Edge's Quest

Chapter 5 : River

"What do you mean he's not here? Where is he?"

"He ran away with a ninja to the caves, m'lady. There was a bit of commotion—"

Rydia growled, her anger flashing in her eyes. "Take me there."

The ninja she had found cowered a bit, afraid to disagree. "My lady, there are monsters down there and—"

Rydia grabbed the ninja by the collar of his uniform. "Take me there."

The ninja nodded shakily, and lead Rydia to the caves.

~*�*~

"Edge!" Rydia called out, her voice reverberating in the Eblanian caves. She ran in front of her guide, grabbing a torch from a sconce in the wall. She was still in the "settled" portion of the caves, where the Eblanians had been sheltered during the war with Golbez. She couldn't find any other ninja, and this scared her. "Where is everyone?"

The guide shrugged, the suggested, "The monster caves?"

Never pausing, impatience continuing to rise, Rydia returned, "What the hell's a monster cave?"

The guide, still quite afraid of his companion, answered quickly. "They're the frontier caves, the ones that we haven't explored yet."

"Take me there."

The ninja sighed. "Take me there" was getting to be his most dreaded phrase, up there with "I'm trapped in a dungeon filled with behemoths and dragons, armed with a toothpick and wearing armor made from cardboard".

~*�*~

The two reached the frontier caves, and Rydia immediately noticed the huge collaboration of ninja beside a cave in. Oh my god… this is all my fault… Edge better not be… if he went and got himself killed… I'll kill him!

Rydia sprinted to the crowd, cursing her long dress for slowing her down. Breathless and flushed, she asked quietly to one of the ninja, "Edge… where is he?"

The ninja looked at her, noticing the pain in her voice, and the sadness in her eyes. "He's on the other side, Lady Rydia. At first we heard noises, but now…"

Rydia knew what he was implying. "No… He's not dead. He can't be dead," she mumbled. At first, overwhelming sadness clouded her face. Then came all-consuming anger. Rydia started chanting the familiar words of magic, raising her hands as the arcane thrill charged her body and senses. The Eblanians knew enough to get out of her way.

A green light surrounded the Caller for a brief moment, fading as she cried out, "NUKE!"

The air around the cave in grew hot and heavy, and the rocks themselves took on an orange-red glow. The spell drew fire out of the very air, the tiny sparks clinging the to the boulders. Finally, the fire around the cave in exploded in a blinding conflagration, either shattering or melting away the blockade.

None of the ninja moved. Rydia weakly reclaimed her torch that the guide ninja had picked up from the ground when she had started her spell. So unaccustomed to casting such powerful magic, the spell left her drained. Even so, without hesitation, she plunged into the dark cavern, the torch barely illuminating her immediate surroundings.

"Edge? Are you here?" she asked, her soprano voice echoing off the cavern walls. It echoed cruelly in her ears, twisting her hope into despair. Edge. Gone. Dead. And it's your fault. You never told him the truth. He died angry at you. He hated you. And now he always will. The echoes taunted her as she searched frantically for the ninja King.

Rydia waved to torch from left to right, hoping to catch a glimmer of something – a sword, a dagger – anything. All she heard was water, slight drops of moisture from the cavern's ceiling, sounding thunderously in her ears with each drop. Her heart beat along with the water, her breathing came quicker as she didn't see him.

As soon as she started to doubt herself, she caught a slight flash as the torchlight reflected off of the Murasame's blade.

And the Murasame was not alone.

Blood. Edge. Gone. Dead.

She approached the blade slowly, scared of what she would find. The Murasame's tip was stuck solidly in the hard-packed dirt of the cavern floor, with a steady flow of crimson surrounding it.

Blood. Edge. Gone. Dead.

She followed the river of blood to where she thought it was coming from.

Blood. Edge. Gone. Dead.

The first thing Rydia saw was a pale hand, lying on the ground, lying in the blood's river.

Blood. Edge. Gone. Dead.

Then a body, wearing clothes that might've had color once, but now were completely red. The coppery smell of blood finally reached her senses.

Blood Edge Gone Dead

Then she saw one of the body's leg, twisted at an unnatural angle, slashed in several places, becoming tributaries to the already large blood river.

BloodEdgeGoneDeadBloodEdgeGoneDead

"SHUT UP!" she shouted at the drips of water, her cry echoing fiercely in the dark cavern.

Rydia finally regained control of her muscles, and she ran to Edge's side, almost slipping in the bloody river, the crimson liquid soaking her dress. The torchlight reflected off of another blade, the Masamune, sticking up from Edge's chest just as the Murasame stuck up from the ground. His handsome face was cold and pale, his eyes rolled back into their sockets. She leaned her head over where his heart would be, listening for a beat… for a some sparkle of life.

The Masamune had plunged right below Edge's collarbone on his right side, to the hilt. When the ninja had fallen, the blade had been forced up somewhat, hanging loosely in the wound. Rydia stared at it as she struggle to hear Edge's heart, wondering how Edge could've been impaled with his own sword. The world began to swim around her as sadness clutched at her heart. No… our time was too short… I never told him… he hates me…

~*�*~

It is done?

"Yes. The King of Eblan is fallen."

Good. There is no doubt?

"None. I impaled him with the Masamune. No one could survive that."

That is what one had thought before. Now, he is dead.

"Zemus was a fool."

Yes. Not guarding the Crystal Sword was a mistake. But I shall rectify that mistake through you.

"Shall I retrieve the Ninja's swords for you, lord?"

Yes. The blades are required for my freedom. As are the Dragoon's lance, and the Paladin's sword.

"It is done."

Eblan must fall again.

"I understand."

It must be mine.

"Yes, lord."

It will be mine.

~*�*~

It came faintly, without warning.

She could barely hear it above the river of droplets echoing through the caverns, telling her Edge was dead.

A weak pulse of life, gracing her ear.

Rydia was startled by the sound of a heartbeat. Tears were inundating down her face, mixing with the river of blood which refused to dry. She had cried into his seemingly dead body, her ear plastered over his heart, listening for a beat, for a hope.

There was one.

As soon as it had come, the beat was gone.

None of the ninja had followed her into the shadowy cavern after she had opened the cave. It was as if some unseen force kept them from entering, or as if they felt that going into the cave would violate an unseen sanctity, and they'd die at the hand of a vengeful deity.

She sat up, looking wonderously at the ninja King, marvelling how he could still be alive. "Edge…" she whispered, struggling to see him through her tears.

Her hope was short-lived.

Edge's body jerked, and then shook slightly, going through a weak rigor mortis. Just as the beat of his heart had woken Rydia from her despair, the movement of his body had shaken her from her trance of false hope. She needed to act and fast, but she was weak and – not that she would admit this – heart broken.

I did this to you, Edge… she thought sadly. I will save you… no matter what… Chanting a complex summoning spell, she felt her magic well up within her. Globes of fire raditated out from the Caller. Physically and emotionally spent, she collapsed, her head once again laying on Edge's chest. Rydia, her vision rapidly dimming as unconsciousness threatened, whispered, "Asura."

The globes of magic shimmered into the form of the floating, many-armed Queen, who quickly noticed Rydia and Edge. "Dear gods…" the woman's voice murmured. She gathered the unconscious pair in her arms and vanished.

~*�*~

Edge…

Rydia?

Edge… I think… I think we're dead…

No! That can't be! I—We still have much to live for!

I think… that I tried to save you…

You didn't come after me did you?

I… don't know… I remember the blood… in rivers… I didn't want you to die…

Why did you follow me? Did… did I kill you?

No… I think I killed… you… and myself in the process…

The shadow killed me… not you… you never hurt me… I hurt you… if not for me…

I did what I wanted Edge! My own choice! I followed you to the caves.

But then… I know you hate me… you've said it before… it doesn't matter now…

I don't hate you… I never hated you… I don't want to die, Edge.

I won't let you die, Rydia. You WILL survive.

But… I don't want you to be alone.

I have my parents waiting for me, Rydia. You… have a long life ahead of you.

I don't want to leave you, Edge. Can't you see? I want to stay with you.

I don't want to be responsible for you giving up hope. Live, Rydia. Leave me here.

No… I want to be with you, Edge… I love you…

~*�*~

Rydia's eyes fluttered open. Her first sight was the concerned face of Queen Asura. "A-Asura? What... what're you doing here?"

The Queen of the Summoned Monsters smiled gently at Rydia. "You Called me, dear. You were spent by casting 'nuke'. You haven't been keeping in practice, Rydia – you nearly killed yourself. You Called me to heal Edge."

Hearing the ninja's name triggered something in Rydia's mind. "Edge? Where is he? Did you save him? Please…" Rydia could already feel the tears coming. She sat up quickly, an action that left her disoriented. "Tell me you saved him."

Asura took a deep breath and shook her head. "Even I couldn't save him. He's still alive… but—"

"Take me to him!" Rydia cried. She tried to get off the bed she was lying on, but found herself to be too weak.

"Rydia, you shouldn't move yet—"

"I don't care!" Her normally light voice was hoarse and desperate. "Take me to him… please… before he…" Rydia trailed off, her voice choked off by tears.

Asura nodded, then said, "I am sorry I couldn't do anything more…"

Rydia looked at the Queen, a strange look in her eyes. "I had a dream, Asura. I had a dream I was talking to him again… I need to tell him something. It might save him… even if it doesn't, he needs to know."

Asura recognized the look Rydia had in her eyes, and knew what Rydia need to say. Well, Asura? You yourself recognized this when you first met them… she thought to herself. Letting Rydia lean on her for support, Asura took the Caller to the room where Edge had been cared for.

Rydia's breath caught in her throat and tears began anew at the sight of the comatose ninja King. His skin was extremely pale, making him look more like a ghost than a flesh-and-blood person. Thick white bandages were wrapped tightly around his chest, and the Masamune laid on a table next to the bed. "You… you cast healing spells on him?" she asked softly, brushing his hair out of his face affectionately.

Asura nodded. "The most powerful I know."

"D-do you know why they aren't working?" Rydia picked up his hand and laced her fingers through his.

Asura sighed. "I believe it's because of the Masamune's magic. It was in the Lunar caves for many years guarded by that Ogopogo dragon. It also may be because," she paused. Taking another breath, she said deliberately, "he might not want to be healed."

Not letting go of his hand, she turned to Asura. "What?"

"Rydia, for a healing spell to work, you have to want to be healed. Remember how Cecil told you of Palom and Porom turning to stone, and how Tellah's spell didn't heal them? They wanted to become stone – to save Cecil and the others. Edge has to want to live."

The tears flowed from Rydia's eyes in rivers now. "And why wouldn't he want to live? Does he hate his life?" Her voice was cruel.

Asura's tone remained gentle, as she knew what Rydia was going through. "I think… I think our young ninja needs to know someone want him to live."

Rydia's gaze connected with the Queen's. "How?" she asked. "How can I tell him? There must be a way."

The Queen smiled. No hesitation. A good thing. "You are willing to do anything?"

Rydia nodded, her grip on Edge's hand tightening. "Anything. Name it."

Here's the telling point… hopefully she knows the answer. "Trade your life for his?"

The question hit Rydia like a physical blow. Would I? she thought, her mind picturing Edge, his smiling face, his wrong-thing-at-the-wrong-time words. He was the embodiment life to her. The energy, the emotion, the strengths, the flaws – everything seemed to suggest life to her. And she knew her answer. "My life is forfeit, for he is life. Yes."