Written by Ed Kulp
All characters, symbols, and Final Fantasy copyright of
Squaresoft, Inc.
Prepare for some different characterization.
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Chapter Two: Between Kings and Drag Queens
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The sandblasted castle was larger than she had thought. Looking up at the turrets, she got dizzy. Locke, however, was already a dozen paces ahead of her, surrounded by gigantic yellow birds: chocobos. Each of the two chocobos were mounted by a man, undoubtedly guards. Locke was engaged in a conversation with them.
"Could you open up, Joe? I'm trying to show my lady friend here a good 'getaway place'," Locke murmured to the chocobo knight.
Joe (as Locke called him), smiled knowingly as he looked Terra over. Turning to the other guard, he nodded. "Raise the portcullis!!" cried the other chocobo guard. The grand gate opened slowly, and finally locked into place. "Please, go to King Edgar, Sir Locke...and..." the knight motioned to Terra.
Locke took this opportunity to turn to his jade-tressed travel
partner and ogle her. "Joe, I would like you to meet Mistress Terra.
Terra, this is Joe."
Joe dismounted his chocobo, striding up to Terra. He took her
hand and kissed it lightly. "Pleased to meet you," murmured Joe.
Locke cleared his throat. "I'm sure Terra's not into chocobo jockeys, Joe," Locke chuckled. Terra tried not to nod.
"Chocobo jockey?! I'm a chocobo KNIGHT, dammit!" Joe cried.
Locke shook his head. "C'mon...Hey, Joe, catch ya later."
Joe nodded to him, still looking a bit upset. Locke led Terra
through the large portal.
Turrets reached high all around the castle's limits. Terra's heels clicked upon the sand-covered stone flooring. Fans were all aflurry, keeping the temperature bearable, even in these scorching conditions. Despite the cooling, she still labored to brush away beadlets of sweat. A pair of soldiers blocked off two doors, each to opposite sides of the other. Looking once again, she noticed the whole castle so far to be perfectly symmetrical. The sound of the padded thuds on the crimson carpet was a rhythmic walking partner to Locke's slightly heavier footsteps.
The path down the center of the castle was surely to lead to the throne room. A cliché in all castlemaking is that of placing the royal housing where any half-witted invader could find it.
As the wide door to the reception room opened, Terra noted
something else: there were six suits of armor, with three evenly placed
upon each side of the carpet. A tapestry was slung over both the east and west walls, and two doors again battled for the castle's center. Locke did not halt for Terra's train of thought, however, and continued to step
lightly to the throne room.
A man with long blond hair, tied back with a blue ribbon, sat
patiently in one of two thrones. His calm green eyes studied the two, and
then moved to his posted guards. As they nodded, the jet-black armor
clad fellow glanced again at the two visitors.
Locke stopped before the young king, and began to address him. "Highness, I have arrived from Narshe as per instructed." Locke had never sounded so authoritive, what with his somewhat lecherous
nature.
The king stirred. "This lass is the one I was told of?" his voice was slightly accented. Terra shifted her weight to her left foot. The king
sprung from his throne and walked towards them slowly, with his hands
clasped behind his back. Terra stood stock-still as he looked her up and
down.
"What are you doing?" she asked him.
The young ruler cleared his throat, and then looked into her eyes. "My apologies...(I haven't even introduced myself yet!) It is rather rude of me to turn my back upon a lady! I am Edgar Roni Figaro, the king of Figaro. It is my pleasure to meet you, Miss..." he trailed off, nodding in accompaniment with his fine blonde eyebrows wagging, as if to coerce her out of her name.
Terra rolled her eyes at his gesture. "...It's Terra."
"Surprised I know the king?" Locke chimed in.
Terra sighed. "Yes, Locke. Of course, Locke," the jade-haired
woman said, already tired of his antics.
Locke measured her reply for sarcasm, and evidently came up with positive results. He bit his lip. "Well, ah...I hate to say this, but I
gotta scram. I'll see ya later, my love!" he said, with a flair of confidence
sparking towards his last words. Terra shook her head, and watched as
the silver-haired teen opened the towering twin doors with great labor.
"You're an Imperial?" the accent voice brought her attention back to Edgar. "Well, that won't be a problem. You see, Figaro and the Empire are allied. Please, relax here. You've nothing to fear from either Locke or I," with this, King Edgar paused. "Well, maybe Locke."
Terra, ignoring the obvious addition that Edgar had just made,
looked at him with puzzlement. "Why are you helping me?"
He unattached his right arm from his left, which had until now remained planted behind his back, and waved it in the air for emphasis. "It is my nature to help those needing aid. Your...abilities would not hurt, however. If you will allow my leave, milady, I will have a guard escort you around the premises."
"That's not necessary. Exploration is half of the fun, after all,"
Terra returned.
Edgar nodded. "An adventurous lass. Not many of that kind around nowadays," he stated with a tone of approval. His hands once again joined behind his back as he turned, his ponytail traveled from his right to his left shoulder plate in a flurry, and his shoes thumped upon the crimson carpet lain over the marble floor as he departed.
Terra realized that the guards, also, were absent. Instead of
standing stupidly in the throne room, she decided to explore as she said
she would. Strolling through the doors, she arrived outside again.
Opening the door to the west wing, she was nearly run over by a running child. "Sor~ry!" the kid called back at her as if he had made a living out of his rendition of tag.
She approached an ornate teak table, she pulled out a matching chair, and placed herself into it. As she composed herself, she found an elderly woman looking at her from across the table. "You seem new here, kiddo. Well, since you came to sit with me, I'll tell you about
Edgar's twin brother," the matronly figure spoke with a grating voice
akin to an axe screaming as it was sharpened for a beheading (although
that was vastly out-of-date during these times).
"Actually, I just came to sit--" Terra started, but was cut off by the old woman.
"Ahh, he was such a nice boy. Much nicer than Edgar..." she
started. Terra cut her off, this time.
"Nicer than Edgar? That's a bit hard to believe," Terra retorted.
The elderly lady looked daggers at her. "He's only trying to get
into your pants. Watch him, because he will try, even if it is seemingly
nonexistant."
Terra, silent, allowed the matron to continue. "His name was Sabin, and was Edgar's younger brother. He looked so much like the late king! When King Figaro passed away, the two brothers flipped a coin to decide who would obtain the throne. Sabin ultimately traded his lineage for his freedom."
Terra leaned forward in her seat, and placed her elbows upon the table. "How long ago was that?" she inquired.
The matron's eyes were downcast for a moment, and then
returned to Terra. "Nine years have passed since then. He must be such
a fine lad now," she finished.
Terra, after thanking her for the unasked-for yet vaguely helpful story, pushed in her chair and walked away. She felt cheated somehow; she had never particularly cared for stories.
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Edgar lounged regally in his throne. He watched as the doors
swung open and a guard charged at him. "King Edgar!! Kefka is here!" he called, his voice no faster than he.
The king stood up gracefully, and took a step towards the doors. "Hmph. Bloody clown..." he said, stepping through the opened portals.
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His wavy brown hair was tied back with a red ribbon. His mantle, draped immaculately on his shoulders, was vibrant and colorful,
resembling a horrible carnival accident. His face was pale white, and his
mascara seemed to bleed black under his right eye. "Damn that Gestahl!
Him and his fucking orders! Why the hell does Edgar stick his castle in
the middle of nowhere?! Hmm...? THERE'S SAND ON MY BOOTS! EEEK!"
Kefka tiraded.
The two soldiers flanking him almost fell over. Recomposing, they bent and scrubbed Kefka's black shoes clean, then stood at attention. Kefka laughed dementedly, and walked up the steps to the castle. The chocobo knight Joe intercepted him. "Sir Kefka? What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Get the FUCK out of my way!! I'm pissed off, so DON'T CROSS ME!!" Kefka shrieked as he forced his way past, with the two personal guards in tow.
Joe turned to his friend. "Little Miss Kefka's havin' a hissy fit,
Don..." he snickered.
Don turned to him. "Heheheh...mmrrow..."
Edgar walked swiftly, and stopped as Kefka stood before him.
"What brings the Great Kefka, servant of Gestahl, to my lowly castle?"
he asked with poise.
"I'm here for the Magitek knight! The girl! I know she's here,
Edgar! Show her!!" demanded Kefka, who searched frantically for a
collar to grab ahold of on Edgar, but could not grasp the armor.
"Nay, there is no 'Magitek girl' here. I would have known, were any new ladies brought here. They may be as numerous as grains of sand in the desert here, but a king of the desert knows his people, sand or no," Edgar said fluently.
Edgar's articulance seemed only to ruffle Kefka's feathers more (which, conveniently enough, Kefka had left at his barracks). "Hmm. Curious. Well, let's hope you aren't LYING to me now."
Kefka cantered away as Locke approached from hiding. "I
question that guy's sexuality sometimes," he remarked.
Edgar sighed. "I question that all of the time. Where's Terra?"
Terra peeked out from behind the slightly taller Locke. "I'm here," she said meekly.
Edgar took Locke aside. "Take her to a room where it's safe. I must go and speak with the chancellor. If you'll excuse me..." he said, and walked through the doors to the waiting room.
Locke motioned for Terra to follow, and led her through the east wing. Staircases ran through it, and it consisted solely of a bed and table, which held a lantern. "Is it true that you're a thief?" Terra asked,
breaking the silence.
"That's TREASURE HUNTER! Damn that Edgar...!" Locke cried,
balling up his fists. Terra said nothing, and looked at him calmly. "Edgar
pretends to support the Empire. Actually, he's with the Returners, an
anti-Imperial crew I'm with. Arvis back in Narshe is one of us," he added.
"I'm an Imperial soldier, though!" Terra exclaimed.
"Terra...they were using you! Things are different now!" Locke
returned, and looked away as Terra said nothing. "I can't tell you what to
do. You'll find your own path soon, so don't worry," he finished, and
walked downstairs.
She was alone in the room, and stared at the dead lantern. "I could have realized that...but, how do I know the right path to choose?"
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An odd crackling noise awoke Edgar. Kicking off his sheets, he rushed out the door to find Figaro castle becoming a blazing effigy.
"What's going on!?" he asked himself, and then noticed Kefka, standing
beside the royal bedroom door. Milky sweatdrops poured from his face,
accompanied by black teardrops from his makeup.
"Bring the girl to me," Kefka said simply.
Edgar opened his eyes wide in anger. "I don't know where such a girl is!" he cried.
"Well...this is a fitting prelude to your afterlife! Uwaa, haa, ha!"
cackled Kefka.
Rushing past him, Edgar ran through the waiting room and into the throne room. "Begin the operation!" he shouted to a soldier.
"Yessir!" responded the soldier, who promptly headed to tell the others. Edgar followed him outside.
"Changed your story yet?" Kefka asked. His skin was less pale, and patches of his face were missing paint. A fair complexion beneath reflected the flame's colors well.
Edgar turned to him. "I guess I have no choice..." he stated.
Kefka grinned, but ceased as Edgar hopped over the castle wall and onto one of a trio of chocobos beneath. Kefka moved to the side and looked off the edge. "Or maybe I do!" Edgar added arrogantly.
The chocobos waded through sand to the east wing, as Kefka looked at Edgar's retreat. "Aren't you a good king? Leaving your people
behind...delightful!" he called.
Locke and Terra flew over the east wing turret wall and landed upon the remaining chocobos, which did not so much as bow beneath their weights. "Submerge now! Nobody defeats Figaro!!" ordered Edgar.
As they rode off, the east and west wing slid to meet and connect with the base of the castle. The throne room, also, grew more compact to the base. Sand spouted up all over, and Figaro sank rapidly into the boiling sea of sand. Kefka, surprised, did not even leave the castle. "Get them!" he cried, summoning his two bodyguards.
Their chocobos ran swiftly over the sand dunes, but Magitek units caught up with them nevertheless. Dismounting their dashing avians, Terra, Locke, and Edgar readied themselves for a bloody battle.
Locke lunged at one mechanized beast, and slashed at its knee tendons. The pilot, unsure as to what to do, ran forward, with Locke holding on for dear life.
Edgar had made his way behind the two knights, and hoisted up an old-fashioned crossbow, customized with four chambers for arrows. As he pulled the trigger, the arrows flew simultaneously at the two pilots. One of them turned on him, while the other pilot slowed his shaking of Locke.
Terra, with her blade still sheathed, sent fire energy through her hand and into Edgar's opponent. With a scream, he combusted along with his Magitek armor.
Locke lost his grip and rolled into the sand. Edgar, looking pale, rushed up to him. "Locke!! Did you see that? She used magic! Terra used M-A-G-I-C!" he spelled out to the dazed Locke.
Stirred, he opened his mouth as wide as his eyes. "Magic?! I
thought that didn't exist anymore!" Locke returned.
"You thought wrong, my friend!" Edgar shot back.
Terra lowered her gaze to the sand at her feet. Locke, looking at the pilot who was after him, cleaved through the Magitek's knee
tendons. The pilot looked confused as the unit lurched forward and he
was sent sprawling in the sand. His cry of pain was muffled beneath his
own fallen Magitek, which followed in its owner's footsteps.
Mounting their chocobos, they rushed past Kefka, kicking sand into his face. "Son of a submariner! You'll pay for this!" he cried, rubbing sand out of his eyes.
"Was that a bad man?" asked Terra of the other two.
"Nope! That was a bad woman! Haha!" Locke jested.
Edgar, chuckling, answered, "Yes, Terra...a very bad man."
"Oh! My mentor, Banon, would like to meet you, m'dear," he said to Terra.
Edgar mulled something over from atop his wingéd steed.
"Magic...the key to winning this war. No human knows howto use it..." he
murmured.
Terra urged her chocobo to slow slightly. "No human..." she voiced.
"Very sorry, Terra. If the Empire gets ahold of you, the world is done for. You want to learn of your magic, no? Then let us consult with Banon," Edgar corrected.
South approached rapidly, and the chocobos left behind feathers just as rapidly from their pace. Deserts met grass, and a cave loomed. The noon sun pressed on their backs, urging them into the dusky cavern. A lone chocobo knight stood beside the entrance. "You are headed to South Figaro, King Edgar?" he asked, in a statement-rather-than-question sort of way.
"Indeed. Return to the castle, and tell them that we are away
safely. Take care on your journey, and bring these fellows along with
you," Edgar replied, handing the reins of his chocobo to the knight. As
the chocobo knight left with the three birds, the three entered the cave.
It seemed to swallow them into a neverending tunnel. After many minutes of hiking, they reached a spring with another tunnel on the opposite side of it. In the center was a turtle that swam in haphazard
circles, like it were a cockroach that was flipped on its back. Candlelight
flickered off of the shiny shell. "I really do wonder who the loser is that
keeps all of these candles lit..." muttered Locke.
Edgar turned to him. "What do you mean?" he asked curiously.
Locke pointed at the candles. "Every cave I'm in, the candles are alive and well. They die pretty often, and there's never anyone to relight them. Besides, they're in caves, so it's kinda windy in them. They would never stay lit!" Locke persisted.
Terra looked over at Locke. "Now that you mention it...that is
rather odd, Locke," she conjectured. Edgar shook his head and walked
on.
At the foot of the steps, three horrid crawlies...well, crawled
towards them. Edgar raised his hand to halt Terra and Locke, and then
proceeded to left his automatic crossbow. Arrows sail through the air
and pierce the creatures voraciously, and Edgar puts away the crossbow
before the last arrow even strikes. "Bow before your king!" taunted
Edgar as the beasts curled and died.
"You showoff..." Locke admonished, after picking up a tonic.
Light was visible up ahead, and the cave became more readily
traversible. As they exited the cave, they saw grass once more, and a
slightly darkened sky. The time had advanced to evening by the time
they arrived in South Figaro.
Terra noticed first the smell. "What...IS that?!" she demanded.
Edgar laughed at the question. "There is a chocobo stable right
there. The healing spring water tends to give chocobos diarrhea," said
Edgar.
"That's a bit of trivial knowledge, there...hey! Let's check out the relic shop!!" Locke said suddenly, and stepped lifefully into the shop.
Edgar groaned. "We're not here to go on a shopping spree..."
Terra and Edgar followed, and found Locke having a conversation with a man. "These Sprint Shoes make me run twice as fast! Lookit me go! Zoooom!" the man said, and ran into a wall, crashing to the floor.
Locke stood there, stunned. "Some people never lose that kid
quality in 'em, I guess," he mentioned. "Hey, merchant-man! Give me a
pair of those thingamajigs."
The merchant, a little miffed by Locke's attitude and the man's test-drive, handed over a pair of shoes. "That's 1500 gold, sir," the
merchant said.
Locke took a step back. "1500!? You're kiddin' me!! You don't have them on sale?!" he demanded.
The merchant grinned. "They are on sale, sir."
Locke slammed the counter with his fist. "Whaaaaat!?"
Edgar placed his hand on Locke's shoulder to calm him down. "I'll buy two more pairs. I'll foot his bill, too, my good fellow," he said to the merchant.
The merchant's eyes widened. "Your Highness! I-i-it will be 3000 gold for all three pairs, sir," the merchant said meekly.
Edgar smiled at him. "Thank you. Here is your 3000 gold for the shoes, and some more for a tip," he said, handing over the pile of coins.
The merchant nodded, and looked warily at Locke. "Try 'em on, everyone," Locke said, "they feel great!"
As Terra and Edgar put on new shoes, they wondered what to do with their old shoes. Locke, however, put three pairs of old shoes on the counter. "How much for these?" he asked.
The merchant glared at him. "They're free."
Locke laughed. "You DO buy, right?"
The merchant sneered at him. "You have foot-fungus. I can't sell THAT to my patrons."
Locke's eyes widened as Edgar laughed and Terra made a noise of disgust. "I do not!" he said.
The merchant shooed him away, and the others followed.
The bar was small, but crowded. Five tables sat a dozen people,
many of which were dark-looking. Others were floozies who were
dancing atop or around the tables. Terra was more shocked when she
saw a young boy looking at the girls. It must be the owner's son, she
thought.
By the phonograph at the bar, a black-garbed fellow and his pet dog sat. Locke, always a bundle of energy, insisted on tapping him on the shoulder.
"Hey, fella! What parts do you come from?" he asked him. There was no response. Edgar yelps and drags Locke away.
"That's rude! Besides, can't you pick a less dangerous person to start a one-sided dialogue with?" Edgar stated.
"You tree-hugging reague! Lemme go!" Locke struggled.
Edgar looks at the shady man. "That is Shadow, a mercenary ninja if ever there was one! That cold bastard'd slit his mother's throat for five gold pieces!" he said.
Locke eyed the glinting shurikens and sheathed blade at his hip. "Oh...heh, my bad, pal," he apologized to Shadow.
"Go away," he muttered in a deep, marrow-curdling voice.
Locke ran to hide behind Edgar as Terra moved to pet the dog. Shadow turned his head to flash his reddish eyes at her. "Leave us...the dog eats strangers."
"Hey! Cut it out,man! You're creeping me out! Can't we just be
friends?" Locke insisted.
Shadow rose from his seat and instantly faced Locke, short sword drawn. Locke blinked, still seeing an afterimage of the ninja. "FUCKING BEAT IT, THIEF-BOY!" he exploded.
Locke opened his mouth to explode, himself, but thought before he leapt, this time. "Tch. Fine...you get that "thief" for free."
"Come ON..." Terra nudged Locke, and the three left.
"That was not very smart, Locke," said Edgar matter-of-factly.
"Aw, shaddap!" he cried, and walked into the chocobo stables.
"Gree-tings! May I in-te-rest you three in a cho-co-bo ride?" the
man said in a foreign accent.
Edgar, after pausing a moment, spoke up. "Three, please," he said.
"That with be one-hun-dred fif-ty pieces," said the foreigner.
"Ahh...thanks," said Locke, watching the gold change hands.
The chocobos were as fast as they were several hours ago, despite being different ones. The mountains closed in, and they were enveloped shortly. The only path onward was through the caves of Mount Kolts.
"Be free, my fast, feathery friends!" Locke said with consanance. Edgar groaned.
"Will they be able to find their way back?" Terra asked.
"Don't worry. They'll be safe, because monsters can't catch them, and they remember where their home is. It's kinda like that candle thing," Locke said.
"Come on, now, Terra. Lead the way, fungus boy," Edgar laughed.
Locke darted forward to stop Edgar, and yelled at him, "I do NOT have foot fungus!!"
All characters, symbols, and Final Fantasy copyright of
Squaresoft, Inc.
Prepare for some different characterization.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Two: Between Kings and Drag Queens
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The sandblasted castle was larger than she had thought. Looking up at the turrets, she got dizzy. Locke, however, was already a dozen paces ahead of her, surrounded by gigantic yellow birds: chocobos. Each of the two chocobos were mounted by a man, undoubtedly guards. Locke was engaged in a conversation with them.
"Could you open up, Joe? I'm trying to show my lady friend here a good 'getaway place'," Locke murmured to the chocobo knight.
Joe (as Locke called him), smiled knowingly as he looked Terra over. Turning to the other guard, he nodded. "Raise the portcullis!!" cried the other chocobo guard. The grand gate opened slowly, and finally locked into place. "Please, go to King Edgar, Sir Locke...and..." the knight motioned to Terra.
Locke took this opportunity to turn to his jade-tressed travel
partner and ogle her. "Joe, I would like you to meet Mistress Terra.
Terra, this is Joe."
Joe dismounted his chocobo, striding up to Terra. He took her
hand and kissed it lightly. "Pleased to meet you," murmured Joe.
Locke cleared his throat. "I'm sure Terra's not into chocobo jockeys, Joe," Locke chuckled. Terra tried not to nod.
"Chocobo jockey?! I'm a chocobo KNIGHT, dammit!" Joe cried.
Locke shook his head. "C'mon...Hey, Joe, catch ya later."
Joe nodded to him, still looking a bit upset. Locke led Terra
through the large portal.
Turrets reached high all around the castle's limits. Terra's heels clicked upon the sand-covered stone flooring. Fans were all aflurry, keeping the temperature bearable, even in these scorching conditions. Despite the cooling, she still labored to brush away beadlets of sweat. A pair of soldiers blocked off two doors, each to opposite sides of the other. Looking once again, she noticed the whole castle so far to be perfectly symmetrical. The sound of the padded thuds on the crimson carpet was a rhythmic walking partner to Locke's slightly heavier footsteps.
The path down the center of the castle was surely to lead to the throne room. A cliché in all castlemaking is that of placing the royal housing where any half-witted invader could find it.
As the wide door to the reception room opened, Terra noted
something else: there were six suits of armor, with three evenly placed
upon each side of the carpet. A tapestry was slung over both the east and west walls, and two doors again battled for the castle's center. Locke did not halt for Terra's train of thought, however, and continued to step
lightly to the throne room.
A man with long blond hair, tied back with a blue ribbon, sat
patiently in one of two thrones. His calm green eyes studied the two, and
then moved to his posted guards. As they nodded, the jet-black armor
clad fellow glanced again at the two visitors.
Locke stopped before the young king, and began to address him. "Highness, I have arrived from Narshe as per instructed." Locke had never sounded so authoritive, what with his somewhat lecherous
nature.
The king stirred. "This lass is the one I was told of?" his voice was slightly accented. Terra shifted her weight to her left foot. The king
sprung from his throne and walked towards them slowly, with his hands
clasped behind his back. Terra stood stock-still as he looked her up and
down.
"What are you doing?" she asked him.
The young ruler cleared his throat, and then looked into her eyes. "My apologies...(I haven't even introduced myself yet!) It is rather rude of me to turn my back upon a lady! I am Edgar Roni Figaro, the king of Figaro. It is my pleasure to meet you, Miss..." he trailed off, nodding in accompaniment with his fine blonde eyebrows wagging, as if to coerce her out of her name.
Terra rolled her eyes at his gesture. "...It's Terra."
"Surprised I know the king?" Locke chimed in.
Terra sighed. "Yes, Locke. Of course, Locke," the jade-haired
woman said, already tired of his antics.
Locke measured her reply for sarcasm, and evidently came up with positive results. He bit his lip. "Well, ah...I hate to say this, but I
gotta scram. I'll see ya later, my love!" he said, with a flair of confidence
sparking towards his last words. Terra shook her head, and watched as
the silver-haired teen opened the towering twin doors with great labor.
"You're an Imperial?" the accent voice brought her attention back to Edgar. "Well, that won't be a problem. You see, Figaro and the Empire are allied. Please, relax here. You've nothing to fear from either Locke or I," with this, King Edgar paused. "Well, maybe Locke."
Terra, ignoring the obvious addition that Edgar had just made,
looked at him with puzzlement. "Why are you helping me?"
He unattached his right arm from his left, which had until now remained planted behind his back, and waved it in the air for emphasis. "It is my nature to help those needing aid. Your...abilities would not hurt, however. If you will allow my leave, milady, I will have a guard escort you around the premises."
"That's not necessary. Exploration is half of the fun, after all,"
Terra returned.
Edgar nodded. "An adventurous lass. Not many of that kind around nowadays," he stated with a tone of approval. His hands once again joined behind his back as he turned, his ponytail traveled from his right to his left shoulder plate in a flurry, and his shoes thumped upon the crimson carpet lain over the marble floor as he departed.
Terra realized that the guards, also, were absent. Instead of
standing stupidly in the throne room, she decided to explore as she said
she would. Strolling through the doors, she arrived outside again.
Opening the door to the west wing, she was nearly run over by a running child. "Sor~ry!" the kid called back at her as if he had made a living out of his rendition of tag.
She approached an ornate teak table, she pulled out a matching chair, and placed herself into it. As she composed herself, she found an elderly woman looking at her from across the table. "You seem new here, kiddo. Well, since you came to sit with me, I'll tell you about
Edgar's twin brother," the matronly figure spoke with a grating voice
akin to an axe screaming as it was sharpened for a beheading (although
that was vastly out-of-date during these times).
"Actually, I just came to sit--" Terra started, but was cut off by the old woman.
"Ahh, he was such a nice boy. Much nicer than Edgar..." she
started. Terra cut her off, this time.
"Nicer than Edgar? That's a bit hard to believe," Terra retorted.
The elderly lady looked daggers at her. "He's only trying to get
into your pants. Watch him, because he will try, even if it is seemingly
nonexistant."
Terra, silent, allowed the matron to continue. "His name was Sabin, and was Edgar's younger brother. He looked so much like the late king! When King Figaro passed away, the two brothers flipped a coin to decide who would obtain the throne. Sabin ultimately traded his lineage for his freedom."
Terra leaned forward in her seat, and placed her elbows upon the table. "How long ago was that?" she inquired.
The matron's eyes were downcast for a moment, and then
returned to Terra. "Nine years have passed since then. He must be such
a fine lad now," she finished.
Terra, after thanking her for the unasked-for yet vaguely helpful story, pushed in her chair and walked away. She felt cheated somehow; she had never particularly cared for stories.
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Edgar lounged regally in his throne. He watched as the doors
swung open and a guard charged at him. "King Edgar!! Kefka is here!" he called, his voice no faster than he.
The king stood up gracefully, and took a step towards the doors. "Hmph. Bloody clown..." he said, stepping through the opened portals.
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His wavy brown hair was tied back with a red ribbon. His mantle, draped immaculately on his shoulders, was vibrant and colorful,
resembling a horrible carnival accident. His face was pale white, and his
mascara seemed to bleed black under his right eye. "Damn that Gestahl!
Him and his fucking orders! Why the hell does Edgar stick his castle in
the middle of nowhere?! Hmm...? THERE'S SAND ON MY BOOTS! EEEK!"
Kefka tiraded.
The two soldiers flanking him almost fell over. Recomposing, they bent and scrubbed Kefka's black shoes clean, then stood at attention. Kefka laughed dementedly, and walked up the steps to the castle. The chocobo knight Joe intercepted him. "Sir Kefka? What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Get the FUCK out of my way!! I'm pissed off, so DON'T CROSS ME!!" Kefka shrieked as he forced his way past, with the two personal guards in tow.
Joe turned to his friend. "Little Miss Kefka's havin' a hissy fit,
Don..." he snickered.
Don turned to him. "Heheheh...mmrrow..."
Edgar walked swiftly, and stopped as Kefka stood before him.
"What brings the Great Kefka, servant of Gestahl, to my lowly castle?"
he asked with poise.
"I'm here for the Magitek knight! The girl! I know she's here,
Edgar! Show her!!" demanded Kefka, who searched frantically for a
collar to grab ahold of on Edgar, but could not grasp the armor.
"Nay, there is no 'Magitek girl' here. I would have known, were any new ladies brought here. They may be as numerous as grains of sand in the desert here, but a king of the desert knows his people, sand or no," Edgar said fluently.
Edgar's articulance seemed only to ruffle Kefka's feathers more (which, conveniently enough, Kefka had left at his barracks). "Hmm. Curious. Well, let's hope you aren't LYING to me now."
Kefka cantered away as Locke approached from hiding. "I
question that guy's sexuality sometimes," he remarked.
Edgar sighed. "I question that all of the time. Where's Terra?"
Terra peeked out from behind the slightly taller Locke. "I'm here," she said meekly.
Edgar took Locke aside. "Take her to a room where it's safe. I must go and speak with the chancellor. If you'll excuse me..." he said, and walked through the doors to the waiting room.
Locke motioned for Terra to follow, and led her through the east wing. Staircases ran through it, and it consisted solely of a bed and table, which held a lantern. "Is it true that you're a thief?" Terra asked,
breaking the silence.
"That's TREASURE HUNTER! Damn that Edgar...!" Locke cried,
balling up his fists. Terra said nothing, and looked at him calmly. "Edgar
pretends to support the Empire. Actually, he's with the Returners, an
anti-Imperial crew I'm with. Arvis back in Narshe is one of us," he added.
"I'm an Imperial soldier, though!" Terra exclaimed.
"Terra...they were using you! Things are different now!" Locke
returned, and looked away as Terra said nothing. "I can't tell you what to
do. You'll find your own path soon, so don't worry," he finished, and
walked downstairs.
She was alone in the room, and stared at the dead lantern. "I could have realized that...but, how do I know the right path to choose?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An odd crackling noise awoke Edgar. Kicking off his sheets, he rushed out the door to find Figaro castle becoming a blazing effigy.
"What's going on!?" he asked himself, and then noticed Kefka, standing
beside the royal bedroom door. Milky sweatdrops poured from his face,
accompanied by black teardrops from his makeup.
"Bring the girl to me," Kefka said simply.
Edgar opened his eyes wide in anger. "I don't know where such a girl is!" he cried.
"Well...this is a fitting prelude to your afterlife! Uwaa, haa, ha!"
cackled Kefka.
Rushing past him, Edgar ran through the waiting room and into the throne room. "Begin the operation!" he shouted to a soldier.
"Yessir!" responded the soldier, who promptly headed to tell the others. Edgar followed him outside.
"Changed your story yet?" Kefka asked. His skin was less pale, and patches of his face were missing paint. A fair complexion beneath reflected the flame's colors well.
Edgar turned to him. "I guess I have no choice..." he stated.
Kefka grinned, but ceased as Edgar hopped over the castle wall and onto one of a trio of chocobos beneath. Kefka moved to the side and looked off the edge. "Or maybe I do!" Edgar added arrogantly.
The chocobos waded through sand to the east wing, as Kefka looked at Edgar's retreat. "Aren't you a good king? Leaving your people
behind...delightful!" he called.
Locke and Terra flew over the east wing turret wall and landed upon the remaining chocobos, which did not so much as bow beneath their weights. "Submerge now! Nobody defeats Figaro!!" ordered Edgar.
As they rode off, the east and west wing slid to meet and connect with the base of the castle. The throne room, also, grew more compact to the base. Sand spouted up all over, and Figaro sank rapidly into the boiling sea of sand. Kefka, surprised, did not even leave the castle. "Get them!" he cried, summoning his two bodyguards.
Their chocobos ran swiftly over the sand dunes, but Magitek units caught up with them nevertheless. Dismounting their dashing avians, Terra, Locke, and Edgar readied themselves for a bloody battle.
Locke lunged at one mechanized beast, and slashed at its knee tendons. The pilot, unsure as to what to do, ran forward, with Locke holding on for dear life.
Edgar had made his way behind the two knights, and hoisted up an old-fashioned crossbow, customized with four chambers for arrows. As he pulled the trigger, the arrows flew simultaneously at the two pilots. One of them turned on him, while the other pilot slowed his shaking of Locke.
Terra, with her blade still sheathed, sent fire energy through her hand and into Edgar's opponent. With a scream, he combusted along with his Magitek armor.
Locke lost his grip and rolled into the sand. Edgar, looking pale, rushed up to him. "Locke!! Did you see that? She used magic! Terra used M-A-G-I-C!" he spelled out to the dazed Locke.
Stirred, he opened his mouth as wide as his eyes. "Magic?! I
thought that didn't exist anymore!" Locke returned.
"You thought wrong, my friend!" Edgar shot back.
Terra lowered her gaze to the sand at her feet. Locke, looking at the pilot who was after him, cleaved through the Magitek's knee
tendons. The pilot looked confused as the unit lurched forward and he
was sent sprawling in the sand. His cry of pain was muffled beneath his
own fallen Magitek, which followed in its owner's footsteps.
Mounting their chocobos, they rushed past Kefka, kicking sand into his face. "Son of a submariner! You'll pay for this!" he cried, rubbing sand out of his eyes.
"Was that a bad man?" asked Terra of the other two.
"Nope! That was a bad woman! Haha!" Locke jested.
Edgar, chuckling, answered, "Yes, Terra...a very bad man."
"Oh! My mentor, Banon, would like to meet you, m'dear," he said to Terra.
Edgar mulled something over from atop his wingéd steed.
"Magic...the key to winning this war. No human knows howto use it..." he
murmured.
Terra urged her chocobo to slow slightly. "No human..." she voiced.
"Very sorry, Terra. If the Empire gets ahold of you, the world is done for. You want to learn of your magic, no? Then let us consult with Banon," Edgar corrected.
South approached rapidly, and the chocobos left behind feathers just as rapidly from their pace. Deserts met grass, and a cave loomed. The noon sun pressed on their backs, urging them into the dusky cavern. A lone chocobo knight stood beside the entrance. "You are headed to South Figaro, King Edgar?" he asked, in a statement-rather-than-question sort of way.
"Indeed. Return to the castle, and tell them that we are away
safely. Take care on your journey, and bring these fellows along with
you," Edgar replied, handing the reins of his chocobo to the knight. As
the chocobo knight left with the three birds, the three entered the cave.
It seemed to swallow them into a neverending tunnel. After many minutes of hiking, they reached a spring with another tunnel on the opposite side of it. In the center was a turtle that swam in haphazard
circles, like it were a cockroach that was flipped on its back. Candlelight
flickered off of the shiny shell. "I really do wonder who the loser is that
keeps all of these candles lit..." muttered Locke.
Edgar turned to him. "What do you mean?" he asked curiously.
Locke pointed at the candles. "Every cave I'm in, the candles are alive and well. They die pretty often, and there's never anyone to relight them. Besides, they're in caves, so it's kinda windy in them. They would never stay lit!" Locke persisted.
Terra looked over at Locke. "Now that you mention it...that is
rather odd, Locke," she conjectured. Edgar shook his head and walked
on.
At the foot of the steps, three horrid crawlies...well, crawled
towards them. Edgar raised his hand to halt Terra and Locke, and then
proceeded to left his automatic crossbow. Arrows sail through the air
and pierce the creatures voraciously, and Edgar puts away the crossbow
before the last arrow even strikes. "Bow before your king!" taunted
Edgar as the beasts curled and died.
"You showoff..." Locke admonished, after picking up a tonic.
Light was visible up ahead, and the cave became more readily
traversible. As they exited the cave, they saw grass once more, and a
slightly darkened sky. The time had advanced to evening by the time
they arrived in South Figaro.
Terra noticed first the smell. "What...IS that?!" she demanded.
Edgar laughed at the question. "There is a chocobo stable right
there. The healing spring water tends to give chocobos diarrhea," said
Edgar.
"That's a bit of trivial knowledge, there...hey! Let's check out the relic shop!!" Locke said suddenly, and stepped lifefully into the shop.
Edgar groaned. "We're not here to go on a shopping spree..."
Terra and Edgar followed, and found Locke having a conversation with a man. "These Sprint Shoes make me run twice as fast! Lookit me go! Zoooom!" the man said, and ran into a wall, crashing to the floor.
Locke stood there, stunned. "Some people never lose that kid
quality in 'em, I guess," he mentioned. "Hey, merchant-man! Give me a
pair of those thingamajigs."
The merchant, a little miffed by Locke's attitude and the man's test-drive, handed over a pair of shoes. "That's 1500 gold, sir," the
merchant said.
Locke took a step back. "1500!? You're kiddin' me!! You don't have them on sale?!" he demanded.
The merchant grinned. "They are on sale, sir."
Locke slammed the counter with his fist. "Whaaaaat!?"
Edgar placed his hand on Locke's shoulder to calm him down. "I'll buy two more pairs. I'll foot his bill, too, my good fellow," he said to the merchant.
The merchant's eyes widened. "Your Highness! I-i-it will be 3000 gold for all three pairs, sir," the merchant said meekly.
Edgar smiled at him. "Thank you. Here is your 3000 gold for the shoes, and some more for a tip," he said, handing over the pile of coins.
The merchant nodded, and looked warily at Locke. "Try 'em on, everyone," Locke said, "they feel great!"
As Terra and Edgar put on new shoes, they wondered what to do with their old shoes. Locke, however, put three pairs of old shoes on the counter. "How much for these?" he asked.
The merchant glared at him. "They're free."
Locke laughed. "You DO buy, right?"
The merchant sneered at him. "You have foot-fungus. I can't sell THAT to my patrons."
Locke's eyes widened as Edgar laughed and Terra made a noise of disgust. "I do not!" he said.
The merchant shooed him away, and the others followed.
The bar was small, but crowded. Five tables sat a dozen people,
many of which were dark-looking. Others were floozies who were
dancing atop or around the tables. Terra was more shocked when she
saw a young boy looking at the girls. It must be the owner's son, she
thought.
By the phonograph at the bar, a black-garbed fellow and his pet dog sat. Locke, always a bundle of energy, insisted on tapping him on the shoulder.
"Hey, fella! What parts do you come from?" he asked him. There was no response. Edgar yelps and drags Locke away.
"That's rude! Besides, can't you pick a less dangerous person to start a one-sided dialogue with?" Edgar stated.
"You tree-hugging reague! Lemme go!" Locke struggled.
Edgar looks at the shady man. "That is Shadow, a mercenary ninja if ever there was one! That cold bastard'd slit his mother's throat for five gold pieces!" he said.
Locke eyed the glinting shurikens and sheathed blade at his hip. "Oh...heh, my bad, pal," he apologized to Shadow.
"Go away," he muttered in a deep, marrow-curdling voice.
Locke ran to hide behind Edgar as Terra moved to pet the dog. Shadow turned his head to flash his reddish eyes at her. "Leave us...the dog eats strangers."
"Hey! Cut it out,man! You're creeping me out! Can't we just be
friends?" Locke insisted.
Shadow rose from his seat and instantly faced Locke, short sword drawn. Locke blinked, still seeing an afterimage of the ninja. "FUCKING BEAT IT, THIEF-BOY!" he exploded.
Locke opened his mouth to explode, himself, but thought before he leapt, this time. "Tch. Fine...you get that "thief" for free."
"Come ON..." Terra nudged Locke, and the three left.
"That was not very smart, Locke," said Edgar matter-of-factly.
"Aw, shaddap!" he cried, and walked into the chocobo stables.
"Gree-tings! May I in-te-rest you three in a cho-co-bo ride?" the
man said in a foreign accent.
Edgar, after pausing a moment, spoke up. "Three, please," he said.
"That with be one-hun-dred fif-ty pieces," said the foreigner.
"Ahh...thanks," said Locke, watching the gold change hands.
The chocobos were as fast as they were several hours ago, despite being different ones. The mountains closed in, and they were enveloped shortly. The only path onward was through the caves of Mount Kolts.
"Be free, my fast, feathery friends!" Locke said with consanance. Edgar groaned.
"Will they be able to find their way back?" Terra asked.
"Don't worry. They'll be safe, because monsters can't catch them, and they remember where their home is. It's kinda like that candle thing," Locke said.
"Come on, now, Terra. Lead the way, fungus boy," Edgar laughed.
Locke darted forward to stop Edgar, and yelled at him, "I do NOT have foot fungus!!"