"Who are you?  Show yourself."

The figure stepped into the light.  Celes could now easily see it was a
woman, quite a bit older than herself, garbed in white.  An obvious White
Mage.

"My name is Rosa.  And I cannot let you come any closer to this ship.
When I was ordered by the Lunarians to keep this ship safe, I promised I
would do so with my life.  I cannot let you take it."

The woman unslung her bow from off her shoulder.  "Please leave.  I do not
wish to harm you."

Celes drew her sword.  "If that's the way it has to be."  She sighed.  Why
did she have to fight everyone she met these days?

Rosa took aim.  Celes smiled.  She was going to hit her hard and knock her
off balance.  Rosa drew her arm back.  "Nuke!"

Rosa didn't even flinch.  "I cast a wall on myself before I came out."

"But Nuke goes through walls!"

"Not extra-strong ones!"

Rosa let her arrow fly.  Celes ducked out of the way.  Rosa fit another
arrow. Celes charged.  Rosa let the arrow fly at close range.  Celes again
instincivly moved her sword.

"Yaah!"  The sword flew out of her hand, taking the arrow with it.  It had
missed her hand by centimeters.  Celes dove and knocked the arrows and bow
away from Rosa.

It was going to be hand-to-hand now.  Celes knew she had the advantage.

"White!"

Celes didn't even have time to react; she flew backwards.  What incredible
power.  If she just had one of Rydia's call-monsters now!

Rosa charged at her.  Celes flipped, and Rosa landed where she had been a
second ago.  They struggled around, each trying to get a weapon, or
somehow get the upper hand.

"FuSoYa!  Grant me the power to destroy her.  METEO!"

Celes took the raining from above with only mild damage.  "Apparently that
spell isn't as powerful as it used to be.  Now try this... MERTON!"  The
spell cut through Rosa's Wall.  Celes, who was now used to taking spells
like this, wasn't as badly hurt as Rosa was.

Celes grabbed her sword while Rosa was trying to get up.  She pointed it
right at Rosa's neck.  "Are you going to let me have this ship now, or do
I have to kill you?  Either way, I find Rydia and it doesn't matter."

"Rydia!  How do you know her?" Rosa said.

Celes stood in shock.  "Goddess, you're not THAT Rosa, are you?"

"I helped defeat Zeromus."

Celes quickly helped her to her feet, "We have to talk."

*****

"Alright.  I'll show you how it works."  Rosa grabbed her bow and arrows
and headed into the machine.

Celes followed her in.  Whoa!  How was she ever supposed to understand
what all these buttons and levers do?

"Here.  Use the crystal of flight to awaken the Whale."

*****

Ebot's Rock rumbled.  The Big Whale came out from the sea, flying up to
the sky.  Setzer didn't have sole possession of the air anymore.

"I'm laying in a course for Figaro." said Celes, pressing the correct
buttons at her terminal.

"One to be born from a dragon, hoisting the light and the dark, arises high
up in the sky to the still land..."  Celes thought of the legend.

The Whale was flying again.