A/N: Hey, guys! In the previous chapter, Locke, Celes and the others went to Jidoor to look for someone with an airship to reach Vector, the capital of the Empire, and they discovered that wandering gambler Setzer Gabbiani has one, the Blackjack. To get his attention, Celes performed at the Opera in place of the opera singer Maria, whom he intended to kidnap, and after being duped by a trick, Setzer agreed to take them there. Will the Espers really be in the Magitek Research Facility? And will they be able to help Terra recover her memory? Let's find out! Before we begin, I apologize for keeping you waiting three weeks for this chapter, but my computer kept crashing or shutting down by itself, and sometimes it didn't turn on at all, which also caused some of my progress to be lost. I also noticed that this novelization, and some other from existing games, apart from those of Punch-Out! and Star Fox 64, don't get the success I hope, especially this one. Don't get me wrong, the view count is very high, and I'm happy about it, but I don't get many messages or reviews, and if I do get them, it's only from the first chapter. Lastly, this story is my most complex project so far, as the chapters are much longer than I usually do, and it's also out of necessity, but I don't want all my efforts to write it to be wasted. I'm not the type who cares much about reviews, but I would appreciate it if you communicate more with me and follow all my fanfics, not just a few, I'm very open and you can talk to me whenever you want. Anyway, I think I've been holding you back for too long, so let's get started!

Chapter 15: Espers, Magitek and Rumors

(''Sadness Moments- Final Fantasy V OST'')

The next morning, at dawn, Setzer woke everyone up reminding them that it was time to land. The Returners woke up, and some still looked tired from not getting enough sleep. Throughout the night, Locke thought of Celes as he thought of Rachel, and it seemed like he had a bad dream. Cyan had dark circles and his hair was a mess.

''Cyan doesn't look so good. What happened?'' Edgar asked, looking at the samurai with concern.

Sabin sighed, and when he answered, his brother immediately realized that the tone of his voice was sad. ''Cyan had a nightmare. I'm sure it's about the Doma massacre. Gau heard him scream at 3 AM and woke me up, so we went to check on how he was, and he was in full panic. He hasn't slept for the rest of the night, and Gau and I stayed up to keep an eye on him. Just a moment ago, I saw him sipping tea as he gloomily stared out the window. No one should lose that much at once.'' he said.

''With what Kefka did, it's only natural that he's traumatized.'' Edgar said.

''I know.'' Sabin replied sadly, with his head down. ''I tried to stop Kefka before he poisoned the river, but I couldn't. If only I had grabbed that freaking bottle, I could have avoided that slaughter. Then no one would be dead, Cyan would not have lost his king, nor his wife or son. I feel bad for him, that trauma of his could be my fault.''

''Don't say that, Sabin. You have done your best, but you can't always save everyone.'' the older brother said.

''I wish all of this hadn't happened. Gau and I are trying to help him, but it's not enough.''

''Traumas are difficult to overcome, and maybe a person will never succeed. I understand what he's been through too, Sabin.'' Locke said.

''When we had to defend the Esper in Narshe from Kefka, we were all poisoned except you and Cyan, as you pushed him away, and he freaked out when he noticed. What if Cyan suffers from toxiphobia?'' Edgar asked.

''I agree. It must be a reaction related to that trauma.'' his brother replied. He looked at Cyan, noticing that he had some dust on his face. Apparently, he hadn't even washed his face. "Cyan, we better go find those Espers.'' he then said.

''I suppose thou art right.'' Cyan said.

''We have arrived at the southern continent. Vector is close.'' Setzer said.

''Alright! The Espers are waiting for us!'' Sabin exclaimed.

''Hold on. We can't land near Vector. They'll shoot us on sight.'' Locke noted.

''Then let's stop near Albrook. Vector is northwest of Albrook, a short distance away.'' Edgar said.

''Celes, why did you want to get here?'' Setzer asked.

''Because the Esper Ramuh told us that we have to save the Espers who are here. Our friend Terra, currently in the town of Zozo, has lost her memory, and Ramuh believes the Espers could help her.'' Celes replied.

''I understand. I'll wait for you here, you will need someone to maintain the Blackjack. Good luck.'' Setzer said.

(''Sadness Moments- Final Fantasy V OST-s'')

(Objective: Infiltrate Vector and enter the Magitek Research Facility.)

Characters:

Locke

Celes

Edgar

Sabin

Cyan

Gau

Since the port city of Albrook was close to Vector, it only took a few minutes on foot to reach it, but in the meantime the group was attacked by strange, reptile-like, chicken-headed creatures, from a few Grenades, similar to Bombs but of a black color, and from a wyvern, a red flying dragon.

''Now that we get to Vector, there are a few things you should know about it.'' Celes said.

''Really?'' Locke asked.

''Yes. The town of Vector is very large, but it's also heavily industrialized. The houses are badly built, and the air is so polluted it's hard to breathe outside without a gas mask. Furthermore, those who do not support the Empire are at their mercy, with the risk of being discovered, tried and sentenced to death for treason. There is a small minority that supports the Returners, but they can't show it in public, and they gather in the pub.'' the woman replied.

''Let's be careful. They might get us.'' Edgar said.

''Celes, do you think we can go unnoticed somehow? Do you know any spells that could help us?'' Sabin asked.

''Yes, the Vanish spell. Who takes the effects becomes invisible to anyone except their allies. However, the effects are only temporary. We can't reach the Magitek Research Facility via the Imperial Palace, there's a weapon of destruction there, and we'll be dead before we even take a step.'' Celes replied.

Cyan had doubts about the former Imperial general, thinking she would lead them into a trap, but he said nothing. By the time the group of six reached Vector, it was just as Celes had described it: the houses were crumbling, the streets were muddy, and smoke was coming out of every single chimney. Everywhere there were red banners with the black symbol of the Empire.

(''The Gestahl Empire - Final Fantasy VI OST'')

''What a ramshackle town. Is that supposed to be the capital? This place is worse than Zozo, for crying out loud!'' Locke exclaimed.

Edgar agreed with him, and would have chuckled if that wasn't the case. ''Yes, but let's not get caught by the Empire. We have to save those Espers.'' he said.

Celes cast the Vanish spell, making everyone invisible, and saw the Magitek Research Facility on the northeast side in the distance. ''When this is all over, we must go back to Narshe and tell the everything to the guards.'' Edgar said.

Sabin nodded, and Celes led her companions around the city, avoiding the crowded areas. Arriving in the tavern, the effect of the Vanish magic disappeared, and meeting some sympathizers of the Returners, they discovered a few things. ''If you go to the Magitek Facility, be careful. Soldiers can use magic thanks to Professor Cid's experiments.'' one of them said.

Celes, hearing that name, gasped. ''Cid! Is he here too?'' she asked.

''Of course. If you don't know him, he is the chief scientist of the Empire.'' the man said. ''Also, be aware that the first Magitek Knight was Kefka, but since the process of infusing magic had not yet been perfected, this cost him his sanity.''

Gau trembled with fear. ''Madness...'' he murmured.

''Exactly. Today, Kefka is pure madness. The reason Kefka volunteered to be the first modern Magitek Knight is because General Leo refused to do so.'' the sympathyzer added. ''There's an old sympathizer of the Returners hanging around town, and he'll take you to the Magitek Research Facility. Be warned though, there are a lot of soldiers. You will understand that it is he because he is the only one near the crates who is not an Imperial soldier.''

Discovering these clues, the group left the tavern. ''Celes, do you know Cid?'' Locke asked.

''Yes. I was orphaned at an early age, and he raised me as his daughter, but despite that, he still had to artificially infuse me with magic. It's the closest thing to a father I have, and I haven't seen him in a long time. Don't worry, he won't hurt you.'' Celes replied.

Noticing that the streets made metallic noises when someone crossed them, they moved forward with great caution and hiding behind the houses to avoid the imperial soldiers. ''Damn these metallic sidewalks, they'll get us killed...'' Cyan murmured. After several minutes, they saw an elder next to several crates, who, as the sympathizer of the Returners in the tavern had said, also supported it. He whispered to them to follow him, helping them get to the Magitek Research Facility and telling them to climb the steel tower. The soldiers caught them, but the old man groaned and pretended to puke, and the scene disgusted them so much that they left, believing he was really throwing up.

''How are we going to climb?'' Locke asked. ''The tower is really high, and I don't think we'll be able to jump high enough.''

''Sabin will give us a boost.'' Edgar replied. ''What do you say, Sabin?''

''Sure, Edgar!'' Sabin said. ''Guys, I'm going to give you a boost now. Take turns jumping with your foot on my hands and I will lift you, you should be able to reach the top of the tower. I will join you after I have led you on it.'' He creouched and held out his hands, ready for the others to climb. The first to climb to the top was his brother, followed by Cyan, Celes, Locke and finally Gau, then jumped and clung. When they saw that the Imperial soldiers were gone, they went downstairs, and the old man winked at them, then Celes opened the door and the group entered.

(''The Gestahl Empire- Final Fantasy VI OST-s'')

(Objective: Search for the captive Espers in the Magitek Research Facility.)

''The moment of truth. If Ramuh is right, the Espers are imprisoned here.'' Edgar said, as everyone watched the place.

''Kefka and his army may be nearby. Follow me and don't get caught.'' Celes warned them.

''If we get caught, will the Vanish spell work?'' Locke asked.

''No, there's an invisible barrier that prevents the use of this spell.'' she replied. ''We can use the conveyor belts to move from one area to another.''

Gau felt Ramuh's Magicite glow and rubbed it. The Esper took his normal form and warned everyone. ''I can feel the presence of a lot of Espers up ahead. They have been imprisoned here since the Empire built this place after capturing them. Watch out for the Imperial soldiers.'' he said, before returning to its Magicite state.

The group began to explore the Magitek Facility, but on the way, they were caught by medium-high-ranking Imperial soldiers in blue armor, generals and sergeants, but Celes, who had learned to use the Thunder spell thanks to Ramuh's Magicite, managed to defeat them.

''Looks like someone already knows we're here. There's something suspicious, we better keep looking.'' Locke said.

''Locke, there was something I wanted to know about Rachel. It's said that the feathers of a phoenix's tail are said to recall the souls of the deceased. Couldn't a Phoenix Down or a Raise spell resurrect Rachel?'' Celes asked.

The treasure hunter was taken aback, but replied after sighing sadly. ''No. A Phoenix Down can only awaken people who are unconscious or in a deep coma, it cannot resurrect the dead.'' he replied.(1)

(''Majora's Theme- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask OST'')

Suddenly, screams echoed all over the place, and Gau noticed it right away. ''Espers! Espers in danger!'' he exclaimed.

''Let's hurry!'' Cyan shouted.

The six took a conveyor belt that took them downstairs, but Celes fell on top of Locke. ''Woops...'' she murmured.

''It doesn't matter.'' Locke said. Suddenly, he gasped, sensing danger. ''Quick, behind those crates!''

Hidden behind the crates, they saw something horrible: there was Kefka, draining the power of two Espers, the screaming ones. One of them was female and had a human apparence, like Ramuh, whose Magicite showed agitation as it moved frantically in Celes' pockets. Her skin was so pale it looked blue, with long blue hair, and she was half-naked, only with what was enough to cover her private parts and a diamond crown. The other Esper was male and had the appearance of a demon similiar to humanoid beast, with long horns and sharp fangs and claws, and he was dressed in only a chiton. ''I AM ALL-POWERFUL! HAHAHAHA!'' he thundered.

In his anger, Cyan clenched his fists with the urge to lunge at him and pierce his chest with his katana. ''The more I see him, the more I hate him.'' he whispered.

Kefka wasn't done yet. ''When I take the magical powers of the other Espers... I will resurrect the Warring Triad! HAHAHAHA!'' he cackled. ''And as for you two... I don't need you any more! In the trash!'' he grabbed both of the Espers and threw them forward, dropping them into the garbage chute below, then walked away.

Sabin's eyes were wide with horror, and his breathing became heavy. ''How... how can someone do such a thing...? What a monster...'' he murmured. Edgar, equally shocked, noticed that his brother was on the verge of tears, and Gau growled menacingly.

''That's horrible...'' Locke murmured.

''That Kefka has no sense of morality at all! I knew he was crazy, but getting to that point is too much!'' Edgar agreed.

''I would recognize those two Espers anywhere, they're Ifrit and Shiva!'' Celes exclaimed. ''Ifrit is the lord of fire, and it is said that he is very short-tempered and shows no mercy towards those who dare to offend him, reducing his enemies to ashes, while Shiva is the queen of ice. She is one of the kindest and friendliest Espers(2), friend and rival to Ifrit, and is usually his voice of reason along with Ramuh, but she too has her limits, and whoever angers her finds themselves with a frozen heart. Furthermore, the ice she uses to fight is not ordinary ice, but diamond dust.''

''Let's go check up on them!'' Locke said, and everyone agreed, climbing down and catching up to the two Espers.

''Did something happen?'' Cyan asked.

(''Majora's Theme- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask OST-s'')

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

(Objective: Ifrit is furious! Calm him down!)

Suddenly, Ifrit breathed fire, narrowly missing Locke.

''Hey! What are you doing?!'' Sabin shouted.

''Other people who want to exploit us! FIRA!'' Ifrit roared, releasing a vortex of fire that Celes could barely block with her Runic Blade. Shiva was very hesitant, but by ordering the Returners to stay away, she created some the ice crystals that surrounded Locke, preventing him from moving.

''That Esper is out of control!'' Cyan exclaimed, as he tried to protect Gau, whom Ifrit had struck from behind with his sharp claws.

''Ifrit, Shiva, we are not here to harm you. We're here to save you.'' Celes said.

''LIES!'' Ifrit screamed. He slammed his fists into the ground, trapping the woman in four swirls of fire that caused a massive explosion. It was his signature attack.

''Celes, look out!'' Locke yelled, throwing himself in front of her in an attempt to protect her from a kick from the lord of fire.

''Ifrit! Calm down! I sense that they are not evil.'' said Shiva. But he didn't listen to her and kept attacking, releasing blaze after blaze and hitting the group.

''Regen!'' A green and white light surrounded Celes and her five companions, encircling them in a magical glyph. ''This spell will gradually cure you.'' she said.

''Just what we needed! Thanks, Celes!'' Edgar said.

''If we can't calm down that Esper, then we have to fight!'' Sabin exclaimed, after hitting Ifrit with an Aura Cannon.

''Apparently, he's more of a hothead than Sabin is!'' Locke said. ''Get it? 'Cause he manipulates fire.''

''Need... help!'' exclaimed Gau, who was all charred, and Sabin gave him a potion.

Celes cast the Thundara spell, hitting Ifrit, and what Gau had said gave her an idea. ''Of course! Ramuh! Maybe he could help us!'' she said.

Locke nodded. He took Ramuh's Magicite and rubbed it, summoning him. ''Ramuh, come and give us a hand!''

Both Espers were shocked. How had those humans summoned him? ''Ramuh!'' they exclaimed.

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

(''Dr. Light Capsule Theme- Mega Man X OST'')

''Ifrit. Quench the flames of your anger.'' Ramuh ordered in a serious tone, and Ifrit obeyed. ''Shiva, Ifrit, I'm happy to know that you are alive. These people are not enemies. I sent them myself to look for the imprisoned Espers.''

''You must learn to control your impulses, Ifrit.'' Shiva said to Ifrit, then turned to Celes and her companions. ''Apologies for Ifrit's behavior. He could incinerate everything in front of him if Ramuh or I don't calm him down.''

''I'm sorry for attacking you, I thought you wanted to exploit us. The Empire has been absorbing our powers for many years.'' Ifrit said.

''It's alright.'' Cyan replied.

''We've heard Kefka talk about the Warring Triad, and he wants to resurrect it. Why?'' Locke asked.

''The Warring Triad is composed of the Fiend, the Goddess and the Demon, and they are the three gods of magic. Kefka wants to use their powers.'' Shiva replied.

''You must not allow the Empire to succeed. Stop Kefka before he can wreak havoc on the world. I feel we are close to death, and the most we can do to help you is to transform into Magicite. When the Empire finishes absorbing our powers, we are useless to them, and they throw us here to die.'' Ifrit said.

''Ifrit! Shiva! Wait!'' Celes cried out in shock.

''Our power will be yours. Many Espers are prisoners dead ahead, trapped in glass domes as a machine drains their powers. Please free them for us.'' Shiva said.

''We will.'' Cyan said. The two Espers transformed into Magicite in front of them, and the group took them.

''We have to stop Kefka. Now he'll pay for it.'' Edgar muttered through clenched teeth.

(''Dr. Light Capsule Theme- Mega Man X OST-s'')

After a few minutes, the Returners had explored the Magitek Facility further, but to do so, they had had to face gelatinous monsters created by the discharges of magical energy from Magitek experiments, prototypes of Armored Magitek known as Proto Armors, Imperial generals, ferocious hounds and defense systems, which also used magic. However, they also had to defeat experimental creatures of the Empire, known as Number 024, with a humanoid appearance, and Number 128, a purple monster with blades on its arms, and to do so, they had to count on the help of the Espers they had so far. Locke knocked out Number 024 by summoning Ramuh, and Celes defeated the other one by summoning Shiva, destroying its blades, freezing it with her diamond dust and defeating it.

''Those monsters are practically born from the Empire's sick minds!'' Locke exclaimed.

Sabin chuckled at the joke. ''Yeah, you're not kidding.''

''The Espers should be on the other side of this door.'' Celes said.

''Let's free them and get back to Terra!'' Edgar said.

So, they opened the door, but what they saw was horrible. Several Espers were locked in glass tubes, connected to a large machine, which made Cyan very nervous. Some looked humanoid, while others were more animalistic or bestial. ''That's pure torture.'' Locke commented.

(Objective: Save the imprisoned Espers!)

(''Freeing The Slaves- Rayman 2 OST'')

''Gau, prepare your claws. We have to free them without hurting them.'' Sabin said, and Gau nodded, equipping his claws.

''Stand back, Espers! We will free you!'' Edgar said. The imprisoned Espers backed away as best they could, and the king of Figaro threws his spear, damaging the machinery that absorbed their energy and disabling it. Locke smashed a glass tube with his dagger. One of the Espers was so big it was stuck, and Sabin, with a series of kicks and punches, smashed the glass to give him room to get out. By destroying those glass prisons, the Returners freed ten Espers: a unicorn, a legendary white horse with a horn on its forehead, a catoplebas, a bull-like creature with a single eye capable of petrifying, Titan, a huge muscular giant with a earth-shaking strength, a Sylph, a fairy who is strongest in a group, a dark green humanoid specter, Carbuncle, a small green rabbit-like creature with a ruby on its forehead, Bismarck, a huge blue whale, a legendary stone golem, Zona Seeker, a mysterious skeletal spirit in a black and red cloak, and Seraph, a beautiful woman with angel wings (Edgar felt like his nose was about to bleed to see her, and Celes had to elbow him on the ribs(3)).

''Thank you so much for saving us. We know you want to help us, but like Shiva and Ifrit, we don't have much time left. The Empire has exploited us for too long. We will transform into Magicite and give you our power.'' Seraph said, and all ten transformed into Magicite, releasing a dazzling light.

Sabin took Titan's Magicite and held it to his chest. ''Your sacrifice will not be in vain. It's a promise...'' he murmured.

(''Freeing the Slaves- Rayman 2 OST-s'')

(''Esper World- Final Fantasy VI OST'')

Suddenly, Locke noticed something in the distance. ''Look!'' he said, and everyone turned to see who was approaching. He was a tall, muscular humanoid-looking Esper with rather dark skin and dressed in only a red and yellow thong tied at the waist, but some of his characteristics were bestial or unusual for humans: his long hair, tied in a ponytail, were green, almost turquoise, his hands and feet had sharp claws, his ears were long and pointed, two long horns protruded from his forehead, his eyes were purple and small spikes protruded from his shoulders. Judging from his size, Gau assumed he was a giant.(4)

''Thank you for setting me free. I am the Esper Maduin.'' the Esper said.

''Don't mention it. Ramuh told us about the Espers imprisoned here.'' Edgar replied.

Maduin looked around frantically, as if looking for something or someone. ''Terra... Where is Terra?'' he asked, full of concern.

Upon hearing that name, Celes had the feeling that all of this was important. ''You know Terra? Terra Branford?'' she asked.

Maduin sighed. ''Yes. Terra... is my daughter.'' he replied.

''WHAT?!'' everyone yelled, even more shocked than when Ramuh revealed he was an Esper.

''You heard right. Terra is the daughter of an Esper and a human.'' the Esper said.

''That's why Terra can use magic naturally! Because she's a half-human, half-Esper hybrid!'' Celes exclaimed.

''Exactly. Thanks to the Esper blood in her veins, she is able to use magic naturally. Twenty years ago, I met Madeline, a young human who had accidentally ended up in the Esper World. Back then, I was one of the most respected Espers of society in my world. Madeline was disgusted with humans and their faults and sins, but she knew that humans and Espers were defined incompatible, so she wanted to leave the next day, but I convinced her to stay, and it's from this forbidden love that Terra was born.'' Maduin explained. The Esper clenched his knuckles tightly, filled with anger and hatred for the Empire. ''But one day, those bastards of the Empire attacked the Esper World. Emperor Gestahl found many Espers and captured them, including me. But not only that: he also killed Madeline and kidnapped my daughter in front of me, and I couldn't do anything to stop him.''

''This is horrible, all this for the Magitek experiments.'' Edgar commented.

''Yeah, that's not fair! They have captured you as slaves and are exploiting you for slaughter!'' exclaimed Sabin. Locke stuck his tongue out in disgust, and Cyan, hating the Empire even more, gave Celes a dirty look.

''What is it?! I wasn't even born yet, I'm only eighteen! And stop staring at me like that, you look uncivilized!'' she snapped, and the samurai, realizing that she was right, stopped staring at her and fell silent.

''What did they do to my daughter? What have they done to her?!'' Maduin shouted, his hatred of the Gestahlian Empire mixed with concern for Terra.

Locke sighed sadly, knowing he had to give him the bad news. ''Maduin, I hate giving you bad news, but Terra has remained submitted to the Empire forall her life, and Kefka has used her as a weapon of destruction because she is the only human capable of using magic naturally in a world where magic died out a thousand years ago with the War of the Magi. She was a victim of the Slave Crown, which deprived her of her conscious thinking and prevented her from doing anything unless ordered to. One day, to test her magical abilities and the power of the Slave Crown, Kefka ordered Terra to kill fifty of the best Imperial soldiers on Magitek Armors and she completed the task in under three minutes. Arvis, an old man who lives in Narshe, knows this object very well, and says that its use can make the wearer lose the memory. I know this because the first time I met her, Terra only remembered her name and the fact that she was an Imperial soldier. I'm really sorry. '' he said.

Maduin breathed heavily, and everyone felt that he would explode in a wave of anger. So it happened. ''Those bastards! How could they?!'' he screamed, releasing a wave of purple magic. ''If they killed her, I'll...!''

His screams were so loud that Gau was frightened and clung to Cyan, who despite being surprised, tried to calm him down with a small pat on the shoulder. ''Your daughter is fine. Ramuh took care of her before turning into Magicite.'' Edgar said.

The Esper calmed down, but not totally. ''Ramuh? What happened?'' he asked.

''After we defended a frozen Esper in Narshe, there was an interaction between Terra and it, then it transformed and flew to the town of Zozo. Ramuh took care of her and revealed that she doesn't wake up because she has a power she doesn't know. She then sent us to rescue the Espers that were imprisoned here, believing they could help her recover her memory.'' Celes replied.

''Valigarmanda... the frozen Esper is Valigarmanda. Anyway, Terra shouldn't be in Zozo, it's not a suitable place for her. I will go with you to look for her.'' Maduin said. ''I will turn into Magicite to give you my strength.''

''Wait up! Maduin!'' Sabin shouted, but the Esper had already transformed into Magicite, and Gau howled sadly. The group then heard Maduin's voice echo from the crystal.'' Please, take care of my daughter...''

''We will... Maduin.'' Locke murmured.

''We did what we have to do. The Espers are safe. Let's get out of here.'' Edgar said, and the six started turning back.

(''Esper World- Final Fantasy VI OST-s'')

''I think there's someone over there.'' Sabin said, hearing footsteps.

In fact, on the other side of the room, there was a short middle-aged man, dressed in a yellow hooded coat that covered his head, and he had a reddish mustache. ''So that's the Espers' real power... they can transfer it completely after death...'' he murmured.

''I know that voice! It's Professor Cid!'' Celes exclaimed.

Cid turned and gasped when he saw Celes. ''Celes! What a surprise! I was wondering what was going on.'' he said. ''Who are these people? Are those rumors true that you infiltrated yourself as a spy?'' he then asked, referring to those accompanying her.

Locke was shocked by what he had heard. ''What?! Celes, is this all true?'' he asked, pale as wax.

Upon hearing that rumor, Cyan was about to unsheathe his katana, but Edgar stopped him. ''Hold it. Let's not jump to conclusions.'' he said, and the samurai, albeit angrily, sheathed his weapon. Sabin rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and Gau was confused.

''Cid... no, they are not my subordinates. Why are you asking me such a thing?'' Celes asked, taken aback and confused.

Realizing he wasn't clear, Cid tried to explain everything better. ''Oh, sorry. The fact is that a lot of rumors and gossip have been circulating for a couple of days. There are those who say that you are a spy, and I have doubts about it.'' he replied.

''But this doesn't make any sense.'' Edgar said.

(''Suspicion- Final Fantasy IV OST'')

Suddenly, an evil laugh echoed around the room. It was Kefka, and with him were several soldiers on Magitek Armor. ''Grrr! Kefka! You again!'' Sabin cried, clenching his fists.

Seeing Celes, Kefka giggled and grabbed her by the arm. ''Well well well, some Magicites! Enough clowning around, General Celes, give me those Magicites!'' he ordered, as the woman tried to free herself from his grip.

Locke was even more shocked than before. ''Celes! You betrayed us?!'' he exclaimed.

''Of course not, Locke! Have a little faith!'' she replied, trying to wriggle out, unsuccessfully. She was also shocked by what Kefka had said, and she didn't believe it.

Cyan gritted his teeth in anger, falling into the trap. Edgar was taken aback, but that feeling was quickly replaced by perplexity. Sabin whispered something in his ear, and Gau looked around confusedly. The insane clown, amused by their reactions, made fun of Celes. ''Oh, I love the sweet smell of betrayal in the air! What a traitor, Celes, all alone, that's typical of you!'' he chuckled.

Locke couldn't say a word, or even look Celes in the eyes. He didn't want to believe all this, but now that Kefka had said that, it seemed true to him. In his thoughts, that woman he had sworn to protect, who had sung in the Opera last night, the one who reminded him so much of Rachel, was a fake, a traitor. He too had fallen into the trap. And speaking of Celes, she was hurt by this reaction.

''I knew we shouldn't trust this imperial snake! The time has come to bring her to justice!'' Cyan roared, unsheathing his katana again. He was about to charge towards the woman when Sabin grabbed him by the armpits, aided by Edgar and Gau, holding him back and preventing him from taking a step forward. The warrior monk didn't care that the samurai kept screaming to let him go and make him do it, that he sometimes hit him in the stomach with the pommel of his weapon, that he kept kicking Edgar in the face in his struggling attempts and that he yelled at them that they were ''traitors'' for supporting a traitor.

''What are you laughing at, you imbecile?! You disgust me!'' Cid snapped, irritated by Kefka's psychopathy.

''Kill them!'' Kefka ordered the soldiers. Their Armored Magiteks fired beams that caused a massive explosion. Locke, Edgar, Cyan, Sabin and Gau were hit and crashed violently into the wall.

Celes, however, freed herself by kicking Kefka in the stomach. ''You dirty liar!'' she yelled angrily. ''I have never been your spy, and I never will be!''

Locke rose to his knees and saw Celes try to block the onslaught of the soldiers with his sword. ''Locke... let me protect you. Perhaps, you will believe me by then.'' the woman said.

''TAKE THE MAGICITES!'' Kefka screamed.

By now, all the enemies were very close, so Celes, leaping in front of those she had accompanied, had no choice but to use a spell, ready to do anything to allow Locke and the others to escape. She grabbed Kefka with one arm and a Magitek Armor with the other. ''Teleport!''

(Celes has left the party.)

(''Suspicion- Final Fantasy IV OST-s'')

The spell that Celes cast emitted a very intense light that forced Locke to close his eyes, and Kefka disappeared with a scream. He opened his eyes and saw that they were gone. ''Guys! Check if they've stolen any Magicites!'' he said.

Edgar, Sabin, Cyan and Gau got up and began checking their pockets. Fortunately, none of their seventeen Magilites had been stolen. ''All with us!'' said Gau.

''Thank goodness, that a was close one.'' Edgar said, with a sigh of relief.

''We fell into Kefka's trap like fools!'' Sabin shouted.

Cyan had never trusted Celes, and noticed that Sabin was looking at him with a look that clearly said ''It's your fault''. Not knowing what to say, he didn't reply.

''I saw that Celes had sacrificed herself to protect us and stop Kefka from stealing those Magicites from us. If he didn't, we would have died on the spot. She had never betrayed us. She always stayed loyal to us.'' Locke murmured sadly. '' How could I have been so stupid to fall into that stinking trick?!'' he then snapped, so frustrated that he hit the wall with his elbow and squeezed his bandana so hard that he got a headache.

Suddenly, the floor began to shake. ''Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's going on?!'' Edgar exclaimed, as his brother tried to balance Gau. Red lights flashed in the area, an alarm echoed continuously and a background voice kept repeating to evacuate immediately.

''With all that commotion, the machinery is destroyed! They are linked to the entire security system, and that triggered the self-destruct mechanism! You have to escape!'' Cid shouted.

''That guy is from the Empire. Should we really trust him?'' Cyan asked bluntly.

''Oh, just knock it off!'' Sabin snapped, irritated. ''Do you want to save your skin or not?!''

Locke sighed, a little annoyed too. ''He has a point. Anyway, we have the Magicites in case of danger.'' he added.

(Evacuate the Magitek Research Facility and escape Vector!)

Locke

Edgar

Sabin

Cyan

Gau

Along with Cid, the Returners escaped in an elevator. ''Absorbing the power of the Espers to become stronger kills them slowly.'' the scientist said.

''Ramuh told that to us himself. So he sent us here to rescue the captured Espers. If we don't stop the Empire, there will be a second War of the Magi.'' Sabin explained.

''I'll talk to the Emperor about this. He's done enough damage already, and causing this war is madness!'' Cid exclaimed. ''I've known Celes since she was little, and I raised her as my daughter. However, she was not excluded from the Magitek experiments. If I ever meet her again, I'd like to apologize for my mistakes.''

''Me too. Celes never betrayed us, but we fell for Kefka's trap. We'll do the same thing too.'' Locke said.

(''Escape- Metroid Fusion OST'')

Unfortunately, Kefka's insane laughter was heard, and Cid panicked. ''Oh, no! Kefka is coming!'' he shouted. ''Quick, get on that mine cart!''

''Professor! What about...'' Edgar exclaimed, before being interrupted.

''Don't worry! I will find another way out! This mine cart will lead you into an underground tunnel leading to the exit. I hope to see you soon. Now go!'' Cid replied. The group climbed into the cart, which Sabin pushed from behind to gain speed, then jumped in front of everyone and kept an eye on the area, being the tallest.

''How did Kefka find us?'' Cyan asked.

''I don't know how he did it, but he must have found out we were here. Maybe he knew that old man had helped us and got him killed.'' Edgar replied.

''Don't say these things, Edgar! We have to get out of here!'' Locke yelled.

The path was very winding and constantly changing, with many long descents, steep climbs and tight curves alternating, making them almost out of balance several times, as explosions and flames chased them through the entire tunnel. Gau could barely hold back the urge to throw up, and to avoid falling into the void, he had to cling tightly to Sabin, sometimes accidentally hitting him on the chin or head with his foot. As if that were not enough, they were attacked by several monsters mutated by the Empire's experiments, and their spells, due to their inexperience, were not as effective as those of Terra and Celes, forcing Edgar to rely on his tools. But they had learned the Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder spells, while Edgar now knew the Scan spell.

''I think I'll get motion sickness...'' Cyan murmured, all groggy.

''Whoa! I think I'm going to fall off the cart!'' Locke yelled, as he tried to hold on tightly to the mine cart.

The tunnel led them to the exit, and they fell off the mine cart after bumping into a Magitek Armor. Setzer joined them. ''You're back! I was worried about you.'' he said. He then noticed that Celes was not with them. ''Where did Celes go?'' he asked.

''There's no time, Setzer, we have to escape!'' Edgar cut short, and they all got into the Blackjack, as the Magitek Research Facility exploded below them.

(''Escape- Metroid Fusion OST-s'')

(''Tension Rising- Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX OST'')

Suddenly, a loud noise was heard, and the Blackjack was blocked on both sides by two cranes coming from the roof of the Imperial Palace, preventing Setzer from gaining further altitude during the escape. ''Those cranes are blocking us! We must destroy them!'' he exclaimed.

(The gambler Setzer joins the party!)

(Objective: Destroy the cranes to escape!)

Characters:

Locke

Edgar

Sabin

Cyan

Gau

Setzer

''Where did those things come from?!'' Cyan yelled, revealing his technophobia again.

''Kefka is using them to keep us from escaping!'' Edgar replied.

Setzer took a deck of cards from his pockets, and the others looked at him strangely. ''Before you object, these cards are not common, they are magical.'' he explained. He threw the cards at the cranes, denting them slightly, and they came back to him.

The fight was not easy, as the cranes attacked with their wrecking balls or firing lightning bolts and flames, and to physically hit them the group had to counterattack, or, in Sabin's case, launch attacks from a distance. Edgar took a rifle and fired at the cranes, and Locke cast the Thunder spell, hitting one of them.

Setzer was taken aback by this. ''Was that magic?'' he asked.

''Yeah. We learned it from the Espers.'' the treasure hunter replied.

Sabin fired waves of ki, but even for his physical strength, the cranes were tough, as he could not strike in close range, and Gau was forced to rely on his Rages. They had all learned new spells like Cure, but they lacked experience in using magic. ''We can't keep fighting all day!'' he exclaimed. Gau nodded, breathing heavily from exhaustion.

''And that's why we're going to summon an Esper!'' Locke said as the warrior monk focused his spiritual energy.

Edgar took Bismark's Magilite and summoned the Esper. ''Bismarck, come and help us! Breach Blast!''

Bismarck, surrounded by a sphere of water large enough to cover his entire body, released hundreds of explosive bubbles from his blowhole, which severely damaged the cranes and destroyed one of them.

Sabin, now ready to attack, used a new Blitz technique. ''RAZOR GALE!'' He began spinning in place with his hands outstretched, releasing wind blades that hit the remaining crane, disabling its wrecking ball and giving Cyan the opportunity to hit it with a Bushido Fang. ''Now, Edgar!''

Edgar nodded and pulled out his chainsaw, with which he destroyed the crane. Setzer took the rudder, and the Blackjack, no longer dragged down, gained altitude.

(''Tension Rising- Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX OST-s'')

''I really want to see Kefka's face when he finds out he failed!'' Sabin said between laughter.

''Yeah, he's probably swearing like never before!'' Edgar chuckled, already imagining Kefka's hysterical screams.

''Bad Kefka!'' added Gau.

''Where do we go?'' Setzer asked.

''We will go to Zozo, where Terra is located, then we will go to Narshe. With all the Espers we've saved, we need to warn the people.'' Locke replied.

Sabin glared at Cyan, and not caring that everyone was there, decided to let off steam. ''Nice job breaking it, Cyan!'' he said.

''What doth thee mean?'' the samurai asked.

''I'll tell ya! It's your fault that Celes left us, you never trusted her!'' the monk replied.

''That slag is from the Empire, Sir Sabin!'' Cyan snapped.

''That's not true! Celes stayed true to us by preventing Kefka from stealing the Magicites, so be thankful for once! I saw you every time you interacted with her, you treated her as if she were responsible for that massacre at Doma!'' Sabin shouted, losing his temper too.

This touched a sore spot for Cyan, who got even more angry. ''Don't you dare bring that out, you traitor!'' he yelled.

''Oh, yes I will! Enough of this traitor thing! Whenever someone from the Empire, in this case Terra and Celes, is involved in something, it always ends up with you starting a fight! If we didn't stop you, you would have spilled our blood, and YOU would be the traitor, you trigger-happy samurai! And would you just shut up with the traitor thing?! I've never met anyone as stubborn and inconsiderate as you! Sure, I'm impulsive and act without thinking, but I would never do such a thing!'' Sabin bellowed, red with anger, as his voice echoed. He noticed that the samurai was about to open his mouth, and he kept letting off steam, preventing him from speaking. ''Shut up! Just give it a rest! All you do is complain about our allies just because they were involved with the Empire in the past, so put a cork in it!''

Gau, Setzer and Edgar watched the scene with concern, especially the latter. Being his brother, he knew him well, and he knew that he was sensitive and emotional in public, but he had never seen him that angry.

Sabin, mad with Locke for the same reason, faced him and turned to him. ''And you, Locke, are no better! Celes left because you and Cyan fell into Kefka's trap! And you are supposed to protect her! You swore that to her! You two knew what he said was false, and you believed that load of tripe anyway! You are really moronic, you know that?! I can't bear to hear that our allies are treated as traitors when the real traitors are the ones who instigate these discords, this has gone on for far too long! AND I'M SICK AND TIRED OF IT!'' Cyan and Locke both had their heads down while Sabin was breathing heavily.

''Sabin!'' Edgar exclaimed reproachfully.

''What?! What is it?!'' the monk snapped.

''Would you stop screaming at the top of your lungs? They might hear you! And besides, wasn't that too harsh?'' his brother retorted, trying not to lose his patience.

Locke raised his head and sighed. ''No, Edgar. Sabin's right.'' he said, and everyone turned towards him. ''All of this was clearly Kefka's trap, he said those things to try to split us apart, to cause disunity between us, and I know he lied, but we fell for it like a bunch of fools, and I regret it every minute that goes by. It's true, he ambushed us, but that was not Celes' fault. Sure, Cyan should have trusted her more, but it's my fault, at least partially, I was the one who doubted her when Kefka said that Celes was a spy. Celes sacrificed herself to stop Kefka from stealing our Magicites, and all I did was question her loyalty and make things even worse. For all this time, she's been helping us and she hasn't even moved two meters away from us, and we return the favor like that. And I regret thinking even for a moment that she would betray us or that she would not help us at the expense of her own safety. Some lousy allies we are.''

However, Sabin was still in a foul mood, and he turned his gaze back to Cyan. ''So, Cyan? What are you going to do? Are you coming with us or will you walk out on us?'' he asked. He received no reply, so the outburst went on. ''Fine. I get it. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to get some rest. And when I come back, don't start with this traitor thing all over again!'' After that, he violently slammed the door and entered the airship rooms.

After five minutes of total silence from everyone, Gau turned his gaze to the others. He was concerned about the situation, especially as Sabin had apparently had an argument with Cyan and blamed him and Locke. ''Gau, the situation seems to have gotten out of hand. It's best to wait for my brother to calm down.'' Edgar told him.

''Now what are you gonna do, Cyan?'' Locke asked Cyan.

The samurai finally raised his head. ''I... I don't know. I need some private time to think. Please don't come looking for me.'' he replied.

''What about you, Locke?'' Setzer asked.

''I need some alone time too. We also need to reflect on what Sabin said.'' the treasure hunter replied, and he and Cyan went to their respective rooms.

''Let's leave them alone for a while, Setzer. I'm going to think about it too.'' Edgar said, and Setzer nodded.

A/N: Things are not going well. The Espers, including Maduin, Terra's father, are free, but Kefka ambushed the group and spread the word that Celes was an Imperial spy in an attempt to steal the Magicites and cause divisions in the Returners, and to stop him, she had to sacrifice herself. As if that weren't enough, Locke, in that moment, questioned Celes' loyalty, and like him, Cyan fell into the trap. Despite this, the group managed to escape. Can the saved Espers help Terra recover her memory? And what happened in the Esper World many years ago? Find out in the next episode! See ya!

(1): The Phoenix Down can revive defeated characters, but it cannot resurrect the dead, and the same goes for the white magic spells Cure and its stronger variants, Raise and Arise. This is noticeable in Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VII.

(2): Over the course of the series, it is rare for the player to have to face Shiva to gain the privilege of summoning her.

(3): In Japanese anime, there is the famous recurring gag where a character in love bleeds from the nose. This comes from the popular belief that the rise in blood pressure is a result of sexual arousal. While arousal has been shown to increase heart rate and heart pressure, there is no evidence that this causes the septum to bleed.

(4): Maduin can be summoned, and his sprite when summoned is very similar to that of the gigas in Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy V, especially the latter.