Fang sat, stunned, as Deuce finished explaining where everyone else was. Nine and Sazh gathered with them on empty barrels and crates in the little shadowed corner by a building.

Snow, Light, Vanille, Serah – Deuce reaffirmed that they were all safe. Noel wasn't yet. Hope and Dajh were both gone and under Bhunivelze's control.

Deuce continued, "Bhunivelze has no way to reach Valhalla. We should gather there. The sooner we get back, the better."

"What do you know about Noel?" Yeul asked.

"My sister Cater is there now." Deuce gave her a reassuring smile. "She's strong and should get him safely home."

"But that didn't save Hope, did it?" Sazh asked quietly. Fang caught the edge in his voice.

Deuce gave him an uncomfortable look. "… No."

"But this is different," Nine growled. "That kid was marked. Seven didn't work hard enough, yo."

"I wouldn't…" Deuce worked her jaw. "It's more complicated than that."

"Was Dajh marked?" Sazh asked quietly.

Deuce paused. "Not… not in the same way, no."

Fang leaned back against the brick wall, arms folded, eyes closed. They would just keep going. Nothing new there.

"We don't know where your son is, but we're looking." Deuce snapped back to a soldier's pose. "We have a trail we're following and if you want to find him, you should come with us."

"Snow told me you guys would lay off," Sazh bit out.

"That was before your son vanished."

Sazh gave a measured breath and stood. Then walked off. Yeul resumed conversation with the Reds and no one tried to follow the old man.

Fang did. The other three said nothing at her leaving and she found him down by the river, the rippling water dull in the overcast midday. He sat watching the murky waters, arms propping him up.

She stopped beside him, arms folded, and nudged him with her foot. "You know, I thought you had your priorities sorted. Didn't figure that you honestly didn't care about the rest of us."

He snorted.

Fang waited for more of a response but got nothing. She yawned and stretched and gave him all the time he needed to defend himself or something. But he said nothing.

She tried again, "So, what, you'll show up when you need something and the rest of us just get to manage without you?"

"I only care about Dajh."

She watched him for a moment. He still didn't look up. "Nothing else you can do, or are you just paranoid?"

He took a sharp intake of breath then rose to his feet and finally faced her. It was a moment before he responded, anger bouncing in his eyes. "You got the guts to tell me that after all this, after I've lost my son no less than four times, I'm too cautious about his safety?" He took a step forward. She held her ground. "There's a god out there who has it out for us. Dajh and I were safe where we were. It was remote. The chances of Him finding us where we were? Lower than Saronia's dungeons."

"Unless He wins, in which case I think we're all screwed. Depending on what He's gonna get out of it, you couldn't last long hiding away. We always did best when we fought back, that's how we won."

"Won?" Sazh scoffed and threw his hands up in the air. "You think we won? Far as I can tell, not even those red kids know what His endgame is, and we've been played this whole time. All these centuries, and it's a game to Him."

"It's never been good for us." Fang took steady breaths, kept calm. "Probably been bad for a lot of people. Haven't we always faced this thing head-on?"

"Exactly." He raised his pointer finger, taking a step backward. "Exactly. We always go up against it, but does it make a difference? In the end, the only thing we've ever managed is put off the inevitable. Why can't we take a break, live our lives for once?"

"Think about that." She dropped her hands. "If we want to have lives of our own, we're gonna have to stand up and defend them. You really want to roll the dice with that?"

"I don't have a choice! To fight back we have to ascend or some crap. We'd give up our mortality! Forever! What, are you okay with that?"

"I've been alive so long I'm beginning to think I'm already immortal." A disconcerting throb in her stomach. "I wouldn't want to go into that alone."

Sazh stared at her, eyes wide. "You just gonna accept that?"

She shrugged. "If it gets me back to everyone else. Sounds like I don't have to do it all alone. None of us do – that's why we have each other."

Sazh closed his eyes and turned back to the river. For a moment, the gurgling, dirty water was all she heard.

"…I can't just give up on my chance at normalcy." He opened his eyes and she pretended not to notice the glimmer there. "Dajh left on his own. He kept talking about how he wanted to see everyone else, but I… I couldn't let it happen. Now he's in Bhunivelze's hands."

She wanted to be angry at him, but she couldn't. He wanted to protect someone and thought that was the best way to do that. "You must have realized it wouldn't be safe forever."

"Didn't see it that way." He shrugged and cleared his throat. "You guys shouldn't need me to clean this mess up."

Fang was stunned. The thought of leaving him behind never registered as a possibility. She remembered to breathe. "You know that we'd all do anything for each other."

He didn't respond.

"And that goes for you too."

Still nothing.

"Does that mean nothing to you?"

"Like hell it means nothing!" Sazh whipped around and jabbed a finger her direction. "You kids come in and expect me to have the same energy as you. I don't, I'm tired, and I want to live out the rest of my days in peace! You come in with all this guilt like you never learned how to listen!"

She had given up on a life of her own so long ago.

"My priority is making sure Dajh is safe. Clearly, things have changed, but that will always be my priority."

Fighting for Vanille's life. A crystal. A l'Cie.

Sazh took a deep breath before quietly continuing. "Even when that's my full-time job, I can't manage it."

For a second, Fang thought she saw what he meant. "Vanille was going to kill herself for that bastard."

Sazh drew up short. "Come again?"

"Back at the end of the world. She was supposed to kill herself in an inane ritual to destroy the souls of the dead. Idiot girl. The Order had it all set up. I did everything I could to stop it, but… I was alone. Without Light, Snow, and that kid, Noel, things would have turned out a lot differently."

"And yet things are what they are. That thing I said I'd tell you about? Those travelers that break gates? They think they're doing the right thing. I know a lot of them and they all may as well be warriors of light. And look at the mess they're leaving."

Fang huffed. "Yeah, like we should trust everything these students say. We keep going, we never stop. Done it before, we'll do it again."

"… Fair point." Sazh took a slow breath. "But I stand by what I said. Trouble follows adventurers and I've had my fill of trouble."

"Fine. Not my decision. But you're gonna regret it, old man."

"Maybe." He glanced toward the horizon. "Maybe not."

"I apologize for that."

Sabin jumped out of his seat when Galuf reappeared beside him. Advisors looked up at the sight but had the presence of mind to not say anything. Sabin opened his mouth to respond before thinking better of it and turning to leave the building, Galuf trailing behind him.

Galuf said, "I believe I've found a way to get everyone off your world. If we could manage that, then there are ways to bring you all back years into the future, when it has recovered itself from the brink."

Sabin knew Strago would be off studying in his and Relm's shack.

"It's not the most ideal route, but it's all we can find for now. It took a lot of convincing for the council to even allow me to come here and suggest it, but they are willing to compromise."

Sabin pushed open the door to the shack and strode in. Strago looked up from his work with bleary eyes.

"Hello Sabin." He lifted a hand in greeting. "Relm still wants you to tell her about your ghost."

"Strago." Sabin stopped in the middle of the room. "You know anything about the dead? Tricks for making them visible?"

Strago coughed. "They aren't tricks." He shot Sabin a stern expression that quickly turned to excitement. "But I do have… some reagents."

Galuf looked between the two. "If I wanted to make myself visible to him, I would've done that already."

Sabin shrugged and Strago gathered an armful of glass bottles, wooden boxes, and canvas bags. He dumped them all on a poor, creaking table, then sorted through them. "Where is the… Ah!" Strago shot straight up, gripping one of the bags. He untied the top and pinched some of whatever was in there. "Now, where is this ghost?"

"Right…" Sabin pointed at Galuf's feet. "Here."

Strago tossed dust directly into Galuf's face. Sabin wrinkled his nose. It smelled like old meat.

Galuf quirked an eyebrow. "You know, we're running against a bit of a clock."

"What was that?" Sabin asked, waving at the air in front of his nose, trying to dispel the smell.

"That was hipoly." Strago retied the bag with a grimace. "The plant used to grow around the unburied. Unfortunately, it didn't work."

"I received proper funereal rites when I died." Galuf gave Sabin a stern look. "Could we stop wasting time now?"

Strago uncorked a bottle. Sabin held his nose against the stench of blood that drifted his way. Galuf groaned and stiffened when Strago came back, knelt on the ground, and carefully let out one drop onto the hipoly dust on the ground.

Sabin decided not to ask what that stuff was.

Strago pulled himself back to his feet and took a step back, held his breath, and watched Galuf with intent eyes.

His expression fell after a moment. "Go ahead and tell me what the ghost wants while I work on this," Strago said, turning back to the reagents.

"His name is Galuf. Says he's come on behalf of some dead people to help us out of this mess we've found ourselves in."

Strago nodded whilst examining some containers.

"Yes, the dead council." Galuf rubbed at his forehead. "They've decided on a potential fix and I've come to propose it to your people."

Sabin watched as Strago settled on a little wooden box that he carried forward. The old mage pulled some wooden thing from the box and held it out. "Would you mind asking your friend to take this?"

"Galuf-"

"I heard," Galuf snapped. He reached out and tapped the stick. Strago smiled and put it back in the box.

"What was that for?" Galuf asked after a moment, as Strago put the box back. Sabin relayed the question.

"Ah." Strago turned to face them with a smile. "I still can't see him, but I now know for certain that your ghost friend does, in fact, exist."

Sabin slumped. "… Really."

Galuf squinted his eyes shut. "Anyway, the plan is to evacuate the planet via the Phantom Train."

Sabin choked. "The – the Phantom Train?"

Strago looked up, alarmed.

"It isn't ideal, but with the support of the council we can safeguard the entire trip. The biggest issue is finding somewhere to take you." A wry smile drifted over Galuf's face. "It's better than staying and dying of disease and hunger."

"I thought the train was gone," Strago said. "What's going on?"

"The train will always be here," Galuf said.

The door burst open and Relm strolled in straight through Galuf. "Hey Gramps. What's-" She paused to look between Sabin and Strago. A grin lit up her face. "The ghost is back, isn't he?"

Sabin nodded. Relm squealed and sprinted up the rickety steps. Strago raised a hand to stop her, but it was too late.

"That girl…" Strago muttered.

"Do you have any objections?" Galuf asked. "Because the sooner we get moving the more of you are likely to survive."

Strago threw more dust at Galuf.

Sabin bit his cheek. "What's the risk?"

"Well, the projections aren't as optimistic as I would like-"

"Ha!" Strago clapped and grinned. "No, please, keep talking."

Galuf stared at Strago. "Did your magic work, then?"

"Vileroot is exceptional when it comes to communication with the dead, but the question on vengeful spirit or not… that made me work. Since you interacted with Molan's Shadow, you clearly weren't-"

"Whoa!" Relm stood frozen on the stairs, staring straight at Galuf, who dropped his head. "Awesome, Gramps!" She bounced the rest of the way down and dropped herself and her paints to the floor in the same motion before she flipped open her old sketchbook. Luckily, her powers there were as inert as any other.

"Glad to have your attention," Galuf muttered.

Sabin smiled, glad to no longer be the middle man. "You were saying."

Galuf gave Strago and Relm a long, uncomfortable look before continuing. "I was saying that we hope that the casualties stay at a minimum, but there is no way to promise such a thing. There are a lot of hazards that come with crossing worlds in any path but bringing so many increases the risks."

"I don't like the sound of that." Sabin glanced at Strago, who simply nodded at Galuf's foreboding words. "There are only about half a million of us left." Not all in Kohlingen, of course. Smaller groups of hundreds or less were elsewhere, doing what they could to farm other land or other such work.

"That is exactly the problem." Galuf dropped his arms and something about his stance seemed familiar to Sabin. "These people are dying. We can keep trying to sustain them as best we can in these terrible conditions, but the likelihood of the populace as a whole making it long enough is unlikely, at best."

Relm flipped a page on her book. "Could you look up at the ceiling, mister?" She tapped a brush in a cup of dirty water. When did she get that?

Galuf regarded her for a moment, then smiled. "I think that would be distracting to the conversation. Perhaps later."

Relm huffed, then put the brush back to the paper and made broad strokes.

"Sabin, I believe we should trust the man." Strago stood to his feet, taking deep breaths once standing. "He's a non-malicious ghost, there can't be any other reason for his communication."

Galuf nodded and raised a hand to point at Strago. "There you go."

"As such," Strago continued, "We should take him to Edgar for a final decision."

Right, because important decisions still went through Edgar, even though they ended up moving a hospital bed to his council room.

"Okay, fine, but you're coming." Sabin narrowed his eyes at Strago. "No saddling this problem off on someone else."

"Wait!" Relm squeaked and reached a hand out. Sabin paused a half step away. Galuf moved with him. "Where did he go?"

"Ah, yes." Strago picked up the container of dust that had worked before. "I'll have to stabilize the connection with your friend once we get there."

Sabin glanced at Galuf, who simply shrugged and walked straight through the door. Sabin followed and led Galuf, Strago, and a grumbling Relm through the alleys to the town hall. Relm's arms were full of her sketchbook, brushes, paints, and the cup of dirty water. There was no way that much junk would make it to the town hall.

"This is not the way we tend to operate." Galuf didn't seem to be addressing anyone specific, but Sabin was pretty sure that Strago and Relm couldn't hear him anymore. "I dislike breaking with tradition."

"I'm guessing most situations your council handles are a little different."

Galuf paused. "It's… difficult to compare."

"We're looking at the end of our world and it's hard to compare?" Sabin shook his head. "This light god must be a piece of work."

Galuf tightened his lips and kept quiet.

Sabin led the small group into the city hall and straight into the main chamber. Edgar's face was pressed into the desk, despite the hospital bed across the room, and his chest moved in silent, even breaths.

"Edgar!" Sabin called. Beside him, Galuf stopped. Edgar didn't respond.

"Is this the reason he left earlier?" whispered one of the advisors. "Should we wake His Majesty?"

The advisor's friend shook his head. "Best not to disturb him now."

"Sabin, where is our visitor?" Strago asked, glancing around the room. Sabin pointed at the ground beneath Galuf, and Strago sprinkled more dust on the spot.

The whole room jumped as one and Sabin knew the magic worked. Edgar startled awake and looked about him like he was caught sneaking pie from the kitchens. "What-?"

The advisors' clamoring drowned his poor brother's confusion and a thousand questions spilled through the room in a cacophony of not-quite-shouting voices.

"Edgar…" Sabin took a few steps forward. "We've got another visitor. He says he's here from some council of dead people to help out."

"How many more of these people must harass us?" Edgar muttered before putting his head in his hands. "Ugh. Give me… just one second."

The advisors quieted and Edgar dragged a paper back to its stack. Wiped some bloodless drool from the top and circled the desk in wobbling steps.

A stern-faced doctor dragged the chair Edgar had just been sitting on to the other side of the table. Pointed at it.

"Does this mean…" He used the desk to steady himself, then grudgingly did as the doctor suggested. If he had waited any longer, Sabin would have dealt with it himself. "Is this different from the rest of the desperate stragglers?"

"It's risky, but yes. They've got a plan." Sabin pointed Edgar to Galuf and let the ghost explain it all again.

Edgar listened with groggy – yet rapt – attention and his advisors scribbled down so many notes.

Something that wouldn't kill so many people would be ideal, but the only way that would happen was if the world itself stabilized. If magic came back. Maybe he should give up on the hope of a miracle.

The second Galuf stopped talking, one of Edgar's advisors, a man by the name of Peltos, slapped a hand on one of the desks. "Different from the stragglers? Odin, man, this being may bring a plan, but what difference has it from the rest of our ideas? A choice between one life or another! We'll trade lives!"

"It's a chance," came the immediate response from another, a woman named Emmy. "We can't say how many we would lose here! That's better than assuring the death of a few for the health of less! We may come out with as many as leave!"

"Let's not be hasty," bit back another. Sabin didn't know this woman's name. "From whence does this ghost come and who is he to demand our trust?"

Edgar glanced back to the papers on his desk. "Haste is a danger, but one we should risk. Our numbers dwindle day by day. Either we slowly die here, or we die quickly there."

"Thus, we condemn our wounded." One elderly man shook his head.

"For the sake of the rest," said another. "Should we risk the life of all for a slight improvement in the few?"

"Is it our place to choose?"

"Whether or not we're suited to the task, it is now our choice to make. Unless we somehow unlearn the information we've just obtained."

"What does our king choose?" asked one woman.

All eyes turned to Edgar and Sabin followed them. Edgar stuck out his chin. "I won't watch my people die a slow and humiliating death in the hands of a cursed planet. I will urge all that would join me to take this train to the other side."

Silence. Shock betrayed some, others slowly nodded.

Edgar looked to him and Sabin knew he expected feedback. But he couldn't summon any feeling for the cold in his chest.

Edgar had proven more decisive than he had been in months.

His brother looked away and Sabin swallowed his hesitation before he stood and left.

He would follow Edgar, of course. But that wouldn't soothe his fears over crossing with the dead souls that plagued their land.