A great clamor arose from outside. Cid opened the shutters. A huge whale sat out front in the desert sands.

"Hey Grandpa! Are you ready with the equipment yet?"

*****

"There you go, she's all ready. The crane is installed, and I've been able to reroute some of the wires, so now I've been able to make a little more room inside. I figure that you can use the cranes next time you take off, and after having an airship inside, the whale will have about 300 square feet for cargo. You have crew quarters for twenty people, but if you sleep in shifts, you can fit... maybe 35 people in there," Cid rattled off.

"Thanks Grandpa," Celes said, smiling.

"No prob... cough... no problem."

"Grandpa. Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes. I'm just getting a little... old." He seemed to shudder at the thought.

"Do you want to come along? Have another adventure?" Celes tried to offer anventure once again to her "Grandpa".

"No, actually, Edgar wants me to stay here. He wants me to build some airships for him. He wants them called the same name they were called many years ago... the Red Wings!" Cid seemed happy to be useful.

"Alright. If you say so..." Celes thought.

*****

Celes knocked on the door. "Rosa... Are you in there?"

"Just a second." Rosa came out of the room. "Isn't this place wonderful? This Edgar person, he's given us every comfort. Plus, that Cid person seems as skilled with mechanics as the Cid I knew ever was." Rosa said, "I'm going to like this century."

"Well, the high-and-mighty king might be coming with us on our journey. Figure in... maybe, a half-dozen old friends on the moon, you, me, Edgar and Rydia, and we have ten people. Then I'm pretty sure Cyan would be at his castle, that gives us eleven, and..." Celes started.

"Hold it." Rosa interrupted. "If you broke this Whale out of its "sleep" just so you could see your friends again...."

"No. I told you, we have to get to the moon. Then, we see if everything is alright and maybe even start a trade agreement while we're at it..."

"You're power-crazed." Rosa giggled like a little girl.

"If you want to see power-crazed, talk to Emperor Edgar," Celes said with a cryptic smile.

*****

"Good-bye. See you all later," Cid called out.

The Big Whale flew once again.

POP! Another balloon deflated.

"What magic is that?" Rosa asked, fighting a Grenade.

"I don't know. It's connected to this crystal. When I feel different, my sword seems to reflect it. By the way, how come you still have your magic?"

"I think it has to do with guarding the crystal of flight inside the Big Whale."

*****

Celes was way ahead of Rosa. She said she had to stop off and visit some old friends in a cave nearby. Oh well, she'd just wait for her.

Celes carefully picked her way through the debris of the Crystal Palace. She wondered what had happened to it.

A sound, behind her.

She turned, and found herself face-to-mask with a ninja. "Who are you?" they both asked.

"It doesn't matter. What is your business here? I must ask you to leave if you can't give me a good answer."

A male, Celes reasoned. No older than twenty-five. This would be a piece of cake. "I am here to find an old friend of mine."

"BUZZZ! Wrong answer! I was one of the last people to visit this planet, and no human has been here since. You must leave now, or I'll have to hurt you, as much as I would hate to hurt someone like yourself."

"Sorry. I'm not going anywhere." She turned to walk away. The ninja leapt quickly, and was on the other side of her, blocking her passage, before she had taken five steps.

"Alright then, you asked for it." He drew two swords. This would be fun.

Celes drew her Rune Blade. CLANG! His two swords against Celes' one. "Fire3!" It hit the ninja full in the chest, and knocked one of his swords away from him. He had obviously been caught off guard. Celes charged. The swords hit again. They were standing less than two feet apart now, and neither could still get the upper hand.

He was reaching into his pocket. Probably a throwing weapon, like Shadow had. Now what could she do? A thought flashed in her mind. Sure, it had worked on Wren's assistant. Why not?

She kneed him in the groin. He stumbled backward, tripped over some rock, and fell to the floor. Celes ran over, kicked the sword out of his hand, put one foot on him, and put her sword just centimeters above his throat.

"Celes! What are you doing?" a familiar voice called out.

"Rydia!"

"You're hurting Edge!"

Celes couldn't help but smile. She took her foot off him.

"I don't know about you, Rydia, but my male friends can actually beat people up."

"This is that Celes person?!?!"

"This is Celes, the girl I've been telling you about."

FuSoYa appeared from the same entrance as Rydia, and was coming over now, wanting to see the first human to visit the moon in centuries.

Just then Rosa stepped into the room. She ran over to Celes, and watched her pick up Edge off the floor. "Still all talk and no fight, eh Edge?"

"Rosa!" Rydia and Edge cried in unison.

"Chosen One, why are you here?" FuSoYa asked.

"Chosen one?" Celes asked.

"I was chosen to guard the Big Whale." Rosa replied.

"The Big Whale is here?" Rydia said with a smile.

"We'll talk about the present later. Right now we all have more catching up to do."

*****

"But Golbez was going to the blue planet," FuSoYa said. "Why should we go?"

"I think there has to be a way to permanently re-establish magic, and we just have to find it. If you want the most current information, Earth is where to go."

"All right, Chosen One, I'm going," FuSoYa replied.

"Then I'm going too," Rydia said.

"Well, I really think I'm needed more here, but I have to protect Rydia from this crazy woman here." Edge gestured to Celes.

"That's nice of you, Edge, but who is going to protect me from you?"

Celes and Rosa both laughed.

"I guess we're all going now."

"That Celes... she's a much greater warrior than I ever thought her to be. But that's my way, though... always jumping into bigger things that I can't handle. Still, I can't help but wonder... maybe it's just that I'm losing my skill... my edge above my enemies..."

Edge turned to look at FuSoYa.

"And him, the Lunar. Where was he when I needed him? And why have both he and Golbez been awakened?" Edge's face became twisted with anger. "And WHY did Golbez abandon us on the moon?" Edge slammed his fist on the console. He then looked about, hoping no one noticed.

Edge swirled about in his chair to gaze upon Rosa.

"Hmm. There's not much to say about her; she and I never really got along too well. I wonder why she's been assigned to guard the Big Whale? I mean, she IS... or WAS... Queen of Baron. One would think that to be a larger responsibility than watching over a buried airship." Edge shrugged.

"And Rydia. It warms my heart to see her again... but I can't help but wonder why she left the Land of Summoned Monsters... I always thought she'd be happiest there."

"The world has been thrown for a loop, no doubt about it. And all I could do was sit underground and watch. Now we're floating miles and miles above the Blue Planet in search of hell-knows-what, and all I'm doing here is watching some blinking lights."

"I was defeated in single combat. My world was destroyed about me. My long-lost friends have come back for no apparent reason. We're drifting about in space, searching for some unknown 'threat'."

"Beats being home."

Edge managed a smile under his mask.

"I wonder..."

Curious, Edge decided to toy with the various controls of the sensor system, setting up a sensor sweep of the Blue Planet. What was revealed to him, he kept to himself. He felt the burning sensation of rage and revenge welling up inside him.

Golbez's ship had crash-landed on the planet below. And he was alone.

"You will give me an explanation, Golbez," Edge swore to himself, "And then you will die."

Edge clenched his fist, and returned the sensors to continuous scan.

The throned figure spoke. "The storm served its purpose. The ship is lost, and Locke is no more."

"Then why call me here, Master?" Kharazz was beginning to feel... curious. Yes.

"There is another problem. The Big Whale has been awakened."

He stood mute for only a moment. "By whom, Master?"

"Celes. She has recovered her magic, and has rallied the white wizardess and the ancient Caller of Mist to her side. She is on the moon as we speak."

"And you wish me to...?"

"Remove the Big Whale. And eliminate Celes, or her magic, if it is convenient."

Kharazz bowed. "Of course, Master. Surely you do not forget who, and what, I am."

"You never cease to remind me. Go, Fiend of Shadow. Support your boasts with action."

Kharazz nodded. "The fiends of times past may have failed, but I and my brethren have more power. I will not fail you, Master."

His only answer was a low chuckle from the throne above him.

Invisible within his shadow, he studied the crew of this ancient Lunarian vessel. There was the Lunar, FuSoYa. In times past, the ancient one would have sensed his presence easily. But he was nothing without his magic, which was fading rapidly. FuSoYa would be helpless against him.

The golden-haired woman... she was the one who had helped the Paladin destroy Zeromus so many centuries ago. Her magic seemed to linger on, and her skill with a bow was not insignificant. Still, if he felled her before she had the chance to cast White, he would win. He could use his Shadow Shroud to block her white magic.

Near her was the Caller. She might just be the most dangerous of them, he mused. Bahamut and Leviathan answer her calls. I must take care not to confront her directly. Perhaps I can cloud her mind with Illusion, make her think one of the others is her enemy?

Dismissing her, he turned to the object of his mission, the ex-Knight Celes. That sword registered as roughly equivalent to the Illumina, but fortunately it was not a blade of Light. Illumina would have been deadly to Kharazz. Her magic was less troublesome. The flame spells would be dangerous, but if he could act first...

It all depended on his ability to strike first, he realized. If he did not, he could not defeat all of these at once. And from past indication, Celes would not split from these others. She would gather more allies. There were combinations he could not defeat. He had to strike soon... but not yet.

He turned his attention to the last member. A masked man... Could this be the ninja Edge, of Eblan? Still alive, after all this time? Incredible. He sensed... something. Hate. Anger. Yes. He could use this man. Eblan's king would be his instrument to defeat Celes and destroy the Big Whale. He was not Jardek, the Fiend of Mind, but he could do just as well.

He chuckled in amusement as he stepped further into the shadow and travelled from the Big Whale to his lair in the Land of Darkness. He would plan carefully, this time. This time, he would be victorious.

Kharazz, the Master of Shadows, laughed at the darkness.

Hoping everyone's attention was elsewhere, Edge creeped over to the wall adjacent to the console. Little was there, not even dust. The shadow of the console filled the space where Edge examined. "It might have been my imagination," Edge thought, "but I doubt it. Not much I can do about it now."

Hours passed. Little was spoken, almost as if everyone was in a trance. Everyone was focused on their stations, waiting for something, anything to happen. This waiting grated on Edge's nerves... a lot. Edge sighed.

"I don't remember this trip taking such a long time. There must be something wrong..." Edge looked about the room, examining everyone. " FuSoYa seems to know what he's doing, he DID make the ship and all. I don't think there's anyone with a brighter soul than Rosa... and Rydia... I just couldn't accept that Rydia could do wrong. The only one I can't trust here is Celes. Everyone else helped me defeat the Prime Evil, Zeromus. Now, it seems that this woman marches into our lives and orders us around like she's some kind of Queen. What giver her that right?"

What indeed... hissed a voice.

Edge spun around, and faced his console. Nothing there.

Rydia turned from her station to look at Edge. "Is there something wrong, Edge? You look uptight."

Edge gripped the console so that his knuckles turned white. "No, nothing at all, Rydia." Edge managed a weak smile. "Just bored."

"You're sure?"

"Couldn't be surer... heh heh." Edge returned his attention to the console, breaking Rydia's gaze. Rydia smiled cutely behind Edge's back and resumed her work at her station. "I betcha it's space sickness," she giggled to herself. "Not that he'd admit it."

"Something is amiss," Edge thought. Again, he examined the area around his console. Nothing. Shaking his head, Edge went back to work.

You are correct, Edge...

"Correct?" Edge spoke aloud. "Correct about what?"

Celes cannot be trusted.

"And what makes you say that, whatever you are?" Edge's voice became louder.

Hearing Edge, Rosa left her station to approach him. As she drew nearer, Edge seemed to back away.

"What is the matter with you, Edge?" Rosa looked genuinely concerned. "You look pale..."

"Must be the poor lighting," Edge murmured. Rosa noted that there was almost a wild look to Edge's eyes. "Now go back to your station. You are needed there more than here."

Rosa's eyes grew wide with surprise. "Well," she said coldly, "If that's the way you feel about it..." she spun about and stalked back to her post.

"Rosa... that's not what I... oh, never mind."

Don't worry about her. Celes should concern you more.

Edge inhaled sharply, then exhaled slowly. "Who are you?" he said to no one in particular.

A concerned friend.

"You're no friend of mine. I don't recognize you."

Surely you'd recognize a fellow Hero of Light...?

A form stepped into view from the shadows. About Edge's height, he wore a suit of armour that almost gleamed in the lights of the Big Whale. Almost. His bright violet hair could be seen from under his helmet, and a sword with a blade of obsidian crystal hung at his side.

"Cecil...?" Edge whispered.

Yes. It's me, old friend. But I fear I cannot stay long.

"Hey, everyone!" yelled Edge. "Look, it's Cecil!" Edge pointed to what appeared to be empty space.

Rosa frowned. "That's not funny, Edge. Not funny at all."

"Who's kidding? Can't you see him?" Edge appeared frantic.

FuSoYa set the Big Whale on auto and stepped forward, locking his gaze on Edge. "I sense that you are distressed, Ninja Edge. I feel that you should take a rest. I can monitor the sensors from the bridge." FuSoYa smiled, something he rarely did.

"I'm fine..." Edge said through gritted teeth, "It's the rest of you that are distressed..." Edge shuddered with rage.

"Calm yourself, child." FuSoYa grabbed on to Edge's arm.

"I can escort MYSELF to the rest chambers, THANK YOU." Edge stalked out of the room, scattering various pieces of equipment on his exit. Celes approached Rydia. She did not look impressed.

"Is he always like this, Rydia?"

"Not normally, Celes... I think the long trip is getting to him. He should be fine after he calms down."

"How could you stand to have him on your team? He's not that great a warrior to begin with; he has an awful attitude, and an obvious disregard for things that are important. Were he in MY command, he'd have been out of here LONG ago."

Rydia bristled under Celes's harsh tone. "Edge is a good friend, Celes... please don't judge him by the way he acts. Given the chance, he'll pull through. I guarantee it."

"I'll take your word for it, Rydia."

****

Edge hopped onto one of the beds that had been installed in the old version of the Big Whale. Edge uttered a verbal command, "Lights off," adn the room grew dark. Edge lay back on the bed, and tried to relax.

Relax, friend. All will be fine.

"You're still here!" Edge exclaimed.

Yes, and only you can see me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before.

"That's OK, Cecil. Now, what's the problem?"

I'm here to warn you about Celes.

"I KNEW she was trouble!" Edge slammed a fist into his open palm.

She had been awakened by Golbez to escort you and the others into danger. Golbez knows that you are on to him, and he wants the Heroes of Light to be destroyed. So, he sent Celes to gather Rydia and anyone else she could find and collect them on the Big Whale.

"But why?"

Your current course, Edge, is the Sun. FuSoYa is not aware of this fact. Genius that he is, he is not a proficient astral navigator. He won't know that you're all headed to the Sun until it's much too late.

"But won't Celes be destroyed as well?"

Golbez cares not. Celes is cannon fodder to him.

"Where are you now, Cecil? Why didn't Golbez get to you?"

Golbez crashed on the planet below in a place known as the Veldt. I am some distance from him. I intend to track him down and put a stop to him, brother or no.

Hurry, Edge. Defeat Celes before all is lost.

Cecil faded from view.

"Don't worry, Cecil. I won't let you down."

Edge took his swords from their storage compartment, and fingered the Orb shard in his vest pocket.

"Now that I have magic, Celes..."

Edge struck out with Murasame. It neatly cleaved the top off a bedpost, which fell to the ground with a thump.

"... you do not have a prayer."

******

The Fiend of Shadow grinned in triumph.

"And neither do you, Caller Rydia."

    My Dearest Rydia,


        I'm sorry.


        My presence on the Big Whale would have caused open hostility

    between Celes and myself.  But don't you think that my aggression was

    unjustified.


        I did see Cecil, if no one else did.  He warned me of Golbez's

    plot.


        Yes, Golbez.


        He abandoned us on the Moon, Rydia.  Left without even so much as

    a good-bye.  If Rosa hadn't have shown up to save us, I fear that we

    would have been killed, without even little pieces of us to look for.


        Celes is an agent of Golbez, sent to gather the Heroes of Light

    together.  Once together, he would have us all destroyed.


        You may not be aware of it, but Celes intends to hurl the Big

    Whale into the Sun.  I know not if FuSoYa is aware of that fact.  He

    may be in charge of steering, but I think he's in for a real shock.


        Please show this to everyone you deem worthy.  As much as I don't

    show it, I truly care for you, Rydia.  And a plunge into the sun is no

    fitting end for friends as noble as Rosa and FuSoYa.


        In case you must resort to violence, be assured that I have taken

    care of Celes's casting abilities.  Do not worry.  The shard is safe

    with me.


        Know this: I am somewhere on the Blue Planet, stalking Golbez.  I

    know where he is.


        Do not try and stop me, Rydia.  I may not return.  Losing you

    would be a far greater pain than being defeated in battle.


    May the Light shine brightly,


    Edge.