Cecil never moved.

Kain went on patrol and back twice, taking well over an hour each time to thoroughly search for any evidence that Kefka, Exdeath, or Ultimecia would return to finish what they started. Both times he returned, he found Cecil in the exact same position, knelt on the ground next to Rosa. Elbows resting on the throne, with his hands clasped so tightly around hers that his knuckles were white. Head bowed, shoulders slumped down as though he was praying.

Kain realized that he probably was praying, maintaining his constant vigil at her side. He could see from where he was across Sanctuary that Cecil needed rest. The more he stared at his back, the more he saw the tremble in the backs of his knees and the slight swaying of his form.

He already knew it was futile to even try and convince him to come away now, even if it was for Cecil's own sake. Cecil had already done this once before. His involvement in the event known by Cosmos' warriors as 'The Chaos Civil War' was practically legendary, and was still talked about as the representation of Cosmos' values and what it meant to be one of her champions. Kain had heard the story more than once from those who were there, and even those who weren't there but knew. Back then, they were unable to pry Cecil from Golbez's side, a man that he barely knew at that point. Now that it was Rosa who was injured, there was little point in even trying. Kain could tell how much it meant to him to stay with her.

Still, he knew Cecil needed rest. He resolved to bring him food, water, or any other aid that he sorely needed. He wouldn't even ask Cecil to move.

He crossed Sanctuary and headed for him, but before he got far Tidus and Yuna intercepted him. And, trailing behind to his surprise, Lightning.

"Hey. You're gonna go talk to Cecil, right?" Tidus asked.

"Yes."

"Is there anything we can do for him? He probably hasn't slept or anything . . . Should we go tell him to rest?"

Kain shook his head. "Unfortunately, he won't listen. He cares too much about Rosa to leave her side. He'll stay there, either until she wakes up or the cycle ends. Whichever comes first." Tidus looked away, and Kain realized how pessimistic and apathetic his words sounded. He added, "I was actually about to go ask if I could bring him anything. I'm sure he could use it."

"And what about Rosa?" Yuna asked. "How is she doing? We did all that we could for her, at least until the White Magic stopped working. Has she gotten any better?"

" . . . I'm not sure. I haven't been to see her yet. I'll check on them both, and I'll let you now if there's anything you can do. I appreciate your concern, all of you." Kain remembered Cecil telling him at one time that he and Tidus had been called at the same time, and ever since were steadfast friends. One of Cecil's best friends in the conflict, if Kain remembered correctly. It showed how much Tidus cared, despite Cecil snapping at him earlier in the confusion.

Lightning stepped forward and held out her hand. "Can you give this to Cecil?" She handed it over to him, and he cupped the small item in his hands. It looked like a small, purple teardrop fashioned out of a crystal-looking material. "It's a Purple Drop. It's supposed to help regenerate power faster. I don't know if it'll even help him at this point, but it's practical. It may help later."

"Thank you," Kain said, closing his fist around it, touched by their display of solidarity and compassion. He nodded his leave and continued his trek across Sanctuary to Cecil. He stepped up the stairs behind him, and felt the air of Rosa's presence stretched out on the throne in front of him. He kept his gaze strictly on Cecil, and away from her. He wasn't quite ready to face what she looked like. If he looked at her, at her injuries, he knew he would lose every piece of his fortitude and break down too.

Even Cecil's shoulders trembled, and Kain thought it exhaustion, bolstering his resolve to pressure him into caring for himself. A quick sniffle told him otherwise.

"Cecil," he said. He took an authoritative tone, hoping to convey that the issue would not be up for debate. "I have water. Can I bring you anything else? Any rations? More Items?"

Cecil raised his head but did not raise his eyes. Kain noticed with a pang of pity how red and puffy his eyes were from his constant tears, and how sunken in and gaunt his face looked from exhaustion.

"Cecil?" he said again as a question, hoping it would warrant him a reply. Instead, Cecil raised one of his trembling hands and touched her shoulder, sending her the most pathetic dregs of a Cure spell. The light barely shone at all over her. His arm flopped back down onto the throne and he blinked slowly, methodically, not quite focused. He nearly toppled to the side into Kain's legs, and he reached down to steady his shoulders after the spell faded.

"That's enough," Kain said. "You've done all you can for her. You're completely spent. I'll not ask you to leave her side, but at least let me bring you something to eat. And here," he said. He took the canteen he brought over and held it out to him. "Drink something." Cecil didn't move his hand from Rosa's. Kain shook the canteen in front of his face, allowing him to hear the water sloshing around inside of it.

"I - I'm fine," he stammered, his voice thick and hoarse with tears. "I don't know if I can even stomach anything right now." His eyes welled up all over again, and he crumbled in front of Kain. "I'm so nervous. I can't lose her."

Kain couldn't keep his eyes from her any longer. Though most of the smaller cuts and scrapes were completely healed or mostly healed, the largest of the cuts on her torso and legs were still openly bleeding, saturating the white bandages with varying shades of red. The bruise on her cheek was still blooming, sporting every color from the most sickly of yellows to the most horrific of blacks. Her eye down to her jaw was discolored, and the scratches on top of it were angry and coarse. Her lip had a small split in it, and as his eyes trailed downwards over the rest of her form, lying limp on the throne, he made sure to catch just one shallow, hitched rise and fall of her chest, if only to ensure it was still there. To ensure that they hadn't lost her while he was gone.

Her clothes and hair were still covered in combinations of dried blood and fresh blood, and some was still smeared on her skin. They hadn't yet had the chance to clean her up. Her right hand and fingers were crudely splinted, placed in a glove and tied with Ribbons to the curvature of some beast's claws that Kain couldn't identify. While he was gone, the other warriors must have made a call for Accessories. They had outfitted her with healing crystals, drops and gems of different colors for regeneration, safety rings and bells, Iifa leaves, and other knick knacks they had collected and used in battles. They displayed them around her and laid them on her, looking like offerings at a shrine to a fallen goddess.

He was reminded again of everyone's concern and generosity.

Cecil sniffed and blinked again, and Kain saw a fresh track of tears spill from his irritated eyes. He wanted to say something hopeful and encouraging, but looking at Cecil, he wouldn't believe him anyway. He wasn't even sure if he'd believe himself. Charisma and eloquence weren't his strong suit, and they both already knew her recovery would be nothing short of a miracle if it happened at all.

He settled on, " . . . You won't lose her-"

"I can't let her die here, Kain. Not in this conflict, and not like this."

"I understand, but you're no help to her like this."

"Of course I am! If I can at least heal her enough to be Purified, then she'll wake up next cycle and we can - we can start all over again. I could accept that as long as she returns to the cycle. I just have to make sure she does."

He couldn't immediately find anything to say that could even attempt to address the depth of emotion Cecil just reached. " . . . At least drink something. Eat something." He looked over his shoulder to Tidus and Yuna, and gave them a large nod. 'Food,' he mouthed to them, and they gladly took off towards the warriors' stock pile for food and rations they traded from Moogles. "And this is from Lighting." Without asking, he took one of the strings of beads in Cecil's hair, gently pushing them up the lock. He took the leftover string and looped it around the tip of the drop several times until he was sure it would hold and let it dangle there.

"Thank you," he whispered. And that seemed to break some of the spell. When Kain held out the little canteen, Cecil actually let go of Rosa's hand long enough to take it from him and take a long drink. His face scrunched up, throat probably raw and sore from crying and from whispering spells nonstop. Kain circled around to Rosa's right side and sat down near her hip. He reached over her and brushed a piece of her golden hair away from the bruise on her cheek. He looked at the wet, stained bandages and briefly thought to change them, if only to do something of value for her. He quickly rejected the thought. Though he knew basic first aid and battlefield care, he knew Lightning and Squall were far better equipped to care for her in conventional ways.

Cecil's words echoed in his head as he looked down at her. "If I can at least heal her enough to be Purified, then she'll wake up next cycle and we can start all over again." It made him embarrassed that he even conceptualized taking advantage of her lack of memory. "I can't lose her." Neither could he, in his own way. She didn't love him romantically, and probably never would. Despite that, a platonic love could be just as fulfilling as a romantic love, if he only thought it was. She loved him with all that she could with what she felt for him - and though it was not the way he wanted, he wished he had cherished it.

He had not appreciated it nearly enough, allowing his stubborn jealousy to impede in their relationship. Now, any kind of love they had to offer each other was gone for good. He was supposed to be hopeful, but he knew deep down that she was gone, and all of the sentiments with her.

He touched Rosa's wrist, keeping away from her injured hand. He would only be able to touch her until Shinryu came and whisked every trace of her away from the world and never returned her.

The weight sank into his heart, and painful emotion twinged. It radiated into his whole chest, and he couldn't stop his tears from finally welling up and spilling down his cheeks.