Chapter 7- Reassurance
When Locke left the house, Celes pulled herself out of bed and made her way to the kitchen. She didn't want to ask Locke for breakfast...she could do it on her own.
As Celes was strugging to fry herself an egg, a pecking sound came upon her window. She turned and saw a carrier pidgeon pecking against the window, a red ribbon securing a letter to it's neck.
"What the heck?" Celes muttered, and abandoned her cooking for a moment to open the window. As soon as she did, the bird flew in and made a cooing noise. Celes removed the letter, and the bird quickly flew off. She closed her window, and looked at the letter.
"I never get mail." Celes said softly. She opened up the letter, and her eyes scanned over it quickly. She instantly realized that this letter was a mere copy of a note that had probably been sent to many other homes around the world. The pidgeon had probably been told to give a copy to whomever it could find. The letter read as follows:
To Whom Recieves This:
On the date of May 31, a missing child was reported in South Figaro, in Figaro Territory. While a full investigation is being carried through, we have reason to believe the child has been brought off the continent. Therefore, we have provided the child's stats in this letter, in hopes a local citizen may be able to help us...
Celes read through the stats and shook her head. It was a young child, about 7 years. Her name was Elizabeth Adams.
"Don't people watch their children anymore?" Celes said cooly. "Look at what happens!" She continued reading.
If anybody has any information involving this case, it would be greatly valued if you contacted Figaro Palace immediately. Thank you for your time.
-King Edgar Roni Figaro
-Prince Sabin Rene Figaro
-The Adams Family
"Edgar....Sabin...." Celes said sadly, and shook her head. So they were ruling Figaro together now. Well, they were twin brothers afterall. It was destiny.
"Celes, what in the world is burning?" A voice asked as the house door opened. Celes gasped and turned to her breakfast, which was now...well...a bit on fire.
"Ack!" Celes screamed, and grabbed the bucket of emergency water she had on the floor, pouring it all over the poor egg. The fire was smoldered by the time Locke walked in, and he looked like he was about to burst with laughter.
"Nice." He commented, and Celes turned red. Locke strolled over, dropping his bag of potions on the table, and pinched Celes' arm.
"OUCH!" She shrieked.
"Yep, skin and bones." Locke laughed. "No wonder you're so skinny. You can't eat anything because you light all your food on fire. Is this a new diet? I think maybe I should get on it. Do they call it the Pyro Program?"
"Hey..." Celes snapped, and beat him over the head with her spatula. "This has never happened before!"
"Sure..."
"Grrrr..."
"Heh, sorry, Celes. You're looking much better...!"
"Shut it, Locke."
"Yes ma'am!"
**********
Over a real breakfast that Locke cooked, Celes showed him the letter and they discussed it.
"Ya know, I bet they're givin' out a nice reward for that girl." Locke said.
"Yes, I immagine." Celes said, and peered at the letter again. "She must be the daughter of a rich family."
"If we found her..." Locke murmured, and looked up at the ceiling in thought.
"Locke, child searching?" Celes asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is this your true calling?" She smirked a little.
"Hey, you never know." Locke said. "If we DID find her, it would mean big bucks for us. I'm not saying we have to drop everything and look for her...I'm just saying that maybe we should go to South Figaro, and say, keep our eyes peeled."
"I'm fine with that." Celes said. What else could she say? It didn't matter to her. As long as she was with Locke...
Suddenly, Locke stood up.
"Well!" He exclaimed. "I don't know about you, but I feel that the world is calling to us! We should get ready to go to South Figaro!"
"That was corny..." Celes sighed, and slowly stood up. "Alright, let me get dressed..."
Celes went back to her room and cautiously got her clothes on, making sure not to irritate her wound. She had downed a Potion at breakfast, and she could feel it's effects slowly working over her body. Finally, she completed her outfit by fastening on her cape and pulling on her boots. Celes looked in the mirror, but suspected something was missing.
"Oh!" She cried. "My blue bandana..." But she couldn't find it anywhere. How would she keep her bangs from her face?
"Oh well." Celes said. "It was from the empire anyway. I really don't need it." Celes ran out of her room, and saw Locke by the front door of the house.
"You ready?" He asked, the sack of item slung over his back. Celes took one last look around the house.
Well, say good-bye. She thought. Good-bye to my old life, and hello to my new one, on the road with Locke...Strangely enough, Celes didn't feel so sad though. She didn't really get attatched to her new home, and barely to the new people she met. It was like she knew that something like this might happen. An instict...it was the same sure feeling she had felt when Locke had asked her to join the Returners. She knew it was right. She knew it was....her.
"Celes?"
"Oh, Locke! I'm sorry. Yes, lets hurry to Keith's so I can break him the news..."
Locke smiled. "You looked like you were in deep thought."
"I kinda was." Celes said softly.
"Aha, I see." Locke said. "Are you going to be homesick?"
Celes shook her head. "Locke...even now, I can't say that I've ever had a home to feel homesick for. I mean, there was the Empire, and I moved around so much with them, I hardly ever used the bedroom reserved for me in Vector's palace. And then, I've spent the last year of my life traveling around and sleeping in Inns and Airships. This place...was like temporary for me..." She actually felt tears spring to her eyes. "I'm afraid I may never actually have a place to call home!"
Locke sighed sadly and took her in his arms. "Don't be sad, Celes. You're still young, and there's plenty of time for you to be cooped up in a house!" He tried to make her laugh, but it wasn't working. He instead tried to reassure her.
"When you're married, you'll have a home to call your own." He said soothingly. "And you won't even be alone then. You'll be with a family that loves you, and maybe more then that. Isn't that something to look forward to?"
Celes sniffled and rubbed her eyes. "For some reason, I don't feel like that may happen."
"Aww, you've got to be kidding me." Locke smiled. "A pretty girl like you will be together with someone in no time. You're so considerate and kind, no real man will be able to resist you. I know that traditionally, someone your age should be engaged or married by now, but you're not a traditional girl. You're above average. Whoever steals your heart will be the luckiest guy alive!"
Celes blushed a little, but she still didn't feel much better.
Locke, thank you. I know you're trying to make me feel better about myself, but I just can't. You keep speaking of my future as if you won't be in it. Is that what you're planning? To take me on a little joyride around the world so that I meet a man and fall in love? Can't you see Locke? That you're the one I want to be with? I could never approach you about it now...it's as if you really just want to be with me temporarily. Like another temporary home...
Celes sighed and tried to ignore her on-going thoughts.
"There now, cheer up." Locke said. "We need to find your boss now and tell him that you're leaving so we can be on our way..."
"Right." Celes said, and smiled. "Thanks Locke..."
"It's no problem." Locke said, and smiled back. "Anything for you."
When Locke left the house, Celes pulled herself out of bed and made her way to the kitchen. She didn't want to ask Locke for breakfast...she could do it on her own.
As Celes was strugging to fry herself an egg, a pecking sound came upon her window. She turned and saw a carrier pidgeon pecking against the window, a red ribbon securing a letter to it's neck.
"What the heck?" Celes muttered, and abandoned her cooking for a moment to open the window. As soon as she did, the bird flew in and made a cooing noise. Celes removed the letter, and the bird quickly flew off. She closed her window, and looked at the letter.
"I never get mail." Celes said softly. She opened up the letter, and her eyes scanned over it quickly. She instantly realized that this letter was a mere copy of a note that had probably been sent to many other homes around the world. The pidgeon had probably been told to give a copy to whomever it could find. The letter read as follows:
To Whom Recieves This:
On the date of May 31, a missing child was reported in South Figaro, in Figaro Territory. While a full investigation is being carried through, we have reason to believe the child has been brought off the continent. Therefore, we have provided the child's stats in this letter, in hopes a local citizen may be able to help us...
Celes read through the stats and shook her head. It was a young child, about 7 years. Her name was Elizabeth Adams.
"Don't people watch their children anymore?" Celes said cooly. "Look at what happens!" She continued reading.
If anybody has any information involving this case, it would be greatly valued if you contacted Figaro Palace immediately. Thank you for your time.
-King Edgar Roni Figaro
-Prince Sabin Rene Figaro
-The Adams Family
"Edgar....Sabin...." Celes said sadly, and shook her head. So they were ruling Figaro together now. Well, they were twin brothers afterall. It was destiny.
"Celes, what in the world is burning?" A voice asked as the house door opened. Celes gasped and turned to her breakfast, which was now...well...a bit on fire.
"Ack!" Celes screamed, and grabbed the bucket of emergency water she had on the floor, pouring it all over the poor egg. The fire was smoldered by the time Locke walked in, and he looked like he was about to burst with laughter.
"Nice." He commented, and Celes turned red. Locke strolled over, dropping his bag of potions on the table, and pinched Celes' arm.
"OUCH!" She shrieked.
"Yep, skin and bones." Locke laughed. "No wonder you're so skinny. You can't eat anything because you light all your food on fire. Is this a new diet? I think maybe I should get on it. Do they call it the Pyro Program?"
"Hey..." Celes snapped, and beat him over the head with her spatula. "This has never happened before!"
"Sure..."
"Grrrr..."
"Heh, sorry, Celes. You're looking much better...!"
"Shut it, Locke."
"Yes ma'am!"
**********
Over a real breakfast that Locke cooked, Celes showed him the letter and they discussed it.
"Ya know, I bet they're givin' out a nice reward for that girl." Locke said.
"Yes, I immagine." Celes said, and peered at the letter again. "She must be the daughter of a rich family."
"If we found her..." Locke murmured, and looked up at the ceiling in thought.
"Locke, child searching?" Celes asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is this your true calling?" She smirked a little.
"Hey, you never know." Locke said. "If we DID find her, it would mean big bucks for us. I'm not saying we have to drop everything and look for her...I'm just saying that maybe we should go to South Figaro, and say, keep our eyes peeled."
"I'm fine with that." Celes said. What else could she say? It didn't matter to her. As long as she was with Locke...
Suddenly, Locke stood up.
"Well!" He exclaimed. "I don't know about you, but I feel that the world is calling to us! We should get ready to go to South Figaro!"
"That was corny..." Celes sighed, and slowly stood up. "Alright, let me get dressed..."
Celes went back to her room and cautiously got her clothes on, making sure not to irritate her wound. She had downed a Potion at breakfast, and she could feel it's effects slowly working over her body. Finally, she completed her outfit by fastening on her cape and pulling on her boots. Celes looked in the mirror, but suspected something was missing.
"Oh!" She cried. "My blue bandana..." But she couldn't find it anywhere. How would she keep her bangs from her face?
"Oh well." Celes said. "It was from the empire anyway. I really don't need it." Celes ran out of her room, and saw Locke by the front door of the house.
"You ready?" He asked, the sack of item slung over his back. Celes took one last look around the house.
Well, say good-bye. She thought. Good-bye to my old life, and hello to my new one, on the road with Locke...Strangely enough, Celes didn't feel so sad though. She didn't really get attatched to her new home, and barely to the new people she met. It was like she knew that something like this might happen. An instict...it was the same sure feeling she had felt when Locke had asked her to join the Returners. She knew it was right. She knew it was....her.
"Celes?"
"Oh, Locke! I'm sorry. Yes, lets hurry to Keith's so I can break him the news..."
Locke smiled. "You looked like you were in deep thought."
"I kinda was." Celes said softly.
"Aha, I see." Locke said. "Are you going to be homesick?"
Celes shook her head. "Locke...even now, I can't say that I've ever had a home to feel homesick for. I mean, there was the Empire, and I moved around so much with them, I hardly ever used the bedroom reserved for me in Vector's palace. And then, I've spent the last year of my life traveling around and sleeping in Inns and Airships. This place...was like temporary for me..." She actually felt tears spring to her eyes. "I'm afraid I may never actually have a place to call home!"
Locke sighed sadly and took her in his arms. "Don't be sad, Celes. You're still young, and there's plenty of time for you to be cooped up in a house!" He tried to make her laugh, but it wasn't working. He instead tried to reassure her.
"When you're married, you'll have a home to call your own." He said soothingly. "And you won't even be alone then. You'll be with a family that loves you, and maybe more then that. Isn't that something to look forward to?"
Celes sniffled and rubbed her eyes. "For some reason, I don't feel like that may happen."
"Aww, you've got to be kidding me." Locke smiled. "A pretty girl like you will be together with someone in no time. You're so considerate and kind, no real man will be able to resist you. I know that traditionally, someone your age should be engaged or married by now, but you're not a traditional girl. You're above average. Whoever steals your heart will be the luckiest guy alive!"
Celes blushed a little, but she still didn't feel much better.
Locke, thank you. I know you're trying to make me feel better about myself, but I just can't. You keep speaking of my future as if you won't be in it. Is that what you're planning? To take me on a little joyride around the world so that I meet a man and fall in love? Can't you see Locke? That you're the one I want to be with? I could never approach you about it now...it's as if you really just want to be with me temporarily. Like another temporary home...
Celes sighed and tried to ignore her on-going thoughts.
"There now, cheer up." Locke said. "We need to find your boss now and tell him that you're leaving so we can be on our way..."
"Right." Celes said, and smiled. "Thanks Locke..."
"It's no problem." Locke said, and smiled back. "Anything for you."