Act Twenty-Four: To Whatever End
Rydia shivered, wrapping a cloak Edge had let her borrow tighter around her shoulders as she stared out over the horizon. It was unnerving to wake up to utter darkness – her body knew it was morning, but the black sky outside didn't reflect that. She had never really gotten used to it in the Feymarch, either, but at least they had clocks.
She had awoken from a dream where she had spoken with Bahamut. It was already starting to fade from memory, but as she was walking in darkness, red concentric circles would ripple from underneath her feet, like she was walking on water. In one hand, she held her whip, and in another, an old wooden staff. An aristocratic male voice had called her name, and told her to seek out the "Lair of the Father". When she asked what purpose he had of her, an explosion of flames encircled her that drowned out his reply and lit the staff aflame.
That had been when she woke up.
When had she stepped outside of her room to get some air, she tried to get an idea if she was the first one up by looking at the strip of lights she had noticed were above each of the doors last night. After she had deposited Edge, she saw that if the room was occupied, two lights above it glowed. If it was not, only one light glowed. To her delight, she saw only two of the six rooms were still fully lit up, so at least a few people should have been milling about that she could talk to about her dream. But when she stepped into the common area, she only saw Edge. He was pivoting back and forth and swinging his katana as he somersaulted and jumped between the chairs. She had to begrudgingly admit that he looked like a different person doing drills like this – someone more serious and kingly.
"Is anyone else awake?" Rydia asked.
"Good morning to you too," Edge replied, not pausing to look at her. "Sorry, just me."
Rydia pouted. She decided it was best to sit on the observation deck on her own, and that was when Edge offered her his cloak in a rare moment of gentlemanly behavior.
If she stood on her tip-toes and squinted, Rydia could see a bluff not too far away that curved into the horizon, and another one nestled within it. It reminded her of the footsteps in her dream, and she was positive that would be where she found the Lair of the Father. She wondered if it would be selfish of her to ask Cecil if they could go before they started out for the Crystal Palace. She knew they were in a race against time to find his uncle and brother, but she was terrified about what was to come if the All-Father of the Eidolons was calling for her now. With the exception of Odin, it was generally unheard of for an Eidolon to seek out a summoner.
The only reason why she was hesitating to ask to go was because of that little stunt Cecil had pulled on Rosa and herself last night. She was no longer angry – she understood that he had good intentions, because Cecil always had good intentions – but she didn't want to be a burden. It especially bothered her how Edge was so quick to agree with Cecil – why was that?
When she returned inside, she was surprised to see that Kain had joined Edge and they were eating…something out of boxes. They looked like flaky balls of panko, and she hadn't been carrying anything like that in their food supply when she had re-boarded the Lunar Whale.
"Where did you get that?" She asked. Edge grinned.
"From the stores downstairs! There are piles of boxes of food down there, remember?"
Rydia put her hand on her hip. "You guys realize that food is probably…over a couple of decades old, right?"
Edge paused mid-bite. "How do you figure?" Kain, for his part, just kept calmly eating, waiting to see where this went.
"Well, let's do some math for a moment," Rydia said through gritted teeth. "Cecil is how old?"
"Twenty," Kain interjected, because Edge had no clue.
"So, that means Kluya would have come here at a minimum of twenty years ago on this ship. It obviously hasn't been used since then."
Edge hesitantly swallowed what was in his mouth, and set down the box. Kain glared at him.
"Are you trying to poison me?"
"If I were going to kill you, it wouldn't be with poison," Edge snapped. "I'd put a little more effort into it."
"I'm sure it's fine…" Rydia laughed nervously. "I mean, you look healthy enough." But they kept glaring at each other, and Rydia wondered if she should just set off for the Lair of the Father on her own rather than risk being in the crossfire. It seemed to be the safer of the two options.
Cecil was standing at the ledge of a crystal plate, staring at the massive star burning brightly beneath his feet, like a miniature version of the sun of the Blue Planet. In the distance, he could see hundreds of stars scattered about, glimmering like crystals. He wondered if they were the sleeping Lunarians, dreaming of the day they would be able to go home.
"Cecil…" A low, seductive voice whispered. "I wonder if I made the right decision…I think we could have gone very far together."
Cecil took a step back, looking around. All he could see for miles behind him was the blazing red sky being reflected off of the crystal tiles underneath his feet. There wasn't another living soul.
"You shouldn't jest yourself. It could have been you…"
"Ah!"
Cecil shot up in bed, gasping for air. He pushed his hand through his hair to get it out of his face, and his fingers came back glistening with sweat. For a moment, he didn't recognize his surroundings – cold metal walls, a strip of lights above him that were off, a dull mirror hanging over a basin. But finally, the previous night's events rushed back into his mind like someone twisting on a faucet, and he remembered he was on the Lunar Whale, on the moon – not in the bizarre dream. He felt a trickle of sweat run down his chest, and he sighed, flopping back on the pillow.
There was no doubt – that had been Zemus's voice.
"Cecil?"
Rosa twisted around in the bed so that she could face him, nothing between them except the white sheet haphazardly contorted around her. "Are you all right?"
"Yes…just a nightmare." Cecil closed his eyes and took another deep breath before staring up at the ceiling. "Or a premonition."
"Oh Cecil…" Rosa sighed and sat up, the sheet sliding down into her lap. "I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Cecil's eyes trailed over Rosa's lustrous body and he pressed his lips together, shaking his head. Just having you near is enough. And it has always been that way, hasn't it? I just didn't fully understand until now.
"No…I'll be fine. Please don't worry." He pulled her to him and pressed his lips to her hair, relishing in the newly-discovered sensation that washed over him when their skin touched – longing to drown in it. "Throughout this entire nightmare, you've always been my waking dream."
Rosa closed her eyes, trying to will away the tears that were threatening to form. Reality was starting to settle in – they weren't waking up in Cecil's tower in Baron, where they would part ways for the day to fulfill their duties and then reunite in the evening to share a meal and fall into bed together. They were a million miles away on a drifting satellite, and in what was probably less than an hour, they would be departing for their last journey with their dearest friends – fighting for their lives.
Rosa pulled back to look into Cecil's eyes; the mesmerizing blue that transcended time and space made her feel like she was home again. She knew that they would need to be going soon, but decided that it would be all right to keep living in the fragile dream they had built together for a few more moments. She pulled the sheets up around them and crawled on top of Cecil, pressing her lips to his ear as her hair fell over them like a golden veil.
"…Let's stay like this just a little while longer."
Edge, Rydia and Kain were standing over the radar screen in the navigation room, watching a pattern of red dots migrate across the map.
"The monsters are starting to wake up from Fusoya's spell…" Edge muttered.
"Good morning!" Rosa said cheerfully as she strode over to them. As she walked, she had her bow slung over her back and was reaching up to slide a pin into the bun she had messily wrapped using the side layers of her hair, the rest of it cascading over her shoulders.
Kain looked up at her, trying to contain his smile. He didn't know if it was because his mind was finally rid of Zemus's malice or if it was because he was so grateful she had come to his defense yesterday, but to him, Rosa looked more beautiful than he could ever remember. Even in the harsh, artificial light of the Lunar Whale, she was glowing. Rydia turned away from the radar screen and grabbed Rosa's hand.
"Rosa, do you think Cecil would take us on a quick detour?" She asked.
"You mean, Bahamut?" Rosa remembered what Fusoya had told them before they left to fight the giant. "Of course. If he's calling upon you, it must be important. Cecil will agree."
"Is he awake yet?"
"Oh yes, I stopped by his room and made sure to wake him up. He should be down soon!" Rydia noticed a tinge of pink creep over Rosa's cheeks, but didn't comment on it.
About ten minutes later, Cecil appeared as well. Kain thought that Cecil seemed to be in a pretty good mood too – instead of his usual serious resting face, Cecil had on a small smile and the light had finally returned to his eyes. Maybe their talk had done something? As soon as Cecil approached, Rydia ran to him to plead her case to travel to the Lair of the Father.
"It could be dangerous," Cecil frowned. "Are you up for it?"
"Yes, I am," Rydia nodded. "I'm not afraid – even if Bahamut does want to test me."
"Then we should go," Cecil said, mussing her hair. He couldn't help himself – sometimes he still saw her as the child he had rescued from Mist, no matter what she looked like now.
She cheered and pushed past Edge and Kain, bolting out the door. "Meet you outside!" Rydia didn't know what Rosa had said to Cecil last night – Rosa had told Rydia while they were hiding in the hold that she was going to really let him have it – but whatever it was, it had made him his old self again, so she was grateful.
The door shut behind Rydia, and everyone else was doing a final check of their weapons and sundries when a piercing scream interrupted them.
"AHHHHHHH!"
Rosa clutched her bow. "That sounded like Rydia!"
The four of them fled the Lunar Whale, and spotted Rydia a few yards away, surrounded by a pack of flying purple orbs. They had large, glowing yellow eyes with tiny arms that were flailing aggressively and twitching yellow antennae. They were hissing and gnashing their teeth as they body slammed her to the ground. Every time she tried to get back up and smack them away with her whip, another would hit her from behind and knock her over again.
Rosa loaded her bow and fired off three arrows in quick succession, hitting each of her targets and causing them to deflate and flutter to the ground. Cecil, Kain and Edge took the rear, striking down the monsters that had attacked Rydia from behind with their weapons. Rydia sniveled and stood up, brushing off her clothes.
"Thank you…I couldn't even catch a breath to summon any help," Rydia shook her head. "They were more relentless than any Bombs I've ever encountered on our planet!" She patted her belt, resting her hand protectively on a satchel and sighing in relief. She would have been in trouble if what she had inside was shattered.
"We should stick together from this point forward," Kain said warily.
They made their way to the Lair of the Father, encountering yet more horrific creatures. Gelatin-like masses of green and pink bacteria would spit poison barbs at them from the moon rocks they clung to, forcing them to stop several times to administer an antidote to the unlucky recipient who couldn't block the attack in time. Tribes of multi-colored purple, white and black flan monsters would ambush them, which Cecil, Kain and Edge's weapons were worthless against – they would get stuck in the sticky flan as they tried to chop through it. Rydia had to summon Odin to cut a path through them all with Zantetsuken to make any forward progress.
At last, the bluff shaped like a circle that Rydia had spotted from the Lunar Whale came into view. They found a reasonably cleared path for them to hike up, and slid down the other side of the bluff in a cloud of dust to reach the smaller circle inside, which had turned out to be a cavern.
The inside of the cavern was pitch-black, with no light from the stars or the reflection of the Blue Planet to aid in visibility. Rydia had come prepared for this thanks to her dream. She pulled an ancient staff she had found in the keep of the Lunar Whale off of her belt, and lit it with a Fire spell.
"Good thinking, Rydia!" Rosa smiled.
The meager flame revealed a pale gray, rocky landscape covered in a thick layer of dust and pale, shining cave walls that appeared to be covered in entrails of calcite and salt. At the bases of some of the walls, green crystals were growing like clusters of flowers would in a garden on the Blue Planet. The sound of water dripping could be heard, but there was no visible water source anywhere on the moon itself, so Rydia wondered where it could have possibly been coming from.
The air in the cavern was unusually clean and refreshing, but like the moonscape outside, it carried upon it no wind or movement. As they made their way southward on the only trail available to them, their footsteps did not echo, despite the cave walls around them that should have acted as barriers for sound waves.
Cecil kept his hand over Excalibur's hilt as they walked, not being able to shake the feeling that they were being watched. Since entering the cavern, a tendril of unease had been clenching his chest.
"It feels like a cloud of tension hangs in this place, waiting to burst," Cecil said softly. Kain and Rosa nodded on either side of him.
Edge was trailing behind last, keeping an eye on Rydia as she marched forward unflinchingly. Even he had picked up on the anxiety that seemed to be woven in the cave's atmosphere, and he prayed she knew what she was getting into.
"Rydia?" He asked. She did not turn back to face him as she walked.
"Yes?"
"Any…er…thoughts on how this battle is going to go? I'm assuming there will be one."
"I've been thinking about it," Rydia said. "There is not much known about the All-Father, even in the Feymarch. The only clue I have is that the single thing that can defeat Bahamut is his own power reflected back at him."
"With a giant hand mirror?"
Rydia rested her hand over the satchel that she had been checking periodically to ensure it was still there.
"I have a plan…"
"Care to elaborate?"
"I…cannot. Please just trust me."
After an hour of walking with very few other words exchanged between them, the party came upon what looked like a massive dais made out of carved and polished rock from the cavern. It was surrounded with tall columns that stretched as high as the cavern's ceiling, which was impossible to make out in the darkness. A single flight of stairs took you to the top of the dais, and at the bottom of the steps were two petite figures. The dais appeared to be on a cliff – there was nothing else behind it except a pool of darkness.
One of the figures in front of the stairs was a little girl, with skin as white as the moon itself and pink hair twisted into pigtails that ran down her back and touched the floor of the cave. She wore a simple pink dress that hung off of her like a sack, and was barefoot. Her violet eyes were wide and haunting, and Cecil realized when he looked closer that she had no pupils. She looked Cecil up and down, a small smirk curling on her nearly-white lips as she spoke.
"Half here at home, half from it parted…You are an interesting creature."
"What?" Cecil blinked. She merely looked at him and smiled, pressing a finger to her lips. Rydia peered at the girl wondrously. Could she sense that Cecil was half-Lunarian just by looking at him?
The figure on the opposite side of the stairs was a little boy, the same height as the girl. He had light blue hair cut just below his ears, and wore a navy vestal robe that was also too big for him, slumping off of his shoulders. Bare toes peeked out from beneath the robe's folds, and he too had the same haunting, pupil-less violet eyes the girl had. He tilted his head and spoke, trying to project the manliest voice he could manage.
"What business have you with the First Sire, Hallowed Father of the Eidolons?"
"He summoned me here," Rydia said softly, kneeling before him so that they were the same height. The boy looked her up and down, and as if to approve her arrival, pointed to the top of the dais.
Rydia gestured for the others to follow, and she began climbing the stairs. At the top of the dais, waiting with hands folded in the center, was a tall, willowy man with shoulder-length blonde hair that was stick-straight. Over his eyes, he wore an iron-plated circlet that concealed his vision and wrapped around his head in three parts. He wore a finer version of the vestal robes the little boy had worn, layers of black and green silk that completely concealed his form, leaving only the flesh across his cheeks and nose exposed. When Rydia had stopped a respectful distance away from him, he spoke.
"So…you have enlisted the aid of Leviathan. But power such as his can be won without light's gift."
Rydia said nothing. Cecil, Kain, Rosa and Edge's eyes met. The children at the bottom of the stairs had turned to watch them.
"Only the ultimate trial can determine if that most sacred force truly rests within you, Rydia. Do you know what that trial is?"
Rydia nodded.
"Then I, Bahamut – Hallowed Father of the Eidolons – will execute your final trial."
The man took a few steps backwards, getting dangerously close to the edge of the dais. With a final nod to Rydia, he did a back flip, throwing himself over the guard rail and plummeting into the darkness below.
"What the hell?!" Kain cried. "Where did he go?" Cecil ran to the back of the dais and peered down over the railing, but saw nothing but emptiness.
Rydia ignored Kain's question and pulled out the satchel that had been hanging on her person, revealing five vials of glittering purple solution, each crowned with a glass stopper carved like a crescent moon. She quickly handed one to Cecil, Kain, Rosa and Edge, and kept the last for herself.
"Please listen – we must time this perfectly. When he is about to stage his attack, pour these all over you. Do not pick up your weapons – these vials need your full attention!"
"What?!" Rosa blinked. "What are these?"
"Lunar Curtains – please, just trust me!"
Before they could say another word, a powerful wind tore through the dais, nearly blowing them over. Rising from the pit of darkness, a gigantic, black-scaled wyvern propelled itself upward with claw-tipped wings that expanded the entire width of the dais. Its slithering, spiked tail knocked out one of the rear columns like a domino, causing it to fly into the abyss below. Two massive horns sprouted from the top of its head, and smoke was billowing out of its maw as it narrowed its gold-colored eyes.
"Get ready!" Rydia cried. "This is Bahamut's true form!" Cecil rested his hand on the stopper of his vial, clenching his jaw. He couldn't believe he was a facing a beast of this magnitude without his sword in hand, but he realized he had complete faith in Rydia – he wasn't afraid. Kain, Rosa and Edge were in similar poses, all staring ahead and waiting for Rydia's direction. As the dragon unhinged his jaw, Rydia pulled the top off her vial.
"NOW!"
Cecil popped open the vial and turned the bottle upside down over his head, feeling the cold, sticky solution cascade down his hair and body and making him shudder involuntarily. Even as it stung his eyes, he kept them trained on the dragon, which had discharged a tremendous explosion of fire that was flying directly toward them, inches away from Cecil's outstretched hand. He felt like every synapse in his brain had shut down and that he was watching the fire crawl toward him in slow-motion.
Without warning, the roaring fire ricocheted off of Cecil, and slammed into Bahamut's supple stretch of stomach, causing him to throw back his head and release a howl that made the dais quake under their feet. The flames that encroached upon Kain, Edge, Rosa and Rydia bounced back as well, barraging Bahamut with attacks to the head, throat, torso again, and wings. The fire began to burn and tear through his scales, the nauseating scent of burning flesh filling the cavern. With a strangled cry, the dragon erupted into a ball of flames, and hurled back into the depths below, his body disintegrating into sparkling bone fragments and cinders that floated through the air in his wake.
Rydia dropped to her knees, covering her face in her hands. Cecil and Edge ran to her, kneeling by her side.
"Rydia, are you OK?" Edge cried.
She nodded, and pulled her hands away. Her face was streaked with tears, but she was smiling.
"I'm just…so relieved that actually worked!" She looked to Cecil, and then to Edge, letting her eyes linger. "…And that you trusted me with your lives."
Before she could elaborate, a pair of immaculately manicured bare feet had materialized before them. Looking up, Cecil saw that the blonde man had returned, looking down upon them. He extended his hand, and Rydia took hold, standing back up.
"Your strength, of arm and spirit, is now proven," he said. "Should you e'er require my aid, Rydia, it is yours to invoke. Speak by my name – Bahamut – and I shall appear." He reached up, placing his long, slender fingers on Rydia's cheeks, and pressed his lips to hers in a chaste kiss. Her body took on the familiar white aura of an eidolon's essence bonding with her, and when he pulled away, their covenant was sealed. With nary another word, Bahamut teleported out of sight.
Rydia pressed her fingers to her lips and smiled slightly. Edge looked as if he was about to pass out. Cecil had to drag him to his feet and practically carry him back down the stairs.
The two children were waiting for them below.
"You are the first humans to ever visit Bahamut's lair," the boy mused.
"And the first summoner to ever be granted the privilege to call him," the girl added.
"Rydia!" Rosa threw her arms around her. "That was amazing. Why did you keep us in the dark?"
Rydia blushed and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear shyly. "I'm so sorry…I didn't want to. But as you might have realized, even though Bahamut is blind as a human, he has eyes and ears throughout this cavern." She nodded toward the children, who looked at each other and smirked.
"Oh…I see. And you didn't want the cat out of the bag, so-to-speak," Kain said.
"So…that's who I felt watching us," Cecil mused.
Rydia nodded. "I've been thinking about this battle since we first came to the moon. And because Fusoya said that Bahamut could feel my presence and because I could hear his voice – I knew he was watching us the whole time. While Rosa and I were hiding in the Lunar Whale, I found these Lunar Curtains in a box, and thought they might come in handy. I'd ever only read about them in the library of the Feymarch, so I just had to have faith that they actually did what they were supposed to do. I had to keep it a secret, lest Bahamut caught wind of what my plan was."
"Rydia…" Rosa shook her head. "You owe us no further explanation. The All-Father was right to place his trust in you."
"Well…thank you for putting your trust in me," Rydia said. "The plan wouldn't have worked if we didn't trust each other one hundred percent. I'm so glad…that I haven't been a burden to you."
Cecil frowned. "You've never been a burden, Rydia. My concern before was misplaced. I apologize."
"And I forgive you," Rydia smiled. "So, should we get out of here and go kick some Zemus butt with our new friend Bahamut?"
"Everyone come close to me," Rosa said. As they gathered around, Edge scooted up next to Rydia and whispered in her ear.
"So…what was the deal with the kiss? Is that just like, an Eidolon thing, or…"
But Rosa cast the Teleport spell before Rydia could reply.
When Cecil opened his eyes, he was startled to find himself in the room they had met Fusoya in the Crystal Palace. Rosa was leaning against a pillar, trying to get her bearings from the spell's after-effects, but also seemed quite surprised herself.
"How did we get here?" Edge asked. Rosa shook her head, finally drawing strength to speak.
"I didn't know if it would work – Normally I can only teleport to places I'm really familiar with, or failing that, I can usually get us to at least the entrance of a cavern or village. But I just concentrated really hard this time, and here we are!"
"What is this place?" Kain asked. "It's incredible."
"This is the Crystal Palace, where Fusoya would keep guard of the sleeping Lunarians," Cecil said. "This is where I think Fusoya and Golbez went. Let's explore and see if there is another way out of here."
The group split up, exploring the various hallways that branched off from the main chamber. They had all resulted in dead-ends with magic runes that would restore one's stamina. It was Cecil that discovered the pair of crystal doors hidden behind the dais, nearly camouflaged with the walls. When he pushed them open, he found himself inside a massive crystal chamber, with eight crystals in a rainbow of colors surrounding a mirrored panel in the center of the room.
"I found something!" Cecil called out. Within moments, he was joined by the others.
"These must be…the moon's crystals," Kain said.
"I wonder if the Lunarians took them when they fled their planet…" Rosa frowned. "How sad..."
Rydia had approached the dais with a green crystal to get a better look. The crystal shimmered with her reflection, and a peaceful voice echoed in the room.
"Fusoya descended into the core with Kluya's son some time ago."
"What?!" Rydia gasped, and stumbled backward from the dais. "Did that crystal just talk?"
Curious, Cecil approached the white crystal in front of him, and the crystal shimmered the way the green one had with Rydia. He saw his reflection briefly flash before his eyes.
"We will guide you to the core," the crystal said, and Cecil looked around. What…or where was this core?
The mirrored panel in the center of the room began to glow, and the eight crystals started to shed light simultaneously, filling the chamber with so much brilliance that Cecil had to shield his eyes. Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Rydia and Edge peered at each other through the light, a paralyzing fear holding them in place. Was this really it?
"Gather close," the crystals chanted. "You must stay together, at all costs. Zemus awaits you below."
Cecil willed himself to approach the central panel, wondering if the others could see his shaking hands. When he reached the mirror, he could feel the warmth of the energy it exuded radiating under his feet.
Rosa stood next to Cecil, reaching out for his hand. He grabbed it, and in turn, Kain took Rosa's other hand. On Cecil's opposite side, Rydia took his hand, and Edge took hers.
"Cecil…" Rosa squeezed his fingers tightly, her eyes wide with panic. "…Don't let go." Her face was the last thing he saw before the light turned everything white.
A warm breeze began to wrap around them, and the floor beneath grew ever hotter, glowing a fierce red. Just when it would have become too unbearable to stand upon, the floor fell away from underneath them, and Cecil felt like he was being pulled into a cyclone.
When Cecil opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on the ground, draped across a cold metal plate that had been stamped into an iron gray, rocky cavern floor. His hand was still clutching Rosa's, who was lying across from him, passed out. Rydia and Edge were in a corner, their bodies propped up against each other next to a pile of rubble. They were in some sort of cave or underground passage – the gray and white rock walls were so tall that the ceiling wasn't even visible – it was swallowed by the darkness hovering above. A few yards away, Cecil saw the floor suddenly drop off into a chasm that snaked around the circumference of the land they had been deposited on. If they had been scattered any further, they would have been lost in the abyss. However…Kain was nowhere to be seen.
Cecil pushed himself up and groaned, rubbing his forehead. He felt like he was still spinning around in circles, and he could hardly see from the lack of light. He called out Kain's name, but there was no response – not even an echo. While he was waiting for his eyes to focus, he felt a cold blade press into his back.
Cecil inhaled sharply and reached down slowly for his sword. In the deepest reaches of his heart, he was terrified that the weapon grinding down into his armor was a lance. Just as he was about to turn and attempt to parry the attack, he heard a rush of wind, and the sickening sound of metal slicing through flesh. The pressure on his back released, and Cecil turned around.
Kain was standing before him; His lance plunged into the body of a monster that was bleeding out putrid green blood on the ground. The monster had the shape of a human woman, with purple knee-high boots and a leotard with golden shoulder guards, and corn silk hair splayed everywhere. Its face, however, was a twisted abomination – a wide mouth of jagged teeth like a dragon, slits for a nose, and red, piercing eyes that peeked out underneath a crooked headband. A golden sword was still clutched in its claw-like hand.
"Kain!" Cecil sighed in relief. "You saved my life."
"Sorry I wasn't here sooner," Kain pulled his lance out of the body with a disgusting "schlup" sound. "I was trying to find a way out, and there are hordes of these things running around everywhere. I thought I was tracking them all, but this one must have wandered back here while I was distracted."
"It's OK," Cecil said, looking away. He was ashamed that for a brief moment, he thought it had been Kain that was attacking him. "…Did you find anything?"
"I think I found a path out, yes," Kain replied. "But…it just descends further underground."
Cecil paused. "So, I think it's safe to say we made it to the moon's core."
"Which is conveniently filled with a lot of dangerous creatures Zemus has probably made friends with," Kain added.
"It's where the Giant of Babil came from, so…yeah, that sounds about right," Cecil sighed.
"Have you guys already started without me?" Edge smirked. Cecil and Kain turned and saw Edge approaching them from where he had been sleeping. He was eying the body of the monster Kain had slain. Rydia was shaking her head, disoriented, and attempting to pick herself up off the ground.
"I actually found something that may be of interest to you," Kain said. "There's a shrine not too far from here with a katana in it."
"Well you should have brought it back!" Edge protested. "What's the deal?"
Kain crossed his arms over his chest. "You'll see when we get there, all right?"
"Don't be all mysterious with me, Dragoon!"
Rydia groaned. "You are NOT going to be doing this the entire way to Zemus, right?!"
Cecil kneeled next to Rosa and gently shook her shoulder. She let out an unsteady exhale and opened her eyes, propping herself up on her arms. "Did we make it?"
"We made it," Cecil smiled. "Kain found a path for us to take."
She sat up and blinked a few times, trying to get used to the darkness. "It looks just like the Lair of the Father. Are we underground?"
"Undoubtedly," Cecil replied, and held out his hand. She used it to hoist herself up and brushed the dirt and dust off of her clothes.
Kain led them to a small stone staircase that had been hidden behind the rubble Edge and Rydia had landed by. The stairs took them over the chasm and to a new path that twisted around in a loop and ended at a tunnel entrance. After crossing through the tunnel, they entered a chamber, and the shrine appeared, as promised. It was a simple affair, consisting of a marble slab with runes and letters carved into it that were incomprehensible to those from the Blue Planet, and five small pillars were stacked around it in a semi-circle that came up to Cecil's knee. In the middle of the shrine, floating in mid-air like a feather riding the breeze was a long, slender katana blade, with black decaying leather strips wrapped around the handle in several layers. The blade itself was pristine with no chips or scratches, the blade shined with a blue-silver glare despite there being no light upon it. It had the very subtlest of curves that reminded Edge of a lithe dancer.
"Gorgeous," Edge grinned. As he stepped forward to grab it, an ominous voice growled from within the shrine.
"To those who covet this blade, Murasame, I bring death!"
Edge pulled back his hand and frowned. "What's the meaning of this, Kain?"
Kain rolled his eyes behind his helmet. "Why are you asking me? That's the reason why I didn't take it. It's obviously cursed."
"It's seems logical that if the Giant of Babil was sealed down here, other weapons that were viewed as a threat according to the Lunarians might be sealed down here as well," Rosa said.
Edge hesitated. The idea of getting his hands on something that could make Zemus quake in his boots was very delicious, but he didn't want to put his friends in danger. He was surprised when Rydia spoke up, resting her hand on his arm.
"Edge…since when would you let a little curse stop you from getting what you want?" He looked over at her, and she gave him a wink. His heart swelling with courage (and something a little less noble), he let out an obnoxious laugh that made everyone jump.
"Of course! I'm the future King of Eblan! The newest heir to the Eblanese Ninja Master secrets! And the oldest and most mature out of the lot of you! If I don't show you how it's done, who will?" Rydia opened her mouth to protest, but couldn't find her words.
"The audacity…" Kain muttered. Cecil covered his mouth to stifle a laugh.
"Come and get me, Zemus!" Edge shouted, and snatched the weapon from the shrine. There was a terrible trembling underneath their feet, and the shrine flashed with brilliant light. A spiral of blue flame twisted before them, forming itself into a slender white dragon that looked suspiciously like the dragon the Dark Elf had transformed into that Cecil had fought in the Lodestone Cavern. It let out an ear-piercing shriek, and leapt right for Edge, its jaws unhinging.
"Hah!" Edge yelled, swinging Murasame forward without hesitation and striking the dragon square in the jaw, sending some of its teeth flying from the impact. Kain leapt in the air, riding his lance downward and piercing the dragon's tail, pinning it to the shrine. The dragon writhed vigorously, snapping its jaw and clawing at Edge with its short, but razor-sharp claws. Edge somersaulted and dashed out of the path of each strike, throwing himself onto the dragon's back and yanking back on its long, twitching whiskers. The dragon tried to shake him off, spewing out white flames that Cecil dashed in front of with his shield to cover Rydia and Rosa just in a nick of time.
With his right hand, still holding Murasame, Edge bent down over the dragon's head and sliced the blade across its throat, curling his legs around its body and swinging himself underneath so he could drive the blade into the circumference of the dragon's neck. With a wet snapping sound, the dragon's head was severed and crashed to the floor, Edge along with it, who landed into a pile of rocks. The body that had been left behind twitched, as if possessed, for a few moments before collapsing into the shrine and crumbling into dust.
Edge pushed away the still-bleeding dragon head and groaned, rubbing his back. "Took that fall a little harder than I thought!"
"Ugh…" Rosa blanched at the sight of the head, which had rolled at her feet, its clouded eyes staring right up at her. She turned away, covering her mouth as she doubled over. Rydia let out a victory cheer and Kain stepped over to Edge, offering his hand. Edge took it reluctantly and jumped to his feet, cringing and suddenly stumbling into Kain's arms when a wound he had gotten from falling opened on his leg. Kain made a disgusted face and Cecil laughed, casting Cura.
Edge gave his leg a shake and pushed Kain away, flashing a grin. "Thanks Cecil…I kind of like it better when Rosa cures me, though! Reminds me of when we first met."
"Sorry, she was occupied," Cecil replied. Rosa had crawled around a corner of the corridor, retching pathetically from the sight of the dragon head.
The party quickly lost track of the time that passed – what had started as a somewhat straightforward path quickly transformed into a labyrinth the deeper they descended into what they had dubbed the Lunar Subteranne.
After fighting seemingly endless swarms of the Moonmaiden warriors, witches that would ambush them with Firaga spells from the shadows, and reanimated dragon skeletons that reeked of negative energy and decay, they had reached their peak exhaustion level when they reached the fourth level of the Subteranne. They had clamored down an extensive set of stone stairs, finding themselves in an area that almost looked like an ancient village that was carved into a mountainside.
Nearly a dozen cavern entrances lay below them, staggered on different layers of the substratum that were either connected by more stairs or needed to be reached via the other caverns. The "village" had been suspended in the air – they were surrounded by pitch black chasms on all sides and could only barely make out a bridge that led them away all the way at the base, which was way too far to just jump to, even for Kain. It meant that they would need to find their way down the long way.
"We…we have to climb all the way down this?" Rydia groaned, kicking a rock off the ledge they were standing on and watching it bounce away. They couldn't even hear when it landed, it had fallen so far.
"I am rather…bone-weary," Kain admitted.
"I'm tired too," Cecil sighed. "I know we have to go on, but…we'll get killed if we're ambushed in this state. It might be best if we find a place to rest, just for a little bit."
"Let's scout for a place that's relatively closed-off," Rosa suggested, and they made their way forward, entering the first cave to their left.
After maneuvering through several of the caves, which were all inter-connected, they came across a small cavern that ended up at a dead end, and better yet, was empty of any enemy threats. Rydia lit a meager fire, as they had not found much on the journey so far that could be used as kindling. Edge sat at the opening of the cavern, volunteering to play lookout since he was still riding an adrenaline high from his victory over the white dragon. Rosa and Rydia sat next to each other, leaning their heads in together and falling asleep within minutes. Kain and Cecil sat across from them, watching the fire.
"I wonder where Golbez is right now…" Kain muttered. "Maybe here in this village?"
"I don't think so," Cecil shook his head. "I would think either of us would have picked up on his presence if he was. He and Fusoya are probably much further ahead of us…they might be going slower since it's just the two of them, but…"
"…What will you do if you see him again?" Kain asked quietly. Cecil frowned.
"…I don't know. I honestly haven't thought about it. What will you do?"
"Probably deck him, if it's all right with you."
Cecil couldn't help but choke out a laugh. It was so inappropriate, but it was such a Kain thing to say. "I know I can't stop you anyway."
Kain chuckled. "I'm so glad you've finally figured that out after all these years."
Cecil opened his eyes with a start.
Their fire had burned out, long ago from the looks of it. Rosa and Rydia were still asleep, and Kain had slumped over, sleeping against his lance. At the entrance of the cave, Edge was curled up, snoring.
"So much for a lookout…" Cecil muttered under his breath, although he hadn't meant to fall asleep either. He stood up, slowly stretching and relishing in the joy that his nap had brought him no nightmares. He was about to reach over and shake Kain awake, when he caught a glimmer of something out of the corner of his eye. It had been in the back of the cavern.
Making his way over, Cecil saw that the dust on the floor of the cavern was covering up a dying blue light. When he brushed it away with his hand, he uncovered a rune that had been etched into the ground, the curves and curls of the design illuminated with the light he had spied through the dust. When he kneeled down closer to investigate, the rune flashed, and the cavern disappeared.
When Cecil opened his eyes, he found himself standing at the edge of a cliff, and from the looks of it, he was right back where they started at the top of the village, because he could see the remainder of it spread out below. But from this vantage point, he could see the top of the staircase they had originally traversed to reach this part of the Lunar Subteranne on his right, which must have meant he had managed to access what was thought to be a previously walled-off region. Beneath his feet, the same rune he had seen in the previous cavern glimmered.
To his left, there was a short pathway that led north.
I'd better go back and get the others, Cecil thought. But when he stepped back on the rune, nothing happened. He backed up, stepped on it again, but the same result occurred.
"Damn!" Cecil hissed. What if he had fallen into a trap? He couldn't jump down from the ledge without breaking his legs, or worse. If he tried to teleport, he would probably end up back in the Crystal Palace, and there would be no way he could make his way back to the others on his own and survive. He had no choice but to follow the path before him.
Turning the corner of the rock formation that was to his left, Cecil was startled to come upon yet another shrine. It looked just like the shrine Murasame was resting upon, but this time, instead of a katana, a holy sword was floating in place.
The hilt was made from pure gold, and melded into a cross-guard that was carved into a triangle shape with a sapphire embedded at the peak. The blade itself was crafted from gold crystal, so resplendently polished that Cecil could see the reflection of his eyes in the blade as if he were gazing into a mirror.
A subdued, slithering voice whispered in Cecil's ear.
"The power of Ragnarok is abhorred by Zemus, and so must never be set free!"
Cecil gasped and took a step back, looking around. He was still the only one there.
The sword glimmered, and Cecil tried to turn away, but found himself stuck in place. He watched in horror as his hand began to extend out on its own, reaching for the blade.
"N…No!" Cecil cried, trying to jerk his hand away. His foot took one hesitant step forward, and then another, despite his best efforts to drag them back. The voice laughed, and whispered again. But this time, it had changed…taking on the seductive tone Cecil had heard in his dream on the Lunar Whale.
"The only thing that would please me more than killing you myself is watching you die trying to release an instrument you think will give you a minute chance of defeating me…only those entrusted with the most divine of souls can wield this blade…and you are but one side of a tarnished coin!"
Cecil's fingers grasped the hilt, and the sword came away in his hand.
"Nooooooo!" Cecil screamed, and blinding light was released from the shrine. It shot up into the air, disappearing in a distant twinkle. But behind the shrine, lifting from the abyss, was the sound of two powerful wings beating through the air. A wyvern that was the mirror image of the All-Father Bahamut ascended before Cecil, throwing its head back and releasing a deafening cry. The only noticeable difference that Cecil could detect is that his scales were brown and blood-red instead of black, and his eyes were crimson instead of yellow.
One side of a tarnished coin…could this be a Dark version of Bahamut? Cecil stumbled backward, having gained control of his faculties once again, and brought Ragnarok up to his chest. The wyvern swooped forward, opening its mouth and preparing to release Megaflare.
No! Cecil thought, remembering the devastation of the spell when Rydia had turned it against the eidolon. There's nowhere for me to hide!
The flames released, spiraling toward Cecil, and he closed his eyes, not wanting to witness the moment he would be burned alive. Would his friends even be able to identify his remains if they found him?
"Reflect!"
A rainbow of light embraced Cecil, and the Megaflare spell hurdled off of his form and ripped through the shrine, first blowing it up into flaming rubble and then slamming into Dark Bahamut. The wyvern was thrown back several feet, beating its wings in agony to try to put out the fires that had erupted on his flesh. Cecil opened his eyes, but didn't waste time trying to figure out what happened. He took his chance, leaping into the air and slashing Ragnarok across Dark Bahamut's chest. He didn't cut as deep as he desired, but it was enough to drive the beast further back yet. Cecil landed on the floor and launched himself into a back flip to put more space between them. When he glanced over his shoulder, he saw Rosa standing beside the rune he had come from and chanting another spell with her eyes closed and her hands folded in prayer.
"Blink!"
She released the spell, and yellow stars danced around Cecil and disappeared in a flash of light. Dark Bahamut plunged forward, and spun in a circle, about to collide his tail with Cecil. But the Blink spell had greatly enhanced Cecil's agility, and he could see the attack coming like it was in slow motion. He leapt in the air, flipping over the tail as it swept the ground, and smashed his blade into it, cutting through the scales and bone like it was butter – right at the spinal column base.
Dark Bahamut wailed helplessly as his tail dropped into the abyss behind Cecil, and tried to fly away. But at this point, his left wing had nearly been entirely consumed by his own Megaflare spell, and his equilibrium was suffering from the loss of his tail.
"Haste!"
Cecil suddenly felt as if he was overrun with energy. He dashed after the struggling wyvern in a blur, and leapt from behind, driving Ragnarok through Dark Bahamut's shoulder blade until the hilt of the sword could go no further. The other end of the blade erupted from the creature's chest, piercing his heart and tearing open a devastating wound.
With a final cry, Dark Bahamut slumped to the ground, and Cecil leapt off, withdrawing Ragnarok. The body disintegrated into dust, and all fell silent once more.
"Cecil!"
Rosa ran to him and threw her arms around him, laughing happily. Cecil lifted her from the ground and spun her around in the air.
"Rosa! How did you know where I was?!"
"I was woken up by the flashing light when you disappeared. I saw you were missing and followed you up here. By the time I arrived, that Bahamut doppelganger was about to use his flare spell. I thought it would be best to stay quiet and not draw attention to myself."
"You were brilliant," Cecil sighed, cupping her face in his hands. "You save my life three times."
"That's just what white mages do," Rosa smiled, but then narrowed her eyes. "But what the hell were you thinking!?"
"I was…enthralled into taking the sword," Cecil frowned. "I was trapped up here, because the rune wouldn't send me back. I saw the sword and tried to walk away, but…Zemus…he took control of my body and made me remove it from the shrine."
"…What?" Rosa blinked. "Please tell me you're not serious."
"Unfortunately, I am," Cecil sighed. "He told me that I would never be able to wield the blade, so he figured he could just kill me off here now instead of later."
Rosa shook her head. "What a fool. Why would he think you, a paladin, could not wield a holy sword?" Cecil didn't answer her right away. He dropped his hands from her face, and looked down at the ground.
"He said I was merely one side of a tarnished coin," Cecil muttered. "Because I'm Golbez's brother, I must still have darkness in my heart too."
"Cecil!" Rosa grabbed his shoulders. "You KNOW that's not true! Do not let Zemus plant any seeds of doubt in your mind. The light at Mount Ordeals…your father…made you a paladin for a reason. Your guiding light has been the only thing that has kept the five of us together on this journey. And besides…" She touched his hand that was holding Ragnarok. "…It sure looked like you were doing OK with that sword to me. Zemus is a liar, and he's just trying to manipulate us because we're so close to ending his plans."
"Listen to her, Cecil."
Cecil and Rosa both looked up in surprise. Kain was standing near the rune, leaning on his lance.
"Kain!" Cecil cried. "How long have you been here?"
"Long enough," Kain shrugged. "But Rosa IS right, Cecil. Didn't you listen to Queen Asura in the Feymarch? Light attracts dark, and we, your friends, will be your shield from that darkness. But you've still got to believe in your own light, or we're not going to have anything to protect. You are not your brother."
"Kain…Rosa…" Cecil looked down, sheathing Ragnarok next to Excalibur on his belt. Kain walked over and put an arm around Cecil's shoulders in a half-embrace. Rosa wrapped one arm around Kain's waist, and then Cecil's, pulling them against her. Kain hesitantly wrapped his other arm around Rosa's shoulders, and Cecil rested his hands on each of his friends' backs, completing the circle.
"Thank you…for being the best friends anyone…on our planet or otherwise…could ever have," Cecil said softly. "Please just hang in there a little longer for me, and then we can go home."
They bowed their heads together, not hearing the distant thunder that had begun to emit from deep within the moon's core.