Chapter 3

A bead of sweat slowly formed on Cecil’s forehead and began to make it’s way down past his brow and into his eye. He didn’t blink it away, for he was oblivious to it. The mere thought of taking his eyes off of Rosa was not an option. She laid on the bed so helpless, so sick, so desperate. The doctor and his nurse worked feverishly around her, rubbing cool cloths on her face and attempting to give her some sort of medicine. Cecil’s heart pounded with worry, and no matter how much he tried to pry answers from the doctor, he got nothing but a wave of a hand and an order to be quiet.

Oh Rosa, Cecil thought, a sickness churning deep in his gut. He sat down in a nearby chair and put his hands over his face, parting his fingers only enough so he could still see her battered body. He stared with continuing horror and amazement at his desperately ill love. Her face was so ungodly red and covered in blanket of sweat. She was unrecognizable. Horribly unrecognizable. Thoughts of why she was even in the desert ran rampant through his head. Why did you follow me, Rosa?! Why?! But he already knew the answer. It was because he had acted like a blubbering fool in his room that night, complaining and whining because he had taken that damn Crystal.

You made her worry, Cecil screamed at himself, continuing to watch the doctor work. The nurse was knelt by Rosa’s side. She repeatedly ran a wet rag over the White’s Wizard scarlet forehead. What the hell is wrong with you? How could you make yourself out to be such a coward?! A familiar feeling of guilt began to creep up his insides. It was his fault that she was so sick. His fault.

"There isn’t anything more I can do for her," the doctor said finally, standing up from his position on the floor. Cecil stood up like a shot and looked at the doctor.

"Is she going to be all right?" the Dark Knight asked, his voice laced with worry. This is your fault, Cecil...

The doctor shook his head. "I don’t know. The Sand Fever is a very deadly disease with only one cure."

The Sand Fever. Those three words rang deep into Cecil’s soul, grabbing it by the root and forcing it out through his throat.

"The Sand Fever?!" he gasped, as he felt the air rush out of his lungs. Not again. "Oh my God." How could this be happening again. No. Not to Rosa. Not the Sand Fever. His next words were stuttered, for it took great strength for him to speak. "Are you positive it is the Sand Fever?"

The doctor nodded his head gravely, wiping his hands on his long orange tunic. "She is displaying all of the signs. Look at her. Severe redness, high fever, unconsciousness..."

Cecil squeezed his eyes shut and held up his hand as if to say ‘No more.’ He already knew what the symptoms were. Severe redness, high fever, unconsciousness, vomiting, hysteria, seizures....death. His heart ached as he thought the last word. Death. Kneeling down, Cecil grabbed a hold of his love’s hand. He flinched, startled by it’s extreme heat. It was all too familiar though. He grabbed the wet rag that lay on Rosa’s forehead and ran it gently down her cheek The sight of her sweet face so red and swollen made his chest heave with worry.

"I am so sorry, Rosa," he whispered sadly, squeezing the water onto her skin. There was no movement from her, not even a flutter of an eyelid. Horrible guilt washed over him as he looked at her ravaged body. The water slowly ran down her cheek, totally unsuccessful in cooling her down. "I am so sorry I acted like a coward and made you feel like you had to come here. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be laying here with this fever..." He squeezed her hand and gently laid his head upon her bosom. Through the heat, he could feel her heart beating ever so softly and her chest rising up and down with ragged breaths.

"There isn’t much time." The doctor’s voice rang out from behind him. Cecil’s head snapped up and he looked over his shoulder. There was a grim look on the doctor’s face. He continued. "Only one thing can cure this."

"There is a cure?!" Cecil cried, standing up from the floor and letting go of Rosa’s hand. He blinked a couple times and looked at the doctor, as if he didn’t believe what had just come out of his mouth. Did he hear the man right? There is a cure?! "Truly?!"

"Yes, but no one has ever been able to get it." The Dark Knight’s breath left him, taken by the thought that there actually was a way to cure this deadly disease. If only he had known then...

"I will retrieve it!"

"It’s not that easy, sir..."

Cecil stared down at the little doctor, whose face was clouded with doubt. He turned and knelt again by Rosa, gripping her hand and stroking her cheek. "It has to be that easy." He looked at his love’s red features miserably. His words were soft as they passed his lips. "I will not let her go."

"Then you must go to Damcyan now." The doctor’s words surprised Cecil. Standing up yet again, the Dark Knight turned away from Rosa. A look of confusion covered his face.

"Damcyan? What does Damcyan have to do with this?"

"Only Damcyan royalty can tame the Antlion." Cecil cocked his head to the side, thinking intently. He had never heard of the Antlion before.

"What is this creature you speak of and why can only royalty handle it?"

"You have never heard of the Antlion?"

"No, I haven’t." The Dark Knight spoke with slight irritation. Just get to the point old man. We don’t have time for this.

"It is a huge beast that look like a giant fire ant. It’s a vicious creature, that’s for sure. For some reason, though, only the royal family of Damcyan has ever been able to get anywhere near it. No one knows why, but they just can."

"So you are saying that I have get someone from Damcyan to do what? Kill this monster? What good is that going to do?"

"No, killing it is not necessary. You just have to get the Sand Ruby from it’s nest."

Cecil pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes with frustration, then pulled them away. His head felt heavy with the events that had gone on in the past few days. "I have to get someone from Damcyan to get this Sand Ruby for me?"

"Yes. Time is of the essence, young man. She is going to die without it."

Cecil’s heart heaved when he heard the word ‘die.’ Rosa could not die. I refuse to have two people in my life succumb to the Sand Fever. I refuse! A sense of extreme urgency consumed his body as he glanced from the doctor to Rosa. He turned away from her though, for the mere sight of seeing her in such condition was almost too much for him to bear. A tidal wave of memories crashed over his brain.

I love you Cecil. Worry not for me, but for yourself.

The Dark Knight tried to fight back the thoughts that were flying through his brain but it was useless. They swirled around inside of him, stirring up every feeling and emotion that he had spent years and years trying to suppress. Not again. Please, God, not again...

"How do I get to Damcyan from here?!" Cecil suddenly exclaimed, ripping himself from the torrent of memories. As Captain of the Red Wings, he should have easily known how to navigate his way there, but there was no time to think.

"North, through the Watery Pass. You have to get Damcyan Royalty though."

Cecil turned towards the doctor and cried out in frustration. "I know I have to get royalty!"

"Once again, it’s not that easy. You are going to have a heck of a time trying to convince them to help you."

The Dark Knight had to bite him lip to keep from exploding all over the doctor. He would get that Sand Ruby, no matter what it took. Taking a deep breath, he pushed his emotions down into the pit of his stomach.

"I will retrieve that Sand Ruby. Just give me some means of transportation to get to the Watery Pass. I can’t walk the desert." It almost killed me last time.

"There is a man down the street that owns about five or six chocobos. Tell him that I sent you, and he will let you use them."

"Good! Then it is settled." With that, he turned on his heel and headed for the door. Time was of the essence. He stopped suddenly, though, and turned back around. He looked at the love of his life that was laying on the bed. Her life was in his hands now. He had to get that Sand Ruby. He just had to.

I love you Rosa, Cecil whispered. Or at least he thought he whispered it. It didn’t matter though, because he was going to save her. Hang on, Rosa. Please hang on. With that, he turned and rushed out of the doctor’s house. A wave of intense heat hit his face like a ton of bricks. Almost immediately beads of sweat began to form on his naked forehead as he headed back towards the Inn. He had to get his armor. When he finally got back to his room, he was startled to find the Rydia still sitting quietly on her bed, as if she were waiting for him to come back. She looked at him with her big green calming eyes.

"You know her, don’t you?" Cecil felt his emotions calm as she spoke to him. There was a hint of sympathy and remorse in her voice. He nodded softly, looking intently at her.

"Yes, I do know her."

"And you love her....am I right?" Taken aback by her bluntness, Cecil stuttered over his next words.

"I...uh..." Rydia smiled up at him. Being the first time he had seen her smile, he noticed how beautiful the little girl was. He continued to stammer like a bumbling chocobo. She held up her little hand.

"That’s okay, you don’t have to say it. I can tell by the way you are speaking." Cecil smiled, still looking into her eyes. She seemed to be able to read him, and so well, at that. He quickly lost his smile, though, when he remembered his mission.

"I have to get the Sand Ruby, Rydia. I have to get it now."

"Fine. I will go with you, and we can it together." Throwing the sheets off, she hopped off the bed and planted her little feet on the floor. He looked down at her tiny frame. Probably only about three feet tall, she was clad in leather armor and had her own little staff slipped neatly into a sheath by her side. Pushing her mass of shoulder length green hair out of her face, she turned her head upwards. Her green eyes sparkled as she met his gaze.

"Oooooh no," Cecil cried, waving his hands. Was this girl nuts? "You are not going with me!"

Rydia’s smile turned to a frown as she stepped back and folded her arms across her chest. "And why not?"

"You are a child!" Cecil exclaimed. "I am going across the desert to get to Damcyan, and the Kaipo Desert is no place for a child."

"A child?!" Rydia cried out, hopping onto the bed so she was eye level with the Dark Knight. "You think I am a child?!"

Chuckling slightly, he turned from his job of stepping into his boots and put his hands on her shoulders. "Yes, Rydia. You are a child. Look how tiny you are!"

She stopped for second but then spoke again. "Okay, okay. I’m a child, I admit it. I’m a powerful child though!"

Cecil was quiet for a moment. It was true. She had called Titan on him, for Christ’s sake. He had never seen such magic come from the fingers of someone so young. No, Cecil. She is child. After everything you did for her, you are supposed to protect her, not put her in more danger.

"Rydia," he sighed, sitting down on the other bed. He reached down and began to put his boot on. "It is too dangerous. Way to dangerous." She hopped down to the floor with a huff and stubbornly stood in front of him.

"Give me a little credit here, Cecil." Startled, he pulled his head up and was met by her stern gaze. He couldn’t believe she just said that. For a child that was most likely about six or seven years old, she sounded so damn intelligent!

"I’m...uh..." Cecil stammered, smiling slightly in amazement. "I’m giving you credit!"

"Not enough!"

"But Rydia..." She held up her hand again and looked deep into his eyes.

"I am going with you, Cecil. Please. Let me go with you. I can help."

Cecil sighed again and sat up. Cautiously, he moved his hand towards Rydia’s shoulder, waiting to see if she approved. When she didn’t protest, he gently squeezed her tiny arm and spoke softly to her. Her big green eyes stared back at him genuinely.

"I don’t know what this Antlion is like, okay? I don’t want you getting hurt in any way, shape or form. It’s for your own safety, Rydia. Please try to understand."

"But Cecil..."

"I can’t possibly put you in such a dangerous situation!"

"It’s not going to be dangerous!"

"Yes it is! I have no idea what I am getting myself into!"

"But..."

"Please, Rydia, don’t argue with me. I won’t do it!" Rydia’s lower lip firmed up and she stepped back, crossing her arms.

"You’re being ridiculous, Cecil." The Dark Knight was once again startled by the little Caller’s words. He couldn’t believe she was saying this to him.

"I am not being ridiculous! For your own safety, you have to stay here!"

A flash of anger fell upon Rydia’s face and she turned away from Cecil. She stared at the wall, tapping her foot impatiently. "I can’t believe you won’t let me help you."

Sighing heavily, the Dark Knight ran his fingers through his dark hair and stood up. "I’m sorry, but you just can’t go!"

Whipping around, Rydia faced Cecil, her lip quivering ever so slightly. "Where am I supposed to go then?" Cecil was startled by her words. "Really. What am I going to do? My village is gone, and so is my mother. So answer me this." Her voice choked up and her voice was reduced to a whisper. "Where am I going to go?"

Rydia’s words rang loud upon the Dark Knight’s ears. Her eyes were filled with sadness but he could tell that she was trying to be strong. She is right, Cecil thought, wishing he could reach around and kick himself in the ass. She has no where to go, and it’s all because of me. Sitting back down on the bed, he sighed sadly.

"You’re right, Rydia. How could I be so stupid?" A feeling of shame for what he did to her mother fell over him again. It weighed heavily upon his heart. It was his duty to protect her, no matter what. There were so many dangers out there these days and it wasn’t safe for a little girl to be wandering around fighting monsters.

"So you’re saying I can go with you?" Rydia’s said, her voice perking up. Cecil sighed as he looked at her. I’ll be your protector.

"Yes, you can go with me."

* * *

The hot, sandy terrain of the Kaipo desert was desolate and unforgiving. Waves of heat floated dangerously across the horizon, creating an eye irritating haze over the mountains that held the Watery Pass. Cecil and his chocobo trudged along the sand, Rydia and hers tagging along beside him. The giant, six foot tall, duck-like birds struggled through the heat and sand, for they were not made for such travel. The sun beat down upon his dark armor, heating his body to an uncomfortable temperature. The seemingly only savior for him were the beads of sweat that gathered heavily on his skin. He could feel the moisture and only wished that he could taste it in his parched mouth. Looking ahead, Cecil could see that their destination wasn’t too far ahead, maybe a half mile, three quarters of a mile at most. Thoughts of Rosa filled his head and made him press on.

Time is of the essence...an essence hindered only by the unbearable sun that was above them. The Dark Knight stared aimlessly in front of them as a mental picture of the deadly ill White Wizard consumed his mind. The pain he had felt when he had first discovered that the fallen woman was Rosa was still fresh inside of his heart.

If only you hadn’t come after me! he screamed silently. I would have been fine, Rosa. Just fine! And now it was all happening again.....all over again...

"Pleeeeease, Daddy!" Cecil wailed miserably. The little five year old boy clung to the leg of his father with apparent desperation. His brother Revon stood in the door way, fishing pole in hand. KluYa knelt down and gently pulled his son away from his limb. With a soft swipe of his thumb, he wiped away the tears that streaked Cecil’s little face. The little boy whimpered and sniffled sadly.

"Now, Cecil," KluYa said softly, his deep voice settling over Cecil like a warm air. The little boy rubbed his eyes sadly. "I promised Revon that for his birthday, I would take him fishing, just me and him."

"But Daddy, I love fishing too." Cecil’s voice was so innocent and timid. He spoke with hopes that if his father knew he loved fishing, it would convince him to let him go also. KluYa did not give in though.

"I know you do, son. Do you remember when you and I went camping, just you and I, for your birthday?" Cecil nodded miserably. His mother, Agatha, came in from the other room to see what all the noise was about. She saw Cecil crying and knew right away it was because he wanted to go on the fishing trip. Walking up to her son, she knelt behind him and put her hands around his waist, pulling him close.

"Cecil, honey," she said quietly. "You know Daddy and Revon have had this trip planned for a while. Be a big boy and dry those tears."

"I want to go too, Mommy. I like fishing with Revon also!"

KluYa reached up and tousled Cecil’s hair. "Please be a good boy, son. I promise you, we will all take a fishing together one day soon. It’s Revon’s tenth birthday. It’s a special birthday."

"But I’m special too!" Agatha hugged Cecil tighter.

"Of course you are special, honey, but you just have to let your brother have his time too." Cecil nodded miserably, wiping his runny nose. KluYa leaned over and kissed Cecil on the top of his head.

"That’s my boy. You be good for you mother, okay?"

"I will bring you back a really big fish, Cecil," Revon said from behind their father. Cecil just sniffled and nodded, mumbling something under his breath. He looked at his older brother with unimaginable jealousy. There was no sense of cockiness coming from Revon, but it didn’t matter. He wanted to go fishing.

"I love you son," KluYa said, patting Cecil on top of his head. Tears once again filled the little boys eyes with the realization that his father wasn’t going to let him go. A whimper escaped his throat.

"I love you too, Daddy. Bye Revon." With those words, they left the house and headed down the village road. A salty tear ran slowly down Cecil’s cheek as he laid his forehead against the window and devastatingly watched them walk away. His mother knelt down beside him and stroked his soft black hair.

"Don’t cry sweet heart," she soothed. "They will be back in a couple hours." She tried to get him to come away from the window but it was no use. He just sat and stared, anticipating their return.

Hours went by and Cecil did not move from his spot at the window. He would not even come to the table for dinner. He just kept insisting that he had to wait for his Daddy and Revon to come back. Agatha was worried because she had never seen Cecil act like this before. True, it had been a while since KluYa and Revon had left, but she was sure that they had just lost track of time.

It wasn’t until the sun had set did Agatha really start to get worried. It had been over 8 hours since they had left and they had yet to return and Cecil had yet to leave the window. Walking outside into the cool air, Agatha looked around. The moon had come up over the horizon and shed it’s white light down upon the land. It was an eerie light that made her shudder. A cool breeze picked up and swept across her face. Something wasn’t right. They should have been back by now. Something compelled her to start walking. She knew where the fishing hole was, and it wasn’t that far. Grabbing a nearby stick, Agatha cast a fire spell on the end of it, creating a small torch. With that, she started off down the path.

"KluYa..." she whispered as she left the village of Baron. "Where are you, my love?" She made her way down the path into the nearby woods. It was growing darker by the moment, as was her apprehension level. An owl hooted somewhere in the distance, sending a shiver up and down her spine. Carefully, she followed the dirt path, being careful not to trip over the twisted roots and broken vines that lay all over the place. The temperature seemed to drop as she got deeper and deeper into the forest. The moonlight shone down through the trees and created a thin web of bright light upon the ground. Ducking under some low branches, Agatha knew she had to be getting close. If she remembered right, their fishing hole was only about a quarter of a mile from town.

"KLUYA!" Agatha cried out, holding her make shift torch high in the air. "REVON!" She got no response, only the once again incessant hooting of the owl. The wind picked up again and whipped through the haggard trees. The older pines creaked with their age and caused Agatha to jump. Her heart pounding, she turned and continued down the path, knowing that if she were to stay in one spot for long, she would make herself crazy. Calling out their names, she trudged on. Somehow, though, a root made it’s way under her foot. With a cry, she was sent sprawling to the ground. She hit hard and her torch was sent skidding. Looking up slowly and spitting out a mouthful of dirt, she saw the burning stick laying among the grass. Starting to panic, Agatha pulled herself to her feet and grabbed the torch before it was able to start anything on fire. She continued down the path until finally, she came upon a rushing stream. The trickling of water seemed more frantic that usual.

"KluYa!" Agatha cried, looking around on the bank. She held her torch out. "Revon! Where are you?!" There was no response. With careful steps, she continued to scream their names. The wind continued to whistle and the water continued to babble frantically. A coyote howled somewhere in the distance. Unable to contain her worry any longer, Agatha ran down the little embankment that led to the river and screamed her husband’s and son’s name with all her desperation. She looked around the sandy bank in hopes of finding them.

"NO!!!!" she shrieked wildly. Something had caught her eye. Laying half way in the water was an article of clothing. Running over to it, she fell to her knees to get a closer look. Holding the torch up to the item, her suspicions were confirmed. It was KluYa’s tunic, covered in blood. Agatha’s ear-splitting howl echoed throughout the forest. They couldn’t be dead. They couldn’t. She continued to cry, rocking the blood soaked tunic back and forth in her arms. They just couldn’t. A sudden snap sounded from behind her. With the quickness of a cat, she jumped to her feet and whirled around, still gripping the cloth. By now, the blood had soaked into her shirt and gotten on her face.

"Who’s there?!" she screamed in terror, looking around ferociously, totally aware of the fact that whatever had done this could still be around. "By Odin, you monster, show yourself!" Agatha was not prepared for who stepped out of the darkness. It was Cecil. His face was stricken with horror at the sight of his mother holding the bloody tunic. He wanted to turn and run away but he was petrified with fear. Agatha, though, was relieved. She dropped cloth and ran to him, scooping her up in her arms.

"I’m sorry, mommy," Cecil cried with alarm, too scared to try and pull away from his mother. He had heard her piercing screams and was scared to death. "I didn’t mean to scare you."

"Oh honey, you didn’t scare me. You didn’t scare me at all." Cecil just stood frozen in his mother’s rocking grasp. He looked at the sky towards the moon. It’s light shined down upon him with an eerie glow. Closing his eyes, he tried to force himself not to cry.

Days went by with no word or sign of KluYa or Revon. Agatha had launched the most extensive search party, with the help of the King, that Baron had ever known. Days soon turned into weeks though, and nothing came of the effort. Agatha struggled immensely every day with the disappearance of her husband and son. She cried herself to sleep, unable to rid herself of the image of the bloody tunic in the sand. Around Cecil, though, she was the pillar of strength. The little boy cried for days and days after that night in the woods. Agatha felt so bad about him seeing her the way she was that night. It affected the little boy so greatly that he didn’t speak for almost a month after the incident. Every night Agatha would hold him in her arms and rock him to sleep. His tears soon became less and less each time until finally the night came where she didn’t have to help him fall asleep. Unable to stay away from him though, she slept in the rocking chair for another few weeks, just watching his tiny chest rise and fall with each breath until it finally wooed her to sleep.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, and months into years. They never saw KluYa or Revon again, and eventually, both Agatha and Cecil accepted the fact that they were gone. After about three years, right around the time when Cecil was eight years old, they finally had began to live their normal lives again. Cecil moved on, but he would never forget about the disappearance of his father and brother. It was when he met Rosa that he finally able to push his heart ache down deep into his soul. The daughter of the most powerful White Wizard in Baron, Rosa was the most beautiful creature the little eight year old had ever seen. She also introduced him to Kain, the son of the Captain of the Dragoons of Baron. The three young children became the best of friends over the years, hanging around the castle a lot because that was where Rosa’s mother and Kain’s father worked.

By the age of 17, both Cecil and Kain had grown into tall, strong young man and the King of Baron soon found himself wanting to train them to join his army. With the approval of Agatha, Cecil began the year long training to become a Dark Knight of Baron. Kain, on the other hand, followed in the footsteps of his father, and trained to become part of Baron’s Dragoons, an elite group of fighters who mastered in the Jump attack. Both positions required intense workouts and a great deal of time and commitment, but both young men were up to the challenge. Cecil threw himself into his work, long laying his tragic childhood down to sleep forever. Day after day he learned the tricks and trades of becoming a Knight. His muscles grew stronger and his reflexes became faster. His quickness with the Dark Sword was like nothing the King had ever seen before. He was sure to become the next Captain of the Red Wings.

One day, as Cecil was walking into the castle after a long day of training, Rosa ran up to him with a panicked look on her soft, pale face.

"Cecil!" she cried, grabbing onto her friend’s arm. "You’ve got to come quick. You’re mother has fallen ill!" Without hesitation, they ran down into the village and to the doctor’s home. When Cecil burst in the door, he was met by the horrible sight of his mother laying in bed, her skin a deathly red.

"Mom!" he cried, his voice cracking with disheartenment. He rushed to the side of the bed and knelt by her. Taking her hand in his, he was taken aback by the rush of heat he felt. Agatha slowly rolled her head towards him and cracked her swollen eyes open. The corners of her mouth upturned slightly, as if she was trying to smile.

"Cecil..." she whispered, her words no louder than the gentle rustle of dry leaves. A violent cough escaped her lungs, causing her to tense up and groan in agony.

"Mom, what happened?!" he cried, looking at her swollen face and red skin with absolute horror. She laid back down and took a deep breath. Her lack of reply made it obvious to Cecil that it hurt her to speak. He looked towards the doctor that was standing at the end of the bed. An expression of dismay covered his face. Cecil spoke at him with apparent desperation. "What is happening to her?!"

"I believe it is the Sand Fever," the doctor replied with the an implication of dread in his voice. Cecil stroked his mother’s burning cheek.

"What in God’s name is the Sand Fever?!" When he got no answer, he looked up at the doctor and glared at him with adamant eyes. "TELL ME!"

"It’s a deadly virus, that there is no cure for." At that moment, Cecil wished he hadn’t asked. His heart slammed in the wall of his chest, sending a sick feeling careening deep into the pit of his stomach. Deadly... His eyes laid to rest again upon his mother. He was silent for a moment, unable to accept what he saw. His mother’s once tiny features were swollen beyond belief and her face was covered in sweat. Blood pooled on the dry epidermis of her hard, cracked lips. He watched with despair as she tried to move her tongue to get rid of the nasty red sign of death. A moan escaped her lips and she arched her back slightly, a wave of pain shooting up and down her spine.

"Oh, God, mama," Cecil whispered, tears pricking his big blue eyes. He squeezed her burning hand in an effort to take away her pain. When the shockwave of agony finally passed, she relaxed and collapsed back onto the bed. Another labored breath escaped her lungs. With another moan, she turned her head to look at Cecil.

"Baby..." Her words were harsh and desolate, dry and strained. Cecil moved closer to Agatha and ran his callused fingers gently over her forehead. She closed her eyes as if his touch was a comfort to her.

"Don’t talk, mama," he whispered, leaning close into her ear. "Save your strength." She opened her eyes again and looked at her son with the best of her ability.

"I’m sorry, Cecil."

"For what?!"

"For everything." A feeling of confusion swept over Cecil as he tried to comprehend the reason for her apology. He placed his finger over her lip in an effort to keep her from talking, but it was no use. She weakly pulled him away and insisted on speaking.

"You didn’t do anything wrong, mama!" he replied desperately, running his fingers through her sweaty blonde hair. Another coughing fit filled her lungs. When it finally ended, she continued, her voice even more hoarse than it was before.

"I’m so sorry I went to Kaipo...." Cecil’s head snapped up in the direction of the doctor.

"She was in Kaipo?!" The doctor nodded. "What in the hell was she doing in Kaipo!?" Behind him, he felt Rosa’s hand fall upon his shoulder, but he couldn’t acknowledge her. Not when his mother was in such grave danger.

"Baby, please listen to me." Cecil turned back to his mother and became quiet. His vision became blurry as a wall of tears engulfed his eyes. He made no to attempt to wipe them away. She continued with exhausted breaths. "I love you so much. *cough cough* I....am so sorry you had to *cough cough* deal with the pain of losing your father and brother." Stopping to gulp in a breath of air, she feebly moved her free hand over her eyes. She had begun to cry.

"Mama, please don’t!" Cecil could feel the pain of his heart breaking. She shook her head softly and continued, her already damaged voice choked by tears. Her swollen eyes gazed deeply into her son’s devastated features.

"These are God’s tears, my love." Slowly, she picked up her hand and ran it across Cecil’s face. He pressed his jaw into her warm hand, squeezing his eyes shut. It was no use though. A flood of shattered tears began to stream down his cheeks.

"Mama..."

"Cecil...*cough cough*...I am so sorry...*cough cough*...I tried to protect you the best I could."

"You always protected me!" Agatha’s breaths became shorter and shorter.

"I tried...Cecil, do me one favor after I am gone..."

"Don’t say that, Mama! Hold on! Please, stay with me!" He was weeping uncontrollably now, unable to hide his emotions. Agatha closed her eyes and moaned.

"Please...Cecil...just do this for me...."

"What, mama? What is it?"

"Never forget your father or Revon....*cough cough*...I love you Cecil. Worry not for me, but for yourself..."

With those last broken words, Agatha breathed in...and then out...and then never again. Cecil sat back, staring wildly at his mother’s blood red face.

"No..." he whispered in disbelief. "Mama, no..." The doctor’s voice sounded far away as he tried to tell him that his mother was gone. Unable to believe it, Cecil shook Agatha’s shoulders and cried out for her. "MAMA, NO!!!"

"Cecil," Rosa said softly from behind him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "She is gone." Cecil jerked away from her arm and collapsed on the bed, wracked with

devastated sobs

"NO!!!" His heartsick wail echoed through out the doctor’s home as he rocked his mother back and forth. Blinded by tears, he sobbed uncontrollably. "Mama, it wasn’t your fault..."

Cecil shuddered violently at the flashback. It had been so long since his mother had died. Almost seven years ago, but he remembered that day like it was yesterday. Staring blankly ahead, the Dark Knight cursed the Sand Fever for taking the life of his mother. No tears came this time though....he hadn’t cried over his mother in years. He could not show his weaknesses. Life was too full of times that required being hard and cruel.

Like stealing Crystals....

For a long time, he had managed to push the feelings he experienced from the loss of his family deep down into his conscience and move on with his life. When he found out that Rosa had contracted the Sand Fever, though, all the memories came flooding back and filled his mind. Not only were all these memories coming back, but now his best friend was gone as a result of Cecil’s inability to defy his recent immoral orders.

Kain... With each step the Chocobos took away from that mountain range, the more Cecil felt like he was abandoning his best friend. There had been no body. No sign of the Dragoon. He could have been somewhere among the bushes, unable to call out for help, unable to help himself....

No, Cecil! Don’t do this to yourself. Kain is gone. He’s buried in those mountains and he is gone. All because Rydia cast that damn spell. His eyes fell upon the little Caller next to him as she clung to her Chocobo. He didn’t blame her at all though. Not one bit. He never should have gone on that mission in the first place. It was just so tragic. For a split second, Cecil felt like he had a bond with the little girl. They had both suffered a terrible loss at the hands of someone else. She lost her mother, he lost his best friend. She was a child though. This was only the beginning of a life full of hardships and she had yet to catch all that life had to throw at her. Hell, he was only 25 years old and had endured more than he cared to even think about. He had learned to deal with it though, and in more ways than one.

I don’t understand how you can be so forgiving? Cecil thought, watching her grasp the Chocobo’s neck. He got nothing but a feeling of ease from her. A settled feeling fell over his heart. What is with you, young Rydia? Why do you calm me so much? Suddenly, the little girl looked over at him. Cecil tried to pull his gaze away from her but it was impossible. There was something about her. She stared back at him with her gigantic green eyes. Then, as if she knew what he was thinking, she turned away with a gentle, calming smile.