," Edge said, in a strangely lazy voice, "well, better get equipped."
He went down into the corridor leading to the room with the beds, probably only because he needed to get the belt with his katanas. He seemed to have everything else. Except Rydia. Kain easily saw, with a bitter smile, that the prince of Eblan and the caller of Mist undoubtedly liked each other very much, though they'd rather die than admit it.
The dragoon lazily looked at the grey floor.
'Valvalis, I will avenge you!' he thought, frowning.
He was well aware he was a fool for even start feeling something for her in the first place, she had been a fiend… but he couldn't help it. The way she had made him nervous as they had met in Baron, in the cell… all the time she had seemed so confused. Kain had only known her for a short while, during which she had intended to kill him a few times, but… it was hopeless trying to deny anything, or even point out how silly and foolish it was. Valvalis was dead, and she had brought a major part of Kain with her.
He heard Cecil walk the same path as Edge, also intending to get equipped. The dragoon concluded that he might as well do the same.
"We've landed," Cecil concluded.
"Then let's go," Edge grimly said.
Kain followed his two comrades towards the exit. Cecil was about to walk down the stairs when he suddenly drew back with a surprised gasp, forcing the dragoon and Edge to step backwards.
"Rosa?!" the paladin whispered.
She stepped into the room, her arms resolutely crossed and with a harsh look in her eyes.
"I'm not leaving you behind, Cecil!" she said.
"It's too dangerous, you…"
"I'm not moving an inch if you don't agree to let me come with you," Rosa said, coldly, "if you die, I will be with you!"
Cecil hesitated.
"Damn it, Cecil!" Edge exclaimed, "you have a woman begging to come with you, and you show her away? Rydia obviously call the wrong person a moron!"
The paladin sighed.
"Alright, then," he said.
He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Rosa. She suddenly smiled warmly and buried her hands in his thick hair.
"It worked!" somebody cheered.
Rydia entered from below, grinning broadly.
"Oh, I see I have yet some hard times ahead!" Edge smiled.
"Right you are, oh prince of the world's lousiest pick-up lines," the caller laughed.
Cecil smiled a bit, then he turned his whole mind at Rosa again. He held her tightly, and they kissed.
"Whatever happens," the paladin softly mumbled, "I will protect you."
'If only I could have promised you the same, Valvalis…' Kain sadly thought, 'I'm sorry, my friend, but I will just have to do what I can and defeat the devil who tormented you.'