Thirty years ago, on the same world of Vana'diel, an expedition team was sent out to discover the mysterious ruins in the northern lands. This team was comprised of three Bastokans, two Windurstians, and one San d'Orian. One of the Bastokans was none other than the Talekeeper of the Galka, Raogrimm. Along the way, Ulrich, another of the three Bastokans, noticed the Hume girl who he had feelings for, who was also the third Bastokan, had been spending much time with Raogrimm. It seemed to everyone in the expedition that they were more than just good friends, and this angered Ulrich greatly. He told everyone to split into two groups to cover more ground, he and Raogrimm went one way and everyone else was supposed to go the other. However, while thinking out his plan to kill Raogrimm, he didn't notice that the woman, Cornelia, followed them. It was in the deepest chasm that Ulrich launched his attack, hitting Raogrimm when he least expected it. Knocked to his feet and winded, Raogrimm could do nothing as Ulrich pulled back his sword for the final thrust... It was then that Cornelia jumped in front of Raogrimm, Ulrich's blade thrusting into her stomach. Ulrich,shocked by what he had done, ran from the area. Raogrimm, the woman he loved at his feet covered in blood, let out a great roar. That was the last anyone heard from him...

It had been four days since I learned the Ryu Sanjuu Dageki from Scunex. Konami and I had only enough food left for another week or so, and making it to the Federation of Windurst would take much longer than that. In all my dreams of having the chance to help as many people as I could, I never would have thought that I would be defeated by mere hunger. When all chance of finding food seemed lost, we found a very small, and very peculiar apple orchard. They were growing wild in this one small area, which explained why it was peculiar to me- apples had never grown in this region.

"Come on Kazu!" Konami shouted to me. "These apples taste wonderful!"

"I don't think..." I said at first, until my stomach growled. Then I realized how truly hungry I was and added, "Well... we might as well."

An hour passed, and we both ate our fair share of apples. Just when we were about to continue our trip to Windurst, a young man approached. This man was clad in the armor of a Royal Knight of San d'Oria, and I recognized him to be none other than Rahal. In his arms was the young wyvern who I inherited the Holy Crest with. As he got closer, the wyvern noticed who I was, and seemed to instantly gain the strength to fly over to me at full speed, almost knocking me over.

Rahal laughed, and said, "I knew that seeing you again would get this little one back to normal. Mikan was almost too depressed to eat anything when you left San d'Oria."

"Mikan?" Konami and I asked in unison.

"Well," Rahal said. "we couldn't just let him go unnamed. Mikan seemed fitting to the Priests, so Mikan his name was. Anyway, I just wanted to come here to put Mikan where he belongs, and guide you two to Windurst, since I'm heading that way anyway."

"Why are you going to Windurst, Rahal?" I asked.

"...Orders of the King," He responded. "I can't talk about them."

With Rahal's help, we managed to get to Windurst in a single day. Travelling in a caravan was indeed faster than travelling on foot. We followed Rahal until Konami saw who she wanted to meet, and it was very easy to identify him, since as soon as she saw him she yelled "Nighthawk!"

This Hume, Nighthawk, was a family friend of Konami, and also was a Bard. He was visiting Windurst for his own reasons, none of which seemed to stop either of them from talking on and on about the most random of things. They went off to Windurst's Orastery, while Mikan and I decided to find out what Rahal was up to. Inside Heaven's Tower we found Rahal talking with Shantotto, a Tarutaru with much influence in Windurst.

"Personally," Rahal said. "dealing with the dark energy obtained from the Shadow Lord is not something anyone should do. However, if we are to find a way of defeating the Shadow Lord if he was to ever rise again, we must continue the Dark Project."

"I agree with you that we must continue, Rahal," Shantotto said. "but iffy-wiffy we were to stop because of the power of the Shadow Lord, then we wouldn't findy-windy a way to stop his return."

"What?" Rahal blurted out.

"The Shadow Lord will not stop his attempt to wipe out everything that lives in Vana'diel," she added. "unless we can find a way to prevent him from coming back. The Dark Project was a way for us to see the true power of the Shadow Lord under experimental conditions, you know that better than anyone. That Batosai of yours was the first successful experiment to be given the power of the Shadow Lord and not end up killing himself."

"I don't like it one bit," the Star Sibyl said, walking in. "this so-called power of the Shadow Lord can only be used for awakening the deep hatred, evil, and immense fury of the experiment's heart. It does not show us the true power of the Shadow Lord."

"Experiments do not have hearts," Shantotto said. "besides, Batosai had the potential to rival the power of that of the Shadow Lord."

"That is why we must stop this!" The Star Sibyl shouted. "If we continue on it won't be the Shadow Lord who rises but it will be we who create him!"

"...We have a visitor." Rahal said, looking up at me.

I jumped down from the window I was in and landed near Rahal. "If experiments do not have hearts," I said to Shantotto. "then what is this warmth I feel? I can feel the respect of my brother, the love of my mother, and the admiration of Konami. How can I feel such things without a heart!"

"You can feel such things..." a voice said. "because I have felt such things. you are nothing more than a clone of my former self... but now it is time for my revival... all those who have life will experience death by my hands!"

The entire tower began shaking, and the dark energy Shantotto gathered from the Shadow Lord rose from the barrier and focused into one ball in the center of the room, which eventually took form of what appeared to be a Galka... but not anything of this world. "Thirty years ago," it said. "the one who meant everything to me was taken away from me, and I fell into darkness. When I rose again, I rose with the hatred, rage, and fury of all of my people, and I became the Shadow Lord. Now I shall take my vengence upon all those who live this day... they shall suffer as I did in the past!"

The Shadow Lord knocked Rahal and Shantotto aside, but before he could make a move for the Star Sibyl, I drew my lance and released the Ryu Sanjuu Dageki into his chest. However, all it did was focus his rage towards me, which was enough for the Star Sibyl to make her escape. "You insignifigant pest!" He yelled, charging at me. A second before he launched his strike, the room filled with energy, turning everything a deep shade of red. A song was being sung... the song of the Pheonix.

"Ye born of honor and might, knowing both worlds of darkness and light, shall find the strength that is needed to cleanse the world of the shadows of the night." A new voice said, and with that, the energy grew more intense. I looked around for the Pheonix, but saw nothing in the room but the Shadow Lord and myself. There were only two energies in the room, the source of darkness that was the Shadow Lord, and the source of this light... who I found to be myself. Once I realized that, the energy pulled in towards me and surged through my body. This was energy that I then knew had been sealed within me, the power of the Crimson Light had awakened.

"Your... armor is glowing..." The Shadow Lord spoke. "It doesn't matter, I will still crush you!"

He swung at me with his massive sword only to have me block it with my lance. "I..." I said, struggling against his power. "will not let you take any more life from this world!"

At that moment, Konami and Nighthawk ran into the very room where I was trying to defend myself against the Shadow Lord. "Kazu!" Konami yelled once she realized that I was the one in the crimson armor.

"What in the world is THAT?" Nighthawk yelled, pointing at the Shadow Lord.

"I am the one who shall remove all life from this world." The Shadow Lord responded, sending a wave of energy at Konami, who was too scared to move at all.

"NO!" I screamed, barely managing to get in front of the blast to protect her from it.