Final Fantasy 6, 8 and all related characters © Squaresoft.
Story, and Faye are © 2001 Laurie Lemaire.
Edited by Arayenya
"Brother," He whispered to the sleeping hulk, "You would never let trivial things such as state matters wear you out." Edgar shook his head, disgusted with his own inner failings and weaknesses. Here he was, one of the few people who banded against the tyrant Kefka and survived. Battles more strenuous and life-threatening than anything currently in his life never wore him out like this. "They were wrong, whoever said that 40 is when your life starts to go downhill; its 38." He shifted his weight, and leaned against the doorway frame, "I admire you, Sabin. I only wish I were as strong as you. When you left, shortly after father's death, I had thought you abandoned me. I was never so wrong in my entire life. You knew, brother. Above us all, you knew that the Empire had done something to our family, and you knew that they wouldn't stop there. You're foresight, your...premonition, rather, told you that someday I -and Figaro- would need your help and you wanted to prepare for it. You needed your freedom to be able to do so; you sacrificed so much, Sabin..."
Edgar straightened up and turned on his heels, casting a faraway glance behind his back,
"Goodnight, Sabin. Sleep well.." Edgar stayed in the doorway a moment, eyes closed in reflection. Why was he beating himself up like this? He attributed it to overtiredness and stress. Edgar was about to head back towards his room when he felt a strong grip on his shoulder. He turned to face his twin,
"Sabin. I--"
"Edgar, you worry too much. First off, I should give you a kick in the ass for talking to yourself like that, but you did a good enough job of beating yourself up on your own." Edgar just looked at his brother, staring, "And yes, before you ask, I do get worn out by attending to state matters. I'm no different than you; we're twins, remember?" He chuckled softly, "And think, Edgar. Wasn't there a time when you had to rule alone and have this burden solely on your shoulders? Now we rule jointly; the duty we now share is one you once bore alone." Edgar nodded, understanding what his brother was saying to him, "Also, I went away because of my 'premonition', but I inadvertently left you to take care of everything alone; the country, our people, the initial battle against the Empire. I wasn't even here when Kefka nearly burnt Figaro Castle down to the ground. We both have our flaws, brother, but also we each have our merits. You just have to rise above what you think you can't do, and focus on what you can." Sabin paused, letting his brother absorb what he said, "So, after that drawn-out speech, what I really meant to say is that we are both strong, and each in our own unique ways. Get to sleep, you old fart, or I'll have to do something 'bout your 'insomnia'." He again smiled at his brother. Thoughts of young Gau calling him 'Mr. Thou' entered his head.
"Oh no, don't tell me I'm turning into Cyan now," he whispered to himself. Edgar smiled back, nodding.
"Thank you Sabin, I can feel myself suddenly getting tired after having to listen to you for so long." He teased, walking away. Once he was at his own doorway, Edgar called behind his shoulder,
"Just because I was born a few minutes before you doesn't mean I'm an 'old fart', Mr. Thou!" He disappeared into his bedroom, gently closing the solid oak door. Sabin went back into his own room and closed himself in. He was content that he was able to alleviate Edgar's troubles, if only briefly. Sabin felt it was his duty to not only protect his country, but also to protect Edgar.
Edgar awoke to the clamour of heavy footsteps and not-so-hushed discussions
up and down the corridor. Sitting up in his bed, Edgar tossed aside his silk
bedsheets and planted his bare feet on the ground. After a small cursory glance
around the room, Edgar wiped the leftover sleep from his eyes; his vision
was still a little blurry as it was only moments since he had awakened. He
could feel gravity's (and a late night's) pull on his eyelids as he struggled
to keep awake. The King twisted his torso slightly so that he could peek out
the window. It was still very dark. The only light was the sparse moonlight
shining on the parapets and towers of the castle and courtyard. Edgar guessed
that he had only received three to four hours of rest. He began to wonder
what could get so many people so excited this late at night. Walking to the
door, Edgar picked up his night coat and slipped it over his body. He opened
the door and almost received a fist in the face. He jumped backwards before
he saw that it was Sabin who had nearly knocked him flat. Sabin was fully
dressed in his traditional tank top and loose pants; his personal preference.
"Sorry about that brother.
I was just about to knock on the door when you opened it." Sabin smiled apologetically.
Edgar waved him off.
"Any idea what's going on?
Hell, what time is it?!" Edgar peered out the doorway to see servants and
counselors alike hustling and bustling everywhere.
"Well, for starters, its
only been three hours since we both fell asleep, and Figaro Castle isn't near
South Figaro anymore..." Sabin shifted uneasily. Edgar snorted,
"What's wrong with that...other
than the fact that I can't recall either of us giving the order to relocate
to Kohlingen..." Edgar pursed his lips in thought.
"We aren't near Kohlingen
either...nor are we in the stratum near the Ancient Castle. I don't know where
we are." Edgar's eyes widened when he heard these syllables uttered. He was
now fully awake and alert. The gears in his genius mind were ticking.
"We need a better idea of
what's happened, and the quickest way to do that is to take the Falcon and
and get our bearings, that is if we can find Setzer. If we aren't near South
Figaro or Kohlingen, then we could have serious problems. Sabin, go and send
a messenger to look for Setzer and the Falcon; we need to get a hold of this
situation...and I need to get some clothing on..." Sabin nodded curtly and
then left. Edgar shut the door behind him.
"Shit..."
Elsewhere, soaring through the skies, was the Falcon. It cut through
the clouds with little difficulty. The greatest birds on the planet paled
in comparison to the glorious airship. The sleek design allowed for perfect
and precise handling of the massive Falcon. Every once in a while, the moon
cut through the cloud cover and shone brilliantly upon two figures on the
airships deck. Setzer Gabbiani stood proudly at the helm, guiding it in and
out of the clouds, around and in between mountain tops, and careening towards
a massive cityscape. He cursed softly and swung the Falcon sharply to the
right to avoid a looming skyscraper.
"What is this place?"
he marveled after slowing the Falcon to a stop just offset to an unbelievably
technologically advanced city. Skyscrapers, highways, and other wonders spread
further than he had ever seen any cities go. This place was something else.
It was also where Kefka's tower had previously stood, "I've passed over
this exact location many times in the past month, and I don't remember seeing
a city like this. What could possibly have created such a place over night?"
Satisfied after looking at the city, Setzer looked up and smiled when his
daughter approached him.
"Father, where are we?
What's happened to the ruins?" Her platinum-blue hair shone in the night,
as did her father's. Setzer's smile vanished and was promptly replaced by
a frown,
"I don't know, Faye,
but I intend to find out. As much as I thrive on the unknown and chance, this
just doesn't seem right. We're close to Tzen; why don't we go pay a visit
to Locke and Celes. Perhaps they can help us..." Setzer trailed off,
leaving a lingering thought unspoken. Unfortunately, Faye picked it up.
"If they're still alive,
you mean..." She walked to the bow of the airship and gazed worriedly
at the horizon. From here, it was impossible to tell if Tzen was still there
or if it had suffered the same fate as Kefka's ruins. She prayed her father's
comrades were all right. Setzer brought the airship around and pointed it
where he hoped Tzen should still be. Logically, for all he knew, Tzen might
still be there but then again, it might not be. He shook his thoughts to clear
them. He had to be attentive and alert when he drove the airship. He would
not allow his daughter or himself to suffer the fate that had befallen Faye's
mother, Daryl. Setzer sighed; he still missed his lost love. Faye served as
a constant reminder of Daryl, and that managed to keep Setzer's spirits up.
Part of Daryl was always with him, whether in a tangible or non-tangible form.
He had only found out about Faye's existence the day he broke the news of
Daryl's crash to her family. It was then that the famous gambler had found
out that he had fathered a child with Daryl; her family had been taking care
of her all this time. Then and there he vowed to be a constant in his daughter's
life and had raised her since. He never had what he could call a home other
than his airship, so he had left Faye with Daryl's parents and he stayed there
often to care for the child. When the Empire became a very strong military
force, Setzer left for a time to see if there was anything he could do to
ensure her safety. That's when he had 'allied' with the empire. When Kefka
had decimated the planet, and the airship had been lost, Setzer wasn't able
to get to his daughter until he acquired the Falcon and aided his comrades
in defeating Kefka. Soft words broke through his reverie,
"Father, we've arrived...Tzen
is still there..." She was smiling in relief, as was Setzer. He gracefully
brought the airship to the ground just outside of town. After securing the
airship so that no one would 'accidentally' fly off with it, Setzer and Faye
made their way into town. They were greeted kindly by all of Tzen's citizens
(those that were awake, that is), for they both were fairly well known around
the world. The 'Traveling Gamblers' is what they were affectionately called.
Father and daughter passed merchants' shops and country homes until they reached
a small little house in its own little niche in town. The town was fairly
quiet with the exception here and there. Setzer rapped a fist against the
door of the house. He kept up this motion until he could hear footsteps from
within. He felt bad about waking up his old friends at such a late hour in
the night, but Setzer felt a deep foreboding building up from within. The
door opened, and he was relieved to greet a bleary eyed and dressed-down Locke.
"Locke, I'm sorry for
waking you up so late at night." Setzer took a calming breath, "Something's
awry this eve. Would you believe it if I told you that some huge city is now
located where Kefka's ruins once stood?" Locke motioned them to come
in and closed the door behind them.
"Mm. Good to see you
too, old friend." He chuckled softly, his expression then hardened, "Are
you sure about what you saw, Setzer? Entire cities don't pop up overnight..."
Locke was obviously still waking up and just a little skeptical.
"He's quite sure, Locke."
Faye commented, "I saw it too. A huge city, way more advanced than anything
I've ever seen. It was awe-inspiring..." She was silenced by a stern
look from her father. Obviously this was a discussion for the experienced
adults. Faye sighed and let the men talk amongst themselves.
"Listen, I'm going to
go wake up Celes for a moment to let her know I'll be out for a bit. I'd like
to go see all this for myself, not that I don't believe you, but I'd like
to add my own opinion rather than speculate. Stay put." Setzer nodded
as his friend left the entryway. He glanced apologetically at Faye. She smiled
reassuringly, letting Setzer know that she understood. This was no trivial
matter. When Locke returned, he was fully dressed and had some news,
"Celes will be staying
here...she's six months pregnant right now --"
"Congratulations, Locke..erm..sorry
for interrupting.."
"Thank you...now, lets
head out, ok? I don't think it would hurt to pay a visit to our friends at
Figaro Castle in the morning. Maybe they can lend us some insight as to what's
happening. In the meantime, show me that city...I've got a bad feeling about
this all of a sudden..." With those final words, the three adventurers
departed the small town of Tzen and made their way back to the 'newborn' city.
The
next morning at Figaro Castle, Edgar stood on the highest tower surveying
the surrounding landscape. Directly in front of his castle lay a huge expanse
of water that went as far as he could see.
"Where are we?" he whispered
to the salty breeze. Of course, there was no answer. To his right, he saw
a port town bustling with activity. Edgar knew right away that their presence
here would attract some unwanted attention, but he'd be damned if he could
figure out some way to 'hide' such an immense castle. With no desert to
dig into, Figaro Castle was essentially marooned and in the open. He wasn't
particularly happy to see that there was yet another building to his left.
This one looked odd, like nothing he had ever seen before. Rotating at its
peak was an elegant disc that lit up when it spun. Amazingly enough, the
disc wasn't attached to the building yet it seemed like an integral component.
The actual structure seemed to have been taken from a potter's wheel, sculpted
by a master. Edgar walked to the adjacent side of the parapet and tried
to get a better look. It had vibrant shades of blue painted exquisitely
on its surface, accompanied by the occasional yellow and red. The base was
more squarish, and had an entranceway in the front. Men and women entered
and exited the building regularly, even this early in the morning. Edgar
sighed. He had managed to get a few extra hours of sleep but it felt as
though he had not slept at all. He was worried for his people in South Figaro.
Edgar turned from the beautiful sight and headed for the stairs.
'I wonder if Sabin's
messenger has found Setzer yet.' He thought, his steps echoing as he
walked down the passageway to the main body of his castle, 'Hopefully,
we can get together and figure out a way to put things back as they were.
Towns don't just disappear or appear overnight.' Edgar kept walking,
passing the occasional bedroom, the counsel room, throne room, and eventually
found himself at the armory. Walking in, Edgar smiled when he saw his vast
array of weaponry. His Air Anchor, Autocrossbow, Bio Blaster, Debilitator,
Noise Blaster, Flash, Drill, and Chainsaw were all still as he had left
them. He ran a hand lightly along the chainsaw's blade. Memories flooded
in of him using this particular weapon in many a battle. Now, it sat uselessly
in an armory. Edgar feared he may have to put it to use once again, and
that was a fear in which he did not dwell on for long. Then his gaze passed
over his Atma Weapon. A legendary sword which drew upon the user's strength
and did damage based on that strength. A strong person would inflict heavy
damage whereas a weaker person would inflict little to no damage. Also,
the energy blade's size was dependent upon its user. The larger the blade,
the stronger the user. Picking up the scabbard that held the sword, he placed
it around his waist and secured it. He turned to leave the armory, but as
an afterthought, he picked up a set of Sabin's Claws. The Tiger Fangs will
suite Sabin well, Edgar thought. He left the armory and went to find his
brother.
Sabin was outside the castle, surveying the entrance area. Cyan
was walking with him, offering his opinions on the situation. Just an
hour earlier, he had sent Gau to do some scouting around the area. The
twenty-four year old scout was the best they had and could get in and
out of places without being detected. Cyan thought it best that they know
their new surroundings in the likely event that they would be marooned
here longer than a day or two. Sabin agreed.
"Hm. I don't particularly
like the looks of this, my friend. Cities disappearing overnight, Castles
relocating. Its almost enough to make me think that magic has returned.
Ha!" Cyan stomped a foot on the ground as emphasis for his disdain.
"I wouldn't rule that
possibility out, Cyan. We've seen stranger things..." Sabin sighed heavily.
"Unfortunately,"
Cyan's hawkish eyes scanned the horizon for signs of either Gau, Sabin's
messenger, or the Falcon. So far, nothing. The High Knight of Figaro knew
better than to expect results so soon. Gau would produce results; he just
needed more than one hour to get them. The wind suddenly began to pick
up and increased dramatically in intensity, whipping Cyan's ponytail about
his head.
"What's this..?
A hurricane?" Cyan looked around, exasperated. 'Nothing else better
go wrong or there will be hell to pay. Machines. It has to be machines.'
Cyan's features creased in a frown when he saw the Falcon in the air above
them, "I thought so. Infernal contraption." Sabin laughed at
his companion's reaction to the sudden appearance of the massive airship.
'Typical!' Sabin
thought, smiling. From his vantage point, Sabin could see Setzer piloting
the Falcon in its final descent. He thought he could make out Locke beside
Setzer, "They made it..." Sabin sighed in relief. Perhaps Figaro
Castle was the only place affected by the odd events.
"Here's hoping we
were worrying about nothing..." Sabin commented to Cyan as they strode
to greet their old friends.
"Yes, indeed."
Cyan muttered. Sabin suspected that Cyan was doubtful as to the validity
of his statement. He would be lying if he said he didn't agree. Locke
was the first to come out of the airship, and was soon followed by Setzer.
Faye was not far behind; she looked as though she had just waken up.
"Sabin! Cyan! Its
good to see that you guys are safe and sound..!" Setzer shook hands
with them, relief evident in his features.
"Our messenger reached
you then?" Sabin inquired, glancing at the airship for a sign of
the chocobo-rider.
"You sent a messanger..strange,
Setzer didn't mention anything to me about that.." Locke mused, his
hand idly brushing against his chin.
"That's because a
messenger never reached us; we came here on our own to give you some distressing
news. Kefka's tower has been replaced with a vast and technologically
advanced city. As odd as that sounds, cities don't magically pop up overnight.
And.." Setzer jerked a thumb towards the port city, "...I can
see you have some concerns of your own. I assume that's why you sent a
messenger to come look for us, right?"
"Yeah, that's why
we sent him. I bet he's looking everywhere for you right now. Haha, poor
guy." Sabin shook his head. While the men talked, Faye stood there
patiently listening to what they were saying. She knew better than to
interrupt; they were old veterans in dealing with strange things..or at
least that's what her father led her to believe. She knew parents tended
to embellish a little when telling their offspring stories of their adventures,
but Faye believed Setzer. She was content in knowing her close friends
were all right. Out of all the members of her father's old group, Sabin
and Edgar were her two closest friends. Despite their large age difference,
Faye found enough common ground on which to base a very strong friendship
with the twin brothers. Both shared a sense of honor and respect that
intrigued Faye.
"Are you coming in
, Faye?" Sabin was the only one left outside, "Everyone's already
inside. You seemed deep in thought and I didn't want to interrupt you.
Care to join me?" He held out a hand and guided her inside.
"I'm glad you're
all right, Sabin..." She said quietly, smiling.
"You too, Faye."
As an afterthought, Sabin added, "You're welcome to stay as long
as you like..."
"Depending on what
father decides, I might just take you up on your offer. You know how he
doesn't like to take me along on anything particularly dangerous."
She laughed softly, "Besides, I enjoy staying at Figaro Castle. Its
my home away from home, you could say." Sabin guided her through
the Castle doors and shut them before they continued towards the conference
room. Unknown to either of them, they had had an audience since the Falcon
arrived. An audience that was very interested in the reason why Figaro
castle had landed where it did. Satisfied that the visitors were non-hostile,
they retreated to make preparations for an official meeting.
Half an hour later Edgar, Sabin, Cyan, Setzer, Locke, and Faye
were seated in the counsel room. All of them had serious expressions lined
on their faces. Seated at the head of the rectangular table were Sabin
and Edgar, being the Kings of Figaro. To Sabin's left sat Faye and Setzer,
and to Edgar's right sat Cyan and Locke. Edgar was the first to speak,
"I'm relieved to
see that you all are safe and sound. While there is no evidence suggesting
that any of you were in danger, the fact alone that Figaro Castle was
seemingly relocated without any difficulty was enough to worry Sabin and
myself." Edgar paused, making eye contact with all present before
continuing, "I'm hoping we can all work together to restore things
to the way they were, but we must first assess the gravity of the situation.
I propose that we take a small search party with the Falcon and make a
quick tour of the known villages and towns and see what's there and what
isn't. Of course, Setzer will pilot the airship as it is his. The question
remains as to who will accompany him."
"I'll stay here
and take charge of Figaro defenses." Cyan replied, stern as ever,
"Besides, I hate flying in that damned contraption. Machines, pffh."
"I'll go with Setzer...who
knows when my 'treasure hunting' abilities will come in handy..."
Locke offered, a smirk on his face.
"You mean stealing..?"
Edgar asked, a smile crinkling his eyes.
"No, 'Treasure Hunting'"
Locke said seriously, clasping his hands together with his elbows on the
table. Despite his outer demeanor, everyone present knew that inside Locke
was smiling almost as widely as Edgar was right about now.
"I'll go with them
too...they'll need some strong physical backup and besides, I need to
get out and do something..." Sabin looked at his brother and then
continued, "Faye, what do you plan on doing...I assume you'll be
accompanying myself, Locke and your father on the Falcon..."
"Actually,"
Setzer interjected, "I'd rather that she stay here. Not to be an
overbearing parent, but we don't know what's out there right now, and
if something ever happened to her, well...I may be a risk-taker, but that's
one risk I'm not prepared to make." Faye slouched back in her seat,
exasperated. She had been expecting her father to say it, but that didn't
mean she wasn't hopeful to go on an adventure. Sabin looked apologetically
at her. She shrugged back as if saying 'Don't worry about it...'
"That works
out perfectly then. I'll also remain to watch over the castle and to see
to it that things don't go more awry than they already have. What time
do you plan on leaving, Setzer?" Edgar leaned back in his chair,
feeling more relaxed than he had been all day.
"We'll be leaving
in a couple hour's time. I think that will give the three of us enough
time to get prepared, have dinner, and depart. I'd rather not waste too
much time if it's at all possible..." Running a hand through his
hair, Setzer continued, "As for where we'll check, I suggest Narshe,
Nikeah, Zozo, Jidoor, Maranda, Albrook, Thamasa, and Mobliz. We already
know that South Figaro is missing, but there is still a chance of Kohlingen
being around. We'll check there as well. How does that sound?"
"Sounds great to
me." Sabin replied, smacking a fist into his open palm.
"Oh yes, that reminds
me. Here, Sabin." Edgar tossed something to his brother.
"My Tiger's Fangs.
Thanks." Sliding the glove over his hand, Sabin was satisfied to
find that they still fit perfectly.
"Well then, if nobody
has anything to add, I suggest the Falcon's crew go prepare for their
journey, and everyone remaining here should decide their specific duties
and carry them out. Be careful you guys, I expect you to come back alive.
Good luck." With that, Edgar rose from the table. Everyone followed
suit. Faye exited the counsel room and made her way to her bedroom, her
father accompanying her. Since she visited so often, and stayed there
for nights on end, Edgar and Sabin had opted to give Faye her own personal
room to stay in whenever she visited. She had readily agreed. Father and
offspring remained calm and quiet as they walked, not speaking until they
reached the bedroom door. Setzer broke the silence,
"I'm sorry for not
bringing you with us, Faye. I hope you aren't angry with me..."
"No father, I'm
not angry. I was..expecting it, actually. I understand your reasoning
behind it, and I'm content with staying here and helping Edgar out. This
might even give him a chance to continue teaching me some swords tactics."
She bent over and gave Setzer a hug and light daughterly peck on the cheek,
"You be careful and come back to me, all right?"
"I promise you,
Faye. I won't leave you, ever." He hugged her back, tightly, "I
better get everything ready to go..supplies and all. I'll come see you
before I leave, or at least try to. See you soon, sweetie." With
one last glance over his shoulder, Setzer disappeared down the hallway
and made his way towards Figaro Castle's exit.
"Bye father..."
Faye whispered to his departing back before heading into her room and
closing the door behind her.
An hour later, after Setzer dropped Faye off at her room, he made
his way to the storage cellar. Food and medical supplies were a must for
their trip, as well as healing items and sleeping utilities. He wanted
to make sure he was adequately prepared for any event. After he selected
the supplies he needed, a servant was asked to deliver it all to the Falcon
as soon as possible. Satisfied that everything was in order, Setzer made
his way to the dining hall. He was beginning to get hungry. When he arrived,
he saw that Sabin and Locke were also there and had plates in front of
them.
"You guys aren't done
yet, are you?" Setzer knew that his friends were efficient, but that didn't
stop him from being amazed.
"Yeah...it never takes
me long to prepare; I travel light." Sabin shoved a large plate of food
Setzer's way. The platinum-haired gambler sat down in front of his meal
and ate.
"Thanks, I've noticed.
The Falcon is being restocked with supplies as we speak. If you guys would
like, we can leave after lunch."
"Sounds all right. I've
already finished eating." Locke jerked a thumb towards Sabin, "Unlike
Sabin here who eats like a horse..." Sabin grunted in mock indignation,
"I'm a growing man who
needs his vitamins." Sabin cracked a smile as did his companions.
"I wonder what all this
means-- I mean, everything that happened last night out of the blue. Could
magic have come back after all this time? Any other explanation...escapes
me..." Locke mused, thinking out loud.
"I don't know," Setzer
continued for him, "But I'd wager that we'll find out soon enough. I'm
not particularly sure we'll like what we find..." After that rather ominous
thought, the three men finished their meal and headed towards the Falcon
with a growing sense of urgency.