Chapter 9- A Princess and a Prince
Celes was just done brushing her hair in a lower cabin when Locke appeared in the doorway. Celes turned to him and felt her face flush over. He looked down a little as he started to speak.
"Hey, we docked..." He said.
"That's a relief." Celes said camly, and tucked the brush into their bag of goods. She checked around for anything else that might have been their's, and when she saw nothing, she brushed past Locke and climbed up the steps to the surface deck.
Just forget anything happened. She thought. My immagination turned rubbing drool off my face into some sort of fantasy kiss. I must have suffered from more than dehydration. Maybe I've gone disillusional too.
Locke followed her and they both thanked the captain for the ride and the delicious breakfast provided to them. With that, they entered the port of South Figaro, and Celes narrowed her eyes a little. The sun was burning brightly today. Locke tugged his bandana over his eyes a little.
"Man..." He muttered. "It's gonna be a hot one today. I forgot how sticky Figaro summers are." Celes didn't forget that. It was a disgustingly hot day when she met Locke in this city for the first time...She would never forget that.
"Maybe we should discuss our plans in say, a more shaded area?" Celes suggested. "I don't want to pass out again."
So, they found the Sotuh Figaro pub, and went inside. It was a little cooler, with all the windows open and the icebox room door wide open behind the serving counter. As Celes and Locke were searching for a seat, Celes caught drift of a familiar voice...
"I honestly can't remember it ever being this hot." It said, and sighed softly. It was not a loud, whining tone. It was soft, and melodic...
"Well Miss, you're lucky, cause at least you're heading for a place with it's own cooling system. That Figaro castle is state of the art. I'm jealous of anyone who is invited to come there."
"I'm sure the technology will be brought to the villages soon." The voice said in a more hopeful tone. "Edgar would never hold back from his people."
"Hmmm, I know you are right! Well, have a nice journey." The infamilar voice that was male drifted away, and Celes turned to where she heard the girl's voice, and broke out into a wide smile.
"Hey, is that...?" But before Locke finished, Celes was already in the surprised girl's arms.
"Terra!" Celes cried, and hugged the short, green haired woman. Terra blinked a moment, and suddenly hugged back.
"Celes!" She exclaimed in a breathless whisper. "What in the world?"
"Hey Terra." Locke smiled, and walked over to them. "Look at what I found."
"Locke!" Terra said, and her gorgeous emerald eyes sparkled. "So you found Celes after all! You are a true treasure hunter!" Celes pulled away, and looked Terra up and down to note any changes. But the sweet girl had not changed one freckle. She was still as lovely and as charming as ever.
"I missed you terribly." Terra remarked, as she looked over Celes herself, pleased that her own best (if not only) girlfriend had not changed herself.
"I missed you too." Celes said, and nodded. "Sorry I haven't been around."
"Indeed." Terra smiled. "I thought you had dropped off the face of the planet! Thank goodness you are safe, and you appear well..."
"I'm fine." Celes answered quickly.
Terra's smile didn't waver. She was too happy to notice how nervous and jumpy Celes had become. Locke cleared his throat, and the the two reunited girls turned and to him and both laughed a little.
"You are heading to the castle?" Locke asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you STILL seeing that, well....pimp of a king?!" Terra blushed, and Celes made a face.
"Seeing!?" She cried.
"Oh, my, yes." Terra said, and giggled a little. "Do not tease me so, Locke. Edgar has certainly changed his womanizing ways, and you know it! Quit trying to scare me."
"Terra and Edgar are...well...dating!?" Celes spat out. "Why didn't you tell me, Locke?"
"Slipped my mind." Locke smiled. "The thought is rather mind- blowing....Edgar settling on ONE woman only..."
"Oh, Locke!" Terra shook her head, but was laughing to show she wasn't upset. Celes beamed on the outside, but on the inside, she felt her small amount of confidence wilting away.
Wow....even Terra...shy, innocent, sweet little Terra....found someboy to love....and she looks so happy. Much happier then how I probably looked when Locke found me. Has everyone really moved on? Does any of us still cling to dead past emotions like I?
"Celes?" Locke asked.
"Oh, yeah!?" Celes asked, snapping out of it.
"Terra just offered to take us to Figaro Castle." Locke said. "Wanna go?"
"Oh, of course, yes." Celes smiled. "I would like to see Edgar and Sabin myself."
"How did you know Sabin lived there now?" Terra asked with curiousity as the team slipped out of the pub.
"From this." Celes said, and pulled out the letter she had recieved. Terra seemed to recognize it immediately.
"Oh, yes, Miss Elizabeth." Terra said. "She's still missing. Everyone in Figaro is looking for her. It's like she just disappeared into thin air."
"Hmmmph, maybe she was a ghost?" Locke suggested, and smiled.
"It does not matter." Terra said sadly. "If she is not found by the end of the month, the authorities will consider her..." She trailed off.
They left South Figaro, not talking much along the way to the castle. Celes herself was concentrating on the looks of surprise she would get from Edgar and Sabin when they saw her. She certainly did enjoy those silly reactions. Finally, the silence was broken by Terra.
"So, Celes, do you have a boyfriend?"
Celes looked up sharply. "Erm, me?!"
"Yes." Terra replied, and giggled.
"No, no I don't." Celes said quickly, and turned red, while trying not to look at Locke. She could not see that he was peering at the ground, keeping all eye contact off of Celes.
"I KNOW you don't Locke." Terra added. "You're getting o-l-d."
"Old!?" Locke cried. "Wha?! Just because I'm not eighteen like you two doesn't mean anything---"
"Hee-hee." Terra smiled. "I guess you're right. You would need a younger girl anyway, so she could keep up with you." Terra suddenly impersonated an old woman and pretended to shake a cane at Locke. "Now slow down sonny! Don't rush off to bed so fast without your beloved wife...!" Terra pretended to trip in the desert sands, and Celes burst out laughing. Locke was extremely embarassed.
"Terra, that's just wrong." He said, and shuddered. "Do you do that stunt for Edgar?"
"Oh, LOCKE!" Terra cried, and swung at him while he laughed too. Celes was laughing so hard, tears were forming in her eyes. She had not seen Terra like this ever, but she was loving it. Terra was starting to actually act like a teenager instead of the elder woman she had just impersonated.
When they arrived at Figaro Castle, the guards recogized him immediately and let them all enter. Celes' jaw nearly dropped to the floor as soon as they entered the entryway. There, standing with their back to them, gazing out a window, was the unmistakenable shape of Sabin. He was now dressed in beautiful royal robes made of rich silk and velevet. His hair was also, well, tamed somewhat now, and pulled back in a much nice ponytail then usual.
"Sabin!" Terra called, and he whirled around.
"Terra!" He smiled, and his eyes widened some. "Aha, Locke, and Celes! What are you doing here?!"
"Hey." Locke said.
"Sabin!" Celes cried, and he pulled her into a big bear hug. Her face was pushed against the soft folds on his chest from his strength, but she didn't mind at all. He let her go so she could breathe, and playfully messed up her hair.
"Celes, what's up!?" Sabin asked. "What brought you back to our shack?"
"Shack?" Locke muttered. "You wanna see a shack? You can stop by my place sometime and have a cup of tea."
Terra laughed.
"We're all here to pay a visit to Edgar, and you, of course, Prince Sabin." Terra teased.
"Puh-leaze, spare me the title." Sabin said. "You would not believe how it makes my skin crawl! I pound Edgar everytime he says it."
"Well, you look like you're enjoying it." Celes said, and tugged on his robes. Sabin turned red.
"Edgar makes me dress like this." Sabin pouted. "He said it's not a pretty sight to see me walking around the palace in my 'ragged clothing that leaves me half naked to begin with.' "
"Why should Edgar be so concerned, if he lets the women walk around like that?" Celes commented. Sabin roared in laughter, and suddenly...
"My sweet sands of Figaro, did I just hear the voice of an angel call my name?"
Celes was just done brushing her hair in a lower cabin when Locke appeared in the doorway. Celes turned to him and felt her face flush over. He looked down a little as he started to speak.
"Hey, we docked..." He said.
"That's a relief." Celes said camly, and tucked the brush into their bag of goods. She checked around for anything else that might have been their's, and when she saw nothing, she brushed past Locke and climbed up the steps to the surface deck.
Just forget anything happened. She thought. My immagination turned rubbing drool off my face into some sort of fantasy kiss. I must have suffered from more than dehydration. Maybe I've gone disillusional too.
Locke followed her and they both thanked the captain for the ride and the delicious breakfast provided to them. With that, they entered the port of South Figaro, and Celes narrowed her eyes a little. The sun was burning brightly today. Locke tugged his bandana over his eyes a little.
"Man..." He muttered. "It's gonna be a hot one today. I forgot how sticky Figaro summers are." Celes didn't forget that. It was a disgustingly hot day when she met Locke in this city for the first time...She would never forget that.
"Maybe we should discuss our plans in say, a more shaded area?" Celes suggested. "I don't want to pass out again."
So, they found the Sotuh Figaro pub, and went inside. It was a little cooler, with all the windows open and the icebox room door wide open behind the serving counter. As Celes and Locke were searching for a seat, Celes caught drift of a familiar voice...
"I honestly can't remember it ever being this hot." It said, and sighed softly. It was not a loud, whining tone. It was soft, and melodic...
"Well Miss, you're lucky, cause at least you're heading for a place with it's own cooling system. That Figaro castle is state of the art. I'm jealous of anyone who is invited to come there."
"I'm sure the technology will be brought to the villages soon." The voice said in a more hopeful tone. "Edgar would never hold back from his people."
"Hmmm, I know you are right! Well, have a nice journey." The infamilar voice that was male drifted away, and Celes turned to where she heard the girl's voice, and broke out into a wide smile.
"Hey, is that...?" But before Locke finished, Celes was already in the surprised girl's arms.
"Terra!" Celes cried, and hugged the short, green haired woman. Terra blinked a moment, and suddenly hugged back.
"Celes!" She exclaimed in a breathless whisper. "What in the world?"
"Hey Terra." Locke smiled, and walked over to them. "Look at what I found."
"Locke!" Terra said, and her gorgeous emerald eyes sparkled. "So you found Celes after all! You are a true treasure hunter!" Celes pulled away, and looked Terra up and down to note any changes. But the sweet girl had not changed one freckle. She was still as lovely and as charming as ever.
"I missed you terribly." Terra remarked, as she looked over Celes herself, pleased that her own best (if not only) girlfriend had not changed herself.
"I missed you too." Celes said, and nodded. "Sorry I haven't been around."
"Indeed." Terra smiled. "I thought you had dropped off the face of the planet! Thank goodness you are safe, and you appear well..."
"I'm fine." Celes answered quickly.
Terra's smile didn't waver. She was too happy to notice how nervous and jumpy Celes had become. Locke cleared his throat, and the the two reunited girls turned and to him and both laughed a little.
"You are heading to the castle?" Locke asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you STILL seeing that, well....pimp of a king?!" Terra blushed, and Celes made a face.
"Seeing!?" She cried.
"Oh, my, yes." Terra said, and giggled a little. "Do not tease me so, Locke. Edgar has certainly changed his womanizing ways, and you know it! Quit trying to scare me."
"Terra and Edgar are...well...dating!?" Celes spat out. "Why didn't you tell me, Locke?"
"Slipped my mind." Locke smiled. "The thought is rather mind- blowing....Edgar settling on ONE woman only..."
"Oh, Locke!" Terra shook her head, but was laughing to show she wasn't upset. Celes beamed on the outside, but on the inside, she felt her small amount of confidence wilting away.
Wow....even Terra...shy, innocent, sweet little Terra....found someboy to love....and she looks so happy. Much happier then how I probably looked when Locke found me. Has everyone really moved on? Does any of us still cling to dead past emotions like I?
"Celes?" Locke asked.
"Oh, yeah!?" Celes asked, snapping out of it.
"Terra just offered to take us to Figaro Castle." Locke said. "Wanna go?"
"Oh, of course, yes." Celes smiled. "I would like to see Edgar and Sabin myself."
"How did you know Sabin lived there now?" Terra asked with curiousity as the team slipped out of the pub.
"From this." Celes said, and pulled out the letter she had recieved. Terra seemed to recognize it immediately.
"Oh, yes, Miss Elizabeth." Terra said. "She's still missing. Everyone in Figaro is looking for her. It's like she just disappeared into thin air."
"Hmmmph, maybe she was a ghost?" Locke suggested, and smiled.
"It does not matter." Terra said sadly. "If she is not found by the end of the month, the authorities will consider her..." She trailed off.
They left South Figaro, not talking much along the way to the castle. Celes herself was concentrating on the looks of surprise she would get from Edgar and Sabin when they saw her. She certainly did enjoy those silly reactions. Finally, the silence was broken by Terra.
"So, Celes, do you have a boyfriend?"
Celes looked up sharply. "Erm, me?!"
"Yes." Terra replied, and giggled.
"No, no I don't." Celes said quickly, and turned red, while trying not to look at Locke. She could not see that he was peering at the ground, keeping all eye contact off of Celes.
"I KNOW you don't Locke." Terra added. "You're getting o-l-d."
"Old!?" Locke cried. "Wha?! Just because I'm not eighteen like you two doesn't mean anything---"
"Hee-hee." Terra smiled. "I guess you're right. You would need a younger girl anyway, so she could keep up with you." Terra suddenly impersonated an old woman and pretended to shake a cane at Locke. "Now slow down sonny! Don't rush off to bed so fast without your beloved wife...!" Terra pretended to trip in the desert sands, and Celes burst out laughing. Locke was extremely embarassed.
"Terra, that's just wrong." He said, and shuddered. "Do you do that stunt for Edgar?"
"Oh, LOCKE!" Terra cried, and swung at him while he laughed too. Celes was laughing so hard, tears were forming in her eyes. She had not seen Terra like this ever, but she was loving it. Terra was starting to actually act like a teenager instead of the elder woman she had just impersonated.
When they arrived at Figaro Castle, the guards recogized him immediately and let them all enter. Celes' jaw nearly dropped to the floor as soon as they entered the entryway. There, standing with their back to them, gazing out a window, was the unmistakenable shape of Sabin. He was now dressed in beautiful royal robes made of rich silk and velevet. His hair was also, well, tamed somewhat now, and pulled back in a much nice ponytail then usual.
"Sabin!" Terra called, and he whirled around.
"Terra!" He smiled, and his eyes widened some. "Aha, Locke, and Celes! What are you doing here?!"
"Hey." Locke said.
"Sabin!" Celes cried, and he pulled her into a big bear hug. Her face was pushed against the soft folds on his chest from his strength, but she didn't mind at all. He let her go so she could breathe, and playfully messed up her hair.
"Celes, what's up!?" Sabin asked. "What brought you back to our shack?"
"Shack?" Locke muttered. "You wanna see a shack? You can stop by my place sometime and have a cup of tea."
Terra laughed.
"We're all here to pay a visit to Edgar, and you, of course, Prince Sabin." Terra teased.
"Puh-leaze, spare me the title." Sabin said. "You would not believe how it makes my skin crawl! I pound Edgar everytime he says it."
"Well, you look like you're enjoying it." Celes said, and tugged on his robes. Sabin turned red.
"Edgar makes me dress like this." Sabin pouted. "He said it's not a pretty sight to see me walking around the palace in my 'ragged clothing that leaves me half naked to begin with.' "
"Why should Edgar be so concerned, if he lets the women walk around like that?" Celes commented. Sabin roared in laughter, and suddenly...
"My sweet sands of Figaro, did I just hear the voice of an angel call my name?"