Enjoying your thread since I'm still in FFIV; just read a few of your other posts up there. First of all, I like Kotaku but the Crystal Palace and beyond is collectively one of the best parts of III. Couldn't put the PSP down!
Secondly, when you were talking about optional dungeons you said you were curious to see how the Sealed Cave was (a relatively quick early-game cave), were you referring actually to "???" ? The ??? cave is mostly a disappointment. While it's fun (and very productive) to be in a cave where you only encounter colored dragons, you get to a point where you can both kill them by sneezing on them, AND breeze through the final dungeon without a scratch...all before being able to last more than two turns against the Iron Giant. After that, it's just a very long grind against unfit enemies, until you can beat him. The cave itself is about one screen long.
Unless, is there another "Sealed Cave?"
Anyway, you finish The After Years? I just got through the Lodestone Cavern where you can't wear anything metallic until the Dark Elf.
And Shauna, II is actually one of my favorites so far. Gets my award for best of the NES era.