THE RETURNERS FINALLY arrived before the three statues of the Warring Triad. Setzer swung from Fiend's huge, upturned hand onto the rocky terrain below him. Sabin, Terra and Locke exchanged a few uncomfortable glances. No one had been able to construct a reasonable explanation for the damage sustained by The Falcon during the battle with Kefka. During the walk, Edgar had been trying to add up the cost of re-boarding the ship's deck, repairing the main controls and mast, and finally replacing the other items near the helm which had been caught in the crossfire. His only conclusion was that Setzer was going to have to place a very large bet on a situation with an obvious outcome in the near future. As the party tiredly shuffled into a semi-circle around Poltergeist, Goddess and Fiend, Edgar cleared his throat importantly. As if in response, a cloud which had been hesitating next to the sun drifted on by, leaving dazzling golden rays to illuminate the scene.

"I'm not normally one for speeches, but I think today calls for an exception," the King began and, before anyone could beg him not to, he continued in an unctuous voice. "It's been a bumpy ride… mostly thanks to Setzer…" He gave a regal wave of his hand in the Captain's direction, who leered back at him nastily. "However, we now get to see the power of magic restored… and used purely for good! I think it's all been our fantasy to witness the day that good and evil can strive together for a common goal. That time has finally come. You could say this moment is our-" The young King was suddenly cut off by a horrible sound, halfway between a retch and a howl.

The others turned in astonishment to watch Kefka swaying weakly from side to side. The left side of his face twitched horribly and dark purple blood was oozing steadily from his left nostril. Terra smiled apologetically to the crowd and ducked her head meekly.

"I did tell him to stop hitting himself," she rasped. "Okay, Kefka… go give your magic back to the statues."

It was one of those beautiful, awe-inspiring and intrinsically rare moments which should always be accompanied by a stirring chorus of harps and pan-flutes. Kefka benevolently held out his palms and, in a wave of shimmering colour, the Warring Triad retrieved their stolen powers. Cid smiled to himself, imagining the music swelling to a crescendo with the accompaniment of a military drum beat. As he began to hum aloud, Sabin frowned at the old professor and stepped a few paces back.

Glittering particles of red, yellow, blue and a few other colours which had never been thought to exist before, encircled the three figures. The marble of the statues shimmered and threw incredible beams of light towards the heavens. In the vast distance, the pale sky pulsed and crackled with thunder. When the magical activity had ceased, Cid heaved a relaxed sigh against Goddess, before realising he had settled his head on her breast. With an uncomfortable, flustered motion, he quickly stood upright again.

Celes and Terra glanced at each other dubiously. Both women stretched out their hands before themselves warily. Then, quite suddenly, they shouted in unison.

"Blizzaga!"

"Firaga!"

The two spells collided with a clash in mid-air, sending melted lumps of ice slopping onto the dusty ground. Terra laughed aloud with glee, while Celes smiled determinedly at the horizon. It looked as though ethers would need to be added to the shopping list once again.

Edgar, too, wanted to feel content at the notion that magic had re-emerged into existence but, much like the bitter aftertaste that accompanied the heady intoxication of wine, the sweetness of victory was bound to be short-lived. He awkwardly straightened his sash and then blurted out the question that was preying on everyone's mind.

"So… have we really saved the world this time?"

"Yes, now you've done a thorough job and no more needs to be done!" Cid smiled around at the exhausted faces and swung his hands into a series of claps which ricocheted around the Floating Continent's great, sand dunes. The Returners watched him in silent confusion. A breeze whipped up a whirlwind of dark sand. Ultros gave a great hacking cough.

"What about him?" Sabin spoke up. He jerked his thumb in the direction of Kefka who, from the way his hand was clamped to his chest and his eyes were brimming with tears, looked very much as though he was squeezing his nipple within an inch of its life.

"Let's kill him!" came Locke's strangled cry. As his hand sought the handle of his dagger, Terra leapt up and caught him by the wrist.

"No, it's not a fair fight!" she croaked. Locke gazed incredulously at her, his hand still clamped around the weapon's hilt.

"And fighting him up four shelves of demons in Hell's stock room was?!" he retorted impatiently, "come on, Terra…" Celes strode between them, her arms folded indecisively.

"What if we just flew him out to a remote corner of Figaro Desert and… left him there…?" Locke frowned thoughtfully to himself as he unsuccessfully attempted to flatten his hair once more. Only Terra shook her head.

"He's not some mangy old sheep dog! If we leave him out there like this, he'll die." Edgar, who had also been listening in, widened his eyes emphatically.

"Well good."

Cid joined them, his hands clasped in the manner which suggested he was considering a dangerous and experimental solution.

"If I may, there's an experiment I wouldn't mind trying. You see, when we worked with the Espers in the Magitek laboratory, they would often become quite hostile and difficult to control. I never understood why. Anyway, I created a chemical infusion which can act as a sedative in heavy doses. In light doses, it can calm aggression and serve to make Kefka more… bearable."

"What if it doesn't work…?" Terra asked, her eyes narrowing sceptically. Cid chuckled to himself.

"Oh, there's a very high probability that he'll die quickly anyway."

"I like those odds," Setzer murmured warmly to himself, "I say we go for it." Cid gave another hearty laugh at the gambler's words.

"Yes, those are exactly the same odds I gave him during his Magitek infusion. If I had known he was going to hang in there screaming to the heavens for three days and nights, I wouldn't have placed a 50,000 gil wager on it." Cid stared off into the distance wistfully. "He did ask me to kill him, you know? Repeatedly. Anyway, that's the reason I couldn't afford a new specimen capsule. Serves me right for having a sense of morals doesn't it?" Locke stared after the professor as he and the other members of the crew walked back to the airship. Kefka tottered among them, following Terra's lead. Celes brushed past Locke to join the others then, thinking better of it, turned to look back over her shoulder. Disgust was written all over Locke's face.

"Your 'grandfather' is a very disturbed man…"

Celes opened her mouth to argue with him, but as she raised her eyes to the midday sun, found that she had very little grounds for doing so.

"I suppose you're right…" She gave him a small nod and half-turned to walk away. Celes paused after her first step, remaining momentarily motionless. When she eventually spoke, she did so without looking at him. "Locke, I'm sorry for overreacting earlier. I know Terra's your friend… and that you tell her things you can't tell other people." They both started at the sound of an anguished cry in the distance. Setzer had obviously discovered the fate of his beloved aircraft. Locke gave a quick glance around the area to ensure they were completely out of ear-shot, then he gently placed a hand on her forearm.

"Celes…" She whirled round to face him with a sharp intake of breath. Locke licked his lips nervously, focusing on the script he had long-spent rehearsing in his mind.

"I couldn't tell you before, because… well…" Locke squeezed his eyes shut through excruciating levels of humiliation, "I… well… I was nervous as hell… still am… if I'm honest." Locke shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, then removed them again. He held his arms stiffly at his sides and then, with a creeping sense of awkwardness, replaced them back in his pockets once more.

"What is it?" Celes asked, bewildered, "should I be worried about something…?"

"Look Celes, you have to promise not to tell Cid… I don't want to wake up with robotic arms or something…" He paused, a faint frown line of deliberation wrinkling his brow. "Actually that would be incredible."

"Locke!"

"Right," Locke continued with a small shake of his head. "Celes, I know you thought I was speaking about Rachel when you overheard me in the Phoenix Cave… but I was speaking about you." Celes stared at him in disbelief.

"I don't understand," she stated bluntly. Locke shifted uncomfortably as he sought to dredge up the details from his side of the story.

"I was there on Solitary Island, with you and Cid. Only, you never knew that. You see, Cid said it would take a miracle to save you… so…"

"So you…" Celes interjected, her voice suddenly as hoarse as Terra's.

"So I… went looking for a miracle!" Locke raised an eyebrow roguishly. "Yeah, Cid thought it best not to tell you, in case I didn't return." He exhaled through his nose contemptuously. "He obviously underrated my adventuring skills! I agreed, but I left my favourite bandana for you to find…"

Celes swallowed with difficulty and groped around in her bag. In one trembling hand, she lifted the purple-and-white striped piece of material up to the light.

"Yeah, the purple one," Locke continued with a nod, "so you'd know I had been there. I guess you never got the hint, eh?" Celes opened and closed her mouth soundlessly. With a howl of fury, she threw the scarf at him.

"I carried this around for months thinking you were dead!" she spat. Celes brushed a few loose strands of blonde hair back with a shaking hand, trying to steady her breathing. "Sorry, it's just a bit much to take in… Why didn't you tell me about all this in the Phoenix Cave?" Locke dropped his voice to a gentle whisper.

"I know, I know. What with the apocalypse and all, there was never a good time to explain. The lie ended up getting bigger and bigger... especially when you insisted that we visited Kohlingen so I could get some closure before travelling to Kefka's Tower!" Locke rolled his eyes and scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. "Besides, I wasn't expecting you to just turn up in that cave was I?"

"Right."

"So, what do you say we put all this behind us now?" Locke passed the bandana back to Celes. She glared at the striped cloth, then her eyes met Locke's hopeful gaze. In one fluid motion, she snatched the scarf back.

"I think I can just about manage that, considering everything you did in order to save me." Locke, barely suppressing a grin of relief, playfully tried to tug the bandana from her grasp. Celes pulled back on the material persistently, forcing Locke to stumble over his own foot. He lurched forward and caught her by the arms to save himself from falling. Celes planted one foot behind herself to keep their balance. Her shoulders shook with laughter.

"Smooth!" she chided him impishly. Locke had grounded his own feet, but his hands were still clasped around her wrists. Celes felt his thumb tenderly trail the palm of her hand. She looked up into Locke's face and, feeling a sudden thrill of daring, opened her mouth to ask the question that had plagued her for so long throughout their journey together.

"Are you really going to forgive him that easily?" Setzer interrupted. He paused to light his pipe, while the pair's heads snapped over in his direction. "Remember the time he believed you were an Imperial spy?" Locke glanced at Celes in horror. Her face had set like stone.

"Yes, I do…" She sighed and, releasing herself from Locke's grip, stalked away towards The Falcon. The adventurer stared longingly after her.

"Why do that?!" Locke exploded.

"Nothing like a little friendly competition," Setzer mused, raising his pipe to his pale lips. He puffed thoughtfully for a moment, then lowered the implement once more. "How about a little wager, Locke? 100, 000 gil to the first man who claims Celes Chere's heart." Locke's eyebrows almost disappeared into his startled-looking hair.

"Why in the world would you want to place a bet like that?" he gasped. Setzer widened his eyes incredulously.

"Why wouldn't I, do you mean?" He raised a white hand, and began to tick off his list of reasons. "In descending order… I have a multitude of airship repairs to pay out for, my lifelong dream is still to marry Maria-"

"Celes is Celes. Not Maria," Locke interrupted impatiently. Setzer ignored him.

"The thrill of the chase… I may have a gambling problem, did I mention that one? No?" Locke gave an impatient sigh. He wanted very much to say no but the thought of all that money, coupled with the gut-wrenching image of Setzer's hand in Celes' made his stomach churn at the mere thought.

"We have an agreement," Locke announced holding out a hand, "but only because the only way you'll marry Celes is over my dead body. Got it?" Setzer clasped the treasure-hunter's hand warmly.

~̃*~*~̃

Back at The Falcon's helm, Celes, Locke, Terra, Sabin, Edgar and Setzer stood amassed around the hole where the airship's joystick had once stood. The space was now occupied by a broom handle. Regardless, Setzer had still successfully started up the aircraft's engines and, with a tremendous amount of wiggle-power, was attempting to steer The Falcon around in large circles until they could sink down into a calm patch of ocean.

"What now?" Terra asked dryly.

"Some long overdue breakfast…" Setzer scratched at his greying stubble thoughtfully, "…then, after a bit more botched repair work, I think probably we should paddle over to Narshe to pick up all those South Continental dwellers that we left stranded there three days ago." Locke gave a sudden gasp of realisation, slapping his palm against his forehead in horror.

"Oh shoot! I forgot to go back and say goodbye… possibly forever this time, to Rachel," he mourned. Setzer threw his head back and laughed.

"Don't lie, you've never managed that before," Celes countered acidly. Edgar, Sabin and Setzer all gave a sharp intake of breath. Locke turned for a retort, but lost his nerve.

"True," he conceded simply.

"Anyway, time to pick up where we left off with the party!" Edgar clicked his fingers and Ultros appeared with a new ice-box of Figaro beers, hugging it to his bloated face to ease the swelling.

"Another round!" Setzer announced, passing bottles to each of the Returners minus Sabin who, despite enduring a lifetime of stressful situations, was still successfully upholding his vow of abstinence. There came the tinkling of glass as everyone took turns in clinking their bottles (including Sabin's air drink). Thousands of feet below, the green and brown canvas of the land rolled itself out beneath them.

"Hey Edgar," Terra croaked as she grabbed his shoulder playfully, "would you say these last few days have been complete chaos?" The young King had to swallow hastily to avoid spitting out a mouthful of beer in surprise.

"Why, I guess they have been!" he agreed.

"So, now we know what lies beyond chaos don't we?"

"What's that then?" Edgar asked, the true meaning of Terra's cryptic, little game lost on him.

Laughing, Terra pointed towards the blue and gold-flecked skyline.

THE END

"Damnation!" cried Setzer, swerving The Falcon into a sharp left-turn, "who left those giant letters there?!"

~̃*~*~̃

I hope that you enjoyed this adventure and will return for more of the same nonsense in What Ultros Did Next and Other Strange Tales [The mini-series]!

Author's note: Thanks so much to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. This is my first completed fic and, while I'm really pleased I made it to the end, I'm also a little gutted that it's over. Any feedback is greatly appreciated so please leave a review or pm any suggestions for improvements. Thank you! Terra :) x