Chapter 9: The Faces of Power

****************

     "Slow down, will you?"

     Cyan barely acknowledged the request, but refrained from further increasing his pace of walking. "T'is the one thing we most certainly cannot afford to do at this time."

     "Sabin's right," Edgar insisted. "I don't want us getting separated in these caves. If we lose someone, we might never see them again."

     "Thy concern is noted, but I am in no peril."

     "Then put your swords away. We're not trying to start a fight here."

     "I merely aim to anticipate our opponents initiating a fight," Cyan replied, his grip tightening around the hilts of his drawn weapons.

     Sabin tried again. "We're not in a war, are we? So calm down a little."

     "Enlighten me then," Cyan invited, his voice becoming harder, "as to where thou wouldst place the line between peacetime and war. Then decide whether it has yet been crossed."

     After several moments of silence from his younger brother, Edgar spoke again. "It hasn't been crossed yet, Cyan. And we're not going to do the crossing. I know that the situation isn't ideal right now, but we're a long way from a war, do I make myself clear?"

     "Thou'rt still young, Edgar. But as I understand it, your father erred in his answer with disastrous results."

     "This isn't the same thing!" Sabin snapped, finding his voice again.

     Nicholas coughed, finally raising his voice. "Despite certain... differences of opinion on other things, I must stand with Sir Cyan on this. I do not doubt that he wishes to avoid bloodshed as much as the rest of us. But blood has already been spilt over this matter. I see no harm in ensuring that ours does not join it on the ground. After all, we still do not know all the players in this business."

     "Well, why would Celes or Shadow attack us?" Sabin persisted. "I mean, Shadow's not exactly the friendliest guy around, and Celes has been acting really weird lately, but I still don't think they're going to attack us out of the blue."

     "Nor did thy father."

     "That's enough, Cyan!" Edgar growled, his face finally showing some signs of irritation. "I'm trying to solve this business without resorting to violence. Keep your weapons out if you must. But if anybody here starts any fights, they had better hope I never catch up them afterwards!"

     "The same goes for you!" Nicholas informed his men. "We will defend ourselves if attacked, but you will remain on the defensive until I order otherwise!"

     A quiet chorus of assents came from the ten soldiers.

     "I envy you," Edgar muttered. "I really do."

****************

     "Are you still certain this is the right way?"

     "As certain as possible," Celes replied, her eyes never straying from the ground ahead. "That explosion obviously destroyed some of this mountain's passageways. Including some crucial ones."

     Lance frowned. "Did the map show any alternate routes?"

     "No."

     "Then why did we just take a right turn back then?"

     "I'm making an educated guess on how to make it to the same location."

     "And what is that educated guess based on?"

     "Just call it a sixth sense, Saroth."

     Lance raised an eyebrow as he studied her face for several moments. Finally... "I see. Don't hesitate to ask if you want a second opinion. I've been dealing with these sort of caves so long that I've developed something of a sixth sense myself."

     Celes abruptly stopped. "Not that kind of sense, Saroth. Something more direct in this case. We need to go down."

     On the odd chance that he'd missed something, Lance studied the ground beneath them for a moment. "I think I'm missing something," he finally confessed. "An explanation would be appreciated..."

     "There's something beneath us here. And we're going to find out what that is."

     Seeing two more sticks of dynamite appear in her hands, Lance began to look for a place to take cover. Explanations could wait until later.

****************

     "Isn't this the way we came?" Relm asked, already knowing the answer.

     Clyde's face held only the faintest hint of a frown on it, though his eyes suggested anything but indifference. "We will have to take a different route."

     "A different route?"

     "Yes."

     "But where? We never passed any forks in the tunnel!"

     "I am... aware of that."

     Relm swallowed as she realized what that confirmation meant. They were sealed in. They were trapped. They would run out of air soon. Especially with the torch they were using...

     "Come," Clyde ordered. "We will continue further down the other way. This mountain is full of passageways. We are far from trapped at this point. But we should hurry."

     Swallowing again, Relm nodded. Somehow, this whole adventure had taken a turn for the worse. But things were... still okay. After all, she had Interceptor with her. And Clyde. Whoever he was and wherever he had come from, he seemed like someone who knew how to take care of himself. Everything would still be okay...

     A quiet rumble sounded off in the distance, causing Interceptor to growl quietly in response.

     "Fools..." Clyde whispered angrily.

     "What was that?" she asked worriedly.

     "More dynamite. Either very far off or they didn't use much. No matter. Let us move quickly before they use more."

****************

     Lance coughed as the dust stubbornly refused to settle in the passageway. "I hope that did not do any more damage to our passageways."

     "In small amounts, it should not be a problem," Celes replied, carefully easing her way down the side of the crater that had been created. "Be careful. There is a passageway below."

     This just got more interesting by the minute. "How did you know it was there?"

     "I already told you, Saroth. I have a sixth sense for certain things."

     He slowly nodded. "If... if I were try and make a correlation between your past occupation as a MagiTek knight and this new supposed source of power..."

     Celes eyed him coldly for a moment, before dropping out of sight. Lance followed shortly after, rather relieved to find that it was only a seven or eight foot drop down to the floor of the tunnel below them. Celes was already heading down one way, slowing briefly so that Lance caught up in a few moments.

     "What is magic, Saroth?"

     Lance raised an eyebrow at the question. "'What is magic?' I'm hardly an expert, but I think it could be argued that magic was a source of power that was obtained from creatures known as Espers, who are now extinct."

     "Oh really?"

     "Although... if my sources were correct, did the Espers not hold in high regard, three goddesses? Who were integral to their existence? So perhaps it could be said that magic was ultimately derived from those three statues. That would hold true with the fact that the Emperor's and Kefka's ultimate goal was to gain those three statues."

     Celes nodded slowly. "Have you ever seen a magic-user cast a fire spell?"

     "Only once, but it was directed at me, so I didn't have much time to appreciate its mechanics at the time."

     "What is the difference between that fire and the type you use to cook your food and keep warm?"

     "I... I'm not sure, to be honest. They look much the same, and they both burn until they run out of fuel to consume." He raised an eyebrow. "Is there a difference?"

     "No, there isn't. Fire is fire, whether its source of power is magic or a simple piece of wood. While the sources are much different, in both cases the fire is fuelled by the power inherent in the source."

     A brief period of silence.

     "Being the historian that you are, Saroth, you may wish to remember that. You have no idea how much effort went into verifying that fact."

****************

     "Do we have any idea where we're going?"

     "Forward, I suppose," Edgar muttered.

     "Towards the others," Cyan clarified.

     "How do we know we're ever going to meet up with them?" Sabin asked. "We've been at this for hours. We should have doubled around to check that dynamite location."

     "Do not worry," Nicholas soothed. "Our group can only do half the work, after all. I trust my men to do their utmost to manage things at the other end. And this is a large mountain range. I would be surprised if we had crossed even half of it so far. We can expect all parties to have just as much distance to cross as us. At the very least, they will not be able to leave without encountering at least one of our parties."

     "Did your documents give any indication about the placement of the base?" Edgar inquired hopefully. It wasn't as though they could go anywhere but forwards or backwards, but it would be nice to think that ‘forwards' was getting them to where they wanted to go.

     "I'm afraid not. But the tunnels should be quite large, since they no doubt would have originally been bored out by MagiTek machinery. I would be doubtful of following any tunnel that we could not stand up in."

****************

     "Celes?"

     "What is it, Saroth?"

     "If you would indulge me a question... I have been considering what you said before. Your ability to absorb magical spells was documented numerous times in battle. Indeed, I believe the observation was limited solely to you, apart from any other individual. It was generally assumed that this was simply a facet of your abilities as a MagiTek knight. You could both cast magic of your own and absorb the magic of others. Not a far-fetched thought, once you accepted the existence of magic.

     "But if what you said is true, that there is no difference between a common fire and fire made by magic... you were not absorbing magic. You were merely absorbing common fire in large amounts. I believe there are well-documented cases of you
absorbing fire, ice, lightning, as well as several other types that were not identifiable. Would you be able to explain that to me?"

     A thin smile crossed Celes' face. "The reason, Saroth, is that all the previous speculations were made upon an assumption. A grossly wrong assumption. That assumption was that a MagiTek Knight's control only extends to energy of a magical
nature."

     Lance was briefly silent as he considered the possible ramifications of that statement. Finally... "What exactly is the range of... a MagiTek Knight's control?"

     "That is for a MagiTek knight to know and anyone else to guess at."

****************

     "A fork."

     "Just great."

     The four men eyed the two passageways cautiously.

     "I'm open to suggestions," Edgar ventured.

     "I cannot say which would be the better to take," Nicholas suggested.

     "Maybe we ought to split up," Sabin offered. "I mean, we're not looking for a fight. If one group finds anyone else, they can just talk things over peacefully, can't they?"

     Cyan scowled. "Thou'rt so naïve. But I would stand behind our briefly parting ways."

     "If we get separated, we might never find each other again," Edgar objected. And he didn't particularly relish the idea of Cyan 'negotiating' with anyone he ran into.

     "If we take the wrong passageway, we might never find the others," Nicholas reminded him. "I don't know if we can afford to take that chance."

     "We must not delay any longer," Cyan decided, pointing to one of the passageways. Although the torchlight made it difficult to tell, it could be seen to be sloping downwards slightly. "I shall avail myself to this route. You may do as you wish."

     "Cyan, wait just a minute!"

     Cyan turned to meet Edgar's eyes. "Thou'rt welcome to do as you will. Thou wast an excellent ally in the heat of crisis, but you fail now to realize that we are already in a war. I shall do what I must to ensure a crisis does not occur again. Kindly watch over our accomplices in my absence."

     "Edgar..." Sabin started.

     Edgar shook his head in reply. This wasn't exactly what he wanted to have happen, but he would rather keep his brother nearby in the event of... problems. "Let him go. We'll take the higher path. You might remember, Sabin, that Terra and Locke were in these caves at one time. When they were trying to find the Espers."

     "Yeah, but we weren't there."

     "Locke told me about it afterwards. According to Strago, there was some source of power in these mountains that drew the Espers here. And Locke also said that they found the Espers in one of the higher caverns. So with any luck, we'll find what we're looking for by going this way. As much as I hate to say it, Cyan is not going to be much help in negotiating with anyone. And he can take care of himself, I think."

     "I... guess so," Sabin slowly agreed. "I hope he doesn't get into any trouble he can't handle."

     "This is Cyan we're talking about. Practically speaking, I'd be more concerned about whoever he gets into trouble with."

     "If that is your judgement on the matter," Nicholas offered, "myself and my men will follow your lead."

****************

     "We're here."

     Lance's face broke into a smile as several metal surfaces reflected the light being thrown off by the glowing orb he was holding. "Excellent."

     Celes eyed the entrance speculatively. "Even the entrance is still accessible."

     "Surprising," he agreed. "But also a welcome development. There is no telling how little time we have."

     Celes looked around them, surveying the cavern that was located at the entrance to the base. There were several other tunnels leading to it, aside from the one that they had used. "There is also no telling if someone else has already entered ahead of us."

     "That would be rather inconvenient," Lance agreed, also noting the same alternate entrances. "Shall we find out for ourselves?"

     Wordlessly, the two advanced forwards, both resting a hands on their respective swords. Despite the light thrown off by the glowing orb, visibility remained poor beyond several paces in front of them.

     "Typical Imperial construction, wouldn't you say?" Lance offered.

     Celes nodded. "In design, yes. But this is an older structure than most. The support beams are about four paces apart. Later construction used lighter beams, but they were only three paces apart."

     "That would be consistent with the thickness of the metal used. The absence of rust after all this time would suggest a very high quality metal."

     "Carbon-Iron alloy," Celes agreed. "Lighter and stronger than common iron, and it can also be made impervious to rust. It was used a great deal in combat armor, but..."

     "To make an entire base with the metal?"

     "Expensive. But extremely secure."

     Lance pointed to one of the signs they were walking by, a metal plate with wording engraved upon it. "Storage room?"

     "That will be where the vault is."

****************

     "It's strange, you know?"

     In reply, Edgar raised an eyebrow towards his brother.

     "About Celes, I mean," Sabin clarified. "At the beginning, she was an Imperial general. But I think as  time went on, she sort of... stopped being one."

     "She was fighting with us, against the Empire," Edgar agreed.

     "Not just that. It wasn't like she was a traitor or anything. It was..." Sabin made a frustrated face. "It was like she was just another one of us, I guess. Nobody really cared that she was once an Imperial  general, y'know? I think even Cyan almost managed to forget that after a bit."

     "So you're wondering if we were stupid to think like that?"

     "I guess so."

     "Terra was part of the Empire too, remember."

     "But she had that slave crown on her head, right? Celes never had anything like that. She was right there next to General Leo and Kefka."

     "They're both dead," Edgar reminded his brother. "Aside from the odd surviving soldier, she's the last of the Empire still alive."

     "What about this project? D'you think she knows anything about it?"

     "I don't know. I never heard anything about it before. But if she does know about it, I want to talk with her. If this new source of power is real, this world could be in for a lot more trouble than it's ready to deal with."

****************

     "If you would wait a moment?"

     Celes stopped in response, allowing Lance to kneel down and inspect the floor. "What is it, Saroth?"

     "Things have remained undisturbed here for quite some time," was his reply. "Long enough that a thin layer of dust has accumulated. If anyone has passed through here, there should be visible footprints..."

     Several moments of silence passed.

     "Well?"

     Lance shook his head. "There are footprints, actually. Two individuals, one with larger feet, one with smaller feet. But... I do not think they are recent. Things down here could be preserved for almost forever, really. I estimate that we are the first to breech this base, unless there is a second entrance. And I don't believe our maps listed a second entrance, am I right?"

     "Then let's not delay any longer," Celes decided, starting ahead again. "You're hardly the ideal partner in a fight."

     "I'm flattered," he quipped. "Do you really think any other group is going to be able to find this place?"

     "Turn left here. I don't intend to take the chance. And if we can leave without anyone noticing us, the remaining groups might just decide to start arguing with each other."

     "I quite agree. History is rife with such examples."

****************

     "What's this?"

     Clyde eyed the hole in the ceiling of the tunnel with some scepticism, his senses detecting a faint burning odor in the stale air. "I imagine that someone has used dynamite to open the ceiling up..."

     Relm pondered the meaning of this for a moment. "Then they came from the other direction? Where we're headed?"

     "We will continue down this tunnel. Whoever is responsible has likely gone up through the tunnel."

     "Then they must have gone into the mountain from this way?"

     "Correct." At least, Clyde certainly hoped that was the case.

***************

     "Here we are."

     Lance was suitably impressed. The vault in the first base had been more than the equal of any other he'd seen in his lifetime, but this vault... was huge. A rough estimate on his part would have placed the door at about twenty feet across, and at least
as many feet high. It was anyone's guess as to how far back it went.

     "I don't believe we're strong to even shift that door."

     "Probably not. But a vault like this would no doubt be powered..."

     Searching for a few moments, Lance spotted a small console with an array of buttons. "I agree. Would this be the control panel?"

     Celes looked at it carefully. "It's also the code panel."

     "Does it still have power?"

     Tapping a few keys, Celes nodded. "Excellent quality batteries. I hope there's enough power to move the doors as well."

     "A01, B1000, C1010, D100, E0, F0010, G110, H0000, I00,  and J0111," Lance quoted. "I believe that was the password?"

     "You have a good memory."

     "Photographic, actually. Very helpful for a historian like myself. Would you care to do the honors?"

     Standing before the console, Celes' fingers played across the keyboard for several moments.

     "Similar to what you've used before?" Lance inquired, watching intently.

     "Very much so," she confirmed, tapping a final key before standing back.

     A faint hum reverberated through building, even as a series of clicks echoed across the seams of the door.

     "At least six separate deadbolts," Lance mused, his ear held against the metal. "They didn't take any chances with this key."

     "If you think they would build a vault of this size for just a key, Saroth..."

     "Not for a moment. I would be curious to know what else is stored in here. Information, I hope. Something that a historian like myself thrives on."

     "Something that you obsess on."

     "Something that we retain so little of, in lieu of how much we might learn."

     "Something that will be the end of you, I am certain," she muttered,  stepping aside as the door began to slowly slide open.

     "It would seem that there is power," Lance approved. "Whatever else people may say about the Empire, the sheer endurance and longitivity of their equipment has yet to be matched."

     "If you had any idea what sort of incompetents and fools were permitted to use it, you would understand exactly why it had to be made that way."

     "I'll take your word for it."

     Several minutes later, the door had finally swung open enough that they could enter.

     "Any lights inside?" Lance mused, his voice echoing slightly.

     As though in response, the interior of the vault was lit up, a string of glowing orbs lining either side of the container. Once their eyes had adjusted to the sudden brightness, they could be seen to be very much like the one presently resting in Lance's hand.

     But they were secondary in respect to what else graced the vault.

     "This..." Lance decided, his voice hinting of awe, "...is not the sort of thing I would like Nicky to get his hands on. Or many other people, for that matter."

     "You have a talent for understatement, Saroth."

     Lance's eyes traveled up and down the shelves, rapidly scanning each metal container in turn. "How much Forencite do you think is stored here?"

     "I count at least fifty one-ton containers. At least fifty tons. Enough to vaporize this entire mountain several times over."

     "Then what about these?"

     Celes surveyed the objects of interest for several moments before replying. "MagiTek armor at first glance... but the layout is different. The design looks... considerably more efficient than standard units."

     "It is probably just as well that these can't be powered any longer," Lance decided, craning his neck to look at the top of the units. They were big, even for MagiTek armor. "Or we would still have the means to destroy this world again."

     "As you say."

     Lance shook his head, continuing deeper into the vault. A wide variety of weaponry was hung on racks and shelves, most which could be recognized as derivatives of Imperial MagiTek weaponry. The nature of the slight differences were lost on him, but it didn't seem farfetched to imagine that they might well be improved versions of the traditional, just like the armor units themselves. "I can see the need for security here. But I am surprised that this equipment never saw use earlier. Using such equipment could have significantly altered the outcome of the war."

     "No need for it. Gestahl did win the war, only to lose against Kefka in the end."

     "Perhaps. History has shown how all the weaponry in the world paled in comparison to the Three Statues."

     "As you say."

     Lance's eyes fell upon a box at the very back of the vault. "And this would be a second safe, I believe."

     "Magically sealed, no doubt," Celes guessed, opening the door without hesitation. "Useless now."

     "I wonder how we would have breached it were magic still around?"

     "If magic were still around, we would have put one of those MagiTek armor units to use. Don't ask stupid questions, Saroth."

     "If magic were still around, this world would become a battlefield once again, I think. Perhaps it is just as well that things turned out the way they did."

     Celes withdrew her hand from the vault, a golden cylinder in her hand. Lines were faintly etched across it, in a pattern that suggested purpose behind their design, albeit a complex one. "As you say."

     "That would be our key," Lance decided. "Excellent. Shall we go?"

     Celes put the key in her pack. "At once."

     "Can we seal this vault again?"

     A small smile crossed Celes' face. "No, I'm going to do something much more effective."

     "What?"

     Celes typed rapidly at the console without replying. Numerous images flashed across the screen, never present for more than several moments. Nevertheless, Lance was able to make out enough to understand what she was doing.

     "Se... Self-Destruct!?!"

     "Quite right," Celes agreed. "You did say that there was enough here to make the world a battlefield, correct?"

     Lance sighed as he watched several more sequences get rapidly keyed in. "I didn't say whether I cared either way. In the end, it's all history. And a fantastic amount of knowledge is being lost here."

     "I couldn't care less. Humanity is simply going to have to find a new way to advertise their stupidity. The self-destruct sequence has been locked in, I suggest we move quickly. Very quickly."

     Lance reluctantly nodded. "No matter, I suppose. The Empire was never one to leave paperwork behind in the first place, anyway. How much time do we have?"

     "Enough. Keep an eye on that light ball. If it begins to brighten, we don't have much time before everything blows up. Let me know when it happens if you feel like staying alive."

***************

     A low growl from Interceptor was a welcome diversion.

     "What is it?" Relm inquired, scratching the dog behind the ears.

     "People are coming," Clyde whispered. "You two... remain here and make no noise."

     "What are you going to do?" Relm inquired.

     Clyde knelt down, removing his shoes and setting them aside. He then proceeded to do likewise with his cloak. "Hold my possessions for me," was all he said by way of explanation.

     Interceptor was already sitting on the ground, his body interposed between Relm and the rest of the tunnel. Relm didn't look nearly as calm, however. "What are you doing, Mr. Clyde?"

     "Whoever it is, I do not intend to let them know that I am nearby. Not until I have decided whether they are a threat or not."

     "Um...  be careful, okay?"

     Clyde smiled thinly in reply. "I am in no danger. Wait here."

****************

     "Do you think anyone else will be able to breach that vault?" Lance inquired, occasionally glancing at the light ball. "Without the codes that we had?"

     "Not quickly enough."

     "Suppose that you hadn't set it to self-destruct."

     Celes shrugged as they exited the base. "What would they use to do it?"

     "Nothing that I can think of. How would you open it?"

     "I would use spells to rapidly freeze and heat the deadbolts until they shattered."

     "Then we have nothing to worry about?"

     Celes ducked.

     Lance blinked in surprise.

     A metal object bounced off the wall behind her.

     A shape lunged towards her, knife glinting in the light.

     A sword flashed out even faster, slicing through the blade without pause.

     Lance finished blinking.

     "The traitor finally shows his face," Celes observed, her sword having returned to her side. "Shadow, I presume? But I believe your real name is Clyde?"

     The attacker threw aside his now bladeless knife, producing another from his sleeve. "You lied to me!"

     "You betrayed us, you deserved no less," she retorted. "It seems that you do have vested interests in Thamasa."

     Lance finally spoke again. "You cost us a significant amount of time, my friend... can I call you Clyde? Might we ask why?"

     Clyde ignored him, his eyes riveted upon Celes.

     "Go ahead and try," she invited. "See how much better you do when you don't have the advantage of surprise. Whatever your reasons, you have no one but yourself to blame for this..."

     "Mr. Clyde?"

     That got everyone's attention.

     Interceptor at her side, Relm slowly approached the group, her eyes alternating between looking at Clyde and Celes. "What's happening?"

     "I had no idea you did guided tours as well as assassinations," Lance observed sagely.

     "Leave," Clyde snapped at his charge.

     "But I want to know what's going on!" she replied.

     "Interceptor! Take her out of here!"

     Before the words had even finished being spoken, the massive dog was blocking Relm's path, slowly nudging her away from the confrontation.

     Relm tried to get around the dog, without success. "Interceptor? What's wrong with you? Get out of the way, okay?"

     The dog refused to budge.

     "Hmm... if I didn't know better," Lance mused, "I'd say that she was who he was trying to protect."

     "Hey!" Relm protested, still trying to avoid the dog. "Get out of the way! Why aren't you listening to me?"

     "Why do you think?" Celes replied. "It's his dog in the first place."

     Clyde cursed quietly as Relm stopped resisting the dog and stared at him for a few moments.

     "He goes by the name of Shadow sometimes," Lance supplied helpfully, backing up a few steps as he caught the look on the man's face. "Hmm... was that supposed to be a secret?"

     "Shadow?!" Relm exclaimed, her surprise at the recognizance giving way to delight. "You are alive! I was wondering where you'd gone!"

     "You will die," Clyde snapped, returning to face Celes again.

     Celes slipped sideways as his knife slashed through the space where her throat had been. "Pathetic, ninja. Do you want to die that badly?"

     Several more slashes through empty air.

     Celes' sword remained at rest, even as she circled around opposite her attacker. "Didn't you say that the Reaper spared the one who did his work? You're an assassin, ninja. Nothing more. Trying to be a protector will only cost you your life."

     "Not before the Reaper takes yours!"

     "You're very concerned about the girl, aren't you?"

     Clyde slashed through thin air.

     "Concerned enough to forgo your payment and to backstab us," Celes continued relentlessly. "Concerned enough to take the girl away from Strago, even. He sounded rather upset before."

     "Mr. Clyde?" Relm asked incredulously.

     Celes wove around several more attempts at impaling her. "When Strago told me your real name before, I could have sworn I'd heard it before. But I couldn't remember where or when. But it all came back to me when I saw that girl."

     Clyde's free hand lashed out, two metal stars whistling through the air towards her head.

     Celes' sword snapped up, knocking the edges to the side in one stroke. "Fifteen years ago... wanted for armed robbery of Imperial property..."

     "Silence!!!" Clyde growled.

     She ignored his command, staying just out of reach. "...two individuals... Baram Veraea. And..."

     Clyde's eyes snapped open, even as he lunged straight at her, knife-first.

     A moment later, and Celes' sword had smashed through the knife. Another moment later, she had twisted the arm behind his back and laid her sword across his throat. "...and Clyde Arrowny."

     Relm froze as she stared at the now captive ninja. "Mr. Clyde?"

     "The patrols found your accomplice, I recall," Celes continued on mercilessly. "But you were never heard from again. I think I understand now. Why you were so eager to accompany us to Thamasa before. How your group found the village so quickly. Why you risked saving her from the fire. And why you backstabbed us recently."

     "It does seem to make some sense," Lance admitted.

     Relm was still in a state of shock. "Mr. Clyde!?!"

     Celes released him, shoving him towards Relm. "Go have your family reunion, ninja. Attack me again and I'll run you through without a second thought. Let's go, Saroth. We don't have any more time to waste."

     "As you say," Lance agreed. "Good day, you two. You might want to leave yourselves. Other people are coming, and I think they're going to be rather angry when they can't find what they're looking for."

     "Too late, Saroth," Celes muttered, backing away from the group.

     Lance followed suit as shouts went up from one of the entrances to the cavern. "Just wonderful. If I actually believed in luck... I would say that we certainly haven't been having much of it lately."

******************

     "We've found them."

     "Finally something's going right," Edgar agreed. "Have your men block off the exits. I do not want them leaving without a good talk."

     "I'll second that," Nicholas agreed. To his men, "Block off all the exits and maintain defensive positions unless attacked!"

     "Good thing we found them before Cyan."

     Edgar nodded. "A very good thing. Let's see how much talking we can get done."

     "Isn't that Relm?"

     "It looks like we've found her. We won't worry about that for now, but keep an eye on her if any fighting breaks out, alright?"

     "No prob," Sabin agreed, already sizing up the others. Aside from the ten grunts that were with Nicholas, there was Celes and the stranger to worry about... come to think of it, that stranger... that was the man named Clyde. He could still remember the face from the brief talk they'd had in the café. Who was the man behind Relm's disappearance, Strago had explained previously.

     The man named Lance stepped forward, his face displaying a lopsided smile. "King Edgar Figaro and his brother Sabin. What an unexpected surprise. But did you really have to bring Nicky along?"

     "You get your's some day soon, Saroth," Nicholas growled.

     "Lance Saroth, I presume?" Edgar greeted, receiving an affirmative nod. "Edgar Figaro, and from the sounds of it, you've already met my brother."

     "Indeed. An honor to meet you in person. So what brings you here?"

     "I think you know perfectly well."

     "Of course, of course. The Imperial base behind us, I assume?"

     Edgar nodded. "This investigation is now under direct supervision of Figaro, and I expect all to act as such."

     Lance nodded. "Well, if you're overseeing this business yourself, I can hardly deny your authority. If you wish, I will forgo my searching in lieu of letting you investigate yourselves. Celes, I'm afraid we're too late. We'll simply have to abandon our search. History says that politics and exploration are never good bedfellows. Let us depart."

     Celes nodded. "As you say, Saroth."

     "They lie," Clyde growled, ignoring the killing glare Celes shot him. "They have already been in the base."

     "Spoilsport," Lance muttered.

     "The key?" Nicholas demanded pointedly.

     "I have no idea what you're talking about," Lance answered, spreading his arms innocently. "As much as I might wish otherwise, I have no keys to speak of. There is a vault inside, but I have yet to open it. History says that Imperial safes are second-to-none where security is concerned."

     "Let them waste their time, Saroth," Celes muttered, starting towards the exit. "Let them try and obtain the key themselves."

     "Hold it," Edgar ordered. "I didn't say you two could leave. More specifically, I expect you two to lend your fullest help towards this business. In return, I might decide to forget that ship you sank back in South Figaro."

     "I had nothing to do with that," Celes replied. "You can arrest Clyde on that count."

     "I was hired," Clyde replied evenly.

     Lance chuckled. "Guilty as charged, I must admit. But admit it, you owe me. If I hadn't done that, you wouldn't be here now, correct? History shows many a disaster has occurred for lack of knowledge by those in charge. I merely enabled you to prevent such a happening this time."

     "You excuse me if I have a hard time showing any gratitude at this time. I care a lot more about the present than the past."

     "But if you don't learn from the mistakes of the past, how will you avoid making them again?"

     If Lance noticed both Edgar and Sabin's faces darken at that comment, he was acute enough to not press further. "But what do you say we drop the issue for now? We both have things to do."

     "I'm afraid that's not an option," Edgar replied firmly. "By all accounts, the two of you are quite knowledgeable about this business. You WILL work with us until this business is settled."

     Celes sighed. "If we might convene in private for a moment, Edgar?"

     "For a moment."

     She nodded. "Thank-you. Saroth, put away that light before it explodes."

     Lance obediently pocketed the light, checking it once again. It was radiating the same level of brightness as it always had before..

     "Might we borrow a more conventional means of light?"

     Edgar nodded to his brother, who handed a torch to her.

     At Celes' urging, the two went a short distance away.

     "I don't know about this," Sabin muttered. "They're being too cooperative."

     "Saroth is always cooperative. Until it's too late," Nicholas muttered.

     "I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt for the moment."

*****************

     "Before this light explodes?" Lance inquired. "I hadn't realized I was in such danger all this time. Or did you simply want a torch to use?"

     "You have a brain, use it for once, Saroth," Celes muttered. "A source of fire may yet be useful to us at the moment."

     "As you say. I don't know about you," Lance whispered, "but things are less than ideal right now. Even discounting the fact that the base behind us is going to self-destruct. I don't have to remind you that just about everyone in this room has a reason to dislike us. And as you like to point out, I'm not exactly a worthwhile fighter in lieu of such company. Not the best of odds."

     "I'm aware of that."

     "I can try to talk us out of this, but I don't think they're going to let us walk away like we'd like. I certainly wouldn't in their place."

     "They don't know for certain that we have the key."

     "Then I think we should keep it that way. Let them continue to think about those ruins. They dislike us as it is."

     "Everyone is about to like us even less. Hold this torch, and pull out some dynamite."

     Lance took the torch and rummaged through the pack. "They certainly will like us less. What exactly are you going to do? Bomb them?"

     "I'm a MagiTek Knight, Saroth. You may yet get an object lesson."

*****************

     "Commander!"

     Nicholas spun to face an approaching group of soldiers, quickly identifying them as the second group he had sent out. "Team B! Report!"

     The foremost man saluted briefly. "Commander, we've scoured the tunnels. We encountered one man, ten minutes back. He was taken alive, as ordered."

     In response, an individual was pushed forwards before Nicholas.

     "And you would be..." the man inquired of the captive.

     Sabin couldn't help himself. He laughed. "Hey, Locke!!!"

     "I guess we now know who was traveling with Setzer," Edgar decided, unable to keep from smirking himself.

     Locke had the grace to look suitably embarrassed at his predicament. "Hi guys. How's it going?"

     "You can release him," Edgar informed Nicholas, his tone of voice suggesting that it was to be taken as an order. To Locke, "I presume that you're treasure hunting here like everyone else?"

     "Yeah. These guys got lucky and cornered me down a deadend."

     "We handcuffed him twice," the soldier informed Nicholas disgustedly. "He picked the handcuffs each time."

     "I'm Locke Cole, the world's greatest treasure hunter!" Locke shot back, sounding insulted. "You think a pair of handcuffs are going to slow me down?"

     "This is an official investigation," Edgar replied, caring more about several hundred other issues at the moment then a certain treasure hunter's ego. "I'm going to have to ask you to cooperate, along with all other parties here."

     Locke made a face. "I work best alone..."

     The look on Edgar's face prompted a small change of heart. "...but I guess I can make an exception. But just this once."

     "Thank-you," Edgar agreed. "You have no idea how nice it is to have an expert on hand."

     Locke absorbed the compliment with ease. "So who else is tagging along?"

     "They're 'convening' at the moment," Nicholas offered, unable to keep his voice free from sarcasm. Further words failing him, he pointed towards Lance and Celes.

     Locke swallowed as he spotted them. "Her?"

     "Something wrong?" Sabin asked. Although he'd meant to bring up the fact that he and Celes hadn't been seen together in some time lately...

     "Well..." Locke didn't offer any details.

     Edgar sighed, feeling another headache coming on. "Locke, I don't know what's between you two right now, but could you please try to keep the peace? They're certainly not helping a great deal."

     "We'll be leaving now," Celes' voice informed them.

     Edgar muttered a few distinctly un-royal words under his breath as he turned to face her. "I already told you, you're not leav-"

     "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Nicholas demanded.

     Edgar muttered a few extremely un-royal words under his breath as he took in the sight. "Celes... you're playing with fire here..."

     "Dynamite, actually," Lance corrected, now beginning to wonder which was more of an imminent concern, his light-ball or the fuse.

     "You don't like it, come and do something about it, Edgar. But I have no time to waste with the likes of you."

     A metal edge hummed through the air, neatly severing the burning half of the fuse from the rest, before bouncing harmlessly off the stone wall of the cavern.

     "Careful with those," Lance warned, looking at the throwing star that now lay on the ground next to him. "You could hurt someone."

     "Attack them!!!" Nicholas yelled.

     "Hey!" Locke protested, already moving to intercept the man.

     Sabin grabbed him by the arm and held him. "Bad idea, buddy. They'll rip you apart!"

     "But Celes-"

     "Belay that order, Nicholas!!!" Edgar ordered angrily. "No fighting!!!"

     "The time for talking is past, I'm afraid," the man replied, his own sword in his hand as he started towards the group. "Saroth is mine. Do as you will, Edgar."

     "I guess that's the end of our alliance?" Sabin inquired.

     "Definitely," Edgar agreed, drawing his own sword. "Hold our ground for the moment. We're not as powerful right now as we could be. Nicholas is going to have a lot of answer when Figaro catches up to him."

     All twenty of Nicholas' soldiers surged towards the group of two, weapons already drawn back in their eagerness to attack.

     Celes relit the now-shorter fuse on the dynamite with the torch.

     All twenty soldiers immediately came to a halt, weapons lowered.

     "Better," Celes approved.

     "Check your back," Lance warned. "We've got more company."

     "Oh shit," Sabin swore.

     "Why now?" Edgar moaned.

     "GENERAL!!!" Cyan roared, appearing from one of the tunnels.

     "Hold!!!" Nicholas ordered his soldiers. "Let them fight first."

     "You owe him," Sabin pointed out to Edgar.

     "Oh, be quiet."

     "Sir Garamond," Lance greeted cheerfully. "I do believe you're the last to arrive!"

     Cyan ignored the comment, his eyes riveted upon the third person. "General," he repeated.

     "Saroth. Keep an eye on the others," Celes ordered, facing down the new arrival. "It has been some time since we last met, knight. You seem none the worse for the wear after the last fight."

     "Fate hath seen fit to prolong mine existence... perchance in the cause of ending yours."

     Celes handed the torch and dynamite to Lance, snuffing the fuse out. "I'm concerned with more important things than you, knight. But show your blade and I'll have no qualms about showing you why MagiTek knights were so feared."

     "Little need of that, methinks. I hath been to Maranda many times as of late."

     She smirked. "Your memory may rival that of Saroth's, knight. But it's far more selective. You have no idea what's at stake here. Leave with your life intact."

     Cyan drew both of his swords, tossing the empty sheaths to the side. "I am not so naïve as to believe an Imperial general defenseless when devoid of her magic. I shall show no quarter."

      "You'll be given no quarter," she retorted, her own sword appearing in his hand. "Prepare to dance the dance of death, knight."

     "I am quite familiar with the style," he replied indifferently. "All your Imperial brethren who sought to turn it on me fell before long. You will join them soon enough."

***************

     "They're not really serious are they?" Locke hissed in disbelief.

     "Oh yeah, I think they're serious," Sabin understated.

     "Then we gotta do something!" the treasure-hunter protested. "Celes is a magic-user. She doesn't stand a chance now-"

     "From the death-counts I've heard lately," Edgar retorted, "she's still dangerous as hell without any magic. Quite frankly, I'm not risking anyone else in this stupid feud. They're endangering everything. Sabin, if he tries anything, do whatever you have to do to restrain him."

     Sabin swallowed at the edge in Edgar's tone, but nodded. Maybe this was why he'd never wanted to become king...

****************

     "Die!!!"

     "Fool!!!"

     Even as Cyan lunged towards her, Celes was already moving sideways around his first strike, shifting backwards to avoid his second.

     Pushing forwards again, Cyan's swords lashed out faster than the eye could follow, creating a virtual windmill of sharpened steel around him.  Just as quickly, Celes wove and twisted around the blows, her sword always remaining at her side.

     Cyan backed off after several moment, not looking the slightest bit winded for the effort. "Thou'rt well-trained in the style, general."

     "I've lived this style, Knight. You're a fool if you think you truly stand a chance against a MagiTek knight."

     "I shall end thy life or die in the attempt, General. Edgar is too young to understand the nature of these affairs, but I shall not err as others did before. If this is not put down, this world will be at war once again."

     Celes laughed at him. "You are correct in that, knight. But did you ever stop to consider that I might be the one person you can trust?"

     "Never for a moment."

     Cyan's strikes were dodged again by a narrow margin. "Thou'rt fighting a losing battle, general, for I am acquainted with thy style of combat. The Dance of Death doth require the opponent to err before striking..."

     Celes shrugged indifferently, but her face was literally carved in stone. "There isn't a fighter alive who could be said to be flawless. Even you."

     Cyan's voice was also deceptively calm. "Rest assured, I shall delay my err until after your demise."

**************

     "Freaky, man," Sabin whispered.

     "What is it?" Edgar demanded sharply. The fight was beginning to get on his nerves. Fight, talk, fight, talk...

     "This fight."

     Edgar smiled disgustedly. "I wish they'd fought this enthusiastically against Kefka."

     "We've got to do something," Locke was still insisting. "Celes isn't even fighting back!"

     "She's not going to strike until she finds an opening," Sabin corrected. "Cyan seems to know her style. Whatever it is, it's fast. She hasn't even had to block with her sword yet. But I think Cyan has to screw up if she's going to attack. They're at a
stalemate. Cyan's playing it cautious so he doesn't screw up."

     "So how long are they going to keep this up?" Edgar wanted to know.

     "I dunno. Probably a long time. They're not even slowing down yet."

     "This is impossible!" Locke protested. "Celes never fought like this before!"

     Sabin shook his head. "It's not like she ever had to, with magic like she had. Bro, we'd better hope that whoever wins is going to be tired."

     "What's that supposed to mean?" Edgar wanted to know.

     "He doubts his ability to subdue the survivor."

     "From what I saw before, you sure didn't do any better," Sabin replied.

     "Irrelevant," Clyde replied stonily, approaching them. "If you are wise, you will disable them both immediately."

     "We're trying to avoid fighting, not start more of it," Edgar retorted. "And I'll deal with you later on!"

     Sabin appeared to have other thoughts. "Hey bro, I bet you that I could. Disable them, I mean."

     Despite his previous protest, Edgar looked interested. "How?"

     "An Aura bolt. One good blast and they'd both be out for the count."

     "Alive?"

     "Yeah. They'd have one heck of a headache, but they wouldn't be dead."

     "Then I'll keep the option in mind."

     "Too late," Clyde informed them.

****************

     One loose pebble.

     One loose pebble and the entire dynamic of the fight changed.

     Even as Cyan uttered a mild curse, he had already recovered into a defensive stance. Celes' sword had already left her side, slicing through the space between his swords. Instinctively throwing himself back, Cyan could feel the fabric on his clothing give way slightly. But there was a welcome absence of the cold feeling of metal against his skin.

     "Thy chance is forfeit," he grunted, swords spinning in a maelstrom of death once again.

     "It's only just begun," she replied, her sword still moving. "Now I lead this dance..."

****************

     "Geez!!!"

     Edgar swallowed as he watched the fight now. "I guess they were just getting warmed up before."

     Sabin merely nodded as he studied the two fighters. In comparison to the passive-active part earlier, the two fighters were dancing across the cavern floor like two dancers, both attacking faster than the eye could follow. Even as Cyan would throw out a slash, his other sword was already anticipating Celes' return attack, yet Celes' strike was placed in anticipation of his block...

     Ultimately, their swords somehow managed to completely avoid each other, despite the seeming impossibility of the feat. Around the cavern they danced and dodged, eerily silent in the process.

     "Sabin."

     Sabin glanced back to his brother for a moment. "Yeah?"

     "Get ready to try one of those Aura bolts. We're going to try and keep them both alive a little longer."

     "Gotcha. Just give the word."

     This was it, Sabin realized, getting into a crouching position and beginning to concentrate. He had long since progressed to the point where the technique itself came easily. But summoning enough to power to knock out the two fighters at this range was another matter altogether. To say nothing of aiming it precisely. But all those years of training hadn't been for nothing.

     Celes and Cyan were going to get the shock of their lives.

****************

     It was with immense interest that Lance watched the fight continue on, the rest of the cavern's occupants also watching. Edgar and his brother seemed to be planning something. Sabin was concentrating, perhaps preparing for one of the aurabolts that he'd been documented as using on occasion before.

     Clyde/Shadow was talking with them in hushed tones, his charge a distance off, still looking rather dumbstruck. A rather interesting turn of events, he mused. The poor girl was probably still trying to deal with the knowledge that she'd been fighting alongside her own father for so long. History did sometimes seem to suggest that families were more trouble than they were worth in the midst of combat.

     Nicky and his soldiers were watching intently, occasional muttering things to each other quietly. Quite possibly they were having some doubts about trying to fight the survivor of the fight. Not that he blamed them on that count. He hadn't even bothered to draw his sword yet, knowing that he was severely outclassed as far as fighting skills were concerned.

     But he wasn't worried. Not at all. After all, Celes was, for most intents and purposes, on his side. And she would win. History dictated that MagiTek knights didn't loose to anyone except for another MagiTek knight. Leo had been killed by Kefka. Kefka had been killed by a party with Celes in it.

     And Celes? She was a survivor among survivors in the annals of history. He'd heard a some insane stories, verified some, and was willing to bet that there were grains of truth in the rest. And she'd survive again, he was certain. The details remained to be seen, but she would most certainly survive.

     Lance glanced down at the ball of light briefly. Still dim. With a little luck, he'd survive with her.

****************

     "For the... last time... General... desist!!!"

     "Don't... waste your breath... Knight!"

     Cyan ducked an overhead swipe, hooking his swords across each other to prevent Celes from backing away as she normally did. In response, Celes flipped backwards, her arched back clearing the two blades by a mere hairbreadth. Cyan leaned back as her own blade whipped around in an exaggerated arc from the evasive motion.

     Planting her free hand on the ground, Celes carried herself over into several one-hand flips to land several paces away, spinning to face him again.  Chest heaving, her blade returned to her side again as she sucked in ragged gasps of air. "Slowing down... Knight."

     Cyan gritted his teeth, also gasping for breath. "Run... though thou wilt, General. Mine blades... shall catch thee... in due time. And then this shall end."

     "You still have no idea... what this business truly involves. So you fight the one person who does."

     "Said knowledge... is exactly what I would destroy. Consider thy life thus far a boon. I had once thought that perchance you had indeed ceased to be an Imperial General. As such, I accepted you as an ally."

     Celes' face flashed with a hint of anger. "Idiot! Before I was an Imperial General, before I was a Returner... I was a MagiTek Knight. Fight the Empire all you want; it's long dead! Fight the cause of the Returners! They're history too! Fight for Doma if you want to! It's nothing but fodder for people like Saroth to study! This involves something much more than the Empire and the Returners! And you're an utter fool if you think that the likes of Figaro or Xerxes would even know where the hell to start managing it!"

     "I would leave it to the likes of even Xerxes rather than thyself!"

     Celes's face hardened over. "So be it."

****************

     "They're going to fight again," Sabin stated. He could almost feel the air temperature dropping after the most recent exchange between the two fighters.

     "Nice to know I'm held in such high esteem," Edgar muttered dryly. "Can you drop them both in one shot?"

     "No sweat."

     "Do it."

****************

     Cyan staggered back under the force of Celes' gaze.

     "If you think a sword is all I can fight with, you're sorely mistaken," Celes mocked, maintaining the eye-contact as she advanced. "Make your peace, Knight."

     Cyan almost sank to the ground as a wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm him. "If thou thinkest me as weak of will..." He shut his eyes, the nausea instantly leaving him. Backing up as he reopened his eyes, he knocked aside Celes' lightning-quick jab.

     "I hath learned to defend against more than mere blades," he growled, taking care avoid meeting her gaze again. "See now what may be done with a mere blade such as this!"

     Cyan's next attack came too quickly to even be seen. Twisting sideways, Celes' could feel the sword plunge down behind her, even as she brought her own blade around against his second sword. Cyan's sword impacted the ground, actually shattering the stone beneath it. At the exact same time Celes slammed her sword down against his blade, aiming near the hilt.

     One ear-splitting shriek later, and the two fighters had placed more distance between themselves. Between them, a length of blond hair and a broken sword blade lay on the ground.

     "Will you... continue this?" Celes demanded, looking pointedly at the broken weapon.

     "This time, I shall remove something more vital," Cyan promised, eyeing the length of hair.

     "AURA BOLT!!!"

     Every head in the cavern snapped around to face Sabin.

     Even as he yelled, a massive beam of light was lancing out from his hands towards Celes and Cyan's position.

*******************

     Sinking to a knee, Sabin watched Cyan and Celes both spin to meet the bolt. It would knock them senseless, but they would survive.

     Edgar watched the bolt explode as it hit the ground directly between them, light spraying the cavern like a chorus of sheet lightning. Even Nicholas and his soldiers were shielding their eyes from the sudden brightness. "You sure they'll survive?"

     Sabin grunted, getting to his feet again. He must be getting out of shape, to have one shot drain him so much...

     "What are you DOING!?!" Locke yelled in disbelief.

     "Saving their miserable hides so I can throw them both in jail!" Edgar growled, starting towards their position. "Don't even think of interfering!"

     Sabin quickly yanked him back. "Brother..."

     Edgar had already stopped on his own. "What the hell..."

**************

     Cyan staggered to his feet, more than a little stunned from the blast. Had he not been so quick, he might not even have been conscious. He would have a talk with Edgar and Sabin about this later on. In the meantime, there were more important things to worry about...

     Such as the fact that the brightness wasn't fading away. Rather, it was freezing, as though time itself had stood still and allowed all present to watch. Instead of expanding outwards and dissipating... it was reversing itself and shrinking back towards the point of impact. And at that point of impact...

     Celes' eyes were glowing dimly as she faced him, looking distinctly unaffected by the previous blast. Her sword was now pulsing white as she let it fall to her side again, withdrawing it from the space where the blast had impacted and sheathing it.

     Cyan stared incredulously at her. "How..."

     She smiled thinly in reply as she extended her right hand towards him. Coupled with her now lopsided haircut and glowing eyes, it was an eerie sight to behold. "Game over, Knight."

     Lightning blasted out from her palm, picking up Cyan and tossing him across the cave floor like a rag doll. The man groaned upon coming to a stop, but did not rise.

     Several seconds later, a metal implement hummed through the air, aiming straight for her neck, only to bounce off an invisible wall a foot away from its destination.

     "I'm getting sick of you, ninja," Celes growled at Clyde, throwing her hand out again. More lightning arced across the cavern, knocking the man into an unconscious heap. "And I don't need any problems from you, mongrel."

     Another bolt of lightning hit the snarling dog, throwing him back against his master in a heap.

     "Mr. Clyde! Interceptor!!!"

*****************

     "Magic?" Edgar whispered in disbelief, looking at the two victims.

     "Impossible," Locke replied. "She never did anything like that since magic disappeared... This is all wrong. There's no way that's her..."

     The king gritted his teeth. "Then would you care to tell me how she just sucked up that aura bolt and blasted Cyan and Shadow with lightning bolts?"

     "Her Runic technique," Sabin stated, realization dawning on him.

     "But all she could ever do was absorb magic spells," Locke objected.

     "That's all we ever saw her do," the martial artist corrected quietly. How many times had Duncan lectured him against underestimating an enemy? The lessons were all coming back now. "She used my aura bolt... for power."

     Edgar didn't like the look he was seeing on his brother's face. An unpleasant combination of both worry and awe. The type of expression that he would much rather be seeing on an enemy's face. "Sabin?"

     "Stay back," Sabin muttered, imposing himself between Celes and his older brother. "I put a lot of power into that shot. There might be more where that came from."

*****************

     "What is the difference between common fire and magical fire?" Lance mused quietly, feeling a small amount of enlightenment bestow itself upon him.

     He'd been right, of course. MagiTek knights never lost, history dictated. He'd been getting a little worried for a moment. History also dictated that Doma Knights were hard to kill. But in the end, both rules had prevailed. Celes hadn't lost, but it didn't look like Cyan had been killed either. And with a little luck, Celes' display would make Nicholas and his soldiers think twice before challenging them... a warm sensation against the side of his leg snapped him from his musings. Reaching into his pocket, he produced the source of the heat.

     Abruptly, the entire cavern was once again shrouded in light.

     Lance swallowed as he looked at the ball of light. "Oh damn... Celes... CELES!!!"

     For better or for worse, Lance now had the attention of everyone, Celes included.

     "What the hell is that?!?" Nicholas demanded.

     "DAMN!!!" Celes cursed, sword in hand once again. "Get over here, Saroth!!!"

     Lance sprinted over towards her. "This is going to be a problem, isn't it?"

     "What's going on?!" Edgar demanded, cautiously approaching.

     "Self-destruct," Lance replied.

     Dead silence across the cavern.

     "You mean... the base...?" Sabin inquired hesitantly.

     Lance nodded wordlessly.

     "Saroth... you..." Nicholas glanced towards the base in disbelief. "You're lying."

     "You know I don't lie like that, Nicky. There were at least fifty tons of Forencite in that vault. The locals in Thamasa are going to see this one."

     A brief moment of contemplation ensued among all the occupants. Then all hell broke loose in the form of a mass stampede..

     "Run!!!" Sabin yelled, pushing his brother and Locke away from the base. "Try and get behind something!"

     Nicholas' men heartily agreed with the idea, breaking into a mad dash towards the various exits, some actually dropping their weapons in the process. Nicholas held his ground, alternating between staring at Lance and scowling at his fleeing men.

     Locke was shrugging aside Sabin's efforts. "But Celes-"

     Sabin grabbed Locke by the arm, all but throwing him towards one of the exits. "She can take care of herself, buddy! MOVE!!!"

     Cyan groaned as he tried to force his body to obey his commands, with only a small amount of success. Then again, his efforts were only half-hearted, his mind elsewhere despite the situation. Had he just been hit with magic? And he had distinctly made out something about a self-destruct... the base? And what was the General doing in front of the base like she was...

     Relm was pulling at Clyde's arm. "Come on, Mr. Clyde! Interceptor! We have to get out of the way!"

     Neither Clyde or his dog stirred, still dead to the world and the girl's attempts at moving them. After a moment, Relm finally managed to budge the man, edging him towards one of the cavern's entrances.     

Celes watched the others run away before turning to Lance. "And why aren't you running, Saroth?"

     Lance sighed. "Everybody else in the area hates my guts right now. I don't really relish the idea of surviving to endure their ministrations. Besides, you didn't give us much time to get away. We'd have been caught in the blast radius no matter how quickly we escaped. And you're not running either. You might say that I've decided to throw my lot in with you."

     "That would be the first intelligent thing I've seen you do, Saroth."

     "Well, history does indicate that soldiers under your command had higher odds of survival than under any other Imperial general."

     "There never were any such records taken."

     "You might be surprised what I've been able to piece together over the years."

     "No doubt," she muttered, turning back to face the base. "I did tell you that might get an object lesson in what a MagiTek knight is capable of, did I not?"

     "Front row seats, no less."

     "I really hope I see you die one day, Saroth. I would enjoy a front row seat to the spectacle of you finally taking something seriously."

****************

     "What the hell are they doing?" Edgar demanded. "Do you think they were lying?"

     "Maybe," Locke admitted. "That other guy isn't moving either."

     Edgar frowned. Nicholas was backing off, but he wasn't taking cover. Although the look on his face suggested more than a little nervousness.

     "Something's happening," Sabin whispered.

     Both heads turned in curiosity.

     "I can feel something," the martial artist clarified. "Some... kind of power from that base. Getting stronger too."

     "You think they're telling the truth?" Locke demanded.

     "Maybe. I don't know. If it was just some kind of machine, I wouldn't feel a thing. It feels almost like... chi."

     "Explain," Edgar ordered.

     The ground began to shudder beneath them.

     "Brace yourself and hold your breath!!!" he yelled.

     The base exploded.

****************

     Setzer idly sipped from his glass of wine, the pieces of ice clinking loud enough to be heard over the whispering of the airship's engines. They had originally been much louder, but Setzer had sacrificed a small degree of maneuverability and speed in the interest of adding some sound-proofing materials around the engine room. Still nowhere near the luxury of the Blackjack, but more than enough to maintain a certain air of luxury and aloofness. But not snobbishness, not from a gambler with such refined taste and class as himself. Lady Luck might take the ship from him tomorrow, and scarcely a peep would be heard from him. He'd been through that particular forest with the loss of the Blackjack, and had come out better for it. In the meantime, his patron goddess was simply giving him yet another means of mocking convention and common sense. Daryl wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

     Although treasure-hunting was an admittedly new pursuit for him. He wasn't sure if it was quite to his liking either. Far too much... skill and work involved. Although that was probably why Locke loved it so much, it was something of a turn-off for Setzer. Better to loose everything on an unlucky roll of the dice, than to work a lifetime and gain or loose nothing...

     A thundering noise made itself heard over the engines, demanding his attention. It sounded as though more blasting was going on. Although if he could hear the explosion this far away...

     Then the side of the mountain seemed to rise before his eyes, huge chunks of rock rocketing into the air. Instinctively, Setzer threw himself down flat on the deck, bracing himself for the inevitable. As an afterthought, he reached up and grabbed his drink,
swallowing the remainder. No sense in wasting a good drink.

     Almost immediately after, the shockwave impacted the craft, rattling the entire ship until the wood creaked and the metal groaned under the stress. Setzer gritted his teeth, his hands grabbing tie-down handles until his knuckles whitened. The ship was rolling... rolling... rolling...

     A cracking sound from somewhere in the ship indicated that something was giving way. Probably the left bulkhead, if he was any judge. The last thunderstorm he'd accidently gotten caught in had jarred that portion more than he'd been able to fix. But if it went, the whole ship was as good as dead-

     Silence.

     Setzer sucked in a breath of air, cautiously peering over the edge of the ship. He couldn't see anything for the fire and smoke that was still seething below, but no rocks had made it to him. He could already hear one of the ship's engines making a noise that suggested it wasn't working correctly. A bent prop shaft if he was any judge. A glance backwards confirmed his suspicions instantly; one of the propellers was spitting out sparks, the bearing casing glowing a faint red.

     "What are you up to, Locke?" he muttered, turning off the complaining engine and its counterpart. Half-power it would be for the moment. Lady Luck had thrown plenty his way in the past, but this seemed a lot of trouble for her, just to keep him on his toes. Therefore it certainly warranted checking out. Time to see if Locke was still alive.

****************

     For the briefest moment, time seemed to stand still. Then the entire wall and base front could be seen exploding outwards in a haze of fire and heat. The explosion of brightness threatened to burn right through his eyes, but the two forced themselves to
observe the spectacle as long as possible.

     Edgar watched as the explosion swallowed Celes and Lance faster than he could blink.

     And continued outwards...

     And slowed...

     And slowed...

     And finally halted.

     Several un-royal oaths crossed his lips as he watched the rock walls a mere fifty feet away from his position get torn apart like the hand of a god had reached down and ripped it asunder. The rock at the edge of the destruction was rendered molten almost instantly, flowing like water within seconds. Even as he forced himself to hold his breath, he could feel the explosion trying to suck the air from his lungs like a vacuum...

     ...and everything stopped.

     "Holy shit," he heard his brother swear.

     Deeply ingrained diplomatic training forced Edgar to carefully analyze the scene before giving his own meaningful opinion on the matter. "Holy shit."

     Actually, judging by the words being uttered by all the soldiers, the appropriateness of those words seemed fairly unanimous for the moment.

     Like it had suddenly lost the will to continue, the fire and heat suddenly halted its indiscriminate destruction. Slowly, as though being painfully forced, the flames shrank back towards their origin.

     "Look up," Locke breathed in awe.

     Edgar did. The sky was visible. Even as the envelope of destruction receded, the open sky and sun were becoming visible. The explosion had literally torn off the several hundred feet of rock overtop of them. It had literally blown away the entire side of the mountain.

     And somehow, he was still alive. And judging by the chorus of sighs, gasps and swear words circulating around recently created clearing, so was everybody else. And in the middle, the last remains of the explosion fizzled out, leaving a crater and a pile of molten metal where the bases entrance had been. In every direction save his own, as far as his eyes could see, Edgar could see fragments of rock and metal scattered from the center.

     And between that center and himself...

****************

     Lance trembled slightly as he sucked in several large gasps of air. "N-never... doubted... you... for a moment... Celes," he squeaked, stumbling a few steps before regaining his balance and senses.

     Celes shuddered slightly, having not moved an inch from where she had been when first engulfed in the flames. Her sword hung limply at her side, occasionally twitching in unison with the arm holding it.

     "Celes?" Lance inquired curiously.

     A faint aura of light began to glow around her form, but she still gave no reply.

     "Are you supposed to be glowing like that?" he inquired, backing up several steps as the light intensified. Regrettably, history had nothing to say about this particular development.

****************

     Locke was the first of the observers to venture forwards. "Celes?"

     "Careful..." Sabin warned.

     The treasure hunter paid no heed, continuing his approach. "Celes... what's wrong?"

     Tendrils of electric-looking energy were beginning to visibly surge around her body, but she continued to stare ahead dumbly.

     "She's in shock," Sabin muttered, restraining Locke. "Don't get any closer. I can feel the energy from here. Touching her might just kill you."

     "What about her?" Locke retorted.

     A crackle of electricity came moments before Celes finally snapped out of her trance. Letting out a short cry of pain, she collapsed to her knees, covering her mouth as she coughed violently. After several coughs, red liquid began trickling down her hands and arms.

     Locke tried to wrench his arm from Sabin's grip, without success. "Celes!!!"

     Celes coughed up several more gouts of blood upon the ground, but managed to gesture weakly with one hand. A blue glow slowly washed over her body, but the tendrils of energy remained afterwards.

     "A cure spell?" Edgar hissed under his breath.

     "Looks like it," Sabin agreed in a similar tone. "Don't get any closer. That didn't do anything to that energy around her."

******************

     "Pull yourself together!" Nicholas snapped.

     Easier said than done, if several of his surviving soldiers were any example. If numbers were any indication, eight of them had been caught in the previous blast.

     "If you want to get out of this alive, do exactly as I say," he hissed. "If we rush them now, while they're distracted, we can kill them easily enough."

     Some of the soldiers looked doubtful.

     "That woman is coughing up blood right now! She did herself in with that stunt a moment ago! Besides, they have one of the keys that we need. You're all alive, but this is not the time for cowardice! Now is our only chance!!!"

******************

     Using her sword as a crutch, Celes was now trying to force herself to her feet. If she had executed a cure spell a moment ago, it seemed to have been less than effective. The first attempt at rising was aborted as she fell again, retching until still more of her blood decorated the ground and her clothing.

     "Leggo, asshole!" Locke growled, still trying to free himself from Sabin's grasp. "She's DYING!!!"

     "What are you doing to do?" Sabin returned in kind. The things he did to keep an idiot from electrocuting himself to death. "Kiss it better?"

     "ATTACK!!!" Nicholas roared, drawing his sword. In response, his men surged towards the small group.

     "Defend yourselves!!!" Edgar yelled, drawing his own sword. Although their odds, without Cyan, Celes or Shadow in fighting condition, had just gone down considerably. Assuming the three would have even been on their side, he added disgustedly.

     Sabin forced himself to concentrate, reluctantly releasing Locke in favor the more important issue. One well-placed aura bolt could help their chances considerably right now. He didn't think Locke or Lance would be a great deal of help in this fight.

     By the time Locke had arrived next to Celes, she had shoved him aside trying to rise a second time. "Ungrateful... wretches..." she spat angrily, lifting her free hand towards the attacking soldiers.

     Both Locke and Lance quickly shifted around until they were behind her.

     "Give my best..." she growled, "...to Gestahl and Kefka!!!"

     Waves of fire pulsed out of her hand towards the charging soldiers. The first blast bowled them over like grass in a tornado, the next set them ablaze. The next four literally reduced the twelve charging men to piles of steaming ashes.

     "That solves that," Sabin muttered in disbelief.

     "You... killed them!" Locke exclaimed in horror. "You KILLED them!!!"

     Celes ignored him, gesturing again. More blue light washed over her body, but she merely collapsed again, gasping for breath. Making another attempt at standing, "Let's... go, Saroth."

     "As you say," Lance agreed, alternating between looking at her and Edgar.

****************

     Setzer frowned as the Falcon slowly descended towards the wreckage. He had no idea what kind of explosion was needed to remove the western end of the mountain, but he supposed that an Imperial base might have had the necessary stockpiles to do it. But he could make out a lot of people walking around down below. And unless they were the walking dead, it wasn't something he had an explanation for at the moment.

     "Might as well go say hi," he mused, carefully tilting the Falcon sideways to give himself a better view of the scene from the cockpit.

     He'd seen some sort of fire down below too. Not dynamite or normal fire. Actually, it looked uncomfortably like magical fire. And what were all those people doing down there? Only one of them had come from his airship. Still more things he couldn't really explain at the moment.

     But did it really matter? Maybe this was just Lady Luck doing her best to make sure he found the trip interesting enough. And it was always rude to refuse a gift.

****************

     "Looks like Locke's ride is here," Sabin observed, watching the airship settle on the now cleared ground, the engines turning down to a dull hum as the propellers began to slow. "Looks like Setzer caught the edge of the blast."

     Setzer appeared at the edge of the ship, taking in the entire scene slowly.

     Edgar nodded, his mind already deciding what to make of this new development. To say that Celes and Lance were going to be a problem would be an understatement. But surely some sort of a deal could be worked out? Perhaps if Setzer was nice enough to permit use of his airship to conclude his business. Maybe he could offer Figaro's facilities for repairing the airship in exchange... "I don't know if I like this or not."

     "Locke!!!" Setzer yelled. "You might have at least shown the courtesy of inviting me down too!"

     Locke didn't answer, his gaze still fixated on Celes.

     "Nice to see you, Edgar, Sabin." Setzer stopped upon seeing Celes. "That look doesn't suit you at all, Celes."

     Edgar groaned. "Setzer..."

     "Hold it right there," a third source bellowed.

     "Ahhh!!!"

     All spun accordingly.

     "Give me that key, Saroth!!!" Nicholas ordered, his sword held to Relm's throat. "Or else she dies."

     Sabin cursed. While they had briefly been focused on the attacking soldiers and Setzer's arrival, Nicholas had used the distraction to obtain himself a hostage... Strago was not going to like hearing about this.

     "Did I come at a bad time?" Setzer inquired innocently.

     "Something like that," Sabin agreed.

     "And is that Cyan over there on the ground?"

     "Later, Setzer, later."

     "Nicholas," Edgar growled. "Give yourself up right this moment, or I swear I won't even give you the benefit of a trial!!!"

     "I'm presently beyond caring about such trivial things," Nicholas retorted, tightening his grip on the girl. "I'm doing this for the good of everyone, whether you accept it or not. If you're not for me, you're against me."

     His gaze shifted until they were focused on Lance. "Give me that key, Saroth!!! NOW!!!"

     Lance shrugged. "Sorry, Nicky. I don't have it."

     "Liar!!! You never would have destroyed that base unless you'd gotten what you came for! The key!!!"

     "But I'm telling you the truth, Nicky. I don't have it. She does."

     Nicholas shifted his gaze towards Celes. "Give me the key. Or she dies."

     Celes sucked in some air. "Go ahead... kill her."

     Setzer whistled in admiration. "And she calls the bluff..."

     Edgar glared daggers at the gambler before re-directing his gaze. "Celes!!!"

     "Your Majesty," Lance replied sagely, "she's right. History suggests that little is ever gained by giving into the captor's demands. Shall we leave, Celes?"

     She nodded, her face beginning to look an unhealthy shade of pale.

     "I think not."

     All heads turned once again.

     "This is getting kind of old," Sabin muttered.

     "You son of a-urk!!!" Locke grunted, straining to free himself. A knife held in his face gave him a convincing enough reason to stop struggling.

     Clyde stared at Celes unflinchingly. The man looked somewhat ragged from his previous encounter with the lightning blast, but he retained enough strength for his present action. "If she is harmed... this man dies. And you know that I can kill him...
before you can bring any magic to bear."

     "Celes," Edgar hissed. "Give... him... the... key."

     "Give Xerxes the key... I release him," Clyde clarified, tightening his grip on Locke's neck. "I care only for the girl's life."

     Celes' eyes met those of the ninja's. "An assassin... who plays the part of a protector... will live... a short life."

     For an answer, Clyde merely tightened his grip, his knife drawing a trickle of blood from Locke's neck. The treasure-hunter swallowed, meeting Celes' glowing eyes for a moment, before averting them again.

     "You're not thinking, Nicky," Lance warned. "History suggests that your best chances of survival are-"

     "Shut up, Saroth!!!" Nicholas roared. "You and your history can go to hell!!!"

     Celes coughed again, almost falling to her knees. "You'll... get your's another day... Xerxes. That, I swear."

     Reaching into her pack, Celes fumbled through its contents. After several moments, she withdrew a golden cylinder from it.

     "Give it to me," Nicholas ordered, unable to entirely hide his eagerness. "Throw it over."

     "Your days... are numbered," Celes spat, hurling the key towards him. It fell short, Celes sinking to the ground yet again from the exertion.

     Nicholas edged forwards, maintaining his grip on Relm in the process. Refusing to take his eyes off the rest of the group, he finally located the key and pocketed it.

     "Good to see you're somewhat reasonable. And now, I do believe that I'll have to borrow something." He focused his gaze on Setzer. "And that would be your airship."

     The gambler frowned. "I'll have to take exception to that."

     "Oppose me, I kill this girl."

     "Setzer..." Edgar began.

     The man held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Go ahead, take the airship. Just don't hurt her, alright?"

     "Hmph. A reasonable man,"

     Edgar sighed thankfully. He had been worried for a moment, that Setzer would refuse to give up his airship... but at least he seemed to place some value on Relm's life. Unlike someone else, he mentally added in disgust.

     "It's not as if you have a prayer of actually being able to pilot it," Setzer added.

     Nicholas halted in his retreat towards the airship. "Then you're coming along!"

     "That wouldn't do any good, I'm afraid. I had to rewire the controls after that explosion occurred. Two of the engines are broken, and the other two are going to die at any time. I had figured that Locke could fix them..."

     "Then he comes too!!!"

     "And I'm going to need to bring along... um, Jack," Setzer added, pointing towards Clyde. "The hull needs serious repairs as well, and Jack's the only one qualified to do it-"

     "Do you take me for a fool!!!" Nicholas roared. "No more stalling!!!"

     "I tried," Setzer sighed, looking apologetically towards Clyde. "What is your name, anyway?"

     "Setzer!!!" Edgar hissed. "Quit playing games with him!"

     "Come now, Edgar," Setzer whispered, clearly enjoying himself. "This is getting fun. And you'd do the same if it was your castle he was taking over."

     "Just don't let anything happen to Relm, alright?"

     "You worry too much. I'll see what I can do."

     Clyde finally released Locke, showing his knife to Setzer. "If she dies, so do you."

     Setzer shrugged as he started towards the airship. "We take our chances, don't we? But I'll bet safely, for her sake. Let's go, Locke. You've got some 'engine repairs' to do."

     Locke started after Setzer but stopped to look back. "Celes..."

     She glared back. "Who... really needs protecting... thief?"

     The treasure hunter winced, then continued after Setzer.

     Edgar, Sabin and Clyde silently watched them go. Some loud shouting that sounded like Nicholas was heard, then the airship's engines increased their tempo. As a quiet shudder reverberated through the frame, the craft slowly lifted into the air.

     "Wonderful," Edgar muttered in disbelief, watching the ship go. "Simply wonderful."

     "Are you alright?" Lance whispered to Celes. "I wouldn't have thought you had that much blood in you, to be honest."

     She shook her head weakly, remaining standing with obvious difficulty. Surges of lightning-like energy were still flaring up occasionally around her body, and her eyes hadn't entirely lost their glow. "We need to... leave."

     Lance looked over towards Edgar. "I don't think his majesty is going to permit that."

     "This is your last chance," Edgar stated, eyeing the two of them angrily. "By the power vested in me as King of Figaro, I hereby order you to stand down and cooperate fully. Failure to comply will brand you as a criminal."

     Lance coughed politely. "With all due respect, I wasn't aware Thamasa had recently become a republic of Figaro."

     "That is presently irrelevant."

     "Bark all you want," Celes replied. "You have no power here, Edgar. All your power is through others. Without your kingdom, without your soldiers... you're nothing at all."

     "Damn it, Celes! I'm trying to work with you!"

     "You're trying to control everything. And you're out of your league, you're incompetent, and this was never your business in the first place."

     "Maybe, maybe not. But the fact remains that this business has the potential to be extremely dangerous. And since Figaro is the only surviving kingdom, it falls to me to ensure that this power does not-"

     Celes cut him off. "You have no real inkling of what real power is! Talk to your brother if you really want to know. He understands better than you ever will. Get him to tell you what real power is. Get him to tell you about the sacrifices involved in making power your own. And the penalties for misusing that power. Because I'd trust him with this business long before I'd ever trust the likes of you."

     Edgar clenched his fists as he watched her turn and begin to walk away.

     "And what of you?" he demanded of the other person.

     Lance raised an eyebrow. "I'm just a simple historian, your majesty. But history suggests that everyone who's opposed a MagiTek knight has faired poorly in the end. Am I to be branded as a criminal for using a little common sense?"

     "I assure you, you already are."

     Lance chuckled as he resumed following Celes. "First I'm imprisoned by the Empire. And now the other side wants to lock me up too? The life of a historian is a hard one."

     "And Edgar?"

     Edgar faced Celes again, her arm raised towards him. "Yes?"

     "I don't need any more interference from you. Have a good sleep."

     Almost immediately after, Edgar collapsed on the ground, already asleep. Several seconds later, Clyde joined him. Sabin resisted for several moments, faint hints of blue aura beginning to glow around him. Finally he also succumbed to the spell, hitting the ground already asleep.

     Lance caught Celes as she stumbled. "I don't think any more spells would be a good idea for you right now."

     She coughed, trying to shrug him away. "We've... at least... a day..."

     "Then let's make the most of it," Lance agreed, taking her pack from her shoulder. "Let me carry this. I think that I'm in somewhat better shape than you are right now. Don't push yourself."

     A clink of metal on the rocks was enough to draw their attention. Despite the fact that there was only one person left, who hadn't been put to sleep or left by airship, it was somehow still surprising to face Cyan. The man was barely remaining on his knees, using his unbroken sword to support himself as best he could. If such a thing could be physically plausible, the man's eyes were literally aflame with anger, all clearly directed at one individual.

     "Persistent," Lance observed sagely.

     "General..."

     "Something else... you want to say... knight?"

     "Fear the day... we meet again... for it shall surely be your last..."

     "No... you be afraid. Of the day that I'm no longer alive. Because then this world will be left with the likes of Xerxes and Figaro to dictate power's use."

     A tendril of energy snaked along Celes' arm, though she only paid it a momentary glance. "I... am a MagiTek knight... this is my birthright. Whether I wish it or not. Think about that before we meet again, knight."

     In reply to that, Cyan was silent.

     Lance finally spoke again. "Sir Garamonde... you are in no condition to fight at the moment. Perhaps you would be better advised to see to your companions at the moment. For better or worse, I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again. If past history is any indication, more likely sooner than later."

     Cyan scowled, then simply collapsed again.

     "Ironic," Lance mused. "How the only people who emerged unscathed were the ones who never drew their weapons in the first place."

     "Shut... up... Saroth."

****************

     "You will take this ship at full speed to 45 degrees north, 120 degrees west."

     Setzer shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

     Nicholas held the sword up to Relm's neck. The girl had since lost her terrified expression, since replaced by a simply nervous expression. Familiarity was slowly breeding indifference, it seemed. Although she was still a far cry from fearless. "Do it or she dies!"

     Setzer shrugged. "So unreasonable. Full speed ahead. Brace yourself."

     Even as Setzer threw a combination of levers forwards, the engines began to howl in protest, deafening them almost instantly.

     "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!?" Nicholas yelled over the noise.

     "FULL SPEED!!!" Setzer yelled back. "THE ENGINES ARE BROKEN, REMEMBER?"

     "THEN TURN THEM OFF!!!""

     Setzer obediently pulled the levers back against their stops. The engine noise halted completely. "Better?" he inquired innocently.

     "Do NOT play games with me!"

     The gambler held up his hand in a warding gesture. "But I'm only doing exactly what you tell me to. Every time I protest, you threaten to hurt the poor little girl. Can you blame me for not trying to explain?"

     Nicholas' eyes were almost glowing as he spat out his next command. "Very well then. I want you... to take this ship to those coordinates... as fast as this ship is able."

     Setzer nodded. "I'll do what I can. We'll be departing in about half an hour."

     "We're leaving now."

     "No, we're not."

     The sword approached Relm's throat again.

     "Well, if you'd like to get out and push, we might be able to get a head start," Setzer added helpfully.

     "I beg your pardon?"

     "I just turned the engines off, just like you ordered me to. Now I've got to start them up again. Fortunately, they're still warm, so it'll only take about half an hour. If they were cold, it would take all day."

     "Then start them!!! I want us leaving as soon as possible!"

     "You're the boss," Setzer agreed. "Can I get you something to drink?"

     "NO!!!"

     "My, my, talk about unfriendly guests. Come on, Locke. We've got some engines to start. It wouldn't do to keep the man waiting, would it?"

     Relm watched the two men make their way into the ship. To put it mildly, this wasn't quite what she'd had in mind when she'd left for a little adventure. Nothing had been right for awhile. The man, Clyde... She could believe that he was the face behind Shadow. But Clyde Arrowny? Had Celes really been telling the truth? She hadn't seemed right at all. Neither had Cyan, for that matter. And then everything had exploded, but somehow they were still alive... And now she was being held hostage by some madman who had a sword to her neck... and Setzer was playing games with him.

     "You had better hope those two don't try any more funny business, girl," Nicholas muttered angrily. "It will be very bad for you if they do."

     Relm only sighed, not really hearing him. "Mr. Clyde... why?..."

****************

     "How are you doing now?"

     "Worry... about... your... self."

     Lance sighed, scanning the horizon intently. With such a significant portion of the mountain now missing, getting his bearings was a little more difficult than normal. Even at this distance, large chunks of rock still littered the surroundings, giving weight to exactly how powerful the explosion had been. Knowing the general details on how he was alive somehow failed to do justice to the situation.

     Now, since a lot of a men were presently dead, and a few others were getting some rest, he was gambling that by heading back to Thamasa, they would be able to find a few stray chocobos and ride them the rest of the way back. Unfortunately, progress was getting slower and slower on account of Celes.

     "Celes," he began again. "I realize this probably involves a significant amount of pride on your part. But the fact remains, the two of us just faced off against a professional assassin, the king of Figaro, his brother, Doma's top swordsman, twenty soldiers from Sidewinder, plus their deluded leader. History doesn't give a precedent in this case, but common sense suggests that we should be dead several times over, or at best, thrown in prison. But we're not. And I think we're both perfectly aware which one of us is responsible for that. So in lieu of that, is it so hard to accept that you might have to endure a little assistance from a lowly historian such as myself?"

     No reply.

     No footsteps either.

     Lance halted, slowly turning to look behind him.

     Celes was lying face down on the ground, motionless.

     Lance quickly hurried over to her side, gently tilting her head sideways. Still breathing. Far too blood for his liking, but still breathing strong. Although that might change if she wasn't given some medical care.

     "I told you so," he admonished. "I'm impressed you made it as far as you did."

     Regrettably, medicine wasn't one his areas of expertise. Not by a long shot. But history suggested that giving her plenty of fluids would be a big help for the time being. To say nothing of getting her to a doctor.

     Unfastening her sword, he loosely attached it to the same belt holding his own sword. Even in his recollections, he'd never seen another sword quite like it. "As unique as you are, I don't doubt," he muttered, stuffing her cape into his pack.

     Stooping down, he began to lift her up, when something caught the sun. Halting, he approached it, picking up the object in amazement. A golden cylinder. It had no doubt fallen loose when she'd collapsed. Judging from the weight, it was probably solid metal, possibly incorporating a significant portion of gold within. Across its surface, there were lines etched in an intricate, yet clearly ordered, pattern. In short, it looked exactly like the key they'd recently retrieved from the vault. Except that Celes had given it up earlier.

     Hadn't she?

     "Very clever." He laughed quietly as he pocketed the item. "I hate to think how angry Nicky is going to be when he realizes that you gave him a carved-up candle holder. As for myself... I'd love to know how you made such a good copy of something
you claim to have never seen before."

****************

That is not yet done, which has to say 'complete'
And with the sending of C&C, the worst story may be redeemed.

intrasonic@angelfire.com

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