Locke rushed over to where Celes lay, who seemed to be having a horrible dream. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, and saw the beads of sweat on her forehead, matting her pale blonde tendrils to her equally pale face. He whispered her name, beckoning her softly to consciousness.
"Celes.. Please wake up, Celes.."
Still in her violent dream world, she saw Kefka's sword swing at her delicate throat. She heard her own consciousness, which had been the mysterious voice she was hearing all this time.
-wake up!-
Her blue eyes shot open, still full of the fiery exhaustion of her illusionary dream. She looked around the room frantically, as if she expected Kefka to be standing there, with his sword in hand. When instead she saw Locke beside her, with Terra and, Edgar, and Cyan coming in the doorway to see what was the matter, she fell back into her pillow, and sighed, deeply and relieved.
"Are you alright, Lady Celes?" Asked Cyan, with his forever caring, honorable voice.
She touched her forehead and replied weakly, "Yeah, I believe so."
"Was it about _him_ again?" Asked Terra, moving in closer to make sure her friend was alright.
Celes looked up, in time to see Sabin, Setzer, and even the little Moogle walk into the room. When she looked hard enough, she could see the faint outline of Shadow, leaning casually against the darkness of the wall.
"Kupo?" The moogle sounded in his own language. To their surprise, he spoke english as well, but for this moment he seemed to of chosen his own language, as a means to explain his own feelings.
"Are you ok Celes? We heard you tossing around in there."
"Kupopo."
Celes looked around at the concerned faces of her friends. /They're all.. Here for me. They actually care about me. They don't see me as heartless or cruel.. Just as the whole world did. They saved me from the life I couldn't bear to live../
She rested her gaze on Locke, who's eyes were still full of worry. Her lips slowly turned into a soft smile, and her blue azule eyes began to moisten.
Locke's heart warmed, as he came to realize what was going through Celes's mind. He leaned forward and embraced Celes in a tight hug. Her slender arms slowly encircled him, as she was not used to the feeling of another body so close to hers. Not like this. She closed her eyes.
And the first crystalline tear fell down her eloquent cheek.
****
A week later, they had all found Strago, Relm, Gau, and even the moogle's friend, Umaro. They were all that was left of their group, of which they had known before the coming of The World of Ruin separated them. They spent one last night of peaceful rest on Setzer's airship.
Celes was already awake when Locke came in. He sat down next to her on the bed, and smiled gently at her, with the responsibilities of the events to come laden in his thoughts.
"We're preparing to invade Kefka's Tower. Are you ready?" He asked in his soft, soothing tone.
Celes thought for a moment about how far they'd all come. /This is it. This is the final battle.. And with these people../ She looked into Locke's eyes. /..My friends.. I'm willing to fight, now. This is for freedom.. A factor I've always wanted. No more empire./
She nodded her head. "Couldn't be more ready."
"Celes.. Please wake up, Celes.."
Still in her violent dream world, she saw Kefka's sword swing at her delicate throat. She heard her own consciousness, which had been the mysterious voice she was hearing all this time.
-wake up!-
Her blue eyes shot open, still full of the fiery exhaustion of her illusionary dream. She looked around the room frantically, as if she expected Kefka to be standing there, with his sword in hand. When instead she saw Locke beside her, with Terra and, Edgar, and Cyan coming in the doorway to see what was the matter, she fell back into her pillow, and sighed, deeply and relieved.
"Are you alright, Lady Celes?" Asked Cyan, with his forever caring, honorable voice.
She touched her forehead and replied weakly, "Yeah, I believe so."
"Was it about _him_ again?" Asked Terra, moving in closer to make sure her friend was alright.
Celes looked up, in time to see Sabin, Setzer, and even the little Moogle walk into the room. When she looked hard enough, she could see the faint outline of Shadow, leaning casually against the darkness of the wall.
"Kupo?" The moogle sounded in his own language. To their surprise, he spoke english as well, but for this moment he seemed to of chosen his own language, as a means to explain his own feelings.
"Are you ok Celes? We heard you tossing around in there."
"Kupopo."
Celes looked around at the concerned faces of her friends. /They're all.. Here for me. They actually care about me. They don't see me as heartless or cruel.. Just as the whole world did. They saved me from the life I couldn't bear to live../
She rested her gaze on Locke, who's eyes were still full of worry. Her lips slowly turned into a soft smile, and her blue azule eyes began to moisten.
Locke's heart warmed, as he came to realize what was going through Celes's mind. He leaned forward and embraced Celes in a tight hug. Her slender arms slowly encircled him, as she was not used to the feeling of another body so close to hers. Not like this. She closed her eyes.
And the first crystalline tear fell down her eloquent cheek.
****
A week later, they had all found Strago, Relm, Gau, and even the moogle's friend, Umaro. They were all that was left of their group, of which they had known before the coming of The World of Ruin separated them. They spent one last night of peaceful rest on Setzer's airship.
Celes was already awake when Locke came in. He sat down next to her on the bed, and smiled gently at her, with the responsibilities of the events to come laden in his thoughts.
"We're preparing to invade Kefka's Tower. Are you ready?" He asked in his soft, soothing tone.
Celes thought for a moment about how far they'd all come. /This is it. This is the final battle.. And with these people../ She looked into Locke's eyes. /..My friends.. I'm willing to fight, now. This is for freedom.. A factor I've always wanted. No more empire./
She nodded her head. "Couldn't be more ready."