for wingsyouburn for a tumblr writing meme prompt: exchanging letters

The days of excitement and adventure were but a distant memory. With balance restored, the Empire lied forever in rubble and the Returners disbanded. Everyone left to pursue homes once forgotten or even lost. Cyan returned to Doma to cleanse the poison which destroyed the people. Strago and Relm dusted away the ashes littering Thamasa. Even Mog and Umaro trekked back up to the northern mountains nestled in Narshe in hopes the miners didn't claim the icy cliff for new excavation sites.

Celes followed them or at least those who welcomed her. She offered a helping hand, for it was all she had ever known. And when her former comrades settled into their reestablished homes, she departed with the eternal reminder that she herself had no home to claim as hers. Vector was as much in ruins as Kefka's Tower was. No one needed an Imperial General anymore. Thus she kept moving, afraid that if she stayed in one place for too long, she would crumble to ash and be as forgotten as the Empire that once forged and tempered her.

But Celes wasn't the only one stricken with wanderlust.

In the moments where she paused to regain her breath and composure, Celes brought her attention to the skies. He was never there. Why would he be? He had his own business ventures to see to, none of which she could assist in. They were destined to lead different lives since the beginning; Celes couldn't clip Setzer's wings and he refused to cage a songbird.

Though Setzer didn't vanish outright; he still visited Celes in the form of eloquent letters. He wrote of his life, detailing the events since his previous letter. Some of the outlandish stories brought a quirk to her lips, especially when they involved a gamble gone wrong. She anticipated each letter and did her best to imagine him sitting right next to her, reciting the words himself.

Celes was in Figaro, assisting Edgar with reforming his military when a messenger pigeon arrived with a letter for her. She had to smack the king upside the head with the rolled-up scroll multiple times until he allowed her the solitude she craved.

Incense marked the parchment, lined with black calligraphy. The swirls of each letter mesmerized Celes, though it was the meaning of those words which left her breathless.

Ma cherie,

It's times like these that I find myself missing you more than I should. Perhaps even more so if I were to tell you what sparked you into my thoughts this time. Do you recall the opera house? They've made renovations, seeing a blasted dragon decided to make the place its nest for some time, but I had the chance to attend a performance there this evening. Far better than I remembered it. The decorations were impeccable and the acoustics were divine.

I only wished you were there with me.

I know you don't share the same interest in theatrics as I do, but it would bring me utmost joy to have you beside me and watch a performance. But I'm also aware that you are a busy woman these days and I am no different. Still, one can dream, no?

I'll do my best not to be selfish. Merely wished to inform a beautiful lady that she was missed and thought of daily.

Tu me manques,

Your wandering gambler

P.S. with the opera house operational again, don't you think I've forgotten our little promise. You still owe be an encore performance, after all.

Celes smiled as she reread the letter for a second, third, and fourth time. She could hear Setzer speaking every word in his jaded accent, accompanied by the quirk of his lips on and off.

She wanted to see it again.

Thus she tucked the letter away and sought for her own parchment and quill to scribe with.

Dearest Setzer,

Of course, I haven't forgotten our promise, though I'm afraid you'll have to kidnap me again.