Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Queen Rosa sighed, absentmindedly twisting a half mended sash in her hands. The man in front of her stayed silent, waiting for her to speak first.

Finally, she lifted her gaze on him and smiled weakly.

“I’m glad she’s alright. Thank you for coming all this way to tell us… Edward, is it?”

He nodded, straightening his posture a bit.

The queen sighed again.

“Although… I have to say I’m worried. Why won’t she come back?” she asked.

“I can’t say I understand completely, but my guess is that she came to love her new life, in addition to having a personal… grudge to settle.” Edward explained, with a small smile on his face.

Queen Rosa’s eyes snapped wide open.

“A grudge? Oh, please tell me she hasn’t made any dangerous enemies!” she exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands.

Edward shook his head.

“There is nothing to worry about, your Majesty. He would never hurt her, I’m sure.” he smiled again.

“He?”

“I’m sure you remember him as the corsair hired to save you a few years ago.”

The queen lowered her gaze, while her cheeks and the tips of her ears turned a shade deeper.

“No one was supposed to know about that.” she muttered under her breath.

Edward chuckled.

“I am a bard, your Majesty. It’s my job to know stories.”

“I believe you, about that corsair. I remember him as a noble man who just so happened to be a pirate.”

The bard nodded.

“Your Majesty, would you like to hear the whole story?” he asked, gesturing to his harp.

Rosa smiled, picking back up needle and thread to keep mending the sash.

“I’m all ears.”

The sunset on the open sea was beautiful. The fiery red light played with the lazy crests of the waves, and the sky was tinted of the same vibrant color. The shore of Mysidia, barely visible in the distance, was peaceful and the air was calm. And yet, disrupting the quiet of the evening, there was the deafening sound of explosions.

“Dammit, Palom! Watch your fire, we don’t want to sink them!” Edge growled, scanning the silhouette of the Lady Fortune, about a hundred feet ahead of the Aurora.

Palom snickered something in response, but Edge didn’t bother to listen to him.

A second fire attack flew over his head, directed towards the sail of the enemy ship. Edge was making a mental note to praise Leonora for her logical thinking when a blurry figure appeared on the stern of the Lady Fortune. It was impossible to make out its identity from the distance and the lighting, but its smooth, graceful movements, gave it away after a moment.

She looked like she was dancing, mesmerizing and dangerous. The two fireballs reached her and followed her hands… Over her head, spiraling around each other behind her, floating to the sky, gently sliding down and finally racing towards the mast of the Aurora, which caught fire on impact.

Edge cursed through his teeth, then he composed himself and turned to face his enemy, gathering every ounce of charming cockiness in his possession.

“Ah, Rydia, you haven’t lost your touch, I see. Or your beauty, for that matter.” he shouted.

“Edge! There’s no time!” called Izayoi, somewhere behind him.

He ignored her.

“You know, I was wondering: why are you going to the Adamant Grotto? Surely, you know they won’t give up the map without a bargain.” he continued.

Rydia leaned on the railing and laughed softly.

“I am aware, thank you. I just so happen to have what they want with me.” she exclaimed, waving something in the air.

Palom stopped near Edge and narrowed his eyes to take a better look at the mysterious object. Then, they went wide with surprise.

“A Malboro tooth? When did you get that? We didn’t see you in the Sylph’s Cave!” he shouted.

“That’s because I wasn’t there. I… asked for a favor.”

Edge could hear the smirk in her voice.

“An Eidolon? Not very fair, Lady Rydia.” he exclaimed, lifting an eyebrow.

Rydia shrugged.

“Pirates, remember? Fairness isn’t our strong suit.”

“I’m a treasure hunter, if you please. And anyway-”

“Edge!”

Izayoi’s second call was more urgent than the first. Edge’s attention snapped back at his own ship.

The mast was slowly collapsing, still ablaze. His crew was trying to smother the flames, but they were in trouble. They needed him.

“I’m afraid I must go, my lady. Until we meet again!” Edge blew a kiss in Rydia’s direction before rushing on the deck.

Rydia waved gently at Edge’s retreating back and chuckled to herself. That had been easy.

“Until we meet again.” she said under her breath, a private smile on her lips.

“Hey, Rydia!”

She turned at the sound of her name, and was met with Cid’s knowing smirk.

“You done catchin’ up with yer boyfriend? ‘Cause we should really get going.” he said.

Rydia stifled a huff at his insinuation, before nodding.

“Yeah, we really should. Luca! To the Adamant Grotto!” she shouted.

The young dwarf girl gave her a thumbs up from the helm.

“Aye, captain!”

Rydia allowed herself one last glance to the Aurora. They had managed to tame the fire, but the ship needed repairs badly. For a moment, she thought she’d seen Edge’s cloaked figure looking at her, but the sensation vanished as quickly as it had come. She turned away and trained her eyes on the horizon.

King Odin’s trove was one step closer.

Edge had a bad feeling about it. They were sailing, hidden by the mist, on the trail of the Lady Fortune, nothing more than a dark dot on the horizon. But being in the shadow the Tower of Babil filled him with uneasiness. There were stories, about disappearing ships and sailors gone mad, and Edge didn’t like them one bit.

Leonora, beside him, eyed nervously the waves. Edge looked at the Lady Fortune. They were likely to stop for the night in the small gulf near Baron. So, of course, the safest place to rest was already taken.

Edge scratched the back of his head, thinking. There was no way he would cross those waters in the middle of the night. But…

The Tower loomed over the reddish sea, a grim reminder of why it was so dangerous. Edge shook his head. The Babil Gulf was a no-no. But they had to find a place to rest and fast, before the last ray of sunlight disappeared in the west.

“Zangetsu!” he called.

“Yes, your young High… master?” the elderly man said, approaching him from behind.

Edge grimaced at the half title, before shrugging it off.

“You remember the patch of desert just above Eblan? We’ll be staying there for the night.”

Zangetsu’s eyes widened.

“But, master, the Tower…!”

“I know, but we have to stop for the night, and that’s the safest place. We also should really send Tsukinowa to Eblan to snag some supplies, we’re running low.” said Edge, trying not to think about the incoming night.

He was certainly not looking forward to it.

Zangetsu nodded, a bit uncertain, and returned to the helm.

“Uhm… Edge?”

Leonora’s timid voice distracted him from his thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“Is it true that… there are Sirens in these waters?”

He sighed, leaning on the railing of the bow.

“Yeah. Let’s just hope they don’t decide to treat us to a concert tonight. If that’s the case, I’m counting on you and Izayoi to snap us out of it.”

“Couldn’t we just sleep on the ship? I mean, there’s no real reason to get off board, is there?” she inquired further, twisting her hands.

Edge shook his head.

“They’re hunting for human flesh, not ships. If we stay here, they’ll tear the Aurora apart. We can’t afford that.”

Leonora nodded, defeated, turning back to the waves.

“This route… could it be that they’re headed to the Magnetic Cavern?” she murmured.

“The grotto near Troia? What makes you think that?” asked Palom, appearing beside Edge.

Leonora shook her head.

“Not sure. It’s just… a feeling. I mean, we’re about to circumnavigate the Troia continent, where else could they be going?”

“You’ve got a point.” Edge said.

“I have to wonder, though. Does Rydia know about the magnetic field?” asked Palom.

A devilish grin spread on Edge’s features.

“What is he thinking? That shore is dangerous!” Rydia hissed, when the silhouette of the Aurora turned to land near the Tower.

“Well, we have booked the best place.” said Kain, arms crossed.

Rydia played anxiously with a stray emerald lock.

“It’s not like I would have chased them out. That place is bad news, I wouldn’t want anyone to get ambushed by those demons.” she said, chewing on her lower lip.

“How noble of you. Does he know that?” the man snickered.

Rydia opened her mouth to reply, but closed it.

“That idiot… he’s going to get himself killed.” she muttered.

“Rydia?”

“We’re not getting off board. We drop the anchor in the gulf and be ready to take off at the littlest sign of danger.” she instructed, eyes trained on the Aurora.

Kain nodded, then turned away, hiding a smirk from his captain.

When the night finally descended on them, Edward reached Rydia, perched on the railing of the quarterdeck with a cloak on her shoulders to cover her from the chill of the night.

She acknowledged him with a nod and went back to scanning the sea and the feeble lights coming from Babil’s shore.

“You should get some rest. We can take shifts.” he suggested quietly.

Rydia shook her head.

“I’m not tired.”

They fell silent for a moment.

“That idiot…” she muttered, for the hundredth time that day.

Edward smiled.

“Say, Rydia, could that be… fondness for a certain ninja pirate?”

She didn’t look at him.

“I don’t want him to die.” she admitted softly, lowering her gaze to the waves.

“He’s always been there, whether I wanted him or not. I’ll be damned if anything happens to him while I’m alive.”

Edward looked at her.

“How… how did you two meet?”

Rydia looked up with half a smirk and chuckled.

“I used to live in Baron as a child. One day, Queen Rosa was kidnapped by a sea lord named Golbez. King Cecil was going insane in worry, and he hired a corsair to retrieve a treasure to bargain for her freedom. That was Edge.

“I didn’t trust him one bit and stowed away on the Aurora to make sure he wouldn’t just take the treasure and run, but he found me out and dumped me on Fabul’s shore. Of course, when I came back as a captain myself, he wasn’t very happy.”

“That’s romantic.” commented a new voice.

Rydia laughed, waving at Porom.

“Oh, no, trust me. It’s really not.”

“Yeah, as if I hadn’t seen you two interact.” the white mage deadpanned.

Rydia was about to reply, when the temperature suddenly dropped.

The night, that up until that moment had been peaceful and illuminated by the moons, went dark and cold.

The lights on Babil’s shore flickered and died down.

“Edge.” Rydia mouthed, breathless.

“Sirens!” screamed Porom.

The rest of the crew scattered to their assigned positions, ready to set sail at Rydia’s word.

However, she lifted her arms and started chanting in an ancient language. Her words were raspy and smooth at the same time, and her tone fluctuated between screams and whispers, like the waves that were starting to rise and fall more violently.

Rydia ended the incantation with a whispered word that only Edward, right beside her, could hear:

“Leviathan.”

The tides exploded. With an unearthly roar, the scaled crest of an enormous serpent emerged from the sea. The Eidolon lifted his head and lay his ancient gaze on Rydia, who stepped forward.

“Leviathan! Please, we need to get to Babil’s shore as quickly as we can. Revered Eidolon King, this I ask of you: please, bring us there!” she shouted.

The serpent nodded slowly, then dived again. As it disappeared, the Lady Fortune started to move on its own towards its destination.

“The waves! They’re leading us there!” Ursula exclaimed, precariously perched on a flagpole.

“Edward. You have to plug your ears, as well as Cid and Kain.” Rydia said, without turning her gaze away from the horizon.

Edward nodded and left.

“Please, please let us make it in time.” Rydia murmured in the night.

Edge wasn’t stupid. He and his male crewmen had securely plugged their ears, but that didn’t mean the Sirens were rendered innocuous.

He was woken up by a frantic Tsukinowa, who was gesturing wildly at the water. He got up and scanned the tides that came ashore. There, about twenty Sirens were crawling towards the camp.

Edge didn’t know who came up with the whole ‘Sirens as beautiful half-fish, half-women’ thing, but he pitied the guy and his obvious insanity.

The creatures making their way across the rocky beach were only remotely human-like. Their faces were distorted by horrendous grimaces, screaming their dangerous song through arrays of rotting fangs, sharp as knives. Their skin was deathly pale, making their black, nightmarish eyes stand out like tunnels in a snowy mountain. They were wearing torn clothes, ruined by the brackish water and their scaled skin. Edge noticed with disgust that some of them resembled Eblanese gowns or uniforms. So, they were stolen from sailors. From their backs grew pairs of wings, but they appeared to be sick and limp like their unmoving legs. Instead of feet and hands, they had unearthly claws.

Edge jumped back and unsheathed his swords, ready to face the monsters.

The nearest Siren shot him a wide grin and licked her lips.

Then he and his crew moved to attack.

The battle was eerily silent; the blood pumping in his ears was the only sound to be heard.

Those damned things were ferocious and relentless and the crew of the Aurora was badly outnumbered. As Edge launched himself forward to slice clean the head of a Siren, he caught a glimpse of the battle ongoing. Palom and Leonora had climbed a hill and were slinging spells left and right in relative safety. Palom concentrated powerful fire spells on single targets who were threatening to back-attack someone, while Leonora fried the ones who were still in the water with lightning. Izayoi was hidden behind a tree, taking down enemies with enchanted arrows - courtesy of Palom. Edge, Zangetsu, Tsukinowa and Gekkou were in the midst of the fight. They were killing Sirens with a combination of weapons and Ninjutsu, but it didn’t seem to be enough. They just kept emerging from the sea.

Edge cursed as he ducked to avoid the fangs of a Siren, aimed for his throat. She followed him with surprising agility for a crawling fiend and stuck her claws in his leg. Edge let out a pained growl, before impaling her head with a sword. He noticed that those things had pierced through his calf and poked out from the other side.

“Damn monsters!”

He severed the Siren’s hand and turned to face another when a blood-curling scream cut through the air, loud enough to be heard through the plugs. He turned to see a Siren with her teeth firmly stuck in Izayoi’s shoulder. The woman was struggling to get away, but the monster wouldn’t let go. He moved to reach her, only to collapse due to the ache of the claws still stuck in his leg. As he was trying to get up, he felt a jolt of pain down his spine, where a Siren had struck. He fought to break free, swung his swords blindly backwards, rolled over and tried to get up, but the demon didn’t budge. As his vision started to get blurry due to blood loss, he shouted the short incantation for his favorite technique, Mirage. The Siren’s eyes lost focus on him for a handful of seconds, enough for him to shake her off and scramble out of the way. He’d lost his swords in the struggle, so he gathered energy for another Ninjutsu. As he was about to release the spell, a bright whip of fire got in his way and wrapped itself around the Siren until she was dead. Edge tried to refocus his vision on the origin of the spell. What he saw was a blurry emerald figure running towards him.

“R… Rydia?” he stammered.

She replied something he couldn’t hear and shouted an order in Porom’s general direction. Then, she hooked his left arm over her shoulders and started to try and lift him to his feet. She managed to steer him away from the battle field, behind a tree. She checked him out with worried eyes and gestured frantically to the beach. Without waiting for a reply, she took off. Edge tried instantly to follow her, but his limbs wouldn’t obey him. He saw small, brave Rydia standing alone in a circle of Sirens and panic overtook his mind.

“Rydia! What are you-” his shout was interrupted by a coughing fit.

He covered his mouth with his hand, and when he looked at it, it was red from the blood.

Rydia looked at him and gave a reassuring nod with a small smile, then lifted her arms in the air.

Edge knew that dance.

A few seconds later, the clouds in the sky opened up, as a gigantic winged figure appeared.

Bahamut, Hallowed Father of the Eidolons. Edge had never seen something as majestic and powerful as the silver dragon that now hovered behind Rydia. When he released his attack, the whole beach was illuminated by a beam of pure energy. The Sirens were now engulfed in it, writhing silhouettes bathed in light. Before Edge could realize it, they were gone.

Rydia turned to Bahamut and bowed her head in deference. The great dragon nodded and, just like that, disappeared in a cascade of silver dust.

Rydia sighed, then turned back to Edge and ran over to him. He was pale as a sheet and was bleeding from various wounds.

“You are an idiot.” those were the first words he heard when she removed his plugs.

“Yeah…” he replied, trying not to fall asleep.

Rydia rested a warm hand on his cheek, and he leaned in her touch.

“We need to get you to Porom.” she whispered.

“Okay. Just… give me another second.” he murmured.

“Your crew is in bad shape, but you’re by far the worst off. What the hell were you thinking?” Rydia hissed.

Edge’s eyes snapped open.

“Bad shape? How bad? Izayoi was…” he exclaimed.

“She’s okay. Her armor protected her almost completely, so she only has a few cuts. I guess she was more scared than hurt. As for you, let’s just hope those claws aren’t poisoned.”

Rydia went on to ramble about how much of an idiot he was and how lucky they were to be alive for a few minutes more. He never wanted her to stop talking to him.

“Rydia?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure, you dumb ninja.”

“This is your fault.”

Edge lazily looked up at Kain from the makeshift hospital bed.

“Excuse me? How is a damn thunderstorm my fault?” he asked, incredulous.

“The Crystals must be punishing you for your stupidity.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Hush, you two.”

Both men looked at Izayoi, mildly annoyed. The woman was busy studying the charts in the corner and didn’t even lift her gaze to scold them. Kain huffed and turned the other way, making a show of examining the tip of his spear.

“Excuse you, Izayoi. I am your captain!” Edge spat out, indignant.

“Yes, I’m aware. But I am your cousin, and it’s my duty to tell you when you’re being an idiot.” she replied.

Edge let out another offended snarl and rolled away from her, closing his eyes to try and go back to sleep.

Just when he was starting to drift off, Porom lifted the hem of the tent and poked her head inside.

“I need to change your bandages.” she said.

Edge groaned.

“Is it still raining?” he asked, stretching.

Porom lay down the bandages on the bed and took his arm to help him sit upright.

“Not as strongly as before. We should be able to leave in a few hours.” she said.

“That’s good.”

“Edge.”

He curiously looked at the White Mage, who had stopped in her tracks.

“Don’t follow us. Rydia saved your life, the least you can do is stop trying to put yourself between her and the treasure. If-”

“Porom, that is enough.”

Edward and Palom had entered the tent. The bard had a serious expression on his face and was shaking his head.

“Yeah, quit your blabbering, for a change.” added Palom, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Mind your own business, Palom.” replied his sister, not even glancing at him.

“Oh! You mean like you did a second ago. You don’t know squat about those two, so leave ‘em alone.”

Porom opened her mouth to argue, but one serious glance from Edward convinced her to desist. She finished her job in silence and marched out of the tent, shooting a wary look at Edge and Palom.

Edge lifted an eyebrow and scanned the unlikely pair before him.

“What was that about?” he asked, propping himself on one arm.

Edward seemed suddenly extremely interested in his boots, while Palom deliberately turned away from him and started whistling with his hands behind his head.

Edge narrowed his eyes.

“Whatever favor you think you’re doing me, don’t. I have enough problems without your weird alliances messing with my head.” he muttered, lying back down on the bed.

“Gee. You’re welcome, captain.” Palom commented, casting a sideways glance at him.

Edge rolled away from them.

“Leave.”

Edge cursed. Loudly. Leonora covered her mouth with her hands, mildly scandalized, but mostly out of habit.

Zangetsu made his way over to the ship, clicking his tongue in disapproval as he examined the torn sails of the Aurora.

Palom huffed irritably.

“She sure thought this through. Look at this: sliced clean. Easy enough to fix, but it’ll take a while and by then we’ll have lost them.” he spat, kicking a rock.

Edge did feel a small surge of gratefulness at her mercy - at least they wouldn’t have to deal with the Sirens again - but he was mostly annoyed. Just how and when had she managed to slip a drug in their drinks? And how had he missed it?

He sighed heavily, before picking up the needle and thread Izayoi had already prepared and heading to the Aurora.

“Come on. This mess won’t fix itself.” he said, as he started the work on one of the bigger tears.

There was a bit of grumbling and swearing - mostly on Palom’s part - but soon everyone was busy with the sails.

After a few hours, Edge’s mood had improved just a bit. He found himself working next to Palom, who eyed him amusedly before speaking.

“She’s going to get away with this scot free, isn’t she?”

Edge didn’t take his eyes off his hands.

“She is the last Summoner. I think she might have a bit of an unfair advantage.”

“Sure. And that’s got nothing to do with you having the hots for her.” Palom snickered.

Edge didn’t answer, but smacked the back of Palom’s head hard enough to be heard by Tsukinowa, who looked up at them, a bit bewildered.

Edge shrugged and went back to work.

As soon as the Magnetic Cavern appeared on the horizon, Edge held his breath. They had decided to follow Leonora’s gut feeling about the Lady Fortune’s next destination, but if she was wrong…

Well, he could kiss goodbye to the treasure, to his captain-ness and to his pride.

Once they landed, Edge led Izayoi and Gekkou in a scouting mission. The clearing in front of the cavern was deserted. He could already feel Izayoi glaring a hole in the back of his head, but then he noticed something.

The ground was scorched. It looked like there was a trail of spots of burned soil, almost like enormous footprints.

“Hey, look.”

The spots circled around in a curious pattern. They looked like they belonged to a big creature who couldn’t decide between walking on four feet or three. Edge scanned his mind, chasing a vital thought that had just slipped his grasp. He knew those marks, but why?

It was Gekkou who broke the silence.

“Young Master. I think I know what left this burn marks.” he hesitated “An Eidolon, Ifrit.”

Edge’s head snapped to attention.

“Are you sure? Absolutely positive?” he asked, shooting a piercing look through the older man’s eyes.

“I am, Young Master, but-”

“This means they went into the cave and left Ifrit to guard the entrance. And now they’ve got everything.” Edge muttered, stroking his chin.

Izayoi stepped in front of him, inclining her head to the side.

“Everything?”

Edge sighed and crossed his arms.

“The map and the key. They’re ready to take the treasure. Let’s go.”

It was too good to be true. Like, crazy, unbelievably unexpected good. Edge gave one final, firm tug to a rope and lifted his gaze to see it, the Lady Fortune in all of its glory, just anchored in the Damcyan Gulf. Edge smiled broadly, then jumped down from the mast and near the helm.

“Palom!” he called.

The boy didn’t even look up from the charts he was studying with Tsukinowa and grunted in acknowledgment.

“I’m going to sneak on the ship.”

“Figured as much. Usual plan?” Palom asked.

Edge nodded and glanced at the line of lights marching towards Damcyan in the night.

“Yeah, but this time it’s going to work.”

They had timed it perfectly. Nothing was going to go wrong. Palom and Leonora would stay in charge of the ship, Izayoi and the others would slow down the crew of the Lady Fortune while they were on their way back from Damcyan, disguised as bandits. Meanwhile, Edge would sneak on the enemy ship and swiftly steal the charts and the key. It was going to be easy.

He smirked, landing soundlessly on the deck. They wouldn’t even notice they were gone until sunrise.

He made his way to the captain’s cabin with light steps and cat-like movements. It was completely dark inside, but the door wasn’t even locked. He pushed it and it opened softly, then he slipped inside the room.

Too easy.

And that, honestly, should really have tipped him off.

In the span of a second, all the lanterns were lit up and there was a sword pointed to his throat.

Edge lifted his hands lazily.

“How impolite of you, my lady. Welcoming a guest like this.” he commented, looking down at Rydia.

She wasn’t surprised or wary, but calm and collected, if a bit annoyed.

“I assume you were expecting a visitor?” he asked.

She lowered her sword just a bit.

“An uninvited one, but still… Get out.” she gestured to the door.

Edge put a hand over his heart.

“My lady, you wound me. I’ve come all this way just to see you, and this is how you repay me? How cruel!” he lamented dramatically.

Rydia smiled slightly.

“Cruel, right. Would you drop the act? You have no idea how disturbing that is.”

He grinned, pushing aside her sword with the back of his hand, satisfied when he encountered no resistance. He leaned closer to Rydia’s face, daring her to hold his gaze. She did.

“So, Lady Rydia, how’d you know I’d come here?”

She chuckled and pushed him away gently by booping his nose.

“I know you.” she said, voice low and secretive.

Edge felt a weird warmth in his chest, and she only made it worse when she added another whisper.

“I know you better than anyone else.”

He smirked in the dim light of the room.

“I didn’t know you paid so much attention to me, Rydia.”

He, too, kept his voice low, as if fearing to disrupt the frail atmosphere around them.

She shot him an odd look - her eyes softened and she smiled secretively.

“You have no idea.”

She had to be lying. Because if she kept that expression on while saying things like that he was in so much trouble.

He opened his mouth to retort, but the words wouldn’t come. So he closed it, swallowed and tried again.

“I’d really love to find out, my lady.” he whispered, with a raspy voice he almost didn’t recognize.

He leaned close again, a small, defiant smirk on his lips. They were only a breath away.

And that was bad.

She grinned slightly and booped his nose again.

“Now, now… You wouldn’t want to put an innocent girl in a situation she’d regret, would you?”

He huffed and pulled away.

“C’mon, I stopped falling for your innocent act about years ago. You can’t fool me, Rydia.” he said, his smirk turning lopsided.

She pouted.

“Oh? Then maybe…”

She moved lightning fast to pin him to the wall, her sword somehow appearing in her hand and pressed to his throat.

“… maybe this works better for you.” she concluded, sounding genuinely curious.

He nodded seriously.

“Definitely.”

He loved Mirage.

Rydia’s eyes lost focus on him long enough to let him get away. He positioned himself in the center of the room, swords unsheathed, and waited for her. She turned to face him with a low growl and gripped her weapon tighter.

She launched herself at him, aiming for his left hand. He parried with little effort and she stumbled back. She looked up and scowled at him, before muttering something under her breath. Edge’s muscles suddenly relaxed and he collapsed in a boneless heap. Before he could get up, Rydia kicked his chest and knocked him against a desk in a corner. Then, she had her sword at his throat again.

“What’s the matter, Rydia? No fire, today?” he asked, sliding down.

He slipped under her arms and hooked a foot behind her ankle. Before she could react, Rydia crashed on the ground, and now he was pinning her to the ground, his elbows restraining her arms and a sword just below her jaw. She glanced briefly to the side.

“Oh, I get it. Gunpowder, right? Shame, really. This would be so much more fun if-”

Rydia kneed him in the stomach and kicked his swords when he flinched and got up, making them fly away from his hand, across the room.

He dove to reach them. He heard her mutter a few words, then an electric jolt shot through his body, and he couldn’t move anymore.

She slowly got up and walked over to him. Edge looked around frantically to find a mean of escape, but stopped in his tracks when she got in front of him. The fight had messed up her clothes, and her brown jacket hung open on a low-cut shirt. And there, just above her breasts, a bronze key dangled hypnotically.

Rydia bent down, a fake sorry look on her face.

“I’m so sorry, Edward,” she said, a vague insult in her voice “I win this one.”

Edge’s muscles were tingling. Soon, the spell would wear off.

Meanwhile, Rydia kept on talking.

“I was thinking about marooning you somewhere, you know?”

He could move his head again.

“Maybe that little island between Damcyan and Troia?”

Hands free.

“Of course, if you’re up for a cabin boy job on my ship, I might consider it.”

Legs okay. Time to go.

“Well, what d’you say, Ed-”

She stopped in her tracks. The Shadowbind technique worked like a charm, thought Edge.

He grabbed the key and yanked it away from her neck, while Rydia could only stare at him with a look of pure outrage.

“I win this one.” he echoed her “Until we meet again, my lady.”

He winked at her and jumped out of the window, into the night.

When the spell wore off, Rydia picked up Edge’s swords. She glanced at the dark shadow of a ship sailing away, in the direction of Fabul.

She heard rushed footsteps outside her cabin and she turned to face Ursula.

“Rydia! Are you okay? You were right, we were attacked, but they ran off when they heard a gunshot.” she said, panting.

Edward reached her and patted her on her back, patiently.

“I think it’s safe to assume they were the crew of the Aurora trying to slow us down. But there were only four of them…”

“I’m sure Palom and Leonora stayed on the ship. My brother isn’t exactly stealthy or sneaky, and his apprentice isn’t much better.” Porom reasoned.

“So that means…”

“Edge came here.” said Rydia, looking away.

Edward nodded, not surprised.

“We fought, and he got away with the key. What a mess…” she sighed.

“Hey, at least he doesn’t know where to go, right? We’ll get it back in no time!” said Luca.

“Yeah, at least we have th-” Rydia froze.

Edge’s swords, which she’d wanted to put down on her desk, fell down with a loud crash.

“Rydia?!” squeaked Porom.

The Summoner brought her trembling hands to her mouth, staring wide-eyed at the enormous cross that marked their destination on the map, open on the desk for anyone to see.

Chapter Text

Edge dangled upside-down from a flagpole, holding onto it with his legs. He skimmed over the charts for the hundredth time, not knowing quite what to do with himself. The Aurora was sailing lazily east of the Mythril archipelago and the Lady Fortune was nowhere to be seen.

“Maybe that’s the problem. There’s no fun in winning without a challenger.” he muttered, folding the charts and putting them back in his pocket.

“No one is going to believe that, you know?” chimed in Izayoi, from the helm.

He didn’t even glance at her.

“No one asked you.”

Edge looked over to the horizon again, but a light mist was their only pursuer.

He sighed and shook his head, regretting it immediately. His blood was getting to his head, and he was feeling dizzy.

He pulled himself up in a crouching position on the flagpole to clear his head. Then he leapt down and landed gracefully after a flip in the air.

His cousin huffed.

“Showoff.”

“Killjoy.”

He reached the railing and pulled himself up, enjoying the breeze on his face for a moment. Then, a frown climbed on his features and he looked down, thoughtful.

“It feels weird.”

“What does? Having your head swell up from the blood?”

Edge rolled his eyes.

“They’re not following us.”

Izayoi shot him an odd look.

“Rydia knows a lost cause when she sees one. They can’t catch up and she knows it.”

He shook his head.

“You’re wrong on that. If there’s one thing Lady Rydia can’t do, is accept failure. Not until the treasure is either destroyed or in our pockets.”

“Maybe they found another lead.”

“Or maybe they’re plotting something we won’t like. I know her. She isn’t gonna give up and change objective like that. Not when there’s a challenge.”

Izayoi turned to face forward.

“I don’t know why you won’t consider that maybe she doesn’t care for these challenges as much as you do. Maybe she does it for the cash. What do you know?”

Edge walked past the helm, without looking at her, and leaned on the railing.

“I told you. I know Rydia.” he said.

Izayoi didn’t reply for a moment. Then, she let out a mixture between a chuckle and a sigh.

Edge glanced at her, inclining his head to the side.

“Nothing, nothing. I just… I remember a little brat who would grimace and say that girls were icky all the time. I wonder where he is now…” she said with only one eye lazily open.

Edge smiled a little.

“Telling you to shut up and keep us on the route.”

“Aye, little brat.”

“Izzy.”

“Alright, alright…”

“Captain! Mount Ordeals!” yelled Tsukinowa “But... Is that…?”

Edge sighed, resigned.

“Let me guess. The Lady Fortune?”

The boy shouted an affirmative response.

“Told you so.” he said, turning to look at his cousin with a knowing smirk.

“Leviathan again, huh?” commented Palom, crossing his arms.

Izayoi shrugged, a little incredulous, then turned the helm to land near the enemy ship.

Edge sighed again.

“They’re probably gonna ambush us. Be on the lookout. Stay sharp. Eyes-”

“Yeah, we got it. You’d better keep your mind out of the gutter until the treasure is ours.” Palom snickered.

Edge didn’t answer, but rolled his eyes and hopped on the railing, watching the mountain getting closer and closer.

When they arrived within a hundred feet from the shore, Edge heard a soft thump. He turned, dread growing in his chest, to find Izayoi slumped over the helm.

“Izzy? Are you okay? Izzy!” he shouted, shaking her.

A light snoring was his only reply. She was asleep. He stifled a relieved sigh, then noticed the needle in her neck.

Realization hit him as he heard several other thumps coming from various parts of the ship. He slowly lifted his head warily.

His crew was sound asleep, courtesy of those damn tranquilizers Porom was so proud of.

“Sleep.”

He felt the pins-and-needles feel that preceded the sudden relaxation of his muscles before collapsing.

After a second, the young girl from Fabul - he couldn’t ever remember her name - and the tall prick whom Rydia seemed to trust - Kain, but Edge made a point of never using the jerk’s name – jumped on the deck.

In a few moments, the two of them had him tied up securely. Edge just shot them an annoyed look.

After a second, he felt himself lose weight, as he started to levitate in the air. Porom’s Float spell directed him to the shore, then let him crash down unceremoniously.

Rydia took a few steps towards him.

“Edge, Edge, Edge… you didn’t really think we’d just let you get away with our treasure, did you?”

Edge huffed, pulling himself up in a sitting position.

“Of course not, my lady. But I’d forgotten about those sleeping darts. Nice work on those, by the way.” he nodded at Porom.

Rydia shot her white mage an approving smile as well, before turning back to Edge.

“Okay, ninja, enough with the small talk. Key.”

Edge raised an eyebrow.

“We’ll search your ship if you don’t cooperate.” the Fabul girl threatened.

“How unfortunate. You won’t find it.” he replied.

Rydia narrowed her eyes to slits.

“How come?”

Edge stood up, still tied up, and hopped in front of her.

“Well… I hid the key somewhere on my person. Unless you feel like undressing me - and I’m sure you’d appreciate that – you will not find it.” he declared, smirking smugly at the small indignant blush on Rydia’s face.

“And that means, of course, I’m coming with you.”

“What!?” exclaimed the Fabul girl.

“That’s so not happening. You will give us the key, if you know what’s good for you.”

Her rant was interrupted by Rydia’s raised hand.

“Ursula. Calm down.” she said.

She stepped right in Edge’s personal space and said, voice low and dangerous:

“Fine. You win. But you misstep, and I will summon Bahamut on you.”

Edge beamed.

“Couldn’t ask for anything else, my lady.”

She glared at him, then she turned to her crew.

“Untie his legs, then lock his crew in the bailey of the ship. We’re leaving as soon as possible. Cid and Edward, you stay with the ship.”

Edge looked at her. She was acting even more bossy than usual, but she was tense. Something was bothering her.

So, when Ursula and the stuck-up jerk were gone, he spoke up.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She didn’t even turn to look at him.

“I’m fine.”

“Tell that to someone else.”

Rydia sighed.

“Why do you care? Being nice isn’t going to do you any good, you know?” she snapped, gripping tightly the handle of one of the swords at her side.

His sword.

Edge narrowed his eyes, but stayed silent and turned to watch the sea.

He heard Rydia sigh again, somewhere behind him. From the corner of his eye, she looked so tired and anxious he had to resist the urge to try and cheer her up. She wouldn’t thank him.

“Why are you making this so difficult?” she whispered.

“Making what difficult?”

Rydia looked at him.

“You know why I want the treasure?” she asked softly.

He shook his head.

“Once I gain Odin’s name, I’ll be able to go back to the Feymarch.”

Edge lifted an eyebrow.

“Odin? Wait, he’s an Eidolon? When did that- Wait a second. The Feymarch!?” he exclaimed.

“You can’t be serious.”

She looked away from him, sheepishly, and said nothing.

“You actually want to go back down there, huh?” he said, quietly.

Rydia’s eyes snapped back to his face.

“Edge, I-”

“Okay.”

She stopped in her tracks and looked up to him, eyes wide. Edge shot her a small grin through his mask.

“Okay. I’ll help you. It’s your home, after all. Just… Promise me you’ll pop back here from time to time to say hi. Okay?”

Rydia opened her mouth to say something, anything, but a call interrupted her.

“Cap’n! We’re all set to go!” Cid exclaimed.

She turned and nodded.

“Alright. Let’s move.”

The way up to the summit wasn’t very steep or bumpy, but it was a long walk on the brink of the precipice. Edge walked in the back of the line, with Kain right in front of him. The Dragoon turned to look at him every two seconds, blatantly distrustful. Edge huffed. If he was so worried he could have walked in the back himself, but apparently he didn’t want Edge anywhere near the girls. Paranoid.

The next time Kain turned away, he let a sharp little knife slip from his armlet. That thing couldn’t harm a fly, but ropes stood no chance.

He worked quietly and slowly, so as to not alarm Kain and the rest of the crew.

In a few minutes, the knot that held everything together was cut, but he didn’t let go of the rope.

He smirked at the back of Kain’s head.

The Dragoon turned again, with a suspicious glare. Edge huffed and wiped the grin off his face, replacing it with a look of annoyance.

“Seriously? I’m not gonna run off, y’know? Gimme a break.” he said.

“You shut up. Prisoners don’t get to argue.” Rydia shouted, from the frontlines.

Edge shut up. Kain snickered and turned back, but not before muttering:

“She’s got you whipped, huh?”

Edge pointedly ignored him.

The air was getting thinner, Rydia noticed. She glanced back to her crew and smiled slightly at the sight of Edge and Kain bickering again.

She shrugged and carried on. Porom caught up with her.

“Excited?” she asked, smiling.

Rydia closed her eyes and sighed tiredly.

“I don’t know.” she replied.

Porom raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?”

“Well…” Rydia let her gaze wander into nothingness “The Feymarch is my home, but… I don’t want all this to be over.”

She gestured to the sea, then to her crew.

“I really love this life. I don’t know if I’m ready to give it up.”

Meanwhile, Ursula had appeared to her side.

“Hey, Rydia, what’s the deal with Odin? I mean, what does he have to do with you returning to the Feymarch?” she asked.

Rydia huffed.

“Her Majesty Asura kicked me out when I was fifteen. She told me I could come back once I’d gained the name of Those Who Live Under The Moons. Six Eidolons of the surface, and Odin’s the last one. He’ll let me challenge him once I bring him his crown from the treasure.” she explained.

Ursula nodded seriously.

She glanced up to the summit and her eyes went wide.

“Down!” she screamed as she tackled Porom and Rydia.

The three of them crashed to the ground together, as an immense shadow flew over their heads.

“What the hell is that?” Kain shouted, hurrying up to the summit.

There was a large shadow covering the sun, and a second later it was diving back towards them. Ursula and Porom scrambled out of the way, but Rydia spent one second too many trying to make out the silhouette. She felt like she was getting up and stumbling in slow motion, hands covering her head in a pathetic attempt to protect herself.

Then the wind was knocked out of her as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her middle and pulled her away.

There was a loud crash a second later, and she opened one tentative eye.

She was in a little opening in the side of the mountain, while the monster was rampaging outside. And she was still enveloped in the arms of someone who was breathing heavily in her ear.

“You… idiot. Were you trying to get yourself killed? Not happening on my watch.” Edge panted.

She spun around in his arms and found him a lot closer than she expected.

“You? But- The ropes-” she stammered.

“Took care of that halfway through the trek. Are you hurt?” he asked.

Rydia shook her head and he sighed in relief, unwrapping his arms from her waist.

“Give me my swords now, we need to fight that thing.” he said.

“W-what!?” exclaimed Rydia.

“We can’t fight it! It’s a Roc! You know, one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet? An eagle so large it could pick up Titan? A carnivorous bird?”

“Huh, interesting. I thought it was a Phoenix or something. Now, swords.” he demanded.

“But…”

Edge took her wrists.

“I’m scared too. But it’s the monster or us. And I got places to go and people to see. Are you with me?” he said softly, looking into her eyes.

Rydia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Okay. Let’s do this.”

Edge smiled as she slipped his swords from her belt and gave them to him. He tugged down his mask and pressed a light kiss on Rydia’s forehead.

Then, his expression turned serious, and he glanced outside warily. The Roc was circling over the summit of Mount Ordeals, scanning it to find some pray. Edge gripped his swords tighter.

“Aim for the eyes.” Rydia whispered, before slipping out of the cavity.

She crossed the clearing lightning fast and she ducked behind a rock before the monster could see her. She brought her hands together and began to chant, eyes closed. Edge glanced at the Roc. It was getting dangerously near Rydia’s boulder. He took a deep breath and slipped out himself.

Now he was standing in the open, swords in hand. The Roc circled another time before it saw him. Its eyes narrowed to slits while it glided around another few seconds.

Edge glanced at Rydia. She hadn’t seen him yet, and was absorbed in her chant. From his new perspective, he saw another, slightly larger, cavity where the others were pressed together. Edge met Kain’s gaze.

The Dragoon nodded seriously, then eradicated himself from the tangled limbs of the girls.

Edge nodded back before he focused on the Roc again. It looked at him and screeched loudly. A second later, it was diving towards Edge, claws ready to rip him to shreds.

Edge forced himself to stay perfectly still, so he could jump out of the way at the very last second.

Just when he was preparing to dodge, the Roc stopped to a halt. It fidgeted wildly, revealing a large wound in its side. Kain landed nearby, spear dripping with monster ichor.

“Hey! I had it under control!” Edge snapped, annoyed.           

“You can thank me later. Duck!” Kain shouted.

The Roc glided just above his head as he threw himself to the ground. He could still hear Rydia’s muffled chanting.

“Hurry up…” he muttered under his breath.

Colors exploded in front of his vision, and suddenly he felt at the peak of his physical capacities.

Edge scanned around, trying to locate the origin of the spell. Porom winked at him, from behind a tree.

He looked at himself to check his buffs. Haste, Protect, Shell, Blink. He smirked confidently and shot a grateful glance at the mage, before running up to the monster, which was now battling Kain and Ursula on the ground.

Edge took a deep breath and shouted an incantation. Ninjutsu wasn’t as precise as Black Magic, but his Blitz spell hit the head of the monster with little trouble.

It screeched again and turned to face Edge, red eyes narrowed in anger.

Edge held his breath in anticipation. As the Roc stalked towards him, he jumped, aided by the effect of Haste. He flipped in the air and struck his blades in the joint between the neck and the wings of the monster. It didn’t flinch.

“Tough skin, huh?” Edge thought, as he landed a few feet away.

“Hey Rydia, we could use a little help!” Ursula shouted, jumping to the side to dodge the Roc’s claws.

Kain propped himself to a rock and flew in the air. As he fell down, he struck his lance in the monster’s wing again.

It made a horrific pained sound and started to shake like crazy, until Kain was forced to jump down, abandoning the spear.

He growled and pulled out a small knife.

While the Roc was busy examining its wing, Edge took two throwing stars. He balanced them in his hands, waiting for the right moment. The second the monster stopped moving, the weapons flew in the air, sticking themselves in its eyes. The monster howled wildly and stumbled around for a bit.

It lunged forward, blindly trying to hit them with its beak, but Edge, Ursula and Kain dodged easily.

Edge prepared to attack its neck, but a voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Everyone out of the way!”

Rydia stepped out in the open, arms raised.

Around her, the mountain began to crumble. Enormous rocks flew up in the air and, at Rydia’s gesture, caught fire. Now she was surrounded by flaming boulders.

Edge’s eyes widened.

“Is that…?”

He dove inside one of the cavities and flattened himself to the wall. He glanced outside and was horrified to see Ursula still in the open. She was staring at Rydia’s magic with an expression of pure awe.

Edge muttered a couple words for the Shadowstepping incantation and a couple of curses. He appeared next to the girl, picked her up and a second later they were back in the cavern, just as the boulders started raining down.

Edge tucked Ursula between his body and the back of the cavity, trying to shield her from the heat and the debris.

The Roc screeched.

Meteo struck with all the destructive power Edge expected from a forbidden spell. Ursula screamed in his chest when a boulder crashed in front of their cavern. Edge risked a glance outside.

The battlefield, that up until that moment had been muddy and dead soil, had turned into a blazing inferno where tongues of fire danced around hypnotically. Rydia was in the center of the flaming storm, eyes closed and arms wide.

The Roc writhed and howled in pain. It jumped, ready to fly away from there, but a particularly large rock hit its wing. It broke, making a snapping sound that made Edge want to throw up.

Flightless and scared, the monster could only fall back down and squirm, waiting for death to come.

Suddenly, the meteor shower stopped. Rydia opened her eyes and walked up to the Roc. It could barely move.

Her eyes went soft, and she said only one word. Edge knew the translation for that. Death.

The monster’s blind eyes closed almost peacefully, as its body started to disintegrate in dark grains of sand.

The wind blew them away a second later. Rydia was now alone on the battlefield.

She bowed her head in respect, then she started to collapse on her knees. Only Edge’s Haste-enhanced reflexes kept her from hitting her head.

He scanned the unconscious girl in his arms. She was pale, her face was stained by the smoke and her hair was singed, but she was okay.

She was okay.

Edge sighed heavily in relief. He lay her down in a cavity, then he sat beside her with his back to the wall.

Porom’s spells were starting to wear off. He was especially glad to get rid of Haste, because as helpful as its effect was, it took a huge toll on his body. Edge’s heart started to slow down as he breathed more evenly.

He glanced outside to see Porom and Kain reassuring a very scared Ursula. He smiled slightly. She was too young to be there.

Next to him, Rydia stirred. All of his attention snapped back to her.

“Edge?” she mumbled, still half asleep.

“I’m here.” he whispered back, taking her hand to prove his point.

She squeezed lightly in response, before closing her eyes again.

“Are you all okay?” she asked.

“Yeah. You… are really crazy. You know that, right?”

“I’ve been told as much.” she smiled.

“That’s your gratitude?”

He chuckled under his breath.

“Of course not. Just wanted to remind you that if you die on my watch I’ll kill you in the afterlife.” he said, absentmindedly playing with a stray lock of her hair.

Rydia smiled again.

Someone cleared their throat. Edge turned to see Porom standing at the entrance of the small cavern.

“Is she alright?”

Edge nodded. Porom sighed in relief.

“We found the treasure. Do you think…?”

“Of course.” Edge replied.

Slowly, he helped Rydia on her feet, and she held onto him to walk out of the cavity - she’d never forgive him if he straight-up carried her.

A few steps in front of them there was a large chest, beautifully decorated with horse and thunder motifs.

Edge reached for his neck and pulled out a long thread, so thin it was almost invisible. And, at the end of the invisible necklace, there was the key.

Edge gave it to Kain, who knelt down in front of the chest and fussed a bit with the lock. After a few moments, he lifted the lid.

Edge gaped.

Odin’s crown stood on top of a heap of jewels from all around the surface world and the Underworld. There were diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and a lot of other gems Edge couldn’t name. Then, underneath those, there was gold. So much gold.

Rydia held her breath, next to him. She glanced briefly at him. Edge didn’t miss it. He leaned down to her ear and whispered:

“It’s yours. As long as I can keep something for my men, it’s all yours.”

Rydia gasped quietly. She looked at him and her shocked expression gradually grew into a smile.

“Thank you.” she mouthed.

Now it was her turn to whisper to him.

“I’m not going back to the Feymarch.”

Edge grinned widely.

The trek down Mount Ordeals felt much shorter to Rydia. Maybe because she wasn’t doing the actual trekking. She was way too weak to walk, thanks to Meteo, and Porom was out of magic power - so no Float.

She had argued and protested, but Edge had won the quarrel and now she was travelling safely on his back.

After a while of his rhythmical walking, she fell asleep on his shoulder.

She woke up when they arrived to the beach. Everyone greeted them excitedly, but Rydia still felt like she was dreaming.

Edward came to her and ruffled her hair affectionately.

“I knew you would make it.” he said, a note of pride in his voice.

She smiled back.

Rydia kept looking around, trying to take in everything.

She vaguely registered Palom shooting an odd look at them before his sister whacked him on the head. Then they started bickering, as usual, while Leonora played peace maker and failed.

Izayoi and Ursula were talking quietly in a corner, while Cid, Gekkou and Zangetsu were having a good natured discussion about engines. Kain was telling Edward about the battle with the Roc and Tsukinowa, not knowing quite what to do with himself, bounced back and forth between the various groups - even if he pointedly avoided the twins.

Gekkou’s roaring laughter boomed across the beach, and Rydia found herself chuckling as well.

And suddenly it was too much.

“I think I need a little more quiet. Could you take me to those rocks?” she whispered in Edge’s ear.

He nodded and readjusted her on his back.

They shared a comfortable silence until they got to the rocks. Edge put her down gently, then sat next to her. She noticed his mask had been torn apart during the fight.

After a moment they started talking.

They went from “How are you feeling?” to “Do you miss Eblan?” to “Why is Kain such a prick?” and then they talked about everything and nothing at the same time.

She’d missed it so much.

She made a quip about his need to be constantly babied by his cousin and he started laughing.

She stopped in her tracks and looked at him.

“This is so weird! I’m not used to your face!” she giggled, before joining him in his fit of hilarity.

And that’s where the weird thing happened.

She was feeling so light, as if a weight had been lifted from her chest. They were laughing together for the first time in what felt like forever and she’d completely forgotten the way his grey eyes sparkled when they were lit up with mirth.

She would deny having any agency in what happened next, when she took his face between her hands and kissed him, hard.

He didn’t hesitate for a moment, but kissed her back with equal enthusiasm, like he’d been waiting for this his entire life. Edge’s hands went to her hair and he tangled his fingers in it, beckoning her closer and closer. His tongue demanded entrance to her mouth which, still out of her control, complied with a shudder.

Only when Rydia heard herself do a strange sound which resembled frighteningly a soft moan, did she snap back to reality.

She tore herself away from him. He stared at her with a confused look. Her gaze darted without permission to his lips. She flushed every shade of red in existence, then she eradicated herself from his embrace and stood up on trembling legs - I’m still weak from the fight.

He shot upright as well, confusion turning to concern.

She was pretty sure he could feel the heat radiating from her cheeks.

“I- um- gotta- gotta go. Yeah. Go.” she stammered.

Edge frowned a little - And no I do not want to kiss him again. Nope. Not me.

She kissed him again. She stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his just for a moment, but when she pulled away he was smiling.

She muttered something under her breath. His eyes went wide and he opened his mouth to reply.

She bolted.

In the span of three seconds she was with her crew, she’d shouted an order and she’d ran on the Lady Fortune. It took off two minutes later.

Rydia, in her cabin, buried her face in her pillow and screamed.

Someone knocked on her door.

“Not a word!” she yelled.

That someone walked away.

She glanced out her window, which offered her a perfect view of the beach.

Edge was busy half-listening to Palom shouting at him, but he saw her, smiled and mouthed something.

She smiled back.

Edge kept replaying the past few minutes in his head, trying to make sense of them. He kept hearing that delightful muffled moan but, most importantly, her words.

“I-think-I-might-possibly-maybe-perhaps-be-in-love-with-you.”

There was something warm and fuzzy in his chest that intensified every time his little Mental Rydia said that.

He approached lazily his crew, his eyes still fixated on the Lady Fortune.

Next thing he knew there was yelling. Lots of it. And it all came from Palom.

The young mage stalked up to him with a furious expression on his face. Then the rant began.

“What the hell, Edge? Why the hell did you let her have our treasure? Crystals, you’re the worst captain ever, we are so voting you out and marooning you on a deserted island! This is ridiculous! You and your massive, ridiculous, unexplainable crush on that sea witch! But hey! At least you got a kiss out of it! Happy now? Happy and poor!”

Edge glanced at the Lady Fortune. Rydia was in her cabin and she was looking at him. He smiled.

“Until we meet again.” he mouthed.

He saw Rydia smiling back and waving a little.

Edge brought his attention back to Palom, who had crossed his arms and was tapping his foot in irritation.

“See? This is exactly what I’m talking about! Now what? We have no treasure, no destination and no plan.” he huffed.

Edge smirked.

“Well… I’m pretty sure Rydia promised to give you guys a share of the treasure, but I’m afraid she left in such a hurry that she forgot. We’re not going to let her take what’s ours, are we?” he said in an innocent tone.

Palom gaped.

“I’m going to pretend you’re not doing this only chase after Rydia, because I love treasure more than I hate your stupid crush on her. When do we leave?”

“How about right now?”

Palom sighed.

“I’ll go round everyone.”

Edge nodded and turned back to look the ocean. The Lady Fortune was still visible, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

He shrugged. No big deal.

After all, the longer the chase, the sweetest the victory.