FFRK-KRFF
AN: This story was written before the 9/12/15 update that increased Celes' White magic from 2 stars to 3 stars. Atmo is my name for my Tyro (Friend ID 9RRR). And yea, this is based off of how I keep myself from being bored while I grind dungeons in the game. Oh, Balthier, how I love you. Next chapter man, promise.
FFRK-KRFF
Celes knew she shouldn't feel this way towards Squall. She loved Locke and he loved her. Or really, the thought came to her, should it not be, the originals had loved each other? She was just a copy. All of them were just paintings given life because Dr. Mog, Cid and Atmo couldn't restore the memories all on their own.
"Is there something wrong, Celes? Anything I can help with?" White Mage walked up beside her. The former general shook her head no. White smiled before linking arms with Celes and dragging the other woman down the hall. "Tonight's a lovely night. Atmo's decided to do some planning before taking XIII's Anima down tomorrow. We have the evening free. Black and Red said they were making a picnic dinner for us."
"If Atmo's planning a battle run, I should be there," Celes tried to free her arm but the healer refused to let go.
"No, our little leader told me to take you and make sure you eat."
"We don't need to eat…"
"Non-sense. You still need to take in energy to keep your magic working. And Atmo's not doing any planning until after dinner. You won't be late."
Celes sighed and completely missed the smile White Mage gave. The healer started a conversation about the orbs they needed to gather to make more white magic abilities.
"Hello, Celes, White. How are you two doing tonight? Do you have any plans?" Aerith broke into their conversation. "Black and Red made some picnic baskets. Do you want to join Cecil and me?"
"Of course we'll join you," White said before the former general could open her mouth. "Is the rest of your team coming too?"
"Yes," Aerith followed them back towards the kitchen. "Cecil is placing cushions by the fountain and Tifa and Irvine know to meet us there at the fifth evening bell. Where's your team, Celes."
"I don't know. White kidnapped me before I could find them."
"White," Red Mage sighed, hearing Celes as they entered the kitchen, "You know you're supposed to ask permission before you drag people somewhere."
"But I'm making her eat! Atmo's orders!" White caught Red and Aerith's eye.
"Celes," Aerith started gently.
"Terra and I are going to be the only ones who can work a healing spell. I can only use two star white abilities. I have to be able to get the most out of them or we won't make it! Dr. Mog had to pull us out two days ago when we failed. Have you been pulled out?" the blonde's body gave shiver. Aerith wrapped her in a hug, holding her tight. White Mage leaned against Celes' back and whispered,
"I do. It was just Atmo, Black and myself before we woke Cloud. It's hard."
No one noticed a shadow leaving the doorway. A few minutes passed before there was a soft knock.
"Aerith? Is everything alright?" Paladin Cecil stood in the doorway. "Celes? White? Red?"
Red Mage walked over to Cecil and handed him a basket. "Just bonding. I mean they were. I was just standing awkwardly with the food."
Cecil nodded and offered his arm to Aerith. "Shall we go? Are any of you joining us?"
"Yes," Aerith answered grabbing Celes hand.
"I'll go grab Waka and Knight and we'll join you. The fountain room, right?" Red asked.
"That leaves Cloud, Kain, Terra, Black, Atmo, and Squall. Do you know where they could be?" White turned to Cecil.
"Black took a basket to Cloud and Kain. They're bonding over their respective 'betraying' of their teams." Aerith giggled, "The silly boys haven't realized that it wasn't them."
"It's the memory of it, Aerith, which hurts them." Cecil shook her arm gently to stop her. "Memories are what drives us, guides us, and literally what makes us. Without them we are nothing. I have forgiven Kain and you Cloud; now they need time to forgive themselves, again."
Celes adjusted a pauldron. We are memories. Could I betray Locke's memories? Would it be a betrayal? "Terra and Atmo are doing research on her Trance Attack in the upstairs reference room."
"Squall often is reading all of our stories and looking over the records we've restored. We may find him in one of the record jump rooms, I saw him headed that way, or the lower reference rooms," Cecil offered.
"He shouldn't be in the jump rooms!" Celes exclaimed blue eyes wide. "Dr. Mog doesn't want anyone going in alone." She took off at a fast pace. The Magitek Elite's long stride took her through the archive's maze to the records corridor and to Squall, leaning on the "VI" door.
"Squall Leonheart! What were you doing in there alone? Orders are to stay out unless you are accompanied by a more experienced party member. You had better stop! You aren't the Commander here, able to do what you want," she released in one breath, arms tight to her side, radiating anger.
"I know."
"Then why did Cecil tell me you've been going in?"
"Just looking."
Celes gave him a serious look. "You asked me to train you in spellblades. That means I'm responsible for you. If you're lost alone in those records…I may not be able to get you back."
"…Whatever."
"There you are Squall." White had to have heard, but smiling widely, she grabbed the gunblader's arm and began to drag him down the hall. "Come on! It's dinner time. Red told me that with Black's help, they managed to get the ice orbs to grind down. Then they mixed it with something, I wasn't paying attention, so we have stuff a bit like ice cream!"
Celes' squeezed her eyes tight and focused on breathing. When Aerith touched her back, she turned to grasp the older woman. Aerith looked up to see Squall looking back at them with a face she couldn't describe before rounding the corner. Cecil nodded as he passed them. The Ancient rocked her young friend.
"I'm scared."
"Of what?"
"Of Squall."
Aerith tipped Celes' face up. "Why would you be scared of him? I thought you two were getting along fine. Did he try to hurt you?"
"No," Celes shook her head. "I'm scared because I think he's making me forget Locke. What do I do, Aerith?"
Aerith bit her lip and drew Celes close again. "Oh, oh, my pretty girl. I'm sorry. I understand. You see, those memories of the feelings I had towards Zack, I'm choosing to let them go. I can't tell you what to do. I can only tell you that you do need to do something. No dilly-dallying or shilly-shallying. You should probably talk to Waka. I know he's not letting himself forget his Lulu. Maybe talk to Terra since she's from your world too."
Celes nodded and wiped her eyes with the tissue Aerith gave her. "Ok. Thank you."
FFRK-KRFF
"Waka, can I talk with you?"
"Sure, ya. Whatcha need, Celes?"
Celes motioned for Waka to follow her away from the others. As soon as they sat, Celes stood back up and paced in front of the guardian. She took a deep breath before sitting and asking,
"What makes your Lulu so special?"
Waka's face lit up with a big grin. "She's really tough, ya. She gets mad at me sometimes, but she never leaves me. It's hard here without her. I don't know if we'll ever find a copy Dr. Mog and Atmo can bring to life, but I'll wait."
"Why wait?"
"Because I want to. No other reason than I want to keep the memories. Listen, ya. If you're worried about forgetting whoever, I mean. Ah! I can't say it good. This is what I miss about Lu. She's great at explaining things. She'd probably tell you though, that you have to make your own choice. You could be a memory or a dream or even dead, but you gotta write your own story, ya. Sorry, I'm not much help," he rubbed the back of his head. "If you do find a guy here, I'll give him the Talk if you need me to. Not saying that you couldn't beat him up, just…unn."
"Thank you, Waka."
FFRK-KRFF
"Oh! Celes! Look what we found." Terra motioned her fellow fighting magic user over to the table.
"Hello, Atmo." Celes greeted their leader.
"Hi, Celes." The diminutive scholar returned.
"In our world, my trance attack is me transforming from human to Esper for a period of time where my attack and magic ability goes way up. I get power…"
Celes listened as Terra explained that here, trance attack only increased her physical attack because of there being no Esper world for her to continually draw power from; which was also the reason it only lasted for one hit. The blonde nodded. She was lucky in that her Runic still worked the same. When the two researchers where done explaining, Atmo let her know he was putting off facing XIII's Anima for another day.
"We may run the battles up to Anima a couple times, but not it. I think we need more experience before we take it on."
"Of course, sir. I'm ready at anytime to go." Celes' saluted. Atmo wrinkled his brow thoughtfully.
"Have you been getting enough energy?"
"Yes, I have. Red and Black have been experimenting with orbs."
"Wasn't that ice cream stuff good?" Terra asked. The three of them conversed about Red and Black's successes and failures with orbs.
Atmo stood to leave. "Celes, we're going to meet to do our first run four bells after sun rise. Don't train too hard with Squall in the morning." His voice turned to a mix of curious and confused, "He also came by and said he was sorry. Do you know why? He sounded sincere."
The blonde lied and shook her head no. Atmo bid them good night and left. Terra unlocked the window of the library room, swinging the panes outward.
"You're bothered by something, Celes. What is it?"
"I…I'm forgetting Locke. Not memories of us together, but like the color of the memories of my feelings for him…It's scaring me. But since we're just paint, am I forgetting real memories? Is it okay that I am?…What do I do?"
"There's a book here that reads, 'The wandering soul know no rest.' It fits doesn't it?" The greenette stepped out of the window and motioned for Celes to come closer. "Lean out the window and listen."
Celes followed her friend's advice and even took the flower she held out. Beyond the dark cloud that had sucked up the records and the broken town the other scholars where fixing, the stars glittered sharply in the night sky. A pleasant breeze blew gently by. Then humming started. It wasn't the clearest or even in key, but Celes knew the aria she had sung during that opera.
The one-time opera singer closed her eyes and leaned further out. Locke, her beloved, like the starlight, wasn't here. She didn't have to forget him. Maybe, like Terra had done for the kids in Mobliz, she could make room in her heart. She was interested, she knew. Then she laughed at herself, it wasn't like Squall had asked her to sleep with him that night. She didn't even know if he was interested in her. She threw her flower as Terra ended the song. The two women faced each other.
"Whatever you chose, you've become my best friend and will always remain so."
"Thank you."
FFRK-KRFF