Final Fantasy IV: The Novel

by Celes Chere

Based on the storylines of Final Fantasy IV DS & FFIV: The After Years, this is the story of Cecil Harvey, a dark knight whose journey for redemption draws himself, his best friend Kain and his lover Rosa into a dangerous battle for their planet.

8. Act Eight: To Become a Paladin

Act Eight: To Become a Paladin

"Son?" Cecil asked aloud, blinking away the onslaught of warm tears that were clinging to his lashes. Behind him, Tellah and the twins glanced at each other as they watched Cecil stare at the monument, eyes wide. Who was he talking to?

He rose from his knees and looked around, pushing the hair from his eyes. "Whose voice speaks to me?"

"Did you hear anything?" Porom whispered to Palom, and he slowly shook his head, biting his lip as he took in Cecil's pained stare. Tellah cautiously placed his hands upon each twin's shoulders, wondering if Cecil had gotten hit harder in the head than any of them had thought. A shining white light suddenly poured out of the inscription on the monument, washing over the party as it swiftly spread along the summit. Cecil shivered involuntarily as he reached to shield his eyes; the warmth that had ignited inside of him was encircling his ribcage like a pair of angel's wings ushering him into a velveteen cocoon. Even when he closed his eyes, he could still see nothing but the brilliant light that had been burned into his retinas, glimmering with an ethereal beauty that made Cecil's heart ache with nostalgia for a time and a place that he couldn't recall ever experiencing in his short twenty years.

What is this? It almost feels as if I am inside of a crystal…

Safe…warm…shielded by holy light…

"My word – where are we!?"

Cecil was startled out of his hallucinations by Tellah's shaking voice. Lowering his arm, he saw that the Mount Ordeals summit, and the accompanying storm, had completely disappeared; the four of them were now inside a crystalline hall, constructed almost identically to the chambers that had housed the Crystals of Water and Wind. However, in this place, the corners of the twelve by twelve chamber were shrouded in shadows, and no crystal shined bright from a dais. The northern wall of the chamber was comprised entirely of brilliantly-polished mirrors, and Cecil could see the reflections of Tellah, Palom and Porom standing behind him, all wearing the same stunned stare as they took in the new scenery. The twins were holding each other's hands, their eyes meeting in the mirror, and Tellah was stroking his beard curiously, his mouth set in a line. Cecil took a hesitant step forward, his boot clattering against the crystal floor as the voice that had previously been in his head boomed from the darkness hanging above.

"Long have I awaited this – the day that you would come. A tragedy unfolds now which pains me more than you can know. To end it, I will gift to you my light. Though in so doing, I condemn myself to sorrow greater still. But the hour is late. No other road remains."

"Wha…what?" Cecil gasped.

"Is this the voice that Cecil heard outside?" Palom squeaked. "How come we can hear it now?"

"This voice…kind of sounds like Cecil, doesn't it?" Tellah blinked from behind his glasses. "The same dusky, serene timbre…"

But Cecil's question fell on deaf ears. Instead, a flash of light ignited in the center of the mirror, the room erupting into a riot of prismatic rays as a sword materialized from the scintillating motes of light. Glimmering and so divinely pristine that it was nearly white, the silver blade was engraved with an elegant scrawl alongside the edge, and was enveloped by a hilt of pearl, diamonds and sapphires. Cecil had never seen such a beautifully forged blade before, one that seemed to radiate a light as celestial as the twin moons on the darkest of nights. The Deathbringer had been magnificent to behold simply because of the raw power Cecil had been able to sense emanating from its marrow, but the feeling that washed over him gazing upon this blade was something entirely different – gone was urgent, desperate need to capture the weapon's power for his own, and the fear along with it that he would never be strong enough alone to save Rosa and Kain – the fear he would have to strip away more and more of himself in order to become a being worthy of their love. It had been replaced by a warm, revitalizing solace – it was the type of feeling that Cecil imagined as a child that a hug from his mother would be like during a rainy day, had she been alive to ever give him one.

Trade your dark sword for one of light…

The part of my heart that has always felt hollow, incomplete…it's brimming with inexplicable luminance. Is this...hope? Cecil reached for the sword and curled his fingers around the hilt. The subtle grooves in the grip fit his hand perfectly, like it had been cast from a mold. The air around the blade rippled like the rings of a pond, the chamber suddenly exploding in immaculate radiance that made the blood rush inside his veins. He could feel the light soaking into every inch of his body, reverberating through his enkindled nerves with each buoyant beat of his heart.

"The time is come," the mysterious voice whispered. "Bid farewell to your bloodstained past."

Lifting his eyes to the mirror before him as the undulating glare faded from his sight, Cecil let out a startled gasp, slowly lowering the sword to his side.

Standing before him no longer was a shrinking figure clad in blackened, rusted armor, drenched in rain and marred in countless abrasions. Instead, his gaze was met with a suit of elegant ivory armor polished to a pearlescent sheen and trimmed with a royal azure breastplate, silk-like ribbons of iridescent moonbeams emanating from the striped plackart fitted against his taut torso. Matching azure and white gauntlets fitted his arms, gold plates extending just above his knuckles. A stately azure and gold-piped cape hung from his shoulders, the silver thread embedded inside the cape glittering like the crystalline stars in the Fabulian crystal chamber. His hair hung in smooth, silver locks past his shoulders, a simple blue headband engraved with a golden crescent wrapped around his forehead. For the first time that he could remember in ages, his face was clear, the apples of his cheeks flush with life. His cerulean eyes were bright and resolute in their stare – unburdened of the heavy shadows that always had seemed to drape beneath them, their brilliant intensity no longer filled him with the painful self-consciousness that once made him wilt inside himself.

"I…" Cecil exhaled, reaching up and trailing his fingers down the curve of his jaw as a test to see if the reflection in the mirror was really his – the action was replicated perfectly in the dying motes of light that were falling all around him.

He simply couldn't believe it. Had he really become…?

Tellah, Palom and Porom were stunned into silence, not believing any of what had just transpired in front of them. Palom reached over to pinch Porom's forearm, and she yelped, cutting him an exasperated glare.

"Idiot! You're supposed to pinch yourself if you think you're dreaming!" And with that, she flicked him in the face.

"Ouch!" Palom gulped, rubbing his cheek solemnly. "Well, there it is I suppose…not a dream."

"C-Children…" Tellah sighed. "Now is not the time…"

But Porom had already moved on, shaken out of her stupor by her nasty little (by two minutes, thank you very much) brother. She took a hesitant step forward, folding her hands together. "Cecil! That light…you're a…!"

Just as Cecil was about to turn to her, an insatiable smile curling on his lips, the mirror suddenly dimmed to pitch-black, his reflection fading away like a ghost. Porom paused mid-step, her voice cracking as the chamber plunged into darkness.

"Forsake the darkness you once embraced," the mysterious voice warned from above. "Or the light will find no hold. Vanquish the dark knight! You and he are one no more!"

"There are two of him!" Tellah suddenly cried, and Cecil gasped, lifting his sword to shine its light upon the mirror. The swirling darkness before him had been replaced with the staggering figure of a dark knight that was wearing all of Cecil's old armor, even the pieces he had lost in the shipwreck. The dark knight stepped forward, the mirror gently rippling behind him as he effortlessly walked through the glass and raised the revived Deathbringer that everyone thought had been blown away with Scarmiglione, pointing the curved, ebony blade to Cecil's throat.

Cecil clenched his jaw, saying nothing as he met the dark knight's crimson-stained glare, flecks of pulsing amber-gold tracing the lines of his irises beneath the closed face guard of his helmet.

"What's happening?" Palom whimpered. "Cecil...!?"

"Look out!" Porom cried as she raised her staff, about to cast a Protect spell. Cecil caught her movements in the now-tarnished mirror, sweeping his hand outward and startling her enough to cease her incantation.

"Stay back!" he demanded, once again locking eyes with his doppelgänger. The dark knight stared back wordlessly, the crimson glow in his eyes fading to an insidious, oscillating spill of black. Cecil realized with a twinge of horror that those had been his eyes he had seen in the Mysidian baths only a day before. Truly, how long would it have been until he had completely lost himself? Suddenly, the Elder's estimate of the next full moon seemed entirely too generous…

"…This is a fight for me and me alone. My atonement for all the sins I've wrought – my test. And one I do not mean to fail!" He fell back away from the mute dark knight's blade and took a defensive stance, raising his blade horizontally across the length of his chest.

I won't let the dark knight hurt Tellah, or the twins…or anyone else, ever again!

The dark knight muttered under his breath, summoning a ribbon of purple, throbbing darkness that swirled about him in a spiraling cloud like a second shadow. He suddenly dove forward, swinging his blade down with two hands, which Cecil immediately rose to meet and deflect. Sparks exploded between the two blades as they collided with each other, Cecil gritting his teeth as he bent his knees in an attempt to push the Deathbringer up and away from him. He knew that darkness the knight had summoned served to amplify his strength, but he didn't realize how terrifyingly strong an augment it was until now, when he was on its opposite side. Tellah pulled the twins close against him, all three of them gaping at the two Cecils as their eyes darted back and forth between the adversaries.

"What is it that you fight for?" the voice asked. "Is it retribution?"

I would do anything to wash away these sins, Cecil thought as he dug his heels into the floor. But what good is retribution, if it can't undo the past? What good will retribution do for Rydia, Edward and Yang, and all those who suffered in Mysidia and Mist? I can only move forward in time…

The thought of his dead friends' faces made his heart twist painfully in his chest, and Cecil gave a violent push, throwing the dark knight off of him. He was barely able to regain his balance before the dark knight summoned another powerful wave of darkness, this one ejecting from his outstretched hand and striking Cecil square in the chest, sending him reeling. The dark knight growled and descended upon him, Cecil raising his blade in defense once more as he crashed to the floor.

"Do you fight for justice?" the voice asked again.

"Ugh!" Cecil gasped, throwing his head back as he writhed beneath the dark knight's insistent driving of his blade against his own. Rosa…Rydia…in my dreams, you asked me what justice was. Was it justice, my attempts to save you two from the hatred I had a hand in cultivating? Was it justice that I left Kain to suffer alone? There are unforeseen consequences to every choice one makes – how can I rightly claim that anything I do will deliver justice for everyone?

"Or, do you fight for something more?" the voice continued. The hum of the Deathbringer's churning darkness was vibrating against Cecil's sword – he knew the dark knight was preparing to unleash another dark wave. And at this close range, Cecil wasn't entirely sure he would be able to survive it. He closed his eyes, struggling to free his legs from where the dark knight had pinned him to the floor.

What could be worth fighting for more than retribution and justice? Those are concepts rooted in the past – actions to be taken only after the damage has been done. He could feel the Deathbringer pressing down closer on him, his grasp on his own sword weakening. He could hear Porom and Palom's worried whimpers behind him, and the shaking of Tellah's staff clattering against the floor. The dark knight let out a menacing growl, his blade pulsating with violet light that bled through even the sanctuary of Cecil's closed eyes.

But the future has been undecided. This future – my future – it is a gift that has been denied to countless others.

Rosa…all I have ever wanted for you was a beautiful future where you could be at your happiest.

Kain, my brother in all but name – I wanted to live out our dreams together, bring Baron into a future where our people were free from the threats of monsters and warfare – a future of peace and prosperity for all.

Cid…Rydia…Tellah…Edward…Yang…Palom...Porom…

Kain…Rosa!

I once thought a knight's purpose was to sacrifice himself so that others could have a future.

…But now I think I understand why I've been blessed with this strength…the only way I can see to it that your dreams flourish is if I survive so that I can always protect them.

"ARRRRGH!" the dark knight screamed, driving Cecil's sword against his chest as the dark wave finally erupted from the Deathbringer. A flash of crystalline light embraced Cecil's form seconds before the attack could connect, reflecting the fermenting shadow right back into the dark knight's stunned form.

"Justice and retribution are but trifling things," the voice lamented. "There are victories of greater worth. Someday, you will know them. Go forth now, Cecil!"

Cecil felt the pressure on his fallen body slacken, his eyes snapping open in surprise. The dark knight had been blown away from Cecil thanks to the reflected attack, and was stumbling backward, gripping his abdomen with one hand as the other dropped the Deathbringer to the floor, where it instantly dissolved into a million granules of black, glittering crystal dust. A thick, purple-black substance was pouring out the dark knight between his clenching fingers. His strength spent, he collapsed to his knees before he could reach the mirror and reached for Cecil, wailing something indistinguishable under his breath before disappearing in a wispy trail of bruise-colored smoke.

I'm…alive.

I did it…!

He let his eyes close again, reveling in the glorious sensation of breathing freely without the weight of a blade pressing against his throat. Behind him, Palom and Porom were squirming beneath Tellah's grip, but the sage was still fearful another phantom would leap from the darkened mirror and attack again. It was true that the suffocating darkness had died away along with Cecil's doppelgänger, but something arcane was still hanging in the air that he couldn't quite put his finger on – something dangerous.

"Cecil!" Palom and Porom cried, shaking Cecil free from his blissed-out stupor. Pounding footsteps rushed to meet him as the twins finally broke free from Tellah, and he climbed to his feet, sheathing his new sword with a small smile lighting up his face. Just as the twins threw their arms around him, bursting into incoherent babbling, the strange voice filled the chamber once more. Cecil lifted his head, the gasp stalled in his throat as the twins instantly fell silent, each one still clinging to a leg.

"Your virtue is proven. I will instill you now with the hallowed light, formed of my very soul. May it be your strength, though it be the last of mine. My son… You must stop Golbez!"

"W-wait!" Cecil cried, stumbling forward clumsily with the added weight of the twins hanging from his limbs. "Please, there is much I need to ask of you!"

But there came no reply. Slowly, the mirror behind them blossomed with light, spreading from the central pane from which the dark knight had entered until each corner was once again reflecting the delicate crystal tile beneath their feet, Cecil and the twins staring forlornly at the ceiling in the chamber's center. Cecil lowered his chin and sighed, his fingers clenched at his side.

"Are you all right?" Porom asked gently, and he nodded, patting her head as an afterthought.

I'm all right…but now I'm more confused than ever. That light…it knew of Golbez…it knew why I had come.

"He really did it after all," Palom snorted, and Porom shot him a dirty look, pressing her finger to her lips.

"Shh!"

Cecil swallowed the lump that had been forming in his throat. "The warmth that I felt when my body repelled the dark knight's final attack… It was so...familiar. It was the same warmth I felt when we were summoned to this place."

"I didn't feel any warmth…in fact, I'm still freezing from that rain!" Palom grimaced, reluctantly letting go of Cecil when it occurred to him that he might have been overestimating how long it was cool to hug someone – even though the newly-minted paladin was quite warm himself. He spun around, raising his hand. "Sage Tellah, erm, sir – I need to borrow one of your capes!"

But Tellah didn't acknowledge the boy's request. In fact, it was only then that Cecil made the realization that throughout all of the furor, that the man hadn't breathed a single word. Cecil spotted him leaning against the wall in one of the sloping corners of the chamber, his head bowed and his eyes closed behind the glasses creeping down the bridge of his nose, all the while he muttering to himself.

"Tellah…?" Cecil gulped, stepping forward. "…Are you ok?" The old man suddenly jumped in place and bellowed "Oh!" so loudly that Cecil swore he could hear the panels of the mirror behind them reverberating in its silver-plated frame.

"Tellah?" Porom squeaked.

"My spells…I remember!" Tellah exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "I remember all of them now!"

"All…of them?" Palom blinked. "You mean it wasn't just 'Float' you had forgotten…?"

"Indeed – I can see every spell in my mind's eye once again – it's like someone opened to just the right page in a massive tome!" Tellah grinned. "And… What's this?" He closed his eyes, pressing his palm to the chamber wall as the air began to crackle around them ominously, their reflections phasing in and out of the mirror. "Me…teor?"

"Meteor!?" the three of them gasped in unison, and Tellah nodded soberly, his eyes flashing behind his glasses as he stared at the empty ceiling.

"The light that spoke to Cecil must have granted it to me. The most powerful black magic of all, mine at long last…! This power will most certainly be Golbez's undoing!"

"Amazing!" Porom gasped, clasping her hands to her cheeks. "You truly are as great a wizard as they say."

"Congratulations, Tellah," Cecil offered, although his wary tone didn't match his smile. He was not entirely convinced that Tellah learning Meteor was as great as Tellah himself thought… Perhaps the twins had already forgotten about the fearful warnings they had shared when Tellah originally announced his intention to claim the spell for his own, but Cecil certainly hadn't…

"Congratulations to yourself, my boy," Tellah beamed, pushing himself off of the wall and giving Cecil a hard clap on his back. "I daresay if it hadn't been for you, none of us would be standing here right now. How did you call upon the light that finished the fiend off?"

"Well…" Cecil pressed his lips together, crossing his arms. "I've been thinking about that, myself…I guess I don't entirely know. All I can say for sure is that it wasn't the light that defeated him…it was because he had exhausted his own strength. That light…it protected me."

"Wha–?" Palom blinked.

"Oh, I think I get it," Porom cut in. "Harnessing the darkness takes an incredible amount of stamina, right? It's why the Elder advised you not to continue using the dark sword…"

"Right," Cecil nodded – Porom was even more observant than he realized – no wonder she had panicked when he had shown such ease with the Deathbringer back in the forest. "A dark knight sacrifices his own life force to gain the advantage in battle. But if you don't overpower your enemy in time, you can be the cause of your own demise."

"Didn't that hurt!?" Palom gaped. "Inflicting injury on yourself just to pull off some super-powered attack?"

"You train yourself to become numb to it," Cecil lowered his gaze. "Until you don't notice that it's even happening anymore…then the constant flux of chaos and the strain it places upon your heart feels almost…normal."

"You scared us half to death," Porom huffed. "If that light hadn't intervened...!"

"But I think it was was thanks to all of you that the light came to my aid in the first place," Cecil's lips curled into a hint of a smile. "I was scared, too – but then I thought about all of you, and why I was doing this – and that was when the light shielded me from the dark knight's final attack. I had been terrified that my strength amounted to nothing without the darkness – if that was taken from me, what would I possibly have left? But now, I realize that my strength comes from all of you – my friends. Without everything you've all done for me, I would have never been able to make it this far."

"You…consider us your…friends?" Porom gnawed on her lip, and Cecil nodded.

"Of course. And I hope someday, you might feel the same about me as well. I know I can't turn back time and un-spill the blood that was sacrificed in order for Baron to obtain your crystal. But instead of mourning what I can't undo, I'll use my strength to change the course of our future. I'll get the Crystal of Water back, and all the other crystals, too. No matter what, I won't let Golbez's vision for our world come to be."

"Well said!" Tellah exclaimed. "With your light and my Meteor, we'll be an unstoppable force!"

"You'll join me in Baron?" Cecil asked, and Tellah nodded.

"Of course, if you'll allow me – I can't have you running off alone after everything that happened with Leviathan. It's thanks to you that I now have Meteor – so I'll do everything I can to help you get Rosa back in return."

Tellah…! Cecil pressed his hand to his mouth to hide his widening smile. Thank you…!

"Porom…" Palom whispered, swooping behind Tellah's billowing capes as he grabbed his sister's hand and yanked her to his side. She shook herself out of her reverie as she turned to him, the corners of her eyes filling with tears.

"Palom…He said…"

"I know, I know," Palom groaned, shifting his stare – he hated to see his twin cry, especially when he wasn't the cause. "Do you think we should tell him now?" Porom blinked and nodded, looking down at the floor as her lower lip began to tremble. Oh gods, how to even begin? Out of the corner of his eye, Cecil caught the little girl dithering behind Tellah, and tilted his head, his smile dissipating instantly.

"Porom…?"

She squeaked as she peered up at him beneath the canopy of her eyelashes. "Umm, Cecil…"

Palom scratched his head, his nose twitching. "You see, we…"

But the same fired-up Tellah from the underground waterway had made a triumphant return and barreled past the twins, not noticing the queer, strained looks on their faces. "All right! With our alliance, we are made ready at last. Let us bring the fight to Golbez, and save Rosa! Cecil! What are you standing about for? We must hurry!" Before Cecil could get a word in edgewise, Tellah raised his hand, casting Teleport and disappearing from the chamber in a flash of light.

"Er – yes, of course," Cecil murmured, allowing himself a small sigh. When is he going to realize he forgot to take the rest of us with him…? He turned back to the twins. "I'm sorry – what was it that you were trying to say?"

"Um, nothing," Palom squawked, and Porom spun around on her heel, her eyes narrowed. Little coward! When we get home, I'm gonna deck him to the moon!

"R-Right," she added quickly, before Cecil could catch on to their idiocy. "We were just going to say that we'd best get going…the hour is surely late." Cecil was shocked when Palom and Porom suddenly both grabbed each of his hands, staring up at him expectantly.

"…What?" Cecil blinked, and Porom squeezed his fingers.

"Cecil…try it. Cast Teleport, just like Tellah."

What!? He shook his head quickly. "I've told you two already, I don't know magic. You'll have to do it, Porom."

"Your aura says differently, now!" she giggled. "You were gifted with light – the very essence of white magic. It's really no different than the shield you summoned in your trial. Perhaps the light awakened some latent abilities inside you."

"White magic isn't as cool as black magic, but it will do, I suppose," Palom sighed. "Now will someone cast something so we can get out of here? This place is starting to creep me out – I don't want my evil twin to come out and start wailing on me! Having Porom around is enough."

"Then shut up and let Cecil concentrate!" Porom snapped. Cecil sighed, realizing they weren't going to be going anywhere unless he put in a good faith effort – he was beginning to realize Porom was a little too bossy for her own good. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the twins' squabbling and focus instead on the cadence of his breath rushing in and out of his chest – inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. But the harder he tried to focus, the louder his brain seemed to repeat the word "Teleport" in his head over and over again – soon each syllable was timing perfectly with his breathing, and he couldn't seem to hear anything else.

Teleport. Teleport. Teleport. Teleport…

Cecil slid open opened one eye. Nothing – they were still inside the chamber, and now the twins had erupted into a fully-heated argument, each using their free hands to swipe at each other as they jostled Cecil back and forth between them.

Porom must have been mistaken – it would appear I still can't use magic. He closed his eyes again, clenching his teeth with a low growl as someone's foot inadvertently landed in his shin. He just wanted to get out of here and find his way back to Rosa as soon as possible – if they didn't make it back to Mysidia too late, perhaps he and Tellah could even cross the Devil's Road into Baron tonight.

Will one of them please win this fight already so we can just go back to Mount Ordeals!? Cecil begged.

He suddenly felt a chilly burst of wind hit his face, his eyes snapping open. The crystalline hall had vanished, and before them was the spread of Mount Ordeals' summit – and glory of glories, any remainders of the storm had passed over them, the clouds parting ways to reveal blue skies and the early-afternoon sun. Tellah was waiting for them near the cliffside, having retrieved his abandoned staff from when Scarmiglione had tossed them like playthings into the memorial.

"What took so long?" he asked casually. Cecil blinked and shook his head and Palom and Porom released his hands.

"I…I don't know. Am I the one who brought us here?"

"Of course, silly," Porom laughed. "See, it was easy, right?"

Um…No.

Tellah raised an eyebrow over the curve of his glasses. "You took that long to cast Teleport? Cecil, you have a long way to go!"

"Never mind all that," Cecil said, although he was secretly elated that he had managed to cast his first white magic spell somewhat successfully – it was hard for him to take criticism too seriously from a man who had only just now remembered a lifetime's worth of his own spells, even if he was a sage.

"There's supposed to be a chocobo forest not too far south from here," Cecil heard Tellah tell the twins as he gestured toward the south-side of the mountain with his staff. "If we can manage to catch ourselves a bird, we'd be back in Mysidia in no time."

"I like it," Porom nodded. "Does anyone have a clear enough memory of the base of Mount Ordeals that we could use it to Teleport down…?"

Cecil found that his eyes had drifted back to the entrance to the hallowed chamber, his heart skipping a beat as he searched it to see if anything had changed since their entry. However, not a thing seemed to be amiss – the white marble, now slick with the rain from the storm and washed clean of Scarmiglione's fury, was as inconspicuous as ever, and the four crystals that were embedded in the surrounding dais were pools of dimmed blue.

That light... It called me its son.

To put an end to an unfolding tragedy…he said that was why he gifted me his light…

Cecil pressed his hand to his chest, closing his eyes. But what could he have possibly meant by either of those things…? When he called me 'son'…he couldn't have possibly meant…

No, no, no…it's simply impossible.

Cecil's hand drifted to the holy blade hanging from his hip, his fingers gingerly brushing over the curve of the exquisitely carved hilt that had seemingly been built for his hands alone.

His voice…it was…mournful. Regretful…

…Heartbroken.

---

"Finally home!" Palom sighed, carelessly tossing his rod on the floor as soon as they had breached the atrium within the Tower of Prayer. Porom grunted and kicked it right back to him, her lips twisting in a sneer as it knocked him in the knees.

"Owwww! What are you trying to do, cripple me?"

"It would serve you right," Porom huffed.

Cecil held his tongue as he stepped past the arguing twins, looking around. He didn't see the Elder or his assistants anywhere – and the sun had just started to melt into the horizon as they crossed the village gates, so surely not everyone had already retired for the evening. Tellah was hiding a mysterious smile under his beard as he wandered away from Cecil, Palom and Porom, drinking in every last detail of the atrium with great interest while he strolled down the western corridor toward the classrooms. As he disappeared around the corner, Cecil swore he heard the sage's voice echoing excitedly.

"It sure has been a long time since I've been back here…"

"What?" Cecil started to call out, but was interrupted by gentle footsteps coming from the stairwell. The Elder appeared in the threshold moments later, pausing mid-step when his gaze fell upon them.

"You've returned!" the Elder exclaimed, his eyes widening as he scrutinized Cecil so meticulously that a blush was starting to crawl up the younger man's face. He rushed the rest of the way down the stairs, circling Cecil with his hands clasped together and nodding every few beats to himself. "And undoubtedly a dark knight no longer!"

"Just as you can see!" Porom said proudly. She was so pleased to see the Elder's reaction that for once, she didn't mind not being the recipient of his amazement.

"Yeah, I didn't think he'd be able to do it either!" Palom smirked.

"'Either'?" Cecil asked, resting his hands on his hips as he stared at the Elder expectantly. Now it was the Elder's turn to blush, the old man promptly halting his inspection of Cecil's transformation and falling back embarrassedly.

"I'm afraid I need to ask you for your forgiveness, Cecil. It pained me to do so, but I sent these two along with you for a greater purpose than to supplement your dark blade on Mount Ordeals. My true objective was for them to keep watch on you – to ensure your intentions were pure."

Cecil raised an eyebrow. Had that been why the twins had been acting so odd? He had thought perhaps that was just their normal state of being. "In other words, to spy on me."

The Elder nodded, and to his credit, his eyes never left Cecil's. "But it seems there was no need." He turned to the twins, bowing slightly. "Palom, Porom, you've done a fine job."

"Well, now you know," Palom muttered, almost sheepishly.

"I'm terribly sorry I couldn't tell you," Porom added softly. "After the trial, we wanted to say something, but…"

"No apologies are necessary from anyone," Cecil shook his head. In a way, he was almost relieved – the Elder had already shown him far more kindness that he had thought he deserved, and the twins too – had he been in their shoes, he wasn't honestly sure he could say he would have kept an open mind about helping someone who had made his life hell – not like he had done for so many Mysidians. "You were well within your rights, after all I have done."

The Elder looked visibly relieved to hear this, his face relaxing into a semblance of a smile as Palom and Porom peered up at Cecil eagerly. He nodded to them both, smiling more to show that all really was forgiven. As he turned, his sword gently rang against the pearlescent armor cradling his thigh, and the Elder jumped in surprise, pressing a hand to his chest.

"But those deeds are behind you now – you are a paladin! Where did you get that sword!?"

"I received it on the mountaintop – it was as you said – my dark sword was exchanged for one of light." Cecil unsheathed it, offering it up to the Elder. The Elder leaned over the glimmering blade as he cupped his hands beneath the hilt and the blade, his lips moving silently as he inspected the inscription scrawled along the sword's edge. When he had finished reading, he was hardly able to contain himself – his eyes found Cecil's in the reflection of the brilliant silver, his hands tremoring as he returned the sacred relic.

"The writing engraved on its blade... Those are the same exact words of a legend passed down in Mysidia."

"A legend?" Cecil tilted his head. "I don't understand."

The Elder cleared his throat and began to recite the legend from memory. Cecil turned the sword over in his hands so he could read along, his stomach twisting into knots. He could feel his pulse suddenly quicken with a warning rush of blood to his ears…

"Birthed from the womb of a dragon's maw

And borne unto the stars

By the light and darkness cast aloft

Are dreamtide oaths resworn."

Cecil didn't understand a single word, but the same warm, nostalgic feeling he had experienced in the hallowed hall had begun to spread in his chest as he silently mouthed the words of the legend again. He couldn't help but recall the bereaved voice that had warned him of the tragedies to come…did the light, the voice – any of it – have ties to the Mysidian Legend he now held in his hands?

"The light on the mountain that gave me this sword also called me its son. Whose was the voice I heard?"

"I do not know what the light you saw was, nor do I know what the legend foretells… All I know is that we Mysidians have been told for generations to pray for its realization," the Elder replied, pacing a bit as he spoke. "To pray – and to trust in the one who bears the hallowed light. I believe that one might be you, Cecil." Cecil lowered the sword, stunned into silence.

…Me?

"Then all that remains is to put an end to Golbez, as quickly as we can!"

Tellah came striding into the atrium, cleaning his glasses with the sleeve of his coat before sliding them back onto his face. The Elder looked as if he had seen a ghost – the twins had never seen their normally stoic guardian look quite so shaken. A warm smile crept onto the old man's face as he took in Tellah's flamboyant entrance, rushing forward to meet him.

"Oh, Tellah! Is that truly you?"

Tellah couldn't help but smile himself, and the men hugged, a cascade of billowing robes. Palom, Porom and Cecil turned to each other, question marks alit in their eyes. The spotlight had seemingly been wrenched away from Cecil as quickly as he had been thrust into it, and he couldn't help but enjoy his return to persona non grata – becoming a paladin hadn't suddenly made him any less attention-shy.

"It has been ages, my friend," replied the sage. They broke from their embrace, and the Elder shook his head, still in disbelief. Palom was shocked that his stodgy old teacher knew the great sage Tellah…and better yet, had called him a friend! Porom managed to collect herself enough to give their befuddled Elder an explanation of how all of this had come to be.

"We met Tellah on the mountain," she chirped. "And imagine our surprise when we made the discovery that he and Cecil were previously acquainted!"

"Is that so?" The Elder's eyebrows nearly leapt off his forehead, this time turning his inquisitive stare upon Cecil, though his next words were directed to his friend. "Tellah, pray-tell, how did you find yourself in a place as dangerous as Mount Ordeals?"

But before Tellah could answer, Palom butted in, eager to brag on the sage's behalf – it was almost as fun as bragging about himself. "He learned Meteor up there!" The Elder gasped, turning immediately back to Tellah (Cecil could feel the physical relief of not being in the Elder's crosshairs lifting from his shoulders), but rather than have the decency to shrink beneath the Elder's glare, Tellah instead puffed out his chest, rising to his full height (which was still several inches short of the Elder's – his bouffant of hair made up for the difference).

The Elder rested his hands upon his hips, and Cecil was reminded of a distressed schoolmarm from his early school days. Cecil could see something – resignation, perhaps – reluctantly unfurling behind the Elder's tired gaze. "Meteor? Then what is happening now must be of a magnitude great enough to shatter even those ancient seals."

"It would seem so," Tellah nodded. "And now I have the means to avenge Anna."

"Avenge her?"

Tellah hissed between clenched teeth sharply enough to cause Palom and Porom to jump in place – for a moment, they thought that Scarmiglione had come back from the dead (again). "Golbez killed her. And now I will do the same for him!"

"Tellah, my friend…" the Elder cast his gaze to the floor, and Cecil noticed that the man's fingers were shaking beneath the draping sleeves of his robes. "…Let hatred drive your thoughts, and it will be your undoing. Meteor would destroy you if you tried to use it now." Tellah offered a shrug and waved his hand, dismissing the Elder's dire warning like one would a petulant child.

"If I should die, so be it! What he's done must not go unpunished."

Cecil looked away, the blood draining from his face – the chill in Tellah's tone was unmistakable – and it contained the very same venom he had spat at Cecil before disappearing in Damcyan. Beneath the quiet wisdom of the sage's unassuming exterior was a seething, powerful hatred that fueled the man's every breath.

And Cecil knew that darkness better than anyone – it had been the same despair-ridden evil that had taken his senses on far more occasion than he ever desired to confess. He wondered if Tellah could really comprehend the gravity of their situation – Cecil realized that he had foolishly made the very same troubling arguments with the Elder just a day prior, when he had been willing to throw away everything for just a fraction more of the dark power that he had adamantly believed would save Rosa. Palom and Porom stared ahead, stunned from Tellah's blatant disregard for their Elder's warning.

"Stubborn as ever, I see," the Elder finally replied, his voice as flat as the meadowlands outside the village gates. "You've not changed a bit."

"Nor you." The corner of Tellah's mouth lifted in an attempt at a smile that Cecil could only imagine was being offered as some sort of consolation prize for the Elder's failed intervention.

…In fact, it looked an awful lot like the smile Kain had given Cecil before right before he had rebuffed Cecil's attempt to seal their allegiance in rebelling against Baron. He felt his heart sinking into his stomach, which had suddenly become a pit of quicksand, as he remembered Kain's chilling declaration over the torrent of flames.

"Save your breath. I'm not doing this for you."

The Elder folded his hands, glancing between Cecil and Tellah. "…But young Cecil has become a paladin now. If the two of you work together, you just might have a chance."

Cecil nodded. "But if we are to face Golbez, we'll need an airship. We must go to Baron as soon as possible to procure one before Golbez realizes what we have planned. Would you be willing to unseal the Devil's Road for Tellah and I?"

"The Devil's Road…" the Elder took a few pained steps forward, his brow drooping in thought. He trusted Cecil, and even more so Tellah, despite his reckless friend's apparent death wish – but even unsealing the the pathway between Baron and Mysidia for the duration of time Cecil needed to cross exposed Mysidia's still-raw wounds to another potentially debilitating attack.

No…I must have faith. Cecil saw to it that Palom and Porom came home with their lives – I have to believe he'll do everything in his power to ensure Mysidia's safety. And the only way to do that is for me to let him cross over to enemy lines – to grant him the wings to pursue those who hunt the remainder of the world's crystals.

"Very well. I will reopen the entrance to the Devil's Road. As a paladin, you should be able to walk it safely. I will retire to the upper spire of the tower, and pray for your success. Go now. The fate of the world rests in your hands!"

"Thank you," Cecil replied, bowing deeply. Tellah joined Cecil's side, gingerly patting the young man's shoulder. The Elder's final words echoed in Cecil's ears with each frenzied beat of his heart.

...The fate of the world – our world.

Tellah and I…we're the only ones left to see this through.

The Elder turned to the twins, his eyes hardening with their usual discipline as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Palom, Porom! You need accompany Cecil no more. Your work is done."

Palom's cheeks turned red, slamming the butt of his rod on the floor before Porom could stop him. "W-what!? No, it isn't!"

What is all this about? Cecil blanched. If his aim is to continue spying on me, he's going to be in for a world of disappointment – I'm hoping that our acquisition of an airship is as boring as possible.

"Now, Palom…" Tellah began, but Palom's cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's, and he slammed the rod down again, this time so loudly that the décor of the entire atrium rattled around them. This time, Porom managed to snatch it away from his hands, banging him over the head with it. Gritting his teeth as he swallowed back what Cecil was sure were many colorful curses for his sister, Palom instead wagged his finger menacingly in the Elder's direction.

"You told us to help him, didn't you? To see things through to the end."

Porom blinked, her eyes suddenly widening as she clapped her hands together and flopped to her knees, casting her brother an apologetic glance for her violence before staring up at the Elder with doe-like innocence.

"Please, Elder, let us go, too! Cecil may be a paladin now, but he still needs our help – he's dreadful with white magic, you see. Who else better to provide guidance than I?"

"H-Hey…!" Cecil protested, desperately trying to contain his smile even through the very-real insult to his abilities. I can't believe it…even after risking their lives for me on Mount Ordeals, the twins still want to help…? They have more strength and bravery than I at thrice their age.

The Elder sighed, pressing his fingers to his temple.

"Oh, you two… Very well. The light on Mount Ordeals accepted you as well. This may very well be your destiny. I cannot leave Mysidia, but perhaps you can aid Cecil and Tellah where I cannot." His gaze lifted to the others. "Cecil, Tellah…you'll look after them, won't you?"

Cecil's jaw twitched as he glanced down at the twins' eager faces. They had transformed themselves into a pair of precious porcelain dolls with fluttering eyelashes and rosy cheeks, and Palom even had the audacity to force an "innocent" smile.

…But just because they're strong and brave doesn't mean they're not a pair of walking, talking liabilities. If let something happen to them under my watch, the Elder would never forgive me – and I'm walking a fine line as it is with the reparations I owe Mysidia.

"But, they're only…"

"Only what?" Palom cried. "You've seen what we can do!"

"Well you have, haven't you?" Porom snipped, her sweet-as-pie façade slipping like an ill-fitting mask. Cecil swallowed nervously, clenching his fingers to hide the sweat that was overtaking his palms.

"Fear not," Tellah assured. "I'll be along as well – they will be safe!"

Cecil heaved a sigh – he was no stranger to defeat after everything that had happened to him since his first visit to Mysidia. If the twins wanted to go, and Tellah wanted them along – then it was now three against one. "…I suppose there is no reason to object."

"Woo-hoo!" the twins cheered, clasping hands and jumping up and down in a blur of red and green. "We're going to Baron! We're going to Baron!"

"T-This isn't a picnic we're going on…" Cecil muttered. And now I'm already regretting my first decision as a paladin…this doesn't bode well.

If the Elder was disturbed by how excited the twins were to get out of Mysidia, and by proxy, his care, he didn't let it show. Instead, he gave Palom and Porom a single pat on their shoulders, closing his eyes. He hesitated a few beats before finally withdrawing a low, shallow breath and releasing them from his grip. "I will be in the tower, praying for you and all the life upon this planet." The twins stopped chattering and peered up at him, and Cecil saw their eyes briefly glaze over with hesitation. Porom swallowed a sob and gave the Elder one last hug around his leg, Palom following suit as he buried his head in the older man's robes to hide the tears that had snuck up into the corners of his eyes.

"Thank you," Porom whispered, grabbing her brother's hand when she saw that he was not going to pull away on his own. Palom swatted at her, and keeping his back to Cecil and Tellah, huffed and raised his other hand in the air.

"I'll meet you slowpokes outside." With that, a cloud of smoke exploded around him, and he disappeared from sight, leaving those in the wake of his magic hacking and frantically covering their mouths. The Elder's eyebrows drooped apologetically as he bowed his head, turning to make his way back up the stairs toward the crystal chamber. At the threshold, he paused, and Cecil felt something in his chest twinge as he watched the Elder's shoulder blades hunch involuntarily, his feet frozen in place.

He's suddenly hesitating… Cecil drew in a sharp breath. He said earlier that this may have been Palom and Porom's destiny…does that mean he had another premonition?

If that is the case…why does he seem so…reluctant?

But the Elder seemed to find his footing again, suddenly jerking forward like a marionette snapping back to life under tautened strings as he climbed the first step without looking back. "Luck be with you."

"…Thank you," Cecil nodded, even though he knew the Elder could not see him. Once his footsteps had faded away, Porom spun around to face Cecil and Tellah, making a point of hauling her backpack higher over her shoulder.

"I suppose I'll go refresh our supplies and find Palom. Shall we meet at the entrance to the Devil's Road? You know where it is, right?"

"How could I forget?" Tellah chuckled. "This place hasn't changed a bit. We'll see you there soon."

After Porom left them, Cecil lowered his voice, fearful that someone in the tower would still be listening in on them – such a thing didn't seem out of the realm of possibility now that he knew his guides had really been pint-sized spies.

"Is this really OK? The Elder…"

"Don't worry about him," Tellah smiled, bemused at Cecil's fretting. The boy's maturity and desire to protect his friends was admirable, but he really was so young, wasn't he? "He's always like this – when something leaves his influence, it drives him crazy. That's why he's the head of Mysidia, after all – it's good for his control issues. Somehow, I think you can relate."

"…Control issues!?" Cecil burst. "I hardly think being concerned for the welfare of the two children we've suddenly been charged with equates to control issues. This is war…the twins are enjoying this just a little too much. Do you really expect that you or I will be able to keep them under our thumbs if they decide to go rogue?"

"Oh, children are just excitable. Anna didn't have a magical bone in her body, and it was all just the same with her. You'll understand better once you are a father too – consider this practice!" Cecil turned away, praying his hair would do a good enough job of shielding his glowing red face now that he no longer had a helmet to hide behind.

R-Ridiculous…

---

Cecil had never traversed the Devil's Road before, and by the time their party arrived in Baron, he had thoroughly re-established in his mind why many people didn't do it. The best way he could describe the utter exhaustion that had taken over his body was that his energy had been drained away through invisible pores in his feet, which in turn felt as if they had turned to ten-ton weights strapped to his ankles. Even just dragging himself into the muted, beclouded moonlight made his eyes ache as if he had stared at the sun for an agonizing spell of time. Fortunately, Tellah, Palom and Porom had managed just fine – and it took all three of them to prop Cecil back up to a standing position again. Cecil had always been under the impression that as the (ex-) Captain of the Red Wings and an accomplished dark knight that his training days were over – but he had now realized he would need to start all over again to truly master the discipline of what it meant to be a paladin. It was one thing to be accepted by the light, but to be able to temper that newfound strength…

I have to become as strong as possible if I'm going to find Rosa – especially if I have to go through Kain and Golbez to get to her.

But first…I've got to survive my homecoming.

Motioning for the others to stay behind him, Cecil cracked open the door to the gatehouse that contained Baron's entrance to the Devil's Road and peered outside. The first odd thing he noticed was that the guard that had always been stationed at the entrance, even during peacetime, was nowhere to be found. And stranger yet, the only sound he could make out was the crackling of the torches that were hung on the walls behind them in the gatehouse. There was no chatter wafting in from the streets – even at this hour, Cecil knew at least some of the villagers and would still be out and about, and the royal guard would be switching shifts for the evening from their various posts.

Something is seriously wrong…

"Cecil?" Porom whispered. "What do you see?"

Nothing, Cecil thought. Which is precisely the problem.

But they had to make their move – with every second that passed, Rosa slipped further away from him. "Just follow me, OK?" Cecil finally replied. "We'll make our way to Cid's house as fast as possible, before we attract too much attention with our arrival."

Cecil stepped outside, and Tellah shut the door to the gatehouse behind them, taking up the rear. The lane that would take them to Cid's house was nearly abandoned, despite being lined with businesses that would normally be shuttering for the evening and expelling a wave of customers and shop keeps eager to get home. As they walked and Cecil's eyes adjusted to the fast-falling darkness, he spotted a few townspeople out and about, but not nearly the amount that he would regularly see when he and Kain would hole up in the pub after a long week of missions and drills. If Cecil's eyes fell on anyone for longer than a fraction of a second, the villager would quickly turn away, either ducking into a building or dashing away in the opposite direction.

"Is everyone in Baron as uptight as you, Cecil?" Palom tittered.

"Don't be a jerk," Porom snapped, and out rang the crack of a palm meeting a skull.

"Yeowch! Sorry…"

"Remember our discussion about not attracting attention?" Cecil half-whispered, and the twins looked away, sufficiently chastised (for now). Tellah pressed his lips together, silently observing the frigid atmosphere around them. The pall hanging over the village was unmistakable – there was powerful magic at work, in addition to the palpable despair of Baron's people interwoven in the air.

But where was its source…?

When they finally crossed over to the boulevard that offered them a full view of Cid's house, Cecil was relieved to see that smoke was rising from the chimney. They passed a woman and an elderly man arguing in front of the apothecary, and Cecil had to do a double-take to make sure it wasn't anyone he knew. They were so close to their goal – he couldn't let any distractions intervene just yet.

"I won't put up with it much longer! The soldiers can't just barge into my brother's bar and kick us out because they feel like it! The king needs to put a stop to this right now!" the woman shrieked.

"Shhh!" the man panicked, his eyes darting about. Cecil purposely pushed his hair over his cheek to conceal his face as a last-ditch effort to ensure his anonymity. "Any foul words against the king are automatically treason, and you'll be hanged for it!"

"I don't care anymore!" she snapped. "We can't leave Baron, but we can't live here either! What's the point of any of this?"

Cecil silently clenched his fists as he stared down at the road. Her brother's pub? So, she was related to the barkeep at the inn – and Baronian soldiers had taken it over? For what purpose when they had an entire castle?

A little boy that Cecil recognized as a child Rosa's mother would often babysit was bouncing his ball against the wall of a fenced-in house, all alone. He looked up at Cecil as they passed and bounced the ball again, his eyes widening.

"Hey, are you guys new here? I haven't seen you before…"

"Hmmm…" Tellah paused, not sure what to say, and gestured with his staff toward the twins as if to head off anything they might have thought made for a clever reply. Cecil suddenly realized that there was no way the boy would recognize him without his black armor – maybe that was why the other villagers hadn't been quick to make eye contact, either. To them, Cecil's arrival was merely another turn in a series of bizarre events.

And I'm supposed to be dead, he reminded himself grimly. They wouldn't expect me to be walking the streets. I should stay dead for a little while longer, I suppose…

"Just passing through," Cecil said gruffly, hoping that would be enough to get the kid to bug off. Instead, the kid abandoned the ball as it bounced off the wall and rolled into the street, running up to Cecil rather than chasing it down.

No, no, no! Cecil silently protested, trying to affix his most intimidating glare. Palom snorted behind his hand, and Cecil could feel the ground quake beneath his feet as Porom jammed her foot into her brother's shoe.

The boy ignored the maelstrom of panic swirling around the party, peering up at Cecil. "Are you the new guards that are going to protect Baron? The ones at the castle don't like us anymore."

"What?" Cecil gasped, his tough-guy façade instantly evaporating. "Don't…like you, anymore? What do you mean?"

"They're mean to us – we get yelled at if we're out too late, and we're not allowed to visit the castle anymore. Momma says I can only play in the yard now. It all started when the cool dark knight that always came around here died in an accident."

Tellah raised his eyebrows, and Cecil clenched his jaw, turning away. If Tellah and the twins hadn't had any clue about just how bad things had gotten in Baron, they certainly knew now.

"We're gonna fix it," Palom suddenly burst out. "But you should listen to your mom until then, and stick close to home."

"I guess so," the boy shrugged. "It's no fun playing outside anymore anyway." Tellah bent down, fetching the ball and handing it back to its owner.

They left the boy, Cecil glancing behind his shoulder until he was sure the child had gone back inside his yard, and climbed up the slope to Cid's house. Cecil gently rapped on the door, catching out of the corner of his eye the slight flutter of a curtain behind one of the windows. A few moments later, the door cracked open, and Amelia filled the inches-wide gap in the threshold. Her eyes glinted curiously as she took in the four people on her doorstep, her mouth forming a slight "o". Her voice came out in a strangled rush of breath.

"Cecil? Is that really you?"

"Yes," Cecil whispered, his tone instantly dropping to match hers. Amelia gasped, raising her hand to her mouth to stifle her shock.

"My stars, I can't believe you're alive! I hardly recognized you…did you do something different with your hair?"

Cecil figured that was Amelia's polite way of asking him why he no longer looked as if he had one foot in the grave.

"Could we come in, Miss?" Tellah gently interrupted, and Amelia nodded, pulling the door back and ushering them inside before slamming it behind her and bolting it shut. Cecil couldn't help but notice that a few more locks had appeared on the door since the last time he had been over for dinner with Cid and Kain. Otherwise, everything else looked much the same – although he was disappointed to see right away that Amelia was entirely on her own. The fireplace was burning brightly, a kettle of boiling water hanging just out of reach of the flames – but Cid's bed, which had always been next to the fireplace (making it easiest for him to sneak out in the middle of the night when he felt the need to check on his airships, Cecil presumed), was perfectly put together and looked like it hadn't been used in days. Cid's reference manuals and books, which normally were splayed about everywhere but their proper place on his bookcases, were all neatly shelved in alphabetical order, strips of fabric tucked between various pages to mark his place in each one.

"Amelia, where is Cid?" Cecil asked, immediately cutting to the chase. Amelia shook her head, shuffling over to the curtain he had seen move earlier and yanking it completely shut.

"Father was taken away a little over a week ago. Everything happened so fast, and so suddenly, and I…" Blotches of crimson exploded over her cheeks as she started to cry, sinking against the folds of velvet that were straining against the mounted curtain rod. Cecil felt his heart drop into his stomach, alarm bells blaring in his head.

Taken…away? We were too late? Is he…?

"Calm yourself, please," Tellah offered, patting Amelia on the back as he gingerly swept her away from the window, propping her up against a wall instead. "My name is Tellah – I'm from Kaipo. And these two are Palom and Porom, of Mysidia. We've come here with Cecil so that we may borrow one of your father's airships and challenge Golbez in his pursuit for the crystals. Is there anything you can tell us about your father's disappearance that might help us find him?"

"Cecil?" Amelia blinked, turning to her friend confusedly. "You know of Golbez? Everything this man speaks is true?"

"It is," Cecil nodded quickly, thankful that Tellah was willing and able to step in so quickly while he had let himself become paralyzed by Amelia's bad news and all the horrific possibilities it could bring. "Please – is there anything I should know? What's happening here in Baron that would get Cid arrested?"

Amelia sniffled, rubbing her eyes. "It started right after you and Kain had departed for Mist. We all heard about the terrible earthquake up there, and Father fought to gain an audience with the king to learn what the plan was to rescue you. But instead of devising a plan, King Baron told him you two were dead." She shook her head, another sob escaping her throat. "Rosa found out and fled Baron to search for you. No one has seen her since, and her mother is worried sick."

Does that mean Rosa wasn't taken back to Baron? Cecil's frown deepened. Not that I was expecting finding her to be that easy, but…if Golbez and Kain aren't holed up here, then where could they possibly be hiding her? And Amelia still thinks Kain is dead… He couldn't bring himself to tell Amelia about Rosa or Kain's fates in all of this – she would only get even more upset. He decided to just keep his mouth shut for now and let her continue.

"That night was the last time Father came home. He was ranting and raving about the king wanting him to build even more airships for a man named Golbez. Father had flat-out refused because he found out that this Golbez was made Captain of the Red Wings in your stead. Worse yet, the king was refusing to send any scouts to Mist to retrieve your bodies for a proper burial on Baronian soil."

Because there were no bodies to bring back, Cecil thought.

"It was in the middle of the night that the soldiers stormed our house and threatened Father…they said they would kill me if he didn't come with them!" Amelia began to cry harder. "I think they took him to the castle, but I have no way of knowing for sure. Most of the soldiers stay cooped up in there nowadays, and only come into town to cause trouble. It's gotten worse since the royal guard got a new squad leader who has transformed the inn into an ancillary barrack. The soldiers will jail anyone that walks in there that even looks at them funny."

With Cid's wife gone (Cecil had never known her – she had passed away before he was born), Amelia had always strived to be her father's caretaker in her mother's absence, even if Cid himself didn't think he needed one. Cecil had never seen Amelia like this – in fact, he was fairly sure this was the first time in his life he had ever witnessed her in distress – Cid's disappearance had to have been destroying her.

"Amelia…" Cecil lowered his head. "I'm so sorry...had I been here…"

"It's not your fault," Amelia sniffled. "Thank the gods you managed to escape. I have the feeling something horrible has happened with His Majesty – I've been trying to wrap my mind around why he would do all of this, and the only conclusion I can reach is that something…snapped inside of him."

"We'll find Cid, I promise," Cecil replied. It was just as Cid told me earlier – the king needs him to build more ships. I suppose it makes sense that if he refused, King Baron would find another way to "convince" him – but to exploit Cid's relationship with his only living kin? It's beyond despicable. "Baron won't hurt him. Your father is the only one in the kingdom who can build airships, remember?"

"I…I keep trying to tell myself that…" Amelia nodded reluctantly. "I thank you, Cecil, for everything you must have risked just to make your way here. But how are you planning to get into the castle? The Kingsguard will not let anyone in – and with the way the king has been acting, I fear even he may not be comforted by news of your return."

"We'll figure it out," Cecil forced a smile, though he could see in the reflection of Amelia's glassy stare that he wasn't convincing anyone, let alone himself. "Don't worry about us."

"We're going to protect Cecil!" Porom exclaimed, and Amelia stared down at her, pressing her lips together thoughtfully.

"I know you will, dear. Thanks to you too." She stood up straighter, wrapping her arms around herself. "What will you do next?"

Something Amelia had said earlier had been bothering Cecil – it was about the new squad leader that had taken over the inn. He had noticed she hadn't mentioned the person's name or a description – and everyone in Baron knew everyone else – especially a part-time busybody like Amelia. Did that mean the new recruit wasn't a Baronian citizen? Someone who wouldn't know who Cecil was to begin with?

"We're heading for the inn," Cecil declared, and Amelia, Porom, Palom and Tellah all stared at him, their faces white with shock.

"That's where all the bad guys are, in case you weren't listening," Palom pointed out.

"Yes…" Cecil trailed off, not realizing that he was pacing across the room until he had passed by the pulsing heat of the fireplace for a second time. "…But if the person leading the squadron here in town isn't from Baron, we could use that to our advantage."

"How do you figure?" Tellah blinked.

"I've observed that the few townspeople we've come across are having difficulty recognizing me," Cecil explained. "And better yet, those that do know me think I'm dead, thanks to the king. No one has any clue who Palom, Porom and Tellah are. If we can get the royal guard's new leader to trust us, we might be able to use him to gain access to the castle."

"Huh, that's actually a brilliant idea," Porom tapped her chin. "We'd be hiding in plain sight."

"Just be safe," Amelia sighed. "If anything happens, I want you to come back here immediately!"

"Yes, ma'am," the four of them chanted – though none of them actually meant it. Cecil would sooner rather surrender himself before leading the enemy to his friend's doorstep.

As Cecil lead the others across town to the inn, he found himself unconsciously lifting his chin every few moments to steal a glimpse at Rosa's house, which was blazing with lamplight in every tightly-shuttered window. Amelia's quivering voice filled his head as forced himself to turn away for the last time, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No one has seen her since, and her mother is worried sick."

Only I know where Rosa is now – and nothing I can share will bring Joanna any comfort…

The entryway of the inn was abandoned, save for the innkeeper behind the counter and his daughter, who was sweeping a non-existent dust pile over and over again and making a concentrated effort to avoid looking Cecil and the other new arrivals in the eye. In the pub the next room over, Cecil could hear a raucous chorus of voices, none of them very sober. It wasn't very often that he saw the door barred shut, even when the Dragoons and Red Wings had some of their more…boisterous victory celebrations – he could only pray nothing too unsavory was happening in the presence of these shaken people.

The innkeeper looked up from the document he was reading, surprised that his latest visitors hadn't immediately started barking orders at him. When he realized that three of the four party members were either under the age of ten or over the age of sixty and were most likely not members of the royal guard here to make his life hell, the clenched tendons in his neck visibly slackened. "Um…do you need a room? We're booked full-up…" He nodded toward the closed door to the pub, afraid to elaborate any further just in case they were being watched.

"No, we were hoping to have a discussion with the soldiers staying here," Cecil replied, patiently observing the innkeeper for any sign of recognizance. But other than arching one concerned brow, the innkeeper said nothing else, and merely turned back to his business. With a subtle tilt of the innkeeper's chin, his daughter suddenly had the good sense to disappear behind the counter, not even bothering to prop her broom against the wall. Satisfied that his theory about not being recognizable was still in play, Cecil turned to the others, gingerly resting one hand on the latch.

"Palom, Porom, you can stay out here if you'd like."

"You're not getting rid of us that easily," Palom chortled.

Despite the noise level coming through the walls, the pub was nearly empty with the exception of three soldiers in Baronian dress holed up in a corner. The bartender was nowhere to be seen – Cecil wondered if he had high-tailed it to the kitchen behind the bar as soon as he had heard more people coming in. The soldiers burst into a round of laughter about something incomprehensible as one man with his back to the group dealt from a deck of cruddy cards.

Cecil motioned for the others to stay behind and approached the empty fourth chair at the table, waiting to be acknowledged. He didn't recognize any of them, although at that moment he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Finally, one of the soldiers looked up, grinning crookedly.

"Did you need something, pretty-boy?"

Cecil clenched his jaw so hard that he swore he could feel a molar cracking. …Pretty-boy? Certainly, no soldier of mine would ever say something as crude as that…who ARE these people? Is one of them the new ringleader?

He had to initiate a quick readjustment to his demeanor, wincing as the coarse inflection of his words filled the stifling air hanging between them. "How do I get in on this?"

"Depends," the soldier said, leaning back in his chair. The one that had been dealing their cards paused mid-distribution, suddenly very interested in what was happening. "Where are you from?"

"Fabul," Cecil blurted out the first kingdom from the top of his head that wasn't Baron, his face reddening. Besides not being very good at feigning interest in anything these people had to say, he was also a terrible liar.

"Oh really?" the soldier laughed. "All you Fabulians are begging to suck at the Baronian teat now, aren't you? Saw what we could do and knew what side you shoulda been on, eh?"

"All…us…Fabulians?" Cecil forced a smile through his confusion. What is he going on about?

"We figured this would happen when word got out about our new leader," another soldier smirked. "It's not every day one of those proper monks grovels to the might of Baron, after all. You assume they're all as dour as the legends say, but not this guy!"

Right on cue, the door to the pub suddenly swung open, nearly smashing into Tellah and the twins. He managed to yank them away deeper into a corner just before as a hulking figure stomped into the room, wrapped in a sable cloak that he was in the process of yanking away from his head. Cecil's jaw dropped to the floor as the hood fell back, his lungs bursting with a stalled breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in. The soldier that had been talking to Cecil turned around in his chair, raising his fingers in a half-hearted salute toward the approaching figure.

"Speak of the devil! Your begging is best left to him – since he's a fellow countryman, and all."

Cecil eyed the newcomer up and down, wondering if he was having a stroke thanks to his now exponentially risen heartbeat. He even discreetly pinched a swath of skin across his knuckles, but the vision before him did not shift, nor did he suddenly find himself back in bed, roused from a nightmare. This was all very real.

The man now standing before him, arms crossed over his chest the size of tree trunks, was undoubtedly High Monk Yang Fang Leiden. His braid was sticking out from beneath a crimson-dyed beret embroidered with the Baronian crest in delicate gold thread that caught in the flickering candle-flanked sconces all over the room, and a taupe doublet was straining to stay buttoned over his chest beneath the cloak, covering up his tattoos. But no matter what Yang might have worn, Cecil could recognize him anywhere – the monk's mustache was still combed and trimmed to perfection, and his square jaw was set in its usual menacing clench that Cecil had come to learn meant Yang was thinking intensely.

He…he survived! Cecil thought, shaking his head in disbelief as a small smile crept toward the corners of his mouth. And of course, Yang would have infiltrated the enemy first thing when he reached Baron's shores – he was biding his time while waiting for me to follow!

Cecil couldn't believe this good fortune granted to them by the gods – finally, something was going better than they could have ever hoped.

Dropping all pretense of being an outsider, Cecil stepped forward, raising his hands excitedly. "Yang…I can't believe you're here! Praise be, I'd thought you for dead!" Yang raised his eyebrows, noting the rather exaggerated difference in builds between himself and the lithe man posturing before him.

"And you are…?" Yang trailed off, not looking amused in the least. He was tired, perhaps – it was only when Cecil got closer that he noticed the navy blotches under Yang's eyes, and the way the skin of his cheekbones was pulled taut and white across his face. But there was something else amiss too…something Cecil couldn't quite put his finger on. Something about Yang's eyes…

…They were empty – steeped in shadows one encountered in a deserted back alley during a starless night.

"Ah…I suppose you wouldn't recognize me like this." Cecil smiled, not noticing as the other soldiers stared at them in disbelief. "It is I, Yang – Cecil Harvey!"

"His name is Yang…?" Tellah shook his head. "Cecil, you know this man?"

Palom and Porom glanced at each other, their eyes creased with confusion. On Mount Ordeals, they had overheard Cecil explaining to Tellah that a Fabulian monk had been lost at sea among his other friends, thanks to Leviathan. If even a fraction of the legends they had heard about Leviathan were true, it seemed damn near impossible that Cecil had survived, let alone anyone else – what league of gods was keeping watch over this guy?

"Cecil…!" Yang gasped, the light suddenly flooding his gaze as he closed the gap between them with one lengthy stride. "I've searched long and hard for you."

Thank the stars, Cecil thought, feeling like a mantle of lead had been lifted from his frame. Stunned into silent relief, he didn't notice when Yang suddenly curled his fingers into a fist and lurched forward into a punch, striking him square in the face. An explosion of crimson burst behind Cecil's eyelids, and a nauseating surge of paralysis seized his legs and sent him stumbling into the table, cards and soldiers scurrying away. He could feel blood dripping from his nose, choking against the briny sensation that overtook his tongue. Yang crossed his arms haughtily as Palom and Porom silently screamed into their hands.

"This man is a traitor to the king of Baron! Seize him!"

"Sir!" the guards agreed, drawing their swords at once and encircling Cecil's staggering form. Cecil stared at Yang bewilderedly, clasping his hand to his nose in an attempt to stop the incessant bleeding in lieu of reaching for his blade.

It's…it's still Yang, isn't it? I can't possibly turn my sword against him…!

This is just like Kain…all over again…!

"Palom, follow my lead!" Tellah hissed, motioning toward the soldiers with his staff. "Porom, take care of Yang!"

"Finally, some action!" Palom snorted, and Porom sighed in exasperation as she spun on her heel, holding out her palm.

"HOLD!"

"BLIZZARA!"

Yang's lackeys halted their assault mid-swing, their screams trapped in their throats as a biting ice storm enveloped them and transformed them into solid blocks of ice that smashed into the table, demolishing it. The crashing sound stirred Cecil out of his stupor, who managed to duck just in time to miss another swing from Yang's fist. Before Porom's spell could connect, Yang laughed off Cecil's lucky dodge and launched himself on top of the paladin, pinning him against the knot-ridden, ale-soaked floor. Porom's spell careened with the wall behind them, fizzling into a pathetic spurt of sparks.

"Yang!" Cecil hissed between clenched teeth, shoving his fists against Yang's shoulders – though the effort was akin to lifting a barge. "Do you not know me!?"

"Oh, I know you well, blackguard!" Yang snapped, the claws strapped to his metal knuckles extending threateningly with an ear-piercing screech. Cecil reared back and shoved his armor-plated knee into Yang's stomach, gasping for much-needed air as the monk winced and rolled off of him, clutching his abdomen as Cecil took his chance to scoot away, the blood rushing back to his lower extremities that were being crushed by Yang's weight.

"Cecil, are you all right?" Tellah cried, rushing to his side and extending his hand. Cecil nodded and grabbed hold, pulling himself up to his knees as Tellah steadied them with his staff.

"Don't worry about me. We can't gravely wound him. Something's wrong. This isn't…"

"H-hold!" Porom stuttered, but Yang outsmarted her again, rolling into a backwards somersault and kicking one of the guards-turned-ice blocks forward to take the hit for him before leaping back to his feet. Porom's spell cracked the ice down the middle, the frozen soldier inside promptly bursting into a cloud of ash before his body could touch the floor.

"What the hell!?" Palom yelped. "Those guys were monsters!"

Monsters impersonating the soldiers…just the same as Fabul! Cecil gasped. Did Yang really not know? While the twins busied themselves with finishing off the remaining soldiers before they could melt, Yang turned his sights on Tellah, diving for him with gleaming claws outstretched. Cecil slid between them, raising his blade as a shower of sparks exploded from the clash of their weapons. Yang's eyes were alit with a menacing glow as he casually shoved Cecil's blade away with his bare hand.

"See my face, Yang!" Cecil begged. Stormy as his friend's eyes were, they were undoubtedly still human – Yang hadn't been transformed into one of Golbez's ghouls – not yet, at any rate.

"Die, curs!" Yang sneered, swinging back on his heel to smash Cecil in the face with a kick.

"Cease this madness! Cecil is no enemy of yours!" Tellah bellowed.

Damnation! Cecil cursed, reaching up to shield his face. He really doesn't know who I am. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep this up without endangering the others – if we don't somehow subdue him…!

But the blow Cecil was bracing himself for never came. A stomach-turning crack erupted in the air, and Cecil's eyes flew open just in time to see Yang's face turn ashen gray, his pupils retracting to pinpricks before he suddenly slumped to the floor into a heap of limbs. Behind him, hovering precariously like a miniature angel of vengeance, was Palom, his rod clenched between shaking fists and a proud grin overtaking his face. A pair of translucent wings had appeared between his shoulder blades, thanks to his twin's quick thinking with a Float spell.

"Ahhh…owwww…" Yang groaned, his eyes sliding shut as Palom landed back on the floor, his wings disappearing in a gleam of glittering light. Porom lowered her staff, biting her lip as she took in the scene before her.

"Are you OK, Cecil? Do you need a Cura spell?"

"I'll be fine," Cecil sighed, gingerly touching the side of his nose to make sure it wasn't broken. Based on the only slight throb of pain and the now-dried blood, he figured he was in the clear. "Thank you all."

"And he wanted to leave us behind," Palom smirked. "When are you going to learn we're the best thing that could have ever happened to you?"

"Enough," Tellah chided, kneeling at Yang's side to investigate Palom's handiwork. "Hmmm…just a bump. He'll survive – although he sure put up a hell of a fight. I guess the rumors are true about Fabulian monks – they really are some of the most powerful warriors in the world."

"Never mind that," Cecil frowned. "Please – cast Raise. I have to find out what happened. We can't just leave him like this. Even if he doesn't remember me…he's still my friend!"

"And if he misbehaves again…?" Palom wriggled his eyebrows like two dancing caterpillars, and Cecil averted his gaze.

"Say no more – I'll have my swinging arm ready."

Much to Palom's delight, Tellah didn't argue with the boy's proposed backup plan, quickly casting the Raise spell as Porom hung behind the three of them, her cheeks puffing from holding her breath. A few apprehension-sodden moments later, Yang's eyes slowly opened, clear as the depths of the sea after a world-shaking squall. They sought Cecil's form immediately, a sparkling awareness bubbling from their depths that banished the dread that had seized hold of Cecil's chest ever since they had set foot into Baron. Yang sat up, rubbing the back of his head as he drank in Cecil's new appearance.

"Cecil…is that you?"

"It is, my friend," Cecil offered a weak smile. "Welcome back."

Yang's mustache twitched confusedly as he spotted the child grinning manically behind him with his rod raised in the air, a nearly identical girl at his side whose gaze was darting fretfully between Cecil, the boy and himself. Kneeling next to Cecil was a man in brilliant pink and violet robes, glasses sliding down the slope of his nose as he stared pointedly at Yang, like he was a director prompting him for his next line. A million questions were rising to the surface of his brain, but he decided to start with the most obvious in hopes that this really wasn't a dream.

"We…we were attacked by…by Leviathan, weren't we?"

"I'm afraid so," Cecil nodded. "I can't say how long it's been…when I next opened my eyes, I was washed up on the shores of Mysidia."

Yang made it a point to retract the claws in his metal knuckle before making any more movement, gingerly massaging his temples. "I too, remember little after that…"

"Baron must have been taking advantage of your amnesia, using you to its own ends," Tellah surmised, tapping the head of his staff idly against his open palm. "There are many monsters that specialize in Charm magic to recruit both man and beast to their defense."

"…Forgive me," Yang whispered. "For my mind and body to be so easily manipulated…it's obvious my training is not anywhere near completion."

"Never mind that!" Cecil frowned. "What of Rydia and Edward? Have you seen them?" Yang shook his head slowly, clenching his fists.

"Rydia…Rydia was swallowed by Leviathan. It was the last thing I saw before the darkness took me, the only memory I held onto even after I awoke. But I... I do not know of Prince Edward's fate." Cecil closed his eyes, willing his voice not to shake as he choked out the only reply he could manage that wasn't a scream.

"I see."

So only Yang survived…

Yang would only allow himself to ask another question – platitudes and apologies about what an utter failure he was as a high monk – nay, a man who couldn't even save those who had helped him defend his kingdom – wouldn't do anyone any good at this time. The desperate refulgence that burned in Cecil's eyes was enough of an indication that beyond Edward and Rydia's demise, something else terrible was unfurling of which he had yet to be briefed. He solemnly plucked the beret from his head, tossing it into a pile of ash. The beret was followed shortly by the cloak and doublet, and suddenly, the real Yang had materialized before them once more. "Where are we?"

"We're in Baron," Cecil explained. "At the inn. And we'd best not talk here, lest any guards overhear us. Let's see if we can find a room."

They trudged back to the entryway, where they were greeted by a grinning innkeeper.

"Ha! I saw what you guys did to them guardsmen. You've grit, and strength to match! Why don't you spend the night now that you've cleared them out? And no need for coin, it's my pleasure!"

…Saw? Cecil spied a doorway behind the counter that he had previously not noticed, thanks to the little girl who had been sweeping when they had arrived now slipping through it to rejoin them, smiling up at the party shyly as she offered up a hastily put together tray of dried meats and some cheeses. Porom took them from her gratefully, and the two girls shared a clandestine smile of relief.

That must be a passageway between the kitchen and the inn, Cecil thought to himself. Hopefully the barkeep made his escape through here.

The innkeeper handed over the key to the chamber upstairs, and Cecil lead the others to the same room he had been in just a short time ago to spy on his fellow citizens before he and Kain had gone to Mist – and had set this whole disastrous series of events in motion. Palom made a beeline for the fireplace, igniting it with a Fire spell. Porom set the tray of food on the table, doling out five portions. Cecil peered out the window, his eyes sweeping down the darkened boulevard. Many of the lit-up dwellings they had passed were now blanketed in shadow, including Rosa's mother's house.

If the other guardsmen terrorizing the village are like the ones we fought tonight, monsters or not, I should check up on Joanna, and make sure she's all right… And she deserves to know what happened to Rosa, as much as it pains me to confess my failings. Kain, too…Joanna had always been fond of him, especially after his father died…

Cecil never could have imagined that a day would come where he would feel like an utter stranger gazing upon the streets of his own hometown…but here he was. And he had a suspicion it wasn't going to look any better for him in the light of day, either.

Yang sat down at the table, and Porom pushed some food his way before joining him. His soothing baritone snapped Cecil out of his trance and made the others jump.

"I believe some introductions are in order," Yang nodded toward Tellah. "Who might this gentleman be?"

"This is the great sage Tellah," Cecil said, letting the curtain drop between himself and the window. "His daughter and Edward were…"

"She loved him enough to give her life for his," Tellah interrupted, pulling off his glasses and gently setting them onto a nightstand. Yang bowed his head, pressing his hands together. He recalled Edward's tearful account of Damcyan's destruction, and realized that Edward's precious "Anna" must have been this man's daughter.

"My condolences for your loss. My name is Yang, and I am a monk of Fabul."

"I'm the great Palom, magical prodigy of Mysidia!" Palom exclaimed, laughing manically as the fireplace behind him exploded with a dramatic bellow. Cecil didn't know how Palom did that, but he had to admit it was kind of cool.

Porom laughed embarrassedly as she tugged on Yang's arm to divert his attention from her mess of a brother. "Please, forgive my brother's lack of manners. I'm Porom, his twin sister."

"All that monk training really paid off, huh?" Palom smirked. "Letting Baron brainwash you like that!" Yang lowered his eyes and Porom gasped, glaring at her brother over Yang's shoulder.

"Palom!"

"No, he speaks truly. I've disgraced myself."

"We've not time to dwell on what's done," Cecil argued. "We need to rescue Cid." He turned away from the window, taking the other seat next to Yang. "I met Tellah, Palom and Porom in Mysidia, and the three of them graciously offered to accompany me to Baron via the Devil's Road. We've made the discovery that Cid is possibly being held prisoner in the castle."

"Cecil thought if we could get in with the soldiers, we might have had a shot at using them to get inside," Porom frowned. "But we didn't realize they were monsters…and that's when we found you."

"I don't think it will be so easy to gain access to the castle now," Tellah sighed.

"Mmmm," Yang murmured, reaching into his pocket. "What if you had this?" He opened his palm and produced a small silver key, dropping it into Cecil's outstretched hand. Cecil turned it over, his eyes widening as he took in the detailed etching of the Baronian crest on the head.

"Is this…a master key?"

"Yes," Yang nodded. "It was given to me when I joined the royal guard. Do you think it will be of any use?"

"You got a key to the castle!?" Palom exclaimed, barreling up to them. "I take back everything I said, you're not so bad after all."

"Shut up," Porom grunted, shoving a lob of cheese into his mouth and forcing him to sit down.

"Well, it won't get us into the castle, but it's the next best thing," Cecil's voice started to rise as the idea took shape in his mind – they may had finally stumbled upon some good luck after all. "The royal guard is primarily responsible for protecting the village, and this key gives them access to all of the structures considered critical to defense. And one of those structures just happens to be an ancient waterway that Kain and I used to train in as cadets. The tunnels are full of nasty monsters, but taking the path until its end will get you to the castle moat. From there, we can make it inside."

"Where is this place?" Tellah asked.

"It's nearly right under Cid's house," Cecil explained. "We can leave in the morning, after we've all had a proper rest. It's been a long day."

"I think they agree with you," Yang chuckled. Cecil looked across the table, trying not to laugh. Palom and Porom were slumped against each other, already fast asleep in their chairs. A half-chewed piece of cheese was hanging out of Palom's mouth, threatening to plop into Porom's lap.

As Tellah tucked the children into their beds, Yang and Cecil stepped outside to get some air before turning in for themselves. The bedchamber had a small balcony that one could reach through the window, though it barely fit the two of them between Yang's bulk and Cecil's armor.

"I cannot apologize enough for what happened," Yang sighed. "If I had hurt you, or Tellah, or one of those poor children…"

"I meant what I said – we cannot dwell on the past," Cecil murmured, staring up at the sky. It was now so cloudy that the twin moons were completely obscured by the darkness. "I'm glad you are safe."

"I feel the same," Yang replied. "But admittedly, I am curious about your new aura, Cecil."

"My new aura?" Cecil blinked. "Am I really that different?"

"Undoubtedly," Yang nodded. "There is a resplendence about you that was not there when we left Fabul. What happened to you in Mysidia?"

"I climbed Mount Ordeals, and it was there I became a paladin. The Mysidian Elder said it was the only way I would be able to vanquish true evil and rescue my friends. Miraculously, the light accepted me…and I traded my sword of darkness for one of light." Cecil unsheathed his sword, offering it to Yang to take a look. "I'm afraid that means I lost the blade your king gifted me, however."

"Worry not. He would be happy to see that this was the result of that loss," Yang smiled as he turned the blade over in his hands. "The light – it suits you well. Rosa will be ecstatic to see you again."

Cecil's breath seized in his throat at the sound of her name, closing his eyes. "But is this going to be enough to get her back? And what do I do about Kain…?"

"We'll take it a day at a time," Yang said. "My promise stands – I will do whatever I can to help you. And now you have three amazing mages on your side as well. Once we find Cid and have an airship, the tide will at last turn in our favor. We'll find Rosa – and Kain – together."

"…Thank you."

Yang handed back the sword, stifling a yawn. "I'm going to turn in though…admittedly, young Palom gave me something that I think I'm going to be feeling for a few days." He tapped the back of his head, grimacing. "Have a good night, Cecil."

"You too," Cecil replied, sheathing his blade and turning back to the enshrouded moons as Yang climbed back through the window. He couldn't bring himself to go to sleep just yet – the same ache in his heart that he had felt upon entering the shrine in Mount Ordeals had come creeping back into his chest. The longer he stared at the sky, the more intensely the pain grew, and the cloudier his head got, like he was trying to watch a recording of his memories underwater. It was the strangest sensation…like his mind was struggling to remember something that he had never experienced, yet his heart was still desperate for him to forget.

…And the only two people in the universe that he would ever dream of sharing his lunacy with were as good as a million miles away.