Act Twenty: Loose Ends

"Cecil!"

Luca broke through the crowds of dwarves as soon as she spotted him walking through the antechamber. She ran up to him and threw her arms around his waist, her amber eyes wide.

"Thank goodness you're OK! Father was so worried…ever since the Tower of Babil lit up, he's been in a panic and sent his men out to look for you. You have to see him right away!"

"We're on our way," Cecil said gently, prying her off of him. Even a hug from a child hurt – he was still tender from Kain's parting gift.

"Did you happen to bring my necklace back?" Luca asked shyly. Cecil blanched – of course, in all of the chaos, the necklace had been the last thing on his mind. He looked to Rydia, who slowly shook her head, having dropped it when the torches went out in the cave.

But Edge reached in his pocket and retrieved the pearls, kneeling down and placing them over Luca's head. She blushed fiercely – not that you could hardly tell with her midnight-colored cheeks – and curtseyed.

"Edge…" Rydia could feel herself softening toward him just a little more.

"Luca!" one of her handlers called out to her from the stairs. "Time for your bath, dear!" Luca leaned in, kissing Edge on the cheek, and quickly ran off, stifling giggles. Edge blushed and stood back up, rubbing the back of his head.

"She's gonna be a heartbreaker someday…mark my words."

"Enough!" Rydia sighed, her budding sentiment toward him going up in flames. "We can't waste any more time."

The guards didn't even question them when they approached the throne room – they simply parted out of the way and threw open the doors. Cecil led the party inside, and Giott immediately jumped from his throne, relief evident in his features.

"Oh, how I've been awaiting your return!" He exclaimed. "You have the crystal, I assume?"

"We failed," Cecil said, barely able to illicit any emotion in his response. It had been the second time he had told Giott this in a matter of days, and it hadn't gotten easier.

Giott groaned, his massive helmet sliding down his head as he looked to the floor. "What!? So, he holds all of them now. Then there is nothing more we can do." He shook his head, looking back up at them with despair. "Not unless the legend of the Lunar Whale was to come true."

Cecil and the others looked at each other confusedly. "The Lunar Whale?"

Giott seemed surprised that they had never heard of it. "It is a great ship, said to have been built in an age long past. There is a legend that speaks of it: Birthed from the womb of Dragon's maw-"

Cecil's lips were set in a straight line. Wasn't that the Mysidian legend? He unsheathed his sword, reading the inscription along with Giott's recital of the legend. When Giott was finished, Cecil handed the sword to him, pointing to the inscription upon it. Giott read the inscription silently. His eyes widened as he did so, and he looked up at Cecil. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Those are the words of the Mysidian legend!" Cecil said. "The Mysidian region is where this sword was gifted to me by a being of light."

Giott handed the sword back to Cecil excitedly. "You know of Mysidia!?"

Cecil nodded. "It's a city of mages on the surface."

"What? You mean to tell me Mysidia is real?"

"Very much so. Its elder has confined himself to the Tower of Prayer, where he prays for us even now."

Giott began to pace back and forth, stroking his beard. "He prays, you say? Could it be…?"

"What do you mean?" Cecil asked. "Please, tell us what you know!"

"I'm so confused," Edge blinked. Rydia and Rosa nodded, for once on the same page as him.

Giott pulled his helmet off, tossing it casually to one of his guards, who nearly fell forward from the weight once he caught it. Sweat had matted down Giott's orange mane; he looked shaken by Cecil's news that Mysidia was a real place. This quite possibly changed everything. "He may be trying to revive the Whale. No, he must be – for it is our only hope! Mysidia - that is our answer!" He whirled around and stepped right up to Cecil. "You must hurry to Mysidia!"

"But the passage to the surface is sealed now," Rosa frowned.

"And we can't even get near the Tower of Babil - not now that all the Crystals are there," said Edge. "We tried flying the ship over and were blown away."

"It's a good thing you've got me, then, isn't it?" A gruff voice asked behind them.

Cid entered the throne room, flanked by his nurses. He was still wrapped in bandages and in pajamas, but he had snapped his goggles over his eyes and was grinning like a madman. His nurses looked at each other worriedly, wishing their beloved, but loudmouthed Princess Luca had not been banging on while she was in the hot springs – just barely in earshot of Cid's bed – about Cecil's return and the handsome ninja that had rescued her necklace.

"Cid!" Cecil exclaimed, throwing his arms around the old man. Cid stumbled back a bit, but hugged Cecil back, noticing how Cecil winced in pain when he did so. The second thing he noticed was that Kain was missing, and it didn't take much for him to put two and two together.

"I have a plan, of course," Cid said. "I'll attach a drill to the Falcon's bow. Then you'll be able to burrow your way back to the surface!"

Rosa shook her head, her eyes filled with worry. "But your wounds - have they healed?"

Cid waved away her concerns like one would shoo away a fly. "Come now, we've got bigger things to worry about than a few scratches on ol' Cid!"

"You really think you can do it?" Edge asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "You could barely make it back to your room the last time you upgraded the Falcon."

Cid smirked. "Think? I'm Cid - there's nothing I can't do! Let's get to work!" He reached over and grabbed Edge by the cowl. "And you're helping this time!"

"Ack!" Edge cried as Cid started to drag him away. "You guys!"

"We'd better follow," Cecil shook his head. "One of them is going to kill the other if we're not there to intervene."

Outside of the castle gates, Cid had gathered a crowd of dwarven laborers to assist him with the project. As he was shouting directions at them and circling the ship, Edge sauntered over to Rydia and nodded back toward the drill head that a group of laborers was starting to lift and drag to the front of the Falcon.

"I helped oil that, you know," Edge winked. Rydia made a face and crossed her arms over her chest.

"So?"

"I bet you didn't know I'm so mechanically inclined!"

Cecil and Rosa were standing on the sidelines, at Cid's insistence. They knew that Cid could obviously tell that something horrible had happened, but everyone politely avoided the subject, making everything more awkward. They were silently watching Edge and Rydia, far enough that they couldn't hear anything, but close enough to see Rydia's rigid body language and to see that Edge was trying way too hard at whatever he was attempting to impress her with.

"Is he…flirting with her?" Rosa asked.

"Edge? Interested in Rydia? No…no way," Cecil frowned. "He's like that with any woman that has a pulse." Rosa tried not to laugh. She had forgotten how utterly clueless Cecil was with women, and romance in general.

"EDGE!" Cid barked. "Stop coming on to Rydia and get over here!" Edge shrugged and started to go back to Cid, turning back to wave to Rydia. Rydia shook her head and walked away.

"See?" Rosa insisted. "Even Cid knows when flirting is occurring!" Cecil crossed his arms. It wasn't his fault flirting wasn't taught in military school.

The dwarves (and Edge) proceeded with the installation of the drill, while Cid worked on the control panel of the Falcon that would ultimately make it function, laying down on his back and reaching up into the console with his wrench to make adjustments. As the work was wrapping up, Cid pulled himself back up and started to take a final lap around the deck, but suddenly collapsed to the floor without warning, face-first.

"Cid!" Cecil cried, rushing to board the Falcon. Edge and Rosa followed, but the nurses insisted they back away and climbed into the Falcon instead, kneeling before Cid's fallen form.

"This man needs rest," one of the nurses said. She looked up at Cecil. "Help us get him to his room – he'll be OK, but no more of this!"

"Of course," Cecil nodded, and hoisted Cid up over his shoulders. Cid moaned in protest, but didn't fight as Cecil carried him away. Rosa, Rydia and Edge despondently followed.

Back in the infirmary, the nurses had confined Cid to his bed and pumped him full of water and Cure spells. Cecil, Rosa, Rydia and Edge surrounded him, watching his labored breathing and waiting for him to come to.

"Cid..." Cecil lowered his head.

"You always have to overdo it, don't you?' Rosa sighed.

Cid's eyes fluttered open, and he groaned as he attempted to sit up. It didn't go so well, and he only rose a few inches before collapsing back into the pile of pillows the nurses had stacked up for him. "I think this is the part where I finally have to bow out and leave the rest to you young ones. I'm no good for much outside of fixing up airships in this condition anyhow."

Edge shook his head. "Hmph. Had to go and show me up, didn't you, old man?" This made Cid smile, much to Cecil and Rosa's relief.

"Get well soon," Rydia sniffled, gently patting his shoulder.

"You two..." He nodded toward Edge and Rydia. "Look after Cecil and Rosa for me, you hear?"

Edge gave him a thumbs-up. "Got it! You just take your time and recover!"

Cid gestured for Cecil and Rosa to come closer. They walked to the head of his bed, each taking a hand. "Cecil, Rosa...Be careful! You…you two are like my kids…you know?"

"You too, Cid," Rosa sniffled, reaching up to wipe away a tear. "Please, please rest."

Cid, clearly embarrassed by all the attention he was getting, grumbled as he started to yawn. "Go on now. I don't remember you having enough time to be sitting around talking to crazy old men like me!"

"Take care of yourself, Cid," Cecil said, and let go of his hand. Within moments, Cid was fast asleep again, and the nurses insisted that everyone leave. Once they were in the hallway, the nurse closed the door and they could hear the click of the lock behind them.

"Well…we're free to go to the overworld again," said Cecil. "Next stop, Mysidia?"

"Can't we rest just a few moments, first?" Edge groaned. "I know the world is in imminent danger and all of that, but I was doing hard labor for several hours, and I'm exhausted and starving. There was a pub we were walking by that had something really good-smelling coming out of it."

"I guess we could all use a rest," Rosa said. "Why don't we meet at the Falcon in about an hour?"

"An hour is all I need," Edge said, and before anyone could argue, he bolted off. Rydia, Rosa and Cecil watched him go – that was a sudden energy burst for someone self-described as exhausted and starving.

"Well, I'm going to get things ready on the Falcon," Cecil said. "I need to keep my mind occupied."

"I'll go with you!" Rosa said. "Rydia, are you coming?"

"No, no," Rydia shook her head. "You told me about how great the hot springs are here, so I think I'll give them a try myself. Is that ok?"

"Of course," Rosa said. "You know where to find us when you're ready."

Cecil and Rosa walked back to the Falcon in silence. They had gotten so used to the general dimness of the underworld that it was a still shock to their systems to emerge outside into the bright light that poured from the Tower of Babil. They stood side-by-side for a few minutes, watching the tower. Cecil wondered what it meant exactly – to open a way to the moon. Was the path inside the tower? Had the crystals activated something that was making all of that light? Or was it Golbez's doing to keep them out while he took his next step? Cecil closed his eyes, the burning light of the tower still imprinted on his retinas.

He had a terrible feeling clawing at his stomach that there was more to this than any of them realized, but he couldn't articulate his fears – he felt like they were somehow more deeply connected to this crisis than just as a couple of Baronian refugees. He felt personally responsible – had everything that had happened so far not been because he had been too late to act?

"Cecil?" Rosa interrupted him. "Do you need help on the ship?"

He turned to Rosa, and felt his stomach twist. Just like he had been too late to act when Kain nearly bashed her head in. Wasn't he supposed to be protecting her? It had only been Kain's twisted affection that kept him from finishing her off.

"Oh… no," Cecil said, mentally trying to pull himself off of the dark path that his heart kept trying to wander down. "I just wanted to get myself oriented with operating the drill."

"OK," Rosa smiled a little. "I think I'm just going to take a rest then."

"You could have done that inside," Cecil frowned. "It would have been more comfortable. It's still blazing hot out here."

Rosa looked at him with exasperation, and shook her head, smiling. "Should I spell it out? After everything that happened, I just want to be with you right now."

Cecil blushed. "That's…fine."

As Rosa slept, Cecil tested the operation of the drill and tried to get a sense of what Cid had altered on the ship. While investigating, he accidentally kicked Cid's wrench across the deck – Cid must have dropped it when he collapsed. Cecil bent down and picked it up, turning it over in his hands and grimacing.

How many more sacrifices needed to be made before they finally won something…anything?

An hour later, Rydia and Edge showed up at the Falcon nearly at the same time. Rydia, for her part, looked radiant – her frizzy mane of curls had been smoothed back down into straight, sleek locks that bounced off her shoulders, and someone had helped to mend her torn clothes from the fight with Leviathan. Edge nearly walked into the side of the Falcon, rather than on the ramp, when he saw her approach. Rydia pretended she didn't notice, but was secretly smiling inside.

"Shall we?" Rydia chirped. Rosa sat up from where she had been sleeping against a crate and rubbed her eyes, letting out a loud yawn.

Edge insisted on taking the wheel, so Cecil took on the duty of operating the drill. Rosa and Rydia held tight to a post as Edge angled the ship upward, and they started to carefully drill through the caved-in rocks they had originally descended from what now felt like years ago.

When the first ray of sunlight began to peek through the rocks, everyone let out a cautiously optimistic cheer. Edge gave the ship one last push, and the ceiling began to crumble, rocks and boulders pouring into the magma below. Cecil turned off the drill and Edge expertly wove the Falcon backwards, waiting for the waterfall of rubble to stop before proceeding.

"This is amazing!" Rosa smiled. "Cid…you've done it again! I just wish you could see!"

"Bye, Cid and Yang!" Rydia called from starboard, cupping her hands around her mouth. "We'll be back for you really soon!"

In the overworld, the sun was high enough in the sky that Cecil deduced it must have been early noon. Mysidia was due-east of the crater, and they drove straight there, everyone enjoying the feeling of the wind running over their skin after so long. Nothing looked any different than it had before the last crystal had been captured – the sky was still a beautiful light blue, with hardly a cloud to be seen, and the ocean was churning with white-caped waves. Fields of green and long stretches of dark, copious forests sped by underneath the Falcon as they flew.

"It's almost as if the crystals aren't missing," Rosa said softly. "We were warned about the decay and death that would transpire, but…everything seems totally normal."

"Well, they're not technically missing, I suppose," Edge said. "They're all just hanging out together, having a party without us."

"You can see the Tower of Babil glowing even from here," Cecil said, who had been facing the rear of the ship. The tower was getting smaller and smaller behind them, but the unmistakable light they had seen underground had made its way all the way to the surface as well.

At Mysidia's village gates, Cecil was surprised to see a pair of black mages running out to their ship as they landed. He couldn't be entirely sure, but one of them looked like the old woman who had turned him into a pig the last time he was there. If they had been returning under different circumstances, he would have been a little afraid.

Cecil leaped down from the ship, not waiting for Edge to lower the ramp, and met up with the mages.

"Lord Cecil!" The younger of the two panted. "The Elder told us he dreamed of your coming. We've been waiting for you!"

"Where is he?" Cecil demanded. "In the Tower of Prayer? We have to see him right now! We've got to ask him about the Lunar Whale."

"Lord Cecil, please be calm," the old woman said. "He is indeed ensconced within the Tower of Prayer. However, he is not ready to see you. He is deeply entrenched in prayer right now with his most powerful mages – praying for the Lunar Whale's arrival."

"What can we do to help!?" Rosa, along with the others, had come up behind him. The old woman shook her head.

"Nothing, right now, except be safe. There will be a time when you are needed, but that time is not now. The Elder has advised that you wait in Baron. He will send a messenger via the Devil's Road when he is ready for you."

"But…" Cecil trailed off. "How long are we waiting?"

"It is hard to say," the younger mage said sadly. "Even with all of their power, the mages know not exactly what they seek. This is a legend they are praying for, nothing any of them have ever experienced in their lifetimes. It could be hours, it could be days."

"We don't have much time!" Edge exclaimed. "Something is happening at the Tower of Babil, and we need a means to stop it!"

"My lord, please calm yourself," the old woman said. "The prayers of the world rest heavily on the shoulders of those in Mysidia. As soon as something happens, word will be sent. Peace be with you." They both bowed, and shuffled back toward town before Cecil or Edge could argue anymore. Cecil slammed his fist into his thigh and let out a frustrated groan.

"How can the Elder just want us to sit and wait?!"

"Cecil!" Rosa put her hand over his. "The Elder knows what he is doing. We have to put our faith in him – and the Mysidian legend – for the time being."

"Besides, we don't have to just sit and wait and twiddle our thumbs," Rydia offered. "We can go back to Baron and confront the spirit in your cellar. Remember, Queen Asura and King Leviathan said the spirit would help us! We could use all the help we can get right now, right?"

"We should tell Yang's wife, Sheila, where Yang is as well," Rosa said. "She has a right to know, don't you think? Maybe she can get Fabul to send some monks to the underworld to bring him home."

Cecil sighed. They were right, of course – the legend of the Lunar Whale was something way beyond Cecil's comprehension at this point, and the Elder truly had never steered him wrong in their dealings together. It was just so damn frustrating – making every effort to escape the underworld and then being told to wait and hope for the best. The distractions Rydia and Rosa had offered were good ideas – they were better than sitting at home and waiting for a messenger.

"Very well," Cecil said. "Let us make our way to Fabul first."

To say Sheila was surprised to see them was an understatement.

"Cecil, my dear!" She cooed, putting down the rolling pin that was in her hand. Remembering how the last time they were in Yang's tower, Sheila had greeted Yang with a swing from a broom, he was very grateful to see the rolling pin stay behind. Sheila hugged him tightly and then hugged Rosa, Rydia and Edge too, not wanting to leave anyone out. Rydia realized as Sheila squealed over how good it was to meet her that she didn't recognize her at all from when she was here last. After just coming short of suffocating Cecil with her ever-bountiful bust, Sheila pulled back to take a good, hard look at him.

"You look so different!" She smiled. "That armor is much more flattering than that ratty black stuff you were sulking around in before. You're as handsome as ever!"

"Er…thanks," Cecil blushed, half-intimidated and half-flattered. "These are my friends, Rosa and Edge." Rosa nodded, smiling, and Edge winked. Since this was Yang's wife, he decided to scale back the charm by about seventy-five percent. "And you remember Rydia, right?"

"Um…" Sheila blinked. "I do! Where is she?" Rydia laughed nervously and stepped forward. There was no point in keeping up a charade. "Hi, Sheila…"

"Whaaaat?!" Sheila shrieked. "When did you grow up so much!? Oh darling, I love that hair!" She hugged Rydia again, extra tightly, and Rydia felt like she was being swallowed up by Leviathan all over again. "My word, child…I won't ask any questions, but you are breathtaking. Are you happy? That's all I care about."

"I…I am," Rydia smiled, answering honestly. "I really am. Thank you." Hearing Yang's story about himself and Sheila wanting a daughter so badly suddenly put Sheila's kindness toward Rydia in even greater perspective for her. She wished beyond anything that they were coming to give her good news, and not what they were about to tell her.

Edge scratched his head. What could have been so different about Rydia since the last time she was here? I guess women get really excited about hair changes, or whatever, he thought to himself.

"And you!" Sheila had moved on, fawning over Rosa. "Well, aren't you just a classic beauty. Such long legs, strong hips…and this face!" She pinched one of Rosa's cheeks, and Rosa laughed nervously, wondering if there was still dried blood in her hair. "Are you betrothed yet, dear? Because I know a lot of young monks here in Fabul that would fall over themselves for a warrior like yourself!"

"Er, well…" Rosa was turning redder and redder, especially about the hip commentary. "I have someone I am interested in, back home. But thank you!"

Edge burst out laughing when he saw the look on Cecil's face. He was as red as Rosa, and had turned away, pretending to find a basket of fruit that was sitting out extremely fascinating. Sheila turned to Edge. "And you, young man? You remind me so much of my Yang when he was younger."

"Oh, I could never be betrothed, I'm married to my kingdom," Edge smirked. "I'm the Crown Prince of Eblan, and it's very nice to visit your homeland, ma'am. I'd like to come back someday on an official visit. I haven't been here since I was a boy."

"Oh my word, a prince!" Sheila fanned herself. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I would have cleaned!" She paused, as if suddenly remembering something. "Oh…right…so where is Yang? I presume you have something to tell me for him if he is not here to tell me himself."

"Sheila…" Cecil rested a hand on her arm. Best to just bite the bullet and get it over with, since she was the one who changed the subject. "Yang is currently unconscious. He's safe, but…he's very far away right now. We couldn't take him with us when we found him. He…"

"Say no more," Sheila said, shaking her head. "I was afraid this would come up, eventually."

"Huh?" Cecil asked. Rosa, Rydia and Edge looked at each other.

"My Yang is kind, serious, studious, a fine teacher, an even finer student, and one of the best men in Fabul, if you don't mind me bragging," Sheila sighed. "But…like any man, he has a weakness. And I'm afraid that weakness has become a burden to you, his dearest friends."

"Weakness?" Rydia asked, not sure if she heard correctly. "No, I mean…it was an accident that…"

"Here, this will do the trick," Sheila said, reaching up and pulling down a cast-iron frying pan. She blew some light dust out of it and handed it over to Cecil. "It's kind of a secret, but…you already know, so I guess it's OK to divulge in full. Yang has the most horrible habit of sleeping in. He's been working on it, I assure you, as he takes all of his weaknesses very seriously. But there are some days where he's just dead to the world, and I have to give him a whack with this to get him up."

Cecil took the frying pan, and furrowed his brow. It was awfully heavy. "You…you hit him…with this? And…Yang has a problem with sleeping in?" The same Yang that woke up at the crack of dawn to meditate?

"Yes!" Sheila smiled. "Don't worry, it doesn't hurt him – he's too strong for something as delicate as this to do any damage. It just gives him the jolt he needs to get on his feet on those rough mornings."

Rydia and Rosa's jaws dropped. They knew Yang was strong, but…Sheila was describing a super human, or an automaton.

"Sounds like you know your husband really well," Edge grinned. "OK, consider it done. We'll wake him up and send him back to you post-haste!"

"Edge!" Rosa and Rydia cried at once.

"You're…you're being serious, Sheila?" Cecil asked, slowly.

"Of course dear, I don't joke about such things," Sheila sighed. "Yang wouldn't want to be a burden to you…I promise. Just a little love tap, and all will be well. I've been married to him for fifteen years…I know what works!"

"Um…OK," Cecil said, twisting the frying pan in his hand and nodding. "We'll…take care of it then."

"Thank you, loves," Sheila said. "Now, it looks to me like you are in an awful hurry – I know you are very busy. I won't take up any more of your time, but thank you for taking care of Yang in my place. It means the world to me – and when this whole mess is over, I'm going to make you a huge dinner."

They made their return to Baron. Sunset was a few hours away, and Cecil wanted to round up the few guards that were still at the castle to give them instructions in case the messenger arrived from Mysidia. He asked two guards to remain at the entrance of the Devil's Road at all times, and to find him, Rosa, Rydia or Edge immediately if the messenger were to arrive, no matter the time of night. They agreed without question, sensing it was important if it were a direct order from Captain Cecil himself.

"Cecil!" Rydia called out. Cecil dismissed the guards, and turned to her. She was leading Rosa and Edge, and had a glint in her eye that meant trouble.

"…What is it?" Cecil asked warily.

"I want to visit the spirit sleeping under Baron," Rydia said. "You fulfilled its wishes, correct? You journeyed to the Feymarch and made it back alive. Now we can figure out what it wants."

"I meant to ask before what spirit you were talking about," Rosa blinked. "You asked the King and Queen of Eidolons about it, right?"

As Cecil led them into the storage cellar where he had first encountered the strange voice, he explained what had happened to him the last time they were in Baron, and Rydia told them about her dream. The cellar looked undisturbed, except there was no glowing light at the end of the hallway anymore. When they reached the dead end, Cecil showed them the dust-covered throne and the two empty torches on either side of it.

"What is a throne doing down here?" Rosa asked. "I didn't even know this place existed."

"I think Eblan could teach you a lot about secret passages," Edge laughed. "A child could find this!"

Cecil ignored him, and didn't bother telling him that a child had indeed found it, originally. "Before, I couldn't go past this point because of the barrier." But when he stepped forward to demonstrate, the barrier didn't stop him. It had disappeared.

The torches suddenly exploded into blue flames, filling the little room with light, and the specter of King Baron appeared on the throne once again. Rosa let out a gasp, covering her mouth. The ghost really DID look like the king! He was exactly as she remembered the day she had run away from Baron to go after Cecil, except…a little more translucent.

Rydia took a deep breath, hesitantly reaching for her whip. The feeling she was getting from the apparition was definitely not human. Edge leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, content to watch it all unfold. He couldn't pick the King of Baron out from a lineup, so he had no idea whose ghost he was looking at – if it even was a ghost and not some magic trick.

King Baron leaned in, gesturing for Cecil to come closer. "Cecil…You've come at last."

Cecil stepped forward, his right arm crossed over his chest. "Your Majesty...is this really you? You're not…Cagnazzo?" Cecil blinked away the tears he didn't even realize were forming. Rosa sniffled behind her hand, her knees buckling.

Baron shook his head, holding up his hand. "Do not look upon me with such sadness, Cecil. The fiend slew me, yes, and robbed me of my human vessel. But my mind lives on, now and for eternity. I am an Eidolon now, and I would aid you. Should the summoner who accompanies you wish to call upon it, my blade is ever yours. But the Code dictates that I must first test your strength."

Rydia stepped forward, holding her whip taut. "Cecil…what do you want to do?"

Cecil stared at Baron. The thought of fighting the man who had been like a father to him his entire life filled him with a cold dread in the pit of his stomach. He suddenly found himself wishing Kain was here – the prospect wouldn't have been as intimidating with his best friend by his side. Kain would push his emotions out of the equation and gladly take the challenge.

But this was the way of the eidolons – and if the king had truly achieved eternal life in this fashion, it meant that he had desperately wanted to help Cecil when he had died. Maybe he'd seen Cecil as more than just a vessel of which to train with the dark sword after all.

Cecil withdrew his blade, tilting it toward the king. "I accept your test, Your Majesty."

Baron smiled, pressing his fingers together. "And so, we shall begin!"

There was a flash of blinding light, and when it faded, Cecil saw that Baron had transformed once more – this time, he wore a full suit of platinum-plated armor, with a golden mask that obscured his features, except for black, empty slits where his eyes would be. Silver, forked horns emerged from his helmet, and a flowing midnight blue cape fluttered behind him. In one hand, he held the legendary iron-plated scimitar, Zantetsuken, and in the other hand, a platinum and sapphire-studded round shield. There was a distant, echoing bray, and a silver steed with a jet-black mane emerged through the wall, running toward the king. Baron leapt upon its back, raising his sword high in the air as the horse reared back on his hind legs.

"Wha…what!?" Edge cried, jumping off the wall and scrambling behind Cecil. The eyeholes in Baron's golden mask began to glow a deep crimson, and he brought his blade down in one swift motion toward Rydia. Cecil sprang forward and blocked the hit, the strike so intense that he was brought to his knees before Rydia's shaking form.

"Cecil!" She cried.

Cecil groaned, trying to regain his senses and stagger back to his feet. The horse reared up once more, and Baron raised his arm, prepared to strike again. The room was so small that there was nowhere to run or dodge.

"Rydia, do you know what kind of eidolon Baron has become?" Rosa asked. Rydia frowned.

"Well, not exactly…but he reminds me of something I read in a book once at the Feymarch library…about a warrior who had never lost a battle until his sword was struck by lightning."

"Look out!" Cecil cried, moving to block the next strike. This one caught him off-balance, and though his shield absorbed most of it, he was forced back into the wall, smacking his head against the cold brick. Edge ran forward, throwing a knife into the horse's thigh in attempt to limit the height Baron was getting. The horse let out a frightened whinny and bucked frantically, trying to work the knife out, and forcing Rydia to scramble away before she was kicked.

"I'd say it's worth a shot!" Cecil shouted. "Please, Rydia!" The sword was brought down again, and Cecil just managed to block it with his blade, his arms bending like rubber under the fury of the strike.

Rydia had been scared to cast a powerful lightning spell in such a confined area, but she realized they were left with little choice. Drawing a deep breath, she chanted a Thundaga spell, and urged with all of her strength for the lighting to only strike one target – Zantetsuken. Just as Baron raised his blade to make the final blow against Cecil, the blast struck down from the ceiling, being drawn into his blade. The scimitar acted as a lightning rod, electrocuting both Baron and the horse and resulting in an explosion of blue flames that licked as high as the ceiling.

"Your Highness!" Cecil cried.

Within moments, the blue flames had begun to wither, and they eventually burned out, taking along with them the fire that had been in the lit torches. King Baron's specter once again appeared before the throne, sans armor and steed, his legs crossed at the knee and a peaceful smile on his face. Cecil was reminded – with deep sadness – that he didn't know when the last day was that he actually saw King Baron alive, before Cagnazzo murdered him and took his place.

At the time, he hadn't been able to tell the difference between King Baron and his fake – he was too wrapped up in his training of the dark sword and had lost sight of most of the important people in his life – but he realized now he would have been able to tell the difference immediately. Even as a specter, King Baron had the same warm smile that would greet Cecil after school, the same voice that would soothe when Cecil got injured in a fight with Kain, and the same gentle mannerisms that had made his people love him so. They were characteristics that none other in the world could possibly replicate – Cecil had just been blinded.

Cecil got down on one knee, lowering his head before the fallen king as the tears slid soundlessly down his cheek. There would never be enough time to ask him all of the things he wanted to know, to tell him about Kain, to ask what was to become of their kingdom…

King Baron stood tall, withdrawing his sword and lightly resting it over Cecil's left shoulder. "You've grown as strong as you are valiant, Cecil. The future of Baron - no, the world itself - rests in good hands. I pray that I might help protect that world with you."

"My liege!" Cecil bowed deeper. "Thank you…for everything."

Rydia stepped forward, offering her hand. King Baron placed his over hers, looked at Cecil one last time, and shattered into shimmering orbs of light that gently surrounded Rydia like fireflies before being absorbed into her body. Her flesh and eyes glowed for a brief moment, and then the covenant was sealed.

"…Good-bye," Cecil whispered, standing back up. He vowed to imprint the memory of this night forever in his heart – if he ever did see Kain again, he would be sure to tell him about King Baron's true last moments and make sure he knew that their king had not died with sadness in his heart, but with hope for their future.

Rosa wiped her tears and put an arm around Cecil, leaning her head on his shoulder. Edge looked down at the floor, memories of his own parents' last moments flooding his heart all over again. He was surprised when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and looked up, seeing that it belonged to Rydia.

"Are you OK?" Rydia asked, her voice wavering.

"I will be," Edge smiled. "…Thanks." He reached up, touching her hand, and she smiled, letting it linger for just a little bit.

Night had passed with no news from Mysidia. Rosa spent the night in the castle; sleeping in the room Rydia had unofficially claimed in her many visits to Baron. That way, if a messenger came, they could leave as soon as possible instead of running to the village to fetch Rosa from her mother's house. Edge had offered to take the room next to them, which surprised Cecil when Rydia approved begrudgingly. He thought for sure she would have required a minimum one-tower clearance.

The next morning, Cecil rose early to bathe while the castle chambermaid washed his clothes and polished his armor. He hadn't been able to sleep anyway, so he figured he may as well do something productive. His nightmares had been especially heinous – he had been held back by an impossibly strong doppelganger in dark knight armor and forced to watch helplessly while Kain murdered King Baron. In the background, he could see Rosa, forced to her knees with her hands and feet tied behind her back and screaming Cecil's name, because she knew she would be next. The moment Kain drove the lance through Baron's chest from above played in torturous slow motion through his mind over and over again while Rosa's screams echoed in his ears until he woke up.

While he was attempting to relax in the basin that had been filled with freshly-boiled water and glory of glories – soap –, he heard a scream erupt from his room, which was down the corridor from the bathing hall and one floor above everyone else's rooms.

Cecil was about to leap out of the basin, panicked that something had happened to Rosa or Rydia, when the chambermaid barged into the bathing hall, holding something with the tips of her fingers and making a disgusted face. Cecil aborted his plan and sank down into the basin as much as he could, suddenly very aware of how naked he was in front of a very angry woman.

"Lord Cecil!" She shrieked. "How long have I been taking care of you?"

"Um…" Cecil paused. Was this a trick question? "Since I was a child, ma'am."

"And why is it that now, as a twenty year-old man, I have to find stuff like this in your pockets?" She flung the item at him from the doorway, and a pink, hairy thing hit his forehead. Squirming in the basin and reaching up to retrieve it before it fell in the water, he realized it was the rat tail Rydia had given him in the Feymarch.

"Ah, um…" Cecil turned red. He honestly didn't know how to defend himself since he hadn't wanted the stupid thing in the first place.

"I am praying for your future wife, my lord," she sighed, and slammed the door. Cecil set the rat tail down beside the basin, and sunk under the water all the way to wash his hair. As he scrubbed, he wondered if he should just get rid of the damned thing by dropping it off at the Adamant Isle Grotto. If the world was going to end, he may as well make somebody happy before everything went to hell.

The maid had left Cecil fresh underclothes beside the bathing hall exit – a soft pair of gray cotton pants with a drawstring and a matching long-sleeved shirt that clung to his form to wick away sweat under his armor. Pulling them on, he wandered down to the next level of the tower to see if anyone wanted to go to Adamant Isle with him. Rydia and Rosa's door was tightly shut, but Edge's door was open. Edge was sitting in the window seat of his room, totally lost in a book he was reading. But his ninja instincts were still as alert as ever – as soon as he saw Cecil's shadow approach the threshold of the door, he shut the book and waited for the rest of him to appear.

"Good morning, Edge," Cecil said. "How did your evening fare? Sleep well?"

"Heh, you have no idea," Edge grinned. "It's easy to sleep like a baby when you've been flipping through this!" He tossed the book he was holding to Cecil, who caught it easily and turned it over in his hands.

The book cover was a shocking pink color, with a heart drawn around the words "Lustful Lali-Ho", which were embossed. When Cecil flipped open to a random page, he turned as pink as the book and slammed it shut. He wasn't positive, but he thought he had gotten a glance at something that resembled a freshly sliced hand fruit in a book that he was pretty sure fruit didn't have any business being in.

"Edge…where in the world did you find this…this…smut?"

Edge laughed. "I found it in the pub I went to yesterday in Giott's castle! Damn place was near empty when I went for lunch. I found it propping up a wobbly table next to me when I dropped something on the floor. Don't be misled by the title…it's not just dwarves. There are a lot of human women in there too!"

"I…uh…I saw that," Cecil said, tossing the book back to him. "Have you already read the whole thing?"

"Twice, yeah," Edge said, totally serious. "It reminds me of home. Have you ever heard of a publication named Ninja Sutra?" Cecil's jaw dropped.

"…No."

"Well, that's admittedly a little more crazy…there are more interesting poses, you know, comes with the flexibility…but I'll get you one the next time we're in Eblan. I'm sure my entire collection didn't burn in the fire."

"That is…a generous offer," Cecil said weakly. He decided at that moment to just go to the Adamant Isle by himself. Edge flipped a couple of pages, and held up the open book, grinning at a picture that spanned across two pages. "She looks a lot like Rosa, don't you think? Rosa probably wouldn't climb a tree in that kind of outfit though…kind of impractical."

"Ack!" Cecil whirled around, covering his mouth so that he didn't wake up the girls. "N-N-No…I mean, I don't think so. I mean, I don't know!"

Edge practically fell out of the window seat from laughing so hard. He thoroughly enjoyed how he and Cecil were total opposites. At first, he thought it was going to be annoying having to deal with Mr. Serious all the time, but now he was starting to understand just how fun having someone around like Cecil could be. "Thanks for making my morning, Cecil! Let's keep this a secret from the girls, OK? I wouldn't want Rydia to turn one of her eidolons loose on this little treasure."

"Oh, your secret is safe, trust me," Cecil muttered. "I'll be back soon – I'm dropping something off at the Adamant Isle." Edge waved cheerfully.

"If you're going, close the door, would you?" Cecil paused at the thought of what might occur, and then quickly obliged.

It was another amazing day outside – after spending so much time in the underworld, the overworld's summer heat was nothing. The weather made for easy sailing as Cecil first stopped at Eblan to drop off the Falcon and to retrieve the Enterprise, which would be equipped with the hook to carry the hovercraft. As he walked away from the Falcon, Cecil thought that it might make a good gift to Eblan once everything was over – Edge clearly loved to fly, and it would further strengthen the relationship between Baron and Eblan. The idea of sharing Baron's airship technology had never been considered while King Baron was alive – airships had tipped the scales of power in Baron's favor far too heavily. But maybe Cecil would be able to influence a change, somehow. It had been because Baron had so much power in the first place that it was an easy target for Golbez to usurp.

The Tower of Babil was still glowing, unchanged from the day before. Cecil circled around it in the Enterprise, hoping he could get a glimpse of anything amiss – but he couldn't see much thanks to the barrier not letting him get close. He wasn't sure what he was expecting – maybe Kain hanging out of a window waving a white flag?

On the Adamant Isle, Cecil approached the ladder he had seen the small person climbing up on the morning he and Rosa woke up on the beach. Except, in Cecil's case, the ladder would have snapped in half under his weight, so he reached up to the ledge the ladder leaned against and hauled himself up into the mine entrance.

The small person was inside, within a pit that he was digging out with his pick and a small lantern lit beside him. When Cecil's form blocked the sunlight that had been pouring into the cave, he looked up and made a face.

"Are you trespassing again?" He asked. "You need to find better places to take your little girlfriend."

"No!" Cecil protested, sliding down so that he was sitting on the edge of the pit. "I had something for you, but if you don't want it…I'll just leave." He pulled the rat tail out of his pocket, and held it up.

The man gasped, dropping his pick and climbing up out of the pit.

"This…this is a rat tail! Dear boy, he's brought us a rat tail!"

"That is wonderful news, daddy!"

Cecil nearly fell into the pit at the sound of the new voice. Popping out of a corner where he had been bent over a pile of dirt, a blonde boy who looked to be about a foot tall and holding a bucket the size of a drinking glass started scampering over. The man took the rat tail from Cecil and held it up excitedly, shifting it from hand to hand as if he were weighing it.

"I've been searching for one of these for ages! Yes, yes…this should do nicely!"

"I'm glad you're happy," Cecil said, starting to shift so that he could crawl back out. "Enjoy it."

"Wait!" The man exclaimed. "I should give you something for this – it's only fair." He handed the tail off to his son, who had finally made his way over, and hopped back into the pit. He dug around in a pile of rocks and pulled something out the size of an apple. He ran back up to Cecil and plopped a jagged rock in his hand that was translucent silver, with a smattering of white crystals in the center that looked like a spray of stars. "How about a bit of this ore, eh? A fair trade, I should think."

Cecil had no idea what it was he was holding.

"Ohhh, you're giving him the Adamantite, daddy? That's a good one, mister!" Cecil blinked, turning the ore over in his hands. Hadn't Kokkol the smithy of the underworld wanted Adamantite? If it was so legendary, what was it doing in a hovel like this?

"Thanks…I'll make good use of it," Cecil said, and pocketed it.

"You can have more if you bring me another tail," the man said. "But otherwise, I believe our transaction here is complete, right?" Cecil knew he was being dismissed – the niceties were over.

"Yes, yes," Cecil said, and crawled out of the entryway, jumping back down to the beach. As he fired up the hovercraft, he looked back at the mine and shook his head. As far as he was concerned, he didn't think there would ever be a reason that he needed to return to the Adamant Isle Grotto for the rest of his days.

Upon his return to Baron, Cecil made his first stop at the Devil's Road in the village. There was a new pair of guards, but neither of them said that a messenger had come for him, and they reported that previous shift had not received anything either. Embittered, Cecil turned away to walk back to the castle.

"Cecil!"

He saw Rosa approaching him, carrying a woven basket filled with food. She looked so cheerful and appreciative of the beautiful day, a drastic pivot from the Rosa of his nightmares.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. It had come out a little sharper than intended - his mind involuntarily played the dream back to him, and he cringed so visibly that Rosa was taken aback.

"I thought I would get us some breakfast," she said slowly, trying to understand what the problem was. "I went to your room to see if you wanted to come, but you weren't there. Edge said you were going out to Adamant Isle Grotto…"

"Was Edge…OK when you saw him?" Cecil asked nervously. He silently prayed that she hadn't walked in on something lewd.

"Oh he was as energetic as ever," Rosa said, raising her eyebrow. Why was Cecil being so odd? "He had found his way to the shipyard and was talking shop with Arden and Andy when I ran into him."

"Good, good," Cecil forced a laugh and tried to change the subject. "Uh anyway…you won't believe what I got from that small person for the rat tail. A piece of Adamantite!"

"Truly?" Rosa blinked. "That's what Kokkol wanted to make a weapon out of, right? Are you going to deliver it to him?"

"I want to go, but…" Cecil glanced back at the Devil's Road. Rosa reached up, taking his chin in her hand gently and forcing him to look back at her.

"Cecil...patience, remember?"

"I'm sorry…" Cecil shook his head. "I've been on tenterhooks ever since the last crystal was stolen. I keep thinking that there is going to be a huge explosion, or a continent sinking into the sea, or that the sky is going to open up and rain fire upon us all. But it's been disturbingly quiet."

"I know," Rosa frowned, shifting the basket to her other hand. "Maybe…maybe Golbez hasn't figured out how to activate the crystals yet, or something went wrong…or the power from the moon isn't what we think it is." She shook her head. "It's all speculation, though. We just have to have faith in the Elder." She took Cecil's hand. "Walk me back to the castle?"

"Oh…sure," Cecil smiled. That was a welcome distraction. As they walked in silence, Rosa stared down into her basket. She knew there was something going on that Cecil wasn't telling her, but was afraid if she pushed him, he would withdraw further. The only person that she could have confided in about her worries for Cecil and expected understanding from was long gone. Unconsciously, Rosa reached up and brushed her fingers over the tender wound in the back of her head.

Back at the castle, Rosa laid the breakfast spread out on the table, and Cecil explained what had occurred at Adamant Isle Grotto. Rydia took a piece of bread and bit into it.

"Well, we've got to give that Adamantite to Kokkol!" she said, but with her mouth full, it was barely comprehensible. "Maybe it will bring him out of his depression."

"And then we should visit Yang and give him his wife's message, right?" Edge grinned.

"I'm going stir-crazy, waiting for something to happen," Rydia complained. "Can we go, Cecil?"

"Yeah, can we?" Edge begged, a piece of jerky hanging out of his mouth.

Cecil couldn't help but laugh a little; they sounded like two little kids trying to cajole something out of their father. He looked at Rosa, who was smiling at him hopefully and even looking a little motherly as she piled some fruit onto Rydia's plate. He wished there was a way he could bottle this moment and hide it away – it was the first time the four of them had truly shared a moment of unbridled happiness together, despite the shadows that were starting to cloud over his heart.