"Yes, master," Doom Gaze replied mechanically. His dull eyes glowed, and he vaulted himself into the air, jarring his riders rather uncomfortably. The great mechanical beast flapped his wings steadily, silently awaiting orders.

"Lessee, Albrook is here," Tiamat said to herself, studying the map. "So if we head north, we should eventually reach Narshe. That is, if another hurricane doesn't hit us."

"Isn't Narshe a bit too isolated to be a thriving metropolis?" Kraken asked doubtfully. "It seems to be on an island with nothing but mountains..."

"Well, it won't do to just sit here talking about it all day," Garland said. "I say we give it a try." The fiends agreed with Garland's sentiment. "Well then!" Garland continued. "Head due north, noble steed!"

Doom Gaze started to build up speed, and soon the fiends were racing across the sky towards their new destination.

"Hey, this thing really moves!" Kary exclaimed.

"Yikes!" Lich said, clutching Doom Gaze for dear life. The great ocean below wasn't very appealing to him at all.

The team raced on, and soon enough, the Sabil mountain range could be seen directly ahead.

"There it is," Tiamat exclaimed. "Take us down, Doomer!"

Doom Gaze wheeled and circled recklessly, landing just outside the gates of Narshe. The sign which read that name hung loosely from one bolt. It swung and creaked in the breeze. There were no people to be seen. The icy wind howled in the fiends' ears.

"It's f-f-f-freeezing!" Kary complained, hugging herself and shivering. Garland threw her his cloak, which she greatfully accepted.

"Where..." Tiamat started. "Where is everyone? WHERE DID EVERYBODY GO?"

"I dunno," Kraken said. "Maybe Arby's...?"

"What?" Garland asked, confused.

"You'll understand when you're immortal," Lich assured him.

"I... don't get it..." Tiamat trailed off. "Where could everyone have gone?"

"Most are dead," a voice behind the fiends answered. The fiends whipped around to find a man of some years leaning against a building covered with snow. "You all look tired and cold. Come inside, would ya? I'll explain everything." The fiends followed the middle-aged man into the building.

Inside, they found a pleasant atmosphere. There was another man behind a counter, and many more wandering about the building, discussing the proper way to deal with a Behemoth, or just how elixirs could be mass produced. "Have a seat." The man said. The fiends found various seats around the room within earshot. "My name's Arvis. I been in this town for twenty-some years. I know all about it."

"So where is everyone?" Kraken asked. A serving girl who was serving tea couldn't help staring at the water fiend's blue eyes. So blue, you could drown in them...

"Well, some took refuge in this here training house. Most people were killed, and a few just left. Now this town's forsaken, and mostly run by monsters and thieves. Even the Moogles went!" Arvis was surprised that anyone wouldn't know all that already.

"What's a moogle?" Kary asked.

"It's kinda like a white teddy bear with bat wings," Arvis replied. "Need anything else made clear?"

"Yeah," Lich answered. "Why's the world in such a lousy state?" The serving girl chose not to look at Lich's face, for fear of fainting.

"Don't you know?" Arvis asked, wide eyed. "You're not from around here, are ya?"

"Oh no, not at all," Garland said, recieving his tea. There was something about him that made the serving girl uneasy, but she couldn't place it.

Arvis proceeded to tell a brief summary of the end of the world, Kefka's reign and defeat, and the disappearance of magic. Then he asked, "How come you didn't know that?"

"Well," Tiamat started. "You might not believe it, but... we're from another time."

"We're the Fiends of The Elements. I am Kary, of Fire." The serving girl envied Kary's looks.

"Lich, of Earth."

"Kraken, of the Sea."

"I am Tiamat, of the Wind and Sky. Also Queen of Evil Dragons. How do you do?"

"And this fellow...?" Arvis inquired.

"I am Garland, Keeper of Chaos, Guardian of the Temple of Fiends, and Master of the Black Orb Of Time. I'm also their boss."

"That's quite a title..." Arvis said, impressed. "Which should I call you?"

"Garland is fine, we needn't be formal." Garland proceeded to tell Arvis the entire history of his travels, and how he adopted his titles. He even told of his defeat at the Temple of Fiends, and the legend of the Light Warriors. How the orbs were lit, and darkened, and lit again. "Unfortunately, we've lost most of our power by coming to this world."

"Won't it return?" Arvis asked.

"Well," Tiamat said, "yes, but slowly. We need to find and light the orbs again to get it all back and light the Black Orb, so we can go home." The serving girl refilled her cup of tea. "Could you get me something for my head, dearie? I've got a killer migraine."

"You know something about orbs, old man?" Lich asked disrespectfully.

"Hmmm..." Arvis thought aloud. "Not for sure, but I think the Elder had some books about ancient elemental stuff..."

"Where's the elder?" Kraken asked anxiously.

"Oh, he's dead!" Arvis replied.

The fiends and Garland groaned simultaneously, and so loudly, everyone in the place looked their way.

"However, his house is still standing," Arvis said reassuringly. "It's uptown aways."

"WHERE?" the five said together.

"I'll take ya there," Arvis said. He got up. "Follow me."

* - * - *

The group crept along the streets of Narshe. They stayed up against walls, and moved slowly. Suddenly, the sick sound of some lupine creature baying could be heard. "Aw, crud!" Arvis said. "It's a Red Wolf. Hurry, they're vicious!" The party hurried on. The baying came again, from very close. Suddenly, Kary spotted a glowing crimson figure in a nearby alley.

"Um, guys?" the fire fiend said, concerned.

"SSHH!" Arvis snapped. "Do you wanna be -" As Arvis spoke, the great beast pounced from the shadows, saliva dripping from its great jaws. It snarled, and circled the party. The monstrous wolf stood five feet at the shoulder, and looked positively bloodthirsty. No one moved. At length, the beast lunged.

Fast as lightning, Lich sprang forward, kicking the Red Wolf in the chest. The beast fell back, surprised, then sprang to its feet again, snarling and frothing. It lunged again, this time at Lich in particular. It took his arm in its great jaws. Lich managed to shake him off, but was bleeding rather badly. The beast uttered a low, guttural growl, and talons sprang from its canine paws. Lich and the others gasped. The monster pounced upon Lich, tearing and ripping at hi body.

Tiamat gasped.

"Oh no!" Kraken said.

An eerie silence fell over all. The Red Wolf stood triumphantly over the still body of the once great Lich, Master of Earth, and Lord of the Undead. Kary began to cry. Kraken stood silently. Garland gawked. Tiamat sniffed. Arvis sniffed as well. "He was a good man, I'm sure..."

Then something curious happened. "ha... Ha... Ha ha ha... HAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHA! Foolish DOG!" the body of the fallen Lich shouted manaically. The snapping of bones knitting made the other fiends shudder. The skeletal hands shot up, puncturing the flesh and organs of the gargantuan Wolf. The Undead Lord stood, hoisting the great beast over his death's head. With a great grunt, he sent the monster careening through a nearby weapons shop, with enough force to kill about anything. A great crash of wood, brick, and wolf could be heard in the classroom. "Right..." The bloodied form of Lich said. "Let's get going... WELL? WHAT ARE YOU ALL STARIN' AT?"

The group continued through the town, with no further attackers, as could be expected.

"Here, I'll break it down!" Lich reeled. "Just shtep ashide, and I'll... ugh..."

"No, Lich..." Kary said, piteously. "Let me..."

Lich snorted through his bloody nostrils. "Why?"

"In each of my arms," Kary replied, I've got the strength of three."

"And yer legs are just sexy!" Garland followed.

"Watch," Kary said, and proceeded to throw Garland through the door.

"That works," Arvis said. "But I do have a key..."

Once inside, the fiends took a good look around the house. They saw no books. "I don't see no books..." Lich groaned.

"Yeah, where're the books?" Garland asked, still slightly dazed from his recent flight.

"Come with me," Arvis said, pulling a shelf back to reveal a stairway, leading down. "This leads to the Elder's secret library. All his Almanacs, records, and references are stored down here. If he's got something on orbs, this is where it'll be."

Books. Scads of books. Forests of books. Lots of books. "Oy!" Garland groaned. "Now THAT'S a lot of books." He went to the center of the room, which was quite large. "That's a lot of books... a lot."

"Let's get reading," said Kraken, picking up a book labeled "Vol. 1" and starting to read at page one.

"Oh, no," Arvis laughed. "You'll never find it that way. If you were to read every book in here, you'd have your power back completely before you were done!"

"Well, let's get skimming!" Kary said enthusiastically.

* - * - *

Two days passed. There was quite a pile of books in the middle of the floor, and Kary was in the process of wading through it. "You got anything yet, Cutie?"

"Nothing yet," Garland shouted back from a very tall ladder. "There are a few books in Lefeinish, though. I think I'm on the right track."

"Lefeinish?" Arvis asked.

"An ancient language of a highly advanced race," Kraken answered, fumbling with three books at once. "From our time."

"Hey, I found something!" Tiamat said. The others looked over. "Oh, never mind, these are crystals..."

"I'll go check the Elder's personal notes," Arvis said. "Maybe They'll have something."

The next day, Arvis came racing back to the library, very excited. He was overjoyed. "By Joe, I think I've got it!" He exclaimed.

"What is it?" asked Lich, who by now was quite up to speed on his history.

"It's an index," Arvis shouted. "To the whole library!"

"Hey, great," Garland yelled from his ladder. "Too bad we already tore half the place apart! This place looks like the Battle of the Magi must've!"

"The book you're looking for is on the top of shelf (E)," Arvis projected. "It's called, 'The Everything-You-Need-To-Know about Magic And Stuff Book.'"

"I don't... Oh, here it is..." Garland examined the book carefully. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "I wrote this! Er, I will, anyway. Wish I included a table of contents -" A table appeared. He looked up the "Critics say..." section. "Wait a minute..."

'A comedy smash!' - Kefka

'Best laugh I've had in years!' - Gestahl

"WHAT?" Garland tore out the page and looked up the chapter on orbs, which was the longest in the book. "I need a map with the orb loca-" A map fell out from in between two pages. Kary picked it up.

"Locations are clearly marked for our orbs," Kary said, examining it. "And several more."

"So let's get outta here!" Kraken said. The fiends began shuffling through the books, toward the stairs.

"Arvis, my man, it's been a pleasure working with you," Garland declared. "I hope we meet again."

"So do I," Arvis replied. "So do I."

Now armed with all the info they needed, the fiends tore outta town like lightning, only stopping when they got stuck in the door of the Elder's house. They all hopped onto their trusty Doom Gaze, eager to take off. "Take us up, Doom!" Garland shouted, and he did.

Garland examined the map. "Amazing..." he muttered. "Due south, Doom!" They started zipping south, and continued doing so. Then something caught Kraken's eye.

"What's that?" He asked.

"Whoa, stop, Doom Gaze..." Garland commanded.

"It's a... a..." Tiamat started.

"It's an airship!" Kary finished.

"It's headed straight for us!" Garland exclaimed.

* - * - *

Aboard the airship, Setzer was driving angry, and muttering under his breath about what a dumb game blackjack was. He was cruising along, when something extraordinary caught his eye. "Holy mother!" he exclaimed. "It's that flyin' death machine again!" Setzer increased the throttle. "I'll knock him outta the sky!"

* - * - *

"Hey, I think he's tryin' to hit us," Lich said.

"Well, this about wraps it up for us..." Tiamat said, throwing her arms in the air.

"Not quite!" Garland said confidently. "Doom Gaze, all ahead full!" Doom Gaze started accelerating towards Setzer's airship, the Falcon.

* - * - *

"Oh," Setzer said. "Chicken? I'll give them the game of their life!" Setzer jammed the throttle to its limit. "I ain't old yet! Let's ROCK!" The ship shook, and began to accelerate to breakneck speeds. A thousand yards to contact... nine hundred... eight-fifty...

* - * - *

The fiends and Garland clutched Doom Gaze for stability. "Master, I hope you know what you're doing!" Kraken shouted from the rear.

"Trust me!" Garland shouted. Five hundred yards... four-fifty... four hundred...

* - * - *

"Persistent, aren't you?" Setzer asked under his breath. "Oh well. I always liked a gamble!" He then thought, ten to one I puncture one of his organs... Setzer approximated the time until collision. "T-minus ten seconds, and counting. Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two... WHAT?" His adversary had dissappeared! The gambler looked behind his ship to see Doom Gaze wheeling, turning, and doing a barrel roll, losing a passenger. Now they were in hot pursuit! "Oh, hell..." Setzer groaned.

* - * - *

"Kraaaaaakeeeen!" Tiamat shouted, watching her comrade plummet to the sea below. She saw him meet with his mother ocean with a great splash. He didn't come up.

"Now get him!" Garland commanded Doom Gaze.

* - * - *

Setzer looked back and saw, to his dismay, that the great beast was steadily gaining on him. He looked down and saw, to his greater dismay, that the throttle was already at the maximum. He cursed something powerful right out loud, then yelled, "I'm not cashing in my chips yet!" He was about to start weaving like crazy, when a large pillar of water shot up, not too far in front of the ship. Setzer fell back in surprise, then grabbed the throttle and cut it, just in time. The ship's "brakes" jumped in, and it stopped quickly. From the center of the waterspout leaped a man. He landed on the airship's deck, and didn't look too happy.

"Ce... Cecil?" Setzer exclaimed, quite taken aback. "This is too odd..."

"I've no idea what you're talking about," Kraken replied. "Oh, look, sir."

Just as Setzer was turning in the direction Kraken was pointing, the airship shook, and tilted slightly. Setzer ran to the side rail and looked over. "Oh, man..." Setzer saw that Doom Gaze had latched onto the ship's hull, and his passengers were boarding his lovely airship. "Why me?" he moaned. Doom Gaze released, and hovered around the airship.

Garland came up to Setzer confidently, hand extended. "Hi, I'm Garland, this is Lich, Kary, and Tiamat. Pleased to make your acqaintance, I'm sure."

"WAIT JUST A MINUTE!" Setzer shouted. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Please don't say that," Kary said.

"Please don't overreact, gentlemen," Tiamat said politely. "May I ask your name?"

"MY NAME'S SETZER, AND I DON'T APPRECIATE YOUR BARGING ONTO MY AIRSHIP LIKE THIS!"

"Well, we weren't interested in being hit by you, so..." Lich trailed off.

Setzer turned his back on the fiends for a moment, then whirled around and whipped five razor edged playing cards straight at Garland. Garland's hands shot out in front of him, catching all the cards between his fingers. He looked them over. "Full house. Not bad, but I can beat it." Garland produced a deck of ordinary playing cards and whipped five at Setzer in a similar manner. He smiled confidently. Setzer caught all five cards just as Garland had moments before. He looked them over.

"Royal straight flush..." Setzer said, impressed. "Let's talk."

* - * - *

"I still don't want you on my airship..." Setzer said to Garland. The two were seated in Setzer's chamber, each with a beverage of their choice. Setzer rose, and looked out his window, which had been broken some time ago. "I've had some bad experience with demons and monsters and such. And the guy in blue looks exactly like a friend of mine... well, I think he was my friend."

"But you understand our dilemna, right?" Garland said, sipping his drink. "Man, you make a mean one of these."

Setzer stared out the window to the sea. "Understand it, yes. Believe it, I'm not sure. I never heard of any orbs..."

"Believe it, pal. We're the real thing," Garland said. "How do you think I had the time to learn martial arts gambling?"

"That's a good point," Setzer replied, looking Garland in the eye for the first time.

Tiamat and Kary opened the door of Setzer's room and walked up to their master. "Hey cutie, we're cleanin' up on the slot machine out there," Kary said, and hugged Garland, much to his surprise.

"Aren't we luuuuucky?" Tiamat asked. "We can have another fiend's night out!" The two women left again, to try again. Setzer watched Tiamat leave, and something in him changed. She reminded him of someone he hadn't seen in a long time...

"Tell you what," Setzer said after Kary and Tiamat had left. "I'll make you an offer. If you can beat me in gambling, best out of three, I'll help you. If not, you leave! Deal?"

"I'm game, sir," replied Garland. "Martial arts gambling?"

"No, just gambling," Setzer said. "I'm looking forward to your departure."

"And I'm sure we'll make great partners," Garland retorted.

"I will, mommy!"

"Be back before dinner," the mother told her son.

"I will," the boy replied. "Oh, and mommy?" The boy stopped just before the door. "I love you!"

"I love you too, Garl-"

Garland sprung awake. He had been dreaming, but he couldn't remember exactly what. He looked around. 'Where... am I?' he thought. "Oh yeah..." he mumbled aloud. "Gambler's airship..." Garland slowly rose. The cot he had slept on was soaked with sweat, as he was. "I must've slept in my clothes...' Garland thought, as he looked at himself. Even the black helm he recently purchased was still on his head. He felt strangely compelled to leave it on. 'Man, it's pitch black in here...' he thought, looking around the room. He stumbled to the door. He felt something strange, and was afraid to open it.

Garland fumbled with the knob, and fell through the doorway. He found the room to be covered in blood, wall-to-wall. He stood, shuddering and wide-eyed, looking in astonished horror. In the center of the room stood the cloaked figure of Arran, his long-dead minion. Garland tried to speak, but no sound came. Arran teetered unevenly back and forth.

The cloaked minion spoke. "I have completed my mission, master..." The blood on the walls glistened.

"Wh... what?" Garland gawked.

"The sky warriors, master..." the minion continued, staring blankly ahead. "I've killed them... all five... the two women and three men... All killed, like you wanted."

"What...? What?" Garland blanched, as he thought his minion might have done the unthinkable.

"I slit their throats, master. All five..." Arran bragged in monotone, still staring. "They're in that room..." Arran motioned blankly to a door behind him.

Garland swallowed hard, and took a step toward the door. The blood on the floor seemed to emit noxious fumes, and he felt as though he couldn't breathe. He came to the door. He put his hand on the knob, and turned. A million images flashed through his head at once, then -

Garland snapped awake again. He wasn't in bed anymore. He stood before a closed door, in the main room of Setzer's airship. He looked around the darkened room, expecting to find pools of blood, and his fallen minion. He saw only the tools of gambling, and a few papers and such here and there. Garland was shaking. He took off his helm and set it on a nearby table. He was coated in a cold sweat, and he felt like crying. He slumped into a corner, and tried to push the awful dream from his mind. Then a terrible thought came to his mind. He rushed to find his fiends and host.

Garland rushed into the room where Kraken lay for the night. He rushed up to the water fiend, and felt for a pulse. 'Thank heavens...' Garland thought, and rushed off to Tiamat's sleeping space. She was sleeping in a chair, with a beguiling smile upon her face. Garland was about to test her for breath, but she stirred, so he decided that she was all right. He dashed off to the room where Kary slept, and rushed up to her. He checked for a heartbeat by putting his ear to her chest. 'All's well here,' Garland confirmed, and left to check on Lich. As he left, Kary purred, stretched, and sat up. She had the funniest feeling...

Garland found Lich sprawled out on top of an upturned table, eyes open, yet dull. "Oh my God!" Garland whispered. He checked for a pulse. Nothing. He checked for breathing. Nothing. He checked for a heartbeat. Nothing. 'He's... dead!' Garland thought, petrified.

Lich started mumbling. "Rats 'n' dust... 'n' some soup..."

'Oh, yeah...' Garland thought, relieved. 'He is dead, naturally.' Garland gasped as he remembered his host. 'Setzer!' He began rushing towards the gambler's quarters, but whakked his side on a roulette wheel. "OW! SHIT!" he shouted as he collapsed to the floor in the agonizing pain one tends to feel when one whacks one's side on a table.

Setzer lay in his bed, eyes open, looking at the ceiling. He was thinking about the times he and Daryl used to have together. He also thought of the mysterious woman who accompanied that annoying little bastard Garland upon his airship. He found her strangely intriguing, and he wasn't sure why. Just as he was about to slip into a disturbed sleep, he was startled by someone shouting, "OW! SHIT!" Setzer put his head between two pillows and mumbled about how much he disliked Garland.

* * * *

The next morning, Garland winced in pain as Kary inspected the bruise on his side. "That looks painful. Honestly, cutie, you shouldn't run around the airship at night," she said.

"Ouch! That hurts!" Garland complained.

"Case in point," Kary replied. "By the way, were you in my room last night?"

Garland looked up with a start, but didn't reply.

"You were, weren't you?" Kary deduced slyly. Garland braced himself. "That's all right. I don't mind. What were you doing, anyway?"

"I was... checking if you were alive."

"Why?"

"I... oh, never mind..."

Meanwhile, above deck, Setzer was grumpily preparing to take off. Lich had Garland's marked map, and was to serve as navigator. Setzer was not at all pleased with this situation. He cracked his knuckles, and put his hands on the wheel. "All right," he said dryly, "where to?"

Lich had found a lawn chair below decks, and had brought it up to lounge. He looked over the map. "Lessee... uh... The Earth Orb is at... Daryl's tomb! To Daryl's Tomb, Geves!"

"Hey!" Setzer shouted. "How do you get off calling me Geves?"

"You promised to help us, so I can call you anything I want!" Lich replied, looking over an outdated shopping catalogue.

"I don't have to work under these conditions!" Setzer ranted. "I'm the only driver you've got!"

"Huh! I could drive this flyin' bathtub any day of the week!" Lich said, rising from his lounger.

"Ooh..." Setzer growled, becoming furious. How dare this jerk insult Daryl's airship! The wheels in Setzer's head began turning. He felt a Sun Flare coming on.

"Whatsa matter, Gambler?" Lich taunted. "No more words to whip? You lizard faced son of a Jack-ass!"

Setzer shook visibly. The wheels slowed to a stop. Dragon, dragon, dragon... 'Jackpot!' Setzer thought. Expecting a great beast to rise and obliterate Lich, Setzer was astonished when no such thing came about. 'Funny, it's never failed before...' Tiamat came up from below deck.

"Hey Lich, quit taunting him!" she said, beating the earth fiend over the head with a box of poker chips. "He's the only driver we have." She turned to Setzer. "Please excuse him. He's very disrespectful." Tiamat pulled Lich up by his hair and shook him, then sat in the lounger.

"Uh, that's all right," Setzer said, watching her. Suddenly he didn't feel mad anymore.

"As I was saying," Lich said, "we gotta go to Daryl's tomb. I think it's some kinda night club..."

___________________________________________________________

In a small house in the village of Kohlingen, a certain Vectorian soldier was madly ranting to himself about the things that bothered him the most. This soldier's most distinguishing feature was that he was considerably not-so-tall. "Heh-heh-heh... that guy caught me at a bad time. I was poorly equipped and surprised!" This, of course, was utter horse crap. "Well, since I joined the legion of Akfek, I've got a lot of great stuff to throw at him!" The not-so-tall man madly scribbled his master plan down onto a soiled sheet of crumpled paper. "Nyeh-heh!" He leapt from his chair, and dashed into the streets, heading in the general direction of the Magitek Armor.

The soldier guarding the Armor went through a routine check of the little man's identification. "Mason? Go ahead." Mason snatched his crumpled card and proceeded to choose the biggest suit he could find.

"All-terrain Magitek Armor..." Mason raved. "I'll find that guy... and when I do..."

The guard watched as the not-so-tall Mason trudged off to the south, ranting and raving.

______________________________________________________________

Not far away, Setzer brought the airship to the ground. Daryl's tomb was about three kilometers away. The team started walking in that general direction. Setzer lagged behind, refusing to associate with anyone but Tiamat if he didn't have to. The fiends were just having a jolly holiday, and making the most of it.

"I can't wait!" said Lich excitedly. "My orb's so near, I can almost taste it."

"Can you taste?" asked Kraken. "You haven't any tongue. Speaking of which, how do you talk?"

'Funny how much he looks like Cecil,' Setzer thought. 'I wonder...'

Some distance ahead, the fiends could see an armored carrier traveling in a path nearly perpendicular to theirs. The carrier stopped abruptly. The driver, who wasn't very tall, looked directly at Garland. "I'll be damned..." he said.

Garland looked at the driver carefully. "It... it's you!"

"That's right!" the not-so-tall man shouted. "It is I, Mason the Vectorian! I didn't catch your name when we first met..."

"I'm Garland the Great," Garland replied. "Nice robot."

"Master, who is this?" Kraken inquired.

"The guy who tried to mug me in Albrook," Garland replied.

"Prepare yourself!" Mason shouted. His mech-armor swung an arm at Garland, who ducked.

"Master, let me deal with him," Kraken requested.

Setzer came up beside Garland's gang. "Friend of yours?" he asked.

"Hardly," Garland replied, dodging another swing.

"Back off!" Mason shouted at the fiends and Setzer. "This is between me and him!" He pulled a small lever. "BOLT BEAM!" A searing bolt of energy shot from the magicannon in the Magitek Armor's torso. Garland avoided the shot.

"What a pain," Garland said, landing neatly. "All right, prepare to face my nearly ultimate attack..." Garland yakked half-heartedly. "Orrest-fay Ump-gay rama-rama ding-dong..." Mason launched a Tek-missile at Garland. Garland produced a glowing ping-pong paddle, and deftly deflected the missile, completely obliterating Mason's armor.

Mason stood, still holding the armor's control levers in his little hands. He cursed loudly, and ran back to Kohlingen, swearing that they'd meet again.

"Shall we go now?" Garland asked the rest of the party, who quietly applauded his little battle.

"Where... am I?" asked Tucker.

He looked up. He tried to think back. And could not.

He remembered... very little. He remembered a green-haired girl, who was a... caller? And a ninja! And a knight... Ce... see... Seestill? No... that wasn't it! Why couldn't he remember?

A battle... some battle. The beast. It had struck him. Again. And again. And again. Tucker shook the cobwebs out of his head. His throat was parched and dry and his head ached like the fires burning in hell.

Walking slowly, he felt his back rub against his flesh, gnawing away. His ribs were definitely cracked and he was having a difficult time breathing. He limped towawrds... a direction. He was unsure of where he was.

He brought his visor down upon his eyes and tried to get a fix on his location. "Damn!" he cried. He plucked the visor off his head and stuffed in to his sack. The LCD display had been cracked. The only use for them now were as sunglasses.

He continued his hike, looking for any sign of civilization. He thought back, trying desperatly to grab a strand of his recent past. He remembered... a word. A arcane word of power which had brought him here. But who? His head ached and his back hurt too much to think.

Soon, in the distance, he saw civilization.

"This looks familiar..." he said to himself. After a few minutes of walking, he saw the town more clearly.

"Ji... j... Jidoor?" he stuttered. He shook his head again. he could not remember why this place brought so much dread upon him. He sighed. Soon, he would reach a town, and soon he would reach a place to rest his shattered mind and body.

He approached the counter, attempting to hide his injuries. He pulled out a handfull of gold coins he had won from a long time ago in a casino somewhere (How did I know that? Thought Tucker) and dumped them on the counter.

"Room. One night." and proceeded to enter his room.

He rested well for four or five hours when the dreams started. They were nightmares about his memory. He had flashes of fighting, and death, and blood. He remember an image. A burning image of a man who had once crushed him. Liver? No.. not liver... Edgar. Edgar of... FIGARO.

And Tucker shot awake.

He slipped out of his bed in the middle of the night and restocked his provisions. He made a few more healing potions from the herbs he bought, drank half of one, and decided to save the rest.

He thought of his plan to destory the man who had hurt so many and thought is best to make his way to Figaro.

He snuck abord a ship, hiding in it's darkness. He awaited the coming to light and the passage to the land of evil. To destory, once and for all, the evils which plagued the land.

He just wished there was something that could jog his memory. And then it happened.

Off in the distance, Tucker heard a familiar howl. The hunt had begun once again.

"Man! We have to stop meeting like this!" Tucker broke into a run and pulled out a small device from his bag. He checked it's power supply. It had been charging for the last day and was full. That meant he could successfully make one jump.

He heard the rumble of landscape as the creature closed in on him.

"Computer, set body slide to... to... WHEREEVER! Get me out of here!"

The computer beeped a familiar beep and toned out, "Cooridinates set" There was a bright flash of light followed by three popping sounds and the warping of space, and Tucker was gone.

* * *

Miles away, a repeated flash with popping sounds occured. Tucker appeared from the air, but, forgetting to stop, slammed into a tombstone that was set up above the ground. The wind knocked out of him, Tucker fell to the ground, clutching his chest in pain.

He looked up, stars in his eyes, and barely made out what the tombstone read. "Who the heck is Daryl?" asked Tucker to no one in particular. And blacked out from the pain.

Suddenly, a flicker of recognition crossed Setzer's face. Garland peered at him curiously, the mocking half-smile still held carefully in place. "You know that guy?" asked Garland.

"Yes.." responded Setzer quietly. "He tried to kill me once. Maybe... he's changed. I'll have to see."

Garland nodded in understanding, then without another word, took several strides forward to meet with the strange figure who had appeared. In moments, he had arrived.

Sticking out his hand with a foolish grin, Garland pronounced, "Garland. And you are?"

Tucker stared at the fop before him incredulously. Garland didn't ut much weight on favorable first impressions, and so his greeting was not exactly meant to put a man who had just stepped through a spacial rift at ease. Casting about briefly, as if looking to give a silent plea for aid, Tucker responded finally. "Tucker. Where..." he stopped suddenly, fidgeting uncomfortably.

During this time, Setzer had made his way through the brush, standing just to the right of Garland. "Tucker." he said briefly, nodding distantly toward the man who had tried to kill him. "You're looking well."

Tucker's face broke into a broad grin, and he stepped forward to Setzer, hand offered out in a gesture of friendship. "Setz! Yeah... I'm feeling well. Now."

Setzer nodded, eyeing Tucker briefly before taking his hand for a brief handshake. Tucker looked much the same as he had before. His grip was firm and strong, dashing the illusion his appearance gave... that of a man disheveled and broken.

Setzer's cards felt cold and smooth in the palm of his hand. In a flash, Setzer could slice open Tucker's throat with the razor sharp corner of one of these cards. But he waited. Perhaps he had changed... much as many others who he had journeyed with. Celes. Shadow. Edgar...

Setzer drew his hand away finally from Tucker's crushing grip. "Well, it would be nice to talk, but we have much to do, and little time to do it. Or at least, I have little time. I want this over as soon as possible."

Garland, who had stayed mute during the whole of the brief conversation broke into a huge smile. Gesturing to his four companions, Garland indicated that they approach.

Tucker's face grew amazed, then with an enormous grin, he walked to Kraken, embracing the speechless and utterly confused man in a tight grip. "Cecil! You're back!" Kraken merely looked to his comrades in befuddlement, begging them silently for some sort of explanation for this odd behavior.

"Tucker.." said Setzer in a cool, patronizing tone.. "This is Kraken. Not Cecil." Tucker stepped back, eyeing Kraken with as much confusion as Kraken watched him with.

"He is a splitting..." Tucker shook his head, frusterated. "Never mind." he sighed. "And the rest?"

Garland piped up. "The rest are Kary, Tiamat, and Lich," he squeaked before regaining control of his voice, gesturing to each in turn.

Tucker smiled, walking toward Tiamat and taking her hand in his, kissing it softly. "A pleasure, madam." he said to her, letting her hand drop gently back to her side. Tiamat blushed at this, while Kary's countenance notably darkened.

Setzer rolled his eyes, gesturing toward the entrance. "Are we going to sit outside here until the world breaks again, or are we going to get this over with?" Suddenly, Setzer shot a dark look at Garland, who had just begun to open his mouth. "Don't even think about it, loudmouth," snarled Setzer as he took several swift strides toward the cave.

Garland giggled, the high-pitched, grating sound following Setzer as he walked through the cave entrance. 'I'm going to kill him,' thought Setzer in aggravation. 'I swear I'm going to kill him. It's the only way to shut him up.'

And after Setzer, the troop followed.

Garland stepped into the tomb. "Ugh..." he exclaimed. "This place is creepy..."

"It's so cold... like death..." Kary commented, following Garland.

"I can't imagine why..." replied Lich, not bothered, but pleased with the place. "Huh. Some nightclub, Gambler."

Setzer cringed. He couldn't decide who he should hate more, the dead guy or Garland. He thought, 'I oughta just leave 'em here to rot. Tucker too.'

Tucker stepped into the gloomy catacomb, and surveyed the place. "Geeze," he said, somewhat appalled. Garland was very curious about Tucker. Something seemed vaguely familiar about his clothes and equipment.

Tucker was followed by Kraken and Tiamat, the latter leaning on the former. As the two entered, Tiamat began coughing violently. She collapsed on her knees. Garland, Kraken, and Kary were immediately concerned. "What's wrong, Tia? Are you all right?" Kary asked.

"I'm fine," Tiamat replied hoarsely. "The air is just so thick down here..."

Setzer thought to himself. 'Ah, so many the bittersweet memories.' Tears welled in his eyes. "Let's get this over with!" he yelled. He walked swiftly ahead, so no one could see his face.

"He's been acting wierd again, I guess." Tucker said, furrowing his brow. "I guess he's a bit... touched..."

"Naw, he just doesn't like us," Garland said. "Let's go before we get lost."

* - * - *

Garland, Tucker, Tiamat, Lich, Kraken, and Kary all tried as best they could to keep up with Setzer, who continually quickened his pace. Apparently, he knew where to take them. Garland thought long and hard. 'How does he know where the orb is? We didn't tell him. It's not as if we know anyway.' "Hey Setzer, wait up!" Garland cried. Rounding a corner, he bumped right into the back of the gambler, who had stopped quite suddenly. "What... What is it?"

Setzer took a few steps forward into the seemingly empty hallway he had come to. The ground beneath him began to tremble. He ran a bit farther down the way...

The fiends and Tucker caught up with Setzer and Garland, just in time to see the hands begin to emerge from the earth beneath them. "WHAT?!" Tucker shouted, as a ghoul's grasping hand clutched his ankle. "Setzer, what's going on?!"

Setzer was about to leap to his companions aid, when he stopped. The undead forms began to emerge fully, gruesome undead beings, yearning for revenge on the living. "Setzer, help!" cried Garland, unable to reach his Light sword.

Setzer's face twisted into a maddened scowl. "Why should I help you? Why shouldn't I let you die, when all you've brought me is misery?"

"You owe us, man!" Lich replied, unaffected by the zombies.

"Shut up, Lich!" the other five victims shouted.

"Please, Setzer!" Tiamat pleaded. Setzer felt the tears again. He growled and ran ahead, yelling something that none of the others could quite make out.

* - * - *

In a dark place, far away, The Master laughed.

* - * - *

Garland struggled to break free, but to no avail. "Lich, do something!" he shouted.

Lich shrugged. "Sorry, I can't do anything against them. They're undead. My powers won't hurt them!"

"You're Lord of the damned Undead!" Kraken shouted. "Whaddya mean your powers won't work?"

Kary flexed her muscles, and twisted her body. The vines of the damned that bound her broke away, and she was free. She faced three ghouls who were rapidly approaching her. "Take this, you flesh-eating scum!" She lifted her arms into the air, and pitched a giant fireball at the trio of walking dead, toasting all three. Kary collapsed to one knee, weakened significantly. To her dismay, more Ghouls approached.

"They're not aknowledging my authority!" Lich shouted.

'Who are these guys, anyway?' Tucker thought, watching Kary. 'They've got some kind of powers or something.' He struggled within the grasp of the undead tendrils, attempting to break free.

Kary began to cry, as she was once again in the clutches of the undead vines which relentlessly grew from the floor. More ghouls were approaching and closing in.

* - * - *

Setzer ran and ran, tears of anguish running down his cheeks. He ran until he collapsed, and sat in the fetal position, rocking back and forth. He was completely oblivious to all around him, and his only thoughts were of the only person he was ever able to trust: Daryl. The strain of being in this place again was far too much for him to take. Suddenly, he was jarred out of his deep funk by a woman's scream. "Oh, god, what have I done?" he cried, and ran back to where his fellow travelers were held by the hungry undead.

Garland was held completely by the snake-like vines growing from the floor and ceiling. He began to panic, and his eyes took on a wild, rabid look. He began to scream.

"What's going on?" Tucker cried, still struggling. "Are they eating him?"

"No!" Kary yelled. "He's claustrophobic!" She gasped, and went unconcious. Her fireball had taken a lot out of her.

"Get away from me, you bastards!" Tiamat exclaimed, kicking a low-crawling ghoul in the teeth. "No way you're gonna nibble MY ankle!"

"Oh, the humanity of it all!" Lich cried. "Oh, the absolute humanity!"

There seemed to be no hope in sight. Just as Garland was about to black out, he heard an odd sound. It was the whistling of something zipping past him at a very high speed. He felt the vines loosen. He immediately ripped the Light sword from it's sheath, and went mad with it, rending anything black or grey that he saw. Tucker gasped. He had seen that sword before...

Freed from his claustrophobic prison, Garland collapsed to the ground. He heard the voice of Setzer... "You all all right?" It said.

"Yeah..." Garland said, breathing heavily. He didn't look up from the ground.

"Sorry I ran, I... I'm necrophobic," Setzer lied. He walked over to where his playing card ended up, examined it, and put it in his pocket.

The others regained their bearings, and their wits. Kraken helped Tiamat to her feet. Kary, much shaken by the fact that she was almost enveloped by the very Earth, leaned heavily on Garland's shoulder, and the two stayed behind Kraken and Tiamat, who followed behind Setzer. Tucker took up the rear, looking over a strange device. Lich walked alongside Garland and Kary, looking around at every thing he saw.

Garland addressed Tucker, still panting. "You... you don't talk much, do ya?"

"Hm? Oh, uh... no, not really. I, um... haven't got much to say, say, I guess," Tucker replied, still looking at his readout. Little did Garland know that these readings were about Garland himself!

Kary whined, and leaned harder on Garland's shoulder, tears still running down her pretty face. "She's, uh... she's pretty attached to you there, isn't she?" Tucker asked, eyes never leaving his odd device.

Garland looked at Kary. "At the moment, yes."

"Heh..." Tucker replied. "Luuucky..."

Garland had heard the word "Lucky" said that way before, but he couldn't quite place it...

* - * - *

Setzer was somewhat glad he had saved the others, but he still kept his distance. After all, he had no reason to trust any of them. At times, he glanced over his shoulder at Tiamat, who seemed to intrigue him more and more as time rolled by. His mind was so full of confusing thoughts, he hadn't even realized that they had already come upon the monument of Daryl. The great pillar of amethyst, with roses of stone carved on the top... Such pain, such anguish! "Well," Setzer said, once all the others had caught up. "This is as deep as the tomb goes. I guess that's it for this orb, eh?" All he wanted was to leave this place of bad memories.

"I... don't understand..." Garland said, his book in hand, staring in bewilderment. "The book says it's here, it... should be here..."

"I guess that just goes to show ya," Setzer said with satsfaction. "Ya can't believe everything you read."

"... but..." Garland trailed off, still staring at the monument before him.

"C'mon, let's get outta here," Setzer said, slapping Garland on the back.

"What're we looking for, anyway?" Tucker asked.

The fiends stood, in a state of confusion. Why had the book lied? Garland would write it, after all. Maybe he wanted to lose. He was, after all, quite used to it. Just as Setzer was passing him, Lich spoke up. "Wait..." he said, looking directly at the monument.

Setzer stopped, and looked back. Lich walked toward the statue, concentrating. 'What's he thinking...' Setzer thought, watching closely.

"It's here..." Lich whispered. The others looked on, confused. Tucker especially. "It's here, under this stone!" Lich yelled. "Here, help me bust it!"

Setzer ran forward. "No!" he exclaimed, coming between Lich and the monument. As he touched it, a strange sound was heard.

WHO DARES? the voice boomed, much to the surprise of the party.

"Man, this just keeps getting weirder," Tucker said. A giant suit of armor appeared in the center of the room, standing directly above, and nearly on, Setzer. The suit stood eleven feet tall, and had a shield with a radius of about two feet. It carried no weapon, but could probably crush any one of the fiends, Garland, Tucker, or Setzer.

YOU HAVE COME TO TAKE AWAY MY MONUMENT, HAVE YOU? the voice boomed again, significantly frightening Garland, Kary, and Lich. NONE SHALL PASS HAONTONU!

Setzer was momentarily intimidated, but quickly remembered who he was. He drew his battle deck and threw a fre cards straight at the menacing suit of ghostly armor. Haontonu held his giant shield forward, and the cards simply bounced off. "Huh..." Setzer grunted, drawing a dart. "Where do you get off calling this YOUR monument?" He threw the dart. In midair, the dart split into three; two lightly bounced off the impenetrable shield, one punctured the breastplate. Haontonu didn't even flinch. "Aagh!" Setzer exclaimed, astonished.

"Let me handle this, gambling man!" Garland yelled, leaping forward. "This ghost'll be a sucker for my Light sword!" Setzer was reluctant to do so, but he let Garland have a go at it. Garland took a swing, but Haontonu easily blocked it with his shield. Garland tried again, with the same result. Haontonu clubbed Garland with his steel fist, sending him on a one-way trip into the wall.

HA HA HA! Haontonu boomed. NONE OF YOU ARE ANY MATCH FOR HAONTONU! The great ghost stood, intimidating as ever, gloating.

Tucker stood watching, progressively getting more and more angry. He drew his Techsword, and set the switch on auto-rotate. He came forward, and stood behind Setzer. "All right, I've seen enough of you!" he exclaimed. Setzer was afraid he was talking to him, and ducked. Tucker leapt forward, and exclaimed, "I, Tucker Pendragon, will break down your iron defense!" 'I hope that sounded good,' he thought.

"Tucker Pendragon?" Garland said to himself, as he slid down the dirty wall.

Tucker repeatedly whacked Haontonu's giant shield with great, overhanded blows. The auto rotate switched the sword's ability with every strike. Hot-cold-hot-cold-hot-cold-CRASH The shield shattered into many shards and pieces. Haontonu looked astonished. "Garland!" Tucker yelled. "Use your Light sword now, if he's such a sucker for it!"

Garland groggily got to his feet, and unsteadily dashed towards Haontonu. IT WAS YOU WHO CAUSED ME THIS TROUBLE! Haontonu boomed, turning towards Setzer, and away from Tucker. I SHALL CRUSH YOU LIKE THE INSECT YOU ARE! The armor raised its massive fist, and was about to turn Setzer into putty when Garland reached him. He stabbed into where Haontonu's stomach would have been, cutting through the ghostly armor like butter. The monster froze, and slowly disappeared.

"Everyone okay?" Garland asked, breathing heavily and teetering a bit. He still hurt from his recent flight. He sank down, and sat.

"You're a bit gung-ho for your abilities, aren't you?" Tucker said, walking over to Garland. "You always were. It's not healthy, you know..."

"Tucker Pendragon, the Kid..." Garland said, breathing heavily. "How's life been?"

"Oh... heh.. not bad..." Tucker replied, also huffing. "It's been pretty weird, actually."

Setzer looked on in utter confusion. "You two... know each other?" he asked, squinting.

"Yeah," Garland said. "I can't believe I didn't recognize him right away. I helped him out of a jam once."

"I beg to differ," Tucker retorted. "YOU were the one ahead of your time. And I recall that you called yourself 'Clint Eastwood'."

"Master!" Kraken exclaimed. "You never told us that! You're not supposed to go time jumping alone."

"Well, I..."

"Hey, can we get my orb anytime TODAY?" Lich said impatiently, approaching the monument to Daryl.

"Yeah, yeah..." Garland said. Setzer looked at him. He seemed to look a bit less annoying than before. He was about to chop the stone art to bits when Setzer stopped him.

"Please," Setzer said. "This holds sentimental value to me..."

Garland blinked. "Okay... Kary, move that monument!" Kary treated him to a complimentary whine. "Uh, oh... yeah. Kraken, move that monument!"

"Yes, master!" Kraken said loyally. He threw his cape back over his shoulders, got a good grip, and proceeded to lift with all his might. Slowly but surely, the monument began to leave the ground.

'Who ARE these people...' Setzer thought, as he witnessed Kraken steadily lift the one-ton monolith. 'Not even Sabin could do that!'

"Some friends you've got..." Tucker said, as Kraken gently set the monument down a few yards away. "I hope you pay them well..."

Garland smirked and dropped down the newly-made entrance to the Earth Cave.

* - * - *

Within the halls of Lich's domain, there was quite a different atmosphere. The air was surprisingly clean, and they found no undead monsters, or even remains. "All this has remained," Lich said distantly. "So still, so unchanged." He looked around at the earthen walls and floors, admiring his fallen kingdom.

"It's amazing how clean the air is down this deep," Tiamat said, taking a deep breath. She seemed very happy to be breathing good air again.

Kraken noticed a clear pool of clean water. Stooping down, he drank a handful of the water. "Aaaah..." he said. The others looked at him quizzically. "Cures what ails ya."

Tucker and Garland chatted as they walked along the darkened passage. "So, Garland, have you found a time for your little immortality scheme?"

"Nah. I need a place where the heroes are strong enough to defeat me once, but not twice."

Setzer half-listened with mild interest, not really understanding Garland's plan. It seemed to him that Tucker didn't understand it very well either. He was slightly surprised when Tiamat addressed him directly. "So, Setzer, where did you get that coat?"

"Huh? Oh, this?" Setzer never really expected anyone to take interest in his rather odd way of dressing. "Someone gave it to me..."

"Oh, I love it." She said. "It looks great, and it must keep you warm at night."

'At least something does,' Setzer thought, not looking at Tiamat's face. He was considering giving it to her, but decided he'd better hold on to the one thing that had remained constant in his ever-changing life.

Lich looked up. Suddenly, he ran ahead with a very sudden burst of energy. The others exchanged glances, and followed. Setzer straggled along behind, watching his shoes with mild interest. When he caught up with the others, he found them not triumphantly holding an orb, but standing in an archway, staring at a small sphere.

"What's that?" Tucker inquired.

"That's your orb, right, Lich?" Setzer asked. He pushed his way through and headed for the dark brown sphere in the center of the room. "So let's take it and get out of here!"

"No, Setzer!" Lich commanded. "Don't touch it."

"But..." Setzer began. "That's what we came for. That's your orb, right?"

"No, Setzer... that's not an orb... that's a fiend's ball..."

The party stood, motionless. Setzer stood two feet away from the fiend's ball, wondering just what it meant. Nobody spoke, for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Tucker broke the silence. "If that's a fiend's ball, wouldn't that imply the existence of a fiend to go with it?" He really didn't seem the least bit concerned.

"Yes... that's correct," Garland answered.

"So let's do it!" Tucker said, strutting forward. He had no idea what a fiend really was, when it came to elements. He knocked on the fiend's ball. "Come on out, we're ready for ya..."

"GYAAAAH!" Kraken yelled. "What are you doing?"

"Huh," Tucker said. "Looks like nobody's h-" Tucker's words were cut off by the explosion of the ball, causing smoke to fill the room. Nobody could see for sure what it was, but something was emerging... uncoiling. Tucker was the first to see the beast's face. Its eyes glowed a bright yellow. Its head seemed to have mole-like characteristics, but feather-like hair sprouted along the center of its head, forming a type of crest. As he was staring at this grotesque monstrosity, he recieved a hard blow to the face with a long staff-like weapon.

As the smoke cleared, the fiend could be made out quite well. The better part of its body was that of a giant earthworm. Its torso was relatively human-like, with arms and prehensile hands. The crested mole head was by far the ugliest thing most of the party had ever seen. It held a long rod horizontally in both hands. The creature reared back its head and let out a mighty wail.

"It's huge!" Setzer exclaimed, looking on at the creature, which measured twenty-five feet from head to tail. "What is it?"

"Hold on," Garland said, flipping through the _Everything You Need to Know About Magic and Stuff_ book. "Fiends, fiends... ah! Here it is. Fiends, New. Lessee... That's... Agnithicus, Fiend of Earth!" Upon hearing it's name, the great beast's eyes narrowed. "Hardly a fiend..." Garland said. "Not a drop of intelligence... More like a plain old monster-" These would have been the last words any of the fiends, Tucker, Setzer, or Garland would have heard, because they had been turned to stone by Agnithicus' rod. Would have been, that is, if Lich had been affected.

"I guess it's my turn..." Lich said. Agnithicus stood a good six feet over Lich's head, and Lich wasn't exactly over-confident. The beast whipped around the room, surrounding Lich with his great worm's tail. "I shoulda bought a weapon when I had the chance..." Lich said aloud. He had no choice but to wait for an attack.

Agnithicus screeched and lunged with his rod. Lich leapt back, and the crystal struck rock. 'Awful agile for a worm...' Lich thought. There was a pause. Agnithicus screeched again, then went for Lich with the rod. Lich managed to avoid the crushing blow from the crystal-set weapon. Agnithicus let out another scream, and attempted to crush Lich with his tail. Lich barely cleared the great whipping apparatus, and in fact, tripped over it. Thinking it was all over for him, Lich was surprised to find that he was still "alive". Agnithicus seemed to be looking the other way. The monster let out a howl. In a moment, he turned to attack Lich again.

After dodging the next attack, Lich decided to make his move. He snatched up a shard of rock from the ground, which Agnithicus had knocked astray in a previous attack. 'I need an opening...' he thought. Agnithicus bellowed, and launched a giant sweep with his rod. 'This is it!' Lich realized. He leapt over the rod and jammed the shard into the creature's eye with all the force he could muster. Agnithicus screamed, blinded. Lich dashed behind the monster. "Ha!" he laughed. "Now that you're blind, this'll be a cinch!" However, Lich was caught off guard when the monster whipped around and dealt him a blow which carried him into a nearby wall. "Ugh... " Lich said. He found yet another strike launched toward him, which he barely dodged. Lich landed roughly on his feet, dumbfounded. 'How... can it find me so easily...' Lich thought, not moving. 'It should be completely blind...'

Agnithicus did not move, or even look towards Lich. Fluid from its wounded eyes ran down the creature's face. It seemed to have lost Lich, though he was almost directly in front of it. Lich thought for a moment, longing for a slicing weapon. Agnithicus let out a screech, and waited. A moment later, he lunged toward Lich. 'That's IT!' the Undead Lord thought. He picked up a small rock, and lobbed it at the far wall of the large room, making a resounding clatter. Agnithicus whirled and struck the spot where the stone landed. 'Of course... it uses echolocation!' Lich concluded. 'Blinding it in the first place wasn't necessary...'

Agnithicus let out a maddened howl, waited, then struck. Lich, now that he knew, had plenty of warning as to when the beast would strike. 'How can I defeat him without making too much noise...?' Lich wondered, dodging the swinging rod. He looked around the large room, for any sort of weapon. 'Nothing,' he thought. 'Just a few stalagmites and stalactites...' Agnithicus bellowed again, then began slithering towards Lich. On the way, the beast's tail thumped a stalagmite, quite roughly. Lich thought intensely about that. Then, he had the answer...

Lich dashed over behind a stalagmite on the opposite end of the chamber. Standing behind it, he yelled, "Hey ugly! Over here!" Agnithicus was sure he had his opponent, and his expression became more cruel. "Hope this works..." Lich said, looking up to the rock spires hanging from the ceiling. Agnithicus threw himself forward with all his strength, toward the stalagmite Lich hid behind. The beast's head and the rock met with a resounding thump, and Lich sighed in relief. Agnithicus squirmed as he regained his senses, and Lich knew he had to act fast. He leapt into the air and clung to an overhanging stalactite. The monster rose, and let out an ear-piercing scream. It looked dumbfounded when it couldn't pick up a signal. "Hey Agni..." Lich smirked. "'Looking' for me?" He kicked a nearby stalactite with all his might, sending it crashing down upon the monster, crushing its skull. A battle cry died in its throat as its world went black.

The others slowly became themselves again, as Lich was saying, "I can't believe that worked..." Agnithicus's body began to glow an eerie gold, and it progressively shrunk, until it was a glowing golden sphere of energy, with an approximately two inch radius.

"What is that thing?" Tucker asked.

Lich approached the sphere, and gathered it into his hands. He began laughing manaically, and held it high above his head for all the world to see. As the energy coursed through him, he grew, and became progressively less human, and more fiendish. "YES!" he shouted.

"That, Tucker," Garland said, staring, "is Lich's Earth Orb."

* - * - *

Not a moment later, the party found themselves outside the tomb, on the open plain. Every single one of them was confused, especially Setzer and Tucker. Lich was nowhere to be seen. "Where... " Garland began. "Where's Lich?"

The party surveyed the landscape, but saw no sign of him. No sign, that is, until he appeared in a flash of energy and Earth aura. He now stood eight feet tall. His hair had disappeared. His helm had changed to a ceremonial warrior's helmet, with a large golden plume. He carried a very large scythe, and had no legs to speak of. His eyes, a deep, dull orange, resembled dying coals from an old fire. His face made no movement, but he spoke. "Let's go."

* - * - *

Far off, in a dark place, The Master became intrigued.

Garland shot a glance at him filled with irritation. "It's Garland! And if you'd just give me a minute to check my book, I'll tell you!" Garland stumped off, heading toward his cabin where the book rested.

Setzer shook his head sadly as Garland made his way off. "Prisoner to a book that gives him guidance...so much that he does not have faith in his own direction. I'd feel sorry for him if he wasn't such a chocobo."

"Full speed!" cried Setzer as he pulled the lever located at the side of the airship's wheel. The airship went flying off, fans whipping at thousands of revolutions a minute. Now Setzer could just forget everything that happened. 'Once this is done, maybe I'll start the club up again. Get out of the adventuring business. Maybe then I'd stop losing.' He shook his head, clearing the distasteful thoughts from his mind. Only one thing mattered right now.

Setzer flew.

*************************

Celes lowered the spyglass from her eye, speaking excitedly to Rosa. "That's Setzer! I'd recognize that airship anywhere. Not to mention that damned jacket of his."

Rosa nodded silently, not speaking but agreeing nonetheless. Setzer would make a strong ally, or at least, that's what Celes thought. Rosa had never thought that being able to throw a playing card at someone was the most intimidating of attacks.

"This is maybe our only chance to catch up with him. That damned ship of his is so fast." Celes smiled inwardly. That speed had helped them out of more than a few crunches.

The airship turned gracefully and sped off.

******************************

Setzer leaned forward, fingers clenched tightly about the rail surrounding the airship's edge. "I remember when I had the only airship. It was admired, a whole air of mystique surrounding it. Now everyone and their kid brother is making them. Remind me to retire when this thing is done, would you?"

Garland stood next to him, hands coiled cautiously about the auto-crossbow he had brought up from the armory upon hearing of the other airship. Garland knew what an auto-crossbow could do to the balloon of an airship. If it came to it...he would make sure that /someone/ was prepared.

Setzer waited. Certainly he could have outrun the other airship, but he was curious. And the fans were on standby.

There was a figure on the bow of the other ship, waving its arms frantically. "It's a woman of some kind." said Garland even as Setzer squinted.

"A woman piloting an airship..." thought Setzer idly for a moment, then shook his head suddenly. "Nothing." he responded to Garland's unspoken question. Setzer folded his arms, waiting for the airship to pull alongside.

"Celes!" Setzer blinked, utterly taken aback as he recognized the figure.

"Hi, Setzer!" exclaimed Celes happily. "Can we talk?"

Setzer shrugged, walking to the long wooden plank he and Daryl had used when crossing to and from the other's airship. In moments, the plank was secure.

Celes seemed reluctant to risk the half mile drop between airships, so Setzer, Garland, and Tucker all made their way across. Kraken and Tiamat were in some kind of conference, Kary was asleep, and Lich had recently begun spouting off some kind of nonsense about "weaklings" and "the world".

Setzer dropped lightly to the deck, enveloping Celes in a tight hug just as he landed. "Where did you get this?" he marvelled, referring to the airship.

Celes shook her head, indicating that this was a tale for another time. "Setzer, we've got a problem." Setzer frowned.

"A new dictator has shown up, and he's managed to take and brainwash several towns. The leader is a man named Akfek. He claims to be the brother of Kefka." said Celes, any pretention at frivolity gone.

Celes took a step forward in concern for his safety, but Setzer made no reaction. "So, another Kefka to get rid of, huh?" Setzer sighed again, letting his head slump down in weariness. In the meantime, Garland and Tucker merely exchanged puzzled looks, having never heard of this 'Kefka' fellow.

Setzer sighed deeply, leaning against the rail of the airship. Celes took a step forward in concern for his safety, but Setzer made no reaction. "So, another Kefka to get rid of, huh?" Setzer sighed again, letting his head slump down in weariness. In the meantime, Garland and Tucker merely exchanged puzzled looks, having never heard of this 'Kefka' fellow.

Setzer looked back up. "Well, I'm busy now. Maybe after I'm done with this, but I'm committed." Celes frowned, face growing colder in irritation.

"Goddamit Setzer! We need you and your expertise with airships." spat Celes in anger. "Now get your head out of your ass and join up!"

Setzer frowned, his head raising somewhat as he stared at Celes in dark, thinly veiled suspicion. "Excuse me, Celes?" he asked carefully, eyes locked upon Celes'.

Lips clamped together, Celes said nothing, neither apologizing, nor backing down. 'She's always been stubborn.' thought Setzer, 'but never so... so... angry... so rude.'

Setzer shook his head, gesturing to his airship. "I'll be taking my leave now, Celes. This pot's getting to rich for my tastes." Springing onto the board between airships, Setzer wheeled about a final time to gaze at Celes.

"There's something you should know about Gogo, Setzer." said Celes quietly, not backing down from her stand, but neither willing to let him go without final words.

Setzer's eyes narrowed, but he did not speak, merely waiting for Celes to expand further on her statement.

Celes stared Setzer straight in the eye, face still a cold, impassive one. "But not now. Not when you're not ready to do your duty. When you come back to me, then I'll tell you."

Setzer said nothing. He merely turned, took a few steps, and leaped onto the deck of his own airship, followed shortly by Tucker and Garland. The plank was withdrawn.

No one spoke to Setzer as he flew like a man possessed, trying to lose his frusteration in the wind that screamed by him. But none of these could take away the thoughts of Celes... and of Daryl.

So Setzer flew...