Prologue

The darkening clouds spread across the sky above the land of Mysidia. A dank feeling had taken over the land. The waves of the ocean down below churned and swirled as if ready to burst wide open at any moment. In the distance, a soft thunder rolled across the sky. A bolt of lightening lit up the horizon. A storm was on edge, a heavy storm with a dark aura.

Slowly, the rain began to drop down from the clouds and start it’s long journey to the ground. Sharp winds picked up and swept through the tiny village, alerting it’s inhabitants of danger. Mother rushed their children into their houses as the thunder rolled. Another lightening bolt flashed in the distance, though growing closer by the minute. Holding tightly to their hoods and capes, the white and black wizards of the town fought the wind as they struggled to get to the safety of their homes. The rain began to pound harder upon the villagers as they scrambled away from the sudden storm. A young girl trips and falls behind the group of her father and her other three siblings. The bullets of rain stung her eyes as she struggled to get back to her feet. The mud that was gathering on the ground hindered her. Suddenly, a crack of thunder and lightening sounded so near the town that the girl stumbled in fear and was one again on the ground.

"Help!" she cried but her sobs were muffled by the rain and wind. No one stopped in their frantic rushed to help the girl. The winds were so unbelievably strong that the word hurricane began to spring into everyone’s mind. Once again, she cried out for help and desperately attempted to reclaim her family that she had lost in the rain. Her hair was matted to her face, only proving to be another obstacle in her way. Soon, when she was about to give up, a pair of strong hands encircled her waist and lifted her out of the muddy hell that had consumed her. At last she was brought to safety. Or was she? In another part of the village, a group of women scream in unison as the winds blew through their weak huts. Tragically, they tumbled to the ground, crushing anything and everything that was held in the house. Frantically and ignorantly, they began digging through the remains in hopes of recovering some memory buried in the ruins.

In the distance, an airship flew cautiously toward the tiny, panicking village. Though hit with strong gusts of wind, the ship managed to keep it’s path en route to Mysidia.

"We are about to arrive, Captain!" the ship’s crew cried in unison. The rain pounded down upon the deck of the ship as the propellers fought to keep the airship in the sky. Cecil turned from his position at the nose of the ship and faced his men. An authoritative air surrounded him as looked upon his crew. A cloud of nervousness had settled on the soldiers, noticeable by the tightness of their hands on their weapons and the massive beads of sweat that pooled on their foreheads. The sharp wind whipped across the wooden frame of the airship, whistling as it passed through it’s cracks.

"Good!" Cecil shouted, his deep voice ringing strong over his crew. Steadying himself, he lifted his heavy right boot and began to make his way down onto the main deck. "Bring us down!" The crew man that was manning the steering wheel nodded and began to do so. The Captain walked to the side of the airship and peered down at Mysidia. Reaching up, he lifted his helmet off. The incessant pounding of the rain on his armor was making his ears ring. He shook his ear length black hair from his eyes and struggled to see through the rain. As the ship began to descend, he was able to make out a mass of frantic people running around. They desperately scattered, as if they were ants trying to protect their hills. Deep inside, a knot began to form in his stomach. These poor, desperate people did not know what was about to become of their town. Of their Crystal. Of their lives. Cecil closed his eyes and took a slow breath. Why was his heart doing this to him? It took what seemed like his last ounce of strength to push the sick feeling back down into the pit of his conscience. A voice suddenly filled his ears, and his eyes opened. A timid soldier stood in front of him.

"Why are we robbing crystals from innocent people?" he questioned, looking deep into the Captain’s eyes. The wind and rain and thunder continued to sound around their ears. A spark of anger lit in his heart. Defiance was an action that could not be tolerated. Yet, if defiance was the root of what he was feeling....why deny the soldier the same? Cecil’s mind swirled.

"It is our duty!" he shouted with hesitation, his voice echoing. The timid soldier cringed at the sound of his leader. A feeling of frustration bubbled inside of the Captain as this was one of the many times that his crew had questioned him. He did not want to be on this mission in the first place, let alone have a crew that didn’t listen to him. It was taking all of his inner strength to complete this task. His position was Captain of the Red Wings. He had been given an order and he must follow that order! His heart wrenching, Cecil pulled himself from the gaze of the soldier, put his helmet on, and reclaimed his position at the nose of the ship. His mouth burned as he struggled to put his next order past his lips. "Bring us down! We are over the town!"

The crew decreased the energy of the motor and adjusted the flaps, making the airship lower slowly to the ground. The wind continued to fight the Red Wings as they attempted to make a smooth descent. Finally, they landed. Cecil reluctantly pulled his sword from it’s sheath and directed his crew.

"Line up!" he cried. The Red Wings did as they were told and prepared to march into the village. The Captain looked upon the scrambling village with despair. The storm had hit them hard. God, their timing was so bad. But then again, what good timing is there for such a task? He knew that the Crystal of Water was held inside the town’s own Tower of Wishes and was protected by the Elder and his wizards.

They should be no problem, he thought to himself as he looked on at his crew of fifteen soldiers. They are no match to the orders of King Baron. Taking a deep breath, Cecil fought the sickening nausea that churned in his gut. This was so hard...so hard. Knowing that with each passing second that he held off meant one more second of this moral agony, he finally gave the command. The soldiers began to march immediately off of the ship as if they were just as anxious to complete the mission as he was. As Cecil led his men through the center of the village, he was surrounded by screaming women, crying children and shattered men. The winds were horrendous and blowing uncontrollably. He gripped his sword with all his might as he struggled to stay on his feet.

"Keep going men!" Cecil cried back to his soldiers, who were all in the same struggling position he was. Squinting through the rain, the Captain could make out the shrine at the head of the village. That was their destination. Their horrible destination. For a split second, he wanted to turn and run the other way. He wanted to go help the desperate villagers in their struggle to stay alive. He wanted to be away from Mysidia, away from this place. It was impossible though. Simply impossible. Looking up at the shrine, he realized that he was at the point of no return. They were here, at the orders of the King of Baron, and they had to be carried out. At last they came to the door of the building that held the Crystal of Water. Two tiny black wizards were standing in his way.

"You may NOT go in there!" they shouted over the howling winds and deafening thunder. They stepped together and crossed their arms. Their blue cloaks and hoods were soaked and weighed their bodies down but they couldn’t, and wouldn’t, leave their post. The Captain looked up at the two guardians and gave them warning.

"Let us in or else!" he shouted violently. The flash of anger appeared again within him, brought out by, once again, defiance. The wind continued to blow viscously at his back. It took all his strength to stay on his feet. Over the horizon, although it seemed much, much closer, a flash of lightening cracked and the thunder rolled. The mood was solemn as the Captain stood straight up against the wizards and looked deep into their eyes.

The wizards cried out in unison. "Never! We will never let you in!" Cecil grunted in anger and impatience. He was growing tired of being defied as his mind continued to swirl. But you have to be a defiar... With a struggling point of his finger, his crew seized the two wizards. He watched with authority, although with a great, terrible sadness, as his crewmen quickly tied the two struggling wizards together and then proceeded to kick them down the stairs. They hit the ground with a sickening thud. Once again the lightening flashed and the thunder rolled.

Unable to stand the site of the wizards in pain, Cecil pushed open the door and burst into the shrine, his crew on his heel. He was immediately taken by surprise at the atmosphere of the inside of the building. All four walls, the floor and the ceiling were made of blue-tinted mirrors. The image of a man clad in dark blue armor surrounded by 15 soldiers stared back at him. A feeling of disgust filled his heart. It was him. He was staring at his own horrible reflection. He quickly shook himself out of the trance and focused on the problem at hand. There, sitting in a throne next to the platform on which the Crystal was sitting, was the Elder of Mysidia. The old man sat in his throne and gave off an aura of protection. Drowned in a huge black cloak, the man’s long orange beard sat down upon his lap, accented by a bald head and piercing black eyes. When he spotted the predators, he stood up in anger. Cecil was pulled into the gaze of Mysidia’s leader and immediately met by a bone shuddering chill that shot up and down his spine. God, don’t do this.....be the defiar... The old man spoke with a tone that was weighted with his authority. "You can NOT have the Crystal!" It was so matter of fact that it almost surprised Cecil. I don’t want your Crystal... His conscience hammered at his heart with the force of a thousand tigers. All he had to do was turn around and go away. Walk out the door and take his soldiers with him. But he couldn’t. His job depended on this mission. The Captain frowned in anger behind his hot head armor. A bead of sweat slowly trickled down his forehead, making it’s way over his eyebrow, down his lashes until it finally laid to rest upon his eye. A cloudy mist formed over his vision. It took the greatest strength he had to blink it away.

"The Crystal or your life!" he cried, his lips burning as he spoke. The nagging voice returned. Why am I threatening this man’s life? I don’t believe in killing! Why am I doing this? He shuddered and tried to push the thought out of his mind. I work for the King of Baron. I must do this! He held his dark sword up menacingly, towards the throat of the old man. The slightest flash of nervousness broke into the man’s eyes but he did not back down.

"Never!" The Elder spoke with great force, although his tone was laced with fear. Cecil wanted slap the man and scream at him to just give up the Crystal with ease. It would make all their lives a little less difficult....a little less harsh than what it was at the moment. No pain....no suffering...no never ending glint of violence. He wanted to sit and talk to the Elder, try to explain his situation, but every continuing second that he spent in this shrine was like a noose that was slowly tightening around his neck. He choked out his next words, his air so seemingly restricted.

"Then we will take the Crystal by force!" Cecil pointed and immediately the crew was upon him. He watched with immense guilt as his men pounded the old man to the ground. The Elder fought them with every ounce of strength that was contained inside of his aged body but the soldiers were too strong for him. They quickly over came him, tied him up and tossed him aside. He watched helplessly, desperately, as Cecil slowly walked up to the Crystal.

This isn’t right, he thought to himself as he picked up the Crystal. He took a second to take in it’s beauty. It was an elongated hexagon, colored a beautiful cerulean blue. It’s look saddened Cecil though. This isn’t right! Once again, he forced the nagging voice down. He scooped up the Crystal, placed it in his satchel and walked toward the door, eager to leave this hell hole.

"Why is the King of Baron doing this?" the Elder pleaded as he laid pathetically on the floor of the palace. "Why do you pursue the Crystals so eagerly?" Cecil was silent, stopped dead in his tracks. Shaking the comment off, he continued to exit the shrine, followed by his crew. As quickly as they had come in, the Red Wings boarded the airship and took off. Cecil could not get out of there fast enough. He had to end this nightmare. Taking in a deep breath of the cold, rainy air, he took his place at the nose of ship. He stared blankly down at the frantic town as they began to rise into the air, finally moving away from the worst thing that he had ever done in his life. Closing his eyes, he lowered his head and touched the satchel that held the precious stone. He felt it’s warmth seep into him through the leather. It warmed his hand though, and his hand only, for the rest of his body was frigid with the events that had just occurred. Secretly, the Captain wished that his heart was made of stone, for stone can’t possibly feel the pain that he was feeling at this very moment. He longed for the touch, or even just the presence of Rosa. She can always calm him and sooth his emotions, no matter how hard he tried to mask them.

Suddenly, a barely audible voice managed to break into his thoughts. The words that he absorbed from the crewman angered him greatly. Something about not believing in stealing such a valuable stone from the Mysidians. Deep inside, Cecil agreed, but the strength of his position as Captain of the Red Wings took over his speech. Turning around violently, he looked into the face of a one of his tinier soldiers. For such a small man, he had a lot of guts.

"Stop questioning me!" he cried out in fury, fighting his conscience. Cecil’s emotions swirled inside of him. "Possessing the Crystal is an essential factor for our prosperity! Moreover, His Majesty judged that the Mysidians knew too much about the secrets of the Crystal and that they might use it to their advantage! We are the Red Wings, the air force of the Kingdom of Baron! The royal command is absolute!" He turned to the edge of the airship and looked down at the swirling ocean as it raged beneath them. The burning sensation of bile in his throat threatened to explode from within him. He didn’t agree with one word that had just come out of his mouth. Not one word.

* * *

Cecil clutched the satchel that held the Crystal with shaking hands as he left the his crew to tend to the ship. He headed for the castle gate. There to meet him was Baigan, the King’s assistant and head of security. A large man with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, Baigan stared down at Cecil with curiosity. His sharp features made him look suspicious and had always struck Cecil the wrong way. Avoiding eye contact, the Captain stared down at the satchel.

"I trust that you have retrieved the Crystal of Water," Baigan inquired to Cecil, a hint of mockery in his voice.

God, Baigan, you bastard, Cecil thought with irritation. That cocky, son of a bitchin’ attitude really grinded his bones. Ever since the two had started working together so many years ago, Baigan has always bugged him, acting like he was all high and mighty. In his current state of mind, Cecil wasn’t up to dealing with his crap, and was actually tempted to reach down Baigan’s throat and rip out his lungs. Instead, though, he replied with the same mockery.

"No," Cecil replied icily. "I sailed my ass all the way to Mysidia, and sailed all the way back, with nothing, mind you, all for my good god damn health!"

Baigan raised his eyebrows and his lips curled into a wicked sneer. "Touché! Is my friend, Captain of the Red Wings, Dark Knight Cecil slightly miffed at me? God forbid!"

"I got the stupid Crystal, ok? Now just let me by so I can get to the King and get his thing off my conscience." He tried to side step Baigan but the arrogant man stopped him

Looking at Cecil suspiciously, his eyes burned into the Dark Knight. "What are you saying, fellow Dark Knight of mine? Am I sensing a slight weakness in your stature?" There was a pause and Cecil said nothing. Baigan continued, the shrillness of his voice increasing. "Are you feeling actually sympathy towards those wretched Mysidians?!" Cecil shook his head and bit down on his lower lip, almost to the point of making it bleed. The best thing to do right now was keep his mouth shut, before his anger flowed into his fists and was unleashed onto Baigan’s ugly face. The cocky assistant to the King sneered again in Cecil’s direction but dropped the subject.

"This way, oh strong Captain Cecil," he said in a sickeningly sweet voice, and turned on heel, walking into the castle. With a deep breath, he followed. Baigan led the Dark Knight through the castle toward the King’s throne room. The stone halls of the palace reeked of it’s old age, releasing a stuffy, humid air that consumed his lungs. He felt the eyes of various guards stare holes right through his armor as he carried on. Keeping his face forward, Cecil did his best to ignore their glares and whispers, although it was extremely hard.

Wow, he must have gotten the Crystal!...

The King is going to be pleased...

I don’t know how he could have done such a thing...

After what seemed like hours, they finally reached the King’s throne room. Baigan whispered something to one of the soldiers that was guarding the door. Cecil felt his face get red and the hair on the back of his neck stand up as Baigan and the guard both gave him a quick, odd glance. He hated being mocked. God, he hated it. Without further hesitation, the guard nodded, and opened the door. Baigan turned to his side and with the sweeping of his arm, motioned for the Dark Knight to enter the King’s chambers. He did so with a quick stride, eager to rid himself of the Crystal. He was met by the King of Baron, a thick, stout man with a purple beard and hair that was tucked inside the massive crown of jewels he wore upon his head.

"It’s so good to see that you are back safely, Cecil," the King said with an almost fake sense of relief. He stood up in front of his throne and held out of his hands. "We thank you, Cecil, for completing this essential mission. Now...where is it?"

Reaching into his satchel, Cecil slowly pulled the Crystal out. It’s light shed silently upon him ever so innocently. The warmth still only radiated into his hand, no farther than his frozen wrist. "Here, My Liege." His mind was awhirl as he handed the Crystal to Baigan, who then transferred it to the King.

"It’s the real thing..." Baigan said in awe of the glowing cerulean treasure.

The King chuckled happily as he turned the Crystal over and over in his hands. As Cecil watched him do so, anger began to gather in the pit of his stomach. A renewed anger not only towards the King for making him steal it but towards himself for accepting the order in the first place. It belonged in Mysidia, with the wizards and the Elder of the town, not here in the hands of a King that he did not know anymore. He turned to leave but stopped dead in his tracks as a wave of emotions seemed to become cement in his feet.

"Your Majesty!" he cried, circling around to face them. The King and Baigan snapped to attention, totally taken aback at Cecil’s rude, disrespectful interruption.

"What?!" the King exclaimed, standing up from his throne once again. Cecil cringed at this site but continued to speak. He could stand the weight on his mind no longer. Before he knew it, his conscience poured onto the floor.

"My crew and I do not understand the meaning of taking crystals away from honest people!" A tiny chunk of guilt lifted itself off his heart. The look in the King’s eyes, though, made him shrink back and almost regret that he had said it. Almost. Almost.

"Disobeying me?!" the King cried with an immediate rising anger. The mission to Mysidia had made Cecil temporarily forget that the King of Baron had one of the worst and short fused tempers in all of the land. He began to shake his head in reply.

"No but..."

"We do not know of your discontent Cecil," he continued, angrily, his voice full of pure non tolerance. "If you cannot trust me, the I can no longer trust you. You are dismissed from your post as Captain of the Red Wings!"

Those words stung Cecil right in the heart. Dismissal from his position. He looked up at his higher power with amazement. The King’s drastic and such sudden words were something that Cecil never would have expected him to say. This was not like him! He had always somewhat favored Cecil, much to the cisapproval of Baigan. Having mentored Cecil from his teen years, it was especially strange for him to react in such a way. He had always been the most lenient towards the Dark Knight.

"Your Majesty!" Cecil cried, removing his head gear and pushing his black hair out of his face. He stepped up onto the platform of the throne. The King’s eyes were blazing with anger. Two guards stepped in front of Cecil and pushed him back. "Please, listen to me! I mean not to disobey you, just to inform you of how I feel about this! Please don’t condemn me before you have heard my side!"

The King shook his head, letting Cecil’s pleas roll right off his back. "I am not willing to listen to this right now. There is too much to be done."

"Please, My Liege!" Cecil cried, as the guards pushed him back again. The King shook his head violently again, not acknowledging the Dark Knights requests.

"I will give you one last mission to prove your loyalty to me Cecil." The King snapped his fingers. Baigan pulled a tiny brown package out of his satchel and handed it to Cecil. "Take this package to the Village Mist. You may depart in the morning." Once again, Cecil tried to step up to the King but he was detained again. Suddenly, the door to the throne room flew open. It was Kain, Cecil’s Dragoon best friend.

"Your Majesty!" Kain cried, his deep, accented voice bellowed. Cecil turned and watched as the Dragoon marched up to his side. Even though he had his helmet on, Cecil could see into his best friend’s eyes. Those eyes...they were so black and always so serious. He fit the position of Captain of Dragoons, a group of skilled fighters that excelled in Jump attacks, extremely well. His dark blue armor shimmered in the light, giving off a strong air of strength and authority. The King looked shocked, as did Baigan. Kain continued. "Cecil didn’t mean to disrespect you!"

The King exploded in rage then, unable to deal with the defiance that was taking place in front of him. "If that is so, then you should take some lessons from him, you wretch! If you are so concerned with him, then you can go with him tomorrow to Mist!"

"Your MAJESTY!" Cecil cried desperately, daring to raise his voice. Frustration emanated from him. Baigan’s eyes widened at Cecil’s gaul as the King’s face turned red with fury.

"NOW!" he fumed. "LEAVE WITH THE PACKAGE!"

"Your Majesty!..."

"Cecil, SHUT UP! Go before I banish you from Baron altogether!" With that, the two royal purple guards forced Kain and Cecil out the door and slammed it behind them. Cecil turned back and looked at the throne room door with anger and anguish.

"What in God’s name is wrong with him Kain?!" Cecil cried, running his right hand through his sweaty hair. He looked up at his friend as he realized what had just gone on. Never in his life has he stood up to the King like that. Never. "Kain, I’m really sorry. I don’t want you to get dragged into this! God damn, I hate this!"

Kain chuckled and looked at his friend. He spoke with a deep Toroian drawl. "Don’t worry about me! I am not afraid of what the King will do to me!" Cecil looked at his friend gratefully. At first site, he looks almost evil because of his dark blue armor and dragon like helmet. In most cases, Kain is quiet and menacing around people he didn’t know but he opened right up when he was with Cecil. The Dragoon continued. "He will put you back in command after you get back."

Cecil sighed heavily. Looking at the package, he replied, "I am not sure that I want my post back Kain." He felt the eyes of his best friend looking at him. "Truly?!" Kain replied, with great surprise. "That is not like you Cecil! I thought you were so extremely proud of that position!"

Cecil nodded hesitantly and pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes, suddenly feeling very weak. The days events had finally caught up to him. Breathing in, and pushing his weakness down into the pit of his stomach, he settled his eyes onto the brown box in his hand. A curiosity struck him. "What do you think is in this package, Kain?"
The Dragoon looked, too, at the package, his head cocked. Taking the brown box, he held it up to his ears and shook it. "Not sure, Cecil. It’s pretty damn light." Sighing again, the Dark Knight suddenly felt even more weak in his knees and he grunted as they finally buckled underneath him. Kain quickly caught his friend.

"Cecil!" he cried. "Are you okay?!" The Dark Knight used Kain to steady himself, took another breath, and then nodded.

"I am fine," he replied. His best friend looked at him with extreme doubt. "I am fine! Really I am. I just had a second of weakness. I will be better once I get some rest."

"Ok," Kain replied. "I’ll help you to your room." Cecil shook his head and stepped back, steadying himself. Taking yet another deep breath, he fought his weakness.

"I’ll be fine, Kain. Really. Just let me go. I’ll meet you here in the morning okay?" Kain’s reluctant eyes looked his friend. Reading his thoughts, Cecil reassured him yet again.

"Alright...Good night then Cecil. I will hold onto the package." The Dark Knight nodded, not arguing one bit. He said good night to his friend and turned towards his room. Taking it one slow step at a time, the hall seemed ever so long, and was only made longer, for Kain’s eyes were following him the whole way. Soon enough, he was out of his friend’s sight and continued walking slowly to his room. Each step in the stairwell that led to his dormitory seemed like a mountain. It took all of his strength to lift each of his weighted feet to the next obstacle. At long last though, he came to his destination. Weakly, he pushed open the heavy wooden door. His eyes immediately fell upon the walls. Four swords hung, each representing one of Cecil’s promotions all the way up to the Captain of the Red Wings. Seeing them made his heart fill with rage and he finally snapped.

"These swords mean NOTHING!" he bellowed, unable to stand the sight of his relics. "NOT WHEN THEY ARE USED FOR EVIL!" Heart pounding, Cecil lunged forward and ripped them off of the wall, heaving them one by one across the room. He looked at himself in the wall mirror. He did not see a Dark Knight, dressed in blue armor, the Captain of the Red Wings. No. No. NO! He saw a coward who had given in to an evil that he didn’t even understand.

"AAAAAARG!!!" Heaving in fury, the Dark Knight stared at his reflection and was disgusted with what he saw. He was not a man. With one powerful blow of his fist, Cecil shattered the mirror. Broken shards lay all over the floor, a metaphor for his emotions. He ripped his armor from his body and threw it to the floor. It belonged on the floor among the dirt. He put a blue tunic on that was on his dresser.

Physically and emotionally drained, Cecil climbed into his bed. "What has happened to His Majesty?" he thought aloud, staring at the ceiling, trying to catch his breath. "The Crystal of Water of Mysidia...did we really have to snatch it from peace loving people?" His head pounded. "NEVER AGAIN! Even if ordered." And with that, he was asleep, exhausted by the day’s events.

* * *

Cecil was awakened by the crunching of glass. Slowly, he opened his eyes, still too tired to be alarmed at the possibility of an intruder. He saw a beautiful figure looking around her feet at the once whole mirror. It was Rosa, his long time, wonderful, kind, loving friend. The woman he had longed for on the airship. The woman that was making his heart flutter at that very moment. He suddenly became aware of his disheveled room and cursed himself for the making the mess

"Don’t ask," Cecil muttered to her and sat up. Rosa looked up. He longed to meet her gaze but he could not. He was too ashamed of himself and felt unworthy of her attention. Oh God, Rosa....hold me...

"Oh Cecil..." she whispered, her words landing on his heart with the softness of velvet. The sound of her boots clicking on the floor as she made her way over the bed echoed through Cecil’s ears. He wondered if she could hear the pounding of his heart. Continuing to avoid looking at her, for fear of passing out, Cecil stared at his sweaty palms. She sat gingerly down on the bed beside him and placed her soft hand on shoulder. The spot where she touched him instantly melted, warmed by her godly touch. Squeezing his eyes shut, he turned towards the wall.

"How can you look at me Rosa?" he asked her sadly, his voice raspy and hard. "How can you possibly look at me?"

"Please don’t look away from me," she said softly and reached around to his cheek. Unable to resist her touch, Cecil let her turn his head towards her. He finally brought himself to look at her. Her gentle, sky blue eyes stared back at him with genuine concern. Enamored with her, Cecil just stared back, trying not to show his sadness. It was useless, though, because she could see right through him. With one soft movement, she ran her hand down Cecil’s face. Oh, how her touch felt so good to him. The urge to kiss her tender lips overcame him but he held back, knowing she thought him to be nothing more than a friend.

"We had to rob the Crystal from innocent people in Mysidia..." Cecil whispered with incredible sadness. This was tearing him up inside, knotting his stomach over and over and crushing it under the weight of his own impenetrable guilt. Sensing his pain, Rosa hugged moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Cecil welcomed it, clinging to her, not wanting her to let go. After what seemed like hours, he lifted his head and spoke. "I am just a Dark Knight with no courage to disobey His Majesty." She pulled away from him.

"You are a noble man, Cecil," she said reassuringly. He hung on each and every one of her wise words. Though his room was dark, he could still absorb the brightness of her long, flowing blonde hair as it fell past her shoulders and brushed lightly against her breasts. The coolness of her pale skinned hand on his face, ironically enough, warmed him better than any fire ever could have. She continued. "You will do what feels right in your heart. You are going to Mist tomorrow, am I right?" He nodded miserably. "Please be careful. I don’t want anything to happen to you."

"Don’t worry Rosa!" Cecil cried, pulling back and putting his hand on her shoulder. The thought of his crush worrying over him made him tense. She did not need that. "Kain is going with me. We will be fine and we will be back as soon as the mission is over."

"Ok..." She suddenly looked very tired. "I am going to bed Cecil. Promise me you will take care of yourself." He did so. "You be careful tomorrow, and come back to me. Take care." She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. Oh God Rosa, I will always come back for you...

"Good night..." It was so unbelievably heart wrenching for him to say that, to watch her leave his room and close the door, leaving him there all by himself. He wanted her by his side, to hold him, to comfort him. She was so good at that. But she was gone. "Thank you Rosa," he whispered. "But I am still just a Dark Knight."

* * *

The next morning, Cecil met Kain in the main hall of the castle.

"Do you have the package?" Kain asked Cecil. The Dark Knight nodded. "Good. Let’s go!" With that, the two men marched out of the castle, as of they were leaving a world behind, ready to start anew.

Thus, the Dark Knight Cecil was expelled from his

command as a Captain of the Red Wings. And he

and Dragoon Kain left Baron for the Village Mist in

a valley enclosed in deep fog. Airships had been a

dream of many people. After the realization of the

dream came greed and ambition. Through its fleet

of airships, Baron became the most powerful nation.

But why is Baron seeking the crystals? Why do the

monsters keep increasing? The crystal was shedding

its light silently...

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