Chapter 6
After hesitating about where she would look, Terra hurried to the room she remembered as Sabin's. There were no guards by the door, but she knocked anyhow.
"Go away!" the prince's voice growled from inside.
"It's me, Sabin," Terra said, "but I'll leave if you want to be alone…"
At first there was no answer. Then, very slowly and almost too silent for her to hear it:
"Come in, then."
She opened the door and closed it behind her as she had entered the room. Sabin was sitting in an armchair, furiously rubbing the back of his neck with both hands.
"I can't believe it," he snarled, "I just can't believe it! They don't even care about what has happened to Edgar!"
"You know that's not true," Terra carefully said, slowly crossing the floor, "they are only worried that something more could happen to the kingdom…"
"Father got killed by the empire," Sabin bitterly growled, "and now I might have lost my brother to a group of mad cultists of the same rotten cause! And the people here, they only see me as a damn heir! It's as if none of us really matter because we're royalty! We're just some kind of puppets to put on the pretty throne…"
He fell silent and sighed as Terra put her hand on his shoulder.
"I guess I was pretty childish back there," he muttered, "but I don't care. I can't find words for it… sickening."
Shaking his head, he put his hand over Terra's.
"I wasn't ever fit to be a prince, Terra. It was a mistake."
"No… I'm sure that you'd be a great king if you'd have to. But we'll find Edgar safe and sound, so that he can save you from it."
"I hope so."
Sabin shook his head.
"The throne is just dirt to me," he muttered, "but Edgar is my brother."
He looked up at his female friend, with pain shining darkly in his eyes.
"He's a part of me, Terra," he bitterly said, "we have to find him."
"We will," she ensured him, "I promise we will."
Sabin looked into her eyes for a moment, trying to sort out his inner pandemonium by searching for something to focus on in those green gems. Then he suddenly stood up and pulled her into a hug. It happened so quickly that Terra had no time to react. She just found her palms and cheek against his warm chest, with Sabin's arms encircling her back.
"Thanks, Terra," he muttered through clamped teeth, in a strange voice.
"You… you're welcome," she mumbled, slightly stuttering.
What was he doing? And why? Only to search something to lean onto? She didn't know. What was she supposed to do now? She didn't know that either.
She wished that she could have asked her father, but he wasn't talking to her mind for the moment, and she could by no means even try to contact him in her confusion. Maybe later… later? After what?
Should she be afraid? No, why? Sabin was her friend, so why would she be scared? But he had never held her like this, no one had. She hadn't thought anyone would, and… what did it mean?
There were so many things that she didn't know about. But maybe it wasn't really that important to know everything. She had felt unsure many times, worrying and uncertain about the next step.
It never became easier, though…
"Did I make you nervous?" Sabin muttered.
Terra hesitated for half a second. Well?
"I don't think so," she mumbled, "I'm not sure."
"I'm just so tired and worried and… there's been so much, suddenly, lately," Sabin said in a low voice, "and I'm the brute of the troop and definitely not a king."
She just shook her head without a word. Simply knowing that he didn't need more than that she was right there for him. That right then, he needed her and her support. Maybe even more than the support of any of his other friends.
Her arms went around his waist by themselves. Well, did that mean anything?
What is really important, of all this?
Sabin is.
His fingertips moved carefully against her back.
'I'm just the brute of the troop. This is Edgar's area…' Sabin thought, almost lazily.
Edgar.
Have to find him.
The prince looked down, and Terra looked up.
"Thanks for coming," he sincerely said, "I appreciate it."
"Anytime, Sabin," she said with a small smile.
There was a knock on the door, and they hastily released each other.
"Yes?" Sabin called.
Gau looked into the room.
"Bad man awake," he grimly said, "friends ask him questions, but no answer. Come?"
"Of course."
Gau hurried off, slamming the door shut. Sabin and Terra exchanged glances.
"Talk afterwards?" she suggested.
"Yeah. Let's go," Sabin nodded.
As they came to the castle's prison, they found most of their friends assembled around the bound cultist. It was just a question of patience and stubbornness.
"I will tell you nothing," the man growled.
There was something empty in his eyes, as if he had no soul or mind of his own. As if his mad belief spoke through him. A true extremist.
"We don't have time for this," Setzer coldly said, "where are our friends, and what are you planning to do with them?"
"You will find out that in time yourselves, sinners," the cultist sneered, "when you are together."
Gogo was leaning against the wall, behind the backs of his friends. When Sabin and Terra passed him, he reached out a hand and touched the prince's arm. There was a burning compassion in the mimicker's eyes, forcing Sabin to stand still. Terra also stopped as the two men watched each other for a moment.
"Gogo…" Sabin finally said in a low voice.
The clothed figure slowly shook his head.
"Edgar's alive, my friend," he said, "we'll find him."
Sabin took the gloved hand.
"Gogo, you must have had a Hell."
"I still have, but I'll live. Just remember what's important."
Sabin grimly nodded. He and Terra made their way past the guards and friends. The cultist met the gaze of the prince with cold derision.
"My brother," Sabin said, "where is he?"
"You will know, sinner," was the scornful answer.
"Am I a sinner?" the prince calmly asked.
"Indeed. You helped driving the great master out of this world."
"We didn't drive him anywhere. We killed him. Two times, even."
All those who knew about it had the nerve not to throw a glance at Gogo.
"The master did not die," the cultist spat out, "your words only push you deeper into the darkness, sinner."
"I think I'm as deep as I'll get," Sabin said, "and he died, trust me."
"You are wrong, sinner. He will return soon to claim this world as his."
"And how, good heavens, will he do that?"
"You will find out."
"If I'm going to find out, why don't you tell me right now to make it simpler for all of us?"
The cultist snorted.
"I shall tell you naught," he said, "you won't understand it all before the time has come."
"And when would that be?" Celes asked, frustrated, "it has something to do with the fact that you've taken our friends alive, hasn't it?"
No answer.
"I think you hit the right button, love," Locke grimly said.
"Where are our friends?" Relm snapped, "is Shadow alive?"
"I won't tell you anything, sinners."
"What are you planning?" Terra stubbornly asked.
The cultist turned to her with a cold smirk.
"Ah, Terra Branford," he said, "your death will be the most painful of all. Master Kefka himself will see to that you get what you deserve, you little esper whore."
Many mouths opened in rage, but there suddenly was a loud crash of metal against stone floor.
"These silly games tires me," a screeching voice sneered, "it's time for the truth to be revealed, my follower!"
Quite a few people spun around to stare, only finding Gogo without his helmet. Unseen by the cultist, he made a desperate grimace and waved at his friends to back off. Seeing prince Sabin obey the move, the guards also did so, mostly in shock. As the bodies moved, Gogo put on a face of mockery superciliousness just before the tied up man got his eyes on him. The cultist's jaw was about to hit the floor.
"Ma-master Kefka!?" he harshly stuttered.
"It seems so, doesn't it?" Gogo screeched.
He crossed the floor and sneered at the stunned cultist, pointing at his marked cheek.
"Fresh and alive, with only this petty scar here as a memory of the battle against these fools. I am truly pleased that you have stayed true to me!"
The cultist opened his mouth, but Gogo stopped him by waving with a finger just in the way that Kefka always had done.
"However, sadly," he said, "I lost a lot of my power as I was… temporarily thrown down. I have regained some of it by now, as you can see."
He pointed at the other, silent people in the room. That they didn't make any attempt to attack "the master" was obviously proof enough for the cultist.
"Yet I had no knowledge of that you were still true to me, my follower," Gogo continued, "and I am most pleased to see your plans at work. As you understand, I wish to seek out the place of my trustful servants to join you and give you my blessing leadership, but my powers are still too weakened to find my way by myself. Here is why I let you get caught; I need your help."
"Of course, master Kefka!" the cultist said, almost breathless, "we have taken our hideout in the mountains south of the tower we built to your honor, the main entrance to our caves are two kilometers from the sacred ground where we once walked, sending our prayers to you. Then there are two smaller entrances on the other, outer side of the south mountains. All to confuse possible invaders."
"Good, good," Gogo nodded, sneering with satisfaction, "and I take it you've got a lot of traps there, considering your great victory of catching the assassin Shadow."
"Indeed, master Kefka. It's impossible to avoid all the triggers and the brothers guarding the tunnels, as the assassin Shadow found out and still grieves about in his cell. We have a complete labyrinth there, and none of us except the three high priests know the entire layout. It's made to only let you pass safety without help, master, because you are the only one who could make it. If your powers aren't enough yet, then I fear that I cannot help you further."
"I'll make it, trust me," Gogo sneered.
He thoughtfully pursed his mouth.
"Tell me, this should be juicy, what have you got in store for my enemies? I love new, fresh ideas."
"Our plan was to sacrifice them after taking them all captive, and thereby restore you and help you return to our world," the cultist explained, "but as you already are back, master, we could of course do it anyway to honor you."
Gogo nodded.
"Thank you for your help," he said, "this have truly aided me a lot."
He turned around and dropped the aura he had put up, burying his face in his hands.
"There you have it," he muttered, "I leave the rest to you."
"Who'll have the honor?" Locke sneered.
"I will!" Relm grinned.
She scornfully bowed to the confused cultist.
"Presenting to you, mister," she sneered and pointed at the man standing in the center of the room, "the great mimic Gogo, your master's twin brother."
The roar following almost made the castle shake, until Sabin with great satisfaction gave the cultist a knocking out hit in the back of his head.
"Thank you, Gogo…" Terra quietly said and offered him his helmet, "you played his role well."
He shook his head and retied the veil to hide his face.
"I only did it to save time," he bitterly muttered, "and because I don't like it when people have sinister plans for my friends, especially not in my old name. Trust me, that was the first and only time I ever pretended to be Kefka."
She noticed that his fingers were slightly shaking as he put the helmet over his head.
"Excuse me now," he muttered, "I think I'm going to have a hysterical breakdown."
He stumbled up the stair, out of the prison.
"I'll talk to him," Cid said and hurried after his old friend.
Cyan crossed his arms with a concerned frown.
"Now then," he said, "how canst we proceed? With a labyrinth and traps, we face an ordeal."
"This task require careful planning, indeed," Strago nodded.
He frowned.
"Cyan, what you've got is contagious!"
'May I be of service?' a voice inside of Terra's head suddenly smiled.
'Father?' she thought.
'Who else?'
Maduin gave a soft laugh. Then he turned back to business.
'Listen, Terra. I can't enter your world, but my mind can move around a small radius from you. I can find the traps, if you and your friends find a way of not getting lost.'
"My father says that he can somehow help us with the traps," Terra reported aloud, "but not with the labyrinth."
The group of friends exchanged concerned glances.
"Hey," Gau suddenly said, "me read about guy down in labyrinth! He had long yarn, tied by the entrance, not getting lost!"
There was a silence.
"Good one, boy!" Setzer finally grinned, "that's it!"
"We'll get them for sure," Sabin smirked and hit his palm with his fist, "all's set, then?"
"Hold it!" Strago sharply said, "this might sound cold, but we should rest at least one day before we go anywhere. Most of us are tired half to death; we're not fit to enter a dangerous labyrinth."
"But Edgar…" the prince began, frowning.
"They won't do him or anyone else of our friends anything before they have all of us," the old man calmly pointed out, "they're safe for now."
"But what about lady Kanai?" Sabin said, "she wasn't with us in the battle."
Strago shook his head.
"We won't be any match in these conditions," he said, "if we're going to help anyone, we have to sleep through a whole night and prepare well."
"It's no nice thought," Celes nodded, "but he's right. We need to rest and get ourselves proper equipment."
Sabin found that the mass spoke against him and gave up, really knowing they were right.
"Alright," he said, "we can surely find something in the armory for everyone, and we'll…"
A guard tapped on his shoulder.
"Excuse me, prince Sabin," the man helplessly said, "but, err… what's going on? Who was that… err… Kefka?"
Sabin turned around, frowning.
"Haven't you heard it already? I was sure that the rumor from that time when he revealed his secret…"
A lot of heads shaking was the answer.
"Oh. It's a long story."
"Please do tell it, Sir."
"Gogo!"
He turned to see Cid. Then he turned away again, staring at the desert from the top of the center tower of Figaro castle. The sand seemed to burn in the light of the rising sun.
"How are you?" the mechanic carefully asked.
"A bit sick, but I'll survive."
"Must have taken a lot of strength."
"Anger, actually. I couldn't take it that he called Terra an 'esper whore'. I guess I've got a weakness when it comes to her."
He sighed, idly scratching the cloth covering his scar.
"Please don't do that, it makes me nervous," Cid shuddered.
"Hmm? Oh, I've still got this habit, despite what happened…" Gogo absentmindedly mumbled.
They were silent for a while.
"Cid, I need to ask you for a favor," the mimic suddenly said.
"And what would that be, my friend?"
Gogo turned his head and grimly looked at the Falcon, which was resting below a sand dune about thirty yards from the castle.
"I need you to help me with something," the mimic slowly said, "because I fear for the safety of our friends."