Chapter 26 - Raging Inferno
Eight months. That's how long it took them to give Celes her first real mission, sending her to Maranda where she conquered the town with ease. She was only eight months into the newly redesigned infusion program, and yet she had gone farther than Kefka had in a single year. His first year had been filled with nightmares and hallucinations as a strange sickness slowly crept over him, robbing him of his sanity while voices spoke to him in the dead of night. And while he was screaming and climbing the walls in an attempt to escape the demons that haunted him, Celes slept peacefully in her bed, never knowing the horrors that infested the shadowy crevices of his mind.
Twelve months passed. Dr. Cid said that the revised process would be complete in under two years, and that Celes was already in the final stages of the infusion process. Kefka, on the other hand, had entered the second stage at eighteen months, and still had a long ways to go before the process was complete. It was during the second stage that he suffered a massive seizure which left him comatose for a week. He awoke to find that his memories had faded, erasing the time he'd spent with Terra.
A year and a half. Celes had completed the program and was now on her way to being promoted. Her reputation amongst her fellow soldiers was superb. She was cunning, brave, and just as strong as the men she worked with. Leo was proud of her, Terra looked up to her. She was a well respected member of the Imperial army.
Kefka, meanwhile, continued to watch her from afar, his blood boiling every time she walked in the room. How was it that someone who had mastered the art of ice magic could set his blood on fire with a single glance from across the room? He despised her, almost as much as he hated Leo. She was everything Gestahl wanted her to be, free from any sort of flaw or cracks in the foundation of her sanity. The way she walked, strutting into the room with her head held high, her blond hair trailing down her back, sword at her side, ready for battle at a moments notice. It was enough to make him want to scream, set her on fire, then laugh as he watched her burn.
It was maddening, having to stand by and watch her rise through the ranks, gradually working her way towards the next promotion. Kefka did everything he could to make her life miserable, increasing her workload and giving her the most difficult tasks he could think of. But no matter what he threw at her she continued to fight back, proving time and time again that she had what it took to survive the madness of Kefka Palazzo.
Two years passed. Celes had attained the rank of rear admiral, and a banquet was to be held to celebrate her success. Terra knew that something was wrong the moment they made the announcement, because instead of flying off the handle into a profanity laced fit of rage, Kefka remained unusually calm.
A muscle twitched over his left eye, his lips quivering as he fought not to laugh. "Really?" said Kefka, his hands curling into fists at his side. He flexed his fingers, feeling the magic burn just beneath the surface of his skin.
Gesthal nodded. "Yes. And as General of the Imperial army, you are expected to attend the banquet with the rest of your troop."
Terra took a step back, standing off to the side and glancing up at Kefka. She could feel the heat baking off him as his blood pressure started to rise, and took another step back to prevent her dress from bursting into flames.
"Of course, sir," said Kefka. He forced a smile on his clownish face. "I have some business to tend to first, but I'll definitely be there."
"Good. The banquet starts at seven o' clock sharp. Don't be late, Palazzo."
Terra watched as the Emperor left the room, then looked back at Kefka. The mage was shaking with barely suppressed rage, a wide grin on his face as he stood staring off into space. "Kefka, are you alright?"
There was a long pause, during which Kefka swore he could feel the very fibers of his brain ripping apart, one fragile thread at a time. He turned, looking down at the little girl beside him. Though really she wasn't that little anymore. She was fifteen years old, and was almost as tall as he was. He wondered how she had grown up so fast. He'd forgotten so much and lost track of time, resulting in large gaps in his memory. It seemed impossible that she was the same child who stood beside his bed, stroking his hair and trying to help him remember who she was. How had she grown up so fast? When did he lose his little girl? And more importantly when did he lose himself?
It was all a blur, one moment blending seamlessly with another. He would leave his room in the morning, and several hours later wind up in another part of the palace he didn't recognize. This was why Terra followed him around so much. She knew that he sometimes got disorientated and confused, though it didn't happen as often as she claimed it did. Or at least he didn't think it did. And when it happened it was only temporary. He really didn't care one way or the other. It all looked the same to him anyway, one set of steel pipes merging with the cold metal walls, their intricate designs flowing endlessly throughout the palace, broken only by plush velvet rugs and hanging tapestries bearing the Gestahlian emblem.
It was all the same, and it would all burn one day when he'd finally reached his limit. But Terra, she was worried about him. He could see it in her eyes. The way she clung to him, holding his arm and gazing into his eyes. It seemed to him as though she cried far too often for someone who wasn't a little girl. When he yelled at her, when he came home covered in blood and was unable to remember where he'd been for the past few hours. He remembered seeing her back into the corner, her eyes wide as she slid down the wall and onto the floor. He was following Gestahl's orders. Why did that bother her so much?
Most of the time he didn't care. He couldn't care because he'd forgotten how to give a damn about this world and the people in it. But when he saw her shaking and sobbing, running from the room in tears, something told him this was wrong, that she shouldn't be crying, crying over nothing. It was nothing. Nothing whatsoever. And the noise was starting to get to him. Why was she so upset? If the noise didn't stop, he was going to have to do something about it, something that would silence her once and for all. Because even though he liked how much she followed him around, he couldn't stand the sound of her incessant crying.
It troubled him in ways he couldn't understand. It was almost painful when he heard her words broken by hiccuping sobs, and he didn't know why. He once cared for this child, but in a very different way. Now it was all about control. Anything to make her come when he called, or sit down and shut up when he tired of listening to her. She was his, she belonged to him. She was an object, a toy for his amusement, so why did it bother him so much to hear her cry?
He would stop her from crying, but right now he had other plans, one last hurrah before the curtain closed on Celes' military career, because tonight was the night it all came to an end. He couldn't take it anymore. Kefka would deal with Terra later once he'd finished with Celes.
.oOo.
Kefka made his way upstairs towards the laboratory. Aside from coming in for the occasional medical tests, he hadn't been here very often. There was no need now that the infusion process was complete and Cid had successfully ruined his mind. But there was something up here that he wanted. Something that Terra didn't need to know about.
For the past few weeks he'd been stealing parts from Cid's laboratory, working late into the night on a bizarre device that would enable him to control her. Kefka was insane, but he was also a genius when it came to military strategy and technology. He wasn't as knowledgeable about machines as Cid was, but he'd spent enough time in the laboratory and in the Magitek Research Facility to know how things worked.
He would make her something pretty because she was still his precious doll. He'd been making her clothes and designing her outfits for years. Now all he needed was the perfect accessory to accommodate her lovely attire. Something gold and green that would bring out the color in her eyes. Yes, that would do nicely, and he giggled to himself as he thought about the charming present he was making for her.
He swept through the laboratory, snatching anything that looked useful and piling it into his cloak, using the red and yellow material as a basket to carry the bits of wire and metal he'd stolen. If Cid noticed that Kefka had been stealing from his lab, he didn't say anything about it. No one dared to question Kefka's actions for fear of retaliation. That was one of the reasons why Kefka hated Celes, because she was the only one who was brave enough to stand up to him.
"Not tonight," Kefka muttered, scooping a handful of screws and a small circuit board into his cloak. "Not tonight, little miss glitter blizzard. We'll see how well your sword can absorb my magic when its halfway up your ass!"
He stopped when he neared the filing cabinet in the corner. Kefka knew that his medical records along with Terra's and Celes' were stored in there, and yet he'd never once considered taking a look at them. Why should he? Hadn't he already been through enough when they were still experimenting on him? Why would he want to relieve the agony of those experiments by reading about them? Some things were better off forgotten, but his curiosity got the better of him when he realized that this was his chance to see what Celes had gone through during the infusion process.
Kefka tucked his cloak into the waistband of his pants, freeing his hands so he could look through the drawers in the filing cabinet. He sifted through the files in the top drawer until he found one with his name on it. He was surprised at how thick it was, and was even more surprised when he found that there were several folders bearing his name. He shut the top drawer and opened the second one, only to discover a large folder that had both his and Celes' name on it.
"What the - " Kefka removed the folder and started to read.
Comparative study
Case file number: 23460729
Test subjects: Kefka Palazzo and Celes Chere
Kefka Palazzo, henceforth known as Subject A, often exhibits violent behavior, anti-social behavior, eccentric dress and grooming rituals, repetitive motions such as rocking and pacing, vocal tics, lack of emotion and inappropriate emotion such as spontaneous laughter, elation, sudden mood swings and hyperactivity.
Known side effects from Esper enhanced blood transfusions include, but are not limited to: chronic seizures, internal bleeding, coma, migraine, chronic fever, memory loss, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, autoimmune gastritis, tachycardia, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, insomnia and extreme psychosis.
Celes Chere, henceforth known as Subject B, has no known behavioral, mental or emotional issues as a result of the infusion process.
Known side effects from Esper enhanced blood transfusions include: dizziness, loss of appetite, nausea and weight loss.
Conclusion: despite being skilled in the art of magical combat, Subject A is a failure. His violence and lack of empathy towards other human beings makes him unfit to serve in the military. Suggest demotion and possible commitment for long term treatment. Emperor Gestahl refuses to allow proper treatment for Subject A's psychiatric disorder.
Kefka stared at the paper for a full minute, his eyes wide and his hands shaking. A failure? They thought he was a failure?
A scream tore from his lips, and the folder he was holding burst into flames. A failure, it said. Ha! He'd show them what a failure he was at tonight's banquet.
.oOo.
The room was decorated the same way it had been during his graduation. The table had been set, with banners hanging from the ceiling and a wide variety of food in bowls and serving platters. Kefka sat next to Emperor Gestahl, who was seated at the head of the table. Leo and his father sat opposite them, with Celes occupying the seat next to Regulus. Terra was there as well, sitting next to Kefka because he refused to let her sit next to Celes.
Kefka wouldn't let Terra out of his sight for a minute, and was anxiously drumming his fingers on the table, his eyes darting back and forth from Terra to Celes as he watched the girls conversing with each other. He hated bringing her with him to social gatherings, and yet he couldn't leave her behind while he attended the banquet. Everything about his current situation seemed wrong, his mind at war with itself as his instincts screamed at him to get her out of here.
Terra said she wanted this, that she wanted to be there for Celes and celebrate with her. If this was what she wanted, if it made her happy, well, that was a good thing, wasn't it? And yet there were all these people. So many people, he thought, tapping his foot on the floor and glancing back at Terra. Good. She's still here. Everything is fine. It's fine, he told himself, reaching for the glass of wine in front of him and taking a sip.
His eyes were still focused on her as he drank. He set the glass on the table, watching her, watching them, wondering how long it would be until they could go home. He listened to their conversation, nodding occasionally whenever someone spoke to him. He wasn't really paying attention to what they were saying. He just smiled and nodded, doing his best to act like he gave a damn about what was happening around him, when all along his thoughts kept drifting back to Terra, always Terra, and that blond friend of hers.
They said he was a failure. They said he should be committed. Kefka always wondered what those extra rooms were for in the back of the Magitek Research Facility Hospital, the ones with the locked doors and iron bars on the windows. Now he knew what they were there for, and that if Cid had his way there would be a room waiting for him with his name on it.
One by one the people at the table stood up, raising their glasses and making speeches.
A failure. He was a failure.
Voices and applause, Celes thanking everyone for their kind words.
"Palazzo?"
The General started, looking wildly around the room as though he were confused as to who was speaking to him. Did someone say his name? Or was it one of the voices? He couldn't be sure anymore. His stomach was churning and he was sweating profusely. Kefka tugged on the red and yellow ruff around his neck, then looked over at Gestahl and saw that the Emperor was staring at him. They all were. Oh god, it happened again, didn't it? He zoned out and forgot where he was. Why did this keep happening? Why, why, why, why?
"Is there something you'd like to say, Palazzo?"
Kefka stared at him, his mouth opened slightly as he tried to find his voice. And then he saw her, his eyes moving down the table towards the spot where Celes was sitting.
There she was, the perfect Rune Knight. Oh, how he wanted to strangle her, watching her lips turn blue as her eyes rolled back in her head. Or maybe he could take one of those icicles she conjured and drive it into her chest. And Leo, precious Leo who thought he was too good for magic. Leo, who had tried to take away his favorite toy.
"Yes, I would like to say something." Kefka stood up, a vile sneer curling his lips as he raised his glass and began his speech. "I'd like to share with you a few of the things I hate. I hate everyone here. I hate everyone that's not here. I hate the people that are currently breathing. I hate the people that aren't currently breathing. I hate anyone who's ever owned a cat, anyone who's ever owned a dog, anyone who's ever had a face, anyone who's ever worn clothes, I hate the people who haven't worn clothes, I hate them. In fact I hate you," he said, looking directly at Celes. "While you're sitting there with your snacks, with your cold drink that was brought to you by some low life servant because you're fifteen years old and a better Magitek Knight than I'll ever be, I want you to think about how I hate you so much that I... I..."
His hands started shaking. A muscle twitched over his left eye, and the glass suddenly shattered in his hand.
"I hate you!" Kefka shouted. "I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate you! And you!" He turned to Leo and made a rude gesture with both hands. "I never liked you! You mealymouthed crotch pheasant. I'd like to split your belly open, tear out your insides, light them on fire, then piss on them to put out the flames!"
The scene quickly dissolved into chaos as Kefka launched himself across the table, screaming as he conjured a roaring ball of flames. Leo slid out of his seat, ducking beneath the ball of fire as it soared overhead. Thinking fast, Celes drew her sword, swinging it like a baseball bat and striking the fireball in midair. An explosion of burning embers erupted overhead, her sword glowing as she absorbed his magic.
Kefka hit the floor, landing catlike on all fours as he went sliding across the rug. He let out a vicious snarl, charging at Celes, only to be met halfway by Leo and half a dozen soldiers. They pounced on him, their hands around his wrists, their arms around his waist, and still the mage continued to struggle, howling with rage as the air around him shimmered with rippling waves of scorching heat.
Celes' eyes went wide, and she lowered her sword a fraction of an inch. "Dear god, no! He wouldn't!"
Flames exploded outwards as Kefka's scream rent the air. His high pitched screech shattered the glass in the chandelier, the floor quaking beneath his feet as one by one the glasses on the table cracked and broke. The soldiers that weren't killed in the explosion fell back, releasing him as he charged at Celes.
"Kefka, no!" Terra shouted. But it was too late. He wasn't even hearing her anymore. He was consumed with rage and hatred, his body surrounded by blistering waves of heat. The soldiers couldn't approach him without being burned by the intense heat that was radiaiting from his skin. The only person who could stand against him was Celes, who was protected by her runic skill and ice magic.
Celes froze the air around her, effectively shielding the others from the scorching heat. The curtains behind him burst into flames, and more than a few soldiers took cover behind Celes to escape the fire that was spreading throughout the room. Terra dropped to the floor, using the table for cover as she crawled on her hands and knees to where Leo had collapsed and lay in a heap beside the table. She stopped when a flash of light lit the room, and looked up to see Celes and Kefka fighting on the table.
"You," Kefka growled, glaring at the young knight as she conjured a swirling cloud of snow. "You foolish little girl. Do you have any idea what you're dealing with?" He threw his head back, laughing like a rabid hyena. "I am Satan, I am God, I am Demon, I am Fiend! I am every god that man has ever created because man has created god."
"You're insane!" Celes exclaimed. "They should have never let you serve as General for the Imperial army."
"Am I?" Kefka's eyebrows rose towards his hairline, and he laughed with glee like it was all some sort of joke. "I don't give a damn what you or anyone else thinks of me. I want them to call me crazy. I want this world to burn. I want to stand victoriously over all the burning cities in this world, and laugh as their hopes and dreams are destroyed.
"I want to celebrate each year the anniversary of the destruction of the world. I will bake a cake with the image of our broken world on it, then stab the cake repeatedly and cackle into the night. I will laugh while the remaining people mourn their losses on the anniversary of the world's destruction. I will consume their pain. I won't eat except for the yearly celebration cake.
"I want Leo to show up on my doorstep ten years later, unshaven, an alcoholic, and covered in smallpox. I will laugh and kick his face, then throw him in the basement where he'll eat rats raw until he becomes as feral as a rabid raccoon. After he dies, I will bake him into next year's cake. It will taste horrible, so I will force Terra to eat it while I laugh and watch her consume the body of her dearly departed friend!"
Terra continued her mad dash across the floor, listening to Kefka's insane rant as she crawled across the carpet. She reached Leo in a matter of seconds, and was relieved to see that he hadn't suffered any major injuries. His clothing was singed and his body ached from being thrown across the room, but the majority of the damage had been sustained by his fellow soldiers who shielded him during the attack.
He sat up, groaning and shaking his head. Terra was beside him, holding his arm as she looked up and saw Celes unleash a flurry of snow and raging winds, her Blizzard driving him back as Kefka crossed his arms in front of his face, lowering his head and conjuring a shield that reflected her magic back at her.
"We've got to stop him before he destroys everything in the entire palace." Leo looked up as the sound of footsteps broke through the chaos and confusion. More soldiers had arrived, followed by a group of palace guards. Gestahl was screaming, ordering them to subdue the crazed magician. "Dammit!" he hissed between his teeth. "He's sending them to their death! There's no way they can stand against Kefka. He'll slaughter them all like pigs."
Celes dodged the reflected snowstorm, taking to the air as Kefka chased her around the room. She raised her hands above her head, a second wave of snow and ice forming in the palms of her hands. She thrust her hands forward, releasing an onslaught of razor sharp ice crystals, most of which melted when they came in contact with the heat that surrounded his body, but some of them found their target, piercing his skin and shredding his clothes.
Kefka dropped like a stone, blood pouring from his wounds as the table broke under his weight. He was still for several seconds, groaning as he tried to shake off Celes' attack. Meanwhile Leo was quickly trying to formulate a plan to stop the deranged clown. He knew Kefka wouldn't stay down long, and that he had to figure out a way to stop to Kefka's violent rampage before he started moving again.
By now the second wave of soldiers had arrived, followed closely by a dozen or so palace guards. Kefka stirred and lifted his head a few inches off the table, his eyes burning with azure flames. He conjured a stream of fire from the palm of his hand, burning through the soldiers like they were dry wheat.
Leo started as someone placed their hand on his shoulder, and looked over to see Cid on his hands and knees beside the broken table.
"If you're thinking about stopping Kefka, I can help. I knew this day would come. I've been telling Gestahl for years that Kefka is unstable and is liable to have a nervous breakdown. Which is why I came prepared for just such an occasion." Cid reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a syringe that was filled with a powerful sedative. "This should be enough to knock him out while we transport him to the hospital."
Terra cringed and buried her face in Leo's jacket. None of this felt real anymore. She wanted to wake up from this nightmare, wake up and be five years old again, with Kefka reading to her and bringing her cookies from the palace kitchens.
"Terra." Someone was shaking her. She didn't even realize that she had started sobbing into the sleeve Leo's jacket. "Terra, come on. We could use your help with this."
"No!" Terra cried. "No, I don't want to hurt him!"
Dr. Cid sighed, patting her back as she broke down in tears. "It's alright, Terra. You don't have to do this if you don't want to." He had nothing but sympathy for this poor girl. He knew how much it hurt her to see him like this, knowing that her best friend, the man who cared about her and had raised her since she was a child, had become a monster.
"Come on," said Leo. "He's starting to move again. We haven't much time."