The night was festive, the guests were full, and there was nothing left for the heroes to do but spend their time gossiping.

A bard and a summoner had been engaged in a rather lively conversation surrounding the last few days of the mission, when he brought up the topic of a certain party member.

"I'll admit, he is rather immature for a twenty-six year old, but from all I've heard, he does have a heart of gold-"

"Twenty-six?" Rydia nearly spilled her drink. "He's eighteen!"

Edward shook his head. Rydia nodded her head harder.

"When a prince is born, the other nations need to acknowledge his title. Edward Geraldine was born twenty-six years ago, two years before me."

Rydia rubbed her right temple with two of her fingers. "No, that's not right at all." She looked around the bustling crowd for someone.

"Rosa!" she called out, beckoning for her newly wed friend to come over. Edward raised his hands in front of him.

"There's no need-"

"Edward says Edge is twenty-six!" Rydia interrupted as Rosa came to stand next to Edward.

"That's impossible." Rosa crossed her arms. "He's eighteen."

"Look, we can certainly find acknowledgement here in Baron's library of his birth and the year in which it took place if we have to. I am certain of his age."

Rydia and Rosa exchanged glances.

"I'm not doubting you believe that, Edward, it's just that Edge recovers quicker than someone of twenty-six," Rydia said. Rosa nodded.

"What Rydia means is that with white magic, I would use about the same amount of Cures to heal him as I would with Cecil, rather than with someone of your age. Even a few years is enough to mark that sort of physiological change," Rosa finished.

"I-" Edward paused. "You can tell that?"

Rosa smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I had to become efficient with my magic - especially on the moon when we ran out of ethers. Any unnecessary use of Curaga rather than Cura or even Cure was the different between life and death."

Edward was still processing this when he was nearly barreled over by a surprising force. Rydia caught his arm, pulling him to stand next to her. Cid, the surprising force, was now in the circle and had an arm slung around Rosa's shoulders.

"Alright, kiddos! I've been trying to catch Rosa for far too long. I would like to dance with the bride at least once before the musicians call it a night!" Cid said, his words slurring a bit as he swung his tankard wildly. A servant passing by took the empty container from his hand.

"Cid, don't you think you've drank enough?" Rosa said, feeling bad for laughing at Edward.

"We're also a busy - we're trying to solve a mystery!" Rydia said in feigned whispers. Cid furrowed his brows and leaned forward towards Rydia, joining in on the secret.

"Oh? I like mysteries. Uncle Cid's your guy for solving em!" Cid thrust his thumb to his chest.

"Edward insists that Edge is twenty-six, but Rosa insists that he's eighteen."

"And you're both certain you're right?"

Edward and Rosa agreed.

"That's a good one!" Cid said, leaning back and rubbing his chin. He clapped his meaty hands together suddenly. "I've got it! He's both!"

"Okay, he's really drunk," Rydia muttered to Edward. He gave her a knowing glance but didn't say anything.

"Now wait, here me out," Cid said, propping a scroll on his thigh to write on. He put his pencil to paper and began sketching.

Rosa's eyes widened, and mouthed where did he pull those from? to Rydia.

I don't know! mouthed Rydia back. Edward covered his mouth with his hand to hide his laugh.

"Now, time dilation is just a theory, but I think there's merit to it-" Cid said, drawing a diagram and going into a long lecture that left his audience with glazed eyes and yawns. "All of this to say that his speed, if it's not been exaggerated, could make him younger."

"Eight years worth of time spared because of relativity?" Rosa asked. Cid shrugged.

"The alternative is gravity-"

"Ah yes, the enormous force of Edge's ego would keep him young," Rydia said dryly. It was Rosa's turn not to laugh.

"It's settled, then! Rosa, may I have this dance?" Cid asked, raising his arm up for Rosa.

"Let me know what you guys decide!" Rosa said as she passed the pair to the bustling dance floor.

"It's definitely not that," Rydia said. Edward nodded.

"We could always ask him," Edward said, watching Edge. He was sitting at a table across the room, ingrained in a deep conversation with Yang.

"Where's the fun in that?" Rydia asked, also watching him. A puff of smoke exploded next to her, and she shrieked and clutched Edward's sleeve.

"Did I hear fun?" Palom asked, spinning theatrically as the smoke subsided.

"Palom! You scared Rydia!" Porom chastised, smacking him upside the head. "Please accept my apologies for my socially inadept brother. Apologize, Palom!"

"Yow...I'm sorry, too," he said, still rubbing his head. "I want to have fun, too!"

Edward summarized the mystery and current prevailing theories to the twins. They stood a moment quietly before Porom spoke up.

"Hey Palom, weren't you telling me about a creature that kidnaps young men for their life force?" Palom shrugged, raising his arms to his head and turning away.

"I don't remember that."

Porom put her hands on her waist.

"Yes, you do! It was when you were punished for breaking into the Elder's office to steal back your copy of Ninja Su-"

Edward snorted.

"R-Right! Uh...it would keep them asleep for years in their habitats. But they had to seduce the person first, kind of like a lamia-and when they came out, they were the same age they went in but they would have a much shorter life span," he rambled, blushing.

"Seduction, huh? That's probably the most plausible one yet," Rydia said, looking away. Edward noted the bitter tinge in her voice, but knew better than to bring it up.

"You know what I need, Porom? Cake. Let's go get some cake before they run out," Palom said, still red as he shoved his sister to the large tiered dessert being distributed by a few servants.

"Having fun?" Cecil asked as he threw his arms around Rydia and Edward. He glanced at either of them with half closed eyes, looking both exhausted and happy. Rydia broke into a wide grin.

"Cecil!" she said warmly, throwing her arms around him. "Of course!"

"Good! Because every time I've glanced over here, both of you have had this very concerned look on your faces," he said, waiting for their responses. It was Rydia's turn to explain their discussion and findings. Cecil nodded and asked a few questions as she went through everyone's theories.

"I have an idea," Cecil said, side-eyeing Rydia. "I'm surprised you of all people haven't considered it."

"Me?" Rydia asked, pointing at herself. "What did I miss?"

"The Feymarch."

She raised a brow. "Except, the Feymarch goes the other way around. You go in, and time is faster, not slower."

"Right, but for every good, there's an evil. For the underworld, there's an overworld. And for the Feymarch-"

"There's an Anti-Feymarch," Edward said, the realization dawning on him.

"Leviathan would've mentioned such a thing," Rydia pointed out.

"Unless he didn't know about it," Cecil said, booping her nose with a finger.

"Eblan does have its secrets," Edward said. "I think this is my favorite theory yet."

"But-" Rydia started. She sighed. "Yeah, I guess."

Cecil smiled at them both. He locked eyes with Edward, and Edward nodded.

"I'm afraid this is where I leave you, Rydia," he said.

"Sure," Rydia said, a little confused at the exchange.

"Cecil and I have prepared a little surprise for Rosa. I'm certain you will enjoy it just as well," he said, making his way with Cecil to the dance floor.

Rydia watched as Cecil signaled for the band to stop as he stood on a chair. Edward headed for the band, taking the lute out of a musician's hands and beginning to tune it with experienced ear.

"I'd like to thank everyone for attending the festivities, and I hope that we will have many more to come in the future. Zeromus would not have been defeated had it not been for the support of everyone in this room. Rosa-" he gestured at his bride, his eyes full of love and admiration for his bride. "Rosa was my reason for continuing, my beacon of light through it all. When everything seemed futile, she was my driving force, my encouragement, and my biggest support through it all."

Rosa smiled, looking every bit like radiance personified.

"I can think of no better way to honor her than to have this song dedicated to her," Cecil finished.

Edward began playing a melody and Rydia felt a smile grow across her face as Rosa burst into happy tears. Cecil stepped down from the chair and held her there, giving her his full attention.

"It's a nice song."

Rydia jumped, embarrassed that Edge had managed to sneak up on her again.

"Edward is the best bard I've ever met," she agreed. Her heart was still pounding hard.

Edge shifted his feet, and his fingertips brushed gently against hers. Rydia tried to ignore the lightning she felt when they made contact.

"You know, one of those theories was right."

Rydia blinked in surprise. "You heard all of that?"

"Of course," he said. He took a look at her face and quickly added, "But I'll never tell you how. And I won't tell you which one was right."

He winked and walked away with his hands in his pockets.

"It makes me a little more dark and mysterious, don't you think?" he said. Rydia rolled her eyes at that, the anxiety disappeared along with him.

"I didn't care much, anyways," Rydia mumbled, crossing her arms and pointedly keeping her eyes fixed on the romantic couple in front of her in a way that showed that she, indeed, did care at least a little about it.

Alas, certain things would remain secret until such stubborn forces decided to speak up, and it appeared there was no chance of that happening anytime soon.

A/N: This is a letter to those people who are like "UGH Edge is 26?!" cause honestly? Same. I need answers, Square Enix! Don't get me started on Palom/Porom. Just throwing my hat in the ring to explain why he acts so young :)