"Oh, they're so cute!" Rydia was by the side of a yellow chocobo, patting its assortment of yellow colored feathers. The bird's long neck tilted downward so as to allow Rydia to lavish more attention on it. "You know, I can summon some of your friends," she said to the bird in a singsong voice, as if she was talking to a child.

Cecil smiled at Rydia. She looked like she did all those months ago when she was in the body of a seven-year-old, at awe of the large bird she could summon. He blinked and Rydia was no longer a child, she had longer limbs and more adult features. But in her large, aqua eyes she would always be that little girl to Cecil. He came up behind her, placing a hand upon her shoulder. "I never did ask how you were doing since..."

Rydia glanced over to him, causing Cecil to trail off. Different colored chocobos were padding around the group of seven, which were just recently brought over by Rubin and Arkane. Cecil had suggested, just before the two had left to fetch them from Mysidia's stables, that he could simply go back to get one of his airships. But Arkane had reminded the young king that where they were going the airship would most likely not be following. "And besides, the chocobos know their way back. That's how they were trained," Arkane had said.

"I'm fine, Cecil." Rydia smiled and returned her attention to the large bird. Before Cecil left to find his own bird to ride, the girl added, "I'm glad you're here."

Cecil nodded, afraid to speak in fear that his words would not find his voice. Rydia had that effect on him. She could say the simplest of things and it would make his day. She would always remind him of the little girl he found amongst the burning village of Mist, watching him with teary eyes. Rydia knew, and so did Cecil, that the Paladin King would forever watch and worry over her.

"She's fine, you know. She's very strong."

Cecil spun around at the sound of the soft feminine voice behind him. He smiled when he saw Decca standing there, brown leather reins in her hands, leading back to a white chocobo. Her long hair was tied back midway down her back, but still a few strands escaped to cover her eyes.

"I know she is. I just worry over her, ever since that day at Mist, ever since Olvin. I wasn't there for her..." Cecil's words faltered as he watched the elf's emerald eyes. "I told her I would protect her."

Decca laughed and the sound of her voice caused Cecil's lips to quirk into a sheepish smile. "A lot of people are making promises like that these days, Cecil. It's the ones who keep those promises that matter. You kept your promise to her. But you can't always be there." Decca walked passed him, her bird following her light steps, nuzzling her shoulder for attention. "That's what I'm here for. I'll watch out for her when you can't. And when I can't, you will."

Cecil cocked his head to the side. "Another promise, Lady?"

Decca pulled herself onto the back of the white bird with ease, looking down to the Paladin now with serious eyes. "It's a promise I want you to tell me that you'll keep."

"Certainly." He answered without hesitating. The earnestness of her eyes caused his playful smile to leave his face and he wondered just what she meant by that. Does she know something we don't? Or is she afraid she won't be coming back...? Still, he couldn't keep his eyes off the elf warrior as she road her bird to where Valzer was. "Something's wrong..."

"What's wrong?" Kain past his old friend, atop his black chocobo. The bird's wings were stubby, obviously showing that the elegant, glossy feathers had been clipped to prevent the bird from flying. A tame black chocobo.

Cecil mounted his own white bird and joined Kain, their great animals side by side. For a moment they stayed in silence; Cecil debating on whether or not to tell Kain what was on his mind. Seeming to find his choice, the Paladin kept his gaze well away from his ally's. "Decca."

At the mentioning of her name, Kain tilted his head to the side, his hair covering his eyes slightly. "What do you mean?"

Cecil shook his head and smiled, though it seemed forced. "I don't know. She just seems so--"

"Serious?" Kain snorted. "She always gets like that before a battle, so I'm not surprised she is that way now. There's no telling the countless battles that are ahead of us, my friend..." Kain began to laugh, but it was just as false as Cecil's smile.

He knows something is wrong too... Cecil, saying nothing more, decided on leaving the conversation where it lied, rather than forge new wounds along with the old ones. Kain, I just hope you don't figure it out too late.

Kain pulled the reins of his chocobo to slow the elegant creature's movements. When the bird went at the pace Kain deemed comfortable, he swung the mighty bird around so he could now ride besides Decca, somewhere off ahead of the group. Cecil squeezed the sides of his animal with his heels and the bird's speed hastened. Rydia was finally atop her yellow chocobo and Rubin was besides her on his own.

Arkane sighed as waved to them and he did not lower his hand until their images were lost within the trees. "You better make sure each and every one of those kids come back, Rubin." His smile faded and a frown replaced it. "You old fool. You better come back as well..."

***

"Where are we headed?" Cecil called ahead to Decca. The forest's trees streaked by the group as blurs of emerald and jade. The birds' movement under the riders was smooth and graceful, which seemed somewhat odd since chocobos walked with almost a waddle and one would think it to be more of a bumpy ride.

Decca slowed her chocobo once she was sure they were a good distance away from Mysidia. "We're looking for a monk." She nodded her head in the direction of the book under Valzer's arms. "That book was found here in Mysidia, so the man who wrote it must be from somewhere around here..."

"You think he's in this forest?" He finished her thought.

"He's not in Mysidia. My father checked with the Elder. Monk's usually live solitary lives...so hopefully he chose to live his solitary life here." Decca winced somewhat at her own words. Going on a hunch? This monk could very well be in Fabul by now. "Or dead..." She whispered, so softly that not even Kain next to her noticed her last words.

Kain nodded to her. "I think here is as much possible as anywhere else. Like you said, the book he wrote was found in Mysidia. He wrote of the White Light like he came in contact with her. The only place we've seen her was Amyl. He must live somewhere around there." Never mind the fact it was written years ago. Fourteen was it? He has to be here. He must be here...

Decca smiled slightly. "Why, Kain, you thinking things through?"

He grinned at her as he passed her with his chocobo, now leading the group.

"I guess we all better start thinking more, for sooner than we desire, we'll be in a completely new world..." Cecil said, and he was still talking, but his words were drowned out by Valzer on the other side of Decca.

"I have to start thinking now?" Valzer clicked his tongue and his bird was off running, racing Kain's in the distance.

A new world? It's not new to me. Decca closed her eyes as she heard the footfall of the chocobos around her, following where Kain and Valzer had went. Cecil and Rubin asked if she was all right, and she nodded in order to move them along. She didn't want them waiting behind for her. But when Decca opened her eyes, it was obvious that not all of her comrades had left at her bidding.

Rydia watched her with her large, aqua eyes. Decca never noticed before, but Rydia was the only person she knew with aqua colored irises. Such strange colored eyes. Must be from her Caller heritage.

"Are you all right?" Rydia's quiet voice asked.

Decca smiled sadly. "I'm going home, Rydia."

"You are home, Decca. If I learned anything from Cecil it is that home is not your place of birth, it is where you feel safe, where you feel nothing can harm you. It is where the people you love most are always with you." Rydia's voice fell to a whisper.

Decca glanced around and with the forest's emerald beauty she could still smell the distant scent of long-ago burning fireplaces the wind brought in through towering trees. Maybe one of those was of her own fireplace, being lit by her father. "Then what I am returning to?"

"The place of your birth. But that doesn't make it your home." Rydia lowered her head, no longer holding gazes with the elf before her, now only looking at the wet grass beneath their chocobos' feet. "It doesn't mean you have to stay there and not come back with us in the end."

"Rydia." Decca said her name in such firmness that the girl was startled and looked up to catch a glimpse of the smiling elf. "I'm coming back." She tried to seem certain when she said it, she wished to whatever god was up there that Rydia would not catch the hint of doubt in her steady gaze. But she did. Decca almost smiled at that. Rydia knew her so well.

The Caller's eyes softened more so and those oddly colored orbs of hers shone bright under the pale light. "Then why does it feel like you're not?"

Before Decca had the chance to answer her friend, whether or not she indeed had an answer for the girl, they heard Kain's strong voice calling for them somewhere up the forest's path. "We better move it, Rydia, or Kain will lead our journey without us." The elf sighed inwardly. She was grateful for the interruption, for she had no answer to Rydia's troubled queries.

Decca and Rydia's animals slowed their pace once they were back with the rest of the group. The elf once again took lead, every now and then casting glances back to her comrades to see if they were keeping up.

Kain had toned down upon the armor for speed purposes. He wore a simple ivory button-up shirt beneath an armored one. His black trousers were bunched up to his knees where his leather boots began, dyed the color of his hair. From his wrists to his elbows were thick leather braces, easier for parrying blows from enemies in case his weapons were out of reach (or busy be stuck within an adversary knight). A dagger was hidden within each of those braces, and two more within the back of his onyx boots. A sword Kain had recently bought was sheathed in a case round his waist and his trusty Lance of White was strapped nicely to his back. No doubt more daggers where in leather straps beneath his shirts.

"Never hurts to be prepared!" Kain declared when Cecil gave him that strange, worried look.

"Yes, and may the gods help the men who decide to challenge that fact." Valzer snorted as he pulled his yellow chocobo along side the men. Valzer kept on his assortment of blue colored robes with strange looking trims along the sleeves and bottom. Of course, below all those layers was his lavender colored shirt and brown pants, along with his long, white blade. Valzer was never one to listen to tradition when it came to wizard's weapons. He preferred a sword to a staff any day.

Rydia giggled and rolled her eyes, bringing her great animal to trot next to Decca's. The elf had her bow strapped nicely next to her quiver with a long-bladed dagger on either side. Or at least Rydia guessed they were daggers, for swords were much bigger. In one of the boots of Decca, tucked safely in back, was one of two other blades. The second was previously given to Rydia as a gift. Decca's vambraces matched her outfit in color: a dark midnight blue. And like Kain, those vambraces most likely withheld more daggers with sharp, glistening blades. She wore a sleeveless dark plated shirt and wrapped around her waist was a navy colored, short skirt that paralleled the same design embroidered on the armor, vambraces and boots. Her pants were lighter blue and clung to her slightly muscular frame as if it was her skin.

"Too many damn weapons. It's a wonder indeed how you can all move." Rubin chuckled as he looked over his own weapon: a simple wooden staff, gnarled and knotted. But it was a question to what weaponry lied beneath his robes of scarlet and cream.

"And how do you expect to ward off the enemies with that stick, Ruby?" Kain smiled, his night colored chocobo slowing down near Rubin's.

"With magic, my boy, magic!" The old wizard flexed his fingers and soon a pale, red light appeared to engulf his whole hand. "Besides, what makes you think there will be a battle? The world we're going to could be full of peaceful folk."

Valzer made a noise that sounded somewhat like "pfft" and he yanked his large bird around to face the old man. "You're kidding me, right? You can't possibly think that a world that spawned a thing like Olvin is peaceful?"

Rubin's kind face turned stern when young wizard's voice became too loud. "Hold your tongue. Do not forget that Decca came from that world as well." The man gave Valzer that look that he so often did. Even when Valzer had been a small child that same glare and tone was given whenever he got himself into trouble. By now, Valzer was used to the serious look that demanded him to better his understanding and compassion towards things alien to their culture.

"Besides," Rubin continued, his expression no longer annoyed, now only weary, "we don't know if Olvin came from...from--"

"Valqua..." Valzer offered.

"We don't know if he came from there, Valzer. There are many worlds of cultures that we humans have yet to discover...and to understand." Rubin messaged his forehead, as if a burdensome headache had just fell upon him. Then he smiled, his usual warm smile, much like Arkane's. "We do best to not speak of such things. I don't want to give her more of a burden than she already has to carry."

Valzer looked off in the distance where Decca had ventured. "Then I'll help her carry it."

"She's not alone, Ruby. We'll be there." Kain tore his gaze away from the blue skinned elf, making conversation with Rydia and the Paladin King of Baron. Cecil was still talking? Kain wanted to smile at that, but what his kingly friend had said earlier was stuck within his mind. Something's wrong... Something's wrong with Decca.

"For how long?" Rubin calmly watched Kain with those red orbs of his, those strange red eyes. Kain couldn't help but wonder if it was magic that turned his iris' that color. Would it happen to Valzer one day?

Kain raised a dark brow in wonder and another thought entered his mind. What was that old man trying to say? The Dragoon Knight did not like being doubted, especially when his words spoke truth. But when he gazed back into the older man's eyes, there was no doubt there. There was only a great deal of sadness. Could this be what Valzer felt before? Does Ruby feel it too? Am I the only one who doesn't? With that last thought, Kain could feel a lump knot itself within his throat. Swallowing it, he managed to find his voice.

"Forever. For as long as she breathes. For as long as she's here, I will always be there for her. Don't ever question that." Kain turned away, pulling his animal and stabbing his heels into its sides. He did it a little too hard however, and the bird reeled upward before it sped off.

"Kain!" Valzer called after him, but his calls went unanswered; they merely echoed in the depths of the forest. When his words finally faded within the trees, he glanced back at Rubin. "Ruby, you know he loves her. You know we all will be there for her for--"

"Forever?" Rubin sighed, yet a small smile crept at the edges of his mouth. "I love her just as much as any of you, Valzer. But sometimes I think love isn't enough in this harsh little world of ours. We make promises. And for what? So they can be broken by our own ignorance or by fate's cruel game? He says he'll love her forever. Forever is very long time, my son. And if there is anything you should learn it is that time is ruthless, time changes things."

"So what are you saying?" Rubin could hear the exasperation in the young wizard's words. "That we can't help her in the end, that all this is in vain? All hopeless!" Valzer's voice again rose louder than he intended it to.

Rubin closed his eyes and Valzer grimaced suddenly at hearing his own voice's tone. "I'm sorry. I didn't..."

Rubin chuckled ruefully. "Ah, so you know what is to come? You've seen what I have. You've seen what your father fears, what the Elder of our village warned us of."

"Yes..." Valzer finally admitted. His heart felt heavier at that moment than it ever had, more weighty now than it did when he looked into the eyes of Decca that day in Amyl and saw a stranger staring back at him. What differed from that day was the hope for Decca's return. Those months ago Valzer had that hope, that feel inside himself that his childhood friend--his sister--would come back to him, to their family, to her home. And she returned. His feeling had been correct. But now another sensation was plaguing him and had been since her return. Maybe it had been there for longer and he just didn't notice, or didn't want to.

"And I don't want it." Something strange was in Valzer's eyes. "I don't want it anymore!" He cried out, as if screaming into the heavens above would somehow force the gods to grant pity upon him and let Decca's fate be kinder. "I don't want to let her go. I don't want to watch her..." His voice fell to a soft mummer and he refused to finish what he meant to say.

"I know." Rubin finally said, pulling his animal nearer Valzer's. "But that's all part of being a wizard. You know that, you knew it when you were a child as well. Arkane warned you when you first told him you wished to follow his footsteps." The old man chuckled with the memories that came from those words, despite the atmosphere around them now.

You were so small back then. You marched yourself up to your father and nearly demanded that he make you a wizard, like it could have been done by a simple snap of his finger. You always had the gift, Valzer. Your father was so proud of you that day. He is so proud of you.

"And Decca?" Valzer whispered. "She feels this?"

Rubin lowered his head, his tan colored hood casting a shadow to cover his eyes. "Yes. She knows her fate, my son. Rydia senses it too, but she does not know the full extent, for she is still too young. Rydia knows something is amiss, she just can't...figure it out. But she will." The old man's strong hand fell to Valzer's blue clad shoulder. "You must learn to listen to your powers now. Flow with them, but never fall prey to them."

"I didn't know... I didn't know it would be like this."

"You'll get the hang of it." Rubin squeezed his shoulder. "Sooner than you think."

Valzer peered up into the old man's eyes, just as sorrowful and as weary as his own. A slight smile played across the younger wizard's lips at that moment. "I guess that means I'll be going gray early."

Rubin laughed and smacked Valzer's back. "It's all part of the package. If you're lucky, you might learn a spell that'll keep your hair brown."

"Yeah, right. I'll find the fountain of youth first."

The old wizard's laughs died down soon to a soft chuckle and he looked at the spot where Kain had sped off in. "Just promise me that you'll always keep that bizarre sense of humor of yours. It's the key to staying young." Rubin grinned again and added, "and you wouldn't be you without it."

***

The day soon gave way to evening, and what little was left of the morning's color disappeared at the bidding of the night. The sky was lit with its shimmering blues and clear, crisp whites. Decca loved the smell of night. It was cool and fresh and each of the forest animals would poke their heads out from their hiding places to watch her. Decca's chocobo ruffled its feathers beneath her and fluttered its wings, as if it was attempting to fly. Never mind the fact that only its black colored brothers could fly, this big bird seemed set in its determination.

Very willful. "Hey..." Decca patted the bird's side. "That's what I'll call you. "Will"." The white chocobo made a small chirp as if it approved of the name.

"Will?" Kain laughed besides her. "You named your bird "Will"?"

Decca wrinkled her nose in feigned arrogance. "It is a perfect name for a very beautiful bird." The elf raised her head and slid from off the back of the chocobo. Grabbing the leather reins she led Will to a nearby tree where she removed the bird's bridle and wrapped it around the branch of the tree. "There. More comfortable?" Decca scratched the giant bird's neck and it tweeted its response.

Kain smiled and dismounted his chocobo, leading it over to where Decca's was. "Don't take off the bridle. It'll run away." Kain moved to tie the reins of his bird's bridle to the same tree, but Decca intercepted and took the bridle off his chocobo.

"Not that you would know, Dragoon Knight, but these birds are trained well. That and they know their masters. They're very intelligent." She grinned, wrapping the reins around her fist to make a ball, then, slipping it off, she threw it to Kain. "You should name your chocobo as well."

"Name it?" Kain snorted. "What? Will?" He laughed again and Decca punched his shoulder. "What if it's a girl, hmm?" Kain rubbed his upper arm and followed the elf back to where their group was setting up camp for the night.

"It's a boy." Decca said, sitting down close to where Rubin was making a fire. "I've ridden him before dozens of times. I never really named him though." While she was talking, Will had waddled next to her, pushing past Kain and now nudged at Decca's shoulder for her attention.

Kain folded his arms. "Damnable thing is pushy..." Since the big chocobo was occupying his space, Kain padded over to where Cecil was. He'd come back later to sit near Decca when that bird wasn't there.

Valzer was no where in sight, though, and Kain looked around their camp area for him. Damn, where are you, Valz? He had sensed something wrong with him before, back on the trail.

"Not bad..." Came Cecil's soft voice. In his hands was a mug filled with a murky looking liquid. It took Kain a moment to realize that the murky liquid was the herb ternè brewed into a tea, obviously by Rubin's skilled hands. The old wizard was hunched over their camp's fire humming verses to unknown songs and periodically sipping the stew he was cooking. Rydia was helping him, every now and then asking the wizard questions about the ingredients he was using.

"Something wrong?" Cecil asked, offering Kain the cup. "Try some."

Kain took the wooden mug and sniffed at the liquid. "Smells strange..." Cecil smiled as Kain took a sip, wrinkled his nose, and passed the cup back. "Tastes bad too. Never did like tea though."

"No wine on this trip, Kain, sorry." Cecil laughed and took another drink.

"Too bad. Valzer's not going to like that..." Kain watched Cecil drink his terrible tasting tea for a moment and wondered if perhaps he would know where Valzer had wandered off to. Then he thought better of it and decided he would ask Rubin later.

"Don't know what you and Rosa see in that drink." Kain started searching the ground for something, glancing up at Cecil with a small smile. "Then again, I never knew what she saw in you, you Holy Paladin."

Cecil feigned insult to that and pointed at him with his wooden cup. "Hey... I'm a good catch for any girl!" The Paladin King's grin weakened slightly, "besides, I'm lucky to have her." His smile faded altogether and he placed his cup down. "I'm glad to have you as well. I thought I lost you that day, Kain. I saw you in the forest and I thought that maybe you had changed, maybe you didn't want anything to do with me..."

Kain shook his head, his longish, seemingly uneven black hair whipped about his face. "You were always so emotional!" Kain smiled, showing white teeth against the dull light of the fire. "You know, I never did thank you." Seeming to find what he was searching for on the forest floor, the Dragoon Knight picked up a small rock and looked it over within his hands.

Cecil tilted his head to the side, his white hair and armor seeming orange in the ginger light of the flames. "Thank me for what?"

"For forgiving me." Kain was no longer smiling but his eyes were, those deep blue orbs of his that never quite allowed you to know what he was thinking. "For looking for me, for giving a damn about me, for helping my sorry self when I had no one else to turn to. Just for...being you." The man waved his hand before his face, "I'm no good at this emotional stuff."

The Paladin laughed at that, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Kain, you're learning quite well. Soon you will be sprouting poetry and singing sonnets with the rest of us!"

Kain shrugged away from Cecil's hand. "Ugh, no thank you." Before he rose up from off the ground, made warm by the illumination of the fire, he threw his stone into the flames. "You can keep your poems and sonnets. I have elves and wizards to find." He said, noticing that Decca was no longer by the campfire either. Will was though, and he was pecking at the ground around him.

The Dragoon Knight walked up to Will, patting the bird's white, fluffy feathers. Kain's black chocobo was behind Will, pecking at the ground as well. The rest of the chocobos were over on the other side of the camp, nearest Rydia and Rubin. "You haven't seen Decca, have you?" Will poked his head up at the sound of Kain's voice and nudged his shoulder, wanting his neck to be scratched. "Bird, scratch your own neck."

"Hey, be kind to the huge fuzz ball. He might bite your fingers off."

Kain, startled, spun around and practically slammed into the wizard behind him. "Valzer, where have you been?" He pushed the wizard back a few spaces and moved Will's head aside, out of his way.

Valzer shoved him back, almost into Will. "Where do you think? I couldn't help it, Kain. Once I heard there was no wine on this trip, I ran into the forest screaming. Luckily I ran in circles so I ended up back where I started." The wizard nodded as he sat down on the other side of Will and began to scratch the bird's neck, occasionally stopping to pay attention to the black one behind him.

"So Decca isn't with you?"

Valzer's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Why would she be with me? I thought she was with you."

"I thought she went to look for you." Kain folded his arms before his chest.

"Great going, Kain. You lost our only elf."

Kain frowned.

Valzer merely smiled. "Relax, knight. She's probably off scouting the area. She does that all the time when we go out with our hunting party. She'll be back before dawn--Kain?" The wizard looked back up to where Kain used to be, now only a vacant space. "That boy's in love all right." He chuckled, going back to stroking the two birds near him.

Valzer's grin was replaced by a frown when more of the animals came flocking towards him. Shortly, just about everyone's chocobos were at his side, demanding his attention. "Aw, come on! I can't scratch all your necks!"