A/N: Hey, guys! Welcome to the new chapter! In the previous chapter, Sabin, found shipwrecked on the eastern continent and separated from his brother and friends, met Shadow, who agreed to help him return to Narshe, and on the way they reached an Imperial camp near the kingdom of Doma. After Cyan, a samurai from Doma, forced the Imperial forces to retreat by defeating their commander, they discovered that Kefka was plotting to poison the waters of the river that flows through Doma while the much more human general Leo was absent, and Sabin chased after him to stop him, but he couldn't stop him from poisoning the water, and the poison killed everyone in the castle except a sentry and Cyan, who also lost his wife Elayne and his son Owain. Heartbroken over the loss of his family and furious at this cowardly act on Kefka's part, he brutally killed many Imperial soldiers in revenge until he was rescued by Sabin and Shadow. Now, they have to escape from the camp. Let's begin.
Chapter 8: The Phantom Train
(Objective: Escape the Imperial camp and find a way to reach Narshe!)
Characters:
Sabin
Cyan
Shadow
Sabin, Cyan, and Shadow were hiding behind the crates, avoiding the Imperial soldiers at their heels, and they reached some Magitek armors. ''Sir Sabin, what kind of mechanical beasts are those things?'' asked Cyan.
''I'll explain later. Jump in.'' Sabin said.
The samurai, clearly uncomfortable with mechanical and technological devices, hesitated, but entered anyway. ''Sir Sabin! How do you control that monstrosity?!'' he shouted.
Sabin let out a sigh and rolled his eyes in irritation. ''Oh, darn it! Sir Cyan, thou art getting to be quite a pain in the neck- there, I met you like, less than five minutes ago and I'm even starting to talk like you!'' he shouted. He put his hand on the armor and noticed a guide, so he read it and explained how to do it. ''Anyway, that's a Magitek armor. See that lever next to your hand? Pull it to move it. The colored buttons will allow you to make powerful special attacks.''
Cyan pulled the lever so, but was moving it so erratically that the Magitek armor went repeatedly in a circle. ''I think it's in reverse!'' he shouted.
''No, no, Cyan, it's not in reverse! You're just changing direction too often. Keep that lever in the direction you need to go. The faster you push the lever, the faster the speed will be.'' Sabin replied, starting to lose his patience. Cyan, despite this, couldn't control the Magitek armor, even hitting some soldiers in the process. Shadow had also taken an Magitek armor, and some Imperial soldiers were attacking them, angry that they had tried to steal them.
(''The Man With the Machine Gun- Final Fantasy VIII OST'')
''Here they come!'' Shadow said.
Sabin, who was the only one of the three who was not in a Magitek armor, dodged a Magitek Laser from one of the enemy Magitek armors and hit it with a bicycle kick, followed by an energy punch at the other one. ''Cyan, press the red button!'' he said. Cyan did so, firing a beam of fire that destroyed one of the enemy's exoskeletal armors.
One of the enemies fired a missile that narrowly missed Shadow, and the mercenary, dodging the blow, pressed the blue button, firing an ice beam that hit the opponent's Magitek armor, but Sabin was hit by a fiery beam that caused an explosion. ''Sir Sabin! Art thee all right?'' Cyan asked.
''I'm fine. It will take much more to stop me.'' Sabin replied. he concentrated and used the Blitz technique Raging Fist, knocking an enemy soldier out of his damaged Magitek armor. He stole it from him and stepped onto the armor, then hit the green button, releasing a healing energy that fixed it.
A Magitek Laser struck Cyan, but Shadow threw a knife and shuriken, killing one of the soldiers who had arrived, and Sabin then hit the yellow button, releasing an electric beam that instantly destroyed a Magitek armor. ''Cool! I should use it more often!'' he exclaimed, amazed by the power of the Magitek armor.
Another soldier charged his Magitek armor, and the monk, pulling the lever, dodged the blow and dashed forward, hitting the machine with a series of four punches, a metal kick and a thunder beam. No more enemies arrived, but the Sabin, Cyan and Shadow's Magitek armors had low battery and were steaming a lot, so they got off and went on foot, leaving the Imperial camp soon after.
(''The Man With the Machine Gun- Final Fantasy VIII OST-s'')
(''Termina Field- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask OST'')
''So, Cyan, I was trying to get to Narshe. Why did the siege happen? Was Doma allied with the Returners?'' asked Sabin.
''Only partially. We found information about the Empire and the Esper in Narshe, but Kefka intercepted us and declared war on us to stop us from sending any more information. And now everyone is dead but me. I couldn't save my wife or my son...'' Cyan murmured sadly.
''I'm sorry for you... do you know how to get to Narshe?'' asked the monk.
''Narshe? I think we have to head to the forest to the south, but strange things are happening there.'' Cyan replied.
''What do you want to do with this? Run away?'' asked Shadow.
''Of course not! I cannot let this sacrifice be wasted.'' the samurai said.
''My brother Edgar is the king of Figaro. He had pretended to be an ally of the Empire, but in reality, he is on our side. Alongside some of our friends and other rebels, we fight against the Empire to avoid a second War of the Magi. With your experience as a warrior, I believe you will be a good ally.'' Sabin said.
''Thanks, sir. By the way, what are these techniques you used?''
''Oh, yeah. I spent years training martial arts under Master Duncan. The training not only made me stronger and improved my senses, but I also learned special moves that only pure hearted martial artists can use. He's dead now, though.''
''But won't you get killed fighting like this, with your bare hands, without protection?''
''Listen, I'm twenty-seven years old and I've had this kind of training since I was eight. An armor would hinder my movements, it's too heavy, and I feel more comfortable with a simple kenpo gi than with a cape. Apparently, Doma has never abandoned its traditions.'' This left Cyan quite puzzled, but he nodded.
''I'm passing through. I was looking for food for my dog.'' Shadow said.
''We have arrived at the Phantom Forest.'' Cyan said.
(''Termina Field- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask OST-s'')
The Phantom Forest was eerie, gloomy, and misty. Interceptor kept an eye on the area to hunt, but the atmosphere didn't help. Suddenly, disturbing moans were heard, and Sabin turned around. To his horror, he found himself faced with decaying human bodies, with ripped clothing and discolored skin that seemed devoid of flesh. ''Zombies! I thought they were just legends!'' he exclaimed. The decomposed corpse approached Cyan to try to bite him on the neck and eat his flesh, but the samurai pushed it off of him before it could, and Shadow threw a shuriken at the monster, which fell to the ground.
More zombies appeared and horrible bloody Dobermanns with skin so deteriorated that the muscles on the legs and bones on the chest were exposed.(1) One of those hideous dogs leapt at Shadow in an attempt to bite his throat, but at most, it bit him on the arm before being kicked away, and Interceptor, angered by the attack to his master's, attacked his zombiefied fellow dogs to protect him . While the others tried to hit all those undead, Sabin thought of Master Duncan and had an illumination. ''Guys, I have an idea! What was it that Master Duncan said? ''The undead cannot die again because they are already dead, but the light annihilates them.'' I got it! The undead hate light and all that is holy, including healing potions! ''Aura Cannon!'' The beam of light released from his hands struck all the undead, making them disappear. ''Cool, huh?''
''Impressive.'' Shadow commented.
''I thank thee, sir Sabin.'' Cyan said.
Sabin chuckled. ''Come on, you don't have to be formal, Cyan.''
Making their way through the gloomy forest, they reached... a train? Cyan was very surprised. ''I thought all of Doma's railways had been destroyed!'' he exclaimed.
''Let's take a look inside. There may be survivors.'' Sabin said.
''Sir Sabin!'' exclaimed the samurai, horrified.
''What do you think? We can't just wander around all day!'' the martial artist repllied.
''But, Sir Sabin!'' Cyan protested.
''Don't worry, it will only take a moment. '' Sabin said, entering.
''You fool...'' Shadow murmured. With no other choice, he and Cyan entered to check that their ally didn't get himself killed.
As Sabin glanced at the train, he had some doubts. The place was empty, but there were carpets connecting the various wagons. ''We have to get out of here at once! This is the Phantom Train!'' Cyan shouted, as he entered.
Suddenly, a loud sound was heard. ''The train is leaving.'' Shadow said.
(''Phantom Train- Final Fantasy VI OST'')
Panting, Sabin went to the hatch and tried to open it, unsuccessfuly. ''It's closed! The hatch won't open!'' he shouted.
''I'm afraid it's too late.'' Cyan said.
''What did you say this train was?'' asked Sabin.
The samurai sighed. ''This is the Phantom Train. It ransports the souls of the dead to their final... destination.''
The martial artist was horrified. ''You mean that train is taking us to the afterlife?! I don't want to go there! I want to get out of here! We have to go to the locomotion wagon!'' he shouted.
(Objective: Find a way to stop the Phantom Train!)
The Phantom Train was filled with zombies, living dead soldiers, hostile ghosts, and other evil spirits. Cyan did his best to defeat them, but they materialized away, forcing him to deal with the undead, while Sabin continued to use his Aura Cannon to drive them away in combination with Shadow's shurikens. However a friendlier ghost guided them, and on the train carriages, they were also attacked by red fireballs with self-destructing faces known as Bombs, causing them troubles because of the power of their fiery explosions. At one point, between two train compartments, they found themselves surrounded by hostile ghosts humming.
''Nowhere to run...''
''Nowhere to hide...''
''No escape for you...''
Sabin climbed a ladder to get onto the train, but the ghosts continued to follow him. ''They don't let up! They're hot on our heels!'' he said, and soon after, the group found themselves on the edge.
''I think we have reached a dead end.'' Cyan said.
''I don't think so!'' the martial artist replied.
''Hast thou an idea?'' the samurai asked.
''If we jump far enough, we'll have to be able to reach the other side. Follow me!'' Sabin said. He took a running start and took a big acrobatic jump, landing gracefully on the train, followed by Cyan and Shadow, and the ghost levitated after them. After three jumps, however, the roof broke, causing the martial artist to fall into the wagon. Despite this, the hostile ghosts continued to follow them by levitating. ''They still keep following us! Let's detach the rear wagons!'' he shouted, and with a press of a switch, he pulled the entire rear section off the train.
The fugitives were now in a dining room, where a ghost waitress asked Sabin, Cyan and Shadow to sit down if they wanted to eat. Sabin sat down and began banging his fists on the table. ''Food, FOOD! Bring me everything you got!'' He shouted, and the ghost waitress served him a plate of chicken and roast potatoes.
Cyan was so horrified that he looked like he was going to puke. ''Will the food on that train really be safe to eat?'' he asked.
''What are you worried about? We can't go on on an empty stomach. Just shut up and eat.'' the monk replied,taking a chicken leg and nibbling it.
''Do what you want, Sir. I will not stop you.'' Cyan said in resignation, and along with Shadow, he too began to eat. ''At least it's edible.'' he commented, still not trusting that food.
They also ended up running into a certain Siegfried, who was believed to be the strongest swordsman in the world. ''If I were you, thug, I would take gramps by the arm and run away!'' he giggled arrogantly.
''Gr-Gramps?! Who do you think you are?!'' Cyan snapped.
Sabin laughed. ''We, get away? Don't be ridiculous, you look more like a manicurist! YOU SCRAM, you braggart!''
''Sharp words from a person about to be sliced like ham!'' Siegfried replied. he launched a series of slashes, but he didn't hurt absolutely anyone.
''Let's shut this moron up.'' Shadow commented.
''Right!'' Cyan replied, preparing a Bushido technique. ''Sky!'' He waited for Siegfried to attack him, then parried the blow and landed an upward slash that hit him, his katana wrapped in a purple aura. That guy, however, ran away and stole something as well.
''What an idiot that guy is. All bark and no bite. I'm not even sure he was the real Siegfried.'' Sabin commented.(2) He noticed that the ghost that accompanied them went away. ''Thanks for accompanying us.'' he said, before the ghost disappeared.
(''Phantom Train- Final Fantasy VI OST-s'')
The next wagon was the locomotion one. ''We will have to find a way to stop that train here.'' Shadow said.
Sabin saw a manual on how to stop the Phantom Train. ''To stop the train, close the first and third pressure valves and operate the switch outside, near the funnel.'' he read.
''Sir Sabin, I think we mustn't touch anything.'' Cyan said. But the martial artist ignored him and pulled the levers, closing the pressure valves in the room. ''How do you do such a thing?!'' he exclaimed, repositioning one of the levers where it was before.
''Cyan, aren't you one of those guys who are afraid of machines?'' Sabin asked, closing the valve again.
''What are you insinuating, Sir?!'' the samurai snapped.
"You don't know how to deal with machines, huh?'' Sabin replied, teasing him gently.
''That's not true!'' Cyan yelled. Suddenly, he blushed in embarrassment, realizing that the martial artist was not ignorant. ''Okay, I admit it. I don't like machines, and they are not my forte anyway. How did you notice?'' he asked.
''When we approached the Magitek armors. You were constantly nervous. I guess Doma has never changed, huh?'' Sabin said.
''You are more cunning than I thought, Sir Sabin. Anyway, yes, the kingdom of Doma was established 1200 years ago, and it still retains all its ancient traditions. It never mechanized.'' Cyan replied.
''You know, Figaro is the most technological nation in the world, and we also owe it to my brother. He is not only the king, but he is also a master engineer, and in his spare time, he builds many unusual tools which he also uses in battle. He will probably be interested in meeting you. I'm not a tech savvy, so ask him.'' the martial artist said, as he climbed up the chimney and flipped the switch next to the funnel.
The train, steaming out in gushes, spoke in a shattering voice. ''So you are the ones trying to stop me!'' it shouted, and Sabin, Cyan and Shadow were thrown off and fell into the tracks.
''RUN!'' Cyan screamed, and the three ran as fast as they could.
(''Boss- Sonic Rush Adventure OST'')
''There is no doubt about! That voice is from the Phantom Train!'' said Shadow, as he threw some shurikens and knives at the Phantom Train.
"I can't believe the train just talked!" Cyan commented.
''Tatsumaki Senpukyaku!''(3) Sabin shouted, leaping towards the train and hitting it repeatedly with a spinning kick. He then used the Aura technique, which caused a significant amount of damage, but it was not enough to stop the train, which opened a hatch and brought out a wheel that narrowly missed Cyan.
''There's gotta be a way to stop that train!'' Sabin exclaimed.
The Doma samurai was starting to get tired from running. ''I don't know how long I will run!'' he exclaimed.
The ghost train honked its horn, letting out strange gases that surrounded everyone, leaving them the victim of some side effects: Sabin was slowed down, a cloud of black smoke covered Cyan's eyes, preventing him from seeing, and Shadow was poisoned. Interceptor charged and bit the train repeatedly, but it didn't change much.
''I don't know where I'm going! Help me!'' the samurai shouted as he ran blindly. To make matters worse, all three suffered the effects of acid rain created by the train that left them with burns on their faces.
''I have the solution for you two.'' said Sabin, who was preparing a Blitz technique. ''Chakra!'' He folded his hands and stretched them forward, releasing a light blue healing force, healing Cyan and Shadow and getting rid of the problems they were suffering from. ''What do you think? This technique typical of monks and martial arts experts can cure from poison and temporary blindness. We won't even need eye drops or antidotes!''
''Not bad, Sir Sabin.'' Cyan commented, and Shadow nodded.
''There must be a reason why the Phantom Train attacked us. It probably hates the fact that we stopped it before the end of its journey to the afterlife.'' Shadow said.
Sabin no longer felt slowed down, and had a plan. ''I have an idea, but I warn you: it's crazy!'' he said. He walked over to the Ghost Train, then stopped abruptly and held his hands out.
''Are you mad, Sir Sabin?!'' Cyan cried out in horror, thinking that his ally was about to be run over by that huge train.
''Come back here, you fool!'' Shadow snapped.
Sabin ignored their voices and blocked the train with his hands, causing it to slow down, then lifted it over him by the tender, to their amazement, and prepared for the finishing move, another Blitz technique. ''METEOR STRIKE!'' He then took a large jump, and after a backflip, he arched his body and slammed the entire train to the ground with incredible force.(4)
(''Boss- Sonic Rush Adventure OST-s'')
Cyan's eyes grew as big as huge cooking plates, he opened his jaw wide, and in his shock, he let go of his katana too. ''W-W-W-What did I just see?! Sir Sabin, how can you lift a train weighing who knows how many tons?! Thou art a beast!'' he stammered, complimenting him.
''Thanks, Cyan. But I think we will have to thank Master Duncan for that. He taught me those techniques himself, and after nineteen years of training in the martial arts, you would immediately realize that his work has paid off.'' a sweaty Sabin replied as he flexed his muscles.
''I have no words. I don't even know what to think.'' commented Shadow, who looked as shocked as Cyan.
Suddenly, the train spoke again. ''I will let you go. But first, there's one thing I have to do.'' it said, leading them to a track on the edge of the Phantom Forest.
''Oh, we're finally off that train!'' Sabin exclaimed, glad to be off that haunted train.
''Let's get out of here.'' Shadow added.
(''Dearly Beloved- Kingdom Hearts II OST'')
Suddenly, Sabin saw a long line of men, women and children entering the Phantom Train. ''Wait a minute... aren't those the ones who died drinking the water that Kefka poisoned? The people of Doma who were killed by that psycho?'' he asked.
''There is no doubt about it. It's them.'' said the mercenary.
Cyan gasped: among the crowd in line, he had seen a blond woman holding her son's hand. ''...! Elayne! Owain!'' he cried out, recognizing them.
''Cyan! Was that your wife and son?'' asked Sabin.
''Yes, they are! It's definitely them! I have to say goodbye to them!'' Cyan replied.
Suddenly, a loud sound was heard. ''They're about to leave!'' the martial artist exclaimed.
Cyan, determined to say goodbye to his family one last last time, ran to the train, and in his haste, he bumped Sabin in the shoulder, nearly causing him to trip. ''Please, wait!'' he shouted, but it was too late. The last man had just entered the train, and the hatch closed in his face.
The train pulled away, starting to pick up speed, and the samurai ran as fast as he could, but he was too slow. ''Elayne! Owain!'' he cried, his vision half clouded by his tears. At the end of the train, he could see his wife and son, and when he got to the end of the platform, he had to stop.
''Cyan, my love... you made me so happy. Thank you...'' Elayne said, waving her hand in the direction of her husband, despite being far away.
''Dad! I'll keep practicing with my sword so I can keep Mom safe!'' Owain shouted. His voice was the last thing Cyan heard before the train disappeared. Shortly thereafter, overwhelmed by grief, he ran away, out of the forest.
''Cyan, wait!'' Sabin shouted, starting to follow him, but he was held back.
''Best to leave him alone.'' Shadow said, grabbing his arm.
''No. I understand how it feels to lose a relative. I have to go to him.'' replied the martial artist, walking away too to look for him. The ninja mercenary, albeit reluctantly, followed him.
Beyond the forest, there was a hill, where Sabin found Cyan, trembling with despair and on his knees, with the katana in his hands, as if he were contemplating something. Doma's samurai lost control of his emotions for the second time in about a couple of hours, let out a yell of desperation and burst into tears, knowing that he would never see his beloved wife again, nor the little warrior who was his son. Concerned and feeling bad for him, Sabin approached him. ''Cyan, are you okay?'' he asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Cyan was taken aback by the physical contact, but he turned his head and saw the monk. ''Oh, it's you, Sir Sabin. Please, leave me alone...'' he murmured, between loud sobs.
''I won't let you.'' Sabin said.
''It's not fair! Why, deuce?! Why did I have to survive and the others didn't?!'' Cyan sobbed, as his tears fell down his mustache.
''I wish I knew the answer. I'm sorry I wasn't able to save anyone but you.'' Sabin said sadly, sitting down beside him and still without taking his hand off his shoulder.
''It's not your fault, Sir. I'm a warrior, a samurai at the service of the king, and I could not save anyone. I have lost my honor as a warrior and I didn't fulfil the samurai code of conduct, the Bushido. I would say that the time has come for me to leave you.'' said the samurai, looking at his katana.
''No! Because of Kefka, Doma is under the control of the Empire, but if you die, what will become of that kingdom? Don't you dare do that, Cyan! I won't let you do it!'' Sabin shouted, realizing what Cyan was implying.
''You don't understand what I've been through, or how it feels to lose a member of thy family.'' Cyan said.
These last words caught the martial artist off guard. The way he said it made him think he hadn't had to deal with the loss of a loved one. ''You're wrong, Cyan. I've lost relatives too.'' he said seriously.
''Who? When?'' asked the samurai.
''There's something you must know. Edgar and I are twins, and he is the eldest. Our mother died when she gave birth to us, and our father was poisoned by the Empire. We were seventeen.'' the monk replied.
''Your father? So you were orphans?''
''Yes. I feel bad in seeing you like this, because I have already experienced losses in the family because of the Empire, and I have discovered that you are now a widower and childless because of those same people and in the same way: poisoning. I tried to stop Kefka when he was about to pour the poison into the river, but I couldn't, and to add insult to injury, he hit me in the face with his foot when I got close to him. I'm sorry.''
''Why do you say that, and why don't you leave me alone?'' Cyan asked insistently.
''Because you are my friend!'' Sabin snapped, and the samurai gasped. The martial artist turned him towards him, knelt down and placed both hands on his shoulders. ''Cyan, listen to me. Me, my brother and some of our friends are part of an insurgent group, the Returners. We've been fighting the Gestahlian Empire since the Third Gestahlian Campaign began, but we have lost some members, killed by the Empire itself. I swear to you, as a member of the Returners, that I will never allow what happened to you to happen to others.'' he said in a serious tone.
''Me, thy friend? A soldier doesn't say these things, let alone a martial artist...'' the older man muttered.
''Leo, a general of the Empire, says that every soldier is human before everything else. Shadow and I heard that in the Imperial camp. Do you hate the Empire?'' asked Sabin.
''General Leo is the only Imperial I respect on a personal level. I hate the Empire for what it has done, but I hate Kefka more than all the Imperials combined. Because of him, I lost my liege, the kingdom I served, my countrymen, my wife, my son... I lost everything I could lose.'' Cyan replied, a tone of despair over his failure mixed with anger towards the Gestahlian Empire.'' Why did you mention the Returners?''
''As I said, we fight against the Empire, and I believe you can help us. How old are you, fifty?'' asked the monk.
''Yes, I'm fifty years old.'' said the samurai.
''Good. I want to head to Narshe because they all moved here after the Empire conquered South Figaro. You are a veteran warrior, and if you join the Returners, your strength and experience in battle could help us a lot. However, you will have to stop crying and grieve over the loss of your family. I too was upset by my father's death ten years ago, and I was equally shocked when I discovered that Master Duncan, the closest thing to a second father I've ever had, had been murdered by his own son and my partner training, Vargas, but I got over it. I learned a lot from him, and not just about martial arts.'' Sabin said. ''So, Cyan? Would you join us?''
(''Dearly Beloved- Kingdom Hearts II OST-s'')
(''Ahead on Our Way- Final Fantasy V OST'')
Cyan only took a moment to answer. It was a chance to avenge everyone who died in Doma. ''Sure! I will offer you my help!'' he said, wiping the tears from his eyes.
''That's the spirit!'' Sabin cheered, rising to his feet. ''You feel better?''
''I don't know if I'll be able to get over the grief.'' Cyan said.
''Don't worry, Cyan. I'll help you, and your future allies from the Returners too.'' the monk reassured him.
''Thanks for the offer, but really, I don't know if we'll make it.'' the samurai replied.
Sabin didn't give up, though. He took Cyan's hand tightly in both of his own, surprising him. ''We will. I, Sabin Rene Figaro, prince of Figaro and brother of the king, member of the Returners and student of Master Duncan, will help you, Sir Cyan Garamonde, samurai of the kingdom that supported the Returners, to avenge thy family, to reconquer Doma, to defeat Kefka and the Empire, to get over thy mourning for the death of thy wife and son and get that big boulder off of thy heart.'' he swore, with a determined and stubborn fire in his blue eyes. He was talking like him, but he didn't care, he had to make this speech.
Cyan felt like he was going to cry again, but this time, it wasn't from grief or despair. He was touched by the martial artist's speech, which reminded him a lot of the Chugi, the principle of loyalty of the Bushido code of conduct. ''Sabin... thank you.'' It was the first time he had called him only by name and didn't spoke to him formally, which rarely happened, expressing himself in this way only to close friends, relatives or those he trusted. ''Thank you so much. I am touched. I can't believe you're willing to help me.'' he said. Sabin hugged him, taking him by surprise. However, not wanting to be rude and break another of the principles of Bushido, the samurai put aside his pickiness and wrapped an arm around his back, returning the hug somewhat hesitantly.
''Sorry. Did I make you feel uncomfortable?'' Sabin asked, pulling away from him after noticing his expression.
''No, it's all right. It's just that I don't feel comfortable with displays of affection, and I don't like physical contact very much. Not that I hate being touched, but it makes me feel uncomfortable.'' Cyan replied.
''It must be your life as a warrior. All these years of fighting for your king must have hardened you quite a lot.'' the martial artist commented.
''The life of a warrior has this effect. Sometimes it happens that I don't even feel comfortable when Elayne said to me something as simple as ''I love you'', or a simple gesture of affection from her, like when she puts her hand on my cheek or when she kisses me. And I do genuinely love her, but when she tells me these things, I always end up hesitating before admitting it and telling her that I love her.'' the samurai admitted, sighing.
''Then, if I were you, I wouldn't hold back my emotions unless in combat. If that's what your wife wanted, then I recommend you do it at least for her. It's not healthy to keep everything bottled up inside. I care about you because you are my friend.'' Sabin said. ''I was thinking about something. The king of Doma is dead, but the prince was neither in the city nor at the castle when Kefka poisoned the river. Did he survive?''
''It could be. If he had died, the throne would have been vacant.'' Cyan replied.
''Then there's still hope. We will win this war, and Doma will be reborn from its ashes.'' the younger man concluded. ''Do you feel better now?''
Cyan wiped his eyes. ''Yes, I feel better now. Thank you.'' he said to Sabin, and the two shook hands tightly, a sign of their alliance created by that oath.
Shadow, who was watching the scene from afar, approached Sabin. ''How did you do it?'' he asked him.
''Just a little empathy, a little hope and he feels better.'' said the monk.
''There are men like me who have killed their emotions. That's all I can tell you.'' Shadow said. Sabin was perplexed by those words, but he didn't care about that: Cyan was now his friend, or so he saw him, and in him, he had found a powerful ally for the Returners.
(''Ahead on Our Way- Final Fantasy V OST-s'')
A/N: Poor Cyan! An experience on a train haunted by ghosts and undead and not being able to say goodbye to his wife and son seems to have worsened his grief and shame for not being able to protect Doma or save anyone. Fortunately, he seems to have found a sympathetic person in Sabin, who considers him a friend. In the next chapter, we will conclude Sabin's scenario. See you soon!
(1): Think of them like the zombie dogs in Resident Evil.
(2): This Siegried is a fake, as seen in the game. The real one appears much later.
(3): The Tatzumaki Senpyukaku (literally Spinning Tornado Kick) is a technique used by Ryu and Ken in the Street Fighter series.
(4): Meteor Strike is a typical move of Monks, being used, other than Sabin, in Limit Breaks by Tifa in Final Fantasy VII and by Zell in Final Fantasy VIII, consisting in lifting an enemy, then jumping and slamming it to the ground, and as a technique for Ifrit in Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XV and Final Fantasy Type-0. In this game, Sabin can lift and slam dragons and an entire train to the ground with this move, and the latter thing became a meme after a 2008 Youtube video in which Sabin, after ending up in Berserk status due to one of the special moves of the Phantom Train, uses Meteor Strike to defeat the boss in one hit. For the uninitiated, Meteor Strike, in the SNES and PS1 versions of Final Fantasy VI , was called Suplex, from the lifting and throwing technique from behind wrestling, and Josh Harter, a WWE wrestler who loves video games and anime, registered with the ring name Chris Sabin from Sabin.