Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own Final Fantasy VI, or the Falcon, or the World of Balance or Ruin. But with the help of my treasure hunting friend Locke, I'm going to "treasure hunt" it from under Square's noses, MWAHAHA!

Author's Notes: This is a fic I've been trying to formulate in my head for a long time, so I hope it's as good as I think it is. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for LockeXCeles, but Setzer is also a nice catch for Celes too. And in my opinion, he's soooo much hotter than Locke!

OK people, please don't flame me if this doesn't sound good, I didn't even know where to start with this, so here goes nothing! I'll be following the game's story and events, but all of the dialogue is original. I'm also altering certain events to my liking, to make the pairing actually make sense. For example: Celes is going to find the bandanna before she jumps off the cliff, and the dove is merely symbolism. Please R&R so I can know if this story is good or not. I'm starting it at the beginning of the World of Ruin, so enjoy!

She stood alone. A top a high cliff, she overlooked the desolate wasteland. Dying earth crumbled under her feet. She stared out blankly at the endless expansion of the abyss that was now her world.

"There's nothing left for me here." She said flatly. The cool breeze of the wind lifted her pale blond hair, making it blow in the desolate wasteland around her. She swore she could hear the shrieks and cries of the earth as the wind died down. She stared out at the blackened ocean beneath the summit of the cliff on which she stood.

"Everyone's dead…" she said aloud to herself. "Even Locke…who swore he would protect me, he's dead. I have nothing to live for anymore." She stared down at the bandanna in her thin pale hands. It was stained and soiled, you couldn't even tell what color it was anymore. Blood stained the creases of the cloth, which sent the woman even more into despair.

"And Cid…" she closed her eyes suppressing tears. "Cid died, living out his final days on this damned island, I should never have survived in this pathetic world." She edged her footing nearer and nearer to the ledge of the cliff, not opening her eyes for fear that she might lose her whit.

"Goodbye L…" her last word caught in her throat as she plummeted into the dark, polluted sea.

"Mmm…"

"Coo, coo."

"…Mmm…oh…"

"Coo, coo."

The woman opened her eyes. A look of shock crossed her face as she felt cool sand beneath her torso. Her sapphire blue eyes slowly focused on a small, white dove that was as pure as snow. She gasped as she sat up.

"How…how can I still be alive…?" she asked herself astonished. "That fall…it should've killed me, damn it I can't even kill myself successfully."

"Coo, coo."

"Shut up." The woman said flatly. She thrust her balled fist at the dove. It cooed cheerfully as it gracefully dodged the woman's punch. The woman scowled as it saw the dove fly away into the distance.

"Go ahead, fly away." She said bitterly, jealousy painting her voice. "Fly away from this God forsaken island and leave me here to die."

With that, the woman walked into a dilapidated shed at the tip of the island. She glanced over at a man's corpse with disgust, almost envying his lifeless demeanor. She sat at a table, noticing a letter beside her delicate hand. She picked it up and read it

Dear Celes,

If you're reading this letter, I'm dead. I'm praying that what I've left you will help you find your way back into this heartless world, and it's all that I can give. I've made a raft and hid it in the basement of this "home" in hopes that you can use it to escape from this island. If your friends are still alive, they're looking for you, and I wish to help them as best I can. I hope the wounds in your heart that the Empire have torn can be healed someday, hopefully this will be a good start to the life you've always deserved to live.

Love Granddad.

The woman practically threw the letter back on the table and flew down the hidden passageway the letter spoke of. She saw the make-shift raft and sprinted over to it, feeling it in hopes that this was not a dream. After briefly examining it, she slowly pulled it up the stairway and to the sandy beach.

"It's now or never." She said to the roaring winds before her. She pushed the raft into the black water and felt it being picked up by the rapids.

"I'll find everyone, or die trying."

With that, Celes Chere rode the treacherous waves to the mainland. Not sure of what awaited her, but knowing it would be far better than the fate that would commence if she stayed on the solitary island.