The History of a Stone
by Cryptographic DeLurk
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AN: There is some vague messing with the timeline here. The point of divergence may or may not be that Terra's original raid on Narshe did not happen. Otherwise, read & relax and beware!
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There's a fire in the Magitek Research Facility that nobody remembers starting.
Well, how could they?
It's the final usage of the Slave Crown, and General Leo thinks it's a fitting and karmatic end to the whole debacle.
When he's done, he orders Terra to remove the crown herself. She does, but she's dazed and she passes out before she can toss it into the fire, so General Leo does it for her. Smuggling her back into the Imperial Palace is the difficult part, but Shadow is quiet and tight-lipped and he's been paid more than generously for the clean-up – several years' worth of General Leo's salary, in fact.
It's strange that there is only one casualty in this whole mess, some people say.
(Nobody thinks about the Espers.)
But not that strange, other people say. Kefka was always working strange hours, in the middle of the night, when nobody else was around. Insomnia was a side effect of his psychosis.
..
General Leo writes a long and heartfelt letter to the renowned Samurai Cyan Garamonde. He writes about the atrocities committed at the Siege of Doma. He explains that most in the Empire have more care for human life than that. He apologises personally for not seeing a more peaceful resolution to their past conflict.
He writes that the madman responsible had since died in a research accident. He chooses his words very carefully, so as not to implicate himself.
It's a fortnight before he receives a response. The letter is immaculate – the crisp clean product of dozens of drafts.
It's short and impersonal, and almost scathingly polite.
..
General Leo Cristophe,
My apologies for penning such a late response, but I was caught up in responding to other missives. But I thank you very much for writing. I have lost many things, but I have not lost my respect for an honest soldier.
- Cyan Garamonde
..
Neither have I, Leo thinks. Which is why he'll have to work hard to repent for his sins, and to rebuild his opinion of himself.
..
"You don't know what we've lost!" Emperor Gestahl curses, ripping the skin off his chicken drumstick at dinner. "The Espers, the Magicite, even Kefka's research notes were lost in the fire! How are we to win, without magic on our side?!"
General Leo takes a drink from his cup.
It's only paranoia that makes it seem like Emperor Gestahl suspects him. General Leo's record and reputation are both immaculate. There's no reason for anybody to think him guilty.
When he speaks, his voice is calm.
"It is a tragedy. But, with all due respect sire, we do have magic on our side."
He motions down the table, to where Terra is sitting. She's examining the food on her plate. She looks around and picks up her utensils in imitation of those sitting around her.
When she takes a bite, her eyes widen, like she's never tasted anything so good before.
General Leo has to bite his cheek to keep from frowning. In actuality, the chicken is rather dry today.
"What, the girl?!" Emperor Gestahl waves his arms furiously. Dismissively. "What can she do on her own?!"
"On her own, not much," General Leo agrees. "But I know exactly the person to train her, if you'll allow it."
Emperor Gestahl grumbles, but Leo thinks he can hear the give in his voice.
"Magic aside," General Leo says, "I think you should have more faith in the strength and conviction of your army. We will all fight and die, in glory of the Empire."
He stands and bows deeply to his Emperor. Not a word of it is false.
..
"What is love?" Terra asks him. Her expression gives her the impression of being much younger than her eighteen years. "Will I ever be able to love someone?"
"Of course!" General Leo responds. Maybe thirteen years ago, there had been doubts in his mind that the child of an Esper could experience such a human emotion. But, since then, he has seen that, and much more, from Terra.
As a child, she had walked with him through the palace menagerie, and she had expressed sorrow for the animals' confinement. The moogles had gathered at her feet and she had laughed as they clung to her.
She has already experienced love, whether she remembers or not. He has faith that there is more in store for her.
"Have you ever… loved anyone?" Terra asks.
She's standing out over the rocks, looking at the battalion moving up the Veldt.
"Of course!" General Leo says. "I still love them. I love my soldiers, and my Emperor, and my country, and all the people in it!"
"All the people…" Terra says slowly. "Tell me… General Leo… Am I a citizen of the Gestahlian Empire?"
"Of course!" General Leo says, once more.
"Then do you love… me?" Terra asks, turning to him.
Leo smiles at her. "Absolutely! Although, maybe not in the way that some fine lord or lady might love you one day. There are many types of love, and you have many types yet to experience!"
"Will I really?" Terra says. Tears are gathering in her eyes. "That would be…"
Just wonderful.
General Leo agrees.
..
They find the Samurai in Mobliz. General Leo is happy to overlook him, but he cannot overlook the soldier he finds in the building with him.
General Leo face is sorrowful, but he refuses to cry, as his soldiers carry the bedridden man out to the centre of town for beheading.
Afterwards, Cyan Garamonde assaults him, in plain view of General Leo's entire squadron of soldiers.
Leo waves his soldiers back, as he parries Garamonde's blows himself. General Leo's swordsmanship is impeccable, and he's able to disarm Garamonde, and force him to his knees.
"What hast thou done?!" Garamonde weeps, waiting for the final blow. "Thou hast killed a good man!"
Leo sheathes his sword. "You saw his wounds. He was a moment from death's door anyhow. And even if, by some miracle, he had survived, he was a deserter. As a king's liege, you must understand. You would have, likewise, extended no mercy to a deserter of Doma."
Garamonde shakes his head, but does not deny it. "Thou should think not only of him!" he protests. "He had a woman waiting for him in Maranda. He was all she had!"
"No," Leo says. He will not believe that. "We are much more than our losses. She has much more than that, as do you. If you go to her, you will see that."
Garamonde looks miserable, but he stands and moves to walk away.
He still has his honour, Leo thinks. (Unlike Leo himself.)
"Should we take him out?" Leo's second in command asks.
"No." Leo shakes his head, and they go their separate ways.
..
"He knew about Kefka's plans in Doma!" Celes shouts. "He knew about it, and did nothing to stop it!"
Celes Chère is usually much better at managing her temper. Her time in South Figaro has emboldened her. There are rumours that certain people have been visiting her – thieves and kings alike.
"He knew about it," General Leo agrees shortly. "And he knew about the crimes committed against the Espers and their kind. And he knew about the depth of the crimes committed against you, and the others who underwent Magitek infusions."
"Then why do you continue to support him?!" Celes says. She reaches up to slap at his face, and he almost lets her.
General Leo punches his fist into the wall of the prison cell. He, also, is usually much better at managing his temper.
"Emperor Gestahl is the people working under him!" he General Leo hisses angrily. "Emperor Gestahl is myself, and Terra Branford, and your Granddad Cid, and all the people of Vector! Emperor Gestahl is only as good as his retainers! And when good people like you abandon him, we are all for the worse! When you abandon him, you abandon all of us!"
Celes wilts. She doesn't cry, but she shivers.
"Terra Branford was tortured," she says. "She was tortured and experimented on and controlled, and it could happen to any one of us…"
"No," General Leo says. "It will never happen again. Because you will be there, and you won't let it happen."
"How?!" Celes says pitifully. "His thirst for magic- And she's an Esper- And-"
"She's a human," General Leo cuts in firmly. "Terra is happy as a human, and she will stay that way. You're talented, and she's a fast learner, and the two of you will make sure the Sealed Gate remains closed."
General Leo will not hear differently, even from the Emperor.
"Somebody's been raiding classified documents." Celes laughs bitterly.
"Not I," General Leo says, as if two words can cover up his treason.
But, just as he expects, Celes Chere caves.
"King Edgar-" she says. "He altered the structure of his castle. He created a device…"
..
When Edgar Roni Figaro moves his castle across the mountains, General Leo's forces are waiting at the other side.
King Edgar is an amazing and ingenuitive leader, which is why he can't be trusted any further. His people surrender easily, once their king is captured and gone.
Still, the blueprints General Leo finds in the royal workroom will be useful. They'll surely be of interest to the Emperor – perhaps even interesting enough to distract him from the issue of magic.
..
They don't know how the brawler manages to sneak into camp. But he does anyway.
He doesn't waste his time with the underlings. He charges right into the General's tent, where Leo and Celes are congregated.
"For my brother, who died in my place!" he cries. "Blitz!" He lunges forward, fists flying at the two of them.
It's the first time Terra burns somebody of her own free will.
The flames roar. The man screams and Terra cringes and sobs, but she doesn't stop.
Afterwards, nobody is able to identify the corpse, it's been so badly disfigured by the fire.
Terra is curled into a ball in the corner of the tent. General Leo offers her a hug, and she clings to him and cries, until Celes approaches to take over for him.
"It's okay, Terra," he tells her. "It's important to know your limits. It's important to know what you're willing to die for, what you're willing to kill for, and what's not worth either."
Terra cries and cries, but she squeals out between breaths.
"I hate this!" she says. "But I'm so glad you're safe!"
General Leo oversees to the burial of the dead man's remains. He shakes his head.
He lied to Terra, earlier. He was happier before he knew just how far he was willing to go, to make things work.
What a waste, he thinks, as he lowers the charred body into the ground.
..
Emperor Gestahl picks up a lead, and so General Leo is forced off course to Thamasa.
Their visit is conducted quietly, for the most part, even though the citizens must feel the ominous presence of the Imperial Army at their heels.
At the last minute, the old man messes up.
"We don't know anything about any Esper Caves," the old man says.
Celes frowns. General Leo clacks his heels against the ground. Terra only blinks, blankly.
"Grandpa!" the little girl hisses. "They only asked about magic. They didn't say anything about any caves!"
General Leo coughs. "You don't know anything about magic," he corrects. "And you'd do well to remember that."
"Oh, of course!" the old man says, eagerly taking the cue. "Nothing about magic at all."
The little girl clicks her tongue. She turns and smiles at them, overly sweet.
"Should I paint your portrait?" she asks.
"Only if you mean to do it on proper canvas!" the old man warns.
"Er, no thank you," Terra replies softly.
The little girl scowls, but it gets left at that.
..
"Have you ever seen an opera?" Celes asks Terra, during their stay in Zozo.
(The City of Thieves is being aggressively pulled into order, under General Leo's command.)
The Opera House ends up being worth the trip – they end up preventing an abduction, and manage to detain an annoying octopus and a wanted criminal for their troubles.
"The fines for operating an illegal casino will be heavy," General Leo informs Sir Gabbiani.
Setzer sighs, but there's not much he can do, seated across from General Leo in the anteroom and surrounded by Imperial soldiers.
"Even in international airspace?!" Setzer complains.
"International airspace?" General Leo questions. He sits up straight in his seat and crosses his arms. "There is no such thing. This is the airspace of the Gestahlian Empire."
Setzer sighs, throwing a pair of dice up into the air.
"You're going to have to register your vehicle, and pay over a percentage of your winnings from now on, if you don't want me to arrest you for tax evasion," General Leo continues.
Setzer catches the dice right out of the air. He smiles wryly.
"Well, I guess that's just the way the chips have fallen."
..
The final stand is in Narshe, and nobody's backing down. Banon and the last of the Returners have gathered there, to the ill will of many of the townsfolk. By nightfall, everybody who hasn't fled has picked a side, and the town is torn apart in the struggle.
Like fate, Locke manages to catch Celes by herself in the mine tunnels.
"You betrayed us!" he cries, swinging his dagger wildly. "Edgar and I trusted you, and you betrayed us!"
Celes bites her lip. She blocks Locke's blade at every juncture.
Every day, she receives messages from Cid back in Vector, just thankful she didn't die imprisoned.
"I did," she says, biting back tears. "But you're not the side I betrayed first."
Nobody finds them, which is lucky, because nobody can hear the traitorous things Celes is saying.
No, please! Locke! Please! You don't have to do this! I'll vouch for you! I can still save you! Locke! I-
I could still love you.
"Rachel" is the name on Locke's lips, when things get desperate. He grits the word out, panting, almost in tears himself.
"Locke," Celes says sadly, "she's already dead."
Locke grits his teeth and lunges forward, dagger pointed.
"But you're not!" Celes shouts. "You're still alive, Locke! You can still-"
But Celes draws her sword up, to save herself, and those words aren't true anymore.
(Celes goes to Kohlingen afterwards and pulls the preserving herbs from Rachel's casket. Just to make sure Rachel can meet Locke on the Phantom Train.)
..
The people of Narshe are decimated but, inside the mines, there are still survivors.
Kupo! Kupo!
Mog and Molulu rally the moogles together. They dance, confusing the soldiers that come hostilely up the passages. The yeti, Umaro, is raging. He swings wildly at the soldiers, who would attack them.
"Stop! Stop!" Terra cries. She runs up between the warring parties, in a suit of Magitek Armour.
"You will not hurt them!" Terra cries. "You will leave these moogles alone, or face the wrath of my magic!"
Terra leaps out of the Magitek Armour. Flames extend dangerously from her fingertips.
"Kupo?" Mog says uncertainly.
"You will leave this place, and report back to your original stations at the Imperial Camp outside of Narshe!" Terra commands.
Umaro roars in agreement.
"Alright!" Mog shouts. "We need friends like these, kupo!"
The soldiers regard Terra fearfully. The flames are still spreading out from her in waves.
"Terra!" Celes cries, and runs forward. She's arrived at the scene along with Leo.
General Leo nods the soldiers to stand down, before turning a similar expression on Terra.
Terra responds almost too well, turning docilely into Celes's shoulder.
Kefka has taught her too well, General Leo thinks bitterly. Terra should be more sure of her convictions. She shouldn't worry so much about pleasing us.
"Er, permission to retreat, General Leo?" one of the soldiers asks.
General Leo is about to grant the request, when something goes wrong.
The ground shakes ominously, and Terra shines.
Celes pulls back, and Terra bursts into a violent shade of purple. She screeches, sounding almost inhuman, and rockets off through the passages, towards the summit.
"Follow close behind me," General Leo commands.
They all run up after her – Celes, General Leo, and all of his troops. Even the moogles and the yeti.
At the top of the mountain, they find Terra with an Esper.
"Fly away birdie!" Terra shrieks. Her voice shakes with an otherworldly timbre. She's floating, radiating pure magic.
She's pushing Valigarmanda up into the sky, and the Esper cranes its neck back to the girl who's trying so hard to save it.
"Fly away!" Terra cries. "Fly away! Back to your own world! To where nobody can hurt you!"
Valigarmanda hangs its head, and the entire sky turns dark. The only light is the radiance burning off the two magical creatures in front of them.
And then Valigarmanda raises its wings and flies away, its long tail dragging behind it.
The greatest mystery, though, is that Terra doesn't follow.
Terra lets Celes and Leo catch up to her. Together they calm her down, until she appears human again.
..
"But what about magic?!" Emperor Gestahl complains. He's poured over the mechanical blueprints salvaged from Figaro, but he still has doubts. "What about the magic of the Espers?!"
General Leo salutes.
"Perhaps it's not as powerful as we once suspected," General Leo lies. "Lady Terra, for instance, doesn't seem to be much more powerful than the average Magitek Knight."
She already knew, Celes had explained to him. She found an Esper in the tower at Zozo. She knows what it means. She knows the depth of her ability needs to be kept quiet. She knows she can't let the Emperor find the way to the other Espers.
In these mines, General Leo had commanded his troops, you have seen nothing. To report otherwise, under any circumstance, is a betrayal of the Gestahlian Empire.
General Leo's men have kept their secrets. They are loyal. They've learned from his example.
Emperor Gestahl grumbles, as he draws his marker over the blueprints. "But still…"
"If you're that interested in acquiring magic, I believe Cid still keeps some Magicite for infusions," General Leo suggests.
Not many Magitek Knights are produced nowadays. Most of the Magicite, kept in the Magitek Research Facility, was lost in (and after) the fire.
There's no way Emperor Gestahl would force himself through the horror of the Magitek infusions anyhow, though.
Emperor Gestahl scoffs, but he drops it. He doesn't reprimand General Leo for speaking out of turn.
It's hard to reprimand the man who's handed you the entire world.
..
Ah, did we forget anyone?
There's the boy on the Veldt. He's forgotten to all but the beasts living there, but he's still there.
Other than that, there are happy people, and unhappy people.
Narshe is empty. So is Doma. Elsewhere, people fear the empire, but go on living anyhow.
General Leo wonders if it's been worth it. He's lived to his principles the best he could.
I've lived to my principles as much as I could stand, he thinks.
But in the end… does it matter?
Do we get to decide our fate? Wasn't this the only way it could have happened?
..
Fin.