A/N: New website quirk—the site eating up chunks of text. The last short story I posted ended up missing words in a few places, and I promise you, they were where they were supposed to be in MS Word. Oh, this site. How it continually strives to annoy me. First the page break debacle, and then the italics debacle, and now this. ANNOYED.

About this chapter—it was a mutant. And it kept getting longer and longer and longer…it's amazing how many words arguments devour…and how mentally taxing they are, haha.

So. Something happened. I was originally going to keep this chapter and what is now the following chapter, as one whole piece…HOWEVER. I developed an extreme case of writer's block on the second half of the chapter and because of this, didn't feel it was fair to keep all of you waiting on tenterhooks while I tried to sort some silly plot issues out…and honestly? Had I not split things up, this chapter would have ended at 15k and…that would have taken at least three more weeks to finish.

I'm thinking of you guys, I promise!

Thus, I give you…chapter 23. And also:

"I've been om-nom-nom-ing on his soul for ten years now, and I happen to like the taste."

(random nerd reference…please tell me someone gets it, lol)

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Turn Coat

Edge felt he had been laudably patient these past few days. He had kept to himself on the downward journey to the crystal chamber. He had said nothing since their near brush with death and subsequent burial; and as he glared at the back of the dragoon in front of him, he felt that someone ought to award him a medal for saying nothing in the past several hours. Because, by the twin moons, he'd dearly wanted to. The dragoon's diamond studded armor reflected the dim cavern light like small prisms, and it played tricks on the eyes. It seemed the man was slipping in and out of the shadows—much as he had been slipping in and out of lucidity.

Edge glanced at Rosa who was clutching onto Cecil's arm, fighting fatigue. Her quiver of arrows was nearly depleted, and the cape she wore was flecked with blood, some of it, her own. The paladin beside her was doing admirably at keeping the both of them upright; despite, Edge was sure, the stifling weight of his armor. How he was able to persevere and say so little, was a form of masochism presently lost on the ninja; but he was sure that the moment he said his piece, the paladin would not be so sparing in his words. The man's patience couldn't possibly be that complete.

And then there was Rydia, who was keeping pace at Edge's right, looking ahead with a far-off gaze. Her lips were pursed into a frown, and she had one brow angled in concentration as her thoughts traveled paths he knew not where. Perhaps she was struggling with the same plight as himself; trying to determine the best time to pull aside their unflagging leader and speak the truth to him through that thick head of white hair of his. It was not an undertaking to be done lightly, and Edge had been considering the timing for several hours. Unfortunately, as their ascent quickened, and their proximity to the surface increased, he knew he was running out of opportunities. The peace would soon have to be broken.

They eventually paused to rest in the same warding as they had the day before; and Edge seized the moment, dragging a much put-upon Rydia with him. Cecil looked displeased before Edge had even opened his mouth—which truly begged a different question altogether—if the paladin had suspected this all along, why had he done nothing?

Edge waited until they had walked across half of the chamber, and were out of earshot from the others, before confronting Cecil directly. Edge squared his stance, preparing for conflict, and Rydia was doing a clever job of pretending to blend in with the rocks behind her. That was fine, Edge decided—she was here out of courtesy more than anything. Besides, an army of two was still better than one.

"Something's wrong," he announced, unable to think of anything clever or less obvious. He hoped Cecil wouldn't have him specify, conscious as he was of the dragoon sitting on the other side of the chamber.

Cecil frowned, glancing over Edge's shoulder.

Ah yes, he knew.

"Something?" Cecil queried, and Edge knew what the paladin was doing—admitting suspicion while not admitting his friend's duplicity.

Edge fought back the urge to curse. Why did he have to be so damn loyal?

"You know exactly who and exactly what," he answered with careful precision. Edge hadn't had to think this much about his words in ages and he found the entire exercise exhausting.

"What proof do you have?" Cecil asked instead, looking haggard, and very much older than he was.

"He's been out of his mind since the moment we entered this cave—and even before," Edge explained, half-expecting an interruption. "He has lapses in his memory, lapses in judgment—you've seen it yourself, how he's struggled through battle like a sleeper. He's put us into danger more times than I can count in the last few hours alone, and he's been talking to himself, Cecil. Last I was aware, that was a symptom of insanity."

Cecil listened to all of this gravely, but he wasn't entirely moved. "What would you have me do?"

"Something!" Edge hissed, glancing momentarily at Rydia, whose eyes had become wide with anxiety. "Golbez had his hooks in the man before—what's to stop him from doing it again?"

"You think Golbez could reach him from this far?" Cecil asked with a cold laugh, running his fingers through his long, tangled hair.

"If he's as good a mage as you say he is, I don't see why his influence couldn't reach this far," Edge pointed out. "What's to stop Kain from turning on us again? What's to stop him from taking the crystal from us and returning to his former master?"

Cecil's eyes blazed with anger, and Edge took a quick step back, momentarily afraid the man would strike him.

"He would have already done so, if that were the case," Cecil said darkly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword for balance. Edge eyed him carefully, wary that he might actually draw his weapon.

"Or is it possible that he still needs us?" Edge asked, trying to be careful with his words again. "Our chances of escaping this place alive are better if we are five, and not one. What if he's waiting until our guard is down—when we're nearly free of this place before he plants his attack?"

"He is a dragoon," Cecil replied, as if this meant something. "He is one of the best knights I have ever had the privilege to serve with. If he were to make a move, he would have already done so. He was the first to cross the ropes we tethered to escape the crystal chamber—why didn't he cut them once he was across and leave us there to die?"

Edge had to admit, the man had him on logic there, but the fact remained—there was more evidence stacked against the dragoon than there was to vindicate him.

"He's dangerous, Cecil. As an ally, he is an excellent sword arm, but he's been compromised, and that makes him doubly dangerous. He's not himself."

"What do you suggest I do? Leave him here on suspicion alone?" Cecil bristled, standing to his full height. Edge despised it when the knight pulled rank on him in this fashion—reminding him that he was out-classed in both height and stature. Edge flicked his gaze to Rydia, who was pursing her lips again, afraid to step between the two of them. His gaze met hers, and she had a fleeting look of panic that he was daring to pull her into this—but truth be told, he needed her now. He needed that slight but steely resolve that she had when speaking to the paladin. Cecil had a soft spot for her, and Edge intended to exploit that now.

"Rydia? Do you have something to add?" Cecil asked, keeping his voice blessedly level. Anything more, and Edge was convinced Rydia might bolt in the opposite direction.

She looked back at Edge, hoping for his support, and he gave it with a nod. She cleared her throat and her blue eyes turned on Cecil.

"He's not wrong, Cecil," she said, and her voice sounded dry and hesitant. "I've noticed the same things, and I've worried about them myself. There were times when I needed Kain's support in battle, and he was too lost in some other world to come to my aid. He mutters to himself when most of us aren't looking—arguments usually. I don't know what about, but it's unsettling all the same. Rosa's been tense as well, sensing most of this, I'm sure," she added, dropping her gaze to the floor at the mention of the white mage.

Edge raised his brows, a little impressed she'd decided to go for Cecil's weak flank at all, and he held his breath, waiting for the other man's response.

Cecil was staring at the summoner, that soft consideration he so often spared on her, but his gaze was also critical. He was weighing her words, thinking through his options. Edge watched the paladin as well, trying to read the man's thoughts through his expressions. He prided himself on his ability to read people, but what he was seeing, was not reinforcing his hopes.

"Cecil, you must do something," Edge prodded, trying to spur him down the desired course of action.

Cecil sighed, and looked at Edge briefly, and then at the encampment. "He could have betrayed us before, and he did not. He could very well betray us now, and he is not. Until I have an actual reason to leave him behind, I will not. For now, he stays," he said, striding past the two of them. Over his shoulder he called back, "If he gives me reason to think otherwise, I'll be sure to reassess my decision."

Edge watched the paladin return to their encampment; his back straight, and his shoulders squared. He was every inch the captain of Baron as Edge might have expected—and he was very much a fool when it came to matters of the heart.

Edge turned away, and began to pace out of frustration.

"That man would let himself walk into the mouth of a volcano and not question its intentions," he muttered furiously, kicking at loose stones, and then paused to stare at the cavern walls for inspiration.

"What are we going to do?" Rydia asked him, and it took Edge a moment to realize she was honestly asking him and not bemoaning their circumstances.

He looked at her sharply. "Do you have any spells that might be useful?"

She tilted her head slightly to the side, her eyes narrowed. "What did you have in mind?"

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There were several hours between Edge's less than satisfying conversation with Cecil, and where their upward climb had brought them. The Sealed Cave was more annoying trying to climb out of, if possible, than it had been going down.

And then there was the matter of Kain, who had become so reclusive, and so scarce on words, that he had practically ceased to exist.

Edge had been waiting for another opportunity to present itself to take care of that particular problem—he and Rydia both. The difficulty was Cecil, who now paid an obscene amount of attention to the dragoon; so much so, that it was almost impossible to find the man alone. Edge had been seeking ways to separate the two; and at last, the cavern was cooperating by providing just the right combination of blind corners for the task, and a useful assortment of fiends. Edge had finally found exactly what he needed—a distraction.

Their battles had become predictable, formulaic, and Edge knew what Kain would do before he even took to the air. He knew where the dragoon sought his landings, where there were holes in his defenses—and he knew where is armor was weakest. After he'd slain a few pesky fiends just beyond Cecil's line of sight, and had taken great pains to ensure that Kain would stray to his side of the battle, Edge made his move. He stepped inside Kain's blind spot, and aimed for the chink in his armor at the base of his skull, planting a quick and decisive blow to a particularly useful cluster of nerves. Kain crumpled instantly, his knees buckling and his armor hitting the ground in a series of jarring metal clinks and thuds.

Rydia had finished her magic casting and was now looking in Edge's direction with a nervous look on her face. Edge flicked his eyes meaningfully toward where Cecil and Rosa had last been, and Rydia seemed to understand, serving as his look-out.

"We don't have much time," she said quietly, bending down to check on Kain, who was breathing in shallow gasps. "What did you do to him?" she asked, raising her eyes to his, with a touch of admiration mingled with concern.

Edge smirked, pleased by her regard. "I have my secrets," he replied, stifling the urge to boast about just how familiar he was with the pressure points of the body and their various uses.

She rolled her eyes, and he wondered if he should make a game of counting how many times a day he could succeed in making her do so, until he was distracted by her soft chanting.

Her eyes were closed, and Edge took a moment to gaze on her. She was maddeningly adorable, with her elfin features, long lashes, and wild green hair. He could never move past how she communed with such power, or associated with such legendary beings, and remained as innocent as she was. How did she seem to simply escape the gravity of the world about her, to rise above it, without leaving it completely? But beneath her skin she was very much like the underworld itself—a hidden layer of fire beneath a surface of solid resolve. And then, on the other hand, she was also blessedly naïve; and he had come so close—

She completed her incantation, and Edge's eyes returned to their prone companion on the cavern floor, sleeping soundly.

Rydia rocked back on her heels, sighing. "That sleep spell should hold for an hour at least," she informed him.

He nodded, pulling the dragoon's arms backwards and dragging him to a more secluded area.

"Damn, he's heavy," he complained, as he yanked the armor-clad man behind a rock column.

Rydia volunteered to lift the knight's feet, and she nearly lost her footing as she stumbled under his weight. Edge did his best not to laugh, as he was sure she wouldn't appreciate it; and he did appreciate her assistance.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" she asked, once they had left him hidden among the rocks. "He is defenseless, after all."

Edge had never been fond of leaving anyone to die without a means to defend themself; but he was also rather much fonder of having a world to return to, than he was preoccupied over the safety of one man.

"He's fully armed, and we've cleared this area of fiends," Edge reasoned, "If he's truly as great a dragoon as everyone claims, I'm sure he'll be fine."

Rydia was looking at him as though he were mad, and she had that guilty look on her face as if she'd just made herself party to something that went against her moral code.

"It needed to be done," he reminded her, assuaging her guilt with duty. They didn't have the luxury of time to argue.

They returned to the open chamber, and with no small amount of luck, Rosa and Cecil had only just ventured back to see how he and Rydia had fared.

"Are any of you injured?" Rosa asked, looking them up and down.

Cecil's eyes, instead, went straight to Edge's. "Where's Kain?" he asked.

Thank goodness for masks, Edge decided, because for some reason, the paladin's gaze brought with it a compelling need to tell the truth-and he was not about to do that.

"He said he was going to make sure the path behind us was clear," he lied, keeping the inflection from his voice.

"There's been more than enough time for that," Cecil argued, looking more irritated than usual.

Edge shrugged, hoping it came off as bored and not dishonest. "I'm not his keeper, Cecil. Perhaps he's had another relapse."

"That's what he told us, anyway," Rydia, blessedly, chimed in.

Cecil took his measure of the both of them, not fully satisfied, but too tired to argue with them.

"We'll wait until he returns," Cecil announced, much to Edge's irritation.

"He's a dragoon," Edge angrily pointed out, repeating one of Cecil's earlier assertions. "If he says he's gone to ensure that the area's safe, I'm sure he'll be able to find us if we continue without him."

"What's going on?" Rosa asked, looking from Cecil to the two of them. "Is there something the rest of you know, that I don't?"

Cecil glared at Edge, and with raised brows, the ninja all but dared him to reveal his lack of a plan to his lady love.

"It's nothing, Rosa," Cecil said at last, turning to look at her. "I'd just like to keep the five of us together, if possible."

If possible.

Edge allowed himself a private victory. They would be moving on without the dragoon after all.

"I suppose he'll have to catch up," Cecil added with a heavy sigh and a dark look, rubbing his temples.

Rosa, in the meanwhile, scrutinized each of them, confusion on her face.

They collected their gear, shouldering their packs, and returned to the main path. Edge exchanged a glance with Rydia, and the summoner's expression was bleak—as if this secret they shared was too much to keep secret for long.

They continued without Kain, and it was all Edge could do to keep from looking over his shoulder, wondering if the knight they'd left behind had regained consciousness and was following them. It wasn't until they had covered a significant distance, that Rosa called them to a halt. Her stance was accusatory, and she had a glint of steel in her eyes.

"Someone explain," she demanded, spreading her long fingers out along her hips, and tapping her right forefinger impatiently.

"Explain what?" Edge replied, attempting a perplexed expression, which Rosa was clearly not accepting.

"It's been hours and we're nearly out of the cave. Where's Kain?" she asked.

Edge saw Rydia grimace out of the corner of his eye, and he frowned, knowing what was to follow.

Cecil took a few steps toward them. "What have the two of you done?" he asked, unable to hide his anger.

Edge let out a long slow breath. "What was necessary," he answered succinctly.

"You did what?" Rosa insisted, frowning, as she looked at Rydia. "Where is he?"

"I'm sure he's fine," Edge objected, not allowing Rydia to buckle under the pressure from Rosa's glare. The white mage turned her icy stare to him, and he had to admit, for a healer, she was a formidable woman.

"I'll ask you again," Cecil said, his tone rising. "What have you done?"

Edge folded his arms across his chest in defiance. "What you should have done, had you been thinking clearly. We can't take him with us. The crystal is too great a temptation.

"So you left him behind?" Cecil asked, incensed. "And, I imagine, wounded as well?"

"Not wounded," Edge protested. "Temporarily senseless."

"And you had a hand in this?" Cecil inquired of Rydia, who was looking guiltier by the minute.

"Cecil, we've come so far, and struggled so much to obtain this final crystal. We had to protect it—even if that meant from one of us," she answered, her voice wavering with anxiety as she tucked a wild tangle of hair behind her ear.

"I was keeping my eye on him!" Cecil snapped, not sure who to blame more.

"Cecil, you've suspected Kain all this time?" Rosa asked, stepping into his line of sight. "Why did you keep all of this from me?"

"Rosa, you have been carrying the five of us through peril and injury, I couldn't have you carry this as well."

She scoffed. "And to think I wasn't already carrying it?" she asked angrily. "Why did you say nothing? We could have come up with another solution than leaving him trussed up in the bowels of the earth. And you," she added, piercing Rydia with a look, "should have been more forthcoming. This is unlike you to keep so many secrets."

Rydia looked remarkably close to tears, and it was not something Edge wanted to see repeated.

"You should have listened to Rydia when she'd warned you before," Edge retorted, diverting their attention to himself once more.

"You came up with this plan, did you?" Rosa asked.

"What would you have done?" Edge volleyed. "Talked him out of it?"

"I would have ensured that the crystal was beyond his reach," Rosa said. "And that was if Golbez had plans to use him again."

"Golbez already has his scent. You can be sure, if he were to use anyone for such a delicate operation as this, it would be Kain."

"You don't know that for certain," Cecil argued.

"Were you really waiting to find out?" Edge asked.

Cecil set his jaw, anger in his eyes. "He is my friend, and despite recent events, I still owe him my loyalty."

"At the price of the rest of the world?" Edge contested.

"It won't come to that," Cecil answered. "We have to go back for him."

"You can't be serious," Edge said, unable to hide his outrage.

"Very serious," Cecil replied, striding past the ninja in the direction they'd come.

Edge planted his hands on his hips, glaring at the paladin over his shoulder. "I'm not going with you, if that's the case. Give me the crystal and I'll take it out of the cave and you can then decide what to do about Kain. If you insist on holding him by the hand, that's your business. Don't drag the rest of us into it."

Cecil turned, taking a few angry steps toward Edge again. "Good luck surviving the cavern and the underworld on your own," he threatened. "What will you do with no one to support you in battle?"

"You assume I'd go alone?" he asked, looking significantly at Rydia. The summoner crossed her arms, glancing between the two men, her lips parted slightly as if to utter protest.

"I—" she began, looking mortified.

"It's your choice," Rosa interrupted, directing her statement at Rydia. "You can go with him, but wherever Cecil goes, I go."

Edge's frown deepened, knowing his chances of reaching Tomra were less without Rosa's magic.

"Well?" he asked Rydia, who appeared uncomfortable at having to choose a side.

"Is there another way?" Rydia asked, appealing to Cecil.

Cecil sighed, thinking, and then straightened when a voice surprised him from behind.

"Is there another way to where?" Kain inquired, as he stepped into view past a bend in the cavern passage. He was covered in dust and there were small rivulets of blood on his armor trailing away from old puncture wounds. He looked exhausted and more than a little irritated.

The four of them stood mute, staring at the dragoon in disbelief. Edge, for one, felt a wave of defeat rush over him.

Kain stood a few feet away, looking at each of them in confusion. "What happened?" he asked. "I regained consciousness and found that you'd all left. Did no one see me fall?"

Edge clamped his mouth shut while Cecil's accusing eyes fell on him.

"We thought you had gone scouting to clear the area of fiends," Cecil said, perpetuating Edge's lie. "We were about to turn back for you, in fact."

Kain stared at the ground, trying to recollect things that never happened. "Did I say I was?" he was baffled. "Something about this cave—my head. I think it's affecting my memory."

"Perhaps it was the blow to your head," Rosa added acerbically, also glancing at Edge, as she strode toward the dragoon to administer healing if necessary.

"Strange, I thought the doors a nuisance, but apparently this cave has more secrets than we expected," Kain replied, rubbing the back of his neck and wincing.

"You've lost some blood," Rosa observed with the studied concern of a healer, the glow of Libra spreading from her fingertips. "Bats?"

Kain shrugged, hesitant to accept Rosa's ministrations.

"You should let me see to these," she advised, her serious brown eyes boring into Kain's. He clenched his jaw, and finally allowed Rosa to cast her magic, closing his wounds.

Edge was studying him as well—watching his every move. He was surprisingly lucid, the most 'himself' he'd been in days. How convenient—to convince Cecil that all was well, and that their journey could continue un-impeded. Edge knew he would not have another chance to subdue the dragoon, and it heightened his sense of concern. How much good could vigilance be to them now?

"I'm fine, honestly," Kain grumbled. "It took me hours to catch up to you. No one thought it strange that I hadn't re-joined you?"

"I'm sorry, Kain," Cecil offered. "It seems there were miscommunications about where you might have been."

Kain frowned, puzzled. "Miscommunications?"

"You're with us now. It's a conversation we can have another time," Cecil replied.

Kain's puzzled expression deepened, but he finally sighed. "Well, then."

"We should keep moving," Cecil added. "We've wasted enough valuable time by bickering."

Edge couldn't agree more, though he sidled closer to Kain than before, determined not to have any more surprises.

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More hours had passed, and Kain's lucidity had been frighteningly consistent. They reached the final rope—their last chance to be rid of him.

Edge wanted to spring forward and take the lead. He would have control over who was allowed to cross this final gap, but Cecil suddenly took hold of his arm, rooting him in place.

"I'll go first," Cecil said. "Then Rydia, then Kain."

It was unusual for Cecil to manage them, but Edge knew it was all careful maneuvering. Kain had less of a chance of succeeding in stealing the crystal if Rydia was standing beside Cecil; and he wouldn't be tempted to cut the rope if Rosa was still on the other side. And of course, there was also penance—a reminder of who was truly in charge and a not-so-subtle reminder from Cecil that Edge could just as easily be left behind.

They crossed the rope in order and Edge arrived last, catching Cecil's eye just before they exited the cave. The paladin's gray eyes were angry, threatening, and Edge wondered if this was a side of Cecil that he tried so often to suppress. Was thisCecil the dark knight, looking out at him? He wondered if this darker side would be more likely to do what was necessary than the paladin, and if there was a way to make him see reason at all. Why was it the holy ones who always made such grave errors in judgment?

They exited the cave, coming face to face once more with the unbearable heat of the Underworld. Edge felt sweat begin to bead at his temples, and swiped it away.

The air here had always been heavy, had always been stifling on the lungs, but there was also an air of uncertainty now. Edge felt his senses sharpen with razor precision, and he kept his eyes on the dragoon. They had just walked between the still-lit torches in their stone stanchions, when Kain lurched and shook his head. In the span of a heartbeat, Edge had already drawn his blades, katana in one hand, kunai in the other.

Cecil turned at the sound, glancing at the weapons in Edge's hands and then at Kain, who was staring at his feet as though he couldn't recollect how they had gotten him to where he stood.

"What is it?" Cecil demanded, taking a few cautious steps toward his friend. Kain did not respond, swaying slightly to a pulse that had overwhelmed his own; and sensing that something was amiss, Rosa and Rydia also turned. Their twin looks of concern were pronounced but not unexpected, but only Rydia had the presence of mind to react. Her blue eyes found Edge's and never left, as she side-stepped Kain until she stood at his back, joining Edge, and completing the circle around their senseless ally. It was moments like these, Edge was glad he had chosen to reach out to her over the last few weeks. She might not have the quickness or strength of a warrior, but she had other talents, and she had proven time and again how useful they could be when she was vigilant.

"…Return to me, Kain, my pawn. Deliver to me the Crystal…"

"Golbez!" Cecil snarled, searching the area for the dismembered voice. After a moment, he looked again at Kain, and Edge saw a brief flash of panic cross the paladin's face. "Kain!" he shouted, reacting to a struggle in his friend that Edge couldn't see.

"Don't listen to him—resist him!" Rosa frantically pled, appearing as though she were torn between wanting to run to the dragoon or to nock an arrow to her bowstring.

Kain stumbled, shook his head, and looked around.

"It's all right," he mumbled, slurring his words together. "I'm—back in control of myself."

Edge looked at Cecil, but the paladin was too intent on his friend to respond. Instead, it was Rydia who replied, chanting so softly that Edge heard it only because he was standing so close to her.

"Kain," Cecil appealed, raising his hands, and taking a few steps forward. "Put down your weapons."

"Cecil—he doesn't control me," Kain replied, sounding both hurt and confused.

"He doesn't know who he is anymore!" Edge snapped. "Cecil, he's lying."

Edge saw Cecil hesitate at the crucial moment, and out of that hesitation, Kain made his move.

In the span of mere moments, several things happened at once—Kain had lunged at Cecil with a sword in his hand, drawn faster than anyone could prevent; Edge had thrown a dart that never met its mark; and Rydia's well-intentioned spell ricocheted off of an unknown barrier and struck her instead, freezing her in place.

Still trying to figure out how Kain had deflected his knife, Edge was two steps too late from stopping Kain from cutting the pouch that held the crystal from Cecil's side. Instead, he lunged for the back of the dragoon's knee; but the same barrier than had thrown his first attack far askew, nearly broke his arm as he went to execute his strike. His sword was diverted wildly to the left, snapping his wrist at a painful angle that he felt all the way up to his elbow. He fell back, watching as Kain, oblivious to almost being hamstrung, scooped up the crystal in its leather pouch and took a few steps back, brandishing his sword at both Cecil and Rosa. Cecil's sword was in his hand, the blade bright and sinister in the light from the torches, as Rosa reached over her shoulder for an arrow where there was none. Her brows drew together in consternation, as she looked to Cecil for aide. They all regarded their former companion with wary glances, each of them tense, each of them prepared to do battle.

Suddenly, Cecil rushed forward, attempting to meet Kain head-on, but he never had the chance. The same barrier that had thwarted Edge and diverted Rydia's spell, threw the paladin backwards as well, his sword knocked to the porous ground with a dull clatter.

"Bastard!" Edge shouted, knowing they were a hairsbreadth from losing the crystal if no one could lay a finger on the dragoon.

"Why are you doing this, Kain? Don't let him control you!" Rosa screamed. Her brown eyes were flooded with worry and compassion—and terror.

"You underestimate the strength of my abilities," Golbez taunted them. "I had but slackened your friend's leash, waiting for the proper moment to pull it taut. With this final Crystal, the Tower of Babil will be made complete. Come, Kain!"

"Kain, don't listen to him," Cecil threatened, keeping his voice menacingly low.

"The Crystals are all assembled," Kain answered automatically, like a sleeper. "We can open the way to the moon at last."

"Yes, come, Kain."

They watched with astonishment, as a bright matrix of light surrounded Kain, stirring up a great wind. The wind blew out the torches, and with their extinguishing, the entrance to the Sealed Cave shut behind them. Amidst the rumbling and shaking, Kain was whisked out of sight, vanishing in a clap of thunder and Golbez's cruel laugh.

When the magic had ceased, there was only four of them standing at the entrance to the Sealed Cave. The four of them without the Crystal.

"Dammit!" Edge cursed, retrieving his deflected kunai, and nursing his wounded arm.

Rosa's hands were over her mouth, holding back grief, and Cecil stood beside her, his jaw clenched with anger. A few moments later, Rydia had pulled herself free of her Stop spell, and teetered, massaging her temples.

Cecil began to pace, muttering curses, and Edge speared him with a glare.

"So much for waiting," he said bitterly.

"Keep your remarks to yourself, Edge!" Cecil shot back, clenching and un-clenching his fists.

"We could have left him behind and none of this would have happened!" Edge replied angrily.

"We would have been leaving him to die," Cecil snarled. "If we had at least reached Tomra, we could have left him in safe company-"

Edge wanted to laugh. "You really thought Golbez would wait that long—would wait until it was convenient for us? Think, Cecil!"

"I did think. I thought of the welfare of my friend!"

"A friend with a fatal flaw!" Edge returned. "You thought he was 'redeemed' when he escaped Golbez the first time? A man doesn't escape that much bitterness by sheer accident."

"What do you know of redemption?" Cecil snapped. "You, who would leave another man to die, and whose moral code seems to reside far from the center!"

Edge took a few steps forward, feeling his magic sparking through his veins.

"You know nothing about my convictions," Edge spat, "It must be so easy for you, who never had to watch your own kingdom burn to the ground! Now the rest of the world will suffer because you were too concerned for your friend's 'welfare'!"

"Silence!" Rydia commanded, her voice twined with magic—that layer of unavoidable authority that superimposed her own.

Edge intended to tell her right then and there to stay out of it, but when he opened his mouth, no sound escaped it. Cecil was similarly afflicted.

Rydia dropped her hands, and looked at the both of them fiercely. "Now listen," she said, shaking with pent up emotion. "Whether or not we had left him behind, whether or not he had caught up to us, and whether or not we had reached Tomra; Golbez would have hunted us relentlessly with or without Kain's help."

Rosa reached out for Cecil's arm, gazing up at him with sympathetic eyes.

Edge listened to this, wanting to shout with fury, and all the more furious because he couldn't. He and Cecil continued to glare at each other, breathing hard, ready to fight.

Rosa eventually began to chant, but Rydia interrupted her. "Rosa, don't."

Rosa opened her eyes, and glanced at the summoner. "Rydia, you don't mean to keep them like this, do you?" she asked, perplexed.

Rydia pursed her lips. "It will wear off in its own time," she informed them with an appraising eye. "Hopefully long enough for the two of them to not want to kill each other," she added, glaring.

It was Edge's turn to roll his eyes, sighing, with no sound accompanying it.

"We should return to the airship," Rosa said to Cecil. "There's nothing we can do now but pursue them as we have from the beginning. I know what you would like to say and do, and I don't blame you—to have Kain's mind wrenched from us again—I want to do the same. But now is not the time. We have a job to do, and people to answer to."

Cecil looked at Rosa, anger and guilt written all over his face, but all Edge wanted was for the man to accept the blame. It was his trust that had brought them to this.

"The odds were never much in our favor to begin with," Rydia added quietly, as she walked away from the torches and toward the crevice in the rock that led out into the basin. She turned to face all of them. "I'm still willing to go wherever this path leads us. What about the rest of you?"

Edge waged a war within himself. Was it even worth it to continue? Should he leave these people to their own fate and return to his people to wait out the outcome of the war? Or did he stay, and find out where all of this intrigue led?

Rydia was still waiting for the rest of them to make up their minds, and when her blue eyes fell on his, he knew. As much as he disliked her argument and as much as he was furious that she had taken the liberty of silencing him of everything he had to say—he wouldn't allow her, a slip of a girl, to make him feel any less of a man for not following his instincts. If she would wade out into danger and peril unknowable with all of her bright-eyed innocence, he wouldn't let her do so alone.

He stepped forward, feigning nonchalance. Her expression was shocked and bemused when he came to stand beside her. Was it exasperation that he saw there as well? He smiled grimly, and then placed a dark look on Cecil, who, by all accounts, finally seemed ready to accept the truth that had been told to him all along—his friend was a traitor. They had lost more ground to Golbez today, but Edge would be damned if that wasn't put to rights.

Cecil and Rosa exchanged glances and joined them a moment later. It was decided, then. They were tethered together for their own reasons.

For Cecil, this meant justice.

For Edge—retribution.

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A/N:

Do you SEE why I split this? Goodness. Haha. Ugh. Originally, this chapter was going to be in two POV's—the first half Edge's, and the second, Rydia's. With the split, this is now entirely Edge's POV and…funny, it's his very first chapter all to himself. Aww :P

For some reason, it just felt appropriate, given the ninja's strong feelings toward the dragoon. Anyway, the next chapter is back to Rydia's POV. I will attempt to get un-stuck as soon as possible and have another update for all of you within a few weeks.

As always, thank you so much for reading and for your patience :)

AND ALSO. IMPORTANT RANDOM PIMPING OF FANDOM RELATED THINGS. I have begun a FFIV C2 community which you can find in the communities section of this archive (for those of you who've never utilized this feature of the site). It is called "By Light and Darkness Cast Aloft" and contains all of the FFIV stories I've been able to track down throughout the archive. Which is…a lot. I am actively updating the community, so if you subscribe, you'll be getting updates whenever a new story is posted. Just something new and fun and a little more streamlined for those of you who tire of poring through endless volumes of III and VI fiction…and let's face it…I'm not going anywhere for a while. I have too many stories to finish so you can expect the community to stay current ;P

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

~Myth