Rosa sat quietly in the back of the hovercraft as they zipped along the desert sand. The fresh air felt so good within her lungs. She shuddered at the thought of what the Sand Ruby had done to her. The colors….the heat…the hallucinations… It had quickly become something that she would never ever wish upon another human being. It was still taking some time for the idea that Cecil had saved her to actually sink in. Being in that feverish void was a horrible, horrible hell.

Oh Cecil, what you must be going through right now has got to be your own personal hell, she thought sadly, staring at the back of his head as he sat in front of her. His silver white hair whipped violently through the wind. Your mother went through the same thing. By the Gods, I remember that day like it was yesterday. I have never seen you so heartbroken in my life, and for it to happen all over again to me must have been terrible…

The White Wizard’s mind ran rampant with thoughts. They pounded at her brain with high intensity. It was just so hard to absorb it all. The Sand Fever, the addition of Rydia and Edward to the group, Kain….

Kain… An instant pain shot through her chest when she thought about their lost friend. When Cecil had first told her about it, she was frozen with grief. It had been years since she had last broke down and cried in his arms. There was no hesitation to though, when the news of his death came to be known. They had all grown up together, her, Cecil and Kain. The best of friends they were. The best.Sure, there had been bad times but what friendship doesn’t have bad times. Their biggest fight had actually been over her. Both Kain and Cecil had shared a common crush for her and came to blows over it one day during the summer before Cecil’s mother died. That was another thought that made her shudder. Never had she seen her two friends at each other’s throats like they had been that day. What made it even harder for her was that she and Cecil had developed feelings for each other at the time. She had planned on sitting him down and telling him that they were right for each other. That they were soul mates. That he was the one that completed her. But then the fight came that, even after it was eventually resolved, would destroy any relationship she and Cecil could have ever pursued.

"You’re what?"

"I am in love with Rosa." Cecil repeated firmly. Rosa’s breath caught in her throat when she heard these words. Neither Kain nor Cecil realized that she was working in the pub at the time. She quickly ducked behind the counter and held her hand to her chest as if it would somehow contain it’s powerful beat. She could not believe what had just come out of Cecil’s mouth.

"You love Rosa?" Kain’s voice shook as he spoke. "How…how can you love her?"

"What do you mean, ‘how can I love her’? She is so beautiful and caring and kind and…you know her just as well as I do Kain. She is just Rosa."

"But…I am in love with her!" The young White Wizard felt her knees become weak. Kain was in love with her too?!

Cecil spoke with immediate hostility. "You can not possibly…"

"Excuse me?"

"She…she is mine Kain."

"Yours?!" The air thickened with anger. "She is NOT yours! Just who do you think you are, Cecil?"

"Just who do YOU think YOU are?!"

The sliding of chairs as the two young men stood up filled Rosa’s ears. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands.

"I love her so much, Cecil, can’t you see that?"

"I…I…"

"Of course you don’t know what to say. It’s because you haven’t been around at all. You’re so involved with your training in Baron that you don’t seem to give a damn about what is going on with everyone else!"

"That’s bull Kain and you know it!"

"I don’t care what you think is bull or what you don’t think is bull. I love Rosa, I have loved her for years and we are going to be together SOON!" A small scuffle sounded.

"Don’t touch me Kain."

"Oh don’t touch me eh? Are you scared of me?" Another scuffle.

"Please, don’t do this Kain, you are not yourself right now."

"Don’t patronize me Cecil! I know what I am feeling and you can’t have her!"

There was a silence for what seemed like forever. Rosa wanted to stand up and cry out for them to stop fighting but she was frozen stiff. Oh God, don’t let them hurt each other.

"Kain, I didn’t want to have to do this…"

Don’t, Cecil….Rosa thought.

"Do what?! What are you going to do?!"

"She does not love you anymore than a friend!" Rosa fell to her knees when she realized what he was going to do. He wasn’t going to attack Kain. He was going to tell him about their relationship and how they had been keeping it a secret for weeks.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you think?"

"Don’t mess with me right now Cecil! Get to the point!" Another scuffle. Rosa could tell that Cecil was speaking through clenched teeth.

"You want me to get to the point?! Okay, I’ll get to the point." Don’t Cecil……please……. "Rosa and I are in love! We have been seeing each other for quite a while now, so TRUST me Kain, when I say that she does not love you any more than a friend!"

"BASTARD!" The sound of tables crashing and gasps of onlooking customers filled Rosa’s ears. Forcing power into her legs, the White Wizard burst up from behind the counter in time to see Kain throw his fist into Cecil’s face. The young Knight grabbed his face and fell to the floor.

"NO!!!!!" Rosa screamed, running around the counter, but the Dragoon kept on throwing his fists at Cecil with uncontrollable rage. She jumped on Kain’s back and tried to pull him off but she was knocked to the floor. When Cecil saw this, he was overcome with rage and threw himself back at Kain.

"DON’T EVER HURT HER!" The fight elevated immediately. As blood streamed down Cecil’s face from an open wound above his eye, the best friends circled each other viciously. The Dragoon moved with cat like quickness and leapt at the chest of his opponent. Once again they fell to the floor in a heap of cursing, angry bodies. Rosa screamed for them to stop but it was no use. Everyone in the pub stood back, terrified of getting in the middle of such an emotional fight. With a few quick movements, Kain had Cecil up and pinned against the wall.

"Bastard…I would never hurt Rosa!" The Dragoon’s words came out laced with fury as he stood face to face with Cecil. His forearms pressed tightly against the young Knight’s throat. Rosa’s voice sounded far away to him as they stared into each other’s eyes.

"Get…off…of…me…" With a growl, Cecil pushed Kain’s arms out from underneath and shoved him back. Two more quick kicks sent the Dragoon tumbling out the door of the pub and out onto the grass. He recovered quickly and stood up to defend himself. Cecil came out of the door with Rosa hanging on his arm, begging him not to fight.

"Stay out of this Rosa…" Kain hissed, his eyes focused on his nemesis.

"I don’t want to fight Kain, please." Cecil wiped the blood from his face.

"Too damn bad. I’m tired of being second best to you Cecil. Way too tired." With those words, Kain used his dragoon strength to leap into the air. Before he knew what was happening, Cecil’s head snapped back with the force of Kain’s foot. Rosa’s cries filled the air but they were unable to break through Kain’s wall of rage. He loved her too much to let her go…

"Dammit, Kain…" Cecil pulled himself to his hands and knees. A violent cough from his chest brought blood cascading from his mouth. He looked up weakly. His best friend’s dark eyes stared back at him with an emotion that he had never seen before in his life. It wasn’t anger though. He had seen anger. It was hurt. It was hurt and betrayal over the love of one very special woman.

"What’s the matter? Are you huuuuurt?" The Dragoon’s voice was sarcastic but filled with apparent devastation.

"I…won’t fight you…Kain…" Cecil slowly pulled himself to his feet and stared back at his best friend. The Dragoon was taken aback, as shown by the look on his face. "You are my friend…cough cough…my pal…my other half…and I won’t just won’t fight you..."

Kain was speechless as Cecil coughed up more blood. Rosa rushed to his side to see if he was all right. The Dragoon backed away. He could not believe what the young Knight had just said. How noble…how righteous… Suddenly, as he watched tears fall down Rosa’s face, he felt like a complete and utter fool. Never in his life had he reacted in such a way, so unpredictable and uncontrollable. It was almost as if he were another person.

"My god…" he whispered, almost inaudibly. "What have I done?"

"That’s it!" Rosa screamed suddenly, her face wet with tears. Both the Dragoon and the Knight turned to face her. Cecil reached out for her hand but she pulled away. "I cannot stand this! Yes, Kain, Cecil and I have been together for weeks now, but it has been kept a secret!"

"But…Rosa…I thought we had…"

"No, Kain, we don’t have anything. You are my friend and nothing more! But you are my best friend. One of two, and you mean so much to me! So much that…that I…"

The Dragoon interrupted her. He spoke icily. "Well, Cecil, you have won again. I can’t believe I was such a fool. God, I am a fool."

"NO!" Rosa’s voice was shrill. "Cecil has not won." The Knight looked at her with wide eyes. "I will not be the reason you two fight. I just refuse!"

"But Rosa…" Cecil stammered. She held up her hand to silence him.

"It doesn’t matter Cecil. Both of you mean too much to me for me to stand by and allow this to happen. Kain, we are friends, and only friends. Cecil, we are friends, and can never be anything more!"

Rosa shook her head slightly and took a deep breath. That memory still brought chills to her whole body. Kain had refused to speak with either of them until months later, a few days after Cecil’s mother died.

"Cecil, breath!" Rosa cried frantically as she tried to get the young Knight to sit down.

"I…can’t…Rosa…I’m too…" He paced the riverbank furiously he struggled to inhale.

"You have to try! You know you hyperventilate when you are upset!"

"It…will…p…p…p…pass…" The young Knight clenched fists and kicked the sandy ground with his boot. "Just…let…me…b…b…b…b…DAMMIT!" With incredible force, he grabbed a rock from the ground and heaved it into the rushing river. He threw his hands over his face and screamed angrily.

Rosa rushed forward and gripped his wrists. "Calm down, Cecil, please! You are going to give yourself a stroke!"

The young Knight jerked away from Rosa and spoke bitterly. His eyes were dark and angry. "Would that really be so bad?"

The White Wizard gasped and stepped back. "How…how can you say such a thing?"

"I have…nothing…here…anymore Rosa…can’t you see…that?!"

"That is a lie!"

Cecil threw his hands up in the air. "How…can you sit…here and call…me a…l…l…l…liar?!"

"Please sit down Cecil and catch your breath, you can hardly speak!"

"No!…I am fine…Rosa…j…j…j…don’t baby me!"

"But…"

"But…nothing!…I want to die…Rosa…do you…understand me?…I would rather die…than live here in…Baron…where…I…have…n…n…nothing…to live…for…" He turned away from her and faced the raging river, doing his best to fight burning sensation in his chest.

"You have plenty of things to live for!"

"And…what…would…those… be?"

"Your job, for one."

"Oh wonderful…my job…" He whirled around and faced Rosa. "Do…do you know what…my job means to me…right now?"

She shook her head.

"Nothing!…my world is nothing…without my my mother…without…K…K…Kain

…without…you…"

"But you still have me!"

"Oh…d…d…d…d…d…"

"That’s it. God dammit Cecil, I am not speaking to you until you calm down."

Finally giving in to her demands, the young Knight sat down in the sand and sighed loudly. Rosa sat down beside him and placed her hand on his back. He cringed at her touch and she responded by recoiling.

"I can…cannot stand to have you touch…me…Rosa…when I know it is a feeling that I can not have…"

Rosa pulled away and became quiet while Cecil slowly caught his breath. They sat in silence for a long time before the young Knight finally found the strength enough to speak.

"Rosa. I want to die."

"You don’t mean that Cecil."

"I do. I have lost the three things in this world that mean anything to me."

"You have me still."

"But I can’t have you, Rosa. You don’t want me any more, so how am I going to compete with that?"

Rosa was silent, making sure to choose her words carefully. "Cecil, do you recall that day when Kain attacked you in the pub?"

He nodded miserably.

"You two got into the worst fight you two have ever experienced as friends."

"Not like it matters now…he won’t speak to me."

"I believe he will come around."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really."

"It’s been months Rosa. It is a lost cause. So why can’t we deal with that, and be together?"

The White Wizard sighed sadly. She knew what she wanted to do in her heart, but it didn’t matter. Kain and Cecil’s friendship was all that mattered. "Because it hurts him too much. Listen, we’ve been over this already."

"Yes, I know. You don’t want to come between me and Kain. Ever." His voice was laced with bitterness.

"Cecil, that is not fair. Don’t be angry with me. Can’t you just respect how I feel?"

"It’s not that easy."

"I know it’s not but I am begging you. You have to get over me. I have to get over you. I love Kain too much to hurt him, no matter how angry he is right now. And you love him too."

Cecil was silent for a moment. The rush of the raging river in front of them echoed throughout the valley as they struggled together in realizing that they could never be united. The young Knight rubbed his stubbled chin sadly and looked at Rosa with tired eyes. "You’re right Rosa. I do love him."

"See? And we have to respect his feelings. When you are in love with someone, it is the worst feeling in the world to see them love someone else. Usually there is nothing that can be done to help that person. In our case, though, there is. We can help ease his suffering."

"I don’t agree with you Rosa, but I do respect you." His next words got caught in his throat as he tried to speak them.

Rosa brushed her straggled blonde hair behind her ears and lifted Cecil’s chin to face her. "What is it?"

He took a deep breath and looked into her blue eyes that were somewhat less than bright, as they were filled with torrid emotion. "I will respect your decision, if you really want me to."

"Yes, that is what I really want."

"All right then, but don’t expect me to like it."

"I don’t like it either but…"

Cecil held his hand up. His voice cracked as he held back tears. "Don’t say it Rosa. What’s done is done, and let’s never discuss it again."

"But…are we still going to be friends?"

The young Knight was silent for a moment before speaking. "Yes, Rosa. We will always be friends."

The White Wizard smiled and wrapped her arms around Cecil. He hesitated at first but then responded by hugging her back. "Thank you Cecil. I love you."

"I…I love you too."

"Cecil?" A voice broke through their cloud of emotion. The young Knight pulled away from Rosa and looked to where it was coming from.

"K…Kain?" he stammered. The Dragoon stood at the top of the bank looking down at them. His face was littered with exhaustion but his eyes were unreadable. Cecil jumped to his feet and slowly approached his friend.

"Hello Cecil," Kain greeted quietly, running his hand through his long blonde hair.

The young Knight just stared back at him, unable to believe that he was actually standing there. "Hello…Kain…What are you doing here?"

"I heard about your mother."

Cecil’s eyes immediately darkened. "Oh, so now you decide to speak to me? Well, I don’t want your sympathy." He started to turn but the Dragoon placed his hand upon his shoulder to stop him.

"Please don’t turn away from me."

"And why shouldn’t I? You turned away from me months ago, Kain! Yes, it has been 4 months since that fight and we have barely spoken two words to each other."

"Yes, I know."

Rosa spoke suddenly. "You know what? I am going to go back to the castle and…"

"Please don’t," Kain said monotonously. "I want you to be here. You need to be here. Cecil isn’t the only one that I haven’t spoken to in months." The White Wizard hesitated and looked to Cecil. He nodded. Clasping her hands, she stood her ground and waited for Kain to continue.

"I am sorry that your mother passed away Cecil. I truly am."

"Oh, are you? Well I’m sorry Kain but that doesn’t do me any good now, does it? She is dead and she is never coming back!" The young Knight threw his hands in the air.

"I know that Cecil, I wish there was something that I could have done."

An exasperated look crossed Cecil’s face. "Something you could have done? You’re joking right?" The Dragoon was silent. "You’re not, are you? Oh my God!" He whirled around furiously and put his hand to his forehead. Facing the raging river, a black anger boiled deep within him.

"Listen, I feel terrible that your mother is gone."

"YOU feel terrible?!" Cecil turned back to face his friend. "YOU feel terrible?! By the Gods, Kain, how do you think I feel?"

"I know but…"

"No ‘buts’ Kain! It doesn’t matter now! My mother was just murdered by one of the worst diseases ever known to the Blue Planet. She was ripped out from under me before I even knew what happened!"

"I wish there was…"

"Do you think I care about what you wish you could do?! There is nothing you CAN do so just forget it!"

"But…"

"I don’t even know why you are here, Kain, honestly!"

"God dammit, Cecil, if you would let me SPEAK for a moment, I would tell you!" The sudden harshness of the Dragoon’s voice stopped Cecil’s rant immediately. "Do you think this is easy for me? If there is one thing you have learned about me in all the years of us being friends, what do you think that would be?"

"I…I…"

Kain waved his hand. "Forget the guessing games. I’ll just tell you. It’s the fact that when my stubbornness comes together with my anger, it means serious trouble."

"No shit, Kain. What’s your point?"

"My point is that I realize what I have done wrong…"

"Oh that’s rich." Cecil laughed sarcastically. "Real rich. The mighty Kain finally admits that he is wrong."

"This is not easy for me Cecil…"

"What’s not easy? Talking to a guy who used to be your best friend? If that’s the hardest thing you’ve gone through lately, then I hope that’s all you EVER have to go through!"

"Cecil, you ignorant bastard, if you would shut UP for a minute and let me talk then maybe you would understand!" Once again the young Knight was taken aback. Rosa’s eyes darted back and forth anxiously. "Now listen! I don’t care about our fight months ago. I realize now that Rosa and I could never be anything more than friends. God forbid it took me a little while to realize this fact, but I have. Doesn’t that count for anything? This has been the worst four months of my life, Cecil. The worst. And the news of your mother dying put me over the edge. Life is too short to fight with the people you love." The Dragoon’s voice wavered.

"Kain…I…"

"Have you two ever known me to break down and admit that I am wrong? Have you two ever known me to show this, stupid sensitive side of myself?" He laughed nervously. Both Cecil and Rosa shook their heads. "That’s what I thought. Now…what I came to say is I’m sorry for attacking you Cecil. I am sorry that I started this whole charade. Rosa, I am sorry for putting you in the middle and making you feel bad. My feelings for you got in the way of my rational thinking and I…AAAAAAHH!!" The Dragoon shook his head and laughed nervously again.

"You don’t have to say anymore," Rosa said quietly.

"Don’t worry, I’m all done. I’ve had about all of this sensitive crap I can handle...Cecil?"

The young Knight just stood there silent, staring back at his friend, emotionless and responseless. Rosa urged Cecil to say something but he didn’t.

"It’s okay Rosa," Kain continued, not taking his eyes away from Cecil’s gaze. "He doesn’t have to say anything. If I were him, I would not forgive me either. But I’ve said all I need to say and I need to get back to my training. I skipped out on my jumping lesson because I just could not concentrate until I got this off my chest. I hope one day you can forgive me Cecil." With those words, he turned and started to walk away.

"Kain." He stopped dead in his tracks and slowly turned around to face Cecil’s outstretched arm. Needless to say, the Dragoon responded with the strongest handshake he could possibly muster.