Navigation 9: Forward to the Past

            "Mama? When will Daddy come back from Earth?" a little two-year-old Sara asked. Her mother lifted her up in her warm arms.

            "Soon, my shining star, soon. Someday you will see Earth and my other home, Expel. We will all go there," Rena said to her daughter.

            "I love the forest, Mommy! Will it always be this peaceful?" Sara asked.

            "I hope so, my dear. As long as there are people who are willing to protect it," Rena said, hugging the child.

            "This place is so dark!" Sara exclaimed, coming back to reality.

            "Welcome to Fienal," Kano said with such scorn.

            "Have you been here before, Kano?" Sara asked.

            "Yes. And the one inside I loathe the most," was the reply. It had turned out that Voltren, the Nedian who desired to rule Nede through resurrecting Cyril, was Kano's fiancé. Keyword was.

            Sara placed a hand on her Nedian friend's shoulder. "There is always hope, Kano. We'll get him back."

            Rin's pointed ears twitched. Even without the gift of sight, he had a sixth sense about things.

            "What is it, Rin?" Kano asked.

            "There are others nearby. Outsiders…" he replied.

            "My friends…" Sara said.

            "Everyone! Up there!" Kano cried. There was Voltren standing at the top of the staircase. He wore dark robes of a mage and his long raven hair was pulled back.

            "Well, it seems like I didn't need to come to you, dear child," he spoke to Sara.

            "You will pay, Voltren! We know it was you who attacked Central City!" Kano cried.

            With a swing of his hand, Kano was thrown against the wall, knocked unconscious.

            "How horrible! She was your fiancé!" Sara cried.

            With another gesture, roots grew from the ground, entrapping Rin.

            "Rin!" Sara cried.

            "Unless you cooperate, child, your friends will die!" he said.

            Reluctantly, Sara stepped forward. "And if I do…?"

            "Then they will stay alive," he replied.

            "All right," she answered softly.

            "What is your name, child?" he asked, stepping towards her. It looked as though he was trying to place Sara in a trance.

            "Sara…" she softly replied, feeling her mind become fuzzy.

            "Do you know what you are?" he asked.

            "Half-Nedian, and half-Earthling human…" she replied, collapsing in his arms. Everything was going to plan. Lifting the girl up in his arms, Voltren took her to his other valued prisoner, and threw her in the cell.

~*~*~

            "So Lacour has felt the rumblings, too? Can you tell us anything else, your majesty?" Chris asked the King of Lacour.

            "There has been a new prophecy about the three fated planets of Earth, Nede, and Expel. If a new evil were to arrive, those with strong, connected hearts will step forward, uniting the planets again with that of which has been enchanted," the king replied.

            "The Crest of Enchantment, sire?" Ashton asked.

            "Yes, it still shines. However, we do not know where," he replied.

            "We understand, thank you, sire," Chris replied, bowing.

            After they all left the throne room, Leon met up with them.

            "Travel to Eluria tower on El. Precis Newman has something that may clear up the prophecy," he said.

            "Precis?" Ashton asked. It had been a while since the last time he had seen her. It was agreed. With Leon's help, Ashton, Leo, Chris, and Jana would sail to Eluria.

~*~*~

            "God, it's still so dark!" Claude replied about Fienal.

            Without a thought, Celes opened her hand to produce a light spell. Upon their entrance, Dias spotted a woman slumped against a wall. Pulling out an herb, Claude tried to rouse the woman.

            "Miss…wake up…what happened?" he asked.

            She opened her hazel eyes. "Sir…Sir Claude!"

            He nodded. "What happened?"

            "I was here with Rin. Oh no, Rin!" she started.

            "He's ok, now," Celes reassured, rousing the boy as well.

            "We were here…and…Sara! He got our friend, Sara!"

            "What!" Dias cried.

            "We have to find her!" Celes said.

            "Let us help. I know this place well," Kano replied.

~*~*~

[flashback]

            "Mama…I'm scared!" a little Sara cried.

            Her mother held her tight. "No matter what, Sara, I'll protect you."

            "Where's Daddy? It's so dark here!" the child cried.

            At that point, Rena knew what was to come. As she scooped her precious child in her arms, a white light enveloped them and they disappeared, moving to a different place. When they landed, Rena began to cry.

            "Precious one, please do not grow up and hate me for this…"

            The image faded, and a new one appeared. Sara was about 5 years old at the time.

            "Sara! Chris and Celes are here!" a familiar voice called.

[end flashback]

            "Aunt…Westa…" the young girl muttered as she lay on the floor.

            A pair of blue eyes flashed open in the corner of the cell. Quietly, the elegant woman stepped into the light, revealing her dark blue hair and distinctively pointed ears.

            "It's you…the one that I saw at the Mountain Palace ruins…" Sara cried, holding her head as she awoke.

            The woman looked as though she would cry.

            "Why have you come?" she asked sadly.

            "Voltren has my mother. And…I fear that he is the cause of the disturbance of my home planet, Expel…"

            "Sara…" the woman whispered, moving closer. "Do you still have the pendant?"

            Pulling it from her shirt, Sara nodded. After a second, it registered and those deep blue eyes widened.

            "M…Mother…?" she whispered.

            The woman, Rena, nodded. At this Sara ran and embraced Rena tightly, allowing her tears to flow freely. "Momma…!"

            "Sara…I'm so sorry…Sara…" Rena whispered. "I'm sorry I left you…"

            Wiping her eyes, Sara shook her head. "You once said that you would always protect me. That was no different." Rena smiled. Continuing, Sara looked at the bars of the cell, "however, now I am going to protect you, Mom…"

            "Your Nedian magic won't work. I have tried," Rena replied.

            "Never said I was going to use magic," Sara smiled, taking out a small explosive she "borrowed" from Jana. Setting it by the bars, Sara moved back with Rena. With a loud boom, freedom was now a reality.

~*~*~

            "So, what has she done with this place?" Chris asked Leon.

            They arrived at the top of the tower. A lovely young woman with long chesnut hair and a lab coat stood there. Ashton was speechless. Precis was even more beautiful.

            "Hey! Come on, everyone, let me explain this!" She yelled. "It's been a while, Ashton."

            He smiled as they walked towards the center.

            "This is…?" Jana started.

            "With what I have heard about the prophecy, I have made this…altar, if you will, to aim the Crest of Enchantment at Nede," Precis replied.

            "Sara's there! Is there no other way?" Chris asked.

            "Perhaps…" Precis started, thinking for a moment. "Go back to Cross for now. Dr. Leon and I will work on this. We will send for you."