That morning I was awoken by Mog who quickly shook me awake. As I sat up, he ran to my doorway and jumped up and down franticly.

"What...What is it Mog?" I got up from my bed and opened the door, at which I instantly heard barking and yelling coming from the deck above. I followed Mog up the nearest stairs and stopped in the hallway that led to the room where Setzer keeps the injured and sick. The first thing that entered my mind was that something was wrong with Shadow; he had stayed in the room sense we defeated Kefka because he was very injured and in recovery, and his dog, Interceptor, stayed with him. Mog continued to lead me and we both stopped in front to the doorway to the room; Relm, Strago, Interceptor, and Sabin were auguring with one of Setzer's people, the one who lets people in and out of the room of the injured and sick.

"I want to see Shadow! Let me in!" Relm cried out to the man, but the man shook his head in disapproval.

"No, I can't do that. He's in critical condition."

"I thought he was doing better." I stated, joining the conversation, at which I almost instantly regretted.

"He was, but now he's doing worse and we have yet to figure out why."

"You know, sometimes seeing friends and family helps people in critical condition." Sabin explained, trying to convince the man to let them go in, but the man shook his head again.

"I thought Shadow didn't have a family."

"He does! He has Interceptor!" Strago yelled out angrily while Interceptor continuing barking at the man.

"And we're his family! Now let us in!" Relm cried out offended, almost crying. The man was about to say something when Shadow called out from inside the room.

"Would you let them in?! I want to see them!" The man sighed and unlocked the door.

"Alright, go on in. Try not to make it worse though."

"Of course! What do you take us for?!" Relm cried out again, offended once more. The man opened the door and has we all hustled inside, Shadow called to the man again.

"I want a nicer man in charge of my door...you tell Setzer that, alright?"

"Ok, I'm sorry." As the man closed the door, locking it, we all stood in shock; Shadow had his armor on still, but he wasn't wearing his mask. He had dark brown hair, the same colored eyes as Relm, and almost the same facial structure as her. Interceptor leaped onto the bed and laid down beside him, I and Sabin walked to the left side of his bed, Strago walked in front of the bed, and Relm stood in her place in front of the door, more shocked then any of us.

"Shadow...your mask...why...?" I started but Shadow cut me off by raising his hand.

"I rather not talk about it. It's a long story." Shadow looked at Relm with regret. "And a sad one at that." Interceptor whined as Shadow grunted in pain. I laid my hand next to his shoulder and smiled.

"Are you going to be fine?" Sabin asked him, just as worried as the rest of us. Shadow looked at us in pain, but managed a smile which made me smile; in all my life that I've known him, it was the first time I've see him smile, I didn't even know he could smile.

"I'll live through it..." Shadow grunted out, shifting his position a bit. All of a sudden there was a knock at the door. As we turned to look, we realized Relm was still standing there in that spot.

"Relm, are you..." Strago was about to ask her, but the door opened and Setzer peeked inside.

"I...I have to say it's about time for you two to go now. I have to get this ship airborne again or it'll never fly again." He spoke with some shame in his voice. He noticed Relm who didn't budge at all, so Setzer gently pushed her but she continued to not move. "Um...Relm...you ok?" Relm then slowly walked up beside Strago, still staring at Shadow, who looked back with shame.

"Can you tell?" Shadow asked her, wondering if she could tell what he already knew. Relm walked in front of me and Sabin and beside Shadow.

"I...I know you..." Relm finally said in a weak voice. Shadow slowly smiled and I thought I saw a faded tear fall on his cheek.

"Yes...you do...from a long time ago." Shadow replied with a weak voice of pain. He took Relm's hand which made Strago jerk to my side to get closer to Relm. "I'm sorry...I promised I'd be there for you and her...and I wasn't. I'm so...so sorry..." Shadow then cried a couple of tears which made me tear up a bit, and I thought I heard Sabin choke up a bit.

"It's ok Dad...really." Relm said with a smile, taking his hand with both hands. The four of us stood shocked...dad?! Relm had a father...and it was Shadow?!

"Dad? Relm what are you..." Strago walked next to Relm but Relm pushed him away.

"I want to stay with Dad." Relm looked at us in seriousness. Strago struggled to find the right words, but couldn't say anything. He looked at Setzer who shrugged.

"I...I don't know Strago. If Relm says that's her dad, it's her dad. She doesn't lie." Setzer began to close the door but then peeked in once more. "So...who's leaving and who's staying?"

"I'm staying." Relm said to Setzer with a smile.

"But Relm..." Strago walked closer to Relm but she pushed him away again.

"No! I'm staying with Daddy!" Shadow looked at Strago and I could see regret still in his eyes. Shadow looked back to Relm and turned her to face him as well.

"Relm...you belong in Tharnasa. You have to go back."

"Then you come to. You'll be alright." Relm tugged on his arm which made Shadow grunt a little bit.

"No, Relm, I can't." Shadow toke his arm back and laid it back down beside him, but Relm only held his hand again.

"Why not?"

"Because I...I just can't."

"That's not an excuse!" Relm tugged on his arm again. Strago tried to stop her but she pushed him away once again. "You can't leave me again!"

"No, Relm...I didn't, I..."

"No! You can't abandon us this time Daddy!" Relm cried out in tears. Strago grabbed her and tightly kept her from grabbing Shadow any further.

"No...I...I didn't...I..." Shadow looked away ashamed, and I saw a single tear fall from his cheek again. "I had to leave..."

"Why...why did you?" Relm screamed out like her heart was breaking...I guess that's what was happening to her, again.

"I...I did something wrong...and I couldn't bear to make you and your mother live through it." Shadow looked at Relm who finally calmed down enough to listen. "I can't go back there...there's...to many regrets, I can't bear to live through again. I'm sorry." Relm looked down saddened as Shadow looked away in shame once again.

"Really...I do need to get this thing flying." Setzer repeated himself from before.

"We know that, we're working on it!" Sabin yelled at him making him jump back.

"You have serious issues that need sorting boy." Setzer left the door open and walked out. Relm turned to Strago, managing to release herself from his grasp.

"Strago...please...I don't want to leave without him."

"Relm, he..." He started but Relm continued, looking down at the floor.

"But I don't want to make him go back there. Please Strago? Can we live somewhere else?" Strago looked at Shadow who looked back disheartened, but showed a small hint of a smile. Strago kneeled in front of Relm and smiled.

"Alright..." Relm jumped up and down and Interceptor barked happily. "But where are we going to live?" Relm stopped jumping and looked at him discouraged and Interceptor whined.

"Um...I, uh...I'll figure that out right now!" Relm ran out of the room and I could hear her steps echoing down the hallway.

"You, I want to talk to." Strago walked up beside Shadow at which Interceptor growled silently.

"Oh no...the talk from the old man." Strago glared at him while I and Sabin laughed on our way out. Once out of the room, the man guarding it looked in and then closed the door, locking it again. As we were walking down the hall, Sabin looked in one of rooms and smiled, laughing.

"I'm going to have a chat with my dear brother, and see if I offer some girl-advice for him."

"What's he doing in there?" I smiled with him, making him laugh again.

"He's pacing around reading a book...no doubt a book that he's trying to get information on how to actually talk to a girl. See you later Terra."

"See you later Sabin." As Sabin sneaked into the room, I continued down the hallway laughing to myself. Once I went down the stairs, I looked into a room and saw Relm ripping through a book. I laughed out loud and Relm looked up, smiling at me.

"Hello Terra!" She called out, returning to the book.

"What are you doing Relm? You're killing that book!" I jokingly cried out, but Relm only smirked at me, continuing to look through it.

"It's already dead, believe me. And I'm trying to find a good place that'll be great for not only me, but also Strago and Dad."

"Oh, right. Good luck on that Relm."

"Thanks!" She called out as I turned to leave, but once I turned, I nearly ran into Locke.

"I'm sorry; I should've watch where I was going. You alright?"

"Yeah, I fine. You ok?" Locke rubbed his arm with his other hand and stared past me, slightly scared and sightly reluctant.

"Um, well...sort of, I guess. Um...listen, Terra. I'm sorry if made you uncomfortable last night. I didn't mean to do that to you. I'll try to make it up, I promise."

"It's fine Locke, really. It was a long day and...and a long night." Locke managed a laugh but I noticed it was a fake one, but I let it pass.

"Yeah, we were all just tired." I nodded my head and slipped pasted him, but he grabbed my arm and turned me towards him again. "Um, Terra...is it alright if I find you later...to talk?"

"Sure, anytime." He smiled and let go of my arm. I was about to walk on, but I saw Relm hanging on the side of the door way staring at the two of us.

"You going to kiss her yet?" She asked Locke, at which he instantly became red, but I was glad that he whirled around to glare at Relm, because I knew I was red to.

"Relm, you little..." Locke warned, and I could hear the anger boiling inside him. But Relm must've seen it as a game, as she ran down the hallway with the book in her hands, laughing, so Locke chased after her. I laughed a little when Relm did a ziz-zag that Locke couldn't perform and he skidded into the wall, falling onto the floor, as Relm continued up the stairs. Locke got up onto his hand and knees and looked down the hallway at me with an anxious look. "That never happened!" He pointed out, but I laughed, smacking my knees. Relm came back down the stairs and stood by Locke.

"Oh, yes it did." She explained. Locke struggled back up and continued his chase after her, but I knew she'd be fine because I could still hear her laughing.