Chapter Twenty-Five- Gestahl, Lord Emperor of the Empire
"Terra!! Are you alright?!"
"Locke!" Terra cried, and jumped to her feet just as the thief caught up to her and the others, throwing his arms around her in a rather jumbled hug.
"Are you alright!?" Locke asked again, and Terra nodded, pulling away a little to push her hair from out of her eyes.
"I'm fine...Mog and Gau...they protected me from Kefka." Terra smiled gratefully at the two smaller Returners, who smiled back at her. Locke let out a sigh of relief and stepped back, pushing his bandana up on his forehead.
"So Kefka WAS there...But I suppose you managed to talk to the Espers if Gau and Mog fought him off?"
"Yes, I did, but..." Terra trailed off. "...We lost Setzer..."
"No you didn't!" Setzer suddenly exclaimed as he ran up to the group. Terra blinked and couldn't help but point her finger at him as if he were a ghost.
"Where did you come from?!"
"The same exit you did, silly." Setzer laughed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Although I couldn't find a way back into the Sealed Gate, so I flew back to Narshe with speeds faster than I had ever seen the Blackjack use, and picked up Locke and the others. The rest are waiting onboard."
"So that is how Locke got here too..." Terra nodded and pressed her lips together in worry. Mog seemed to be reading her mind.
"The Espers flew off together..."
"I know." Setzer said, his tone now darker as he looked to Locke. Locke sighed again and put his hands on his hips.
"But what way did they go?" Terra asked worriedly.
"Toward the capital...towards Vector..." Setzer trailed off, and Terra gasped.
"We have to go to Vector now! We have to make sure they don't do anything horrible!!"
"Don't have to tell me twice!" Locke cried. "Lets hurry up and go!"
The reunion on the deck of the airship was short-lived as Setzer demanded that everyone go down into the lower decks so that they would not be in danger when he raced the Blackjack to Vector. However, Edgar and Locke insisted they stay aboard to be with Terra while Setzer piloted, and Terra consented. Setzer revved up the engine and they took off roughly, the entire ship shaking violently as it lifted from the ground.
"We'll be at Vector soon!" Setzer called back to the others, but Terra was no longer paying attention. She was staring outside of the ship, and her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something, but wasn't quite sure of what that might be. She walked past Locke and Edgar towards the nose of the ship, her eyes narrowed as the wind whipped through her ponytail.
"There!" Terra suddenly cried, and pointed out in the distance at something small and sparkling. It almost resembled a shooting star in the middle of the daytime sky. Locke blinked and raised his hand over his forehead.
"What's wrong, Terra?" He asked, and Setzer looked up from the wheel to see what she was talking about also.
"I can feel it...it's coming closer and closer..."
"What do you mean, you can feel it?" Locke asked again, his tone slightly upset.
"It was...glowing...!" Terra cried again, and Locke frowned as he looked away from Terra and back into the sky, where he finally saw what she had seen. Terra became transfixed as the light came closer and closer, but Locke realized what was happening and became alarmed.
"An Esper!!" He cried. "Watch out, Terra!!" However, Terra did not reply, and before they could be struck, Locke dove on top of her and knocked her to the deck just as the Esper whooshed over their heads and nearly smashed into Setzer.
"AHHH!" Setzer cried, struggling to keep his grip on the wheel. "What the hell was that?"
"Setzer, get down!!" Locke cried, and with that, dove on top of Setzer too, just before another barrage of Espers ran through. Setzer gulped and closed his eyes tightly.
"E-E-Espers!!!!"
"Where are they going?!" Locke cried, sitting up from Setzer a bit. Terra calmly pushed herself up to her knees and stared at Locke.
"They were mad..."
They seemed...slightly angry." Locke said a little sarcastically. More Espers flew past the airship off into the distance, passing the Sealed Gate and crossing the ocean until they disappeared from the Returner's view. Edgar made his way over to the wheel carefully to steer in Setzer's place as he recovered, and Terra climbed to her feet, cupping her hands over her mouth as she called out.
"No....stop....! Please don't go!!!!" Suddenly, the ship let out a violent lurch and the floor deck began to shake heavily. The Returners in the deck below could be heard calling out and squealing over the sudden new commotion.
"Forget the Espers!" Setzer cried as he ran his hands over the deck. "What's with this vibration!? Is it from the Espers!? Or is the engine..."
"Ummm...Setzer?" Edgar asked, and Setzer looked up at the young king, who looked terrified as he released his hands from the wheel, which was rotating in violent, swift circles all on it's own.
"I'VE LOST CONTROL!!!!!"
"Aiiiiiiiiieeeee!" Terra cried, and latched onto the closest thing to her, Locke's leg, as the Blackjack took a sudden nosedive and in a mess of smoke and screams, half-slid and half-crash landed in a small bundle of trees near the city of Miranda, an occupied town not too far away from Vector. There was a terrific boom of snapping tree-branches and scraping ship parts as the Blackjack slid to a complete stop nearly right outside the boundaries of the forest, but other than that, it was not really a dramatic crash. Terra groaned and let go of Locke's leg as she stood up and shook leaves and twigs off her clothing. Locke, Edgar, and Setzer stood up also, and the other Returners crawled up from below deck, all groaning about bruises and bumps as they piled onto the upper deck. Locke stood up on a toppled over crate and raised his hands to silence the chattering for now.
"Is everyone ok?" He asked, and there came a chorus of "yeses" and "yeahs". Locke let out a sigh of relief and pressed his hands together.
"Alright, now listen up...the Espers were heading towards Vector, and they apparently reached it and didn't find what they wanted, so they turned around and are now God-Knows-Where. However, we're now stuck here, so we may as well check out Vector together and see if anything happened, since we can't chase after them. Kefka may have returned to tell Gestahl that Terra opened the gate, and well....who knows what the hell the Empire is plotting next. However, we should be fine if we just stick together..."
"Good idea Locke." Sabin nodded. "Lets all confront Kefka together! He doesn't stand a chance then."
"I'm all for it." Terra rubbed at her forehead and stared at the others. "I really should apologize for this mess..."
"It's not your fault, Miss Terra!" Cyan cried. "You did your best, it was all any of us could hope for." Terra smiled a little and bowed in appreciation.
"Lets just see if there is any aftermath." Locke said. "I hope Arvis and Banon are ok..."
"They came with us on the airship, and asked to be dropped off in Vector." Setzer supplied quickly, and Terra raised her eyebrows.
"Then we should hurry! It's not safe for them there!"
"Grab whatever equipment you can find that you can use, and meet outside the ship in 5 minutes." Locke ordered, and with that, leapt down from his crate and tugged on Edgar's cape, gesturing for him to follow him off the airship. As the others scampered around to search for lost weapons and armor bangles, Terra let out a small sigh and buried her head in her hands.
She was positive that there was no way things could get any worse.
Of course, her 'very best', as Cyan put it, did nothing worthwhile for the team, and now there were enraged Espers flying out and about, probably ready to decimate every town on the world map.
"Please...please, let something positive come out of all this..." Terra mumbled into her hands. "Anything..."
**********
Locke was the first to see the long trails of smoke coming from the woods that Vector was settled into, striking fear into his heart, for the first thing he thought of was a raging forest fire. However, that was not the case. As the line of Returners marched into the forest and came upon the mechanical city of Vector, they were all surprised to see that the smoke and fire was actually coming from within it. Many wooden roofs of the poorer-built homes were lit on fire, as well as crates and barrels outside the homes. However, it almost seemed under control as the owners of the homes ran back and forth from the woods to the town, carrying buckets of damp soil to throw upon the fires. But other than the poorer people of Vector, the city was also filled with many, many Returners Terra recognized from the hidden base off the Lete River, and even more surprisingly, not a single officer of the Empire. A few of Narshe's guards were also wandering about, looking at everything in awe and wonder. Edgar pointed up on the stairs of the Imperial Palace, where Banon and Arvis were safely surveying the scenery from above.
"I wonder what happened..." Sabin trailed off as the group ran up the stairs towards the pair of elderly Returners.
"...I bet it was the Espers..." Mog gulped as he took in everything around him.
"Espers do bad stuff?" Gau questioned confusedly. "But I thought Espers not bad?"
"What a horrible mess...What a relief that Doma did not experience anything like this...!" Cyan added in nervously.
"Locke, Terra!" Arvis called.
"And everyone else!" Banon exclaimed.
"What happened?!" Terra cried breathlessly, and Banon and Arvis looked at each other.
"Truthfully...it was like this when we arrived." Arvis said, and Terra gasped. "We heard a commotion as we were getting through the woods, and there were Imperials running past us and screaming like there was no tomorrow...! I guess it was feasible they should think that though, based on what all happened..."
"So it was the Espers..." Terra tried to hold back a sob as she covered her mouth and hiccupped.
"Terra, it wasn't your fault...." Mog trailed off, and Terra looked away. Banon and Arvis raised questioning eyebrows at Locke, who shrugged them off. Gau suddenly let out a small growl of warning, and Locke looked up, only to see that they had been sneakily joined by a tall, pale, pasty man dressed in robes of scarlet and cream, a small white mask covering the lower portion of his face, and a taller scarlet cap that hid the top portion of his head, only revealing his beady, black eyes. Edgar quickly pulled Terra closer to his side, who gasped in surprise when she looked up and saw the intruder for herself.
"Who are you?!" Cyan demanded, and the man did a slight bow.
"I am the chancellor of the Imperial Palace. Come...The Emperor is expecting you."
"Expecting us?!" Locke cried, but the chancellor said no more. He merely turned and began to walk away, swiftly climbing the remaining steps that led to the Imperial Palace.
"Should we go, Banon?" Sabin asked, and Banon nodded a little, folding his hands together.
"Go see what Gestahl wants...we'll take care of things out here."
"But it could be a trap!" Edgar cried, and Terra shook her head.
"For some reason, I do not feel that is the case." She bit her lip and looked up at Edgar. "Besides...even if it is...I have to meet him. This Emperor Gestahl...he is the man behind all of this mess, right?" Edgar didn't quite know what to say, and Terra looked down at the ground.
"He is the man who murdered my mother..."
"Of course we'll go, Terra." Locke suddenly said, and gave her back a slight pat. "Don't worry, with all of us together, he won't be able to pull anything."
With Terra leading, the group then followed the chancellor into the looming metal palace, and down it's main corridor, passing many uniformed Imperial Soldiers on the way. However, instead of sneering at the Returners, the soldiers merely waved and carried on with their business. Terra raised her eyebrows and cautiously waved back as she continued down the red carpet behind the chancellor. At last, they came to a pair of double-doors which the chancellor pulled open and gestured for them to file inside. As soon as the last person stepped inside, he slammed the doors shut and caused everyone to jump, with Mog letting out a little "kupo!" However, this was followed by soft chuckling from the front of the room.
There, sitting on one of two metal-plated thrones was Emperor Gestahl himself, strangely the same as he had been in the 20-year old younger form the Returners had gotten to see back in Zozo. He was sitting up and laughing quietly to himself, politely covering his mouth with his hand as the Returners all turned to stare at him. Finally, the laughter ceased, and Gestahl cleared his throat, smiling brightly.
"Welcome, welcome, thank you for coming here on such short notice..." He began. "I can imagine how hard it must of been for you to trust me and come to my home...But before another word is said, I must tell you this now: I have lost my will to fight."
"....What...?" Terra whispered under her breath, and at that moment, the bumbling Professor Cid emerged from a door behind Gestahl, much to Locke, Edgar, and Cyan's surprise. They figured Kefka would of finished him off for sure by now...
"The Emperor has had a change of heart!" Cid cried, and Locke raised his eyebrows.
"Cid...what are you doing here?"
"I live here, thank you!" Cid replied, and his tone turned serious as he crossed his arms over his chest. "The Espers came to save their friends. When they learned the others had perished, they went berserk, and trashed the town... Never will I forget their shrieks of rage..." Terra let out a little gasp, and a sentry, which had previously kept himself hidden from the Returner's attentions, spoke up from a corner.
"We're hanging up our weapons and armor for good..."
Gestahl sighed and pressed his hands together. "The power of those Espers... I had no idea. They'll shred the world! We MUST get them to understand that we are no longer at war!" Locke blinked and Edgar crossed his arms over his chest.
"No human's gonna make them sit down and listen..." Cid trailed off. However, Gestahl suddenly broke into another smile and jumped up.
"But for now, my friends, let us feast and rejoice!"
"What the hell...kupo..." Mog muttered.
"Something DOES smell yummy, now that Gau think about it..." Gau whispered as he sniffed in the air. Sure enough, there was the definite makings of a grand feast being held somewhere nearby. Terra stepped forward, her arms rested across her chest.
"We'll accept your invitation to dinner..."
"Very good!" Gestahl smiled more, and Cid stepped up to Terra.
"But there are still some people who would prefer to keep fighting..." He trailed off. "Please, before we dine, would you go around and talk to as many soldiers as you can in the palace? Can you make them understand?" Terra raised her eyebrows, but she also nodded in understanding.
"We can do that."
"Thank you." Gestahl said gratefully, and prepared to retreat in the back room Cid had come out of. "Dinner will be this evening, at 6:00 o'clock sharp! Don't be late, hee hee, you won't want to miss this! My chefs have simply outdone themselves!"
"We'll be there." Sabin offered, and with that, Gestahl and Cid made their exits. Terra turned to stare at the others, a slight frown on her face.
"That was too easy..."
"Well, that may be, but lets just go around and chat it up with a few of the soldiers like he asked, huh?" Edgar suggested, and suddenly pulled a small bottle of cologne out of his robes, spraying at his wrists and neck.
"Edgar, what are you doing?!" Sabin cried, and Edgar flashed him a big smile.
"Surely, little brother, there are ladies to be afoot?" Edgar asked, and laughed happily at the shocked look on Sabin's face as he pushed through the Returners and made his exit into the main hall of the castle. Terra blinked and Locke groaned, slapping his forehead.
**********
Terra stifled a slight yawn as she wandered what she felt was the same corridor she had traveled the entire evening since her dismissal from Gestahl. She desperately wished she had some sort of way of knowing the time, so that she could know when this rather boring torture would be over with, however, she had not come across one clock the entire time she had been out and about. However, she had most definitely done her part of the bargain for dinner--She stumbled upon an entire quarter of soldiers and stood in the doorway nervously as she proposed Gestahl's plan of peace with the Returners to them. One soldier, boiling with rage at this (and probably drunk as well), threw an empty glass bottle at Terra, who immediately cast Vanish on herself and watched as the bottle flew right through her body. She decided to also take that time to make her escape as the soldiers all gasped and pushed each other around to seek her out.
"I'm feeling...terribly sleepy..." Terra moaned, and gently slapped at her cheeks. "But I must stay alert...I can't depend on the others to analyze Gestahl and that weird professor the entire night, so I have to stay on my guard as well..."
Terra turned a corner and came across a place unfamiliar to her, which gave her the inkling that perhaps she had not been going in circles after all. However, as she proceeded down the hall, she could hear familiar shouts of anger and moans of disgust coming from one of the doorways in the corridor. As Terra stepped up on her tiptoes to peek through the small window on the door, she could see that it was actually a jail cell, a cold, drippy one at that, with steel walls and a steel floor, and alas, a matching steel toilet... However, it was the figure jumping up and down on his bed that really stole her attention--A rather ruffled-up Kefka screaming and throwing a hissy fit as he shook his fists and kicked at the walls.
"Grrrr! How DARE they put me in a place like this! I don't believe THIS!" Kefka squirmed and hopped off his bed, running around the room and kicking at whatever he could that made a nice, loud banging noise against the tip of his boots. His eyes fell on the toilet, where he proceeded to kick it and beat it senseless (well, if a toilet had senses), until he finally gave up and heaved himself down upon it, at which point Terra widened her eyes and turned her back to him to let him have whatever private dignity he could salvage, and began to promptly walk away.
"What a bore." Kefka said to himself as he sat there and mused about his revenge on Gestahl.
A few moments later, Terra ran into Locke, who was smiling to himself as he came around the same corner as her and accidentally smacked into her front. Terra gasped and stumbled back as Locke squealed and bent down, trying to salvage the shiny objects he had managed to pick up on his tour of the palace. Terra blinked and shook her head, pretending not to look as Locke stuffed the last GP in his pocket and whistled innocently.
"Terra!" He exclaimed. "Sorry about that...what have you been up to?"
"I've been horribly lost." Terra admitted. "But I did see Kefka..."
"Kefka?!" Locke suddenly cried, his pockets jingling as he grabbed Terra's shoulders. "Did he hurt you?!"
"No, no, he was in jail!" Terra exclaimed, and Locke blinked, pulling away as he scratched at his head.
"Jail, eh...? Hmm...something we will have to ask Gestahl about tonight, I guess. Oh! Speaking of which, that's what I was sent to do...go get you, because dinner is about to begin!"
"Thank the Gods, I'm starving!" Terra cried, and rubbed her stomach. "Lead the way..." Locke took her down the hall and through a few other confusing twists and turns until they finally reached the main corridor and went back up through the throne room into the back door Gestahl had used earlier. There, a long table, sized enough to sit at least 20 people, was covered in a fancy white tablecloth and covered with steaming hot dishes and delicate gold candleholders and lit candles. Gestahl and four chancellors sat on one side of the table, while the Returners had all crowded on the other side, leaving a seat in the middle of the table across from Gestahl empty for Terra. Terra sat down and Locke took his place beside her, and Edgar elbowed Terra from her other side, giving her a wink.
"Meet a nice guy?" He whispered, and Terra turned red as she shook her head and looked up at Gestahl. Cid suddenly burst in and took a seat at the Returner side of the table, next to Cyan, who stared at him.
"You can count me in as a Returner!" Cid exclaimed, and nodded to Gestahl. Gestahl nodded back approvingly and looked to Terra, smiling as a maid began to walk around the table and fill the guest's glasses with a sweet strawberry wine.
"Imagine!" Gestahl exclaimed, and smiled more. "All of us here together, sharing a meal! First, we must have a toast! But to whom?" He raised his glass and the others followed, with Terra speaking up.
"To our hometowns..."
"Well then, to our hometowns!" Gestahl exclaimed, and everyone clinked their glass against the person's next to them, Locke giving Terra a wink as he hit her glass.
"Good job kiddo..." He whispered, and Terra smiled, feeling a little less nervous. Gestahl took a long sip of his drink and set the glass down, folding his hands together as the maid then began to place servings of food down on the Returner's plates.
"As you know, Kefka's in jail for his war crimes. What shall we do with him?" The Returners that didn't know this murmured quietly among themselves, but Locke raised his hand and spoke.
"Leave him in jail...for now."
"That is a good idea." Gestahl nodded. "Let's let him stew in his cell for a while...and then we can decide what to do." He sighed a little, and then turned to Cyan. "I truly apologize about the poisoning of Doma. No one dreamed Kefka would actually use poison..." Cyan sat up a little straighter and narrowed his eyes some as he folded his hands in his lap.
"That was inexcusable." He said boldly, and the others nodded to back him up.
"I'm so terribly sorry!" Gestahl apologized. "Kefka's being severely punished, and we're taking it upon ourselves to clean up the poison..." He cleared his throat and swept his gaze over the Returners. "By the way...with regard to General Celes..." Locke closed his eyes and looked down, and seeing his pained expression, Terra raised her hand and Gestahl nodded to her.
"Celes...was one of us!" Terra declared, and Locke looked up at her in surprise. Setzer nodded a little to himself, and took a sip of his drink. Gestahl smiled a little, but Terra did not soften her firm tone.
"Kefka was lying. General Celes realized that this war was stupid before anyone else...That is why she joined the Returners...." Locke looked up and felt as if he were about to choke on air.
Celes wasn't a spy...? That meant...that day in the Magitek Research Facility...he had... Locke moaned a little and Terra turned to him alarmingly.
"Are you alright?" Terra whispered, as Mog asked Gestahl a question about Narshe's welfare. Locke nodded a little and looked at Edgar and Cyan, who also had the same guilty looks set on their faces.
"I'm fine...drink of went down the wrong tube..." Locke laughed a little and waved Terra away. "Don't worry." Terra blinked and gently patted Locke's back, smiling more.
"But you must be really happy about Celes though..."
"Any more questions for me?" Gestahl interrupted, and Sabin raised his hand.
"Why did you start the war...?"
"My desire for power got the best of me. Now I've come to my senses. With your permission, I'd like to talk about the Espers..."
"One more question, please!" Gau suddenly burst out, and Gestahl nodded, smiling at the young man.
"What is it, son?"
"Why you want peace now?" Gau asked curiously, and Gestahl sighed a little, leaning back in his chair.
"I feel we need each other's help at this time...don't you agree?" Gau nodded seriously, and Setzer raised his hand.
"Just one more question sir...Why did we have to talk to your men?"
"Some of my men refuse to embrace peace. I felt they'd understand if they actually met you face to face." Setzer nodded, and put a forkful of food into his mouth, ending that discussion.
"Lets talk about Espers now." Terra urged gently, just so that the emperor would not get impatient.
"Aha, excellent idea, Terra." He frowned a little though, and cleared his throat. "My Empire's been decimated by the Espers that emerged from the Sealed Gate. They're acting spiteful. Unless they're stopped, they'll rip the world asunder!"
"Yes..." Terra slowly admitted. "The Espers have gone too far..."
"After the Espers went on their rampage, I knew I couldn't go on with my war. I asked myself why I had started it in the first place. By the way... About those questions you asked me... That was the first one you asked, correct?" Terra raised her eyebrows, but did nod in confirmation. Gestahl nodded back.
"Right. Anyway, more than anything I want peace. That's my true dream! I want you to understand that!"
"You seem a bit tired." Cid offered. "Care for a rest break?"
"Yes, lets take a break." Terra agreed, feeling the fatigue Gestahl must of been feeling too.
"All will be put right if we can just achieve peace!" Cid exclaimed happily, and pardoned himself. Terra did so also, and went out into the hallway alone, pacing about to keep her thoughts in check and her body awake. Inside the dining room, she could hear Locke and Edgar accepting a challenge to duel a pair of the chancellors, which they won quite easily. Terra noticed that Cid was coming back and decided that it was time she returned too. She went back inside the dining room and took her seat, with Cid following a couple of moments later. Gestahl looked a little more refreshed himself, and Locke and Edgar were slipping each other victory signs as they both sat down.
"Shall we begin again?" Gestahl questioned, and Terra nodded. "...Is...there anything you wish for me to say?"
"That your war...is truly over..." Terra trailed off, and Gestahl stared at her straight in the eyes. Terra felt a little uneasy and slid back more in her chair. Those eyes...they had been the last thing her mother had ever seen...
"I understand." Gestahl said firmly. "And I have ordered for this war to be over! But now...I must ask for a favor."
"I knew it!" Locke hissed, and Terra kicked him in the leg to keep him quiet.
"After they devastated my Empire, the Espers headed northward, toward Crescent Island. They must be found...! We must tell them we're no longer their enemy. After all that I have put them through, it is up to me to set things right. This is why...I need to borrow Terra's power. Only Terra can bridge the gap between Esper and human. We must make for Crescent Island aboard the freighter from Albrook. Will you accompany me?" Terra blinked and bit her lip, thinking about it for a moment.
The Empire wanted her to cooperate with them...but what choice did she have? Setzer's airship was out of commission, so there was no way they could get to Crescent Island on their own. The Empire was their best bet...
"Yes, I'll go..." Terra finally agreed, and Gestahl clapped his hands together.
"I'll have my finest warrior accompany us as well! General Leo!"
At that time, General Leo walked in from the throne room entrance into the dining hall, giving everyone a wave as he stood beside Gestahl. Sabin raised his eyebrows.
"I'm General Leo. Nice to meet you all." Leo smiled, and gave a salute.
"Aha...I'm sure I saw him at Doma..." Sabin whispered to himself. Leo looked over at him and Cyan right then, and frowned a little.
"Sir Cyan..." Leo trailed off and shook his head. "You...you are the liege to the King of Doma... Please forgive me for not being there to stop Kefka..."
"....It wasn't your fault." Cyan admitted flatly, and Leo nodded again as he looked to everyone else, and then to Gestahl.
"I'll be waiting for you in Albrook." Leo said, and with that, took his exit. Gestahl stood up as well, signifying the end of the banquet.
"We must find the Espers and come to terms with them! You are our last hope." Terra smiled some and bowed as she stood up and took her leave. The others soon followed her, and she led them into the corridor outside of the throne room, closing the doors so that no one could hear their discussion.
"If Terra goes, I'll go." Locke offered, and Terra looked to him.
"Are you sure...?" She questioned, and Locke nodded. Terra smiled warmly. "Thank you Locke..."
"But the rest of you stay here." Locke ordered. "I smell a rat..."
"Agreed." Edgar said. "It's hard to trust the Emperor, just like that..."
"We'll stay here and investigate." Cyan added.
"And I'll fix my Blackjack!" Setzer declared, and Locke smiled.
"Please do! And leave no stone unturned..."
"Right!" Edgar exclaimed, and slapped Locke on the back. "And you two, be careful!!!"
"Well, I'm off." Setzer gave a wave. "Come to the ship if you need anything before you go, you two!"
"Will do!" Terra smiled, and waved back before Setzer disappeared from their sight.
"Oh yeah....." Edgar tapped Terra's shoulder, and she turned to him. "Albrook is a port just south of here. So don't get lost, ok?"
"We won't!" Terra exclaimed. "Don't worry so much!"
"Don't worry about what?" A creepy voice asked from behind them, making Terra squeal and nearly fly out of her boots. She whirled around and saw the same chancellor that had taken them to the palace standing behind them with a long piece of paper in his hands.
"Nothing!" Terra cried, and wiped at her forehead. "What is it?"
"A message from the Emperor... Because you were able to talk to so many soldiers, you are to be rewarded as follows: Imperial troops have withdrawn from South Figaro. In addition, our troops have also pulled out of Doma. We hereby give you the right to take any weapons you desire from the Imperial base to the east, near the Sealed Cave. And this is from the Emperor himself..." The chancellor handed over a small blue bracelet to Terra, called a Tintinabar. "Your behavior at the banquet was impeccable. Please take this as well!" He also handed her a light pink anklet with a little red jewel dangling from it, called a Charm Bangle. Both were items considered to be of use in battle. "Well..." With that, creepy chancellor slipped away, and Terra let out a sigh of relief.
"He's weird..."
"But South Figaro is liberated!!" Edgar cried happily, and Cyan jumped up and down, which was a rather comic sight, coming from him.
"And so is Doma! Alas, what a joyous day!"
"You mean...joyous night..." Locke yawned and stretched. "I sure as hell hope we aren't leaving for Crescent Island tonight...That will be way too much for me."
"Im afraid we won't be able to leave at all if we don't get a move on." Terra urged, and Locke nodded tiredly.
"Yeah...better get going...except now that I think about it, we should stop at the airship before going into Albrook."
"Why??" Terra cried, and Locke blinked.
"...Just need a...tonic..." Locke nodded some and began to drag Terra away. "Plus I gotta unload all my new goods!!!" Edgar began to follow them and whispered in Terra's ear:
"Locke gets really seasick...so don't let him near your shoes, and let him hug his tonic bottle the entire time you are on the ship..." He laughed and stepped back as Locke continued to pull the now wide-eyed Terra away.
"Oh Gods..." She muttered.
"Terra!! Are you alright?!"
"Locke!" Terra cried, and jumped to her feet just as the thief caught up to her and the others, throwing his arms around her in a rather jumbled hug.
"Are you alright!?" Locke asked again, and Terra nodded, pulling away a little to push her hair from out of her eyes.
"I'm fine...Mog and Gau...they protected me from Kefka." Terra smiled gratefully at the two smaller Returners, who smiled back at her. Locke let out a sigh of relief and stepped back, pushing his bandana up on his forehead.
"So Kefka WAS there...But I suppose you managed to talk to the Espers if Gau and Mog fought him off?"
"Yes, I did, but..." Terra trailed off. "...We lost Setzer..."
"No you didn't!" Setzer suddenly exclaimed as he ran up to the group. Terra blinked and couldn't help but point her finger at him as if he were a ghost.
"Where did you come from?!"
"The same exit you did, silly." Setzer laughed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Although I couldn't find a way back into the Sealed Gate, so I flew back to Narshe with speeds faster than I had ever seen the Blackjack use, and picked up Locke and the others. The rest are waiting onboard."
"So that is how Locke got here too..." Terra nodded and pressed her lips together in worry. Mog seemed to be reading her mind.
"The Espers flew off together..."
"I know." Setzer said, his tone now darker as he looked to Locke. Locke sighed again and put his hands on his hips.
"But what way did they go?" Terra asked worriedly.
"Toward the capital...towards Vector..." Setzer trailed off, and Terra gasped.
"We have to go to Vector now! We have to make sure they don't do anything horrible!!"
"Don't have to tell me twice!" Locke cried. "Lets hurry up and go!"
The reunion on the deck of the airship was short-lived as Setzer demanded that everyone go down into the lower decks so that they would not be in danger when he raced the Blackjack to Vector. However, Edgar and Locke insisted they stay aboard to be with Terra while Setzer piloted, and Terra consented. Setzer revved up the engine and they took off roughly, the entire ship shaking violently as it lifted from the ground.
"We'll be at Vector soon!" Setzer called back to the others, but Terra was no longer paying attention. She was staring outside of the ship, and her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something, but wasn't quite sure of what that might be. She walked past Locke and Edgar towards the nose of the ship, her eyes narrowed as the wind whipped through her ponytail.
"There!" Terra suddenly cried, and pointed out in the distance at something small and sparkling. It almost resembled a shooting star in the middle of the daytime sky. Locke blinked and raised his hand over his forehead.
"What's wrong, Terra?" He asked, and Setzer looked up from the wheel to see what she was talking about also.
"I can feel it...it's coming closer and closer..."
"What do you mean, you can feel it?" Locke asked again, his tone slightly upset.
"It was...glowing...!" Terra cried again, and Locke frowned as he looked away from Terra and back into the sky, where he finally saw what she had seen. Terra became transfixed as the light came closer and closer, but Locke realized what was happening and became alarmed.
"An Esper!!" He cried. "Watch out, Terra!!" However, Terra did not reply, and before they could be struck, Locke dove on top of her and knocked her to the deck just as the Esper whooshed over their heads and nearly smashed into Setzer.
"AHHH!" Setzer cried, struggling to keep his grip on the wheel. "What the hell was that?"
"Setzer, get down!!" Locke cried, and with that, dove on top of Setzer too, just before another barrage of Espers ran through. Setzer gulped and closed his eyes tightly.
"E-E-Espers!!!!"
"Where are they going?!" Locke cried, sitting up from Setzer a bit. Terra calmly pushed herself up to her knees and stared at Locke.
"They were mad..."
They seemed...slightly angry." Locke said a little sarcastically. More Espers flew past the airship off into the distance, passing the Sealed Gate and crossing the ocean until they disappeared from the Returner's view. Edgar made his way over to the wheel carefully to steer in Setzer's place as he recovered, and Terra climbed to her feet, cupping her hands over her mouth as she called out.
"No....stop....! Please don't go!!!!" Suddenly, the ship let out a violent lurch and the floor deck began to shake heavily. The Returners in the deck below could be heard calling out and squealing over the sudden new commotion.
"Forget the Espers!" Setzer cried as he ran his hands over the deck. "What's with this vibration!? Is it from the Espers!? Or is the engine..."
"Ummm...Setzer?" Edgar asked, and Setzer looked up at the young king, who looked terrified as he released his hands from the wheel, which was rotating in violent, swift circles all on it's own.
"I'VE LOST CONTROL!!!!!"
"Aiiiiiiiiieeeee!" Terra cried, and latched onto the closest thing to her, Locke's leg, as the Blackjack took a sudden nosedive and in a mess of smoke and screams, half-slid and half-crash landed in a small bundle of trees near the city of Miranda, an occupied town not too far away from Vector. There was a terrific boom of snapping tree-branches and scraping ship parts as the Blackjack slid to a complete stop nearly right outside the boundaries of the forest, but other than that, it was not really a dramatic crash. Terra groaned and let go of Locke's leg as she stood up and shook leaves and twigs off her clothing. Locke, Edgar, and Setzer stood up also, and the other Returners crawled up from below deck, all groaning about bruises and bumps as they piled onto the upper deck. Locke stood up on a toppled over crate and raised his hands to silence the chattering for now.
"Is everyone ok?" He asked, and there came a chorus of "yeses" and "yeahs". Locke let out a sigh of relief and pressed his hands together.
"Alright, now listen up...the Espers were heading towards Vector, and they apparently reached it and didn't find what they wanted, so they turned around and are now God-Knows-Where. However, we're now stuck here, so we may as well check out Vector together and see if anything happened, since we can't chase after them. Kefka may have returned to tell Gestahl that Terra opened the gate, and well....who knows what the hell the Empire is plotting next. However, we should be fine if we just stick together..."
"Good idea Locke." Sabin nodded. "Lets all confront Kefka together! He doesn't stand a chance then."
"I'm all for it." Terra rubbed at her forehead and stared at the others. "I really should apologize for this mess..."
"It's not your fault, Miss Terra!" Cyan cried. "You did your best, it was all any of us could hope for." Terra smiled a little and bowed in appreciation.
"Lets just see if there is any aftermath." Locke said. "I hope Arvis and Banon are ok..."
"They came with us on the airship, and asked to be dropped off in Vector." Setzer supplied quickly, and Terra raised her eyebrows.
"Then we should hurry! It's not safe for them there!"
"Grab whatever equipment you can find that you can use, and meet outside the ship in 5 minutes." Locke ordered, and with that, leapt down from his crate and tugged on Edgar's cape, gesturing for him to follow him off the airship. As the others scampered around to search for lost weapons and armor bangles, Terra let out a small sigh and buried her head in her hands.
She was positive that there was no way things could get any worse.
Of course, her 'very best', as Cyan put it, did nothing worthwhile for the team, and now there were enraged Espers flying out and about, probably ready to decimate every town on the world map.
"Please...please, let something positive come out of all this..." Terra mumbled into her hands. "Anything..."
**********
Locke was the first to see the long trails of smoke coming from the woods that Vector was settled into, striking fear into his heart, for the first thing he thought of was a raging forest fire. However, that was not the case. As the line of Returners marched into the forest and came upon the mechanical city of Vector, they were all surprised to see that the smoke and fire was actually coming from within it. Many wooden roofs of the poorer-built homes were lit on fire, as well as crates and barrels outside the homes. However, it almost seemed under control as the owners of the homes ran back and forth from the woods to the town, carrying buckets of damp soil to throw upon the fires. But other than the poorer people of Vector, the city was also filled with many, many Returners Terra recognized from the hidden base off the Lete River, and even more surprisingly, not a single officer of the Empire. A few of Narshe's guards were also wandering about, looking at everything in awe and wonder. Edgar pointed up on the stairs of the Imperial Palace, where Banon and Arvis were safely surveying the scenery from above.
"I wonder what happened..." Sabin trailed off as the group ran up the stairs towards the pair of elderly Returners.
"...I bet it was the Espers..." Mog gulped as he took in everything around him.
"Espers do bad stuff?" Gau questioned confusedly. "But I thought Espers not bad?"
"What a horrible mess...What a relief that Doma did not experience anything like this...!" Cyan added in nervously.
"Locke, Terra!" Arvis called.
"And everyone else!" Banon exclaimed.
"What happened?!" Terra cried breathlessly, and Banon and Arvis looked at each other.
"Truthfully...it was like this when we arrived." Arvis said, and Terra gasped. "We heard a commotion as we were getting through the woods, and there were Imperials running past us and screaming like there was no tomorrow...! I guess it was feasible they should think that though, based on what all happened..."
"So it was the Espers..." Terra tried to hold back a sob as she covered her mouth and hiccupped.
"Terra, it wasn't your fault...." Mog trailed off, and Terra looked away. Banon and Arvis raised questioning eyebrows at Locke, who shrugged them off. Gau suddenly let out a small growl of warning, and Locke looked up, only to see that they had been sneakily joined by a tall, pale, pasty man dressed in robes of scarlet and cream, a small white mask covering the lower portion of his face, and a taller scarlet cap that hid the top portion of his head, only revealing his beady, black eyes. Edgar quickly pulled Terra closer to his side, who gasped in surprise when she looked up and saw the intruder for herself.
"Who are you?!" Cyan demanded, and the man did a slight bow.
"I am the chancellor of the Imperial Palace. Come...The Emperor is expecting you."
"Expecting us?!" Locke cried, but the chancellor said no more. He merely turned and began to walk away, swiftly climbing the remaining steps that led to the Imperial Palace.
"Should we go, Banon?" Sabin asked, and Banon nodded a little, folding his hands together.
"Go see what Gestahl wants...we'll take care of things out here."
"But it could be a trap!" Edgar cried, and Terra shook her head.
"For some reason, I do not feel that is the case." She bit her lip and looked up at Edgar. "Besides...even if it is...I have to meet him. This Emperor Gestahl...he is the man behind all of this mess, right?" Edgar didn't quite know what to say, and Terra looked down at the ground.
"He is the man who murdered my mother..."
"Of course we'll go, Terra." Locke suddenly said, and gave her back a slight pat. "Don't worry, with all of us together, he won't be able to pull anything."
With Terra leading, the group then followed the chancellor into the looming metal palace, and down it's main corridor, passing many uniformed Imperial Soldiers on the way. However, instead of sneering at the Returners, the soldiers merely waved and carried on with their business. Terra raised her eyebrows and cautiously waved back as she continued down the red carpet behind the chancellor. At last, they came to a pair of double-doors which the chancellor pulled open and gestured for them to file inside. As soon as the last person stepped inside, he slammed the doors shut and caused everyone to jump, with Mog letting out a little "kupo!" However, this was followed by soft chuckling from the front of the room.
There, sitting on one of two metal-plated thrones was Emperor Gestahl himself, strangely the same as he had been in the 20-year old younger form the Returners had gotten to see back in Zozo. He was sitting up and laughing quietly to himself, politely covering his mouth with his hand as the Returners all turned to stare at him. Finally, the laughter ceased, and Gestahl cleared his throat, smiling brightly.
"Welcome, welcome, thank you for coming here on such short notice..." He began. "I can imagine how hard it must of been for you to trust me and come to my home...But before another word is said, I must tell you this now: I have lost my will to fight."
"....What...?" Terra whispered under her breath, and at that moment, the bumbling Professor Cid emerged from a door behind Gestahl, much to Locke, Edgar, and Cyan's surprise. They figured Kefka would of finished him off for sure by now...
"The Emperor has had a change of heart!" Cid cried, and Locke raised his eyebrows.
"Cid...what are you doing here?"
"I live here, thank you!" Cid replied, and his tone turned serious as he crossed his arms over his chest. "The Espers came to save their friends. When they learned the others had perished, they went berserk, and trashed the town... Never will I forget their shrieks of rage..." Terra let out a little gasp, and a sentry, which had previously kept himself hidden from the Returner's attentions, spoke up from a corner.
"We're hanging up our weapons and armor for good..."
Gestahl sighed and pressed his hands together. "The power of those Espers... I had no idea. They'll shred the world! We MUST get them to understand that we are no longer at war!" Locke blinked and Edgar crossed his arms over his chest.
"No human's gonna make them sit down and listen..." Cid trailed off. However, Gestahl suddenly broke into another smile and jumped up.
"But for now, my friends, let us feast and rejoice!"
"What the hell...kupo..." Mog muttered.
"Something DOES smell yummy, now that Gau think about it..." Gau whispered as he sniffed in the air. Sure enough, there was the definite makings of a grand feast being held somewhere nearby. Terra stepped forward, her arms rested across her chest.
"We'll accept your invitation to dinner..."
"Very good!" Gestahl smiled more, and Cid stepped up to Terra.
"But there are still some people who would prefer to keep fighting..." He trailed off. "Please, before we dine, would you go around and talk to as many soldiers as you can in the palace? Can you make them understand?" Terra raised her eyebrows, but she also nodded in understanding.
"We can do that."
"Thank you." Gestahl said gratefully, and prepared to retreat in the back room Cid had come out of. "Dinner will be this evening, at 6:00 o'clock sharp! Don't be late, hee hee, you won't want to miss this! My chefs have simply outdone themselves!"
"We'll be there." Sabin offered, and with that, Gestahl and Cid made their exits. Terra turned to stare at the others, a slight frown on her face.
"That was too easy..."
"Well, that may be, but lets just go around and chat it up with a few of the soldiers like he asked, huh?" Edgar suggested, and suddenly pulled a small bottle of cologne out of his robes, spraying at his wrists and neck.
"Edgar, what are you doing?!" Sabin cried, and Edgar flashed him a big smile.
"Surely, little brother, there are ladies to be afoot?" Edgar asked, and laughed happily at the shocked look on Sabin's face as he pushed through the Returners and made his exit into the main hall of the castle. Terra blinked and Locke groaned, slapping his forehead.
**********
Terra stifled a slight yawn as she wandered what she felt was the same corridor she had traveled the entire evening since her dismissal from Gestahl. She desperately wished she had some sort of way of knowing the time, so that she could know when this rather boring torture would be over with, however, she had not come across one clock the entire time she had been out and about. However, she had most definitely done her part of the bargain for dinner--She stumbled upon an entire quarter of soldiers and stood in the doorway nervously as she proposed Gestahl's plan of peace with the Returners to them. One soldier, boiling with rage at this (and probably drunk as well), threw an empty glass bottle at Terra, who immediately cast Vanish on herself and watched as the bottle flew right through her body. She decided to also take that time to make her escape as the soldiers all gasped and pushed each other around to seek her out.
"I'm feeling...terribly sleepy..." Terra moaned, and gently slapped at her cheeks. "But I must stay alert...I can't depend on the others to analyze Gestahl and that weird professor the entire night, so I have to stay on my guard as well..."
Terra turned a corner and came across a place unfamiliar to her, which gave her the inkling that perhaps she had not been going in circles after all. However, as she proceeded down the hall, she could hear familiar shouts of anger and moans of disgust coming from one of the doorways in the corridor. As Terra stepped up on her tiptoes to peek through the small window on the door, she could see that it was actually a jail cell, a cold, drippy one at that, with steel walls and a steel floor, and alas, a matching steel toilet... However, it was the figure jumping up and down on his bed that really stole her attention--A rather ruffled-up Kefka screaming and throwing a hissy fit as he shook his fists and kicked at the walls.
"Grrrr! How DARE they put me in a place like this! I don't believe THIS!" Kefka squirmed and hopped off his bed, running around the room and kicking at whatever he could that made a nice, loud banging noise against the tip of his boots. His eyes fell on the toilet, where he proceeded to kick it and beat it senseless (well, if a toilet had senses), until he finally gave up and heaved himself down upon it, at which point Terra widened her eyes and turned her back to him to let him have whatever private dignity he could salvage, and began to promptly walk away.
"What a bore." Kefka said to himself as he sat there and mused about his revenge on Gestahl.
A few moments later, Terra ran into Locke, who was smiling to himself as he came around the same corner as her and accidentally smacked into her front. Terra gasped and stumbled back as Locke squealed and bent down, trying to salvage the shiny objects he had managed to pick up on his tour of the palace. Terra blinked and shook her head, pretending not to look as Locke stuffed the last GP in his pocket and whistled innocently.
"Terra!" He exclaimed. "Sorry about that...what have you been up to?"
"I've been horribly lost." Terra admitted. "But I did see Kefka..."
"Kefka?!" Locke suddenly cried, his pockets jingling as he grabbed Terra's shoulders. "Did he hurt you?!"
"No, no, he was in jail!" Terra exclaimed, and Locke blinked, pulling away as he scratched at his head.
"Jail, eh...? Hmm...something we will have to ask Gestahl about tonight, I guess. Oh! Speaking of which, that's what I was sent to do...go get you, because dinner is about to begin!"
"Thank the Gods, I'm starving!" Terra cried, and rubbed her stomach. "Lead the way..." Locke took her down the hall and through a few other confusing twists and turns until they finally reached the main corridor and went back up through the throne room into the back door Gestahl had used earlier. There, a long table, sized enough to sit at least 20 people, was covered in a fancy white tablecloth and covered with steaming hot dishes and delicate gold candleholders and lit candles. Gestahl and four chancellors sat on one side of the table, while the Returners had all crowded on the other side, leaving a seat in the middle of the table across from Gestahl empty for Terra. Terra sat down and Locke took his place beside her, and Edgar elbowed Terra from her other side, giving her a wink.
"Meet a nice guy?" He whispered, and Terra turned red as she shook her head and looked up at Gestahl. Cid suddenly burst in and took a seat at the Returner side of the table, next to Cyan, who stared at him.
"You can count me in as a Returner!" Cid exclaimed, and nodded to Gestahl. Gestahl nodded back approvingly and looked to Terra, smiling as a maid began to walk around the table and fill the guest's glasses with a sweet strawberry wine.
"Imagine!" Gestahl exclaimed, and smiled more. "All of us here together, sharing a meal! First, we must have a toast! But to whom?" He raised his glass and the others followed, with Terra speaking up.
"To our hometowns..."
"Well then, to our hometowns!" Gestahl exclaimed, and everyone clinked their glass against the person's next to them, Locke giving Terra a wink as he hit her glass.
"Good job kiddo..." He whispered, and Terra smiled, feeling a little less nervous. Gestahl took a long sip of his drink and set the glass down, folding his hands together as the maid then began to place servings of food down on the Returner's plates.
"As you know, Kefka's in jail for his war crimes. What shall we do with him?" The Returners that didn't know this murmured quietly among themselves, but Locke raised his hand and spoke.
"Leave him in jail...for now."
"That is a good idea." Gestahl nodded. "Let's let him stew in his cell for a while...and then we can decide what to do." He sighed a little, and then turned to Cyan. "I truly apologize about the poisoning of Doma. No one dreamed Kefka would actually use poison..." Cyan sat up a little straighter and narrowed his eyes some as he folded his hands in his lap.
"That was inexcusable." He said boldly, and the others nodded to back him up.
"I'm so terribly sorry!" Gestahl apologized. "Kefka's being severely punished, and we're taking it upon ourselves to clean up the poison..." He cleared his throat and swept his gaze over the Returners. "By the way...with regard to General Celes..." Locke closed his eyes and looked down, and seeing his pained expression, Terra raised her hand and Gestahl nodded to her.
"Celes...was one of us!" Terra declared, and Locke looked up at her in surprise. Setzer nodded a little to himself, and took a sip of his drink. Gestahl smiled a little, but Terra did not soften her firm tone.
"Kefka was lying. General Celes realized that this war was stupid before anyone else...That is why she joined the Returners...." Locke looked up and felt as if he were about to choke on air.
Celes wasn't a spy...? That meant...that day in the Magitek Research Facility...he had... Locke moaned a little and Terra turned to him alarmingly.
"Are you alright?" Terra whispered, as Mog asked Gestahl a question about Narshe's welfare. Locke nodded a little and looked at Edgar and Cyan, who also had the same guilty looks set on their faces.
"I'm fine...drink of went down the wrong tube..." Locke laughed a little and waved Terra away. "Don't worry." Terra blinked and gently patted Locke's back, smiling more.
"But you must be really happy about Celes though..."
"Any more questions for me?" Gestahl interrupted, and Sabin raised his hand.
"Why did you start the war...?"
"My desire for power got the best of me. Now I've come to my senses. With your permission, I'd like to talk about the Espers..."
"One more question, please!" Gau suddenly burst out, and Gestahl nodded, smiling at the young man.
"What is it, son?"
"Why you want peace now?" Gau asked curiously, and Gestahl sighed a little, leaning back in his chair.
"I feel we need each other's help at this time...don't you agree?" Gau nodded seriously, and Setzer raised his hand.
"Just one more question sir...Why did we have to talk to your men?"
"Some of my men refuse to embrace peace. I felt they'd understand if they actually met you face to face." Setzer nodded, and put a forkful of food into his mouth, ending that discussion.
"Lets talk about Espers now." Terra urged gently, just so that the emperor would not get impatient.
"Aha, excellent idea, Terra." He frowned a little though, and cleared his throat. "My Empire's been decimated by the Espers that emerged from the Sealed Gate. They're acting spiteful. Unless they're stopped, they'll rip the world asunder!"
"Yes..." Terra slowly admitted. "The Espers have gone too far..."
"After the Espers went on their rampage, I knew I couldn't go on with my war. I asked myself why I had started it in the first place. By the way... About those questions you asked me... That was the first one you asked, correct?" Terra raised her eyebrows, but did nod in confirmation. Gestahl nodded back.
"Right. Anyway, more than anything I want peace. That's my true dream! I want you to understand that!"
"You seem a bit tired." Cid offered. "Care for a rest break?"
"Yes, lets take a break." Terra agreed, feeling the fatigue Gestahl must of been feeling too.
"All will be put right if we can just achieve peace!" Cid exclaimed happily, and pardoned himself. Terra did so also, and went out into the hallway alone, pacing about to keep her thoughts in check and her body awake. Inside the dining room, she could hear Locke and Edgar accepting a challenge to duel a pair of the chancellors, which they won quite easily. Terra noticed that Cid was coming back and decided that it was time she returned too. She went back inside the dining room and took her seat, with Cid following a couple of moments later. Gestahl looked a little more refreshed himself, and Locke and Edgar were slipping each other victory signs as they both sat down.
"Shall we begin again?" Gestahl questioned, and Terra nodded. "...Is...there anything you wish for me to say?"
"That your war...is truly over..." Terra trailed off, and Gestahl stared at her straight in the eyes. Terra felt a little uneasy and slid back more in her chair. Those eyes...they had been the last thing her mother had ever seen...
"I understand." Gestahl said firmly. "And I have ordered for this war to be over! But now...I must ask for a favor."
"I knew it!" Locke hissed, and Terra kicked him in the leg to keep him quiet.
"After they devastated my Empire, the Espers headed northward, toward Crescent Island. They must be found...! We must tell them we're no longer their enemy. After all that I have put them through, it is up to me to set things right. This is why...I need to borrow Terra's power. Only Terra can bridge the gap between Esper and human. We must make for Crescent Island aboard the freighter from Albrook. Will you accompany me?" Terra blinked and bit her lip, thinking about it for a moment.
The Empire wanted her to cooperate with them...but what choice did she have? Setzer's airship was out of commission, so there was no way they could get to Crescent Island on their own. The Empire was their best bet...
"Yes, I'll go..." Terra finally agreed, and Gestahl clapped his hands together.
"I'll have my finest warrior accompany us as well! General Leo!"
At that time, General Leo walked in from the throne room entrance into the dining hall, giving everyone a wave as he stood beside Gestahl. Sabin raised his eyebrows.
"I'm General Leo. Nice to meet you all." Leo smiled, and gave a salute.
"Aha...I'm sure I saw him at Doma..." Sabin whispered to himself. Leo looked over at him and Cyan right then, and frowned a little.
"Sir Cyan..." Leo trailed off and shook his head. "You...you are the liege to the King of Doma... Please forgive me for not being there to stop Kefka..."
"....It wasn't your fault." Cyan admitted flatly, and Leo nodded again as he looked to everyone else, and then to Gestahl.
"I'll be waiting for you in Albrook." Leo said, and with that, took his exit. Gestahl stood up as well, signifying the end of the banquet.
"We must find the Espers and come to terms with them! You are our last hope." Terra smiled some and bowed as she stood up and took her leave. The others soon followed her, and she led them into the corridor outside of the throne room, closing the doors so that no one could hear their discussion.
"If Terra goes, I'll go." Locke offered, and Terra looked to him.
"Are you sure...?" She questioned, and Locke nodded. Terra smiled warmly. "Thank you Locke..."
"But the rest of you stay here." Locke ordered. "I smell a rat..."
"Agreed." Edgar said. "It's hard to trust the Emperor, just like that..."
"We'll stay here and investigate." Cyan added.
"And I'll fix my Blackjack!" Setzer declared, and Locke smiled.
"Please do! And leave no stone unturned..."
"Right!" Edgar exclaimed, and slapped Locke on the back. "And you two, be careful!!!"
"Well, I'm off." Setzer gave a wave. "Come to the ship if you need anything before you go, you two!"
"Will do!" Terra smiled, and waved back before Setzer disappeared from their sight.
"Oh yeah....." Edgar tapped Terra's shoulder, and she turned to him. "Albrook is a port just south of here. So don't get lost, ok?"
"We won't!" Terra exclaimed. "Don't worry so much!"
"Don't worry about what?" A creepy voice asked from behind them, making Terra squeal and nearly fly out of her boots. She whirled around and saw the same chancellor that had taken them to the palace standing behind them with a long piece of paper in his hands.
"Nothing!" Terra cried, and wiped at her forehead. "What is it?"
"A message from the Emperor... Because you were able to talk to so many soldiers, you are to be rewarded as follows: Imperial troops have withdrawn from South Figaro. In addition, our troops have also pulled out of Doma. We hereby give you the right to take any weapons you desire from the Imperial base to the east, near the Sealed Cave. And this is from the Emperor himself..." The chancellor handed over a small blue bracelet to Terra, called a Tintinabar. "Your behavior at the banquet was impeccable. Please take this as well!" He also handed her a light pink anklet with a little red jewel dangling from it, called a Charm Bangle. Both were items considered to be of use in battle. "Well..." With that, creepy chancellor slipped away, and Terra let out a sigh of relief.
"He's weird..."
"But South Figaro is liberated!!" Edgar cried happily, and Cyan jumped up and down, which was a rather comic sight, coming from him.
"And so is Doma! Alas, what a joyous day!"
"You mean...joyous night..." Locke yawned and stretched. "I sure as hell hope we aren't leaving for Crescent Island tonight...That will be way too much for me."
"Im afraid we won't be able to leave at all if we don't get a move on." Terra urged, and Locke nodded tiredly.
"Yeah...better get going...except now that I think about it, we should stop at the airship before going into Albrook."
"Why??" Terra cried, and Locke blinked.
"...Just need a...tonic..." Locke nodded some and began to drag Terra away. "Plus I gotta unload all my new goods!!!" Edgar began to follow them and whispered in Terra's ear:
"Locke gets really seasick...so don't let him near your shoes, and let him hug his tonic bottle the entire time you are on the ship..." He laughed and stepped back as Locke continued to pull the now wide-eyed Terra away.
"Oh Gods..." She muttered.
