I yawned. Not that it's unusual for me to yawn at two o' clock in the morning, but I still yawned. I began thinking why I was working with this scientist on this technology. Also not unusual at two o' clock in the morning.
    I checked the gauges again. "Hmm." They'd changed a bit, but I doubted that anything particularly exciting was going to happen tonight. My boss came in from getting a snack, bubbling with excitement.
    "How's the project doing?" he asked. Ugh, how could he be this happy this early in the morning?
    "Still no progress. Question: Why are we still here?"
    "Because I have a hunch." I looked up at him questioningly.
    "I just have a feeling that something important could happen." I glanced down at the dials. They had moved a bit more, maybe by next week something would happen, but not tonight. "I don't see much chance of something happening. King Figaro might cut our funding if we don't get some results."
    "Sir Sabin has promised me that we will get all the funding we need. He provided the blood off that weapon for these things didn't he?"
    "Yes, but to what end?" At that moment, Sir Sabin walked in. Marvelous timing. "You heard that didn't you?"
    He scowled at me. "Yes, I heard it. Why are you two in here at this hour?"
    I pointed at my boss. "He has a hunch." I checked the gauges again. "It doesn't make sense, this one has been growing for almost three months. The rest never took more than a week."
    "Where are the rest?" Sabin asked. I led him to a room full of horrible creatures in cages.
    "I hate this room," I said, "It reminds me of the Time of Ruin. All of these creatures are from then aren't they?"
    "Most of them. I had no idea that I had killed so many creatures with that weapon."
    "Why did you want us to use that weapon specifically?"
    "Do you remember the ninja that helped in the War? The one that didn't make it out of the tower?"
    I considered his question a moment. "Umm... yeah, I think so. Wasn't his name Shadow?"
    "Actually, we found out that his real name was Clyde. But you have the right person. Well, a group went to the Coliseum to go get him back into the group after the collapse. I was sent into the arena to fight for the Striker. I remember that I had the Dragon Claw and the Fire Knuckle. I'd like to see Shadow again. What did my brother tell you to call this technology?"
    "Cloning."
    "Interesting name. Where'd you people come up with it?"
    "An archaeologist found a pre-War of the Magi scroll with exact descriptions of how to do all of this." We heard an excited yell from the main room. "What was that?"
    When we got back to the main room, my boss was literally jumping up and down with joy. "It's a success! We have a human clone!"
    "Clyde?" Sabin stared at the clone.
    The clone stared back; "Do I know you?"
    My boss suddenly sobered up, "I'm sorry sir, it turns out that personalities and memories don't get transferred in the cloning process."
    "What!?!?!?!?" I cringed at Sabin's outburst. "Make more of these clones! One of them has got to have Shadow's memories! Make some of that dog too! Something has got to get him back!"
    We had to do this of course. Without Sabin getting the king to continue pouring gold into this project, we'd be shut down in less than a week. But now, I'm wondering what's going to happen to clone number double-oh-nine. I just tripped and dropped two elixirs and a fenix down into its vat.

        Darkness.  Then, suddenly, bright light.  I couldn't open my eyes, the light was too bright.  Something felt wrong.  In fact, something felt very wrong.
        "Here's the ninth one,"  a voice said.
        I heard another voice, this one sounded apprehensive.  "Is there anything wrong with it?"
        "Not that I can tell.  Something wrong?"  That was the first voice again. Things were sounding a little more clear.
        "Uhh... no, just wondering."
        The light dimmed.  I could finally open my eyes.  I groaned.  "Where am I?" I couldn't see anything but blurs.
        "Figaro Castle.  The basement.  Recognize anything?"
        "Not a thing, it's too blurry."  At this I heard a strangled groan coming
from another direction.
        "Calm down Sabin," this voice sounded soft and sad, as if they had lost a piece of them, "It won't help to go ballistic again."
        Things came into focus.  The first voice was an odd little man in a bright yellow outfit.  The second was another man in a white coat that stretched to the floor.  The groan came from a heavy-built guy that makes me think of a bear.  I wasn't sure what a bear is, but that's what this guy reminds me of.
  The fourth was a woman with green hair pulled back into a ponytail.
        "I'm sorry," I began, "but I get the distinct feeling I missed something important."
        "You are the ninth clone of Shadow, a ninja.  When we're finished, there will be one-hundred-fifty clones."  That was the yellow jacket
        "That's quite a few clones, any particular reason?"
        "We're hoping that one of them will have the memories and personality of the original Shadow."  The guy in the white coat gave the bear-looking one a disgusted look.
        "Hmm...  Still, that seems too many."
        "Shall I introduce you to everyone?"
        "Please do."
        "I am Cid.  Chief engineer and scientist for the Kingdom of Figaro." He points at the man in the white coat.  "This is my assistant.... uhh... oh dear, what was your name again?"
        "I'm Tatin."
        "Such an odd name... I really ought to be able to remember that."  He indicated the guy that reminded me of a bear.  "This is Sabin Figaro, the king's brother," I nodded at Sabin and Cid indicated the woman, "This is Terra Branford.  She and Sabin were of the group that killed the evil Kefka."  For some reason, the name Kefka sends chills down my spine.  I felt like I was going to be sick.  I threw up.  A nice blend of greens with some red mixed in.  Great.
        I wiped my mouth.  "Sorry about that."
        "Don't worry about it," replied Cid, "at least you haven't died right off like the last three clones."
        Terra stared at me for a second.  "This one reminds me of old times. Before the Collapse."
        Sabin looked at her like she might be crazy.  "How's that?"
        "I'm not sure, he just... does."
        I heard laughing from the hall and a door opened.  A man wearing a bandana and a blonde woman walk in.  "Terra's got another hunch?"
        "Locke Cole!"  Sabin exclaimed, "You old thief, what are you doing here?  I thought you were traveling with Setzer!"
        "That's TREASURE HUNTER and we were, but we've seen the world and Setzer had something he wanted to do alone."
        "How are you Celes?" Terra asked.
        The blonde looked around the room.  "I'm okay.  I just wish I had something to do.  Ever since we killed Kefka, there's not really been anything to fight."  Once again, the name chilled me.  Maybe I did know more than I thought.
        "I know, it's strange.  Even the wild animals have become tame."
        Cid interrupted them.  "Well, let's set the new arrival some food and a place to rest.  I imagine he could use it."
        Well, I was hungry.  I could find out more about what's going on after I got some food.

        I spent the next few weeks adjusting to life in the castle.  And training.  I had an enormous amount of training to do.  I was trained in battle strategy, sword-fighting, martial arts, and the throwing of weapons from shuriken to lances.  I also learned the history of this world.  This world
used to have magic, but when the Returners destroyed Kefka, it was the end of magic and high technology has ruled supreme since.
        I was summoned by the king and greeted,  "Hello 009!"
        "Greetings King Edgar."
        "So, how do you like life in my castle?"
        "I have enjoyed my life here, it is a pleasant place."
        "Cid tells me that you've outlived all the clones before and after you. How is that?"
        "I don't know, your majesty, I am treated the same as they are."
        "Well, what do you think of the women here?"
        I considered the king's strange question for a moment, "I really can't make a judgment on that sir, I have been training with your brother and his friend that says 'thou' incessantly, I believe he said his name is Cyan."
        "Well, that's a shame.  I suppose I should get down to why I asked you to come.  For each clone of Shadow that was made, there was also a clone made of his dog Interceptor using leftover base material from the Shadow clone's vat.  Unfortunately, all of these dogs died within hours of being created. Your dog, like yourself, has an odd longevity."
        "And...?"
        "And since Cid couldn't figure anything out from tests made on the dog, we've decided to give it to you."  A guard brought around a large, black dog on a leash.  "Shadow009, meet Interceptor009."
        I took the leash.  "hmm... My thanks, your majesty.  I will return to my room now."
        Once I got back to my room I looked at the dog.  He looked healthy enough. "What is it about us boy?  Why do we seem to outlive all the others?" The dog just kept looking around the room.  There was a knock at the door.
        "Shadow?  You there?"  That had to be Locke.
        "Come on in."
        The self-described treasure hunter came in and looked around.  "Nice room, mind if I have a seat?" I pointed to a chair.  Locke sat down andsighed. "Shad,  I need your opinion on something.  I love Celes, and I want to propose to her, but-"
        "Locke," I interrupted, "I'm only a few months old.  How do you expect me to have any ideas about love?"
        "Sorry.  It's just that, I need help from someone on this..."
        "I'm really not one to be giving advice on the subject, but it seems to me all you can do is try."
        "You've got a point there."  Locke walked out with a determined look on his face.

        Celes accepted Locke's proposal and wedding plans were made.  By a stroke of luck, Setzer was around and I was sent with him to get the rest of the old group together.
        Our first stop was a cave on a huge plain called the Veldt.  As we walked in, a kid jumped down from a ledge with a yell of "GAAAU!"  When the kid landed I got a good look at him.  He was dressed in animal skins and appeared to be in his late teens.  He sniffed at me.
        "Gau!" exclaimed Setzer, "How have you been?"
        Gau pointed at me.  "Him smell funny," was his reply.
        Setzer laughed.  "Gau, meet Shadow, Shadow, this is Gau, a kid raised by monsters, literally."
        "Him not Shadow, Shadow left on bad Kefka tower when go BOOM!"
        "I'm a different Shadow," I responded, "C'mon and get on the Falcon Gau, we're going to Figaro Castle."
        "Gau!  Let me get all shiny things first!"  Gau started running around the cave, picking up coins and bottles.  We all got on the airship.
        Our next stop was a small village known as Thamasa.  As we walked into the town, a girl ran toward us.
        "Relm!" called Setzer and Gau simultaneously.
        "Hi guys!" Relm called and waved at us.  She got to us and stopped running, a bit out of breath.
        "Where's Strago?" asked Setzer.
        A wave of sadness passed over Relm's face.  "Strago died in his sleep last year."
        "Oh, that's terrible!"
        "He's buried a little further into the woods than General Leo."  We went to see the grave.
        Setzer looked at the grave and then turned to me.  "Shadow, this guy was the best mage any of us had ever met.  Well, the best human mage anyway."
        Relm spun and looked at me.  "Shadow!?!?"
        "Not the Shadow you're thinking of, Relm," said Setzer,  "Some scientist found out how to make copies of people, this is one of them." We left Thamasa then.
        The final stop was a town in the far north, Narshe.  Actually, we were headed for some caves under the town.  There we found Mog, a strange creature known as a moogle.
        "Kupopo!" he greeted us, "What's going on?"
        Setzer shook hands with the small creature.  "Locke and Celes are getting married and we're getting the old group together."
        "Really?  It's about time!  Let's get on that airship!"  We returned to
Figaro Castle then.
        The wedding was an elaborate ceremony.  It was also very slow and dull.  I was lucky that I sat next to Relm and Gau, because they'd wake me up when I fell asleep, usually with some form of yelling.  When it was all over, there was a small party and everyone reminisced about old times.  Everyone except
me, of course.  I didn't have any old times.  So I played fetch with Interceptor.  One time, Interceptor didn't come back, so I walked in the direction I had thrown the stick.
        I found a man standing over Interceptor in this strange brown body armor.
He was holding a bloodied sword.  He turned to me and screamed, "Death to the destroyers of Kefka!".  The guy moved faster than I thought he could and had run me through before I could do anything.  As everything went black, I heard Sabin yelling and the sound that I had always heard as Sabin set
up for a Blitz.

        When I woke up, I was still in the same spot.  I felt different, stronger somehow.  I looked around and saw a casket being taken into the castle chapel.  I had this strange tingling sensation and looked down.  My old ninja gear was melting into one of the current fashions among castle
men and my skin was becoming several shades lighter.  I imagine that if I could
have seen my face, it too would have been changing, because when I walkedinto
the chapel, no one recognized me.
        It's a sad thing to watch your own funeral, to see all of your friends saddened by loss.  But I couldn't tell them who I was, it would be too complicated to explain.  I knew what I was then.  I am a planeswalker. Meant to travel the 'round-the-corner worlds that exist just beyond sight.  I walked out to an empty area of a courtyard, closed my eyes in concentration, and disappeared, off for whatever adventures awaited me.