A/N: Hey, guys! In the previous chapter, Terra, Edgar and Mog escorted Banon to Narshe, and the guards, recognizing Terra, are furious because of her role in the siege a few days earlier, and prevented them from passing by, forcing them to go through the mines to go and see Arvis. Now, despite Edgar, Banon, Arvis and Mog's attempts to reassure her, she is full of guilt for what she had done under the influence of the Slave Crown, and fears that she will be sentenced to death by the people of Narshe, especially when Arvis suggested speaking to the Elder. What will happen? And where are Locke and Sabin? Are they coming? Find out now! I apologize for the ten days between this chapter and the previous one, but with homework and distance learning, it's not easy. End premise, let's get started!

(Objective: Go to the Narshe Elder.)

Characters:

Terra

Mog

Edgar

Banon

(''The Mines Of Narshe-Final Fantasy VI OST'')

Arvis left the house to lead Terra, Edgar, Banon and Mog to the Elder's house, but as soon as he did, they all realized that Terra's panic was not unfounded, as the townspeople were ballistic, and they threw various objects at them, including pots, pans, vases, pieces of glass and rotten eggs. Terra, because of her role in the siege a couple of days prior, got the worst punishment: the inhabitants threw rotten eggs in her face and hit her with three of them. The yolks, which should normally be yellow-orange, were of a horrible greenish color like seaweed, the egg whites, instead of transparent, were black, and when the eggs broke, a disgusting odor of sulfur and a little of egg white ended up in contact with her rosy mouth and nose, first making her scream in horror and then cough at the disgusting smell, but she didn't even try to take them off with gloves, and a little egg white was also splashed in the others' faces.

''This is an insult to my dignity as a king! Look at my face!'' Edgar yelled, pointing at his face, which was smeared with dirt and egg whites of expired eggs.

''This so humiliating, kupo, I'm all dirty...'' Mog murmured, with the egg white stuck to his body.

''Ugh... Yuck, we have smell of sulfur all over us! This is too much! We can't go to the Elder looking like this!'' Arvis shouted.

''What did I tell you? I told you everyone would hate me if I came back here, and you're not spared by that either! We chose the worst possible day to return to Narshe...'' Terra whined.

Banon, who was bleeding slightly because of a piece of glass lodged in his left arm, thought Terra was not entirely wrong. In a few hours, today had become the worst day the girl had ever had: she is forced to make a decision on who to ally with, choosing to join the Returners, South Figaro was conquered, a wounded Returner told everyone about that, Locke was still busy hindering the Gestahlian Empire, Sabin was separated from them this afternoon, and finally, they were spending the evening being humiliated in public by the inhabitants of Narshe. ''Let's go inside and wash our faces, then talk to the Elder.'' he said. He knocked on the door, and the Elder of Narshe gave them permission to enter despite the objections of some voices from inside, and gave them time at least to wash their faces, they had to be presentable at least to talk.

(''The Mines Of Narshe-Final Fantasy VI OST-s'')

''Elder, we have come to talk about Terra.'' Banon said.

''Is she the witch of the Empire who took part in the siege?'' the Elder asked, and Terra flinched again.

''Yes, but she was under the control of a Slave Crown, and when I found her in the mine, she was unconscious.'' Arvis replied.

''So she didn't do it of his own free will.'' said the old man.

''Yes. I don't know how it happened, but I couldn't do anything unless someone ordered me to.'' Terra said.

The guards in the room raised their weapons, and were about to rush to hit her when the Elder held out his hand to tell them not to. ''Sir, I should have told you sooner, but ever since Terra came to her senses, the guards threatened me to report to you to have her killed if I did not hand her over to the authorities, but I refused to allow it because I knew the truth.'' Arvis added.

''And she deserves it! She completely devastated our army! The siege has failed, yes, but we don't associate with them!'' shouted a guard.

''Silence. We don't shed blood, especially not now.'' the Elder said, silencing the guard, then turned to the members of the Returners. ''By the way, Arvis, I too was threatened by them to force me to sign her death warrant. I refused to accept this request because the idea of killing someone and bloodshed in general disgusts me. They've been doing it for two days.''

''I see. But this is not the point. Arvis and I would like Narshe to join the Returners to fight against the Empire. They are the ones who put Terra at their mercy and forced her to follow their orders. Also, before she passed out, she had interacted with the frozen Esper here, and I'm sure if we trigger this reaction again, we can find an answer about her magical powers, which she has ever since she was born.'' Banon said.

''I understand your request. But you are asking us to shed our blood for you.'' the Elder of Narshe said, as he blocked the guards with a gesture to prevent them from intervening.

''Yes, it is.'' the leader of the Returners replied.

''Banon, what are you saying? That's not what we meant!'' Arvis exclaimed.

''No. That is what I mean.'' Banon replied. ''We are asking you to do this. Emperor Gestahl wants to get his hands on even more Magitek powers, which is why he wants to seize the Esper in Narshe. We cannot allow the Empire to continue accumulating Magitek weapons, or the most tragic event ever will repeat itself.''

''The War of the Magi... That legendary conflict of a thousand years ago that reduced the world to a husk... do you mean that a second War of the Magi could happen?'' the Elder asked, taken by surprise. ''I thought men were wise enough not to repeat this mistake again.''

(''Linebeck's Theme- The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass OST'')

''Edgar! I'm back!'' Suddenly, someone opened the door. It was Sabin, who leapt in, landed in front of the entrance and ran towards the others. ''Sorry for keeping you waiting, guys!''

''Sabin! You're OK! I was so worried!'' Terra exclaimed, hugging him.

Sabin chuckled. ''Really? I thought tough girls like you didn't get worried.'' he said.

''Thank goodness you're okay, kupo!'' Mog exclaimed.

''Hey there, Mog.'' the monk said, petting the Moogle.

''I'm glad to know you're back safe and sound, little brother.'' Edgar said, fist-bumping his brother. ''And I see you've brought in some new allies.''

''Yes. This is Cyan Garamonde, a samurai from Doma. Cyan, this is my brother Edgar, the king of Figaro.'' Sabin said.

''Nice to meet thee, Your Majesty.'' Cyan said, bowing and kneeling before Edgar.

''Hey, the pleasure is all mine. There's no need to be formal.'' Edgar replied.

''Who is that boy?'' Terra asked.

''Oh, this is Gau. He grew up on the Veldt plain. He's not very cultured, and it's not always easy to understand him, but he has good intentions and he packs a punch.'' Sabin replied, as Gau got to know everyone better.

(''Linebeck's Theme- The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass OST-s'')

Edgar noticed that Cyan had his head down, with a sad expression on his face. "Cyan, is something wrong?" He asked. ''If it upsets you, you don't have to tell me.''

''It's a long story. After I woke up, I met Shadow, he offered to help me get to Narshe, and we reached Doma. While General Leo was away, Kefka poisoned the river water, and I couldn't stop him. In Doma Castle, Cyan is the only survivor apart from a sentry, and being a samurai in the service of the king and a high-ranking general in the kingdom's army, he lost his men, he lost his sentries, he lost his king, but above all, he lost his wife and son. Also, in the city near the castle, the capital, half of the population died, and we don't know where the prince is. Kefka made a real massacre, and not even the children were spared.'' Sabin explained sadly.

(''Crateria- Metroid: Samus Returns OST'')

''That's totally barbaric!'' exclaimed the Elder, horrified.

''Elder!'' Banon exclaimed. ''What do you mean?''

''The reason the kingdom of Doma was decimated is because it was an ally of the Returners. As long as we remain neutral, nothing will happen to us.'' the Elder replied.

''Nonsense!'' someone shouted. It was Locke.

''Locke! You're okay too then!'' Terra exclaimed. She was happy to see him again, but when she saw the woman who was with him, she had a strange feeling. She felt she didn't know her due to her amnesia, but she was familiar.

''Right now, the Empire is coming, and it's about to attack Narshe!'' Locke said.

''What?!'' Edgar shouted.

''Locke, how did you find out about all this?'' Banon asked.

''This is Celes Chere. She's a former imperial general, and she told me she-'' Locke said, but someone cut him off.

Cyan recognized Celes, and his gaze was furious. ''I knew it! She was familiar to me! Sir Gau, step aside!'' he shouted, pushing Gau with his elbow so hard that he almost hit Terra, who grabbed him in time. ''The infamous General Celes... the one responsible for the decimation of Maranda... The time of thy sentence has come, Imperial harpy!''(1) he roared, unsheathing his katana and raising it, ready to kill her. Tempers heated up, and the guards, recognizing Celes, rushed to attack her, forcing Arvis to get in the way.

''Hold it!'' Locke yelled, stepping between Celes and Cyan, before he could stab her. ''Celes promised to join the Returners, she's on our side now!''

The samurai did not believe those words. ''Stand aside, she is an imperial spy!'' he ordered.

The treasure hunter ignored him and retorted even louder. ''She said she would join us, and I promised to protect her! And I will NOT go back on my word, I will not abandon a woman I have sworn to protect!''

''Forget it, Locke. It's not worth it.'' Celes said.

''Locke, you haven't gotten over that trauma yet, haven't you...?'' Edgar asked thoughtfully.

Sabin and Gau watched the scene in concern. The martial artist had come to an unexpected situation that he didn't want to happen, and he knew that Cyan was on the verge of killing an ally because of his hatred of the Empire, and Banon remained silent but equally concerned. However, no one was more anxious than Terra, who felt uncomfortable, and felt as if the temperature had risen several degrees and as if the house had become as hot as Figaro Desert. It was clear that she and Celes shared a past in the Empire, and she didn't think it right for her to be treated like this for what she was in the past, so she decided to admit her secret. ''I too was an Imperial soldier.'' she said nervously, anticipating that the situation would escalate.

She was right. ''WHAT?!'' Cyan screamed, whirling around, and nearly hit her with his katana. With a shout of fear, the girl backed away with her hands raised. She knew she had to say it, but the situation had worsened further. ''I knew it! The witch of the Empire! Then you shall die as well!''

(''Crateria- Metroid: Samus Returns OST-s'')

Sabin put a hand on Cyan's wrist, forcing him to lower his katana down. ''Don't. Terra joined the Returners this afternoon, just before a wounded Returner warned us that the Empire had conquered South Figaro.'' he said.

''But she is an Imperial soldier! Sir Sabin, thou hast betrayed me!'' the samurai shouted. ''You didn't tell me there were Imperial agents here!''

''I have not betrayed anyone! Oh, holy Triad... Sir Cyan, thou art officially the most bull-headed person I have ever known.'' the monk replied, annoyed.

''That's enough, Cyan. Terra joined us of her own free will.'' Arvis said sternly.

But nothing changed, and Sabin was forced to hold back that hothead, while Locke had his say. ''Don't you understand?! Terra has lost her memory! Kefka used the Slave Crown on her! If she is really responsible for the siege of Narshe and the previous ones, she did it unknowingly!'' he shouted.

''Yes, what are you think you're doing, kupo?!'' Mog exclaimed.

But the samurai did not listen, being dismayed by the talking Moogle, and he and the guards were causing a ruckus as a frightened Terra watched the scene. The tension was at such a point that the air seemed to have become as thick as the clouds covering the opaque atmosphere of a planet.

''SILENCE!'' Banon screamed, as his mane-like hair and beard moved like in a strong gust of wind. Everyone fell silent, and were taken aback, as they had never seen him get angry like that. ''What are you doing?! So you will stain yourselves with the blood of your allies!''

''The Empire is evil, yes, but that doesn't mean all its citizens are evil, Cyan.'' Edgar said.

''I agree with my brother. Out of respect for him, I ask you to put up with it for now. Just cool it, okay?'' Sabin commented, trying not to get angry.

(''X Invasion- Metroid Fusion OST'')

Suddenly, a guard from Narshe entered the house. ''The Empire is coming! They launched the attack!'' he yelled.

Everyone was shocked. ''Oh no!'' Locke yelled.

''Dang, this is bad!'' Edgar exclaimed.

''I knew it was going to happen.'' Celes said.

The situation escalated like never before. ''These two Imperial witches brought the Empire here, I'm sure!'' Cyan cried out.

Everyone except the guards gasped in hearing that accusation. ''Cyan!'' Sabin exclaimed, horrified by what he had just said.

''What are you saying?!'' Edgar exclaimed.

''Cyan, give it a rest!'' Banon shouted, on the verge of losing his temper again.

''I won't trust these two filthy Empire witches, and I don't associate with the Empire!'' Cyan snarled.

''This is too much!'' Locke yelled.

''Cyan, stop this, now!'' Arvis scolded him, and as if that weren't enough, the guards charged. The samurai raised his katana, and seemed on the verge of cutting off Terra and Celes' heads, forcing Edgar, Sabin, Banon and Arvis to step aside.

Terra, Celes, Gau and Mog watched the scene, very worried. The atmosphere had become as white hot as the planet's core, and anti-imperial discontent soon erupted into a scuffle. Sabin, held Cyan in a lock from behind before he could kill anyone, but the warrior of Doma elbowed him in the ribs and punched him in the face, telling him it was for ''betraying his trust'', and another guard hit him on the cheekbone with a kick that knocked him to the ground. Due to the lack of space, the monk could not dodge the blows.

Edgar, who was trying to block the other guards, saw his little brother's nose bleed, and prompted by his older brother instinct, he got angry. ''Hey! No one hurts my brother!'' he shouted, being pushed onto the table by the guards and Cyan nearly hit him in the shoulder with his katana.

Arvis was elbowed in the face and pushed against the wall, and Banon was getting angry again. ''Quiet! I said, quiet!'' he shouted, but the fight continued.

Gau growled, and Sabin walked away to talk to Terra and Celes. ''This is why I didn't tell Cyan about you two: he would kill anyone from the Empire to avenge the massacre of Doma.'' he said. Celes, who had never drawn her Runic Blade to defend herself, stepped back, as Cyan, followed by the guards, was ready to attack once more.

Edgar and Arvis also gave up on cooling people, as they both had purple bruises near their eyes, and the same happened with Locke, who had a particularly large one on his forehead covered by his blue bandana. ''They are not listening to us, they are also ignoring Banon! Terra, I think you need to intervene.'' Arvis said.

Terra, terribly uncomfortable, nodded, deciding that when it was too much, it was too much. ''Shut it!'' she shouted, trying to make herself heard. Nothing changed, and so he charged magical energy and cast a spell. ''Silence!'' A bright force field filled the room, and some 黙 (moku) kanji that were translated into ''silence'' in Japanese, appeared, and then, no sound came out from everyone's mouth except for Terra, Celes, Banon and Arvis, being was covered in black smoke. It was a spell that temporarily silenced the who took of its effects.

(''X Invasion- Metroid Fusion OST-s'')

''Thanks.'' Banon commented.

Terra canceled the spell on Edgar, Locke, and Sabin, then put her hands on her hips and spoke sternly. ''Would you guys please stop fighting?!'' she snapped, and everyone turned their attention to her. She then turned to Cyan. ''I wouldn't want to disrespect you, Cyan, but you started this fight, just because Celes and I were Imperial soldiers. I don't deny it, but now we're not anymore! Banon, the word is yours, then Celes can speak!'' he said.

Banon, noticing that Cyan gritted his teeth in anger, had his say as well. ''Cyan, I'm very disappointed in you. I agree with Terra here, as you threatened to kill both her and Celes, who you didn't even give the right to speak to. If you continue at this rate, you will betray us and kill us all, shedding our blood because of your hatred of the Empire! Plus, I'm the leader of the Returners, so be respectful!'' he said, reproachfully. ''Celes, Terra says you can now explain everything.''

''Good. So, yesterday, at dinner, I heard Kefka laughing like a madman, and I heard that he was planning to poison the kingdom of Doma, right where Cyan lives. It was too much, even for me, so I rebelled against him. For this reason, I was labeled a traitor, I was imprisoned and chained in South Figaro, and my death sentence was scheduled for tomorrow, but Locke freed me and revealed to me the existence of the Returners and Terra, so I decided to accept and fight alongside you.'' Celes explained.

''As for Terra, the Empire used her. They enslaved her with a Slave Crown, so if she committed war crimes, she wasn't aware of it, and Arvis knows more about it than any of us. I know her, she is so insecure and fearful that unless she was forced to fight, she wouldn't hurt a fly.'' Locke added.

''I'm going to call for reinforcements, kupo!'' said Mog, running outside.

Sabin, as if foreseeing Cyan's thoughts, glared at him. ''Don't you ever do that ever again.'' he told him. His tone was calm, but he sounded as though he had tried very hard not to get angry.

The samurai, full of shame, sighed. ''Sorry for the reaction, but I hate the Empire. Because of them, I lost everything.'' he said.

''I understand, Cyan. I'm not saying you have to trust me and Celes right away, but you could at least try.'' Terra replied.

''You, Celes Chere, don't think for a moment that I trust you, and I don't trust Lady Terra either.'' the samurai said.

''Good. Then look at us and you will understand which side we are on.'' Celes replied, with calm coolness.

Shortly thereafter, Mog returned and brought in reinforcements, a large four-year-old yeti with gray skin and a thick white fur. ''This is Umaro the yeti, kupo. He is territorial and aggressive, but I can keep him under control and he is docile under my commands. He feels he is in my debt.'' he said.(2)

(''Ike's Resolution- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance OST'')

Terra positioned herself in front of everyone and took a deep breath, then began a speech. ''We are all members of the Returners. Thanks to Celes, who warned Locke about the Empire's attack, we can still protect the Esper. If we fail, we will waste the sacrifice of the kingdoms of Figaro and Doma.'' she began, turning his gaze to Edgar, Sabin and Cyan during this last sentence. ''We cannot allow Kefka to get his hands on the Esper or threaten Narshe, or it will be the end for us! I know it's hard for some of you to trust me or Celes because we were Imperial soldiers, but we have to work together, we don't know what Kefka could do if he wins!''

Everyone cheered, even Cyan and the guards of Narshe, although not as much. Banon was amazed, impressed by Terra's speech. She was fearful and scared just a couple of minutes ago, but now she was showing that she was not a submissive or mentally weak woman. Perhaps her time under the Empire had developed the warrior in her, and she was a Magitek Elite, a high-ranking Magitek Knight, also known as a Magic Warrior.(3)

''Many members of the Returners have lost something, often at the hands of the Empire, and I am sure it has happened to all of you in this room. For example, I have lost my memory, and I am so insecure that I fear my magical powers. The truth is that after learning about what I did under Kefka's control due to the Slave Crown, I no longer wanted to be used by others, especially those who wanted my powers, and I was afraid of doing the wrong thing. But I'm not gonna hide anymore, if I have to fight, I fight, and I joined the Returners for a reason. I want to know who I am and understand why I'm able to use magic, I want to understand why I lived as I lived, and I want to find answers about my past. Tonight, as members of the Returners, we must put aside our differences to protect Narshe, to protect the Esper, to fight for ourselves! We are the Returners, and we will fight as Returners unite!''Terra declared, raising her voice more and more between sentences.

At this point, everyone cheered loudly, united by the impending conflict with the Empire and the alliance to counter it. Arvis, moved, wiped a tear from his eyes, and even Cyan was impressed. Banon, also with tears in his eyes, ignored his self-control and smiled. ''Terra... thank you! I knew you were our last ray of hope!'' Banon said happily.

''Well said, Terra! Let's show Kefka not to mess with us!'' Locke shouted.

''We defeat bad guys!'' Gau exclaimed, excited by the action.

''Good. We will consider about joining the Returners, and we accept your help. We moved the Esper to the cliffs.'' the Elder said.

Before leaving, everyone started signing the parchment showing the members of the Returners with their skills, but since Gau and Umaro were not very civilized and Mog was too small, with the pen being as big as his arm, the others helped them to sign.

Returners

Banon (Leader and strategist)

Arvis (Representative of Narshe)

Terra Branford (Mage, versatile)

Celes Chere (Runic Knight and Mage, versatile)

Locke Cole (Messenger and group representative)

Edgar, King of Figaro (Weapons expert and secondary strategist)

Sabin, Prince of Figaro and brother of the King (Brawler)

Cyan Garamonde (Warrior of Doma)

Gau (Brawler, can also support through his Rages)

Honorary members

Mog the Moogle (Geomancer dancer)

Umaro the yeti (Brawler)

''For Narshe and the world, we are the Returners, and we fight as...'' Terra said, starting the battle cry.

''RETURNERS UNITE!'' everyone concluded loudly, leaving the Elder's house.

(''Ike's Resolution- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance OST-s'')

The walk to the cliffs did not last long, and was largely quiet, except for a few exchanges of phrases here and there.

''Celes, Locke has a complicated past. He's trying to protect you, and I'm warning you about losing your mind over him, maybe he's in love with you.'' Edgar told Celes.

''Thanks for your concern, but I'm a soldier, you don't need to tell me.'' the woman replied coldly, and the king of Figaro murmured that she was cold as ice. She stood back a little and talked to Terra. ''Terra, I never expected that we would meet again like this.''

''I feel like I don't know you due to my amnesia, Celes, but I feel you are familiar to me. You know how to use magic too, right? It's different from mine.'' Terra asked.

''Yes. When I was very young, they artificially infused me with magic with Magitek experiments and I grew up as a Magitek Knight. Unlike Kefka, who went insane, the experiment was complete, so I didn't suffer any side effects.'' Celes said.

Suddenly, Terra came up with a question, a stupid one, perhaps, but she didn't know if she was capable of feeling love, or any emotion other than fear. ''Are you able to love other people?'' he asked.

Celes was caught off guard, and the question irritated her. ''Are you mocking me?''

''Sorry, that was a stupid question, I know. It's just that because of the Slave Crown, I can't understand my emotions anymore. Banon told me, and Arvis knows it better than anyone.'' Terra replied, embarrassed.

''I've never heard of such a thing. You'll understand soon.'' Celes said. She didn't expect the Slave Crown to have this effect, but she believed that soon, she would find the answers she was looking for.

When everyone reached the cliffs, Banon carried out the plan. ''All right. Arvis and I will defend the Esper from here, and we will be the last lines of defense: we can keep some enemies at bay, but if we are killed, we lose, and Kefka will get the Esper. His army will come from three different places, and since you are nine, you will be divided into three groups of three to cover the paths, and when only Kefka is left, we will all fight him together. If any of you are in trouble, a person from one of the other groups can come to their aid, but no more than one, or they will leave holes where enemies could pass.'' he said.

''Locke, you will fight alongside Terra and Celes. Keep an eye on them. The three of you will face the enemies in the center. Sabin, you and Cyan will fight with me. We will cover the path on the left. As for you, Mog, you will fight alongside Umaro and Gau.'' Edgar said, and everyone nodded in response.

''Time to put into practise what I learned from Master Duncan!'' Sabin said.

Everyone got into position, and they heard a mad laugh. ''There he is! Kefka is here!'' Arvis shouted, drawing out a bow.

''Well, well, General Celes, the traitor! So I'll kill two birds with one stone!'' Kefka cackled. ''Now... KILL THEM ALL!''

(''Protect the Esper!- Final Fantasy Record Keeper OST'')

(Objective: Protect the Esper and defeat Kefka and his army! If Banon and Arvis are killed, it's over!)

Characters:

Terra

Locke

Mog

Celes

Edgar

Sabin

Cyan

Gau

Umaro

Banon

Arvis

The Imperial corporals let go of the Fidors, who charged. Celes hit one of them with her sword, and Sabin stunned another one with a Raging Fist. Arvis fired some arrows that hit a few hunting dogs and an Imperial soldier, and Locke quickly dodged a series of attacks and then killed other dogs with his dagger. Mog learned to use the Snowman Rondo, causing a strong avalanche that wiped out some soldiers. Gau activated the Lesser Lopro's Rage and fired some fireballs, and the Moogle noticed with surprise that he was flying as if he had received the effects of the Float spell.

''Magitek armors! Watch out!'' Terra exclaimed, noting some Magitek armors approaching.

Cyan prepared to use a Bushido technique. ''Tiger!'' His katana was covered with a white wave of ki that he released on some hunting dogs, which were annihilated, and defeated some Imperial soldiers, but a Fidor jumped on him and bit his arm, but Edgar freed him by killing the large bulldog with his spear.

''Edgar! Let's attack together! Cyan, you too!'' Sabin said.

''OK! Come on!'' Edgar replied. Seeing an oncoming Magitek armor, he pulled out two hammers and gave one of them to his brother.

"Let's smash these mechanical monstrosities!'' Cyan shouted.

The martial artist hit the Magitek armor with an uppercut, then jumped and slammed it to the ground, then fell and delivered a powerful punch, then he and Edgar raised their hammers, while Cyan used the Bushido Fang technique. ''Machine Breaker!'' With this cry, they hit at the same time, breaking the machine to pieces. ''With these techniques, we will win!'' Sabin said, as he fired an Aura Cannon at the soldiers.(4)

Terra drew her sword and defeated some Imperial soldiers, also releasing a magical discharge that knocked out somehunting dogs. A Magitek Armor dashed toward her, but she was ready. ''FIRA!'' Flames more powerful than the Fire spell sprang from her hands, covering the enemy in a vortex of of fire and then exploding, reducing it to ashes. Another one appeared, and Celes reacted quickly. ''BLIZZARA!'' The Magitek armor was covered with an ice crystal that broke apart, but the soldier who piloted it had activated a magical barrier that reflected the magic towards the woman, who still managed to absorb it with her Runic Blade.

Umaro was also proving useful. His physique was too strong and tough for the Imperials, and he occasionally threw Gau, allowing him to deal even more damage. Terra's speech had provided a lot of moral support, and thanks to everyone's cooperation, Kefka's army was defeated.

''You all did a great job! Only Kefka is left now! Come on!'' Arvis cheered, and everyone gathered in a group of eleven.

(''Protect the Esper!- Final Fantasy Record Keeper OST-s'')

(''The Fierce Battle- Final Fantasy VI OST'')

''Stupid useless soldiers! That will mean that I will kill you myself! THUNDER!'' Kefka yelled, sending out a magical lightning bolt, but Celes blocked it. Recognizing that insane clown as the one who had taken everything away from him, a furious Cyan let out a battle cry that didn't seem human at all, and charged, but Kefka provoked him by teleporting away and hitting him with spheres of dark magic, making him even more furious.

''Stop!'' Sabin exclaimed, intervening.

''That bastard took everything I had away from me, and I shall kill him!'' Cyan shouted.

''I know! But if you fight like that, you will get yourself killed! It's one of the things Master Duncan taught me: Don't fight with anger, or you won't be focused and precise. I understand that you want to avenge the dead of Doma, but you cannot do it alone. We will help you.'' the martial artist replied.

The samurai calmed down. ''You're right, Sir Sabin.'' he said.

With a nod, Terra and Celes prepared a spell. ''Let's keep Kefka busy while Terra and Celes prepare their magic!'' Banon ordered. Arvis fired arrows from his bow, Edgar used his automatic crossbow, Sabin fired ki waves from his hands, Gau and Locke repeatedly struck with their daggers and Umaro threw Mog at Kefka, everyone tried to distract him while the girls prepared the spell.

''Together! Now!'' Celes cried out.

''Right!'' Terra said.

''FIRA!''

''BLIZZARA!''

A large fireball fired from Terra was covered in a block of ice created by Celes' spell, and Kefka, too busy dodging the long-ranged attacks, was caught off guard by the combined fire and ice attack and got hit. ''Damn worms! CONFUSE!''

Terra suffered the effects of that magic, which reduced her to a puppet, as Celes was unable to absorb it in time, and the mad clown chuckled. ''Now you are mine, my magic user!''

The girl began to struggle, as if to fight that spell. ''Don't... DON'T TOUCH ME!'' she yelled. She managed to free herself from that spell and hit Kefka with some fireballs.

''Grrrrr! You will all die! POISON!'' Kefka screamed, and Cyan gasped in horror as a burst of toxic gas swept through the area.

''Cyan, look out!'' Sabin yelled, pushing him away, and they both managed to avoid the attack, but the others fell to the ground in pain. Except them and Edgar, all had purplish skin, indicating that they had been poisoned, and the samurai fell to the ground. He could hear the screams of pain of all who were at Doma, and instead of his companions, he saw the sentries and soldiers of the kingdom. As he reviewed those moments, he began to scream, and clutched his head in his hands as the martial artist shook him in an attempt to calm him down. ''Cyan, what's going on? Cyan! Answer me! Come on, you have to fight!'' he shouted, but nothing changed, so he called Edgar. ''Edgar! Edgar, Cyan is not responding! I think he is reminded of the Doma massacre because many of us were poisoned!''

''He's having Vietnam flashbacks!'' Edgar exclaimed.

''Vietnam?'' Sabin wasn't convinced, as there was no country known as Vietnam.

''What I mean to say is that he is suffering from PTSD!'' the king of Figaro replied.(5)

''You will pay for the atrocities you have done, Kefka!'' Celes shouted, delivering a few blows with her Runic Blade, but she was hit by a dark orb at close range, and Kefka used the Blizzara spell, hitting Cyan full-blown. When the ice broke, the samurai was thrown away... right towards the precipice!

Sabin noticed this and ran as fast as possible. ''Oh, no! Cyan!'' With a grand leap, he managed to grab onto the cliff and grab Cyan's hand. ''I got you!'' he swung his hand back and forth, faster and faster, and after a couple of turns, he let go of Cyan when his hand reached full height, allowing him to climb back up.

''Thanks, Sir Sabin...That was close.'' Cyan said, breathing heavily. He then fell to the ground, and Sabin noticed that he had burns on his face and armor, and his arm was still bleeding from the Fidor's bite.

''Cyan! Leave this to me, I'll heal your wounds!'' Terra exclaimed, accumulating magical energy.

Celes also intervened, giving the samurai a potion. His breathing was less and some minor burns disappeared, but he still couldn't get up. ''Everyone, save yourselves...'' he murmured.

''We will not leave you like this! Cura!'' Terra replied. A warm white and green light swirled around Cyan, forming a ring, and then spread all over his body, healing his wounds. He was surprised that she was helping him, but he knew she was the witch of the Empire, and as such, she was a powerful mage.

''I thank thee, Lady Terra. Perhaps I was wrong about you and Lady Celes.'' he said.

''Don't mention it.'' the girl replied.

Edgar spun his spear, while Mog swung his. Sabin and Umaro repeatedly hit Kefka with their fists, while Terra repeatedly hit him with her sword, slash after slash, wondering why he had caused her to lose her memory.

''Death to those who oppose me! THUNDARA!'' Kefka yelled. He raised his hand and two lightning bolts struck the ground, causing an explosion that injured everyone. Still being poisoned, the members of the Returners were on their knees, but Sabin's Chakra and Celes' Cure spell healed them and also cured them of poisoning.

Kefka cast a Fira spell, but Terra was quicker to react. She stood in front of everyone and raised her hands. ''Shell!'' Blue sparks flew out of her hands, creating a green hexagonal barrier around everyone, which then disappeared, leaving everyone enveloped in a green aura. ''This barrier will protect you from his magic!''

''Thanks, Terra! Keep it up!'' Arvis said.

''Hold on!'' Locke said. They were all a little tired, but they had to protect the Esper.

''For Master Duncan!'' Sabin yelled, using the Rising Phoenix technique. He created a series of clones that repeatedly hit the enemy with fiery punches, then gathered them to himself, jumped and slammed his fists against the ground, creating a phoenix-shaped explosion.

''Gau help you!'' said Gau, who had just equipped his claws.

''Thanks, Gau!'' the monk said.

''Let's put an end to this fight! Members of the Returners, together!'' Banon commanded.

Sabin and Gau charged Kefka and hit him with a series of blows, followed by Terra, Celes and Cyan, who landed a series of slashes, then Locke, who stabbed him repeatedly, Edgar, who hit him with his spear, then Mog, intent to dance the Snowman Rondo, causing a large snowball to fall on his head, then Umaro, who attacked relentlessly with a club of bones, then Arvis, who kept shooting arrows, and finally Banon, who hit repeatedly with both his sword and with his staff. The clown tried to hit the Returners with a series of spells, but the protective barrier launched by Terra did its job, absorbing them and minimizing the damage.

''Playtime's over!'' Cyan shouted, who was loading a technique from the Bushido code's principle of paradox, the Koan. ''Flurry!'' As in a kind of sword dance, the samurai jumped from side to side and struck with a slash, then another one, and another one yet, all more powerful than the previous one, then a fourth slash stronger than all the others.

(''The Fierce Battle- Final Fantasy VI OST-s'')

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

An exhausted Kefka, with his cloak scorched and torn and some blood coming out of his mouth, was forced to retreat. ''I will not forget this! Don't you think you've won!'' he yelled, wrapping himself up in his cloak and teleporting away with magic.

''Coward! Come back, Kefka!'' Terra shouted.

''It's no use, Terra. We did what we had to do. The Esper is safe.'' Edgar said.

''We don't know for certain if we don't check! If Kefka, while teleporting, took the Esper away, we still lost!'' Locke replied.

''Let's check, kupo!'' said Mog.

The group of eleven approached the cliff, and they all saw that the frozen Esper was still there. ''Oh, thank the Triad the Esper is safe...'' Arvis murmured.

''Thanks for your help, Umaro.'' Terra and Mog said, and Umaro nodded.

''This fight was not easy, but it was worth it. You all did great, thank you!'' Banon complimented.

''That Esper looks alive.'' Cyan commented.

Terra felt a small reaction and slowly approached.

''Terra, do you feel something?" Locke asked.

''This Esper looks familiar.'' the girl replied.

''Terra, maybe it's better if you don't get close.'' Edgar said.

''No, my plan is to bring Terra closer to the Esper. It might give her the answers she is looking for.'' Banon replied.

The reaction grew stronger, and Terra screamed. ''Noooooo!'' A strong light came out of the ice, knocking everyone except her to the ground, and Locke almost fell off the cliff, but Celes grabbed his hand.

''Terra and the Esper... They're reacting to each other!'' Celes exclaimed.

Terra got closer and closer to the Esper, with so many questions she had about herself, and she wanted answers. ''What's happening? Please, tell me who I am... who...''

The light grew even stronger, and completely enveloped the girl, to everyone's shock. Suddenly, her appearance began to change, even though her body structure did not change. Her fingers and toes became yellow and long, like claws, her skin turned pink, her emerald hair became the same color as her skin, and it was untied. Her eyes were red. Finally, her clothes were gone, and she was wearing only a rather peculiar pendant. Suddenly, she shot up like a missile and flew away, letting out a terrible scream. Shortly thereafter, she disappeared.

(Terra has left the party.)

''Locke... Locke, wake up!'' someone shouted.

Locke woke with a start and realized he was in Arvis' house. He felt a pair of bandages around his arms, and Celes looked at him worriedly. ''Celes? What happened?'' he asked her.

''I see you woke up. That light made us faint for an hour.'' the woman said.

''How much time has passed?''

''Not that long, just a day. The Elder knows that we have successfully defended the Esper, and Banon and Arvis want us to stay here to regain our strength. I recovered earlier than the others and wanted to keep an eye on you. Anyway, Terra turned into something and flew away. She looked like an Esper.''

Locke was shocked by this last sentence. ''An Esper?!'' he exclaimed.

''I think so.'' Celes replied.

The door opened, revealing Edgar. ''Locke! Are you okay?'' he asked.

''Yes, I think so. We have to go find Terra! I promised to protect her!'' Locke replied.

''It is clear that there is a connection between Terra and the Esper. Some villagers heard her scream and saw her fly to the west, towards Figaro.'' The three left the bedroom and went into the living room. Arvis, Banon, Sabin and Cyan paced around the room in concern, while Mog and Gau looked quite agitated.

''Now that Terra has gone missing, we have to look for her.'' Sabin said.

''And we are going to find her!'' Everyone was surprised to hear the voice of Cyan, the one who hated the Empire. ''I shall go with thee! Lady Terra was an Imperial soldier, but she healed my wounds in battle, and I owe her for that. She proved that I can trust her, and I will go searching for her! Lady Celes, I admit you have done a great job too, so I will accompany you all.''

''But in the meantime, the Esper will be left defenseless, except Arvis and Banon, and they'll need help.'' Edgar said.

''No worries. Arvis and I can protect the Esper with the help of the guards. Mog also asked Umaro to stay in front of the cliff to help us.'' Banon replied.

''Gau, I'll go find Terra. Besides, Figaro is my home. Are you coming with us?'' Sabin asked.

''Yes! Terra is good woman!'' Gau replied.

''I'm coming too, kupo!'' Mog added.

''Well then. We will go to the Figaro Castle. It can dive under the sand, and from there we can reach the desert to the west, beyond the mountains. Then, we'll search at Kohlingen and Jidoor. We should find some clues here.'' Edgar said.

''Before we go, I'll tell the guards that they can trust Lady Terra and that what she did was not her fault. When she admitted she was an Imperial soldier, I snapped for the things she did against her will. What happened to Narshe is not her fault. I will also make them understand that Lady Celes is on our side. And the one who is saying so is the one who hates the Empire in general says.'' Cyan said.

''Wow, Cyan, I didn't think you'd say these words. I guess you want to return the favor.'' Sabin commented.

''Well, I was wrong about them.'' replied the samurai.

''Let's go. Terra should be somewhere in the world.'' Celes said.

''Good luck.'' Arvis said.

''We'll meet when you find Terra! See you soon!'' Banon shouted, and the group of seven left Narshe.

(Umaro, Banon and Arvis have left the party.)

''We managed to defend the Esper, but Terra transformed and flew away. Our paths had intertwined, and we had joined to fight against the Empire.'' Mog recounted. ''Soon, you will discover very important things, and this is where we get serious.''

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

A/N: End of the chapter! The defense of the Esper was a success! But Terra has flown away somewhere. What happened to her? Has she turned into an Esper herself? And what will Locke, Edgar and the others find in Figaro and Kohlingen? Find out in the next chapter! See you soon!

(1): In the English version, when Cyan is about to execute Celes, he calls her ''Imperial bitch'', a sexual insult and a real swear word, and the same happens in Spanish, as he calls her ''pécora'', an expression that means ''slut'' or ''prostitute''. In Italian, however, his sentence is censored, as he simply calls her ''coward ''.

(2): The reason Umaro is loyal to Mog and always obeys his orders is because he had shared food with him when he found him exhausted from exhaustion and hunger in a snowstorm.

(3): Terra's ''job'' as a character, Magitek Elite, comes from her innate ability with magic, as she is able to use it from birth, and the translation ''Magic Warrior'' comes from the Japanese version, as in Japanese, Magitek was called ''Mado'', which means ''magic''. Aside from that, her class is unspecified, but she can be defined as a Red Mage because she can use both white and black magic right from the start, as does Celes, and they both fight with swords. However, like Blue Mages in Final Fantasy V (and all characters in Final Fantasy VI), they can use shields, and like physical class characters, they can equip heavy armor.

(4): Combinated attacks like this one are inspired by Band abilities in Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. In this game, some characters in groups of two or more can use very powerful attacks or very useful support techniques if they all have a full ATB gauge. These combinations are used by characters who have a deep bond with each other, such as friends and relatives.

(5): The term ''Vietnam flashback'' is widely used to indicate post-traumatic stress, as although it is common all over the world apart from Central and South America, where it is rarer, it is especially widespread in the United States due to the controversial Vietnam War between 1955 and 1975 lost by the Americans, as a result of which the soldiers were traumatized for life. This event greatly developed psychology in a short time.