Chapter 3- Missing You
Celes ran as hard as her legs could take her, until she had reached a tall building. When she looked up, she saw it was a church.
"I'll just go in here until I calm down and look presentable." She said aloud, and stepped in. Being Saturday, it was rather empty. But she didn't mind. She sat down at a pew in the back, and lowered her head.
"What happened to me back there?" She asked out loud. "Why did I just go off like that? What's wrong with me? I...I didn't want to..."
She shook her head and sobbed a little bit. That's what Celes had been doing a lot lately...crying. It made her sick, because the old Celes never cried. She sucked it in and stuck it out through all the bad times. But something was different now...Her feelings became more apart of her life and actions. She realized that she was just getting used to being herself, not taking orders from Gestahl, or from her former Returner allies. She was finally deciding on her own what was right for her.
"I wonder if Terra has this problem," Celes said. "Poor Terra, who was more abused then I in the Empire. She probably doesn't though. She's stronger then me a hundred fold. She's loved and depended on by all those children. Who depends on me? No one...just myself...and yet, all I can do is let myself down..."
Celes rubbed her eyes and stood up. "No use crying about it now, at least. You have a job to do. Finish it first, and then cry..."
Celes left the church and went straight to the Weapon Shop. She didn't even bother to look for Locke. Hopefully, he had left Tzen. She was welcomed by the shop owner immediately and got ahold of the order, which was wrapped up in brown paper. She left the store, and went back to the waiting Audrey.
Audrey looked her and grunted the best way a chocobo could. As Celes was climbing on the bird, she looked down at the dirt Audrey had been clawing in. In the dirt were footsteps that did not belong to Celes. They were way too big.
"....." Celes remained silent and gave Audrey a kick. Audrey took off, and the pair headed towards Albrook as silently as they came.
In the late afternoon, Celes arrived home and gave Keith his package when she returned Audrey. Audrey cooed and giggled when she was returned to her owner, and the owner made just as much noise.
"You ok?" Keith had asked Celes. "You look a little pale."
"I'm just tired." Celes murmured, and went home. And when she went home, she cursed her horrible temper and cried like she had promised herself she could do back at the church. She couldn't get the picture of Locke's angry face out of her mind. It was like she couldn't see him doing anything else.
He'll hate me forever. She thought. Just when I thought we could....work something out...
**********
For the next few weeks, Celes slowly shifted back to her old routine, almost forgetting about the incident with Locke. It would always remain somewhere in the back of her mind, but at least she could ignore it somewhat. However...it was seen that their meeting had taken a toll on her. She didn't do things with the same energy that she did before. It was harder to get out of bed in the morning. And the crying went on....like endless hours of rain in the night...
After a particularly long day at work, Keith went up to Celes and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Kid, look up at me." Keith demanded. Celes did so. She had dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep.
"Yes?"
"Celes, you don't look too well." Keith said. "Ever since I sent you to Tzen, things have been different. Did something happen to you there? I mean, did you get mugged or..."
"Oh, no no no." Celes said.
"Am I working you too hard?" Keith asked worriedly. "Sometimes, I admit, I forget you are only 18. After all, you certainly act more mature."
"No..." Celes said softly. "I'm ok."
"Are you sure?" Keith asked. "Here, let me do you a favor." He dug in his pocket, and slipped her a ticket of some sort.
"What is this?" Celes asked.
"This is a ticket my friend gave me." Keith said. "He's opening a new bar in Nikea, and passed out these tickets. Anyone who comes and gives him this gets a free drink or something. I can't go, because Lila is ill, and I need to take care of her. Perhaps, you could go in my place, so that this doesn't go to waste?"
"Oh..." Celes said softly, and smiled a bit. "Thanks Keith. But how will I get all the way to Nikea?"
"Nothing a chocobo can't do." Keith smiled. "I'll hook you up with Audrey again. She seemed to like you! But, it's only if you want to go."
"I do." Celes said, and nodded to confirm her own decision. The truth was, she wanted to be around lots of people again. She was almost afraid to be by herself, afraid of what she might do under her broken heart's influence. She was painfully reminded of when she was all alone on Solitary Island, and she....
"Yes, this will be fun!" Celes said, and smiled.
Celes went home and took a long, relaxing bath. As she layed back in the steaming water, she tried to immagine being hit on by a cute guy at the bar. She would be sitting, sipping her drink, and he would tap her shoulder.....
"You....you're that famous soldier, Celes Chere."
"That I am."
"I've been watching you all night Miss Chere. You've enchanted me. Please, may I have the honor of speaking to you in say, a less crowded portion of town?"
"Are you asking me for a date?"
"Yes..."
"I'd love to!" And Celes would turn around....and see Locke's face!
"ACK!" Celes cried, and gurgled when her head slightly slipped underwater. She immedately sat up, causing water to splash over the sides of the tub. Her eyes widened, she took in deep breaths of air and coughed out the water.
"I...fell asleep..." Celes murmured, and brought her hand to her chest, letting out a deep sigh. She shook her head, and pulled the plug out of the drain, causing all the water to be sucked away. Instead of getting out right away, she leaned her head back against the wall, and closed her eyes.
"Locke..."
Her naked, wet body suddenly shivered, and she opened her eyes and reached over to get her towel, and stood up, wrapping it around her. She walked over to her mirror and investigated herself, turning in a full circle, her hair still wet and dripping over her shoulders. Her well toned body was obvious, even with the towel on. She had earned it after years and years of hard training in the Empire. Earned it for what though? Celes rested her hands on her hips. No one's hands but her own had ever graced over the smooth and flawless skin. She was 18...and had never even been kissed. Was that normal? Celes hummed to herself and walked to her bedroom, imagining Locke's lips on hers, his hands enclosed in her own...
CRASH!
Celes smacked into a wall and suddenly remembered why she never daydreamed.
Celes ran as hard as her legs could take her, until she had reached a tall building. When she looked up, she saw it was a church.
"I'll just go in here until I calm down and look presentable." She said aloud, and stepped in. Being Saturday, it was rather empty. But she didn't mind. She sat down at a pew in the back, and lowered her head.
"What happened to me back there?" She asked out loud. "Why did I just go off like that? What's wrong with me? I...I didn't want to..."
She shook her head and sobbed a little bit. That's what Celes had been doing a lot lately...crying. It made her sick, because the old Celes never cried. She sucked it in and stuck it out through all the bad times. But something was different now...Her feelings became more apart of her life and actions. She realized that she was just getting used to being herself, not taking orders from Gestahl, or from her former Returner allies. She was finally deciding on her own what was right for her.
"I wonder if Terra has this problem," Celes said. "Poor Terra, who was more abused then I in the Empire. She probably doesn't though. She's stronger then me a hundred fold. She's loved and depended on by all those children. Who depends on me? No one...just myself...and yet, all I can do is let myself down..."
Celes rubbed her eyes and stood up. "No use crying about it now, at least. You have a job to do. Finish it first, and then cry..."
Celes left the church and went straight to the Weapon Shop. She didn't even bother to look for Locke. Hopefully, he had left Tzen. She was welcomed by the shop owner immediately and got ahold of the order, which was wrapped up in brown paper. She left the store, and went back to the waiting Audrey.
Audrey looked her and grunted the best way a chocobo could. As Celes was climbing on the bird, she looked down at the dirt Audrey had been clawing in. In the dirt were footsteps that did not belong to Celes. They were way too big.
"....." Celes remained silent and gave Audrey a kick. Audrey took off, and the pair headed towards Albrook as silently as they came.
In the late afternoon, Celes arrived home and gave Keith his package when she returned Audrey. Audrey cooed and giggled when she was returned to her owner, and the owner made just as much noise.
"You ok?" Keith had asked Celes. "You look a little pale."
"I'm just tired." Celes murmured, and went home. And when she went home, she cursed her horrible temper and cried like she had promised herself she could do back at the church. She couldn't get the picture of Locke's angry face out of her mind. It was like she couldn't see him doing anything else.
He'll hate me forever. She thought. Just when I thought we could....work something out...
**********
For the next few weeks, Celes slowly shifted back to her old routine, almost forgetting about the incident with Locke. It would always remain somewhere in the back of her mind, but at least she could ignore it somewhat. However...it was seen that their meeting had taken a toll on her. She didn't do things with the same energy that she did before. It was harder to get out of bed in the morning. And the crying went on....like endless hours of rain in the night...
After a particularly long day at work, Keith went up to Celes and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Kid, look up at me." Keith demanded. Celes did so. She had dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep.
"Yes?"
"Celes, you don't look too well." Keith said. "Ever since I sent you to Tzen, things have been different. Did something happen to you there? I mean, did you get mugged or..."
"Oh, no no no." Celes said.
"Am I working you too hard?" Keith asked worriedly. "Sometimes, I admit, I forget you are only 18. After all, you certainly act more mature."
"No..." Celes said softly. "I'm ok."
"Are you sure?" Keith asked. "Here, let me do you a favor." He dug in his pocket, and slipped her a ticket of some sort.
"What is this?" Celes asked.
"This is a ticket my friend gave me." Keith said. "He's opening a new bar in Nikea, and passed out these tickets. Anyone who comes and gives him this gets a free drink or something. I can't go, because Lila is ill, and I need to take care of her. Perhaps, you could go in my place, so that this doesn't go to waste?"
"Oh..." Celes said softly, and smiled a bit. "Thanks Keith. But how will I get all the way to Nikea?"
"Nothing a chocobo can't do." Keith smiled. "I'll hook you up with Audrey again. She seemed to like you! But, it's only if you want to go."
"I do." Celes said, and nodded to confirm her own decision. The truth was, she wanted to be around lots of people again. She was almost afraid to be by herself, afraid of what she might do under her broken heart's influence. She was painfully reminded of when she was all alone on Solitary Island, and she....
"Yes, this will be fun!" Celes said, and smiled.
Celes went home and took a long, relaxing bath. As she layed back in the steaming water, she tried to immagine being hit on by a cute guy at the bar. She would be sitting, sipping her drink, and he would tap her shoulder.....
"You....you're that famous soldier, Celes Chere."
"That I am."
"I've been watching you all night Miss Chere. You've enchanted me. Please, may I have the honor of speaking to you in say, a less crowded portion of town?"
"Are you asking me for a date?"
"Yes..."
"I'd love to!" And Celes would turn around....and see Locke's face!
"ACK!" Celes cried, and gurgled when her head slightly slipped underwater. She immedately sat up, causing water to splash over the sides of the tub. Her eyes widened, she took in deep breaths of air and coughed out the water.
"I...fell asleep..." Celes murmured, and brought her hand to her chest, letting out a deep sigh. She shook her head, and pulled the plug out of the drain, causing all the water to be sucked away. Instead of getting out right away, she leaned her head back against the wall, and closed her eyes.
"Locke..."
Her naked, wet body suddenly shivered, and she opened her eyes and reached over to get her towel, and stood up, wrapping it around her. She walked over to her mirror and investigated herself, turning in a full circle, her hair still wet and dripping over her shoulders. Her well toned body was obvious, even with the towel on. She had earned it after years and years of hard training in the Empire. Earned it for what though? Celes rested her hands on her hips. No one's hands but her own had ever graced over the smooth and flawless skin. She was 18...and had never even been kissed. Was that normal? Celes hummed to herself and walked to her bedroom, imagining Locke's lips on hers, his hands enclosed in her own...
CRASH!
Celes smacked into a wall and suddenly remembered why she never daydreamed.