Miranda Shadowind
Two days later, Celes and Sabin arrived at a devistated, half-baked excuse for a village. "This is Mobliz?!" Sabin couldn't believe it.
He and Celes dismounted and walked around. Dogs started barking, and a little boy peered at the travelers from a doorway. "Someone's coming!" he cried, and ran back indoors.
"Hey wait!" Celes called out, and headed for that house, Sabin close behind.
The inside of the place was like a converted cavern. The four beds from the inn were on a raised portion of the floor, where several children wandered about. The boy from earlier noticed their arrival and blocked the doorway across from the entrance.
"You'll have to get through me first!" he yelled.
"But we're-" Celes started.
"STOP!" a familar female voice cried from behind the door. The boy stepped aside as the door opened and Terra walked out. She put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "It's OK, these are my friends!"
"Terra!" cried Sabin and Celes. Terra ran over and hugged them.
"It's so good to see you again! I missed you!"
"You comin' with us, Terra? We're going to smash Kefka!" Sabin asked.
"You can't take Terra away from us!" Dwayne, another survivor, yelled.
"Cool it Dwayne!" Katarin scolded.
"I...I can't..." Terra said finally.
"Say what?" asked Celes, blinking. Terra led her friends into the other room.
"By the time I got here, all the adults had perished protecting their children. They needed me... When they called me 'Mama', I felt something stir inside me, but I don't know what. The more I struggled to understand what's happening to me, the more I lost my will to fight. I'm of no used to you now..." Terra looked down.
Celes slowly nodded. "It's all right..."
"Terra's kept our spirit up since she came," Katarin explained as Celes and Sabin turned to leave. "It wouldn't be the same without her.."
Just then, the oldest boy rushed in. "Run, Phunbaba's back!"
Terra now had a look of panic on her face as loud thumping noises were heard outside. It quickly vanished as she pushed past a surprised Sabin and ran out the door.
Just off the shore was a huge, ugly green monster with devilish horns. Phunbaba. Terra shot several fire spells at him, but they didn't make a dent. She resorted to sword attacks, but they were clumsier than usual. Finally, Phunbaba got tired of this and batted Terra away like an angry housewife swatting an insect. Sabin caught her just before she hit the half-submerged house.
Angered, he carried her unconscious body inside and into bed. Celes narrowed her eyes and marched outside, Sabin right behind her. A few spells and Blitzes later, Phunbaba took off, but not for good.
Later back in the house, Terra woke up, weaker than ever. She sat up a little and saw Celes and Sabin at her bedside, as well as the children. "I've really lost my fighting edge...I'm so sorry..."
Celes shook her head. "It's not your fault, Terra.."
"No..If only I could understand what's happening to me I could protect the children..." She then fell asleep again.
Celes and Sabin shook their heads and left, chastised by a boy who said that they "would pay if anything happen[ed] to Mama." They journeyed south, rented two chocobos in a forest stable, and headed toward Nikeah.