Chapter 10 – Never Want to Be Like You

"Where to, chief? We're good on supplies for now, so we can go anywhere that suits you." Daryl, ever the early riser, had already been up performing maintenance on the airship for a couple hours already.

Locke groggily picked at the assortment of dried foods they had with them, but then his attention perked up.

"We have to go back for Terra," he resolved.

"I was hoping you'd say that," said Daryl, at once solemn.

Celes had of course been made aware of the situation, and she and Locke had stayed up late discussing a plan of action the night before. Their idea was a familiar one, and it seemed like they would have little trouble pulling it off. Daryl would assist, and Shadow would stay with the airship, because truthfully, he was no actor.

The only aspect that Celes didn't particularly like was having to leave her sword behind, but she recognized the necessity. Locke lent her an easily-concealed dagger besides.

It was a dark and overcast day, which would be to their advantage, though it made the flight west over the ocean quite drab. A few uneventful hours later, Daryl maneuvered the airship near the forest north of Jidoor, and the party readied themselves. Locke took down his hair and made himself look disheveled (a task none too difficult, truthfully). He tied his old bandanna around his head for good measure and winked at Celes. "I've kinda missed this, to be honest," he said as an aside, but knowing he'd end up giving it back to her afterward. Celes and Daryl set off ahead of him.

The women booked a room at an inn upon arrival, and Locke continued into the city. This time he made a concerted effort to act like a local and not draw particular attention to himself. He wandered into a bar that boasted a rather loud musical performance. Sitting down and ordering a drink, he had a strange moment of familiarity, and briefly yearned for the days when he did this sort of thing for fun.

Sure enough, one of the other shabby patrons started babbling. "Great stuff, eh?"

"You bet," replied Locke. Ah, the mutual vapidness of drunks. "You know, I'm thinkin' of treating myself t'night," he continued, taking care to mimic the accent and tone of native Zozoans. "Gonna find a girl."

His inebriated companion gave a wide, goofy grin and nodded. "'Atta boy!" And he took another swig of his drink.

"Where do th' pretty ones hang out around here? I'm in visitin' for this special occasion."

The other man grunted and looked deep in thought. "Up at th' Auction, near Owzer's place. That's th' best of th' best, but you'd best have your wallet out!" and he gave a terrible, hacking laugh.

"Sounds good t' me," said Locke with a knowing smile. Then he finished his drink and with a clap on the back of the hopeless man, he made his exit.

He didn't have much trouble remembering where the old Auction House stood. He bounded up the steps of the Northern quarter of the city to be greeted by a rowdy crowd. The Auction – now more of a club – was just opening for the evening. Locke thought he recognized one of his attackers from the time before, but kept his composure and headed toward the entrance and paid his cover.

Inside, one would not have been able to tell that the place had just opened; the seasoned partygoers knew how to get things started right away. The auctioneer stage now hosted a band and a number of dancers, and people on the floor were cheering and dancing themselves, drinks in hand. Locke had been to a few places like this before, but he was more of a sit-at-the-bar kind of guy – then again, he wasn't here for pleasure anyway.

He ordered a drink but sipped it sparingly; trying his best to act like those around him but keep focused on his goal. After half an hour, he was beginning to worry that he might not, in fact, find what he was looking for here. He decided to give it another thirty minutes.

Just as he was about to give up and move to more desperate measures, he spotted her. Dressed in an ornate white corset and short ruffled skirt was Maria, doting over and feeding wine to a particularly smarmy looking man. Locke walked over as coolly as he could muster.

"Hey there, lady," he said, taking her hand. She smiled at him but he could see a hateful glare in her eye.

"I'm sorry, sugar, but I'm all tied up for the evening," she said sweetly and turned away from him. Her patron lolled his head back drunkenly as he laughed and put his arm around the escort.

Locke gritted his teeth but channeled his old charms.

"He seems like a well-endowed young man," he said, leaning toward her ear. "But I don't think he'll be giving you much of anything for too much longer." The other man stumbled a bit just then. "Trade him off and I'll pay even higher."

Maria turned back to face him, a look of hell on her face, masked as best as she could by a forced smile.

"If you don't leave me alone, I'll have you evicted, sir."

Locke put on his most innocent face. "I mean no offense, miss! I've just got a lonely heart and a full wallet, and you really caught my eye. I was hoping to treat you right tonight."

Her nostrils flared a bit to signify she was done keeping up with their act. "That was really lame, kid."

Just then her patron stumbled and fell to the floor, apparently unable to hold his liquor.

Maria sighed as a pair of burly men picked the man up and tossed him from the club. "I guess that means I'm available... I take my payment up front."

- x - x - x -

Locke had had to pay extra to get her to leave the club and accompany him back to the inn. He felt bad about spending so much of Celes' money but she had offered it up for the cause.

"I remember you from before," said Maria, without a drop of enthusiasm in her voice. "You were with that bitchy old woman. What makes you so desperate for my company?"

"Oh, I figured I'd take you up on that offer to pretend you were Celes," he said, feeling rather guilty at his own words. "Pretty desperate, you know."

Maria laughed. "At least you're honest."

They entered the inn and Locke quietly asked for the room booked under Maria's name. The innkeeper pointed him upstairs.

"After you," Locke offered, pushing open the door for his escort.

And upon entering, Maria was immediately greeted by a hand clutching her mouth. Locke shut and bolted the door behind them as Maria thrashed about. Celes twisted the girl's arms firmly behind her back.

"This isn't going to be as bad as it seems," said Daryl, loosening her grip on the girl's jaw. "We just didn't want you making a sudden scene."

"What the fuck is this? Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you last time-" Daryl cupped her hand over her mouth once again.

"First, you're gonna have to be quieter than that. Second, it's not related to last time."

Celes guided Maria over to the bed and tossed her down. Maria's eyes flitted between the three of them with a mix of anger and fear.

"I'm sorry to have had to trick you like this but there's something we need," explained Locke.

"You couldn't have just asked?" she hissed.

"If someone came up to you and asked to swap clothes, would you have simply agreed?" Celes loomed over the younger girl, arms crossed. Maria was dumbstruck by her presence, but let out a soft "Oh." She could see the resemblance they shared, but Celes was much, much scarier in person.

"Though I'm somewhat loath to do so, we need to trade places again," Celes sniffed and tossed a spare outfit of Daryl's at her. "Put these on and give me your clothes; you'll get them back in a couple hours. While you're changing, I have some questions for you, and you will answer them all truthfully."

Celes' militant efficiency was leading the charge, and everyone in the room could easily see how the young woman could have served such a high rank in the Imperial Army. She was formidable in action.

Locke awkwardly lingered in a corner of the room while the women changed. Daryl helped Celes into the frilly costume while Celes continued to drill Maria on details of things she would have to know to get into Owzer's manor without drawing suspicion. Had he seen it, Locke would've laughed at the ridiculous sight.

"What is the name of the person who does your hair?" Celes asked, her torso jerking backward as Daryl tightened the laces on the corset.

"Uh... a woman named Sal," replied Maria, who was no longer afraid but growing annoyed once again.

Celes glanced in the mirror across the room. "Help me put my hair up in some way that goes with this outfit," she commanded. Maria sighed and took some pins out of her purse. The most outwardly notable difference between the two was that Maria's hair was presently curled, while Celes' laid natural with a limp, untidy wave. A simple excuse of having visited her hairdresser last-minute would cover any potential questions. Locke, ever the enthusiast for disguise, admired the thoroughness with which Celes prepared for her role.

Maria cried out in protest suddenly when she caught Daryl rummaging through her purse a moment later.

"Cool it; I'm just getting some makeup," Daryl said unceremoniously. These women were ruthless!

A few minutes later, Celes was ready to go. Though her makeup was a bit exaggerated (Daryl hadn't worn any herself in years) and her hair somewhat messy (Maria was used to having other people style it for her), she was certainly convincing. Looking in the mirror again, she declared that she looked horrid.

As she and Locke headed for the door, Maria called to them.

"If you're gonna steal my clothes and keep me locked in here for a few hours, at least tell me what exactly you plan on doing."

"We're rescuing our friend Terra from Owzer," said Locke.

Maria scrunched her face in confusion. "Who the hell is Terra?"

- x - x - x -

There hadn't been time to sort out the details back at the inn, as a resounding gong signaled the hour. Owzer's party would be starting soon, and they had to get to the manor before the festivities began. Locke and Celes hurried back across the city. Following Maria's instructions, Locke was able to enter the front gates to the manor easily, and Celes slipped around the back to the courtesans' quarters.

Daryl had stayed behind to keep an eye on Maria, whom she was finding to be a very difficult companion.

"We can get you out of here too, you know," said Daryl from her seat in front of the door. "You don't have to stay in this place."

Maria surprised her by scoffing vehemently. "Why the hell would I want to leave?"

Daryl was taken aback. "Because... you're living a terrible life, being used by men! We'll get you somewhere safe, where you can earn an honest living and you'll never have to sell your body again."

"I'm honestly offended that you'd say such a thing," said the younger woman, leaning against the backboard of the bed and crossing her arms. "My life isn't at all terrible – in fact, I love what I do."

"But-"

"Who says I'm being used? If anyone is being used, it's the men who pay me. They slave for their money and they just give it all to me, simply for dancing or doting on them or sometimes sleeping with them. It's so easy, it's fun and I'm free to do the things I want in the meantime."

Daryl had grown contemplative and quiet. This was not the sort of thing she ever expected to hear from another woman.

"I'm happier now than I've ever been in my life," Maria continued. "Life at the Opera House was terrible. I wasn't there because I wanted to be. My family was poor; they discovered I could sing, so they sold me into it. Never saw them again. As a ward of the Opera House owners, I had no freedom whatsoever. I worked and worked and was never allowed to have any fun. I could never go out. I could never date men. I had to remain 'unspoiled' because they thought I would ruin my voice or my 'ambition' to sing. It was like a prison. Now, I can choose or deny any client that comes my way, I love the company of men, and in these hard economic times, I'm probably one of the richest people in the world. I won't deny I didn't expect this sort of lifestyle, but there is nothing about it that I would give up, now."

"But you're in danger," insisted Daryl. "Your clients could hurt you, and Owzer is stealing money that is rightfully yours."

"Haven't you ever paid taxes?" Maria retorted. "Owzer is very protective of all of his women – and men. We're extremely safe and the cut he takes goes toward keeping it that way."

Daryl considered everything for a moment longer. "Well, I'll admit that I don't understand the willingness to live this lifestyle, but I'm not entirely convinced. Think about how easy it was for us to kidnap you just now. If someone really had it out for you, Owzer wouldn't have been able to protect you."

At this, Maria had no response.

- x - x - x -

Celes followed the mental map she had drawn in her head according to what Maria had told her about the mansion. She easily found the girl's room and stepped inside. Thankfully, she encountered no servants or maidens, as women who knew Maria well would certainly be able to spot the impostor. And she was grateful that, in a last-minute call, Daryl had thrown a thin shawl over her shoulders. Even though it wasn't nearly fancy enough to match the outfit, the detail would be easily overlooked and it hid the tone of her arms and upper body.

A brief scan of the room told Celes that there was nothing of use in here, so she retreated back to the hall in search of Terra. As she walked forward, she felt a strange burning in her veins and recognized it to be a reaction to some sort of magical presence. It didn't quite feel like Terra, but it was promising, anyhow.

A few courtesans passed her by and said hello; Celes simply smiled and nodded in greeting, as she didn't trust her voice to conceal her identity. Then she continued to follow the presence that pulled her. The halls were rather labyrinthine and heavily decorated with fine artwork. She was hoping to find Terra quickly and Teleport out of the manor, but the further she went, the more the magical presence disturbed her. By now she knew for certain that it was not Terra's magic that was pulling her, and she had no idea what could possibly be waiting at the end of the line.

A voice made her stop dead in her tracks.

"Maria! Where are you going? I thought you had a full schedule tonight." Celes turned cautiously around to see a fat, toadlike man standing at the end of the hall. She had seen him before, at frivolous banquets in Vector thrown as thanks for the biggest supporters of the Empire. Owzer had not aged at all gracefully in the past couple years.

Celes cleared her throat. "I'm feeling a bit ill, sir," she aired, covering her mouth. "I came to get something for it."

"Tina's not going be of any help to you; the girl looks half dead herself anymore. Go back to your room and I'll send in a servant."

"Yes sir," she said, doubling back. Thankfully, Owzer did not appear to suspect anything was amiss just yet, but he led her all the way back to Maria's room himself, allowing no chance to escape.

"I'll have a servant right in; we'll be losing too much business with you out for a night."

Celes nodded sweetly as he closed the door. Then she waited a brief moment and Teleported back to the spot where she had left off, rashly hoping no one would be around to witness her arrival.

Time was crucial now; when the servant would enter to find an empty room she knew the alarm would be raised. She ran ahead in the direction her heart was pulling her, and found herself before a heavy set of double doors. Without hesitation, she pushed them open.

The room beyond was vast, the walls decorated more lavishly than any other room in the manor. The far end of the room was raised by a shallow set of steps, and on the wall above was an enormous painting. A figure lay crumpled at the foot of the painting amid a sea of blankets and cloths.

"Terra!" Celes called, rushing forward. The green-haired girl did not move. Celes' chest began to burn so painfully it actually caused her to stop and clutch herself. She then realized the Phoenix Magicite, which she had refused to leave behind and so hung on a cord around her neck, was fiery to the touch.

Suddenly, Terra's eyes shot open and she grasped at her ears, writhing around on the floor. A gurgling cry escaped her lips.

"Terra!" Celes hissed again, but her friend showed no reaction to her presence. She started to walk toward her but was harshly thrown backward by an invisible force.

Just then, two terribly unexpected things happened: the painting above Terra began to undulate, and Owzer appeared right behind Celes, backed up by a small army of haggard but mean-looking men.

"You do share a striking resemblance with Maria," he drawled, "but you're quite a fool to think you could truly pass for her on my watch."

Celes instinctively went to summon a wave of ice to hold them all back, but she felt her magic being absorbed by something in the room. She cursed and brandished the dagger she had tied to her thigh. Costumes be damned; she should have brought her sword.

"Terra, wake up!" she rasped, still staring down Owzer and his men. Then she noticed how the lackeys were gaping at something behind her. Whipping her head around, she saw that a thick fog had begun to pour out of the painting and a large, shadowy figure was lifting Terra's body off the ground.

"What the hell is that thing?" demanded Celes.

Owzer snorted. "Something that's been a pain in my ass for months. But if it'll finally take the girl and leave me alone, we can all be happy."

Celes slashed at the man's stomach with such speed that everyone in the room was taken aback. Owzer doubled over and growled at his men to attack the intruder. Unfortunately, Celes would be no match for this many foes with no magic and only a short dagger for a weapon. She backed away from the herd and, glancing over her shoulder, then noticed that blackened vines had emerged from the painting and were drawing Terra into it.

Magic again failed her. Panic began to rise in her chest.

Then Terra screamed as once again the Phoenix Magicite began to burn. Celes could finally see that the girl's earrings and necklace were made of Magicite shards. The two Espers were reacting to each other.

And then, though she did not will her spiritual power away, the Phoenix stole Celes' energy of its own accord and released itself from the Magicite she carried. A heatless fire engulfed the room and the men began to scatter. The great bird cried out and blew its flame over Terra's body. Finally, the girl awakened.

Even after the Phoenix's flames died down, her body continued to burn. Her hair began to turn rosy-white and her skin glowed like a blinding light. With a sudden burst of energy, she transformed into an Esper, destroying the demon behind her at the same time. Her metamorphosis after such a long sleep threw her into a rage as it had the first time her Esper form had awaked over a year ago. Unable to control her own power again, the room was quickly demolished and she flew through a wound in the ceiling.

Celes shouted curses as she started toward the door. But she was stopped by a sudden pounding in her chest as the Phoenix retreated to its Magicite. Upon regressing, the fragile crystal shattered into a fine powder and scattered everywhere. She cried out in despair.

She recovered just in time to notice Owzer lunging at her with a makeshift weapon. Celes dodged to the side and fled from the room, ignoring him completely. Tears stung her eyes as she Teleported to the courtyard outside, where she easily spotted Locke looking incredulous. The original plan would have had him join her in the mansion, but he had been unable to get farther than the gardens after all.

"Which way did Terra go?" she shouted, grabbing his arm as she broke into a sprint.

"Southwest!" he gasped, trying to keep up with her pace.

"Hopefully she won't have the energy to fly too far this time."

- x - x - x -

Daryl and Maria were both looking out the window. Even from this far away, they had been able to hear the commotion and flashes of light coming from the manor up north.

"Looks like things are going smoothly..." noted Daryl sardonically. Just then they saw what looked like a white comet shoot low through the sky nearby.

"What the hell was that?" Maria cried, jumping back from the window. Daryl shrugged. "I... want to leave," said Maria, skipping toward the door. Daryl caught her wrist.

"Look, I won't tell anyone about what you did, just let me go! I don't want to stay here anymore!" shrieked Maria.

"What about-?"

"I don't care about the clothes; you can have them. And no, I don't want to come with you!" Maria twisted her arm around to try to free herself from Daryl's grip.

Daryl looked defeated. Maria started to cry.

"Just leave me alone. You guys are scaring me."

The older woman dropped her arm. "I'm sorry, Maria," she said. "Even in trying to do good, it's easy to get caught up in your own way of doing things and not realize the harm you might be causing as side effect. We meant no offense to you."

Maria stared at her for a moment, her muscles tense. Then she opened the door and fled from the inn.

- x - x - x -

"Shit!" cursed Locke as they stopped to catch their breath. "Why does everything have to end up so complicated?"

"I'm having trouble locating her. Her energy is so wild right now it's impossible to pinpoint," said Celes. They leaned against the side of a building for a moment, panting.

"Should we go back to the inn first?" Locke wondered. But then they heard a set of footsteps stomping toward them from the south and they braced themselves.

"Hey, guys!" a familiar voice called. It was Daryl who ran up to them, supply bag over her shoulder. "That shooting star have anything to do with your friend?"

"Yeah, which way did she go?"

Daryl pointed in the direction she had seen the white light fly earlier. Celes took off without question.

"Where's Maria?" Locke asked before following. Daryl shook her head and told him not to worry about it. Then the two of them continued after Celes.

Chapter title taken from: The Music - "Cessation"