Author's note: I own nothing. Well, I own some things, just not the
characters in this story. They belong to Square.
Prologue
"Hate…Hate…HATE!"
And then, before he knew it, the world around him turned blood red and slowly faded to black.
Floating in and out of semi-consciousness, he was vaguely aware of the next few events. The screaming of men. The explosion of machines. The magical influence that enveloped the area like a blanket. The wild, maniacal laughter.
Then, nothing.
He heard faint, slow, groggy movement to the south and southeast of him. Sounds of worry. The occasional "You okay?".
A voice traveled in his direction.
"Look! Over there! Go check on him!"
It was then that he heard a beautiful voice say to him, "Hey, you're going to be okay now. You're going to be just fine."
He forced his eyes to open, and he saw…her. The girl. She was sitting next to him, holding his head in her lap, stroking his dirty blond hair, reassuring him. Or was she reassuring herself? He was in no state of mind to make such judgements. He was tired…
He looked into her eyes and mustered all the energy he could to force his mouth to crack a smile, then he closed his eyes and let his head fall.
1 Chapter 1
It was nightfall when he opened his eyes. He sat up with a start, not recognizing his surroundings. He knew that he was in a bed somewhere. He heard the dull hum of propellers and machinery and immediately knew that he was on an aircraft of sorts. Definitely not a vessel belonging to the Empire, though. He was no engineer, but no Imperial craft would contain such lavish décor.
Looking down, he noticed that he was completely naked. He noticed the scar on his left shoulder blade.
Lucky for me that idiot's such a lousy aim, he thought. Otherwise that would have been the end of me.
He looked around once again.
How…how did I get here? Where am I? Have I been taken prisoner?
His questions were answered just then when the door opened up.
"You're awake!"
He whirled suddenly to see who was speaking to him. He was completely caught off guard by who it was.
It was the girl. Terra. The one who he had a rather intimate conversation with on their way towards finding the Cave of the Espers. What was she doing here though?
"Terra, I…uh…"
He looked down at his naked self and quickly reached for something to cover himself up with. He found the bedsheet. Unfortunately, it didn't quite hide all that he wanted it to.
Terra smiled.
"It's okay, really," she reassured him. "You've been out for about twelve hours now. We were beginning to think that you wouldn't wake up."
He squinted his eyes, unsure of the situation.
"We?"
"Yes, all of us," Terra said. "We used some Cure spells on you and bought some potions to help you. You were in pretty bad shape."
"I was?"
"Yes, you were," Terra said, a worried look on her face. "Do you remember anything, anything at all?"
"I…" he stammered. "I remember it all. But it's like it was a dream."
Terra looked concerned.
"A dream?" she asked. "Tell me about it."
"I was in Thamasa, under the pretense that Emperor Gestahl wanted to end his war with the Espers," he started. "Then all of a sudden, Kefka and some Magitek soldiers appeared, and, and…"
"Turned all the Espers that came out of the Sealed Gate into Magicite," Terra finished for him. "You weren't dreaming."
"But there's more," he said. "I went to confront Kefka, but it was only his shadow there. Then the awful, awful truth hit me. Kefka told me that it was the Emperor's desire to collect Magicite, and that I was nothing more than a…a pawn. A means to an end."
Terra went to embrace him, but he pushed her away.
"To think that I swore my very life to him, only to have him use me like that!" he raged. "I cannot accept that!"
Terra sat down on the edge of the bed.
"What will you do?" she asked.
"I don't know," he said. "I really don't know."
"Join us," Terra said, rising from the bedside. "We're trying to make things right. Maybe you can find closure in all this. We're after Kefka and Gestahl too. It took you so long to realize that the Empire is evil; maybe now this will give you the reason you need to fight and uphold your morals."
He sighed.
"I don't know, Terra," he said. "I can't make any promises. Give me some time."
"Okay," said Terra. "Until then, get some rest."
And as quickly as she came, she left.
He lay down and pulled the cover over him. He lay awake for a long time thinking about the events that had transpired.
I'll get you for this, Kefka, he thought. I'll make you regret the day you were born!
Prologue
"Hate…Hate…HATE!"
And then, before he knew it, the world around him turned blood red and slowly faded to black.
Floating in and out of semi-consciousness, he was vaguely aware of the next few events. The screaming of men. The explosion of machines. The magical influence that enveloped the area like a blanket. The wild, maniacal laughter.
Then, nothing.
He heard faint, slow, groggy movement to the south and southeast of him. Sounds of worry. The occasional "You okay?".
A voice traveled in his direction.
"Look! Over there! Go check on him!"
It was then that he heard a beautiful voice say to him, "Hey, you're going to be okay now. You're going to be just fine."
He forced his eyes to open, and he saw…her. The girl. She was sitting next to him, holding his head in her lap, stroking his dirty blond hair, reassuring him. Or was she reassuring herself? He was in no state of mind to make such judgements. He was tired…
He looked into her eyes and mustered all the energy he could to force his mouth to crack a smile, then he closed his eyes and let his head fall.
1 Chapter 1
It was nightfall when he opened his eyes. He sat up with a start, not recognizing his surroundings. He knew that he was in a bed somewhere. He heard the dull hum of propellers and machinery and immediately knew that he was on an aircraft of sorts. Definitely not a vessel belonging to the Empire, though. He was no engineer, but no Imperial craft would contain such lavish décor.
Looking down, he noticed that he was completely naked. He noticed the scar on his left shoulder blade.
Lucky for me that idiot's such a lousy aim, he thought. Otherwise that would have been the end of me.
He looked around once again.
How…how did I get here? Where am I? Have I been taken prisoner?
His questions were answered just then when the door opened up.
"You're awake!"
He whirled suddenly to see who was speaking to him. He was completely caught off guard by who it was.
It was the girl. Terra. The one who he had a rather intimate conversation with on their way towards finding the Cave of the Espers. What was she doing here though?
"Terra, I…uh…"
He looked down at his naked self and quickly reached for something to cover himself up with. He found the bedsheet. Unfortunately, it didn't quite hide all that he wanted it to.
Terra smiled.
"It's okay, really," she reassured him. "You've been out for about twelve hours now. We were beginning to think that you wouldn't wake up."
He squinted his eyes, unsure of the situation.
"We?"
"Yes, all of us," Terra said. "We used some Cure spells on you and bought some potions to help you. You were in pretty bad shape."
"I was?"
"Yes, you were," Terra said, a worried look on her face. "Do you remember anything, anything at all?"
"I…" he stammered. "I remember it all. But it's like it was a dream."
Terra looked concerned.
"A dream?" she asked. "Tell me about it."
"I was in Thamasa, under the pretense that Emperor Gestahl wanted to end his war with the Espers," he started. "Then all of a sudden, Kefka and some Magitek soldiers appeared, and, and…"
"Turned all the Espers that came out of the Sealed Gate into Magicite," Terra finished for him. "You weren't dreaming."
"But there's more," he said. "I went to confront Kefka, but it was only his shadow there. Then the awful, awful truth hit me. Kefka told me that it was the Emperor's desire to collect Magicite, and that I was nothing more than a…a pawn. A means to an end."
Terra went to embrace him, but he pushed her away.
"To think that I swore my very life to him, only to have him use me like that!" he raged. "I cannot accept that!"
Terra sat down on the edge of the bed.
"What will you do?" she asked.
"I don't know," he said. "I really don't know."
"Join us," Terra said, rising from the bedside. "We're trying to make things right. Maybe you can find closure in all this. We're after Kefka and Gestahl too. It took you so long to realize that the Empire is evil; maybe now this will give you the reason you need to fight and uphold your morals."
He sighed.
"I don't know, Terra," he said. "I can't make any promises. Give me some time."
"Okay," said Terra. "Until then, get some rest."
And as quickly as she came, she left.
He lay down and pulled the cover over him. He lay awake for a long time thinking about the events that had transpired.
I'll get you for this, Kefka, he thought. I'll make you regret the day you were born!