Cecil saw himself…for a brief and frightening instant, Cecil saw himself in the doorway…he thought he must have died and now he was standing away from his body looking at it…he thought this for only a heart-stopping moment…if he could have ever seen himself from another's eyes he knew he would look like this…this figure…this figure cloaked in dark dark armor and robes from head to toe…a deep violet cape draped over the

(statue's?)

man's shoulders and a horned helmet perched over his head…

A wave of nausea struck Cecil like a physical blow as he realized that he knew this person…figure…statute…whatever it was…

"…The crystal of Air --" A voice within the helmet whispered. "--At last…"

"…Golbez…"

As Cecil spoke he knew the name was correct…it felt like this person was Golbez…it all fit together…the crazy intertwining of everyone's hopes and dreams and fears and nightmares and aspirations…the name fit this figure…Cecil felt that he was staring at the man called Golbez…

The horned figure turned to gaze darkly at Cecil…it seemed as if the darkness from its mask would speak…A cry from the dragoon interrupted before the figure could speak…Kain clutched his head and staggered drunkenly toward Golbez…

"What…is…happening…?!"

Kain fell helplessly over Cecil near the altar and crashed down the steps…The dark empty gaze of Golbez shifted to the dragoon…

"Why so upset, Kain?" he intoned. "The goal is accomplished. Take the crystal of --"

"No!"

Yang's weakening voice rose above Golbez's command…

"He cannot!"

Golbez stepped into the room softly…his boots barely making a sound on the crystalline floor…

"What…are…you…doing, Golbez?"

Cecil spat the final word in disgust…he could never say that name…not after this…

"What…in...God's…name…are...you…doing?"

Golbez finally turned to Cecil again…lazily…his gaze, though it were not completely visible, seemed to penetrate Cecil completely…but Cecil couldn't turn away…

"Captain Cecil Harvey…of the Red Wings --"

Golbez's emotionless voice seemed to pierce Cecil….he drew in an angry breath…he was too angry to speak…

"--Well met, Captain Cecil --" Golbez stated, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "--I realize now that you are indeed quite a --"

"Shut up!"

"--You're quite a brave and strong knight --"

"Shut up!"

"--But you travel in strange company, sir…"

The dark figure's mocking tone burned Cecil and he felt like killing the man behind that mask…the man surveying the surroundings closely…with pleasure…what a sick beast…

"…Golbez --"

The angry voice of the prince of Damcyan emerged from the darkness…his voice was strong…tired…what a vulnerable combination…

"--You…you --"

Edward's voice trembled so badly that he couldn't convict the horned figure of what he wished to…he couldn't even say what he wanted to say…

"Ahh --" Golbez cocked his head slightly to one side as he glanced at the young man. "--The prince of Damcyan…"

"...Don't…even…look…at…me…"

"--Prince Edward --" Golbez continued sorrowfully…so hideously sorrowful that for a moment it almost sounded genuine. "--I am so sorry about --"

"You are…lying…" Edward whispered…the creature holding him tightened its grip…Golbez took a deliberate step toward him…the black cape swished lightly at his feet…

"--I am truly sorry about the grief that must have been caused --"

"--You…will…never…know…what…those people…had…to suffer…"

Golbez chuckled to himself…

"Ah…Prince Edward --" he replied sympathetically. "--It is true…but I realize what I have done and now I am asking for your forgiveness…"

"…Forgiveness…?" Edward stared at him dully, his eyes glowing as if he had a fever."--Forgiveness…?"

The claws of the urodelae dug into his flesh but he didn’t notice…

"What you…did --" Edward whispered softly…defiantly. "--Nothing you do will replace what was…lost…"

"Yes…Prince Edward --" Golbez agreed after a thoughtful pause. "But there is still so much more that can be lost --" He shrugged nonchalantly. "--Why not be grateful for what is left?"

"I…will…never…forgive you…never…"

Golbez shook his head slowly…

"You should forgive me now…before something is done that cannot be forgiven…"

The next voice to penetrate the silence was the voice of Yang:

"It has…already…been…done…Golbez!"

Golbez's empty gaze never turned toward the warrior but he spoke:

"--One of the warriors of Fabul, I presume…?"

He turned around and nodded, answering his own question…

"--Of course…he would be displeased with the events of this night…"

"You are sick!"

Cecil shouted without warning, crawling painfully to his feet…

"You are sick! You're a monster!! You --"

"Take the crystal, Golbez --" Yang interrupted Cecil's shouts…his voice was tired and weary, surrendering…the way Cecil never thought he would hear the warrior's voice…

"--Just take the crystal and leave everyone else alone…"

"You know it is too late for that, Master Yang --" Golbez claimed reproachfully. "--If only the warriors of Fabul realized that they could not stand against Baron --"

He glanced around coolly…

"--Have you seen what is left of Fabul yet, Master Yang…?"

Yang dropped his head as one of the creatures snickered nearby…

"--I regret to say --" Golbez continued in that slow even deadly voice. "--Very little remains…women, children, elders…they have been slaughtered or taken captive…"

"…You are...a…devil!" Edward whispered, his voice coming out in a sinister hiss. "--Killing those…innocent people…killing those children…without a second thought…"

"…The price of resistance, Prince Edward --" Golbez remarked coldly. "--The soldiers had more than one opportunity to surrender --"

He glanced around the room…

"--I see that they have changed their minds…"

"You…are…evil, Golbez…" Edward replied. "--You are sick…and…evil…"

"--But it appears that at least one child remains -" Golbez declared thoughtfully, mostly to himself…he stared toward the creatures holding Rydia, and he motioned for them to place her on the floor…Golbez strode toward her, the little girl seemed paralyzed with fear, but her lower lip poked out defiantly…

"…Mmmm…what a beautiful little girl --" Golbez stroked her cheek pensively…she frowned but didn't flinch…Cecil wanted to kill the man again…

"I imagine her mother must have been quite beautiful too --" Golbez continued. "--But it's a subject that I won't linger on for too long, don't you agree, Cecil…?"

"...Go to hell…" Cecil muttered under his breath, pointing a quivering finger at the tall dark figure…

"A summoner of Mist, too --" Golbez fingered the little girl's greenish hair. "--If I'm not mistaken…"

He turned around to gaze at Cecil again…

"--Or…the…summoner of Mist…since Baron so wisely disposed of the others…"

Rydia jerked away from his hand and glared at Golbez, her hazel eyes flashing…

"Everyone else might be scared of you but I'm not!"

The creature snatched her arm behind her back and Golbez chuckled in amusement…

"Blind courage --"

Golbez's gaze shifted once more to the dark knight…

"--I suppose she did learn one thing from you, Cecil…"

Cecil felt anger and hate boil inside of him but he could do nothing now…he was frozen with…

…indecision…

"There's no doubt that when she grows older --" Golbez was saying. "--And learns of her abilities, she will be a powerful wizard of the black Robes --"

He backed away from her…Cecil could picture a leering smile on the man's(beast's?)(statue's?) face…

"--Imagine…having creatures to do one's bidding --"

Golbez started across the room without another glance at the little girl…

"--Kill her…"

A gasp came from behind Cecil…it was Edward…Cecil gaped dumbly at the man standing at the base of the steps of the altar…he was shocked…appalled…Golbez would kill children…he would kill anyone who stood in his way now…he would kill anyone who might stand in his way later…

…He was evil…

"You…won't…do…it…" Cecil stated…his words came out more like a plea. "You…won't…do…it…"

"I will --" Golbez confirmed shortly. "--Do you have any doubt?"

Cecil closed his eyes…he could once again see the destruction of the great castle of Damcyan…he could once again see the preparations for the defense of the castle of Fabul…he could see the frightened people scurrying through the darkened courtyard…he still realized that there wasn't enough time to save them all…he could see the aftermath of the attack by the Red Wings…he could see the people…so many people…screaming, crying, calling to mothers, calling to fathers, calling to loved ones who would not be there…he could hear the screams…he could smell the smoke…the fires…he felt the fires burning around him…he smelled the blood…he was sickened again…he could distinctly see the leering faces of the urodelae and their golden reptilian eyes…and the lust in their eyes as they killed and killed again and again…they were a part of Baron now…at what price Cecil didn’t know…Golbez was part of Baron now…

…Cecil didn't doubt what Golbez said…

"...You…may…take…the crystal --" Yang breathed wearily. "--Leave…everyone…unharmed…"

Golbez ignored him and turned to the creature holding Rydia…it stared back at Golbez uncertainly…its dagger remained poised in front of Rydia's tear-stained face…

"What are you waiting for?" Golbez approached them impatiently. "Must I do this myself?"

He snatched the dagger from the urodele's hand…

With a desperate cry Edward wrestled from the grip of his captor, tearing its sword from its hand and whirling around quickly, slashing blindly at the urodele…it reached for him but Edward brought the blade down into its arm, tearing into the thick scales…the creature snarled and backed away; but Edward didn't pursue the creature...he dropped the sword as if it were hot and raced toward Golbez…

The dark looming figure stepped back, slightly alarmed; and Edward smashed headlong into Rydia and the creature holding her tightly…the impact knocked them to the ground with a bone-jarring thud, but it also broke the grip of the urodele as they tumbled across the ground…Rydia laid there, staring in horror at Golbez…Edward winced but he was on his feet almost before he hit the ground, oblivious to the pain that coursed through every part of his body…

"Rydia!"

Cecil finally tore himself out of his silence long enough to shout at the little girl…

"Run!"

Edward dragged the little girl to her feet, urging her toward Cecil and Rosa…she nodded and started running, and Rosa grabbed her and pulled her out of the way, soothing her and stroking her hair…

Golbez watched her for a moment…Edward took the chance to gain his strength and without a second thought he leaped at the dark figure…Golbez coolly raised a hand in a fist and it began to glow…glowing a strange deep blue…when his fist opened there was a sudden crackling like a bolt of lightning and a blinding flash, and in this sudden dream, a stream of electricity struck the prince of Damcyan squarely in the chest…Edward screamed in pain and seemed to be lifted physically into the air…he flailed across the chamber and smashed with bone-breaking force against the wall…he curled into a trembling ball and clutched his chest with both arms, gasping weakly…his shoulder was numb again but it didn't matter because his entire body was numb…everything was white…he prayed he wasn't blind…a load roaring in his brain deafened him…was there anything worth hearing anymore anyway?

Golbez stared at the fallen prince with satisfaction then he turned again to Cecil…

"…I suppose it is best this way…"

"…Get…out --"

Cecil growled, approaching the dark imposing figure threateningly…with no fear…it was too late to be afraid…now all he felt was bitter hatred…

"--You’ve…done…enough –" Cecil pointed an accusing finger that trembled. "—Now…get…out…"

"Take the crystal, Kain…" Golbez commanded the dragoon, who stood silently beside the altar…Kain nodded obediently and lifted the crystal of air onto his hands without hesitation…he cradled it delicately…it flickered…the light coursed through the crystalline floor and walls and ceiling…Yang seemed to drop his shoulders in relief…his bald head was bowed low over his chest, his arms pressed behind his back by his reptilian captor…tears glittered in his dark eyes as he shook his head…everything had been in vain…everyone had died for nothing…for nothing…and now only a few remained to pick up the pieces…Fabul would never be what it used to be…

"…Cecil Harvey –" Golbez was speaking solemnly. "—Captain of the Red Wings…I must thank you, sir…" he finished appreciatively…Cecil clenched his fist and turned away…he felt the hot bile rise in his throat…he was going to be sick…

"…Get…away…"

"—Thank you for allowing me to finish what you started –"

"…You’re…crazy…"

"—In Mysidia…"

Golbez bowed mockingly to the dark knight who was his mirror image…Cecil could say nothing…it was true…he had started everything…without knowing…without caring…Golbez was right…

"…Why is Baron doing this?"

Rosa spoke suddenly…She still held Rydia close as the small girl cried…

"…Why are you doing this, Golbez?"

How god-awful his name sounded from her mouth…Cecil instantly hated it…he never wanted her to say it again…he never wanted to hear her speak the name of that beast…Now the beast was turning his empty gaze to Rosa…

"Why are you being a puppet for the nation of Baron?" Rosa asked urgently. "—You know –"

"Hmm…" Golbez touched Rosa’s robes thoughtfully…she didn’t flinch. "—One of the White Robes --"

Rosa held Rydia tighter and didn’t reply…

"--A cleric…a healer, if you will –" Golbez continued scornfully, fingering the soft white robes…though they were now stained with an array of dull colors…

"…Don’t touch her…" Cecil hissed, advancing on the tall figure…

"Golbez –" Rosa whispered as the man’s hand stroked her tear-stained cheek. "—You...don’t have...to do…this…"

This…that word summed it up, didn’t it…like the word explained everything that has taken place that night and weeks ago and years ago…the horrific absurdity of the thought was overwhelming…

"…You don’t…have…to do this…for Baron…"

Rosa hated to say the word with such disgust…after all, she had lived in Baron her whole life…she was born there…she would always consider it home…and she always imagined that she would die there some day…but now she wasn’t sure that she wouldn’t die here…

Golbez nodded his head sadly…

"I do –" he stated as if he were revealing a great secret. "—I do…the time has finally come --"

He turned half-way toward Kain and indicated the crystal in his hands…

"--The time has…come…"

Suddenly something exploded in Cecil’s mind…

"You are CRAZY!!"

Everyone eye turned to him…

"You are a liar!! Nothing’s going to happen!!"

Golbez stepped toward Cecil in the pale light of the crystal…Cecil didn’t care…it had snapped…the anger and hatred for this beast had exploded into an overwhelming flood and now it wouldn’t stop and fear was not getting in his way…Cecil stabbed a finger threateningly into Golbez’s face…he could have stroked the black horned helmet if he dared…why do I want to do that I have one of my own, he thought incoherently...although no human flesh was visible behind the cold black mask Cecil imagined that he was gazing into Golbez’s eyes…serpent eyes? Demon eyes? Perhaps eyes that shimmered red even in the darkness…even in the cool pale light…

…god-like eyes…

"What can you do with the crystal anyway?!"

Behind the mouth the lips curved into a sneer…his voice spilled out mysteriously…

"--The time has come…"

Cecil leaned closer to him, wondering how he was so stupid to even stand this close to the man…

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

"The time has come for the world to know the power of the crystals…"

Yang struggled against the ropy muscular arms of the urodele…

"Do…you…not understand…?" he cried hoarsely. "—The crystals…are…useless! They…hold no.…power!"

Golbez spun around to glare at him with his empty gaze:

"The crystals hold power beyond your comprehension!"

Cecil scoffed...he had dared to come this far...now he would just be a bold and foolish bastard…

"…Power beyond our comprehension?"

"The power of the crystals of the elements will be known --" Golbez intoned flatly. "--When the world knows the power, it will be afraid…"

"You're lying --" Cecil accused the statue-like figure. "--There's no --"

"Do you want to know the power of the crystals?"

Golbez angrily stepped toward Cecil and swept a hand toward the pale stone in Kain's palm…Cecil didn't flinch…

"Do you want to see the power of this crystal?!" Golbez repeated, pacing closer to the dark knight.

"Show us the power!" Cecil commanded, a high-pitched, silly laugh attached to his furious command…

"Let's see the power of the crystal!"

Cecil jabbed a finger toward the crystal in Kain's hand…he almost leaped at the dragoon and tore the stone from his hand…

"Then look at the crystal and feel its power!"

A cold uncaring hand lifted toward the crystal…Cecil did as he was told…the stone flickered suddenly and then something was tearing into Cecil's chest…the world around him was bright white…his skull was being hammered…it would quite possibly explode before long…he screamed and clutched his hand, dropping to his knees on the crystalline floor…God whatever was in his chest had taken shelter in his lungs and he couldn't breathe…all he could do was gasp as tears streamed down his feverish cheeks…

…The power of the crystals….

Rosa started toward the writhing knight on the floor but Golbez indicated for her to stop…He stood over Cecil…Cecil stared at him through the milky haze in his eyes…

"You are helpless, Cecil --" Golbez said coldly. "--Against what is to be done with the crystals, you are helpless…"

Cecil clutched his stomach and rolled over and over…his breath came a bit easier now…his head still throbbed…he couldn't speak but he shook his head vigorously…

"…No…"

Golbez started toward the door with a half-laugh…

"Come, Kain --" he gestured for the dragoon to follow. Kain nodded as if in a trance…he held the crystal with obvious apprehension…he followed Golbez without a word…

"--I fear we have delayed our visit to Fabul for much too long --"

Cecil painstakingly sat up…he swam in unconsciousness for what seemed like hours…

"--They tire of our company…" Golbez observed shortly…mockingly…Edward groaned from where he leaned against the wall…

"You…are…evil…" he gasped. "--You…are…evil…"

Golbez chuckled to himself…he had nothing to say, but he nodded in delighted agreement…Yang watched helplessly from the other side of the chamber as Golbez made his way unhindered to the door …Screaming voices were still audible outside as they probably would be forever…Rydia stared at the crystal in Kain's hands…Rosa hugged the small girl close and stroked her tangled disheveled hair…the little girl had seen too much…she had been through too much…she would never be the same…she could never be the same…but maybe there was still hope for her since she was so young…her childish mind couldn't grasp some of the situation…she should thank God for that…Rosa felt tears in her own eyes…not for herself because Rosa never cried for herself or felt sorry for herself…but for what came next…what would come after Golbez left…picking up the pieces…

"…Get…out…of…here --"

Cecil growled again…too angry to speak or think clearly…his thoughts were an incoherent jumble but the only part of it that came through loud and clear was the bitter hatred…

"--Just…get…out…of…here…"

Golbez stared at the dark knight intently…

"You have realized that all of you --" He swept his hand in an arc. "--Are helpless?"

"…Get…out…"

"How does it feel to be like a child…completely helpless?"

"…Get…out…you bastard!!"

Sticks and stones Cecil thought wildly…how childish…Golbez smirked…

"But --" He started as an afterthought…an afterthought in the aftermath…hilarious. "--To discourage any thought of regaining the crystals --"

Cecil watched him closely…trying to see behind the mask…impossible yes but he could try…

"--You --"

Golbez gestured toward one of the creatures standing close to Cecil, a spear clutched in its hand.

"--Take her --"

And his hand lifted toward Rosa…or Rydia…? Or both…?

"What the --"

Cecil collapsed with a groan as the urodele kicked him hard in the side before it advanced toward Rosa and Rydia…Cecil laid on his side gasping…watching the scene helplessly…

(take her)

(take her)

(Rosa? Rydia? Both?)

"…Don't…even --"

Several more urodelae threatened Cecil with raised swords and the one instructed to take

(her)

(Rosa or Rydia or both)

Rosa had a clawed hand wrapped tightly around her arm…it dragged her forward roughly… Rydia still clutched Rosa's hand and she gazed fearfully at the hideous creature standing so close to her…

"No!"

The urodele showed no sympathy to the little girl as it grabbed her thin shoulder and tore her away from Rosa then planted its scaly foot into her chest and kicked her viciously to the floor…she hit the smooth crystalline surface and immediately burst into tears…Rosa turned to kneel beside the little girl to soothe her but the creature prodded her with the spear and forced her to turn and walk away…

"…N-no…"

Cecil shook his head weakly…numbly…this wasn't really happening, was it?

"It is a sacrifice you're not willing to make, isn't it, Cecil?"

This wasn't really happening, Cecil reminded himself wildly…I'm not really watching them take Rosa out of the crystal chamber of Fabul out of my sight away from me where I'll never know if she's okay or not this isn't really happening it's one of those god-awful dreams you know the kind that are so stupid that they seem almost real…

"…You…you…"

Cecil couldn't finish whatever he meant to say…what was he going to say? You what? Maybe you bastard like he had said before…

Sticks and stones…

Golbez motioned to Kain to follow…Rosa gazed at Cecil sorrowfully…in her eyes he saw the fear that he had seen before where? Probably in Rydia's eyes when she discovered that she was alone…her mother dead…Now Rosa was leaving to be alone…without Cecil…Cecil would be alone without her…and he was doing nothing about it except lying in numb silence on the crystalline floor wait now he was attempting to leap to his feet but there were those creatures surrounding him, their swords poised close to his face…the blades of uncaring, merciless steel…

"Rosa!"

A single tear trickled from Rosa's cheek…the urodele snarled and dragged her closer…

"Hold the crystal, Kain --" Golbez commanded. "--Hold the crystal high!"

The bewildered dragoon glanced uneasily at the pale stone in his hands.

"Hold the crystal and feel its power, Kain!"

The crystal seemed to express its desire to be felt, to be experienced…it flashed erratically in hands slightly trembling hands…he lifted it toward the ceiling…slowly…solemnly…

"Rosa!!"

Cecil heard his voice scream again but it seemed so distant…like he was looking in on a dream…screaming through a glass…Golbez pointed at the crystal in Kain's hand…he gave a low triumphant laugh…

"Now believe in its power, Kain!" Golbez shouted jubilantly…

"…Cecil…"

Rosa whispered and weakly extended a hand toward the knight…The crystal's light flashed brilliantly in the otherwise gloomy chamber…Kain held it high with both hands, seemingly in a trance by its awesome power…the world went white…blindingly white…then dark…inky darkness…then it grew bright again, the shimmering repeated for several seconds…Cecil couldn't distinguish the light from the darkness…There was a dim sound of a shout as Cecil opened his eyes, blinking over and over to regain his vision…

"Rosa!!"

The darkness engulfed him…in the strange ghostly images that hovered in front of him he could see silhouettes…

"…No…"

Somehow Yang had torn free of the urodele's grip and he was lunging desperately toward Golbez…his hands grasped nothing…his fingers feel upon nothing…he groped in the light…the darkness…for the tall shadowy figure…his fingers closed on nothing…the warrior dropped to the floor blindly…weeping…he heard the little girl very close to him…she also cried bitterly…

"Rosa!!"

Cecil still had his voice and now he screamed again…his sight was hazy and unclear but who cares, he thought…I don't have to see anything I just want to hear something then I'll know she's okay and I'm okay…

Golbez was gone…

"Rosa?!"

Kain…the crystal of Air…gone…

"Rosa?!"

The urodelae…gone…

"Rosa!!"

Cecil stared frantically around the chamber…there were people in the chamber…alive…living people surrounded him…but he didn't know them…they were strangers…living people were in the room with him but they were strangers…Who was the dark-skinned warrior…well-muscled…his face streaked with blood, ashes, tears…a young girl, dirty, dingy, crying as she laid on the floor, curled into a ball…she had strange greenish hair…streaked with dirt and blood and…he didn't recognize her…And the young man leaning against the wall? Another one of the living strangers…maybe an illusion created by his eyes to bring the dead world around him to life…certainly his eyes had been damaged beyond repair by the blinding light of the crystal…

"Rosa!!"

His eyes shifted to the black hole that was the doorway…

"…Oh God --"

…Golbez was gone…

"--She's…not…here…" he heard a voice that sounded like his own speak…then a strange stupid high-pitched laugh…He turned to the dark-skinned stranger in amazement…

"Rosa!"

"…They…are…gone --"

The dark-skinned stranger spoke…Cecil stared at him with wild eyes…

"--The crystal --it is…gone…"

Who cares about the crystal Cecil wanted to scream no one cares anymore I know I don't I'm just worried about

"ROSA!!"

Cecil dashed through the door without a word to the dark-skinned man and he heard his boots pounding into the carpet of the throne room…he nearly tripped over the body in the room…leaping over them without so much as a glance back he darted down a corridor, where he heard people crying and screaming and a hand reached out to him and touched his hand…

"Cecil! Sir!!"

The voice swept past him…he was only vaguely aware of it...not now he wanted to say but didn't…it swept past him the way he had swept past the bodies in the throne room…

…They couldn't be too far ahead…

As he stumbled into the courtyard, the stench of smoke and dust and blood and burned flesh and sweat gushed into his nostrils…

"…Oh God!"

He choked and tumbled on his side as he was met with the blast of odors…He was on his feet in an instant, like I'm floating he thought crazily…he stumbled through the blood…the bodies…his eyes stung from the black smoke that clung to the air…clinging like the morning mist that started to settle across the land…

Cecil fell to his knees, his stomach churning violently, and he vomited…the acrid taste of bile remained in his mouth...and the sweet coppery taste of blood…

"…Rosa…"

He knew she wasn't there…not because he had proof…he would never have proof of it…it's just like the same way he knew the sun would rise in the morning and the moons would appear at night…it was inevitable…eternal…final…he was weak and dizzy…the sweet taste of blood was on his lips…Rosa was not here anymore…he was nauseated again…

"…Oh…God…"

He retched and vomited again, the dark fluid forcing its way from his lips and burning his throat…sweat glistened on his forehead and his hair clung damply to his neck…the dark fluid? It must be blood…he couldn't remember eating anything…blood and saliva dripped from his lips and his pale face hovered close to the ground…

"...oh…God…no…"

He sucked in short shuddering breaths through his clenched teeth…the waves of nausea rippled through him again but soon it passed and he finally pushed himself to his feet…he staggered dizzily…

"ROSA!!"

Cecil felt a scream torn from his already burned throat and then he was running…like a madman…through the courtyard…through the rubble of the battlement…through the darkness…through the corridors…things flashed by like ghosts, flickering into the natural world for a fleeting second then returning to reign in the supernatural…he darted through the throne room where a small group of people were gathered…alive or dead? Does it matter anymore? He burst into the crystal chamber again…hoping that the scene had changed…change in scenery…now's a better time than ever…act two…but he entered it the same way he had before…ages ago perhaps…so why wouldn't it be the same again? It was familiar the way everything had changed…

The little girl knelt beside the injured young man lying against the wall…his face was deathly-white…blood streaked his cheeks and tears streaked his cheeks…he clutched his shoulder with one hand but he was not concerned about himself…his other arm drooped around the little girl's neck…holding her close…she was crying and he was crying and it was such a touching scene…a very sad scene…but it was touching…

Cecil shook his head…

"...He's right…"

The dark-skinned man opened his eyes and stared at the knight with a confused frown…

"Who are you talking --"

"He's right!"

Cecil shouted angrily and stared around the crystal room…his eyes fell numbly on the altar…the empty altar…

…The crystal lost its resting place where so many others found theirs…

The dark-skinned man pushed the long black braid from his shoulder and gazed at Cecil…

"Cecil…sir…there is --"

Cecil leaped up the steps toward the altar…he dropped his hands into the empty altar…

"It's…my…fault --" he whispered as he stared into the empty altar…the crystal should have been there. "--It's…my…fault!!"

The dark-skinned warrior stood stiffly…Cecil clenched a fist…

"I started everything!! I started everything!!"

Cecil sprang from the steps and strode toward the dark-skinned stranger…before long the horned helmet was lying at his feet…it contrasted sharply with the crystalline panes of the floor…the walls…the ceiling…Cecil looked at it…the black eyeholes mocked him…

"…I --"

Cecil screamed and bent down quickly, snatching the horned helmet into his hands…

"--Can't…do…this --"

He leaped toward the crystal wall with his thumb and forefinger hooked into the eyeholes of the black helmet…

"--Anymore!!"

He hurled the black horned helmet against the wall…it smashed into the pane with a resounding clang and a tinkling and one of the ivory horns snapped from the helmet, careening through the air and striking the floor with a sharp click…Cecil watched dizzily as the helmet feel to rest against the wall, shards of crystal surrounded it…

Suddenly everything in the room seemed to be reflected too sharply in the crystal walls…Cecil blinked…images were blurring now and he shook his head and opened his eyes again…everything was bright…the warrior nearby started toward him uncertainly…

"Sir? Are you --"

Cecil's eyelids were heavy…too god-awful heavy to remain open for longer…his head pounded so hard that he imagined a huge hammer striking his skull repeatedly and without mercy…his legs were weak…like jelly…had his vision become darker…cloudier…? He couldn't understand or figure it out now because he was drifting away and he didn't care…he didn't feel his head strike the crystalline floor…it was just darkness…distant voices floated into his head as though he were reading them instead of hearing them…

At last he sank into unconsciousness…like he was sinking into a final sleep…