Chapter Four: The Land of the Dead
I want a new
language. One with at least
50 words for grief

and 50 words for love, so I can offer
them to the living
who mourn the dead.
-- Casandra Lopez "A New Language"

Bleu watched warily as Karina pulled open the gates. There wasn't a lock -- which surprised her -- and it wasn't like opening a tomb; no rush of air greeted them. Karina met her eyes and held out her hand. Bleu glared back at her, hands fisted at her sides.

"I appreciate you taking this detour for my benefit, Lady DuFarr, and I thank you," Edward said. He took Karina's hand and kissed it, bowing as he did so. Bleu resisted the urge to roll her eyes: if Karina's actions back in Zeal were finishing school frippery, Edward's were advanced study. She was glad Magus had never tried that kind of high-class trash with her, even as a joke.

"You're very welcome, your Majesty," Karina said, smiling. She curtsied low and Bleu made a quiet gagging sound. Marle started to giggle, but stopped when Karina glared at them both. "Well, that's ruined," she said under her breath.

"Pardon?" Edward asked.

"Oh, it's nothing -- I just talk to myself sometimes," Karina said briskly. "This is a great place for our adventure to start: we've all got someone we want to see, and my cousin might trust me more once she meets who I got some of my info from. Who knows, it might even cure her attitude problem."

"My what?!" Bleu snapped. "I wouldn't call being suspicious of a damned demon an 'attitude problem'! We just met, of course I don't trust you yet! But here you are, acting like we're supposed to be best buddies and now you're saying you talked to my mom?! You don't get to talk to her -- she's my mom and yours tried to kill her! Everything that went wrong went wrong because of her and --"

"Come on, Bleu, don't ruin this," Marle hissed. "I want to see Mom."

"Let's just trust her for now, okay?" Setzer said. "She wants to help and, demon or DuFarr, hasn't given us any reason to doubt her so far."

"Please, for Anna," Edward said. "And for Terra's baby."

Bleu gritted her teeth. "Fine."

"Anna must be very special to you," Karina said.

"Yes, very special. Anna was to be my wife. She and I eloped a little while before her death and I miss her terribly," Edward said. He looked to the mist, eyes wet.

'Well, that's ruined,' is right, Bleu thought nastily.

"Then I've taken enough of your time," Karina said. She smiled, though it looked a little strained. "Okay, ground rules: this place isn't dangerous, but be careful anyhow. If you get lost, yell out my name and I'll lead you out. Go in thinking of the ones you've lost, and they'll find you. Just... don't let your thoughts wander. There's folks you saved the world from in there as well."

"Oh..." Terra bit her lower lip. "Thank you."

"No problem. Don't worry about sticking around by me, either. That okay with you, Bleu?" Karina asked, then walked into the mist before Bleu could answer.

The mist didn't feel like anything; whatever it was made out of, it wasn't water vapor. Maybe it's memories, Bleu thought, then sighed. None of this seemed real yet and she couldn't help but feel like she was walking into a trick. All of it seemed too neatly packaged, like it was specifically designed to mess with her. She'd spent her whole life thinking she was half-Mystic and now...

"Bleu?"

Bleu turned to face a heartrendingly-familiar Outlaw dressed in a rumpled suit, with a pair of glasses perched on his beak. She touched her ears when she saw the feathered tufts of his own pointed ears. "Dad?"

"Please tell me you're not here for real," her dad -- Elgin -- said.

"I'm not, it's okay," Bleu said. Her vision blurred and her voice cracked. This was real. It was really real. "I really missed you, Dad..."

"Me too." Elgin held out his arms and Bleu stumbled towards him, letting herself be wrapped in a tight hug filled with "I love you"s. His feathers tickled her nose and she turned her head so she wouldn't sneeze. She remembered how he used to carry her on his shoulders, and how he used to seem so tall. Now, she was a few inches taller than him. He released her and took a step back, tilting his head to get her in focus. "Look at you, all grown up! You're still my little girl, though."

Bleu smiled, lower lip trembling. "Dad... I know about Decamerone."

"I'm sorry I never told you," Elgin said. "Orina wanted to wait until you were older and... it just never seemed like the right time."

"I still have the frog," Bleu said. She reached into the bag she carried, then pulled it out and brushed it against her lips before returning it to the bag.

"Orina would've wanted you to have that, too. I almost told you, then, when I gave it to you, but... I was selfish. I was afraid if you knew the truth, you wouldn't be my daughter anymore." Elgin's shoulders slumped.

"Don't be a birdbrain," Bleu said. "I'm still your daughter and you're still my dad, no matter who my father is."

Elgin chuckled. "I'm very glad. How'd you find out?"

"In short? From my cousin Karina... Ithonie's daughter. First she told me this long, crazy story and then she gave me this," Bleu said. She took the locket out of her bag and handed it to Elgin, who took it without looking at it. "It's a locket, you know."

"I know what he looks like," he told her.

"Oh. He's here, too?" Bleu asked. Elgin nodded.

"I want you to know that your mother was -- and is forever -- the love of my life. She loves me, too, but... Decamerone has always been the love of her life. She really does try to keep things fair and she knows how difficult this all is, but... I'm sorry, Bleu, you don't need to hear this."

"But it sucks being the third wheel," Bleu finished for him.

"It does," Elgin admitted. He handed the locket back to her. "I know you want to see Orina... and you probably want to see your father, too. Don't worry, it won't hurt my feelings."

"I want to see Mom," Bleu said. She looked around at the thick fog and back at her dad's face. There was the patience and kindness she remembered, as well as the sadness she hadn't been able to understand before. Karina said that this place was, in a way, timeless... but she couldn't help but wonder when they were and how long he'd spent being the runner-up. She took a deep breath, then closed her eyes and tried to remember something about her mom. All she knew of her were her dad's stories -- and Karina's story -- and all her attempts at that moment to conjure up her face just looked identical to what she saw in that wall outside the gates. She startled when she felt a soft hand cup her face and leaned her head into the touch. That... she remembered, almost. She opened her eyes. "Mom?"

"Hey," Orina said, her mouth quirked in a half-smile. She kissed Bleu on the forehead. "I love you."

Bleu let herself be wrapped in another tight hug, squeezing her eyes shut again as she breathed in her mother's perfume. There was so much she wanted to ask her and so much she wanted to say, but it all kept threatening to come out at once. She blinked away tears and studied Orina. They really did look a lot alike, but she knew she would never be that beautiful. "I love you, too. And, uh... I talked to Karina. She gave me this." Bleu handed the locket over to her mom, almost hating the expression that came over Orina's face when she saw it. She watched her thumb it open to look at the picture inside.

"I know. She tried to give it back to me before, but I told her to give it to you instead," Orina said. It felt like a punch in the gut.

"It's not fair --" Bleu began.

"No, it's not," Orina said. "None of this was. I wish it could've been different... I've told Decamerone all about you, but he deserved to know you, too," She closed the locket and tried to hand it back to Bleu. Bleu just stared at it.

"What about Dad?" she asked.

Orina paled, then blushed. "It's complicated. Bleu, your father --"

"That's my father!" Bleu snapped, pointing to Elgin. Orina sighed.

"Bleu, I know, but --"

"But what? But you can just throw him away now that Decamerone's here?! Is that it?! Because that's crap! Dad died for me! He tried to protect me from Ozzie's Goons! What's so special about Decamerone anyhow?!" Bleu shouted. "Why'd you tell Karina all that stuff? I had to hear it from her and not from you!"

Orina's face, which had hardened during the first part of Bleu's tirade, softened. "Bleu, sweetheart... I'm sorry. I love you and your dad and your father very, very much and that's why it's complicated. You know your dad and I would've told you everything if we could have. I wanted you to know, I really did, and I wanted to be the one to tell you. I'm sorry you couldn't hear it from me."

Bleu nodded. She glanced over at Elgin, who looked pointedly in the direction of Orina's locket, then sighed. "Fine," she said under her breath. Decamerone... I don't even know you, but I guess if it'll make Mom happy... The air changed; it stilled, it moved, it seemingly left altogether. Her mom smiled like the sun and her heart broke for her dad. Decamerone was standing behind her, she knew, and Bleu reluctantly turned around.

"Hi. I'm Bleu," she said, her head tilted back to look him in those yellow eyes.

"Hi Bleu," Decamerone echoed, choked with emotion.

"You can hug him if you want," Orina said in a gently prodding voice.

Bleu stiffly complied and, to her horror, Decamerone started to cry. He hugged her back -- too tightly, even with those shaky arms -- and his hot, wet face felt sticky against her hair. She wanted to cringe and break away, but instead patted his back until he finally released her.

"Oh, Bleu..." he murmured. "I thought I would never see you."

Why not? Everyone dies someday, Bleu thought. "Guess you were wrong," she said.

"I was. I was so wrong... after all that time... I never thought I could have you," Decamerone said. He hugged her again. "Oh god, Bleu, you're a miracle -- has anyone ever told you that?"

"No, most people call me a freak," Bleu replied. The long sleeves on her jacket had slipped up, exposing the scars on her arms. She angrily tugged them back down, but she could tell from the expression on Decamerone's face that he had seen them.

"I think there's a lot we need to talk about," Decamerone said gently. He reached forward to take Bleu's hands and she stepped backwards to avoid him. Her dad laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, we need to hear what you've been up to since I last saw you," Elgin agreed. He gave her shoulder a comforting pat.

"Don't leave anything out," Orina said.

Karina walked towards the distant figure of her mother, feeling her throat tighten as she came into view. She stood with her back to her and her long, thick hair hung loose in wild curls. "Mom?" Karina ventured, then tapped Ithonie on the shoulder. "Is that you?"

Ithonie turned around with a snort. "You've got the wrong person."

"Sorry," Karina mumbled, taking care not to let her teeth show. "You just look a lot like her. I thought you were her."

"Well, I'm not. I don't know who you are or who you're looking for, but good luck finding her," Ithonie said dismissively. She started to turn back around, but stopped and instead studied Karina with a strange, almost annoyed expression. Karina held her breath. "Do you even know she's here?"

"I thought she was... but I can't seem to find her," she said. "I've looked everywhere."

"She must not be here, then. Sorry about your luck." Again, Ithonie started to turn back around, but this time Karina stopped her.

"Wait!" Karina said. "Um... would you mind talking to me for a little bit, please? You really look a lot like Mom, and I really miss her."

Ithonie rolled her eyes. "Fine," she sighed. "Just don't take all day and talk my ear off."

"Okay, I'll try not to," Karina replied. "Thank you."

"Yeah, don't make me regret it," Ithonie said under her breath. "So what do you want to talk about anyway?"

"I don't know, now that you've put me on the spot!" Karina covered her mouth with her hand and laughed. Both her hand and her face fell when that suspicious, annoyed look returned.

"What's wrong with your teeth?" Ithonie snapped. "You keep mumbling and covering your mouth. It's annoying."

"Sorry," Karina said. "My teeth look bad. I'm embarrassed."

"Oh." Ithonie grimaced. She let a few moments pass in increasingly-awkward silence, then looked away. Karina followed her gaze and saw that the fog had cleared enough to reveal her cousin, her aunt, and her uncles. Her mother stared at Decamerone with unmistakable desire.

"You really like him, don't you," Karina said.

Ithonie blushed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah." Karina hid her smile. "But it's also obvious how gorgeous he is. What's his name?"

"Decamerone Nightshade," Ithonie replied. "He's the best magic teacher in Zeal and I used to be his student. He's also a half-demon," she finished with a sly smile.

"A half-demon?" Karina raised her eyebrows. "Imagine such a thing existing..."

"Oh, I have!" Ithonie giggled and Karina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I'd love to explore it with him, too, but..." Her expression darkened and Karina's heart started to pound. "It's forbidden. Entering into a relationship with him is forbidden."

"That's a shame. Let's talk about something el--"

"Not that that stopped my sister," Ithonie spat, scowling at Orina until that strange expression came over her again. She turned to glare just as sharply at Karina. "You know what I did, don't you."

Karina hesitated, then nodded. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"I'm not your... oh god," Ithonie moaned, now staring past Karina. She took a stumbling step backwards and winced in pain. What happened next always reminded Karina of her father's shapeshifting.

"Mom, it's okay," Karina said to Ithonie, whose anguished, one-eyed gaze flickered between her and whoever was behind her.

"I --" Ithonie began, then burst into tears and faded away.

Karina turned around to face Katra. "Hey."

"That wasn't my fault... was it?" Katra asked.

"Nah. Mom always does that," Karina said. "She talks, she cries, then she fades away. You'll get used to it."

Katra frowned. "At least she talks to you," she muttered. "What are you doing here, anyway? I thought I saw Bleu... but then I just saw you."

"Family business," Karina said with a shrug. "That's all. I thought I'd pay you and Mom a visit."

"What about Bleu? I saw her: did you kill her?" Katra asked, eyes gleaming.

"You probably saw Orina," Karina replied. "They look a lot alike."

"Perhaps... yes, but I could've sworn it was her. She didn't kill you, did she?"

Karina choked back a laugh. "Not yet, she hasn't. There's still time."

"Better be careful: you'll hate it here," Katra said. "It's all fog until you hit the corridors, and then it's just a maze. There's no place to hide."

"Sorry you're still stuck with her," Karina said truthfully. "I wish it could've been different."

Katra laughed. "You know what the humans say about wishing. If that's all you have for me, you've brought me nothing."

"Then come with me." Karina held out her hand. "We'll leave this place. How's that for something?"

"Really?" Katra took a step forward and, in another darting step, bypassed Karina's outstretched hand to hug her. Then, just as quickly, she drew away from Karina with a hiss. "You smell like Bleu."

"So what? I meant what I said," Karina insisted.

"You lied!" Katra snarled back. "You're just going to lead me to Bleu! You're just going to use me as bait!"

"No!" Karina started to take a step towards her sister, who flinched, then stopped. She sighed and wiped at her eyes. "Katra, please, just listen --"

"No, you listen!" Katra pointed at her. "You think you're so good, but I know... oh yes, I do. You're no different from Bleu and no better than Skye. You're just like Ankara."

"Take that back," Karina said. "And don't say her name."

"What? Are you scared that your little plan failed? Afraid that you were found out? Worried that no one will save you when Ankara finds you?" Katra drew close again, grinning. Karina stared back at her, teeth bared. "She's always liked your pretty smile and she'll love the chance to play with you instead. I think she's bored of me now, but you... How's that for some 'family business'?"

"Don't --" Karina began, but Katra pushed her finger against her lips.

"Shhhhh..." Katra giggled.

Karina swallowed hard, then covered her ears.

"Ankara! ANKARAAAAAAAAAA!" Katra screamed, drawing it out into a howl before she faded away.

Skye sat at the mouth of the cave, her sketchbook in her lap and her art supplies resting on the rock beside her. She'd felt silly taking those at first, but now wished she'd brought along more. She had already drawn the amazing view -- and congratulated herself on emphasizing those forbidding-looking spikes on the mountainside as a visual counterpoint to the otherwise-perfect, eerie beauty of the scene -- and was now settled down to draw the glowing flowers. She knew that no one would believe her otherwise and that she might not even believe herself, later, if she didn't. Her only frustration was that she was trying to capture colors that she wasn't sure there were human names for and her homeworld pastels just weren't quite up to the task.

"Very nice," Skye heard Ashlynn say, then looked up to see him smiling down at her.

"Thanks," she replied, a little warily; she'd said the same thing about the world and hoped he wasn't mocking her for it.

"I didn't know you were an artist," Ashlynn continued. He crouched down to look over her shoulder and Skye fought back every urge she had to sigh, giggle, or otherwise embarrass herself. A shiver of delight ran down her spine. "Are you cold?"

"Yeah, a little," Skye said. It wasn't entirely a lie: the air was getting cooler and she wondered if it was going to be nightfall soon. All those thoughts abruptly left when Ashlynn draped his jacket over her shoulders. "Thanks."

"No problem," he said, then reached around her to tap the side of the sketchbook. "Mind if I take a look?"

"Go for it," Skye said with a forced shrug. She handed it to him and used the opportunity to slip her arms into the sleeves of the jacket. It was surprisingly warm: either he generated a lot of body heat, or there was some future light jacket technology at work. "Aren't you cold?"

"Nah, I was roasting in that thing. I only got it 'cause of the zipper," Ashlynn said as he looked through the sketchbook. "It really goes 'zip zip' and it looks like they put 'em on everything in the future. I wanted to get a pair of trousers with a zipper, but Karina said I'd get arrested if I played with it in public."

Skye nodded mutely, eyes wide. She looked at the so-called zipper on the jacket and saw that it was some sort of closure device that could split into two parts. Similar devices -- those ones closed -- sealed a pair of pockets on the chest of the jacket. She also guessed that the zipper on the pants he'd wanted wasn't on the pockets.

"These are really good -- you're very talented." Ashlynn handed the sketchbook back to her, opened to her latest drawing. "Those are called --" Skye quivered at the short, soft growl he made. "-- soulflowers. They're everywhere, but especially here. You should see them at night."

"I want to," Skye said. "And thank you."

"Is this why you left?" he asked.

"Mostly," Skye answered. She had wanted to draw the soulflowers and the scenery -- and those did make a good excuse for leaving -- but, really, she needed to just get away and think. The scene with Terra had raised far more questions than there were comfortable answers for and she couldn't help but wonder if the baby was Setzer's even if the math didn't add up. "I'm surprised you didn't go with Karina."

Ashlynn snorted. "And risk running into her creepy sister? You've got to be kidding."

"You mean Katra?" Skye asked, inwardly grimacing at the memory of her first encounter with her.

"No, the other one. Katra's okay," Ashlynn said with a shrug. "At least she was until Creepy got ahold of her."

"You must really love Karina if --" Skye began, but Ashlynn interrupted her.

"She's my best friend," he growled. "Sorry," he added. "We get that a lot. Karina and I've known each other since we were kids. I do love her, sure, but not like that."

"Oh, okay," Skye said. "Cool." She forced herself to turn her attention back to her drawing. There really was no way she was going to be able to capture the soulflowers' otherworldly glow and would instead have to put all her efforts into getting the color somewhat correct. That concentration became more difficult when Ashlynn moved to sit next to her.

"This place doesn't freak you out?" he asked as he watched her draw. "All the others look uneasy about being here, except for you. Just between you and me, I think they're scared of demons. That's why I left: everyone would look at me whenever I got anywhere near the walls, like they wanted to see my true form. I got tired of being watched." He paused. "You're not scared?"

"Nope, not at all," Skye said with a smile. "It's not like you're a monster."

"I'm a demon," Ashlynn reminded her.

"I know, that's why I said what I did," Skye said. "Sure, some demons can be monsters -- like Thanatos was, and like Karina's dad is -- but so can some humans. Right?"

"Right," Ashlynn said. He smiled. "So I guess you're... familiar with demons, then?"

"You're the first one I've seen up close," Skye said. "But there's been a few demons in my world. There was Thanatos, who stole the body of my ancestor's brother and used it for evil purposes... and then there was Sheex. He was a bodyguard to the Emperor." And I used to sneak looks at him whenever I could. It's a shame I never saw as much as Kirine did...

"Sheex, eh? That sounds like an Aegagropilon name," Ashlynn said. He looked uncomfortable and, for a moment, Skye wondered if she'd actually said what she'd thought out loud.

"An Aega-what?" she asked instead.

"Aegagropilon. A lot of them work as elite guards. There's bigger demons out there, but... Aegagropilons are basically teeth on legs. They can eat anything that fits in their mouth or anything they can bite in half or... well, you get the picture."

"Are they green? With stripes?" Skye clarified. Ashlynn nodded. "Yeah, Sheex was... that. He didn't look like that most of the times I saw him, though."

"But you said he was an emperor's guard?" Ashlynn asked. "You'd think an emperor would want his guardsman to look as imposing as possible."

"Sheex was married to a sorceress," Skye said. "Or practically married, I don't know. All I know is that Fanha was human and he wasn't."

"Ah. Lucky him," Ashlynn said with a smile.

"More like lucky her," Skye countered. She looked away from him and back at her drawing. It was almost finished. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we humans are pretty damned boring-looking."

"What makes us demons so special then?"

Skye froze. Now that was a loaded question. She weighed her options: her first was to be crude and offend him and her second was to answer truthfully at the risk of sounding stupid. "Okay, let's start with the ears," Skye heard herself say. "Yours have that neat point to them. They're elegant and elfin, while mine are just round."

"'Just round,' huh?" Ashlynn reached over and lightly ran his index finger along the edge of Skye's ear, slowly following the curve down to her earlobe. He leaned in close and purred. Skye's breath caught in her throat. "I don't find that boring at all."

Terra sniffed the air, then took a deep breath. She watched the fog enter her body and felt it collect in her lungs, tingling and vibrating there until she finally exhaled and saw it leave her mouth and nose like smoke. Her skin buzzed where it touched her and she didn't need to look down to know that her body was covered in silky fur the color of candyfloss. She willed it away and shook her head, both to clear it and to feel her hair swing. She had to be herself for this; her son only knew her human side. She heard Setzer stop behind her, and she kept walking. One foot in front of the other, like in Vector.

"Terra?" General Leo appeared in front of her, his watery eyes filled with concern. "Are you here... for me?"

"I'm here for Atma."

Leo sighed and the fog, she noticed, did not enter his body.

Terra's eyes narrowed and she showed her teeth. She wanted to spit at him. She wanted to scream. She wanted to rush forward and tear him to shreds. She wanted to cry. "You knew," she said instead.

"I knew."

Terra drew back, her hands tucked into fists. "You could have told me," she said. "You should have told me!"

"Should I?" Leo asked her. "You barely knew who you were, then. Those questions you asked me proved that. Call me a coward, but... I hoped you wouldn't remember. I hoped you would find love and live a normal life, knowing nothing of your past."

"Coward!" Terra snarled. "All you did was make things easier for you: you didn't want to explain why my arms felt empty! You didn't want to explain why I didn't want to be touched! You didn't want to take responsibility! You thought I could save the world and be a housewife afterwards?!"

Leo shook his head. "I'm sorry, Terra, but --"

"Where's Atma?" she interrupted him.

"Please --" Leo began.

Terra squeezed her eyes shut, teeth gritted. When she opened them again, Leo was gone. She spun around and realized that she couldn't see Setzer anymore, either, and the magic-infused air no longer held his scent. She slumped to her knees, head in her hands. Her fingers touched the scars from the Slave Crown. And she didn't scream when she felt gentle hands cover her own. She opened her eyes to see her mother looking back at her.

"My baby," Madonna whispered. Terra crawled forward to hug her around the waist and Madonna kissed her hair and rocked her as best she could as her daughter sobbed.

Maduin knelt down and kissed Terra's head, deeply inhaling her scent as he did so. He did the same to the baby in his arms. "We kept him safe for you."

Terra uncurled from Madonna's lap, arms outstretched, and whimpered until her father handed Atma to her. It had been years -- too many years -- since she had last held her son, but she knew his scent and his weight and her heart hurt and her breasts ached just to have him in her arms. She nuzzled his face and kissed him on his cheeks and above his eyes and in his hair. She felt her parents' hands on her shoulders and back and the comforting heat of their skin.

"Neither of you belong here," Maduin said. "Not yet, and not for a long time."

"Take Atma and leave with him," Madonna clarified. "Just remember that we love you both."

"Hey, flyboy. Long time no see." Daryl looped her arm around Setzer's waist from behind, then slid alongside his body to face him. She tried to kiss him on the mouth, but he turned his head so that it met his cheek instead. She reached up to wipe the mark away, frowning at how he moved away from her touch.

"Yeah, it's been a while," Setzer agreed. Daryl looked just the same as he remembered and, seeing her now, it struck him again as to just how much of a damned waste her death had been. She was so young and so brilliant; if she hadn't crashed, he was sure she would've reached the stars by now.

"Yeah, it has," Daryl said flatly. She released him and stepped back, eyeing him like she would a busted engine. "You look like hell. What happened?"

Setzer chuckled. "I got old."

"Not that old. I know you ain't here for real and, judging by the warm welcome, you ain't here for me, either." Daryl shifted her weight to one hip. "So, what happened?"

"I never could bluff you, could I?" Setzer sighed. "I got in debt, lost some fights, and made a few bad deals in Zozo. I also made an absolute ass of myself in Jidoor, but then... the world ended. I drank myself stupid. Went on an adventure. Fell in love. Settled down. Now I'm here because some crazy demon is trying to destroy everything."

"Sounds like things fell apart without me." Daryl grinned, but it didn't meet her eyes. "Figures. But, hey: at least you fell in love. What's her name?"

"Terra," Setzer said. He watched the fog clear enough to reveal her; she stood with her fists clenched and, though he couldn't hear her, the expression on Leo's face told Setzer all he needed to know. He smiled. It was good to see her all fired up.

Daryl turned her head to follow his gaze. "Her?" she said, and her frown returned.

"You sound surprised," he said. "Is something wrong?"

"No. She's pretty." Daryl shrugged. "She's not your type, that's all. I was expecting some knockout blonde with legs for days."

"Like you." Or Skye. Or Celes. Or Maria. Or...

"Yeah, like me," Daryl said. "What's she doing here?"

"Trying to find her son," Setzer said.

"Wait, you've got a son? Holy hell, how long have I been gone?!" Daryl laughed, a little too loudly. Then, her expression grew serious. "Um, my condolences. Why are you even bothering with me if you've got a kid down here? You should be with her instead, helping her look."

"Because this is something she wants and needs to do herself," he replied. "And I'm not his dad... not yet, at least."

"Huh. Then I'm guessing it's that big guy's -- is that why she's so mad at him? Shoot, if I didn't know better, I'd think that was General Leo."

"He's not his, either."

"So that is the good general?" Daryl whistled low. "You've moved up in the world, then, if you're getting his cast-offs. So much for my hoping you'd pine forever and let your heart be buried with me."

Setzer decided to let that slight slide, then sighed. "If it helps, I didn't believe it was you I found in the Falcon. I figured someone had to have stole it -- and crashed it -- and that you were out there somewhere. I mean, I put what I found to rest... but I didn't want to think those bones were yours."

"Good thing you didn't just chuck me in the bushes, then," Daryl said. "By the way, if this is your attempt at cheering me up, you're doing a damned poor job of it."

"Just hear me out, okay?" Setzer said. "I followed every stupid tip and crazy rumor I could in hopes of finding you again... until I had to finally give up and move on. I just wish it had been before I acted on that hunch about the mimic Gogo." He smiled ruefully. "I'm still not sure who -- or what -- she actually is, but I do know she's definitely not you in disguise."

"And...?" Daryl raised an eyebrow.

"And if you ever wanted me to screw myself... I think she made it happen."

Daryl snorted. "I'll have to thank Gogo for that someday," she said. "I still can't believe you have a steady girl and a kid, not to mention a home that doesn't double as a mode of transportation." She paused, then sighed when Setzer nodded. "Figures. But, damn, Setzer, I never thought I'd live to see the day you settled down."

"You didn't, though," Setzer said quietly.

"No, really?! I hadn't noticed, what with being trapped in the freaking afterlife and all. It's just a figure of speech!" Daryl snapped. "Look, I don't know what you want me to say here. Seriously, what do you want from me? Want me to wish you and Terra a great life? Want me to tell you that I'll haunt you if you crash the Falcon? Want a hug and an 'Atta boy!' for acting like a damn grown-up with responsibilities? Well, do ya?! You may have moved on, but I was kinda sorta actually holding out hope for us. Like, I would've walked outta here with you -- for you -- ready to go back to what we had. I love you."

Setzer sighed. "I'm sorry, Daryl, I really am. I wish I could make this up to you somehow."

"Of course you are. And you know what you can do? Go back to Gogo, and tell her Daryl sent you." With that, she walked into the fog and faded from view.

I deserved that, Setzer thought. He hadn't considered Daryl's feelings when he called her out of the fog, and hadn't meant to follow up her false hope with a broken heart. He'd moved on and, selfishly or foolishly, figured she had as well. A traitorous part of him wondered if he'd made a mistake; life would certainly be easier with Daryl. The two of them had been like Lagomorphs in springtime and, with her, he'd never felt like he was sometimes being punished for another man's crimes. He sighed inwardly and cursed under his breath. That last thought was something he planned on taking to his grave unspoken: if it sounded like something only a cad would say when thought, it would sound at least a hundred times worse out loud. Besides, Terra was well worth the challenge and the times he'd had to bite his tongue. She made him want to better himself because she deserved the best man he could be.

He smiled when he saw Terra's slim form emerge from the fog, her son in her arms. "Congratulations," he said. "It's a boy."

Terra nodded. She was crying and looked exhausted, but she was smiling at that baby like she'd hit the jackpot. Setzer walked towards her and she stopped, tensing when he leaned over to look at Atma. Atma, however, held none of his mother's unease and instead made a grab for Setzer's hair. Setzer dodged the attempt, but unfastened one of his earrings and dangled it in front of him. Terra shifted her hold -- and glared at Setzer when he silently tried to take Atma from her -- then pulled a stuffed Moogle from a pouch on her belt. It was something Relm had given her before they left. Setzer refastened his earring and handed the toy to Atma instead. "Well...?" she asked.

"He looks like you," Setzer replied. It was a lie and they both knew it, but the awful tension in Terra's shoulders released all the same. "It might be hard growing up with the name Atma Palazzo, though."

Terra shot him a wounded look and gathered Atma closer. "I know that," she mumbled and, for a moment, Setzer swore he saw her start to fade. He wasn't sure if he felt any better when he realized that it was just the fog beginning to thicken in the space between them and him.

Setzer took a deep breath. "Atma Gabbiani, on the other hand... I think that really rolls off the tongue." To his relief, the air started to clear.

"Atma Maduin Gabbiani, you mean?" Terra corrected him, her smile cautious.

"Even better," Setzer said. "Now that's a name a boy can be proud of!"

"Except in Jidoor," Terra said and Setzer laughed.

"I think Terra Gabbiani would sound great, too," Setzer added softly, resting a hand on her shoulder. Terra's breath caught and she edged closer.

"You do?" she murmured, looking up at him then back down at Atma. "I... I think so, too."

Edward stared at the foggy expanse, his eyes filling with tears as his hope drained away. It all seemed impossible: while the realm was filled with familiar faces, nowhere among them could he see his beloved Anna. He could see his parents and their parents and he could see his loyal soldiers, Damcyan's cooks and maids, and all the friends he had lost in Golbez's attack. But they didn't seem to see him and when he tried to walk towards them, they were always just out of reach. He sighed, then watched the figures fade out of existence. He was doing something wrong; Karina said that the dead would find him, but all he had found so far was regret.

"Oh, Anna..." Edward whispered. He dabbed at his eyes, then yelped when the spectral image of Tellah's staff sailed through him. The spectral staff was quickly followed by the solid form of his father-in-law, who boiled out of the mist like a thunderhead.

"You!" Tellah boomed. He swung again and Edward ducked sideways, dodging the blow. "What are you doing here, you --" Tellah threw the staff at Edward, then grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "-- imbecile! Did Anna's sacrifice mean nothing to you?!"

Edward flinched. The others may have been mirages, but Tellah certainly wasn't. For as safe as Karina claimed this place to be, Edward could feel his skin bruising beneath the old man's bony grip. He gulped and tried to speak. "I --!"

"Out with it, boy!" Tellah demanded. "Did my daughter die for nothing?! Did she give her life just so you could throw yours away?! I'd kill you myself if you weren't dead!"

"I'm not dead!" Edward squeaked. He fell to the ground when Tellah released him and scrambled backwards as the other man moved to retrieve his staff.

"Don't just crawl around like a grub, get up!" Tellah snapped. He braced himself against his staff, then held out his other hand to Edward. Edward cautiously took it and let himself be pulled upright. "That's better. Explain yourself!"

"I came here to look for Anna," Edward said. His voice shook, but he continued regardless. "I want to take her back to Damcyan."

"Hmph. You do, do you?" Tellah's eyes narrowed. "Then why am I here and she isn't?"

"I don't know," Edward confessed. "If you know, please tell me!"

"I think you're ashamed," Tellah said. "That's why you couldn't bring out the others: you're too afraid of disappointing them, especially after how they saw you last. I wasn't there, of course, but a brave man wouldn't have let my daughter shield him with her life."

Edward started to protest, but bowed his head instead. "You're right. I'm sorry, Tellah. Anna's sacrifice means everything to me and I've missed her more with each passing day... so much so that I've ventured into the Underworld and the Land of the Dead just to see her again, just in hope of bringing her back with me."

"Of course I'm right!" Tellah chuckled. "Anyhow, save your pretty words for Anna. You came here for her, after all, and she's the one you need to convince."

Edward nodded, head still bowed. Convince. It pained him to admit that that element hadn't figured into any of his plans for what would happen once he reached the Land of the Dead. Just getting here seemed like the worst of it -- and, perhaps, still was -- but he couldn't ignore the seed of doubt that his father-in-law had planted just then. "Tellah?"

Silence.

Edward looked up and saw that Tellah was gone. The fog surrounded him, suffocatingly opaque, and he considered calling for Karina to lead him out. The fate of the world -- all the worlds -- remained uncertain at the moment, and he wondered if he should wait and offer Anna the saved world instead of an uncertain future. She deserved better than uncertainty and he almost convinced himself of that when he realized that he was actually trying to run away. From Anna. Who loved him. "Please, Anna... I miss you so," he whispered.

His heart beat faster when he saw Anna in the distance, her red hair shining like a beacon in the thick fog. He ran towards her and, to his relief, she grew closer and clearer with each passing step. "Anna!"

"Edward? What --" Anna began before Edward swept her into his arms and kissed her. She returned the kiss, then her spine stiffened and she pulled away. "You aren't... dead, are you? I told you to live for your people!"

"No, no, no, I'm not," Edward assured her, punctuating each statement with another small kiss. "And I am living for them! But, I've missed you so much, darling Anna... so much."

"I've missed you too, my love, but what are you doing here?" Anna asked. She leaned into him and he hugged her. They stood there for a moment, gently swaying, until Anna looked up at him again. She looked confused and Edward kissed the little line that formed between her brows. He'd missed that, and her dimples, too, when she smiled. Those also needed kisses and he pulled her closer. "I'll disappear if you don't answer me," she teased as she playfully pushed him back.

"Don't! Oh, Anna, please... I'll answer: I'm here for you," Edward said. "It breaks my heart to think of you trapped in this awful place, when you should be by my side as Queen of Damcyan."

"It isn't awful, though," Anna said. "Don't worry your heart for me: while I dearly want to be beside you in Damcyan, I'm not suffering here."

"But you can!" Edward said. He took Anna's hands in his and clasped them to his heart.

"Can... what?" Anna looked incredulous. "Suffer?"

"No!" Edward paled. "I mean that you can return to my side! You can leave this place and come with me!"

"Oh, Edward..." Anna sighed. "I would love to, I would, but..."

"But what?" Edward asked her.

Anna looked away, frowning. "My mother is here."

"Oh," Edward said softly. He released her hands. He'd never met Anna's mother and realized that she had never spoke of her. Tellah had always loomed so large and terrifying to him that Edward nearly assumed she'd sprung from her father's head like a goddess.

Anna nodded, her lower lip caught in her teeth. "I've liked getting to know her. She wanted me so much, but we never got to meet. And, though I've always loved her, I only knew her before from stories and the letters she wrote that Father kept. But now..." She sighed again, then looked back at Edward. "She's incredible. We've become such good friends -- it's like I've known her all my life, despite having lost her at its very beginning."

Edward nodded, mouth dry. Tellah's words about convincing Anna now made terrible sense. But, he was nearly certain that their love could overcome what had been a lifetime of yearning.

"And Father's here, too," Anna continued. "He says he's forgiven you. And, you know... my grandfather -- my mother's father -- told me that he hated Father, too, at first... though they still bicker like chocobo hens. Isn't it funny how history repeats?" She smiled. "And you see now why this place isn't terrible? It may look empty, but it is filled with love."

"Anna..." Edward swallowed against the lump in his throat. "You've always been a flower, blooming wherever you are planted... but... don't you want to return to the living and the love that dwells there, too? Don't you think your mother would have taken Tellah's hand and left this place, had he been here to offer it while he was still alive?"

"I... suppose she would," Anna said. She looked up at Edward with an uncertain smile, then stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned to continue the kiss as she settled back on her feet. "I love you," she said when they broke apart.

"I love you, too, my darling Anna," Edward murmured. "Let us depart from this dreary place to a brighter realm."

"But how?" Anna asked. She slipped from his arms and took hold of his hand instead. "The gates hold firm and the corridors are a maze whose entrance and exit are one in the same."

"We'll leave through the gates," he told her. "I've seen them open to a gentle touch. I'll call for our benefactress and she'll lead us out."

Marle had said before that she barely remembered her mother, but seeing her again brought back a flood of memories she thought she'd forgotten. She ran towards Aliza's welcoming arms and nearly tackled her in a hug. The two women tottered and stumbled about, laughing, in an awkward dance until they found their footing. And, once they had stopped, Aliza squeezed Marle again and left her cheeks a mess of lipstick kisses before she released her.

"Nadia Marlene," Aliza said, smiling. "I'd heard what a beautiful, vibrant young woman you'd grown into, but I thought I'd go longer before I saw for myself."

"I'm just visiting, promise," Marle said. She reluctantly wiped at her cheeks and then rubbed her hands and arms until the pale pink color of her mother's lipstick faded like a memory on her skin. Her mother sighed.

"Hold still," Aliza said, then took hold of Marle's chin. She licked the thumb on her other hand and smudged away the remaining marks on her daughter's face.

"Mama..." Marle said, resisting the childish urge to squirm. She closed her eyes when Aliza smoothed her hair and tucked a few unruly strands behind her ears. She's always had the softest hands...

"There -- done," Aliza said. She let go of Marle's chin.

Marle opened her eyes again. "Wait, who told you about me?"

"Oh, you know --" Aliza's smile became a mischievous grin. "-- a certain strong and silent young man."

Marle felt a chill prickle down her spine despite her delight. She liked to forget about Crono's -- thankfully, temporary -- death and hadn't let herself give much thought to the fact that he'd been in the Land of the Dead. At the time, she'd just been too happy to have him back to let such thoughts dampen her excitement and, until now, she'd secretly worried that his time dead had been like her time in nonexistence. But, that didn't matter. Not now. Marle giggled at her mother's words. "So I guess I don't have to tell you about the great guy I ran into at the Millennial Fair?"

"Oh yes you most certainly do," Aliza said sternly, before giggling as well. "I want to hear about everything -- we've got a lot to catch up on!"

Lucca walked over to Robo, who was once again looking at his reflection in the cavern's wall. She sighed inwardly at his solitary image and had an idea as to what was distressing him.

"Hey, Robo," she said.

"Oh, hi," he replied. He looked at her when she moved to stand behind him. His image remained crisp and clear, but she could see the blurred figures of herself and her antecedents behind him. "That looks better," he added, so quietly that Lucca wasn't sure she was meant to hear.

"I'm surprised you didn't go in with the others," Lucca said instead.

"What good would it do? This place is for organic life," Robo said with a static-sounding sigh. "Logic dictates that, despite what my hope tells me, Atropos would not be waiting for me beyond those gates."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean she's lost forever," Rydia said and Lucca whirled around to face her descendant. She smiled when she noticed that Frog had a firm hold on the backs of both her and Daria's shirt collars. Rydia, however, rolled her eyes when she saw Lucca's expression and Daria's face was already set in a sullen pout. "Right, Lucca?"

"Maybe..." Lucca mumbled. Although it likely happened differently in the altered future, she remembered how Robo's tragic battle with Atropos had played out in the original dystopia. Whatever Mother Brain had done to her had damaged her memory banks and Lucca doubted that Mother Brain was any kinder in her reprogramming the second time around.

"What do you mean?" Robo turned around as well.

"We can repair her!" Rydia said. She grinned at Lucca, who looked away. "It'd be easy enough, once we... uh... retrieve her." She grimaced, then brightened. "But it'll be a snap once we do: we'll refurbish her exterior and flash her memory onto some new chips. She'll be right as rain!"

Daria snorted. "Yeah, I saw a movie like that once -- she'll come back wrong and start killing people. I can already see the headline: Attack of the Zombie Robot!"

"Daria!" Lucca and Rydia shrieked.

"Your Highness, that was truly uncalled for!" Frog said, horrified. "Dear Queen Leene would be mortified to hear her descendant speaking so callously! Order thee, I cannot, but it would behoove thee to apologize to Robo."

"Prithee accept my apology," Daria muttered sarcastically. She folded her arms.

"I am so sorry," Lucca said to Robo. Rydia nodded, still glaring at Daria.

Robo shook his head, then turned back around.

"Well?" Rydia asked.

"Well what?" Lucca asked back.

"Atropos's memory banks were damaged," Robo said. "Even if you... brought her back, there's no telling how many sectors were compromised by Mother Brain's reprogramming. There's also the damage incurred when the chip overheated. You might be able to restore her to --" Robo heaved a miserable sigh. "-- factory settings, but her memories would be gone."

"She'd still be Atropos," Rydia said.

"Would she?" Robo closed his eyes. "I know you're trying to help, but..."

"We'll drop it," Lucca assured him. Rydia opened her mouth to protest, but was silenced by a stern look from Lucca.

"Speaking of dropping things, it wouldn't hurt my feelings if you let me go," Daria snapped. Frog reluctantly did as he was told and let go of Rydia's collar as well. The princess heaved a sigh, then spun around as she looked about the cavern. She frowned.

"Is something wrong?" Sabin asked her.

"Yeah, I'm bored," Daria whined. "I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but there's absolutely nothing to do here. I thought we could play 'guess who' with the walls after Karina left, but everyone still throws a fit and loses their mind whenever Rydia or I get within arm's reach of the perimeter. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?!"

"Marle blipped out of existence once," Lucca said. "That could happen."

"She said it was bad," Crono agreed. "Cold and lonely. Worse than death."

"See? It's bad enough to make Crono talk!" Lucca added. Crono shrugged, but nodded.

"Let's see... cold and lonely and worse than death. How is that worse than here?" Daria said. "Seriously, no one else is bored?!"

"I'm tired of your whining -- does that count?" Magus said. He stood by the gates, watching the endless fog and the occasional flash of light contained within. While he maintained that nothing would have been gained by visiting his parents in the Land of the Dead, he did regret not lending his support to Bleu by accompanying her.

"If it does, count me in as well," Kain grumbled. Magus cast a sideways look at the dragoon, who had joined him in his vigil. He suspected that he was there for similar reasons, though he failed to see the draw his wife's strange cousin held for the other man.

His theory about Kain was further cemented by Crono's presence nearby. While the third had mumbled something about having seen enough of the place already and, when pressed, simply stated that it was safe, Daria's existence spoke louder -- and more often -- than he did about his concern for Marle's well-being. Noticing Magus and Kain's questioning looks in his direction, Crono shrugged again. "We could still join them," he said.

"Knock yourself out," Daria said with a sniff. "I'm going outside for some fresh air. This place is too much." With that, she walked out of the cavern room and back into the narrow tunnel.

"Should I go with her?" Cecil asked. Though he hadn't mentioned it to the others, he had seen the dim figures reflected on the walls during their descent. He wasn't certain they were visible to fully-human eyes, but Karina had certainly seemed worried about what could happen if his future companions' ancestors saw their immediate descendants.

Rosa shook her head. "No, I don't think she's going to make trouble. For us, at least," she said with a smile. "The relative quiet should give us a chance to think."

"Yeah, this place has definitely given me a lot to think about," Sabin said. "I'm still trying to figure out the math with Terra and her baby. It just doesn't add up: she'd have to be pregnant when the world ended for it to be Setzer's, but they weren't together then." He looked over at Celes, who avoided his eyes. "You know the answer."

"Yeah," Celes sighed. She looked down at the ground, staring into the blurry eyes of herself and her unknown ancestors. "Cid told me, after I started to piece it together from my own hazy memories of Terra and... Vector." She took another deep breath and let it out slowly. "His name was Atma... and, yes, he was named after the weapons."

"That... doesn't sound like something Terra would name her baby," Sabin said, looking uncomfortable. "It sounds more like something Kefka --"

"Exactly," Celes interrupted, then shut her eyes and pressed a hand to her mouth.

"Wait, what?" Sabin stared at her, then his eyes widened. "You're not saying Atma was... his, are you?"

Celes swallowed thickly, then nodded. She took her hand away and rubbed at her eyes.

"But, he's Kefka! Why did she --" Sabin stammered, horrified.

"She didn't want to. She didn't have a choice. None of it was her choice. And if it hadn't been her, it would have been me," Celes muttered bitterly. She flinched away from Rosa when she tried to touch her arm. "Then he took him away and took away her memories and then he tried to take away the whole damned world."

"Damn, that's awful," Sabin said. "Now I wish I didn't know."

"So do I," Celes sighed. She leaned back tiredly against Sabin and he slipped his arms around her shoulders, hugging her to him. "Don't let her know that I told you." She sighed. "I know I couldn't have stopped it, but I wish I had done something. She was my friend."

"I hope she finds her son, for her sake," Rosa said.

"Yeah," Cecil said. He frowned. "They've been gone a while."

"Maybe Edward got scared and hid, and they're having trouble finding him. If that's the case, I'm sure Karina is kicking herself over letting him talk her into it," Kain said sourly. "I should go in and roust him out."

An outraged scream from Daria echoed from the tunnel, interrupting whatever reply anyone could have had. It was soon followed by the furious princess, who kicked a small rock from the entrance and sent it sailing into the middle of the group. Lucca watched it land, then picked the stone up and put it in her pouch. "I can't believe it!" she fumed.

"Oh dear, is something wrong?" Magus deadpanned, smirking.

Daria scowled back at him. "Oh noooo, nothing's wrong except for everything!" she snapped back. "I went up to ask Ashlynn for some language lessons -- since he offered --"

"Because you kept bugging him," Rydia muttered under her breath.

"-- And I found him giving Skye some lessons in the demon tongue instead!"