Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VI will always belong to Square and the Big 3.
Destruction
It was hot.
Her whole body felt like she was on fire. She could hardly move, as if something was suppressing all of her strength. She tried to move her legs, but they weighed her down like lead.
Around her, the village of Thamasa was burning to the ground. She smelt the sick stench of burning wood, could hear the screaming of villagers around her, and could taste death in her mouth.
And all Terra could do was watch. Watch as another village burn, because of her meddling and demonic body; reduce to nothing more but ashes. It was because of her other self that created this whole thing to happen.
And they wanted her. The Empire wanted her for that. She was nothing but a Death God that reaped everything she touched or made contact to. A soldier. A tool.
Why? Why was it always her?
As she cast her eyes towards the sky, she saw her Esper-kind screech and howl in torment as their majestic bodies were forced to turn into nothing but a piece of rock. Each of her kind, one by one, screamed so loud that it resonated inside of her head. It clawed inside her brain, screaming for her to help them. She grasped her head tightly towards her chest and fought back tears. She didn't know what do. What was she supposed to do?
And then she heard a clang of metal in the distance. Terra looked up and saw General Leo standing before…the Emperor? She could hear Leo's desperation in his voice as he knelt in fron of the Emperor. But there was something odd about it, Terra noticed. There was something different about the Emperor that was in front of Leo now.
Then Terra realized it, as if she was struck by a bolt of lightning. The Emperor was a fake. The magic that weaved him was distorted and hazy. It was far from the real one. It was nothing but a translucent replica. Why didn't General Leo see it?
But Terra realized again, that the General couldn't see it. He had no magic implanted in him, and no experience with dealing magic. He was a soldier that relied on strength and strength alone. However, putting him up against a mage, it would make him nothing but a feeble child.
Terra had to warn him. Had to warn Leo that the Emperor was a fake and don't go near it! She opened up her mouth to try to speak, but her vocal cords weren't working. Then suddenly, Kefka appeared in front of Leo out of thin air. Terra saw his mouth moving as Leo rummaged for his weapon. But Kefka gave him a sickly grin and with one smooth motion he slashed Leo across his body. Leo's eyes widened with surprise as blood gushed out of his body.
Terra stifled a scream as she saw General Leo's body crumple to the ground. Blood slowly oozed out of Leo, making him sink in a sea of crimson. And at that moment she felt Locke's arm, from behind her, go around her and draw her to his chest, covering her.
"By the gods, don't look Terra. Don't look, don't look," he whispered repeatedly into her ear.
But she could hear it. Even through her closed eyes, all of her other senses heightened the surroundings. Whether it was because of the Esper blood in her veins, or something else, she didn't know. But she heard it all.
She heard Kefka's maniac laugh echo as the sound of steel continued to hit flesh again and again.
"Hurt…!" she could hear him say as she heard another drive of the knife. "Hurt!" he repeated, paired with another sickening sound. "HURT!" and there was a final drive of the knife and a twist, which made Terra, hear a faint grunt from the fallen General.
She could hear nothing more but the constant sound of Kefka's laughter filling the air. She felt Locke draw her closer to him and tried to cover her ears. But she knew it was meaningless as she clutched him. That laugh was attached to her. It was etched within her. It haunted her dreams, and for now…it haunted her reality.
