A/N: Hey, guys! In the previous chapter, the Returners infiltrated Vector to gain access to the Magitek Research Facility. After meeting Shiva and Ifrit, they rescued many imprisoned Espers, including Maduin, Terra's father. Unfortunately, after they met Cid, an Empire scientist and Celes' father figure, Kefka made them fall into a trap, leading Locke and Cyan to believe (briefly) that Celes had betrayed the Returners, not the Empire, in an attempt to cause discord in the group, and to prevent him from stealing the Magicites, she had to sacrifice herself. After the from the place, which was self-destructing due to the destruction of a machinery connected to the security systems, they reached Setzer, but to leave Vector's airspace, they had to destroy two cranes activated by Kefka to stop them. Now they will stop in Zozo to return to Terra and Mog, who was taking care of her. Will she remember his father? And will she recover her memory? Let's find out! Before starting, I remind you that if you want to leave a review, just click on the ''Review'' button at the end of the chapter, and you can do it in every chapter, not just the first. End premise, let's get started!

Chapter 16: Terra Branford: The Hybrid of Fate

(Objective: Return to Terra in Zozo.)

Characters:

Locke

Edgar

Sabin

Cyan

Gau

Setzer

After Sabin's outburst, the only audible sound was the Blackjack's propellers as it flew north to Zozo, and it stayed that way for the rest of the morning. Concerned, Edgar went to the others to see how they were doing. Locke, Cyan and Gau were in their respective rooms, and in particular, Locke was lost in his sad thoughts. He went to check on his brother and found him in his room, sitting on the bed with his legs crossed. ''Hey, Sabin. You okay?'' he asked.

Sabin sighed. ''I'm fine, Edgar. I was thinking about what I said. I shouldn't have said these things to Locke and Cyan, maybe I hurt their feelings.'' he said.

''Don't say that. Locke regrets questioning Celes' loyalty at the worst possible time. We fell into Kefka's trap like idiots, and you were right to be stern with us, otherwise the Returners could have been fragmented by what happened.'' Edgar replied. ''He also said we betrayed Celes, not the other way around, he says that he betrayed her with her doubt.''

''I understand. To calm myself down, I spent a full three hours meditating. According to Master Duncan, it's a great way to purify the mind and get rid of stress. Gau came to me just five minutes ago when I was done meditating. He was really worried when he saw me yelling at Cyan and Locke, and he thought we had a fight.'' Sabin said. ''How's Cyan doing?''

''Cyan has spent all morning thinking in his room. He didn't want me to come in, but maybe he could accept your presence.'' his brother said.

''I have to talk to him. Maybe I hurt his feelings.'' the martial artist declared.

''I see. Setzer said we'll be in Zozo in twenty minutes.''

''OK. See you later.''

(''Scent of Silence- Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories OST'')

Sabin thought about his earlier outburst. He had do be strict, but maybe he had gone too far. He reached Cyan's room and knocked on the door. ''Can I come in?''

''Come in.'' Cyan said, giving him permission to enter. ''Sir Sabin? What art thee doing here?'' he asked then, seeing him.

''I was thinking about what I said this morning. I want to tell you that even though i went too far, I mean what I said. If you keep complaining about us because two of our allies were former Imperials, you may as well leave, I won't force you to stay. I don't question the fact that Terra and Celes had to do with the Empire, but you can't continue like this.'' Sabin replied. ''What are you going to do?''

The samurai sighed and stood up. On the one hand, I hate the Empire for what it did to me, but on the other, Lady Celes took all these risks to stop Kefka from stealing those Magilites from us. I have been thinking all the time, but I don't know what to do. I'm very confused.'' he said. ììYou know, I was surprised that I got a telling-off from someone half my age.''

''I'm not asking you much, just to stop with these prejudices. They don't help.'' said the martial artist. ''Gau came to me just a few minutes ago.''

''Really?''

''Yes. He was worried when he heard me yelling at you and Locke, and he thought we had a fight. Then Edgar went to me to check if I had calmed down. What were you thinking about?''

It didn't take Cyan long to answer Sabin's question. ''I was thinking about Lady Terra. As with Lady Celes, who we met at the same time, the first time we met her was a fiasco. When she revealed that she was an imperial soldier like her, I lost control of my anger and I attacked them both with my katana, you all saw that. And it all happened because of something she had done against his will. If she didn't back down, I could have killed her.'' he said.

''And if you had, there would have been an even worse skirmish than the one that happened!'' Sabin exclaimed.

The samurai laughed bitterly. ''I know. And I was thinking about what you said to me, Sir Sabin. You were right. It's all my fault. I can blame others as much as I want, but deep down, I know the fault is mine.'' he admitted.

''You're not the only one at fault. Locke is guilty too, but he realized it even before we escaped. Edgar told me he doubted Celes at the wrong time possible.'' the martial artist replied. ''Anyway, what are you going to do now?''

I remembered that I didn't have a chance to apologize for my violent reaction when she admitted that like Lady Celes, she was formerly an Imperial soldier. Without her help, we could not have protected the Esper Valigarmanda, and I am grateful to her for that. I want to apologize to her, everything that happened to Narshe is not her fault.'' Cyan said.

''Good! I see you're learning, after all!'' Sabin exclaimed, glad to know that, but then frowned. ''Listen, I'd like to apologize to you. I'm sorry I was rude. No hard feelings, I hope.''

''No grudge. And I'm sorry I caused you trouble and I didn't trust Lady Celes.'' Cyan said. With this, I want to ask you something. Will you forgive me?'' he asked then.

''I forgive you for this time, Cyan, but in return, you must at least trust Terra and Celes more. I understand it's difficult for you because they were former Imperial soldiers, but they are our allies. I've always supported you and never gave up on you, even when I was frustrated with you, so please don't do anything stupid. I understand that you hate the Empire, I don't question it, but try to pull it together.'' Sabin replied. ''Truce?''

''Truce.'' Cyan said, shaking his hand.

Suddenly, Setzer's voice was heard. ''We are ready to land. Come here!'' he called, and the two left the room.

''Is verything resolved?'' Edgar asked.

''Yup. And just in time, we arrived. '' Sabin replied.

Gau ran between the two of them and looked at them with a relieved smile. ''I spent some time thinking, but it's all settled, Sir Gau, nothing to worry about.'' Cyan told him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

(''Scent of Silence- Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories OST-s'')

''So, is that girl here?'' Setzer asked, after landing the ship.

''Yup. Terra is in a tall building somewhere in the city, and some of them are accessible by jumping from a window to reach the nearby balcony. '' Locke replied. ''We just have to look for the correct one.''

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

The group continued on to Zozo, but was attacked in the street by various criminals and thieves who stole 600 gil from Gau, who, as revenge, lunged at them, bit them and hit them repeatedly with his knife to recover the stolen money. After a few minutes, they reached the place, where Mog was waiting for them. ''It's about time you came back, kupo!'' he exclaimed. However, he noticed that Celes was not there. ''Where's Celes?'' he asked.

Edgar sighed. ''I don't know how he did it, Mog, but Kefka had found us and set a trap to steal our Magicites. We managed to escape, but before that, we fell into his trap, and to stop him from getting hold of the Magicites of the Espers we saved, she had to sacrifice herself. We haven't heard from her since then.'' he replied.

''Since when do Moogles speak?'' Setzer asked.

''Ramuh taught him that.'' Sabin informed him.

''Is Terra okay, Mog?'' Locke asked.

''She's fine, but she doesn't wake up, kupo.'' the Moogle replied.

Maduin's Magicite began to glow and floated in Terra's hands, and the girl began to glow. ''Father...'' she murmured as she held the crystal.

When the light disappeared, Terra returned to normal, and when she opened her eyes, everyone was in front of her. Suddenly, he screamed and got so scared that he fell out of bed and dropped the Magicite. Confused, Cyan slowly approached her, but this frightened her even more, to the point that she retreated towards the wall. ''What's wrong with her?'' he asked.

''Terra is very scared because she met her gaze with yours, Cyan. Don't you remember? The first time you met her in Narshe, you lashed out and nearly killed her.'' Edgar said.

''Wait, Lady. I won't hurt you.'' Cyan said. But Terra covered her face with her hands, seeing him in her mind with his katana raised.

''Calm down, Terra. It's going to be okay.'' Locke told her, trying to calm her down, but the hybrid was still agitated.

''You can trust Cyan, Terra. Relax.'' Sabin added.

''Lady Terra, I know the first time we met was a fiasco, and I know I wasn't fair to you. Grab my hand, I'll help thee get up. '' Cyan said, extending his hand to Terra. The girl calmed down a bit and grabbed his hand, while the samurai helped her to get up. ''I wanted to apologize after the Battle for the Frozen Esper, but I couldn't because of your interaction with the Esper. Couldst thee ever forgive me?'' he then asked her, on his knees, but the girl did not answer, although she was no longer frightened.

''She doesn't seem to trust him completely yet.'' Sabin said.

''Yeah, but at least she calmed down.'' Edgar noted.

The samurai, still kneeling, gave the girl a sad look. ''I understand. Even though I hate the Empire, I shouldn't have lost my temper over something they forced you to do against your will, and I should have trusted Lady Celes more. I don't expect you to forgive me, on the other hand, I can't blame you if you don't trust me. I scared you and nearly killed you, and if it weren't for your help, we wouldn't have been able to protect the frozen Esper.'' he said, his voice full of shame.

''Forgive you? I don't think it's necessary. Sure, it wasn't easy to deal with me, but what matters is that we worked together, Cyan.'' Terra replied, holding out her hand.

This answer took Cyan by surprise. ''Does this mean that you forgive me?'' he asked. Seeing her nod, he smiled, grabbed her hand and shook it with both of his.

''Welcome back, Terra.'' Locke said, as Sabin looked at the samurai with a satisfied expression.

''Who is that guy?'' Terra asked, referring to Setzer.

''Oh, yeah. I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Setzer Gabbiani. Your friends have told me about you, Terra.'' Setzer said.

''You know, Terra, I was worried about you. How's it going with your memory? '' Locke asked.

''Now I remember everything. I am the daughter of a human mother and an Esper father. Now I understand why I was born with the ability to use magic.'' The young woman replied. He picked up Mog, petted him and turned to him. ''Mog, thank you for staying close to me.'' She told him.

''Hey, you're welcome.'' the Moogle said. ''I didn't know you were half-Esper.''

Suddenly, Maduin's Magicite began to glow, causing him to assume his physical form, and when he saw Terra, he felt joy and relief to see her safe and sound after years. ''Terra! You're OK, my child!'' he exclaimed. He took her in his arms and hugged her tightly, and he also noticed the pendant she was wearing. ''And your ruby pendant... it's the same one I gave your mother years ago...(1)''

''Father... it is really you...'' Terra murmured, in her father's arms.

''Father and daughter, together again.'' Sabin said, smiling.

''You have grown a lot since the last time I saw you. Now that your memory is back, what happened to you in my absence?'' Maduin asked.

''It's a long story. As Locke reminded everyone several times, I couldn't act of my own free will because of the Slave Crown, and Kefka exploited me for his own purposes because I'm the only human to use magic naturally, just because I have Esper blood in my veins. A few days ago, Kefka sent me on a mission along with two Imperial soldiers, Biggs and Wedge, to retrieve the frozen Esper in Narshe, Valigarmanda. (2) However, there was an interaction between me and the Esper, and while Biggs and Wedge died, I fainted, and the siege was a failure. An old man named Arvis, who lives in Narshe and is a member of the Returners, a group of rebels fighting against the Empire, took the Slave Crown off of me and helped me escape from the guards who wanted to arrest me, but I passed out again due to a bad fall, and Locke, along with Mog and ten other Moogles, had to protect me from them. After meeting Edgar and his brother Sabin, we went to the Returners Hideout, where the leader of the group, Banon, encouraged me to choose who to fight for, and I chose to join the Returners both because I felt it was the right thing to do, and because I wanted to find answers about my past.'' Terra replied.

''And you made the right choice.'' Maduin said. ''Now look, everyone. I will use my magic to show you everything that happened before my abduction.''

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

With magic, the humanoid Esper changed the setting in the Esper World of twenty years earlier, a village located near a cave, where he saw himself, wearing the ruby pendant.

(''Sacred Grove- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess OST '')

''So this is the Esper World... just like my grandmother used to tell me.'' Locke commented.

A humanoid Esper, Yura, caught up with Maduin, and seemed in a great hurry. ''Maduin! Someone has passed the portal!'' he exclaimed.

''I'll check it out.'' Maduin said. He came out of the cave and reached the edge of the human world, where he saw something that surprised him: it was a young blonde human woman, unconscious. He didn't know what to do, as he didn't want to leave her there in that shape, and she couldn't do anything even if she was fine, but the Espers hated humans, especially with what happened in the War of the Magi. Eventually, he decided to help her, picked her up and carried her to the house of the Esper Elder. Some Espers were furious to see this, while others were more willing to give the benefit of the doubt.

''That girl is injured, but she'll recover, she just needs to rest for a while.'' said a Sylph, who was watching over the girl.

The Esper Elder entered the cave. ''Why is there a human here?'' he asked.

''Maybe she ended up here by mistake, she's unconscious.'' Maduin replied, and everyone but him walked away. He saw the girl open her eyes, finding herself in a place she did not know. ''Did I wake you up?''

''Are you an Esper?'' The girl asked, and Maduin nodded. He then noticed the pendant he wore. ''What is that pendant you wear around your neck?''

The Esper took off the pendant and gave it to the young woman. ''It's yours. It's from the Esper World, where you are now.'' he replied.

The human was confused. ''The Esper World? How did I get there? I must have gotten myself lost.'' she said.

''Maybe you ended up here without realizing it '' Maduin told her. ''I'm Maduin, by the way.''

''My name is Madeline.'' the girl said.'' I don't know how I got here, but I was fed up with living in the human world. You know how it is, it's just a maelstrom of greed, hatred and stinginess and I ran away in a storm.''

The Esper looked at her thoughtfully. Madeline had probably had bad experiences in her world. ''They say humans and Espers can't live together.'' he said.

Madeline was offended. ''Excuse me? What do you mean by that?'' she asked.

''Nothing. That wasn't meant for you.''

''Tomorrow. I will go back to my world.''

Not knowing what to do, Maduin went to sleep, thinking of the human who came to the Esper World.

''I wonder if something made your mother run away from the human world, Terra.'' Edgar said.

''Maybe something had happened to her.'' Cyan commented.

''Look. Soon, you will see some important things.'' Maduin said, from the present.

The day after that fateful meeting, Maduin woke up after thinking about Madeline all night. He didn't know why, but he was thinking of nothing but her. Besides, everyone was talking about it now, but he still couldn't understand why he had given her that pendant. Realizing that it was the day she was going to leave, he went to look for her, and found her in the cave where the border was. ''Are you uncertain?'' he asked her.

''I thought about leaving, but I don't know what to do. I don't want to anger the Espers, but I don't want to live with the humans either. I've had bad experiences with them.'' Madeline replied.

''If you don't want to go back to your world, then you can stay here.'' Maduin said.

''What? Maduin, you know that humans and Espers can't live together!'' the woman exclaimed, shocked.

''Madeline, listen to me. This is all prejudice, and I don't really believe in it. How can we know for sure if we don't try for ourselves?'' the Esper asked, holding her in his arms.

This scene was followed by others. A whole year passed, during which Maduin and Madeline got to know each other better. During their time together, the girl told him about the bad experiences she had lived in the human world, from being robbed to the occasions when she was subjected to sexual abuse, from being exploited by others, to witnessing humans guilty of the worst crimes, up to to the point where, after barely escaping yet another attempt at rape by lustful and possessive men, she was so sick of it that she escaped in a storm. Hearing these stories, Maduin reacted with horror, feeling sorry for her, a common reaction among those who witnessed the scene in the present, with Sabin clenching his fists, Cyan sticking out his tongue in disgust, and Locke crossing his arms. Over time, their mutual understanding grew into deep affection, until they later realized they were in love with each other, and one day, Madeline became pregnant. Some Espers reacted even worse than when she was taken to rest, but both Maduin and the Elder insisted on letting her stay and not kill the little hybrid that would be born. He didn't care about that prejudice, but at the same time, those Espers who held those beliefs kept perstering him about the fact that he was ''violating the laws of nature'' because of his love for a human, as it was considered a forbidden love.

(''Sacred Grove- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess OST-s'')

(''Traverse in Town- Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance OST'')

The scene changed again. Months passed, until one day, two years after meeting Maduin for the first time, it was time for Madeline to give birth.(3) The Syplhs and Maduin stayed with her to offer support as she pushed to get the bab out, but it didn't seem like enough, as she continued to feel the pain.

''Come on, Madeline! Push!'' Maduin cried, holding her hand. Ignoring the pain, the girl continued to push. Edgar and Sabin watch the scene worried, remembering that their own mother had died in childbirth, and the same thing could happen to her too. The warrior monk took Gau's hand for support, knowing that his mother had also suffered the same fate.

''It's about to go out! Just a little more!'' exclaimed a Syplh, who had glimpsed the baby's head.

Madeline was exhausted, and felt she couldn't make it. ''I want it to end!'' she shouted.

''I know, Madeline, but don't give up! You're almost done! Push one last time!'' the Esper encouraged her.

The girl gave another push with all her strength, and a loud cry filled the room.

''It's a girl! The baby is born!'' the Sylphs cried.

Being careful not to use too much force, Maduin grabbed the head of the newborn baby to let her out, wrapped her in a small blanket, carefully cut the umbilical cord with his claws and passed her into the new mother's arms. ''Congratulations, Madeline. You became a mother.'' he told her, and they looked at her together, as the little girl slowly began to open her eyes for the first time. Her appearance was human, and her emerald eyes were the same as her mother's, but she was a hybrid for two reasons: for one, her hair, like her father's, was green, a clearly unnatural color for a human, and the fact that she was surrounded by small magical sparks.

''She is so cute...'' Madeline murmured, as she held her daughter and placed the pendant that had belonged to Maduin on her. ''We will have to give her a name. How about Tina?'' she asked.

''You came close, but that's not what I had in mind. I'd like to call her Terra.'' Maduin suggested.

''Terra... I like this name. We'll call her like that!'' said Madeline.(4)

Maduin placed his hand on Terra's, noticing the large difference in size between their hands, as the baby's was so tiny it looked like someone who had been shrunken by a Mini spelli, and Terra's hand only grabbed his finger. He kissed Madeline and left her to breastfeed the baby, but before walking away, he turned away with a smile. Shiva, Ramuh, the Sylphs and a few Espers smiled slightly, while Titan, albeit a little suspicious, looked at the newborn with them.

In the present, everyone was watching the scene with a smile, and Edgar and Sabin were relieved that Madeline had survived childbirth. While smiling, Cyan felt a pang of sadness, sniffed and tears peeped into his eyes. ''Cyan? Are you crying?'' Sabin asked, worried.

''No... I just got something in my eye...'' the samurai murmured, trying to hide the fact that he was crying. But his friend had noticed that, and gave him a handkerchief to blow his nose.

''A love between humans and Espers... my grandmother was right. It was just like that, in her stories.'' Locke murmured.

''And it all began with a forbidden love between an Esper and a human.'' Mog said, as Maduin put a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

(''Traverse in Town- Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance OST-s'')

''We know a lot of things now. Wait for Banon and Arvis to find out.'' Edgar said.

Suddenly, Maduin suddenly changed expression, saddened. ''Father? What's wrong?'' Terra asked.

The Esper sighed. ''Terra... What you and your friends are going to see shortly are horrific scenes. See them at your own risk.'' he said, as the scene changed again, set some time after Terra was born.

Shiva, Ramuh and Titan assumed their physical forms. ''Terra... what you will see may upset you.'' Titan said, warning Terra.

(''Gulp's Overlook- Spyro Reignited Trilogy OST'')

In the scene shown, a large number of Imperial soldiers, led by a person hidden in the shadows, invaded the Esper World and captured several Espers. Some of them, in an attempt to defend themselves, had been killed.

''That's...'' Setzer murmured.

''Yes. It's Emperor Gestahl. '' Edgar said.

Maduin, Madeline, and the Esper Elder were discussing about what to do to counter the threat. ''If I could create a magical seal, I could activate the barrier and expel the invaders.'' the Elder said.

''But in your condition, you might...'' Maduin murmured, before old Esper interrupted him.

''Die, yes. But there is no other choice.''

Madeline did not hesitate to give her opinion. ''The human world is nothing to me anymore now. I don't care about it anymore.'' she said, as she continued to feed Terra and calm her, as the intensity of the battle had scared her. It was clear that he did not want to return there, and the Elder left.

Outside, the battle raged, and baby Terra was even more frightened. ''I hope you are happy with the catastrophe you have caused, Maduin.'' a humanoid Esper with the appearence of a wolf, flanked by a small minority of Espers, the ones who were against Madeline's presence. His tone was cold.

''What do you mean by that?'' Maduin asked.

''That the cause of all this is that human! Maybe she led the army!'' the Esper blurted out.

''Nonsense! It's not true! She ended up here two years ago!'' Maduin exclaimed.

''Really, Maduin? You got together with that traitorous seductress, and you two created that abomination!'' another one shouted, and Ramuh and Shiva, hearing the screams, watched the scene in concern, while Titan was a little nervous. While Shiva, Ramuh and the Sylphs had welcomed Madeline with no problems, Titan was more neutral: he distrusted her, but at the same time, he thought that leaving her to die was a bad idea. At the same time, in the present, everyone gasped in horror at hearing those horrible words.

''Enough!'' Maduin snapped.

To make matters worse, one of the Espers attempted to physically attack Madeline, which greatly scared baby Terra, causing her to cry really hard. This, however, was a big mistake, as it infuriated Maduin. ''How dare you?! You're talking about my daughter and the woman I love!'' he growled, releasing a burst of purple magic that blew them against the wall, and saw Madeline run away crying, with Terra in her arms. ''Thanks a lot, morons!''

Seeing that scene, Terra shivered, and Gau growled. ''This is too much!'' Edgar exclaimed.

The scene continued, with Maduin leaving the Elder's house to look for Madeline. Knowing her, he knew that she was reckless, with a tendency to run away when she was too emotional, and hewent looking for her. ''Madeline! Madeline, wait for me! Where are you?'' he called out for her, but got no answer and kept searching.

At the border, the Esper Elder was still casting the spell, but was shocked to see Maduin. '' What are you doing here, Maduin?'' he asked.

''Madeline will end up in the human world!'' The Esper told him.

''It's too late now! Soon the seal will be activated! You won't be able to go back!''

''I don't care! I will not leave her behind, my daughter is with her!''

Having said these words, Maduin advanced, and the storm created by the Esper Elder's spell sucked in some Imperial soldiers.

''Nooooooo! Not now!'' Emperor Gestahl yelled, before he too was sucked in.

(''Gulp's Overlook- Spyro Reignited Trilogy OST-s'')

Maduin saw Madeline on the ground, with their daughter still in her arms. ''Madeline! Are you okay?'' he asked.

''Maduin... I'm not like them.'' the woman said.

''I know. Let's go home.'' the Esper said.

The two began to turn back, but with the storm even stronger than before, Madeline, now exhausted, lost her grip on Terra, who was sucked in. ''Terra!'' she shouted. She let herself be sucked in too, and Maduin, horrified, followed her. They found themselves in a forest in the human world, and he couldn't get up or move. He saw that Madeline had collapsed to the ground, while Terra was crying again, perhaps in fear, but otherwise unharmed. They weren't alone, though: Emperor Gestahl was there, and several soldiers were carrying imprisoned Esper, tied up like salami, or immobilized in some way.

Seeing that scene, Ramuh lowered his head, remembering his failure. ''Shiva, Titan, let's transform back into Magicite. ''He told the other Espers, who followed his command, and all three became Magicite again.

(''Title Screen- Super Metroid OST'')

Madeline was now so weak that she could no longer get up, and was struggling to move. He could see Terra, but he could not reach out long enough to grab her as Emperor Gestahl approached. In the present, Maduin began to prepare for the inevitable. ''Now you will see the worst, Terra.'' he murmured.

Emperor Gestahl heard crying, saw little Terra and grabbed her. Noticing the aura emanating from his body, he chuckled like a hyena, his smile stretched to the sides of his face. ''That little girl... she's half human and half ...Esper! Bwahahahah! Apparently, our dream will come true sooner than expected!''

''The Empire is really evil, then...'' Setzer commented, disgusted.

''This is not going to end well at all.'' Edgar said, and noticing Sabin's agitation, put a hand on his shoulder. Gau also realized that a horrible thing was about to happen, and he clung to the martial artist.

''Oh, no...'' Cyan murmured. He was trembling with anxiety, his breathing was heavy and he felt like he was seeing someone he knew well.

Madeline opened her eyes, and hearing Gestahl's words, she realized he was evil. At that moment, something snapped in her, and she seemed to have regained some strength, crawling towards him and grabbing his robes. ''No! Don't touch my daughter!'' she shouted, tugging at his robes to force him to let go of Terra, but she was unsuccessful: she was repleed by a kick in the ribs, while the old man raised a sword. In the present, everyone closed their eyes, and Maduin held his daughter close to his chest.

The scene continued, and Gestahl struck Madeline in the head with the hilt of the sword. The impact was so strong that it killed her instantly, and those who watched, even with their eyes closed, were shocked. Maduin's unconscious body was chained and carried along with other Espers, and the flashback ended, leaving everyone horrified.

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

''Mother...'' Terra murmured.

''I'm sorry, Terra...'' Maduin told her.

Mog, who had seen Ramuh among the captured Espers, had a fit of rage and began screaming nonsense and cursing at Emperor Gestahl.

But not even seeing the Moogle lose his marbles did not lighten the atmosphere. Sabin couldn't believe anyone could be so cruel, but when he saw Cyan, kneeling, breathing heavily, he noticed that something was wrong with him. ''You miss them, don't you?'' he asked him.

Cyan realized who the warrior monk was talking about and nodded. ''Yes... I miss Elayne and Owain so much... seeing Lady Terra's birth reminded me of my little boy, and witnessing Lady Madeline's death is like seeing my wife die twice. Even if they only died a few, it's like it's been a lot longer.'' he sobbed, as the monk put a hand on his shoulder. The samurai felt yet another hand, resting on his left shoulder, so, in surprise, he looked behind him and saw Terra, who was looking at him with a sad and sorry look.

''I'm sorry, Cyan. I didn't know Kefka would do that.'' she told him.

''Did something happened to your friend?'' Maduin asked.

''Yes. Cyan is from the kingdom of Doma, on the eastern continent, and was a samurai in the service of the king. However, three days ago, the Empire attacked the castle, and while General Leo was absent, Kefka poisoned the water of the river that flows through the kingdom, killing at least half of the population in the capital. The kingdom has been conquered, and of those who were in the castle when the massacre occurred, Cyan is the only survivor aside from a sentry. He lost everything there, including his family, and his son was just a child. I tried to stop Kefka, unsuccessfully, and all those deaths marked him deeply. He suffers from post-traumatic stress and toxiphobia, and sometimes has nightmares and screams in the middle of the night like yesterday at 3 AM. We're trying to help him, but it's not always easy.'' Sabin replied sadly.

(''Title Screen- Super Metroid OST-s'')

''Father, what effect will my Esper blood have on me apart from the natural use of magic?'' Terra asked.

''Your Esper blood means so much more, Terra. Now that you have discovered the source of your powers, you can transform into an Esper at any time when you fight. You won't be able to use your sword, but you can attack with your claws and your spells will be more powerful than ever. This power is called Trance. However, it has its limitations. Since you are not a pure-blood Esper, it's very dangerous, as it will drain your energy quickly, and staying in your Esper form for too long or using this power too often could cause you to lose consciusness or even die, so be careful when using it and remember to go back to normal when you're tired.(5)''

''I understand. I'll be careful.'' Terra said. ''You will be with me, right?'' she then asked.

''Of course, my child. I'm dead, but I can still help you. When an Esper dies, they become a crystal known as a Magicite, and if you rub my Magicite, you will summon me, and I will step in to help you. If you need help, you can call me and I will give you some advice. Sometimes, the Espers will return to their true form on their own, usually when they are very agitated. Please, save the world from Kefka and the Empire before they take it over.'' the Esper replied, becoming Magicite again.

The girl held her father's Magicite tightly to her chest, then noticed that Celes wasn't there. ''I thought Celes was with you guys. Where is she?'' she asked.

Locke sighed. ''Kefka ambushed us to steal our Magicites, including your father's, and we would have lost them had it not been for Celes, who sacrificed herself. We haven't seen her since. Before we escaped, however, we fell into Kefka's trap, he wanted us to believe that Celes had betrayed us and was an Imperial spy, and although it was clear that it was all false, Cyan and I fell for it, questioning her loyalty at the wrong time. But she has never betrayed us. Rather, I was the one who betrayed her, with my doubt.'' he said sadly.

''She should be somewhere, I'm sure of it.'' Terra said.

''Celes is a tough cookie, I'm sure she's fine.'' Edgar said.

''Yes, it may be.'' Cyan commented.

''Terra, now that we know a lot of stuff, why don't we go back to Narshe?'' asked Sabin.

Terra gasped. ''The town of Narshe! Banon and Arvis haven't seen me come back for almost three days, they will be very worried about me!'' she exclaimed.

''And that's why we went looking for you, kupo.'' Mog said.

''I know. Thanks, all of you.'' the girl replied. ''Now let's go back to Narshe, maybe I missed out a lot of stuff and Banon has already came up with a plan to stop the Empire.''

(The Elite Magitek Terra and the Moogle Mog joined the party!)

''Narshe is a bit far, so it will take some time. Head northeast!'' Setzer said, and the Blackjack flew towards the horizon.

''With the knowledge that Terra was half-Esper, as she was the daughter of a human mother and an Esper father, we came back to her and departed to return to Narshe, where Banon and Arvis had a plan...'' Mog recounted.

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

A/N: Great! Now that Terra reunited with her father, her memory is back and she can use her Esper powers! But where is Celes? And how are things in Narshe? Find out in the next chapter! See you soon!

(1): Terra's pendant appears among the key items, but it has no purpose in the gameplay and only appears in her image in the credits, hanging from two glasses of champagne. In Final Fantasy Anthology's full motion videos, Terra wears it.

(2): Initially, according to a screenshot from development, the frozen Esper in Narshe was supposed to be Maduin, not Valigarmanda.

(3): Throughout development, Terra has always been half-Esper, but initially, she was supposed to be a male in his twenties. Later, the character was changed to an eighteen-year-old girl because the developers believed it would work better with the story. However, there are errors regarding the years that have passed: in the game, Ramuh recounts that the Gestahlian Empire invaded the Esper World twenty years before the events of the game, and by then, Terra is already two years old, as seen in the flashback, but that would mean that she should be twenty years old in the present, and the time period had not been adjusted during development. The only reason why Terra would be eighteen could therefore be that in the Esper World, time flows much slower than in the human world, opposite to how, in the Feymarch, where the Eidolons live in Final Fantasy IV, time runs drastically faster, to the point that a short time in the real world is equivalent of several years in the Feymarch, thus explaining why Rydia, a seven-year-old girl, returns as an adult in her twenties, indicating that those few days in the real world they were the equivalent of a decade in the Eidolon world, but in Final Fantasy VI, that is never explained. To correct this script error, I decided to set the two-year gap between the first meeting between Maduin and Madeline and Terra's birth, and not between the latter event and the attack of the Empire.

(4): In the Japanese version, Terra is called Tina, a name that was exotic in Japan but not in the rest of the world, and Western translators such as the notorious Ted Woolsey renamed her Terra, a name that is not only exotic in the West, but it also creates a parallel with Celes, whose name seems to be related to the sky.

(5): Trance is Terra's special ability in the game, and when she is transformed into Esper, she will deal double the damage and the magic damage she takes will be halved. However, after some time, she will return to normal, and the amount of time she remains in her Esper form depends on the AP she gained, up to a maximum of 255, and when the green bar that replaces her ATB bar depletes, she will lose all AP. Trance returns in Final Fantasy IX as a variant of the Limit Break from Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII, which is described as a form triggered by intense emotions, and who is in Trance will be boosted for a few turns. For example, Zidane, the game's protagonist, will be able to use special abilities that are much more powerful than a normal attack. In the Dissidia Final Fantasy series, where Limit Breaks appear as EX Mode, with which the character power up and can use their most powerful attack, Terra and Zidane enter Trance when they activate EX Mode. I explained that Terra cannot stay in her Esper form for too long because she is not fully Esper, and the abuse of this power will harm her health.