A/N: Hey, guys! In the previous chapter, Terra, Edgar, Banon and Arvis went to talk to the Elder of Narshe, and also Sabin, Locke and their new allies, Cyan, Gau and Celes, arrived. Thanks to the information he received from Celes, Locke informed that the Empire was about to attack Narshe, and the Returners fought to protect the frozen Esper, defeating Kefka and his army and forcing him to flee. However, after Terra and the Esper interacted, she transformed and flew away, so Edgar, Sabin, Locke, Celes and the others set out to look for her, while Banon and Arvis stay behind in Narshe in order to protect the Esper. Let's see what happens now.

Chapter 12: Sad Memories

(Objective: Search for Terra in Figaro and Kohlingen.)

Characters:

Locke

Celes

Edgar

Sabin

Mog

Cyan

Gau

Before leaving Narshe, Cyan went to talk to the guards to reassure them that they could trust Terra and Celes, and the search began. The seven members of the Returners who had set out to look for her knew that Terra was strong, but they were still worried. Suddenly, there was a sound, and when Sabin looked down, he gasped. There was a large orange squirrel, with an acorn in its hands. ''Not that! Not the Nut Eaters!'' he cried out, grabbing it and squeezing it in his fist so hard hebroke its bones.

Cyan was unimpressed with that scene. ''Sir Sabin, art thou so frightened by a miserable squirrel?'' he commented.

''Sabin had a bad episode with Nut Eaters when he was little. When he was three, one of them attacked him and bit his finger. That made a big impression on him.'' Edgar explained.(1) ''Nut Eaters would do anything just to eat some nuts.''

Locke burst out laughing. ''Sabin, who has got six pack abs, afraid of Nut Eaters? You gotta be kidding!'' he said.

''Just wait for us to tell Terra, kupo, I can already imagine her reaction!'' Mog said between laughter.

''That's not funny! Those things almost bit my finger off!'' Sabin shouted, irritated by that reaction.

''I don't think that's a good thing to say, Locke.'' Celes said.

''Oh, I didn't know... sorry, Sabin.'' Locke murmured.

''It's OK. But when you're three, you are very fragile.'' Sabin replied.

''I hope Terra OK. She is a strong mage, but she has her limits.'' the treasure hunter said.

''I'm worried...'' Gau murmured.

''The only thing we know is that she flew to the west. We have to find her.'' Cyan added.

The group soon reached the desert, glimpsing Figaro Castle from afar, and Gau yelped. He wasn't used to walking on hot sand.

''I guess you've never gone beyond Mobliz, haven't you, Gau? When I was three years younger than you, I walked on the desert sand barefoot.'' Sabin said, chuckling.

(''Return of the Warrior- Final Fantasy III DS OST'')

''King Edgar! You're back!'' exclaimed the guard at the entrance.

''We came here because we have to find a friend of ours who flew out west.'' Edgar said.

The guard looked away from the king and saw Sabin, which filled him with joy. ''Prince Sabin! You're home at last!'' he shouted.

''Home sweet home! I haven't lived here in ten years, I'm going to have a look around. Cyan, Gau, come with me.'' Sabin said, entering.

Gau seemed quite amazed by what he saw, while Cyan was amazed by the size of the castle, but the technologies of the place, especially the engine room, didn't make him feel comfortable. ''How many machines are there here?'' he asked, a little nervous.

''Relax, they won't hurt you. Figaro is recent as a kingdom, it was established only 200 years ago.'' Sabin told him. As he explored the castle, many of the staff rushed to see him, bowed to him, and some patted him on the back, being surprised at how much muscle he had put on all these years.

(''Return of the Warrior- Final Fantasy III DS OST-s'')

(''Piranha Plant Lullaby- Super Mario 64 OST'')

When everyone regrouped, Edgar said they would rest tonight, then leave for Kohlingen, and went to sleep in his bedroom, while Locke and Celes went to sleep in the western tower with Mog, and Cyan went to a larger room, taking Gau and Sabin with him.

''You should rest, Sir Gau.'' Said the samurai, putting Gau in bed and starting to take off his armor.

The wild boy felt the mattress and the soft blanket relaxing him. He had never slept in a sleeping bag or tent, let alone a bed, and that feeling made him yawn. ''So sleepy...'' he murmured.

''Comfortable, isn't it?'' Cyan asked, wrapping his cape around Gau's body and tucking the blankets up to his neck. The boy nodded and fell asleep with a smile.

''Gau seems to feel very comfortable in that bed. After all, he seems to have always slept on the floor, and it's not very hygienic.'' Sabin said. He stroked his head and noticed that he was already asleep. ''Look, he's already sleeping soundly.''

''Goodnight, Sir Gau.'' Cyan whispered, stroking Gau's hair. At that moment, he remembered Owain. He remembered how every night he picked up his little boy in his arms to take him to bed and how he gave him a goodnight kiss, and that made him smile, half sad from the nostalgia for those happy memories, and half happy, realizing realize that Gau reminded him of something about Owain.

''Cyan! I've never seen a genuine smile on your face!'' Sabin said, smiling back.

''I'm going to sleep. 'Night, Sir Sabin.''

''Good night, Cyan. Goodnight, Gau.'' Sabin said, going to the old bedroom he once shared with Edgar in the eastern tower, located downstairs from the library and two floors below the king's chamber, and tried to fall asleep.

(''Piranha Plant Lullaby- Super Mario 64 OST-s'')

That night, Sabin couldn't sleep. Lost in thought, he left the tower and went into the hallway that led to the throne room, and opened the door with a single finger. He was still amazed that in his early childhood and early teens he couldn't open the door without someone behind to help him, and now, a light push with his little finger was enough. ''The castle hasn't changed much...'' he murmured, sitting down on the left throne. ''But everything is different now... Mom and Dad are dead...'' He closed his eyes and thought about that sad night ten years ago.

(''Coin Song- Final Fantasy VI OST'')

(Ten years earlier...)

A seventeen-year-old Sabin was in the hallway, hearing voices among the staff. The health of his father, King Stewart, had worsened.

''His health has deteriorated even more tonight. It's possible he won't make it.'' aguard told the chancellor. Other guards began to question who between Edgar and Sabin should succeed the throne after the king's death, all questions initiated by the people. Concerned, the younger twin went to talk to Edgar to ask him what was going on, and he, annoyed, confronted him about the fact that his face was becoming thin and hollow. All he knew was that the Gestahlian Empire had poisoned him.

For two full days, Sabin was so worried about his father that he couldn't sleep, but this time, things would change, and not for the better. He watched from the stairs with his heart pounding in his chest as the doctors checked the king along with the priestess. The doctors looked saddened and disappointed. ''Priestess, the king is... he is dead.'' said one of them.

When Sabin heard that sentence, his heart stopped. ''Nooooo! You're wrong! This can't be!'' he shouted, and ran down the stairs crying. Everyone else saw him go, and the priestess looked worried.

Edgar was also having trouble sleeping, and when he heard Sabin's screams, he realized something was wrong, and while still in his pajamas, he walked out of their room and found him in the hallway. ''Sabin, what's wrong?!'' he shouted, worried. However, his brother ran away, climbing another staircase. ''Sabin! Sabin, wait for me!'' he couldn't keep up with him, and when he asked around what had happened, he learned that the king was dead. The news was shocking to him, and he couldn't blame his twin for reacting that way, even though their father was the one who despised him due to his genetic disease and frail health, he was upset too, but he had to be strong at least for him. He found his brother outside, upset as never before.

''Edgar... it can't be... why?!'' Sabin sobbed.

''Oh, Sabin... So they told you Dad didn't make it. I'm really sorry.'' Edgar said sadly, and seeing his brother nod, he put a hand on his shoulder. The priestess walked out the door.

''Edgar, Sabin, here you are. Your father said he would like to leave the kingdom of Figaro to both of you, so it will be split in two.'' she said.

Sabin whirled around, with sheer disgust on his face, and his despair was replaced by anger, but his blue eyes were still filled with tears. ''You all make me sick! Everyone knows that the Empire poisoned Dad, everyone says it! Yet everyone thinks only of who will be the next king! No one is sad, no mourning, no funeral arrangements, no nothing!'' he cried. ''And no one even cared even that Mom died in childbirth after giving birth to us either...''

Hearing that sentence, Edgar was saddened. Since their mother, Queen Christiel, had died in childbirth, they had never known her, and it was precisely this that pushed him towards his manias as a womanizer, hitting all possible women, from his aunt to the suckler, from the priestess to the servants, or to make promises of marriage to young girls.(2)

The priestess was taken aback by that sentence. ''That's not true-'' she said, being interrupted. Sabin, even angrier, thrust his hand forward, silencing her.

''You are just as bad as they are! You are all pathetic, and you all make me sick! SICK!'' Sabin screamed.

''Sabin ...'' Edgar started, but no other words reached his lips. He didn't know what to say, knowing it would only make things worse, and left him to finish letting off his steam.

''Empire of murderers...! They won't get away with this!'' the younger prince cried out, coming back inside and starting to sob again, and the priestess looked several years older from her shock.

The older twin decided that he had to deal with the matter himself. ''Priestess, leave us alone, please. Sabin is upset, and he needs me. I can't blame him, he always put me and Dad before him, even ignoring his frail health, and he was always more sensitive than me.'' he said, and the old priestess, realizing it was important, stepped aside. He found his brother at the top of the tallest tower, the lookout tower, sighed heavily and knelt, bracing himself for a burst of tears and spreading his arms in case it happened. And that happened. Under the moonlight that whitened the desert sand, Sabin burst into tears again and threw himself into his older brother's arms, crying on his shoulder. Edgar could only hug him tightly and stroke his hair in an attempt to comfort him, knowing that nothing would change. ''Shhhhh... everything will be OK, Sabin... don't cry...'' he whispered.

''Why, Edgar, why?! Why did dad have to leave us? I don't even care that for seventeen years of my life he despised me because of my body!'' Sabin sobbed.

For Edgar, this question was like a blow to the heart. ''I wish I knew, little brother, but I don't want to upset you any more.'' he said, and began to think about their past life.

Everyone knew that King Stewart Figaro, while not a bad person or a bad king, was a gruff man who hated weakness, and he could never relate to his younger son, ignoring him, never giving him positive attention and despising him because he hated the fact that he had a flabby, weak and fragile body and poor health, as sometimes, when he tripped and fell, he ended up straining his muscles or breaking a couple of leg bones, and when his health became precarious, he lost consciousness for hours, all because of that bloody hereditary genetic defect he inherited from his uncle Francis and his grandfather. In short, he didn't have a physique worthy of a prince.

At the age of eight, in an attempt to counter his physical weakness and reverse the trend, the youngest prince became a student of the world's greatest martial arts master, Duncan Harcourt, but he didn't reveal it to anyone, not even his brother, as he thought they wouldn't approve of this, and despite his best efforts, his muscles just didn't want to develop, and the quality of his health showed no sign of improving. He only said something about training to Edgar, but it was largely a lie, saying he was taking private lessons. Due to the time spent in training or in unconsciousness when pushing his body to its limits, Sabin tended to return to the castle late at night or a few days late, and was often punished for missing events in court life, preventing him to go out for at least two days.

When the princes took part in the Antlion Hunt, they both managed to pass the exam, with Edgar capturing the Antlion because his brother had helped him, but Sabin had caught a fever during the exam because they had spent the day before playing on the beach of Kohlingen, and he fainted when they got home. Edgar felt guilty and ashamed, feeling he hadn't helped him enough, and as if that wasn't enough, the king punished the younger son for his umpteenth fainting by excluding him from court except for meals. This, for the older twin, was the straw that broke the camel's back: when this was announced, he got angry and had a bad argument with his father in front of the whole court, taking Sabin's defense and accusing him of treating him like a low-ranking commoner (their mother was a commoner herself), and as a punishment, he was isolated for two days in the room he shared with Sabin. Since then, their relationship became strained, but for some reason, despite the way he was treated by his father, Sabin acted like nothing had happened, trying to pacify the increasingly frequent arguments between them and defending him, saying that it was not worth it. Edgar did not know how it was possible that Sabin, after all the unfair treatment he had received, never held a grudge against anyone, not even his father, and had always remained an innocent, kind, pure-hearted and caring boy who always sacrificed himself and saw family as the most important thing in the world.

After a few minutes, Sabin stopped sobbing, but he was still crying. ''Let's get out of here! Let's forget about this absurd kingdom of crazy people and live life the way we want! You said you don't care about being king either, didn't you?'' he said.

Edgar felt he agreed with him, but if no one succeeded the deceased king, the dynasty would die out. ''That's true, but what if we both left? If neither of us takes the throne, it will be the end of Figaro, and Dad wouldn't want it.'' he said.

''Then which of us will become king? Many say you should be the king because you are the oldest among us.'' Sabin asked.

The older brother, wiping away Sabin's tears, took out a coin that shone in the moonlight, holding it between his thumb and index finger. ''Sabin, we will solve this with the toss of a coin. Dad gave it to me before he died. If it's heads, you win. If it's tails, I win. Whoever wins will decide his way, without remorse or regret. Okay?'' he asked.

Sabin nodded. ''All right.''

''Perfect. Now I'll throw the coin. Are you ready?''

''I'm ready.''

''Good. One... Two... Three!''

Edgar tossed the coin upwards. It made several turns in the air, before returning to his hand, which he immediately closed and then reopened it to check the exposed side. The face of a king of Figaro was shown. ''Sabin, you won. It's heads.'' he said.

(Flashback end)

''And so, you chose freedom.'' said a voice. Sabin got startled and almost fell from the throne. In the tent to his right was Edgar, also in pajamas. ''It's been ten years, and you've changed a lot. From your physique, you went from being a little shrimp to a whooping lobster!'' He said, coming out into the open.

''And you are his king crab!'' Sabin replied, and the two brothers burst out laughing.

Edgar sat on the throne with a sigh. ''Sabin... do you think Dad is proud of me?'' he asked.

''Of course he would!'' Sabin replied.

The two brothers took two glasses and poured wine into them. ''Let's toast to the health of two slightly confused adults! And to Dad!'' said the oldest.

''And to Mom! And to all of Figaro! Cheers!'' Sabin concluded, and the two drank all the wine. ''Edgar, you couldn't sleep?''

''No, I remembered so many things from our past life, and it seems that you couldn't sleep too.'' replied the king. ''I was thinking... if you were training with Master Duncan for nearly twenty years, why didn't you tell anyone? You said you were taking private lessons.'' he then asked.

''They were. But Dad didn't want us to go out much, he felt that staying too long outside the castle meant neglect, and for this reason we never went on recon jobs or diplomatic meetings. I partially understood why, the castle is in the middle of the desert and the capital is beyond the cave, but we know the way by heart. He also didn't want us to associate too much with the commoners. You must know that before I turned fourteen, I pushed my body to its limits during my training with Master Duncan: even when he gave breaks, I didn't stop. I never complained about my genetic disease before our father died, but I thought that by submitting to this strict training program, I could reverse the trend.'' Sabin replied.

''Sabin!'' Edgar exclaimed, horrified.

''What?'' asked the martial artist.

''I understand what you said, but this is suicide! Sometimes, you didn't come home for two days in a row! I lost count of the times I worried about you because you didn't come back in the evening, or not even the next day, and sometimes I learned that you were unconscious for two whole days!'' the older brother replied sternly.

Sabin lowered his head. ''I know. Maybe I was selfish to spend all this time outside strengthening my physique to fight that stupid genetic disease and leaving you guys in the castle. Not to mention the fact that for my desire to renounce the throne, I left everything to you.'' he said.

''No, Sabin. That's not selfishness. You have always thought of others before yourself and you have never complained in public about your genetic defect. Your training paid off when you became an adult, and taking on all the responsibilities was my choice. Besides, I think the ladies might prefer you to me.'' Edgar replied.

''What do you mean?''

''Look at you. Not only are you as handsome as me, but you are very muscular. You also have six-pack abs, they are clearly visible even if you are wearing a tank top or pyjamas. Not to mention your beard. You look much more manly than me.''

''Speaking of that, when Cyan and I were in Nikeah, a dancer in the tavern tried to flirt with us. Cyan took offense, mainly because he became a widower, but I didn't care. During his training, Master Duncan also taught his students not to give in to temptation to avoid being seduced and not committing sins. I'm sure that if that dancer didn't succeed, not even a Lamia could.(3)''

''Speaking of Master Duncan, what happened to him? When was he killed?'' Edgar asked.

(''Coin Song- Final Fantasy VI OST-s'')

Sabin sighed heavily, but he replied. ''Vargas killed him three days ago. It happened in the morning, the day after the siege of Narshe. I saved you, Terra and Locke the day after you let Terra escape in the middle of the night.'' he said. ''If by any chance you've seen the cabin north of South Figaro, I'm sure you wondered if I lived here.''

''Yes. In that little house, I recognized your favorite flowers, the dishes you always used and the tea you loved drinking. We also came across a dojo when we noticed the conditions of the place.'' he said.

''Master Duncan lives in South Figaro, and Locke said he met his wife while crossing the Empire, but that cabin near the city is where he subjects his students. After leaving the castle, I moved there and lived with him. Despite his old age, Master Duncan was a tough guy who always proves why he is the greatest martial arts master in the world. Since our father was hardly present in my life and the little attention he gave me was negative, plus the fact that we never knew our mother, I saw Master Duncan as my second father, a father figure. Although he had a son to whom he intended to bequeath the dojo after his retirement, he grew fond of me. He loved my determination, which made me his best pupil, but he worried a lot about me, especially when I fainted after going too far in the first five years together. Vargas was a great pupil of his, but he was envious and jealous of me, and he was also arrogant, he pranced only because he was his son, and since I had passed him, he believed that his father would leave the dojo to me, and not to him, but I knew him well and knew he wouldn't do it. Vargas had killed him while I was away, when I went to buy some food for us.''

(Three days earlier...)

(''Apt. 102- Kirby's Epic Yarn OST'')

Sabin heard the crowing of a rooster and woke up, seeing the sky a yellow mixed with blue, indicating that it was dawn. He dressed quickly and went to the kitchen, where he found Master Duncan waiting for him. His hair was long and thick, and he also had a beard and mustache. Although he was of a certain age, he was still strong as in his youth and quite muscular. Earlier, when Sabin had met Banon, he had noticed a certain similarity in the two in physical appearance, leading him to wonder if they were related or something.(4) ''Good morning, Master!'' he said to his teacher.

''Oh, good morning, Sabin! You arrived just in time for breakfast. The tea is ready.'' Duncan greeted him. When they finished their tea, he was worried. ''Listen to me, my boy. I'm worried about Vargas.''

''How come? What happened?'' Sabin asked.

''He's aloof and has been angry with me for some time. He accused me of favoring you.'' Duncan replied.

''But that's not true! I know you, and Vargas is your son, you have always made it clear that you want to pass on the dojo to him after your retirement!'' the pupil exclaimed.

''I know, but he doesn't listen to me. I also noticed that he hasn't been focused on my lessons for almost a year, and he wasn't making much progress. Also, for a few years years, he wasn't behaving well with other students, thinking so highly of himself just because he is my son, and when he fails to reach the goal, he always blames me or others, and this irritates me.'' the teacher said.

Sabin got the impression that someone was staring at them, but he didn't think it was anyone important. ''Maybe he's jealous of me because I'm your best student.'' he said.

''Maybe. Don't get me wrong, he has great potential, he's a good student and I still want to bequeath the dojo to him, but for some time, he seems to be giving in to envy and pride.''

''I noticed it too. He's been glaring at me ever since it became clear that I'm your best student, and this has been going on for years. When we had to climb Mount Koltz as an exercise, and at nine I managed to get to the top, I heard him shout how it was possible that a flabby and weakling like me could do it, and that was the last thing I heard before I passed out. It can't go on like this forever.''

Both teacher and pupil were worried about all this. ''You're right. Anyway, we have no food. Could you go to South Figaro and get some?'' asked Duncan.

''Sure thing! I'll be back shortly.'' Sabin replied.

''Good. Thanks, Sabin. See you shortly.'' the old martial arts master said, as his pupil left the cottage.

(''Apt. 102- Kirby's Epic Yarn OST-s'')

(''ACDC Town- Mega Man Battle Network 2 OST'')

Out of the cottage, he jogged as he headed into town, and smiled as he felt the breeze along his short ponytail. He had always been an early riser, and he loved the outdoors. As he watched the Leaf Bunnies hopping among the grass stalks, he put a hand on his pants pocket and pulled out a black belt, looking at it proudly: it represented the highest rank in martial arts, and Master Duncan had given it to him five months earlier. He tied it around his waist, over his green sash, went to South Figaro and bought some food at the town shop, carrying it all in a bag. Having been a member of the Returners for a month after he gave up the throne, the martial artist closely followed everything from afar, taking part in the group both to take revenge on the Gestahlian Empire that had killed his father, and because he was worried about his brother, especially when he learned that he had made an alliance with the Empire, but Banon quickly explained that it was a fake alliance, and that he was with them.

When he returned to the cabin, he thought he was hearing strange noises, like broken objects and sounds and sounds like someone beating someone up, but he thought it was just his imagination. ''Master Duncan, I'm back!'' he called out. He heard nothing, and so he knocked on the door, but nothing changed, and he began to get really worried. He had already lost his father ten years ago, and he didn't want to lose him too.

''Master Duncan? Can you hear me?'' he asked. No answer, just a sinister silence. Hesitantly, the monk opened the door, put the bag on the ground, took out all the food inside and put it in the fridge.

(''ACDC Town- Mega Man Battle Network 2 OST-s'')

When he turned and looked up, Sabin was so horrified that he nearly banged his head against the refrigerator. ''What the heck happened here?! I only got out for ten minutes!'' he shouted. The furniture was overturned, the table, some vases and silverware, including the plates, were broken, there were bloodstains on the walls and the floor, and the house in general was a mess. It seemed to him as if an earthquake had happened, and with his heart pounding, he checked every room, but found nothing but clutter. ''Master Duncan! Where are you, Master?!''

(''Sorrows Of Parting-Final Fantasy V OST'')

When Sabin arrived in the room where the dojo was, he almost had a heart attack. The training room was in worse condition than any other room: the curtains were torn, several bloodstains were scattered everywhere, especially on the wall, the furniture and training equipment were knocked over or broken, and the windows were also broken, with pieces of glass scattered around the room, and the unrecognizable silverware, shattered into tiny fragments. But the thing that provoked his reaction most of all was Master Duncan's body, sitting on the floor in front of the wall in his own blood, and without hesitation, he immediately ran towards him and shook him.

''Master Duncan! Are you alright?! Come on, wake up!'' the young man cried out in panic. He sat down, lifted his teacher's body and placed it on his legs, getting even more alarmed to see his terrible condition. His hair was a mess, his clothes were ripped to the point that his chest was exposed, with bloody cuts, and other smaller cuts covered his arms. However, his face was worse off than everything else, with bruises and hematoma, big and small, all over his cheeks, blood dripping from his forehead and both black eyes, with bruises as large as balls.

Heart pounding, Sabin made a series of compressions on his master's chest, as he had taught him. ''Come on, come on! Answer me, Master! No! Don't leave me, please!'' he groaned. Nothing happened, and he began to cry. His teacher, the one who understood him best apart from Edgar, his father figure, his second father, was dead, and judging by the state of the cabin, it must have been a murder. After a couple of minutes, he stopped crying, wiped the blood from the master's face and saw a bloody band. He recognized it. It was Vargas's band, and that meant only one thing: he had murdered him. He probably must have overheard the conversation, but not in full, and that might have prompted him to do that cruel gesture. This realization made him furious that his fellow student had done such a thing because he was jealous of him.

''VARGAS!'' he screamed.

(''Sorrows Of Parting-Final Fantasy V OST-s'')

(''The Encounter- Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMix OST'')

Sabin felt he could kill someone, but he knew his master wouldn't be happy if he did, so once he got out of the cabin, he took some deep breaths, calming down a little, but he was still angry. He met an elderly man, who was an old friend of the martial arts master, and asked him to clean up all the shebang in the house and where Vargas was, discovering that he was on Mount Koltz. As he climbed the mountain, he caught a glimpse of Edgar, and smiled at the thought of seeing his brother again after ten years. He also saw that another man and a girl were with him, and recognized him as Locke, as Banon had told him about him, saying he was a friend of Edgar, but about the girl, he knew he was the former Imperial soldier who, in less than three minutes, destroyed fifty Magitek Armors, as Banon had told him. He continued to keep an eye on them, unnoticed, but when he got to the top, he saw Vargas attack them. This filled him with anger, especially when he saw him severely injure them with a special technique and a series of punches and kicks, and this was the last straw. ''That's enough, Vargas!'' he shouted, jumping down and hitting his fellow student with a powerful kick in the face, ready to protect his brother.

(''The Encounter- Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMix OST-s'')

(Flashback end)

''I'm sorry, my brother. Maybe I should have done something more.'' Edgar said sadly.

''It doesn't matter.'' Sabin replied. ''What matters is that we are now together again. Master Duncan would not want me to keep mourning his death, he would want me to keep fighting. You are my brother, and I cannot allow Kefka to commit any more atrocities after setting fire to the castle and trying to kill you for letting Terra escape, not to mention poisoning Doma, taking away from Cyan everything that he cared about, so I will keep fighting alongside with you and the others as a member of the Returners.''

Edgar smiled and hugged his brother. ''All this time you had such an amazing teacher. I'm sure he would be very proud of you. Thanks, Sabin.''

''Hey, that's all there is to it. You always gave me priority over yourself.'' Sabin said.

''Feeling's mutual.'' the older twin replied. ''Come on, we should go to sleep. We have to be ready.''

''All right. Good night, Edgar.''

''Good night, Sabin.''

The two brothers went to the bedrooms located behind the curtains and fell asleep.

The next morning, the group gathered and Gau seemed excited, while Locke seemed not to have slept at all. They talked to the old man in the engine room, who agreed to take them to the desert near Kohlingen. On the way, they faced a vulture, some wasps, a bloodthirsty wolf, and even the skeleton of a dragon, and upon arriving in the city, Locke led them into the house of an old herbalist who recognized him. Downstairs, there were several vases with red roses, and in the center, there was a bed with the lifeless body of a young blue-haired woman, but although it looked long dead, her body was preserved, preventing its decomposition.

''Rachel...'' Locke murmured. Almost in a trance, he led everyone into the half-abandoned house to the northwest and looked at the floor. ''I couldn't protect her...''

''Who are you talking about, Sir Locke?'' Cyan asked.

''Is it about that woman?'' Celes asked.

The treasure hunter sighed. ''Yes. Rachel... she was my girlfriend.'' he said.

''What?! Did something happen?'' Sabin asked.

(''Forever Rachel- Final Fantasy VI OST'')

Locke turned and began to explain everything. ''I'll tell you how it all began. My father was a treasure hunter, and I often followed him on his adventures. After his death, however, everyone in Kohlingen called me a two-bit thief, but Rachel was the only one who didn't think I was one. We fell in love with each other, but her father did not approve of our relationship, so, in an attempt to prove that I was worthy of her, I took her on an adventure in a cave in the mountains. There was a precious treasure I wanted to give her for her birthday.'' he said.(5)

''An engagement ring?'' Edgar dared.

The treasure hunter was taken aback, but nodded. ''Okay, you caught me. We wanted to get married, but that day, four years ago, everything changed.''

(Four years earlier...)

''Locke! What are we going to look for today?'' Rachel asked very excitedly as she and Locke entered the cave.

''You'll see. Soon it will be your... '' Locke said, winking at her and leading the way with his torch. ''There is a fantastic treasure around here. It must be in this mountain.'' They went on until they came to a bridge that split the cave into two sections, but it began to shake. The bridge was old and unstable, and it was about to collapse.

''Locke! Look out!'' Rachel shouted. The treasure hunter did not have time to react, and his girlfriend pushed him to the other side. He was safe now, but before Rachel could react, the bridge collapsed, causing her to fall into the ravine.

''RACHEL!'' Locke screamed. Without hesitation, he jumped out and checked Rachel's condition. She was unconscious and with nasty, bleeding bruises on her forehead, but she was alive. He brought her home and stayed at his bedside after finding out that she had fallen into a coma.

A few days later, Rachel woke up. ''Rachel! Are you okay?'' Locke asked.

The girl looked around confusedly. ''I... I don't remember anything...'' she murmured.

This sentence completely stopped Locke's brain. ''What?! You mean... You lost your memory?'' he asked, and Rachel nodded.

At that moment, Rachel's father arrived, and in a rage, grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and kicked him out with a kick in his bottom. ''Get out of here! It's your fault that Rachel has lost her memory!'' he screamed, his voice so loud it could be heard throughout the village.

''Wait! Let me talk to her! She said ''yes''! We were going to...'' Locke cried out, but couldn't finish his sentence.

Rachel went out too. ''Please, go away! I don't know who you are, but I know my parents get mad every time you come here!'' she said. Her tone had no anger, but she sounded scared, and her father shut the door in Locke's face.

The treasure hunter stayed where he was for a long time, until a man spoke to him. ''Locke, you'd better leave, for Rachel's sake. Without you, she'll start a new life.'' he said.

Locke, after a series of slurs he received from the citizens, left Kohlingen disheartened. A year later, he returned to the village, now undergoing repairs, and found that in his absence, the Gestahlian Empire had attacked Kohlingen a few days earlier. Fortunately, it had not been conquered, but it had been badly damaged and had to be rebuilt. However, when he entered Rachel's house, he found her dead due to a stomach wound. All he could do was cry over her corpse. He took his body to the herbalist, who agreed to preserve it.

(Flashback end)

''I was thus exiled from Kohlingen, and when I returned a year later, I found out that Rachel had been killed by Imperial soldiers when they besieged the village while I was not there. An old lady told me that her memory had come back before she died, and that the last thing she said was my name, and her love for me.'' Locke said, his voice broken.

Edgar, who already knew everything, lowered his head sadly. ''Those horrible people, always them, kupo!'' Mog snapped.

Gau listened to everything sadly. ''I'm sorry...'' he said.

''My condolences, Sir Locke.'' Cyan said.

Sabin had tears in his eyes. ''Is that the reason you became a treasure hunter? And is that why you joined the Returners?'' he asked.

''Yes. It has long been rumored that there is a legendary treasure capable of resurrecting the dead. They say it has to do with the Phoenix, the legendary immortal firebird. I have been part of the Returners for three years, and I joined the group to take my revenge on the Empire. I lost my girlfriend because of them, and ever since, I've been trying to protect every woman I met in hopes of making up for my mistake.'' Locke replied.

(''Forever Rachel- Final Fantasy VI OST-s'')

''Locke... I'm sorry, I didn't know...'' Celes muttered, putting a hand on his shoulder. At the same time, she wondered if he had saved her only to redeem himself from the mistakes of his past.

''I shouldn't have left her alone, I shouldn't have left ... I let her down...'' Locke sobbed. ''We don't even know where Terra is, something terrible may have happened to her. Maybe I let her down too...''

''The only way you could let Terra down is by not looking for her!'' Sabin shouted. ''So please, Locke, this is not the time to grieve about this, we have to keep looking for clues!''

''Sabin!'' Locke exclaimed.

''No. Sabin is right. We don't know where Terra is, but I'm sure we'll find her, she'll be fine.'' Celes said.

''Sir Sabin, you embody the examples of Master Duncan, you told me about him.'' Cyan commented.

''I learned a lot from him. He was a bit old, but there was no martial arts master like him, and he was a wise man.'' Sabin said.

''Where shall we go, kupo?'' asked Mog.

''Our next option is to go to Jidoor, to the south of here. Maybe someone from Kohlingen saw Terra fly in that direction. But it's a bit far away. I'd suggest we should borrow some chocobos.'' Edgar replied.

A/N: Now we have discovered the story of the Figaro brothers and why Locke is as we know him. Sad memories, but we need them to understand the characters. But where is Terra? And what could happen to her? Find out in the next chapter! See you soon!

(1): This is explained in the manga based on the story of Edgar and Sabin, and also Sabin's profile says he hates Nut Eaters. The Nut Eaters are squirrels that appear as enemies in Final Fantasy V.

(2): According to the manga, Edgar's womanizing manias began precisely due to the lack of maternal figures due to the death of his mother after giving birth to him and Sabin, prompting him from an early age to seek company with women. In the manga, it is also shown that Christiel, the mother of the twins, was a commoner.

(3): Lamiae are women with the lower body of a snake capable of seducing men. In Final Fantasy II, this also happens in the storyline, as the Princess Hilda that Firion rescues in the Dreadnought is actually a Lamia Queen.

(4): Duncan's sprite is the same as Banon's, except they both have animations unique to one of them, despite having two distinct sprite sets with all animations of both, and the colors are different: Duncan's pants are brown instead of red, his coat, hair, beard and mustache are darker and his robes are dark blue rather than green.

(5): Some of this information is not mentioned in the game, but by the developers.