Chapter 25- Locke's Angel
Celes let out a loud screech, the night in Nikea with the rapist hitting her full force. She whirled around and blindly decked the offender in the shoulder, causing him to cry out and stumble back. Celes stepped back also, her feet grazing the stream's cool water. She narrowed her eyes to see better, and gasped.
"Celes....ouch....man....you still have some of that magitek power in you, no doubt..."
"Locke!" Celes cried, and leapt into his arms. "Locke, I'm sorry..." But she caught him off balance and in the middle of her apoligy, he stumbled backwards more and hit the grass with a soft thump. Celes cried out when she landed right on top of him, and quite akwardly too. She had managed to not crush his chest by sticking out her arms as she fell to hold herself up, but her legs were caught in the odd position of one being between Locke's own legs and the other being over his right leg.
Celes was still stunned from the fall, but no more stunned then Locke, who was gazing up at her from the ground. Her eyes were closed as she was trying to gather her thoughts, and Locke's eyes waundered to her chest, which was heaving from her hard breathing, to her stomach, to her bare legs that were not concealed in the least thanks to her wearing her green soldier's uniform that day. Locke gulped and felt his face heat up in pleasure and embarassment. Celes opened her eyes and looked down at him.
"....Sorry again." She said softly, and laughed a little.
"Heh...." Locke said.
"You....really have cold hands though." Celes tried to explain, and Locke laughed as he brought his hands to her waist, and gave it a soft squeaze. Celes smiled at the fact he wasn't mad, and relaxed a little. "Did your friend leave?"
"Yeah, I finally got him out." Locke said, and sighed. "I'm so sorry about his behavior."
"No....it's alright." Celes said, and brought a hand to Locke's cheek. "I was just upset."
"You had every right to be." Locke said firmly. "Next time, I'll be a better person and defend you more."
"Thanks...." Celes trailed off, and prepared to get off of him, but he stopped her by pulling her down closer by her waist.
"Stay a while, I don't bite." Locke said slyly, and Celes blushed as he leaned up and softly kissed her ear, and then, ever so gently, nibbled on it. Celes let out a soft sigh, and seeing that she liked it, Locke pulled away and whispered, "Well, maybe I do a little..."
Celes stuck her tongue out at him and crawled off him anyway. She wasn't honestly in the mood for games like these. She was still shaken from her crying incident, and kisses and hugs would not make it fade away any faster. Celes collapsed down on the grass exhaustedly, and looked up at the sky, resting her hands over her stomach. This was the sky she had seen so many times over, and yet, it didn't ever bore her. The sky was always there, never changing. Even in the dying World of Ruin, Celes remembered looking up at the sky from the beach, and seeing the familiar stars. Those stars had heard all of her secrets, and dreams that she confessed to them. They probably knew more then any other human on Earth knew about her.
Celes remembered when she was a kid, and Cid taught her how to use a telescope for the first time. It was one of the only activities she could do at the time, because magitek infusions had often left her exhausted and barely able to move like other children. After Cid would leave her alone in her room, Celes would make countless wishes, and prey that they would come true, along with giving the stars her little newsbits and secrets of the Empire that she was prohibited to tell anyone else.
"Please, let my body stop aching like this..."
"I wish I could get out of here....where are my mommy and daddy? Why won't they come to get me?"
And when she was a little older...
"I wish the Emperor would just get off my case about training so much. He's so annoying, always comparing me to Kefka and Leo. I didn't ask for this."
"They put the slave crown on that girl today. I feel so bad for her, but then again, if it keeps the attentions of Kefka and the Emperor away from me, I'm all for it."
And the year it got really bad, when she turned 18...
"We tourched Maranda today, I mean, totally destroyed it. The city was believed to be associating with the Returners. I had never heard so many people scream at the sight of me."
"I wish I could just die."
"Celes?"
"Wha?!" Celes cried, and looked to Locke.
"You ok?" Locke asked, and ran his fingers through his hair. "You look spaced out."
"I'm fine." Celes said, and looked away. "Just thinking."
"Did I do something wrong?" Locke said, worried that he had ticked her off about putting a move on her.
"No." Celes said firmly. She shifted uneasily in the cold grass, and she felt Locke take her hand.
"Celes...."
"Yes?"
"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"
"Yes...."
"And you trust me?"
"Of course, Locke."
Celes raised her eyebrows and looked at Locke again. His face was very serious, and his eyes were slightly narrowed. He suddenly sat up, and began to dig in his pocket. Celes sat up also, and peered at him curiously. Locke produced a tiny box, although it was too dark to see what sort of box it was. Celes couldn't figure out what was going on, so she kept her eyes on Locke's face, searching for a clue. For some reason, her heart began to beat faster, as if her body were anticipating something, something her mind could not conclude to. Locke opened the box with his nimble fingers and revealed something tiny within the box's walls.
No doubt, it was a ring. It wasn't dazzling, it didn't reflect pretty light off the moon, or anything like that. Celes found she couldn't even recognize the stone. Of course, that was not the only thought running through her mind at the moment, but she would come to realize at a later time that she indeed knew nothing about this particular ring. Celes' mind was completely blank at this moment. Time had frozen, ceased to exist. At first, she didn't hear the words that fell from Locke's lips as he lowered himself to one knee, holding the box out to her. It took a moment to register in her mind.
"Celes....Celes Chere...my beautiful angel...my gift from heaven...what a sacrifice it must have been for the Goddesses above to give you up to this lowly world...." Locke extended his empty hand as well.
Celes blinked, and felt her heartbeat race even faster. At this rate, surely, it would pound right through her chest, she was sure of it. She rested a palm against her chest, and brought the other hand out to Locke's. He squeazed it tightly, and smiled.
"Celes....will you do me the honor of becoming my wife...Mrs.Celes Cole...? For me to hold, love, and protect with my own life as long as you live, and then beyond that...when we meet again in Heaven?"
"Oh....!" Celes cried in breathless whisper. Tears sprung to her eyes, and she leapt from her spot on the grass into Locke's arms, knocking the small box out of his hands. He laughed and embraced her tightly as she kissed his cheek and his ear, whispering her answer. It was Locke's turn for tears, and he never bothered to stop them from trailing down his cheeks as he kissed Celes' cheek back, and cradled her face in his hands, using his thumbs to gently lift her tears away from her smiling face.
Their eyes met at that moment, and Locke moved in slowly, pressing his lips to hers in what could have possibly been the most passion-filled kiss they had ever shared outside of their dreams. Celes closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him, with his hands sliding down from her face, to her shoulders, and down to her hips. At the same time, they both broke the kiss, but did not break their embrace. The world around them had vanished, and it was just Locke and Celes alone, in their own little paradise that had been conceived from their love.
That night, Locke and Celes fell asleep in each other's arms, despite the cool summertime breeze, and the cold air that the bubbling stream was casuing. It didn't matter to them, for each was warm and perfectly content in each other's arms. There would be no distubance until daybreak's warm rays washed over them the next morning.
Celes let out a loud screech, the night in Nikea with the rapist hitting her full force. She whirled around and blindly decked the offender in the shoulder, causing him to cry out and stumble back. Celes stepped back also, her feet grazing the stream's cool water. She narrowed her eyes to see better, and gasped.
"Celes....ouch....man....you still have some of that magitek power in you, no doubt..."
"Locke!" Celes cried, and leapt into his arms. "Locke, I'm sorry..." But she caught him off balance and in the middle of her apoligy, he stumbled backwards more and hit the grass with a soft thump. Celes cried out when she landed right on top of him, and quite akwardly too. She had managed to not crush his chest by sticking out her arms as she fell to hold herself up, but her legs were caught in the odd position of one being between Locke's own legs and the other being over his right leg.
Celes was still stunned from the fall, but no more stunned then Locke, who was gazing up at her from the ground. Her eyes were closed as she was trying to gather her thoughts, and Locke's eyes waundered to her chest, which was heaving from her hard breathing, to her stomach, to her bare legs that were not concealed in the least thanks to her wearing her green soldier's uniform that day. Locke gulped and felt his face heat up in pleasure and embarassment. Celes opened her eyes and looked down at him.
"....Sorry again." She said softly, and laughed a little.
"Heh...." Locke said.
"You....really have cold hands though." Celes tried to explain, and Locke laughed as he brought his hands to her waist, and gave it a soft squeaze. Celes smiled at the fact he wasn't mad, and relaxed a little. "Did your friend leave?"
"Yeah, I finally got him out." Locke said, and sighed. "I'm so sorry about his behavior."
"No....it's alright." Celes said, and brought a hand to Locke's cheek. "I was just upset."
"You had every right to be." Locke said firmly. "Next time, I'll be a better person and defend you more."
"Thanks...." Celes trailed off, and prepared to get off of him, but he stopped her by pulling her down closer by her waist.
"Stay a while, I don't bite." Locke said slyly, and Celes blushed as he leaned up and softly kissed her ear, and then, ever so gently, nibbled on it. Celes let out a soft sigh, and seeing that she liked it, Locke pulled away and whispered, "Well, maybe I do a little..."
Celes stuck her tongue out at him and crawled off him anyway. She wasn't honestly in the mood for games like these. She was still shaken from her crying incident, and kisses and hugs would not make it fade away any faster. Celes collapsed down on the grass exhaustedly, and looked up at the sky, resting her hands over her stomach. This was the sky she had seen so many times over, and yet, it didn't ever bore her. The sky was always there, never changing. Even in the dying World of Ruin, Celes remembered looking up at the sky from the beach, and seeing the familiar stars. Those stars had heard all of her secrets, and dreams that she confessed to them. They probably knew more then any other human on Earth knew about her.
Celes remembered when she was a kid, and Cid taught her how to use a telescope for the first time. It was one of the only activities she could do at the time, because magitek infusions had often left her exhausted and barely able to move like other children. After Cid would leave her alone in her room, Celes would make countless wishes, and prey that they would come true, along with giving the stars her little newsbits and secrets of the Empire that she was prohibited to tell anyone else.
"Please, let my body stop aching like this..."
"I wish I could get out of here....where are my mommy and daddy? Why won't they come to get me?"
And when she was a little older...
"I wish the Emperor would just get off my case about training so much. He's so annoying, always comparing me to Kefka and Leo. I didn't ask for this."
"They put the slave crown on that girl today. I feel so bad for her, but then again, if it keeps the attentions of Kefka and the Emperor away from me, I'm all for it."
And the year it got really bad, when she turned 18...
"We tourched Maranda today, I mean, totally destroyed it. The city was believed to be associating with the Returners. I had never heard so many people scream at the sight of me."
"I wish I could just die."
"Celes?"
"Wha?!" Celes cried, and looked to Locke.
"You ok?" Locke asked, and ran his fingers through his hair. "You look spaced out."
"I'm fine." Celes said, and looked away. "Just thinking."
"Did I do something wrong?" Locke said, worried that he had ticked her off about putting a move on her.
"No." Celes said firmly. She shifted uneasily in the cold grass, and she felt Locke take her hand.
"Celes...."
"Yes?"
"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"
"Yes...."
"And you trust me?"
"Of course, Locke."
Celes raised her eyebrows and looked at Locke again. His face was very serious, and his eyes were slightly narrowed. He suddenly sat up, and began to dig in his pocket. Celes sat up also, and peered at him curiously. Locke produced a tiny box, although it was too dark to see what sort of box it was. Celes couldn't figure out what was going on, so she kept her eyes on Locke's face, searching for a clue. For some reason, her heart began to beat faster, as if her body were anticipating something, something her mind could not conclude to. Locke opened the box with his nimble fingers and revealed something tiny within the box's walls.
No doubt, it was a ring. It wasn't dazzling, it didn't reflect pretty light off the moon, or anything like that. Celes found she couldn't even recognize the stone. Of course, that was not the only thought running through her mind at the moment, but she would come to realize at a later time that she indeed knew nothing about this particular ring. Celes' mind was completely blank at this moment. Time had frozen, ceased to exist. At first, she didn't hear the words that fell from Locke's lips as he lowered himself to one knee, holding the box out to her. It took a moment to register in her mind.
"Celes....Celes Chere...my beautiful angel...my gift from heaven...what a sacrifice it must have been for the Goddesses above to give you up to this lowly world...." Locke extended his empty hand as well.
Celes blinked, and felt her heartbeat race even faster. At this rate, surely, it would pound right through her chest, she was sure of it. She rested a palm against her chest, and brought the other hand out to Locke's. He squeazed it tightly, and smiled.
"Celes....will you do me the honor of becoming my wife...Mrs.Celes Cole...? For me to hold, love, and protect with my own life as long as you live, and then beyond that...when we meet again in Heaven?"
"Oh....!" Celes cried in breathless whisper. Tears sprung to her eyes, and she leapt from her spot on the grass into Locke's arms, knocking the small box out of his hands. He laughed and embraced her tightly as she kissed his cheek and his ear, whispering her answer. It was Locke's turn for tears, and he never bothered to stop them from trailing down his cheeks as he kissed Celes' cheek back, and cradled her face in his hands, using his thumbs to gently lift her tears away from her smiling face.
Their eyes met at that moment, and Locke moved in slowly, pressing his lips to hers in what could have possibly been the most passion-filled kiss they had ever shared outside of their dreams. Celes closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him, with his hands sliding down from her face, to her shoulders, and down to her hips. At the same time, they both broke the kiss, but did not break their embrace. The world around them had vanished, and it was just Locke and Celes alone, in their own little paradise that had been conceived from their love.
That night, Locke and Celes fell asleep in each other's arms, despite the cool summertime breeze, and the cold air that the bubbling stream was casuing. It didn't matter to them, for each was warm and perfectly content in each other's arms. There would be no distubance until daybreak's warm rays washed over them the next morning.