Draconis: Whelp after four short days we're back.

Kenshin: Why the big hold up?

Draconis: I got sidetracked by an MMO.

Kenshin: Ah...huh. Anyway shall we continue?

Draconis: Yeah.

Final Fantasy VI: A Retold Tale.

Chapter 7

Into the Water and the Wilderness

Draconis: Begin.

(start)

The group of four were walking out of the forest. "So Kenshin who was that woman?" "It seemed like you two were kinda close." Sabin asks.

"It was my mother." Kenshin answers honestly. "I gotta say though I was not expecting her to be here."

"Sometimes spirits will linger for years on end awaiting their loved ones." Shadow says.

"That's not the reason I was surprised, but I'll take it." Kenshin thought. "Yeah I guess."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Cyan says.

"Don't worry about it." Kenshin says waving him off. "I'm sure her and the rest of my family are OK in the afterlife." "So are we close to where we're heading?"

"Baren Falls." "With the Empire at our backs we need to disappear." Cyan says.

"Annnnd we're gonna jump off a cliff and down a waterfall to do it?" Kenshin says.

"Yes." "Problem?" Cyan asks.

"No..." "I'll be going on ahead." Kenshin says.

Kenshin walks away. Sabin looks over at him. "What's up with him?" "He had this like...exasperated look on his face."

"I believe he was thinking." "'Why do I have to group with two maniacs?'" Shadow replies.

"Maniacs?" Cyan says. "I'm no maniac!"

"Hey old man you're the one leading us to a waterfall to jump off of." Sabin says.

(break)

Baren Falls.

Cyan Shadow and Sabin walked up the cliff and saw Kenshin smoking a pipe. "Nemesis aren't you too young to be smoking?"

"Old enough to kill old enough to smoke and drink." Kenshin and oddly enough Shadow say.

"So we jumping down this thing or what?" Sabin says. Kenshin sighs smacking his pipe against the ground and pocketing it. "Ready whenever you guys are."

"I've served my purpose here." "I'll be leaving." Shadow says.

"Alright then." Kenshin says. "If I'm still alive come find me again I owe you some cash."

"Hey Shadow!" Sabin says. Shadow turns his head toward him. "Let's team up again sometime."

"We'll see." Shadow says walking away from the three.

Kenshin sighs again. "So are the stories I've heard of this fall true?"

"Yes." Cyan says. "You really only fall for a few minutes, but it feels like ten or fifteen."

Kenshin narrows his eyes at Cyan. "You talk like you do this all the time."

"I used to as a kid." Cyan says.

Kenshin facepalms. "I knew it." "I'm the only sane one here." "Screw it let's just go." He says jumping over the edge.

"After you Sir Sabin." Cyan says.

Sabin shrugs and jumps over the edge follow Kenshin. Cyan shook his head and followed them down.

Sabin and Cyan joined Kenshin at his falling point. "This is boring!" Kenshin says.

"Just wait!" Cyan says.

"WHAT? !" "I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE ROAR OF THE FALLS!" Sabin shouts.

Suddenly a pair of piranha sprung out of the waterfall. "What the? !" Kenshin shouts.

"Just kill them!" Cyan says.

"How the hell are we supposed to do that? !" Kenshin shouts.

Cyan notices one making it's way over to him. "Dispatch!" He cuts the fish clean in half.

"Aurabolt!" Sabin shouts shooting a beam at the other piranha vaporizing it.

"Like so." Cyan says. "Now stay vigilant there are more coming."

"Hey Kenshin why not use that chain function of your staff and pull them in close or use magic?" Sabin says.

"...Damn my forgetful mind." Kenshin curses taking out his staff and sword.

"Get ready here they come!" Cyan shouts as a whooping nine piranha show up.

"Damn!" Sabin says.

"Damn is right!" "Where did they all come from? !" Kenshin shouts smacking one of the piranha away with his staff.

"Nemesis do you mind helping out with some magic?" Cyan says.

"Sure just keep me covered." Kenshin says. Cyan and Sabin nod moving in front of Kenshin as he began chanting.

Cyan held his sword defensively in front of him. As soon as one of the piranha made a move toward him he sliced it to bits. "One down!"

"Aurabolt!" Sabin shouts frying three of the man-eating fish with his attack. "Three over here!"

"Multi-Targeting Fire! !" Kenshin intones as five orbs of flame shoot toward the remaining fish burning them to a crisp.

"Whew." "Think that's it?" Sabin says.

"I wouldn't be too sure Sir Sabin." Cyan says. "Those fish never traveled in that big of a group before."

"Their leader is coming." Kenshin says. "A pack that big is bound to have a strong alphamale."

Sure enough a purple piranha springs out of the water and launches toward Kenshin. "What the hell? !" Kenshin jammed the button for his chain down and swung. "I ain't no appetizer!" He shouts smacking the fish into the waterfall's wall.

"I heard of this one." Cyan says. "It's Rizopas." "Watch it you two this one can use magic."

To bring the point home a series of multi-colored arcs of lightning hit Kenshin dead on. "Arrgh!" "That thing knows Mega-Volt? !"

"I just said it knows magic!" Cyan shouts. "Pay attention!"

The atmosphere around Sabin started getting colder. "Brr.." "What's this feeling?" Then a blue light shot toward the sky from under him. "S-So cold...can't feel legs..." Sabin says his teeth chattering.

"OK the human popsicle is out of the mix." "Cyan." "I want you to come in and stab the blasted thing when I say." "Got it?" Kenshin says.

"I hear you." Cyan says. "Go for it."

Kenshin nods and swings his chain at Rizopas wrapping it around the fish. It thrashed and struggled in Kenshin's chain. "Dammit!" "Quit moving!" Kenshin shouts.

"Now? !" Cyan shouts.

"Go for it!" Kenshin yelled.

Cyan shot forward and stabbed his sword at Rizopas. His strike missed as Rizopas shook free and sunk it's fangs into Cyan's shoulder. "Argh! !"

"Cyan!" Kenshin says wrapping his chain around the knight and pulling him back. "Are you OK?"

"Urgh..." "Dammit." "That thing has poison fangs as well?" Cyan says. "I apologize Nemesis I need to sit this out."

Cyan passed out. Kenshin turned his chain back into a staff and glared. "Alright you filet let's finish this."

Rizopas growled in agreement and began glowing. "Another spell?" Kenshin felt the air getting colder around him and flapped his arms drifting backward. "Tch." "That ice bull isn't gonna work on me."

"Tritoch please tell me I can still use my wings." Kenshin thought as he dodged multiple spells from Rizopas.

"You can, but just the wings." Tritoch replies. "Any techniques you created involving them are unusable."

"Of course they are." Kenshin thought.

"Urrgh!" Kenshin grunts as two red scaled dragon wings shot out of his back. Sabin while shivering turned to Kenshin in shock. "Y-Y-You h-h-have w-w-wings? !"

"Yeah?" Kenshin says. "Now keep it down I gotta kill this thing."

Rizopas cast spell after spell trying to hit Kenshin and failed as he inched closer and closer. "Hey bite size!" "Have some steel!" Kenshin shouts slicing Rizopas in half.

"Ugh finally." "That was annoying." Kenshin says turning around. "Fire!" A trio of fireballs hit Sabin dead on.

"OW!" "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR YOU ASS? !" Sabin shouts.

"IT THAWED YOU OUT DIDN'T IT? !" Kenshin shouts back flying back toward them.

"So what now?" Sabin asks.

Kenshin grabs the back of Cyan's armor and turned to Sabin. "Grab on." "I'm gonna help us land softly."

"Got it." Sabin says grabbing Kenshin's wrists.

Kenshin flapped his wings. "Urgh!" "Dammit you guys are heavy." He says groaning.

"Oh stow your complaints Kenshin we're almost to the ground." Sabin says.

"You think you could survive a hundred plus foot fall?" Kenshin says glaring down at him.

Sabin pales. "I'll...shut up now."

"That's what I thought." Kenshin says. They soon land on the ground and Kenshin tosses Sabin a bottle. "That's an antidote force it down Cyan's throat."

"Where are you going?" Sabin asks.

"I'm going to fly around and see where we are." Kenshin says walking away.

"Wait Kenshin." "Where did you...get the wings?" "From the empire?" Sabin asks.

(sigh) "I was born with them." Kenshin says. "My title as 'Demon of Vector' wasn't a lie." "I really am a demon."

"Why do you sound so sad when you say that?" Sabin asks.

(deep sigh) "It's a really long story that I would rather not get into, but...if you need an answer I'll just say I'm the only one of my kind on this entire planet." Kenshin says flapping his wings and taking off.

Sabin blinks. "Man." "I wonder what that's like." He kneels down next to Cyan and uncorks the antidote bottle and opens Cyan's mouth and pours the contents down.

The knight's eyes snap open and he coughs. "Ulgh!" "That tastes horrible Sir Sabin!"

"Don't blame me Kenshin told me to pour it down your throat." Sabin says.

Cyan looks around. "Where is Nemesis?" Cyan asks.

"Could you please call him by his name?" Sabin says. "You calling him that makes me think you two are gonna tear each other apart at some point."

"Ha ha!" Cyan laughs. "No no Sir Sabin I assure you I'm not going to bring ill will to Kenshin if he does the same."

"Whatever." Sabin says. He looks off in the distance and sees Kenshin flying then suddenly get tackled to the ground. "Whoa!" "Cyan we gotta move!"

Cyan nods albeit confused. "What's wrong?" He asks as they run toward Kenshin.

"I just saw Kenshin getting attacked." Sabin says.

The two arrive to where Kenshin is to see him fighting a young boy garbed in beast hides with short blond hair.

"Nemesis!" "Fighting a child? !" "How could you!" Cyan shouted reprimandingly.

Kenshin turned his attention to the two. "This little prick started it!" "I tossed him a piece of meat and after he ate it he tried to take a chomp out of my wings!"

Sabin stepped in between the two and forced them apart. "Whoa whoa kid!" "That isn't food!" "That's part of his body!"

The child stared curiously at Kenshin. "Not meal?"

"NO!" Kenshin shouts angrily.

"Oh Kenshin that's enough." Sabin says. "It sounds like he doesn't know any better."

Kenshin tossed a piece of meat into Sabin's face. "Hey kid he's got food sick 'em!"

"FOOD!" The child exclaims happily chasing down Sabin.

"YOU ASSHOLE!" Sabin shouts glaring daggers at Kenshin as he evaded the child.

"You mad?" Kenshin asks grinning coyly.

"Sir Sabin just toss him the meat already!" Cyan says.

"Fine!" Sabin says chucking the meat at the child who devoured it voraciously.

"More?" He asks.

"Sorry kid all out." Kenshin says. "And stay away from my wings!" He shouts seeing the look in his eyes.

"Dawwhh!" He complains.

Kenshin chuckles petting the child's head. "Dah I can't stay mad at such a cute kid!"

The child laughs merrily. "You and muscle man strong!"

"Let's rumble some more then!" Kenshin says jumping around going blow for blow with the child.

"Hey you two cut it out!" Sabin shouts. "We still don't know where we are."

"Actually Sir Sabin we are in the Veldt." Cyan says. "It is untamed wilderness it's actually surprising that this child has survived for so long."

"Hey." "Learn to run with beasts you eventually become one." "He started young." Kenshin says. "Still though the Veldt?" "That's a long way away from Narshe." "We'd have to cross the ocean to get there now."

"Oh Oh!" "I has idea!" The child shouts.

"Uh that's 'I have an idea', but we're listening." Sabin says.

"I has shiny thing!" "Shiny shiny shiny shiny! !" He says cheerfully.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Cyan says. "Shiny though it may be how dost this help us?"

"Oh Cyan what other option do we have?" Kenshin asks.

"Thou art missing the point Nemesis!" Cyan shouts. "What if it turns out to be nothing? !"

"Where is thoust sense of adventure?" Kenshin says. "It's at least worth looking into."

"Thou?" The child asks. He then smiles and repeats the word several times.

"Hey hey hey!" Sabin says calming the child. "If you're gonna learn a new word then don't repeat it over and over again!"

"You mad Thou?" The child asks with a coy grin.

"Ah ha ha ha!" "I like this kid." Kenshin says. Sabin turns away fuming. "Anyway kid what's your name?"

"Name?" The child asks curiously.

"You know." "What do people call you?" Cyan asks.

"...?" The child tilts his head to the side still a curious look on his face.

"Hm..." "Uh..." Kenshin says. "Gau?" He says.

"Gau?" The boy says plausibly then smiles brightly. "Gau!" "Gau!" "Gau!"

"Ha ha ha!" Kenshin chuckles. "Alrighty then Gau lead the way to shiny."

"OK!" Gau says. "Follow to Crescent Mountain!"

(break)

Southern End of the Veldt.

"Kenshin where exactly did you get the meat?" Sabin asks.

"I had some dried meat rations from Vector." Kenshin says. "I figured I was never gonna eat it." "Gau was hungry and I didn't feel like hiking all the way to Mobliz to buy some."

"I see." Sabin says.

Kenshin sighs. Cyan turns to him. "Something wrong Nemesis?"

"Well...before Sabin and I washed up at the end of Lete River I left a girl behind." "I'm just wondering how she's doing right now." Kenshin says. "I mean she's got amnesia and I told her I'd stay with her."

"Ah Kenshin you're worried about Terra aren't you?" Sabin asks.

"Yeah." "I guess you could say that." Kenshin says.

"Ah I wouldn't worry Kenshin she is with Edgar and Banon." "And she can fight." Sabin says.

"I know that." Kenshin says.

"Just can't help it?" Sabin asks.

"Yeah." Kenshin says.

"Nemesis?" "Dost thou have feelings of infatuation with this maiden?" Cyan asks.

Kenshin falls comically onto the ground. "Dammit Cyan!"

"It's a simple question Nemesis." Cyan asks.

"A simple question to which I will not provide an answer." Kenshin replies.

"Don't let him get away with it he totally does." Sabin says. Kenshin turns and chops Sabin over the head. "Gah!"

"You need me?" Gau asks.

"He said 'gah' not Gau, but in any case are we almost there?" Kenshin asks.

Gau nods. "Shiny is in cave." "So...we here."

"Huh." "How convenient someone asks that question and we actually are there." Sabin says.

The four enter the cave and Gau looks around. Kenshin Cyan and Sabin stare at him. "Gau?"

"Uhm...Gau forgets where he left shiny."

All three men fell over comically. "Ugh." "OK Gau do you mind if we look around then?" Kenshin asks.

"OK." Gau says.

The three men stand up and walk around the cave. They walk up to a dead end bridge and Sabin walks to the end of it. Suddenly Gau walked up behind him and shouted loudly

"Ah!" Sabin says. He looked himself over and saw something was missing. "AH!" "My pouch!" "There was 500 gil in there!" Sabin shouts. "Gau! !"

Gau ran over to Kenshin and hid behind him. "Sabin relax before you woke up at Lete River I pick pocketed you as payment for trying to take down Ultros alone." "Your pouch didn't have jack shit in it."

"You jackass give me my money back!" Sabin shouts.

"Get a new pouch and maybe I'll think about it!" Kenshin retorts.

"Sir Sabin Nemesis we're looking for Sir Gau's shiny thing not listening to you two argue." Cyan says.

Kenshin nods and the four walk the the other side of the cave. Gau starts looking around at the ground and discovers four scuba helmets.

"Is this it?" Sabin asks.

"It would seem so." Cyan says.

Kenshin's face dawned in realization. "I get it now." There's a current that connects the Veldt to the mainland." "We slap these helmets on and we'll be able to breathe underwater."

"Really?" Sabin says. "So we're almost there?"

"It would seem so." Cyan says.

"Alright!" Kenshin says. He drapes his arm across Gau's shoulders and pulls him into a one armed hug. "Nice going Gau!"

Kenshin blinks as Gau wrapped him up in a bearhug. "Gau?"

"Papa..." Gau says nuzzling into Kenshin.

Kenshin's eyes soften. "He...thinks I'm his father figure?"

"Well after your initial meeting you did treat him with kindness." Tritoch says. "And I do think you're the first person in awhile to do so."

Kenshin smiles and pets Gau's head. "OK Gau it's time to go now." "Let's get moving."

Gau pulls away and smiles. "OK!"

The four put on the helmets and Kenshin turns. "Alright you three we may run into some monsters along the way." "Try your best to take them down." The four rush out and jump into the current.

(break)

Hours later.

Nikeah.

"Huuaaah!" Kenshin emerged from the water. Sabin Cyan and Gau soon followed.

"Something wrong Nemesis?" Cyan asks.

"Those beasts were stronger than I thought!" Kenshin says. "One of them cracked my helmet and I couldn't breathe!" Kenshin coughed. "In any case this boat should take us to South Figaro where we need to sneak out and then Narshe is but a stones throw away."

"Well Kenshin in any case your body is a lot better trained." Sabin says.

"Yeah I guess." Kenshin says. "If anything I got my old stamina back."

Cyan walks up to the captain. "Excuse me Sir." "We would like to set sail to South Figaro."

"Really?" "Even thought it's occupied by the empire?" He asks.

"Could you try to sneak us out when we get there?" Cyan asks.

"Of course I just wanted to make sure you wanted to go." The captain asks. "Weigh anchor and set sail men! !"

"AYE!"

The ship begins sailing. "Man I'm glad none of us are prone to seasickness or we'd be in a bad way right now." Sabin says.

"Right?" Kenshin says.

Cyan sighs. "So will we get to strike at the Vectorian Empire at Narshe?"

"Maybe?" "They are after the esper in Narshe." Sabin says.

"Screw the Vectorians I'm just hoping everyone made it there alright." Kenshin says.

"Yeah." Sabin says.

"Gau hopes too." Gau says.

"May we unite swiftly with our comrades." Cyan says.

(intermission)

Kenshin: Why an intermission?

Draconis: Because while I was originally thinking of stopping here Terra's scenario by itself would be too short and I'd rather not start the chapter after that in the middle of the upcoming battle.

Sabin: Kenshin do you get off on screwing with me or something?

Kenshin: (bites back a chuckle) N-Nooo...

Edgar: Ok while Kenshin and Sabin argue let's get started again.

Draconis; Right. Back to Lete River!

(intermission end)

"Alright Edgar, Terra you need to steer the boat!" Banon shouts.

"Got it!" "Terra take left." Edgar says.

"R-Right!" Terra replies.

"Monsters!" Banon shouts.

"Dammit!" Edgar shouts. "Terra guard Banon I'll handle this!"

"OK!" Terra says.

Edgar pulled out his crossbow and tried to take aim as the raft crashed and banged against the rocks. He fired and missed. "Damn!"

"Multi-Targeting Fire!" Terra exclaimed as fire erupted and shot toward the three monsters coming their way.

"Uhm..." Edgar says.

"Problem Edgar-San?" Terra asks.

"No." "Thank you for the assistance." Edgar says. "I suddenly feel like less of a man." He thought.

"Easy you two we're coming up on the end of the river." Banon says.

"Got it." "Terra bring it in easily." Edgar says.

"OK." Terra replies. The two 'dock' the raft at the end of the river and disembark. "Where are we?"

"About an hour's hike from Narshe." Banon says. "I just hope Locke, Sabin and Kenshin can make it back safely."

"Yeah." Edgar says. "If the empire makes a move now we'd be sunk."

Terra closed her eyes in thought. "Kenshin-San." "Locke-San." "Sabin-San." "Please come back safe."

(break)

Hour later.

Narshe.

"OK." Edgar says. "It's highly unlikely that they will let us in through the gate." "Any ideas." He turned to Terra who was looking to her left at a rock wall. "Terra?"

"This way." She says walking to the rock wall.

"What about it?" Banon asks.

"When Locke helped Kenshin-San and I escape he fiddled with something over here on this wall." Terra says. Edgar nods. "I see." "Knowing him it's probably a hidden passage." He began feeling around until he pressed something in opening the passage up. "Alright." "Let's proceed."

The group of three make their way up the stairs and come out to the ridge next to town. "To the left." Banon says.

"Right." Edgar says.

They go into the opening in the left end of the ridge and soon come up to a maze. Terra made a step forward when Banon set his hand on her shoulder. "Wait."

"Wha-" Terra says, but was cut off as a shimmer of light appeared and took off toward their left. It went up then left again after a split second until it ran into the wall and went up to the halfway point of the room before shooting right to a rock and went up again for a second and shot to the right then down, right again down again to the bottom of the maze. The light then went to the right side wall and shot up to a stalagmite then went left and up before disappearing.

"Hm." Edgar says.

"It seems to be a security checkpoint." Banon says. "We must have to follow the path of the light straight to the point." "If we make a mistake we will be surrounded by light." "Just grab for the light that's a different color than the rest."

"Got it." "Terra." "If you would." Edgar says.

"OK." Terra says.

Terra walked the path slowly. "Um...let's see." "Left...up left again...up again..then to the right...up...right...down right...then...um..left?"

Light surrounded Terra Banon and Edgar. "Dah!" "OK concentrate!" Edgar says. "Now!" He grabbed at a light and groaned. It wasn't of a different color and the entire party was warped back to the entrance. The light repeated it's pattern and Terra memorized it this time and made it to the end of the maze.

She and the others soon made it to the area she was cornered in when she and Kenshin had first attempted to escape Narshe. "We're getting close to his house." Terra says.

"Smith's house?" Banon asks.

"Yes." "He rescued Kenshin-San and I." Terra says as they continue to walk.

"I see." Banon says. "Let's hurry and get there." Banon says.

Minutes later they walk into the back door of Smith's house and into the living room. Smith ran up to them. "King Edgar!" "Banon!" "...Terra! !" He exclaims then looks around. "Where's Locke and Kenshin?"

"Taking care of other things before they make their way here." Edgar answers.

Banon walks up to him. "Arvis." "What's going on here in Narshe?"

"Narshe remains staunchly neutral." "I've tried to convince people to side with the Returners, but...never mind that what in blazes are you doing here?" "I received a messenger bird from one of the Returners saying you'd be coming, but I can't imagine why." Smith says.

"Before we answer that how are your people holding up?" Edgar asks.

"Well when the esper was discovered they kind of lost it...and even moreso when the Empire made their move at it." Smith says.

Banon walks over to Terra. "This girl and Kenshin might be our last hope of reaching out to the esper and saving the world."

"Our people are dying to know what it looks like." Smith says. "Maybe Terra and Kenshin could restore some order to our town."

Edgar sighs. "That esper is either gonna save our hides or dig us into our own graves."

(break)

Days later.

"I understand what you are saying, but how can we encourage bloodshed? !" The Narshe elder says.

Smith speaks up. "Th-Thats not what I'm saying at all!"

"Hmph." "Something like it." The elder says.

Banon walks to his left shaking his head. "Tch." "He's actually right Arvis."

Smith walks over to him. "Banon!"

"So then what?" "Turn your tail and hide?" A familiar voice says. Terra and Edgar's heads snap toward the door to see Kenshin standing in the doorway.

"!" "Kenshin!" "Kenshin-San!" Edgar and Terra say. Kenshin detected a bit of relieved joy in Terra's voice and smiled. "Hey." "Sabin and I made it OK." "And we even brought some friends."

Kenshin turns his attention to the elder. "You know when She and I came here..." Kenshin says gesturing toward Terra. "...That was just the Empire being nice." "Hell I wouldn't be surprised if they were marching an entire platoon here right now."

"You're lying."

"No actually he's right." Everyone turned to see Cyan walking in the door with Sabin and Gau. "South Figaro has been occupied." "The only things separating the Empire from you is the desert and a cave."

"Who are you exactly?" Edgar says.

"The knight is Cyan Garamonde retainer to the late Lord Doma." Kenshin says. "That bastard Kefka poisoned Doma killing everyone."

Cyan glared downward. "Yes..." "He did." He snarled out.

"Gau!" "Gau!" Said boy spoke running up to Kenshin and hopping on his shoulders.

"Hey hey kid." Kenshin says smiling. "And this is Gau." "He's a kid we found in the Veldt."

"That poison was because Doma chose to ally themselves with the Returners!" Kenshin snorts. "Please." "Doma may have allied themselves with us, but poison was never in the plans." "The guy that did it did so with no clearance." "Besides...whether or not you do ally with us your screwed anyway because you have Tritoch here."

"And they are coming!" Locke says walking into the door.

Kenshin points at Locke. "There!" "You pretty much don't have a choice old man." "But how did you hear of that?"

"Simple." "I told him." Kenshin looked past him and saw Celes. "!" "Celes what are you doing here? !"

"I'm a deserter just like you." Celes says.

"Yeah Celes here was one of the generals." Locke says.

"Grr!" "I knew she looked familiar!" Cyan slashed his sword at her. His eyes widened seeing his sword cut into Kenshin's sword. "Nemesis!" "MOVE IT!"

Kenshin glared. "Did she not just say she was a deserter." "Besides she was stationed in South Figaro before she deserted." "She has nothing to do with your comrades and families' deaths."

Terra walked up to them. "Uhm..." "I was an imperial soldier as well."

"WHAT? !" Cyan shouts. Kenshin forced Cyan's blade to the ground snapping it in half. "CALM DOWN CYAN!"

Edgar sighs. "The Empire is evil Cyan-San, but not everyone in the Empire is evil." "Kenshin Terra and now Celes are perfect examples."

Suddenly the door swung open. "Emergency!" "The Empire is coming!"

Everyone turned to the guard in shock. Kenshin snapped his gaze back to the elder. "Alright old man what's it gonna be?"

The elder sighs. "It seems we are truly out of options." "Men!" "Prepare for War!"

Banon turns to the elder. "They are surely after the esper." The elder nods. "We moved it to the hills."

"Let's get to it then!" Edgar says.

The group walks out of the house and up the hills of Narshe. About halfway up Kenshin Celes and Terra stop. "Celes-San Kenshin-San." "If you don't mind me asking how are you two able to use magic?"

"As a baby I was infused with magic and raised as a magitek knight." Celes answers.

"I've always been able to use magic." "Since I was born." Kenshin says.

"OK." Terra says. "Uhm...have you been in love before Celes-San?"

"Huh?" Celes says confused. "Terra...do you think you're in love?"

Kenshin turned away from them. "What's this all the sudden?"

"I don't know." Terra says. "I'm really confused."

"Well I'm sure when you figure it out the guy you're wanting will still be there." "Let's go."

Celes walks away leaving Kenshin and Terra alone. "Hey Terra." "Are you OK with this?" Kenshin asks turning to her.

Terra looked down. "I'm...I'm not sure why, but I think...now if I do this...I could find out more about myself."

Kenshin smiled and walked up to her. "If that's what you want I'll support you Terra."

Terra for some reason unknown to her embraced Kenshin and said. "Please...don't leave me again." "I..was worried."

Kenshin blinks then returns her embrace. "Alright."

The two break apart and make their way to the top of the hill. They and their comrades mentally preparing for the battle ahead.

(chapter end)

Draconis: Alright finally done.

Kenshin. Yup. And it took you almost a month.

Draconis: Oh fuck you.

Terra: Draconis-San do you need healing? You seem tired.

Draconis: Nah.

Well...next time the War in Narshe. See you then.