Draconis: I wonder if that glitch will be fixed by the time I post this?
Terra: What glitch?
Draconis: Eh, a glitch has hit the servers of this site that basically froze the stats of the story, making any recent progress unviewable for the time being. (A/N: It was, but stats were lost )
Kenshin: Huh, that bites.
Draconis: Indeed. Now to the fans of this story, sorry it's taking me so long between updates, especially seeing as we're so close to the end. I'll try to be more consistent for the last few chapters.
Final Fantasy VI A Retold Tale.
Chapter 26
A Prelude to the End
Draconis: Begin!
(start)
Kenshin was standing on the deck of the Falcon in the night sky. "..." He sighed to himself. "Why did you have to come now?" He muttered to himself, referring to Yukari, Miyuki and Shin.
"Yo." Kenshin turned to find Setzer. "You look like something's bugging you."
"Something like that." Kenshin said. "How's everyone doing downstairs?"
"Meh, about the same really. Heheheh, I just cleaned the old man out." Setzer said tossing a bag of gil up and down.
Kenshin rolled his eyes at him. "And I thought I loved money."
"Not as much as me." Setzer chuckled. "So what's exactly is bugging you?"
"Well...it's just the people out there looking for me, my sisters and that Shin person." Kenshin said.
"Are either of them available?" Setzer asked.
"...What?" Kenshin asked with a glare.
"Are either of them available?" Setzer repeated.
"They're a little too young for you, jackass!" Kenshin shouts. "Forget it, I'm outta here."
"Kenshin, relax I was only foolin'." Setzer said. "What's up?"
Terra had begun ascending the stairs when Kenshin started talking. "Well, it's just they had to come bring me back home."
"..." Terra ducked down and listened in.
"So? Go there then, didn't we have an agreement to head over there together when this whole matter was settled?" Setzer asked.
"I never agreed to that." Kenshin said with narrowed eyes.
"Hahaha. But seriously, what's the big deal?" Setzer said.
"Setzer, I'm not even sure how the Warring Triad even brought me here to begin with, if I go back, it could likely be a one way trip." Kenshin said. "I'm assuming the way here would close when I leave."
"!" Terra gasped to herself.
"Hum...I see." Setzer said. "That's tough...I assume you don't want to leave Terra behind?"
"No, I don't, but at the same time, Yukari and Miyuki along with my mother, are the only living family I've got other than my surrogate sister Celes, who I'd be leaving as well if I did in fact leave." Kenshin said.
"Then don't go." Setzer said. "Kenshin, it's obvious to me you were planning on staying with Terra, even planning to marry her, so why is this such a hard decision?"
"..." Kenshin turned out toward the horizon.
"I mean you said yourself that the world you came from hated your guts." Setzer said. "Why subject yourself to that again?"
"..." Kenshin said nothing.
"...Unless..." Setzer said. "There's another woman waiting for you back home isn't there?"
Kenshin sighed. "...Yeah."
"? !" Terra was stunned. "Kenshin...has another lover? Before me?" She thought.
"Whoa...that is a whole 'nother can of worms." Setzer said.
"Tell me about it." Kenshin said. "I love Terra...I really do, but at the same time..."
"You still kinda miss your old squeeze?" Setzer asked.
"I missed her greatly when I first arrived in this world, but the job I had to do, and watching over Terra, kinda took my mind off of things." Kenshin said. "Then...well the rest as they say is history."
"Then your sisters come by looking for you and you figure they won't leave here without you." Setzer said. "Ya think we'll have to fight them?"
Kenshin shook his head. "No, I should be able to talk to them without the shit hitting the fan."
"I see, that's rough." Setzer said. "Yeah, I can't help ya there. If it were me, I'd try to bag 'em both!"
Kenshin smirked. "Don't make me throw you off this airship Gabbani."
Setzer chuckled warily. "I-I'll shut up now."
"Hahaha." Kenshin laughed. "Well thanks for listening to my problems, I'll be going below deck."
"!" Terra ran back below deck. She ran into Celes who was confused. "Terra? You said you were going to get some air, you already got it?"
"Celes, can I talk to you about something?" Terra asked.
"Sure, what's going on?" Celes asked.
"No no no. In private." Terra clarified.
"Uhm...Ok." Celes said.
Kenshin looked over and saw Terra pulling Celes into a separate room. "?" A curious look appeared on his face. "What's goin' on?" He wondered.
"Girl stuff it seems like." He turned to find Locke walking up to him. "Then again Terra was just out there."
"? !" Kenshin's eyes widened. "She was? !" He said.
"Errr...yeah...was she not supposed to be?" Locke asked.
"...No...No, it's nothing, never mind." Kenshin said walking toward the open bar Setzer kept and grabbed himself a bottle of vodka and some things to mix it with. All the while thinking. "Aaaah! She knows! Fuck!"
"Don't you think you should have told her about what Yukari and Miyuki were here for in the first place?" Ryuushin asked.
"I was going to after we were done with all this running around." Kenshin said.
"Not only that..." Ryuushin said with a glower.
"...Hah...I know Dad..." Kenshin thought.
(break)
Next day.
Kenshin, Terra, Strago, Shadow, Gau and Relm went into Thamasa. The former two weren't able to make much eye contact with one another. "Is there something wrong with you two?" Strago asked.
"Huh? !" Kenshin and Terra both exclaimed. "U-Uh, n-no nothing." They said.
"...Uh huh...and I was the Emperor's long lost brother." Strago muttered.
Relm walked ahead. "Alright, we're back! It's just like old times."
"Well, if feel that way." Kenshin shrugged.
"..." Shadow glanced around.
"Well, I guess if it is like old times, we can relax like so." Strago said as Relm ran ahead.
"Didn't you do that while we were gone?" Terra asked.
"I mean for you two. Something's obviously eating at you both." Strago said.
"Everything's fine I tell you." Kenshin said with an annoyed glare.
"He's right, something's bothering you." Shadow said.
"You're bothering me." Kenshin said glaring at the shinobi.
"..." Terra looked over at him. "He knows that I know...doesn't he?" Terra thought.
"Grandpa!" Relm said rushing back to them. "This is terrible, Gungho's hurt!"
"G...Gungho!" Strago said rushing toward his house.
Kenshin meanwhile walked toward the forest and to Leo's grave. "...Heh, I was kinda worried that your grave didn't make it through the disaster, nice to see those fears were not made true." He said with a smile. He closed his eyes. "I know you're there Terra."
"..." Terra walked out. "Kenshin...can we...talk for a moment?"
"Might as well, if we let this set for too long, everyone's just going to lock us into a room together." Kenshin said with an amused look.
"...Hehehehe..." Terra giggled. "I don't think that would be a bad thing...we'd have some measure of privacy."
"Eh, depends on how soundproof the walls are." Kenshin shrugged.
"Haaah..." Terra sighed contently. "Kenshin...are you planning on leaving?"
"...I don't know." Kenshin said glancing away from her. "I do know that if I did, I wouldn't do it until Kefka is dealt with."
"I see..." Terra glanced down at the ground. "Well...whatever you choose...I'll support you."
"..." As Terra walked away. Kenshin reached over and grabbed her wrist and yanked her back toward him.
"? !, Wh-Wha...Mm." Terra was silenced by Kenshin's lips on top of hers.
As quickly as it started, it ended. "I don't want you to support me no matter what...I want you..to tell me to stay when the time comes." Kenshin said staring into her eyes.
"Wh-When the time comes...?" Terra asked.
"When I have to make the decision." Kenshin clarified as he stood her back up. "Saying you'll support me no matter the decision I make...well...heheh...it kinda makes you sound like you don't want me around anymore." He said with a grin.
"N-No! I-I didn't mean it like that!" Terra said with a fluster.
"Hahahaha, I know I know." Kenshin said kissing her on the cheek. "Come on."
The two left the gravesite and went back into town where Strago, Relm, Gau and Shadow were waiting. "What is going on?" Terra asked.
"Could we go to the island north of here?" Strago asked.
"Um...sure, what's up?" Kenshin asked.
"My friend and I used to hunt this beast together, we never had much luck, but while I've been gone he finally got a lead on it and tried to go it alone, it injured him pretty good." Strago said.
"Hmm...he's in your house right?" Kenshin asked.
"Yes." Strago nodded. "Don't worry. He administered healing spells on himself after he escaped. He'll live, but I think any more aid would be at a moot point now."
"I see, that's good." Kenshin said. "Let's get on over there then and take this thing down."
"Be wary, this thing is hard to find." Strago said.
"We'll manage." Shadow said.
"Yup Yup!" Gau said.
(break)
Later.
The group of six had Setzer land them on the island. "This the place? This cave?" Kenshin asked.
"Yes, this is Ebot's Rock." Strago said.
"Let's head in." Shadow said.
"Gau, stay close to Relm." Terra said.
"Yes Mama." Gau said.
"I don't think you needed to tell him that." Kenshin said. "He'd stay by his girlfriend regardless."
"Hrn!" Relm chucked a rock at Kenshin's head.
"Ow!" Kenshin said.
"Oh come on, you're supposed to be the second Elemental Knight." Relm said.
"My powers aren't always active you little brat!" Kenshin snapped.
"Hahahaha!" Relm laughed. The group entered the cave, to find a button. "Huh? Is this it?"
"Doubtful." Shadow said.
"He's right, I'm sensing magical enchantments on this button." Kenshin said. "I'll step on it."
"Be careful." Terra said.
Kenshin nodded and took a step forward. He instantly vanished. Everyone stepped on the button following after him. "Huh, so it's a warp button." Kenshin said. He turned finding an open chest. "...Aww.." He moaned in disappointment.
"What are you moaning at? !" The chest piped up.
"EH? !" Kenshin said out of shock.
"What in the? !" Relm yelled.
"A talking chest?" Terra said curiously.
"How interesting." Shadow said.
"Give me coral and I'll let you go by!" The chest said.
"We...don't have any." Kenshin said. "Besides, what's to stop me from just breaking you to pieces."
"Aside form the fact that if I'm destroyed, the magics in this cave deactivate and you'd be stranded here?" The chest said.
"Ugghhh..." Kenshin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Damn fetch quests." Everyone except Shadow sweatdropped as Kenshin went back to the button. Half an hour later Kenshin returned carrying a sack and kicked the chest open dropping the sack inside. "There, did your ass get enough coral? !" Kenshin shouts.
"You sound...frustrated." Strago said.
"Well no shit! I warped around this freakin' joint looking for coral, sometimes I would warp, only to be in the same room I just left...several. Times! OVER!" He shouts. He turned around and saw the chest had moved. "Oh, I guess that was enough." He said.
The group proceeded inward, only to encounter a large green beast flanked by several smaller beasts. "E-Eh? !" Relm said hiding behind Gau who growled at the monster.
"Get ready everyone, that's Hidon!" Strago announced.
"Alright, first things first, dust up the smaller ones, they'll get annoying real fast." Kenshin said.
"On it..." Shadow said holding stacks of shuriken in hand which he threw into the smaller versions of Hidon. They fell to the ground dead.
"Alright, easy eno-" Kenshin was cut off.
"Wait, that won't work! Back away!" Strago said.
Kenshin jumped back as more Hidonites spawned from Hidon. "...Huh..." Kenshin drawled out. "Well, I've got an fixer for this." He said stepping forward. "Leave these shrimps to me and Gau, Gau." Kenshin said.
"Uh huh!" Gau said hopping up to Kenshin's side.
"Wanna go a little wild with Papa?" Kenshin asked with a grin.
"Yup yup!" Gau whooped.
"Haha, alright then..." Kenshin said with a growing smirk on his face as flames spiraled around him. "Then let's go!" He said rushing forward, throwing himself into the Hidonites with Gau following behind.
"Try not to kill them quite yet!" Strago called out. "Hidon will just spawn more of them!"
"Gotcha!" Kenshin replied.
"Alright...how do we deal with this thing?" Relm nervously asked.
"..." Terra narrows her eyes and casts the Scan Spell. "Hmm, it's weak to fire, earth, and light magic, or Pearl."
"Really?" Strago asked. "Huh, this might end up being easier than I thought."
"Indeed." Shadow said throwing something at Hidon. "Fire Skean!"
"Grruohh!" Hidon roared as it's burn wounds regenerated.
"...Or not." Strago said.
"Watch it everyone, these things have a healing factor." Kenshin said.
"We can see that!" Relm shouts.
"Hm...I was able to take the little ones out by hitting their vitals..." Shadow stroked his chin in thought.
"I don't think you'll be able to hit them under all that flesh. Not with those throwing stars." Strago said shaking his head. "Let me try something. Blow Fish!"
Hidon grunted as thousands of needles stabbed into him, he forced them all out and his wounds regenerated again. "Damn, that didn't work either." Strago said.
"We need to find a way to vaporize it..." Terra lifted her hand, holding Valigarmanda's magicite. "Hmm..." She raised it upward. "Come forth!"
Valigarmanda appeared in his beast form and fired a laser comprised of flames, electricity and ice magics.
"Pearl Wind!"
"Ice 2!"
"Bolt Edge!"
The three attacks, fired by Strago, Relm and Shadow each combined with Valigarmanda's Tri Laser and vaporized Hidon. "Hah! We did it!" Strago said.
"That was surprisingly easier than I had expected." Kenshin said with an arched brow.
"Well, there are six of us." Shadow noted.
"True." Kenshin shrugged. "Alright, let's head back."
The group arrived back at Thamasa and delivered the good news to Strago's friend, they decided to stay in Thamasa for the night. Strago and his friend were already piss drunk and passed out. Terra was spending time with Relm and Gau. So Kenshin found himself approaching Shadow, who stood against the center tree of the village. "...You lied about not being Relm's father, didn't you?"
"..." Shadow stared at him. "...What gives you that idea?"
"A lot of things. Interceptor is your dog, and a vicious attack dog at that." Kenshin said. "Yet he becomes as harmless as a puppy around her."
"Maybe he just likes kids." Shadow suggests.
"Maybe, but he doesn't act that way around Gau." Kenshin countered. "Interceptor doesn't attack Relm, because you two likely have similar scents, her being your daughter."
"...what else then?" Shadow asked.
"You may think you're slick, but I've noticed how you stare at Relm. Those are not the eyes of a man who just wants to protect his friend's daughter." Kenshin said. "They are the eyes of an ever worrying father. That and you and Strago spend a lot of time together, suggesting you have a history, he's Relm's grandfather, so you must have gotten close to Strago's daughter before you became this." He said gesturing toward Shadow.
"..." Shadow hopped off the tree. "Well, I told you I would tell you my story. Is now the time that you wish to make good on that arrangement?"
"We've got time. Pretty soon we'll be needing to fight Kefka. So it's best to get everything out now, while we can." Kenshin said.
"I see." Shadow said. "You are right in what you said about me, I wasn't always a hired assassin, but what I did before that wasn't exactly legal either."
"Oh?" Kenshin said.
"Yes. My partner Baram and I, we were a pair of train robbers, and one day...we had hit the big score we had been looking for." Shadow said. "One Million Gil."
"Whew." Kenshin whistled, impressed. "How did you carry all of it?"
"By Chocobo, we released them and they ran back to our base while we fled on foot." Shadow said.
"Any particular reason you were doing this?" Kenshin asked.
"I forget, it's been too long." Shadow said. "We were still on the run, when Baram was gravely wounded. He was losing blood rapidly and there was no way I'd have been able to carry him to the nearest village. He told me to run, but first, he wanted me to kill him, so that the Empire couldn't torture him."
"...You couldn't do it, could you?" Kenshin asked.
"...No." Shadow shook his head. "I fled, and kept running until my legs could no longer carry me. When I awoke, I found myself here in this village...where I met Relm's mother, and her dog. I remained here, trained the dog as my own and...eventually we had Relm. However, after those five years had passed, I knew I couldn't remain here any longer. Every day I could have been putting them in danger, Relm's mother had passed during childbirth...so I left her in Strago's care and left the village, assuming a new identity, Shadow...what Baram and I had planned to name our group to begin with."
"So...you left her with Strago, in order to protect her?" Kenshin asked.
"Yes." Shadow nodded.
"Then why not come clean about it now? There's no more empire to threaten you or her anymore." Kenshin said.
"It's been too long, it's best for me to just remain in the background, watching over her." Shadow replied.
"...Well...you've got me there, I'm no parent..do as you wish." Kenshin said walking away, but before he left completely, he said. "But you know...I kinda feel sorry for her."
"Hm?" Shadow said.
"She's growing up, you know...never really knowing that she has a mother or a father who care about her." Kenshin said.
"She has her grandfather." Shadow countered.
"For how long? Strago's an old man, he won't live for very much longer and Relm's only eleven." Kenshin countered back. "And no matter what you say, the love a grandparent, it's not really the same as the love you would receive from your mother or your father. Take it from someone who grew up without his mother for six years, and without either parent for the next four." Kenshin said. "It hurts...badly."
"..." Shadow said nothing.
"...But in the end, it's your choice, if you decide to keep being this..." He said gesturing his hand at Shadow. "Then I won't say anything more." He continued to walk away from Shadow, as soon as Kenshin left. Shadow turned and laid his fist into the tree.
"Damn...bastard..." Shadow muttered.
Kenshin walked by the inn where Terra was waiting. "Kenshin, what were you and Shadow talking about?"
"Sorry, but per the agreement I struck with Shadow when I beat him, I can't say." Kenshin said.
"Oh." Terra said. "Just squaring off your arrangement then?"
"Yeah." Kenshin nodded.
"Well if you can't tell me, then I'll accept it." Terra said.
"Thanks...I'm kinda hungry, I'll go hunt something and cook it, I'll be back in a couple of hours." Kenshin said.
"OK." Terra nodded. "Stay safe."
Meanwhile, Shadow was approached by Relm. "Uhm...you seem upset."
"No, I am fine." Shadow said shaking his head.
"I see." Relm said. "Well, are you hungry? Miss Terra and I made a bowl of soup earlier, but...Gau went kinda crazy on it." She said with a nervous giggle. "But I managed to save a bowl for you."
"..." Shadow turned to her.
"U-Uhm...w-well, if not I guess I could just go offer it to Kenshin." Relm said.
"Relm, might I watch you paint?" Shadow asked.
"Huh?" Relm asked.
"Might I watch you paint?" Shadow repeated.
"U-Uhm...r-really? Won't you be bored?" Relm asked.
"Not at all, I had a...friend who like to paint, I used to watch her a lot." Shadow said. "She was really good, kind of like you are."
"W-Well, if you insist." Relm said with an nervous smile. "This way."
Shadow followed her into her house. "You already had something set up?"
"Yeah, I was meaning to ask if I could paint you, but I just didn't know how to approach you." Relm said.
"Well not tonight, maybe some time later." Shadow said.
"Aw, alright." Relm said with a deflated tone.
Meanwhile, Kenshin was hunting in the forest when a small dragon landed in front of him. "!" Kenshin jumped back, only to realize...that this dragon was not here to do battle with him. "..." He approached it. It had a letter attached to it's neck. "What's this?" He wondered, taking it from the dragon and handing it a piece of the beast he'd just killed and petting the bridge of it's nose. "Stay right here, will ya?" The dragon nodded back to him and started eating.
Kenshin walked a short distance away and opened up the letter. It read.
Kenshin
Come to the snowy mountains of the north.
There is a lot I have to tell you, especially concerning the man controlling shit around here.
Make it snappy will you?
Your Master
Shin Tatsu.
"..." Kenshin narrowed his eyes at this. "Shin..."
A few thoughts crossed Kenshin's mind. What did his master know about Kefka? Why was he picking now to bring this up, and most importantly, if Kefka had Shin Tatsu, his master worried...then just how powerful had Kefka become? He took out another sheet of paper and wrote something down, before putting it into a fresh envelope and tying that around the dragon's neck. "To Shin Tatsu." He said. The dragon nodded and took flight. "I hope I'm wrong about this, but if I am right..." He trailed off and went back to hunting.
Later, Shin Tatsu looked up to see his dragon flying in. "Hm?" He said seeing the letter attached. He took it after the dragon had landed. He opened the letter. It read.
Shin
I'm busy at the moment
I've got just a few more things to do then I will come and see my sisters and you.
However, when I do show up, I want to know everything, this Kefka has been a pain in my ass for a long time now.
Kenshin.
Shin Tatsu stared at it for a few moments before nodding to himself. "Very well." He said walking back down the mountain.
(break)
The next day.
Kenshin, Terra, Celes, Locke and Edgar made their way toward the the closed off area that had been dubbed the Tower of Fanatics. Upon arriving there they had to tune out the mindless chanting to Kefka. As soon as they stepped onto the tower Kenshin immediately glanced down. "...Hm..." Kenshin said. He tried to grip the hilt of Kuroi Jigoku only for his hand to immediately faze through.
"Huh?" Celes said trying the same.
"The hell?" Locke said.
"I can't get in my tool bag." Edgar said.
"I can't grab my weapon either." Terra said.
Kenshin raised his hand and fired a fire spell into the sky. "Hm...magic only huh?"
"Well that bites." Edgar said with a disappointed look.
"Well, no sense in complaining about it." Kenshin said walking up the stairs. "Huh? !" He said seeing three enemies rushing him.
"Fire 3!" Terra shouts, obliterating them with her magic.
"Haah, thanks." Kenshin said.
"How did those things get the drop on you?" Locke asked.
"Just wasn't paying attention." Kenshin said.
"O...OK." Locke said with a confused look.
They continued their ascent up the stairs of the tower, fighting different enemies, Kenshin noticed that the further up they went, the stronger the magic were that were used against them. They were about halfway up when Kenshin turned toward a door. "Hm..." Kenshin said.
"What is it Kenshin?" Terra said.
"Go ahead and keep moving upward." Kenshin said walking toward the door. "I'll be fine."
"?" Locke, Celes, and Edgar stared at him confusedly for a moment before shrugging. "Whatever you say." Locke said.
"You can handle yourself." Edgar said.
"Just be careful, alright?" Celes said.
"..." Terra stared at Kenshin worriedly.
"I'll be OK, Terra." Kenshin said. "Just go on."
"Alright..." Terra nodded and the four of them left.
Kenshin entered the room and found a white dragon waiting for him inside. It turned to him and let out a roar. He smirked in response. "I missed fighting the last one of you...so I'm gonna enjoy this."
The dragon roared again, firing off a pearl spell at Kenshin who raised a shield in response. "Flare." Kenshin said.
The area around the White Dragon began to heat up rapidly before spontaneously exploding. The dragon shot toward Kenshin pinning him into a wall. "Oh..Ohooohohoho! You think you got me? Think again!" Kenshin shouts lifting the dragon off the floor and slamming it back down onto the floor, before coating his leg in the power of earth and kicking it across the room.
"Grrrhhh..." The White Dragon growled at Kenshin and exhaled a sphere of light. It levitated upward and pulsed, firing a beam at Kenshin hitting him square in the stomach.
"Gah!" Kenshin gasped as he was sent flying into the wall. "Huunnn..." He groaned. "Fuck...that hurt..."
He saw the sphere pulsing again and hit the ground, moving out of the way as it fired more and more beams. "Aah, thank you power of water." Kenshin said to himself. He leaped at the White Dragon and drove his knee into it's face, knocking it to the floor. "Whirlwind!"
A fierce gust of wind tore through the room and slammed into the White Dragon. Kenshin went into another chant as the White Dragon got up. It fired another Pearl spell at Kenshin only for him to dodge out of the way. "Take this!" Kenshin shouts. "Merton!"
A wave of red energy screamed through the room, striking both Kenshin and the White Dragon. "Hrrrnnn! !" Kenshin groaned loudly in pain while the White Dragon was completely vaporized by it. When it died down Kenshin cast a Cure 3 spell on himself. "You know the difference between me and you dragon? I was made for this kind of shit." Kenshin said with a smirk. He walked back outside and looked up. "Sounds like they made it to the top." Kenshin said, hearing the sounds of battle above him. He strolled upstairs, trying not to alert the downed mages scattered around the tower..
Meanwhile, the group of four were fighting a man in white, calling himself the Mage Master. "Give Kefka's treasure back? ! Fat chance!" Edgar shouts. "Bolt 3!"
The spell struck the Mage Master, but did nothing. In fact, the Mage Master looked better than ever from the attack. "Shit, I think that healed him." Edgar cursed. "God I'd just love to split this fucker apart."
"I'm not one fore gruesome kills, but I'm with you there..." Locke said, panting heavily.
"Runic Blade!" Celes called out absorbing a Fire 3 spell.
"Flare!" Terra shouts, striking the Mage Master with the spell.
"Aaagh!" The Mage Master shouted in pain.
"That worked?" Edgar asked.
"I think Non Elemental spells work no matter what." Celes said.
"Hahahahahaha!" The Mage Master laughed as he changed his barrier around.
"Tch, the only thing is, Terra's the only one here who knows Flare." Locke said. "He's immune to any status altering spells."
"Everyone, I have an idea on how to strike him." Terra said.
"Huh?" Edgar said. "I'm game for anything that helps us."
"Well, I have a few ideas actually." Terra said. "We could try casting the Berserk spell on him."
"Yeah, but then he might just get physically stronger, and we can't physically fight him back." Locke said shooting the idea down. "We'd still need to figure out his weakness."
"Tch...hmm..." Terra thought about it.
"What about if we cast it on ourselves?" Edgar asked.
"That probably wouldn't work either." Celes said. "We still can't use our weapons."
"Ah, right." Edgar said.
"Hm..." Terra said. "Well that was my other two ideas...unless...no...no that couldn't possibly work, could it?"
"What?" Celes asked.
"Well, you notice how every time his barrier changes, he uses an elemental spell right?" Terra said as she noticed Mage Master just standing there, chanting a spell. She recognized it as a healing spell.
"Yeah? You think we should use the opposite spell?" Edgar asked.
"We have nothing that really opposes lightning." Celes said.
"Which is why...and please bare with me on this, we should try using the same spell back on him." Terra said.
"..." Celes, Edgar and Locke stared at her.
"I knew it sounded crazy..." Terra said with a sigh.
"Well, to be honest, do we have any other ideas?" Celes asked.
"No." Edgar said.
"Terra, it might be crazy...you might be crazy like a fox, let's give it a shot!" Locke said with a grin.
"Alright, but try not to get knocked out. The Life 3 spell will kick in if you do, I can't help but feel like something big will happen before he goes down." Terra advised.
"We know." Celes said. "Alright, spread out!"
Locke, Terra and Edgar nodded and surrounded the Mage Master in a pincer formation. "Heheheh...you really think that will work?" Mage Master said.
"We'll just have to see, Flare!" Terra shouts, striking him with the spell again.
"Gaahaaaah? !" Mage Master gasped in pain. "Grrh! You are really annoying with that spell!" He shouts.
"Good!" Locke said with a smirk
"Barrier Change!" Mage Master said.
Terra held up a closed fist. Locke, Celes and Edgar nodded in response. Mage Master glanced around wondering what they were planning as he cast a spell. "Bolt 3!"
"Terra!" Celes shouts as the spell struck her.
"Stick to the plan, I'm fine!" Terra said, casing a Cure 2 spell on herself.
Celes nodded hesitantly and went into a chant as Locke and Edgar took a little longer with theirs. "Bolt 3!" They all shout at once, striking the Mage Master.
"Guuuhaaaah? !" Mage Master cried out in pain, as well as shock.
"Hmph!" Terra went into a chant of her own.
"Bolt 3!" Mage Master shouts.
"Reflect!" Terra called out with a slight smirk tugging at her lips.
The Mage Master's Bolt 3 spell bounced off of Terra and hit him instead. "Grruuuh!" Mage Master groaned out. "Barrier Change!"
"Wait for it..." Locke said.
"Whirlwind!" Mage Master shouts.
"Gh!" Celes, Terra, Locke, and Edgar groan in pain.
"Damn, does anyone know Whirlwind?" Edgar asked.
"No..." Celes said.
"I don't." Locke said.
"No, I think only..."
"Whirlwind!"
"Grrruuuhhhh!" Mage Master yelled out.
"Hey man, did I get ya a bit?" Everyone turned to find Kenshin. "Damn, I'm sorry...oh who am I kidding? I'm not sorry at all!"
"Grrhhh...if I go down I'm taking you all with me!" Mage Master yelled. "Ultima!"
"? !" Kenshin's eyes widened. "That spell? !"
"Life 3!" Terra shouts casting the spell on Kenshin.
The spell struck all five of them and when it ended they were all laying prone on the floor. "Ghh..." Kenshin grunted. "Fuck...that hurt...I feel like I should be dead."
"We all should." Terra said raising up slowly. "That's...the beauty of the Life 3 spell. It resuscitates the person it's cast on."
"Oh really...?" Kenshin said. "Well, good and quick thinking."
"Is everyone alright?" Celes asked.
"Yeah." Edgar said. "Fucking sore in multiple places, but I'll live."
"I'm OK over here too." Locke said in a dazed kind of voice.
"Heh...heheh...heheheh...hahahahahahahahahaha!" The group of five all threw their heads back and laughed loudly and proudly.
"Alright, come on you four, I'll carry us down." Kenshin said making three clones.
Terra and Celes climbed onto Kenshin's back and the clone's back respectively while Edgar and Locke grabbed hold of their clone's wrists. "So, what did you end up getting?" Kenshin asked as he flew everyone down.
"It was a gem box." Terra said
"Huh?" Kenshin said. "Just a gem box?"
"Well, apparently it's supposed to let you chain two spells together, none of us used it because we didn't have the energy." Terra said.
"Aaaah." Kenshin nodded.
Terra snuggled up to Kenshin. "Could I ask for something like this after the world is at peace?"
"Anytime." Kenshin said.
"Hey Kenshin, when we get back to the airship can we head back to Figaro?" Edgar asked.
"Feeling homesick?" Kenshin asked.
"No, I had received a report while you were at Thamasa that my castle found a tunnel that wasn't there before, I want to investigate it." Edgar said.
"Seriously?" Kenshin asked.
"Yeah." Edgar said.
"Could I ask for a break? I'm beat." Locke said.
"Yeah Yeah, we'll need you against Kefka." Kenshin said.
"I'll be alright to come with you." Celes said. "I'm kind of interested in this tunnel as well."
"Alright, to Figaro it is." Kenshin said as they landed.
The group left the Tower of Fanatics, their work done, onto their next objective hoping to bring themselves one step closer to ridding the world of Kefka.
(chapter end)
Draconis: Done.
Kenshin: What kept ya? You started this a couple of weeks ago.
Draconis: Been busy.
Terra: So, it really is coming close to the end, huh?
Draconis: Yup. Which means I've gotta start thinking of a good way to wrap this up.
Kefka: The ending where the villain wins?
Draconis: Did you say something?
Kefka: You know I did!
Draconis: What? ! Kenshin's blowing an airhorn into my ear, WHAT? !
Kefka: Oh forget it!
Anyway, again sorry for the wildly inconsistent uploading. I'll see you all next time.
Draconis678 out.