Part Three- The Invisible Enemy
The night that Kefka was declared to be a Magitek Knight seemed so far back in the past to Celes. She let out a soft sigh as she absentmindedly flipped through the pages of a new picture book Cid had put in the library for her. She had been struggling to sit down and concentrate on the new book for the entire past hour, but each time she failed, for her mind waundered back to Kefka.
Ever since that meeting, she hadn't seen him or Terra. It had been weeks... How could the both of them just disappear like that? Perhaps Terra had left the palace grounds... but what about Kefka?
Leo tried his best to reassure Celes that they were both ok, although his own doubts plagued his mind.
"Well Celes, Kefka has to go to a lot of doctor check-ups to make sure that he's not sick or anything before they go on with the infusion." Leo would say.
"What's an infusion?" Celes asked.
"...." Leo had stopped for a moment and looked to the ceiling, as if the answer had been scribbled up there for him to see. Celes looked up herself just to make sure it wasn't. When Leo looked to her again, he had a blank look in his eyes.
"I think it means that you get something put in you."
Celes blinked at that memory and stood up, dropping the book from her lap to the floor. It was 7 o' clock... time to go to Sunday evening fencing practice. The tournament was only a day away now. She somehow knew Kefka wouldn't be there. Leo wouldn't walk her to the school for practice... he was in a private meeting with the Emperor at this very minute. All this time, even though Kefka had volunteered, Gestahl had been pressuring Leo to be infused with along with him. And, all this time, Leo had refused. Gestahl had questioned Celes as well, but she merely put on a blank stare like her new friend Terra was found doing a lot. That always seemed to get Gestahl off her case.
That night, Celes found herself haunted with terrible dreams while sleeping in her fit-for-a-princess bed. She was in a dark room, and all around her she could hear the moans and shrieks of foreign, invisible people. No... she wasn't even sure they were people. They didn't sound human. They almost sounded like animals. Espers. The Celes in her dream cowered in a corner and pulled her knees into her chest while covering her ears. These noises were horrible. It sounded as if the Espers were in pain, like their souls were being torn apart.
Espers?
What were Espers?
Had Celes ever heard that word before? She couldn't remember. She suddenly felt as if the screams had entered her body, and were draining her off all her thoughts and memories. She could see them floating away from her body in a sparkling green light.
The same light Terra seemed to give off when she casted that spell....
Suddenly, Celes' body gave out, and she slumped to over, her body not even creating an echo as it lifelessly hit the floor beneath her.
"AHHH!" Celes shrieked as she sat up in bed, her heart pounding and her mind racing. She instantly touched her face, touched all over to make sure she was alive and real. Letting out a deep breath, she turned towards her window seeing that it was shut tightly. Not even a tree branch stirred outside. There was no wind, nothing around her that could create the noises she had heard in her dream. She now confimred that none of it was real.... just a dream....
"Celes?" She heard someone ask from her doorway. Celes looked over and saw that it was Cid, looking disgruntled in his bright yellow pajamas. She knew she was ok, and that nothing had happened except for a dream, but she shook her head in reply to his question and suddenly burst into loud tears.
"Oh, Celes...." Cid walked in quickly and sat down beside her, embracing her tightly. Celes blinked and felt her heart skip a beat.
All of a sudden, Cid's normally warm embrace felt cold and unfamiliar... just like everything else that had been going on around the Imperial Palace. All Celes could think about was how she wanted to be as far away from this place as possible... and in the arms of her two best friends instead.
**********
"Celes! Celes!"
"Hi Leo!"
Celes smiled brightly and looked up from her new half-tied white boots that Cid had bought her for her fencing tournament tonight. Every night, she had been practicing long and hard, determined to win that trophy for her team. And tonight was it! Leo came over to her and gave her a thumbs up. Celes had also dressed up in her fencing outfit to see how it looked with the shoes that morning.
"You look awesome." Leo said. "I can't wait to watch you tonight!"
"Thanks Leo." Celes said. Oh well. She thought. At least Leo will be with me.
"Make sure to cheer for me loudly." Celes said.
"Hmm, should I say "Go Celes" or "Go Princess Cherry"? Leo asked, laughing. Celes put on a horrified look.
"Don't call me that! It will be so embarassing... I'll look like such a...."
"Girl?" Leo answered for her, and Celes punched him on the shoulder lightly. Leo stepped back and suddenly smiled even more.
"Oh yeah, Celes, I almost forgot why I came here." Leo said, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I came to get you so we could see Kefka."
"Kefka?" Celes asked, her eyes widening. "Leo, where is he?!"
"He's resting in his room." Leo said. "Looks like he's aloud to have visitors now."
"But how long has he been there?" Celes asked worriedly. Leo shook his head.
"I don't know." He said. "I just found out today. The Emperor told me..." Celes blinked and then shook her head, trying to get Gestahl's face out of her mind.
"Well, come on, lets go see him!" Celes said, and Leo nodded in agreement. The two children ran down the hallway and up a flight of stairs to a new room that was apparently now privately owned by Kefka, since he was not in the room that he and Leo shared. Leo pushed open the door quietly, and led Celes inside the room. It was large and completely decorated with all of the clowns and circus animals that Kefka loved. It looked like his side of the room that he shared with Leo, only bigger.
Kefka was sitting up in his huge bed, bending over a thick book. Celes blinked as he didn't even move when the two entered. Maybe he didn't hear them.
"Kefka!" Celes smiled, and ran over to his bedside, shaking his shoulder lightly. Suddenly, Kefka let out a high shriek and jerked away, smacking Celes' hand with his hardcover book while he was at it. Celes giggled a little, but her smile faded when she saw Kefka's face. He had dark circles under his clear blue eyes, and his face looked thinner and bonier. His blonde hair, normally spiked, was slicked back in a wet style, not a strand out of place. It was so... not like Kefka.
"What are you laughing about?" Kefka snapped, and Celes blinked. Suddenly, that strike made on her hand began to throb in slight pain.
"Hey Kefka!" Leo exclaimed as he came over to the two of them. "How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"
"My head hurts from looking at you two bumbling idiots." Kefka snapped bitterly, and slammed his book on the floor, making a loud thump as it hit. Celes nearly jumped ten feet in the air, and Leo took in a sharp breath.
"Kefka..." Celes trailed off, her mind suddenly feeling numb. Perhaps he just wasn't feeling well... She was sure she wouldn't want visitors either, after all that he might have been through.... Kefka glared at Celes and shook his head.
"I can't believe neither of you got infused with me." Kefka suddenly sneered. Leo put his hands on his hips.
"Kefka, you're the one who volunteered." Leo reminded him. "But listen, we're just glad you're ok..."
"OF COURSE I'M OK!" Kefka screeched. Celes closed her eyes and covered her ears. This didn't sound like Kefka at all! Who was this? She was convinced it was someone else! Who was lying in her best friend's bed, glaring at her like this?
"Come on Celes." Leo said cooly, and grabbed her by the hand violently to lead her out of the room. But Kefka grabbed her other hand and suddenly yanked her over so close to him, she stumbled and fell part way onto his bed. He leaned in quickly, and whispered something quick in her ear.
"Don't worry Celes, I'm not mad at you. You're still my best friend... I'll come see you tonight before the fencing tournament to wish you luck..." Celes blinked and pulled away, a shiver running through her spine. A moment before, Kefka's voice had been so high and creepy. But at that moment, it seemed back to normal... the old Kefka...
Leo snorted and took Celes outside the room, and slammed the door quickly behind them.
"Who does he think he is, treating us like that?" Leo demanded, his usual cool demeanor gone. "Celes, what did he say to you?" Celes shook her head and looked down.
"Erm, nothing. I couldn't understand a word. It sounded mean though."
She didn't want to lie, but she was afraid Leo would be even madder at Kefka is she told him what he said. The three of them had never been in a fight like this before.
"I'm going to ask Cid about what is up with Kefka." Leo said, and left Celes behind in the hallway. She let out a deep breath and leaned back against a wall, her blonde hair tumbling down her shoulders, blocking her face from anyone else who might come across her. She was afraid to speak to anyone. Her confusion seemed to stir in her mind and into her words, making it impossible for her to form any sort of a sentence to explain herself. All of these feelings were alien...
**********
"Celes, how are you doing in there?" Cid asked through the doorway of her bedroom. Celes had just finished tying her hair into a high ponytail with a snow white ribbon, and smiled brightly at her reflection in the mirror.
"I'm almost done, Cid!" She exclaimed. "Just have to make sure everything is packed in my bag!"
"Alright." Cid replied cheerfully. Celes heard him walk down the hallway away from her room as she turned from her mirror and began to shuffle through her bag, which was on her bed. A few moments later, there was another knock on her door, but before she could ask who it was, it swung open, revealing Kefka. He was fully dressed, not in pajamas or anything, and looked almost perfectly normal again. His hair was still slicked back, however, and his face still lacked color. Celes stood up and smiled brightly. He had kept his promise...
"Kefka!" She exclaimed. "Thanks for coming! I'm sorry you won't be joining us tonight. Everyone on the team will miss you."
"Yeah, I know..." Kefka smiled a little. Celes didn't even notice he had one hand behind his back at an awkard angle. "But Gestahl doesn't want me to go out for a while... he said I need my rest so I can fully recooperate... and begin my training."
"Training, huh?" Celes smiled. "Sounds important, Kefka!"
"It is very important..." Kefka trailed off and mumbled under his breath. "...Important that I eliminate any competition..."
"Huh?" Celes asked.
"Nothing." Kefka said quickly. "So Celes, do you want to be a Magitek Knight now?"
"...Oh, I don't know..." Celes trailed off, and sighed. "I mean...."
"But you are considering it?" Kefka quickly interrupted.
"...." Celes shrugged. "I honestly don't know..." Suddenly, Kefka's blue eyes turned to ice, and Celes let out a little gasp as he took a step towards her.
"Stop being such a baby, Celes." Kefka suddenly snapped, the tone in his voice rising. "That's what I hated about you... HATED HATED HATED HATED! You are such a baby, and yet, the Emperor still prefers you over me!"
"What?!" Celes shrieked, her face turning white. "Kefka! What are you talking about?"
"I HEARD THEM TALKING!" Kefka yelled so loudly, the windows shook. "I HEARD CID AND GESTAHL! SAYING THAT YOU OR LEO WOULD MAKE THE BETTER MAGITEK KNIGHT! CID SAYING THAT THIS MIGHT BE A MISTAKE. MISTAKE? HA!" Celes felt her heart begin to beat faster as she reached up to cover her ears. But Kefka kept yelling. "THE ONLY MISTAKE MADE WAS KEEPING YOU AROUND TO COMPARE ME TO! I HATE YOU, CELES CHERE!"
".....!" Celes' breath stopped as she continued to step backwards, stumbling over her own feet. Tears sprung to her eyes, but didn't pour over yet. Something was stopping them... the naive hope that none of this was happening. It was another bad dream. Celes would wake up, and she would be in her bed, rubbing her eyes. Stretching... yawning... getting ready for the new day....
"Well..." Kefka's voice suddenly fell a few volumes. "What do you have to say to that?" Celes blinked, but didn't move as he took another move towards her.
"Kefka..." Celes trailed off, and tried to smile weakly. "This is just a dream... I'll pinch myself and wake up..." Celes reached over to pinch her arm, and didn't see what was coming next. In an almost inhuman blur, Kefka pulled his hidden arm from behind his back, revealing a long, freshly sharpened rapier in his hand...the kind used for fencing, only the safety ball tip at the top has been removed... melted it seemed, by fire into a nice point. Using expert technique and taking advantage of Celes' unawareness, Kefka took one swift thrust with the rapier towards Celes' motionless body. She looked up just in time to see something silver flash near her....
Celes let out a loud gasp and saw red as she time seemed to suddenly come to a slow drag. She could count the seconds in her head that it took the blade to slice through her fencing suit and across her bare skin, then into her skin, piercing her insides without any lag of movement. Then, time suddenly screeched forward as Kefka yanked back, withdrawing the rapier from her side and immediately tossing it to the side, the blood on it's blade instantly staining the white carpet in her room. Celes blinked and the red in her vision disappeared, taking her strength along with it. With a soft cry, Celes first fell to her knees and grasped her sides. The pain came flowing through almost as fast as the blood thst spilled through her suit and onto her hand.
"Kefka..." Celes murmured, her eyes crawling from the floor up to meet his. They were cold and distant... like two pieces of ice in a skeleton's sockets. Celes' smile faded, and she reached out to Kefka with her free hand, causing a jolt of pain to shoot through her sides. Kefka merely smirked and turned on his heal, exiting the room.
"Ahhhh!" Celes screamed, and collapsed face-forward onto the floor, the pain becoming overwhelming, her head becoming weak from the shock and the loss of blood. And yet, her thought were still fully awake, the same thing running through them over and over.
"How could you do this... Kefka?" Celes murmured, and closed her eyes, her mind now beginning to numb over. "....Kefka.... what....did they do....to....you.....?" Celes' lips stopped moving, and soon, she was completely still.
A few minutes later, Cid impatiently looked at his watch and looked at Leo, who was waiting in one of the Empire's vehicles along with him for Celes.
"Where is she?" Cid asked worriedly. "We're going to be late..."
"Let me go get her." Leo offered, and climbed out of the the vehicle, running into the Imperial Palace. He ascended the stairs two at a time and then ran the rest of the way down the hall to Celes' room, surprised to see that from a distance the door was wide open. Did he somehow pass her?
When Leo made it to Celes' room, he almost immediately began to yell for her to hurry up. But when his eyes fell upon the display on the now crimson carpet, his mouth froze in the middle of calling her name, and he felt his own legs get very weak, very fast.
"SOMEONE HELP!" He screamed so loudly, his throat became raw immediately afterwards. "CELES!"
Epilogue
Celes let out a soft sigh and pressed her cheek against the cool glass of the Imperial vehicle she was riding in. Every few minutes the drivers would roll over a bump in the road, making Celes cringe slightly and place her hand over her side. Everytime that happened, she was reminded of that night.
That was all Celes could call it... "That Night". She could barely remember anything that had happened. She didn't even know how much time had passed since then. All the events immediately before it and after it had been compressed into one mind-numbing mess in her mind. The only three things Celes could remember clearly was getting stabbed by Kefka, hearing someone call her name, and waking up in a recovery room in the Imperial Palace. Oh yeah... and the conversation with the Emperor.
Celes had woken up in a strange, hard, cold bed in the recovery room. Her side was throbbing in pain, as well as the rest of her torso, as it was wrapped up very tightly in some sort of massive gauze. Although her mind was foggy, it did not stop the Emperor from coming into her room and sitting into a chair next to her bedside, as if all of this had been prepared ahead of time. It didn't stop him from speaking to her, bringing her the news that would change her life as she knew it forever, and strip her of her innocent-child way of seeing the world. He didn't even ask her how she felt.
"Do you see how it is, Celes?" He had asked.
".....What...?"
"Do you see what the world has become? Why we need the Magitek Knights on our side as soon as possible?"
What the world had become? Didn't he mean what Kefka had become?
"......Gestahl..." Celes moaned, and cringed at the feeling of her chapped lips cracking. "Why...did..."
"I'm afraid that something just didn't go quite right with the infusion." Gestahl confessed. "I'm afraid Kefka may have not been strong enough." He wasn't going to dare reveal to Celes that it really had nothing to do with the youth.
".....But..."
Gestahl stopped her quickly. "But now you see that you need to protect yourself Celes. That's how it really is. People betray their friends everyday. Everyone is fighting for power. Obviously, you have it, if Kefka attacked you. Don't you want to take advantage of it?" His lips curled into a slight smile. "Don't you want revenge?"
"....No." Celes said softly, shocking him. "...I don't want revenge. I don't think it was Kefka's fault..."
"Oh, it was." Gestahl said. "Can't you see? His jealously made him snap."
"....I think the infusion made him snap." Celes corrected him quietly, and he smirked slightly. Yes, Celes Chere was definately bright... even when on the line between life and death, it seemed. Cid had not breathed a lie about her intelligence and strength. He needed her more than anything now.
"Well, don't you think you should be able to protect yourself, at least?" Gestahl prodded. "Yes, I think that your protection should be our top priority right now." Celes glared at him.
"And what about...Leo?"
"Leo? Leo took my advice and left." Gestahl smiled sweetly. "He's probably arriving at the Imperial Camp I sent him to right around this time. He's going to work on his training. And than, when he returns, perhaps he will have wisened up and accept my offer to make him a Magitek Knight. You and Leo have so much more potential than Kef...."
Celes toned him out and clasped her hands together, as if in prayer. Had Leo really left her behind here, or was he forced to go? Why would Leo go away....?
Why would Kefka....stab her?
None of her answers came, of course. The only voice she could hear was Gestahl's, droning on and on. The more she heard, the more sick she became inside.
Everyone she loved was leaving her behind. Celes Chere was a weak little girl. A baby, Kefka had called her. Pretty soon, Leo might even come back and walk all over her. She would let him. Maybe even let him stab her too.
"NO!" Celes suddenly screamed, and grabbed her head to brace herself. Gestahl stopped talking and looked at her. Before Celes could stop herself, she said it.
"Please Emperor, do whatever you can. Teach me how to become a Magitek Knight."
And here she was, being driven to a nearby Imperial Camp that had been set up to spy on a few villages. Once she arrived there, she would be taken under the wing of one of the better soldiers stationed there for combat training. She would stay as long as it took for her to become perfect. Perfect for infusion. The perfect Magitek Knight. Everything about being one had to do with perfection. She had heard it numerous times....from Cid...from Gestahl.
The vehicle suddenly came to a halt, throwing Celes forward a little. She let out a moan and sat back, closing her eyes for a moment to regain her breath.
"Celes?" Cid asked from the seat across from her. She opened her eyes and looked toward him. He was the only one who was seeing her off.
"I think the soldiers stopped so the engine could cool down." Cid explained. "Why don't you go outside for some fresh air?"
"Good idea." Celes said softly, and stood up slowly, making her way out the back exit of the vehicle. When she stepped outside, she could see that they were in a wide field, nearby a small pond. She smiled a little and walked over to it, kneeling down to look at her reflection. The person she saw was a sad little girl, who looked smaller than a normal child her age. Everything about her, her eyes, her smile...were sad. It was nothing like the Celes that everyone used to love. Where had she gone? Perhaps she left when Kefka and Leo did... and left this girl behind.
"....." Celes stood up and began to make her way back to the vehicle, not wanting to see anymore. She couldn't deny who she was. She was the same person. A lot had happened in the past few weeks, but she was still Celes Chere. However, she was tired of being told how Celes should be like and how she should act. She didn't listen, and now she was all alone. It was her fault.
Celes stepped back into the vehicle and collapsed back into her seat.
"Cid." She said softly.
"Yes?" Cid asked, and Celes looked at him, her eyes as serious as any adult's he had ever met.
"Cid...I'm going to train hard..." She began. "I'm going to work hard everyday, and become strong. When I come home, you're not even going to recognize me. And you're going to be proud too...." Cid smiled a little and placed his hand over hers.
"I'm already proud of you!" He smiled. "But your maturity surprises me. You're so goal-oriented, Celes. I just know that you will make a perfect soldier when you come home. A perfect knight! This must be your calling in life, your destiny. I wonder what other wonderful opportunities this will open up for you?" Celes smiled weakly and leaned back in her seat again, closing her eyes. She could hear the engine of the vehicle revving up again.
"I'm sorry, Kefka, Leo, for disappointing you before." Celes murmured to herself. "But when I come home... things will be different. I'll be the girl you always wanted to see, and not the one you left behind...even if it means putting my thoughts about you aside for now." Celes shifted and rested her hands in her lap.
"....And then....everything will be....just like it used to...."
The End
Author's Note: Well, sorry it took to long to post this last part up! I kind of thought the ending was sad. T_T But I based the ending on what I believe may have motivated Celes to become a Magitek Knight. As a young child, she could have easily been manipulated into believing that she was not good enough for her peers, therefore she would strive to be everything they were and more so that she could perhaps be accepted (again). Of course though, during all this preparation to become a perfect soldier, she would still remain out of contact with Leo and Kefka...and instead of becoming closer, they would eventually drift apart and the results would be simular to their relations they make with each other in the game...distant, and somewhat hateful. (Kefka + Celes and Kefka + Leo.)
The night that Kefka was declared to be a Magitek Knight seemed so far back in the past to Celes. She let out a soft sigh as she absentmindedly flipped through the pages of a new picture book Cid had put in the library for her. She had been struggling to sit down and concentrate on the new book for the entire past hour, but each time she failed, for her mind waundered back to Kefka.
Ever since that meeting, she hadn't seen him or Terra. It had been weeks... How could the both of them just disappear like that? Perhaps Terra had left the palace grounds... but what about Kefka?
Leo tried his best to reassure Celes that they were both ok, although his own doubts plagued his mind.
"Well Celes, Kefka has to go to a lot of doctor check-ups to make sure that he's not sick or anything before they go on with the infusion." Leo would say.
"What's an infusion?" Celes asked.
"...." Leo had stopped for a moment and looked to the ceiling, as if the answer had been scribbled up there for him to see. Celes looked up herself just to make sure it wasn't. When Leo looked to her again, he had a blank look in his eyes.
"I think it means that you get something put in you."
Celes blinked at that memory and stood up, dropping the book from her lap to the floor. It was 7 o' clock... time to go to Sunday evening fencing practice. The tournament was only a day away now. She somehow knew Kefka wouldn't be there. Leo wouldn't walk her to the school for practice... he was in a private meeting with the Emperor at this very minute. All this time, even though Kefka had volunteered, Gestahl had been pressuring Leo to be infused with along with him. And, all this time, Leo had refused. Gestahl had questioned Celes as well, but she merely put on a blank stare like her new friend Terra was found doing a lot. That always seemed to get Gestahl off her case.
That night, Celes found herself haunted with terrible dreams while sleeping in her fit-for-a-princess bed. She was in a dark room, and all around her she could hear the moans and shrieks of foreign, invisible people. No... she wasn't even sure they were people. They didn't sound human. They almost sounded like animals. Espers. The Celes in her dream cowered in a corner and pulled her knees into her chest while covering her ears. These noises were horrible. It sounded as if the Espers were in pain, like their souls were being torn apart.
Espers?
What were Espers?
Had Celes ever heard that word before? She couldn't remember. She suddenly felt as if the screams had entered her body, and were draining her off all her thoughts and memories. She could see them floating away from her body in a sparkling green light.
The same light Terra seemed to give off when she casted that spell....
Suddenly, Celes' body gave out, and she slumped to over, her body not even creating an echo as it lifelessly hit the floor beneath her.
"AHHH!" Celes shrieked as she sat up in bed, her heart pounding and her mind racing. She instantly touched her face, touched all over to make sure she was alive and real. Letting out a deep breath, she turned towards her window seeing that it was shut tightly. Not even a tree branch stirred outside. There was no wind, nothing around her that could create the noises she had heard in her dream. She now confimred that none of it was real.... just a dream....
"Celes?" She heard someone ask from her doorway. Celes looked over and saw that it was Cid, looking disgruntled in his bright yellow pajamas. She knew she was ok, and that nothing had happened except for a dream, but she shook her head in reply to his question and suddenly burst into loud tears.
"Oh, Celes...." Cid walked in quickly and sat down beside her, embracing her tightly. Celes blinked and felt her heart skip a beat.
All of a sudden, Cid's normally warm embrace felt cold and unfamiliar... just like everything else that had been going on around the Imperial Palace. All Celes could think about was how she wanted to be as far away from this place as possible... and in the arms of her two best friends instead.
**********
"Celes! Celes!"
"Hi Leo!"
Celes smiled brightly and looked up from her new half-tied white boots that Cid had bought her for her fencing tournament tonight. Every night, she had been practicing long and hard, determined to win that trophy for her team. And tonight was it! Leo came over to her and gave her a thumbs up. Celes had also dressed up in her fencing outfit to see how it looked with the shoes that morning.
"You look awesome." Leo said. "I can't wait to watch you tonight!"
"Thanks Leo." Celes said. Oh well. She thought. At least Leo will be with me.
"Make sure to cheer for me loudly." Celes said.
"Hmm, should I say "Go Celes" or "Go Princess Cherry"? Leo asked, laughing. Celes put on a horrified look.
"Don't call me that! It will be so embarassing... I'll look like such a...."
"Girl?" Leo answered for her, and Celes punched him on the shoulder lightly. Leo stepped back and suddenly smiled even more.
"Oh yeah, Celes, I almost forgot why I came here." Leo said, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I came to get you so we could see Kefka."
"Kefka?" Celes asked, her eyes widening. "Leo, where is he?!"
"He's resting in his room." Leo said. "Looks like he's aloud to have visitors now."
"But how long has he been there?" Celes asked worriedly. Leo shook his head.
"I don't know." He said. "I just found out today. The Emperor told me..." Celes blinked and then shook her head, trying to get Gestahl's face out of her mind.
"Well, come on, lets go see him!" Celes said, and Leo nodded in agreement. The two children ran down the hallway and up a flight of stairs to a new room that was apparently now privately owned by Kefka, since he was not in the room that he and Leo shared. Leo pushed open the door quietly, and led Celes inside the room. It was large and completely decorated with all of the clowns and circus animals that Kefka loved. It looked like his side of the room that he shared with Leo, only bigger.
Kefka was sitting up in his huge bed, bending over a thick book. Celes blinked as he didn't even move when the two entered. Maybe he didn't hear them.
"Kefka!" Celes smiled, and ran over to his bedside, shaking his shoulder lightly. Suddenly, Kefka let out a high shriek and jerked away, smacking Celes' hand with his hardcover book while he was at it. Celes giggled a little, but her smile faded when she saw Kefka's face. He had dark circles under his clear blue eyes, and his face looked thinner and bonier. His blonde hair, normally spiked, was slicked back in a wet style, not a strand out of place. It was so... not like Kefka.
"What are you laughing about?" Kefka snapped, and Celes blinked. Suddenly, that strike made on her hand began to throb in slight pain.
"Hey Kefka!" Leo exclaimed as he came over to the two of them. "How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"
"My head hurts from looking at you two bumbling idiots." Kefka snapped bitterly, and slammed his book on the floor, making a loud thump as it hit. Celes nearly jumped ten feet in the air, and Leo took in a sharp breath.
"Kefka..." Celes trailed off, her mind suddenly feeling numb. Perhaps he just wasn't feeling well... She was sure she wouldn't want visitors either, after all that he might have been through.... Kefka glared at Celes and shook his head.
"I can't believe neither of you got infused with me." Kefka suddenly sneered. Leo put his hands on his hips.
"Kefka, you're the one who volunteered." Leo reminded him. "But listen, we're just glad you're ok..."
"OF COURSE I'M OK!" Kefka screeched. Celes closed her eyes and covered her ears. This didn't sound like Kefka at all! Who was this? She was convinced it was someone else! Who was lying in her best friend's bed, glaring at her like this?
"Come on Celes." Leo said cooly, and grabbed her by the hand violently to lead her out of the room. But Kefka grabbed her other hand and suddenly yanked her over so close to him, she stumbled and fell part way onto his bed. He leaned in quickly, and whispered something quick in her ear.
"Don't worry Celes, I'm not mad at you. You're still my best friend... I'll come see you tonight before the fencing tournament to wish you luck..." Celes blinked and pulled away, a shiver running through her spine. A moment before, Kefka's voice had been so high and creepy. But at that moment, it seemed back to normal... the old Kefka...
Leo snorted and took Celes outside the room, and slammed the door quickly behind them.
"Who does he think he is, treating us like that?" Leo demanded, his usual cool demeanor gone. "Celes, what did he say to you?" Celes shook her head and looked down.
"Erm, nothing. I couldn't understand a word. It sounded mean though."
She didn't want to lie, but she was afraid Leo would be even madder at Kefka is she told him what he said. The three of them had never been in a fight like this before.
"I'm going to ask Cid about what is up with Kefka." Leo said, and left Celes behind in the hallway. She let out a deep breath and leaned back against a wall, her blonde hair tumbling down her shoulders, blocking her face from anyone else who might come across her. She was afraid to speak to anyone. Her confusion seemed to stir in her mind and into her words, making it impossible for her to form any sort of a sentence to explain herself. All of these feelings were alien...
**********
"Celes, how are you doing in there?" Cid asked through the doorway of her bedroom. Celes had just finished tying her hair into a high ponytail with a snow white ribbon, and smiled brightly at her reflection in the mirror.
"I'm almost done, Cid!" She exclaimed. "Just have to make sure everything is packed in my bag!"
"Alright." Cid replied cheerfully. Celes heard him walk down the hallway away from her room as she turned from her mirror and began to shuffle through her bag, which was on her bed. A few moments later, there was another knock on her door, but before she could ask who it was, it swung open, revealing Kefka. He was fully dressed, not in pajamas or anything, and looked almost perfectly normal again. His hair was still slicked back, however, and his face still lacked color. Celes stood up and smiled brightly. He had kept his promise...
"Kefka!" She exclaimed. "Thanks for coming! I'm sorry you won't be joining us tonight. Everyone on the team will miss you."
"Yeah, I know..." Kefka smiled a little. Celes didn't even notice he had one hand behind his back at an awkard angle. "But Gestahl doesn't want me to go out for a while... he said I need my rest so I can fully recooperate... and begin my training."
"Training, huh?" Celes smiled. "Sounds important, Kefka!"
"It is very important..." Kefka trailed off and mumbled under his breath. "...Important that I eliminate any competition..."
"Huh?" Celes asked.
"Nothing." Kefka said quickly. "So Celes, do you want to be a Magitek Knight now?"
"...Oh, I don't know..." Celes trailed off, and sighed. "I mean...."
"But you are considering it?" Kefka quickly interrupted.
"...." Celes shrugged. "I honestly don't know..." Suddenly, Kefka's blue eyes turned to ice, and Celes let out a little gasp as he took a step towards her.
"Stop being such a baby, Celes." Kefka suddenly snapped, the tone in his voice rising. "That's what I hated about you... HATED HATED HATED HATED! You are such a baby, and yet, the Emperor still prefers you over me!"
"What?!" Celes shrieked, her face turning white. "Kefka! What are you talking about?"
"I HEARD THEM TALKING!" Kefka yelled so loudly, the windows shook. "I HEARD CID AND GESTAHL! SAYING THAT YOU OR LEO WOULD MAKE THE BETTER MAGITEK KNIGHT! CID SAYING THAT THIS MIGHT BE A MISTAKE. MISTAKE? HA!" Celes felt her heart begin to beat faster as she reached up to cover her ears. But Kefka kept yelling. "THE ONLY MISTAKE MADE WAS KEEPING YOU AROUND TO COMPARE ME TO! I HATE YOU, CELES CHERE!"
".....!" Celes' breath stopped as she continued to step backwards, stumbling over her own feet. Tears sprung to her eyes, but didn't pour over yet. Something was stopping them... the naive hope that none of this was happening. It was another bad dream. Celes would wake up, and she would be in her bed, rubbing her eyes. Stretching... yawning... getting ready for the new day....
"Well..." Kefka's voice suddenly fell a few volumes. "What do you have to say to that?" Celes blinked, but didn't move as he took another move towards her.
"Kefka..." Celes trailed off, and tried to smile weakly. "This is just a dream... I'll pinch myself and wake up..." Celes reached over to pinch her arm, and didn't see what was coming next. In an almost inhuman blur, Kefka pulled his hidden arm from behind his back, revealing a long, freshly sharpened rapier in his hand...the kind used for fencing, only the safety ball tip at the top has been removed... melted it seemed, by fire into a nice point. Using expert technique and taking advantage of Celes' unawareness, Kefka took one swift thrust with the rapier towards Celes' motionless body. She looked up just in time to see something silver flash near her....
Celes let out a loud gasp and saw red as she time seemed to suddenly come to a slow drag. She could count the seconds in her head that it took the blade to slice through her fencing suit and across her bare skin, then into her skin, piercing her insides without any lag of movement. Then, time suddenly screeched forward as Kefka yanked back, withdrawing the rapier from her side and immediately tossing it to the side, the blood on it's blade instantly staining the white carpet in her room. Celes blinked and the red in her vision disappeared, taking her strength along with it. With a soft cry, Celes first fell to her knees and grasped her sides. The pain came flowing through almost as fast as the blood thst spilled through her suit and onto her hand.
"Kefka..." Celes murmured, her eyes crawling from the floor up to meet his. They were cold and distant... like two pieces of ice in a skeleton's sockets. Celes' smile faded, and she reached out to Kefka with her free hand, causing a jolt of pain to shoot through her sides. Kefka merely smirked and turned on his heal, exiting the room.
"Ahhhh!" Celes screamed, and collapsed face-forward onto the floor, the pain becoming overwhelming, her head becoming weak from the shock and the loss of blood. And yet, her thought were still fully awake, the same thing running through them over and over.
"How could you do this... Kefka?" Celes murmured, and closed her eyes, her mind now beginning to numb over. "....Kefka.... what....did they do....to....you.....?" Celes' lips stopped moving, and soon, she was completely still.
A few minutes later, Cid impatiently looked at his watch and looked at Leo, who was waiting in one of the Empire's vehicles along with him for Celes.
"Where is she?" Cid asked worriedly. "We're going to be late..."
"Let me go get her." Leo offered, and climbed out of the the vehicle, running into the Imperial Palace. He ascended the stairs two at a time and then ran the rest of the way down the hall to Celes' room, surprised to see that from a distance the door was wide open. Did he somehow pass her?
When Leo made it to Celes' room, he almost immediately began to yell for her to hurry up. But when his eyes fell upon the display on the now crimson carpet, his mouth froze in the middle of calling her name, and he felt his own legs get very weak, very fast.
"SOMEONE HELP!" He screamed so loudly, his throat became raw immediately afterwards. "CELES!"
Epilogue
Celes let out a soft sigh and pressed her cheek against the cool glass of the Imperial vehicle she was riding in. Every few minutes the drivers would roll over a bump in the road, making Celes cringe slightly and place her hand over her side. Everytime that happened, she was reminded of that night.
That was all Celes could call it... "That Night". She could barely remember anything that had happened. She didn't even know how much time had passed since then. All the events immediately before it and after it had been compressed into one mind-numbing mess in her mind. The only three things Celes could remember clearly was getting stabbed by Kefka, hearing someone call her name, and waking up in a recovery room in the Imperial Palace. Oh yeah... and the conversation with the Emperor.
Celes had woken up in a strange, hard, cold bed in the recovery room. Her side was throbbing in pain, as well as the rest of her torso, as it was wrapped up very tightly in some sort of massive gauze. Although her mind was foggy, it did not stop the Emperor from coming into her room and sitting into a chair next to her bedside, as if all of this had been prepared ahead of time. It didn't stop him from speaking to her, bringing her the news that would change her life as she knew it forever, and strip her of her innocent-child way of seeing the world. He didn't even ask her how she felt.
"Do you see how it is, Celes?" He had asked.
".....What...?"
"Do you see what the world has become? Why we need the Magitek Knights on our side as soon as possible?"
What the world had become? Didn't he mean what Kefka had become?
"......Gestahl..." Celes moaned, and cringed at the feeling of her chapped lips cracking. "Why...did..."
"I'm afraid that something just didn't go quite right with the infusion." Gestahl confessed. "I'm afraid Kefka may have not been strong enough." He wasn't going to dare reveal to Celes that it really had nothing to do with the youth.
".....But..."
Gestahl stopped her quickly. "But now you see that you need to protect yourself Celes. That's how it really is. People betray their friends everyday. Everyone is fighting for power. Obviously, you have it, if Kefka attacked you. Don't you want to take advantage of it?" His lips curled into a slight smile. "Don't you want revenge?"
"....No." Celes said softly, shocking him. "...I don't want revenge. I don't think it was Kefka's fault..."
"Oh, it was." Gestahl said. "Can't you see? His jealously made him snap."
"....I think the infusion made him snap." Celes corrected him quietly, and he smirked slightly. Yes, Celes Chere was definately bright... even when on the line between life and death, it seemed. Cid had not breathed a lie about her intelligence and strength. He needed her more than anything now.
"Well, don't you think you should be able to protect yourself, at least?" Gestahl prodded. "Yes, I think that your protection should be our top priority right now." Celes glared at him.
"And what about...Leo?"
"Leo? Leo took my advice and left." Gestahl smiled sweetly. "He's probably arriving at the Imperial Camp I sent him to right around this time. He's going to work on his training. And than, when he returns, perhaps he will have wisened up and accept my offer to make him a Magitek Knight. You and Leo have so much more potential than Kef...."
Celes toned him out and clasped her hands together, as if in prayer. Had Leo really left her behind here, or was he forced to go? Why would Leo go away....?
Why would Kefka....stab her?
None of her answers came, of course. The only voice she could hear was Gestahl's, droning on and on. The more she heard, the more sick she became inside.
Everyone she loved was leaving her behind. Celes Chere was a weak little girl. A baby, Kefka had called her. Pretty soon, Leo might even come back and walk all over her. She would let him. Maybe even let him stab her too.
"NO!" Celes suddenly screamed, and grabbed her head to brace herself. Gestahl stopped talking and looked at her. Before Celes could stop herself, she said it.
"Please Emperor, do whatever you can. Teach me how to become a Magitek Knight."
And here she was, being driven to a nearby Imperial Camp that had been set up to spy on a few villages. Once she arrived there, she would be taken under the wing of one of the better soldiers stationed there for combat training. She would stay as long as it took for her to become perfect. Perfect for infusion. The perfect Magitek Knight. Everything about being one had to do with perfection. She had heard it numerous times....from Cid...from Gestahl.
The vehicle suddenly came to a halt, throwing Celes forward a little. She let out a moan and sat back, closing her eyes for a moment to regain her breath.
"Celes?" Cid asked from the seat across from her. She opened her eyes and looked toward him. He was the only one who was seeing her off.
"I think the soldiers stopped so the engine could cool down." Cid explained. "Why don't you go outside for some fresh air?"
"Good idea." Celes said softly, and stood up slowly, making her way out the back exit of the vehicle. When she stepped outside, she could see that they were in a wide field, nearby a small pond. She smiled a little and walked over to it, kneeling down to look at her reflection. The person she saw was a sad little girl, who looked smaller than a normal child her age. Everything about her, her eyes, her smile...were sad. It was nothing like the Celes that everyone used to love. Where had she gone? Perhaps she left when Kefka and Leo did... and left this girl behind.
"....." Celes stood up and began to make her way back to the vehicle, not wanting to see anymore. She couldn't deny who she was. She was the same person. A lot had happened in the past few weeks, but she was still Celes Chere. However, she was tired of being told how Celes should be like and how she should act. She didn't listen, and now she was all alone. It was her fault.
Celes stepped back into the vehicle and collapsed back into her seat.
"Cid." She said softly.
"Yes?" Cid asked, and Celes looked at him, her eyes as serious as any adult's he had ever met.
"Cid...I'm going to train hard..." She began. "I'm going to work hard everyday, and become strong. When I come home, you're not even going to recognize me. And you're going to be proud too...." Cid smiled a little and placed his hand over hers.
"I'm already proud of you!" He smiled. "But your maturity surprises me. You're so goal-oriented, Celes. I just know that you will make a perfect soldier when you come home. A perfect knight! This must be your calling in life, your destiny. I wonder what other wonderful opportunities this will open up for you?" Celes smiled weakly and leaned back in her seat again, closing her eyes. She could hear the engine of the vehicle revving up again.
"I'm sorry, Kefka, Leo, for disappointing you before." Celes murmured to herself. "But when I come home... things will be different. I'll be the girl you always wanted to see, and not the one you left behind...even if it means putting my thoughts about you aside for now." Celes shifted and rested her hands in her lap.
"....And then....everything will be....just like it used to...."
The End
Author's Note: Well, sorry it took to long to post this last part up! I kind of thought the ending was sad. T_T But I based the ending on what I believe may have motivated Celes to become a Magitek Knight. As a young child, she could have easily been manipulated into believing that she was not good enough for her peers, therefore she would strive to be everything they were and more so that she could perhaps be accepted (again). Of course though, during all this preparation to become a perfect soldier, she would still remain out of contact with Leo and Kefka...and instead of becoming closer, they would eventually drift apart and the results would be simular to their relations they make with each other in the game...distant, and somewhat hateful. (Kefka + Celes and Kefka + Leo.)