Of Espers and Airships

by Shadow's Interceptor

Terra lost more than magic the day Kefka fell. Though she lives a happy life in Mobliz, she longs for a freedom once taken for granted: a longing that one of her companions knows all too well. They sky is the limit, the old saying says. But as Setzer and Terra both know . . . that's no limit at all.

This whole idea came from a single thought I had one day, "I wonder if Terra will miss being able to fly after magic is gone?"

This story is canon with Of Sketchpads and Shadows, but can be read on its own.

I do not own Final Fantasy VI and never will.

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This was not the first time Terra found herself staring at the sky. Sometimes it was only for a few moments between her many duties as "Mama" to the children of Mobliz, others she was able to gaze into the limitless expanse long enough to track the movement of clouds or the sun as it slipped by the horizon. But no matter the length of the gaze the remembrance of when she soared through that limitless frontier with utter freedom was as powerful as ever. Even now as she watched a bank of clouds track west Terra could imagine following in their wake, the wind that they created in their movement caressing her body and tangling her hair. A gentle tweak in the angle of her body would send her flashing through the damp vapor of the clouds and when she emerged from the other side she would be soaked to the skin. Another adjustment and she would race the wind higher till the whole world appeared to stretch below her. Then she would spin to shed the cloud dampness in a spray of fine droplets that caught the light as they fell, turning to an aura of colors that was as beautiful as it was fleeting.

"Hey."

Terra looked over her shoulder at the approaching gambler. She supposed Setzer still gambled, despite the fact that his cargo business was, by his own admission, the most profitable venture he'd been involved in yet. But people didn't often pay for legitimate business transactions in antique watches or formerly enchanted artifacts, both types of baubles that Terra noticed secreted around the Falcon and the tiny room Setzer stayed in sometimes when he decided to sleep in Mobliz rather than his quarters on the airship. He strode up the small hill to halt beside her at its crest. A light wind tugged at the edges of his long coat and pulled a few strands of his long silver hair from under the coat's collar where it was tucked to whip at the mercy of the breeze.

"See any blue?" he drawled, tilting his head up to look at the dusky red sky with her.

She shook her head. "Not yet." It was a disappointment to all that nearly a year after defeating Kefka the sky was still red. The tone of the red had certainly changed from dark blood to a lighter rust color, so Terra still held onto the hope that it would return entirely to normal within her lifetime. They stayed on the hilltop looking at the sky in silence. Well, for the most part Terra looked at the sky. Every so often she snuck a glance out of the corner of her eye at the pale man standing beside her. She was amused to notice him sneaking looks at her as well.

The children called him Uncle Setzer now, just like Locke and Celes were Uncle and Auntie. Like clockwork he would go off for three weeks on his delivery route with the Falcon then return to Mobliz for a week of rest. That is, if helping with rebuilding, making repairs on the Falcon, and minding the children could be counted as rest. Celes even convinced him to help her in her crusade to educate the children: as it turned out Setzer had quite a head for numbers and a thousand tips and tricks for young minds that had difficulty grasping mathematics. He said it came from learning to count cards before his twelfth birthday. Terra very much enjoyed the weeks he returned, and not just because he provided an extra pair of hands and news of their far away friends.

"You miss it, don't you," he said without looking at her. Terra turned to him with a question in her eyes. He simply shrugged. "There's nothing quite like knowing no matter where or how far you go you'll never have to stop. You can do anything, go anywhere up there. That's true freedom."

"You can't ride the wind with your feet on the ground," Terra agreed. It was more than that, of course. She missed the esper part of her, the magic part. When Kefka died magic left the world and left holes in those whom it had resided. Till she was reunited with her children it almost felt like she was only half a person without it. The empty ache was still there, but her love for the children and her duty to them drowned it out more often than not. Now it only manifested at times like this, where she looked at the sky and wanted so very much to leap into the air and let her magic carry her anywhere she chose. Yes, Setzer, she thought, flight is true freedom and I miss it very much.

Setzer shifted his shoulders and tugged his coat tighter around him. He claimed the new garment didn't fit quite as well as his original one, but Terra thought he just liked to hear the fringe of small metal disks sewn around the coat's edges jingle when he moved. Each one was engraved on both sides to resemble a double headed coin. Locke thought it had been a clever touch and the children, once told the story, thought it exceptionally funny. The part where Setzer thought he could kidnap Auntie Celes, who once forced the silver haired man to do everyone's laundry for a week after catching him hosting a poker game with the children he was supposed to be teaching basic mathematics, was particularly amusing. Thankfully Relm had some connections in Jidoor and was able to help them get a good deal on the gift in spite of the extra flourishes. It had been almost five months since they'd presented him with the new coat and Terra could count the number of times she'd seen Setzer without it on one hand.

The coat jingled again as Setzer adjusted the collar. He turned a contemplative gaze fully onto Terra, which she met with a look of slight confusion. The gears working within the gambler's mind must have come to some conclusion because the corners of his lips turned up a small smile and he nodded, as if agreeing to some silent statement.

"Come with me," he told her.

Katerin, Duane, Locke, and Celes appeared to have things well in hand as they minded the children playing in the town square. Just yesterday they celebrated the completion of an addition to the home they all shared and decided today would be a day of rest and play. Everything would certainly be fine if she and Setzer went off for a while. She shouted down to the others that she and Setzer were going for a walk. The children wished them well, as did Locke, though he did it with a strangely cheeky grin plastered across his face. He whispered something to Celes, who in turn elbowed the treasure hunter in the ribs and told them to stay safe. While glaring at Setzer. Setzer muttered a short burst of curses into the collar of his coat before pivoting on the toes of his boots and making his way towards the edge of town with long quick strides. Terra took a moment to shake her head at her friends' actions before hurrying after him. Even after so many years people still found ways to confuse her!

When Terra caught up with Setzer the gambler slowed his rapid pace to an easy walk. They traveled in companionable silence and it was not long before Terra realized he was taking her to the docked Falcon. Taking a key from one of the many pockets sewn into the inside lining of his new coat Setzer unlocked the outer hatch and motioned for Terra to enter the ship ahead of him. She stepped into the dim interior and, like always, took a moment to marvel over the renovations that transformed what had once been her home away from home into a dedicated cargo ship. Their old personal rooms and the galley were still located near the bow, but what had once been a large sitting room and what she had thought was part of the engine room, but had in actuality been a large hidden space used for smuggling, was now one large open cargo bay. A small area at the end of the bow hallway was walled off into a much smaller sitting room and recreational area that held a card table, several chairs, and a lovely painting donated by Relm that featured all of their friends engaged in various activities on the Falcon's deck. That painting hung on one of the few walls Setzer hadn't torn down, its tight canvas hiding a hole in the wall nearly half a foot deep, the result of a dare between the ship's resident human bear and the assassin who apparently could use anything sharp as an effective projectile weapon. Had Shadow not been, well Shadow, Setzer very well may have tried to skin him alive for causing such damage to his precious ship.

"Where are we going?" Terra asked when Setzer entered the ship behind her and closed the door.

He flashed her a cocky grin. "Up on deck. Come on!" They walked one after the other up the narrow stairway and through the short hallway that led to the Falcon's upper deck. Once in the open air Setzer made a beeline for the helm and rested a hand fondly on one wooden spoke. Terra looked around curiously but detected nothing different. If Setzer didn't want to show her some change he'd made to his ship then why bring her here? Before she could ask he beckoned her over.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked.

Terra's eyes widened slightly. "What?"

Setzer chuckled, "I asked, where do you want to go? The sky's the limit, Terra, and as we both know that's no limit at all!"

What in the world was Setzer thinking?! She couldn't just go off and leave, she had responsibilities in Mobliz! "But the children-," she began.

"We don't have to go far," he reassured, "In fact, it's probably better if we don't; since I'm going to have you fly us there."

The words took a moment to sink in, but when they did Terra was sure her eyes nearly popped out of her head from the shock of them! Setzer never let anyone pilot the Falcon but himself and Gogo, once the mime demonstrated their proficiency in mimicking the pilot's every move. She could see the amusement dancing across Setzer's pale face as he regarded her bulging eyes and openmouthed look of astonishment. He allowed himself a short burst of laughter, but sobered quickly and turned away to look out at the endless expanse of sky.

"I know it's not the same," he said softly, "But it's still freedom."

A swell of longing bloomed in Terra's chest that she had to try hard to keep from overflowing as a flood of tears. Freedom. She would never again dance in the skies with naught between her and the world. But in an airship . . . she turned her face towards the open sky and shivered when a gentle breeze caressed her cheeks . . . she could still race the wind and soar among the clouds. The world would once again be open: no barriers, no limits. Freedom.

"There," she pointed towards a bank of clouds to the southwest, the same ones she had been watching earlier, "I want to go there."

Setzer's thin lips curled up in a knowing smile. He drew her closer to the control panel by the helm and began explaining just how to coax the Falcon into the air.

0 00

This time it was Locke who caught her staring at the sky. Yesterday it had been Katerin, the day before Celes, the day before that some of the children, and day before that . . . Terra couldn't help it. Ever since Setzer first taught her to pilot the Falcon those ten months past they had taken the ship out almost every day he'd been in Mobliz. It had been rough those first few times while Terra tried to get used to the controls without sending them plummeting into the ocean. But once the layout of the control panel and purpose of every switch, lever, and dial on it was burned into her memory and her hand could navigate its confusing contents with only a little help from her eyes things went much more smoothly. It helped when Setzer took her into the engine room and explained in great detail precisely how every part of the ship worked and which controls moved what and why and how. She even learned the basics of ship's mechanical upkeep, something Setzer insisted anyone who worked with machinery of any kind ought to know. The first time Setzer trusted her to take the Falcon up by herself while he stood wringing his hands on the tallest hill of Mobliz's outskirts was a day Terra would remember forever, and not just because the gambler berated her afterwards for nearly giving him a heart attack when she skimmed the airship over the surface of the ocean close enough for the sea spray to blanket the deck in a salty mist.

Locke joined her in staring at the sky for a minute, but his attention was quickly drawn elsewhere. The sky did not call to him like it did her. That was not his freedom.

"He's just a bit late," Locke said as he patted her on the shoulder, "Okay, he's a lot late. But I'm sure he and that big metal bird of his will be here any day."

Terra smiled at the treasure hunter gratefully but said nothing. Nearly five weeks ago they received a pigeon bearing a message in Setzer's surprisingly elegant hand. Something had come up and he would not be able to return to Mobliz that month. Three weeks after that they all expected him home. But the thrumming of the Falcon's engines never echoed over the horizon to signal the great airship's approach. The logical part of Terra's mind told her that if something had happened they would have letters from Setzer's customers asking why service wasn't running as scheduled, never mind frantic notes from their friends fretting over the absence of the gambler's regular visits. But that didn't stop the worry from gnawing at the edges of her consciousness day and night.

A small voice cut through Terra's thoughts and drew eyes away from the sky. "Mama, can you help me with this?"

"I'm coming Lily," she called back. To Locke she said, "You better get those tools to Duane, he's got his heart set on finishing the roof to his and Katerin's house by the end of the week." Locke nodded and went on his way. Terra stole one last look at the reddish sky above before making her way over to where the brown haired Lily was trying to haul a sloshing bucket of water to the vegetable garden located in the center of town. While everyone helped in the garden, it had become Lily and Katerin's personal project. The little girl was fascinated by growing things and seemed to know instinctively when different plants needed a little more care than others. Between the two of them they were able to lug the heavy bucket to the line of sprouts that would, with any luck, soon become a bushy line of bean plants and tip the life giving water into the dirt at the bases of the stems.

"Next time use two buckets and fill each one half way," Terra advised. Lily nodded somberly.

"Okay, I'll ask Auntie Celes to help me fix the other one tonight. It leaks." There was certainly something to be said for having Cid, the Empire's chief engineer, as one's adoptive father: Celes knew how to fix just about anything. Terra thought that she might even be able to give Setzer a hand with repairs on the Falcon, if he would let her.

As if Lily read her mind the little girl asked suddenly, "When is Uncle Setzer coming home?"

"I don't know," Terra said with a sigh, "I hope it's soon."

0 00

Judging by the color of the weak light filtering through her window it was just before dawn when a knocking on her door woke Terra from a restless sleep. At first she thought she'd imagined the noise. But when it came again, three neat knocks evenly spaced apart, her eyes shot open and she pushed herself into a sitting position to better stare at the door. Any of the children wouldn't bother knocking and if something were wrong she was sure that any attempts to wake her would not be nearly so polite. That is, if attempting to wake someone at this hour of the morning could be considered polite at all.

She levered herself out of bed with a quiet groan and strode to the door, pulling it open just as the knocker was beginning another three tap sequence. Words of irritation and question stuck in Terra's throat as soon as her sluggish mind recognized the person standing in front of her. Without thinking she threw her arms around the silver haired gambler's narrow shoulders and hugged him tightly, before pushing back and taking a better look at her wayward friend. Setzer's long hair was tangled and looked as though he hadn't brushed or washed it in days. His eyes were more bloodshot than Terra had ever seen and the shadows underneath them were so dark they could have been painted on: had he not slept in days either? Not to mention his rumpled clothing and conspicuous lack of coat . . . Setzer looked terrible!

"Where have you been?" Terra whispered, not wanting to wake the children sleeping in rooms on either side of the hallway. "Are you alright? What took you so long? Did something happen?"

Setzer opened his mouth as if to answer, but his first word turned into a huge yawn instead. He blinked sluggishly, then vigorously rubbed his eyes with one hand. "Too tired," he finally managed to get out, "Tell you later."

"Then why aren't you in bed?" Terra admonished. "For that matter, why are you here at all? You didn't fly the Falcon like this, did you?!"

Despite another jaw popping large yawn forcing its way from his mouth Setzer managed a little of his trademark cocky grin. "This is an instance of do as I say, not as I do. As it turns out, I can pilot the Falcon in my sleep . . . doze . . . trance . . . something."

Terra's heart nearly skipped at beat at the thought of Sezter piloting the huge airship while mostly unconscious. Sure, she had seen him literally fly the ship blindfolded on a dare, but muscle memory would not serve if the ship was caught in a strong crosswind or blown off course or any number of variables that could and did happen in the sky!

"Bed," she told him firmly, and grasped his upper arm to guide him towards his room on the opposite side of the house. It would be a little dusty, but quite frankly after this stunt he deserved to wake up sneezing!

He shook his head and resisted her tugs on his arm. "Not yet."

"Not yet!" she snapped a touch louder than she probably should have. When no children stirred at the noise she continued in a lower volume. "You look dead on your feet, whatever it is-"

"I want to show you something," he interrupted, "It'll be quick, I promise. Then I fully intend on sleeping for-" He yawned again and Terra swore she could hear his jaw cracking it opened so wide. "Please, Terra . . . I want you to see this first."

Despite her frustration Terra was intrigued. What could he have to show her that he wanted no one else to see? Grudgingly she let go of his arm. "Okay . . . but then straight to bed!"

He answered with a tired salute before leading the way out of the house. Once outside he picked up his wrinkled and dirt stained coat from the sawhorse on which it rested and threw the garment around his shoulders, making the metal disks jingle softly as he did so.

"Didn't want to wake the kids," he muttered. The cool autumn air seemed to revitalize Sezter, at least a little, and Terra noticed an excited spring in his step as he walked. Every now and then he would turn to look at her and she couldn't help smiling at his practically sparkling eyes, even if they were nearly as red as the new dawn light creeping past the horizon. As she expected he led her towards the Falcon, docked, as always, just beyond Mobliz's outskirts. Setzer was practically skipping with anticipation now! Rather than take her inside the airship Setzer took her hand and guided her around the bow to the ship's starboard side.

Terra gasped. Hidden by the larger ship's bulk was a second airship, like the Falcon but half her size with sleek lines and a body shaped more like a seafaring vessel than the great ship beside her. Unprompted Terra approached the new ship to examine her construction more closely.

"Stupid Figaro engineers couldn't follow my design," Setzer said as he came to her side, "Kept wanting to do experiments and make changes. I ended up doing most of the construction myself whenever I happened to be in the area, though I did get the twins to help me out some near the end."

"She's beautiful," Terra whispered.

Setzer practically glowed with pride. "I hoped you'd say that. Finished her three days ago and came straight here." The ship for the moment forgotten, Terra turned a sharp gaze towards the gambler, who appeared to be swaying slightly as he stood. The trip from Mobliz to Figaro Castle should take at least six days, unless it was flown without stopping. No wonder Setzer looked half dead, he'd been flying the Falcon while towing another airship for three straight days! The gambler noted her accusing glare and responded with a shrug and a sheepish grin. For a moment Terra considered giving him a talking to right then and there, like she did to any of the children who misbehaved, but ultimately decided against it. Maybe later she would bring up how worried everyone had been during his absence, how much they missed him and wanted him home, and now that he was home how finding out that he'd taken such an unnecessary risk made her want to beat some sense into him with the flat of the Ragnarok!

"She's called the Esper," Sezter said, oblivious to his companion's tangled train of thought.

"It's a lovely name," Terra answered earnestly.

"She's yours."

Those two words stopped Terra dead in her tracks. She couldn't have heard right. Setzer was very proud of his status as the only person in the world to own an airship and desperately wanted to cling to that title for as long as possible, till Edgar and his engineers inevitably got their own prototypes off the ground. But how could she have misheard or misunderstood! Setzer was standing right next to her, with his proud laughing eyes and long coat jingling in the wind, and despite lack of sleep was not yet slurring his words. As for misunderstand, how many ways could one mistake the meaning of two simple words?

Setzer laughed as he took in her flabbergasted look of surprise and responded to her unasked question with a wide smile. "I said she's yours. So you can fly even when I'm not around."

"Are you sure?" Terra whispered, still not quite believing. Setzer put an arm around her shoulders. Such a bold gesture was uncharacteristic of him, particularly when there was a chance Celes could look out a window and see, but exhaustion must have dimmed his sense of caution.

"I was sure eight months ago when I drew up the plans for her."

Tears started to stream down Terra's face when the full meaning of his words sunk in. "Thank you," she whispered, "Thank you so much . . . this means . . ." She didn't have the words for how much it meant to her. But somehow Setzer seemed to know anyway. Of course he did, Terra realized. The same longing beat through his heart as strongly as it did hers. The sky was theirs together and thus he knew all she wanted to say, though she could not find the words. Perhaps there were none.

0 00

The Esper's engines whirred gleefully as she burst through a bank of clouds over ruins of the cultist's abandoned tower. A much louder roar followed in her wake as the Falcon exploded through the same clouds an instant later. With a deft twist of the helm and tug on a lever Terra directed her airship to climb up, higher than the clouds, higher than the birds. She shook her hair, sopping wet from the cloud vapor, out of her face and laughed. Behind her still she could hear the Falcon's great engines howling under the strain of keeping up with the smaller, fleeter Esper. But Setzer didn't let up, as she knew he wouldn't, and chased her all through the sky.

The tone of the following engines changed from a howl to a scream and, to Terra's surprise, the enormous bulk of the Falcon suddenly shot past on the port side. Now the larger ship led in their dance through the clouds, riding the winds as lightly as any natural born creature of the skies. Giving the engines a burst of power Terra was easily able to come up alongside.

Unable to speak for the roar of the engines, Setzer and Terra waved at each other. The gambler's eyes were bright as gold coins and his cheeks held a rare flush of color. As she watched he threw back his head and, though she couldn't hear over the engines, Terra knew he was shouting his exhilaration to the entire world. A moment later Terra did the same.

Side by side the Falcon and the Esper flew through another bank of clouds. When they burst from the other side covered in moisture their pilots deliberately guided them up where only the sun shone. Together they raced the wind, higher and higher till the whole world was stretched before them. As the two ships swung sharply towards home they shed the cloud dampness in a spray of fine droplets that caught the light as they fell, turning to an aura of colors that was as beautiful as it was fleeting.

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Long story short, one simple question and some contemplation later . . . now I support Setzer and Terra as a couple. Or just really good friends.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!