Final Fantasy VI-2 - Part II: Clyde's Odyssey
Chapter X – Friends
The escapees ran through a long passage towards the cockpit. Just as the door opened, they all leapt in with loud cheers. Daryl tackled Setzer energetically, both sharing very enthusiastic kisses at their reunion. The others proceeded to embrace and cry out in joy at this happy moment. Umaro even found it in him to grab Cyan, Siegfried, and Sabin all at once and give them a tight, suffocating squeeze.
"Mr. Thou!"
"Bro!"
"Grampa!"
"Oh little Relm!"
"Clyde!"
"Interceptor!"
When the imperial pilot began to look around uncomfortably, they all decided it was best to calm their excitement, and the noise diminished to a dull roar of sorts.
"Oh, it is so great to see you guys!" Edgar cried.
"Looks like you held together Gramps!" Relm said as she began to tear up.
"Hey guys, I want you to meet my friend Malain," said Clyde, gesturing to Malain as he stood awkwardly to the side.
"Greetings to all of you," he said with a small wave.
"Hey Sabin, you know this guy was taught by Duncan?" said Edgar.
"Woah, seriously?! Oh man, what style of his did you use?"
Sabin immediately became interested in the new fighter, engaging in a very rapid conversation with him about their common master.
"Hey, is this all who's here?" Daryl asked, still clinging tightly to Setzer.
"Well, Locke's in the cargo hold of the ship checking something out," Clyde explained, giving a very knowing look to Celes, who seemed to have the breath taken right out of her.
Meanwhile, Locke fumbled around inside one of the metal crates labeled with the imperial insignia, hoping to find some sort of armaments to utilize over their second-work swords. He hadn't really paid attention to the ship's course, not even noticing their brief stop and their abrupt launch into the sky… not to mention the turbulent deflection of Alexander's holy laser outside.
"Gah, you'd think my skills would give me some insight as to where the good stuff would be!" he grumbled.
He paid no heed when he heard the metal door slide open behind him, figuring it was one of the soldiers coming to find something. But as his hands dug deeper into the box, a very relaxing presence seemed to flow into the room, and he felt a hand touch his back softly, the fingers trembling. He slowly stopped his digging and turned to see Celes' watering eyes and her beautiful smile to greet him. There was a pause as he straightened up and simply gazed into her eyes, a million emotions flooding into him at once. Not a word was said, and she seemed to collapse into his arms, wrapping around his torso firmly, but not too tight.
"H-hey y-you… doing alright?" Locke stuttered, placing his cheek against her soft, snow-flaked hair, loving that familiar scent as it met his senses.
"Yeah…" she whispered as they continued to embrace, standing in near silence in the cargo hold.
They certainly did not need exaggerated excitement to express their feelings at the moment.
Later
"Alright guys… those of us fortunate not to be enslaved have voted to check on Owzer, who's been using his house as a shelter since The Flood," said Locke as the group convened in a small chamber specifically designed for meetings like this.
"We see big man! Ugah!" Umaro cheered.
"Yes Umaro… big man," Locke replied.
"I'm game for that!" said Daryl.
"'Tis a fine opportunity to recover more allies," Cyan added.
"Alright, now that we're agreed on that… we need to start getting a game plan together. We're going to have to pull all the stops out on this and make Thomas Geeda our new Kefka," said Edgar.
"Alright! We're going to assault the fortress?!" Sabin asked excitedly.
"Woo! We salt! Salty fortress yum!" chanted Gau as he danced around and clapped his hands.
"Not so swiftly," said Clyde.
Gau quickly stopped and instead opted to roll around on the floor.
"If dis Thomas Geeda is half de man I saw today… we will need an army to help us," said Malain.
"Trust me, we're going to get an army," said Setzer.
"Mm, I do anticipate a great battle," said Siegfried, standing quietly in the corner of the room, messing with his dirty and unkempt hair.
"Is Lord Valkin prepared for something like this? Wait… is Lord Valkin still in power?" asked Celes, being fairly shut off even as a renowned actress, given her many failed attempts at escaping.
"Yeah, Valkin is fine, and the imperials have been developing at a good pace since the disaster," Setzer replied.
"Oh yeah! Our good ol' boy Setzer is Captain Gabbiani now!" said Locke.
"Ahahaha!Captain Gabbiani?!" Relm cried, almost dying of laughter.
"Now dear, let's not make fun of-" Strago started.
"That's awesome!" Sabin exclaimed.
"Gee Locke… thanks for opening that up," said the captain, holding his head in annoyance.
"Always glad to be of service… Captain."
A soft buzz sounded overhead, and a voice came from a speaker in the ceiling.
"Captain Gabbiani, we have arrived in Jidoor"
"Yeah! Let's go!" Relm declared.
Outside in the approaching darkness of night, the jet slowed down considerably as it descended over the city. Very little remained of the once brimming town of artistry, and the only place to land was the water itself, right next to a dingy harbor that was built at the foot of the steps to Owzer's large mansion, which was oddly in perfect condition.
People peered out from the docks and through the brightly lit windows of the great house as the aircraft slowly dropped to the water, sitting on the surface with the buoyancy of any normal sea ship. They all continued watch curiously as the hatch on the side revealed itself and a ramp stretched out onto the wooden pier. Their eyes then became fixated on a team of very weathered individuals, a handful of which were covered in dark filth, while they appeared from the strange air vehicle and marched straight towards the house. They grew wary when they noticed some of the team armed with weapons.
"Hold there, strangers! Be you of the empire?" asked a man dressed in a maroon suit.
"I am Captain Setzer Gabbiani of Lord Valkin's air forces," Setzer replied, saluting the man.
"What is your business here in Jidoor? Do you seek refuge or business?" the man asked.
"We're here to see an old friend," Clyde added.
"Oh my! Sir Clyde! Friends! Is it really you?!" called the excited voice of Owzer as he stepped out of his house, looking healthier than ever even as he hobbled towards them with a bright gold cane for support.
"Sir Owzer!" Clyde exclaimed, running forward to greet the robust man, his very first true and permanent companion on his long journey after Kefka.
The others greeted him warmly, and exchanged much calmer pleasantries than those aboard the jet.
"Pleasure to be meetin' you, sir. Clyde here has said many good tings about you, and I do like your fine house," said Malain as the two shook hands.
"Why, thank you my boy! Clyde here saved my skin more than once! Goodness, I'd have to say all of these fine individuals have!"
"Hey, don't you forget how you distracted Bahamut from blasting us to smithereens," said Locke, putting his arm playfully around Owzer.
"Ah… sir?" said the man in maroon.
"Oh, Michael, you needn't bother these fellows. They are friends of mine, and I will personally take care of them. But, you may certainly see if our imperial allies on that peculiar vessel need assistance," said Owzer, receiving a dutiful nod from the man.
"Speaking of which, how has everyone been since the Flood? Oh, well let's discuss it inside, shall we? I daresay, Captain Gabbiani, your ship style has changed a bit?" continuing to ramble on with questions as he retreated for his home.
"Heh…" Setzer muttered, scratching his head.
"Gosh… and to think you used to be known as 'Setzer, the womanizing pilot who loved to make an entrance'! What a promotion!" said Celes, nudging him playfully as they were led toward the house.
"Watch out Celes… he might make you do push-ups!" Locke whispered.
"I thought I was the womanizer..." said Edgar in a last minute thought.
Meanwhile
Thomas Geeda sat at the desk in his personal study, his forearms resting on the arms of the chair while he stared blankly at the flat plane of wood covered with various scrolls and booklets, all of which he considered useless documents. Diplomacy was not his business, and requests for his mercy came in nearly every day now… and there was little possibility of him changing his tyrannical routine. If he showed mercy, the world would think him soft… and that could not be. He was suddenly broken from his meditation by a knock at the door.
"Enter," he commanded.
The great doors opened, and Zirgen Thade stepped quietly into the room, shutting the door behind him. When Thomas caught sight of him, he stood from his chair and held his hands behind his back in his way of proper attentiveness, feet shoulder-width apart and chin up as he addressed his subordinate.
"Let me guess… the self-proclaimed heroes' escape from our inescapable slave camp is not the full extent of our present issues?" said Geeda calmly.
"Yes sir," Thade replied, stroking his beard with at troublesome face.
"Report," Thomas said more sternly.
"Lord Geeda… the mages are trying the best they can, and we've been working for a good length of time. But, we've heard nothing of the Chancellor in Thamasa, and we've made very little progress in discovering the-"
"DAMMIT, Zirgen!" Tom growled, slapping the desk furiously.
"I don't think you understand how much power I expended in bringing those espers back AND drawing magic into this world once again! If you don't find that gate, all of that effort will be for nothing! So… I implore you to work harder, and push those mages further until that damn thing is found!" Geeda shouted.
"Y-yes Lord," Zirgen said before exiting the room quickly.
Thomas stood there seething, clutching his fists tightly before relaxing once again, taking a few deep breaths.
"I sought you out for the ultimate power, and you have strengthened me well… yet you have failed to deliver me what I desire most," he said as he pulled up the Crystal Tear, gazing into its electric blue glow.
"Devastating the world was one thing… ruling it was something else, but it seems that assimilating it will be considerably more difficult than both," Tom mused as he sat down once again, continuing to stare at his precious blue treasure.
Later
"All that adventure, and I missed it! Oh, I'm rather jealous!" said Owzer as the team sat in his familiar kitchen, the party from Narshe devouring all the food they could.
"You certainly have changed Sir Owzer. When I first met you… well, let's just say you weren't the bravest of men," said Clyde.
"War changes a man, sonny… or so I hear," Owzer replied with a big smile.
"Well, we've been through a lot, and nothing has stopped us yet," said Edgar.
"Perseverance is what we are best at!" Strago proclaimed, raising his fist.
"Luck is part of that too," Setzer added.
"Yeah… luck and damn good timing I'd say," said Locke.
"Don't forget de power of teamwork. From what I have observed, you all seem to work together very well," Malain noted.
"Heh, that's something ol' master Duncan used to stress… always lend a partner a helping hand and they'll do the same for you," said Sabin.
"I swear, you two are the love children of that old coot!"
"Hey, you watch it kid!"
"Hah! Come on meathead, let's go!"
"Oh my… at least don't start throwing food at each other. Some of the refugees have less than desirable eating habits as is," groaned Owzer as Sabin tried to grab for Relm, the little girl weaving through his legs while the others watched in amusement.
When everyone had finally filled their stomachs to their hearts' content, it was time for some well-deserved rest in actual beds. It came a pleasant surprise to all as they lay upon the soft mattresses and snuggled under the warm covers. Granted, Umaro and Interceptor did not have the luxury of beds, but were offered a place by Owzer's repaired personal room with a brand new fireplace that was burning very warmly. Both fell asleep almost instantly upon coming in contact with the heat. Gau, never having appreciated conventional sleep, joined them minutes later.
"Welp, you have a g'night Gramps!" said Relm as she bounced onto her bed and wrapped herself in the covers.
"Mm, you too my dear," he mumbled, already half asleep.
"I cannot thank you enough for your hospitality," said Malain as he crawled into his bed, being in the same room as Clyde and Edgar.
"Ah, don't mention it. I've been taking care of people who are much worse off, but I could never deny my friends and their allies a place to stay," said Owzer as he retired from the room.
"Let's get some good sleep now… I'll bet we have a big day tomorrow!" said Edgar.
"Ow! Celes, that's my leg!" came Locke's yell from another room, earning some stifled laughter from his friends.
Morning
"Heey Interceptor! C'mere boy!"
"Now Relm, don't feed the dog your whole meal!"
"Uwaoo! Bacon?! Bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon!!"
"Gau, chill! You'll get some in a-"
"BACON!"
"Excuse me…"
"OW! JEEZ! HERE, TAKE SOME BACON!"
"I say, this lemonade is quite delicious!"
"Edgar, slow down! You're going to choke!"
"I'll bet you five pieces-"
"Setzer! Don't gamble!"
"Me? Gamble? Why Celes, I'm offended!"
"Ah,excuse me…"
"Heeey… where's my last piece of toast?"
"You probably fed it to the dog…"
"I've never had such a wonderful breakfast."
"Keep your eyes of my plate, Locke!"
"Excuse me!"
"Hey! Guys, listen up!" called Locke, finally hearing the female messenger as she entered the kitchen, swiping a bite of egg from Celes' plate.
"There's some sort of monster on your ship outside…" she muttered.
There was a pause as they all looked at each other, and all of them immediately bolted from the room and made way to Owzer's front door, Locke throwing it open forcefully as they dashed outside, where not a soul was to be found.
"What the… hey, what is that?!" said Sabin.
Perched upon their jet was a terrifying creature. It was a built, humanoid demon with great bat-like wings and red and black skin, possessing slender fingers and toes and sporting great horns on its head. It gave them a sharp-toothed smile as they appeared outside in the morning light.
"You know, if I didn't know any better… I'd say we've got ourselves an esper here!" said Locke as he pulled out a knife he grabbed from the kitchen while the others stood unarmed.
The demon growled and threw its hand towards them, releasing a large gray orb that looked suspiciously like a gravity spell. They found out soon enough when the sphere expanded itself around them, weighing their bodies down to the ground and absorbing a massive amount of energy from them before dissipating, leaving them heavily weakened as they lay defenseless.
"I can't… move!" said Setzer as he struggled to pull himself up.
The creature began to float towards them, when a cannonball came rocketing into its back, throwing it straight into the wall of Owzer's house. It roared in pain as it slammed into the brick, leaving a large imprint of its body when it whirled around to face a small ship coming towards the mansion.
"Pirates?" Clyde wondered, noticing the untidy style of the vessel was nothing like the Empire or the Legion.
The demon was about to call upon more magic to battle this new foe until a voice cried out.
"Flare!"
The powerful spell hammered the esper and sent it into an epileptic, twitching fit before it soared into the sky and disappeared from sight as the pirate ship pulled into harbor next to their untouched jet. They gave a unanimous sight of relief when they could move again, and eagerly stood at this victorious moment.
"Well that was quick!" said Sabin.
"Yes indeed. Who is the noble caster? Twas you, Miss Celes?" asked Cyan.
"Me? I couldn't even talk, let alone move my arms," she replied.
"Wasn't me either," said Strago.
"Avast, fellows!" called a man from the new ship dressed in a bright assortment of clothing with a large, feathered hat perched on his head.
The door behind the heroes quickly opened, and Owzer's herald Michael came running out to greet the pirates, noticing that the beast had disappeared.
"Greetings sailor, and welcome to what is left of Jidoor, now a refuge for those in need. State your allegiance!" he declared while the others approached.
"Aye, we have no true allegiance… but we aren't with that blood-sucking Thomas Geeda if that's what you want to know. We're actually here to deliver this-"
"Oh my goodness, it is you!" cried a familiar voice.
The team looked around in confusion until Terra Branford, decked out in pirate garb complete with a red bandana covering her long green hair, came running from the ship and onto shore, surprising all of them. Michael and the sailor took their conversation to the side to allow for the reunion.
"TERRA!" exclaimed several of them at once.
Edgar, Locke, and Sabin ran forward and gave her a huge group hug, which she returned as best she could. Then came Celes and Daryl, and soon everyone was upon her with equal relief and shock at her arrival… except for Clyde and Malain who stayed closer to the house. Malain simply watched out of his not being acquainted with her, but Clyde was frozen stiff.
He felt fine now that the esper was gone and its magic had worn off, but for some reason he could not bring himself to put one foot in front of the other and approach one of his many long lost friends. Sure, he wasn't quite so enthusiastic even when the others had come aboard their new airship, but this was just unreal to him. What was keeping him from running forward and giving Terra a nice, tight hug… or maybe even a kiss? Wait, did he just think that? A kiss? No, this was not the time for those kind of feelings. Yes, he liked her a lot, but he cared for her just as much as the next girl right? She was just a close friend like everyone else here, and certainly nothing more. Well, there was that night in Valorin on the roof… and then the moment just outside the Ancient Castle when he took her hand and led her to safety. That was nothing though, just a moment of him looking out for one of his friends.
"Clyde, are you…?" said Celes, noticing that both Clyde and Terra had begun to stare at each other… both possessing a strange sort of longing in their eyes.
Terra had not seen those amazing eyes in a long time… yet it felt like they had been stuck on her mind ever since The Flood began. He was the first person she thought of when she found herself stranded, and every day since then she kept thinking of him. She wanted to see him and wanted to be in his presence, because he had that special way of calming her and making her feel so wonderful. Having endured the destruction of the world once, she knew that everyone was alive, and somehow she knew that Clyde was going to find her again… or at least, she was going to find him. But now, in this moment of discovery, she couldn't move. She was frozen with… fear? Apprehension? Maybe not, but she was certainly frozen with something.
Malain carefully leaned forward and whispered to Clyde, "It don't take a genius to see dat dis is de Terra you spoke of once… and do you remember what you said you'd do if you saw her again?"
Clyde searched back into his memory for a second before recalling that day, not long before he and Malain escaped captivity.
"I swear Malain… I would sacrifice so much just to see her again, or even just to know that she's somewhere in good hands. I think that if we ever encountered each other again, I would just run up and give her a nice long hug, holding her forever to make sure she was real,"he said back then.
This was the motivation he needed, and he immediately moved forward with a very purposeful stride. He approached her quickly, and her face was searching his for some sign of his intentions while she remained in her place. Then, everything came together at once, and he simply reached down and put his arms around her torso, leaning his head on her shoulder. She reacted by putting her arms around his neck and resting her own head against his chest, listening as his heart pounded furiously from his nerves.
"I… I've missed you Clyde," she muttered.
"Me too," he replied, continuing to hold her while their friends watched in wonder.
Author's Note: First chapter of the New Year! Hoo-rah! Now, I have a little notice that I'd like for you readers to pay special heed to. If, by any chance you figure something out or discover some hidden truth within this tale, I beg of you… keep it to yourself, please! I would hate to be the reader of a story and see a comment with a theory about who this is or what this does, because it would spoil my own imaginative insight and I definitely wouldn't enjoy the story as much. I'd like to keep a few people in suspense, although I know there are definitely some keen ones out there who have picked up on certain things. But, just keep it to yourself and wait for the moment of truth. If you were right, proudly proclaim your aptitude and I will commend you on such swell investigation! Enjoy!