Leo slowly returned to consciousness to the sounds of muffled voices around him. As he blinked open his eyes and attempted to focus them, he saw Terra leaning down over him and smiling. "Oh, he's awake now!"

"Yay, he's not dead!" came the voice of one of the children from beside the bed.

Leo rubbed his face and sat up quickly, shaking out his head and trying to reorient himself. Normally he slept at full alert and would awaken to any minor disturbance so that he was ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. But when he fell asleep in Terra's arms he felt so secure and comfortable that his body must have fallen into a much deeper state of unconsciousness than he was accustomed to. But one that had left him feeling incredibly well-rested.

He inhaled and looked around the room as his head cleared. Several of the children were crowded next to the bed looking up at him expectantly while Terra sat in the bed next to him with a bemused grin. He shook out his head one last time and wondered, "I apologize; did I oversleep? Is it time to leave already?"

Terra shook her head. "No, you're fine. Some of the children woke up a little bit ago and I guess I've sort of developed a 'sense' for that and woke up along with them. But you were still fast asleep and looked so contented and comfortable that I didn't want to wake you up just yet. But I also didn't want to leave you in bed by yourself in case you woke up later and wondered where I went."

"You were drooling," Dennis pointed out. "I do that sometimes, too."

He looked back and forth between her and the children and worried, "Terra, if the children need something, you should absolutely-"

Terra silenced him with a finger to his lips, smiling and shaking her head. She leaned forward and assured him, "It's only been a few minutes and there's nothing urgent. In that case, thinking of your comfort is allowed to take priority, I think." She removed her finger from his lips and replaced it with a soft kiss. His brow twitched and he relaxed into it with an affirmative hum. It was true that he probably would have had a brief moment of distress if he'd awoken to an empty bed, so the fact that she had been actively considering his feelings... god, her emotional maturity was one thing that had still managed to blossom beautifully in this ruined world.

"See? They're kissing again. I told you he was Mama's boyfriend," Isabel concluded.

Charley cocked his head. "Does that mean he's gonna be our Papa?"

Leo and Terra both made a choke of a laugh and pulled apart. They shared a wistful gaze for a moment and Terra gave him an approving nod. Lili had already promoted him to that role the night before, so it was only proper that the rest of them be briefed. Leo turned to the children and gently informed them, "I... would certainly like to take on that role... if you're all right with that."

All their eyes lit up at once and they scrambled over each other to jump onto the bed and latch onto him. "Yes yes yes, that would be amazing!"

"We could play more games!"

"We can have more dinner parties!"

"We can dance to more music!"

Leo practically melted as they piled onto him, wrapping his arms around the ones he could get a hold of in a warm embrace. "Yes, of course! I want to help you experience all of those things and more!"

"Does that mean you're not gonna leave today?" Frances wondered.

Leo looked at them guiltily. "Well, no... your Mama and I still have important work we need to do today. And I still have work elsewhere that's going to take time to get properly sorted out, so I'll probably have to be away for a while even afterwards. But I'll spend as much time as I can with you outside of that, all right?" They all nodded but were noticeably less enthusiastic about that revelation.

In an attempt to rekindle their spirits, Leo stood up and suggested, "Isabel, would you and Jeanne like to teach me how to cook? We have a large bag of millet and I believe it can be cooked just like the rice, and with some sugar perhaps it can be made into something akin to a porridge. Would you like that for breakfast before we go?"

Isabel held her bicep and nodded. "All right! I need more practice, anyway."

Leo retrieved his boots and headed upstairs to start preparing breakfast with Isabel and Jeanne while Terra rounded up the remaining children to have them clean up and make their beds, and also help with sterilizing another few buckets of water. Jeanne discovered that one of the spices that they'd bought turned out to be cinnamon, so with that and the sugar they managed to make a pot of porridge that was actually a decent approximation of the luxury breakfast they'd had in Jidoor, minus the dried fruit.

Once the bowls were distributed, Leo suggested that they go outside to get some at least slightly fresher air than the stagnant air of the underground bunkers. When the children worried about monsters, he reassured them, "Don't worry with both your Mama and I out there keeping watch, I promise no monsters will get you." With a knowing smile, he added, "Plus I have a friend in the forest outside of town who can keep the monsters away even while we're gone." He glanced to Dennis specifically and noted, "A friend that I think you in particular would like. Hopefully he'll be open to meeting you someday." Dennis cocked his head, not quite understanding what that meant.

With this new promise of security, the restless children eagerly bounded outdoors. Frances proceeded to run in circles around a dead flower patch while Charley went to chase the dogs. Ivan latched onto one of Leo's legs while Isabel hung onto the other, and Terra tossed the ball around with Felix, Lili, and Dennis. Jeanne had contented herself to just sit on a barrel with a book.

Leo still kept a close watch about town while the children tugged at his legs, finally able to take in more details now that it was daylight. There was definitely a lot of work to be done to make the town properly livable again. Not to mention that it was a much more rural setup than what he was accustomed to in Vector. He certainly didn't want to compel them to adopt more modernized amenities, but... it wasn't rude to just bring them up as an option, was it? Both Isabel and Terra had seemed enthusiastic about the idea of indoor plumbing, at least. Though he now recognized their methodology had been indefensibly brutal, he still stood by his belief that the Empire had many beneficial advancements that could better the world if deployed more ethically.

As he gazed across the flooded sinkhole he noticed a row of grave markers seated on a hill. His expression becoming more somber, he leaned towards Terra and quietly questioned, "Is that where their parents are buried?"

Terra shook her head. "No, all their parents fell into that sinkhole when Kefka turned his Light of Judgment on this town. There were no bodies to bury... We constructed a memorial for their parents in that graveyard, though. But the only person actually buried there is Wes Janson... Lola's boyfriend."

Leo nodded once in understanding. "And one of my men..." he added, looking to the side in thought.

Clearing his throat, he crouched down and scooped up Ivan and Isabel who were still trying to see if they could force his legs to move, but he had been steadfast. Isabel let out a surprised "Eep!", then giggled and noted, "Wow, you really are strong if you can pick us both up at once! I'm getting big, you know."

"You are getting big," he concurred with a smile. "And now that we're all able to be outside for the moment, I think it would be good for you all to pay a visit to your parents so they can see just how big you're getting."

Ivan hunched his shoulders. "Do you think they'll be mad that we have a new Mama and Papa?"

Leo's heart sank a little. "No. No, of course not. Your parents would want you to keep growing and thriving, and I think they would be happy that someone else is helping you do that even if they can't anymore." Looking back to the graveyard, he confessed, "But... I think it would be good to request their blessing anyway, for courtesy's sake."

Terra gathered the children while Leo returned inside momentarily to retrieve his uniform coat and sword so that he was properly attired for a graveside visit. They convened at the memorial, and the children were encouraged to update their parents on their well-being.

"Look, Mama, I got a new skirt!" said Lili, twirling around. "It is very beautiful and I think you would like it."

"I've been eating my dinner every day just like you wanted," said Ivan. "But I haven't been eating my vegetables, because there aren't any anymore."

Jeanne hugged her book to her chest. "I've read all the books in town and have learned a lot since last year. If you'd like, I can read some of them to you sometime."

The rest of the younger children finished their updates, then Duane approached the memorial with a heavy sigh. "... Hey, Dad. So, uh... you're going to be a grandpa pretty soon. If you were here you'd probably have yelled at me for being so irresponsible... Heh... but I'm going to make this work. I know I've been a screw-up and could never make you proud of me... but I will this time. Mister Leo has already put me on the right track and now I think I'll be able to do better. No, I will do better. I'm already doing better. And... I wish you were here to see that..."

Duane sniffed and turned away from the memorial and Terra put a hand on his shoulder. "I certainly can see how much better you're doing now, Duane. So I think he can, too."

She turned back to the memorial and clasped her hands at her waist, bowing her head slightly. "Um... and I wanted to say... thank you for all the hard work you did raising these children. I'm... still feeling my way through things and have had some rough times taking care of them... but they've helped me through it. They've taught me so much about what it means to love and have the desire to work for other people's sakes... and I think they were able to do that because of what you already taught them." She fidgeted with her hair and noted, "They may call me 'Mama' now, but you will always be their mothers and fathers and I have no right or intention of replacing you in their hearts. But... I still want to see them grow up and stay safe and happy, and promise to do everything in my power to make that happen."

She smiled and looked to Leo, taking his hand. "But I have help now. And that's been such a relief to me that I hope it's a relief to you as well... and that you can rest easier knowing that your children are in good hands."

Leo blushed and cleared his throat, adding, "Um, yes... I had a speech prepared, but I think that about covered it." He bowed and said, "So I will just say that my greatest desire is to build them a better future, but I will also make sure they remember where they came from."

They requested the children observe a moment of silence, however that was only able to be maintained for about thirty seconds before the younger ones started to fidget and wander off to play again. Terra leaned against Leo's arm and said, "Heh... sorry for stealing your speech, though."

He squeezed her hand and looked down at her warmly. "Never apologize for speaking your mind. That you said everything that I was thinking only goes to show how much your heart is able to connect with others."

Leo turned back to the grave and fell into a more somber expression. "However, there is still one more person here I need to speak to, and in this case it would be only proper for it to come from me." He straightened up and folded his hands behind his waist, then announced, "Corporal Janson, your attention please." He waited a moment in silence for an impalpable acknowledgment before continuing, "I have been informed that you deserted the Gestahlian Imperial Army in my absence in the midst of the siege on Doma. Such conduct is customarily punishable by execution." He lifted his chest, amending, "However, my orders upon departing the Doman camp were to stand down. Any order received in the interim - especially one that violates the rules of engagement - is unlawful and therefore you had every duty to disobey it."

He relaxed his posture, his shoulders falling and his arms coming to hang at his sides. "And moreover... I should never have had any authority over you to begin with. You were a soldier of Maranda first and foremost, and your service in the Imperial army was as little more than a prisoner of war. No one should be compelled to give their life for a cause they don't believe in. And thus I sincerely apologize... for not recognizing this sooner and sending you home to your loved ones."

He inhaled and nodded. "But it is still something that needs to be corrected." Squaring his shoulders, he resumed his official stance and announced, "Corporal Wes Janson, by the power vested in me by his Excellency Emperor Gestahl as General of the Imperial Armed Forces, I hereby formally discharge you of your duties, with honor." He brought his hand up in a salute and closed his eyes. "May you no longer carry our burdens and your heart be unshackled and free to roam where it may. Godspeed, soldier."

Felix stood next to him and awkwardly mimicked his salute. "Good speed!" he repeated.

Leo let out a snort of a chuckle and broke out of his stiff posture, crouching down to pick Felix up. "Yes, that too. He should get home as quickly as he can."

Felix gave him a pat on the cheek. "And you come home quick, too."

Leo was about to question what he meant by that when he heard a distant whirl of propellers. His face falling, he noted, "You have good ears..." He looked to Terra, and she nodded back to him resolutely. It was almost time...

Terra gathered Duane, Katarin, and the rest of the children in front of the house. Katarin looked on in worry as the sound of the propellers drew nearer, then shook her head and reaffirmed, "You'll win, I'm sure of it. Terra was able to defeat a fearsome monster like Humbaba, so I know you'll be able to defeat Kefka, too, especially with Mister Leo at your side."

Frances raised her fist and shouted, "Yeah, Mama's gonna blow him up real good just like she blew up Humbaba!"

"And Papa's got his sword that makes monsters go away!" Lili added.

Leo felt his legs wobble at her choice of term of address. He had finally realized his lifelong yearning of becoming a father... and now he immediately had to leave them again, on a mission that was decidedly more dangerous than any of them seemed to understand. He knelt down and reached out his arms to beckon to some of the smaller children, who eagerly ran to him for a hug. "Yes... I promise I will do everything in my power to protect you and ensure that you no longer have to live in uncertainty or fear."

Terra crouched down to hug the rest of the children. "Now you make sure you're all on your best behavior for Duane and Katarin while we're gone, all right? Isabel, can you keep helping with the food? Jeanne, can you take over story time? And I'm going to need everyone to do their part to keep everything clean. I've sanitized as many buckets of water as I could this morning, so please be conscious of your water use. Felix, no throwing your ball at people without asking if it's okay. Frances, no running outside without Duane or Katarin there to watch you. Ivan, you need to keep eating your dinner every day so you can get stronger and someday be able to hunt your own meat." She looked around to everyone and fretted, "I hope I'm not forgetting anything..."

"You're only gonna be gone a couple days, not forever," Duane insisted. "We'll be fine until you get back. We were before. Well, mostly..."

Leo nodded towards him with a knowing smile. "Mistakes are permissible so long as you use them as a learning experience and seek to correct them. I stand by my belief in your ability to sustain this village's hope and security."

Duane scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Heh, I'll do my best. But I've still got a lot I can learn from you, Mister Leo, if you're okay with that."

"It would be my pleasure to assist in your continued growth," he confirmed with a smile. Standing up, he surveyed the eight smaller children and two young adults all looking up at him and Terra with hopeful and encouraging eyes. He swallowed a lump in his throat with a nod, stating, "Thank you, all of you, for inviting me into your home and sharing it with me. I have been without a home, a family, friends, or even an identity through this entire past year, but you and Terra all helped me reclaim everything I had thought I had lost." He reached out and took Terra's hand, promising, "And now we pledge to reclaim as much of what you have lost as we can. May your love grant us the power we need to prevail."

The children all nodded and chorused, "We love you, Mama! We love you, Papa! Good luck!"

Leo had to turn away and hold his chest. That was almost... too much power for him to handle. Terra squeezed his hand and confirmed to them, "Thank you, everyone. We'll always carry your strength with us. Please stay safe and take care of each other."

As they made their way away from the village and Leo continued to wear a dazed expression, Terra inquired in mild concern, "Are you going to be all right?"

He sniffed and shook out his head. "I apologize, it is still... a lot of emotion to process. I felt as though if I did not force myself to leave right then that I would never be able to leave them again." He rubbed his hand over his face. "This was why I couldn't see myself having a family while on active duty: the pain of having to leave them behind like this, often for years at a time, and knowing that with each battle there was a chance I might not..." He inhaled and looked up at the airship that had come into view, now slowly rotating in the air in preparation to land. "But... we will only be absent for a short while this time. Only a short while..."

As the airship landed, they could see that there was someone hanging from the boarding ladder and watching them approach: a pale, blonde-haired woman in a yellow jumpsuit. She leapt from the ladder to the ground in front of them and stumbled to rush their way. Leo straightened his shoulders and nodded his head, confirming, "General Celes."

She stopped just in front of them and held her hand to her mouth, her eyes watering, her muffled voice coming through her fingers, "Oh my god... she actually did find you... You're alive and... you remember all of us..." She cleared her throat and shakily stood up straighter, raising her hand in a salute. "Welcome back, General."

He gave her a smile and raised his hand in a salute to match hers, though quite a bit less rigid. "General Leo Cristophe, reporting for duty," he confirmed. Her lip trembled and she bit it with a nod in an attempt to maintain her composure. Leo broke his salute, then offered the hand to her instead. "At ease, General. With the Empire gone, there is no need for such formalities between us anymore. We are all friends here."

Celes looked down at his hand and tentatively took it, unaccustomed to such casual contact with her senior officer. Leo gripped her hand securely, offering her a sincere, "I am glad to see you are doing well."

She sniffed and gave an almost self-derisive laugh, averting her eyes to the side. "Well, as well as I can be given the circumstances. But... finding all of the others... finding you again... has helped a lot." She took a deep breath and nodded, returning her eyes to him. "So, yes, I am doing better." Clearing her throat, she extended her other arm towards the airship and offered, "Anyway, shall we board? The others have been eager to see the two of you again."

Leo's expression softened in concern. She was much thinner than he remembered her, and where her skin was exposed he noticed a moderate amount of atrophy consistent with a soldier who had been bedridden for several months. There were new lines under her eyes and her posture had become more slumped. He didn't want to pry, but he was also quite certain that his struggles upon awakening in this new world were hardly unique.

As he and Terra followed her to the boarding ladder, he leaned over Celes's shoulder and quietly offered, "I am still in the process of recovering emotionally myself, however if you ever find yourself in need of counsel, I would still like to offer whatever I am able."

She tensed slightly. Was her emotional state really that obvious? Then again, back during the Thamasa mission he'd noticed her agitation several times and had offered his assistance to her unprompted. She hadn't even told Locke about everything that had happened to her yet, fearing that it might either damage his opinion of her or drive him into the same sort of overprotective obsessing like he had done with Rachel. But Leo... Leo had always been fair and nonjudgmental. That supportive older brother who was always looking out for her.

She blinked back tears, and without looking him at him let out a shaky whisper, "I am... so glad to have you back..." Continuing to gaze absently at the ladder, she added, "And Terra... thank you for refusing to give up on him..."

When they arrived below deck, they were met by a din of excited murmurs from the remainder of the Returners. Leo suddenly found himself feeling slightly intimidated, as Celes and Terra were the only members of this group with whom he had any prior rapport, and many of them such as Cyan of Doma and King Edgar of Figaro had been adversaries of his for the majority of the time he'd interacted with them. Prior to the fall of the world he had always given everyone the benefit of the doubt and therefore could interact with people in a forthright manner, but even though his memory had been restored, the damage to his heart done by Kefka and Gestahl still lingered.

Sabin strode up to him with a huge grin on his face and clapped his hand on Leo's shoulder amicably. "Hey, great to see you're back on the up and up, General! Terra told us about what happened to you and we've been doing our best to send positive energy your way."

"Um, Sabin, maybe you shouldn't be so..." Celes suggested.

Leo shook his head, then patted the prince's hand on his shoulder. "No, it's often better to get an issue out in the open rather than continue to dance around it." He extended his hand to Sabin to shake. "Thank you, Prince Sabin, for offering to break the ice. Due to our limited interaction beforehand I was indeed somewhat uncertain what status I held with all of you upon coming aboard but your directness has helped to quell those fears."

Sabin gripped his hand and shook it firmly with a bright smile. "Ah, no need to be so formal with me, General, just 'Sabin' will do. And don't you worry about how we feel about you. We're all friends here, right?"

"It is my hope that we shall be," Leo replied, returning a slight smile of his own. Referring to a member of a royal family on a first-name basis still felt almost vulgar to him, though. But then again, when Terra had first dropped his title and referred to him by name, it had made him feel... vulnerable at first, but he quickly understood that it was because she was trying to speak to him as a fellow person rather than because of anything his title may have conferred. And perhaps the Figaro Prince's request was for something similar: that in the battle to come they should only see each other as comrades in arms rather than as heads of state.

"I would be honored to fight by your side... Sabin," he finally attempted. It still felt strange on his tongue. Sabin on the other hand was positively glowing with happiness.

"Indeed, we are grateful to have thee," said Cyan, approaching them and squaring his shoulders, as though sizing Leo up. "For three years the two of us stared each other down from opposite sides of a rampart. However now I should hope we may both gaze out from the same side. Is thy resolve still the same now as it was then?"

Leo swallowed, then slowly and deeply bowed his head. "Sir Cyan of Doma... you are truly a magnanimous soul to forgive me my transgressions after the atrocity that befell your kingdom thanks to my error. You are well within your rights to despise me for my actions, for which I have no excuse..."

Cyan shook his head. "No... Thy excuse is the same as mine... Love and devotion are beautiful things but can lead to single-minded blindness. Thou art a most caring man, this I know well, and thou didst as thou felt was best for those thou loves. Several people touched by thy generosity have shown me that much," he said with a knowing smile, nodding in Terra's direction.

Terra squeezed Leo's hand, saying, "Everyone here helped me get to where I am now. Finding them again and helping them overcome their troubles gave me the strength to find and help you. So I know that you can rely on them just as I have."

Leo inhaled and nodded, slowly gazing around the airship cabin at the faces of the people he'd only interacted with briefly before the world fell, but who nevertheless all bore expressions of relief and excitement at his return. Swallowing, he addressed them sincerely, "Thank you, all of you, for what you have done for the world. Each person that you lift up lifts up those around them as well. Though it only took one person to ruin the world, unfortunately it will take many more to restore it, but I am profoundly grateful that so many are willing to step up to the task. And as such, I would like to step up as well. Please allow me to offer my services to this vital undertaking," he finished, folding his arm across his chest and bowing.

Edgar stepped forward, shaking his head. "You have no need to ask our permission, General, you have been welcome among us ever since the truce was called a year ago. The Emperor may have made it in bad faith, but we know you did not." Putting his hands on his hips with a grin, he noted, "And with as frantically as Terra was searching for you, even if for some reason we did question your recruitment, we would have had to answer to her, and it's not in my blood to cross a lady." He gave Terra a wink, who responded with a flat expression. Walking that back, he scratched his cheek, stating, "Ah, right, I probably overstepped myself there. Sorry."

Edgar nodded his head towards the staircase leading to the lower floor of the interior cabin. "Over the past three days we have been doing reconnaissance of Kefka's tower. He's been oddly quiet as of late and we were able to approach quite close to no ill effect. It's my belief that he knows we're planning an assault and is waiting for us, however it would still be advisable to go over the intel to best prepare the mission. General, your tactical expertise would be appreciated."

"As you wish, Your Majesty," Leo responded with a courteous bow.

"Haha, that's not an order General, just a request. Though we may have been adversaries in the past, I still respected your competency even then." He beckoned Leo and began walking towards the stairway. "Come on. And once this is all over, I can show you a good place in South Figaro to go if you want to loosen up a bit."

Leo gave a slight uncertain glance to Terra, who nudged his arm with a smile. "Go on, I know you can do this. Your tactics for the Floating Continent worked well, and what happened at the end of it wasn't your fault. I'm glad that I've been able to support you until now, but for this fight you need to be comfortable relying on them, too."

He twitched a small smile. "Part of tactical reasoning is knowing what people's capabilities are so you can assign the right person to the right task. Despite your reservations a year ago... I think you're coming along well in your tactical thinking."

She giggled in return. "Well, for a battle this important I think I'd prefer to still defer to those with more experience than me, but... if you wanted to give me some lessons in the future, I'd be eager to learn. The more I know, the more I can help you, after all."

Leo's chest warmed and his shoulders relaxed. He knew he had Terra's support, always, and he trusted her words that the other Returners would support him as well. With a gentle smile, he replied, "I would be happy to. Though I suppose that means I should get down there and verify my capabilities have not degraded over the past year." He chuckled sheepishly and squeezed her hand for reassurance. "I'll see you in a little while."

Leo, Edgar, Celes, Locke, Cyan, and Shadow convened on the lower level while Terra and the others who were less adept in military tactics and infiltration milled about on the main floor. Gau eagerly informed her that while she'd been gone, Gau had gotten to meet his father, Sabin had met his old master, they found an underground castle, and Mister Thou had a bad dream.

Sabin leaned against the wall and laughed, agreeing, "Yeah, it was a whirlwind couple of days. Sounds like you had your work cut out for you, too, but I'm glad you were able to bring the general back. When we first found my brother again he was in disguise and acted like he didn't know me. That... that was rough, but thankfully it turned out to all be an act."

Terra sat down next to him, lightly nodding in understanding. "Leo remembers us now and has done a lot of soul-searching about what happened to him and what he's done... and while he's definitely doing a lot better, I think it's still going to take a long time to build his confidence back up." She looked up at Sabin and gratefully acknowledged, "So thank you for stepping up to be so open with him. He really needs friends right now."

Sabin chuckled and slid down the wall to sit next to her with a heavy thump. "Well, yeah, I mean, don't we all right now, really? After the world fell, I had no idea what I was supposed to do, so I just sort of... fell back into what I knew how to do, which was live in the mountains and train. But after a while I realized, you know... who is this helping? I'd originally left to train so someday I'd be strong enough to come back and protect the kingdom, but years turned into a decade, and it just kind of... became a way of life and I'd lost sight of what I'd originally been doing it for. So I finally decided to come down from the mountains and look for people I could actually help with that training, and that's when I ran into Celes and had direction in my life again."

"I was the same," Setzer confirmed. "I'd been content to give up on the world and drink my life away until they found me and gave me back my hope, and my wings."

"And I was in Jidoor painting pictures to cover up the ugliness in the world, but that wasn't actually doing diddly squat to help anything," Relm added. "So I'm glad you guys came along and put my talents to better use. And helping me find my grandpa. We're not going to talk about what he got up to."

Strago hunched his shoulders in embarrassment. "I just... needed some structure back in my life..."

"Gau get stronger on the Veldt!" Gau added helpfully.

Terra giggled. "I'm so glad to have found you all again and that we were all able to help each other overcome what Kefka did to the world. If you hadn't found me, I would have just wasted away in Mobliz until we ran out of food and starved to death... You helped me to realize that I wasn't just staving off inevitable death, but there was a chance for a future for this world, and that's what we're going to fight for now."

"You bet we are!" Sabin agreed loudly, flexing his bicep. Lowering his arm and looking sheepishly at the floor, he admitted, "But, you know, this has been the one big goal we've all gotten together to work for, but once we're done... then what? After that, I'm at just as much of a loss as to what to do as I was a year ago..."

Terra looked around at the others with a sly grin and suggested, "Actually, have any of you ever considered doing relief work...?"

After a few hours of deliberation, the tactical team finally emerged from the lower level with a plan in hand.

"Based on the layout of the tower and the fact that we are going to be up against the three members of the Warring Triad, it will be necessary for us to send three separate teams for our assault," announced Edgar to the remaining members. "As there are twelve of us total, that's four people to a team."

Leo nodded and stepped forward, adding, "As the deepest interior of the tower is still beyond the reach of the reconnaissance that was collected, it would be advisable to balance the three teams with members who are proficient in a range of skills to ensure we have the resources to overcome whatever challenges we may face. These skills being physical strength, magical power, long-ranged attacks, and agility."

"We've come up with teams that we think adequately cover that variety of skillsets and are also comprised of people who we assumed would work well together," Locke stated. "However, if any of you have any objections, we can try to re-work them."

Cyan folded his hands behind his back and cleared his throat. "Ahem. Team One shall consist of myself covering physical, Sir Strago and Lady Relm covering magical, and Sir Shadow covering range and agility."

"I'm with a bunch of old guys..." Relm muttered. "Ah well, you old farts need me to keep you in line, anyway."

"Hoh-ho, I look forward to working with thee, young lady," said Cyan, bowing. "Thou art precocious like my son Owain. In another world perhaps the two of thee could have been friends."

Leo lifted his chin, announcing, "Team Two shall consist of myself covering physical, Terra covering magical, Setzer covering range, and Gau covering agility." He spared a glance to Setzer and noted, "Unfortunately as you are more of a loner we had difficulty determining who you would be best paired with, so your assignment was left more to a roll of the dice." With a twitch of a smile, he added, "But I suspect you may actually prefer such."

"Hah, you've got me there, General," Setzer replied in amusement. "If you can discern that much about me, I think we'll work well together."

"And Team Three shall be myself covering magic, Sabin covering physical, Edgar covering range, and Locke covering agility," Celes finished. "I take it we can all get along," she added coyly.

"I can always get along with a lady," said Edgar, bowing.

"Keep that up and our party is going to be down one member," she replied dryly.

"Are there any objections to this setup?" Leo queried.

Strago hobbled forward and coughed, muttering, "Well... just one concern, really. Not about the party assignments, no, I certainly want to keep an eye on my granddaughter and show her that we old men can still do a thing or two. And having Shadow with us I think... I think is good. No, I was more wondering if you had taken into account... what destroying the Warring Triad might mean."

"It's the power of that Warring Triad that disrupted the balance of the world in the first place, and now they're only maintaining that oppression and propping up Kefka's tyranny," Edgar reasoned. "When they were in a mutually neutralized state the world was safe, but if there is no way to return them to that state, we would assume that destroying them would have the same effect, as well as removing them as Kefka's source of power."

"And ours..." Celes suddenly realized with a gasp. All eyes turned to her as she recognized, "The Warring Triad are the gods who govern the magic of the Esper world... if we destroy them..."

Edgar cocked his head, "... then what would happen?"

"It's nothing we can say for certain, but..." she continued, shaking her head.

"Espers... and magic will likely cease to exist entirely..." Strago suggested.

Celes froze, then looked in worry between Leo and Terra. "Then... what happens to Terra...?"

Terra slowly turned her eyes to the floor as she felt her heart sink. She had certainly been prepared to risk her life for the children and the rest of the world in this battle, but if her life was potentially forfeit even if they won...

Shaking her head, she lifted her head and informed them, "If it will still save this world's future, then we have to destroy them regardless of what happens. This world existed peacefully without magic for a thousand years after the War of the Magi. The prospect of losing it again is... sad... but if that's what it's going to take..." She pursed her lips and kept her eyes averted from Leo. She was scared for herself, yes, but she was even more scared for him and the children, and even though she understood that it wasn't her fault, she still couldn't bear to see him sad because of her.

There was an uneasy silence from the rest of the Returners for a moment, before Cyan spoke up, "Thou art exceptionally brave, Lady Terra. Thou faces this with dignity and honor."

"And if there's any way to still save the world that doesn't mean we lose you too, you'd better believe we'll take that route. I am NOT leaving anyone behind," Locke added.

"Agreed, let's not be folding before the cards are even dealt," Setzer commented. "If it's only a possibility, then right now it's still only a possibility. Lady Luck does not treat kindly those who presume to know her too intimately."

Edgar nodded. "That's the spirit. We're all in this together to the end, whatever that end may be. Please convene with your teams to further discuss your strategies. The operation will commence in one hour."

Everyone began to disperse to meet with their respective groups, but Celes lingered for a moment, gazing at Leo in worry. He hadn't made any kind of noticeable reaction to the prospect of winning this battle meaning losing Terra, other than just going completely silent. Terra had only just brought him back after helping him to recover from a serious trauma, and now he was faced with being hit with another grievous loss, of someone whom he had vowed to take care of and who had vowed to take care of him. Celes knew firsthand what kind of outcome that sort of anguish could lead to... and she absolutely didn't want that to befall Leo. Not if she could help it.

Celes slowly approached beside Leo, and after a moment of composing herself, finally announced, "General, I need to speak to you."

He didn't react to her request at all. His expression was unfocused, staring into some unseen distant void. Celes felt a chill at seeing him this way. Terra had told her about what kind of state he'd been in, and even though Terra had obviously worked tirelessly these past three days to coax him out of it, this news might have just sent him right back. She didn't know the details of what Terra had done to aid his recovery, but she knew he couldn't be left to succumb to it.

Standing up straighter and speaking more forcefully, Celes demanded, "General Leo, your presence is required. That's an order." Technically she didn't have the authority to give him orders, but without the Empire or even an organized military anymore, their ranks were meaningless, anyway. But she knew he responded to authority, and that was the primary goal of that statement.

As she had hoped, he blinked back to the present world and slowly turned his head to her, his expression weary and disoriented. "General Celes..." he whispered.

Celes let out a relieved sigh that he still had some form of presence of mind. Approaching him more closely, she softly informed him, "General... a year ago we were on a crucial mission that you suspected I was not emotionally prepared to adequately fulfill and intervened to ensure that my emotional needs were addressed. Now we face a mission whose success is even more vital, and we need to be certain that every member is able to adequately fulfill their roles."

Terra had been snapped from her own worrying at Celes's previous demand, and approached her while fretting, "Um, Celes, maybe it's not a good idea to be so harsh with him..."

Leo slowly shook his head and took a long, deep breath. "No... No, General Celes is correct." His eyes softened as he looked to Terra and admitted, "You are a gentle person, Terra, and I appreciate that about you, but what I also appreciated was your willingness to stand up to me and refuse to allow me to indulge in selfish or self-defeating behavior. The success of this mission is of tantamount importance and I cannot allow my feelings to get in the way of it."

He gave a long sniff and looked at the ceiling with watering eyes, shaking his head. "It just... it isn't fair. Thanks to Kefka you have potentially once again been set up as the necessary sacrifice to save the world... And I am once again in the position of being unable to save you..."

Terra stepped forward and gingerly took his hand, rubbing her other hand over it. "Leo... you know I support the decision you made regarding that before. And I support the decision that needs to be made regarding that now. And just like with Orco e Delphina, even if this looks like it may be heading toward tragedy... we won't know that for sure unless we see it to the end."

He let out a sniffle of a chuckle, turning his misty eyes down to her. "Quite right..." He slid his hands around her shoulders and pulled her against him in a soft embrace. "You escaped Kefka's influence all on your own before. I believe in your power to do that again."

Terra nodded and leaned into his chest with a long breath. She was still uncertain whether she did have that power, but she knew she did have the power to protect Leo and the others and stop Kefka, and right now she needed to remain focused on what she could change rather than worrying about possible inevitabilities.

After a moment, Leo released Terra and cleared his throat, turning to Celes and realizing, "My apologies, General, you had something you wished to discuss with me?"

She gave a startled blink and replied with an eloquent, "Oh, uh..." She had recognized even upon reuniting with them that Leo and Terra had obviously gotten closer during their time together, but she was still surprised to see them so openly affectionate with each other, including Terra addressing him without a title. ... Just how close had they gotten, then? Her natural nosy nature was starting to be piqued.

But, no, there was reason to be concerned about that this time. The stronger Leo's bond with Terra was now, all the more it would hurt him if she was lost. He'd always been so reluctant to rely on anyone else for support and she was grateful that he finally had someone he could open up to. Celes had never been one who was particularly adept at encouragement, but she had to at least make the attempt.

Shaking her head, she finally said, "I'm so glad to see that you have Terra for support now. But... if the worst outcome does happen, I wanted to make sure you understand that you're still not alone. That... if you're feeling depressed and hopeless... well, I'm not going to give you hugs or anything, but I'll definitely give you a stern lecture to snap you out of it again."

Leo gave her a soft smile. "I sincerely appreciate it, General. And would welcome any stern lectures concerning my conduct should it become unbefitting, regardless of the outcome of this mission."

"Yes, thank you, Celes," Terra concurred. "If something ever happened to me, I know I can rely on Leo to look after the children in Mobliz... but I'm glad that I can rely on you to look after him." She looked up at Leo firmly and reiterated, "But I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon."

Leo's shoulders relaxed and he nodded with a somewhat more relieved expression. Celes cleared her throat, announcing, "Anyway, I should get back to my team so that we can finish preparations. The time for battle is soon."

She turned to leave, but Leo called after her, "General Celes..." She paused and looked back at him, and he offered, "I wish you a safe and successful battle."

Celes's eyes misted and she held up her hand in a salute. "You as well, General Leo. Let's all come out of this alive."

Notes:

- I'd originally wanted there to be a scene where Celes pulled Leo aside and confided in him about what happened to her on the Solitary Island, but there was just no good place to put it. It's hardly an appropriate thing for her to bring up immediately upon meeting him again, and then soon after that Leo's hit with the possibility of losing Terra, and having Celes butt in on that to talk about her attempted suicide was just... not particularly ideal.
- So, what exactly WAS Sabin up to in the World of Ruin before you recruit him again? All of the other characters had some sort of ongoing activity that you meet them during, whether it be Edgar trying to infiltrate Figaro, Setzer wasting away in a bar, Cyan sending letters, etc. But when you meet Sabin he's just holding up the house in Tzen, which he obviously hasn't been doing all year, and gives absolutely no indication of what he's been doing in the meantime that would explain why he hasn't found anyone else himself. Even if he was confined to the Southern Continent, he should have at least found Terra since she was staying in one place, unless he made the same mistake as Leo and assumed Mobliz was abandoned. So, I had to come up with something to explain his absence.
- I'm not bringing optional characters into the party, which includes Mog, so that there's an even twelve members for the final battle so no one's left awkwardly hanging out on the airship. So I guess Leo has taken Mog's place as the party member Terra regularly goes to for cuddles.
- When devising the three parties, I knew I obviously wanted Leo and Terra together but did quite a bit of rearranging of the others, and Setzer and Gau sort of ended up on their team because they were the "leftovers" who I couldn't really pair with anyone else. But it still gave me a good creative challenge of coming up as to why those characters would still work well with each other. Besides the fact that Setzer and Leo are the two godly summon board support units in DFFOO.
- Chapter title is Italian for "unison", the instruction for everyone to perform as a single unit.