A/N: Hey, guys! In the previous chapter, Emperor Gestahl invited the Returners to dinner after the Espers devastated Vector, and saying that he was sorry for his actions, he had Kefka arrested. He then proposed a plan to make a truce with the Espers on Crescent Island, and Terra, Locke and Mog went to Albrook to be escorted to their destination by General Leo, Shadow, hired by the Empire, and Celes. Instead, however, Edgar, Sabin, Cyan and Gau, suspicious, decided to stay at the Imperial Palace to keep an eye on things. Is Gestahl sincere or is he bluffing? And what will happen in Crescent Island? Let's find out!

Chapter 19: Strago Magus: Blue Mage of Thamasa

(Objective: Take the ferry to Crescent Island.)

Characters:

Terra

Locke

Mog

Terra and Mog woke up early the next morning, and the effect of the Sleep spell cast by the girl on Locke ended. They reached the harbor, where General Leo was waiting for them with two soldiers. ''There you are. You arrived just in time, we will leave soon.'' he said.

Locke put a hand in his mouth and began to sweat. ''I warn you: I suffer from seasickness, so I hope we don't take long.''

(''SS Anne- Pokémon Fire Red & Leaf Green OST'')

The ferry departed, and Celes and Shadow revealed themselves. Locke and Celes opened their mouths as if they wanted to say something, but not a word escaped their lips, and the woman coldly turned her back on him, although when she saw Terra, she nodded to her. Shadow reassured the others that despite being hired by the Empire, he would not kill them.

Almost three hours passed without anything in particular happening. Celes and Locke didn't speak to each other, which was starting to seriously worry Terra, who already had enough to worry about with the recon mission. At the same time, she hoped that her friends who had decided to stay behind were fine, and she also felt a little nervous about having to collaborate with the Empire, those who made her orphan of both of her parents and those who had exploited her for the eighteen years of her life as their cashcow. Her instincts told her to talk to her father about it, but she didn't feel like it and decided she would do it later. ''So much tension between lovebirds, kupo... '' Mog commented, referring to Locke and Celes.

''Terra, is everything OK?'' Leo asked.

''General Leo! I was lost in thought.'' Terra said, taken aback.

''You seemed quite troubled at the banquet.'' said the general.

''Well, we were with those who killed my mother. It's a really weird thing. Collaborate with the ''enemy'', with those who separated me from my parents, who caused their death and who made me lose my memory.'' the girl replied.

''Not everyone is like Kefka, you know.'' Leo told her calmly but with a hint of severity.

''Even now that my memory is back, I don't remember anything from my childhood, it's all so blurry. Isn't it because of the Slave Crown? Arvis, an old man who lives in Narshe, knows the effects very well.'' Terra asked.

''Unfortunately yes, Terra. Wearing the Slave Crown can cause memory loss at the wearer, and taking it off causes headaches. Me, Celes and Cid knew you well in the Empire, and we knew you were used as a biological weapon, but I did nothing to stop the experiments they were doing on you, and all these years, I have been naive, hesitating to disobey orders that were unworthy to be carried out. I was no better than Kefka. If you have a hard time trusting others, I don't blame you.'' Leo sighed sadly. Suddenly, he saw Mog and remembered something. ''I see you have a Moogle with you. It reminds me of your childhood.''

''My childhood? Does it remind you of anything?'' Terra asked.

''I remember when you were little, after your training, they gave me orders to keep an eye on you, and even if it caused you a headache, I let you take off the Slave Crown. During training breaks or when taking you to the Narshe mines as part of this, I would let you play with the Moogle who lived there, and seeing you ruffle them or snuggle up with them made me feel sick because I knew Kefka and Emperor Gestahl were having what they wanted, and I had done nothing to prevent it. You were a child, and when I look into your face, I still see that fragile and exploited child because of her half-Esper heritage...'' the general said, looking down at his hands in shame. ''Speaking of Espers, I met your father after he got captured. He understood that I wasn't like the others, and during the time he was a prisoner, he would tell me his story, how he met your mother and the events that separated you from him. He was always worried about you, as he hasn't seen you since he was captured.''

The girl felt her father's Magicite shining in her pockets. ''Even though I no longer suffer from amnesia, I still feel some of its effects. I still can't understand some emotions. As the daughter of a human and an Esper... will I ever be able to love someone if love between Esper and humans is possible?''

''Of course you will be able to love!'' Leo exclaimed, placing a hand on her shoulder.

''But ... I've never felt like this... not yet...'' the half Esper murmured.

''Don't worry, Terra. You're young. One day you will understand.'' the general told her, before leaving.

''I want to know what love is ... as soon as possible.'' Terra thought. Hearing footsteps, she turned and saw Shadow. ''Oh, it's you, Shadow.'' she said. ''Were you eavesdropping?''

''It wasn't my intention.'' Shadow replied. ''Anyway, I can't help you with this. It is an answer that you will have to search for yourself. There's another thing you should know, Terra. There are people like me who don't trust their emotions or who have killed them. Don't forget it.'' With that, he walked away, leaving her very confused.

Locke came out of the engine room coughing. ''The greatest treasure hunter in the world... reduced to this... who am I kidding...'' he complained, before throwing up on the hull.

''Are you okay?'' the girl asked.

''I am seasick.'' Locke replied. She noticed that her friend was looking at the horizon. ''Everything OK?'' he asked.

''I have a lot of things going through my head... I can't understand what love is like, and this recon mission worries me because it's at the request of the one who killed my parents. I want to do all of this, but I don't like the fact that I have to do it for Emperor Gestahl.'' Terra sighed.

''We are all suspicious, Terra. Me and Mog will stay by your side at all times.'' Locke said.

''You are right. As the carrier of the blood of Espers, it's my responsibility.'' Terra said.

''We're almost there.'' Shadow said.

''What do we do now?'' Locke asked.

''We will split into two groups. I will go with Celes. Terra, you will go with Locke and Shadow. If you see any Espers, let us know.'' Leo replied.

''Roger, General Leo.'' Terra said.

''We'll go have a look.'' Locke said.

(The ninja assassin Shadow joined the group!)

(''SS Anne- Pokémon Fire Red & Leaf Green OST-s'')

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

(Objective: Search information about the Espers.)

Characters:

Terra

Locke

Mog

Shadow

After disembarking, apart from the attack by octopuses and armored beasts, the exploration of Crescent Island was fairly uneventful, until Terra's group saw a sign on the east side. ''There's something written here.'' Locke said.

''Let's see.'' Shadow said, starting to read.

''Village of Thamasa

Local people are asked not to divulge their secrets.''

''Secrets?'' Mog asked, confused.

''Maybe that's a clue. It must mean something.'' Terra said thoughtfully.

''I agree. Let's go to the village, maybe we can find out something.'' Locke said.

''If possible, we will search every single house. We need to find information.'' Shadow declared.

As soon as they entered the village of Thamasa, the four immediately noticed the atmosphere, which seemed heavy: some inhabitants were hiding, and everyone was staring at them with concern, almost with fear. ''What are you looking at, kupo? Is there something stuck on my face?'' Mog asked.

As Shadow went to inquire about the Espers and if anyone had seen them, Locke began to get more and more frustrated by people's looks. ''Listen, will you stop staring us like that?!'' he snapped. In response, the townspeople still continued to stare, but they all hid.

''These looks make me feel uncomfortable.'' Terra commented. ''We need to find those Espers before they get out of control again.''

Shadow returned to Terra and the others. ''Did you find anything, Shadow?'' Locke asked.

''They don't want to tell us anything. I guess the sign was referring to that.'' replied Shadow.

''This is serious business! Shadow, try to explain that it is important, and that it is a matter of life or death!'' exclaimed Terra.

''Believe me, I've tried, but they don't want to cooperate.'' the ninja replied.

After some idle time, they reached a random house and knocked on the door. ''Come in.'' said a voice, and so they entered. Inside the house was a small old man. He had a thick white beard and mustache, thick eyebrows, and apart from a shaggy mohawk, he was bald. He wore a black shirt, a red and yellow cloak with a long collar, and blue polka dot pants. Despite his age, his torso was quite muscular but not too much, indicating he was very active in his youth. ''What brings you here?''

''It's a long story.'' Terra replied.

''I'm Locke Cole. This young lady is Terra Branford, and those are Mog and Shadow.'' Locke said.

''My name is Strago. Strago Magus. '' the old man introduced himself. ''Did you want to ask me something?'' he asked, a little suspicious.

''We wanted to ask something important. By any chance, have you seen any Espers around?'' Shadow asked.

Strago reacted with shock, but tried to hide it. ''Espers?! No, I haven't seen them.'' he replied.

''Are you sure?'' Locke asked, unconvinced. After only a few minutes, that village seemed really strange to him, without that old man trying to hide secrets.

''I'm sure of it. They are extinct.'' said Strago. ''And why are you asking that anyway? In this village, we mustn't reveal anything to anyone.'' he then asked.

''Because it's important.'' Terra replied.

''What could be important in all of this? Why should I tell you everything?'' the old man asked.

Shadow sighed. ''If you don't cooperate, then the world could be destroyed.'' he said.

''Waste of time, kupò. We might as well for that matter.'' Mog commented.

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

(''Relm's Theme- Final Fantasy VI OST'')

Suddenly, a door slammed open, catching Strago off-guard, and a little girl marginally taller than him entered the room. Her golden blonde hair was in pigtails, and she wore a black top, red pants with a star pattern, a hat with the same pattern, red shoes, and a small yellow cape. She looked quite upset, and was holding a brush in her hands.'' Grandpa, what's all the commotion? I'm trying to draw a portrait!'' she snapped.

''Oh, my goodness! Relm, you almost gave me a heart attack! And no, before you ask me, these guys don't use...'' Strago exclaimed, but realizing what he was saying, he immediately covered his mouth. Locke raised his eyebrow.

Interceptor started sniffing the ground and then barked loudly, as if he recognized something. ''What is it, boy?'' Shadow asked.

The dog slowly approached the girl, Relm, who was smiling. ''What a cute doggy!'' she exclaimed.

''Watch it. The dog bites.'' Shadow said, while Strago looked very nervous. What happened next surprised everyone.

''Is that really you?'' the little girl asked, recognizing the dog. Interceptor barked again, but not fiercely, and licked Relm in the face, with her laughing and petting his muzzle, which he appreciated.

''It's really unusual. Every time I look at him, he growls at me, but now, he looks docile.'' Locke said. Terra smiled as she watched Interceptor run after Relm around the house, noting that it was the first time he had felt emotions aside from anger and ferocity, and at one point, the dog jumped into the young girl's lap, letting her pet him again.

But the good feeling broke soon after, as Strago got angry. ''Go to your room!'' he yelled, pointing to the door behind him.

''Just now that I was having fun! Old party pooper!'' Relm complained, but she went back to her room. Interceptor followed her.

''That little girl... she can be really cheeky...'' Strago said, as his grandaughter made a face at him from the door.

''It's okay.'' Shadow commented.

''Your dog seems to have grown fond of Relm right away.'' Locke said. ''Yet on several occasions he almost bit me or gave me the rabies.''

''I noticed that too. Normally, Interceptor hates strangers, and is only approached by those he trusts.'' replied Shadow.

''I'm sorry I can't help you guys. We can't reveal these things in this village.'' said Strago.

''It doesn't matter. Thanks anyway.'' Terra said.

''Interceptor! Time to go!'' Shadow called out. Interceptor came out and walked over to his master, but... he was whimpering? He also seemed disappointed, but he obeyed his master's orders.

''If you want, you can go and spend the night in an inn. See you tomorrow.'' Strago said, as Relm said goodbye to Interceptor before the others left.

(''Relm's Theme- Final Fantasy VI OST-s'')

''I don't know if you know, but Relm Arrowny isn't really Strago's granddaughter. He just adopted her, and she's a friend's daughter.'' someone said.

Upon hearing this sentence, Terra was silent, but she lost herself in her thoughts again. If Interceptor had recognized Relm, and she had done the same, then there was a connection between her and Shadow, even though she couldn't explain how.

''Better go to sleep, kupo.'' Mog said.

The four then went to the inn and stopped to spend the night here, with Interceptor asleep next to Shadow's bed.

Later that night...

(''Environmental Ambience- Metroid Fusion OST'')

Shadow found himself in the darkness, but he noticed something different in himself, and he saw it by looking at himself. He was not dressed in black and his face was not uncovered, partially revealing his appearance. He had short brown hair, red eyes that hid some anxiety about the current situation and was dressed in a blue tunic, boots and a brown cloak. He heard an eerie sound, and saw someone in the darkness. ''Baram?'' he murmured, recognizing him. He was a thief with an eye patch, dressed in yellow and blue.

''Clyde... why didn't you finish me off? How could you?'' Baram asked in a haunted voice. ''We were comrades... You should be with me...''

The sound became more and more distorted and ghostly as Shadow watched Baram circle around him, telling him to leave him behind to die, and as he listened to this voice, he began to feel something. Fear.

(''Environmental Ambience- Metroid Fusion OST-s'')

The scene changed again. This time, Shadow was in a forest on the eastern continent, and Baram was with him, carrying a large sack of gil. ''Yes! We did it, Clyde!'' Baram cheered.

''One million gil. That is life!'' shouted Shadow, whose real name was Clyde.

''You know, we'll have to think of a name. Every pair of bandits has one.'' Baram said.

''Ok. Tell me.''

''How about ''the Shadow Bandits''?''

Clyde nodded. ''The Shadow Bantits, the greatest train robbers of the century...'' he thought.

(''Encounter- Metal Gear Solid OST'')

The scene changed again. Clyde and Baram had robbed another train, but had been discovered by the guards, who were dressed in armor from the Gestalhian Empire. ''Run, Clyde!'' Baram shouted.

A real gunfire began, with the two thieves trying to hide in any possible place to avoid the shooting. Behind a tree, in the bushes, on the branches, in the darkness of the night, as long as they saved themselves. A guard opened fire after catching them off guard, and Clyde dodged the shot, but Baram didn't react fast enough and was shot in the chest.

''Baram, don't fall behind! Keep running!'' Clyde shouted, and the two kept running away until they reached the thickest part of the forest, with Baram unaware that he was passing out.

''Baram, wake up! Open your eyes!''

Baram woke up, one hand on the spot where he had been shot. He was losing too much blood, while his partner was injured in the shoulder, but that wound was minor. ''Clyde... this blood is mine, isn't it...?'' he asked, breathing heavily. ''I'm sorry ... I should have reacted earlier...''

''Save your strength. We're almost into town.'' Clyde said.

''Leave me behind. I'm just a burden to you.''

''...''

''They will catch you! But first, kill me! Finish me with your knife!''

Clyde's expression changed to complete horror. ''I can't! How can you ask me such a thing?''

''Better to be killed by you than to be captured, friend. I've never been so scared in my life. Please kill me, stab me to death!''

''No! I can't do it!'' Clyde cried. He didn't have the guts to kill his friend with his hands. ''Baram... I'm sorry... I can't.'' Ignoring his partner's cries, he kept running, realizing that the guards were still chasing him, and ran across the Veldt plain as never before until he reached the sea, where, with no other choice, he dived, hoping that this way, he could lose them. Ignoring the waves of the rough sea, the man kept swimming over and over, ignoring his aching body and his previous injuries, until, after at least forty minutes of swimming, he saw an island in the distance. He pushed himself a little longer, until he reached the shore, and too exhausted by fatigue and his injuries, he could not get up and had to crawl, until he didn't even have the strength to move anymore and everything went black...

(''Encounter- Metal Gear Solid OST-s'')

''Can you hear me? Open your eyes if you can.'' said a voice.

Dazed and exhausted, Clyde opened his eyes. In front of him was a young blond woman who had come to help him. ''Where... am I?'' he asked.

''You woke up! I feared the worst for a moment. You are in the village of Thamasa. Come, I'll take you to my house.'' the woman said, carrying him to her house.

After this dream, Shadow woke up suddenly, with heavy breathing and a sweaty forehead. Nobody woke up. ''That dream again... I hate these dreams...'' he murmured, going back to sleep.(1)

''HELP! HELP ME!''

A scream echoed around the inn, and Locke opened his eyes, exhausted. In the middle of the beds was Strago, who seemed to be in full panic. '' You can't even sleep one night... '' he muttered, while the old man banged a rod against the bed to make more noise.

''What's wrong with you, kupo?!'' Mog exclaimed, annoyed.

Terra woke up yawning. ''Strago? What's going on? Did something happen to Relm?'' she asked.

''Yes! Relm went to a neighbor's house, but then the house caught fire!'' Strago shouted, turning back and forth. ''Help her! I'll take you there!''

''Ok, we'll help you.'' Mog said.

''Shadow! Wake up, we have to go!'' Locke said, calling Shadow, but he didn't answer, so he followed everyone else to the house Strago was talking about.

Shadow woke up when everyone had left the room in the inn, and reached out to pet Interceptor when something, once again, prevented him from hiding his emotions: Interceptor was gone, and this made him feel concern and fear for his dog, the only being in the world he was fond of. ''Interceptor! Where are you? Interceptor!'' he shouted.

(Shadow has left the group.)

(The Blue Mage Strago joined the party!)

(''Emergency in Sector 3- Metroid Fusion OST'')

Strago led Terra, Mog, and Locke to another part of the village, where they reached a large burning house.

''We have to do something! We don't know what happened to Relm! '' Terra said.

''I'll take care of it.'' said Strago. ''AQUA BREATH!'' He raised his rod, pointed it towards the house and fired a jet of water surrounded by bubbles from his hand in an attempt to put out the flames, to the shock of the three.(2)

''I don't believe it! That's magic!'' Locke exclaimed.

The elderly mayor of Thamasa saw it all, and was NOT happy. ''You idiot! The use of magic in public is prohibited!'' he yelled at him.

''I don't care! Relm is in danger!'' Strago yelled back.

A woman and some other villagers approached. ''He's right, mayor. What good are our powers if we can't even use them to save someone?'' said one of them.

The mayor sighed. ''Alright then. In an emergency, it is permissible to use magic.''

''Aqua Breath!'' Several inhabitants of Thamasa cast the spell, but despite the numerous jets of water, the flames did not go out, and part of the roof collapsed.

''It's no use, the fire spread too far to put it out from the outside!'' a child exclaimed.

''There is no other choice. Me and the three newcomers are going in!'' said Strago.

''It's too dangerous for you, old man.'' Locke said.

''Old?! I'm seventy, but I'm in good shape!'' Strago snapped.(3)

(''Emergency in Sector 3- Metroid Fusion OST-s'')

(''The Chase- Heavy Rain OST'')

(Objective: Enter the burning house and save Relm!)

Characters:

Terra

Locke

Mog

Strago

''What could possibly have caused such a fire?'' Terra asked, as she lowered herself to try not to inhale the smoke in the air.''

''There are fire rods here. Probably, if Relm and the neighbor were playing with these, they must have lost control of the situation. Anyway, sorry I hid everything from you. The inhabitants here use magic in private, but it's forbidden to use it in public due to past events.'' Strago replied.

''The War of the Magi?'' Mog asked.

''Exactly. I would explain everything, but now isn't the right time. We have to save Relm.'' the wizard said.

Making their way up the house was not easy: tall flames were scattered everywhere, there wasn't much space to pass between them and there was a lot of smoke. Coughing, Terra cast the Water spell above her, raining down on all four of them.

''Of course! Wet clothes will allow us to better resist the fire! Well thought out, Terra!'' Locke exclaimed.

The group was attacked by a group of three Balloons, monsters similar to Bombs but green in color, but Locke quickly defeated one with the Blizzard spell. Terra struck the second one with her sword before Mog defeated it with the Thundara spell, while the third exploded, which caused severe damage. The old wizard was very surprised to find that they too could use magic. The blast had hit Terra hard however. ''Ow, that explosion really hurts...'' she murmured.

''Get on that table, come on!'' Locke exclaimed, seeing a table in the distance.

In turn, they climbed onto the table and jumped, but Strago messed up his landing and got hurt. ''Ah! My back!'' he exclaimed.

''Let's hurry up, kupo!'' said Mog.

They continued to climb the stairs to the house, which was the largest in the village, and as they climbed, the harder it became to pass through the flames without getting burned, with Strago scorching his cloak as he shouted Relm's name. Bombs, Balloons, and Grenades popped up everywhere, and although the old wizard's ice rod provided some help, it couldn't put out the flames either, and everyone coughed heavily from the smoke. Suddenly, they were attacked by a huge fireball, surrounded by Bombs, Balloons, Grenardes and some blue variants, the Mines. There was also a purple variant, the strongest of all, the Purobolos.

''Look out! That thing is the Flame Eater, the source of all flames!'' Strago exclaimed.

(''The Chase- Heavy Rain OST-s'')

(''Magma Flows- Kirby Air Ride'')

The Flame Eater used a Fire spell and fired some fireballs, which were easy to dodge, but Strago's age had inhibited his movements, so a fireball missed him by inches. Terra threw her Enhancer forward towards the giant fireball, disappearing and then reappearing with the sword in her hands before unleashing a series of ten slashes, leaving a trail of magic around her.(4)

Locke cast the Scan spell on the Flame Eater. ''It absorbs fire and is immune to holy, thunder, earth and poison, but is weak to ice, and water can also do well. If we defeat the Bombs and their variants, it will summon more of them, which is a problem due to their powerful explosions.'' he said. ''Better defeat it and rescue Relm quickly.''

Strago cast the Aero spell, which hit, but a Balloon exploded on him and six Bombs charged the group. Mog used the Blizzara on an area, hitting all enemies and destroying all the Bombs and its variants except the Purobolos, and the Flame Eater summoned more of them. Those living fireballs bounced all over the place, culminating in a series of explosions in which Strago was badly injured, with his cloak on fire and burns on his face, and Locke was left with his arm burned, reducing the Ultima Weapon to the size of an ordinary sword, and its strength was thus below average. Terra's Cura spell partially healed them, and the Ultima Weapon took the size of a broadsword, but it was difficult for the four to attack the giant fireball without the Bombs and their variants charging at them or exploding in their faces, and the Purobolos was the worst of all. Strago occasionally created water barriers to reduce the effects of the explosions, but that was not always enough, and they were all exhausted.

''Those living fireballs are really annoying!'' Locke snapped, as he tried to cast spells to take out the Bombs and their variants, but it was difficult. He rubbed a of Magicite shard, which was Shiva. ''Shiva, give us a hand! Freeze them where they stand!'' he ordered. Shiva's diamond dust did its job, and Strago was shocked to see the Esper, but used Aqua Breath, which was frozen by the ice queen, boosting the attack and getting rid of the Purobolos and all the variants, but the Flame Eater, although damaged, had not yet been defeated.

Terra had an idea. ''Strago! If you use the spell you used before again, I could increase its power by freezing the jet of water!'' she said, and the old wizard nodded. He released another jet of water from his scepter with Aqua Breath, and the girl cast the Blizzara spell, freezing it, and Shiva diamondized it. ''Freeze-Dry Jet!'' The Flame Eater summoned another Purobolos and other minor variants and fired several fireballs, but it was too late. The flames did not melt the diamond water, and the jet crashed into all the living flames, destroying them.

''Not bad at all, young lady. We should try that again sometime.'' said Strago.

''Finally! Let's hurry up!'' Locke said.

(''Magma Flows- Kirby Air Ride-s'')

(''Speedy Comet- Super Mario Galaxy OST'')

Although the Flame Eater was now reduced to a pile of smoke and ash, the house was still on fire. Terra heard a bark and saw Interceptor, who looked quite agitated. ''Interceptor! What's going on?'' she asked. Hearing his alarmed barks, she understood. ''Did you come looking for Relm? And she's on the top floor?'' The dog nodded, and led the way for the four, but the staircase was blocked by a closet.

''Let's get that closet out of the way! Push!'' Locke said. They pushed the closet to the side all together, but it wasn't easy due to its weight, and their bodies ached from the smoke they inhaled. They reached the top floor, where they saw something small.

''There she is! We found her!'' Terra exclaimed. On the floor, there was Relm, unconscious. Her small body was full of smoke and ash, her clothes were scorched here and there and Interceptor tried to wake her up by licking her, unsuccessfully.

''Relm! Relm, wake up! Please!'' Strago cried. The little girl did not move, and something began to shake.

''Oh, no...'' Mog murmured.

Locke looked over him and saw that the ceiling began to collapse on him. ''Look out! Above you!'' he shouted. But it was too late. They were all hit in the head and it went all black.

At the same time, Shadow ran into the house, looking for his dog. ''Interceptor! Where are you?!'' he shouted. Making his way through the flames, he quickened his pace, and finally found him on the top floor. ''Where did you go? I've been looking for you everywhere! I was worried that something had happened to you!'' he said, as the dobermann looked agitated. ''So you found the little girl. Let's get out of here, all of us. I'll use a smoke bomb.'' The ninja grabbed all the unconscious bodies, took a smoke bomb from his pocket and threw it to the ground. Everyone disappeared from the collapsing house.

(''Speedy Comet- Super Mario Galaxy OST-s'')

A/N: Done! Terra appears to have doubts about the veracity of Gestahl's repentance because he killed her family. Now that she knows the secret Thamasa's people were trying to hide, will Strago help the Returners? And what's Relm's magic? Let's find out in the next chapter! Until next time!

(1): In the game, if you sleep with Shadow in the party, you have a 50% chance of seeing a dream from his past. Four of these dreams can be obtained at any time, while the fifth can only be seen after a specific point in the game.

(2): In Final Fantasy Record Keeper, several of Strago's Soul Breaks are based on the blue magic spell Aqua Breath, which is one of the three he has from the beginning, and Tsunami, a blue Magic spell that he learns later and Leviathan's trademark technique, and his element is water.

(3): Strago is the oldest character in the series to be playable, at seventy years old, and in the second half of the game, he is seventy-one years old, a record that was tied by Cid in Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, set seventeen years after the events of Final Fantasy IV. While Vanille and Fang, and then the other protagonists of Final Fantasy XIII, have a secular age, this is not natural, but it's due to the crystallized stasis: humans capable of using magic, called l'Cie, are named or cursed by fal'Cie by receiving a mark similar to a tattoo and receiving dangerous tasks that they must overcome: if they fail, they will transform into Cie'th, undead-like monsters, but if they succeed, they will become immortal and will transform into a crystal statue until they receive a new task.

(4): In the Re: Mind DLC of Kingdom Hearts III, the boss battles of the last world are present, and it will be possible to play them with other characters rather than just Sora. In the last of these battles, it's possible to play as Kairi, who can unleash a long range attack and initiate a long combo similar to this, throwing her weapon as in the Strike Raid ability.