Acknowledgements and Thanks:
• To everyone who read this story!
• To those I've lost since I started writing this. My love for you is in here, and I hope you've found peace-wherever you are.
• To those who had to deal with my venting, my ranting, my never ending thoughts on where this story was going and why I needed to write it - namely my bestie and Jenneh (bestie send noods pls! ;) - especially because sometimes it was every. day. ranting! And girl, you sure had no idea what I was saying half the time but you listened anyways, and read this whole damn thing without having ever played the game). Thanks for being an amazing friend all these years and for putting up with me. Jenneh, thanks for being an amazing sounding board and all the suggestions, SPAG corrections, and sanity checks when I was unsure of my characterization or pacing, and for being such a positive force in the fandom. We had so many great conversations about where this story was going and the overall tone, message, and development. The real memories were the friends we made along the way ?You're the best.
• References/Inspirations: Jenneh's Troia description in Out of the Light was a huge inspo for my Troia world building. Final Fantasy's Ultimania Vol 1 was a major backstory inspiration/was strongly adapted here. Legends of Localization had an amazing side by side comparison of all versions + Japanese translation, and that helped clarify a lot of nuance in canon for me. A list of DS remake thought bubbles on the FF wiki was immensely helpful as well. Cid and Tellah were inspired by a few irl mentors and family members. Esperanza Rising has stayed in mind for years and inspired a scene in this chapter. To Sleep In a Sea of Stars inspired a feature of Cecil's, too. ANTM Cycle 3 gave me some zingers (there's 2 references in the story for it…can you spot them?) because random easter eggs are fun. Jacob's Ladder was a huge inspiration for chapter nine and this story's ending (as you can tell from the summaries on 9 and this chapter). Anyways, I think that's everything :) Thanks again!

Chapter 13: The Last Crusade

Tellah went on a rampage.

The creatures of Zot were ready for the crew, and they were bloodthirsty. Upon seeing the older man push past the paladin, then trailed by more physically capable fighters, their eyes lit up and they engaged without a second thought, eager to spill human blood.

No sooner had they taken their first few steps across the granite tiles than Tellah had already killed them, leaving behind ozone or smoke or condensation indiscriminately. Any that tried to sneak up on the crew, most notably Tellah, were promptly dispatched by Cecil, Yang, or Cid.

It didn't help that the hooded figure was back, watching from the furthest ends of the hall and vanishing before Tellah could reach them. Not that it mattered. So long as they didn't touch Tellah, they did not seem to harm him. The burns, however—the ones on his wrist given at the dark elf's cave–did not seem to go away. It seemed to be a sign of Tellah's time coming to an end. Regardless, Tellah had accepted it months ago. He'd gladly pay the price.

Let Golbez see the destruction I bring to his home. Let him see what his remorseless offenses have wrought. Let him see what's coming for him. Let him see Anna's retribution!

The first floor was soon cleared of all creatures - this they knew as they rounded a hall they'd previously passed, the fresh carcasses strewn about across the hall still displaying the effects of Tellah's magic. Cecil at last placed a hand on Tellah's shoulder.

"Halt, my friend. We must reserve our strength. We know not what awaits us."

Tellah paused, scanning the faces around him. Yang watched Tellah with concern, while Cid wiped at his goggles. Cecil raised his brows, pointedly expecting Tellah to agree.

Tellah swallowed, his breath finally returning to normal and wet his parched throat. Meteor was threatening to slip out of his grasp. Like a pot full of steam ready to explode, he'd cast lesser magic to reduce the dangerous pressure that would kill him before he had a chance to stand in front of his daughter's killer.

"Yes," was all Tellah could manage to say.

He absentmindedly gestured for Cecil to keep moving, Cid trailing closely behind the paladin as they searched for the door that would take them to the next floor. Yang gave Tellah a lingering glance, but if he'd thought to say anything to him, he chose against it.

They at last found a door similar to the one they'd passed through from the bay, and as it slid open, a set of steep stairs beckoned them up. Tellah was the last to go, the door sliding shut as he took his time to adjust his loosened laces. Yang's boots were a little bigger than Tellah preferred, and he dreaded the thought of having to adjust them on a set of precarious steps.

A wind blew through the hall, and the hairs on Tellah's neck stood up.

He turned to face the newest presence in the hall with him. He was not expecting the face he saw there: Barbariccia.

She seemed to pass through effortlessly, as though treading on air. She stood before him faster than he had time to react. Her hair seemed to dance of its own accord, so long and straggly was it that he would've thought it was its own entity. Whatever she'd become with the passage of time...Tellah could not tell. Nor did he want to.

"Oh, Tellah…" she sighed, her voice airy. "It's been so long…"

"What are you doing here?" Tellah asked. She stood so close to him, so close Tellah could see the swirling fog in her eyes.

"The better question is, what are you doing here?" she asked, taking in a deep breath of him. She smiled.

"A hallucination," Tellah muttered, turning to walk towards the stairs.

"Am I?" she asked, suddenly in front of him again.

Tellah stepped back in surprise, not expecting her speed. She almost seemed like a spirit, so why did she look so real? She carried with her a faint scent of Mysidian sea breeze.

"Unless you've come to finish the job you started in Kaipo all those years ago, you'll let me through," Tellah said.

Barbariccia said nothing, but the curve of her lips seemed to grow slightly. She seemed to float away untethered when Tellah shoved her aside, following the crew he'd come with instead of lingering in a hall with remnants of his past.

"Your age finally catch up with you?" asked Cid gruffly from the top of the stairs.

Cecil and Yang were standing at the door, ready to follow. They were going to come back for him had he not decided to rebuff Barbariccia.

"Go figure; I'm faster than Death and slower than Cid," Tellah joked.

Cecil frowned.

"Perhaps Cid ought to watch our backs instead, lest you're forgotten," Cecil said.

"No need," Tellah said, waving away the suggestion. "Next time, I'll call for rest."

"Very well," Cecil said, still wary of Tellah's nonchalance at nearly being left behind.

"Anna, darling," Tellah called out, sitting on the back porch with a cool ale in hand.

Footsteps pounded throughout the house until the back door creaked open, and Anna poked her head around. Her hairbun, placed perfectly on the top of her head, was beginning to sag down, and her bright and chipper smile somehow still going strong.

"Yes, Father?" Anna asked.

Her cheeks were flushed from the summer heat and her forehead shined with sweat despite being indoors; Tellah was envious of how she could remain so cheerful when the weather was insufferable.

"Remind me," Tellah said, uncrossing his legs and unsticking his silken shirt from his chest, "when are you supposed to go prepare for your evening performance?"

Anna frowned, stepping out onto the wooden deck and closing the door to avoid letting any more heat creep inside. She was still in her lounge clothes - a thin chemise and Damcyan shorts. Tellah thought they showed a bit too much skin and cursed again at the fact that they were all the rage for young girls her age. If Gertrude hadn't been confined to her chair when Anna begged him to purchase them, she would've given Tellah a sound beating after hearing him refuse. The verbal lashing was enough to change his mind.

"Well, the town bells just chimed noon. I ought to have plenty of time to eat and get ready," Anna said. "I don't plan on putting on that dress until the last second with this heat!"

Anna laughed, fanning herself with a slender hand, but Tellah tilted his head forward and inclined his drink towards the edge past the desert corn fields.

"Then why is the solstice procession already passing by?" Tellah asked.

Anna slowly turned to follow his gaze. She gasped and covered her mouth, her shoulders shrugging up in surprise.

"Oh! Did I get the time wrong? Fuck!" Anna said, pulling her bun loose with one hand and the door open with the other.

Anna didn't hear Tellah's stern "Language!" in her hurry. As she rinsed the sweat off of herself in the wash basin as quickly as she could, Tellah went to her room and collected her dress from her wardrobe closet and her shoes from under the bed, laying them carefully out for her.

"Thanks!" she said as she rushed inside, damp hair in curlers. "Sorry, Dad, I'm opening the window to dry my hair fast."

She didn't wait for his response and shoved the window open, the heat swelling in the room and fluttering her curtains with the change in pressure. Tellah grunted as he shut the door to let her dress. There was some rustling behind the door and a heavy thump that sounded like she fell. Tellah was already turning the handle when she spoke up.

"Don't come in here! I'm okay!"

"Are you sure?" Tellah asked, leaning forward to press his ear against the door.

"I'm fine!" Anna responded just as quickly.

Tellah shook his head and walked away. He made a quick stop at his own bedroom to pick something up, then went to the kitchen to make Anna a wrap she could eat on her way to the inn. Anna's stomps turned to clicks, and she stood in front of Tellah and twirled.

"Beautiful," Tellah said in approval, even as he reached forward and removed a forgotten curler from Anna's hair - haphazardly dangling from one of her tresses.

Anna took the wrap from Tellah and began hiking her skirts up for a run to the inn, but Tellah put a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait, before you go…" Tellah said, his hands suddenly shaky as he reached into his pocket.

Anna turned back to face him, already biting into the wrap. Tellah knew she was growing impatient, and the words he had planned had suddenly disappeared as quickly as the water had from Anna's curled hair.

"I thought it was time to give you this," Tellah said, finally stretching out his hand and placing a cool stone with ribbon string in Anna's palm.

It was Claire's pendant, the one she wore to her first date with Tellah. He'd seen Anna admiring it on his dresser when she'd go into the master bedroom. There was one evening where he heard her slip out of the room, and when Tellah investigated what she was looking for, he found the pendant in a different place.

He'd never told her he planned to give her the pendant, but today felt right. Anna's eyes widened and her chewing slowed as she recognized what it was, the stone slipping out of her hand and the ribbon pulled taut as it hooked around her fingers. She swallowed.

"Are you sure?" Anna whispered, still staring at the necklace.

"Your mom would've wanted you to have it. It was her family's heirloom," Tellah said, before gesturing vaguely at her neck. "Shall I…?"

"Yes," Anna said, her voice still soft with awe.

She turned for him once he took the necklace, lifting her hair out of the way for him to set the clasp. When she turned back, her fingers were stroking the fine features of the stone, her head still tilted down to look at it.

"Well?" Anna asked, finally looking up at him with glistening eyes.

Tellah paused, letting the bittersweet emotions swell over him. Claire would be so proud, he knew.

"I think I should've given it to you a long time ago," Tellah said.

Anna was already hugging him before he finished his thought. Tellah returned the hug, careful not to ruin her hair. She squeezed him, words not being said but felt all the same. She left in a rush, a wide smile on her face, no doubt excited to show off the necklace to her friends.

Tellah stared at the door. It seemed like only yesterday he'd held her in his arms, unsure of how to raise her without Claire. He gave a soft smile.

"I did well, didn't I?" he asked aloud.

"Those burns are strong. They don't heal," Barbariccia said. She suddenly grinned. "They remind me of something..."

Tellah missed when Barbariccia was still cloaked. She wouldn't talk to him then. Yet she was right: he looked down at the burns, cracks in his skin exposing muscle and fat beneath. They'd hurt since he'd first been touched at the dark elf's lair. Movement and magic appeared to worsen them. He feared they would cripple him before he reached Golbez.

"You're annoying," Tellah said. "I hope you know that."

Yang had released a rather devastating punch after some heavy meditation. He had compounded a massive amount of power with his meditation; he'd destroyed the ground between everyone and Tellah, exposing the steep fall down to the first floor. Now they were fighting a new round of creatures, some that had chased them around the hall and out of sight.

Tellah had told them to go ahead, and as he Warped across the broken hall, he found Barbariccia waiting for him. He groaned. Barbariccia seemed amused, tugging and twisting her long hair through deft fingers. It might've been the most amused she'd been since he ever met her, truthfully.

"That's okay," Barbariccia said, tilting her head down to look at him through her lashes.

"Barbara," Tellah said, glaring at her, "or whatever your new name is. Why are you following me?"

She smiled at him, her arms dropping down as she took slow, confident steps towards him. Tellah did not drop his staff, his brows furrowing more in anger the closer she was. She pursed her lips forward and mouthed 'bar-bar-eech-a'. When Tellah frowned, she shrugged and raised a palm to the air.

"You can call me Gale, if that's easier for your fragile mind to remember."

Tellah despised how playful this version of her was, as though she were toying with him. Her stoic demeanor was replaced with one much more predatory. She looked him up and down in approval.

"I am the wind. I am everywhere. You were at Ordeals, I know. Meteor, is it?" she asked, raising a brow. She was jealous.

Tellah clenched his jaw and looked away.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't use it on you right now," Tellah growled.

Barbariccia grew somber.

"Once you use it, you'll die," she said.

She cut him off as he was about to speak.

"Don't get me wrong; I'm happy to watch you die. I'll be there, and I'll be greatly entertained. But I would be remiss if I didn't oblige my true master's request to offer you a proposal," she continued, crossing her arms as she floated across the broken hall, the collapsed floor hardly an obstacle for Barbariccia.

Tellah could hardly absorb Barbariccia's words. True master…?

"What request? What proposal?" Tellah asked before he could help himself.

"Oh, interested?" Barbariccia called over her shoulder, her floor length hair sweeping along the ground as she made it to the other side. "Just because you die, doesn't mean you have to leave. You're still that little boy I taught all those years ago, unsure of how to really cast black magic and mean it. "

Somewhere behind Tellah, Cecil and Yang were calling for his aid. Reluctantly, Tellah turned and ran to them; he'd been away for long enough. As he rounded the corner, a healing spell on his lips, Tellah could've sworn he'd heard one last remark in the air, though he was certain he heard wrong.

"You have so much hatred to offer!"

"Did you know…" Claire started, tilting her head towards Tellah.

Blades of grass stuck fast to her head, poking out as if they had grown from her scalp along with the rest of her chestnut hair. Tellah pulled out a few, letting them flutter to the ground a short distance away. She closed her eyes every time his fingers slid through her locks.

"…if you stay still and quiet, you can feel the earth's heartbeat below you?" she asked.

Tellah regarded her suspiciously, and Claire smiled, a soft laugh slipping out from ruby lips.

"Watch," she said, turning her head back up to the sky as her eyes closed.

He could only hear her breath for a silent minute.

"There," Claire whispered, her brows raising briefly. "Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum."

Tellah watched her, serene and soft and sacred. Then he followed suit, turning to lay face up and shutting his own eyes. A hand touched his side, creeping up slowly in search of his. Tellah offered it to her, and he closed his warm palm over her own cold, soft skin.

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

"I feel it," Tellah whispered in awe.

The pulse of the earth reverberated across every inch of his body, singing him an ages-old song of reassurance. 'I am here. From me you came, and to me you shall return,' it seemed to croon. He opened his eyes to see Claire watching him. Thirty years he'd been alive, and it took only an autumn evening with Claire to change everything he thought he knew.

"I hear it, too. How did you know?" Tellah asked.

Claire shut her eyes, breathing in the brisk air. Her chest stilled briefly as she held that deep, earthy scent there. It livened her in a new, unique way he hadn't seen before. Bewitched, Tellah thought. A simple intake of air is all it took for Tellah to realize it. Who knew love could be so powerful?

"It's always whispered, Tellah. You need only listen," Claire said, opening her eyes. They seemed to reflect the galaxies above.

Tellah followed her gaze, spying star clusters and nebulae spread the sky's canvas. A meteor soared across; the streak came and went in the blink of an eye. He was glad he had his eyes open at the perfect moment, else he'd have been truly remorseful to have missed it.

Would a ramp have been better than the stairs Tellah has encountered here in Zot? His thighs burned as they reached the third floor. The height of the tower had been intimidating when they were approaching with the airship, and Tellah initially guessed there would be about fifteen stories inside. The tall ceilings taught him otherwise, and between that and the several mechanisms between higher floors doing who knows what, the stairs in turn were endless.

Yang had taken to walking behind Tellah at the flight of stairs between the second and third floor. It was obvious between Tellah's quivering and the faltering use of his staff that Yang was there to catch him in case he fell. Tellah tried not to look up, but every once in a while he did, and seeing twenty, fifty, a hundred metal steps left made his bones ache that much harder.

There was the added complication of the burns the cloaked figure gave him on his wrists. In the short span of hours since climbing the tower, the burns had spread like wildfire up his arms and across his chest. They were now migrating to his legs. Moving his arms disturbed the damaged flesh, causing him to perpetually wipe off cold sweat from his forehead and palms. The potion Minwu had given him had worn off.

The others had yet to notice. They knew he was struggling with the excessive walking, considering that he hadn't had a long rest since arriving at Mysidia via boat. They were sympathetic to the pauses Tellah would take, leaning against the walls as he caught his breath, his hand trembling on his staff as he tried to obscure the worst of his struggles.

On one such pause, amidst the whirring of gears and shifting of platforms hidden under the panels beneath their feet, Tellah slipped. Yang had gripped Tellah's arm to pull him upright before he finished falling. It was the first time the monk had done so, and Tellah had been caught off guard by the gesture. A quick intake of breath through his teeth, and Yang was immediately looking at Tellah's arm, where his sleeve had been pulled back slightly.

The blisters were angry there at having been disturbed, seeping glowing pus along the most aggravated of the bunch. Yang's eyes widened, and his own hand was soon in his pack, searching for a potion to offer to Tellah. Tellah stopped him, shaking his head at last when he was able to blink away the tears at the unexpected pain.

"Potions do nothing to this," Tellah said through gritted teeth as he dabbed at the sores.

Yang glanced at the others; they had yet to notice anything awry between the two.

"We haven't fought anything that uses fire since-" Yang said.

"I know," Tellah interrupted with a sigh. "It's Meteor. Retaining the spell taxes me."

Yang was once again staring at the burns, his eyes flickering across both arms now that he knew what to look for. He angled his body to hide Tellah from Cecil and Cid, as though now that it was obvious to him, it would be obvious to them. Tellah shut his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall.

"Don't do it, Tellah," Yang said quietly.

Tellah opened his eyes without moving his head, straining to see Yang from his angle. Yang held a steady, sympathetic gaze at Tellah.

"Don't cast Meteor," Yang said. "The end does not justify the means."

Somewhere in the distance they heard an ear piercing howl. Cecil was already beckoning them to position. Tellah stood fully, a quiet groan rumbling in his throat as the fabric rubbed against his raw arms.

"Meteor is the only certain way," Tellah said. "How do we know he won't kill us first, or that we won't get a chance to face him again? He holds all of the crystals."

"Why would the voice at Ordeals have given Cecil his light if Meteor alone was enough?" Yang asked, drawing his claws.

Tellah sighed through his nose, not turning to look back at the man he left behind.

"To get me here," Tellah said offhandedly, unsure if he believed his own words. "Does it really matter?"

"It does to me," Yang said. "As I'm sure it does to Cecil and Cid."

Yang passed him, giving him a glance as he took to the front, where Cecil was already engaged in battle with a frost beast, his flaming sword plunging into the pouncing creature. The metal surfaces bounced the firelight erratically across the room, exacerbating the chaos within.

"Give it one last thought, at least. There are more opportunities to stop him, but only one of you," Yang said, sprinting to capitalize on Cecil's attack with his own.

Tellah continued his lethargic walk, mindlessly chanting as he approached the battle. It was all he thought of after Anna died. What else was left for him if he survived?

The Fabulian castle was more like a palace - unlike Baron or Troia, there was no city to be found outside of its walls; all denizens had a home in the communal fortress. Inside its walls teemed with life: nobles participated in unfamiliar cultural practices of importance, attended to by the more impoverished servants bustling to get the daily chores done.

Monks were posted along halls and gates as impressive living statues, meditating every hour they were not training or taking care of basic human needs. The Mysidian mages had passed two such monks on their way to the oceanside gardens where they now found themselves resting, hearing the waves crash against the stone walls.

"First impressions?" Tellah asked as he sat next to Minwu, his robes rippling from the mountainous breeze blowing in eastward.

Minwu lowered his pastry from his mouth.

"Of Fabul?" Minwu asked, glancing briefly at his friend before turning back to face the view and taking a bite.

The northern sea was speckled with various vessels - caravans and the like, sparkling in the sunlight. Tellah guessed they were headed to Baron, Troia, or Mysidia. They'd found several trinkets of those origins in Fabul's shops. Fabul may have been Tellah's favorite place to visit. The first night they spent in Fabul, the nobility welcomed them with a light show. Sparklers flickered in a myriad of colors all around them, and amidst the desserts and gifts shared with the community, explosions of gorgeous designs lit up the night sky, hiding the still stars in favor of dancing fireflies cascading down to earth.

Tellah enjoyed every moment as much as he could - they were sure they'd be called back to Mysidia soon, for the last message Gale had sent them implied as much. He wasn't sure what he would tell Claire–thinking of his wife brought a bittersweet smile to his face–just yet of his delayed return.

Tellah grunted in affirmation.

"Exotic, and rather contradictory," Minwu said.

"Oh?" Tellah asked, raising a brow.

"They're pacifists with a military," he said, smiling, "and a strong sense of community and respect for others."

Tellah laughed, shaking his head.

"Sounds like they're everything you wish Mysidia would be," Tellah said. "We were so close, until Gale ascended to Elder."

"I wonder how they've evaded power hungry leaders so far," Minwu said, looking back at one of the monks. "Could it be the uniform?"

Tellah snorted, imagining Minwu shirtless with a shaved head and vibrant Tai Chi pants.

"Surely, part of why they're not attacked is that their physique is so intimidating in their uniform," someone said from their left.

Someone familiar. Tellah turned around, surprised to see Lydia standing there in a traveler's robe, her hood lifted up and obscuring her sapphire hair. Flaked bread exploded across the stone ground, Minwu's pastry rolling to a stop.

"Lydia–" Minwu said, his voice caught in his throat as he started coughing out inhaled bread.

"One look at Minwu in Fabulian attire and Mysidia would be overrun by barbarians," Tellah agreed, to which Lydia grinned, her nose wrinkling.

Lydia took a seat next to Minwu, nudging his side with her elbow.

"You're better off in those," she said, her eyes flicking to his wizard robes.

"You think so?" Minwu asked.

She nodded, biting her lip and taking a second look. There was a pregnant pause before Tellah leaned forward - with Minwu and Lydia engrossed in their conversation, they'd forgotten all about him.

"What are you doing here?" Tellah asked Lydia.

She reluctantly looked back at Tellah.

"Business for Mist," she said vaguely.

"Real business, or are you traveling to different countries under the guise of business?" Tellah prodded.

Lydia feigned shyness, looking away with a devilish smile.

"A little bit of both," she said. She gestured towards the ocean. "Seeing the world is a plus."

Minwu hadn't taken his eyes off of her.

"You ought to visit Mysidia," he said. "The shores there are a sight to behold."

"Blue," Tellah added, "like your hair."

Minwu glared at Tellah, recognizing the words from his drunken confession. The exchange was not missed by Lydia.

"I see," she said suspiciously.

No longer welcome, Tellah stood and gathered his things.

"I'm going back to the inn–I need to write to Claire. I'll meet you on the morrow, especially if you're still around," Tellah said, directing his last remark to Lydia.

"Oh!" Lydia said, snapping around. She put her hand on Tellah's arm. "I'm a little late, but I heard about your marriage! Congratulations!"

Tellah clasped his own hand over hers before pulling away. "Thank you!"

"Name your future kids after me," Lydia said, winking at Minwu.

Tellah scoffed.

"You wish."

The problem with a failing mind, Tellah decided, was that he often found that it would make decisions on its own with his limited input. He'd begun sleepwalking again in the dreary tower. They'd decided to take a break before taking the stairs to the fourth floor, and the second his head touched the floor, Tellah had slipped into a sound sleep, remembering glimpses of his past. Fabul may have been the last time he, Minwu, and Lydia had not been plagued by heavy responsibilities and decisions.

He awoke in an unfamiliar part of the tower, facing down territorial centaur knights as the others called his name in search of him from distant halls. He hobbled towards the voices, shouting responses in desperation as he managed to kill one and stave off a nasty blow from the other.

Tellah found himself in a thin, bottleneck hall as he rounded the corner, blood trailing from his wounds. The knight skittered to a halt in pursuit, but thankfully, Yang and Cecil were on it before it could follow Tellah. The sounds of a scrimmage echoed into Tellah's hiding spot, but a sudden splatter of ichor fell on the border of the hall, pooling under the door, and the noises of the scuffle faded further away as it seemed that the knight was now the prey.

The hall opened up to a room with a small storage box. Opening it revealed a surplice imbued with magical threads that glimmered of excessive opulence. Tellah threw it on himself, feeling the threads vibrate against his skin. His eyes watered, but he clenched his jaw shut and swallowed the pain. He started the words to cure his wounds.

"It fits you well," a voice said from the corner.

Tellah snapped around, his staff raised as he began chanting. His eyes flashed recognition as he took in Barbariccia, and he continued chanting.

She ignored his threat as she walked around him, studying him closely.

"This isn't some act of heroism. Last I heard, before the war, you were in Kaipo. Raising your only daughter. You know, the one I left alive in the rafters?"

She laughed dryly. Tellah tossed his staff aside and gripped Barbariccia hard by her shoulders, his face inches from hers.

"Don't you speak of her. Don't pretend you did me any favors."

She laughed harder.

"Oh, you don't think so? You were so eager to leave when you saw the note I wrote. Mist in trouble…your friend in a desperate, losing battle. You immediately donned your shining armor. You lived for playing the hero then, Tellah."

Barbariccia leaned forward, and Tellah could feel her sour breath, a sly grin spreading across her wide mouth.

"I took away the thing holding you down. Shame Golbez didn't want you leaving Kaipo," Barbariccia whispered in his ear, her lips brushing against his ear from the proximity. "I so badly wanted a redo."

Tellah shoved her back in disgust, wiping his ear. She laughed, licking her lips as if relishing the discomfort she gave him.

"I didn't know you had a child-but now that it's gone, too, you're back! And with Meteor to boot…you should be groveling at my feet in gratitude."

He felt his pressure rising, getting lightheaded and feeling the world tilt away like an unrestrained barrel on a swaying ship. He did not grovel at Barbariccia's feet. Instead, he held Meteor close to himself, casting Firaga in that small room. He felt only a failing grasp on that terrible magic and hoped Firaga would sate his hatred, losing consciousness as he did so, hearing only one last remark from Barbariccia.

"Consider Zemus's proposal! He's willing to offer you Golbez if you do!"

"Tellah? Are you there?" Cecil asked above him, his hand waving furiously across Tellah's eyes.

Tellah groaned, feeling shock slam him to reality as his consciousness returned. Two faces peered down at him. The light panels behind his friends seared his unadjusted eyes like perfect squares of miniature suns.

Cid let out a large exhale.

"You gave us a scare there, old boy!" Cid said, his boisterous voice piercing Tellah's ears. He was grinning from ear to ear near the doorway, his hammer in hand as he kept watch from their little alcove.

It was the same one Tellah found Barbariccia in. He knew because the walls and floor were a different color to the ceiling; there was a familiar scorch to it that he'd seen across other patches of wall where he'd cast flames too close to the panels.

Tellah winced. His hands slid up from his sides as tried to push himself up. To his surprise, he was disrobed from the waist up. The effervescent burns had extended to his chest and were threatening to creep down and corrupt his body further. The searing as his skin stretched on his back told him they'd taken over that area as well.

"Ow," was all Tellah managed to say.

Cecil frowned.

"It's the strangest thing," the paladin said, crossing his arms. "Most of your burns went away, except for these. Try as I might, I can't heal them."

Yang gave Tellah a look that said if you don't tell him, I will . Tellah pressed his lips tightly together and gave a quick nod.

"Help me sit up," Tellah said, holding out his hand towards Cecil and Yang.

With their help, he was able to gingerly lean against the wall behind him, the now cool surface a balm on his spine. The sage's surplice he'd worn earlier was next to him, and Tellah picked it up and began dusting off the burnt threads from his travel clothes beneath it. Cecil and Yang also sat to either side of Tellah, resting against opposing walls. Cecil was looking at his hands as though questioning their efficacy.

"It's not your fault," Tellah said.

Cecil seemed surprised at the remark.

"My inability to heal you?" Cecil asked at last.

"No," Tellah said, "my inability to be healed."

Cecil tilted his head, his mouth slightly open as he tried to understand.

"Meteor," Tellah said.

Even Cid grew serious as the gravity of the situation settled over them, not unlike the pressure the passengers of an airship feel at take off. Cecil rubbed his eyes, the dark circles exacerbated by the motion. Yang stayed emotionless, watching silently as Cecil absorbed the information.

"It did that to you? Without ever invoking it?" Cecil asked softly.

"I suppose," Tellah said, shrugging. "These spells consume more than magic; they consume as much as the caster is willing to offer, if the stories are to be believed."

"Tellah…" Cecil started, raising a leg to rest his arm on.

Tellah laughed dryly. He had grown tired of all the supplications for something that couldn't be stopped. Not even if he'd wanted to.

"You were fine with my choices until you saw the ramifications. Did you only realize the severity when you saw the wounds?" Tellah asked.

Cecil absentmindedly picked at a stain on his armor.

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to it."

There was an innocence to Cecil's remark that struck at Tellah's heart. Tellah sighed.

"Even if there was another way, I need to. I must avenge Anna," Tellah said, clenching the surplice in his fist.

"I've found there are different ways to avenge a loved one," Yang offered.

It reminded him of a conversation Cecil and Tellah had long ago, back on Ordeals after Cecil became a paladin, and Tellah became the condemned. He suspected they'd spoken amongst themselves first.

"How's that?" Tellah asked, already knowing the answer.

"He means a life well lived, Tellah," Cecil said, drawing Tellah's attention back. "To honor Anna by giving back."

"You have much to offer mages like Palom and Porom–may they rest in peace," Yang added. "You can do so in her name."

"You can't change the past, Tellah. No one can. You learn to live with it and move on." Cecil said, placing a hand on Tellah's arm. "You taught me that. The key is 'living'."

They meant well. Tellah knew it.

Yet he knew they would not understand, at least, not until they had their own children. Not until they lost it all, and age had robbed them of the opportunity to rebuild. After an uncomfortable silence, Cecil stood.

"My turn to take watch," Cecil told Cid.

"Cecil," Yang said, coming to stand near him.

"Remember the claws we saw while we searched for Tellah?" Yang asked.

Cecil nodded, placing his hand on his hilt, craning his neck to look out and down the hall.

"You want to go back for them?" Cecil asked.

Yang agreed. Cecil turned to Cid and Tellah and suggested they stay put, as the monsters of the tower appeared to avoid the room. The door slid into place once no one was standing in the doorway.

Cid had resorted to sticking his hammer in and out of the proximity of the door, looking between the frame for its mechanisms. He tried waving various objects in different positions and velocities to test the door. Whatever his findings were, Tellah could tell Cid found them interesting. He'd resorted to muttering to himself and writing conclusions in his journal.

There was no chance of sleep with all of the noise Cid was making. After Tellah redressed, he reached into his pack and pulled out the drawing Edward had made of Anna, smiling at the beautiful image. He was struck again by how vivid and bright Anna's smile was in the drawing, how she'd never smiled like that at him before. With the thought of his impending death in mind, Tellah was inspired to flip the picture and begin writing a letter on the back.

At last, Cid sat back and closed his notebook. His attention was drawn to the sound of graphite rubbing against Anna's drawing. He scooted over towards Tellah, watching him work over his shoulder.

"Don't start on that bullshit," Tellah said as he heard Cid inhale, sick of explaining himself.

Cid raised his hands in defense.

"I've said nothing to you, you decrepit twat," Cid said indignantly.

Tellah scoffed.

"You always have something to say," Tellah said. He muttered meddling crackpot under his breath.

"If I don't say it now, I won't get a chance after I leave this damn tower-what you being dead and all," Cid retorted, before he softened his voice. "I don't understand. But you're a smart man, and you have weighed out your choices. You have your reasons, and nothing I say will change that."

There in the uncomfortable silence hanging about, a dark idea grew in Tellah's mind. He had to know Cid's thoughts.

"Why did she leave me?" Tellah asked, so quietly Cid wasn't sure he heard the question right.

He could hear Cid exhale slowly.

"Anna didn't leave because of you –"

"Yes," Tellah interrupted, suddenly sitting up. His pencil and paper fell into his lap. "I never let her go anywhere. She wanted to travel and I never allowed it. I–"

His head suddenly jerked forward. Tellah glanced up at Cid, whose hand was still hovering from where he'd smacked the back of Tellah's head.

"Now you listen here. Claire left Troia to be with you, not to run away from her parents. Cecil told me Anna left in very much the same way. Love makes us do crazy things. Like you, right now," Cid said. "Didn't you say she was headed back when the Red Wings attacked?"

A wave of gratitude rolled over Tellah as he rubbed his head.

"You're right," Tellah said, picking up his letter again.

"I'm always right, and don't you forget it." Cid leaned closer, adjusting his goggles. "What are you doing?"

Cid squinted, then wrenched the drawing from Tellah's hand.

"Careful!" Tellah cried, relieved that the oaf hadn't torn the parchment and grateful that he didn't ask Tellah to elaborate further on his fear.

"I thought the Elder of Mysidia was celibate," Cid said, his brows raised as he skimmed the letter. "Who's Rydia?"

Tellah tucked his chin in, leaning back in surprise.

"Why would he be celibate….?" Tellah asked as he trailed off, then shook his head. "Doesn't matter. I need you to grant me my dying wish."

Cid looked up, still confused.

"I need you to give this to Minwu-but only if Rydia survived," Tellah said, voice firm. "I've been thinking: if Cecil, Yang, and Edward have all survived, then there's a good chance she did too."

Cid reread the letter.

"I would've thought your dying wish would be about where to bury your body or scatter your ashes—hell, can't you ask for something typical like one last night in a woman's arms?" Cid asked.

Before he could help it, thoughts of Barbariccia flashed through Tellah's mind, and he shuddered. Banish the thought! He held a hand out, conveying a height no taller than Cid's waist when standing.

"Rydia is this tall, with puffy green hair. Cute as a button," Tellah said, hurriedly pushing Cid's hands down to hide the paper as they heard Cecil's footsteps approach and the door whir open.

"What are you two up to?" Cecil asked as Cid shoved the drawing in between pages of his own journal. Cecil crossed his arms at the sudden movement. "What's this about 'cute as a button'?"

When no one said anything, he rolled his eyes.

"Keep your secrets, then," Cecil said. "You two became closer than I ever thought you'd be."

Cid laughed.

"Because I'm cute! I'm sorry, Cecil-I am," Cid said, sweeping away imaginary hair over his shoulder.

Tellah must've made an even more disgusted face; Cecil grinned when their eyes met.

"If we're all well rested enough, it's time to head out," Cecil said, looking at each of them for dissent.

When no one objected, he waved them out.

"We must be nearing the top," Cecil said, eagerness and apprehension in his voice.

Tellah found that his hands did not stop jittering, numb from excitement. They were close to Golbez. As willing as he was to lay his life down for Anna, he found that his base survival instinct still begged him not to go. Needless to say, he pressed on, for they could only move forward now.

The walk to a hall ending in massive ornate doors was uneventful. That is, until Tellah paused, his breath hitched. He pressed a hand to his inflamed chest. There was sinister magic ahead. Cecil seemed to feel it, too, as he had already drawn his sword out and raised his shield in defense. Yang and Cid followed suit in reaction to Cecil and Tellah.

The waves pulsed wildly, all distinct but in sync. They fluctuated, amplifying and binding and releasing like a bad omen of battles to come. Just when Tellah could hardly bear it, three women came to stand before them.

A slender, rail thin woman strutted towards them, extending her hands in greeting as her hips swayed side to side.

"Welcome to the Tower of Zot!" she said, reaching behind her and drawing a spear.

She stopped at the left of the hall.

The stout one, barely visible under her overflowing robes, carried a scythe in her hand, not appearing unlike the incarnation of death from legends past.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!" she said, her scythe held tightly in her hands as she stopped in the center of the hall. The blade arced wider than herself, a worrisome sight for anyone who dared to get in close range.

The last, no taller than Palom or Porom, scurried to stand to her sisters' right. She held a dagger in each hand, and the agility with which she flourished the blades showed her prowess in speed.

"We're the Magus Sisters," she said. "We serve Barbariccia, the Empress of the Winds."

"Look, Cid, you can finally fight someone your own size," Tellah whispered, nudging Cid and gesturing at the smallest.

Cid stared her down intently, before relaxing and looking away. His reaction had Tellah asking if he was okay.

"I had to make sure we weren't related," Cid said gruffly.

The sisters ignored them.

"I'm Sandy!" The tall woman twirled her spear like a baton before lunging at Yang. Yang side stepped out of the way, claws raised and ready to tear.

"Cindy!" The stout one declared as the blade swished dangerously close to Cecil's neck. The scythe bounced off of Cecil's raised shield as it absorbed Cindy's momentum, his sword already swinging back.

"Mindy!" The smallest threw each blade at Cid, who dodged one and let the other land with hardly a reaction. Mindy pulled out another small blade from under her cloak.

"I'm afraid your climb is at an end. Take our Delta Attack, and say farewell to your dear Rosa!" they all said in unison.

"They're very dramatic. They must be from Baron," Yang said, frowning.

"I resent that," Cecil retorted.

Tellah barked an unexpected laugh. Cid scowled, pulling out the blade and letting it clink to the ground. Blood wept down his shoulder from the wound.

The fight was arduous. The sisters synchronized their movements to benefit each other; Tellah's magic soon became useless as they continued to cast Reflect on themselves. One particularly horrific attack involved the three of them getting together and committing a "Delta Attack". That move really irritated Yang, and he set off the fruits of his longest meditation yet, felling Cindy with one attack.

Cid, aware of Tellah becoming more idle in his white magic casting as the fight turned in their favor, had an inspired idea to have Tellah hit a specific part of the hall's ceiling with lightning. The strategy was sound; shattered rock and metal came tumbling down on Sandy, never to be seen again.

Mindy knew who cast the spell that took Sandy's life. Her fury blinded her, and she ran past Cecil and Yang to Tellah, using her blades to slash him until Cid took her down with one swing of his hammer.

Cecil rushed to a hunched Tellah, casting magic as he came closer. Cure washed over everyone, including Tellah–but did nothing to close his wounds. Tellah grimaced, clutching his shoulder where he bled most heavily.

"No…" Cecil said, fear creeping into his voice. He cast again, to the same effect. "We have to go back and rest. We need your wounds to stop bleeding."

Cid and Yang were already turning when Tellah shook his head and strode forward, adrenaline pushing him forward.

"No more delays!" Tellah bellowed. "It's time!"

"Wait–" Cecil said, following as Tellah shoved the doors open, leaving bloody handprints as he walked through. The echo of the doors squealing open came back to them, along with the attention of two men standing at the other end of the room.

They were both tall–one Tellah recognized as Kain, Cecil's once long time friend. The other….

Evil in its most innate form. It wasn't the armor that struck blind fear in the bravest men. It was the immense, suffocating destruction that coursed through Golbez's veins in the form of black magic.

Tellah was afraid. He was angry. He was ready.

Cecil stood in front of him anyway, in between Tellah and Golbez.

"Impressive," Golbez said in a rather dull tone.

"Where is Rosa?" Cecil asked.

"Rosa?" Golbez looked at Kain, who shrugged and shook his head. "Whoever would that be?"

"He's been playing us for fools all along!" Cid shouted from behind.

Tellah shoved Cecil aside, staining his white armor in stark crimson.

"Your words are as twisted as your soul," Tellah snarled, Meteor once again threatening to burst out of its own accord.

"I have no business with you, old man," Golbez said, mildly amused by Tellah's fury.

Enough , Tellah thought. Like a rubber band snapping, Tellah finally let go.

His vision was saturated in orange. His voice grew bolder, louder. Somewhere miles above, the stars seemed to echo his thoughts and feel his fury.

"Oh, but I have business with you," Tellah said, his voice coated thick with magic.

Belatedly he realized that Golbez's black armor reflected an orange silhouette. Belatedly he realized that orange glow was him.

Anna's smile flashed through his mind. The stars seemed to respond, turning towards Tellah and hurtling at great speed.

Golbez took a surprised step back.

"The business of the father of a murdered daughter!" Tellah bellowed.

Magic instead of blood seemed to leak out of every wound now. Tellah raised his staff high, glowing and powerful as it guided celestial rock to earth.

Thundaga struck Golbez, the blinding light causing the others to cover their eyes.

Firaga struck Golbez, the searing heat causing the others to take a step back.

Blizzaga struck Golbez, the piercing cold causing the others to shudder.

Golbez did not react.

"Feeble old man! What can you hope to do to me?" Golbez shouted.

All of those elements seeped from Tellah, his feet no longer touching the floor as his magic swept him in the air. There was a low resounding whistle. Very slowly, very intensely, it grew shriller and louder until Tellah could hear no more.

Golbez took a few more steps back.

Come to me! Kill this man before me. Destroy him. DO IT FOR ANNA!

Tellah chanted the ancient words faster than he could enunciate, his pain growing into a white ball of power and anger and hate. Meteor hungrily ate that pain, taking it away until Tellah felt nothing at last.

The pulleys groaned in resistance; one high pitched squeal later and they jerked suddenly as the ropes were fed through. The wooden box was lowered from sight in seconds. Anna babbled in Tellah's arms, oblivious to the somber occasion and the pitying gazes surrounding her.

Tellah didn't notice how she drooled on his shoulder, her fist firmly attached to her mouth as she played with his hair. No-he couldn't have; his eyes were fixed on the sand that was now being piled onto Claire's final resting place.

A heavy hand fell on Tellah's other shoulder, but he didn't need to turn to know who it was.

"How are you?" asked Minwu.

Tellah shrugged, finally noticing Anna's drenched hand and extracting it from her mouth.

"Thanks for guiding the Troian rites. Claire would've appreciated it," Tellah said, firmly ignoring the question.

Minwu's hand dropped away.

"Of course," Minwu said.

He looked around, his eyes scanning the dispersing guests.

"There's no one from those lands here," Minwu said.

Tellah exhaled sharply.

"I sent notice to her family. They've not responded," Tellah said. "There'd been...problems...even before she met me. We—and Elizabeth—were her only family. At least, she started to say after she moved to Kaipo."

Anna stared at Minwu, her mouth slightly open as her lively eyes flickered all over Minwu. When Minwu smiled at her and waved, she giggled and extended her hands out for him, her weight shifting until Tellah had to hold her up by her belly. Minwu gently took her by her armpits and cradled her. She played with the tassels on his robe, yanking them harshly. The scripture Minwu held in a hand was promptly stolen and tossed to the ground.

"It's quite alright," Minwu said as Tellah tried to pull the troublesome infant from his hands. "I wish I'd have had my own."

Tellah didn't comment. They both knew he could still father children, if he'd wanted to. They both knew why he no longer considered it an option. Minwu blew raspberries into the crook of Anna's neck – she shrieked in delight, her laughter so out of place in such a dreary place.

"Some things are not meant to be," Minwu said with a sigh as he came back up, saying it more to himself than to Tellah.

Anna grinned at him, her breath held as she waited for more. Minwu was forlorn as he obliged her, his eyes distant as, perhaps, he wondered what his life could've been like.

Lydia had not shown up – she'd taken the boy's word at face value and swore she'd not leave Mist again. She did, however, stay long enough so Tellah could care for Anna while she had washed Claire's and Elizabeth's body, leaving them ready for burial. Tellah understood when she left with utmost haste as Tellah sent word to Mysidia of Kaipo's losses.

All of this he had done in a few short days, never staying still enough to let the grief truly take hold. He'd remained numb through it all, even as they finished scattering the last of the sediment back into place.

Minwu handed Anna back to Tellah, offering to meet him for breakfast the following morning before returning to Mysidia. He'd already recorded Tellah's witness accounts of the events in Kaipo – one look from Tellah, and he knew he'd be processing Tellah's resignation from the Order on his return.

Tellah the Sage of the Mysidian Order was no more.

Tellah blinked the tears away, turning his head towards the ceiling. The tower started shaking.

"Meteor's come at last," he whispered.

He looked back down, suddenly worried for Cecil, Yang, and Cid. They wore petrified expressions, daisy chained by their elbows to stay upright, each shouting something at him that Tellah couldn't hear, but could guess at what they said. The cloaked figure was behind them, running towards Tellah with hand outstretched.

Die, Golbez.

His head slowly turned to Golbez, and he watched the devastation happen. Rubble exploded from top of the tower, raining down on everyone in resounding booms and cracks. The floor shook violently, and anyone who had been still standing was no longer.

You will hurt no one else.

Molten rock shrieked through the air, pummeling straight into Golbez. Endless boulders found their way through. Golbez tried to block them with his arms, but the moment he tried to shield himself his arms were broken into unnatural positions by the meteors.

Anna can rest at last.

It was unknown how long this barrage went on for. It was unknown when the Tower of Zot began to fall. It was unknown when Tellah fell to the ground, spent by Meteor.

All anyone who was present knew was that Golbez lay collapsed, they felt lighter as the tower descended, and Tellah was hardly breathing when the whistling stopped.

Tellah had landed face down, and with great effort he managed to turn himself on his back, gasping feebly for air as he observed Golbez's unmoving form.

Peace at last.

Suddenly Golbez began glowing purple. The dents in his armor buffed out, and to Tellah's horror, he began gasping for air.

No!

Tellah watched in horror as Golbez shakily stood, wounded but still alive.

"Impossible! You—how could you know Meteor?" Golbez asked.

Tellah tried to open his mouth, tried to formulate words….

The world faded to black.

"I could use one like you," someone whispered near Tellah.

Tellah couldn't tell where he was. He sensed no corporeal body. He was only a spirit here.

"I can give you another chance. Work for me and I will let you kill Golbez again."

"Again?" Tellah asked in his mind. "Were you the one to save him?"

"Yes," the voice said. "I still need him. But after, after you can have him."

"You're the one she told me about," Tellah thought back to Barbariccia's vague message.

"I am. I saved her when you killed her, long ago," the voice said. "Look at her now. She avenged herself by killing your family. I can help you avenge them against Golbez. Didn't you know? That little boy in Kaipo was Golbez, too. He's the reason your wife died, too. "

Laughter.

Tellah felt horrified.

"I killed Gale to protect my family. To protect families like mine," Tellah thought.

"You killed Golbez when you had no family to protect. You brought back Meteor to do so. Do you know what great power you could attain by my side? By destroying everything you hate?"

"I did it for Anna," Tellah thought.

"Lies! You know that's all lies!" the voice said, sounding angrier. "You don't need to be Tellah any longer. I can make you Exodus."

"I shall not join you," Tellah thought. "I have made my mistakes, and I shall atone for them in the afterlife."

"Weak fools like you disgust me," the voice said, repulsed. "Begone."

Tellah woke up with a jerk. Cid held him in his lap, forcing Tellah down as Tellah tried to sit up. Cecil and Yang were nearby, their hands on his arm.

"Thinking I could best him," Tellah lamented.

Tellah had been blind. Minwu had warned them, had told them that the legend was coming true. He'd chosen to defy fate, and it rejected his attempts like Golbez did Meteor.

How could he let himself fail?

The walls blurred under his weakening vision. It all looked very familiar.

Hey Cecil, don't those walls look like tunneled stone? And Yang, the floor, look at the floor, the tile that a Meteor shattered and curled up, doesn't that look like a fragmented beam? Why, it's funny, doesn't it look like we're in a mineshaft, Cid?

"You shouldn't talk!" Cid said.

Tellah heard the footsteps before the cloak came into view, a canary dress trim visible as with every step forward.

And if I'm right, Anna, that means...

"Hello, Father," she said, pulling the hood down so he could see her.

Oh Anna, I've missed you. Why did you wait so long to come to me?

"I was always with you, Father. You closed yourself off and didn't let me in..." Anna said, tears streaming down her face. "It's time for you to stop running."

"I brought this on…myself. Letting hate consume me so…" Tellah said aloud.

"I know, Father. I forgive you. Leave the rest of this to Edward and his friends." Anna bent down, her hand caressing Tellah's forehead. "Mother is waiting for us."

Oh! I've missed Claire, too. Do you think she's mad at me for making her wait long?

"She wasn't waiting long. She wouldn't have minded waiting longer, either."

She doesn't have to anymore, darling. Neither do you. I'm coming home.

Anna smiled, that sweet dimpled smile, and it suddenly overlayed across all of Tellah's memories of her joy: her gummy newborn smile when Claire sang a lullaby, her mouth open in the drawn out note of joyous song in front of an audience, her devious grin as she goaded a riding chocobo into full speed, her beaming as Tellah gave her Claire's necklace as a good luck charm...

This was the Anna he had missed, had yearned for in the silence of the dead night, when nothing remained but bare truths and impossible wishes, in the confusing twilight betwixt dream and awakening.

But no longer. Tellah shut his eyes, finally ready for that final adventure he'd awaited for so long, ready to give that final in the long list of goodbyes in his lifetime to this planet - a place that had no room for him anymore.

"Please….avenge Anna," Tellah whispered, hoping Cecil knew that Tellah meant a very different version of vengeance than the one Tellah had sought.

"Tellah!" Cecil shouted.

"No!" Yang cried.

"Come on! Open your eyes, you old fool!" Cid begged.

"Oh, Tellah," Yang whispered, closing his eyes and balling his fists.

Cid dropped his head, a single tear dropping on Tellah, whose faint smile remained hidden behind his bushy, white beard as his final breath blew out, and his heart stopped beating.

"Rest then, with that daughter of yours."