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Final Fantasy VI: The Sands of Time

Book 1: The Beginning

Chapter 4 - Demons Within

Part 4.8 - Comings and Goings

Dune meanwhile was just coming out of his own dream-like state. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around at the wreckage of the meeting hall of the Order. The wreckage he himself had caused. His head throbbed, but otherwise he seemed unhurt. He supposed his encounter with Sade could have ended much worse, but this was small consolation to being brought the news that you were dead. Every time he tried to remember the exact events that had just played out, his headache increased in pain until he was forced to turn to other thoughts. The events after Sade's speech were all a blur, just like before. Those events could not be reconciled with Dune's logical mind, and memories of them would only drive him insane.

He knew what he had heard and seen, but refused to believe any of it. His mind simply wouldn't allow him to believe it. He wasn't dead, and that voice was certainly not the "Voice of God" as Sade had put it. How could he be dead if he was sitting right here, feeling very much alive? Obviously this and that ominous voice were more tricks of Sade's to keep him in the dark. What was Sade planning on doing? Why was Dune so important, and what was the purpose of the crystal? The same old questions, and yet still no answers in sight. He grew weary of being pulled from one event to the next like a puppet, and wondered at what point he'd finally be able to stand up for himself and take control of his life once more.

For now, Dune needed to find his way back to his room without being detected. Sade may be gone, but there were undoubtedly many others who were looking for him now. How would he make it all the way back to his room? He glanced over and saw a small pile of white fur wrapped in ropes. It wriggled back and forth, struggling against the knots, then flopped over and the perpetually happy face of Kumiro was gazing at Dune once again. He let out a weak cry, and then continued to struggle. The face still had the same grin and happily shut eyes, but there was now a distinct look of pain and sadness in its features that strained the otherwise happy countenance.

"...Kupo."

Kumiro lay nearby, still tied up and unable to move. He also seemed unhurt, although he looked as exhausted as Dune felt. What sort of torture had Sade inflicted on the poor moogle? Dune staggered to his feet and crawled over to where Kumiro lay. The knots were easy enough for a human to untie, although for the clawed hands of a moogle they were probably impossible to manage. Dune gently tugged at the ropes and freed his faithful little friend from his bonds. The creature bounced up instantly and fluttered its wings. Dune smiled. It looked like they were both none the worse for their experience down in the depths of this underground dungeon. They still needed to escape, and that would not be easy. Dune could not leave the same way he had come in, and he had no idea of any other way back to where he was supposed to be. He looked at Kumiro for guidance once more.

"Well, I think I've seen what I was supposed to see, and would much like to leave now. You know how to get us out of here, I hope?"

"Kupo! Po!"

The moogle nodded its head vigorously and on "Po!" pointed at the back of the meeting hall, past the glowing rubble of the statue. There was the passage Dune had come in by, and beyond that the long hallway that lead into the rest of the Order's underground stronghold. With Kumiro's stealth, he was sure they could make it through unseen and unheard. Any reservations he held when first meeting the moogle had long since vanished.

The moogle chirped again and then quickly started towards the exit. Dune was not quite as recovered as Kumiro, and slowly stumbled after him, his aching joints keeping him at a walking pace. No amount of flailing on the moogle's part could make him move any faster yet.

"Just give me a minute to heal up, would you? I'm not as quick on my feet as you are, you know!"

"Kupopopo!"

The moogle seemed to be laughing at Dune, although not unkindly. Still they both knew if they didn't hurry, they would be caught. The moogle kept pushing Dune to move as fast as he could, despite his complaining. Surely the rest of the Order would be behind Sade.

Dune kept moving forward, strength coming back into his arms and legs. He could now keep up with the moogle, although he made no attempt to soften his footsteps. The moogle didn't seem to care about the noise Dune made anymore. It was too late to worry about such things. Speed was all that mattered now. If they were caught, they would fight. Dune didn't know if he could really defend himself against anyone in combat, but he had somehow gotten past Sade, and that was more than he could possibly have expected from himself.

Kumiro kept leading Dune through the various corridors that made up the area, once again seeming to have a built-in compass that told him which paths to take. Dune glanced every once and a while at the strange writings on the wall, hoping to catch a piece he could make out. Nothing looked even vaguely familiar to him, and he had always taken pride in his ability to decipher ancient languages. From what he could tell, the symbols made up a very primitive language that pre-dated all languages he had studied. His trained eye could make out various configurations that hinted at the underlying structure of the language and its developmental age compared to modern languages, but in his current plight he couldn't hope to translate anything now. He strongly regretted being forced to pass up such an archeological gold mine. An entire language he had known nothing about, and surely enough of it on these walls to translate, given time and a little luck. More than once he wondered if he would be able to return here under safer circumstances when all of this was over. Somehow, something deep inside him told him this secret language was something he would never get the chance to study at leisure. Events were coming together now, and he felt a strong rush of dread as he thought about the uncertain future ahead of him.

As Dune was lost in his thoughts, Kumiro suddenly stopped, causing him to run right into the moogle and knock it over. It gave a grunt of displeasure as it rolled head over heels forward, but quickly steadied and flew up into Dunes face with a worried look on its face.

"Kuuuu..!"

Dune knew this meant to be quiet and stay still. They both held their breath and listened for any sign of someone approaching. Dune heard nothing, but he was willing to bet Kumiro's sharp moogle ears did. Nothing so far. Dune strained his senses as far as he could to try and make out what Kumiro had felt, but it was hopeless. He just had to trust his guide and wait.

After several tense minutes, Kumiro slowly moved forward and looked around the nearest corner. He chirped at Dune once then disappeared around the corner. Dune followed him, and soon they were back into the same routine of fleeing down one passage after another. Dune had no idea what Kumiro had sensed, but it had been enough to stall him for a considerable amount of time, and so must have been a very real danger. He wondered just how safe they could hope to be down in this place.

Finally the passages became less straight and polished, and the symbols on the walls gradually lessened until they were just one or two enigmatic scribbles here and there. A few more turns and they were once again in a large cavernous hallway that looked like it was carved right out of the earth. Dune could hear a familiar sound that filled him with both relief and fear. Falling water. They must be coming back to the foot of the falls now, which put them outside the Order's domain and back within the world of underground Narsille proper. Dune knew he wasn't any safer out here than he was within the walls of the Order, but he felt a strong relief at being away from reminders of the sacred meeting place anyways.

Soon Dune could see the falls ahead of him, still gushing and roaring, heedless of his return. He had returned to challenge this towering foe, and this time he wouldn't fall. He had gotten lucky once and survived, but he doubted he could ever be so lucky again. The moogle also seemed to recognize the power of the force in front of them, and slowed down slightly as it looked up into the dimly lit blackness above the falls. That was where they needed to go, but neither of them seemed eager to start their treacherous ascent.

Dune looked around for some sign of a foot hold to start climbing. He followed the patchwork system of girders, ladders, and railings that crossed the falls down to the base, but could find nothing below a certain height. It seemed the walkways just vanished into the falls as they neared the bottom. Would they have to actually enter the falls to climb back up?

Kumiro also looked up at the falls, but his eyesight and familiarity with the surroundings allowed him to see what Dune had not. The walkways did indeed disappear behind the falls at a certain point not too far above where they stood, but down further there was a dim light shining from just outside the fall's range. It was a hole in the cliff wall that almost certainly followed a path down to the base. Kumiro hopped into the air and fluttered up to the hole, then vanished behind the falls. Dune looked on incredulously.

"Hey! I can't fly, you know!"

After a few moments of wondering whether he had been abandoned, Dune heard Kumiro's call and the moogle suddenly popped out from the base of the falls, seemingly from the raging water itself. Kumiro had followed the path he'd seen down to where it came out just hidden by the fall's mist, and now waited happily for Dune to follow him back up. This creature really was much smarter than it looked. Dune doubted he would have thought to do what it did, even if he could fly. Dune simply rubbed his forehead and followed the moogle once more.

The climb back up to the top was difficult, but there were no more surprises waiting for them on the path this time around, and they safely made it back up to where the geothermal generators still hummed their sleepy song. They quietly made their way back to the opening, hoping the workers were still as preoccupied as they were before. Once again no one paid them any heed, all eyes busy monitoring the machines they were assigned to.

Dune and Kumiro were now breathing a little easier. They had made it past the most dangerous parts of the return trek, and even if a worker spotted them now, they could simply tell the truth and say they were going back to his room. Dune did not sense that these workers were his enemies, and was sure they would not cause him or Kumiro any problems, even if they saw him. The friendly waves from the workers as Alex led Dune to his room before led Dune to believe he had nothing to fear from them.

Once back in the central hub, Kumiro simply half-trotted, half-skipped his way right over to the passage that led back to the section Dune's room was located in. There was no need to hide anymore, and some of the workers even waved at the funny little creature they had seen roaming these halls with Alex and Indie many times. Just showing their new guest around, probably. Nothing to worry about from those two.

Once Dune was back in his room, Kumiro said something in his strange language, then gave an awkward little bow, and was gone. Dune was alone and could finally gather his thoughts a bit. He tried to remember what had happened in the meeting hall, but everything after Sade's words was still blank. His mind would simply not let him relive those moments. He did remember the words of the Prophecy, and pondered over them while he lay back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He removed his hat and glasses and set them on a small desk next to the bed, then closed his eyes and tried to make sense of what he had seen and heard.

Many of the words meant little to him, just simple rhymes with no profound connection to the things he had experienced so far. He guessed the line about the child of the sands was meant to refer to him, and what Alex wanted him to be aware of. The next line about the "elder of the seas" worried Dune and he wondered if this had anything to do with his approaching mission into the Mordic Ocean, and just how much of this "prophecy" Alex was aware of. No, it was probably all just a coincidence. Dune knew the pitfalls of jumping to convenient conclusions, and would not allow himself to overanalyze the words of a simple poem as predictions of the future.

Alex and Indie may believe in such foolishness, but Dune had yet to be convinced. There was much he did not know about what was going on around him, and he would not play the "magic" card so easily. Magic was still the gray area people went to when they had no explanation for an experience. Dune felt he was of a higher caliber than such people, and even if two scientists he had such high respect for believed in it, he would not. Science would prevail in the end, and Dune would have a good laugh at how silly his fellow scientists had been when that time came.

The line with Sade obviously stuck in his mind, and he wondered who the "Vengeful Master" was, and if it had anything to do with Sade's strange behavior before Dune's memory loss. He was reminded of the dream he had on the Figaro in what seemed the distant past to him. In it he had exchanged heated words with the force that called itself the "Master of Earth." He was also reminded of his more recent dealings with his fearful and ever-present companion, Doom, or as he had referred to himself, the "Master of Ice". Who were these Masters? Friends or enemies? Or just figments of his imagination? There were many things surrounding each of his encounters with these forces that Dune did not understand, but he was too tired now to contemplate the idea of more magic. He was confident that all would be revealed eventually. He just had to be patient and wait for the answers to surface like some buried artifact out of the earth. If he kept digging, he would find all he needed to know. Of this he was completely confident, and this confidence eased his mind. Things will make sense in time, they always do. For now, he would sleep, and dream of when he would return to his wife, Mae. She will still be waiting for him when he returned, he was sure of it.

Elsewhere, a man in gold armor sat on a dragon-crested throne, and anxiously talked with the people around him. He was not in a good mood.

"What do you mean you've lost contact with Cassandra? She was supposed to have reported back to us hours ago. This technology...this "radio", it allows instantaneous communication, does it not?"

"Yes General Christophe, but we haven't received any word from her since she entered Narsille. She left for the city on her own almost two weeks ago by chocobo, and her last communication yesterday was from the gates of the city. I urged her not to go alone, but she wouldn't listen. You don't think she was captured, do you?

"I don't know. There's no way to know what happened to her unless we send more scouts. Dammit! Why did she have to go by herself? Foolish girl..."

"What should we do now? If Cassandra is to be trusted, we are running out of time before Narsille goes through with whatever it is they're planning. I for one would rather launch a full-scale attack than sit and wait for them to strike us as we are now."

"Don't you think I know what we are up against? Narsille is not like the East. They are a power far more advanced than either of our nations, and they will defeat us utterly if we attack them now. I would rather discover what their plans are and try to stop them covertly than risk all-out war with the most powerful nation in the world! Do not follow in Cassandra's footsteps and make any brash moves. Do you understand?"

"Yes, General. I apologize for my impetuousness."

"If I may, Draco..."

A beautiful woman with blonde hair and a growing belly interrupted the two warriors, her voice as soothing as her beauty. Both men instantly stopped talking and looked at her respectfully.

"Yes, my love? What is it?"

"I realize we can't risk losing any more of our people, but time is short, and we must be willing to take chances before all is lost. What if you and I went ourselves, as ambassadors of the newly freed West Jidorik? Surely they would not harm us during peace talks?"

"Lady Maria, that is madness! You are with child, and as vital a symbol to our country as General Christophe. We can't risk sending you into the hands of the enemy!"

"I must agree, Maria. There is no way I'd allow you to leave the castle in your condition."

"But Narsille is not our enemy yet. We are still on the same terms that Ralse was with them. Tense, but not openly hostile. If we went to them on diplomatic terms, they would have to treat us as they would any royalty from any other nation. While there we could surely learn what we need to know. If they are preparing for war, there will be signs of it. As long as we are careful to not ruffle any feathers, I feel we can enter the city, learn what we need to know, and safely leave. Besides, I fear Cassandra may have stuck her nose where it didn't belong one too many times, and is now paying for it. We must at the very least attempt to rescue her, should we not?"

Draco remained silent for a few moments while he considered his wife's words. They were wise, as they always were, but still very dangerous. But Cassandra did need rescued, and Narsille's plans needed to be uncovered. It was another tough decision in a steady stream of tough decisions. The first decision to stand and fight the East was the easy one, everything that had followed had grown steadily more complex and ambiguous. This was not the East, and the problems that he faced now were foreign to his warrior mind. He had never thought much of the world outside of Jidorik, but now that he was ruler of West Jidorik it was his responsibility to make sure his country had a firm place in the new world. He didn't like all the new advancements in technology that poured from Narsille in recent years, but if he was to maintain his rule, he must now embrace them, and use them to his own advantage. He looked down at the strange device Cassandra had brought him, called a radio. Such a strange object! It almost seemed like magic to him when he heard voices come from it. Could the fate of his country, and even the entire world, really hinge on such technology? He hoped the fate of men could still be turned by the hands of men and the way of the warrior like he had been taught, but he feared those times may really be fading, and he was the last of a dying breed. Maybe Ralse was right after all?

Draco thought it over and made his decision. He would continue to follow in Ralse's footsteps and pretend to talk peace with Narsille, while secretly working against them.

"Yes, we will find Cassandra and discover what Narsille is planning while there. But you will stay here, Maria. I will go with my own group of trusted advisors while you stay and rule in my stead. Will you do this for me?"

Maria looked at her husband who she had feared lost for so long, and holding back tears reluctantly agreed.

"Yes...I will follow your orders, even though I am loathe to lose you yet again. Will this radio really allow me to talk to you, even though you are many hundreds of miles away?"

"Yes, as long as I am able to speak, you will hear my voice, no matter where I am."

"Then I will wait for you again, although my heart aches at the thought."

"Then it is settled! We leave at daybreak for Narsille. Farin, send message to the city that we are coming on peaceful terms and ready the chocobos for departure."

"At once, my lord."

"Maria, I will return to you safely, I promise. Nothing will keep me away from you a second longer than necessary. Will you wait for me?"

"Yes, Draco...I will wait."

Maria's lips said yes, but her heart was still struggling with the idea to let him leave her side. Something deep inside her told her Draco would not be coming back to Jidorik again. Events were coming together faster and faster, and the future was growing more uncertain by the day. Would she really be able to wait for him this time?