Chapter 3: On the Road to Narshe

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VI.

A/N: Yay, more reviews! And yes, I am happy because Final Fantasy VI is shared with all those other fandoms…ahem…so the reviews are much appreciated. And happy New Year to all!

"You're not a traitor. You're one of us now…" Terra couldn't help but play Locke's words over and over in her head. The fact that she was one of the Returners now was strange; she had been a Magitek soldier for years. She stole a glance at the treasure hunter who rode ahead, never taking his eyes off the road. What road? The Figaro desert was fairly large-it seemed to stretch on forever, and if not for the king knowing his way around, they would have died. All of a sudden Edgar stopped and Terra nearly collided into him.

"We'll have to stop for the night now," the king announced, jumping off his chocobo and taking out the food supplies and tents. Locke wheeled around in protest.

"Come on Edgar, we have to reach Narshe as soon as possible. What if Kefka…the soldiers…Terra…?"

"We can't ride on like this, and there's an oasis nearby. Even if we aren't tired, our steeds will be. Plus, Terra still has a headache, don't you?" the king turned and looked expectantly at the girl.

"It's not that bad now…really; you don't have to worry about me…" Terra mumbled, embarrassed. "I can go on if you want." The girl spoke the truth; her headache had faded away, leaving a dull throb.

"But what about our poor chocobos?" Edgar cried, determined to turn in. "And as Sabin used to say, 'you can't wage war on an empty stomach'!" he patted the food supplies and Locke grunted reluctantly. "Alright, let's camp down for the night," he said grudgingly.

"That was good food," Locke said happily, patting his stomach. "And boy am I stuffed!" he added, grinning happily at the king.

"There's a lot more left; at this rate we shouldn't have to ration the food," Edgar replied as he washed the pots and pans in the cool oasis. Terra watched him sullenly, her spoon still in her mouth. The king looked up and grinned mischievously.

"Terra, I know I'm handsome but could you please look away? You're just the slightest bit unnerving, especially with that spoon in your mouth. Give it to me." The girl stared and frowned before extracting the utensil from her mouth and hurling it at the king. The spoon, however, missed its target and sank into the water with a loud 'sploosh'.

"What was that for?" Edgar cursed as he struggled to maintain his balance. He was on the verge of slipping into the water.

Terra raised an eyebrow. "Should I give you that extra little push?"

"No, no, I'm quite fine thanks…whew!" The king managed to plant both feet firmly on the ground. "But you didn't have to do that; now I have to look for the spoon!"

"No regrets," Terra replied coolly, watching Locke chuckle out of the corner of her eye. "As long as you find it, we're okay."

"And if I can't?"

"You can jump into the oasis and drown for all I care!" Terra snapped, but inside she felt happy and content. Watching the king suffer was one of her favourite hobbies, she decided as the subject of her thoughts plunged his arm into the freezing water, cursing, and withdrew an innocent-looking spoon.

"In any case, we should turn in early. Early to rise, early to bed!" Locke whistled to himself cheerfully. "Edgar, are you going to do the dishes all day like a woman? Ahem," he cleared his throat nervously as both Terra and Edgar glared at him. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to turn in right now. Goodnight!" Without another word the thief disappeared into his tent. Edgar gestured to Terra. "Are you coming?" the girl shook her head.

"No, I'll stay up a little longer." With this the king whirled around.

"I suppose I'll leave you to your thoughts. Or do you need a companion?"

"Well…if you want," Terra conceded, and the king joined her without hesitation. The two sat in silence for a moment before Edgar broke the ice.

"The stars are beautiful tonight," he mused.

"Yeah…do you think they really tell us our destinies?" Terra asked curiously. The king shrugged.

"Most believe that they do, but I don't. Technology is improving these days. Who needs to rely on the stars for guidance when all they really need is proof? But I do admit, your powers-" the king put his hand on top of Terra's. "-were perhaps sent by the stars, if by nothing else. And you shouldn't be afraid to use them-as long as you think you're using them for the right causes."

"But how will I know?" Terra said softly, looking at her hands. "Because of Kefka and that slave crown he put on me, I don't even remember my past anymore. And how would I know what's right and what's wrong?"

"It's a gut feeling," Edgar replied. "Just like love," he looked at Terra, and to his surprise, she didn't reply.

After a while she spoke, and her words shocked the king. "What's love?"

"You don't know what love is?" he exclaimed, and then panicked slightly when Terra looked at him, close to tears. "Don't cry!" he said. "Look, dry those tears-I'll get something to help you wipe them away-"

"Don't bother, I'm not crying," Terra's voice shook, but her tone was firm. "I'll be fine, honest. I'm just…a little tired." A pure lie. Terra pretended to rub her eyes.

"Maybe you should get some sleep then…"

"No, I'm sick and tired of patiently waiting for answers and not getting them," Terra carefully withdrew her hand out from under Edgar's. "And I want them now." She looked the king square in the eye, ignoring the tingly sensation that started in her stomach. "So what's love?"

"Love-I can't really explain it," King Edgar said. "Look, I know that's not a sufficient answer for you, but I probably can't feel it, either. I've been flirting with too many girls to know what love really is," he added quickly at the sight of Terra's cold stare. "You're just going to have to-find out for yourself."

"But what would your definition be?" Terra pressed.

"When a man cares deeply for a woman, and uh…vice-versa?" Edgar shrugged carelessly. "But I do know that it comes in all sorts of forms-like mother-child love, husband-wife love, brother-love, sister-love…and a lot more. I wouldn't be able to list all of them."

"Wow," Terra murmured. "There are all sorts of love…and I still haven't been able to feel any of it."

"Friend-love?" Edgar suggested. "I'm pretty sure you've come across that one. Where you care about someone so much that you're willing to give up your life for that person?"

There was a pause. "No," Terra said finally. "Not even that…" she looked contemplatively up at the night sky. "But if I did have to um…love…someone right now…I suppose that would be…Locke."

"Oh," Edgar said, his heart dropping a little. "Because he's polite?" he asked teasingly, hiding his slight disappointment.

"He's polite and he's nice…" Terra trailed off. "That's all."

"You little liar!" Edgar roared, and Terra looked at him, startled.

"What?"

"You do love him! Not to the point of dying for him, but that's friend love, alright!" Edgar grinned triumphantly and Terra stared.

"Huh? But the way you described love, I thought it would be more…more…special."

"That's when you really care about someone to the point of dying for him," Edgar said, grinning from ear to ear. "Why do you think I'm so social with women? I need to find that girl."

"It has to be a girl?"

"Yeah, of course! But a man for you," Edgar said quickly. "I am not going to have Locke nag at me forever if you loved another girl that way." The king looked up at the sky again, smiling to himself. Terra was suddenly full of questions, and it was hard for her to decide which one to ask her companion first.

"What is it like, being a king?" she blurted out at last. Edgar looked at her in surprise.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Just curious."

"We-ell…" the king spread his hands out. "You're in a pretty powerful position, but it's not all luxury and extravagance! You have to look out for the kingdom when it's in danger, and everything depends on your decision. That's why I was reluctant to bring you to Narshe. I was afraid that…that…that the Empire would capture you."

"But that was before Kefka considered me a traitor! If you'd stayed in Figaro, I would've still been a Magitek soldier!" Terra exclaimed. Edgar looked at her coldly.

"Did you like being a Magitek soldier?"

Terra was taken aback by the question. "It's the only life I know…" she muttered weakly. "I don't know how to be…anything else."

"That's why the stars dictated that you be taken to Narshe!" Edgar exclaimed. "Then you'd be able to see how rotten the Empire's been through all of this, and that you'll learn how to live other lifestyles!"

Terra looked at the king strangely. "Didn't you just say that you didn't believe in the stars?"

Edgar chuckled sheepishly. He had to salvage his reputation. "No, you're just imagining things! You must be getting tired," he insisted, carefully picking Terra up and carrying her bridal-style to her tent. He set her down. "You should get some sleep; we're going to have an early start tomorrow, and it wouldn't do if we had an exhausted lady holding us back," he said cheerfully.

"Well, I suppose my headache is sort of coming back," the girl admitted grudgingly. "Good night," and with that Terra crawled into her tent. Alone, the king sighed and stared up at the stars. So much had happened in the past two days, and he wasn't any closer to finding the answers he sought.

"What effect did keeping Terra have on my kingdom?" he muttered. "What effect does it have on me?"

"Don't bother talking, traitor. We're over and done with," Kefka cackled as he looked at his prisoner shivering in a corner.

"No! Kefka, please, I was just careless! Nothing of the sort will ever happen again," Terra pleaded desperately.

"I said, don't talk! Or I will make your life shorter by three seconds," Kefka disappeared and then reappeared at Terra's side, a long sword in his hand. "But it wouldn't matter to you, would it?" he whispered and raised the long sword…

"Morning sunshine!" Terra opened her eyes, taken by surprise, and came short of sending a fire bolt shooting through the roof of her tent. She bolted up, glaring, at the king, who smiled his most charming smile in response.

"I was wise enough to stay a few feet back this time," he said, and Terra rolled her eyes, ignoring the dull throb of her head as she did so.

"Whatever, I'm out of here," and without another word the girl was out of her tent. She sniffed the air and to her pleasure smelled fried eggs. "Nice smell," she commented as she saw Locke.

The thief's only reaction was to grunt and continue his cooking. He looked up in surprise as he heard chocobo footsteps.

"Hey, Edgar, look! This guy could be our source of information, our pawn…" Locke grinned deviously as he watched the man riding his chocobo across the desert. The king's head snapped up immediately.

"What was that last bit you said?"

"Our pawn?"

"Oh," the king smiled, relieved. "I thought you said-"

Terra groaned. "We know what you thought he said."

"Morning!" Locke shouted at the man on the chocobo, ignoring his companions. "How are you this fine desert morning?"

The man approached the camp. He had blond hair and strange, green eyes. He wore bronze armour and a cloak. Terra's blood ran cold, but she didn't say anything.

"Morning, comrades! I'm journeying on my way to South Figaro, but I seem to have gotten lost. Do you know a way from here…?" the man asked in gravelly tones.

"Of course! My friends and I know this place very well; there's a cave north of here. Once you reach the exit, go east and you'll see another cave which will lead straight to South Figaro," Locke said, smiling, but Terra sensed that his smile was forced. She looked at the thief curiously.

"So, where have you come from?" Locke asked casually.

"I'm a merchant from Maranda. Took a boat to get to South Figaro, and it turns out I read the signs wrong. So now I'm in the middle of a stinking desert," the man sniffed disdainfully. "Need any supplies?" he asked hopefully, but Edgar pushed past Locke.

"What exactly has been going on with the Empire?" he hissed quietly. "I heard they tried to attack Figaro! Isn't Figaro their ally?"

The man's expression turned wary. "Ye-es, but apparently Figaro was trying to house a girl with special abilities, and they also confessed that they were with the Returners," the man replied, not taking his eyes off Terra, who shivered slightly despite the heat. They were on dangerous ground.

"Has the Empire made any other moves?" Edgar pressed on persistently, and Locke shot him a warning look.

"I heard that they took over Doma," the merchant replied dutifully. "And they're planning on taking over Narshe."

"But Narshe is neutral! They can't just take over a city that's sitting on the fence, so to speak! What if Narshe was planning on joining their side?" Terra protested. The man looked at her coldly.

"Well, that's what the Empire intends to do," the merchant shrugged carelessly. "And as far as I know, Narshe isn't planning on joining the Empire anytime soon." He looked at Edgar, who cleared his throat loudly.

"And where, my friend, have you managed to obtain such valuable information?" Edgar asked with a charming smile. The merchant froze on his chocobo for a moment.

"V-Valuable sources; they shouldn't be named. At least, it wouldn't be in my place to do so," the merchant stammered, then warmed as the king gave him four hundred gil.

"Here's for your trouble," King Edgar said cheerfully, pretending not to notice the man's relieved look. "And we should be off. Good luck getting to South Figaro!" Not bothering to reply the man kicked his chocobo's sides and sped off towards the north. When he was out of sight Edgar laughed long and hard, but Locke was suddenly still and sullen. Terra approached him softly. She knew that something was wrong.

"Locke, is something the matter?" she asked gently, putting a hand on his shoulder.

The thief whirled around, his eyes blazing with anger, and Terra saw a hint of betrayal in them. "You knew," he whispered accusingly. The girl was taken aback.

"Knew what?"

"That that man was an Imperial soldier. You said it yourself. You've been a Magitek soldier all your life. So how can you not recognise one of your own kind?" the thief hissed.

"B-But, if I revealed him, you wouldn't have been able to get your information!" Terra protested to no avail.

"She's got a point there," Edgar sounded amused, but his face was straight.

"Then we'd just get it out by force!" Locke shouted, ignoring the king. "Where do your loyalties lie? To the Returners or to the Empire?"

"Well, if I didn't reveal him, you should have! If you were so willing to beat him down!" Terra cried. Locke was about to respond but Edgar cut in.

"Look, the last thing we need on a journey like this is arguments. Drop it, Locke. Stop bothering Terra." Snorting disgustedly Locke mounted his chocobo and strode off, not waiting for his companions who trudged some distance behind.

"What was that about?" Terra whispered to Edgar miserably. "If I revealed him, he would reveal me; I knew he recognised me. I didn't know what to do…it was so strange. Imperial soldiers don't usually travel alone."

Edgar sighed and looked at the back of his friend. "Maybe there are a whole horde of Imperial soldiers hiding somewhere, keeping an eye on him."

"But why didn't they ambush us? Why did they give us such valuable information?"

"Who knows…it's not in Kefka's nature to sit and wait..." the king trailed off. "Do you have any ideas?"

Terra shuddered. "Maybe Kefka sent that soldier because he actually wanted us to go to Narshe. Perhaps he's got something even worse in store for us."

"But we can't go back to Figaro; we have to get to Narshe as soon as possible," Edgar said before smiling a little. "Locke gave the soldier completely wrong directions to South Figaro."

"Not like he was going to go there," Terra said. "What's with him, anyway? Why is he suddenly so unreasonable?" she looked sadly at the thief who strode ahead, not looking back once.

"Locke's past wasn't a happy one, but it's not in my place to tell you about it," the king replied. "He's hated the Empire ever since. But I agree, he was a little harsh with you. I'll talk to him about it later."

"Thanks," Terra sighed, relieved. Hopefully Locke would be able to see her side of things. "I didn't want to cause trouble, in case the man would call troops over when I revealed him," she added bravely. King Edgar nodded, seemingly preoccupied.

"Yes, yes. But we need to get to Narshe as soon as possible. In fact, if we don't stop, we could get there by late afternoon."

Terra nodded and looked ahead, watching the heat waves as they seemed to flicker in the strong wind that began to blow. Hopefully Kefka didn't have anything nasty planned for them…

"He did what? And without my knowledge?" a woman exclaimed. The woman wore yellow-orange armour and a flowing blue cloak that had the Empire's emblem on it. On her feet she wore boots and in her long, blonde, flowing hair she had hairclips. The messenger she was addressing quivered. The woman was well known for her sudden temper tantrums.

"G-General Celes, minister Kefka gave the order to poison the citizens of Doma."

"That Kefka…" Celes Chère paced the room angrily. "Where was Leo?" she demanded, whipping around to face the messenger.

"H-He had just l-left on Emperor Gestahl's orders, General."

"And yet I'm sure that I warned the soldiers not to hand Kefka the poison. What about that?"

"General Celes, you know what minister Kefka is like," the messenger said, pleading. "If we didn't obey his orders, he would have had us killed on the spot!"

"Is there anything else?"

"Apparently there were some casualties on our side due to a warrior of Doma. They say that the warrior was the only survivor. He managed to escape," the messenger replied dutifully, lowering his head.

"Alright, you're dismissed," Celes said with a wave of her hand. As the messenger left the general guise disappeared. With a soft sigh she sank down into a chair, her head in her hands. Her eyes remained dry, but in her heart she cried for all the innocent lives lost in Doma.

At that moment the general's head snapped up. What was all the meaning of this? If the large numbers of casualties continued, soon there would be no fertile, peaceful, good land for Emperor Gestahl to rule! This war is meaningless, Celes thought, and her brain began to offer all sorts of other suggestions. The emperor was most likely not going to listen to her, what with his precious minister whispering evil words into his ear. Maybe the only solution was to run away and help the Returners. She quickly threw what little belongings she had into a knapsack. But she still had one more duty to perform. The general rose from her desk and walked to the door.

General Leo had to know about the events.

"So, are you coming with me?" Celes asked when she had finished telling her colleague about Doma. General Leo sipped his wine, frowning, his eyes sorrowful. The man wore green armour and a cloak similar to Celes'. His blond hair was cropped and he had eyes that showed understanding and care.

"I regret the fact that Kefka was extremely unreasonable, but I cannot go with you," the man said at last, putting his glass of wine down. Celes' eyes widened.

"General Leo-"

"I know that the Empire has does horrible things all the time, but I hope to change that. Because of that reason I continue to stay here."

"But Emperor Gestahl will never listen to you, not with Kefka whispering poisonous, evil words into his ear!" Celes cried, shifting her knapsack from one shoulder to the other. She kept one hand on her trusty rune blade. "The only way to get the Empire to stop their tomfoolery is to defeat them! And that means joining the Return-"

"Celes!" General Leo exclaimed, rising from his desk. "Don't talk like that. Are you saying that we should betray the Empire?"

The lady general kept her eyes firmly planted on the man in front of her. "Yes, if you want to think of it like that."

"Then I'm sorry, I can't go with you. But if you still insist on going, I will not let any word of your leaving escape my lips. They are, so to speak, sealed." General Leo sat down again. "I could, after all, be wrong, and my hopes void. We will only know what's best if one of us tries different things. And that one will have to be you, Celes."

The lady general's face became passive. "Goodbye then, General Leo. I do hope that there will be no bloodshed and that you will be able to persuade the Emperor."

"Indeed. And may good luck be with you, that you will not be smote when you face the Returners," the man returned. General Celes smiled bitterly.

"You sound so pretentious. Just say 'killed' instead of 'smote'," she stated.

The general smiled wearily. "May you have more time to read the ancient texts of the espers. When you do I am sure that your language will become more sophisticated."

Celes left General Leo's room and hurried out of Vector without looking back.When she was safely away from the castle, a lone tear trickled down her cheek.

"Goodbye, General Leo. I'll miss you."

Omake 1:

"Love-I can't really explain it," King Edgar said. "Look, I know that's not a sufficient answer for you, but I've probably been flirting with too many girls to know what love really is," he added quickly at the sight of Terra's cold stare.

"You mean, looking for prospects?" Terra corrected.

"Prospects? I don't quite get you," Edgar smiled, but his heart was beating hard.

"You know. You want people to witness your love for Locke," Terra explained.

"…"

Omake 2:

"In any case, we should turn in early. Early to rise, early to bed!" Locke whistled to himself cheerfully.

"Makes a man healthy, but socially dead!" Edgar added, and Terra doubled up with laughter.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it!" the king protested as Locke glared at him.

"And if you continue to talk, you will be socially dead!" The thief snapped, disappearing into his tent. Edgar glanced at Terra.

"But that doesn't make any sense..."

A/N: I came up with two omakes, but I couldn't decide which one was better, so I just put both in (and I got the 'socially dead' bit from Animaniacs). Thanks for reading and happy New Year again! You'd really give me a great start to the year, too, if you could so kindly take the trouble to click on the button in the lower left and click 'review'. Once again, it'd be nice if you could tell me how to improve the story. :D