A/N: Hey, guys! In the previous chapter, Strago, trusting Terra and his friends, decided to accompany them to the mountains west of Thamasa to look for the Espers. Along the way, they found replicas of the statues of the Warring Triad and uncovered their story, before Ultros ambushed them. However, Ultros has been forced into retreat by Relm, who can use her magic to bring what she draws to life. What will happen now? Will the truce be successful? Let's find out! Before we begin, I apologize for making you wait so long for this chapter, but this is one of the most difficult points in the game to write, and in these months I am thinking about my future. In the future I would like to do something about history, which I have always liked. Finally, in recent weeks, the computer has given several problems by either freezing, not turning on or giving error messages and turning off by itself. It's hard enough to write this part of the story, but it slowed things down even more, and acted as a massive roadblock. In June, an animated series based on Final Fantasy IX was announced, and it will be aimed at children between the ages of eight and thirteen, and I wonder if it will be an adaptation of the game or an original story. In the future I might make a fanfic of this game, although maybe not like this one, I'll see that in the future. Anyway, let's get started!

WARNING: in this chapter there will be crude death scenes and strong language. Reader's discretion is advised.

Chapter 21: Massacre, Martyrdom and Misery

(Objective: Find the Espers and offer them a truce.)

Characters:

Terra

Locke

Mog

Strago

Relm

''So this is where the Espers are?'' Relm asked.

''I'm sure. I feel the Espers' magic a little further on. I'll show you the way.'' Terra answered.

''I still doubt it's a good idea to take her with us.'' Strago said, referring to Relm.

''Come on, don't be paranoid. You saw how she forced Ultros to flee, and after what she did, you shouldn't underestimate her. She could do anything with that big brush of hers, even the weirdest things.'' Locke said.(1)

''Yes, I know that, but she's still a child, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to her.'' Strago replied.

''The Espers are further ahead kupo. Let's be careful, we don't know how the Espers will welcome us.'' Mog said.

The four continued to follow Terra, who the farther she went, the more she felt the magic of the Esper, and there was no doubt that they were almost there. She found a hidden trap door and opened it. ''Let's go down this hatch and we'll be by the Espers.'' she said.

(''Chamber of Sages- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time OST'')

The passage was filled with Espers, and Terra felt their magic more than ever. ''We have arrived. I'm going to send a message to the Espers now.'' Terra said.

The Espers approached, and Relm saw a Sylph. Locke told Strago to get out of there with Relm if anything happened, but more Espers came, including what looked like two dragons, and they prepared to fight in case they got aggressive.

''Wait!'' said a voice, belonging to an Esper looking like a humanoid wolf. Terra and Locke recognized him. It was Yura, who knew Maduin, Terra's father. The girl transformed into an Esper and began communicating in the language of the Espers, and Yura did the same. Magic sparks flew from their hands.

''She transformed!'' Relm exclaimed, surprised.

''I feel a mysterious and immense power in Terra. It's not just magic...'' Strago murmured, equally astonished.

''Since Terra is the daughter of an Esper, she can take her form of Esper at any time through the power of Trance. However, she is not a pureblood Esper, so she cannot maintain that form for too long or transform too often, or it will have serious repercussions on her health. '' Locke explained.

Maduin's Magicite floated from Terra's pockets, and while not assuming his physical form, his voice was heard loud and clear in the cave. ''Yura... my daughter came here to leave a message for you and the other Espers.'' he said.

''Maduin... is it really you?'' Yura asked, surprised.

''Of course it's me. Even though I'm dead, I can still communicate with the others. Terra is back, and she is delivering a message to all the Espers who are here.'' Maduin replied.

''Terra... you are indeed the daughter of Maduin and Madeline. The last time I saw you was eighteen years ago, and at the time you were just born.'' Yura said, amazed to be face to face with his old friend's daughter.

''I recognize you, Yura. You know my father. He showed me what happened when Gestahl invaded the Esper World'' Terra said.

''Yes. Some of us did not want your mother to be with Maduin, and this feeling of animosity grew when she became pregnant with you, but your father and the Elder had insisted that she should stay. Despite this, those who did not accept it still continued to annoy him that a love between an Esper and a human was forbidden.''

''I know that. And seeing it all, including the moment my mother was killed and the capture of my father, used as meat for slaughter with the other Espers and left to die, slowly and painfully, not knowing if her only daughter was okay. The more I think about it, the more scared I feel.''

''You are the Espers that came out of the portal, aren't you?'' Relm asked. A Sylph nodded.

''Normally, we don't go to the human world, but we wanted to save the Espers that had been kidnapped. It can only be a coincidence that Terracalled us just at that moment. When she opened the portal and we went out, we lost control of our powers, and in the process we killed several innocents.'' Yura explained, her head down.

''That's why the town of Vector was destroyed!'' Locke exclaimed.

''By the way, I too lost control of my powers a few days ago. It was really scary, but Ramuh had called me from the city of Zozo. It all happened because I didn't remember who I was, I suffered from amnesia.'' Terra said.

''I'm really sorry for everything that happened. We have caused you problems.'' Yura said.

''It's all over, Yura. General Leo, from the Gestahlian Empire, would like to discuss a peace with you Espers. I think there will also be two of our friends and representatives of the group we are part of, Banon and Arvis. I'm sure that together, we can put an end to these conflicts.'' the half-Esper replied.

The Esper sighed. ''Earth... you have grown so much since the last time. Too bad Maduin and Madeline couldn't see you grow into the woman you've become.'' he said sadly.

''It doesn't matter. Even though my father is dead, he is still with us, and the Espers we freed were with him too. Now they are all with us in the form of Magicite, and will be able to help us in times of need. During a conversation with my father, I felt my mother's presence for a moment. They are dead, but I feel they are still with me. They are still watching us.'' Terra said.

''You can thank your friends for that.'' a Sylph said.

Locke nodded, but Terra noticed that he was looking away. ''Are you OK, Locke?'' she asked.

''I'm fine. I was thinking about Celes.'' Locke sighed.

''About Celes, I noticed you didn't talk to each other when we were on the ferry. There was a lot of tension in the air, and Mog also commented on it. Why didn't you tell her anything?'' Terra asked.

''She was mad at me the night before. We both tried to say something, but we couldn't talk. I didn't know what to say, and I didn't even know if she forgave me. Since Celes is with General Leo, we'll have to let her know we've found the Espers.'' the treasure hunter said.

''Who is Celes?'' Strago asked.

''She is our... friend. She and General Leo came with us to look for the Esters.'' Locke replied.

''Alright then. Since we have found you, why don't we take you to Thamasa, east of these mountains?'' Terra suggested.

The Espers nodded. ''Of course! Lead the way.'' Yura said. Terra returned to her human form and guided everyone on the journey back to Thamasa.

(''Chamber of Sages- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time OST-s'')

Later...

(''The Afternoon Streets- Kingdom Hearts III OST'')

Meanwhile, General Leo continued to inspect the village of Thamasa and had received information on the Espers. Celes was still with him, and she was relieved when she heard that Terra and Locke had survived the fire from the night before. When he raised his head, he saw a pair of dragon-looking Espers, followed by others who looked different in appearance, and knew what that meant. '' Here they are, they are back! '' He said.

''General Leo! We found the Espers!'' Locke said.

''Great! With this we can finally put an end to these conflicts. '' Leo declared with a smile. '' By the way, you have company.''

Terra nodded to Celes, who nodded back, turned, and saw that Banon, Arvis, and Cid had also arrived. ''Banon! Arvis! Cid! You're here too?'' she asked, surprised.

''Of course! I was fed up with everything that happened, and we can finally put an end to this.'' Cid replied.

''We couldn't not be part of the diplomatic agreements. You know, Banon prefers diplomacy to combat, but if necessary, he fights. I'm glad you and the others managed to find the Espers.'' Arvis said.

Banon smiled at Terra. ''Great job, Terra. You've brought two races together, and now we can finally make a truce. I knew I could count on you.'' he told her.

''These two inhabitants of Thamasa have given us a hand, kupo. They're Strago and Relm.'' Mog said.

''So, so you guys are from the Returners? Locke told us about you.'' Strago asked.

''Yes, it's us. Just in case you can sign this list.'' Banon said, putting the list of names on a box. Both Strago and Relm (reluctantly from her adoptive grandfather) signed.

''This is Yura, the representative of the Espers. He and the other Essers I summoned the other day had lost control of their powers when they walked through the portal. He knows my father and has agreed to follow us and take part in the negotiations.'' Terra said.

''I see. We will discuss it together.'' Leo said, and the two immediately began to discuss the negotiations on the sidelines.

Celes looked over at Locke. ''Now that our task is done, let's go back to Vector. We did what we had to do.'' se said. Locke opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off. ''Please don't say anything. We'll talk about it later.''

''Oh, to be young and feeling the consequences of love again...'' Strago murmured. Terra looked at him curiously.

Mog sighed, irritated by the tension between the two. ''Why don't you just smooch, you lovebirds? Enough of this tension already!'' snapped Relm. Locke and Celes were shocked, and they looked at each other and then turned their gaze to the one who had said this and then back at each other, very embarrassed.

(''The Afternoon Streets- Kingdom Hearts III OST-s'')

But the mood suddenly changed when Locke heard some particularly loud sounds. He looked behind him and saw a figure followed by some soldiers in crimson armor aboard Magitek Armors. His laughter echoed in the air.

''Oh, no! Not him!'' Cid exclaimed, recognizing who was coming.

''You mean... is that...'' Strago murmured.

''Yes. It's Kefka Palazzo.'' Leo spat.

''How did that son of a dog escape? He was arrested!'' snapped Mog. Terra was very nervous, and she felt it was wrong to lead the Espers to Thamasa.

''Seriously, Kefka has the blackest heart of any being I've ever seen. I'm sick and tired of him.'' Celes said bitterly.

Meanwhile...

(Objective: Investigate Gestahl's behavior.)

Characters:

Edgar

Sabin

Cyan

Gau

While Terra and the others had left for Crescent Island, Edgar and Sabin wandered around the imperial palace in hopes that the suspicions were unfounded, while Cyan and Gau remained to keep an eye on Kefka's prison cell. The samurai, as much as he wanted to, had to restrain the urge to kill him with his katana, and Gau hissed and snarled menacingly at the clown, never taking his eyes off him. ''Did you guys find out anything?'' Cyan asked.

''We are doing our best, but we haven't discovered anything yet.'' Edgar replied, while Kefka kept screaming and making noise between the bars.

''There must also be a contradiction somewhere, but we hardly met anyone for the Imperial Palace. We will keep looking.'' Sabin said.

''Let's hope...'' Gau commented.

''Sir Gau, stay here and check on Kefka, I will help the Figaro brothers and find contradictions.'' Cyan said, and Gau nodded.

The three continued to search for information, but even if they talked to someone, they found nothing useful. At one point, Edgar ran into a servant of Emperor Gestahl and began flirting with her, leaving the other two to watch it all.

''Edgar, give it a rest! That thing is obscene, I can't bear watching you do that! There's the destruction of the world at stake and you're still seducing women!'' Sabin snapped, irritated.

''Wait, Sabin! She's giving me information!'' Edgar replied.

Cyan stuck out his tongue, disgusted. ''Does he do this all the time?'' he asked.

''Yup. We have not met our mother, so he constantly feels the need for company from women, and this leads him to play havoc with every single woman. We always joke about him, but... yuck, seeing him always flirting and drooling when it comes to women disgusts me.'' Sabin sighed with a grimace.

When Edgar stopped talking to the servant and turned around, his gaze was serious. ''I think it's as I feared. We've been...'' he said, but was interrupted by a strange sound.

Sabin suddenly noticed something from afar. It was a soporific dart that narrowly missed him. ''Run! They're shooting us with sleeping darts!'' he shouted.

''Let's go back to the dungeons!'' Cyan said, alarmed. The three began to descend to the dungeons, but when they reached the last staircase, Cyan was hit by the darts and fell down the stairs, directly in front of a shocked Gau, and the others suffered the same fate shortly thereafter.

They didn't wake up until a few hours later in the morning. They looked at Kefka's prison... but it was empty! ''What the?!'' Cyan yelled, shocked.

Sabin pulled his red band on his forehead very tightly in frustration. ''I knew they lied to us! They lied to all of us!'' he grunted.

''What a nuisance, really.'' Edgar commented, equally frustrated.

Gau looked down. ''It's my fault he ran away...'' he murmured. he felt guilty for not resisting, and wondered if Cyan would blame him for his negligence.

But it was not so. Cyan knelt and put a hand on his shoulder. ''It is not your fault, Sir Gau. They also hit you with sleep darts, there was nothing more you could do.'' he told him.

(''Run!- Final Fantasy X OST'')

(Objective: Kefka has been released! Rush to Crescent Island to warn Terra and the others!)

''We can't just stand there! Terra and the others are on Crescent Island! We need to get to the island and warn them of the deception before it's too late! We gotta hurry up, come on!'' Sabin said, alarmed. He looked for a window, and having found one, he broke the glass and jumped out, followed by the others.

''Look!'' Cyan exclaimed, and the four looked up to see Setzer's airship.

The Blackjack was going down, and Setzer saw them. ''Looks like you could use a lift.'' he said.

''Of course, let's hurry up!'' Sabin said, and the four got on board. ''I guess you got Banon's warning, right?''

''Yes, I received it.'' Setzer answered. ''Why are you guys in such a hurry?''

''It's as we feared, Setzer. The Empire has deceived us again. We have to go to Crescent Island right now, northeast of here! Terra and the others are there, and if Kefka were there, he could kill all the Espers!'' Edgar explained.

Setzer headed the airship to the northeast and increased the speed to maximum. ''I was hoping it wasn't true.'' he said.

''Well, sadly it is. And it's not the first time we've been fooled.'' Edgar replied.

''Bad clown man! Liars!'' Gau shouted, and the others nodded, knowing who he was referring to.

Several anxious minutes passed, so long it felt like hours. Edgar constantly thought of Terra, Locke and Celes, hoping they were all right, Cyan remained silent, equally worried, and Gau paced back and forth, while Sabin, particularly anxious about Gestahl's betrayal and concerned about his unaware friends, he yelled impatiently for Setzer to hurry up.

''I'm doing my best, Sabin, but it takes time! I'm going as fast as possible!'' Setzer replied irritably, after Sabin had tormented him for the fifth time. Even having known this, he could not believe the betrayal of the Empire.

''I know we have to hurry, you don't need to remind us, Sir Sabin.'' Cyan said.

Finally, forty minutes later, they caught a glimpse of the Crescent Island in the distance. ''This is it!'' Setzer said.

''At last! Let's go, now!'' Sabin said, relieved.

Suddenly, Edgar noticed that his brother had bent his legs, as if he was going to jump. ''Sabin, are you crazy?!'' he shouted.

''What are you going to do?!'' Cyan exclaimed.

''Do you want to prevent Kefka and Gestahl from killing Terra and the others or not?!'' Sabin snapped.

"Of course we want to avoid it!" Edgar replied. ''But if we don't plan...''

''Edgar, when did our plans ever work? Whenever we arrive at our destination with a plan, something goes wrong, all hell breaks loose and the plan fails!'' shouted his brother.

''What do we do with this?'' Setzer asked.

Edgar sighed. '' I know my brother well, and he's not completely wrong. Whenever we come up with a plan, Kefka is always one step ahead of us, setting a trap for us. First he humiliated Sabin, who had tried to stop him from poisoning the river at Doma, then he set a trap for us when we went to rescue the Espers at the Magitek Research Institute, deceiving us and putting Celes in a bad light, making her look like the traitor when she had never betrayed us, he followed us when Terra summoned the Espers from their world, and now the Empire has betrayed our trust by secretly releasing him. We will go to find Terra and the others on foot, starting from the east coast. Setzer, in the meantime, check if there are cities or other places where you can land the airship.'' he said.

''Alright then. This will be an interesting bet.'' Setzer said.

Gau was a little nervous because of the height. ''Should we?'' he asked.

''Yes, we have to. Nothing to worry about.'' Cyan replied.

''Let's go! Geronimo!'' shouted Sabin, diving into the sea, and the others followed.

Upon reaching the shore, the four began to run, but Edgar and Cyan could not keep up.

''Wait, Sabin! We're not that fast!'' Edgar exclaimed.

''Seriously? There is no time!'' Sabin sighed. ''Haste!'' From his hands came a clock whose hands turned at high speed and then stopped on Edgar, enveloping him in a vermilion aura, then he used the same spell once again on Cyan. ''This should speed you up a little.''

''Thanks, we'll need it.'' Cyan said.

The four quickened their pace, but felt they were going nowhere. ''There must be something that can allow us to get to our destination faster!'' the martial artist exclaimed.

''We have to look for some chocobos, they have strong legs and are very fast in running. However, among the wild chocobos, only the males can be ridden, not the females.'' Edgar said. They kept running, leaping over ravines, ignoring monsters they encountered and didn't look back until they reached a forest where they found four chocobos. ''Bingo! These four are all males! Let's get on board!''

So, they mounted the chocobos, which Sabin sped up by casting Haste on them, at the cost of getting a little tired from the low amount of magical energy left, so he took a purple potion, an ether, to restore it. ''Hang on tight!'' he said.

The chocobos took off at very high speed, as if they were racing against cheetahs. Gau, to Cyan's right, was having a lot of trouble staying on his chocobo due to the bird's running speed, nearly being thrown off several times. The sky began to be darkened by black clouds.

''I have a bad feeling about this... '' Sabin murmured.

''Let's hope we'll there in time.'' Edgar said. He saw the Blackjack descending to land, and the chocobos stopped.

''There is a village a little further on, and it looks like something is going on. Let's hurry.'' Setzer said, climbing into the chocobo where Edgar was.

(''Run! - Final Fantasy X OST-s'')

In Thamasa...

(''Ganondorf's Theme- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time OST'')

''Kefka! You are supposed to be in your cell!'' yelled Leo, angry that the promise of peace was not true.

Kefka looked at him as if he had said the most stupid and obvious thing ever. ''Orders from the Emperor! And it's time to turn these Espers into Magicite and cause some Magitek mayhem!'' he cackled. He cast a series of spells, killing some Espers and causing them to transform into Magicite, which he placed in the pockets of his ridiculous robes. Yura had survived but was badly injured.

''Could things possibly be any worse...?'' Terra murmured, horrified. And by sheer coincidence, the sky began to thunder, giving way to a heavy rain.

''You won't go unpunished for that, Kefka!'' Banon shouted.

''That son of...'' Arvis muttered, preparing his bow. Mog seemed on the verge of cursing just about anything, and Locke more than ever wanted to stab Kefka.

Kefka continued firing spells, which hit everything in the area. A Sylph screamed before being charred and becoming Magicite. The houses caught fire immediately.

''No! The Espers! He's killing them all!'' Cid shouted, horrified.

Strago was shocked for ten seconds by the death of the fairy Esper. ''Relm! Go to the mayor to evacuate whoever is in the houses, quickly!'' he said, and Relm obeyed.

The destruction continued, and only what sounded like a chorus of death could be heard. ''I can't stand having to deal with an army with you anymore, and I won't let you kill anyone anymore!'' Leo roared, drawing his sword, shining as crystal.

''Oh, other traitors!'' Kefka chuckled.

''What do you know about betrayals, you maniac clown?!'' Leo screamed at him.

(''Ganondorf's Theme- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time OST-s'')

(''Bill's Theme- Star Fox Zero OST'')

''Cavalry, coming through!'' shouted a voice. Terra recognized it as Edgar's voice, and she turned. Four chocobos raced towards them, with Edgar, Sabin, Cyan, Gau and Setzer on their backs, and the chocobo that Sabin was riding hit Kefka with a powerful kick.

''You're back!'' Terra exclaimed.

''Of course we're back. We couldn't leave you and the others against Kefka, not after the Empire lied to us.'' Sabin said, and Terra smiled.

(''Bill's Theme- Star Fox Zero OST-s'')

''You are here too?'' asked Cid.

''Of course. We couldn't leave our allies in danger.'' Cyan replied, and Banon nodded in approval.

The mayor of Thamasa, warned by Relm, took the civilians out of their homes. Some of them had been injured in the destruction, but none had died. In the meantime, however, Kefka kept destroying houses and killing Espers. Even the dragons didn't stand a chance against him, and their Magicites fell into his hands. Even more Espers came out of the portal that separated the human world from the Esper World, and Kefka kept kill them.

Terra felt a growing sense of horror in her stomach. ''Relm, get behind me.'' she whispered to her, and Relm did so, hiding behind her legs, with Strago a short distance away..

Kefka then cast a spell, and Relm, Strago, Mog, Setzer, Locke, Celes, Cid, and Gau were paralyzed. It was as if their bodies had been stiffened by a force field.

''Grandpa... I can't move anymore!'' Relm exclaimed.

''And I thought you couldn't fall any lower, Kefka!'' Celes shouted. Never before had she felt more disgusted by Kefka.

Kefka cast another spell. Lightning struck Yura in the chest, knocking him down in pain. ''No! Yura!'' Terra yelled.

Yura coughed, feeling his end was near. ''I... I won't live much longer ... take ... my Magicite...'' he murmured. His body dissolved and became Magicite.

Terra didn't want to believe this was all happening. She felt his father's Magilite glow and shake in her pockets. He was quite agitated. The anger everyone felt towards Kefka was evident, and Mog expressed it clearly with a breakdown worthy of Kefka himself when things didn't go when he wanted.

''I'll stick my foot in your ass for this, Kefka!'' Sabin shouted. ''Let's make him pay!''

''Well said! I am a reminder of your misdeeds, and now you will pay for the people you have killed!'' Cyan added.

''Banon! Yura's Magilite is interacting with you!'' Terra exclaimed.

(''Leo's Theme- Final Fantasy VI: Divergent Paths OST'')

Yura's Magilite circled around Banon, who had just pulled his sword out of its sheath. ''I feel it. The energy of the Espers is entering me...'' he said. A magical light enveloped his body, and when it dissolved, he was as if changed. His robe was more armored, a golden shield was in his left hand, and small white sparks of sacred light surrounded his sword. ''Now I'm stronger than ever.''

''That's it, Kefka! I can't stand your atrocities anymore!'' snapped Leo. ''You're so disgusting I'd spit in your face, but I'm not doing it just because I'm respectful! Step aside or face justice! ''

''Be it what you want, shogun!(3)'' replied the mad court magician.

(Objective: Help the Returners fight Kefka!)

Characters:

Leo

Banon

Terra

Edgar

Sabin

Cyan

Arvis

Leo's and Kefka's soldiers, all aboard Magitek Armors, began killing each other, but the former were in support of Terra and the others. Edgar took two Uzis and opened fire, but Kefka, as if to make him look like an idiot, teleported continuously. Sabin struck him at close range with a Raging Fist at just the right moment before being knocked back by a Thundara spell.

Leo raised his sword to the sky. ''You won't get away with this, Kefka! SHOCK!'' He then turned his sword towards Kefka, releasing a powerful bolt from it that struck him.

''What is that?'' Locke asked, amazed.

''That's Spellblade. I remember it well. Swordsmen who specialize in magic can infuse their swords with magical power, and there are several Spellblade techniques.'' Celes replied.

Kefka used a Dark spell, which an army soldier loyal to Leo blocked, dying instantly, while Banon, although not hit directly, suffered the recoil. Terra blocked a Blizzara spell by cutting the ice crystal to pieces with her sword. ''I won't let you hurt anyone anymore!'' she shouted, using the Aerora spell and trapping Kefka in a tornado.

Sabin used the Fira spell on the vortex that Terra created, making it a glowing tornado through which Edgar fired lightning bolts with the Thundara spell. Leo released a wave of light from his sword and then launched a downward slash that shook the ground, causing a tremor that created some stones and hit some of the enemy soldiers.(3) Cyan hit Kefka several times with a series of thrusts followed by a Bushido Fang. The insane man dressed as a clown attacked a soldier on a Magitek Armor, killing him and destroying the mecha until there was only a pile of rubble left. A soldier from Kefka charged towards Banon, who struck him with his sword, and then Edgar used a spell. ''Slow!'' A gray clock surrounded the soldier, who found himself moving slowly.

Cyan and Sabin turned their attacks on the enemy soldiers, assisted by those on their side, Leo and Banon. Kefka saw Terra, walked over to her and magically pinned her, giggling like a madman, and as he did so, he touched her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. ''Oh, Terra, did you really believe you were going to escape me? No matter what you do, you will always be mine, and that traitor Celes will pay the consequences! Both you and the others!'' The half-Esper felt her breathing grow heavier as Kefka touched her like that and his tongue was inches from her face.

''Grrrrr! Hands off her!'' a furious Sabin yelled as he saw his friend being groped by the crazy court mage of the Empire.

Terra felt Kefka's hand particularly close to her breasts, and unable to bear it all, she instinctively reacted and spat in his face.

''You deserve that, you perv!'' Arvis shouted, as angry as Sabin, and Banon reacted in a similar way too.

Celes smiled as she watched Terra break free from what could have been a sexual assault. ''I would have done the same thing too. Kefka is such a horrible man that just thinking about having anything to do with him makes me so disgusted that it dries my cervix.'' she said.

Cyan nodded in approval, both for what Terra had done and, for once, for agreeing with what Celes had said. ''I would have liked to spit in his face, and that's what he deserves.'' he said.

Naturally, Kefka was furious, and Terra was hit by a Thundara at close range. ''You, you ugly whore! DARKRA! A burst of darkness hit the half-Esper in full force and the impact threw her against a wall. Something began to shake in her pockets frantically.

''Oh no, now you'll pay for it.'' Edgar said.

''For what?'' asked Kefka.

''Because Terra's father is an Esper. He is dead, but he will give us his strength. If he finds out what you did to his daughter... he'll make you pay for it.'' Sabin replied.

Terra took Maduin's Magicite, feeling his emotions, and began the summoning process. ''Father, give me your strength! Let's show our enemies that your daughter is not messed with!''

The Magicite emitted a strong light, and Maduin revealed himself by firing waves of purple magic. ''Come on, Terra! Together, we'll make him witness to the power of the blood of the Espers!''

Together, father and daughter unleashed various spells against their enemies, and even those who were paralyzed watched in amazement. ''This is going to be so cool, Grandpa!'' Relm exclaimed excitedly.

''This is a sight to behold!'' Arvis said. He was wounded in the leg, but otherwise he was fine. Banon, wounded in the shoulder, agreed with him, and did not want to miss any of this.

Kefka attacked Cyan with the Blizzara spell, but this was a mistake, as he had used a Bushido Sky, thus leaving him vulnerable to his counterattack, and Leo and Banon hit him in turn with a series of slashes. Maduin did the same with his fists and claws. The mad clown then turned his attacks towards Sabin, who he struck with a Thundara, but the martial artist was too fast and grabbed him from behind before slamming him to the ground with a Meteorstrike. ''Sorry Kefka, but not this time! You will pay for the innocent people you killed! The fire within me burns eternal, and now you will burn as, so greetings from the fire!'' shouted Sabin. He could be menacing when he could, and with flames burning in his hands, this put a little fear in Kefka. After hitting him with a Rising Phoenix Blitz, he trapped him in a hold. ''Edgar! Shoot him, now!''

Edgar was a little nervous, as he didn't want to accidentally kill or injure his brother in the process. '' But I'd hit you too!'' He exclaimed. Meanwhile, Arvis, taking advantage of the fact that Kefka was still in Sabin's hold, shot six arrows, and all but one hit.

''Then aim for the places where I'm not directly behind him!'' Sabin replied. Edgar opened fire with his rifle, and Kefka, after a few seconds, teleported away.

The martial artist fell to the ground, coughing, and his brother ran towards him. ''Sabin! Are you okay?'' he asked, helping him up.

''Yes I'm fine. I have a wound in the side, but it's nothing serious.'' Sabin replied.

Terra continued to focus her magical attacks on Kefka, but as her magical energy was starting to run low, she began to show signs of fatigue, so she attacked with her sword, sometimes hitting him and sometimes not. Exhausted, she looked around, and when she saw a Magitek Armor, she had an idea. ''Time to use my secret weapon.'' she said. She boarded the Magitek Armor and began to use it to fight.

''Oh yes! It's Magitek Armor time!'' Edgar exclaimed excitedly.

Kefka continued to cast spells, which Terra dodged by dashing to the side with the Magitek Armor. As an Elite Magitek, she was very adept at Magitek Armors, pulling levers and pressing buttons to dash and hit him with punches and elemental beams that made it difficult for him to keep up. ''You know Edgar, Cyan and I used Magitek Armors like this one to escape from the camp at Doma.'' Sabin said.

''I feel almost jealous, I'd like to try one at least once.'' Edgar commented.

Everyone, including those who were paralyzed, watched the scene in amazement, and Mog was elated. ''Get him, kupo!'' he shouted.

''It doesn't seem fair to me to use Magitek weapons against the Empire, but this is simply something you don't see every day.'' Banon commented.

''I agree. It's weird to say, but Terra makes these Magitek Armors look even more powerful than they were, and it's really cool to see her use them against Kefka. '' Arvis said.

Edgar and Arvis fired darts, which Kefka dodged by teleporting, but it was a distraction that allowed Sabin to get close and hit him with an uppercut, leaving him exposed to a series of slashes from Banon, and Leo raised his sword, hitting him with the Spellblade technique Thunder Slash, which released an electric shock. A powerful swing in an upward arc from Banon sent the mad clown man into the air.

''FIRAGA!'' A large fireball shot out of Terra's hands, aimed at Kefka and hit him, causing a large blast. When he tried to get close to hit her with a sword, Maduin protected her by hitting him with his claws and released more purple magic.

''How can she be that good at using that thing?'' Cyan asked, amazed to see her use the Armored Magitek masterfully.

''Terra has been dealing with the Magitek Armors all her life, and few know them as well as she does. After all, as an Elite Magitek, she was one of the most powerful Magitek soldiers in the entire Empire.'' Edgar replied.

''I have to admit, I'm impressed.'' Cyan said.

The confrontation quickly became more frenetic. While the paralysis was still active on some, the others began to attack together. Edgar launched an attack from above with his spear, hitting Kefka, followed by Sabin with an effluvium cannon, and Leo, after seeing him teleport away, managed to locate his position and struck him with his shining crystal sword at the same time as Cyan's Bushido Koan.

''Banon! Arvis! Get ready, we will attack together!'' Terra shouted. Banon and Arvis nodded. Arvis was preparing to shoot three arrows, and Banon positioned his sword vertically. Terra released flames that were absorbed by the weapons, infusing Banon's sword with the power of fire and igniting Arvis's arrows. The leader of the Returners ran forward as Terra was charging magical energy to cast a Firaga spell again. Seeing this, Sabin threw the Gigantaxe at Kefka, who dodged it, but it hit him from behind, giving him the opportunity to hit him with a Rasor Gale Blitz. Later, with his spear raised, Edgar attacked Kefka from above, and Cyan, Sabin and Leo supported him with their blades. Leo then saw Banon running towards Kefka, whom the others had held in a hold, and joined the attack, his sword wrapped in holy light.

''Returner Flames!'' Arvis fired his arrows and Terra fired Firaga at the same time, with Maduin helping them with a wave of magic, while Banon and Leo leapt into the air, swords raised. Edgar, Sabin and Cyan, realizing this, let go of Kefka and jumped away. The combined attack released a large blast of fire to which Kefka was unable to react in time, hitting him directly.

''Woah! How cool!'' Sabin exclaimed, amazed.

Relm, Strago, Mog, Setzer, Locke, Celes, Cid, and Gau were once again able to move, as the effects of the magic that had paralyzed them had ended.

(''Leo's Theme- Final Fantasy VI: Divergent Paths OST-s'')

''Wait a sec. Where has Kefka gone?'' Banon asked, confused. Kefka was nowhere to be found, but his dark aura was still felt in the village.

(''Loss of Me- Final Fantasy IX OST'')

''Show yourself, Kefka!'' Leo shouted in frustration. He couldn't stand Kefka's antics anymore, he was his exact opposite.

''EMPEROR GESTAHL... come here!'' Kefka called.

Emperor Gestahl appeared from a cloud of smoke, as if he had teleported. ''My Liege!'' Leo exclaimed, surprised. He knelt, but only out of respect.

''Leo... I'm sorry I have deceived all of you, including you. But it is the only way to recover the Magicites. Try to understand.'' Gestahl said in a low voice.

''I knew it! This is why we tried to warn you!'' Sabin cried, clenching his fists.

Leo was quite shocked by what Emperor Gestahl had said. ''But... Emperor...''

''Say no more. I understand how you feel. For real.''

Unable to hold back his anger, Banon lost his self-control. ''YOU LIAR!'' he roared, stepping directly beside Leo, and having witnessed his outburst in Narshe, Terra knew how terrifying he could be when he was angry. Gau hissed menacingly, dangerously close to the edge, and Mog's eyes twitched. He seemed on the verge of exploding with rage.

Kefka's laughter echoed again. ''As he said, our priority is to retrieve the Magicites!'' he said, chuckling.

''So what, my Liege?'' said Leo defiantly, and as he spoke, his voice grew stronger and full of disgust. ''For all this time, what have I been fighting for? What have we done for Magitek technology? Didn't we direct the Magitek to the wrong place? All this time, for nearly twenty years, you have been lying to all of us, to me, to Celes and to Terra! You said that those of the Returners are our enemies, obstacles to our ambitions! You made a little girl lose her childhood and Kefka used her as a puppet to have her kill thousands in the name of the power of magic! You made her an orphan by killing her mother and kidnapping her father, slowly killing him with your experiments! You used all of us as pawns, as puppets! I realized it late, but this Empire has disappointed me deeply! I will leave the Imperial army!''

''I'll leave the Empire too! See what you made me do?!'' Cid added.

Gestahl chuckled, and his laughter sounded suspicious. ''Leo... enjoy a long rest... AN ETERNAL ONE! HAHAHAHAHA!'' It was Kefka.

Arvis could barely contain his anger. ''Oh, you lying, backstabbing son of...'' he snapped.

''How is it possible that you are still here?!'' Sabin shouted.

''What you defeated was just an illusion, just like the Emperor!'' Kefka replied, grinning as usual.

(''Loss of Me- Final Fantasy IX OST-s'')

(''My Heaven- Silent Hill OST'')

The rain got harder, and the thunder became more frequent and louder. Mog jumped to hit Kefka with his spear, but was gone before he could hit him. ''What in the...?'' Cyan tried, but the same thing happened as before. Locke jumped to hit Kefka with his dagger, and then with a Fira spell, but nothing changed. Gau jumped at him at every opportunity, but Kefka kept disappearing and reappearing in a completely different place.

Edgar tried to use both his spear and his firearms, being careful not to hit the civilians. Nothing. Sabin tried to stay calm as he directed his attacks towards Kefka, both with his chi and his Blitz, but his efforts did not pay off. Terra, Celes, Relm, Strago and even Maduin tried to lend a hand, but no one, not even Leo and Banon, managed to hit him.

''Don't tell me this is an illusion...'' Locke murmured.

''I guess so, we can't hit him.'' said Arvis, who had tried to hit Kefka by shooting arrows with his bow, but getting the same result.

Gau seemed out of his mind, making frantic gestures, as if he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, or at least put an end to all this, and no one blamed him, they were worried too. Whenever someone attacked Kefka, he would disappear and then reappear in a random position, laughing madly and with a devilish smile that went from ear to ear. Edgar panicked, as none of his tools were working, and Mog looked like he went mad, performing random dances and spells in an attempt to hit the evil general. Not even the good-hearted general could do anything, and everyone was beginning to lose their heads altogether. Kefka was driving them out of their minds, playing a sick and perverse mind game with them that was driving them crazy.

''Stop playing with us, Kefka! Come out and don't be a coward!'' Banon snapped.

(''My Heaven- Silent Hill OST-s'')

Kefka appeared, no longer as an illusion, and had a deranged smile. It seemed as if he was enjoying the torment he was giving to his enemies. In his hands there was a sword. ''You know what, Leo? I never put up with you. Always talking about chivalry... yuck! It makes me sick just to hear what you say! And anyway, I'll tell the Emperor that you're a scoundrel, meddlesome and traitor, and not just you, that other generaless and that hooker too!'' he said, also referring to Terra and Celes.

Leo looked at Kefka, and his glare was filled with pure disgust, almost hate. He opened his mouth to speak, and his tone grew higher and higher, more and more disgusted, more and more harsh. ''I never put up with you either, Kefka! Always looking at you in that horrible mirror of yours, always dressed in those horribly ridiculous and twisted garments as you are and playing with your lousy little dolls! You bother me every day, you come every day to wake me up screaming to show no mercy to anyone, you bother us all about your bloodlust, destruction, screams, and holy Triad, you never shut up! I told you not to do anything inhumane in my absence during the siege of the kingdom of Doma a few days ago, but do you give a damn about what I say? No! You poisoned the river, exterminating half the kingdom's population and traumatizing a samurai I respect personally, you exploited Celes to kill in sieges, you threw her in jail to have her sentenced to death when she began to suspect you, and you exploited Terra, a little girl who never knew her parents, for your dirty purposes! And all the rest of the Empire, as well as that depraved Emperor that kisses your ass and is so indulgent towards an immoral man like you, is no better! The Emperor kidnapped loads of Espers, including Terra's father, and killed her mother, leaving her orphaned! Ten years ago, the Empire poisoned King Stewart Figaro's drink, killing him and leaving his twin sons at the mercy of gossip about the succession to the throne, and three years ago, your army attacked Kohlingen and killed one of its inhabitants' girlfriend! But the breaking point was when the Emperor promised us peace yesterday, and then today you two betrayed our trust, using us to lure the Espers so you could kill them! I can't believe the cruelty of this Empire, so I'll defect! This is why I never wanted to be infused with magic! And you, Kefka Palazzo, are the most cruel, sadistic, despicable and immoral person ever!'' he screamed.

The members of the Returners looked at each other. Never before they'd seen Leo get so mad, and judging from what he said, it was clear he was talking about Terra, Celes, Locke, Edgar, Sabin, and Cyan. ''He took the words out of my mouth.'' Sabin whispered, and Edgar nodded, agreeing with his brother.

"Well, Leo, I guess you could be an honorary member of the Returners if you want to.'' Banon said.

''Of course! I would be honored to fight for justice!'' Leo replied, and he signed. Terra and Celes looked at each other and exchanged a nod. Having General Leo on their side! This would be great, he could have redeemed himself from the actions of the Empire! But if they had known what would happen next, they would have pushed everyone to flee.

''Very well. It's killing time!'' Kefka declared. And he attacked Terra first.

'Watch out, Terra!'' Banon yelled, as everyone watched. Strago put his hands over Relm's eyes so that she wouldn't see whatever horrible thing was about to happen.

(''Trail of Blood- Final Fantasy VII OST'')

Terra closed her eyes, waiting to feel the sword pierce her body and her heart stop, but she didn't feel that. A few yells from Locke, Edgar, Sabin and Cyan, the indignant screams of Mog and Cid, and several gasps of horror prompted her to open her eyes. What she saw left her so horrified that she couldn't even scream. Banon was directly in front of her, and Kefka had pierced his chest with his sword, very close to his heart. ''No! Banon!'' Locke yelled, as Kefka drew back his sword, and Banon fell to the ground after a few steps backwards, covering the wound with one hand to try to slow the blood loss.

''You monster!'' Arvis roared, also particularly angry.

But Kefka wasn't done yet. He walked over to Leo and kicked him, then pierced his back with his sword, knocking him to the ground. ''Finally, I can get rid of you!'' He yelled, as a deranged smile grew on his face.

''You are completely insane and demented, Kefka! I don't care if I die, someone else will put an end to your atrocities in my place, even if it's Terra, who I couldn't protect from all the torture that all of you in the Empire have done to her!'' Leo screamed loudly, despite the loss of blood.

Terrified, Terra held Relm tightly to her not to let her see the worst that would happen in moments. ''Die! DIE!'' Kefka yelled, slitting his throat, and everyone was in shock, but the crazy clown wasn't done yet. He slashed him again in the same place, and then another time, opening and widening the cut by a considerable amount. On the second slash to the throat, Leo also got slashed on his hands, which he had used to cover the wound on his neck, nearly losing a few fingers, and muffled gasps came out of his mouth. Third slash, he could no longer breathe. Fourth slash, his eyes closed. Fifth slash, he was dead. The sixth slash was to plunge the knife into the wound, and that, coupled with the fact that Kefka had already stabbed him in the back, made it the most unfair kill ever. After that, his sword was completely bloodied, and he laughed at the top of his lungs, still with a psychopathic smile.

Everyone took a closer look at the body, and at that moment wished they hadn't. Cyan was trembling and breathing heavily, Celes was wide-eyed with shock, Relm was clinging to Terra and Strago in horror, and Sabin was so disgusted he had to hold back a retch, which wasn't easy. It was the most gruesome corpse they had ever seen, and he was thinking this just to make it clear, considering he had seen a similar scene at the Imperial camp near Doma. He was amazed that he had not puked then despite the fact that the scene was even more horrible, among masses of bloodstains scattered everywhere, several corpses of Imperial soldiers, severed heads, slit throats, broken necks, limbs severed here and there and pieces of noses and ears, but having seen that body more closely, it was even worse: apart from the wound on his back, which was also noticeable on his chest through a hole, the gashon Leo's throat was so long that it was literally stretched on the sides of his neck, and because of all those slashes, it was so wide and open that blood covered his entire neck and he could see the torn tissue underneath, and the Adam's apple literally cut in two like a leek stalk. That image remained etched in their memory after only ten seconds. And to make it all the more shocking, some frightened and horrified children that witnessed everything screamed.

Cid ran his hand to his mouth. He would have given everything not to see the massacre, and knowing that the technologies the Empire had forced him to develop had done all this only increased his disgust. ''I think I'm gonna puke...'' he murmured, and then, he started vomiting on the sidewalk. They all waited until he finished throwing up.

''Cid, are you okay?'' Celes asked, concerned.

''I just witnessed the use of my own technologies for these immoral deeds and a massacre in this city, not to mention I just vomited all over the street! Does it look like I'm okay to you?'' Cid replied, coughing.

In a fit of pure rage, Mog started screaming at the top of his lungs and cursing, threw his spear to the ground, threw some random crates into the air, breaking them alongside their contents and even ate three mice and two earthworms, much to his enormous disgust.

(''Trail of Blood- Final Fantasy VII OST-s'')

(''Part 1 Map Medley- Fire Emblem Geneaology of the Holy War OST ')

When they finally looked away from Leo's corpse, the members of the Returners, Cid and Maduin immediately ran to Banon. He was coughing heavily. ''Banon! Banon, are you okay?'' Edgar asked worriedly as everyone knelt around him.

''I... I don't think I will live...'' Banon replied.

''Don't talk like that, Banon! You'll be fine! We will cure you! '' Terra exclaimed.

''It won't work.'' Banon said.

''What do you mean? Banon, stop messing around!'' Sabin exclaimed.

''I'm afraid I will only have a few minutes left to live, '' the leader of the Returners replied. His breathing was getting heavy, and he was coughing more and more often. ''I'm dying.''

''Don't say these things! You can't leave us, Banon!'' Arvis exclaimed, with tears in his eyes.

''Sir Banon! '' Cyan exclaimed, shocked.

'' Banon, you're like a second father to me! You've always been since my father died and I lost my girlfriend! You can't die like that!'' Locke shouted. The impact was hard on him, as he had always been a member of the Returners ever since he found his girlfriend dead, and he had quickly become one of the key members.

''I don't think he's kidding...'' Setzer sighed.

''Banon...'' Celes murmured incredulously.

''Take my weapons, they will be of more use to you than to me. And take Yura's Magicite too... his strength will be to your service... '' Banon said.

Edgar didn't want to believe what was happening, but he took Yura's Magicite, Banon's sword and his golden shield. Relm and Strago remained silent, shocked, and Maduin stayed close to Terra for safety.

Banon coughed even more than before, and everyone knelt around him. His time was approaching. ''All of you, members of the Returners, I ask you for a promise. I'm going to die soon, but don't grieve for me. I ask you to finish what I started.'' he said. ''Arvis, you will become the new leader after me. Recruit new volunteers and keep doing what you have done so far.''

''I will not give up, Banon. I'll fight for you.'' Arvis said.

''Setzer... offer support to our allies during the current conflict...''

''That's what I'm going to do.''

''Relm... Strago... as new members of the Returners, I want you to be strong. I ask no more of you.''

''We will do our best.'' Relm said.

''Celes... keep fighting for the Returners and be loyal to them...''

''I promise, Banon.''

''Cyan... be loyal to your allies and stay by their side...''

''I shall... Sir Banon...''

''Edgar... Sabin... I want you to always be side by side. Always continue to support each other...''

''Got it, Banon.'' Edgar said. Sabin nodded, but he was crying, and his brother put a hand on his shoulder.

Banon looked at Locke, and saw his despair, his tears. He knew the only other time he'd felt this way was when he'd found Rachel dead, but he had a request for him. ''Locke... Terra and Celes need you... take care of them for me...'' he said.

''I will keep this promise for you, Banon... I don't want to see a woman die anymore, after what happened to Rachel...'' Locke replied, through tears.

Terra breathed heavily, with tears streaming from her emerald eyes. She was the most shocked of all by the situation. ''Banon...'' she murmured, not wanting to believe that Banon was dying and there was nothing he could do.

Maduin closed his eyes, and Banon put a hand on Terra's shoulder. ''Terra... I have one last request all for you... I want you to keep fighting for us, no matter what happens, no matter what the circumstances, keep on being our ray of hope ... now the Returners will rely on you, Celes and Arvis...'' Terra put her hand on Banon's, but she was too shocked to say anything, so she nodded. ''Thank you, Terra... The Returners are with you... take care of them...''

Banon's eyes closed after a choked breath, and his hand fell to the ground. At that moment, the harsh reality struck everyone with the force of a hammer in the chest. Banon had taken his last breath. He was dead.(4)

''No... Banon is dead...'' Locke muttered, his face in his hands.

Terra shook her head vigorously. He didn't want to believe that all this had happened! First Leo, then Banon, and all in a few minutes! ''No, no, no, no, no, no! Banon, don't leave us too! There is so much I wanted to learn from you!'' she sobbed.

''Drat! We had an Ace up our sleeve, but they had a Joker! '' Setzer exclaimed, frustrated. Once again, Kefka was one step ahead of them, and everyone agreed, realizing that that was what he meant.

(''Part 1 Map Medley- Fire Emblem Geneaology of the Holy War OST-s'')

And speaking of Kefka, he was still giggling madly as usual, and when everyone looked up, the smile on her face was even uglier than before, as she had several bloodstains on her lips. Gau got to his feet, and something snapped inside him. A ferocious fury. ''You vil man! You killed Gau's friends! And now, you will pay!'' he yelled, and activated the Stray Cat Rage. His fingernails and teeth grew longer and sharper, like an animal's claws, and he began to hiss menacingly.

''Gau...?'' Sabin murmured.

When Kefka turned, Gau let out a high-pitched, animal-like screech, lunged at him and began to bite and scratch him all over. As a result of this assault, Kefka's face was full of scratches and bite marks. ''Get off my back, you filthy beast! I hope they eat your scrotum!'' he yelled, wrapping his fingers around his neck to force him to let go, but Gau, even as he was being strangled, held his grip more firmly than before, and both Sabin and Cyan were furious to hear this insulting threat, but while feeling the impulse, they did not move. Kefka brutally slammed the boy to the ground and teleported away, but not before he gave him a bite that tore off a piece of skin in his cheekbones and another particularly painful one on his chest, particularly near the nipple.

''Sir Gau, you alright?'' Cyan asked, a little worried.

''I'm fine.'' Gau replied.

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

This question put Edgar under enormous pressure, not because it was a penetrating question, but because of what had happened. ''I... I don't know... Sabin told us that every time we plan, we don't get results. We tried to warn you of the Empire's betrayal, but we came too late.'' he replied sadly. ''Kefka killed the Espers, and now we don't know what to do anymore.''

''We will have a funeral for Banon and Leo. They deserve a proper burial.'' Sabin said through tears.

''Right. It's the only thing we can do now. We will build a coffin for Banon and bury Leo on the east side of the village of Thamasa.'' Arvis said.

''We will help too.'' Relm said.

The mayor of Thamasa was disgusted by the massacre that had taken place, but he did not blame the new arrivals for what had happened. At the same time, Strago was hesitant to know what had happened to his fellow citizens, but he didn't hold back. ''Mr. Mayor, are there civilian deaths?'' he asked.

'Many of our fellow citizens have been injured and several homes have been destroyed or severely damaged. Fortunately, the deaths are few among the citizens, but thirteen Espers have also been killed, including their representative.'' the mayor replied.

To hear of all those dead, wounded and displaced, including Yura and the twelve other killed Espers, Terra felt even worse than before, and Maduin, while wanting to comfort her, remained silent, as he did not know what to do or what to tell her.

(''Dumbledore's Farewell- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince OST'')

When Cyan looked at his pocket watch, it was half past three, and the rain still showed no sign of stopping, but at least it was putting out the flames. The members of the Returners recovered the wood for Banon's coffin and the stone for Leo's grave. Edgar fixed the necessary wood with his drill, assisted by Sabin, who used a large hammer, but given his strength and the size of the hammer, he worked gently to avoid destroying everything, and Gau, using his knife, began to work on the stone. Everyone remained silent, preparing everything without saying a word, and Locke, no longer wanting to look at the horrible gashes on Leo's lifeless body, took from his backpack a set of bandages so long that they covered both the one on his neck and the one in the chest area, receiving an almost imperceptible smile from Celes, which he still managed to notice. While having to give Banon a last farewell was already disconcerting in itself, there was one other thing that troubled them more, and it was Terra, who had the face of someone who had made a terrible mistake and looked like about to burst into tears, almost traumatized by what had happened. Nobody, not even Maduin, spoke to her.

Edgar took a shovel and dug a hole in the ground on which to build Leo's grave, and along with Celes and Cyan, buried the body. Gau, using his knife, carved words on the grave, with Sabin whispering to him what to writ. Cyan thrust his katana into the ground and knelt, saddened by the death of a man he respected beyond the armor, the only man in the Empire he didn't hate and that was genuinely kindhearted. Banon's body was placed in the coffin, which Arvis, aided by Cyan, placed next to Leo's grave. Locke and Celes held on to each other, both crying silently over the loss of loved ones they had lost that same day: Celes had lost Leo, her wise superior, to whom she often turned ito n her moments of doubt when Cid wasn't there or was too busy, and Locke had lost Banon, the one who had given him a cause to fight for, the man who had been like a second father to him for three years.

To everyone's surprise, Relm raised her hand to the sky, and magical energy poured out of it. Strago raised his rod to the sky, followed by Cyan's katana and Edgar's spear, while the others raised their hands, releasing more magical energy. Magic shot from their palms into the stormy sky and some clouds shifted slightly, revealing the sun, but it wasn't as bright as usual, and its light was dim. According to Cyan's pocket watch, it was half past six, so they had spent three hours preparing for the funeral.

The silence was broken by Gau, who let out several howls in mourning, and this cemented once and for all that Banon and Leo would never return, nor would they fight for justice. Terra began to sob, and Sabin, who stood on her right, let her cry on his shoulder, not knowing what else to do. Maduin turned and closed his eyes, also troubled by everything that had happened. But he didn't have time to think about it, as he was becoming a Magicite again, as he had been in that form for too long. The Returners looked at the tomb, and there they saw the message engraved on it by Gau.

Here lies Leo Cristophe, former Imperial general and new ally of justice.

Betrayed and killed by the Empire he had served, without the opportunity to collaborate with justice.

His chivalrous and patriotic spirit will never be forgotten.''

(''Dumbledore's Farewell- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince OST-s'')

(''Link's Memories: ''Despair''- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild OST'')

Reading that written on Leo's grave was the final blow to Terra, who was already shaking even more heavily than Cyan. She fell to her knees, and when she spoke, it was clear to everyone that she was too troubled by the events of the Battle of Thamasa, as she was breathing heavily and her voice was broken. ''How? How is it possible that we have come to this? Emperor Gestahl has been lying to us all this time, and now Kefka has killed all the Espers we've rounded up... '' she murmured. Terra suddenly raised her voice and covered her face with her hands, sobbing. ''It's all my fault! By summoning these Espers, I brought them into our world, and now that they have been killed, peace will never return!''

''No, Terra, this isn't your fault. This plan was Banon's, not yours, and no one could have known all of this.'' Arvis said, trying to comfort her.

''Then I should have told Banon that this plan was stupid and dangerous, I made a big mistake in accepting that proposal!'' Terra said.

''Don't say that, Terra. I understand you felt it was your responsibility to try to end this war and reconcile humans and Esper, but you shouldn't beat yourself up like that.'' Locke said.

''Indeed. What happened wasn't your fault.'' Celes added.

'Don't say it's not true, because it is! Everything... everything I have done for the Returners until now was all for nothing! So I'm really just a failure! Not to mention how many deaths I've caused, directly or indirectly!'' Terra said.

Cyan wanted to tell her something, he wanted to tell her that he was saying nonsense, that it wasn't her fault, that he was the failure and not her, but the words didn't even reach her lips. His sad expression, however, said it all, and he didn't blame her for everything that had happened, but Terra, too driven by emotion, didn't listen to what her friends were saying.

''Terra, no one blames you for what happened. Not me, not Relm, no one.'' said Strago.

''You are not a failure, kupo!'' Mog exclaimed.

''And it's not true that all these people died because of you, it's not the end of the world.'' Setzer added.

''Yes it is! My existence alone has caused the deaths of thousands of people! When Emperor Gestahl found out I was half-Esper, he started Magitek technology! He killed my mother, he captured my father and other Espers, killing them slowly with those Magitek experiments, Kefka forced me to destroy, kill and exterminate enemies with the Slave Crown, and I couldn't prevent all those slaughters he did! My family, the people of Doma, Cyan's wife and son, Rachel, Leo, Banon, Yura, the Espers... they all died because of me, all because I was born with those cursed magical powers, and I even dragged all of you in this! Guys... what am I fighting for? What was Banon fighting for? Please, leave me alone!'' Terra burst into tears and ran off to the inn, slamming the door behind her.

''Terra, wait!'' Sabin shouted, but Terra had already closed the door behind her.

(''Link's Memories: ''Despair''- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild OST-s'')

''What's wrong with her?'' Strago asked. Even though what he witnessed shocked him, he didn't understand why Terra reacted that way.

Arvis sighed. ''It's a long story. A couple of days ago, Banon had a plan to defeat the Empire, which an alliance with the Espers, and he wanted Terra to communicate with them after he found out she is the daughter of a human woman and an Esper. Unfortunately, everything went wrong, and the Empire used the alleged truce to get us to lure the Espers so that Kefka could kill them. Since it was Terra who summoned the Espers from the portal that separates their world from ours and she was the one who convinced them to come to Thamasa to negotiate a truce, she feels guilty because she feels she has made a big mistake. She wanted to restore peace between humans and Espers and avoid a second War of the Magi, and being half-Esper, she believed that all of this was his responsibility, but with everything that has happened, she feels that she has let us all down, she believes that she failed.'' he explained.

''But that's not true. If anything, I'm the one who failed everyone. After all, Kefka killed half of Doma's population and I did nothing to stop him. Besides, it's really sad to see General Leo's death. He is the only one in the Empire that I personally respect, he even apologized for what happened to... to Doma.'' Cyan said grimly.

''It's not even your fault, Cyan! It's nobody's fault but that psycho's!'' Locke replied.

''It seemed that everything was going to work out, huh? No, this asshole has to come and fuck everything up!'' Relm exclaimed, and suddenly there was silence due to her language.(5)

''Bad Kefka, he'll pay with blood!'' shouted Gau, revealing his slightly bloody front teeth, and Sabin and Cyan gave him a small dull smile, impressed that he had tried to stop Kefka before he escaped, and his bites convinced them that perhaps he hadn't left him completely unpunished. After that, however, a frown reappeared on their faces.

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Arvis lifted the coffin with Banon's lifeless body off the ground with some fatigue.'' I will take Banon's body to Narshe. The members of the Returners who remained there must know. There will be a funeral all for him at the cliff where Valigarmanda is.'' he said.

''I'll help you. My Blackjack will get us to Narshe faster.'' Setzer said.

''Thanks, Setzer. Cid, you stay here to help the population repair the damage. See ya, guys. If you see Terra, tell her I greet her and that everything that happened is Kefka's fault.'' Arvis said. They took the coffin and left Thamasa in silence.

''Edgar, what do we do now?'' Locke asked.

''I don't know, Locke. I don't think we can do anything else right now, we can just wait.'' Edgar sighed.

''But we cannot leave Terra in this state! She has never been so upset before!'' Sabin exclaimed.

And that's the point, Sabin. Don't get me wrong, I want to help her too, but as you said, she just witnessed a traumatic event in her life, not to mention what she went through for eighteen years, and then she couldn't feel emotion because of it. Since she's got her memory back now and is understanding her emotions a little better, it's best if we let her vent everything she had been holding inside for years.'' Celes said.

''Would it really be worth leaving her like this? If Terra stays here pitying herself and isolating herself, that's what Kefka will want. She cannot help us like this. She must understand that the responsibility for the world is not only hers, but also ours, and that we will remain by her side.'' Sabin objected.

''I know, but there is nothing we can do now. Just wait.'' Edgar said. Nobody spoke anymore. Sabin wasn't entirely wrong, but Terra needed space. So they decided to wait, but also that beyond a certain time limit, they would intervene.

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

Meanwhile, Terra went up the stairs to the inn, entered an empty room, threw herself on the bed and sobbed on the pillow. How had she lost all this in one day? She had lost the Espers, she had lost her only chance to put an end to these conflicts for power, she had lost Banon, the one who had always believed in her, she had also lost Leo, under the illusion that he would fight for the just cause with the Returners, only to be killed in the worst possible way, forcing her to face the harsh reality. And well before all that, her life was nothing. She had lost her parents shortly after birth, and even though her father was with her as a Magicite, he too had died from those experiments, and all these years, that psycho Kefka had been using her as a toy. How could she look Arvis or the rest of the Returners in the face when she had screwed up everything? Every time she was involved into something, there was always death and destruction. '' They won't understand. And the world could be destroyed at any moment anyway, there is nothing we can do. Why? Why does all this have to happen to me?! I know you are mad at me, Father... it was all my fault...'' All she could do now was cry in bed, in a fetal position.

''We had found the Espers along with our new allies Strago and Relm, but at what cost... it had all gone terribly wrong. Emperor Gestahl had lied to all of us. He had released Kefka under our noses and waited for us to take the Espers to Thamasa to get hold of their Magicites. In the ensuing catastrophe, Kefka had killed thirteen Esper, including Yura, friend of Terra's father and ambassador of the Espers, some inhabitants of Thamasa, Banon and Leo Cristophe, a general of the Empire who had rebelled after discovering that betrayal. He joined the Returners, even signing the oath, only to be killed in the most brutal way possible just a minute later. Terra was naturally the most upset of all of us during Banon and Leo's funeral, and withdrew as the situation became more and more uncertain...'' Mog recounted.

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

A/N: Oh, no! Just when it seemed that everything was going to be fine, here comes Kefka to ruin everything, and now Banon, Yura and Leo are dead too! How will Terra get out of it? And what's going to happen? We will find out in the next chapter! Until next time!

(1): In the original SNES release, Relm's signature ability, Sketch, suffered from a massive glitch that caused problems if she successfully used it on a hard-to-paint enemy or fails, causing graphical glitches, multiplying some objects, including those that can be obtained a single time, or, in severe cases, completely corrupt the save file, erasing the data. However, the bug was fixed in a patch and then all ports of the game, including the one for PS1.

(2): Leo has notable similarities to Beatrix, a character from Final Fantasy IX: both are characters with a noble heart in the service of the antagonists (Emperor Gestahl for Leo and Queen Brahne for Beatrix) who do not realize the evil who they serve until after a massacre and when they rebel, it's too late, and they are both playable for short periods of time. In the Japanese version, Leo's military rank is shogun, as per Beatrix, and both possess moves that have to do with the Spellblade command, such as Shock, which they both share.

(3): In Final Fantasy Record Keeper, Leo's dominant element is holy, with earth as a secondary element.

(4): Banon's presence in battle and his death is inspired by what happens in the Final Fantasy VI: Diverging Paths hack rom. This rom hack is generally very similar to the original game, but with some differences in some points of the plot, such as the Three Scenarios: unlike the original game, Shadow is moved to Locke's scenario, the encounter with Gau is moved to Terra's scenario and Sabin will not start his scenario alone, but Edgar will dive into the Lethe River to follow him, so they will face this scenario together. Another difference is in the Battle of Thamasa, where the playable character will be Banon instead of Leo: here, after Kefka's arrival, Banon is thrown to the border with the Esper World, where he meets Yura, who, on the brink of death, asks him to take his Magicite, which promotes him from the Oracle class to a Paladin, the same as Leo's, drastically increasing his stats, equipping him with heavy armor, a sword and a shield, and allowing him to use the Ultima spell. As a result, unlike the original game, Leo survives, permanently becoming a playable character afterwards, and it's Banon who is killed by Kefka instead. In addition, in the original game, after Vector is ravaged by the Espers, Banon and Arvis no longer appear for the rest of the game, with details that I will explain later, and I chose the idea of having both Banon and Leo die because of that it would make the failure of his plan even more clear and could further develop Terra's character through emotional and psychological trauma.

(5): In the Japanese version of the game, Relm has a tendency to use bad language, similarly to Cloud, Barret and especially Cid Highwind from Final Fantasy VII, and remember, all this is said by a 10-year-old girl. Thus, the western versions have censored her lines, removing the foul language while keeping her personality unchanged. Kefka also tended to use swear words.