Final Fantasy 6: The Chaos Factor

Part One

Terra Branford sat quietly beside the large picture window in her chambers at Figaro Castle watching the cloudless night sky over the surrounding desert. It was hard to imagine that only a few months ago, she and her comrades had battled the evil and quite insane magician Kefka to save the world. It was hard to imagine that the world would not have survived if the group of mismatched vagrants had failed.

There was a light tapping on her door and Terra turned to see the tall Sabin Figaro letting himself in. Sabin had gotten in the habit of dropping by her chambers to talk before he went to bed. Terra was beginning to realize that she looked forward to his visits. It was the highlight of her days spent in the secluded desert castle. Sabin flashed his handsome smile at her and joined her at the window. She returned his smile.

"Edgar is hosting another party," Sabin stated as he lounged back against the wall and put his arms behind his head. "He said that he invited you."

"He did," Terra confirmed.

"He's going to be upset that you weren't there," Sabin commented.

"He'll have to suffer without me," Terra chuckled lightly.

Sabin fell silent a moment and searched Terra's face with his intense blue eyes. Terra met his gaze with her pale green eyes, wondering what the normally jovial and talkative Sabin was thinking about.

"I've decided to leave Figaro for a while," Sabin blurted as he folded hands in his lap and kept his eyes down. "Even though my training has concluded with Master Duncan, there is still much more for me to learn from other instructors."

Terra nodded with a pang of disappointment in her heart as she studied his handsome downcast face.

"I leave tomorrow morning," Sabin continued while shifting his gaze to the window. "And I don't know how long I'm going to be gone." He looked at her then with a trace of sorrow in him expression. "I hope that you understand."

Terra nodded again and faked a smile.

"I understand," Terra whispered after a long moment of silence. "You have to do what is best for you."

Sabin smiled and relaxed visibly.

"I knew that you would understand, Terra. My brother is driving me crazy with all his hero talk and I need to get away. I've been too lax in my training."

Sabin watched Terra a moment and when she didn't respond he rose.

"I suppose that this is good-bye then," Sabin stated as he looked down at her. Terra looked up at him and couldn't read his face.

"Yes," Terra breathed as she stood up beside him. "Good-bye."

Sabin hugged her then, the first time that he had ever touched her. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist and pulled her close. He buried his face into her shoulder and sighed. Then, as quickly as he had embraced her, he let go. Terra didn't even get the chance to return the embrace. And then Sabin walked to the door and left her.

Terra stood for a long moment staring at the door and wondering what life would be like in the castle with out Sabin. Sabin was her only friend. Sure, there was his twin brother Edgar, but Edgar was busy attending to the state of the kingdom. And Edgar had given up courting Terra before the adventures began with Kefka. Terra had been flattered but unreceptive, thinking herself too much of an oddity to stand a chance with Edgar. Terra preferred the less boastful twin anyway.

Terra sighed again and went to her vanity and looked in the mirror. Terra still hadn't gotten used to her new appearance, even though it had been months. She still thought it strange to see her face framed with dark blond hair instead of dark green and her eyes had calmed from an angry green to a pale green. She was completely human. She could no longer see any trace of her Esper half, no trace of her father, Madiun. She was an exact copy of her mother, Madonna.

Terra knew that losing the Espers and all magic was going to be the outcome of the final battle with Kefka. It was the only way to destroy Kefka and save the world. But it still startled her to see herself so differently and to be without the one extraordinary talent that she had. Now she was ordinary, like everyone else.

Isn't this what I wanted? Terra thought to herself as she watched herself in the mirror. Isn't this what I prayed for? To be like everyone else? I have what I want, so why aren't I happy? Terra knew the answer to that too. She didn't have true love in her life. She didn't even know what the word meant. Terra thought that if she could find true love then maybe she would finally be happy.

Terra knew that she cared for Sabin and that she was going to miss him terribly while he was gone. But did she love Sabin? She just didn't know and maybe never would. Was Edgar in love with any of the women that he entertained at his parties? Terra didn't think so even though she had heard Edgar say as much to each of them.

Terra pushed thoughts of love out of her mind and looked at her reflection. She brushed her hair absently and wove it into a single braid, tied with a ribbon. Sleep would help her clear her thoughts. Or help her forget.

* * *

Sabin knew that Terra was hurt that he was leaving the castle. Terra was his best friend, the one that he went to with all his problems. But Terra couldn't help him with his wanderlust or his restlessness. Sabin just needed to be free of the castle and of Figaro. There was nothing that Terra could do.

Sabin left her chambers knowing that when he returned that things would never be the same between them. The sound of her door behind him sounded like his opportunity collapsing with her.

She doesn't think of me as anything more then a friend, Sabin rationalized as he marched down the corridor to the stairwell. She'll fall in love with some dignitary from somewhere and forget about me. That thought made him angry. He could have stood on his head and juggled knives and she wouldn't have batted an eye. But then again Terra was like no other woman that he had met before. She hadn't had what you would call an ordinary life. Raised in a genetic laboratory and used as a human weapon tends to do strange things to a person. But Terra was amazing and completely oblivious to Sabin's feelings.

Sabin was so cross with the situation that he didn't see his twin brother step out in front of him from one of the side corridors. Edgar grabbed his brother's shoulders to keep the muscle bound man from running over him. Sabin came out of his haze and looked surprised at his slightly lesser twin.

"Out for a late night stroll?" Edgar asked with a feint smirk as his brother pulled back and adjusted his jerkin.

"I was heading to my chambers," Sabin replied in a matter of fact tone.

"I know that you are leaving in the morning," Edgar said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You've got that look about you."

"And what of it?" Sabin asked as he shifted all his weight to one leg and watched his brother. Edgar just shrugged but then glanced behind Sabin to where Terra's chambers lay.

"How did she take it?" Edgar asked after a moment of silence.

Sabin didn't answer for a moment; he just looked back to Terra's chambers.

"She took it alright," Sabin said as he looked down at the floor. Edgar studied him.

"You love her, don't you?" Edgar asked softly as he laid a hand on his strong brother. Sabin stiffened and shoved his brother's hand aside; his eyes met Edgar's defiantly. "It's alright if you do, Sabin. You don't need to be so touchy about it. It's about time that you found someone."

"Is that all that you wanted?" Sabin demanded as he angrily stared at his arrogant other half. "To talk about my love life?"

"I'm sure that your training doesn't require your celibacy, Sabin," Edgar began. Sabin shot Edgar a warning glance and Edgar knew he crossed the line and dropped the subject.

"I bid you good night, your majesty," Sabin hissed between clenched teeth as he pushed his brother aside and continued down the dimly lit corridor. He didn't even turn to see what his brother's reaction was; he just bound up the stairs two at a time to his chambers in the south tower and to peace and quiet.