"HEY!" shouted Leander. "I think we found something here!" He and Relm had wormed through yet another narrow passage that led from the apparent end of a cavern into a great echoing "room" beyond. As the two dropped down from the passageway onto the floor of the cave room, they saw that, at the center of the room was a huge chasm, and they were standing on a kind of natural ledge that wrapped all the way around it. Leander bent to pick up a good-sized rock, and carefully approaching the lip of the abyss, he dropped the stone into it. After a full minute, he looked up at Relm wide-eyed. There had been no sound of the stone hitting bottom. Edging away from the chasm's rim, he took Relm's hand. They cautiously walked all the way around the immense hole to the other side. Light issued through another short passageway. Walking back together to the first side, Relm leaned into the passage and called to their companions.

"We don't see a doorway, but there's a way through this one. There's light coming from the next passageway. It looks like it might lead back outside." Strago, Mog, Sabin and Rowena each in turn wriggled through the narrow opening and dropped down onto the ledge. In a single line, the six Returners edged their way around the abyss in the center of the immense room. One by one, they hoisted themselves up and into the next passageway, worming through to the other side. Leander was about to give Relm a leg up into the passageway, when a low rumble could be heard from above. Suddenly, a dusty shower of rock and dirt rained in on the passage ahead and sealed it completely, separating Relm and Leander from the rest of the party.

"Oh, my stars!" cried Strago. "The children are still in there! Do you suppose the whole place caved in? Sabin, give me a hand!" Strago and Sabin dug frantically, but found that a heavy boulder had fallen into the passageway, immovable and blocking the way entirely. The four stopped and looked around. They appeared to be on a grassy mountain ledge, sizeable, but with no visible way off, save for the passage they had just come through. "Oh, for Edgar's drill right now." said Strago miserably. "What are we going to do?" They began to shout for the other half of their band of Returners, hoping they would hear. There was nothing else they could do.

Locke, Celes, Edgar, Setzer and Gau did not hear their stranded companions. They were well distant, having gone in the opposite direction that morning. They stood in a beautiful mountainside clearing, with thick green grass and a running brook that caught the sunlight in a dance as it rushed past them and wound its way around the side of the mountain. The Returners were unable to appreciate the loveliness of their surroundings, however. They could not take their eyes off the five cave entrances that they could see just from where they were standing. Locke tiredly shrugged his shoulders and began to gesture the group to one of the entrances, when Edgar suddenly put his finger to his lips. The Returners, startled, soundlessly looked around them. Edgar seemed to be straining to hear from the direction of one of the visible cave entrances. He signaled for his companions to crouch low, staring ahead at the cavern where he had heard sounds. Drawing Illumina from her sheath, he began to quietly move forward. Reaching the mouth of the cave, Edgar crept to the wall and stayed in shadow. Squinting into the darkness, he began to make out figures. Humans, one tall and one short. They were making a loud, shuffling sound as they came forward out of the gloom. Edgar pressed himself to the wall and allowed them to pass him, then he sprang forward and, moving quickly behind the larger of the two figures, pressed Illumina's blade against the stranger's throat.

"Edgar! No, Edgar!" It was Terra. She had her hand on Edgar's arm, straining to hold back the great sword from doing its work.

"Terra!" cried Edgar. "It's you! Everybody!" he called at the top of his voice. "It's Terra! She's here! She's safe!"

The Returners rushed to the cave entrance from the clearing, shouting happy and relieved greetings. Celes hugged Terra tight, and Locke picked her up and spun her around, laughing.

"I am Lucian Avalonius," said Lucian, his eyes fixed on Locke. "Who are you?" Locke put Terra down and extended his hand.

"Locke Cole, at your service." Lucian shook Locke's hand, watching him with narrow eyes. Terra put her hand on Lucian's arm.

"Lucian, this is the one I told you about. The angel's husband." Locke looked at Terra questioningly, and Lucian began to pump his hand enthusiastically, a broad smile on his face. "Well, I've heard much about you! I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance, Locke Cole! And you must be the angel." said Lucian to Celes, noting her flowing golden tresses and deep-blue eyes. Terra laughed happily.

"I'll explain sometime," she said. "Lucian, these are my friends, Celes Cole, Setzer Gabbiani, Gau Branford and His Majesty, Edgar, King of Figaro. This is Lucian Avalonius of Vector, a Lieutenant of the New Imperial Army, and my hero. He saved my life!" Blushing, Lucian shook hands all around, and to Edgar, he bowed deeply.

"Your Majesty. I hope you are of a mind to grant asylum to an Imperial turncoat, for I will most surely need it after this is over." Edgar nodded to him.

"You are welcome to take up residence anywhere in my realm, as a citizen in good standing. It is the least we can do for one who has saved our beloved friend." Edgar gave Terra a tender smile. Terra, for her part, was tenderly smiling at Lucian.

The group had returned with Terra and Lucian to the place where they had begun the day's trek. It was where the two bands of Returners had agreed to meet at the end of the day to compare progress. Sabin and company had not yet arrived. After assuring Terra that her children back home were safe and sound, Edgar brought Lucian and Terra up to date on the Returners plans. He explained to them that Terra's deliverance was only half the job. The Returners could not go home until the machines that needed Terra to run them were destroyed. Anything that even remotely looked like a weapon would be destroyed as well. And those who built and ran the machines would have to be eliminated, in order to keep the machines permanently out of existence. It was a hard thing to do, to kill people in cold blood, but unless they did, the Empire would just come back for Terra again and again. She would never be safe.

Lucian was nodding, looking at the ground.

"I can get you in there, I know I can," Lucian said. "By now, they know what's happened, that I've turned on them and run with their prisoner. But I know every inch of that facility. I can give you the layout of the place, and a description of the energy conduit they needed Terra to run, and also of the weapon they plan to launch against you. I can't get into the lab, because obviously they know my face and are looking for me as we speak. But I can tell you where to find a supply room, and a lab technician's uniform. If one of you would be comfortable disguising yourself and blending in with the lab personnel, you could get to the machinery. The technician's are unarmed. It wouldn't be too big a problem." The Returners all turned and looked at Locke, laughing.

"Yes, I think maybe one of us could do that." said Locke, laughing himself.

"As for the people you want," Lucian continued, "none of the technicians has the entire plan or the central secrets to the machinery's operation, except the head scientist, the one who runs the lab. Name's Adolfus. He's a little wiry guy with thick glasses and bushy white hair. You can't miss him. And don't feel too badly about him. He isn't a nice man. One of his technicians developed a way to tap magical energy from a living being painlessly, one hour a day, so that the energy source could live a somewhat normal life. Dr. Adolfus declined to give the plan to the army, thinking that it would make him seem too soft in the eyes of the commanding officers. He wanted to keep his job as head of the lab, so Terra would have been hooked up to that machine permanently when she didn't have to be. If you think you'll have any trouble cutting his throat, save him for me. As for the rest of the people you want, they are all army. You wouldn't know their faces, but I do, and I know how to get to their quarters without being seen. All the machinery needed to supply the stronghold with air and water is in a sort of basement under the flooring. And the basement has a service entry into each room above. I can't get into any of the large rooms where they gather for the same reason I can't go into the lab. They're looking for me. But I can get them one by one in their quarters and in the hallways. And I'd be honored to handle that part of it for you. You can trust me. My career is no longer salvageable." He looked at Terra for a long moment. "And it's no longer wanted." Celes watched Lucian's face, then Terra's. Finally, she thought, smiling to herself. It's finally happened.

Setzer worriedly noted the sun's position on the horizon. There wasn't more than fifteen minutes of daylight left and their friends still had not arrived.

"What do you think happened to them," he asked Locke. "Where could they be?"

"I don't know," answered Locke. "I'm worried too. There's only one logical assumption. They're stranded somewhere."

"Locke's right," said Celes. "Strago and Sabin aren't neophytes. They wouldn't stay beyond the time it would take them to get back here. They know you can't move after dark in the mountains." Edgar shook his head.

"Stars," he muttered. "This complicates things. Our time is short to get into that facility. I'm sure they're already on high alert, with their Lieutenant here having run with their prisoner. But now we're going to have to search for our friends first thing in the morning. That can't wait." He shook his head again. "I just hope we'll still be able to get into the place, and that they don't find us first." Lucian thought about it.

"We don't need everybody to go into the stronghold to accomplish what you want. We need someone who can handle the lab job, and I can get to the army personnel myself. The rest of you can search for your missing friends." The King nodded.

"All right. If you're sure you can handle that half of the job yourself..."

"I have to," answered Lucian. "I'm the only one who knows the faces."

"Okay," said Edgar decisively. "Locke and Celes, you two will take care of the machinery in the lab. And the Adolfus fellow." Locke nodded understanding.

"It's as good as done." he said.

"And Lucian," Edgar said. "Thank you for doing this. Are you certain you don't want me to send someone with you?"

"I'm going with him." said Terra before Lucian could answer.

"No, Terra," appealed Lucian. "Please. The place is more dangerous for you than anyone. I won't let you."

Celes' words rang in Terra's mind, from that day in the castle garden. "Happiness is being able to live with and hold in your arms that which you love best in the world." In that instant, Terra knew that she did love this man better than anyone in the world. The kind of love that binds two people together for always had finally come to her, when she believed it never would. At long last, she understood Celes and her unwillingness to go on without Locke. She understood Cyan's profound sense of loss, and Duane and Katarin's devotion to one another. She understood for the first time the feeling of being a part of someone. She looked at Lucian.

"You can't stop me, Lucian. You can't keep me from going with you!" And with that, Terra leaned close to him, and in front of all her amazed friends, pressed her lips to his and held them there. Lucian examined his heart and did not find surprise, or uncertainty, but instead an overwhelming sense of rightness, and of tender passion. He slowly closed his eyes and enveloped Terra in an embrace that held within it a promise of forever. The Returners watched silently, smiling. Lucian and Terra sat gazing at one another.

"Your Majesty," said Lucian, not leaving Terra's eyes. "I've decided where I would like to settle."

"Hmm," said Edgar, grinning. "Yes. It just so happens that I need a marshall out on the Veldt. Terrible problems with poachers out there. Of course, that person would have to live in Mobliz." Lucian nodded.

"If you'll have me, Terra." Terra smiled softly and kissed him again.

"With all my heart." she replied. Setzer cleared his throat, breaking the moment.

"There is a very strange pattern emerging with the women of this unit, meeting the men of their dreams in jail cells." he cracked. Everyone laughed. "Seriously," began Setzer, "we have to decide how we're going to go about finding our friends. I propose that I use the airship and search for them by air. Edgar, you and Gau search on foot. If there's been a cave-in of some sort, you'll need your drill to get them out. What do all of you say?"

All the Returners voiced their agreement. As soon as the sun rose, Lucian would supply maps, and would lead Terra, Locke and Celes into the underground fort. Setzer would board the Falcon and begin searching for the missing Returners by air. And Edgar and Gau would begin to search for them on foot. Now, darkness was upon them and there was little to do but build a warming fire, and try to get some rest before the long day's work ahead.

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Leander and Relm had exited the cave the way they had come in, and were attempting to make their way back to the morning's starting point as they all had agreed. There, they would find the rest of the Returners and could mount a rescue of their stranded friends. The two had been able to hear the rest of their party on the other side of the blocked passage yelling that there was no way off the ledge they were on. Leander and Relm, and presumably the others on the other side, had spent a lot of time trying to dig through the fallen dirt and rock that had blocked the passageway, but there had been a heavy boulder in the way that they could not budge. Finally, they had given up and decided to try to get the rest of the Returners. But, they had spent too much time attempting to clear the blockage and had started their trip back too late. They weren't half the way when full dark fell upon them. Both were wise enough not to try to keep moving after sunset. They had their packs and a little food, and something to start a fire. They set up in a little clearing close to the mountainside, out of the wind. Warming their hands over the reassuring blaze, Relm spoke.

"Are you scared, Leander?" she asked.

"Naw," he answered. "Well, maybe a little." Relm nodded.

"I'm afraid," she said. "I've never been on my own like this. Grandpa has always been nearby. I have a pretty big mouth sometimes, like I'm really sure of myself, but I'm not."

"I knew that." laughed Leander, nudging her with his shoulder. Relm laughed too.

"I've been out on the trail like this before, lots of times," said Leander. "I get to go on digs with Locke and his team, whenever school's out. But I've never been alone. He watches me pretty closely." Relm chuckled.

"Yes, I noticed that last night!" Leander watched the fire.

"I don't remember my mom and dad. They died when I was a baby. I'm like you. I had a grandfather who raised me, or started to, until he died too." Relm shook her head. She wanted her grandpa to live forever and ever. Leander showed her a pocket watch he carried with him. She opened it. Straining to see by the firelight, she could just make out the engraving, "Courage." "It was my grandfather's. I live with our neighbors, now, Grandma and Grandpa Duncan. They knew my grandfather, and my parents too, I guess. But Locke's really like my dad. He's the greatest guy in the world. He knows how to do all kinds of cool things. And he doesn't get too excited over stupid stuff, you know? I want to be just like him, someday."

"Grandpa says he's a thief, best he's ever seen." said Relm. Leander gave Relm a sidelong look. "Locke's a treasure hunter, Relm, a treasure hunter!" Relm nodded and yawned.

"I'm sleepy."

"Me too," answered Leander. "I'm going to set up on the other side of the fire. I'll stay awake until you're asleep, if you want."

"Thanks, Leander," answered Relm. "That would make me feel better. But you don't have to sleep over there if you don't want to. I trust you."

"Yeah, well," said Leander. "I'd see Locke's face scowling at me and I wouldn't be able to get to sleep." Relm giggled.

"Good night, Leander. Pleasant dreams!"

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