FFOG Chapter 6

Characters Introduced: Enkidou, Myeru

Villains Introduced: Maliris, Kraken

New Spirits Introduces: Gilgamesh, Ifrit (with Jinn), Alexander (in a vision), Diablos (with Ian), Carbuncle

Summary: Jeice, Biggs, and Wedge find themselves trapped in the underground tunnels of Colnelia, where they meet Enkidou and his friend Gilgamesh, a Great Spirit. Zel releases Maliris and Kraken to kidnap Gilgamesh, but Biggs, Wedge, and Enkidou defend him with their lives. The Potion of Life is completed courtesy of Miller and Kuro's hard work, but it fails to cure Jeice. Ian reveals that he was fused with Diablos, giving him eternal youth. Reno fuses with Carbuncle.

In Memory

Chapters in Final Fantasy OG

0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

The group turned around as Zel strolled in, followed by the cold Dove and another man with dark skin and red eyes. The threesome quickly grabbed their weapons to fight. Enkidou instantly jumped in front of them all. "You are not welcome here!"

Zel looked on, bored, "Dove... Jinn, get rid of this pest"

Dove became wrapped in ice and Jinn in flames.

Enkidou looked at them in wonder, "Ifrit... Shiva!?"

Dove formed a sword of ice to strike at Enkidou, who nimbly dodged the attack and delivered a powerful kick in return. Jinn formed a flying ball-and-chain of fire and landed the ball of fire at Enkidou, who formed a defensive pose to deflect the power. Quickly the amazing old man flipped forward and grabbed Jinn and tossed him forward at Dove. The fire and ice resulted in a blast that knocked the two of them out.

Zel raised an eyebrow, "Impressive... you are no ordinary man are you..."

Jeice, Biggs, and Wedge were equally impressed by the ability of this old man. Biggs gave his support with a "Way to go Enki!"

The scientist did not move but merely brought out a small vial and smashed it on the ground. From the ground emerged a head, then a snake like body. From it emerged a stopping serpent that stood at nearly thirteen feet, then the serpent grew six deadly arms armed with deadly curved swords. Within seconds she charged at the alarmed Enkidou and proceeded to stab him and throw him into the wall. Jeice stepped forward to fight, but a large hand stopped him. He looked back to see Gilgamesh.

"Stay here... I will handle her..." Gilgamesh said as he stepped forward and took out his blades, "Maliris... so you finally were released from the Fiery Pit..."

The serpent creature snickered, "Coward..."

The spirit crouched and took a fighting stance, "Not this time..."

In a split second he charged, using the two katanas as a shield and the two broadswords as a mean to attack. Maliris deflected the two swords, but the katanas he brought out right after was enough to cut a wound in the serpent’s side. She coiled up and howled in pain, "You haven't changed..."

Gilgamesh shook his head, "I've changed more than you will ever think..." With that he charged at her and deflecting her blows, used his free leg to kick her down, "This is for Raiden..." He brought a sword down and tossed one of her blades away, "This is for Leviathan", He then slashed at her face and removed another of her swords, "And this is for Enkidou!" With that he prepared to bring the blade down to her head. Before it reached her, his arm was seized by what looked like a black worm. His other three arms and his legs were also grabbed. He turned back his head to look; emerging from his shrine came a large black head with two boiling red eyes. He gasped, "The Kraken..."

In the meantime Maliris sunk back into the ground and vanished. The trio, realizing the danger, took the initiative to attack Kraken. Wedge, borrowing one of Biggs's knives, cut two of the tentacles and worked on the one holding Gilgamesh's leg. Biggs continued hacking at the remaining tentacles to keep them distracted, while Jeice climbed on top of the beast and proceeded to attack it. But it was in vain as the creature's massive beak bit into the back of Gilgamesh, paralyzing the spirit and sending him to the ground. As it unwrapped its tentacles to attack the trio, Jeice brought Steeltooth into its head. It let out a piercing shriek and returned underwater. The group crawled back on the water and gasped for air.

Wedge was the first one to get enough energy again; he tossed away the knife and reared his fist back as he ran to Zel. The scientist watched emotionless as the monk, boiling with anger, came racing towards him. Biggs and Jeice followed suit and came racing with him as well. Before Wedge's fist could make contact his eyes widened in horror as a ball of flame came slamming into him. His body was sent flying in the air, hitting the ceiling and falling painfully on the ground below.

"WEDGE!!!!" Biggs and Jeice cried in unison. Biggs in pure madness and hate dived at the attacker, Jinn, with his two knives. Only one knife made contact before a frozen sword impaled him from the back. His eyes widened in horror and filled with tears. He fell to his knees and looked up at Jeice in pure shock.

"Biggs!" Jeice gasped.

Biggs choked, "Jeice... I'm sorry... I didn't... keep your... secret... I'm sorry...."

With that he fell to the floor as the sword was removed, Jeice looked up at Dove, who used a piece of cloth to clean the blade. With Jinn down again from Biggs attack, he grabbed his long-forgotten spear and used it first to swipe the frozen sword away, then to use the other end to hit Dove hard in the head and then slash her side with the blade. She then fell down again, this time for the duration of the battle. Jinn raised up to attack again after pulling out the knife. He turned on Jeice and slammed his ball and chain towards Jeice, who nimbly dodged and used the momentum to swing his spear around and deck out the possessed man.

Jeice fell to his knees in anguish, tears welling up in his eyes. Yet some way from him stood Zel, ever emotionless. He stepped behind Jeice but made no movement.

"How pleasantly surprising, the group of you managed to defeat two of the Four Fiends and my two personal bodyguards..."

Jeice turned and stared at him with contempt, "Biggs, Wedge, Gilgamesh, Enki... you killed them all!"

Zel chuckled at that, "No no... Gilgamesh will be ok and will make an excellent specimen. But you, my little wizard, will be quite fun to experiment with... I wonder how long you will survive..."

Jeice stood up and prepared to swing Steeltooth at him, but was stopped by something he could not tell. He looked around; a reaper held his arm. NO! Night has fell again!

The scientist frowned, "Too bad... seems you have more important engagements... I suppose I will be seeing you... or not."

Jeice swung the sword at the reaper, but with no success. He backed away into the wall and found himself trapped in a corner. He looked down at the sword, Steeltooth.

"I'm sorry..." Steeltooth said sadly, "I'm sorry that I cannot help..."

Jeice closed his eyes and winced as the reaper raised its scythe. He suddenly heard an "ugh" and heard stomping. He opened his eyes to see the reaper be swung away by a powerful blade. Gilgamesh, battered and beaten, stood hunched over looking down at Jeice. The reaper, now in the presence of a spirit, glared in hate and passed through the ceiling back to whence it came.

Zel, after being beaten away by the spirit snarled, "I admit defeat... but next time Apalock you will not be so fortunate..."

With that he stepped into another passage different from the one Jeice had entered. Dove and Jinn then vanished as well. Jeice stood up, his emotions in utter chaos as he looked around. He walked over to Wedge and kneeled down. He was right, the hit he had taken was too much for him to live through.

He dragged Wedge next to Biggs, he then found Enkidou. The poor old man was bent up and had a horrible look on his ancient face. Jeice sadly dragged him next to the other two. Hours passed as he took stones and used them to cover the three warriors. After their graves had been made, he sat on a rock looking at the burial place of his friends. His hands trembled, his stomach felt as if it had been twisted into a knot and his head felt as if a two-ton boulder had hit it.

Later he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder, he looked up at Gilgamesh, now pale and looking drained. Jeice looked at him, trying to hide his emotions. "Are you all right?"

Gilgamesh shook his head, "No... my body was drained by that Kraken..."

"What will happen?""I will cease to be..." The spirit replied, "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Give me your hand"

Jeice held out his hand, Gilgamesh took it in his lower right arm, the only one he could still move. Gilgamesh began to glow brightly and soon Jeice was blinded. When Jeice could see again the spirit was nowhere in sight. He felt a strange sensation in his hand. A certain energy seemed to be within him again, he cast out his hand and muttered, "Cure"

A green light enveloped him, seeping into the very pores of his skin and mending cuts and bruises. Yet he did not smile. Alone he made the slow trek out the passage he saw Zel escape by.

It was late in the evening when he returned to the inn, by the time those still in the room saw him, he had collapsed on the bed in exhaustion. It would be much later until they found out about the disaster he had escaped from...

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Psycho had long since finished his little juggling act, and had been lost in his own thoughts. He felt a certain vibration in the air; I can feel it old friend, Zel was here under the bowels of this small town, but that is all. I'm going to leave the group and take care of those issues at home. I must be off to my real home, not Desdemona. I'll tell the Seamus Brothers in secret then leave. Once those matters are done I can return and avenge myself, Ian, and Sensei Lio; and all the others that monster experimented on. I'm no human, I'm an abomination... So is Ian. I can sense that he and many others suffered through that mad man's cruel experiments.

Silver replied telepathically, I understand. Tell them soon in private. I'll stay here with the group, I've decided that they should know that I can talk both out loud and mentally to them all, besides, I'll be a good helper. I'll also serve as a guarantee that you will come back alive, and I will not hold back my magic to save them if needed.

I agree. Now all I have to do is to tell them and leave... then come back alive. I'll tell them in the early morning.

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As the next morning came, all had kept an eye on Jeice. They were curious, mostly, but also a bit worried for the wizard. How he had yet again escaped the reaper they wished to know, and why Biggs and Wedge hadn't shown up yet. Steeltooth was taken from Jeice and asked several times, but the cutlass wouldn't comment.

Psycho was the only one that didn't show his concern. He had much more important matters at hand, after all. Occasionally he would mumble to them "gotta get going" or "miss my home", but no one bothered to tie them together. The samurai wasn't someone they put their concern in, anyway. They left him to his own resources.

What was more frustrating to Psycho though, was that Siddhearth remained faithfully close to Jeice. He had wanted to tell both the Seamus brothers that he was leaving, but he didn't want to draw attention by trying to drag Siddhearth away. It would be hard enough to slip out as is.

Finally unable to take it anymore, the samurai called out that he would be going to get some breakfast. He offered to bring food for the others, but added that he would have enough money for it from his own pockets.

"I'll come along, then," Cid said. He obviously wasn't willing to trust Psycho with any of the group's funds, which Psycho had been counting on. The samurai grinned privately to himself, then set his mind again.

Siddhearth wouldn't come. The only other one who would be around Siddhearth's age and position with Cid would be Wedge.

Looked like he would just have to settle for age.

"You come along too, Captain," Psycho grunted. It made good sense to tell Aaron, anyway. He always panicked when someone left, so he could at least put him at ease. And he was their leader when sailing.

"What for?" Aaron mumbled, still exhausted from the fiasco two nights ago.

"You could grow some fruit to buffer out the meal."

"I can do that here."

"Well then, a guide would be nice."

"Since when have you wanted a guide?"

"Then come... because I said so..."

Aaron sighed and got to his feet. Better to not question a man with a name like Psycho...

The others weren't very concerned with them leaving. They still watched earnestly over Jeice, or those who had been knocked out by the Scrowls listened to Mog's life story and wild fables. The three were able to slip out quietly.

When they had gone a suitable distance, Psycho quickly shuffled the other two into a deserted alley. "What is the meaning of this?" Cid asked when they had come to the end of the lane.

"Why do you want to know? Worried I'm going to assassinate you?"

"It hadn't crossed my mind until now..."

"Well don't worry, because I'm not. There are things you must partake of. I can no longer stay here while my homeland suffers. I do not with to impede you by asking of your help, though, so I will go. Alone."

"Nonsense," Aaron said. "We detoured here, we can detour there."

"I do not wish to impede your efforts against Zel. He must be stopped as soon as possible."

"At least allow someone to accompany you and Silver," Cid added. "Ian may go, or Biggs and Wedge, maybe Miller and Kuro, even."

"Silver will stay here with you."

"Why?"

"As a sign of my health. If I am alive, he will know. We share our magical abilities, so we can feel each other physically as well as mentally. If I die, Silver should tell you.

"Then again, he may not tell you. I rarely ever part with him, and those that watch over him when I do say that he becomes quite independent and cantankerous. If this happens, then listen closely to how he refers to me. He will involuntarily refer to me as "Sensei" if I am still alive. If I die, however, he stall refer to me as Master Yien or Master Blaine. We've tested to make sure."

"Yien Blaine?" Aaron interrupted. "Your true name?"

Psycho's face reddened slightly. "I hadn't intended to reveal that so quickly. Blaine Yien, actually. Blaine Hala Yien."

Cid and Aaron nodded in unison.

"I know I've had my differences with all of you, especially when I lost my memory, and when young Lupus lost Silver's egg," the samurai went on, "but I hope also that you can be receptive of Silver despite how his trainer behaved. He can speak to you both mentally and physically, not just me. As I said, I've not been away from him many times, so I don't know how well he'll behave. You have the advantage of at least knowing him."

Psycho paused. "If he sustains a mortal wound, please make sure he gets back into his egg form. Even if you have to force him. To do that, put something round and preferably egg-shaped on the wound. Hopefully you won't have to worry about that, though. Please, take care of him.""We will," Cid assured. "Are you sure you must go?"

Psycho nodded solemnly, and without another word disappeared into the shadows. The two men watched him leave in grim silence.

"I sure hope Silver knows where the Dove is," Aaron commented finally.

"And if not, we'd better force Silver into showing us where this homeland is."

Aaron nodded. "I'll miss him."

"As will I," Cid sighed. "He gave our band such a nice zest. He kept us from being monotonous."

"He was a good fighter, too."

"Naturally. Braver than the rest of us, at that."

They returned to silence a few minutes more. Finally, Cid said, "Well, we had better hurry. The others shall be expecting breakfast, not brunch."

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Good bye, old friend, Psycho's voice rand through Silver's head. Take care of them.

Take care yourself, Sensei, the tiger purred back, though no reply came. Discouraged, Silver got to his feet and prowled over to the group. Slowly, he circled around them, sniffing as he went.

Make them think, "Uh oh, he's sniffing us... what if he's hungry?" or "Eh... I didn't like the tone of that purr..."

It wasn't working. No one even paid mind to Silver under Reno mumbled, "I wonder why Psycho didn't take him along..."

"Don't ask me," Miller replied, turning around to look straight into the tiger's face.

Silver opened his mouth wide and let out a fierce roar right in the man's face. Miller simply shrugged and turned back around. Angrily, Silver stalked over to Asura and roared at her. As he did, he also released a hiccup.

"Oh, excuse me!" the tiger mewed, embarrassed. Everyone near Silver abruptly slid back in surprise. Silver grinned to himself.

"Fascinating," Siddhearth mused aloud. "He can... talk!"

"Well of course I can talk, you twit!" Silver growled. "What do you think I am, ignorant?""I hadn't meant..."

"You can believe that the Moogle will talk, but when the tiger says something it's "fascinating"?"

"Moogles are known to have a higher level of intelligence than tigers," Mog said proudly.

"I'll show you higher intelligence!" the tiger snarled, dashing at Mog. He was cut short by Cid, who swung his cane under Silver's feet to trip him. Before Silver could retort, Cid thrust a slab of meat at him.

"Breakfast," the man said. "Mog wouldn't be as appetizing, I assure you."

"You couldn't hold off your hunger a few more minutes?" Aaron teased, walking in with several other breakfast dishes.

"Shut up!" Silver roared.

"Ah ah, we'll have none of that now," the aristocrat cut in, admonishing the tiger. "You've been left in our care, and as such you follow our orders."

"I take orders from no one but Sensei!"

"Well, Sensei's not here anymore, is he?"

"He's not?" Reno interrupted.

"Allow me to try and calm him, Mr. Seamus," Uargo said, walking over to Silver. "You've got some explaining to do, I see." The mediator bent to stroke Silver's fur, but the tiger backed away quickly.

"Don't you try your voodoo on me! I saw what you did to Leviathan and Ogopogo!"

"And it was bad that I calmed them?"

"It'll be bad for me!"

Uargo sighed. This wouldn't be easy.

"Moving on," Aaron said, drawing attention away from Uargo. "Psycho's gone. He ran off. Apparently, his hometown was in trouble, and he didn't want us to draw away from stopping Dr. Robbins. So he left himself. Silver's here to let us know that Psycho's still alive. And I hope to tell us where the Dove is."

"Psycho left for good reason," Cid added. "And we knew better than to get in his way." “Didn’t Psycho have one of the crystals that would raise the Dove, though?” Asura mentioned.

“Didn’t he?” Aaron grinned, holding up a finely cut, clear crystal. Inside the crystal swirled clouds of pale blue, orange, and white. “Being brought up by pirates has its perks.”

“We need it more than him, anyway,” Cid added.

“Fools!” Silver roared. “You think that you can so easily steal from a Samurai?! Sensei let you take the crystal!”

Aaron shrugged. “Either way works.”

“So Psycho provided us with everything we needed to continue without him,” Siddhearth noted. “Information on the Dove, his own abilities in Silver Strike, and one of the four crystals.”

“He did.”

"How's our wizard doing?" Cid changed over.

"He's dong fine," Jeice grumbled, having awaken with Silver's shout. He scanned the room quickly. "Moguora looks different, if I may say..." Jeice looked around a bit more before Mog could comment. "Psycho left? Where to?"

"His home, because you cowards are too slow," Silver grouched. The tiger looked at the odd expression Jeice gave him, then mumbled, "Yes I can talk, and you'd do well to remember that." With that remark, he loped back to a corner and flopped down. Sensei had better hurry...

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"All right Jeice," Siddhearth said. "We've been waiting hours to hear what happened."

"Then you won't mind waiting until I hear all your stories out," the wizard replied glumly.

With a sad sigh, Cid started. "We got the wood for the repairs and led the store's apprentices to the ship."

"We?" Karolie cut in. "I led them. You rode behind in that rental carriage."

"I offered you to come up and enjoy a drink..."

"And I'm glad I refused!"

"Can we continue?" Jeice interrupted.

"Ahem, yes," Karolie said. "Cid...""Mr. Seamus," Cid grunted.

"... ordered more wood than we needed, though. A lot more.. So we laid it out evenly on the ship's bottom floor. For emergencies."

"The apprentices were quite handy, and after I directed them how to patch it up using my old skills for building the Victoria, we were able to get it fixed in a few hours."

"Ian says ‘Hi', too."

"I think that was directed to Sensei," Silver grumbled, though no one paid attention.

"We found our Moogle," Kuro went on. "Mr. Mog here, a relative of Moguora's, has already gotten us a few Kupo Nuts. We would've had more..."

"...But I got very hungry," Mog finished, blushing through his white fur.

"Moguora is safely home," Uargo finished. "He wished the pretty lady in brown robes good luck, might I add." Uargo sent a wink to Asura.

"Figures," the white mage sighed.

"And Psycho...?" Jeice pressed, though he really didn't want to have to share his story so soon.

"His homeland was in trouble," Aaron answered, "and he didn't want us all go for fear that it would impede our efforts against the empire. He left Silver with us so we could find the Dove still."

"My turn..." Jeice sighed. He looked down at his feet. The words wouldn't form in his mouth.

"Start with where Biggs and Wedge are," Siddhearth offered.

"The afterlife."

Everyone fell silent, looking to Jeice with wide eyes. "They're dead," he croaked.

"What happened?" Cid finally asked.

"We were in the tunnel, and found our way to the home of Enkidou, an old man who lives down there. When we asked him to show us out, he in turn brought us to the shrine of Gilgamesh, one of the Great Spirits. Steeltooth's previous owner."

"I used to be Murasame, the mighty sword," Steeltooth confessed, "until Gilgamesh shamed himself and ran from Loki, thus leaving me and Ironfang to our own resources. Ironfang was the Masamune, in case you hadn't guessed by now. Some say he's even more powerful than me, but I say he's full of himself." The cutlass had obviously been trying to lighten the mood, but no one changed face.

"We attempted to have Gilgamesh lead us out," Jeice continued, "when Zel showed up... He sent Dove and a man by the name of Jinn to attack us. Enkidou amazingly took them out, but then Zel took out a vial. It reminded me of the vial he broke back in Building A, with the reaper inside." The wizard put his glance specifically on Reno and Asura. "He broke this one as well, and from it was released a serpent. Ma... Mara..."

Uargo's eyes brightened as he realized who Jeice meant. "Maliris," he answered. "The Fiend of Fire."

"That's it. She quickly went after Enkidou, stabbing him badly, until Gilgamesh cut in and made her retreat. Then a squid appeared from under the water, likely released by Zel as well. It attacked Gilgamesh, and he shouted out "Kraken"..."

"Kraken is the Fiend of Water," Uargo noted, "who was the creature that attacked you, I take it."

"Mm. The Kraken sapped away Gilgamesh's strength until Biggs, Wedge, and I finally attacked. Steeltooth drove the Kraken away after I drove him into the squid's head, then we went for Zel."

Jeice's voice came out slowly and with strain next. "Wedge... was hit before we knew it. Jinn had gotten back up and burned him with a fireball, and when Biggs counterattacked Dove... ran him through... I took them both out and prepared to destroy Zel, when the reaper returned. Zel slipped away while Gilgamesh used the last of his strength to hold the reaper off. Before Gilgamesh could disappear, I believe he entered into me."

"Like how Shiva and Ifrit have fused together with Dove and Jinn," Uargo said.

"I knew that Davies wasn't a mage!" Reno said, coming to realize what allowed her to use Ice.

"I'm so ashamed," Jeice went on, "to be the only one left... Gilgamesh even returned my magic to me, making me come out better than I had..."

"I'm pretty good too, y'know!" Steeltooth grunted.

"Where are they?" Cid managed to ask. "Good employees deserve a wake, at least."

"I buried them in the tunnel," Jeice moped.

Tense moments past, until finally Reno stood and took the two Biggs and Wedge figurines that Psycho had carved, laying on their respective beds. He carried them outside, followed by the others, and set them down on the street. They waited in reflective silence, then when he assumed that everyone had made their peace, Reno set the figures ablaze with a small Fire spell. They burned quickly, when nothing but smoldering cinders was left, Karolie bent down to them, a yellow ribbon in hand. She scooped the ashes into it, tied it daintily, then placed it in a small brown pouch that Asura offered. That was in turn placed in a lidless grey jar that Aaron pulled from his coat. The Seamus brothers took the jar next, and using two of their more expensive-looking pens from Grundon, wrote the names "Biggs Bellows" and "Weston D. Gage" on the sides. After a bit of thought, Siddhearth added "Enkidou and Gilgamesh" to the bottom of the jar.

"Weston was a good man," Cid said while he wrote, as a sort of eulogy. "He always wanted to find a style of fighting that would allow him to be unstoppable. But at the same time, he would've used that style to implement peace. I wish he could've found it."

"And Biggs," Siddhearth added. "Biggs was a man who could make you laugh, if he wasn't driving you insane. He claimed to be in our group for the money, but he really had other reasons. Ones he would never admit to. He was loyal to Wedge, none the less."

"Indeed. Those two would've done anything for each other. Well... just about anything..."

While this was going on, Silver caught Uargo's attention and purred something to him. Uargo nodded and pulled a pair of shears from his coat. He pulled at the top-most layer of the tiger's fur, which was already woven together like a blanket, and clipped a patch off. He took the jar and used the fur to cover its top, tied that on tight with a piece of brown twine, and then handed it to Jeice.

"Seeing as how they were closest to you," the mediator commented.

"Thank you," the wizard nodded, to them all. He placed the jar in his pocket and managed a weak smile.

Miller, Kuro, and Mog took the incentive to clean the spot where the statues had burned, since they hadn't taken part in the memorial otherwise. "We shall make a plaque to put by the actual bodies," Miller added.

"Do it quickly," Jeice mumbled, "before the stench comes." With that comment, they all went in for breakfast.

All but Reno...

"Hold on a minute, Jeice," the boy called.

Jeice peered back outside. "Yes?"

"I think I've got Fire and Thunder spells down now. Could you... uh... maybe help me with Ice?"

Jeice grinned. "I can do that."

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               + "Wine for breakfast Cid?" Siddhearth asked his brother as he watched him sip at the red-gold liquid. "Again?! Heavens help you if water ever touches your lips." 

"It rains, dear brother," Cid replied smugly, spreading small laughs around the room. Siddhearth shrugged in defeat, and the room returned to silence. All their minds were still on the thief and monk they had recently lost.

When they had finished, Aaron announced that they would stay in New Colnelia long enough to pick up more supplies and give Miller and Kuro time to finish that plaque. He also noted that he would need to check the ship personally before setting off, and left to do so. The others set out as well to explore the city, though most went in pairs for fear of the thieves. Only Miller, Kuro, Silver, and Mog remained at the inn.

As Aaron made his way to Wisdom Forest, between New Colnelia and the shore, Karolie caught up to him.

"Mind if I come, Captain?" she asked briskly.

"Wouldn't you rather remain here to reminisce with your old home?" he replied, having wanted to go alone with his thoughts.

"It's not really my home, you know..."

"I thought you said..."

"I said Colnelia was my home, not this place. NEO Colnelia, in particular."

"Aren't you a bit... you know... young?"

Karolie paused and put her hands to her hips. "How old do you think I am, Aaron?" she asked.

Aaron scratched his beard. "I dunno. I was guessing at around nineteen, twenty maybe..."

"Hmm... yeah, nineteen sounds right... Ahem! Anyway, we were going to the ship."

"Right..." Aaron shook his head as he walked. He had been ten when Colnelia was abandoned. Karolie wouldn't have even been born at that time...

"Why don't you tell me your life story, Captain?" the Dancer asked sourly, and Aaron got the feeling that he had crossed some boundary she was trying to keep him from.

"Well, you know, I grew up in Colnelia. The day I was born, a tsunami hit the city. It was predicted to hit that year, but it was months ahead. As you know, a tsunami rocked the city once every decade for hundreds of years. We knew it was Leviathan, but didn't know why. Some said that an evil force was attacking Leviathan every decade, and the beast could only defend himself with the tsunami...

"But I'm going off the story. This tsunami hit almost two months sooner than the others had, and no one had been ready for it. My father was able to take me to safety, but he was forced to abandon my mother. She didn't make it.

"I went on, though, and studied to be a scholar like my father and grandfather. Hence the coat. It wasn't easy to do, because the tsunamis had begun to hit every year instead of every decade, but I kept studying. My father was very proud of me.

"But then, my father was... odd... He often talked of some great accomplishment that his father had been a part of, but he would never give details. Often when he brought it up, he would look at a little vial that sat by our fireplace. He never let that thing out of his sight for long...

"My father also made me study reapers. Daily. It didn't make sense to me, because at the time reapers had just been old wives' tales made up to scare naughty children. I studied anyway, and I'm glad I did now."

"I'll bet," Karolie grinned.

"Anyway, after I was born, the tsunamis hit every year, like I said. Expert scholars feared what would happen when the next decade came, and for good reason. Two tsunamis struck that year simultaneously, and we realized that that evil force attacking Leviathan could mirror attacks or use Tsunami itself. And now, as you've seen yourself, it was Tidariathan."

Karolie nodded as if she had heard all this information before. "That's the year we all had to evacuate," she sighed.

Aaron scrunched his brow, but refrained from questioning the meaning of that "we"... "Yeah. Despite his oddness, my father was a very respected man in Colnelia. He tried to live up to that by being the last one to leave the city. At least, I thought he left...

"I got separated from him by all the people rushing out, and absentmindedly I slipped onto the Gigyas Prey. The ship set sail before anyone realized I was aboard... and then Odin found me. He was almost five years older than me, so I didn't stand a chance of struggle. He brought me to Captain Veriol, wanting to throw me overboard, but Veriol wouldn't allow it. That's when Odin really started to hate me.

"Veriol became a father figure to me, and allowed me to continue my studies. I had hoped to find my father, return to Colnelia some day, and restore it to its beautiful self.

"Five years later I gave up that dream. Word came to me that my father hadn't been seen since the tsunami struck, and some even claimed to have found his body. He hadn't survived, either way. So I took to sailing. The rest of the crew, barring Odin, became quite fond of me because I was a good sport whenever they played a prank on me."Another five years past, and Veriol began to realize how old he was becoming. He started working on a will, which he would often let me or Odin look at to make sure it was legible. He had meant to leave the Gigyas to Odin, but had recently begun to lose his memory. On accident, he put me as the heir. When Odin saw that, he left the crew in a fury, then tried to murder Veriol and myself with one of those fancy revolvers. He got Veriol... and unfortunately missed me..."

"Unfortunately?"

"Only at the time. I'd have rather died with Veriol than witnessed it. I can still feel his blood at times..."

"I wouldn't normally cut you off, but I did just eat breakfast."

"Sorry. Going on, I took the job as Captain, and the crew followed me because of their loyalty to Veriol's wishes. It didn't hurt that they were fairly fond of me, and that I kept the ship well-stocked with whiskey. But the real reason, I think, was that they were afraid to leave smuggling. Afraid that they couldn't succeed in any other job.

"At this point I had heard of Zande and the budding empire he was growing on the Crescent Isles, and became wary of them. I took up a job smuggling goods to them, but in secret was shipping more goods out than I was in. We went on for another half-decade like this, with minor overall progress.

"That's when Odin returned. I was wary of him too, but I let him rejoin the crew. I hadn't known at the time how he was a murderer...

"Nor had I known that Odin had joined the empire. Zande knew of my smuggling scheme, and decided that Odin would be the one to stop me. So after Odin rejoined, he rallied the crew in favor of the empire, and thus against me. So I was thrown overboard, and Odin took the ship."

"Hold on," Karolie interrupted. "If the crew was in support of the empire, why did the reapers attack them?"

Aaron reached into a pocket on his trousers and pulled out Odin's log. "It explains in here that Odin had managed to sneak into Zel's lab and steal something important from them. Odin didn't write what, but he was assigned to take the Gigyas over right after he had stolen it, which is why Zande hadn't known. When Zel realized it, he sent someone to retrieve the item and at the same time cast Doom 2 over the ship, just like they had done to Telo'Nak."

"You have no idea what Odin stole?"

Aaron shook his head. "Odin took notes on everything, though, even if it could be used to incriminate him. That's how I found out about his plan to kill Veriol and myself. He likely has a journal from his empire days. If I could've found that... "Anyway, Odin had me thrown over. I used what swimming skill I could to get to land, but ended up going almost nowhere. That's when Rec found me. He had been exploring the shore around the Mage School and just barely saw me, then used his Geomancy to pluck me from the water, like I did during that battle with Leviathan. I was taken into the Mage School, where Heren had been the chief. When Heren committed suicide after the death and conspiracy behind the death of one white mage, Rec became the new headmaster. I must admit, Master Madigan seemed to lead the school much more than Rec did, but Madigan and Mistress Teska got in many arguments over proper training. Master Rec would be the only one to decide between them, at that point.

"There almost never were geomancers at the school, so Rec would focus more on teaching the pupils how to cast spells. It was a little odd, since Rec's magic backfired on occasion. It's a natural side-effect of Geomancy...

"So, Rec became my next father figure. I considered taking up his name, but decided to retain Air'N at that point. Firstly because the N could stand for Nyoran or Namoeg if I wanted, and secondly because I was a bit too old to be taking him as a father anyway...

"I remained at the school for a decade, watching over the children when the trio of Masters had other business to attend to. In my own free time, I usually went to get food or just to look around. I tried to fight a young Griffin who had been stealing food from us once, but in the end I had to get saved by Madigan, who managed to clip one of the Griffin's claws for me. I hollowed it out, sharpened the point, and made it into an axe, which reminds me of how stupid I can be sometimes."

"That's a nice thing to be reminded of..."

Aaron gave Karolie a sharp glance. "I took closely to one little black mage named Lugi..." Aaron paused as he remembered the pain he had imagined Rec and Lugi to be going through. He had just imagined it, right? "I was out exploring when I met Psycho and joined the team here. You know the rest from there."

"I do," Karolie nodded. "That's a lot of change."

"Change is one of those inevitable things in life," Aaron sighed.

"That's what you think... pray... hope for. Then one day, you wake up, and you realize that you haven't changed. Everything around you has, but you're absolutely the same as you were a year ago... then two years... three... Until suddenly, it's eleven years later and you wonder, "Where did their lives go?" And you realize that their lives have always been going... but yours hasn't..."

"... Karolie...?"

Karolie's eyes grew wide. "Oh dear! Did I say that aloud? Aaron, please do me a big favor and forget I even said anything!" "But..."

"Oh look! Here we are at the ship! You'd better check for flaws, I'm going back for some rest." Without another word, Karolie disappeared back into Wisdom Forest.

Aaron watched her go, completely lost. What had she been saying...? Confused, he boarded the ship and made his way to the deck, then stared absently at the patch that had been put on its side.

"Something wrong Captain?" Ian asked, coming up from the cabins.

"I wish I knew..." Aaron sighed in response.

   *
         o
         +

A few hours and several frozen objects later, Jeice deemed Reno prepared to use Ice spells in battle. The boy would likely want to start on harder spells like Water, Quake, and Bio next, so the red wizard sent him away in order to get some practice in himself. Reno nodded and said that he'd try to find Asura. She'd probably enjoy a lesson in White Magic while their wizard was in a teaching mood.

It felt good to be able to use magic again, but at the same time it hurt. Badly. Every incantation brought back memories of Biggs and Wedge, Enkidou and Gilgamesh... Yet he would have to move on. It was traumatic to lose them, but he could only prevent a scene like that from happening again if he got rid of Dr. Robbins... That would likely include his most powerful spells.

Jeice sighed and leaned back against a tree. Life could be a real pain, sometimes...

The pain wasn't eased any when two blue-robed arms reached around the tree and dragged Jeice into the forest.

"You've got your magic back," Jean hissed, tossing Jeice to the ground. "How convenient."

"I thought you'd be long gone after that last beating you got," Jeice replied to the blue wizard.

"Don't be a fool, Apalock! We'll finish this here and now! Then we'll all know who's the better sorcerer of us two, and it's not some half-witted... scruffy-looking... indecisive red baboon!"

"I guess we will see."

Quickly, and without nearly as much flourish as their leader, the team of fighters that accompanied Jean stepped from the foliage and began to cut down the trees, in order to form a circular area for the wizards' battleground. Once finished, they silently formed an extra perimeter around the area. Making it hard for me to escape, Jeice thought silently. This wouldn't be easy...

Jean pulled his sword first and waited. After letting the blue wizard grow agitated in his patience, Jeice grabbed his spear and stepped into battle position as well. Both waited for the other to attack, aware that the first strike would always be blocked.

They were interrupted by a great ruckus back in the city. As Jeice turned to look, he saw some people crowding around an old man, who had collapsed to the ground.

"Uargo!" the wizard shouted, running forward. The fighter standing between him and the city was quickly subdued by Jeice's hard spear.

Jean finally snapped to his senses and pursued. "Oh no you don't, Apalock!" He tried to cast Aero at the red wizard to hit him from behind, but missed as Jeice nimbly rolled away from it. "Don't make me use something stronger," the blue wizard mumbled.

Jeice quickly passed through the crowd and helped Uargo up into a sitting position. "What happened?" he asked.

"I saw him, young Jeice," the mediator replied. "Alexander..."

"Alexander? The one that Leviathan mentioned?"

"Indeed, him."

"What did he do?"

"It was in a vision. Alexander appeared before me while I was resting on that bench over there, and began to plead with me to protect the Great Spirits."

"Leviathan and Gilgamesh? Shiva and Ifrit too?" They were apparently already failing, seeing as how Reno had killed Bahamut.

"There are many more, I'm afraid. Chupon, Ramuh, Diablos... the list goes on. Gilgamesh if safe inside you, I hope. But the others..."

Neither Jeice nor Uargo noticed Jean's presence, who was at the moment clearing away the crowd. "How many has Dr. Robbins taken, as he did Leviathan?" Jeice asked.

"Too many, I'm afraid," the elder replied. "Alexander didn't know the exact amount, but he knew that they had been taken nonetheless.

"There is more to this vision, though. Alexander told me to be wary of Zel, for there are mystical forces behind him that we have yet to become aware of. He said to be wary of Loki as well, the trickster. The traitor..."He also warned to avoid the Fiends at all costs."

"Maliris and Kraken?"

"Yes. Two more exist, I'm afraid. Lich, Fiend of the Earth and Tiamat, Fiend of the Wind."

"I've seen the serpent and squid firsthand. What form will these two appear as?"

"Lich is in the appearance of a bringer of death. Tiamat is a hydra, a multiple-headed dragon.

"Alexander wasn't finished, though. He warned of the two that have been fused to the Spirits by Zel's sorcery..."

"Dove and Jinn..."

"... and of the Emperor Fiends."

"Emperor Fiends?"

"A different set of Fiends, those who work in more deceitful manners. In a sense, they raise the numbers of Fiends from four to eight. These may be worse than the four Fiends that exist. Much worse..."

"Who are they?" Jeice continued.

"The first is Scarmiglione, Emperor of the Earth. He is the horrid zombie of an Ogre, with whip-like arms and a monstrous build. Next is Rubicante, the Emperor of Fire. A demon covered completely by a helmet and a flowing red-and-blue cape. Then there's Cagnazzo, an Emperor to Water. It is also a demon, only blue and black. It wears the shell of a terrapin, revealing its watery tendencies. Last is Barbariccia, Wind Empress. She is a she-demon with flowing gold hair, shining like the sun."

"If the first four Fiends are in league with Zel, I'm assuming these are as well."

"So Alexander tells me. But we shall not meet these as you have met Maliris and Kraken. Alexander warns that these will come in a form we will not wish to destroy."

"I don't understand..."

"Nor do I, truthfully. We shall have to see.

"Alexander continued to plead with me, and I felt a sense of worthlessness. I felt old, feeble, useless... Alexander grew frustrated... and struck me.

"Then I collapsed.""He knocked you down?"

"This wasn't a daydream, Jeice. I believe Alexander has made actual contact with me."

"I see... Well, let us get you back to the inn."

"I think not," Jean interrupted. "We haven't finished, Apalock."

"We hadn't begun, Ocean," Jeice scowled.

Jean retrieved his sword. "Then there's no better time to start then now."

"My friend is weary. I can't just..."

"That is of no concern to me!" the blue wizard boomed. "Draw your weapon Jeice, or I will kill you without hesitation."

Jeice sighed and grabbed his spear where he had lain it. "Go back if you have the strength," he whispered to Uargo.

"I would not leave you to die alone," the mediator responded.

"You think I'll lose?" Jeice grinned.

"Nooo..." Uargo pushed to his feet and walked toward the bench he had mentioned earlier. "But just in case..."

Jean and Jeice stared each other down. Casually, Jean tightened his gloves and held his sword mockingly. At Jeice's side, Steeltooth made angry comments to be unsheathed, but was ignored. On one side stood Jean Ocean, dressed in a rich silky cape, brilliant gold breastplate, special mythril-bound chain mail. On the other, was a sleep-deprived, filthy man with a ragged red overcoat and a damaged hat with a twisted feather atop.

Jean struck first, striking with his sword and hitting Jeice's spear. Jeice forced the blue wizard off him and swung back, only to hit Jean's sword. The blue wizard jumped back quickly and shouted back, "TRINE!"

In a flash, electricity began to surround Jeice. Thinking quickly, Jeice erected a barrier spell and defended. With the spell in place, the spell only singed his clothes.

Jean grinned, "On the defensive, eh? We can do that... Mighty Guard!"

A series of spells were invoked and surrounded Jean. Jeice shook his head, "Always the show off, must you name the spell?" "At least I am decent enough to use procedure!" Jean retorted.

"Bah, procedure... didn't you figure out that it was taught for the sake of remembering the spells?"

Jean scowled, "You never could take anything serious"

With that, the wizard held out his hand, "Thousand Needles!"

The red wizard widened his eyes and raised his arms defensively as a wave of needles wedged into his body. Most was absorbed by his thick overcoat, more was lodged in his hands. His move had saved his face, which was the important part. Wasting no time, he mumbled a spell and formed a huge ball of fire. He then cast the fire at Jean, just as the fire erupted against his barrier, Jeice planted his spear in the ground and used the momentum to leap high in the air and knock his blinded opponent into the edges of the "arena".

As Jeice reached to grab Jean's abandoned sword, he felt a sharp sting on his hand as a whip prevented him from retrieving the weapon. His hand was back to him in a flash, putting it in his mouth to try and reduce the stinging. Within seconds, Jean stole back to his sword and readied it.

Jeice removed his hand from his mouth and shook it around in pain before grabbing his spear again. His hand throbbed from the pain, but he ignored it and took on a fighting stance again. Jean, with the "Haste" spell from his Mighty Guard still functioning, was already charging at Jean again with his sword drawn. Jeice tossed his spear away and unsheathed Steeltooth to take the brunt of the damage. When the swords met, Jean could see the outline of a mysterious warrior around Jeice. Steeltooth crackled a strange energy and sent Jean flying off of him.

Jean brought himself up and glared, "What kind of sword is that!?"

The red wizard was equally shocked, even when Cullen had both he never saw Steeltooth do anything of that sort.

Jean backed up and held out a hand, "TWISTER!"

Jeice looked up and saw the wind begin to pick up and in seconds begin forming a small funnel. He backed up and held out his own hands and muttered something under his breath. Instantly the wind was surrounded by ice. By the time the wind was able to shatter the ice, the effect of the spell ended. He then charged toward Jean, bending down low enough to grab his spear. Once more he used it raise himself in the air and deliver a flying kick to the blue wizard. He stumbled back and unsheathed his sword which was knocked away by Steeltooth. He took out his whip and slashed it towards Jeice. The whip curled around his spear, which was then yanked away pulling Jean to the ground.

The red wizard grabbed Jean and held his sword at his neck while breathing heavily, "Ok.... all of you... put down your weapons... then walk over to the far side of the area..."Reluctantly Jean's gang abandoned their weapons and went to the far side, where none of them had been before. "Ok... Good... Uargo...can you get them to that well over there?"

Although tired, Uargo agreed. He slowly began to drag weapon by weapon and toss them in the well as the gang of fighters fumed angrily. Jeice picked up Jean and held his neck with the sword the blue wizard had used. He guided him slowly towards where Uargo was. Then he tossed that sword down the well and pushed Jean away.

"You'll probably be wanting to get those" Jeice commented, narrowing his eyes, "And next time... leave my friends out of it..."

Jean glared with hate, wiping the blood from his mouth. He then pointed at his men, "You idiots! Get your weapons!"

One of them spoke up, "What about those two!?"

Jean glanced at the fighter and narrowed his eyes, "Just do it"

As soon as Jeice and Uargo was out of sight, Jean turned back and walked to his drenching wet crew of men. A woman stepped behind him and put her hand on his shoulder, "I've seen you do better..."

The wizard glared back at her, "Next time I will... now get out of here and do your own part"

   *
         o
         +

Oblivious to the exciting happenings on the other side of the city, Asura wandered along the eastern border of New Colnelia, occasionally peering into the abandoned structures that lined the walkways. It was hard to believe that people had ever lived in them. Long since stripped of anything the innocent inhabitants of the city had left behind so long ago, there was now nothing inside most of the buildings but rat nests and spider webs, with the occasional littering of run-down furniture found unworthy of confiscation by even the most desperate thieves. Perhaps the architecture had been beautiful once, but in this setting it seemed to be only a testament to the fallen dreams the relocated founders had abandoned with these empty rooms. Shards of glass lay strewn across the hard-packed dirt that composed the paths of the city, the results of rampant vandalism at the hands of the vagrants who ruled the city. The more industrial areas, with the inn, the casinos... they weren't in the best condition, but the old residential areas were an absolute mess.

Shouted curses erupted some place relatively distant from where the cloaked archer walked, and she listened with vague interest and distaste as the faint sounds of bickering rogues echoed in the otherwise quiet area. There was a tell-tale clash of steel, a louder, somewhat frenzied shout from what was undoubtedly a herd of fascinated onlookers, and silence as another dispute was resolved -- the New Colnelia way. Asura sighed and plodded along the city wall, intending to make her way back around to the inn. She walked without any particular hurry, however; the city wasn't pretty, but it was nice to walk around by herself for awhile. Her cloak hung loosely around her shoulders; it was a warm day, and she didn't bother with her hood. She had thought that it would be less boring to explore the city than hang around the inn all the time as she had on the islands, but it was turning out to be a great deal more depressing. The others all had gone off on their own, tending to their own matters and tasks... busying themselves to help them forget about their recent loss. Of course, Biggs hadn't been her idea of an ideal traveling companion, but she had never seriously wished anything so dire to become of the man. And Wedge had been a nice fellow... though she couldn't really find sorrow in herself, she did feel some measure of shock. She had exchanged few words with them, and hadn't known them nearly as long as Jeice, Cid, and Siddhearth. A regrettable loss, much like Cullen before them... she briefly wondered how many others would die before their adventure found its end.

"Well, whaddaya know..." An gruff voice penetrated her thoughts. She looked up in mild annoyance, and surveyed the man standing in front of her. "There are still gals in New Colnelia."

"Miracles never cease," Asura replied flippantly, acutely aware of the fact that had she had her hood on he probably wouldn't have been able to tell.

"Little girls don't belong in this city," he continued, as though he hadn't heard a word. "They tend to disappear."

"Indeed," Asura replied warily, and muttered a soft word beneath her breath, just as the man whistled for his gang. Before their astonished eyes, she did just that, her image shimmering for a moment and winking out as though she were a flame extinguished by a sudden wind.

"What the--?"

"A demoness!" Came the frenzied reply from another of the men, who had arrived just in time to see this trick. "I knew you'd get us into trouble one day, man, oh, man, we're gonna get it..."

"Demons don't live in these parts, you twit!" The gruff voiced man replied irritably, lurching toward where Asura had been standing a moment before. He held his arms out, waving them in all directions like a blind man. "It's some fancy illusion is all, she's here somewhere..."

"You'll never find me, though," Asura replied from just behind him, where she had neatly stepped while under the influence of the "Vanish" spell. The man jumped, whirling around, and let out a sudden howl as a black screen seemed to fall over his eyes.

"My eyes...! You witch, what have you done to my eyes?!" He stumbled forward, toward where his men had gathered in a confused knot, and the entire group stepped away from him as one. There was a moment of indecision, the group caught between defending their pride and saving their skins, but a new voice rang out from behind them, making the decision for them. The unfortunate leader was frozen solid even as Reno's frantic cry of "ICE!" fell from his lips. Seeing this final supernatural stunt, the gathered lawbreakers decided unanimously that saving their skin was far more important than defending their pride in this case, and ran heedlessly away from what they couldn't comprehend.

"Asura?" Reno asked, when they had all dispersed, looking around quizzically. "Where are you?"

"Right here," she replied, after a moment's silence. "Esuna," she said calmly, and reappeared a few moments later. "Nice job," she commented with a slight smile, indicating the frozen man nearby.

"Heh, thanks! I just perfected that one today... I was going to recommend Jeice's teaching ability to you, in fact, but you seem to do well enough on your own..." Reno grinned, noting the horrified look on the man's frozen face.

"Who says White Magic can't be used to attack?" Asura agreed, crossing her arms. "And I doubt Jeice could teach me anything useful."

"Oh?"

"...Not to undermine his abilities. He's a very good red wizard, but even the most advanced red wizard cannot compare to a skilled white, or black, wizard... you're versed in the ways of Magic, so surely you know that."

"But I thought you were still a mage," Reno replied, obviously a bit confused. "White mage, wasn't it?"

"I've never had any formal training, such as your Mage School... so formally, I wouldn't be considered a wizard in the magician's world." She smiled again, and continued "But I'm fairly confident in my abilities regardless."

"...Eh, I believe you," Reno said, laughing. "You sure scared the hell out of these bozos, at least."

"What are you doing out here?" Asura inquired, changing the subject.

"Well, Jeice told me to go practice my ice spells... but like I said, I told him I'd get you to take some of his lessons. Kuro and Miller, back at the inn, told me to check this way, and that guy's howls sort of did the rest."

"I see... well, I was just getting back, anyway," Asura shrugged. "And like I said, I doubt I'll be asking Jeice for lessons."

"Maybe you should try it anyway, for laughs," Reno suggested with a grin.

"...Maybe one day," Asura replied in a tone that clearly indicated she would not. Reno's smile faded slowly from his face as they walked together back toward the inn, leaving the thief to thaw in his own time.

"...hey, Asura?"

"Yes?"

"I... well, I kinda had a question," Reno said cautiously, wondering how to approach the subject on his mind. That dream... Ah, screw it. I may as well ask, even if it's pointless.

"...Well, what?" Asura asked rather impatiently, glancing down at the boy.

"A long time ago... ten years or so..."

"I don't want to talk about ten years ago," Asura replied immediately, staring ahead. "The world was a different place back then."

"...I used to know you, didn't I? Or, you knew me, at least." There. Now if she denies it I'll just shut up and hope that I never have a trippy dream like that again.

"How did I know you?" Asura replied coldly, obviously not enjoying the subject of choice. "I didn't know anyone back then."

"...you didn't have a brother?" He asked timidly. Asura glanced at him again, and placed her hands on her hips.

"Just what does this have to do with anything, Reno?" She asked pointedly, stopping to turn directly toward him, her eyes daring him to say something.

"It has everything to do with everything!" He snapped back, suddenly angry. "I had a dream, okay?! That's all, a stupid, stupid dream... excuse me for thinking you were important to me!"

"I shouldn't be," she replied, her voice calm yet still angry. "I'm not your sister, Reno. She is someone else entirely; I was just your unofficial babysitter."

Reno stared at her for a moment, his jaw hung open slightly. They remained that way for several moments, neither one having anything to say, until finally she opted to continue rather than wait for him to say something. She sighed and looked up for a moment, as though finding comfort in something in the sky, and continued her story.

"All I did back in the old town, Remalla, was mild housekeeping for your mother. I was sometimes left to take care of you, as well, when she went to the market or on other business. My father and I traveled all over the Western Continent, and that town was just a stopping point on our journey. We stayed there a bit longer than other places, perhaps, a little over six months..." "Why didn't you SAY anything, then?" Reno interrupted her, exasperated. "You knew that, and you didn't say anything to me?"

"What would you have liked me to say?" Asura replied, genuinely curious. "Hey, long time no see, I used to change your diapers when you were two?"

"Of course not," Reno snapped, blushing slightly, a million questions running through his mind. "I mean, I... well..."

"Well? I figured you didn't remember those days, and I saw no point in dredging them up for no reason, is all," Asura turned and continued walking toward the inn, shaking her head.

"Wait, wait, wait just a minute!" Reno exclaimed, hurrying after her. "You say you don't remember anything, but I have some questions, anyway..."

   *
         o
         +

Blaine had been sailing his raft for quite some time. His true homeland, not Desdemona, lay in the uncharted and unpredictable South Western Seas, where few mainlanders ever dared to sail. But if what Lio told him was true, he was the born heir to the throne of the Caussack Empire. If this was also true his uncle, Heero Chang, had exiled his parents and Sensei Lio from the small islands. Since Chang was Kai Hala Yien’s younger twin brother, he had not adopted the throne. He wished desperately for it, but rather than kill his brother and sister-in-law, he merely exiled them to try and get rid of them forever. He was a cruel man, but still cared somewhat for his brother no matter how great his thirst for power was. It had been thirteen years since his parents and Lio were exiled...

And now the heir to the throne will try and reclaim it, and maybe bring some reinforcements for the group as he returned... Psycho mused. That is, if Lio was telling me the truth...

Blaine didn't doubt his old Sensei. It was the main reason he had sworn revenge on Zel, for the scientist had kidnapped him, as his latest dreams revealed, possibly for some kind of demented experimentation.

The water was calm so far, but the sea near the chain of islands his parents once ruled was said to be the roughest water in the world and were riddled with cannibalistic monsters of all kinds.

“I'm coming, Uncle Chang,” Blaine murmured to himself. “I’m coming for a visit that you won't soon forget.”

   *
         o
         +

"Like..."

Asura stopped, turning around. She had a look in her eyes that Reno had never seen before."Look, I see no point in this conversation continuing past this point. If you really want to know, I suggest you figure it out yourself. For now, I'm going back to the inn. Bye."

Reno stayed still as Asura continued on her way.

"I'm... sorry."

Reno fell to the ground in a kneeling position, staring down at the dusty ground. As Asura's footsteps disappeared, he looked up and around him. Being yelled at like that from Asura didn't feel right. It wasn't her. But, on reality's side, it had been.

"I wanna leave. This town was just a miserable little junk heap anyway." Reno returned his gaze to the ground, missing the approaching figure altogether.

His deep and rough voice was familiar. "Hey dude, think you won pulling off a little stunt like that, huh?"

Reno didn't reply- or rather, he didn't hear. He was too wrapped up in despair to notice anything around him.

"I'm tellin' ya now, you freezin' our boss like that was a bad move, buddy. I'm gonna give you pain that you'll never forget." The man put his hands on his hips and bent closer to Reno. "Hey kid, you listening to me?"

Again, no answer.

"You got real nerve, punk. Taste this."

A flash like no other and a sharp pain pushed Reno onto his back. The thug had landed his fist in the boy's face. Reno didn't recoil, although he could have and won. A barrage of magic spells would've sent the thug flying, instead, he lay there, hoping the man to go away. But he didn't. Instead, he bully lifted the twelve year old into the air, socking him multiple times before landing a kick into his chest. Reno fell backwards, hitting the hard ground with a thud.

"I think I'll take your Chocobo fare, punk, it's the least I can do!" The older male grabbed Reno's money pouch, ripping it away from his belt in one hard pull. Opening it to scan the contents, he laughed greedily and added, "Wow, you're quite the rich one aren't you? Heh heh, this'll be enough. You're so generous."

The thug snatched all the money out, throwing the empty pouch onto Reno's chest. Then, he pulled back his booted foot and kicked the boy hard in the side, finally walking away laughing.

Reno raised his right hand to his face. His nose was bleeding, and he was sure he had a black eye, too. He slowly got to his feet, the empty money pouch landing on the ground, forgotten. He slowly limped back towards the inn, as it was the only place he knew he could go. When he arrived, he walked straight over to his bed and collapsed.

Asura, who had only just arrived a few minutes before, was the first to notice him return wounded. "What the...?"

Reno was lost in thoughts. Fear, jealousy and hatred. Hatred for Asura, although he knew she had done nothing wrong. Hatred for Jeice for getting him started in all of this, hatred for the Seamus Brothers for actually taking him along in this stupid quest, hatred for Biggs, Wedge and Cullen for not being there like they should, hatred for Psycho, who left the group without much warning, hatred for everyone. Hatred for himself, especially. Everyone got an equal slice of the anger pie.

"Reno, are you OK?"

It was Asura. Reno ignored her by turning over to face the other way.

"If you're mad at me for our conversation, I must let you know you're being really stupid."

"I'm not being stupid. Everyone's being stupid. Think about it. We are stuck out here in this stupid run down junk yard of a town, no money, and for what? Nothing. If we hadn't come here in the first place we wouldn't have lost Mr. Bellows and Mr. Gage. Isn't our mission to defeat Zande, not run off on little tasks people want us to do?"

"It's not stupid. I don't know how you were injured out there, but-"

"But you don't care, right? Just go away. Leave me alone, I wish I'd never been wrapped up in all of this."

There were a few seconds silence, before Asura spoke again.

"You know, your sister and mother were like you."

"I don't even know them. So don't bring up them."

Asura ignored Reno, and continued. "When me and my father arrived in Remalla, your sister was the first friend I really made. She was the same age as me, and we became like best friends. I met the rest of your family, and your mother trusted me, even enough to let me babysit you. Remalla at the time was being targeted by Sir Gelgonde of the Old Knights to be destroyed." Asura stopped, looking around for words. To Reno it looked like- no, she couldn't be? Making it up? "Your father was a soldier in the war, and he was killed in the attack. Your mother was one of the last people remaining in the town, along with me, my father, you, your sister and a few others. Your mom took charge in trying to get us out of there before we were killed to, but by doing so she had to sacrifice herself. Us escapees took refuge in a small town to the south called Desdemona. The last thing I heard was that a Master for the Mage School on Lore Island who was passing by adopted you and headed off. I don't know what happened to your sister, but me and my father continued our traveling."

"You said you stayed for six months. Was this true?" Reno pressed, determined to find out why Asura looked uncomfortable.

"A little over six months, yes."

"Asura... did you, uh, know the real names of my family?"

"Your sister's name was... uh, Jane, and I can't really remember anything else. Sorry."

"It's alright."

Asura got up, deciding not to ask how Reno received his injuries, and headed for the door. As she left, memories of her own past came flooding into her head.

   *
         o
         +

That night, a chill ran over the inn. It was colder than usual, despite the windows being closed and the fireplace being lighted. Uargo was sitting in a chair at one end of the room, reading some old book. Silver was at his side, staring into the fire. Ian sat in another corner, using a piece of flint to sharpen his sword. Jeice was turning the small urn containing the ashes in his hands thoughtfully. Reno looked particularly unhappy in another corner, thinking back to his memories. Asura was alert and scanning everyone's expressions. Aaron and Karolie were in a quiet conversation and Cid was enjoying a bottle of wine. Miller and Kuro had headed downstairs to talk to Mog. Lastly, Siddhearth sat playing a soothing melody on his violin.

Smoke suddenly filled the room from downstairs, coughing the group headed downstairs. They all looked in horror as they found the Innkeeper, Miller, Kuro and Mog on the ground covered in blood. They heard something upstairs, Cid being in the back was the first one up. As he entered the room, he let out a painful howl and fell limp. There stood Jean, with a wicked expression. Aaron raised his weapon and charged at him, only to find himself stabbed from behind. The group gasped in horror as Dove suddenly appeared in a icy blast. A ball of fire was sent down the stairs, catching Ian and turning him into dust. Jinn leaped down from the stairs and snickered in evil delight. Overcome, Jeice unsheathed Steeltooth and charged. He was easily knocked away by Jean and was sent flying down the stairs.

Reno began casting a magic spell, only to be cut off as Psycho suddenly landed several shurikens in the back of his head. Siddhearth turned to him and growled, "TRAITOR!"

Siddhearth motioned his gun at the samurai, only to be stopped as a hand grabbed his back. He turned to find Zel. He struggled to move, but lost all control of his body. Siddhearth's eyes then lost all coloring as he turned his gun at Karolie and fired. In horror, Asura used a arrow to stab him and force him down. Uargo was mauled by Silver, following the orders of his master. Alone, Asura was taken down easily be Zel with a electric pulse. Jeice, at the bottom of the stairs gasped for breath. As each enemy walked down the stairs, the Reaper appeared before him. With one swift movement, it brought it's scythe down... and then everything went black.

   *
         o
         +

Jeice woke up in a cold sweat and looked around, everything was fine. He stood up and walked over to the window. Looking at the moon, he walked over to Reno and shook him awake. In a few seconds he was in a Stone hibernation as the reaper made it's visit...

   *
         o
         +

Blaine remained out at sea, not allowing himself to have any sleep at all. No, not with danger lurking about like this. Besides, he had only a little raft with a small sail, and he could not afford to sleep when it would be that easy to screw up end it all.

The sailing I don't mind, Blaine thought. The lack of companionship I do. Oh well, I was alone for a good deal of my life anyway...

   *
         o
         +

Meanwhile, at Dr. Robbins's lab, a man around 5'10" stood alone at the back room. He looked old, perhaps 65 years, and was wearing armor similar to Blaine's own, only his was navy blue and black. His blue eyes had become lifelessly vacant, and you would never know his hair wasn't naturally gray had his bangs, which left a full moon-shaped space on his forehead, weren’t still the neon green color he was born with. Strapped to his back was a very large double-bladed axe, on it had two crest moon-shaped blades and a small spearhead at the top. His name was Keero Lio, and he had been a captive and slave of Zel for nearly a year now. According to the mad man, he was now infused with the spirit called Hades...

   *
         o
         +

Uargo was still sitting, reading and old book, as it were. He was abruptly interrupted, though.

"Kuro! I thought you went downstairs with Mog!"

"Shhh!" Kuro said, "Miller wants you down with us."

"Can't you two get anything done without me?"

"It's not that. . ." Kuro admitted, "It's just something. Come on." Uargo reluctantly followed Kuro downstairs.

Kuro, Mog, Miller, and Uargo all were sitting around the crackling fireplace in the lower lobby. The discussion did not go as planned. Miller intended on vouching for Uargo's help on getting the next ingredient: A Roc's feather."Ambassador. . ." Miller started.

"Stop calling me that." Uargo said, "I'm not even sure if I want to go back to that career ever again."

Kuro stared at him, "Why not? You used to be one of the wealthiest men in the world. And you gave it up. Why would someone do a thing like that?"

Uargo sighed, "Look, let's get back to what we were talking about. . ."

Miller interjected, "Uargo, it does seem a little strange when one of the wealthiest--not to mention most powerful--men, step out of office, and are never heard from again? At least in the public's eye. . ."

"That was too long ago. . ." Uargo said, "My talents were too amazing. . . people were too easy to manipulate. Heh, I even got the Emperor I was working for to think that he had more assets than I did. . . but that's over now. . . I was young, and foolish. . ."

"You were forty-eight when you left office." Kuro retorted.

"When you never grow up in forty-eight years, that's still young and foolish." Uargo never looked up, "But, I moved away. . . I didn't want to rule the world, as I most likely could have. I wanted challenge. People are too easy. . . I wanted to study monsters. Not only dangerous, but you can't talk to them unless you learn a whole new way of speaking. Monster's Tongue is the hardest languages to learn, not to mention the toughest to get a teacher for. The last great mediator died but one month after I left office. . . I took up his residence. I knew him, actually, even though mediators usually live rather secluded. He told me I had great ambition, but was unwise when it came to the world. I knew nothing of economy, though I talked of it much. I knew nothing of religion, though I talked of that much. The most useful piece of advice he gave me was, 'Even a fool seems wise when he keeps his mouth shut'. But I didn't want to hear it. Not until he died.

"I know I'm skipping around the story a bit much, but when he died is the time I decided to not use my life manipulating people. After you've been to the top, what else is there in life? Some of the most powerful men in history committed suicide because they gained too much too quickly. I didn't want to be like that. I became a mediator.

"The monsters humble you. They don't care what flowery words you know, or who has the most resources. They just care about the simple things. . . caring for family, finding enough food to eat... when you really get down to it, monsters are people, too. But when you finally learn to understand, they're a lot nicer."

"I never knew that. . ." Kuro scratched his neck, "Gave up everything just for a bit of challenge in life. . ." "Kuro. . ." Uargo turned to the traveler, "You were ten when I first met you, right?"

"Yeah. . ."

"Do you remember the medallion I gave you, right after you scared the Mion away from the village?"

"Yeah!" Kuro took it out of a coat pocket, "You told me never to let it leave my side. . ."

"That was actually ambassador talk." Uargo said, "But we're lucky I did." He motioned to the fireplace, "Burn it."

"What?"

"Hang it on the poker, and place it into the fire for a few seconds."

Kuro reluctantly did so, placing the silver amulet into the flames. "Take it out now." Uargo said, "And place it in that water bowl."

Kuro put the heated medal in the nearby basin. Surprisingly, the medal broke in two, revealing a few small Roc’s Feathers.

"How did you. . ."

"I can know many things." Uargo returned upstairs.

   *
         o
         +

Ian awoke and tossed to the other side of his bed. Then tossed again. He opened his eyes and looked out the window across from him on the other side of the room. The moon beamed through in all her splendor and glory. Memories of the high seas at night back many years ago flooded Ian's mind. Most everything had changed, but the moon remained constant. That was a comforting thought in itself.

Ian removed his sheets and dressed himself. Careful not to make a sound, he opened the door, walked down the hall, and outside. The cool crisp air had a refreshing feeling to it. Ian took a deep breath and sighed. How long it had been since he could enjoy things like this.

Ian looked up at the moon. He turned and looked down the street one way, and then the opposite. He smiled; seeing no one he jumped into the air.

   *
         o
         +

A thud on the roof awoke Karolie. After a short personal debate she decided it would be best to investigate. Her room had a window that opened out onto the roof. A quick check to make sure no one was on the roof, then back to bed. Karolie donned a robe and slipped on some sandals.

She opened the window with relative ease. She stuck her head out and scanned the roof. "See," she said out loud, "there's nothing out here."

"Who are you talking to?" a voice came from above.

Karolie turned about and looked up to the top of the roof. There Ian sat in the face of the moon. "How'd you get up here? You're room is on the ground floor," Karolie inquired as she climbed out onto the roof.

"Promise not to tell anyone?" Karolie nodded. "I jumped up here."

"But that doesn't make much sense. You're a knight, are you not?"

"Among other things," Ian allowed.

Karolie made her way to the peak of the roof and sat facing Ian. "Among other things?"

"I didn't spend my entire life as a knight."

"But what other trade could you be associated with? You look at most to be twenty-five."

"And you look to be no more than twenty." Karolie blushed at that statement. Ian changed the subject, "After I broke free from Zel's control, I've been remembering a lot more of my past. Some things, I am glad I can remember. While others I wish stayed hidden deep within the bowels of my subconscious."

Karolie nodded. The two sat in silence for a few minutes and Karolie spoke up, "You know, I didn't really get to known Cullen all that much. When he left it didn't affect me that much, and I feel terrible now that I could feel such a way about a member of this group."

"Is that what you sense from me? Do you think I shall be the next deserter."

"No, I don't think I've gotten to know you very well. I've been warned about the Reaper's Touch, but that's about it."

Ian sighed and searched Karolie's eyes, "I was a puppet of the Empire for over twenty-five years. Their continued poking and prodding of my body and my two heirlooms," Vorpal held up his pendant and motioned to his sword, "created me into a monster."

Karolie moved in closer, "You don't look like a monster."

"But I am. This body, this body is not mine. I had a scar that sprawled down the entire right side of my face. I was blind in that eye at the age of thirty-three.""Well how old are you?"

"I would tell you, but I doubt you would believe it."

"Oh?"

"Well then, if you don't mind. How old are you?"

Karolie bit her lower lip. Ian laughed, "You look so much like Casandra. The similarities, are quite astounding."

"Who's Casandra? Or is that another question I would not believe?"

"Casandra Bullimaire was my love, once upon a time. She was murdered the day I . . ." Ian stopped.

"What? Did I pry into something again?" Karolie was a bit agitated.

"The day I was promoted to Major-General of the 3rd Brigade of the Imperial Army. I swore vengeance, but I guess I lost my way years later. I decided to look on to the future and forget the past."

"But, you're the one who brought up Casandra."

"I know. Casandra was a special person."

"I'm sure she was," Karolie gave a comforting smile.

Ian and Karolie sat on the roof talking of this and that. Stories of friends and foes long gone. Jokes and merry stories were exchanged and light-hearted laughter echoed in the still of the night.

   *
         o
         +

Morning came and went. After a hearty breakfast, the party assembled in the parlor of the inn to discuss the work ahead.

"It seems," began Cid, "That all of the ingredients are in our possession except for the Kupo Nuts. After that, we'll need to find a chemist to create the stuff."

There was a pause of silence. Jeice spoke up, "So where're the Kupo Nuts?"

Mog answered that one, "In a cave not far from here. It should be just a day's journey to go retrieve them and come back." "Good," Cid said keeping the discussion going, "I believe it would be best if Uargo, Kuro, Miller, and Jeice would accompany Mog."

"And what about the chemist?" Siddhearth asked.

"There should be at least one chemist in town."

"Okay," Cid said again, "Aaron, you and Siddhearth, Ian, and Reno should shop around and see what you can find today. Is that it?" Cid paused, but no one objected. "Okay then, meeting adjourned. See you all tonight."

   *
         o
         +

Though somewhat drowsy, Blaine was doing all he could to stay awake. He figured it was about three or four more days before he would be at the treacherous waters near his homeland. The waters he feared were perpetually stormy and full of monsters. But, if he got home and did his job, it would all be worthwhile.

"I have a feeling that I'm being watched..." Blaine muttered to himself.

It turns out he was right; for only a minute after he spoke he was forced to defend himself from an axe blade slicing him in two. Blaine's eyes grew wide with fear, for the axe bearer was none other than Lio, his former teacher. He pulled back a bit, near to the edge of the average sized raft.

"I... I don't believe this!" Blaine gasped incredulously. "You had such a strong will, Sensei! How could you give in?!"

"Do you think that I would willingly behead my young Emperor?" Lio retorted, swinging his axe again.

Blaine blocked once more, keeping the large blade from killing him once again. He then leaped high into the air and shot a thunder spell at his teacher, landing only seconds after it stopped. Lio retorted with a Firaga spell, nearly knocking Blaine off the raft and into the sea, where he would be an easy target for any thunder spell. Blaine was burnt badly, but unwilling to give in. He joined his swords by the handles and spun them rather quickly, kicking up a fierce wind which blew away his attacker... for now, at least. He then used this same technique to speed up his vessel for a bit, then stopped... after all, energy techniques took up just as much energy as spells did.

   *
         o
         +

"Now remember, the first rule of adventuring is 'Be prepared.'" Uargo said to the men.

"I think I would remember that." Miller said, "I've been doing it for almost thirty years." "No excuse." Uargo said, not listening. "So what exactly have you two been doing since I left?"

"Not all our time was spent searching for the Potion; that was recently." Kuro said in reply, "Before then we were big time bounty hunters in this area when we were old enough. We took on several jobs, including hunting animals, outlaws, and. . . dare I say it, Miller?"

"Go ahead. I think it's safe." Miller replied to his buddy.

". . . political figures."

Uargo was coincidently drinking a cup of water, at which when he heard this statement, promptly spit out. "WHAT?"

"I thought he lost all love of politics. . ." Miller muttered under his breath.

"Not that many! I swear!" Kuro raised his arms as if the mediator was about to strike him, "There was Chief Treasurer Mistonian, and one other lower ranking man, and that was it!"

"Mistonian?" Uargo recalled, "I remember that name. . ."

"He was being accused by townspeople of forcing too many taxes, many of which the Emperor never decreed. Miller, how did we do that one again?"

"Strangled him."

"Strangled him." Kuro repeated, "Really clever trap Miller came up with. It was. . ."

"Stop yapping." Uargo said, "I can see you still have no regard for life if the price is right."

". . . Neither did you."

"That's what worries me." Uargo said, "I know that, too."

Uargo didn't want to say, but he was worried. He left a bad impression on these two, back when this town was big, and importantly, important. Kuro was the son of the former Mayor there. . . Miller was the son of the Mayor's advisor. The two were friends, and often Uargo talked a bit with them on important business trips. He gave them little trinkets, and gave them bits of information that he thought, at the time, were important. This was usually to impress the mayor, and get more out of him. It was a shameless tactic, but now, fifty years later, he regretted it. He also knew that they didn't actually save the city from the monster. He had drugged it previously to make it look that way. . .

"How could I have been so selfish?" Uargo often whispered to himself nowadays, and right now.

   *
         o
               + Zel walked back and forth at the chess table, where his pieces and the pieces of his opposition stood. "I'm must be getting bored." Zel fake yawned, "I haven't done anything for at least thirty minutes." Now it was time for one of his favorite games to play. He opened two drawers, one with carvings of spirits, the others of. . . his prisoners. "Now who shall be today's victim?" Zel reached in the box and pulled out a figure of a man, who looked mysterious even in his own carving, wearing nothing in particular, but wielding a scimitar. "Ah, Telo'nake. The man no one knows anything of, not even himself. Strange, seems like a lot of people are getting that these days." Zel ran his fingers over to the second box to pull out a Spirit. one look at it, and he made an honestly disgusted face. "Carbuncle," he said, "If there were a spirit's looks to detest, it would be his. But a Spirit is a Spirit." He placed them both on the table. "I only wish it were a trite more difficult than it is. . . I'll be done in no time." 

   *
         o
         +

Blaine was tired, but still aware. He saw the outline of a large vessel in the thick fog that he was approaching. Soon, he was alongside it, and saw that Zande's crest was on it. The vessel was headed to the Crescent Islands, but he decided that it would be of better use to him, so he gathered up his supplies and clung to the side. He climbed along until he found a porthole, slid in silently, and landed without a sound. He slunk around until he found the only man in the room, a captive, probably a nobleman judging from his regal looking clothes. Blaine noticed he was asleep, so he crept to the door, opened it a crack, and impaled the guard outside. He was soon flat against the wall, creeping along and killing any Imperial guards in his way. He had to get to the captain's quarters, then if possible, kill him. After about twenty minutes of slinking around, he made it into the captain's cabin. He lay down on the floor and crept under the bed to wait for his prey to return to his quarters for a nap or whatnot. About thirty minutes later, the door opened. He didn't look at the feet of the person, but waited until the person sat on the bed so he could thrust his blade up. To his horror, the man sensed it, got up, and flipped the bed over. Blaine was once more face to face with Lio... he was soon on his feet and ready to fight.

"I just can't get rid of you, can I?" Blaine muttered.

"No, and I shall put you out of your misery!" Lio retorted.

“I'm going to save our people, and then I'm going to crush Zel!” Psycho roared, infuriated at the new state of his old master. The samurai dashed forward, then slid along the floor and slashed with his katanas. Lio was able to block, but Blaine swung around and swept his feet out from under him. Shadow sliced hastily with his ax, driving Psycho back. The samurai put back his katanas and took a fighting stance. He then lunged at Lio and punched him in the face, shattering his nose. Shadow held his busted nasal a bit, then put away his own weapon and took a similar fighting stance. He tried a flying kick, but Blaine timed a round-house kick in retort, sending Lio into the wall. The elder then formed a disk of energy and threw it at his old apprentice, who countered with one of his own. Psycho quickly added a Lumina technique to blind his master, and readied his next attack.

“Capture FIVE!” the samurai screamed. Pieces of energy, clear like glass, formed a diamond around Lio, then shrunk to a crystal that could fit in the palm of his hand. Blaine took it and put it in a pouch, then walked out on deck.

The crew of the ship was surprised to see, not Lio, but a different samurai on board.

“Change courses!” Psycho commanded. “We are going to head south by south east! Get moving, like it already happened!” The crew, seeing the look of fury, rage, and murder on his face obeyed. “Full speed!”

   *
         o
         +

As Jeice and Uargo's group headed off in search of the Kupo Nuts, Aaron and his band were off in search of a chemist. A good chemist. Those however seemed to be hard to come by.

"That's the fourth one!" Aaron said as the group filed out of the shop. "These chemists know how to make potions and antidotes, and that’s about it!"

Siddhearth sighed in agreement, "This is most likely a job for a master chemist."

"I don't even know if they exist anymore," Ian said.

"True," Siddhearth added, "Chemistry has been a dying art in recent years, as are many other skills. I remember stories of chemists so great they could turn lead into gold. It seems the world keeps on losing the best of every class. Why the last General ever became missing nearly forty years ago. I doubt there will be another for another forty years after."

Ian coughed at the statement. No other comment on the subject escaped the lips of the group.

The sun was nearly directly overhead, the group returned to the inn for a short meal before heading out to search the rest of the town. The remaining party members joined in the small luncheon. After Aaron explained the disappointing news of the chemist search, the group for the most part remained silent. A few rambled off into private conversations. Ian sat alone. He slumped over the table and ate slowly, as he often did. Karolie and Reno came up and sat next to him on either side of the bench he sat on.

"Ian," Karolie started, "There are a few questions the two of us have for you."

Ian sat up and gave them each a half glance. "And they are?" he asked.

"Well," Karolie coughed then blushed. Reno interrupted.

"How exactly does that Reaper Touch of yours work anyway?"

Ian jostled mostly in shock. "Well, uh," he muttered, "By touch. Skin to skin." "So why do you wear those gloves with the fingers cut off?"

"I didn't cut 'em off. They," Ian hesitated, "they ripped. That's all."

"But all of the--" Reno would have continued. Karolie shushed him before he could dive deeper into the subject.

"Ian," Karolie continued, but changing the subject somewhat, "I must admit that I really don't know anything about the Empire. . ." Karolie paused. "You being a, uh, officer of the Empire, you'd know some about it, wouldn't you?"

"Um, yeah. I would." Ian paused this time, "What would you like to know?"

"Well, anything really. Whatever you know would help."

"Hmm, well, where to begin?"

"Tell her of the war . . ."

Ian staggered to his feet, "Who said that?"

"Said what, Ian?" Reno asked.

"You mean you didn't hear that?"

"Tell them how you were instrumental in the establishment of the Empire . . ."

"I didn't help create the Empire!"

"I know you didn't, Ian. That must have been a hundred years ago. Ian?" That was all Ian heard of Karolie’s voice before he blacked out.

   *
         o
         +

A younger version of Ian, at the age of thirteen to be exact, in the fittings of a black mage sits out on a cliff that overlooks the ocean. A girl of the same age with brown hair and in the attire of a white mage spots Ian from afar and runs up the hill to meet him.

"Ian!" she says from a distance, "Ian! What are you doing out here?"

Ian doesn't look back, but waits for the girl to come closer before he answers. She sits down beside him, and looks out to the setting sun over the water.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" she says. "Not as beautiful as you, Casandra," Ian states.

Casandra blushes, "Oh stop that nonsense! I've been looking all over for you!"

"The sunset is beautiful," Ian says avoiding the topic.

The two of them sat there for a while. Casandra scoots closer to Ian, "My father says the commoners have been protesting some of the acts the Congress has passed. He thinks they aren't backing down this time."

Ian nods but stays silent.

"Ian, if there was a war, would you fight?"

"I don't know. I don't think I could handle the violence."

"Ian? Why do the commoners resent King Zande so much?"

"I don't know, Casandra. He has to be the greatest king we've had in a long time. I guess they don't understand their place in society. They resent the burgesses and the aristocracy because of our higher status."

"Why would anyone hate us?"

"If I only knew.”

   *
         o
         +

“Ian?”

“Wha- who said that?”

“I did, Ian,” came the familiar voice of Asura.

As Ian opened his eyes a room of faces appeared before him. The party minus Jeice, Uargo, Miller, Kuro, Mog, Siddhearth, Reno, and Aaron stood around the bed Ian was laying in.

Cid spoke up, “You gave us quite a scare. You fainted, you know. You’ve been out for nearly an hour.”

“Where are-” Ian started to ask but was interrupted by Cid again.

“They are continuing the search for a chemist, but you, my boy, have some explaining to do. What exactly happened there?” Ian sighed. He could no longer keep the truth form what had become his family, the only family he had for nearly fifty years. “I,” Ian started, “am the son of the late Chief Black Mage of the Empire, Xeno Zapazeth and Mary Karrier. My last name is derived, as it was when the Empire was the country of Crescentia, near the Croissant Isles, by the combination of my parents’ last names. The information given earlier was a lie, implanted by the Empire...”

Everyone was taken by surprise. Ian just gave information to them that seemed so private to many other members of the group.

Ian continued, “I was fused with spirit, the first to undergo such a treatment in modern times. But, sadly, my fusion is not a direct one as Jeice’s with Gilgamesh. Instead it was done through my Vorpal Sword, which by another means allowed Zel to control me, and through this pendant which, when manipulated with the spirit, gave me the curse of eternal youth.” The pendant, he did not add, was the one he had given to Casandra many years ago.

   *
         o
         +

"Ian, must you join the Knight Corps? Why can't you leave the fighting to the professional soldiers?" a now sixteen-year-old Casandra pleads with Ian.

"The war has been going on for two years now, Casandra. I can't stand idle as my comrades of the aristocracy fight for our king. General Raph defected to the Commonwealth. The newly appointed General, General Howe, has asked all willing men of the ages of 16 to 55 to join the war against the rebellion. It’s something I must do”

Casandra embraces Ian, "What if we shall never see each other again?"

"We will!" Ian looks into her eyes, "Casandra, after the war is over . . ." Ian fumbles around in his pocket a bit then pulls out a box. "Casandra, will you marry me after this war is over?" Ian opens the box to reveal a pendant. Casandra begins to cry. "Wha-what's wrong?" Ian inquires.

"Nothing," Casandra says as she wipes the tears from her cheek, "Everything is perfect." The two then kiss.

   *
         o
         +

“So what spirit are you fused with?” Karolie enquired.

“It’s obvious,” Asura stated, “Diablos.” Her last word echoed for what seemed like an eternity.

Ian dropped his head and nodded.

“That explains the Reaper’s Touch,” Cid said finally piecing the puzzle together.

“Yes, but there are still a lot more questions Ian needs to answer,” Asura said.“Like?” Ian asked not raising his head.

“What did you mean by, ‘I didn't help create the Empire’?”

Ian sighed again, “There were, and still are three classes in the Empire. The aristocracy, which consists of the nobles, officers, and mages; the burgesses, the merchants and scholars; and the commoners which, consists of everyone else. I, being a mage, am a member of the aristocracy. The commoners led a revolt against the burgesses and the aristocracy in the Crescentian Civil War. . .”

   *
         o
         +

"Come on!" a blue mage the age of fourteen says, "You'll miss the session."

Ian, now a boy the age of fourteen as well, "Oh, Naman, the Congress is so boring. It always ends with the House of Commoners being out voted by the House of Burgesses and the House of Aristocracy, two to one. And then it turns into a screaming match and the commoners march off in protest. That's how it's been for almost a year, now."

"Yeah, but I like politics. You'll see! I'll be the Head Senator of the Aristocracy one day!" said Naman Kastay

"Heh," Ian laughs, "That's about the highest rank you can achieve, except for General. And I highly doubt you'd achieve either."

"Well, same to you. May I remind you: you received a 65 on that magic test that I aced.”

"That was a blue magic test! Of course you'd score better on that!"

"Then how come I outscore you on the black magic tests, swell?"

Ian about comes back with a comeback, but a loud murmuring comes from the floor of the Congress. The two boys peek their heads over the railing of the balcony.

"The House of Commoners will not stand for this unfair treatment," the Head Senator of the Commoners says as the commotion quiets a bit, "The entire population of commoners outnumbers the burgesses and the aristocracy combined, yet we can be out voted because of the one vote per House rule. The people should make the decisions. That is why voting should be based on the population represented by each House!"

Several Senators jump up and start yelling across the room.

"Order! Order! The Chair recognizes Senator Orville of the Burgesses."

"We can't allow this to happen! If this insane notion were to be put into effect, the commoners would be running Crescentia. These poor and uneducated fools cannot govern themselves. That is why the House of Burgesses and the House of Aristocracy exist: To keep the country from self-destruction."

The commoners all jump to their feet and start attacking the other two Houses.

"Order! Order!"

"This is not good," Naman whispers with wide eyes looking down.

   *
         o
         +

“. . . the king, Zande I defeated the commoners. After that, the Congress was altered to a one house body of the burgesses and aristocracy, the king was named Emperor, and the capital, Crescent City, which lay on the Voltaire Continent was renamed Imperial City. Zande II is the third Emperor of Crescentia.”

“But that doesn’t explain why you would be responsible,” Asura pointed out, “That happened over a hundred years ago.”

Ian’s eyes darted at that comment, but he said nothing.

   *
         o
         +

The four Chief Mages, one of each, finish their ceremony. Ian, a man of 36 and dressed in an officer’s garb with a large scar sprawled down the entire right side of his face, stands an equal distance from all four. The natural light dims for a moment then returns.

The priest calls out, “For exceptional service in the king’s Knight Corp in the War of the Commoner’s Rebellion, and by the power of the four magics, Ian Zarrier is promoted to the rank of Major General.” Four bright lights, white, red, blue and black, beam their way from the four mages to Ian, and in a brilliant light Ian was no longer Commander Zarrier of Regiment 15, but Major-General Zarrier of the 3rd Brigade.

Soon the ceremony was over. It was purely for show, except for the step up to General, but that was a rare occasion, and only used in times of need for a General.

“Hey, hey!” Came an all too familiar voice, “How does it feel to be, Major-General Zarrier?”

“Maybe I should ask you the same question, Senator Kastay,” Ian answered back.

The two friends embraced. “Wow, the war is over,” Naman started, “are you going to fulfill your promise to Casandra?”

“We planned the wedding for tomorrow,” Ian smiled.“Quite a rush, don’t you think?”

“Well,” Ian blushed, “It has been twenty years since I asked her. We need as much time as we can to catch up.”

“I’m sure you’ll have a long life to look forward to.”

“Can I expect my best man to be there?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

   *
         o
         +

"You were talking about something the other day?" Jeice looked at Uargo as though expected to know that Jeice eavesdropped. “What?”

"Well. . ." The old mediator looked to the ground for a moment, "It's nothing, really. I was just..."

"Hey!" Kuro suddenly stopped everyone in their tracks, "It's Myero!"

"Well I'll be! It is Myero!"

"How-de-do, folks!" The one named Myero walked up to the five friends, "Miller and Kuro, who're these people you've been travlin 'round with?" Myero stood his ground, he had on what looked like the robes of a scholar crossed with that of a black mage and a white mage.

Jeice whispered to Kuro, "Who is he?"

"Myero's a calculator." Kuro replied, "He thinks that absolutely everything can be explained in numbers."

"It can!" Myero said, "It's all very simple! I have this new process I developed called, 'leveling'. I can estimate what your power level is on a scale of one to 99."

"99?" Miller asked, "Why not a hundred?"

"I never said it was an exact system, yet!" Myero threw his head back and laughed, "Now let's see here!" He looked closely at Jeice, "Now, you must be at least. . . level 20. . . no, 21."

"Only 21?" Jeice asked him.

"I've been round the worlds, m'boy, and there's been lots more that look stronger than you."

"Even with my magic?" "That's the first thing I took into account!" Myero laughed again.

"How. . . did you know?"

"Easy, m'boy it's all in the eyes."

"I'm sorry, sir," Uargo stated carefully, "But we don't have the time for this."

"Course you- WAAAAAUGH!" Myero turned to Uargo and gasped in surprise, "Oh. . . sorry about that. . . Heh, for a second you looked like the ambassador Predict of Old. . ."

"I was the Ambassador Predict of Old."

"WAAAAAUGH!"

"What?"

"You're level has to be at least 30!"

Jeice shot a glance at Uargo, "I knew there was something you weren't telling me."

"I just-" Myero was cut short by Uargo, "Listen!" There was a shrill cry that sent chills up everyone's spines.

"What is that?" the Moogle asked.

"I- I don't believe it. . ." Uargo spoke quietly, "It's. . . Carbuncle. . ."

   *
         o
         +

"I thought they had all the ingredients," Reno mumbled, glancing from shop to shop as he followed Siddhearth and Aaron through the bleak city.

"Apparently not," the composer replied. "Must you...?"

"Should we have sent them by themselves, anyway? I mean, they're so... well... old..."

The pair before him turned. "Jeice is younger than we," Siddhearth grunted.

"Might want to rephrase that," Aaron added. "Like saying..."

"I didn't mean Jeice. It's just..."

"You wanted to go with them, so you can get another magic lesson. There's time for that later. Right now, we need ingredients and an apothecary. Let's just leave it at that."Reno sighed and gave a quick nod. Just when he figured he was ready to learn another spell...

The trio continued going, looking back and forth as they passed through the streets, looking for any place that could pass as a chemistry shop. They passed one building, when Aaron suddenly stopped and turned back to it.

"I don't believe it..." he mumbled.

Siddhearth and Reno looked up at the sign that was hanging above the establishment's wooden door. "Irek Nyoran," Reno read aloud. "Professional chemistry. Hey... Nyoran... Isn't that y–?"

"He's my uncle."

"Your uncle?" Reno paused to mull it over. "So why isn't he a scholar like you said your whole family was?"

"He was a scholar. I don't know why he would change his profession like that. Heck, I don't know why he's even here."

"Why wouldn't he be?" Siddhearth asked.

"Well, he was part of this group of crusaders. The... ah... the Colnelian Coasters." Siddhearth and Reno snickered. "I know, I know, funny name. But they were effective. They went around and found any potential threats to Colnelia, then stopped them before they could actually strike."

"They needed a scholar?" Reno questioned.

"It was a diverse group of occupations. Warriors, mages, sailors... Besides, it can pay to know your enemies in advance, sometimes.

"But anyway, the team left a few days before the Great Tsunami to try and stop it."

"Talk about procrastinating."

"Well, they didn't have any leads, you couldn't blame them. They must've come back and found the place ruined. I would've expected them all to have move on to bigger and more danger-stricken cities, not one that practically encourages thievery. But if he's here... well, maybe they're all here."

"Just what we need, more old g–." Reno was cut short by another set of glances.

Aaron turned back to face the chemistry shop and sucked in his breath. After a bit of hesitation, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"We're closed," a gruff voice sounded.Aaron glanced around the dark room, trying to discern where the speaker was. The light from outside wasn't helping any. "But the sign said..."

"We're closed," the voice repeated, then suddenly coughed. "Say something again."

"Uncle Irek?"

The speaker sighed. "Sorry, I must have gotten you confused with someone... uncle?!"

The lights in the room suddenly flicked on. "Aaron? Little Aaron?"

Aaron looked to the man, sitting behind a wooden desk in the back of the room. He was fairly stout, wrapped in dark grey robes and with a similarly colored headband wrapped around his forehead. Lighter grey hair poked out from under the headpiece, along with a short grey beard and mustache. Brilliant green eyes lay behind wide-opened eyelids and bushy eyebrows.

"It's me alright." Aaron lifted his hands away from his sides. "Not exactly little, anymore. How are you?"

"I was sleeping, but who cares now?!" Irek jumped from his seat and walked over to Aaron. "Ha ha, Aaron! Oh, I was so... not exactly little, huh?" The man ran a finger over the sewn and re-sewn stitches of Aaron's scholar coat. He suddenly reached forward and embraced his nephew in a hug. "It's so good to see you again. And look at yourself! The spitting image of Edlan at... what is it now? Thirty-five? I swear... Even that voice! For a second, I thought your father had come back from the..." Irek paused himself. "I'm sorry Aaron, I..."

"It's alright, I knew. I've had twenty years to get over it."

"Indeed. To tell you the truth, I thought you had passed away with him. You'll have to tell me everything."

"True. I've got some questions myself, but first..." Aaron turned and motioned Siddhearth and Reno inside. "These are two of my traveling companions. Siddhearth Seamus, instrumentalist from the land of Grundon, and Reno Lupus, black mage of the Mage School in the Ancient Forest. We and several..."

"Ten others, currently," Siddhearth filled in.

"Yeah, ten others, have been traveling to Valkeryie to try and stop the Empire. Sort of the latest generation of Colnelian Coasters. Only on a much wider scale."

"So I see. I have to envy you boys. Wish me and the other Coasters were still your age..."

"Age is no problem to us," Reno interrupted. "We've got someone who's almost a century old with us. And me, a teenager."Irek looked at Reno curiously. "Pretty receptive group, eh?"

"Hey, I'm just a fighter. I'm not on the recruiting committee."

Irek glanced over to Aaron. "Uh uh. I'm just the captain of the ship."

The apothecary turned to Siddhearth. "He's the mediator of our group," Seamus replied. "He doesn't see much fighting."

"Aha, now that makes sense. Well, anyway, I'm sure you didn't stop in here just for a social call. What, pray tell, could you ask of a scholar turned chemist?"

"The Potion of Life." After a quick pause, Siddhearth also added, "We have the ingredients for it."

"Mm hmm... I'm sure I have a book somewhere that would give some direction on how to make it. Forgive me for intruding, but can I ask what it's for?"

"One of our companions has been illed, gravely."

"How horrible! What's the condition? You must be sure that the potion will work."

"The Reaper's Touch."

Irek's face seemed to pale a bit. "Reapers? No, no. Those are just old folk tales. Most of them originated here in Colnelia, I think."

"I've seen them," Reno replied. "Lots of them. Heck, we've all seen them. In fact, Aaron..."

Aaron placed a finger to his lips to shush Reno. He'd get to that later.

"Really? Seen them?" Irek sighed. "You don't say..."

"Anyway," Siddhearth cut in. "Could you?"

"I'll need all those ingredients by morning. No sooner, I need time to scrounge up the book. Let's see... you can have a family discount, too, so I'll say around twenty-five hundred gil fee. Sound good?"

Siddhearth nodded. "Thank you, sir." He and Reno nodded to Aaron, then left to find the others.

"Reapers?" Irek asked, once they had left.

"Yeah. As a matter of fact, the one that's trying to hunt down our partner is also trying to strike a deal with me. It... uh... it wants me to be a Reaper too.""I was afraid this would happen..."

"What? You do know about the Reapers?"

"Know about them?! Aaron, you remember how your father always made you study about the blasted things?"

"Yeah, so?"

"There's a really good reason for that. Edlan would hate that I'm telling you this, but you had to know sooner or later."

"What do you mean? We've had run-ins with the Reapers before?"

"Your grandfather did. Lorn Nyoran was a Colnelian Coaster in the group that came right before mine. One of the last jobs they had accepted was to stop the rot of the land that is now here. New Colnelia. It was a covert mission, only told to those who were direct family of those Coasters on the mission.

"They ventured forth and found the source of the rot eventually, farther north of here. The Fiend of the Earth, Lich, had been doing it. Lich was..."

"A bringer of death."

"... a Reaper. Lich was stopped by the group before he could send his rot to the Wisdom Forest, and they trapped him inside a small vial. This was given to Lorn for safe-keeping, and when he died, was passed down to Edlan."

"That's the jar he always had on the mantle? The one he almost never took his eyes off of?"

"It was. They gave it to him because of my being a Coaster. I wouldn't be around to watch it. And that's why you had to study Reapers. So that you would watch it when Edlan died. And... in case Lich ever escaped..."

Aaron shivered at the thought of being in the same room as a Reaper for so long and not knowing. But what was worse, it explained what he had been pondering this whole time. That's why they're after me... My grandpa beat up their leader, and my dad and I were supposed to guard him. Of course they wouldn't be fond of me...

. . .

Was Lich still trapped, even? Did he escape when Dad died?

"I've got a bad feeling about this..." Irek sighed, shaking his head. Aaron nodded, and as he did, another thought came to mind. "Forgive me for changing the subject..."

"No, please do."

"Well, did you ever know anyone by the name of Karolie Bessadio? I mean, before the Great Tsunami?"

"Bessadio... Bessadio... well, I do remember there being a couple Bessadios. Only one of them survived the Great Tsunami, and she certainly wasn't named Karolie. Let's see... that was Rella Bessadio. Rella wasn't her full name, though. It was much longer. She was a white mage on the Coasters. Unfortunately, she died a couple years ago."

"So all the Coasters did settle here after the Great Tsunami? Or did you just keep in touch?"

"Settle?! Aaron, we all founded this place! Unfortunately, it just fell apart too quickly for us to make it successful... Heck, I even switched to chemistry so that I could try and counter the effects of Lich's rot, but it was no good.

"Anyway, back to those Bessadios. There was one other that never got accounted for. Now that you're here, I'm assuming she must have survived."

"Why?"

"She was Rella's daughter. Your father offered to watch her when we left to stop the tsunami. I figured all three of you had died, but if you survived, she might have too."

"What was her name?"

"Well, y'know, that's the funny thing. Rella had a name for her, but she would never tell anyone. She was a widow, and talking about her family always depressed her. The girl was too shy to tell anyone, either. Hmm... she was about five when we left. You remember her?"

"Oh... uh..."

"Come on, Aaron. We have scholarly blood in our veins. Our memorization skills are unsurpassable, granted the times that we actually bother to remember stuff. This was a big event, you must remember..."

Aaron nodded and tried to think back...

   *
         o
         +

"Aaron!" A young boy looks up from the scroll he's reading. His father stands there, a young girl at his side. "This is... oh, I'm sorry young one. I didn't get your name."

The girl blushes and hides around a corner.

"Not gonna tell me, eh? Fine, I'll just give you a name. How about... eh... Kayla. That was Aaron's mom's name."

"Are you saying that she's my mom?" the boy asks.

His father grins and walks over to tussle the boy's hair.. "No son, I'm just too lazy to think of anything else."

"Oh."

"Why don't you call it a day and see if you're any better at socializing than I am."

"Okay."

The boy stands up and walks over toward the girl, but she quickly scampers down the hall and enters into a room.

"Adopted the old Nyoran charm, it seems." The father walks to the door the girl just passed through. "Well, if you don't mind sleeping in my room, we'll just let her stay in yours."

"Where will you sleep, though?"

"In my room."

"But that's where I'll be!"

The father sighs.

   *
         o
         +

"Oh yeah... I do remember," Aaron said. "No idea what her name is, though. Even Dad didn't know. He just nicknamed her Kayla."

"Heh, Edlan never was good with children. I bet that confused you quite a bit."

"Yes. How do you suppose she got away?"

"How would I know? You're the one with the memory."

"Of that, though?""Aaron..."

   *
         o
         +

The father, the boy, and the girl stand outside, looking out to the raging sea.

"Aaron," the father says. "I want you to take... er... Kayla here and find a ship that you two can get on. Then get on it."

"But Dad, I don't want to l–..."

"Aaron... Go. I'll be alright. You have to trust me."

The boy looks at him, then nods and grabs the girl by the hand. The two of them dash off to the docks.

"Aaron?" the girl squeaks.

"So you can talk..."

"And sing, too. But Aaron, how will my mommy find me? Why do we have to leave now?"

"I don't know..." the boy sighs. He knows quite well why, though. He just doesn't know how to explain it to someone younger than him.

The ground shakes tremendously, knocking everyone off their feet. The girl screams, tears beginning to well at her violet eyes. "I'm scared, Aaron!"

The boy jumps up to his feet, then lifts the girl up. After thinking a bit, he hugs her, like his father did whenever he had gotten scared. "It'll be alright," he says softly, and the two start off again.

They arrive at a line getting onto a boat. Before they can get on, a sailor stops them. "Sorry kids, we're past full already. You'll have to go to the next boat."

"Please?" the boy begs, but the sailor sadly shakes his head. "Can you just take her, then? Er... her mom is on that ship. I'll go and find another."

"Well... alright. Just her. I'm in Chocodoo already for letting these many on..."

The sailor steps over to the girl, but she backs up hastily behind the boy.

"I don't want to go, Aaron."

"You have to, trust me.""But..."

"Kayla, just trust me!"

Sadly, the girl nods and walks over to the sailor. "Come on sweetie, let's find your mum."

"Oh wait! Aaron, my name's not Kayla!"

"I figured it wouldn't be," the boy calls back.

"It's..." The ground shakes again, toppling everyone over. When the boy gets back up, the girl and sailor are gone.

"Well, darn it..." The boy runs toward the next nearest ship. No line of people stands there, nor a sailor escort. Before the boy can get on, another quake rattles the ground. Something about them doesn't seem quite right... like they're being forced upon the land... But the boy doesn't take the time to contemplate. He clambers onto the ship and quickly ducks inside as a wave crashes over the deck.

   *
         o
         +

"Well, I'll be..." Violet eyes...

"What happened? You phased out longer than I expected..."

"I think I saved her."

"That's my nephew! But... um... why did you ask in the first place?"

"There's a Bessadio on our team."

"Yeah?"

"The thing is, though, she's only nineteen, so she can't be that girl..." Unless this has to do with what she wouldn't tell me before...

"I see. A granddaughter of Rella's also seems a bit out of the question, if she's that old. And I don't think Rella ever had any other children. Or re-married, for that matter. Though, I did try to catch her eye on a few occasions..."

"Too much information there, Uncle Irek."

"What? Oh... eh heh... Well, I don't know what to do about your friend. Did you ask this Bessadio about it?" "Sort of fell onto it without trying. She got real angry and cut off before I could understand anything."

"I see."

"Well... anyway, don't mean to change the subject again, but there's one more thing I wanted to ask. Were two guys... uh, Miller and Kuro... ever part of the Coasters?"

Irek threw his head back and laughed. "You're making the Potion of Life for them?"

"Not really. They just told us about it. Were they?"

"No, no. Too concerned with politics and bounty hunting. Not everyone can be a Coaster, anyway.”

"How about Uargo Predict?"

"Their role-model, Ambassador Predict? I'm sure he got some offers from Dad's team, but definitely not ours. He, like his ‘proteges', was too wrapped up in Colnelia's old government, until he left. Why do you ask? The man must be dead by now. If not, he'd be doing pretty much the only thing he couldn't do as a politician: mee...dee...ate..." Irek lifted his eyebrows at Aaron.

The geomancer nodded.

"Well, I'll be. Ambassador Uargo Predict, come down to watching over you kids..."

"He's been really helpful in finding the ingredients for the Potion of Life. But then, so have I."

"Good to hear. Using those old scholar skills to remember where everything is."

"Actually, no, I've been using some new skills lately."

"Oh?"

"Time for my story, it seems."

"Alright. Pull up a stool. Your standing this whole time is starting to make me tired."

"Well, that really won't be necessary..." A large green leaf poked out from the floorboards and curled downward so that Aaron could sit on it.

Irek looked at the leaf, and coughed. "You're not my nephew."

"Oh, rest assured, I am. But... well, you'll understand after you hear this."***

"WAAAAAUGH! This is amazing!" Myero exclaimed. "The chances of running into Carbuncle in the wild are sixty-three million nine hundred twenty-two thousand ninety-three and five tenths to one!" (63,922,093.5 : 1)

"Five tenths?" Mog asked, looking quizzically at the man.

"Well, in case you only see half of it. Like if it hides half-way behind a bush."

"Lately," Jeice sighed, ignoring the exchange as he reached for his spear, "the odds have been more like one to two for us..."

Myero's brow twisted. "How is that...?"

"Never mind." Jeice grabbed his spear and twirled it toward the sound of Carbuncle's cry.

"Jeice," Uargo sighed. "The Spirits are peaceful, remember?"

"Yes, I'm aware. But where they go, Dr. Robbins is bound to follow." And his murderer lackeys...

"If you insist."

"Well, hello over there!" a voice called. The group turned to see Siddhearth and Reno coming toward them from a distance. "Seems we came just in time," the older of the two commented, motioning to Jeice's weapon.

"Who are these?" Myero asked, eyeing the duo suspiciously.

"Myero," Uargo said. "This is Siddhearth Seamus. And this, Reno Lupus." He turned to the other two. "Myero here is a calculator, and an ideologist, if I may say."

"Indeed I am. All positions of experience can be judged on a scale of one to ninety-nine, you see?"

"Why ninety-nine?" Reno asked.

Myero chuckled. "You people, all thinking alike. Come here a second, let me judge your level."

Siddhearth stepped up first. "Ah..." Myero commented. "Not bad, not bad. You must be around Mr. Apalock's level, 24 or so. And you..." Myero glanced at Reno. "WAAAAAUGH! Ahem, I mean, probably about level 15."

"15?! That's it?!""Um... yes?"

"You're sure?"

"No. I mean, yes!"

Reno prepared another comment, but Kuro cut him off. "Did you find a chemist?"

"Of course we did," the boy replied, reaching to grab his knife. "Go figure, it was Aaron's uncle. We get a family discount."

"Oh, right, Irek..." Kuro turned to Miller. "Did you know he could do that?"

"I wasn't aware. He's Aaron's uncle? I would've guessed father..."

"Except that his father died."

"Oh right, right..."

"Isn't it nice how his nephew can get us special privileges?" Siddhearth asked. "Like a discount, hours after closing, and just the formula we need..."

Reno shook his head, snapped up his knife, and stepped to Jeice's side. "What's coming?"

"Carbuncle."

"And that is?"

Jeice glanced over to Uargo. "A green-furred beast, similar to a wolf," the mediator replied. "It bears two large, fanned ears and a tail that fans likewise at the tip. Its hind feet are quite long compared to its small front paws, which lets it stand like a bipedal creature. Most notable is the bright red ruby embedded in its forehead."

"I get'cha. And we're fighting it? I thought we were already POed because I killed Bahamut."

"We're fighting Dr. Robbins when he arrives to take Carbuncle," Jeice responded.

Before Reno could comment, the Phantom Beast howled again and emerged over the horizon. It was just as Uargo described it (with a few tints of blue mixed into the fur), save for one thing the mediator had left to the mage's imagination.

"That's Carbuncle?! Geez, I'm bigger than it!" True enough, the creature would barely come up to Reno's neck (not counting the ears). "Are you sure that's not just some mutated werewolf?"

"Size matters not," Uargo sighed. "Carbuncle is just as powerful as Bahamut or Leviathan." The elder made a slight movement of his hand. Carbuncle jerked about to face him, then raced toward the man. It came to a stop a considerable distance away when it saw Jeice and Reno, but continued again when Uargo made another hand gesture. It came to a stop right in front of Predict and sat up, curious blue eyes looking over him.

"Hello there," Uargo said calmly.

Carbuncle chirped quizzically at him. After a brief pause, words formed in the minds of all those present, like the mysterious voice that Leviathan had used when it spoke to them. Friends you are, yes?

"We are friends," Uargo replied. "We have spoken with Alexander. He wishes us to protect you."

I sense Gilgamesh...

"He is there, with the red man. He fought Maliris and Kraken, was injured. The red man there saved him."

The red man is the salvation of the Aesir?

"We all are, it seems. As Alexander commanded."

How has the red man saved Gilgamesh?

"Gilgamesh and the red man bonded into one form after the fight."

I shall bond with the red man too?

"One Spirit is more than enough, thanks," Jeice replied sadly.

No? Do you defy Alexander? Shall I be left alone... to be killed by Shiva and Ifrit? Or just captured, like Raiden?

"Have they been chasing you?" Uargo asked, suddenly chilled.

A day and night ago, they hunted me. I escaped them. But now you hand me to them with your cowardice?

"No. We will not allow such a thing to happen."

Gilgamesh is safe. Why can I not be safe like him? Do you have another plan?

"We didn't even have that plan," Jeice mumbled.

"Jeice's body is taxed by Gilgamesh. Joining with Carbuncle as well will surely destroy him."I do not have to join with the one-called-Jeice.

"You make a valid point. If someone else were gracious enough to join with you..." Uargo turned his gaze on Reno.

"You're not serious," the boy stated again.

"I've never been more serious."

"Why me? Why not Siddhearth? Or Mog? Or yourself, even?"

"Because you're bigger than Carbuncle," Siddhearth teased.

I do not understand. All of you but the Moogle are bigger than I...

"Never mind..."

"It doesn't hurt, Reno," Jeice encouraged. "They only make you stronger. Your casting accuracy could go up."

Yes, yes! Help you cast, I can do that! That is my specialty, even!

"Well, when you put it that way..." Reno sighed deeply. "Alright. Come on. Hurry up, before Zel gets here..."

   *
         o
         +

The ship was speeding along incredibly fast. Blaine occupied the captain's quarters; he was close, he could feel it. With some effort, he was able to transmit to Silver telepathically, and he exercised that ability now.

Silver, I miss you, the samurai thought. I want you to repeat this to the rest. Tell them I've taken over an enemy vessel, and I should be at my home, the Caussack Archipelago in two days. From there on I don't know how long I'll be, but tell them to rest assured; Blaine shall return along with a small armada from the Caussack Navy. Also, I want you to behave. Understood? Take care of yourself and the group... good bye.

   *
         o
         +

I will tell them, Sensei. With that, the tiger sped off, uninterested in Ian’s story anyway, and soon arrived at the clearing where Siddhearth and the others were. The Tiger reported cleanly, "I've just gotten word from Sensei. He's well and has commandeered an enemy vessel. He should arrive at the Caussack Archipelago in two days. He doesn't know how long he'll be but says he'll return alive and with a small part of the Caussack Navy to help us."

Siddhearth didn't look down to Silver. "Enemy vessel, eh? What in the world does he think he's doing, anyway?"

Silver replied, "Well I was. . ."

"I don't care. As long as he gets back and actually does some useful work for a change, I'm sure I'm fine with it."

"So uh. . . . how do we actually do this, Jeice?" Reno asked, approaching Carbuncle.

"Um. . . I'm not sure. . . I think you have to grab each other's hands. . ." Jeice tried to recall his encounter with Gilgamesh.

"Carbuncle knows how." Uargo said, "Do just that."

Reno stepped up to Carbuncle. They grabbed each other's hand/paw, and just then, a loud noise erupted from over the hills.

"I've got you now! Ahahaha!" Zel had a new toy with him, a machine that was kept aloft by the spinning propellers on the top of it which also made a lot of wind. Carbuncle, because of his light weight, was lifted off the ground, and Reno, because of his also light weight, was knocked over.

"Hang on!" Reno yelled, and tightened his grip on Carbuncle's paw. A red light shined brightly, but it wasn't the one for a fusion. Carbuncle had cast a Wall spell.

Both of them got to their feet again, now that the excess wind didn't affect them. "And now. . ." Reno said, and this time a white light shone. It continued to shine brightly, until Reno's world was filled with it. A warm sensation went up his arm, followed by a sudden surge of power.

"Blast!" Zel yelled from his moaning flying machine, "Dove, go. . . What's that?"

From behind the Wall, a very bright light shone. "Thundaga!" yelled the boy. A searing bolt of energy crashed through the ship, hitting the gas chamber, causing it to explode, sending it several thousand yards backward. But before they flew away not of their own will, Zel caught a glimpse of Jeice.

“Gilgamesh?"

Then he was a mile and a half away.

"Blast it!" Zel unstrapped himself from the broken contraption, took out a dagger hidden in one of his boots, and stabbed a nearby tree that wasn't knocked over by the rough landing. "They've somehow learned how to fuse with the spirits. . . Dove, Send for the airship. . ."

   *
         o
         +

"This is amazing!" Reno exclaimed, "I remember all my spells! I feel as though I could cast them all day!" He raised his hands up in the air as of triumph.

"Sounds like a keen plan. . ." Jeice said, "I have a feeling Zel's going to be returning soon. . ."

"Strange. . ." Uargo said, "Last time he seemed to be surging with power when we met him, but when Reno caught him off-guard, it seemed almost. . . comical."

"When you put it that way, it did seem pretty funny." Kuro admitted while brushing the leaves from his hair.

"But a man that supposedly has that much power shouldn't have needed to use that flying device..."

Jeice slapped his forehead in disbelief, "Of course! Zel naturally didn't expect us to be here when he chased after Carbuncle! But it's likely that Carbuncle found us because he was searching for another Spirit to help him, and came after me, since I have Gilgamesh with me!"

"But what does that have to do with Zel?" Mog asked.

"Well, now that I think about it, if he had all the power he seems to show us, why does he need his cronies to help fight?"

Siddhearth caught on, "So what you're saying is. . ."

"Right. I have this sneaking suspicion Zel's been bluffing. . ."

   *
         o
         +

Zel's airship arrived promptly and he staggered on board. "Look what that blasted kid did to me..." He clutched his arm, which was bleeding from a deep gash caused by a piece of flying shrapnel when they had hit the ground. "The heligyro may have been the smallest and fastest thing we could use to chase after Carbuncle... Maybe we should have cloaked the airship like last time..."

Zel stepped into the middle chamber where he set up his portable laboratory. In the middle of the room, he had set up the chessboard with all the figurines set on it. "Lucky move." He said to the opposing side, "But you can't win in one turn." He walked over to his desk and pulled out the figurine of Telo'nake. "Looks like you'll be fused with someone else. . ." He opened his drawer with the Spirit's figurines.

His eyes widened to what he saw.

"Only two left... I only have two left to find..." He muttered. "TWO!" He slammed his fist on the table. "Fenrir and Stray... If only I could possibly get my hands on Alexander... Of course, I might need to do some more research. There must be more Spirits..."

   *
         o
         +

Irek shook his head sadly as Aaron finished relaying the events of his life for the past twenty-five years. "I'm sorry I wasn't there Aaron. Sorry I didn't know."

"It's alright. I should've paid more attention when I did a quick study on New Colnelia. Would've seen you as one of the founders."

"Mm... How much do you think you can do with that Geomancy?"

"Plenty, it seems. The Reaper gave me the skill to use the magic along with it. Probably more than what it anticipated giving. It's more than just moving land though. Master Rec told me before that the proper name for a geomancer is not that, but environmentalist. We control much more than the terrain, like air and water. Come to think of it, I haven't tried much with those yet. For all I know, I could displace the air around someone's face and..."

Aaron's face blanched.

He could kill someone.

"I... I hadn't even considered it before..."

"You'll be fine, responsible," Irek soothed. "Don't let possibilities scare you. You've only been using the magic for good."

Aaron nodded numbly, turning to look out the window. "Morning already? I didn't know my story was that long..."

"It's been a long twenty-five years. Well then, best that I be finding that book."

"You're serious that they really put a recipe for one of the rarest potions known in some average chemistry book?"

Irek shrugged.

"There's a catch to this, isn't there?"

The apothecary flashed him a quick grin and ran his hand over the binders of the books on his shelf. He finally stopped at one and snapped it up, slamming it down on the desk.

“The Journal of Iggy Rethplen?" Aaron muttered. "Who's that?"

"Exactly." Aaron's look of confusion coaxed a chuckle from Irek's throat. "No one knows who Rethplen is, so no one bothers to look at the book. People these days only want to read fiction or about important figures. The book though is actually pretty good. Iggy Rethplen is a black mage from Grundon who leads a group of other mages through the trials of daily life in the lower classes there."

"He found out how to make the potion and wrote it in here?"

Irek shook his finger at Aaron, then rubbed the spine of the book. After a bit, it split in two, and the chemist extracted a rolled-up piece of paper out of the gap.

"I knew there was a catch..."

Irek shook his head this time and unrolled the paper. It was blank. "Hand me that flask with the pale yellow potion in it. That long brush next to it too." Aaron obliged to his uncle's requests, then watched in amazement as Irek painted the liquid over the paper, causing words to appear on it. "A double catch. You see, I wrote this recipe in a special kind of "invisible" ink. It ends up looking sloppy since you can't see where you wrote, but even so, there's no better way to disguise your writing."

"This stuff," Aaron asked, taking the flask, "is all that counters it?"

"It is. Juice extract from the rare lemon fruit."

"I see. Do they grow these lemons on Crescent Island, by any chance?"

"No no, bad soil for that type of tree. But the Imperials there do produce this invisible ink. You have that captain's log by the Odin fellow with you?"

Aaron nodded and pulled out the book. Before he could open it, though, Miller and Kuro burst in, two large sacks slung over their shoulders.

"Howdy, Irek," Miller greeted. "Since when have you been able to make the Potion of Life?"

"Ever since I became a chemist, gentlemen."

"But, all those times we asked about it?"

"Why did you want to make it, again?"

"None of your business."

"Exactly. If your business isn't my business, my business isn't your business."

Miller sighed and flopped his satchel to the ground. A ball of white and red fur rolled out, stopping when it hit the desk. "Mog! You didn't...""I couldn't resist!" the Moogle groaned. "It's not every day that one gets to feast on Kupo Nuts, you know..."

"We were expecting this," Kuro whispered to the Nyoran duo. "Picked up two batches at the Kupo Cave." Kuro opened his own bag and dug through until he found the nuts at the bottom.

"Very good. Now, the four of you will have to leave during the creation. I've been sworn to secrecy of it. Nor do I want the information that I can make this potion spread all across the town, do you understand? I don't need people asking me about it unless it's an emergency... or family..."

The quartet nodded as Miller set the gil requested as fee on the desk. Before they left, Irek flipped the lemon juice over to Aaron, with a wink.

"What's that?" Kuro asked as they set down on a rickety bench outside.

"Lemon juice. Watch." Aaron opened the journal to the front page, which had been oddly blank from the beginning. Having forgotten the brush, he dribbled a bit of the fluid onto the unseen letters and spread it with his hand.

"Fascinating..." Mog murmured. "What will they think of next?"

"This is Imperial-Grade stuff," Kuro mused. "Only the best for a Nyoran, eh?"

Aaron didn't listen. He wrapped himself into reading the missing link of his opponent's life. The Imperial Years...

I have joined the ranks of the most powerful military in existence.

The geomancer shook his head and flipped ahead. That was of no interest. He uncovered the next set, to find nothing yet again. Finally, he turned to the last of the pages before the actual log began.

My identity has been uncovered. I can no longer hide that I am Odin, the Great Spirit, particularly not to my personal journal.

Aaron slammed the book shut and gaped down at it. "He... he... lied to me! He did everything in his power to keep the lie going!" Aaron shook his head. "Why can't these Spirits just stay away from me for once?! Lich... Leviathan... Odin... it just doesn't end..."

"Keep reading," Miller said, leaning over to look at the entry. "Maybe he'll explain better what's going on."

Aaron nodded slowly and opened the book back up. Leviathan warned me that I was a fool to do what I have done. Fifteen years ago he warned me, when I first suggested the plan. I thought him jealous of the fact that I could impersonate a human while he couldn't, or angry that I could not help with Ogopogo.

Now I see why he warned me. Dr. Robbins has discovered me somehow, though the method he used I could not know. He came to my quarters the night before, and held a single clear crystal in his wicked hands. "This," he said, "will be your new home once Zande finds out what you are." He must have assumed that I had been intimidated into staying, because Zande has yet to find out of it.

I cannot let this happen to me. I snuck into Zel's laboratory earlier today and stole the crystal that he showed to me. Imagine, Odin the Great, fearful of one fool scientist... Tonight I must leave. I will return to the Gigyas Prey, if they will have me. With that, I can warn Leviathan. I only pray that he will listen to me.

Captain Aaron, too, may pose a problem for me, if he hasn't already left the ship. Like Veriol before him, he knows too much about me. If Aaron is there still, he just may have to die as well. I likely will not get a perfect opportunity to cover my real reason to kill him like I did with Veriol exempting me from his will, though. This will not be easy...

"What happened from there?" Kuro asked. "After he threw you out, that is..."

Aaron flipped ahead a few pages, past the entries of the captain's log. "The body I found on the ship must have been placed to throw anyone that knew Odin. I doubt Zel would kill a specimen..." More blank pages. Aaron splashed the lemon on them to reveal the words quickly.

I have been found once again. Zel Robbins has out-smarted me, somehow. The man that entered the crew but a day ago, Thokk, is an agent of the doctor. He cast a spell upon the ship earlier this morning, likely when he didn't think I was watching. By dusk, all the crew save for that man had been killed by Reapers. I fear that it will only be a matter of time before Odin, undercover agent of the Great Spirits, will be no more...

Lo, someone approaches my door. I will not be taken easily, though. I will fight. I will–

Aaron stopped. The page was torn from there, splotches of blood dotting about it as well. He searched the next pages for more words, but those were truly blank. He contemplated the matter silently, his picture of life torn twice now by the revelations of Lich and Odin. The others refrained from interruption, leaving the captain to his silence.

It was only when Irek came out that Aaron's thoughts were broken. "I've finished," the apothecary said, holding in his hands a narrow bottle filled with a brown potion. "You must be extremely careful. I can only create this potion effectively once a year. If you lose it, your friend likely won't last until I can once again control the chemical reactions that formulated this life-saver." Irek changed face as he noticed Aaron's mood. "What's troubling you, Nephew?" Aaron held up the journal sadly. "Take it. Read it. Keep it. I don't want it." I never wanted to be a part of it...

Irek nodded and carefully handed the potion over to Kuro, then accepted the journal away. "What's happened?"

"I'd rather not speak of it."

"Alright then." Irek took Aaron's hand and shook it vigorously. "You take care of yourself, Aaron. When this whole Imperial fiasco settles down, you come right back here and give me the full story."

"I will. Thank you Uncle. For everything. Farewell." Aaron parted his hand, then headed off toward the inn.

"Good luck, men," Irek called, saluting to Kuro, Miller, and Mog. The trio waved back, then quickly chased off after Aaron.

Irek sighed as he watched them disappear into the distance. So much like Edlan... "Why did it have to happen to you, brother?"

   *
         o
         +

The group had once again gathered at the inn again, but being so many of them, hey had decided to hold it in the diner downstairs. Ian stood off in the far corner, reserved as ever. Silver was half asleep, eyeing everyone occasionally. Reno was staring at the door, impatiently waiting for the others to arrive. Uargo was alone with his eyes closed, rocking back and forth and humming some song. Myero was busy explaining away to Siddhearth and Cid many of his findings and theories with numbers. Karolie was talking to Asura, who just listened but did not say.

Jeice sat at the far end at a table alone, having requested some time alone. He had noted his habit of watching everyone and recalled earlier times of the behavior. Times when he met with just Siddhearth and Cid... later Siddhearth, Biggs and Wedge. Then after being at the empire, Asura, Reno and Ian were added to that number. After their escape on the airship, they had added Psycho, Silver, and Cullen to those. Aaron had joined them at dinner at the Mage School, then Uargo and Karolie as they boarded the ship to Colnelia...

Now as he sat here, anticipating leaving the island again... it was different once more. Cullen was nowhere to be found, Psycho left without hesitation, and his friends from the beginning... were gone. Dead, struck down by his enemies. His escaping the Reaper led him to their death....

It should have been me...

If it had been, he would have spared everyone so much trouble. His escape at nights from the Reaper would be of no worry to them; they could simply progress on and hide from the Empire. His importance was only minor... he was sure Gilgamesh could be transferred for safety...

If the potion works...

He would no longer be a burden anymore, but it would not fix everything that had happened... But at the very least he would serve some good....

Aaron, Kuro, Miller, and Mog finally entered and sat around the table Jeice was at. Soon everyone else gathered around them as Jeice inspected the potion.

"Uhh.... save a little, okay?" Uargo requested, "Kuro and Miller wanted to have it looked at by some people"

Aaron shrugged, "There's enough there for four servings anyhow"

"Right," Miller said, "We already have the other three vials waiting, two for you, two for us..."

Jeice held it up to his nose, "Ugh... this stuff smells awful"

"Just like a little kid," Silver said, followed by a snort.

"Remember," Siddhearth said, "If this doesn't work... the Reaper will show up in just ten minutes"

"Yeah... Well here goes nothing," Jeice said as he held the vial then drank it down, his face cringing at the concoction, he managed to sputter out, "One things for sure... it'll wake you up..."

Everyone watched expectantly, Jeice simply nodded through teary eyes."Well," Kuro interrupted, "How do you feel?"

Jeice looked up, "Energized, lot better than any elixir in any case"

Miller frowned, "This isn't just a pick me up, that's the most powerful curing agent around! .... or should be..."

Ian grunted, "For physical ailment perhaps"

"Time will tell," Uargo said.

Like every other night... Jeice thought, Only this time it might truly end....

Time passed slowly it seemed, but as he saw the ragged cloth and sickles coming through the wall across for him, it all became apparent. His fear was clear, unnerving, and horrible... The kind of fear he hated experiencing and wanted over. He looked over to Reno, "Hurry!" Reno nodded and cast the spell, aiming it towards Jeice... and everything went dark for him.

   *
         o
         +

"You do not dream in this sleep"

.... what is this?

"There is only darkness..."

Always dark... but it is not always silent...

Then something did appear... Gilgamesh appeared before Jeice, shedding some light.

So... you are alive

"But not powerful..."

I never was powerful either...

Carbuncle then appeared to Jeice's right. "My host would not think so"

He is young

Gilgamesh went into focus. "As are you"

I am a burden, you should fuse with someone else... like Aaron

Then the horrible Diablos faded into view at his left, a bat winged monster with shadowy black scales, burning red eyes.... full of hatred and sorrow.

You! You are the one to blame!

"Of them, yes... but not wholly... Lich, Hades... they all play their part in this charade"

It was your touch!

Diablos now showed anger. "Fool! My responsibility is to those whose time has come to ride the Doom Train..."

Carbuncle went into focus again. "He is no more a prisoner than Gilgamesh and I are... or Ifrit and Shiva, or any of those stolen by that man"

Diablos was normal again. "Lich was willing. I was not." Why... when I am in those stone state?

Gilgamesh came to view. "Your mind is open only now. Many a times Leviathan could have been heard by you... It is through our bond they can now speak"

He felt a sudden chill. Diablos, then Carbuncle, and finally Gilgamesh vanished... His eyes opened.

   *
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         +

"You okay Jeice?" Asura asked, having just cast Remedy on him.

The wizard nodded, "It did not work..."

"You look better than you have recently," Reno said, trying to lighten the mood.

"No... no," Jeice sighed, "It's hopeless... completely hopeless. I'd be better off dead"

"Jeice..." Aaron said taking his shoulder.

Jeice broke away, "Forget it. Just forget it..."

He began to go outside, but Siddhearth grabbed him on his way out and put him against the wall, "Listen Apalock. We haven't gone through all this trouble - every night, going through these islands, making the potion and everything.... just for you to be mad and get yourself killed when one attempt failed"

"But-"

"It didn't work out this time," Siddhearth continued unfazed, "But we never knew it would"

Aaron sighed, "I was sure it would work...."

"The chances that you would find such a cure by mere chance," Myero said, "Are extremely unlikely, to be precise... I would figure about one in two-"

"I don't need statistics," Jeice interrupted.

"I guess we keep going to look for the Dove," Reno said.

"Why?" Aaron asked, "What is so important about this Dove?"

"Why indeed..." Siddhearth thought out loud, "Psycho directed us that way... The crystals and such..." "It would seem odd to trust the word of someone as... strange as he" Uargo noted, "Had he not been traveling with you..."

"True enough," Aaron added, thinking back to his first meeting with the samurai, "He does have a way with people"

"Either way," Cid interrupted, "Valkeryie should be our next stop, we cannot afford to survive on such low funds the entire time"

"Agreed," Siddhearth replied.

Uargo turned to Kuro and Miller, "And you two?"

Kuro shrugged, "We had made arrangements when we arrived, we're returning to Goralend to have the potions studied"

"Yes, in fact I have delayed it far too much already, I have a important appointment in ten minutes now," Myero said standing up, "I thank you for the company you provided, for those hours would have been terribly dull. I must bid you farewell and good luck"

They all said their good-byes, Uargo having a few words alone with Kuro and Miller briefly beforehand. Soon it was down to Jeice, Reno, Asura, Ian, Siddhearth, Cid, Aaron, Uargo, Karolie and finally Silver, though Mog had tagged along to see their boat.

Mog tottered over to Asura before they left however, "Uhhm.... there was something I wanted you to take..."

Asura nodded, "Uhh.... yeah?"

Mog waddled over to a nearby bush and came back holding a small box, “My sister lives in Valkeryie.... she's called Kipobo, in the Choco Forest ... if you could maybe give it to her?"

Asura looked at the Moogle's trusting eyes, then at the box in her hands and finally smiled, "Sure. I'm sure it won't be too much trouble to spare trouble for that"

Mog said his final goodbyes as well and made his lonely journey back to the ship. Everyone had once gathered on the ship, Jeice, Reno, Silver, and Asura turning in early to bed to take the night watch (for Asura took over for Psycho's original spot). The others fulfilled their ship duties during the day, the entire group gathered for a breakfast/dinner prepared by Uargo and Karolie, oddly enough the two best cooks of the group.

Chapters in Final Fantasy OG

0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10