A/N: Hey, guys! In the previous chapter, Terra, Locke and Edgar, after escaping from the Empire, reached South Figaro, where they found out about the alleged death of Duncan Harcourt, a martial arts master, and climbed Mount Kolts to reach the Returners Hideout on the Sabre Mountains. During the climb, they were attacked by Vargas, the son of Master Duncan, who he probably killed himself, but they were saved by Sabin, Edgar's younger twin brother and prince of Figaro, who gave up the throne ten years earlier. With a powerful new ally, they are now on their way to the Returners Hideout. What will happen? Will Terra decide which side to stand? Let's begin!

Chapter 5: Banon: Leader of the Returners

(Objective: Go to the Returners Hideout.)

Characters:

Terra

Locke

Mog

Edgar

Sabin

The journey to the Returners Hideout was short, but there was an interruption, as the group was attacked by a Zuu, a monster similiar to a black eagle. It turned out to be pretty tough until Mog started not dancing, learning the fifth type of dance, the Forest Nocturne, hitting the Zuu with a storm of leaves and then summoning a swarm of bees, before Sabin finished it off with one his Blitz techniques, the Meteor Strike, grabbing it and slamming it to the ground with great force.

(''The Returners- Final Fantasy VI OST'')

''Is this cave the Returners Hideout?'' Terra asked, noticing a small passage.

''Yes, Terra. I think Banon will want to see you.'' Locke replied.

''Then let's go inside, kupo!'' Mog declared.

A guard dressed in leather jacket and a cap with goggles on them immediately recognized Edgar. ''King Edgar! This way!'' he said.

Following the guard inside the small cave, Terra glanced around and saw a short distance away a conference room with a large table and many chairs. The group reached a kind of small library, where a middle-aged man was waiting for them. He had long unkempt brown hair, a mustache and a long beard that made his head appear to be surrounded by a thick mane, and he wore a long brown cloak with green, orange and yellow coatings, green robes with black shoulder straps, red bracelets, red pants and brown boots. Even though he was 54, he sometimes gave the impression that he was a few years older. ''Here we are, Banon! The girl is with us!'' Edgar said.

Banon turned his gaze to Terra. ''So, she is the girl the Esper reacted with.''

Terra backed away nervously. ''The Empire previously had total control over her.'' Edgar added.

''I know. The carrier pigeons have informed me of everything. I also heard that she neutralized fifty soldiers of the Empire in a short time.'' Banon said.

''No! That's not true!'' Terra suddenly cried out, falling to her knees in agitation. She couldn't believe she had done such a thing.

''Terra... are you okay?'' Locke asked in concern, putting a hand on her shoulder.

''Oh, for heaven's sake, Banon! Terra doesn't remember anything about what happened!'' Edgar shouted reproachfully.

''Well, hiding from the truth won't change anything!'' the leader of the Returners replied.

''Are you sure this is a good idea, Banon?'' Locke asked, unsure.

Banon approached Terra. ''So, you must be Terra Branford, right?'' he asked, and the girl nodded. ''As you have already understood, my name is Banon, and I'm the leader of the Returners. I don't know if you've heard the Pandora's Box story before, but now I'll explain it to you. A long time ago, men were pure and innocent, but one of them, ignoring the orders not to open a forbidden box, opened it, and the various evils of the world came out: Death, disease, hunger, old age, wrath, envy, pride, gluttony, lust, sloth, greed... they all came out before the box was closed in time. Only a ray of light remained in the box: hope.'' noticing that Terra didn't know what to say, he continued the explanation. ''We have to confront these evils, and I believe you can help us. Your powers are a gift, not a curse or a sentence, and I want you to always remember that. You are the last ray of hope in this world... our last ray of hope.''

''Banon! This is not the time to put pressure on her!'' Edgar scolded again.

Banon shook his head and sighed. ''I'm tired. I'm going to get some rest, and I advise you guys to do the same. I'll join you later.'' he said, leaving the room, and everyone went to sleep in guest rooms left to them by members of the Resistance. Terra shared her room with Locke.

(''The Returners- Final Fantasy VI OST-s'')

(''Awakening- Final Fantasy VI OST'')

A few hours later, Terra woke from her sleep with her head full of questions. Was it true that she had killed all those people and destroyed entire cities? What was Banon talking about? Did he want her to join the Returners? ''Hello, Terra. I see you woke up. Don't worry about Banon, all of us in the Returners joined together for a reason, also because we lost something or someone important at the hands of the Gestahlian Empire.'' Locke said, seeing her get off her camp bed.

''Locke, why did you join the Returners?'' Terra asked, a slight seriousness in her voice.

Locke was taken aback by the question. It brought back bad memories, but with a sigh, he replied. ''The Empire killed someone who was close to my heart, and this made me hate the Empire itself. Since then I have been seeking revenge against them for taking someone important to me away from me... If no one opposes the Empire, other people will end up like me, which is why I joined the Returners.''

The former Imperial soldier looked down and sighed sadly. ''But there is no one important in my life. I have no family... no friends...''

''That's not true!'' the adventurer exclaimed. ''There are a lot of people here who think you are important to them. They are counting on you, and that's what you have to fight for!''

Terra told him she would think about it and left the room. She went outside and met Banon. ''I see you took some rest, Terra. Did you decide? Will you become our last ray of hope?'' the man asked.

''No!'' she suddenly shouted, but she was ashamed of her outburst and turned as red as her tank top in shame. ''I mean, no... I'm sorry, Banon. I just don't know what to do...'' she murmured.

Banon looked at her concerned and put a hand on her shoulder. ''I understand... your doubts are natural. I can't force you to join the Returners if you don't want to, but I want you to think carefully, because there's no turning back from here on out. If you change your mind and feel ready to join us, come to me and let me know. In the meantime, why don't you go talk to the other members?'' he said.

Terra nodded and went into a room where some sort of inn with a shop was run, and met Sabin. ''Terra, I don't know what to tell you, except that I assure you that you can trust Edgar. He has always been a caring brother to me, giving priority to my needs over his. But don't tell him, or he'll turn red as a tomato!'' he said, laughing.

''Are you okay, Terra?'' Edgar asked as he entered the room.

''I have some doubts. I don't know what to do.'' the girl replied.

''I understand your doubts, but while we stood idle, the Empire killed several of our members and hundreds of innocent lives. Please give us the strength we need!'' a member of the Returnes pleaded.

''It's not easy for us to ask you so much, but on the other hand, if we force you to do what you don't want, we will be no different from the Empire. It is up to you to decide whether to join the Returners or not. When you took your decision, tell Banon.'' Edgar said.

Terra thought about it for at least half an hour. She was very indecisive and didn't know what to do, as she didn't want to be used as a weapon, but everyone was counting on her, believed in her, and wanted to fight against injustices, and Locke and the others had said that Banon would have some answers for her. She went into the small library and found him there. ''Banon, I thought about it a lot, and I had to talk to a few people, but I made my decision. Yes, I agree to join the Returners.'' she said.

''Really? You will?'' Banon asked, and Terra nodded. The leader of the returners had a great deal of self-control, but internally, this response made him very happy. ''Thank you, Terra. I appreciate it. On this piece of paper are the signatures of the members of the Returners. Your arrival gave me an idea.''

''Do you have a plan?'' the girl asked.

''Yes. It could be the key to winning this war. Go and call the others, I'll show my strategy in the main hall.'' Banon replied.

(''Awakening- Final Fantasy VI OST-s'')

(''Rebel Army Theme- Final Fantasy II PSP OST'')

After signing up, Terra, while wondering why everyone was placing their hopes on her, went to call all the other members of the Returners, and they went to the conference room. Banon arrived soon after, and began explaining his plan. ''So, we know the Gestahlian Empire is using Magitek power. But how did they get this power?'' he asked.

''Locke has acquired some interesting information for us. The Empire has gathered scholars from all over the world to study Espers. They're probably using them.'' Edgar said.

''Remember what happened in Narshe? That's why the Empire had besieged the city: there was an Esper here!'' Locke added.

''So this means there's a connection between Magitek and the Espers?" Terra asked.

''Exactly, Terra. There is only one thing that connects these two concepts: the War of the Magi.'' Banon replied.

The Resistance members were horrified. ''No!'' one of them cried out.

''The War of the Magi? It's not possible!'' exclaimed another one.

''My grandmother used to tell me stories about magical machines, but I thought it was all just legend.'' Locke said. ''Is this all true?''

''I'm not an expert on all this, but if what Banon says is true, then a second War of the Magi could break out.'' Sabin replied.

''This war happened a thousand years ago, and historians have several theories about it. According to the most accredited hypothesis, it's the energy of the Espers that gives power to the machines, and humans were also imbued with this energy.'' Banon said.

''So that's what is Magitek power is...'' Terra murmured.

''If we're going to take on Magitek enemies, then we need Magitek weapons of our own.'' Edgar said.

This answer horrified Banon to the point that he lost his self-control. ''No! Edgar, are you mad?! If we use Magitek armors against those of the Empire, we will unleash a second War of the Magi ourselves!'' he shouted.(1)

''So what are we gonna do, kupo?'' Mog asked.

''I'd say we need to communicate with an Esper. Remember, the Esper in Narshe interacted with Terra due to her magical powers. We'll need her help.'' Banon suggested, and Mog gasped.

''I'm not sure I understand the plan, but let's do it!'' Sabin said.

(''Rebel Army Theme- Final Fantasy II PSP OST-s'')

(''Environmental Tension- Metroid Fusion OST'')

Suddenly, a member of the Returners rushed into the conference room. ''Banon, sir, a messenger is wounded!'' he exclaimed.

''Quick, follow me!'' Banon ordered, and everyone left the room. A badly wounded member of the Returners lay on the ground in a pool of his own blood. ''What happened?!'' he asked the injured messenger.

''South Figaro.. the Empire has taken control of South Figaro... and they're headed here...'' the member of the Returners groaned.

''There is no time to waste!'' Banon exclaimed.

''Locke, you know what to do.'' Edgar said.

''I know what you mean. Someone will have to sneak into South Figaro to cause trouble to the Empire. I'll take care of it.'' Locke replied.

''And it is your forte.'' the king of Figaro concluded.

''See you later, Locke.'' Terra said.

''Let's meet later in Narshe. Don't worry, I won't be away for long. In the meantime, don't let a certain lecherous young king, whose name is best not to mention right now, approach you.'' Locke said, making a joke.

''Locke!'' Edgar cried out, half annoyed and half embarrassed, realizing that Locke's joke was about him.

Sabin chuckled in amusement. ''Edgar, bad habits really die hard, huh?''

(Locke has left the party.)

''Banon, Edgar, do you have a plan?'' Terra asked.

''Yes, we will flee through the Lethe River to reach Narshe, north of here. There, we will be able to better understand your powers, Terra.'' Edgar replied.

''There is a raft at the secret entrance. It's a little risky, but we have no other options. In the meantime, watch my back, as there are monsters in the river, and if I die, that will cause the decline of Returners. Let's go!'' Banon declared.

(Banon joined the party!)

(''Environmental Tension- Metroid Fusion OST-s'')

(Objective: Cross the Lethe River and protect Banon!)

Characters:

Terra

Mog

Edgar

Sabin

Banon

Terra, Edgar, Sabin, and Banon boarded the raft, with the currents of the Lethe River carrying them across the Sabre Mountains. ''I feel I might fall at any moment!'' Terra exclaimed.

''Hold on tight, Terra. The current is strong.'' Edgar warned, as he and Sabin each took her by the arms to keep her better balanced.

(''Battle- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker OST'')

Occasionally, Nautiloids, octopuses in a spiral shell, and Exocites, red crabs with powerful claws, attacked the four, but they were united and were counting on their strengths. Banon fought using a staff and a sword(2), and although he was no longer in his prime, he was handling combat just fine. To Terra's surprise, a purple dragon almost hit her.

''Careful, Terra! A Lesser Lopros!'' Banon exclaimed, protecting her from attack and striking the dragon with his sword. The Lesser Lopros tried to bite Sabin with its sharp teeth, but he leapt away and used his Raging Fist technique, which pierced the enemy's defenses.

''It seems strange to me to find dragons here.'' Edgar commented.

The Lesser Lopros spat out a fireball, which Sabin blocked to protect Banon, but the impact nearly knocked him off the raft. Edgar responded by using his crossbow, and monsters also came.

''These monsters are weak to fire!'' Banon said, and Terra nodded, preparing her Fire spell. Edgar used his automatic crossbow, knocking out the weaker monsters, and the Fire spell hit the Lesser Lopro, which cried out in pain, but resisted an Aura Cannon.

''Whose idea was it to put the dragons here?'' Sabin asked, as he tried to dodge the dragon's attacks, which was also fast in midair.

The Lesser Lopro struck Terra in the shoulder twice with its wings and then bit her, leaving her with a bloody gash. ''Hold on, Terra!'' Edgar yelled.

Though exhausted, Terra used a spell. ''I know what to do! Drain!'' Suddenly, the Lesser Lopros felt pain, and the wound on the girl's shoulder disappeared. It was a black magic spell that absorbed the energy of enemies and at the same time healed the wounds of those who used it.

''Are you okay, Terra?'' Banon asked.

''Yes, it's all right.'' Terra replied.

''I have to admit it, I'm amazed by your magic. You can do a lot of things with it!'' Sabin exclaimed.

(''Battle- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker OST-s'')

Edgar pulled out a spear and pierced the Lesser Lopros into the stomach, killing it. Terra, noticing that there were no more monsters, relaxed, her hair blowing in the wind. She felt that this Esper was familiar, and this made her feel at ease for the first time since leaving Narshe.

''We will reach Narshe soon.'' Banon said.

(''Clash on The Big Bridge- Final Fantasy V Advance OST'')

Suddenly, the raft shook, and Terra nearly fell into the water. ''Something is attacking us!'' she shouted.

And that something was someone: a purple octopus with sharp fangs, large bulging red eyes, many tentacles and a grinning face had attacked them. ''What in the blazes is that thing?!'' Banon exclaimed, as Terra prepared to defend herself.

''You can't go through here, and I, Ultros, won't let you! Does that make me a bad octopus?'' sneered Ultros.

Mog learned to use a new dance, the Water Harmony(3), his sixth in total, summoning a green lightning bolt that struck Ultros, stunning him. The octopus swung his tentacles, and Banon was hit despite his attempts to counterattack. Some Nautiloids also arrived. ''I think it's time for some mixed fried food!'' Sabin said.

''Ok! Fire!'' Terra nodded and used her Fire spell, firing from her hands some fireballs that exploded on the monsters, which were defeated, and Ultros was also hit, also going on fire.

''Yeeeouch! It burns! Seafood soup is NOT on the menu!'' he yelled, sending out some blinding ink, and Terra got some of it her eyes.

Banon struck some of Ultros' tentacles with his staff, then backed away, and Mog swung his spear alongside Edgar, hitting the octopus dead-on.

''I can't see anything anymore!'' Terra exclaimed, now exposed to the attacks.

''Oh, that's a tasty morsel! I'd gladly put my tentacles on her!'' Ultros exclaimed in anticipation. A series of tentacles struck the young woman, who, being temporarily blinded and with her eyes closed, couldn't even react with her sword.

''Quick, use magic! Temporary blindness is not a problem for magic!'' Banon said, and Terra used the Fire spell again, managing to hit Ultros.

''Give me some eye drops!'' Sabin said. Edgar pulled some eye drops out of his pockets, allowing his brother to administer a few drops to Terra.

''I hate muscle heads!'' Ultros yelled, trying to hit Sabin with his tentacles. He dodged the blows, however, and to everyone else's surprise, grabbed one of the tentacles and entwined it into the others, then repeatedly hit him with the claws he had equipped. Banon struck one of the octopus's tentacles with his sword, and Terra again used the Fire spell. ''Yeow! How many times do I have to tell you? SEAFOOD SOUP-IS-NOT-ON-THE-MENU!''

At this point, Ultros grabbed Banon by the leg with one tentacle and Mog with another one, then began to drag them towards him, while slamming other tentacles in their faces at the same time. Terra reacted quickly by striking with her sword the tentacles that had grabbed the leader of the Returners and the Moogle, allowing them to break free, and Sabin dealt more physical blows. After that, the octopus dived under water, with a big splash.

(''Clash on The Big Bridge- Final Fantasy V Avance OST-s'')

(''Disquiet- Final Fantasy X-2 OST'')

''Did we take him out?'' Sabin asked, removing his claws and referring to Ultros.

''I doubt it. Maybe he's just hiding under there.'' Edgar replied.

Suddenly, Terra let out a scream, as something cold and sticky had grabbed her leg, and was trying to drag her off the raft. It was one of Ultros' tentacles! ''Something is stuck to my leg!''

''Terra! Get away from there!'' Edgar shouted, grabbing her by the armpits, as Banon hit the tentacle with his staff, forcing it to let go Terra.

''We'll be fine now.'' Banon said.

Enraged by Ultros's cowardly attack on Terra, Sabin squeezed his knuckles so hard in his anger that they turned red and irritated. ''Darn sea freak... I'll smash him with a Blitz!'' he shouted.

Edgar, horrified, grabbed him by the wrist. ''No, Sabin! What are you gonna do?!'' he exclaimed.

''Get out of the way, Edgar! You'll make me lose focus!'' his brother replied, pushing him away, then dived into the water with a frontflip.

The king of Figaro watched as his brother swam underwater towards Ultros, determined to make him pay. ''Well, he's always been a bit rash.'' he commented.

''Sabin...'' Terra murmured, worried about Sabin.

''Oh, don't worry about him, he'll be fine!'' Banon said.

Edgar wasn't convinced. ''Are you sure, Banon?'' he asked.

''Edgar, you're his brother, you know him better than any of us. He'll be back here on the raft any moment.'' Banon replied. But as soon as he said these words, there was another big splash, and Sabin was thrown out of the water, missing the raft by several feet and falling back into the river with a scream.

(Sabin has left the party.)

''I think he missed it.'' Edgar said, laughing. Banon said nothing, but he seemed to be about to laugh too.

Terra was even more concerned about Sabin, and didn't know if Edgar and Banon were joking about it. ''SABIN!'' she screamed.

Sabin returned to the surface, and tried to swim against the current to catch up with the others, but it wasn't enough. He couldn't swim fast enough to reach them, and even though Terra tried, she was too far away to grab his hand. The girl also noticed that they were going left, as the martial artist was being pushed to the right.

''Sabin! You're on your own now! We will meet back in Narshe! Good luck!'' Edgar shouted. This was the last thing Sabin could hear beyond the strong current, and he saw that he was approaching some rocks.

(''Disquiet- Final Fantasy X-2 OST-s'')

A/N: Terra has met Banon, joined the Returners, and alongside Edgar, is heading towards Narshe while they protect him. Unfortunately, due to Ultros, Sabin was separated from the rest of the group. What happened to him? And what's going on in South Figaro, where Locke has infiltrated? Find out in the next chapters! See you soon!

(1): In the original SNES release and in the PS1 port as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology compilation (along with Final Fantasy V, but only in Japan and North America in September 1999, while in Europe, where it was released in May 2002, it's repleaced by Final Fantasy IV, but still with Final Fantasy V in the compilation), due to an oversight in the dialogue code that causes a glitch, two dialogues have been cut. The first one is in Figaro Castle, when Edgar talks to one of the two Imperial soldiers accompanying Kefka, who provokes him, while the second one is when Banon rejects Edgar's idea of using Magitek armors against the Empire, which also creates a script error, as it gives the impression that Banon agreed with Edgar's idea rather than opposing it. This glitch was fixed in the Game Boy Advance remake and in the ports for PC and mobile devices.

(2): In Amano's artwork, Banon has a sword, but in the game, he uses a Punisher staff as a weapon.

(3): The Water Harmony can be obtained in the Lethe River, the Serpent Trench and the Baren Falls, but they are all explorable areas and are in the World of Balance, so if you miss it it, you will no longer be able to get it. However, in the Game Boy Advance and mobile ports, you will have another chance to get it against Leviathan.