Disclaimer: You don't own me. I mean, I don't own it…

Another chapter! That's three in two weeks. I'm on a roll! Sadly, though, my next semester of school starts now. Oh well. Keep reviewing and enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-two: Phoenix

The Figaro library was an extensive collection. The history section alone had books on nearly everything one could imagine: bestiaries, world maps, Figaroan history, Doman history, Vectoran history and the rise of the Empire, countless lost civilizations of the past thousand years. The list was endless, and yet Celes couldn't find what she was looking for: specific accounts of the War of the Magi. She knew Vector had such records in its many databases, but Vector didn't exist anymore, and she had gone through most of those already anyway. She also assumed there would be texts in Thamasa, but she had no way to get there.

What she did find were several vague references to an ancient relic with life-restoring power, long thought lost to the world.

"Treasure hunter indeed," she muttered to herself.

She leaned back in her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was wasting her time. In frustration, she stood from the table and walked out of the library. The castle would begin its shift back east soon, and she had to move on if she wanted to reach Kohlingen by nightfall.

((ooo))

Sabin paced restlessly. "Do you think it will work?"

Gau mimicked his pacing. "Shiny stone broken. No power left."

Edgar stared at the door to the herbalist's house. "I pray for Locke's sake it will."

"Indeed, the lad seems at his wit's end," Cyan agreed.

Relm looked up from her sketchpad. "What if it doesn't?"

"Life's a gamble," Setzer offered, shuffling a deck of cards. "You gotta take what you're dealt."

After a while, Edgar sighed. "The sun is going down…" he noted needlessly.

Sabin looked to the horizon, and that's when he saw a cloaked figure leaning against a small birch atop the hill adjacent to the house. Though her hood concealed her face, he recognized her straight away.

"Guys, I'll be right back."

When Edgar and Cyan followed Sabin with their eyes, they also noticed the figure. "And who art this newcomer?" the Doman wondered.

"No idea," the king answered.

Sabin approached casually. "Hey. Long time no see." He received a slight nod of acknowledgment. "Just passing through?" Another nod. "Good to see you're as chatty as ever," he teased.

"I was on my way here, and I saw the airship," she finally said. "Thought I'd see who was around."

"From a distance?"

"You know me." Celes was quiet for a moment. "So he found it."

"Locke? Yeah. The magicite was cracked, though, so we're not sure if it will…" He trailed off when a red mist rose from the house below. "…work."

The mist gained solidity, taking the form of a phoenix. Its broad wingspan stretched towards the heavens, and its flowing tail cascaded to the earth. Celes drew back the hood of her cloak, and Sabin thought he saw a trace of sadness in her otherwise hollow expression.

"You care about him, don't you?" he ventured gently.

Her gaze fell slowly.

Sabin wondered if her silence was her answer. He chose to stray from the subject. "Have you reconsidered joining us?"

Celes closed her eyes. "How can I face them? After all I've done?"

Sabin bowed his head. "We've all done things we're not proud of… Everyone has a dark side. It's what makes us human."

"Only human," she echoed, recalling a similar conversation she once had with Brandt. "What makes you so sure they'll just accept me back?"

"I can't say they will right away, but…" He paused, choosing his words carefully. "You may not be wanted, Celes, but you will be needed."

She didn't respond.

Suddenly, the Phoenix blazed brilliantly as it lit up in flames. The fiery bird thrashed its head and wings through the air, its cries piercing the stillness of the coming dusk. In the Phoenix's final death throes, it turned into a fine ash and was carried away by the very wind its beating wings created. An echo of a grief-stricken scream from the house below faded with the mythical bird.

The worst was assumed.

Rachel was dead.

((ooo))

Edgar crossed his arms. "No."

"Why not? I really think she can be good. That she wants to be good."

"Yes, but Sabin, she can also be very, very evil. She killed Banon."

"I haven't forgotten. She also fought Kefka on several different occasions—"

"For her personal vendetta!" Cyan interjected angrily. "'twas not against the Empire, 'twas against the man who ruined her life!"

It was the morning after the Phoenix rose, and the prince had informed his friends of Celes' presence in Kohlingen. His request that the former Imperial be allowed to rejoin the group had not been well received by his brother or the Doman warrior.

"Lest we forget, the Empire is dead," Setzer reminded, acting as a neutral mediator of sorts.

Sabin looked pleadingly at his brother. "She has nothing left…"

"Not necessarily a comforting thought." The king gazed over to where Celes stood by the stream. "Sabe, she has no morals."

"I think she has a far purer spirit than you give her credit for. Yes, her hands are stained with blood, but whose hands here aren't?"

Relm timidly raised her hand. "Um…mine?"

"We are not murderers, butchers," Cyan spat.

"Don't start, Cyan," Sabin warned.

Setzer put his hands between the two. "Gentlemen!"

When he had their attention, the gambler gestured behind them. Locke had emerged from the herbalist's house, eyes bloodshot and face even more worn than when they found him in the Phoenix Cave.

"I'm coming with you guys."

Their eye went wide. "Locke…you don't have to—"

He shrugged. "Where else am I going to be? I was there when this thing started, and I want to be there to," he caught sight of Celes, and paused, "…see it finished."

Edgar put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Locke, if you're sure about this…then, good to have you back."

The thief nodded absently, his gaze still fixed on the blonde knight.

Sabin glanced over his shoulder to follow his stare. "She showed up last night."

Locke looked to Setzer. "When do we leave?"

"Whenever you're ready," the pilot told him.

"I'll just be a minute."

"Sure."

Edgar watched Locke as he approached Celes. "You really think we can trust her?" he asked his brother, his resolve softening.

"I think we have to," Sabin replied.

Celes looked up from the tranquil stream as Locke neared.

The treasure hunter gave a small wave. "Hey."

"Hey," she returned.

"Been a while, huh?"

"Over a year." Awkward silence ensued. "I'm sorry it didn't work."

Locke lowered his head. After a moment and with a discreet sniffle, he looked back into Celes' eyes. Tilting his head quizzically, he ran his fingers through a lock of her hair. "You cut it."

Celes took in his own hair that now reached past his chin. "You didn't."

"Haven't taken the time, I guess." He studied her for another minute. "I'm glad you're here."

The former general submitted, however reluctantly, when Locke snaked his arms around her neck, pulling her close. In that single instant, he managed to forget the grief that wrenched at his heart and feel that sliver of joy. When the moment passed, though, all the pain and the guilt came flooding back. He clenched his eyes shut and held Celes tighter, but the onslaught overtook him, and he quickly released her. He muttered an apology and something about it being too much before turning from her.

"Locke…"

"I'll be okay." He looked over his shoulder at her. "You coming along?"

Celes glanced at the airship where the others were waiting. "Wasn't planning on it…"

"But?"

"There isn't a 'but.'"

"There's always a 'but.' Everyone has a 'but.'" Celes raised a questioning brow, and when his brain caught up with his mouth, Locke managed a chuckle. "You know what I mean. Come on."

"Locke, I—"

The thief took her hand and practically dragged her to the Falcon, where Setzer and Edgar awaited on thegangplank. Releasing her hand, Locke walked past the two men and into the vessel.

"Celes." The ex-Imperial nervously met Edgar's gaze. "Welcome back."

As the king turned to go inside, the knight stared at his back with a strange mixture of bittersweet disbelief. Setzer gestured up the ramp with a grand sweeping of his arms.

"Welcome aboard."

The gambler put a friendly arm around her shoulders as they walked inside, and she was too stunned at the unexpected acceptance to care. As soon as she stepped up on deck, Relm darted over and hugged the older blonde, nearly knocking her to the ground. Sabin nodded gratefully to his brother, and Cyan remained stoic as ever, providing neither angry comment nor resentful glare.

Once at the controls, Setzer requested their next destination, but no one seemed to have any ideas.

"Edgar, did you know there's a lost civilization buried somewhere between Figaro and Kohlingen?" Celes finally asked.

"Seriously?" She nodded. "Is that what the castle has been running into?"

"I guess."

Edgar grinned, a gleam in his eyes normally seen on Locke. "Let's go to Figaro!"

"May I suggest a couple other stops first?" Celes proposed. With the king's nod of approval, she turned to Setzer. "Where's the Coliseum?"

"Just north of here. Why?"

"I think that's where you'll find Shadow. You wouldn't happen to have a weapon called the Striker, would you?" she asked jokingly.

To her surprise, Edgar dug around in his pack and produced a dirk. "This?"

"Um, sure? All I know is Shadow is looking for it."

The king glanced at Setzer. "Then let's pay our friendly neighborhood mercenary a visit, shall we?"

The engines of the Falcon roared to life, and the pilot took off to the North. While the others went down into the plush cabins, Celes stayed on deck for the air. She noticed Locke staring out over the side rail, and though normally she'd leave him be, a nagging voice in the back of her conscience wouldn't let her.

"Regretting coming along?"

At first he didn't respond. Finally coming out of his daze, Locke glanced briefly over his shoulder at the blonde. "No." He rubbed his face. "Just thinking. You?"

She quirked a bitter smile. "There are a lot of things I regret. Hard to keep track of them all."

"I know the feeling."

The two stood in silence the rest of the flight to the Coliseum.

((ooo))

"We just want to talk to a friend of ours. We have reason to believe he's here."

"Look miss, the only way you get through these doors is to make a wager and participate in battle, just like everybody else."

She looked to Edgar. "Give me the Striker." The king handed her the dirk, and she held it up for the administrator. "Can you at least tell me who I would fight if I were to wager this?"

The man inspected the blade. "A ninja. I believe he goes by the name Shadow."

"Excellent. Sign me up."

"Celes—"

She cut Locke off. "Don't worry."

A half hour later, after several other pairs of contestants battled their way to victory or failure, Celes walked into the fighting ring. In the center, Shadow already waited. Any surprise he may have felt at seeing her was hidden under his mask.

"You…found the Striker."

"No." She gestured over her shoulder. "They did."

"And you're doing…what…here?"

"I will personally hand you the Striker if we just walk out of here right now so we can talk."

"Not how it works. You made a wager, a binding contract. One of us walks out of this arena, and the other is carried out on a stretcher or in a body bag."

"Great."

Without warning, Shadow whipped a shuriken at the knight. With inhuman speed, Celes brought up her left hand and caught the weapon midair, trapping it between the steel phalanges. Had it been her right hand, the multi-faceted blade could easily have sliced off a couple fingers and buried itself in her chest.

She stared at Shadow in disbelief. "That…was rude."

Celes swiftly flung the shuriken back at the unsuspecting ninja. He reacted a second too late, and the razor sharp projectile sliced through his mask, grazing his cheek.

Behind the guard rail of the arena, Locke, Edgar, and Sabin watched the ensuing brawl.

"Do you think it was a good idea to let Celes fight Shad—OH!" Locke cringed as the knight charged at the distracted ninja full speed and tackled him to the ground.

"What do you mean?" Edgar asked as the two fighters rolled to their feet.

"He has a point," Sabin agreed. "Shadow is an assassin after—AH!" The martial artist grimaced as the ninja blocked Celes' punch and wrenched her arm to the side.

"Would you volunteer to fight him, seeing what he's doing to--Ooo!" It was Edgar's turn to wince when Celes kicked Shadow hard in the stomach. "See? She'll be fine."

Locke flinched when Shadow cast a right hook, connecting with Celes' jaw. "But don't you think—" the ninja pivoted and jabbed his elbow into her stomach, "—there could have been—" and followed with a sharp elbow to the bridge of her nose, "—another way to talk to him?"

Edgar shrugged. "This seemed easiest." Another punch was thrown, but the woman sidestepped it, grabbed the outstretched arm, and threw her opponent to the ground. "Besides, it's Celes. I'm sure she'll…" He trailed off as the knight jumped into the air and let herself fall horizontally so that her own elbow crashed into Shadow's chest. "…pull through."

Not wasting any time, the former general ensnared the assassin in a choking headlock, only letting go when he stopped struggling.

"He is still alive, right?" Sabin called as Celes limped to the rail where they stood.

She waved it off. "Just unconscious."

Locke took in her haggard appearance. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she replied breathlessly, wiping blood from her nose. "Never better." When she leaned her arms on the rail, her face contorted in pain. "Ugh, I think he dislocated my shoulder."

"We should take you to the infirmar—"

"No, it's all right." She took Locke's hands and put them on her shoulders, taking hold of his shoulders with her own hands. "Just hold still."

"Celes, maybe you shouldn't—"

With a quick jerking motion, the distinct crack of her shoulder snapping back into place was heard. "There. Good as new," she claimed, her voice higher pitched than normal.

Shadow had already been carried out of the ring, and Celes refused help as she hobbled out as well. When they reached the main lobby, the administrator handed her the Striker with a patronizing smile.

"There. Now don't you feel better?"

The knight sent him an icy glare. Unexpectedly, she took the man's arm, twisted sharply, and slammed the palm of her other hand into his shoulder, knocking the joint out of alignment. As he cried out in pain, Celes turned to her friends with a bright smile.

"Yes, I do feel better now," she said sweetly. "Thank you."

The knight walked calmly away from the administrator, though cradling her arm as she did. The guys just exchanged looks of amusement. A short while later, Shadow came out into the lobby.

"What is it you wanted?" he asked tersely, rubbing the back of his neck.

Celes handed him the Striker and gestured to guys behind her. "I did my part. Your turn."

Edgar stepped forward. "What are you doing here, Shadow?"

"All I know how to do is fight."

"Then come with us," the king entreated. "Fight with us."

"We're going to need all the help we can get," Sabin added.

The ninja examined the dirk in his hand. "All right."

Locke ran a hand through his newly trimmed hair. "Well, that was easy." Celes punched him sharply in the arm. "OW!"

The knight walked out of the Coliseum without a word. Shaking their heads and grinning, the Figaro brothers also walked out, and Shadow followed mutely. The thief stood alone in the lobby, rubbing his arm.

"What did I say?"

Once the Falcon was in the air, Setzer called to Celes. "Next?"

The knight looked to the Southwest. "Mobliz."

The pilot looked at her in surprise. "Cel, Mobliz was leveled. There's nothing there."

"Yes there is. Trust me."

Hours later, she was welcomed by Duane and several of the orphans. The young man directed her to the supply room in the basement of the neighboring house where the half-Esper could be found.

"Terra."

When the mage turned to see who spoke, her face broke into a grin. "Celes!" She ran over and threw her arms around the other's neck. "Gods, you're here!"

"I told you I'd come back."

"But, Cel, that was only a month ago, and unless you have an airship…" She trailed off when several familiar faces appeared in the doorway. "Locke! Edgar, Sabin! You guys are all right! What are you doing here?"

"We came to check on our favorite half-Esper," Locke answered as he drew her into a hug.

Terra heard a trace of anguish in the thief's voice, but she let it go. "You didn't have to come all the way here to…" She stopped when she saw the guys exchanging glances and looking to Celes. "What?" Turning to the former general, she noticed an uncomfortable expression on the blonde's face. Terra turned away with the realization. "Celes, I told you I can't."

The knight followed the mage. "Yes, but that was a month ago," she grabbed Terra's arm to stop her, "so I'm asking again."

"I can't…I can't fight. Cel, you saw me with Phunbaba. I fought like…like a girl! Like a little girl!" she insisted.

Celes glanced back at the guys, who were all fighting off grins. She drew a breath, and let it out slowly. "Guys, can you give us a minute?"

"Sure," Edgar agreed before ushering the thief and his brother upstairs.

Once they were gone, Celes took Terra by the shoulders. "Ter, you know I hate asking you, but… I tried walking away from all this, but as you can see, that didn't go so well, and I'm not all convinced that you can just quit, either."

The mage dropped her gaze to the floor so the knight wouldn't see her tears.

"We need you, Ter. Hell, I need you to keep me sane…"

Terra didn't answer, instead throwing herself against Celes and crying into the blonde's shoulder. Celes just held her, gently stroking the other woman's hair.

Eventually, her sigh broke the silence. "Okay, Terra," she consented, kissing the mage's forehead. "I won't ask you again." The half-Esper clung to her tighter. "This means I have to leave, though."

Celes gently extracted herself from Terra's grasp, and the latter sniffled as she self-consciously dried her eyes. The blonde turned towards the stairs. "I'll come back when this is over," she promised.

Terra just watched her go. A minute passed, and Katrin walked into the room. The hush was deafening until the pregnant woman finally spoke. "You know you want to go."

"Why?"

"Because your closest friend just came to you for help, even though the last thing she wants is to put you in danger."

"…I don't understand…"

"She's your friend. You love her, just as she loves you."

"Love?" Terra whispered.

"Yes."

The half-Esper was quiet for a long time. "…But, the children…"

"What kind of future do they have in a dying world? If Kefka isn't stopped…I'm afraid of what might happen."

Wordlessly, Terra walked over to the hope chest sitting in the corner of the room. Lifting the lid, she rummaged through the contents. Finding the item she sought, she stood up, her gaze still fixed on it.

Katrin peered over the mage's shoulder, seeing a small blade glowing blue in Terra's hand. "Should I tell them not to take off yet?"

The half-Esper continued to stare into the translucent blade of the Atma Weapon. "Quickly."

((ooo))

Terra was welcomed onto the Falcon with hugs from Locke, Sabin, and Relm, a kiss to the hand from Edgar and Setzer, nods of acknowledgment from Cyan and Shadow, and a heartfelt whoop from Gau. Celes merely gave a knowing look, almost a smile were it not for the sadness behind it.

Edgar rubbed his hands together. "All right! How about that ancient castle you were talking about, Cel?"

"Sure." She didn't sound as enthused.

Setzer, Shadow, and Gau opted to stay on the airship after dropping the others off at Figaro. Once the desert fortress submerged and reached the bumpy landmark, Edgar requested the moving mechanisms be shut down until the warriors returned from their underground exploration.

Celes remained mute as she led the group into the caves via the detention block, and the others fell into quiet awe when the subterranean castle came into view. The grief that had been weighing on Locke seemed to lift the deeper inside they walked.

Terra was immediately drawn to the statue in the Great Hall. "Odin."

Relm came up behind her. "The Esper champion."

Celes looked on in silence as the green-haired woman lightly touched the stone with her fingertips. Terra and Relm both let out a startled cry when the statue crumbled, disintegrating into a mere pile of dust. The blonde knight unconsciously grasped the icy pendant around her neck as the half-Esper knelt down, finding a glowing gem amidst the powdery remains.

"Magicite…"

Terra stowed the stone in her pack, and the three women veered into the room the men had disappeared into.

"A library. Gods, the ancient tomes in this room…" Edgar breathed in wonder.

The warriors browsed the shelves. Relm picked up a jewel-encrusted diary, opened to a random page, and began reading.

"'I realize now that I am in love with Odin. How I long for this war to end so that I may bear my soul to him.'" Relm flipped through several more pages. "'I am overjoyed that I have given Odin a son, but my heart is filled with sorrow that he must grow up in a world ravaged by war.'"

"A child born of human and Esper," Terra mused.

Cyan crossed his arms. "Loved by his peers, hated by his enemies."

Relm skipped another couple dozen pages. "'My son, wracked with grief over his father's death, fought and defeated Ragnar. The sorcerer is now sealed within the Einlanzer, but I fear his powers are too strong. I see the corruption seeping from the accursed blade, afflicting my little Genji even now, but he will not heed my warnings. Perhaps young Aegis can convince him before it's too late…'" Relm closed the diary. "Who's Aegis?"

"Genji's son," Celes answered quietly. "Born of Minerva, a sorceress of Esper origin."

Edgar raised a brow. "You seem to know a lot about this stuff."

She didn't meet his gaze. "I studied mythology in Vector."

"Ah."

Relm stared at Celes, her head tilted slightly to one side as she studied the older woman. "You're not telling us something."

The knight looked into the girl's bright eyes. "Nothing of importance."

Though Relm wasn't convinced, she let the subject drop. "If you say so."

"Hey, here's another journal," Sabin called. "This one was written by…some guy named Radius." The martial artist looked to Celes expectantly.

She shook her head. "Never heard of him."

Sabin started skimming the pages. When he found some text of interest, he began paraphrasing for the others. "Genji was corrupted by the sorcerer's spirit that was trapped in his own sword. Aegis fought his father, wielding the Illumina, the only sword forged that could pierce Genji's armor."

Save for Locke, who was busy searching the chamber for treasure, the others were entranced by the recount of Magi history. They broke from their thrall, however, when the blitz master fell silent.

"And?" Relm prodded impatiently.

Sabin looked up, realizing they were waiting for him to continue. "Oh! Um…" He continued to read. "Genji was killed, and his armor and sword were sealed away somewhere. A prophesy of sorts was declared against any who sought them out. Um…'Thou who covet the power within the Sword of the Damned shall face thy darkest enemy.'"

"How trite," Edgar joked as he watched Locke examine a bare wall.

"Hmph."

"What?"

"The journal changed authors. The handwriting is completely different."

Terra took the log from Sabin and picked up where the prince left off. "'The war has halted, at least for now, but at a terrible price. One of our priests summoned the mighty Alexander, submitting both himself and our enemies to His Holy Judgment. In their desperation, our enemies retaliated by summoning Crusader. The three hellgods slew Alexander and wrecked havoc in our domain before turning on those that summoned them. We will keep the Holy One's remains in our stronghold so that, Goddesses willing, He may never fall into dishonorable hands.'" Terra set the journal down. "The Holy One's remains…"

Edgar nodded, following the woman's train of thought. "But where?"

"Guys, where's Locke?" Relm asked.

Celes gestured over her shoulder. "He left a couple minutes ago."

"Damn thief," the king muttered.

The sound of stone grating on stone cut through the quiet castle as the wall Locke had been inspecting earlier swiveled open. The treasure hunter strolled back into the chamber, looking quite pleased with himself.

Edgar eyed him suspiciously. "What did you do?"

"There was a button on the riser of one of the stairs in front of the throne."

The king's eyes went wide. "And you pushed it? Does the word booby-trap mean anything to you?"

The thief just grinned and slipped through the crevice in the wall. The others stared after him.

Terra eventually chuckled. "Well, he's certainly back to his old self."

Edgar fought his own grin. "Yeah, his old cocky self."

Locke slinked back into the room. He spoke in an oddly hushed voice. "Okay, I have some good news, some bad news, and some really bad news." When he had their rapt attention, he elaborated. "The good news is I found where they kept Alexander. The bad news is I also found the queen."

Relm's face scrunched up. "Ew."

"She's been turned to stone," he explained. "Looks like she was protecting the magicite."

Celes absently adjusted her cloak. "And the really bad news?"

"There's a twenty-foot dragon coiled around her and the altar."

"One of the eight…?" Sabin wondered.

"Probably."

"There was one in the Phoenix Cave," Edgar recalled.

Celes unconsciously rested her hand on the pommel of the Blizzard Edge. "Did you slay it?"

"Barely."

"Great."

Each warrior edged into the secret vault for a glimpse of the ancient beast. The blue serpentine dragon was indeed curled around the stone-encased queen and the altar behind her. Though it slumbered, its tail flicked about in a feline-like manner. The slender body was armored with large serrated scales, tough as steel and virtually impenetrable by sword. Each of its four paws sported curved talons, and its beak was hooked like a hawk's. The lavender mane flowing down the dragon's back was the only break from its otherwise hard and menacing form.

"It appears to be the Dragon of Water," Cyan noted just above a whisper.

Terra's eyes narrowed as she weighed their options. "Celes, can you…?"

"I might be able to slow it down a bit, and maybe freeze any water magic it uses, but…"

"So…hit it with lightning?"

"A lot."

"Okay. That can be arranged."

Celes gestured ahead. "After you, Ter."

"What? I'm not fighting that thing!"

"You're the one with lightning magic here."

"The guys—"

"Aren't as powerful as you."

"Well…Relm—"

"You're going to make an eleven-year old face a twenty-foot dragon?"

"I'm still not sure I can fight."

"Now's your chance to find out. Like riding a chocobo, remember?"

Terra sighed in defeat. "If I die, I'll never speak to you again."

"We'll be right behind you to back you up," Celes promised. "Won't we guys?"

Edgar shifted nervously on his feet. "Uh…yeah. Sure."

Terra drew in a breath and let it out slowly. She rubbed her hands together, and they crackled with electricity as she called her magic to the surface. Celes likewise cracked her fingers, a white mist forming on her fingertips. The two women crept forward while Edgar, Sabin, Locke, Cyan, and Relm followed closely behind them.

Still a dozen paces away, they stopped dead in their tracks when they noticed a large glassy eye watching them; the dragon was awake. It's tail lashed about agitatedly as it lifted its elongated head to regard the intruders.

"Aw crap," Relm whined.

With a screech, the dragon uncoiled and raised its upper body into the air, towering above the humans.

"Here we go," Celes drawled.

((ooo))

Seven warriors were sprawled across the floor, bruised, cut, bleeding, and taking their time in simply catching their breath. Each was soaked from the Water Dragon's attacks, and as if that didn't chill them enough, half the vault was covered in Celes' ice. Pillars were cracked and smashed from where the enormous beast or the warriors had been slammed into them, and sections of stone were scorched from Terra's magic. The charred body of the dragon lay unmoving in the middle of the hall.

Locke rested on his back, his hands crossed casually behind his head as he stared thoughtfully at the ceiling. He gave a contented sigh. "Is it weird to think I might miss this when all it's over?"

Several groans carried through the room. Without opening her eyes, Celes spoke on behalf of all of them. "Yes."

The thief lolled his head to the side to look at the blonde knight. "You won't miss it?"

Surprisingly, she gave the question serious thought. "I've been fighting all my life. It's the only thing I'm good at…"

"You're good at singing…"

"Shut. Up," she muttered to both Locke and the snickering Figaro brothers. "I warned you never to bring that up again, or I'd make you suffer in horrible painful ways." She ignored the thief's impish grin and returned to her answer. "I don't know… I guess I'll worry about it when the time comes," she concluded.

A long period of silence followed until Edgar finally stood up. "I suppose we should get moving."

The others also got to their feet, and they climbed over the dragon's body to get to the altar. There, they stopped and stared, mouths agape.

Relm was the first to speak. "Um…where is it?"

Locke and Terra both search the altar and the surrounding area, but the magicite was nowhere to be found.

Edgar let his head fall into his hand. "Don't tell me we almost died for no reason."

Sabin tried to be more optimistic. "One less dragon in the world…"

Celes happened to glance at the back corner. "There's a body."

The king's eyebrows drew closer together. "Yeah? So?"

"It's only a few weeks old at most." She shook her head. "I don't understand. I didn't notice any footprints or anything when I was down here the first time…"

"So…someone has already been down here, somehow slipped past the dragon, and stole the magicite without leaving any traces other than a fallen comrade…?" Edgar deduce.

Locke scratched the back of his head. "Well, someone didn't get past Sir Slosh-a-lot over there."

"These art the robes of a cultist," Cyan stated softly.

"Kefka fanatic?" Sabin clarified. "Great."

Terra's forehead creased in confusion. "Why would the cultists…?"

"To keep it away from us," Celes reasoned.

"So Kefka is afraid of Alexander, right?" Relm asked. "That means He can hurt the psycho, right?"

The warriors exchanged looks. Edgar stared at the empty altar as he voiced the silent consensus.

"I say we find out."

Author's notes: At this point, only Mog, Umaro, Strago, and Gogo haven't been found yet. The Einlanzer and Radius are both from Chrono Cross, the first being a sword and the second being a character. The history in the diary entries is from the plot of a War of the Magi story I'm working on. The reason I'm not elaborating on the fight scenes is because I have a lot of battles to choreograph in these final chapters, so I'm saving up :) Here's next chapter's teaser because they're just so fun:

Strago standing before Fanatics' Tower. "Swords will be of no use here."

Strago holding magicite with fear in his eyes. "Alexander."

Solitary Island—Sabin watching Celes hold her Rune Blade. "I thought you said you lost it."

Celes twirling the Rune Blade. "I lied."

A dark figure circling Celes. "As the prophesy goes, 'Thou who covet the power within the Sword of the Damned shall face thy darkest enemy.'"