 
~**~

Adventures of Youth, Shadows of the Past

The Terra Saga | Book Three

© 2000 By Nona Mae King

Inspired by the characters Edgar Figaro, Terra Branford,

Shadow, Relm, and other characters from

Final Fantasy VI © SquareEnix

Published by Mintfield Books at Smashwords

Cover design by Nona Mae King

Discover other titles by Nona Mae King at Smashwords:

Fantasy:

To Save A Soul

Romance:

My Fair Princess

Searching for Sara

Fan-Fiction:

Bookworms and Booya (series)

Few Words

The Reluctant Knight

In Theory

A Rose By Any Other Name

Terra (series)

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the site and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

~**~
Glossary of Characters:

 Relm Arrowny\-- a spunky and sharp-tongued eleven-year-old artist from the village of Thamasa. She is the granddaughter of Strago, who has raised her since the death of her mother. Her father disappeared when she was a baby.

 Shadow\-- a mysterious and cynical assassin/mercenary always accompanied by his faithful attack dog (Interceptor).

 Terra Branford-Figaro\-- the daughter of a human and a magic creature known as an "esper". Mentally enslaved by the Empire, they exploited her magic powers until she was rescued by rebels. She later vowed to make the world safe for children.

 Edgar Roni Figaro\--As King of Figaro, he maintains an alliance with the Empire, but secretly provided aid to a rebel group seeking the liberation of conquered city-states. He fancies himself a ladies' man, earning a reputation as a die-hard womanizer.

 Strago Magus\--Relm's grandfather and (together with the other inhabitants of Thamasa) a descendant of the ancient Mage Warriors who fought in the War of the Magi.

 Locke Cole\-- a thief who prefers the title "treasure hunter". He bears a personal vendetta against the Empire for assaulting his hometown and killing his first love. He is the rebel who freed Terra from the Empire.

 Celes Chere\-- a former general of the Empire genetically enhanced into a Magitek Knight. Rescued by Locke before her impending execution over protesting the poisoning of Doma Castle. She and Locke are tentatively engaged.

 Sabin Rene Figaro\-- the younger twin brother of King Edgar who trained under a world-famous martial arts master. He joined the cause against the Empire.

 Setzer Gabbiani\-- a gambler who owns the Blackjack, the only known airship in the world. He is tricked into kidnapping Celes Chere instead of Maria, the opera diva, who then coerces him into a losing bet, the result of which is his joining the rebels and committing his airship to their service.

 Cyan Garamonde\-- a retainer to the king of Doma, a nation at war with the Empire. He joins the rebels after the Empire poisons their water supply, killing everyone in the castle, including his wife and child.

~**~
Author's Note: The following is a work of Fan-Fiction based on the world and characters from the video game Final Fantasy VI by Square-Enix. Additional information about the game and characters can be found at  Wikipedia.

Adventures of Youth

Edgar. King of Figaro. Suave. Sophisticated. Self-titled 'Lady's Man' who could sweet talk the surliest bar maid into the free-giving of her "virtues". But now Edgar has embarked on a completely different adventure. That of husband . . . and father. Will a king and lover step up to the challenge with ease and assurance?

Or will he ask for help on the adventures that come with youth?

Edgar looked up from the papers strewn about his desk. A smile brightened his face when Terra entered followed close behind by Gau. "Good morning," he greeted as he stood. He went around his desk and completed the statement with a kiss on each of Terra's cheeks before tightly clasping Gau's extended hand. He returned his smile. "What has brought you to us this morning, Gau?"

Gau looked briefly over at Terra before answering. "Come for learn. Speak more better. Write. Read. Want know much."

Edgar nodded along with the statements as he crossed his arms. Then he sent his bride of three months a tender smile, which she returned with a slight flush, and looked back toward Gau. Eagerness danced across the young 15-year-old's face. "Good for you, Gau. Good for you."

"Edgar, we were hoping that you could watch the children for a couple of hours each day for the next few weeks," Terra said as she came to stand beside him.

Edgar changed his gaze to her upturned face. "Of course, dearest. It would be my pleasure." He moved his eyes to meet Gau's. "Work hard, young man, or we will exchange words."

Gau grinned before following Terra from the room.

Edgar turned back to his desk, sorted through the different papers there, and then gave a brief nod before turning to exit his office. His duties to his kingdom seldom allowed him the opportunity for time alone with Terra's adopted 'brood', as Sabin had once titled them. The children shared their meals, with the occasional early-morning breakfast set aside for Terra and himself, but Edgar hadn't had an occasion to truly spend time alone with them. While a part of him didn't want to admit it, he looked forward to the adventure and the opportunity.

And so the adventure begins, he told himself with an accompanying smile. Good luck, old man.

He halted outside the door of a room specifically modified as their play-room and reached out to open the door. Ten pairs of eyes lifted to immediately zoom in on his unexpected presence. Gasps were heard before a wave rushing figures surrounded him.

"Hello, children," he greeted with a tousle of hair here and a touched nose there. "It seems mamma has the exciting duty of teaching Gau how to read and write. I'm afraid you will need to make due with me for the next few weeks."

That thought didn't seem to bother them. They set right to work in dragging him forward and begging him to watch their newest production. He laughed and did as he was told.

*

The door opened, but none of the pairs of eyes turned from their rapt attention on Edgar's face as he continued to read them the story. "Metal against metal clashed for a day and a night, yet still the hero would not allow the evil warlord passage. 'Why do you fight the inevitable?' he roared, striking a blow that jarred the hero's teeth. 'I shall kill you to pass into your land in any regard. Surrender and I may spare your life.'"

The children took in a deep gasp and leaned forward.

"'I would rather die than surrender to your evil plots, Alrog,' the hero uttered through clenched teeth. 'You will not pass.'" Edgar briefly glanced up, catching Terra's soft expression as she leaned against the far wall beside the door to watch. He smiled and continued reading. "'I will do what I please when I please,' the warlord laughed. 'Stand against me and you perish.' The hero struck fiercely back, lunging and slashing with renewed fervor. 'No! I will be victorious!' the hero shouted, and his voice was filled with purpose and righteous anger. 'How, pray tell, shall you purchase your victory?' the warlord ridiculed."

"Punch 'im in the nose!" one of the boys shouted.

"Spit in his eye!" came another.

Edgar's eyes twinkled, and he heard Terra giggle. "'I purchase nothing. Evil shall not be victorious of good!' The warlord laughed, blocking strike after lunge after slash with what seemed little effort. 'Poor deluded soul. How little you know of the workings of power.'" Edgar closed the book to a chorus of "aww"s. "I'm sorry, children, but I do believe mamma has come to announce the arrival of dinner."

Terra stepped forward then. "I have. Aren't you hungry?"

Children leaped to their feet with squeals and giggles before hurrying from the room and heading toward the dining room. Terra watched them go with a smile before facing Edgar again. Edgar set the book on the side table and stood to make his way to her side. He greeted her with a kiss. "Will Gau be staying?"

Terra took hold of his hand as they proceeded from the room. "Yes, but not here at the castle. He's wanted to camp out on the desert for a while, so that's where he's going to be." She sent him a sidelong glance. "How did it go?"

Edgar chuckled and met her gaze. "You worry for me?"

Terra smiled. "No, Edgar, I only wanted to make sure everything went all right. You haven't ever been alone with the children." She wrapped her arms around his and rested her cheek against it. "I'm glad it went good."

He reached across to caress her hands. "As am I, love-light. I am only sorry that I haven't taken the opportunity before now."

"It's enough that you've become a part of their life at all, Edgar. It's been so long since they've had a father."

Edgar knew how frightening that prospect could be.

*

Edgar compared the numbers from that months ledger to the previous with a slight frown. "Now that can't be right," he protested absently. There was a knock. "Come in," he called, and he promptly reached across the desk for a different viewing of the kingdom's expenditures compared to its receipts. "This is odd. Hm." He only vaguely heard the sound of feet entering his office and approaching his desk. "Yes?" he asked without looking up. "What can I do for you?"

A soft-bound book was set in front of him, neatly placed on top of his ledgers and papers. He blinked and looked to his left. He smiled. "Well hello there, little miss." Then he noticed all ten children had gathered around his desk. He chuckled and helped brunette, seven-year-old, and cute-as-a-button Tyrian onto his lap. "It seems I had forgotten my assignment of playing with you today," he told her with a serious expression. "Do forgive me."

She giggled as she nodded. "It's okay. Mamma just told us to find you and be very quiet."

"And you did a very good job indeed. Now," he said as he stood, lifting Tyrian into his arms with little effort, "what did you have in mind for this old king today?" All the children raised a different coloring book with wide smiles. Edgar chuckled. "I see. I have my paperwork and you have yours. Delightful. Although..." Edgar looked down at the papers and books on his desk. Then he picked up the coloring book Tyrian had placed there and stepped away. "I believe I shall trade pens for pencils for right now."

The children cheered, gathering around Edgar to give possible selections and suggestions of colors before moving as a group to the conference table in the room. Edgar smiled.

*

Terra searched the library, the play-room, the dining hall, and all of the children's favorite haunts within the castle. The children were simply nowhere to be found. "Chancellor, do you know where the children are?" she asked his passing figure.

"I believe they are with his highness in his office."

"Oh. Thank you."

"You're most welcome." Then he moved on about his business.

Edgar's office had been the one place she'd thought unlikely for them to be. She smiled and moved toward the room, carefully and quietly opening the door to peek her head around. Terra blinked in surprise and stepped further in, watching in amazement and growing adoration as Edgar and the children compared artistic insights and suggestions while gathered tightly around the conference table. When Edgar reached across the table to borrow the red pencil from Alyxis, he caught Terra's gaze and hesitated. Finally, he retrieved the requested pencil, set it beside his picture, and lifted said picture for her to see. It was an admirable recreation of herself as an Esper angel. Terra gently smiled, her heart warming and her soul bonding even closer to this gentle man who was both friend and lover. Then she blew him a kiss. Edgar caught it and brought it to his lips as his eyes spoke to hers.

*

Terra looked up from the book she helped Gau read. There was clanging and shouting coming from the hall. She sent Gau an apologetic smile. "I'll be right back. Keep sounding out that word, Gau. You'll get it."

He nodded and refocused his eyes on the page as Terra stood and made her way to the door. She opened it and took a startled step back. There in front of her was Edgar, wooden sword in one hand, giggling child under his other arm, and a myriad of other children gathered around him in what must have been a battle of epic proportion.

"What in the world?"

All eyes focused on her. Edgar straightened, doing his best to hide both the sword and the child behind his back as he smiled. "Oh. Do excuse us. Um. Oh dear."

Then the group turned and fled down the hall, squeals and giggles colored with adult chuckles. Terra watched them disappear down the hallway with a giggle of her own and a slow shake of her head before retreating back inside and closing the door softly behind her.

*

So it's going well then?"

"There's the bad days, of course," Sabin confessed as the brothers made their way down the outside hallway of the castle, "but I push past and do my best to not let it happen again. The personal issues between employees is definitely a different story."

Edgar smiled. "Yes. Those definitely become an interesting aspect of daily life."

Sabin laughed. "Yeah, and I can't just spout what first comes to mind, either. I have to think first and speak second. If I didn't, I wouldn't have any help at all. It's been a hard thing to learn."

"At first I am quite sure you refused the lesson," Edgar put in as his eyes focused on a specific point ahead.

Again, Sabin laughed. "Yeah, well, after losing more students in the first week then there are days, I figured something should change."

"How ever did you reason it should be you?"

"I made the mistake of asking Terra. Man. She let me have it right between the eyes when I told her what I'd said."

Edgar chuckled. Then he halted. "Blast."

Sabin continued on a few steps before halting and turning. "What?"

Edgar moved to lean against the wall and lifted a foot. "I do believe there is a stone in my shoe."

Sabin smirked as he relaxed his stance and crossed his arms. "We can't have that, can we?"

Edgar motioned ahead. "I'll be along in a moment."

Sabin nodded and turned, heading again to the exit of the castle. Splash, Splut "Ack!" Sabin wiped the water and flour from his face and eyes as he turned on Edgar, who was very quickly retreating back the way he'd come, chuckling and then laughing as he went. The sound of squeals and giggles came from above, and Sabin raised his eyes. Blonde, brunette, and red-head disappeared from view.

Sabin reluctantly smirked. "I'll get you, brother!" he called after the closing door. Sabin chuckled with a shake of his head. "Maybe."

*

"Ah. Your highness."

Edgar paused his trek to the chocobo stables and turned, facing the Chancellor with an absent expression as he, instead, planned that day's adventure with the children. "Yes, Chancellor?"

"There has been a bit of a problem with the gentleman whom we wished to purchase the building from."

Edgar's attention focused. "The one in South Figaro? For the Academy?"

The Chancellor showed a piece of paper. "It seems the offered price is not to his liking."

Edgar took the paper with a frown, reading through it with growing disgust. "Bah. The love of money." Edgar shook his head and then continued down the hall with the Chancellor falling into step beside him. "I suppose we will need to determine an alternate plan. Perhaps we can contact the gentleman in Jidoor--what was his name? Waldo? Perhaps he would be interested. I seem to recall him mentioning the possibility of moving to Thamasa."

"I will send an invitation for him to come and speak with you, highness."

Edgar shook his head. "No. I will make my way there today with the children. Prepare the wagon, and see that a lunch is packed for all. I will inform Terra."

"The children?" the Chancellor repeated with wide eyes. "Surely this demands your sole attention, highness."

Edgar halted and faced the Chancellor. The king's expression was resolute and firm. "Chancellor, my kingdom is important, yes, but so are my wife's children. I thought I made it clear they were to be treated as if they were my own?"

"Of course, highness." The Chancellor bowed. "I'll see to the preparations right away."

Edgar curtly nodded. "Good."

The Chancellor hurried away. Edgar adjusted his course to the library where Terra was preparing for Gau's lesson that day. Gau currently played with the children. Edgar opened the door to the library. Terra apparently searched the book stocks for something specific, fingernail between teeth as she did so. Edgar smiled slightly and made his way to her, coming up behind to wrap his arms around her and place a kiss on her neck.

"Hello."

Terra brought a hand up to caress his cheek before turning in his arms to place a kiss on his waiting lips. "Hello," she whispered against them.

Edgar kissed her again before stepping back, capturing her hands in his as he smiled down at her. "I'm afraid I will be kidnapping the wee ones for a bit longer than the previous days, love-light."

She arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Where are you going?"

"It seems we've had a bit of a hiccup in our plans for the Academy."

Terra's face showed concern and disappointment. "He won't sell?"

Edgar shook his head. "He's decided he wants more money. So I've decided to speak with the gentleman in Jidoor. And," he placed another kiss on her lips, "I thought the children might enjoy the chocobo ride as well as the overall adventure."

Terra gave his hands a squeeze. "They most certainly will." She examined his expression. "Are you sure it won't cause problems for you? Gau won't mind a day off from studying. He's doing really well."

Edgar smiled down at her as he kissed first one hand and then the other. "I don't mind, dearest. I've been having fun, as have the children, and I believe it has been the best vacation from the rigors of kingship that I could have asked for. Save our honeymoon, of course."

Terra giggled, lowering her eyes as her cheeks flushed. "Edgar."

"I also believe that is the most attractive shade of red." He kissed her hands again. "I'd best be off to gather the children from Gau and send him here to you. Have fun, and don't work the boy too hard."

Terra nodded as she raised her eyes, wrapping her arms around him to give him a firm embrace. "You have fun, too." She looked up and smiled. "I'll see you tonight, Edgar."

He fondly brushed her cheeks and lips with a single finger before lightly touching and caressing her lips with his. "Until tonight, love-light."

*

Terra lightly pushed open the door of the girls' room. She leaned against the door frame, resting her head against it as she watched Edgar gently tuck them into bed. The trip to Jidoor had taken the entire day, and the children had returned in a groggy state of satisfied exhaustion. They hadn't even had the strength to tell her what had happened.

Edgar finished the duty of securing the last girl's bedding before sitting on the edge to gaze down at the sleeping girl with an absent smile. Terra watched the scene with a growing tightening of emotion. I wish I could paint as good as Relm. This is a picture worth keeping. Edgar smoothed some of the blonde curls from Cera's face. Then he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Terra smiled, pushing away from the door frame to come further into the room. She stood behind Edgar and rested a hand on his back. "Did you have fun?" she whispered.

"More fun than I thought possible," he replied in an awed tone.

Terra leaned against him, wrapping her arms around him as she rested her chin on his left shoulder. "I'm glad, Edgar. They've been having fun with you, too."

Edgar placed a kiss on one of her arms draped over him and released a slow breath. "I am glad of that. I hoped I did not bore them."

Terra kissed his neck. "Dearest Edgar, you're all they talk about. It's been wonderful to hear."

Edgar brushed more hair from Cera's peaceful face before carefully rising to his feet, bringing Terra around with a hand holding hers. He drew her close, enfolding her in his arms. "I had no idea being a father would feel this way, Terra. No idea at all."

Terra closed her eyes as tears wet her cheeks. Her children were finally getting their family.

*

Edgar heard a shriek moments before the clear sound of tears echoed through the hallway. A concerned frown darkened his eyes as he opened the door to the specifically designed play room. Nine pairs of eyes met his before they rushed to surround him, as had become their custom. A single figure continued to remain distant, though, standing in the near direct center of the room while rubbing her eyes with her hands and sniffling in a clear showing of distress.

Stories and explanations spilled forth as quickly as Cera's tears did. Edgar nodded and listened to each one, still not sure what happened, before making his way to the weeping seven-year-old. He knelt and gently took her hands from her face. She hiccupped with tears and blinked up at Edgar, wetness glistening on her flushed cheeks.

"Cera? What has happened?" he asked softly as he gently squeezed her hands.

The other children held back.

Cera sniffled several times in succession. "They won't lemme be It," she said, and the comment was accentuated by occasional hiccups.

"Oh dear."

Cera morosely nodded. "I wanna be It, but alls they wanna lemme be is a hider. It's no fair."

Edgar smiled, giving her hands another succession of squeezes. "No, I don't suppose it is."

Edgar released her hands to pick her up. Then he steadied her in one arm as he turned to face the rest of the group. All the children had their arms and hands behind their backs while lightly tapping the floor with first one foot and then the other. They were the picture of guilt. Edgar released a breath as he gave a slight shake of his head. Then he moved to the armchair set aside for story time and carefully sat, adjusting Cera to his lap.

"Come close, children. It seems we need to have words regarding the importance of teamwork, sharing, and fairness."

They "aww"ed but approached without further protest, gathering around Edgar with continued expressions of moroseness. Some held the arms of the chair; some continued to stand a little back from him, and still others rested their hands or arms on his knees or legs.

"She takes too long," one of the boys mumbled. "If Cera's It, we never get to play before dinner."

Edgar changed his focus to the blond eight-year-old. "How do you propose she improve, Robbie, if you don't allow her the opportunity to do so? Instead of preventing her from playing with you, why don't you help her?"

"Help her?" Robbie asked as he stepped closer. He leaned against the arm of the chair. "How?"

Edgar rested his hand on the boy's head, giving his hair a rub. "How do you teach anyone anything, Master Robert? You show them. Isn't that how I taught you to use the boat? I spoke you through it, doing my best to answer your questions."

Robbie lowered his eyes to the arm of the chair and picked at it. "I guess so."

"It's the same thing for playing 'It'?" one of the other boys asked. "Really?"

Edgar chuckled as his eyes focused on the red head and green eyes of Peter, one of the older boys–he was nearly ten. "Of course, Peter. Such is the way any of us learn what is important to know in this life."

"Even you, Papa?"

Edgar blinked as he focused a shocked expression on Cera's face. It was the first time one of Terra's children had called him such. To Edgar's surprise, it sounded right and felt better. His smile returned, even through a slight, tell-tale tightening of his chest. "Yes, Cera. Your mamma has taught me a great many things. In fact, she still does. As do all of you. Life is a continual process of learning."

"Could you teach me how to play 'It', Papa?" Cera asked with wide eyes.

Edgar gently brushed the tears from her cheeks. "I will teach you all that a father should." Then he rested his hand on Robbie's head yet again before moving his gaze to each and every child gathered around him. "This I swear, children."

"A father?" Robbie asked softly.

Edgar moved his gaze to those of the young boy. "If you will have me, Robbie."

The boy's eyes glistened, causing tightness in Edgar's own throat. "A father?" the boy repeated.

Edgar forced a reassuring smile as he again tousled the young boy's blond hair. Cera rested her head against him just as several of the other children rested their cheeks against his knees and legs. "Yes, Robbie. A father. A friend. Someone to teach you. Someone to lead you." He paused, wiping the tears from the boy's cheek. "Someone to love and protect you. Just as your mamma has done."

Robbie slightly nodded, his eyes still registering shock.

Edgar brushed the hair from the boy's face, and then he moved his gaze to those children gathered alongside the others. He touched heads here and there as he carefully leaned forward. "And what say you, children? Is there room enough in your lives for your mamma and myself?"

They squealed, leaping to their feet as Cera slid from his lap to dance around him with the others. Then they were tugging him to stand, pleading with him to teach them how to fish; how to fight; how to swim; and how to play 'It'.

The End
Shadows of the Past

Terra Saga #3

1: Replaced Identity

"Your highness?"

Terra Branford Figaro raised her violet eyes from the book she read to the children gathered at her feet. "Yes, Chancellor?"

"I hate to bother you, highness, but there is a. . . ." The Chancellor pressed his lips together. His expression clearly showed exasperation and frustration.

Terra handed the book to one of the older girls, assured them she'd return to hear the end of the story, and then urged the Chancellor to follow her from the room. She closed the door behind her and then led him out of earshot. "What is it, Chancellor?"

"He will not relinquish his weaponry."

Terra sighed and lowered her eyes to the flagstones at her feet. Ever since Edgar had returned with her as his new bride, the Chancellor had taken it upon himself to tighten the security at Figaro castle. Many of the constant visitors, such as Locke and Sabin--who'd become quite patient since beginning his school of Blitz Arts--saw it as a nuisance to be dealt with using extreme tolerance. Others, such as diplomats from other continents, most often saw it as an invasion of privacy and an insult to their credibility. Terra understood that the Chancellor was simply attempting to protect the king and his new queen, but his over zealousness had become a nuisance.

"Who won't?" Terra finally asked.

"The . . . gentleman who now waits in your receiving chamber. Not only does he refuse to relinquish his weapons, he will not tell me what business he has with you. He also threatened the guards with bodily harm when they attempted to detain him and the beast that was with him--"

One of Terra's hands flew to her throat. "Was it a black and brown dog?"

"A dog," the Chancellor scoffed. "More like a Rhinox than a dog, but yes, it was black and brown. I only let him enter the castle eared for my very life."

"What does the gentleman look like?"

"I do not know, highness," the Chancellor stated in a tight voice. "A very mysterious creature, highness, and not very trustworthy, I dare say. He was draped entirely in black."

"Shadow!" Terra grabbed fistfuls of extravagant gown and rushed down the hall toward her reception chamber.

The ninja had seemingly vanished from the face of the planet after she and Edgar married. They'd tried so hard to find him, even leaving word with the many merchant caravans departing from Figaro. Nothing, not one tidbit of information, had ever surfaced. Terra didn't understand why she had such a desire to find him, but she hadn't been able to ignore the pressing need to know if he was alright. To have him suddenly appear on Figaro castle's doorstep demanding entry in his typical way relieved her spirit.

Oh, if only Edgar didn't have meetings all day. But his determination to rebuild the Figaro kingdom--which stretched from Narshe to Jidoor and from Nikeah to Kohlingen--took up a great portion of each day. He always made time for her, of course, but to drop everything for a meeting with Shadow would be impossible.

Terra skidded to a halt in front of the reception chamber door. The she smoothed her skirts and adjusted her elegantly coiffed hair before taking in a deep breath and opening the door. Shadow stood in the far corner.

He'd changed. She'd never seen him in anything but the most perfectly kept black outfit. She'd always assumed that it was a matter of pride. But now his clothes were faded and dirty, dusty and stained with mud. There were jagged tears throughout and his normally immaculate embroidered sash was tattered. He looked as though he'd been through as many struggles alone as she and her friends had withstood together.

Terra pushed it aside and stepped forward with an eager but hesitant smile, producing her hands in greeting when he turned to face her. "Shadow, I'm so glad you're safe."

Shadow didn't take her hands. He only stared at her with that emotionless gaze that had terrified hundreds if not thousands of enemies. Terra's smile faded and her hands dropped to her sides. She gestured to the armchair situated across from a well-stoked fireplace that burned with brightness and warmth.

"Would you like to sit down?" she asked hesitantly. He minutely shook his head. She lowered her eyes and hesitantly turned to make her way to an armchair. Her heart pounded in her chest with the surprising emotion of fear. "How are you?" There was no answer, and she changed her gaze to him. Shadow was still staring at her. The strength left her limbs and she slowly sat. "Would you like some tea? Or coffee? Are you hungry? I could have Cook prepare something."

"I terrify you."

There was something different in his tone, almost as if the emotion he claimed dead had begun to awaken.

"N-no," Terra denied quickly. "I just . . . " She dropped her gaze. "All right. Yes. You do," she admitted reluctantly. She raised her head. "I've never felt threatened by you before. Not in all the adventures we've shared. Now, when you look at me . . . I'm not sure if I'm safe. What's the matter, Shadow?"

He looked away, staring out the window at the darkening sands of the desert just outside Figaro Castle. Terra's soul saddened. He was so far away. How in the world can I get him to talk? He was her friend, and she cared what happened to him. He must have cared for her at least a little bit, or else he wouldn't have risked his life to help her against Ledo Grikea's attempt to control her.

A familiar sense of rebellion sparkled in her eyes and she pressed her lips together. "I'm glad you're here, Shadow," she told him. "The children have all been asking about you. I don't tell the scary stories nearly as well as you." A wall seemed to go up around him. Terra courageously pressed on. "It looks as if you've been away from civilization for a while. Did you need anything?"

"I need nothing. I need no one," he said in a flat tone.

"Oh." Terra fought against what her instinct told her, grappling against her innate softness in order to do what had to be done.

"Well, then, I guess I'll go back to the children." She stood and moved toward the door, her insides twisting with reluctance and dread. "It was nice of you to visit. I hope you can stay longer next time."

Terra's hand reached out for the gold handle just as she heard a soft swoosh and immediate clunk as his dagger struck the doorpost beside her. She flinched a little, but then she reached over to pull the dagger from the wood. When she turned, Shadow stood directly behind her. Terra handed him the dagger. He took it sharply, sheathing it with a harsh motion as his dark eyes flashed with the surprisingly clear emotions of anger and rebellion. Terra didn't say a word. She simply stood there, doing her best to hold his gaze.

After several long moments, he turned and stalked to the fireplace. He gripped the mantle with a black-gloved hand. "Don't go."

There was the barest quiver of emotion in his voice. Terra took an uncertain step forward. "All right."

"Have you never wondered who I am?"

Terra slowly returned to sit in the armchair closest to the fire. "Of course. We've all wondered about everyone. Where Celes' parents came from, and why the Empire was able to take her as a baby to be trained as a Magitek Knight. Who Setzer was before he became the Wandering Gambler, and what caused the scar on his face. What kind of person Locke was before he became the Treasure-Hunter he is today. Curiosity is normal. You know that."

"Yes. Yes, I know that well. Curiosity is the tool of demons." He turned his face toward her, and his eyes sparked. "Do you wish to know where I've been? Why I've not visited?"

Terra clenched her hands. "Only if you want to tell me."

His eyes mirrored an inner battle. "My life has been darkness and secrets," he said in a flat tone. "If I don't confess them, they will surely eat of my soul and feast of my flesh." He looked away, staring down at the fire as if it were the very maw of the darkest place in her imagination. "Look you here and see my soul. Captured by the very fires of the Abyss. Bonded by the very injustices I first wanted to put right. Perhaps even the confession of my corruption won't save me from where I'm intended to go. Where I should already be."

"Where you--" Terra leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

"I shouldn't have survived the collapse of Kefka's tower," he said without emotion. "I don't know why, but the ground beneath me collapsed to reveal a secret exit. More than likely designed for Kefka to use at an instant such as that. After I jumped down, I followed it to the upper plateau." He seemed to sense her silent question. "No, the demon Kefka is dead and sent to that place where his soul will be tormented just as he tormented the innocent." His chin lowered to his chest. "Where I myself should be."

"You? Why? You helped save--"

"At the expense of those I should have held most dear," he cut in. "I was a tormentor of innocents as much as Kefka, and yet I've received a second and third chance to change my ways." Shadow took in a deep breath and released it slowly. "I've been a fool to spit in the eye of the Fates and continue my spiral to that dark place. Now I fear it is too late. My past will never take me back."

"Why not? It's never too late."

"Not for you. Not for Locke or Sabin or any of the others, for they've held firmly onto their second chances and changed themselves. Changed their very way of thinking. I have, instead, held to this mask and my obsession with power, control, and secrecy." He pulled it from his head suddenly and stared down at it as he held it in his clenched fists. Terra lowered her eyes quickly to the floor. "This," Shadow raved, "is what has kept me from what I once wanted. This sudden desire to hide. This--this cowardice!"

Shadow tossed the shroud into the fire with a harsh motion. It burst into flame. Terra watched it burn with wide eyes, almost afraid to see what had hidden under the mask for so long. Can I look? Do I dare see if what we've thought all this time is true?

"Burn," he hissed. "Burn and to Hell where you belong! I've need of you no longer. You destroyer of family. You slayer of trust and honor." His voice faded, but the passion of his statement lingered in the air to meld with the intense crackling of the flames. Those flames danced in celebration upon the mask he despised. "There," he said in a dangerously quiet voice. "It is done."

Expectation brought her heart to her throat, but still she hesitated to look at him. After all, what could she say? All of them had wondered what hid beneath his shroud, but they knew it wasn't a question to ask. Just as everyone had known not to ask about his past. Not unless they wanted a dagger to the throat. He turned his face toward her, and she swallowed hard.

"Long have I wished to be rid of that foul shroud of death, but I didn't have the strength of spirit. Not until I saw how you and the others faced your pasts and fought on. It was then I saw my cowardice."

Terra took in a slow breath before changing her focus to his face. A face she had never seen even after all the hours, days, and months they fought side by side. He was well into the twilight years of his thirties. His good looks were actually enhanced by the scars strewn about his face. She saw that his eyes were a dark blue, now that they were no longer darkened by the deceptive black mesh of the shroud, and his sandy brown hair was peppered with gray. What struck Terra the most, however, was the resemblance.

The eyes. The defiance. The spark of life. It was as if Terra looked into the face of an older Relm Arrowny.

2: Recaptured Shadows

Terra sat speechless. When he turned his head from her again, she finally asked the question she--and the others--longed to voice. "Does she know?"

Shadow shook his head. "After so many years of hiding the truth from even myself, do you believe I'd have the courage to tell her?" He stood with a sharp motion and began to pace in front of the fireplace. "All I have become was originally done for her. Yet, something went horribly wrong. Even I don't understand what it was. The weakness of my own desire to provide a better life for her. A safer one. Then there was greed and a self-centered desire for power." He jerked off each of his black gloves and tossed them one by one into the fire. A puff of ash from the mask served as the response to each. "Such was the reason she was abandoned. A desire to give her peace was twisted into a lust for power."

"It couldn't have been that bad," Terra observed. Shadow clenched his jaw and she continued to examine his newly uncovered face. It was a strange feeling to be able to actually read the emotions that crashed across his expression like the tides of the ocean during a storm. "Could it?"

Shadow paused for a long moment before turning his eyes from the fire to Terra's face. "Judge for yourself."

"All right." Terra adjusted her position before looking to Shadow again. "Go on."

"Relm's mother's name was Amanda," he began in a strictly controlled tone. "She was a beautiful, fiery woman with a passion for life that attracted every youth to the challenge of winning her heart as their own. She was an artist with an innate talent to capture the very breath of life in her portraits. Her work was in high demand, much as Relm's is now. This talent caught the Empire's attention. All gifted people were seen as new blood for the Empire's gene pool. Amanda was no different. She was taken and forcefully enrolled in experimentation with pre-natal infusion."

Shadow's face twisted with agony and rage. "I'd already taken her as my wife when she was forcefully recruited by the Empire for their greater good. Neither of us knew what was in store for her when the soldiers came. I was a simple man, then. A clerk at the local armory. What did I know of the Empire and it's dark desires? What did either of us know of their intent? The officers came with the promise of glory and a better life. I'd just taken a wife, so how could I resist temptation? They assured me that no harm would come to her, and that she'd be back within a few weeks. So we said our good-byes with the promise to celebrate our good fortune when she returned."

The memories scorched his face, and he turned from Terra's eyes.

"Amanda was with child when she went to the Empire. Neither of us knew. If I had, I'd never have let her go." Shadow struck his fist against the mantle. "Damn! I would never have let her go if I'd known then what I know now," he snarled. "The Empire wanted to know for certain whether or not an embryo would incorporate an infusion received by the mother. How wonderful that would be for them! How delighted they'd be with the discovery of the way to breed those with Magic abilities."

He swore. "They knew of her background. They knew of her ancestry being directly linked to the Blue Magi from the War as well as the power that went with it. It's what they counted on! They wanted to have that added assurance of a special Magic power when they infused her with an Esper's life. "

"That's where Relm's gift came from? From an Esper?"

Shadow ran his hands through his hair. "For the most part. Yes. As did Celes' and thousands of other Magitek Knights. Life after life was enhanced and twisted for an evil purpose, not realizing nor caring that another life was being drained in order to do so. When Amanda discovered this, she left the Empire and returned to Thamasa, enraged with what they'd done. She tried to tell others what she'd discovered, but they didn't care. After all, what did it have to do with their petty lives?"

"Did the Empire just let her leave?"

"Why wouldn't they? She was infused and carrying their experiment to term. They knew she wouldn't kill it, for it was her child. Our child. They dared not press her temper for fear that her precious cargo be damaged!" Shadow's expression grew suddenly distant. "Precious cargo. Yes. That was what she was. When Relm was born it was as if a miracle had been given to me. I could hardly believe it. I had a family such as I never thought possible. . . ."

Terra's heart nearly stopped beating. "What happened?"

Shadow actually paled. He lowered his head and clenched fistfuls of his hair. "They came to take her away. My little baby. They wanted to test her. To prod her as if she were an animal bred for their pleasure." He straightened suddenly. "Amanda was incensed. Relm was barely a month old and they came to take her! Amanda and I refused. She told them that if they wanted to perform any tests, they would need to bring the equipment to our home and perform them there, under her watchful eye. They agreed. A few days later the caravan of scientists arrived with their myriad of equipment. They began the tests. Only Relm didn't exhibit any special abilities. No magical powers of any significance. The scientists were disappointed. Their experiment had failed and Amanda was pushing for them to leave. What could they do?"

"Did they?"

"Of course. All too eagerly," he said in a dark tone. "Life seemed to get back to normal, as much as it could with what we'd been through. Then, one day, I returned from a trip to Nikeah and found her gone."

"Relm?"

"Amanda."

"Where did she go?"

Shadow clenched his jaw. "At the time, I didn't know. I was frantic. I searched the surrounding area and found nothing. I asked friends and neighbors if they had seen anything out of the ordinary, but they hadn't. All I knew was that she'd left Relm with her father's friend, Strago, and then left to supposedly visit her sister in Miranda."

"What really happened?"

"The Empire had threatened our daughter's life in order to get Amanda to cooperate with another experiment. When I discovered this, I was furious. I headed out to Vector immediately, barely taking the time to pack suitable supplies. I nearly starved to death on my way, but I didn't care. The Empire had torn my family apart again. It was too much. When I arrived at the Magitek Research Facility, though, it was too heavily guarded.

"So, I waited for the next merchant caravan to arrive and smuggled myself in as an armory merchant. Once inside, it wasn't too difficult to discover where the experiments were performed. That was the central hub of activity." He dropped his hands from his hair and looked over at Terra. "When I found the room, I also found the man responsible for her kidnapping. He was experimenting with the Empire's newest infatuation: mind-control."

"Ledo," Terra whispered.

"Yes. Another demon bred by the Empire's all-consuming desire for power."

"He didn't . . . he didn't operate on her?"

Shadow clenched his jaw. His eyes were dark with misery. "He did more than that. When the inserts in her ears malfunctioned, he left her to die. He decided that her life wasn't worth the time or effort to remove them! Even when the removal would have saved her life!"

Terra choked on a sob, her own memories of the pain and near-death experiences she had suffered at the hand of this same man resurfacing. "Oh, Shadow."

"I found her body," he said in a gruff voice. "Even in death she was vibrant." He cleared his throat and looked away. "Ledo appeared as I was attempting to leave with her. We fought, I lost. I hadn't trained as a soldier. I was a salesman. For some reason he didn't kill me. That would have been a merciful act considering he already killed my reason for living. Instead, he had me taken to a holding cell to await experimentation.

"I don't remember how I escaped. I was so close to death that vague images and running feet are all I remember. I awoke in Thamasa." Shadow shook his head. "I tried to forget her. To raise Relm and go on with a life that now felt only half lived. Each night I would awaken to imagined screams and horrible cries of suffering. After two years I could take it no longer. My conscience demanded action."

"You left?"

Shadow nodded. "It was the most difficult decision of my life, but I was determined to make a difference. I was determined to change the world and make it a better place for my daughter to live. So, I left her with Strago."

Silence descended and Terra watched Shadow's face. The memories collided against each other to form guilt and rage almost at the same instant. "What happened, Shadow?" she asked gently. "Why didn't you come back?"

"I knew that what I desired for her would take time. Training was what I needed. I studied with whomever would have me. Each instructor warned me of the same failing, my rage. They urged me to bury it deep. To kill it in order to better focus on the goal I had taken. At first, I believed it was an impossible order. Then, as my training increased in difficulty and my talent improved, it became easier. The memories faded. The pain subsided. The numbness I felt was a release from the torture I endured for years and months."

"But why didn't you come back?" Terra pressed.

He turned on her, eyes flashing. "I couldn't, don't you understand? As long as the Empire ruled in force, she wasn't safe! I couldn't return a failure. I had to accomplish what I set out to do."

"But you didn't," Terra went on. "You forgot about her."

"I didn't forget," Shadow insisted in a dangerously low voice. "How could I forget a life that had once been the epitome of happiness? That pressed me on. It moved me forward to increase in power so that I would be able to undermine all the Empire attempted to do. It urged me to discover more--"

"You forgot," Terra interrupted. "Admit it, Shadow. Don't keep lying to yourself. You can't get your life back if you lie to yourself."

Jaw clenched, Shadow stood with a harsh motion. He strode to the window and glared out to the desert scenery. His hands balled into fists. "I didn't forget. I chose not to remember. It's different."

"Was it because you hadn't done what you wanted? Did you think Relm wouldn't want her father back just because of that?"

He turned sharply. "A father? Was I ever a father? Would a father have--" Shadow cut off and once more shifted his gaze outward.

"See? You felt guilty about all the failures, so you stayed away instead of facing them." Terra came to stand beside him. "What are you going to do now? Are you going to let your pride keep you away from her still? I'm sure she'll be angry, but don't you think you deserve a little of that? You've had all this time to tell her who you are and you haven't. She's not exactly going to feel very wanted."

"I don't deserve to have a family again. Shadow never had a daughter."

"Is that going to be your excuse then?" Terra frowned when he didn't answer. "Why did you even come here if you had no intention of admitting who you are to her?"

He leaned forward suddenly, pressing his palms against the window as his chin lowered to his chest. "I don't know! I told you once I killed the emotions within me. It was a warning to never do the same. Now they rage within with a force that would stagger your imagination. How can I admit to her who I am when I fear I will lose control."

"Life isn't about control!" She turned him with a grip on his arm, ignoring the warning spark in his eyes. "Life is about learning. Loving. Helping others. Be honest with yourself, Shadow! You never felt so alive and so real as when you were helping us help others." She shook him when he didn't say a word. "Admit it!"

He pushed her away. "Don't try my patience."

"Then don't come in here and try mine. You came here for help. Fine. I'm trying to help you. What you're doing doesn't help anyone. Just a few minutes ago you were admitting that you made the wrong decision, now I don't know what you're admitting. Don't go back and forth between decisions. Make up your mind and stick to it!"

Shadow clenched and unclenched his jaw as he glared at her. "Tell me what to do, Terra," he said after a long moment of silence. "Tell me what to do."

Terra shook her head. Her throat tightened on the tears when she saw the clear expression of confusion in Shadow's eyes. "I can't tell you what to do. You know I can't."

He stared down at her for another long moment before turning and moving for the door without a sound. Shadow paused a moment before opening it, but said nothing as he closed it behind him. Terra stared after him as the tears ran freely down her face. Then she turned to gaze out the window with unseeing eyes, desperately hoping she said the right things.

3: Rescues and Readiness

"Terra?"

King Edgar of Figaro stepped into the receiving chamber set aside for his bride of six months as he searched for her slight frame and pale green hair. The room was dark, but the slight glistening of a candle directed him to the far side. A collection of rugs and cushions served as her hiding place.

"Terra?" he asked again. Edgar knelt when she still didn't answer. Terra lie on her side, dress and hair disheveled, face streaked with tears as she held an embroidered pillow close against her. Edgar brushed some hair from her face as he pulled the pillow from her grasp. "What is it, my sweet?" he asked gently. "What has upset you?"

"I think I said everything wrong, Edgar," she choked out as he helped her sit up. "I think I hurt him more than help him, and now I don't know what to do," she sobbed.

Edgar gently pulled her toward him, enveloping her in his arms to rock her back and forth. "Whom have you hurt? Soul light, what has happened?"

"Shadow came. He came and told me so many things about who he was and what he'd done . . . I couldn't tell him what to do. It had to be his choice."

Edgar's confusion grew as he stroked her hair and caressed the back of her neck in an effort to soothe her tears. "There now." He kissed her hair and then the skin of her temple. "What did he tell you? What did he ask of you?"

"He's Relm's father," she said in a broken voice, "and he wanted to know . . . he wanted to know if he should tell her or not. He didn't want to tell her . . . because he thinks he's failed her. Why doesn't he see that she just wants him to love her. She won't care about all the other stuff. Oh, Edgar, I don't know if I helped him."

Edgar adjusted his arms around her as he once again pressed his lips tenderly against her temple. "So the shadow of night has decided to attempt an unveiling to the morning. You've accomplished another miracle, soul light."

Terra shook her head against him. "I haven't, Edgar. I was mean. I wasn't understanding or kind. I pushed him too hard, and now I don't think Relm will ever know."

Her voice broke on the tears. Edgar tilted her chin up to wipe the wetness from her cheeks with the delicate touch of a finger. He smiled down at her. "You haven't the capacity for anything but kindness. You may believe you were too harsh, but there is an instinct in you that is able to know in which attitude you must speak. I'm certain you spoke justly. Remember, our dear friend Shadow has had a harsh life and respects firmness and forthright views. I'm positive you offered both."

"I'm just so afraid it wasn't enough." She sniffled and wrapped her arms tighter around him as she again rested her cheek against his chest. "I so wanted to help him, Edgar. To help him find the family that I somehow knew he wanted to have."

"Your concern for his life will not be lost on him, soul light. Never before has he been in the presence of such gentleness. Trust in your heart. It will be enough." He carefully lay back within the cushions, drawing her down with him as his arms still held her close. "Now rest here with me. You will forget your troubles soon enough. I assure you that I do the moment I see your smiling eyes."

Terra took in a deep breath and released it slow, snuggling against him. "I love you."

"And I love you." He placed another tender kiss on her head and ran a gentle hand over her long hair before caressing the skin of her neck and upper back. "Rest now, soul light."

Several silent minutes passed before her breathing slowed, deepening with sleep. Edgar smiled as his hand absently caressed the back of her neck. When the Chancellor told him Shadow had forced his way into the castle to await Terra's arrival in her chamber, Edgar had smiled with relief and quiet happiness. He knew how fervently she searched for him. The fact that she would be relieved at Shadow's safety comforted Edgar. He hated seeing her upset, no matter how slight. Sabin had once titled it disgustingly romantic sentiment, but it was simply how Edgar displayed the deep intensity of his love for her.

This love grew each moment they were together.

Now his heart mourned at the grief she bore. I must do something. But what could he do? He only had a mere hint of what Shadow could have told her. Edgar placed another kiss on Terra's head and pressed his cheek against the softness of her hair with closed eyes. I know enough. I know that he confessed to being Relm's father. That should be confession enough to know the heart of the man. How would I feel if I knew I abandoned a daughter? Guilt. Shame. Rage at my own inability to protect her. Surely he feels the same as these? Is he not human?

Edgar took in a deep breath, and then he carefully manipulated himself from her arms. Unfortunately, he'd become quite adept at doing so without waking her. The life of a king seldom began later than dawn. Although there had been uncountable mornings when he'd escaped her arms to the edge of the bed without waking her only to disturb her when he leaned in to give her a farewell kiss. Her lips were his weakness when her eyes were shielded. Then, upon the touch of his lips on hers, her bright eyes would wake and draw him in again. . . .

Edgar gazed down at her for a long moment, and then his lips drew near in a whisper of a kiss. "I will return, soul light," he promised.

He stood, leaving the chamber in search of Shadow. It amazed him that he never tired of Terra's company or the warmth of her presence beside him. As a bachelor involved with many a village maiden for an indeterminate amount of time, such a newness had never been present. He'd tired of their plastic smiles and shallow beauty after only a few nights. His moments with Terra were never so fake. Never so shallow. Her laughter and smiles warmed him in a way nothing had previously done. How could he not do everything within his power to bring her another smile?

The Chancellor entered the hall. Edgar noticed that he looked tired, frustrated, and extremely insulted. "Chancellor, what has upset you so completely?"

"Her highness's guest," he answered in an exhausted tone. "Never before have I been so tried and tested as I have been with this ruffian."

"Guest?"

"The gentleman implied he was asked by her highness to remain here for an unknown amount of time," the Chancellor said. "I understand, highness, that she is young and inexperienced in matters of court, but how am I to prepare a place for her guests if I am not told in proper fashion?"

Edgar smiled in understanding. "I do apologize, Chancellor. I shall see to it that she knows the pr--"

The Chancellor looked horrified. "Oh no, highness. You must not tell her that I have complained. I have no wish for her to feel guilty."

"Then what do you wish for me to do, Chancellor?"

The Chancellor straightened. "Nothing needs to be done, highness. All is well."

Edgar fought back a laugh. "I am glad to hear it. Now, where have you placed her highness's guest?"

"In the west wing, although it was not I who placed him there. He has a certain independence about him, highness. He does that which he desires and will not hear a negative word about it."

Edgar nodded. "Yes, that sounds very much like the Shadow we know and love." He rested a hand on the Chancellor's shoulder. "Get some rest, Chancellor. The castle will keep till morning."

The Chancellor bowed and then made his way down the hall toward his own room. Edgar turned and headed for the west wing. It is indeed odd that he would choose to remain here after such a disaster as Terra described. I wonder what his intention is? With Shadow, however, there was never any way to tell. Edgar shook his head as his eyebrow lowered in a frown. Terra may have thought the subject closed, but Shadow apparently did not. Edgar would have bet his kingdom that the ninja decided to meet with her again in the morning. How he has changed.

That change made him wonder at the torture being silently withstood.

Edgar arrived at the only room available in the west wing and smiled at Interceptor who waited outside the door. "Good evening, old friend. Does your master wish time to himself?" Interceptor grumbled and adjusted his position as he raised his head, licking his chops and giving a long, deep yawn. "If you make your way to the kitchens, I believe you will find Cook more than willing to part with some choice bits of meat." Interceptor's ears perked forward and he sat up, licking his lips with more enthusiasm as he tilted his head at Edgar. "I do not jest, my friend. Go on. I will comfort your master."

Interceptor stood, stretched quite thoroughly, and then lazily plodded toward the kitchens. Edgar watched him go with a smirk and a shake of his head. The beast was truly amazing, as well as the group's first clue that Relm was more to Shadow than what he'd alluded to. Interceptor had taken an instant liking to the child, as if he already developed a trusting relationship with her. Now, with Shadow's revelation to Terra, it was yet another piece to an intriguing puzzle.

Edgar turned away, pausing a brief moment as he stared at the door. Finally, he took in a slow breath and made a move to knock.

"Do not bother me."

Edgar smirked, lowering his hand to his side. Typical of Shadow to know all and wait until the last moment to reveal it. "I wish to speak with you, my friend, much as you wished to speak to Terra. It will be no bother."

Silence greeted his response, so he reached out and opened the door. Shadow stood on the far side of the room staring into the dying embers of the fire. His mask was gone and Edgar immediately noticed the resemblance. Uncanny. He closed the door behind him before speaking. "Misery hardens your face, my friend."

"Misery. Misery is a close friend to me." Shadow's voice was void of inflection.

Edgar gauged the ninja. "It seems that this close friend is no longer wanted." He moved deeper into the room and sat in the armchair across from the fireplace. "It is good to have you here, Shadow. Good to see you alive." Shadow said nothing. He simply gazed at the fire with a clenched jaw. "You, of course, realize that Terra will have confided in me your secret." Still he said nothing. "Your secret is safe, Shadow, unless you give either of us leave to speak of it."

"I know."

Edgar examined the cool composure on the ninja's face. "Terra described quite a heated debate between you. She was too emotionally exhausted to go into great detail, but enough was said. To find you still here is an intriguing twist. What is left to be said, Shadow? What has been said was done in such a way as to break her very heart." The cool expression wavered minutely. "She is certain that she's broken your spirit and heart more than it had already been. She is certain she has done more harm than good. To find you here. . . ." Edgar shrugged slightly. "To find you here makes me wonder, Shadow, if there is something you still wish her to do. Something you still hope she can accomplish."

Shadow glanced to Edgar briefly, and then he returned his gaze to the fire. His jaw clenched furiously. Edgar watched his reaction, and his mind processed each emotion and veiled expression. "She cannot rescue you, Shadow, if you refuse to be rescued. She's performed many a miraculous feat, what with rescuing me from my own ignorance of happiness and companionship and Setzer from his stubborn pride. However, she cannot turn back time and allow you to relive and change your past life. You must own up to your decisions and move on from there."

"I don't ask for a miracle," he said through clenched teeth. "I ask for her help. I ask for her support when I reveal myself to . . . when I reveal myself to my daughter."

Edgar released a slow breath. "My respect for you has grown tremendously. Such a road I would not be so courageous to take, my friend."

Shadow sneered and turned from the hearth, stalking to the far window with a growl. "Courage? I've been backed into a corner as a frightened animal. What other route is there for me to take in order to save my soul? This isn't courage. This is nothing but another form of cowardice!"

"I disagree. Passionately. You are accepting your responsibility. You are opening yourself up to rejection and pain the like of which no one has ever known. Do you truly believe this to be cowardice, my friend? No. Do not allow your demons to lie to you in such a way. You are putting right a grievous wrong. You are offering a young girl the opportunity to know a father whom has always held her best interest close to his soul. Do not discount this courage."

Shadow turned his face toward Edgar, and his eyes held a conflicting collage of emotion. "I'm afraid as I've never been before. To look into my daughter's eyes and see hatred or disgust . . . it is of this that I'm most afraid. Throughout this war against Kefka and the Empire I've continued to be haunted by her eyes and her voice. So like her mother's. To have her eyes despise me would be the one punishment I wouldn't survive."

"You know that you cannot take this choice from her." The ninja turned away again and Edgar pressed onward. "It will be a difficult time, Shadow, but Terra and I are here to offer our strength." Edgar stood and made his way to the door before turning and examining Shadow's rigid form. "If you are here in the morning, my friend, Terra and I will accompany you to Thamasa. I know she will be pleased that there are no harsh feelings held by you. Good evening and sleep well."

*

Terra stared glumly down at her breakfast, picking at the salad greens with her golden fork in disinterest. Edgar watched her, a concerned expression dulling his handsome features. He reached for her hand and squeezed it gently, smiling at her when she raised her eyes to his.

"Do not fret, sweet. Please."

"I can't help it, Edgar. There had to be something I could have said that would have made him feel better."

He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "You have done more than you know. Trust in what you do not know about him, soul light. Your words moved him to a decision."

Her eyes twinkled with myriad of questions. "What do you mean?"

"He has decided to tell her the truth, and I have offered him our companionship for the journey. I only wait, now, for him to make the final decision."

"Final decision? What decision?"

Edgar touched her gently on the nose. "Whether he wishes to tell her in the company of friends or in the company of the tortured memories of a past he no longer wishes to hold so close."

"Edgar? What did you do?"

He smiled and changed his focus to his breakfast. "I continued from that delicate point you prepared."

Terra was quiet for a moment before tightly squeezing his hand. She smiled and her eyes glistened. "Dear, sweet, wonderful Edgar."

Edgar caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. "I am only wonderful because you believe it to be true, soul light."

Terra's smile brightened her face. She looked down at her breakfast and pushed it away. Then she stood and pulled Edgar to his feet. "Edgar, I need to know if he's still here. Please?"

He smiled and brought her hand to his lips. "Of course. Shall we?"

She nodded enthusiastically and allowed him to lead her from the dining chamber and through the meandering hallways of the castle to the west wing. Interceptor was still outside the room. At Edgar and Terra's approach, he sat up and smiled at them.

Terra released Edgar's hand and knelt down to stroke Interceptor behind the ears. "Good morning, Interceptor. Is your master still sleeping?" Interceptor pulled away from Terra's hand and shook his head. He then stretched and grumbled, announcing his displeasure at his master's sudden and mysterious change in attitude. "Did he sleep at all?" Interceptor shook his head again and repositioned himself beside the door, allowing them room enough to enter.

"It seems the demons rage deeply."

Terra worried her lower lip as she slowly straightened, reaching behind her to once again take hold of Edgar's hand. "I think I understand why. At least, I'm trying to."

He gave a gentle squeeze and lightly knocked on the door. When there was no response, he twisted the knob and pushed it open. To both of their amazement, Shadow was again dressed in his full black garb. They stepped further into the room, confusion evident in their expression. "Why the mask, Shadow?"

Shadow's expression was distant and hard. All too familiar. "I will not bombard her with the truth. I will offer her the choice of hearing. If she doesn't choose to have it revealed, then I won't." Terra rested a gentle hand on Edgar's shoulder, preventing any further questions. Shadow stood and moved noiselessly to the door, bidding Interceptor to his side with a simple gesture. "I am ready."

Edgar and Terra both nodded.

4: The Simple Lie

They decided to take the long way to Thamasa.

First, the group would need to proceed underground and travel east to the continent which held South Figaro. Upon their arrival there, they would charter the use of three chocobos that would take them to the port town of Nikeah to the north. From there, they would buy passage on the ferry that could hopefully be persuaded to take them to Thamasa--for an extra price of course. All in all, Edgar and Terra figured it would take at least a week. Hopefully, in that limited time Shadow would be inspired as to the best way to present his identity to Relm.

The Chancellor wasn't thrilled with the prospect of once again losing control over the (not-so)-young king of Figaro, but he handled it well enough. The group's supplies were packed as the castle made its way underground, past the mysterious castle where Odin had been found, to resurface just outside the cave that had at one time led to South Figaro. The cave had since been sealed off by a landslide, so the group would need to proceed, instead, around the mountain range to South Figaro. Edgar and Terra bid the Chancellor good-bye, promised they would be careful, and then turned to follow Shadow who'd already began making his way toward the town.

"Terra, do you think it wise for him to offer her the choice of hearing the truth about her father? Relm is young. She may opt against the telling because of myriad of reasons, anger being the greatest."

Terra nodded and gripped Edgar's hand. "I know. I'm worried about that too, but it really should be her choice. I think she'll want to hear it, though. It's a gut feeling more than anything else, but I trust it."

Edgar examined Shadow's tall and rigid frame as he walked several dozen feet ahead of them. "Terra, how does one confess such a secret to a young girl?" He glanced over at Terra's delicate features and caught her gaze. "I told Shadow that I would not be so courageous to do what he has planned. It was all I could do to confess my love to you." Terra flushed and lowered her gaze as Edgar continued. "How does someone such as Shadow confess a secret such as this to someone like Relm?"

Terra shook her head. "I've no idea. I don't think Shadow does either. He didn't even know how to tell me. He just kind of unrolled it like a person would shake out an old carpet."

"Do you believe Relm would be receptive if it was offered in such a way to her?"

"Relm's so unique," Terra stated with a sigh, "that I don't think her own grandfather would know how she'd take something like this."

"Speaking of grandfathers . . . do you think he realizes who Shadow is?"

Terra looked over at Edgar with a small smile. "You're full of questions that I can't answer, Edgar."

He returned her smile and brought her hand to his lips. "I apologize. My curiosity has run away with me, it seems. I will do better at curbing it."

Terra moved in closer and wrapped her arm around his waist. He draped an arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "Please don't," she told him. "I like it when you ask me questions. It means you want my opinion."

"Among other things, soul light."

Terra giggled, glancing up at him with a flush and twinkling eyes. "Oh, Edgar. You always say the perfect things."

He smiled down at her. "Do not set me too high on that pedestal, my little Esper angel. I'm terribly afraid of heights."

She giggled again and kissed him twice.

*

They arrived in South Figaro in record time, chartered the required chocobos, and then promptly left town toward Nikeah. The group made it quite a ways toward the port town before making camp. Shadow set an incredible pace, but Edgar and Terra kept up without complaint. Their journey reminded them of their past adventures against Kefka and the Empire. An adventure that, while difficult and filled with heartache, held a great many tender memories of discovered friendships blossoming to love.

As Terra and Edgar set up camp and Shadow disappeared into the darkness to see about dinner, Terra sent Edgar occasional glimpses. He noticed and, after he finished setting up the campfire, made his way to where she set up the tent. He offered his help and began tacking down the opposite corners.

"What's troubling you, dearest?"

She bit her lower lip as she tied off a corner. "Do you think you could disappear for a little bit after dinner?" She looked up before he could answer, stopping what she was doing to make her way to his side. "He needs to talk about something. Something that wouldn't be easy to say if you were here. I hate to ask . . . ."

Edgar's tips tilted with a smile as he finished off the tent corner and stood to wrap his hands around her slim waist. He pulled her close and nuzzled his lips against her neck. "Afraid I may get jealous?"

She pushed at him with a laugh. "Edgar, Shadow's not that far away."

Edgar sighed with a mischievous twinkle and faked dejection. "Very well. I will turn the other way while you entertain this rogue ninja."

She gave him a push. "Oh Edgar, stop it."

He touched her lips briefly and then smiled. "I will make myself scarce, Terra. Do not worry on that. Perhaps I will have Interceptor take me for a walk."

Terra returned his smile as she caressed his cheek. "Thank you. I don't know how long I'll need, so . . . an hour?"

"I'm sure Interceptor will know when we are welcome back. Do not feel rushed. Besides, the time alone may do this man good. Too many months of perfection is liable to drive me insane."

Terra laughed and turned to finish securing the tent. Shadow and Interceptor returned a few minutes later with dinner--a fistful of fish from a nearby stream--and set about cleaning them and setting them up on stakes around the fire. Dinner was a silent meal, and Terra could feel the tension rise as they got closer to finishing. Edgar cast her a glance before cleaning up his meal, making a semi-believable excuse of needing to stretch his legs, and then asked Interceptor if he wanted to come along and keep him company. Interceptor hesitated, sent a glance to Shadow--who ignored him--and then sounded an annoyed growl before falling into step beside the king.

Terra took in a slow breath as she set aside her plate. She didn't want to start this conversation, but some small part of her was sure that he wouldn't. "You want to talk about it?" It was the only thing she could think of that didn't make her sound like an idiot.

"Talk about what?" Shadow asked in a dead voice.

"Whatever you want. You don't need to do this by yourself." He said nothing and Terra looked over at him. Having his face covered with the shroud would make it difficult to know what he was going through, but she wasn't going to ask him to take it off. It had been his choice to wear it again--Her eyes widened in surprise. "Shadow, I had a sudden idea."

His gaze actually traveled to her face. "What."

"You don't need to tell Relm that Shadow is her father." His gaze didn't leave hers. "Hear me out. Do you believe that Shadow is Relm's father? Or do you believe that Clyde Arrowny is her father?"

"The latter."

"Right. To you, Shadow is a ninja with no emotion, no home, no family, and probably no friends." Shadow barely acquiesced the statement with a nod. "Clyde Arrowny left her to make things right, but then he was captured by the Empire."

Shadow examined Terra's face for a long and silent moment. "You want me to lie to her?"

"Where's the lie, Shadow? The minute you put your emotions and family behind you, Clyde became a captive. Now you've let him go. He can go home to his family and start over." Terra looked down at her hands. They were trembling. "I'm not saying this is right. I'm not saying this is wrong. I just believe that this is a possible way for you to get your family back." When she shifted her focus back to him, he simply stared at the leaping flames of the fire. "Relm is fascinated by you, Shadow, hard as you may find that to believe. I think it would be awful if you ruined that by telling her you're also her father. Besides, you don't even believe that. You believe Clyde was someone different. If Shadow disappeared, Relm would think that normal. After all, you've done it before. If her father shows up and explains that he was able to get free of Kefka's Tower after the end battle, it's the truth on a different level and she'd believe that, too. That way, she wouldn't lose your friendship. She'd gain her father."

Shadow tightened his hands into fists. "It seems too simple an answer."

"Simple? Sure, the answer may be simple, but doing it will be the hard part. You won't be able to be secretive anymore, Shadow. You'll have to learn how to talk to her about stuff. About her mother. About why you left. About everything that's happened since you went to try and save the world. It won't be easy." Terra gnawed her lower lip. "Shadow, if you do this, you will need to stay gone. Clyde Arrowny simply cannot hide any longer. I . . . I just thought you'd want to know."

"You don't believe Relm would wish to be visited by her one-time friend?"

Terra shrugged. "I don't know. That's your decision. It might be dangerous to have Shadow show up, though. What if she figures it out? You'll hurt her."

Terra heard Edgar and Interceptor approaching. "Whatever you decide to do, Shadow, we're behind you. All right?"

She stood and met Edgar while Interceptor continued toward his master. Edgar took her hand and led her to the tent, ushering her inside and tying the flap closed. "How did our ninja do this evening?"

"He was quiet. I did most of the talking." Terra blushed and sat on their bedroll as she began to remove her soft-soled boots. Edgar sat beside her and did the same. "I came up with the most bizarre idea."

Edgar's lips were tickled with a smile as he set aside his shoes and began to disrobe. "Do tell."

*

Shadow stared at the fire, the night sounds drifting in and out of his awareness as Terra's words settled deeper into his mind.

'If her father shows up and explains that he was able to get free of Kefka Tower at the end battle, it's the truth. . . . You won't be able to be secretive anymore. . . . She'd gain her father. . . . She wouldn't lose your friendship. . . .'

Shadow pushed the thoughts away with a painful sigh, pulling the shroud from his head with a slow and deliberate motion. He stared down at the crisp blackness of it and thought back. The thing had hid so many thoughts and feelings. Safely tucked behind its black mesh. Safely distant and alone.

'You'll have to learn how to talk to her about stuff. About her mother. About why you left. About everything that's happened since you went to try and save the world.'

No. It wouldn't be easy. He had come full-circle. Shadow tossed the shroud at his bedroll near the fire and hid himself from the feelings. He was tired. Too tired to face them and survive.

'Shadow, if you do this, you will need to stay gone.'

He stood and made his way to his bedroll, lying back to drape an arm across his eyes. Laughter and a tight grip on his hand drifted out of his memory and twisted his insides. Cheerful chatter. Humor and smiles. The wedding had been the beginning of the end of Shadow's life. No. Even before that. Shadow had known his life was coming to a close when Ledo's evil had been put to rest. He'd known Clyde demanded freedom from the cage within his dark self. There was no more vengeance to be sought.

'The answer may be simple, but doing it will be the hard part. I just believe that this is a possible way for you to get your family back.'

Shadow released a deep breath and drifted to the blackness of sleep.

5: A Dying Wish

Shadow wore his shroud the next morning.

Terra's spirits dropped. Edgar noticed. He wrapped an arm around her waist and placed a couple of kisses on the back of her neck as she tore down the tent. "This was but the first night of many, soul light. Do not give up."

She nodded with a deep breath, sent him a quivering smile, and then watched him as he made his way to Shadow. One or two intense discussions were nowhere near enough to help him make such an important decision. She had to be patient. Terra focused back on the tent. It would be hard, but she was willing to see it through. Just as Shadow had done for her on countless occasions.

The camp was packed up, the chocobos were loaded, and then the group set off for Nikeah once more. The pace wasn't quite as maniacal has it had been the previous day, and that instantly raised Terra's hopes. Shadow actually seemed to be in a thoughtful and quiet mood. Interceptor noticed the change as well, and he continued to send questioning glances toward not only his master, but Terra as well. She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but how did one know whether or not a dog was reassured?

Terra giggled under her breath, noticing Edgar's adoring glance as she brushed a stray ringlet from her forehead. She met his eyes and he winked at her. She flushed and looked away. He'd been a constant source of encouragement and strength. A giver of understanding and compassion at the exact moment she needed it. His wisdom amazed her, drawing her heart closer to him than she thought possible. Saying she loved him was no longer enough. She hadn't lived long enough to know what word could possibly describe the feelings she held for him.

And each day brought a new discovery of who he was.

"Terra?"

She looked up and caught Edgar's amused expression. "Hm? What? I'm sorry. Were you saying something?"

"No, but our traveling companion did."

Terra changed her focus to Shadow, cheeks aflame as she stammered out an apology. "I'm sorry, Shadow. I didn't hear you."

"I have a favor to ask you."

Terra glanced toward Edgar, who still smiled with mild amusement, and refocused her attention to Shadow. "Of course. What is it?"

"Would you and Edgar go on ahead? So that you are there in Thamasa with Relm before I arrive?"

"I suppose we could do that." She shifted her gaze to Edgar. "Right?"

Edgar shrugged, and his expression clearly held mild confusion. "I don't foresee a problem, Shadow, but I am curious as to the reason."

Shadow said nothing. He simply moved away, Interceptor tagging along behind him with what almost seemed to be reluctance. Edgar and Terra watched him in silence.

"Do you suppose...? Could he be considering your idea?" Edgar asked softly.

"I don't know. Maybe." Terra's brows knit together. "Do you think he could be?"

"I suppose anything is possible, especially from Shadow. It does give one cause to wonder."

"Did you see Interceptor's reaction?" Terra asked as they prodded their chocobos to a slow walk. "He wasn't too happy about something."

"Yes, I had noticed." Edgar pulled his chocobo close enough to hers that he was able to rest a hand on her knee. His thumb caressed small circles on it. "Shadow's favor has become a wondrous opportunity for me. It seems we will have a second honeymoon, my little Esper angel."

Terra covered his hand with hers and sent him an innocent glance. "Oh. Was our first one over?"

Edgar blinked. Then he smiled, and his hand released her knee to adjust his hold on the reins of the chocobo. It cooed. "Now that is truly the most wonderful statement I have heard pass from your lips."

Terra giggled.

*

They arrived in Nikeah a few days later. Terra and Shadow hadn't shared another twilight conversation, and Edgar had been avoided--much to his surprise. Any surprise or disappointment was easily put aside, however, as he and Terra shared many a moonlight rendezvous, both outside the circle of the campfire's light and within the inviting closeness of their tent. While these well-timed escapes had originally been for the sole purpose of experiencing a private and intimate moment, the two found themselves cuddling together in the soft darkness discussing their traveling companion's possible decision.

The time together gave Terra exactly what she needed in order to accept Shadow's decision of secrecy.

Now, the trio was on the Nikeah dock getting ready to temporarily part company. Shadow removed a pouch from somewhere on his person and handed it to Terra. She stared down at it for a long moment before catching Shadow's guarded gaze.

"Give that to her. Tell her he won't be back. Tell her he met his match at the Coliseum. Tell her--tell her anything you believe she will accept as the truth." Shadow knelt and rested a hand on Interceptor's head. Then he straightened and gestured to the massive beast. "Tell her Interceptor has no home, and that it was Shadow's dying wish she take him."

"Dying wish?" Terra's throat tightened, and she felt Edgar wrap a comforting arm around her waist. "You're going to . . . ?"

"Shadow has no purpose. The Empire is gone. My wife is avenged. What else is there for him to do but fade into the existence that was his name?"

Shadow turned and lost himself in the crowd as Terra and Edgar silently stared after him. After a moment, Terra turned to face Edgar with tear-filled eyes. "Did he mean that he's going to die? Or that he's going to be Clyde? I can't tell. I don't know what I should believe."

Edgar continued to stare off in the direction Shadow had taken. "I do not know, Terra. Perhaps he doesn't yet have the answer."

Terra shifted her gaze to the pouch. "Relm will be heartbroken."

"She is young, Terra, and her heart will mend." Edgar lifted her chin, caressing her cheek as he smiled. "Come, soul light. Let us away."

Terra allowed herself to be guided to the ferry. As they put out to sea, Terra looked back to the dock and clutched the pouch to her chest. "Come home, Clyde. Come home," she whispered.

Edgar drew her against him with a kiss to her hair and an arm protectively encircling her. Interceptor whined and leaned a shoulder against her leg.

*

Shadow watched the ship until it disappeared into the distance. Then he turned and entered the shop, removing his shroud before the door closed completely behind him.

6: The Stranger

Terra took in a deep breath as she again squeezed Edgar's hand. "Well, here it goes."

They heard a door open and close moments before a very recognizable Relm squeal pierced the air. She ran up to them with twinkling eyes and a wide and eager smile as she asked them myriad of questions as to why they were there, why Interceptor was with them if Shadow wasn't, and where Sabin and the others were. Edgar and Terra did their best to answer each question, but for each answered was another in its place. As Edgar continued to wade through the quickly rising tide of questions, Terra smiled and watched her.

Relm had always been precocious and adorable, with her bright eyes and naturally blond tousle of curls. To Terra and the others, Relm's eagerness to stray from what her grandfather believed was appropriate made her what she was: an independent ten-year-old who turned twelve when they hadn't been looking. Now she rapidly approached teen-hood. She still appeared as young and innocent as ever, with the obvious exception of her sharp tongue and quick wit. Terra, with what Shadow told her of Amanda, could see the woman in the bright clarity of Relm's expression.

Relm's clear green eyes focused on Terra. "Did you need me to watch the kids again?"

Terra's smile widened, and she gathered the girl into a hug. "No. We haven't seen you in a while and thought it would be nice to get away." She thought of the pouch in her possession and the smile dissipated. She pushed back and caught Relm's gaze. "We have some bad news, though. We didn't find out until we were in Nikeah."

Relm's eyes displayed an expression of wariness so similar to Shadow that Terra nearly cried.

"Bad news? What are you talking about?" Relm asked.

Edgar stepped forward and rested a hand on Relm's shoulder. The girl swung her gaze to him, watching as he took the pouch from Terra's belt and handed it to her. "Shadow . . . Shadow wanted you to have this, Relm. He wished for you to care for Interceptor as well."

Tears instantly sprang to her eyes. "What? What are you talking about? Interceptor is Shadow's dog! He wouldn't just give him away!"

Edgar sent Terra a helpless expression before turning back to Relm. "Shadow knew that you would take care of--"

"Shadow can take care of him," Relm shouted, backing off from the two with tears trailing down her cheeks. Interceptor came to stand behind her, nudging at the back of her leg to keep her from running away.

Terra took a hesitant step forward, reaching out to gently take Relm's hands. She knelt and gave the hands a gentle squeeze as the girl silently cried. "Relm, you know bad things sometimes happen. Shadow knew that, too." Relm shook her head, a pained expression darkening her eyes to the seas of a winter storm. She pulled her hands from Terra's. "He also knew you liked Interceptor and that he liked you. Won't you take care of him until Shadow can come back?"

Terra presented the pouch again, and Relm hesitantly took it. "Will he come back?"

"I don't know. At least you can take care of his dog until we know for certain. Won't you do that for Shadow?"

Relm nodded slowly, opening the pouch to pull out a tattered embroidered scarf. A tear dripped onto it and she sniffed. "It looks like the one he used to wear."

Terra looked down at it with a slow breath. It was the one he wore the evening he told her of his past life. Maybe it was the one he purchased when first becoming 'Shadow'. Maybe it was the one his late wife wore. Whatever the answer, it held special meaning for Shadow. Why else would he give it to Relm? "Yes, it does."

"Why do you suppose he gave it to me?"

Terra hesitated and cast Edgar a glance. He smiled and rested a hand on her back for encouragement. "Maybe because he knew how special you are. After all, Interceptor likes you best. He only tolerates us," Terra said.

Relm smiled slightly and looked up to catch Terra's gaze. "I'm going to miss him."

Terra nodded and brushed the tears from the girl's cheeks. "So will we, Relm. All of us."

Relm sighed deeply, pushing away the heart break with a tenacity that always amazed the others. She took Terra's hand. "Come on. You better come in and say 'hi' to the old geezer before he blows an artery."

"Will he mind our staying?" Edgar asked.

Relm shrugged as they made their way to the house, Interceptor immediately falling into step beside her. "Probably, but I don't care." She glanced toward them with a strange expression. "He's not feeling too well lately, so he's kind of grumpy. Spends most of his time in bed."

Terra tried not to sound alarmed. "I suppose you've already had the doctor over to make sure he's not blowing everything out of proportion."

Relm shrugged again. "I called him, but grandpa just shrieked and said he didn't need any kind of witch doctor looking at him and making like he knew what he was talking about. He just wanted to be left alone."

"I see." Terra sent Edgar another look, and he raised his hands in a helpless gesture. "Well, I'm sure he'll be fine. He'd know whether or not he needed a doctor, wouldn't he?"

"You never know with grandpa. The old geezer lost his mind ages ago, I think."

Edgar tousled her curls with a chuckle. "You love him anyway, Relm."

She waved off his hands and sent him a scowl. "Humph. Whatever."

*

"Strago?" Terra crested the stairs of the bedroom and looked around for the old mage. He sat at a table in his housecoat writing letters. "Strago, are you too busy for a talk?"

"Probably, but you never let that stop you."

Terra smiled and came to sit on the edge of the bed by the writing desk. "It's about Relm and her father and mother."

Strago's grip on his pen tightened, but he kept writing. "What about them?" he asked gruffly.

"What do you know about them? Are they dead?"

"If they weren't, do you think she'd be with me?"

"Does she know about them?"

"What's to know?"

Terra took in a deep breath and released it slowly. "He stopped by the castle, Strago. He's coming."

Strago's pale complexion yellowed. "Who's coming?"

"Clyde." Strago said nothing. Terra looked down at her knees and picked at an imaginary spot. "What are you going to do?"

"About what?"

Terra looked up. "Strago, you know what I'm talking about. What are you going to do when he shows up? Are you going to refuse to let him in? Are you going to deny everything? What?"

Strago threw down his pen and glared at her. "What can I do about anything when it comes to that little dear? She does what she wants! Just like her mother! Just like her father! If he comes, he comes. If he tells her, he tells her. I'm still her grandpa and I'll still be here to pick up the pieces when he runs away again."

"He didn't run away, Strago. You know that."

"Oh, I know what he said back then, but I also know that ten years is a long time to be away from the daughter you supposedly loved so damn much." Strago shook his head with a long succession of coughs, and then he took in a slow breath. "No, Terra, I won't come between her and her father, if he's decided to finally come home for good. I won't make things easier, either. He better have some good reasons as to why he's been away for so long."

Terra stood and dropped her gaze. "He told me that he'd do his best. Just . . . just try and be understanding, Strago. Please."

"If he's got a good excuse, I'll be understanding. If not, tough luck."

"Strago--"

"That's as good as it gets."

Terra sighed and turned for the stairs. "All right. Thank you, Strago."

"Humph."

Edgar met Terra at the bottom of the stairs with a kiss on the cheek. "How did it go, soul light?"

"As well as expected, I suppose."

"I take it Strago will be understanding to a certain point."

Terra nodded and wrapped her arms around Edgar for a comforting embrace. "I hope it's enough."

Edgar kissed the top of her head. "You cannot heal them all, soul heart. Try your best, but do not expect all to be totally and completely restored. Life is seldom as perfect as what we have been led to believe it should be."

"Why not? My life with you seems perfect enough."

Edgar smiled and tightened his arms around her. "Ah. I see, then, that our storybook romance has made you forget the harshness of the real world."

She giggled and snuggled in closer. "No, I haven't forgotten. It just seems more like a bad dream than anything else."

"It is most assuredly real, my sweet." He sighed and pulled back, smiling down at her with a twinkle in his bright eyes. "Come, dearest. Let us have a walk. Relm complains of boredom the likes of which we, ourselves, have never experienced. I have promised to rescue her."

"Where is she?"

"Outside playing with Interceptor." Edgar chuckled. "Perhaps I should amend that statement. Interceptor is attempting to play with her. He seems to sense the fact that something is bothering her."

"Bothering her?" Terra looked concerned. "About what?"

"Apparently Strago has been sick for quite a while."

"He still refuses to have a doctor come, even after all this time?"

Edgar nodded. "That would be what is troubling Relm, I do believe."

"The poor girl. Not only did she just lose Shadow, she thinks she might be losing her grandfather." The door opened then and Relm walked in. She saw Terra and Edgar and absently waved before moving past them to head for her room upstairs. Terra's heart went out to the girl. "Relm, we were just going to find you and take you for a walk. Would you be interested?"

She shrugged and stood beside them. "Sure."

So they made their way out of the house. As they stepped from the front port, a tall man in fairly nice clothes entered town. Terra's heart thumped as she cast Edgar a quick look. He nodded. As the trio approached the end of town, the stranger caught her gaze and slightly smiled, twirling a cap in his hands for a long moment before making his way toward them.

"Hello."

Relm was so engrossed in her own disturbing thoughts that she didn't hear him. Terra and Edgar exchanged a glance before greeting the man themselves.

"Hello," Edgar said. "Is there something we can do for you?"

The man cleared his throat. "I'm looking for Strago Magus."

Relm looked up at that. She examined the stranger's face. "Well, he doesn't take visitors. What'd you need?"

The man hesitated. Terra could tell he fought against the urge to flee. Hadn't she faced that same fear when first exploring a relationship with Edgar? Keep going. You're doing great, she wanted to say. He caught her expression and seemed to read it in her eyes.

He took in a deep breath and pressed on. "I needed to talk to him about something that happened ten or eleven years ago. It's very important."

Relm continued to intensely scrutinize the man's expression. "Important? Important like what? Like he owes you money? Or like you're his long-lost son?"

The man went a little pale. "Not exactly. No."

Terra tugged on Edgar's sleeve in such a way that Relm didn't notice, and then indicated the house with her eyes. He nodded slightly. "Relm?" Relm turned her eyes toward Terra after a slight pause. "Relm, why don't Edgar and I go tell your grandfather there's someone here to see him?"

Relm made a face. "Don't waste your breath. He won't come out."

Terra smiled. "You never know. He may want to for this. We can always try." She motioned to the stranger. "Why don't you keep his would-be guest company while we do our best."

Terra and Edgar turned for the house as Relm refocused her bright eyes on the stranger. She gripped Edgar's hand. "Please oh please let her take it well," she whispered.

Edgar squeezed back.

*

"So," Relm continued as she turned her attention back to the man. "What's your story?"

"I'm sorry?"

Relm crossed her arms with an 'oh please' expression. "Yeah. Where do you know grandpa from? Usually, as far as I can remember anyway, the only people who want to see him are about as old as they come."

"I . . . ."

He didn't seem about to finish the attempted answer. Relm prodded him with a graceful wave of her hand. "Yes? Waiting."

He took in a deep breath and plunged ahead. "I was married to the daughter of a friend of his."

All thoughts drained from Relm's head. She felt her heart hit the ground at her feet with a definite splut. "What."

The man's eyes darkened. He reached out a hand. "Are you all right?"

Relm waved it away and drew her heart back into her chest. "What did you say?" she pressed in a trembling voice. She cleared her throat. "You were what?"

"I was married to his friend's daughter. Amanda--Are you sure you're all right?"

Relm didn't hear the question. "You were . . . you were married to her?" The man nodded. Relm felt the hot flash of expectation battle with the chilling intensity of dread. "Did . . . did yo--" She swallowed hard. "Did you have a . . . a child."

The man's hands gripped his cap. "Yes."

Relm looked down at her hand suddenly, at the ring from her mother that she always wore, and offered it to the man to see. "Was . . . was this her ring?" He nodded very slowly. Relm watched him for a long and silent minute before risking the final and most important question. "Was your child's name . . . was her name, Relm?"

He nodded again. "Yes," he whispered.

Relm choked out a cry as she threw herself against him, her arms encircling him and holding him tight. "I knew you were alive," she sniffled passionately as his arms enfolded her. The warmth and strength and protection they brought to her soul quickened the pace of her tears. "No matter what he said, I knew it! I just knew. . . . Oh Daddy! Daddy, Daddy--" Her choked sob cut off any other words.

7: Past Stories, New Memories, and A Future Vow

The excitement of finally meeting her father out-weighed the questions as to why he'd been away for so long. She just didn't care. A lot of people had been taken captive by the Empire. Even more were killed by them. To have her father alive and there in front of her was enough. She knew the story would come later. It usually always did.

The story of her own life came out in spurts and choppy remembrances. He listened with rapt attention. His eyes were crisp and alert as they examined her face and expressions. Relm liked it. The only other person who'd seemed to look so deep at what she said and the feelings she tried to hide was Shadow. Maybe that was why she'd liked him. She'd known that he couldn't be fooled or goaded.

Finally, after what seemed hours of telling him what she'd been doing all her life--which mainly consisted of the entire battle with Kefka and the Empire--she fell silent and just smiled at him. He returned her smile, almost hesitantly, and then lowered his gaze to the table top in her home. He seemed unsure and uncomfortable. It was almost as if he didn't want to tell her where he'd been or what he'd been doing.

"I know that you have a lot of questions, Relm."

His reluctance, surprisingly enough, affected her enthusiasm and made her reluctant. "Do you blame me?" Relm asked. "Grandpa said you were dead a long time ago. Why else would you stay away?" She watched his face. It was scarred and haggard. As if he'd lived his entire life in a prison cell where he'd been tortured and beaten each day. "Daddy, why'd they take you and Mamma away?"

His face darkened with pain as the scenes of his life flashed quickly across his eyes. "For a lot of senseless reasons, Relm. The most prominent being the fact that your mother descended from the Blue Magi."

"Like grandpa?"

"Yes."

Relm hesitated, unsure as to the wisdom of asking him what he obviously didn't want to relive. But her desire to know about her parents made her press on. "Please, Daddy. Please tell me about her. Tell me about you. All I've ever known is grandpa, and I want to know more than that. I want to know about who I came from."

Her father looked up then, examining the bright expression in her eyes with a distant look. "You have your mother's passion. Looking into your eyes is like looking into hers."

Relm's throat tightened. "Really?"

His lips tilted upward in a slight smile as his eyes seemed to focus back on the present. "Yes. Your mother was a passionate artist who lived life to its fullest extent. Her beauty came from that. So has yours."

Relm looked down, cheeks flushed. Not very many people called her beautiful.

"I was amazed at the resemblance when I first saw you," her father said. "It was so uncanny that I was sure I was mistaken. After all, how could it be that simple?" His eyes became distant again, and he looked away. "She would be pleased at all the things you've done. You've become a hero at a very young age. Not many can boast of such an accomplishment."

Relm shifted her gaze to his face. "Haven't you done anything like that before? Even once? Were you always a prisoner?"

"In some form or another." He sighed and moved his gaze to meet hers. "Relm, I didn't mean to be away this long. Some of my friends are certain I allowed myself to forget. Perhaps I did. It was less painful than remembering and coming home to pay the price for my absence. When I first escaped, I should have made my way here."

Relm sniffled, lowering her gaze as she clenched her hands together. Her throat tightened. "You probably thought I'd be mad."

"It doesn't matter. I should have come. You deserved to have your father, as well as new memories of your mother."

They were quiet for a long moment before Relm looked up. He watched her. "Are you going to stay now, Daddy? Grandpa won't be happy, but I don't care. Please stay."

Her father stood and looked toward the stairs leading to the second story bedroom. "I will stay," he said quietly, "but I might not be welcome in this house."

Relm scowled. "If you're not, then I'm leaving. He's just a grumpy old fuddy-duddy anyway."

Her father turned a stern expression toward her. "Relm, he has always held your best interests at heart. He has never abandoned you. He deserves your presence in his life more than I do."

"But you're my father," she said passionately. "He's got no right to keep you out of my life, and I'll hate him if he tries!"

"You shouldn't hate him for doing what he believes protects you. He loves you and has never hesitated in the showing of that love."

Relm crossed her arms. "I don't care. If you go, I go. It's as easy as that."

"Relm--"

"Daddy, don't make me stay here if you have to go!" She insisted, tears flowing. "Fine, so he's doing everything--everything that drives me nuts--out of love. Fine, I understand, but I'm not going to stay. I'm nearly 13 and he still treats me like a baby! I want to grow up with my father, not him."

Her father studied her for a long moment before a reluctant smile broke out across his face. "Yes, you definitely remind me of your mother. She had much the same thing to say of him when I proposed and he told her father to refuse. She told me that she would marry me because she wanted to. That their decision had nothing to do with her choice."

"Mamma said that?" He nodded and Relm was quiet for a moment. "She loved you a lot, didn't she?"

His face paled as he moved suddenly for the stairs. "We loved each other very much. We were happy. We were content."

Relm watched him climb the stairs and then dropped her gaze. Then why did you leave? It was a question she didn't want to ask.

*

Clyde stood at the top of the stairs for a long and silent moment.

"Might as well come in the rest of the way."

Clyde took in a deep breath and stepped forward. His eyes focused on his wife's godfather sitting in an armchair covered with a blanket. He examined Strago's pale complexion, his sunken eyes, and the constant tremor of his hands and knew: Death was coming.

Strago caught his gaze with a hard expression. His eyes never wavered. "So you came. She said you would, both Relm and Terra, but I never believed it. Why should I? It'd already been ten years." He pressed his lips together and gestured to the desk chair positioned across from him. "Sit down."

Clyde sat without a word, holding Strago's firm gaze without a problem. Strago noticed and gave a snort.

"You've grown a spine it seems. Never used to be able to look me in the face for a full five seconds before." Strago examined his face and adjusted his crossed arms. "So what's your excuse?"

Clyde felt a spark of temper. "I wasn't aware I needed one."

Strago raised an eyebrow. "Oh really. You expected to be able to strut in here and take over as 'father' and 'provider' without any word at all?"

Clyde pressed his lips together and grappled with the refreshing freedom of anger and frustration. "I came with an explanation and an apology. I didn't come with any excuses of my actions in order to justify them to you or to her. There is no justification."

"At least on that point we can agree," Strago said harshly. A fit of coughing robbed his breath and strength. When it passed, he regarded Clyde with a dark expression. "You've been gone a long time, Clyde. I guess I'm being a bastard about it, but I've got a damn good reason to be one. Do you have any idea what it's like to raise a girl in a world like this by yourself? I couldn't answer her questions. I couldn't tell her when you'd be coming back or why you went away in the first place. I couldn't even tell the poor dear how or why her mother was dead."

Strago took in a deep breath and rested his head back against the armchair as he examined Clyde's pained expression which still held his. "Ten years, Clyde. It's been ten damn years." He closed his eyes. "Prisoner of the Empire? How do you survive ten years as a prisoner of the Empire without getting yourself killed?"

"You learn to do what they want. You learn to fade into the background." Clyde dropped his gaze to his clenched fists. "I was a prisoner--a puppet--even while I was a free man."

Strago's eyes opened slowly, and he took in a slow breath as he watched Clyde's face. After a moment, he closed his eyes again. "Sounds like a lot of other people. Terra and Celes to name a few. You've met Terra and her husband, I suppose?"

"Yes."

"That's been Relm's family. They're the best thing that ever happened to her. They taught her a lot of things about life that she should've learned from you. Get to know them, Clyde."

"I will."

Strago was quiet a moment. "I suppose Relm's already told you what she's been up to."

"Yes."

"I guess you're a bit mad that I let her get involved."

Clyde hesitated. "You had your reasons."

"That and she's as stubborn as her mother when set to do something."

Clyde smirked. "I noticed."

Strago opened his eyes suddenly and caught his gaze. "I'm dying, Clyde, and I think you know it. If you had plans to come here and open this kettle of worms and then leave again, then you best tell me now so that I can make arrangements to have her stay with Terra and Edgar, or Celes and Locke. She deserves a family. No, she deserves a father."

"I know. I wouldn't have come if I didn't plan on staying. I've been away too long, as you said before, and it's time for me to take accountability." He took in a deep breath and released the old man's intense gaze. "I left to make the world a better place. In a way, I've done that. Perhaps one day I'll tell you how. Now . . . ." Clyde looked up. "Now I need to come back. I would have before, but as you say, ten years is a long time."

Strago examined him for a long moment, another fit of coughing bringing a quick kerchief to his mouth to hide the blood Clyde knew now hid there.

"I'm giving you a chance, Clyde," Strago rasped with a haggard breath, "but only because I know Relm wouldn't have it any other way. Neither would Amanda, if she'd lived. But if you screw up and I'm not dead yet? You're gone. I don't care if it makes her hate me. I'd do anything for her. That includes keeping her from you."

Clyde held the man's gaze for what seemed an eternity. Finally, he took in a deep breath and reached forward to take the man's hand. He clasped it tightly. "I'm here to stay, old man. Amanda's murderer is gone. The Empire is gone. My old life is gone. Relm is all I have left. Relm is all I need. I won't make the same mistake twice."

Strago's hand tightened in his and a spark of a smile flashed in his eyes. "Good, because I can still take your ass."

8: Revelation

"Relm?"

Relm straightened from where she'd sprawled on the couch. Her eyes brightened to a brilliant emerald. She set aside her sketchpad and rushed to his side. "Yeah, Daddy?"

His eyes held an unreadable emotion as he gazed down at her. Then he looked away to gesture toward the door. "Let's walk."

"Oh. Sure." Relm turned to grab her sketchpad and her pencils before falling into step beside him as they stepped onto the front porch. "Where we going?"

"A place we can talk."

A sudden burst of butterflies from another dimension sprouted in her stomach, and she gripped the sketchpad tighter to her chest. "You're not allowed to stay, are you?"

"I need to tell you about your mother. I need to tell you why I went away." He took in a deep breath and released it slowly. "I need to tell you everything."

The way he said it terrified her. "Oh. Sure." They proceeded out of town and Relm could sense the dread. "Daddy?"

He released a deep breath. "Yes?"

She stopped walking and faced him. He turned as well, catching her gaze. "I don't care."

"Relm, you need to know."

"Do I?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

He clenched his jaw, determination hardened his gaze. "If I don't tell you, what kind of father am I? If I keep yet another secret, how can you feel a part of my life? How can I truly have peace? How can I truly be free of the Empire?"

Relm chewed on her lower lip as she saw the dread and fright battle in his eyes. "If it makes me mad--Daddy, I don't want to deal with that. I just got you back. I don't want to lose you again."

Words by the hundreds rose and fell in his eyes, clashing against each other like the waves of the sea on the shore of Thamasa. Finally, he turned away with clenched fists. "I need to be free of all the secrets, Relm. I know that this one revelation may chase you from me, but . . . how can I risk your feelings of betrayal should you discover my secret on your own?" He faced her again, dread evident. "My life has been hell, seeing you so close and not being able to let you know that I still thought of you. . . . But how could I, knowing I had chosen to stay away those many years, serving the evil that I intended to destroy."

Relm's insides went cold as his voice began to sound chillingly familiar. Her mind and heart battled with the realization, and her throat tightened as he went on.

"You must be given the choice to hate me or forgive me. If I keep that from you, my torment will never end. It's not fair to you, I suppose, but you need to know. You need to know so that you can decide whether I'm free to stay or go."

Relm shook her head, a wave of panic bringing tears to her eyes. She dropped her sketchpad. It landed on the ground with a dull thud. "No. Don't tell me. I don't care. I just want my father." Her voice broke.

He knelt, gazing at her eye-to-eye as he took her arms in a gentle grip. "I'm your father, Relm. I have been your father, even as I hid behind that shroud. Even as I watched you grow in courage and bravery, determined to eliminate an evil that destroyed so many. I've been your father, even as I've been your friend."

She shook her head again, pulling against his grip with a half-hearted tug. "No. Please."

His eyes darkened with agony but he pressed onward. "I was Shadow."

Relm covered her face with her hands and burst into tears, anger and hurt clashing together to bring fresh sobs. "Why? You didn't have to tell me. I didn't care. I just wanted my father." Her hands dropped and the rage sparkled in her emerald eyes as she pushed at him. His grip remained firmly gentle on her arms. "Why did you give Terra your sash and make me think you were dead?" Push. "Why'd you send Interceptor for me to take care of?" Push, shove. "Why, if you were going to tell me who you were anyway?"

"I was given another option. One that I thought would be easier on you, until I realized that, again, I was taking the coward's answer. I was robbing you of something that you needed to be told. A decision that should have been yours to make."

"Even if it made me hate you?"

He cringed and swallowed hard. "Yes," he said in a tight voice. "Even then. I . . . I couldn't keep this from you, Relm. You deserved my complete honesty. You deserved all or nothing." His grip tightened on her arms momentarily. "You're all I have left. I wasn't going to lie to you anymore. That was Shadow's life, and I had already decided to put that behind me."

Question after question pushed accusation after accusation out of her mind as she stared down at her father . . . her friend. . . . His misery shone clear. The dread even more so. She didn't know what to do or what to feel. She felt angry that he'd traveled with her for so long and not told her. She felt relieved that Shadow, her friend, wasn't dead. She felt hurt that he thought she wasn't mature enough to move past the lie and accept him--

"I'm sorry, Relm," he said in a voice taut with despair. "I've done you an injustice again." He slowly stood and released her arms. "I'll go if you wish."

Relm stared up at him in confusion and myriad other emotions which kept her rooted to the spot. She wanted to hit him. She wanted to hug him. She wanted to cry her eyes out and tell him that she didn't care. That she was happy just to have a father, finally. All she could do was stare at him, tears trailing paths of agony down her cheeks as she desperately tried to think of the right thing to do--She fisted her hands and lurched forward, pummeling his chest as she cried and raged in frustration.

He knelt, gathering her weeping form into his arms, silently taking the slaps, shoves, and punches as she continued to vent her fury, confusion, and betrayal the only way she knew how. Once the onslaught passed, she wrapped her arms around him and sobbed, burying her face into his neck as he tightened his protective embrace.

"I am so sorry," he repeated in a voice sated with tears. "I never meant to hurt you. I thought I would die when the battle with Kefka ended. I had resolved myself to that ending because I knew I would never be your father. I had too much evil in my heart. Then I was given another chance. And another." He pulled back and held her face in his hands, wiping her tears away with his thumbs as his gaze held hers. "Your face wouldn't let me go. The memory of the happy life with you and your mother plagued me each night, urging me to try again. To recapture it. I had to try."

Relm saw the tears in his eyes, watching them in awe as they cascaded down his scarred cheeks. Never in her life could she have imagined Shadow crying. Yet . . . Shadow was her father. He was her father. Your father, she told herself. You have a father. She brought her hands up to his face and tenderly wiped the tears from his cheeks. "Daddy," she choked out, "please don't go away again."

He pulled her into another tight embrace, pressing his damp cheek against her tousled curls. "I won't. I promise."

9: Death Beckons a Hero

Terra hurried down the stairs and nearly ran into Edgar on his way up. Concern flashed in his eyes as he steadied her with hands placed gently around her waist.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Strago--He's coughing up blood, Edgar. Hurry for the doctor."

Edgar nodded and turned away, slamming out of the house as Terra rushed back upstairs.

*

Relm could sense something was wrong when she and Shad--her father returned a couple hours later. Her step faltered and his grip on her hand tightened. "Something's wrong," she said in a faint whisper.

"Yes, I noticed it, too." He waited for her to take a step forward and, when she still hesitated, he shifted his calm gaze to her. She stared at the house. "He has been sick for quite a while. You knew he was dying."

She nodded, barely, her teeth absently worrying her lower lip. "Yeah. I knew."

"You will want to say good-bye."

Relm nodded again, dread settling firmly in the pit of her stomach like a magicite shard the like of which she'd never seen. "I know."

"He'll want to see you."

Her stomach lurched and she took a faltering step backward. Her father's hand kept her from turning and fleeing back the way they'd come. Her grandfather had been her entire life. Someone she thought would always be there, a pain in her backside. The conscience that she always ignored. The common sense she tried to live without.

Relm turned an agony-darkened gaze to her father. "Not now. It's not fair. We were just--" Her voice was swallowed by the tears that lurched into place.

"We were just a family?" Relm silently nodded, tears making her emerald eyes gemlike. Her father held that gaze for a long moment, pain twisting the scars at the corners of his eyes. "Your absence will not keep him from dying, Relm. You will only hurt an old man who has loved you as much as was possible."

Her voice fought its way through the misery and broke through in a choked squeak. "He survived Kefka's Tower. He survived the Fanatic's Tower. How can he die now?"

Clyde caressed a tear from her cheek, and his grip tightened on her hand still in his. "He can die now because he knows you will be safe."

Relm turned her frightened gaze back to the house. She'd never faced death this close to her before. It had always been someone else. "I . . . I don't want to see him die. Not him. Anyone but him."

Clyde brushed a curl from her temple and gently guided her forward. She didn't resist. "Come, Relm. Terra and Edgar are there, and it's best to be surrounded by those we love when Death approaches."

Her hand squeezed his so hard her fingers began to hurt.

The two entered the house and silently progressed up the stairs, pausing on the landing to allow the rumpled, drenched, and flustered doctor room to pass. He fled from sight muttering something about crazy men and mismanaged abilities that could have been used for the greater good. The distraction gave Relm enough time to scramble for her courage before moving further in, climbing the stairs that yet dripped with the lore used on the abused town doctor.

Strago lay in a corner bed, his hands clutching the covers as Terra continued to dab a cool and damp rag across his forehead. She and Edgar saw Relm and her father enter the room at the same moment.

Edgar approached them, his normally bright blue eyes nearly charcoal with deep-seeded sadness. "Terra has given him something for the pain, but . . . it is but a matter of time. Very little, I'm afraid."

"Eh? Is that Relm?" Strago's weakened voice sounded from the corner of the room, persisting even when Terra urged him to save his strength. "Come over here, Relm. I need to speak to you."

Relm's grip on Clyde's hand tightened, if possible, and she made her way to her grandfather's side. Her father stood just behind her. Strago looked at both of them with a tender smile, and Relm slowly sat on the side of the bed. There was a slight coloring of red in his beard.

Relm took in a deep breath, released her father's hand, and forced a scowl on her face. "Are you still acting sick? Well I like that. Terra and Edgar visit for the first time in months, my dad shows up after who knows how many years, and you're in bed with a cold."

Strago hacked out a laugh, quickly covering his mouth with a kerchief to hide the splattering of blood. Relm barely withheld a cringe. He reached out to take her hand, weakly patting it as his eyes twinkled at her. "I'll be all right in the morning, dear. Don't you worry about that."

Relm swallowed back a sob, finally speaking in an uneven voice. "Yeah, that's what you always say. Just don't expect me to bring you breakfast in bed."

"No special treatment for me," he told her. "You save that for your father." He changed his gaze to Clyde. "You do right by her."

"I will, Strago. I will."

A sniff slipped through Relm's crumbling facade of courageous anger and she fell forward, engulfing her grandfather in her arms with a sob. "Don't die, grandpa. I love you."

Strago closed his eyes with a slight smile and brought his arms around her. "And I love you, you little dear."

The arms went slack and Relm's sobs deepened. Clyde sat down behind her to gently pull her into a comforting embrace.
Epilogue

It was a silent and somber group gathered that day in Thamasa. They watched as Clyde and Relm Arrowny made their way forward, placing a bouquet of pale flowers by the headstone newly erected beside that of General Leo. The occupant, Strago Magus, would be greatly missed.

"Good-bye, grandfather."

Relm had seemed to age an entire decade by the passing of the old man, and each time one of the group retold a story of their previous traveling days, a flash of pain darkened her eyes. She'd long since excused herself from the others, retreating to sit at the foot of a tree behind the large house where she'd once been trapped by fire. Her grandfather had gone against the rules of the mayor and attempted to use magic to save her. When that hadn't worked, he'd actually gone into the still burning building to find and rescue her.

Relm covered her face with her hands and hunched over, pushing away the loneliness she felt at his sudden absence. A footstep made her straighten suddenly, wiping the tears from her face as she attempted to blink them away. It was Sabin. She looked away, staring at the ground at her feet as she kicked at a pebble with the toe of her black slipper. He silently sat beside her.

When he didn't say anything, she cast him a sidelong glance. "What."

"Nothing," he said softly.

She looked away again. The silence annoyed her. Every one of the Thamasa residents had offered their "heartfelt condolences" or their "sincerest apologies" about her grandfather's death. Sabin had been the only one--besides Edgar and Terra and her father--who hadn't offered such bland words of comfort. Now, with him just sitting beside her, she could feel a fresh onslaught of tears. It was as if his mere presence was acting as an invitation to vent.

"It's not fair," she whispered in a choked voice.

He nodded, lifting his head just enough to squint off into the distance. "I know."

Her throat constricted a little more and she sniffled, clenching her hands into fists. "I . . . I'm just so mad at him," she cried as she turned to face Sabin. "Why did he have to go? Why did he have to die now that everything was going to be different? I had my father! We could have told stories of my mother! We could have been a family!"

Sabin nodded again, dropping his gaze to the pebble-covered ground at his feet. He picked one up and threw it. It clinked off a tree. "Yep." His voice was still quiet.

Relm turned away again, wiping the tears from her cheeks and not caring they were replaced with twice as many as before. "He left, Sabin, and he told me he would never do that. He promised I wouldn't be alone. Ever."

"I'd be angry too."

"Damn right I'm angry," she seethed. Relm took up a fistful of small pebbles and tossed them at the nearest tree. Each one missed. Her throat tightened, wrestling with the tears that so desperately wished to be free. "The first time I actually admit that I want him to be around and that's when he decides to die! It isn't fair!"

"Nope. He should have known better."

That statement made her stop, and her anger dissipated like the air from a punctured balloon. Relm took in a deep breath, felt amazingly less overwhelmed, and was immediately bombarded with guilt for what she had just said. She cast Sabin another sidelong glance, but he still squinted at a distant tree. "Well . . . I guess I'm not really alone."

He shrugged and picked up another pebble. "No. I guess not."

"After all, I've got my father now. And you guys," Relm quickly added.

Sabin nodded, almost grudgingly, and turned to hand her the pebble. Their eyes met. "That's true."

Relm took the pebble and looked toward the tree he first pelted. She tossed the rock and nearly hit the same spot. She smiled slightly and released a deep breath. "I'm sure he didn't mean to leave me."

"No. Probably not."

She looked down at the satin ribbon on her black slippers and released another deep breath, a tear caressing her cheek to drop to the pale ground at her feet. "I'm going to miss the old fuddy-duddy."

Sabin caught her gaze, and his eyes held understanding. "Yeah. Me, too."

Relm closed her eyes and turned toward him suddenly, burying her face in his chest as the grief-filled sobs were ripped from her soul. Sabin looked down at the weeping girl before folding one arm protectively around her.

The End

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Other Books in the Terra saga

Terra | Book One

The Ace of Diamonds | Book Two

Shadows of the Past | Book Three

The Adventures of Youth

Heart of the Veldt | Book Four

About the Author | Nona Mae King

Writing has been my passion since I was a child when I began creating skits and songs. My life would be empty without this call. There would be no purpose. No ending to guide my daily struggle. No story toward which to strive. Each day something beckons, and that--I know--is the waiting tale. One last happy ending.

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