Since the attack by the general and his men, Cecil had kept a sharp eye out for any possible reinforcements. One of the lessons that he never forgot during his training as a dark knight was to always know who was around you. Their actions alone could tell if their intentions were hostile or not.

However, in the case of Kaipo, Cecil was given a little more breathing room on account that all possible intelligence had been gathered and Kaipo was left alone and considered harmless. The fact that he and the last summoner from Mist were still there could change that. If the king of Baron truly considered Rydia a threat, then the rest of the people in town could be in danger.

These worries and thoughts of his friends back at Baron castle still plagued him as he gazed at the setting sun in the west. Rosa and Cid were probably still worried sick about him. One could only wonder what the report was when it reached the king. If Kain was telling the truth and had joined him against the king, then it was most likely the dragoon was laying low.

A stirring to his right brought his attention to the child that now clung to him as though he were her parent. Wrapping his arm around her small frame, he shifted his position to allow her a little more comfort at his side. It had been almost three days since he had protected the last of the summoners from his former country. She had since stayed very close to him, fearing that others would come for her.

Rydia Drake stared towards the dusk with weary eyes, her grip on Cecil's shirt still held fast. Ever since her mother was killed, her words were few and far in between. What few precious things she said since then were her name and what it meant. Her actions had shown that she had forgiven him, much to Cecil's relief.

From what Cecil could tell, Rydia was either changed drastically by the death of her mother or she was naturally a very shy child. When they had gone to the market to purchase food, she usually pointed towards what few fruits of the desert she liked. Thankfully, they were not as expensive as he thought; since the suppliers had a much higher amount than usual this year, the prices were significantly lower.

Yet, their money wouldn't last forever and soon they'd have to move on. Not only to escape from the king, but to warn the rest of the nations of what the king was doing. To the north was Damcyan. The royalty there were known to be men and women of reason, though he was unsure if they would actually do something since they were practically isolated by mountains and the sea.

Their military consisted of desert-hardened volunteers who piloted hovercraft as well as some of the best chocobo riders on the continent. However, their fighters were only well versed in ground attacks. Should the Red Wings be deployed, Damcyan would not stand a chance.

Yet, being in command of the Red Wings had given Cecil a little insight on how those ships operated. If he had enough time to warn Damcyan, they could repulse the Red Wings long enough to gain support from the other nations.

They had to leave soon. It was too soon for his liking, because poor Rydia would be hard pressed to keep up with his pace. If worse came to worse, he'd carry her. She was small for a child her age and would not weigh so much for a while.

Though tired, her face moved to look up to him, as though she were reading his thoughts. Her gaze asked what was going to happen to them now.

"We have to leave early tomorrow, Rydia. It won't be safe for us here very long."

She nodded once. She knew that since he had defended her, Cecil was in trouble and people would be coming for them both. Rydia did not particularly care for the desert, but knew that she had no choice. They had to move and as much as she wanted to say good bye to her mother, time was against them.

He was about to stand when he felt a tug from Rydia.

"Cecil, do you have a mommy?"

Taken back by the question, Cecil realized that no one had ever asked him that. Regardless, he answered the question, "No. She died when I was very young. Younger than you, now that I remember."

"Do you remember anything 'bout her?"

Cecil closed his eyes for a second. He wanted to remember what she was like. What her hair color was, if he was the only child she had, or if she had any other family. Sadly, anything that gave him an idea of what his mother looked like was gone with the past. However, there was one memory that he still had and never let go, even after all these years.

Cecil looked disconsolate as he answered. "Only... only the tune of a lullaby she used to sing to me. I don't know if she ever sang it to anyone else, but I remember her singing it to me. That's it. I always thought I could get over it, but the memory's always been there."

Rydia appeared crestfallen at knowing that Cecil never knew what it was like to have a mother. She stood up and put her small arms around Cecil's neck and put her head on his much larger shoulder.

"My mom did this for me whenever I was sad... it made me feel better."

The sentiment, though very simple, lifted Cecil's spirits a bit as he reached up and patted her head softly. In spite of all that had happened, a bit of her innocence still shone through like a candle in the dark. It helped to soothe his troubled soul.

"Thank you, Rydia."

...

Cecil's eyes opened slowly to take in the blinding light from his window. Blinking, he moved out of the way and onto the side of his bed. Taking a moment to stretch, he noticed how much larger his bed was without Rosa in it. His wife's degrading condition brought him out of his weary haze and it lowered his spirits to the point where he wished he did not have to move for the day.

Pushing himself up and to his dresser, he was about to pick out something simple to wear when he realized that the Mysidian delegates were to arrive that night. The thought of the haughty wizards and mages made him groan. He had been there several times in the intervening years and had seen several of the wizarding families grow great in power and influence.

The families of Strife, Mayer, Heartily, and Klauser were well known, favorably or hated in many cases. Those that held the families in high regard were often vassals to the families, servants, or business partners with them. The others, fed up with the higher families bending the law to their own whims, left Mysidia and fled to Mist. It was an inadvertent help to the city, since new blood in Mist was a rarity.

A knock at the door brought him out of his meditation.

"Enter, please."

Anthony Baigan, captain of the guard, entered and bowed cordially. "Good morning, your highness. I trust you've slept well?"

Cecil nodded before asking, "What's the news, Captain?"

"The Mysidian delegates have informed me that internal problems have forced them to delay the meetings for a week."

Cecil held back another groan and answered, "Did they give any specifics as to why?"

The captain shook his head. "Afraid not, sire."

Exhaling, he leaned forward and put his forehead on his hands. "What do you think?"

"Speaking for myself, your highness, the higher wizarding families are fighting over who receives the dubious honor of coming to Baron. And it's not impossible for the Seperatists to interfere with it too."

With a sigh, Cecil stood up. "When it rains, it pours," he turned to Baigan, "anything else?"

The captain shook his head, "None, sire. With your leave, I'll return to my duties."

"Thank you, Captain."

With another bow, Baigan left Cecil's room. The paladin king now realized how quiet everything was. He could only hear the sound of the breeze coming through his window. It was unsettling and he didn't like it. It reminded him of the cave that lead to Mist. It wasn't fear that unsettled him, but the anxiety caused by the nothing that hung in the air.

Then, a depressing epiphany came to mind. He ruled a kingdom, he had wonderful children, and he had friends that cared for him. Yet, he felt as though he had nothing simply because he didn't have Rosa with him.

...

Walking through the library, Palom Ambrosius grumbled at the sheer number of books they had gone through in the past week. In his arm, various books on magical traps and hexes that he chose seemed heavier than the previous books. Even with the help gained by favors and requests, they had only gone through a third of the amount of books the library had. To make matters worse, his twin sister Porom had estimated that Rosa's body would soon give out within a few days. Of course, time had to turn against them.

What he wouldn't give for a miracle right about then. Even a small revelation to lead them to the cure would be nice. However, it would have to be either a timely discovery or... no, he wouldn't think about the alternative.

Pushing open the door to his office, he placed the books on his desk, among other articles that required his attention. The foremost was a request from the Klauser family to gain permission from the elders to attempt something called 'Substitutiary locomotion'. As one of the Mage Council of Mysidia, Palom was to be the first to see any and all requests for new magics to ensure its study could progress carefully.

"Substitutiary locomotion? Having inanimate objects move via their inert energies?" Automatically, Palom grew suspicious. Especially, because the self-proclaimed master mage family was behind it. Growing up, Dackat, the current head of the family had often been at odds with the Ambrosius twins. They were always spouting that wretched diatribe about breeding and social status and other such nonsense.

As far as Palom knew, their family was barely scraping by like the rest of the town did for all the many years of their existence. It was only through their good fortune with trade and new money did they start to flaunt their so-called prestige. His wife and sister's admonition to be patient with them was the only thing that prevented the black wizard from decking Dackat's teeth out.

Looking over the rest of the proposal, Palom started to grow even more suspicious at the prospect of the use of the new magics: industrial labor by golems. It went on to explain that the golems would be used to mine resources from uninhabited islands rich in mineral resources. That same suspicious part of Palom's mind wiped out the word 'industrial labor' and inserted the word 'military conscription'. And instead of mineral resource gatherers, he saw many squads of these things.

The Klauser were more than vocal about their displeasure with Baron, especially with Cecil. It was even speculated by some that they funded some of the terrorist activities done by the Mysidian Seperatists. Well, one could just replace any name with another of the bigger houses, according to the general consensus by most of the population of Mysidia.

Closing his eyes, Palom folded his arms and tried to figure out any sort of possible motive for this. The Klauser knew for a fact if they tried to make a move, the other three houses would move against them. The same applied to the rest of the great houses. They all distrusted each other too much to even consider a temporary alliance.

In fact, the other houses were being far too quiet for his tastes. Fifteen years since the end of the Crystal War, the four houses were fighting for dominance in the Mysidian city. Thankfully, there was no open warfare and it was, for the most part, done in ways that didn't capture the world's attention. He was able to find out about it through his 'friends' in the Strife house had 'friends' in other houses that fed him all the information he needed. He knew they were telling the truth, because he had told so many lies in his childhood, any attempt at subterfuge failed.

Standing up, he held the report in hand and strolled silently to his sister's office. Though Rosa's dilemma was dire and in need of serious attention, Palom's mind for mischief knew the stirrings of trouble when he saw it. This had to be brought to the attention of the council as soon as possible.

Opening Porom's door, Palom slid through like a shadow without making a sound. He took an extra glance behind him, throwing out his range of magical perception to make sure that he wasn't being followed. Turning back, he took a seat in front of his sister's desk as she stared dispassionately from behind her reading spectacles.

"Something bothering you, brother?"

"Now that you mention it..." he tossed the proposal onto her desk.

She took it up and read through it in half the time he did. Palom would never admit it, but it always jarred him to know that she could read through things and comprehend it twice as fast as he. It was also one of the reasons why she was the head of the council. Many of the living to the most powerful of undead monstrosities could not withstand her powerful holy magic.

She cocked an eyebrow to her bother, "And?"

"Doesn't seem just a little bit suspicious to you? I mean, the Klauser have had a grudge against Cecil and Baron ever since the Crystal War and with something like this, they could make an army in secret if they so wished."

She placed the paper on her desk, "The thought had occurred to me. However, the problem therein lies in the fact that we have no proof. And of course, the council, rallying behind their 'independence' cause can use this with impunity."

He shrugged his shoulders and sighed, "So, in other words, we can't do anything."

Porom smiled enigmatically, "Not for now, anyway. Keep your ears open, brother. Even after this ordeal with Rosa and the Seperatists, I got a feeling that something big is going to happen. And since the other heroes from the Crystal War may not be able to help us as much as we'd hope, I suggest we keep those loyal to us close and those who are not even closer."

Now it was Palom's turn to cock an eyebrow. "Woman's intuition?"

Porom shrugged. "You can say that."

Palom smirked. "Now I know why I decided to stick around you. There are times where you can be just as crafty as I can. I like that."

Porom suppressed a chuckle, "And if I weren't so comfortable sitting down, I'd smack you like I did when we were kids."

The younger twin snorted in reply, "Oh please, my wife's whip..." he slapped his palm over his mouth, but it was too late. He saw his sister grinning like she had just found the proverbial cookie jar. With a frown, he leaned over the edge of her desk and whispered, "You heard nothing. Am I clear?"

With her fingers intertwined, she replied calmly, "I don't recall hearing anything... so long as you agree to watch over my children in the near future. My husband and I want some alone time as well."

Taking the proposal, he skulked back to the door and grumbled, "Drop dead, Porom,' which translated, meant a reluctant yes in their own personal speech patterns.

...

In the town of Baron, Anthony, disguised as a merchant, mock-stumbled into a bar. Considering what he stood to gain from his confederation with the higher families of Baron, he could not appear in his normal regalia. Looking to one of the more less-personable booths in the rear, he suppressed a grin at seeing a single man fidgeting slightly.

Walking through the unwashed masses, he slid down into the booth as quietly as a breeze. In fact, it was so silent that he nearly scared the representative of the ruling class. Anthony didn't like the way this man acted. It was too obvious, but knew he had to deal with people like this for a while.

"You're him, aren't you?" the wormy messenger said.

With a self-confident smirk, Anthony replied, "If it wasn't me, then it wouldn't be me, would it?"

"No mind games. Get to the point and what's the report?"

"The Queen's condition is getting worse. The healers figure she won't last the week. And with the delay from the Mysidians, it makes this all the easier for us."

The vassal frowned, "In case you've forgotten, they've got that beast whore and some of the best wizards in Mysidia looking for a cure. Have you considered what can happen if they succeed?"

Unperturbed, Anthony replied, "Then we resort to my contingency."

The vassal's frown deepened, "You seem rather confident about yourself. What guarantee do we have that you will succeed AND keep your half of the bargain?"

"Oh come now. Isn't petty revenge for my promiscuous father enough? Besides, it will make the perfect tragedy. My father, loyal patriot to the state of Baron, after being murdered by his former compatriot, is venerated when his bastard son avenges his death and takes the throne for his father's sake."

"I'm still not convinced."

"I have my ways, my friend. That's all you need to know. And once Harvey's out of the way, your masters will be getting all the influence they want. But the throne will be mine," he reached over, grabbed the vassal's collar, and pulled him over the table, "am I clear?"

The weak-willed vassal, acting no different than his masters, nodded while holding back a sob. The nobles didn't want Cecil as the king anymore, but the people of Baron and the ruling parties of other nations loved him far too much for them to try anything. They knew the connections Cecil had and if they tried anything, retribution would be swift and terrible.

Anthony let go of the collar and stood up. His business for today was done and he needed to return to the castle before his absence was discovered. Along the way to the exit, the smell of fresh tobacco assaulted his nose. He turned to see a woman, dressed in a high class, though somewhat tasteless dress that placed her virtue into question. She smiled at him, "Greetings, sir. Surely all the business you've been occupied with has left you little time for companionship."

Anthony smiled back at the whore's face, her ample bust, and well shaped legs before returning to her face. "Maybe some other time." Though attractive, Anthony didn't dare touch this one. She wasn't stupid and so, she'd die first and quietly once the throne was his.

The woman blinked and then smiled once more. "I'll be here if you need me, sir. Just ask for Tifa." She took a puff from her pipe once more as she watched her potential customer leave the bar. She shrugged in resignation once he left her sight. He looked like one with many dirty little secrets to exploit. However, he didn't seem stupid enough to fall for her. Which was a pity, really. He was kind of handsome, despite the disguise.

...

Leaning against the wall by the infirmary door, Cecil sighed. Rosa's condition had deteriorated to the point where she could hardly move anymore. Because of that, they were able to move her out of the tower, clean her up, and place her in the infirmary. Peeking through the crack in the door, he stared at his barely living wife. Her eyes were fluttering, fighting to simply stay awake against the strength of the curse and her body's betrayal.

"If you wish, your highness, you may be with her. However, I'm afraid she won't respond," the white mage whispered morosely.

Cecil nodded, thanked the healer, and dismissed her. Taking a seat from the desk on the opposite side of the room, he placed the chair by the bed, sat on it, and stared silently at Rosa's sleeping form. Instinctually, he reached up and took her still hand in his own. Her hand was still warm, though not as warm as it was before.

He knew she couldn't hear him, but still, he whispered, "I miss you." Cecil gave her hand a gentle squeeze, hoping that she could tell he was there. His mood lightened slightly when he felt her hand squeeze gently back. From what he could see, she was still fighting. The prospect gave him hope that she would last long enough to pull through. Maybe she would. From what Rydia had told him the previous time, the twins and she were on the trail of finding the cure.

Maybe she did have a chance to survive. Rosa had lasted this long, maybe there was a chance she could prevail and recover. He held his wife's hand fast, hoping that his grip would somehow keep here with him.

...

Rydia yawned as she turned another page. Despite all the progress she and the twins made in the past, it still did not give them the answers they sought. Leaning back in her chair, Rydia used her index finger to draw the runes and equations needed to try and figure out the nature of the curse itself.

"Let's see... when trapper hex is applied to someone, the spectral patters created from the hex form a counter-clockwise thread that affect the mental energies of the host. However, until the hex is activated, the thread itself becomes inert and practically invisible.

"But even if it was invisible, there should be some kind of spectral dissonance that would make it visible to healers... oh wait, the thread modifies itself to the pattern of the host..."

She ran her hands through her hair and grumbled a few curses in the summoner's tongue before putting her face in her palms. It was already nightfall and she was at her rope's end. Standing up, she stretched her back and turned to the general direction of the twins' offices, hoping that they had better luck than she did.

On her way, she bumped into two small persons, dressed in a white and black mage cloak that seemed a bit too big for them.

Looking down, she saw two young mages giggling mischievously behind their respective robes before trying to scurry away. However, Rydia's quick hands caught both their collars. With a smirk on her face, Rydia said casually, "If I didn't know better, I'd say it was Terra and Tina up to no good, again."

The white mage pulled her hood back to show her face, "how'd you know?"

"Call it a calculated guess. Now what are you two doing and why are you in such a hurry?"

Porom's daughters smirked to one another and pulled off their headdresses to show their hair was dyed a dark shade of green. Rydia held her face to her mouth to stifle a laugh and knelt down in front of them, "You realize your mother's going to throw a fit when she sees you?"

Tina seemed unconcerned. "She already knows and promised to ground us for a month unless we change our hair back."

Terra then piped up, much more worried than her sister. "But this is a prismatic spell. Those don't wear off until a day or two."

Tina then looked at her sister, quite shocked, "Are you serious?!" Terra nodded meekly. "Perfect."

Rydia then cocked an eyebrow, "But why did you two dye your hair in the first place?"

Tina looked up to Rydia with a grin. "It's because we want to be like you, Lady Drake. We want to be able to summon monsters like you can, but our mom won't let us go to Mist until we've graduated from the Academy."

Rydia rolled her eyes. "Trust me, using theoregy is not the same as using regular magic. I was born there and it took me more times than I can count just to be able to summon a chocobo."

Terra then spoke up quietly, "But we still admire you, Lady Drake. That's why we want to be like you."

The statement gave the summoner pause. Recently, all she heard from her peers, save for her closest friends, were insults. To hear these two say such a thing humbled her. Kneeling on the ground, she took both girls and hugged them, "Thank you... though I don't feel worthy to hear you say that, I appreciate it."

Both twins smiled and gave their farewells before scurrying off home. Porom's daughters made her feel warm enough to almost forget her troubles, but knew she had to carry on.

As she passed through the main library hall, the hair on her neck suddenly stood on end as she felt another chronogy pulse fade somewhere near her location. On instinct, she started to run towards Porom's office when she nearly ran into the elder twin.

"Porom, did you feel that chronogy pulse?"

"Yes, but that's not important, look at this!" she gestured to the book she held, "All this time we were trying to figure out how to unravel the curse, but that was never the case at all!"

Looking over the passage Porom showed her, Rydia's eyes sped over the solution to put the pieces together herself. "So... if I'm reading this right... Then the degradation curse isn't constructed in the Bane system, but the Blight system? Then we've been following the wrong course all along?!"

The twin shook her head, "No, the degradation curse is actually a combination of both systems. After all, the Lunarians were far more advanced with their magic than we were. It's not improbable that Zemus used that when he had the chance."

"But that doesn't make sense. Curses that use more than one construction system can hardly be used with a single hex. It would mess up the whole thing."

"Unless the caster arranged the construction in a different order, then it would make the hex and the curse all the more difficult to find since Healers are always quick to turn to the normal detection system."

"So, how to we get rid of the curse?"

"We don't."

"What?!"

"Normally, this curse kills the victims, but if were to simply remove a few key threads from both the hex and the curse, then it'll simply run itself into oblivion, sparing Rosa."

Breath suddenly came hard for Rydia as she asked the twin, "How long would the procedure take?"

The elder twin pushed up her reading spectacles, "Only half an hour. And I'll need your help since this requires both black and white magics to use."

"What about your brother?"

"Poor boy worked himself to sleep. In fact, I was checking on him when I found this on his desk."

"And you practically abused him when you two were kids."

Porom's smile faded as she turned defensive, "And let him do as he pleased? I think not."

"Well, we'll save the argument for later. Let's go!"

Both of them sped through the columns of books and into the night towards the Devil's Road. The excitement in the air was thick as their adrenaline carried them faster than their legs normally would. Ignoring the confused looks from others outside on that night, Rydia and Porom sped through the streets.

It was liberating to know that Rosa would be all right, but still, her condition had to be cured or else permanent damage would be left on her. But Rydia didn't care, she was practically flying and nothing could get in the way of her good mood.

Except for seeing the entrance to the Devil's Road collapsed under rubble as a result of the Serpatists' terrorist activities.

"Tough luck for you, eh beast whore?" Rydia heard Lana taunt from the other side of the street. The summoner could not believe that such a thing happened on the verge of their triumph, and the little school brat was there just to add insult to injury.

Thankfully, Porom took up the stand, "Watch your tongue, Ms. Phorris, or else I will make sure you never graduate!"

Head councilwoman Porom's presence shocked Lana into silence. To make sure nothing worse could happen, she and her groupies retreated from the domineering presence of both women. Rydia was grateful for her friend's interference, or else she would have done something she might have regretted.

Between breaths, the twin sighed, "Now what do we do? It's too late to send for an airship and we wouldn't be able to get a black chocobo in time."

Rydia considered the other options they had. The airships in town imposed heavy prices on rides and since Rydia wasn't in the mood to wait, she counted that alternative out. They had to get there fast. Faster than anything that man could make... and therein lay the answer.

She grabbed Porom's wrist and dragged her to the edge of town, "Come on! I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"You'll see!"

...

Several more minutes of running later, they came to the closest to the city. They could have used the cliffs, but that wouldn't have been advisable, given Porom's fear of heights.

"Rydia, what are we doing here? We have to get to..."

"I know, just watch!" She faced the ocean and closed her eyes. Forcing her breathing and heart to calm, she began to hear sound of the waves crashing against the shore. A sea blue aura cascaded from her person and into sphere above her. Levitating over the ground, she threw her hands into the air and cried with a voice distorted by the ether.

"Ash'ra Tho'ro Mahn... Ara Dan'el Thil'Orei! Leviathan!"

The sphere grew and exploded. In its place, the majestic serpent unraveled from slumber and roared as it dove into the ocean. Seconds later, the king of the summoned monsters emerged on the shore and rested its head on the sand beside Rydia and Porom.

"You can't be serious!" Porom exclaimed in shock.

"Of course I am." Rydia said before dragging the white sorceress onto the back of Leviathan's head and whispering in the caller's tongue what she wished of him. With a growl of compliance, the serpent turned around and sped towards Baron and speeds matched only by airships.

While Rydia screamed in delighted at the adrenalin rush, Porom held onto Rydia's waist and the book she carried for dear life. She was never used to such speeds and it was doubtful she ever would be.

...

Captain Tristam inhaled deeply of the sea air and stretched his hands high, reveling in the rejuvenating smell of salt water. The life of a sailor was the only life he wanted. The great sea in front of him, a strong and study boat beneath him, and of course, dry land behind him whenever he felt the urge to come home.

A rustle in the water brought his attention to the distance where he saw something akin to a small tidal wave approaching the harbor. However, upon closer inspection, he gasped and nearly lost his balance at the sudden appearance of the most feared beast in the entire ocean. Leviathan!

Fear soon turned into confusion when he swore that he saw two women on the top of the monster's head. Even more unusual was when the beast reached the stone harbor and slowed to a softer pace, dropped the women off, and returned into the ocean as though nothing had happened.

He turned to see the women that had somehow tamed the massive serpent and rode him from wherever they came, but they had already dashed into the city and made for the castle, by the looks of it.

...

"Open the gates! Hurry!" Rydia cried to the guards who saw their approach. Knowing who Rydia was, they opened the gates without bothering to ask who her companion was. Through the corridors and up the stairs they ran to the infirmary. There was no time at all to lose. Every second counted.

Both women burst through the door to give everyone there the good news. But as soon as Rydia saw the body with the sheets draped over it, the words suddenly died in her throat. Shaking her head, she whispered 'no' several times, not believing what she saw.

The head healer gave Rydia a forlorn look before turning away.

The summoner's breathing grew faster and less human as she grabbed the book Porom held and threw it into the wall. Falling to her knees, Rydia punched the carpeted floor several times before throwing back her head and screaming.

All of Baron heard her.

She was too late.

End of chapter 3

Insert obligatory request for constructive comments and criticisms here. It should be noted that Rydia's summoner chants come from Warcraft 3, so they belong to Blizzard. Also, anything Final Fantasy related, which includes the several references to other games, belongs to Square Enix. Also, points goes out to those that know what Palom is talking about during his first scene and where exactly it comes from. You can look it up,

if you wish, but you won't get the points. :p

I was original going for a J.K. Rowling inspired name set for the Noble Houses, but figured it'd just be easier to use family names of other FF characters. Yet, I suck, but at least I'd like to think I suck half-decently.

And as a point for the plot from the game: Cecil and Rydia were planning on leaving Kaipo, but when they were about to leave, they heard talk about an 'girl that walked all the way from Baron, looking for someone'. Cecil, naturally got suspicious and was shocked to discover that it was indeed, Rosa. Thanks to Stealth Noodle to pointing that out.

I'd put more author's notes here, but somehow I feel they wouldn't be appropriate.